SEPTEMBER 2005
Say It With Salt!
Using each letter of the word SALT,
we have a simple outline that can help us go from casual conversation, even
with a stranger, to a witnessing opportunity.
S = SAY SOMETHING… Start a conversation.
Comment favorably on what the person is wearing or doing. If you sense the
person is open to further conversation or to test the waters…
A = ASK SOME QUESTIONS… “Where do you
live?” “What do you do for a living?” “Do you have a family?” As you ask
questions, look for the opportunity to share a little information about
yourself and your family.
L = LISTEN CAREFULLY… Listening is
simply earning the right to be heard. It sends the message that you really
care. Listen especially for concerns and needs that the person expresses.
T = TAKE IT DEEPER / TALK ABOUT JESUS…
Apply the Word of God. Explain that all of our problems in life stem from our
biggest problem – sin, but Jesus has rescued us from trouble of our sins. And
He is the only true solution to all of life’s fears, loneliness and problems.
Think about SALT
and then begin to use it in your daily conversations. Add to it your heartfelt
prayer, “Lord, use me to be Your witness to people living around me.”
Here Am I!
If you cannot speak like angels,
If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus;
You can say He died for all.
Take the task He gives you gladly;
Let His work your pleasure be.
Answer quickly when He calleth,
"Here am I -
send me, send me!"
The Lord has
appointed each of us to be an ambassador.
We are God's representative to those around us. We cannot choose to resign our
commission!
Instead we witness
about Christ using whatever abilities God has given us. We can ask a friend to attend church with
us. We can offer a free Bible to a
neighbor by saying, "Do you have a copy of the New International
translation?" Most people do not
have one and will gladly accept the gift.
We can pray daily
for our unchurched co-worker. We can say
"Here am I send me - send me to witness to my neighbor".
Mark Bergemann
The Whole World?
The Lord has chosen to use us to make His deeds "known
to all the world". The people that
you meet on a daily basis comprise the part of the world to which the Lord has
sent you. You are to "Go and
tell" these people about their Savior.
We are often afraid,
but the Lord is our strength. With the
Apostle Paul we can say, "When I am weak, then I am strong." When we feel our human weaknesses and lack of
abilities, then we all the more trust in God's strength.
We are strongest
when we trust that God will witness through us in spite of our shortcomings and
that He will provide the strength that we need.
Mark Bergemann
Your Witness
Jesus died for everyone! He asks us to share this good
news with others. Here are some ideas
to help you share the gospel.
Leave quality
Christian literature, like "Meditations" in libraries, jury waiting
rooms, in nursing homes, and hospital waiting rooms.
Be positive about
your church.
Handwrite a Bible
passage on birthday cards.
Let people know
they'll be in your prayers.
Wear Christian
jewelry.
When you send email,
include a Bible passage.
For evangelism
resources and hundreds of witnessing ideas look at the EVANGELISM link under
the MINISTRY tab at: www.wels.net
Mark Bergemann
I Can't Do It
Rely on God's strength as you tell others about
Jesus. We are strong when we trust in
God instead of in ourselves.
2 Cor. 12:9-10 “But the Lord said to me, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest
on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.”
"Fear not I am with you. Oh, be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, & cause you to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand."
Mark Bergemann
Christian Fragrance
As a Christian, others see Christ when they see you. As Paul puts it, you are "the aroma of
Christ".
2 Cor. 2:14-17 "But thanks be to God, who always leads
us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the
fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among
those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the
smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a
task?"
We all know the
answer to Paul's question. No one is
equal to the task. God has appointed
each of us to be "ambassadors" to the world [2 Cor 5:20] in spite of
our many shortcomings. By choosing to
use us, God is emphasizing the message and not the messenger.
God calls us "jars
of clay" [2 Cor 4:7] in which He sends the "treasure" of His
Gospel to the world. God calls us to be "salt"
and "light" in this rotting and darkened world of sin, so that others
might see Christ in us, and be led thereby to praise the Lord [Mat
5:13-16]. God also calls us to be the "aroma
of Christ".
To those who reject
the Gospel we are "the smell of death", but to those who come to
believe in Christ we are "the fragrance of life".
We function as salt,
as light, as ambassadors, as jars of clay, as fragrance, and as aroma, when we
reflect God's love in our daily lives, and when we tell others about Jesus.
