CONNECTION. Pastor Michael J. Albrecht. October Let s Celebrate 90 Years of Blessings

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1 October 2018 CONNECTION Let s Celebrate 90 Years of Blessings Saint James got started in 1928 as a basement church. We got a little taste of what that must have been like as we worshipped in the Fellowship Room during June and July. But two months does not really compare to the fifteen years that it took to save the money to build our sanctuary, which was dedicated to the glory of God on August 22, Pastor Bolle and the first generation of Saint James members made a lot of changes as they moved out of the basement and services were held in the auditorium of Sibley Junior High School for fifteen months. When construction was completed, they experienced another dramatic change as they moved in to the new sanctuary. In subsequent years, the plain windows were gradually replaced with stained glass. The simple cross over the altar was replaced with the golden cross we have now. At first Pastor Bolle was our only pastor. Pastor Johnson arrived in When Pastor Bolle cut back to part time, Pastor Stadler came in In the late 1980s, Pastor Bolle fully retired, and Pastor Johnson entered partial retirement. Pastor Stadler was the only fulltime pastor until I came in We were joined by Pastor Rokke, who arrived in 1998 and became fulltime in For the first time we had three fulltime pastors. Pastor Stadler entered partial retirement in 2013, and we did not get back to three fulltime pastors until Pastor Critchley came in Then Pastor Rokke retired last October, and Pastor Stadler was called to help with visitation until Pastor Volker was installed. As we celebrate our 90th Anniversary, we have had only seven pastors, and four of us are still here. Not too many churches can say that. Of course, the membership of our church has changed over the years, too. Hundreds of people have been baptized and confirmed here at Saint James. Hundreds of couples have been married here. Hundreds have received Christian burial. Through all the changes, our Lord Jesus Christ remains the same, yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Pastor Michael J. Albrecht Church Staff Pastor Michael J. Albrecht malbrecht@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Dale Critchley Cell: dcritchley@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Thomas Volker Cell: tvolker@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Richard H. Stadler Cell: rstadler@saintjameslutheran.com Terese Thune Youth Director tthune@saintjameslutheran.com Tom Rowland Organist and Choir Director trowland5726@comcast.net Shirley Hess Parish Nurse pnstjlc@saintjameslutheran.com Heather Wald Office Administrator hwald@saintjameslutheran.com General Address stjlc@saintjameslutheran.com Worship Services Sunday 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Monday 6:30 p.m. Lord s Supper: 1st and 3rd Sunday and following Monday Bible Studies Sunday 9:15 a.m. Tuesday 10:00 a.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. divided as follows: Women: 2nd / 4th Saturday Men: 1st / 3rd / 5th Saturday 460 Annapolis Street West / West Saint Paul, MN 55118

2 Let s Celebrate Our 90th Anniversary! This year we give thanks to God for 90 years of blessings. Instead of setting a date for the celebration, and inevitably disappointing people who would not be able to make it, we will spread the celebration out over the month of October. You are invited to come for all of these services and activities, or as many as you can. Sunday, October 7 In recent years, we have had our Stewardship Sunday in October, and this year the Stewardship Committee will be rolling out My Stewardship Interests. (See page 9 for more information.) We will also rejoice to welcome 17 new members, who will be received during the 10:30 service. They will be the guests of honor at our 90th Anniversary Celebration Feast, catered by the Lone Oak Grill. The menu will be a threecourse feast. Pulled pork with Hawaiian rolls, coleslaw, potato salad, and fruit trays. Chicken wings, mac & cheese, chicken satay, cookies and bars, and lime Jell-O. Deli platters of roast beef, turkey, ham, pastrami, and cheese, sandwich rolls, vegie trays, and German chocolate cake. A freewill offering will be received and designated for our 90th Anniversary Projects. Food will be served in three locations, each featuring displays, confirmation class pictures, and mementoes. The Fellowship Room will be , the Fireside Room will be and the Chapel will be Come for the memories, the food and the fellowship. 2

