At a time when many rural churches are closing as members age, move to cities or opt out of church services altogether, a Lutheran church in Vienna, S.D., is stretching for space to hold its over-full Sunday school classes.
Children from Bethlehem Lutheran Church’s Sunday school program fill the altar for the annual Christmas program on the evening of Dec. 18.
Bethlehem Lutheran sits on the quiet main street of Vienna, S.D. Members come from as much as 30 miles around to be a part of the busy church.
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JuLayne Thoreson, left, and Tammy Hanson prepare meatballs for the Bethlehem Lutheran Church heritage meal in Vienna, S.D.
Ada Rider, 7, helps decorate the Bethlehem Lutheran Church basement with a festive tablecloth.
