St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church 605 Highland Avenue; Post Office Box 370 Brownsville, Wisconsin 53006 www.stpaulsbrownsville.org Rev. William Carter office: 920.583.3615 pastor@stpaulsbrownsville.org school: 920.583.4242 Welcome WELCOME to St. Paul s Lutheran Church. We pray that God would bring you his richest blessings through the Word of truth we share here today. If you are here for the first time today or because you were invited by a friend or neighbor, we ask you to sign the guest book in the entrance so that we can keep in touch with you. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about what you hear today, please contact the pastor. Statement of Mission St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church exists to uphold the truth of God s Word and proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ by providing opportunities for men, women, and children to gather for worship and Bible study so that we all might grow in our faith and knowledge of God s Word and be equipped as his servants and witnesses in our community and our world. Copies of the full statement of mission and vision are available in the entrance. Announcements WORSHIP INSERTS - The purple worship folder in today s bulletin contains everything you need in order to participate in today s worship service. LARGE PRINT - Two large print hymnals are available in the entrance. Large print copies of the bulletin and worship folders are also available there. SUNDAY SCHOOL CHANGING TIME - beginning today, Sunday School will meet before the worship service (8:00-8:40) instead of after the service. The Fourth Sunday in Lent Sunday, March 26, 2017 SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY - recently began a new Bible study entitled The Word Endures: Lessons from Luther Yesterday and Today. This course will explore key truths from God s Word as echoed by Martin Luther during the Reformation. We ll get a better understanding of Luther s faith and learn more about key teachings that are still the foundation of Christian faith today. Today: No Class due to the PTL meeting; Next week: Teach the Word to Children. A member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod www.wels.net A member of the Winnebago Lutheran Academy Association www.wlavikings.org 2
FAMILY OF THE WEEK - Each week, we highlight a family in our bulletin as our Family of the Week. That family also serves as greeters that week. We re hoping that everyone can serve - and be introduced to the congregation - in this way. If you haven t been able to serve yet, please contact Jane Thomas to schedule a time when you can. This week: Jerry & Chris Schmidt - Jerry grew up in the Brownsville area and has been a life-long member of St. Paul s, while Chris grew up in Milwaukee and became a member of St. Paul s when she married Jerry in 1974. Jerry has owned a milk trucking business and financial services business. He also has worked in middle management at several manufacturing firms. He currently works as plant manager at Pereles Brothers in the Milwaukee area. Chris is now retired after working at Kohl s and as a teller at the M&I Bank (now BMO Harris) branch in Fond du Lac. Jerry enjoys gardening, grilling, and karaoke. Chris enjoys her grandkids and sewing clothes for the grandkids and table runners for friends. Jerry and Chris have three children. Brian serves as pastor of a mission congregation in Adams-Friendship, Wisconsin. He and his wife Angie have three daughters. Matthew is working in the tool room at Pereles and is going to school to be a tool and die maker. And Katie and her husband Jon Taylor and their two sons will soon be moving from Kentucky to Plano, Texas, where Jon has been transferred by Toyota. Jerry and Chris served our congregation and school as custodians for many years. Jerry also served on the church council including several terms as congregation chairman. He also did some coaching at St. Paul s and at WLA and currently serves as our groundskeeper. MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICES - will continue this Wednesday at 1:30 and 6:30. This year s theme is Repent: Turn to Jesus. The area WELS pastors will rotate pulpits for these services. This week, Pastor Matthew Kiecker of St. John, Lomira will focus on Jesus prayer to his Father and his conversations with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, under the theme, Repent: Turn to Jesus When You Face Temptations. JOINT LADIES BIBLE STUDY - meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:00. This class meets here at