It's
Sunday morning and you are at church when somebody runs in from the parking lot
yelling, "Turn on a radio, turn on a radio!"
And
while the church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck
up to it, the announcement is made: "Two women are lying in a
People
are working around the clock trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working!
And
then, all of a sudden, the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can
be found. A vaccine can be made. It's going to take the blood of somebody who
hasn't been infected, and so, sure enough, all through the
Sure
enough, when you and your family get down there late that night, there is a
long line, and they've got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers
and taking blood and putting labels on it.
Your
wife and your kids are out there, and they take your blood type and they say,
"Wait here in the parking lot and if we call your name, you can be
dismissed and go home."
You
stand around, scared, with your neighbors, wondering what in the world is going
on and if this is the end of the world.
Suddenly
a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name
and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your
jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before you know it, they have
grabbed your boy.
Wait
a minute! Hold on! And they say, "It's okay, his
blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn't have the
disease. We think he has got the right type." Five tense minutes later,
out come the doctors and nurses, crying and hugging one another ... some are
even laughing. It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a week, and
an old doctor walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir. Your son's blood
type is perfect. It's clean, it is pure, and we can make the vaccine."
As
the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are
screaming and praying and laughing and crying.
Then
the gray-haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside and says, "May we see
you for moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor and we need
... we need you to sign a consent form." You begin to sign and then you
see that the number of pints of blood to be taken has been left blank.
"H-how
many pints?", you ask. And that is when the old
doctor's smile fades and he says, "We had no idea it would be little
child. We weren't prepared. I'm sorry sir, we need it all!"
"But,
but ... You don't understand."
"We
are talking about the world here. Please sign. We need it all!"
"But
can't you give him a transfusion?"
"If
we had clean blood we would. Can you sign? Would you sign?"
In
numb silence, you do.
Then
they say, "Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?"
Can
you walk back? Can you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying,
"Daddy? Mommy? What's going on?" Can you
take his hands and say, "Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would
never ever let anything happen to you that didn't just have to be. Do you understand that?"
And
when that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry,
we've GOT to get started! People all over the world are dying. Can you
leave?"
Can
you walk out while he is saying, "Daddy? Mommy? Daddy?
"Why,
why have you forsaken me?"
And
then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son some folks sleep
through it ... some folks don't even come because they go to the lake or the
seashore ... some folks come with a pretentious smile and just
"pretend" to care. Would you want to jump up and say, "MY SON
DIED FOR YOU! DON'T YOU CARE?"
Is
that what GOD wants to say? "MY SON DIED FOR YOU. DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH
I CARE?"
"FATHER,
Seeing it from YOUR eyes breaks our hearts. Maybe now
we can begin to comprehend the great Love YOU have for us."
Dwight L. Moody told of the young man
who did not want to serve in Napoleon Bonaparte's army. When he was drafted, a
friend volunteered to go in his place. The substitution was made, and some time
later the surrogate was killed in battle.
However, the same young man was, through a clerical error,
drafted again. "You can't take me" he told the startled officers.
"I'm dead. I died on the battlefield."
They argued that they could see him standing right in front of them,
but he insisted they look on the roll to find the record of his death. Sure
enough, there on the roll was the man's name, with another name written beside
it.
The case finally went to
the emperor himself. After examining the evidence, Napoleon said, "Through
a surrogate, this man has not only fought, but has died in his country's
service. No man can die more than once, therefore the
law has no claim on him."
Two thousand years ago, Jesus went to the cross to bear the
penalty that rightly belongs to us. He died in our place. And through Him, our
names are written in the book with His name written beside ours.
Pastor Victor Shepherd tells the story
of a missionary surgeon he met who was rather gruff and to the point. On one
occasion the surgeon was speaking to a small group of university students about
his work in the Gaza Strip. He was telling us that we North American "fat
cats" knew nothing about gratitude. Nothing!
On one occasion he had stopped a peasant hovel to see a woman on
whom he had performed surgery. She and
her husband were dirt poor. Their livestock supply consisted of one Angora
rabbit and two chickens. For income the woman combed the hair out of the rabbit,
spun the hair into yarn and sold it. For food she and her husband ate the eggs
from the chickens.
