Stewardship Program Starts October 7

Transcription

1 SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS LUTHERAN the CHURCH SHEPHERD S VOICE CASPIAN WAY, CLERMONT, FLORIDA OCTOBER, 2012 COMING EVENTS Sunday Schoo Stewardship Program Begins October 7 Council Planning October th Anniversary Extravaganza October 20 Women s Fall Gathering November 9-11 Rummage Sale November 9-10 Ipad Class November 13 & 27 Stewardship Program Starts October 7 This year our Stewardship program emphasizes how we can bear fruit for Jesus. Pastor Nancy will discuss this in three sermons: Oct 7 - Time. Living as Faithful Stewards in Time Oct 14 - Talents. Using What You ve Got Oct 21 - Treasures. First Things First This will be a time for teaching, learning, and growing in our understanding of sharing our gifts.. Bearing fruit through time, talents, and treasures. We read in 1 Peter 4:10, Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others, faithfully administering God s grace in its various form. So, let s use the time, talents and treasures God has given us the best way we can. Paul said, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Colossians 3:23). As Christians, we can begin and live each day with the joy and vigor that come from hearts filled with thanksgiving for God's love, guidance, presence, and strength received in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The world does notice how we work, does hear how we speak, and does watch how we behave. Let us allow people to see the love of the Lord through us. (adapted and used by permission, Parish Publishing, NIV)

2 something created on purpose and used intentionally to hurt others. I can clearly hear the voice of James asking in his time and ours, Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? The Industry of Outrage! The Industry of Outrage! This phrase actually stopped me dead in my reading of a recent Time Magazine article entitled Flash Point (September 24, 2012). The impact was as sudden as a slap in my face. As I began to process these words, I realized that the title implied that somehow humanity had found a way to manufacture and use the extreme emotion of outrage. The article was about the recent violence in Egypt and Libya that resulted in the death of a US Ambassador and three others. We know now that there were subsequent demonstrations in which even more people died. Different forms of media have indicated that some of the protestors in the demonstrations were not even fully aware of what they are protesting; they seemed to have been caught up in the emotion of the moment and getting a rush from the activity. Many who claimed to be angry were blaming it on a movie that showed disrespect to the Prophet Muhammad. We in the United States know outrage in many forms; we have seen, up close and personal, road rage, mudslinging political campaigns, disparaging books and cartoons, as well as TV reality shows. We are not immune to demonstrations that begin peacefully and end in violence. Free Speech has grown as the prime excuse to intentionally use words and illustrations that denigrate other religious beliefs. Outrage has risen to such significant levels that it has earned the title of being a worldwide industry, Let s stay with James for a bit longer. James continues, Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts. James makes a bold summary statement when he says; For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will be disorder and wickedness of every kind. When we think of ourselves first, wickedness has a foot in the door and wickedness seems like just the right climate in which an industry of outrage can not only start, but thrive and grow. Jesus helps us better understand that putting ourselves first has consequences. One day, Jesus overhears his disciples arguing among themselves. He asks what the argument is about; the disciples are silent. Could there be a bit of guilt showing in their silence since they were arguing about who would be the greatest disciple among them? Jesus ever the consummate teacher tells them that in order to be first they must be last and servant of all. We are to put others first, serve others before ourselves; when our needs are last, we are then truly first. We are, however, not only to serve others first but welcome even little children in his name. This reference to including children is a bit difficult for us to understand since we welcome the presence of children among us today; children in our culture are cherished. Children in antiquity, however, had no status at all, they were non-entities. To suggest to adult, male disciples that they should value children and welcome them into their midst was at best confusing and probably offensive. Jesus is clear that in his name we are to welcome and receive someone even as inconsequential as a child, someone even considered an outsider. Greatness in God s Kingdom is not a value system motivated by selfish ambition and self-satisfaction; it is Continued on Page 3 2

3 Continued from Page 2 about sharing God s grace with all people. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church has a mission statement, a statement of what God is calling us to do in the time and place in which we live: Make Known God s Grace. This is our congregational calling and one that resonates in each of us as baptized children of God. God s kingdom on earth, here and now, is not about envy and selfish ambition that can lead to an industry of outrage, but about each one of us extending to all God s love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Imagine a world in which we put others first and shared God s grace; a world that multiplies food and drink to the hungry, discourages others in the creation of conflict, and welcomes those considered to be an outsider. Instead of an industry of outrage, we just might have an industry of God s design, the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, where instead of violence and death, we all work together for the good of all and serve faithfully in the name of Jesus. Make Known God s Grace; that would, indeed, be an industry to grow. Church Hires Part-Time Bookkeeper Gizella Guba Gizella graduated from Florida Atlantic University located in Boca Raton, Florida with BS degree in marketing. She s married and has two children: a son and a daughter. They moved to the Central Florida area 15 years ago from South Florida, where she grew up. Her father was a Presbyterian minister, who served the Hungarian community in South Florida She has worked in financial services for many years with a holistic approach to helping my clients. She has her own financial services practice located in Clermont, offering tax preparation and planning, bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and financial planning. She is an Enrolled Agent, federally licensed tax practitioner who represents taxpayers before all levels of the Internal Revenue Service, licensed insurance agent and a stock broker. Gizella will be working on Fridays and Saturdays and will be responsible for preparing and administering the financial records of the church. Opportunity: The gift of computer data entry, sorting, and gathering is waiting for You! Three Year Plan: Renew, Study, Call On September 1, 2012 we, as a congregation, entered the second year of our three year plan, Study. Together as pastor and congregation, our goals are to study who we are as a congregation now, review our mission and vision, and pray for discernment on who God is calling us to serve in Clermont, Florida. One of the tools we have available to help us with these goals is called MissionInsite, a free program provided by the Florida Bahamas Synod. MissionInsite can give us enormous amounts of demographic information to review and pray about. Some of this information will help us in our ministry today and some will give us guidance for the call of a new pastor. MissionInsite is a critical step in our Study process. If you enjoy computer work and pulling data together by categories, this is an excellent place for you to use these gifts to serve our Lord. Much work can be accomplished at home. Training is provided. You need not be the one to interpret the data but generating the information to be evaluated is crucial. Engaging in this task will be rewarding and keep us on track towards calling a Pastor. Without this help, our process is slowed down considerably. I know that God has already chosen the person for this task. I now await that call (text or ) to participate in this vital area of ministry! -- Pastor Nancy 3

4 Save the Date In God s Hands Florida-Bahamas Synodical Women s Organization Fall Gathering Lake Yale November 9,10 & 11, 2012 Only $180 for the weekend with lodging and meals included. Or commute at a reduced price. Registration forms, workshops offered, and other information will be available this summer on the website at Check out the video of the 2011 Fall Gathering on the website now. Editor s Note: As you may know, Pastor Terry has embarked on a three month cruise to the Far East. We received (Sept 28) this dispatch from her out at sea, and thought you might like to find out what she s doing. Dear friends and family, What a trip so far! The city of Seattle was a great place to visit. I suspect what we didn't see wasn't worth seeing. Dee Shield s family took my daughter Susan and me out to a wonderful restaurant for dinner one night. And Susan walked me. We walked to the space needle, to the underground Seattle tour, to the Chihuly museum (fantastic glass museum and garden), the Pike market, pioneer square and other fascinating places like Nordstrom, Target and Starbucks! We really had Greetings from Pastor Terry a great time. Terry at dinner with Dee Shield s family After that wonderful week, it was time to get on board the MS Amsterdam. The stateroom is small but adequate and the big surprise for all of us is that Monzillos are right next door. It took a while to get to know where things were on the ship but we are conveniently located only one floor down from the main restaurant. It took about two days to unpack and discover that with all the stuff I took, I still forgot some basic things. Not a disaster. We've now been at sea for almost a week. We have crossed the international date line so it is already tomorrow here. We have been setting our clocks back one hour each day, so I suspect we'll be on correct time when we reach Japan. The sea has been very rough and there were a lot of old time travelers who became seasick when they never had before. I guess I was blessed with "sea legs" because, other than waddling like a penguin, I had no trouble. I've been sitting with a bunch of people each day who are stitching. We are about 2 men and 15 or more women. I just do my regular little crocheting, but the talent in that group is amazing. 4

5 The Church Council is planning an extended two day planning session on October 12 and 13. Look for the new worship setting Now the Feast and Celebration by Marty Haugen to begin in November at the 10:15 service. You may be noticing our kids practicing well in advance of their Christmas program on some Sundays in the coming weeks. They are planning a great presentation this year. Don t miss it. The Virginia Circle arranged and paid for the dishwasher to be repaired. Aimee Markussen delivers Soda Pop Tops to the Ronald McDonald House; keep those Pop Tops coming! Receptacle is in the rear of church. The education wing has had mold removed and air quality improved. Remember to leave classroom doors open so the AC can circulate! Thank you! Eleanor Nottbohm has accepted the position of Altar Guild Coordinator. Ordering or purchasing supplies and maintaining schedules will be her responsibilities in this position. Thanks to all the ladies of the altar guild who make our worship experience so meaningful! Many thanks to our Choir Director, Sara Holton, for her many contributions in addition to her choir director duties. She is helping our kids gain an appreciation of music by teaching them new songs during Sunday School, helping produce the 60 th anniversary celebration, attending Worship & Music Committee meetings, and more. She is truly an asset to our church program. Thanks to Wayne Ahlers for negotiating and following through with Brighthouse networks to solve our network problems. Thanks to Wayne s persistence, it will soon become a reality. Our Mission Thank you to Sandy Finnilla! Sandy has accepted the position of Kitchen Coordinator. Be sure to check with Sandy before purchasing any supplies; those very items might be on our shelves. Also remember that purchases need to be pre-approved by the appropriate council liaison. Check out the Kitchen: The Virginia Circle has reorganized and cleaned it from top to bottom, inside and out. Thanks, all! Brighthouse Networks has installed the cable line to our property. It is scheduled to be hooked up in mid-october. 5

