Easter Joy!
What a great Easter at Reformation! We had over 140 attend worship on Easter Sunday, enjoyed a delicious breakfast hosted by our church council (thank you all!), heard music from Clark High School’s brass band, hunted for eggs with our kids, and had a great day proclaiming and celebrating Jesus’ victory over sin and death! It was pure joy to see friends and family, long time members, visitors, and people from our neighborhood on this special day. I actually stayed awake in the afternoon to get a massage and later, to enjoy the buffet at Santa Fe Station with my family!
After Easter, I travelled to Iowa, back to Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque (for the first time in 5 years) for a reunion and continuing education. We heard lectures from Rev. Dr. Sam Giere on preaching, Rev. Dr. Ann Fritschel on reading and teaching the Bible, and Grace Pomroy on “Stewardship and Generations.” I’ve purchased her book Embracing Stewardship, and look forward to more ideas to help our church grow in faithful care for all God has entrusted to us. Then I headed on to Chicago for a semi-annual board meeting of Lutheran Men in Mission. I am grateful that the congregation allows me the time away and the budget for learning and working with other ministries of the church.
We had a great Family Promise week, hosting 11 kids and 5 adults, May 5-12. Patt Burton and Kristine Bailey did wonderful work as coordinators this time around. All the meals were well received and overnight hosts had no incidents.
We did have a break-in on Tuesday April 30th. Any stolen items were recovered with help from Las Vegas Metro Police, and the building has been secured. RLC Staff meets the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00pm, and has discussed the importance of locking up and setting alarms.
And now, Easter season is nearly done and summer programs are starting up. We’ll soon open our doors for the Sunday heat respite, “Summer’s Cool” where we host snacks and movies and a place for neighbors to get out of the heat. Vacation Bible School begins June 17th and we expect 12-15 kids in attendance. We hope to be able to use some decorations from Community Lutheran and Christ the Servant, who will hold VBS in the weeks prior. Other resources have been purchased, including shirts for leaders and participants, posters, signs, and craft items. This comes from our budget for education (Sunday School) and donations designated for VBS.
Our worship this summer will include three preaching series, the first on ‘Where is my Neighbor?’, five weeks in the Book of Hebrews, and three weeks on ‘Sabbath’. I’m grateful for Pastor’s Matt’s help in talking through our worship planning. The ‘Experiencing God’ Bible Study has sparked good discussion. Our next study will begin in July with Ron Hovick teaching on the book of Genesis.
These and many upcoming events are great opportunities to invite our friends and neighbors to come and participate, worship, and serve with us! We’ll be walking the neighborhood in the coming weeks, hanging our door bags for a ‘Joyful Harvest!’ Our bags for May will have information about worship and youth group, Supercharged Wednesdays, and VBS. We’ll also include some sunscreen to stay protected in the hot sun! In August, we’ll do it again, with information on Fall programs, and a ‘Back to School’ theme. I hope you’ll take some bags home to share where you live too!
Reformation remains a vital congregation in our community, and in our synod, with members serving on the Grand Canyon Synod council, New and Renewing Mission table, teaching with the Diakonia Lay School, and bringing together youth leaders to work together in ministry. The ministry we do together matters, and we do it because of God’s love shown to us in Jesus. Thank you for all the ways you are leading, serving, giving, and encouraging each other along the way, as we share the heart of Christ in the heart of the city.
In Christ,
Pastor Jason
Leave a Reply