HR0511LRB102 21001 MST 29920 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives would like to congratulate the congregation of
4the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Orion on the
5occasion of its 150th anniversary on April 26, 2020; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ascension Day in 1870 was marked by the
7organization of the Orion Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church
8by a group of laymen with 30 charter members, mostly from the
9Swedona Church, on May 26th; and
 
10    WHEREAS, A year later, they were accepted into membership
11in the Augusta Synod and completed their church's first
12building; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Eleven years later, their first pipe organ was
14installed at a cost of $800, which served the church for 40
15years; and
 
16    WHEREAS, In 1922, fifty-two years after its creation, the
17church's membership had grown to 600, and the name of the
18congregation was changed to what it is still known as today,
19St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, in order to be inviting
20to non-Swedish residents; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In 1979, an internship program was created, which
2lasted 22 years and had 18 participants; it was also the same
3year that the Orion senior citizens meal site was started by
4the St. Paul social ministry; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In 1989, the first parish nurse of the
6congregation was installed; and
 
7    WHEREAS, At the 125th anniversary in 1996, a revised
8mission statement was adopted that included a major component
9entitled Rooted, Nourished, Sent; and
 
10    WHEREAS, On June 18th, 1998, the steeple that topped the
11church since 1902 fell during a tornado-like storm; it was
12originally built of structured steel, measuring 103 feet from
13ground to top of the six foot cast-iron cross; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In 1999, St. Paul Church entered the digital age
15by launching their first webpage; and
 
16    WHEREAS, A year later, St. Paul Church's hand bell choir
17joined others from across the United States and a variety of
18foreign nations to perform Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace
19during The Columbine Benefit Project, raising funds which
20promoted programs to prevent school violence; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The same year, a new steeple, replacing the
2former one that was destroyed two years prior, was dedicated;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, The following year brought about many exciting
5changes, such as the authorization of church expansion and
6renovation, the hiring of the first Director of Youth and
7Family Ministry, and the creation of Fun and Fit, which was an
8outreach program for the children of the Orion community
9designed to improve children's nutrition, health status, and
10spiritual growth; and
 
11    WHEREAS, In 2003, two years after the expansion was
12authorized, a new building, The Ark, was dedicated on March
1330th; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Retirement of the Ark mortgage concluded just
15before Ascension Day in 2014, and the church began their
16Backpack Blessings program, which operated through the food
17pantry; and
 
18    WHEREAS, When a blizzard hit the area in 2018, St. Paul
19Church continued its long tradition of caring for the
20community when the church was utilized as a warming center for
2137 people; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we congratulate the congregation of the St. Paul Evangelical
4Lutheran Church on the occasion of its 150th anniversary
5celebration, we commend the continued good work of the church
6within and beyond the community of Orion, and we wish them many
7more years of faith and fellowship; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the congregation of St. Paul Church as an
10expression of our esteem and respect.