EAR Peace Friends,

As this is my last

letter to you, permit

me to quote a phrase from both

letters of Peter to his Christian

friends: May grace and peace

be yours in abundance.

(I Peter 1:2; II Peter 1:2)

It has been a great joy to

be part of this congregation

since 2004. I will always

remember meeting around a

conference table with the call

committee at Callaways in the

fall of 2003. Several hours

earlier I had a wonderful visit

with Pastor Paul and Pastor

Rolf at Peace. It might have

been Lon Stroshein or Chuck

Claussen who asked me during

the interview how long I would

be willing to serve if called.

Since it was no longer

acceptable to ask a candidate

their age, I smiled and

responded that I would commit

to give you five good years.

Well, how time flies when

youre having fun! It is hard to

believe that eleven and a half

years have sped by.

Since I am nearing the

age of 73, I have decided it is

time to give my full attention to

my bride of nearly 49 years, as

well as to our children and

grandchildren with whom we

have been gifted.

Susanne and I have

enjoyed being a part of this

welcoming and dynamic

congregation. It is a

congregation where we have

always done it this way is a

foreign language. I have

appreciated working with my

colleagues and others on our

ministry team. It was fun to

bring some new ideas to Peace

from our congregation in

Anchorage, among which were

using Holden Evening Prayer

for worship and sewing quilts

for graduating high school

seniors.

It was exciting upon my

arrival to work with the newly

formed Faith and Family

Ministry Team. From this group

of visionary moms came lots of

wonderful ideas, including the

Giving Jar; which provides so

much joy not only to our

children but also to the entire

congregation besides supporting

children beyond our church

family. The team initiated the

Elizabeth Ministry to support

young women and new moms.

The team also introduced

concepts of developing

milestones in the faith

development of children and

young people including senior

quilts. When we added Pat

Eidsness to our leadership team,

she took over being a liaison

with this group.

It has been a blessing to

share so many of lifes sacred

moments with Peaces members

and families.

Continued on page 4

D

PEACETALK Volume 25 - Number 5 May 2015

5509 W. 41st St. - Sioux Falls, SD 57106

(605) 361-3683

Saved by Gods grace, we are

called to be instruments of

Gods peace.

peacelutheran.com

facebook.com/PeaceLutheran

twitter.com/PeaceLutheranSF

From the Pastor

My Last Letter to the Congregation

PeaceTalk 2

PEACE STAFF: Pastors:

Paul Stjernholm

Rolf Svanoe

Obed Nelson

Betsy Hoium

Staff:

Lynn Bethke Receptionist

Jackie Hensley Receptionist

Mary Lunde Receptionist

Anita Solberg Financial Secretary

Dean Ebbinga Facilities Manager

Joe Sheaffer Custodian

Mike Johnson Custodian

Carl Meyerhoff Custodian

Fern Swearingen Librarian

Jackie Hensley Worship Volunteers

Pam Tetzlaff Food Ministry

Directors:

Renae Boehmer Childrens Ministry

Pam Tetzlaff Assistant Childrens Ministry

Holly Marty Confirmation/Adult Ministries

Kelsey Lyndoe Youth Ministries

Jackie Bailey Worship and Music

Bob Levesque Asst. Worship/Music/Comm.

Colt Foutz Communications

Cara Hetland Communications

Kristi Leisinger Administration

Jim Ahrendt Seniors Ministry

Sue Olsen Preschool

Tara Foley Peace Care and Kids World

Maurine Pederson Office Manager

Jay Heintz Finance Manager

Sarah and Jason Andera Heartland Ephphatha

Music Groups:

Darya Levesque Childrens Music

Tammy Beintema Youth Bells/Chimes

Nancy Lenander Adult Choir

Kyle Quanbeck Organist

Maurine Pederson Adult Bell Choir

Rolf Svanoe Peace Brass

Ann Okins Saturday Service Pianist

Wedding Coordinators:

Vickie Appino

Erin Wescott

Crystal Ehresmann

From Back to Front

(& Back Again)

Calendar 18

Only Technology Has Changed 17

Goodbye, Mrs. Sue 16

Welcome, Dean! 15

Graduating High School Seniors 11

Faith and Families 8

Whats Happening at Peace 7

Gods Work Our Hands 6

Worship Highlights 5

Continued From the Pastor 4

Fifty Years Creating Peace: 2000s 3

Saying Hello and Goodbye

Throughout this months newsletter we will

meet new staff and say goodbye to Pastor Obed,

Maurine Pederson and Sue Olsen. We also pay

tribute to our graduating high school seniors.

