A Letter to Immanuel

Dear Members & Friends of Immanuel,

I thank you for the very warm welcome you have given me, as your new pastor. I wish to thank those men who helped me move my many boxes of books into the Pastor’s study: Carl Hepting, Jeff Kane, Jim Scott, Bob Luetjen, Tom Hawkins, Dick Buchholz, Don Kraft, and Rich Saeger.

I wish to thank also all of the ladies of Immanuel who worked on the Installation Dinner. The Installation Service and Dinner were tremendous reminders of both the love of God’s people and the powerful ways in which the Holy Spirit works.

At the service, Pastor Cliff Koenig preached a powerful sermon, titled “Put Your Foot in the Water,” based on Joshua 3:9-17. It’s the account of Israel crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land at a time when the river was at flood stage. That was no gently flowing stream. It was a challenge to their trust in the Lord. So is it also a challenge for Immanuel and myself to enter into this new chapter together. But we have the promise of the same grace the Lord extended to Israel that day at the Jordan (see again verses 15 and 16).

As I write this, I am completing my fourth week with you. Already the Holy Spirit is providing Immanuel connections with the students of the University of Missouri Kansas City. Four students from UMKC have been attending Sunday worship at Immanuel faithfully: Victoria Brown, Anthony Rodgers, Bathabile Vellah (a Lutheran pastor’s kid from Zimbabwe), and Pamela Auinbauh.

The Holy Spirit is providing opportunities for us to support and minister to them. One of those opportunities was made possible by a chance meeting with Shan-Ken Chien, a doctoral student at UMKC from Taiwan. (Although, as we know, there is no coincidence. As someone has said, “Coincidence is a God-scheduled opportunity.” [Scott Hamilton]) He obtained some tickets for us, and seven of us from Immanuel attended the UMKC Conservatory Orchestra’s first performance of the season on September 18th. Victoria and Anthony were among the orchestra members.

While I’m still thinking about Immanuel’s UMKC student ministry, I want to thank Lisa Williams for making Immanuel’s website the best in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Visitor after visitor tells us that they found out about Immanuel through the website.

Two other areas that Immanuel has targeted for emphasis are its ministry to Immanuel Manor and the lofts at the Plaza. In regard to the first, a Bible study at the Manor is starting on September 28th. Much thanks go to Rosetta Ratliff for helping me put my foot in the water regarding this ministry. Please keep this and all three ministry emphases in your daily prayers.

Finally, it is good to be here with you in Kansas City. May God bless us richly, members and friends of Immanuel, as together we put our foot in the water.

In Christ,

Pastor Jim Dunn