Special Update

From Our Worship Team

Our thanks to Judie Symbal for her faithful service as our Altar Guild lead at Shepherd of the Prairie.  She has served as our leader for 10 years and five years prior on the team.  Judie will be stepping aside at the first of the year to go on to new adventures in ministry through the church.  Please join us in thanking Judie for her faithful service these many years.   

Well done good and faithful servant!!!

With that said, the Worship Team is actively looking for help in carrying on with this most important ministry of the church.  Some of the activities of the Altar Guild include:

• changing the colors of the altar paraments and banners
• securing bakers for communion bread
• scheduling those preparing the sacrament each week
• caring for the needs of the sacristy (room behind the altar of the church)

If you would like to help on the team please call the church office or let Pastor Mark, Pastor Ryan or Jane McMullen know.  We would love to invite you to serve on the team and include you in helping prepare the sacrament for worship.

Our thanks once again to Judie for her faithful service!  Please consider finding a place to be engaged in the ministry and life of Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church.  Thanks to everyone who serves on this most important ministry team of church.

Contact: Jane McMullen at  jane@sotpmail.com

A Note from

Our Bishop

I turned 21 in Arusha, Tanzania. I had been selected to be one of the team that represented the Northern Illinois Synod on our initial visit to our companions in (at that time) the Arusha Diocese. It was an eye-opening, mind and heart expanding journey, taken between my college graduation and my first year of seminary.

That relationship, now with the North Central Diocese (NCD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), has continued and had ebbs and flows over the last 33 years (yes, yes, do the math). Post-covid, we are looking to once again deepen that relationship and build up our congregational and synod relationships.

Every synod in the ELCA has at least one companion. These relationships are rooted in “accompaniment,” which promotes the values of mutuality, inclusivity, vulnerability, empowerment, and sustainability. Through the program, companion churches and ELCA synods nurture and strengthen one another for life and ministry through prayer, study, communication, exchange of visitors, and sharing of resources.

Outside of our companion relationship with the North Central Diocese in Tanzania, we also have a relationship with Arcot Lutheran Church in India. This past August, along with Vice President Minnette Willard, I traveled for the consecration of Bishop Peter Paul Thomas. It was a trip that focused on building relationships, of showing up to celebrate with Bishop Peter Paul Thomas and the Arcot Lutheran Church.

As we live out being the body of Christ, it is important to show up for the important things, the celebrations and the painful things. To support one another and be reminded of the love that fills us as children of God.

It’s the same reason why our Northern Illinois synod staff are so eager to worship with your congregations on a regular basis. It is why I go to as many congregations as I can. We are in this journey together, following God-made-flesh in Jesus and living that same embodied faith for and with each other.

God’s work. Our hands.

On September 8th, congregations around the Northern Illinois Synod participated in “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday. This day is an opportunity to celebrate who we are at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.

Many churches packed school kits for Lutheran World Relief, like First Lutheran Church in DeKalb who packed 652 kits after worship. First had spent the previous months collecting supplies, sorting them, and recruiting many hands to make the packing happen as quick as possible.

For Grace Lutheran Church in Wilmington, “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday was more than just a day of service but rather created new connections in their community. A planning team led the congregation in gathering items for gift bags for the local nursing home. On a Sunday morning, their members created an assembly line for filling the bags, which included hygiene items, snacks, a Bible verse card, and a personal card with the church’s information. A root beer float station was set up at the nursing home. Nursing home residents enjoyed their treat bags and root beer floats. In the month prior, members of Grace joined with members of United in Gardner to work the Food Share fest held at the Wilmington High School. Congregation members from both churches helped load food into cars for over 300 families on a hot summer day. Members at Grace are excited about connections they can make with other churches and outreach provided to their community.

As we open God’s story, as we live as the body of Christ, we know we are called out in love to serve our neighbor. Do you have a story to share of how God is at work in your community? Send them to niscommunications@nisynod.org

Community Outreach

Thank You

The Community Outreach team would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all that:

• Helped at the booth during the Business Expo

and

• Donated desserts and pet supplies to the Animal House Shelter luncheon

We appreciate the time you took out of your day to help support our ministries.

Contact: Tara Mackey  rtmackey10@yahoo.com            

Special Request

From the Congregational Treasurer

As monetary donations are given to Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church, it is important that our counters and contributions secretary are informed of the following: 

1. the donor’s name, and
2. the breakdown of the amount of the donation or the per cent of the donation that should be credited to the General Fund, the Mortgage Service Fund or any other fund.

• For those donors who are using the pre-printed envelopes provided by SOTP, the blanks on the envelopes need to be filled out so that the donation is credited to the proper account.
• For those donors who are submitting donations by check but without an envelope, please make sure that the donor’s name is on the check and the breakdown of the donation is indicated on the “memo” line of the check.

Over time, we have experienced some problems with being able to credit members’ accounts when checks are received directly from banks or other financial institutions without any identifying information about the donor.  Many of these donations are qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from retirement accounts.

To help alleviate this situation, I ask that each member who has a financial institution directly submitting checks to SOTP to please notify that institution that your name needs to be provided either on or along with your check.  This will be very helpful in making sure that your donation gets properly credited to your account.

Thank you for your assistance in helping address this matter and thank you for your continued support of SOTP.

Blessings to you all.

George Attaway, Treasurer

Contact: George Attaway        galaonthelake@yahoo.com  

The Artist Series Presents

Barber Shop Chorus

The New Tradition ] Chorus is an award-winning a cappella chorus singing in the TTBB range with members from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. 

Chartered in 1982, this Illinois District chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society has a long-standing reputation for delighting audiences through exciting harmonies and memorable performances of songs spanning decades and genres.  The chorus rehearses in Glenview, IL

Visit the church website at www.bit.ly/SOTPARTIST for further information on the Artist Series or email at artistseries@sotpmail.com