PeaceTalk 3

Part Five: Peace in this Century

Pastor Rolf Svanoe was called and installed in August of 2000. His love for creative worship brought polka and

jazz services and the brass choir and peace band.

In 2003, another construction and remodeling project began for new

office space and Sunday school space. A new choir room, library and

space for day care were also constructed. The Faith and Family

Ministry Team was organized in 2003 with goals to strengthen the

bond between home and church, provide families with resources to

nurture their faith, build a cross-generational faith community, and

form a Milestone Ministry program. We see their work in Lenten

devotion kits, presenting baptized members with faith chests and

wrapping graduating seniors in homemade quilts.

Pastor Ann Schlossnagle left to answer a call to western South Dakota.

Jason and Sara Andera were hired in 2004 as Heartland Ephphatha

directors. Pastor Obed Nelson was called as Pastor of Caring

Ministries.

By the end of 2004 there were 3,200 baptized members. With the expansion of the building came the expansion

of ministries and staff. A new digital Organ was installed in 2005 and also a projector system. Peace also joined

with Holy Cross Lutheran Church to help start a mission church. Pastor Tim Robertson joined the staff in May

of 2006 as a mission developer with Rejoice! Lutheran. The new congregation started worshiping in September

at the Family Wellness Center.

By 2007, Peace is one of only 40 ELCA congregations counting 1,000 people at worship each weekend. In

November, Peace called Pat Eidsness as an Associate in Ministry (AIM) to the pastoral staff. As Peace

continued to grow so does its compassion and caring for neighbors with the launch in 2009 of the Sioux Falls

Lutheran churches Food to You Mobile Food Pantry and Peaces Necessities for Neighbors. Peace also

purchased four properties west of the church to expand the parking lot. Baptized membership of the

congregation surpassed 4,000 by the year 2010.

2011 saw the parking lot expanded, fellowship hall remodeled and hallways tiled. Global Mission began

sponsoring the village of Jamel, Haiti. In 2012, Pastor Ann accepted a call as a campus minister at Augustana

College and Pastor Betsy Hoium joined the staff.

The Church Council began examining how the church operates and recommended reducing the size of the

council and refocusing efforts on strategic vision. The congregation supported the change and authorized hiring

an administrator, allowing pastors to focus on spiritual growth. As Peace enters its 50th

year, it continues to

grow and change as we say goodbye to several staff members.

Next month: Come back for a preview of the next 50 years

PeaceTalk 4

FROM THE PASTOR (CONTINUED FROM 1)

Much of my ministry has been with people who are experiencing grief, from divorce to illness and death. I

took a look at my funeral sermon file and discovered that I have had 100 funerals or memorial services since

coming to Peace. Sharing those intimate experiences has created bonds of trust that have been very precious. It

has been wonderful facilitating a number of grief groups. And the work of the Prayer Shawl Ministry team has

added an important tool in the support of people experiencing loss and grief.

Last December we had our 11th

annual Blue Christmas Service. And I look forward to commissioning a group

of members on May 17th who will start a Home Communion Ministry. It has been an honor to stand with you

folks at Peace through both sorrow and joy.

Another blessing that fell in my lap was to work with new members. I have been amazed by the gifts brought to

us from a rich diversity of faith expressions. These new members have been largely attracted by the positive

experience of grace-filled worship and the welcome they have felt.

The call to serve as a pastor of a congregation does not include a

spouse. But it did not take long for Susanne to become a part of

Peace by singing in the choir, playing trumpet with the brass

ensemble, going on global mission trips to Cameroun and Haiti,

doing pre-marriage counseling and sharing her love of poetr