Category: News

3/25/24

Happening at The Rock, March 8, 2024

Lincoln Lutheran has earned their way to the state championship game tomorrow at 4:15 against Amherst. Help them pack the Pinnacle Bank Arena and cheer on the Warriors to victory!

At 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the workers installing the new roof at The Rock noticed smoke and called 911. The Seward fire department responded immediately, locating and extinguishing the source of the smoke. The building did not sustain any smoke or water damage, and has been approved for regular use. The roofing company resumed their work with no interruption. We are thankful for the fast response from the Seward police and fire departments.

We are excited that work is being done on our roof. During the week, please enter the building through the north entrance. The south entrance will still be open on Sundays. There may be limited space in the main parking lot until the work is complete.

Plan your meals now for March 11. Dine in or carry out lunch or dinner (or both!) at La Carreta and help support The Rock’s Guatemala Mission Team.

The women’s Bible study group is starting a new, short Sunday morning study. The group will meet at The Rock from 8:30-9:45 a.m. on March 17, March 24 and finish the book on April 7. They will read The Case for Easter (a 3 chapter book) which is an excerpt from Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ. Be encouraged to invite friends! This is for all females, high school age and up. Get the book here. Please try to get your own copy of the book, or contact Andrea Sloup if you cannot. You can contact Andrea with any questions and to let her know you’ll be attending at [email protected] 

 News from the Nicodemus Comfort Dog team: Greetings with Peace and the Grace of our Lord from the Nicodemus Comfort Dog Team.  

The Ministry has been operating without a Back-up Caregiver that is supposed to be in place with this Ministry. The Back-up Caregiver is in place to give needed time off to the Primary Caregiver, which has been Randy and Marcia Newsome for the last 6 ½ years.  

Recent events have made it very clear to Randy and Marcia that a Back-up Caregiver is very necessary for the forward motion of the Team’s service to our community and to our own church. The role of the Back-up Caregiver is the same as the Primary Caregiver, only a much shorter time commitment. The Back-up Caregiver cares for the needs of Nico, getting him ready to go out to service when Randy and Marcia have scheduled time off. The Nico fund would set up that person or family with all needed supplies and training as to Nico’s verbal and house commands. 

The Back-up Caregiver does NOT have to be a member of the Rock Church or even a Lutheran, but must be a follower of Jesus. Policy from the Lutheran Church Charities (LCC), the head of the Comfort Dog Ministry who set the rules and commands for all the Comfort Dogs across the U.S.A., has changed.  Another pet within the Back-up Caregiver home is allowed but still not preferred.  

What the Nico Team is asking is that you sit with our Lord in prayer, to ask for a name that might be a possibility for a Back-up Caregiver for our Ministry. Please get that name with contact information to one of Nico’s Team members or one of the Rock’s leadership members, or submit it to our church office. Thank you for your prayers and help.

Let’s help send our youth to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans next July! Join us before the service this Sunday, March 31 for our annual Easter breakfast. Starting at 9:00, our youth will be serving a breakfast of eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and fruit. No tickets are required, but your generous donations are appreciated as they raise funds for their trip to the National Youth Gathering.

The men of The Rock, young and old, are invited to Peace Lutheran Church in Grand Island for Man Feast 2024. Come for amazing ribs, inspiring music, and join over 500 men as you listen to guest speaker, Darin Kinder of Valiant Ministries. Tickets: $25; April 7 @ 5:30pm (Doors open at 5:00) Register here.

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Nebraska District College Scholarship was developed to encourage college students in the Nebraska District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) to pursue their educational goals.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA or current full-time post-secondary student at an accredited institution with at least one year of courses remaining and a minimum 2.5 GPA. Applicants must also be a member of a congregation belonging to the Nebraska District LCMS.

Applications close April 14, 2024. Winners will be announced on May 6, 2024. Learn more and complete your application at lcef.org/nebraskascholarship.

Remember to Designate Your Thrivent Choice Dollars by March 31! Thrivent investors should act now to designate their Thrivent Choice Dollars before the March 31 deadline. We are grateful for all who designate these funds to The Rock each year.

