St. |
St. John Witness
December, 2005
Church: 765-3632
School: 765-3914
Fax: 765-7777
Website:
http://www.kansas.net/~sjls/
Pastor: Rev. Robert W.
Grimm
Principal: Mr. Orville
Altevogt
Vicar: Matthew
Christensen
Secretary: Mrs. Barbara Theel
Email: r.w.grimm@juno.com
A family united in faith in Christ
gathering around God's Word and Sacraments,
To
reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-born love to each other and to
those without Christ!
Christmas is coming!
Are you ready? We have only a
few more days to be ready when it arrives.
It seems worth the effort we put into packages and gifts, foods and
parties, family and friends, because it is a festive time of year. But all this requires preparation. Foods don’t magically appear on the table;
gifts don’t wrap themselves; special times to gather and share must often be
planned, or we can’t fit them into our schedules.
Is it worth it? Absolutely! We go above and beyond the mundane and we do special tasks to
make this time different from the ordinary routines of the rest of the
year. We think of people. We think less of ourselves. We take time to care for others. We gather with our family at home, and with
our family at church. We cook; we
clean; we shop; we give: all because we want to share the joy we have in our
hearts. We enjoy the gifts of life that
God brings to us, and we honor and celebrate THE gift of life, which is God
among us in Jesus Christ.
Christ is coming!
Are you ready? We have only a
short time to be ready when He arrives.
We do not have a clear timetable, only the words of our Savior which
tell us to “Keep watch,” because he will come like a thief in the night. Have we made all the preparations we want to
make? Have we mended broken
relationships? Have we offered
forgiveness where it is needed? Have we
readied ourselves for the coming of the King of kings? Faith doesn’t magically appear in the
heart. In truth, it requires a lot of
time for everything to be in readiness.
We want to be prepared.
Is it worth it? Most certainly! Christians look beyond themselves to the
Savior who frees them from sin, who offers them eternal life. Christ was born for this! This rescue brings changes in our
lives. We want to enjoy what God has
waiting for His children, and we look to Him to teach us and to bless us. So our lives have a different motivation
than those of the world. Trust will be built instead of doubt; love will be
shared when we feel hurt; time will be planned to be with our Father, even when
we are rushed and harried.
Thank you for your time and many gifts shared with
those around us, because God has done so for us. May it bring you joy and
gladness. (Luke 1:14)
Blessings in Christ !
Pastor Grimm
Whose Mission is Evangelism?
December 2005
Just say the word “EVANGELISM” in a
congregational setting and you can see the panic start to fill the room. Most of us, including me, are afraid to do
the work of evangelism. We have a
picture in our minds of someone dressed in a white shirt and tie, knocking on
neighborhood doors, asking to share some “good news” with the residents. Then we picture the slamming doors, the
angry faces, and the outright persecution that we suspect goes along with any
evangelistic efforts. Evangelism . . .
it’s just not for me!
Although most of us take this attitude from
time to time, we have two major problems.
The first is that Jesus commanded his disciples to “Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . .” (Matthew 28:19). At least one contemporary translation of the
Bible, God’s Word (Michigan:
God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, 1995), has taken this “Great
Commission” and made it into a “Great Suggestion” by stating, “So wherever you
go . . .” in the place of Jesus’ command to “go.” After a little research into the grammatical construction of
Matthew 28:19, I’ve come to the conclusion that we have been given the command
to “go.” If you want to spend some time
researching yourself, see Matthew 2:8; 9:13; 11:4; Mark 16:15; and Luke 7:22;
13:32; 17:14; 22:8. These verses all
contain the exact same grammatical construction as Matthew 28:19. Notice that in every instance, “go” is translated
as a command and in most cases the command is urgent in nature. We have a command from our Risen Lord to “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
This leads to our second problem: the Law (i.e. a command to “go”) is not an
effective motivational tool for evangelism.
In truth, the “Great Commission” taken as Law only convicts us that we
have not been faithful to Jesus’ command.
We have failed miserably, “by what we have done and by what we have left
undone” (LW, Divine Service II, page 158). Along with this confession comes the absolution, the forgiveness
of sins, the pure Gospel message:
“Almighty God in his mercy has given his Son to die for you and for his
sake forgives you all your sins” (Ibid.).
The solution to both of our evangelism
problems is in the Gospel message of forgiveness. We are a forgiven people.
We have been chosen by God to be part of a special mission: evangelism.
He trains us for this mission through Bible study, through hearing His
Word preached, through receiving His Body and Blood, through encouraging one
another, and through prayer. He has
given each of us His Holy Spirit and has planned good works in advance for us
to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). These
good works have nothing to do with our salvation, but God uses them to bring
Jesus Christ to the unbelievers who live around us. God is in the process of using us do His work. We want to “go,” not because of the command,
but because of our forgiveness.
One way that we can “go” and share Christ
with others will take place in March.
You will all have the opportunity to invite family, friends, neighbors,
and anyone else that you can find to Memorial Hall’s dedication service. This event will be a way to show Alma the
forgiveness that we have through Christ Jesus!
Evangelism . . . with God’s help it’s for all of
us.
In His Service,
Vicar
Matt Christensen
The
Eagle
Cry
KINDERGARTEN
& GRADE 1
We
are thankful for:
First Grade:
Abigail Anderson – my teacher
Joshua Christian – Jesus
Justin Elliot – food and water
Evelyn (Lyn) Lowery – my Mom
Abigail (Abbie) McDaniel – my Dad
Madelyn (Maddy) Michaelis – teachers and
Jesus James Walton – my Mom
Mitchell Wertzberger – food
Roslyn Wohler – Jesus
Kindergarten:
Cameron Feyh – my house
Seth Manka – puppies and kitties
Wyatt Manka – turkeys and pumpkins
Jessica McIntyre – my family
Kyle Savage – my army guys
Karsen Schultz – Jesus
Brandon Wertzberger – my dog, Duke
God’s
blessings, Mrs. bloomfield
Grades Two
& Three:
I
am thankful for my family and my pets, especially my cat, and my dog Pat, God, and Miss Mosel. – Fletcher Henry Feyh
I am thankful for my family, Jesus,
friends, animals, Bible. I am thankful
for my teachers, book packs, books, and eagles. – Juliann Walton
I’m thankful for things. I’m thankful for my mom, my dad and my
brother and my sisters. I’m also
thankful for my pets. I’m also thankful
for my friends, my cousins, my aunts, my uncles, my grandma and grandpa. I’m also thankful for Jesus dying on the
cross. I am thankful for my clothes and
teachers. That is what I’m thankful
for. – Tori Ellison
I am thankful for...Martina McBride, Weekly
Reader, Squeakers, food, parents, Cassandra, Mandy, Jesus, School, God, Miss
Mosel, friends, classmates, Abigail, Angel, Hoover, Diana, and grandpa. –
Katrina Michelle Schultz
I’m thankful for family, friends, pets and
singers. Also for my pastor, church,
and food. I’m also thankful for my
Savior. – Stephanie Evans
I am thankful for dogs, family, fans,
Shania Twain, Martina McBride, house, sun, Sarah McIntyre, Sara Schultz, toys,
fish, horses, friends, seasons, books, January, December, Jesus, God, teachers,
birthdays, and trees. – Alison Herren
I’m very thankful for Sara Schultz, Mom,
Dad, Miss Mosel, Chantel, Chance, Alison, My Dogs, Fletcher, Cassia, Toni, Lauren, Katrina, Joshua, Stephanie,
Juliann, Hannah, Tristin, and Laine. – Sydney Renee Lagergren
I am thankful for my family, my friends,
and Miss Mosel. – Cassia Christensen
I am thankful for friends and family, God,
Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, faith, Christians, churches, food, clothing,
houses, beds, toys, TV, animals, schools, sunshine, water, flags, Bibles,
books. – Joshua Manka
I thankful for my family, my friends, pets,
Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Cartoon Network, Animals, West Ridge Mall,
flowers, Rodeos and hair products. –
Lauren Schley
Grades Four –
Eight:
November 8 was a special day for the students
at St. Johns. They celebrated National
Young Readers Day by listening to Community “Celebrity Readers.” Julia Anderson and Nicole Savage contacted
various community members to come to the school. The readers told how reading was an important skill to have in
their line of work. Readers shared with
the students lists of books that they had read thus for this year, as well as
favorite storybooks, poems, and news stories.
