Church guide

Camp Creation is just around the corner! Share with your friends!

Join us at St. Paul's for tonight's Ascension Service at 7:00 p.m. The Ascension of Jesus took place 40 days after His resurrection from the dead. His disciples watched as He physically ascended into heaven and were given hope in the promise of their place in heaven by faith in Jesus. Jesus also ascended to heaven to "sit at the right hand of the Father." The "right hand" not being a specific location, but a way to describe Christ's exalted humanity. Paul says in Ephesians 4:10, "He...ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things" and again in Eph 1:20-23, God "raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under His feet."

It's time to mark your calendars for Camp Creation!!! As happens every June, St. Paul's Lutheran Church offers now two weeks of Camp Creation for elementary and middle school students in our community. This year Camp Creation I (3 yrs - 2nd graders) will be held June 10th - 14th. Camp Creation II (3rd grade - 8th grade) will be held June 17th - 21st. NOTE: This year we have a new location. CC I and CC II will both be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 239 Frank Street in Council Bluffs. Register today by calling 712-322-4729 or email [email protected] Please include your child's age/grade just completed, along with your phone number and address. Thank you and see you soon!

Join us tonight for the Easter Vigil, 7:00 p.m. The service begins outside at the front steps of the church. Sunday Easter services are at 8:00 and 10:45 am with our Easter breakfast at 9:30.

When the chapel is at the center of your Early Childhood Center and the cross is at the center of your chapel and Jesus is at the center of the cross, I'd say you have a Center-centered on Jesus:) God's peace in Jesus to everyone and have a Blessed Holy Week!

Always a great day when St. Paul's Preschool visits Bethany Lutheran Home!

Join us for Holy Week services at St. Paul's! Maundy Thursday Divine Service 7 pm Good Friday Tenebrae 7 p.m. Easter Vigil Divine Service (Saturday) 7 p.m. Easter Sunday Divine Services 8 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. (Breakfast at 9:30 a.m.)

Mark your calendars, Camp Creation is coming soon! This year we have a slight modification on dates and locations: Camp Creation I, June 10-14 9:00am-noon: Students 3yrs through 2nd grade. Camp Creation II, June 17-21 9:00am-3:00pm: Students 3rd grade through 8th grade. Notes: 1. Both sessions will occur at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 239 Frank Street, Council Bluffs. 2. Students will be placed in the grades they just finished. 3. Location changes relate to cost, flexibility of scheduling and flexibility with numbers. 4. CCI will again be a more general study of creation, including a music session. CCII will focus on God's work of creation from a medical perspective. Special presenters/guests will include members of the medical field. Watch for registration information to follow shortly! Please share with your friends and neighbors!

Check out some of our donations for tomorrow's silent auction! There is something for everyone. Two golf passes to the golf course in Treynor, free Gorilla Car Wash for a year, a Garden Hod, gift bags including gift cards to restaurants, College World Series basket, and the like. Plus, each class from SPLECC did special projects, two came from Christ Academy and the Music Conservatory is giving away 4 free lesson packages in guitar and piano along with many other things. A favorite so far is the precious folded hands of our two year old class! Thanks be to God for life! See you tomorrow at SPLECC! 1500 North 16th Street.

Don't forget!!! Tomorrow, April 3rd St. Paul's will host its Lenten service and Christ Academy at our Early Childhood Center in celebration of National Lutheran Schools Week. The night will also include a silent auction in support of SPLECC! The evening will go as follows: 5:00- Children's Choir practice at SPLECC. (Cantate Domino Choir.) 7-12 grade students and families arrive to help set up. 5:45- Lenten "Chapel" Service. 6:00- Dinner/Christ Academy Classes for students PK-6th. 6:00- Adults eat dinner, browse silent auction items. 7:00- Closing Please join us in celebrating our Early Childhood Center and other education based ministries at St. Paul's!

Mark your calendars! August 5th-8th the Council Bluffs Circuit of the Iowa District West will be hosting Rev. Richard Resch for a FREE continuing education opportunity open to all interested under the title: "Luther, Bach and Gerhardt: Giants of the Christian Faith." This four day continuing education opportunity is FREE and open to the public and would be especially interesting to pastors, teachers, musicians, students and others who care about music and the influence music has on the hearing of the Gospel. Each evening, Monday through Wednesday, will offer a special musical event for all registrants. Online registration will be forthcoming. For more information contact Rev. Nate Sherrill, Rev. Tim Frank or Dr. J Gordon Christensen at 712-322-4729. Below read Resch's bio: Rev. Richard Resch grew up in Rochester, New York, where he studied organ at the Eastman School of Music preparatory department while in high school. During that time he also served as organist and choir director for two choirs at his LCMS parish. His undergraduate college studies include study at Concordia College, River Forest, and Valparaiso University. In 1970 he graduated from Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance and Church Music. He then entered graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music. In 1972 he received the Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from Eastman. During this time he was organist and choir director at Faith Lutheran Church, Penfield, NY. In 1977, he became the Director of Chapel Music at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and began theological studies. In 1978 he formed the Seminary Kantorei, a select choir of seminary students who traveled twice annually to bring the seminary and its music to the church. He received the Master of Divinity degree in 1988, was ordained and called to Concordia Theological Seminary and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in the Office of Kantor. At St. Paul’s Lutheran Church he produced four CDs with his wife, Barbara, featuring children singing hymns. When Dean Wenthe became the seminary president, he brought Rev. Resch on to the faculty in the Pastoral Theology and Missions Department where he taught liturgics and homiletics. In 2000, Rev. Resch launched the Good Shepherd Institute of Pastoral Theology and Sacred Music together with co-director, Arthur A. Just. During his years at the seminary and with the institute, Rev. Resch produced seven Kantorei CDs, one CD for the Good Shepherd Institute and the DVD, Singing the Faith: Living the Lutheran Musical Heritage. Rev. Resch retired from Concordia Theological Seminary in July of 2014 and currently resides in Minnesota with his wife Barbara.

Come one, come all to our annual Harvest Dinner! Tomorrow, at 12:30(ish), after second service, we will be giving thanks to God for the opportunity to serve in His Kingdom. We will highlight our missions, especially St. Paul's Lutheran Early Childhood Center, St. Paul's Music Conservatory and missionary Roger James serving overseas. Meat and drinks will be provided, bring a dish to pass and learn how you can continue to help support these amazing missions!

Shelby Underwood, student of Dr. C, playing Bach for Joe Moroney and the residents of Bethany Lutheran Home at one of Dr. C's regular volunteer performances!

How do St. Paul's Early Childhood Center, St. Paul's Music Conservatory, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church impact families? Hear from Doug & Jen Ferris as they share how their involvment at St. Paul's has strengthened their faith and their family! The following video was shown last week to the convention delegates of Iowa District West as a thank you for their support of St. Paul's as one of 5 district missionary partners. Thank you to the congregations of Iowa District West! And above all, thanks be to God!

An awesome first day of Camp Creation II! If you couldn't visit to see what you're kids were doing, we took a few pictures for you! Who knew thinking could be so fun...move over video games, Camp Creation is here!

Dr. Friesen played a wonderful recital yesterday at noon and Dr. Plourde gave a great presentation in the evening. Next week's organist is Laura Palmer and evening study is on John with Pastor Lindau. Here's a few highlights from Ash Wednesday. I'm a work in progress with this technology stuff. If this doesn't work, Scott, I need your help!