God s Work, Our Hands

Transcription

1 Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 9700 Neenah Ave, Austin, Texas Phone Fax Volume No God s Work, Our Hands January 2014 Edition Inside this issue: Fen, Read, Prayed, & Paid 1 Game Days 2 Kindred Sisters 2 Prayer List 2 Sunday Readings 2 Birthdays/Anniversaries 2 Untangling Dementia 3 New Bible Studies 3 Opportunities to Serve 3 Prayer Shawl Ministry 3 Global Initiatives 3 Congratulations Grads! 3 Back to the Neighborhood 4 Senior Fest 4 Congregational Meeting 4 State of the Church 4 Worship Leadership 5 Calendar 6 FED UP, READ UP, PRAYED UP, AND PAID UP I greet you in the name of the One who can do all things but fail! According to tradition, the word resolution is associated with the New Year. As we replace the current year s calendar with a new one and prepare to enter into the next 365 days that lie ahead, we are simultaneously encouraged to develop a list of desired changed behaviors. New Year s resolutions come in a variety of shapes and sizes and differing degrees of difficulty and impact on our physical, emotional, and economic lifestyles and well-being. I wish to invite each of us into another arena of resolution-making spiritual! The resolution is: Throughout 2014, I will remain fed up, read up, prayed up, and paid up! You might query (in the words of Martin Luther), What does this mean? I m glad you asked. In the Sunday morning Adult Class, we have been challenging ourselves as we study moving from simply being a member of Lord of Life to becoming a disciple of Jesus at Lord of Life. We have identified four of the marks of discipleship as our standards for discipleship measurement. They are: regular/weekly worship, weekly Bible study, daily prayer, and faithful stewardship. A word about each! At Lord of Life, we celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday. What a joy and a privilege to dine at the Lord s Table each week. So, when one is at weekly worship and participates in the Lord s Supper, one is indeed fed up. Beginning in January, we will offer several on-going Bible studies: Wednesday mornings, Tuesday evenings, and a men s Bible study (day and time to be determined). We are also working on a weekly women s Bible study. To participate in a Bible study, one must read the Bible thus remaining read up. Prayer is one of the pillars of the Church. Daily prayer is intentionally setting aside a specific time to talk and listen to God. When one enters the discipline of daily prayer, one will be prayed up. And finally, stewardship. This past November s Stewardship Program, Thrive or Survive, began the process of teaching percentage giving with the goal of every person at Lord of Life becoming a tither (10%). One s attitude must be that I return TO GOD, not the church budget, my first fruits. As God continues to bless each and every day, so the faithful steward will respond. A faithful giver will be paid up. Tough resolution? Without a doubt. But I remind you of the words recorded in II Timothy 1:7: for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice (KJV timidity ), but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. In other words, we ve got the power! In the name of Jesus, Pr. Skip Wachsmann

2 Page 2 GAME DAYS Game Days in November will be on Tuesday the 14th and Thursday the 23th. Come and join us for the fellowship and the fun. Please bring your own lunch. PRAYER LIST Ann Willman, Angie Parr, Jeannine North, Felicia Wachsmann, Doug Searcy, Herman & Olga Haenel, Donna Estes, Linda Vaughn, Rudy Lopez, James Paul Pennington, Michael Kope, Jeanoyce Wilson, Mandi Houseworth, Edda Kuenast, Rusty Johnson, Betty Emmons, Dot Harrington KINDRED SISTERS Life-Lines Our Annual Kindred Sisters Christmas Party and Pot-luck Luncheon was held on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at the Koinonia Cafe at LOLLC. We had a wonderful time of fellowship as we had devotions, sang Christmas carols, and had a White Elephant Gift Exchange. Everyone brought a favorite dish or dessert to share. A good time was had by all, as we shared in the joy and anticipation of another wonderful Christmas Season at LOLLC. Special thanks to Pastor Skip and David for attending and sharing music and prayer with us! Our January meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, at the Koinonia Cafe at LOLLC. We will enjoy a presentation by Anna Livingston, Associate in Ministry, Gift Planner, for LFSW (Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest). LFSW works to Recognize, Inspire, Facilitate, and Teach end-of-life Stewardship. Anna will also talk about what is going on with Austin City Lutherans and the Bread for All food pantry. All women and friends of LOLLC are invited to attend this very interesting meeting. Please bring your own sack lunch, and drinks and dessert will be provided by Mary Vaughn. Please also bring your cancelled postage stamps for Lutheran World Relief. We should have a lot of stamps, with all the Christmas greeting cards we have received! We hope you can join us on the 7th! We are looking forward to seeing you there! If there are any questions, please call Joanne Forseth at Thank you! We have a sign-up sheet posted in the Koinonia Cafe. If you are able to present a program, or be a hostess for one of the months, please sign up. We really appreciate it! SUNDAY READINGS January 5 Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 147:12-20 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1:1-18 January 12 Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 29 Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 3:13-17 January 19 Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40: Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42 January 26 Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 Birthdays: Klotz, Kaitlynn 01/02 Crawford, Brittany 01/06 Simpson, Daxton 01/06 Lopez, Laura 01/07 Weston, Mark 01/08 Pencil, David 01/11 Kattawar, Sydney 01/15 O'Donnell, Meaghan 01/15 Smith, Lydia 01/15 Swartz, Edith 01/15 Parsons, Jay 01/17 Swink, Anthony 01/18 Petry, Barbara 01/19 Saegert, Travis 01/22 Sheehan, Bradley 01/22 Crawford, Jason 01/25 Egan, Patrick 01/25 Freitag, Marsett 01/30 Lucas, Jessica 01/30 Anniversaries: Ben and Katie Eckermann 01/02/2010 Douglas and Lynette Caldwell 01/06/1990 Dorothy and John Paul Crawford 01/21/1977

