Pastor's Desk
State of the Congregation: January 2026
By Pastor Neil Wehmas
When a new year arrives, you can’t help but think of the year that has passed and the year that is to come. Our president every year in January or February delivers a State of the Union address for this very purpose.
So, perhaps it is appropriate to think of the year that we have finished. In 2025, as a congregation we journeyed through the entire Bible as part of “The Whole Story”. The sermons throughout the year lined with those readings. This gave opportunities to meditate upon passages that are rarely touched upon in a worship service.
Our Wednesday and Sunday morning Bible classes also journeyed along “The Whole Story” path. After 8 years, the Bible Study at Subway came to its conclusion at the end of August. Through 8-years, we read/discussed the entire New Testament as well as other scriptures.
The St. Paul Lutheran LWML was the proud hosts of the zone prayer service in March and the Zone rally in April. In the month of June, several of our ladies made the trip to Omaha to take part in the LWML National Convention. In September, we began in the practice of involving the whole congregation in the gathering of Mites for missions across the state and the nation.
Some of our high school youth traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to join 20,000 other youth for the LCMS Youth Gathering. Nine high schoolers and nine middle schoolers attended the respective district youth gatherings in October and November. Our regular high school youth meetings (The HighWay) is averaging 15-20 students every week.
At Vacation Bible School children learned about Joseph and his time in Egypt. The children shared the story of Jesus’ birth as part of the Christmas program in December. We continue to be blessed by those who volunteer and serve our children via Sunday School and Cross Explorations.
In the sanctuary, we’ve had installed a new sound and A/V system which has allowed us to enhance our online ministry. Our online services continue to average around 25 viewers per week, and prove to be helpful for funerals and weather impacted worship services.
The Human care team this year began a program of visiting many of the members of our congregation, in addition to my ongoing visits of shut-ins. Their visits are much appreciated.
We continue to be blessed with many musically talented people in our congregation. From the praise band to our organists. A few of our praise band members and Jacob Petersen moved on as organist. However, we have gained an organist in Chloe a high school freshmen at Ridgeview, and grand-daughter or District President Egger. In March we were visited by a high school choir from outside of Milwaukee.
I know that I have not covered everything, but there is much that our Lord is doing in and through the people of our congregation. In February, I will officially be here for nine years. Again, I look forward to the year to come.
I’m hoping for us to have another visiting choir in the spring. We will continue to have a schedule of scripture readings each day as means to keep the discipline of Bible reading going. Our some of our High School youth will be going to St. Louis for the Higher Things youth conference. I will be traveling to Phoenix for LCMS Synodical convention in July.
For all of these activities and events that have and will happen in a year. The greatest is what happens every Saturday and Sunday. Brothers and sisters in Christ will gather together. They will hear the scriptures read. They will confess their sins and receive forgiveness from God himself. They will hear the Gospel proclaimed and they will receive the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of their faith.
This indeed is a reason ever to rejoice. I rejoice at the many faces that walk through our doors to hear God’s word and receive his forgiveness. It is a reason as Greg Steenbock often says, “to be doing better now that you are here.” Here is to a joyous 2026.
In Christ,
Pastor Neil Wehmas
Last Updated: 1/2/2026