ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/LCMS
WHEN: Saturday, September 20, 2025
WHERE: Peace Lutheran Church, 5675 Field Street, Arvada, CO 80002
Sponsored by the SOAR Adult Ministry Committee of the Rocky Mountain District/LCMS
THEME: “Anchored in Faith“
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:14-15
A one-day seminar sponsored by the SOAR Committee of the Rocky Mountain District/LCMS will be held at Peace Lutheran Church, 5675 Field Street, Arvada, CO. 80002, on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Registration and continental breakfast are at 8:45 am, and the first of the presenters will begin at 9:30 am. Please mark the date and register early using the form provided on the last page. Your registration fee of only $30/person covers continental breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks, and costs for the speakers and facility.
Attendees offer favorable comments about the program, stating that the topics of the presenters are extremely interesting and educational. We encourage you to invite and bring other Christian friends. Register a friend (or couple) who has not previously attended a SOAR event at one-half cost! Our seminar program is:
REV. DR. R. REED LESSING: Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing serves The Edwin F. and Esther L. Laatsch Chair of Old Testament Studies at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is also the university’s director for the Center of Biblical Studies and director of the university’s pre-seminary program. Reed has authored books in the Concordia Commentary series that include Isaiah 40–55, Isaiah 56–66, Amos, Jonah, Zechariah, and Lamentations. He has also written Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Learning from Jeremiah, Deliver Us: God’s Rescue Story in Exodus, and Hope in the Wilderness: Practical Insights from the Book of Numbers. Reed has co-authored three books with Andy Steinmann: Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament, The Messianic Message: Patterns, Predictions, and the Presence of Jesus in the Old Testament, and Wrestling with God: Shedding Light on Difficult Passages in the Old Testament.
Reed is an avid jogger, biker, hiker, and cross-country skier. He has three adult children and four grandchildren—all who live in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
REV. JOHN LARSON, ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH, LITTLETON, COLORADO
In 1970 the family moved from Wisconsin to Phoenix, Arizona. Pastor John graduated from high school in 1975. He then began the educational process to become a pastor. First, he went to St. John’s College in Winfield, Kansas; then, Concordia College in Ann Arbor, Michigan; finally he went to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
In 1979 he married Marilyn Seible in Denver, Colorado. To this union three children were born: Daniel, David and Eden. Their three children have blessed them with 11 grandchildren. Pastor John served his vicarage at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sheridan, Wyoming (1981-1982). He has served at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Amherst, Colorado and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Venango, Nebraska (a dual-parish) 1983-1992, Peace Lutheran Church in Arvada, Colorado (as an Associate Pastor) 1992-2005 and presently serves at Ascension Lutheran Church in Littleton, Colorado.
ALYSSA PETTY: DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT AT LUTHERAN BILE TRANSLATORS
Alyssa is grateful for how God’s Word provides hope for her own life and is passionate about sharing Scripture so others can experience that hope too. Development is more than fundraising; it is a ministry to supporters. With that in mind, Alyssa wants each supporter to realize their impact in the Bible translation movement and help them reach their philanthropic goals. Alyssa and her husband, Kent, live in Emma, MO with their two daughters, Lily and Kaylee. She enjoys kayaking, running, playing and coaching volleyball, hunting, and spending time in the great outdoors with her family.
ENTERTAINMENT: A TOUCH OF GRASS: A Touch of Grass is a collection of six former students who met each other at Concordia Seward (now Concordia University Nebraska) in the late 70’s. Five of the six were preparing for church work careers and served the congregations of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod throughout their various ministries. They are:
Pastor Randy Bolt — acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
Pastor Duncan Cox — mandolin, fiddle, bass
Lisa Katt McLaughlin — guitar, dulcimer, fiddle, bass, vocals
Christy Anderson Peterson — mandolin, guitar, vocals
Kevin Pieper — guitar, mandolin, bass, vocals
Cindy Anderson Uden — banjo, guitar, mandolin, dobro, vocals
The group originally formed over their love for acoustic music, gathering informally in dorm rooms to play the music of the 70’s. The Anderson sisters influenced the band toward bluegrass music, having grown up in a family bluegrass band. Eventually, A Touch of Grass played several on and off-campus venues, and briefly considered delaying their church work careers in order to play music — however, their practical natures and collective fear of their parents guided their decision to say goodbye to each other and begin serving the Church. Then, two years ago, a “music reunion” took place in Fort Worth, Texas, and now the group is committed to getting together twice per year for exhaustive, soul-rewarding long weekends of music.
Everyone in the group loves the Lord, each other, and playing quality music!
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8:45 am Registration/Continental Breakfast/Coffee/Getting Acquainted
9:00 am Announcements, Opening Prayer, Devotion
9:30 am Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, Concordia University St. Paul
Deliver Us: God’s Rescue Story in Exodus Part 1
10:30 am Coffee Break
10:45 am Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, Concordia University St. Paul
Deliver Us: God’s Rescue Story in Exodus Part 2
11:45 pm Lunch – (Regular and Gluten Free Options)
12:30 pm Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing – Bible Study
1:30pm Lutheran Bible Translators – Bandi Language OT Translation
2:00pm SOAR 30 Year Anniversary – Pastor Larson
2:30 pm Coffee Break
2:45 pm Entertainment: A Touch of Grass
3:30 pm Announcements, Closing Hymn & Prayer, Sendoff