The woman insisted that the missionary surgeon stay for lunch.
He accepted the invitation and said he would be back for lunch after he had
gone down the road to see another postoperative patient.
An hour and a half later he was back. He peeked into the cooking pot to see what he
was going to eat. He saw one rabbit and two chickens. The woman had given up
her entire livestock supply—her income, her food, everything.
He concluded his story by reminding us that we knew nothing of
gratitude. He wept unashamedly. The incident will stay with me forever.
A young musician's concert was poorly
received by the critics. The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius
consoled him by patting him on the shoulder and saying, 'Remember, son, there
is no city in the world where they have a statue to a critic.'
The shaman, Luis, obviously didn’t know our student pastor,
German Tangoa, very well. Tangoa had walked the extra kilometer beyond
the village to pay a visit to Luis in his home. Like most shamans, Luis
(along with his wife and 7 children) lives in a dwelling apart from the rest of
the community. Luis is both appreciated and feared for his supernatural
powers.
Luis
knew that Tangoa was a pastor. However, in Luis’ distorted world order,
shamanism is not at all incompatible with other religions. Catholics and
recent Christian converts frequently drop in at his house to purchase a little
supernatural assistance from the shaman. After all, any shaman worth his
hallucinogenic leaves promises timely, effective results. Luis receives
credit for all the cases of cures and curses he is involved in. His
clients invariably convey the same concern: Prayers to God don’t seem to
produce quick results like the shaman! (Talk about blasphemy!) The
shaman’s ability to quickly access the spirit world for supernatural assistance
is the big draw. People pay huge amounts of money for the shaman’s
services. Luis assumed Tangoa needed something done in a hurry, probably
a cure for a seriously ill child. Otherwise, why would Tangoa be there?
Tangoa was not looking for any cures
or curses from the shaman. Tangoa had come to announce the simple Gospel
Truth to the shaman and his family. Unless Luis changed his ways, the
pastor declared, he was on the wide-open road to hell. Tangoa set out the
simple facts to Luis and the family: God abhors witchcraft. God
also detests the disgusting methods shamans use in their practice:
Strange hallucinogenic concoctions are drunk and strong, homemade cigars
are smoked in order to reach an altered state. The altered state is
considered a portal to the spirit world. Supernatural beings or forces
can be accessed by the shaman to empower his cures and curses. That is
precisely what the clients pay for: Luis’ extraordinary ability to access
supernatural powers.
Not only would Luis be punished for
the unrepentant sins of witchcraft, Tangoa announced, but Luis was leading
others down the same destructive path. Tangoa spared nothing in his
condemnation of the shaman’s life and work. The shaman’s wife and all 7
children took in every word of the frightening indictment. Tangoa then
offered a way back from the abyss: Jesus was right now extending a hand
to pull Luis out of the morass of his devilish life. Luis simply needed
to take that hand. With true repentance, Luis could be forgiven of his
entire horrendous past and start completely over! Luis needed to believe in
Jesus and reject his shamanic ways.
Luis’ reaction?
Luis reacted to Jesus’ Gospel
invitation the same way most Amazon shamans react: Luis woefully
announced that it was simply too late for him. “My life has been filled
to the top with sin,” the shaman said, holding his hand to his forehead as if
his body was a container and sins had filled it up clear past his
eyeballs. “It’s too late for me,” Luis solemnly intoned. Tangoa
was left with the task of trying to convince Luis that he had not somehow
“out-sinned God’s grace.” However, Luis would have none of it.
After hours of futile discussion, Tangoa asked if he might come back another
time. The shaman eagerly assented. As Tangoa was leaving, the shaman’s
wife remarked with a lilting laugh, “The patient came to cure the
shaman.” Ironic indeed. Tangoa however,
was in no laughing mood. The devil still had Luis; his prisoner and
purveyor of repulsive witchcraft.
