About our Church
...Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit... Acts 9:31Our Mission & Vision
Jesus.
Jesus came and said to them,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
St. Paul writes,
Where is the one who is wise?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men,
and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
I Corinthians 1:20-25
Mission & Purpose
Our congregation seeks to faithfully serve its members and to extend
the Kingdom of God by the proper preaching of God’s Word, by the right administration of Christ’s holy Sacraments, and by faithfully teaching the Christian Faith to children, youth, and adults alike; fostering and encouraging Christian fellowship and charity.
The first and chief article is this:
Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:24-25). He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid upon Him the iniquities of us all (Isaiah 53:6). All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works or merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Ro 3:23-25). This is necessary to believe… nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered… upon this article everything that we teach and practice depends…
Smalcald Articles, Part Two, Article One
Who We Are
the Servants of Prince of Peace
Our Pastor: Rev. David Zakel
Pastor
Pastor Zakel has served Prince of Peace since July 2021. He is a graduate of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, ON. Prior to entering seminary in preparation for service in the Church, he was employed as a High School teacher in Ontario. He and his wife Stephanie are blessed with four children. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, reading, and several other hobbies.
Rev. Kevin Walrath
Pastor Emeritus
Will Klages
Head Elder
Luiz Custodio
Elder
Danis Sharoon
Elder
Murray Birkett
Organist & Elder
Linda Ladwig
Church Office
Helen Stewart
Financial Secretary
Valerie Edwards
Council Secretary
Wayne Hartwig
Elder
Gerald Ladwig
Treasurer
Phil Klages
Head Trustee
Lisa Smith
Sunday School Superintendent
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is welcome at your church?
Because Jesus died and rose again for all people and has given His Church the privilege of making disciples of all people by baptizing and teaching [Matthew 28:19-20] and invites all repentant sinners to come to Him [Matthew 11:28-29], all people are welcome at Prince of Peace.
Why does your pastor wear a collar and robes?
What a pastor wears is a matter of Christian freedom; the Bible doesn’t prescribe one manner of dress or another. However, certain things are more conducive than others for our worship and service. Generally, our pastor wears his uniform while carrying out the duties of his office. This makes it clear to both pastor and people that he is not there representing himself but Jesus Christ. Using the historic vestments of the Church teaches a continuity with those who have gone before us in every time and place.
Why do you call your gathering a Divine Service?
Our worship service is called the Divine Service because we gather together around the font, altar, and pulpit, through these God Himself is serving us with His holy Word and Sacrament, giving us the forgiveness of sins. The focus of our worship is not on us and our feelings, rather it is on the Lord. We have come into His presence, like Moses [Exodus 3.5] we stand on holy ground, and here He comes to us giving us the greatest possible blessing: the forgiveness of sins [John 20. 19-20].
How can your pastor say that my sins are forgiven?
Our pastor doesn’t forgive sins according to his person, instead he forgives sins “in the stead of and by the command of Christ.” Where sin is confessed the pastor is obligated to give God’s forgiveness. Forgiving sins is doing nothing other than preaching the Gospel. Without the forgiveness of sins, the gospel is no gospel. A “gospel” that promises grace to those who compared with others have less guilt or “behave” better toward grace is not the Gospel. Instead, what does Christ say to His disciples? “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” [John 20.23]
What should I wear if I visit your church?
Because we are in the presence of the holy God we will want to show respect by what we wear—and this will differ from person to person—and how we act. However, the main thing is the heart as God cares more about the inward person than the outward appearance [1 Samuel 16.7]. The Holy Spirit says through St. Peter: “but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” [1 Peter 3.4]
What kind of structure does your gathering have?
Our services follow the traditional liturgy of the Church as contained in our Lutheran Service Book. The order of service has developed through the history of the Church and every part of it is drawn right out of the Bible. We often begin with a preparatory rite, in which we come before God as His own dearly beloved children and confess our sins and receive forgiveness of those sins. The service then continues with the Service of the Word; this is where God’s word is read, proclaimed, and taught, and we respond with prayer and singing. In the third part of the service, we celebrate the Service of the Sacrament (or Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist) where Jesus comes to us, joining His body and blood to bread and wine, for the forgiveness of sins [1 Corinthians 11:23-32].
What kind of music is sung during your worship?
Luther recognized that hymns are a vital way of teaching the faith. With the hymns he wrote, he saw to it that congregations would be able to sing hymns to God in their own native language. In many places the Gospel was introduced by the power of Lutheran hymns sung by godly Christians. In fact, Luther’s opponents complained: “The people sing themselves into this heretical church. Luther’s hymns have misled more souls than all his writings and sermons.”
We sing the traditional hymns of the Church. Like the liturgy, the hymns reflect the universality and age of the Church. For example, the oldest hymn we have in our hymnal is “Shepherd of Tender Youth” written by Clement of Alexandria [in Egypt] who lived about 200 AD. All the different periods and times of Church history are represented by the hymns. Of course, we have quite a large number of hymns from the period of the Reformation and afterward. And we have a number of hymns from England and North America. We use the traditional instrument to accompany congregational singing—the organ.
Are young children expected to participate?
Absolutely! Will young children know exactly everything going on? Hardly, but they’ll catch on quick! That’s part of growing up in general and that’s part of growing up in the faith. Parents by bringing children week in and week out to church are teaching their children how to worship; they are teaching them the faith; they are using church and what goes on as opportunities to teach their children the faith. The smallest of children can join in and anticipate the next time to say “Amen” or to fold their hands or to stand or sit down. They can be brought into the mystery and anticipation of the sacrament. Don’t forget—in church, in the Divine Service, God is serving the children as well. Through the word, He is nourishing and strengthening the faith He created in baptism. Remember, Jesus wants the children to come to Him so that He may bless them [Mark 10.13-16].