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- 1. Caption describing picture orgraphic. O U R S A V I O U R L U T H E R A N C H U R C H L U T H E R A N C H U R C H - M I S S O U R I S Y N O D G R E E N B A Y , W I S . THE VOICEN O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2 3 Some folks think we come from nothing. Some think we have nowhere to go. Others don’t know why we are here. Many think that what they have, they earned or deserved. What would Thanksgiving be to them? We can only imagine. What is Thanksgiving to us? Simple. It is saying “Thank you!” for our bountiful gifts presented to us by our Generous Giver, The Triune God. It’s not about hot turkey, the stuffing or the pumpkin pie. It’s not even so much about Grandma, the nieces or the company. It always starts with God and centers on Him. He’s the One who gave us Grandma and the nieces and the company. He’s the one who gave us life and salvation. Luther says it so well in the meaning to the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed. “What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures. That He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my rea- son and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.” Even the dirty dishes are a gift, for we thank Him for having dishes to get dirty and the food that was on them to sustain our lives! God bless your Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving; where do we start? David H. Hatch FindusontheWeb!http://www.oslc-gb.org Life after meltdown - Reformation David H. Hatch Time and time again, we see it. People melt down. They encounter an unmovable obstacle, an event or a person, and it is out of their control to change it. It stops them in their tracks like they hit a brick wall. Usually this is preceded by a deep painful struggle. Finally they realize their inability to conquer that unmovable obstacle. Something changes… they change. You know these unmovables too, but perhaps in not such an extreme way. Try as we might, think, pray, get help, call out even to God, some things don’t change. They are outside our control. After gallons of sweat, long restless nights, fully depleted energy sources, the obstacle still will not move. The event, condition or person is unchanging. Some folks have described such an intense experience as, “being in a pressure cooker,” “a crucible” (a vessel made of material that does not melt; Continued on pg. 3
- 2. P A GE 2 T H E V O I C E OSLC official acts Weddings: Julie Faltynski and Pedro Sandoval United at Our Saviour on September 18, 2010 Kirstin Helebrant and Aaron Neiheisel United at Our Saviour on October 9, 2010 Received their Crown: Velora Gertrude Bohm September 22, 1916~September 16, 2010 Funeral service held at Nicolet Memorial Gardens on September 20, 2010. Gary L. Laabs November 17, 1949~September 22, 2010 Funeral service held at Ryan Funeral Home on September 25, 2010. Sales of gift cards through Scrip is gaining momentum. More than 3700 gift cards have been purchased through September of this year with a value of more than $185,000. The rebate from the sales is more than $8,600. About one third of the rebate amount will go to accounts designated for a child’s education at OSLC Preschool, Green Bay Trinity Elementary or as part of the OSLC Youth Group and the other two thirds to the church’s general fund. If you have never purchased gift cards through Scrip, please stop by the Welcome Center on Sundays or see Michelle in the church office on week days for more information. The gift cards can be purchased for grocery stores, gasoline and almost any every day expense. And the rebates from the gift cards add up in a hurry when used for larger once in awhile purchases. Recent gift card purchases were made to pay for carpeting ($120 rebate) and hotel stays during a vacation ($48 rebate). Consider gift cards through Scrip for your holiday shopping list. Sheets with the names of the retailers that participate in the Scrip program are available at the welcome center. Scrip sales more than $185,000 The traditional summer slump received a big boost this year through the Adopt-a-Bill board. Almost $8,000 in bills from the board have been paid in just 17 weeks. The total unified giving during July-September this year is just about $8,000 more than the same period in 2009. Thank you to everyone who helped out. Total unified giving for the year through September is almost $49,000 below budget. Nontraditional revenue sources, such as the Super Sale and building rentals, have helped reduce the deficit for total revenues and expenses to $44,000. It will be a challenge to reduce the deficit further over the last few months in the year. Did you know that the annual budget for electric and gas utilities is $55,000 and snow removal is $3,000? Welcome to Wisconsin! Summer slump gets a bump
