THE BEACON. Reformation Sunday SOLA FIDE (Faith Alone) SOLA SCRIPTURA (Scripture Alone) SOLA GRATIA (Grace Alone)

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1 October 2015 THE BEACON Christ Lutheran Church 320 N 28 th St. E. Sunday Divine Worship: 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. Superior, WI Sunday School/Bible Study: 9:00 a.m Wednesday Divine Service 6:30 p.m. clcoffice320@gmail.com Wednesday Bible Study 7:30 p.m. Reformation Sunday SOLA FIDE (Faith Alone) SOLA SCRIPTURA (Scripture Alone) SOLA GRATIA (Grace Alone) Lutherans and other Christians throughout the world pause to acknowledge and reflect on the great blessings God has poured out on His people through the work of one unique servant, Martin Luther. Through his steadfast adherence to Scripture, his zeal and dedication, we today enjoy the freedom of hearing the Gospel taught and preached in church every Sunday, the Sacrament of Christ s Body and Blood as Jesus gave it, the blessings of private devotion, the majesty of great hymns, and the tools of catechism instruction. We will have an opportunity to gather together with fellow Christians on Sunday, October 25 & Wednesday October 28 when we will observe the Reformation of the Church! 28 th Annual Lutheran Free Conference Church Discipline Mission Impossible Saturday, October 24, 2015, 9:30 a.m. 3:45 p.m. Redeemer Lutheran Church, St. Cloud, MN Addressing the issue of church discipline on the Synodical level will be Mr. Walter Dissen, Esquire, from Chesapeake, VA. Mr. Dissen, who currently serves on the Board of Regents of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL), began serving in the LCMS in 1971 when he was elected to the Board of Control of CSL. In the interim he has served on LCMS's Commission on Appeals and on the Board of Regents of Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS), Fort Wayne. It is no wonder that when Mr. Dissen received the Miles Christi Award from CTS it was said of him: "There is no one who knows more about the recent history of the LCMS than he. 99 With over 40 years of experience in Synodical affairs, Mr. Dissen has unparalleled knowledge of the way church discipline was administered in time past as well as how it is administered today why it once worked and why it doesn't today. Another portion of this conference was planned to help deal with church discipline at the congregational level. Three pastors of the St. Cloud Circuit will address that topic. A theological basis for it will be given, 1 consideration given to the role pastors and the laity, and some pragmatic and anecdotal remarks will be made. Though pre-registration is not required, a non-monetary pre-registration is required if you plan to eat at the conference site. If you plan to attend and be fed, call (320) or send an to: office@redeemerstcloud.org by Thursday, October 15, with the names of those attending. Any questions about the conference should be addressed to Rev. John Grein (320) Registration: Begins 8:30 a.m. Cost: $25/person; $10/high school or college student (includes coffee, rolls, lunch) Faith Stepping Stone: My First Bible for Third Grade and Up We will present brand new Faith Alive ESV Bible to our 3 rd graders, on Reformation weekend (October 25 & 28). But our goal is not just to place a book in their hands. The goal of this stepping stone is to place the gift of family devotions into your family s daily rituals! Stepping Stone 4 ends at the Altar where parents are affirmed for keeping your promise to place in their hands the Holy Scriptures and asked to add a verse a night to the highs & lows, daily prayers, blessings, and bedtime music that features the Word of God. We invite parents of our 3 rd graders to participate in this two-session experience that will gift you with the use of God s Word in your home. This is a very practical idea gathering time when you can network with other parents, obtain some great resources on maintaining a faith-filled, Christ-centered home, and enjoy Christian fellowship. The dates for this year s workshop are Sundays, October 11 & 18, at 9:15 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Parents are asked to pre-register by calling the church office at or ing clcoffice320@gmail.com by October 7.

