Prairie Faith Shared Ministry

Pastor Randy

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:38:29 -0500

PFSM Joint Service-Youth

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:13:26 -0500

PMA Installation-Joint Service

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:11:26 -0500

Pastor Jon

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:28:30 -0500

Intern Erik

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:25:18 -0500

Intern�s message

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:20:43 -0500

God is very peculiar sometimes. Where God sends us sometimes is even more peculiar. Throughout the year I have been prayerfully contemplating doing some mission work for the ELCA. I decided to apply to the program Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) and explore the possibility of doing missionary work for a year in another country. On April 15th I received a letter asking me to join the program and serve in Jerusalem/West Bank for the 2012-2013 year.

During this year of service I will be working with established Lutheran schools throughout the area and serving as a tutor in English and working youth orientated programs through the schools and local churches. This form of missionary work follows the ELCA�s accompaniment model of missionary where we join together with people in the places they live and share stories of their lives so that we can build stories together about how God is at work in the world around us. During this coming year I will spend time with the people of Jerusalem and West Bank to share in their lives and see first hand how God is at work in their lives in that very place.

After my year of service I plan on returning to Wartburg Theological Seminary and finishing my last year of Seminary education. I do not see this activity as a halt of my education, but rather an extension where I can gain a global perspective and see first hand the work of God in the world. As such, leaving PFSM to go do this means that the work that this Shared Ministry has done in my education has not only prepared a future pastor, but also now a missionary. Certainly the people here in Kansas have helped guide me towards this call and have prepared me for the task ahead. I wish to express my thanks to all who aided in this discernment process (whether they actually knew or not), and to point out how God has worked through all of you to create new and exciting things for the future of the Church!

As I leave this place there some things I would like to ask Prairie Faith Shared Ministry to help me with as I prepare and go out to the Holy Lands to spend a year of service. First of all, please keep me in prayer. Though I am leaving this place and going on to somewhere new, I still carry on the light of all of your stories with me as we are bound together in our baptisms to share our lives together as the body of Christ, and keeping me in prayer gives me strength to know that this body continually hopes in God�s prescience traveling with me to foreign places where there are both new dangers and joys. Finally, please read the newsletter articles and blogs that I write while I am gone. I am asked by the program to write newsletters and blog entries while I am abroad as a way for people to see and hear the stories of my travels. Before I leave I will leave another message in the newsletter and have it printed in the bulletins the website so that people can access my blog and join with me in the missionary work God has in store for me.

Once again, thank you all for the gifts you have given and shown me throughout this year as I have contemplated this new adventure in my life. Prairie Faith Shared Ministry is not only a trainer of future pastors, but also of missionaries. I give to you my deepest and greatest attitude for all that you have given me this year, and I look forward to these last few months of internship as I prepare to say good bye to you and move on to Jerusalem/West Bank to meet new brothers and sisters in Christ who have many more stories and gifts to share that I can then in return share with you!

If you would like more information about the program I will be doing please call me and chat a while or you can check out this website:

http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-E...ung-Adults.aspx

Prairie Faith Council Highlights

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:15:58 -0500

April 10, 2012 Meeting

Pastors' Reports
� The Boundary Workshop is to be held in Salina on May 10th. Pastor Jon, Pastor Randy, Intern Erik, & PMA Kim Frederking will be attending,
� Pastor Jon will be taking vacation May 2�May 8th
� Pastor Randy will be taking part in the Micah Group, an ecumenical group for pastors that meets in Hays bi-monthly
� Intern Erik will be gone April 12th�15th PMA Marla will be coving for him.
� PMA Marla has decided to resign from Prairie Faith, stating that she does not have enough time to devote to both Prairie Faith and the Presbyterian Church that they each deserve

Internship Committee
� The intern for the 2012-2013 year, Paul Rosin, will be arriving sometime before July 15. He will be attending the 2012 National Youth Gathering as the male sponsor.
Old Business
� There was only a small attendance for the showing of the �Passion of the Christ� movie. Although those that did attend extended their appreciation.

New Business
� The next Joint Service will be April 29th at Zion Lutheran church. The youth will host the service. The youth will provide a Taco Bar for lunch following the service as a fundraiser. Plans are to have a decorated cake auction as well.
� Intern Erik will be attending the Camp Tomah Shinga Confirmation camp with his confirmation class at St. John leaving on July 22nd.
� A joint service of Farewell & Welcome is planned for July 15 at St. John for Interns Erik & Paul.
� With PMA Marla�s resignation there is an open staff position for pulpit supply. Pastor Randy will be speaking with PMA Kim Frederking to see if she is interested in the position.

