The Christian Light. What is the Opposite of Love?

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1 ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL The Christian Light Volume 16 Number 4 April 2018 What is the Opposite of Love? What is the opposite of love? The immediate answer most of us would give is hate. At the recent Marriage Enrichment workshop that Paula and I went to in La Crosses I heard a very strong case made for a different answer. The presenter, Pastor Randy Hunter, made the case that apathy is the opposite of love. When you think about how destructive apathy is in a marriage, I can understand his point. How do you think Paula would react if I were to say to her, You are the most important thing in my life on your birthday and on our anniversary, but the other 363 days I of the year I really don t care if you are around or not. Of course no one in their right mind would say such a thing out loud. But in marriages that are troubled, spouses say things to that effect by attitude and actions that convey apathy. Apathy is destructive. Apply the same thing to your relationship with God. If you tell me you love God but only have time to listen to him on Christmas and Easter, what are your actions saying? If you tell me you love God and talk to him all the time in prayer, but you never make the time to hear what is on his mind by being in the Word, what are your actions saying? If you tell me that God is the most important thing in your life but you never take the time to receive his body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins, what are your actions saying? Are all of these actions indications of apathy toward your Savior? If someone who claimed to love you treated you in this way, how would you feel? Would you feel loved and treasured? Or would you feel as though this person is completely indifferent to you? Would it hurt you if someone you loved was indifferent to what is on your mind? Of course it would! What amazes me about God is that he is never apathetic toward us. Even when we only pay him lip service he longs for us to return so he can tell us again how much he loves us and how he has forgiven us. Come listen to him tell you this again in worship this week! INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Congregational News 2-4 Calendar 5 School News 6-7 Call Acknowledgment letter Our Mission is to Glorify God as we Gather around the to Grow in the and then Go to others with the 8

2 Page 2 Volume 15 Issue 9 Congregational News Council Notes At our meeting in March the council discussed chapter 6 of The Prodigal God. Mr. Pingel will look into quotes for refinishing the gym floor. He will bring them to the council as soon as he receives them. Our congregation will host the Manitowoc Pastors Conference on Monday, April 9. Nancy Pantzlaff is working with a group to serve the meal and snacks for this event. The council was informed that the Psalm ministry plans a Bingo event on March 31. They also will oversee a letter writing ministry that is designed to encourage those away from home to stay close to Jesus (see below). The friendship Witnessing Workshop in February was well received. We plan to offer it at least quarterly. Tim Pingel is organizing a group to distribute invitations to Holy Week Worship in the area. They will go to area homes on Saturday, March 17. The Treasurer reported the following February balances: Income $35,979 Expenses $41,305 Year to date $-22,560 High School $1,362 HS needed a month $987 HS YTD $2,314 Synod Mission $2,051 Synod needed a month $2,250 Synod YTD $3,919 The treasurer does not need to borrow on our line of credit at this time. The appeal received $0 in offerings in February. The appeal balance is $168,091. The June council meeting will be a week later than normal. Elders and Council will meet Tuesday, June 19. Open Forum April 15 after late worship, church Voters Meeting April 22 after late worship, commons Letter Writers Needed! Join Us April 8 Do you want to encourage those who are in college or in the military to stay close to Jesus? Are you willing to write letters? If you answered yes to these questions, please join us on Sunday, April 8 after late worship. We will provide you with information about a new opportunity to do these things! We will meet in the church basement at about 11:30 a.m. We will provide some guidance and seek your input on the best ways to encourage those living away from home to stay close to Jesus! Choir and Band Concert Set for May 7 Our choir and band will present a concert on Sunday, May 7. The theme of our concert is our mission statement to glorify God as we gather around the, grow in the and go with the. We hope you ll join us for this special worship opportunity and invite your neighbors and friends as well. Mothers Day Roses Roses will be available on Mother s Day (May 13) after each service. A free will offering is appreciated. The donation supports the Bay Area Life Center at 430 South Webster Ave. Green Bay, WI ( ) Confirmation In late worship on Palm Sunday, March 25, ten young Christians were received as communicant members by the Rite of Confirmation. Members of this year s class are: Stella Block, Ethan Diny, Emily Dobberpuhl, Jacob Gajewske, Emma Geib, Desiree Koomen, Owen Novitski, Emma Otto, Carter Salm, and Cole Van Rossum.

