Newsletter THE LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD

Transcription

1 Southern Illinois District Lutheran Women in Mission Newsletter THE LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD Volume 65 No. 4 March 2017 LWML Calendar. March 11 Spring Retreat April 20 LWML Board Meet June National Convention July 20 LWML Board Meet In This Issue: President s Page 2 Counselor s Message 3 Gospel Outreach 4 Diamond Celebration 5 Communication 6 Christian Life 7 Servant Resources 8 Gifts of Love 9 District Directory 10 Mission Statement: The Mission of the Southern Illinois District of the Lutheran Women s Missionary League is to encourage each woman in the district to grow spiritually and to use her God given gifts to praise God and serve people. Spring Retreat is March 11 Diamonds are Forever: A Grace-Filled Re-formation Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of Salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. This is the theme for the District LWML Spring Retreat. We will gather on March 11, 2017 beginning with registration at 9 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Belleville. Won t you please come join us for a day filled with Divine Worship, activities, crafts, food, fun, fellowship, and Bible study. Our day will conclude around 2 p.m. We will have an ingathering for the Violence Prevention Center in the Belleville area. There will be a speaker to tell of the great importance of this agency for women and children seeking refuge. We will be packing small gift bags to give to the victims to remind them of how God still seeks them like a precious jewel. You may bring any of the following items to give to the center: new women s shoes, new women s socks, new women s underwear size 7 and up, new ponytail holders, new bristle type hair brushes, new bath towels & $$$. Thanks in advance. The cost of the day is $20. Please RSVP to Beth Small. A registration form is found on Page 9. Ask some friends to come along and join in the fun. See you there! LWML celebrating 75th Anniversary

2 Page 2 LWML Newsletter March 2017 From Brenda... President Brenda Schoenbeck The purpose of the president is to provide Christ centered leadership, using His wisdom and provision to seek opportunities in helping our LWML sisters use their gifts in service to the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men... (Colossians 3:23). Linda Fees, Chairman of the Mission Servants Committee of the LWML made this observation From about Helen... hidden gifts, Did you ever receive a wonderful and generous gift from somebody and President then put it Helen away and Mayer never used it? That wouldn't seem right, would it? Have you received gifts from God that you have "put away" and aren't using? Let me ask you if you are good at sewing or good with kids, a good cook, a good singer or a good organizer? Do you have other skills that I haven't mentioned? Are you using these gifts or are they parked away where nobody will ever see them? Don't keep those gifts hidden away! Use what God has given you to serve Him and to serve others. Service to God is what the LWML is all about. Our motto says it Serve the Lord with Gladness! I pray that wherever you are, whatever talents you may have, you are using you r talents in service to our God. As we begin a New Year we look ahead to upcoming events. We are in the process of planning to attend the LWML Convention June 22-25, 2017, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Have you checked out the center pages of the winter 2016 issue of the Quarterly? There you will find details about the convention and registration. I hope you are planning to come and celebrate the 75 th anniversary of the LWML. There is going to be a BIG PARTY. We hope that the Southern Illinois District will have a good representation there. Going to convention has been described as going to the mountain-in this case the high plateau - we are lifted up. And then we return to the plain to share the message. Let me encourage you to go and then share the message enthusiastically. Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Let the favor of the Lord be upon us. Psalm 90:14, 17 To God alone be the glory NEWSLETTER Editor: Jane Lucht addresses and changes to: Lucy Thompson Delegates/Alternates to the LWML Convention Southern Illinois District will be represented by the following delegates and alternates at the national convention. Greater Egypt Connie Clampitt of Marion, delegate. Metro Central Anita Armes of Granite City, delegate and Penny Schuessler, of Troy, alternate. Metro North Emily Carroll of Carollton, delegate and Eunice Weber of Bethalto, alternate. Metro South Mickey Roth of Belleville, delegate and Margo Wolf, alternate. Mid State Carol Benning of Raymond, delegate and Miriam Koehne of Greenville, alternate. Lower Kaskaskia Frances Wegener of Evansville, delegate and Marlene Ling of Evansville, alternate Upper Kaskaskia Phyliss Silger of Hoyleton, delegate and Michele Hill of Hoffman, alternate.

