Ascension Newsletter

Transcription

1 Ascension Newsletter Dear Friends in Christ, On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, Let us go across to the other side. And leaving the crowd, the disciples took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Peace! Be still! And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:35-41). An illustration from Antiques Roadshow, England s version thereof: This fellow brings on a pocket watch, they explain all its features. It was a nice old watch. He had a bill of sale. The people who evaluated the watch looked at it and noted that the watch had belonged to T. E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia! It had been in his house all along. He saw a watch sitting there, but it was actually much more. The disciples thought they were about to die. They had real problems, but little did they realize that the man who was sleeping at the back of the boat was bigger than the wind or the waves. Perhaps they were just looking for some help bailing water when they woke him up, but they got God, almighty God. He rebuked the waves and then He rebuked them. Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? (Mark 4:40). The disciples reaction is interesting. And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:41). They had been afraid of the wind and the waves outside the boat, now they were much more afraid of the guy who was in the boat with them. The storm gives Jesus an opportunity to sharpen our focus and lead us to the right question we need to ask. Who is this? they asked. Compared to the storm, He looked infinitely greater. Which one gets more honors from me? Whom do I think will save me from the storm? The Proverbs and Psalms both say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is not the end of wisdom, but it begins there with the fear of the One who is in the boat with us. He looks small, but He is really big. He is God, and I am not. Of whom am I afraid? Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth, the Creator of the cosmos and the Master of wind and wave. The God-Man Jesus Christ is in this boat and suffering the storms with us. He does not promise that the storms go away, but He does promise that we will not be suffering them alone. He lends us the strength which carries us through it. June 2014 Ascension Lutheran Church 8888 County Road 64 Daphne, AL Rev. David Tilney, Pastor Church: Cell: Home: Officers John Peterson, President Richard Tellman, Vice-President Jim Dube, Treasurer Deanna Brown, Recording Secretary Kathy Schulz, Financial Secretary Directors Donna Scully, Evangelism Cheryl Pitts, Stewardship Susan Dube, Fellowship David Ellis, Buildings & Grounds Lucille Hogancamp, Public Relations Elders Eric Marrero Jim Pitts Jerry Randolph Michael Schulz

2 We would love God to make all the terrible things go away, but He often says that through these things He will draw us closer to Himself. Because of that, we can eagerly anticipate the good He can work from any problem in our lives because we know that the Lord Jesus is bigger than the storm. There is an old saying that states: You do not know God until God is all you got. There is no storm greater than our Savior. He tops them all. The very forces of nature must listen to Him. He has climbed into the boat with us through His incarnation. He has united Himself with us. He has rocked in a boat and knows how to rest in the midst of storms. The peace He offers fits all sorts, the furious squall of a car accident or the slow painful blow to a marriage that takes years to die. He hates what the storms do to us, and He is never comfortable with it. He took on the root cause of our fear: sin and death. He died on the fearful and terrible cross because of the tears we shed, the fears that cause us grief, and the sin that separates us from God. He rose from the dead to bless us with the assurance that there is no more reason to fear. Sin and death have been wiped out. He has won the victory. He has blessed us with His peace and His presence. Our hearts might quake and our hands wave to and fro in anxious fretting, but He is our help and salvation. He calms the tumult with His voice, Peace! Be still! He is God, after all, and worthy of our fear. But in His gracious word, we are given hope, faith, love, even joy to replace that fear. He lets us sense His strong and gentle presence and hear His mighty voice, Peace! Be still! Jesus is speaking peace to us and to the storms in our lives, in our hearts, in our families. When He speaks, He will do it! In Christ s Service, Pastor David Tilney Pastor David Tilney Vacation Bible School Vacation Bible School This year s VBS theme is Gangway to Galilee: Amazing Grace Adventures. It will be held on the week of June 23 thru June 27, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. There are three ways to register your child. 1. Register on-line- Visit our website and click the link on the right-hand side of the page. It will take you to the registration page. OR 2. Register Today-Forms are available at the narthex display table. OR 3. Come Early on First Day of VBS and Register Then. Join us for the Amazing Grace Adventure! Items Needed for VBS There are a number of items that are needed. Please take a Post-it Note at the VBS table. Thank you for your donations! VBS Volunteers Needed We are still in need of some volunteers for VBS. If you are able to lead an area, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the VBS display in narthex. Please contact Diane Havard or Pastor Tilney for more information. Thank you for your service! Voter s Assembly Results Voter s Assembly Results The following proposals were approved: Capital Budget Proposal, Pastor s Copyright, and Mission Vision. The following were approved with amendment: Playground Expenditure when $10,000 is raised by congregation, Exterior Painting with 2 more quotes, and Service Schedule for Ascension Day and New Year s Eve/Day is discontinued starting in Ascension Day Service will be moved to the Seventh Sunday after Easter. Bible Studies Sunday Morning Bible Study In 1 Peter, Peter encourages these persecuted Christians to stand firm in the faith. Whatever trials or difficulties we may face, we can rely on the grace of God in Christ Jesus. This study meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m. and is led by Pastor David Tilney. Wednesday Morning Bible Study The people of Israel were ready to cross the Jordan River to receive the land the LORD God promised to them. In this fifth book, Moses speaks God s Law and Gospel and blesses them. This study on the book of Deuteronomy meets every Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. Pastor Tilney leads this study.

