PARISH LIFE OF OUR LORD S LUTHERAN CHURCH S h a rin g th e jo y of C h rist s lo ve a n d pro m ise o f salvatio n w ith a ll p e o p le. From the desk of Pr. Amanda... July/August 2017 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6 While I was at camp Tomah Shinga with the confirmation students, I noticed how much we were in a place where the Kingdom of Heaven was clearly guiding our lives. It was a place where forgiveness was abundant, and the whole earth really did seem to praise the Lord and welcome God s people to experience God s love. With so many people attending to them, I could reason out why the chickens were so friendly. But, I don t think anything other than God s love can explain why so many butterflies landed on the shoulders of children and stayed for so long. It is also God s love which brought out the best in the counselors after long days and blisters, helped the youth from so many different backgrounds to understand each other, and helped Ann, the cook, to offer the best camp food ever. It was truly a place set apart. As I listened to the youth throughout the week, I was in awe of how God created a place for all of them to know God s love. The kids from very broken situations were just as likely to speak grace to a kid who only knew peace, as it was the other way around. They saw how sometimes tasks which were easy for one were difficult for another, and they helped each other. Some of them liked the worship with lots of jumping in the morning while others were fans of the quite worship in the evening, and over the course of the week, they came to respect this in each other. In some ways, the entire week was like an extended time of worship and praise. This made me think about why we worship. It is tempting, in the nice weather, to skip out on worship. Yet, when we skip out, we miss out. We miss this time when we come together to know the kingdom of God in our lives and see the world in a new way. We miss out on getting to see how God is working in the people around us and experiencing the grace of allowing our sisters and brothers to respect us. We miss out on a time when we will surely be changed by God s love to go back out into the world. On the last day of camp, you could see the change in the faces of many of the youth as they remembered where they were going next, and that this time at camp would not last forever. Yet, in a way it will. They will be changed by the experience that God s kingdom is different, and it will bring them hope and courage in some situation down the road. This is the same for us as we leave worship each week. Worship gives us a time set aside to allow God s love to change us. We leave our time set aside, and we go back out to be Christ for the world, knowing the courage which comes from forgiveness, and the hope which comes from new life. (continued on next page) 29 00 WEST HEFNER RO AD O KL A HOMA C ITY, O K 7 3120 (4 05) 75 5-266 0 ww w.ol lc.or g o urlordsokc @gm ail.c om
Thank you to everyone who made possible the trip to camp! It was a wonderful week for everybody! Make sure to ask Alyssa and Evie about the trip! They have great stories to tell and maybe even a story or two about me on the high ropes course! I hope we see everybody in worship where you know God will meet you and bring you grace! Blessings to you. Traveling mercies upon all of your vacations. May you times of rest be renewing in mind, body and Spirit! Pastor Amanda Esping The New Fiscal Year As we begin a new fiscal year in the church, it is a great time to review your commitment to sustaining the ministry of OLLC! As you think about the ways you have been blessed, and the ways we have been a blessing to others in the community, consider how you are financial supporting the ministry which is being worked in this place. Perhaps you are ready to start first fruits giving, where you give some amount first out of what you receive, instead of giving what is left at the end. This is a great spiritual discipline to put God first in your life! It will make a difference! Or maybe you are a pro at first fruits giving and you are ready to make an increase. Maybe one percent, maybe stepping up to tithing, or maybe beyond! Let it be in your prayers and thoughts for a while, and then make your new commit to sustaining the work of God in this place! As always, it is good to remember during his time of year that the costs of ministry still happen while you are away on vacation. Making a point to give as you had planned will be of great help! Thank you to everybody for your generosity, for living in God's abundance, and for allowing God to create a place for the gospel to be shared through your gifts! 2
