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
“When you pray, move your feet.”
This African proverb is a concise yet powerful reminder that our prayers, and by extension our faith, have to be about more than words or thoughts. The late Congressman John Lewis used this proverb as a mantra in his work on human rights and illuminated this proverb in his memoir, saying: “There is an old African proverb: ‘When you pray, move your feet.’ As a nation, we must move our feet, our hands, our hearts, our resources to build and not to tear down, to reconcile and not to divide, to love and not to hate, to heal and not to kill.”
As we begin this new year in the season of hope we call Christmas, and slowly begin to turn our focus toward the deep reflection of season of Lent (and eventually the renewed hope of Easter), I invite us all to remember the true gift Jesus was and is for us, the way he built community among us, and the sacrifice he made.
On December 25, we once again celebrated the day God joined us as one of us, underscoring the profound intimacy of our relationship with God. We praised Jesus as being the light of the world. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. (Isaiah 9:2, NRSV)
There is a lot to feel down about in this world, and Jesus encourages us to take all our fears, anxieties, sufferings, grief, and struggles to him through prayer. That should be merely the start of our process. Our prayers represent a conversation in so many ways. They are, of course, a conversation between us and God, but if you think about it, they are also a conversation we have with ourselves. When we settle ourselves into a time of open reflection as we pray, we find that our mind begins to connect with our heart, revealing our deepest concerns, passions, and desires. It is those moments we should pay close attention to, for it is in those moments we can find ourselves inspired to focus our energy, resources, and time in ways that bring the light of Christ into a troubled world.
Each new year brings a new opportunity to try something new, experience some growth, and live deeper in our faith and relationship with God and our neighbors. We are the recipients of such an incredible gift in the person of Jesus and the sacrifice he made to be our Savior. May this be a year full of the kind of prayer that inspires us to move our feet for the good of all. Let us all honor Jesus as he deserves by finding the place we can make the biggest positive impact in this world, pray for God’s guidance, and then step out in active faith.
I pray that this year brings health, peace, joy, and love to you, and that your year will be filled with all sorts of blessings as we work to bring the light of Christ to all the world, working for that day when all are loved and cared for. I pray that when you pray, you move your feet. And know that I am right here with you, praying and growing and working to be a better mover of my own feet. Together we can do this to the glory of God!
May the Lord bless you and keep you this season and always!
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.
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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