St. Luke s Lutheran Church Newsletter for the Weekend of the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Transcription

1 St. Luke s Lutheran Church Newsletter for the Weekend of the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany February 15 & 16, 2014 St. Luke s Vision Powered by the Holy Spirit we: Trust God! Live an Extreme Faith! Are Bold in God s Word! Bring People Home to Christ! Fully Commit to the Body of Christ! Pray and Worship with Enthusiasm! Expect Results! Regular Worship Services Saturdays, 5:30 PM Sundays, 8:00 & 10:45 AM Sunday School & Bible Study Sunday 9:30 AM A staffed nursery is provided for children 3 and under during the Sunday morning worship services and Bible Study hour. Lesson for This Weekend 1 Corinthians 3:7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Isn t that the truth! And it s not just true about preachers like Paul, but about all of us in all of the Christian life. God can do such wonderful things with our feeble efforts. This is so very true of our gifts to the Lord s work in the Church. From His generous giving to us, we learn to give generously; and then the Lord blesses this response to His grace in turn and uses our very giving to continue to bless us in the Church where we hear of His gracious generosity to us. And the cycle repeats, and the Lord gives growth! REMINDER!! 2013 Year-End Contribution Statements Your year-end offering statements are available at the information desk in the Narthex. Please pick up your statement this weekend! If you have any questions on your statement, please contact Connie in the church office at , x-115. Welcome to Worship! Members and Visitors Please complete the worship attendance cards in the pews and place them in the offering plates. If you are visiting with us, we welcome you! We hope to meet you at Fellowship time (Sunday, 9-9:25 am). This Week at St. Luke s Sunday, February 16 Scout Weekend 7:00-Prayers (Prayer Room) 8:00-Traditional Worship (Sanctuary) 9:30-Sunday School & Adult Bible Study 10:45-Contemporary Worship (Sanctuary) Noon-Family Life Board Meeting (Library) 1:00-Private Rental (FLC) 4:00-Confirmation 9th (Downstairs) 6:00-Confirmation 6-8th (Various) Monday, February 17 NO SCHOOL 6:30-The GO Team Meeting (Library) Tuesday, February 18 11:30-LCFS Auxiliary Meeting (FLC, Kitchen, Gathering Area) 1:00-Senior Bible Study (Library) 3:30-Piano Lessons (Sanctuary) 6:00-Adult Bells (Balcony) 6:00-1st Communion Class (Small Gym) 7:00-Chancel Meeting (Lunchroom Downstairs) 7:00-Choir (Balcony) 7:00-Crossways (Library) 7:30-PALS (Boardroom) 8:00-Men s Basketball (FLC) Wednesday, February 19 6:00-Praise Team Practice (Sanctuary) 6:00-God & Family/Scouts (Boardroom) Thursday, February 20 8:00-Circuit Meeting (Sanctuary, Narthex, Library) 9:30-Moms in Prayer (Prayer Room) 3:30-Piano Lessons (Sanctuary) 6:00-Private Soccer Rental (FLC) 7:00-School Marketing Team & School Board Combined Meeting (Library) Friday, February 21 6:00-Private Soccer Rental (FLC) 7:00-Prayer Initiative (Sanctuary) Saturday, February 22 10:30-Market Day Pick Up (FLC) 5:30-Worship Service (Sanctuary) 6:00-PADS (FLC, Kitchen, Small Gym) 1