Mark Bergemann
WhatAboutJesus
The
Do you know someone
who could benefit from this website?
Someone in your family, someone at work, a friend, or a neighbor? Tell them about WWW.WHATABOUTJESUS.COM
Mark Bergemann
Stories Of Sharing
Mark Bergemann is a layman – a member of
He also asks his
fellow members to tell about their true life experiences in sharing their
Savior. Here are some of those stories.
"I was doing some work at a factory in another city. During a break, a young man and I discussed
caring for our aging parents. I
mentioned how my father was really looking forward to joining his Savior in
heaven, and how I too believe that our relationship with Jesus is the most
important thing in life.
Later, a Christian
at the plant asked me what I said to the young man, because now the young man
seemed more open to hearing about Jesus."
"At my first job after graduation, I was reading a
Christian tract during lunch break. A
co-worker asked what I was reading, and we went through the tract
together. He said that the tract didn't
seem right because he learned at his church that we must earn heaven through
good works. Many years later he and his
family joined one of our congregations and heard the true Gospel every
Sunday."
"For many years I witnessed to two close friends at work,
each of whom believed in salvation through good works. We had many long discussions. All three of us now work at separate
companies, but we still keep in touch occasionally. To this day these two friends still believe
that God forgives us because of our own righteous acts. I continue to pray that they will come to
faith some day."
"Joyful appreciation was the response I encountered as I
delivered a New Testament Bible as a gift to an unchurched area resident. I asked the man if he had a Bible to read at
home. He responded that he hadn't seen a
Bible in years.
He began to thumb
through the pages of the New Testament I'd given to him. The words came to life and had meaning for
him. He said he was able to understand
the Bible for the first time in his life."
“The 3 of us worked together for several months in a secured room
away from the main office area. During
that time we had many discussions about religion. We often talked about what Jesus means to us
and what Jesus did for us all. One of
the ladies did not attend church, and she often asked questions. The opportunity to speak about Jesus with
this unchurched lady was a blessing from God.
May the Lord grant that the seed of faith placed in her heart by the
Holy Spirit will continue to grow and flourish.”
“We were traveling on a family vacation when we came upon a fatal
car accident. The three survivors were
in shock. Dozens of people gathered
while we waited for the ambulance.
Onlookers provided the victims with blankets and water. We spoke a few
words about Jesus and gave them the Bible from our luggage.”
“While canvassing the neighborhood I found a couple who did not
attend church. I invited them to our
upcoming
“I used to travel by airplane quite frequently. Sitting for hours at the gate and in the
airplane often led to discussions with the person sitting next to me.
Somehow the Lord was
able to use me to swing the conversation to faith. If we were discussing medical or other life
problems, I would ask if she had asked the Lord for help. If discussing hobbies, I would bring up the
Christian poetry which I had written. If
we talked about where we lived, I would ask about churches nearby. I was always surprised at how open people
were in discussing religious beliefs with a perfect stranger, and also about
the fact that so many people hold far different beliefs than those taught by
their own church.
We were usually able
to get to the heart of the matter and briefly discuss our sinfulness and how
Jesus paid for our sins. Some
discussions lasted only minutes, while others took more than an hour. I really don't know how I did all that. It really shows how God can use anyone to
witness.”
The Gospel According To YOU
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Are read by more than a few,
But the one that is most read and commented on
Is the Gospel according to YOU!
You are writing a
Gospel, a chapter a day
By the things that you do and the words that you say,
Others read what you write, whether faithless or true,
Say, what is the Gospel according to YOU?
Do we read His truth
and His love in your life,
Or has yours been too full of malice and strife?
Does your life speak of evil or does it ring true?
Say, what is the Gospel according to YOU?
author unknown
Without Christianity?
The Second President of the
Is John Adams right?
Can our society survive without the Christian faith? There are many who would
say that religion does not have the influence it once had. I agree. But they go
on to say that religion is no longer relevant, that it is not necessary to
creating a good world, that there are no absolutes, no objective truth. Are
they right?
Dennis Prager,
social critic and scholar, says his favorite response to that question is a
story — Say you are walking down an alley at 11:00 p.m. in
Our society cannot
exist without Christianity. So if society cannot function, if indeed our very
Constitution will not work without the restraints of religion, then let me ask
you a more critical question: Can Christianity exist without the cross?
