The Good Shepherd News

Transcription

1 \ January 2018 Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Good Shepherd News 2073 Garden Street Titusville, Florida [ ] Rev. Bruce Alberts, Pastor Anne Dobbins, Early Learning Center Director Website: titusvillelutherans.org A Word from the Pastor I have some concerns about the issue of firearms in church. Notice what I just wrote. I have some concerns about the issue of firearms in church. My fear is that we will get so caught up in that issue that we will not be able to think about other important facets of church security. In other words, we won t see the forest through the trees. We are in the early stages of forming a church security ministry. Church security is a multifaceted discipline. As such, there are many small things for us to consider that are infinitely more important than the more emotionally charged issues. For starters, church security functions in layers. There are multiple overlapping areas of awareness. It starts at the street level with proper sign age and property care. This communicates to would-be ruffians that people are active and alert in the congregation. It continues with people out and about in parking lots. These people are not necessarily security officers, but simple parking lot attendants who are aware of the people coming and going in and around the church, as well as being helpful in directing people to the right places. Simply knowing that there are people outside paying attention to who is where and doing what discourages would-be criminals in the overwhelming majority of situations, even violent ones. Next would be ushers who are willing to sit in the narthex and be another set of eyes and ears. Who is coming? Who is going? Who is out of place or acting oddly? Church security requires a plan. Someone spots someone or something out of place. What happens next? Who do we tell? How is the situation handled? These are questions we need to answer before the situation arises. Church security requires proper recruitment. You want to have the right people doing the right jobs. Just like not everyone can be an effective trustee, not everyone is cut out for a security detail. Nowadays, the advice given to new security teams is to recruit active duty or former law enforcement personnel for these positions. Why? It s because these people know how to fight and can use guns, right? Wrong! The value of experienced law enforcement personnel is that they usually have great people skills. They can talk a person out of a violent course of action, or at least keep them talking until police arrive. Not everybody has this vital people skill, loosely called verbal jujitsu. Many in the law enforcement community do. My father was a deputy sheriff in Marion county for several years. On a couple of occasions after his retirement I witnessed him calming down would-be violent criminals. Continued on page 2

2 (Continued from page 1) Speaking of guns, a lot of churches assume that people who have concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits can form an effective shield against physical attack. It comes a surprise, however, to learn that CCW holders are specifically taught not to intervene on someone else s behalf. (There are a few exceptions.) A congregation cannot legally or morally charge CCW holders with the task of taking on a violent criminal. Furthermore, while many CCW holders are very proactive in their training and practice, most CCW training revolves around personal self-defense issues and not active shooters in public spaces. A CCW holder might be very skilled at being jumped in the parking lot scenarios, but taking on an active shooter requires a different skill set. Then we re back to the legal issues of whether or not we can even have guns on campus in the first place. Those who study the topic consider our situation a legal gray area. Our problem is that we have schools on campus. According to the Department of Agriculture, the agency which issues CCW licenses, we can have firearms on campus when school is not in session. This is also the opinion of the attorney who offers legal advice to the Florida- Geogia District. According to the State Attorney s office, however, you cannot have a gun on any school campus at any time. Period. As I mentioned before, it seems to me that since we live in a legal environment where the left hand of the state of Florida doesn t know what the right hand is doing, we should probably err on the side of caution. You guys know me well enough to know that I ll never tell you not to exercise any of your rights, much less your second amendment rights; but these things must be done as thoughtfully as possible. I don t want to see anyone in this church become an unnecessary test case for Florida law. It should be noted also, that while I am the Pastor of this church, I do not set formal congregational policy. If we arrive at a place where we believe having firearms on campus is legal and we feel like we need a formal policy on this issue, that s up to you guys as the Voters Assembly to create. Given the complexities of the issue, which includes concerns about liability, we may find ourselves in a situation where we have to have a formal policy. The same attorney I noted above also advises congregations to have a formal policy; something along the lines of not permitting weapons in church unless the CCW holder receives written permission from a committee comprised of the Pastor, the Head Elder, and the Congregational President. I m not sure what to think of that recommendation. On the one hand, it sounds like a lot of bureaucratic intrusion designed to make a mountain out of a molehill and limit our second amendment rights. On the other. hand, it might be nice to know who has what capabilities. There might be some comfort in knowing that CCW holders in the church have been vetted. While we cannot ask our CCW holders to intervene in a violent situation, I can t help but imagine that knowledge of who might consider doing what may influence our serving schedule in some way. After having written all that, let me emphasize once again that church security isn t just a firearms issue. Please see the whole forest and not just that one tree. It s about awareness. It s about layers. It s about having the right people in the right place. It s about having a plan. We have much to do before we even get to the issue of firearms in church. God s blessings! BRUCE ALBERTS 2

