The Portico Dr. Martin Luther Church 325 S. Main Street Oconomowoc, WI 53066 PHONE: (262) 567-3829 FAX: (262) 567-6033 Email: dmlc@globaldialog.com Church Web Site: drmartinlutherchurch.org Cluster Web site: lakecountrycluster.org January, 2014 Worship Schedule Your Church Staff is here to serve you Senior Pastor Larry Harpster (262) 344-5942 Youth and Family Minister Evan Mayhew (262) 366-3132 Music Director Alison O Leary (262) 751-1596 Worship Coordinator Robin Hankins (414) 254-8414 Administrative Secretary Mary Engel (262) 567-3829 Volunteer Coordinator Bobbie Dierbeck (262) 567-3829 Saturday 5:00 PM Chapel Service traditional format Sundays 9:00 AM Worship Includes a variety of musical styles, a blend of hymns and contemporary songs so that there is something for everyone at each service. Sunday School is held at 10:20 AM on Sundays Sundays 10:30 AM Praise Service Roll the Stone, our Praise Band continues to perform. Join us at this upbeat and energetic service.
Page 2 From the Pastor DMLC Super Kids HOW TO MAKE THE MOST FROM YOUR NEW YEAR Proverbs 17:24 "An intelligent person aims at wise actions, but a fool starts off in many directions." How will 2014 be different from 2013? That is a question I recently asked myself. I guess I want the New Year to be better than last year. Last year had some blessings but also some challenges. There were some joys in my life but also some loss and some disappointment. I bet your life looked much the same as mine. The good news is that God gives us many opportunities to start over. The start of the New Year is one of those times. God says to wipe the slate clean, forgive yourself and look to the future. Pastor Rick Warren once wrote the ABC s for a new start. He said we should: Assume responsibility for our own life, Believe we can change and Clarify what we want out of life. I think that is some good advice. With God s help I hope you can take these ideas and be the person God wants you to be in 2014! Have a Blessed New Year, Pastor Larry DMLC s Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 26 beginning at 11:30AM. Please plan on attending. Annual Report Deadline Please have your annual reports turned in to Mary in the church office by Sunday, January 20th. Thank you! Attention all 4th-6th graders! Super Kids is meeting on Saturday, January 11 9:30-11:00am. We will be making fleece blankets for kids at Children's Hospital. We are also looking for donations of fleece. Fleece should be 5' by 5'. Contact Lesley Kountz with any questions. 262-527-7932 or lesley.kountz@yahoo.com. Save The Date!!! March 7-8, 2014 DMLC Women s Retreat - Are you a DMLC woman? Watch for details on our women s retreat, which will be held March 7-8 2014 (7 p.m. Fri. through 4 p.m. Sat. at Lutherdale Bible Camp in Elkhorn), and set time aside to attend. Could you help with music, meditations, decorations, goody bags, name tags, inspirational messages, prayer, etc? Wow That would be great! Contact Caroline Driscoll (262-646-5605), Becky Tiearney (920-206-9890), or Kathy Henning (262-594-5311) to volunteer. Healing Services will be held January 11 and 12
Page 3 DMLC - Music Notes We would like to give a special thanks to all the musicians who helped make the Christmas Eve and Christmas day services a success. We greatly appreciate all your time and talent. And now that Christmas has passed, it's time to prepare for Lent and Easter! If you are interested in participating in festival choir, hand bells, or providing other special music, please contact Alison or Robin. Just a reminder that you do not need to have previous music experience to be in either of these groups. We look forward to making more music with you to praise God! Alison O'Leary & Robin Hankins GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) Women s Bible Study meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 9:30 am or 6:30 pm. at church. All Women are welcome. You choose which time works best for your schedule. Seasoned Lutherans Seasoned Lutherans are back to their regular meeting time (the 4th Wednesday of the month). We will meet on Wednesday January 22 for a home cooked lunch ($4.00) at noon with our program to follow. Quilting for Lutheran World Relief Join us on Wednesday January 15 at 9:00 a.m. in fellowship hall as we begin a new year of making quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Men's Bible Studies All Men are invited to participate in a great casual learning and fellowship experience among the "Early Risers" that takes place on the SEC- OND Saturday of every month at the Cafe LaBelle (located within the Shorehaven complex) from 7:30-8:30 am. Please contact Chris Butschke (262.966.0270) or Mike Driscoll (262.646.5605) for directions/ additional details. Men's Bible Study also meets every FOURTH Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM at the offices of Tricia s Troops Cancer Connection. The address for Tricia s Troops is 120 E. Wisconsin Avenue, but the entrance is in the BACK of the building overlooking Fowler Lake. The office is in-between Laker's and the Roots Coffee Bar. Come and join us! If you have any questions please contact Mike Schmitz at 262-569-9246. Young(er) Women s Fellowship Gathering January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1 4:30 6:00PM in the Education Wing Come when you can, leave when you must, childcare will be provided if requested A gathering for young(er) women (define that as you choose) to gather for conversation, mutual support and a glass of wine. Meet to talk, listen, pray, laugh, relax, and enjoy time together to reflect on lives as women and children of God. Feel free to bring a favorite snack, dessert or bottle of wine. This group recognizes the crazy schedules many women keep, so come when schedules permit, enjoy the time set apart. Portico News Deadline The deadline for the February issue of The Portico is Monday, January 20. All information for the month of February must be submitted by this date.
