The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858

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1 The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Mount Pleasant, Michigan Zion Lutheran Church & Preschool 3401 E. River Road (989) Christ The King Lutheran Chapel 1401 South Washington (989) August 2018 Jonathon J. Bakker and Benjamin J. Ulledalen, Pastors Volume 54, No. 8 "you O LORD are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you." Psalm 102:27-28 Welcome Back Sunday will be here before we know it. As of this writing (in mid-july) we have already been in contact with several prospective CTK students. Pastor Ulledalen was able to address the Michigan District LCMS Convention this summer (an audience of 500 to 600+ people) regarding our campus ministry and others like us around the state. We have been advertising the Chapel in a couple of different District resources, as well as through paid, targeted advertising on Facebook. New names have been coming in every week, and we are reaching out to these young people with invitations to join us on Sundays and throughout the week at Christ The King. Plans for the new school year are already in place. Here are some new ideas for the Academic Year: - A one-day fellowship trip to Traverse City at some point in October. We hope that a quick trip of this nature might be more attractive to new students who might not be willing to take an overnight trip so soon in the semester. - We have purchased a 10 foot tall feather flag, with the LCMS U logo, and in CMU colors, to fly outside along Washington Street when we have church services, lunches, and special events. - Anne Bakker plans to teach a small group college women s Bible Study at CTK. Pastor Ulledalen will continue to lead a similar group for the campus men. We had consistent turn out throughout the past academic year. - A professional artist named Edward Riojas, who is also a Lutheran, has accepted our invitation to give a guest presentation on his art and Lutheran faith. Due in part to his busy schedule, which includes ArtPrize, we must wait until April In the meantime, you can learn more about him and see samples of his work at edriojasartist.com We look forward to a national LCMS campus ministry conference in early January, 2019, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on the topic of sharing the Christian faith. Pastor Ulledalen and LCMS U president Lane Savage have discussed other successful events from last year, such as a Martin Luther figurine scavenger hunt. We also look forward to maintaining our encouraging relationship with LCMS U at Ferris State, by inviting them to participate in our events, and joining each other on trips. Here are a few things you can do to help us at the start of this new school year: 1. Pray for our Pastors, staff, volunteers, and student leaders. 2. Pray that many Lutheran students would make the effort to attend church at CTK 3. Provide a Monday lunch, or just contribute a portion of the meal 4. Help to get any LCMS CMU students you know connected with CTK 5. Attend our Welcome Back worship service on Sunday, August 26, at 11 at CTK, and join us for the meal afterward. If you are CMU staff or faculty (or retired), we would especially love to have you help us welcome new students. 6. Attend other Sunday services, greet students, and get to know them. Page 1

2 The number-one thing we offer students at CTK is Jesus. Sunday morning worship, pastoral care, and Christian fellowship are the means by which this happens. Although much has gone wrong in our world and our culture, we Christians do not lose hope. Jesus entered into the mess and he set things straight. He loved us so much that he died in our place. The grave could not hold him down. We have hope and joy, because our God loves us. We know that whatever happens in this life, we have life with him afterward. We have the privilege of sharing this Good News on the CMU campus. Thank you for your prayers and support as we carry out this mission into another academic year. Pastor Ulledalen Men s Breakfast Bible Study Saturday, August 18 8:00 a.m. Guest Pastor on August 5 Please plan on welcoming Rev. Daniel Conrad, LCMS Missionary to Mexico for theological education. He will preach at our services on Sunday, August 5, and will also speak about his work there during the time we normally have Bible study at Zion (around 9:45 a.m). All are welcome to come and learn more! Lifelight Bible Study The fall session of Lifelight Bible Study will begin on September 13. This fall we will turn to one of the oldest books in the Old Testament, Job. The theology of the cross is at the heart of Job and while it is a challenging book to read, it is very rewarding. You can prepare by reading through Job as you have the opportunity! Study materials are in the office and can be picked up any time. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWS There will be no Sunday School classes in August. Join us when classes resume on Rally Day - September 9! 2018 Preschool Enrollment There are still a few spots open in the three-year old class and the afternoon four-year old class. If you know anyone who might be interested, refer them to our website or the church office. The preschool staff is hard at work preparing for the coming school year. Here are a few items that we are always looking for: old keys, puzzles (pieces can be missing), bags of white rice, bags of popcorn kernels, non-working colored Christmas lights, buttons, cotton balls, beads, macaroni noodles, tooth picks, Q-tips, dessert sized paper plates, dinner sized paper plates, disinfecting wipes, craft supplies of any kind and packages of colored pencils and washable markers. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to talk to Monica Brown, Linda Fauver or Tina Roe. Thank you and have a Blessed Summer! Meet The Teacher Nights We are having a Meet the Teacher Night open house for currently enrolled preschoolers and their families. This is an opportunity for your child to meet other children in their class and also for parents to connect with other parents. The students in the three-year-old class will come on Thursday, August 23; the students in the both morning and afternoon four-year-old classes will come on Wednesday, August 22. The time will be from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for both dates. Parent orientation is on August 29 at 6:00 p.m. Page 2