3 March 2017 LWML Newsletter Page 3 Counselor s Corner Rev. Terry Grebing I am writing this article in mid-january. You are reading this article in March. For December and January, I volunteered to change our outdoor church message sign at Holy Cross, Renault. Our lighted sign, located on the front lawn of the church, is clearly visible from the front porch of the parsonage. On January 14 I peeked out our front door and noticed that the road and sidewalk were covered with ice. The frosty message sign declared, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION. WORSHIP: JANUARY 1. I thought about going outside in the cold and ice and simply adding a 5 to that 1. But I didn t because it was too cold and too icy, so I left the date as is. In defense of my laziness, I used as a rationale Lamentations 3:23, His mercies are new every morning. Since every day represents a new beginning, unofficially, every day is January 1. On this new day in 2017, with spring just around the corner, I am reminded that, regardless of the season, we live in an increasingly icy world that is often cruel and cold-hearted. More and more, we witness man s inhumanity to man. The harder we try to make things better, the more resistance we seem to encounter. Overall, the world in which we live is in desperate need of a drastic change that is beyond our capabilities. Simply stated, even as ice on the ground is Betty Duda called home to Jesus The Lutheran Women s Missionary League (LWML) announced the death of Past President Dr. Elizabeth Betty Duda on the morning of December 24, 2016.She served as national president in the late 1980s. She resided in Florida. dangerous to the body; and ISIS is dangerous to both body and soul; iciness toward the Lord is dangerous to both soul and body forever in hell! While either ice melt or rising temperatures can remedy icy physical conditions, the Gospel message of hope in the Son alone can truly melt cold, cold hearts. To illustrate, as we celebrate the 75 th Anniversary of the LWML, such a milestone might be labeled a Diamond Jubilee. A common nickname for diamond is ice. That s because, when a diamond is exposed to intense heat, it quickly absorbs the heat within itself. At the same time, on the outside, the diamond remains cool to the touch. When the heat is on, spiritually and otherwise, we can keep our cool because our Lord Jesus Christ is more precious than a diamond. Acting as a flesh and blood diamond on Calvary s cross, God s perfect Son absorbed the heat of hell in our place as He cried out in agony, My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? As He bore our sins in His body, Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be forsaken so that sinners worldwide could never be forsaken! Through faith in the Risen Christ and His gift of forgiveness, life and salvation, the Good News for us and for the world is: When the heat is on, the heat is off! That is the message that we have been blessed to believe! That is the message that we have been called to share in a variety of ways, both large and small. Serve the Lord with gladness is the LWML motto recorded in Psalm 100:2a. To summarize that calling, I am reminded of the phrase posted in many restaurants: Service with a smile. Since a cheerful server often greets a patron with a glass of cold water, he or she might be said to literally, Serve ice with a smile! Matthew 10:42 mentions giving a cup of cold water to someone out of love for the Lord. The Lord is calling us to figuratively serve ice with a smile by doing those little things that mean so much for others in grateful response to the Lord who has done and continues to do it all for us! Accordingly, may the Lord enable each of us to daily acknowledge, This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!

