St. Luke s Lutheran Church Newsletter for Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018

Transcription

1 St. Luke s Lutheran Church Newsletter for Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018 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 want to welcome you! Please join us at our Easter Breakfast! Lesson for this Weekend-1 Corinthians 15:12-26 Christ is RISEN! HE is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! This Week at St. Luke s Sunday, April 1 Easter Schedule Saturday, March 31, NO Saturday Service Sunday, April 1, Easter Sunday Sunrise Service at 6:00 am Easter Breakfast 7:00-11:00 am Traditional Worship Service at 8:00 am Family Service at 9:30 am Contemporary Worship Service at 11:30 am No Sunday School or Bible Studies on Easter Sunday, April 1. Join us for Easter Breakfast Easter Sunday, April 1, 7:00 AM 11 AM Hosted this year by Music Ministries. On the Menu: Donuts, bagels & cream cheese, baked goods, fruit, a variety of juices, and coffee & tea. 1 6:00-Sunrise Service (Sanctuary) 7:00-Easter Breakfast (FLC) 8:00-Traditional Worship (Sanctuary) 9:30-Worship (Sanctuary) 11:45-Contemporary Worship (Sanctuary) Monday, April 2 Church Office Closed / No School 6:30-Cub Scouts (FLC & Kitchen) 6:30-Girl Scouts (Classrooms) 6:30-Stewardship Ministry Meeting (Rev. Bussert s office) 7:00-Mentoring Group III (Library) Tuesday, April 3 7:00-Choir (Balcony) 8:00-Men s Basketball (FLC) Wednesday, April 4 7:00-Prayer Meeting (Sanctuary) Thursday, April 5 4:30-Private Rental (FLC) Friday, April 6 7:00-Girl Scout Derby Set Up (FLC, Small Gym, Kitchen). Saturday, April 7 8:00-4:00-Girl Scout Powder Puff Derby (FLC, Small Gym, Kitchen) 8:30-LWML (Library) 5:30-Worship Service (Sanctuary) 6:00-PADS (FLC, Small Gym, Kitchen)

2 Wayside Cross Ministry for April Thank you for the 9 bottles of cough, pain relieving and auto-immune pills, 5 toothpastes, 2 toothbrushes and 32 deodorants you donated to the men at Wayside in March. These items will be very useful to them. In April, we will be collecting TOOTHPASTE. The men say they always need this item! Please place your donations in the LWML box located outside the church secretary s office. Thank you for your continuing support for the men in the Master s Touch Ministry at Wayside. They are always to grateful for the help you give to them, and LWML is very appreciative, also! NEW Cards at the Greeting Card Center! Check out LWML s Greeting Card Center in the Gathering area. It has just been restocked with new cards for Easter, Thinking of You, Get well (including get well for children), Anniversary, and Wedding. Cards are still only 50 cents each and most have a scripture verse! Money from card sales is used to support LWML mission projects. OWLS April Luncheon The OWLS March luncheon will be Thursday, April 12 at Noon. We will meet and eat at 9er s Grill on Rt. 30 in Montgomery (in front of Farm & Fleet). OWLS (Older Wiser Loving Seniors) is fellowship for all people ages 60 + or younger if you want to! Please sign up on the OWLS board! Any questions, please contact Chuck Granholm. Food With Friends The next Food with Friends is April 15 at noon (after the 10:45 service) and will be hosted by the Executive Council. They will be providing sandwiches from South Moon BBQ! Please bring a salad or dessert. Don t forget to sign up in the binder at the Information Desk. Ladies Night Out The next Ladies Night Out will be Thursday, April 19. We will meet at Fireside, in Sugar Grove, at 6:30 pm, or you can call for a ride. Any questions, contact Pat Freeman at , or Nancy McNeilly at Focus on the Family Please pick up your April Focus on the Family Bulletin at the Information Desk in the Narthex. As always, great info on parenting, marriage, and fun ideas for your family! This month read PAID In FULL, to help your children understand the eternal significance of Christ s resurrection. Back to School Fair on August 4 The committee is working hard to put services in place to make this year's clinic a success! Please continue to collect new or gently used children's clothing. We are in need of hair stylists or barbers to volunteer for the clinic. Keep the clinic and volunteers in your prayers. The next team meeting is on Thursday, April 19, at 7:00 in the Library. Call Mariann Benda with any questions at

