February-March 2026
Overflowing with generosity
Pastor Schopp
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you —see that you excel in this act of grace also. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.
– 2 Corinthians 8:1-8
Lent is just around the corner, an earlier beginning this year because Easter is earlier (April 5) and we count backwards from that date to find Ash Wednesday (Feb 18). As we prepare for this season of repentance, we do well to examine our lives and look for those areas where we are failing to heed God’s Word. We never have to look far, but sometimes we overlook the obvious because the obvious is where we struggle.
Jesus summarized the first table of the Law as “
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matt 22:37-38) There are two obvious ways in which we live out this love for God. The first is that we gather with the saints at church to hear His Word and receive His gifts. If you are not attending regularly, this is the first step to take. Make church attendance a priority, not an afterthought. You don’t
have to go to church, you
get to go to church. We have brothers and sisters around the world who are threatened with physical harm, arrest and even death for attending church, and yet they still gather. We can learn much from these saints.
Another obvious area we should examine is tied to the first: Are we supporting the church as we should? Our reading above from 2 Corinthians tells of the poor congregations in Macedonia who gave generously despite their poverty, not for their own need, but for the support of the congregations in Judea. The churches in Macedonia had already suffered persecution by the Romans, yet they did not use this as an excuse to ignore the plight of the Christians in other places. They still supported their own while
also giving abundantly for the church at large.
Paul mentions this in his second letter to the church in Corinth, which had been struggling for years with bad theology, bad practices and a lack of love for others. He is lifting up the congregations of Macedonia as an example of how we all should be living out our Christian faith. Standing firm amidst persecution and giving generously to the Church, trusting that God will continue to pour out blessings on His people.
Our congregations are not giving as generously as they should. We are not in financial trouble exactly, but neither are we able to support the things of the church at large because giving is sporadic and below where it should be for congregations of this size. We live in one of the wealthiest nations on earth, in a time of great prosperity and peace. We did not earn this, but have received it all from God as a blessing. This Lententide, let us heed the example of the churches of Macedonia, and give according to our means so that we can support our congregations, our district, our seminaries and indeed, the church throughout the world. I echo the words of St. Paul: “
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.” (v.8)
New Worship Opportunity at St. John’s
Starting Monday, Feb 2
nd, there will be two additional Divine Services at St. John’s each month. These will be on the 1
st and 3
rd Mondays at 6:00pm. We will use the same readings and sermon from the day before, so it is not a different service, just an additional service.
Why the change? We have a new member who, unfortunately, works every Sunday. For the short term (the next 6 months or so) this provides an opportunity for him to worship regularly, as well as anyone else who is not able to make it to church on Sunday. The service will be slightly shorter because we remove some of the hymns, but will include a full sermon and the Lord’s Supper. Feel free to join us if you are able.
Lenten Preaching Series
Ash Wednesday is fast approaching (Feb 18) and with that service we will begin our Lenten Preaching Series on the Six Chief Parts of the Small Catechism. If it has been a while since you opened up the Small Catechism, here are the Six Chief Parts and the dates we will be looking at each:
Feb 18 – First Chief Part: The Ten Commandments
Feb 25 – Second Chief Part: The Creed
Mar 4 – Third Chief Part: The Our Father
Mar 11 – Fourth Chief Part: Baptism
Mar 18 – Fifth Chief Part: Confession
Mar 25 – Sixth Chief Part: The Lord’s Supper
February
Our Savior Birthdays
1 David Hales 22 Caleb Siebert
3 Jackson Dahme 22 Michelle Wendt
3 Brian Dockter 23 Marianne Klipfel
10 Addison Person 24 Brenden Salfrank
14 Grace Rausch 27 Steve Grieben
16 Patrick Lesnar 27 Darrell Schnaidt
21 Troy Tschappat
Anniversaries
14 Larry & Sandra Grieben
21 Eric & Amy Johnson
Our Savior Meetings in February
Voters Meeting – Sun Feb 8th at 9:30 am
Nursery Circle – Sun Feb 8th at 12:00 pm
Board of Elders – Thur Feb 12th at 5:15 pm
Board of Education – Sun Feb 15th at 12:00 pm
By-Laws Committee – Sun Feb 15th at 1:00 pm
Acolyte Schedule –
Feb. 1 – Tucker Brick & Aurian Tschappat
Feb. 8 – Rhyan Johnson & Grace Rausch
Feb. 15 – Maci Johnson & Jaylynn Siebert
Feb. 22 – Caleb Siebert & Teigan McKown
Annual Reports – A reminder to the chair persons of all boards and circles: please turn in your group’s annual report for 2025 to the office or email it to
oursaviorlutheran@nvc.net. Thank you!
Super Bowl Subs – The youth group will be making Super Bowl subs again this year as a fundraiser. They will be 6-inch meat and cheese subs, with veggies on the side, for free-will donation. If you would like one (or more!) please sign up in the fellowship hall by Wednesday, February 4
th, and the subs can be picked up after the service on Sunday, February 8
th. If you have any questions, call Eric Johnson at 605-216-6701.