Grades 4-5 and 6 listed to the book Twas’
the Night Before Thanksgiving.
Students wrote their own stories Twas’ the Night Before .....
Grades 7 and 8 wrote persuasive essays this
past month. Topics such as allowing pop
in school, staying drug free, taking hunter safety, year round schools, and
proper use of cell phones were some of the topics discussed in the essays.
During computer class the 6-7-8 graders are
creating individual websites. The 4th
and 5th grade computers classes are learning how to set up e-mail
accounts so that they can communicate with each other and eventually they will
sent an assignment to Mrs. Stutzman via e-mail.
Serving
Him, Mrs. Stutzman
FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
The children have started working on their Christmas
service in music classes. Their
service will be on Sunday, December 18,
starting at 7:00pm. The theme of the
service is “The Christmas Gift.” It is
under the direction of Mrs. Bloomfield and rev.
Grimm.
The annual candlelight Christmas dinner
will be held at 6:00pm on December 19.
This year’s menu is as follows: Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy,
Green Beans, Cooked Apples, Parmesan Crescent roll, a choice of Cherry Pie or
S’more Cheesecake, and Drink. Make
plans now to enjoy the Christmas fellowship and the meal. Reservation forms will be sent home in
December with the children and price information will appear in the bulletin.
The last day of school before Christmas
vacation will be on December 21.
Christmas parties will be held in the afternoon. Teachers will have an AM inservice and a PM
workday on December 22. School will
resume on January 3 and the children will receive their report cards that day.
During the month of November, the PTL
sponsored its twelfth annual preseason basketball tourney. Six teams participated: Topeka Lutheran,
Delia, Emmett, Heritage Christian, St. Xavier, and St. John. The teams were divided into two pools. Teams were than ranked according to pool
play to set up the brackets for Saturday’s games. Individual medals were given to the top three teams and ribbons
were presented to fourth through sixth place.
Team plaques were given to the top three places. A free throw contest was also held. Kristal Channel from Emmett and Adrian
Barber from Emmett were this year’s winners.
Emmett also won the sportsmanship trophy. Emmett won the girls’ division and Heritage Christian won the
boys’ division. St. John’s girls placed
fourth and the boys placed fifth in the tourney. We received numerous favorable comments about the efficient way
the tourney was run. The concession
stand, the money collected at the gate, and the prize giveaway earned funds for
the PTL and the school.
A Veteran’s Day celebration was held in
Eskridge on Veteran’s Day. As part of
that celebration, a coloring contest was held for grades one through six and an
essay contest was held for grades seven and eight. Congratulation to Mark Anderson who placed first in the essay
contest, Cole Woodworth who placed second in the essay contest and Roslyn who
placed first in the coloring contest.
Mark received a $100 savings bond, Cole a $50 savings bond, and Roslyn a
$25 savings bond.
“JOY TO THE WORLD” our Savior is born.
SCHOOL LUNCH MENU FOR december
The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer
December 1 December
2
Taco Crunch Corn Dog
Corn Tator Tots
Sliced Pears Celery/Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter Twist Pineapple Chunks
December 5 December
6
Chicken Nuggets Pigs in a Blanket
Mash Potatoes/Gravy. Tri Tator
Green Beans/Roll Corn
Sliced Peaches Pineapple
Chucks
December 7 December
8
Pork Fritter Meat Loaf
Mashed Potatoes/Gravy Quik
Baked Potatoes
Broccoli/Cheese Sauce Green Beans
Mandarin Oranges/Roll Hot Bread/Peaches
December 9 December
12
Pizza Tator Tot Casserole
Tossed Salad Green Beans
Corn Sliced
Hot Bread
Cherry Crisp Mandarin Oranges
December 13 December
14
Soft Chicken Taco Hoagie
Tomato/Lettuce/Cheese Tomato/Lettuce/Pickle
Green Beans French Fries
Sliced Peaches Corn
No Bake Cookies Apples & Dip
December 15 December
16
Potato Soup/with Corn Dog
Diced Ham Tator Tots
Grilled Cheese Sand. Corn
Pears/Peanut Butter Cake Applesauce
December 19 December
20
Fish Nuggets Hamburger
Tri Tators Lettuce/Onion/Pickle
Green Beans French Fries
Pineapple Chunks Fruit Cocktail/Apple Crisp
December 21
Shepherds Pie Hot sliced Bread
Sugar Cookie Sliced Peaches
WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Prepare
yourself to bring your best to God. Not simply your offerings, but also your
heart. Honor and worship God by Bible study, prayer, meditation and deeds of
faith.
Date Bible Text Theme Hymns Order of
Worship
12-4
Mark1:1-8 The Beginning of
the Gospel 24 – 14 – 36 – 509 –
30 DS II, page 158
12-7 Advent 2
Luke 1:76 Jesus, our Prophet 279 – 343 – 116 - 67 RP, page 270
12-14
Isaiah 61:1-11 The Preaching of
the Gospel 278 – 29 – 34 – TLH 70 MP, page 236
14-17
Advent 3 Heb. 6:19 Jesus, our Priest (vicar) 58
– 264 – 126 – 38 vv5-7 RP, page 270
12-18
Romans 16:25-27 Establishing the
Gospel (vicar) 28 – 27 – 33 – 359 - 60 DS II, page 158
12-18 SJLS
Children’s Christmas Service 50 – 1 - 69 – 61 – 75 – 53 “The
Christmas Gift”
12-21 Advent 4 Matt.2:2 Jesus, our King (vicar) 24
– 61 – 14 – 53 RP, page
270
12-24 John
1:14 Jesus, our God 60-51–44–37–31–68-49 Christmas Eve
12-25 John
1:14 The Gospel Incarnate 41-47-53-55-62-64-75-64-68 Carol Service
12-31 Rev.
