St. John News. All hands on deck. The Ministry of St. John Lutheran From Pastor Bruick s Desk...

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1 February 2018 St. John News Proclaiming and Practicing the Love of Christ The Ministry of St. John Lutheran Church 919 N. Columbia Avenue Seward, Nebraska School 877 N. Columbia Avenue Seward, Nebraska Child Development Center 1053 N. Columbia Avenue Seward, Nebraska St. John News is published monthly by St. John Lutheran Church ( ) Newsletter co-editors: Marlene Block Shirley Liesener Newsletter staff: Sara Endorf Madalyn Lobmeyer Jack Swanson Anita Foor Jenny Brinkmeyer Richard Zwick From Pastor Bruick s Desk... All hands on deck hough we live out in the T middle of the prairie, miles and miles away from large bodies of water, I find myself periodically using nautical terms. Quite often our Shepherding Staff hears me say, Lean on the rudder! This is my encouragement for the ministry staff as we prayerfully guide a large congregation. One cannot make quick changes by spinning the helm; instead, you lean on the rudder and pray that the Holy Spirit guides the Lord s church in the direction that He would have us go. When speaking of the sanctuary where we gather for worship, I, along with others, may use the term nave. Nave comes from navis, a medieval Latin word meaning ship or ark. So, God s people gather in the nave, the ship or ark of His grace as we are carried by Him to our heavenly port. So, here is my nautical phrase for this month: All hands on deck! Now, I haven t spent much time on a large boat or ship but I have heard this phrase in movies. All hands on deck! echoes from the ship captain s throat and everyone knows what it means. There is the need for the immediate involvement of everyone on the vessel. The efforts of all are needed for the task that is at hand. Why is this phrase on my mind? First, because I, along with the whole ministry staff, am thankful for the involvement of so many of our congregation in carrying out the calling that God has placed before us. Many have heard the call, All hands on deck, and have helped in many ways to proclaim and/ or practice the love of Jesus Christ. All hands on deck is on my mind because the Call Committee for the next Director of the Child Development Center brought to the Voting Assembly in January their findings and a Divine Call has been extended for another person to join us on the deck and help with the work, the ministry, at St. John. All hands on deck is also on my mind because of the work of another Call Committee, the Call Committee for the Director of Christian Education (DCE). Under the direction of the Voting Assembly, this Call Committee has been brought together because there is a need for another hand to be on deck to help out in the work that is before us as a congregation. The committee s task is to spend time in prayer and study, searching for candidates that could be considered to carry out this very important task on the deck of the ship called The Ministry of St. John Lutheran. And what is that task that needs to be carried out by a DCE? It isn t being a youth minister, though the DCE would be connecting with youth. It isn t being the main Bible Study teacher though the DCE could teach Bible studies. It isn t being the Children s Minister though the DCE will serve children. It isn t being the Family Minister though the DCE will help guide families. The task of the DCE is to come on deck to assist many others who are already on deck serving in a variety of Christian nurture ministries such as Sunday School, Midweek School, Youth and Adult Bible Studies, Godparent Ministry, Vacation Bible School, Small Group Bible Studies, etc. We are blessed with over a hundred volunteers in these faith nurturing ministries. They are on deck, serving whole heartedly in their various areas of responsibility; however, there is no one on deck dedicated specifically to provide vision, coordination, and equipping See Bruick, page 2

2 Lenten theme 2... more news Bruick continued from page 1 So, in the meantime, let s keep leaning on the rudder, gathering in the nave, and listening to the call of our Captain for He needs all hands on deck, you included! of these individuals for teaching the Christian faith. Yes, they are assisted by their ministry boards. Yes, they can reach out to the Deaconess, Pastors, and our Child Development Center and School Staff for guidance and insight. However, those individuals are up on deck, carrying out their main tasks, leaving little time for them to provide visioning, coordination, or equipping our faithnurturing volunteers for the work that they need to do in teaching Jesus to individuals of all ages. The reality is, we have said, All hands on deck, but without the Director of Christian Education, we have found ourselves shorthanded on deck, leaving the visioning, coordinating, and equipping of our volunteer teachers incomplete. So, the call has gone out from the congregation, We need another hand on deck! And, thanks be to God, we have been blessed with a Call Committee that has started their work in the process of reviewing the names of candidates for the position of DCE. After