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. 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. |
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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 November Newsletter)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope this Autumn is treating you well! As we look to November, we are the brink of “Holiday Season” yet again, with all the excitement and preparations for Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas ahead. For the church, it is a season filled with warm traditions – the Christmas tree is raised, the candles hung, the Advent wreath brought in, and the traditional repetition of familiar carols and well-known readings as we anticipate Christmas and also anticipate Christ. Along with the old, there is always something new about the Holidays too; new faces, new recipes, new challenges, and new joys – and for us, Christ also has new peace, hope, joy, and love as He meets us yet again. Come Lord Jesus, Emmanuel!
One of my favorite Autumn traditions, borrowed from my mother’s congregation, is to find a pumpkin and write my “prayer topics” on it in sharpie during the month of November. Every day of November, I try to add another and then pray through what I had before. Even to this day, I’ll sometimes get an email or note from someone in my mother’s congregation saying “Hey, I want you to know you’re on my prayer pumpkin today – I prayed for you!” How wonderful is it to know that people are lifting you up in prayer? If you'd like to pick up a new tradition this Autumn, maybe that is one you’d like to pick up! And whether your prayers are found on pumpkins, notebooks, or silently offered up to the Lord – I would encourage you to consider letting people know when you are praying for them! This is a wonderful way for us to encourage each other within the church, and God might use that small reminder in your neighbor’s life too. This is a wonderful spiritual practice to incorporate into your Thanksgiving celebrations too – thanking the Lord in prayer for all those loved ones near and far while taking a moment to pray for each other.
This year as we celebrate how God works through our history and traditions and also meets us again in brand-new ways as we need Him, I encourage you to make plans to attend our “Hanging of the Greens Service” on December 3rd – as with last year we will unpack some of those well-loved Christmas traditions and prepare our hearts for Christ to enter our lives yet again. Also, dear church members, know that you are in my prayers as we enter this blessed season!
May God encourage you and keep you in peace.
+ Pastor Alliyah Greaver
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope this Autumn is treating you well! As we look to November, we are the brink of “Holiday Season” yet again, with all the excitement and preparations for Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas ahead. For the church, it is a season filled with warm traditions – the Christmas tree is raised, the candles hung, the Advent wreath brought in, and the traditional repetition of familiar carols and well-known readings as we anticipate Christmas and also anticipate Christ. Along with the old, there is always something new about the Holidays too; new faces, new recipes, new challenges, and new joys – and for us, Christ also has new peace, hope, joy, and love as He meets us yet again. Come Lord Jesus, Emmanuel!
One of my favorite Autumn traditions, borrowed from my mother’s congregation, is to find a pumpkin and write my “prayer topics” on it in sharpie during the month of November. Every day of November, I try to add another and then pray through what I had before. Even to this day, I’ll sometimes get an email or note from someone in my mother’s congregation saying “Hey, I want you to know you’re on my prayer pumpkin today – I prayed for you!” How wonderful is it to know that people are lifting you up in prayer? If you'd like to pick up a new tradition this Autumn, maybe that is one you’d like to pick up! And whether your prayers are found on pumpkins, notebooks, or silently offered up to the Lord – I would encourage you to consider letting people know when you are praying for them! This is a wonderful way for us to encourage each other within the church, and God might use that small reminder in your neighbor’s life too. This is a wonderful spiritual practice to incorporate into your Thanksgiving celebrations too – thanking the Lord in prayer for all those loved ones near and far while taking a moment to pray for each other.
This year as we celebrate how God works through our history and traditions and also meets us again in brand-new ways as we need Him, I encourage you to make plans to attend our “Hanging of the Greens Service” on December 3rd – as with last year we will unpack some of those well-loved Christmas traditions and prepare our hearts for Christ to enter our lives yet again. Also, dear church members, know that you are in my prayers as we enter this blessed season!
May God encourage you and keep you in peace.
+ Pastor Alliyah Greaver
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.