Let me answer that
question up front. No. Remove the cross from our faith and it is a house of
cards. It will crumble under the slightest weight. Why is that? What is
Christianity without the cross? It is a sect without a Savior. It is a doctrine
without self-denial.
selected
He Started His Own Religion
In 1949 L. Ron Hubbard said, "Writing for a penny a
word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best
way would be to start his own religion." Friends have reported, and numerous
newspapers have told the story, that Hubbard desperately wanted to be rich, and
he went around making this statement about religion and wealth. Not long after
he did just what he claimed--he started a religion--the
Brett Blair
Cheap Grace
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without
requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without
confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace
without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living
and incarnate.
Costly grace is the
treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell
all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will
sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will
pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ
at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the
Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for,
the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to
follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is
costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man
the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it
justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of
his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much
cannot be cheap for us.
Above all, it is
grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life,
but delivered Him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
“The Cost of Discipleship"
It's So Daily
When Charles Swindoll was a young boy, he was greatly
influenced by this remark from an old Texan: "The problem with the
Christian life is that it's so daily."
It's true. Following
Jesus is a lifestyle that builds on past lessons and commitments, but it also
depends on our dedication day by day. We cannot live off yesterday's successes,
last week's prayers, or the Bible stories we heard when we were children.
Each new day is both
a challenge and an opportunity. Our faith will be challenged, and we can use
that challenge as an opportunity to grow in our relationship with God. Jesus
Himself said that those who wanted to be His disciples were expected to be in a
continual attitude of self-denial and obedience to Him. Here's how the Lord put
it: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross daily, and follow Me," (Luke 9:23).
As each day unfolds,
we must pause and remind ourselves that this is a day dedicated to God, that it
is to be used for His glory, and that it is best lived with a continual
recollection of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Starting today, let's look
at life that way. It's a daily commitment.
The Christian life
is more than just
A prayer of faith made in the past;
It's dedicating every day
To live for Christ and what will last.
Dedication to Christ
is not just a one-time choice, it's a daily challenge.
Our Daily Bread
Alarming
Number of Couples Living in Sin
A report from the National Marriage
Project at
The study also found that 35 percent of babies born last year
were born to unmarried women, with 40 percent of those babies born to unmarried
couples living together.
Just because more are doing it doesn’t make it right with God.
Sin still has its consequences.
Martin Luther
preached an estimated 4,000 sermons, yet he confessed “I am afraid every time I
have to preach."
·
While hidden at
·
Luther opposed creating a new church
in his name saying, "The first thing I ask is that people should not make
use of my name, and should not call themselves Lutherans, but Christians."
·
Martin Luther
spelled his last name 23 different ways including Luder, Lotar, Lutter,
Luttherr, Lothar and Lothair.
·
Luther struggled with poor health. He
suffered at various times from angina, gout, insomnia, catarrh, hemorrhoids,
constipation, gall stones, kidney stones, dizziness, fainting spells and
ringing in his ears.
·
Luther was sometimes intemperate,
crude, offensive and, by today's standards, vulgar. He considered foul language
a suitable weapon for battling with the devil and evil for the sake of one's
eternal soul.
·
Martin Luther is considered one of
the most controversial figures in history. His supporters call him a hero of
the faith, a freedom fighter, and a wise and insightful church leader. His
detractors call him a heretic, a tyrannical subversive and an ecclesiastical
terrorist.
·
The doctrine of justification (made
right with God) is explained by
·
Luther married Kathrina von Bora not
out of love but to please his father, to spite the pope and the devil and to
bear witness to the importance of marriage before he would be martyred. As the
years passed, Luther grew to love Katie deeply, referring to her endearingly
and respectfully as "my rib."
·
Among the unfounded legends about
Martin Luther are that he died of poisoning as a result of a conspiracy;
started the custom of the Christmas tree; discovered the doctrine of
justification while sitting on the toilet; hurled an inkwell at the devil; and
claimed he would plant an apple tree if he had one day to live.
On The
Lighter Side…
A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.
For a few moments
everything was silent in the cab, and then the
still shaking driver said, "I'm sorry but you scared
the daylights out of me."
The frightened
passenger apologized to the driver and said he
didn't realize a mere tap on the shoulder
could frighten him so much.
The driver replied,
"No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault.
