Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church, the oldest, continuous Lutheran church west of the Missouri River, is the birthplace of Lutheranism in Nebraska and the Nebraska Synod (1871), and has been worshiping, growing, and serving in downtown Omaha for over 160 years. Kountze Memorial (originally known as Emanuel’s Evangelical Lutheran Church) was founded in 1858, by Rev. Henry W. Kuhns, as a mission church of the Allegheny Synod of Pennsylvania. At the time, there were no other Lutheran congregations in the area. In 1862, after renting meeting facilities for a time, the congregation built a modest church at 13th and Douglas, the current site of the Holland Performing Arts Center. The church bell, cast in 1867, is the oldest church bell in Nebraska and was recently refurbished and remains in use in the current church building at 26th and Farnam. A second church building was built in 1885 at 16th and Harney at a cost of $50,000 with a gift from charter member Augustus Kountze. This ...
By Rev. Rich Sheridan, Nebraska Synod Evangelist / Director for Evangelical Mission, ELCA Not too long ago, our church shifted from the Revised Common Lectionary to the Narrative Lectionary. Since making the change, I’ve gotten a kick out of both the gift and the challenge of preaching on different scriptures than I’ve generally been accustomed to in the past. This last month in particular, this meant exploring more deeply the biblical book of Ruth in my preaching. Ruth is a story that, to my mind, requires a little more explanation than most. It has a kind of soap opera quality with drama and intrigue, a variety of scenes and settings, and several characters with unfamiliar names (at least to my twenty-first century Anglo-American ears!). It can be tough to read just a portion of the book in worship, because the entire book is really one cohesive narrative. At the same time, so much happens in such a short number of verses that it can be challenging to disti...
Sent in by Lord of Love in Omaha “Loads of Love” laundry, hygiene supply pantry fills a need for local families As early as two hours before the event began, on June 26, 2021, cars began to line up at Lord of Love Lutheran Church in Omaha. Neighbors were waiting to receive free laundry and paper products. Since 2019, Lord of Love has held “Loads of Love” several times per year to provide items such as laundry detergent and toilet paper for those in need. These items, though part of the grocery shopping list for many of us, are not eligible for SNAP benefits, meaning some families struggle to get these necessities. Kathy Christensen and Paula Foster of Omaha realized this through volunteering with neighboring church Holy Cross at their monthly food pantry. In addition, Lord of Love youth and leaders had recently attended a youth gathering in Kearney, where they prepared baskets of laundry and paper hygiene supplies for First Lutheran, who has hosted a simi...
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