Arvin Pirness | The Voice of Zion February 2023 - News and Notes --
February is a month of busy planning: Winter Services are a few weeks away, we need people to serve at summer camps, we prepare for Summer Services and the Annual Meeting and we work to prepare the 2024 LLC Operating Plan and the communication plan around it.
Plans are well underway for the winter mission trip with Finnish brother Tapani Kinnunen. Tapani and his wife Tuulia’s trip will include local congregation services, LLC Winter Services and LLC Ministers Camp. We extend a warm welcome to the Kinnunens and ask you to remember this trip in your prayers.
LLC Winter Services will be held at the Phoenix Laestadian Lutheran Church in Cave Creek, Ariz. Services will begin on Thursday March 16 and end March 19. The motto for these services is “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you” (John 14:27). The congregation presentation for services is titled “Faith Guides Life’s Choices.” Welcome to Winter Services.
As we plan for big services and the upcoming camp season, I marvel at how God knows our needs and provides for us through His Word. He lovingly provides opportunities for us to gather and hear and learn and to be supported on the way to heaven. May God continue to bless this work, and each of us, till the end of our days.
Updates on LLC Activities
Again, this year “Camps at a Glance” has been published. You can find it and download it on our website.
Online enrollment continues for 2023 camps. It’s important to sign up early to assure the best possibility for attendance. The high number of applicants indicates the interest and importance of our camp program. May God continue to give direction to His work.
The LLC board approved hiring Walt and Avis Lampi to serve at Hasscib Lake Camp as caretaker and office assistant.
Williston congregation has called brothers Derek Mattila and Tanner Collette to serve as ministers. We remember these brothers in this calling and rejoice with the Williston congregation that God yet provides for the preaching of His Word.
The first 2023 LLC Ministers Webinar will be held the evening of February 3.
The writing of the LLC history book nears completion. Now the work shifts to further editing, gathering of pictures and other exhibits all with the goal to have the book ready for purchase this year.
Finance
We are beginning the 2024 budgeting process as we prepare for the 2023 Annual Meeting. The work of God’s kingdom continues to grow, and we are considering the requests from the membership as well as the increasing demands of our current work. We plan to present to the 2023 annual meeting the growing needs with a few budget options. We look forward to hearing from the congregations on how they hope to see the work continue in the future.
Facilities
Silver Springs RV Site extended year reservations are sold out. There will be 50 electric RV Sites available for reservation beginning March 6 at 9:00 a.m. CST. The price for an annual reservation is $250. The money raised from the sales of extended reservations is used to offset the cost of adding additional electric sites.
While our three camp centers slumber under blankets of snow, preparations for the 2023 camp season continue in earnest. We pray that God will give hearts to serve to His children. Active recruitment continues for core Summer Camp Staff for Stony Lake and Kamp Kipa.
Education
Camp staff, directors and teachers workshop season begins February 6 with a Confirmation and Pre-confirmation Directors workshop. Five additional workshops will be held throughout 2023 on the theme “How to Study the Bible.”
Communications
It’s a new year and there are new features on Hearken! In January we posted the first episodes of two podcasts, the first podcasts LLC has produced. We hope that this new form of publication on our publications app will provide thought-provoking insight into faith and life as a believer.
On Hearken we’ve also begun posting The Voice of Zion in a format tailored to mobile devices. We hope this format enables a seamless and enjoyable reading experience!
What do you do on the evening of the first Tuesday of each month? An opportunity that recurs monthly in that time slot is our Writers Workshop. Writers gather both in person at the LLC office and online to write, to share texts and to share thoughts on writing. We view this as a wonderful way to connect with and support the people who in turn support our work as contributors and content producers. We also encourage enthusiastic writers to create local groups to foster skills that can serve the needs of God’s kingdom now and in the future.
In this digital age there’s an increasing need to produce audio content, for our Hearken app and for other purposes as well. On January 10, we held our first Readers Workshop. Our goal for that and for future workshops is to help interested readers learn how to best serve in this role. Do you or someone you know have a voice and manner of expression that would lend itself well to reading articles and books for us? Feel free to contact us.
The theme for this year’s LLC Winter Services touches on God’s peace (John 14:27). In the past months, much work has been done to produce audio programs that will be broadcast during the services next month. You will be able to hear programs discussing peace, such as what peace is to a believer. You can hear Psalms of peace and other biblical topics. We will also broadcast programs on youth topics and programs in which former youth reflect on life in God’s kingdom in years and decades past. More information on the Services broadcast schedule will be available soon on the LLC website.