Update on Pastor Martin

Pastor Martin & Lindsay have had quite a busy month. They have purchased a home in Audubon, and did some repainting of the house last week, with assistance from members of Our Saviour's. The Martins moved into their new home on Saturday, September 1st. Pastor preached his first sermon at Our Saviour's this past Sunday, September 2nd.

Pastor Christopher Martin will be formally installed as Pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Audubon, Iowa on Sunday, September 9th during the 9 a.m. worship service.

Thank you to all who have supported our ELCM Mission efforts in northern Iowa the past two years by your prayers, financial gifts, and words of encouragement. We certainly pray for God's blessings to continue to be with you in the years ahead.

North Prairie Lutheran Mission Announcements for Sunday, August 12, 2007

This Week @ North Prairie Lutheran Church:
Sunday, August 12th 11th Sunday After Pentecost
Worship Service with Holy Communion, 9 a.m.
Bible Study: 10:15 a.m.
Monday, August 13th-Friday, August 17th
Pastor Work @ Algona, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Call Accepted Pastor Martin has accepted a call to serve as the sole Pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Audubon, Iowa. Today is his last Sunday with us at North Prairie. His new call there will begin September 1st, 2007. We ask for God's blessing for Pastor & Lindsay as they move and as Pastor begins his new call at Our Saviour's.

ELCM Future in North Iowa Since Pastor has accepted a call to another congregation, it has been decided that due to low interest (an average of 4-5 have been in our services for several months now), it has been decided that a replacement for Pastor Martin as ELCM Mission Development Pastor for North Iowa/Pastor of North Prairie Lutheran Mission will not be called at this time and the preaching station will be dissolved.

In the future, if a group of 15-20 or more committed individuals would like to join together and organize a Centrist-Lutheran congregation, you are encouraged to contact either Pastor Martin or ELCM President, Rev. Roy A. Steward, for assistance in getting organized as a congregation and calling a Pastor.

Need a fan at home? If you or someone you know needs a fan in their home, please speak with Pastor after the service this morning, we have two fans avaliable and we will give them away. Also avaliable are a few like new black folding chairs that we used in the church basement this past winter for our services that were held in the fellowship hall. All property that was owned by the original North Prairie congregation, however, will stay with the church.

For more information about our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium (ELCM), please visit our website at www.elcm.org or email President Roy A. Steward at revroy@elcm.org

A Letter from Our Pastor

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Dear Members & Friends of North Prairie Lutheran Mission:

Greetings to all of you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I have been extended a call to serve as Pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Audubon, Iowa. I have been a candidate for this call since the end of May, and had both a phone and an on site interview with Our Saviour's call committee in June. During the call process, Lindsay and I have been praying and seeking the advice of family, friends, and colleagues regarding this call. Our Saviour's is a congregation with 617 baptized members, and an average Sunday morning worship attendance of 230. This would be a full time pastoral call. After much prayer and deliberation through the call process, I have been led by the Holy Spirit to accept the call to serve as Pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. Thus, I will no longer be able to serve as your Pastor here at North Prairie.

Our Saviour's has requested in their call documents a starting date for me to be September 1st, 2007 due to the beginning of Sunday School and Confirmation classes soon after. Thus, my last Sunday in the pulpit at North Prairie will be Sunday, August 12th, and my last day of employment at American Marine, Inc., Algona will be Friday, August 17th. After taking a few days off for a brief vacation, Lindsay and I will pack and move to Audubon as soon as we can find adequate housing there. I will announce the date selected for my ordination/installation service at Our Saviour's as soon as it is set.

After consulting with the ELCM Executive Board, and those who have been active in our ELCM mission congregations the past two years, it has been decided that a replacement for me as ELCM Mission Development Pastor for North Iowa will not be called and that we will dissolve the ELCM North Prairie preaching station at this time. The leftover funds in North Prairie's account will be used to repay a personal loan given to the congregation last fall for the $1300 installation costs for the furnace at the North Prairie church. The furnace will be put up for sale in order to help repay this loan. If in the future, there is a group of 15-20 committed individuals who wish to band together and organize a Centrist-Lutheran congregation in the area, please do not hesitate to contact President Steward or myself in getting assistance to organizing and calling another Mission Development Pastor.