Faith Partners Team at The Rock: We are exploring the formation of a team to minister to individuals with addiction and mental health issues. Can you help? All ages are needed. An informational meeting will be held March 13 at 7:30.

Our March item for the Blue Valley food pantry is peanut butter. We’ll collect paper towels in April. Thanks for being a blessing to the community in this way. You can see our Blue Valley Pantry item schedule on our website. Year-round they also collect the following: pasta, pasta meal mixes, instant potato side dishes, and mashed potatoes. 

YogaFaith News: Visit their Facebook page for a full calendar and more information. 

• Online Sonrise stretch class – available every Monday –   3/11, 3/18, 3/25 (Sara teaches all Sonrise classes)  – Sign up for this class on Sign Up Genius.  NO CLASS ON 4/1
• All-Level Tuesdays at 5:30 pm at The Rock –   3/12 (Erika), 3/19 (Sara), 3/26 (Erika)  
• All-Level Thursdays at 5:30 pm at The Rock – 3/7 (Sara), 3/14 (Sara), 3/21 (Erika), 3/28 (Sara)
• Restorative YogaFaith from 7:00-8:00 pm at The Rock –  3/10 (Erika), 3/17 (Sara), 3/24 (Erika)  No class on 3/31.  *PLEASE SIGN UP IN ADVANCE PLEASE. 

Contact Connie Butler, our administrative assistant, at [email protected] or by calling the church office at 402-643-6624. She is available Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1-5 p.m.

Our Website | https://www.therockseward.org/
Giving while at home | https://www.therockseward.org/giving-at-the-rock/
Minutes from leadership meetings | CLICK HERE
Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/therockseward
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRockSewardNebraska
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/therockseward
Contact Us | [email protected]
Prayer Requests | [email protected]
Mail | PO Box 199, Seward, NE 68434

Prayer requests are received by our prayer warriors. If you would like them kept confidential and not included in public prayers on Sundays, just let us know in your email.

At 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the workers installing the new roof at The Rock noticed smoke and called 911. The Seward fire department responded immediately, locating and extinguishing the source of the smoke. The building did not sustain any smoke or water damage, and has been approved for regular use. The roofing company will resume their work tomorrow with no interruption. We are thankful for the fast response from the Seward police and fire departments.

If we have any further information to share, we will send another update on Friday.

Happening at The Rock, 3/6/24

We are excited that work is being done on our roof. During the week, please enter the building through the north entrance. The south entrance will still be open on Sundays. There may be limited space in the main parking lot until the work is complete.

Plan your meals now for March 11. Dine in or carry out lunch or dinner (or both!) at La Carreta and help support The Rock’s Guatemala Mission Team.

The women’s Bible study group is starting a new, short Sunday morning study. The group will meet at The Rock from 8:30-9:45 a.m. on March 17, March 24 and finish the book on April 7. They will read The Case for Easter (a 3 chapter book) which is an excerpt from Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ. Be encouraged to invite friends! This is for all females, high school age and up. Get the book here. Please try to get your own copy of the book, or contact Andrea Sloup if you cannot. You can contact Andrea with any questions and to let her know you’ll be attending at [email protected] 

 News from the Nicodemus Comfort Dog team: Greetings with Peace and the Grace of our Lord from the Nicodemus Comfort Dog Team.  

The Ministry has been operating without a Back-up Caregiver that is supposed to be in place with this Ministry. The Back-up Caregiver is in place to give needed time off to the Primary Caregiver, which has been Randy and Marcia Newsome for the last 6 ½ years.  

Recent events have made it very clear to Randy and Marcia that a Back-up Caregiver is very necessary for the forward motion of the Team’s service to our community and to our own church. The role of the Back-up Caregiver is the same as the Primary Caregiver, only a much shorter time commitment. The Back-up Caregiver cares for the needs of Nico, getting him ready to go out to service when Randy and Marcia have scheduled time off. The Nico fund would set up that person or family with all needed supplies and training as to Nico’s verbal and house commands. 

The Back-up Caregiver does NOT have to be a member of the Rock Church or even a Lutheran, but must be a follower of Jesus. Policy from the Lutheran Church Charities (LCC), the head of the Comfort Dog Ministry who set the rules and commands for all the Comfort Dogs across the U.S.A., has changed.  Another pet within the Back-up Caregiver home is allowed but still not preferred.  

