Spotlights Fall 2018 Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F S H E P H E R D O F T H E L A K E S C H U R C H Looking Ahead Great events are planned for everyone in the family. For more information go to: www.shepherdofthelakes.com September 3 Labor Day Church Offices Closed September 9 Friendship & Jesus Starts 9:00-10:00am Worship 10:00-10:30am Coffee & Treats 10:30-11:30am SPLASH, Middle School, & Adult Classes September 9 OUT- Prayer at Waupaca High School 12:00pm October 1 Kids Hope Ice Cream Social 6:00-7:30pm October 21 Lutheran World Relief Kit Packing 10:30-11:30am November 5 Kids Hope Culvers Fundraiser 5:00-10:00pm November 10 Pastor Joe Johnson Men s Breakfast @ Victory Church 7:30-9:00am November 10-12 Pastor Joe Johnson Visits Prayer / Teaching November 18 Madrigal Concert / Pie Social 6:30-8:00pm November 22 Thanksgiving Church Offices Closed December 2 Pre-Congregational Meeting 10:15am December 8 City on a Hill Stocking Outreach 8:00am-6:00pm December 9 Annual Congregational Meeting 10:15am ONGOING EVENTS: Every Sunday: Sunday Worship 9:00am Coffee & Treats 10:00am Friendship & Jesus 10:30am Every Monday: Evening Prayer 6:00pm 2 nd Monday of each Month: Church Council Meeting 6:30pm Every Tuesday: Adult Bible Study in the Fellowship Hall 10:00-11:15am
Thoughts from Pastor Dean A friend brought me a letter he found that I had written to the congregation here at Shepherd of the Lakes seventeen years ago. As I read it, I knew that it was as true and timely now as it was seventeen years ago. I offer it back to you again, with a few tweaks, believing that God is at work. I love you. Friends of Christ at Shepherd of the Lakes. I love this church and Jesus Christ who has blessed me by calling me to be your Pastor. I invite you to listen- I am going to share the heart of God for us at Shepherd of the Lakes. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19 God is calling you to ministry. Ministry has been incorrectly conceived as something the Pastor does which lay people are to receive. This is not true! Ministry is what each follower of Jesus is called to do in obedience to Him for the up-building of the church. If you are in a loving relationship with Jesus, then He is calling you to ministry. It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be shepherds and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians 4:11-12 The Pastor s responsibility is to equip followers of Jesus for ministry. Jesus does not need fans in the stands cheering when they like what is happening and booing when they do not. Jesus does not call you or the church to be spectators but to be players- active and spirit-filled. Come, be my disciples Jesus is speaking to us here and now. Listen to His voice and obey His command. What might this ministry look like? In 1 Corinthians and Romans, Paul writes what some of the ministries of the Spirit look like: Giving wisdom; special faith; healing; miracles; prophecy; administration; teaching; evangelism; prayer; encouragement; generosity; special help- physical labor; mercy; hospitality; visitation; and more. All are to serve others to build up the church, Shepherd of the Lakes, and extend the Kingdom. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Corinthians 12:7 This is the heart of God for you and Shepherd of the Lakes. What ministry are you going to step into? Love, Pastor Dean
This was truly a goosebumps moment for all those there to experience it. Our church family gathered around Mitchell Rotta before sending him on a missions trip to Honduras. The power of the Holy Spirit was physically tangible that day as the body of Christ joined together in unity. So incredible!
IT S NEW... IT S EXCITING and it s DEFINITELY going to rock your world! New Sunday Morning Schedule starts September 9 th! Sunday worship 9:00am Coffee & Treats 10:00am Friendship & Jesus 10:30am Friendship & Jesus has something for everyone! SPLASH Children s Ministry for preschool through 4 th grade, Middle School Group for 5 th -8 th grades, and now there are adult classes too! See the next page for the current class offerings!