3 A Night To Remember. St. Luke s Christian Academy Annual Auction/Dinner Fundraiser St. Luke s Christian Academy s PALS group is hosting it s 2nd Annual Auction/Dinner fundraiser on Saturday, May 5 from 6-11 p.m. at Whitetail Ridge Golf Club in Yorkville. The theme is A Night to Remember. There will be hors d oeuvres, a sit down dinner, dessert and open bar. There will also be a DJ and silent auction. Tickets are $75 per person. This is an adult s only night to have fun and support our school! Babysitting will be available at the school for $10 for one child, $15 for two. Last year you helped us raise over $8000 for the school! Everyone who attended the fundraiser last year had such a great time they asked us to do it again! You don t want to miss this event! Make your reservations NOW! Reservation and payment is due no later than April 14! Tickets will not be available after April 14 and will not be available at the door. Contact Tami McGraw in the school office at , x-110. New Member Class Now Registering Have you ever thought why it matters to become a member of a congregation? I matter to Jesus: I will spend a lifetime of worshiping Him and will only scratch the surface of such love as His. I need God's people: Jesus places people in my life to help me mature as a disciple in order to become more like Christ People need me: I can't ever look at my church life as something that is all about me. My membership matters to people that Jesus sends to me. If you want to be a member, a new member class will be held on Saturday, April 21 from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm. This class is for adults only and is mandatory to become a member. A continental breakfast and a light lunch will be served. To enroll in the class please call the church office at , x-111, or churchoffice.stlcfamily.org, or sign-up in the binder at the Information desk. Any questions you may contact Bob Cano at Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast St. Luke s Boy Scout Troop 12 is having a Pancake Breakfast, Saturday, April 28, from 7:30 11:30 am. They will be serving pancakes, sausage, milk, orange juice and coffee. Cost is $5 per person or $14 per family. Buy your ticket in advance for a chance to win a raffle prize! Advance tickets are available in the church office (or purchase at the door). Thank you!! Thank you to the following members who purchased the beautiful plants in the Chancel area. flower s presence and beauty is there to glorify our Risen Savior! Carol Steinwart Pastor & Jan Hoffman Nancy Vargo Steve & Lisa Steinwart Bruce & Helen Twedt Marilyn Bogda Chris & Nancy Nelson Suzette Rizzi Steve & Heather Claxton Henry & Sheila Treftz Kim Pearce Bernadette O. Schmidt Mary Gerth Julia Kothera Angie Daniels Please remember to pick up your plants as soon as possible after the last service on Easter Sunday and give them a home in your yard or garden; or plant them in one of the church beds! What a great remembrance of God s Great Gift! 3 The

4 Monthly Financial Update As discussed at our March 1, 2015 Congregational Meeting, in addition to the financial information provided weekly, we are updating you monthly to show where we are. (Showing current plus previous 12 months.) As of: Monthly Need Previous Month s Contributions Accounts Payable Mortgage Payments Owed CPS Payments Owed 4/1/17 $83,831 $60,221 $12,466 0 $10,538 5/1/17 $83,831 $84,341 $10, /1/17 $83,831 $58,217 $6,915 $10,739 $10,578 7/1/17 $87,219 $56,650 $7,975 $21,478 $12,022 8/1/17 $87,219 $66,905 $13,784 $21,478 $22,920 9/1/17 $87,219 $66,525 $18,694 $21,478 $26,192 10/1/17 $87,219 $64,820 $16,766 $28,217 $29,512 11/1/17 $87,219 $67,566 $14,568 $32,217 $35,628 12/1/17 $87,219 $65,686 $11,506 $42,956 $44,832 1/1/18 $87,219 $77,618 $11,978 $48,695 $50,709 2/1/18 $87,219 $62,295 $20,701 $53,695 $57,894 3/1/18 $87,219 $60,712 $14,211 $64,434 $58,908 4/1/18 $87,219 $56,402 $13,570 $70,159 $56, Budget & Income (#s reported are as of 3/25/18) Monthly Need $87,219 Weekly Need $20,127 March Tithe $4,557 Accounts Payable $11,794 Concordia Plan Services (CPS) past due (4) $47,484 Mortgage Payments past due (5+) $59,420 Monthly Anticipated Offering Income for March $63,360 Current Month s To Date Offering Income Contributions to General Fund Current Month s To Date Income Received from School to General Fund Current Month To Date Contribution Total to General Fund Previous Month s Contribution Total to General fund $44,396 $14,500 $58,896 $60, % Tithe from your offerings includes.5% to LBT, 2% to Mission trip fund,.5% to LCC,.5% to Walcamp,.5% to San Pablo, 6% to NID,.5% to Joe Boway New Life. General Fund is used for mortgage, CPS, accounts payable bills, and payroll. Does not include contributions given to specific funds or ministry (Parking Lot Fund, Youth, flowers, etc.). Accounts Payable includes maintenance, utilities, office supplies, printing, security systems, commercial insurance, ministry expenses (communion, worship, advertising, etc.), and school expenses. (Does not include payroll, loan & mortgage.) Concordia Plan Services includes health care, retirement, and disability for church and school staff. Last Week s Attendance Wednesday Worship March Regular Worship March 24 & Communed 157 Adult Bible Study 25 Adult Bible Study Teachers 2 Sunday School 10 Sunday School Teachers 6 Parking Lot Fund As of March 25, 2018, the balance in our Parking Lot Fund is $11, Thank you for your donations and continued support for this project. We will keep you updated monthly. Download a QR Reader app and scan here to make a contribution to St. Luke s from your mobile device. 4