What the Nico Team is asking is that you sit with our Lord in prayer, to ask for a name that might be a possibility for a Back-up Caregiver for our Ministry. Please get that name with contact information to one of Nico’s Team members or one of the Rock’s leadership members, or submit it to our church office. Thank you for your prayers and help.

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Nebraska District College Scholarship was developed to encourage college students in the Nebraska District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) to pursue their educational goals.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA or current full-time post-secondary student at an accredited institution with at least one year of courses remaining and a minimum 2.5 GPA. Applicants must also be a member of a congregation belonging to the Nebraska District LCMS.

Applications close April 14, 2024. Winners will be announced on May 6, 2024. Learn more and complete your application at lcef.org/nebraskascholarship.

Remember to Designate Your Thrivent Choice Dollars by March 31! Thrivent investors should act now to designate their Thrivent Choice Dollars before the March 31 deadline. We are grateful for all who designate these funds to The Rock each year.

Faith Partners Team at The Rock: We are exploring the formation of a team to minister to individuals with addiction and mental health issues. Can you help? All ages are needed. An informational meeting will be held March 13 at 7:30.

Our March item for the Blue Valley food pantry is peanut butter. If you still have soup from February, continue to bring that in this Sunday. Thanks for being a blessing to the community in this way. You can see our Blue Valley Pantry item schedule on our website. Year-round they also collect the following: pasta, pasta meal mixes, instant potato side dishes, and mashed potatoes. 

YogaFaith News: Visit their Facebook page for a full calendar and more information. 

Class Schedule:

• Online Sonrise stretch class – available every Monday –   3/11, 3/18, 3/25 (Sara teaches all Sonrise classes)  – Sign up for this class on Sign Up Genius.  NO CLASS ON 4/1
• All-Level Tuesdays at 5:30 pm at The Rock –   3/12 (Erika), 3/19 (Sara), 3/26 (Erika)  
• All-Level Thursdays at 5:30 pm at The Rock – 3/7 (Sara), 3/14 (Sara), 3/21 (Erika), 3/28 (Sara)
• Restorative YogaFaith from 7:00-8:00 pm at The Rock –  3/10 (Erika), 3/17 (Sara), 3/24 (Erika)  No class on 3/31.  *PLEASE SIGN UP IN ADVANCE PLEASE. 

Payment info:

• Monthly Unlimited Class Pass – $65.00 (expires at the end of each calendar month) – Take as many classes as you like during the month for one price.
• 5-Class Pass – $35.00 (each pass will expire if not used within 6 months of purchase)
• Regular Walk-in classes are $8.00.
• Both Sara and Erika now have Venmo for your convenience! We also take checks made payable to “Sara Moll YogaFaith-Seward” or “Erika Rolf Gracefull Yoga”.

Minutes from the Ambassadors’ and Directors’ meetings can be found HERE. 

Contact Connie Butler, our administrative assistant, at [email protected] or by calling the church office at 402-643-6624. She is available Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1-5 p.m.

Our Website | https://www.therockseward.org/
Giving while at home | https://www.therockseward.org/giving-at-the-rock/
Minutes from leadership meetings | CLICK HERE
Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/therockseward 
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRockSewardNebraska
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/therockseward
Contact Us | [email protected]
Prayer Requests | [email protected]
Mail | PO Box 199, Seward, NE 68434

Prayer requests are received by our prayer warriors. If you would like them kept confidential and not included in public prayers on Sundays, just let us know in your email.

Happening at The Rock, 2/28/24

It is now time to determine our next steps in the search for our next pastor. Please plan to attend a special voter’s meeting that will be held at 7:00 p.m. TOMORROW (Thursday, February 29), in the worship center at the Rock. The call committee has met to review our options and prepare information and recommendations to present at the meeting. One possibility is to ask that a pastor graduating from the seminary be placed at the Rock. The deadline to make that application is March 1, 2024, which is why it is important to have a voter’s meeting soon. Between now and the meeting, please pray for the work of the call committee and for God’s clear guidance for the Rock.  If you have any questions, please contact a member of the Call Committee: Ross Briggs, Emma Dannehl, Jake Eckles, Marcus Gubanyi, Tim Moll, Matt Myers, Brenda Reif, Lori Bruns, and Andrea Sloup.

