Author: Kathy Dunham

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!  

What a celebration of Christ’s resurrection this past weekend!  It was a joy to gather with you all, and your extended families, as we ate together, searched for eggs, and offered our worship to our risen Lord! 

Looking to hear more from our synod?

After Bishop Current’s visit with us on Palm Sunday, if you’re looking to stay up to date on various synod events, subscribe to the weekly Southeastern Iowa eNews. Pastor Aleese often shares information from these messages, but if you’d like to dive deeper into our connection with the churches we walk together with in our synod and the entire ELCA, subscribe now!

Family Faith Nights Resume

Wednesday, April 20 @ 6:30 pm @ Grace

After a hiatus for the season of Lent, we pick back up with our Family Faith Nights in collaboration with Grace this week. This week, our elementary, middle school and adult groups will be all together for a service night. Join the fun as we mix laundry soap with the materials that you all helped provide through Lent! All are welcome!

Beginning Wednesday, April 27, elementary, middle school, and adult groups will resume their schedule of content. 

Christians Underground Resumes

Wednesday, April 20 @ 12:00 pm, Geo Johnz Pizza

The Easter season has only just begun! Join us as we begin our journey through 50 days of basking in the light of the resurrection. We meet each week to discuss our upcoming Sunday’s Scripture readings. All are welcome!

Women’s Group Bible Study

Saturday, April 23 @ 8:30 am

After rescheduling earlier this month, we are excited to complete our four-month series on the Kingdom of God! In March, we learned that the Gospel of John often refers to “eternal life” as life that is not only eternally long, but also eternally deep – life that is endless in value and meaning. 

But what about what happens when we die? In our final session, we’ll learn about the “glory that awaits us” according to Scripture. Make plans to join us for conversation, prayer, and fellowship!

Easter Sunday Adult Education

Begins Sunday, May 1
Study Focus: Acts

Following Easter, our Adult Education group will begin a new study on the book of Acts. Often titled “the Acts of the Apostles”, together we’ll discover that the book of Act more clearly points to “the Acts of the Holy Spirit”!

Throughout the season of Easter, we’ll be hearing readings from the book of Acts. So join us as we dive a little deeper, gain a better context of our Scripture readings and open ourselves to the work of the Spirit in the church today.

Camp EWALU Work Day 

Saturday, May 7, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Camp EWALU (Strawberry Point) is looking toward a full summer of campers! To help get ready, volunteers will be gathering to attend to some projects. There are projects for all skill levels: splitting wood, trial upkeep, building benches, replanting the butterfly garden, construction of a screened-in shelter, and many other jobs. Lunch is provided. 

For more information, check out the EWALU event page. If you’d like to volunteer your time, contact Paul Frantsen, property manager of EWALU.

Inclusive Dialogue: Journey through Uncertainty

Monday, May 23 @ 6:30pm

What is it like to grow up in a refugee camp? The Stanley Center invites you to join a special event as author Omar Mohamed tells his story of living in a refugee camp in Kenya through his book When Stars are Scattered. Omar will be joined by Victoria Jamieson, artist and writer. 

This event will be held both in person at the Merrill Hotel and virtually. Registration is required to attend, and either option is free and open to the public. This event is recommended for students 5th grade and up. This is a great opportunity to read an illuminating graphic novel with a child in your life and attend the event together!

Family Night @ SOTC

Sunday, May 1 @ 6:00 pm

Attention all young adults and families with youth grade 12 and below!

You are invited to join us for a night of fellowship, food, fun, and a brief devotional activity.  For a few months, our families have been gathering to mutually support one another and to grow in faith together, and we’d love to have you!

Meal is provided as a part of our evening together. We wrap up by 7:30 pm. 

Questions? Contact Pastor Aleese. Note that Mackenzie Gilbert will be reaching out to families about one week prior to our event to confirm your attendance and to plan a joint potluck-ed meal. 

Let my prayer rise up…

Throughout the season of Lent, we gathered for worship as a time to pause, to pray, to praise, and to dwell in God’s Word. This past Wednesday during worship, we were guided through a meditation on John 12:1-8, in which Mary anoints Jesus feet with oil. As Mary offered herself as a gift of thanksgiving, love, worship, and mourning, we were encouraged to offer ourselves to Christ in our prayer. After a time of meditation, the congregation was invited to write one word/phrase on a piece of paper and place them on a nail on a wooden cross.

Following worship, we ventured outside and lit these prayers on fire. Why? So as to offer our prayers to God as an offering of incense, and so as to offer our prayers as a brazen act of beauty. Though the wind played with our plans, the papers on the cross were to turn into a rose. 

