Final outdoor worship is September 6, weather permitting.
Family of God Lutheran Church
YouTube Channel
To view the livestream:
- go to our YouTube channel
- click on "Live" on the horizontal menu, and select the video you wish to view. Typically the Sunday livestream will say "Upcoming" if you go to the channel prior to the start time.
Additionally, you can turn your YouTube notifications on in Settings so you will be alerted when Family of God goes live!
A Message From Pastor Paul
September 2026 Newsletter
Summer is almost over-September is upon us. Let's talk about Christmas and Easter.
Some of you have heard me say that when I was younger I found many Minnesota Easters to be depressing. Too often they were cold and gray in the early springtime, or rainy and even snowy. Without the bright Spring sun it seemed to me a sort of farce how can we celebrate when the sun does not shine? How can we frolic in joy when there are 12 inches of snow to shovel? But then as I got older I began to see that the gray Easters are more profound than the sunny ones. Because a lot of life is lived in the in between, and not just in the light but in the shadows. It is in those times that the Easter good news is so needed.
I found two poems by the English writer Thomas Hardy that I'd like to quote. Hardy bridged the Victorian age in England between the Victorian times and the modern era, before the last century and ending with the Great War.
Here is a poem whose title caught my eye:
"A Drizzlying Easter Morning" - Thomas Hardy
And he is risen? Well, be it so...
And still the pensive lands complain,
And dead men wait as long ago,
As if, much doubting, they would know
What they are ransomed from, before
They pass again their sheltering door.
I stand amid them in the rain,
While blusters vex the yew and vane;
And on the road the weary wain
Plods forward, laden heavily;
And toilers with their aches are fain
For endless rest—though risen is he
And now for Christmas: Christmas weather didn't bother me as much as Easter weather. Christmas was more about mood and family and friends and even doubt. After all, there are these expectations for the "most wonderful time of the year," aptly answered by Charlie Brown and the Grinch when I was a child. But what about those doubts after all, it is a pretty fantastic story. The miracle-God made flesh in grace and love to save a fallen humanity. Virgin births, Little Town of Bethlehem, Magi from the East, the Christmas star can sound like a myth. And even more difficult to believe in the gray and cloudy days of postmodernity when people don't believe in Absolute Truth anymore.
Thomas Hardy wrote a poem about the English legend that children were taught that on midnight on Christmas Eve the oxen bowed down on their front legs to worship the newborn Son of God. In its phrases you can hear the stress of the modern age overcoming old truths, and speaking to us about miracles in the incredible times we live in.
"The Oxen" - Thomas Hardy
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
"Now they are all on their knees,"
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.
We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.
So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
"Come; see the oxen kneel,
"In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,"
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.
Some final words, from an anonymous inscription on a Cologne basement wall during WW 2 where Jews were hiding from the Nazis.
"I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.
I believe in love, even when there's no one there.
And believe in God, even when He is silent"
A Message From Pastor Erin
September 2026 Newsletter
Greetings to everyone at Family of God -
We are back to our regularly scheduled programming! It's autumn. This is a time of year when a lot of our groups and ministries resume after summer hiatus. A break for summer is nice, but I always have a sense of excitement when September comes back around. The air feels crisper and we get to see folks who may have been busy or away during the warm months. We are back in the swing of things, and I can't wait to see what the programming year holds here at FOG.
For youth in fifth through ninth grade, we have confirmation. Our kickoff is Wednesday, September 16 at 7:30PM. We will decide on our schedule and discuss plans for the year. Most of our youth went to Camp Wapo over the summer, so we can talk about doing more overnights during the year. Service projects, mentors, topics they'd like to learn about—we will talk it all over! Like most of our youth events these days, we don't charge and you don't have to be a member. Please reach out to me if you have any questions!
First of all, we have our autumn kickoff. On Labor Day (September 6), we'll have our final outdoor service for the year, weather permitting. The following Sunday (September 13) is Rally Day, the official return from summer to our typical church schedule. A couple of things will happen then. First off, we have the Blessing of the Backpacks! Kids (or adults going to school) can bring in their backpacks, or just themselves, and receive a blessing for the academic year. Teachers and other school staff are also very much invited to join in for a blessing as well. The adults who help care for and educate our kids are such a gift and we want to lift them up, too.
