The Fort Wayne Lutheran

06/05/2026

Put on your hard hat and let’s start digging! St. Michael Lutheran Church is excited to announce the beginning of construction on our HIS Kingdom First building project. Our official Groundbreaking Ceremony will take place on June 7, after our 10 a.m. worship service.

The ceremony will be followed by a time of food and fellowship as we give thanks for this significant event in the life and ministry of our church and school.

The upcoming construction will bring transformative changes to our campus, including a new music suite, schoolwide safety, a cafeteria and fellowship hall, and new office spaces. We hope you will stay tuned to see all these changes on our campus through Facebook and our St. Michael Website.
As we anticipate a summer filled with activity and growth, we humbly ask for your prayers.
Please join us in praying for the safety of the construction crews, for God’s continued blessing on our mission, and that this project will further our ability to serve HIS Kingdom. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

06/04/2026

Becky Klenke was recognized as the 2026 TLSP Educator of the Year on April 21. After nearly five decades of faithful service in Lutheran education, Ms. Klenke continues to shine as a humble servant leader, compassionate educator, and dedicated follower of Christ. For 49 years, including more than 40 years at Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School, Ms. Klenke has impacted countless students, families, churches, and colleagues through her teaching, encouragement, musical gifts, and unwavering faith. Whether serving as a classroom and resource teacher, leading students in music, playing organ for worship, supporting fellow staff members, or caring deeply for every child she encounters, Ms. Klenke reflects Christ’s love in all she does. Her dedication, kindness, and servant heart have left a lasting legacy that will continue to bless the Wyneken community for years to come. Thank you, Ms. Klenke!

06/03/2026

BY ASHLEY WIEHE of The Fort Wayne Lutheran

C.S. Lewis was known for creating imaginative stories to share the Gospel to the masses. On June 13, the Fort Wayne community will be treated to one such story as the Fellowship for Performing Arts (FPA) brings “The Screwtape Letters” to the stage.

The play follows Lewis’ satirical novel, bringing to life the conversations between demons, which for the stage adaptation is set in an office in hell. In the novel, the conversation is led by a series of letters between the demons. In this adaptation, 24 of the 31 letters from the book are used.

“The sounds, the lighting, the movements of the actors represent many of the characters that are described in the book — the patient on earth, the mother, the young Christian woman — for those who are familiar with the book,” said Adrienne Johnson, director of development for FPA, a New York City-based production company. “They will recognize many things and will be very impacted to see how we bring those things to life on stage with only two actors playing two demons.”
The play follows “His Abysmal Sublimity,” Screwtape (the main character in the novel) as he conspires to capture a human soul on earth.

Uniquely, this play brings another character to stage, the slavish creature-demon, Toadpipe, the assistant who is only mentioned once in the book.

“I don’t want to give too much away because I want people to come be surprised when they see the show,” Johnson said. “In adapting the book for the stage, we came up with a really interesting idea to use Toadpipe as another character on the stage.”

In Lewis’ original novel, he set out to explore the ways humans are led away from God. The letters explore the subtle ways that evil enters the world — through vanity, complacency, distraction, and self-deception. The play aims to do the same.
“(Lewis) had such an amazing way to spark the moral imagination through art and reveal ultimate truths, through fantasy, through storytelling,” Johnson said.

“There’s something about live theater, about artistic film, and about the writings of C.S. Lewis, where you can explore these big ideas about God, and spiritual warfare, and morality, and Jesus, and really big questions in life and do it in a way that is open to anybody of any background.”

The play will also conclude with a 10-minute question and answer session, led by Johnson, as a way for the audience to ask any questions about the show, about C.S. Lewis, or the concepts explored in the play.

“Our goal ultimately is to engage hearts and minds for Christ through theater and film,” she said.

“That is why it’s important to us to have these talk-backs after the show to engage the audience. We don’t want it to just end with the show. We want the show to be the spark for some people that makes them start asking these big questions.”
“The Screwtape Letters” will show at the Historic Embassy Theatre at 4 p.m. June 13.

The run time is 90 minutes with no intermission. It is recommended for ages 13 and older, and children under age four are not admitted.

Tickets are now available at the Embassy Theatre Box Office.

06/02/2026

Bridge 20/30 is a Christian young adult group for adults in their 20s and 30s focused on building community, friendships, faith, and fellowship through social events, devotion nights, and activities. New participants welcome!

June 2 – Game Night with Michael, 7 p.m., Holy Cross Youth Center, 3420 N. Anthony Blvd.
June 9 – Porch Night: 1/4 Life Crisis Series, 7 p.m., Holy Cross Youth Center, 3420 N. Anthony
June 16 – Meetup Night, 7 p.m., Hop River Brewing Company, 1515 N. Harrison St.
June 23 – Ultimate Frisbee Night, 7 p.m., Zollner Stadium Field, 3500 N. Anthony Blvd.
June 30 – Devotion Night with Brian Loesel, 7 p.m., The Garden, 3308 N. Anthony Blvd.

You may also follow them on Facebook: Bridge 20/30 Group Ft. Wayne and Instagram: .

06/02/2026

BY BRAD SALEIK Fort Wayne Lutheran Editor

For years, the local Lutheran community has relied on traditional bulletins to stay informed. However, a new energy is pulsing through Holy Cross, 3425 Crescent Ave., led by a small but mighty trio determined to transform the church from a quiet corner of the neighborhood into a vibrant community hub.

The Holy Cross Community Connections Team, officially formed at the start of this year, is on a mission to foster fellowship that extends far beyond the sanctuary doors.

The group, consisting of Jess Stephenson, Olivia Stephens, and Ashley Wagner, was born out of a successful “nomination” to organize last year’s Trunk or Treat. What started as a single event sparked a vision for something much larger: a “low-pressure, low-barrier” entry point for the entire Fort Wayne community.

“Our mission is to cultivate a vibrant fellowship within our church and create intentional spaces of welcome and connection for all community members,” says Ashley Wagner. “We want people to come in, have a good time, and not feel pressured or judged.”

The team hit the ground running, hosting seven events in their first year with a goal of reaching twelve annually. Their impact is already visible through:

Trunk or Treat: Despite rain and wind last year, the event drew approximately 500 children from the neighborhood into the school gym.
Women’s Retreat: A “Galentine’s Day” event featured charcuterie, aromatherapy, and hand massages, successfully drawing in women from outside the Holy Cross congregation.
Family Game Nights: Designed to get people out of the house during dreary winter months, these nights have featured “Name That Tune” and “Family Feud” style games.
Outreach through food: The group held a chili cook-off and plans a “cookie walk” to provide holiday cheer to homebound members of the aging congregation.

The group is particularly focused on bridging a generational gap. By involving their own children in volunteering (ranging in ages from 5 to 12) they are training the “Next Generation” of community leaders.

“We had so many older congregants running everything and they’re tired,” says Jess Stephenson. “We’re trying to fill that gap and show the next generation what it looks like to make people feel welcome.”

In a move rare for many church committees, the team strives to be self-funded through nominal event donations, ensuring they remain an asset rather than a burden to the church budget.

The community is invited to join the team for their upcoming BYOP (Bring Your Own Picnic) event, held at Holy Cross, 3425 Cresent Ave., on June 6 at 6:30 p.m. after evening church. The evening promises a relaxed atmosphere with coffee and snow cone trucks, yard games, and fellowship.

For those looking ahead to the fall, the group is already planning a large Trunk or Treat for October 18, and they are inviting community partners and firefighters to join the fun. As Olivia Stephens puts it, the goal isn’t just about church growth; it’s about “bringing back that sense of community at large.”

06/01/2026

Looking for activities for your child to attend while you work this summer? Concordia Lutheran Elementary School is offering a Cubs Club day camp program June 1– July 31. from 8:15 to 3:15, Monday through Friday. Extended Care will also be available before and after camp for an additional cost. Weekly activities include field trips, water activities, and games and crafts. The cost is $145 per week. If you are interested in sending your children, please register (at a cost of $40/child) at sites.google.com/clscubs.org/cubsclubsummercamp/home. If you have any questions, you can contact Brittany Harmon at [email protected].

Everyone in your neighborhood is welcome! In addition to day camp opportunities, free lunches will also be available to all children 18 years of age and under through the USDA Summer Food Program. Lunch will be served 11:30 - 11:50 a.m., Mondays-Fridays. They will be provided from June 1 to July 31. Free meals will be provided for all children.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, s*x, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: 1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; 2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or 3. Email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Summer Fun Cubs Club is a summer program offered by Concordia Lutheran School. This day camp provides fun activities to engage kids throughout the summer! Register for one week or all nine! We would love to have your child spend their summer with us. Cubs Club is open to all children in our

06/01/2026

COLUMN BY KEVIN LEININGER of The Fort Wayne Lutheran

“Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you … but rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings … If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blest.”

Those words from 1st Peter, written more than 2,000 years ago, were the epistle reading for May 17. But they remain as true as today’s headlines – as one of the world’s foremost defenders of Christian liberty made clear in Fort Wayne just the day before. And although Dr. Paivi Rasanen’s ordeal reflects the alarming decline of free speech and religion in Europe, her latest “Here I Stand” moment offered a warning for America as well.

“Every person has the right the hear the whole truth of God’s word,” Paivi, a physician and longtime member of the Finnish Parliament, told about 90 people at Concordia Theological Seminary. “Early Christians didn’t renounce their faith in the lion’s den; why should we? Luther taught that if you believe, you speak. We are called to stand firm.” She has been doing just that since facing “hate speech” charges in 2021 stemming from a 2004 pamphlet defending traditional concepts of s*xuality and marriage.

As a member of the orthodox Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, Rasanen understands that the “whole truth of God’s word” contains both the law (which exposes sin and the need for repentance) and the gospel (which promises forgiveness and salvation to all who believe in Christ). But practicing that fundamental theological understanding in Finland became dangerous in 2011, when a law criminalizing “hate speech” took effect. The gospel is still acceptable. The law? Not so much.

Her story has made Rasanen and her bishop, Juhana Pohjola, well known among confessional Lutherans and others concerned about religious freedom. Both were honored at the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod national convention in Milwaukee three years ago, we continue to pray for both at Zion and, on May 15, Rasanen received an honorary doctorate from CTSFW. The honors and prayers are justified: having been charged with writing and publishing “Male and Female He Created Them (Homos*xual relationships challenge the Christian concept of humanity)”, together with similar comments on the radio and social media, they were acquitted in 2022 and again in 2023, but in March the Supreme Court of Finland nevertheless ruled against Rasanen and Pohjola by a 3-2 vote. Rasanen and Pohjola, the court concluded, “made available to the public . . . opinions that insult homos*xuals as a group on the basis of their s*xual orientation.”

Rasanen said an appeal will be filed with the European Court of Human Rights. But even if they prevail, the battle will only add to legal expenses that already amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But isn’t Rasanen guilty of perhaps the greatest sin of all in modern eyes – “judgmentalism”? The very question illustrates the problem: in her youth, Rasanen said, she – like Luther – struggled with the knowledge of her own sin and possible damnation. Reading Romans 3 taught her that although no one is righteous under the law, righteousness comes through belief in Christ. Who needs a savior if you haven’t sinned?

At the same time, Rasanen said, church attendance in Finland was plummeting, many people were embracing the belief that “each person must find their own identity . . . and the church was being marginalized by extreme feminism and the LGBTQ agenda. People say that if you condemn the act, you condemn the human. But no one’s human dignity decreases because of sin.”

Many of the issues Rasanen has confronted in Finland can be found in the United States as well. And although she noted the First Amendment’s protection of free speech and religion remain strong, “I never could have imagined this could have happened in Finland.” She warned against passage of “hate-speech” laws in America, calling them “unpredictable. They can be used against anybody.”
How unpredictable? Despite finding Rasanen guilty of hate speech, the same court unanimously upheld her acquittal on a charge stemming from a 2019 social media post in which she criticized the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland’s affiliation with a “Pride March” on the basis of Romans 1. The ELCF is one of Finland’s two national churches.

That’s yet another good reason to celebrate and protect American churches’ right to proclaim God’s eternal word from the ever-shifting dictates the state because, as Rasanen wrote in the forward to her pamphlet: “ ‘My god’ is the idol of today. Self-made ‘gods’ are nice things to have around until people actually start to need God. Then self-made gods are no help in the hour of need.”

As she told the crowd at CTSFW, “I have had some dark moments, but without the charges, I wouldn’t have had the chance to testify about Jesus. I have gained much more than I have lost. The baby in the womb is a real human being. There are only two genders. (My opponents) are fighting against truth.”

But as Christ himself assured us: Only God’s truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, will truly set you free.

Kevin Leininger is a member of Zion Lutheran Church-Fort Wayne and chairman of the Fort Wayne Lutheran board.

05/31/2026

Concordia Theological Seminary is excited to host Christ Academy Family Institute (CAFI) June 11–13, which leads into the week of Christ Academy High School.
CAFI focuses on providing resources to parents, families, and youth-focused church workers who are interested in passing on the faith to future generations and growing in their care and love for one another.

This year, CAFI will focus on “Faith in the Home,” featuring sessions on family devotions, hymn singing, Christian hospitality, and more.

For more information and to register, please visit tinyurl.com/ChristAcademyInstitute.

They look forward to you joining them for a weekend of faithful instruction, Lutheran worship, and Christian community in June!

You and your family are invited to spend time in worship, fellowship, and instruction June 11–13 for this year's Christ Academy Family Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW).

05/30/2026

Men, are you looking for a weekend away from life’s busyness to recharge and grow in your faith? Lutherhaven’s Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Retreat is for you! Join them September 25–27 for a meaningful weekend featuring Pastor Gabe Kasper and this year’s theme: Finding Home: An Invitation to Religious Spirituality.

Enjoy Christ-centered teaching, worship led by Chabros Music, engaging sessions, outdoor activities, and great food - all alongside a community of like-minded men. Take time to reconnect with God and be strengthened for the life you’re called to live.
To learn more and register, visit lutherhaven.org/programs/retreats/men.

Lutherhaven Men’s Retreat Pastor Gabe Kasper Our 2026 Speaker Pastor Gabe Kasper will be the speaker for the 2026 Summer Men’s Retreat. Gabe grew up in Macomb, MI. After spending five years starting new churches in Austin, TX, he is glad to be back in Michigan as the Lead Pastor of ULC. He serve...

05/29/2026

This summer, Concordia University Chicago will host a Festival of Scripture & The Arts June 20-21, inviting students, faculty and staff, alumni, and community members to explore the beauty and depth of King Solomon’s biblical poem through a series of lectures, presentations, performances, and a special commissioned artwork by April Parviz (BA ’11) that will be installed on campus.

Inspired by the Song of Solomon, also referred to as the Song of Songs or the Canticle of Canticles, the festival encourages participants to reflect on God’s enduring commitment to His people and the beautiful, joyful, and transformative power of His love.

Coinciding with the Concordia-Chicago all-music alumni reunion weekend, the festival is open to the public, though registration is required.

It kicks off the morning of June 20, with a poetry, art, and storytelling session in the University’s Bergmann Theatre. Throughout the day, attendees are invited to three guest lectures and post-lecture Q&A sessions. Saturday’s events will conclude with a banquet dinner.

On Sunday, June 21, attendees are invited to worship in the University’s Chapel of Our Lord. Afterward, an additional poetry, art, and storytelling session and roundtable discussion of Saturday’s lectures will take place.
More details on tickets and scheduling can be found at tinyurl.com/FestivalofScriptureArts.

From June 20-21, Concordia University Chicago will host a Festival of Scripture & the Arts inviting students, faculty and staff, alumni, and community members to explore the beauty and depth of King Solomon’s Song of Songs through a series of lectures, presentations, performances, and a speci...