3 Sunday, October 14 Our mission partners have been an important part of our history. Our guest preacher, Missionary Hesham Shehab, grew up in Beirut, a world of bitter animosity between Muslims and Christians, which he experienced personally in a physical attack when 7 years old. By age 13 he was recruited by the Muslim Brotherhood and later fought against Christians in the 1975 war in Lebanon. In 1980, while Hesham was going to an American college in Beirut, his brother was killed by a Christian militia. Hesham s response was to study by day, and by night seek revenge in attacks on the Christians who had killed his brother. However, hearing the Sermon on the Mount, in a course of cultural studies, brought him to faith. Jesus words love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you stunned and surprised him. In order to know more about Jesus, Hesham checked out a copy of the Bible from the college library and began reading it on his own. The more he read the Bible, the more he felt peace and forgiveness. Hesham found a way of forgiveness and reconciliation instead of hatred and revenge. Later, Hesham did graduate studies on Islamic History and religion, and taught and lectured on Middle Eastern studies and human rights in Lebanon, Europe, and the United States. Missionary Hesham Shehab In 2001, while he was working as a journalist and adjunct professor at the American University of Beirut, he met a retired Lutheran pastor, who was working with the Lutheran Hour Ministry in Beirut. Divine intervention through a series of events brought Hesham to the United States in He established a Chicagoland ministry in He finished his pastoral education at Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, was ordained in 2010 and called to serve as a Missionary to Salam Christian Fellowship. Sunday, October 21 During the hour between services, Dieterich Spahn will tell the story of our stained glass windows. German artist Peter Dohmen designed our windows in consultation with Pastor Bolle, and then Dieterich made the windows in his studio in Saint Paul, and installed them in our sanctuary. The windows were not all done at once. As we were able to afford them, they were produced over a number of years, and we ended up with a collection that spans Peter Dohmen s career. Dieterich has many stories to tell, and we look forward to hearing him. Sunday, October 28 We will celebrate Reformation Sunday, the 501st anniversary of Martin Luther s famous 95 Theses. We will formally dedicate our 90th Anniversary Projects, and the 10:30 service will be followed by our traditional Fall Festival for families and their kids. (See the details on page 10.) 3

4 Small Talk Parable of the Persistent Wife Once there was a woman who loved to run. She would spend hours running in preparation for marathons and ultra-marathons. However, the woman was not alone in life. She was married and they had children. Though the woman loved to run, she could not do so at any time she pleased because of the children. Fortunately, she had an understanding, yet selfish husband who promised to care for their children while she ran her multitude of miles. Author s Note If you want to read the original version of this parable, check out Luke 18:2-8 One day, after one of her long runs, the woman returned to a quiet house. The children were occupied and relaxing because of the many chores they had to accomplish while under the charge of their father. The husband, meanwhile, wanted to take advantage of this quiet time and was found watching some needed and deserved TV. The wife wanted to take advantage of this quiet moment to engage her husband in uninterrupted conversation. Though the husband s body was in the same room as his wife, his mind was alone in a cave watching his favorite TV program. As she initiated conversation, he secretly hoped that his wife would have been too tired to talk at length about anything. The husband had assumed that she would have rather been resting in a quiet place. To his surprise, she seemed to want his attention after such strenuous exercise. The wife began by asking her husband about how the children behaved. He remained in his cave, not responding. Next, she tried to tell a funny story about her adventures while running out in nature. He still remained in his cave. She tried to speak his language of appreciation for all he did for her and his sacrifice of time for her. Even for this he would not come out of his cave. Finally, she tried to ask him about the TV show he was watching. The husband reluctantly thought to himself, If I don t spend some time conversing with my wife, I will never be able to finish watching this show in peace. And so, he came out of the cave and engaged in a civil conversation with his wife about her run and what he did while she was away. I tell you the truth, the husband grudgingly listens to his persistent wife out of his selfish will to go back into his cave and watch his favorite TV program. How much more attentive is our Heavenly Father to our persistent prayer because He wants to listen to us. Whoever has ears, let them hear. ~ Pastor Volker 4