In less than two weeks, Tangoa was
back at the shaman’s dwelling. The shaman, the wife and the 7 children
were eager to listen to Tangoa’s stories of Jesus’ earthly life and how He died
to redeem them all. At the end of the two-hour visit, the shaman was
invited to share his thoughts with everyone. Although Luis believed that
his wife and children could be saved through faith in Jesus, he still concluded
it was too late for him. Luis felt he simply had too many years of making
pact with the devil and the evil spirits to still be “redeemable!” (Amazon
shamans readily admit to working with evil spirits in order to empower their
curses.) For Luis, it was all a matter of having waited too long:
He was now beyond the reach of Jesus. Tangoa could not convince him otherwise.
Tangoa’s thief-on-the-cross example did not qualify, according to Luis.
The thief hadn’t been a shaman. Luis thanked Tangoa for coming and, for
the sake of his wife and children, asked the pastor to return again!
By the third visit, the whole family
was singing along with the praise songs Tangoa was teaching them. As
always, the shaman took a seat way behind the rest of the family where he
appeared to barely participate. However he heard every word of the Bible
lesson. Tangoa even spotted him singing along on a couple songs!
During this visit, the shaman’s wife
took the opportunity to express her deep desire that Luis quit the shaman
business. Beyond her spiritual concerns, she also feared for Luis’
earthly life! You may recall my Jungle Journal last year reporting the
murder of the
With that rather callous comment,
Tangoa decided to really go to work on the shaman. He went over to sit beside
Luis for an intense discussion. The real truth behind Luis’ rejection of
Jesus, which Tangoa suspected all along, quickly surfaced: The “shaman
life” was just too good to Luis! First off, the money was fabulous:
As Luis was considered the most powerful shaman in the area; he charged
exorbitant prices for his services. The sicker the child, the angrier the
cheated spouse or wronged neighbor, - it was unbelievable what distraught
people would pay. Pay upfront they did, before Luis would go into his
spirit-accessing ritual to bring back supernatural healings and powerful
curses. In a twisted way, Luis was credited with well-nigh life and death
powers! The power, the money, the notoriety were incredible. And, irresistible.
And then, there were the demented
hallucinogenic drinks and strong tobacco that were part and parcel to the whole
damnable practice. Simply stated, Luis got paid good money to get
high. He was off on his drug-induced reality-dropping, cosmic-hopping,
power-copping, trips to the spirit realms several times a week; sometimes,
several times a day! Luis had in fact turned into a full-blown, hardcore
drug addict! Tangoa’s stern declaration that Luis would have to leave his
drug-laced drinks and health-damaging tobacco behind were too much for the
shaman to bear. His abused body couldn’t withstand the transition, Luis
concluded. Besides all this, there was the question of what else the shaman
could do for a living: Go out in the blazing-hot sun, wade around in the
mud, and try and grow a crop of rice for a few cents a kilo?
When all was said and done, Tangoa
doubted that Luis really believed Jesus couldn’t save him. Luis simply
couldn’t bring himself to leave his power, drugs, easy money and easy
life. It was beyond pathetic. Luis had made his choice. And
yet, twisted logic intact, Luis always invited Tangoa to return as soon as
possible so that “my wife and children will know Jesus and be saved.”
Tangoa
made a fourth trip to the shaman’s house just a few days ago. Amazingly,
the wife and all 7 children openly and clearly expressed their faith in Jesus!
Tangoa is convinced that the power of the Holy Spirit has worked saving faith
in their hearts. (Baptisms are now being discussed!!) The shaman is
elated with this development, and expressed his heartfelt appreciation to
Tangoa. As always, the shaman secured a promise from the pastor to return
to the home again.
The wife and children have found Jesus. And, a whole lot
of spirituals matters have been cleared up in their minds. It is
important to understand that most Amazon-dwelling natives believe that some
kind of paradise exists beyond this world. They also believe that a place
of the devil and the evil spirits, hell, exists. However, animist natives
believe that only the truly horrible (murderers, deviants) get sent into
hell. When it comes to their shamans, most natives (and the shamans
themselves) reason things out this way: The shamans are basically
“rolling the dice” with their eternal souls: Shamans may wind up in
either place; paradise or hell. If the shaman has done a lot of good in
his life, i.e. supposedly cured a lot of people, it will cancel out all the
curses he has cast through his intimate work with the evil spirits. The
shaman’s good healings will just barely earn him enough merit to escape hell
and slip into paradise. (Yes amigos, we are talking classic “works
righteousness” here.) However, if over the years the shaman simply “got in too
close with the devil,” the shaman will end up in hell.
