November. St John Mission Statement S T. J O H N E V. LUTHERAN. Firmly Rooted in God s Word

Transcription

1 Firmly Rooted in God s Word S T. J O H N E V. LUTHERAN C H U RC H E L C A November 2018 Say Hello to Our New MembersKathy Gessner, Nancy and Wayne Hansen, Karen Schmidt and Matt Anderson Photographs by Curt Yess Men in Mission and members of St. John volunteered at First Nations Kitchen in Minneapolis October 21 St John Mission Statement St. John is a Christian family of disciples alive in a Scripture -based, Spirit-led mission of ministry, worship and play. Disciples at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church are expected to pray often, worship regularly, learn from the Scriptures, participate in the serving groups if physically able, offer their time and talent as the spirit calls them, and regularly contribute monetarily to support the mission and ministry of the church. Photograph by Curt Yess

2 November Lifeline Church Office Hours Monday Friday 7:30 am 11:30 am 12:30 pm 4:30 pm Call Facebookstjohnlutheranchurchelca Page 2 Have you checked out Pastor John s current weeks sermon? stjohnwaseca.wordpress.com/ You can also find it on our website! MILITARY SERVICE Jacob Kuhns, Dana Elias Trevor Morris, Matt Wantoch, Darren Peterson, Savanna Grunzke, Madyson Murphy, Jacob Lemmen and Nathan Lonneman. Please let us know of others to add. If by accident.. Men in Mission will serve a Pancake Breakfast with maple rope sausages, fruit, toppings, and beverages following worship on Sunday, Nov. 4. We will be honoring the First Grade Students. after the Fall Festival you took home a grey Teflon coated pie pan please return it to the church office. Someone is missing theirs, there is no name on it. Please pick up your dishes from the basement. Thanksgiving Dinner The Waseca Ministerial Association is again hosting its Thanksgiving Dinner. As usual this celebration feast will consist of turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, corn, a dinner roll, and a pumpkin square. Christ the King Lutheran Church of Waseca is hosting the dinner this year and all senior citizens and others who may be alone are cordially invited to attend. It will be held at Christ the King, th St. NE, in Waseca at 12:00 noon on Thanksgiving Day. Rides, delivery and take-out are available upon request. We will accept a freewill offering. Please RSVP by calling the Senior Center , Mary or Naomi before Monday Nov. 19 th. A blessed Thanksgiving to you all! Christ the King Lutheran Church PRAYER MINISTERS Prayer teams will be available in the narthex for prayer during all Sunday Communion services. While communion is being served you are invited to go to the narthex and a member will be there to hear your request and to pray with you. Please make use of this opportunity to pray. Bring your loose change and make some noise for world hunger. Noisy Offering is Sunday, Nov. 4 I want to express my deep appreciation for all the prayers and support during my cancer treatment. I ve completed more than half my chemo and my test results look great. It really means a lot to have a caring church, family, friends and community, it helps me stay strong and positive. Your prayers keep me warm. THANK YOU to all and thanks be to God! Bruce Boyce Altar Flowers If you would like to adorn our altar with fresh flowers in honor of or in remembrance of a loved one or special occasion, please call Debbie Bartelt at or the church office at at least a week ahead of time. Two vases are $40 paid to WELCA. This may be brought to the church office or put in the offering plate. Individuals whom belong to the church may have this donation listed on their financial statements. If you request a color and/or flower preference please contact Waseca Floral at for the amount. A written announcement can be put in the weekly bulletin specifying they are in honor of or in memory of.

