Outdoor worship will begin on Sunday, May 24 and continue every other Sunday throughout the summer, weather permitting. Check the website "This Week At FOG" or our Facebook page for updates or changes to the worship schedule.
Next outdoor worship is August 16, 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
August 2026 Newsletter
Like last year, some of our days and evenings have been marred by unsafe and polluted air. The smoke from Canadian wildfires has blown in from the north, making it unsafe to be outside. In 2023, over 45 million acres had been charred-an area larger than England! Last year the wildfires were the second worse on record. Extreme drought and heat made the conditions ripe for these gigantic fires.
This year, the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota has been closed for the last week and more weeks to come. The unforgettable landscape of northern Minnesota will change from that of a coniferous forest to a deciduous forest, complete with oak and maple trees. Gone will be the magnificent pines trees. The forests we remember will be gone, never for us to see again. It should be noted that these changes can naturally happen over time without the effect of human intrusion.
The Boundary Waters hold many memories for me. Of course I remember the gorgeous evenings with the fading sun sparkling over the bluest water. The loons, the trees, the rocks all work together in this kind of perfect harmony. I remember coming upon a campsite that was entirely covered by pine needles for hundreds of yards inland. Or a campsite on an island with its own safe harbor and swimming hole, made entirely from centuries of northwestern waves. Or a windy day where the whitecaps kept striking the bow of the canoe and splashing over it. I learned there was nothing to do but keep paddling. And then there was the time in high school we had to portage our canoes and gear for over one and a half miles in one fell swoop. If not for our guide, who double packed and carried a canoe off of his shoulders while he trotted down the path, my bones would be bleaching in the sun along the side of the Jap Portage.
Thanks be to God for the wonders of creation. May we be reminded that we are not consumers of this world, but stewards. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors—we borrow it from our children.
A Message From Pastor Erin
August 2026 Newsletter
Greetings to everyone at Family of God
I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news first: we are all going to die. The good news? Churches like our own are uniquely well-equipped to help each of us reckon with that reality.
From July to September, we are hosting a series of classes on the subject of grief, dying, and death. Regarding the "dying and death" part: we'll be hosting three adult education classes with experts who know quite a bit about this topic. First up is Rebecca Bell, who owns her own law firm, rbLEGAL. She walks with people who are making decisions about their own deaths, including what comes afterward (in a material sense). She'll demystify intimidating legal terms, give us tools to make end-of-life decisions, and likely bring up subjects we never thought to consider.
Our other two classroom-style sessions are with Sue Arens and me. Sue is a member of our congregation. She joined right around the same time I started here. What you may not know about her is that she's a retired ELCA deacon and a registered nurse on top of it. That's a hugely helpful array of knowledge! Currently, she's using those skills to assist with funeral services here at FOG. She will also be teaching a session on the medical elements of death and dying. Our bodies are intensely personal and Sue will help us learn about the choices we may have-as well as how to articulate our wishes.
The other class will be led by none other than yours truly. I estimate that I've done 70-100 funerals and memorial services over the years. With the "church stuff,” it's not always clear why we do things the way we do them. Some parts of funerals are traditional for a reason. Other parts are surprisingly flexible. We'll talk not just about the ritual element but also theological approaches to death.
For the rest of this series, we will be using a Bible study called "The Grief Lectionary" by Rev. Collette Broady- Grund. She's a Lutheran pastor in Janesville, Wisconsin and the author of this six-part study. The focus is not limited to grief associated with death. Grief comes from many difficult transitions in life: the loss of a career, a relationship, mobility and independence, a hope for the future. Grief encompasses so many emotions in addition to sadness. We'll dig into those with the help of scripture readings.
There's no cost to join but we will be gratefully accepting a free will offering to offset the costs of the class. The class will meet after worship from 11AM to noon at church. If you're interested in one particular session, you're welcome to attend on only that date. If you want the full experience, we will be glad to have you with us every week! Friends are always welcome to join. If the subject matter isn't for you... well, we always have our roller skating outing on August 20 instead!
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.