4 Page 4 LWML Newsletter March 2017 Vice President of Gospel Outreach Miriam Koehne Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 Please pray for our Mission Grant recipients as you fill your Mite box In the church year, we are currently on a Lenten journey to the cross. There doesn t seem to be much reason for celebration or hope as the mood is dark and somber. The events of Holy Week put us on an emotional rollercoaster from the high of Palm Sunday to the low of Good Friday. We feel the journey has come to an abrupt end yet the best part is still to come. Easter morning brings the glorious news delivered by the angel at the tomb He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Matthew 27:6 Now the hope comes to full light! That hope shines through us be it in a kind word to our neighbor, helping a stranger fix a flat tire or the giving of mites. These are all ways to show the love and hope of Jesus. To date we have paid Turn to Page Mission Grants Amount Approved Amount Paid Amount to be Paid Unity Lutheran Christian Elementary School, East St. Louis Camp Wartburg's Shepherding Sheep Camp for people with disabilities Seminary Student Scholarships SID $8,000 $8,000 Shared Prison & Jail Ministry in Southern Illinois District, LCMS $7,000 Christ Our Savior Lutheran High School, Evansville, IL Tuition Assistance Fund Metro East Lutheran High School, Edwardsville, IL Student Scholarship & Tuition Assistance Trinity/HOPE Feed Children of Lutheran Schools in Haiti, Gallatin, TN $2,500 $2, American and International Student Ministry, Carbondale, IL Lutheran Braille Workers Center, New Minden, IL Today s Light $2,500 $1,250 $1,250 Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School, Centralia, IL, Rev. Timothy Mueller Mentor Grant Student Assistance Fund Scholarship SID Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville, IL Lutheran Student Fellowship LCMS U at SIUE-Edwardsville, IL Campus Ministry Outreach Program $3,000 $3,000 Lutheran Bible Translators - Lectionaries in Mother Tongue for Lutheran Churches in West Africa $1,000 $1,000 Organization TOTAL (December, 2016) $56,000 $3,500 $3,500 $13,250 $42,750

5 March 2017 LWML Newsletter Page 5 LWML Celebrating 75 Years Those who will be attending the convention in Albuquerque will be celebrating God s blessing through the work of the LWML over 75 years of service ( ). Special exhibits and a special 75ty Anniversary Diamond Dazzle event will highlight the past and look forward to the future. A thank offering will be gathered at the convention to benefit the LWML Endowment Fund in honor of the 75th anniversary. For those not attending the convention, contributions can be made the Endowment Fund now or afterward. MISSION GRANTS $13,250 to six of our grant recipients with a total of $42,750 remaining for the SID LWML biennium. Did you know that the LWML Giving Tuesday Campaign raised a total of $23,270? As I write this article, the LWML national mite goal for the biennium is set at,000 with a total of $1,725, collected (thru 01/31/17). All thanks and praise to God!! That leaves a balance of $274, to be collected by March 31, We pray for joyful hearts and giving spirits to bring this to completion. Our mite support does impact lives. Here are a few examples from the past few months: Trinity/HOPE Feed Children of Lutheran Schools in Haiti has corresponded that the grant monies were used at First Lutheran of Les Cayes. With so many problems in Haiti this past year, the children (and parents) find a great sense of comfort knowing they will receive at least one meal each day at school. As you know, in many cases, this is the only food they receive all day and they really rely on it. American and International Student Ministry, Carbondale mission grant helped in purchasing Chinese English Catechisms, Bibles and English Catechisms. Through Christ, one American student was baptized on New Years Eve, a wedding was officiated for 2 SIU students and we have been working with a couple of Chinese students with their English and learning about the Christian faith. From a scholarship recipient He has been preaching, leading Bible studies, and plans to begin a 7 week study on the Augsburg Confession. Anxiously awaiting April 24 when his vicarage assignment will be announced. He wrote Please keep us in your prayers. We miss you. Scholarships If you know any students who are preparing for full time service in the church and hold membership in an LCMS Southern Illinois District congregation, please infor m them about the 2017 Scholarships. They may apply for one of the following: Seminary Scholarships. One of the LWML Mission Grants for the biennium is for seminary scholarships to become pastors. Student Assistance Fund Scholarships. These scholarships are given, as funds are available, to support undergraduate students in professional church worker programs in our synodical colleges and church workers taking graduate courses through one of our synodical schools. The application is on the website Please direct any students who meet the criteria to this site. The 2017 Scholarship application can also be obtained by or regular mail. requests can be made to threekinc@gmail.com. Mail requests can be sent to: Miriam Koehne, 1366 Stowe Ave, Greenville, IL To be considered, the completed application must be returned by May 1, 2017.

