February 2015 Issue 2

Transcription

1 February 2015 Issue 2 Peace be with you, brothers and sisters in the love of Christ at Shepherd of the Desert. The Lenten Season begins on Ash Wednesday and last 40 days (excluding Sundays which are always feast days celebrating the resurrection.) In many cultures, including our Christian culture, there is an ancient custom of giving a tithe that is a tenth of your income to the church with regards to the Christian community or in other cultures to some holy use. In a sense, for Christians, we give about a tenth of each years days to the observation of Lent in the church year. This is a season to Return to the Lord your God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. It is how we say it and sing it in our liturgy during the Lenten Season. It is an invitation to reflect in baptism our birthright into the Body of Christ and its basis in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is a time for rebirth and renewal in preparation for the celebration of Easter and during this time we find a constant conjunction of cross and discipleship: Come and Worship, Return to the Lord, your God, and know of the abiding, steadfast love. Blessings in Christ s love, Pastor Daniel Lent begins Ash Wednesday, Feb :30 am & 6:30 pm Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes. The name of the day derives from the action of applying ashes on the forehead of the people in the sign of the cross (a mark of penitence and mortality). It s an outward indication of the inner resolve to mortify the flesh: ashes to ashes, dust to dust. During Lent Saturdays at 4:30 pm & Sundays at 9:30 am Lent is a season of austerity, solemnity, reflection, repentance, obedience, and renewal. A time of struggle in the wilderness of our lives as we move to return to the basics of the Faith. 10:30 am & 6:30 pm Wednesdays A light supper served at 5:30 pm The theme of the Passion is also central to the season of Lent and each week we will move our way through the Passion of our Lord and Savior according to St. Mark. This will prepare us for Holy Week and the Sunday of the Passion. Thursdays 10:30 am & 6:30 pm Class will focus more intently on each of the Passion narratives that are read on Wednesdays. FEBRUARY 2015

2 Here s to Your Health! MaryAnne Feltner, R.N., Faith Community Nurse February is Heart Awareness Month Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for people to make healthier choices. Make a difference in your community. Spread the word about strategies for preventing heart disease and encourage people to live heart-healthy lives. How can American Heart Month make a difference? We can use this month to raise awareness about heart disease and how people can prevent it both at home and in the community. Here are just a few ideas: Encourage families to make small changes, like using spices to season their food instead of salt. Motivate teachers and administrators to make physical activity a part of the school. This can help students start good habits early. Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by speaking out about ways to prevent heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. You can make healthy changes to lower your risk of developing heart disease. Controlling and preventing risk factors are also important for people who already have heart disease. To lower your risk: Watch your weight Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke Control your cholesterol and blood pressure If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation Get active and eat healthy One in three women die of heart disease and stroke, but it can be prevented. Celebrate National Wear Red Day with Go Red For Women on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, to help save women s lives. From the National Institute of Health and The American Heart Association 2 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF

3 Wednesday, February 18 Imposition of Ashes at 10:30 am & 6:30 pm Mid-week Services Morning Meditation Service at 10:30 am Simple Supper at 5:30 pm Evening Meditation Service at 6:30 pm Wed., Feb. 25 Mark 14:1-26 The Plot and Passover Wed., Mar. 4 Mark 14:26-52 Gethsemane Wed., Mar. 11 Mark 14:53-72 Before the Council and the Denial Wed., Mar. 18 Mark 15:1-20 Before Pilate Wed., Mar. 25 Mark 15:21-47 Crucifixion and Death Walk the Lenten journey with us each week and listen to the Word as it explains what Jesus endured during His last few days here on earth. During Lent, we will focus more intently on each of the Passion narrations that will be read at the mid-week Meditation Services held on Wednesdays. on Thursday, Feb. 26, March 5, 12, 19 & 26. Morning session is at 10:30 am in the Founders Room; evening session is at 6:30 pm. Make this Lenten Season a more meaningful season for you personally and join our discussions FEBRUARY

