NEWSLETTER OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH. May Thank You Thank to all who helped with the Easter Egg Hunt this year.

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1 OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER Rev. Alan Muck 751 N. Maple Grove Ave. Hudson, MI May 2017 Ladies Guild Ladies Guild meets Thursday, May 4th, at 7:00 PM at the church. Thank You Thank to all who helped with the Easter Egg Hunt this year. Church Council Church Council meets Sunday, May 7th, following service. The birth of Mother's Day Anna M. Jarvis ( ) loved her mother dearly. It was Miss Jarvis who first suggested a national day to honor all mothers. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Anna gave a carnation, her mother s favorite flower, to each person in attendance. Within a few years, the idea to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother s Day was soon observed annually in many large cities of the United States. On May 9, 1914, by an act of congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday of May as Mother s Day. He established the day as a time for public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country. By then, it had become customary to wear white carnations in honor of departed mothers and red carnations to honor the living. The custom continues to this day. Mysterious ways Before pursuing a career as a Christian singer, Ryan Stevenson was a paramedic, encountering trauma and true brokenness. When he received a 911 call about a woman struck by lightning, Stevenson didn t think she d survive. But thanks in part to his efforts, the woman made a full recovery and later struck up a friendship with him. One day the woman asked Stevenson, If you could be doing anything with your life, what would it be? His answer? Music. She gave him a check for $2,000, and he used it to cut an EP, which led to a record deal. Through Stevenson s chart-topping song Eye of the Storm, he wants to remind listeners that God hasn t forgotten about us. He s still paying attention to us no matter how horrible things might seem. He s in control. * * * Faith is like wi-fi: It s invisible, but it has the power to connect you to what you need. Unknown

2 Raelene Prothero throat cancer, she has had trach tube removed, can eat again. Still has some treatments left Adam Messersmith health issues, has GoFundMe page for on going illness Ann Daub healing from breast cancer Rich Atherton healing from stroke Fred Johnson heart problems Ben Rupley unexplained body pain Sandy Risedorph breast cancer, chemo & radiation Mike Sanborn heart attack Bud Fowler cancer Jennifer Ball breast cancer Grayson Rupley sensory disorder Margaret Runnells broken leg complications and cancer Jayme Lohr God s peace, guidance, and direction in her life Allison Stickel health & anxiety issues Kyle Tanner bone marrow transplant Kristen Gutierrez & baby healing from a fall down the stairs Pastor Paul Herter colon cancer Helen Meyer foot pain & problems Shirley Klinger diagnosed with breast cancer and kidney stones and gall bladder issues Sue Minton cancer treatments Roger Sholl cancer treatments Church Council Ladies Guild Prayer Group Our Saviour Lutheran Missionaries (download prayer cards of missionaries by going to for us and pray for them daily) A mother's prayer A.T. Pierson writes that all true prayer trusts [God] to give his own answer, not in our way or time, or even to our own expressed desire, but rather to his own unutterable groaning within us which he can interpret better than we. As an example, Pierson points to Monica, the mother of the man who came to be known as Saint Augustine. Although Monica pleaded with God that her dissolute son might not go to Rome, that sink of iniquity, he went anyway. While there, he met Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who led him to the Christian faith. Saint Augustine is considered one of the most important church fathers. God fulfilled the mother s desire while denying her request, Pierson writes. How might God be meeting your desires, even amid what appears to be unanswered prayers?

