Summer Ends and School Year Begins

Transcription

1 Waxpool Road, Ashburn, VA At Your Service Pastor Bill Mann Pastor Tyson Labuhn Pastor Justin Kumfer Pastor Eric Peterson Pastor Ralph Wiechmann Ned Waterhouse Director, Open Arms Raymond Dubert Director, Family Life & Youth Emily Sonstroem Minister to Youth & Young Adults Barb Yarbrough Faith Life Encourager Nikki Deacon Fellowship & Women s Ministry Nikki@oswlc.org Erin Matusek Human Resources Erin@oswlc.org Joe Kumke Facility Project Manager Joe@oswlc.org Jeff Barnes Director, Finance Jeff@oswlc.org Rhonda Fadeley Church Office Churchoffice@oswlc.org Summer Ends and School Year Begins At the beginning of August, many people are still taking the last of their summer vacations and enjoying the last of the warm, sunny weather. These summer vacation days often culminate with National Relaxation Day on August 15th. After that, our once leisurely summer pace of life begins to change as we begin to get ready for a faster pace of life, which we often experience in the fall. Here at Our Savior s Way there are many events that we are excitedly looking forward to. On August 19th, we welcome back Pastor Mann from his summer sabbatical. Also on that date, we will have our annual congregational budget meeting for the fiscal year of On August 21st, Open Arms will welcome the full-day program children on their first day of school. Loudoun Public School children will go back to school on August 23rd. And on August 26th, during the 11:00 am worship service, we will be blessing backpacks and having a potluck picnic to celebrate the end of our summer Together theme. We hope that you have enjoyed the "Together" theme and found all the resources helpful in continuing on your spiritual path. Many are sad to see the summer go but, there is no need to be anxious about the future because our future is secure in the Lord. Even daily anxious feelings can be overcome through prayer with thanksgiving. We read in Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Being thankful for a great summer, we can look forward to the start of Fall. Pastor Tyson Labuhn Pastor.Labuhn@oswlc.org

2 Announcements Back to School The school year is always busy and exciting for everyone. This year on Tuesday, August 21st, Open Arms is welcoming back their full-day program children for the start of the school year. Additionally, Loudoun County public schools will begin Thursday, August 23rd. Of course, we can not forget all our college students who return to their colleges and universities this August. Please keep all our students in your prayers as they start off the school year. New to Our Savior s Way? If you are new and would like to learn more about the ministry here at Our Savior s Way, check out the Welcome Desk, search the Our Savior s Way website, talk to a pastor, attend a First Connect Lunch, or take a Faith Connect Class. First Connect Lunch 12:30-1:30 pm September 23, 2018 November 4, 2018 January 20, 2019 May 5, 2019 Blessing of the Backpacks Sunday, August 26, 11:00 am As summer comes to an end and the school year begins, we invite you to join us to bless the backpacks of your children. We will be blessing backpacks for the school year on Sunday, August 26th at the 11:00 am church service. Children should bring along their school backpacks and during the service, children come forward for a special moment of prayer, blessing, and a special bag tag. Parents will receive a set of notes of encouragement to tuck into their child s backpack or lunch boxes. Let s send our kids into the new school year assured of God s promises and our loving support! Be sure to join us and to include all of our young people in your prayers as they go back to school. Barb Yarbrough Barb@oswlc.org Faith Connect Classes 9:30-10:30 am September 30, 2018 November 11, 2018 January 27, 2019 May 12, 2019 New Member Reception November 11, 2018 January 13, 2019 March 10, 2019 June 23, 2019 Pastor Peterson Pastor.Peterson@oswlc.org

3 Give Back We Need Welcome Center Volunteers The Welcome Center is where our new guests are directed to after the service, and we need more people to help operate the Welcome Center on Sunday mornings. If you like meeting new people and sharing information about our church, this job is for you. There are two ways you can serve. 1) Sign up for one Sunday a month for the service in which you attend 2) Serve as a substitute when others can t serve on their assigned day Volunteering doesn t take a lot of time, and it makes a big impact on our church. If you re interested or want more information, please contact Martie Dunnett at (703) Martie Dunnett can help you get signed up and give you any information you need. The Our Savior s Way Comfort Dog is Coming Soon! As we prepare for the call to come, there are expenses we need to satisfy. The Comfort Dog Ministry Team will have to report to Chicago for training. The great news is, after completion of training we will return with our Comfort Dog. We need to raise money for the trip and, of course, all the items which are needed when getting a new dog. So we are throwing a Puppy Shower Fundraiser! Please consider donating to the Comfort Dog Ministry through the church website or via check marked with Comfort Dog Ministry in the memo line. To donate online go to: to help raise money for our Comfort Dog! Nikki Deacon Nikki@oswlc.org Lutheran Church Extension Fund Congregational Advocate Needed Our Savior s Way is looking for a Lutheran Church Extension Fund congregational advocate. A Congregation Advocate will help increase the Lutheran Church Extension Fund s visibility, awareness, and exposure to the congregation. We are trying to fill this position as soon as possible so that our advocate can attend the LCEF conference this September. If you are looking to serve our congregation in this capacity please contact Pastor Tyson Labuhn at Pastor.Labuhn@oswlc.org. Gifted to Care Spiritual gifts are gifts to give away. God gives them to us, and we use them to serve others. How are you using your gifts right now? Are you looking for a new way to use them? If your spiritual gifts include one or more of the following: faith, mercy, teaching the faith, encouragement, or knowing, please consider Stephen Ministry, our congregation s one-to-one caregiving ministry. This may be just what you ve been looking for! Contact a Stephen Leader to learn more about this ministry. StephenMisistry@oswlc.org (540)

