The News:

Christ Is Risen!

He Is Risen, Indeed. Alleluia!

This is the day The LORD has made.

Let us Rejoice and be glad in it!

Running on Grace, our new college ministry is up and running (on Grace)!

Our Redeemer's college ministry is off and "running"!! There are four areas of ministry with our college age members. We are motivated by the words of Paul, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly..." (I Corinthians 9:24-26) We are working towards developing an organized ministry of nurture, outreach and Bible study. Please keep this growing ministry in your prayers. We are still in search of prayer partners, individuals willing to pray for the leaders, the students and the ministry itself.

Susan Dicke and Denise Hartzog are assembling care packages for our own students away at school. Watch for opportunity to help them throughout the year. Maybe write a personal note to include in the next package. We have 16 members that are college students this year.

Kelly McBride is leading a new Bible study on Sunday Mornings, "Ignite! Refining and Purifying your Faith". She has also set up an e-mail system of devotions for our students.

Adrenaline is our Tuesday night small group that meets on the MC campus. We meet as servants, Running on Grace, to share God's love and the message of salvation through our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have shared popcorn with the message Poppin'for Jesus and Lifesavers with the message that Jesus is our lifesaver. This group cooked for Matt's House, Sunday, October 15th and was at Kid's Towne one afternoon with free drinks for everyone playing in the sun.

A new Sponsoring Program for new members is up and running to help them them more easily feel part of our family here at our Redeemer! You are loved and we want you to feel welcome as part of the family!

Our Mentoring Program for the Youth is in its third year with excitement and success. We pray for many Blessings on this exciting new program and rejoice in the Holy Spirit for its promise!

We're seeing old friends we haven't seen in years!

New friends are coming out in droves!

Worship is still growing in Both Services! Our God Is An Awesome God!

Sunday School is booming! Six Adult classes now. Attendance is reaching levels not seen at Our Redeemer for twenty years and the children's classes are bursting!

Our Youth ministries are sizzling with Kids Adventure Night and X-Treme Laetare; dazzling with new things to do and new friends showing up all the time! The Youth returned from the 2007 National Youth Gathering, and are anticipating exciting new opportunities looming on the horizon! The first District Youth Gathering is coming up in June. Those kids just can't sit still, can they? Look for photos soon and watch this space for more youth activities!

Remember our Awesome VBS last year in "Jerusalem"? (If not check out the Photo Gallery link on this Welcome Page just below he Photo Album section.) Anyway, it was like nothing ever seen before at ORLC and a howling success. This year, our Children's Ministry had another one, just as Awesome! This year's Holy Land Adventure was "Galilee, By The Sea". Watch for a comprehensive Photo Gallery of it coming soon!!

Florence Huse has created a whole cast of puppets for a new Puppet Ministry! Our First Puppet Show during Sunday School on October 7th was Awesome!

And God is working mightily among our members:

Our good friend and brother in our family, Dick Knapp, is Pastor at St. James, Gonzales, Louisiana. He has been so busy since Katrina with the Hurricaine Relief effort that he couldn't even go on the District Pastor's Cruise. Remember, Dick, what they say about all work and no play...

Ward Yunker is getting his feet wet as a Pastor in Canada! We miss your drums Ward, but I guess God had a better idea.

Steven Namanny is in his internship year in the Director of Christian Outreach program in New Orleans! Yeah, and Steven, that wailin' sax sure is missed, too.

Praise God for the wonderful work He is doing at Our Redeemer!

 Choir Practice:
The Choir is back! Give it a try.
Wednesdays at 7:30 pm
Come lift your voice in song with us in praise of Our Gracious Lord this September and get one of the new robes. You are needed very much! Help us grow.

Sonbeam Choir:
You have to hear our children's choir. They are precious and Jubilant!

Confirmation Classes:
We're back and Rockin'!

Praise Team Practice:
Sundays, after the second service.
We need you, Come give it a try!

New Sunday School classes for Adults and Children are up and running
Don't miss 'out! Check 'em out. Let's keep Sunday School growing!
We have five exciting adult classes underway now!

Paul Huse has an exciting class on Judges. Come learn more about the fascinating early history of God's Chosen people.

Joe Bush and David Nohra are leading an in-depth exploration of the Life of Christ.

Pastor Steve has a wonderful class on church history that's very informative and fun, too, (especially when we get him off the subject).

Steve Huse has an important adult class on The Lutheran Difference.

Curtis Namanny is leading a delightful class on The Many Wonders of Heaven.

Kelly McBride is leading a College/ Young Adult class on Ignite! Refining and Purifying Your Faith

Pray for these classes and their leaders that God may be glorified and that his will continues to work in our congregation.
 

Easter:

Christians the world over celebrate Easter Sunday as the most blessed and triumphant day of the church year. The Lenten Season, leading up to it, is a solemn time of self-examination, prayer, and thanksgiving for Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for us, culminating in Holy Week, a time of remembrance of His suffering and the last days before His death on the Cross.

Thursday of that week, Maundy, or Holy Thursday, He celebrated The Last Supper with His disciples, then retired to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and wait. Good Frday is the day of His trials and suffering unto death on the cross, a day of abject mourning and misery - but for us sinners, a day of overwheming grace!

Pure and blameless, His perfect sacrifice on The Cross was the perfect atonement for the sins of all people for all time! He sacrificed Himself for us that we, poor miserable sinners that we are, may also be perfect and blameless before Our Father in Heaven.

On the third day after His crucifixion, Easter Morning, Jesus rose again, conquering death for all time, for all people, giving us, His children the blessed assurance that we too, shall overcome death and live forever with Him in Heaven!

He Is Risen!

He Is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!

The forty days after His Resurrection mark the Easter Season of the church year. For forty days He ministered to and taught His followers, preparing them for that day, Ascension Day, when He would rise in Glory to once again join His Father in Heaven and prepare a place for us. Before that glorious ascension, Our Lord Jesus Christ gave to us the very last command and loving promise He spoke on Earth:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

Praise Be To The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit!

Amen!