Church guide

#ThrowbackThursday From the construction of the current Our Savior’s Lutheran Church building.

A 60-DAY JOURNEY TOWARD JUSTICE IN A CULTURE OF GUN VIOLENCE A Prayer for Mass Violence Let us pray: Lord, we are bewildered. More violence? Another mess of blood and debris on the screen? We haven’t yet recovered from the last. Some of us are paralyzed with fear. We hear about bombs and guns and death, and our throats close up in terror. We fear for our own lives, for the lives of our children and our children’s children. We don’t know what has happened to the world we thought we knew. We who fear confess our fear and ask for your forgiveness. Fill us with your love, for your perfect love casts out fear. You are with us. Your rod and your staff—they comfort us. And we pray for the people whose lives are truly endangered, who have more cause to fear. Would you make safe havens for them? Would you lead them out of the valley of the shadow of death and into places of light and life? Some of us are incensed with hatred. The wars and rumors of war incite us to start our own. Our instinct is to be overcome by evil, to take vengeance into our own hands. We who hate to confess our hate and ask for your forgiveness; Warm our hearts with compassion and help us pursue peace. Grant us your wisdom as we seek your kingdom by turning our cheek and walking another mile. And we pray for the people whose hatred has led to death. As you did with the apostle Paul, would you encounter them on the road? Would you, with your very presence, transform threats and murder into lives lived for you? Some of us just feel numb. The rising death tolls spin past our eyes, but our hearts no longer read them. Years of images of violence have dulled our senses. Another incident? We don’t even flinch anymore. We who are numb confess our numbness and ask for your forgiveness. Sharpen our senses. Cause us to care, even if that means feeling the pain of heartbreaking sadness. Teach us empathy. Help us weep with those who weep. And we pray for the people who weep. Would you be their consolation? You know the pain of betrayal, of abandonment, of death. Would you heal wounds of all kinds? Would you also—someday—give them cause to laugh? On that day, we will laugh with those who laugh. Lord of all, gather us up—your creatures, your world— and bring an end to the violence. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

This past week in worship,Pr. Emmy preached on how Our Savior's has been a safe place to call home for us and for so many others throughout our history. As we think about the legion of things that can cause us to lose ourselves and our way, she invites us to be thankful for the "life that really is life" which Jesus gives to us, and the amazing fact that God doesn't write any of us off.

A 60-DAY JOURNEY TOWARD JUSTICE IN A CULTURE OF GUN VIOLENCE Three decades ago, a tragedy became a catalyst for action... Thirty years ago, on January 17, 1989, a 24-year-old gunman entered Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, Calif., and killed five students and injured 30 other people. This tragic event prompted the California Assembly to respond by passing the Assault Weapons Control Act, the first legislative restriction on assault weapons in the nation. It also was a catalyst for a number of ELCA actions and responses to gun violence, its root causes, and its impact on individuals, families, and communities—including the 1994 social message “Community Violence.” (attached below) In a letter to the community of Stockton in January 2019, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton wrote: “As it states in the ELCA’s Community Violence message, ‘As citizens in a democracy, we have the responsibility to join with others to hold government accountable for protecting society and ensuring justice for all, and to seek changes in policies and practices toward these ends.’ “But we can’t get there by ourselves. This is not our work, but God’s. And God is faithful. In the death and resurrection of Jesus, God changed everything, a change no human effort could ever bring about. We do God’s work of seeking justice, reconciliation and healing, certain that Christ is with us. “From the social message on Community Violence: ‘Guiding us is a vision of the age-to-come in which people are free from violence, justice is done, and the common good is realized. “They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America along with Our Savior's are saddened by the all-too-frequent occurrences of gun violence in the U.S. We mourn the loss of life. We grieve for the victims and their families, who often feel silenced. And we lament for those who have done violence to others and often feel removed from a community of faith. Over the next few months, we invite you on a journey of prayer, scripture, stories and church teachings with this resource, "A 60-Day Journey Toward Justice in a Culture of Gun Violence." Look out for posts on Facebook, or download the devotional at the link below, as we engage many resources on this journey. These posts and this resource hope to put language and meaning to our calls to work toward the prevention of gun violence as people of God who strive for justice and peace in all the world. It may be used for individual reflection, group Bible study, adult education sessions, and congregational daily devotions.

#throwbackthursday We ❤️ the OSLC Choir. Who’s with us?

The Hotdish crew is back! This week, friend of the pod (and amazingly excellent author), Alice Conner returns to talk about her new book: "How to Human: An Incomplete Manuel for Living in a Messed-Up World". Her newest creation is a wonderful reminder to us all that being human isn't always easy, and that it takes practice. Be sure to check out Alice's books on Amazon and join the conversation!

7th inning stretch!

#ThrowbackThursday Who remembers the “old gym”? Do you have a favorite memory to share?

Taking in a Twin’s game before heading home!

Our last stop of the night was volunteering at Feed My Starving Children! We packed a lot of boxes in just a short 90 minute shift! Check out our numbers and how many kiddos will now have food! What an awesome feeling! ❤️

A glimpse inside our work at Global Health Ministries sorting much needed medical supplies! We sorted through THREE palettes of supplies in just two hours! Such awesome workers! ❤️

Our afternoon work brought us to Global Health Ministries!! This is an amazing organization that helps share medical supplies with third world countries. Such important work! OSLC provides ongoing support for this mission and we are so excited that our youth could be a part of it!

Got lots of yard work, landscaping, and general cleaning done at three different group homes this morning! Amazing how much you can accomplish with 34 hard workers!

A little rain isn’t going to stop us from having a blast at Valleyfair!! ☔️😊👍🏻

6:30am came early today but these guys were awesome about it! Excited for an amazing three day trip filled with mission work, fellowship, and fun!

Pastor Emmy and Pastor Kyle are getting ready for Synod Assembly in Fargo. Thankful for John Thompson, Kara Kramin, and Janet Brown for representing Our Savior’s this year. Looking forward to sharing these days and the good news together with friends from across Eastern North Dakota. #onestory

Vacation Bible School Program

7th inning stretch!

A glimpse inside our work at Global Health Ministries sorting much needed medical supplies! We sorted through THREE palettes of supplies in just two hours! Such awesome workers! ❤️

Vacation Bible School Program

2019 Our Saviors Lutheran Church cantata

Here’s the second video! Both videos are so fun and creative and just a lot of fun!

Last week at Kids for Christ our awesome and creative youth made some pretty cool promotional videos about OSLC! Be sure to check out both video posts to see why these kids love our church! ❤️