Women s Summer Bible Study Lois Joseph will lead the Women s Summer Bible Study through July 26, from 9:30am to 11:30am in the Conference Room. This summer we will delve into The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer (which may be purchased at Lifeway for $12.99 plus tax). MARK YOUR CALENDARS! FRIED CHICKEN AND ICE CREAM PICNIC JULY 16, 11:30AM, FOLLOWING WORSHIP The Picnic will consist of fried chicken, salads, and ice cream. Everything will be provided. After the lunch, a Rick Steves production of Martin Luther and the Reformation will be shown. this is a one hour film of the whats, hows, and whys of the reformation. This is also a little travelogue filmed in Germany and Rome. Rick Steves was honored and thankful to make a small contribution to the celebration of the Reformation s 500th Anniversary. Freewill offering will benefit the Oaks Indian Mission and sponsored by the Congregational Life Committee. Small groups coming in September! By Heart. Conversations with Martian Luther s Small Catechism. We will join together to explore how Luther s Small Catechism is still relevant for us today, and how being Christian in the tradition of Luther is such a unique voice in the world of Christianity. 3
RESOURCES (PROPERTY) COMMITTEE UPDATE The Resources Committee together with members of CIF and other OLLC members met on Saturday, June 24 th to work on a number of maintenance and improvement tasks around the OLLC Property. Outside tasks included trimming bushes and trees, painting the fire lane and benches in the courtyard, cleaning the courtyard, cleaning the Butterfly Garden, replacing a railing on the playground fence, testing the sprinkler system and resetting the timers for the outdoor lights and the sign. Indoor projects included cleaning the Fellowship Hall floor, cleaning windows in the entry way, vacuuming pew cushions and oiling the pews, and repairing a door stop. These tasks were performed to prepare for the joint OLLC/CFI Picnic scheduled for Sunday June 25 th. The members of CIF have suggested that we hold a cleanup/maintenance day quarterly. Those participating from OLLC were Cal Benhardt, Wayne & Carmen Craney, Larry Eberhardt, Jeff Fletcher, Fred & Karlene Grosz, Lynn Little, Wayne Karst, Gene Naukam, John Tassey, Chuck Wende, and Tom Ziebell. There were 5 participants from CIF who did a good job of thoroughly cleaning the Fellowship Hall floor. Altar Guild is a great way to serve OLLC in a quiet, behind-the-scenes way. One person sets up on Saturday (or early Sunday morning) and another person cleans up after Worship. It doesn t take long to do but is certainly missed if it doesn t get done. Please prayerfully consider joining up to help out in such an important way. To join, please talk to Carolyn Zachritz, or Pastor Amanda. Thank you! Coffee Fellowship Time! Please use the sign up sheet, located on the Information Counter, to choose when you would like to host-- starting coffee before worship and bringing donuts, cookies, cupcakes or other treats to share after worship! Upcoming hosts are needed for July 23rd, 30th, August 6th & 27th. New Coordinator(s) needed! Please consider answering the call to serve on Sundays! OLLC Wants to Hear from You! Your feedback is IMPORTANT to us. If you have ideas, question, concerns, or other feedback we encourage you to reach out to us. There are many ways to do this! Provide feedback on our website Contact Form (http://ollc.org/about-us/contact/), or drop a written message in the Feedback Drop-Box near your mailbox. Alternatively, we encourage you to attend a Church Council meeting (2 nd Sunday of every month at 6:30pm). Or, feel free to call or e-mail Pastor Esping or a member of the Council directly (see the latest OLLC Directory). All feedback is taken seriously and will remain confidential at your discretion. Did you know that if you make a purchase from any of the BC Clark Jewelers stores here in Oklahoma City, they will give a percentage of your purchase to OLLC? That has been a long-standing tradition of BC Clark. So if graduations and weddings or any other gift-giving occasion is in your future, please consider a gift purchase from BC Clark. Coupons can be found on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall. Simply present the coupon to BC Clark Jewelers at the time of your purchase and a portion of your purchase will come to OLLC. 4
God s Work. Our Hands. Mark your calendars now for Sunday September 10 th! We will celebrate the with the whole ELCA by being God s hands in the world by putting together school kits for Lutheran World Relief! We will gather before worship on Sunday to assemble 50 kits! Between now and then, we will need to gather the supplies, so watch for sales! You may bring supplies into the office. Joan will keep a tally and publish updates in the newsletter! All together we will need: 200 70 pg notebooks. Wide or College ruled. Approximately 8 by 10 ½ 50 30 cm ruler, or a ruler with inches on one side and cm on the other. 50 pencil sharpeners 50 pairs of blunt scissors 250 - #2 pencils with erasers 250 Blue or black ball point pens, no gel ink 50 box of 16 or 24 crayons 50 2 ½ eraser $150 to purchase appropriate bags for the kits. During worship, we will bless all of these backpacks, as well as all of the backpacks for our students and teachers in the congregation! 5
