LifeLines November 2016

Transcription

1 LifeLines November 2016 Gather, Grow, Go! What ministries do we need to do that will bring people into a saving faith relationship with Jesus, build them up, and bring glory to Jesus? Please be in prayer over this. Every area has its unique needs. The ways to discover the needs of our community are to follow the news, pay attention to the local online conversations, and listen to people. Ask What would help you? and then listen. Build relationships. Relationships are the most effective bridge across which the Gospel travels. Once you know the needs, share your ministry ideas with someone and how we can go about starting them. Pastor Caleb's Corner I ve had some interesting conversations lately with people within the church and the community about the state of our union. I don t like to talk politics, and I hate listening to politicians debate even more; but I do like listening to people around me to hear what they are thinking and feeling. I ve heard comments about how if X candidate gets into office, we re going to have World War III on our hands. If Y candidate is elected, Christians are going to be persecuted even more. Facebook friends continue the conversation by putting out the message that there is a Z candidate if you are dissatisfied with X and Y. The common theme throughout it all is an element of fear. We naturally fear the unknown. We want to believe that we can predict the future and that we want the best for our country and neighbors and so we believe vehemently that there has to be one right answer. We may not always agree on what that is but we feed off of each other s fears as we head into the election on November 8. It can be crippling. Friends and family members are at odds with one another. In a country that is polarized by two major candidates, regardless of our political affiliations, what s a Christian to do? What hope do we have come November 9? As Christians, we can rest assured that no matter what happens in our election here, Christ is the still Lord of His Church. There is nothing that your vote on November 8 th can do to change that. Our hope is not found in men but firmly rests in the finished work of Jesus Christ. We can awaken on November 9 th knowing God is still sitting on His throne. So as you casts your ballots this month, remember that Jesus is still Lord and King and no new President of America can change that fact. Our salvation has been won. Thanks be to God for that!

2 2 Quarterly Congregation Meeting All confirmed members of Lord of Life who are 18 years and older are encouraged to attend the quarterly Congregation Meeting on Sunday, November 20, at 11:45 a.m. Lunch will be served. We will adopt the 2017 budget, elect church officers and board members, and discuss other items pertaining to the congregation s ministry. While the adults conduct their meeting, all children ages 3 through Grade 6 will take this opportunity to have a rehearsal for their Christmas program. Ms. Julie will also appreciate helping hands from the Confirmands and High School Youth (what a fun way to earn service hours!). Family Life Advent Midweek Worship Everyone needs godly wisdom when it comes to family relationships. That s why, as we begin a new church year with the Advent season, we plan to learn from the families connected with our Lord s birth. This includes Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, along with Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John. These families faced infertility, frustration, loss, misunderstandings, death, and so much more. November 30 Two Families (Luke 1:5 25) December 7 Our Way (Luke 1:57 66) December 14 A List! (Matthew 1:1 17) December 21 Open the Door (Matthew 1:18 20) You are encouraged to be a part of these worship services on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Your family is worth time and investment in God s word!

3 3 Preschool Grade 6 Christmas Program Jesus Means Christmas to Me At its core, Christmas is quite simply Jesus. Sunday morning, December 11th During 10:30 am Worship To the angels, Christ s birth meant the arrival of great joy on earth. To the shepherds, He meant hope for all. To the wise men, He represented the greatest gift anybody could ever receive. As we follow the story of Jesus coming, we give kids an opportunity to discover what Christmas truly means to them. The songs take a modern spin on classic Christmas favorites and carols. The narration points young hearts to the wonder of the manger scene as it teaches them the real reason we celebrate the season. More than decorations, sparkling lights on a tree, and presents, we find ultimate satisfaction when we fix our eyes on the eternal gift of Jesus life. This Christmas, we invite your kids to focus on Christ and celebrate the everlasting gift of hope and joy that He brings. Rehearsal Schedule 9:15-9:30 am during Sunday School openings in the Fellowship Hall Sunday, Nov 20th at 12:15 pm (during the Congregational Meeting) Wednesdays, Nov 30th and Dec. 7th from 6:00-6:45 pm (in place of CDT, before Advent worship)(dinner served beginning at 5:30pm) Saturday, Dec. 10th at 10:00-11:00 am (possibly a bit longer if needed) Parents will receive an survey the first week of November. If you do not receive one, and your child is between age 3 and 6th grade, please notify the office. We have a wonderful 'problem' in adding in all our new families, and we apologize if we have missed anyone. Let us know!

