pretty good lutherans

A snowstorm may keep people from getting to church on Sunday, so Pastor Ken Hilston is taking the church to the people.

Hilston is sleeping in his Massachusetts church tonight in order to lead a worship on Sunday that’s aired on the radio.

In fact, he’s telling members of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brockton, Mass., to stay home from Sunday worship because of the weather.

Instead of risking life and limb, he suggests they tune into him at 9 a.m. on WXBR-AM 1460.

“That’s the beauty of radio,” Hilston said. First Evangelical church has canceled its 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday services, as well as its children’s program.

Numerous ELCA congregations in the northeastern United States canceled events on Saturday — and some on Sunday — because of snow. Weather experts are expecting up to two feet of snow to fall by Sunday morning.

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Hilston, who lives 12 miles south of Brockton, was afraid the snowstorm would prevent him from leading worship. So on Saturday, he drove to Brockton and settled in for the night.

When reached at the church on Saturday night, Hilston was full of cheer. He planned to watch a movie or two before turning in for the night on his office sofa.

Hilston downplayed the effort he was putting in to make sure church members had access to a Sunday worship service.

“I wanted to be here to lead the service, but I expect the church to be empty and people listening on the radio,” he said.

WEATHER-RELATED CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS

Maryland
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Gaithersburg.
*Grace Lutheran Church, Fort Washington
*Hope Lutheran Church, College Park
*Oromo Christian Fellowship, Kensington
*St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Derwood.
*St. Nicholas Lutheran Church, Prince Frederick

Massachusetts
*House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Hingham

New Jersey
*Saint James Lutheran Church, Pitman.
*St. John’s Lutheran Church, Westville
*St. Paul Lutheran Church, Beachwood

Virginia
*Bethel Lutheran Church, Manassas
*Christus Victor Lutheran Church, Manassas
*Community Lutheran Church, Sterling
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Woodbridge
*Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Leesburg
*Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, McLean
*St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Springfield
*St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Woodbridge

West Virginia
*St. John’s Lutheran Church, Martinsburg

Only some events canceled:
*St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4900 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. (Nativity play and Sunday School canceled; 11 a.m. Sunday worship will be held.)
*Christ the King Lutheran Church, Holiston, Mass. (Sunday School Christmas program, Youth group and confirmation canceled for Dec. 20.)
*First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Brockton, Mass. (8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday service canceled. The children’s program has been rescheduled for Jan. 3. Members are being advised to stay home and listen to the 9 a.m. radio broadcast on WXBR-AM 1460)
*Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Chatham, N.J. (8:15 a.m. Sunday worship canceled. 10 a.m. worship with pageant to be held.
*Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lakewood & Jackson, N.J. (Christmas pageant postponed until Jan. 1.)
*Emanuel Lutheran Church, West Warwick, R.I. (Sunday School is canceled.)

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Framed photo of “Snow Nativity” by Jen Mo. Creative Commons license.

Pretty Good Lutherans wishes to thank Pastor Hilston for the opportunity to visit with him.

Pretty Good Lutherans: “ELCA News in Real Time”

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Tags: Brockton, First, Hilston, Massachusetts, radio, snow, storm, weather

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