News and Views. Spreading, Serving and Sharing with You, Pastor Carl

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1 2017 St. Luke s Lutheran Church (916) office@slelca.org Pastor Carl Hoppman carlhoppman@gmail.com News and Views P a s t o r a l P e r s p e c t i v e J esus had an amazing way of relating with folks who were on the outskirts of society or who were looked down on by others. He accepted them as they were even though they had life styles or behaviors of which he didn t approve. In fact, Jesus was known as a friend of sinners. It is a reality that Jesus accepts those whom others would simply try their best to keep away from. The question, then, that hits us in the face is How can we reject and ignore those whom Jesus loves and accepts? Maybe we have the wrong idea about this acceptance business. True, Jesus accepted the prostitutes and adulterers, but he didn t approve of what they were doing. True, Jesus accepted the taxcollectors and others who took advantage of their own people for financial gain, but he didn t approve of their dishonesty and cheating. When Jesus is described as a friend of sinners this doesn t mean he puts his stamp of approval on sinfulness and immorality. Acceptance and approval are two different things. Jesus knew a meaningful relationship has to begin with acceptance. Without acceptance there is no loving concern, just cold judgment. Any kind of helpful relationship between people begins with recognizing and affirming the common bond of humanity between ourselves and others. Jesus willingly and lovingly did that. That really is what the miracle of God becoming human is all about. If I am going to minister to you, I must meet you where you are. If you are going to minister to me, you must do the same. This is the way Jesus ministered with folks. He didn t hide from folks or keep away from them. He interacted with them in love. Jesus demonstrated what acceptance means and what it does. It opens the way to sharing love. Acceptance is really love s first word. It is the foundation of loving deeds that follow. Jesus shows us the way that works. He shows us a kind of love that can change our lives and the lives of others for good. What then are we to do? First, let s receive and give thanks for Jesus acceptance and love given graciously to us and then, in his power, show acceptance and love to our fellow sinful and brothers and sisters in this world. Spreading, Serving and Sharing with You, Pastor Carl

2 I am truly humbled by your tremendous outpouring of love in celebration of my 40th anniversary of ordained ministry. Thank you for your generous gifts and your wonderful words of encouragement. I especially want to thank Holly for preparing an outstanding slide show and for her loving and truthful sharing about the history of my ministry. Thanks to Paul Maki for his great job in hosting the celebration. Thanks to the church council for their special gift and continued leadership in furthering the mission of St. Luke s. Thanks to Carole Vance, the Evangelism Board, and others for putting on the fantastic potluck. Thanks to you all for helping provide the amazing feast. Thanks for your written and spoken words about how the Lord has used me to make a difference in your life. Your openness and honesty in that sharing has caused my heart to sing in praise of God who truly does bind us together in love. I am mightily encouraged and in awe of what the Lord can do for good as we share together in His love. Triss, Holly, and I have always felt your support and encouragement as we have shared in mission and life here at St. Luke s. I look forward to how the Lord will use us in the years ahead to Spread the Good News, Serve those in Need, and Share the Victory of Jesus. With Heartfelt Love and Appreciation, Pastor Carl Sing to the Lord a new song If you like to sing, you are invited to join the Chancel Choir this Fall. No previous experience is required. There are no auditions and it is not necessary to know how to read music. The choir currently practices on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. and performs on Sunday mornings at the 10:30 worship service. Choir practice resumes Wednesday, September 6. Sunday mornings the choir gathers at 10:00 a.m. for rehearsal of the piece for the day. If you know a child who likes to sing, encourage them to join the Youth choir. They meet the second and fourth Sundays for 20 minutes after church in Room 2 of the Education wing. Judy Saxby is their enthusiastic leader. WELCA IS GOING OUT TO LUNCH You are invited to have lunch at Chicago Fire on Saturday, September 9. You can order from the menu that day and pay for your own meal individually. The menu offers pastas, sandwiches, salads and pizzas so there are many delicious items from which to choose. Chicago Fire is located at 7101 Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove. We will meet at church at 11a.m., if you would like to carpool, or you may go directly to Chicago Fire. Be sure to sign-up on the sheet on the Opportunity Table as we need to know how many will be coming! If you need transportation, please indicate that on the signup sheet so we can arrange for rides for everyone. Deadline to sign up is Sunday, September 3. This will be a wonderful time of fellowship so please plan to join in the fun. If you have any questions, please call Pat Webb at