2 Pastor s Page Here in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota we are again enjoying the striking beauty of our Fall landscape, crimson leaves, a clear full harvest moon night, burnt orange pumpkins all these remind us of the grandeur and glory of our God. Our Lord Jesus often used nature to provide spiritual lessons. Consider the sprouting seed of the field, He said. Oberve the flowers in their beauty. Look at how the heavenly Father sees the needs of even the lowly sparrow. Victory Formation In our part of the world we can learn a lesson from Canadian geese, those "honkers", that each spring and fall, make their way north or south. Who of us hasn't, upon hearing their honking, looked upward in anticipation, searching the sky for that familiar "V" formation? Why do those geese fly in that "V" formation? Two aerodynamic engineers researched the question, using a wind tunnel to calibrate what happens in such a "V" formation. They discovered that each goose, in flapping its wings, creates an upward lift for the goose that follows. When all the geese thus do their part, the whole flock has a 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Talk about a lesson from nature! We are all, or should be, flying in Christ's victory formation. And much of Christ's work can be done more effectively together. That s why we should not disdain organized religion. We join in congregations, in specialized groups within congregations: Ruby s Pantry, quilting, choir, (it's a bit hard to have a choir with one singer!), and in parish projects and mission work. That's why we also group together in circuits, in Districts, in Synods. Some of the things of God we simply can do more effectively together than alone. That's a thought to think of next time we're tempted to skip "the assembling of ourselves together" for our church services, communion celebrations, Bible studies. Some of the spiritual flying we must, indeed, do on our own, but when we worship together, for instance, each of us, just by being there, increases the spiritual blessings. And we hurt the cause when we are needlessly absent. Helpful Honking There's an added fact about those Canadian geese. Did you know that when a goose begins to lag behind, the others honk it back into place? That's showing real concern for the brother and sister goose. You hardly need me to make the application for you. We are our brothers' (and sisters') keeper, especially in spiritual matters. We can do a lot of such "keeping" by the example we set. And sometimes we need, in the most loving way possible, to do some "honking" too. Christ would have us to be concerned that our brethren stay with us in His "V" formation. And He would have us take heed when we, in weakness, fall out of line and they must "honk" us back to the blessing of active participation in His group. How good of Him to provide us with such blessings! How good of Him to let us show our love for Him by caring for each other! Yours for an eternity in the new creation, 2

3 Pastor Schoessow Church Council September 10, 2015 Members Present: Pastor Schoessow, Len Campbell, Bob Raaflaub, Adam Bennis, Don Hauser, John Robinson, Roni Hauser and Sharyn Vengrin Absent: Liz Hannula Call to order: Len Campbell Opening Prayer: Pastor Schoessow Call for additional agenda items: None Approval of Minutes: Adam made the motion to accept the August 13, 2015 minutes and John Seconded. All in favor. Motion Carried. Pastor s Report: Official Acts: Holy Baptism-Adult and Child: Nicholas and Harper Rich, August 15 Looking Ahead: Ruby s Pantry Oct 22, Nov. 19 Reformation Sunday Oct. 25 Pastie Bake Nov. 2-6 Stewardship Sunday this fall Advent begins Nov 29 Voter s Assembly September 27 Circuit Forum September 27, 3pm Mt. Olive Duluth th Anniversary of the Reformation of the Church Brought gift Card to Family in need. Contacted Landlord regarding Air Conditioner-Trustees will take care of this. Use our Time and Talent File to find willing workers and volunteers. See Roni in the church office to access. Treasurer s Report: Balance $47, John made the motion that the report be accepted. Sharyn seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion Carried. BOARD AND COMMITTEE REPORTS: Board of Trustees: Doors were due Sept. 1 st. John called Superior Glassthey have been delayed Lawn being mowed Timers will be set for 6:30 Crossing needs attention. John will take a look at it. Board of Deacons: No Meeting Board of Stewardship: Chris Pederson from Lifetouch presented us with the information and materials needed to proceed with the church Directory Project-End of September. Discussion on electing Chairperson for year tabled until our October meeting. Peg elected Secretary for year. S&E Board member contact information reviewed and updated. S&E will provide fruit for Rally Sunday on September 13, 2015 and Dave will help with set up and clean up. Len passed around a calendar asking Board members to sign up for hosting monthly Sunday coffee and Treats and also handing out flyers for Ruby s Pantry. New Business: Len will determine Stewardship Sunday date with Pastor. 