We encourage you to read the Bible stories for this upcoming Sunday
Luke 8:26-39
in preparation for worship.
Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.
Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
A word of personal privilege: thank you! Thank you so very much for the celebration of my ministry last Sunday. Your kind words, cards, and even the gifts are deeply appreciated. Of course, any pastor's ministry, including my own, doesn't happen in a vacuum. It takes lots and lots of people--like you--as well as family, and in my case especially, Carol. And so many of you acknowledged that. Again, thank you! Just a word of clarification however: a few folks thought we were moving away. Not so! We're staying right here and will continue to be an active part of SOTP. In fact, the only thing that's really changed for me is that I no longer will teach weekly classes nor will I be a part of the church staff. I'll continue teaching our Saturday seminars beginning in the fall with Bible 101, then Lutheran 101, and Psalms 101. Watch the Friday Flourish and our newsletter for details. That being said, thank you, Pastor Mark, congregation, and staff for your love, kindness, and shared ministry. You are a gift to us!
Pastor Bill and Carol
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We are now hiring for the part time position of
Director of Children and Family Ministry.
The mission of the Director of Children and Family Ministry is to love children and lead them to love, follow and know Jesus. The Director of Children and Family Ministry will create an environment that is safe, inviting and educational for children, is nurturing and supportive for parents, and one that engages children and families as active, lifelong participants in church and faith based worship and instruction.
The Director of Children and Family Ministry is responsible for the strategic development and management of a cohesive children and family ministry, inclusive of defining core programs and events that secure the ongoing participation and involvement of adult parents and their young children ages birth through 5th grade in religious instruction, church membership, ministry participation and SOTP activities. The Director of Children and Family Ministry will work closely with other SOTP youth ministry to develop and seamlessly integrate children and family ministries with other youth ministry programs.
To see additional details of this new position or to apply, click here .
Flowers for the Sanctuary
We continue to ask you to please consider signing up to donate flowers to brighten up the sanctuary. As normal, each arrangement is $50.
The bouquets are delivered from the florist for the weekend worship services. You can pick up your flowers after the Sunday services or on the Monday following. The church is open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
If you are interested in donating flowers, contact me, Diane Mollis, at dem910@outlook.com or use the sign-up sheets located on the bulletin board in the church lobby. Provide your name, address, phone number, for whom the flowers are dedicated to or in memory of, and which Sunday you are interested in displaying the bouquet. I will send you a special offering envelope for the flowers in the mail. If you have any questions, please call me at 224-654-6677.
Thank you for contributing to beautify the altar during our services at Shepherd of the Prairie.
Memory Brick Walkway
The second order of Memory Bricks have been installed in the walkway. We have a total of 63 memory bricks in the walkway. Once we get 5 orders of either size (4x8 or 8x8) they will be ordered from Polar Engraving.
Friends Bible Study
Friends Bible Study meets weekly on Monday afternoon from 12:30-2:00 in the Willow Room at Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church. We are about to complete the study of the book of 1Kings.
June 6th brings us a new month and a new study. We will go to the New Testament and discuss the book of Acts. Be Dynamic, by Warren Wiersbe, is the commentary we will use to enhance our discussion. What was it like for those early Christians who had received the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all people.? As stated by Ken Baugh, "Peter was just a fisherman, untrained in the fine details of theology, yet the Holy Spirit used him in dynamic ways to bring many people to a saving faith in Jesus".
Come join us as we spend the summer exploring our faith and learning from one another.
Linda Dungey
lindajsd88@gmail.com
With the intent to provide our church members with additional information and encourage open dialog, our monthly council report will be posted on our website each month. This document will show minutes of the past council meeting, full financials and various ministry meeting minutes. Check out the May, 2022 Council Report. We've also designed a simple feedback form to share your questions, concerns or comments. Let us know what you’re thinking.