Pastor’s Perch
1 Peter 1:18 & 19 You know that you were redeemed from your empty way
of life handed down to you from your forefathers, not with things that pass away,
such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ…
What is the one thing in your life you cannot go without? Now imagine it is taken from you. What are you willing to give up? We are willing to give up almost everything to get that most precious prized possession back. Would you be as willing to give up everything for the bag of garbage you have just thrown out? Obviously, no way! That would make absolutely no sense at all.
Now think about the way of life without Jesus. Peter describes it as “empty”. The reason why all humans are born into an empty way of life can be traced back to not only our forefather, but to the first father, Adam. Every child born from Adam is born into an empty way of life of sin. We see it in our lives every day. And we, too still sin and show the emptiness of holiness in our own selves. We would like to purchase ourselves out of this empty way of life, but God’s payment is not a matter of silver and gold. He demands perfect blood to buy us out of our empty way of life.
Since we could not pay that price, our Father chose to pay for us with his Son’s holy, precious blood. That is how much you mean to him. Even though our sins made us garbage fit for the dumpster fire. God chose to buy us with his Son’s blood. Whenever you think you are not worth anything, remember the price God was will to pay for you! You are now destined to live in the glory of heaven with our God. And you do not have to do a thing. God has done it for you. Jesus’ resurrection proves that the payment was enough for you. God is not about to let you go. You mean too much to him.
Our good and gracious God and Father! We cannot begin to fathom the love you have for us. We are eternally grateful that you purchased us with your Son’s blood. Let us remain in him as we wait for Jesus to return and bring us home! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
A servant of Christ,
Rev. Patrick Feldhus
Grace’s News
We are offering a Family bible study on familiar Sunday school stories, after worship on Sundays.
Our online bible class will continue on Tuesday nights at 7:30 pm.
The Church Council will meet after worship on April 12th.
The Women of Grace will meet on April 15th 10:30 am.
Our next Jesus Cares meeting will be on April 16th at 6:30 pm.
The Voters will meet after worship on April 26th.
Holy Week Schedule
Palm Sunday 3/29-9 am Worship with Communion
followed by the Women of Grace craft and bake sale
Maundy Thursday 4/2-7 pm Worship with Communion
Good Friday 4/3-7 pm Worship
Holy Saturday 4/4-10 am Set up for Easter Breakfast
Easter 4/5-8 am Potluck Breakfast followed by 9 am Worship
Synod News
Support for Asia-Oceania ministries
In late January and early February 2026, Daniel Sims, director of WELS Christian Aid and Relief, and Paul Biedenbender, pastor at Christ, Denver, Co., and a member of the WELS Christian Aid and Relief Commission, traveled to Thailand to meet with WELS missionaries, administrators, and other church leaders from the Asia-Oceania Team. WELS Christian Aid and Relief works with WELS missionaries in this large mission field by providing funding for humanitarian aid and disaster relief programs.
While there, Sims and Biedenbender also attended the dedication of the new training facility for Thai Village in Chiang Mai. More than two hundred friends, artisans, donors, and partners gathered at the dedication to support Thai Village’s mission to train and employ low-income people; support Christian outreach and education; and create opportunities to share God’s love in the community. Thai Village, an independent nonprofit organization, is a WELS-affiliated ministry that works closely with the Asia-Oceania Team.
WELS Christian Aid and Relief contributed funding for the outreach pavilion at the new facility—the place most used by the community. Sims shares, “We support this mission wholeheartedly! It was a joy to meet their artisans and hear their testimonies about how Thai Village and the gospel shared there changed their lives.”
God’s work in Ukraine continues
Our sister church, the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC), along with all the citizens of Ukraine, has been experiencing the hardship and suffering caused by four years of a terrible and destructive war. Families have had to flee to safer locations, homes have been destroyed, and some pastors have had to relocate to areas away from the war zones.
When the war began, WELS members responded with their own personal prayers and with prayers in their congregations. They also responded generously with gifts and offerings. Those gifts, regularly forwarded to the ULC, have been faithfully used to provide food, fuel, transportation, medicine, and clothing. And the members of the ULC did not keep those gifts for themselves. They have responded to our generosity with generosity of their own, making needed supplies available to many people in their communities who have been affected by the brutality and scarcity of war.
Vyacheslav Horpynchuk, the bishop of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, tells the story far better than I can. This is what he writes:
Here, the fifth year of the full-scale Russian invasion began. Thanks be to God, this winter is coming to an end. It has been the most severe winter in recent decades: lots of snow, very low temperatures below freezing, and very heavy bombardments of our electrical, heating systems, and residential areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, as well as smaller cities and villages. Lord, have mercy.
I would like to thank all the brothers and sisters in WELS who came to help us. Many people did not have any extra warm blankets, and some people requested some help to survive that cold. We provided all our congregation members in need with extra warm blankets to survive the cold in apartments with no heat or with very little heat. We also continued to provide all the needy with thermal wear. All of them send their gratitude to all in WELS for your generous help. Thank you very much!
Yet even in these terrible times, God finds ways not only to bless his people but also to create opportunities for God’s people to carry out his mission. Through the works of love done by the members of the ULC, God has brought many non-Christians into contact with Christian love in action, but more importantly, with the saving gospel of Jesus and the comforting power of his Word. Many have begun to worship regularly in ULC congregations, and dozens of people have been instructed and confirmed.
Roger Neumann, our WELS liaison to the ULC, adds some of his observations:
While the war rages on and people deal with the elements of nature, the gospel ministry is not stopped. I’m very thankful to our Lord for the faith he has given our brothers and sisters in Christ in Ukraine. The ULC pastors continue to preach the gospel, help those who are in desperate need, and offer encouragement and friendship to many people. So many people suffer from depression and anxiety, not certain if they will survive this ordeal or what their futures will be like. The pastors bring them the reassurance that the Lord loves them and will continue to bless them. They also encourage people to pay more attention to the spiritual blessings that they have in Christ and not focus on the physical needs that are lacking at this time.
While most ULC churches have lost members who have fled from the war and taken refuge in neighboring countries, there are, nevertheless, four new mission sites. Pictured below is mission work being done in one of those sites in Snihurivka.
People in those towns have welcomed pastors to share the gospel with them. In addition, several ULC members have taken refuge near Poznan, Poland. Bishop Horpynchuk will be making a trip there, and it’s hoped that a new mission can be started. God is certainly opening new doors and opportunities, despite the war and adversity. God be praised!
I want to thank all of you who have already responded to this need in Ukraine with your generous gifts and prayers. With the end of the war still not in sight, the need continues. Learn more about the Ukrainian Lutheran Church and how you can support it at wels.net/ukraine.
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder