Newsletter January 2026
“God’s Grace Gifts”
It is good to be back from my sabbatical and back to a regular ministry schedule. Thank you again for the gift of this time! During my time away I am thankful for the meetings that were held to foster more fellowship and intentionality with our ministry and outreach. One of the outcomes from this was the good reminder regarding God’s plan in reaching people with the Gospel by using our spiritual gifts that each believer has been given by God. One of the takeaways from my time away as I worshipped in different settings was to see how easy it can be for people to slip in and out of fellowship with God and each other. We want to be a church with a mission and purpose, “of growing together as Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus Christ.” God has given to each person a grace gift to be used to grow and build up the church. When a believer in Jesus Christ is captured by His love and sacrifice for our sins God put within us a desire to be with God’s people and to serve alongside each other for the building up of the body of Christ for His glory.
In the coming months we will be preaching a series of messages on spiritual gifts as given to us in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and I Peter 4. We would ask that you spend time in the Word of God and time in prayer as you seek to be used by God in the way that He created and designed you. Praise God that He made us all different, with different gifts to make the body of Christ function in the way that it was designed. “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we are many members, and the members do not all have the same, are function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” (Romans 12:3-6a) The verses that follow give a listing of the grace gifts that Paul noted in his letter to the Romans.
Another profound truth regarding spiritual gifts is the fact that they are given by God to be exercised. “Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (I Cor. 12:4-7) Praise God for the variety and creativity with which God gifts people. In noting the repeated use of the word “variety,” there is also a strong emphasis the oneness of the gifts to the glory of God, given by Him for the good of His kingdom!
In Paul’s listing in the book of Ephesians he lists some of the gifts that God has given in church leadership, “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and the teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13) God desires for us to grow to maturity and He uses these gifts to that end. His desire is for each believer to reach maturity, not that we are done learning, but that we are to experience all the fullness that God has to offer.
The last thought that I would like to share is the purpose that God gives as we serve the Lord with our gifts, “that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” I Peter 4:11b). As we consider this, let us also understand that God has given the gift of the local church to see all of these gifts come together! The church is a living organism, birthed and sustained by the Holy Spirit to reach a world that desperately needs a Savior. Let’s join together in praying for revival and a renewed energy to serve in the way God would have us, using our God given grace gift/s to His glory!
Serving Together,
Pastor Mark Johnson
Preaching Rotation
Preaching Rotation and Texts
January 4
9:00 a.m. Tordenskjold (Pr. Dan) “Introduction to Spiritual Gifts” I Cor. 12:8-10
10:30 a.m. ZS (Pr. Mark) “Introduction to Spiritual Gifts” Romans 12:6-8
10:30 a.m. Kvam (Pr. Dan)”Introduction to Spiritual Gifts” I Cor. 12:8-10
January 11
9:00 a.m. Tordenskjold (Pr. Mark) “Introduction to Spiritual Gifts” Romans 12:6-8
10:30 a.m. ZS (Pr. Dan) “Introduction to Spiritual Gifts” I Cor. 12:8-10
10:30 a.m. Kvam (Pr. Mark) “Introduction to Spiritual Gifts” Romans 12:6-8
January 18
9:00 a.m. Tordenskjold (Jacob) “The Gift of Leadership”
10:30 a.m. ZS (Pr. Mark) Ephesians 4, I Peter 4:9-11
10:30 a.m. Kvam (Jacob) “The Gift of Leadership”
January 25
9:00 a.m. Tordenskjold (Pr. Mark) “The Gift of Administration”
10:30 a.m. ZS (Jacob) “The Gift of Leadership”
10:30 a.m. Kvam (Pr. Mark) “The Gift of Administration”
Communion
Zion-Sarpsborg – January 4
Tordenskjold – January 11
Kvam – January 11
Installation of Officers
January 4th at each church
Bible Study Opportunities
The Kvam Prayer Group will begin meeting again
Tuesday Jan. 6th at 10:00 a.m. at the church. They will meet each Tuesday morning.
Zion/Sarps. ladies group will meet February 5th
at 2:00 p.m.There will not be a meeting in January.
Young Women’s study meets each Monday at 5:30p.m. Contact Brita Sonmor for Information
Young Men’s Study meets each Monday at 6:30p.m.
At Calvary Church in FF.
Men’s Study @ Underwood Quick Stop each Tuesday
Morning at 6:45a.m.
Tordenskjold Adult Sunday School, Begins Sunday, January 25.
“The Devil is wildly optimistic if he thinks he can make human beings worse than they are.” Karl Kraus
“Nothing is so easy to denounce, nothing is so difficult to understand.”Augustine on original sin.
“Original sin is the only doctrine that's been empirically validated by 2,000 years of human history.”
GK Chesterton
“We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin.”
C.S Lewis
“Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
King David
“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you will all perish.”
Jesus of Nazareth
Sin; where did it come from, why does it exist, why do we care, can we do anything about it? Let’s take a deep dive into what the Bible says about sin. Adult Sunday School at Tordenskjold starting 18 January and running 8-10 weeks. Ask questions, provide your input and understanding to fellow believers. Follow the encouragement in Hebrew 10:24-25; “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Invite friends and family. Enjoy time with each other over coffee and treats after the Service and before Adult SS starts. Don’t just drop off your kids come on in, learn what theBible says, strengthen your faith and show your kids that learning about Jesus is important at any age. We will wrap up before Easter Festivities Start.
Lay Preaching Workshop
I am excited to share a four week preaching workshop beginning January 14th at 7 p.m. at Zion-Sarpsborg. During this time we will be looking at planning, composing and delivering a message. If you are interested please let us know as we will be ordering a book to assist with the time together. If you have any questions please let us know.
Anchor News
Anchors 3rd Annual Flocking Fundraiser is coming up. People can sign up their family,
friends and neighbors to temporarily host
a flock of plastic flamingos in their yard.
Flamingos will not be placed on public land
and Anchor reserves the right to decline sign up if it is too far away. The fundraiser is open to the community, so feel free to share the opportunity with others. Sign-up sheets will be available soon.
Minsterial Acts
Funerals
Reverend Wendell Johnson, age 92
Salem Lutheran. Church, Dalbo, MN. Nov.12, 2025
Shirley Leuthard , age 91
Graveside Service, Wendell, MN. Nov.24, 2025
Candace Bugbee, age 77
Olson Funeral Home- November 21, 2025
Thomas Warga, age 69
Zion/Sarpsborg, December 9,2025
Marriages
Jackson Finkelson & Talia Nelson
October 18,2025, Moorhead, MN.
Baptism
Emelia Rae Skibness
Tordenskjold, Dec. 21,2025
Parents-Austin and Haley Skibness
Parish Christmas Party
Thank you to all who made and served the meal, to all who decorated so beautifully and all that participated and helped with the program.
Thank You from the Hurner Family…
“Happy New Year from our family to yours! We
are grateful and wish to say thank you for your
well-wishes, Christmas greetings, generosity and notes to our family. May God continue to strengthen our fellowship and bless our spiritual growth this coming year.”
Thank You from the Johnson Family….
“We are very grateful for the kind gifts shared with our family from our congregations and individuals. We are thankful for each one of you and for your partnership in the Gospel! Let’s pray that God would richly bless the upcoming year of ministry!”
HAPPY NEW YEAR!