Sunday, December 27, 2020

Worship for December 27, 2020

Today is the first Sunday after Christmas and the last Sunday of 2020. We remind ourselves of what the Christ-child means for every day of our lives. You can listen to our service in MP3 format or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on Colossians 3:12-17. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 37, "Once Again My Heart Rejoices"
  • 41, "Let All Together Praise Our God"
  • 32, "When Sinners See Their Lost Condition"
  • 17, "God's Own Son Most Holy"

Friday, December 25, 2020

Christmas Eve Service

Merry Christmas! We have posted a recording of our Christmas Eve service, which was the same as our Christmas Day service. You can also read Pastor Arnold's devotions based on Luke 2:1-20 and Luke 2:28-35. The hymns we sang are:

  • 55, "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful"
  • 65, "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
  • 60, "Silent Night! Holy Night"
  • 63, "Angels We Have Heard on High"
  • 61, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
  • 62, "Joy to the World"

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Christmas Services

Because of COVID we will not be able to have a traditional children’s Christmas Eve service. Instead this year the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will be the same so we can keep social distancing. We will play a video of our Sunday School children reciting parts of the Christmas story. There will also be other readings and singing Christmas carols. The Christmas Eve service will be at 6:00 P.M. and the Christmas Day service will be at 9:00 A.M. This is a different situation but the good news of Christmas remains the same: Christ, the Savior, is born!

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Service for December 20, 2020

This Sunday is the fourth and final Sunday in the Advent season. You can listen to the entire service in MP3 format or read Pastor Arnold's sermon based on II Samuel 7:8-16. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 3, "Lift Up Your Heads, You Mighty Gates"
  • 28, "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel"
  • 5, "As Angels Joyed with One Accord"
  • 6, "Come, O Long-Expected Jesus"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos. Please note that they are skipping ahead to lesson 6 because it is the Christmas lesson.

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Service for December 13, 2020

Today is the third Sunday in Advent. You can listen to the service in MP3 format or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on John 1:6-8, 19-28. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 11, "Comfort, Comfort All My People"
  • 14, "Arise, O Christian People"
  • 20, "When All the World Was Cursed"
  • 12, "Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Worship for December 6, 2020

Today is the Second Sunday in Advent. We were reminded that our Savior Jesus will return on the Last Day as the judge of the living and the dead. You can listen to the entire service in MP3 format (41M) or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on II Peter 3:8-14. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 9, "Jesus, Your Church with Longing Eyes"
  • 16, "On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry"
  • 19, "O Lord, How Shall I Meet You"
  • 21, "Hosanna to the Coming Lord"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Worship for November 29, 2020

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, the first Sunday of the new church year. You can listen to today's service in MP3 format (35M). You can also read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on Genesis 6. The hymns we sang are:

  • 1, "The Advent of Our King"
  • 2, "Savior of the Nations, Come"
  • 220, "O'er the Distant Mountains Breaking"
  • 22, "O Savior, Rend the Heavens Wide"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Thanksgiving

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving, thanking God for all of his gifts to us, especially the gift of a Savior! You can listen to the service in MP3 format or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on Psalm 145:15-21. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 612, "Praise to God, Immortal Praise"
  • 609, "We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer"
  • 610, "Now Thank We All Our God"
  • 614, "Sing to the Lord of Harvest"

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Worship for November 22, 2020

Today is the final Sunday of the old church year, Christ the King Sunday. You can listen to the entire service in MP3 format (37M) or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on Matthew 27:27-31. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 351, "Hail, O Once-Despised Jesus"
  • 217, "The Head that Once Was Crowned"
  • 216, "Saints, Behold! The Sight Is Glorious"
  • 219, "Lord, When Your Glory I Shall See"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Worship for November 15

Today we celebrated Saints Triumphant Sunday. You can listen to today's service in MP3 format (42M) or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on I Thessalonians 4:13-18, in PDF format. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 551, "For All the Saints"
  • 206, "Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying"
  • 550, "Behold a Host, Arrayed in White"
  • 555, "For All Your Saints, O Lord"
Pastor Arnold apologizes for starting the recording late. We missed the introduction and first verse of the first hymn.