As you enter into Holy Week, offer yourself to Jesus as a brazen act of beauty, and offer your prayers as incense. However we offer ourselves, Christ receives us as we are. 

Holy Week at SOTC

Come and worship with us as we experience the only story that can fill us to the brim: Christ’s death and resurrection.

Maundy Thursday Worship
Thursday, April 14 @ 7:00 pm

Good Friday Worship
Friday, April 15 @ 7:00 pm

Easter Sunday Worship
Sunday, April 17 @ 9:00 am

Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt

Breakfast | 8:00 am
Egg Hunt | 8:30 am

Join us on Easter morning for fellowship and fun before worship!

We’ll start the morning with a breakfast of egg bakes, fruit, and muffins. Still looking to help bring food or serve? Contact Leslie Eichelberger

In the midst of breakfast, we’ll host our annual Egg Hunt (outside, weather permitting). Please be mindful that the egg hunt will begin promptly at 8:30 so we can transition to worship starting at 9:00 am.

No Christians Underground during Holy Week

Christians Underground will not meet this Wednesday, April 13. We will resume on Wednesday, April 20 at 12:00 pm at Geo Johnz Pizza. Join us for conversation around our upcoming Sunday’s Scripture readings!

Inclusive Dialogue: Journey through Uncertainty

Monday, May 23 @ 6:30pm

What is it like to grow up in a refugee camp? The Stanley Center invites you to join a special event as author Omar Mohamed tells his story of living in a refugee camp in Kenya through his book When Stars are Scattered. Omar will be joined by Victoria Jamieson, artist and writer. 

This event will be held both in person at the Merrill Hotel and virtually. Registration is required to attend, and either option is free and open to the public. This event is recommended for students 5th grade and up. This is a great opportunity to read an illuminating graphic novel with a child in your life and attend the event together!

Sunday Adult Education 

Study Focus: Acts

Following Easter, our Adult Education group will begin a new study on the book of Acts. Often titled “the Acts of the Apostles”, together we’ll discover that the book of Act more clearly points to “the Acts of the Holy Spirit”!

Throughout the season of Easter, we’ll be hearing readings from the book of Acts. So join us as we dive a little deeper, gain a better context of our Scripture readings and open ourselves to the work of the Spirit in the church today. 

Sessions will begin Sunday, May 1.

Palm Sunday and Bishop Current Visit

Sunday, April 10

This coming Sunday we have two reasons to celebrate! Bishop Current will be joining us and we also will begin our journey through Holy Week. Make sure to stick around after a time of fellowship to have a conversation with Bishop Current during our education hour. 

Note that Palm Sunday worship will begin in the narthex. From the narthex, we will enact the procession of Jesus into Jerusalem by processing through the sanctuary, out the side door, onto the sidewalk and around the parking lot. In case of inclement weather, we will process inside

Find out more about Bishop Current.

Panda Express Fundraiser

Sunday, April 10

Looking to support our youth and eat some good food at the same time? This opportunity is for you! 

Here’s what you need to do:

• order food (eat in/order online) at Panda Express on April 10
• present our coupon code: 334976
• enjoy your food and watch SOTC Youth get fundraising dollars!

For more information, and for a page that reminds you of our fundraising code, bookmark this page. Questions? Talk to Leslie Eichelberger. 

Family Night @ SOTC

Sunday, April 10 @ 6:00 pm

This February, a small group of families gathered together for a meal and fellowship to help welcome some of our new member families. Since then, it’s clear that there is a hunger for more fellowship among young adults and families with youth PreK-High School. 

Therefore, so as to continue providing an opportunity to gather in fellowship and a time for intentional conversation with parents, we will be gathering this coming Sunday evening.  Can’t make it this month? We aim to gather each month, so stay tuned for more information.

Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt

Breakfast | 8:00 am
Egg Hunt | 8:30 am

Join us on Easter morning for fellowship and fun before worship!

We’ll start the morning with a breakfast of egg bakes, fruit, and muffins. Youth and families attending Camp EWALU this summer will be helping serve/provide food, but we also need a bit extra help! If you can help provide food, serve, or clean up, sign up here. Questions? Contact Leslie Eichelberger

In the midst of breakfast, we’ll host our annual Egg Hunt (outside, weather permitting). Please be mindful that the egg hunt will begin promptly at 8:30 so we can transition to worship starting at 9:00 am. Questions about the egg hunt? Contact Colleen Bentz. 

Willing to help gather candy and assemble eggs? Congregation members are invited to bring candy and put it in the box in the narthex. We’ll assemble eggs on Sunday, April 10 during fellowship. 

