Spirit of Hope. Mount Hope Lutheran Church and Child Development Center

Transcription

1 Dear friends and members of Mt. Hope, Happy New Year! We are now beginning another new year, the year of As we finish up the Christmas season we move right into the season of Epiphany. Epiphany begins on January 6 as it commemorates the visit of the Wise Men from the East. The word Epiphany means manifestation or to make known. The word itself is not found in the Scriptures but the concept is clearly there. As we discovered in The Story God is always making Himself known to His people. God first made Himself known through the creation of the world. The psalmist e.g. wrote: The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows forth His handiwork. At Christmas we celebrated how God also made Himself known by coming into our world as one of us, as the Babe born in Bethlehem. And God placed a special star in the sky that led the Wise Men from the East to Bethlehem to worship the newborn King. Jesus came to be the Savior of all people. Later on in His earthly Jesus continually made God s love known to all. He made known the mighty power of God through the many healings and miracles He performed. Through His teaching Jesus made the Kingdom of God known. But most importantly Jesus made known the unconditional love of God by offering Himself as the sacrifice for sin on the cross so you and I might have forgiveness of sins. God made known His power over death and the grave by rising from death to life to assure us of our own victory and the promise of eternal life. How grateful we can all be that God has revealed Himself to us and offers to us His gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. As we begin this New Year, think of all the people that do not know what God has made known. A good New Year s resolution for all of us would be to make God s love, hope, and forgiveness known to others, which of course is what our vision statement is all about. Another church simply says it like this: Love God, love people. May we too make it a true Epiphany and make our Savior known in and through our own lives. God love you, Pastor Dan Spirit of Hope Mount Hope Lutheran Church and Child Development Center Pastor s News Jesus said, If you have seen Me you have seen the Father! John 14:9 January 2015

2 Children s Ministry Jesus All Stars-Sunday School Champions for Christ! Kids Need God 1 Chronicles 29:11; Proverbs 2:4-5; Acts 17:24-25 Children ask, What is God really like? Schools, friends, television, and other sources expose children to a variety of ideas. Much of what kids hear about god does not even resemble the God who reveals Himself in the Bible. So how do we combat this? God delights to reveal Himself to all who seek Him. Knowing God personally and enjoying His greatness is the highest privilege of every Christian. And the Bible is the one inspired place to find out about God His personality, His attributes, His Names, and His character. As we continue our journey through The Story let s encourage our children to embrace the opportunities to learn about the many facets of our majestic God. (Adapted from What Kids Need from Discipleland Ministries) Our Christmas Program was a huge success. A special Thank You to all who assisted, especially our parents who aided their children with the music and the rehearsal. Happy New Year 2015! Francine Wallin, Director Children s Sunday School Program Children s Ministries JAM (Jesus and Me) will be going to Sky Zone on January 18th from noon-3:00p.m. This event is open to 3rd-5th grade students. Friends are welcome to attend! If you have any questions please contact Melanie Appelquist at youth@mt-hope.org or Child Development Center News Thank you for all your support during December. With the hard work of the Women of Hope we were able to host over 250 friends and family members of the CDC children following the Christmas programs. It was a wonderful day to celebrate Christ s birth. The children were also invited to perform for the residents of Penelope Apartments. We enjoy doing the show one time all together and for such a delightful audience. Registration for the school year begins in January. Our current families and Mount Hope members have the first opportunity to register and then it opens to the public on February 2. We are hoping to again fill three classrooms next year. Thank you! So many congregation members are here day after day working on the renovations in the classrooms. We appreciate the hard work and dedication. It will be so exciting to move to the new rooms later this winter. Thank you-kim Woebke, CDC Director 2

