1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Encourager
Volunteers from
around the
Mid-South District
“In everything I did, I showed
you that by this kind of hard
work we must help the weak,
remembering the words the
Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is
more blessed to give than to
receive.’” Acts 20:35 (NIV)
This month we focus on
volunteers who bless others
with their service. They may
not always be seen but their
presence, time and hard
work always shines the light
of Christ.
less Our
God B
volunteers
Mid-South District LCMS | April 2015
Message from Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola, President
F
ather’s Day was supposed to
be a day of joy. But, as I read in
a story recently, for the Hawkins
family, Father’s Day was one of
trouble! Their son Brennan was
missing from a Boy Scout camp
in Utah’s mountains. For three
days, thousands of volunteers
were searching, but couldn’t
find Brennan. A youngster, lost,
without food, and facing cold
mountain air at night made the
family realize that hope was
evaporating with each passing
minute.
However, a house painter
heard about Brennan on the
news. He decided to leave work
and drive to the area around
the Boy Scout camp. He drove
his four-wheeler far away from
the camp. Around noon on
the first day of his search, he
found Brennan. He drove far
enough up a mountain trail to
get a signal for his cell phone
and called the police. Brennan
Hawkins is alive today, because
he was saved by Forrest Nunley,
a humble, but caring house
painter, cared for someone he
had never seen before.
Although there are other
stories like Forrest’s, such
gallantry is rare; and the results
of desperate situations don’t
always have a happy ending.
When we visit congregations on
our District’s COMPASS visits, we
see gifted people – volunteers
who want to put their collective
shoulders to the wheel and get
work done for the congregation
and the Kingdom of God. There
are those, however, after seeing
the Geico commercial (where
Pinocchio, the inspirational
speaker says, “I look out on
this crowd and I can see that
you are gifted.” At which time,
his growing nose abruptly
stops him in mid-sentence
before a deflated audience.)
also become discouraged and
decide to not get involved.
God says we are gifted - each
person He has called into His
Holy Church. Despite Corinth’s
divisions in the church, the
Apostle addresses the topic of
spiritual gifts. St Paul writes to
the Corinthians, saying, “Now,
there are varieties of gifts, but the
same Spirit; and there are varieties
of service, but the same Lord; and
there are varieties of activities, but
it is the same God who empowers
them all in everyone.” (I Cor.
12:4-6, ESV, emphasis mine.)
Unlike Pinocchio, God does not
lie. The Holy Spirit, who has
called, gathered, enlightened,
Volunteers Connect
Congregations with
the LCEF Mission
Across the Mid-South
District, volunteers are
helping to share the
mission of Lutheran Church
Extension Fund (LCEF).
About 40 congregations
across Arkansas, Tennessee
and southern Kentucky
have an active LCEF volunteer in place, called a
Congregational Advocate.
These great volunteers
help increase awareness
of the LCEF opportunity
within their congregations.
Throughout the month
of April, you can “get to
know” some of these
awesome volunteers on
the LCEF of the Mid-South
Facebook page. Just visit
and like “LCEFMidSouth”
on Facebook to check
out the pictures and brief
profiles of some of the
great individuals who share
a passion for LCEF’s mission
of empowering ministry.
and sanctified us with His gifts
(Luther’s Small Catechism, Third
Article of the Apostle’s Creed),
has given us His gifts for work in
His Kingdom.
St. Paul offers a long list of
spiritual and practical gifts
given to the Christian Church.
He begins saying, “Now about
spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not
want you to be ignorant.” (I Cor
12:1) He sets the tone to lead
the Corinthians out of their
stubborn ignorance into an
understanding of the value and
purpose of their spiritual gifts.
But, even for us today, the
Lord of the Church still speaks
through His Word calling us
to use our given gifts to serve
others. In a similar way none
of us can take credit for our
giftedness. In his letter to the
Ephesians, Paul says, “For we
are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.”
(Eph. 2:10) By His Grace, the Holy
Spirit brought us the gifts of
faith, forgiveness, spiritual life,
salvation, and sanctification,
e.g., good works.
