Volume 56 Abiding Savior Lutheran Church Issue 3 The Grapevine Rev. Gary P. Lissy, Pastor Phone: 480-947-7495 E-mail: pastorgary@ascctempe.org Website: www.ascctempe.org 515 East Continental Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281 A Word from Pastor Gary During Jesus last three years on earth, He spent much time nourishing and teaching His disciples. Only when they were prepared to go out into the world to preach, teach, and heal did He send them. Leaving without provisions, the disciples were totally dependent upon those to whom the Lord would send them for their support. The disciples relied upon the power of the Gospel to move the hearts of their listeners to willingly provide for their needs. They were to travel light and trust in the Lord. In Matthew 10:40-42 Jesus, referring to His disciples, said, He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives ME receives the One who sent Me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Jesus told His disciples that whoever gives to others is also giving to Him. Still today we assist the spreading of the Gospel by supporting disciples and missionaries around the world. As we provide for church workers locally and abroad in the name of Jesus, we are serving the Lord himself. As we express our Christian faith through our giving and serving, God is pleased. God notices every act of compassion and kindness that we express. Even the simple gesture of giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty person is an act God blesses. Through our faith, we are empowered to do acts of service. When we act in response to the Lord and not for recognition, God blesses us. Having already been assured of salvation by God s grace through faith, blessings such as peace, contentment, patience, and hope are added rewards. Only a small number of people make their living as full-time church workers, but we are all given the privilege and opportunity to support them with our prayers and our money. May God bless us all as we work to further His kingdom. God s peace this month, Pastor Gary P. Lissy
Giving * Donating* Contributing* Tithing The practice of giving 10% of your gross income to your church is called tithing. Throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to give to God as an expression of gratitude and honor. The tithe helps maintain the cost of the church and supports the pastor and council members in their work for the Lord. When we do NOT tithe, our potential for effective service and stewardship is diminished. I was reading an article by a well-known financial advisor, Dave Ramsey. I was surprised to learn he supported tithing. He advised us to look at our income, put our contribution in the budget each month, and establish a pattern of giving. He noted that tithing keeps God first in our lives, teaches us how to be unselfish, and helps to make us better husbands, wives, friends, and relatives. An inspirational quote on his website says, We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Those are some great words to live by! Whatever amount you are able to give is really between you and God. He knows our circumstances and that there are things in life that are out of our control. No matter the situation, it is important that we continue to give to the church. After all, our contributions are providing us with this wonderful place to worship Him! I need to make you aware of some basic facts about the costs of maintaining our church. The list is long, including utilities, maintenance costs, supplies, and payroll. Over the years, we have eliminated many extras, and it is difficult to take any more out of our budget at this time. We need to seriously consider how we can provide adequate monetary support to our church. Things to consider: Our revenue for January was $17,632. Our expenses were $18,110. If every month is like this, we will have some serious financial problems. We have an anonymous beneficiary who donates $4,000. each month. Where will we be if that wonderful person is unable to give anymore? The average salary for a part time administrator is $20,000. a year. Eleanor works approximately 20 hours each week fulfilling the roles of Administrator and Facilities Manager. Do you know how much we pay her for her services? NOTHING. She has never received a salary. Someday, though, she will retire. We have no replacement at this time. I write this with the hope that you will hear God s call and find a way to give a little more. If you already contribute as much as you can afford, then what talents do you have that can benefit the church? Are you able to visit with a shut-in member? Can you lead a Bible study in your home? Do you have office or managerial skills? Is there room in your car to pick up a fellow church member who doesn t drive? There are so many ways to offer support! Please pray about this. God has a glorious plan for us at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church! How will you be a part of it? In His, Gina Rider, Deacon
Lord, give me a sense of humor, Give me the grace to see a joke, To get some humor out of life, And pass it on to other folk. Dentist s Hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns Weatherman s Hymn.. There Shall Be Showers of Blessings Contractor s Hymn.. The Church s One Foundation The Tailor s Hymn.. Holy, Holy, Holy The Golfer s Hymn.. There s a Green Hill Far Away The Politician s Hymn.. Standing on the Promises Optometrist s Hymn.. Open My Eyes that I Might See The Shopper s Hymn Sweet Bye and Bye The Realtor s Hymn.. I ve got a Mansion, Just over the Hilltop The Massage Therapist s Hymn He Touched Me The Electrician s Hymn Send the Light The IRS Agent s Hymn.. I Surrender All And for those who drive. 45 mph. God Will Take Care of You 65 mph. Nearer My God to Thee 85 mph.. The World is Not My Home 95 mph. Lord, I m Coming Home 100 mph Precious Memories Thank you Lew Moyer for sharing the interesting readings you find!