3 The Christian Light Page 3 Grow In Grace and Knowledge Sunday Morning Bible Study We have two opportunities for you to grow through Bible study on Sunday mornings. Both classes begin at 9:15 a.m. each Sunday. Adult Christ Light Bible Study We meet in the church. In this class we study familiar lessons from the Bible. Commons In March we will continue our study: Peter: Bold Disciple, from the God s People Series. Follow Peter through his personal encounters with Jesus and his spiritual journey from a fisherman to a "fisher of men." As you read about the events of Peter's life, you'll discover familiar shortcomings that we all encounter: lacking trust in God (walking on water), often denying our Savior in moments of pressure (denying Jesus before the rooster crowed), and putting our own wants before the Lord's expectations of us (falling asleep in the garden). You'll also learn of Peter's mission following Jesus' ascension into heaven and how it applies in your life. Sunday School Come join us each Sunday from 9:15-10:00am in the church basement for Bible stories, crafts, and songs! All 3-5 year olds are welcome to attend. Parents, feel free to join a class, and we ll walk your child to you when we finish. Sunday Night Book Discussion In April we will continue to discuss Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up 12 False Christs. Youth Group Bible Study meets each Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in the school commons. Open gym will follow. We invite all high school age young adults to join us as we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bring a friend as well! Men s Monday Night Bible Study Men, join us for 30 minutes on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. in the commons as we grow together in God s Word and become better Christian leaders of our own families. We are looking at 19 minutes with the Messiah. All ages are encouraged to attend. Thursday Night Women s Home Bible Study All Women are invited to join us and bring a friend as we continue our study of Love Rules: A Study of the Ten Commandments by Christina Hergenrader. We meet Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. The book can be ordered online or Abbey Laabs can order one for you. If you have any questions, contact Abbey Laabs (abbeymlaabs@gmail.com). April Hosts: April 5 Ruth Zeamer April 19 Michaela Hagenow April 12 Michaela Hagenow April 26 Ruth Zeamer The Season of Easter Notes on Worship During the Sundays of Easter we will focus on Rolled Away. We will see what he does for us and in us. He blesses us and has expectations of us. Consider using the Hymn of the Day and the sermon text as a personal or family devotion sometime before you join us at any of these worship opportunities! April 1 Easter Rolled Away white Sermon: Mark 16:1-8 CW 152 April 8 Easter 2 Rolled Away: Doubts white Sermon: Acts 26:19-29 CW 165 April 15 Easter 3 Rolled Away: Distractions white Sermon: Acts 12:1-19 CW 160 April 22 Easter 4 Rolled Away: Ignorance white Sermon: Acts 20:28-32 CW 375 April 29 Easter 5 Rolled Away: Separation white Sermon: Acts 16:11-15 CW 168 Altar Committee members serving in April : Dick and Dawn Tisler

