Sermon Series

Jesus never simply invited people to believe in Him—He invited them to follow Him. This fall, we’ll explore what it means to move from believing in Jesus to becoming more like Jesus in the ordinary rhythms of everyday life. Discipleship isn’t about perfection; it’s about practice. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God forms us through holy habits that shape our hearts, deepen our faith, and transform the way we live.

Beginning August 30, each week will focus on a simple invitation from Jesus: Follow Me. Trust Me. Love Like Me. Learn From Me. Love God With Everything. Together, we’ll discover how surrender, faith in action, compassion and forgiveness, learning from Jesus, and wholehearted love for God can become practices that shape who we are.

Come this fall ready not simply to learn more about Jesus, but to become more like Jesus.

Pastor Mark

A Note

From Pastor Mark

From 13 to a Community of Faith: Celebrating 25 Years

On September 23, 2001, something new began in Huntley.

There was no church building. No sanctuary.  No familiar gathering space filled with years of memories. Instead, a group of people gathered in the multipurpose room of Chesak School, trusting that God was beginning something among them.

That Sunday morning, Pastor Ken McKnight led the very first worship service of what would become Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church. Thirteen people gathered to worship.

Thirteen people.

Looking back 25 years later, that number may seem small. But almost everything God does begins small.

Jesus spoke of a mustard seed. A little yeast mixed into flour. A few fishermen invited to follow. Five loaves and two fish placed into his hands. God has always had a remarkable way of taking small beginnings and creating something far greater than anyone could have imagined.

I wonder what those 13 people thought that morning.

I wonder if they imagined the congregation that would eventually grow from their gathering. I wonder if they imagined a church building filled with worship and music. I wonder if they imagined children being baptized, young people affirming their faith, couples standing before God to make their wedding promises, or families gathering to entrust loved ones into God’s eternal care.

I wonder if they imagined KidsConnect gathering, confirmation students, Bible studies, high school youth gathering on a parking lot, mission trips, food drives, concerts, community partnerships, thousands of prayers, countless cups of coffee, laughter in the hallways, and friendships that would last for decades.

Probably not.

They simply gathered. They sang. They prayed. They heard God’s Word. They shared in the promise of Christ. And they trusted God with what came next. That is really the story of Shepherd of the Prairie.

Our story is not ultimately about buildings, budgets, programs, attendance numbers, or even anniversaries. Our story is about the faithfulness of God.

For 25 years, God has gathered people here. God has welcomed people here. God has forgiven people here. God has called people here. God has comforted people here. God has sent people from here into the world to love and serve their neighbors.

And through all the changes of these past 25 years, one thing has remained constant: Jesus Christ has been at the center of it all.

There is something especially meaningful about remembering that our congregation began in a school multipurpose room. It reminds us that the Church has never really been about a building.

The Church is people. People gathered around Jesus. People hearing the good news that they are loved by God. People discovering that grace is a gift rather than something we earn. People learning to love one another. People being sent into the world to become the hands and feet of Jesus.

Eventually, Shepherd of the Prairie would have a beautiful building to call home. But the Church existed before the building ever did.

It existed wherever those first 13 people gathered around the promise of Jesus. And it still does.

This month, we give thanks for Pastor Ken McKnight, whose leadership helped plant this congregation. We give thanks for those first 13 worshipers who walked into Chesek School on September 23, 2001. We give thanks for everyone who came after them—the pastors, staff members, musicians, teachers, council members, volunteers, ministry leaders, and countless faithful disciples who gave their time, their gifts, their prayers, and their hearts to this congregation.

Some are still sitting beside us. Some have moved away. Some now rest in the promise of the resurrection.

But each has become part of the story God continues to write at Shepherd of the Prairie.

And perhaps that is the most important thing to remember as we celebrate this anniversary: The story isn’t finished.

We are a people gathered by grace. We are a people shaped by the love of Jesus. We are a people called to love our neighbors.

And we are a people who trust that the God who began this good work among us 25 years ago is nowhere near finished yet.

Thanks be to God for those first 13.

Thanks be to God for Pastor Ken McKnight and all those who dreamed, prayed, served, and believed.

Thanks be to God for 25 years of ministry.

And thanks be to God for whatever comes next.

The best way to honor where we began is to keep following where Jesus leads.

I look forward to continuing to be part of God’s unfolding story here at Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church.

I’ll see you in worship!

Pastor Mark