5 Strategic Plan: Governance Ideas are Coming In May, the congregation voted to proceed with a strategic plan to direct our path for the next several years. The plan features seven main actions: 1. Reorganize church governance/administration 2. Develop a succession approach 3. Update communication 4. Provide spiritual leadership training 5. Feed every generation 6. Evolve missions 7. Formalize property management To accomplish the first action, a Governance Task Force has been meeting weekly to build on the work of the Needs Assessment Task Force (NAT-Force) and Elders. Current Task Force goals have been broadly defined. Improve the system for decision-making to avoid duplicate work, increase speed and efficiency, and clarify purposes and authorities. Enable generative thinking and strategic leadership to expand direct ministry participation; recruit, develop and enable future leaders; and include more members in the governing process. Enable communication between teams and streamline active work through more focused goals, greater empowerment, and better communication that avoids misunderstanding and redundancy across ministry teams. God has plans for us. And in the next few months, look for recommendations and new ideas to help us labor well for the kingdom! Nametags Do you have a name tag that you haven t worn recently? Would you like to help Pastor Volker get to know who you are? If you would like to order a nametag, please contact Heather in the church office. September Weddings September 1 Kaitlyn Hamann & Samuel Ecker September 22 Stella Wiering & Shane O Neill September 29 Tracie Bowman & Thomas Mundt 5

6 Prevention and early detection are helpful in treatment and survival. Mammograms may also find something that has not yet manifested itself. Treatment is evolving and many people live longer now with cancer, but early detection is essential. CPR is important! Parish Nurse Notes Breast Cancer October is breast cancer awareness month. Men and women may experience breast cancer. Approximately 1 in 8 women (12.4%) will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. About 2,550 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in men in Certain changes in the breast may be an early indication of breast cancer. change in breast size and shape pain in an area of the breast that does not go away prominent veins on the surface of the breast nipple discharge that begins suddenly sore or rash on nipple swelling, redness or darkening of the breast dimpling of the skin on the breast pulling in the nipple or other places in the breast These signs may not indicate cancer, there are benign conditions that may present similarly. It is time to see your physician, in any case, and always have an annual check-up. Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure which can be life-saving. CPR is performed when the heart stops beating. If someone suddenly collapses or if there is a drowning, this procedure can help the person survive until medically trained staff arrives. Immediately performed, CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. What does CPR do? CPR helps maintain the blood flow active -even if partially- and extends the chance of survival. It can also help prevent brain damage due to lack of blood flow. The Health and Wellness Committee is sponsoring a training session on basic CPR (not certification), provided by Alina Health. Wednesday, October 3, from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. You are welcome to arrive early for a light supper at 6:15. The cost of the class is $15, but the cost will be covered if you are unable to pay. Please come. It could help safe a life!!! ~ Blessings, Shirley Hess, Parish Nurse. 6

7 Leviticus - The LORD Speaks to Us Today Pastor Albrecht s Bible Class in the Fireside Room The book of Leviticus stands at the center of the Five Books of Moses. Last year we noted that Genesis and Exodus can be read as prologue to Leviticus. The pinnacle of the book of Leviticus is the Day of Atonement, which is sometimes called Old Testament Good Friday. The Tabernacle is also called the Tent of Meeting because God wants to dwell among His people and meet with them. The sacrifices described in Leviticus were the means of grace by which God promised to bless His people. Which sacrifices were required? Which ones were voluntary? How do the sacrifices and the priests and the Tabernacle itself serve as Types of Christ? How has the advent of Christ Jesus changed the way we read Leviticus today? We will continue our conversation on Sunday October 7. The class will be repeated on Tuesday mornings in the Fireside Room. All are welcome. Saturday Morning Women s Bible Study James & Proverbs The women will meet October 13 and 27 in the Fireside Room. The doors open at 8:00 a.m. Pastor Albrecht joins the group at about 8:30. We will continue our discussion of the Epistle of James in connection with selected passages from the book of Proverbs. All women are cordially invited to join the discussion. Saturday Morning Men s Bible Study Jonah: A Whale of a Tale Pastor Volker s Bible Class in the Chapel (Rooms 7 & 8, downstairs) The story of Jonah and the Whale, (or Big Fish), has certainly been a popular story in the Sunday School curriculum. The story is more than a children s story. It is a story of blatant rebellion, blatant redemption and surprising grace. It should also be noted that of all the prophets in the Old Testament, Jesus identifies His ministry only with the ministry of Jonah. This Bible study will commence on Sunday, October 7 in the Chapel. It will be led by Pastor Volker. Genesis The men will meet in the Fireside Room on October 6 and 20. We will consult Martin Luther s commentary on the book of Genesis as we discuss the First Book of Moses. Donuts and bagels are usually provided. Bring your own beverage, if you like. All men are cordially invited to join the discussion. 7