Pastor Dean will be taking us through the Acts of the Apostles. In 30 short years, the church grew from an insignificant Jewish sect to a major force in the Roman Empire. Luke wrote Acts as a companion piece to his Gospel to show how Christianity was less a political threat to Rome, but rather the work of God s Spirit in building up a spiritual kingdom, one comprised of all who live by faith in Jesus. Luke does this by focusing on the two leading figures in the church: Peter, the apostle to the Jews and Paul, the apostle to the rest of us. This will be an entry level Bible class with an emphasis on friendship with Jesus and each other. You can enter or miss the study anytime as each Sunday will be new. Does God heal today? If so, why are so many people in pain? We have all heard stories of miraculous healings. But why are some people healed and some not? Does God give you and me the authority to heal? For six weeks we explore answers that are true to Scripture, and true to a loving and just God when it comes to the ministry of healing. Taught by Lisa Stafford I (Robin Madson) would like to go back to my first love - sharing Scripture and helping people to see and appreciate the wonder and awe of Scripture as a whole. I have learned more about Jesus and myself just by reading Scripture with others in the last 7 years, and I would like to share this with anyone who wants to come. Each week will have a short video and then discussion. The videos from The Bible Project will include: 1. What is the Bible 2. The Story of the Bible 3. Literary Styles in the Bible 4. The Bible as Jewish Meditation Literature 5. Plot n Biblical Narrative 6. Character in Biblical Narrative 7. Setting in Biblical Narrative 8. Design Patterns in Biblical Narrative 9. The Art of Biblical Poetry 10. The Pyramid of Learning (moving from just knowing Biblical principles to putting those principles into practice)
God, we pray that Shepherd of the Lakes would look more and more like your church; that we would be excited and passionate about participating in your Kingdom. We pray that the Fruit of the Spirit would be exceedingly evident here. We pray for unconditional love, for overflowing joy, for unshakable peace, for unexpected patience, for overwhelming kindness, for pervasive goodness, for unassuming gentleness and for Christ-focused self-control. We pray that we would be vessels through which your power can flow freely. We pray for the miraculous to become expected! We pray for mountain-moving faith, for physical and emotional healings, for discernment and for words of knowledge and wisdom. We pray for the chains of the demonic to be broken. We pray for people to be encouraged with the gift of tongues and for the prophetic to be practiced by many in an everyday sort of way. We pray for visions and dreams. We pray for the extraordinary to break through. We want to see your Kingdom expand here at Shepherd. We want to see people come into a living relationship with you, Jesus. We want to see people healed and set free. We want to see people encourage one another, build each other up and follow hard after you together. In Jesus name we pray, Amen Would you commit to praying the above prayer with us for every day for 60 days? We believe in the power of God through prayer and we want to see God move in big ways through Shepherd! We desire to seek His Kingdom first as a congregation and praying together for 60 days is a great way to step into that! When you make the commitment to pray with us every day, we want to know! Please let the church office know that you are making the 60-day prayer commitment and the date you are starting. We will email out updates and share testimonies together of how we see God at work! With expectation, Aimee Postel
JOIN US AS WE GATHER TOGETHER TO PROTECTION OVER OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 TH 12:00 NOON Waupaca High School E2325 King Road, Waupaca
JOIN US AS WE... SLEEP OUT SO OTHERS CAN SLEEP IN Waupaca City Square 6 p.m. Friday September 21 nd through 8 a.m. Saturday 22 nd YOU can make a difference Did you know? In 2016-2019 Foundations For Living provided 85 individuals overnight shelter in our Warming Center? It MATTERS... "Having a safe and warm place to sleep each night gave me a chance to work 3 jobs and save money to get my own apartment - a dream that would have been impossible if I had to sleep on the streets." Warming Center Guest
Lutheran World Relief is a non-profit organization that works with local partners to provide lasting solutions to poverty, injustice and human suffering. For more info visit: www.lwr.org WHEN to bring: Sunday, September 9 Sunday, September 16 Sunday, September 23 Sunday, September 30 Sunday, October 7 Sunday, October 14 Sunday, October 21 WHAT to bring: Notebooks (70 pg. wide or college ruled) Rulers & blunt scissors Ballpoint pens (no gel ink) Crayons (16 or 24 piece) Dark colored bath towels Bars of Ivory Soap Packing Party! SAVE THE DATES! Special Time of Ministry NOVEMBER 10 th -12 th Pastor Joe Johnson, Papa Joe, is dearly loved by everyone who has met him! He s been a pastor in the Lutheran Church Renewal movement for many years. Currently he serves in his Heart of the Father Ministries. Joe has a Doctorate in Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. He s a Soul Shepherding Board member and is completing Soul Shepherding s certificate in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care Ministry. He offers Pastoral Counseling, Healing Prayer, and Joy Coaching to pastors and ministry leaders/caregivers. He s available for individual appointments when he travels to churches to minister. He will be here at Shepherd of the Lakes for a special time of ministry November 10 th -12 th. Watch for more details coming soon!