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Worship for November 8

Today we had a special service with videos from our mission fields around the world. You can view that video below on YouTube. Our thanks to Pastor J.P. Zietlow from Grace in Crivitz and our circuit officers of the Lutheran Women's Missionary Organization (LWMS) for putting this together. May God bless our efforts to spread his Word around the world.

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Worship for Reformation Day, November 1, 2020

Today we celebrated the festival of the Reformation. We thank God for restoring the preaching of his Word in its truth and purity through the Lutheran Reformation. You can listen to the service in MP3 format (42M) or read Pastor Arnold's sermon based on Matthew 10:16-23. The hymns we sang today were:

  • 204, "O God, Our Lord, Your Holy Word"
  • 200, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
  • 199, "In Trembling Hands, Lord God, We Hold"
  • 293, "God's Word Is Our Great Heritage"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Divine Call Received

Pastor Arnold has received a divine call to serve as pastor at St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church in Vassar, MI. Following the service on November 8, there will be a special congregational meeting to discuss this call so he can get your input. If you are unable to attend, you may email him or call him at the parsonage. Pray that God would give him wisdom to make a decision that will be for God's glory and for the good of his church.

Ken Topping Funeral

Today the funeral was conducted for Ken Topping. You can listen to a recording of the service in MP3 format (19M) or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on Psalm 121. The only hymn we sang was 379, "Amazing Grace."

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Worship for October 25, 2020

 Today we were blessed to have our district's Christian Giving Counselor with us, Pastor Thomas Mielke. You can listen to the service in MP3 format (35M). The hymns we sang are:

  • 484, "Brothers, Sisters, Let Us Gladly"
  • 486, "Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us"
  • 488, "Savior, Thy Dying Love"
  • 483, "Lord of All Good"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Worship for October 18, 2020

 You can listen to a recording of today's service in MP3 format (39M). You can also read Pastor Arnold's sermon based on Philippians 3:12-21. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 457, "Fight the Good Fight"
  • 203, "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word"
  • 310, "I Come, O Savior, to Your Table"
  • 319, "On My Heart Imprint Your Image"

Sunday School Videos

Here are the direct links to this week's virtual Sunday School lesson videos:

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Nancy Myslik Funeral

Last week it pleased our Lord to call to himself the soul of Nancy Myslik. The funeral was conducted today. You can listen to the service (24M MP3) or read Pastor Arnold's sermon, based on Psalm 91. The hymns we sang are:

  • 440, "On Eagles' Wings"
  • 417, "I'm But a Stranger Here"
  • 219, "Lord, When Your Glory I Shall See"

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Mission Festival, October 11, 2020

Today is our annual Mission Festival. The guest preacher is Prof. John Brenner from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. We have posted a recording of the service in MP3 format (38M). The hymns we sang today are:
  • 543, "God of the Prophets"
  • 546, "Lord Jesus, You Have Come"
  • 548, "O Lord, in Prayer You Spent the Night"
  • 542, "Dear Lord, to Your True Servants Give"
We thank Prof. Brenner and Mr. Kevin Keller, the Seminary's Mission Advancement Director, for being with us this morning! For more information on our Seminary, please visit, www.wisluthsem.org.

Sunday School Videos

For at least the first part of the school year, Sunday School will be held virtually. Here are the direct links to this week's lesson videos:

Saturday, October 10, 2020

No Monday Service This Week

Just a reminder that there will be no Monday night service on October 12 because of our Mission Festival this weekend.

