The Messenger. A Note from Pastor Darin

Transcription

1 The Messenger Our Savior s Lutheran Church West Bend, WI A Note from Pastor Darin Dear Friends, What do you think of when you think of Lent? Maybe you think of giving up something enjoyable or focusing on Christ s cross. Have you noticed the great emphasis we put on repentance of sins during Lent? It may seem like heavy, dark time as we spend time on inward focus on our sin and guilt. During the very beginning of the ancient Christian Church Lent was developed as a time of rigorous preparation for baptism at Easter. As a matter of fact, baptisms occurred only at Easter in the ancient church. It was a time of repentance but it was also time for a subdued celebration for the great, unfettered joy of being linked to the death and resurrection of Christ, the Risen Lord through baptism. Our Mission We gather together to explore and celebrate the wonder of Christ, equipping all to live a God centered life. How will you help Lent in your setting be a time of anticipation and restrained celebration, an encounter with Christ who comes to us in word and meal no matter what season of the church year it is? During this season of Lent our worship will lead us of the covenants God has made with his people throughout the Scriptures. We ll hear of promise, transformation, and blessing. Then, on Easter morning, we ll be all geared up to fully and completely experience the joy of Christ s rising from the dead and giving us new life. Besides our regular weekend worship we ll also gather for worship on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM. Our lives are crazy busy. I encourage you to see Wednesday nights as not just one more thing to do. Rather, see it as a time to step out of the business in order to rest in God s goodness. Gratefully, March/April 2018

2 Ministry Team Senior Pastor Darin Wiebe Cell: Education Ministry Assistant Sherie Kruse, Deacon H: Office Administrator Kelly Strosin CSS Music Coordinator Tom Gigante Custodian Chuck Pamperin Invitation for You Inviting you to Our Savior s EASTER EGG HUNT Saturday, March 24 ~ 10:00 am Kids ages 1 yr. thru 5 th grade hunt for plastic eggs filled with candy and surprises. Invite your family, your neighbors and your friends! Don t forget your Easter Basket YMCA/OSLC Childcare Parents please accompany your child 2018 Church Council President Audra Arndt Personnel Kelly Winkler Technology John Petras Property Jon Coutts Worship & Music Peggy Schmidt Treasurer Dwayne Schied Christian Education Arline Rasmussen Secretary Cathy Vance Evangelism Joan Petersen Youth Brooke Armstrong Harvest House Refreshments served in Fellowship Hall following the hunt Our Savior s will be serving on Saturday, April 7th, Volunteers are needed from 9-1:00 pm to help with meal preparation, serving, and clean up. Donations of desserts are also needed and can be dropped off at St. James Episcopal church on Saturday morning. Journey students, this a great activity for family service hours. There is a sign-up sheet on the service bulletin board. Any questions you can contact Kristi or Rich at Page 2

3 Annual Congregational Meeting Our Savior s Annual Congregational Meeting was held on Sunday, February 11th, The Ministry plan for the year was approved and leaders were elected. We begin our new congregational year with a strong leadership team and with gratitude to those who have completed their service. Mathew 20:28, even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life for many. New Council Members: Audra Arndt President Brooke Armstrong Youth Cathy Vance Secretary Joan Petersen Evangelism Jon Coutts Property Kelly Winkler Personnel Returning Council Members: Dwayne Schied Arline Rassmussen John Petras Family Ministry Outgoing Members: John Engstrom Kristi Schmidt Amy Berken Debbie Butschlick Pete Schroeder March 29th Maundy Thursday Noon and 7:00 pm Worship March 30th Good Friday Noon and 7:00 pm Worship Easter-April 1st 6:30 am Sunrise Worship 8:15 am Traditional Worship 10:15 am Contemporary Worship Easter Breakfast is: 7:15 am thru 10:15 am Our Savior s Easter Egg HuntMinistry needs Candy Donations & Egg-ceptional Volunteers for the Easter Egg Hunt Saturday March 24th. Volunteers needed to fill eggs [you can take them home] Volunteers to scatter eggs on March 24th at 8:30 am Volunteers to help set-up and clean up refreshments No Worship on Saturday March 31st If you re interested in helping with this family ministry event contact Sherie Kruse through the church office or skruse@oslcwb.org March/April 2018 Page 3

