Helmar Heartlines 815-695-5489 helmarlutheran@gmail.com Heartline...from the Pastor Taking care of the inside and the outside. V O L UME 43 I SSUE 3 M AR CH 2017 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Birthdays & Anniversaries 2 Family Mission, Youth Front 2 Children s Ministry 3 Lenten Schedule 3 Officers of Church 4 1 Peter 5:8, Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5 begins with a command to shepherd the flock that is among you, which is presumably a command to the Pastors with whom Peter comes in contact. The chapter quickly shifts to the rest of the congregation with an admonition to humble yourselves that God may exalt you. Verse 8 speaks of the care we must take because of Satan who is depicted as a roaring lion, seeking to devour. In order to stand against the devouring lion, Peter tells us to be on the alert and then uses two phrases to help us understand what it means to be on the alert. The first phrase concerns our inward person. It is the phrase Be sober. Often this phrase is used in connection with those who drink too much. They are cautioned to be sober in other words, don t drink to much, or at all. The phrase be sober means to control your own disposition. It means to be self-controlled. Part of being on the alert against Satan is in not going off on some tangent. Being sober means being balanced in your doctrine, and in your practical living out of that doctrine. For instance, if you were to read 2 Corinthians 6:17, Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. An unbalanced way of looking at this passage would be for all of us Helmarites to form a colony here in Helmar, build a fence around ourselves and have nothing to do with the world. And yet, Jesus commands us to go and make disciples in Matthew 28. Being sober in this case would mean that we understand 2 Corinthians to mean that we are not to be worldly minded like those who do not trust in Jesus. The second phrase in verse 8 concerns our outward person. Peter says Be vigilant which means to be on guard against outside forces. There was a man who was openly hostile to God. As an act of final rebellion, this man made out a will and willed his farm and all he possessed to the devil. This gave the court cause for some head scratching, but after several months of deliberation it handed down the following decision: "It is decided that the best way to carry out the wish of the deceased is to allow the farm to grow weeds, the soil to erode, and the house and barn to rot. In our opinion, the best way to leave something to the devil is to do nothing". There is much truth in that court's ruling. If you want to leave something to the devil do nothing. That is why Peter says to be vigilant. Vigilant means to be alert, to watch out. It is important to be on the alert because Satan is looking for any means he can to trip us up. While Peter is instructing us to be sober and to be vigilant, he also knows that the strength to do these things is from our Lord. He tells us in verse 10, The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. What a blessing and encouragement that is! God will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you! In Christ, Pastor James
Birthdays and *Anniversaries For MARCH Page 2 March 2 Jacob Johnson March 3 Shelly Punke Joyce Stevenson March 4 Greg Geistler March 5 Tina Cryder Erich Engelbrecht Virgil & Ruth Karales* David Kittelson March 6 Dan & Linda Hanback* March 9 Ellie Gallo March 10 Keaton Cryder March 11 Randy Stevenson March 12 Laurie Chally March 13 Chari Engelbrecht Jessica Karales March 15 Jacob Mathre Sandy Michaelson March 16 Scott Cryder Dan Hanback March 17 Jim & Sig Hagen* March 18 Mark & Bessie Christian* March 21 Faith Frieders March 22 Pam Cryder Greg & Staci Geistler* March 24 Roger & Bobbie Toftoy* Tyler Wiesbrook March 25 Pam Duvick Howard Rosenwinkel March 26 Bessie Christian Beth Goins March 27 Beth Alexander March 30 Kelly Greven Braeden Punke *Wedding Anniversaries Family No Family Mission in March. Just for Laughs! An elderly woman died last month. Having never married, she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, They wouldn t take me out while I was alive, I don t want them to take me out when I m dead! Quote of the Day. It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt. YOUTH FRONT "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died." Galatians 6:14 And because of the cross, we can say "Consider yourselves dead to the power of sin, and alive to God through Christ Jesus!" Romans 6:11 Our lives are transformed. "We have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." Romans 5:1 What a miracle! Lord, help us to let you lead our lives every day! Upcoming events: March 19th is All Kids' Game Night. All ages are welcome from 6:00-7:30 for games and snacks. The 6th-12th graders play until 8:30. Concessions are being sold during the Legacy Basketball games in the FLC on Saturday mornings during March. The Palm Sunday Breakfast on April 9th is a fundraiser for those going to the FLY Convention in July. More details will be coming.