3 November Lifeline Page 3 I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel (Philippians 1:3-5) Dear friends of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, When have you felt most inspired to give? In the Jewish tradition, there is an understanding of charitable giving called tikkum olam, in which God gives us the ministry to repair or fix the world. In our Christian baptism, we are called to a likewise ministry. At our baptisms, a candle is lit and presented to the baptized and the family and sponsors, with the words of Jesus: Let your light so shine before others In our Confirmation, this call to ministry is again stated, this time in an expanded form. Do you intend to continue in the covenant of your baptism To live among God s faithful people, To hear the word of God, and share in the Lord s supper, To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, To serve all people following the example of Jesus, And to strive for justice and peace in all the earth? And the person answers: I do, and I ask God to help and guide me. As with baptism, when we confirm, we do so as a gathered community not only to offer our support and prayers for the one confirming his/her faith, but ALSO, for us to renew our commitment to our own confirmation. As witnesses to that act of confirmation, we bring our whole selves to God our joy, our struggles, our doubts, our worries, our guilt and once again speak yes to God. And, as with Baptism, we hear a liberating word: Child of God, I have made you my own. You belong to me forever. We are loved, forgiven, and reconciled to God as a gift, not by what we do. And, as with Baptism, God calls forth our response to give our time, talents and financial gifts for the sake of Christ s ministry in the world. Confirmation, as Baptism, is intended to inspire our commitment to God s mission in the world. We already belong to God, and we already have been given his saving Grace, before we do anything. In response to this gift, we are called to participate in the healing of God s world, and of all that is a part of that world. What a great way to express our thankfulness to God! Peace -Pastor John Omans PASTORAL ACTS Baptisms Confirmation Wedding 10/7 Carley Reger 10/14 Chloe Knutson 10/28 Owen Thomas 10/6 Adam Lee and Erica Lorscheter

4 November Lifeline Anyone that wants to be included on our current Homebound Communion list please call the church office at If you are a shut-in member and would like the bulletin and/or announcements mailed or ed to you, please call the church office at Pastor John s Sermon, weekly church announcements, calendar, photos, Lifeline newsletter, Council minutes, SCRIP order form, electronic giving and much more can be found on our website. Page 4 If you would like to adorn our altar with fresh flowers in honor of or in remembrance of a loved one or special occasion, please call Debbie Bartelt at or the church office at at least a week ahead of time. Two vases are $40 paid to WELCA. This may be brought to the church office or put in the offering plate. Individuals whom belong to the church may have this donation listed on their financial statements. If you request a color and/or flower preference please contact Waseca Floral at for the amount. A written announcement can be put in the weekly bulletin specifying they are in honor of or in memory of. Currently Available in the Narthex and Trinity Hall Coming Soon Advent Devotions Large print and regular size copies of : Portals of Prayer, Christ in our Home, and The Upper Room quarterly devotion books. Council meeting monthly minutes Extra Copies of our Lifeline Monthly Newsletter Monthly Prayer Ventures from ELCA Pockets learning about God for children Gather women s magazine for faith and action The Lutheran Prayer Book -a collection of prayers and inspirations for every Lutheran. Complimentary bus tokens are available for St. John members riding the bus to church. Call the church office at You must call DISPATCH before 3pm Saturday to schedule your pickup and drop-off. Hospitalized or ILL? Pastor John would like to visit you if you have any mental or physical health issues. Therefore if you or a loved one is sick, or if you are in the hospital for a planned surgery or any other reason do contact us. Call the church at

5 November Lifeline Page 5 Live Simply Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. (Philippians 4:11) I marvel at the Apostle Paul s words in the verse above. Paul is writing this while in prison, and the prisons of that day were not meant for comfort many died while in prison. He has very real needs. And yet, in the letter to the Philippians, Paul speaks of joy and contentment. He says that he has enough. Our situation is quite different from Paul s. We too are blessed with much, while Christians in the First Century (at the time of Paul s letter) had so little. And yet, we too, are challenged to learn this lesson of being content with what we have. I hear these words of contentment from Paul, as God s invitation to us to live more simply. Think about the ways that God might be calling for us to live more simply. What fears might we have about living with a little less? What would we miss? What are the challenges we would need to overcome to spend less? Could living we less provide an opportunity to pay off some debt? What other opportunities might this open for us to participate in Christ s ministry, in the church, through the church, and in the world? Thanks be to God for all that you do! BIBLE READINGS FOR UPCOMING SUNDAYS 11/04/18 Revelation 7:9-17 (All Saints Sunday) Series Live Simply 11/11/18 Matthew 6: /18/18 Matthew 8: /21/18 Philippians 4:4-13 (Thanksgiving Eve) 11/25/18 John 13:34-35 Ministerial Soup Luncheon Wednesday, Nov noon at St. John Lutheran Church Enjoy a warm bowl of soup, fellowship with friends, and a devotion from Pastor John, just for the cost of a donation. Sponsored by the Greater Waseca Ministerial Association. Proceeds help to provide community meals at holidays

