OCTOBER 2026
Blessed Autumn Season!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The nights are growing cooler, the days are becoming a little shorter, and the signs of harvest are all around us. I hope you had a blessed summer and that the beginning of the school year has gone well for you and your families.
As we enter the month of October, we look forward to celebrating Reformation Sunday. This season reminds us of the treasures we hold as Christians and, specifically, as Lutherans. Before we are Lutherans, we are Christians—people redeemed by the saving work of Jesus Christ. As Lutherans, we rejoice in the biblical truths recovered and clearly confessed during the Reformation: that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone.
The Reformation also reminds us that the Gospel is a gift meant for all people. God continues to gather people from every nation, language, and culture into the one body of Christ.
This year, we have the privilege of learning more about an exciting immigrant-focused ministry taking place right here in Columbus. During our Advent II midweek service on Wednesday eve, December 9, 2026, we will welcome Pastor Berhanu and his family, who serve at Ebenezer Ethiopian Lutheran Church (LC-MS) on the east side of Columbus.
Pastor Berhanu will share about the ministry among the Ethiopian community and the congregation’s outreach to the Somali community. We will hear about the many ways God is opening doors for the Gospel, including their first Vacation Bible School in the community this past year, where more than seventy children attended. What a wonderful opportunity to share the love of Christ with children and families (mostly immigrants)!
Pastor Berhanu and his team are also catechizing and baptizing people in the name of Christ from the community who previously came from a Muslim background. We give thanks and praise to the Lord for the work He is accomplishing (by God’s grace) through His Word and Sacrament ministry.
It is a joy for us at St. Matthew to share our resources and encouragement with this important ministry. As we celebrate the Reformation, we are reminded that the Gospel we treasure is not ours to keep to ourselves. It is the good news of Jesus Christ for people of every nation and culture.
Our Advent II gathering will include an abbreviated service, a presentation from Pastor Berhanu, and pictures and video highlighting this ministry. Of course, there will also be plenty of food and a good old-fashioned Lutheran carry-in meal!
Please mark December 9, 2026 on your calendar now and plan to join us. Come hear about this wonderful ministry, encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, and enjoy a delicious meal & fellowship together.
May the Lord bless you during this changing harvest season. We thank God for His continued blessings upon all His people at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, and we pray that He would continue to use us to share the hope of Christ with our neighbors and with people from around the world.
In Christ’s service, Pastor Kelly