their research of the candidate and the process of interviewing is complete, they will come to the Voting Assembly and present their findings. Then, given their insight, we will then go to the Lord and pray that He would send another servant to come on deck with all of us in order that we, as The Ministry of St. John, may be more effective in teaching the Christian faith in all of those other areas of ministry outside of the scope of our Child Development Center and School. What an opportunity that we have before us to be blessed with a man or woman of God who is trained in the area of providing visioning, coordination, and equipping in our faith-nurturing ministry! I look forward to meeting this individual that God has in mind to serve alongside of each one of us on the deck of this large ship as we go sailing along towards our home port of heaven. It will be great to have another hand on deck. So, in the meantime, let s keep leaning on the rudder, gathering in the nave, and listening to the call of our Captain for He needs all hands on deck, you included! Your fellow sailor in Christ, Were You There? o truly understand Christ's T Passion, we must go back to the Cross. We must see ourselves not as onlookers, but as participants in this historical event. Each week in Lent we will consider a single Passion event as we identify the people involved, explore attitudes and motives along with exposing our own involvement, and ultimately finding assurance of God's divine purpose in Christ's sacrifice. Who was there? What was there? Christ was there. Where You There... When He Was Betrayed? (Matthew 26:47-56) When He Was Denied? (Luke 22:54-62) When He Was Accused? (Luke 23:1-5) When He Was Condemned? (Matthew 27:24-26) When He Was Crowned with Thorns? (Matthew 27:27-30) When He Was Crucified? (Luke 23:32-35) When He Gave the Holy Supper? (Luke 22:19-20) When He Was Laid in the Tomb? (John 19:38-42) When He Rose from the Grave? (Romans 6:4-5) Midweek Services will be held each Lenten Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. The morning services will be followed by a fellowship time and the evening services will be preceded by a Lenten meal (5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m.) These events will be held in the Fellowship Hall.

3 3 more news... Iva Mae Roettjer retired from Stephen Ministry after 22 years by Marlene Block I va Mae Roettjer retired from Stephen Ministry at the end of December. In the early days of Stephen Ministry at St. John, Iva Mae did it all. She worked to bring congregational awareness of this ministry by appearing before every Board, committee, and organization at St. John to deliver the message and recruit Our Lord blessed Iva Mae with a heart for others. Her caring, compassion, and gracious ways have rendered her a strong person to initiate and establish Stephen Ministry at St. John. When our Lord asked, Who will serve? Iva Mae answered, Here I Am, Lord, and she prayerfully moved forward sometimes through illness and stresses, but always with a cheerful and willing heart. We thank our Lord for His gift to us in the person of Iva Mae, and we wish her God s continued blessings in all the days and years to come. Stephen Ministry We like to call Iva Mae the Mother of Stephen Ministry at St. John, since back in 1995 she and Marlene Block were the first persons from the congregation to attend Leadership training and start the program at St. John. She served tirelessly to establish and continue the work of caring. supporters. She recruited the first training class and was rewarded with 21 interested trainees! She taught many of those classes. At the same time, she needed to secure care receivers for all of them! Also, there were those Continuing Education programs to plan every month. Small groups had to be formed, and facilitators selected and trained. At the present time, we are blessed with seven Stephen Leaders to carry out these tasks, but Iva Mae did it nearly solo. Her first love has always been matching care receivers and Stephen Ministers. She has done that many, many times. St. John seeks to enhance communication through use of social media by Emily Nix Y ear Pastor Bruick, It was a great blessing to make a Gideon announcement before the worship services this weekend. I was inspired each time by your sermon and the use of the video. Indeed, the time is now to reach lost souls in the world. You can find the St. John Facebook page by searching for St. John Lutheran Church Seward, NE. We also have Facebook pages for the school (search for St. Our congregation s love for the Word is obvious. The Gideons received $431.25, which will be used entirely to provide Scripture in the traffic lanes of our world. Certainly, we can pray for searching hearts to be touched and for souls to be saved by way of these Scriptures. John Lutheran SchoolSeward ) and the Child Development Center (search for St John Child Development Center ). Be sure to like each of these pages to follow along, and then like, comment, and share on posts you enjoy! Thank you especially for your prayer support of the Gideon work. The Milford/Seward Camp will continue to pray that you and your ministry will enjoy God s abundant blessings in the days ahead. Sincerely Yours in Christ, Jack L. Swanson Gideons D church community about events without overwhelming the page (and the readers) with a lot of copy to read. Facebook es, St. John has a Facebook page! A group of staff and volunteers post content, which ranges from volunteer opportunities to pictures to information about recent events. Facebook posts are intentionally short and sweet pictures and videos are the preferred content. We want to provide a way to remind our

