Date Event Time. Oct 7 th. TLCW General Meeting 7 pm Oct 8 th

Transcription

1 Trinity Lutheran Church Lake Norden, SD Member NALC Pastor Mark Jamison Trinity Office: H: (605) C: (605) Website: Pg 1 Upcoming Events Pg 2 Pastor s Pen Pg 3 Council Minutes Pg 4 Prayer Program Birthdays Pg 5 Faith Statement Pg 6 Kids Page Pg 7 TLCW Mission Pg 8-9 Pastor s Salary Pg 9 Tidbits Pg 10 Embracing Imperfection Date Event Time Oct 7 th TLCW General Meeting 7 pm Oct 8 th Oct 8 th Oct 18 th Oct 20 th Oct 23 rd Evangelism Meeting 6:30 pm Council Meeting 7 pm Harvest Festival 10:45 am TLCW Mending 1:30 pm Fold Newsletter 8:45 am Oct 24 th Women s Retreat in Brandon 8:30-3 Oct 25 th Oct 28 th Thrivent Annual Meeting 5 pm TLCW Quilting 1 pm 1 P a g e

2 A while ago Cindy and I were visiting with a very conservative and Christian friend. She was a grandmother telling us about her grandkids. She said to them, Be careful what you do. God can t have anything to do with sin. So if you sin a lot God won t have anything to do with you. On the surface those comments sound okay. But they re not. In the first place it ignores the verse, God made him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. II Corinthians 5:21. The grandma s comments also ignore a verse we use in an Order of Confession and Forgiveness. If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8. When the Son of God became a flesh and blood person in Jesus Christ, he immersed himself into a world of sin and sinners. Jesus himself came to help sinners. So the grandmother s comments were not exactly right and not very helpful. If God doesn t have anything to do with sin or sinners, then God doesn t have anything to do with any human beings. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God Romans 3:23. The grandma meant well. I think what she was really trying to say was God doesn t spare us from the consequences of our actions. If we lie, cheat, or hurt others, we will have trouble. But to imply God isn t with us when we bring trouble on ourselves or we can t call upon him after we screw up our lives with sin? Or that God doesn t help us pick up the pieces of our lives and go on? This completely ignores the fact God used Moses, King David, and St. Paul who were all murderers. St. Peter and the other disciples who abandoned Jesus were used by God after the resurrection. It s true God doesn t spare us from the consequences of our sinful actions. And the ultimate consequence is that God sends us to our graves. The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23. But the second half of this verse tells us God also deals with sin in another way. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, God doesn t just punish sin, he also forgives it through Jesus Christ. Christ bore the sins of the world. He hung out with sinners. Forgiveness of sins doesn t mean it s okay to keep on sinning. The grandma was right about that. But where she was wrong is that we are still sinners until we take our last breath. In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear wrong and bad desires and thoughts we don t act out are still sin in the eyes of God. We live then in the forgiveness of sins being sinners every day. God does hold on to us even though we are sinners. God neither blesses nor condones sinful actions, nor does he give up on sinners who believe in Jesus Christ. The grandma is right to be concerned about grandchildren growing up in a society where not much, if any thing, is considered sin. But God is a God of both law (punishing sin) and Gospel (forgiveness in Christ who frees us from its power). These may seem like conflicting truths but they are not. The problem with the grandmother s comments? I ve seen comments like hers drive people away from God and the church. People decide they aren t good enough for God. They lose hope and despair, thinking we might as well do what we want because we re all doomed anyway. Yes, none of us are good enough for God. But we live by the power of Christ s goodness and mercy. We don t live like God. But we also don t trust in our own goodness and rightness. We live in Christ and the he doesn t let go of us. That s what we trust and depend on. See you in worship, Pastor Mark 2 P a g e

3 Council Minutes Trinity Lutheran Church 10 September 2015 Meeting was called to order by Vice-President Dan Koistinen Present: Dan Koistinen, Roger Anderson, Gerry Koisti, Brittany Larson, Bud Larrabee, Larry Jensen, Lee Swanson, and Scott Steffensen Absent: Rusty Antonen and Pastor Jamison Devotions: Bud had devotions. Secretary s Report: August minutes reviewed. Gerry made a motion to approve. Seconded by Bud. Motion carried. Treasurer s Report: Treasurer s report recv d. Bud mad a motion to approve. Seconded by Roger. Motion carried. Committee Reports: Christian Ed: No Report Evangelism: Bud said no changes from last month to report. Property: Dan had put together and setup up the shed for the parsonage. Old Business: None New Business: Gerry brought up putting in a drain pipe for the sump pump. Third quarter givings were tabled until next month. Trinity s 50 th anniversary is January Brittany will check with Jeanette to see if the women s group has anything planned. Next meeting is October 8, 2015 at 7 p.m. Scott will have devotions. Closed with the Lord s Prayer. Brittany made a motion to adjourn and seconded by Bud. Submitted by: Lee Swanson 3 P a g e

