Prayers for the Holy Closure of Desert Streams Lutheran Church in Surprise
“For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”
On December 27, 2020 the people of Desert Streams Lutheran Church in Surprise, Arizona, will gather for the last time as a congregation.
During the service will we give thanks for the ministry that has happened in this congregation, and for the people who have been fed and nurtured in the Christian faith here. We will thank God for the ministry partners through the years. Even as we mark the end of an era in one place, we acknowledge how we all are participants in God’s mission that continues beyond this day and these walls. Please hold the people of Desert Streams and their interim pastor, Jose Valenzuela in your prayers.
The congregation was formed in 2006. Mission founders of the church were Spirit of Grace in Surprise, Lord of Life in Sun City West, and Shepherd of the Desert in Sun City. Stained glass in the church, a gift from the closure of another church, will be passed on to the synod office and gifted to another congregation.
“We give our thanks and praise for this congregation’s ministries throughout its life, its gatherings for praise and prayer, its faithful use of the means of grace, and its study of the Scriptures.
We give our thanks and praise for the work of mission Desert Streams has supported, for local partners of ministry, and for all the lives that have been affected by God’s work through this congregation.
We give thanks for the building that has sheltered Desert Streams Lutheran Church, that the memory of this place will continue to inspire devotion to the God who makes all things possible.
For all who hold special attachments to this congregation; for those who have been baptized, nurtured in faith, confirmed, or married in this place; we pray that the Holy Spirit’s gifts continue to sustain them even as this congregation’s outward expression comes to a conclusion.
We pray for the members of Desert Streams, who will continue gathering as a people of God in other communities of faith, that this is not just the end of an era but also the beginning of new opportunities for worship and service.”