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| July 2007 Newsletter |
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Greetings, in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! You’ve heard about EXPERIENCING GOD coming as a sermon series this fall … Let me give you more of the details. First, yes, there will be a Sermon Series … it will begin with a kick-off Sunday on September 30th. There will be a break in the series on November 25th for Thanksgiving and also a three-week break over Christmas. The series will run through the end of January, concluding on January 27. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL … We will have a single adult Bible Study Class on Sunday Mornings during that time which will go deeper into the subject matter addressed in each Sunday’s message. BUT THERE’S MORE … We are currently recruiting small-group leaders to lead study groups which will meet at varying times and days during the week to take participants through the EXPERIENCING GOD workbook. We want EVERYONE to have the opportunity to be in one of these weekly study groups. So, if you’re interested in leading such a group, please let me know. And if you’ve already been asked, I pray that you will join us in this effort. The more groups we have, the more participants we can accommodate. And we do really want to get EVERYONE involved. For now, though, I ask your prayers as Paul Nickel and I develop the series and adapt the material for our use here at Our Savior. This truly is a God-sized task … so we ask you’d pray that He would lead us according to His will for our church. Also I ask your prayers for our Youth Director Call Committee. Our call to Marty Hasz was declined, so they will be seeking the Lord’s direction with the goal of bringing a second slate of candidates before the congregation as soon as possible. God’s blessings be with all of you! And I thank you for your prayers. In Him, Pastor Fausel We Give Him PraiseGod has given His people the gifts to do so much but yet it is said, “I don’t see where God is working”. This monthly feature will spotlight different areas where people have seen God at work through His people . No names will be used for these are acts of service to the Glory of God. For this month we give thanks and praise to God for:
Back to School EventWe are collecting school supplies for the EACM’s Back to School Event. The deadline to return items to the church lobby is July 29th. Please take the list of supplies with you and help purchase supplies for those children less fortunate. Items needed:
Also Needed: School Uniforms, New or Gently UsedFor girls or boys any sizeNO LOGO’S or LABELS on the OUTSIDE Pants and Shorts: black, navy, gray, tan, brown Polo Style Shirts: white, red, navy, maroon, gray, blue Belts: tan, brown, or black Please drop off in the church lobby by 9 AM on the 29th of July. Thank you. What’s The Condition Of Your Heart?But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. -- Luke 8:15At any time, the receptiveness of your heart will determine your response to God’s Word (Luke 8:5–18). If your heart is like the trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, you will be unable to accept a message from God. Though you hear the words of the message, you will remain unchanged. If your heart is like the shallow soil on top of rock, you will accept God’s Word in your mind, but the truth will not penetrate your heart to make a difference in your actions. A heart like thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God’s Word from taking hold and producing a growing, loving relationship with Him. The heart that is like good soil receives God’s Word, applies it, and brings forth fruit in due time. This is the heart that Jesus desires in us, for the fruit will be a Christ-like life. Any time you hear God’s Word, whether through Bible reading, a sermon, in Bible study, the way you respond will depend on how you have cultivated your heart (Hosea 10:12). How do you develop a heart that is like good soil? Repent of any bitterness, anger, or unforgiveness that is hardening your heart. Meditate on God’s Word until it enters deep into your heart and not just your mind. When you read or hear God’s Word, apply it to your life and let God bring His Word into reality in your life (Galatians 6:9). Protect your lifestyle. See that you don’t devote all of your energy to worldly concerns, rather than to pursuing your relationship with God. The condition of your heart will vary, depending on how you cultivate it. If it was receptive to God’s Word yesterday, this does not guarantee it is receptive today. Daily prepare your heart for the Word God has for you! Look forward to Experiencing God in your daily life! Summer Sunday Adult Bible ClassBeginning with this month and continuing through September 16th all adults are encouraged to attend the HEROES OF THE FAITH Bible Class that is meeting in the Fellowship Hall. Because of the comings and goings of our members during the summer months each study is designed to stand alone. That is, you will not feel lost or behind if you miss one or more weeks at a time. Pastor Fausel and Paul Nickel will be leading the study. Here is the schedule for