3 Youth Ministry-One Way Mission Statement of One Way We exist to bring youth into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, while encouraging them to share with one another, explore their ministry gifts, and praise God with their lives. Check out the easy ways to support One Way Youth on our website at Upcoming Events One Way will be going Ice Skating on January 11 th noon-4:00 p.m. This event is open to 6 th -12 th. Friends are welcome to attend. Admission is $5.50 and rentals are $2.50. Buck Hill Overnight is February 6 th. Please meet at church at 9:30 p.m. We will return to church at 5:30a.m. The cost is $40. The cost includes tubing, rentals, and lift ticket. This event is open to 6 th - 12 th grade students. Friends are welcome to attend! Youth Bible Class is Sunday mornings (expect holiday weekends) starting at 9:30 a.m. Kathy will be teaching 6 th -8 th grade students in the classroom across from the church office. Melanie will be teaching the 9 th -12 th grade students in the daycare room. Bible and Brew is Wednesdays from 3:30-4:00 p.m. at Caribou Coffee on Old Shakopee Road. SWAG (Saved With Amazing Grace) meets every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. The evening is full of fun, games, and devotions. Friends are always welcomed. 3

4 Bible Studies Sunday Morning Pastor Dan leads a video-based Bible study on "The Story". Each week as we progress through "The Story", the Bible study will correspond to the Scriptures being covered in the worship service. The class meets from 9:35-10:20 a.m. each Sunday. Dianne Ritter leads an additional video based study on The Story. Her class meets from 9:35-10:20 a.m. in the church office. LifeLight Bible Class Our study features a Lifelight Foundations that focus on the Law and Gospel. We will meet on Thursdays at 10:00 am at the church beginning on January 15 th. This class is open to both men and women. If you have any questions please contact Harriet at In-Home Ruth Our study is taken from the Liz Curtiz Higgs book: The Girl s Still Got It. We will meet at Jennifer Adamek s home on Tuesday evening on January 20 th at 6:30 pm. This is a study on Ruth and Naomi. We ll get to know them as we consider every powerful verse until we can say, I totally get the book of Ruth. And I see what God is trying to teach me through this rags-to-riches redemption story he has a plan for my life. Girl, does he ever! If you enjoy meaningful journeys and redemptive endings, shared with humor, honesty, and hope, you ve come to the right place! Please contact Dianne Ritter with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there! Women of Hope All ladies of Mount Hope Lutheran Church are invited to join us as we meet on Saturday, January 10 th at 9:30 am. Our special guest speaker is joining us from New Life Family Services. A light breakfast/brunch will be served followed by a business meeting. 4 First Friday Book Club Join us for Book Club on Friday, January 2 nd from 1:30-3:30 pm. We are watching a video on Bonhoeffer at Marilyn Nelson s home at 8627 Wentworth Ave S #225, Bloomington,

5 daily devotional 1 Jan Is 61:1 11 Luke 1: Jan Is 62:1 12 Luke 2: Jan Is 63:1 14 Luke 2: Jan Is 63:15 65:2 Luke 2: Jan Is 65:8 25 Luke 3: Jan Is 66:1 20 Luke 3: Jan Ezek 1:1 14, Rom 1:1 17 Habakkuk 1:1 3:19 8 Jan Ezek 2:1 3:11 Rom 1: Jan Ezek 3:12 28 Rom 2:1 16 Ezek 4:1 11:25 10 Jan Ezek 18:1 4, Rom 2:17 29 Ezek 19:1 24:27 11 Jan Ezek 33:1 20 Rom 3: Jan Ezek 34:1 24 Rom 3: Jan Ezek 36:13 28 Rom 4: Jan Ezek 36:33 37:14 Rom 5: Jan Ezek 37:15 28 Rom 6: Jan Ezek 38:1 23 Rom 7: Jan Ezek 39:1 10, Rom 7:21 8:17 18 Jan Ezek 40:1 4; 43:1 12 Rom 8:18 39 Ezek 40:5 42:20;43: Jan Ezek 44:1 16, Rom 9: Jan Ezek 47:1 14, Rom 9: Jan Joel 1:1 20 Rom 10: Jan Joel 2:1 17 Rom 11: Jan Joel 2:18 32 Rom 11:25 12:13 24 Jan Joel 3:1 21 Rom 12:14 13:14 25 Jan Zech 1:1 21 Rom 14: Jan Zech 2:1 3:10 Rom 15: Jan Zech 4:1 5:11 Rom 15: Jan Zech 6:1 7:14 Rom 16: Jan Zech 8: Tim 1: Jan Zech 9: Tim 2: Jan Zech 10:1 11:3 2 Tim 3:1 18 New Members/Baptisms Norman & Eunice Marose were welcomed as new members on Sunday, December 7 th Vicar Jared & Candace Yogerst were welcomed as new members on Sunday, December 7 th Worship Attendance November 23 8:15=55 10:00=69 Thanksgiving Eve Nov. 26=63 November 30 8:15=54 10:45=56 Advent Wed. Dec. 3=44 December 7 8:15=65 10:45=69 Advent Wed. Dec. 10=56 December 14 8:15=50 10:45=81 Advent Wed. Dec. 17=48 December 21 8:15=54 10:45=62 5

