meet pastor alliyah greaverPastor Alliyah was installed at St. John as our pastor on September 12, 2021. She can be reached at the church office by phone or by email. Below is more information about our pastor.
Pastor Alliyah was ordained August 15, 2021 at her home congregation Christ the King Lutheran Church in Yankton, South Dakota. She served her internship year at St. John Lutheran of Boerne, Texas under the guidance of Pastor Eric Waters, with Associate Pastor Mariola Bergquist. She is the oldest daughter of Pastor Dani Jo Bierwagen and Pastor William Greaver. Her sister is Talitha Greaver. Pastor Alliyah is getting married on May 18th to Randy Blakeley. She received two MDiv degrees, from the North American Lutheran Seminary and Trinity School for Ministry. Pastor Alliyah also did pastoral studies at Luther Seminary and the Institute of Lutheran Theology. Her undergraduate degree is from Drake University, Des Moines, IA with a double major in Religion and Socio-Legal Studies. Before coming to St. John, Pastor Alliyah worked in Christian Education settings and at Ingham-Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp. She loves the Lord and is happy to be part of St. John and the Greenville community. She is a member of the Greater Greenville Ministerial Association. If you would like to learn more about the church, Pastor Alliyah would be happy to get connected and meet with you. |
Pastoral Emergencies or Pastoral Needs
If you would like to visit with Pastor, please contact the church office to schedule a time to visit. If you have a more immediate pastoral need or a pastoral emergency please do not hesitate to contact the church office or call Pastor's cell number. Pastor Alliyah can also be reached at her email: RevAlliyah@gmail.com. |
Pastor’s Thoughts… (from April Newsletter)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I admit – I have always been a little directionally challenged. I often tell the story of when I first started delivery driving for a brief period for Quiznos Subs how I would sometimes be out on my route and have to call my mom lost somewhere in my hometown and ask for directions to get back to the store. The truth is if you are trying to go somewhere, it helps to know which direction you are headed, it helps to have a map, it helps to have a destination in mind – or else you end up just driving around in circles. This is true both for our lives and for our church. We want to have some vision in mind to get to where we are going and make sure we aren’t going in circles, or focusing on things that aren’t priorities.
At St. John we know we have a clear command from our Lord about what our purpose as Christians is (it’s posted above our church’s exit doors) “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) we also have the aid of our church’s mission statement, printed on every Sunday’s bulletin, “Growing in Grace. Living by Faith. Serving with Love.”. We know that Jesus Christ is our center, our anchor, our focus – but what concretely are we doing to walk in our mission, what has worked in the past, but won’t work in the present, what direction are we going, and what as a church would you like your leadership to focus on so that we can honor our mission? These are questions we will work on at the upcoming Vision Day on April 20th (9 AM – 1 PM). The process will be led by myself and Pastor Tom Brodbeck. The more input and voices we have present, the better this process will turn out. The fellowship team will be providing a light-lunch for those who attend too. If you plan to attend, please sign-up in the gathering place or contact the church so that we can plan for enough supplies and food available.
I would encourage each member of St. John, to spend some time this April praying about how you are following your personal baptismal calling and mission, and also praying about our church’s vision. Pray for our vision-building day. And if you are available, plan to attend. We would love to have you there! Thank you for the ways you work in our church and in our community to allow us to live out our mission as a church. May God bless you in knowing and following your calling, as you walk with Him.
+ Pastor Alliyah
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I admit – I have always been a little directionally challenged. I often tell the story of when I first started delivery driving for a brief period for Quiznos Subs how I would sometimes be out on my route and have to call my mom lost somewhere in my hometown and ask for directions to get back to the store. The truth is if you are trying to go somewhere, it helps to know which direction you are headed, it helps to have a map, it helps to have a destination in mind – or else you end up just driving around in circles. This is true both for our lives and for our church. We want to have some vision in mind to get to where we are going and make sure we aren’t going in circles, or focusing on things that aren’t priorities.
At St. John we know we have a clear command from our Lord about what our purpose as Christians is (it’s posted above our church’s exit doors) “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) we also have the aid of our church’s mission statement, printed on every Sunday’s bulletin, “Growing in Grace. Living by Faith. Serving with Love.”. We know that Jesus Christ is our center, our anchor, our focus – but what concretely are we doing to walk in our mission, what has worked in the past, but won’t work in the present, what direction are we going, and what as a church would you like your leadership to focus on so that we can honor our mission? These are questions we will work on at the upcoming Vision Day on April 20th (9 AM – 1 PM). The process will be led by myself and Pastor Tom Brodbeck. The more input and voices we have present, the better this process will turn out. The fellowship team will be providing a light-lunch for those who attend too. If you plan to attend, please sign-up in the gathering place or contact the church so that we can plan for enough supplies and food available.
I would encourage each member of St. John, to spend some time this April praying about how you are following your personal baptismal calling and mission, and also praying about our church’s vision. Pray for our vision-building day. And if you are available, plan to attend. We would love to have you there! Thank you for the ways you work in our church and in our community to allow us to live out our mission as a church. May God bless you in knowing and following your calling, as you walk with Him.
+ Pastor Alliyah
Pastor Alliyah Greaver's Installation Service, September 12, 2021.
Pastor Alliyah's Installation Service at St. John Lutheran Church with Mission District Dean Pastor Paul Schultz presiding at the installation.
Pastor Alliyah's Installation Service at St. John Lutheran Church with Mission District Dean Pastor Paul Schultz presiding at the installation.
Pastor Alliyah Greaver's Ordination Service, August 15, 2021.
Pastor Alliyah's Ordination into the office of Pastoral Ministry took place at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Yankton, SD with Bishop Dan Selbo of the NALC presiding.
Pastor Alliyah's Ordination into the office of Pastoral Ministry took place at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Yankton, SD with Bishop Dan Selbo of the NALC presiding.