ministry among the rural communities of Illinois.  Though I was excited about serving, I was

nervous as well for I had never lived east of the Mississippi River.  That was ten years ago and I am

still in my first call serving as the pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Minonk and also of

Bethany Lutheran Church in Wenona.  I share this call with three important people, my wife of 26

years, Karen, and our two children Cory and Andy.  The boys are now in their last years of

college.  It has been a blessing to share in their life’s transitions as they grow into adulthood.  It is

an exciting time in their lives as they anticipate where God might be preparing them to live out

their vocations in life.  These ten years of ministry have indeed been a blessing to us as together we

have grown in our relationship as pastor and parish.  It is exciting also to see how God is

preparing us to continue to proclaim the good news of Jesus through these congregations.  We

have been blessed to see God at work among us and I look forward to seeing how God will

continue to bring new life in our midst as we are empowered to serve together in Jesus’ name.  I

invite you to join in this excitement by visiting us at one of these congregations and experience the

blessing of people who gather weekly to offer prayer and praise to the one in whose name we are

privileged to serve.