Living Hope Lutheran Church

Transcription

1 Living Hope Lutheran Church 851 West Dekora Street Saukville, WI February 2012 Newsletter Deeper, Stronger, Wider Update This past Fall we unfolded the three marks of a discipleship Community that fall under the heading of DEEPER: Pray, Study, Worship Last month, and continuing on through February and March, we are moving on to focus on the three marks that fall under the heading of STRONGER: Give, Encourage, Shepherd After Easter, we ll conclude with WIDER: Serve, Invite, Celebrate You will soon be receiving a letter from the Visioning Team that will both give an update as to their progress, as well as briefly describe all nine of Living Hope s marks of a Discipleship Community as they relate to the new Vision Statement: As Disciples of Christ, we will widen the impact of God s Church in the world. Please continue to join us on this journey and look for ways to participate in bringing this new vision to life! Thanks, Pastor Michael Michael McAllister, Pastor journeylad@gmail.com Shannon Stoker, Secretary & Business Manager shannon.stoker@livinghope-saukville.org

2 SUNDAY ADULT EDUCATION HOUR for February GOOD GOD QUESTIONS Starting Sunday February 5 at 10:15am, Pat Baganz will be leading a four-week series entitled Good God Questions. What s in a question? The asking of a question can be an entry point for new discovery. And questions about God can open us to a deeper understanding of the character of God and God s mission in the world. Good God Questions features separate DVD presentation on various troublesome questions that many believers have. The DVD presenters are all Seminary professors from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. The format of this adult class will be to watch the video presentation, and then engage in further conversation, led by Pat Baganz, to further discussion and draw out the questions, hopefully leading to a deeper understanding of these sometimes difficult aspects of our faith. The issues to be addressed may include such questions as: -Why does God allow suffering? -Do Jews, Muslims and Christians worship the same God? -How do I know God s will for my life? -What is the Trinity? -What happens after we die? and many more, including those that you bring! Come join us in Fellowship Hall after worship for this engaging series! Stewardship Initiative Summary This year s initiative can easily be described as the most successful and encouraging in recent memory. There is much to celebrate, as we give thanks to God for providing the resources needed to expand our ministry. Here are the highlights: 27 families stepped-up and increased their commitment by $35,058 8 families responded to Pastor Michael s challenge letter increasing by $2,976 3 families felt it necessary to decrease their commitment by a total of $3,030 Commitments to Living Hope s ministry increased from 44 in 2011 to 52 in 2012 First time Simply Giving families increased by 8 to a total of 38 First time submittals of a Giving Plan (non-simply Giving) increased by 10 The Discipleship Team wishes to thank God and the members of Living Hope for responding with boldness to the challenge of being the church in our world today!

3 MISSIONAL LEADERS TRAINING Last February, 2011, I attended Part I of a Missional Leaders Training, an ELCA sponsored event intended to train pastors and leaders as Mission Developers/ Redevelopers in the church. Shortly thereafter I went through an intense interview process and, upon review, was officially certified as a Mission Developer/Redeveloper in the ELCA So, what does that mean!? First, let me start with what it could have meant When we were pursuing the Yoked relationship with Christ the King, the path laid out for me was to pursue this training in order to lead LH and CTK into unchartered territory for these two churches as well as the larger ELCA Church; that is, exploring a creative way to redevelop these two congregation to be, in essence, one congregation with two campuses including pooled leadership and resources. Well, we re now all aware of where that path of exploration led us. Of course, before I came onboard and before the yoking, there was another vision that was initiated focusing on a new mission development in northern Ozaukee Co. As that was gaining traction, however, the yoking relationship emerged and required more immediate attention, putting any vision of a new mission development on the back burner. Well, here we are today, catching our breath, assessing where we ve been, reassessing who we are, and visioning for the immediate future and beyond all at once it seems! A daunting task to say the least. So, as a way of helping us to better gain our bearing, I am attending Part II of the Missional Leaders Training, only this time, as the program requires, I m bringing two lay leaders from our congregation with me: Jodi McMahon and Alex Pieper. Together we will be heading down to Houston, TX February to participate in an intense training so that we can bring back valuable insight, tools and resources to help guide Living Hope more effectively into the immediate future and beyond. We ask for your prayers on our travels and intend to return with enlightened and enriched hearts and minds which we hope will be infectious to the Living Hope community and our future vision. Peace and Joy, Pastor Michael