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Worship for October 4, 2020

We have posted a recording of today's service in MP3 format (42M). You can also read Pastor Arnold's sermon based on Matthew 20:1-16. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 401, "Your Works, Not Mine, O Christ"
  • 559, "Lord of the Living Harvest"
  • 390, "Salvation unto Us Has Come"
  • 555, "For All Your Saints, O Lord"

Sunday School Videos

For at least the first part of the school year, Sunday School will be held virtually. Here are the direct links to this week's lesson videos:

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Worship for September 27, 2020

Here is the recording of today's service in MP3 format (40M). You can also read Pastor Arnold's sermon based on Romans 14:5-9. The hymns we sang today are:

  • 234, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"
  • 493, "Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive"
  • 257, "My Soul, Now Bless Your Maker"
  • 238, "Oh, Bless the Lord, My Soul"

Sunday School Lessons for This Week

For at least the first part of the school year, Sunday School will be held virtually. Here are the direct links to this week's lesson videos:

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Recording Problems

We had an issue recording the service today. Pastor Arnold will try to get Monday night's service recorded and posted. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Sunday School Lessons for This Week

For at least the first part of the school year, Sunday School will be held virtually. Here are the direct links to this week's lesson videos:

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Virtual Sunday School

For at least the first part of the school year, Sunday School will be held virtually. Lessons will be available to be picked up this weekend. The lessons will be taught by experienced WELS teachers and made available on Northwestern Publishing House's YouTube page. Look for the lesson that fits with your student's grade level. Seventh and eighth graders should watch the fifth and sixth grade video. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Arnold. Here are the direct links to this week's videos:

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Monday Night Services Continuing

Normally the service on August 31 would have been the last Monday night service during the summer. Due to the ongoing limitations to the number of people in worship, we will be continuing the Monday night services for the foreseeable future.

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Mask Mandate

Governor Evers has mandated that Wisconsinites would wear masks when in public buildings. Exceptions are made for people who have difficulty breathing and also for people with a medical condition that would preclude them from wearing a mask. You can also remove it to receive Holy Communion. There is also a provision so that Pastor Arnold doesn't need to wear a mask when conducting the service, as long as he is six feet away from everyone else. That is usually true, except during the distribution of Communion. He was already wearing a mask at that time. The mandate runs through the end of September.

While there will be many people who will not like this, at the same time this mandate does not call on us to violate any passage of Scripture. Therefore, in keeping with the Fourth Commandment and Romans 13, we will follow this mandate. Please pray that God would give our local, state, and federal leaders wisdom for these challenging times.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Church Reopening Guidelines

Pastor Arnold and the Church Council have come up with a list of guidelines for reopening church for services. This letter will also be sent via email to everyone we have email addresses for and by mail to those we don't. Please read the letter carefully. If you have any questions, please email Pastor Arnold or call him at the parsonage. We thank our God that we will be able to gather together again for worship!

Our services will resume this Sunday, May 31, at 9:00 A.M. We will also be starting our mid-week summer services on Monday, June 1, at 7:00 P.M.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

In-Person Services Restarting May 31

We will be resuming services in-person starting on Sunday, May 31. A letter will be coming soon with information on how we will be following the guidelines put forth by Oconto County.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Call Day and Graduation

Our Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary will be holding a virtual call day and graduation service today at 10 A.M. You can view the service online. May God bless those men who will be serving us in the pastoral ministry!

Friday, May 15, 2020

MLC Graduation/Call Day

Tomorrow, Saturday 16, at 10:00 A.M. Central time, Martin Luther College will be livestreaming its virtual graduation and call day service. The stream will also be available to be watched at a later time. My God bless our new teacher graduates as they are assigned to serve in our schools and to our new pastor track graduates as they continue their studies at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary!

Guidance from Oconto County

Oconto County has released re-opening guidelines. Included in there are guidelines for churches. This information is obviously brand new. Pastor Arnold has been in contact with our congregation president on this matter, but that was before these were released. The Council is scheduled to meet next week. One of the guidelines is that there should be no more than 50 per service. Since our first summer service would normally be on June 1, it might make sense to have our first service back on May 31. This assumes that the state will not issue a new order next week. This would also enable the Council to meet, to implement the new procedures for services, to publish those changes, and to have the church building itself thoroughly cleaned.

