Faith Lutheran Church September, 2017 Newsletter

Transcription

1 Faith Lutheran Church September, 2017 Newsletter Special Events September 7 S.A.I.L. Bible Study at Good Tree at 10:00am September 10 & 24 Stephen Ministry Supervision Session at 6:30pm in the Narthex September 16 Church Workday beginning at 8:00am LWML Lunch at Soup N More at Noon Drawing everyday people to faithfully follow God s Word. September 19 LWML Ladies weekly Bible Study begins at 6:30pm in Rm NW Loop, Stephenville, Texas Website: faithlutheranstephenville.com church.office@faithlutheranstephenville.com

2 The Flood s Fury September, 2017 When great catastrophes hit, such as a hurricane and flood, we might use the hyperbolic expression, of Biblical proportions. Harvey seemed to fit the bill and make that phrase almost literal. As destructive as the hurricane has been in terms of high winds, the damage from the floods will be even worse in their duration and imposed delay upon recovery and rebuilding. Still, that is not a disaster of Biblical proportion. The great flood of Genesis changed the geography of the world and brought death to all that lived, except the eight people of Noah s family and pairs of animals corralled inside the ark. That flood was God s punishment upon the gross wickedness and violence of the people that inhabited the earth. Yet, we all recall that God sent a rainbow after the flood as a sign that He would never again destroy the world in this way. Instead of unleashing His wrath, He sent His Son to earn forgiveness on a cross, so that those who will receive Him are absolved of their sins and have eternal life. While the world will not end under water, there will be a flood that will bring God s wrath. However, He will not send it, as we learn in Revelation 12:15. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. Interpreted, this means that Satan will attack the Church with demonic doctrines in order to separate believers from God. While many will not fall for His lies, many will, along with the unbelievers. They will soak up the false teachings and face their destruction. Paul describes it in 2 Timothy 4:3 4: For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. You can see this happening with great intensity today, even though in every age, there have been heresies and false Christs out to deceive and destroy. As we view the literal flood on the coast of Texas, make it a time to be fervent in prayer for those affected most directly, more compassionate with all who are under stress, and joyful that God is still in the details of recovery. Also remember that there is a far greater flood unleashed on the world that can not only kill the body, but also destroy the soul. Keep watch for this flood s fury most of all. Pastor Tom Konz September Themes 3 Love s Labor Romans 12: Cherishing Children Matthew 18:1 5, Faith to Forgive Genesis 50: Do You Begrudge God s Generosity? Matthew 20:1-16

3 The Body of Christ Serving as One On Sunday August 27 th, we had our annual parent meeting and open house. This year, our church family graciously served the school families a tasty hamburger dinner, and it was a great time. It was a true picture of how the hands and feet of Christ work together to serve our people. Thank you all for the time, donations and smiling faces. We have kicked off the school year with a bang! All our classes are full and the work our church and school did over workdays has made the classrooms look so nice and fresh. Classroom furniture, new manipulatives and centers are being delivered daily. A big thanks to our Parents of Faith School organization for raising the money to buy such nice things. A huge thank you to Lisa Stroebel for her diligent work in saving thousands of dollars over the course of the last few month. Lisa was able to get even more than we ever expected by being an amazing shopper! We are truly blessed to serve the Lord by serving the families here at Faith School. I am so very appreciative of you, my church family, for being prayer warriors and busy workers to keep this ministry alive and thriving. Please continue to pray for our teachers and children. By God s grace we will have another successful year of learning, but more importantly, reaching these families with the love of Christ. Blessings, Magan Carrasco Faith School Director

4 On Rally Sunday, the youth took the congregation on a Reformation Walk! We enjoyed taking a step back into the 1500 s and bringing to life Martin Luther and the Reformation. Sunday School is for ALL AGES! Not only is it a time to be intentional with your faith, but you can also build relationships with your church family and minister to one another with your presence and discussion. Currently, we have three different classes for adult Sunday School Pastor & the Augsburg Confession, Sarah Weaver & the Journey of Faith, and Whitney Lee & God of All Comfort. This fall, the youth are journeying through the Old Testament in their classes: preschool through 1 st grade in Room 5, 2 nd -4 th grade in library, 5-6 th in Room 8, 7 th -12 th in the FLY room. The Word of God is living and active. Come see what it will do in your life. Join us Sundays for brunch at 9:15, then Sunday School at 9:45-10:30am.

