Advocacy for the sake of Christ

Transcription

1 February 2017 Newsletter Advocacy for the sake of Christ In a recent sermon, I mentioned that I attended an advocacy workshop hosted by SOJOURNERS, a Washington D.C. based non-partisan Christian organization which works for justice and peace for all. I also promised that I d share some highlights of that continuing education event with you. The theme of the workshop was Living the Matthew 25 Pledge, which I wrote about in the January 2017 newsletter. It is based upon Jesus words in Matthew 25, in which he tells us whatever you do to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, so you do to me. The pledge itself reads: I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus. The advocacy training provided some practical ideas for living out the pledge, including: RECOGNIZING that protection and defense of the vulnerable are needed in a variety of areas: Creation care Poverty/Homelessness/Hunger Education Racial/Gender/Religious discrimination Economic policy Healthcare Immigration Unemployment/Underemployment/Living wage Job creation/wage equity Criminal justice reform Voting rights Asking yourself which of the above are issues which particularly touch your heart? For which are you willing to work? EDUCATING yourself in your area of interest. Learn what you can about current policies/practices and how they disadvantage the vulnerable. ORGANIZING. Start small, with others who share your particular passion. Engage in conversation with people who are directly affected by unfair policies/practices. Learn their stories. Hear their struggles. Find out from them what they believe would be the best outcome in their situation. Don t assume (from your place of privilege) that you know what is best. WORKING with agencies/organizations already working on behalf of the vulnerable. They are aware of current policies/practices. How can you aid/assist them? CONTACTING local, state and national leaders and challenging them to make their sphere of influence a Matthew 25 City Hall, State Legislature, or Congress. This doesn t mean turning these public in stitutions into Christian institutions, but rather, that our elected officials will work to protect and defend the vulnerable. Continued on page 2 Interim Pastor Kimberly Jordan Shannon Stoker, Parish Administrator Beki Tetzlaff & Dawn Zirtzlaff, kjordan4978@gmail.com shannon@livinghopesaukville.org Here We Grow Directors herewegrow@livinghopesaukville.org

2 Living Hope Members, Letter from Your Council President It was wonderful to see so many of you at the congregational meeting, the conversation and questions seemed to be very helpful for all of us to get a clearer picture of what options we have for our future pastoral leadership. Thank you to those who gave feedback to the council members regarding the work put in and positive comments about the presentation. The option surveys are due back by February 12 th, please turn them in to the church office or my mailbox #41. In the mean time if you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact a council member to reach me personally please use my beki1525@sbcglobal.net. Please prayerfully consider serving on our church council. In May we will be electing two new members for our Living Hope council. Your Friend in Christ, Beki Tetzlaff Council President Continued from page 1 STANDING UP when you hear others speak untruth and unkindness about groups or individuals. Let the speakers/promoters of such talk know that you will not tolerate such abusive and hurtful language about others. When the words or actions of others are used to promulgate fear or incite violence, stand up to the givers of such messages and speak the truth in love. This takes great courage, but as long as such hateful and untrue speech goes unchallenged, it will continue to spread and to do its damage in society. LISTENING to those whose opinions differ from yours. This is the most difficult piece of advocacy advice we were given. We re talking about active listening not the kind of listening where we hear nothing but Yadda, yadda, yadda while we re forming our words of refutation in our heads. The purpose of active listening is to listen for understanding to discover why those of differing opinions think/believe as they do. The hope is that in discovering the heart of their belief systems, the core of their ways of viewing the world, people of differing points of view will be humanized and no longer perceived as the enemy. While enemies don t/can t work together, humans do/can. Imagine what could be accomplished for God s kingdom if we all worked together!!! The most moving part of the advocacy training was hearing the personal stories of vulnerable people themselves. Although many of their situations were heart-breaking, each spoke with a sense of hope. My prayer is that the Spirit of the living Christ moves and inspires each of us to discover how we might work to protect and defend the vulnerable. May we have the will to do, in whatever way we can, for the least of our brothers and sisters knowing that in doing so, we are serving our Lord. Pastor Kimberly 2

3 MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICES Plans are in place for the 2017 midweek Lenten services. This year s theme is The Stations of the Cross. Our format will be informal with a brief liturgy and message taking place while we share a simple dinner together. Each meal will end with a simple Eucharist, with all of us literally breaking bread and communing each other. Four of our Lenten Wednesdays will be shared with our brothers and sisters from St. Peter s UCC. March 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29 April 5 Traditional Ash Wednesday worship at Living Hope at 6:30 p.m. Week 1 of Stations of the Cross/Dinner/Communion at Living Hope Week 2 of Stations of the Cross hosted by Living Hope Week 3 of Stations of the Cross hosted by St. Peter's Week 4 of Stations of the Cross hosted by Living Hope Week 5 of Stations of the Cross hosted by St. Peter's Gather between 6:00--6:30 for conversation and coloring of large Stations of the Cross posters a fun intergenerational activity!! Meal/worship/communion begins at 6:30 p.m. Communal clean-up begins at 7:15 p.m. HOLY WEEK SERVICES will be held at our own churches. Times TBA Mark your calendars and plan to join us each week as we share a meal together and reflect upon Jesus experience on his way to the cross. A MISSION OF LIVING HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH herewegrow@livinghopesaukville.org Phone (262) HERE WE GROW SEEKING VOLUNTEERS LUTHERAN SCHOOLS WEEK 2017 Here We Grow has started planning for National Lutheran Schools Week March 5-10th. The theme for this year is Loved Beyond Measure. If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer during this week please contact Dawn or Beki at or the school herewegrow@livinghopesaukville.org. Volunteer ideas; reading a story to the children relating to the theme, preparing and presenting a related arts/crafts project, singing or playing an instrument for the children. The children thoroughly enjoy when volunteers share their time and talents with them. 3

