Bringing Life Out of Loss

The Southeastern Iowa Synod is celebrating the publication of a powerful new book from one of its own pastors, Rev. Sara Olson‑Smith, Associate Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport. Her new memoir, Eulogy for a Faithful Church, published by Wipf & Stock, offers a tender, courageous, and deeply hopeful reflection on what it means for a congregation to end well—and how God continues to bring life out of loss.

Drawing from her first call at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in New Jersey, Pastor Olson‑Smith tells the story of a community that chose to close not out of defeat, but out of faithfulness. Their final act of giving everything away became a witness to resurrection, generosity, and the surprising ways God works beyond our expectations.

Part memoir, part congregational testimony, the book speaks directly to pastors, lay leaders, and congregations navigating change, uncertainty, or questions about the future. With accessible storytelling and theological depth, Pastor Olson‑Smith offers what so many leaders long to hear: You are not alone. God is still bringing new life.

In a time when many congregations are asking, “Given our reality, how do we make the love of Jesus known?”, this book expands the imagination of what faithfulness can look like—not only in growth and vitality, but also in courage, release, and trust.

Eulogy for a Faithful Church is available now through Wipf & Stock.

Learn more or order a copy: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385228485/eulogy-for-a-faithful-church/