5 Faith s Music Ministry Scripture is replete with encouragements to make music to praise our God and to edify one another (1 Chronicles 15:16; 2 Chronicles 5:13; Psalm 27:6; Psalm 81:2; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Through Faith s Music Ministry, there are many opportunities for you to join with others to make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Our Adult Vocal Choir sings in the Sunday morning worship services, typically two Sundays each month. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 PM in the Sanctuary. The choir is open to all adults and high school and college students. To join this choir, simply show up at a Wednesday rehearsal and join us in singing. The Adult Chime Choir provides instrumental music for the Sunday morning worship services once a month. The choir is open to all adults and high school and college students; previous experience ringing chimes or handbells and ability to read music notation is preferred, but not required. If you re interested in joining this choir, please contact our Music Director, Arnold Ramming. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings starting at 7:10 PM. The Children s Chime Choir plays for Sunday morning worship services once a quarter and for special events. This choir is for third and fourth grade students. The kids in this ensemble will learn to read music and to play chimes. This group meets on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:00 in the Narthex. Various Instrumental Ensembles accompany the congregation s singing of hymns and provide pre-service music for special services. Rehearsals are scheduled at the convenience of the members of the ensemble for two or three weeks prior to the service we are playing for. If you are new to playing with our Instrumental Ensemble, be sure to let Arnold know you want to join this group so he can let you know the details about when we re next scheduled to play. Soloists and Small Groups (both vocal and instrumental) Perhaps schedules don t allow you to participate with one of the above groups; or you have a certain song you d like to share as a solo or duet. If so, talk with Arnold about how you can share your musical talents with the congregation in the praise of God. Congregational singing at Sunday morning worship services is the apex of our ministry. No rehearsals required; everyone simply joins in with the liturgy, songs and hymns to proclaim our praises to God Almighty! Through all the elements of Faith s Music Ministry, our goal is to use our musical talents (and we ALL have some) to praise God and to edify the congregation. Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. (Psalm 96:1)

6 S.A.I.L. Seniors Alive In the Lord S.A.I.L. kicked off the 2017 Fall program on Monday, August 21, with a luncheon at Soup N More to say goodbye to Evelyn Swiggum. Evelyn is moving to Waco to be close to her family. On September 7th, S.A.I.L. will meet at Good Tree for our first Bible study with Pastor Tom. Meeting time for the Bible study will be 10 AM. Anyone interested in joining this Bible Study are invited to attend. Our second meeting in September will be on the 21st at 10 AM. We will share a potluck lunch, and Emily Lansmon is going to give us a "Tour of Italy" from her recent visit to Europe. We will also discuss our planned events for the upcoming months. Come Join the Fun! Gardener Needed! Faith s flowerbeds are in need of a caretaker. Although, we have had a couple of church members attempt to curtail the weeds, the beds are extremely large and need consistent maintenance. If you love gardening and would like to, routinely, devote time to the flowerbeds, please let Lisa in the church office know. Should no one desire to take on this labor of love, the church council has decided to look into other options beginning this fall. Thank you.

7 Lutheran Women in Mission--LWML Join us on September 16 at 2:00 pm at Soup N More restaurant for a Chocolates Making demo from Diana Wood, plus goodies to eat. And, yes, it will have a devotion that will inspire us as well! Retreat Streams of Living Waters September Sponsored by the Texas District LWML in Palestine, TX. Registration forms are in women s church mailboxes and on the table by the Mite Box. Fall Women s Evening Bible Study on Peter for eight Tuesdays beginning September 19 th, at 6:30-8:00p.m., in Room 6 of the Family Center, led by Marlene White. The books cost $14.99, so please sign up on the sheet on LWML table or Cheryl at crkonz@gmail.com. Please make checks payable to Faith LWML. Lessons will include a video each week for 8 weeks plus discussion with the book. The study will end on November 14 th. It s ok to miss here and there, but the study will be an amazing experience no matter what! MITES: Thanks for all the donations each month. We have collected nearly $200 this summer. Your support of mission projects is a blessing for so many and you are helping to share the Gospel and the love of God with many. Sept. 12 th at 6:00pm: Next planning meeting in Room 6. All welcome!

