Upcoming Events

Throughout the season of Lent, Wednesdays at Messiah will look a little different.  One of these changes is that our Wednesday children/youth programs are on a break until after Easter. In lieu of Godly Play, we are excited to offer a children's program that will allow kids an opportunity to engage with the season of Lent in a meaningful and creative way.All children ages 3 years old-5th grade are invited to participate in Messiah's  children's Lenten program: Lent in Wonder. This program is designed to be a fun and contemplative way to help kids get ready for Easter. Every week will be unique, and will contain a combination of Godly Play stories, other books and stories, arts and crafts, play time, and more.Lent in Wonder will take place on Wednesdays (February 21st - March 20th) from 4:30-5:15 pm in the Godly Play classroom #105 at Messiah Hazel Dell.  After signing out...

Sunday, February 25, 2024, Rev. Rebecca Shjerven from the SWWA Synod came down to be with us for worship and a potluck. Thank you to Pr. Rebecca for sure, but THANK YOU to all the great cooks. We had a wonderful meal!  It was great to have so many of us in conversation and just good fun together. Besides fellowship, part of the effort was to give us all a chance to talk about our developing hopes and dreams for the arrival of our new pastor. I promised the group a summary of what was said, and here it is. Participants ate their meal around 10 or 11 tables, each table with a variety of people so we weren't just talking to family members or our usual coffee clutch. We had time to discuss three major questions, and then we shared a little with the whole group about what ​our​ table had...

As you may already know, our Lenten Offerings this year go to the ELCA Fund for Leaders. (By Lenten Offerings we mean those specially designated for The Fund.) What you may not know is that a request has been made to Messiah's Endowment Fund to match your gifts, up to $1,500 total, for this worthy cause. If you missed worship this past Sunday, March 10, 2024, you also missed a short, video shot just for us by ELCA Fund for Leaders Director Rev. Marissa Krey. You can view it here if you wish. We also have a few brochures and other information at church. If you wish to support the fund you can do so with cash or a check, (there is a gifting box at the back of the sanctuary during our Wednesday Holden Evening Prayer services,) or you can give online in your usual manner. (You may also, of...

If you were a part of our "Internship Process Progress Potluck" February 25, or if you read our summary of that event in last week's Northern Highlights, you may have noticed that several groups said they looked forward to "new, fresh or alternative" perspectives a new pastor might bring. Really?! You shouldn't encourage me. I can do alternative perspectives! Here's what happened. Our Old Testament Lesson for Sunday, March 10, 2024, is Numbers 21:4-19. In this story Israel, doing their 40 years in the wilderness after the Exodus, is complaining to God about, I don't know, everything. Anyway, God gets tired of it and sends snakes into the desert which bite people and they die. (Complainers beware!!)  So, the people apologize for their whining and ask God to take the snakes away. That doesn't  happen (sigh) but God does tell Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a stake....

Since the update provided at the annual meeting, the Call Committee has received 4 additional Rostered Minister Profiles (RMP) to consider. We have conducted initial interviews with all 4 of the candidates. We conducted a second onsite interview with one of the candidates. That candidate withdrew from consideration as they felt they needed more time to discern what God has planned for them next. One of the candidates we talked with was very gifted but has not yet served as a solo or lead pastor. As a result, we decided to continue our conversation with the other two candidates. Both have an impressive depth and breadth of experience and have served as a solo pastor of a congregation. We have invited both candidates to a second interview. Our preference is an in-person conversation over a zoom discussion, but we recognize this is a difficult time of the year to travel for...