Remember to use the north doors when you arrive for the meeting!

Starting this week, you will see work being done on our roof. During the week, please enter the building through the north entrance. The south entrance will still be open on Sundays. There may be limited space in the main parking lot until the work is complete.

LCMS Connections, a newly launched free matchmaking service for LCMS singles who are seeking a faithful spouse, is now live! LCMS Connections is for marriage-minded confessional Lutheran singles hoping to connect with others like them throughout our Synod. Learn more on their website at https://www.lcms-connections.com/ or contact them by email at [email protected]. 

(While LCMS Connections is organized and managed by Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod laity and clergy, it is not authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the offices of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates.)

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Nebraska District College Scholarship was developed to encourage college students in the Nebraska District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) to pursue their educational goals.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA or current full-time post-secondary student at an accredited institution with at least one year of courses remaining and a minimum 2.5 GPA. Applicants must also be a member of a congregation belonging to the Nebraska District LCMS.

Applications close April 14, 2024. Winners will be announced on May 6, 2024. Learn more and complete your application at lcef.org/nebraskascholarship.

Plan your meals now for March 11. Dine in or carry out lunch or dinner (or both!) at La Carreta and help support The Rock’s Guatemala Mission Team. 

Remember to Designate Your Thrivent Choice Dollars by March 31! Thrivent investors should act now to designate their Thrivent Choice Dollars before the March 31 deadline. We are grateful for all who designate these funds to The Rock each year.

Faith Partners Team at The Rock: We are exploring the formation of a team to minister to individuals with addiction and mental health issues. Can you help? All ages are needed. An informational meeting will be held March 13 at 7:30.

Our March item for the Blue Valley food pantry is peanut butter. If you still have soup from February, continue to bring that in this Sunday. Thanks for being a blessing to the community in this way. You can see our Blue Valley Pantry item schedule on our website. Year-round they also collect the following: pasta, pasta meal mixes, instant potato side dishes, and mashed potatoes. 

YogaFaith News:

Visit their Facebook page for a full calendar and more information. 

Class Schedule:

• Monday Sonrise 8:00 am- 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29
• Tuesday All Level 5:30 pm – 1/2, 1/9/, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30
• No classes on Thursday
• No CUNE Classes
• Sunday Restorative 7:00 pm – 1/14, 1/21, 1/28

Minutes from the Ambassadors’ and Directors’ meetings can be found HERE. 

Minutes for the January Directors’ meeting are available here now.

Contact Connie Butler, our administrative assistant, at [email protected] or by calling the church office at 402-643-6624. She is available Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1-5 p.m.

Our Website | https://www.therockseward.org/
Giving while at home | https://www.therockseward.org/giving-at-the-rock/
Minutes from leadership meetings | CLICK HERE
Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/therockseward 
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRockSewardNebraska
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/therockseward
Contact Us | [email protected]
Prayer Requests | [email protected]
Mail | PO Box 199, Seward, NE 68434

Prayer requests are received by our prayer warriors. If you would like them kept confidential and not included in public prayers on Sundays, just let us know in your email.

Sunday, February 18, 2024

We were notified on Friday (2/16) by Pastor Doug Slavens that he is declining our call to serve as the next Pastor of the Rock. Please pray for Pastor Slavens and our brothers and sisters at Memorial Lutheran in Sioux Falls that God would bless his continued ministry there. It is now time to determine our next steps in the search for our next pastor. Please plan to attend a special voter’s meeting that will be held at 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 29, 2024, in the worship center at the Rock. The call committee will be meeting this week to review our options and prepare information and recommendations to present at the meeting. One possibility is to ask that a pastor graduating from the seminary be placed at the Rock. The deadline to make that application is March 1, 2024, which is why it is important to have a voter’s meeting soon. Between now and the meeting, please pray for the work of the call committee and for God’s clear guidance for the Rock.  If you have any questions, please contact a member of the Call Committee: Ross Briggs, Emma Dannehl, Jake Eckles, Marcus Gubanyi, Tim Moll, Matt Myers, Brenda Reif, Lori Bruns, and Andrea Sloup.

