Monthly Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age." ~Matthew 28:19-20 Where is God leading us? What are the next steps in the journey of faith we share at Our Saviour's as we Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known? We are following and searching and growing together. And it is very good news to know that God is with us on the journey, that the Holy Spirit guides us, and that Jesus is with us always. As you may remember, in the April Monthly Connections, I outlined three areas that seem to be emerging as priorities in the next six to twelve months for us as a church community. The first priority is to clarify our vision for living as one church with two campuses. The second priority is to develop a staffing plan for the vision. The third priority is to foster a sense of collaborative partnership with staff and congregational leaders. Since I wrote that article, I've been listening to congregational members and leaders in both formal and informal settings. And I've been thinking and praying about what I've heard. This month, I'd like to bring you up to speed on some of my initial thoughts and preliminary conclusions about the first priority. Again, the first priority is to clarify our vision for living as one church with two campuses. It seems to me that, in the way we use the space during the week, Our Saviour's functions essentially as a congregation with one site, which is possible because the two campuses are so close to one another. On Sunday morning, with worship and Sunday School, Our Saviour's functions as a two-site congregation. I think this multi-faceted approach makes a lot of sense and provides real benefits. We use space on both campuses for activities that bring together members from all of the worship services. As we serve and grow together, we develop relationships with the whole A PUBLICATION OF OUR SAVIOUR S LUTHERAN CHURCH Connections June 2014 congregation. At the same time, although there are some people that float from one worship service to another, most people settle in to one worship time at one campus or the other. And those worshiping communities can be congregations within the congregation, providing a place for relationships to deepen and grow. This two campus reality also brings questions. One of the first to surface is the question of pastoral presence on Sundays at Celebration. Does it make sense to have a consistent pastoral presence at Celebration worship? Based on what I've been hearing, I think the answer is yes. Although this pastor would not necessarily preach every week at Celebration, they would be present at that worship service at least 3 Sundays a month, providing a consistent feel to the worship and being a regular presence for the worshiping community. Answering this question about pastoral presence at Celebration worship will be one critical step that will enable us to begin the call process for a new associate pastor. There are other questions that remain about our twocampus vision: What do we call the two campuses? We've identified some names that don't work, but haven't yet settled on an answer to the question. What branding should be developed to connect the two campuses? As people drive along Washington, how can they know that these two campuses are part of the same congregation? Which ministries should be combined and which should be separate between the two campuses? What is the best leadership structure for two campuses? How can we be creative in using the two campuses to further expand God's work? As we keep thinking about this first priority, we're making progress on the other priorities as well. As more details become finalized, we will continue to give you updates. I am excited to see where God is leading us. I look forward to the next steps in our journey, and how we will Live It Out! May we continue to grow together as generous disciples who walk beside and care for others to impact the world. In Christ, Pastor John Gerike
