Sermon- November 16, 2025
Use Your Spiritual Gifts

It has been almost a year and 5 months since Jeff retired and I
am so proud of our congregation for continuing to support our
church in so many different ways. There are so many people who
have found special spiritual gifts to keep our church afloat.
Our Session Board has managed to keep the church operating and
going above and beyond to completely refurbish the manse and make
it ready for our new pastor. A great big thank you to Kevin O’Connell
for seeing what needed to be done and getting the people who helped
to do it. Our session has overseen the Interim Search committee and
now the Pastoral Nominating Committee trying to find the right pastor
to lead us in the future. Elizabeth and Candy have worked to help find
people to lead worship services and keep us in contact with
presbytery. Chuck has kept the finances and managed to pay all the
bills including all repair bills because of the congregations continued
monetary donations
Our Deacons have continued to address the needs of our
congregation and do all of their usual projects including – The 5K
Run, the backpack program, collecting plastic, handing out fruit
baskets, Thanksgiving baskets, sending cards and college care
packages, hosting 2 Legacy luncheons, planting the gardens and so
much more.
Kathy Card and all the Food Pantry helpers have been able to help the
most needy in our community. We are fortunate to have monetary
donations and produce to be able to continue this service in this
difficult time.
A big thank you to all the people helping with our Empower Program,
youth group and Triennium. Thank you to those members who helped
with our Mission Trip. Our helpers in the Kafe who allow us to enjoy

each other’s company. Thank you to our knitters, crocheters and
quilters for providing prayer shawls to people who need our love and
prayers.
Thank you to all our musicians who make our service so special.
There are so many people who have come forward with their spiritual
gifts to keep our church running smoothly. I can’t begin to name
everyone and the gifts they have shared. Thank you for so many
people who have come out of their comfort zone and tried something
new. One example is Kelly Weymer who preached about her
struggles with her son and their amazing journey with God. Another
example is the women’s retreat that Solinda and Ann Rader Hayes
organized where I was introduced to members of our church that I did
not know. I have enjoyed hearing your sermons and learned new
things about people in our congregation and their faith stories.
I’d like to tell you just a short story. In 1976, my first son, Keith, was
born and I was returning to teaching in September of 1977. My
colleague, Larry, and his wife, Pat, had also just had a daughter. Pat
volunteered to take care of Keith along with her daughter Andrea.
Every morning, I would drop off Keith at their house and then pick
him up after school. Pat was the church organist and gave piano
lessons. I had always wanted to learn how to play the piano so on
Thursdays, I took lessons with Pat after school. Chuck’s father had
died in 1976, and his mother moved in a smaller house and we
inherited their piano. Chuck had many talents, and he took piano
lessons for 12 years. His piano teacher had hoped he would become
a classical pianist. I was told that one year he received top honors for
playing a classical piano piece in a NYS competition. So every week I
would take lessons and practice. In December, Pat gave me some
Christmas carols to play and practice. Here I am practicing in the
living room and Chuck is doing church work in the family room.
Chuck comes into the living room and tells me to get up. He sits
down, without looking at the music, he proceeds to play the entire

song. He gets up and says, “That is how it is supposed to sound
like.” I said , “I know, that is what I was playing.”
“NO YOU WERE NOT” Apparently playing the piano is not one of my
spiritual gifts. But I do have other gifts. I can bake and cook for
funeral receptions. I can Knit prayer shawls. I can teach.
In 1995, Jeff wanted to start a Stephen Minister Program. This was
not to replace Jeff, but he said, he would help a family after a death,
but they needed more help. Stephen Ministers are people who show
up when no one else does. I went to Seattle, Washington for a week
and was trained as a Stephen Leader. I was in a room with about 600
people, and we sat around a tables of 10 people. We did many
training modules during the week of training. One time we were told
to write down who in our congregation could use a Stephen Minister.
I proceeded to write one name after another. They asked me, “How do
you know they need a Stephan Minister”? I said, “ I’m pretending that
I’m in church listening to our joys and concerns and looking at who is
there who they are asking for prayers and why”. “Do you know all
those people?” “ Most of them”. I replied. Do you know that there
were people at my table who belonged to churches with over 1000
members or less than 100 and they didn’t know a fraction of the
people or who needed care.
After I preached my sermon on “Encourage one another”, several
people came up to me and asked if we could have another Stephen
Minister Training Session. It takes many hours of preparation and
training to be able to help someone in need. Who would you visit?
We are called the AFTER PEOPLE:
AFTER the phone call in the middle of the night that changes life
forever.
AFTER the funeral, when everyone has left and his emotions held at
bay come crashing in.
AFTER the doctor says, “I’m sorry, but there is nothing else we can
do.

AFTER the email announcing a new round of layoffs suddenly
appears in her inbox.
AFTER family and friends have heard his story one too many times,
but he still needs to talk it out.
I know you are thinking, I couldn’t possibly visit any of those people.
I wouldn’t know what to say. That is why we have hours of training on
feelings, listening, Christian caregiving, assertiveness, maintaining
boundaries, confidentiality, ministering to the grieving and much
more. We are very fortunate to have Kristin Moses Westphal who is a
trained counselor who is willing to be our supervision coordinator.
We would plan on staring training in February and meet on 2
Saturdays from 9-2 and then 8 other times for 2 hours each which
would be convenient for most participants either on Sundays,
Mondays or Thursdays. We will try to find the best dates for everyone
finishing training on either April 25 th or May 2 nd
After commissioning on May 18 th. , it will be your job to recommend a
Stephan Minister to people who might benefit from emotional support
to people going through difficult times in life, providing hope and
healing in the midst of their pain. I can’t go up to someone and say,
person said you needed a Stephen Minister, they must ask for it. If
anyone would like to become a Stephen Minister, please tell me. If
you have other questions about the training, please ask. If you want
to do this please speak to me and tell me what times or dates are best
for you. If we have enough interest, I would like to order the materials
after Christmas so that everyone has them before February.
Thank you ,Lord for my listening ear, my caring heart and for the
inner light that shines within me. Help me to show that light to others
and not hide it deep inside myself. Thank you for my talents and the
things that I am good at. May I never forget how grateful I am to be
able to share my abilities and bring joy to others. Remember a lamp
is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the
house. Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you

do and will praise your Father in heaven. Let me know if you feel a calling to help others with the light that is within you.
Amen

By Gerda Krogslund