3 Flood Relief Offering St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Pensacola Neighborhood in Pensacola flooded Recent flooding in Pensacola left an estimated 500 to 1,000 homes flooded to some extent. Approximately LCMS member homes were flooded. Immanuel Lutheran Church s pastor, Rev. Randy Blankschaen and his family lost everything in their home. The Ascension Church Council has approved an offering to help with the flood relief and will be applying for Thrivent matching funds up to 40% of our donations. If you would like to donate, please indicate flood relief on your offering. Additional information, pictures, and ways to help are posted on the bulletin board in the hall. A meeting with the Southern District President Kurtis Schultz in response to the Pensacola floods. Notice Lisa Tilney with Clara in foreground to left. Pastor Tilney is not pictured. Sunday School Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Luke 18:16). Ascension s Sunday School always welcomes new students and visitors, so please come join us! Sunday School helps to nurture a lifelong faith in the following ways: 1.) It offers a regular weekly encounter with the Word of God. 2.) It exposes children to additional faith role models. 3.) It allows students to interact with Christians of their own age and talk about faith together. 4.) It provides an opportunity to further investigate themes of the Bible. 5.) It provides parents with an opportunity to start "faith talk" based on what the child learned that day. Make a difference in your child's spiritual life, consider Sunday School. Ascension s Sunday School meets every Sunday at 9:15 a.m.

4 Evangelism/Missions Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Matthew 28:19. The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew25:40. For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45. Current Situation Our congregational survey identified great needs in evangelism and outreach. We have ongoing outreach projects, but their activities are not well coordinated, and most church members are not involved. Evangelism Vision A greater number of Ascension members will be excited and dedicated to actively share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our homes, church, community, and world. Jesus Christ and His Church will be more widely known because of our active members, outreach events, ministries and missions. Key Areas of Focus and Recommendations 1. Motivating and Equipping Members to Evangelize Encourage church members to extend an invitation to church and/or activities Provide an introductory evangelism workshop Encourage the church members to pray for the lost Increase advertising of services and special events, including the use of target advertising Continue to follow-up with worship visitors 2. Outreach to the Community Increase the number of outreach activities we do annually Continue Ascension s presence on the internet via website Continue to live stream our worship services Identify and develop one major community outreach Identify and support a food pantry Offer our facilities to community groups 3. Regional/World Missions Increase our financial support of District missions incrementally to 10% of budget Continue to support Trinity Lutheran School in Mobile Establish a relationship with a missionary Encourage participation in a short-term mission trip 4. Establish a mission congregation. Identify a location and develop a mission congregation

5 Ascension Welcomes New Members! New Members Bob & Diane Retzlaff, Mark Leavins, Ryan Pazdera with Pastor David Tilney New Members (from l to r) Steven McAllister, Michael McAllister, Sharon McAllister, Will & Michele Cook, and Robert Ivy with Pastor David Tilney