6 From Vicar Jared So, what is a vicar? Vicar comes from a Latin word meaning deputy or substitute. In the case of the Roman Catholic Church, the vicar is the assistant to the bishop. For students enrolled in a Missouri Synod seminary (for the pastoral degree of Master of Divinity) however, vicar is the final step before becoming a called pastor. A part of their vicarage a student serves vicar during his 3 rd year in seminary. Following a one-year vicarage the student would return to the seminary to complete his 4 th year of course work. In the LCMS the vicarage is a formal time of internship or assistantship for the student-pastor. Similar to a teaching internship, the vicar is assigned work meant to garner experience in pastoral work. Here at Mt. Hope I am involved in all aspects of parish life. I have the opportunity to preach, go on hospital calls or visit shut-ins. A vicar might also be asked to preside in worship, assist in occasional services like weddings and funerals, and teach Sunday school or confirmation. The vicarage is intended to provide a broad array of pastoral experience. I also participate in the leadership areas at Mt. Hope. While the vicar has not been ordained he has been commissioned by the congregation for the work of ministry. The work of the vicar is supervised directly by the pastor. Pr. Dan serves as my bishop in my role as Mt. Hope s vicar. Close to the end of the 6-months, Pr. Dan will provide a supervisor s report for the district president, Dean Nadasdy. Because I am a colloquy vicar, and not a student at St. Louis or Fr. Wayne seminaries, the district president and the colloquy committee will decide if I have sufficiently completed their requirements. If the colloquy committee accepts my vicarage, I will be placed into a call and ordained into word and sacrament ministry, probably, somewhere in the Twin Cities area. Vicar Jared Yogerst Faith Moving Forward Our current remodeling and future building plans continue to move right along, thanks to several very dedicated members who are using their time and talents to keep us on schedule. Our progress to date is clearly visible. Our new library/conference room and the three preschool classrooms are in their final stages. They have been primed, painted and each of the classrooms has a distinguishing accent wall. The ceiling grids and lighting are in place. Each of the three classrooms has an individual student bathroom which also have been painted and now tiled. The electrical and plumbing work is being completed along with the fire protection system throughout. Work continues on the 4 th classroom and storage area and soon the new windows will be in place. It is very exciting to see the progress and give all thanks and glory to God. Be sure and take a tour whenever you are worshiping to keep up on the progress. 7

