Pastors Corner- Pastor Mark Friedrich. December Newsletter! December 5th, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 9th-Century Latin hymn

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1 Pastors Corner- Pastor Mark Friedrich December 5th, 2017 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 9th-Century Latin hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. This hymn, originally in Latin, takes us back over 1,200 years to monastic life in the 8th- or 9th-century. Seven days before Christmas Eve monasteries would sing the O antiphons in anticipation of Christmas Eve when the eighth antiphon, O Virgo virginum ( O Virgin of virgins ) would be sung before and after Mary s canticle, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46b-55). The Latin metrical form of the hymn was composed as early as the 12th century. John Mason Neale ( ), the famous architect of the Oxford movement, discovered the Latin hymn in the appendix of an early 18th-century manuscript, Psalterium Cationum Catholicorum, with a refrain. Neale, a translator of early Greek and Latin hymns, included it in his influential collection, Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences(1851). British hymnologist J.R. Watson provides a context for the antiphons included on the second page after the hymn in the UM Hymnal: The antiphons, sometimes called the O antiphons or The Great O s, were designated to concentrate the mind on the coming Christmas, enriching the meaning of the Incarnation with a complex series of references from the Old and New Testaments. Each antiphon begins as follows: Sapentia (Wisdom) Adonai (Hebrew word for God) Radix Jesse (stem or root of Jesse) Clavis David (key of David) Oriens (dayspring) Rex genitium (King of the Gentiles) Emmanuel December Newsletter! Welcome to the seventh edition of the Mountain View Lutheran Church Newsletter. Please note that there is a new procedure for delivering new content to our editor listed below. It is our hope that this newsletter will begin a process to better communicate some of the current and future activities occurring at our parish here at MVLC. If you have ideas for content that you feel should be shared with the members, please pass your ideas to the following - address: newsletter.content.mvlc@gmail. com for possible inclusion with the next published newsletter. We request that you send text only (word, txt, etc.). We are hopeful that this newsletter will help to get the word out regarding the wonderful work that God is doing here at MVLC. Please provide your input for future newsletters to newsletter.content.mvlc@gmail. com by the 25th day of the month for consideration in the next month s edition. Put together, the first letter of the second word of each antiphon spells SARCORE. If read backwards, the letters form a two-word acrostic, Ero cras, meaning I will be present tomorrow. All of the Latin attributions to the coming Messiah are from the Old Testament except Emmanuel, which is found both in Isaiah 7:14and Matthew 1:23. Matthew quotes Isaiah virtually verbatim Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel with the exception that Matthew adds the phrase: which being interpreted is, God with us. The O Emmanuel antiphon was traditionally sung on the night before Christmas Eve, revealing the meaning of the liturgical riddle through the completion of the acrostic.

2 Letter from the Congregation President On November 28 several leaders from Mountain View Lutheran Church gathered together at Christ Greenfield for an extensive vision planning meeting. MVLC is in a unique position to no longer carry a mortgage! Along with this, we are adjacent to the fastest growing county in the United States (Maricopa County). Many of these people do not have a church home and may be lost, while still searching for fulfillment in life. As Jesus conducted His ministry he went to where the people were. In other words, he did not spend all of his time in the temple he went to where the people were! One major item that came out of our vision planning session was the need for an offsite location in an area in the valley where extensive growth is present. Exactly what that may look like, we don t know at this point. This location may start as a cell group in a home, or possibly a storefront location where we can meet people where they are, and have specific programs to fit their needs. As some of you may know, MVLC serves the homeless of Apache Junction every Tuesday through the Genesis project. Over the course of the past several months, it has become clear that the number of people being fed is up as the number of people in need increases with the population growth. As one of the fastest growing areas in the country, it is important to remember the people that make up the Body of Christ. As we attract new people to the Body of Christ, each will have unique life situations in our community of growth. The church is uniquely positioned to bring new people into the body of Christ to make contributions, as well as to seek refuge and find hope in their lives. As a Church, we will need to provide programs that are unique to the generations (e.g. Millennials, young families, etc.) of people that we are trying to address. This concept clearly emerged from our vision planning meeting. How do we reach the new people? What specific programs will be needed? So where is it we should meet and address the needs of God s people?? I am asking for God to bless our thoughts and ideas that we may be of service to the next generations and beyond. Dan Baker Sunday School Schedule! November 5 - U33S4 Jesus Gave the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) 12 - U33S5 Jesus Ascended to Heaven (Acts 1:3-11) 19 - U33S6 The Holy Spirit Came (Acts 2:1-42) 26 - New Units! Digital PDFs of the lessons are here: Unit Unit Thank you for serving and I'm looking forward to a great semester of bringing the kids of MVLC up in the faith through the Word present in our Sunday School program!