4 Scrip Profits Are Growing! Here is an accounting of the profits Living Hope has received from your purchase of scrip/gift cards: November 2011 $187 December 2011 $275 January 2012 $193 These profits of $655 are approximately $275 larger than the same months of the previous year. That means your purchases of gifts cards have provided more profit for the Living Hope council to use on costs of their choice. Thank you for supporting Living Hope s scrip program, and let s see if we can increase our sales to aid our church! Use scrip cards for gifts, for your personal entertainment and for everyday living expenses. Questions about scrip? See Linda Herrick at church on Sundays or talk to the many other Living Hope members who see the value in purchasing scrip to help our church. Thank You to all who donated to complete the skylight repair this winter! Thank you to Brad LeDuc for coordinating the effort. Roof Snow Volunteer Update Thank you to Bill Ehlers, we now have a roof snow volunteer! Bill has a rake and Rev. Alice Horton has donated her equipment, too. Now we have that job covered (and uncovered). Now for more snow!

5 A MISSION OF LIVING HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH Phone (262) During J(Jesus)A(And)M(Me) time in January, the Children learned that we speak to God through prayer, and they learned the Lords Prayer. In February, the JAM time theme will be Jesus Love s Me, focusing on how God loves us and how we show love to one another. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR DONATIONS AND SUPPORT IN OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP COSTS DOWN! February s donation item is Toilet Paper. God Bless, Beki & Dawn and HWG staff Dear parents of Cherub and Living Hopeful Choirs, Our rehearsal times have now changed as we will only be having one worship service at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings starting January 1. Rehearsal times are now: The children from age 3 through 1 st grade in the Cherub Choir will practice in the sanctuary from 10:15 until 10:30 and then their Sunday school teachers will come and escort them to class. They will be in Sunday School from 10:30 until 11:15. The students in 2 nd grade through 5 th grade will be in the Living Hopefuls Choir and they will be in Sunday school from 10:15 until 11:00. At that time, their Sunday school teachers will send them to the sanctuary for rehearsal, which is from 11:00 until 11:15. The next time we sing will be on Sunday, February 12. As Pastor Michael will be focusing on the mark of encouragement during the month of February, we have been learning songs about friendship and being an encouragement to one another. The Cherubs are singing Be a Good Friend while the Living Hopefuls will sing We re Friends. We are also scheduled to sing on Sunday, March 18 and again on Sunday, April 22. PLEASE NOTE: We are concerned that it will be too difficult for the children s choirs to sing at worship without having a rehearsal first. So we are asking parents to try to have their children meet early before service at 8:30 so that we can rehearse before worship only on the Sunday s we are scheduled to sing. We have also decided that we will continue to sing at the beginning of worship as prelude. As in the past, the Cherubs will sing first, then the Living Hopefuls. Then the children may join their parents for worship. Please check the monthly update and the most current schedule or any choir news which will be in the newsletter and posted on the bulletin board behind the sanctuary (next to the kitchen door). Please don t hesitate to call with any questions. Yours in Christ, Sonia Lear Janelle Herbrand Julie Eslinger Brenda Stallbaum Accompanist

6 Remembering His words, Love one another, Hearts to Hands regularly meets to knit and crochet for others while sharing fellowship and devotional time. We continue to meet at church on the 1 st & 3 rd Thursday of each month. We will share fellowship time from 6:30 PM until 7 PM. About 7 PM we have our devotional study followed by prayer time and concluding about 8 PM. We listen to an unabridged book on CD so that we can listen and discuss while we work with our hands. (So a book is not necessary.) We are now listening to Heaven is for Real on CD as we continue to explore life after death. All are welcome, even if you don t knit or crochet. We encourage you to come and participate in the fellowship and the devotional study. By the way, ask about our tasty treats. Please feel welcome to come, share in fellowship and grow in faith. If you are in need of child care in order to attend, please let us know. If you have any other questions, please call Sonia at or Julie at We look forward to having you join us! Please mark the following dates on your calendar: Please note the following dates: Thursdays, February 2 & 16 Thursdays, March 1 & 15 Thursdays, April 5 & 19 Thursdays, May 3 & 17 Thank you! On Saturday, January 21 Hearts to Hands had its first day-long retreat at Living Hope Lutheran Church. Thank you to Pastor Marilyn for preparing our study on women of the Bible, to Cathy Higgins for her spinning wheel demonstration, to Pat Baganz for her presentation on the women of the Judge Eghart House, and to all who prepared of our scrumptious noontime meal and snacks. Your work and preparation for our day together was very much appreciated. We had plenty of time to knit or crochet, pray and enjoy fellowship by the fire. Our day together went by so quickly and we already look forward to doing this again next year. Thank you to all who made our day so special! PIANO DONATED TO LIVING HOPE A 1964 Krakauer console piano in excellent condition has kindly been donated to Living Hope by Randy and Carol Entringer of Sheboygan Falls, WI. John Higgins also has generously paid for its tuning the first time it s been tuned or played in 18 years! It remains in remarkably good condition and has a decent feel and tone when played. The piano will be utilized as an additional instrument for worship, as well as for various uses in the Fellowship Hall, including the Friday Acoustic Open Mic Night. A $200 piano dolly has also been purchased from the worship budget in order to facilitate rolling the piano between rooms. Please contact Pastor Michael or the church office if you are interested in donating funds to reimburse the worship budget for this dolly. Thanks!

