The Praise Pulse A Publication of Praise Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana April 2018 Saturday, March 24, 2018
John and Susie Dykhuizen The Praise Pulse Page 2 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT NEW MEMBER COUPLES (by..sandy Wright) John was born on January 25, 1956 in Schnectady, New York and was raised in Fort Wayne. He served in the Marine Corp, and he attended Daytona Community College in Florida and Ivy Tech; he became a Respiratory Therapist. John says he is a gardener, a landscaper and a painter. He is employed with Kustom Kolor Painting. Susie was born on February 22, 1962 in Mindanao in the Phillipines, where she was also raised. In 1991 she moved to Lakeland Florida. She attended the University of Santo Tomas where she received a Doctorate in Medicine and a Bachelor's in Physical Therapy. Susie's hobbies are dancing, Karaoke and baking. When she was in Lakeland, she volunteered at an indigent medical clinic. She is employed with Kindred at Auburn Village Nursing Home. John and Susie were married on February 18, 2012 at Clearwater Beach, Florida. About Praise, they say they love it here, and they really like Pastor Seth! David and Teresa Hess David was born on May 16, 1965 in McCray Hospital in Kendallville and was raised on a farm by Huntertown. He attended IPFW and Ivy Tech. Painting water colors, biking and photography are David's hobbies. He has volunteered with the League for the Blind and is employed at XY Tool and Die. On December 23, 1962 Teresa was born at Parkview, Randalia and was raised in Fort Wayne. She received an Associate's and a Bachelor's in Nursing from IPFW. Reading, biking, gardening and spending time with their 6 grandchildren are Teresa's favorite things to do. She has volunteered with the League for the Blind, March of Dimes, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and has taught CPR and First Aid. She is employed with Parkview North. They were married on June 20, 2008 in St John Lutheran Church in Kendallville. About Praise, they say everyone has been so friendly, inviting and made them feel welcome. They love Pastor Seth and are very happy to be here.
The Praise Pulse Page 3 Beginning Sunday April 8 we will start our new Sunday Morning Sermon Series and Adult Bible Study entitled, 1 John: Walk the Walk. Live the Life. which draws our attention back to the New Testament book of 1 John. A letter rich in themes of light, life, and love, 1 John encourages Christians of all places and seasons to not simply talk the talk but walk the walk and live the life of a Christ-follower! And what does it mean to walk the walk and live the life? Come and find out. And more, leave transformed! New Sunday Morning Sermon Series and Adult Bible Study Our Sunday School teachers and classroom helpers welcome children and youth from Pre-K through 12th grade. They meet on Sundays from 9-10am. Volunteers to help teach/lead may sign up on near the restrooms. Friday, April 13 7-10pm (second Friday of each month) Come and share your vocal and instrumental talents, or just relax and listen to the music. Visit: www.praiselutheran.org CONFIRMATION Praise currently offers additional Christian education (Confirmation) for Youth grades 6-8 as well as for those Junior/Senior High Youth who have not been confirmed in the Christian Faith. Sundays at 11:45 a.m. In The Edge (near Door #4) ** Voter s Meeting after Worship on Sunday, April 22**
The Praise Pulse Page 4 A/V Volunteers Needed Fellowship Survey Fellowship would like your help! Please take a moment to pick up a survey in the narthex or go to Praise s website for details. Surveys can be left in Barbara Dyrcz s mailbox in the narthex. Volunteers are needed to help with sound and running the power point during worship on Sundays. Training will be provided. Please call the church office at 490-7729 or email office@praiselutheran.org if you are interested. Thank You! Easter Breakfast Youth Fundraiser Thank you to everyone whose participation in this community event made it a huge success! Now that it is after Easter, if you wish to donate Easter items, for example; large plastic Easter eggs, Easter baskets, or Easter grass, we would appreciate it. There is a bin in the narthex. Contact Lynette Lehman, Praises s Outreach Chairman for more information. mllehman0327@msn.com to Becky Stiefel and all who assisted with this year s meal. We appreciate the many expressions and showings of support from those who participated. Thank you for showing your care and love for our congregation s youth! YOUTH FUNDRAISER Community Clubhouse April 3 and 17 Please join us for lunch, cards and games. Community Clubhouse meets at SunRise Café (10230 Coldwater Road) at 12 p.m. on the 1 st and 3 rd Tuesday of each month. We hope to see you there! For more information you can visit our website at www.praiselutheran.org or contact Becky Stiefel at (260) 416-9197. Money will be used to help with expenses for our youth events. Cards are on sale in the narthex, Church Office and Child Care, and will be available until the supply is gone. Worship Anew Hear God s Word for you through Worship Anew! Worship Anew celebrates the new life all people have in Jesus with a weekly 30 minute broadcast service. Christ s love is shared through scripture readings, favorite church hymns, prayers, and a pastor s message that reveals God s grace and truth. To learn more, visit WorshipAnew.org or call 888-286-8002.