4 The Christian Light Page 4 Scrip As of this writing, there is a little over $5,000 going toward school tuition for the families that signed up and are using this program. June 30 is the last day to order scrip to apply toward this school year. July 1 starts for the school year. Order forms can be found in the church basement on the north wall or by the school office. Drop orders off anytime in the school office by Nancy or contact Michelle Laabs at ormicjer.laabs@gmail.com. Scrip Order Dates: Sunday, April 1 No Scrip, Happy Easter! Sunday, April 8 church between services Monday, April 16 school 8:00-8:30 a.m. Sunday, April 22 church between services Monday, April 30 school 8:00-8:30 a.m. Michelle has a few things in the scrip box she would like to sell (these were only offered during a certain time around Christmas so this is only on first come first served because Michelle can't order these specials till scrip offers them again). Keep in mind these are only specials so once they are gone until scrip offers them again. (1) $5 Barnes & Noble (8) $5. Starbucks (8) $10 Chipotle (15) $10 Target (9) $10 Buffalo Wild Wings (12) $10 Wal-Mart Youth Group We continue to meet Sunday nights at 7:00 p.m. for Bible study. We averaged 13 Bible study participants in March. Open gym follows. Please encourage your son/daughter/grandson/ granddaughter to make use of this important opportunity to stay connected to God s Word and Christian friends. Also, encourage them to bring a friend! On March 2 and 3, the Youth Group hosted a Blindmen s Volleyball Tournament. Nine teen teams and nine adult teams participated in the event. Congratulations to the Volley Ballers (Tom Schultz) and The Thundercats (Tyler Laabs) for winning the teen and adult tournaments, respectively. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Youth Group during those two days. On Sunday, March 4, the Youth Group hosted a Pancake and Porky Breakfast. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend. Food Pantry Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. We served over 30 families this month. Thank you to all who donate time, food or pray for the food pantry. It is amazing to be able to help these families. If you have questions please see Linda Bruegge or Diane Suchomel. We are always in need of the following laundry detergent, breakfast items, juice, canned fruit, pasta and pasta sauces, shampoo, canned meat, rice, pinto Soup For Souls Comfort, hope, and peace. These three simple words are something many of look for on a day to day basis. The comfort we receive can be found in many ways and from many individuals in our lives, but at times we may feel unsure how we can offer comfort or peace to someone who is experiencing a challenge in their life. This time of year, we as Christians are especially reminded of the sweet comfort we have through the death and resurrection of our Savior. If you know of someone who is looking for peace as they face an earthly challenge please consider using the Soup for Souls ministry to reach out to them and share the unconditional love of Christ with them. The meals are free to all and are located in the school and church freezers. If you know of someone who could use a meal, but are unable to get it to them please contact Nancy Pantzlaff at VBS Mark your calendar for Vacation Bible School on July 9through July 12. Please watch upcoming church and school newsletters for more information. Golf Begins May 23 The weekly church golf outing at Wander Springs will begin on Wednesday, May 23. Tee times will be reserved under Charles Edinger s name. Everyone in the congregation is invited to join us whenever you can!

5 The Christian Light Page 6 School News 4K-5K Miss Holzhueter Spring is finally here! And we are finished with the 3rd quarter of school already! Here s what the 4&5K class has been up to the past month. 4K will continue working hard at writing and sounding out the alphabet. They have made tremendous progress with this! They are also working with mastering the recognition and writing of numbers K will continue improving their reading, writing, and comprehension skills, learn how to tell time, and will soon be switching over from weather in Science to Social Studies to learn about Children from Around the World. Story Time Save the date for Story Time with Danny and the Dinosaur on Saturday, April 28. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. Watch for more information and sign-up sheets in April. We hope you can join us! School Year The school calendar is set. The start date is Thursday, August 23, for grades 5K - 8. The first day for the 4K students will be Tuesday, August 28. The final day of school is May 24, Grades 1-2 Grades 3-4 Grades 5-6 Mrs. Kuchenbecker Can you imagine? Imagine the excitement as the first and second graders complete their paws for reading challenge. Many will enjoy a pajama movie afternoon as a reward and many of them also earn stuffed pets for their super reading! Imagine the time studying as they continue to improve their reading skills, practicing long vowels, unusual vowel pairs, and blends. They re studying measurement, geometry and place value in math. In grammar pronouns and adjectives are the latest topic. Imagine the questions they asked when we visited Denmark Family Dentistry to finish our unit on dental health. Imagine the fun they have playing in the spring sunshine. One thing we don t have to imagine is the great love that God has given us, as we ve traveled the journey to the cross and Jesus resurrection! Imagine the joy we ll have when we re in heaven with our Savior! Mrs. Muchka Christ has Risen! He has risen indeed! God s blessings on your Easter! In Christ Light the third and fourth graders have been learning about the children of Israel. We see that God wants us to trust in Him in all circumstances and situations. God also wants us to encourage and build one another up in words on promises. In Math the fourth graders have been learning to measure perimeter, area, and temperature. The third graders have been studying congruent figure, symmetry, and ordered pairs. In Science we are studying various body systems including the circulatory, digestive, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems.. Both classes are studying adjectives, adverbs, and interjections in language arts. Please keep our class in your prayers as we continue our school year. Mr. Pingel Spring is in the air! As the warmth of the sun begins to bring trees and flowers into bloom, we can also see how the student s knowledge has bloomed throughout the year! In Christ Light, the students will study the Old Testament Prophets. In English, the students will study predicate adjectives and how to classify them in sentences. In Reading, the students will start the novel Hatchet. In 5th grade math, the students will work with metric measurements and how to convert them. In 6th grade math, the students will find the volume and surface area of different shapes. In science class, we are learning about energy and the many different forms of energy. As the weather becomes warmer, the students will be able to get outside to practice for their spring sports. Students will practice for softball. Students will also prepare for track as they develop their talents and techniques. Please remember our class in your prayers. May God continue to bless us as we grow daily in His Word.

