American Lutheran Church

Gaylord, Minnesota

October, 2026 Newsletter

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart”

I’m preaching a Sermon Series this fall called “The Wisdom of Proverbs.”  We are looking at 11 well-known proverbs. 
What do they mean?  How can we apply them to our lives today?

A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a basic truth or give some practical advice. It’s based on common sense and life experience. 
Examples of modern proverbs would be:        Too many cooks spoil the broth.  Better late than never.  A fool and his money are soon parted.  

The Book of Proverbs is about wisdom.  Wisdom on a variety of topics, including our relationship with God, marriage, raising children, friendship,
work, money, and self-control. Many different people wrote the proverbs, but at least some are attributed to King Solomon.  Makes sense.
Solomon was known for his wisdom and the Book of Proverbs is about wisdom.

On Sunday, September 20, I preached on Proverbs 3:5, which is, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.” 
Let’s dig deeper into the two phrases.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

What does it mean to trust in the Lord?  Consider a trusting relationship with a spouse or a close friend?  We are confident and secure in the relationship. 
We know they will be there for us when we need them.  They have our back.  They will stand beside us when we go through tough times.  
Those things are also true in a trusting relationship with God.

Sometimes we are willing to trust God, but we put conditions on our trust.  I will trust God…

If the report comes back negative.  If I get the job.  If my child is ok.  If we win the big game. But putting conditions on trust isn’t really trust at all. 
We are to trust God without conditions.  We can do that because God is faithful and God keeps his promises. 
In the Bible God promises to love us, to forgive us, and to always be with us.

Do not rely on your own insight.

We may prefer to rely on our own insight and depend on our own understanding.  That’s human nature.
We want to control our futures, fix our own problems, and rely on our own ideas and plans. We may want to trust God, but find it difficult to do. 
We can only see what’s in front of us. We can’t see beyond the moment, beyond the pain or trouble. 

When life gets hard because of illness, grief, or doubt, the illusion of control shatters and exposes our limited control of things. 
When you face a major life decision or a scary diagnosis- trust God. That’s no guarantee that you will make the right decision or get the preferred diagnosis. 
But it does mean that God will be with you.  He will see you through and give you the strength and courage you need to cope, persevere, and overcome.

Ask yourself:  When have I trusted God?  What were the circumstances happening in my life?  How was I able to trust?  Was it easy or hard? 
How did God help and guide me through it?  How did I grow in my faith? 

As you let go of always wanting to be in control, as you pray for grace and faith, and as you put your faith into practice, you will find more and more
that you really can trust in the Lord!

+ Pastor Paul Kratzke

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Psalm 122:1

Worship Services

Worship Services will be held on Sundays at 9:30 AM in October. 
Holy Communion will be served on the first and third Sundays of the month. 
We will continue to stream our services through the Facebook Live app for people wanting to worship from home.
We will also upload the services to our Facebook Page so people can watch them at a later time.      

Schedule of Musicians

Here is the schedule of Musicians/Singers for the months of July and August.

Sunday, October 4- Patty will play the piano. Holy Communion will be served.

Sunday, October 11- Vicki will play her guitar and the Praise Team will sing. 

Sunday, October 18- Patty will play the piano. Holy Communion will be served.

Sunday, October 25- Patty will play the piano and the Men’s Group will sing.

Fall Sermon Series “The Wisdom of Proverbs”

Sermon Topics

Pastor Paul is planning to preach a Sermon Series this fall called “The Wisdom of Proverbs.”             
Each week we will look at a well-known proverb from the Book of Proverbs.
We will explore three questions: What is the proverb?  What does it mean?  How can we apply it to our lives of faith today. 

See the schedule of dates and topics below. 

Sunday, September 6- Lectionary Text from Matthew
Sunday, September 13- Proverbs 1:7  Wisdom
Sunday, September 20- Proverbs 3:5  Trust
      “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

Sunday, September 27- Proverbs 14:12  Deception

Sunday, October 4- Proverbs 15:1  Speech
Sunday, October 11- Proverbs 16:18  Humility 
Sunday, October 18- Proverbs 17:22  Cheerful Heart
Sunday, October 25- Proverbs 18:24  Friendship

Sunday, November 1- Proverbs 22:1  Character
Sunday, November 8- Proverbs 22:6  Raising Children
Sunday, November 15- Proverbs 27:17  Relationships
Sunday, November 22- Proverbs 31:10  Spouse

Sunday School

Sunday School for students in preschool through seventh grade will be held on Sundays from 8:30-9:20 AM. 
Kids gather in the fellowship hall for music with Connie and then meet with Krystal (preschool-second grade) and Tami (third-seventh grade)
for a lesson and craft in Sunday School rooms. The focus this fall is major themes of the Bible.

Confirmation Class

The first and second year Confirmation Classes are meeting together this year. Kori is a sixth grader and Emmitt is a seventh grader.
The class meets on Wednesdays from 3:45-4:30 PM in the Friendship Room. Students are studying the basics of the Christian faith.      

Video/Bible Study

The Video/Bible Study called “The Holy Spirit: An Introduction” by John Bevere will continue to meet on Tuesdays at 5:00 PM. 
In this six-session study, people will learn about the Holy Spirit and how the Spirit works in our lives. Vicki is leading the study. 

Deb Hadley Presentation

Deb Hadley, an inspirational speaker and author from Alexandria, will speak at church on Wednesday, October 7. 
The theme of her talk is “From Broken to Blessed: God’s Purpose in our Pain.”
There will be supper at 6:00 PM, the presentation will be from 6:30-7:30 PM, and social time/fellowship will be at 7:30 PM. 
This event is sponsored by the Prayer Shawl group of American Lutheran Church and is free to the public- all are welcome! 
Join us for an evening of inspiration, hope, and connection. 

