Visiting Vicarage and General Update

General update at the end of this post.  This past long weekend Renae, Alexi, and I journeyed to Neligh and Elgin, Nebraska where I served my vicarage.  Alexi was born toward the end of vicarage and baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elgin (pictured above) by Pastor David Kuhfal.  Pastor Kuhfal and his wife, Tami, serve as baptismal sponsors for Alexi.

Pastor Kuhfal shepherds both Grace Lutheran in Neligh and Trinity Lutheran in Elgin.  This weekend I had the opportunity to preach at both, and I must say it was a welcome change preaching to congregations who knew my voice.  I also had the opportunity to conduct the Service of the Sacrament, something the congregations hadn't seen me do before.  It was a good reminder that vicars aren't vicars forever but become pastors and begin to shepherd in Christ's Church.  And it was a good chance for me to thank them for their service to the Church by continuing the vicarage program and preparing men to be pastors.  During Bible class in Neligh I presented on St. Silas and what I've been doing since they saw me last.

Thank you for having us to visit.  We were glad to come back to see you.  It seems like ages since we had been there, but then again I felt like we hadn't been gone at all.  Our intention is that this is far from the last time we return to visit.  The Lord willing we will come back again.

General update on St. Silas

We are currently working with a designer and realtor to submit a drawing and letter of intent to the owner of the storefront we would like.  Taking into account time for negotiating a lease agreement, time for the owner to build out the space, and time for us to make it look like a sanctuary, we will probably be in a storefront closer to Easter.  In the meantime we're investigating temporary places to meet for a few months.  Counting myself and my family, St. Silas currently stands at 13 people.  Others have expressed interest.  That's over 500% more than is necessary!  "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them" (Matthew 18:20).  Interestingly, the words "are gathered" are passive in the Greek, meaning we don't gather ourselves together.  Rather Christ himself gathers us together, which he has been doing and continues doing.  We're still in good shape to begin meeting for Divine Service on or before February 10th, 2013, the Commemoration of St. Silas.  I will post information on temporary location, storefront location, and services when I know more.

"And [Jesus] said, 'The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.  He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The earth produces by itself (Greek: automatically), first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.'"  Mark 4:26-29

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visits to St. Paul, Wapello and Zion, Wilton

On this past Second Sunday in Advent I visited St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wapello and Zion Lutheran Church in Wilton.  At both congregations I preached, conducted service, and had an opportunity to give an update on St. Silas.  At St. Paul I met the president of the Iowa District East LWML.  The IDE LWML has given St. Silas a grant of $5,100 for worship materials.  I was able to extend a thank you in part while speaking at the LWML Mt. Pleasant Zone Fall Rally in Muscatine not too long ago, but it was a nice opportunity to thank the president herself on behalf of the entire IDE LWML.

My visit to Zion in Wilton was my second.  I was there early on in my time here and had the opportunity to be there again this weekend filling in for Rev. Hinkle, who is pastor at St. Paul and is covering Zion while they have a vacancy.  While at Zion I heard the joyous news that a pastor has accepted a call to serve them; Christ has given a shepherd to his flock in Wilton!

Thank you all for having me.  Continue to remember me in your prayers, the community of North Liberty as well, and especially my wife, Renae, and daughter, Alexi, who are like the people Israel in the wilderness attending the tabernacle at a different location every weekend.  God grant that his Divine Service begin soon locally here in North Liberty.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Trinity, Cedar Rapids

This Saturday and Sunday I was at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids.  I had come once before to conduct Chapel service for the school and will be back again for that on January 16th.  This past weekend I preached at the three services and presented on St. Silas at Bible class on Sunday.  I also enjoyed serving alongside Pastor Miller assisting with the Service of the Word and communion distribution.

Thank you for welcoming me, and my family as well.  I was glad to be with you, especially as a church planter.  As Pastor Miller mentioned on Sunday, you have a rich legacy serving as mother to other infant daughter congregations in the Cedar Rapids area.  Now your children have grown and you see a new infant congregation coming to North Liberty.  I appreciate you having me this weekend and supporting St. Silas.