3 Fall Worship Began Sunday, October 1 8:00am = Traditional 9:15am = Adult Bible Study & Adult/Children s Sunday School 10:30am = Classic Praise 10:30am = Family Worship (Youth Center) 4:00pm = Confirmation Class Church Bathrooms are now Renovated! Mary-Martha Guild MVLC s branch of the LWML is called the Mary-Martha Guild. We meet monthly, October through April on the first Thursday of the month. We would like to invite all ladies of the congregation to celebrate the 75 th birthday of LWML with us at our October 5 th meeting in the Family Life Center! Meetings begin with fellowship at 9:00 AM unless otherwise noted. In addition to our fellowship, devotion, and business agenda, we try to have an interesting, informative speaker at each meeting. We also have monthly mission projects. MVLC Mary-Martha Programs and mission projects for : October 5: Celebrate 75 years of service; review the LWML organization, from congregation to International, with information on mite grants; plan our fundraisers for the year; sign up to attend the October 14 Fall Zone LWML Celebration at Eternal Life. November 2: Door prize for the member who brings the most guests; Sheila Frericks, who walked the St. James Pilgrim Trail in Spain over the summer, will give a talk; plans for our Christmas Cookie and Craft Sale; collection of non-perishables for the AJ Food Bank. December 7(10:00 AM) Our Christmas potluck brunch (meat provided) follows our business meeting and program; music by the Desert Darlins Octet; collection of new underwear, socks, and pjs for Sunshine Acres Children s Home. January 4: Guests from our zone s inactive societies and Eternal life; program by Visiting Angels In- Home Senior Care; collection of non-perishables for The Genesis Project. February1: Guests from our zone s inactive societies and Eternal Life; program by Mike McLane from Habitat for Humanity; plans for our Women s Tea and Bakeless Bake Sale; collection of sheets, thread, and $$ for batting for our MVLC Quilters. March 1: Election of officers for ; sign up to attend the Spring Zone LWML Celebration; cooking demonstration by Ginger Buck, food service manager at Discovery Point Retirement Community in Mesa; collection of paper goods, laundry detergent, toiletries, etc. for CAAFA (Community Alliance Against Family Abuse). April 6 (9:30 AM): Prayer service and installation of officers in the sanctuary, followed by business meeting and potluck salad luncheon in the Family Life Center; collection of non-perishables for the AJ Food Bank. Like many LWML groups, our membership is getting older and finding willing volunteers to

4 serve with us. We currently have a couple of Committee Chair vacancies: we need someone to co-chair with Cindy Friedrich on the Promotion Committee and someone (or two) to chair the Short-Term Meals Committee. If you can serve in one of these capacities, please contact one of the officers or the church office. Thank you! Lynnda Haupert, president; Kristi Egre, vice-president; Cathy Bartlow, secretary; Diane Leone, treasurer. OUR LIFE TOGETHER (Small Group Ministry Groups) Just as there are many mansions in God's house, so there are many different kinds of small groups that gather for ministry. Some meet for fellowship and support while others address specific life topics. That is what we are seeing at MVLC with the two groups for women that have been organizing recently. Now we need to move on---what is your passion to grow spiritually? Perhaps it is with a brief devotion, leaving plenty of time to share what is happening in your life so that others can lighten your burden by prayer OR rejoice with you in your acknowledged blessings. Whatever fits in your life today, step up and offer to host a small group (perhaps 6 to 8 members), it will become another blessing in your daily living. Don and Kay Stoterau, Small Group Ministry Coordinators Head Trustee s Thoughts: We continue to be blessed with a wealth of resource available to us here at Mountain View Lutheran Church. Along with our material resources, comes responsibility to keep and maintain what we have. We have assembled a fun and exciting group of willing and able-bodied men and women and we need your help! The yard-workers meet on Tuesdays at 7am. Workers may however assist on any day of the week at their convenience. Many thanks for those who participate or may consider participating in this very important activity to keep our campus beautiful and attractive. - Erich Schoenfeld, Head Trustee

5 Evangelism Committee Discussion - Terry and Bill Pope Christmas season is a time to be reminded of many things. From Isaiah 12:4-5 In that day you will say: Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. This Christmas remind yourself of the blessings you have received and how you can extend those blessings to others. Above all, our job as Christians is to make Him known among the nations what he has done.. May you have a blessed Christmas holiday!