April 6 Lenten Midweek Meals and Worship

Join us for our last Lenten midweek meal and worship! This week we will hear again the story of Mary washing Jesus’ feet and will be invited into a practice of prayerful meditation.

April 6 Menu is: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Mac & Cheese, Veggies, and Dessert 

Holy Week at SOTC

Be sure to mark your calendars to join us as we remember the final week of Christ’s life. All are welcome!

Palm Sunday Worship
Sunday, April 10 @ 9:00 am

Maundy Thursday Worship
Thursday, April 14 @ 7:00 pm

Good Friday Worship
Friday, April 15 @ 7:00 pm

Easter Sunday Worship
Sunday, April 17 @ 9:00 am

Christians Underground Update

Our Christians Underground group has been meeting weekly on Wednesdays at noon at Geo Johnz and we’ve been having great conversations! All are welcome to join us!

Note that we WILL meet this coming Wednesday, April 6 but we will NOT meet Wednesday, April 13 due to Holy Week.

Bishop Current is coming to SOTC!

Sunday, April 10

We have an awesome opportunity in a couple of weeks to welcome Bishop Amy Current, bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod, to SOTC! In an effort to better connect with congregations in the synod, members of the synod staff have been visiting congregations in person. 

At the same time, Bishop Current has been meeting (via Zoom) with over 100 congregations in the synod in an effort to learn the hopes, fears, and sense of mission within various congregations. Though completely separate from Bishop Current’s visit on April 10, Shepherd recently had the opportunity to participate in this virtual conversation as well.  For this conversation, Pastor Aleese was asked to bring together our Council president (Delene McConnaha) and two other lay leaders. To round out the conversation, Pastor Aleese asked Heather Allen (previous Council president) and Mackenzie Gilbert (current Council liaison) to join the conversation.  Ask any one of these people how the conversation went and they can assure you that the conversation was incredibly positive and affirming of Shepherd!

If you’d like to hear more about this conversation, stop Delene, Heather, Mackenzie, or Pastor Aleese when you see them. And, if you’d like to help us welcome Bishop Current in true Shepherd form, join us on April 10 as we celebrate Palm Sunday!

Find out more about Bishop Current.

Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt

Breakfast | 8:00am
Egg Hunt | 8:30 am

Join us on Easter morning for fellowship and fun before worship! Families of youth attending camp will be serving breakfast starting at 8:00 am. We likely will need some help from other families to provide egg casseroles, fruit, and muffins. If you are willing to help, here is the link to sign up. Questions, contact Leslie Eichelberger or Colleen Bentz. 

Our annual Egg Hunt will be outside (weather permitting). All are welcome to join us! Please be mindful that the egg hunt will begin promptly at 8:30 so we can transition to worship starting at 9:00 am. 

Willing to help gather candy and assemble eggs? Congregation members are invited to bring candy and put it in the box in the narthex. We’ll assemble eggs on Sunday, April 10 during fellowship. 

March 30 Lenten Midweek Meals and Worship

A reminder that we continue to gather for a meal from 5:30-6:15 pm and worship from 6:30-7:15 pm. This Wednesday we will take another look at our Gospel reading and consider God’s role and our role in repentance and bearing fruit.

March 30 Menu is: Baked potato bar, mac, and cheese, dessert

Supplies needed to make laundry soap? 

We need you, Shepherds! We’re joining with Grace this Lent to collect items to make laundry soap for families in our community.  Challenge yourself to bring one of these items each week between now and the end of Lent! 

• baking soda (4 lb. boxes)
• borax (4 lb. boxes)
• Fels Naptha bar soap
• Oxi Clean (4 lb. containers)
• Washing soda

Holy Week at SOTC

Be sure to mark your calendars to join us as we remember the final week of Christ’s life. All are welcome!

Palm Sunday Worship
Sunday, April 10 @ 9:00 am
(note: we will process outside, weather permitting. We will begin in the narthex, process out the side door, onto the sidewalk, and around the church parking lot.)

Maundy Thursday Worship
Thursday, April 14 @ 7:00 pm
(note: will NOT include a meal as has sometimes been the case in previous years)

Good Friday Worship
Friday, April 15 @ 7:00 pm

Easter Sunday Worship
Sunday, April 17 @ 9:00 am

Family Night @ SOTC

Sun, April 10 @ 6:00 pm

This February, a small group of families gathered together for a meal and fellowship to help welcome some of our new member families. Since then, it’s clear that there is a hunger for more fellowship among young adults and families with youth PreK-High School. 

This group is not meant to be exclusive; rather, the goal is to bring together people of similar life experiences to grow together in relationship and in faith. 

If you haven’t been able to join us yet, mark your calendars for our April gathering. Know that Pastor Aleese will be in touch via email with further details.