Living Hope Presbyterian Church seeks to inspire and empower through the Gospel. January 2019 Newsletter The new year is almost here and with that comes many New Year s resolutions. You know, the ones about eating more healthfully, getting more exercise, spending more time with family and friends. We ve all made them in an attempt to help us change a little bit of who we are and how we act. Perhaps this year is no different for you, that you already have some goals in mind and are going to work on being a different you during 2019. Whether you do have resolutions for 2019 or not, maybe instead you consider approaching the new year in a different way. So often our resolutions are focused on problems that we have, things that we don t like about ourselves and our lives. What if instead, this coming year you focused on those things that are going well and how to expand them. Psychological research actually suggests that by taking this approach, a strength based approach to change, we are able to make those alterations to our lives more easily. I would also suggest that we are living more faithfully as well. You see, when we focus on all of the things that are wrong with us, we are actually dismissing the fact that we are made in God s image, that God has used our biology and experiences to craft us for a particular role in the world. When we focus on our strengths and what we have right with us, we are actually celebrating the gifts that God has given us to use for the common good. One thing I want to be clear about, is I am not discounting the sin that always sticks very closely to each one of us. We all fall short of what God has created us to be and each one of us does do harm to our world and God every day. Even so, when we focus too much on how we need to be better, we are missing the point. God can use even our flaws, our weaknesses, for God s purpose. In fact, Paul even claims that God works especially through our weaknesses. So, as we approach this new year with new possibilities, consider, if you will, how to expand the stuff that you are already doing well, working off of the gifts that you have been given, and looking for the good even in your flaws, because God can and does use all of who you are to continue building Christ s kingdom in our midst.
SMALL CHURCH VITALITY: STEP 1) HOLY COW! QUESTIONNAIRE Presbytery of Milwaukee is offering a 6 part Small Church Vitality Project FOR FREE to all smaller congregations (under 100 members). These 6 meetings will give practical information on current ways to help us inspire and empower ourselves and others. Thank you to Nancy Molstad and Judy Bauer, our session members who are attending the meetings. To give our leaders the information they need to begin, our first step is having all members fill out a Holy Cow! Questionnaire. You can do this in one of two ways take the survey online or stop in the church office and fill out a paper copy that will be mailed in (you can seal your questionnaire in an envelope in the office these are anonymous). Online login: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/livinghopemenomoneefalls Office dates: Friday, Dec 28, Friday, Jan 4, week Jan 7-11 regular hours. Session notes from the regular session meeting held December 16, 2018. Ordination and Installation of officers will be January 6, 2019. Annual Congregational Meeting will be January 27, 2019. The 2019 Budget was presented and approved. It will be presented to the congregation at the annual meeting. The Transitional Pastor Contract and Covenant for Will Houts was approved by the session for 2019. It now goes to the Presbytery for approval. This was the last regularly scheduled meeting for 2018. Thanks to outgoing elders Curtis MacDonald, Kathryn Fresch, Eileen Pierce, and Keith Pierce. The next meeting of session will be January 20, 2019, after worship. Living Hope will be hosting the February 19, 2019 meeting of the Presbytery of Milwaukee. It will begin at approx. 3 PM. Many volunteers will be needed to help host registering guests, helping with directions, hospitality room, etc. If you would like to help, please speak with Lisa or Will. (Dinner is being made and served by Dickson Hollow and Presbyterian Homes personnel.) The official record of each session meeting is posted once it s approved at the next meeting. Talk with any session member with questions or comments. Kathryn Fresch, Clerk of Session 2
Classes: January 13 and 27 Winter Weather and Worship at LHPC Our current policy for cancelling worship service due to weather is that worship will go on no matter the weather. Larry Under the Bridge ( a ministry of Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church) Sunday, January 27 Sunday, February 24 Everyone is advised to use their judgement and only drive to church if they can SAFELY make it. Thank Offering Thank you to all who contributed to the Thank Offering Many in the U.S.A. and abroad will be impacted by your generosity. Living Hope contributed $970. Christmas Joy Offering Thank you to all who contributed to the Christmas Joy Offering. This offering supports church workers through the Board of Pensions with critical financial assistance through life s challenging circumstances. Living Hope s contribution is $1105 for 2018. Thank you for your continued support of the two food pantries we donate to every week. Monetary donations can be made out to Living Hope Memo line: Food Pantry. Naomi Circle will meet on Monday, January 14 at 10:00 AM in the Learning Center. Ginny Maurer and Kathy Mathews are hostesses. The study is Lesson 4 Martha Circle will meet Tuesday, Jan 8 at 12:30 in the Brookfield Room for refreshments, fellowship and Bible Study. Peggy Waterman is hostess. We ll study lessons 4 and 5. 3