7 CALLING ALL MUSICIANS! We re putting together what you might call a Worship Band/Ensemble in order to add a new musical dimension to our worship experience. This group may also help lead music for a future alternative worship experience (read: 2 nd worship service) during the week. What we re looking for: -Vocalists comfortable with singing solos or leading groups -Instrumentalists: -piano, violin, guitar, ukulele, flute, sax, drums/percussion and MORE! Please speak with Pastor Michael or contact him: journeylad@gmail.com Phone: God is calling you as a musician to use your God-given gifts at Living Hope Lutheran Church!! The Living Hope Men s Group will meet two times in February February 1st and February 8th God is Closer Than You Think is the topic If you have questions, please contact Brad LeDuc

8 February, 2012 Are you ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 5 th? Maybe you should check into the High School Youth Souper Bowl fundraiser that day to round out your plans. To help raise money for our trip to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans this summer, High School Youth will be selling one quart bags of either taco soup or chili for $6.00 apiece. They will be frozen so they can be served that day or later in the week for a quick and tasty meal. Mini SERVICE Project: High school youth will be having a Reverse Collection for the food pantry at church on Sunday, February 12. They will have a special basket during worship that will allow congregation members will pull out a slip with a much needed item for our food pantry barrel to bring back by the end of the month. We did this in November and it was a success. We need to help keep our food pantry barrel filled so we would like to try it again. Let s make February our best month ever for food Pantry donations. High School Youth Night will be Sunday, February 26 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Living Hope. We will have a pot-luck supper and spend time just hanging out. Invite your friends to a fun relaxing evening. Keep getting all jazzed up for the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans July 18 22, High School Youth went tubing at Sunburst on Sunday, January 29. Everyone arrived safely back at Living Hope and were welcomed back at church with a warm bowl of chili (special thank you to Connie Conine, Janice Steck, and Beki Tetzlaff). To Save a Life Life is a journey. What do you want your life to be about? Come on Sunday mornings to talk about it, to think about where your journey might take you and what God might have in store for you along the way. Invite a friend. Sunday mornings 10:15 to 11:30 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 Questions? Call: Tyler Parks at or Sonia Lear at Don t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in Speech, in Life, in Love, in Faith F and in Purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

9 LIVING HOPE FEBRUARY 2012 CALENDAR Wednesday, February 1 6pm Men s Group 6:30pm Choir Rehearsal Thursday, February 2 6:30pm Hearts to Hands 8pm AA Meeting Friday, February pm Acoustic Open Mic Live Sunday, February 5 Scout Sunday & Youth Soup Sale 9am Worship Service 10:15am Sunday School Monday, February 6 7pm AA Meeting Wednesday, February 8 6pm Men s Group Thursday, February 9 8pm AA Meeting Sunday, February 12 9am Worship Service Reverse Collection for Food Pantry, sponsored by High School Youth 10:15am Sunday School Monday, February 13 6:30pm Worship Committee Meeting 7pm AA Meeting Wednesday, February 15 6:30pm Choir Rehearsal Thursday, February 16 6:30pm Hearts to Hands 8pm AA Meeting Thursday, February 16-Sunday, February 19 Pastor Michael, Alex Pieper and Jodi McMahon attending Missional Leaders Training in Houston Saturday, February 18 11am August Rane Luedtke Baptism Service Sunday, February 19 9am Worship Service 10:15am Sunday School Monday, February 20 7pm Church Council Meeting 7pm AA Meeting Wednesday, February 22 6pm Lenten Supper 7pm Ash Wednesday Service 8pm Choir Rehearsal Thursday, February 23 8pm AA Meeting Sunday, February 26 9am Worship Service New Member Reception 10:15am Sunday School 4-7pm High School Youth Night potluck supper and fellowship Monday, February 27 6pm Scout Open house 7pm AA Meeting Wednesday, February 29 7pm Lenten Service 8pm Choir Rehearsal