St. Paul s, usually in Room 3, the room at the top of the ramp in the south east corner of the building. The course is led by Mrs. Naomi Schmidt. The next class: this Monday, March 27. MEN S BIBLE STUDY and BREAKFAST - meets every other Friday at 7:00 a.m. at Bublitz s Restaurant. We enjoy breakfast and a discussion of articles in the current Forward in Christ. Next meeting: next Friday, April 7. MIDWEEK LENTEN MEALS - Several of St. Paul s organizations will provide meals before all of our Lenten services. Serving will be from 12:00-1:15 and 5:00-6:15. Free-will offerings will be taken each week. Proceeds will support the work done by each organization. Everyone is welcome. March 29 Flower Committee - soups April 5 St. Paul s Choirs - sloppy joes HOLY WEEK SERVICES Maundy Thursday Communion Service Good Friday Communion Service Good Friday Tenebrae Service Easter Sunrise Service Easter Festival Communion Service April 13, 7:00 p.m. April 14, 1:00 p.m. April 14, 7:30 p.m. April 16, 6:30 a.m. April 16, 9:00 a.m. EASTER VIGIL at St John, Lomira, April 15, 6:30 p.m. Your brothers and sisters in Christ at St John s invite you to join with them in a special devotional service during Holy Week. Called an Easter Vigil, this beautiful one-hour-long service, with ancient roots in Christianity, is meant to be contemplative and joyful. It is sure to fill you with anticipation and will will lead you into a richer celebration of the resurrection on Easter morning! EASTER BREAKFAST - An Easter Breakfast will be served between the worship services Easter morning from 7:30 till 8:15. Please sign the sheet on the bulletin board in the narthex to indicate what you can bring. NOMINATIONS - The nominating committee is beginning to contact men to ask them to consider nomination for the positions on the Council of Elders. If one of them contacts you, we ask you to prayerfully consider their request as an opportunity to serve our Savior and his people here at St. Paul s. Finding nominees is especially important this year because at least three of the eight positions either are already vacant or have an incumbent who has asked not to serve another term. NEWSPAPER RECYCLING - We re having trouble contacting the company that has taken our recycled newspaper in the past. If anyone is aware of any other companies in the area that will purchase a truckload of newspaper, please contact John Weiglein. 3 4
NEWS from ST. PAUL S SCHOOL Parent-Teacher League - will meet after today s worship service. The Parent- Teacher League meets four times a year to hear reports from the principal and faculty and to discuss projects they can take on to support the work of Christian Education at St. Paul s Lutheran School. Kindergarten Roundup - will take place this Friday, March 31. All students who turn five before September 1 are invited to join the students in Mrs. Kuske s room that morning to get a glimpse of what kindergarten might be like. Students will participate in a Christ Light lesson, in a phonics lesson and a math lesson, and in an art activity. They ll also join us for hot lunch. The morning will begin at 8:10 in Room 1. Students can be picked up after lunch at 12:20. NPH Book Fair Orders - Books ordered through the NPH book fair may be picked up in Room 3 today. LWMS SPRING RALLY - The Spring Rally of the Dodge-Washington Circuit of the Lutheran Women s Missionary Society (LWMS) will take place this Saturday, April 1 at Peace, Hartford (co-host - Trinity, Hartford). The speaker for the rally will be Hannah Wendland, who will talk about growing up as a missionary s daughter in Malawi. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Please sign the sheet on the bulletin board in the church entrance if you plan to attend, so we can tell the hosts how many to expect. CHURCH PHOTO DIRECTORY Start thinking about planning your next hair appointment and selecting your favorite outwt - we re going to have our pictures taken! The photographer is coming Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29. Online (internet) scheduling is available and we ll help with that. Each family will receive a professional photography session, an 8x10 family portrait, and a copy of the printed directory. You will have an opportunity to purchase additional portraits. Look for more information next week. THANK YOU - Thanks so much from the Library and Banner Committees for dining with us these past two Wednesdays. The turnout for both meals was very encouraging. We also appreciated the contribution of food items to round out our basic menus. The proceeds from these meals help both