6 November Lifeline Page 6 Sundays 10:15am-10:30am Children s Music in the chapel First Grade students will be honored at the Men in Mission Pancake breakfast Sunday, November 4 following worship in Fellowship Hall. Children are invited to play instruments at Worship on Nov. 11th at 9:00 a.m. GIFT Projects-Growing in Faith Together 6th grade Projects will be given on Sunday, November 11 at the 9:00 am worship service. 5th Grade First Communion is Sunday, Nov. 18 -Classes Oct. 28 and Nov. 11 at 6:30pm NOVEMBER 3G Schedule: Sunday, Grace Chapel Sunday, Grace Chapel Sunday, Grace Chapel Sunday, 11/25 - NO 3rd GEAR (Thanksgiving) 2019 Summer Trips INFO: Wednesday, 11/14: Trip Informational Meeting in Grace Social Hall- Registration begins for all trips Sunday, 11/18: M&M Fundraiser Begins. Instructions are on the container (collecting quarters) Sunday, 11/18: Trip Deposits Due ($100) Make sure you subscribe to remind to get all the info. Marty Aberle, Youth Director Men in Mission will host Christmas Caroling for the Shut in members at Realife and Lake Shore Inn. Meet at church at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 9. We will carpool. There will be refreshments at church afterwards. Fun for the whole family! Men in Mission will be sending out college care packages in November. Please get your college student s address to the church office by Nov.19 by calling or ing stjohn@hickorytech.net. The students really appreciate being remembered during finals! Men in Mission will meet Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7:00 p.m. to bake cookies and assemble college care packages. Host Mike B Devotions Pastor John Calling all teens, young adults and Children We need some young people to help make our sanctuary beautiful for the Christmas Season. No prior decorating experience needed. Looking for a service project? Join in the fun! If you are able to climb ladders that is a plus. We will be gathering Saturday December 1 at 9:00 am at the church. SAVE THE DATE! Contact anyone on the worship committee with questions Jan Macklay, Mary Meyman, Sue Michaels, or Carol Randall.

