Calvary Lutheran Church 675 Shell Creek Road PO Box 159 Minong, WI 54859 Calvary Lutheran Sharing and Living God s Love for All People Inside this issue Parish Informaon...2 A Word from the Pastor...3 Synod Assembly Informaon...5 Ask Buddy Jesus...6 The Epistle What s Happening at Calvary...6 Youth Corner...7 Ask Buddy Jesus (connued)...8 Financial Report...9 Parish Council Meeng Minutes..9 May 2016 Synod Assembly Informaon...5 Special points of interest Council Meeng, May 15th, 10:15-11:30 Synod Assembly May 21, 2016
CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH E.L.C.A. PO BOX 159 MINONG, WI 54859 The Ministers: All members of Calvary Pastor: Douglas Dill Church Office: 715-466-2366 Pastor Doug at home: 715-869-3791 Email pastor@messy-spirituality.com Office Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 9am-4pm Friday: 9am to Noon *These are the normal hours any number of schedule conflicts, i.e. funerals, pastor s conferences, etc. may cause these mes to vary. Office email: calvaryminong@gmail.com ************************************ COMMITTEE HEADS Evangelism Memorial Bob Larson 466-2517 Property Roger Wojt 715-559-2839 Stewardship Worship/Music Jerry Orvold Educaon Julie Hermeier Mutual Ministry CHURCH TREASURER Connie Visger 466-5480 FINANCIAL SECRETARY Marge Waggoner 466-2250 CHURCH COUNCIL President John Hermeier Vice President Terrell Sather Secretary Denise Wallace Members Roger Wojt, John Hermeier, Terry Sather, Dee Heuer, Denise Wallace and Susie Clark- Tenney. MAY VOLUNTEERS Altar Guild -Susie Tenney and Donna Wilson May 1st Ushers Warren and Dee Heuer Lector Carla Smith Tabulator Dee May 8th Ushers PLEASE SIGN UP Lector Kathy Hopkins Tabulator Denise May 15th Ushers -PLEASE SIGN UP Lector - Kathy Hopkins Tabulator Susie May 22nd Ushers -PLEASE SIGN UP Lector - PLEASE SIGN UP Tabulator Roger May 29th Ushers -PLEASE SIGN UP Lector - PLEASE SIGN UP Tabulator John 2
WRAP UP RAMP UP I thought I would take this me to do a wrapup of my me here as well as a Ramp-up, as we enter our new budget year. April 5 th 2015 was the final service for Pastor Sara here at Calvary. Shortly thereafer, she and the family moved to California. Pastor Chet and Pastor Terry, teamed to be your bridge pastors unl I received a call from you to become your Pastor. My family and I moved to Minong on September 30 th, 2015. My first worship service was October 3, with ordinaon at First English Lutheran in PlaGeville WI on October 17 th. On October 25 th, I was officially installed as your pastor by Bishop Assistant, Greg Kaufmann. In October and November, I encouraged each of us to read further, the arcle from The Lutheran, now Living Lutheran magazine. This arcle is tled 5 things to expect when you get a new pastor. Here is a link to the website, if you would like to read it again. hgp:// content.yudu.com/a3wisk/ TheLutheranOct2015/resources/index.htm Since my first day at Calvary, we have been through all 5 things in the arcle, and connue to live in the words of the arcle. New people have shown up and from that, new people have joined the congregaon. Some of the new people have been people that have agended in the past but not recently. We welcome and embrace all the faces that come to Calvary. Some people have lef. I am always sorry to see people go. They go for a variety of reasons but if someone leaves, we pray that they find a place to connue to worship God in a meaningful way for them. Worship has changed. Just by the virtue of me leading the worship services, it has changed. The introducon of new faces change worship as well. For the most part, the structure stayed the same, unl Easter. We moved from a paral semng of semng number four from our Hymnal, to semng ten. In order to keep a unified me for communion and reduce the amount of work on the altar guild, communion was moved to the 1 st and 3 rd Sunday s only. Prior to service, announcements are now playing on the projec- on screens. New life has begun to spring forth. We were able to join in Lenten services with St. Mary s congregaon. This me of joint meals and worship, saw in increase each week in agendance. We were able to experience in each other s faith tradion and have conversaon over meals to experience what our common faith means to each other. We have many opportunies coming that will allow new life to keep springing up. (Look for informaon coming about a joint picnic between Minong Churches) 3