- 3. Operation Christmas ChildCollection is Nov. 15 through Nov. 21 P A G E 3V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2 3 “Jesus said, Let the l ittle children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14.” Samaritan's Purse, the sponsor of Operation Christmas Child, is an organization dedicated to bringing hope and the good news to those in desperate need around the world. This year the shoe boxes at Our Saviour will be collected Sunday morning, November 21. They will then be taken to a central pick up location nearby. By participating in this mission, in 5 easy steps, you can help bring joy and hope to children in difficult situations all over the world. Step 1 – find an empty shoe box or clear plastic box with lid (shoe box size), pray for the child who will receive it. Step 2 – decide on the child's age (2-4, 5-9 or 10-14) and sex (male or female) (the children most in need are in the 2-4 and 10-14 age groups) Step 3 – fill the box with a variety of gifts (see right) Step 4 – attach a label to the lid – designating the sex and age group of the child who is to receive the shoe box (include a check for $7 payable to Samaritans Purse with OCC in the memo line or you can find out the destination of your shoe box by making your donation online at www.samaritanspurse.org/ezgive) Step 5 – place a rubber band around your shoe box and bring it to church by Sunday morning, November 21. If you wish to gift wrap your box, wrap the top and bottom separately. All boxes are opened at the processing center where the checks will be collected. The money you include helps with the cost of shipping and other expenses. Your gift can be tax deductible; include your name and address if you'd like to receive the proper form. You may also include pictures of your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back. Once the boxes are collected, they'll be taken to Green Bay Community Church on Cardinal Lane. From there they are sent to one of five centers in the country where they go through the final processing and are sent to children all over the world. Items to Include in Your Box TOYS – small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), slinkys, crafts, etc. SCHOOL SUPPLIES – pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books – Please no liquid paints. HYGIENE ITEMS – toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc. Please no lotions, liquids, medication or vitamins please OTHER – hard candy, lollipops, mints, gum (Please no chocolate, tootsie rolls or gummy candy or food items such as granola bars). Please double bag all candy. Can also include t-shirts, socks, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries), tools, etc. PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE - used or damaged items, war- related items, such as toy guns, knives or military figures. No snakes of any kind. No breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers. No aerosol cans. Gloria Morgan used for high tem- perature chemical reactions) or synonyms of the same. What are some examples? Here is a short list: being in prison, a death or a permanent loss, health issues, relationship struggles, difficult people, addiction-traps, relentless disease, something about ourselves that is fixed and un- changeable. Fight it as you may, it won’t change. Something else must change instead. Us. During the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant, while trying to win a victory over a Rebel outpost, tried for weeks to re-route a portion of the Mississippi, hoping to create a shortcut canal. Continuedonpg.7 Continued from pg. 1
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- 5. P A GE 5V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2 3 December 2010 OSLC Usher Schedule Day: Date: Service: Lead Usher Team: Thu. 02-Dec 7:00 pm C. Arthur Carl Zimonick; Gary Kirchman; Dick Zimonick Sun. 05-Dec 7:45 am A. Knaus Clarence Ney; Josh VanKauwenberg; Jerry VanKauwenberg Sun. 05-Dec 9:15 am D. Wians Lonnie Peerenboom; Todd Korth; Barb Korth; Davis LaMarche; Dan Richer Sun. 05-Dec 10:45 am M. Charles Don Larson; Karen Kiekhaefer; †UN Thu. 09-Dec 7:00 pm P. Kuehl Bill Baneck; †UN; †UN Sun. 12-Dec 7:45 am J. Kielpikowski Chad Kielpikowski; Ron Klumb; †UN Sun. 12-Dec 9:15 am R. Vande Hei Walt Juhnke; Tiffany Duff; Brian Duff; Chelsea Vande Hei; Rachel Vande Hei Sun. 12-Dec 10:45 am R. Bruhn Rich Ryman; Sue Bruhn; Richard Christianson Sun. 19-Dec 7:45 am M. Dalebroux Andrew Prescher; Al Brietlow; Barry Dalebroux Sun. 19-Dec 9:15 am D. Bitters Robin Williams; Frank Helebrant; Don