The gift of faith comes to us
without any work on our part,
as Paul reminds us, “For it is
by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can
boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9) Spiritual gifts
and good works can only grow
out of faith in Christ. But how
do we know if we’re spiritually
gifted? Because God’s Word
gave us the gift of faith, and, led
by the Holy Spirit, our human
short-comings are sanctified as
spiritual gifts for serving others.
Each of us has at least one gift
(according to God’s analysis) to
be used for serving others for
the “common good” of all.
In I Peter 4:10, the Apostle
reminds us of this truth: “Each
one should use whatever gift
he has received to serve others,
faithfully administering God’s
grace in its various forms.”
Spiritual gifts from the Holy
Spirit may be different from one
person to another, but everyone
is given at least one gift that can
be used in Kingdom service.
Paul sent a list of special gifts
to the Roman congregation, “We
have different gifts, according
to the grace given us. If a man’s
gift is prophesying, let him use
it in proportion to his faith. If it
is serving, let him serve; if it is
teaching, let him teach; if it is
encouraging, let him encourage;
if it is contributing to the needs of
others, let him give generously;
if it is leadership, let him govern
diligently; if it is showing mercy,
let him do it cheerfully.” (Rom.
12:6-8)
When I look around the
congregations of the Mid-South
District, and here in our District
office, we see God’s people
serving is such ways: “Meals on
Wheels,” Habitat for Humanity,
Food
Pantries,
“Special
Ministries,” servant events,
ushering,
shoveling
snow,
setting up for communion,
preparing food for soup suppers,
making coffee, bake sales, fix-up
and clean-up project as we
prepare for Easter. These are all
ways to serve in God’s Kingdom.
Your financial blessings are given
to reach outside the walls of the
church and around the world.
Your time given in volunteer
service in Sunday school, Church
Council, Board of Elders, LWML,
Women’s Guild, Youth group –
all of these are demonstrations
of what God’s people do for His
kingdom.
But, I am also convinced there
is a voluntary aspect of being
called as a member of His Church
that needs pointing out as well.
Your reactions might be, “Who,
me? I don’t like talking about
that sort of thing!” Well, God
says you’re gifted, because He
has called you to be His witness
to those who are living in fear
and darkness. He says you’re
gifted! Don’t underestimate His
gift - the gift of faith.
Take a look at the focus of
ministry going on. What do we
see? Remember the story of
Brennan Hawkins and Forrest
Nunley. If Forrest hadn’t cared
enough to drive through mud
holes, through mountainous
terrain,
and
dangerous
predators, would Brennan be
alive to tell his story? There’s
at least one person who will
cross your path who needs to
be rescued from the travails of
being lost. You may be just the
one to share your story of our
blessed hope in Jesus Christ.
What a perfect time of the year
God offers us – Easter – the
blessed hope beyond compare.
Thank you all – volunteers in the
Kingdom of God.
Christus Victor Lutheran Church
(CVLC) Knoxville Volunteers
It
is a good thing that we live in the volunteer state, because
this church is filled with people who are not afraid to step
up, and share in the gifts that God has blessed them with.
In my almost four years that I have been shepherding the
fine folks here I have been completely blown away. They,
time after time continue to rise up and tend to the needs
of the church, community, campus, and lives of the people
surrounding us.
I could spend all day writing and still not even begin to
thank everyone who has given of their time to help make this
church, God’s church into all that it is. Last month for example,
we were blessed with a financial gift that allowed us to put
televisions in the sanctuary, making worship easier for guest
and members alike. After a couple of phone calls I rallied up
a good 6-8 people that showed up, sparing their time, and
worked all day to get the wires pulled, the televisions hung
and the system up and running. God is good and has placed
these individuals here, and for that I am thankful.
We have a blessed group of ladies here that work endlessly,
helping to make our time here more enjoyable. From cleaning
the church, making sure that everything is presentable for
worship, to preparation of food, snacks and coffee for Bible
study on Sunday. For
example, a couple
of
weeks
back,
attendance was low
and we cancelled a
service because of snow and ice. One of the families here
recently had a child, and their family was stuck in town visiting.