The shaman’s wife and 7 children know
the truth. They believe what Tangoa has taught
since that first visit: Faith in Jesus is the only way to
salvation. Of course, the family has also reached another dreadful
conclusion: Dad will certainly end up in hell unless he completely
changes his life. No wonder the wife and children always desperately ask Tangoa when he’s coming back. They talk between
themselves all the time: Dad’s not going to make it without Jesus! It’s gut wrenching no doubt, the way the children cry out
“hurry back, Pastor” every time Tangoa leaves; that
mixture of sweetness and panic in their voices.
Until next time Amigos,
Terry
On Church Socials
Alexandra Janosek
There have been two church social events since we arrived in
For the Reformation
event, there had been countless announcements made in the months before, asking
people to contact Mrs. Myra Wade about contributing food for the pot
luck. Since there are 600 members at
Before and during the
service, people arrived bringing various dishes, some smaller, others on
the gallon scale. Some people set up charcoal pans and prepared dishes right
there. There was an excited buzz with children running all over the place,
and groups of people standing together and talking. When it came time to
eat, Pastor Sternhagen said a prayer, and then... let
me just say that Antiguans are definitely not of German or Scandinavian
stock. I believe that "lines" are completely optional.
Those poor, deluded foreigners like ourselves, might
stand in what seems to be a line, but there are so many people jumping the line
that the line rarely moves.
While we were in line,
we would talk to people walking by with food, or other people who were checking
out this line to see if it was shorter than the other station's line. One
lady in front of us already had some food that she had taken to snack on while
she waited in line. Given our Germanic roots, we doggedly stayed in the
line and eventually made it to one of the stations.
There were probably 4
ladies serving at each station and they did not like you to serve yourselves
(probably another reason the lines moved so slowly). There was a lot of
traditional Antiguan food. Chicken was predominant, of course (chicken is
the cheapest meat by far on the island), but there was also macaroni pie,
cheesy potatoes, ducana (a sort of dumpling made with
shredded coconut, sweet potato, cinnamon, and flour), salt fish, other kinds of
fish, and the ever-present staple of beans/rice. Well, that was what was
left by the time we were served. I understand there had been spicy
meatballs and fajitas, but they were all gone. At the very end of the
station, there were 2 salads - one I brought and the other was a lettuce
salad. That was the extent of the vegetables and fruits.
To get a drink, one had
to fight through a crowd of people attacking the drink table (mostly
kids). The only option was a homemade ginger sugar-apple juice that
burned going down. Our family went to recover and eat in Sean's classroom
with a few other members. After sitting in little, first-grade
chair-desks, drinking half of the ginger sugar-apple juice, and picking our way
through a helping of what seemed like spicy fish bones,
we felt the need to have something sweet to wash it all down. So we
ventured out to the dessert table. Of E.John, Sean and I, I was the only
one left in the line after a while. It took me forever to get to the
front (or maybe it was just the impatience of my sweet tooth) and then the server
told me that so many people had piled their plates high with dessert that I
could only have 1. Since I had already taken a cookie, I was stuck with
that and couldn't sample some of the more delectable desserts that Mrs.
Johnston had brought.
By this time, the games had already started. Sean wanted
so badly to participate, especially in the water balloon throwing.
Everyone who wanted to play had to find a partner and push their way over to
the person distributing balloons. Needless to say, a 6-year-old gets lost
in the shuffle when there are teenagers and grown-ups involved. Still, he
can have water balloons any time in the
There were two games that were a "show of
strength." One was to lift a plastic bag filled with bricks with
your pinkie finger. The other was the stone throw. Each participant was given the same brick
when it was their turn, and told to throw it as far as they could across the
church lawn. Mr. Lewis was the announcer and judge (even though he also
participated and won). Not surprisingly, amongst all the men
participating in these games, Mrs. Hurst (one of the more out-spoken pre-school
teachers) and Miss Abraham (Sean's teacher - a formidable woman) came
forward to participate as well. Of course, the pastors and E.John also
had to participate, I think as a sort of test, in a way. I was torn
between trying to take pictures and acting as crowd control so some child
wouldn't be brained by the heavy brick: children and even some adults, constantly darted across the lawn where the
participants were throwing.