3 January Birthdays 9 th Jacob Tuck 16 th Carl Threlkeld II 9 th Jennie Russell 17 th Sandy Hoffmann 10 th Rev. Bruce Alberts 18 th Debra Hall 11 th Larry Johnston 22 nd Tim Larson 14 th Brad McCain 30 th Al Eichin 14 th Riva McCain 30 th Carilyn Tuck 14 th Bill German 31 st Olivia Stokely 16 th Sharon Bohlmann January Anniversaries 20 th Garry & Sharon Coleman 20 th Mike & Kelly Fredericks We join in thanking God for His blessings in the past. We ask Him to keep you in His Grace and love in the future. If your birthday or anniversary was not listed correctly, please contact the office. Helpful Health Hints By The Congregation Nurse The flu can be devastating to even healthy individuals, and this year is Predicted to be a bad year for the flu. This year s flu shot is not going to be as effective against the strain of flu that has been seen the past several weeks and this has the medical community worried. I thought this would be a good time to review the steps each of us can take to help prevent the spread of germs that can make you and others sick! Sneezing, coughing, and unclean hands spread the flu, and other respiratory illnesses. To help stop the spread of germs and these diseases, there are a few simple steps each of us can take. Avoid close contact with people who are sick Stay home when you are sick Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze Cough or sneeze into your elbow or shirt if a tissue is not available Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth Be sure to clean surfaces at home or work frequently especially when someone is sick Get enough sleep, stay active, drink plenty of fluids, eat nutritious foods, and manage stress How often have you seen a person sneeze or cough into their hands and then touch food, a door knob, or shake your hand? If we all stay aware we can help prevent the spread of germs. We have a hand sanitizer dispenser in the narthex and the gathering room in shepherd s hall for everyone s convenience. Have a blessed new year. Barbara 3

4 Helpful Health Hints By The Congregation Nurse Stop the spread of germs that can make you and others sick! Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put your used tissue in the waste basket If you don t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands. You may be asked to put on a facemask to protect others. Wash hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub 4

5 FROM YOUR HISTORIAN 5

6 STEWARDSHIP CORNER ATTENDANCE INFORMATION NOVEMBER 2016 NOVEMBER 2017 WORSHIP SERVICE TOTALS (AVERAGE) January 2018 From the Elder s Corner: At the beginning of a new year, the Elders pray that each of you will have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! This month we continue with our study of the Lutheran Order of Service: Hymn of Praise On the night of Jesus birth, the angels let loose their earth-shattering song of praise: Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. On that specific occasion, their praise gave utterance to the good news that the Son of God had come in the flesh. Heaven had come down to earth! And ever since, the Church has continued to rejoice in this miracle of our salvation. The opening words of the Gloria in Excelsis are followed by a hymn of praise to the Triune God. One can imagine the faithful singing these words in heaven: We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory. Our focus is on the incarnate Son of God, the only-begotten Son, the Lamb of God, and only Son of the Father. And if that isn t enough to name this One who is the object of our worship and praise, twice we sing, you take away the sin of the world. There it is, the heart and substance of the Christian faith. In heaven we will be gathered around the throne and the Lamb, confessing that he alone is holy, he alone is the Lord. In more recent times, the Lutheran Church in North America has made a significant contribution to the church s liturgy through the alternate Hymn of Praise, This is the Feast. Drawing directly from the description of heaven in the Revelation to St. John, our voices are joined to that heavenly throng as we sing with them: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! (Rev. 5:12) As we enter the new year, let our prayer be for increased wisdom and a stronger faith, not only for ourselves, but for all the leaders of our great nation. God s blessings to you until next month. Dick Steller 6

7 Creation/Evolution Have you ever played a game of chess? Can you imagine a chess master on one side versus an opponent just using the rules of evolution as his guide. Even with only a total of 32 pieces the moves can be in the billions. That is billions of combinations with only 32 pieces. The futility of winning by the opponent versus the chess master would be very obvious. Then imagine an infinite number of variables with an infinite number of combinations? Without an intelligence directing things to create something as complicated as life, never mind something as relatively simple as chess, a human being with billions of pieces, makes evolution the cause, an absurdity. The process of evolution says advances happen through blind chance while the process of creation says everything was designed with a purpose. The thought process for evolution is to prove there is no God. It is an actual agenda with tremendous backing by arrogant man thinking himself to be the height of intelligence. As Christians we know there is a Creator and His name is Jesus Christ. Joseph Laberge January Lunch Bunch Check the Bulletins for the next date and time for lunch bunch in January Please Sign Up On The Sign Up Sheets on the bulletin board in the Sanctuary and in Shepherd s Hall when it is announced. Handyman Services We continue to work around the church with the latest effort us going around the grounds reaching as high as we can at the top of a tall ladder, to trim low hanging branches. Then hauling the trimmings to the curb for pickup. Then working in Shepherd s hall to fix many leaking toilets. Plus the prayer walk path, next to the playground, has been groomed. As usual, if you have any small jobs needing done around your home let us know. The service is free to all church members. Call me and leave a message on my answering machine Joseph Laberge February Newsletter Articles will be due no later than Tuesday, January 16. A big thank you to all those that contribute to this monthly newsletter. Please articles to office@titusvillelutherans.org or leave a hard copy on the desk in the church office 7

8 Anonymous Donation Our thanks to one of our members who has anonymously and generously donated $15,000 for the building fund. This donation is To Be Matched by the congregation. We will post weekly donations in the bulletin to keep track of the progress we are making. Matched Building Funds so far. Our total for the matched building funds as of December 29, 2017 is $6, Thank you everybody who contribute to the building matched funds and to our anonymous donor! We have a good start let s keep it going! 8