First Divine Service Scheduled

Back on September 14th, 2012 I posted about conducting chapel services at the North Liberty Living Center.  You can read that post here.  I have continued conducting chapel services there the fourth and fifth Fridays of each month and very much enjoy the group there.  I've gotten to know the manager and she has invited my family and me to things like their Halloween party (picture) and Christmas party.  I also went to lead some Christmas caroling for the community and then conducted a Service of Carols and Lessons on December 28th.  At that Service of Carols and Lessons everyone was asking how things are coming with the church plant.  I told them we were in the process of getting a storefront location, but that wouldn't be ready for several months.  In the meantime we were looking for a temporary location to begin meeting.  One of the residents who coordinates the chapel there approached me afterward and said she would talk to the manager about St. Silas using their chapel.  I e-mailed her some details about our use of the space, saying we would leave it tidy and would even pay rent.  That's where I left things when I went on vacation from January 6th-11th, the three of us setting out on Epiphany like the magi with our gifts to celebrate a late Christmas with family.

When I returned from vacation I had an e-mail saying the residents showed overwhelming approval of having us and the manager was glad to let us use the space.  After a phone conversation I learned that not only do we have as much time there as we want on Sunday, but they're also letting us use the space for free.  We can start in February.  There is another pastor who has a service from 10:00-10:30 on Sunday morning, so we're shooting for 11:00am, Sunday, February 3rd for our first Divine Service.

Quick side note: there has been incredible support of this church plant throughout Iowa District East and many have expressed the intent of attending the first worship service.  Unfortunately the room has a limit of 30 people according to fire code, so I ask that if you want to visit from another congregation please wait until we're in the storefront, hopefully in a few months.  Then we'll have the space to accommodate more people.

So to sum up: Plans, A, B, and C failed, failed, and failed, in that order (if it matters).  While I was in the midst of attempting to grab the flying pieces out of the air to construct a Plan D or E and/or F they all suddenly fell into place, Christ himself clearly forming the plan and answering the prayers of the saints throughout not only our district but the entire country who have been praying that St. Silas would soon be gathered together to meet for Divine Service.  Jesus is building his church (Matthew 16:18), gathering his saints (Matthew 18:20), and causing growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).  More news soon.

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

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