4 St. John Lutheran School 4... more news school theme: Christ Alone The new year is often a time to resolve. Resolve to grow. Resolve to mend. Resolve to do better. A New year with new beginnings by Anita Foor ow did you prepare for H and start your 2018? Perhaps you celebrated successes of 2017; or maybe you reflected upon difficulties faced in the year before. You may have identified some new habits to attempt, and you may have some new goals in progress. The new year is often a time to resolve. Resolve to grow. Resolve to mend. Resolve to do better. The start to a new year is exciting! It s a time to reset. It feels fresh and new. In the midst of celebrating the start to a new year, the school students, faculty, and staff are jumping into the start of the second half of the school year. As we reflect on 2017 and the first semester of the school year, there is much for which to be thankful and much to which we look forward. Resolve to give: Christmas Wish Book thank you eflecting on 2017, we through our partnership with R express deep gratitude to our church; and family tuition all who felt called to contribute payments aid in covering the financially toward the purchase school s costs too. The of items in our school s section Christmas wish-book provides of the Christmas wish-book. us an opportunity to Such a significant portion of communicate additional needs our school s costs are covered not covered in other ways, and your donations make a great difference in the quality of education we are able to provide St. John students. If you re interested in contributing toward needs of the school, please contact Principal Fiala to learn about the greatest needs. Resolve to invest: Give. Save. Spend. Banking in Schools program expands n mid-october, we then given an opportunity to program to the 2 I grade launched, in partnership save money in their Jones Bank students. Watch for information with Jones Bank, the St. John School branch of Jones Bank. Since then, 3 rd 8 th grade students have been giving during Wednesday chapel services, and account. Thanks to all students who have saved money through the Banking in Schools program. We are excited to announce the expansion of the coming from the school to learn about the opportunity for 2 nd 8 th grade students to add money to their account soon. Resolve to encourage: Looking ahead to next fall n addition to the reenrollment and enrollment kindergarten open house will be kindergarten next fall. Our I process opening for students held on the afternoon of currently in grades K-7, it s also Sunday, February 11. Consider time to start thinking about what families you can those children who will embark encourage to attend St. John upon the exciting experience of School. If you are the parents of a student who will be in kindergarten this fall, please feel welcome to attend the open house and contact Principal Fiala with any questions you may have. continued on page 5

5 more news... 5 Resolve to volunteer: Youth Spaghetti Supper ll middle and high school Sunday, February 25. Youth A youth have the opportunity to volunteer to serve at the to their youth account which is may receive funds to contribute Youth Spaghetti Supper on a wonderful way to save up for Resolve to serve: St. John K-Kids he K-Kids (Kiwanis Kids) T is an elementary student Kiwanis group meeting during the school year. We re blessed by Mrs. Einspahr s leadership as the adult facilitator for the 5 th grade class. They are supported by their parent support group the Helping Hands Kiwanis. The K-Kids work to serve the needs of people in the school and community through service projects or financial support from fundraisers. In the past, the K-Kids have supported playground updates, helped the adult group serve soup after the Christmas parade, served a community breakfast, collected food and soups for the food pantry, and visited longterm care residents and others to spread cheer with caroling, cards, and cookies. On February 21, the K-Kids will serve a Lenten meal for the third year; and the money raised will go toward Eliminate and a scholarship for a Garuna student who otherwise would not be able to attend school. We hope that you ll plan to join the K-Kids at their Lenten meal and make a the 2019 National Youth Gathering. Please encourage a young person you know to volunteer to serve. contribution toward their fundraising efforts. If you have a service project that the K-Kids might be able to help you with, please contact Mrs. Beth Einspahr at St. John School to share your idea. We hope you can attend their Lenten meal, and be inspired to serve others. Many blessings to you and your family as