Schultz; Shelly Williams; Trey Boerschinger Sun. 19-Dec 10:45 am G. Buechner Carmen Leuthner; Lloyd Leuthner; DeVonte King; Rich Spangenberg Fri. 24-Dec 1:30 pm R. Spangenberg Fri. 24-Dec 3:30 pm A. Knaus Clarence Ney; Josh VanKauwenberg; Jerry VanKauwenberg Fri. 24-Dec 5:30 pm W. Chamberlain Randy Dyle; Roxanne Dyle; Alex Chamberlain; Elyssa Ammerman; Kathy Ammerman Fri. 24-Dec 7:30 pm M. Charles Don Larson; Karen Kiekhaefer; †UN Sat. 25-Dec 10:00 am R. Bruhn Rich Ryman; Sue Bruhn; Richard Christianson Sun. 26-Dec 7:45 am M. Morgan Vernon Siech; Gloria Morgan; Ralph Hoerchler Sun. 26-Dec 9:15 am D. Wians Lonnie Peerenboom; Todd Korth; Barb Korth; Davis LaMarche; Dan Richer Sun. 26-Dec 10:45 am G. Buechner Carmen Leuthner; Lloyd Leuthner; DeVonte King; Rich Spangenberg Fri. 31-Dec 6:00 pm C. Arthur Carl Zimonick; Gary Kirchman; Dick Zimonick † UN -Usher Needed: If you'd like to volunteer as an usher please contact the lead usher of the group you'd like to join. Or contact Rich Spangenberg at (920) 983-9821 or e-mail spangenr@uwgb.edu All Saints Divine Worship – As we have done occasionally in the past, there will be an All Saints Worship Service on Monday, Nov. 1. There will be a potluck at 5:00 p.m. with the service following at 6:00 p.m. Of special care on this day are those who have lost loved ones in recent months and years. All are welcome! Confirmation Public Exam – November 7 - The Confirmation Class of 2010 will be demonstrating their faith and knowledge of it during the third morning service (10:45am) on November 7th . Come and witness these fine young folks during this public examination, a Lutheran tradition prior to their Confirmation the following week. This is as Lutheran as Jell-O at a potluck. Come and enjoy this historical event! Confirmation – Sunday, Nov. 14 - Join us for Divine Worship on November 14th at the third service (10:45am) when our Confirmation class of 2010 restates and personally confirms their Baptismal vows. Loyalty Sunday – Sunday, Nov. 14 - Do you remember Loyalty Sunday? That is where we make our annual re- commitment to the Lord’s work here and our sacrificial gifts toward that cause. In this issue of the Voice you will see a Loyalty Sunday pledge form. All things on there are confidential, between you and the Lord. You need not place your name on this form. Please give prayerful consideration to the gifts God has given you, and then note your response to the Lord with your gifts of time, talent and treasure. We have a faith-based budget here, therefore what the family of Our Savior places on their pledge cards plays a role in crafting the church budget. Fiala Missionaries visit – Tuesday, Nov. 23 - David and Radka Fiala are missionaries supported by Our Saviour. They are on a stateside trip and plan to visit at the 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Bible study groups on this day. Everyone is welcome to attend. Watch the upcoming bulletins for more information. Thanksgiving service times - Thanksgiving is very close. Make note of the Divine Worship service times: 7:00 p.m. on November 24 and 9:00 a.m. on November 25. Cantata – Sunday, Dec. 5 at 7:45 a.m. – Lutheran High’s Cantata is coming to Our Saviour on Sunday Dec. 5 at the early service. Come on, crawl out of bed early and fill the house for this special worship service! Annual Voter’s Meeting – Sunday, Dec. 12 - Mark your calendar for December 12 at 10:00 a.m. We will be having our annual voter’s meeting to elect council positions and church officers. We all need to be reminded that this is our congregation and His church. We are called to be good stewards of it, and part of that is our joyful participation in its governance. We hope to see everyone at this brief but vital voter’s meeting. How about it? Christmas service times – Friday Dec. 24, four services - The Christmas worship times have a new addition to the Christmas Eve service line-up. We are pleased to announce an additional praise service at 1:30 p.m! This will allow more options for families who are traveling or have an early evening event. Our 3:30 p.m. praise service and 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. traditional services will be held as usual. His Love; Our Response – 2011’s Theme - As announced last month preparations for next year’s theme are well underway. If you would like to lend a hand to assist with events and accessories to this theme, let Pastor Dave know. Budget – It’s Faith About the Facts - Soon you will be able to see the 2011 proposed church budget. It will be posted on the bulletin board outside of the church office two weeks before the voter’s meeting. Please study it closely; all comments and suggestions are welcome! BIGSTUFFCOMING!
