Living Faith Weekly News (Week of April 27, 2025)

Living Faith with our new, first pastor! Welcome, Pastor Paige, from all of us!

Sunday's Happenings

Pastor Paige led us in worship for the Second Sunday in Easter. Pastor Paige led the children and congregation in singing "Trumpet Sounds" for our children's sermon! Former Catechism guides and students: Did that bring back fond memories?! Thank you to Pastor Paige, Gail Kass, Angela Catton, Travis Balt, Tim Kass, Kari Kopperud, Kinley and Anniston Van Otterloo and Sharon Utesch for their assistance with our worship service. Following worship, we gathered for a group picture as an official ELCA congregation with Pastor Paige!

Celebration Meal following Worship

Once the Living Faith group picture was taken, we adjourned to the Fellowship Hall for a meal where we celebrated the naming of Living Faith as an official congregation, we welcomed Pastor Paige to Living Faith and we honored and thanked Kari Kopperud for her work on the Leadership Team and as the treasurer for Living Faith!

We enjoyed a catered meal of chicken roll ups, Caesar salad, garlic knots and CAKE! Thank you to Mama Barb's Catering for the delicious meal and to Mark Catton for delivering the meal to church!

Doing the Hand Jive for the mealtime prayer! Exactly perfect for a pastor who has camp experience!

Welcome, Pastor Paige! Thank you, Kari!

It's not a proper welcome at Living Faith unless a meal is shared and there is CAKE for dessert! Living Faith officially welcomed Pastor Paige in this manner on Sunday!

Kari Kopperud has served on the Leadership Team since 2023 in its inception. She has also worked as the treasurer for Living Faith. Thank you, Kari, for faithfully serving in these capacities and lending your voice to the beginnings and formation of our church! In our opinion, Kari's next project is to work on publishing a cookbook of the wonderful recipes she's been sharing with Living Faith!

Living Faith's Annual Meeting

Pastor Paige opened our meeting with prayer and then thanked Living Faith for their welcome. She briefly sketched out some dreams she has for Living Faith and her desire to know the stories of Living Faith-ers. Invite Pastor Paige to events and activities you're involved in - she'd love to get to know you and the community of Le Mars this way!

Members elected the first Church Council of Living Faith! Council members are Tim Kass, Todd Lang, Angela Catton, Sandy Heeren and Kay Michaelson.

A budget was approved for the remainder of 2025. The next Annual Meeting will be in January of 2026. Please see your email for the minutes of this meeting and the approved budget!

Next Week

Living Faith will celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter on May 4th during their services in the sanctuary of the Presbyterian United Church of Christ (858 7th Ave. SE) at 11:00 AM. All are welcome! Gail Kass will accompany us on the piano. A scripture reader and communion assistant are needed. Contact Kay if you are able to help with one of these volunteer opportunities!

Make plans to come to Faith & Fellowship time at 10:00 on Sunday with our friends from the PUCC! Yvonne Law will be serving treats for the day!

New Church Council Member!

Sandy Heeren is the new member of the Church Council! She will serve as the treasurer for Living Faith! Sandy works at Wells Enterprises and her husband, Jim, farms and drives school bus for Le Mars Community Schools. Sandy and Jim have two children: Tucker and Grace. Thank you for your willingness to serve, Sandy!

Living Faith Honors Its Females on May 11!

On Sunday, May 11, all the females of Living Faith will be honored! Additionally, the mothers of Living Faith members will be remembered with a Mother's Day slideshow. Please send Kay Michaelson a picture of your mother via email (bkmich4@gmail.com) or text (712-540-5368). Those who submitted pictures of their mothers last year and are already in hand are: Pastor Jean and Rich Ziettlow, Tim and Gail Kass, June and Dell Ferguson, Jim and Sandy Heeren, Debbie Gibson, John and Peg McAllister, Judd and Kari Kopperud, Marley Stream, Rick and Sue Stream, Sharon Utesch, Karen Schroeder, Angela Catton, Brian and Kay Michaelson, Kevin and Dawn Richards, Todd Lang, Robin Grosenheider, Ardis Boetger, and Kay Allen. Please consider sending in a picture of your mother if your name does not appear above!

Upcoming Synod Assembly!

Travis Balt and Tim and Gail Kass will be delegates representing Living Faith at the Synod Assembly in June. Living Faith will be recognized as the newest congregation of the Western Iowa Synod during the Assembly. When the details of this recognition are known, they will be shared so that anyone from Living Faith who would like to attend for this can come.

Celebrating Bishop Halaas!

Bishop Lorna Halaas will be retiring and there will be an evening of celebration for the ministry of Bishop Lorna on Thursday, June 12 at 6:30 PM at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Sioux City. The cost for the meal is $20 and payment can be made at the door. If you would like to attend, there is a sign up sheet on the Living Faith table in the narthex of the PUCC so that we can send in numbers at the end of May for meal preparation.

Honoring Pastor Jean

Pastor Jean - Doing what she loves best!

Pastor Jean Ziettlow will be honored during this year's Synod Assembly for serving for 35 years in the ministry! Congratulations on this milestone, Pastor Jean!

May Celebrations at Living Faith!

Birthdays:

Dawn Richards - May 3

Tim Kass - May 17

Todd Lang - May 20

Ted Hallberg - May 22

Shawn Shipley - May 23

Angela Catton - May 24

Mark Juhl - May 29

Mark Stelzer - May 30

Jordan Kopperud - May 31

Baptismal Birthdays:

Pastor Jean Ziettlow - May 1

Judd Kopperud - May 3

Kevin Richards - May 8

Eli Mack- May 8

Tyler Gibson - May 17

Nathan Summerside - May 20

Mark Catton - May 24

Anniversaries

Mark and Kathy Stelzer - May 18

Tim and Gail Kass - May 20

Please hold the following individuals in prayer!

Kortney Kopperud - Kortney has a follow up doctor's appointment for her broken arm today.

Gail Kass - Gail will be undergoing foot surgery on Monday, May 5.

Bob and Debbie Gibson

Karen Schroeder

Judy Bowman

Kristy Pecks

The McAllister family

Pixie

Marilynn

Ali

Beth

Pastor Halaas and his family

Pastor Paige

The Living Faith brother or sister you are praying for

A Little Humor from Deacon Eric Haitz