Prairie West Church, ELCA & UMC

08/08/2026

For those of you that don’t know the reason we include the History Corner in our newsletters, I wanted to explain why we pay tribute to this wonderful lady by remembering her whit, laughter, her history reports, her knowledge she shared with others and the work she did for our Potter Church as well as several other churches in the district. She was born on December 6, 1925, and went to be with her Lord on April 6, 2023.

Doris joined the Methodist Church in Potter on May 8, 1948, and would have been a 75 year member on May 8th, 2023. She was a teacher in the Kindergarten Department for ten years. Doris was the leader of the Adult Sunday Morning Bible Study for many years. She served as a Certified Lay Speaker of the United Methodist Church for thirty years. Doris was also a Past President of the Northwest District United Methodist Women. She was also well versed in the UMC Book of Discipline.
Doris received the Jay Stecker Community Service Award by the Potter Community Improvement Committee at Potter Days on September 5, 2020. The picture below is from that day.

Doris may be remembered for her ability to make people laugh as an emcee and the many monologues she gave as well as her Clown Ministry.

We all loved her, miss her and still can hear her laughter!

08/05/2026

08/02/2026

I don’t know about you but back to school time was exciting for me. Picking out material for my mom to make my new clothes for the school year. Getting new shoes. Finding a new backpack. Getting all my new school supplies. It was all new and exciting.

This year in working with several families in our community, I have come to see the back to school experience in an entirely different way. In a family that is struggling to put food on the table, all the extra back to school expenses are
crippling. Can you imagine having to chose whether to buy food for your family or pay your utility bill or buy all the supplies needed to start the new school year?

I went to Walmart and purchased a backpack and all the school supplies needed for one child’s grade and it was nearly $50.00. That doesn’t include clothes and shoes, remember the kids have to have a separate pair of shoes for gym.
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Are you interested in helping purchase a backpack or school supplies for some of the kids in our schools? We will post a list of needed supplies. We could also set up a fund at the school to help anyone needing help purchasing their gym shoes. What do you think? Would you help fund it?
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Please consider assisting our church as we support community families who are struggling. Help all of our children have a good back to school experience.

Thank you for sharing God’s love through our church.

Pastor Lorri

07/04/2026

🇺🇸 Happy 250th Birthday America! 🇺🇸

06/24/2026

A FAMILIAR VOICE
Submitted by Doris Steele
Sept 2014

A young mother alone with her preschoolers for a week while her husband was away found the fourth day particularly exasperating. After several bedtime stories, she finally succeeded in putting the energetic children to bed. She changed into an old pair of sweats and began to shampoo her hair when she heard the children jumping around in their room. Wrapping a towel around her head, she went to scold them. As she walked out of the children’s room, she overheard the littlest one ask, “Who was that?”
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In our busy lives we often overlook God’s presence. We can become so involved in the task at hand that we fail to recognize God’s voice and we miss His guidance and grace. Have you ever found yourself asking, “Who was that?” only later to realize that it was indeed God? He wants us to know Him so well that we immediately recognize His voice and obey His commands. There is no better way to know God’s voice than through an intimate relationship with Him. “The sheep follow Him because they know His Voice.” John 10:4

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day!

06/07/2026

Confirmation was held on Sunday, May 17th. With gratitude to God, we present our 2026 Confirmation Class: Alexis Lenstrom, Emerson Frerichs, Krickett Shoemaker and Brooklyn Deeds. We rejoiced with our confirmands as they affirmed their faith and step boldly into their life with Christ. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and strengthen them.

06/06/2026

THE JR. / SR. HIGH YOUTH GROUP held their last meeting of the school year on Wednesday, April 29th. Their Bible lesson focused on the graduating seniors, Kyle Lenstrom, Kenzie Shoemaker, Kolby LaBeau and Dylan Tabor. The discussion was on their future and all the changes coming their way. They talked about it be OK to be nervous and to fail, but not to give up because God has a plan for all of us. All Jr. and Sr. High students in our community and the surrounding area are invited to be a part of this group. See you next fall….

06/03/2026

KIDS OF JOY is an after-school program that meets on Wednesdays in the Fellowship Hall of the church. It was the brain storm of Pastor Betsy many years ago to collect “little monies for big missions” to teach the children it is better to give than receive. It was customary at the end of the school year that they give away what had been given to “help others.” Kids of Joy is now under the direction of Pastor Lorri and a group of helpers which vary from week to week. As part of “children’s” time during worship, the children gather “little monies for big missions.” They vote at the end of the school year on how it is to be donated, which was May 13th. They enjoyed sloppy joes and root beer floats, and decorated cookies to take home. They began discussing where they wanted their little monies to be donated and voted on their decisions. It is so heartwarming to listen when they come up with ideas of who they want to help with their donations. This is such a great bunch of kids with really big hearts. We are so proud of them. I think you will be surprised at the diversity of charities they thought of. Kimball Food Pantry; St. Jude Children’s Hospital; Boys Town; Masonic /Eastern Star Children’s Home in Fremont; AFSP (Su***de Prevention) and DOVES. Thank you to everyone who puts their coins into the buckets each Sunday for this group. You are truly helping others by doing so.