Mother's Day and Ocean Fun By Kelly Gilligan May brought the children honoring Mothers at a special Mother's Day Tea in each of the Preschool classes. Songs were sung, stories read, poems recited and dessert served. All of our Mothers left with a special homemade gift; a painted flower vase. We thank God for our Mothers and are so glad that we could share a special day honoring them at school. We got to sing in church with Mr. Todd leading two of our favorite songs. We sang "He's got the Whole World in His Hands" and "Big, Big House." Over 30 preschoolers and families came to church to worship and watch the children sing. We are so proud of the children and thankful that we have the opportunity to sing praises to God. Our theme at the preschool in May was Oceans and Beaches. You can imagine the fun we had sharing all of our summer beach plans and talking about all of the water animals that can be found in oceans. One of our classes even had "Shark Week." Such fun! Each classroom painted a "love canvas" that we raffled off to lucky winners from each class. We sold $1 raffle tickets and all proceeds were split between Lutheran World Relief Baby Care Ministry and the Ronald McDonald House. Two of our preschool families were taken good care of by the Ronald McDonald House this school year when younger siblings were seriously ill. Both babies have recovered and we were so thankful for the good care they received that we were eager to "give back" to this great charity. The school year ended on May 23. During the last week of school we celebrated the end of the year with our Last Slide. Each child took a slide down the playground twisty slide, met at the bottom by their teacher giving them the gift of a rainbow pinwheel. We remember God's rainbow promise as we put these pinwheels in our summer gardens. Families enjoyed frozen treats and took class pictures as we said goodbye to the 2013-14 school year. We look forward to next school year when we will celebrate our 10th Anniversary! We have registered over 240 students, but still have a few afternoon preschool spots left if you are looking for a Christian preschool home. Don't delay, call today and come learn and play with us! (630-281-4300)
Children and Family Ministries By Janine Norgaard The Village Church School Children learned that the Psalms give voice to our deepest feelings, good and bad. The children learned three Psalms: Psalm 8, a psalm of praise, Psalm 13, a psalm of lament, and Psalm 23, a psalm of comfort. In the Art lesson the kids dropped different colors of paint, representing something that troubled them, on a half sheet of paper. With the paper folded in half, the troubles were prayed over. When the paper was opened, they saw something beautiful and illustrating the truth that God can take our troubles and challenges and use them for good! 4th grade Service Stepping Stone class Jesus says in the book of Matthew, Jesus did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. Through Bible study, discussion with parents and friends, a hand-washing experience and by doing a service project the 4th grade children learned that service plays a role in one s faith life. Thank you to Lynn Hamilton for not only teaching the class and facilitating discussions, but being a fine role model of a servant leader! The best thing about church school is the people you meet and the friendships you make! Thank you to all the teachers and shepherds who exemplify our church s vision by being disciples who generously give their time, talent, and treasure to Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known.
Congratulations Confirmands! Alia Rose Allison Jordan Athas Brant Allen Bednarz Michael Beukema Stephanie Gabrielle Bobb Joshua M. Bundschuh Audra Noelle Diehl Dan Eckdahl Bryce J. Effner John Neil Endrud III Ryan Michael Fredrick Rebecca Anne Gabriel Christopher Gere Dana Kathryn Gere Kayla Nicole Gere Emily Nicole Gerlach Cameron Robert Hayes Reese Steven Henning Allison Emma Horn Thomas Gregory Jepson Rachel Mackenzie Kamp Madison Marie Kemerling Kennedy Camryn Kiecker Mitchell Thomas Kramer Isabella Nicole Licitra Erik Gregory Mackey Charles K. Mallin Claudia R. Mallin Mark Joseph McCabe Scott Lindgren Morgan Matthew John Nealon Jill Anissa Nelson Andrew Paul Niecikowski Katie Grace Nylen Amanda Marie Patterson Elizabeth Alice Patton Curran Phillips Madison Elizabeth Redeker Jacob Daniel Ridges Benjamin James Rieke Aleah Marie Robert Lorraine Marlene Schuler Ryan James Sentman Isabella Marie Sohn Jessica Emily Sonner Anna Svab Jack Thorne John Robert Thorne Nathan Neill Tracy Elizabeth Grace Travis Julianne Wagner Cayla Morgan Werling Jack Wolfe Malcolm Amir Wolfe