7 Mission Highlights Jesus All Stars-Sunday School The Mt Hope Sunday School Ministry has been under the direction of Fran Wallin for 5 years. The children have entered and grown up learning to: Know, Grow, & Glorify the Lord, Jesus Christ. Fran puts an average of hours each week into preparation for Sunday s lesson. She does this passionately each week to have taught 24 children during her directorship and 12 children as a Sunday School teacher. In keeping with the vision of Mt Hope, the Sunday School has many outreach programs throughout the years including: Operation Christmas Child, Feed My Starving Children, and the Union Gospel Mission. The Sunday School has also donated money to buy Bibles for the persecuted church in China and has made Valentine Surprises and May Day baskets for the residents at the Penelope Apartments. They are currently donating to our Faith Moving Forward Campaign to which they committed $300 over a three-year period. This year, Mt Hope is responding to the call for volunteers. The Sunday School classroom has a wide range of ages each week. Three or more helpers are needed to assist to the children s needs, usually this involves Fran & Dave Wallin and a volunteer. Let s continue this momentum to help our staff and the children. Sharing the work we do with friends, neighbors, and family who have children, and providing them with a brochure are wonderful ways to encourage program expansion. When asked: What is your wish for the future of the program? Fran replied: continuing to fulfill our mission and fulfilling our vision as stated previously. Not only would I love to see the program expand beyond the capacity of our classrooms, I would love to see the children in this program continue on in the Junior and Senior High Programs and become active members of our church body. I would also like to see our volunteer pool grow and additional parent involvement. As the number of pre-school age children attending continues to grow, I would like to see the addition of a class specific for this age group. January Celebration Days Happy Birthday 2 Brady McMullen 4 Vicki Schmidt 8 Matt Frein 8 Amanda Suess 10 Promise Benson 10 Marilyn Nelson 11 Scott Nelson 11 Jenn Schleifer 13 James Froemming 15 Stephanie Hinz 16 Gloria Neu 19 Zachery Brantner 19 Dan Adamek Happy Birthday 20 Anika Quittschreiber 27 Darlene Wendt 28 Claire McMullen 30 Tracie Klug-Melbostad 31 Steve Sundseth Baptismal Anniversary 2 Cherish Benson 4 Sydney Higgins 11 Lea Fox 12 D.J. Fox 13 Ed Borgen 15 Karen Mueller 19 Arlene Schmidt 21 Capri Benson 28 Drew Adamek 29 Ina Adams

8 January 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :30-3:30 1 st Friday Book Club Noisy Offering :30 Worship 12:00 WOH Officers Meet 8:00 AA Meets 8:15 Worship 9:30 Sunday School & Youth 9:35 Adult 10:45 Worship 12:00 Youth Ice Skating 8:15 Worship 9:30 Sunday School & Youth 9:35 Adult 10:45 Worship 12:00-3:00 JAM 8:15 Worship 9:30 Sunday School & Youth 9:35 Adult 10:45 Worship 8:30 Staff Meeting 9:00 Prayer Group 3:30 Youth Bible & Caribou 6:00-8:00 SWAG 7:00 Praise Team Practice 9:30 Women of Hope Meet :00 Staff Meets 9:00 Prayer Group 3:30 Youth Bible & Caribou 6:00-8:00 SWAG 7:00 Praise Team Practice 10:00 LifeLight 6:30 Governing Board Meets 10-4 Bethesda Thrift Shop Work Day :30 In-Home Ruth Bible Study at Adamek s 8:00 AA Meets 9:00 Prayer Group 3:30 Youth Bible & Caribou 6:00-8:00 SWAG 6:30 Confirmation 7:00 Praise Team Practice 10:00 LifeLight :00 AA Meets 9:00 Prayer Group 3:30 Youth Bible & Caribou 6:00-8:00 SWAG 6:30 Confirmation 7:00 Praise Team Practice 10:00 LifeLight Mount Hope Lutheran Church

9 Sunday Worship Schedule 8:15 am Traditional Worship Service 9:30 am and Sunday School 10:45 am Praise Worship Service Phone: Website: Staff at Mount Hope Lutheran Dan Ritter Pastor Melanie Appelquist Director Of Youth & Children s Ministry Kim Woebke Director of Child Development Center Heather Bielec Lead Teacher, Child Development Center Christina Brantner Music Director Jennifer Adamek Church Secretary Candy Frein Church Secretary Steve Sundseth Custodian Mount Hope Lutheran Church 3601 W Old Shakopee Rd Bloomington, MN Address Service Requested