With only three days notice, the fellowship committee got
together and planned a reception for the family and the
congregation as a whole.
Again I could go on and add to this list of people who have
stepped up, giving of themselves to share the grace and
love of God with church and the community. I could not say
enough about the volunteers who have sacrificed their time,
for the glory of God and the building of His church. What a
blessing it is to have faithful believers who give of themselves
time and time again, praise God from whom a blessings flow.
Pastor Bill Ondracka
Christus Victor Lutheran Church — Knoxville, TN
Hearts to Serve
By Denise Gudlin
“Alone we can do so little; together we can
do so much.” ~ Helen Keller
Helen Keller was right on and totally describes
how Trinity/HOPE has been so successful. It is
our volunteers answering God’s calling to use
their talents to work together to share the
Gospel of Jesus Christ with the hungry children
in Haiti!
As the unified body of Christ we
work towards our goal to feed children
spiritually and physically so they can
spend their eternal life in paradise. The
future of Haiti depends on these young
lives learning to read and write to
break the bonds of vodou and instead
see that God does love them and has a
plan for their life.
While we do have paid staff, that is
just a small part of our total workforce.
It is our volunteers that perform over 80% of the
tasks needed to reach our goal. Wow! What a
true blessing it is to serve with people who want
to change the lives of the children one bowl of
rice and beans at a time.
Maybe they volunteer because they
want to work with a friend or maybe it is
because they do it for the humanitarian
aspects of the job, but whatever their
reason the benefits are far-reaching.
It is proven that volunteering is good
for you and brings fulfillment to your
life. Some of our volunteers may never
meet a child they have helped and others are in
Haiti helping to serve and feed the children, but
each child feels the love of God through their
efforts.
If you are called to help Trinity/HOPE and
would like to share the gifts God has given you,
please go to our website at TrinityHope.org and
contact us for more information. You have never
really lived until you have done something for
someone who can never repay you!
“Handy” Volunteers Are a Huge Help at Christ the King - Memphis
Christ the King Lutheran
Church and School is blessed by a
unique team of volunteers called
the Nehemiahs. Named after
the Old Testament figure who
skillfully rebuilt and restored the
wall of Jerusalem in just 52 days,
the Nehemiahs meet weekly
at Christ the King to rebuild,
restore, clean up, plant and
take care of a variety of “handy”
needs around the church and
school campus – and beyond.
In addition to sharing their
skills, the Nehemiahs also share
fellowship, food and devotions
at each weekly meeting. What
an inspirational way to serve!
Congregational Mission Commitments
Mission Commitment Receipts as of 2/28/15 (2 Months)
Anticipated Amount (16.66% of budget)....................................$281,234
Actual Receipts............................................................................. 270,769
Over (under) anticipated amount...............................................($10,465)
Use of Mission Commitment Receipts (2 Months)
Allocated to Synod for World Missions .........................................$76,387
Allocated to TCN................................................................................. 677
Allocated to Tanzania....................................................................... 4,167
Retained for District Mission/Ministry Support (70% of receipts).. 189,538
Total Receipts............................................................................. $270,769
Next month’s Encourager focus
will be on Small Town/Rural
Ministry. Share your stories and
photos with us.
Mission Commitment Receipts Prior Year Comparison (2 Months)
Actual Receipts as of 2/28/15..................................................... $270,769
Actual Receipts as of 2/28/14......................................................$239,156
Over (under) prior year receipts.................................................... $31,613
A volunteer named “Mom”
As
I walked down the painted
stairs into the dimly-lit
youth room, I was greeted by a
familiar face, a middle aged man
who I, along with the rest of the
youth group affectionately called
“mom”. A few years before, Jeff
had moved to the area for work
reasons and didn’t know anyone.