4 4 Pray for our Missionaries Lord of Life provides prayer and financial support for Rev. Andrew and Kelsey Schlund who serve the Lord through The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) as career missionaries in Mexico. In his role, Andrew works with other missionaries in the theological education of existing pastors and possible future pastors. He also preaches and teaches whenever needed. Through the relationships that are formed, Andrew and Kelsey seek to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people of Mexico. Andrew and Kelsey have a beautiful daughter, Charlotte, who joins them on the mission field. Please pray for the Schlunds as they transition to life in Mexico City and serving in Mexico, learning the culture and language. Pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has free reign through the LCMS missionaries serving in Mexico. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to call more workers from Mexico to spread the Gospel in their country. Give thanks to God that Andrew, Kelsey, and Charlotte are serving His children in this part of the world. BIRTHDAYS: Andrew Oct. 21, Kelsey Aug. 16, Charlotte March 28 ANNIVERSARY: June 17 Click here to see their most recent newsletter. Mite Box Sunday Lord of Life s Women s Ministry designates the first Sunday of every month as Mite Box Sunday. We invite everyone to give your mites (offerings) to support the work of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML). Mites are collected in mite boxes to support the mission projects approved by the LWML membership in convention every two years. Lutheran women have stepped out in faith, setting goals and trusting God to move the hearts of His people to give generously to LWML to proclaim the Gospel. The national Mite Box Goal for is 2 million dollars that s a lot of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters! Look for the LWML Mite Box in the entry and add your mites. Friday Faith Food Fellowship / Bible Study The Friday Faith Food Fellowship Bible Study meets every Friday at Valentino s, 5022 S. 108th St. We gather at 1:00 pm for lunch and have a Bible study led by Pastor David from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to join the Bible Study. We are beginning the study of 1, 2 and 3 John. The Bible study will resume on November 11.

5 5 November Activities Sunday, November 6, 13, and 20 at 6:30 pm (High School) No Middle School Youth Group this month Advent Meals The youth will once again be organizing the Advent Meals this year. We will have meals on November 30, Dec 7, 14, and 21. Those meals will start at 5:30 and our midweek services will be at 7 pm. Be on the lookout for the menu in mid-november. We will have a free-will offering that will be used to buy Christmas presents for the Nebraska Children s Home Project Elf that we do each year. November Middle School Youth Group The Middle School Youth Group's meeting for November will be the District Gathering on Nov in Kearney. There will be no Youth Group on Nov. 27 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving). High School Youth Group Youth Group meets Nov. 6, 13, and 20. We will do Christmas Shopping for the Nebraska Children s Home on Dec. 4 starting at 4:30 pm. We will have 15 children to shop for, so we need lots of hands to help. Caring Hands Crochet/Knit Group We meet the first Monday of each month at 7:00 pm. Please join us! And thank you to all who have helped with donations of yarn.we can even help you get started with a basic stitch. For more information, contact Joni Brunssen, Krista Moravac, or Jean Netsch. Eagle Scout Award November 13th Shoebox Packing Event Our annual Operation Christmas Child all-family packing event will be during the Sunday School hour on Sunday, Nov. 13th. We ll gather in church for instructions, and then move to the Fellowship Hall. Last year 22,590 shoeboxes from the Omaha area went to Mexico; 11,213,010 total shoebox gifts were given around the world. Our goal this year is to pack 50 boxes. Donations for small items are being requested. Check out the Info Board at church for available items. The Board of Education is working to get additional larger gift items. Please bring donations to church by Nov 9th. Plan to join us for this rewarding activity!