Geske New Year’s Eve @ St.
John 180 –??? - 61 RP,
page 270
The Season of Advent begins the Church year. Christ has promised to come
to us. He has kept that promise as He came as a human, being born in Bethlehem,
and as He comes in His Word and sacraments today. We still await fulfillment of His promise to come on the Last
Day. Blue is the color of royalty, so
it adorns our altar, lectern and pulpit during this season before Christmas.
Theological Convocation in Wichita, January 9-11, 2006. We may send three or four people to attend
this discussion about the church and the office and functions of Christian
ministry, from pastors to teachers to lay leadership. If you desire to attend, please talk with an elder or Pastor
Grimm.
Installation of Officers will be December 11. All officers (including those who will still serve in 2006) are
asked to promise their service to the Lord, and to pray for his guidance. New
officers include:
Tim Songs, Milton Stuewe, Jr . - Board of Elders;
Luke Schultz - Board of Trustees;
Traci Songs - Board of Stewardship;
Matthew Anderson - School Board;
Janet Wertzberger and Bernard Shepherd - Board of Christian Education.
An Evening of Fun: The Young Adults invite you to join them Saturday,
December 3, for an evening of fun and games with time in the gym for children. Call
Vicar Matt for more information (765-3510).
Evening Worship An evening communion service will be held Saturday, December 17th at 6:05 p.m. We shall use the liturgy from The Lutheran Hymnal, page 15. All are welcome, especially if Sunday morning must be a workday for you!
Start Our Prayer Chain Please contact Virginia Snodgrass (765-3368) or
Gayle Grimm (765-3607). We will pray
and ask others to pray with us. “Pray
without ceasing.” (I Thes. 5:17)
We Have Electronic Earphones, which amplify directly from our sound system. If
you need assistance with one, please ask an usher.
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, (II Peter 3:18).
Bible study is the only way to grow in understanding of God and of His will for
our lives. We offer many opportunities
to grow, and each of us should make an effort to build up the most holy faith
which God has given us. There are two adult classes held during the Sunday School Hour, one is reading and discussing the significance of the
catechism’s teachings and the other is studying the nature and significance of
miracles. Bible Breakfast is held
weekly in Gambino’s restaurant on Main Street.
They look ahead to the Sunday readings, and discuss their impact on our
lives. WCrossways! classes teach the Word of God Sunday evenings and Thursday
mornings. Adult Information Classes are being held; to participate, please
talk with Pastor Grimm to include you in our scheduling.
Doctrine
for Today
This article is reprinted
from the CPH website, first posted on the 488th anniversary of the
Reformation.
Does
Being Lutheran Still Matter?
by Rev. Paul T.
McCain Reformation Day
Concordia Publishing
House October 31, 2005
There seem to be three responses to the question, Does being
Lutheran matter? One is, “Are you kidding me? You'd better believe that it
matters! Let me tell you why!” Another response is a sort of "mental
shrug" to the question, “Well, of course we want to be and remain
Lutheran, that goes without saying.” And then, sadly, there is this response:
“It doesn't matter. All that matters is being a Christian. We need to focus on
what unites us rather than what divides us.”
As I watch and analyze
events and trends in Christianity and Lutheranism, both in this country and
around the world, I am more convinced than ever before of two things: (1) being
and remaining genuinely Lutheran matters more then ever; and (2) the reasons
why this fact is so important are unclear (at best) to many people.
To be Lutheran is to be
a person who says, "This is what God's Word, the Bible, teaches. This and
nothing else is true and correct. This understanding and teaching and
Confession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most accurate and most faithful
to God's Word. This and none other. Nothing more, and nothing less, will do,
for this is the truth. It is a truth that needs to be told, widely, clearly,
far and wide!"
In our day and age these
sorts of bold assertions are often met with angry responses, such as, How dare
you insist that Lutheranism is the only true teaching of God's Word. How can
you think you alone have the truth? All that matters is if a person is sincere
about his or her faith in God."
We live in a time when
truth is viewed as something relative and impossible to know for sure. The
common attitude is reflected when we hear things like, "I have my truth.
You have your truth. As long as we respect our differences, that is all that
matters." It seems that the most important "truth" for many
people is their profound doubt that there even is objective truth or that it
can be known. And they are equally strong in their conviction that those who
claim to know the truth are wrong.
Before we go further, we need to
clear up a common misunderstanding. While insisting on the truth of
Lutheranism, we can never allow ourselves to do so in an arrogant, haughty, or
self-righteous manner. People who are passionate about the truth of biblical
Lutheranism know that the Bible teaches often and clearly that we are all
sinful human beings in need of God's constant mercy, which He so lavishly gives
in Christ. To be truly Lutheran is to receive the gifts of God with humility,
repentantly recognizing our great need. It is tempting for Lutherans to be
proud and arrogant of their great heritage, but this is a terrible evil! To be
Lutheran is to be always mindful of our great sin and our great need for a
Savior. To be a Lutheran is to be a sinner calling out to fellow sinners,
"Come and see!" Furthermore, we would never want anyone to think that
we Lutherans are saying, "We, and we alone, are the only ones who will be
in heaven. In fact, you can't be a Christian unless you are a Lutheran."
Not so! Not at all. We realize that the Word of God is powerful and active,
wherever and whenever it is heard, read, or meditated on.
There are many
Christians in other denominations and churches. But they are not Christians
because of the errors in their churches, but in spite of those
errors. Let's then have none say, "You Lutherans think you alone are
Christians." We do not say that. We do not believe that. We never will.
The reason we insist on Lutheranism for everyone who will listen is because we
believe so passionately that it truly is the most correct and most accurate
understanding and Confession of God's Word.
Another point that
confuses many people is the fact that there are so many different churches to
choose from. It is an awful mess, so it seems. Yes, it can be confusing, but it
really is not as complicated as some would think or want to maintain. Up until
the year 1044 there was basically one, unified Christian Church, distinct from
a number of non-Christian or anti-Christian heretical groups. In 1044, the
Church divided into Eastern and Western Christianity. By the time of the late
Middle Ages, the Western Church, which had come to be known as the Roman
Catholic Church, had reached a point of deep corruption, most importantly in
what it believed, but also in the morals and life of the clergy and Church
leadership.
In 1517, there
began what we know today as the Reformation, when Martin Luther, a professor
and monk in Wittenberg, Germany posted a series of "talking points"
on the practice of selling indulgences. This was a practice by which people
were led to believe they could buy forgiveness of sins for their dead relatives
in purgatory. The question became, “Is the Lutheran view of Christianity
correct, or is the Roman Catholic view correct?”
