Messiah. Messiah Lutheran Church Mounds View, MN. Sharing The Savior Developing Disciples. Staff

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1 Messiah Messiah Lutheran Church Mounds View, MN Sharing The Savior Developing Disciples J U L Y, N E W S L E T T E R Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Many of you have been praying with me over the last few weeks as I have deliberated the Lord s will for me and my family in regards to the Call to Messiah, Lakeville. I have truly appreciated your thoughts and kind words through the process. I apologize for the length of time it has taken to come to a decision but the length of time has only been a reflection of my love for this church. With that being said, after much deliberation I have decided that it is the Lord s will for me to accept the call to Messiah, Lakeville. Messiah, Mounds View has been home for seven years now and you will always hold a special place in my heart and the heart of my family. You have not been fellow members with me but instead you have been brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. My decision is based solely on the fact that I believe the Lord is calling me to Lakeville and not on any disappointment with Messiah Mounds View in any way, shape or form. Messiah, Mounds View is a wonderful church and you will always be dear to me. My final Sunday at Messiah will be July 16 th. I would ask you to keep Messiah Mounds View, Messiah Lakeville, the Leadership Council, the Staff, myself and my family in your prayers. Thank you so much for the blessing of being able to serve you and I know the Lord will continue to bless Messiah, Mounds View as you move forward. God s blessings, Christ's servant and yours, Pastor Kurt R. Klaus Staff Ext. Senior Pastor Kurt Klaus Associate Pastor Christopher Kollmann 113 Director of Education, Website Allison Burkhow Director of Preschool Annie Bilski Director of Parish Music Kay Knutson Director of Senior Youth Andrew Asp Administrative Assistant & Choir Director Heather McAllister Secretary JoElla Kath Bookkeeper Lowell Brutlag Custodian Curt Flor Custodial Assistants Ron Boyce Dave Anderson Church Office Hours Monday-Friday... 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Phone Number Sunday Schedule 7:30 am... Traditional Service 8:45 am... Traditional Service 10:00 am... Education Hour 11:00 am... Contemporary Service Wednesday Schedule 6:06 pm... Casual Service Church Address messiah@messiah-lutheran.org Church Web Site messiah-lutheran.org

2 STEWARDSHIP Does God Need the Steward s Gifts? No! God says, I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousands hills...for the world is mine, and all that is in it (Psalm 50:9-12). There is nothing we can give God, for He owns it all. He created it, He sustains it; it is His. No, God does not need us to care for His creation. Without our effort, the sun rises and sets each day. All our knowledge, cannot make that dead seed in the ground come to life unless God performs that miracle. No, the church is not dependent on our programs and policies. Only the Holy Spirit working through Word and Sacrament can work faith in the heart of the believer. As St. Paul wrote, I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, and God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, Who makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). However, God has chosen us as stewards to share our financial gifts for the kingdom of God. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give (2 Corinthians 9:7). XYZ ACTIVITY XYZ-AUGUST The Twin City Tacky Tour Have you ever had the desire to go off of 'the beaten path' and explore the little known and the quirky side of life? If you have, make sure you join the fabulous Midwesteern Gunderson girls, Gloria and Gladys, on a journey to the tackiest places in S Paul and surrounding area. The gals will show you sites such as North St. Paul's year round giant snowman and a beautiful lake with a notorious past. We will sing songs, win prizes and have a terrific, tacky time on this tour Set aside Tuesday, Aug 15 for this great adventure, More information to follow in the bulletin. God has chosen us to care for His creation....rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Genesis 1:28). God has chosen us to make the Gospel known. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15). God does not need us; He chooses us (John 15:16)! 2

3 GREETERS July 2: July 16: 7:30 R. & C. Sroga 7:30 D. Rossbach & P. Hildreth 8:45 J. & K. Kinzie 8:45 R. & S. LaBounty & J. Angle K. Tjosvold 11:00 R. & D. Boyce 11:00 J. & D. Rust July 23: July 9: 7:30 V. & I. Beyer 7:30 M. & B. Stickley 8:45 J. & Y. Peterson & R. Bardal 8:45 M. & D. Kroll 11:00 J. Carlson & B. Smith E. Visger July 30: 11:00 B. & C. Sherman 7:30 G. & G. Garner 8:45 W. & J. Schuldt C. Baumgartner 11:00 G. & G. Hanold On June 25, we welcomed the following people into the family of Messiah: Cheryl Buhl Linda Buhl Dustin, Sarah and Haley Jones Joe, Courtney, Ryan, Henry and Timothy Lach Kevin and Lauren Lach Becky Strasser Jacob and Taylor Krause 3

4 TAKE A HIKE!! (And Eat Ice Cream!) That s what you can do to help the Community Support Center raise money to help others in our own neighborhoods who are experiencing tough times. Walk 1000 Miles for Our Neighbors is scheduled for Sunday, July 30, 2017 at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony from 10am-2pm. The park is located on the west side of Silver Lake Rd. with the entrance on County Rd. E. Community Support Center is an organization that was developed by local churches, including Messiah, to help prevent homelessness and other financial crises that can jeopardize housing stability for families in our community. The CSC will be one of Messiah s Mission Appeals again this year. The CSC gives direct aid to families, refers families to services, and meets with them over weeks or months to help stabilize their situations and prevent future crises. These are people from our local area our neighbors! How does the walk work? No need to sign up ahead of time just show up and register at the large park building and let them know you re from Messiah and start walking along this beautiful park s paved trails. There are volunteers along the way to guide you or help you if needed. Participants in strollers get credit too!! At the end of the walk you will turn in your mileage markers that will be given to you every quarter mile of the one-mile loop. You can choose how far and how long you would like to walk. Every little bit helps. No need for you to recruit people to sponsor your walk to raise money For every mile walked, $10 moves from a Challenge Fund (pool of donated funds) into a contribution from our church to prevent homelessness right here in our community. The goal is 1,000 miles! (Last year s record was 932) How can you help our neighbors? -Contribute to the Walk Fund. (Checks to Community Support Center). For each $5 contributed, you will receive a chance to win one of the great door prizes, some valued at over $100. (50 winners this year!) --Walk a mile...or two...or part of a mile to support the cause. --Visit Dairy Queen (Old Hwy 8) on July 30 (10% of receipts go to the Walk.) You can do one, two or all three things. So grab your sunscreen, hats, water bottles and Take a Hike! (then reward yourself with some ice cream!) Let s support and help our neighbors! 4

5 They're Watching I went to a grad party this afternoon for the daughter of a high school friend of mine. The daughter and her friend were co-hosting the party in a city park near Messiah. My friend is a pretty conservative Catholic (she and her husband were married in Latin) and their kids were home-schooled before switching over to a private Catholic school. I assume her friend was also from the same school, if not the same parish, so outside of the gathering of my high school friends at the celebration, I presume that most of the 300 or so guests were family or friends from the school/parish. As I was heading back to my car, a middle-aged man with an accent got out of his car to ask me a question. What is the difference between Christian and Catholic? he asked. It's not the first time I've been asked this question though it was the first time I'd been asked by a complete stranger in a public parking lot who (presumably) knew nothing about my background. Well, Catholic is a kind of Christian, I started to explain, when he broke in again. There are many Christians in my country, but I don't know the difference with Catholics. I tried to explain how there are three main kinds of Christian Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox and how we are all Christian but have some differences in how we worship, which seems to be the most basic way to explain it. I think he said he was Muslim, which I guess makes sense or he would've already known the underlying differences in the branches. As we talked, it dawned on me why he was asking. He'd come to the park and was surprised to see so many children out running around, playing nicely together, and wearing skirts. Yes, most of the girls (and women) were wearing skirts and longer ones at least below the knees if not to the ankle. He said in his country, the girls mostly wear longer clothes, not to here (as he sliced his hand across his thigh). Keeping his hand at the upper part of his leg, he said, I do not like to look at the girls when they have the clothes to here. It was so nice to come to the park and see everyone wear the nice clothes. This man from Gambia wasn't asking a question about theological differences. Although impressed that the man in the long black robe would show up to the party (the priest), what really impressed him was how this group of Catholic-Christians presented themselves in public. I'm not sure if he assumes, like much of the rest of the world does, that everyone in America is a Christian. You and I know that we're not. However, America is seen as a Christian nation, and in many countries, to be a citizen of that nation means to be of the majority religion (Iranians are Muslim, Thais are Buddhist, Indians are Hindu, etc). Therefore, Americans are Christians. So what does it tell the world when they see us dressing in clothes that reveal most of our bodies? Clearly that Christians have no regard for decency and, in fact, are quite loose morally. Assumption? Christianity is an immoral religion. What this man was really asking was what is the difference between this group of young Catholics and the rest of supposedly Christian America. Obviously, we cannot control what non-christians choose to wear each day. We can, however, focus on what it is which sets Christianity apart from all other religions Jesus. Is what we're wearing (or how we're behaving) each day bringing glory to Jesus? Does it reflect a changed life? If we are not regularly and by that I mean DAILY in the Word, allowing it to transform our minds (Rom 12:2), then how can we realistically expect to influence those around us for Jesus Christ? Yes, we have freedom in Christ, yet we also have a responsibility to reflect Christ in daily life. I am not advocating that all women start to wear only skirts. I am pointing out that things like plunging necklines, obscene language, gossip, or using the office printer to print personal documents aren't really the best way to demonstrate our freedom in Christ (Rom 6:1-4, Rom 12:1, 1 Cor 6:12, 19-20). How we dress and how we act in public DOES make a difference. Think of the positive impression this Gambian man now has of Catholics just from observing their interactions and dress on a playground. This alone could be enough to drive him to explore the claims of Christianity to compare to his version of Islam. The Holy Spirit may, already, be working on his heart. The outside world is watching. What are they seeing in you? Melea Bardal 5

6 Leadership Council Minutes Present: Jeff Goldsmith, Jonathan Spitzer, Dayle Boyce, Candace Johnson, Brian Thistle, Pam Groscost, Brady Bargman, Pastor Klaus & Pastor Kollmann Sharing the Savior Developing Disciples The meeting started at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 with Pastor Kollmann opening with a devotion. Shepherding: LC talked about the Simple Church idea and what direction Messiah could possibly go with it. The Simple Church idea wants to encourage people to grow in their faith. SMP Program: Concordia Seminary s Specific Ministry Pastor program is a four-year distance education program that prepares men for pastoral ministry in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). Andrew Asp is interested in this program. Status of monthly minutes: A motion was made to accept the March 28, 2017 LC meeting minutes. The motion was seconded. The motion passed. Member Changes: There were two baptisms and one funeral in April. Worship attendance was up for Easter. Treasurer s Report: March total income was $63,390, $2,527 less than budgeted. Monthly expenses for March were $4,976 less than the amount budgeted. For the month of March Messiah had an operating excess of $753. The mortgage loan balance at the end of March was $1,385,502. A motion was made to accept the treasurer s report. The motion was seconded. The motion passed. Pastor Update: Pastor Klaus reported that the Lent and Holy week went very well. Pastor Kollmann reported that a Garage Sales is being planned for the week-end of May 20. With no big youth event happening this year proceeds will be going to the youth and organ fund. There are 13 confirmands this year. The 20/30 bible study is off to a good start. Old Business The spring Voter s Meeting will be next Sunday, April 30 th. LC is still brainstorming ideas for Staff Affirmations for The Annual Reports will be ready for the August Voter s Meeting. New Business: Pastor Klaus reported that the payroll will be switching to ADP due to an assortment of problems. Pastor Kollmann gave a report on the Concordia Plan Subsidies. The LC will continue to look at all the options. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm with a closing prayer by Pastor Klaus. Respectfully Submitted, Dayle Boyce 6

7 in the PARENTS, fight the dreaded I M BORED Join Messiah friends at any of these FUN activities this summer! All ages welcome. And bring your friends! More events planned in August... Wednesday, July 12 Long Lake Beach 1:00-6pm. Free! Bring your own food or buy concessions. Bring friends! Wednesday, July 26 Emerald Park Splash Pad Noon-3pm. Free! This St. Anthony community park is a few blocks from Culvers. Bring your own lunch along or get some ice cream! Bring friends! TUESDAY, AUGUST 1 Jack & The Beanstalk 12:30pm. Tickets $10 each. At the Old Log Theater in Excelsior, recommended for ages 4-12 Must sign-up and pay for tickets by July 16. Sign-Up on the website or the bulletin board by the donation bins at church. Write checks to Messiah and place in Allison s mailbox please. Friends welcome! 7

8 JULY, 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 30 7:30 AM,8:45, 11:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM Education Hour FOOD SHELF SUNDAY 2 7:30 AM*,8:45,* 11:00 AM * Worship 10:00 AM Education Hour 9 7:30 AM,8:45, 11:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM Education Hour Noon Farewell Luncheon for Pastor Klaus 16 7:30 AM,*8:45* & 11:00 *AM Worship 10:00 AM Education Hour XYZ Activity Glensheen Musical 23 7:30 AM,8:45, 11:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM Education Hour 3 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 9:00 AM Work Crew//Prayer Group 7:30 PM AA 9:00 AM Work Crew//Prayer Group /Quilting 1:00 PM Blood Drive 7:30 PM AA 9:00 AM Work Crew//Prayer Group 7:30 PM AA 5 6:06 PM Worship Service 12 6:06 PM Worship Service 19 6:06 PM Worship Service 26 6:06 PM Worship Service 6 2:00 PM Cribbage 13 2:00 PM Cribbage 20 2:00 PM Cribbage 27 2:00 PM Cribbage 7 6:00 AM Men s Bible RJ Riches 14 6:00 AM Men s Bible RJ Riches 21 6:00 AM Men s Bible RJ Riches 28 6:00 AM Men s Bible RJ Riches

9 Welcome Center July 2: July 16: 7:15 7:30 L. Kosbab 7:15 7:30 C. & G. Tarman 8:25 8:45 D. Eggers 8:25 8:45 D. & J. Carlstrom 9:40 10:00 G. & K. Uthe 9:40 10:00 A. Brutlag 10:45 11:00 B. & C. Sherman 10:45 11:00 K. & P. Grubb 12:00 12:15 J. &. B. Oestrecih 12:00 12:15 L. Radtke July 9: July 23: 7:15 7:30 M. & J. Dullum 7:15 7:30 M. & B. Stickley 8:25 8:45 J. & E. Hildebrandt 8:25 8:45 F. Laumeyer 9:40 10:00 P. Diehl 9:40 10:00 J. Norell 10:45 11:00 L. Schwanbeck 10:45 11:00 D. Hodges 12:00 12:15 J. Meyer 12:00 12:15 N. Clark July 30: 7:15 7:30 B. & J. Anderson 8:25 8:45 M. Berge 9:40 10:00 D. Vallin 10:45 11:00 R. & S. LaBounty 12:00 12:15 V. Fish FAMILIES MOVING FORWARD - We are in need of an Activity Coordinator. As you know, we host homeless families twice a year. This is a short term position with a support team working with you. Please contact either Aneita Hitzeman or Gretchen King for more information 9

10 Hear ye! Hear ye! Fear Not! God is Mighty! His Word is True! Jesus is our Savior King! The Victory is Won! Thanks to ALL who helped make Mighty Fortress VBS a great victory celebration where more than 65 kids heard the good news of their Savior! We appreciated your donations of time, talents, and resources. Volunteers included: Jeni Aabel Andrew Asp Maddie Asp Melissa Bellis Emily Bellis Amberlyn Bergmann Debra Bergmann Christy Birkeland Jacob Birkeland Dayle Boyce Mary Brisse Allison Burkhow Pooquelle Christianson Allison Fey Amy Fey Gabby Fey Jeff Fey Vivian Fish Alex Folstrom Melanie Fox Carol Hedke Candace Johnson Hear ye! Hear ye! Fear Not! God is Mighty! His Word is True! Jesus is our Savior King Logan Johnson who helped make Mighty Fortress VBS a great victory celebration where more than 6 ior! We appreciated your donations Zak Jones of time, talents, and resources. Volunteers inclu JoElla Kath Chris Knoebel Jen Knoebel Pete Knoebel Pastor Chris Kollmann Emma Masso Kristin Oftos Ella Olson Kenny Olson Kyra Olson Angela Ponder Nathan Ponder Joey Ritter Amanda Robertson Noelle Stadler Cole Swenson Leah Swenson Peyton Swenson Amy Herrald 10 Blake Johnson 9

11 USHERS 7:30 R. Roehl & N. Roehl 8:45 B. Brolsma, C. Hayes, J. Kvitrud, W. Schultz 11:00 B. Bargman & M. Johnson READERS July 2: 7:30 L. Reid 8:45 R. Diehl 11:00 B. Bargman July 9: 7:30 G. Ness 8:45 J. Norell 11:00 J. Klemz July 16: 7:30 R. Roth 8:45 F. Hoff Scholarship Funds Available for Mission Trips and Servant Events Do you have an interest in participating in a servant event to serve your community? Or, going on a mission trip in the U.S. or abroad? Or, do you know someone who is interested? If so, read on. Messiah offers one-time scholarships to help members finance short term mission trips and servant events. Mission trips involve travel away from our locale. Servant events are typically local activities to help those in need, though could be done outside our locale, as Teen Serve has done in the past. Mission trips help people in need, or support full time missionaries, and provide Christian witness. Most trips are run by an organization outside Messiah. Scholarships typically cover travel/housing expenses. Servant events usually help those who can t do something and/or can t afford to hire it done activities like providing rides, painting, raking, home repair, auto repair, etc. These are typically organized locally or by the volunteers themselves. Scholarship funds are typically for supplies used for the work. If you need financial assistance for a short term ministry trip or a servant event, please contact Steve Pickel ( ), or Ron Bardal ( ). They can also provide mission ideas if you are looking for mission opportunities. You will be asked to complete a one-page application form. Or, if you d like to contribute to the fund for future scholarships, include a donation in an offering envelop; use the Other line and write, Mission Scholarship Fund. 11:00 H. Hansen July 23: 7:30 C. Hyatt 8:45 R. Karger 11:00 R. Stadler July 30: 7:30 G. Ness 8:45 Peterson Family 11:00 D. Rust 11

12 FAREWELL LUNCHEON Please join Leadership Council and WOM on July 9 th for a luncheon in the Blue Room following the 11:00 service to thank Pastor Klaus for his years of service at Messiah. When moving, changing address and/or phone, please notify the church office Change Service Requested The Messiah July Newsletter 2017 Messiah Lutheran Church and Preschool 2848 County Road H2 Mounds View, Minnesota