High School Graduating Class of 2014!! Ian Abeling Gabrielle Adochio Tate Anderson Samantha Baker Joseph Bigenwald Margaret Blackledge Trent Calderone Kellie Cayer Madison Conroy Anne Daley Katherine Davis Amber DeGroote Austin DeGroote Brittney Effner Alexander Fraser Kristen French Sofia Garfias-Yi Nathan Gasteyer Courtney Giebel Kaitlyn Gorski Stephen Gotsis Lauren Habel Bradley Hammond Emil Hanson Emily Harvey Phoebe Hayes Jacob Hernandez Alexandra Hill Paige Johnson Julia Jones Abigail Joyce Scott Kurz Aaron Lauth Brittany Lehmacher Kristyn Lykken Peter Magine Emily Mankowski Garett Martin Spencer Mather Timothy Milke Sienna Mills Rachel Montgomery Jillian Murphy Emily Near Laura Neustadt Kate Niesen Natalie Overholt Tyler Patterson Alise Perna Zachary Peterson Alexander Rackauskas Carly Randolph James Rocks Jason Ryan Danny Schertz Kylie Smith Jacob Stadelman Kelly Strauf Lindsay Sullivan James Travis Jacob Troy Paige Varda Jensen Williams Emily Wilson Nicole Wokas Lindsay Wons Jonathan Wrobel
Don t Forget the Mega Garage Sale! Friday, June 6 Saturday, June 7 (Half-Price Day) 8:00 am - 7:00 pm 8:00 am - noon At Celebration! Campus 919 S. Washington St. Naperville, IL. 60540 Serving God s Youngest! By Jennifer Schuler Department and Naperville School District 203. The Our Saviour s Baby Care ministry serves God s youngest in need both locally and globally. Last year we donated over 2,000 items to local babies by partnering with Family Services Shelter, Sharing Connections, DuPage County Health In 2013, Our Saviour s assembled 500 Baby Care Kits that were distributed by Lutheran World Relief (LWR), wherever the need was greatest worldwide. Last year, LWR partnered with relief agencies to provide 68,195 Baby Care Kits to thirteen countries in 2013. A Baby Care Kit consists of: Two lightweight cotton t-shirts Two long- or short-sleeved gowns or sleepers (without feet) Two receiving blankets, medium-weight cotton or flannel, or crocheted or knitted with lightweight yarn, up to 52" square Four cloth diapers, flat fold preferred One jacket, sweater or sweatshirt with a hood, or include a baby cap Two pairs of socks One hand towel Two bath-size bars (4 to 5 oz.) of gentle soap, in original wrapping Two diaper pins or large safety pins Most of the items for these kits are bought by team members at resale shops and each kit requires $1.30 for shipping. This ministry is possible because of the support of this congregation. Our assembly for this year will take place in September. During the month of May we are collecting gently used baby clothing. We are looking for more resale shoppers and assistance to sort the baby items. Families welcome! Contact Jennifer Schuler or Betty Landorf with any questions at babycare@oursaviours.com. Watch for more details about this exciting event.
Sunday Adult Education Recap 2013-2014 By Pastor Jon Dumpys Jesus said, The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground ~Mark 4:26 On Sunday May 4, the Sunday Adult Education classes reviewed all of the seeds of learning that the program had scattered the past year. The goal was to learn about the growth that had taken place in the past year. Here are some of the responses: The classes have opened my mind to new perspectives and ideas ; I learned an important point of faith is how you live it out in world ; I am much more comfortable talking about my faith than I was before these classes started. Clearly the ministry grew the participants discipleship in a positive way. Those who come regularly comment that they appreciate the opportunity for conversation in each class; and that classes often stretch 2-4 weeks to go deeper into a particular topic. Courses this past year included: Book of Daniel with Dr. Ralph Klein (who will return to teach in September) Tours at Congregation Beth Shalom in Naperville and the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago Having compassionate conversations Making Sense of the Cross Hospice care Dietrich Bonhoeffer s biography and ethics The Art of Chagall The History of Christmas Carols Many thanks to all who so generously gave of their time and energy to grow this ministry s impact, particularly those serving on the Adult Education Team. All adults are invited to attend, teach or share ideas for next year s classes with Pastor Jon or Bill Wentz, leader of the Adult Education Team. May we all together continue to freely scatter the seeds of God s grace and love that we ve learned, so we can continue growing in Knowing Jesus, and Making Jesus Known. Good News!!! The Congregation gets an update filled with Good News on our Debt Reduction Campaign! THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this possible...we are on our way!!
