OCTOBER Vol. 59 No.10. Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

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1 OCTOBER 2014 Vol. 59 No.10 Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, This month we celebrate the 10 th Anniversary of our Early Childhood Development Center! For a taste of nostalgia, and to help us remember just a small portion of what went into starting this vital ministry, I would like to share portions of a letter sent out to members of our congregation ten years ago this week by then Chairman of our Early Childhood Ministry Board, Ken Etterman: October 3, The glory and praise rests with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! And yet it s clear that God has made possible the start of the Early Childhood Ministry of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church through the unselfish giving of so many of our members. There has been an outpouring of financial gifts, together with an abundance of giving of time, talent and labor. Your gift will be used as you specified, or in conjunction with the contributions of others, to furnish classrooms #4, #5 and #6 of the Education Wing of our Church. The items purchased, including the tables, chairs, cots, art islands, sand/water tables, wooden block sets and kitchen play units are of the highest quality. Your gift is sure to last for years to come in serving the needs of many young children. Many months ago the leaders and members of our congregation approved the undertaking of this community-outreach ministry. Thereafter one couple of the Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church family set the stage for making Open Arms possible through their extraordinary financial gift, a portion of which resulted in a matching corporate contribution of more than $14,000. Soon after, the Ladies Guild labors and generosity resulted in a gift of $20,000 that funded the full cost of the playground site preparation and play equipment. The volunteer labor of a dozen members, together with that of the two sons of Suzanne and Glenn Karnatz, saved more than $4,000 through the installation of the equipment, sod and mulch on the playground. An additional savings of more than $5,000 was realized by the remarkable craftsmanship of member, Herb Spies, who personally constructed in his home shop the 36 open lockers, 12 toy shelving units, three book carts, two cot carts and four puppet stands which now are a part of our three equipped classrooms. I can attest to the fact that the months and months of planning and preparation for Open Arms were made possible through the tireless efforts and dedication of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church s Early Childhood Ministry Board and their work continues! Continually working behind the scene with the Director of the Center and the Ministry Board, are Pastor Rabon and our Church Office Manager Katherine Montgomery. As you can see from this accounting of God s ongoing blessing, ours is a family of believers whose members and friends have come together to build an Early Childhood Ministry to His glory! My heartfelt thanks to you and all who have participated in any manner to make this ministry a reality! I would only add a very special Thank You to all who have supported our school throughout these past ten years and into its second decade! To God be the Glory! Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church & Preschool, 2606 Chimney Rock Rd., Hendersonville, NC

2 Mission of the Month for October: Samaritan s Purse Operation Christmas Child Alex, a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift as a child. This simple gift of love helped Alex to find new life in our Lord Jesus Christ. The internet link below shows Alex as he distributes gifts to children in the Rwandan orphanage he grew up in. What goes into an Operation Christmas Child shoebox is fun. The love that comes out changes lives for eternity. As an individual or a family lovingly packs a shoebox, they experience the joy of Jesus. When those gift boxes are opened by children overseas, that same love of Jesus transforms the lives of children. In each shoebox, Samaritan s Purse inserts The Greatest Journey, a 12-lesson Bible study (shown in the photo above), especially for children who receive shoebox gifts. We want to teach the children how to live for Jesus. Then, they can go make disciples (Matthew 28:19), multiplying the Gospel among their family and friends. When these children share the Gospel with family and friends, congregations expand, pastors are inspired, and new churches are planted. Samaritan s Purse ( is a nondenominational, evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Operation Christmas Child is celebrating its 21st year. Shoeboxes will be available in the narthex starting October 5. Filled shoeboxes must be returned to the narthex by November 16. Special envelopes for donations to support U.S. Disaster Relief and International Crisis Response will be in the weekly service bulletin on October 19. Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. (Matt 25:40 ESV)

