Assistant to the Bishop Pr. Mark Anderson will preach on Sunday, October 23, when new members will be welcomed.   He also will preside at the Generosity Project offered for the Synod and held at Good Shepherd from 1:00-4:30 in the afternoon.  He is a member of the Northeastern Iowa Synod staff who is responsible for developing financial gifts to mission support from congregations and individuals; representing the Bishop in various network ministries; helping coordinate youth and family ministries; coordinating the Companion Synod relationship with the Lutheran Church in Hungary; providing resources and serving as a liaison for the synod in partner ministries, and providing pastor care for the roster. Pr. Anderson is a graduate of The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (’89) and Luther College, Decorah, Iowa (Sociology/Religion ’85). At the present time, he serves as a member of the Iowa Council on Human Services (DHS),  the Bremer County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and is Emergency Coordinator of the Bremer County ARES and is president of the Saint Paul’s School Board.

At Adult Forum on Sunday, October 23, Catherine Moeller will be speaking about the ELCA Young Adult in Global Mission (YAGM) program and her year experiencing radical hospitality in Mexico. Join with Catherine at 10:45 in the Narthex to hear about her experiences.

The ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program invites ELCA young adults ages 21-29 into a transformative, year-long journey in international service in one of nine countries around the world. Areas of service include, but are not limited to, health and development, congregational ministry, human rights, education, homelessness, addiction recovery, women’s issues and children and youth.

The Generosity Project, an all ages workshop offered for our whole synod, will be held at Good Shepherd on Sunday, October 23 from 1:00-4:30 pm.  Regardless of age, we are all called to be stewards of God’s abundant grace.  The Generosity Project is a lively, interactive, intergenerational workshop that equips us to live generously.

Wednesday, October 19
7:30 a.m. – Men’s Breakfast
1:00 p.m. – Prayer Shawl Ministry, Jane Kemp hosts
7:00 p.m. – Choir Rehearsal
8:00 p.m. – Band Rehearsal

Thursday, October 20
10:00 a.m. – Bible Study with Pastor Amy
5:00 p.m. – Community Meal at First Lutheran

Sunday, October 23 – 23rd Sunday after Pentecost New Member Sunday
8:45 a.m. – Choir Practice
9:30 a.m. – Worship with Holy Communion
10:30 a.m. – Fellowship Hour – Coffee Sale
10:45 a.m. – Sunday School/Confirmation
1:00 p.m. – Generosity Project- Fun Event for all ages!

Brad Hanson, professor emeritus of religion at Luther College and an ordained pastor, will speak about the Catechism’s section on the Lord’s Prayer at Adult Forum on October 16.  He notes:

We all know the Lord’s Prayer by heart, and we say it together every Sunday in worship, and it may also be our personal practice to say this prayer as part of our bedtime prayer. In Luther’s Small Catechism he encourages a deep engagement with this memorized prayer which comes from his very own personal practice daily with the Lord’s Prayer. In this session of Adult Forum we’ll look at Luther’s personal practice and discuss whether it might have something to give us.