He quickly joined the church,
and within the first month, once
the house was bought and the
boxes were unpacked, Jeff took
it upon himself to track down
the youth director and volunteer
his services. The over worked
youth director thought he was
getting some quick relief, but
no one could have imagined
the impact that “mom” would
have on his ministry. Jeff’s first
year was also my first year in the
ministry. Though I was incredibly
nervous to be entering the “big
kid” room, Jeff always made me
feel welcomed and special. We
all knew that Jeff was genuine
because he sought out to be a
volunteer! As I look back, “mom”
didn’t do anything particularly
memorable or out of the box, he
was always just there. Every week,
I knew he was going to come up
to me and ask me about my week,
and I started to look forward to it.
Over the years, after mission trips
and lock-ins, I grew out of high
school, but “mom” was always
there when I would come home
for breaks. I always wanted to
go to church because I knew at
least one person would ask me
about my classes and my school.
Never over-the-top, never overly
crazy, just always there, being
“mom”. Have you ever thought about
volunteering in youth ministry?
Maybe you are afraid you aren’t
“cool” enough or maybe you are
waiting for someone to ask you.
But maybe there is a kid who just
needs you being there, listening
to them, and maybe your youth
person is just waiting for you to
volunteer! They don’t need overthe-top, overly crazy, they just
need you!
Up until a year ago, Sharron Bearly
had never quilted anything in
her life. Nowadays, she heads an
interest group at Christ the King
Lutheran Church, Memphis, called
“Sewn to Honor.” This ministry
involves both men and women
in producing beautiful full-sized
keepsake quilts for veterans as
part of the larger Quilts of Valor
program.
With the idea that her brother
-- a former Marine -- would
appreciate a patriotic quilt as
a gesture of appreciation for
his service, Sharron researched
quilt patterns and came across
information about the Quilts of
Valor Foundation whose mission
it is to provide comfort to those
who have been touched by war.
She knew immediately that she
wanted to be a part of this healing
community.
Sharron, a veteran herself,
served in the Walter Reed Army
Institute of Nursing program
during the Viet Nam conflict.
She witnessed first-hand what
war can do to servicemen and
women, and saw the physical and
emotional trauma suffered by the
wounded and their families. The
Quilts of Valor covers the veteran
Rev. Mark Bushuiakovish
Grace Lutheran Church
Knoxville, TN
Quilts of Valor
con’t
Quilts of Valor con’t
with a comforting and loving reminder that
people do care about his/her well-being.
Nationally, as of February 2015, over 1,550
quilts have been presented to veterans.
Those who wish to receive a quilt can
request one or a family member can request
one for them. The quilts are presented to
the veterans by the people making the
quilts, or if sent to the QOV organization for
presentation, they are presented by other
members of QOV. Christ the King’s group of
quilters meets regularly and has five quilts in
production currently. They sew together the
top with top quality 100% cotton material,
with all cotton thread, making a quilt that
will last! They then sew together a backing
and mail the items to a longarmer who then
adds the batting, quilts it, and returns it to
CTK for completion. The group binds it and
sews in a label, stating who the quilt is for, a
name for the quilt, date of presentation and
who sewed and quilted it.
Sharron is eager to involve more people in
the quilting process, including friends from
other churches and those who don’t know
how to sew! Please contact the church office
(901-682-8404 or churchoffice@ctkmemphis.com) for more information. Thank you,
Sharron, for YOUR service!
Genie Swan
Coordinator Development/Community Relations
Christ the King Lutheran Church - Memphis, TN
Mid-South District Office
Volunteers
If you call or visit the Mid-South District Office,
chances are you’ll be greeted by the friendly voice or
smiling face of a volunteer. For well over a decade,
the District Office has been blessed by volunteers
who answer phones, help with large mailing projects, assist with on-going needs like subscriptions
to the Lutheran Witness, and simply have a positive
impact on the overall function of the office. Several
of our volunteers also share their time and talents
with other worthwhile organizations – so we are
especially grateful for the time they spend with us!
Their great smiles are shown here from left to right:
Wanda Bunkley (Immanuel Lutheran – Memphis),
Pat Paavola (Christ the King Lutheran – Memphis),
Pat Ellis (Trinity Lutheran – Memphis), Nancy Hugo
(Christ the King – Memphis), Joyce Miller (Christ
the King – Memphis) and Joann Wright (Immanuel
Lutheran – Memphis). A wonderful new addition to
the volunteer team is Cindy Hormann (not pictured),
who moved to the Memphis area just a few months
ago with her husband, Rev. David Hormann, the
Mid-South District’s new Executive Director for
Missions, Ministry and Schools.
