June Newsletter 2016 June 12, 2016 Ebenezer Lutheran Church Port Hudson The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 9100 Highway YY Leslie, Missouri Parsonage 573-459-6432 Church 573-459-6431 Rev. William F. Zastrow, Pastor Mary Sprick, Secretary ebenezerlutheran@hotmail.com ebenezerlutheranchurch.wordpress.com
From the Pastor s Desk: TMI? No, Tell Me More! Jesus said: I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. John 16:12-13 TMI! Too much information! You normally hear this complaint when someone has shared something that is too personal or too gross. Perhaps they shared a few too many details about the illness, the surgery, or the broken relationship. Their friend would have been content with far less. This was simply TMI! Have you met someone who s tried to read the Bible and went away moaning, TMI!? Perhaps they started in Genesis and decided to plow straight through the good book all the way to Revelation. So many names! So many stories! So many rules! So many promises! Did God get a little carried away? Should we send him a short email or prayer with the subject line: Too much information!? Anticipating a response like that from us, Jesus graciously shared with his disciples (and us) two big promises. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. You are not alone in navigating through the Bible. God the Holy Spirit works through that Word. He plants faith in your heart. The Holy Spirit grows your understanding of God s Word and will. He increases your love, peace and joy. Too much information? No, the Bible is just right. It s just right for doing exactly what God wants it to do. The Holy Spirit shows us just how gross and lonely, broken and lost, we 2
are without God. Then, the Holy Spirit uses his Word to show you just how found and forgiven, loved and beautiful you are to God through Jesus. Prayer: Lord Jesus, send the Holy Spirit and increase my faith. Since the Holy Spirit works through your Word, the Bible, keep me faithful in reading your Word and attending worship. Fill my heart so that I know, trust and live your truth more and more. Amen. Ladies Aid Country Store The Ladies Aid of Ebenezer will have a country store at our annual picnic on June 12, 2016. Donations of baked goods, crafts, produce, and plants would be greatly appreciated. Our ladies support many missions of our church (Missionaries Robin McCoy and Robert Hilbert Family, Lutheran Hour, Lutheran Bible Translators etc.) This fund raiser will help to continue our support of these missions. Picnic Silent Auction Information It has been decided to have a silent auction again this year. Due to the late date, it will probably not be as large, but we will give it a try. If you have any new or gently used items, handmade crafts, books or other small items you would like to donate, please bring them to the old basement, clearly marked with your name and value of the item. All donations will be appreciated. Please have them at the Church no later than May 31 st. If you have any businesses that you frequent and would like to ask them for donations, there are donation request letters on the table in the back of Church. The following is a list of businesses which will be covered by the committee: Bank of Franklin County, Bank of 3
Washington, Beaufort Meat Processing, Brune Jewelers, Citizen s Bank, Colony House, First Community State Bank, Heritage Bank, Hillermann Nursery, New Haven Lumber, Gary Lucy Studio, Office Supplies, Orschelens, People s Bank, Pratts Pharmacy, New Haven Save-A-Lot, Schroeder s Drug Store, Scheer Sales, Schulte s Bakery, Modern Auto, Dairy Queen, Jane Kanning, Stampin UP, Diana Holdinghausen, Anne Marie Hoerr, Roettering, Rothschild s, Riecher s, Moe s, Ron Scheer, Not Just Cut and Dried. For more information, contact Karen Sprick Picnic Turtle Race and Cake Walk Once again this year we will have a Cake Walk and Turtle Race at our annual picnic. We would certainly appreciate donations of cakes or brownies for the Cake Walk. Don t forget to collect fast turtles for the Turtle Race. For more information, please contact Judy Hubenthal. Vacation Bible School Barnyard Roundup July 25-29, 2016 9:00 11:30 It is almost Vacation Bible School time! Our theme this year is "Barnyard Roundup - Jesus Gathers Us Together. Psalm 23 is the Bible Memory focus for this year. This beloved Psalm shares our confident trust that our Lord is with us now and forever, provides, all we need, and protects us. We look forward to seeing you on July 25-29, 2016 from 9:00-11:30am. Mission projects for this year are: Kids Against Hunger, Shoeman Water Projects and a collection of basic new school supplies. During the week we will be collecting old shoes for the Shoeman, one day we will pack meals for Kids Against Hunger, and through the week we will be collecting new 4