The next meeting will be June 19, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Devotions to be given by Pastor Randy

Trego County Food Pantry Opens

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:04:23 -0500

The participating churches of the Ministerial Alliance have met and formed a Trego County Food Pantry to be located at the Presbyterian Church. The first day of operation will be on Thursday, May 10 from 6:00 p.m.�9:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, May 19 from 9:00 a.m.�12:00 p.m. A complete schedule will be forthcoming. Donations of packaged food items and paper goods will always be welcome. The Ministerial Alliance will continue to give food vouchers so that pantry items can be supplemented by fresh products. In case of an emergency you may contact Wanda Mai, Laura Anderson, and Donalea Deines

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL BEGINS!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:01:37 -0500

St. John Lutheran Church �May 29�June 1,- 5:30�8:30 p.m.
Registration Deadline�May 14, 2012

�Where Jesus Leads Us Home�

Join us as we take an Amazing Desert Journey with Jesus. Together we will sing, pray, and play as you learn how Jesus leads and goes with you on the journey of life.

Amazing Desert Journey teaches children about God's amazing plan to rescue them through His Son from sin and death. They will hear the accounts from Scripture of God's forgiveness, mercy, and salvation, they can relate these Bible truths to their own life of faith.

The VBS program, �Children�s Day,� will be held Sunday, June 3, 2012 during the worship service. Call Wanda Kortan at 785-737-2855 if you would like to join them.

Confirmation Sunday Zion & BLC

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:57:52 -0500

Zion Lutheran Church
On Sunday, May 13, 2012 Zion Lutheran Church will confirm Teghan Sells.
Everyone is encouraged to support her on this special day.
Congratulations Teghan.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Sunday, May 27, 2012 five young people will affirm their baptism:
Ryan Deaver, Tanner Townly, Macy Mattheyer, Hayden Cook and Megan Zahn
Everyone is encouraged to support them on this special day.
Congratulations Ryan, Tanner, Macy, Hayden, Megan

2012-2013 INTERN

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:38:45 -0500

March 15th we received exciting news from Wartburg Theological Seminary informing Prairie Faith Shared Ministry that our new intern for the 2012-2013 year will be:

Paul Albert Rosin

Paul Rosin was born and baptized into Our Savior�s Lutheran Church in Greeley, CO. He grew up in Greeley and the church, where he loved to sing and participated in the full life of both the community and congregation. He attended Aims Community College in Greeley, graduating with an associate�s degree in liberal arts and eventually studied at the University of Northern Colorado working on a degree in political science.

He enjoys the culinary arts, is a film buff and has been very active in the Special Olympics.

We should be hearing more from Paul in the coming months and look forward to meeting him sometime this summer.

MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:20:35 -0600

2012 SYNOD ASSEMBLY � JUNE 7-9 � BETHANY COLLEGE

Shaping the Church For God�s Mission: Raising and Equipping Leaders for Life
Pre-Assembly materials have been posted and registration is open for the 2012 Assembly of Central States Synod. Please visit http://css-elca.org/about/synod-assembly/ for updates, and remember to register no later than May 7 for the Early Registration Rate.

Support Group Opportunities

Sat, 28 May 2011 21:10:49 -0500

Chronic Illness & Healing Support Group
A chronic illness is described as any health issue that disrupts normal routine activities of daily living. This includes chronic pain, physical disabilities and an illness lasting more than a year and/or is life threatening.

Coping and living with a chronic illness can and does involve isolation and suffering in silence. We encourage you to break that silence and share your struggles and words of frustration with others like yourself. To register for the Chronic Illness Support Group or for more information call Kim Frederking, group facilitator at 785-743-8309. This group will begin meeting in June, the second Sunday at 1:30 p.m.�3:30 p.m. and the fourth Thursday of each month from 6:30 p.m.�8:30 p.m.