you continue working toward your 2018 goals and resolutions. We look forward to serving the students of St. John in 2018 and beyond! St. John School (continued) Coming up Soon Feb. 16 Winter Break Day No school Feb. 19 Professional Development Day No school Feb. 20 Science Night Youth Spaghetti Supper by Madalyn Lobmeyer, 10th grade student s Valentine s Day A approaches, so does the annual Youth Spaghetti Supper at St. John, to be held Sunday, February 25. Hosted by students from grades 6-8 and their families, the Youth Spaghetti Supper is a fundraiser for trips such as the National Youth Gathering. Although the dinner has in past years been buffet style, this year guests will be seated and served by the students. The menu for the supper will consist of spaghetti with choice of red or white sauce, salad, bread, applesauce, and a variety of desserts. There is no cost for the dinner, but attendees are highly encouraged to make a free will donation. Mindy Miller and Kim Bloebaum are organizing the spaghetti supper this year, and when asked what she thought the best part of the dinner was, Mindy responded, I have only been involved in one Valentine s dinner so far, but in my opinion the dinner is set apart by the service the youth provide. The youth sign up ready to be professional and truly serve their guests. So, if you re looking for a fantastic way to spend your evening on Valentine s Day, please consider attending the Youth Spaghetti Supper for great service and delicious food. Thank you for Bibles Editor s note: Space does not allow us to print all the thank you notes from 2nd grade students for Bibles received from the congregation. Here are two samples.

6 Installation Director of Christian Education 6... more news Call process for DCE is proceeding by Anita Foor ecently, while traveling on R a trip for work, I called home for cherished moments speaking with my family on the phone. With the prompt of only one question to my sixyear-old, I was immediately and overwhelmingly reminded of the goodness of the Christcentered education she receives at St. John School. After asking, What are you doing this evening? I didn t say a word for the next four minutes because she excitedly explained that she was working on her Jesus time book because she got to bring it home today! She proudly read the title to me, and the words that were on each of the stickers in the book, and what task she was working on. And when she finished telling me all about it, she told me she had to go to keep working on it. Those four minutes were the best four minutes of a multi-day work trip and so good for this momma s heart. What if we all had that enthusiasm daily for our Christian education even if only for four minutes? Can you imagine? Over the course of the past couple of years, many in our congregation have been asking questions about how we ensure that we are devoting adequate ministry staff time to the visioning and nurturing of our Christian education efforts as a church. My short story above is about my six-year-old, yes. But whether you re six minutes, six weeks, six months, six years, or 106 years old, we are fortunate to have ministry leaders calling into question how it is that we can ensure the best services in all ministry efforts around Christian education. The congregational conversation has evolved with the proposal of calling a Director of Education (DCE). The voting assembly approved a budget, including the salary for that position and the call process began shortly thereafter. Rachel Jank serves on the DCE call committee as a representative from the Christian Nurture board, and communicated that one of the committee s goals is to ensure adequate education of the congregation regarding what the new DCE will be asked to do within their work. She shared that the committee has met twice once to review the call procedures and once to review the candidates received. After the congregation is informed about who the candidates are, interview times will be established for later in January and early February with the hope that candidates can be proposed for the congregation s approval of offering a call. The calling of a Director of Christian Education allows our congregation to ensure that a staff member has the focused time to give purposeful thought and intentional energy to the vision and work of what is possible for our educational efforts in our church ministry. These, in part, include the educational opportunities available in children s Sunday school classes, Dare2B, the Godparent program, Adult Bible studies, and more. Please prayerfully lift up the DCE call committee as they prepare for the next steps in calling an individual to serve our congregation in building and maintaining our enthusiasm for learning about Christ. Pastor David Rempfer installed astor David Rempfer, P Pastor for Visitation and Pastoral Care, was installed at St. John on Sunday, January 14. A reception was held in the narthex between services. We anticipate a smooth transition as Pastor Schauer introduces him to members he will be visiting. Welcome Pastor Rempfer and Rhoda to our church and community. We pray God s blessings on your service among us.