5 Substitute Teachers Needed! St. Luke s Christian Academy is seeking substitute teachers for preschool through 8th grade. Qualified applicants must have a bachelor s degree. For more information pertaining to qualifications and salary, contact the school office at x-2. Installation Service at Emmanuel St. Luke s members are invited to join a special celebration on April 15. The Reverend Steven Massey will be installed as the Pastor of Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. The installation service will be at 3:00 pm at Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church on the corner of Fourth Ave. and Jackson Street in Aurora. The installation service will be followed by light refreshments served in the Church undercroft. If unable to be with us, please keep Reverend Massey, his son, Marco, and our congregation in your prayers. Lawn Maintenance Ministry We are in need of a lawn maintenance coordinator. There are a few members who take turns mowing and caring for our lawn, so you wouldn t be on your own. You get to work outside and you get to drive the big tractor!! Spring is fast approaching and we need to fill this volunteer ministry position as soon as possible. If you would like to serve, please contact Dianne Hoffmann. You are cordially invited to the NEW Zone 7 Spring Rally for all LWML members on Saturday, April 14, :30-11:00 am at Cross Lutheran Church, 8609 Rt. 47, Yorkville Featured Speaker: David Fiala, Assistant Director of Missionary Recruitment, LCMS Office of International Missions Ingathering: Monetary donations to the Keep Your Kids in Shoes (KYKS) ministry. Registration & continental Breakfast at 8:30 am. For additional information, please contact Gayle Thanepohn, Zone 15 Secretary/Treasurer at gnthanepohn@gmail.com OR (call or text). Please RSVP to Gayle by April 10. 5

6 Panera Bread Pick Up April 6 Lisa Steinwart Servants for the Weekend of April 7 & 8 Preacher/Liturgist Rev. Peter Hoffman / Todd Ruch Acolytes & Cross Bearers 5:30 Emma McGraw 8:00 Jamie Rasmussen & Vinny Hamann 10:45 Alyssa & Serena Shriber Chancel 5:30 Carol & Rick Beacham 8:00 Debby & Howard Springborn 10:45 Shelly & Grace Izzo Children s Message 5:30 Ruth Henning 8:00 Christine Benda Fellowship Coffee Ruth Henning Finance Assistants Sheryl Rentz & Gloria Meas Friendly Callers Nancy Vargo & Nancy Abbattista Greeters 5:30 Kevin & Barb Cuyler 8:00 Tim & Jeri Moran 10:45 Carol Steinwart & Virginia Stahl Information Desk Attendant Chris Johnson Organist/Pianist 5:30 Elainie Kothera 8:00 Ralph Gabrielson, Jr. Readers 5:30 Wayland Middendorf 8:00 Eleanor Kothera 10:45 Brenda Kardatzke Sound & Video 6:00 Doug Treftz 8:00 Dave Hester Ushers 5:30 Brett Granholm 8:00 Andrew Auersch & Howard Springborn 10:45 Greg & Bonnie Randa Worship Assistants Todd Ruch / Tim Scott Planning Ahead April 8-7/8th Confirmation April 8-JR & SR Youth Groups April 9-CULVER S Night April 10-PALS Meeting April 12-OWLS Luncheon April 12-School Board Meeting April 12-Prayer Team Meeting April Middle School Lock In April 14-New Member Class April 15-7/8th Confirmation April 15-Food with Friends April 15-JR & SR Youth Groups April 19-Ladies Night Out April 19-Back to School Clinic Meeting April 21-Girl Scout Escape Event April 22-7/8th Confirmation April 22-JR & SR Youth Groups April 23-Autumn Leaves Chapel April 25-8th Grade Banquet April 26-Leadership Meeting April 28-Troop 12 Pancake Breakfast April 29-7/8th Confirmation April 29-JR & SR Youth Group The Church Office will be closed on Monday, April 2. 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