3 STEWARDSHIP CORNER Monthly Income & Expense Report through June 30, YTD Budgeted Expenses $231, $201, YTD Actual Expenses $234, $198, YTD Balance $ ( 3,426.28) $ 2, YTD General Fund Income $221, $214, YTD Actual Expenses $234, $198, YTD Income Less Expense $(13,120.08) $ 15, When it comes to stewardship, a favorite Bible verse is the account of the widow s mite (Luke 21:1 4). It s a moving account. Our Lord praises the seemingly small gift of two copper coins given by a poor widow above the abundance of gifts given by the rich, saying, Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them (Luke 21:3). And that is usually where we stop. But the text goes on. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on (Luke 21:4). She put in all she had to live on. She gave everything. She held nothing back. She trusted that the Lord who made her and all creatures, who gave her everything she had, who redeemed her from her own sin, from death, and the power of the devil, who called her by the Gospel and enlightened her with His gifts of Word and Sacrament, would continue to do this. He would provide her with all that she needed for this body and life because that is the character of the God she had. But this is not why we give small gifts. Her gift, though it appeared small, was actually large. When we are tempted to give small gifts it is precisely because we want them to be small! We don t trust the Lord to provide for us. We give small gifts because we lack faith in the One who created us, redeemed us, sanctifies and keeps us in the one true faith. We give small gifts because we doubt that God will really give us what we need and desire. We give small gifts because we are not content with what God has already given. We are not slaves, children of the slave woman, under the Old Covenant (Gal. 4). We are adopted sons of the free woman. And since we are sons, we are also heirs. And heirs receive the inheritance. For everything is already ours in Christ. And thus, moved by the willing spirit of adoption, we do the will of God in financial matters far beyond all that done by those under the Old Covenant who were forced by legal demands. So what have you decided to give? How do I decide what to give? Let the Scriptures be your guide. We are to give proportionally to what we have received from God s giving to us (Luke 12:48; 1 Cor. 16:1-2, 2 Cor. 8:12). But you have not been set free to give nothing. See that you excel in the grace of giving (2 Cor. 8:7). We are not free to live selfishly outside the Gospel, without regard for God who gives us all good gifts, without generosity for our neighbor who needs us and our gifts, without supporting the community of faith in which we live, without care for our spiritual fathers and those who teach and help raise our children in the faith, without resources for the poor and needy in short, we are not free to live unto ourselves, hoarding what God has given us only for us. For love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). And the sum of the law is this: Love God and love your neighbor (Matt. 22:34-.40). We love because He first loved us. We give because He has given to us. Luther once said, Possessions belong in your hands, not in your heart (LW 14:240). There is a reason your 10 fingers spread apart. With your hands you catch God s gifts for what you need and let the rest fall through your fingers to your neighbors your family, your friends, your community, your church. August Mission of the Month Concordia Theological Seminary St. Louis Concordia Seminary serves church and world by providing theological education and leadership centered in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars, and leaders in the nam e of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Page 3