Remember me in your prayers.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Faith in Mt. Pleasant

A happy end of the world to everyone! (or at least end of the Church Year)  Sunday I was at Faith Lutheran in Mt. Pleasant filling in for Pastor Scudder.  During the Bible class hour I had the opportunity to present on St. Silas.  There were at least a couple of ladies in attendance who had heard me speak at the LWML Fall Zone Rally in Muscatine as well.  I conducted the service and preached following Bible class.  The elders were very gracious in inconspicuously directing the idiosyncrasies during the Service of the Sacrament.  Every congregation has them, and elders who know what's going on are a gift from God when a visiting pastor is unfamiliar with the local custom.

Thank you for having me to present and conduct service.  Your congregation was my 20th as I make my way around Iowa District East.  Here's a map of where I've been (click image for a larger size; imagery is a screenshot from Google Earth).  If you only count 19 dots, it's because St. Paul in Williamsburg and Lutheran Interparish School in Williamsburg are so close together that the dots overlap.  Faith is the red dot toward the bottom right corner of the district.  North Liberty is the blue dot just below and to the right of center.

Thank you also to all of you, and especially those involved with the Old Threshers, for your donation to St. Silas.  As I mentioned during Bible class, your contributions to the capital campaign that funds St. Silas are greatly appreciated because that means I don't have to focus on raising money or concern myself with funding.  I'm able to devote myself to being faithful to what God has called me to do, which is what North Liberty needs.  Thank you also for welcoming my wife and daughter.  They're real troopers coming with me all over the district to a different congregation almost every Sunday.

Check back here to stay up to date on things with St. Silas.  Thank you again for having me.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Immanuel, Grinnell

Last night I was at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grinnell for their Thanksgiving service.  The fifth and sixth graders served three kinds of soup at the meal before service.  During the meal I had an opportunity to present on St. Silas, telling where we're at with things and what we're planning to do next.

Thank you for having me to present and preach and for your support.  Thank you also for your hospitality to my family.  And may I say, you make some fine chili.  If you would like to keep up with things, this blog is the place.  You can subscribe your e-mail address in the top box in the sidebar on the right labeled "Subscribe."  Updates will then be delivered to your inbox.  Alternatively you can check back here often.  Hopefully there will be more to report soon.  Thank you again for having me.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Location Update

Having seen all that's available to us in North Liberty, the time has come to choose a location and work on getting into it.  We are working with an architect who is helping sketch and visualize the interiors of some of the spaces so we know how many square feet we need (or don't need).  The budget for 2013 has been approved and so we know how much money we have to work with.  We met with a realtor who is going to help us put together a Letter of Intent, the first step in negotiating price and build out with an owner.  Within the next couple weeks we will at least know which space we're going for.  Shortly after we will be in conversation with the owner negotiating a lease agreement.

This is where you come in.  We're still on track to launch by February 10th, 2013, the Commemoration of St. Silas.  Things are going to be moving very fast once we're in a space.  We'll need all sorts of help, from donations of materials to manual labor, from artists to electricians.  A list of specific needs will be forthcoming once there's a definite space.  Thanks in advance!

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Looking for a Location: Part 2

On Monday we looked at three more spaces in North Liberty.  First up was some new construction on the south side of W Penn between Hwy 965 and I-380:

Next up was a building a little bit older on the east side of Hwy 965 toward the south end of town:

Last we saw a space at the Beaver Kreek plaza on the east side of town at the corner of Zeller and Dubuque:

We now have six places up for consideration.  Our realtor tells us we've seen the full range of prices in North Liberty and all the places currently available that meet our specifications.  We're now weighing pros and cons of each location and an architect is working on a few sketches of what we might do with some of the spaces.  Continue to pray as we are now 102 days from our anticipated launch.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Joint Reformation Service at St. Paul, Williamsburg

On Sunday I was at a joint Reformation Service of the Williamsburg Circuit at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Willaimsburg.  Rev. Carl Cloeter served as liturgist, Rev. Andrew Gray served as lector, and I served as preacher.  The offering from the service went toward supporting St. Silas. 

Thank you all for having me to preach and for supporting St. Silas.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Trinity in Lowden

Yesterday I was at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowden, IA for a Mission Festival.  Rev. Vic Young is the pastor there and was also gracious enough to preach at my ordination in July.  President of Iowa District East Rev. Brian Saunders was the guest preacher at Sunday's service.  I was the lector and then I presented on St. Silas during Bible class after service.  A door offering was collected to benefit St. Silas.