After the Reformation,
many groups developed from the teachings of persons other than Martin Luther,
most notably, two men: Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, who did much of his work
in Geneva. These two men and their writings gave rise to many churches that can
be traced back to and grouped under the general category of
"Reformed" churches. In America, in the nineteenth and twentieth
century, there arose many splinter groups from Reformed churches; these would
include Charismatic and Pentecostal groups, along with groups that rejected all
denominations and became, in effect, a denomination of their own, the so-called
nondenominational churches. And so the question then becomes, "Is Lutheran
theology or Reformed theology correct? Is it Rome or Wittenberg? If Wittenberg,
then is it Geneva or Wittenberg? In light of these questions, the myriad of
denominations today makes a lot more sense.
But there is an additional challenge,
more so in the past half-century. Today, despite all their denominational
differences and historic confessions, the vast majority of Christian churches
in Protestantism have been nearly overwhelmed by the rise of liberal
Christianity. This liberal theology unites them more than any other feature of
their confession of faith. Historic differences are no longer regarded as
divisive, since these divisions were based on one group's understanding of the
biblical text as opposed to another group's understanding. For example, the
difference between Lutheran and Reformed views of the Lord's Supper are very
important and based on very serious and clear differences in how the words
Jesus spoke at the Last Supper are understood.
Modern liberal theology,
however, regards the words of Jesus in the Bible as unreliable. It teaches that
we cannot be sure that what is recorded in the Bible is true and accurate;
therefore, there is no point in being "dogmatic" about much of
anything having to do with the Bible. Modern liberalism has swept through all
Christian denominations, Lutheran, Reformed, Protestant, and Roman Catholic.
This impacts our
question, Does being Lutheran matter? for we have to realize that there are
many churches in the world today that claim to be Lutheran but have been nearly
overcome by liberal, anti-Biblical beliefs and have therefore compromised the
distinct doctrinal position of Lutheranism. They are, in other words, Lutheran
really in name only, more by way of tradition than by any real, living
doctrinal distinctiveness. They may still be fond of historic Lutheranism, but
they no longer insist that it, and it alone, is true and that other views of
the Bible are in error. When we ask the question, Does being Lutheran matter?
we must do so first of those who still use the name Lutheran but no longer
insist on the exclusive-truth claims of historic, genuine, authentic
Lutheranism. Let's think for a moment about the world's largest Lutheran
organization, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Clear-headed analysis of
what is happening in world Lutheranism reveals that the greatest threat to
being and remaining genuinely Lutheran comes from the groups that call
themselves Lutheran! No organization in the world has done more in the past
fifty years to deconstruct genuine Lutheranism than the Lutheran World
Federation. It has tolerated, even encouraged, an unfaithful understanding of
the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, all the while ostensibly
claiming a certain identity with them. The predecessor bodies that formed the
Lutheran World Federation would not reject and throw out false teachers such as
Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976), who worked to "demythologize" the New
Testament, casting doubt on the words and deeds of Jesus. To this day, the
Lutheran World Federation pays mere lip service to the ancient Christian
creeds, but tolerates in its midst churches whose pastors and theologians
doubt, and even very brazenly and openly deny the most fundamental tenets of
the Christian faith, casting doubt on the miracles of Jesus, His virgin birth,
His bodily resurrection, and so forth! LWF member organizations have embraced
the anti-apostolic and anti-scriptural practices of the ordination of women,
homosexuality, same-sex unions, and abortion. The LWF, despite its claim that
it is Lutheran, does not even insist on absolute faithfulness to the most basic
of all the Lutheran confessions, Martin Luther's Small Catechism. The LWF, and many of its member
churches, compromised and walked away from the Lutheran insistence on the
biblical Lord's Supper when it entered into all manners of "full
Communion" with Reformed churches that continue to this day to deny that
the bread and wine in Holy Communion are in fact the body and blood of Christ.
The LWF leadership structure embraced a compromise of the very heart of the
Gospel itself with Rome when it accepted the "Joint Declaration on the
Doctrine of Justification," in which it allowed Rome to continue its
formal anathema of the biblical doctrine that we are saved by grace alone, through
faith alone, apart from any works. Does being Lutheran matter? Many would
suggest that to insist on being and remaining Lutheran is to insist on what
divides us from other Christians rather than on what unites us with them.
"I'm more interested in people being Christian, rather than Lutheran"
is a comment one actually hears these days-sadly and tragically, even from
Lutheran pastors. Clearly this is what we must be on our guard to avoid.
Being Lutheran is not a
matter of culture, tradition, or habit, at least it should not be. No, being
Lutheran is about being passionate about the truth, the full truth, and nothing
but the truth as revealed by God in Holy Scripture. As much as we care about
the truth of God's holy Word and the proclamation of a pure and unadulterated
exposition of the Scriptures, being Lutheran matters. Martin Luther was
concerned that people wanted to use his name as part of their faith identity,
but then he realized that using the name Lutheran was a way to identify with
what he stood for, to identify with his Confession of the Gospel. In other
words, to clearly identify oneself as a person who holds to a specific
Confession of Christ and none other. There are so many competing points of view
of what Christianity is. Being Lutheran is a way to distinguish and teach and
confess and bear witness to the Christian faith in a very specific and faithful
way.
Being and remaining
truly Lutheran takes courage and determination. It is not easy. Faithfulness to
the Word of God is never easy or convenient or popular. Determined to be and
remain truly Lutheran places unique demands on our pastors, congregations, and
church body, but it is worth the effort!
Dr. C. F. W. Walther, the first president of The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod, offers important insight on this topic. He writes
that contrary to our detractors, the Lutheran Church has never claimed to be
the only church outside of which there is no salvation. No, not at all. We do
believe that the teachings of the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church, the Book of Concord of 1580, are in fact the pure, divine truth,
because they agree with the written Word of God on all points. It is for this
reason that the Lutheran church, and consequently our Synod, demands of all
members, especially of our ministers, that they acknowledge the Lutheran
Confessions without reservation and show their willingness to be obligated to
them. And it is precisely because we so value and honor the purity of the
Gospel given as a gift to us that we stand with Scripture (1 Corinthians 1:10;
Romans 16:17) and our Confessions (AC VII; FC SD X) in rejecting every
fraternal and ecclesiastical fellowship that rejects the truth of the Lutheran
Confessions, either in whole or in part.
This is why we say that
being and remaining Lutheran does matter. We Lutherans, therefore, have no
choice but to sound the call for true, orthodox, confessional Lutheranism. We
want no poor imitations, but the real thing. We will continue to call for
complete faithfulness to God's Word and the Lutheran Confessions, recognizing
the blessing that such faithfulness has been since the time of the Lutheran
Reformation. Our desire is always to be maximally faithful, not merely
minimally so.
