New pastor at Odessa Lutheran Church

ODESSA - Christ Lutheran Church here received a new full-time pastor at the beginning of July.

Travis Powers, 44, along with his seven children and wife of 24 years, Kimberlee Powers, will be residing in Odessa for the foreseeable future to provide ministerial services to the parishioners.

Powers was born and raised in the northwest region of Iowa in the city of Spencer. Graduating in 1997, from Spencer High School, Powers spoke of his youth involved in the Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp (IOLBC).

Powers said that IOLBC was his first job within the ministry, attributing his love of children and faith to the counselors and directors he met there.

Later he applied to Carpenter's Tools Ministries, a non-profit organization based out of Elmhurst Illinois, built towards providing services for growing ministries and personal opportunities for those in need.

Through this ministry, Powers traveled to Taiwan and Hong Kong for a mission centered around music.

After his time spent abroad, Powers came back and settled down in Milbank, South Dakota.

From there he moved to Great Falls, Montana where he was director for children and family services for Trinity Lutheran Church.

Great Falls was his most recent stop before Odessa.

"We're excited to be here," Powers said.

Powers plans to use his years of youth ministry experience for the Christ Lutheran Church to find more ways to get more involved with the community.

Christ Lutheran had started their vacation bible school, right as the Powers family arrived, but they jumped right in and helped, Powers said.

The Sunday Bible study group is split into youth and adults. Powers said he hopes to find a good blend of young adults and older constituents for the older bible study group.

The Lutheran church also plans to have a back-to-school retreat before Deutschesfest in September.

"Come and get involved," Powers said.