Thank you for welcoming me, Renae and Alexi, and my father, mother, and grandmother.  Thank you also for your gift to the capital campaign.  I had said in my presentation that the campaign currently stands at $85,000.  I was later told that it is now at $100,000, meaning one sixth of the total was raised in just three and a half months.  Hopefully we will shoot well beyond the $600,000 mark and have funds ready and waiting for the next church plant in Iowa District East.

Remember me in your prayers.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

LWML Fall Zone Rally in Muscatine

On Saturday I was in Muscatine for the Mt. Pleasant Zone LWML Fall Rally.  This was the first thing I had on my calendar after receiving my call, even before moving to North Liberty.  The ladies were very gracious and hospitable.  Rev. Pautz led a devotion and Bible study on the theme "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation" from Psalm 27.  I then presented on St. Silas.  During the course of the meeting there was also an offering collected for St. Silas.  After the meeting lunch was served: salads, rolls, chicken soup, and apple pie.  And it was really good apple pie.

Thank you, ladies, for inviting me to come share about Christ's work in North Liberty planting St. Silas.  I enjoyed being with you and I appreciate your good questions and the generous offering you collected.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Looking for a Location: Part 1

On Thursday October 18th we began the process of looking for space in North Liberty.  We saw four storefronts in Penn Landing, a plaza at the northeast corner of Hwy 965 and Penn St.  Hwy 965 is the main north-south street running straight through the middle of North Liberty, extending south to the mall in Coralville and north to Cedar Rapids.  Penn St. is the main east-west drag, having entrance and exit ramps for I-380 on the west side of town.  Because so many people are commuting from North Liberty to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, I-380 gets quite a bit of traffic.  From the intersection of Hwy 965 west along Penn to I-380 there are all sorts of new developments being built.  The intersection of Hwy 965 and I-380 is the most developed so far, is arguably the main intersection of the city, and has open storefronts, so we started there.  Here is a link to a map of the plaza in North Liberty: http://bit.ly/pachapkwy.

The first picture is of one of the storefronts, the second picture is of the inside.  Were we to go with this particular space the owner would remove the pile of things on the right, finish dry-walling, and have it primed and ready to paint.

Many church plants begin in a school, a community center, or another place with a large room, like a meeting room in a restaurant or a fitness facility.  We had several reasons for wanting a permanent space that would be ours throughout the week.  It is important that members of the congregation are able to point to a place and say "Christ is there for me."  So the altar, baptismal font, and pulpit remain stationary.  As Lutherans we believe that when Christ is present with us he is always present bodily.  Jesus is never present merely in a spiritual way as he was before his incarnation.  But ever since the incarnation Jesus has been God in flesh.  It is somewhat troubling to think that one day Jesus is present in the flesh in a place and the next day in that same place there is a woman laying there in a tank top sweating, doing crunches, and listening to profane music.  So having a place that is set apart seems important.  Having a permanent altar also provides the opportunity for people to come for individual confession and absolution, provides a place for people to come and pray, and provides a place to have Bible studies during the course of the week, all things that would not be available if we only had a space for a couple hours on Sunday morning.  Plus practically speaking it will save people the trouble of having to set up and tear down every Sunday.

While we have not yet picked a specific place, we know what we're looking for and we're moving in a good direction.  The next big step is still getting more founding families.  Once we have a few more we can begin meeting.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to St. John Lutheran Church in Clinton

This morning I was at St. John Lutheran Church in Clinton, IA.  I preached at both services and presented on St. Silas during Bible class in between.  Here more than anywhere else I had people telling me they know people in North Liberty and are going to find contact info to send my way.  Also of particular note, the following prayer was said during the prayer of the Church:

Glorious Father, we pray for St. Silas Lutheran Church and the community of North Liberty, that with faithfulness and truth Pastor Richard may preach Your Word and rightly administer Your Sacraments.  Bless, protect, and provide for this new congregation that they may serve You and abide in the faithful confession of Christ crucified and risen for our justification.  Lord, in Your mercy,

And then an entire congregation said, "Hear our prayer."  The devil's going to be hurting from that one for a while!

Adam Barkley and Deaconess Sarah Barkley were kind enough to host us Saturday evening so we didn't have to make the early drive on Sunday morning to arrive for the 7:45am service.  Thanks for having us!