8 Pastor Stadler s Bible Class meets on Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. On Thursday, October 4 th, Pastor Stadler begins teaching his Bible Class about the importance of where Bible stories occur, at 6:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room. Maps and photos taken during July s tour to Israel will show participants where familiar Bible stories may have occurred and why that is important. On October 4 th, the class goes to the Mt. of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount. Then, they travel to Kursi where 2000 demon-possessed pigs ran down a slope and drowned in the Sea of Galilee. On October 11, the class visits Capernaum where Jesus called Matthew, Peter, James & John and where He taught in the synagogue and healed Peter s mother. On October 18, the class goes to Nazareth where an angry mob tried to throw Jesus over a cliff. Nazareth Village portrays life at the time of Jesus. On October 25, the class goes to Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. The hill country hints why He chose to do His first miracle there. Each class will be recorded and posted on our website. Each class is its own unit, so even if someone misses one session, they will be able to follow the next lesson. Handbell News The Children s Handbell Choir will be starting rehearsals again soon. Our organizational meeting and first rehearsal will be on Monday, October 15 from 5:00 5:45 p.m. in the bell choir loft. Parents are welcome to attend! We are targeting 3 rd through 8 th grade, but if your child is younger and has basic music reading skills, they are welcome to attend. The Adult Handbell Choir has already started rehearsals this Fall, but would like to hear from anyone who already plays handbells or would be interested in learning how to play handbells. Although we don t need someone to play full-time right now, we often need a substitute for a rehearsal or a service. This is a great opportunity to play without having to commit to weekly rehearsals for an entire year. The Adult Handbell Choir rehearses on Monday evenings from 7:30 8:30 p.m. CONTACT: Winnie Farley winifredfarley@hotmail.com 8

9 Stewardship Sunday The Stewardship Committee invites you to complete the new "My Stewardship Interests" form during our Stewardship and 90th Anniversary celebrations in the month of October. This short survey will give you the chance to share your interests, and help Saint James better plan and organize for the events, activities, and opportunities we'd like to take on together. Look for the form in your bulletin on Stewardship Sunday, at the Welcome Center, or via the link and QR code that will be in the bulletin announcements. Thank you for your help! Update from our Treasurer It is not unusual for us to have a deficit at this time of year. Historically, the operating deficit grows into the month of October, then contributions increase in November and December, and we finish the year in the black. However, the Vestry wants the congregation to know that our current deficit is larger than we have seen in recent years. This year we have received very generous gifts for our 90 th Anniversary projects. Meanwhile, contributions for our operating expenses are down 10.3%. Through the end of August 2018, we have received $409,753 compared to $456,897 at this time last year. Through the month of August, the deficit has climbed to $64,613. Last year the deficit was $47,821 at the end of August. The Vestry is actively looking for ways to cut expenses, and they want everyone to know where we stand. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact President Deb Most ( ) or Treasurer Geoff Luckmann ( ). September Funerals Rita Wagenknecht September 5 Condolences to her daughter Eunice (Bill) Hopkins Paul Helland September 6 Condolences to his wife Judy and their children, Tom (Jo Ann), Rebecca (John) Gilliver, and Steve (Shannon) Kathy Feifarek September 14 Condolences to her husband Bob Faye Miller September 27 Condolences to her sons, Tom (Cheri), David (Cathryn) and Jim (Laurie) and her grandchildren, Evan (Jen), Chelsea, Joseph and Carl 9