April Recap By Dan Beirne Urban Acacia hosted its first annual fundraiser on April 22. As we close our first fiscal year in a couple months, this event was not technically needed, since I hadn t budgeted for a fundraiser this year, but I wanted to see the type of response we would get so that I could budget for it during our next fiscal year. We had a great response: 50 people came, and we raised $810. The money raised was from the cover we charged at the door, as well as a silent auction. The items we auctioned off were from donations from local artists and businesses. Seeking the donations was a wonderful experience, because two of the hostesses I spoke with expressed interest in the mission of Urban Acacia and asked if they could participate! One artist overheard me at the restaurant I was attempting to get a donation from (Jam), and he asked if he could come to the event and donate a painting of his as well. It was a great way to raise money and spread the word about Urban Acacia s mission. During Holy Week, I had a variety of opportunities to be present with the different communities I ve been working with. I played drums at Luther s Easter Vigil, played the part of Jesus in Our Saviour s annual Cross Walk on Good Friday, and played guitar at St. Luke s on Easter morning. Our Thursday small group also cooked again at 1st Lutheran, and we were warmly received by the community. On April 26, I was also invited to present to Our Saviour s council regarding the future of our partnership, and we had a productive conversation. It was a productive month building and maintaining these valuable partnerships. Spring Break for college students provided me the opportunity to meet with some of our college students and catch up and support them. I was able to meet with two college students on their visits home, and one student even connected me with a friend of hers attending school in Chicago. We met last week and talked about some of her recent struggles in her relationship with God since she s been in college at Columbia. She was very grateful for the time, and sounds excited to try and work together. Since that meeting she has actually been very eager to get this started, even during the summer. Bthecause is the cinematic narrative company that has been hired by the Synod to produce a documentary about Affiliated Missional Communities and Urban Acacia, and we began filming in April. An official trailer is now complete, and the Metropolitan Chicago Synod released it via their social channels last week. It is exciting to see the response already as Churches and individuals seek to learn more about this new approach
Habitat for Humanity By Ruth Gerike My mother always said, "Many hands make light work." That could have been our theme as twenty-two women from Our Saviour's came together on Saturday, May 3 to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Thankfully, we were blessed with a beautiful, crisp, sunny spring day after a string of many rainy days. This was part of Habitat's 7th annual National Women Build Week, challenging women to devote at least one day to building simple, decent and affordable housing in their local communities. More than 52,000 women volunteers from all 50 states have participated in previous years. To date, women volunteers have helped construct more than 2,200 Habitat houses nationwide. Because we had such a large group, we divided between two houses located just a block apart in Elgin, IL. One group spent the day priming and painting a two-story house which had been donated by the city of Elgin. Under Habitat's direction the house has been gutted and remodeled. After two coats of a vibrant barn-red paint it was looking great. The second group likely came away with more sore muscles as they were swinging hammers and digging trenches to reconstruct the interior of another gutted home. As we came together to enjoy a break and lunch, it was fun to hear stories and see the progress each group had made. We were proud of the job we'd done. We were glad to have the opportunity to be God's hands that day in Elgin, IL as we worked together to provide housing for a neighbor in need. Yes, "many hands do make light work."
Buds, Suds and Grub 2014 By Lynn Panosh Wow what a beautiful day we were blessed with on Saturday, May 10. For those of you who have ever been involved with the annual Youth Fund Raiser Buds, Suds and Grub, this was a perfect day! And a day like we seldom have! Gorgeous, lush flower baskets, pots, flats...smiling faces, conversation, energy and so much love were present in abundance. The adults and students worked together to unload a semi load of plants (at 6:15am) and then the sales and car wash began. Why do we do this fund raiser? 1) Proceeds from the car wash and plant sale subsidize the cost of the youth trips and also provide scholarship money for students who need it. 2) To create a sense of community within the youth families, the congregation and the community. We not only had students and their families helping, but also adults who love plants AND our youth program. The figures for the plant sale aren t in yet, but we pretty much sold out our plants AND raised over $1,000 on the car wash. Thanks to all who bought flowers, had their car washed and of course, helped in any way to make this day so much fun and such a great success! Students and adults from Eagles Wings and Hearts in Puppetry leave on Saturday, June 6, for their annual ministry tour. The choir and puppets travel to California where they will work their way south from San Francisco to San Diego, sharing their music and puppets with congregation assisted living centers and at Disneyland! And check out the beautiful plants from the sale beautifying both campuses and lovingly planted by Carol Kozlowski and Margie Ehlert.