Page 3 New for Children s Ministry at Helmar! The new year, 2017, has brought some changes to the children s ministry program at Helmar! The Children s Ministry Council (CMC) has organized after a brief hiatus and is again active in planning and implementing our ministries to children at Helmar from birth through 5 th Grade! We are excited about new opportunities to share the love of Jesus with children in our church and community in so many ways. Also new for 2017, the congregation has approved the hiring of a new Children s Ministry Director. Stacy Swenson has been hired to organize and administrate the projects and programs that the CMC has in mind for the children! We are overjoyed at the way God has provided for the children at Helmar Church at this time. We are eagerly praying for God s direction and vision as we move forward in a new way with children s ministry at Helmar. Please contact any of us with comments, suggestions or questions anytime! Children s Ministry Council members: Brandon Niles, Angie Niles, Laura Keigher, Melissa Hageman, Carrie Pilon, Stacy Swenson, Matt Greven, Lisa Greven Children s Ministry Director: Stacy Swenson, 630-220-1536, helmarloveskids@yahoo.com "In the race to a child's heart, the first one there wins." -George Barna Children s Ministry at Helmar March 2017 Ash Wednesday, March 1 Big Wednesday Night Open House for kids ages 3 years through 5th Grade 6:30 7:30 PM Come and visit a class and see what all the excitement is about! Sunday, March 19 GO Church during the morning service. Kids through 5 th Grade are invited to attend a special service designed just for them! July 10 14 Vacation Bible School 2017!!!! Lenten Schedule Ash Wednesday, March 1 Pastor Molstre Our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name March 8 Gideon Your kingdom come March 15 Rich Niles Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven March 22 Don Funte Give us this day our Daily Bread March 29 Noel Cryder Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors April 5 Gideon Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil April 13 Maundy Thursday Pastor Molstre April 14 Good Friday David Christian, Tom Mathre, Brandon Niles, Matt Greven
Page 4 Elected Positions of Helmar Lutheran Church - 2017 Term Expires Chairman Tom Mathre 1 yr. Jan. 2018 Vice-Chairman Rich Niles 1 yr. Jan. 2018 Deacons Noel Cryder 4 yr. Jan. 2018 Don Davidson 4 yr. Jan. 2019 David Christian 4 yr. Jan. 2020 Don Funte 4 yr. Jan. 2021 Trustees Brad Mathre 4 yr. Jan. 2018 Stephen Meyer 4 yr. Jan. 2019 Leo Keigher 4 yr. Jan. 2020 Ian Adams 4 yr. Jan. 2021 Board Secretary Carrie Pilon 3 yr. Jan. 2020 Treasurer Myrtle Duvick 3 yr. Jan. 2018 Auditors Sheila Mathre 2 yr. Jan. 2018 Mark Anderson 2 yr. Jan. 2019 Sunday School Superintendents Joan O Malley 3 yr. June 2017 Angie Niles 3 yr. June 2018 Tracy Frieders 3 yr. June 2019 Crystal Cryder 3 yr. June 2020 Head Ushers Keith Keigher 2 yr. Jan. 2018 Tom Adams 2 yr. Jan. 2019 Mission Committee Matt Greven 2 yr. Jan. 2018 Joyce Johnson 2 yr. Jan. 2018 Art Hiller 2 yr. Jan. 2019 Linda Chally 2 yr. Jan. 2019 Ann Thorson 2 yr. Jan. 2019
March 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 5 12 19 w/go Church 6-7:30pm All Kid s Game Night 7:30-8:30pm Gym for 6-12th grades 26 6 7 13 14 6:30pm Deacon s Mtg. 7pm Trustee s Mtg. 8pm Council Mtg. 20 21 27 3-5 pm Food Pantry 28 1 6:30pm Ash Wednesday Service 8 9am-2pm Quilting 15 22 9am-2pm Quilting 29 2 3 4 9 7pm Faith Circle 10 5-7pm Food Pantry 11 16 17 18 23 24 25 30 31