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Sermons of the month |
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March 4, Second Sunday in Lent
“Covenant Labor Pains” Genesis 17:1-7, 15-17
Hymn of the Day: O Master, Let Me Walk With You
March 11, Third Sunday in Lent
“Covenant Commandments Controversy”
Hymn of the Day: Oh, That the Lord Would Guide My Ways
March 18, Fourth Sunday in Lent
“Covenant Down, Snake Up”
Hymn of the Day: My Faith Looks Up to Thee
March 25, Fifth Sunday in Lent
“Open Heart Covenant Surgery”
Hymn of the Day: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Midweek Lent—Two And A Half Sacraments and an Almost
Wednesdays in Lent we are talking Baptism and Communion, but we are also talking
the “half” Lutheran Sacrament and an almost-became-a sacrament!
We will be cracking open our old blue With One Voice hymnals for the simple yet
beautiful Service of Word and Prayer with Holy Communion.
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From Our Pastor |
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Pastor Darrell Guder has drawn on Jesus’ words in John 20:21 to assert, “We have learned to speak of God as a ‘missionary God.’ Thus we have learned to understand the church as a ‘sent people.’”
From this Biblical basis, Guder critiques a common practice of churches to make mission only one of the many programs that we do. Instead, Guder sees mission as the very being of the church. Guder writes, “…mission is not just a program of the church. It defines the church as God’s sent people. Either we are defined by mission, or we reduce the scope of the gospel and the mandate of the church. Thus our challenge today is to move from church with mission to missional church” (Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, pages 4 and 6).
On March 23 and 24 we are going to gather as a congregation on retreat at Lutherhaven under the theme of, “We the Sent Church.” We are going to consider this notion of being the sent church in both a broad sense and in the particular sense of what particular ministry emphasis God may be leading us to live out this year. We will do so through worship, prayer, Bible study and dialog.
We will gather Friday evening, March 23 at Lutherhaven (directions are below my letter) in the Retreat Center. We will be having a potluck dinner about 7 p.m. A few people will be bringing hot dishes in crock pots while everyone else is asked to bring side dishes, salads, munchies, or deserts. About 8 p.m., we will have some mixing together time to be followed by an informal worship service of Holy Communion. The rest of the evening is free for visiting and game playing.
Saturday morning we will have breakfast in the Lutherhaven dining hall about 8:30 a.m. About 9:30 a.m. we will start our main program. We will be reflecting on three passages from the Gospel of John: John 10, in particular verses 7-10, to consider what it means that we are called to both go out and to come back in; John 11, in particular verse 25, to consider the role of death and resurrection in the life of a sent congregation; and John 20, in particular verse 21, to consider just how we are a sent church.
Out of this Bible reflection, we will use prayer and dialog to review and reassess our congregation purpose statement (found in every bulletin and newsletter), guiding principles and goals. We may be adding new goals or refocusing on older goals or both. We will pick two or three goals that for each we will make a brief action plan to be intentional on working towards those goals.
We hope our mission related goals can meet real needs in the communities in which we live, go to school, and work. So, we are asking for a little bit of homework. If you happen to know people who would have a good grasp of community needs, please consider having a conversation with them about what needs they see in the community. Also, please just keep your eyes and ears open to what is happening around you as you spend time in our communities. Listen and look for what might be new openings for ministry.
Lunch will be about 12:30 in the dining hall. After lunch we will have a group activity. After that we will finish up our main program. The rest of the afternoon will be free for you to enjoy being at Lutherhaven and then heading back home. See below for some details for the retreat.
Please prayerfully consider coming to this retreat. The more ears we gather together the better we will be able to hear God calling. For the last four years we have had annual retreats for church council members and these retreats have been inspirational and fruitful. We now want to invite all congregation members to be part of this retreat process. It is as all of us together that we are truly the sent church of our God.
Peace, Love, and Luther,
Pastor Duane
Lutherhaven Retreat Directions and Details
Directions from Interstate 90 into Coeur d’Alene: take the exit for US 95 South; travel south on US 95; approximately 6.5 miles past Coeur d’Alene, turn LEFT on Kidd Island Bay Road; follow the signs to CAMP LUTHERHAVEN, approximately 3 miles, turning RIGHT on Valhalla Road and RIGHT onto Lutherhaven Road. You can also go through North Idaho and then take US 95 going south.