6 Service Times! SPECIAL NOTICE THE NEXT TWO MONTHS WILL HAVE ABOUT 60 SERVICES. WE NEED POWER POINT OPERATORS DURING THESE SERVICES. A DVD DISK HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO INSTRUCT VOLUNTEERS ON THE OPERATION OF THE POWER POINT SYSTEM USING A CLICKER. CONTACT DALE LAURIN TO GET A DISK AND ARRANGE FOR HANDS ON TRAINING ( )

7 Mountain View Lutheran Church Endowment Fund Provided by Don Nelson-Endowment Committee Secretary What is the Endowment Fund and what is it's purpose? The Fund was established by the Voter's assembly to fill the need for a legal fund into which monetary gifts can be placed and managed to meet future growth and stewardship opportunities. Do you know that you have been given a gift that will last forever? God has promised each of us the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven - a gift that will indeed last forever. It is the best gift anyone can ever receive. Did you know that you can also give a gift that will last forever? Well, at least as long as the world lasts. When you give to the Endowment Fund your monetary gift will remain in the Fund forever, gaining interest that will then be used where and when needed in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Some facts about the Endowment Fund and Committee The Fund is a permanent fund. The Committee consists of five to seven members. This is not a fund-raising effort. All contributions are voluntary and can consist of cash, Wills and Trusts, life insurance. The donor might consider creating a charitable trust with the Fund being the ultimate beneficiary. No gifts of "real property" will be accepted. None of the Fund's earnings will be used for existing operational expenses. Seek out Committee members for additional information Kay Stoterau, Ch., Bob Gehrt, Evert Mueller, Don Nelson, Dan Tuchenhagen, Karen Brockhoff-Wagner, Pastor Mark Friedrich A brochure is available giving more detailed information about the Fund and is available to all MVLC members.

8 Genesis Project Genesis Project is a coalition of churches in the Apache Junction (including Mountain View Lutheran Church) area banded together for the common purpose of aiding the less fortunate. Genesis Project is a faith-based 501c3 organization seeking to feed the hungry and the homeless by facilitating hot meals, showers, clothing, and medical services. A very loyal team from Mountain View Lutheran Church have been meeting regularly on Tuesdays (7 am to 2 pm) each week to help facilitate the effort. If you are available to volunteer your time, the team is in need of additional volunteers during the summer months to help in the effort. Please contact Karen Mutschler (MVLC) at for additional information if you are interested in participating with the Genesis Project on Tuesdays. Meals are available Monday Friday 12PM -2PM for the 564 N Idaho Rd Suite 5 Apache Junction, AZ 85120

9 Homeless Facts Today s homeless population includes men, women, children and families. With your help, homeless or hungry men, women and children in the Apache Junction area can find hope at Genesis Project 1. 82,000 Arizonans are receiving emergency food boxes a week in Arizona. 2. More than 14,000 Arizonans experience homelessness each day % of Arizona s homeless population are children and teens. 4. In one year, the working poor in Arizona have seen a 10% increase in costs to maintain basic living necessities such as food, shelter and clothing. 5. Almost 50% of the homeless are women, children or families. 6. The fastest growing segment of the homeless population is families with children % of children living in homeless families are under the age of % of the single adult population suffers from some form of severe or persistent mental illness. 9. At least 40% of the adult homeless population has an addiction disorder % of homeless men are US veterans. Prayer needed from our Church! Praying for the MVLC additional Pastoral Call. Lord, you know everyone's heart. Please prepare the heart of the pastor you are calling, and our hearts to receive him. Guide us in the path you would have us go and give us unity of vision. In Jesus Name. Amen

10 SOS (Sister's of Strength) Calling All Crafters The Annual LWML Bake Sale and Craft Fair is scheduled for December 2 nd. The proceeds go to local and international mission projects. We appreciate you donations. They can be left at the church office. If you have any question regarding the Crafts call Bonnie at Thank you for your support. SOS (Sister's of Strength) We meet ever Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:30 AM in the Youth Building. All are welcome! We are studying Women of the Bible, but have started this study by delving into what the LORD requires of us as women. We are using Beth Moore's book A Woman and Her God. What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 God wants us to thirst and hunger for Him. Through His word that thirst and hunger is quenched. If you have any questions regarding SOS you can call Bonnie Gregrow, Financial Director s Discussion: Thanks to the generous contributions of members & visitors toward our Growing Christ s Kingdom campaign it was possible to pay off our mortgage. However, Growing Christ s Kingdom is God s given command to every Christian and every Christian congregation. In line with this responsibility we have formed a call committee and hope to extend a call for an added pastor. In anticipation of the need for added funds in connection with the support of an added pastor, the Church Council decided to encourage our members and visitors to continue to make contributions over and above their normal General Fund contributions. These contributions will be set aside and designated as Growing Christ's Kingdom funds. You may use the Debt Fund envelopes or the available Growing Christ s Kingdom envelopes for this purpose. - Evert Mueller