3 Voters Assembly On Sunday, November 16, there will be just one worship service at 10:00 a.m. Sunday School will be at 9:00 9:45 a.m. At the Voters Assembly, which will follow the worship service, members will review committee reports, elect new officers, determine the budget for 2015, and consider other business items. CHURCH FINANCES Our shortfall for the month of August was $4,140. Part of the reason was for air conditioner repair of $1,888. Our air conditioners are old and need to be repaired or replaced. The numbers below are year-to-date as of August 31, Income and Expense Church Exclusive Of Preschool Preschool Income $139,010 $284,612 Expenses $161,215 $283,664 Net Loss or profit ($ 22,204) $ 949 Dedicated Income $37,606 Cash on hand Operational Accounts $71,362 Dedicated Accounts $85,927 Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest on Friday, October 24, at 5:30 p.m. will be a joint fund-raiser with Thrivent for the January mission trip to Laotchikit, Haiti. The goal is to raise $5300 for the following mission materials: Medical supplies $2000 Treadle sewing machines (4) 1000 Sewing materials 2300 Total $5300 The menu includes: Bratwurst Sauerkraut German potato salad Red roasted potatoes Cabbage German chocolate cake Iced tea and hot coffee There will also be an arts-and-crafts fair with Mount Pisgah artists and craftspersons offering their creations for the benefit of the missionmaterials budget. Reservations for the Oktoberfest, which are $6.00 per person, can be made in the narthex. The Quilter s Ministry will be selling this lovely quilt for $ at the Oktoberfest fund-raiser. Thank you to the following Thrivent Financial members who directed Choice Dollars to Mt. Pisgah in September: Tom Boquist Pecans are coming! The Ladies Guild annual fundraiser will be here soon.

4 Birthday Blessings OCTOBER 1 Tyler Maloney 3 Judy Fuchs 3 Susan Smith 4 Alethea Gaston 9 Ruth Mucko 10 Mike Luecke 14 Bruce Luecke 14 Lucas Pace 16 Anna White 17 Ruth Kugler 18 Steve Kirchoefer 20 Tony Selius 22 Mary Anne Henderson 23 David Maloney 25 Audrey Frost 27 Jessica Luecke 28 Elise Forster 31 Carol Everhart NOVEMBER 1 Herman Lehman 1 Yvonne McLellan 4 Ed Duszak 5 Jeanne Irmischer 7 Alan Clancy 9 Paul Mincer 17 Ann Cheadle 21 Rev. Ed Bertram 24 Bob Morin 25 Dave Marquardt 25 Herb Spies 25 Kathleen Weege 26 Anita Hurliman 29 Gary Amato 30 Peter Kawa Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church & Preschool 2606 Chimney Rock Road Hendersonville, NC PH FAX

5 Our Missionaries: Rev. Roger James, serving the Lord in Sri Lanka One of my favorite things is teaching the faith confirmation class. I am constantly amazed at this text that we take for granted in our church, Luther s Small Catechism. I mean the first 40 pages of the catechism that includes the Ten Commandments, Creed, Lord s Prayer, Baptism, Confession, the Sacrament of the Altar, with their meanings what we call the Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine. Also included are the Daily Prayers, the Table of Duties, and Christian Questions and Answers for those intending to go to the Sacrament. That is Luther s Small Catechism. This time I am teaching our Sri Lanka Lutheran vicars, and as a refresher for the pastors. We meet the first and the third Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I teach Catechetics, one class each day; Homiletics one class each day; and Liturgics one class on Tuesday. We begin with Matins Tuesday morning and Divine Service Wednesday morning. Catechetics is the basic class that I have taught to children who will be confirmed or adults who want to join the church. I told our vicars this is the basic Christian faith: what they need to know and confess as a Christian, and what they need to teach. The goal is two-fold: 1) to pass on to the vicars the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3); and 2) to give them a model of how to teach the faith (2 Tim. 1:13). What astounds and delights me is how grounded this basic Lutheran catechism is in Holy Scripture and how practical it is for life. Such clear proclamation of our utter need for mercy and forgiveness (10 Commandments); such perfect sweet comfort in knowing that we have a Father in Heaven (1st Article; Lord s Prayer); and that He sent His only Son for our redemption (2nd Article; Sacrament of the Altar); and that this blessed salvation is given us freely and abundantly through the Holy Spirit (3rd Article, Baptism, Confession and Keys). Such good news as this never gets old or stale! As always, thank you, and our Heavenly Father, for your support in donations and in prayers. Peace in Christ, The Lohmeyers: Sharing Christ s Love in the Dominican Republic August 18 th marked the beginning of the school year in the Dominican Republic. The preschool in Licey and the elementary school in Palmar Arriba (preschool through 7 th grade) opened their doors to welcome the students. Both are private Christian schools and part of the LCMS mission. The teachers and directors are Dominicans, and we pray the Holy Spirit may use them to raise up the next generation of church leaders here. As we transition to fewer hours of language training, both Bill and Nicole are getting more involved in the work of the mission here. This month, our work focused around the Palmar school, in a rural area about 25 minutes outside of Santiago rich in the natural beauty of the mountains but fret with poverty. Bill researched how to connect the school to the internet. Nicole worked with Ruth (another teacher & missionary) to lead teacher workshops and gather teaching materials. Every improvement that can be made in the school has several benefits: it will better the students education and the teachers experiences, thus positively impacting their lives in many ways. In addition, when the community sees the school as a wonderful place to send their children, our enrollment increases and we are able to touch more lives with the Word of God. The school is an outreach. How many children and parents can be brought to Christ? How can we strengthen the Christian walk of those who already believe? How can we teach them to reach out to others with the Lord's saving grace? Equipping the teachers educationally (with techniques/resources) and spiritually is of great importance. Please pray for the schools in Palmar and Licey, for the directors (Kissarysis and Yanela), teachers, students, and parents. Also, please pray that we, along with the other missionaries, know how to be most helpful to the schools.

