Commentary; Posted: 7/3/02

Hosanna Lutheran expresses thanks

As most of you know, on May 27, Hosanna Lutheran Church in Forest Lake experienced a major fire. The purpose of this letter is to express our most sincere thank you to the Forest Lake area and surrounding communities for their outpouring of support, donations, and prayers following the fire.

We wish to thank each and every one of the firefighters who worked so hard to put out the fire. Thanks to your tireless efforts much of the lower level of our building will be usable again.Ý

We also wish to thank the many area businesses, organizations, school district, and area churches for all of their help and donations.Ý Many of you have come forward to offer various forms of assistance, meeting and office spaces, food, and a large variety of other items.

Your help was volunteered when it was needed and we appreciate all that you have done and continue to do.ÝIt is at times like this that we are especially thankful for our friends and neighbors.Ý

We want the community members who have shown their support and concern through actions and prayers to know how grateful we are for your help. We ask that you continue to pray for our congregation.

Last but not least, we wish to thank our own congregation members for your countless extra efforts and for your patience and understanding.Ý You have exemplified this section of our church song:Ý ìHelp is there, others care in times of need, there is love like a family.î

We have stuck together and supported one another when we needed each other.Ý The sadness that has come to us is brightened by the timely words that were spoken by our Senior Pastor, Michael Sparby, as he headed toward the scene of the fire in the early morning hours on May 27.Ý

He said, ìHosanna is not burning, the building is burning.î

Hosanna will continue to thrive and grow despite this temporary setback and we want the community to know how very grateful we are for all of your efforts of support at this time. We look to the future with trust and hope as we go through our rebuilding process and in the mean time we invite you to worship with us at Lakeside Park on Sunday mornings at 9:30 throughout the summer and also at Century Junior High on Sunday mornings at 10:30.

Our south (Hugo) campus continues to worship at the Rice Lake Park building at 9 a.m. and at Bald Eagle Park at 10:30.

In closing, we would like to borrow some of the text from an old familiar song:Ý ìThe church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.î

The people of Hosanna know God has richly blessed us with a wonderful, caring community. You have all demonstrated this in recent weeks.Ý God bless you all and again Thank You!

The letter was prepared and submitted by the Hosanna Lutheran Church Communications Committee.

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