Turning to God Rev. Christopher M. Kennedy, Senior Pastor

Transcription

1 Lent Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church THE VOICE Turning to God Rev. Christopher M. Kennedy, Senior Pastor pastorchris@shepherdlutheran.com Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Maybe this has happened to you: You re driving on the highway with a passenger, absorbed in conversation. As you look off to the side, you notice your exit for getting onto the next highway as you zoom past it. You could continue to drive the direction you re heading, but it wouldn t get you where you need to go. Your only choice is to get off at the next exit, turn around, and go back the way you came to get to the correct exit. It takes extra time and effort to turn around, but when you re going the wrong way, turning around is the only way to make things right. The idea of repentance in the New Testament is literally turning around, reversing course. I hear the word repentance used from time to time in conversation, sometimes consistent with how the Bible teaches and sometimes not. One regular visitor at our church has told me she wishes the church would teach more about repentance, to help people in their efforts to mend their lives and get back on track. Turning around often is not easy. The bigger the object, or the greater the distance off track, the more effort it takes to turn it around. It s a lot easier to reverse direction maneuvering a Smart Car than an 18-wheeler. Likewise, our biggest struggles require extreme efforts to turn around our sinful behaviors, to get ourselves back on track. And the process of personal change begins with a change of heart. Many people see Lent as the ideal time to take a spiritual inventory, to identify a pet sin, and to strive toward self-improvement. As we count the days until Good Friday and the Savior s suffering for our sins, Lent is indeed an appropriate time for such a focus. By the Holy Spirit at work in us, our efforts toward spiritual progress can achieve real and enduring results. Continued on page 2... Page 1

2 2 Table of Contents Page Rev. Christopher M. Kennedy 1-2 Turning to God Alice Klement 3 Ministry Matters Rev. Doug L. Bielefeldt 4 School Ministry Cindy Miller 5 Children s Ministry Andrea Melcher 6 Multiplying Places of Refuge Rev. Aaron A. Tilt 7-8 Lenten Sermon Series 2014 Tim Eickstead 9 Frankly Financial Nanette Tondre 10 Lent & Holy Week Services Turning to God Rev. Christopher M. Kennedy, Senior Pastor pastorchris@shepherdlutheran.com The Lutheran Confessions ascribe two elements to repentance: contrition and faith. Many people think only of contrition, or sorrow, when it comes to repentance. But let s not lose sight of the part faith plays in our repentance, our turning from sin and turning toward God! In virtually every case in which Scripture talks about repentance, it also describes the object of our faith, the God of grace. The prophet Ezekiel told people to repent in order to receive a new heart and a new spirit from God (Ezekiel 18:31). God can make us new! Peter instructed a crowd to repent so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (Acts 3:19) Guilt is not the end goal of repentance; being refreshed by the Lord is! The prophet Isaiah extended the Lord s invitation for people to forsake sinful actions and thoughts, to turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:7) Like a handful of food outstretched toward a beggar, God reaches out to all who hunger for His mercy! Repent? Yes. Not in a spirit of misery or grudging obligation, but with great relief. By faith in Jesus, when we turn from sin, we turn toward God s will and ways. The Lord bless your celebration of Lent, a time ripe for repentance and personal change. Celebration might seem like a strange verb to pair with Lent. But it becomes less strange when we see this season as a time to rest more fully in God s abundant mercy. Yours in Christ, Pastor Chris Page 2

3 Ministry Matters Alice Klement, Director of Equipping Ministry, 3 YOU can Change the World for Christ A New Outreach to International Students Begins On February 15 seven people from Shepherd (Grace Blumhardt, Lydia Garvey, Mark and Sheryl Karle, Karin Sloan, Bo Meng, and Alice Klement) served breakfast to about 20 international students from Panama, Chile, China, India, and the USA who live at the San Antonio Station Apartments. We found the students to be extremely open to getting to know Americans. Several expressed an interest in learning about Christianity. Consider for a moment how the Spirit might use us to bring Christ to these students. Consider how the world might be affected when these students take the Gospel back to their native countries! You can join this adventure by contacting Alice to express interest in serving as an American host. A host Possesses the gift of hospitality Includes an international student in family activities, outings, meals, etc....according to the hosts schedule Is able to listen to the international s story, ask questions, learn about a different culture, build friendships As relationships develop, the host will share the Gospel. (Help in cross cultural ministry will be given.) World Mission Fund: Birthday Challenge In 2013 God was most generous in providing us with divine surprises, opportunities to dramatically influence ministries in Mexico, Nepal, and Haiti. None of these opportunities were foreseen or placed in the spending plan, yet $46,000 was distributed last year! In order to buildup the World Mission Fund again and be prepared for 2014 s divine surprises, members and friends of SHLC have been issued a Birthday Challenge. On your birthday, consider giving a gift to our Lord through the World Mission Fund. This might be a dollar for each year or whatever you decide. Memorials might also be given. Parents, consider what a teachable moment this can be for your family. Page 3