7 St. Luke s Congregational Election Meeting Sunday March 18, 2018 Attendance: Seventy-two (72) voting members signed the attendance roster. There being more than 50 voting members in attendance, a properly constituted quorum for conducting business was established. Call to Order: Following the 10:45 a.m. worship service, the meeting was called to order at 12:05 p.m. by President Tom Hoffmann who opened the meeting with prayer. Election: Prior to this election meeting, the Leadership Council decided to move the TLC-Small Group function from Mission and Ministry Board to Family Life Board. It also moved Confirmation Coordinator from under Lay Ministry Committee under the Mission and Ministry Board to report directly to the Family Life Board, and Post-High School Coordinator is also directly under the Family Life Board. This election was for terms of office running from The slate consisted of Tom Hoffmann, President, second term; Cheryl Ludwig, Secretary, first term; Todd Ruch, Mission and Ministry Board/ Technology, first term; Lisa Steinwart, Family Life Board/Chair, first full term (had been previously appointed mid-term); Fred Treftz, Family Life Board/Confirmation Coordinator, first term; Mary Ruch, Family Life Board/Fellowship, second term; Michelle Steinwart, Family Life Board/Post-High School Coordinator, first term; Chris Nelson, School Board, second term; Scott Crowell, School Board, non-st. Luke s member Academy parent, second term. There were no other candidates for the other open board positions. A motion to accept these candidates passed unanimously. Financial Update: Attendees were apprised of the current financial condition of the congregation. St. Luke s is in a critical situation with regard to payments to the Concordia Plans for employee health and retirement programs and to Thrivent for the mortgage on the property. The congregation is over five months behind in payments to both. Actual income has fallen well short of what was projected when the FY budget was approved. A lengthy and frank discussion followed and included faithfulness in giving. Everyone needs to pray about this situation. Additional News & Notes - Empower Illinois and the Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program: Invest In Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program is a comprehensive education funding bill passed by the State of Illinois House and Senate this past August (2017) and signed into law by the governor. It includes a provision for tax credit scholarships a 75% income tax credit to individuals and businesses supporting non-public school scholarships for low income students in the state. Illinois students from low -income families may use these new scholarships to attend a non-public school of their choice, including religious schools such as St. Luke's Christian Academy. The LCMS Northern Illinois District, as well as the Central and Southern Districts, have partnered with Empower Illinois, a statewide Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) created in 2017 to serve Illinois children through the state s tax credit scholarship program. Empower Illinois connects Tax Credit Scholarship Donations to Illinois students whose education opportunities may be limited by household income. Individuals and corporate donors may receive a credit for their Illinois state taxes equal to 75% of donations to an SGO and may direct their donations to qualified schools. A list of qualifying schools is available on the Empower Illinois website. Visit for complete information on the program. St. Luke s Christian Academy is a qualifying school. More information can be obtained from the Academy staff or members of the School Board, and at the FAQ s link on the Northern Illinois District website, If you know of a corporation which may be interested in this program, please notify the Academy staff or one of the Leadership Council members. This is a wonderful opportunity for the school to enhance enrollment. Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting closed with prayer and was adjourned at 1:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Allen Krodel Vice President and Acting Secretary 7

