Good News. Connecting People to Jesus. Lutheranism 101 at St. Paul Lutheran Church. First Communion Class Information. Special points of interest:

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1 Good News Connecting People to Jesus Special points of interest: Pray Sincerely Why study the Bible? New Bible for Teens How did St. Paul help Children at Christmas Inside this issue: Volume 2, Issue 1 Lutheranism 101 at St. Paul Lutheran Church Submitted by Pastor Gaertner Lutheranism 101 is an adult instruction class and Bible study for anyone that is interested in becoming a member of our congregation or has questions about the basics of the Christian faith taught in this congregation. The winter session of this class will be offered on Sunday mornings during the Education Hour at 9:45am. All of St. Paul is invited. Even if you ve been a member of St. Paul for years, please come. You may be able to help those just learning. Ken Jackson, after taking the class, said, I am very interested in joining your congregation now that I have a good understanding of the beliefs and values of your church. The first session of Lutheranism 101 will take place on Sunday, January 12. There is childcare offered during the Education Hour for young children and Sunday school classes for preschool and older. January 2014 What is a Sincere Prayer? Women s Evening Bible 2 3 Youth Activities 4 New Teen Bible Librarian s Recommendations Why study the Bible? Calendar 7 St. Paul Lutheran Church offers Holy Communion every Sunday. In the past, it was the practice that children would begin to receive the Lord s Supper only after their confirmation A few years ago, we began to offer another option for children to become prepared to receive the Lord s Supper. Children can still wait until after their confirmation or they can receive instruction at home from their parents. We recognize that children younger than eighth grade may be ready to receive the Lord s Supper in a worthy manner. In fact, entrance to the Lord s Supper should not First Communion Class Information Submitted by Pastor Gaertner be defined by a person s age. Martin Luther said that person is worthy with faith in these words, given and shed for you. If parents believe that their child is ready to receive the Lord s Supper, they can lead instruction in the basics of the Christian faith and the Lord s Supper at home. Parents in the past have said they appreciated the opportunity to have these faith filled conversations with their child. Parents and child will discuss the Ten Commandments, Apostles Creed, Lord s Prayer, Baptism, Confession of Sins, and the Lord s Supper. If parents want to lead this at home instruction, they are asked to attend a training class with Pastor Gaertner. At this class the parents will receive a conversation guide to lead the at home instruction. After the training class, parents have guided conversations with their child about the basics of the Christian faith and the Lord s Supper. Once the conversation guide is completed, the parents ask Pastor Gaertner to speak with their child. The pastor and the parents will determine if the child is prepared to receive the Lord s Supper, with faith in these words, given and shed for you. The training class for parents will take place on February 6, 13, and 20 at 7pm. If interested in attending this training, please contact Pastor Gaertner (therevev@gmail.com or ).

2 Page 2 Good News Martin Luther: Sincere Prayer Submitted by Sheri Falzone Diligent prayer is our comfort, strength, and salvation. It is our first line of defense. -Martin Luther Outside of church services have you been asked to pray for someone? Perhaps on Facebook or other social media, you have seen friends post, Asking prayers for.. or Praying for you! Do we sincerely pray for that person? How do we pray? Do we immediately bow our heads and clasp our hands to pray, or do we just mouth the words? Do we believe that God answers our prayer? Do we even pray at all? If you ask the Father for anything in my name, he will give it to you. So far, you haven t asked for anything in my name. John 16:23-24 Does this sound familiar? Learning to pray when there s an emergency or when something is frightening us requires a lot of discipline. Instead of praying, we tend to torture ourselves with anxiety and worry. All we can think of is trying to get rid of the problem. Martin Luther continues, The devil never stops tormenting believers. The devil confuses us because the devil knows what prayer can accomplish if he creates obstacles for us to pray. So in times of trouble, we are to get in the habit of falling upon our knees and spreading out our concerns before God the moment there is an emergency or when we become afraid. Diligent prayer is our comfort, strength, and salvation. It is our first line of defense. If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours. John 15:7 Luther writes, Prayer is the work of faith alone. No one, except a believer, can truly pray. Believers don t pray on their own merits, but in the name of the Son of God, in whom they were baptized. They re certain that their prayers please God because he commanded them to pray in the name of Christ and promised he would listen to them. He goes on to say those who do not know Christ do not approach prayer in response to God s command and promise. Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:22 A lack of faith is what condemns us, but confidence in God is what makes us worthy. Prayer must not be based on or depend on your personal worthiness, or the quality of your prayer itself, but on the unchanging truth of God s promise. If prayer is based on itself, or on anything else besides God s promise, then it is a false prayer that deceives you even if your heart was breaking with intense devotion. We pray because we are unworthy to pray. Our prayers are heard precisely because we believe that we are unworthy. We become worthy to pray when we risk everything on God s faithfulness alone, says Martin Luther. When you pray, don t ramble like heathens who think they ll be heard if they talk a lot. Matthew 6:7 Luther points out, People who ramble on when they pray aren t thinking about God s promises and commands re- garding prayer, or even the help they so desperately need. Real prayer requires few words from deep down in our hearts full of faith and gratitude for how he has blessed us in the past. That little word amen at the end of our prayer is our affirmation that means let it be so. It expresses the faith we have when we pray. When we say amen with heartfelt confidence and faith, we know God hears our prayer. This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy. Matthew 6:9 The greatest and best prayer is the Lord s Prayer written and taught by Jesus Christ. Anyone who feels burdened should pray the Lord s Prayer, says Martin Luther. We should not repeat the Lord s Prayer simply from memory but dwell upon the words written by Christ within our hearts. Read the words, if necessary, so our hearts may remain focused. Luther also says, Even those who don t know the meaning of the words may pray it from their heart. That type of prayer is the best because the heart is saying more than the lips. These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Matthew 15:8 Jesus emphasizes that our prayers must be sincere when he teaches us the right way to pray. The Christian s entire life should be devoted to God spreading his Word. So when we pray, we must be grounded in sincere prayer because God isn t content to provide us with

3 Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 3 Sincere Prayer continued. a small amount, even if we only ask for a little. He prefers to give us infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20 Excerpts of Martin Luther s writings were taken from the book, By Faith Alone by Martin Luther. The selections in this devotional were originally written by Martin Luther between 1513 and This book can be ordered from CPH.org, Amazon.com, or your favorite local bookseller. iphone and ipad users can download this devotional app with a full range of settings to enjoy and share devotions with others. Evening Women s Bible Submitted by Christi Gaertner For eight Tuesdays in January and February, women are invited to join Christi Gaertner in a small group Bible study at the home of Martha Wohlfeil in Pinckney and Anna Ankenbrand in Brighton. We will work through the book Bless These Lips: Make Over Your Words to Influence Your World by Sharla Fritz. In each session of the study, we tackle a different step in developing godly speech. By God s grace, a mouth makeover can improve our relationships and affect our attitude toward life. We will meet from 7:00pm until 8:00pm starting Tuesday January 7 and finishing Tuesday February 25. On February 25 plan to bring half a dessert or half an appetizer, and stick around afterwards for some social time. Becky Gusoff commented, I look forward to these women s Bible studies and have participated in two so far. The topics are very relevant to what we women deal with and juggle with in our daily lives. I enjoy the fellowship with other Christian ladies, and it helps to center me back on God s Word during my busy work week. Kelley Lindquist shared, I will again be a part of the Tuesday evening women s Bible study because at every single session, I laugh, learn, and leave with more of God s love, peace and joy in my heart and soul! It is also understood that not everyone will make all of the sessions, and that is more than okay. There is no pressure or guilt involved if I have to miss any of the sessions. We will meet at Martha s NEW home at 9533 Rolling Greens Dr. in Pinckney on January 7, January 28, February 4, and February 18. We will meet at Anna s home at 9900 Kilkenny Ct. in Brighton on January 14, January 21, February 11, and February 25. Notice that there is not a pattern so please make a note of the locations. The study is set up for you to do homework and then meet together. However, you are welcome to come even if you don t get the homework done. You are also welcome to come to just some of them sessions if your schedule doesn t allow you to come to all of them. We have 12 books available for $9, regularly $13. The first twelve women to contact Christi to say they will attend the study get to purchase their book for $9. There is also a Kindle version for $10 that is available on Amazon. Please Christi at christigaertner@gmail.com or call/ text her at MAKE A NEW YEAR S RESOLU- TION to dig into God s Word. You will be blessed beyond belief!