3 Congregational BBQ Picnic Sunday September 10, 2017 Following the 10:30a.m. service, everyone is invited to come to the courtyard for great food and fellowship. The Evangelism Board hosts the picnic and furnishes Hamburger, Hot Dogs, condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard and pickle relish). Walt and Pauline Arndt will provide the tomatoes, lettuce and onions from the Farmers Market. In order to have enough seating and shade for all, a sign up sheet will be on the Opportunity Table. Those attending will be encouraged to bring a salad to share. We do need help, especially from our wonderful men in our congregation on Saturday September 9th at 9:00 to set up tables, chairs and canopies in the courtyard. We also need extra help with cleanup after the BBQ, including taking down the canopies, putting away the tables and chairs, an cleaning up the kitchen. Carole Vance, Chair Evangelism Board Martin Luther s On The Freedom of a Christian Eight Week Group Study starting September 10 & 12 response, Luther wrote an essay to the Pope, explaining his views and concerns. That essay, On the Freedom of a Christian, gets to the very core of what the Lutheran Reformation was and still is all about! Luther makes the simple yet profound argument that salvation is available for free. Folks cannot earn or pay their way to salvation. It is the free gift of God through the blood of Jesus. This reality frees us to live gratefully as servants of our Lord by serving others in love. Luther said about the essay, Unless I am deceived, it is the whole of Christian living in a brief form. As part of our celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation this year, I will be leading an eight-week in-depth study of this essay. Each week we will read together a portion of the essay and discuss it. If you would like to understand what the Lutheran Church is really all about, this study is for you! Sessions will be held on Sundays at 9:15 a.m. in the Sanctuary Study Room (formerly known as the Overflow Room) beginning September 10, and repeated on Tuesdays at 10:15 a.m. in the church office starting September 12. Everyone High School age and above is invited to attend. Please sign up on the Opportunity Table or call the church office ( ) to register so I am sure to get enough copies of the essay. Pastor Carl Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses or items for discussion on the church door bulletin board in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, Boy, were they ever discussed! Luther sincerely wanted to discuss cleansing the church of his time of some un-christian practices. Some folks were delighted and excited about his call for reform. Others felt threatened by his questioning some very lucrative practices for the church such as the sale of indulgences. Things got to the point by 1520 where Pope Leo X threatened to excommunicate Luther. In Farewell Brooke As was announced at worship on August 13, our Music Director, Brooke Barr, is moving out of the area and has resigned. Her last Sunday with us will be September 10 and her last choir rehearsal September 13. We will surely miss her. Her good nature and patience has been much appreciated over the 7+ years she has been with us. We wish her, Dave and the boys all the best as they start a new chapter in their lives. Her loving resignation letter is printed in this News and Views. We urge you to read it.

