First of all, thanks to all of you who have welcomed me to Community in Christ and the Arvada community with such a warm "hello". So many kind and thoughtful things have been done both at the condo and at the church. I won't try to list names because I'm sure I would forget some! Thank you very much.

 

I am pleased to have the opportunity to serve Community in Christ as your interim pastor for as many months as it takes for a "permanent" pastor to arrive. My prayer is that the Lord will bless our relationship in the strong fellowship of the gospel of Jesus. We are co-workers togethe with Him.

 

May I repeat what I shared my first Sunday here about myself. I gradulated from our Lutheran Brethren Seminary in 1967. My first call to serve as pastor was in Long Island, New York, where I stayed for two years. I then traveled to Norway, where I hoped to study at the University in Oslo, but since I couldn't find a job, I moved to Kristiansand where I had friends. At the end of 9 months working in a plastic factory, I took a tour of Israel for 10 days before returning to New York. Back to serving as a pastor, I accepted a call to the Nannet LB Church, where I served for three years. I felt the lord was leading me to finish studies at Wagner College, Staten Island, New York, so I resigned from the congregation at Nannet.

 

While I was studying at Wagner, I was asked by the 59th Street LB Church to serve them as interim pastor. I extended my studies at Wagner for another semester (while I was at the 59th Street Church) receiving my Masters of Science in Education degree 1975. Meanwhile, I was asked to continue on as the regular full-time pastor at the 59th Street Church, where I remained for nearly five years.

 

My next call for ministry was at Immanuel LB Church, Pasadena, CA, where I served for two years. After that I accepted a call to Bethany Lutheran Church, West Union, Iowa. I was blessed to continue as pastor for 22 years.

 

For the last six years I have been an interim pastor at DeWitt Lutheran Fellowship for one year, Calvary Community Church, Fullerton CA., for four months, and Bunker Hill LB Church, Princeton, New Jersey, for 1 1/2 years. I also have been a substitute teacher in the public schools of Dewitt and Davenport, Iowa, until I arrived here at Community in Christ.

 

I am looking forward to getting acquainted with each of you over the next months. Please feel free to call me at any time either at church in the mornings or on my cell phone - (563) 343-6719.

 

May the Lord bless our work together here at Community In Christ for His Glory!

 

 

 

Pastor Dick