4 School Ministry-A Shepherd for the Shepherds! Rev. Doug Bielefeldt, Pastor to the School, 4 It is a common practice for many Christians during the season of Lent to give up something as a means of remembering and personalizing the great sacrifice Christ made in giving up His life for the forgiveness of our sins. The decision to give up something during Lent is entirely a matter of Christian freedom; there is nothing in Scripture that instructs us to do so. But rather than give up something, there is a group of people in our church who have decided to simply give -- by giving of themselves to our #1 mission: our school! A couple of months ago I wrote about an opportunity to help further develop the relationship between our church and school through Classroom Shepherds. We asked for volunteers who would commit to regularly visiting a classroom to establish relationships with the students and teacher in order to support and encourage them in faith. To be honest, I wasn t sure what kind of response we d get; I was prepared for a Plan B in case extra volunteers were needed. And just as Jesus responded to His disciples in a time of uncertainty, He responded to me, You of little faith, why did you doubt? As the members of the body of Christ at Shepherd of the Hills Church demonstrate time and time again, the response to this ministry opportunity was incredible. Today, every Shepherd of the Hills School class has its own Classroom Shepherd! What a heartwarming sight it is to see so many faithful volunteers sitting with their classes during Wednesday and Thursday school chapel services or stopping by on special days to connect and celebrate with their students and teachers. As one teacher told me, Great match for me. Thank you God! My shepherd is very sweet, and I know my class will love her. Thanks to all who stepped up to answer the call in continuing to make our school our #1 mission outreach.to be the church by representing the church with our students and teachers! Shepherd of the Hills Classroom Shepherds: Janice Barsun, Karen Nichols, Rose Barrows, Inge Wilson, Sheryl and Pastor Mark Karle, Victoria Moses, Sue and Ron Sipe, Jackie Hues, Marilyn and Pastor Keith Fox, Dee Dee Arcuri, Fleurette House, Cheryl and Doug Lyren, Inkie Gillian, Ann Black, Sharon Bradley, John Willhelm. Page 4

5 Children s Ministry Cindy Miller, Director of Children s Ministry, cindy@shepherdlutheran.com 5 What is Lent? Lent is a season in the church year that lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays because Sundays are celebratory, marking the day Jesus rose from the dead). Lent is seen as a time of preparation and reflection. Some people say that Lent is a spring time of the soul -a time of growth in faith and a time to nurture the faith that is already ours. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5 this year. Lenten Bedtime Prayer Teach your child a new prayer during Lent by taping it by their bed and praying it together each night at bedtime. Prayers could include The Lord s Prayer, the Doxology, or Luther s Evening Prayer. For young children, teach the underlined parts. Luther s Evening Prayer I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen. Counting the Days of Lent Remember how difficult it was for your child to wait for Christmas? The season of Lent is longer than the season of Advent. To help children understand the passage of time, you can help your child create a paper chain. Cut 40 strips of purple paper-one for each day of Lent-and a white strip for Easter. Cut seven strips of another color of paper to represent the Sundays. Children can write names of people to pray for on the strips of paper or ways they can share their faith in Jesus with others. After stapling the chain together, hang it where everyone will see it. Each day remove one link, doing what is written on the link. Making Pretzels Special Lenten Offering At the Walking with Jesus Family Lenten Journey Event, children were given Lenten offering boxes and encouraged to add an amount to their offering box that matches any monetary amount that they (or their family) spent on treats or snacks such as ice cream, candy, or popcorn. For example, if a candy bar costs 75, then they can add 75 to their offering box. The offering boxes will be collected at the Children s Easter Celebration on Easter Sunday. Extra offering boxes will be available at the Information Center in the church lobby. Legend tells us that pretzels were made in the shape of little arms crossed in prayer as a way to help children to remember to pray. Try this recipe for soft pretzels. Children will enjoy learning to twist the ropes of dough into a pretzel shape. Dissolve 1 package yeast in 1 ½ cups of room temperature water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir in 4 cups flour and turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Cut off slices of the dough and gently roll them into a rope. Twist the ropes into pretzel shapes and place on a cookie sheet. Brush the pretzels with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in a 425 oven for minutes or until golden brown. Page 5