Probably the funniest game was the partner-carry race.
Adults could partner, or kids could partner, but an adult couldn't carry a
kid. Some people carried their partners on their backs, others
on their shoulder. Mrs. Hurst won the race when she threw her partner
under her arm and ran up and down the course at full tilt, beating bigger men
carrying women. (You can see her on the far left of the bottom picture.)
Pastor Ron Uhlhorn
has sent an update on Pastor Daniel.
You’ll recall he had terrible sores on his legs and was in urgent need
of medical care.
Pastor Uhlhorn
writes: “Daniel was treated at a Baptist run medical clinic in the
After many, many Calls for a
missionary to
On
Current
president Theodore Olsen will retire in July 2007. Olsen has served as
president of
Although the school is making great strides and preparing
students to serve wherever they are called, “There are still challenges, and
there always will be,” says Olsen. Incoming president Mark Zarling
agrees. “Certainly we know there are plenty of financial challenges, but not
more than the resources a good and generous God has given to His people. And
let’s never forget His amazing grace and close our eyes to the blessings.”
That’s what Zarling
hopes to accomplish in his new role—to remind people of God’s blessings. “
In the face of a changing world, Zarling sees amazing opportunities for
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Meditations,
Northwestern Publishing House is creating a special book of Meditations
devotions. With selections from some of the first volumes, this compilation
represents a small fraction of the thousands of devotions printed in this
publication during the last half century. The book will be available in summer
2007.
First
published by Northwestern Publishing House in 1957, Meditations quickly became a
widely-used resource for daily devotions. Printed quarterly in correlation with
the church year, the booklet has remained relatively unchanged since its
beginning. Scripture passages often correspond to current church readings, and
extending beyond Sunday’s sermon, Meditations is an accessible outreach tool
for witnessing and evangelizing.
Pastors, missionaries, and professors
across the
The vast majority of
When was the last time your buildings
and grounds committee did on inventory of things needing attention? A fresh
pair of eyes might be even more valuable. Consider asking someone from outside
the congregation to assist with an evaluation.
What are a guest's first impressions? Here's where that
outsider is valuable.
What needs a fresh coat of paint or even a new color
scheme?
Should the lighting be improved? Check outside as well as
inside. Use exterior lighting for publicity by emphasizing interesting design
features.
How much of all that stuff really needs to be on entryway
tables or in the tract rack? How much usage does it get? . What areas look
cluttered and messy? The musicians' area? The ushers' area?
What about dust, spider webs, stains, worn carpet, odor?
Does the cleanliness of your house exceed that of your church - Gods house?
Landscaping. Consider going beyond marginal maintenance to a new design, at least at the
entryway and where most visible to
those who drive by.
Church sign. Is it too harsh to say that this can be an embarrassment rather than something that adequately communicates both information and image?
Are first-time visitors able to find their way around - which door to enter, location of restrooms, childcare?
Furniture and fixtures. Is it time to remove on old ratty sofa or a piano that
won’t stay in tune? If many members’ homes have updated kitchens and bathrooms,
is it time to upgrade at church?
Create a wish list of things that will help your church achieve excellence in familiar places. Prioritize the list
and add completion dates.
Most important, people. Do they radiate the joy that comes from knowing and cherishing the Good News? By their love are they recognized as Jesus' disciples? Okay,
granted: this isn’t architecture or design. But this is a primary outcome for
everything we do in worship. Does attention to excellence help?
None of these ideas need be heard as elitist or focusing
on trivia. A modest home can communicate warmth and hospitality just as well as - even better than
– a meticulously decorated
suburban McMansion.
Pastor Edwin Fredrich,
E. John’s father, was installed as chaplain at the Belle Plaine
Campus on Sunday, March 4th in a
Pastor Dallas Miller, Director of
Spiritual Services/Chaplain at the Belle Plaine
Campus, will now devote his time to many critical needs within our facilities.