school supplies to be distributed to the area schools. However, shoes can be brought to church anytime. There will be a school supply poster in the back of church indicating specific school supplies that are needed. You may choose a school supply or supplies from the list and return it at any time. The children will be putting together the school supplies into individual bags during Bible School. The bags will then be distributed to area schools. We will also have on-line registration for those that prefer to register in that manner. Paper registration will also be available. The on-line registration can be done at: https://vbsmate.com/ebenezerlutheranporthudson Keep watching the bulletins and July Newsletter for updated information. Monthly Treasurer s Summary April 2016 Beginning checking balance $19,487.83 Receipts $7,127.95 Disbursements $11,108.54 Ending checking balance $15,507.24 LCEF savings balance $35,276.89 Thrivent FPDA balance $21,028.67 Pledged to Missouri District for year $4,800.00 Paid to Missouri District this year-to-date $1,600 Year-to-date income less expenses -$7,377.57 A Couple of Dates to Keep in Mind August 28 th will be a fundraiser dinner for Lutheran Family and Children s Service. This will be a free-will dinner. Sunday, September 18 th the Mission Society will have our annual Cookie Sale after Church. 5
June Birthdays Chad Crego 6-1 Anne Allmeroth 6-2 Adam Henry Kassebaum 6-2 Eugene Scheer 6-4 Camron Jade Luechtefeld 6-10 Gilbert Voelker 6-12 Ryan Bunge 6-14 Judy Allmeroth 6-14 Jim Donatti 6-14 Warren Bauche 6-15 Phil Hubenthal 6-22 Robert Daniel Bunge 6-23 Andrew Kassebaum 6-25 Jamie Pitzen 6-26 Craig Monzyk 6-27 June Anniversaries Phil and Judy Hubenthal 6-2 Jim and Deborah Donatti 6-4 Rick and Cindy Scheer 6-6 Dennis and LaRayne Brune 6-7 Marvin and Tammie Pohlmann 6-11 Lloyd and Karen Kassebaum 6-15 Pastor and Margaret Zastrow 6-16 Tim and Jennifer Huellinghoff 6-18 Roy and Estelle Brunkhorst 6-21 Brian and Heidi Koch 6-21 Gene and Doris Biermann 6-22 We wish all of you a very Blessed and Happy Birthday and Anniversary!!! If your Birthday or Anniversary is not listed or listed incorrectly, please let Mary know Thank you. 6
Usher Schedule for June, 2016 1: Harvey Quinn 2: Bryan Adams 3: Mark Kassebaum 4: Cody Adams 5: Corey Adams Alternate: Don Kappelmann Head Usher: Wilbert Baumann Acolyte Schedule for June, 2016 June 5 Paige Thurmond Bell Ringer: Danielle Gerding Corey Adams Ava Monzyk June 12 Kayleigh Crego Trent Huellinghoff Cierra Donatti June 19 Ava Monzyk Paige Thurmond Danielle Gerding June 26 Trent Huellinghoff Cierra Donatti Kayleigh Crego Tyler Kasmann Jeff Hohlt Cody Adams 7
Amazing Picture There is a very interesting picture on the bulletin board at the back of Church. It is a picture from Dr. Matthew Harrison, President of Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, showing two men who had attended a conference in Palanga. On the way, they took a rest stop at the Hill of Crosses. During the communist era, there were about 10 dilapidated crosses on this hill out in the middle of nowhere. One day, the communists decided to tear them down and did. The next week 20 crosses reappeared on the hill. The communists destroyed that too. The next week 30 new crosses appeared. This went on and on. The more the communists tried to destroy the message Christ and Him crucified, the more the crosses on the hill multiplied. The Christians would not be silenced. Now the hill is covered with hundreds of thousands of crosses, big and small. Truly amazing! Please take a look at this picture on the bulletin board! Mission Society Note The Ebenezer Mission Society has supported Lutheran Bible Translators and after John Strasen retired, Robert and Mical Hilbert continue his work in Botswana. They are located in Kang, Botswana, a town of 6,000 residents in the Kalahari Desert region. They are serving as advisors on the Shekgalagari New Testament translation. Their prior work had been in Sierra Leone which they had to evacuate during the Ebola outbreak. The Hilberts have three children Carsten (5), Annabelle (3) and Josephine (10 months). Please keep the Hilbert family in your prayers as they further the spread of God s Word. 8
