ST. MARK’S LUTHERAN CHURCH 18th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

September 30 & October 4

Divine Service Setting III - LSB pg. 184

Opening Hymn: “Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us” LSB #711Savior, like a shepherd lead us; Much we need Your tender care.In Your pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Your fold prepare.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have bought us; we are Yours.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have bought us; we are Yours.

We are Yours; in love befriend us, Be the guardian of our way;Keep Your flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray.

You have promised to receive us, Poor and sinful though we be;You have mercy to relieve us, Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to You. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to You.

Early let us seek Your favor, Early let us do Your will;Blessed Lord and only Savior, With Your love our spirits fill.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have loved us, love us still.Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, You have loved us, love us still.

Invocation LSB pg. 184P: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.C: Amen.

Confession and Absolution LSB pg. 184P: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and

confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

P: Our help is in the Name of the Lord.C: Who made heaven and earth.P: I said, “I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord.C: and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

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P: O Almighty God, merciful Father,

C: I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities, with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.

P: Upon this your confession, I- by virtue of my office- as a Called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you; and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins: in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

The Introit from Psalm 84P: Restore us, O God of hosts;C: let Your face shine, that we may be saved!P: You brought a vine out of Egypt;C: You drove out the nations and planted it.P: You cleared the ground for it;C: it took deep root and filled the land.P: The mountains were covered with its shade,C: the mighty cedars with its branches.P: It sent out its branches to the seaC: and its shoots to the River. 

P: Why then have You broken down its walls,C: so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?P: The boar from the forest ravages it,C: and all that move in the field feed on it.P: Turn again, O God of hosts!C: Look down from heaven, and see;P: have regard for this vine,C: the stock that Your right hand planted,P: and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself.C: Then we shall not turn back from You;P: give us life, and we will call upon Your Name!C: Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!P: Let Your face shine, that we may be saved!

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Gloria Patri (sung) LSB pg. 186Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.Kyrie (sung) LSB pg. 186

Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us.Lord have mercy upon us.

Gloria in Excelsis (sung) LSB pg. 187-189P: Glory be to God on high:C: (sung) and on earth, peace, good-will toward men. We

praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee; we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takes away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Salutation and Collect of the Day LSB pg. 189P: The Lord be with you.C: (sung) And with thy spirit.P: Let us pray. O Lord, we pray that You would keep Your Church

with Your perpetual mercy; and, because- apart from You- we cannot but fall, keep us from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.(be seated)

Old Testament Reading Isaiah 5:1-7

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[Isaiah said] Let me sing for my Beloved my love song concerning His vineyard: My Beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.  He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; He built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.  [God speaks] And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard.  What more was there to do for My vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?  And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.  I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.  [Isaiah speaks again] For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! P: This is the Word of the Lord.C: Thanks be to God.

Epistle Reading Phil. 3:4b-14If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.  But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I

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do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.P: This is the Word of the Lord.C: Thanks be to God.(please rise)

Alleluia & Verse (sung) LSB pg. 190All: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Holy Gospel Matthew 21:33-46 P: The Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew, the 21st chapter:C: (sung) Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

[Jesus said] “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.  When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.  And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’  And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”  They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”  Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?  Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.  And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them. Andalthough they were seeking to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they (the crowds) held Him to be a prophet.

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P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.C: (sung) Praise be to Thee, O Christ.

Sermon Hymn: “O Love, How Deep” LSB #544O love, how deep, how broad, how high, Beyond all thought and fantasy,That God, the Son of God, should take Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!

He sent no angel to our race, Of higher or of lower place,But wore the robe of human frame, And to this world Himself He came.

For us baptized, for us He bore His holy fast and hungered sore;For us temptation sharp He knew; For us the tempter overthrew.

For us He prayed; for us He taught; For us His daily works He wrought,By words and signs and actions thus Still seeking not Himself but us.

For us by wickedness betrayed, For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,He bore the shameful cross and death; For us He gave His dying breath.

For us He rose from death again; For us He went on high to reign;For us He sent His Spirit here To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.

(continued on the next page; please stand for the doxological verse)All glory to our Lord and God For love so deep, so high, so broad;The Trinity whom we adore Forever and forevermore.