4 On behalf of the WELCA Quilting Group, we thank each and everyone for your support in the raffle of our annual quilt projects so we can purchase batting for the coming year. Wishing you all a blessed New Year. Connie Hagen On behalf of U.S.VETS, I would like to thank you for your generous donation of quilts and blankets. Your commitment to our vets and their families is sincerely appreciated. Every year, U.S. VETS continue to advance its mission of ensuring that no man or woman who has worn the uniform of our country is living on the street. As the nation s largest nonprofit provider of comprehensive services to homeless and at-risk veterans, U.S. VETS provides vital services such as case management, employment assistance, job training, counseling, and supportive housing to nearly 4,000 vets each day through our eleven sites in six states and the District of Columbia. Sincerely, John F. Scott, Exec. Director Shepherd of the Desert Church, thank you so much for the beautiful poinsettia. I was surprised and pleased to receive it. Have it near the TV so I can enjoy it every evening while watching TV. To God goes all the glory and love. Betty Davis I just want to thank my dear Christian friends for the beautiful plant brought to our house the thoughtfulness is so wonderful. Thanks to call of you. God bless to all. Helen To my Church Family, thank you so much for the lovely poinsettia plant. Having been sick over Christmas, I missed seeing them on the altar. So it is very nice to have one now. Sincerely, Audrey Goodrich Thank you for the prayers, cards, and hugs following the death of my daughter, Ruth Ann Hernandez. Thanks be to God for such a caring church family. Carole Mariani Thank you for all the cards and prayers given during my recent hospitalization. Your love shines and continues to strengthen my recovery Suzy Defassio 4 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF

5 MAKING CONVERSATIONS LAST He commanded the chariot to stop and both of them Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. What Happened? The Casserole Luncheon was attended by 40 guests. The program on Sex Trafficking by Jayne Baker and Carolyn Jones was an eye-opener! What s Coming? February 23 is a Mystery Trip! Sign up in the church office for this fun outing. The Annual Cactus Conference at American Lutheran will be February 28. 8:30 am-2:00 pm. Cost is $8. Register in the church office or call Sandra Heatherly ( ). Organizers are getting ready to host our Women s Retreat at Spirit of the Desert in Carefree. March 6-8. Plan now for an awesome weekend with your sisters in Christ. Roundtable Schedule *Meet in Founders Room HOPE* Feb. 1:30 pm JOY* Feb. 9:00 am RUTH* Feb. 1:30 pm GRACE Feb. 6:30 pm At the home of Flo Carroll N. 111th Ave, Sun City FAITH* Feb. 9:30 am Pillowcase Ministry: you can make wonderful items out of pillowcases. Watch for the newest pattern coming: grandma s apron! Bible Studies are found in the Gather Magazine. Order your subscription at or online subscriptions@augsbergfortress.org Prayer Shawls: thank you for your diligent work keep it going. FEBRUARY

6 The members of our Property Committee aren t climbing up on ladders or lifting heavy bags of dirt. Our Property Committee is a group of dedicated people who are making sure that our lot, and the structures that sit on it, are maintained and looking great. We could use a few more guys or gals to help out. The committee meets on the first Friday of the month at 1:00 pm. Contact Bill with your questions: WORSHIP ATTENDANCE Christmas Eve (both svcs) Christmas Day Dec. 27 & Jan. 3 & Jan. 10 & Jan. 17 & Jan. 24 & BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS will be held on the second weekend in February Saturday the 14th at 5:00 pm, and again Sunday the 15th at 6 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF

7 Anyone interested in being part of the Stephen Ministry Program is welcome to attend the February meeting. The Stephen Minister s Program met Saturday, January 17. A decision was made by the participants that continuing education series was needed for our leaders and caregivers. A refresher course will begin Tues., Feb. 17. The first session will be on Feelings and Listening. WELCA Workshop We would like you to come and enjoy each others company...while we cut out coupons, trim cancelled stamps, and work on the quilts we work on the top and bottom sheets. We have ladies that are sewing pillowcase dresses and making prayer shawls, too. Very easy projects so you don t need to be crafty! See you Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 9:00 am in Walton Hall. Don t need those eye glasses any longer? Did you upgrade your cell-phone? Both items can be refurbished and help the disadvantaged. Care for the needs of others by dropping unwanted items in the boxes in the narthex. FEBRUARY