7 more news... 7 Thoughts on displayed crosses by William Wolfram ll crosses describe a A vertical and horizontal stem. The vertical stem points to God s love for His people and the church s love for Him. Thus, the vertical stem of a Cross symbolizes our connection with God. The horizontal stem expresses our affinity with one another reaching out to our neighbor with love. The two stems of the Cross necessarily unite at their center. Separate this crucial bond and you have nothing but two bare sticks. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is the core of reality. It is vital to history, biblical doctrine, and faithful living. The wonderful aspect of cross design with its two stems meeting at the center demonstrates the crucifixion as the central narrative for all past and future events in behalf of God s people. The Cross as a meaningful visual symbol boldly proclaims Jesus victory at Calvary s vacated Cross. Unfortunately, in many churches (and other institutions), fabricated crosses are randomly and redundantly displayed. Rather, a single, dominant Cross more directly projects Jesus foremost act: His sacrifice on Calvary s hill. Placing numerous crosses in a sanctuary often presents a confused message. Duplicated symbols diminish their message. The crosses appear to be merely decorative, obtrusive labels. Have we glanced at so many mismanaged crosses that their significance has become a blank afterthought? We cannot blame the observer; we fault the designer. St. John appropriately displays crosses: one major Cross in the narthex and one celebrative processional Cross near the altar. Seasonal and liturgical crosses accompany the processional Cross during important commemorative events. Indeed, crosses, properly designed and displayed, aid in perceiving Jesus and His Cross in all their fullness and grandeur. The Calvary event becomes more serious and lasting when we continually examine the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Living under the Cross requires a lifetime of growing in faith with significant understanding and application. We will not completely understand the power of the Cross until we live in eternity. The two stems of the Cross necessarily unite at their center. Separate this crucial bond and you have nothing but two bare sticks. Baptisms November 18, 2017, Dwight James Nuttleman, son of Travis J. Nuttleman and Alyssa M. Ahrens November 18, 2017, Rosalyn Marie Ahrens, daughter of Alyssa M Ahrens November 22, 2017, Caroline Joy Groth, daughter of Justin T. and Abigail J. Lange Groth November 26, 2017, Leo Curtis Jensen, son of John M. and Julie (Helgenberger) Jensen December 9, 2017, Randall David Pardike, son of Joshua D. Pardike and Samantha J. Hansen January 6, 2018, Riggins Abel Meyer, son of Matt H. and Lindsey N. Spaits Baptisms (continued) January 7, 2018, Charli Jane Potter, daughter of Bruce D. and Jessi J. (Luebbe) Potter January 7, 2018, Archer Gavin Felix, son of Gavin T. and Jessica C. (Corbin) Felix Deaths, Funerals and memorial services, Committals December 3, 2017, Robert L. Bob Schulz, at the age of 55 years, 11 months and 2 days December 18, 2017, Jean E. Prochnow at the age of 81 years, 11 months and 3 days Marriages None Transfers In (M/M) Thad & Bethany Meyer and Benjamin & Nathaniel Transfers Out Jacob Krings to Christ Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Nebr. Josiah Krings to Christ Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Nebr. (M/M) Steve & Lisa Krings to Christ Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Nebr. (M/M) Shawn & Tara Biltoft, and Rylie, Austin and Carson to Redeemer Lutheran Church, David City, Nebr. Releases None Official Acts

8 8... more news Inside this issue... Message from Pastor Bruick Lenten theme Pastor David Rempfer installation Iva Mae Roettjer retires Facebook Gideon thank you St. John school news Spaghetti supper DCE call process Pictorial directory Displayed crosses Official acts Deadline for March newsletter is February 10, 5:00 p.m. St. John Staff... Scott Bruick, Senior Pastor Andrew Ratcliffe, Pastor for Christian Nurture Ministry Amber Fiala, Principal St. John School Paul Soulek, Director of Parish and School Music David Rempfer, Pastor for Visitation and Pastoral Care Jane Limback, Interim Director of Child Development Center Juanita Ebert, Deaconess Cathy Brase, Business Manager Nick Bloebaum, Facilities Manager St. John News St John Lutheran Church 919 North Columbia Seward, Nebraska Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 11 Seward, NE Return service requested