Elaine and Greg Strom are lifelong Lutherans who feel truly led to Spirit Alive!
They first found Spirit Alive! doing a Google search. Deciding to be led by the Spirit, they joined Spirit Alive! for worship. Still being early in the pandemic, at first they experienced the community from the inside of their Ford Escape. But that didn’t stop them from feeling the warmth of the car-encapsulated community around them.
Elaine says it like this: "we truly felt led by the Spirit to come and be at Spirit Alive. Folks were welcoming. It was clear that relationships mattered. Spirit Alive! is blessed to be a blessing."
These relationships only grew stronger as worship shifted to the lawn and, finally, back into the sanctuary.
Augie is their grandchild who identifies as gender fluid. Their pronouns are they/them. Sharing candidly about Augie's journey, and theirs, Greg and Elaine have found support and love in their new church family. Spirit Alive’s core value of being Spirit-Led/Spirit-Driven resonated with Greg and Elaine, even before we wrote it down in the True North process! The Spirit Alive! True North Team benefitted from the insights and leadership provided by the Stroms. Being part of that team cemented their beliefs about Spirit Alive! being their home. Spirit Alive's willingness to "take risks and be vulnerable," are attributes that Greg identifies as powerful identifiers of our congregation.
As Spirit Alive! looks to the future, both feel the fires of the Spirit stirring in them through two priorities: launching youth into adult lives of faith in Christ, and a belief that everyone's story is valuable and will be known.
It is thanks to all those who call Spirit Alive! their faith family that welcomes like the Stroms felt care possible and that the fires of the Spirit can build. Thank you for being a part of God’s Spirit Alive! Church.