It will also permit him to take steps to position Jesus Care Ministries for the
next level of growth.
Please keep Pastor Fredrich in your prayers as he begins his work.
Groundbreaking Set for April 3rd
for Kingsway Retirement Living
Members of
This project consists of 36 assisted living units and 45
apartments for independent seniors, with a variety of services available. We
are currently 15% full. Reservations are being accepted for these new homes. To
learn more please contact Karolee Coppoc,
Administrator, at kcoppoc@tlha.org or at 1-888-600-TLHA (8542), extension 126.
Heritage Homes Expansion Plan Moving
Forward
In 2006, TLHA signed a developer agreement with ElderSpan Management based out of
To learn more about Heritage Homes, please contact Laurie Rehm, Administrator, at lrehm@tlha.org or at (920)
206-9448.
We give thanks to God for granting us these new opportunities to
share His Word!
April 15-21st is National
Volunteer Week
Throughout the year volunteers from our Association churches and
communities give of their time and talents to serve the people in our homes,
services and our outreach ministry, Jesus Cares Ministries. These acts make a
profound impact upon the lives of the people we serve as well as our team
members.
I thank the leaders and members of our Association for their
volunteerism within our ministry! I also encourage you to become involved with
one of our homes or programs sometime this next year. There are a variety of volunteer
projects available. Please contact our National Ministry Offices to learn more.
Summer Ministry Experience Drawing
Closer
Applicants for our annual Summer Ministry Experience (SME) are
now being interviewed and the participants will soon be selected and notified.
The SME will begin the first week of June.
For the past few years,
The SME is paid for through private donations and the
participants are given a modest stipend for their time.
Funds are still needed for this year’s program. An anonymous
donor will match 50 cents for every dollar donated to this program.
A Web reminder
You can get periodic updates about our ministry by visiting our
Web site: www.tlha.org. You can subscribe to two News Services (Pastor Dallas
Miller’s “Weekly Thought” or Press Releases). You can receive these updates by
either subscribing to these News Services or going to those sections on our Web
site and viewing the archived information.
Our Jesus Cares Ministries (JCM) also operates its own site:
www.jcministries.org. Readers may also subscribe to updates from JCM.
I wish you a blessed Easter!
Caring about the Care of the Soul,
Caring for a loved one with a terminal
illness can be very emotionally and physically exhausting. As a HealthEast
Hospice Volunteer, you can help lighten the burden by offering to run errands,
provide much needed respite, or just sit and offer a calming presence.
A variety of volunteer opportunities are available in homecare,
long-term care centers or at The Pillars Hospice House.
Four daytime training sessions will be held at
DATE: Tuesday, April 10th
TIME:
WHERE:
610
Minneapolis
MENU: Ham
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy Green Beans
Rolls & Butter
Coconut Cream Pie or
Banana Cream Pie
COST: Freewill Offering
Try your luck at “Spring
Bingo”!
Come join us for food, friendship and trivia!
Contact Bonnie at 612-379-4296 for more information or to sign
up.
Everyone is welcome (bring a friend!)
Mark your calendars to attend a performance of The Curious
Savage, a comedy by John Patrick.
Performances will be Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28, at
Sarah Schuyler is student director of the play.
“Time of
Grace” has moved from
Thank you everyone who helped out at
the March 24th English Tea.
Your assistance before, during, and after (for those on the clean up
detail) the event is very much appreciated.
I would like to especially thank Jane Murray for spearheading this event
once again. It seems hard to believe
that this is already the 7th annual English Tea held at
The next major activity that the Outreach Committee has planned
is the Great Give-Grill-and-Grow Day that will take place at
A few weeks after the Great Give-Grill-and-Grow Day on Sunday,
June 3rd, we will be holding our Sunday worship service and
summer picnic at
As some of you may have heard the
I’d like to take the opportunity to once again thank the members
of the Outreach Committee – John and Jane Murray, Ryan and Angela Young, Nicole
Burkhardt, Karl Mueller, and Pastor Henkel.
They each continue to do a lot on behalf of
It’s been 10 years since
Now it is time to look
at where we are today, where we want to be in the future, and how we might get
there. To this end, the Coordinating Council invites every member of the
congregation to a brainstorming session on Saturday, April 21st,
beginning at 9:00am.