The Praise Pulse Page 5 Women s Luncheon The annual Women's Luncheon will be held on Saturday, April 28th here at Praise. All women of Praise are encouraged to attend and may invite (female) relatives or friends. Along with lunch, there are games and prizes. Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased from Sandy Wright or Natalie Simmons beginning Sunday, April 8th. The doors open at 11:30 and lunch will be served at noon. See Sandy or Natalie for questions, or call Sandy at 637-1132. Easter Choral Vespers at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Sunday, April 22, at 4:00pm in Kramer Chapel. This service includes choral music for the season and congregational hymns and canticles as the church rejoices in Christ s resurrection. The choir is directed by Kantor Matthew Machemer, and the organist is Kantor Kevin Hildebrand. Pastor Seth and Kara Bought a Home! AND would welcome any help the congregation is willing to provide on Saturday April 14 (moving day!). More details will be coming, though for now please save the date. We are excited to continue in this vibrant, ever-growing, life-changing ministry that the Lord has seen fit to bless us with, here at Praise/Little Praisers. Great things are yet to come! -Pastor Seth and Kara Korte When: Where: Time: Fellowship Game Night Friday, April 20 Praise 7-10pm If you have a favorite board or card game bring it along! Light snacks will be served. Questions? Email our Fellowship Chairman: (barbara.dyrcz@ambassador-enterprises.com) (there is a sign up sheet in the Fellowship area) Praise Lutheran Church is now enrolled in Kroger Community Rewards Program. If you are a Kroger shopper you can help Praise earn rewards. You will need to have a Kroger Plus card, if you do not have a Kroger Plus card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger. Once you have your Kroger Plus card you will need to register online. If you already have an online account, go to krogercommunityrewards.com. Sign in with your username and password Click on Enroll under Community Rewards Program You will need to type your basic information in - Name, Address, etc. Find Your Organization by typing in Praise or our Organization Number 56315 Then you will click on Praise Lutheran Church and click Enroll To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization s name on the right side of your information page If you do not have an online account, go to krogercommunityrewards.com. Click on Create an Account Enter your zip code Click on favorite store Enter your email address and create a password Enter in your Kroger Plus card number Click on Create Account You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link within the body of the email Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number Update or confirm your information Find your Organization by typing in Praise or our Organization Number 56315 Then you will click on Praise Lutheran Church and click Enroll To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization s name on the right side of your information page REMEMBER, your purchases will not count for your group until after you register your card. Also, you must use your Kroger Plus card or your Alternate phone number when checking out in order for Praise to earn rewards.
The Praise Pulse Page 6 ARE YOU IN NEED? So many times folks are sick or in need of something yet they do not let their Christian brothers and sisters know. Please call the office to let us know if you are ill, in hospital, need a ride etc. We will make every effort to help out. April Birthdays 1 Chris Hufford 2 Kyle McLellan 5 Sandy Wolff 10 James Prachar 13 Joyce Ehlerding 15 Susan Peterson 17 Laurie Burns Sunday Mornings 9:00 a.m. 17 Joe Dager 17 Debbie Tannehill 20 Bill Wenk 23 Lauren Prachar Teachers and Classroom Helpers are still needed. Please take a moment to visit the Sunday School Announcement Board (near the restrooms) to learn how you can assist and/or teach. 25 Bob Stiefel 25 Seth Lehman 26 Maryanne Logan 26 Tricia Niebuhr 29 Jackie Strasser 29 Michele Prachar 30 JoAnne Fox Our Prayer Chain will gladly offer prayers for you or a loved one who is suffering a crisis in their life. Requests should be directed to: Lois Gumbert at 637-3010 or loisigumbert@gmail.com Keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 TLB April Anniversaries 4 Cal and Sandy Wolff 16 Matthew and Leigh Meinerding 17 Larry and Diana Coss 23 Dan and Maryanne Logan
The Praise Pulse Page 7 Screen on the Green A Dinner and Movie Series Outdoor Community Fun The children and staff at Little Praisers really enjoyed the Easter Eggstravaganza. We are all excited for Easter and the wonderful Gift of forgiveness. We are very happy for spring and the good weather so we can play outside. We are so blessed to be able to talk about and show our love for Jesus every day. Thank you to all the volunteers that have helped in the day care. We appreciate you! If you or someone you know would be interested in joining the Little Praisers Preschool and Child Care staff, please contact Karen Bilger or Joyce Wolfe at 260-490-9529. Karen and Joyce This free, family-friendly ministry to our community, Little Praisers, and congregational families is returning for another great season of outdoor fun. Coming Summer 2018 Become our friend on Facebook. Outreach continues to collect donations for Shepherd s House. Collection basket and list are in the narthex. E-mail your articles for the May Pulse by April 15th to: office@praiselutheran.org Praise Team For the month of April, the Praise Team will practice on Tuesday evenings at 6:45pm. Anyone interested, email Joyce at: music@praiselutheran.org If you have an interest in playing hand chimes at Praise, please sign up in the Fellowship Area. Any ages are welcomed and no experience necessary. Any questions, please see or call Becky Stiefel at 416-9197.
