Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
I hope that all of you are safe and healthy following Thursday night's storms and tornadoes. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
I also want to update you regarding how our church buildings and grounds were impacted by the storms.
A good number of older trees and tree limbs on our grounds were felled by the high winds.
Our main building is intact and secure, despite minor exterior damage. The parking lot is clear of any debris or obstacles.
Our shed and pavilion were structurally damaged by a fallen tree, and are unsafe to use.
The main building was without electricity until early this morning; power has been restored and our HVAC system is up and running.
Phone and Internet service also went out and have not been restored yet.
Assessment and cleanup work will begin on Monday. Thanks to our Board of Trustees for their rapid response!
This morning, I talked with Pastor Blain and congregational president Dave Ahrens. We confirmed the following decisions:
Tomorrow morning, we will hold Bible Class in the Fellowship Hall at 9:00 am and the Divine Service at 10:00 am in the sanctuary as usual.
Due to the Internet outage, we will probably not be able to livestream tomorrow's service or Bible Class.
Due to the damage to our shed and pavilion, the Community Picnic will be held in our Fellowship Hall at 12:00 noon, following the service.
Set-up volunteers are asked to meet in the fellowship hall foyer tomorrow morning at 8:30 am.
If you volunteered to bring food but can't prepare it due to a power outage, don't worry about it - just come and enjoy what we have!
The funeral service for our sister Esther Maloney will go on as scheduled on Monday, August 28th, with visitation in the church foyer at 10:00 am, the service at 11:00 am, and a lunch in the Fellowship Hall afterwards.
As I practiced for tomorrow's service earlier this morning, the words of a number of the hymns we'll be singing struck me: "Christ is made the sure foundation." "Built on the Rock the Church shall stand, even when steeples are falling." "In every high and stormy gale my Anchor holds within the veil." As we thank our Lord for His protection in recent days, may we continually rely on Him both for eternal salvation through Christ Jesus, and for all we need to support this body and life. And let us lift all those in need to Him in prayer:
Almighty God, merciful Father, Your thoughts are not our thoughts, Your ways are not our ways. In Your wisdom You have permitted these disastrous storms to befall us. We implore You, let not the hearts of Your people despair nor our faith fail us, but sustain and comfort us. Direct all efforts to attend the injured, console the bereaved and protect the helpless. Bring hope and healing that we may find relief and restoration; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger
Parish Assistant