6 Noah The Man, The Ark, The Flood Rev. Kurt Klaus, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church and Preschool in Mounds View, MN, narrates the Noah Biblestudy video from inside the Ark replica at the Creation Museum near Cincinnati. A very, very, very old man sets out to construct a magnificent boat on the divine news of an unprecedented flood and destruction. Among Noah's passengers will be animals, food supplies, and a few kinfolk. These are only a few of the features about this amazing study from Genesis. This new Bible study from the Lutheran Hour Ministry Men's NetWork on the fascinating life of this patriarch will be featured during the adult Sunday School starting October 5 at 9:15 a.m. The series includes four videos: Returned Get-Well Cards by Leah Ryel Some members have had cards returned to them that had been sent to patients at Pardee Hospital or Carolina Village. Some time ago, I had read a suggestion of putting the patient s home address as the return address on a card to the patient; that alleviates the problem of the card not following the patient, who progresses from hospital care to a rehabilitation facility. 1. Noah the Man (Oct. 5) 2. The Ark (Oct. 12) 3. The Flood (Oct. 19) 4. The Aftermath (Oct. 26) Come see how today s geologic record, rock layers, fossils, dinosaurs, mountains, volcanoes, canyons, folded strata, and earthquakes are perfectly consistent with God s Word. Weekly Bible Studies: 10:00 a.m. Women s : How Lutherans View Other Faiths led by Pastor Rabon in the church library. 8:00 a.m. Men s : led by Pastor Rabon at Denny s Restaurant (with breakfast). 7:00 p.m. Adult on Discipleship: at Steve & Kathy Kirchoefer s home. Call for directions.

7 32nd Annual Hunger Walk by Leah Ryel Thank you very much to Rick Sanborn for helping at the Hunger Walk table in the Narthex after first Service for the 32nd Annual Henderson County Hunger Coalition's Walk. From Mount Pisgah Lutheran Church, there were nine who participated in the walk on September 13 at Jackson Park: Steve and Kathy Kirchoefer, Glenn Leavitt, Yvonne McLellan, Pastor and Margo Rabon, Leah Ryel, Rick Sanborn, and Debbie Zagone. In addition to the nine people, two pet dogs accompanied their masters: Skeeter, Glenn's terrier, and Sadie, Debbie s miniature Australian Sheep Dog. We very much appreciate those who walked (or had planned to) and those who sponsored the walkers. The total earned by the walkers was $1,329, which does not include donations to the September Mission of the Month (Hunger Walk) envelopes or funds left at the church office, which were included in MOM. Thank you for stepping up to the plate. Have you seen the web site for the school in Laotchikit, Haiti? If you are reading this online, you can click on the image above. From the printed newsletter, access it from the following address: web address for Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church is For questions or suggestions about the web sites, please contact Steve Kirchoefer by phone ( ) or (webmaster@mtpisgahlutheran.com). Let s honor Pastor Rabon s ministry In this photo Pastor Martin Dressler thanks Pastor Rabon for the many years of mentoring. Since Pastor Rabon is retiring effective December 31, we are planning a special edition of the View Newsletter in his honor. Please search through your old newsletters, photo albums, and other memorabilia for fond memories of his ministry at Mount Pisgah. Submit articles, photos, etc., to Carol Everhart (mtpisgahlcms@gmail.com) or in the special box just outside her office. This View of the Rabon Years will be published and distributed at his retirement luncheon on Saturday, January 17, Nomination of church officers, board chairs, and elders Since we will have an empty pulpit in January, it is especially important for Mt. Pisgah to have a full complement of elders, officers, and committee chairmen. Election of the new leadership will be at the Voters Assembly on Sunday, November 16. If you would like to nominate someone, contact a member of the Nominating Committee, which includes Jim Volk, John Frost, and Glenn Leavitt. 1. President 2. Vice-President 3. Recording Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Financial Secretary 6. Chairman of the Board of Outreach 7. Chairman of the Board of Christian Education 8. Chairman of the Board of Stewardship 9. Chairman of the Board of Community Concerns 10. Chairman of the Board of Parish Life 11. Chairman of the Board of Early Childhood Ministry 12. Elders (2)