Cost: $57 for overnight stay and two meals on Saturday. If you choose not to spend the night, you will just pay for your meals.
If you have food allergies please let Ruth McCauley or Pastor Duane know so they can pass it on to Lutherhaven staff. | |
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Witnesses for Christ |
Training for Intentional Witnessing
Developed by Pastor Edward MarkquartPart Ten: Giving Invitations As has been stressed throughout these excerpts from “Witness for Christ,” intentional witnessing is not about forcing your faith on to an unchurched person. Intentional witnessing is about honoring where your unchurched person is on their faith journey and only sharing your faith when the time is right. But at some point, it will be the right time to invite that person into a relationship with Jesus. And note: our invitation is always first to Jesus. You might invite them to church, but only because a church community is one of the best places to encounter Jesus. But all this leads us to one last thing to consider: WHAT DO YA DO WHEN THEY ACTUALLY SAY, “YES.” Yes, you might invite someone into either a new relationship with Jesus or a deeper relationship with Jesus, and they might actually say, “Yes.” What do you do then? Well, since each person is an individual, there is not one answer to this. And since we are saved by grace, there is no required response (the so-called “Jesus Prayer” is not necessary). But there are some ways of living out the invitation that may be meaningful in certain situations. As you continue to dialog and listen, you may pick up on what may be appropriate for this particular person. Here are some possible options: -- Prayer of Thanksgiving: Just a simple prayer giving thanks to God for the gift the faith and for what God is doing in both your lives. -- Invitation to the Table of Holy Communion as a sign of returning to the fellowship of the community of Christ -- Affirmation of Baptism for those who have had their membership dropped and want to restore their membership -- Holy Baptism, obviously, for those who have never been baptized -- Invitation to Pastor’s new member class. Offer this as a gift not a requirement. Fellowship with the community of Christ is a gift from Jesus and there shouldn’t be requirements for that fellowship. At the same time, we want to provide opportunities for people to learn more about this gift of faith so they can experience it with deeper meaning. Pastor Duane is always willing to schedule new member classes (there are four sessions). | |
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Council Minutes |
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Council Meeting Mini-Minutes—February 14, 2012
(Complete Council minutes are available in the church office)
Present: Pastor Duane Anderson, Bill Thompson, Ruth McCauley, Erica Reinoehl, Dick Bruner,
Deron Schroeder, Patty Cowen, John Bredeson. Excused member-Cindy Shepard.
Minutes: Accepted.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor Duane attended February 11 meeting of Renewed Evangelism Table. Our
Retreat Outcome form including guiding principles and goals was presented as part of crafting a
mission plan form to be used in our Synod. There was a presentation about Christ Lutheran, Walla
Walla, and their Foster Parents Night Out Program which may be something to consider at the retreat
when we discuss our future mission plans.
Treasurer’s Report: Filed for audit.
Financial Report: Filed for audit. Income for January was $6,203 and so far in February $3,759.
Synod: Patty reported on recent Region One Synod Assembly Meeting. A significant area for growth
and outreach is www.soulcafe.org, and there will be regular postings of interest. There were field
trips, and one offered this year was to a “Habitat for Humanity” project. Two seats will be available
for 2013 Synod council. A committee is being formed to help shape and determine Synod future.
Cemetery: Dick reported all actions are still tabled until spring.
Education: Pastor will set meeting within next month.
Koinonia: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner and fellowship will be held on Tuesday, 2/12/12. Pastor
reported that Roberta had volunteered to help arrange for a new membership directory. During the
discussion that followed, it was determined there is no cash outlay on the part of the congregation,
just some time required.
Learning Center: No current activity planned.
Property: No report.
Thrivent: Thrivent has increased their recent gifts to congregations.
Youth: Our congregation and 2 others are pursuing a “group rate” through Southwest Airlines for
youth attending the National Convention in New Orleans.
Worship: No report.
New business: Van: Following a discussion it was decided not to pursue purchase of a van at this
time. Retreat Planning: Pastor will focus his next newsletter article on three passages from John he
wants to focus on during retreat. His hope is we will develop an action plan for 2-3 of our
congregation’s goals.
