It is not often that the phrases Michigan District and NASCAR are used together in the same sentence. This first moment of its kind will occur on Sunday, June 10, 2018 when Michigan International Speedway hosts its annual 400 mile NASCAR race.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the Michigan District has been extended the opportunity to lead the opening worship service at 10 a.m. on the day of the big race. What a wonderful opportunity this is for the LCMS in the Michigan District to share the Gospel and the love of Christ to all who will be attending worship that morning. We pray that the followers of Christ who are in attendance will have their faith strengthened; and any unbelievers who may come will hear the Word of God in a way that will encourage them to further seek Him in the days that follow.
Pastor Joel Hess from Emmanuel, Cadillac will lead the worship service in the Driver Q&A Tent in the Fan Plaza area on the grounds of the Speedway, just a few hundred feet from the race track. We thank Pastor Hess, and his team from Emmanuel, for their willingness to be worship leaders that day. This is a huge undertaking for them.
In addition to Sunday worship, the Michigan District will have representatives at a booth in Fan Plaza on Friday and Saturday to distribute information and encourage participation in Sunday’s worship.
Here We Stand (HWS) also benefits financially from this worship service in a couple of ways. First, when a person attending the race on June 10 buys their ticket(s) at mispeedway.com/sunriseservice and enters the code LCMS, HWS receives $5 for every ticket purchased in this manner. The second way HWS will benefit financially is from an offering that will be taken during the worship service. These funds will support urban ministry initiatives through the Acts2Enterprise Urban Outreach programs.
Michigan International Speedway has also graciously reduced the ticket price from $79 to $55 for those who purchase through the website mentioned above. The cost of the ticket gives attendees access to Sunday’s race, the worship service, and a concert on Saturday night. All in all, this is a very good value if you are a NASCAR fan or if you are curious and would like to go and experience this unique event for the first time.
Please consider being part of this innovative way to support HWS, experience the thrill of a NASCAR race, and attend worship in a special setting. We would appreciate your participation and any assistance you can give to encourage others to attend with you.
If you have any questions, please contact Ray Zavada or Linda Ekong in the Michigan District office at ray.zavada@michigandistrict.org or linda.ekong@michigandistrict.org.
Photo courtesy of Michigan International Speedway