4 5th Grade Holy Communion Milestone Saturday, March 17 Are children younger than 5th grade welcome to The Lord s Table? The church sees parents as very important faith role models for their children. On Saturday, March 17 our 5th graders along with their parents or other significant adult will have the opportunity to participate in the 5th Grade Holy Communion Milestone class. While some of the participants in the class will have begun taking communion, others will first begin. While we have chosen 5th grade to mark this milestone in a noteworthy way, Our Savior s recognizes that a child s readiness to come to the Lord s Table is best determined by parents. Each child is different and will pick up on the significance of the meal at a different time. One important indication for readiness is if your child is showing signs of feeling excluded. As adults we sometimes feel the need to attach qualifiers, such as age, understanding, and or faith to our ability to understand. We forget that what God requires [faith] of us in the sacrament which God also gives to us. In the meal God comes to the recipient giving the gifts of forgiveness, life, salvation, and faith through God s grace. How this happens is a mystery because we can t explain how God makes it happen no matter what our age maybe. If you would like to know more about bringing your child to the Lord s Table please talk with Pastor Darin or Sherie. Easter Breakfast Easter Breakfast served in Fellowship Hall 7:15 10:15 AM Easter Sunday, April 1st Again your help is needed in making this year s Easter Breakfast as wonderful as you ve made this tradition in the past. Donations of breakfast items are needed including, eggs, milk, sausage, and tasty coffee cakes!!! A sign up poster for donations will be up in the Narthex. Volunteers are also needed to set up on Saturday and cook and serve on Sunday. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve others as a family. Volunteer sign-up sheets are located near the Serve & Share Board in the Narthex. All the funds raised for Easter Breakfast support the Youth and Child Scholarship Fund at OSLC which provides financial assistance for families sending their youth on our summer trips, college mission trip or sponsors a child attending bible camp. Please help us have another successful year supporting our young people. Page 4

5 VARSITY March 13th Tour of Delta Defense West Bend Please join us as we take a tour of Delta Defense, 1000 Freedom Way, West Bend. Delta Defense is a private company that provides marketing, operations, and customer care services to the USCCA. The mission of Delta Defense and the USCCA is to Educate 10,000,000 gun owners. Protect & Insure 1,000,000 USCCA Members, Stop 20,000 Crimes and Save 1,000 Lives by Come and check out a very dynamic business in our community. See for yourself what they are all about! If you are 55 and over please join us for our March VARSITY outing. Where: Delta Defense, 1000 Freedom Way When: Tuesday, March 13 Cost: None Time: tour starts at 10:00 We will meet at 9:55 at Delta Defense Lunch: to follow at your own expense somewhere in West Bend. We ll let you know! Holy Communion Milestones is being held for all 5th graders and their parents or another significant adult in their lives on Saturday, March 17 from 9:00 am noon in Fellowship Hall. As a faith Community we will celebrate this faith milestone on Maundy Thursday at 7pm. Sign up on the information board in the Narthex or call Jean at by Sunday, March 11. Need a ride or have questions? Call Jean Vibrant - Active - Robust - Seniors - In - Their Youth Youth Rummage Our last rummage was a huge success so we decided to have another! The rummage will be held again when the city of West Bend has its city wide rummage sale (usually in August). If you have any gently used clothes or household items (NO electronics) that you are looking to get rid of please consider donating them to church for the rummage sale. Items can be dropped off at church anytime between now and August. Items can be placed downstairs in the middle school room (look for sign). If you have larger items you are considering dropping off, please contact Tricia Schwechel at (262) Wind of God Tiny breeze or mighty wind, swirling round as God commands. Hats go flying. Branches bend. Little seeds spread through the lands. God Almighty makes the wind; great big gusts can shape the sands. Awesome is the power of God, when even wind obeys his plans. MaryAnn Sundby Thank you for supporting the youth of our church!!! March/April 2018 Page 5