With this call for
faithfulness comes the Lord's call for outreach. In no way must we ever permit
ourselves to pit faithfulness against outreach. Faithfulness to the Word
results in outreach with the Gospel. Faithful outreach is based entirely on a
faithful proclamation of the Word. The constant hallmark of a genuinely
Lutheran Synod, and a genuinely Lutheran congregation, is this two-fold
emphasis: (1) faithfulness to Scripture and the Confessions and (2) outreach
with the Gospel.
God forbid that we would
ever apologize for wanting to be, and remain, a truly Lutheran Church, or that
we would ever hesitate clearly to speak up when we notice others walking away
from the truths of the Word and the Lutheran Confessions for the sake of unity,
which is no unity at all, since it is not based on agreement in the teachings of
the Word, but only on an agreement to disagree! Thus, we pray that the Lord
would continue to strengthen and embolden us to be a true, faithful and
courageous Lutheran church body, to the glory of His holy name and the
extension of His kingdom.
It is particularly
interesting to me how many young people are keenly interested in Lutheranism.
They want substance in worship and in Bible study and in every aspect of their
church life. They want "authenticity," not the showy and manipulative
"hype and hoopla" that their parents, and maybe now even
grandparents, found so alluring in past several decades. They have been raised
in a culture that at every turn is trying to manipulate them into buying
something. Young people have had enough of that. They see how shallow it is,
and they want instead substance and content and rich depth of meaning. This is
where Lutheranism excels, for we rejoice in the depths of God's truths, not
resting content with simply "once over lightly."
We wonder why, when
people have a choice, they leave the Lutheran Church. Why bother to remain
Lutheran if there is nothing worth remaining for? If the differences that
distinguish Lutheranism from any other option in Christendom are never
mentioned or are made to appear no more important than picking amongst various
ice-cream flavors, is it any wonder why people leave our congregations to find
"greener pastures" in other churches? That is why the constant
challenge we face is gently, pastorally, warmly, and winsomely to be working hard
at reinforcing good understandings and encouraging careful thinking and
reflection, helping our people to see the issues of our day, and thereby
recognizing and appreciating the fact that Lutheranism is the best option for
anyone who wants to remain genuinely faithful to God's Word. Simply put, unless
we provide our people with clear, compelling, passionate, and determined
reasons to be and remain Lutheran, they won't.
So, how does one remain
Lutheran? Fond hopes, fervent wishes, pious prayer. Yes, all that, but more.
The old Benedictine motto "Ora et labora" applies! Pray and work. And
then pray and work some more. Teaching is key. We must disciple people into the
truth. This involves long, hard work. Passion, energy, excitement, dedication,
enthusiastic desire to pass along the truth-these are key to being and
remaining Lutheran. Nothing is more exciting than the truth, and if that is so,
shouldn't our attitude toward it be equally one of excitement and energy and
conviction? If Lutheranism appears to be dreary, dull, and plodding, whose
fault is that but ours? High-quality intensive teaching is the key to the
future of Lutheranism. We sing, "Lord, keep us steadfast in Your
Word," and then we work to make it so among us, for our sake and for the
sake of those who will come after us.
Does being Lutheran
matter? Yes, it matters.
It matters as much as being and remaining true to Christ and His Word and
Sacraments matters, as outreach with the Gospel matters, and as loving our
neighbor matters. Our great privilege is helping all those whom we can to be
and remain genuinely Lutheran, for to be so is nothing more, and nothing less,
than true to Christ and His Gospel. To that end, may God bless our efforts, and
may He guide our work together in this high calling and noble task of being and
remaining Lutheran. Here we stand. We can do no other. God help us. Amen.
Targeted
District Response (TDR) Hurricane Relief Action Notice
We have a request for volunteer assistance to 3 LCMS churches in Slidell, Lousiana. Please help if you can!
We are asking every congregation in the Kansas District to send two different carloads of 2 to 4 men and/or women to assist with debris removal and mold abatement between December 4th and February 28th.
The volunteers need not have any specific qualifications. Upon arrival the volunteers will be assigned a tent and a cot at the relief worker site located on the Lamb of God Lutheran Church grounds. They will be given an orientation and assigned to a work crew of approximately 10-12 workers. They will be fed three meals daily - two hot meals at the tent city and a box lunch to take to their work locations. At the tent city they will find hot showers, "Johnny on the Jobs," and a fellowship hall. Men and women are housed in separate tent quarters.
Volunteers need to bring their own toiletries, clothing, footwear and a sleeping bag. It is highly advisable to bring clothes that one would be willing to discard later. Please wear steel-toed footwear at all times at the work sites.
There are sufficient tools available for the anticipated volunteer response on site (including gloves, respirators, rubber boots). However, if anyone wishes to bring their own tools or to donate tools they are welcome to do so.
The length of service in Slidell is strictly up to the volunteers, but we are trying to get as many as possible to commit to six days. The ideal service period would anticipate a Sunday afternoon arrival and a Saturday morning departure.
Please notify us by email or telephone indicating:
1. The name of the contact person in your church for this effort.
2. Whether or not you believe it will be possible to count on your support for this "first-response" need for one, two or more carloads, thank you and God bless your efforts to help our sister congregations and their communities in Slidell.
Mark Brewer, TDR Volunteer Coordinator
Rocky Mease, Chaplain
E-mail: disasterresponse@kslcms.org
Telephone: (785) 357-4441 ext. 220
or (800) 357-4421 ext. 220
Responding to our Baptismal Call
by Mark Brewer
Volunteer
Coordinator
To
respond to our Baptismal Call, God asks us to go and to keep going. He promises to show us what it is He will
have us do to further the work of His Kingdom.
He has placed before us the three congregations in Slidell, LA.
We
now have a place and time to go. The
place is Camp Slidell and the time
is now. At Camp Slidell we now have three larger tents equipped to
accommodate 25 to 40 people each. Two
of the tents have been assigned for male volunteers and the third tent has been
divided into accommodations for women and a fellowship hall/devotion center.
Because
the weather will swing quite a bit, it would be advisable for volunteers to
bring a sleeping bag that would keep them comfortable at temperatures between
35 and 90 degrees. They will need to
bring their own toiletries, clothing and footwear. It is highly advisable to bring clothes that one would be willing
to discard later, and please wear steel toed footwear at all times at the work
sites. Gloves, respirators, rubber boots, and tools appropriate for work
assignments will be provided. If
volunteers have tools that they want to use or donate, they are welcome to
bring them.
On
the first work day volunteers will be given an orientation by Lutheran Disaster
Response (LDR). The types of work and
the conditions (environmental, type – wind/water) will be discussed. Volunteers will be given general information
about the people being helped and how to approach their work to best
accommodate the victim(s) and the volunteer’s personal mission.