- 6. P A GE 6 T H E V O I C E “WORKING TO BUILD GOD’S KINGDOM” Our Saviour Lutheran Church Two good things happen as a result of your gifts…those you help will be glad…(and)… they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your belief… They will pray for you…because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you. Thank God for His Son—His gift too wonderful for words.” 2 Corinthians 9: 13-16 (TLV) In His Word, our Lord teaches us to return to Him first out of His blessings, but these blessings are not limited just to money. Each of us is blessed in many ways, with time, talent, and treasures, and it behooves each and every one of us to return a portion of all of these to the Lord. From a financial perspective, the Bible teaches about tithing, returning to the Lord a percentage of His gifts to us. You may wish to use this worksheet to help you as you prayerfully consider your commitment. Please note that you keep this portion for your records. $ X = $ Annual Household Income Percent to Return to the Total for the Lord’s work Lord for His work (15% = 0.15, 10% = 0.10, 5% = 0.05) From a time and talents perspective, we urge you to consider where God fits into your life. Is he more important than a favorite TV show, or soccer practice, or band rehearsal, or whatever it is that pulls at your life throughout the week? If so, then please consider how you can devote a percentage of your week to the work of the Lord, whether that is by attending Bible classes or volunteering on boards, committees or special events at church. A week has 168 hours in it; 10 percent (a standard tithe) would be almost 17 hours. Including worship, reading the Bible, and daily prayer, how many hours do you devote to the Lord? Before you return this card, please pray: Lord, we thank you for your many great gifts. May we generously and trustingly fulfill our intention to support your ministries through our offerings to your cause, in the power of your name. Amen. Please cut along this dotted line and return the bottom portion to us. We ask that all members who are able to attend bring their commitment card to Loyalty Sunday on November 14, 2010 and place it in the offering plate. Until that date, there will be a box set up in the Narthex for the commitment cards. If you cannot attend on that date, please mail the completed bottom portion of this page to Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 120 S. Henry Street, Green Bay, WI 54302. Please do not put your name or your envelope number on your pledge. Out of thanks and trust to our Lord, I/we commit: Talents I will offer in service of the Lord Hours of service each week/month/year (circle one) $ weekly/monthly/annually (circle one) For the OSLC family ministries during 2011 E
- 7. Advertisements in thebusiness directory help Our Saviour defray the cost of printing and mailing The Voice each month. If you would like to advertise in The Voice, please contact Michelle at (920) 468-4065 or by e-mail: info@oslc-gb.org P A G E 7V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2 3 OSLC Business Directory Our Saviour Lutheran Church Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod 120 S. Henry Street • Green Bay, WI 54302 (920) 468-4065 Senior Pastor– David H. Hatch (920) 465-8118 dave@oslc-gb.org Associate Pastor– Greg Hovland (920) 544-3614 greg@oslc-gb.org Church Office – Michelle Burhite (920) 468-4065 info@oslc-gb.org Preschool Director – Christina Scholz (920) 468-3596 christina@oslc-gb.org Vol. 11 No. 23, November 2010 The Voice (permit No. 59) is published monthly by Our Saviour Lutheran Church. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without permission. Edited and designed by Avra J. Juhnke Please feel free to contact me with constructive suggestions and comments at ajjoslc@yahoo.com Thanks to those who have already commented! I am seeking more congregational input and submissions. Submissions can be sent to info@oslc-gb.org What do you want to read about? The soldiers worked with great effort, but the project was too large and nature would not comply. General Grant had to melt down his thinking, that now outdated idea and levee a different kind of solution. He had to reshape his thinking instead of banks Mississippi mud (US Grants Personal Memoirs, page 188). And so it goes with those unmovable obstacles in our lives. Often, to survive, or to relieve the emotional suffering we are experiencing - a change must take place deep within us. Old ideas, unhealthy emotions or a sin-sick soul must undergo a transformation. Such a meltdown often creates a reformation, a recreation, a reinvention of one’s thinking, more so, of one’s character and in ones’ soul. Navy Vice Admiral James Stockdale, Theodore Roosevelt, and Saint Paul, just for starters. Continued on pg.8 That brings us to the “Reformation.” We Lutherans find much of our heritage there. The church’s former ashes rose like a new phoenix there. As a young monk, Martin Luther, in nearly solitary confinement, met up with a great and mighty obstacle that he could not change. Continued from pg. 3
- 8. Our Saviour LutheranChurch 120 S. Henry St. Green Bay, WI 54302 (920) 468-4065 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit #59 Green Bay, WI ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED He could not master it, or find victory over it. That was his elephant sized, earsplitting conscience reminding him of his sinfulness before God. No matter what he did to escape it, he knew he stood condemned. Like trying to wrestle from a straight jacket, Luther tried endless confessions, self- punishment, but nothing worked. The voice of his guilt, shame and fear locked him in a pressure cooker and melted him down like old metal into liquid in a red- hot crucible. While in this seemingly inescapable prison of self, he read, he studied and he prayed. Finally, by full credit to the Holy Spirit, a reformation took place in Luther; there was a spiritual reinvention, a metamorphosis within. He read this verse, “The righteous shall live by faith,” from Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, 1:17. That single life-giving verse penetrated him. The suffering and angst that soured him, neutralized. He was set free in his soul. What happened at the cross was clarified in him. From his melt down, God transformed and reformed him to see another way around his obstacle and that was by faith in the Savior who paid for it. Of this, Luther writes, “All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw the whole of Scripture in a different light” (an excerpt from, “Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther's Latin Works by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546”). Luther could stop wrestling against his past and enjoy God’s grace. In other areas of our lives, perhaps we too have been experiencing emotional suffering, wrestling against an unmovable obstacle. Perhaps, like Luther, we are in need of change deep on the inside. Perhaps it is acceptance we need, or patience, or endurance or to live for higher, larger goal. Many find that suffering has meaning when we see that God is doing something though it, that it has some, often unseen, purpose. Or He makes purpose out of it. Similarly, others describe that suffering is not suffering, once we keep our eyes on the higher deeper goals of one’s life, that what we are going through is worth the price to arrive at our purpose. Our Lord teaches us that His suffering was worth it to him because He saw what it would accomplish. “For the joy set before Him He endured the cross and it’s suffering” (Hebrews 12:2). When we apply these principles: “He is using this struggle for some special purpose; what I am enduring is worth it so I can get to my higher goal,” the suffering becomes a teacher and a mere rough-patch on the trail toward our purpose. These verses may help us understand, “Dear Friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Or, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). If you are struggling in some way, perhaps that obstacle is not outside yourself, but deep within. May the Savior bless your adventure with comfort, strength and wisdom. Continued from pg. 7