And thank you all for welcoming my family and me and for your support of St. Silas.  Continue to pray for me, St. Silas, and the community of North Liberty.  If you do have North Liberty contacts, you can e-mail them to me at stsilaslutheran@gmail.com, and please also make sure to let the person know you're passing along their info.  Phone numbers and e-mail addresses work best for making contact, but addresses work as well.  Thank you again!

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Pancake Supper at Immanuel in Fairfield

Sunday evening I ate blueberry pancakes, sausages, and hashbrowns with Pastor Brase and the saints at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Fairfield.  They have an annual pancake supper and then invite a mission speaker to present after everyone has had their fill of breakfast deliciousness.  Of interesting note, the men prepared all the food and it was fantastic.  I also had the unforeseen chance to meet the grandmother of Pastor Caleb Schewe, a classmate of mine from seminary who now serves two congregations in South Dakota.  It turns out Immanuel is his home church.  And in another felicitous turn of events I ran into a young man and a young woman I met at camp Io-Dis-E-Ca when I filled in as Pastor of the Week on July 26th and 27th.

Thank you for inviting me to come partake of your pancake supper.  I'm a big fan of having breakfast in the evening, and you men did a great job of preparing everything.  Thank you also for giving me the chance to present on St. Silas.  Please continue to remember me in your prayers.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Concordia, Cedar Rapids

First, a warm welcome to Walter, whom Jesus himself baptized on Sunday morning and added to his Church.  "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me" (Mark 9:37).

Sunday morning I was at Concordia Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids with Pastor Brad Brown and the saints Christ has gathered there.  I preached at the two services and presented on St. Silas during the Bible class time in between.  I also had the chance to meet Harlan Ketelsen, a man who for years has been making small wooden crosses to give to people.  These little crosses have been distributed all over the world.  Pastor Brown was sharing some stories.  One time a woman from Russia was here in the States and someone gave her one of the wooden crosses.  She looked at it and then pulled one out of her pocket that was the same.  When asked where she had already gotten one, she said some missionaries came through her town in Russia some twenty years prior and had the crosses with them.  That corresponded to about the time Harlan made a bunch of crosses for the missionaries to take with them.  There were a number of these sorts of stories.  The crosses are about 1.5" x 3" and made of two pieces of walnut.  Harlan gave me 300 of them in a coffee can for use in North Liberty, along with a couple of pectoral crosses, a cross on a stand for my desk, a wall cross, and a palm cross.  Of special note, Harlan and his wife will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this coming week.

Thank you for welcoming my family and me.  I was glad for the opportunity to meet my neighbors to the north, to preach God's Word, and to share with you about St. Silas.  The sermon manuscript can be found here: "So Easy a Child Can Do It."  Continue to remember me in your prayers.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Make a Difference Event in North Liberty

On October 6th seven churches in North Liberty gathered for an event called "Make a Difference," St. Silas Lutheran numbered among them.  I was part of the planning meeting when the various churches had representatives come together to discuss logistics.  This event has been happening for several years now, I'm not sure the exact number.  Prior to this event forming some of the area churches were individually collecting needs in the community and sending people out from the congregation to help meet those needs.  A few years back some of the churches said, "Hey, why don't we do this together?"  And so "Make a Difference" began.  It happens twice each year, once in the fall to handle yard work and to winterize homes, and once in the spring to handle spring cleaning and the removal of the winterizing materials.  One of the coordinators goes around to the project homes and sites beforehand to talk with people, find out exactly what they need, and make sure people aren't just being lazy (in some of the early "Make a Difference" days people were taking advantage of the Church).  Another coordinator puts the teams together, making sure each little team has a variety of members from the congregations.  On the one hand this allows us to get to know members from other congregations.  On the other hand if one of the people we're serving were to ask, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" he would get an earful of different responses.  So in the end it's a service event divorced from the Word of God, which is unfortunate, but it was still a good way for the name "St. Silas" to be heard in the community.  I personally do plan to take part in it again.

I was with a team of two other guys, one from the United Methodist Church, one from Grace Community Church.  We went to one house and cleaned out a spot in the gutter where rainwater wasn't draining.  Then we went to the trailer court and installed a drip cap on the front door where water was leaking into the trailer.  We had a good time together and were able to help a couple people who were in need.