6 Multiplying Places of Refuge Andrea Melcher, Director of Community Outreach, 6 Terri Hulstrom: Sharing God s Love Wherever You Are My source of strength is from God, says Shepherd of the Hills member Terri Hulstrom, who says her life is one of many blessings and peace from God. I freely love and reach out because of the love of Christ in my heart. It s this love and inner joy that Terri shares with many through Shepherd s Lifetree Café and Connection ministries, as well as with the people that she meets in her everyday life. A part of Shepherd of the Hills since 2008, Terri s work schedule involves a great deal of travel, and she says she doesn t have time for many structured activities, other than running every day. But, she still finds a way to share Christ s love with others. God has opened many doors for me the people He has placed in my life, the pure peace I have all make me want to share His love and grace freely, shares Terri. I love people and being with great friends. I have many customers all over the U.S. that are dear friends of mine, and together, we share God s love and blessings. Terri also has the help of her dog, Sammi, in sharing God s love in her neighborhood. Sammi, my dog, is very social, says Terri. We meet friends in my complex, we invite them to church, and we share fellowship with them at the pool, in our home and at the dog park. Terri says her family provides her great strength as well. One of my greatest blessings is my son, Erik, his wife Angela, and my grandchildren Danika and Aidan, Terri adds. They live in San Francisco and are a source of strength and great pride. We share an incredible family unit filled with love. Once, during a very dark time in my life, Erik said, Mom, step out in hope -- not fear. Powerful words. Terri also received tremendous inspiration from her mother, who passed away in My mother has been my greatest inspiration in life! Terri says. She was a gentle soul who truly lived her life for Christ. Her ministry was one of relationships -- a phone call to tell you she was thinking of you a card to make you smile a warm embrace. She walked the earth as a disciple for Christ. Not a day passes that I don t remember her and the love she had for her family and others. Terri recalls that in one of his sermons, Pastor Chris challenged us as a congregation to be disciples. I embrace the challenge and believe as we reach out to others, whether they are in our congregation or outside of our church, God blesses us beyond measure. We don t know the burdens some may carry, she adds. Never underestimate what a smile, an encouraging word, or a silent prayer can mean to another person. I start my day with quiet time reading and praying. Our promise is not a life without storms; however our promise is that every day Jesus walks with us. Just have faith and know that God is there. Shepherd of the Hills has been a place of refuge for me in a very stormy period in my life, and I pray others can find the comfort and love of God while worshiping at Shepherd of the Hills. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 Know someone who is helping to Multiply Places of Refuge? Please Andrea Melcher, Director of Community Outreach at amelcher@shlutheran.org with information. Page 6

7 Lenten Sermon Series 2014 Rev. Aaron Tilt, Pastor of Discipleship, 7 Lenten Sermon Series 2014 Sustain Theme Verse: Psalm 54:4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. The Bible tells us a big, big story - one that is still going on and one in which we get to participate. God is the author and the hero of the story; he is the only one "through whom all things came and through whom we live" (1 Corinthians 8:6). But God almost always works through secondary agents or means; he uses us to sustain one another in ordinary times and times of trouble, illness, poverty, and danger. God s people have the opportunity to be a blessing to one another and to the world. The word sustain appears several times in the Psalms each time praising God for his work of sustaining his people in some specific trial or everyday situation. This year in our midweek Lenten services we will look at how the Psalms speak of God's work in the world in and through his people to sustain all that is good and important in life. This goes along with a campaign, a project if you will, to sustain others in their need based on our luxury spending. Giving something up during Lent is a common spiritual discipline, and a fine one indeed. But this idea is meant to give up something that will do some real tangible good for someone else. For more info on this see the next article. We hope you will join us on Wednesdays for the Lenten services as well as join us in giving to God's sustaining work in the world. For Christ and His Kingdom, Pastor Aaron Psalm 54:4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Page 7

