Anniversary Greetings from Bishop Allan Grundahl

Dear friends in Christ at St. John Lutheran in Strasburg,

Congratulations on the 120th anniversary of St. John Lutheran Church!

In my Bishop-retirement, I have become aware of you in this parish as a congregation which cooperates so well with Norrona Lutheran – each with different ethnic backgrounds! Thank you for that wonderful spirit!

My personal appreciation of this ministry caught my attention when Carlton Larsen became your pastor – because he was a youngster in my first parish at Midale, Saskatchewan! And the Norrona church building reminded me so much of the buildings in that Midale parish!

After making contact with Pastor Carlton and you folks, it was during the Covid epidemic time that I learned of your online services offered – and found them to be handled far better than most churches at that time – and even yet!

As a result, my personal attraction grew because I learned that the technical work for the online services was and is being done by Peter Frosted – whose pastor-father I knew as a teenager in Outlook when he served Macrorie.

Finally, your current pastor, Richard Schultz, was certainly known to me through my work in the Bishop’s office when making one or more Bishop-visits to your parish – and it has been a joy to hear his clear and solid preaching of the Gospel in your parish in these later years.

I would love to be with you for the celebration, but I am limited by my mobility and declining hearing. However, I am with you in spirit, giving thanks to God for your ministry out of the past, as well as now into the future!

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits…” Ps. 103

+ Bishop Allan Grundahl (ret.)