3 Faith comes by hearing: Military Bible Stick- free will offering will take place this fall. Kirk discussed Community Outreach ideas and our Board decided to go ahead with an October project. Other Business: Future item to consider-church Cookbook Pastor asked us to consider a mission project called the invisible Sunday school. Next Meeting 5:30 p.m. October 5, Board of Education: None Memorial Committee: Plans are to spend down to $5, Dear Members, In order to coordinate gifts and memorials to the Church, a Memorial/Gift Committee has been formed. In Addition to memorials, gifts may be given In celebration of In appreciation for In thanksgiving/thankfulness for/of The committee is recording a picture Memorial Book of past memorials/gifts in the record book on display on the Memorial Stand. We would appreciate any information you have of past memorials or gifts, so we can include them in this book If you would like to present the Church with a memorial/gift, a list of Suggested Gifts is listed on the back. Additional ideas and thoughts regarding special needs are welcome. Please feel free to contact any of us with your information/suggestions: Adam Bennis, Lorraine Kramer, Marilyn Pingel, Lois Teich Endowment Committee: Youth Endowment-No Expenses Mission Endowment Check #251 ($44.80) To Barb Frerich was returned uncashed. She delivered Quilts to St. Paul as a volunteer gesture. Check #252-To Life in Christ (LCMS) $ donation. Education Endowment Concordia Publishing $90.00 for Portals of Prayer Concordia Publishing $ Sunday school Materials Concordia Publishing $ Confirmation Materials Scholarship Fund Due to market volatility, as of Sept. 1 st account value is about $2, lower than Jan. 1 st. Memorial Garden: No new business Old Business: Vision Path Update: Meeting next week. Endowment Funds Maintenance Recommendation: Ongoing. New Business:

4 Consider date change for October 2015 and January 2016 Council Meetings. New Dates: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 5:30. January 12, 2015 at 5:30. Requests to use Fellowship Hall: Kay Anderson on November 17, PEO (Philanthropic Education Organization). Adam made the motion to accept the use of the Fellowship Hall on November 17, 2015 by Kay Anderson for the PEO meeting. It was seconded by John. All in favor. Motion carried. Voter s Assembly-scheduled for September 27, 2015 following 2 nd service. Copier Lease: Adam made the motion that Roni look into bids, compare them and make her decision. She has two weeks to do so. It was seconded by Sharyn. All in favor. Motion carried. Pastor suggested we have a home cooked meal once a month. There was discussion. This will be brought to the Vision Path Committee. Mission Support: It was suggested that we might support both Missionaries that have asked for our help. This will be brought to the Voter s Assembly. Adam made the motion that we bring this to the Vision Path Committee Meeting. Don seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion carried. Next Council Meeting: 5:30 p.m., Tues., Oct. 13, 2015 Adjournment-Lord s Prayer Voter s Meeting September 27, 2015 Voters Meeting minutes were not available at time of publishing, will appear in Novembers newsletter or you may request a copy from the church office. Stewardship The reason we come to Church on Sunday morning, as opposed to Sunday afternoon or Monday evening, is because it is the first day of the week. The first thing you do this week, before you do anything else, is come to Church. You begin your week with the Word of God, Prayer, and the Holy Communion. You give the first seventh, off the top, of your time to the Lord. He blesses that time. In that time, He forgives your sins, cleanses, and purifies you. He then sends you out into the world, into the week, as His in all your days and hours and life. This is also the reason we pray before we eat. We want to establish that food is a gift from God and that He provides for us through it. Before we eat, we pray. This also blesses the food and makes it holy food because you are holy people. Nonetheless, we have a tendency to compartmentalize our lives, to separate the spiritual and the secular, to put on different masks at work, with our friends, or at home. This is a fantasy. We are who we are wherever we are. We are the baptized and we never 4 go anywhere alone. Everything we do is spiritual including our use of time and food and money. Now, you have a Christian duty to support the Church, to give of your time, money, and abilities so that the Ministry would be conducted among us and that the Gospel would be preached beyond us. How much you are to give is not dictated in the New Testament, unless it is everything. But how you are to give is