Deb will share her journey of finding hope and faith after profound loss, helping others discover God’s purpose in their pain. 
Through her powerful and heartfelt message, she reminds us that even in our most broken moments,
we are never alone and that God can bring beauty from struggles.  

Ninth Grade Class

The Ninth Grade Confirmation Class will meet on Wednesday, October 7 at 5:30 PM. Our theme this year is “Connecting with God.”
Each month, students will focus on a different way that we can connect with God and grow in our faith. 
In the month of October, the class will attend the presentation by Deb Hadley on grief and hope. 

WELCA Fall Gathering

The Fall Gathering of the Minnesota Valley Conference Women of the ELCA will be held on Saturday, October 10 at
Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Gaylord.  Registration is at 11:30 AM- with lunch at 12:00 PM.  The cost is $12.00. 
The theme is “Let Us Build A House” and the program features Steve Albrecht from Habitat for Humanity.
See the flyer on the bulletin board or talk to Ann Fenske for more information. 

New Member Reception Sunday, October 11

New Member Sunday

There will be a New Member Reception on Sunday, October 11. 
If you, or someone you know, may be interested in joining American Lutheran Church, please talk to Pastor Paul.        
A New Member Class will be scheduled as needed. 

Baptism Services

Remi Mae, Hunter Willow, and Rowan Sage, children of Josh and Lexi will be Baptized on Sunday, October 11.
The family will join the church that day as well.

WELCA Bible Study

The Women of the ELCA will meet on Wednesday, October 14 at 12:30 PM. 
The ladies will continue their three-session Bible Study called “Bold Faith on an Unexpected Journey” by Rev. Tiffany Cheney.
Faith often leads us down paths which we didn’t expect.

Quilting Day

The ladies will have a Quilting Day on Monday, October 19 at 9:00 AM.
In recent months this faithful group of women have provided quilts for children who have been Baptized, young people who have
graduated from high school, and couples who have been married.

Church Council Meeting

The Church Council will meet on Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 PM.  The minutes from the meeting in September are included in this newsletter. 
Copies of a list of projects completed in and around the church since 2020 are on the counter under the mail slots. 
Thank you to all the people who worked on these projects and/or donated money to complete them. 

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!

Reformation Sunday

Reformation Sunday is October 25.  It’s a day to recognize the life of Martin Luther and his reforming work in the Christian Church. 
Reformation Sunday is always the Sunday nearest October 31, since it was on October 31, 1517, that Luther posted the 95 Thesis on the door
of the castle church in Wittenburg, Germany- setting off the Reformation movement in Europe.

Bayside Manor Service

Pastor Paul will lead the service at Bayside Manor on Saturday, October 31 at 10:00 AM in the chapel.
Church members at Bayside are Karen and Don & Gail. 

All Saints Sunday is November 1.

All Saints Sunday

All Saints Sunday is November 1.  It’s a day to remember and give thanks for the Christian saints who have gone before us in death and eternal life. 
During the service we will remember the saints from church who have died since All Saints Sunday last year.
They are Bert, Earl, Jim, Steve, Carole, Ruth, Harold, Charles, and Milton. 
There will also be an opportunity for people to fill out forms so that we can recognize non-member family and friends
(including Bill Walsh whose funeral was at the church) who have died in the last year.  

Grief Support Group

Pastor Paul would like to offer a Grief Support Group at church. 
We have had a number of deaths in the congregation in recent years and people may find it helpful to meet with others who are
dealing with grief to find support and encouragement.  If there is enough interest an initial meeting date will be scheduled and then people
who attend can decide where to go from there.  Please talk to Pastor Paul if you would be interested in this ministry.

Meals on Wheels

Thank you to the volunteers who delivered Meals on Wheels in the month of September. 
They are Vicky, Vicki, Ann, Dale & Kathy, and Bob & Linda.  Thank you to Vicki for coordinating volunteers.

Smoked Pork Chop Dinner

The Smoked Pork Chop Dinner was held on Wednesday, September 2.
Thank you to everyone who helped prepare and serve the dinner, with a special thank you to Missy, Dale & Kathy, and Angela for
coordinating the event. We served 327 meals and sold the remaining 48 chops. The income was $6,237.00; the expenses were $2,361.47;
and there was a profit of $3,875.53.The money will go to the General Fund.

Rally Day

Rally Day was held on Sunday, September 13.  It was the kick-off to our fall church schedule, especially our Christian education programs. 
Sunday School Classes started that morning, the Praise Team helped lead worship, council members served a Pancake Breakfast after
the service, and our Rally Day Program was a visit from Sustainable Safari in Maplewood.   

Funeral

We extend our sympathy to the family and friends of Milton who died on Friday, September 11 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. 
The Funeral Service was on Thursday, September 17 at church, with burial at High Island Cemetery in New Auburn.    

Baptisms

Luca Jeffery, Remi Steven, and Jace William, children of  Hudson & Ashley, were Baptized on Friday, September 18 at church.
The family lives in Fort Eustis, Virgina. Pastor Paul confirmed Ashley in 2010.

Volunteer Work

Thank you to Dale for painting the wooden board and painting the letters on the Church Sign that hangs above the flower bed.

911 Eighth Street PO Box 176

Gaylord, MN 55334

507-237-2428
amlc@rsfiber.net

www.alcgaylord.com

The mission statement of

American Lutheran Church is:

“to help people grow in their faith in Jesus

and to live out their faith in daily life.”