TORRINGTON, CONN (SZS) — The weekend of July 24-26th was a festive one for the members of Dr. Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Church in Muskegon, Michigan. The congregation celebrated its 100th anniversary with a weekend filled with praise, fellowship and thanksgiving, as they gathered around the theme of “Hope from Yesterday, Belief from Today; Faith for Tomorrow.”
In addition to worship centered on the theme of “Hope from Yesterday,” Friday featured hours of live music and ice cream. On Saturday, the congregation gathered at noon for the dedication and burial of a time capsule on the church grounds. This was followed by an afternoon of food samplings from the congregation’s cookbook, which was commissioned in recognition of this anniversary. Worship with evening vespers centered on the theme “Belief from Today” and was led by the Rev. Chris Anderson, interim pastor, and the Rev. Kenneth Michnay, former pastor of DMLLC. The morning of Sunday, July 26th was the culmination of this celebration as the congregation gathered for Holy Communion around the theme “Faith for Tomorrow.” The Bishop of the Slovak Zion Synod, the Rev. Wilma S. Kucharek, presided and preached at this celebratory worship, assisted by the Rev. Chris Anderson and the Rev. Kenneth Michnay. A number of guests were in attendance or otherwise participated in the weekend festivities, including Daniela Stehlikova, a theological student from Bratislava currently serving in Muskegon through the Synod’s seminary trainee program.
At the conclusion of the service, Bishop Kucharek brought words of congratulations from the sister congregations of the Synod, and presented a commemorative plaque from the Synod to mark this momentous occasion. A luncheon followed the service. This time of fellowship included reminiscences and fond memories from those who had been part of the congregation’s life, both clergy and laity. Recognitions were given to all those who so tirelessly worked over the past year to make this anniversary weekend a reality. The weekend clearly highlighted Hope, Belief, and Faith in the context of the ministry and people of God at Dr. Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Church: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. The observance ended in prayer and the singing of the Doxology: Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
You must be logged in to post a comment.