Happening at The Rock, 2/14/24

Pastor Loeschen’s birthday is Saturday, February 24. Remember to pray for him and wish him a happy birthday!

Are you curious about the new Christian high school that began this fall as an institute of Concordia University?  Do you like pizza?  If you answered yes to both of these questions, join Trinity Academy Headmaster Dr. Gabe Haley after worship this Sunday, February 18. The information session will be held in The Rock Café and pizza will be available for attendees.

Free Resource for Families: Conversation Starters for Mealtimes

Who’s your best friend? What is your favorite Bible verse? What do you think it means to have courage? These questions and more, written especially for families to use as conversation starters at mealtimes.

Download a free pack of conversation cards for your family to use at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table to add some excitement to your normal mealtime conversations and “mix up” the kinds of things your family talks about with one another. Martin Luther and his family understood well the importance of welcoming others into their home for lively conversation around a shared meal at the table. Some of these conversations were even recorded by hand and compiled into a collection of writings that are now known as Luther’s Table Talk. LCMS Family Ministry hopes these resources will help your family continue this tradition of good and lively conversation at the dinner table.

Read more about how to use this resource.

Printable cards available in black and white and in color.

Conversation cards (Color)  //  Conversation cards (B&W)

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Nebraska District College Scholarship was developed to encourage college students in the Nebraska District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) to pursue their educational goals.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA or current full-time post-secondary student at an accredited institution with at least one year of courses remaining and a minimum 2.5 GPA. Applicants must also be a member of a congregation belonging to the Nebraska District LCMS.

Applications close April 14, 2024. Winners will be announced on May 6, 2024. Learn more and complete your application at lcef.org/nebraskascholarship.

Remember to Designate Your Thrivent Choice Dollars by March 31! Thrivent investors should act now to designate their Thrivent Choice Dollars before the March 31 deadline. We are grateful for all who designate these funds to The Rock each year.

Continue to pray for the call process. We have issued a call to Rev. Doug Slavens, and he and his family are prayerfully considering the call. Rev. Slavens wrote the following in his acknowledgment of the call:

I am truly honored and humbled to receive this call. In the days ahead I will be in contact with the leaders of your congregation as well as the leaders here at Memorial, in an effort to discern where I can best serve the Lord in His kingdom. I look forward to learning more about your congregation and the ministry that you do in the community of Seward and beyond. In the meantime, I humbly ask for your prayers. Join me, please, in praying for the ministries of both The Rock, and Memorial Lutheran churches, and that the Lord would lead me to a decision that pleases Him.

Our February item for the Blue Valley food pantry is soup. Thanks for being a blessing to the community in this way. You can see our Blue Valley Pantry item schedule on our website. Year-round they also collect the following: pasta, pasta meal mixes, instant potato side dishes, and mashed potatoes. 

Connie Butler has started work as our new administrative assistant. You can contact her at [email protected] or by calling the church office at 402-643-6624. She is available Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1-5 p.m.

YogaFaith News: Visit their Facebook page for a full calendar and more information. 

Class Schedule:

• Monday Sonrise 8:00 am- 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29
• Tuesday All Level 5:30 pm – 1/2, 1/9/, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30
• No classes on Thursday
• No CUNE Classes
• Sunday Restorative 7:00 pm – 1/14, 1/21, 1/28

Minutes from the Ambassadors’ and Directors’ meetings can be found HERE. 

Minutes for the January Directors’ meeting are available here now.

Our Website | https://www.therockseward.org/
Giving while at home | https://www.therockseward.org/giving-at-the-rock/
Minutes from leadership meetings | CLICK HERE
Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/therockseward 
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRockSewardNebraska
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/therockseward
Contact Us | [email protected]
Prayer Requests | [email protected]
Mail | PO Box 199, Seward, NE 68434

Prayer requests are received by our prayer warriors. If you would like them kept confidential and not included in public prayers on Sundays, just let us know in your email.