11 Words from our Director of Christian Education: - David Minster Family Ministry TNT has been going strong. Adults are studying Matthew and kids are studying in Genesis. On November 7, we hosted the Dave Ramsey Smart Money Live Stream Event in the Sanctuary in place of adult study at TNT. There were about people in attendance and several new kids from that in our children s study, where we learned about the Disciples speaking many languages at Pentecost. Youth Ministry Campaigners high school Bible study meets on Thursdays at 7pm at Dave's house. We have around 12 students and have been studying the book of James. Our group has become big enough that we ve split into two groups to facilitate better discussion! Young Life outreach ministry hosted an event on Nov 6 right here at MVLC outside the gym called the Fall Festival. There were about 60 people here and the kids excitement level was fantastic they loved the event! At the end of the night, I spent 15 minutes telling the whole group about John 11 when Jesus wept alongside Mary and Martha. Many kids hearts were very moved knowing that Jesus cares for them so deeply. Other ways we get involved at local high schools to meet, support, and invite kids to events: Attend and lead Bible study at Christian Club at Skyline HS. Hand out hundreds of donuts for free at Apache Junction HS on Wednesdays before school. Bring in pizza to lunch at Apache Junction HS every other Monday. Attend sporting and extracurricular events (football games, swim meets, plays, etc.) Our Wintercamp experience was phenomenal! We went to weekend camp at Lost Canyon on November 3-5. We took 17 kids from AJ and 34 kids from AJ/Mesa. At the end of the weekend, 13 of those kids stood up and professed a new faith in Jesus Christ! In so many ways, God was clearly at work in the lives and hearts of the kids at Wintercamp..

12 Members News and Called to Glory: MVLC s Congregation President,Dan Baker and family ask for your prayers as his father was called to his heavenly home. Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be sent c/o MVLC, PO Box 868, Apache Junction, AZ Joseph W. Peters was called to glory on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 95 years of age. He was a decorated WWII Veteran, devout Christian, and the last surviving member of his immediate family. Final arrangements were completed under the direction of Mountain View Funeral Home & Mortuary. A Celebration of Life, officiated by Pastor Mark Friedrich, was held Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at Mountain View Lutheran Church of Apache Junction. Carl Boughton was called to glory on Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 90 years of age. Final arrangements were completed under the direction of Mountain View Funeral Home & Mortuary. A graveside service, officiated by Pastor Mark Friedrich, was held Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at Mountain View Cemetery, Mesa. Expressions of sympathy may be directed c/o Mountain View Lutheran Church, PO Box 868, Apache Junction, AZ Harlan Eimers was called to glory Monday, October 16, A Celebration of Life was held Sunday, October 22 at 3:00 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 2122 S. Goldfield Road, Apache Junction, AZ A basket was provided for expressions of sympathy. The family thanks you for your prayers during Harlan s declining health and during their journey of grief. Former associate member Glenn Oyln Winter, July 18, 1929 ~ October 26, 2017 (age 88), was called to his heavenly home at Spirit Mountain Hospice in Cody, Wyoming. Final arrangements were entrusted to Thompson Funeral Home & Crematory, Powell, Wyoming. At his request, cremation has taken place and no services will be held. Online condolences for his wife, Alberta, and family may be entered by visiting Obituary for Glenn Oyln Winter Thompson Funeral Home, Powell, WY Delores O Fallon has moved to Brookdale of Apache Junction, 2080 S. Ironwood Drive, Apartment #309, Apache Junction, AZ She welcomes cards and visits. Please call before visiting as she is staying active at this senior living community ( ). AmazonSmile: When you #StartWithaSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Mountain View Lutheran Church. Bookmark the link and support our youth ministries every time you shop. Bashas Community Support Card: Want a great way to generate funds to support our youth ministries? Here's how it works: MVLC purchases the Community Support Card and receives a 6% discount. The Community Support Card offers you, our supporters, a choice where to shop, as it is accepted at all Bashas', Food City and AJ's stores. We then sell the Community Support Card our supporters at face value and receive a 6% profit. You may continue to use this card by reloading with the dollar amount you specify at any Bashas', Food City and AJ's Fine Foods stores. Our Youth Ministires continue to 6% of the reloaded amount. Earning are received on a monthly basis. Fry's Community Rewards Program: Did you know you can support our youth ministires just by shopping at Fry's? It's easy when you enroll in Fry's Community Rewards, beginning September 1! To get started, sign up with your V.I.P Card by visiting and select our organization, Mountain View Lutheran Church. Once you're enrolled, rewards will be earned for our organization every time you shop and use your V.I.P Card! NOTE: Current participants do not need to re-enroll.