8 Faith Lutheran Church Stephen Ministry Pistis Eleein Didaskalia Parakalein - Gnosis Have you ever asked yourself, What are some of the spiritual gifts that are most valuable to Stephen Ministers? Maybe it s time for you to mentally revisit and do your own inventory of the many blessings you have been given by the Lord. Stephen Ministry just may be an area that you have been looking for to further develop your Christian growth and serve our church. While you Stephen Ministry leaders are currently focusing on peer supervision with our Stephen Ministers, we are also making plans to start another training class after the New Year. Our message is constant; their needs are ever present before us. Faith, mercy, teaching the faith, encouragement, or knowing: Do one or more of these gifts describe you? If so, check out Stephen Ministry, our congregation s one-to-one caregiving ministry. Contact Pastor Tom, Everett Seider, Sherre West or Greg Wertz or call the church office ( ) to find out more about what you can do for the Lord. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (KJV Ephesians 4:12-13)

9 CARING FOR INACTIVE MEMBERS: How to Make God s House a Home A short course on ministering to inactive members with love. From the back of the participant s manual for this 6-lesson course, we find these bullet points: Inactive members are not separated from us. They are still one with us. That s how we can best relate to them. Our motivation for doing something about inactivity is love. Caring for them is a listening ministry. One of the most precious gifts you can give them is to really listen. Your role is not to dazzle inactive individuals with brilliant reasons for returning to church. Results start happening when you stop pushing for them. Results are primarily what God accomplishes. You can be sure that any act of care done in Christ s name is never wasted. If you have a love for people and care for their spiritual well-being, prayerfully consider participating in this course. There are several practical tips on how best to engage an inactive member as well as guidance in adopting an attitude that will help your visits. Role-playing scenarios will aid in making this course immediately usable and applicable to our church. The course will be offered on Friday evening on October 13 and Saturday morning, October 14. (Exact times will be posted later.) A copy of the participant s manual and sign-up sheet will be placed in the narthex during September.

10 Faith Lutheran Youth meets every Wednesday evening from 6-8pm for dinner, worship, and Bible study. This is open to all 7 th -12 th graders; invite your friends!

11 FLY Meals Need Help! I absolutely love that we can eat together as a FLY family. Dinner is a perfect time to bond and build community with zero pressure. Thank you all for making this opportunity available and feeding us! Please , call, or text me to fill in these blanks to feed our youth. Sept 6: Carrasco & Sept 13: Stroebel & Sept 20: Wright/Vandenberg & Hatfield Sept 27: & Below is a calendar of various FLY events it includes our church events as well as home games for the sports you play! If I have missed a sport or team, please let me know! Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 3 9 SS 9:45 10 SS 9:45 17 SS 9:45 Mingling with Methodists 5:30 FFC 24 SS 9: HJH Fball 5pm DHS Vball 4:30 11 Labor Day 18 Kodi s bday 6 Catechism 5-6pm FLY 6-8pm Catechism 5-6pm FLY 6-8pm 19 DHS Vball 4: HJH Fball 5pm DHS Vball 4:30 20 Catechism 5-6pm FLY 6-8pm 27 Catechism 5-6pm FLY 6-8pm 7 8 SHS Pep Rally 8am SHS Pep Rally 8am SHS Varsity fball (+band +stings) 7:30 21 SHS Freshman Fball 5pm 28 SHS Freshman Fball 5pm 22 SHS Pep Rally 8am 29 SHS Pep Rally 8am 16 Church workday 23 30

12 Secret Prayer Pal Ministry Heavenly Father, Help me to have words that are uplifting and encouraging to others. Amen Please join us as we begin another year of Prayer Pals between our Faith Family and our Faith School Staff. This is one of sweetest ministries with whom I have had the opportunity to serve. What is required? +Include your prayer pal in your daily thoughts & prayers. +Send anonymous Birthday blessings & notes of encouragement throughout the school year to your secret prayer pal. +Join us in the Spring for a Prayer Pal reveal and reap the blessings of God's Faithfulness. If interested, sign up in the Narthex or contact Kim Mitchell - Kimkmitchell11@gmail.com Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12 From the Faith School Board New Members: Matt & Lindsay Laurent, Ethan & Isabelle Gary & Diane Revere Please take a few moments to welcome these families to ours!

