Lenten Devotional Schedule
Posted Feb. 24, 2023
We will be publishing Lenten Devotional Videos on the church website and our YouTube channel each Wednesday in March at 7:00 pm beginning this Wednesday, March 1st.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on April 2nd and the waving of the palm branches. Special services during Holy Week are scheduled for April 6th, Maundy Thursday, at 7:00 pm, as well as April 7th—Good Friday, when we will have the Stations of the Cross at 12:00 pm and the Way of Sorrows Tenebrae Service at 7:00 pm.
Easter Sunday Services will be held on April 9th at 6:30 am in the Prayer Garden, and at 8:00 am, 9:30 am, and 11:00 am in the Sanctuary.
Decorate the Sanctuary with Easter Flowers
Posted Mar. 3, 2023
OSWLC will be decorating the sanctuary once again on Easter morning with Easter flowers donated by church members. The flowers available this year are:
- Easter Lilies—$16.00 each
- Floral Mums (assorted colors)—$16.00 each
- Hyacinths (3 bulbs)—$12.00 each
- Tulips (4-5 bulbs)—$12.00 each
- Hydrangeas (pink or blue)—$25 each
If you would like to purchase Easter flowers in memory or honor of a loved one, please complete the envelope during the worship service and place in the offering plate with your monetary donation. If you are making an electronic donation, please visit oswlc.org/giving and follow the instruction below for E-Giving in Realm.
The order deadline is March 20th.
If you have any questions, please contact the church office
Thank you for your generosity!
Preschool Open Enrollment
Posted Feb. 24, 2023
Open Enrollment has begun for our full day and half day programs this fall. If you or your neighbors have a child who is preschool age, consider us! We offer a quality educational program for families looking for either full day, year round care or part-time, half day options during the school year. We can help get your child ready for school while having fun learning through play. All of our programs include Music, PE, and chapel each week. Come see what we have to offer!
Reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
Camp GLOW Registration begins March 6th
Posted Feb. 16, 2023
Registration for Camp Glow begins on March 6th! Camp Glow is a perfect opportunity for kids to have a fun summer with different themes each week and continue with a Bible curriculum throughout the summer.
For more information, please visit openarms-ccdc.org/camp-glow/. If you have any questions, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Feel free to share this information with your friends and neighbors in our community.
Organ Fund Update
Updated Mar. 10, 2023
Update: We have received two proposals for the new organ. They both offer $8000 as the trade-in of our current organ. We will be evaluating these proposals over the next month.
We have set up an Organ Fund on Pushpay so that you can designate funds toward this project. Be sure to select "Organ Fund" from the drop-down menu when you make a contribution.
Contributions received for the Organ Fund through February 28 total $8455.
Our current organ was perfect for our congregation when we moved into our first worship space over 23 years ago. We have since moved into a larger sanctuary and organ technology has also changed dramatically in the past 25 years. It's time for an upgrade and we have begun to collect funds to make this happen.
Currently, our organists are talking with two organ vendors to select the best organ for our sanctuary at the best price. They recently visited a church near Fredericksburg to see, hear, and play a potential organ model (pictured below). They found that the organ sound was excellent and well-balanced, as it uses digital samples of organ pipes.
Get Ready for Realm
Posted Feb. 16, 2023
We are moving forward with the rollout of Realm, our church database and accounting system.
Realm has many new tools and exciting ways for our congregation to get connected with each other. We will also be transitioning our electronic giving from Pushpay to Realm. Look for new chances to get on board as we begin using more of the system for different areas of our ministry. We currently rolling out the system with our leadership boards and Small Group Leaders.
Realm is an invitation-only system, so get ready and be sure to open your invite when it comes to your email inbox!
You’re Number 1
Updated Mar. 14, 2023
The world shouts, “You’re number 1!” It further entices us to put ourselves first, coyly whispering, “You’re worth it!” God, too, tells us that we’re number 1. He, too, tells us that we’re worth it. While the world uses this message to manipulate us to fall for its vain lies, God backs his words with action: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for loving us unconditionally. You demonstrated your love by becoming our sin and suffering and dying on the Cross for us. We pray that our lives will reflect your love. Help us to follow your will and to be obedient to your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Praying for Ukraine
Updated Jul. 27, 2022
Our church continues to pray and collect donations for emergency humanitarian relief to aid Ukrainian refugees and those impacted by the ongoing violence. From the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, the generosity of OSWLC and other congregations across the country to Lutheran World Relief (LWR) has been overwhelming. We saw our Ukrainian neighbors fleeing their homeland, children, and belongings in tow. We saw refugees separated from loved ones, in strange new countries, and your donations provided them with emergency supplies and support to rebuild their lives after destruction. To see how your LWR donations are making a difference in the Ukrainian crisis, please take a look at a special edition report from Lutheran World Relief, which can be found at oswlc.org/LWRReport. Thank you for your compassion, prayers, and incredible generosity.
In addition to LWR, our Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) has been able to respond quickly by meeting both the spiritual and physical needs of those in Ukraine and those fleeing that country in the following ways:
- The LCMS has issued grants for humanitarian aid and refugee support in parts of Romania, Latvia, Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
- The LCMS is providing transitional housing through subsidized rent at a residential complex in Romania – nearly $300,000 has been set aside to cover expenses for the next two years. The Synod is evaluating the possibility of purchasing a second residential complex in Romania for the same purpose.
- An LCMS missionary is offering ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to help displaced Ukrainians in Brasov, Romania. The ability to understand and speak English, the “trade language” there, will help refugees find employment and acclimate to life in a new place.
The LCMS continues to focus on planting churches and teaching the Lutheran faith – especially for displaced people seeking comfort and relief for their souls. The work to meet physical needs is very important, but the LCMS’ work differs from secular humanitarian organizations in that we share a far more critical resource – the proclamation of God’s Word, especially the precious Gospel.
- LCMS' partner church in Germany, Selbständige Evangelisch—Lutherische Kirche (SELK), has created a position to manage the church's refugee care programs.
- Two floors at the Old Latin School (OLS) in Wittenberg, Germany (a project of the LCMS), are being rented for refugee housing. SELK intends to plant a church in the OLS to have Divine Services in English and Ukrainian. The pastor there will also provide Lutheran catechetical instruction for refugees and others in Wittenberg.
- A Lutheran school in Slovakia immediately accepted displaced Ukrainians in the early stages of the war. This school continues to provide a Christian education for refugee children. The LCMS has provided support for this to continue.
Refugees fleeing Ukraine have lost loved ones, parents, children, homes, and livelihoods. The LCMS strives to share what is needed most — the comfort and peace that only Christ can provide.
Many Christian organizations are working on this huge humanitarian crisis and the OSWLC Missions Team will consider which Christian organizations and individual missionaries that are involved with Ukraine relief to donate to. If you’d like to contribute, checks should be made out to OSWLC with "Ukraine Relief" in the memo line. You can also donate at oswlc.org/Pushpay—please indicate it is for "Ukraine Relief" in the memo line.
Fraudulent Emails
Posted Jun. 24, 2020
Lately there have been several fraudulent emails sent to OSWLC church staff and members that look like they are from the leadership of OSWLC. Scammers are very good at creating fake emails that are difficult to distinguish from the real emails we receive from various companies and contacts on a daily basis. Other churches in our area have been targeted as well, and sadly some have fallen victim to these email scams.
Please be extra cautious if you receive an email asking for a favor, to pay an invoice, buy a gift card, or anything that requires your financial attention, especially when the message tells you to not contact the sender due to being in a meeting or being too busy. The staff, leadership, and pastors of OSWLC never send personal emails asking for this type of assistance. Be sure to look at the sender's email address and not just the name listed on the message. All staff emails will have the @oswlc.org extension.
Unfortunately, scammers use information available on our website and social media to pose as staff in an attempt to scam you out of money. We cannot take contact information off of our website and publications, but we can educate our members on being aware of these types of scams. Please be vigilant and watch for these types of emails. If you receive something suspicious or are uncertain of the validity of an email, please forward it on to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Click here for additional information on how to recognize and avoid phishing scams. Thank you!