4 Together "At Home and On the Go" Resources for Together Our Savior s Way is focusing on ten different ways to be Together this summer to grow in faith. A set of resources will be available for each topic to extend the faith experience throughout the week. Pick them up at church or online. Vacations keeping you from being Together with us? Grab your packet before you go, then check out the Sunday worship service online. The "At Home or On the Go' resource contains a Bible passage focus, conversation questions, activity ideas, and resources to appeal to many ages and stages of families. Other Highlights are: Flat Jesus cut out. We know Jesus is with us wherever we go. Let's show it! Post pictures of His adventures with you to #flatjesusoswlc, or to our Facebook page. A 'Together Tracker' to mark off your participation. Set a goal to do 3 simple things weekly! Conversation cards for mealtime and more. Let's have a great summer Together with Our Savior s Way, Open Arms, family, and friends! Barb Yarbrough Barb@oswlc.org Together Finale! Sunday, August 26, 12:00 am It s great to be Together! This summer we have served, played, read, created, worshiped, and much more. We re almost at the end of our Together focus, but this won t be the end for us. God has brought us together and we will continue to grow Together in His name. We invite you to join us for one last hurrah as we Eat Together on Sunday, August 26th. After the 11:00 am service we invite you and your family to our Eat Together picnic. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, and more delicious food. Please bring a side or dessert to share. We re excited to have taken this journey with you and are looking forward to celebrating with you at the picnic and continuing our life Together. Pastor Justin Kumfer Pastor.Kumfer@oswlc.org

5 Mission Work Special Thanks from the All Nations Lutheran Church Our brothers and sisters from the All Nations Lutheran Church in Ghana send their greetings and thanks to the Our Savior s Way congregation for giving them the opportunity to...serve the needs of [their] congregation and [their] community. Earlier this year Our Savior s Way supported the All Nations Lutheran Church financially. Through this support they were able to bring light and color into their beautiful church. Making it more recognizable from the outside and brighter on the inside. As the All Nations Lutheran Church continues their work please keep them in your thought and prayers as they continue to grow and experience God through their newly renovated church. If you would like to know more about our work with All Nations Lutheran Church please contact Pastor Tyson Labuhn at Pastor.Laubhn@oswlc.org.

6 Serve Become a Part of the Food Donation Team Did you know the Food Donation and Delivery ministry under the Social Ministries Committee picks up food donations seven days a week from local restaurants and delivers it to more than 20 different recipient groups each week? With a team of regular volunteers, we are able to distribute approximately 500 pounds of food to those in need each week. In addition to our team of regular volunteers, we keep a list of those willing to serve on call as substitutes when needed. We are actively seeking volunteers for Tuesday morning delivery, Saturday night pick up, and Sunday night pick up. If interested in learning more, please contact Melissa Colvin at Mscolvin@comcast.net or Pastor Wiechmann at Pastor.Wiechmann@oswlc.org. Message to Current Team Members A new supply of bags for transporting Panera bread and pastries has been stocked in the Social Ministries closet for your use. The electronic MSP system is available to request a substitute when needed; you may also swap shifts and volunteer to help cover each other s vacancies using the MSP app! Pastor Wiechmann Pastor.Wiechmann@oswlc.org Parish Nursing Health and Hope Ministry Please visit our webpage, for more information and a list of summer activities. My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in good health as I know you are well in spirit. 3 John 1:2 Linda Merkle Parishnursing@oswlc.org

7 Small Groups Our Savior s Way Discipleship Path At Our Savior s Way we are making disciples for Jesus Christ by: Forming Relationships, Experiencing Jesus Together, and Sharing God s Love. The two great commandments of our Lord are to love God and love your neighbor as ourselves. The Christian faith is not a solo experience. Faith is all about relationships, our relationship with God, ourselves, and our neighbor. Personally Grow in God s Word: Develop a habit of hearing God s Word in Worship daily and by hearing God s Word in personal and family devotions. God s spirit will strengthen your faith and the faith of your family. In Romans 10:17 the Bible says, Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word of Christ. Join A Small Group: Jesus promised that where two or three are gathered together in His name He will be with them. It is important to make friends and to let people get to know you. As you get to know people and you study God s Word together, your experience of Jesus s presence in your life will grow. For a list of small groups go to: oswlc.org/connect/small groups. Share God s Love: Jesus promised, the more we share His love, the more His love will grow in our lives. One of the most powerful ways to grow in your faith is to share your faith with a friend, to offer encouragements and hope to someone near you, or be involved in service to others. Our Savior s Way Lutheran Church s website has many ideas to help you serve locally or abroad in a foreign mission. Discover Your Discipleship Path: This is a one on one ministry for those who want to understand how God has uniquely gifted them for serving Him. Following Jesus on His Mission: Following Jesus on His Mission is a class which provides you practical ways to apply your faith to your daily life. Pastor Peterson Pastor.Peterson@oswlc.org