13 Celebrate Reformation: You still aren t good enough for God s love. The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it (Luther s Works 31:57). God loves you for no good reason except His goodness. Though you may be tempted to work to improve and be more liked or loved, God doesn t wait for your improvement. He doesn t even require it. He loves you. His love is what changes you from sinner to saint. His love sent Jesus to die and rise for you. His love gives you salvation in Christ freely. His love caused Holy Scripture to be written so that you might hear and believe in His love. His love washed you in Baptism. His love feeds you in the Lord s Supper. His love makes you lovable. He loves you freely and fully. No strings attached. An Interesting Fact about Martin Luther: He Changed His Name. Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in Germany to Hans and Margarette Luder. He was born Martin Luder, but it is rumored he opted to change his name to something more academic sounding. His father was a successful miner and ore smelter, and his upbringing was humble. Luther would later pursue law school, but, then, forego that route to begin a spiritual journey he could have never planned for. Duckett, Jana. 5 Interesting Facts About Martin Luther. August 23, 2017, Beliefnet.com.

14

15 YOU RE INVITED! Churches in the Dallas / Fort Worth area are hosting a North Texas Reformation Celebration and you re invited to attend! The internationally renowned Wind Symphony and Kapelle choir from Concordia University Chicago along with a regional mass adult choir will present a concert of our most cherished hymns and some newly written songs celebrating the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation. There are two opportunities to attend this concert first on Saturday, November 4 at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth and then on Sunday, November 5 at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. Anyone interested in singing in the choir can find details and register on the website at Space is very limited so early sign up is recommended. Tickets for both concerts are on sale at the same website. We need YOU! How you can help with Faith Fest: SELL TICKETS: Envelopes containing 10 tickets in basket in Narthex PUT UP FLYERS TO ADVERTISE: Found in Narthex take them anywhere! SIGN UP TO HELP: Ticket door, Serve food, Setup, & Clean up. See sign up sheets in Narthex SIGN UP TO BRING FOOD: Red Cabbage, Desserts, German Potato Salad, Macaroni and Cheese, & Rolls For more information, contact Emily at Emily.lansmon@faithlutheranstephenville.com or Don t forget to pick up an order form for FaithFest t-shirt and/or apron!

16 SATURDAY, September 16 8:00am through 2:00pm Agenda items include inspecting the roof and sprinkler system, replacing light bulbs, completing baseboard installation & other projects as time permits. I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. Martin Luther This quarter, Faith s donation was $6.72. May not sound like a lot, but it is free money. So, when you order from Amazon, use this link instead: Select Faith Lutheran as your charity of choice and, then, save to your favorites. Each time you order through Amazon Smile, a portion of eligible purchases is donated to our church. Just another way to support Faith Lutheran. Thanks! Dwelling Place Christian Women s Job Corps (DCWJC) Again this year, Faith is helping the DCWJC with their campaign to raise funds to support programs to help local women get on their feet. If you would like to help, spice bottles will be available for pick up beginning on Sunday, August 6. Please return by September 24. Church & School Offices will be closed on Monday, September 4, in for Labor Day. Like us on facebook at FaithLutheranStephenville Stay updated at faithlutheranstephenville.com

17 Dear Church Family, We are so grateful for all of your help with our Parent Meeting and Hamburger Supper. Your service to our families during the hamburger supper, as well as your tireless efforts in both setting up the gym and cleaning everything up afterward are very much appreciated. It means so much to us to have you alongside us as we welcome our beloved families to yet another magnificent school year at Faith School. The amazing relationship that we share between church and school is what makes us the best pre-school in town. Sincerely, The Faith School Family Hospitality Ministry On Monday, September 25 th, the All Stars will begin a new season of sports activity at Faith Field! Everyone is invited to come out to help, cheer or just to be uplifted. These kids will change your week! Games will continue through October 30 th. All games will begin at 5:30pm, and they will be playing soccer this fall. All Stars is a joint project of the Stephenville Optimist Club and Stephenville Lions Club (noon) and Faith Lutheran Church.

