SHEPHERD S VOICE OCTOBER Monthly Newsletter of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church LCMS. Mark Your Calendar

Transcription

1 OCTOBER 2014 SHEPHERD S VOICE Monthly Newsletter of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church LCMS Mark Your Calendar 10.4 Worship Worship LWML Sunday Soup/sandwich lunch Worship Quarterly meeting Worship Two Gardens God Uses to Grow Our Children By Pastor John Butcher In Psalm 127, Solomon refers to children as a heritage or an inheritance from the Lord. It s easy to miss how revolutionary that statement is. Solomon isn t saying that children will receive our inheritance. He is saying that they are our inheritance. But what does that mean? It means that the most important task we have as a church is to teach the next generation the gospel. An inheritance is what you leave behind for future generations. So when a church thinks about what they are leaving behind for their city, they shouldn t be thinking of ministry plans or church buildings, but kids. The children in our church are the first ones that God has given us to win for the gospel. They are the inheritance we are leaving for our city. That means our primary responsibility for our children is to teach them the gospel and to equip them to teach it to others. That is the most important task any parent has. And I don t exaggerate in saying it s the most important task of any church. Continued on page 2...

2 Pastor s Article Continued God has two gardens in which he intends to grow our children the home and the church. The home is the primary garden in which our kids will learn the gospel. If a family is actively involved in church, the pastors and volunteers only have about 100 hours a year with the kids. Parents, on the other hand, have about 8,736 waking hours with them. No matter how amazing our kids ministry is, what we do on the weekend pales in comparison to what happens in the home. The home is the place where our kids will see the gospel lived out. It is where they see the unconditional love and forgiveness that flows from hearts touched by grace. It is as we do everyday life with our kids cleaning the garage, driving in the car, going to bed that we have the opportunities to apply the gospel to brokenness, pain or conflict. It should go without saying, but that can only happen if we as parents are present with our kids. You can find lots of people to replace you at work, but your kids get only one daddy and mommy. So rearrange your schedule to ensure that you re prioritizing relationships in the home. And for those of you who think, Well, I m not sure I ve got that much to offer, remember: What your kids need from you is not another coach, teacher or college prep specialist. They don t need you to be a perfect role model. They need mommies and daddies, broken parents who will teach them to love the Savior who loved them first. The church is God s other garden for our kids. Almost all of the great parenting passages in Scripture are addressed not to parents alone, but to the entire community. That s no accident. As Reggie Joiner says in Parenting Beyond Your Capacity, our kids need a second family to have a full sense of belonging and identity. They need mentors other than their parents to speak into their lives or for them to confide in. The church can t make up for what isn t happening in the home, but it can complement it. That s why it s so important for our kids to have significant relationships within the church. Proverbs 13:20 says, Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. In other words, show me your friends, and I ll show you your future. Your kids are going to be visitors somewhere and a part of a community somewhere else. Sadly, many kids are visitors at church, while their true community is, for example, on their athletic team. So look at their peers on their sports team, and you ll see where your kid is headed. Not happy with what you see? It s up to you as a parent to prioritize the community of God for your kids. Kids who walk away from the faith their freshman year in college don t do it because of philosophy arguments but because of the community their parents valued when they were in junior high. So choose their community wisely.

3 October 5 "Show Me the Money? No, Show Me Jesus!" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz St. Paul urges us to get down to brass tacks, face faith facts, and trust in the Good News of God's grace in Jesus. (Footsteps of St. Paul, part 4) (Ephesians 2:8-10) October 5 Seventeenth Sunday in Pentecost Message: A Sense of Entitlement Text: Matthew 21:33-46 October 12 LWML Sunday Message: Fragrant Sacrifices and Offerings Text: Ephesians 5:2 October 19 Nineteenth Sunday in Pentecost Message: What Image Do You Convey? Text: Matthew 22: October 26 Reformation Sunday Message: There is No Freedom Like Freedom in Christ Text: John 8: Monday worship is at 6:00 p.m. every Monday. October 12 "Today's the Day for God's Grace for All" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz The ruins of ancient Pompeii show how life can change in an instant. (Footsteps of St. Paul, part 5) (Revelation 7:9-12 ) October 19 "God's Peacemakers for a Troubled World" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz Jesus calls and enables us to be peacemakers who share His gifts with others in a broken world. (Philippians 4:4-13) October 26 "Keep It Simple and Straightforward" Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour: Rev. Ken Klaus. The Bible's message is simple and straightforward: the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Romans 3:22-25) "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6: TELLING LOVING CARING in Christ