Family Game Night: Bring your family and a few friends to play card and board games at Our Savior. The PR Board will provide cocoa, tea, coffee, punch, and popcorn. Please bring a snack to share and your favorite game to play. Join us at 6:30 pm for fellowship and fun on Friday, February 6
th.
The Senior Potluck will be Tuesday, February 10
th at noon. Join us for good food and fellowship!
Saturday Bible Study – February 14
th 9:00-11:00 am at Our Savior:
Angels, Good and Bad. A look at what the Bible teaches about angels. When did God create them? What are they like? When did Satan and his angels fall? Are there guardian angels? Can you communicate with your angel? These and other questions will be examined.
Guest Speaker – Dreena Wertz, Licensed Professional Counselor with Lutheran Family Service, will be at Our Savior on Sunday, Feb. 22
nd, speaking from 9:45-10:30 am. Come and hear about the work of LFS. Dreena serves the Aberdeen area from an office at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Call 605-271-1081 to schedule an appointment with Dreena, or another LFS counselor via telehealth. For more information, visit lutheranfamilyservice.org or email
info@lutheranfamilyservice.org.
Pancake Lunch – Our Men's Club is sponsoring a pancake and sausage meal at 12:30 pm on Sunday, February 22
nd, for free-will offering. People from our Circuit churches are invited also. Please support our Men’s Club; part of their mission is to support the youth group, van maintenance, building maintenance, and other needs that may arise.
Bowling Party – The Board of Education will host a fun day of bowling on Sunday, February 22
nd from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Village Bowl. The Board will cover lane and shoe rental fees. Bring money for snacks if wanted. Please join us!
Bible Bowl – The youth 6
th grade and up have been studying for Bible Bowl after Sunday services at Our Savior. If you’d like to provide them with a lunch, there is a sign-up sheet on the kitchen window counter.
Coffee & Confessions – Everyone is welcome on Tuesday mornings at Our Savior at 6:30 am. We are studying the Lutheran Confessions from the Book of Concord.
Wednesday Schedule – On February 4
th and 11
th, before Lent begins, we will still have our regular schedule of catechism class at 5:00 pm, a short prayer service at 6:00, and Bible study at 6:30.
Midweek Lenten Services for both congregations will be at Our Savior beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 18
th at 6:30 pm, preceded by a light meal beginning at 5:30 pm. There will be Communion on Ash Wednesday only. Catechism class will continue to meet at 5:00 and will have time for supper between class and the service. The groups serving the suppers are:
Feb. 18 – Board of Education
25 – Board of Public Relations & Board of Social Ministry/Evangelism
Mar. 4 – Youth Group
11 – Nursery Circle
18 – Potluck
25 – Our Savior LWML
Apr. 2 – Maundy Thursday Supper & Pie at St. John’s in Columbia, hosted by St. John’s LWML
Devotion Booklets for Lent and Easter are available in the narthex.
Vocatio Retreats at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis:
April 12-15, 2026 – For college students or second-career adults who are interested in serving as a pastor, deaconess, missionary, or chaplain. Registration is free and includes lodging and meals. To register, visit csl.edu/vocatio-retreat. Registration closes March 22
nd.
June 20-26, 2026 – Vocatio: High School – for students entering 9
th through 12
th grade, to explore many aspects of the seminary, including worship and devotions, sessions with professors, and even some fun and recreation. Registration costs $300. Learn more and register at csl.edu/vocatio-high-school/
For more information, email
admit@csl.edu
or call 1-800-822-9545
St. John’s Columbia
February Birthdays
2 Doris Dennert 22 Connie Rose
4 Ray Larson 26 Isabelle Podoll
17 Heidi Bandt 27 Briggs Eichler
19 Tyler Kampa 28 Kayce Podoll
St. John’s will have a
voters meeting on Sunday, February 1
st after the service.
St. John’s will begin having another Divine service on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:00 pm, starting on February 2
nd.
RGI – We are blessed! Consider the Rural Gospel Initiative (LCMS) when. . . allocating Thrivent Choice dollars in 2026, estate planning, deciding on tax-free qualified charitable contributions, or planning a tax-deductible donation. Go to
www.RuralGospel.org for more information on the RGI.
Thank you.
***Lighthouse Preschool/Jr. Kindergarten***
Registration for our full-day Jr. Kindergarten program for the 2026-27 school year is now open! Our program is limited to 12 students, ages 4-5, so turning in your application and deposit in a timely manner is essential to guarantee your child a spot! Applications and information can be picked up in the narthex. Please reach out to the preschool or Jenelle Siebert if you have any questions about the program. 215 7
th Ave SW, across the street from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Phone 605-725-1855.
March
Our Savior Birthdays
2 Lexi Pietz 17 Sandra Grieben
3 Megan Thone 19 Douglas Klipfel
5 Brandon Christianson 19 Patricia Ludwig
5 Scott Healy 20 Lois Abel
8 Sara Wieman 21 Kaitlyn Haar
9 Stuart Nelson 24 Hadley Haar
10 Scott Mayer 28 Brad Wilson
11 Benjamin Andreasen 29 Karon Kurtz
12 Logan Rausch 29 Todd Severson
12 Tami Schopp 29 Dale Thone
12 Brendan Tschappat
Anniversaries
7 Kelly & Cheryl Pietz
17 Waldemar & Frances Rutschke
Our Savior Meetings in March
LWML – Mon. Mar. 2nd at 3:45 pm
Nursery Circle – Sun. Mar. 8th at 12:00 pm
Church Council – Wed. Mar. 11th at 7:30 pm
Board of Elders – Thur. Mar. 12th at 5:15 pm
Board of Education – Sun. Mar. 15th at 12:00 pm
Acolyte Schedule:
March 1 – Ella Brick & Grace Rausch
March 8 – Maci Johnson & Cassie McKown
March 15 – Tucker Brick & Teigan McKown
March 22 – Caleb Siebert & Aurian Tschappat
March 29 – Jaylynn Siebert & Rhyan Johnson
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8
th at 2:00 am. Don’t forget to move your clocks
forward one hour on Saturday night!
Easter Lilies – Order forms for lilies to beautify our sanctuaries for Easter and to remind us of Christ’s resurrection will be in the Sunday bulletins in March. The list of lilies given in honor or memory of someone will be in the Easter Sunday bulletins, and you can take your lilies home after the Easter services.
The Senior Potluck will be Tuesday, March 10
th at noon at Our Savior. Join us for good food and fellowship!
Saturday Bible Study – March 14
th 9:00-11:00 am at Our Savior:
The Penitential Psalms. Seven psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) have become known as the Penitential Psalms and are used especially during the season of Lent. This study will examine the understanding of repentance expressed in these psalms: the depths of human sin, suffering for sin, true contrition over sin, sincere confession of sin, and above all, the riches of God’s mercy and the fullness of forgiveness that our God offers to us.
In-House Bible Bowl for both congregations will be on Sunday, March 15
th at 12:30 pm at Our Savior. Gather a team of 3-4 people and sign-up in the narthex with a "team name". The topics are the Life of David: 1 Samuel 16 – 1 Kings 2, Psalm 51, and Luther’s Small Catechism: Confession. Be prepared for multiple choice, fill in the blank, and question/answer format. Even if you can't get a team together, plan to come and enjoy fellowship! We’ll have pizza for lunch. If you have any questions about Bible Bowl, contact Eric Johnson 605-216-6701.
Youth Bible Bowl – Our youth 6
th grade and up are taking part in the SD District Bible Bowl on Saturday, March 21
st from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at Faith Lutheran Church in Pierre, SD. Their Bible and Catechism knowledge will be tested as they compete against other teams to answer questions.
St. John’s - Columbia
Birthdays Anniversary
8 Penni Hanna 1 Joel & JoLynn Podoll
12 Scott Meints
13 Joel Podoll
18 Tucker Hermans
22 Zachary Daggett
23 Anna Bisbee
30 Debra Dell
Camp Minniboji
Sunday, June 21 to Saturday, June 27, 2026
Minneboji is a 7-day/6-night Christian summer camp program for grades 4-9 that has been enriching lives since 1949. Led by pastoral and lay volunteers from the South Dakota district of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Minneboji takes place at the beautiful lakeside facilities of Camp Okoboji – LCMS in Milford, Iowa. The structured week includes large group Bible study, small group Cabin study, music, crafts, games and outdoor activities including swimming and boating as well as evening entertainment. Campers also have daily free periods, when they can simply enjoy God’s creation and reconnect with friends old and new.
*PLEASE NOTE: In order to guarantee that we have enough counselors to make camp the best possible experience for your camper: REGISTRATION CLOSES MAY 1, OR WHEN CAMP IS FULL!
https://sddlcms.org/event/camp-minneboji/ OR
https://www.campokoboji.org/event/minneboji-grades-4-9-june-21-27/
Thrivent Choice Dollars® are charitable grant funds that can make a meaningful impact. As a part of a client’s membership at Thrivent, members are allotted Choice Dollars to distribute to non-profits of their choice within the Thrivent catalogue. Our Savior and St. John’s Lutheran Churches are both included. 2025 Choice Dollars must be allocated by March 31
st, 2026.
Go to
https://www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice or call 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” after the prompt. Or you can also call the local Thrivent office at 605-725-2025.
Building Healthy Families: Experiencing a private concern that you don’t want to talk about with your friends or family? Don’t look for help online. There you may find “answers,” but they’ll be from a faceless post or AI-generated source that provides simplistic solutions or platitudes that aren’t consistent with teachings of the historic faith that have guided and sustained generations long before the internet gave influencers a platform. LFS now has mental health, marriage and family, grief education and support, unplanned pregnancy, and adoption counselors available to you via confidential telehealth link on your smartphone or computer; or to meet in-person with you in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, or Deadwood. At LFS you’ll find real people, experienced helpers – equipped to provide confidential, sound counsel – who share your Lutheran Christian faith. Why struggle alone or scroll online when real help is now available? Call us – it’s why we’re here!
Learn more at
Lutheran Family Service www.LutheranFamilyService.org
Email:
info@lutheranfamilyservice.org
or call 605-271-1081