The
types of work volunteers can expect to be assigned range from:
w Tree removal,
general clean-up of limbs & trash
w Removal of:
furniture and personal belongings; mud/sludge;
and drywall
w
Spraying/applying mold retardant
w Drywall
installation and painting
There
is an immediate need for volunteers. We
will be working for more than a year completing our task of restoration, but
the community needs our help now. Even
if you have plans to help after the first of the year, I urge you to consider
helping now, too.
We Will Be Decorating our church
for Christmas on December 3rd beginning at 8:30 a.m. Please mark your calendars and plan on
helping. If you have any question
please contact JoAnn Meyer at 765-3598.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
A Door Collection for the Stocking Fund will be received on December 4th
following the worship service. This
will help provide the treats that will be handed out to the children. Any amount over $100 will be used to
purchase Christmas decorations that need to be replaced.
Poinsettias: The decorating committee is asking members to again donate money
to purchase poinsettias for Christmas in memory or in honor of someone, or in
thanksgiving for something. There will
be 10 plants available at $15.00 a piece.
Call the church office 765-3632 if you wish to purchase a poinsettia.
Church Miniatures make wonderful Christmas gifts to give to family away from
home. They are still for sale in the church
office for $15.00. Proceeds benefit the
handbell choirs at St. John.
Advent
Devotionals – Several different
Advent Devotional books and Wheat Ridge Christmas Seals are available on the
usher’s stand.
Lutheran
Worship On TV - Point Of Truth – The Synod’s
television worship series will be Ablaze!
for eight special episodes with messages on how Christians can share their
faith on October 30 – December 18.
Check out Sundays on DIRECTV, Channel 371(the church channel) at 2:00
p.m.
The Pilgrimage Of Light will again be presented at Herington, KS on December
11th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. It
is a living Christmas gift for everyone.
It depicts scenes from the life of Jesus portrayed in lighted
outdoor settings, covering a 10-block
downtown route, with Scripture readings, music, live animals, and costumed
Biblical characters. Entrance to “The
Pilgrimage of The Light is at the swimming pool on North Broadway. NO ADMISSION. Rain will cancel the event.
Parsonage Open
House: Come, join Pastor, Gayle, Erik, Elisabeth, and Aaron
at their home at 706 Iowa Street, on Sunday December 18, from 2-4 p.m. There will be refreshments, Christmas music,
and a time to share the joy of the holiday season with others from our church.
Christmas Caroling:
Come and sing on
december 22nd. We will leave the school at 6:15 p.m. Supper will follow. We will again be using the bus so we won’t
be walking far.
St. John’s Topeka Lwml will be holding their Annual Christmas Luncheon and
Bazaar on Friday, December 2, 2005 at 901 SW Fillmore St. Topeka, KS. The Bazaar will feature a Craft Shop, Sweet
Shop, Baked Goods Shop, Miscellaneous Booth and Cookie Walk, all located on the
first floor. They will be open from
10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Luncheon
will be held in the assembly Hall downstairs and will be served from 11:00
a.m. There is an elevator available for
your convenience. The luncheon consist
of turkey casserole with gravy, seasoned green beans, cinnamon applesauce, roll
w/butter, pie and coffee. Ticket prices
for the luncheon are $5.00 for adults and $1.50 for children under 12. For more
information call 785-354-7132.
Gathering Of
The Talents - The Gathering of the
Talents will be April 1, 2006.
Registration will be February 17.
This is a great chance to show the talents that God blessed you
with. Students be thinking about artist
talents, music talents, and drama talents that you have and how you can use
these gifts to praise God. Last year
each participant did an excellent job sharing his/her talent. I hope we can represent St. John Lutheran
School even better this coming year.
Contact Miss Mosel with any questions, comments, or if you need help
thinking of a project.
Assistant
Financial Director Needed: Wabaunsee County Thrivent is
in need of an assistant financial director.
This person would learn the job of Financial Director and be willing to
continue as Financial Director beginning in January, 2007. Thrivent officers can only serve a maximum
of 4 years. Tim songs, the current chapter President, and Suzanne Simon, the
current Financial Director will both be serving their final eligible terms in
2006. Both of these position are very
vital in continuing the influx of $10,000+ per year into our congregations and
county. Any one interested in these position,
please contact Tim Songs (765-2546) or Suzanne Simon (765-3582).
Community Health Ministry
Faith In Action,
the local mission in Wamego, Kansas,
would like to ask for your continued support.
We exist to help all people in Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties with
physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and medical needs. Your donations provide:
Medical Services Food Distribution
1. two free medical clinics 1. Commodities
2. Toe nail clinics 2. Food
Pantry
3. Supplies and equipment
4. Dental Clinic for school children
5. Pharmaceutical assistance
6. Patient Advocacy
Transportation Assistance with
1. Local 1. Rent
2. Out of Town 2. Utilities
3. Household furnishings
As a
not-for profit faith-based agency, we help all people. In 2006, our goal is to raise matching funds
for grants, and support of the local mission house. In 2006, you donations will assist with the free clinic expenses
and medical supplies, and utilities at the mission house. For more information on our various
programs, call us at 456-7822. Thank
you in advance for your prayers, support and generosity.
Kansas
District Gatherings In 2006
v Theological Convention –
Jan. 9-10- 2006 –Risen Savior Lutheran Church, in Wichita.
v District Convention – June
8-10, 2005
Capitol
Plaza Hotel, Topeka.
v Ablaze Convocation – October
12-14, 2006 at the Hyatt and Century II Convention
Center, Wichita.
Scholarships: Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc., a
national leader in services for people with disabilities since 1904, announce
the following: $1,500 Developmental
Disabilities Scholastic Achievement Scholarships for College Students who are
Lutheran (up to 3 awarded), $1,500 Nursing Scholastic Achievement
Scholarship(up to 2 awarded), $250, $150 and $100 Developmental Disabilities
Awareness Awards for High School Students who are Lutheran, $200 Development
Disabilities Awareness Awards for Lutheran Grade School Classes (3 awards, each
one $200). Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by March 15,
2006. Request an application or more
information by contacting: Thomas Heuer
– Coordinator/NCRS, Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.. 600 Hoffmann
Drive, Watertown, WI 53094.
Attention
Members of St. John Lutheran Church:
This
is to notify you that St. John is suffering with a great loss.
It
would appear that there is a great amount of ‘Spiritual Death’ in our
membership. The names will not be
released until the next of kin have been notified.
Who
are the next of kin?
Are
we not all brothers and sisters in Christ?
Who
are the ‘Spiritual Dead”?
Read: James
2:14-17
James
5:19-20
A
few weeks ago in his sermon Pastor asked each of us to reach out – each one
reach one. Who have you reached?
Maybe
you will have to step on some toes to get their attention – do it. Jesus held nothing back – He gave us His
All.
There
was a story about a congregation who received a new pastor. The first
Sunday he preached a strong motivating sermon, when the congregation
left church they all said good sermon.
The next Sunday he preached the same sermon, the elders thought well he
hadn’t had time to get settled in yet so they weren’t concerned about the same
sermon twice. The third Sunday he
preached the same sermon again. The
elders thought they had better ask him about this. The new pastor said well you haven’t followed it yet.