4 SERVE WITH YOUR PRAYERS The sick and health concerns Skyler Ridgway motorcycle accident; in Houston, TX; making improvement; grandson of Betty Warden; Ellen Newbrough lung cancer; Jacob Bailey motorcycle accident; hospital in St. Louis; continues to struggle with infection and pain issues; son of Diane Bailey; grandson of Dick and Norma Keil; Doris Cochran breast cancer surgery,taking chemo; mother of Donna Hoek; Kevin Grace back surgery; son of Dale and Arlene Grace; Wesley Stemme, recovering at home; father of Alane Gronefeld. Kathy Errion breast cancer survivor; now cancer in optic nerve and lung mother of Dayna Graham s sister-in-law; Lauri Carroll recovering from liver transplant; cousin of Darrell Gronefeld; Dorothy Boehne aunt of Patti Haubein; Betsey Dailing leukemia; mother of Drew Bartels; Dorothy Rhea badly burned 80 years old great aunt of Jacki Stelzer; Jeanette Stelzer in care center in Washington, MO; mother of Russell Stelzer and Palmyra Dubbert; Michelle Smith daughter of Jane St. John; Carol Hoffman; Mark Ramsey son of Ed Ramsey; Karsen and Kaylyn Trentham son and daughter of Eric and Kim Trentham both have Friedreich s Ataxia. Men and women serving in the armed services and emergency personnel Bereaved Zachary Warden Air Force; stationed in Bulgaria; grandson of Betty Warden; Gregg Allmon grandson of Edgar and Mary Orth; Ryan Ball grandson of Betty Ball; Caleb Bohlmeyer; Matthew Bolin grandson of Ed and Jean Morse; Ray Finlay husband of Suzanne (Hedberg) Finlay; Dylan Kempker son of LeeAnn Mahieu; Ethan Lee son of Steve and Nancy Lee; grandson of Dick and Norma Keil; Chris Macklin nephew of Ernestine Ramsey; Joe Martin nephew of Palmyra Dubbert and Russell Stelzer; Jeremy Mitchell; Diton J. Parker son of David and Emma Parker; grandson of Margaret Parker; Thomas Teem husband of Margaret Parker s granddaughter, Kaylyn; Andrew Butler husband of Margaret Parker s granddaughter, Sarah; Justin Thurston; Marcus and Mathew Younger. LaVern Jennings mother of Neal Jennings, passed away. Funeral service was on Friday.

5 SERVE WITH YOUR TIME AND TREASURES Date/Offering Amount Attendance Aug 31 44/0 Current Building Total Sept /7 Current Building Scholarship Total Sept 14 78/3 Current Building Sunday School 6.90 Scholarship Total Sept 21 78/3 Current Building Sunday School 8.00 Scholarship Total FINANCES At the July congregation meeting it was pointed out that our offerings have been running behind budget for most of this year. The budget amount needed each week is $2,608.23, in current and building receipts. The other categories are not included in the budget needs, as they are special designated donations. (VBS, Sunday School, etc.) Serving the Lord Ushers 10/5 Russell Stelzer Dan Hoek 10/12 Caleb Graham Matt Hoek 10/19 Steve Maseman Russell Stelzer 10/26 Gary Seider Aaron Seider Readers 10/5 Bill Mahieu 10/12 Ann Seider 10/19 Gary Seider 10/26 Karen Butcher Acolytes 10/5 Kylee Walters Kody Walters 10/12 Logan Bird Donevin Leonard 10/19 Abby Hoek Christina Gronefeld 10/26 Ella Smith Elleigh Wood Nursery (worship services) 10/5 Alane Gronefeld 10/12 Jacki Stelzer 10/19 Lori Gesling 10/26 Amanda Tunink Greeters Altar Guild Kitchen Ed and Sheryl Bartels Karen Butcher Kathy Dickey Norma Keil Dayna Graham Everyone was reminded that when we are away on vacation, the operating needs of the church still need to be met.