You may be the only
Bible
someone reads.
Meet Mr. Joe
Mr. Joe Ruder is a very important person
here at Faith Lutheran Preschool in Collierville,
Tennessee. "Mr. Joe," as he is affectionately
known by the students and parents, has been
our volunteer preschool greeter every school
day for the past five years. Mr. Joe offers highfives, hugs and silly greetings to the children
and parents each day. He is quick with a
smile, a joke, or words of encouragement.
The children particularly enjoy his silly hat
collection which he pulls out many times a year
depending on the seaon or the theme of the
month. On the rare occasion when Mr. Joe has
been away, the children miss him and can't wait
to see his friendly face when he returns. Mr.
Joe is a hugely contributing factor to the first
impression visitors get of our school, fostering
the idea that Faith Lutheran Preschool is a
warm, friendly and inviting school where
their children will be loved and cared for
daily. Joe and his wife, Karen Ruder, also have
been instrumental in helping to fundraise for
the preschool, often hosting parties in their
home to help us reach a financial goal for the
preschool. Faith Lutheran Preschool is blessed
daily by this church member volunteer and we
truly appreciate how the Lord is using him in
our preschool ministry.
Dina Foshee
Director, Faith Lutheran Preschool
Collierville, TN
Fe edi n g Ki
s
d
ds
Ki
VBS Mission
Program
By
Trinity/HOPE
VBS Mission Project to share Jesus and food with the hungry students in Haiti!
This Mission Program can be used
with any VBS curriculum as the
mission project and will enable
your children:
• To share the love of Jesus with
children in Haiti
• Make a difference in others’ lives
Mission Package includes the
following:
• Overview video - Click to watch the
video or visit our web page
(www.trinityhope.org/node/841)
• A video for each day of VBS
• Teacher instructions/supply list
• Activities for each day
• Booklets about the children in Haiti
• Customized posters for your
church with date and address
The best part is it is all free!
We may even be able to provide
a Trinity/HOPE speaker if you are
interested.
CONTACT
Denise Gudlin
615.400.4918
trinityhope.dg@gmail.com
Reviewed and
recommended
for consideration
by President
Paavola
and the district
staff!
This program was used by several
Mid-South District churches last
year in a pilot program and it was
well received. Read some of the
reviews.
“This is to give you a quick update
on how our church received Trinity/
HOPE’s VBS program. Needless to
say it was a SMASH HIT, HOME
RUN. I had made up my mind to not
teach VBS in 2013, but you & God
changed my mind. ….The children
were so motivated to give and also
the adults. The children still talk
about it 6 months later. It was hard
for them to understand how some
parts of the world lives. How the
Haitian children have so little but
are happy and love to talk about
God, the one and only God and
Jesus His Son. Thank you for the
GREAT program.” — Connie
“We loved the video and
information you provided. It
connected our kids to those in Haiti
and it was a beautiful thing to see!”
— Linda
“This is all GREAT! I can’t think of
a time (over 45+ years) that we’ve
had so much great material on a
VBS Mission project.“ — Fredrica
Theme Verse: Matthew 25:35,40 – “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink…’ ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Prayer Summary
Prayer Summary, March 2015
Following is a list of all the people that have appeared on the Mid-South District website prayer list
www.mid-southlcms.com during the month of March 2015.
Prayer Concerns
MRS. KATHY CALLIES (daughter-in-law of
President Emeritus, Rev. David Callies)
REV. DEAN CLAUSING (Pastor, Trinity Lutheran
Church, Pine Bluff, AR)
MRS. LOIS CONGER (wife of Rev. Kevin Conger,
Hope Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, AR)
MRS. SUSANNE ELSEROAD (wife of Rev. Richard
Elseroad, Grace Lutheran Church, Knoxville, TN)
MRS. SARAH GONZALEZ (daughter of Rev. Gary
Carstens, Mena, AR)
REV. PAUL HASS (Pastor, Bella Vista Lutheran
Church, Bella Vista, AR)
MRS. VERA HORMANN (grandmother of Rev.