4 Luau Fun Raiser Get out your grass skirt and tune up your ukulele. The annual Worship and Music Luau will be Saturday evening, September 23 with fantastic food, fun activities and fabulous prizes. This year, joining us are The Ka pa Hula Dancers! The doors open at 5:00 p.m. for games, entertainment and fellowship. Dinner, featuring Hawaiian-style food, begins around 6:15 p.m. Following dinner is a dessert auction. You and your family and friends can pool your resources to bid on delicious desserts to share at your table or take home. While you are enjoying your dessert, entertainment will be provided by the choirs. This year we will be rockin out to some Beatles tunes. Tickets are $5 for children 3 to 12, $15 for 13 and up. Children under 3 are free. Tickets are available from members of the Board of Worship and Music. Please be sure to let us know that you are coming so we have enough food for everyone. Lunch will be provided. I will the material to be discussed beforehand for those who would like to consider it ahead and for those who have to miss a class session. If a student misses a class session, I will count on a parent or mentor to discuss the material missed with the student and sign and return the discussion sheet so I can be assured each student has discussed each unit. At the end of two years of study, students who have discussed all the units in class or with a parent or mentor will be eligible for Confirmation. Confirmation takes place at a Sunday worship service in late May or early June. Confirmation is a very special event when each student states publicly that he or she desires and promises to make the Christian faith theirs for life. It is accompanied by the blessing of the Holy Spirit and a celebration by the congregation. If you would like to register someone in your family for Confirmation Class, please let me know. The first class session will be Sunday, September 24th. Pastor Carl St. Luke s Lutheran Church Confirmation Program Confirmed In The Word I am very excited about the Confirmation material, Confirmed In The Word. In two school years, it will give your student a solid under girding of Biblical faith for life. Confirmation Class is for youth 6th grade and above. Students do not need to be members of St. Luke s. This school year (September -May) we will consider the New Testament in depth by discussing about seventy New Testament passages. Next school year we will study the Old Testament. Confirmation Class will be held once a month, on the fourth Sunday of the month, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. We will meet in the overflow room at church. A Note from SLY Summer flew by and the St Luke's Youth are officially back at school for the school year. SLY welcomes new member, Sierra Etchison, a sixth grader, Aiyana entered Middle School and Elizabeth, Isabella and Angie entered into High School this year! It's an exciting time and school will be keeping our youth busy over the coming months. We will still however keep our meetings, as well as other fun activities scheduled in between work, school, and extracurricular activities!

5 SLY invites you to our first annual family campout! Saturday September 30th at 6 P.M. Please join us for a BBQ, games and activities, S'mores and a campout in our beautiful grassy lawn area. It should be a great time to spend together. We will have pancakes in the morning followed by church service. There will be a sign up sheet on the Opportunity Table so that we can get a head count for food. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided on Saturday night and we are asking families attending to bring a side dish. Contact Laura or Samantha for more info and if you would like to volunteer to help with breakfast on Sunday, October 1st. (This would be so appreciated!) The youth was also recently invited to join in the Fall Festival on October 7th. The kids may do face painting, a car wash, and also help out where needed throughout the festival. On October 28th, St. Luke's will be hosting our first-ever Trunk or Treat! The youth have volunteered to help with the event as well. Please look for info about our annual pumpkin bread sales in next month's newsletter! Moms of Young Kids The Education Board is thinking about starting up a moms group for moms of young kids. We have a lot in our congregation, and we'd love to foster some fellowship, bonding, support, and friendships! someone's help with planning, either in general or just one event, especially since I have a very young kid on the way! You can (lauren.orcutt@gmail.com), text ( ), or talk to me at church. I'll be happy to hear from you. Blessings to you all, Lauren Orcutt Thank you! Dear St. Luke's family, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful baby shower. We were so touched and honored by your incredible generosity, and we felt very, very loved. It gave us great joy to receive such support and caring, and it was great fun celebrating with you. Thank you for your thoughtful gifts, your prayers, and your excitement as we welcome a new member of our family! Much love, The Orcutts Rather than a regularly scheduled meeting, we would plan occasional events - moms' nights without kids, outings with kids, and hopefully a workshop or one-day Bible study that focuses on how we can help our kids learn and grow in the faith. Let me know if you would be interested. I'd also love to hear your ideas for what types of events you would be interested in (like faith development) or if you have any specific ideas (like going to the zoo). I would also love to have