2 They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and fellowship Acts 3:42 Calling All Kids! Join us for Sunday School! Sundays - 9:30 to 10:30 am Classes for all children and youth from Pre-School through High School We will meet in the small gym for singing and opening prayer, then children go to class with their teacher. There will be lesson topics in the newsletter each week so parents can know what their children are learning. The High School Class will meet in the 7-8th Grade Classroom at 9:30am. Don t miss this opportunity to connect and learn. 2/16 Lesson / Scripture Key Verse Bible Point K-High School Peter and Andrew Meet Jesus. John 1: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 Jesus is our friend. Adult Bible Studies Sunday Mornings, 9:30 10:30 AM 1. Men s Class Blessed is the Man (Church Library) Rediscover the adventure in life and strengthen your Biblical knowledge all through the study of the Psalms. We continue with the final volume of this series which offers a combination of weekly personal study with a group discussion. It s a great time to get in the Word! Real Men. Real Stories. Real Savior. 2. Study of the Gospel of Luke is led by Ben Harding in the FLC. Luke s carefully written Gospel, compiled from both oral and written accounts, points to God s gracious salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. The peace that Christ has brought to the world enables us to break out in a liturgy of praise. Luke speaks to us about God s plan for bringing salvation to both Jew and Gentile; believers unceasing joy upon hearing the Good News; the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus life and in our own; and the enduring value and importance of prayer. 3. Sunday School Lessons for Parents is led by Bob Toepper in the 7th & 8th grade homeroom just below the main entrance to the church. It is designed for parents of Sunday School children. We will study the Sunday School lesson the children will be studying on that day. But anyone who wishes to better acquaint themselves with Bible stories is also welcome. 4. Essentials of Parenting: Be Prepared is led by Jan Hoffman in the Boardroom. It presents practical plans for dealing with dangers including internet porn, alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, and premarital sex. You ll see how to resist the impulse to overprotect your child and gain insights to help you prepare him or her for the world of today and tomorrow. This is a 12 week course that will give you advice from some of the top Christian parenting experts. Choose a study and begin today to strengthen your faith and knowledge!! Moms in Prayer Thursdays at 9:30, Prayer Room Questions? Contact Stephanie Murray at stephaniemurray@stlcschool.com Come experience God s peace and hope when you pray alongside other moms. Fellowship DECAF!! Having heard your requests, along with our regular coffee and tea service during times of fellowship, we will now offer DECAF coffee. 2

3 Join The Go Team Do you think you could do more? Do you want to get more involved? The Go Team is a group of passionate people interested in bringing others to Christ. Be part of the change! Plan on attending our next meeting. Monday, February 17 at 6:30-7:30 PM Questions? Call Christine at Chancel Meeting Rescheduled That means you still have time to consider serving with us! The Chancel Guild is a traditional ministry working behind the scenes to assure the readiness, function and appropriateness of the altar, candles, paraments, and associated vessels, beyond the communion rail in the sanctuary. We consider it an honor to serve our Lord by preparing His table for the serving of Holy Communion. In this preparation are many details and duties. We would love to have your help in carrying out these duties. And yes, we even have men on our team! Please join us at our next meeting, Tuesday, February 18, 7 pm, in the School Lunchroom downstairs. Any questions, please contact Connie at connie.pittman@stlcfamily.org. LCFS Auxiliary South Fox Valley Zone The next meeting will be Tuesday, February 18, at St. Luke s. Registration is at 11:30 am with a pot luck following at Noon. Our mitten tree was a huge success! Many thanks to everyone for their help! Lutheran Witness Subscription Renewal Subscriptions to the Lutheran Witness are $15.60 for the 2014 subscription (11 magazines). If you are interested in renewing this magazine, or starting a new subscription, please make out a check to St. Luke s Lutheran Church, and get it to the church office by February 18. Next Discover Discipleship and Information Class All those who are interested in discovering what the Bible says and basic teachings of the Lutheran church should plan to attend this information class. The class will meet on Saturday, March 8, 2014, from 8 am to 3 pm. A continental breakfast and light lunch is provided. This class is required for those who are seeking to become members of St. Luke s. After completion of the class there will be an opportunity to be received into St. Luke s membership on Palm Sunday, April 13, during the 10:45 service. Those planning to attend are asked to sign up on the participants list located in the binder at the information desk. Contact Chris at the church office (630) x-111, or Debby Springborn at ***Breaking News on Membership Classes*** If you are not able to attend an all-day Saturday class, there will be an evening class which will meet in May, once a week for 3 weeks. Watch for details! Kendall Cares Clinic Each year, Kendall Cares Clinic provides services to those who couldn t otherwise afford them, including access to dental exams, food pantry, clothing closet, family photos, hair cuts, and medical screenings. The 2014 clinic is planned for April 5 at Plano High School. The clinic is entirely served by volunteers from businesses, local churches and medical professionals. If you would like to help serve others at the clinic, please go to the web site: for volunteer opportunities. If you have any questions, please contact Mariann Benda at

