Et cetera : Area leaders speak to Faith Baptist Church congregation during 'Friend Day'

         Faith Baptist Church invited several local leaders and others to its Friend Day on Sunday, March 14.

Senator Charles Grassley spoke to the adult in Sunday School, and he and several local leaders briefly addressed the congregation during its church service.

Pastor Greg Collins and his wife, Cara, organized the event.

Special guests also included Vinton Mayor John Watson, Vinton-Shellsburg Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock, State Rep. Dawn Pettengill, State Sen. Tim Kapucian and Scott Thompson, who serves on the Central Lutheran School Board.

Hainstock was first to speak; Rev. Collins discussed the school budget crisis when he introduced her. The school board and Hainstock are considering budget cuts because of reduced state funding for education. Hainstock thanked the audience for the support she has received from the community since beginning her job as superintendent July 1, 2009. She said many people have told her that they or their prayer circle are praying for her. She also welcomed input from everyone in the community.

Mayor Watson thanked the congregation for its work during and after the flood of 2008, and reminded them of how the city worked together.  

Pettengill recalled two occasions when she was a “neighbor” of Faith Baptist. First, when she was a member of the Democratic Party, she would work in the booth near the church’s at the Benton County Fair. Later, she had an office in the ICAS building next door to the church.

“Its an honor of a lifetime” to serve Vinton in the Iowa House, said Pettengill, adding that she is consistently finding people she wants to help. She also thanked her listeners for their support.

Kapucian also briefly spoke to the audience, briefly describing his experiences in his first term in the Iowa Senate.

Grassley reminded the church members that the Bible instructs believers to pray for those in government.

“One half of representative government is the people who are elected to represent us,” he said. “The other half is the voters. We need dialogue between them,” he said.

Also, he said, there is room for faith in government, even as we honor the First Amendment and separation of church and state.

“Our faith should show in what we do,” he said. “Our actions should match our words. Live what you believe and what you preach.”

Thompson told the congregation that the students of Central Lutheran donated $10,000 of the $100,000 the school received the U.S. Cellular to other missions. He said the company’s donation to the school through the “Calling All Communities” program was a “gift from God.”

The school recently finished adding classroom space, said Thompson, adding that the funds from the cell phone company are helping to pay for a new gymnasium.

Rev. Jesse Dominquez, a college friend of Rev. Collins, delivered the sermon, urging the audience to seek sincere, successful and sacred friendships with other people and with God.