"I Like Being Kind!"

 

Kristianna D-W, a well-known church community member, goes by Kristi at school. At nine years old, her drive to “be kind and help others” is evident at our 10:30 a.m. worship service. She is often found helping the ushers welcome folks and pass out bulletins. Kristi will even step in to pass the plate, and last summer, she took on some light acolyting duties. Music class and recess are two of her favorite activities in school, and she has gymnastics as an extracurricular pastime.

Covid was a hard time for community connections, and Kristi remembers telling her Grandma Pam that she wished they could go to church again. When they did, Kristi was happy to see her godparents, Tom and Judy Vanlerberghe, in the front pew (Tom was last month’s First’s Look). She jumped back into Sunday School and serving God at First Lutheran with enthusiasm and some of the best hugs!

When Kristi and Pastor met after school one day to discuss this piece, Pastor thanked Kristi for coming to church outside of regular hours. She responded, “I wish we could go to church every day!” When asked about this answer, she said, “Because I want to know a lot of things about God.” Kristi is very articulate. She can easily explain the ways she sees God “bless us every day.” Her answers came not just efficiently but with joy.

It has been a blessing to watch Kristi grow and blossom at church. What a great testimony to those who worship at church to see a young person with such a vibrant faith. One final word of wisdom that Kristi ended with is, “Not everybody is perfect, but everyone is perfect the way they are.” She has clearly taken some powerful lessons to heart. What a privilege we have to worship with this dear heart of a kid!

First Will Do

Tom Vanlerberghe and his wife Judy migrated back to First Lutheran Church in Gladstone after living and worshipping in Escanaba for some time. Tom graduated from Gladstone High School and enlisted in the Army upon graduation. He served in Vietnam and came home for planned R&R and to enjoy unemployment. Instead, he almost instantly fell into a job at the Forest Service and stayed for his entire career!

For the Vanlerberghes, connection became important. Their two living children reside downstate and in Wisconsin. Their nine grandchildren are almost all grown and scattered around the United States. Seeing family, especially with the unpredictability of U.P. winters, is more challenging than it used to be. The Vanlerberghes discovered that finding a faith community that felt like family was essential.

Tom and Judy checked out First at the encouragement of Tom’s sister, Mary Bjorkquist, a longtime member. What they found was a friendly place full of familiar faces. Tom’s long-time friend and hunting buddy Raino Maki is one of our main ushers at 8:00 am worship. Several old classmates and acquaintances made the Vanlerberghes feel like First was already home.

Thankfully, most Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, you will find Tom and Judy in the front center pew organ side. Tom’s faith doesn’t need to be in church. In his prayer life, any piece of ground would work. Tom believes in our higher power. As a veteran who has seen a lot of the world, he would have plenty of reasons to question all of it, yet he keeps showing up with us and for worship. We are blessed to have Tom and Judy as a part of our faith family.

This is it.

 

Lisa Thomas is a somewhat newly retired member of First Lutheran Church. She is a two-career person with 10 years in the medical technology industry, and then, in what can only be described as a calling with divine intervention, Lisa went on to teach high school for 20 or so years in Gladstone. Lisa and her husband, John, raised their two children in Gladstone and love being grandparents to their grandchildren.

Lisa was raised in Escanaba and attended Bethany Lutheran Church there. Lisa and John had a summer romance that never ended, and after 7 years together, they married at Bethany, but living in Gladstone, it didn’t stick as a forever church home for their young family. Then life happened, and some upsetting events locally and socially made Lisa realize they needed a church home, a place to be grounded in sacred community. The Thomas family tried out First Lutheran because they already had some friends in attendance.

The first person to meet them on their first Sunday was Nora Smith. Her gentle welcome and personal touch sealed the deal. They immediately felt comfortable. Lisa said, “This is it. This is family.” She jumped in with both feet, teaching Sunday School and working with the Bulletin Boards. Today, Lisa serves on our Altar Guild and Audit Committee. The Thomas kids were confirmed here and have grown to be wonderful adults living away, but not too far that grandma and grandpa can’t see their family regularly! 

The Thomas’ continue to bless us. Now that she is retired having Lisa’s light and joy in our midweek Bible Study has been an extra delight. Lisa may have been the teacher for years, but her zeal for learning is contagious in that group. We are thankful for Lisa and her presence in this place. Amen 

Ushering In Faith

 

Harvey Setter grew up in Redford, Michigan, near Detroit. After he was grown, Harvey enlisted in the United States Air Force. He met his wife, Betty, in Chicago. Quickly, they married and had two girls, Heidi and Robin. The Setters also lived in Florida, Germany, and Spain, with Harvey serving in Hawaii before he met Betty. Harvey attended school while serving in the Air Force and eventually received his degree from NMU while working full-time. He joked that it took him 23 years to graduate! 

After those 23 years of service, he retired as an E9 from KI Sawyer, but he didn’t stay retired. Harvey then went to work for Freedom Airlines, quickly transitioning to the Delta County Airport Manager, eventually taking on the parks. Harvey still consulted for airports for many years after he retired from that job. He would fly himself all over to do this work. 

Delta County was a homecoming for Harvey’s wife, Betty, as she was raised in the Rapid River area and confirmed at Calvary Lutheran Church. The Setter’s were married there as well. When they built their house in Gladstone, First Lutheran seemed like a good protestant choice for church.  Harvey connected with Pastor Ron Swanson, who didn’t hesitate to stop by to look for a cup of coffee. 