Next Meeting: March 13, 2012, at 7:00pm.
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Congregational Meeting Minutes — February 12, 2012
The council discovered an error in the increase to salary for Pastor, for fiscal year 2011-2012. When
computing the increase, the correct formula had not been used relative to increase to housing allowance,
which is considered part of Pastor’s salary. The error would have created a shortage to pastor of $309 for
the fiscal year. The motion to increase the Pastor’s fiscal year total compensation by $309 was approved
unanimously by the congregation. | |
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Scriptures |
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March 4 – 2nd Sunday in Lent
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:23-31 (27)
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
March 11 – 3rd Sunday in Lent
Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19 (8)
I Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22
March 18 – 4th Sunday in Lent
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 (19)
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
March 25 – 5th Sunday in Lent
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:1-12 (10) or Psalm 119:9-16(11)
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33 | |
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Mission by Krafft |
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EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
A few years ago Cora Aguilar, who is an ELCA pastor, and her husband decided to buy a house in Maricopa, Ariz., and retire. But, Cora soon discovered, God had other plans. In April 2010, Cora was named as the mission developer for an ELCA new-start congregation in her new community. Mission developers receive funding from our ELCA. Maricopa Lutheran Chapel hopes to be a recognized ELCA congregation by 2013.
“I knew it was a divine call,” says Cora. “I knew I was called here to Arizona because of this church.”
ELCA members in Maricopa had previously driven long distances — sometimes over 100 miles round trip — to attend church on Sundays. Out of their desire to worship closer to home, and under Cora’s guidance, Maricopa Lutheran Chapel was born. Ruben Duran directs the ELCA churchwide organization’s program for new congregations. He says, “Cora has a deep passion for people and an expertise in mission. … Nothing will detract her from doing her best and giving her all to help grow (Maricopa).”
Sue Fletcher, who has been with the congregation since the beginning, says Cora plays a big role in making people feel welcome. “Cora doesn’t miss a beat. She knows everyone who’s there, and if you’re new, she always welcomes you before the service. It’s a warm and loving congregation.” They’ve seen a lot of growth in the past couple years, and they now have a steady Sunday worship attendance of 50-60 people. Although initially most of the people joining were retired, the congregation now has people of all ages, and they’re even holding Sunday school and confirmation classes.
Maricopa Lutheran doesn’t have a permanent worship space and has held services at many locations in the community, some more unusual than others.
(cont’d on page 7)
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(cont’d from page 6)
When Carol VanBatavia first went to worship at Maricopa Lutheran after moving to Arizona in 2010, she was surprised to find herself driving up a dirt road toward an old ranch house. This certainly wasn’t the type of worship space she had been used to back in South Dakota. But the moment she stepped inside the house, “it was just an awesome feeling. Everyone was welcoming. You could feel the Holy Spirit. It’s been a great joy for us to come here and have that feeling of connection with Maricopa, like it’s our home and we’ve been here for a long time.”
And although they’re still working to increase their numbers and get organized, that hasn’t stopped Maricopa from looking beyond its own four walls. “We’re definitely not going to become complacent when we get settled,” says Cora. “No, no, no!” Recently there’s talk of trying to do some ecumenical outreach with other churches in Maricopa, “especially the Methodist and Presbyterian churches because we have full communion with them.”
“What’s wonderful about Maricopa Lutheran, Sue Fletcher says, is that it is “one that grew from within. The people wanted a church and we were determined that we wanted to do it and so we did. And we know the Holy Spirit was working here with us the whole time.”
ALSO NOTED:
Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, will receive the German Media Prize award Feb. 24 for his work in founding educational, cultural and health care institutions and his commitment to inter-faith dialogue and peacemaking in the Middle East. We noted the work of Dr. Raheb in December’s article. You can also find the full article at www.elca.org.
Pastor Betty Krafft | |
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Youth News & Events |
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“Hangin’ with the Pastor”
Sunday—March 18, Noon
Congratulations to Jeffrey
Thompson on his recent
acceptance into the National
Junior Honor Society!
SAVE YOUR ALUMINUM CANS!
The “New Orleans Kids” are
recycling cans as a fundraiser for
their trip to the National Youth
Convention this Summer.