6 The Back-to-School Backpack drive was a great success!! Thank you to everyone who donated, packed, sorted, and delivered! Charles Mack school was overjoyed with all the goodies! We will be delivering the backpacks and supplies to Parkway school the week of August 14. Great job everyone! Our next event is Trunk or Treat, on Saturday, October 28! For those of us that may not know what this is: Members of the congregation park their cars in the parking lot, decorate/dress up in costume and hand out their candy to the community kids in a safe place. SLY group will also be participating by running games, selling popcorn balls, caramel apples, sodas and hotdogs. Flyers will be sent out to the schools. This will start at 5 p.m. and go to 8 p.m.. Please join us for a fun evening. decorating ideas available! If you have questions, see Elizabeth Brasier or Faith Thomas. In November we will be participating in Share-a Sole event with Charles Mack Elementary. Last year we gave away over 100 pairs of shoes to children. Please plan on helping by donating kids' shoes (closed toed, sneakers, running, sport, but NO sandals. There will be a bin in early October in the Narthex for drop-off. Girls or boys, sizes 3-9. God's Blessings be upon you all! Selena Connell 2901 Stadium Drive TCU Box New Address Fort Worth, Texas Greeters We need Help with Greeters. This is a great way to reconnect with our Congregation and say Hello with a Smile. The Sign Up Sheet is on the Opportunity Table for the months of October, November and December. If you have any questions please contact Carole Vance. Pew Supply Filler We need a volunteer to check and fill the pew envelopes and pencils each week. If you are interested, please let the office know. office@slelca.org Call: Thank you! Council Meeting Minutes Drafts of the minutes from the Council Meetings are available in the office, posted on the bulletin board. They will be updated every month after the council meets. They are also available on the church website at: Faith Thomas, chair Prayer Concerns A prayer concerns sheet is now available in the Narthex on the Opportunity Table. Please feel free to write down any prayer requests you want to share with our congregation. Pastor Carl will include them in the prayers during the service.

7 Backpack Stuffing

8 Summer is winding down, which means that the Fall Festival is right around the corner. This year, we will gather the community on Saturday, October 7th, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for some fun, food, and shopping! W-ELCA has been busy planning and we have made some changes that we hope will make our wonderful community event even better. What can YOU do to help? Volunteer! Donate! Shop! Spread the word! Our traditional pancake (and bacon!) breakfast will be served from the kitchen from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. We have decided not to sell lunch, but don t fret - we are going to invite more food vendors to quench your appetite. We will, however, be selling sodas and water to keep everyone hydrated. As always, the Country Store will sell delicious goodies made with love by the women (and men) of our congregation. This year, we request individually wrapped baked goods, like cookies, cupcakes, brownies, fudge, Crack Corn, etc. The easier the goodies are to eat, the better they sell! Look for the sign-up sheet on the Opportunity Table. We have revamped the White Elephant sale it will now be called the Church Yard Sale and will be located in Schultz Hall and the inner courtyard. Don t worry if you can t remember the location, we will have lots of signage pointing you in the right direction. The collection/storage area has also been moved to the room behind Schultz Hall, so please drop off your gently used donated treasures there. The best selling merchandise is jewelry (hint hint). Please let us know if you need help in getting items to the church or unloading when you arrive. We will make every effort to help you. We usually don't sell clothes but if you would like to bring them they will be put in the barrel, in the office, to donate to St. John's or the Union Gospel Mission. If you would like to help with sorting, setting up, and pricing items for the Church Yard Sale, Judy Saxby ( or kringla646@comcast.net) and Carol Carney ( or jccarneyonroad@yahoo.com) will be at the church on Thursday and Friday, October 5th & 6th starting at 9 a.m. and would greatly appreciate anyone that would please come and help us with this large task. Are you crafty, but running out of space to store your creations? Donate them to the Crafters booth! See Dorothy Haney for information. Rent-A-Space will take over a larger part of the parking lot to add more spaces, so we will open up the side grass lot for parking. The rental fee is $20 for a 10x10 space or $35 for a double space. If you know a local community service organization, please let them know that they can have a spot for an information booth for FREE. Contact Peggy Moser at as soon as possible to reserve your spot because spaces fill up fast! Got Books & Plants? We want them! But we ask that you limit your book donations to paperbacks - no hardcover books or magazines please. Plants/ flowers of all sizes are appreciated. Finally, we cannot run this event without all of our VOLUNTEERS! We need help with set-up (starting at 6am) and clean-up (2pm), so bring your muscles! We also need help throughout the day to relieve workers in our various W-ELCA sponsored sales areas. Even if you can only spare an hour or two, we can use you! We can accommodate your abilities, so please check out the sign-up forms on the Opportunity Table. In His service, Katie Iniguez