committees fund their various projects. The amount deposited from the meals was $160.00 for the Library and $201.00 for banners. And, the fellowship -- priceless! -Ardis, Kim and Carol NEWS AND NOTES FROM WINNEBAGO LUTHERAN ACADEMY Note: Even though there are no students from St. Paul s attending WLA this school year, we will still print these announcements to keep you informed about events taking place at our Lutheran high school. The WLA Plenary Board meets this Tuesday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. The agenda for this meeting includes approving the 2017-2018 budget and other important current and future ministry items for our work at WLA. WLA Psalmfest 2017 - Come join the WLA choirs as they praise God and speak to one another with psalms (Eph. 5:19). WLA s first Psalmfest is on Sunday, April 2, 2017 at Faith Ev. Lutheran Church, 55 Prairie Road, Fond du Lac at 3:00 p.m. This concert will explore the many different ways that psalms are set to music to lead God s people to praise and cry out to him. This concert is led by Mr. Dale Witte, WLA choir director and one of the members of the WELS Psalm Committee for the new hymnal (http://www.welshymnal.com). The concert will also be live streamed at www.wlavikings.org/wlatv/. The Event - WLA s eighth annual dinner auction, The Event is Saturday, April 29, at South Hills Golf & Country Club. The evening begins at 5:00 with fellowship and silent auctions, followed by dinner at 7:00 and the live auction. The evening benefits the WLA Endowment Fund and Wish List. Registration is open at wlavikings.org/theevent. Salty Earth Pictures The WLA Videography Class and members of Faith Lutheran Church are inviting you to come with us on a special trip to see the studios of Salty Earth Pictures on Saturday, April 8. Salty Earth Pictures is a professional cinema studio located in Fort Atkinson, WI, and have produced a number of Christian films. You can check out their works by visiting saltyearthpictures.org. A coach bus will leave WLA at 7:45am and return around 3:00pm. Cost is $30. If you are interested in joining us on the trip, call the WLA office at 920.921.4930 WLA has 2 part-time job openings. One for a Part-time Custodian which we are looking for an individual to start in April/May. The other for a Part-time Cook s Assistant which we are looking for an individual to start the beginning of next school year. Position descriptions and job applications are posted in the church entrance. Information about both positions is also posted on the WLA website (www.wlavikings.org). 5 6
Special Needs Dance - WLA New Friends is hosting a dance for people with special needs from 6:00 till 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 7 in the WLA gym. Please invite anyone you know that might appreciate receiving an invitation. You can take them a copy of the flyer in the church entrance. Second Impressions Thrift Store Second Impressions Thrift Store is located at 325 Winnebago Drive, Fond du Lac. Store hours are Thursdays and Fridays 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 3 pm. Donations are accepted Mondays and Tuesdays 10 am to 4 pm and also during store hours. With spring cleaning projects right around the corner, it s a great time to think about donating the extra items that you no longer need. Gently used items in good condition are accepted. Items in particular that we could use more of include tools and hardware; toys; arts & crafts, children s and men s shoes. To volunteer, or for additional information call (920) 907-9900. WPCP Information Night On Tuesday, April 4 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. WLA is hosting a Parental Choice Information Night in our Media Center. WLA representatives will be available during this time to answer your questions about the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. There will also be computers available if families wish to fill out the online application that night. The deadline to apply to the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program for the 2017-18 school year is April 20. Please join us on April 4 to find out additional details for your family or visit www.wlavikings.org/for-prospective-families/wi-parental-choice-program. Host Families Needed -Winnebago Lutheran Academy is already receiving many applications from international students hoping to attend the Academy in the fall. If you would be interested in hosting a student (or two!) please contact international student coordinator Kristin Mose at kmose@wlavikings.org. Families may choose to host one student