June Newsletter 2025
During both World Wars, the city of Halifax in Nova Scotia served as a vital staging area for troops and supplies before traveling to Europe. If you were to look at the harbor on Google Earth, you’d see a fairly significant bottleneck in the waterway (about 1/3 a mile across), limiting ships to two lanes. In December 1917, a French cargo ship (the Mont-Blanc) was kept from entering the Halifax harbor until the following day. The next morning, a series of events led the Mont-Blanc to collide with a Norwegian vessel leaving the harbor at a whopping 1.2 mph. On the surface, this may not seem like a big deal – until you find out that the Mont-Blanc was on its way to France and was loaded with fuel and munitions. The ship caught fire and resulted in the largest man-made explosion in history until the invention of atomic weapons. The blast was felt 130 miles away, destroyed nearby buildings, and blinded the people who were watching the emblazoned ship. The explosion also displaced enough water to expose the harbor floor and create a tsunami in the harbor. The shockwave and following fires resulted in the loss of 2000 people and injury of additional thousands.
This account is incredible, horrifying, and tragic – so why share about it? I believe it’s a profound picture of what happens when we have a trivial attitude towards spiritually significant instructions and disciplines. Compromises in our faith usually don’t start as monumental changes. Such a radical swing in behavior would (hopefully) cause us to repent and return to following Jesus. Instead, our spiritual adversary’s usual tactics brings about our demise by a thousand little cuts instead of one big blow. Maybe you stay silent when you should have spoken a correcting word to your family member. Your general attitude may be influenced by your unbelieving coworkers more than you may think. And who wants to go to church on a perfectly glorious morning when you could see if the fish are biting, or maybe you could just enjoy a slow agenda-free start to the day for once?
Flirting with temptation is dangerous because it takes very little for us to cross the line into sinful behaviors. Just like the slow crash of ships outside Halifax harbor, it may not seem like a big deal at the time. Scripture is clear that such actions bring about sure destruction; Proverbs is full of warnings about avoiding the path of the fool. James speaks of resisting the Devil and his efforts to derail our relationship with God. Peter identifies Satan as a lion who seeks to devour us. More than once do we see Paul instruct Christians to flee from temptation. Rather than seeking confidence in our own abilities and power, we are instructed to hold fast to Jesus Christ – one who was tempted as we are. It is only through Him that we claim any strength and victory over our spiritual adversary. It’s only in His grace and mercy that we can identify how His power is made perfect in our own weaknesses.
Pastor Dan Hurner
Preaching Rotation
Preaching Rotation and Texts….
June 1
9:00 a.m. Tordenskjold (Pr. Mark) II Tim. 2:1-13
9:00 a.m. Kvam ( Pr. Dan) I Timothy 1:1-18 10:30 a.m. Zion/Sarp. ( Pr. Mark) IITim. 2:1-13
June 8
9:00 a.m Tordenskjold (Pr. Dan) II Tim. 2:14-16
900a.m. Kvam (Pr.Mark) II Tim. 3:1-10
10:30 a.m. Zion-Sarps. (Pr. Dan) II Tim.2:14-16
June 15
9:00 a.m. Tordenskjold (Pr. Mark) II Tim.3:1-10
9:00a.m. Kvam (Pr. Dan)IITimothy 2:14-26
10:30 a.m. Zion-Sarps. (Pr. Mark) II Tim. 3:1-10
June 22
9:00 a.m. Tordenskjold (Pr. Dan) II Tim.3:11-17
900 a.m. Kvam (Pr. Mark) II Tim.4:1-22
10:30 a.m. Zion-Sarp. (Pr. Dan) II Tim.3:11-17
June 29
9:00a.m. Tordenskjold(Pr. Mark)IITim.4:1-22
9:00a.m. Kvam (Pr. Dan) IITimothy 3:11-17
10:30a.m. Zion/Sarp. (Pr. Mark)IITim. 4:1-22
_______________________________________
Holy Communion
June1 Zion-Sarpsborg
June 8 Tordenskjold
June 15 Kvam
_________________________________________
June Council Meetings
Tordenskjold June 5 @ 7 p.m.(Deacons 6p.m.)
Zion-Sarp. June 10@ 7p.m. (Deacons 6p.m.)
Kvam June 17 @7:p.m. (Deacons6p.m.)
______________________________________________________
VBS
Mark Your Calendar-Dalton Free Lutheran Vacation Bible School. Kick-off Sunday July 27th, 2025.
Theme for this year is True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World.
Please consider joining our team as there are many roles to fill. There is a sign-up sheet at each church and more information on the back of June calendar. You may also register at dalton freelutheran.org/vbs or contact the church office
Daltonfreelutheran@gmail.com.
_________________________________________
Ministerial Acts
Baptisms
Wrenley Rae Scott, daughter of Maxwell Scott & Taylor Leitch, May 10,2025 (At home).
Isaiah Mark Seland , son of Titus & Amy Seland May11, 2025 Zion/Sarpsborg Church.
Funeral
Darlene Muriel Akerman , May17,2025 Zion- Sarps.
____Annual Conference webpage at aflc.org./about-us/conferences
______________________________________
Bible Studies
June5 - 2:00 p.m. – Zion/Sarp. Ladies Group
Men’s Study
The Young Adult Bible Study will meet on Thursdays at 6:30pm through the summer.
Kvam Prayer Group
This group will be meeting once monthly.
Contact:
Deanna Mounts for dates and time. 218-770-
9304.
______________________________________
Thanks to All Who Serve ………..
A special thank you to all who have served
in so many ways in these last months. We are
grateful that so many of you are using your
gifts in this way. Thanks for teaching Sunday
School, VBS, leading Bible Studies and
Preaching, serving meals, visiting and caring
for others in times of need. Also for caring
for our buildings and grounds and doing so
many things that go unnoticed. God is Good!
___ Parish Softball….. Monday Nights
The new season is underway and we are
currently undefeated! The goal of our team
is to be able to enjoy fellowship, witness to
the love of Christ in our lives and church and
also to have some friendly competition. We
play each Monday night at Delagoon Park
in Fergus Falls. Here is the schedule for the
Upcoming month:
June 2- 6:30 VFW Field - 8:30 Bell Bank
June 9- 6:30 Eagles Field- 7:30 VFW Field
June 15- 6:30 Eagles Field -7:30 Eagles Field
June 23- 6:30 Eagles Field- 7:30 Bell Bank
June 30- 6:30 Bell Bank Field- 7:30 VFW
______________________________________
Anchor News
Anchor will take off for the FLY Convention on Sunday, June 29th from Zion. Our plan is to start loading the bus at 7:30pm, taking off for Colorado at 8pm. All are welcome to the sendoff as we pray over our group. We look forward to seeing how God will be at work during our week in Colorado.
_________________________________________
Congratulations To Our Graduates
Tuyet Vy Bui a graduate of Ashby High School received a quilt at Zion- Sarpsborg on May 18th.
Others receiving quilts will be Danica Asberg and Kaitlynn Finkelson.
________________________________________________________
Daltonfreelutheran.org
Don’t forget to check the parish website for
things that are happening in our churches.
It is easy to navigate and also helpful to keep
up to date.
Services On Line
If you are not able to attend in person or would like to introduce our churches to a friend or neighbor the 9:00a.m. Tordenskjold Service and the Zion/Sarp. Service at 10:30 is available on our YouTube channel. Simply search Dalton Free Lutheran parish and click on the worship service ______________________________________________________________