Phillip
Theel,
Chairman
Notes From Guinea
A Prayer Newsletter
from the Oetting Family
Serving with The LCMS World Mission
October 2005
Dear
Friends,
"These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship
me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Matthew 15:8-9.
Rachael
and I returned to Guinea at about the same time that Muslims here started their
month of fasting called Ramadan. Most Maninka adults do fast during Ramadan.
The fast occurs during daylight hours. So from sunrise to sunset, participants
do not eat or drink. Their daily fast is broken shortly after sunset with a drink
of cold water, or juice squeezed directly from an orange, or tea. The fast is a
very public and intensely "spiritual" event. People will ask each
other, "Are you fasting?" The mosques are crowded during prayer times
with the overflow of people stretching out into the streets sometimes blocking
traffic.
Fasting
is mentioned throughout the Bible. Fasting according to the Bible can be done
for a variety of good reasons. It is a good work that flows from our love and
faith in Christ. However, it is not a way to fulfill the law of God or to make
up for our sins. Jesus has done that for people already. Christians are
commanded to fast privately and in secret. See Matthew 6:16-18. For Christ, it
is the attitude of our hearts that is important to him when we fast.
I
share this with you to help guide your prayers for the Maninka people and their
"heart" condition of unbelief. Pray fervently that God will change
the hearts of the Maninka people. Pray that there will be many opportunities
for the Maninka to hear the Gospel especially in their own (heart) language.
Pray against the work of the enemy and the world that constantly tries to
snatch away God's word before it has a chance to take root. Ask the Holy Spirit
to create saving faith in the hearts of these people and preserve it.
Catching Up
Some
of you may not have received our September prayer newsletter where I explained
that our home leave was extended. I also shared in this newsletter that our
family would return to Guinea in stages. Rachael and I returned at the end of
September. Sharon, Joel and Anna will be traveling to Africa in a couple of
days. I apologize if you did not receive our September prayer newsletter. I was
not able to use our newsletter database in the States and relied on sending it
through other people. I would be happy to forward that September edition
newsletter to you if you request it.
Sharon
has recovered from an operation that she had in mid-September to deal with
extensive endometrioses and cysts on her ovaries. We do think that there may be
a link between the endometrioses and the unknown illness that she experienced
last year. We are thankful for the access to good medical care during our home
leave.
During
our home leave, we visited and gave presentations to twelve supporting churches
located in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Hawaii during the months of August
and September. Jon also visited and gave a presentation of the Guinea work to
the LCMS Kansas District staff.
Planting the Maninka Church - Another
Step
This
past month, the Maninka believers in Siguiri and from neighboring villages
started meeting together on Mondays. They are praying, worshipping and hearing
God's word in Maninka. This is a pretty big step for the Maninka church. Some
Maninka believers would come to the English-Maninka Fellowship that meets on
Sundays. However, we did not see very good attendance at these services by
Maninka people. The advantage of the all-Maninka services is that it promotes
worship in the heart language and culture of the people group. It also promotes
outreach as the group looks to invite other Maninka people that they know in
their own social networks. Non-believing Maninka people will feel less
intimidated by their own linguistic and same-culture peers and more apt to join
the Maninka group. Pray for Sacko who has undertaken leadership of this group.
The Maninka speaking group will worship with the primarily English speaking
fellowship on major church festival days (i.e. Easter, Christmas, Pentecost) to
demonstrate the unity of Christians in the Siguiri area.
I
have resumed teaching and mentoring lay-pastor Kwaku in our weekly meetings.
Kwaku is the lay-leader for the primarily English speaking fellowship that
meets in Siguiri on Sundays. During our discussion period, Kwaku has questioned
the wisdom of breaking off the fellowship group into two like this. I stressed
the importance of this development by sharing with him the example of the
successful church planting efforts of our home church in Honolulu, Hawaii. Our
home congregation, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church has recently planted three
churches on the very multi-cultural island of Oahu: one English speaking
congregation, one Palauan speaking congregation and one Chinese speaking
congregation. A fourth English speaking church plant is being planned for the
near future. Yes, we are all one in Christ. But we also need to plant and
support a Maninka church that distinguishes Law and Gospel in its own cultural
context.
Please pray for us,
*
Intercede as requested above for God to break down the strongholds of unbelief
enslaving the Maninka people. Pray for bold witness among the Maninka people.
Pray for Maninka hearts to be "ABLAZE!" for Christ.
*
Ask God to give us safe travel as the family re-assembles in Bamako, Mali. Pray
for Sharon, Joel and Anna's re-adjustment to life in Guinea.
*
Praise God for the commitment that volunteer teacher Donna Meyer demonstrates
for her Lord. Ask God to provide and protect her and her family members during
her second term in Guinea.
Your fellow co-workers in Christ,
Jon, Sharon, Rachael, Joel
and Anna Oetting
La Mission Evangélique Luthérienne en Guinée
001 B.P. 438 Conakry, Guinea
FROM THE MISSION FIELD
November 2005
Dear Friends,
Where in the world to begin??? We added a note at the end of our last letter to let you know that we had reapplied with World Mission and were getting ready to head back to Guinea. That is all in place now and our time has been spent touching base with family, organizing, shopping, learning and praying, with emphasis on the last.
September was a busy month. The entire Guinea field was able to meet in St. Louis to discuss the future of the mission there and how we can best work together. Soon after that, the girls and I were able to spend about a week with my family in New York. On arriving back in Michigan Tim picked us up at the airport and we began a trip down to Kansas City where we did some finishing up work with our house and visited with our congregation and with Jonathan. Tim was able to preach at several churches there as well. Our house down there has been on the market since July. Sometime after Hurricane Katrina we were approached by our real estate agent and asked if we would consider renting our house to evacuees from the New Orleans area whose home had been flooded. We agreed and a family of five moved in in September.
The house actually only stood empty for a little over a month. Just this past week I heard from them that they were probably not going to return to their area. The flooding had force more people into their town and the schools were over crowded. Their three boys like the schools in Raymore and they love the neighbor (as did we!) A few days later we heard from our real estate agent that this family is interested in buying our house. This is another answer to prayer as we were really hoping to have the house sold before we left. Looks like the Lord was working on this for a while, and we give glory to Him. Our agent shared with us that she only sits on the board twice a year and she “happened” to be there when they announced that they were looking for places to rent. Even then she wasn’t going to mention it because she was anxious about putting renters into an unoccupied home. Finally she decided to mention it to us, and the rest is history.