Sermon “God’s Courtroom” Pastor Wolter

(stand for the Creed and the Prayers of the Church)

Nicene Creed LSB pg. 191I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

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And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who, for us men, and for our salvation came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son, together, is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayers of the Church

SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR

PrefaceP: The Lord be with you.C: (sung) And with thy spirit.P: Lift up your hearts.C: (sung) We lift them up unto the Lord.P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.C: (sung) It is meet and right so to do.

Proper PrefaceP: It is truly good, right and salutary that we should at all times and

in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, Almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord; who- on this day- overcame death and the grave, and- by His glorious

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resurrection- opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Your glorious Name, evermore praising You and singing:

Sanctus “Holy, Holy, Holy” LSB pg. 195

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He; blessed is He; blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!

The Lord’s Prayer LSB pg. 196Our Father, Who art in Heaven: Hallowed by Thy Name.Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done: on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

The Words of Institution LSB pg. 197

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Pax Domini LSB pg. 197P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.C: (sung) Amen.

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Agnus Dei (sung) LSB pg. 198O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us. O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us.O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world; grant us Thy peace. Amen.

Distribution Hymns“ Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness ”

LSB #636Soul, adorn yourself with gladness, Leave the gloomy haunts of

sadness,Come into the daylight’s splendor, There with joy your praises

render.Bless the One whose grace unbounded This amazing banquet

founded;He, though heav’nly high, and holy, Deigns to dwell with you most

lowly.

Hasten as a bride to meet Him, And with loving rev’rence greet Him,

For with words of life immortal He is knocking at your portal.Open wide the gates before Him, Saying, as you there adore Him;Grant, Lord, that I now receive You, That I nevermore will leave

You.

He who craves a precious treasure Neither cost nor pain will measure;

But the priceless gifts of heaven God to us has freely given.Though the wealth of earth were proffered, None could buy the gifts

here offered:Christ’s true body, for you riven, And His blood, for you once given.

Now in faith I humbly ponder Over this surpassing wonderThat the bread of life is boundless Though the souls it feeds are

countless;With the choicest wine of heaven Christ’s own blood to us is given.Oh, most glorious consolation, Pledge and seal of my salvation!

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Jesus, source of lasting pleasure, Truest friend, and dearest treasure,

Peace beyond all understanding, Joy into all life expanding;Humbly now, I bow before You; Love incarnate, I adore You;Worthily let me receive You And, so favored, never leave You.

Jesus, sun of life, my splendor, Jesus, friend of friends, most tender,Jesus, joy of my desiring, Fount of life, my soul inspiring:At Your feet I cry, my maker; Let me be a fit partakerOf this blessed food from heaven, For our good, Your glory, given.

(continued on the next page)

Lord, by love and mercy driven, You once left Your throne in heavenOn the cross for me to languish And to die in bitter anguish,To forego all joy and gladness And to shed Your blood in sadness,By this blood redeemed and living, Lord, I praise You with

thanksgiving.

Jesus, bread of life, I pray You, Let me gladly here obey You.By Your love I am invited, Be Your love with love requited;By this Supper let me measure, Lord, how vast and deep love’s

treasure.Through the gift of grace You give me As Your guest in heav’n

receive me.

“Your Tavle I Approach” LSB #628

Your table I approach; Dear Savior, hear my prayer.Let not an unrepentant heart Prove hurtful to me there.

Lord, I confess my sins And mourn their wretched bands;A contrite heart is sure to find Forgiveness at Your hands.

Your body and Your blood, Once slain and shed for me, Are taken at Your table, Lord, In blest reality.

Search not how this takes place, This wondrous mystery;God can accomplish vastly more Than what we think could be.

O grant, most blessed Lord, That earth and hell combined

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May not about this sacrament Raise doubt within my mind.

Oh, may I never fail To thank You day and nightFor Your true body and true blood, O God, my peace and light.

“Now, My Tongue, the Mystery Telling” LSB#630Now, my tongue, the mystery telling Of the glorious body sing,And the blood, all price excelling, Which the Gentiles’ Lord and King,Once on earth among us dwelling, Shed for this world’s ransoming.