Page 4 What s new in Sunday school! From our Youth and Family Minister What a wonderful year we ve had so far! So many new things are taking place The kids and many families have met with our new Youth and Family Minister, Evan Mayhew. I have had the pleasure of seeing him in action and can say whole heartedly that we are blessed to have him in our DMLC family! We also have a new Music Director, Alison O Leary. Her kind and patient ways have had a wonderful impact on our kids. We will be implementing a new plan this month in which the children will be split into two age groups to better accommodate their needs in learning God s Word through song. Not to worry! They will still be singing their praises at services throughout the year, both separately and together. We collected long underwear for homeless in our area and delivered much needed Thanksgiving supplies to the Oconomowoc Food Pantry. Thank you to all of the Sunday School families for their support in our outreach! As I write, we are a few days from our Christmas Program. It is sure to be an exciting and festive performance as this year we have the talents of many live musicians to accompany us in song. As always, I am grateful for the support of families during rehearsals and for the hard work of all our teachers who give extra time during this busy season! From all of us on the DMLC Sunday School Team Happy New Year! (and many more to come!) December was a busy month for our youth! We passed out cookies, hot chocolate, and candles to paradegoers, competed to see who could raise the most money by ringing bells for The Salvation Army, and caroled for some of our home-bound congregants. On top of all this, we finally decided on a name for the group. Our name will be simply, "Umbrella". The decision was inspired by our mission statement which firmly states that all people are children of God, and therefore deserve a safe place of acceptance and refuge from the storms of life. The next step in the process will be to create a logo that will eventually be painted on the walls of the youth room itself. Coming up this month, we will be starting the process of participating in different ministries offered by our church, encouraging inter-generational ministry, and discerning the location of our summer mission trip. An announcement will be made by the end of January regarding our location, dates, and as many specifics as are available. Thank you for all your continued support and we hope you have a wonderfully merry Christmas! Evan DMLC Gift List Members of DMLC often ask if there is something specific they can give that will uplift our ministry. Here is a list of items that could be given to our congregation as a gift. If you have any questions, please talk with one of the staff. Music Stand lights for church musicians - $25 each, 10 needed White boards for Sunday School Rooms - $75 each, 5 needed ($150 received) Christmas and Easter orchestra music - $250 Mini-fridge for youth room - $150 DVD player for youth room - $100 If you would like to make a donation, please designate which item you are donating towards.
Volunteer Opportunities at DMLC Page 5 WISHING WELL JANUARY: STREET OUTREACH The month of January we are recognizing Street Outreach as our Wishing Well Ministry. Street Outreach is in need of new or gently used hats, scarves, mittens/gloves, socks, coats, and warm clothing such as sweaters and sweatshirts. Our B.A.G.S. group gathers together each week to sew sleeping bags for Milwaukee's homeless. Each sleeping bag has a piece of warm clothing rolled up inside the bag. Mike Mitchell from our congregation tells us it is not unusual for volunteers from Street Outreach to be driving along the streets of Milwaukee giving out sleeping bags and warm clothes to the homeless at 3:00 am. Please please consider donating to Street Outreach and also be sure to thank our B.A.G.S. group who for many years have been making Milwaukee's homeless their main focus. SNOW SHOVELERS We still have some openings for snow shovelers. The sign up sheet is on the table in the back of the sanctuary. PLEASE take a look at the openings and consider signing up for a day or two. What could possibly be the chance of it snowing on that particular day??? Live dangerously. Take a chance!! COFFEE HOUR Have you noticed that there is no coffee hour on the Sundays that there is no Sunday School? There is a reason for this. WE NEED YOU IN THE KITCHEN!!!! Our coffee hour volunteers need a break every now and then, so I am asking for you to help. If you have never served on coffee hour but enjoy socializing with fellow members, PLEASE send me an email offering to host maybe once or twice a year. Let us all pitch in so that we can continue to have coffee hour each and every week. Please email or call me now. The lines are open!! LOST & FOUND Are you aware of our Lost & Found box? It is located in the Coatroom off of the Narthex. Please be sure to check this box for anything you may have left behind. Soon we will be donating these items to the homeless if they are not claimed. COMMUNITY MEAL Cooperating Churches of Oconomowoc voted to disband recently after years of ecumenical service to the community. Along with this announcement the free Community Meal will also disband after its inception at Dr. Martin Luther Church in January 2001. The tradition for 13 years of setting up chairs and tables to accomodate up to 300 people sadly ended on November 24th. Thank you to each and every one of our members who faithfully gave of their time and talents throughout the years. It is estimated that more than 37,000 dinners have been shared through the program that had hoped to foster good will and community connection. Nicely done DMLC volunteers. We can all be proud!! May God's blessings fill your heart and home throughout the New Year. Bobbie Dierbeck Volunteer Coordinator
