Church on the Farm

St John’s Lutheran church service moo-ved out to the farm Sunday, May 5th.

“A parishioner, Jim Shairer approached me with the idea of having a ‘Blessing of the Seeds’ service,” said Paster Jennifer Sosinski. “I thought that was a great idea. Shairer Family Farms was just completing the building of a new farm shop and offered its use to the parish. This turned out to be the perfect location for this very special service.”

Open to both St John’s and sister congregation Calvary in Antigo, the invitation was also extended to the community through church bulletins, flyers, the highway message board of Chet N’ Emil’s restaurant and an announcement on WDEZ radio station.

The Rick Lettau Family band plus Ray offered to provide Polka Music, something they hadn’t done for a church service since Covid. Preparations for the service came together in just over a month due to the cooperation of many kind and generous people.

The new shop became a temporary place of worship, and it even had an altar. The cross was hand crafted from 130-year-old driftwood taken from Norrie Lake. The entire altar area was built by Jim Shairer,.

The turnout was large with over 276 people in attendance.

“From the builders, plumbers, Mullins Cheese that donated curds, right down to the kids handing out bulletins, this became a beautiful ecumenical service of people from many churches who gathered, worshipped, took communion, and fellowshipped together,” Sosinski said. “This service was very well received. People coming together in a beautiful connection of faith instead of separated by differences which is so encouraging! The joy on people’s faces was incredible! It’s exactly what church for me is all about.”