Giv’n for us, and condescending To be born for us below,He with us in converse blending Dwelt, the seed of truth to sow,Till He closed with wondrous ending His most patient life of woe.

That last night at supper lying Mid the Twelve, His chosen band, Jesus, with the Law complying, Keeps the feast its rites demand;Then more precious food supplying, Gives Himself with His own hand.(continued on the next page)Word made flesh, the bread He taketh, By His word His flesh to be;Wine His sacred blood He maketh, Though the senses fail to see;Faith alone the true heart waketh To behold the mystery.

Glory let us give and blessing To the Father and the Son,Honor, thanks and praise addressing, While eternal ages run;Ever too His love confessing Who from both with both is One.

Nunc Dimittis (sung) LSB pg. 199-200

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten the Gentiles… and the glory of Thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thanksgiving & Prayer LSB pg. 200

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P: O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.C: (sung) and His mercy endureth forever. P: Let us pray. We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have

refreshed us with this salutary gift, and we implore You that- of Your mercy- You would strengthen us through the same, in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: (sung) Amen.

Salutation & Benedicamus LSB pg. 201-202P: The Lord be with you.C: (sung) And with thy spirit.P: Bless we the Lord!C: (sung) Thanks be to God!

Benediction LSB pg. 202P: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine

upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace.

C: (sung) Amen! Amen! Amen!

Closing Hymn “On What Has Now Been Sown” LSB #921On what has now been sown Thy blessing, Lord, bestow;The pow’r is Thine alone To make it sprout and grow.Do Thou in grace the harvest raise, And Thou alone shalt have the praise!

To Thee our wants are known, From Thee are all our pow’rs;Accept what is Thine own And pardon what is ours.Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive, And to Thy Word a blessing give.

O grant that each of us,. Now met before Thee here,May meet together thus When Thou and Thine appear

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And follow Thee to heav’n our home. E’en so, amen, Lord Jesus, come!

IN OUR PRAYERS TODAY: We pray for Beth Fridgen, Elizabeth Broich, Ruth Cleary, Belwin Rode, Amy Schmidt-Glass, Michelle Goossen, Steven Morse, Trevor Sanders, Rebecca Burns, Melody Reuss, Rosemary Mills, Maddilynn Amundson, Heather Ollendick, Tom Hagen, Gisele Freitag, Linda Jansen, Jim (Rosemary Mills’ brother), Peggy Wold, Shirley Ferguson, Lydia Peterson, Roger Vergin, Lin Roder, Chuck Wilts, Ken Halverson, Paul Peterson, Mark Brehmer, Sharon Sanders, Kelyn Myer (step-grandson of Becky Halverson) and Kirsten Mast (infant daughter of Joe and Michelle Mast).

PRAYING FOR OUR MEMBERS THIS WEEK: Alena Conyers; Denice Martin-Conyers; Jeff Cramlet; Savannah Crandall; Kelly , Janet, Hayley and Anissa Demuth; Evelyn Denzer; Mya Denzer; Noah Denzer; Rick Denzer; Scott and Ann Denzer; Annette Dingmann; Kendra Dingmann; Travis Dingmann; Bobi Jo, Kennedy, Caitelyn and Carolyn Drews.

BAPTISMAL BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK: October 4th: Ron Mills and Chad Payne October 5th; Sharon Grussing and John Naig October 6th: Noah Denzer October 7th: Madelyn Van Lith October 8th: Megan Vergin October 9th: Tatiana Appenzeller, Dan Hermes and Natasha Schlief October 10th: Patrick Huston

SUNDAY ATTENDANCE: 48 OFFERINGS: $2,000.00

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WEDNESDAY ATTENDANCE: 22 SPECIAL OFFERINGS: Support our Seminaries: $25.00; Disaster Relief: $1,000.00. Operating Expenses of St. Mark’s 2020Needed each week beginning January 1, 2020: $3,579.00Offerings collected 09/27/20: $2,000.00Budgeted needs through 09/27/20: $139,581.00Offerings received (01/01/20 – 09/27/20): $121,840.28Thrivent Choice Dollars Received 08/06/20: $15.00Total Thrivent Choice Dollars Received in 2020: $160.00Memorial & Special Offerings (so far this year): $5,789.32

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HAPPY 53 rd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO GARY AND LESLIE ERICKSON! Gary and Leslie will be celebrating 53 years of marriage on Wednesday, October 7th. We congratulate them and offer prayers of thanksgiving to God for their 53 years together. Their address is: 2115062nd St. NW, Sunburg, MN 56289.