On the same day, we have the return of Sunday School! This class gathers almost every Sunday during the year and is open to kids from preschool through fifth grade. If you're on the fence whether your kid is old enough, we also have the nursery available during worship services if that's a better fit. There is no cost to sign for Sunday School, but it's helpful if you do register on our website (fogchurch.org) so we know your kid will be joining! Friends are always welcome and you don't have to be a member to participate. We use Spark, a curriculum from our denomination's publishing house. Our young people learn about Bible stories from creation to the start of the early church. It's fun, and our adult volunteers are so kind and dedicated!
Not related to youth specifically: our class on grief and dying is continuing into autumn. Death and loss are a difficult reality of life, but if we talk about those experiences intentionally, it can help us be more prepared and process them in a healthy way. We have a few more sessions in our Bible study, "The Grief Lectionary." We've been digging into Bible stories that reflect the different facets of loss and the emotional responses we have. We also have a class with Sue Arens coming up. She's a retired ELCA deacon and nurse who is a member here. She'll be sharing her knowledge on end of life decisions that most of us will have to make at some point. This weekly class runs after worship at 11AM through September 20.
Autumn also brings lots of other events and ministries. Our Tuesday Bible study will continue, so stay tuned for the exact schedule and topic for the year. We also have Trunk or Treat, the presentation of Bibles to third graders, and more on the horizon. I'm looking forward to hearing more about everyone's summer activities, and to getting back into the program year. See you at church!
Blessings to you and your loved ones—
Pr. Erin Koster
The Lighted Globe:
The Lighted Globe at the back of the sanctuary is for the lighting of a votive candle by anyone wishing to express a particular prayer or hope in this symbolic way. Candles remain lit after all have gone, a visible sign of the prayers of our community of faith "for the whole people of God, and for all people according to their needs."
Holy Communion:
All baptized persons are welcome who believe Christ comes to us in the bread and the wine to bring forgiveness, life, and salvation. Children not yet communing come forward for a blessing. Children receive instruction and usually have First Communion in Fifth grade. We receive the sacrament standing. Grape juice is available.
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Worship with Holy Communion
(Current Season)
Regular Worship
(September - May)
Sundays - In Person and
Live-Streamed
9:30 am
Summer Worship
(June - August)
Sundays - In Person and
Live-Streamed
9:30 am
Interested in making your own communion bread just like we use at church for the coming services? Click the yellow button to view/download the recipe from Jane Nelson.
Children in Church
Children in Church: At Family of God, as Jesus did, we welcome children of all ages as integral members of the body of Christ, and we welcome the sounds and activity that accompany them! There are a number of spaces and activities designed for children to experience and participate in worship according to their needs (see reverse); we trust families to work out the best option(s) for them and their child(ren) on any given day. We also understand that it takes a village to raise a child. A few tips for engaging families with small children include:
- Greeting/learning the names of the young children who sit near you in worship.
- Offering to read or color with one child during worship, especially if another child in the family is especially fussy or upset.
- Helping preschoolers and elementary-aged kids to navigate the liturgy, locate the hymns, etc. (Children learn to worship by participating!)
- Inviting kids to serve alongside you in worship, as greeters, ushers, etc.
- Recognizing that certain conditions or disabilities don’t present physically, and some children (and adults) may make noises or act in ways that seem strange or upsetting, but are perfectly normal for their situation.
- Celebrating that God put the wiggle in children, and that children’s “mode of being” in worship is intrinsically more vocal and more physical than that of adults.
Busy Bags:
Located in the back of the sanctuary, these bags contains books, crayons, toys, figures, and other things to keep little hands busy and occupied. Children’s Bibles and Bible Story coloring sheets are also available, near the busy bags, and Scribble cards are located in the pew racks.
Family of God Sunday School:
See CYF/Sunday School pages. FOG students (3 years olds - 5th grade) worship with their families through the children’s sermon, then attend FOG Sunday School classes through the end of the service.
Nursery: If your little one simply needs a break, a nursery is staffed through every Sunday worship service for children from birth to 3 years of age.
*In order to comply with Family of God’s Child Policy, parents and guardians are asked to pick up their own children from both the nursery and FOG classrooms rather then, for example, allowing one parent to pick up children from two families. Thanks for understanding.