2025 Waterloo Zone Spring Gathering/Prayer Service
Date: March 8, 2025
Place: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Reinbeck
Theme: Acts – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication
St. John’s Lutheran Church (Reinbeck) hosted the Waterloo Zone Prayer Service and Spring Gathering on February 8th, 2025. Reverend Kevin Richter led the service offering the ACTS prayer model as one way to offer prayers to God.
A: Adoration/Address
C: Confession
T: Thanksgiving
S: Supplication
Following the service, participants formed small groups and practiced the ACTS prayer model.
The Spring Gathering followed with the convention skit and a presentation by Jennifer Detterman on hope for the Destitute. Hope for the Destitute is a nonprofit organization in Kisumu, Kenya, that provides educational support for orphaned children and shelter for needy widows.
In 2021, Pastor Bishop Omolo, who is the Arch Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (they are in table fellowship with LCMS) and the Director of Hope for the Destitute, visited Immanuel Church, Cedar Falls and shared a bit about himself. He grew up an orphan in Kenya and struggled to receive an education. They don’t have public schools in Kenya so education is not free, therefore, many low-income families cannot afford to send their children to school. Pastor Omolo shared that his dream was to someday start a school for orphans and he did. In November of 2021, Hope Academy reached out to Immanuel and asked for help to purchase desks for their school so we had a door offering and raised money to buy 92 desks for their school. As their school continued to grow, they started plans for a new brick and mortar school with a dormitory for the kids. In 2023 Immanuel raised over $7,000 to help them lay the foundation for their new school. Today, that school is still under construction and still growing. They have over 230 students in kindergarten through 9th grade there. The school provides a safe place for children to learn and live, they have sleeping dorms and healthy meals for the children. They have chapel every day and the children are learning about our Lord and Savior.
This summer Immanuel Lutheran Church in partnership with St. John’s Reinbeck is sending a group of 17 adults to Kenya, Africa, on a mission trip to support Hope for the Destitute. An ingathering offering was collected to support gifts that will be given to the children.
2024 Waterloo Zone Prayer Service and Spring Gathering
LWML Prayer Service
The Waterloo Zone Prayer Service was held on Saturday March 13 at St. John Lutheran Church in Reinbeck hosted by the Dorcas Society. Pastor Kevin Richter of St John, Reinbeck lead the service. The theme was Praying WITH others. 20 LWMLler’s , 2 pastors and one vicar attended. We were also honored to have 4 LWMLer’s from the Marshalltown Zone join us for the morning. Due to Covid 19 a brunch was not served but the ladies of Dorcas ladies gave everyone attending a little take home goodie bag. You may view the service by going to St John Reinbeck Worship and click on Saturday March 13 LWML Prayer Service.
Pictured are the 2020 Graduates of Valley Lutheran School in Cedar Falls with their Fleece Tie blankets made by members of the Waterloo Zone LWML. The blankets were given to the graduates on their Graduation Day on June 20, 2020. The Waterloo Zone has been making Fleece Tie Blankets for the Valley Lutheran Graduates for the last 6 years. The ladies enjoy getting together and working on this project. During the Covid-19 we were not able to gather to work on them like we normally do but by the Grace of God we were able to complete all 11 blankets in time for their graduation.