When the Setters found a comfortable community at First Lutheran, they jumped in to support and care for the church. Harvey served on the council, helping First Lutheran to walk through some difficult times, and he was a regular usher. Once in a while, he will still pinch hit, but he has mostly retired from that kind of service.

From starting their marriage living in a chicken coop to traveling all over the world, the Setters have some stories they can share, and they may even be able to speak them in several languages, too! In almost 60 years, they have done so much together. They are still snowbirds in the winter and have just headed south. 

We are thankful for their time with us at First Lutheran. Even though we only see them when it’s warm, we are glad that Harvey and Betty Setter find community with us. Harvey’s wisdom and kindness have helped us as a church over the years, and his service to our country is commendable. 

Serving our Country, State, and County

Bill Shine and his wife Kathy have lived in Gladstone since 1974. After serving as a Corpsman in the Navy for three years, Bill started out with various jobs. He eventually landed with the State Police, which took the Shine Family from Cheboygan, Michigan, back to the Upper Peninsula.  

Bill and Kathy joined the Lutheran Church because they had been members of a Lutheran Church downstate, and it made sense to do the same here. On the weekends, Bill was often working or coaching little league, American Legion Ball, fast and slow pitches, and even hockey!  You wouldn’t see him in the pews every Sunday. There was hunting too, of course! 

What you can know about Bill and his faith life is that it happens in nature. Proof can be found in the menagerie of animals waiting for handouts at the Shine residence each morning: deer, squirrels, turkeys, and other birds wait impatiently for snacks. The sacredness of being with animals and creation alike connects with both the Shines. 

Bill and Kathy found friends for life at First Lutheran Church. From hunting buddies, anniversary/birthday buddies, and neighbors to the breakfast club and dinner companions, there was even a Super Bowl Party group and work friends as well. Bill has a community, and what that community often has in common with one another is the First Lutheran Church.

In the good times and the bad, and in sickness and health, we need one another. After being a Magistrate in Delta County for fourteen years and presiding at over 1,000 weddings, Bill knows something about that kind of union! How wonderful is it that church can be a place where we make friends that we can worship with and head out to deer camp with too?!?

One Holy Place

      

        Violet R. is one of our Confirmation students. She is a dancer taking both ballet and jazz classes. Violet is nearly fluent in Thai and traveled to Thailand last year to visit her aunt’s family. She is technically studying as an 8th-grader, but most of her classes are at a 10th-grade level! Violet loves kids, volunteering, and her six cats, four dogs, three goats, and 15 chickens!

Violet’s Seawright cousins brought her and her family closer at First Lutheran. While Violet has vague memories of being baptized in the lake, she has not always felt so connected to her faith life. There was a time when she thought of church as more of a chore. Violet has come to love church and says, “I love having faith; a lot of my life is about God, and I read my bible to be more into my faith, more devoted… to have more prayer.” She loves it when holy places feel homey and abides in that. 

One holy place that helped Violet find that connection is Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp. Violet says that she “felt the energy… the presence of God at camp.” That experience helped her get more deeply into her faith. She described it as a “whoa feeling” of the presence of God at camp and in the other people gathered who also believe in God. That they, too, are devoted changed her. She feels that energy at First Lutheran. 

Violet said, “It’s nice seeing people have the same faith as you.” Then she continued, “I love the church people.” One scripture passage that speaks to Violet is John 6:16-21. She said, “When life gets hard, and you are sad, depressed, or mad, thinking of Jesus calming the storm helps.” Jesus calms the storms in our lives and allows us to be still in Christ’s peace. 

Friends and Social Media often feel like places of doubt and judgment. This claim is out there that your faith isn’t genuine or valid. Violet is thankful for the shared experience of the faithful at First Lutheran and Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp. Seeing others devoting their lives and time to God is what brings Violet in closer. Amen

"I will be Coming Home..."

Jim Olsick is a storyteller who joined our congregation in 2016 after moving to Gladstone in 2012. Jim is originally from Chicago and met his future bride, Tiffany while attending Southern Illinois University. Together, they have three nearly grown boys. The Olsicks recently moved to a property outside of Rapid River with room for hunting and chickens!

After the Olsicks moved to Gladstone, they tried out several churches, looking for a place they fit. They craved connectivity. It was with Pastor Otis and the people of First that they found the connection that they needed and a place to come home to as transplants. First Lutheran Church welcomed them in. Being a part of a welcoming community continues to be integral to Jim’s faith life. 

As an artist who paints and has recently enjoyed performing musically, Jim used his artistic talents to create a piece for the church on barn wood donated by the Durbin Family. It is a haunting and beautiful painting of Christ crucified. Each Lent, at First, we place the painting under the fernery spotlights in the sanctuary to help us meditate during that very contemplative season. 

Jim found a way to share his gifts creatively and the painting connects with so many of us. Having a church family member willing to be vulnerable in sharing his art has connected with the spirit of First. It has and continues to help many people here feel more connected to Christ’s story and to Jim and his story. Jim’s motto is, “Be kind…” ”Be kind because the world has enough cruelty.” Wise words… Connect with Jim: “Let your soul and spirit fly…”