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 Stay Connected With Us ON THE WEB - “mid-southlcms.org” ON FACEBOOK - “Mid-South-LCMS” Contribute to The Encourager ON TWITTER “@midsouthLCMS” The Encourager is a monthly newsletter from the Mid-South District LCMS. 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