Grief Support Group
The death of someone close to us � spouse, child, parent or someone else we love � is so immense that it is difficult to take in. Death comes by miscarriage, disease, illness, accident, suicide, and violence. The pain of their absence is at times unbearable. Although others may depend upon us, our own hearts are broken as well. We will travel our own unique journeys of love and paths of grief. Although this path is ours alone to travel, we will find help walking together. To register for the Grief Support Group or for more information call Kim Frederking, group facilitator at 785-743-8309. This group will begin meeting in June, the fourth Sunday at 1:30 p.m.�3:30 p.m. and the second Thursday of each month from 6:30 p.m.�8:30 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group
Caring for a loved one is a hands on act of compassion and love. It is not always easy. Many times a caregiver can feel overwhelmed and isolated. Sharing our joys and frustrations with others whose hands also care for loved ones can be very helpful. You are not alone. Please join with us as we encourage and support each other because someone we love depends on our hands. To register or for more information call Kim Frederking, group facilitator at 785-743-8309. The group will begin meeting in June, the third Tuesday of each month from 6:30 p.m.�8:30 p.m.

God�s work, Bill�s hands

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:43:47 -0600

Even though William (Bill) Harvey stands a proud 6 feet 4 inches tall, it is his hands that make the greatest impression. Bill has had a hand in almost every aspect of the history of the Emanuel (aka Swedish) Lutheran Church located seven miles south of Ogallah and is a pillar of strength in his faith community.

Until very recently, Bill could be seen opening up the small rock church, making it ready for 9:00 am services. Not only did he open the church for Sunday services, but he also greeted the congregants, handed out bulletins, pulled the rope to ring the bell for services to start, took up offering, helped with communion, picked up forgotten bulletins and locked up until the next Sunday. Immediately before and after services, Bill could be seen outside, leaning up against the tiny church, smoking, a habit engrained during his 40 months of service in the military.

Bill�s service to the church did not stop with Sunday services. His involvement continued during the week with seasonal work such as mowing the grass around the church and cemetery in the spring and summer and shoveling snow in the winter.

Bill�s history with the church began long before he was tall enough to pull the bell rope. Bill�s grandfather had helped to build the lime-stone church by quarrying and hauling the stone the four miles to the new church�s location. Bill, himself, helped to rebuild the steeple tower after being hit by lightening.

Bill has fond memories of the church where he was baptized and confirmed. At the age of 87, he can still name the seven others in his confirmation class. He smiles as he reminisces about the students from Bethany College at Lindsborg who came to preach and those who stayed and helped out with the farm work during the summer. Students weren�t allowed to serve communion so Bill�s mother�s cousin, an ordained minister from Salina, would come out to serve on occasion.

The Emanuel Lutheran Church once boasted a 15 member choir, a bustling Sunday School, and a very active congregation. All of this was accomplished within the walls of this small but charming limestone church without the amenities of in-door plumbing and running water.

An ever present reminder of a more active church is the house in which Bill and his wife, Mary Lou, live. A parsonage was built on the south side of the church when membership and finances could support a full time minister. When that was no longer the case, Emanuel partnered with Zion Lutheran Church, nine miles to the west, to share a minister already living in the Zion parsonage. This left the Emanuel parsonage empty and Bill and Mary Lou purchased the house from the church and moved it to its present location to make it their home.

Even though, due to health reasons, Bill is not always able to make it to Sunday services now, his hand in the church is still apparent. Bill takes his faith seriously and has taken the mission of the church, of the ELCA, seriously also and has made it his own�� God�s work, Bill�s hands!

PMA Marla Deines

Keeping in touch -- electronically

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:27:46 -0500

Did you know that you could receive an electronic version of the synod newsletter, MAKING CHRIST KNOWN, in your email box? Receiving the newsletter electronically (a PDF file) is much more timely, it�s in full color, and it helps us all save money, time and valuable resources. Signing up is easy � send an email to dglamann@css-elca.org and we�ll get you on the list.

You can also receive the Prairie Faith newsletter, PRAIRIE FAITH COMPANION the same way. Just email the office at blc1@ruraltel.net and it will be sent to your inbox each month.

Welcome

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:29:54 -0600

Welcome to the Prairie Faith Shared Ministry Website.

Prairie Faith Shared Ministry (PFSM) consists of six Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) congregations on the Kansas Praire in Trego, Ellis, and Ness Counties; Bethlehem, Immanuel, Zion and Emanuel in Trego County, Saint John in Ellis County, and Our Redeemer in Ness County. PFSM is served by two ordained ministers and one intern. The PFSM office is located at 338 N. 7th Street in WaKeeney (785-743-2005).

"Blessed are those who come in the name of the Lord!"