4 Stewardship Volunteer Opportunity Zion members have an opportunity to volunteer to assist Community Compassion Network (CCN) on August 15 and 16. CCN now has a permanent location and guests may go every Wednesday and Thursday for food. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Below are listed the times and activities for which you may volunteer: Volunteer Days at the Pantry at the Strickler Center, 1114 W. High Street, for Zion Lutheran members. Wednesday, August 15, 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 4:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Thursday, August 16, 7:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon 3:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Greeters: check guests in at front to see if they have an appointment or give them a walk-in number if they do not. Need two people. Escort: Walk guests through the store and help them get their food. Need to be able to walk and/or push a cart. Need four people Warehouse: Give guests produce and hold their carts while they go and get their car. They pull the car up to the backdoor, honk and need help loading their car. Need two or three people, a physical job. In addition to these volunteer activities, Zion has budgeted and is contributing $2500 for a food truck. "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me. Matthew 25: 33 & 40" ORPHAN GRAIN TRAIN...is starting up in Michigan and needs our help! Reaching into 67 countries with the message of Jesus to accompany humanitarian aid and mercy care, Orphan Grain Train for 27 years has responded to human need with the love of Jesus. OGT distributes food, clothing, medical supplies, Christian literature, school materials, tools, personal transport devices for the disabled, and more. Orphan Grain Train also quickly responds domestically with disaster relief when hurricanes, fires, or drought place people and livelihoods in jeopardy. The new Orphan Grain Train Michigan located in Sebewaing is the first formal presence for OGT in our state. A new branch warehouse facility opens there soon. For more information about Orphan Grain Train, visit or contact Orphan Grain Train Michigan Branch Manager, Pastor David Reed EM, Orphan Grain Train Michigan Congregational Associate Being sought is one individual or couple within each LCMS congregation willing to undertake the following: - Acquaint oneself generally with Orphan Grain Train by visiting its website. - Be the communication liaison into your congregation. - Be able to receive Orphan Grain Train - Michigan information via . - Convey notices for bulletins/newsletters to church office for inclusion with permission. - Keep one s pastor acquainted with news from Orphan Grain Train - Michigan. - Share contact information to connect others locally interested in Orphan Grain Train. If you are interested in volunteering to help support this ministry, please get in touch with Pastor Bakker. Page 4

5 Holy Scripture: Guided Reading August 2018 A huge thank you to everyone who helped make Zion s Vacation Bible School happen this year. Our teachers, decorators, classroom helpers, director, those who took care of the various stations the children visited each day, those who contributed snacks and other gifts, those who prayed for this outreach, and all of our students who came and learned are all gifts from God! Thank you, all, for your tireless work! Thank you also to our youth board for the work you do to provide opportunities for Zion s youth to be involved in our life together as a congregation, and to grow in their faith and fellowship. Thank you to all of the youth (and their faithful parents!!) for participating and giving of your time to your church. Your visits to our shut-in church members around Christmas and Easter are much appreciated, as are you! Finally, thank you to all who worked together to make the outdoor service happen July 15 unlike last year there was plenty of warmth! Thanks to the Family Life board for planning the meal and for those who brought food to share it was a great meal! Thanks, finally, to our elders, ushers, and our musician for going above and beyond having to play outdoors! Life Quote from Lutherans For Life We can be a witness to the world around us by simply living the lives God has called us to live. By doing so, we show the world there is a reason to be For Life, that there is something different and good about it. Laura Davis, director of Y4Life (Y4Life.org) A Life Quote for Lutherans For Life Psalms, part 2: We pick up where we left off last month in the book of Psalms. The readings are designed this month to try and make things manageable for finishing with a few days to spare. This month we will be reading the longest chapter in the Bible (Psalm 119) and also the shortest (Psalm 117). Psalms 81, 82, 83 Psalms 84, 85, 86 Psalms 87, 88, 89 Psalms 90, 91 Psalms 92, 93, 94 Psalms 95, 96, 97 Psalms 98, 99, 100, 101 Psalms 102, 103 Psalms 104, 105 Psalm 106 Psalms 107, 108 Psalms 109, 110, 111 Psalms 112, 113, 114, 115 Psalms 116, 117, 118 Psalm 119:1-40 Psalm 119:41-88 Psalm 119: Psalm 119: Psalms 120, 121, 122, 123 Psalms 124, 125, 126 Psalms 127, 128, 129 Psalms 130, 131, 132, 133 Psalms 134, 135 Psalms 136, 137 Psalms 138, 139, 140 Psalms 141, 142, 143 Psalms 144, 145, 146 Psalms 147, 148, 149, 150 Page 5