Happening at The Rock, 2/9/24

Join us this Wednesday, February 14, for our Ash Wednesday dinner and service. We’ll start at 5:30 with a taco dinner in support of the Guatemala mission team. Join us between 5:30-6:30 and drop your freewill offering for this meal in the baskets in the cafe. Then at 6:30 we will have our Ash Wednesday service. We will have communion and the imposition of ashes for those who want it. 

Please note: there will be no Stepping Stones or FaithInk this week.

Continue to pray for the call process. We have issued a call to Rev. Doug Slavens, and he and his family are prayerfully considering the call. Rev. Slavens wrote the following in his acknowledgment of the call:

I am truly honored and humbled to receive this call. In the days ahead I will be in contact with the leaders of your congregation as well as the leaders here at Memorial, in an effort to discern where I can best serve the Lord in His kingdom. I look forward to learning more about your congregation and the ministry that you do in the community of Seward and beyond. In the meantime, I humbly ask for your prayers. Join me, please, in praying for the ministries of both The Rock, and Memorial Lutheran churches, and that the Lord would lead me to a decision that pleases Him.

Our February item for the Blue Valley food pantry is soup. Thanks for being a blessing to the community in this way. You can see our Blue Valley Pantry item schedule on our website. Year-round they also collect the following: pasta, pasta meal mixes, instant potato side dishes, and mashed potatoes. 

Connie Butler has started work as our new administrative assistant. You can contact her at [email protected] or by calling the church office at 402-643-6624. She is available Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1-5 p.m.

YogaFaith Schedule:

Visit their Facebook page for a full calendar and more information. 

Class Schedule:

• Monday Sonrise 8:00 am- 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29
• Tuesday All Level 5:30 pm – 1/2, 1/9/, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30
• No classes on Thursday
• No CUNE Classes
• Sunday Restorative 7:00 pm – 1/14, 1/21, 1/28

Minutes from the Ambassadors’ and Directors’ meetings can be found HERE. 

Our Website | https://www.therockseward.org/
Giving while at home | https://www.therockseward.org/giving-at-the-rock/
Minutes from leadership meetings | CLICK HERE
Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/therockseward 
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRockSewardNebraska
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/therockseward
Contact Us | [email protected]
Prayer Requests | [email protected]
Mail | PO Box 199, Seward, NE 68434

Prayer requests are received by our prayer warriors. If you would like them kept confidential and not included in public prayers on Sundays, just let us know in your email.

Happening at The Rock, 1/18/24

NOTICE OF CALL MEETING: A meeting of the voting members of the Rock will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 21, 2024, in the worship center at the Rock. The purpose of the meeting is to issue a call for a pastor. All are welcome to attend the meeting, but only voting members will be permitted to vote. If you are not a voting member and would like to be, please contact Pastor Loeschen or one of the Ambassadors right away. The call meeting will include the following:  

1. Pastor David Palomaki, the Circuit Visitor for the Seward Circuit of the Nebraska District of the LCMS, will be present with us and will provide an explanation of the call process and other information.
2. A member of the call committee will review the process leading up to the call meeting.
3. The call committee will provide information and recommendations on the candidates on our call list who have indicated they are willing to consider a call.
4. After seeking God’s guidance in prayer, the voting members will vote to extend a call by a written ballot.

After the meeting is concluded, Pastor Palomaki and the Rock leaders will contact the pastor who has been selected and will issue formal call documents for him to consider.  

Please plan to attend this important meeting and please pray earnestly for God’s guidance and blessing as we move through the call process.

The next women’s Bible study will meet on Sunday mornings starting February 4 from 8:30-9:45 a.m. in room 211. It will be a one-month study with meetings on February 4, 11, 18 and 25

Please purchase your own copy of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World to participate in this study. Book available for purchase at ChristianBook.com or Amazon or through Chapters Books

Learn more about the book here. If you are interested in participating in this study or if you have any questions, please contact Andrea Sloup at [email protected].

A men’s Bible study is being held on Saturday mornings, starting January 6 at 7 a.m. in the cafe, focused on The Story by Randy Frazee. Please see Randy Newsome after church to sign up so he can order the books. The price of the books is $10. Coffee and treats will be provided. You can text Randy at 402-641-0138 with questions.