4 to Laura Meyer, for stepping up to be our outdoor sign board changer. If you have a message you d like to see on the sign board, please contact Shannon in the church office. All messages will be coordinated through the church office. Thanks again Laura! Men s Bible Discussion Group This group will continue to meet on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 6pm. In February, they will discuss the formation of the four Gospels. They will recess for Lent. Any questions, please contact Brad LeDuc at Lutheranism 101: Reboot Because we had rather scarce attendance when Lutheranism 101 was offered last fall, I m offering a reboot of sorts. Our time together will be informal. Everyone is welcome! Come to discover what it was that Martin Luther felt needed reforming in the Church. Come to learn what theological truths he uncovered. Come to explore the basis of our Christian faith through Lutheran spectacles. Come to ask questions. Come to share lively conversation. Lutheranism 101 will meet by the fireplace on designated Sundays each month at 10:30 (generally the 1st & 3rd Sundays, with some exceptions). Please join us on these dates: Pastor Kimberly March 5 March 19 April 2 4

5 The following items are needed at the pantry: If you wish to make a donation towards produce, please send a check to the Pantry with Produce in the memo line February 5, 2017 Cereal Peanut Butter Tuna Soup Pickles & Olives Beef Stew Diapers size 4, 5, 6 Boys Underwear, size Dish Soap Cash to Purchase Produce February 12, 2017 Hash Chili Black Beans Cake Mixes & Frosting Salad Dressings Pull-ups 4T, 5T Boys PJs size 12, 14, L or XL Laundry Soap Brown Grocery Bags Cash to Purchase Produce February 19, 2017 Cereal & Oatmeal Peaches Salmon Hard & Soft Tacos Lite Fruit & Soups Oil, 16 oz. Toilet Paper Sugar Teen Girls Sweaters & Shirts Toothpaste & Brushes February 26, 2017 Pancake Mix & Syrup Manwich Pudding Men s Jeans, sizes 30, 32, 34 Boys Underwear, Tomato Sauce & Paste Shampoo Paper Towels Cash to Purchase Produce Diapers size 4, 5, 6 Food Pantry Statistics for January: We served 387 families with 1,288 family members. We distributed 8,630 pounds of food and household items. We gave out $6,550 in Sentry food certificates and redeemed $1,140 in milk certificates. We signed up 3 new families in January. Our expenses for January were $13,251. Contributions to the pantry in January totaled $6,484. Living Hope members donated lbs (15 items) of food to the pantry in January. 5

6 February 2017 Please note the following dates: Thursdays February 2 & 16 Saturday, February 4 Hearts to Hands Retreat Thursdays March 2 & 16 Thursdays April 6 & 20 In February, we will start our new study, The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa TerKeurst. Do you find yourself spending a lot of time figuring out when to say yes and when to say no, thinking about how to manage your time, reduce stress, do your best for your family and still find a little time for yourself? Lysa TerKeurst found herself in that same situation until she learned the power of the best yes, the choice that shapes all of our other choices. Lysa will help us: Cure the disease to please with a biblical understanding of the command to love. Escape the guilt of disappointing others by learning the secret of the small no. Overcome the agony of hard choices by embracing a wisdom-based decision-making process. Rise above the rush of endless demands and discover your Best Yes today. Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times best-selling author of Made to Crave and Unglued. She is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She loves having honest conversations about connecting our struggles with God s truth. Please join us!! Knewsy Knotes If anyone is interested in knitting, crocheting or loom knitting red hats for all babies born in the month of February for the American Heart Association s celebration of American Heart Month, please give them to Cathy Higgins. We need them by the date of the Hearts to Hands Retreat on Saturday, February 4 at the latest so they can be sent to the American Heart Association on February 6 th. In the past few years, some of us from Hearts to Hands have had a great time attending the annual Fiber Frolic and the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. If you knit, crochet or loom knit, you might be interested in attending these events. If you would like to join us, contact Cathy Higgins ( ) or Julie Irish ( ). Check out the following websites for more details: Rites of Spring: Fiber Frolic Eastern Central Wisconsin May 5 & 6, a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7, a.m. to 2 p.m. Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival September 7-10, 2017 (Registration opens June 1, 2017) Jefferson Fair Park, Jefferson, WI Remembering His words, Love one another, Hearts to Hands regularly meets to knit and crochet for others while sharing fellowship and devotional time. We continue to meet at church on the 1 st & 3 rd Thursday of each month. We will share fellowship time at 6:30 PM and begin our study about 7:15 PM followed by prayers, concluding about 8:30 PM. Join us! All are welcome, even if you don t knit or crochet. We encourage you to come, participate in the fellowship and Bible/devotional study. Please feel welcome to come, share in fellowship and grow in faith. If you are in need of child care in order to attend, please let us know. If you have any other questions, please call Cathy at or Julie at We look forward to having you join us! Please note that Hearts to Hands uses the Living Hope mailbox, #166. 6

7 Living Hope Calendar Prayer Chain If you would like to request prayer or receive prayer requests through the Prayer Chain, please contact coordinator, Chris Koss, at or call

8 Please visit us on Facebook or on our church website for more information on upcoming events: 8