8 Bringing Christ to the neighborhood and the neighborhood to the Church! The Go Team, an affiliate of Lutheran Hour Ministries, is an outreach ministry here at St. Luke s. We have set our agenda for outreach for the balance of 2018 which we wish to share with the congregation as well as ask for your prayers and help in carrying out God s mission here in our community. Listed below are the areas of ministry. Please prayerfully consider becoming a part of these outreach opportunities. Contact Bob Cano or bobc8539@att.net. Easter Egg Hunt: Was held Saturday, March 24. We had a good turn out and we brought joy into the lives of the children in the neighborhood. Also, Kid s Bibles and religious booklets were given out along with potential scholarship information to attend St. Luke s Christian Academy. A thank you to all of those who helped with this event as well as Thrivent and Lutheran Hour Ministries for helping with the finances. We will be doing this again next year. Hope you can join us. Prayer Gathering: Along with St. Luke s prayer team and Riversedge Fellowship church, a prayer gathering is being held every month alternating between St. Luke s and Riversedge to gather those in our community to reach out to God for His help with violence occurring in our own community. April will be at Riversedge and May will be at St. Luke s. Please watch for the dates and come out and join us in prayer. Prison Ministry: Starting in April two of us will be teaching a Bible study for the men incarcerated at Thomson Federal Prison in Thomson, IL. Also, in May two of us will be going to Joliet prison to distribute Bibles and religious booklets from Lutheran Hour Ministries and also praying with them as we go from cell to cell visiting at least 84 of our brothers. Drive-Thru-Prayer: Starting on May 22 between 4 and 6 pm, we will be out on the street on Fernwood Drive with signs inviting people of the community to take time to share their prayer needs with us. This will be done each month through the summer and fall on the 4 th Tuesday of the month. Oswego Prairie Fest Booth: On June 14-17, we will be partnering with St. Luke s Academy at this event. We will be handing out Adult and Kid s Bibles, religious booklets from LHM and promoting St. Luke s Christian Academy and our up-coming Back to School Clinic. Back to School Clinic: On August 4, from 9 am until noon, we will be distributing the following to the children in the neighborhood: School supplies, backpacks, books, clothing, dry goods food, haircuts, Kid s and adult Bibles, religious booklets, prayer request booth, medical, dental and other services information. We served over 400 children last year hope to top that this year. Midwest Auto Fest: On August 11, we will host our annual Auto-Fest at Montgomery Fest. An opportunity to bring antique cars together for the public to enjoy as well as provide religious booklets and raffle prizes for the community. Montgomery Fest Booth: August 10-12, we will be partnering with St. Luke s Academy at this event. We will be handing out Adult and Kid s Bibles, religious booklets from LHM and promoting St. Luke s Christian Academy. November Veterans Day Celebration: Date to be determined. A celebration to honor veterans inviting everyone from the community. Christmas Shoe Box Gifts: Gather gifts for needy children as we have done in the past. Christmas Tree Gift Tags: Will be joining our existing ministry to provide Christmas gifts for needy families in our community. On Going Ministries: We will continue to support the Little Library, distribute invitational flyers to our immediate neighbors, senior resident Bible studies at their facility and social media awareness of our ministries via nextdoor.com to over 500 neighbors in Boulder Hill. 8

9 New Bible Study on Prayer Beginning on April 8 at 9:30 am in the new wing, we will start a new study on prayer. This study will challenge us to become a group that will pray for our church at one of the most important times in St. Luke's history. Plan on learning and praying together as we go through this study, Life Changing Prayer. In this six-session video-based Bible study Jim Cymbala, pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, unlocks the truths he has learned about prayer that transformed his church from a struggling inner city congregation to a thriving community of believers who pray with passion, focus, and faith. Join us as we learn about prayer and how it can change our church and your life. A Prayer for St. Luke s Heavenly Father, who has heard our daily prayer Thy kingdom come and through the Holy Spirit has made us Your children, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, I thank You that in our community You have established a Christian congregation, St. Luke s Lutheran Church, in which Your Word is proclaimed in its completeness and fullness and Your Sacraments administered as You have instituted them. I thank you for sustaining our congregation for over 60 years. Thank You for our Pastor, our Director of Christian Education, our Academy Principal, and for all who lead and serve in this place. Above all, I acknowledge Your mercy in bringing me into fellowship with this congregation. You shower us with blessing upon blessing as we come before the throne. I pray that You will continue to bless this church and its ministries in Your goodness and grace. Make effective the preaching of Your Word, let our prayers come before You as incense, keep alive and active in us the spirit of brotherly love and helpfulness Stifle in us every improper ambition and sinful pride Teach us to weep with those who suffer and to rejoice with those who are honored and happy. Add to our membership a large number of those who travel with us the road of life, and keep us in the narrow way which leads to life eternal. Father, financial debt once again threatens the very future of St. Luke s. You have miraculously rescued us in the past, and I pray that you would do so again so that we can freely be about Your business. Give us the means and the desire to effectively support this congregation with our time, talents, and treasures. Bless our initiative to Grow All Together and all our varied ministries including St. Luke s Christian Academy. May generations yet to come experience Your love and salvation in this place. Hear us for the sake of Your dear Son. Amen. Prayer Request Updates We welcome your prayer requests to pray for your needs or the needs of others. Please remember to submit an update after two weeks so that we can pray more effectively, whether it be prayers of thanksgiving or to continue to pray as directed. Without these updates, the prayer request will be removed after two weeks as we will assume that these needs have been met. Pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him. 1 Timothy 2:1 9