Join us any day you’d like – meet at the shelter house to begin. Everyone in the community is invited to attend.

One for the Lord!

Does this apply to you? Have you found yourself on your own due to a spouse’s death, a divorce, life’s transitions …? Well, this may be a place for you to feel connected to others who understand what this life is like from experience. And so we begin! Mark your calendar for:
• May 15, 9:30 a.m., at The Building, Parkersburg for Coffee – Barb Wagner, organizer
• June 19, 11:30 a.m., at Barn Happy, Cedar Falls – Betty Rewerts, organizer 
• July 17, 11:30 a.m., Chairish Life, Ackley – Jurene Dralle, organizer
Questions and ideas are welcome – let Pastor Keen know, 316-655-3306.

Women of Faith

A new women’s group, Women of Faith, will hold monthly meetings at 2:30 p.m., on the fourth Sunday of each month. This group is open to any women. We will be watching the episodes from the first season of “The Chosen” and working through the accompanying Bible Study. To learn more about The Chosen, visit https://watch.thechosen.tv/. If you have questions, please contact Pastor Keen.

Next session, date/time change due to the holiday: Sunday, June 2 at 1:30 p.m.

Greetings from the Vilmar Gang

On the first Sunday of each month, you are invited to join us in making and sending cards to our shut-ins, children, and members. We will meet in the basement from 3-4 p.m. each month. If you have questions, please talk to Rhonda Edeker. The main focus of this club will be an outreach ministry to connect with our members through written messages in the cards each month. All are welcome!

Singspiration

“O sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless his name; Tell of his salvation from day to day.” –Psalm 96:1-2
Scripture is full of passages that speak of singing praise to our LORD. There is a well-known belief that, “Music is the language of the soul.” There is no wonder that we are called to sing to our God. Our relationship with Him is so important to nurture and strengthen. It may very well be one of the best languages of prayer that we have.
To that end, opportunities for singing your favorite hymns are being added to our church calendar. We may explore different ways to do it, but it will be an opportunity to sing more hymns and to include your favorites. Rarely do people get to be in public places and sing together, except for the National Anthem at some games and in church! So, let’s take advantage of the day! We all have songs we are longing to sing. The Easter Season is a wonderful time to celebrate the joy of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Come ready to offer a hymn suggestion on Sunday, April 28 for our first regular Singspiration. We are aiming to do this on the months when we have five Sundays. 2024 Dates will be April 28,  June 30,  September 29, and December 29.

Pastor’s Adult Class

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” – Psalm 119:105
Deepening our faith through study is incredibly beneficial. It develops our relationship with the Lord and gives us guidance in living life. Classes will begin in the fall, and will be looking at the upcoming Sunday texts and meeting during the week. As far as a time, Pastor Keen will be teaching Confirmation on both Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, as is tradition at Vilmar. Tuesday mornings the Area NALC pastors meet for Bible Study and a meeting at various locations. Those times are not an option at this point. The group is considering a Thursday morning at this time, but will confirm dates/times nearer to the fall. If you have thoughts or questions, please contact Pastor Keen at 316-655-3306.

Contemporary Worship Services

We are looking to add an additional Contemporary worship service to our Sunday schedule. More details will be available in the near future, stay tuned!

Vilmar’s Wilder Weekend

Family Camp – A Weekend of Worship at Wilder Park

Mark your calendars for Friday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Aug. 25! 
We have 2 RV camping sites available, the Lodge (for the youth, cooking, and inclement weather back-up), 2 cabins left, the Chapel for worship, and the Shelter House for a potluck. Tenting spots are also available. If you would like to reserve one of the RV spots or cabins for your family for the weekend, please talk to Kurt Roose, 641-425-3418. Spots are first come, first serve and the cost will need to be reimbursed to the church. Since this is a Family Camp, parents are in charge of their children during the camp. Monica Edeker will only be leading the Luther League. You will need to bring your own beverages, lawn chairs, fishing pole (if you desire) for the events, which are as follows, thus far:
Friday Evening:
6 p.m., Supper; devotions around the camp fire; s’mores; camp song sing-along
Saturday:
7:30 a.m., Breakfast
9 a.m., Devotions and Prayer Walk
10:30 a.m., Faith Rocks! Rock painting project OR kayaking and fishing
(break for lunch – meal not provided)
1:30 p.m., Service project for Wilder Park (more details to come)
3 p.m., Games & Activities – mini golf, corn hole, checkers, basketball, football, volleyball, pickleball, playgrounds, biking, walking, tennis, fishing, kayaking, relaxing, etc.
5:30 p.m., Supper; devotions around the camp fire; s’mores; camp songs sing-along
Sunday:
7:30 a.m., Breakfast
10 a.m., Worship at the Chapel (NOTE TIME)
11:30 a.m., Potluck at the Shelter House
**Parental supervision and lifejackets are REQUIRED if any child wishes to use the kayaks during the designated times.

Can’t stay the whole time? No problem — come and go as you need/wish! More details to come as the date gets closer!

150th Anniversary

We are beginning to think about Vilmar’s 150th Anniversary (1879-2029). We are looking for volunteers to be a part of a committee to help work on projects, events, and other celebratory stuff for our sesquicentennial. If you would be interested in being a part of this committee, please talk to Pastor Keen.