Showing mercy to the community is the second most important thing the Church does, the first being receiving Jesus Christ in the Divine Service.  The Lutheran view of mercy is different from many other church bodies in that the Divine Service and mercy are not mutually exclusive, in fact they are tied together.  During the offering the Church used to collect not only money, but even more food and other items to meet physical needs.  The offering was gathered so that Christ could use it to have mercy on the world.  Some of the bread and wine would immediately be used in the Lord's Supper, Christ having mercy on us in the extreme by giving us his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.  Other items would be distributed to the poor of the Church and the poor of the community.  The mercy of the Church is the arm of Christ sweeping out from the altar into the world and gathering people back to the altar.  Mercy begins and ends with the body and blood of Christ and its purpose is not only to meet physical needs but to bring people to the Divine Service where they receive mercy for every need.  Lutherans still see mercy and the Divine Service as inseparable.  In this St. Silas will be able to offer something unique to the community of North Liberty.

The North Liberty Leader (North's Liberty's newspaper) had an article printed in it before the "Make a Difference" day that explained what was going to be happening.  This was the first time St. Silas was mentioned in the local paper.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Trinity Lutheran School in Cedar Rapids

This morning I was at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Cedar Rapids to conduct the school's chapel service.  Trinity had celebrated St. Michael and All Angels this past Sunday so we kept that theme going with a sermon on the reading from Revelation 12.  The service was Matins with hymn 522, Lord God, to Thee We Give All Praise.  The kids knew the order of service, the Venite, and the Te Deum.  That's two local Lutheran schools I've visited now where the kids could teach the rest of us a thing or three!

Thank you for having me to conduct chapel.  I enjoyed sharing God's Word with you and seeing your school and the Sanctuary of the church.  I look forward to coming again.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Shell Rock, Waterloo, and Cedar Falls

This past Saturday and Sunday I was with Rev. Mike Knox at the three congregations he serves: Peace Lutheran in Shell Rock, Christ Lutheran in Waterloo, and Our Redeemer Lutheran in Cedar Falls.  Several things made these visits a little different from others.  First, this is thus far the only time I've been at three different congregations in one weekend.  Second, we celebrated the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels; any day that the devil is sent away with his head hanging and his tail between his legs is a good day.  And third, Rev. Dean Rothchild was also present for the two presentations on St. Silas, one at Peace and the other at Our Redeemer.  Rev. Rothchild has been meeting with members of the LCMS in Iowa District East who are interested in helping to fund St. Silas by contributing to the "Proclaiming Christ Jesus" campaign.  Because of these individuals, as well as the support of entire congregations, the capital campaign is currently at over $77,000 in donations and pledges.  And that's after only four months!  The goal is to raise $600,000 for this campaign.  If $600,000 is raised and St. Silas ends up needing all $600,000, then everything will be covered.  If more is raised or if St. Silas becomes self-sustaining before the $600,000 mark is reached, then there will be left over funds designated to other new mission starts in IDE.  Either way St. Silas is funded, but my hope is that funds will be left over for other church plants.  Perhaps some day St. Silas will be a mother, at which point St. Paul's Lutheran Chapel will receive a card that says "Congratulations, Grandma!"  If you are interested in contributing to the "Proclaiming Christ Jesus" campaign, click here.

At Peace Lutheran in Shell Rock on Saturday evening I preached during the service and then presented on St. Silas afterward during the Bible class time.  During the presentation a lunch was served.  Even though Bible class doesn't end until around 9:00pm, most of the congregation still stuck around.

The following morning I preached again at Christ Lutheran in Waterloo.  Even though we had to hurry to Our Redeemer, there was still a little time to talk to the congregation about St. Silas.  I preached again at Our Redeemer in Cedar Falls and presented after service.  There was once more a considerable turn out.  Rev. Rothchild and I exchanged frank opinions of each other, for example after service: [me] "The last time Iowa District East planted a congregation I was still in diapers. [to Rev. Rothchild] And you were already gray."  And again during the presentation: [me] "I only set up a Facebook account because I have to.  I would prefer to live in the Stone Age."  [Rev. Rothchild] "You say you'd rather live in the Stone Age, but you are a techie geek."  This sort of brutal honesty not only makes for good team-building, but is also highly amusing for those listening.