6 6 Please join Nathan Kurz in celebrating as he becomes an Eagle Scout. The dedication of his Eagle Scout project (Brick Paver Patio with a Wall) will be during the 8:00 service on Nov 13. His Eagle Scout Ceremony will be that same day at 2 pm at Bethany Lutheran Church. The congregation is invited to attend. Please RSVP to Pam or Scott Kurz if you are planning to attend the 2:00 Ceremony. Nathan s Eagle Scout Project is a continuation of the picnic shelter constructed by Jeremy Riege for his Eagle Scout Project in Then in 2013, Jimmy Nugent designed and built the first half of the patio for his Eagle Scout Project. Nathan doubled the size of the patio area, just in time for the June Family Fun Festival! A special thanks to all who supported the project, especially Jim Bezoni and Stacey Elliott for their expertise and commitment that led to the completion of these projects. L to R: Jimmy Nugent, Jeremy Riege, Nathan Kurz 2016 Women's Ministry Peach Sales Women s Ministry would like to thank everyone who helped with our annual Peach Sales Fundraiser! Thank you again to those who helped unload the semi, provided the lifts and carts, volunteered your time with the peach pickups and sales, and purchased peaches; and a special thank you to Frances for handling the phone calls, mailings, and logging the peach orders. We couldn t have done it without each and every one of you. Women s Ministry met on September 29th to distribute the proceeds from the sales. The following are the designated recipients of the blessings from this year s fundraiser. Lord s Lambs Startup $1,000 Lord s Lambs Playground $1,000 LWML Mites $1,000 Orphan Grain Train $1,000 COPE $1,000 LoL Benevolence Fund $1,000 POBLO Peace International $1,000 Living H2O Lutheran Campus $1,000 Ministry Friendship Center (Omaha) Rev. Andrew Schlund Missionary $1,000 LoL VBS $ 300 Assure Women s Center $ 500 Lutheran Family Services $ 500 LoL-Women s Min. Ed. Fund $ 900

7 7 Martin Luther Born: November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany Died: February 18, 1546 in Eisleben, Germany As an Augustinian monk, Luther fasted, prayed, attended and led Mass. Despite this holy life, he was in constant doubt of his salvation. Luther began concentrating his studies on the Bible rather than the Church Fathers. In 1514, while studying Paul s letter to the Romans in his tower room in Wittenberg, he finally saw the pure Gospel. He realized that sinners are saved not through good works but by the gift of God through faith. This realization sparked a concern that the church s practice of selling a certificate of forgiveness (called an indulgence) would lead to the loss of true contrition for sins. If people could receive pardon from all sins, then they could spend the rest of their lives not worrying about the status of their souls. Luther felt he must protect his flock from this dangerous practice. On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 Theses on the Castle Church doors, seeking a scholarly debate on the sale of indulgences. This led to a series of written materials and debates on the church practices of the time, the final culmination of which resulted in Luther being called before Emperor Charles V at a meeting in Worms, Germany, where Luther was asked to recant his writings. The Lutheran Reformation is still all about Jesus; that is, faithfully preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus Christ, and standing for the teachings of God s Word as they have been confessed in all times and all places wherever the Gospel is purely taught according to a pure understanding of it and where the Sacraments are administered according to Christ s institution. The Lutheran Reformation then, and today, is not about throwing away the past, but about retaining and preserving the very best of the Church s rich history and teachings, while filtering out whatever covers and contradicts God s Word and denies the good news of salvation by grace alone, though faith alone, on account of Christ alone. The Lutherans never wanted to rebel against the Roman Church. They were, however, held captive by the force of the clear truth of God s Word. Martin Luther refused to compromise that truth and was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church, precisely because of his defense of the pure Gospel and truths of God s Word. Martin Luther's 553rd Birthday Party The Omaha area churches of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod will begin a yearlong celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation with a birthday party for Martin Luther at the German-American Club, 3717 S 120th Street on Sunday, November 13, 2:00 to 7:00 pm. Everyone is invited! German food will be served from 2:00 to 7:00 for a freewill offering. Games for children will be provided. Several music groups will perform, including German dancers and singers from the Club. A Martin Luther impersonator will be present along with a Trivia Contest for 5-member teams. Be sure to check out and like the Facebook page Reformation500Anniversary-Omaha for details and more information.