3 As I spend time in conversation with the members of Our Saviour, whether during my home visits or through casual conversation, the topic of the status of former members is often raised. As a caring and loving congregation, you are concerned about those families and friends who once sat in the pews but are no longer hear enjoying the fellowship of being part of the Our Saviour family and perhaps being deprived of God s life giving gifts that are offered through a vibrant Word and Sacrament ministry. Pastor, we need to do something to try and get former members to return? is a question that is often raised. We do need to do something and as April comes to a close and we enter the month of May, WE are going to begin a 4 Sunday plan of reaching out and inviting former members to return or at least learn if they are currently attending a local church that I am calling the Philip Principle. John 1:35-51 details Jesus calling His disciples where John writes starting at vs. 43, The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. As we look as this part of scripture we discover two significant insights as to the way Nathaniel became a follower of Jesus. Philip found Nathanael There is a well-known principle of church growth that says 95 percent of people become Christian as a result of being invited by a friend. Having a relationship with an individual is the most effective means to grow a church. Some may think that the pastor is the best way to bring in new or past members. The pastor does play a part but take a look at the reading from John 1. Jesus would have been very effective in calling Nathaniel to follow him but yet Philip was motivated by what he learned about Jesus to take the initiative to seek out Nathaniel and invite him to Come and See. Come and See is all that our Lord is asking us to do, the Holy Spirit will take care of the rest. It is not up to us to bring people to Christ but is our responsibly to invite people to Come and See. It is much easier, and will result in greater success when we invite those with whom we already have a relationship. I will be asking each of you to look at our current membership list and after a time of prayer, select one or more families that you will invite to attend worship on May 21 that will be followed by a fellowship lunch. This will provide everyone the opportunity for everyone to reconnect and for your pastor to begin building new relationships. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will place on your hearts the names of those you can invite to Come and See and that the Holy Spirit will work on the hearts of those we care about to accept his His invitation. 1 Hark, the voice of Jesus crying, Who will go and work today? Fields are white and harvests waiting Who will bear the sheaves away? Loud and long the Master calleth; Rich reward He offers thee. Who will answer, gladly saying, Here am I, send me, send me? 2 If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus, You can say He died for all. Pastor Al If you cannot rouse the wicked With the judgment s dread alarms, You can lead the little children To the Savior s waiting arms. 3 Let none hear you idly saying, There is nothing I can do, While the multitudes are dying And the Master calls for you. Take the task He gives you gladly, Let His work your pleasure be; Answer quickly when He calleth, Here am I, send me, send me!

4 Our Saviour Lutheran Ladies Guild Minutes April 6, 2017 Devotions led by Betty R for Diann - "Our Father". Dody read an excerpt from Portals of Prayer and prayer. Those present Betty R, Dody, Sharon, Janice. Secretary's Report - Read. Motion to approve minutes by Dody, seconded by Jan. Motion approved. Treasurer's Report - None. Betty presented project on invitations for Easter Service sent to those who haven't been in awhile. To get with Pastor. Eggs are filled and cookies distributed for baking for hunt on Saturday. Meeting tomorrow (Friday) at 3m to make sure everything is ready. Next month Devotions- Sharon Hostess Diann Altar - Linda Next month meeting scheduled for June 1. Motion by Jan to move meeting to June 8 at 6pm Potluck for last meeting of year. Seconded by Sharon. Motion approved. Motion to adjourn by Sharon. Seconded by Jan. Meeting adjourned. Respectfully Submitted, Sharon A. Klinger

5 3 Griffin Wollett Samantha Anderson 4 Brooklyn Myers 12 Mary Boehk Adaline Hubinger Amelia Klinger 17 Shiann Martinus 18 Kaleigh Hubinger 19 Ben Rupley 21 John Boehk 24 Katie Cox Brantley Root 25 Erin Wonderly Alisha Frees 26 Andy Ball 27 Lucas Gutierrez, Jr. Grayson Pickford 28 Janice Barrow 29 Nick LoPresto 30 Katarina Hillard 9 Jim & Linda Gutierrez 12 Chad & Eve Root 15 Larry & Connie Nichelson 16 Tom & Beth Fowler 18 Rex & Kim Murphy 21 Mark & Lori Butts 25 John & Kaleigh Hubinger GOD S RICHEST BLESSINGS TO ALL Memorial Day Over the years, Memorial Day has become a big holiday weekend. It s now the unofficial start of summer, rather than a day of tribute to the departed it was originally meant to be. Even if we plan fun events for Memorial Day weekend, it s important to stop long enough to bow our heads and pay respect to our departed loved ones especially those who fell in battle while helping preserve America s liberties. Let us take time to make the pilgrimage to various cemeteries and pause long enough to say, Thank you, Father, for these special lives, for sacrifices made and for friendships we have shared.

6 May 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Ladies Guild meets 7:00 PM 7 4th Sunday of Easter 10:15 AM Worship Service Church Council meets th Sunday of Easter 10:15 AM Holy Communion th Sunday of Easter 10:15 AM Worship Service Newsletter deadline Church picnic after church th Sunday of Easter 10:15 AM Holy Communion Special One Offering 29 Memorial Day Office Closed 30 31