Keep an eye on this site for more information. For now, the sermon and service will be posted online like usual for Sunday.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Supreme Court Ruling

Many of you are no doubt aware that the state Supreme Court struck down the extension of the safer-at-home order. What does this mean for services? The short answer at this very moment is: we don't know. Local governments are debating how to handle this. Brown country has extended the order there. Watch the website for further guidance as we hear from state and synodical officials.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Lutheran Meditations from Last Week

As promised, here are Pastor Arnold's Lutheran Meditations (PDF, 58K) for this past week which were broadcast on WOCO radio. He looked at different verses from Psalm 103 to find comfort and strength for times like these.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Pastor on WOCO

Pastor Arnold is up for Lutheran Meditations on WOCO radio this coming week, Monday through Friday, at 9:05 A.M. His devotions will be all about the comfort and confidence we can receive in times like this from Psalm 103. They will be broadcast on FM 107.1 and AM 1260. Once they have all been broadcast, Pastor Arnold will post them on this site. May God strengthen and support us through his powerful Word, just like he promised!

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Email Scam

Apparently there is a new email scam going around that has happened with a couple of pastors in the area. The scammers will make the email look like it is coming from Pastor Arnold. The email will appear to come from his email address when it is in fact coming from another one. They will ask you to buy iTunes or some other kind of gift card. He would never in a million years under any circumstances email ask you to buy gift cards for him like this. Just delete the email.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Technical Issues Resolved

It seems that all of our technical issues have been resolved. We once again apologize for the inconvenience. The website is functioning properly again and the pastor@stpaul-ocontofalls.org is also working. If you have any issues, please feel free to contact Pastor Arnold at that email address.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Synod-Wide Holy Week Worship Opportunities

In addition to the sermons that will be posted here for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, we will have some special worship opportunities Synod-wide for Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, April 5, WELS President Mark Schroeder will have a special message for our members that will be posted at 6:00 P.M. On Easter Sunday there will be a special service at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary also at 6:00 P.M. Following that service there will be some question and answer time with Seminary President Pastor Earle Treptow and Pastor Jon Hein, coordinator of WELS Congregational Services. Both of those opportunities will be available online afterward if you are not able to watch when they are broadcast live.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Letter to the Congregation

Pastor Arnold is sending a letter to our members, detailing how we will be proclaiming God's Word while we are still unable to meet together. You can read that letter here.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Online Lenten Service

St. John in Wauwatosa, WI, livestreams their services. You can watch today's service. The guest preacher is Pastor Timothy Wempner, a classmate of Pastor Arnold.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Services Canceled

Because of Governor Evers prohibited meetings of more than 10, our services are canceled for the foreseeable future. Please check back on this site on Sunday for some worship materials.

Monday, March 16, 2020

Governor Evers Ban on Meetings Larger Than 50

Today Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers put a ban on meetings of more than 50 people. The pastors of our circuit are meeting tomorrow to discuss how we will handle this situation. Pastor Arnold will also be discussing this with the church council on Thursday. Watch this site for details later in the week.

We pray that God would give our leaders wisdom to deal with this virus outbreak.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

COVID-19

As you know the COVID-19 aka Corona virus is going across the nation. Following Governor Evers' mandate, the last class for our Little Lambs Pre-School will be this coming Tuesday, March 17. Classes will resume when we get the all clear.

Our services will continue as scheduled (please see the update from March 17 above). Just use the common sense precautions given in this article from the Wisconsin Synod. Please also read this blog post from one of the counselors at Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Service on how to have calm amidst all the chaos.

In everything we know that our almighty Father is in control. He will bring blessing out of this, just like he does with every trouble in life. We commit ourselves to his very capable hands, confident of his love for us in Christ Jesus.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Mid-Week Lenten Services

We will be holding mid-week Lenten services on Wednesdays at 7:00 P.M. from February 26-April 1. You are invited to join us as we watch Jesus win the greatest victory of all time!