Vega Ordained and Installed in Hialeah

Rev. Roland Vega was ordained and installed as pastor of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church-Hialeah, FL, on Sunday, July 15.      Florida-Georgia District First Vice President, Rev. Dennis Glick officiated at the ordination and installation. Glick, who is senior pastor at St. Paul-Boca Raton, preached on the theme “Sent By God.”      The service was coordinated by North Miami Circuit Counselor Rev. Erwin Perez-Arche, pastor of Bayshore Lutheran-Miami. Also participating in the service were Pastors Mark Wessling of Faith-Hialeah, Dennis Bartels of Holy Cross-North Miami, Mario Perez-Arche of San Pablo Apostol-Miami and James Tino of New Life-Miramar.      A second-career pastor, Vega studied business management at Triton College. After 20 “prosperous years in the restaurant industry,” he decided to enter the pastoral ministry. He attended Concordia Seminary-St. Louis, serving his vicarage at Trinity Lutheran-Garden City, KS. He graduated from Concordia in May of this year.      Vega and his wife, Ruth, are natives of the Chicago area. Rev. Roland and Ruth Vega with (l-r) Rev. Dennis Glick, Rev. Dennis Bartels, Rev. Mark Wessling, Rev. Mario Perez-Arche, Rev. Erwin Perez-Arche and Rev. James Tino.

Largo Parish Welcomes New Pastor

Nathan Peregoy was ordained and installed as Assistant Pastor at Christ The King Lutheran Church-Largo, FL, during a special afternoon service on July 15.      Officiating was Christ The King Pastor Mike Thurau. Ten local LCMS pastors participated in the service, which was attended by some 160 worshipers. A dinner followed the service.      A native of Lancaster, CA, Peregoy graduated from Concordia University Nebraska with a BA in psychology before entering Concordia Seminary-St. Louis. He served his vicarage at Messiah-Lakeville, MN. Christ The King-Largo Assistant Pastor Nate Peregoy (kneeling) with Pastor Mike Thurau (center) and Pastor Emeritus Daniel Brockhoff (right)

AVALANCHE RANCH VBS at Beautiful Savior-Sarasota/Bradenton, FL, offered a wonderful outreach to the community. From covered wagon rides to wild Bible adventures, the 98 buckaroos had a great time. Participating were Beautiful Savior members as well as a large number of non-members from the surrounding communities. Several of the children brought their families to church on the following Sunday and during follow-up contact, the parents voiced an interest in Sunday School and attending worship services as a family.

AMONG THE MORE THAN 60 members of the North Central Florida Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Zone at the Spring Rally hosted by Our Redeemer-Ocala earlier this year were ten members of Trinity-Summerfield. The rally theme was “Share the Love of Christ,” based on I John 4:10. Pastor Jonathan Horsman was the Zone Counselor. Sheltering Arms, a home for neglected, abused and abandoned children, received the ingathering of donations as well as the $169 offering received at the opening communion worship service. Loretta Jackson, who is the Executive Director of Sheltering Arms, spoke about this vital ministry. Shown here are Trinity LWML members (front, l-r) Karen Dowler, Ellen Smith, Nancy Mueller, Joyce Moote, Lavonne Lewis, (back, l-r) Betty Bell, Marilyn Thiel, Donna Battard, Elaine Helgeland and Suann Dibble. Trinity was awarded the traveling Zone Banner for sending the largest group of women to the rally. Trinity’s LWML group will host the Zone Rally in the Spring of 2008.