Today is my first day driving a cab.... I've been
driving a hearse for the last 25 years."
A pastor who was badly overworked went to the local
medical center and was able to have a clone made. The clone was like the pastor
in every respect—except that the clone used extraordinarily foul language. The
cloned pastor was exceptionally gifted in many other areas of pastoral work,
but finally the complaints about the dirty language were too much.
The pastor was not
too sure how to get rid of the clone so that it wouldn't look like murder. The
best thing, he decided, was to make the clone's death look like an accident. So
the pastor lured the clone onto a bridge in the middle of the night and pushed
the clone off the bridge.
Unfortunately there
was a police officer who happened by at that very moment and arrested the
pastor for making an obscene clone fall.
No one believes seniors . . . everyone
thinks they are senile.
An Elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary.
The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old
neighborhood after they retired.
Holding hands they walked back to their old school. It was not
locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they'd shared, where Andy had
carved "I love you, Sally."
On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored
car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up, but not
sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money--fifty
thousand dollars.
Andy said, "We've got to give it back." Sally said,
"Finders keepers." She put the money back in the bag and hid it in
their attic.
The next day, two FBI men were canvassing the neighborhood
looking for the money, and knock on the door. "Pardon me, but did either
of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?" Sally said,
"No."
Andy said, "She's lying. She hid it up in the attic."
Sally said, "Don't believe him, he's getting senile."
The agents turn to Andy and began to question him. One says:
"Tell us the story from the beginning."
Andy said, "Well, when Sally and I were walking home from
school yesterday . . ."
The first FBI guy turns to his partner and says, "We're
outta here."
Blessings From To A
This summer I was privileged to again,
for the second year in a row, be a counselor at
Every day was filled with activities – canoeing, horseback
riding, riflery, rock climbing and swimming, to name a few - Bible studies and
devotions with the campers.
Probably the best time for me was in the evening when the entire
camp of about 85-100 boys would gather together for a period called “Campfire,”
a time when we would sing songs, have skits, hear a story, and finally listen
to the Gospel. This was a daily activity
and something the campers (as well as I) enjoyed and looked forward to at the
end of each day. After the Gospel was
presented, kids were invited to stay back afterward if they had any questions
about salvation, temptation, or the like. Basically, if they wanted to talk
privately with us (the counselors) they had a special opportunity.
It was during one of these times that I was able to see God work
through me in awesome ways. Campfire had just ended. As kids were heading back
to their cabins to start getting ready for bed, I saw a small boy, no older
then eleven, who had stayed back by the campfire. Figuring he wanted to talk with a counselor,
I went over to him and asked him what was up.
He shared with me his concern about his relationship with the Lord and
his uncertainty of salvation. Whipping
out my Bible I opened directly to Romans 3:10-11 and explained to him how no
one was righteous and because of sin we deserve only God’s just wrath and
punishment. Then I flipped a few pages to Romans 6:23 and asked him to read it
out loud. “For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” “Do know what that means?” I asked him. He shook his head. I explained that even though we are sinners,
God loves us so much He sent His Son to die on the cross for the atonement of
our sins, and when we repent and put our faith in Jesus as our Lord, we will be
saved. “What does repent mean?” He
asked. “Repenting means to confess and
then turn from our sin,” I answered. “Just
like my dad, when he was coming off drugs, had to turn away from them and live
differently?” asked my young charge.
“That’s right,” I told him. “That’s exactly what God wants us to do
about our sin, to turn away from it and follow Him.” I asked him if he wanted to do that, and if
he was willing to turn his life over to Christ.
I could see by the eagerness in his eyes that the Holy Spirit was
working in him. So that night, by a
dying campfire, that little boy came alive as he confessed his sins, asked for
forgiveness, and then put his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior. After that I prayed over him then wrote some
verses in the front of his Bible so he could read them later. He was so thankful and happy he was bubbling
over with joy for the rest of the week.
I just thank God that He was able to use me to lead this lost child to
Himself. Not only at Campfire but
throughout the summer I was able to witness God working in countless ways.
Thank you everyone at
Your
brother in Christ,
Karl Mueller
Mountains come in all kinds of shapes
and sizes. Some are rounded and sprinkled with trees. Others are rugged with
jagged rocks that stick up and jut out over ledges. Still others are covered
majestically with snow, like a picture on a postcard.