4 Servants for The Weekend of February 22 & 23 Preacher/Liturgist Rev. Peter Hoffman / Steve Steinwart Acolytes & Cross Bearers 5:30 Lukas & Erik Motykowski 8:00 Victoria Crawford, James Franken & Brianna Rizzi 10:45 Tyler Middendorf & Alyssa Harris Chancel 5:30 Brenda Kardatzke 8:00 Sara Fauser 10:45 Angie Daniels Children s Message 5:30 Fred Treftz 8:00 Missy Hester Fellowship Bruce & Helen Twedt Finance Assistants Jeff & Cheryl Somers Friendly Callers Helen Gabrielson & Shirley White Greeters 5:30 Jy Rittierodt & Chuck Granholm 8:00 Del & Mary Gerth & Bernadette O. Schmidt 10:45 Dan & Shirley Anderson Kiosk Attendant Carol Steinwart Nursery 8:00 Irene Pappa 9:30 Rasma Motykowski 10:45 OPEN Organist/Pianist 5:30 Elainie Kothera 8:00 Elainie Kothera Readers 5:30 Barb Cuyler 8:00 Tim Moran 10:45 Wayland Middendorf Sound & Video 5:30 Steve Steinwart 8:00 OPEN Ushers 5:30 Terry & Brenda Kardatzke 8:00 Tony Abbattista, Fred Miller, & Jerry Borden 10:45 Greg & Bonnie Randa Worship Assistants Steve Steinwart / Tom Gargrave Panera Bread Pick Up February 21 Ruth Henning Planning Ahead Feb 23-Confirmation JR High Guide Meeting Feb 23-JR High Youth Group Feb 25-1st Communion Class Feb 27-Leadership Meeting March 1-LWML March 1-Skate Night March 2-7/8th Grade Breakfast Fundraiser March 2-Confirmation 6-8th & 9th March 3-National Lutheran Schools Week March 3-Stewardship Team Meeting March 3-WeGo Quiltin Guild March 5-Ash Wednesday Worship & Supper March 6-Hobby Night March 6-Prayer Team Meeting March 7-Early Dismissal Teacher Meeting March 7-School Talent Show March 8-New Member Class March 9-Confirmation 9th March 9-Day Light Savings Time begins March 10-Culver s Night March 10-GO Team Meeting March 11-Alden s Chapel March 12-Lenten Worship & Supper March 13-OWLS Luncheon March 13-School Board Meeting March 15-Market Day Pickup 63 Fernwood Road Montgomery, IL Church School Reverend Peter Hoffman, Senior Pastor Mrs. Robi Flach, Principal stlcfamily.org churchoffice@stlcfamily.org DVDs are available! All services are recorded. If you would like a copy, please contact Paula at x-116, or leave a note on the credenza in the Narthex. To Reach the Church During Services If you have an emergency during a scheduled worship service, and need to reach someone at the church, please call (630) ext. 140, and the ushers will take your call. Newsletter Deadline Any new or updated articles and inserts for the weekly newsletter are due to the Church Office by 3:00 pm on the Wednesday before article is to run. Submit via to connie.pittman@stlcamily.org or mailbox #82. Any questions, contact Connie Pittman at , x-115. STEADFAST LOVE! 4

5 Wayside for February "I am thankful for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for loving me when I didn't love myself. I'm also grateful to God for putting my family back into my life, especially my children." This was written by Melvin who graduated from the Master's Touch program at Wayside and now works there. LWML supports the men at Wayside by collecting needed items monthly.. The items for February will be TOILETRIES (razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, and deodorant). Please put your donations in the LWML box located outside the secretary's office. Thank you for your support and for your prayers for the men at Wayside. Thank you for the toothpaste and razors you donated in January. The men are always so grateful and so are we. "TODAY IS MY LAST DAY OF CHEMOTHERAPY. After today, I am officially done with chemotherapy treatment. It has been a long and difficult two and a half years. I've learned a lot. Life is way too short. Life is too short to hold negative attitudes and emotions (although I do hate cancer..hah). I've learned to not look ahead and live in the moment. Take each day, one day at a time. Because somewhere out there, there is another kid who has it worse. And you will never know what you have until it is taken away from you, like how my life was turned upside down in a matter of days. So be thankful, because most of you have a pretty great life whether you know it or not. This will always be one of the most difficult experiences in my entire life. I would have never made it through this experience were it not for all of my supporters, friends, family, doctors and peers. I cannot express my gratitude enough. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every person that helped me, no matter how small the help. Thank you everyone. I made it." ~Nate (Laura Dumont s grandson) Kiosk Bill Binder You now have the opportunity to help your church by paying on specific unpaid invoices! A white binder is located on the Kiosk. In the binder is a list of current accounts payable and several envelopes for each vendor. Please pull an envelope for the vendor you want to help pay. Complete the information on the envelope. Place the envelope, with your check payable to St. Luke s, in the offering plate Budget & Income (#s reported are as of 2/9/14) Monthly Need $91,305 Weekly Need $21,070 JANUARY Tithe $4,051 Current Accounts Payable $137,786 Current Month s To Date Contributions $21,742 Current Month s To Date Income Received from School $13,200 Current Month To Date Total $34,942 Previous Month s Total $65,514 Worship Attendance Regular Worship February 8 & Communed 211 Adult Bible Study 33 Sunday School Pre-K thru High School 27 Sunday School Teachers & Support 8 Confirmation 6-8th 33 Confirmation 9th 10 Thank You, St. Luke s members! 2013 offerings of $651,067 represented a 13.2% increase over 2012 s offerings! This is wonderful growth in the grace of giving, and a great help to our ministries. For a church our size to have the ministries that we have, including a Christian Day School, is a tremendous challenge, so we are very grateful for your faithful and sacrificial gifts! 5

6 God Sightings... You want a God sighting? Here s one! In this age of political correctness, tolerance, and why can t we all just get along, would I have the faith and courage of this woman, a former atheist, to proclaim the lordship of Jesus Christ in the face of Islam? I see a tremendous parallel between her and Martin Luther. Both recognized the subtle ways in which Satan works. And, it s ironic that all this should take place in Speyer, in the Church of the Reformation. It was in that city in November of 1529 that the Council of Regency met to discuss the threat posed to the Empire by the Turks (Islam) and decided to support military efforts underway against them. The Turks had invaded Hungry and had laid siege to Vienna (although by that time the siege had been lifted). The Emperor, Charles V, considered the Turks as the external enemy of Christendom (of course he probably considered the reformers as the internal enemy). What a sacrilege that today a Muslim cleric would offer a prayer in a Christian church, and only one person had the courage to speak out against it. No doubt she is now a marked person, just as Luther was. I pray to God for her protection and for the effectiveness of God s message that she so courageously proclaimed. A Mighty Fortress is our God! (Al Krodel) Sitting in a class with 14 students who are singing along with Air 1 radio while working on a history project. Very cool. (Robi Flach) Share your God Sighting! Leadership Council, in an attempt to open our eyes to God's presence in our lives, will have cards and a drop box on the Narthex desk. These cards will say "I saw God working in my life this week...". Please use these cards to share a brief story about how God showed himself to you. These stories will be published in the newsletter each week. Please feel free to put your name down too. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Steinwart at steinwart@aol.com or call It may seem like a minor thing, but this spoke to me today. Facebook blew up today with discussion of the Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham debate, leaving me rather discouraged. This afternoon, I decided to post another photo from my trip to photograph the eagles along the Mississippi river a few weeks ago, and I picked one of one of the birds soaring overhead. Isaiah 40:31 came to mind, so I looked it up to copy it into the comments section of the photo. Remembering that the whole section is meaningful, I went back a few verses, and came to Is 40:28. "Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding." (Ben Harding) About three years ago, at a Christian Blind outreach Meeting, a man came who had failing vision and an immense fear of blindness. He was very bright but so bitter, angry, nasty and disruptive that he was later phoned an told not to come back. He was the only person we ever uninvited. The group couldn t be of help to him. At the meeting, however, he asked for some of us to have him spend a day in our homes to see how we live as blind people. In the ensuing silence, I thought, Am I a priest of a Levite? No, I m that other guy? I was the only one who agreed to invite him. He came for a day. I could work the oven; he could roast the chicken. We had a good time; I think it would have made a great sitcom. He visited once more lately. We spoke at length on the phone about every two weeks. Sometime he called me. He was lonely and nasty. By the way he spoke, he dared me to reject him, but he never hung up. He alienated medical personnel, people at food pantries and at church aid programs. He had several medical issues and needed to live where he could get help. I found such places to live which he refused to check out. I gave him advice; he used some of it. He had no contacts with relatives or neighbors and said I was his only friend. Obviously, he wouldn t identify his relative or acquaintances. I urged him to carry his cell phone with him and keep it charges. He would say that he knew he should. I knew what might happen, so lately I called him every three days. Then with no response I checked some hospitals, and told the police who found his place locked up. The got no help from the neighbors, so they broke in and found him dead. That s all they told me, and that s all I wanted to know. It might have been a long time before his body was found. There is a lot more to what happened, but those are the essentials. The important thing is that he had a chance to die with the awareness that he had a friend. (Harvey Lauer) 6

7 Servants Still Needed! We are to serve our Lord with gladness! Our church cannot operate without your help! The positions listed still need to be filled by St. Luke s members: Please prayerfully consider these needs and how they can be filled with your gifts. If interested or have questions on any position, contact the church office at stlukes11@aol.com, or , x-111, or x-115. We need everyone to share in making our church a successful house of God! Adult Education leaders Sunday School teachers Praise Team drummer Chancel members Youth leaders Choir members Coffee Hour volunteers Friendly Callers & Coordinator filled! Nursery volunteers Church Librarian filled! Share-a-Meal Coordinator filled! Funeral Luncheon Coordinators filled! Ushers Greeters 5:30 Sound Board St. Luke s School News and Notes Skate Night PALS would like to invite the congregation to skate night on March 1 at Aurora Skate Center on the corner of Montgomery and Hill Ave. PALS will be paying for your admission and skate rental and the snack bar will be available for you to purchase items if you would like. The fun starts at 5:00 and goes to 7 pm. So bring your immediate family members and enjoy a few laps around the skating rink or see if you can do the Hokey Pokey on skates. If you have any questions please contact Julie Franken. PALS Meeting Time Changed Our next Pals meeting is this coming Tuesday, at 7:30 pm in the Boardroom. We will be going over our list of vendors for the 2015 auction, and finalizing details for National Lutheran Schools Week. Please contact Julie Franken if you have any questions. Divine Dollars Need something to give your special someone for Valentine's Day? Why not get them a gift card they will enjoy? Or get gift cards to take them to their favorite restaurant? Come and check our selection of cards on Sundays from 9-9:30 in the FLC. Market Day News Market Day News It isn t too late to order your Market Day this month! Our next scheduled pick up is Saturday, February 22 starting at 10:30 am. Please have your orders in the Market Day box on the wall outside the school office by the late service on February 16, or call us at one of the numbers below to place your order by the evening of February 19. Online orders can always be placed until 11 pm on the Wednesday before pick-up. You can pay by credit card online or by cash or check at pickup. There are a few new products to try this month including Cheeze-It Snack Packs, Dijion Encrusted Pork Chops, and Fudge Dipped Brownie Pops. With a $40 purchase this month, you will receive a sample of the Five Cheese Garlic Toast, and with an online order of $90 you can enter code FEBBONUS to receive a free Cheese Ravioli, so please take advantage of these deals! Be sure to see the Market Day flier for details on the Frequent Buyer Program that starts this month! If you have students who need to earn volunteer hours we can always use the extra help, and they are welcome to help unload and sort orders starting at 9:45 am. As always, if you have any questions or would like us to place your order, call Amie Kiger at or Barb Schmalz at

8 8

9 9