6 LWML WOMEN TO WOMEN AUGUST 2018 LWML MEETING There are no meetings for August. PLEASE NOTE that the Gingko Tree is not available for August, so we need to change that date to September 15 at 1 p.m. Please let one of the officers know if you will be able to attend, so we can give the restaurant a number. Once again, please consider volunteering to be vice-president for this year. Duties include submitting an article like this one once a month, attending board meetings, and of course, running a meeting if the president is not available. (Offices run for two years, and alternate two offices are up for election each year president and vicepresident one year, secretary and treasurer the next year). We know there is someone out there who would like to be more involved with the ladies activities. MITE BOXES are always available on the LWML table in the narthex. Consider taking one home to fill with your loose change. We send Mites in to the Michigan District Treasurer quarterly, and our group is a little down in giving this year. You can return your contributions to Zion at any time. Just put the money in the jar in the office or in the big mite box in the narthex. Kathy Nims, our treasurer, is also the secretary at CTK; you can give your mites to her there as well. Thank you for helping our District and National LWML meet the goals set for mission grants this biennium. New grants will be chosen at the state convention July 20-22, 2018; our delegates, Kathy Nims and Doris Johnson, will have the privilege of voting on the new ones and will have a report for you in the fall. HELP NEEDED The Michigan District BOD will meet at Zion on August We will need help with meals for both days. Signup sheets will be on the bulletin boards. Not a lot of work if enough people help. COMING UP: 1. October 7, LWML Sunday. Rescheduling of Joy Markus, POBLO, during Bible Study plus a report on the Michigan District LWML Convention. 2. October 20, MidMichigan Zone Fall Rally at Grace, Auburn. 3. December 1, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Craft Show and Cookie Walk at Zion. (It is not too soon to start thinking about the cookies you will contribute.) This is our one fundraising event of the year, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of Christian Love our ladies (and men) show. 4. December 15, Women s Christmas Party at Zion. Pot Luck and White Elephants too! Submitted by Doris Johnson Quilting: Needed: one volunteer to assist with quilting on Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. The group will teach you how to quilt if you have wanted to do this but have not done it before. If interested please contact JoAnn Gust. Thank you to the 2018 VBS volunteers! Thank you to VBS Director Mallory Zalud, and all of the volunteers including teachers, helpers, decorators, registration workers, storytellers, snack crew, crafty crew, recreation crew, music volunteers, child care workers and those who donated food and other items. Thank you to the wonderful parents who brought their children each day to learn of Jesus, sing, play, create, and have great snacks. A special thanks to our financial and hands-on sponsors of 2018 Vacation Bible School. The KOHL S Team: For the help with the Friday picnic and their $500 contribution. THRIVENT FINANCIAL: For the music cd s for each family For the daily-themed snacks For the Christian-themed crafts Thrivent is a membership organization of Christians who help members be wise with money and live generously. The result is stronger members, families and communities. Page 6

7 Campus Corner Welcome Back Sunday August 26! Everyone is invited to our Welcome Back Luncheon after the 11:00 a.m. service on August 26 at Christ The King. Please come and extend a warm welcome to our new students and an enthusiastic Welcome Back to our returning students. We would also appreciate a few volunteers to lend their hands in cleaning up and putting away tables and chairs after the lunch. Thanks so much for all you do to support our campus ministry at CTK. Here s to a successful 2018/2019 academic school year! CTK MONDAY LUNCHES Could you provide a main dish for about 20 people? No frills necessary. Being away from home, the students love and appreciate a delicious homecooked meal. You don t even need to be there to prepare it, although it would be great to have you eat with us. Please call the CTK office to find a slot not yet taken. There are sign-up sheets at both Zion and CTK. Thanks so much! International Ministry One of our international families is in need of a bed for this coming school year. If you have a full or queen-size bed you are willing to donate, please contact Anne Bakker or the CTK office. Thank you Part-time Custodian Needed at Zion There is a need at Zion for a part-time custodian. This is a paid position and will require hours per week. Work times are flexible. If you are interested or know of someone who would be, please contact Tim at the church office. The position needs to be filled by September 1. Training will be provided. Family Life / Youth Rummage Sale Thursday, August 23 thru Saturday, August 25 Drop off items beginning Monday, August 13 The rummage sale is almost here! Mark this on your calendar and start putting items aside that you would like to get rid of. Please do not drop off items prior to August 13. This is a great volunteer opportunity for you to help. There will be sign-up sheets posted at Zion in the coming weeks with more details. There will be help needed getting organized from August as well as during the sale. This is always enjoyable, profitable, and a great time for fellowship. Next Youth Activity Night Sunday, September 9 Online Giving A Free Financial Service Designed To Help You Meet Your Stewardship Commitments As people of faith, giving generously is a natural response to the outpouring of God s blessings. But practicing stewardship on a consistent basis can be challenging. The Excel in Giving electronic funds transfer service was designed to make it easier for you to follow through on your stewardship pledge. You can use this automated financial service to make contributions and tithes. For more information see a member of the Stewardship Board or contact the church office. Page 7