The one thing that all mountains have in common is a top. It can
be jagged or snow covered or uncovered, but all mountains have tops.
Many important events in the Bible occurred on mountaintops.
Someone somewhere came up with the idea of “a mountaintop
experience.” This expression has come to mean a rare experience that is so
moving and so profound it leaves you feeling as close to the Lord as you can get
and still be here on earth.
I was privileged this summer to have not one but two mountaintop
experiences.
The first of these experiences was the national convention of
the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society in June held right here in the Twin
Cities. It was a four-day convention that had been four years in the planning.
I was co-chair of the registration committee, so I had the privilege to work
with women from all over
The highlight of those four days was hearing our missionaries
share the blessings and frustrations of their work at home and abroad. The
evidence of God’s grace and blessing found in the souls brought to Christ
through Word and Sacrament filled me with joy and thankfulness. It was hard to
come down from that mountain when the convention ended.
The second mountaintop experience occurred in July when I
attended the National Conference on Worship, Music and the Arts. This
conference is only held every three years and brings together worship leaders,
musicians, and artists from all over the
The conference this year centered on the Lutheran liturgy and
the heritage it represents. Each day began with a worship service from a
different part of the church year and ended with a service each night, bringing
the day to a close in the Lord.
Imagine services filled with instrumental music and choirs
praising the name of Jesus, different hymns in unique choral settings, and
faith-building sermons, and you might begin to understand just a little why it
was difficult to leave this mountain. The closing concert/song service with the
high school honors choir and conference choir was beautiful and moving beyond
words. I think I may have experienced a taste of heaven while singing the last
hymn, “
I feel so blessed by both of my mountaintop experiences. Both
strengthened my faith, filled me with awe and wonder at God’s goodness and love
for His people, and reminded me that earth is not my home and that there is
much to do while I am here.
Mountain top experiences are rare; they are to be savored and
stored in the memory forever. They are truly a gift from God.
2005 Lutheran Women's Missionary Society 42nd Annual
Convention
This was one of the best and most organized convention that I
have been to. Thank you to the LWMS chair people and the Hotel Planner and
staff. They put a lot of time in
planning and the Sheraton Hotel in
The workshops and presentations
were very good, displays were very well organized, meals were delicious, and
the worship services and choir were wonderful.
Some convention facts:
Attendance: 1462
Opening Worship: 1497
Sunday Worship: 1195
Worship offerings: $36,321.91
States represented: 33
Next year the 43rd LWMS Convention
will be in
Youth Rally Recap
From
Tuesday, July 12th through Saturday, July 16th, the youth were privileged to
join over 3,000 other teenagers from across the synod in
On Tuesday, July 12, we flew down to
On all of our youth rally trips, we try to assist the local congregation
with a service project they would like us to do before going to the rally. It's a chance to put our faith in action and
meet new friends in a different congregation.
Wednesday morning we distributed hundreds of pre-school and VBS flyers
throughout the neighborhood. (Good
Shepherd is a young congregation with a pre-school and is in the middle of the
planning stages for an expansion project to build a grade school.) While I did not get an official count from
Good Shepherd, Pastor Dobberstein in neighboring
From Wednesday night to Saturday morning, we were at rally at
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. The
rally theme was "Wanna See?" "So we
fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal," 2 Cor. 4:18. This was the theme verse of the "Wanna
See" youth rally. What a fitting
verse when you consider where the rally was held - in the middle
of Disney World! At Walt Disney World,
so much of what is seen is really unreal. It is illusion, animation, and
make-believe. With all the glitz, the
artificial beauty, the souvenirs, the self-proclaimed "happiest place on
earth" is not so happy when you realize it is only temporary. The glamour, the glitz, and the materialism
all succumb to rust and decay. They also cannot save you. But instead our focus should be on God and
the things He has promised because our eternal life depends on it! Christians fix their eyes on the unseen: God,
our Savior, faith, salvation, forgiveness, and ultimately, eternal life in
heaven. This was the focus of the rally
- not how we or others see ourselves, but how God through the perfect life and
death of Jesus sees us: as forgiven and as His own dear children.
On Thursday, the large group devotion service focused on
"How Do We See Ourselves?" Teenage
years can be the toughest. This devotion
focused on personal image and stressed how we should really see ourselves - as
redeemed children loved by God. On
Friday, the large group devotion focused on "How Do Others See Us?"
and then on "How Does God See Us?"
