July 2011 Blog from Pastor Jim

Dear Friends,

Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ!

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1: 8

DO YOU REMEMBER????
“In 1960 plans were laid for the establishment of one new congregation in each of the 19 districts of the proposed new American Lutheran Church. The Preble area of Green Bay was chosen as the site for the new Jubilee Congregation in the Northern Wisconsin District. Each of the 19 new mission congregations were named Atonement Lutheran. A church site was chosen and purchased, and building plans were drawn and approved. A parsonage was built on the corner of Deckner and Danz Avenue.
Ground breaking took place on Sunday, October 22, 1961. Construction began on the church building in the Fall of 1961. When Pastor and Mrs. Hjemboe and family arrived in January of 1962 the parsonage was ready for occupancy, but the church building was far from completion.
The winter of 1961-1962 was very cold and brought with it a near record snow fall complicating the building of the church. On the day of the first service snow was bull-dozed away to provide for parking and access to the building.
When Spring arrived it became impossible to drive into the area planned for parking. It was necessary to park on the streets and walk to the building on sections of crates and on planks.
The first service was an especially significant day in the life of Atonement. Two congregations, Grace and Trinity, arranged for their choirs to attend the service and to sing. With limited seating, it became necessary for one choir to leave the sanctuary before the second choir could be seated. “

Each month there will be more of what we remember about those early years of Atonement Lutheran Church. If you have a story to share about what the Holy Spirit was doing in those first 5 to 10 years please send it to me at james.gerth@yahoo.com I would imagine that there are many stories to be told. I also want to encourage you to join us for the 50 days of prayer that begins on August 24th. I am looking for at least 50 people to pray about what future God has in store for Atonement Lutheran Church. Each participant will have a Prayer Journal as a guide for this amazing 50 Days. Be sure to sign up now on the bulletin board outside the church office. Also – remember that I am looking for more stories to share about those early years of Atonement!

Yes, the Spirit of God continues to call us to share the Good News about the kingdom of God!
In Christ,
Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)