Thank you for having me to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I was delighted for the opportunity to celebrate the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, hearing a reading from the book of Revelation and singing "Lord God, to Thee We Give All Praise" and "Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken" (which is definitely among my top 5 favorite hymns).  I enjoyed feasting on Christ's body and blood with you.  I appreciate your hospitality and eagerness to hear more about St. Silas.  Please continue to remember me in your prayers.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to St. John, Homestead and Good Shepherd, Wellman

On Sunday I had the privilege of conducting services at St. John Lutheran Church in Homestead and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wellman.  I presented on St. Silas before the service at Homestead during the Bible class time.  The order of service was Matins and it was great to hear so much singing, plus there was a choir.  I hadn't had the opportunity to sing Matins since graduating from the seminary and to hear all the voices of the Te Deum was wonderful.

Fortunately Pastor Small provided me with excellent directions to Wellman.  Everyone there was glad to see we arrived easily enough and said that several pastors have gotten lost on their way, in one instance ending up as far away as Muscatine.  Good Shepherd uses TLH and it was only my second time conducting a service from that hymnal.  The "Thee"s and "Thy"s and "liveth"s and "reigneth"s roll off the tongue surprisingly well.  After service I heard some good questions about St. Silas.

Thank you for having me out to visit, and for welcoming my family as well.  It was my pleasure to conduct service, preach, and receive the forgiveness of sins with you.  Please continue to pray for those involved in the church plant.  "And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel... that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak" (Ephesians 6:19-20).

For anyone who is interested, here is a link to the sermon manuscript:
The Incomparable Position of First.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Chapel Service at North Liberty Living Center

North Liberty Living Center at 410 Ashley Ct. in North Liberty, IA

Today I had the privilege of leading the chapel service at the North Liberty Living Center, filling in for Rev. Otto of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Coralville.  We got to know each other, sang a couple of hymns, and followed a brief order of service including opening versicles, a reading, a sermon, prayers, and a blessing.  After the service I was asked to come back on a regular basis so now I will be conducting chapel at the NL Living Center the fourth Friday of each month at 9:45am.  Here's a picture of the chapel that is set up on the third floor:

It's a very nice and reverent space considering everything in it is either borrowed from the NL Living Center or donated by those who attend or family of those who attend.  According to the NL Living Center Facebook page the Living Center opened in October of 2011, so they're just coming up on their first anniversary.  And at just shy of one year they now have a full regular rotation of people to conduct the weekly chapel service.

I am looking forward to coming back later this month to see you all again.  Thank you for having me and asking me to return.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Dear Mother: St. Paul's Lutheran Chapel in Iowa City

This past Sunday, after four weeks of visiting other congregations, I found myself back at St. Paul's Lutheran Chapel.  For those who are just tuning in, St. Paul's is the mother congregation for the St. Silas Lutheran Church plant in North Liberty.  Mother is doing well.  This was the first time I had been to St. Paul's while the University of Iowa school year was in session.  It was a much livelier place with all the students there.  I heard an excellent organist and an excellent homiletician (Greek for "man, that guy can preach!").  Sins were forgiven, Christ crucified was preached, Jesus' body and blood were received, and the devil is still nursing his wounds.  The Divine Service may not look like much on the surface, but it's a war every Lord's Day, a war that Jesus already won and the devil already lost.

It was great to be with you all again.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to LIS Chapel in Williamsburg

This morning I visited Lutheran Interparish School in Williamsburg, IA to lead their morning chapel service.  I have never met a group of young children who know our hymnal so well!  They knew Responsive Prayer 2 (LSB 285) without any cues from me, knew when to stand and when to sit, and conducted themselves very reverently.  Their manner of behaving during a service would put many of us to shame.  After the chapel service September baptisms were celebrated, a wonderful practice that keeps us mindful of what Christ has done for us, cleansing us by the washing of water with the Word.  After this commemoration of baptisms I had the opportunity to share a little about what's happening with St. Silas in North Liberty, spending some time telling the account of Paul and Silas in Philippi (Acts 16).

Thank you for having me to read God's Word, preach, and pray for and with you.  You have a wonderful school and I hope in time to see you again.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Our Redeemer in Iowa City, with a General Update

First, congratulations to Jayna who today died with Christ and was raised again as a new creation in her Baptism.