6 Page 6 LWML Newsletter March 2017 Vice President of Communication Sharon Guebert The purpose of this office is to inform the district of what has happened and what will be taking place in the LWML. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5 My husband and I are married 55 years this February we are as opposite as they come but the one thing we share is our love of the Lord. I knew on our first date he attended church regularly and even as a young 19 year old teenager that was important to me. My parents were both Christian, but did not attend church together. I got picked up by neighbors to attend Sunday school and church and always longed to have both my parents with me. I heard Ruth Graham say once she had never considered divorce, but murder yes. One of my favorite sayings is: People need loving the most when they deserve it the least. Two sinful people were joined together 55 years ago and with God s Grace is thriving today. Life is about Attitude!! The LWML is a great place to join with other women in fellowship and get an attitude adjustment. Our upcoming event for a Girls Day Out is March 11 at Zion Lutheran Church Belleville. Theme is Diamonds are Forever: A Grace-Filled Reformation. The day will be begin with registration at 9 am. There will be a light morning snack as you visit with old and new friends. We will begin our day with worship at 9:30 with Pastor Holden and Pastor Grebing. We will make items for the Violence Prevention shelter, to show them they are precious gems of God. Lunch will be provided by the Zion ladies. Yummy as always. We will continue our day with a short activity involving gems. We will end with Bible study so bring Bibles. Day should con- clude around 2 pm. The ingathering is: New women s shoes, new women s socks, new women s underwear size 7 and up, new ponytail holders, new bristle type hair brushes, new bath towels, and money can be accepted. Thanks in advance. Diamonds are Forever: A Grace-Filled Re-formation March 11, :00 2:00 Spring Retreat at Zion Belleville 1810 McClintock Ave, Belleville, IL Are you ready to be God s precious gems!!! Diamonds are forever and Christ is forever. Time to come together to remind us how God works in all of us to accomplish His mission. We need to be in the Word, so come and enjoy being with your sisters in Christ LWML National Convention June 22 25, 2017 Albuquerque, New Mexico Trinity Lutheran Ladies Aid/LWML of Hoyleton collected food and pantry items at their Christmas party to give to the Concordia Seminary Food Pantry in Clayton, MO. They were able to enhance their project and deliver additional supplies with the help of a grant from Thrivent Financial, a fraternal insurance company

7 March 2017 LWML Newsletter Page 7 Vice President of Christian Life Debra Albers Here we are in Lent. What does this mean for us as Christians? Another church service each week, no more alleluias to sing for awhile. It that all? What is Lent anyway? Lent is the 46 days before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday, March 1 st this year. Then goes until April 15 th the day before Easter Sunday. The 6 Sundays that fall in this time frame are Sundays in Lent, so they are excluded from the Lenten days and Lent lasts 40 days. Many people give something up for Lent. We are not required to do so, but think about trying it. Something you really like having, such as a soda, chocolate, ice cream, something you can do without but really don t want to. It helps us to remember that Christ gave up everything for us. We can hardly keep our promise to give up a treat for 40 days. It is our sinful nature that gets in the way, every time! Remember I m not saying you have to do this, but if you do it, do it because you want to. During this time of extra Wednesday evening worship, we have the opportunity to hear the Word of God preached one more time each week. We get to ponder His Word more often. So I encourage you to attend the extra worship services, including Maundy Thursday and Good Friday worship as well. It will help you to think about God s plan for us His plan to send a Savior and what our Savior had to go through for us. We also refrain from the joyous Alleluia s during this somber time. Keeping them ready and waiting for the glorious Easter morn when we remember that the women found that Christ had indeed rose from the dead. We use the Alleluias in joyous praise on the special triumphant day! I ask that you take the time each day during this Lenten season to find some quiet time to be with the Lord and read His Word, perhaps you wish to read the story of the journey to the cross... the last supper, the prayer in the garden, the betrayal, the trial, the death sentence, the trip to Calvary, the 7 sentences spoken, then the final judgment as God gave up His only Son, the fear from the disciples, then came the JOY! Read all about it in His Word. Share it with others as you read it. Bring that Easter Joy to people around you and pray that people know what it truly means! So for Christians if we take Lent seriously, and use that time to ponder what Christ has done for us, then Easter will be a foretaste of our heavenly home. It will be a wonderful celebration. Try it, and see how you feel on Easter Sunday! LWML Store Have you shopped at the LWML Store? Pat Wernsing is now in charge of the store at district events. There are many items available in the catalogue, and it would not be possible to have them all in stock. They ask that anyone who is planning to attend an event and would like to purchase something to contact them so it can be preordered. Catalogues were distributed at the last district convention. Items are also listed online at lwml.org, and there are monthly specials. The items do no have to be purchased from the district LWML Store, but it will save paying the postage. Reminders will be included with each event invitation. Call pawrn47@gmail.com