Please bring your cans to the church, or call
and they will come pick them up (951-4230). | |
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Zion Hill Cemetery |
CEMETERY COMMITTEEZion Lutheran Cemetery is located at Mason and Spotted Road near Clayton. It is the role of the cemetery committee to oversee the care and management of the property. This year the committee has worked hard to update the plot records and map of sites. The council adopted a fee standard, and committee members show available sites and explain the fees. A committee member marks off the grave site prior to any burial. The Council President issues and signs the contracts, secures the funds, and informs the committee and staff of sales. Records will be kept current. Current committee members are Rex Schimke, Mike Boggs, Dick Bruner, Bill Seabright and Ruth McCauley. If you would like more information or would like to serve on this committee, please contact any of the committee members. | |
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Mark Your Calendar: |
Spring Ladies’ Craft Day
Saturday, March 17—10am to 2pm
Spring ladies' craft day will be held in the Fellowship Hall on
Saturday, March 17th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Bring a dish to share at a potluck lunch.
Possible projects are a new tablerunner, casserole carrying cover, or oven
mitts.....see the display in the Fellowship Hall and sign up indicating which project
you would like to do.
For information contact Roberta (276-2343) or Ruth (276-7715).Thrivent Night with the Spokane Chiefs Mar.10 7 pm $10 tickets Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod Assembly (April 27-29). | |
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LIGHTS |
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LIGHTS Group
LIGHTS stands for Living in Good Health Through Scripture. The group meets Tuesday nights at 5:30 for a light potluck meal and to learn about healthy ways of living.
Starting on Tuesday, January 31st, we will be studying a new DVD presentation by Pastor Chip Ingram: Five Lies that Ruin Relationships. Topics include: why we fight with those we love, defusing conflict, restoring relationships, why we wound others with our words, how our jobs can destroy relationships, using wealth wisely, and how to pursue God-given dreams.
Please feel free to join us for this series of messages based on the book of James. For information contact Patty Cowen or Ruth McCauley.
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Did you know?
Combining onion or garlic with whole grain foods helps to absorb the zinc found in whole grains? Zinc is important in building a strong immune system.
(June Bauer, RD-Woman’s Day magazine) | |
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Women of Norway |
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If you are of Scandinavian heritage (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, or Iceland), the newly formed Spokane Lodge of the Daughters of Norway invites you to become a member.
The purpose of the Daughters of Norway is to unite into a sisterhood women who wish to preserve their Scandinavian heritage by exploring its rich history, delightful culture, folk arts, and native languages.
The Daughters of Norway gather monthly to share Nordic tales, try their skills at Scandinavian cooking, learn the techniques of the colorful art or learn tips on how to trace family roots. Field trips are offered throughout the Pacific Northwest to sites and events of special interest.
Meetings are the 4th Saturday of the month at 10am, at Sons of Norway Hall, 6710 North Country Homes Blvd., Spokane WA.
For more information:
Freya Lodge #50, Daughters of Norway Susan Jarvis, president: 509-534-0602 email: Freya Lodge #50
Website: www.daughtersofnorwayfreya | |
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Thrivent Ministries |
THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANSPerhaps you have wondered just what Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is all about. If you go on-line and search “Thrivent” you will find links to their
history and current work, their mission, vision, and core values. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans came into being in 2001 as a merger of two not-for-profit mutual aid societies: Aid Association for Lutherans begun in 1902 and Lutheran Brotherhood begun in 1917. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for its members, their families and communities. They offer many investment opportunities and insurance packages with a good history of returns. In addition they give members a means of outreach to communities through various grants and matching funds. This year Zion received matching funds for both the church and learning center rest stop events, and for help dispersing school supplies to Deer Park youth. School supplies were dispersed as a community service project. We received some matching funds for our roof repair,a congregational service project. Thrivent Financial is developing a new way to involve its members in giving money to charities. Members of Thrivent, those who are invested with them through trusts,
securities, insurance, annuities, etc., will vote in April for how $1 million will be distributed. There will also be individual designations to approved organizations, like Zion in Deer Park.
In addition to the grants, Thrivent hosts the lutheransonline.com web site and gives us free web space for our site. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me……..Kathy Roloff | | | | | | |
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