LWR PERSONAL CARE KIT Items may be placed in the green box in the narthex. In July we are collecting metal nail clipprs, (file optional); packaging removed. In August we are collecting lightweight bath towels (20 x 40, 27 x 52 ). Dark color is recommended. CHILDREN S WORSHIP BULLETINS and activity sheets are available on the table in back of the sanctuary along with crayons, colored pencils, etc. More items are in the ushers room. Ask an usher if you need help locating these Adults and Youth will continue to meet at 9am on Sundays to grow in faith, love, and knowledge of the love of God! The 2017 Flower Calendar is on the office door and in need of your reservations for birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions! The gift of flowers are a wonderful way to beautify our sanctuary! Available dates: July 23rd (1), August 6th (1), 20th (1), 27th (2). Congratulations, Avrey and Anthony! We celebrate Avrey and Anthony s wedding, held June 30th, and pray for all the ways God will continue to work in their lives! Regional Food Bank, 3355 S. Purdue, OKC. And now for something completely different! Saturday, June 3 our faithful band of OLLCers made pizza sandwiches for kids at day care centers, such as Boys and Girls Club. Complete with hairnets, beardnets, gloves, etc. we loaded pepperoni, mozzarella and buns by the dozens to be fed to those kids on Monday for lunch. I have been to the Boys and Girls Club at Memorial Park and toured their facilities and it is a wonderful place for kids to go after school instead of hanging out on the streets unsupervised. We made 1,056 sandwiches! It was rewarding to be a part of that mission! Those chefs at work were Alan Green (Chuck Wende s neighbor,) Larry Eberhardt, Carmen and Wayne Craney, John Tassey, Fred Grosz, Chuck Wende, Charlie Wende, Lloyd Scheidt, Pastor Amanda, Cal Benhardt, and Carolyn Zachritz. Thanks to all for your faithful service! 6
July Church Family in Service Assisting Ministers (D. Gillson) 2 Wayne Craney 9 Fred Grosz 16 Dick Morrow 23 Larry Eberhardt 30 Lois Patrick Cantors ( Bill Fuller) 2 Lois Carlton 9 Dick Morrow 16 Deborah Gillson 23 Jim Collings 30 Chris Henkel Greeters (Dee Sundholm) 2 Amanda Green/Cherylann Kidd/Gene Naukam 9 Jacob Edingfield/Lynn Little 16 Diane Milligan/Linda Scheidt/ Karen Foran 23 Len & Connie Erikson 30 Carmen & Wayne Craney/ Lynn Little Money Counters (Diane Milligan) 2 Dick Morrow/Gene Naukam 9 Sally Ziebell/Debbie Gudgel 16 Fred & Karlene Grosz 23 Diane Milligan 30 Cal & Judy Benhardt Flowers ($22.00 per bouquet) 2 O Brien 9 Morrow/Karst 16 Zachritz 23 Joseph 30 Karen & Terry Foran Flower Pick Up Lois Carlton Altar Guild Julie Collings/Carolyn Zachritz Ushers Tom Ziebell/Ron Maxfield July 1 Cherylann Kidd Kylin Kidd-Banks Katherine Scheidt 3 Loree McMahan 6 Lois Patrick 7 Amanda Milligan 13 Lisa Swanson 15 Fred Grosz Helen Kennamer Flower: Larkspur Birthstone: Ruby 29 Karen & Terry Foran 31 Len & Connie Erikson Deadline for the September newsletter is August 14th. Articles may be emailed to the church at: ourlordsokc@gmail.com or placed in the Office Assistant s mailbox. Flower Orders may be placed by filling out the form located near the office door. Please leave completed forms in the office assistant s mailbox. Bulletin Articles must be submitted by 11am Monday morning to be included in the weekly announcements. Christ in Our Home devotion booklets are available at the information counter. These are the known birthdays and anniversaries for the month of July. If there is an error, or if your special day is not listed, please let us know. We don t want to leave anyone out! Drop us a line: ourlordsokc@gmail.com or 755-2660 7
August Church Family in Service Assisting Ministers (D. Gillson) 6 TBA 13 Toni Henson 20 Lynn Little 27 Lou Ann Bletsch August Cantors ( Bill Fuller) 6 Wayne Craney 13 Lois Carlton 20 Dick Morrow 27 Deborah Gillson Greeters (Dee Sundholm) 6 Amanda Green/Cherylann Kidd/Gene Naukam 13 Jacob Edingfield/Lynn Little 20 Diane Milligan/Linda Scheidt/ Karen Foran 27 Dee Sundholm 1 Lou Ann Bletsch 11 Karen Karst 19 Lloyd Scheidt 28 Jenny Myers 17 Ken Carlton Flower: Gladiola Birthstone: Sardonyx or Peridot Money Counters (Diane Milligan) 6 Wayne & Karen Karst 13 John Tassey/Holly Van Remmen 20 Dick Morrow/Gene Naukam 27 Sally Ziebell/Debbie Gudgel Flowers ($22.00 per bouquet) 6 Karst 13 Bletsch-Van Remmen 20 Karst 27 Flower Pick Up Tom Ziebell Altar Guild Karen Foran/Debbie Gudgel Ushers Diane Milligan/Fred Grosz 2 Deborah Gillson & Perry MacAnally 12 Tom & Sally Ziebell 16 Diane & Ron Milligan 18 Margee & Tony Gaeddert 19 Fred & Karlene Grosz Deadline for the September newsletter is August 14th Articles may be emailed to the church at: ourlordsokc@gmail.com or placed in the Office Assistant s mailbox. Flower Orders may be placed by filling out the form located near the office door. Please leave completed forms in the office assistant s mailbox. Bulletin Articles must be submitted by 11am Monday morning to be included in the weekly announcements. Christ in Our Home devotion booklets are available at the information counter. These are the known birthdays and anniversaries for the month of August. If there is an error, or if your special day is not listed, please let us know. We don t want to leave anyone out! Drop us a line: ourlordsokc@gmail.com or 755-2660 8