Sharing God's Blessings
Greetings and peace to you from Pilgrim Lutheran Brethren Church in Mentor, Ohio. My name is Dallas Rodgers. My wife, Mary, and I have been blessed to be members at Pilgrim since 1989, when we moved into northeast Ohio from Chicago. Although we had some preconceived notions about where we might find our future church home, God lovingly led us to what was then a simple little church building in Mentor, with a white bungalow house next door. It was there that God used a young Pastor Bob and Jan Heggestad, and other faithful members, to reach out to us and help us to realize what commitment to Jesus Christ’s presence in our lives really meant. We are so thankful to Jesus first, and then to all of these faithful people for helping us grow in our faith relationship to Christ, and in serving him. Over the years, God has blessed us in so many ways at Pilgrim Lutheran Brethren Church, and we are excited to serve him in support of our congregation and outreach to our community.
That’s how we came to know the Church of the Lutheran Brethren as a denomination and its total commitment to clearly and boldly pronouncing the gospel of Jesus Christ from Scripture… sola Scriptura. That’s why we love our local church at Pilgrim, and why we also love our CLB denomination overall. Over the years we have been honored to come to know so many of the devoted and humble servant leaders in our local churches and in our Synodical offices and Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, MN. They set a living example for us of total commitment in serving our Lord both here in the U.S. and overseas in mission.
This is a big year for my wife Mary and me. We have just celebrated our Golden Anniversary together. Thinking back fifty years, who would have thought what it would be like to be here now, or even that we are here now? God would have, that’s who. And he is the One who has been abundantly loving and providing for us and for our now-adult son, Jon, these many years. We have come to more clearly understand how God has provided for us abundantly, through his many blessings, through close friendships, and material provision as well. We have also come to understand that all God has provided for us is really his (1 Chr. 29:14). He has entrusted us with the responsibility of wisely using our resources in support of his mission and kingdom here on earth.
That is why we are committed to giving first to our local church, and then to support the Church of the Lutheran Brethren’s many strategic initiatives. That is why we want to encourage each of you to give prayerfully, joyfully, and sacrificially to support the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (2 Cor. 9:7). May all that we do be done in a manner that brings honor, glory, and praise to our risen Lord and Savior!
Dallas Rodgers is an elder at Pilgrim Lutheran Brethren Church in Mentor, Ohio.
That’s how we came to know the Church of the Lutheran Brethren as a denomination and its total commitment to clearly and boldly pronouncing the gospel of Jesus Christ from Scripture… sola Scriptura. That’s why we love our local church at Pilgrim, and why we also love our CLB denomination overall. Over the years we have been honored to come to know so many of the devoted and humble servant leaders in our local churches and in our Synodical offices and Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, MN. They set a living example for us of total commitment in serving our Lord both here in the U.S. and overseas in mission.
This is a big year for my wife Mary and me. We have just celebrated our Golden Anniversary together. Thinking back fifty years, who would have thought what it would be like to be here now, or even that we are here now? God would have, that’s who. And he is the One who has been abundantly loving and providing for us and for our now-adult son, Jon, these many years. We have come to more clearly understand how God has provided for us abundantly, through his many blessings, through close friendships, and material provision as well. We have also come to understand that all God has provided for us is really his (1 Chr. 29:14). He has entrusted us with the responsibility of wisely using our resources in support of his mission and kingdom here on earth.
That is why we are committed to giving first to our local church, and then to support the Church of the Lutheran Brethren’s many strategic initiatives. That is why we want to encourage each of you to give prayerfully, joyfully, and sacrificially to support the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (2 Cor. 9:7). May all that we do be done in a manner that brings honor, glory, and praise to our risen Lord and Savior!
Dallas Rodgers is an elder at Pilgrim Lutheran Brethren Church in Mentor, Ohio.
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