8 Page 8 LWML Newsletter March 2017 Vice President of Organizational Resources Helen Mayer In my living room, where I do most of my computer work, we have a large window facing the state highway that runs along the front of our farm. As I sit and work on my computer I am able to look up and see the traffic going by. There are times, in the early mornings, when we have a heavy fog in the area, and all I can see of the traffic is the lights of the vehicles traveling on the highway. In many ways, this is scary, because if all I can see is lights, the people traveling cannot see more than that either. They cannot tell what is ahead of them, or what is coming behind them, only faint lights. So I can hear you all asking yourself, what does that have to do with LWML right? Well, here is my connection. Many times we as an organization, both locally, and as a district, or even a national organization, do not have a clear picture of where we are going, or how to get there. We do not have clear guidelines (by-laws) for our group to function. I realize that for many, by-laws are just too intimidating to even think about, and the Before the LWML Long before 1942, women were gathering in groups and forming missionary organizations. As far back as 1837, it is recorded that women were supporting a man who after completing his education became the first missionary sent out by a branch of Lutherans, the Hartwick Synod. The women continued supporting him until around Around 1879 the pastors in the United Lutheran Church saw how helpful the women in other denominations could be in promoting foreign missions and suggested starting a similar group for women in the Lutheran Church and encouraged an auxiliary society to every congregation connected with the General Synod. No attempt for a regional or national organization of women took place in the Missouri Synod until the 1920s, but there were two societies formed already in They were at Fort Wayne, IN and St. Louis where the women sewed, mended, washed and ironed for the seminary students. The wife of Dr. C.F.W. Walther, president of the St. Louis Seminary, and Mrs. Wilhelm Sihler, wife of the Fort Wayne Seminary president, were instrumental in starting the sewing groups. whole idea of them leaves us in a fog. If your group has not taken a good look at your by-laws in the last several years, maybe this would be a good time, to do that. Check and see what they say for your group do they still give the direction your group wants to go? Are they still relevant for today s society? If not, why not clear the fog and redo them to fit today s group. There are lots of helps for this at LWML.org. if you need something to get you started. Wishing you sunny skies as you work through the fog of by-laws for your group. Date: June 22-25, 2017 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Theme: "Jesus Christ Above All" Scripture Verse: Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). President: Patti Ross