4 Page 4 Good News St Paul Youth Happenings Submitted by Mike Hausch IMAC I am a Christian (The St. Paul ministry designed for 5 th and 6 th graders) This group is doing something with water in January. Dependent on weather conditions, we will either go sledding or go swimming at 2pm on Sunday, January 19. The sledding, of course, will be outside, the swimming inside. For more information contact, Sue Trotter or Mike Hausch LAC Activity Living Active Christians (The St. Paul ministry designed for 7th and 8th graders and those involved in youth confirmation instruction) This group is going to Pokagon State Park in Indiana to ride a toboggan down the park s refrigerated run on Saturday, January 18. We will meet at church at 10 am. The cost is $15 plus money for a fast food lunch. For more information contact Mike Hausch High School students (students in 9 th 12 th grades) We have found a high school winter retreat to take the place of the Youth Encounter high school event. Cran-Hill Ministries offers an amazing retreat. Who Am I? based on Isaiah 43:1. This retreat for high school students will take place January There will be lots of winter fun plus some great learning opportunities. The worship band is Living Stones, which is the same band that played at the Senior High gathering on Mackinac. The cost for the retreat for each participant is $44. (The normal cost is $88 but St. Paul is picking up half of the registration fee and the cost of transportation.) For more information contact Mike Hausch New Teen Bible Submitted by Mike Hausch Is life just about getting by? Can a high school student make an amazing impact? Living an Incredible Life in an Ordinary World is the title of a Bible study for high school students beginning in January of This Bible study for 9 th -12 th graders will meet on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 8:00 pm. The Activity Center will open on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm and stay open until the last person leaves. See you on Wednesday nights: January 8, 15, 22 and 29! Contact Mike Hausch for more information or voice or text. Invite your friends to this Bible study night and show people that there is stuff to do in our community that can make a difference.

5 Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 5 Librarian s Recommendations Submitted by Jean Schneider God s Story, Your Story by Max Lucado Do you long for meaning-to know that your life has purpose beyond what is seen in the day to day? On the surface, life can seem like a disconnected string of events. One day you're celebrating the birth of a child, the next you're mourning the passing of a beloved grandparent. At times, we soar with victory and at others, we languish defeat. Is there a through-line to the ups and downs of life? Max Lucado uses the structure of the New Testament as a guide in God's Story, Your Story, and weaves together Biblical and personal stories. In order to understand our own personal place in the cosmos, Lucado offers us a change of perspective-the opportunity to see beyond the microcosms of our own lives, into our place among the greater whole of God's work. A Plain Death by Amada Flower Fiction Appleseed Creek Mysteries, Book #1 When computer whiz Chloe Humphrey takes a technology job at a college in Ohio's Amish country, she's distinctly out of her element. Loaning her car to a new acquaintance seems like a good idea---until the girl hits a buggy, killing an Amish elder. Was the collision an accident--or an intentional Plain Death? WWJC (DVD) When Raymond, California, hits hard times, pastor Henry Maxwell and his congregation fight for survival. But politician Alex York wants to bring back prosperity--by building a casino. When a drifter makes pleas for the poor, Henry and five church members decide to apply Christ's precepts. Will their example convince townsfolk to choose morality over money? Dove approved. Rated PG. Widescreen. Approx. 88 minutes. Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler, Veggie Tales (DVD) Youth Friendship and how to treat others is the theme in this side-splitting VeggieTales episode! In the title story, Sheerluck Holmes (Larry) and Dr. Watson (Bob) can solve any crime. Their latest case: someone has stolen the most valuable treasure in Buckingham Palace, the Golden Ruler! But when Sheerluck takes all the credit for the pair's sleuthing savvy, he risks dissolving the perfect partnership, and the Golden Ruler could be lost forever. Will Sheerluck remember to treat others like he wants to be treated in time to save the artifact and his friendship? Why the Bible? submitted by Tim Hurst Good question! This is the 21 st century. Life is different now right? Can we relate our lives to those old preachers, shepherds, warriors, peasants, and kings of more than 2000 years ago? If we are willing to spend more than a few minutes a week, turning its pages, listening as it speaks to us, we find people who have the same problems as we do., people who try or give up, win or lose, find joy or sorrow, sickness or health. We find people who are righteous and sinful, strong and weak, kind and selfish. We find people who are much like ourselves, living in a different time and place but still being tested by their own environment. They have fat years and lean years and are trying to find meaning in their lives. The unique message we get from the Bible and from no other source, is that our lives have meaning. We are, each of us, important in God s eyes, and that there is a purpose and a goal for each of us. We find peace and joy in discovering that purpose and living in harmony with God s intention for us. We may stray from that path, but with the forgiveness and guidance of Jesus Christ, our feet can find the way again. Every hour invested in Bible study pays a reward, in knowledge of where we fit in history and in our own time. As the song lyric says, These Ancient Words, forever true, changing me and changing you can shed the light we need to follow the road that God has already prepared for us.

6 Page 6 Angel Tree Giving 2013 Submitted by Mike Hausch With help from Prison Fellowship we were able to identify children in our own area and in the ministry area of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Flint, Michigan who have a parent who is in prison. We were able to identify needs and purchase a toy and clothing item for 66 children. Gifts were delivered on the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before Christmas. Funding was provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and 12 Months of Caring. Claire Wohlfeil said shopping for the kids felt good knowing we were helping someone else. Lydia Wohlfeil said it was cool and fun to shop for the kids, and it felt good knowing the parents cared enough to have someone get the presents they couldn t for their kids. Cindy Morris said she enjoyed Pre-wrapped gifts. 128 presents were wrapped. spending time with her sister wrapping many of the presents and, I found it to be rewarding to do something for a child who isn t able to spend the holidays with their parent. Mike Hausch said that on the drive back from the Christmas party and gift delivery in cooperation with Our Savior, Flint, even with the challenges of no power at the church and in many homes in the area, there was an awesome emotion that came over me, I turned to Su and said, I think I know how the Wise Men may have felt as they left Bethlehem after having seen the Christ-child. Thanks to the many folks who made phone calls, shopped for gifts, sorted packages, and wrapped and delivered gifts. Confirmation Retreat in January Submitted by Pastor Gaertner Our youth confirmation program has two retreats each year. These retreats are an excellent time for the formation of friendships and intensive instruction. The January retreat will be the weekend of January The youth and adults will spend three days at Somerset Beach Campground, which has a great sledding hill and a cozy fireplace. The topic for this retreat will be the Lord s Supper and we will also discuss the theological framework for the worship service. We will examine what the Scriptures have to say about Jesus gift of His true body to eat and His true blood to drink. We will also discuss how the Lord s Supper continues to shape our community. Some youth and adults may wonder why we say what we say and do what we do during the worship service. Our discussion of the theological framework of the worship service will be designed to help the youth understand the worship service as an opportunity to be fed by God s Word.