6 OCTOBER 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY :00 Heritage Hall 5 8:45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship 6 6:00 pm Worship 7 9:00 am Bible Study 7:00 Church Council 8 9 7:00 pm Women s Guild :45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship Chili/soup/sandwich lunch 19 8:45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship 7:00 pm Quarterly Meeting 13 6:00 pm Worship 20 6:00 pm Worship 14 9:00 am Bible Study 21 9:00 am Bible Study 7:00 pm Worship Committee :45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship 27 6:00 pm Worship 28 9:00 am Bible Study Birthdays: 9/29 Aaron Seider 9/30 Ernestine Ramsey (80) 10/5 Clint Gesling Dana Rakers 10/24 Karen Butcher Andrew Graham Nancy Lee 10/26 Jon Hoek 10/30 Ed Ramsey 10/31 Vickie Chism Anniversaries: 10/18 Neal and Becky Jennings Russell and Jacki Stelzer 10/26 Ed and Joanne Bettehausen (58) 10/27 Armand and Barbara Fischer (51) QUARTERLY CONGREGATION MEETING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 AT 7:00 P.M. MEETING TO BE HELD IN FELLOWSHIP HALL.

7 NEW ENTRY BUILDING PROJECT Our second workday was held on the 20 th of September with about 8 people involved in the work and supplying the meal for lunch. A special thanks to all!! Through the month of September Completed the placement and tamping of the gravel fill below the concrete Installed gutter drains under the concrete Had the concrete poured by Jeff Preston JP s Concrete of Centralia Rough graded the area Hauled off all of the concrete, masonry and clay removed where the concrete has been poured Filled areas south of the fellowship hall with top soil removed from the job site Opened up the wall where the new entry will be and installed the needed header to allow an opening of 12 feet wide for the double door entry Started framing on the area to be enclosed around the original entry Had the canopy steel and cover installed by Kelly Homes construction Next we will be removing the rest of the old concrete so the remainder of the concrete can be poured, install the rest of the gutter drains underground to attempt to get the storm water away from the building, and complete the rest of the framing so that the new entry doors can be installed. Once the new doors are installed, the plan is to start using the new doors through the rest of the construction so the old entry area can be enclosed and the outside finish work can be completed before colder weather arrives. It is hoped that the areas involved can be used with no interruption of usage of the sanctuary for services.

8 CHRISTIAN GROWTH Regular meeting was held on September 23th. Notes of the church ministry planning meeting held on July 12th were reviewed and two priorities were set. We will now be working to address these priorities through action. More will be available on this later. LIGHT FROM ABOVE PROJECT We will be installing the No. 8 light (below) for the congregation to view. Dana Rakers is in the process of selecting new light options. She is working with a representative from Bright City Lights in Columbia. Look for more light options in the next few week. SOUP AND SANDWICH LUNCH with dessert October 12, 2014 Following worship Served by Women s Guild Free will offering for Women s Guild CHRISTMAS CARDS Women s Guild is taking orders for Christmas Cards through October 19. Ordering early this year to have before Thanksgiving. See ordering information on narthex table

9 RALLY DAY CHURCH PICNIC It was a beautiful day for the Rally Day Picnic on September 7. Three legged race! Tug of War is much more exciting when there is a mudhole in the middle! A wet sponge fight followed, and was a good opportunity to get the mud off! It seemed some of the kids really wanted to see their Dads end up in that mud, but the Dads were more determined it was not going to happen! Relaxing on the sidelines That is one awesome bubble! The bounce house is inflating and the kids are anxious to get in! Thank you to everyone who made the picnic such a fun day, for the food, games, activities, and the near perfect weather our Lord provided for the day.