The Praise Pulse Page 8 It s a Spring Thing a Cross Connections Comedy Event and Fundraiser Need a night out? How about a ton of laughter? Join the Biblical counseling ministry of Cross Connections on Tuesday, April 17th for our 7 th annual It s a Spring Thing a Cross Connections Comedy Event Fundraiser featuring the hilarious Christian comedian, Jeff Allen! The event will take place at the IPFW International Ballroom from 6pm-9:30pm. Tickets are $100 and include hors d'oeuvres, dinner, and comedy show. All ticket sales, sponsorships and donations will go toward the Biblical Counseling ministry of Cross Connections and our goal of providing affordable, Biblical counseling. To purchase tickets or to sponsor a table of 8, please call Jen Robb at 260-373-0213, ext. 101. You don t want to miss this exciting event! Thrivent Message Another wonderful opportunity is being presented to Praise Lutheran through Thrivent Action Team Grants. In an attempt to support congregations community engagement efforts, Thrivent is offering (1-2) $250 Action Team Grants PER Thrivent Member per calendar year, based on participation (Benefit vs Associate membership). As Praise looks to expand its efforts with community engagement/outreach, youth ministries, and so forth, this will be a great way to secure financial support. PLUS- it s FREE! It costs Thrivent members nothing (this is different than Choice Dollars). To ensure that we are able to line up an Action Team Grant with the year s events in a timely fashion, (Vacation Bible School, the Fall Festival, etc.) please consider doing the following to help Praise in coordinating its efforts: Check your Thrivent Membership Status (Benefit vs Associate) Contact Praise s Interim Secretary, Kathy Skurzewski, with the information for Coordination Purposes Look for an email/phone call from Pastor Seth and/or a Ministry Chairman to learn how you can direct this FREE Action Team Grant towards one of Praise s upcoming events. Apply (To apply, go Thrivent s website (noted above) and scroll to the bottom of the page and locate Thrivent Action Teams under the heading Making a Difference. There you will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire as to what the funds will be used for.) We praise God for these financial gifts that are being made available to us through our friends at Thrivent! It was a blessing to be able to use an Action Team Grant for our Easter Eggstravaganza! For more information please contact Pastor Seth.
The Praise Pulse Page 9 A NOTE FROM PASTOR SETH: Opportunities to Serve Alongside Praise/Little Praiser Leadership Among the wonderful opportunities to serve within Praise/Little Praiser Ministries are those connected with Leadership, particularly Church Council and Spiritual Care: President President-Elect Spiritual Care Committee Youth Stewardship Parish Education Treasurer Financial Secretary At the present time some of the positions noted above are filled and some are not. In addition, Praise anticipates a change in leadership with some positions, per our Constitution and By-laws, this coming July. Before then, my encouragement is this: Please take some time to pray about and consider the ministry opportunities mentioned above, and whether this is a role God may be leading you into, and as those prayers turn into interests in serving, please let me know so we can discuss them further. I praise God for what He continues to do here at Praise/Little Praisers, and I am confident He will continue to lead each of us accordingly! Thank you for being a part of such a wonderful, vibrant, and life-changing ministry eager to connect others with our Lord Jesus! Serving Christ and Community with you, Pastor Seth pastorseth@praiselutheran.org
The Praise Pulse Page 10 Dupont Road Construction During the construction on Dupont Road, traffic will be maintained in each direction until approximately April 13. At that time, Dupont Road will be closed from Dawson Creek Parkway to Salomon Farms for nearly four months to allow for construction of the tunnel at the Pufferbelly Trail. The only access to Praise Lutheran Church and Little Praisers Daycare will be from Lima Road via Carroll Road/Union Chapel (north) or Wallen or Till Road (south). Visit: www.cityoffortwayne.org (in the search box type dupont road improvements) for updated information.
The Praise Pulse Page 11 Screen on the Green Praise Lutheran Church www.praiselutheran
The Praise Pulse Praise Lutheran Church 1115 West Dupont Road Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Easter Praising God in vibrant Worship Reaching out with Christ-centered witness Anchored in God's Word and Sacraments Interceding for others Stewards of God's varied gifts for the building up of His Kingdom Equipping the saints for works of service April PRAISE LUTHERAN CHURCH VISION STATEMENT "Praise Lutheran Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, strives to be a joyous body of Christ-followers, united by God's grace to P.R.A.I.S.E. Him; equipped to passionately serve and witness." PRAISE LUTHERAN CHURCH (Missouri Synod) 1115 West Dupont Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Phone: (260) 490-7729 Fax: (260) 490-0364 e-mail: office@praiselutheran.org website: www.praiselutheran.org Rev. Seth P. Korte, Senior Pastor pastorseth@praiselutheran.org For Emergencies (402) 304-4183 (Cell) Joyce Ehlerding, Worship Leader music@praiselutheran.org Kathy Skurzewski, Church Secretary office@praiselutheran.org Karen Bilger, Little Praisers Director kbilger@praiselutheran.org Lois Gumbert, Prayer Chain loisigumbert@gmail.com (260) 637-3010 \ OUR WORSHIP SCHEDULE 9:00 Worship Team Practice (Sanctuary) Children/Youth Sunday School (Daycare Classrooms) Adult Bible Class (The Edge near Door #4) 10:00 Fellowship Time (Fellowship Area) 10:30 Worship 11:45 Confirmation (6th-8th Grade) (The Edge near Door #4)