clear. It is sacrificial, generous, first fruits, and proportional. You are to give a percentage offering not an amount, but a percentage. In the Old Testament ten percent was the norm. It s hard to imagine that St. Paul was thinking that being generous would be anything less than this. But whatever it is, the point is to set your offerings in comparison to your total income. That is what makes it a sacrifice, a spiritual gift. How much of what the Lord provides do you return? Next, it is to be first-fruits giving. It comes off the top. You write the check, or pay your offering, before you pay any of your bills. It is your first obligation and sets your priorities. You don t pay your other bills and then give the leftovers to the Church. You make your offering first, in accordance with whatever promised percentage you made. This is not only first fruits, it is also sacrificial. And you can always give more. Start with your commitment, with your percentage-based, first-fruits weekly offering, then as you have leftovers, give them out as it pleases you. But start with the Biblical model or percentage, first fruits. That is how money is to be used and given by Christians. It is to be pressed into the service of the Gospel. It is not actually that hard. Start where you are and work toward greater faithfulness. Start now. Just take what you give now and figure out the percentage of your income and commit to keep that pledge for the year. Over time you can increase that commitment, that percentage. As your income fluctuates, going up or down, so will your offering amount. Set the percentage, then take that out of your check first each week. Make it a priority. It is the most important thing you do with your money. It is a spiritual exercise. It will feel a little scary at first. Just do it. Take the risk. Set the money aside for the Lord and trust that He will provide. And over time you will find that you really can give more than 1% or even 10%, and even do so without regret. This kind of Biblical, disciplined, first fruit giving takes the unease out of it. It creates cheerful givers because when they drop the offering in the plate, they are already committed. They decided beforehand what to give. They don t think about it. They are glad to fulfill their promise and to be in God s house where He receives them according to grace. Pastor Appreciation Month

5 October is pastor apprication month. Take a few moments to share your thnaks, prayers and encouragemnet with Pastor Schoessow. Shiny Paper The scouts are still collecting shiny paper, however starting November 1 there are some changes being made. In oder to curb the clutter and complaints the scouts now have a large, locked dumpster. They will accept shiny paper on the 1 st Sunday of each month. Do Not bring the paper into the church building please bring it to the blue dumpster where scouts will unload it for you between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon on the 1 st Sunday of each month. Please do not bring it any other time, DO NOT leave it by the dumpster when there is no one there. Our scouts greatly appreciate the paper that you bring in each month and hopefully everyone will continue bring in their shiny paper. Thank you. LifeTouch Photo Directory Sign-up We begin the sign-up process today for photography sessions for the new church directory. Sign-up will take place between 9:00 a.m. - Noon in the entry area of the fellowship hall. Sign-up is also planned for Sunday, October 4, 11, & 18, unless all slots are filled. Photo sessions are scheduled for October 27, 28, & 29 from 2:00 8:40 pm. Online sign-up will take place Tuesdays through Fridays by signing-up on our website at and Click on the LifeTouch Sign-up icon (in the upper right hand corner of the webpage) and follow the directions as posted on the online website. You can also contact Roni at the church office ( ) and she will sign you up. Early sign-ups will get the first choice of times. Each participating family will receive, free of charge, a church directory and a complimentary 8x10 portrait. You will also have the opportunity to purchase additional portraits to share with family & friends. LWML Fall Rally November 7, 2015 Mt. Olive Lutheran Church Duluth, MN Registration 10 10:30 a.m., $5 Speaker: Pastor Jeffery Lee Topic: Suicide (Please note that CLC is not collecting these items, they are to be brought to the LWML Fall Rally.) Pastor Lee s message is My grace is sufficent for you based on 2 Corinthians 12:9, and offers information of prevention and comfort. Pasty Bake Alert! The 2015 Pasty bake will soon be here! It takes place the week of November 1 7 Sunday after service we will be setting up, a fingerfood lunch will be provided. We will then be peeling vegies for a few hours. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday we will be baking, with clean up on Wednesday also. Any time that you can help out is greatly appricated. Volunteers are greatly needed in all areas so please come help whenever you can. Every little bit helps. We also need people to furnish food for the workers. So if you can t help with production please consider supplying some food. Watch your bulletins for sign up sheets. Order blanks should be out in the mail around mid- October. The deadline for orders is October 26 Operation Christmas Child The Board of Christian education has decided to have the Sunday school children and our youth participate in the Operation Christmas Child shoebox program. We would like the invite the congregation to join us. If you are not familiar with Operation Christmas Child, it is run by Samaritan s Purse International and it is where you fill a shoebox with a special gift, along with other toys, school supplies and toiletries for a child. Those boxes are then delivered around the world to needy children. For ideas and instructions please grab the flyer how to pack your shoebox that will be available around the church starting October 11. If you wish to create a shoebox you just need to pick shoebox from church, pick an age group and whether it is for a boy or a girl, pick up your items, pack in shoebox, enclose a $7 check made to Christ Lutheran Sunday School and bring them to church by Sunday, November 7. Youth Upcoming Events All 7 th 12 th grade youth are invited to attend any or all events! We study God s Word in a variety of ways music videos with today s current Christian artists, creative Bible lessons, and issues that relate to the youth! Join us! Bring a friend! Ingathering: Items for the Mt. Olive food Shelf 5

6 Come to the Youth Bible Study during the Christian education hour from 9 to 10 each Sunday, it promises to be good and there may even be food! Spirit Mountain Adventure Park Outing Timber Twister, Zip line, Mini Golf.. Everyone young and old is invited to take part in the Sunday school trip to Spirit Mountain Adventure park on Sunday, October 11 after the late service. The cost is $10 for children under 18, and $15 for adults. If interested in participating please sign up on the office door by October 4. Christ s Men Men, Let s Do Lunch Christ s Men will meet on Tuesday, October 6 at 12 noon at the Upper Deck Restaurant at the Bong airport. This is an opportunity to gain guidance and spiritual support from God s Word as well as an excellent opportunity for Christian friendship. Defending the Faith, Teaching the Truth Issues, Etc. is a talk radio show hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and produced by Lutheran Public Radio. Recent topics include: Same-Sex Marriage, Reformation Solas, Depression, Radical Islam, What Boys Need, Pro- Life Women and more. Listen to what you want when you want at Food for the Local Food Shelf The first Sunday of every month is when you need to bring in your donations of non-perishable food items for the local food shelf. You may put your items under the table in the narthex. This is given to those in need and then to the local food pantry. Be a Block-Watcher! Keep a watch on your neighborhood for people moving into town. If someone moves onto your block 1) welcome them to town, 2) offer them any help you can, 3) invite them to church with you, 4) inform pastor of their arrival. Do We Have Your Current Address? Are you receiving from Christ Lutheran? If not, you are missing important and timely information from your church. We will not flood your inbox or share your address (addresses are always hidden when sent from church). Please help us keep you informed! Call the office at or send it to clcoffice320@gmail.com Looking for something? The LCMS staffs the Church Information Center, which offers a great deal of help and recources on a variety of topics. To contact the CIC with your questions, you may write: infocenter@lcms.org or call toll free October Birthdays 2 Michael Durand Isabel Swanson 4 James Ross 5 Susan Johnson 7 Randi Wheeler 8 Michelle Sternberg Jacob Makela 9 Elisabeth Hannula Kerri Ritsche 11 Scott Doane 12 Viola Inman 14 Cruz Krause 16 Philip Keppers 17 Kirk Krause Carl Syring 18 Bob Jardine 19 Sarah Harkabus Daynen Lull 21 Lori Randa 22 Matthew Flynn Alya Pfeil Lewis Keppers 23 Chip Flynn Katie Stenroos Steve Hauser 24 Darrell Erdman 27 Nathan Derick Wayne Ploetz 31 Judy Pahos Randy Lemmerman Isaac Plesko November Newsletter Submissions are due by October 15 The Newsletter is printed monthly Compliments of Downs-LeSage and

The Beacon. Pastor David Schoessow. October The Quincentennial Anniversary of the Reformation of the Church. Christ Ev.

The Beacon. Pastor David Schoessow. October The Quincentennial Anniversary of the Reformation of the Church. Christ Ev. The Quincentennial Anniversary of the Reformation of the Church The Beacon October 2017 Christ Ev. Lutheran Church 320 N 28 th St E Superior, WI 54880 Office Phone 715.398.3680 Web Site Christlutheransuperior.org