Sundays
Looking forward to our 2024 Craft Show 
Looking for:
All money raised from crafts goes toward paying down our mortgage.
Contact: Annette Kandell quangels2015@gmail.com
A New Chapter for Youth Ministry at SOTP!
God’s Holy Spirit is truly moving in exciting ways this year! We have three really big announcements related to our youth ministry program!
The first is that we have officially hired our new full-time Youth Ministry Coordinator! Mia Larkin will begin her ministry on August 10. A Huntley native, she has wealth of experience working with youth and an incredible passion for building relationships and a community among young people. I will let her introduce herself in more detail as she comes aboard, but for now, please know how excited we are to have her join our staff. It has been a very long process, but we wanted to make sure we hired just the right person for the job, and Mia is that person! Look for opportunities to meet her very soon as well as for her installation during worship.
The second is that SOTP’s brand new Youth Council had its first meeting on July 21. Our new Youth Council is made up of one 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grader. The council’s first members are Emma Stegge (7th), Max Wodnriska (8th), Zachary Serpe (9th), Daphne Shaw (10th), Andrew Padget (11th), and Lucas Monson (12th). Mia Larkin, Jess Panella, and I will accompany this amazing group of young people as they dream up and execute new and exciting youth ministry opportunities. The team’s first meeting was spent building relationships and developing a vision and goals for their work together. They have identified three broad areas of focus: weekly activities, Bible study/devotions, and large events. Each of these areas will be the focus of a chairperson from the team as well as one of the adults while the group, as a whole, will contribute ideas and effort in making all three aspects a reality.
While this fi rst group was brought together through personal invitation, starting this coming spring, the youth of SOTP will be electing the members of this Youth Council going forward. The plan is to elect a new 7th, 9th, and 11th grader each year to serve a two year term. Youth who have served will be eligible for re-election. As I shared about Mia, look for more info about this awesome team very soon as well as their installation during worship.
Our Youth and Family Ministry Team, which currently consists of Dan Wichtendahl, Monika Wichtendahl, Jess Panella, Carrie McCabe, Tim Torkelson, and me (with the forthcoming addition of Mia) will continue to do its great work alongside the new Youth Council, and as we blaze this new trail, we will be diligent in developing a synergy that will allow the two groups to complement each other, focusing on middle
school and high school ministry. The Children and Family Team will continue their work with our Pre-K through 5th grade youth. SOTP is so blessed and I am so grateful for the work of these groups.
The third announcement is the launching of a new SOTP youth ministry experience. We are moving away from our Thursday night Youth Group model to a new Sunday night experience! Youth Group will now be 6-8 pm every Sunday, starting August 16th. And with the new leadership of Mia and the Youth Council, it promises to be a revitalized and innovative ministry! This is a good time to remind everyone that I have always encouraged 8th graders to join Youth Group during their 8th grade year in order to build a bridge between Confirmation and Youth Group. Look for more information on this newly refreshed ministry soon!
Thank you all for your continued support of our young people and our children and youth ministries. Exciting things are happening, and I can’t wait to see where the Holy Spirit is taking us next!
email Pastor Ryan at pastorryan@sotpmail.com
Just a reminder that in 2025 everyone will receive offering envelopes by mail quarterly. We realize that some of you in the past have opted out of receiving envelopes so before you throw these envelopes away, we encourage you to remember a couple of things related to your giving to Shepherd of the Prairie.
When the offering counters receive an envelope which has a check enclosed and the distribution is marked on the envelope, this helps our counters tremendously to quickly account for your gift. We just need to open the envelope, make sure the figures agree on the check and envelope, and put each one in separate piles to be totaled.
When a loose check is received there are several more steps to be taken in order to process each donation.
Our counters must look up the name on the check, then fill out an envelope form which is a copy of the back of the offering envelope, with the giver’s name, envelope number, and gift amount. This is then paperclipped to the check and given to the counter that is opening envelopes that day. As you can see a loose check takes our volunteers much more time to process to be sure each gift is given proper credit to donors. So far, we have processed over 180 loose checks from households that opted out of 2024 envelopes.
Please keep the 2025 envelopes to be used on special services and various things that come up during the year like the food pantry and memorials. Of course, regular giving may be done online which is also a wonderful way to easily give to the ministry we share at SOTP.
Thanks again for your ongoing support. We are surely blessed by the generosity of every gift received!
Contact: Ralph Wehnes
As you may know, we are now publishing our Member Directory with members’ photos. 
If you need to update or add your photo, please send your photo to Donna Kelly donna@sotpmail.com, or Ed Cuttle
edschn28@comcast.net and we will update or add it to the directory.
We publish an updated directory every time we receive new members, so 4 times a year. If you would like to receive the updated
directory via email, please let Michelle Rankin know, michelle@sotpmail.com or you can pick one up at the office or at the Registration Desk.
If you have any questions, contact Donna Kelly, donna@sotpmail.com or through the church office.
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If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
As soon as [Jesus and the disciples] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Summer is kicking off with an Ice Cream Social & Wheels Show.
Join us Friday, June 2nd from 6:30pm-8:30pm for the Ice Cream Social.
Sign up to bring your wheels at www.bit.ly/SOTPwheels23 . They can have 4 or 3 or 2 wheels, maybe someone even has a unicycle!?!?
The best decorated kid’s wheels will win a prize.
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We will also have games, relays, face painting, an ice cream Pinata, and lots of fun!
Let us know you’re coming – register at www.bit.ly/SOTPsocial23
Contact: Jill Gillming jill@sotpmail.com
For more information on how to donate altar flowers, go to www.bit.ly/SOTPflower
Contact: Diane Mollis dem910@outlook.com
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