While I am saddened that the establishment of an ELCM congregation did not happen and that we will no longer have an ELCM presence in northern Iowa, I am excited to see that you will still hunger and thirst for Word and Sacrament ministry, and many of you have expressed to me your plans to find new church homes in the area. We have had over 40 different individuals come through our doors and attend at least one of our services. We are promised that God's Word will not return void, and it is our prayer that we planted seeds that will continue to grow in other places. I am also looking forward to the challenges that serving a larger congregation like Our Saviour's will bring, and once again, teaching confirmation classes to young people, and doing hospital and shut in visitations, things I have not had much of an opportunity to do the past two years. I certainly pray that God will continue to bless each of you, and I thank you for the love and support you have shown toward me in these past two years of service in God's kingdom in our attempt to plant an ELCM congregation in northern Iowa.

Your Servant in Christ,
Christopher W. Martin
Pastor, North Prairie Lutheran Mission, rural Scarville, Iowa
Pastor-Elect, Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Audubon, Iowa

Prayer Request

Members & friends of North Prairie are requested to keep our ELCM Secretary, Audrey Anderson, in your prayers. Audrey has served as ELCM Secretary since ELCM's organization in 1999, and faithfully has served over the years as organist and secretary at Faith Lutheran Church, Duncansville & Hollidaysburg, PA. This past week, Audrey was diagnosed with cancer, and is hospitalized for an infection.

We pray that God would grant healing and restoration of health to this good and faithful servant.

Pastor's Schedule for the Week of July 23rd-29th, 2007

Pastor Martin will be working his secular job in Algona Monday, July 23rd-Friday July 27th from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, July 28th from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

In addition, Pastor will be in Mankato, Minnesota the evening of Thursday, July 26th, and will be returing late in the evening.

Thank you for your understanding of our Pastor's need to maintain secular employment due to the small size of our mission congregation.

North Prairie Lutheran Mission Announcements for the Week of July 22nd-28th, 2007

This Week at North Prairie Lutheran Church:
Sunday, July 22nd 8th Sunday After Pentecost/St. Mary Magdalene
Worship Service: 9 a.m.
Bible Study: 10:15 a.m.
Saturday, July 28th
Pastor's Day Off
Sunday, July 29th 9th Sunday After Pentecost
Worship Service with Holy Communion, 9 a.m.
Bible Study: 10:15 a.m.

Thank You Thank you to everyone for your understanding regarding the decision to cancel services last Sunday as Pastor and his family were out of town for his brother's wedding. We continue to pray for God's blessings on Brian & Megan Martin's marriage.

Bible Study We will continue our study on the book of Job this morning, beginning after the worship service at approximately 10:15 a.m. We will conclude our study on the book of Job following the service next Sunday, July 29th. Be sure to bring your Bible with you to church as we study God's unchanging Word together!

To learn more about our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America (ELCM), please visit www.elcm.org or contact our Pastor.

To learn more about our ELCM mission efforts in northern Iowa, contact our Pastor at revcwmartin@elcmiowa.org

North Prairie Lutheran Mission Announcements for the Week of July 8th-14th, 2007

This Week @ North Prairie Lutheran Church:
Thursday, July 12th-Sunday, July 15th
Pastor out of town for his brother's wedding.
Sunday, July 15th 7th Sunday After Pentecost
No Worship Services or Bible Study @ North Prairie
Saturday, July 21st
Pastor's Day Off
Sunday, July 22nd 8th Sunday After Pentecost/St. Mary Magdalene
Worship Service: 9 a.m.
Bible Study: 10:15

No Services or Bible Study Next Sunday Pastor Martin and his family will be out of town later this week due to his brother's wedding. They will leave Thursday afternoon and return Sunday evening. Because there are no ELCM supply pastors in our area and due to our low attendance figures this summer, it was decided to simply cancel services and Bible Study for Sunday, July 15th so Pastor Martin may be able to participate in all the festivities surrounding his brother's wedding. Thank you for understanding, and we pray for God's blessings on Brian & Megan as they begin their new life together.

Holy Communion Communion will be offered next on Sunday, July 29th.

Bible Study Be sure to bring your Bible to church with you as we continue our study on the book of Job this summer as we understand a proper Biblical understanding of suffering. Be sure to invite a friend to join us!

For more information about our mission congregation, visit our website at www.elcmiowa.org/northprairie or contact our Pastor at revcwmartin@elcmiowa.org

For more information about our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium (ELCM), visit www.elcm.org.