July:July 1--Elisha July 8--Archangel Gabriel July 15--Anna & Simeon July 22--The Poor Woman July 29--Thomas July Summer Sunday SchoolThanks to all our summer Sunday School teacher volunteers! Spots are still open for Sundays in July and August. Please check out the bulletin board by the Music room for the open dates that you can sign up and help teach. It’s easy...the materials are prepared for you.Habitat for HumanityOur Savior is working with Thrivent, and others in the area on a Habitat for Humanity House. We need a financial commitment of $8,000, as well as a strong commitment of prayers, and physical laborers. Sign up on the church bulletin board for work-days of Saturdays, July 28 and August 25. Any questions please contact Steve Lindgren. If you are unable to go the days Our Savior is assigned to work, and desire to go and help, contact Steve and he can assist you with another day.Meijer Reward CardsIf you have a Community Reward Card from Meijer that has in the past rebated monies back to the church you will need to re-enroll in order for the church to continue to benefit from the rebate. To re-enroll go to their website at http://www.meijer.com/rewards.Box Tops for Education and Campbell’s Soup LabelsRemember to save and turn in your Box Tops for Education and the UPC symbols from participating products with Campbell Soup Labels. You may drop them off in the church or school lobby. Collecting both of these allows the school to obtain additional educational materials.Book ClubThe club is reading “The Glass Castle”, by Geannette Walls, to be discussed at the July 1st meeting. If you need a book see Karen Osborne. The book for the August 5th discussion will be “Peace Like a River”, by Leif Enger. The club meets at the Bristol off Hurstbourne Lane after the late service.Men’s Ministry BreakfastPancake Breakfast2nd Saturday of the month Saturday , July 14, 8:00 – 9:30 AM Bible Study “Hope Under Construction: Insights Into the Life of Nehemiah” led by Paul Nickel Join us and bring a friend! ChristCare Small Group Ministry – A Key Strategy For MinistryThe decision to engage in ChristCare Small Group Ministry as a strategy for ministry has the potential to transform the life of Our Savior Lutheran Church as few other decisions we might ever make. Programs come and go; strategies for ministry transform congregations and continue to make a difference. When we talk about doing ministry here at Our Savior, we need to regard ChristCare as a key.In our mission statement we make three bold commitments: 1) to love one another, 2) to seek the lost for Jesus, 3) and to make disciples. These bold actions are what ChristCare is all about. In ChristCare Groups, participants practice loving each other through growing to trust each other and sharing of themselves with each other. They learn to know each other well enough to know how and when to demonstrate their Christ-like love for all the members of their group. Members have the opportunity to grow in their discipleship as they study the Word and that Word transforms their lives. ChristCare Groups can give us a powerful way to take the words of our mission statement and translate them into action. ChristCare is an excellent strategy for seeking the lost. It can provide a side door into our congregation. People who might not yet be comfortable coming to a church for worship might be willing to come to a small group. This is where ChristCare Groups can seek the lost. By getting people into small groups, they may eventually become an active part of the congregation ChristCare groups can help members remain connected to the church. We want people to be assimilated into the church not just as church members but, most of all, as Jesus’ disciples. ChristCare can be an important tool in helping people move toward that deeper level of assimilation. When people get into biblically based small groups, their walk with the Lord will be strengthened and they are helped to become lifelong disciples of Jesus. People who may have been scared to death to talk about the Bible and who would not pray in public have the opportunity to grow in a nurturing environment where Christ is at the center. When ChristCare is a strategy for congregational ministry, not just another program, it becomes an excellent means for training members for ministry. It becomes a way of growing congregational leaders. It will increase the friendliness and warmth of our congregation. It helps us to be more caring and focused on others. Isn’t that were we want to be? More importantly, isn’t that were our Lord wants us to be? In His Love and Care, Paul Nickel Meet Our ChristCare Groups! For information about when and where these groups meet, please contact the leader. Seniors Sharing Our Faith Focus: All Seniors Leader: Norm Kendt Phone: 254-1612 Single Seniors for Women Focus: Single Senior Women Leader: Emily Hayes Phone: 253-5541 C2P2 – ChristCare’s Proud Parents Focus: Parents of Elementary and Middle School Children Leader: Scott Kamman Phone: 254-1308 Soul Food Focus: Anyone interested in in-depth Bible study Leader: Mark and Pat Otten Phone: 244-5903 Meets every other Sunday YALL - Young Adult Lutheran Life Focus: Young Adults Leader: David & Leah