I love being at Calvary and being your pastor where we can walk in love with each other. You make my life one that I can love you by God and be loved by you in God. We are in a me when we will hear much about love, in the scriptures and about the Spirit. It is in that love, through the Spirit, that we experience Grace and Mercy. For those that were not able to hear the sermon by Bishop Hoyme, Grace is the receiving that which we do not deserve. Mercy is not receiving that which we do deserve. Chew on that for a ligle while. During my me here, I have received much Grace and Mercy. What have you received in Grace and did not receive in Mercy? This is how we can love each other by God. People are coming back from the warmth of the south, to the beauty of the Northwoods. Not that the south is not beauful, but boy the Northwoods are just fantascally beauful. We are entering the season of Pentecost, the Spirit coming to the people. This is the ramp up me here at Calvary. Guided by the Spirit, many things are possible. I pray that the Spirit changes hearts and minds, pulls us through the wilderness when we walk in despair and lifs us into the new reality that Jesus created through His death and resurrecon. There have been some good conversaons at the weekly coffee and breakfast with the pastor at Wendy s Café. The bible studies on Friday have been smulang and increasingly ecumenical (mul denominaonal). The conversaons at Theology on Tap, connues to be prayerfully smulang, enlightening and an opportunity for the Spirit to drive us into new ways to respond to God. The opportunies are not just limited to what I will outline below but open to the imagina- on of the Spirit, through you and I. What are you being called to be part of this year? We have lots of work to be done and lots of opportunity to be part of that work. We sll need one man and one woman to agend the one-day synod assembly on May 21 st. Maybe this is what God is calling you to be part of? Have you considered reading the scripture at the service? Give it a try, you never know what that can lead to. How about serving communion or being an usher? We are in need of people to push a bugon to run the Power Point in service. I can provide training and you will not be lef alone doing the service, unl you are comfortable with running the Power Point. Come join in Bible study on Friday, see where the Spirit leads you. Want to be part of one of the many teams to serve at Calvary? Want to start another team to provide a new service? Let s talk, and see how the Spirit is guiding you in service. 4
Peace, blessings and love in the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ. Pastor Doug SYNOD ASSEMBLY Calvary needs two lay representaves to agend the assembly. We will need one man and one woman. If you are interested, please contact someone on the synod or pastor Doug. Also, read on for more details. Dear 2016 Synod Assembly Parcipant: This year, synod assembly will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Eau Claire. The format has changed! Come join us for this fast-paced, one day event that will feature keynote speaker, Adam Copeland, Director at Center for Stewardship Leaders at Luther Seminary and ELCA representave, Walter May. All vong members AND visitors must be preregistered. Registraon will close on Friday, May 14, 2016. To register online each registra- on must have a different e-mail address. E- mail addresses are helpful as we provide lots of informaon prior to assembly electronically. Registra<on As we live into the change to a one day assembly you will note that the cost for vong members has significantly decreased. Please follow the registraon sheet instrucons. Assembly registraon will be available online. The assembly price includes admission to the assembly, some printed assembly materials, lunch and snacks. If you have special needs (dietary, accessibility, hearing, language, etc.), please call the synod office to make arrangements Offering The assembly offering will be received at worship and will benefit the 2016 Malawi Pastor Academy. This year, the hunger offering will be received prior to synod assembly and will again be designated 2/3 Malawi and 1/3 World Hunger. Please mail checks to the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin agenon Synod Assembly Hunger Offering. Up-to-date Informaon When you arrive at the assembly, you will receive an assembly book containing detailed informaon. However, prior to assembly, please rely on the synod website for up-todate informaon. It will be the congregaon s responsibility to keep their vong members informed so please print materials as needed for your vong members. No addional mailings will be sent by our office. Remember to visit our website for assembly updates: www.nwswi.org 5
