June 7 Looks Can Be Deceiving (Fasting) (Matthew 6:16-18) We learned how to physically and mentally prepare for worship

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1 July 2015 The Voice O f P e n t e c o s t L u t h e r a n C h u r c h As forgiven children of God, we, the Pentecost Family of Faith, are committed to show everyone Life in Christ. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The month of June had us yet still in Jesus longest sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. We have seen the far reaching topics that Jesus has covered these last few months and still recognize their importance today. As we so often see from Scriptures the old saying holds true, somethings don t change! Thought processes and attitudes have not changed very much from Jesus day till today. Below are the themes and major takeaways from the month of June and this ongoing sermon June 7 Looks Can Be Deceiving (Fasting) (Matthew 6:16-18) We learned how to physically and mentally prepare for worship June 14 What Do You See as Riches? (Matthew 6:19-24) How do we evaluate real wealth? June 21 Why Worry? Seek First! (Matthew 6:25-34) We should stop worrying and instead seek first Christ s reign June 28 untitled as of yet (Matthew 7:1-6) How we ought to value other people (including other Christians) Notice the topics that Jesus touches upon: Fasting (or preparation for worship), Treasures (what we value as important), Worrying (concern about what s out of our control), and Judging others (how we as Christians can be hypocritical in our moral standing). These are all issues of the head and heart. They deal with what we value as important and what gets us bent out of shape. For a disciple of Christ, we must look to be connected with God, in worship, in devotion, in fellowship with others. And we must recognize that all of us are at different stages or different roads in our faith journey. But the end destination is still heaven and the only means of getting there is through Jesus Christ. As he tells His disciples in John 14:6 I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - Pastor J

2 Haley Pilcher 07/03 Emma Alvarez 07/22 Melissa Galipeau 07/06 Courtney Jacob 07/23 Jodi Barclay 07/07 Tim Hasko 07/24 Martha Burman 07/08 Tracy Meyer 07/25 Jane Maloney 07/08 Wayne Ruud 07/25 Courtney Heldt 07/10 Heather Alvarez 07/26 Josh VanRuden 07/10 Karli Luchterhand -07/26 Ashley Ekstowicz 07/14 Mike McCray 07/26 Arianna Greco 07/15 Art Preuss 07/26 Ayva Weaseman 07/15 Lisa Wilckens 07/27 Matt Galipeau 07/16 Ashlyn VanRuden 07/29 Jordynn Galipeau 07/20 Bob Winterle 07/30 Nick Sprasky 07/21 Eleanor Mahdik 07/31 Lisa & Harold Wiegman 9 years July 7 th Ian & Chrissy Hamilton 8 years July 14 th Dale & Sandy Pischke 27 years July 23 rd Jack & Jane Maloney 28 years July 24 th Gordy & Mary Ann Graves 54 years July 29 th 4 th OF JULY PARADE - Planning to attend the Racine 4th of July Parade and want great seats without getting up super early? Watch from Pastor & Courtney Jacob's house at 1518 N. Main St! It's early on the parade route and we serve a full breakfast (just think...pancakes, sausage, omelets to order, coffee, juice, and much more!). Reserve your spot by dropping off your chairs on Pastor's front porch July 2 or 3 and we'll set them up for you. Or just come celebrate on 4th of July morning and find a spot on the porch steps. Preparade begins at8:30am followed by the parade at 9:00am. JOIN US FOR OUR BLOCK PARTY SATURDAY, JULY 18TH - Mark your calendars now, for the 14th Annual Neighborhood Block Party, which will be hosted by Pentecost Lutheran Church on Saturday, July 18th. Once again, we will close the street and will feature brats, hot dogs, roasted corn, side dishes and non-alcoholic beverages in the "Food Court." The moonwalk and giant slide will return again this year, as will Cross -- The Block Party Band, once again making their only Midwest tour appearance of the summer at our Block Party! As always, the Block Party will be filled with door prizes, the balloon toss and much more yet to be announced fun. You won't want to miss this event! Grillers, food preparation, and set up and tear down volunteers are always needed. Interested volunteers should contact Tom Hasko at (414) or TomHasko@gmail.com. And of course, donations are always welcome! Members are asked to please bring a dish to pass. Block party starts at 11am and runs until 3pm. Please accept my appreciation on behalf of our sisters and brothers who are alone, lonely, mentally ill, homeless and near homeless in Racine, WI, for recently received, generous contribution of $ dated April 29 th. Your kindness makes a transformative difference in the lives of many and in the life of the Hospitality Center. We continue to offer a safe place for all. We now also provide access to shelter advocacy and support, medical care, clothing, showers, community resources and transportation. On behalf of all at the Hospitality Center, thank you for your friendship, kindness and generosity. Rev. Kevin P. Stewart We will have outdoor worship services (weather permitting) on Saturday, July 18th at 4PM and Sunday, July 19 th at 9am. Our Saturday outdoor service will start one hour earlier than usual so our block party guests can have an opportunity to worship with us!

3 Stewardship Corner The whole is greater... Composer Iannis Xenakis said, The collision of hail or rain with hard surfaces, or the song of cicadas in a summer field. These sonic events are made out of thousands of isolated sounds; this multitude of sounds, seen as totality, is a new sonic event. What would one cicada sound like, or a lone hailstone hitting the ground? Would we even hear that? How about one raindrop, one low rumble of thunder? But put those individual sounds together in groups and they re powerful. What can one coin in an offering plate accomplish? Or one volunteer from an entire congregation? What if John the Baptist s lone voice had never been joined by the disciples, and all the Christians after them, sharing the Gospel? One voice alone isn t inconsequential, just as one coin, one volunteer, one raindrop isn t nothing. But if each felt inconsequential and stopped contributing its sound, soon there would be nothing. Conversely, when many individuals stay in the game, soon they find they aren t alone at all. God brings their contributions together, creating a whole new sonic event! Yes! We d like to give a Round of Applause to our members for their birthday gifts to Pentecost. Over $900 was given to help us catch up from the snowy winter days. Thanks, everyone, for your gifts. Our next project is our Noisy Offering which will be the weekend of June This will go towards work on the nursery area in the Fellowship Hall. There will be a health fair table set up at the block party July 18th, and after church Sunday July 19th. Registered Nurses will be doing free blood pressure checks as well as having good information on healthy eating & living. It s summer but our bills still have to be paid. We hope you ll remember to send in your offering even if you are on vacation. Have you noticed the extra candle on the altar? I asked Pastor Jacob about it and here s what he said It is called the Christ candle... it s from Good Friday. It's the candle that is removed at the end of the service and blown out symbolizing Christ's death. It is returned on Easter morning to show He has RISEN!! I've kept it up there for that same reason, that Easter is a year round event. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah (Redeemer) There are a lot of interesting stories about this hymn written by Welsh hymn writer William Williams ( ). Williams wrote more than 800 hymns during his lifetime. This hymn is one of the few that were translated into English and the only one in common use in English language churches today. Pastor Clinton Macomber writes, The Welsh version continues to be popular, and will spontaneously be sung in large crowds even at rugby games! It has great appeal among the Welsh. It has also been translated into 75 different languages! One story is told of the War Between the States of a prisoner in Andersonville who managed to escape. He had a compass with him, but it was so dark, he could not see which way to go. To the North he would find freedom, but to the south, be recaptured. He longed for a match, a candle or even some moon light, but there was nothing to be had. His life seemed to hang on the need to know which way to go. To his surprise, in this dark time of need, a little fire-fly came his way. He caught it, and it was able to provide just enough light to see the needle and know what way to go! God sill guides us in miraculous ways! Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah has been used for worship in congregations around the globe and across denominational lines. It was also incorporated in two of the most televised services of the last two decades, the funeral of Princess Diana of Wales (1997) and the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (2011). The original Welsh text has often been paired with the mid-nineteenth century tune CAPEL Y DDÔL. hp

4 VBS is coming to Pentecost for a one-day extravaganza on Saturday, August 8 th. We will run VBS from 1-5 followed by a church service in which the children will take part. We will then have a dinner together with VBS children, their families, and our Pentecost family. Spread the word! Please fill out the registration form and place in the Wagner mailbox at church. Vacation Bible School Registration Form One Form per Family-list all children s names Child(ren) s Name: Street Address: City: State: Zip: Phone Number: cell home Male Female Age: Birthdate: Grade completed June 2015: Parent s/legal Guardian s Names: In case of emergency, contact: Name Phone # Relation Please list allergies or other medical conditions: Home Church:

5 3 rd Annual Pig Roast September 27 th 4-6pm Games and Silent Auction 5-7pm Dinner and Auction Pickup Located at Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church 1426 N. Fancher Rd. (Hwy H just north of Hwy C) Racine What does it cost to be a pastor? More than you think. Come on out and help us raise some money to pay off some student debt for the local Lutheran pastors. Silent Auction Donations Sought We are conducting the silent auction a bit differently this year. We are asking congregations to please donate NEW items that fall into any of the following themes Gardening Chocolate Movies/Entertainment Car Care Tools Family Game Night Grilling Cooking/ Kitchen Sports (Brewers, Bucks, Badgers, Packers, ANYTHING!) Disney Pet Supplies Camping Fitness Spa Baby Date Night Coffee International Foods Reading Family Fun Cleaning/Home Care Chicago Milwaukee College Must-Haves Music Travel School Supplies Fishing Christmas Sewing/Quilting Tea Arts & Crafts Emergency Readiness Jewelry Out to Eat Kid s Fun Tailgating Home Décor Wine & Cheese Once all items have been received, they will then be combined into several different baskets that will be up for bid. That being said, ALL donations must be made by September 20th. NO EXCEPTIONS. Donations will NOT be accepted the day of the auction. We are also in need of gift cards to area businesses and big ticket items to be donated by individuals. Many businesses themselves will not or cannot donate to our fundraiser due to company restrictions. Some examples would be: Key Lime Cove, Blue Harbor Resort, Country Springs Hotel, Brookfield Zoo, Museum of Science and Industry, Kohl s Children s Museum, Grand Geneva Resort, etc. Please contact Abby Carlson ( or gracelutheransecretary@yahoo.com) to arrange for pick up or drop off of your donation(s). Thank you, in advance, for your generosity and help in making this year s event a successful one!