3 Volume No Page 3 UNTAGLING THE COMPLEXITIES OF DEMENTIA The Lord of Life Lutheran Church Stephen Ministry is proud to host Tam Cummings to speak on Untangling the Complexities of Dementia. This is a unique opportunity for the community to gain a better understanding from an expert on the complexities of Dementia and Alzheimer s. Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Time: 6:00 PM Please join us for a light snack at 5:30 PM prior to the presentation. Location: Lord of Life Lutheran Church 9700 Neenah Drive Austin, Texas (512) We are excited to host Tam Cummings, a gerontologist dedicated to untangling the complexities of dementia, as our guest speaker. She is the founder of The Dementia Association and is an internationally recognized author, educator and keynote speaker. Tam is author of several books including Untangling Alzheimer's: The Guide for Families and Professionals. You will have the chance to meet Tam and to learn about the nature of the diseases, their causes, their progress and early warning signs. You will not want to miss this opportunity. Please join us and invite your friends and family to enjoy the presentation by Tam Cummings, a well known expert and entertaining speaker. NEW BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITY A new Bible will begin in January offered at two different times. One class time will be offered on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:00 p.m. This study will commence on Tuesday, January 7, The second time will be Wednesday mornings, 10:00-11:30 a.m. This class will begin Wednesday, January 8, Both classes will be the same and will focus on the Gospel of Matthew, the gospel used for Sunday morning appointed readings in this lectionary cycle (now through November 23 Christ the King Sunday). Hope to see you there. OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE IN WORSHIP Have you ever wanted to read the lessons in Sunday morning worship? How about serve as an Assisting Minister? Usher? Communion Assistant? Acolyte? Altar Guild? Your time has come! Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 25, 10:00 a.m.! We will meet to explain the responsibilities and duties, answer questions you may have, and rehearse any action you might desire. Next steps: (1) There will be sign up sheets in the "Welcome Center" every Sunday morning. Put you name on any area of interest. (2) Attend the meeting on Saturday, January 25, 10:00 a.m. PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY The Prayer Shawl Ministry would like to remind everyone that if you have a friend or loved one in need of a prayer shawl that you are free to take one from the trunk located in the back of the welcome center. Just select a shawl and provide David Pencil with the name of your loved one. These shawls have been made with prayers of healing, comfort, strength and peace. We also have prepared a special prayer card that you may take and give with the shawl if you so wish. They are in a zip lock bag which is also in the trunk. If you want a special blessing for the shawl by Pastor Skip please contact the office. If you are interested in joining this ministry or have any questions, please contact Deanna Brown at dmbrownmn@hotmail.com. GLOBAL INITIATIVES Through the benevolence we pay to the ELCA we are supporting these global initiatives. A link is available on our website under Giving, so you can keep up-to-date on what the ELCA is doing to reach the world for Christ. CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES! Matthew Ryan Parr graduated from UT Austin on Dec. 7th with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in Philosophy. Lindsey Prather graduated from Texas Lutheran University on Dec. 21st with a Bachelor of Since degree in Education.