David Hormann, Mid-South District)
MR. FRED KIRKPATRICK (Congregational
President, First Lutheran Church, Harrison, AR)
MR. TOM KYNER (Deacon, Hawkins County
Lutheran Worship, Rogersville, AR)
MRS. EMILY LAYTON (daughter of Rev. Andy
Toopes, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Bowling
Green, KY) and her baby, CHARLOTTE MAE
LAYTON.
DR. PHIL AND MRS. NANCY LEE (Memphis, TN)
MRS. MEGAN NAVRATH (daughter of Rev. Carl
Wenck and Gwen Wenck, Grace Lutheran Church,
Murfreesboro, TN) who had a very rare type of
brain tumor removed on March 10th.
MRS. AUDREY OTTO (wife of Rev. Dan Otto EM,
Nashville, TN)
MRS. BERNICE PROCOPIO (sister of Rev. Al
Boysen, Memphis, TN)
MRS. CHLOE SWANSON (wife of Rev. Herb
Swanson, Lamar AR)
MRS. SUEANN TOOPES, (wife of Rev. Andy
Toopes, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Bowling
Green, KY)
REV. FRANK ZIRBEL, EM (Harrison, AR)
Rev. Larry Peters (Grace Lutheran Church,
Clarksville, TN) and his family at the loss of his
father, Mr. Albur Peters, of Wausa, Nebraska, on
March 19, 2015.
Rev. Russell Shewmaker (Pilgrim Lutheran
Church, Jonesboro, AR) and his family at the
loss of his mother, Mrs. Carmen Shewmaker,
on March 30, 2015.
CALL UPDATE
IN THE CALLING PROCESS – CONGREGATIONS
ORDAINED MINISTERS
Ascension Lutheran Church, Madison, TN
– Pastor
Faith Lutheran Church, Hot Springs Village, AR
– Pastor
First Lutheran Church, Fort Smith, AR – Pastor
Grace Lutheran Church, Clarksville, TN –
Associate Pastor
Grace Celebration Lutheran Church, Cordova,
TN – Pastor
Living Savior Lutheran Church, Lowell/St.
John’s Lutheran Church, Fayetteville, AR
– Pastor
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Cabot, AR –
Associate Pastor
IN THE CALLING PROCESS - COMMISSIONED
MINISTERS
Avilla Christian Academy, Alexander, AR –
Teacher & Principal
Belvoir Christian Academy, Chattanooga, TN
- Principal
Christ Lutheran School, Little Rock, AR
– Teachers
Concordia Christian Academy, Jonesboro, AR
- Teacher
First Lutheran School, Fort Smith, AR – Principal
Little Lambs Preschool, Hot Springs, AR – Early
Childhood Director
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Cabot, AR –
Director of Christian Education (DCE)
Our Savior Lutheran Academy, Nashville, TN
– Principal
The 19th Regular Convention Mid-South District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Memphis, TN | Friday, June 26, 2015 to Sunday, June 28, 2015 | The District website has the current
information on the upcoming convention.
Staff of the Mid-South District,
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola
Rev. David Hormann
President
Executive Director for
Missions and Ministry
Angela Fowler
Paul Reaves
Executive Director for
Business and Finance
Executive Director for LCEF Vice President and
Executive Director for Development
Peggy Krohn
Renae McElwain
Administrative Assistant
Missions & Outreach
LCEF Communications & Marketing Specialist
Carolyn Metzger
Julie Tyler
Finance Assistant
Administrative Assistant
to the District President
Stephanie Weiser
Administrative Assistant
Schools & Early Childhood
Contact the Mid-South District
1675 Wynne Road
Cordova, TN 38016
PHONE: 866.373.1343 / 901.373.1343
FAX: 901.373.4826
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The Encourager is a monthly newsletter from the Mid-South District LCMS. If you would like your
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