Today, gossip is defined as; noun 1 casual conversaon or unsubstanated reports about other people. ASK BUDDY CHRIST! Welcome to Ask Buddy Christ! Where you can ask any queson you want and Buddy Christ will help answer your queson. Each month a new queson will be presented and Buddy will respond. Please send your ques- ons to: askbuddyc@gmail.com or you can drop them off with Pastor Doug. Buddy will try to answer as many quesons as possible. If they do not make it in the Epistle, look for them on the church blog site. Dear buddy, what does God say about gossip? Another good queson this month. I love that you are willing to ask the tough quesons. I am going to get a ligle technical on you first, so that we can come to a fuller understanding. When you ask about gossip, you are asking using the English word gossip. Let s first look at the history of the word its self. A gossip was originally a rather more serious and worthy person than they are now. In Old English the word was spelled godsibb and meant godfather or godmother, literally a person related to one in God ; it came from sibb a relave, the source of sibling. In medieval mes a gossip was a close friend, a person with whom one gossips, hence a person who gossips, later (early 19th century) casual conversaon about other people. 2 chiefly derogatory a person who likes talking about other people s private lives. (connued on page 8) WHAT S HAPPENING AT CALVARY The quilters will meet on May 2nd and 3rd at 9:00 AM in the church basement. We are always looking for new helpers and no sewing skills are required. Bring a bag lunch and join us. We always have fun. If you have any quesons, call Jean Richards @ 715-466- 4237. Senior Outreach will take place on Tuesday May 10th at 2:00pm in Hayward. Join us for a fun me while ministering to our area s elderly. Ruby s Pantry a food share program in conjuncon with COMFORTS and Washburn County Food Distribuon is available to residents of the Northwood School district. Informaon and order forms are available in the Fireside room. Local distribuons will be the second Saturday of the month at the Minong Village Hall. Book of Acts Bible study May 13th and 27th at 10:00 am in the Fireside Room. 6
God s Crew YOUTH CORNER Join us on Wednesday May 18 th for our 3 rd annual Bible Bowl! The kids play on a life sized trivia board, answering Bible trivia quesons to earn pieces of armor. Come cheer the kids on and test your Bible trivia knowledge! For more informaon please contact Julie Hermeier, Julie Hill or Elizabeth Knowlton. Confirma<on has resumed and is meeng Wednesday s at 6:00pm. Area youth are encouraged to agend. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR VACATION BI- BLE SCHOOL 2016!! WHEN: July 25 th July 29 th TIME: 9:00am to 2:00pm Monday Thursday and Friday 9:00am 12 noon CLOSING PROGRAM: Friday July 29 th at 11:30am The campers will be singing the songs they have learned for family, friends, and the community. A light luncheon will follow the program. Once again we are teaming up with Luther Park Bible camp to provide a super fun VBS day camp. All campers need to bring a sack lunch Monday thru Thursday, a mid-morning snack will be provided. Campers 2 nd grade thru 6 th grade (starng 7 th grade) will be led by the Luther Park counselors. The theme this year is; Sailing the High C s Creator, Comforter/Compassion, Christ/ Cross, Community & Calling. Campers will have the opportunity to explore and expand their faith through music, worship, Bible studies, crafs, recreaon, fun and fellowship with the Luther Park Counselors and other campers. Campers 3 years thru 1 st grade (starng 2 nd grade) will be diving into Noah s flood in an Ocean Commoon of fun! Campers should prepare for a boatload of excitement as they learn how Noah was able to stand for God, Obey God, Trust God, and Thank God, through Bible stories, crafs, science, games, music and fellowship. VBS is offered at no charge, but donaons are always welcome! Registraon forms are available in the church office and this Epistle. To help us plan beer please have registraons filled out and returned to the church by July 11 th. Ways you could help out with camp: Be a volunteer help with lunch supervision, playing games, aid in teaching. Bring morning snack for campers enough for 30 campers Provide housing for the Luther Park team. 3 young adults. Provide sack lunches for the Luther Park 7
