We are excited to share that Church Council has appointed a Call Committee to begin the important work of calling our next lead pastor. This committee represents a wide range of voices within our congregation, with members from each of our three Sunday services and from various backgrounds and demographics. Their diversity is a gift and will help ensure that our search reflects the full life of St. Stephen Martyr. The major tool the Call Committee will complete is the Ministr

We have been invested in the psalms this past month as our sermon series on stewardship. I don’t know about you, but I’ve really appreciated delving deeper into the Psalms each week. Now, I’ve been invested in the psalm for quite some time. I find them to be so rich with emotion and words describing our relationship with the Lord God and so full of honest prayer. Someone once said that the Psalms are God’s words to us to pray back to God. Each week I spend some time with the

Confirmation seems so long ago. I don’t recall much from those days, except my teachers, Mrs. Dufendach or Ed Lang, saying, “Andrew, be...

Invested God’s investment plans may baffle financial advisors. It’s high risk. There’s no promised ROI. No business plan per se. And yet,...

Our baptism isn’t just a sacrament of God’s renewing grace, but it renews our calling in the world we live. Our next sermon series,...

Over five years ago, I had my first staff meeting here at St. Stephen Martyr. At that meeting, we did something that I had never done...

Beloved People of God, “I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” – Ephesians 1:16 On June 11, 1995, I was...

Beloved People of God, I believe God is wonderfully at work in the life and ministry of St. Stephen. Sometimes that work doesn’t always...

Beloved People of God, This month, during the third week of April, our Lenten observance will come to an end. We will gather with...

A Lenten Journey of Faith: What Does Christianity Teach Us? As we enter the sacred season of Lent, we often embark on a journey of...

Beloved People of God, The feast of Epiphany (“manifestation”), which took place on January 6, 2025, concludes the Christmas season with...

Beloved People of God,   As you read this, we are preparing to enter a new year and a new season of the church! Epiphany marks the end of...

The Advent of Advent With Advent, the church year begins. Advent Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, is the closest to St. Andrews Day,...

Beloved People of God, Thank you. Thank you for your demonstration of appreciation for Pastor Andrew, Pastor Herb, and for me. Thank you...

Beloved People of God, On October 27, 2024, we will celebrate Reformation Sunday. On this day we celebrate the heart of our faith: the...

“Be still and know that I am God.” -Psalm 46:10 I spent a lot of June and July working to “be still.” During my leave of absence, which I...

Created to Be! National Youth Gathering 2024 Beloved People of God, For the first time in six years, thousands of ELCA young people from...

Beloved People of God, Last month I shared about the importance of the sabbath. This month, as we prepare to enter July and the “dog days...

Summer Sabbath Keeping Beloved People of God, Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful conference as part of the Larger...

Transformation! “Hallelujah! Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed!” These were the joyful shouts we exclaimed as we celebrated the...