SHINE: Share, inspire, engage
SHINE is Our Saviour's monthly, stories-focused publication, where we highlight the work of OSLC's many ministries and mission teams and shine a spotlight on how members of the Our Saviour's family are working to Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known.
Printed copies of SHINE are available at both campuses, and a digital version can be downloaded from our News & Events page or by clicking the image at left.
Below, browse a selection of stories recently featured in SHINE. Happy reading!
mission spotlight: slovakia ministry
What has Our Saviour’s Slovakia Ministry meant for the communities of Nitra and Martin, Slovakia?
It has meant the construction, with the generous support of OSLC donors, of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Nitra (celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer) and the Center for Christian Education in Martin.
But so much more than that, it has meant sowing the seeds of new relationships together in Christ for families in areas left bereft of faith-centered education programs after decades of communist rule. “Bringing a student to Christ ultimately brings a whole family to Christ," says Bohdan Hroban, president of the Center for Christian Education in Martin.
Since the last OSLC Slovakia Ministry trip to Martin in 2022, OSLC-supported expansion and renovation of CCE has allowed for completion of a bilingual high school, construction of new dining and study facilities and expansion of the preschool - all of which will allow the school to increase enrollment from 500 to 800 students. And in 2025, with the sudden withdrawl of support from USAID, which had been helping to pay teacher salaries, contributions from partners such as Our Saviour’s are all the more critical.
"Being connected with this incredible community has deeply humbled us, teaching us about grace, resilience and the power of true partnership," says OSLC Senior Pastor Brian Wise. "Each trip we take, each classroom we build, each conversation we have—these aren't acts of charity; they're sacred encounters that continually transform us into the people Jesus calls us to be. Truly, God has been up to some awesome things in Slovakia, and we are so blessed to have the invitation to become friends with these incredible servants. This partnership embodies our call to love as Jesus loved."
Slovakia Ministry’s biggest fundraiser, the annual Slovakia Dinner, takes place Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m. in Fellowship Center on the Our Saviour’s Campus. Bohdan will share in the meal and the evening’s program; all OSLC members are invited to attend in support of this 26-year-old mission of Our Saviour’s.
mission spotlight: educating africa's children
From Jim Bono: When my wife, Virginia, died, I was a mess. I was unspeakably sad. I was exhausted from providing end-of-life care. I was exhausted from the many legal, funeral, household and family issues I had to address.
When it came to a legacy gift, I thought of Educating Africa’s Children and Dusek Child Care and Primary School in western Uganda. Frankly, I didn't know much about it except that Jan and Tom Dusek’s daughter, Robin, had started it and that it was doing great things for kids in Uganda. Honestly, it wasn't very "real" to me. But it was real enough for me to ask that donations in Virginia's memory be made to the school.
When it came to a legacy gift - something instead of flowers I was stunned when I learned that enough money had been donated in Virginia's name to buy a desperately needed adjacent plot of land (a banana farm) so that the school could expand.
The expansion would allow the school to build two buildings. One would house teachers in small apartments with modern conveniences. The second would be a three-story student building that would feature one dorm floor each for 7th-year girls and 7th-year boys. The first floor would house a modern indoor kitchen, a student commons/library and a more-modern computer room.
This was amazing to me, but I didn't have much of a picture of how impactful it would be until I went with our OSLC group to the school in 2023. Yes, I saw buildings, kids, teachers, parents, community members. But the thing I saw most was hope: hope and happiness and lives changed in ways that can be difficult to imagine in the U.S. right now.
If you are as moved as I have been by the life-changing, hope-giving work of this grassroots effort, I invite you to make a contribution to Educating Africa’s Children. Your donation can change lives forever. Donate at oursaviours.com/missions/educating-africas-children.
six decades of scouting at our saviour's
Did you know that Scouting has a 64-year history at Our Saviour’s? Or that Scouts today can earn merit badges in such skills as engineering, entrepreneurship and moviemaking?
There’s much more to Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) – and to Scouting at Our Saviour’s – than many people realize, suggests longtime Scouting volunteer Clare Ann Himmelblau. Himmelblau currently serves as the charter organization representative for Troop 107, which was chartered at Our Saviour’s in 1961, just four years after OSLC itself was founded.
Himmelblau’s adult sons Jeffrey and Alec, both Eagle Scouts, both came up through Troop 107. The troop currently has around 20 members, who work to advance their way through several ranks (Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star & Life) – each of which focuses on building different skill sets – on their way to completing the requirements to become an Eagle Scout, if they seek to do so.
Nationally, around 4% of those involved in Scouts become Eagle Scouts. Our Saviour’s Troop 107, over its history, has produced more than 200 Eagle Scouts - many of whom have completed their Eagle Scout projects in service to the church, such as by building wooden donation boxes and digging out English ivy around the OS Campus to be replaced with native grasses.
Himmelblau notes that the breadth of skills that Scouts today develop is much wider than it was decades ago. For example, one of the required merit badges for becoming an Eagle Scout is personal management, which covers such topics as budgeting, time management and investing. As detailed on Scouting America’s website, scouting.org, Scouts also learn about citizenship in the community, the nation and society, including how to foster inclusivity and stand up for others.
Besides building practical life skills, nurturing lifelong friendships and cultivating leadership for troop members, Scouting offers a unique opportunity for parents, Himmelblau adds: the chance to be involved in helping their child become a community-minded member of society.
Volunteers receive in-person training, and co-leader positions often are available, with the goal of ensuring that all volunteers are adequately supported.
Troop 107 meets Tuesday nights at the Our Saviour’s Campus. If you’d like to learn more, please contact Clare Ann Himmelblau at calh94@yahoo.com.