10 Learning to Tell God's Story and Live The Faith Pastor John Butcher Our confirmation class is up and going. We have three souls in God's ark this year - Abigail Hoek, Madison Smith, and Kody Walters. We are beginning our year of Bible study with a different approach. We are now studying the history of Christianity - the Christianity-made-simple version! Abby Hoek (7) daughter of Jon and Donna Hoek We are approaching history not as a bunch of facts, dates, and people to memorize but as a STORY - God's story of bringing salvation to His people. They are being taught that the Christians who came before them, and long before Good Shepherd ever existed, there was "a great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12). God works through "His-story" of characters to bring salvation to all people. So we hear about how the Jewish people were treated by the Roman nation. How they were persecuted after the burning of Rome was blamed on them by Emperor Nero. How their temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 which led to more persecution and a great divide between Jews and Christians. We are learning that people like Justin Martyr and Blandina the slave girl stood up for their Christian faith. We even heard about a young man named Alexamenos who carved a response to a crude drawing in a cave about Jesus dying on the cross. He wrote simply: "Alexamenos worships God." Kody Walters ( 8) son of Eric and Kristen Walters For about twelve weeks, we will study Christian history to get a better grasp of the whole story down Madison Smith (8) daughter of Kyle and Lisa Smith to the present as we worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and attend Sunday School and Bible classes. In addition to history, Pastor ischallenging the class to memorize 100 verses in Scripture. You heard right. 100 verses! [see the article on "How to Memorize Scripture"]. We have already begun with a half dozen verses. The first set of verses I have called "The Four Pillars." They are Genesis 1:1, John 1:1, John 1:14, and John 3: 16. Test yourself. Do you know these verses which give Christians a broader overview of the story of their faith? As a church, let us pray regularly for our catechumens so that they may learn and inwardly digest God's Word and be prepared to witness to their faith as they go "Telling, Loving, Caring" in His name. Remembering Scripture is important for everyday Christian life. Yet memorizing hundreds of verses doesn't make anymore more spiritual. After all, the Pharisees knew the Word of God well and studied it, believing that they were saved by studying and memorizing Scriptures. But Jesus made it clear that living our faith given to us as a free gift of God makes a man righteous, not study.

11 Use It or Lose It Memorizing God s Word Pastor John Butcher We all know far more verses of the Bible than we at first imagine. Think of the Lord's Prayer, the Nunc Dimittis, the Words of Institution, the Benediction, all of the "I am" verses in the gospel of John (there are seven!), such as, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." How about John 3:16? "God so loved the world... " You complete the verse. And some of you still remember your confirmation verse? As you memorize verses, we remain humble. After all, there are over 31,000 verses in the Bible! But even more important, there is always someone who is greater, and that someone is God. Here are some of my favorite tricks to memorizing Scripture: 1. Read first to understand the Scriptures: It's much easier to memorize something that you understand. How can you practice what you've memorized if you don't understand how it applies to YOU. So... read it first and understand what you're reading and how to apply it to daily life. 2. Chunk it! When memorizing, break it down to chunks. Think of your phone number if it's not "chunked" That's a huge number. But if you "chunk it" into (no, this is not anyone's number I know), then you can much more easily memorize it. So "break it down" into smaller units. 3. Say It Out Loud: If you are an auditory learner, speaking aloud can be very helpful. By speaking it out loud it uses more of the mind to help associate the Scripture with memory. 4. Focus: Don't let your mind wander while you meditate on the word. Use anything and everything that helps you focus. Turn off the radio and TV, put down the cell phone, find a comfortable place and focus your mind on what God is speaking to you. Stop when you can't focus anymore. 5. Visualize the Words: Try to visualize the words in your mind. Close your eyes and picture them. By picturing the "heavens and the earth," (Genesis 1:1), we are using more of our mind. That helps our memory retain the Word. But my favorite of all time.... and it doesn't deserve to be numbered... USE IT OR LOSE IT! As the saying goes, we have to keep brushing up on things we once learned. If you don't use it, you're going to lose it. Pastor has to keep reading Hebrew and Greek and Latin to retain those languages learned in school. But the more you make "brushing up" a habit, then the easier memorizing becomes and the longer you will retain God's Word. God is our teacher, and it is good to walk in Scriptures daily. That way you will have them ready at hand when trouble finds you. Or you can have them at hand to comfort others who are sick or worried or losing hope. Verse of the Month "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6: 10-11