8 Your donation will help families break the cycle of poverty and build long-term financial security. With an affordable, stable home, families have more to spend on food, medicine, child care, education and other essentials. Your support can help us do more in all the many ways that Habitat builds. Keep this mission in your prayers and offerings during February. Let s Meet, Greet, Eat (f.k.a. Dinners for Eight) The Congregational Life Committee is inviting you to get involved in this group. It s not necessary for you to host a group, but we need to know that you want to be included! We do need hosts and hostesses to open their homes for a time of getting acquainted with other members. It could be a brunch, lunch dinner, picnic or a time of coffee and dessert in the afternoon/evening. Please note if you are will to host such an event. New members will be invited, to provide them an opportunity to become a part of this group. A sign-up sheet is in the narthex, transept and in Walton Hall. Or call for more information. 8 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF

9 The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was another success in January Shepherd of the Desert hosted the first prayer service on Monday, Jan. 19. with over 100 people in attendance for the service and lunch afterwards. Participants were welcome to bring a specific food to the prayer service each day. Our food item was Oatmeal and we collected plenty to share with our brothers and sisters at Valley View. THANK YOU for caring and sharing! Don t ask me I don t know where the bus will take you.but, rest assured the bus driver knows! Come and join the fun for a Mystery Trip sure to engage you and enlighten you! Meet at church on Monday, Feb. 23 at 8:45 am. We will stop somewhere for lunch, so bring your purse, and if you can donate toward bus fuel, that would be appreciated. Make sure to sign up in the narthex or call the church office.

10 February s Daily Bible Reading 1 Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus 13 6 Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers 7 16 Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Deuter Deuter. 3-4 SATURDAY Feb. 21 5:30 pm It s an annual event held at Shepherd of the Desert where the university students descend upon our campus to feed and entertain us! Did you know the play is written and acted by the students, too? Tickets will be available in the church office soon. Mark your calendars for a fun evening in Walton Hall. 10 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF

11 We ve come a long way, baby! After another strong year at the shop, we ve now settled in to 2015! It s always fun to look back at some of the accomplishments of the past year and of the last twenty years. It s hard to believe, we started with one suite in the Sun Bowl Plaza for the purpose of extending American Lutheran s annual yard sale to benefit more people throughout the year. Now we occupy more than 13,000 sq. ft. and are the largest shop in the plaza. We ve come a long way since 1994! We re definitely not your grandma s thrift shop anymore! This past year we welcomed more than 350 volunteers who generously worked more than 50,000 hours. Our net sales of over $700,000 allowed us to pay over $443,000 in grants to deserving organizations. Come by and visit soon. While you re here, check out our large selection of Valentine s Day items. If you think you would like to be a part of the Lutheran Thrift Shop, ask for a tour and a volunteer application. We look forward to seeing you I want to thank all of you who participated in giving to the Christmas Gift Card Tree. We received over $1,800 in the form of gift cards and cash for our Church community needs. Thank you for your kindness and caring. Blessings, MaryAnne Feltner, RN Look for the brightly-colored Box Top symbol on over 200 items found on store shelves, and drop them in the box in the narthex. Each one is worth 10 cents, and what we collect will help the Navajo Mission School. FEBRUARY

12 February Ministry Schedule If you see OPEN spots, can you help? Call the church office. ACOLYTES (Contacts: Saturday-Judy Briggs; Sunday-Bob Luger) 2/1 Bill Reade 2/7 Bonnie Harbour 2/8 Bob Hall 2/13 Darlene Renard 2/14 David Bickler 2/21 Cliff Wagner 2/22 Joe Marsh 2/28 Bonnie Harbour COMMUNION ASSISTANTS (Contacts: Saturday-Judy Briggs; Sunday-Bob Luger) 2/1 David Bickler, Linda Cook 2/7 Bill Pulver, Cliff Wagner 2/8 Joe Marsh, Ceil Heatherly 2/14 Judy Briggs, Nancy Hempy 2/15 Sandy Heatherly, Sandi Hall 2/21 Dan Jones, Connie Jones 2/23 Bob Hall, Bill Reade 2/28 Bill Pulver, Cliff Wagner ALTAR GUILD (Contacts: Eva Schulz, Donna Betcher) Donna Betcher, Alice Keller, Carole Mariani, Eva Schulz, Bonnie Szczepaniuk VAN DRIVERS & HELPERS (Contact: Church Office) David Christensen, Daryl Sawdy, Priscilla Hoskins, Tony Soblewski, ASSISTING MINISTERS (Contact: Debra in Church Office) 2/1 Shirley Citrowske 2/7 Bonnie Harbour 2/13 Evelyn Meyer 2/14 Darlene Renard 2/15 OPEN Mid-week early Bob Luger Mid-week late OPEN 2/21 Darlene Renard 2/22 Sandra Heatherly Mid-week early Bob Luger Mid-week late OPEN 2/28 OPEN PEW ORGANIZERS (Contact: Debra in Church Office) Pat Borman, Lyle Shattuck RECORDING (Contact: Alice Keller) Saturdays: Forrest Hand Sundays: Alice Keller 12 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF

13 February Ministry Schedule If you see OPEN spots, can you help? Call the church office. FIRST SATURDAY FELLOWSHIP (Contact: Bev Luger) No supper scheduled due to wedding scheduled for 2/7 USHERS-SATURDAY (Contact: Nancy Hempy) 2/7 Len Britz, Don Wilson 2/14 Len Radtke, David Cook 2/21 Tony & Molly Soblewski 2/28 Len Britz, Len Radtke USHERS-SUNDAY (Contact: Debra in Church Office) 2/1 Nave: Connie Hagen, Jim Renton Transept: Sandi Hall 2/8 Nave: Shirley Citrowske, Shirley Marsh Transept: OPEN 2/15 Nave: Shirley Citrowske, Ceil Heatherly Transept: Sandi Hall 2/22 Nave: Shirley Marsh, Betty Hayden Transept: Jeane Armer SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP (Contact: Luhleem Davison) 2/1 Coffee: John & Sandy Dunn Treats: Sandy Dunn 2/8 Coffee: OPEN Treats: Jane Runestad 2/15 Coffee: OPEN Treats: OPEN 2/22 Coffee: OPEN Treats: OPEN LECTORS (Contact: Debra in Church Office) 2/1 Holly Alarco 2/7 Bob Hall 2/8 Jeane Armer 1/14 Bob Luger 1/15 Del Torno Ash Wednesday Luhleem Davison 1/21 Connie Jones 1/22 Shirley Citrowske Mid-week early Bob Luger Mid-week late Vonnie Bender 1/28 Evelyn Meyer FEBRUARY

14 February Birthdays & Anniversaries Feb. 2 Audrey Irons Feb. 7 Rhea Myers Patty Trayner Feb. 8 Mary Knoch Jim Moodie David Cook Feb. 8 Kimberly Simons Feb. 9 Betty Iacono Feb. 13 Joan Cano Feb. 15 Gail Walston Feb. 16 Floyd Fullington Richard Lohr Feb. 17 Pat McLaughlin Feb. 18 Bill Reade Bob Hall Feb. 20 Joyce Johanson Feb. 21 Rod Dais Linda Wilson Feb. 23 Dan Smith Feb. 24 Monika Sawdy Feb. 26 Betty Davis Feb. 28 Kaye Moline Feb. 29 Marlene Enrici If you have a birthday or an anniversary in February and your name is not on the list, please call the church office at Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 14 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Feb. 28 Bob & Jeanette Danielson, 59 years Phil & Madora Johnson, 62 years Keith & Judy Peterson, 50 years John & Charlene Stark, 27 years Bob & Dolores Deutscher, 23 years Forrest & Carol Hand, 45 years Frank & Willa Bennett, 55 years 14 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF

15 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS John & Sandra Dunn, N El Mirage Rd, #244 El Mirage, AZ, Stacy Fisk, W Greer Ave Youngtown, AZ, Children: Abigail, Caleb Jackie Holder, W Santa Fe Dr Sun City, AZ (not pictured) Craig & Nancy Owens, W Sun City Blvd Sun City, AZ DeVante Smith, W Sun City Blvd Sun City, AZ, (grandson of Leslie Harbour) Our youngest member, Kimberly Simons, would like to thank the following ladies who pledged money for Kimberly s school, based upon how well she did at the Fun Run: Char Stark, Jane Runestad, Joanne Gollatz, Nancy Finke, Vi Torno, Patty Trayner, Vonnie Bender, Shirley Citrowske, Kathy Renton, Monika Sawdy, Shirley Marsh. With their help, Kimmie raised $90 and ran 32 laps. Congratulations! FEBRUARY

16 11025 N 111th Avenue Sun City, Arizona Phone: (623) Fax: (623) churchsecretary@qwestoffice.net WEEKLY WORSHIP Saturday at 4:00 PM Sunday at 9:30 AM Holy Communion at Every Service 16 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF