January 6, 2012
This week’s edition of Friday Blessings is brought to you by Laurie Helms, one of St. John’s Seminarians
St. John’s was blessed this past summer to have ELCA Missionary Pastor Arden Strasser as a guest preacher. In his message he extended an invitation to our congregation to further our partnership with ELC-Zambia. Our friendship will strengthen us both for life and mission as communities of faith in different cultural settings.
One immediate way that St. John’s can help encourage growth in the Zambian church is by reducing the burden of educational costs for the children of the pastors. When Lutheran ministers of ELC-Zambia are called to lead congregations, it is a call that involves great personal sacrifice. They receive just $30 per month from ELC-Zambia. Some of them receive a small amount of additional support from their congregations. Most have children, and many are also raising nieces and nephews who have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. With the pastor as a community model, having their own children in school demonstrates to the village the importance of keeping children in school as long as possible. Education is essential for lifting people out of poverty. There are 60 children who are being raised by these ministers, and, the cost for books, supplies, and school uniforms is $60 a year per child for primary school and $300 for high school.
At all five worship services on the weekend of January 14 and 15, St. John’s will gather a special offering for this ministry. All gifts, large and small will help. A gift of $60 will educate one primary student for one year; a gift of $300 will send one student to high school.
As their congregations grow, it is expected that each year the pastors will be better able to pay these expenses themselves. In the meantime, it is our privilege to be able to support these pastors through our gift of education for their children. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
PRAYER: Loving God, we praise you for the faithful witness of both St. John’s and the Lutheran Church in Zambia. Even though we are separated by many miles, we are aware of our oneness in you. Please continue to show us ways to accompany one another in our congregational lives. May the Holy Spirit inspire our hearts and hands to be joined together as we seek to glorify You. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.