4 1 st Larry Aho 3 rd Kim Bevers 3 rd Jonathan Kretzschmar 3 rd Jessica Sowers 3 rd Jade Kretzschmar 10 th Millard Bud Larrabee 12 th Sharon Lee 12 th Alan Swanson 14 th Scott Bentley 15 th Samantha Kretzschmar 17 th Seth Swanson 24 th Robert Bentley 26 th Charles Anderson 27 th Melissa (Sowers) Miller October 4 th : Robert & Marian Carlson; Tony Arneson; Larry & Sandra Aho; James Anderson October 11 th : Donna Steffensen; Rusty & Sherry Antonen; Ethan Swanson October 18 th : Cyra Schaefer; Roy Hauschildt; Daniel Andrews; Jason Anderson October 25 th : Patrick Anderson; Linnea (Swanson) Sando; Ethel Koistinen; Brett Kasten 4 P a g e

5 Faith Statement I believe in the God of fruit time and harvest, who makes the land to bear gifts in its time and fills our tables with the bounty of his hand; I believe in Jesus Christ his Son, who was the first fruit of those that slept, and brings us to spiritual tables where are cups are always full; I believe in the Holy Spirit, who causes us to remember all for which we are grateful and teaches us to see a relationship between our gifts and the giver; I believe in the world as the arena of my spiritual life, where I am to share hospitality with the stranger; for in so doing I shall fulfill the desires of him who has given me everything, and of his Son and the Holy Spirit. In the month of Oct, 62 quilts and 15 pillows cases that have been completed by the TLC Women will be displayed in the church. Take a look, maybe you ll recognize a block or more from material or articles of clothing, bedding, curtains, etc, that you have so generously donated. We so appreciate your donations. A total of 12 quilts have already been given out 4 quilts to our graduating seniors, 5 quilts to fire victims, 2 quilts went to Kenya, and 1 to someone in need. The embroidered pillow cases, the majority of the quilts and the mission items for the Beacon Center will go to the Beacon Center (Women Domestic and Abuse Center) the last part of Oct We are always looking for people who would like to help. We usually meet at 1:00 p.m., on the last Wed of each month for 2 hours, followed by coffee. Thank You to all who have donated and have helped. ~ John Killinger, Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise A Group Activity [The Greek] word for church, ekklesia, was used at the time of Jesus to refer to the calling out of citizens for a civic meeting or for battle, and is employed in one form or another in both the Old & New Testaments to refer to the people of God, assembled together. So church is, essentially, a gathering of kingdom citizens, called out from their individuality, from their sins, from their old ways of doing things, from the world s way of doing things into participation in this new kingdom and community with one another. I m not exactly sure how all this works, but I think, ultimately, it means I can t be a Christian on my own. Like it or not, following Jesus is a group activity, something we re supposed to do together. - Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday 5 P a g e

6 In response to Jesus, Zacchaeus vowed to repay people he had defrauded; by how much did he promise to do so? A. In full B. Twice the amount he had stolen C. Threefold D. Fourfold Answer: D (See Luke 19:8.) 6 P a g e

7 The Trinity Lutheran Church Women will be assisting the Beacon Center for their 3 rd Quarter missions. Quilts will be handed out them with some of the quilts that they have made through the year. The Beacon Center can also use some of the following items to help keep costs low for them. Donations will be accepted through the month of September and will be given to the Beacon Center in October. Boxes will be set up in the Narthex and in the Educational Room where donations can be left. * Toilet Paper * Napkins *Garbage Bags * Baby Bath Items *Wet Wipes * Lotion * Shampoo *Cleaning Supplies * Deodorant * Laundry Detergent * Ziploc Bags (gallon size) Thank you for assisting us with our mission and thanks for supporting the Beacon Center! The Thrivent Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, October 25 th at the Hayti Lutheran Church. Elizabeth Hofer will provide entertainment beginning at 5pm, supper beginning at 6 pm with the meeting to follow. CELEBRATING GOD S FAITHFULNESS is the theme for this year s 1-day gathering in Brandon, SD. An invitation was received from the Heritage & Spirit of Truth Lutheran churches in Brandon to join their church women in fellowship on Saturday, October 24 th from 8:30 am to 3 pm. RSVP is due by October 15 th. If you wish to attend, please add your name to the sign-up sheet that will posted in the Narthex. Carpool is available depending on the number of attendees. 7 P a g e