Robison Phone: 938-4766 Meets every Thursday, 7:30 - 9:00, at 1505 Cadence Ct Your ChristCare Equipper Team Charles and Marsha Puckett, 473-1691 Paul Nickel, 426-1130 Meals on Wheels Volunteers NeededIf you are interested in assisting with serving Meals on Wheels in the area of the church to people in need of nutritious meals on Mondays please contact Caroline Wesley at 244-6761. You can determine the amount of time you want to commit to the program.Our Savior Music “Notes”Worship Reminder: Please remember to turn the ringer of your cell phone off when entering the sanctuary! Thank you for maintaining a worshipful atmosphere.Answer to the June quiz: The song that beckons, “Little children, come to Me, For My kingdom is of these. Life and love I have to give, Mercy for your sin” is “Father Welcomes.” (LSB 605). July quiz: Which song asks, “Fill me, Lord, with love’s strong fervor That I cling to You forever”? Contemporary Worship Teams: Singers and musicians, if you are out there, know that we are still in need of volunteers to help us out at our 11:00 AM Majestic Celebration worship services. We are in special need of a keyboard leader and guitarists, as well as wind instrumentalists and vocalists. If you would like to sing or play on a regular basis, talk to Scott (426-1130). Time commitment depends solely on you, as little or as much as you desire. Summer is a great time to hop in and get your feet wet….give it a try! Hearing Assist devices: Had trouble hearing well in our sanctuary? These small sound amplifying devices are available from the ushers. Please ask for them! They amplify what is going through our sound system. If you would like to purchase your own personal set of earphones for use with the church sound system, please contact the church office. (These devices do not work outside the sanctuary.) Worship Notes! In an effort to try to help us all learn about our worship life and liturgy, we offer this little “tidbit” of information each month. It can serve as a review for you, an answer to that question, “Why do we do that?”, or as a teaching tool for our children or grandchildren. Please share this with your family. Discuss it prior to worship. If there is something you would like to have answered, let me know. I’ll do my best to find out! Check out this month’s edition of “Worship Notes!” This Month's Worship Notes: Within the liturgical worship service, there are certain parts – called “the Ordinary” – which are the same from week to week, such as the Invocation, the Confession and Absolution, the Kyrie, the Hymn of Praise, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Benediction. The other sections – called “the Propers” – are different every Sunday. They include the Collect, the Scripture readings, the hymns, the Introit and Gradual, and the Prayer of the Church. OSLC Grounds Clean Up DayPlease join your fellow members on Saturday, August 18, anytime between 9 AM and 3 PM to help spruce up the grounds Our Savior. There will be a sign-up sheet in the church lobby towards the end of July on the Bulletin Board. Please bring gardening tools, gloves, etc. Make sure you sign-up as lunch will be provided. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Brieschke at 426-0864.Summer is Here and Our Savior is Open for Business!School is out -- vacations are in full swing -- summer camps -- summer jobs -- but OUR SAVIOR IS OPEN every day year around! We know you are going to have a very busy summer with all of the above. Remember that Our Savior does not take a break and that the everyday expenses of LG&E, wages & salaries as well as the many other fixed expenses keep coming in to be paid.In addition to the expenses that we have been accustom to occurring over the last several years, we have an added expense this year, that of supporting a Youth Director. While it is true that the recent call to place a Youth Director was declined, we must still financially be prepared to support the person that God has prepared to tend to our youth. It is important for all to support this part of the overall ministry at Our Savior. I would continue to ask you to pray for the Youth Program and if you have not yet made a commitment, please prayerfully consider doing so. Our youth are our future. If you have made a commitment already, thank you. Attendance during these travel months declines as you travel to visit friends and family. Send or drop off your General Fund and/or Youth offerings to the church office. More importantly, VISIT A CHURCH during your travels and bring back your CHURCH BULLETIN for us to post on our "TRAVEL BOARD" for all to see. Travel safely and enjoy the summer! Larry Ashley - Stewardship 07 From the Music DirectorDear friends in Christ,While watching the birds at our outdoor feeders and birdhouses this summer, we’ve been listening to their singing and learning to identify them. Both of our girls enjoy them, especially when they perch on our deck feeder. We even got to witness a nest of turtle doves right outside Hannah’s window. They’ve learned to be very quiet, so as not to scare them away. We’ve heard many different songs this summer, from the cheery greeting of the cardinal to the scary growl of the grackle to the