9 Sanctuary Floor Covering Project Now that the Sanctuary floor covering project is completed, it is time to appreciate the blessings and extend a special thank you to the individuals and groups who made this project a success. Thank you to The Lee Meyer estate for remembering St. Luke s and providing the necessary funds, through a generous Memorial Gift, to complete the project. The Property Board for arranging to have the Choir Room painted on a short notice, and allocating funds for the painting and new heating/cooling registers. The Meyer Memorial Fund Committee, chaired by Holly Hoppman, for making the fundamental decisions regarding the type of floor covering to install in each location. The Meyer subcommittee for selecting the specific style, pattern, and color of the floor covering for each location. Jerry Carney for providing expertise, advice, and assistance throughout the project, and for assisting in the construction and installation of the oak steps. The Worship and Music Board for preparing Schultz Hall for worship services, and for ensuring the Sanctuary was cleaned and dusted before resuming services in the refurbished Sanctuary. Micki Fenske for staining and finishing the oak boards for the steps, pulpit, and altar. The Ireton family Ben, Kristen, and Ed for modifying the ductwork and installing the new heating/cooling registers. Justin Tice for painting the short wall behind the pews on a very short notice. Craig Eckels, with his knowledge and experience, for leading the installation of new cabling for the pulpit and lantern. The Do It Yourself movers (i.e., members with strong muscles and backs) for eagerly pitching in to move furniture whenever requested. Pastor Carl for his support and patience throughout the project, and for assisting the Music and Worship Board in their tasks. And last. but not least, thank you to all of you for your patience, cooperation, and understanding; it was sincerely appreciated. Jack Fenske, Project Manager Sanctuary Floor Covering Project P.S. A detailed description of the work has been prepared to aid others in subsequent related projects. This lengthy document is included with the project files and is available, for more information, at St. Luke s website. www. slelca.org/resources Click on Other, 2017 Floor Covering Project

10 Awesome Summer Family Potluck & Study Fellowship Meal at #1 Buffet

11 Letter from Brooke Barr It is with a heavy but full heart that I am submitting this letter of resignation as Director of Music for St. Luke's Lutheran Church, effective September 13, Dave and I have sold our Sacramento home and are planning to move out of the area in mid to late September. We are excited to follow the Lord's leading into this new chapter of our lives. Serving as Music Director at St. Luke's for the past 7.5 years has been one of the greatest joys of my life. I love music and I love the congregation here. When I first came to St. Luke's, you accepted me as one of your own and have been so generous with your caring, support, and participation over these past years. You have rejoiced with me when Dave and I married (a number of you drove all the way to San Jose to attend our wedding, how special was that!). And when our two sons, Jesse and Justin, were born, you welcomed their joy-filled noises and squawks into the Sunday services! You have created a warm and patient environment for our growing family. We have celebrated, prayed, laughed, grieved, and exalted the name of Christ together. This has been our church home and you have been our church family. To the members of the Worship and Music Committee, you have been most supportive with your enthusiasm, vision, and involvement. Together, we have created many wonderful memories as we planned, organized, and presented special musical events. honored me with your upbeat attitudes and faithful attendance. I have been exceedingly blessed to witness your heartfelt adoration of the Lord through singing. The eternal bonds of friendship and camaraderie we have sewn together will always remain near to my heart. To Pastor Carl, you have been a special source of encouragement and spiritual counsel as we worked to honor our Lord and Savior through the gift of music. Your love of God, His son Jesus Christ, and the people of St. Luke's is apparent to all and is of profound inspiration to me. I value your wisdom and steady leadership, and I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for your influence in my life. And finally, to the people of St. Luke's, it is my hope that the music ministry of this church has, and will continue to assist you in glorifying our great God and Savior. Music is a profound and intimate form of direct communication to the very throne room of heaven. It is my prayer that this avenue of worship has helped draw you deeper into the Almighty's presence. Thank you all, and may God richly bless every one of you. Respectfully submitted, Brooke Barr To our organist Jane, thank you for cheerfully filling in every time I needed to step away. You have humbly played alongside me with an arsenal of rotating instruments, and been a willing and joyful partner in praise. To the members of the choir, thank you for your commitment and for overlooking my flaws and mistakes. Some of the goals I had hoped to accomplish was to make choir rehearsals not only productive, but meaningful and fun. Music and drudgery do not co-mingle. Coming each week from busy work and family schedules, you have

