You shall have not make idols.

Humanity loves to fashion tangible things to sense God. But how can we relegate the infinite God to a mere thing?

The great irony is that we cannot fashion God into our image, rather God fashions us into God’s image. 

Join us on Sunday as we explore what it means to follow this commandment.

Here are a few of the issues the Council discussed in May.

· Pray without Ceasing – Join us Wednesday nights from 6:30 – 7:00 pm to participate in the Pray without Ceasing initiative. This Is a joint venture between the Southwest Texas Synod and the Minneapolis Synod to create space for regular gatherings to pray during uncertain times. From the Synod, “As people who follow Jesus, we pray. Alone and together, we pray. And, in times of great change, we pray. We can agree that 2025 has begun as a time of significant change, particularly in our federal government. Whether we agree or disagree with the changes, the very speed of the actions gives us pause. And so we pray.” Learn more at Pray Without Ceasing - Mpls Area Synod ELCA.

· Summer Youth Programs – The Faith Formation Team has been working hard to keep our youth programming moving and look to the future since Deacon Andrew’s departure. They have had to make some quick adjustments to the plans for summer youth programs. Lutherhill was planned to run our Vacation Bible School (VBS) as they have for the past several summers. Unfortunately, due to staffing shortages, they will be unable to provide staff but will share their curriculum. The team also planned to hire a college student to serve as a summer coordinator and could not find a candidate. Melissa Fain has stepped up and the council has hired her as a Summer Coordinator to manage VBS, Graceworks, and other summer youth ministries and to plan for youth activities in the Fall. She will also hire additional help for VBS.

· Governance Team – The Governance Team is working to update our governance documents, including our Church Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions. It may sound dull, but this is the next step in carrying out the Mission, Vision, and Values that we defined over the last few years. The team is focused on creating a structure and processes for how Peace operates that better aligns with our current teams and goals and will facilitate achieving our Mission: To love like Jesus so that each person experiences God’s Way.

If you have questions or ideas, please feel free to speak to any member of the Council.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As people who follow Jesus, we pray. We pray alone and we pray together.
2025 has brought great change. Whether change is for good or for ill, it often stirs anxiety. When life feels predictable, we tend to feel safe and secure. But when something new or unknown arises, our fight-or-flight response kicks in—an instinct meant to protect us from immediate danger. However, when we live in a state of chronic anxiety, our decision-making narrows, our bodies stay on high alert, and our fear can leak out in harmful ways.

Prayer is God’s gift to us. It is a way to surrender to something greater than ourselves. It helps still our minds, calm our hearts, and center us in God’s promises. Through prayer, we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, who leads us through every uncertainty and challenge.

As part of our call to live as God’s church—praying and entrusting our lives to God—the ELCA Council of Bishops is inviting congregations to join together in regular, focused prayer.

We already pray each Sunday in worship. But here at Peace, we are creating a dedicated space just for prayer—six Wednesday evenings, May 21 through June 25, from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.

The hope is that these 30-minute gatherings will:
•    Center us on what God values in this world;
•    Help us learn how to pray and grow in this gift;
•    Deepen our relationships through prayer;
•    Move us from passive belief to active discipleship through the openness of the Spirit.

Will you join in prayer on Wednesday nights?

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

When would you like yoga this summer?
Please fill out the interest form linked below.

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What is Yoga? Yoga is a practice for healthy living.
Yoga is a mind, body, and spirit practice that can build strength, flexibility, balance, resilience, and community. Using breathwork and asana (Sanskrit word for “poses”) an entire yoga practice allows the individual to develop a mind-body awareness that can help manage pain, reduce stress, increases mobility, prevent and recover from injuries.

These classes will be beginner friendly -
for ALL ages and abilities.