team. Provide dinner for the Luther Park team This is a great opportunity for confirmaon aged kids to help out! Please see the volunteer sign-up sheet posted on the bullen board or contact Connie Visger or Julie Hermeier. This informaon is also available on the Calvary Facebook page and on the Calvary website. The calendar is kept up to date on the website. Please follow this link in order to see the latest calendar. hgp://www.calvarylutheranminong.org ASK BUDDY CHRIST! (connued from page 6) In Levicus 19:16 is says; Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor s life. I am the Lord. The Father tells us that to speak in such a way, to slander, (derogatory remarks and/or unsubstanated reports) is prohibited. In the book of MaGhew, chapter 36 I [Buddy Christ] tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquiged, and by your words you will be condemned. I died for all the sins of the world, even those done in gossip. Remember the words from Proverbs, which say; The words of a talebearer [gossip] are as wounds, And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Gossip is not lifegiving but life-taking. Yes, I died for even the life-taking sin of gossip but I sll want more for you and I sll want more for all of My brothers and sisters, all of the children of the Father. OFen gossip is born out of some hurt of some wrong that was done. This wrong that was done may be perceived or real but needs to be dealt with in a life-giving way. Follow my words in MaGhew 18, when I tell you, 15 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every mager may be established by the tesmony of two or three witnesses. d 17 If they sll refuse to listen, tell it to the church [church council] I hope this answered your queson about gossip. The Father and I love you and all of My brother and sisters. We want no harm to come to any of you. love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 1. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, eds., Concise Oxford English Diconary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004). 2. Ibid. 3. The New Internaonal Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Le 19:16. 4. The New Internaonal Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 12:36 37. 5. The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edion of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Pr 18:8. 6. The New Internaonal Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 18:15 17. 8
Financial Report Financial: Mar-16 Fiscal YTD Revenue $5,512.03 $83,918.79 Expenses $9,953.97 $86,982.80 Over/(Under) ($4,041.94) ($3,064.01) Calvary Lutheran Church Council Mee<ng April 17, 2016 Present: John Hermeier, Roger Wojt, Suzie Tenney, Dee Heuer, Denise Wallace, Pastor Doug Dill Absent: Terrell Sather The meeng was called to order by John Hermeier. Opening devoons and prayer lead by Pastor Doug. Amendments/Modifica<ons to agenda: None Secretary s Report: No meeng last month. March minutes approved. Treasurer s Report: Discussed financials in general. Vanco paper signed for Pastor Doug to switch to his name vs Pastor Sara s. John discussed the budget and next step is to finalize the budget in preparaon for the annual meeng. Church maintenance should be increased to $1,500.00. Telephone and internet are together and will go up $20.00 in December, as we are on an introductory rate now. Sll is saving the church money from previously. Discussed maintenance vs building fund. When was the last me the 3 air condi- oning units were looked at? Should probably have it done. Roger will talk to JIm Schultz regarding this. Regarding the parsonage, how long has it been since the sepc has been pumped? Roger will call to have it pumped since it probably has been awhile. Mission Intent Form - Connie filled out and sent in - this has been completed. Pastor s Report: Discussed confirmands. Worship services - Lent worship increased each week in joint services; 7 worship services at Calvary; Spooner Nursing Home service; AGended Easter Vigil at St. Mary s Visitaon - 1 phone visit, 4 nursing home visits, 2 assisted living visits, 2 hospital visits Bible Study - 3 Friday morning Bible studies; 4 Theology on Tap events Prayer Group - AGended 5 ecumenical prayer group meengs Meengs - 2 one on one meengs; 5 coffee/breakfast meengs at Wendy s; 2 phone meengs; hosted conference meeng; 2 phone meengs with pastors in synod Www - update website; blog updates; facebook updates; calendar updates Misc items - hosted joint movie night for Living Last Supper; agended Drug Awareness event at Northwood School 9