12 Meyer Update With the completion of the sanctuary and the projector, we have just over $16,000 left for the remaining priority projects approved in April. Next up is new appliances around the facility, then we will be focusing efforts on some new outreach opportunities with mailers to get the word out to our local community. We have received lovely notes from a couple of the organizations that we supported with the benevolence gifts: Chicks in Crisis St. John s Program for Real Change

13 Needed Jerry & Carol Carney For their 58th Wedding Anniversary Karen Linfor In memory of her Dad, Harlan Stubblefield Ron & Pat Webb For Kevin s Birthday Patricia Lehman For Bill Lehman s Birthday Ralph & Merle Zbrog For Merle s Sister s Birthday & Ralph & Merle s 40th Anniversary Marlene Kiser September 02 Cathy Davis September 03 Pauline Arndt September 07 Barbara Manlapig September 07 Iva Bates September 13 Noella Sondrini September 21 Anthony Diaz September 24 Ken Light September 26 Jack Fenske September 29 Helen Fischer September 30 Lynn Gavia September 30

14 Financial Secretary Report Comments: July 2017 July was a five Sunday month. The good news is that, for the month, the number of contributors increased significantly over However, the offering totals for the month and year-to-date lag, when compared to both the 2016 offerings and the adopted 2017 Budget. Mid-year offering statements were distributed in early August. If you did not receive a statement, but believe you should have, please contact me. Please use numbered envelopes, when feasible. Thank you. If you need numbered envelopes, either see me or drop a note in the offering. When using pew envelopes, please write legibly. Thanks. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Jack Fenske St. Luke s Financial Secretary LRFenske@comcast.net General Fund (Only) Contributions Data This Month Year to Date Total Contributions Compared to Budget Compared to (Current Year) 2016 (Last Year) $18,695 $126,303 -$411 -$5, % -4.2% -$306 -$4, % -3.7% No. of Contributors avg avg. Other Contributions Sunday School $37 Flowers $140 Memorials $440 Special Gift (Confirmation Expense) $56 Note: Plus values are good; minus values are not.

15 Altar Care 8:15 a.m. Cheryl Franklin 10:30 a.m. Worship Assistants Head Ushers 8:15 a.m. Ron Franklin 10:30 a.m. Kelly Boyer Kelly Boyer, Lydia Toloy Karen Linfor Connie Ruele, Nancy Minning Linda Olsen Readers (8:15 a.m.; 10:30 a.m.) Lydia Toloy; Bob Behr Eric Linblade; Betty Englund Sarah Madison; Triss Hoppman Phil Petersen; Kelly Boyer Communion Servers Kirsten Ireton, Karen Linfor, Peggy Moser Connie Reule, Lydia Toloy, Faith Thomas Refreshments Ed & Kirsten Ireton Picnic Paul Maki & Chona Sison Kelly Boyer & Lois Sherrets Counters Nancy Minning, Connie Reule John Orcutt, Bob Behr Betty Englund, Barbara Manlapig Holly Hoppman, Marlene Kiser Visitors Gifts Joyce Jensen Steven Lee Carol Carney Pat Webb Greeters Justin & Laura Tice Pat Hamilton & Gail Weber Jerry & Carol Carney Walt & Pauline Arndt Acolytes Darnell Osako, LaRayna Osako-Cain Aiyana Tice Amber Mansfield, Angie Martinez Lucy Orcutt, Kimiya Ricciardi Prayer Leaders Merle Zbrog Pat Webb Faith Thomas David Saxby Welcome Leaders Lydia Toloy Carol Carney Chet Madison Al Moser Psalm Leaders Aiyana Tice Lucy Orcutt Sierra Etchison Angie Martinez Sunday School Teachers Lauren Orcutt, Christina Hisamoto Laura Tice, Samantha Basquez Alison Thomas, Lajuan Andrews Samantha Basquez, Laura Tice

16 St. Luke s Lutheran Church 7595 Center Parkway Sacramento, CA Return Service Requested Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 739 Sacramento, CA LUAU FUN RAISER Saturday, September 23rd Doors open at 5:00p.m. Featuring: The Ka pa Hula Dancers