Satirical and Direct Preaching at the BJS Conference: Fiene and Sikora, by Pr. Rossow
When we plan a BJS conference we not only focus on the speakers but also try to recruit preachers who will fill your ears with Christ and his doctrine. This year is no different. We are happy that Revs. Hans Fiene and Tony Sikora have accepted our invitation to preach our two services.
Pastor Fiene is well known for his Lutheran Satire videos that are gut-wrenchingly funny and poignantly truthful. He will be preaching at our Service of Evening Prayer on Friday night. He is the pastor of River of Life Lutheran Church in Chanahon, Illinois and will most likely be seen at our No Pietists Allowed smoking party later Friday evening.
Pastor Ed (Tony) Sikora is BJS’s own internet preacher. We publish his Sunday sermons here on the website. He is pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in DeWitt, Michigan. From my personal experience with him I can tell you he is a pastor’s pastor. He has got the whole package – solid doctrine, a compassionate heart for being with his people, and he is a straight-forward, direct preacher. Tony minces no words although he is quite proficient at turning a phrase. He preaches the Christ from each text and does so with a style that directly confronts his hearers with the law and lathers on the sweet Word of the Gospel which is always the final and better Word in his sermons. He will be preaching our Divine Service on Saturday morning.
For information on registering for this conference where both speakers and preachers will bring you Christ, click here or on the banner on the top of our homepage.
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Guess I’ll have to sit in the front pew again (at least on Saturday).
Pax,
Dennis
‘Swaddling Clothes’ Wraps Moms with Love
Last fall, “women’s issues” dominated the election campaign discourse, from local races to the run for the White House. But while politicians and their supporters were doing a lot of talking about it, a small congregation in the NID decided instead to walk the walk. Early in this new year, River of Life, in far south suburban Channahon, will hold the first community event in its new Swaddling Clothes ministry. Pastor Hans Fiene recently spoke to Northern Light Staff Writer Laurie O’Connor Stephans, explaining what this ministry is, how it came to be, and the great need it hopes to fill.
The Northern Light
26 Years Sharing News about Missouri Synod Lutherans at work in Northern Illinois
January/February 2013
Pastor Sikora is in DeWitt? Wow! Didn’t realize he was so close!
I’ve got a son-in-law, Klemet Preus, out of Detroit. And he said about three years ago, “Oh, boy. What a job it’s going to be to crank out those sermons all the time!” So my boys found an old car with a crank. We took off the rust and we painted the crank white. And in Klemet’s room is a crank. It’s a reminder. Sit down and crank out the Word of God. It’s work. It’s hard work. And you’ll be blessed and your congregation will be blessed and your church will be great.
William G. Houser (CTS faculty, 1975-93)
Church Growth Institute
“Characteristics of Growing Churches”
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1979