multiple-personality singing of the mockingbird. One thing that I think is neat about birds is that even though each bird sounds different, they still all sing at once – not just the ones who could sing the best, nor the ones with the beautiful feathers. Each bird is singing his best, and it doesn’t bother him at all if another bird was singing something different. Birds also sing every single day, no matter what. They never quit. Birds can teach us that we should not think less of how our song sounds compared to another person’s. We should sing the music that God has given us as well as we can and use it to glorify him. They also teach us that singing praise to God is not something just done once a week! It is for always. One of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther is on singing and music. He wrote: “Music is one of the fairest and most glorious gifts of God, to which Satan is a bitter enemy, for it removes from the heart the weight of sorrow and the fascination of evil thoughts. It is a kind and gentle sort of discipline; it refines the passions and improves the understanding. Those who love music are gentle and honest in their tempers. I always loved music and would not for a great matter be without the little skill I possess in the art.” Give glory to God! Hope to see you in worship! Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. James 5:13 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 1 Corinthians 14:15 Yours in Him, Scott Kamman Radio Ministry ChangesBeginning July 1, 2007 Our Sunday Morning, “Music and a Message” will be aired on 1080 AM WKJK at 9:30 AM each Sunday morning.Money Counters NeededAdditional people are needed to work in the area of counting the offering money. Current members need to step down from the position and new people are needed to take over the task. Anyone interested in helping to count the offering should contact the church office, 426-1130. Free on-the-job training is provided. Please prayerfully consider if you could assist in this area of service.Childcare Project Team UpdateIn keeping with the Great Commission, our vision is to foster the establishment of a new outreach ministry for Our Savior Lutheran Congregation in the form of a self-supporting high quality Christian Early Childhood Development Center (for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age).The Church Development Partners (CDP) Assessment Workshop scheduled for June 13th at Our Savior was postponed because of reorganization at CDP. To better serve LCMS Congregations and to meet IRS regulations they have been split into two legally separate organizations. One to help congregations acquire property and another to develop property. They have told us that they will still help us with the evaluation of potential Childcare sites and with property acquisition, but they need a few days to complete the reorganization. We still anticipate selecting the two sites for Market Studies by the end of summer. On May 21st Pastor Fausel and Norm Kendt attended the Louisville Federation meeting and presented Our Savior’s Plans for “Growing the Kingdom” through Childcare. A sister congregation told the Federation that they planned to start a “Preaching Station” this fall on a site Our Savior has previously identified as a potential Childcare Center site. We will continue to work cooperatively with them and the Federation in “Growing the Kingdom”. The Architectural Evaluation of our current campus, for the feasibility of adding a Childcare Center to the property, is underway but has been delayed to coordinate with the CDP reorganization, but it will be completed by the end of August. Don Amt (the Indiana District Architectural Advisor) is doing the evaluation and we expect a visit from him around August 1st. The Team is attempting to move the project along as fast as possible, but wants to ensure we thoroughly do the upfront “homework” necessary for success and are following God’s will for us. We estimate that the schedule presented at the May 20th, congregation meeting for Market Studies in Sep-Oct with a recommendation to the congregation in the Nov-Dec timeframe will be met. The congregation’s prayers are requested to help Our Savior determine the Lord’s will. Norm Kendt Quest for the TruthWe’d Love To Take You And Your Children On Our Quest for Truth This SummerOur Quest for Truth Vacation Bible School needs great volunteers and we’re hoping you will help. Help kids find the real truth about Jesus by serving as a VBS volunteer. Our VBS will be held July 16 – 20 from 9:00 AM to Noon. We provide all the resources you need, as well as Quest for Truth volunteer training. We also need for you to pre-register your children. Any child from potty trained three-year-olds through those who have completed fifth grade are invited to attend. You will find a copy of the registration form as a part of this newsletter and more are available at the Welcome Center at church. Invite the children of your neighbors and friends. Registration forms can be turned in at the church office. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tracy Hannon, our VBS Director. Thanks for taking time to pray for our 2007 VBS and consider your part in it. |