HAPPY 55 th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO JACK AND SANDY BURNS! Jack and Sandy will be celebrating 55 years of marriage on Friday, October 9th. We congratulate them and offer prayers of thanksgiving to God for their 55 years together. Their address is: 311 13th St. S., Benson, MN 56215.

BAPTISM– On Tuesday, October 6th Oaklea Lee Stauffacher will be received into God’s Kingdom through Holy Baptism. Oaklea is the daughter of Nathan Stauffacher and Megan

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Sampson. Oaklea was born April 13, 2020. Sponsors for Oaklea are: Jordan Bartz, Hannah Hanson, Cassie Snyder and Ryan Snyder. We pray that God would always bless Oaklea with a living faith to hear His Word and follow His commands. May He grant Nathan and Megan wisdom and guidance in bringing Oaklea to know and serve the Lord.NO BAKE BAKE SALE Due to Covid-19 there will be no aprons handed out. Instead a container will be set out on October 7th & the 11th. They ask for you to please leave your donation in the container on the back table. Thank you for your support!

TRUNK OR TREAT Looking for a great FREE family-fun event?  Then you don't want to miss St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 3rd Annual “Trunk or Treat” celebration on Saturday, October 31, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 pm, in the church parking lot!  Hot Dogs and Hot Cider will be served. This is open to the community. Please invite your friends!

Not sure what “Trunk or Treat” is?St. Mark’s members will decorate their car “trunks” and hand out treats. Kids dress in their Halloween costumes and go from car to car collecting treats! Maybe you don’t have a car? Then set up a cart table and decorate it and hand out treats! There will be treats available for you to pass out, but you may also bring you own.

Are you wondering how you can help? Here is what we need:Donations! Treats and/or money to purchase treats & food! Please bring to the church office. Decorated Trunks! Get ideas from the internet, by googling “Trunk or Treat ideas”. Also, Oriental Trading has Trunk or Treat Kits that you can order!Volunteers! To hang up posters around town and also the night of the event, to help with serving hot dogs and hot cider.

If you have any questions, please call the church office at 320-843-4131, or contact Tracy Wolter at 402-921-0981 (call/text) or tracylwolter@gmail.com. Thank you!

Serving our church today:ORGANIST: Sept. 30: Mary Weckwerth Oct. 4: Lois Mitteness

COUNTERS: Staci Ascheman and Melissa Hampton

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CAMERA: Sept. 30: Gary Weckwerth

Serving our church next week (October 7 & 11):ORGANIST: Oct. 7: Mary Weckwerth Oct. 11: Lois Mitteness

COUNTERS: Jason Schwendemann and Susan Firchau

CAMERA: Oct. 7: Rob McGee

Sunday, October 4Worship (in church, w/Communion; also online at 8am)................................... 8amBible Study & Sunday School....................................................................... 9:15 amLWML Mites Door Offering

Tuesday, October 6Baptism for Oaklea Lee Stauffacher................................................................... 5pm

Wednesday, October 7 Confirmation……………………………….....……………….. 5:00pm-6:30 pmWorship: LWML Service (in church w/Communion) ….................................... 7pm

Happy 53rd Wedding Anniversary to Gary & Leslie Erickson!

Friday, October 9Miller/Reinke Wedding Rehearsal…………………………………….………..5pm

Happy 55th Wedding Anniversary to Jack & Sandy Burns!

Saturday, October 10Miller Reinke Wedding

Sunday, October 11Worship: LWML Service (in church, w/Communion; also online at 8am)........ 8amBible Study & Sunday School....................................................................... 9:15 am

Readings for next week: Isaiah 25:6-9; Philippians 4:4-13; Matthew 22:1-14

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