Peace United Church of Christ

03/23/2026

03/20/2026

The Next Four Weeks...
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Beloved People of Peace-

Our next four weeks together will be full of mixed emotions. We have much to do and discuss and decide as “church” in this time and place. We will vote on a budget and join in the ancient ritual of a parade of waving palms. We will walk the emotional and eye-opening events of Holy Week and then be assured again that life comes after death… that faith will bring us through the fear… that in the end God’s love always wins.

I hope that you can join us for any or all of these events in the life of Peace United Church of Christ in St. Cloud over the next four weeks.

Sunday, March 22nd
We will take time during our worship service for the reception of a new member and to have a special meeting of the congregation to approve the 2026 Church Budget.

Palm Sunday, March 29th
Palm branch will be waved and laid out to adorn the path for Jesus, remembering the entrance into Jerusalem by Christ, Jesus comes to confront the powerful empire of oppression that was and is still part of daily life.
After worship, we will go out to lunch together at Pizza Ranch in Waite Park, as it is the fifth Sunday of the month. If transportation or meal cost is an issue, please let me know; we don’t want anyone to be left out because of the cost and folks have donated to make sure all can participate.

Maundy Thursday, April 2nd
At 7:00 PM, join us at First Presbyterian Church, 340 Fifth Avenue South in St. Cloud as I share in worship leadership in a joint service of Holy Communion. We will gather at the table to remember Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples and his call to love another just as God loves us.

Good Friday, April 3rd
Join us at 7:00 PM in our sanctuary, as Rev. Darin Seamen and First Presbyterian Church join us for a “Stations of the Cross” worship inspired by the artwork of Adolfo Perez Esquivel.

Easter Sunday, April 5th
We will come together to celebration resurrection, singing praise to God and giving thanks for all the possibilities of our future that is found in the hope of our Risen Savior. The church chancel will become a spring garden blooming with God’s goodness and new life.

Sunday April 12th
This will be my last Sunday with you in worship, as I leave to begin new Sunday morning responsibilities in Alexandria. We will celebrate what we have accomplished in this transition time as pastor and people.
At 4:00 PM will gather in the basement for a potluck meal and one last big party, inviting Higher Ground and other from around St. Coud to join as we love on each other and give thanks for all that connects us as church and ministry partners.

Please note that our relationship will not end, but it will change significantly as I will be only in St. Cloud on Thursdays after April 12th to do pastoral visits, mid-week fellowship and help to secure pulpit supply until you call your next settled pastor. I will continue to pray for and with you all, even though I will not be physically with you on Sunday mornings.

The past 20 months have been rich and meaningful for me, and I trust you all feel the same.

Yours in Christ’s service,
Pastor Marc

03/14/2026

Out of an abundance of caution, the church leadership has decided to cancel Sunday worship for March 15th due to the forecast of a major winter storm. Please stay home and stay safe!
~Pastor Marc

01/22/2026

No Mid-Week Fellowship today, Thursday, January 22nd.
Stay home and keep warm!
Pastor Marc

01/17/2026

Sunday Worship Cancelled for 1/18/26
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Because of the back-to-back severe winter weather warnings being issued for tomorrow through Monday, the Church leadership has made the decision to cancel Sunday morning worship for January 18th. Beginning around 3 AM Sunday morning, winds are expected to be gusting to speeds that will severely limit viability, also there will be dangerous sub-zero wind chills endangering those being exposed to the elements.

This announcement has also been sent in a text massage and will be placed on church’s page. If you know of folks who may not receive messages via those platforms, please reach out to them to prevent them from unnecessarily venturing out in the weather.

Also, remember that there IS Mid-Week Fellowship scheduled for this coming Thursday, January 22nd at 2 PM in the Church Library.

Stay safe and God bless!
Pastor Marc

01/02/2026

Happy 2026 from Peace!

As we move into a new year, our ministry together and our faith continues to find new ways to be church in today’s world. This coming Sunday, January 4th, we will hear the story of the Magi and their journey to Bethlehem, how these foreigners join as another group of outsiders who bear witness to the coming of Immanuel, God-with -us.

God continues to show up in unexpected places and that will be our theme during this season of Epiphany. We will journey with Jesus from Betelhem to Egypt and then back to Nazareth; we will see the teenage Jesus in the temple and join Jesus at the river for baptism. Jesus will peach on a hill and then be transfigured on a mountaintop, revealing more about God and the ministry we are called to as followers of “The Way.” This is what we find in this season between Christmas and Lent known as Epiphany in the liturgical calendar of the church. We will find Jesus talking about faith in some unexpected places over the next seven weeks.

I hope you will be able to find time to join us in Sunday worship or Mid-Week Fellowship, as we continue to be followers of this Jesus, who both calls and challengers us to understand that God is always with us, especially in those unexpected places. May we be open to the Spirit’s leading and always be the heart and hand of Christ for a world that desperately needs unity over division, knowing that love will not let fear control us. Throughout the Christmas story, the angle of Lord says: “Fear not.” May those words continue to echo within us and the church in this new year of 2026.

With the end of 2025 and last Sunday’s cancellation of worship due to the snowy conditions, no new sign-up sheets were put out for volunteers. I am hoping someone will pick up the scripture readings on the back table this coming Sunday and serve as reader in worship. I am also hoping that folks might still have some holiday goodies that they would be willing to bring to make a smorgasbord of treats for fellowship time after worship (and that someone will make the coffee).

On next Thursday, January 8th, we will spend part of our Mid-Week Fellowship time taking down the holiday décor for the season. Remember, many hands make light work. Any assistance will be much appreciated.

Being your pastor during this transitional time continues to be a blessing to me. Sharing a life in faith and service with one another is transformational in itself. Blessing on all each of you do to reflect the light Christ in the world.

Yours in ministry together,
Pastor Marc

12/27/2025

Sunday Worship Cancelled for 12/28

Church leadership has made the decision to cancel Sunday morning worship for December 28th due to the pending extreme winter weather of snow, wind and fog.

Also, remember that the church office is closed this week until Friday, January 2nd.

Stay safe and God bless!
Pastor Marc

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas from Peace United Church of Christ

Tonight, December 24th, is Christmas Eve, please join us in worship at 4:30 PM for a service of carols, communion and candlelight. The service will conclude with us all holding our candles in the darkened sanctuary signing “Silent Night” in both German and English.

On Sunday, December 28th, join us for regular worship at 10:00 AM on the Fourth Day of Christmas. During this service the sermon-time will be turned over to all of you to share some of your favorite stories or poems or carols. Remember that we are called to offer our gifts and I look forward to hearing what brings you joy and fuels your faith at this time of year.

The church office will be closed, and I will not be in St. Cloud from Christmas Day through New Years Day, except for Sunday worship on the December 28th. I am still working and available if needed, so do not hesitate to contact me for any pastoral needs.
May you all know and experience the true blessings of this Christmas season.

Blessings!
Pastor Marc

11/01/2025

There is a crispness in the air, and we are scrambling to get the leaves raked and things put away before that “white stuff” starts showing up. November is a weird month for me; technically it is Fall but that has not stopped Winter weather from showing up early. It is not quite the “holiday season,” but we do stop and give thanks during this month for God’s rich blessings in all our lives. I also stop regularly in the midst of the business of life and give thanks for each of you that make up this wonderful community of faith known as Peace Unted Church of Christ. The Sundays in November will be filled with time for gratitude and remembering.

Sunday, November 2nd
We will gather for communion, as we do on the first Sunday of each month. We will also consecrate our pledge commitments to the church ministry for 2026. There will be extra pledge cards at the church if you need one, and if you have already sent your card in we will make sure that it is in the basket to be blessed.

Sunday, November 23rd
Totenfest falls each year on the last Sunday before Advent. In worship on this Sunday, we remember those who have died in the past year that were part of this church. Totenfest is part of this church’s historical roots being founded in the tradition of the German Evangelical Synod of North American, one of the predecessors to the UCC.
Also, in months with five Sundays, we go out for a church-wide lunch. On Totenfest Sunday, we will gather at Pizza Ranch in Waite Park in one of the community rooms after worship. There will be no fellowship time at the church after worship. Please let the office know if you need help with transportation or paying for lunch, we have the means to help so that no one left out.

Sunday, November 30th
The season of Advent is our sacred journey to Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Over four Sunday we will light the candles of the Advent wreath and reflect on the characters that make up the Christmas narrative in our faith tradition. Each Sunday we will also add another layer of ornaments on the Christmas tree in the sanctuary. It is a season of anticipation in a world longing for newness and love, a tangible peace with justice for all.

May you know during this time gratitude and blessings beyond measure!

Yours in Christ's service,
Pastor Marc

10/01/2025

Happy 133rd Anniversary!

On this day, the first of October in 1893, 33 charter members met and formally instituted a new church and affiliate with the German Evangelical Synod of North America. Through names changes and denominational mergers, we are now Peace United Church of Christ and begin our 133rd year of ministry in and with the St. Cloud area.

October, in the church liturgical calendar, is a full month with World Communion Sunday at the beginning and Reformation Sunday at the end. It is a time full of ritual and history, a time for the Holy Spirit to move creatively as we both remember the past and envision something new. This is the month we start planning for the needs of the next fiscal year, by talking about money and pledges with the annual Stewardship Campaign.

Last Sunday, September 28th , we had our annual congregational meeting. There we elected new members to the Board of Trustees, re-elected our church Moderator who is the lay leader of the church and the chair of the Board. We thanked those who completed their service and wished them well. We also elected members of the Pastoral Search Committee and were introduced to an organizational structure that makes room for more participation while being flexible in getting things done.

Worship in October will touch of themes of connection, welcome, inclusion and progress theology. I am thankful for each one of you and the gifts you bring to this ministry and for your faithfulness in being “church.” We bless the world together and your presence is part of that blessing.

If I don’t see you on Sunday, know that we are thinking of you and praying for you. I am always here for you and if Sunday does not work for you, do not hesitate to call/text and let’s meet at another time and/or in another place. For “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”

Much peace to you!
Pastor Marc