or two, one semester or full year, and are reimbursed to help cover the cost of room and board. Upcoming Events at the Academy: You can always check out the school website (www.wlavikings.org) or Facebook page ( Winnebago Lutheran Academy ) for the latest information and announcements. In addition, please make note of the following upcoming events at Winnebago Lutheran Academy: Mar 28 Plenary Board, 7:00 Apr 2 Psalm Festival at Faith, Fond du Lac, 3:00 Apr 14-17 Easter Break Apr 27 Association Grade School Forensics Meet Apr 29 The Event at South Hills Country Club May 10 Association Grade School Track Meet SEMINAR on LAW AND GOSPEL - St. Paul s, Slinger is hosting a seminar on identifying and applying the two key Scriptural teaching of Law and Gospel on Saturday, April 1 from 9:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. The course is part of a program to train congregation leaders to serve as assistants to the pastor in various areas of ministry, but you don t need to be enrolled in that program to attend this seminar. There is more information about the seminar on a flyer posted in the church entrance. You can learn more about the congregational assistant program (CAP) at www.welscap.org. LUTHERLAND TOUR - Tom s Christian Tours of Sun Prairie is offering a Lutherland tour from May 18-28 this spring. 2017 will mark the 500 th anniversary of the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. The Reformation stemmed from this event which changed Germany. Walk in the footsteps of Luther. Discover the impact of the Reformation and how God s grace could be understood then and now. Contact Tom s Christian Tours at 608-318-2246 or www.tomschristiantours.com for more information. LWMS NATIONAL CONVENTION - The 2017 national convention of the Lutheran Women s Missionary Society will take place Thursday - Sunday, June 22-25 in Orlando, Florida. The convention typically begins with a communion worship service on Thursday evening and ends with a service on Sunday morning. Friday and Saturday are filled with a mixture of mission speakers, workshops, devotions and entertainment. You can find more information about the convention at www.lwms.org. Each area circuit is being encouraged to use special funds that are available to Send One Sister to encourage women to attend their first national convention. If you d like to know more about the convention or about Send One Sister, please contact Kimberly Wiepking. ELECTRONIC WITHDRAWALS - Information about the program that automatically withdraws your offerings to St. Paul s from a bank account is available on the counter in the church entrance. This service provides another way to plan your regular, firstfruits giving to the Lord. 2017 OFFERING ENVELOPES - are available on the back pew. Please take yours and use them to plan your firstfruits giving for the Lord in the new year. 7 8
Hearing the Word of the Lord Mar 19 YTD Avg. Pct. Worship Attendance 87 1,049 87.4 27.6% Last Year 85 1,064 88.7 27.1% Serving in the House of the Lord Ushers this week: Bob Dabringer, captain Jake Nellessen, Steve Scharf, Tom Larsen, Gary Goebel Greeters this week: Jerry and Chris Schmidt Ushers next week: Dale Schraufnagel, captain Gene Rusch, Josh Scharf, Gregg Hansman, Mike Zastrow Greeters next week: Bob and Linda Dabringer APRIL CALENDARS - are available on the counter in the narthex. What a Difference a Sacrifice Makes (sermons for the Sundays in Lent) Mar 5 Romans 5:12-19 The gift is not like the trespass Mar 12 Romans 4:1-5,13-17 The real difference between faith and works Mar 19 Ephesians 5:8-14 Once you were darkness; now you are light Mar 26 Romans 8:1-10 There is now no condemnation Apr 5 Romans 8:11-19 The Spirit makes us sons, not slaves CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK Today, 8:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Worship Service 10:15 a.m. Parent-Teacher League 7:30 p.m. Nominating Committee Monday, 7:00 p.m. Joint Ladies Bible Study Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. Pastors Circuit afternoon Town Lomira and Mayville Shutins 6:30 p.m. Handbells 7:00 p.m. Choir 7:00 p.m. WLA Board Wednesday, 7:00 a.m. Faculty Bible Study 8:10 a.m. Chapel Service 12:00-1:15 p.m. Lenten Lunch (Flowers) 1:30 p.m. Worship Service 5:00-6:15 p.m. Lenten Supper (Flowers) 6:30 p.m. Worship Service Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Bible Basics Saturday, 8:30 a.m. LWMS Rally at Peace, Hartford Next Sunday, 8:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Communion Service 3:00 p.m. WLA Psalm Festival at Faith, Fond du Lac 9 10