Today I had the privilege of visiting Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City, one of my close neighbors.  I not only received the Word, but also the body and blood of Christ, and in addition witnessed a Baptism.  And all of that before lunchtime!  I'm not sure what could possibly happen during the rest of the day to top that.  Pastor Hartwig invited me to preach at the three weekend services so that I could get to know the congregation and they could meet their new neighbor.  Everyone was quite welcoming of me and my family and I received many inquiries about what's happening with St. Silas.

If you are curious about what's been happening with St. Silas so far, I would encourage you to read the original post on this blog where I describe the work thus far.  In addition to what's listed there I have met with more of the local clergy in North Liberty, launched a website for St. Silas, preached at several other LCMS congregations in the District, made connections with several individuals and families who have expressed an interest in attending St. Silas once services are being held, and continued to get to know the city and make connections.  The work is slow and requires patience.  I learned the hard way last week that if you pay attention to the actual progress of a church plant you will lose all emotional stability.  One day things are great, the next day things are discouraging.  Rather than paying too much attention to what my eyes see I have been driven back to Christ's promises, "I will build my church" (Mt. 16:18) and "neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (1 Cor. 3:7).  And as I noted in the promotional video, I love the parable of the growing seed:

"And [Jesus] said, 'The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.  He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come'" (Mk. 4:26-29).

So I don't know how the growth happens, and according to the parable, that's not my business.  To us it appears to happen "by itself" as the parable puts it.  The Greek word there is "automate" where we get our English word "automatically."  There is one person who has the responsibility of growing the Church.  It's not me, it's not you.  It's Jesus, and he does it through the Word.  It's very tempting to ask the question, "How do we grow the Church?"  That's the wrong question to ask.  The better question is, "How is the seed planted?  How is it watered?  How is it fed?"  Through his pastors Jesus plants with preaching, waters with Baptism, and feeds with his body and blood in the Lord's Supper.  Simple as that.  And then he causes the Church to grow.

If you want to keep up with more of what's happening with St. Silas, you can subscribe to this blog to receive updates to your inbox.  You can check out our website at www.stsilaslutheran.org.  If you have not yet seen the promotional video for the church plant it's available online at www.youtube.com/stsilaslutheran.  Occasionally I'll ask for input concerning something or post an interesting link on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran.  I'm also available by e-mail: stsilaslutheran@gmail.com.

Thank you for having me to preach God's Word.  It was a pleasure to get to know you a little better.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Visit to Zion Lutheran Church in Wilton

Today I had the privilege of visiting Zion Lutheran Church in Wilton, IA.  The saints there were very welcoming and the Divine Service was... well... the Divine Service!  What can beat hearing our Lord Jesus Christ forgiving our sins, comforting our troubled consciences, opening the Scriptures to us, and hearing our prayers?  During the Bible class time I had the opportunity to present on the status of things in North Liberty and heard many good questions, most of which I actually knew how to answer.

Thank you all for receiving me so graciously, welcoming my family, eagerly listening to the presentation on St. Silas, and not despising me for my youth.  I will remember you in my prayers as you begin the call process to receive a pastor.  Continue to pray for me as well, especially Ephesians 6:19-20.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Website Launch

The website of St. Silas Lutheran Church has officially launched at www.stsilaslutheran.org.  If you have a comment or notice something that should be fixed, you can send that along to stsilaslutheran@gmail.com.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com

Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Bismarck, ND

Thank you to Pastor Matt Thompson and the saints at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Bismarck, ND for their support.  Pastor Thompson is a church planter and the founding pastor of Holy Cross, heard about St. Silas, and passed the info on to the congregation, many of whom have gone out of their way to offer encouragement and show support for St. Silas.  Check out Holy Cross's website at www.holycrossbismarck.org.  Please continue to pray for myself, those who are already interested in becoming members at St. Silas, and the community of North Liberty.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com
and coming soon... www.stsilaslutheran.org

Visit to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Coralville, IA

Today (Sunday August 19th, 2012) I had the pleasure of visiting my closest LCMS neighbor, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Coralville.  After the 8:00 service, at Bible study, and before the 10:15 service I introduced myself and made two main points:

1. I'm Pastor Andrew Richard, planting St. Silas Lutheran Church in North Liberty.

2. I'm not here to steal any of your members.

With a portion of the members of Prince of Peace living in North Liberty, the last thing I want to see is an exodus to St. Silas in the name of convenience that would leave Prince of Peace struggling.  I'm not simply looking out for myself or St. Silas, but neighboring LCMS congregations as well.  There would be no purpose of planting one congregation at the expense of another.  We would just end up shuffling the same people we already had.  Rather, as a mission start the intent is for St. Silas to do as little borrowing from other congregations as possible, focusing instead on those in the community of North Liberty who do not attend a church at all.