8 8 Help Us Build A Playground Like This Without Spending an Extra Dime! How? By participating in our no-extra-spending fundraising programs of *Scrip (Every giftcard purchase made through the Scrip program earns 2%-50%.) **Amazon Smile (Every purchase made through Smile.Amazon returns 0.5%). ***Proseeds (Register your credit/debit card and earn 5% at local businesses.) **** TAGG! (Scan your receipt and earn 5% at local businesses.) All profits from these programs help our Playground Fund. ** Keep reading for details on each program. If you have questions, please contact Julie Koenemann at church. ** Scrip is purchasing merchant gift cards through church, and the merchants sell them to us at a discount. Every card returns rebates of 2% up to 50%! Order days are the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of every month, with added dates near holidays. Order online or with a paper form, and place your payment in the Scrip mailbox in the entryway. (Paper forms are in the kiosk.) We also keep some stocked inventory that can be purchased during the week and on Sunday mornings. Sign up for ShopWithScrip.com with our enrollment code of 9194FD You can get your Scrip even sooner when you place Reload and ScripNow orders and pay with PrestoPay. Questions? Contact Julie Koenemann, our Scrip Coordinator. Scrip Order Dates - November 6th and 20th When you shop at smile.amazon.com, and select Lord of Life Lutheran Church Elkhorn as your charity, 0.5% of your purchase price will be donated to the Playground Fund. We ve already received over $45 as a result of your purchases. Just think what can happen if we direct our Amazon Christmas shopping! This is an easy one! Proseeds is a new fundraising opportunity founded right here in Omaha. All you do is register your debit or

9 9 credit card through a secure link, and select Lord of Life Lutheran Lord s Lambs as your cause. Then you simply pay with that credit or debit card at a participating business, and the rest happens automatically! We ve already received $1.26 from 2 supporters in our first month. Think of the many blessings if we all participate! Go to GiveProseeds.com to learn more. Follow these links for more details: And yet another easy way to help raise money Lord s Lambs without spending an extra dime! Whenever you re at a TAGG business, snap a picture with your smartphone of your receipt and choose us. TAGG businesses donate 5% of your purchases! Download TAGG today! TAGG Overview Video (2 minutes) YouTube Link How to TAGG Demo (40 seconds) YouTube Link TAGG Businesses Link to view Thrivent Choice Dollars Thrivent Members: With Thrivent Choice, you direct where some of Thrivent Financial's charitable outreach funds go. You can direct your Choice Dollars to Lord of Life, and they will be applied to the Playground Fund. Thank you for supporting the Christian Outreach Program of Elkhorn (COPE) Hours of Operation Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10:00 am - Noon Tuesday and Thursday 5:30-7:30 pm Closed Sunday COPE needs volunteers to help with various activities, including sorting clothes, helping with training classes, bread and pantry pick-up, assisting with donation drop-offs, and loading client vehicles. COPE always appreciates donations of slightly used clothing, but because of limited space at COPE, we suggest donating only seasonal clothing please. We also accept household goods and appliances. For large appliances, please contact the COPE office prior to donating. Food Drive We are collecting items for the western Douglas County Food Pantry. Most needed items are

10 10 canned fruit, peanut butter, pancake mix and syrup, instant potatoes, paper goods (tissues, toilet paper and paper towels) and toiletries (full sized shampoo, soap, and toothpaste). For more information visit For assistance requests, please contact Jane Gordon or Ginia Duff at We Need Your Help Especially with the approaching holiday season, we seek new volunteers to train and serve on our Media Tech Ministry Team for our worship services. We will let you shadow until you re comfortable going on your own. Please talk to Julie if you can help out. Worship Team Do you, have you, or do you know someone who plays guitar, bass, or drums? We d like to continue to add musicians and singers to our team. Please speak to Julie or any Rejoice! member. Lord of Life s Mission We are Reaching out with love to create new and abundant lives in Christ.