8 Bluegrass Concert on Friday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. The Bluegrass Band from North Greenville University will help us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord on Friday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Mt. Pisgah sanctuary. The band pictured above includes (l-r) Shane Parrish (bass), Hank Privette (guitar), Courtney Simmons (vocal), Brittany Blackwell (fiddle & vocal), Casey West (vocal), Luke Johnson (guitar & mandolin), Laura Harrison (vocal), and Rev. Wesley Brashier (advisor & mandolin). Please bring a friend and join in as we come before His presence with singing (Psalm 100:1-2 KJV). It is a joy to watch these young people serve the Lord with their musical talents! Service Opportunities at Mount Pisgah Greeters and Ushers Serve on Sundays at 7:45 a.m. Contact Tony Selius at or anth5489@bellsouth.net Serve on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Contact Bob Cheadle at Quilting Group Meets on 1 st and 3 rd Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. Contact Jan Tharp at or hvilletharps@bellsouth.net Scripture Readers Needed on Sundays at both worship services. Contact Jean Siebold at or jsiebold@bellsouth.net Altar Guild 1 st and 3 rd Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. Contact Ann Cheadle at Members Needed to Count the Offering on Mondays at 11:00 a.m. Time is flexible in accord with participant needs. Contact Jean Siebold at or jsiebold@bellsouth.net Prayer Shawl Ministry Meets on 1 st Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. Contact Jean Siebold at or jsiebold@bellsouth.net Hendersonville Rescue Mission Serves on the 4 th Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Contact Glenn Leavitt at or leavittg@bellsouth.net Please check the Outreach bulletin board in the hall near the kitchen for a list of needed food and clothing items.

9 L e t u s p r a y! Pray for Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church In Acts 12:5-12 (ESV), we read: So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, Get up quickly. And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, Dress yourself and put on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your cloak around you and follow me. And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Ps 122:6 ESV) On the first Sunday of every October, hundreds of millions of people around the world join together to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. In just a few years, this event has quickly become the largest Israelfocused prayer event in history. But why set aside this day each year to pray for Jerusalem? We set aside this one day each year to raise global awareness and intercession for God's purposes in Israel, knowing that this hour in history is critical and our authority in prayer is great. Though we pray every day for Israel, we seek on this day to unite believers around the world in raising a cry to Heaven on behalf of this troubled, but strategic land and its people. he said, Now I am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting. When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. As the early church prayed earnestly for Peter, we at Mt. Pisgah must be earnest in prayer against the evil we face today. Like churches across the America, we face a culture war, declining attendance, and financial hardship. Throughout the world, christians are being slaughtered simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Let us call out to the Lord. Let us pray earnestly for Mt. Pisgah, our church leaders, our missionaries, christians throughout the world, and for our country. We may pray using The Lord s Prayer or in our own words using names and places. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16b ESV) Pray for the Call Committee As we begin the search for a pastor to replace Pastor Rabon, the Board of Elders and the Church Council met with representatives from the Southeastern District (SED) of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Rev. Dr. John R. Denninger (President of SED), Rev. Dr. Bill Seaman (Mission and Ministry Facilitator for the Southern Region of the Southeastern District and Director of Congregational Renewal), and Rev. Dr. John G. Brunner (Circuit Visitor for Western NC) explained the call process. The following members have agreed to serve on the Call Committee: Tom Boquist John Frost Steve Kirchoefer Paul Mincer Barbara Volk Wendy White Please keep them all in your prayers.

10 Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church & Preschool SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT 1 Prayer Shawl Ministry 1pm 2 Men s Bible Study 8 am Quilter s Ministry 9am 3 Blue Grass Concert 7:00PM 4 5 LWML Sunday Worship 8am Bible Classes 9:15am Worship 10:45am Choir rehearsal 6 7 Women s 10am 8 Library Comm. 9:15 am 9 Men s Bible Study 8 am Elders 10am ECMB 6pm 10 Evening 7pm Communion 8am Bible Classes 9:15am Communion 10:45am Choir rehearsal 13 Ladies Guild 14 Women s 10am Men s Bible Study 8 am Quilter s Ministry 9am Church Council 6:30pm 17 Evening 7pm Worship 8am Bible Classes 9:15am Worship 10:45am Choir rehearsal Women s 10am Men s Bible Study 8 am Oktoberfest 5:30 PM 26 Reformation Sunday Communion 8am Bible Classes 9:15am Communion 10:45am Choir rehearsal Women s 10am Men s Bible Study 8 am Evening 7pm Mission of the Month for October: Operation Christmas Child