Thank you, Prince of Peace, for hearing me this morning.  It was a pleasure hearing God's Word faithfully preached and receiving Christ's body and blood with you.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com
and coming soon... www.stsilaslutheran.org

Visit to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Mound

On Sunday August 12th, 2012 (one week ago) I was the guest preacher at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Mound, IA.  Pastor Arthur Rickman has a strong interest in Lutheran missions and wanted this congregation to hear about St. Silas before he himself heads to the Dominican Republic.  More information on his work can be found at http://www.lcms.org/rickman  The congregation in Grand Mound was very welcoming and eager to hear about the mission start.  At the end of the service they collected an offering to go toward the capital campaign the District is running to support St. Silas and other mission starts in Iowa District East.  After service I presented on St. Silas in the church hall, a bit longer than I normally do as there were many good questions.  Thank you for warmly receiving my family and me and for joining in planting St. Silas Lutheran Church!

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com
and coming soon... www.stsilaslutheran.org

The scoop on The LCMS church plant in North Liberty, IA

There has been much interest from congregations in Iowa District East to keep up with what's happening with the church plant in North Liberty.  This blog should meet that need.  I plan to update it as events warrant.

So what's happened so far?

On May 2nd, 2012 I received a call to St. Paul's Lutheran Chapel in Iowa city to serve as Assistant Pastor and church planter in North Liberty.  Toward the end of May my family visited North Liberty to look for a house.  During that time I also interviewed on film for the promotional video, which can be viewed at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmseZTNkbDM&feature=plcp  We did find a house and moved in at the end of June.  During our move-in I stopped by the Iowa District East Convention to speak briefly concerning St. Silas.

On  July 1 I was ordained into the Office of the Holy Ministry at St. Paul's Lutheran Chapel.  Work in North Liberty began immediately.  I have been getting a feel for the community by spending time at the Community Center, coffee shops, and attending City Council meetings.  As I've visited other area LCMS churches many helpful congregants have given me other invaluable insights.  I have made it a point to meet with other local clergy in North Liberty, first simply to get to know them, second to make it clear that I'm not here to play the sheep-stealing game, and third to learn some of the struggles of being a Christian congregation in North Liberty.  They have all been extremely welcoming and helpful, so it's good that we as The LCMS are not seen as competition.  I have also been making contact with people who are moving to North Liberty from other areas and are looking for an LCMS congregation.  This is a very useful way to get some members who are LCMS without having to take people away from other congregations.  One of my biggest concerns is not hurting Prince of Peace in Coralville, Our Redeemer in Iowa City, or St. Paul's in Iowa City by taking members.  On the one hand I don't want to steal people for St. Silas, on the other hand we need some Lutherans to start a Lutheran church.  I have been in conversation with the pastors of these churches to discuss the best way to plant St. Silas without uprooting another congregation.  They have been helpful, and we are confident that St. Silas can be planted in North Liberty without hurting our neighbors.  All the congregations I've had contact with have been very welcoming and eager to help in any way they can.  It is very encouraging to see the whole District coming together to support a new mission plant.  There are naturally many more details and stories, and if I typed them all then there would be nobody planting a church in North Liberty.

So how can you help continue this work in North Liberty?  Right now the most valuable resource for me is contacts.  It seems everyone knows someone who is moving to North Liberty.  A big transition like moving a family is the perfect time for other transitions, like going back to church or finding a new LCMS congregation that's in town.  If you have someone I could contact to invite to St. Silas, particularly someone who is coming from another LCMS congregation that, due to distance, they will no longer be attending, e-mail me their contact info at stsilaslutheran@gmail.com  Include name, e-mail, phone number, or address, as much as you can give.  And please make sure to let them know that I will be contacting them.  The personal connection between you, them, and St. Silas is very important and will give them more reason to listen to me when I invite them.  While we are not yet meeting for services, we hope to be soon and the more people we can start with, the better.

Thank you for your interest.  I'll post again in due time.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com
and coming soon... www.stsilaslutheran.org