CommiGee Reports: Mutual Ministry: No report Property: No report Chrisan Educaon/Confirmaon: No report Evangelism: No report WELCA: No report Stewardship: No report Worship/Music: No report Youth: No report Social Concerns: No report Old Business: John discussed the Church constuon: 9 items that need to get addressed. #1 - there are 38 bylaws referenced. Pastor Doug will get the bylaws to the commigee. #2 - electronic meeng noces - recommendaons are we should move in that direcon. These are fine in addion to, or in lieu of; or have a list of who wants what. Also discussed having a meeng electronically. #3 - lower the quorum to 25% from 55%. #4 - wrigen ballot vs voice vote. WriGen ballots are required, but recommendaons are that the voice votes are okay. Will need to discuss with congregaon afer Synod looks at recommendaons. #5 - eliminate youth member/young adult #6 - Two terms vs three terms. No recommendaons at this me. Should sll stagger so everyone does not leave at the same me. People can resign earlier if wanted. #7 - Pastor is vong member, but recommendaons are only to vote in a e-breaker and is not a conflict of interest. #8 - Council can approve spending up to $2000.00, if it is outside this will have to have a congregaonal meeng. Needs to have a provision to address restricted donaons which enables the council to act outside of the budget - example for special gifs/ donaons. #9 - Nominang and audit commigee - Now says six. Change to 3 members. Should have an audit commigee - 3 members (Can include 1 council and 2 laymen) John to type up and get into the actual constuon and distribute to council to take a look at. Also stated that vong by proxy has not been discussed yet within the commigee. Should we have year-end June 30th vs May? Once we get the membership list, we can then see if we need to move the me. Use of Facilies - WELCA is in charge of funeral informaon. No change with this. Membership List - List has been completed with names to be deleted or added; with informaon noted as to why the name(s) are to be deleted. The addi- onal names were based on contribuons 10
made. The church is required to have a paper list. New business: Wisconsin State Tax Account (payroll tax): Connie talked to an accountant, who will help set this account up. There will be a fee for this, but is not known yet. This has to be completed for Church Secretary posion. Pastor Doug made the moon to set this account up. Suzie seconded. All ayes. Moon carried. Background checks - if an individual works with the children, there should be a background check on those involved. This was discussed with our insurance company, who strongly suggested we do this. There is an expense to do this. Will need to find a company that will do this for us. Pastor will talk to Dennis at the Minong Police Department to see if they can do it or not? Otherwise, will find a company to get involved to do this. August ecumenical picnic - Father Kinney and Pastor have been talking about a picnic this summer for at least St. Mary s and Calvary. Would like to include New Hope as part of this. Would like two people from each church on a team to help. Possible locaons: Town of MInong hall vs one of the churches. There is a $200.00 security deposit for the Town of Minong hall but will get it back if it is cleaned. Possible date: August 20th?? Norske Nooke for playing the organ, which would come out of the music budget. Moon made by Pastor Doug. John Hermeier seconded. All ayes. Mo- on carried. Tabulator Schedule: May 1 - Dee May 8 - Suzie May 15 - Denise May 22 Roger May 29 - John Next mee<ng date: May 15th Need informa<onal mee<ng: May 15th Adjournment: Lord s Prayer. Moon to adjourn by Suzie Tenney. Seconded by Denise Wallace. All ayes. Meeng adjourned. Respec^ully submiged, Denise Wallace Pastor Doug proposed to purchase for Jerry and Elaine a $100.00 gif card for 11