7 Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 7 JANUARY St. Paul s Special Events and Scripture Readings Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Isaiah 61:1-11; Luke 1: Isaiah 61:1-12; Luke 2:1-20 9a.m. Hymn Selection 6p.m. Girl Scouts 3 Isaiah 63:1-14; Luke 2: Isaiah 63:15 65:7; Luke2: Isaiah 65:8-25; Luke 3: Isaiah 66:1-20; Luke 3: Ezekiel 1:1-14,22-28;Romans 1:1-17 7p.m.Womens Evening Bible Martha s 8 Ezekiel 2:1 3:11;Romans 1: p.m. Teen Bible 9 Ezekiel 13:12-27;Romans 2:1-16 2p.m. VBS meeting 10 Ezekiel 18:1-4,19-32;Romans 2:17-29 Confirmation Retreat 11 Ezekiel 33:1-20;Romans 3:1-18 Confirmation Retreat 12 Ezekiel 34:1-24;Romans 3: :45a.m. Lutheranism 101 begins 13 Ezekiel 36:13-28;Romans 4: Ezekiel36:33 37:14; Romans 5:1-21 7p.m.Womens Evening Bible Anna s 15 Ezekiel 37:15-28;Romans 6:1-23 7p.m. Teen Bible 16 Ezekiel 38:1-23; Romans 7:1-20 6p.m. Girl Scouts 17 Ezekiel 39:1-10,17-29;Romans 7:21-8:17 18 Ezekiel 40:1-4,43:1-12; Romans 8: a.m. LAC Tobogganing 19 Ezekiel 44:1-16,23-29;Romans 9:1-18 2p.m. IMAC 6:30p.m. Confirmation class 20 Ezekiel 47:1-14,21-23;Romans 9: :30p.m. Love Knots 21 Joel1:1-20; Romans 10:1-21 7p.m. LAMB 7p.m.Womens Evening Bible Anna s 22 Joel 2:1-17;Romans 11:1-24 7p.m. Teen Bible 23 Joel 2:18-32;Romans 11:25 12:13 6:30p.m. FPU Potluck 7p.m. Financial Peace University 24 Joel 3:1-21;Romans 12: Zechariah1:1-21; Romans 14: Zechariah 2:1 3:10;Romans 15: p.m. Voters mtg 6:30p.m. Confirmation class 27 Zechariah 4:1 5:11;Romans 15: Zechariah 6:1 7:14;Romans 16: p.m.Womens Evening Bible Martha s 29 Zechariah 8:1-23; 2 Timothy 1:1-18 7p.m. Teen Bible 30 Zechariah 9:1-17;2 Timothy 2:1-26 6:30p.m. FPU Potluck 7p.m. Financial Peace University 31 Zechariah 10:1 11:3; 2 Timothy 3:1-17 Weekly Schedule Sunday 7:30 a.m. Fresh Brew Bible 8:30 a.m. Worship 9:45 a.m. Education Hour 11 a.m. Worship & Kids Connection 5 p.m. Coffeehouse Monday 9 a.m. Quilters 11 a.m. Women s Bible Wednesday 9 a.m. Classical Conversations Home school Group Saturday 8:30 a.m. Men s Bible 9 a.m. Altar Preparation 10:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Tuesday 9 a.m. Oldtimers 6:30 p.m. Scouts *indicates off-site events

8 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hamburg, MI Permit No. 53 St. Paul Lutheran Church P.O. Box E M-36 Hamburg, MI RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Financial Peace University Evan Gaertner, Pastor TheRevEv@gmail.com Michael Hausch, DCE mike@stpaulhamburg.com Phone: Fax: stpaul@stpaulhamburg.com Facebook.com/stpaulhamburg Financial Peace University is a biblically based curriculum that teaches people how to handle money God s ways. We all need a plan for our money. Dave Ramsey s class will show you how to get rid of debt, manage your money, spend and save wisely, and much more! The class starts January 23 and will meet every Thursday night until March 20. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a pot- luck dinner and then the class starts at 7 p.m. The fee is $100 per couple or single. In the Small Fellowship Hall on January 5, there will be a time to get your questions about the class answered at 9:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. For more information contact Anna Balhoff at or Ray Woods at FPU is fun! This isn t some stuffy economics class! You ll laugh as you learn money skills and participate in entertaining class activities. It s easy to understand! You don t have to be a rocket scientist to learn how money works. Each lesson is broken into simple baby steps.