Help us welcome in the season with songs from the Waupaca High School Madrigal Singers, then stay for pie afterwards! Sunday, November 18 th at 6:30pm City On A Hill Christmas Stocking Outreach Mark your calendars today! Saturday, December 8 th is City On A Hill s Stocking Outreach Event. Located in downtown Milwaukee, COAH is a full service outreach ministry, serving the families in the surrounding neighborhoods. The Stocking Outreach gives us the opportunity to go door to door throughout the neighborhood, bringing gifts and the love of Jesus to these families. For more info, contact Lisa Stafford (715-802-3540 or email: lstafford1961@yahoo.com). Sign-ups coming soon! DATE: Saturday, December 8 th 2018
Here at Shepherd of the Lakes we are friends, living and leading like Jesus, bringing the Kingdom to the lost and the hurting. As we seek to live into our vision statement we go OUT to bring the Kingdom to our community! June 24, 2018 Games at Park Vista! August 12, 2018
One School One Church One Child One Adult One Hour Once a Week Here s what s happening this fall with Kids Hope USA and all the ways YOU can plug in: ICE CREAM SOCIAL: Monday, October 1 st, 2018, 6:00-7:30 pm We need ice cream and all the needed toppings for awesome ice cream sundaes! KHUSA at CULVERS: Monday, November 5 th, 2018, 5:00-10:00 pm 10% of all sales will go to KHUSA! What a sweet way to show your support for Kids Hope! CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION: Monday, December 3 rd, 2018 6:00-7:30 pm Gift-wrappers, food servers and more are needed to help make this a wonderful celebration of Jesus birthday. NEW MENTOR/PRAYER PARTNER TRAINING: Monday, January 21, 2019, 6:00-8:00 pm There s always room for more love! If you are interested in being a mentor or prayer partner, please talk with Lisa Stafford, Director of Kids Hope USA, or Janet Colby, Prayer Partner Coordinator. Our Mission: To stamp out hunger in area schools one student at a time. Can someone shout Amen! Hallelujah!? We are so excited to report the magnitude of God s rich blessings on Project Backpack this year! We have all the volunteers needed to keep this ministry running smoothly AND we are fully funded for the upcoming school year!!! Wow! How humbling to be a part of this ministry that is feeding hungry children and families across this county. God is good...all the time! Please continue to pray for the children, their families, the volunteers that serve with all their hearts, and the many schools impacted by this ministry.
SPLASH News New Time: Since we are sticking with one 9:00am service, SPLASH will be during our Friendship & Jesus hour from 10:30am-11:30am this year. Check-in starts at 10:15am. New Opportunities: Parents, you will have the awesome opportunity to take a class or join a group on Sunday morning, while your kids are in SPLASH! Make some new friends, enjoy some coffee and conversation or even grab some groceries kid-free...we won t judge;). New Age-Groups: SPLASH will have a Middle School Group this year! Open to all 5 th -8 th graders! We are looking forward to exciting things happening as kids develop their relationship with God. Groups for kids preschool through 4 th grade will continue as usual! New Start: SPLASH kicks off this year on September 9 th! Everyone who checks-in on September 9 th gets a PRIZE!!!!
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We Are Passionate About Jesus We intentionally pursue a personal and intimate relationship with God. We Before Me We are one church family fed by four streams. We honor a diversity of backgrounds. We Get Messy We desire people to be genuine in their relationships with others and Jesus. We Get Out Of Our Seats We serve the church and the world for the glory of God. Shepherd of the Lakes Staff Dean H. Wheeler Paula Thuerman Aimee Postel Jess Gibson Rose Swanson Julie Handy Pastor Church Administrator Children s Ministry Coordinator Office Assistant Child Care Supervisor Custodian Your Church Council Please feel free to contact any church council member with any question or concern you have. Steve Christensen, President(715)412-0180 Richard Madson (715)572-5621 JoLene Nollenberg (715)281-9641 Becky Dudek (715)281-9152 Gary Prell (715)281-4409 Bob Menzies, Vice Pres. (715)281-7730 Dennis Stuyvenberg (920)867-4067 Brandon Stern (715)412-1774 We are friends, living and leading like Jesus, bringing the kingdom to the lost and the hurting.