First Evangelical Lutheran Church

06/18/2026

VBS Day 4
Today we learned about the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36–40. When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus taught that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Our focus for the day was unconditional love and understanding that every person is valuable because God created and loves them. We reminded the children of this important truth: “You are a child of God, and you matter.” Through our Lions in the Grass game, the Jesus Mobile craft, the children explored ways to show God's love to others. We also completed a gingerbread activity where each child listed five things they love about themselves, helping them recognize the unique gifts and qualities God has given them.
The day ended with a program for the kids to share what they learned during the week.

06/18/2026

VBS Day 3, we learned more about generosity and how God calls us to share with others. Our Bible verse, Acts 20:35, reminded us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” We enjoyed hearing stories from Zookeeper the Lion, Ostrich, and Monkey, which helped us think about ways we can be generous. We also learned about the poor widow in The Gospel of Mark, who gave all she had as an offering, showing that true generosity comes from the heart. Together, we talked about giving not only our possessions, but also our time, talents, kindness, and personal sacrifices. The children experienced this through activities such as finding popsicle sticks to earn a reward, creating a dragon craft, and playing Freeze Tag, where they practiced giving the ball away to help others. We ended the day with continuing to learn that generosity is an important way to show God’s love and care for those around us.

06/17/2026

Join us tomorrow to hear all about the fun week the kids are having at VBS!

06/16/2026

VBS Day 2 we played the game “Farmer Brown, May We Cross?” and talked about how, if a rule feels exclusive, we should try to be inclusive and make sure everyone feels welcome. We learned from Romans 12:15-16 that we should not be conceited or greedy, but instead care for others and live in harmony. Our Bible story was about Zacchaeus, and although people were surprised that Jesus spent time with a tax collector, it showed that Jesus loves everyone. Even when we make mistakes or bad decisions, God still loves us and gives us supportive people in our community. We sang “Jesus Loves Me,” enjoyed a yummy s’mores snack, and made fun rocket crafts. We also talked about how it is not nice to call people names and that, even when others are mean to us, Jesus asks us to choose kindness.

06/15/2026

Vacation Bible School Day #1 with Lakeside Day Camp from Spirit Lake Iowa.

Kindness and rules help us build strong friendships and a caring community. The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us to help others and show compassion, just as Ephesians 4:32 reminds us to “be kind and compassionate to one another.” Like colorful butterflies, people do not all look or act the same, and that is what makes our world beautiful. Through games like 4-square, we learn that rules should be fair and include everyone. During snack, lunch, singing, and action songs, we practice sharing, working together, and treating others with respect. If a rule seems uncaring or unfair, we can choose to respond with kindness and help make our community a place where everyone feels welcome and valued.

05/23/2026

This Sunday, May 24 is Pentecost Sunday. Red is the liturgical color of the day and is representative of the Holy Spirit and the ways in which the Spirit is moving in and through the church. Let's celebrate the Spirit by wearing red for Pentecost.

05/21/2026

Don't miss out on a fun week...be sure to register your kids by June 1st!
First Lutheran Church is excited to have Lutheran Lakeside Camp from Spirit Lake Iowa come June 15th -18th to do vacation bible school this year from 9 am to 12 pm. This camp experience is for those entering Kindergarten - 5th grade. Kids will enjoy opening and closing worship with music, skits, bible verse and community building, stations of bible study, crafts and games along with a mid-morning snack. A lunch will be provided from 12-12:30. Please use the link below to register by June 1st. We're looking forward to a fun, high energy week of growing faith and praising the Lord. Hope to see you there!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflzHdJImO40_DUkwvdaDHFV8ErGt3acKDLO0SyDSYZPI1L8g/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100274873849713080050

05/20/2026

05/18/2026

Congratulations to First Lutheran's 2026 high school graduates! We celebrated our seniors - Rachel, Callie, Lily, Jozlyn, Wilson, Elizabeth, & Brady - during worship and at Senior Recognition during coffee time this morning.👩‍🎓👨‍🎓