8 Youth Young Adult Shenandoah River Tubing Trip Saturday, August 11, 9:00 am Join our Young Adult group on Saturday, August 11th at 9:00 am as we go river tubing in the Shenandoah river for the day. High School grads through the age of 30 are welcome to attend! We will leave from the church at 9 am and get back later in the afternoon. Wear a bathing suit and bring sunscreen, a towel, a bagged lunch, and a change of clothes for the ride home. Get excited for a day on the river! Outdoor Movie Night Friday, August 17, 8:00-9:30 pm All 6 th -8 th graders are invited to meet at Emily s house, Goose Cross Terrace Ashburn, VA for a movie night on her 100-inch outdoor movie screen! She ll provide the popcorn and s mores, but feel free to bring other snacks to share. Invite your friends! Confirmation Registration With the new school year approaching, so is a new year of Confirmation here at Our Savior s Way! Registration is open to all rising 7th-8th grade students. There will be an information session on Sunday, August 26th from 4:30-5:30 pm for parents and students to learn how and why we format Confirmation the way we do. As well as to ask any questions they might have. Registration (a Children and Youth Information and Activity Form for ) should be turned in to Emily Sonstroem by the meeting on August 26th. Keep an eye on your mail or contact Emily for more information on the Confirmation process. August Young Adult Schedule August 6th - 7 pm Dinner and Devotions (Rubino s) August 11th - 9 am Shenandoah River Tubing August 17th - 8 pm Outdoor Movie Night August 13th - 7 pm Dinner and Devotions August 20th - 7 pm Dinner and Devotions (Lost Rhino) August 27th - 7 pm Dinner and Devotions Emily Sonstroem Emily@oswlc.org or (703) No Grace Place During August Grace Place children's Sunday School will not meet during the summer months. This summer, we are encouraging all families to experience the Together series. Make sure to pick up the Together At Home or On the Go" packets for some fun faith lessons at home each week. Packets are available for each summer theme, and resources are also online, so you can be Together with us, wherever you are. Thanks again to all are wonderful Grace Place helpers and we hope you all have an amazing summer filled with God s love. Barb Yarbrough Barb@oswlc.org

9 Did You Know? Registration is Still Open for Open Arms Summer Camp Register today for Open Arms summer camp, Camp Glow! This year campers will journey across the seas as they discover the world around them. Each week we invite the campers to discover their full potential through hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities, field trips, special guests, and our Bible curriculum. Space is limited. For more information, visit: Pastor Mann s Back from Sabbatical Sunday, August 19 For those who do not know Pastor Mann had a two month long sabbatical this summer where he visited his family, other churches, and did missionary work. After his many travels and adventures we welcome back Pastor Mann from his summer sabbatical on Sunday, August 19th. We are very excited to have Pastor Mann back and are glad he got to spend quality time with his family and friends. Open Arms is Hiring! We are currently accepting applications for the following openings: Full Time Infant Teacher Split Shift Part Time Assistant Teachers/Closers Half Day Preschool Teachers for our Tigers Class Please your resume to Erin@oswlc.org if you are interested.

10 OSWLC How to Become a Member of Our Savior s Way Lutheran Church Start by worshipping with the people of Our Savior s Way on Sundays at 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 am. If you are new to OSWLC and would like to learn more about the ministry at OSWLC, check out the Welcome Desk, search the OSWLC website ( talk to a pastor, attend a First Connect fellowship luncheon or take a Faith Connect class. After joining OSWLC, Discover Your Discipleship Path is offered to equip new members faith.this class will help you identify your spiritual gifts to serve others and apply your faith to daily life. Pastor Eric Peterson Pastor.Peterson@oswlc.org

11

12 43115 Waxpool Road, Ashburn, VA Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Dulles, VA Permit No. 751 Return Service Requested - Dated Material - Do Not Delay Sunday Service Times 8:00am Traditional 9:30am Traditional August 5, August 19 9:30am Contemporary August 12, August 26 11:00am Contemporary Holy Communion is celebrated at all Sunday morning worship services. A nursery is available on Sunday mornings from 9:30 am-12:00 pm. Communication Submissions Please use our online web form for all requests for publication (bulletin, mid-week , and newsletter). Hover over the Members tab and choose Submit an Article/Event or go to Please don t hesitate to contact the Communications Team with any questions or suggestions. The Communications Team (703) Communications@oswlc.org Waxpool Road, Ashburn, VA