1. Welcome Pastor Ioan Ittu! After a unanimous vote on July 12 to call Pastor Ittu, we are pleased that his first day with us was Tuesday, September 1. “His energy, enthusiasm, and engaging communication style is a perfect fit to lead our congregation,” says church president Dan Nielsen. Pator Ittu’s first services at St. Paul will be held outdoors on Saturday, September 5, at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 6, at 10:00 a.m. Pastor Ioan will be sharing “Freedom, Love, and Masks” from 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Parishioners are asked to bring lawn chairs and blankets for gathering on the church lawn. During a time of meet and greet after the worship services, we are all invited to bring our own picnic lunch to enjoy a time of fellowship.
Pastor Ioan Ittu (pronounced you-wan e-too) has ten years of experience as a Lutheran pastor and is looking forward to living in Winterset where they will also be closer to his fiancee Deb’s family who live in the Des Moines area.
He immigrated from Romania with his parents when he was three years old. He earned his Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, after majoring in biblical studies and earning his Bachelor of Arts at Trinity Lutheran College, Issaquah, WA.
“Pastor Ittu exudes passion for spreading God’s love,” said Call Committee member Alan Feier, “and he does this through intentional relationship building and thoughtful preaching, which are the primary ways pastors make things happen.”
Please join us in welcoming Pastor Ittu!
Health and Safety Protocols for Outdoor Worship and Fellowship
The Congregational Council approved the following worship plan for the first three weeks in September:
- Worship will be held outdoors on the south church lawn, and a speaker system will be used.
- Saturday’s abbreviated version will begin at 5:00 pm.
- Sunday’s service will begin at 10:00 am.
- Please wear a mask on the church property; you will be provided one if needed.
- Six feet social distancing between famiy groups will be observed. The ushers will assist you with seating as needed.
- Greet others with a wave, a nod, a bow, a fist or elbow bump.
- Offering will be collected upon your arrival.
- We encourage worshipers to use the rest room before attending the worship service. If the
bathroom must be used, signs have been posted on proper use, including sanitizing protocols. - Should it be raining, we will move indoors and implement all of the above.
2. For those who cannot attend worship Saturday or Sunday, our worship services will be posted online on Mondays (instead of Sundays) for the next three weeks.
3. Semi-Annual Meeting – Next Sunday, September 13!
4. As most of you know, our email was hacked earlier this week. While we are implementing changes to correct the issues caused by the hack, we also have new church emails in place. From this point forward, please use the following:
Pastor Ioan: Pastorioan@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Dalene (Office Manager): Office@stpaullutheranchurch.net
5. I want to thank so many people that have been helping me my first week with getting worship and so many other things up and running. Eric and Julie have been heroes on some very technical technology matters. Dan, Dave and Eric were over at the church helping figure out sound for our outdoor service. Sue, Clarice and Georgine talked through worship and will continue to help the church as we enhance our worship step by step. Lisa was in the office helping with money stuff. Sheila talked with me offering her wisdom. Wayne & Deb took me to lunch and welcomed me. Jacque & Tim welcomed me into their home and won’t stop feeding me. And I am so thankful to the Re-Entry Task Force, Amy, Ann & Jacque, for their work in helping our church move forward safely. Thank you all! I need your help to get things going. And we all need each other’s help to make it in this world. Thank you for being helpful people. – Pastor Ioan Ittu
6. Meals from the Heartland – thank you to all who participated in this year’s annual hunger fight on August 26th!
Church office phone: 515-462-4270
Church email: stpaullutheranchurch@hotmail.com
Pastor Ioan Ittu email: Pastorioan@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Pastoral emergencies phone: 626-419-6331