Father s Day Note Father s Day is coming up soon! We will be needing 5 ladies to volunteer to bake 6 dozen cookies to be brought up to Church by 9:00 on Saturday, June 18 th Your help would be greatly appreciated!! Please let Margaret or Karen know if you can help. An Invitation to Support our Synod The following page is a letter from Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, President of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod about a special offering to be taken by congregations of our synod for the 66 th Regular Convention of the LCMS in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A bulletin insert will be distributed on June 5 th. It will include information about this special offering and also have a special envelope to be used. Tom Anderson from our congregation is our Washington Circuit Delegate going to the convention. We will give our donations to Tom in a large envelope to take with him to the convention where they will have a collection of all offerings during a special service. We have special promise that this National Offering will go directly to various projects and programs identified by the Offices of International and National Mission, Pastoral Education and Joint Seminary Fund. Each dollar will be put to work toward the one goal of building others up into living stones Upon this Rock, so that people here and around the world who do not yet know the love of Christ may find in Him the solid rock on which they may stand. Our offering will take place on June 19. 9
Grace s Place Food Drive Ebenezer Lutheran Church will have a food drive for Grace s Place in Washington, Missouri in June. Grace s place is looking for Kid Friendly Food. "Kid friendly" foods might include Goldfish crackers, cereal, Hamburger Helper, pudding cups, spaghettios and those types of foods. The house parents do cook but they try to keep it simple i.e. - chicken nuggets, pizza, helper meals. The kids are infants to 12 years old. Parents usually supply baby food but it might be something to include on the list as well. Their intake this year has increased by 49% and has caused a drain on food supplies. Please bring food items to the back of church where we have the card table for the food bank. All food will go to Grace s Place on June 27. The last Sunday for collection will be Sunday, June 26. Grace s Place vision is to provide a place of respite for families. Grace's Place envisions a community where child abuse and neglect does not exist and families have the resources they need to navigate a crisis, feel supported and keep their children safe. Grace's Place is committed to the belief that if parents or guardians are offered safe alternatives-- Children Win! Grace's Place is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that protects our community's greatest natural resource-- Our Children. Crisis Care provides support to families that are encountering a situation that could lead to loss of employment, loss of shelter or a child's basic needs going unmet - in addition to any situation that could potentially lead to a child being abused and/or neglected. 10
June 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 2 3 Ladies Aid 1:30 PM 1 Bible Study 10:00 & 7:0 PM A Study of the 10 Commandments 4 Worship with Holy Communion 5:00 PM 5 Sunday School 9:00 Worship with Holy Communion 10:00 6 7 Pastor and Margaret at Alumni Reunion at Concordia Seminary 8 Pastor and Margaret at Alumni Reunion at Concordia Seminary 9 Set up for Picnic in the afternoon and evening 10 11 Worship 5:00 PM 12 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:00 PICNIC 11:30 5:00 PM 19 Sunday School 9:00 Worship with Holy Communion 10:00 Father s Day 26 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:00 Worship at New Haven Care Center 1:30 PM 13 14 Elders 7:00 PM 15 Bible Study 10:00 & 7:0 PM A Study of the 10 Commandments 20 21 22 Bible Study 10:00 & 7:0 PM A Study of the 10 Commandments 27 28 29 Bible Study 10:00 & 7:0 PM A Study of the 10 Commandments 16 17 18 Worship with Holy Communion 5:00 PM 23 Education/Sunday School Teacher s Meeting 7:00 PM 30 24 25 Worship with Holy Communion 5:00 PM ebenezerlutheranchurch.wordpress.com