Our Forever Family is growing and it’s time to hold another diaper drive, this time for Baby Monroe, born to Johnny and Nataliy. We’re collecting sizes 2, 3, and 4, any brand, until February 4.. Look for a collection bin in the cafe area.

Anti-Fragile Parenting: Best Practices for Childhood and Youth Mental Health. We all want healthy children. We all desire that our children have strong bodies and minds, deep faith, and healthy relationships. But there are an increasing number of challenges that we face as families that threaten these hopes. Join Our Redeemer, Staplehurst on Wednesday, January 24 at 7 in their gym for a conversation about how we can push back against these forces in our children’s lives, led by Rev. Dr. Justin Hannemann, CEO of GracePoint Institute for Relational Health and Nebraska District executive for Church Worker Care. (More events on this topic will be held later in the year hosted by other congregations in the Nebraska District.)

In February, The Rock will host a Faith Partners Comprehensive Workshop: How Your Congregation Can Play Its Unique Role in Alcohol/Drug and Mental Health Issues. The workshop will be held in two parts:

• Thursday, February 8, 6:00pm to 8:00pm (Registration Requested) This session is a pre-requisite for the training on Saturday. Anyone is welcome to attend this session to learn about the program.
• Saturday, February 10, 9:00am to 4:30pm (Registration Required)
• Registration for these events can be found at THIS LINK.

  A flier to share about this event can be found HERE.

Our January item for the Blue Valley food pantry is soap and shampoo. Thanks for being a blessing to the community in this way. You can see our Blue Valley Pantry item schedule on our website. Year-round they also collect the following: pasta, pasta meal mixes, instant potato side dishes, and mashed potatoes. 

National Youth Gathering – New Orleans, LA – July 19-23, 2025  It is time to start organizing and fundraising for the next NYG! The event is for 14–19-year-old students. (Must be 14 years old at time of the Gathering OR entering his/her 9th grade year at the time of the Gathering). If your student is interested in attending the 2025 NYG, please contact Jen Janousek ([email protected] or 402-499-3512) and be on the lookout for an informational meeting in January. 

We are excited to announce that the Rock Directory is now open. We are asking you to do two very easy things:

1. Follow THIS LINK and check if you are in the directory, and if not, e-mail us and we’ll send you a form to fill out so that we can add you. The password currently is “ForeverFamily” but will change from time to time to protect our information.
2. If you are already in it, go to THIS LINK for instructions on how to setup your login (which we won’t change on you) so that you can update your information and add a photo of your family. (link to Bill’s instructions)

The quality of the directory depends on you updating your information. We’ve gotten several requests for a directory from the Rock Family, and now that it’s available, we hope you will get in, update it and use it.

If you have any questions, contact Bill Schranz at [email protected] or Matt Myers at [email protected]

YogaFaith Schedule:

Visit their Facebook page for a full calendar and more information. 

Classes start up again on January 2nd!  Things will look a little different over the next two months!  Here is a word from Erika… “I have accepted a long- term substitute teaching position for the months of January and February. I will be leaving for Maui on January 1 and will return on March 1. Thank you for understanding as our schedule changes a bit for the 2 months while Sara is the only YogaFaith instructor. I look forward to seeing you in March! Erika.”

Class Schedule:

• Monday Sonrise 8:00 am- 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29
• Tuesday All Level 5:30 pm – 1/2, 1/9/, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30
• No classes on Thursday
• No CUNE Classes
• Sunday Restorative 7:00 pm – 1/14, 1/21, 1/28

Minutes from the Ambassadors’ and Directors’ meetings can be found HERE. 

Our Website | https://www.therockseward.org/
Giving while at home | https://www.therockseward.org/giving-at-the-rock/
Minutes from leadership meetings | CLICK HERE
Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/therockseward 
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRockSewardNebraska
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/therockseward
Contact Us | [email protected]
Prayer Requests | [email protected]
Mail | PO Box 199, Seward, NE 68434

Prayer requests are received by our prayer warriors. If you would like them kept confidential and not included in public prayers on Sundays, just let us know in your email.