Page 6 Dartball Games are played on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. And, as always, we can use more men to be a part of this fun loving game. If you would like to play or have questions contact Don Scharfenberg at 262-567-2791 or Jay Johns at 262-567-9595. January 6 January 13 January 20 January 27 February 3 February 10 February 24 March 3 March 10 March 17 March 24 March 31 April 7 April 14 St. Mark s #2, Watertown at DMLC St. Mark s #1, Watertown at DMLC DMLC at St. Paul s, Sugar Island DMLC at St. Peter s, Lebanon DMLC at St. Mark s, Sugar Island St. John s, Ashippun at DMLC BYE St. John s, Watertown at DMLC DMLC at Immanuel, Watertown Make Up Night Christmas Parade 2nd Place vs. 3rd Place in each division First Round Winners vs. 1st Place in each division Championship Match & Captain s Mtg. League Banquet @ Plattduetcher Hall at 7:30 pm Thank you to everyone who helped make our annual Christmas Parade event a huge success. The hot chocolate and cookies were enjoyed by all. A special thank you to our confirmation class who assembled 150 candles with our Christmas message, to our youth group who passed them out along the parade route and served the hot chocolate and cookies, to all who donated the cookies and hot chocolate and to Candi Dierbeck for creating the special Christmas message cards. 2014 Flower and Candle Chart The Flower and Candle Chart is on the bulletin board in the Narthex. There are many dates available to honor loved ones and special occasions. The floral arrangements are ordered by the individual(s). Please take time to review the available dates as a way of honoring a loved one's birthday or anniversary. A donation to the candle fund may be done by filling out the date on the Candle Chart and either mailing your donation of $10.00 to the church office or placing in the offering plate. Be sure to include your name, date and the occasion. Your donation to this fund goes toward the purchase of oil for the candles. Panera Bread Pickup Reminder! You are invited to stop by on Tuesday mornings at 7:45AM to pick up left over bread we receive from Panera Bread in Delafield. Thank You! Lake Country Greetings Thanks to all who donated cookies for the Homebound Cookie Bags. Also thanks to all who packed the bags and delivered them to our homebound. Lake Country Greetings distributes informational packets about our church and its programs to new residents in the Oconomowoc area. This is a great way to reach out to our community. Please call Diane Gaido at 262-560-1334 if your group or program has anything we could include in our packet. Thank you.
Page 7 ICE Your Cell Phone The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends people with cellular phones add ICE entries into their cell phone address books. This stands for In Case of Emergency. Paramedics, nurses, and doctors are increasingly aware and looking for these entries in phone address books and are using them to notify the person s emergency contacts and to obtain critical medical information when a patient arrives unconscious or unable to answer questions. By using the ICE designation first, medical providers can immediately identify the appropriate number to call. It is recommended that people save at least two numbers and be sure that both contacts are familiar with their medical history. They can be saved as ICE- 1 and ICE-2 or with names such as ICE-Mom. In all cases, the ICE designation should come first. Knowing which phone number to call to get vital information helps doctors and nurses to provide better and more effective care in an emergency, and helps you by providing timely notification of your emergency contacts, as well. Keep Your Eyes Open As you walk around our facility/property and you notice something that needs maintenance, please write it on the sheet which is located on the bulletin board across from the church office. Thanks. Stewardship Report November 2013 Monthly Actual Budget Income $20,964.48 $27,560.75 Expense $27,481.97 $27,724.00 Monthly Income Expense (6,517.49) Year to Date Actual Budget Income $246.049.01 $303,168.25 Expense $281,738.56 $305,098.67 Year to Date Income Expense ($35,689.55) Office Closed Please note that the church office will be closed on Monday, January 20 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Join The DMLC Scrapbookers! Join us the 2nd Saturday of every month from 9AM 4PM in Fellowship Hall. All crafts welcome! Beading, knitting, stamping, etc. All are welcome! Bring a friend! Call Connie Higgins for more information 262-567-3593 Save A Stamp Save Paper Save Dollars Help DMLC be better stewards of our resources, saving postage, printing and paper by signing up to receive our monthly newsletter via email or by pledging to read it through our webpage. Please fill out the form below and return it to the church office. Your quick response is requested. MONTHLY NEWSLETTER (please check one way below that you would like to receive The Portico) [ ] I would like to continue receiving the monthly newsletter via the postal service [ ] I would like to receive the monthly newsletter via email [ ] I will read the monthly newsletter on the DMLC webpage: drmartinlutherchurch.org Name: Address: Email Address (please print clearly):