Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
But that's not the only reason I'm smiling behind the arrow below ...
Yesterday, I successfully set up Messiah's first-ever livestream. This coming Sunday, April 19 at 9:45 am, our devotional Bible study will be live, not prerecorded! Together, we'll dig into the First Epistle of Peter, which gives us our Epistle lessons for this Easter season. Please join me to discover more about the mercy, hope and inheritance that is ours in the risen Jesus, and to grow in faith and love.
The livestream Bible study will be available through our Bible Studies webpage, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page. Or you can just click on the big red arrow above on Sunday morning! (If you miss the livestream, you can watch it later at the same websites.)
Our upcoming worship service for Sunday, April 19 will be precorded audio, as usual -- but stay tuned for further developments ...
As I've said regularly, our staff, lay leadership and finance team deeply appreciate your continuing support of Messiah's ministry. As of today, there's another option to provide that support: Online Giving. You can use our new giving portal to make one-time or regular contributions through your checking account, savings account, debit or credit cards. (I did; it works.) You can even give via text message! Click on the link above to learn more and get started.
I'd also like to give a shout-out to our dedicated preschool staff. Teachers Vonda Smestad and Kathleen Stam are staying in touch with the children on a regular basis: posting suggested activities online and delivering learning packs to homes as pictured below, as well as hosting remote sessions. I was honored to lead a very special preschool chapel online earlier today; thanks to Vonda and Kathleen for the opportunity.
Finally, there's a new option for your evening devotions! The Michigan District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has kicked off "Hope Is Here", a series of video devotions based on classic hymns of the Christian faith, led by District President Rev. Dr. David Maier. Watch them live at 7 pm EDT each evening on Facebook, or access them all on YouTube. They're a nice complement to the morning devotions provided by LCMS president Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison and others (also on Facebook or YouTube at 10 am every weekday).
In the season of Easter that lies ahead, may God continue to bless, strengthen and keep us all safe in Him every day. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger
Messiah Lutheran Church