4 Page 4 BACK INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD Life-Lines LOLLC has committed to an exciting program called Moving Back into the Neighborhood where congregations commit to being a part of this evangelistic effort to make our congregation relevant to the neighborhood. In the case of Lord of Life, we, the church, moved from one neighborhood to another. Although there have been efforts and successes in connecting with the neighborhood (e.g. scouting, Kids Day Out, attendance at neighborhood events and activities, Job Search Ministry), it has been done intentionally by only a select few. There has been little in the way of listening to the neighborhood, finding their needs and assessing how the congregation could engage on a meaningful level. LOLLC has already made the commitment; now we are looking for 5-8 people who would like to be a part of leading the efforts to become relevant in our LOLLC neighborhood. Participation consists of attending 5 workshops over a 12-month+ period and leading the efforts for the LOLLC congregation. For more information, please visit or contact Dick Fink at dfink@appliednanotech.net. CONGREGATIONAL MEETING LETTER December 20, 2013 To all Lord of Life members, SENIOR FEST On Saturday, Feb. 1, at Immanuel Lutheran Church (500 Immanuel Rd., Pflugerville) Sharyn Reynolds will be giving a special presentation: Living with Change and Loss. Registration is $25 until Jan 26, at which point it jumps to $35. If interested, contact David Austin at davidisaturn@sbcglobal.net The Annual Meeting of the congregation of Lord of Life Lutheran Church will be held on Sunday, January 12, 2013, immediately following the 10:45 service. EXTENDING THE INVITATION Beginning Sunday, January 5, we will add a piece to our Sunday morning worship. Following The Message and prior to The Apostles Creed we will insert An Invitation to Discipleship. This invitation will be two-fold in nature. First, we will invite anyone who has never, through the power of the Holy Spirit, accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord to come forward and do so if they desire. Second, we will invite anyone who desires to be a member/disciple of Lord of Life Lutheran Church to come forward and profess their faith in the Triune God and join our faith community. We will publicly receive them as active participants in the church during our worship service. For those who desire, New Member Information Classes will be offered on a quarterly basis. A light lunch will be available. The agenda will include: Prayer Acceptance of Minutes Acceptance of the 2013 Financial Ministry Report Approval of the Budget for 2014 Approval of Plan for Net Income for Acceptance of all Ministry Reports Election of Council Members (Education, Property, Congregational Life, President Elect) Recognition of Council Members Other New Business Closing Prayer Adjournment Please plan to attend to conduct the business of the Church. In Christ, Richard Fink Congregational President Income for Nov.: $23,950 Income YTD: $260,357 Expenses for Nov.: $20,418 Expenses YTD: $243,010 Net Gain for Nov.: $3,528 Net Gain YTD: $17,347 Worship Attendance 11/3/ /10/ /17/ /24/ Weekly Average 118 YTD Total 5,144 Weekly Average 99

5 Volume No Page 5 Worship Leaders for January 2014 JANUARY 5, 2014 Second Sunday of Christmas Color: White Assisting Minister: John Paul Crawford Lector/Petitioner: Marge Kretschmar Communion Assistant: Max Kretschmar Acolyte: Oscar Lopez Media Assistant: Alan Breyer; Rex Schroeder Ushers: Callie Prather, Lauren Brown, Madeline & Natalie Smith, Maddy Penland Tellers: Barb Haskins, Barb Petry JANUARY 12, 2014 Baptism of Our Lord Color: White Assisting Minister: Rex Schroeder Lector/Petitioner: John Paul Crawford Communion Assistant: Deb Grunska Acolyte: Carter Parsons Media Assistant: Dee Smith; Chuck Neeley Ushers: Doug Caldwell, Bill Saegert; Horace & Nell Pennington, Bob & Linda Lane Tellers: Julia Neeley, Barb Petry JANUARY 19, 2014 Second Sunday after Epiphany Color: Green Assisting Minister: John Paul Crawford Lector/Petitioner: Chuck Neeley Communion Assistant: Nell Pennington Acolyte: Chapin Smith Media Assistant: Jim Tarsi; Raina Parsons Ushers: Doug Caldwell, Bill Saegert; Horace & Nell Pennington, Bob & Linda Lane Tellers: Dick Fink, Barb Petry JANUARY 26, 2014 Third Sunday after Epiphany Color: Green Assisting Minister: Marilee Parsons Lector/Petitioner: Mindy Penland Communion Assistant: Shari Lagerstrom Acolyte: Dakota Simpson Media Assistant: Alan Breyer; Connor Sheehan Ushers: Doug Caldwell, Bill Saegert; David & Erica Smith, Mike Petry Tellers: Dick Fink, Barb Petry

6 Page 4 Life-Lines J a n u a r y Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 NEW YEAR Office Closed :00pm Finance Committee Meeting :30am Kindred Sisters :00 Emmanuel Indian Fellowship Gathering 7:00pm Church Council Meeting Game Day :00 Annual Congregational Meeting Game Day Worship Training 5:00 Emmanuel Indian Fellowship Gathering TIFA Meeting :00 Lunch Bunch