18 October 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Schedule 8:00am Divine Service 9:15am Brunch 9:45am Sunday School for all ages 9:45am 5 th /6 th Grade Bible Survey Class 10:45am Divine Service (follow this schedule unless noted otherwise) 3 4 * Emily Boening 12:30pm Board of Education Meeting Church and School Offices Closed Wednesday Schedule 4:30pm Children s Chime Choir~Narthex 5:00pm 7 th Grade First Year Confirmation Class~Rm 6 5:00pm 8 th Grade Second Year Confirmation Class~Yth Rm 6:00pm FLY Meal & Fellowship in the Family Center 6:00pm Adult Vocal Choir~Sanctuary 7:10pm Adult Chime Choir~Narthex 5 *Stephanie Howard 5:30pm PFS Mtng~Narthex 6 *Edna Tate *JoAnn Schulze 7 *Missy Weber *Ryan Wright 10:00am S.A.I.L. Bible Study at Good Tree 1 MOW Pack 10:00 Creative Kindness Craft Ministry 8 MOW Sparkman 2 9 *Dennis Keilers 10 5:00pm Board of Evangelism Meeting~Library 6:30pm Stephen Ministry Supervision Session~Narthex 11 *Kim Mitchell 12:00pm Faith School Board Mtng~Rm Six 5:45pm Delta Kappa Gamma ~Narthex 6:00pm Board of Trustee s Mtng 12 *Brandon Lee 13 *Tisha Gray *Sandy Linne MOW Faith Staff 16 8:00am Church Workday 12:00pm LWML Lunch at Soup n More 17 LWML Mites Box Sunday 24 *Shirley Febinger *Bernice Reese 6:30pm Stephen Ministry Supervision Session~Narthex 6:30pm Board of Elders Mtng 18 *Kodi Hatfield 6:00pm Church Council Mtng~ Room :30pm Faith All Stars on Faith Field (FFC backup location) 5:30pm Board of Stewardship Mtng 19 6:30pm LWML Ladies Bible Study~Rm Six 26 6:30pm LWML Ladies Bible Study~Rm Six 20 *Megan Franz *Marlene Prettyman 21 *Lillian Gallagher *Gracie Strohmeyer MOW Simpson MOW - Stafford 23 10:00am Faith Family Center Occupied~Linne /Dupre Attending 30 LWML Texas District Retreat *Celebrating Birthdays Pastor out for Circuit Visitor Pastor s Conference September 11 & 12 September 14 Greg & Kat Wertz September 21 David & Heidi Douglas September 26 Tim & Chris Lewis

19 Acolytes 1 st Service Acolytes 2nd Service 3rd Kameron Seider Open 10th Mason Hatton Addy Ashley 17th Lucy Espinoza Sloan Weber 24th Kat Cameron Daniel Carrasco Readers- 1 st Service Readers- 2 nd Service Meals on Wheels 3rd Ronnie Tate 3rd Whitney Lee 1st Pack 10th Troy Kimbrough 10th Will Lansmon 8th Sparkman 17th Bethany Espinoza 17th Lee Barlow 15th Faith Staff 24th Joann Schulze 24th Magan Carrasco 22nd Simpson 29th Stafford Ushers 1 st Larry Angerhofer & Dorwin Schulze 2 nd Lee Barlow & Neal Lovin GREETERS 1 st Trudy Carlson 2 nd Erika Barlow 3rd 10th 17th 24th Altar Flowers David & Heidi Douglas Dennis & Rosanne Keilers Charles & Lynann Simpson David & Heidi Douglas Altar Guild Erika Barlow Date Snack Snack Snack Drink/Server 3rd Bills Angerhofer Carlson Cameron 10th Gray Garza Gallagher Osterloh 17th Keilers Hatton Konz Kimbrough 24th Seider Lee Espinoza Lewis Brunch providers: please plan to help set up and clean up after brunch.