12 PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD Color the Roman soldier. Then read Ephesians 6:10-11 to fill in the blanks. Helmet of Breastplate of Shield of Belt of Sword of Feet fitted with the righteousness that comes from the Which item represents the Word of God?

13 COMING NOVEMBER 8, 2014 TO GOOD SHEPHERD FELLOWSHIP HALL The committee for the church sponsored Trivia Night for the Ministerial Alliance Benevolence Fund is scheduled for November 8 th has met and made plans for the event. We would still like to have one more committee member join us. Please volunteer. We need teams to sign up for this event so we can do more for this cause that helps a lot of people in our area when those tough times hit!!! The Centralia Ministerial Alliance Benevolence Fund is used to provide assistance to individuals in the Centralia Community and School District. The churches who make up the Ministerial Alliance administer the funds according to guidelines that have been established by the Alliance. The main use is for emergency help paying utility bills, food, or transportation to doctors appointments. The money in the fund comes from offerings at community services, such as World Day of Prayer or Community Thanksgiving Service, as well as private donations from individuals or congregations in the area. The Ministerial Alliance has a cell phone number that people can call to ask for help. The phone is handled on a rotating basis (two months at a time) by six participating churches. Good Shepherd will have the phone through October and November. During that time Pastor John Butcher and Judy Maseman will be taking the calls. The phone number to call for assistance is Pictures are from 2013 Trivia Nite. If you attended Trivia Night last year, you will surely want to come back and bring your friends! If you missed it, you won t want to miss it again! It s a wonderful evening of Christian Fellowship and Fun and it s for a good community benevolence project.

14 SEEN & HEARD German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that in Germany, multiculturalism has utterly failed. Both Australia s ex-prime Minister John Howard and Spain s ex-prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar reached the same conclusion about multiculturalism in their countries. British Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that multiculturalism is fostering extremist ideology and directly contributing to homegrown Islamic terrorism. U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said the United Kingdom s push for multiculturalism has not united Britons but pushed them apart. It has allowed for Islam to emerge despite Britain s Judeo-Christian culture. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the roots of violent Islamism are not superficial but deep and can be found in the extremist minority that now, in every European city, preach hatred of the West and our way of life. The bottom line is that much of the Muslim world is at war with Western civilization. There s no question that the West has the military might to thwart radical Islam s agenda. The question up for grabs is whether we have the intelligence to recognize the attack and the will to defend ourselves from annihilation. Multiculturalism is Islamists foot in the door. At the heart of multiculturalism is an attack on Western and Christian values. Much of that attack has its roots on college campuses among the intellectual elite who see their mission as indoctrinating our youths. In past columns, I ve documented professorial hate-america teaching, such as a UCLA economics professor s telling his class, The United States of America, backed by facts, is the greediest and most selfish country in the world. A history professor told her class: Capitalism isn t a lie on purpose. It s just a lie. She also said capitalists are swine They re bastard people. Students sit through lectures listening to professorial rants about topics such as globalism and Western exploitation of the Middle East and Third World peoples. Some public school boards have banned songs and music containing references to Santa Claus, Jesus or other religious Christmas symbols. The New York City school system permits displays of Jewish menorahs and the Muslim star and crescent but not the Christian Nativity scene. One school district banned a teacher from using excerpts from historical documents in his classroom because they contained references to God and Christianity. The historical documents in question were the Declaration of Independence and The Rights of the Colonists, by Samuel Adams. The United States is a nation of many races, ethnicities, religions and cultures. Since our inception, people from all over the world have immigrated to become Americans. They have learned English and American History and celebrated American traditions and values. They have become Americans while also respecting and adapting some of the traditions of the countries they left behind. By contrast, many of today s immigrants demand that classes be taught and official documents be printed- in their native language. Other immigrants demand the use of Shariah, practices that permit honor killing and female genital mutilation. Multiculturalists argue that different cultural values are morally equivalent. That s nonsense. Western culture and values are superior. For those who would accuse me of Eurocentrism, I d ask: Is forcible female genital mutilation, as practiced in nearly 30 sub-saharan African and Middle Eastern countries, a morally equivalent cultural value? Slavery is practiced in Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Sudan; is it morally equivalent? In most of the Middle East, there are numerous limits placed on women, such as prohibitions on driving, employment and education. Under Islamic law, in some countries, female adulterers face death by stoning and thieves face the punishment of having their hands severed. In some countries homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. Are these cultural values morally equivalent, superior or inferior to Western values? Multiculturalism has not yet done the damage in the United States that it has in western European countries-such as England, France and Germany-but it s on its way. By the way, one need not be a Westerner to hold Western values. Mainly, you just have to accept the supremacy of the individual above all else. Submitted by Dennis and Patti Haubein Taken from September 22,2014 Columbia Daily Tribune. By Walter Williams. Walter Williams is an economics professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

15 The "Old Kitchen" Gets a New Name "Get me a coffee cup from the 'old kitchen,' says one of the church members. Most of us here at Good Shepherd would know how to follow these directions and where to go! We would navigate into the place with a sink and cupboards and refrigerator, and, yes, that noisy, haunting-sounding coffee-maker that gurgles in the night. That special place now has a new name and a new purpose and a new look, thanks to Jenni Berck, our Madam Librarian, Dennis Haubein, our handyman, and anyone else who has has given a hand in this project. Thank you all! Its name, the new "Church Library" (sign coming soon). Its purpose - to feed young and old minds with the knowledge of God and His purposes through His Word and any book or media containing some truth towards the ultimate purpose of advancing God's kingdom for the salvation of all mankind. Its new look is walnut-colored book shelves housing, ultimately, over 500 books for all ages.your new library has a nice place to sit, for young and old. I hear rumors that an "easy chair" is going to be donated? Your new library has two working computers, one with a brand new Samsung computer monitor for easy viewing of our "card catalog system." These days the old card catalog system and Dewey Decimal system is rarely used for small libraries. Our church now has a spiffy online data base to search and store all of our books for easy reference. Go to our web site sometime and click on the new tab "Church Library" at the top of the home page. It will whisk you to our new software program called "Collectorz Books." And easy-reading shelf labels are coming to help you find just the right book. The catalog program lets you view by author, title, or subject any book in our library. It shows you a photo of the front cover and gives a brief synopsis of the book. How cool is that! What's coming? More books, more posters, possibly a wall painting, and some magazine racks holding Christian publications like Christianity Today, Answers in Genesis, Lutheran Witness, Higher Things, and a host of old and new publications. You will be able to surf the Internet, print, and even relax and read a magazine or book. Checking out books is easy. You will sign your name, list the title or titles and the date on a clip-board, and you are good to go! Wish List: Please let Jenni Berck or Pastor know what you would like to see in your new church library in the coming days. If you have interesting, appropriate books that you would like to donate and share with others, then talk with Jenni or Pastor John before dropping them off. Visit the "old kitchen" and see your new "Church Library" before your very eyes. Of course, you can still enjoy a cup of coffee while you read or just browse. -- Pastor John Butcher

16 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 120 W. Gano Chance Rd. Centralia, MO Church Office (573) W. Gano Chance Road, Centralia, Missouri Staff Pastor John (573) Judy Maseman (573) Elders Dennis Haubein (573) Jon Rakers (573) Gary Seider (573) "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6: 10-11