13 Scholarship Committee Report MVLC SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT Since the founding of the MVLC Scholarship Fund a few years ago, it has helped numerous Christian students including Jonathon Kisker, (see photo) grandson of the Tuchenhagen s. The purpose of the Fund is to help those attending a Christian college and using their training in some future church work. There may be some confusion about any connection with the MVLC Scholarship Fund and ALSO. They are not connected and are 2 separate opportunities to support Christian education. The grant from the Fund goes to an individual furthering their education to go into church work of some kind. Your donations to MVLC Scholarship Fund are tax deductable. With second semesters arriving at our colleges soon, we do encourage applications and donations. Have questions? Call us at (480) or go online to ALSOsto.org. We are glad to help! Special NOTICE: Frequently Asked Questions How do tax credit donations work?

14 If you pay taxes in the state of Arizona, you can redirect taxes that you already pay by making a donation to ALSO and claiming it as a dollar-for-dollar credit on yourstate income taxes. ALSO provides scholarships to children attending LCMS schools. Thanks to people like you, more children are now receiving a Christian education and growing in their faith each day. How much can I donate? The maximumamounts of tax credits for Tax Year 2017 are as follows: donate up to $1,089 When can I donate? You have until April 15, 2018, or until you file your taxes to make a donation. Note thatthere are many students in need who have applied for scholarships and can use your help with tuition today. Can my tax credit donation go to a certain school? Yes, you can recommend an LCMS school and create a scholarship for a child at that school. Can my tax credit donation go to a certain student? You can recommend a student in grades K-12 attending an LCMS school who is not your child. How is my tax credit donation used? Your tax credit donation is used to create scholarships for children attending LCMS schools in Arizona. I already give my tax credit to public schools and Habitat for Humanity. Can I give a tax credit for Christian education too? Yes, you can make a tax credit donation to support several causes such as Habitat for Humanity and public schools as well as a separate donation to ALSO to support LCMS schools. For Tax Year 2017, the state of Arizona allowed tax credits up to $4,377 for married couples filing jointly so you can support working poor, foster care as well as public and LCMS schools. Can I really get a tax refund? Hundreds of people make tax credit donations each year and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state income taxes. Getting a refund depends on your tax situation. tax credit donation qualifies for a full refund from the state. reducing the amount they owe on theirtaxes.

15 Have questions? Call us at (480) or go online to ALSOsto.org. We are glad to help! CHRISTIAN PREAMBLE-> Your will or trust can contain a Christian Preamble to give witness of your faith as an enduring blessing to loved ones you leave behind. For sample preambles, contact Dennis Cox, Planned Gift Counselor, Concordia University Irvine at ordennis.cox@cui.edu. AVOIDING PROBATE -> Without a will or even with a will, your estate will be distributed in probate court. Probate is a long and costly process. Probate can be avoided with a revocable living trust. Beneficiary designations from retirement plans, life insurance, and pay on death accounts give property directly to the heirs by operation of law, reducing probate costs. To learn more, contact Dennis Cox, Planned Gift Counselor, Concordia University Irvine at or dennis.cox@cui.edu. Church Elders Name BAKER, DAN BURGESS, ROBERT BUSSONE, PAUL CAMPBELL, MARK GEHRT, ROBERT KRAFFT, BILL MCLANE, MICHAEL MILLS, JIM NEAL, DENIS SCHNEIDER, NORM SHUTTS, DAN THIESSEN, NORM WAGNER, DICK FRIEDRICH, MARK

16 Church Council Leaders MOUNTAIN VIEW LUTHERAN CHURCH COUNCIL OFFICERS WELCOME 2018 COUNCIL OFFICERS Congregation President: Dan Baker Congregation Vice President: Mike McLane Congregation Secretary: Dale Laurin Congregation Treasurer / Bookkeeper: Karen Brockhoff-Wagner Financial Secretary: Carroll Parchert Head Elder: Dick Wagner / Dan Shutts (co-chair) Board of Christian Education Chair: Shawn Ruth Board of Evangelism: Bill & Terry Pope (co-chairs) Stewardship Chair: Thelma Breen