The session will be led
by Dr. Scott Gostchock. Dr. Gostchock
has graciously consented to take time out of his busy schedule to be with
us. He is a gifted and respected
visionary, and we are privileged to have him.
This will be an
opportunity for every member of the congregation to give input into the
congregation’s direction over the next years.
Come with your plans, your ideas, and your dreams. Share them with your fellow members. We are
planning to have the noon meal delivered to the church so you can go home well
fed!
Because of God’s promises and blessings, we can plan boldly and
confidently as Mt. Olive moves into the future.
Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
(Gal 6:10 NLT)
And the opportunity
is available for many here at Mt Olive. Every time we
gather to worship people are needed to assist other members and visitors before
and during the worship. The normal title is usher but actually they are “doing good…especially to those in the
family of faith.” The opportunity is available to young or old, families or
individuals.
There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in entryway of
the church.
This year the Sunday School children and their parents have been asked to help
with our annual Easter breakfast. We will meet on Saturday, April 7th
at 9:00am to dye Easter eggs and decorate tables. We will also prepare food for
the next morning. Please check the note that recently went home about Easter
breakfast. Please let Ryan Jacobs or
myself know how you will be able to help.
The Sunday School children will sing
with the senior choir for the Festival of Resurrection service on Easter
Sunday, April 8th. We will practice about 8:40am on Easter Sunday.
The children will sit with their parents and come to the front to sing.
Please continue to check your child’s folder each week and spend
time with them on the story and memory work. The Lord has given the primary
responsibility for Christian training to the parents. The Sunday School staff will assist you with this God-given
responsibility any way we can.
The staff sends you heartfelt greetings for a most blessed
Easter when we rejoice together that our Savior is risen,
risen indeed!!
During the Education Hour on Sunday,
April 22nd, Nicole and Steve Burkhardt will show the pictures they
took while visiting with Alex and E.John in Antigua this past Christmas. All are invited!
The Folkens and Petersens
will be visiting Missionary Terry and Mary Schultz in Peru this month, and will
visit some of the Peruvian congregations.
They will be bringing many pictures back with them for us to see. Safe journey!
Mt. Olive will be observing the
synod-wide Walking Together Sunday on April 29, 2007. On that Sunday, we’ll remember once again the
privilege of being united in ministry with many other Christians around the
world. A very meaningful video will also
be shown that Sunday. Let’s be quick to
thank God for the many years that He has allowed us to Walk Together and pray
for His continued blessings.
Two of our
members have recently had an unusual milestone in their
lives that deserves recognition. On
March 14th, Mathew and Rekha Puliyelil became US citizens. This is the culmination of a
long process taking many years. Ask them
about the citizenship test questions they had to answer. See if you could get them right! Congratulations Mathew and Rekha!
It is still a long ways off, but plans are already coming
together.
Our presenter will be
Jacob Rasoul, a former Muslim and now a Christian and
member of the WELS. He was featured in
the February issue of Forward in Christ magazine.
Our format will be
somewhat different than in past years.
This year we will have only one presentation. It will be on Friday evening, November 9,
2007, from 6:30 to 9:30pm. (November 10th is Martin Luther’s
birthday!)
Jacob’s presentation will include:
1) Islam-Basic Beliefs and Chronology
2) Islam-Theology
3) Culture
4) Personal Journey and Outreach
The summary report for February again
shows more expenses than offerings received.
This is due mostly to the Sunday service cancelled because of the heavy
snowfall on February 25th.
You may question how we can spend more than what is received. The answer is that because of the generous
offerings in December, we started the year with a balance of $6,775. This cushion has enabled us to stay current
on most of the obligations so far this year.
With high energy bills and insurance premiums due at this time of year,
it is always difficult to stay ahead.
The good news is that although we were unable to provide synod or St.
Croix the amount we promised in February, it looks like double payments may be
made in March, which will bring us up to date again.
As
treasurer, I sometimes start to doubt if all our obligations can be met. At those times it becomes evident that the
Lord does indeed provide through the generous offerings of His people.