6 Dear Wonderful Volunteers, Thank you so much for your help this summer in ge:ng Shepherd of the Hills Summer Day Camp up and running and helping the camp to become successful. This camp would never have happened without all of your efforts and I would like to bring your amazing contribueons to light. Thank you to the congregaeon and all of the individuals that helped prepare for the Summer Camp, parecularly the Candages, the EducaEon Hallway would never have looked so put together without your help. I would also like to thank all of those that came in and volunteered your Eme during the week. Thank you Sue Price, Susan Sherman, Norma Thompson, Ruth Monzillo, Carol Rosum, Pastor Paul and his wonderful wife Lavone Gyson. A very special thank you goes to Diane Bursey, Kendal Bursey, and Dee Shields because without these lovely ladies the backstage workings and financials of the camp would have fallen apart. All in all, this camp was such a huge project and I could never have accomplished it alone and with the help of the Church and all of these wonderful people the children were given a fun and safe environment in which they never wanted to leave. Thank you again so much I could have never done it without you! Blessings and Thanks, Karissa Bursey Rummage Sale Save Friday and Saturday, November 9 and 10 on your calendar for our ladies annual Rummage Sale. Save those precious items now, but don t bring them to church until the week of the event during office hours. All types of donations are appreciated: appliances, household items, etc. Contact Norma Thompson if you have questions. Proceeds of the sale are used for fabric, batting, and other needs of the church. 6

7 Bearing Fruit for Jesus! October 2012 Living as Contented People Theme verse: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:11-12 (NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NIV) For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:7-8 (NIV) Have you ever fantasized what it would be like to win millions in a lottery? If you were a multimillionaire, you could have virtually everything you wanted. The sixty-four thousand dollar question is: Would you be better off than before you won the lottery? Does winning the lottery bring contentment? What is the secret of contentment? Is contentment to be found in satisfying every desire? According to the Apostle Paul, the key to contentment is to be found in God, not in ourselves and what we possess. At times, Paul lived with an abundance of things, and, at other times, he lived in need. However, he said that he had learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. If we are not content with what we have now, we will not be content with what we have in the future. John D. Rockefeller ( ; founded the Standard Oil Company) was one of the wealthiest people of his time. He said all he needed to have enough was just a little bit more. We will find contentment when we realize our greatest need is not for more material wealth but a need of the heart, a need for God. Contentment, therefore, comes from God and not from things. We can remain content even in the absence of material things. Only Christ can take away our appetite for things for he fills us with himself. He removes our attitude of greed and replaces it with the spirit of contentment. Jesus fills our lives, filling the inner void that material things cannot satisfy. real contentment Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for providing for my needs and for the promise that you will always provide for me. I pray, Lord, that you will teach me to find my contentment in you. In Jesus most holy name I pray. Amen. Adapted and used by permission; Parish Publishing Company, L.L.C. 7

8 Adult Sunday Morning Class The Adult Sunday morning class meets each Sunday morning in the library from 9 to 10 p.m. Jim Johnson, the class leader, has reported that they have studies several subjects via DVD including: Jesus and the Gospels three parts with Professor Luke Timothy Johnson From Jesus To Constantine two parts presented by Professor Bert Ehrman The Life of the Apostle Peter a documentary with Rick Steves The Gospel of John - a movie that we broke down into 4 parts. After The New Testament -The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers We are currently covering the Book of Genesis. There is a lot going on in this Old Testament book and the professor adds great insight that enables us to better understand the scriptures as written in their context. These very enlightening courses have been extremely interesting and thought provoking. We have heard many of these Bible stories since we were children, but now we are getting to look at them in more detail. As Paul Harvey would say, we get the rest of the story. We view them in three different ways: as literary works, historical works, and theological writings. Anyone who wants to know more than just the basic story or has ever had questions will find these lectures meaningful. After the lecture, we have a quick discussion; if anyone wants to go deeper, there are recommended reading materials. When we get close to the end of a series, we all discuss the available materials to choose our next subject. Grab a cup of coffee and come and join us! 2013 Offering Envelopes It s getting to be that time of year again Offering envelopes have arrived and are being prepared for distribution in early December. Look for them on the back table of the church. Advent Pot Luck This year we are planning only one giant Pot Luck Dinner prior to the first Advent service on December 6 at 6:00 p.m. No dinners will be held before worship on the other Wednesdays in Advent. 8