Joel: As we mentioned before, Joel began at Ferris University this year. He very much enjoys playing the keyboard. He’s doing very well. He originally enrolled in pre-pharmacy but that’s up in the air now. He’s leaning toward going into mission work and so is working now on an associate’s degree with a minor in French and an undeclared major. After 2 years here he’s thinking of going to a school somewhere to study missions. He is rooming with 2 other guys at our house. One of those guys is Jesse one of Joel’s cousins. They have been close all through their growing up years. Jesse plays the guitar and sings. The third “roomie” is Phil Schempf. Phil’s dad went to the seminary with Tim and had contacted our church about a possible place for his son to live while attending Ferris this year. Phil is awesome on the violin, banjo, mandolin, and probably tons of other instruments. The guys joined together and are forming a Christian band. This past Sunday they played during the registration at the LWML Rally at our church. That was really fun to watch and hear. We feel very blessed with Joel’s situation and are excited to see where the Lord leads him in serving the Kingdom.
Jonathan: It was good for us to see Jonathan last month. It’s been a big adjustment not having him around! But he seems to really like where he is and what he’s doing.
He is attending Blue Valley West High School in Kansas and living with John and Ella Jones, members of our church in Leawood. He has challenging classes this year but is really giving it his all. Football occupies most of his time but he’s keeping his grades up. He still attends Lord of Life, where we were when we were there, so is surrounded by people he knows. Jonathan is a junior this year, so had 2 years to finish high school.
Katie and Andrea are working hard in their schooling and enjoying their last days here in the US for a while. They are looking forward to seeing their friends in Guinea again but know that things will be very different this time. We will be in a new place and we won’t have the boys with us, so it won’t quite be the same. But they are doing very well with all the moving and upheaval that is our lives right now. Tim and Beth often feel like asking the world to stop so they
can get off!! No, we’re doing fine and know that pre-travel is always hectic no matter how organized you are. We’re often in awe at how much has happened in the last year; not only that, but how much God has moved and continues to direct.
It has been a hard adjustment on us as our family begins to head in different directions. But along with direction in our lives, God is always a step ahead with lessons to be learned and a special peace that only He can provide. We are each dealing with all the change in different ways, but this time before we leave has been invaluable as we all learn how we are going to function in these new roles. We are learning that we have incredible gifted kids and that God has His finger on each of their lives. It’s exciting to watch how, even through our ignorance and sinfulness, God is in control. We will be able to be together once more for Thanksgiving when Jonathan comes to Michigan for a couple of days. Soon after that Tim and I and the girls will head for Guinea. We appreciate your prayers for us and for the boys. We can only believe that God, having brought us to this place, will continue to be faithful in all He has planned for us.
There are many ways to support the mission work in Guinea. If your congregation would like to be a part of the TIM (Together in Mission) program, contact Debbie feenstra at the LCMS World Mission office (1113 S. Kirkwood, St. Louis, MO 63122).
Please pray that God will go ahead of us, as always, and prepare everything even before we ask. Pray for the church in Guinea as we strive to find a way for them to function on their own in all ways. Pray for our preparations, health, and travel. Next time from Guinea!
Love in Jesus,
Tim, Beth, Katie, and Andrea Heiney
Nov. 24, 2005
Dear Friends,
Before I begin, Happy Thanksgiving to all! We are very blessed this year to have our whole family together once more before we head to Guinea. Jonathan came in the other day and we have enjoyed being with him again. The time always goes too fast in those situations, but we are grateful to have even these days.
Our departure date approaches, as always, way too fast! We are leaving on the first of December, which is one week from today. These last days are always hectic and torturous but somehow in the end we're still on the plane when it leaves, ready or not. This time of preparation, though, has been filled with good memories to take along, for which we are also thankful.
The
other kids are all thriving too. Joel continues to do well at Ferris and loves
his job. He's met some very interesting people along the way. The girls are
very anxious to get back (though hesitant, as you can imagine, to leave their
brothers!) This Thanksgiving will be a bit different for us as we are
celebrating Christmas with Tim's family as well, a chance for us all to be
together since we'll be gone by then. Katie even set up a tree and decorated
the house and has been baking cookies!!
We covet your prayers during
this time. Please pray for us as we try and remember all the small and large
details of leaving. There is so much to consider. Pray that we will have
patience in our packing and shipping. Also pray for safety in travel on the
first and second. Finally, pray for us as we step into our roles on the mission
field, that God will gift us for the calling to best serve Him and His Kingdom.
Thank you for your faithfulness
though everything. We count on those prayers and appreciate your taking time to
remember us. You can change our email addresses beginning the first of December to:
Tim: tim.heiney@lcms.org
Beth: beth.heiney@lcms.org
Blessings and again, Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Tim, Beth, Joel, Jonathan,
Katie and Andrea
THE LUTHERAN HOUR
The
Lutheran Hour is the world’s oldest continuous Gospel radio program. It is
sponsored by the Lutheran Layman’s League.
Tune in at:
WIBW,
580 AM at 7:30 am;
KCLY,
100.9FM at 7:30 am;
KCMO,
710 AM at 8:00 am;
KANS,
92.9 FM at 10:00 am;
KJRL
105.7 FM at 2:00 pm.
KJTY,
88.1 FM at 6:30 pm.
December 4
"A Mighty Arrival"
Christmas is coming, as is the world’s remembrance of the Babe of
Bethlehem. Ask people to describe the Savior and see if anyone lists MIGHT as
one of Jesus’ attributes. Today’s Lutheran Hour message speaks to the power
that belongs to the Prince of Peace. The Lutheran Hour is our church’s witness
in the public market place. Please listen and encourage others to do the same. (Mark 1:7)
December 11 "Good
News for You"
It doesn’t take too much time invested in the newspaper or the
evening news to discover that good news is a scarce commodity. (Isaiah 61:1b-2)
December 18 "A Name to Live Up
To"
Do you like your name? Some people do … most people don’t. They
think it doesn’t fit them, their style, or their personality. That could
certainly not be said about Jesus who, even before He was born, was given a
name that most accurately described who He was and what He would do. (Luke 1:30-31)
December 25
"Good News, Great
Joy"
Recorded on location in the fields of Bethlehem, this special
Christmas Day broadcast of The Lutheran Hour shares what the shepherds did when
they first heard about Jesus, God’s Good News of Great Joy. The message also
asks, “What will you do with God’s good News given to you?” (Luke 2:8-10)
ISSUES, ETC.
"Defending the faith . . . teaching
the truth!"
Host
Todd Wilken leads discussions with theologians and philosophers. Listen at 10:00pm Sunday night to KCVT, 92.5
FM. Tune in!
December 4 "Pietism
& American Evangelicals"
Dr. Martin Noland of the Concordia
Historical Institute
December 11 "Romans
7:Saint & Sinner"
Dr. Steven Hein of the Concordia Institute for Christian Studies
December 18
"Christmas FAQs"
Dr. Richard Bucher of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church-Lexington, KY
December 25 "Matthew’s
Christmas Story”
Dr. Jeff Gibbs of Concordia Seminary-St. Louis
January 1 "Jesus:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"
Dr. Andy Bartelt of Concordia Seminary-St. Louis