10 Christmas Greenery Christmas wreaths and other greenery will be available for order after services in October. All proceeds will help fund youth activities. Wednesday Night Youth Group & Maze Build Come check out what s happening in youth group and help build the infamous maze in BOB for the Fall Festival every Wednesday night in October starting at 5:00 p.m. High school through adults are welcome! Confirmation Family Camp Pictures at Lutheran Island Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 Annual Church Fall Festival on Reformation Sunday Oct. 28th 11:30am-2pm This year the high school youth and adult volunteers, along with Terese & Pastor Dale will host the annual fall festival for families at Saint James with activities for all ages! This includes a German inspired meal of brats, sauerkraut, hot dogs, hot apple cider and a few other treats to celebrate Martin Luther s reformation! A youth led devotion will be presented in the fellowship room at 12:30 p.m. This is a free family event, put on by the YOUth of Saint James. Games will include the infamous Maze, candy, and a bouncy house. Check out some history of our youth program displayed in pictures. A freewill offering will be accepted to help with the cost of food. 10

11 October Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :00pm Governance 4:30pm Executive Committee 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Handbell Rehearsal 7:30pm Elders Meeting 7:30pm Missions Committee 10:00am Leviticus Bible Class 7:00pm DDD 10:30am Good Samaritan 11:30am Real Estate 4:00pm TreeHouse Support Group 5:00pm Youth Group 5:00pm Confirmation 6:15pm Meal 6:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal 7:00pm CPR Training 6:30pm PS Bible Study 8:00am Men s Bible Study 7 Stewardship Sunday :00am Divine Service with Holy Communion 9:15am Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30am Divine Service with Holy Communion 12:00pm 90th Anniversary Celebration 10:00am White Pine 4:00pm Governance 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Handbell Rehearsal 10:00am Leviticus Bible Class 2:00pm Wilder 514 2:45pm Wilder Memory Care 7:00pm Youth Committee Meeting 7:00pm DDD 4:00pm TreeHouse Support Group 5:00pm Youth Group 5:00pm Confirmation 6:15pm Meal 6:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal 6:30pm PS Bible Study 10:00am Lilydale 5:00pm ValleyScare 8:00am Women s Bible Study 14 Guest preacher: Hicham Chehab :00am Worship Service 9:15am Hicham Chehab presentation 9:15am Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30am Worship Service 4:00pm Governance 5:45pm Children s Handbell Choir 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Elders 7:30pm Handbell Rehearsal 10:00am Leviticus Bible Class 7:00pm DDD 4:00pm TreeHouse Support Group 5:00pm Youth Group 6:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal 6:30pm PS Bible Study 9:30am Wilder 512 8:00am Men s Bible Study :00am Divine Service with Holy Communion 9:15am Dieterich Spahn presentation 9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Divine Service with Holy Communion 4:00pm Governance 5:45pm Children s Handbell Choir 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Vestry 7:30pm Handbell Rehearsal 10:00am Leviticus Bible Class 6:30pm Stewardship 7:00pm DDD 4:00pm TreeHouse Support Group 5:00pm Youth Group 5:00pm Confirmation 6:15pm Meal 6:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal 6:30pm PS Bible Study Family Game Night 8:00am Women s Bible Study 28 Reformation Sunday :00am Worship Service 9:15am Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30am Worship Service 11:30am Fall Festival 4:00pm Governance 5:45pm Children s Handbell Choir 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Handbell Rehearsal 10:00am Leviticus Bible Class 7:00pm DDD 4:00pm TreeHouse Support Group 5:00pm Youth Group 5:00pm Confirmation 11 Saint James Lutheran Connection Submissions for the November issue are due October 22.

12 SAINT JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH 460 ANNAPOLIS STREET WEST SAINT PAUL, MN RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #559 TWIN CITIES, MN IN THIS ISSUE: Welcome New Members and our 90th Anniversary Celebration Feast on Oct. 7 Missionary Hesham Shehab is our guest preacher on Oct. 14 The story of our stained glass windows on Oct. 21 Dedication Sunday and Fall Festival on Reformation Sunday, Oct. 28 Fellow Christians working together to complete a challenge at Confirmation Camp! 12