6 Page 7 Volume 15 Issue 9 Grades 7-8 Mr. Muchka Happy Spring to you from the 7th and 8th grade classroom. March is traditionally Academic Month, and we were at it again in the classroom. In Christ Light we studied the topical devotion Christian Life Planning. In Reading we are working our way through Anne Frank s World War II writing The Diary of a Young Girl. In Social Studies the upper graders completed a unit on the Great War and are beginning to study the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, and World War II. The students also are working very hard on their Social Studies Fair projects for the MLHS Academic Fair. On Friday, March 9, we took a field trip to MLHS to watch the musical performance Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. On Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29, the 7th & 8th graders will take a field trip to Minnesota to visit Martin Luther College and the Mall of America. We thank all the brave parents who are chaperoning this trip! Continue to pray for our students, parents, and teachers as we begin the 4th Quarter! Music Night Music Night is Friday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. All are invited to hear our young musicians. Our school band, soloists in the even grades, along with even grades piano students will perform in our school commons. We hope you are able to attend. Spelling Bee It took a while, but we finally got two winners in the Morrison Zion Lutheran School Spelling Bee! So many great spellers took part in this event. Congratulations to Isabella Blauert and Elijah Ruddat for coming out on top! They were then able to compete in the WELS NWD Spelling Bee Friday, March 9th, at Riverview Lutheran School in Appleton. Great job, everyone! MLHS Music Festival On Friday April 13 our school will participate in the music festival at MLHS. Students from throughout the federation will participate. From our school, soloists on piano, instrument and voice will participate as well as our school band and junior choir. This year we have 46 events registered. Each will perform for a judge. Spectators are welcome to attend. Concessions are available on site. The festival begins at 4:00. Exact times for our students are unavailable at this time. Spring Play Grades 5-8 presented the play, Silver s Secret on Friday March 23. Thank you to everyone who attended for your support of these talented actors and actresses. Athletic News Softball Fun Day will be May 5. Track Day will be Tuesday, May 15 at the track in Manitowoc Gym Floor Update The Athletic Association thanks everyone who planned and participated in the gym floor fundraisers. We have been greatly blessed with your generosity! Here is a break down of the funds that have been collected. Please keep in mind that we have been trying to save as much as possible and will have limited funds available for our athletic operations (tournament fees, uniform upkeep and maintenance, equipment) if we use the full $4,000 from savings. Due to the generosity we are moving into getting updated quotes about a year sooner than expected! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Savings - $4,000 Tailgate fundraisers $2,599 Penny Wars $3, Memorial money - $1, (2, for new rims) Thrivent Funds - $4,500 Total 16,174.83

7 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church & School of Morrison Church: 7395 County Road W Greenleaf, WI Pastor Randy Ott School: 7373 County Road W Greenleaf, WI Principal Rick Muchka Phone (Church) (School Pastor Ott (home) (mobile) ottrr@mzluth.org Website: Address Service Requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 6 The Christian Light April 2018 Our Mission is to Glorify God as we Gather around the to Grow in the and then Go to others with the. Call Extended for Young Adult/Outreach Pastor On Sunday, March 18 the Lord called Pastor Jeffrey Grundmeier to be our pastor. Pastor Grundmeier is married to Valerie. They have four children, ages 8, 5, 3, and a 5 month old. He presently serves Our Saviour s Lutheran Church of Cedarville, Michigan (15 souls and 8 communicants) and Immanuel Lutheran Church of Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan (146 souls and 123 communicants. His letter acknowledging the call follows: Dear Members of Morrison Zion Lutheran Church, I have received the divine all extended to me by your congregation on March 18, Please pray, along with the Christians here in Michigan, that God give me humility as I come to a decision about whether to continue serving here, or to join you in Wisconsin. Throughout the process of deliberation, seeking the wisdom of fellow Christians, studying and applying what God says to his servants through his Word, may God s name be glorified. As the Father spoke to the Son from heaven as he approached his suffering and death for our sakes: I have glorified it and will glorify it again. (John 12:28b) In service to Christ, Pastor Jeff Grundmeier. Please pray that the Lord leads Pastor Grundmeier to the best decision for the Kingdom of God!