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!
a fresh feel for 11 a.m. worship
by Teresa Thompson, OSLC council member
Have you been to 11 a.m. Sunday worship at the Our Saviour’s Campus recently? A deliberate reimagining and reinvigoration of 11 a.m. worship in the past year has helped create a distinctive identity for this service, which retains traditional elements from the ELW guidebook while blending in more contemporary song selections performed by a dedicated ensemble.
“The intention is to bring a relaxed feel to the liturgy and service,” says worship director Nicholas Davis, who plays piano and chooses music for the service.
Ensemble member Lee Ann Nasman played a vital role in bringing together the new group, Nicholas and other members of the 11 a.m. team say. Fran Huff, a member of the Women’s Chorale—which often sings at 5 p.m. Saturday—says she appreciates the chance to try something new in singing with the 11 a.m. group.
The musical choices are “fresh, providing an opportunity to make the liturgy meaningful for the audience,” Fran says.
Greg Hooper, who plays drums at 11 a.m., echoes the sentiment. “It’s a new energy,” he says. “It’s exciting to be a part of this new arrangement.” Greg adds that besides enjoying the freshness of the new format for 11 a.m., he loves having his whole family attend and participate in the service. “Everyone has an opportunity to get involved in different ways,” he says. “Lighting candles, helping out with greeting, handing out bulletins—it makes for a nice whole-family experience.”
In addition to the blended music selections, the communion table at 11 a.m. is moved to the floor, creating a more-relaxed and intimate feel for the serving of communion, says Eric Nelson, who plays guitar at the service.
“In a way, the church comes to everyone’s level,” Eric says. And with the launch earlier this year of “God at Work in You” moments during the service—like Impact Talks, but with a more personal focus—the 11 a.m. service offers a unique chance for attendees to “share in their personal ministries and faith walk,” he says.
in focus: refugee ministry in 2025
by Jim Bono, Refugee Ministry mission leader
Refugee Ministry work at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church is changing because of federal policy changes. The suspension in January of the United States’ four-decades-old refugee resettlement program has had major impacts on the work of OSLC mission partner World Relief, although the need for support for refugees who arrived in the U.S. before the program’s suspension remains.
World Relief is one of eight national church-based not-for-profit organizations that worked with the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees in the country. The Refugee Resettlement Act, passed in 1980, was designed to provide a path to American citizenship for people who had been forced to flee their home country due to well-founded fears of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership n a particular social group.
Refugees underwent a stringent vetting process to ensure that they met the criteria for refugee status and had no criminal record. The vetting process could take years—sometimes a decade or more. Indiviuals granted admission to the U.S. were allowed to bring one suitcase of possessions with them when they entered the country.
Our Saviour’s volunteers worked with World Relief to gather furniture and housewares to set up residences for recently resettled families. We also have driven them from the airport to their new home and served as “friendship partners” to help them get settled in the U.S., linking them with community resources and familiarizing them with life in the Chicago suburbs.
Much of that work began to change in late January. World Relief and the seven other organizations assisting with resettlement were notified that they would not receive their January federal payment for refugee support.
World Relief relied on these funds to pay a maximum of three months’ rent for each family and to pay the staff who provided case-management services. This action created an immediate financial crisis. World Relief needed to raise $800,000 to meet their obligations to their existing clients. They were able to achieve this goal in three weeks through donations from churches and individuals.
In February, World Relief was notified that the Refugee Resettlement Act was being suspended, and all anticipated future contract funds would be stopped. With refugee resettlement halted, furniture collections and apartment setups have ended for the time being.
World Relief currently is keeping its three local offices (in Chicago, Carol Stream and Aurora) open but with a reduced staff; these staff members are providing case management and legal services for refugees already in the country. However, they are now doing so without federal support (which comprised 65% of WRC’s budget).
What about the relationship between OSLC and World Relief? Recently resettled families in DuPage and Kane counties—legal residents—still are are trying to create a new life here. World Relief needs volunteers to serve as ESL instructors, after-school tutors, drivers to appointments and Friendship Partners. Friendship Partners are people who (as an individual or a small team) walk alongside a family for six months to help them acclimate to life here, as by getting children enrolled in school, obtaining a driver’s license, and figuring out transportation to and from work.
If you are interested in learning more about volunteering for World Relief, please visit worldrelief.org/chicagoland/volunteer/.
On behalf of Refugee Ministry at OSLC, a big THANK YOU to all who have donated money, furniture, housewares and Thrivent cards and who have given their time to help families start a new life. My own immigrant ancestors came to these shores with hope and trepidation and all they had in the world packed in a single steamer trunk. May we remember and heed the Biblical admonition to “welcome the stranger.”
