A new ministry is taking shape at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, a men’s state prison located in Anamosa, eastern Iowa. FreeIndeed will serve the nearly 1,000 men who live there, using a model created by Prison Congregations in America, or PCA. The…
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Like many of you, my heart is heavy. It feels like we wake up morning after morning to countless images of lives destroyed. Families are exhausted from going weeks at a time without power and basic necessities, knowing they have no physical home to r…
At Checkpoint Charlie, from West Germany into East Germany, guards with machine guns climbed onto the Wartburg Choir tour buses. The guards meticulously looked over documents and investigated the wigs that women wore (a fashion of the time). East Ger…
As with many old books, its character doesn’t come just from being old and worn but from the clues it gives about the people who first read it. According to the loopy cursive inside the front cover, a Miss Mary Nelson spent 25 cents on this tiny hand…
Give blood. Build a home. Share a meal. Care for a garden. Care for another. October is beautifully filled with ways to connect with and love others. Train to become a Care Companion Care Companions are not experts or counselors, but people who walk…
A birthday party is what started it all. Several years ago, Mary Nuernberger attended a birthday party for one of her friends at a local horse ranch. She got a coupon for a free lesson, went for that lesson, and found that it was something she really…
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There is a lot of chatter in the world. Does it feel that way to you, too? We have round-the-clock news on television and radio, and social media is just a finger’s-length away at all times. Some people never stop to take a breath. I wonder, though,…
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Mile 7 of the Quad Cities Marathon. That’s the third time in her life Michelle Juehring felt like quitting. The swim of Ironman Wisconsin. That was the second time in her life Michelle Juehring felt like quitting. Cancer diagnosis – a really bad one….
Due to significant hail damage, the shingled roof of the entire St. Paul building – including Sanctuary, Education Wing, Church House, Chapel, and 129 House – is being replaced. The damage was first noted due to a leak in the tall tower at the back…
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Over the weekend, I presided at my father’s funeral. My father’s name was Tom, and he was a unique character. He never met a stranger. He would talk to anyone anywhere any time about anything. One of the most embarrassing moments of my childhood was…
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As a child, one of my absolute favorite books was “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” As you might guess from the title, the book details a (very bad) day in the life of a red-haired, teen-aged boy named Alexander. From the…
The walls are bright, the rooms are spacious. The food at the Madison Market is always delicious – fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and milk, meat and bread, along with canned goods and yummy treats, too. This summer, the market, which serves the fa…