March Scriptures March 6 4th Sunday in Lent Josh 5:9-12 March 22 Tuesday in Holy Week Psalm 32 Isa 49:1-7 2 Cor 5:16-21 Psalm 71:1-14 Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 1 Cor 1:18-31 John 12:20-36 March 13 5th Sunday in Lent Isa 43:16-21 March 23 Wednesday in Holy Week Psalm 126 Isa 50:4-9a Phil 3:4b-14 Psalm 70 John 12:1-8 Heb 12:1-3 John 13:21-32 March 20 Passion/Palm Sunday Isa 50:4-9a March 24 Maundy Thursday Psalm 31:9-16 Exod 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14 Phil 2:5-11 Psalm 116:1-2,12-19 Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49 1 Cor 11:23-26 John 13:1-17,31b-35 March 21 Monday in Holy Week Isa 42:1-9 March 25 Good Friday Psalm 36:5-11 Isa 52:13-53:12 Heb 9:11-15 Psalm 22 John 12:1-11 Heb 10:16-25 or Heb 4:14-16;5:7-9 John 18:1-19:42 March 26 Easter Vigil Rom 6:3-11 John 20:1-18 March 27 Easter Sunday Acts 10:34-43 or Isa 65:17-25 Psalm 118:1-2,14-24 1 Cor 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43 Luke 24:1-12 or John 20:1-18 Page 4
March Worship Support Readers: Volunteers - Sound: Erv Toll Ushers: Volunteers - Greeters: Volunteers Altar Guild and Communion Assistance March 5th 4:30 pm Sandy Lissy March 6th 8:30 am Joy Miller & Erna Nelson 10:30 am Linn Palmer, Lori DeVries,& Cree Abbott March 13 8:30 am Tamara Hartrick & Lori DeVries 10:30 am Sandy Lissy, Linn Palmer, & Cree Abbott March 20th Palm Sunday 9:30 am combined service: Cree Abbott & Tamara Hartrick March 24th Maundy Thursday 7:00 pm Tamara Hartrick, Cree Abbott, & Lori DeVries March 5th Good Friday 7:00pm Tamara Hartrick & Cree Abbott March 27th Easter 9:30 am combined service: Cree Abbott & Tamara Hartrick Page 5
Executive Board Emalie Wiley, President Eleanor Brierley, Treasurer Lori Daniels, Secretary Board of Elders Worship, Youth & Education Ministries Erv Toll & Jeffrey Bialobok Church Council Abiding Savior Lutheran Church Staff Please keep our Pastor and Church Leaders in your prayers. Rev. Gary P. Lissy, Pastor / revlissy@gmail.com Mark Fearey, Worship Arts Director / mark@ascctempe.org Eleanor Brierley, Treasurer/ Eleanor@ascctempe.org Randi Sayles, Secretary/ secretary@ascctempe.org Brett Sherry, Facilities Manager Nick Baerwolf, Security Board of Deacons Church Community and Neighborhood Outreach Kay Martin, Gina Rider, & Maudie Young Board of Trustees Facilities, Budget & Staff Ministries Brett Sherry & Janet Berge Abiding Savior Lutheran Church Prayer Chain Morning Prayer Chain receives your prayer request from 6:00 a.m. 7:15 a.m. or the previous evening Call Vera Larson 480-369-6330 Evening Prayer Chain receives your prayer requests throughout the day until 6:00 p.m. Call Peggy Zude Attendance & Income Comparison A measure of our Love & Faithfulness Attendance for Jan. 2015 455 Attendance for Jan. 2016 485 Average for each Sunday 2015-99 2016-97 Unrestricted Giving-Jan. 2015 $12,664 2016 $17,632 Averages per Sunday income 2015- $3,166 2016 $3,526 Page 6
We Celebrate March Birthdays! Blessings to all of you! Ina Rose Kelly March 3 Denise Reimann March 16 Derek DeVries March 8 Dennis Henning March 23 Paul DeVries March 12 Lillie Sly March 25 Carl Dietrich March 15 Emalie Wiley March 27 Janet Kramer March 28 Thank you Sheila Bitterman for hearing the call to serve with our in-home ministry. We ask that you keep Sheila in your prayers as she offers her time and compassionate heart to the members of our family whom are unable to join us at worship. The in-home ministry is a vital piece of our calling to do the Lord s work. Often, the home-bound just need to know that someone cares. If this speaks to you as well and you would like to be a part of this, even for just one day a month, please let the office know. No gesture of kindness that we ever give, is wasted. Page 7