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7 Caring Conversations for Families During the church season of Advent and Christmas it s easy for families to have caring faith conversations that focus on the birth of our Savior. It s a delight to hear our children retell the Christmas story in their angelic voice; and all to quickly the church season of Lent arrives and the joyful sound of alleluias sung are packed away and will not be heard again until Easter morning. Sometimes we want to protect our children from the solemn and sad moments of Holy Week but wc cannot bring them fully to the joy of Easter by excluding them. There are many things of this world that we do need to shield our children from but the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior is not one of them. The greatness of God s love for us is revealed through His Son, Jesus. Through Jesus life, death and resurrection we know God s love, grace and mercy. Let the last few weeks of Lent be a true season of change and growth for your family. Be willing to spend time talking with your child about Easter..not just the fun parts like Easter Bunnies, jelly beans and colorful eggs but about the real meaning of Easter Jesus triumph over sin and death that gives each of us the gift of God s forgiveness, mercy, grace and eternal life. I ve included this recipe many times in the Messenger but it s a fun as well as delicious way to tell the story of Jesus death and resurrection. Resurrection Buns [one of my favorites to make with kids] Ingredients: Jumbo sized Refrigerator Biscuits-1 roll [represents the linen cloth Jesus body was wrapped in as well s the tomb] Large Marshmallows-1 per biscuit [represents Jesus body] Melted butter Sugar & Cinnamon mixture - I am not exactly sure on the amounts of butter and cinnamon/sugar, just enough to cover the marshmallow. [represent the spices used to anoint Jesus body] Directions: 1. Flatten each biscuit with your hand. 2. Wrap one flattened biscuit around 1 marshmallow that is coated in sugar and cinnamon. Pinch the ends together to seal. 3. If you d like you can dip the roll in butter and roll in the sugar and cinnamon mixture too. 4. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and bake as directed on the refrigerator biscuit package. 5. As the buns are baking read or tell the Holy Week and Easter Story. Use a children s Bible, or story book. [Matthew 28:1-10 or John 20:1-18] 6. Allow buns to cool slightly before eating. Take a bit or cut and half. Where s the marshmallow? 7. Express Easter joy - Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia! March/April 2018 Page 7

8 Answer: A, B and D REMINDER Journey Kids planning on going to Confirmation Camp this summer need to turn in their completed camp registration and deposit to Sherie on or before Sunday, March 4 March & April Restaurant Opportunities Please consider dinning at Jumbo's Frozen Custard in West Bend on Thursday, March 15th. A portion of the meals purchased will be returned to the youth group to be used towards the summer trip to Texas for the National Youth Gathering. On Monday, April 16th, Culver's restaurant in West Bend will also donate a portion of the proceeds from meals back to the youth group to be used for our trip. With both of these opportunities you will need a slip that has the date and the name of the church on it in order for the youth group to get credit for the meal. These slips will be handed out at church the weekend before the event. The youth group appreciates the support you have shown for the restaurant fundraisers! We hope you enjoy your meal(s) out! Journey Schedule Journey Kids ~ Earn 15 Sermon Note Credits The journey through Lent leads us to the joy of Easter. Parents just a reminder, if your son / daughter worships Ash Wednesday [March 1], Palm Sunday [April 9], Maundy Thursday [April 13], Good Friday [April 14] and on Easter Sunday [April 16] and fills out the required sermon notes they can earn a total of 15 sermon notes. These stories are our faith! March 7 Journey at 6:30 Mid-Week Lenten Worship at 7 pm March 14 Journey at 6:30 Mid-Week Lenten Worship at 7 pm March 21 Journey at 6:30 Mid-Week Lenten Worship at 7 pm March 22 Journey at 6:30 Mid-Week Lenten Worship at 7 pm March 25 Palm Sunday March 28 No Journey During Holy Week March 29 Maundy Thursday Worship at Noon and 7 pm March 30 Good Friday Worship at Noon and 7 pm April 1 April 4 April 11 April 18 April 25 Easter Sunday Worship times 6:30 am, 8:15 am & 10:15 am No Journey Open 6 pm Ruth: The tenacious Outsider Fun Review 8 th Grade Parent / Student Orientation for Affirmation of Baptism Page 8

9 Day Camp News OUR SAVIOR S DAY CAMP JUNE ~ :00 AM 3:00 PM Open to all children who have completed Kinder- 5th grade Join us for 4 day magnificent days of fun and exploration as we discover new ways to care for God s creation by exploring the world around us. One day will be spent in the great outdoors learning about aquatic life, bugs, seeds and plants; and one morning enjoying water activates at the local YMCA Fill out the registration form and drop it off/mail it by May 20 (Late registrations may not be accepted) Cost is $40 per child; due at registration Family max of $115 Please make checks payable to: Our Savior s Lutheran Need more information? Call or Sherie Kruse Education Ministry Assistant, Deacon or skruse@oslcwb.org March/April 2018 Page 9