7 November Lifeline DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS Fall Back All Saints Sunday Nov. 4, 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Ushers: Vickie Hill, Mary Conway Craig and Cathryn Johnson Reader: David Oraskovich Acolyte: Payten Haack Church Council: Michael Schlueter Videographer: Curt Yess SCRIP: Fellowship: Men in Mission Twenty-fifth Sunday in Pentecost Nov. 11, 9:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship with Communion Veterans Day Ushers: Angela Barbknecht, Brian Tesch Jeff and Ann Ruedy Prepare Communion: Ann Ruedy, Linda Sandborg Prayer Ministers: Sue Erdman, Shirley Raetz Reader: Gyles Randall Acolyte: Payton Garza Church Council: Kari Priebe Videographer: Merril Schultz Fellowship: Dave Kormann Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost Nov. 18, 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship with Communion First Communion Ushers: Scott and Shannon Hedberg Ethan Hedberg, Wayne Johnson Prepare Communion: Rod and Vickie Kolpin Prayer Ministers: Dewey and Kathy Zabel Reader: Duane Speikers Acolyte: Jenessa Baumgarten Church Council: Kevin Dickie Videographer: Jackie Krause Fellowship: Women of the ELCA Page 7 Thanksgiving Eve Wednesday Nov. 21, 7:00 p.m. With Holy Communion /Thank Offerings Ushers: Don and Linda Wesseling Danielle Timmerman, Curt Yess Acolyte: Payton Garza Reader: Prepare Communion: Jody and Teri Wilker Church Council: Cindy Coy Acolyte: Dominic Grunzke Christ the King Sunday Nov. 25, 9:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship Ushers: Karen Schmidt, Linda Sandborg Valerie Possehl, Kimberly Possehl Reader: Acolyte: Susie Kuhns Church Council: Bill Erdman Videographer: Curt Yess Fellowship: we need your help Hanging of the Greens Sunday, December 2 VIDEO VOICE OF ST JOHN Each Sunday morning the worship service at St. John is videotaped and broadcast on local Channel 8 Sundays at 5:00 pm and Mondays at 10:30 am. Traditional Worship on the first and third Sundays at 9:00 am Contemporary Worship on the second and fourth Sundays at 9:00 am Holy Communion Sundays November 11 and 18 Wednesday, November 21 at 7pm

8 November Lifeline Diane Caspers, MS, LP Licensed Psychologist Individual, Couple, Family and Child Therapy Diane provides individual, couple and family therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Diane is available for counseling on Thursdays in Waseca at St. John Lutheran Church. To schedule an appointment, call the Mankato office at Thank you to Rose Thissen for her service. She made 60 dresses for Haiti! Page 8 Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Christmas St. John will again be partnering with Grace Church and First Congregational Church in providing Christmas gifts for Red Shirt School (grades K-8) as well as gifts for several families on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. If you would like to participate, pick a tag from tree, sign your name and phone number to the master list, buy and wrap the gift and return to St. John by Sunday, December 1 st. Cost for toys could range from about $15.00-$20.00 Food baskets and cleaning baskets are needed as well as personal care kits. Spend whatever you feel is necessary. There are tags on the tree with a list stapled for these supplies or there are lists by the tree. Packing in totes and strong boxes work well for food and cleaning supplies. Bundling personal care items in a bath towel tied securely is acceptable. All will be personally delivered December 6-9 If you have questions please contact Sue Erdman at or Ward Ask at Thank you for your past support of this mission! Quilters sent 160 quilts to Lutheran World Relief this year. Senior Lutherans Dinner Wednesday, Nov 14, at 11:30 am $7. Lunch is catered by the Pheasant Café. Please call the church office by noon on Monday, November 12 at to RSVP.

9 Page 9 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 7pm WELCA Guest Night Alex s House 2 T. H. rental 3 T. H. rental 4 All Saints Sunday 9:00 am Traditional Worship Noisy offerings/ SCRIP 10:15 am Men in Mission Pancake Bkft honor 1 st Gr /Children s Music 11:30 am 3rd G at Grace 5:00 pm Video Voice 5 10:00 a.m. Quilters 10:30 am Video Voice 6 Election Day 7:00 pm Commissions 7 5pm Pizza 5:30 pm Presentation 8th grade parents and students Leadership Lab/ Confirmation Class 6:30 pm Bells at Grace Veteran s Day 9:00 am Contemporary Worship w/communion Baptism/ 6 th Gr GIFT projects 10:15am Children s Music/ Fellowship 11:00 a.m. Bells of Peace 11:30 am 3G at Grace 6:30 pm First Comm. meet 12 10:00 a.m. Quilters 10:30 am Video Voice 1:30 p.m. Mary Bible Study T.H. 13 5:30 pm Executive Council 6:00 pm Council 14 11:30 am Senior Lutherans Dinner 5pm Pizza 5:30 pm Confirmation Class 6:30 pm Bells at Grace 15 Joint Communion 11:15 am Lake Shore Inn 1:00 pm Colony Court 5pm I.C.E First Communion 9:00 am Traditional Worship w/communion 10:15 am Children s Music/Reception bywelca 11:30 a.m. 3G at Grace 5:00 pm Video Voice M & M youth fundraiser begins 19 10:00 a.m. Quilters 10:30 am Video Voice 20 7:00 p.m. Ruth Bible Study at Latham Place noon Ministerial Lunch hosted by St John 7pm Thanksgiving Eve Worship with Communion Thank Offerings 22 Thanksgiving Day 12 noon Community Meal at Christ the King Church am Contemporary Worship/Baptism Bells ringing 10:15 am Children s Music/Fellowship 4:00 p.m. Waseca Chorale Concert 5:00 pm Video Voice 26 10:00 a.m. Quilters 10:30 am Video Voice 27 7:00 p.m. Men in Mission assembling college care packages 28 9:30 a.m. Sarah Bible Study at Shirley Raetz 5:00 pm Pizza 5:30 p.m. Confirmation Class 6:30 p.m. Bells at Grace Saturday Dec. 1 Christmas Church Decorating

10 November Lifeline Page 10

11 November Lifeline Page 11 Mary Bible Study Monday, November 12 1:30 pm in Trinity Hall Leader Jean Miller Ruth Bible Study Tuesday, November 20 7:00 pm Leader Linda S. Host Nadine O. Latham Place First Floor Conference Room Sarah Bible Study Wednesday, Nov 28 9:30 am at Shirley Raetz s Th Of ng What was the reason behind thank offerings? Funds were needed to financially support missionaries. Ladies aid societies developed out of this work because there was such an overwhelming demand not only for foreign missionary support but for support at home. These women s groups funded needs in their local churches as well as local community projects. A national women s structure was born! Continuing the Tradition.. Thank offerings show gratitude for God s blessings and give us an important and tangible way to express that gratitude. It is a tradition grounded in our celebration of community, of meeting together to joyfully give thanks for what God has given us. Thank offerings have always been, and still are, our opportunity to say thank you to God in both significant and ordinary moments. St John Thank offerings will be collected on November 21, Thanksgiving Eve worship, at 7pm GUEST NIGHT Thursday, Nov 1, 7 p.m. Women of the ELCA host Alex s Housea sober living facility by Perry or Renata Berg. Everyone is wel- Quilters need your help sewing quilt tops. Our supply of sewn quilt tops has gone down and we are urgently asking for volunteers to do some sewing for us. This involves sewing 48 squares together for a 60x80 inch quilt top which will then be make into a quilt when we meet on Mondays. There is a basket of quilt top kits available to pick up in the Narthex or Trinity Hall. Please look at them to see if this is something you can help us with. Thank you for helping us with this mission. If you have a question, talk to a quilter or call Jean Miller The Quilters appreciate your support of our quilt sale at the Fall Festival. We will purchase more batting, sheets, and fabric for next year. Thank you for being a part of our mission. St. John Quilters St John Women of the ELCA want to thank everyone for their support of the Fall Festival. We appreciate the workers, donations of baked goods, donations of crafts, financial support, shoppers, and those who dined with us. It was a lot of work, but very rewarding!

12 November Lifeline On November 11, 2018 at 11:00am local time... Americans across the nation will toll bells in remembrance of those who served and sacrificed. World War One called the "Great War" until the world learned that there would be more than one such war in the twentieth century was the first total war of the modern period. The participants, unprepared for the long and bloody conflict that ensued after the summer of 1914, scrambled to mobilize their manpower and industry to prosecute the war. All searched for a decisive military victory. Instead, dramatic and largely unforeseen changes in warfare quickly followed one another, in the end altering both Europe and the larger Western culture that it represented. Although the bloody conflict finally ended with an armistice in November 1918, it cast a long political and military shadow over the decades that followed. A copy of a poster from WW1. Page 12 Veteran s Day is Sunday, November 11 (if you know of someone who should be included on this list, please contact the church office by or phone) Our Veterans in no particular order: Chad Chum, Bill Erdman, Keith Vollbrecht, Marvin Kormann, Wayne Johnson, Gerald Reitfort, Harold Zabel, LaVoy Bauman, Orlin Bauman, David Southwick Rodney Southwick, Stan Schmidt, Robert Sleen, Richard Holtz, Marv Dumdei Reserves- Steve Miller Our Active Military in no particular order: Jacob Kuhns, Dana Elias Trevor Morris, Matt Wantoch, Darren Peterson, Savanna Grunzke, Madyson Murphy, Jacob Lemmen, Nathan Lonneman Remember those in the military this Christmas. We need updated military addresses as soon as possible. Many military addresses change frequently and we do not have current ones. Please contact the church office. Drop a note in the offering plate, send it in the mail, it at stjohn@hickorytech.net, stop in the office or call the church at Military boxes will be sent out in December and we want to remember those who are working away from their families and friends with some festive cheer.

13 November Lifeline September 2018 Monthly Income $ 23,040 Expense 18,473 Diff 4,567 Year to Date Income $ 178,380 Expense 188,549 Diff (10,169) NOISY OFFERINGS $ in coins were collected on Oct. 7 for World hunger. Electronic Giving is a convenient, consistent way to help our church grow. Page 13 Consider scheduling a recurring electronic contribution. It s easy! You will no longer need to write out checks and prepare envelopes every week. Even when circumstances prevent you from attending services, your electronic contributions will continue to be received on an uninterrupted basis. Your consistent support is vital to our church. Get started today! There is information on our church website, or ask for an authorization form in the church office. Simply Giving SCRIP NEWS- We now have CASH WISE Scrip available for purchase. Think ahead for holiday gift giving. If you don t feel like stomping through crowded stores give a gift card! There are a dozen different shops to redeem Scrip at. We purchase gift cards to use for our every day needs such as gas and groceries. There is no additional cost to the members of our church! A percentage of each purchase will be donated to the church Youth. The more we buy, the more we make. It s that simple. Scrip can be purchased before or after worship on the first Sunday of the month or at the church office during the week. We are all a family at St John and we can ALL help the youth. Every scrip purchase you make will help the youth of St John and 3 rd Gear. We need volunteers to help sell SCRIP to keep this program going, please contact: Kari Priebe or Pam Grunzke , if you are willing to help. Or, a sign up sheet can be found in Trinity Hall. Christmas Gift Idea that supports Lutheran World Relief Fair Trade Coffee or Fair Trade Tea may be purchased the first Sunday of each month before or after services. $ was collected and given to the Waseca Area Food Shelf during the month of October. Non-perishable food was also distributed to the Food Shelf. Your support means so much to the Waseca community.

14 Nonprofit Organization US Postage Paid Permit No.35 Waseca, MN St John Evangelical Lutheran Church 401 3rd Avenue NE Waseca MN Website: Phone: RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Council Members and Staff Council President Kevin Dickie, Council Vice-President Council Secretary Cindy Coy, Congregational Life # Education Committee Michael Schlueter Worship and Music Dianne Bathke D Tesch Social Ministry and Outreach Kari Priebe Council Members At Large Merril Schultz Gary Conrath Building and Grounds Bill Erdman Financial Secretary Al Tonn, stjohn@hickorytech.net Facebook: StJohnLutheranChurchELCA Pastor John Omans Church office cell home # faith.worker@hotmail.comc 3rd Gear Youth Director Marty Aberle, rdgearwaseca@gmail.com website Senior Choir Director Deb Wantoch-Yess Assistant Choir Director Jan Macklay, Organists Jan Macklay, Al Tonn, Bell Choir Director Mary Schultz Custodian Cindy Fordham, contact church office Office Manager Carrie Lonneman, stjohn@hickorytech.net Website: