Cypress Parish marks five years with Pastor Heide

SOUTHLAND CIRCUIT – On July 6, Cypress Lutheran Parish celebrated five years of service in the ministry by Rev. Travis Heide. Members from the dual parish participated in the Divine Service followed by a barbecue potluck lunch.  

Rev. Heide was called to serve the dual Saskatchewan parish, consisting of Mt. Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church (Swift Current) and Trinity Lutheran Church (Ponteix) upon his Sacred Convocation from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton. He was installed on July 19, 2020, and consecrated the Lord’s Supper for the first time, while Central Regional Pastor David Haberstock preached the sermon.  

While public safety measures due to COVID-19 adversely impacted worship attendance, and many stalwart members of both Mt. Calvary and Trinity have passed on to glory, the Cypress Parish has taken many great strides over the past five years. Immediately in the fall of 2020, Rev. Heide conducted Confirmation classes for the youth. Holy Communion has been celebrated every Divine Service thanks to a dedicated team of lay leaders. Adult catechesis, Bible studies, and hymn studies have provided opportunities for growth in understanding the Lutheran Confessions and for expanding the parish’s liturgical and musical repertoire. Beginning in the spring of 2023, monthly potlucks following Divine Service were reintroduced.  

Rev. Heide preached a sermon on the Gospel lesson from Luke 10:16: “He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” “But isn’t this a blessing,” the pastor reminded both himself and the congregation, “to know that it is not all about you?” Service concluded with the singing of the missional hymn “O God of Light,” looking forward to the church’s glorious future and more years of ministry.    

Rev. Travis Heide 

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