10 Single Lily $12.00 Double Lily $20.00 Daffodil $10.00 Pink Hyacinth $10.00 Blue Hyacinth $10.00 EASTER FLOWERS I wish to purchase the following flowers for the chancel area: (Please indicate number of plants) Pink Hydrangea $19.00 Blue Hydrangea $19.00 Red Azalea $19.00 Pink Azalea $19.00 Tulips $10.00 (various colors) Yellow Daisy Mum $12.00 Lavender Daisy Mum $12.00 Make checks payable to Our Savior s Lutheran Church and include payment with your order. Please use an envelope and mark it Easter Flowers and leave the envelope in the offering plate, in the office, or you may mail the request to Our Savior s Lutheran Church, 1044 S. Silverbrook Drive, West Bend, WI DEADLINE FOR ORDERING IS March 11th, Name (Print as you want it to appear in the bulletin) Given In Memory of (40 Character Limit) Given In Honor of (40 Character Limit) Other (40 Character Limit) Please check one: I will pick up my plant(s) after the 10:15 a.m. service on Easter Sunday. Please deliver my plant(s) to a shut-in. PLASTIC DRIP TRAYS STAY AT CHURCH I m willing to deliver plants to shut-ins on Easter Page 10

11 Thank you to all those who generously give their time to help fold, staple, stuff envelopes and seal those envelopes! Our weekly bulletins and newsletters could not get out timely without your help. If you are interested in joining a wonderful group of people, please call the office at Article Deadline.. For the May/June Newsletter April 13th is the deadline. Submit all articles to the church office or them to: Office@oslcwb.org In our Prayers: Bold names are new additions Sami Arndt Alicia Balasch Gary Bronson Bill Buettner Barb Fishbaugher Bill Fullhart Cynthia Handford Hep Hepner Reanne Hepner Jean Kelley Ken Miller (Lynn Schroeder's dad) Judy Roels Joan Sherman Rhonda Sutherland Arnie Wickland Steve Hunter Zaskowski People we pray for are renewed by calling the church office. Ellie Lynn Wade daughter of Peter and Katie Wade was baptized on January 13th Welcome Ellie! Our thoughts and prayers to the family of Mary Sherman who passed away on February 8th. Every 5th Sunday Every month that has a fifth Sunday is a Healing Service. It is a quiet, peaceful opportunity to bring our pains, fears, and ailments to God and to receive an anointing of oil and laying on of hands for prayers of healing. Next Healing Service Weekend is April 28th-29th, Our Men and Women Who Serve: Tina Anderson Jonathon Osheim Max Baumgartner Turner Pruett Darrin Ferguson Jr. Jack Ramson Thomas Garvey Joe Ramson Jason Krueger Jeff Schied Troy Nienow Christopher Zaczyk Joseph Osheim Chris Zeman Terry Osheim March/April 2018 Page 11

12 FAMILY PROMISE is just around the Corner At Community Church March OSLC meals and overnighters are Tuesday (20), Thursday (22) and Friday (23). Set-up and take-down are Sunday (18) and (25). For more information, contact Joan Petersen, Marilynn Orlopp or Ty Jeranek. Our Savior s Lutheran Church Office Phone: Office Fax: Office office@oslcwb.org Website ELCA: Website Synod: If you or a family member are hospitalized and would like a pastoral care visit, please have a family member call the church office. We are finding that hospitals are not notifying us when members are admitted, even if you have requested that they do so. Dates to Remember: March 10th Youth Dinner/Auction April 7th Harvest House March 13th VARSITY Delta Defense March 15th Jumbos Custard Fundraiser March 17th 5th grade Milestone April 16th Culvers Restaurant Fundraiser for Youth Group March 24th Kids Easter Egg Hunt March 29th Maundy Thursday March 30th Good Friday April 1st Easter Sunday Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30 pm If there is an Emergency please call Pastor Darin at March/April 2018