The Care and Concern of the Congregation is with: Did we miss your birthday or anniversary? Please let the office know so we can update our files. MONDAY BIBLE STUDY GROUP Bible Study meets Monday mornings at 9:30 AM in the Brookfield Room You are invited to join us!! Even if you cannot attend our study group, you are invited to read through the passages prior to worship on Sunday. Lesson Date and Passages: For Sunday: 1/7 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22; Isaiah 43:1-7 1/13 1/14 John 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 1/20 1/21 Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 a 1/27 1/28 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:14-30 2/3 4
We are a connectional church connected in faith to God Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Jesus taught us that prayer connects us to the Divine and to each other. Each month we list our faith community. Every family has a date when we ask you to hold them in prayer. January Calendar 1) family of Rose Emanuele 2) family of Paula Moore 3) Tom and Betty Hill 4) Will and Traci Houts, Grace, Lauren, and Evan 5) Bernie and Judy Huizenga 6) Bob Hutchings 7) Barry and Thelma James 8) Goldie and Ray Jones 9) Joan Junek 10) Peter and Harriet Kirchhoff 11) Kent and Mary Krueger 12) Amanda and Paul Lavoe, Ziva, Zion, and Zach 13) Jerry Loebe 14) Barbara Lovensheimer 15) Curtis MacDonald 16) Kathy Mathews 17) Char Mattson 18) Ginny Maurer 19) Pat Mitschrich 20) Nancy Molstad 21) Don Olson 22) Jim and Bette Olson 23) Bruce and Kris Parker 24) Mike & Jenni, John, Sam, and Scott Parnon 25) Bill and Pat Perkins 26) Jean Petras 27) George and Betty Petry 28) Keith and Eileen Pierce 29) Bobbie Protzmann 30) Nancy Pyeatt 31) Mahala Rankin 5
Living Hope Presbyterian Church Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 30 8:45 AM Sunday School 10 AM Worship Christmas Hymn sing 31 No Bible Study OFFICE CLOSED 1 January OFFICE CLOSED 2 3 4 Regular office hours resume 5 6 10 AM Worship Communion, Installation of Officers 7 9:30 AM Bible Study 8 12:30 Martha Circle Brookfield Room 9. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 8:45 AM Sunday School 10 AM Worship 11:15 Deacon Mtg 9:30 AM Bible Study 10:00 AM Naomi Circle Learning Center. 20 10 AM Worship 11:15 Session 21 9:30 AM Bible Study 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 February 2 10 AM Worship 11:15 Annual Meeting 11:30 Larry Under the Bridge 9:30 AM Bible Study 6
Jan 6 Jan 13 Jan 20 Jan 27 Communion Servers Joe Fresch Marcia Sinner Kathryn Fresch Barb Foy Curtis MacDonald Liturgist Fellowship Hosts Bill and Pat Perkins Keith and Eileen Pierce Steve and Marcia Sinner Karen and Dave Stephan Counters Dan Brankle Dave Stephan Don Waterman Judy Bauer Marge Gauen Mike & Jenni Parnon Joan Junek Ginny Maurer Welcome Host/ Lock up Marcia Sinner Karen Stephan Karen Stephan Ann Tennyson Sunday School Marcia Sinner Ken DeBoer Keith Pierce Keith Pierce Tom Tennyson Ushers Diane DeBoer Karl Bertram Karl Bertram Ann Tennyson Dave Stephan Barry James Barry James Don Waterman Our church is always very generous when we are asked to give to the special offerings throughout the church year [One Great Hour of Sharing, Pentecost, Peacemaking, PW Thank Offering and Christmas Joy]. The Per Capita Apportionment is a little different in that every church is required to pay its fair share in full each year to the denomination, Presbyterian Church (USA) to maintain our relationship with the larger church. This offering is based upon the number of members on our church rolls at the end of the prior year (2017 numbers in our case, 94) and is essentially a cost of being members in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Just as we are a community in Christ, we also are a part of the larger church community and we help to support that larger community with our per capita offering. This year s Per Capita, $38.00 (an increase from 2018) is really a small price to pay for membership in the national church organization that provides so much support to our congregation. At LHPC we ask our members to help offset the cost by contributing their individual per capita offering over and above their regular pledge. The more members who contribute their per capita payment the more money is available to cover other costs in our church budget. The per capita apportionment for 2019 is: General Assembly $ 8.95 Synod $ 5.40 Presbytery of Milwaukee $23.65 Total $38.00 7
Living Hope Presbyterian Church seeks to inspire and empower through the Gospel. We are a welcoming congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located on the same campus as the Dickson Hollow Senior Living Community. Our vision is to live our core values and build on our passion: We gather to hear the Word and celebrate the Sacraments in response to God s call to us. Worship is the heart of our faith community. We are inspired by the Word to be the hands and feet of Christ: locally, nationally, and globally. We support one another through prayer and visitation. We experience learning and fellowship through church school, small groups, and other gatherings. Annual Meeting Of LHPC January 27, 2019 Immediately following Worship LIVING HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH W156 N4881 Pilgrim Road, Menomonee Falls WI 53051 Office hours: Mon & Fri 8:30-2:30, Tues 8:30 12:00 www.livinghopepcusa.org Pastor: Rev. Will Houts Administrative Assistant: Lisa Quinn Clerk of Session: Director of Music: Dr. Wallace Cheatham Email: Pastor@LivingHopePCUSA.org Office: (262) 599-8340 Cell: (262) 949-1830 Email: Office@LivingHopePCUSA.org Office: (262) 599-8341 Session Members Judy Bauer, Dorothy Dieter, Barb Foy, Joe Fresch, Nancy Molstad, Marcia Sinner Deacon Members (designated last names) (A-B) - (G-K) - (P-R) - Peggy Waterman Moderator (C-F) - Karen Stephan (L-O) - Ann Tennyson (S-Z) - Ken DeBoer Diane DeBoer Tom Tennyson 8