9 Memorial/ Gift Committee The Memorial Committee presented proposed procedures for handling and recognizing memorials and gifts to the church council at their last meeting. Procedures are being finalized and will be implemented in the near future. These procedures include increased communication with families of honored members, recording of memorials, a new memorial list, and dedication of memorials at worship. A new Memorial and Gift section of our website is also planned. CHRISTMAS CHOIR! Have you ever thought about serving the Lord by joining the choir, but are unable to commit to an entire year? Have you thought about just joining for the Christmas season? You can do that! We will be starting rehearsals October 10th for our Christmas Cantata that will be presented on December 16th. We will rehearse the Sunday selections on Wednesday evenings starting at 7:00 pm. Then we will go over the Christmas Cantata starting around 7:30 pm. SO if you would like to join us for the Christmas portion, please come to the choir room at the church at 7:30 pm on Wednesdays, starting October 10th. All are welcome! MUSIC NOTES Choir rehearsals are in full swing! And we re welcoming new members and snow birds into the group. No auditions necessary! All are welcome Wednesday 7:00 pm. Don t forget about the 60 th Anniversary Talent Show! Anyone interested in sharing whatever talent God has blessed you with (singing, dancing, magic, juggling, story telling, etc), please be sure and sign up on the registration form at the back of the church sanctuary. 9

10 Do Computers Intimidate and Frustrate You? If so, you might want to attend our FREE (for members only) class introducing the electronic tablet as an alternative to using a computer. They re simple, affordable, and ideal for those who just can t seem to master the intricacies of a computer. And even computer experts are flocking to this portable device. What do I need? A tablet (we will be using the Ipad) A wireless network and internet access. THAT S IT! Wayne Ahlers and Larry Holihan will be teaching a series of 90 minute classes at Shepherd of the Hills starting in November. Initial classes will be held on Tuesday, November 13 and 27 at 7:00 p.m. Other classes may be added or dates changed according to the wishes of attendees. CLASSES ARE FREE. We will cover the basics of how to set up a wireless network with internet access, how to use the Ipad, setting up and using and a calendar, viewing photos, using the cloud, various applications that are available and how find them and download them, and any questions you may have. This class is for anyone who already has a tablet and for those who are contemplating purchasing one. The class may be helpful for owners or those contemplating purchasing an iphone, as the operating systems for both devices are virtually the same. We can also help you with your purchase decision and help you in setting up your network. If you are interested in attending, sign up on the enrollment sheet at the rear of the church or call the church office. to Winter visitors note!! This is for you too! 10

11 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Celebrating 6O Years! Saturday, October 20th, 2012! TIME, TALENTS, AND GIFTS TO SHARE Date and Time: October 20, 2012, 3 PM at Shepherd of the Hills. Event Coordinators: Michelle Candage, Sara Holton and Pastor Nancy Program includes: Talent Show, Ice Cream Social Extravaganza (sugar free products available; free will offering), History Trivia Game Talent Show suggestions: Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1 Peter 4:10) We all have gifts from God do you sing, play an instrument, act, paint, sew, write poetry or short stories; individuals, classes, and groups can present skits. All can contribute to the Talent Show! Be creative and let s have fun! See sign-up to be part of the Talent Show on the table in the Welcome Center in the entry area of the church. PS: So that we can focus on this fun anniversary event in October, the Oktoberfest for 2012 has been cancelled for Church Office Hours Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed holidays Office phone : Emergency phone: shephillsclermont.org Council Minutes are available in Member s Blog on Website. Use username of shephillsclermont and password Btbab1 to enter the blog. 11

12 Pictures of the Month We had a great time at the Rock the Universe celebration this year! Sara leading Sunday Schoolers in song Sara Holton leads kids in song during Sunday School. Pastor Nancy briefs Confirmation students and parents on new classes. Acolytes ready to light candles at morning service. 12

13 SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS LUTHERAN the CHURCH SHEPHERD S VOICE the SHEPHERD S VOICE Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Caspian Way Clermont, Florida Phone: Web: Click HERE to view the church calendar