Knowing Jesus, Growing in Jesus, Sharing Jesus. April, 2016 Shepherd s Staff LCMC Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ

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1 Our Saviour s Lutheran Church April, 2016 Shepherd s Staff LCMC Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ Knowing Jesus, Growing in Jesus, Sharing Jesus OSLC address: 326 Leroy Street, Audubon, Iowa OSLC Telephone: (712) OSLC oslc@iowatelecom.net OSLC Fax #: (712) OSLC Website: oslcauduboniowa.org Pastor Doug s Phone numbers: (home) (cell phone) Pastor Doug s address: pastordoug@iowatelecom.net Palm Sunday, March 20 th : 9:00 a.m. Worship Children are invited to participate in a Palm Processional at the beginning of the Palm Sunday service. The Rock Youth Group will do a reenactment of the Crucifixion. Maundy Thursday, March 24 th : 7:00 p.m. Worship with Holy Communion Good Friday, March 25 th : 7:00 p.m. Tenebrae Worship Prayer Vigil: Noon on Friday, March 25 th to Noon on Saturday, March 26 th Easter Sunday, March 27 th : 7:00 a.m. Sunrise Service 8:00 a.m. Easter Breakfast 9:00 a.m. Easter Sunday Worship It s so uplifting to hear the instrumental ensemble at the 9:00 a.m. Easter morning service as we sing Jesus Christ is Risen Today! Brandon Toft will be leading the ensemble and is in need of musicians, high school age on up. Please contact the church office or Brandon ( ) if you are interested in playing in the ensemble. Thank you to the many faithful volunteers and staff who put in extra time during the Lenten and Easter services and Lenten suppers. Your time and dedication is greatly appreciated! Kids Choir Are you looking for a rewarding opportunity to combine your love of music and children? Please prayerfully consider if you could become a Kids Choir Co-Director! OSLC Kids Choir has been a part of our church for well over 50 years, providing an important avenue for both youth fellowship and for youth involvement in our worship services. In order for this tradition to continue, new staff members are needed. Contact Kids Choir Directors Jane Weber and Julie Opp or Pastor Doug with questions or for more information. 1

2 Greetings from Pastor Doug, Easter, why is it so significant? Why does the resurrection matter? Millions of people throughout the entire world will be celebrating Easter this March 27 th. Some of those individuals will consider the account of Christ s crucifixion, death and resurrection as merely an interesting story or a myth. We Christians should know the facts surrounding the Biblical account of our Lord Jesus and the empty tomb. Why do we need to know? Why is Christ s resurrection from the dead so important to us? Here are four reasons why, four Biblical truths that make all the difference in this world and for an eternity: 1 Without the resurrection our faith is useless. 1 st Corinthians 15:17 states, If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Without Christ s resurrection, we would still be condemned by our sin. St. Paul continues in verse 18 by stating, Then those who have already died in Christ would be considered lost. 2 Christ s resurrected body was seen by hundreds of eyewitnesses. Jesus resurrection was not witnessed by just one or two individuals but by scores of people as indicated in verses 5-7 of that same chapter. He was seen alive by more than 500 eyewitnesses at one time, plus others on at least seven different occasions during the 40 days prior to his ascension into heaven. 3 Christ s resurrected body was physical, not merely spiritual. The Bible is clear about the resurrected body. It was the same body that had been in the tomb. In verse 42 we read, The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable. Later in chapter 15 we hear St. Paul boldly stating, Death has been swallowed up in victory thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. On four separate occasions Jesus was either touched or offered to be touched to prove he was physically in their presence. He also ate food with others various times in his resurrected body. 4 The resurrection changed lives. Christ s resurrection from the dead transformed the lives of the disciples. What turned a group of frightened men into fearless missionaries overnight? It was seeing Jesus in the flesh after the crucifixion and then 50 days after the resurrection the power of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon them. In John 14:19, Jesus gives us a clear reason why we can and do rejoice in the resurrection account when he said, Because I live, you also will live! That is the Good News of the Gospel of our Living Lord Jesus, the Redeemer of this world! May Easter blessings abound in your lives as Easter people saved by the grace of our living Savior for, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 Pastor Doug Summer Ingham/Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp Opportunities Camps for youth grades K-12 th Grade Go to to check out the opportunities or pick up a booklet in the entryway. OSLC helps fund the cost of your youth camp experience. Contact the church office for more information or a registration form. 2

3 Would you like to sponsor an Easter Lily to adorn our sanctuary on Easter morning? The cost is $12 each and you may take your Lily home after the 9:00 a.m. Easter Sunday Worship service. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board above the water fountain. Thank you! There are several Sundays still available for opportunities to sponsor worship altar flowers. Please check the altar flower poster on the bulletin board above the water fountain or call the church office for more information Sunday Morning Adult Christian Education Opportunities Continue to grow in the Lord! Bring a friend or family member, your coffee or snack, enjoy the conversation and fellowship, and join us in the Chapel at 10:20 am. Upcoming faith formation opportunities for April & May include: 7 Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible by Erwin W. Lutzer. Dr. Lutzer offers seven foundational arguments for the reliability of Scripture. 1. The Bible s claims about itself 2. The historical reliability of the Bible. 3. The prophetic predictions of the Bible. 4. The claims of Christ concerning Scripture. 5. The harmony between science and the Bible. 6. The providence of God in preserving Scripture. 7. The power of the Bible to change lives. No class on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday! VBS is one of our biggest outreach ministries to children at OSLC and the community every summer. Would you consider sponsoring a child to attend VBS? $20 per child (or any amount you would prayerfully considering donating). $20 provides a t-shirt, material, fun learning the word of Jesus through stories, music, games and craft experiments. We have a goal of sponsoring 100 children to attend VBS this summer. Look for the VBS sponsorship poster by the coat racks, pick up an envelope to provide a financial donation and place it in the drop box to the OSLC Office Manager s office. Thank you in advance for your support! Bible School Volunteers needed! Adult and youth volunteers are needed for Cave Quest Vacation Bible School. Please contact Pam in the church office if you would volunteer for this important outreach ministry. The dates are Sunday, July 17 th (10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.) & Monday, July 18 th -20 th (5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.). Preschool through 6 th Graders and Kids Choir will be singing at the Friendship Home during the Sunday School hour on Palm Sunday, March 20 th. We will leave from the Social Room following worship and return by 11:15 dismissal. We look forward to sharing some of our favorite songs with our friends at the Friendship Home! 3

4 First Communion God s blessing to the following youth as they celebrated their First Communion March 6 th at OSLC: Sienna Albertsen, Abigail Erickson, Brittany Huston, Madison Nichols, Cooper Nielsen & Tyler Rugaard. Baptism Sunday, March 6 th we celebrated the baptism of Brittany Lynn Huston, daughter of Kim Leeper & Jamie Neddermeyer. We give thanks for God s gift of new life in Jesus Christ! If you have a passion for making music in praise of our Lord, and will be in high school or college next fall, prayerfully consider becoming a member of the Behind the Cross Praise Band! Along with Pastor Doug, the Praise Band leads worship the fourth Sunday of the month, August May. Please contact Director Jo Beane or the church office for more information. OSLC SPRING CLEAN UP DAY SATURDAY, APRIL 23 rd! Organized by the Building & Property Committee and Custodians Brad & Kylie Stroeher. Come when you can, leave when you need or projects may be done on your own time! Projects we will be working on are not part of the Custodian s job description and will be listed on the bulletin board above the water fountain. For example, cleaning kitchen cupboards/stoves/refrigerators, conditioning pew woodwork, wash walls in downstairs hallways, put in air conditioners, shampoo carpets in upstairs Sunday School wing, wash windows, etc. Donuts and juice will be provided! A county-wide Lenten concert will be on Palm Sunday, March 20 th at 7:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Audubon. You are welcome to join with others in the community to celebrate the Lenten season. Coffee and fellowship will follow the concert in the fellowship hall. Out of consideration for those who may find it harder to walk during inclement weather, please leave the parking spaces closest to our entrances open for those who need them. Also, please leave the parking spaces to the east of the alley open for our brothers and sisters in Christ at the First Presbyterian Church. Shift: Retooling Church LCMC 2016 Leadership Conference April 10 th -12 th, 2016 at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona, Iowa Jesus is at work in His church, retooling us for God s mission to a plugged-in and over-booked world. Join us as we work together to discover three major shifts into which the Holy Spirit is inviting us: 1: from congregational-focused to kingdom-focused 2: from pastor-dependent to pastor-equipped 3: from consumer-making to disciple-making Join Pastor Doug and other church leaders from OSLC at this national LCMC conference. OSLC will pay registration fees for members in attendance. Blessman Ministries - OSLC Eye Glass Case Outreach - June 2016 You are invited to help us bring hundreds of eye glass cases to South Africa when our team of missionaries arrives in June of There are simple patterns available on a table in the entryway if you would like to help brighten the lives of thousands of children and adults who receive eye glasses as part of the Blessman Ministry outreach in South Africa. Thank you for your prayers and commitment to this vital partnership in global mission! Questions? Contact the church office. 4

5 Wellness Tip A monthly feature from the OSLC Wellness Ministry Team Lent is a time of preparation. We prepare ourselves for Easter morning, a celebration of Christ s resurrection! Every day we prepare. Every day we prepare for our day s activities, work, home projects, kids for school, appointments, meetings, etc. Food preparation is also important to our health. A balanced diet of fruit, grains, meat and vegetables is important. Always wash and clean fruits and vegetables before cooking or serving raw. When preparing meat, it is always good to cook to 170 temperature. But some of us like our beef on the rare side at 140 or medium at 160. Pork and fowl should always be prepared at 170. Remembering the words of our Lord and Savior in Matthew 15: It is not what enters the mouth that defiles. But that which proceeds out of the mouth that defile a man. May we all have a blessed Easter! Lee Nielsen Christian Butterfly Have you ever wondered why we have a stained glass butterfly hanging in our sanctuary beginning Easter morning and throughout the Easter season? The butterfly emerging from the chrysalis has traditionally been a representation of Christ s rising from the tomb. The stages of the butterfly - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly - are also wonderful analogies to our life as Christians. -The miracle starts with an egg the size of the top of a straight pin...just as human life starts with a tiny fertilized egg. A few short days later a tiny caterpillar emerges through the shell of the egg...a baby is born. -The caterpillar stage of eating, eating, eating is symbolic of life on earth...preoccupied so often with the physical and material. -In the chrysalis stage it appears the caterpillar is lifeless inside the chrysalis...symbolizing death and the darkness of the tomb, an inevitable reality. But, lo, inside of the chrysalis a miracle is taking place... -The butterfly emerges... symbolic of our souls rising from the grave and ascending into heaven and eternal life! Compassion Sunday Celebration OSLC will once again highlight the ministry of Compassion International on Sunday, April 10 th during and following our worship service. There presently are 14 children sponsored by individuals and families from OSLC through Compassion International and World Vision. Their pictures are featured on the large bulletin board in the entryway. Our Sunday School children currently sponsor two of these children who are from Tanzania, Africa. Their names are Grace and Ibrahimu. We plan to provide a short report on a few of these children at the beginning of worship and invite anyone who is not presently sponsoring a child to prayerfully consider sponsoring children through these international ministries. 5

6 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 9:30 The Weekly Prayer Cell (Barb Christensen s) 2 3 Second Sunday of Easter 8:15 Prayer Power 9:00 Holy Communion 10:15 Coffee, Sr. Choir, SS 11:15 BTC Praise Band practice 11:15 Worship Committee Meeting 2:00 Audubon County Pastoral Jail Visit 4 2:00 Staff Meeting 5 6 9:30 Caring & Sharing 2:30 Kids Choir 3:00 Confirmation 7 8 9:30 The Weekly Prayer Cell (Barb Christensen s) Shepherd Staff newsletter deadline at noon 9 10 Third Sunday of Easter 8:15 Prayer Power 9:00 Worship 10:15 Coffee, Sunday School, Sr. Choir 11:15 Education Committee Meeting 11 1:15 Quilting 6:30 Building & Property Committee Meeting 12 2:00 Naomi Circle 13 2:30 Kids Choir 3:00 Confirmation (Last Day for 7th Graders) 14 10:30 Friendship Home Communion 15 9:30 The Weekly Prayer Cell (Barb Christensen s) 16 5:00-9:00 Kids Night Out Compassion Sunday 17 Fourth Sunday of Easter 8:15 Prayer Power 9:00 Holy Communion with BTC Praise Band 10:15 Coffee, Sunday School, Senior Choir, Blood Pressure Checks 11:15 Junior Parents Meeting 11:15 VBS adult leader meeting 1:00-? The Rock Youth Group game day 4:00 Friendship Home Vespers 5:00 Healing Service 18 2:00 Staff Meeting :30 Kids Choir 3:00 Confirmation (8th Grade only) 7:00 Church Council Meeting 21 9:30 Rachel Circle 9:30 Ruth Circle 1:30 Mary Circle 22 9:30 The Weekly Prayer Cell (Barb Christensen s) 23 8:30-noon Spring Clean Up Day 24 Fifth Sunday of Easter 8:15 Prayer Power 9:00 Worship Confirmation Sunday 10:15 Coffee, Sunday School, Senior Choir 10:30 BTC leading worship at St. Patrick s Catholic Church 11:15 Social Room Reserved 3:30 Exira Vespers 25 1:15 Quilting 2:00 Staff Meeting :00 Kids Choir :30 The Weekly Prayer Cell (Barb Christensen s) 6 7

7 I thank everyone for the prayers and encouragement shown in many ways during the weeks prior, during, and after my back surgeries. I am so grateful for each of you; and blessed to be a member of OSLC s family. God Bless you, Linda Hansen NO GARAGE SALE AT OSLC THIS SPRING Please do not leave garage sale items at the church. Items left will be discarded as there is nowhere to store them. Thank You. Please note there is now a drop-off mail slot in the wall by the church office for your convenience to use when the church office is closed. Meals on Wheels Our Saviour s Lutheran Church is responsible for lining up volunteers for the months of April & October every year to deliver Meals on Wheels. Two volunteers per day are needed, a driver and a person to deliver the meals to the homes. Volunteers need to be at the Memorial Building by 10:45 a.m. to pick up the meals and start the route which takes about 1 1/2 hours. Volunteers are blessed by reaching out to those who depend on this outreach for a hot meal and a friendly face each day. You can sign up for an entire week or just a couple of days by signing up on the bulletin board above the water fountain at the church or calling the church office. USHERS Jeff Albertsen, Captain Joel Rattenborg Colby Rattenborg Wes Thygesen Bruce Andersen Peter Schwab Steve Mathisen Mike Kuchel TAXI DRIVER Wes Thygesen ALTAR GUILD Cindy Vokt Lois Baier Linda Hansen VIDEO OPERATORS 3- Roger Larsen 10- Ken Burns 17- Brian Jensen 24- Dan Jorgensen SOUND OPERATORS 3- Curtis Frederiksen 10- Tim Morgan 17- Bob Weber Tyler Riebhoff David Graeve 24- Brandon Toft ACOLYTES 3- Dennis Jackson Johanna Sauers 10- Katelyn Nielsen Layne Borkowski 17- Jackson Jensen Mallory Riebhoff 24- Derek Porsch Javyn Bladt NURSERY 3- Ann Guild 10- Sharon Winterboer 17- Sara Vorm 24- Raydene Mathisen PROJECTION SYSTEM Sara Vorm 17- Bob Weber Tyler Riebhoff David Graeve 24- Shannon Jensen PRAYER PARTNERS 3- Lee Nielsen Barb Christensen 10- Julie Opp Lee Nielsen 17- Barb Christensen Dan Smith 24- Julie Opp Dan Smith 8

8 THE ROCK YOUTH GROUP (7 th Grade-12 th Grade) Thank You, Thank you, Thank you to the Rock youth for helping at the Lenten soup supper on March 9 th, everyone was a huge help! Thank you to the parents for bringing them and some of you for helping as well! We appreciate you! We had seven youth attend the Ignite Youth Conference March 11 th in Altoona. We had a great weekend of learning and growing in our faith, all while meeting new friends! The kids were a great representation of our church! We want to thank the Rock Youth that were willing to put on This Blood in advance, it is a moving reenactment and we thank you for helping display the scene. Easter is around the corner and we have sign-ups for muffins and egg bakes, we appreciate those that offer to help bake! There will be a table on Sunday, March 13 th by the coat racks for you to sign up or contact one of the youth leaders. Our youth are anxious to serve the congregation this wonderful morning! The Rock youth had a very busy March, so the leaders decided we are putting on a game afternoon at OSLC on April 17 th at 1:00 p.m. We hope you can join us for some fun and fellowship! Questions, contact one of the youth leaders or the church office! A blessed Easter to you from the Rock leaders and the Rock youth group! The Rock Youth Group Leaders: Sara Slater ( ), Tracie Christensen ( ), Nate Vorm ( ) Facebook: The Rock OSLC OSLC website: oslcauduboniowa.org The Rock therockaudubon@gmail.com Healing Service The Healing Service is usually held the second Sunday of the month. There will be a date change for the months of March, April & May and the Healing Service will be held on the third Sunday of the month, meeting in the chapel at 5:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Sunday Nursery The nursery is available for children ages three years and younger during Sunday worship services September through May. Nursery volunteers are needed! Contact the church office or a Worship Committee member to volunteer. The Chapel serves as the location for this important ministry. New Altar Paraments Thank you to those who have so generously donated to replace our current deteriorating paraments. If you would like to financially sponsor a portion of or an additional set of paraments as a gift to the church, please contact Altar Guild Chair Janice Hemmingsen ( ) or the church office. We are now receiving donations for replacing the Pentecost & Christmas Altar Paraments. 9

9 Online Giving To donate online, go to the OSLC website and click on the online giving tab located at the upper right hand corner of the webpage. Questions, contact Pam Steckler at or or Dan Madsen at or Thrivent Choice Dollars Are you an eligible Thrivent member with Choice Dollars available to direct? Each year, eligible Thrivent members can designate Choice Dollars based on their qualifying insurance premiums, contract values and volunteer leadership. In 2015, 36 members of OSLC designated their Thrivent Choice Dollars to OSLC totaling $4, Thank you to those who participated in the Thrivent Choice program and helped support OSLC. Go to thrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more or call Matt Heller at Deadline for this past year is March 31 st. Children s Messages Children s Messages are a wonderful way for our kids to be a part of the worship service and are offered the second and fourth Sundays of the month. If you could provide a Children s Message, please talk to Pastor Doug or sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board. Resource materials are provided. LCMC Statewide Women s Spring Event Saturday, April 16 th from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Waukee. Longing For Love Letters Worship, Study, Fellowship, Laughter, Lunch, Guest Speaker Kathy Taggart & the Sharing of God s Word. Free Will Offering. Register by Saturday, April 9 th at karinebroman@gmail.com or call Upcoming Events and Worship Opportunities March 20 th : Palm Sunday Holy Week Services: March 24 th & 25 th March 27 th : Easter Breakfast & Easter Sunday April 10 th : Compassion Sunday April 10 th -12 th : LCMC Leadership Event in Altoona, Iowa April 23 rd : Spring Work Day April 24 th : Confirmation Sunday May 1 st : Sunday School End of Year Celebration May 15 th : Senior Breakfast & Recognition June 9 th -21 st : South Africa Mission Trip June 24 th -26 th : Workcamp in Murray, IA July 10 th -26 th : Confirmation Camp July 17 th -20 th : Vacation Bible School August 28 th : Praise in the Park September 11 th : Rally Sunday October 2 nd -5 th : LCMC Annual Gathering in Denver, CO October 9 th : Consecration Sunday November 6 th : All Saints Sunday with All Saints Altar Professional November 23 rd : Thanksgiving Eve Worship November 30 th, December 7 th, 14 th : Advent Services December 24 th /25 th : Christmas Eve/Day Worship with Community Christmas Dinner 10

10 CHURCH WEBSITE oslcauduboniowa.org The church website is updated on a regular basis and is a great source for information on dates and times of worship services, events, activities, Bible studies, etc. Also, OSLC now has facebook, search Our Saviour s Lutheran Church on your facebook account. Check it out!! Current and past monthly Shepherd Staff newsletters are available on the church website. If worship services, Sunday School, or church activities are cancelled due to bad weather, it will be announced on KSOM 96.5 FM ( or KJAN 1220 AM ( Please use your best judgment for your circumstances regarding attending worship during inclement weather. Worship services will usually only be cancelled if town street are impassable. If school is cancelled or let out early on a Wednesday (such as due to bad weather), neither Confirmation nor Kids Choir will be held. If the scheduled Wednesday early-out for Professional Development is cancelled due to a late start, Confirmation and Kids Choir will still be held after school. Kids Night Out Saturday, March 19 th & Saturday, April 16 th For children attending Sunday School or Kids Choir at OSLC, ages 3-6 th Grade! Sign up for March Kids Night Out NO later than Thursday, March 17 th at 4:00 p.m. Stewardship Square Regular offerings 02/21 $8, /28 $3, /06 $6, /13 $7, Weekly Worship Attendance 02/ / / / / / / / March 6th loose offering to Caring & Sharing $72.00 Needed Weekly to meet budget $6,