9 March 2017 LWML Newsletter Page 9 Gifts of Love Ministry A Christian Preamble Putting your affairs in order can be a daunting task. Start by prayerfully asking God s will for the transfer of your earthly blessings. Ask how He would have you transfer them so that they will bless the family He has given you and further God s work on earth. Consider the importance of sharing your faith as a part of your estate plan. Adding a Christian preamble to you will or living trust can be a source of comfort to your family, a message of love and encouragement of Christian faith. A Christian preamble may look something like this: In the name of the Triune God Father, son, and Holy Spirit. Amen I want my loved ones to know that I place full confidence and trust in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who promised: I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. John 11:25-26 Knowing that the wages of sin is death, I believe that Jesus Christ the only Son of God, suffered and died for the forgiveness of all my sins, which I neither deserve nor merit, but I receive it as a free gift of God, who is rich in grace and mercy. I leave to all my loved ones the words of our Savior, found in John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. I leave those who survive me the comfort of knowing that I have died in this faith and now have joined my Lord in eternal glory I praise God for giving me a loving, caring, Christian helpmate in my wife/husband. She/He has been a blessing to me, and a wonderful mother/father to our children. Knowing that we both share our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we will praise the Lord forever in Heaven. I pray that the Lord would guard and protect my children. You are very special to me and I thank the Lord for you. Through your baptism you have been received into God s family and I urge you to remain faithful to Christ until you are called home to be with the Lord. I love you and look forward to eternity with you in heaven. I pray that the Lord would shower His blessings upon my grandchildren. May the Holy Spirit guide you along the narrow path of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I urge you to respect your parents and honor them as your parents have honored me. I recognize that all of my earthly possessions are a gift from God. Therefore, I have made provisions in my will to continue my Christian stewardship after I have gone to Heaven to be with the Lord. I trust that what I offer as a gift will be blessed many times over by the Lord in building His Kingdom. My heirs will receive, through me, gifts from God. May you always remember that everything you have is a trust from God. Be good and wise stewards of His blessing, managing wisely and returning to Him a generous portion for the work in His Kingdom. The blessing transferred in a Christian preamble can have much more importance and lasting value than the material blessings transferred with the rest of your plan. For more information or help with your estate plan, please contact our own LWML Gift Planning counselor, Linda Gage, toll free, at or via at: lindagage.lwml@gmail.com. More information is also available on our website: At our district level, you can contact Gift Planning Advocate Ruth Ann Arbeiter at or by at: arbeiterra@egyptian.net 2017 Spring Retreat Registration Form: Name: Society/Congregation: Address: Phone: Check number or cash Special Dietary Needs: *** The LWML Store will be set up, however, it will be a limited amount. Please visit the online store at if you find something you would like, please contact Ruth Mize at rmize@frontiernet.net to have your order at the retreat. Please RSVP by March 1st. Make registration checks payable to SID LWML. Cost is $20 per person. Mail to: Beth Small 8702 Parkdale Dr. Caseyville, Il 62232

10 Page 10 LWML Newsletter March 2017 Serving You Are: President Brenda Schoenbeck Vice President of Gospel Outreach Miriam Koehne Vice President of Christian Life Deb Albers Vice President of Servant Resources Helen Meyer Vice President of Special Focus Ministries Carol Small Vice President of Communication Sharon Guebert Recording Secretary Patti Liefer Corresponding Secretary Lucy Thompson Financial Secretary Carol Oldinski Treasurer Ruth Ann Arbeiter Counselor Rev. Terry Grebing Counselor Rev. Jay Holden Editor Jane Lucht Archivist/Historian Peggy Sachtleben Christian Resource Editor Joyce Aukamp Young Women Representative April Rottmann Resources.LWML Store Pat Wernsing Quarterly/Newsletter Coordinator Lucy Thompson Send changes of addresses or s to: Lucy Thompson Board Notes: A reminder was given that societies should send in the names of their new officers to Lucy Thompson as soon as possible. Her is sidlwmllucy@gmail.com Sharon Guebert asked for pictures for the Facebook page. Also zone and society activities can be listed on the website. Her is sgueb@htc.net For daily Mustard Seed devotions go the national LWML website. Miriam Koehne announced that the deadline for scholarships is May 1, and the applications can be found on the SID website. The board is excited that the past district counselor, Rev. Schuessler, is a candidate for counselor at the national level. Plans are already being made for the 2018 district convention that will be held at Christ The Rock Lutheran High School. The Upper Kaskaskia Zone will be the host. It was announced that Pat Wernsing has volunteered to take over the district LWML store. Board Member Carl Small announced she would be spending three weeks in Honduras. Memorials Mary Frances Benning Anita Criley Edith Seeger Verna Lou Heckert* Mary Herrmann* Thelma Kueker Esther Renner Dolores Roethemeyer* Leon Shubert* Shirley Sonnenberg** Laura Ticer Delores Unverfehrt Loving Gifts Individual Gifts-SAF* Ordination Gift Fund**