RELIGION ROUNDUP: Church at Creston welcomes new pastor

The Rev. Kyle Winter will be installed as the new pastor of the Church at Creston-Lutheran on Sunday, Aug. 7, at a 4 p.m. worship service. Rev. Winter is replacing Rev. Darold Reiner as the pastor of this congregation.

Rev. Reiner served Trinity Lutheran Church in Kalispell as senior pastor for 25 years, from 1979 to 2004, and upon his retirement from Trinity Lutheran started a new mission church in the Creston area. Now 12 years later, Rev. Reiner is stepping aside as pastor of this growing congregation to make room for Rev. Winter.

Winter was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on Oct. 20, 1986, the first child of Ken and Theresa Winter. He graduated from Millard South High School in Omaha in June 2005.

Ambitions of being a pastor led him to attend Concordia University Nebraska where he studied behavioral science, psychology and pre-seminary.

Putting to use his love of music and sports, Winter was actively involved in campus worship life and played tennis for the university.

The decision to attend Concordia was providential in more ways than one. It was in the autumn of 2005 that he met his future wife, Lisa, in Fundamentals of Art 101 where they struck up a quick friendship. They remained close friends throughout college and after graduation as Lisa taught in Indonesia and Kyle served in churches in Seattle and Omaha. He and Lisa were married on June 30, 2012, in Nebraska.

Winter began his studies at Concordia Seminary-St. Louis in fall of 2012. On July 15, 2013, God blessed Kyle and Lisa with their first son, Jack Hudson. Their second son, Wesley Clay, was born on Easter morning, March 27, 2016.

Winter was grateful to vicar intern under the mentoring of Rev. Reiner and is now overjoyed to be called to the Church at Creston to serve as its pastor.

The public is invited to the ordination and installation service on Aug. 7. An informal reception will follow to welcome the Winters family into the congregation and community.

The Church at Creston is located at 5447 Montana 35 between Creston and Bigfork. For more information, 406-752-1205 or visit www.thechurchatcreston.org.

Musicians give free concert at care center

There will be a free concert at Immanuel Lutheran’s Skilled Care Center today at 6 p.m.

The concert will feature Bozeman guitarist Stuart Weber and world-class violinist Angella Ahn. The public is welcome. The performance will take place in the back courtyard of the Skilled Care Center at 185 Crestline Ave. in Kalispell.

For more information, call 406-752-9622.