In a world of vanity and self-indulgence, we focused on what the world
offers for happiness. The devotions
contrasted that to an attitude of humility and self-control, and the happiness
God gives us through His promises.
After each large group devotion, the teenagers broke out into
smaller group settings of 25-30 people for further Bible study. The Bible studies were designed to connect
teens in spiritual discussion with new teens and adults from around the
country. The breakout groups encouraged
the teens to witness to each other about their lives and their faith. The first breakout groups were male only and
female only groupings and were geared to boys and girls specifically. The remaining breakout groups were a co-ed
mixture of teens and adults from different congregations. As a leader of one of the Bible study groups,
I found that all the teenagers in my small group participated even though most
had never met before.
Each night before we headed for bed, just our youth group
gathered outside for our final evening devotion and reflected on our day. In the devotions we talked about the earthly
temporal things we've seen or experienced that day versus the eternal
things. Each person discussed both the
highs and the lows of the day. This was
my favorite time because I saw that each person opened up, shared their
feelings, and talked about what they learned that day.
Personally, I believe these rallies allow our teens to grow -
grow together as a result of the shared experience; grow spiritually through
the daily devotions, worship services, and Bible study with thousands of their
peers; and grow as they serve our Lord through the work done in such Florida
communities as Deltona where hundreds of pre-school and VBS brochures were
distributed.
Again, thank you for all of your prayers and support. It is great experience and memories that they
will always remember. You can be proud
that these youth are living Christ-focused lives and have their eyes fixed on
the eternal promises of our heavenly Father.
Sunday
School News and Notes
Our first Sunday of Sunday School will
be on September 18th. Our theme this year is, “The Lord is my
Shepherd, I will not be in want.” found in Psalm 23:1. We will be studying the
Old Testament cycle B. Our classes will be divided as follows: Pre-school 3
year olds, Kindergarten- grade 2, grades 3-5, and grades 6&7. Our teachers
will be installed during the service on September 18th.
Each child will be given a folder on the first Sunday. Please
return this folder each week as you will find lessons and memory work in the
folder. It will serve as a communication tool between home and Sunday School.
We will follow the same schedule as we did last year with the
lesson told to the whole group and class time in individual groups used for
projects, games, memory work and lesson work. We will also be singing in church
several times during the year. Watch the folder for the singing schedule and
plan to have your child available for those services.
We are looking forward to the new Sunday School year. See you on
the 18th.
Linda
Henkel,
Sunday School Superintendent
Hundreds of Chinese and Asian men and
women will gather at
Bring-A-Friend-To-Church
Sunday
October 23, 2005, is
Reformation
Renewal Weekend
Though still a few weeks off, it’s
time to set aside the weekend of November 4-6, 2005, for our 3rd
annual Reformation Renewal Weekend.
Pastor/Professor David Valleskey of sunny
As in the past, there will be three presentations: Friday
evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning.
There will be a Saturday lunch and a Sunday potluck. Pastor Valleskey will also preach the Sunday
sermon.
We’ve already lined up our 2006 presenter. Prof. Mark Paustian, author of the two new
books “Prepared to Answer” and “More Prepared to Answer” will be our honored
guest.
Prof. John Jeske (2003) and Prof. Arnold Koelpin (2004) were our
previous Reformation Renewal Weekend presenters.
Summer’s End
A special thanks to everyone who so willingly answered
the call this summer whenever there was a task to perform. What a great group of people you all are!
Now as we look to
the new fall season, I hope we're all rested and eager for whatever activity
lies ahead. Look for articles in this
newsletter and in the Sunday church bulletins for some things coming up. Thanks to those who furnished those reports.
Marcella Voss, Guild
President
Lutheran Home Auxiliary
– Belle Plaine –
July 20
Following
coffee and rolls, the opening devotion was conducted by Auxiliary Pastoral
Advisor, Dennis Reichow; at 10:00 AM. “Peach Through Jesus” was the theme.
Ron Block, Auxiliary
President, welcomed everyone to the meeting and proceeded with following
introductions, reports and business:
·
Words
of welcome were expressed by the Home Administrator, Rick Krant and CEO Michael
Klatt. Klatt reported on changes at the
campus at
·