To the Members of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, To enable each member of our congregation to exercise their God given gifts and talents the 2016 Council is forming the following committees: the Building Committee to focus on the maintenance and beautification needs of our campus; the Education Committee to focus on the Sunday School, Bible Study, etc., needs of our congregation; the Evangelism Committee to focus on our outreach to the community and our charities, such as, the quarterly charity, Christmas Angel Tree, Shoe Box ministry, etc.; and the Fellowship Committee to focus on events and activities, such as, pot lucks, Shrove Tuesday, etc., to bring us to together so we can strengthen and encourage one another. Bring your gifts and talent to any or all of these committees by contacting the following Council Members: Building Committee Jeff Bialobok jbialobok@cox.net Education Committee Erv Toll etoll@cox.net Evangelism Committee Kay Martin queenmom1234@gmail.com Fellowship Committee Gina Rider ginrobdil@cox.net God has given each member of Abiding Savior important gifts and talents, so no matter how great or small your gifts and talents are please share them and put them to good use to glorify Christ. As part of our outreach, please note that MARC Inc. is our featured charity for January through March. Donating to this charity is a great opportunity to make a difference in a life. If you have any questions or need additional information regarding MARC Inc. contact Kay Martin. His Humble Servant, Emalie Wiley, President Church Council, 2016 emalie.wiley@yahoo.com 480-495-6307 Page 8
Wednesday Lenten s 6:00 pm Hestad Hall for dessert and fellowship 6:45 pm 7:30 pm March 2 March 9 March16 Sermon Series: Forty Days of Repentance Palm Sunday March 20th 1 service 9:30 am Maundy Thursday March 24 service 7:00 pm Good Friday March 25 service 7:00 pm Easter Sunday March 27 1 service 9:30 am Coffee House Worship will not meet March 5, 19, & 26 Tuesday Bible Study will not meet March 15 & 22
Help us prepare for Palm Sunday! On March 19th, the Altar Guild will be meeting at 10 am to twist palm fronds in the shape of small crosses. Volunteers are needed to assist with this. If you are available to join, please do! The group will meet in the Sanctuary. The more volunteers, the faster the process will go.
SUNDAY MONDAY T UESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 4 5 Bible Study 1:30 & 7:00 pm Lenten 6:00 pm Dessert 6:45 pm Men s Ministry 7pm Life with God 7pm Office Closed NO COFFEE HOUSE WORSHIP 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 8:30 Traditional 9:45 Sunday School 10:30 Contemporary Bible Study 1:30 & 7:00 pm Lenten 6:00 pm Dessert 6:45 pm Men s Ministry 7 pm Life with God 7pm Coffee House Worship 4:30 pm 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 8:30 Traditional 9:45 Sunday School 10:30 Contemporary NO BIBLE STUDY Lenten 6:00 pm Dessert 6:45 pm Men s Ministry 7 pm NO COFFEE HOUSE WORSHIP Altar Guild Making Palm Crosses 10 am 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Sunday of the Passion Palm Sunday One 9:30 am NO BIBLE STUDY Maundy Thursday 7 pm Good Friday 7 pm NO COFFEE HOUSE WORSHIP 27 Easter Day One 9:30 am 28 29 Bible Study 1:30 & 7:00 pm 30 31 Men s Ministry 7 pm Reminder* Office Hours are Tues. Wed. Thurs. 8-2