8 Lenten Sermon Series 2014 Rev. Aaron Tilt, Pastor of Discipleship, 8 What is Sustaining? Sustaining is a project designed to help other people with their needs based upon your luxury spending. How Does it Work? Just 4 easy steps (and an optional 5 th ) 1. Identify a luxury in your life that you would like to use to trigger giving (e.g. candy, soda, beer, sports). 2. Identify a charity (or charities) that supports fundamental life needs (e.g. clean water, food, housing, medical care, disease prevention). 3. Figure out how much you are going to give to charity when you enjoy your identified luxury (e.g. match the cost of your candy, a penny for each point your favorite basketball team scores). 4. Contribute to your charity or charities based upon the luxuries you have during Lent. 5. (optional) Join us on Facebook to highlight how our charities are doing and encourage one another. Why did you name it Sustaining? Sustaining focuses on two things. By contributing to charities that focus on basic life needs we help Sustain others with basic needs. Through y(our) giving we can give the hope of clean water, food, shelter, and health to a world in need. Studies have shown that when we enjoy our luxuries, the happiness lasts for a brief period; but when we help others, our happiness lasts for a much longer time. So, by linking our luxury to helping others we Sustain the happiness. I don't have a lot to give, so how could I possibly help? The great part of charities is that they can pool resources from a lot of people to do a great amount of good, so don't worry if you can only give a little bit. Here are some examples of what you can do with a little money. A small contribution to SHLC's World Mission Fund could help buy eyeglasses for one of our mission teams to Gonaives, Haiti, or could be used to help with paying bills associated with a new orphanage in Nepal. Write WMF in memo and place checks in offering plate. A small contribution to Water to Thrive: ( can be pooled with others gifts to deliver clean water to people in Ethiopia. A small contribution to the Lutheran Malaria Initiative ( can help bring life saving mosquito nets to Mali, Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania. A small contribution to Mission Haiti: ( can help bring meals to children in several Lutheran Church of Haiti schools. Page 8

9 Frankly Financial Tim Eickstead, Director of Operations, 9 Greetings in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ! Wow, things in the Maintenance and Modernization project at Shepherd of the Hills are moving along nicely! Having worked our way through the process of getting permits for the new lift and digital sign, it is now full speed ahead. The digital sign is now in use to allow us to better share the important ministry events happening on our campus with the local community. Soon the new lift will be completed and this will make it much easier for individuals in our congregation to reach the second floor balcony and classroom areas in the Worship Center. The next project in the Maintenance and Modernization Plan will be the renovation of the restrooms in the school and childcare classroom building. The ministry team working on the June 27 June 29 celebration of Pastor Dan s ministry continues to work hard on planning those events. Please watch for bulletin announcements, Facebook, and Constant Contact posts, and the church website shepherdlutheran.com for details about signing up to attend the events of that weekend. Also, a very important note concerning worship on Sunday, June 29th, the ministry team has decided to go with two Sunday morning worship services that morning at 8:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Weekend Scheduled Events: Friday, June 27, 2014: Dinner 6-10:00 p.m. at Pedrotti s Saturday, June 28, 2014: Family Fun Fest & BBQ at Lutheran High School Sunday, June 29, 2014: 8:00 & 10:45 a.m., Pastor Dan s Farewell Sermon Sunday, June 29, 2014, 3:00 p.m., A celebration service of Pastor Dan s Ministry Reception to follow the 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Sunday Services It is an exciting time at Shepherd of the Hills as we continue to move forward under the leadership of Senior Pastor Chris Kennedy! There are projects to accomplish which will provide necessary improvements to the building and property. The World Mission Fund outreach to Haiti, the local Nepalese community, the mission church in Del Rio and Acuna, Mexico, and the international students in San Antonio continue to be blessed by God through us. The school and childcare are being richly blessed by the congregation members who are serving the classrooms as School Shepherds. Praise God for the many people at Shepherd who continue to give of their time, talents and treasurers to enhance the ministry of His kingdom. Working for Christ, Tim Eickstead Director of Operations Page 9

10 Lent & Holy Week Worship Services Nanette Tondre, Director of Communications, 10 Ash Wednesday, Service of Holy Communion, March 5: 12:15 & 7:00 p.m. Midweek Lenten Services: 12:15 & 7:00 p.m. March 12, 19, 26, and April 2, 9 Palm Sunday, Service of Holy Communion, April 13: 8:00 & 10:45 a.m., 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday, Service of Holy Communion, April 17, 7:00 p.m. Good Friday, April 18, 5:00 & 7:00 p.m. Easter Vigil, April 19, Prime Time Praise, 6:00 p.m. (outdoor service) Easter Sunday, Service of Holy Communion, April 20, 6:30 a.m. (outdoor service), 8:00 & 10:45 a.m. There is not a 7:00 p.m. service. Our Mission Our Vision To be a place of refuge in a stormy world. To multiply places of refuge throughout our world. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 6914 Wurzbach Road San Antonio, Texas Prayer Requests: prayer@satx.rr.com church@shlutheran.org Web: ShepherdLutheran.com Follow us on Facebook and Twitter facebook.com/shlutheran twitter.com/shlutheran To subscribe to an electronic copy of this newsletter please go to ShepherdLutheran.com Page 10