Save Your Change! By Sara Gmitro This year we will be collecting coins during Vacation Bible School for Vida Humana in Chimoio, Mozambique. Vida Humana means "Human Life" and the volunteers work very hard in the community to help families who are afflicted by HIV or malaria. They also provide school outside for 300+ Zimbabwe refugee children. Vida Humana has a farm outside of town where they grow vegetables for the families. Your donations will help pay for gas for the water pump that they use to water the vegetables from the nearby river. We are planning another mission trip to Mozambique in July, 2015. Contact Sara Gmitro if you would like more information! Advocate Parish Nurse Notes Submitted by Dawn DeBoer Preventing Cataracts There are many risk factors that you can t control when it comes to the risk of cataract development. Age is the single greatest risk factor. Your genetics also influence your risk, and risk rises with previous eye injury, eye disease or eye surgery. Prolonged use of corticosteroids which may be a medical necessity is a risk factor as well. However, additional risk factors that may promote or speed cataract development include smoking, excessive exposure to sunlight and diabetes. You may be able to blunt the effect of these risk factors by: Not smoking This includes avoiding secondhand smoke. Protecting your eyes from the sun Wear a wide-brimmed hat on sunny days. Choose eyeglasses and sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light. Eating healthy Consume a plant-based diet that includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, beans, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. Plant foods are naturally loaded with a wide variety of antioxidant vitamins. Some research has also suggested that omega-3 fatty acids found in abundance in cold water fish may have a preventive effect. One large study showed a moderate reduction in cataract formation but no significant change in macular degeneration with multivitamin use. Managing health problems Follow a treatment plan for managing your medical conditions such as diabetes. Births and Deaths We lift up in prayer: Bonnie and John Ashman and family at the death of Bonnie s mother, Marion Ensman. Tina and Dan Bukowski on the death of her father, Tony Nowinski. Pastor Al and Lynn Creighton at the death of Lynn s father, Burton Harris. Harlan Bobb and family on the death of Harlan s wife, Joan Bobb.
Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church 815 S. Washington Street Naperville, IL 60540 Phone: (630) 355-2522 Fax: (630) 355-2553 Web site: www.oursaviours.com Our Saviour s Mission "Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known" Our Saviour s Vision Live it Out! Generous disciples impacting the world Worship Services Our Saviour s Campus 815 S. Washington St., Naperville Saturdays at 5:00 pm, Sundays at 8:00, 9:00, 10:30 am Celebration! Campus 919 S. Washington St., Naperville Sundays at 10:00 am Leadership Staff Pastor John Gerike, Pastor Jade, Pastor Jon Dumpys, Pastor Al Creighton, Lynda DeVore Global Mission Partners Bohdan Hroboň - Slovakia Misheck Ruwa - Vida Humana, Chimoio, Mozembique Praying Pelicans - Haiti Feed My Starving Children For Children - (September - May) Church School is available from September - May for 3 year olds - 5th Grade on Sundays, 9:00 and 10:30 am - Our Saviour s Campus 10:00 am - Celebration! Campus For Youth (September - May) Junior High - Surge (Confirmation) Sundays 12:15-1:30 pm, Celebration! Campus High School - Ignition Sundays, 6:30-8:00 pm, Celebration! Campus Our Saviour s Council Share your stories about how God is working in your life and the lives of others! All articles are due on the first Thursday of each month, for the following month s publication. Please send articles and photos to Jean Jepson at jeanjepson@oursaviours.com. Here s the deadline dates for the next 3 months. Monthly Connections articles for July are due on June 5 Monthly Connections articles for August are due on July 3 Monthly Connections articles for September are due on August 7. Lane Lewis - Chairperson Julie Michael - Vice Chairperson Bill Tadevich - Secretary Lee Selander Jennifer Schuler Greg Nasman Cindy Huenecke Christine Robinson John Updegraff