8 Why Churches Should Rethink Their Preacher s Salary The job a preacher does and the money he takes home seems pretty cut-and-dry to most church members, Our preacher ministers to this congregation he visits the sick, he counsels, he evangelizes, he preaches, he teaches, he writes bulletin articles, and does whatever else we ask of him and we pay him to do those things for us. That s the way most Christians think of their preacher and the salary they pay him. But is that really the way we should think about it? Personally, I don t think so. Here are some things to consider 1. Stop Thinking Your Preacher Does It for the Pay Most church members think their preacher does the things he does because they pay him to do it. I believe this is an upside-down way of thinking about the situation. It s so much healthier to think of it like this, The preacher has committed his life to the proclamation of the gospel and we support him financially in that effort. He doesn t do it because you give him money; you give him money because he does it. The apostle Paul surrendered his right to collect financial support from most of the congregations with whom he worked, but he affirmed that congregations should support those who work spreading the gospel (1 Corinthians 9). The church ought to support as many preachers, teachers, evangelists, and missionaries that we are able to support. When men want to devote their lives to the proclamation of the gospel, we ought to consider it our privilege and joy to support such men. 2. Stop Thinking Your Preacher Does It For You Most church members think of their preacher as the minister (servant) of the congregation. They consider it his job to do the counseling, visiting, evangelizing, teaching, etc. And whether we want to admit it or not, much of this stems from the fact that we don t want to do this work, or don t think we have the time, so we have hired it out. We say things like, I don t know how and I don t have time to go to the hospital and visit all those sick people or have Bible studies with lost people; that s what we pay the minister for. But we couldn t be more wrong for this way of thinking. There is absolutely NO biblical precedent for hiring someone to do the work we should be doing. In fact, one of the tasks of the evangelist is to equip the members to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). You don t support a preacher so you can relieve yourself of work; you support a preacher, in part, to help equip and motivate you to do the work you ought to be doing. Of course he helps to equip the congregation through setting a good example of service, but if he ever starts doing your work for you, he is enabling you rather than equipping you. And many preachers need to stop enabling the congregation and start equipping the congregation. 3. Stop Thinking Your Preacher Belongs to You When a congregation thinks of their preacher as their employee, they misunderstand the situation. The preacher does not work for the congregation. He does not work for the elders. He works for the Lord. Paul calls preachers, the Lord s servant (2 Timothy 2:24); and that s what a preacher is, the Lord s servant. Not our servant. Of course the preacher and his work are under the oversight of the local elders. The elders shepherd the preacher, helping him to balance the work he does specifically for the local church and the work he does for the Kingdom. One preacher and his eldership may decide that his work needs to focus primarily or even exclusively on the local work; while another preacher and his eldership may decide to focus his skills and abilities more on spreading the Gospel throughout the world. It s a shame when a congregation believes their preacher belongs to them and they are resentful about the time he spends preaching and teaching other places. They ought to realize it is because of their financial support that he is able to preach the gospel in places that couldn t afford to support him, or perhaps any preacher, full-time. 4. Let Your Preacher Be a Member of Your Congregation When congregations think of their preacher as an employee who belongs to them, they often fail to treat him as a fellow-member of the congregation. Our preachers need to be able to fellowship, learn, confess their sins and struggles, be encouraged, be counseled, and have all the benefits we enjoy as members of a church family. But we often deny them those blessings because we treat them as our employees. Consider some of these questions: 8 P a g e

9 Is your preacher always teaching a Bible class, or do you let him be a student sometimes? Do you expect your preacher to always be the one to teach, counsel, and encourage you, or do you sometimes offer him your listening ear? Does your preacher feel like a member of your congregation or an employee of your congregation? The bottom-line is this, we have to stop thinking that the money we give to our preachers makes them indebted to us. Instead, we ought to consider it our privilege to be able to support men who faithfully and diligently proclaim the gospel message in our congregation and elsewhere. We ought to encourage them any way we can in the work they do. Personally, I am so very thankful that the congregation with whom I work supports me in spreading the gospel, while allowing me to be a member of the congregation. I couldn t ask for a better congregation. I hope other congregations will treat their preachers the same way. I love you and God loves you, Wes McAdams Over the last 5 years, eligible members have recommended that Thrivent Financial distribute more than $225 million in charitable grant funds to more than 25,600 enrolled churches and organizations through Thrivent Choice. Trinity Lutheran Church has received $6,699 in Choice Dollars grant funds since enrolling in the program! Organizations that promote their participation in Thrivent Choice tend to have the greatest success. Here are a few tips: Don t Worry About Sharks Worry About Your Bed! Sharks have a pretty bad rap as vicious killers. It may come as a surprise, then, that sharks kill an average of less than 1 person every 2 years in the US. A number of more mundane hazards are far more dangerous (statistically) than the average shark, according to MentalFloss.com: Beds: 450 Americans are killed annually when they fall out of bed. Ladders: 113 deaths per year in the US are attributed to ladders. TVs: in 2011, falling TVs killed 29 people. Lawnmowers: responsible for 75 deaths/year. Vending Machines: Since 1978, these have caused at least 37 fatalities and 113 injuries. Staircases: 1600 annual deaths result from falling down stairs. Bathtubs: 300 people/year drown in household tubs. He Did What During Brain Surgery? Sometimes patients remain conscious and responsive during brain surgery, in order for the doctors to have a better idea of the procedure s effects. But a recent brain surgery patient in Brazil went above and beyond. While surgeons removed his tumor, this man played the guitar as a test of his coordination. He performed a number of songs, including Yesterday by the Beatles. 9 P a g e

10 Embracing Imperfection "When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember Watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got Up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad For burning the toast. And I'll never f! orget what he said: 'Baby, I love burned toast.' Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if He really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in hisarms and said, 'Debbie, your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides-a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!' You know, life is full of imperfect things...and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of GOD. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this! to any relationship in fact - as understanding is the base of any rel ationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!! " "Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket but into your own." 10 P a g e