1 March 2015 “God’s Work, Our Hands.” The MESSENGER What’s INSIDE A publication of Peace Lutheran Church ● Rosendale, WI Pastor’s Pen pg. 1 Our Monthly Message from Pastor Chuck The Tree of Life in Lent pg. 1 “Our God Is A God of Life In The Midst of Death “ Mission of the Month pg. 2 Library News pg. 2 “Penny A Day” Collection pg. 2 Fellowship Team Party pg. 2 Youth News pg. 3 Offering Choices pg. 3 Thank You Note pg. 3 Your Church Council Pg. 4 Book Discussion pg. 4 Small Group Study pg. 4 Movie Night pg. 4 Soup Suppers pg. 4 Monthly Meetings pg. 4 Baskets of Promise pg. 5 St. Patty’s Pray For You pg. 5 Financial Report pg. 6 Special Dates pg. 6 Spring Ahead! pg. 6 Easter Lilies pg. 6 Monthly Calendar Inside cover Ministry Schedules Insert www.peacerosendale.org As I was preparing a message for the season of Lent, I came across this story written by an unknown nurse that I found inspiring: “It was a normal, busy morning, about 8:30 when, George, an elderly gentleman, well into his 80's, arrived at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, England, to have stitches removed from his thumb. George told me that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:15 am. I weighed him and took his blood pressure and invited him take a seat in the waiting area, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examination, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the Doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked George if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. George told me no, but that he needed to go to St Christopher's Nursing Home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Continued on page 5 THE TREE OF LIFE IN LENT There will be Midweek “round robin” Lenten services with our sister congregations: Emmanuel—Brandon; Grace—Ripon; St. Stephens— Rogersville; Zion—Fairwater; and Peace Lutheran. The pastors will rotate around the congregations preaching a common theme “The Tree of Life in Lent”. Please join us in this wondrous love God has shown us through the cross! 2 The MESSENGER March’s featured MISSION is: Youth For Christ You are asked to please consider making the Youth For Christ the recipient of your “monthly mission offerings”. God doesn’t give you patience, only the opportunity to practice it. PENNY A DAY COLLECTION Collections during the month of February $158.40 All of the change collected in our Penny Jar goes toward World Hunger. A penny jar is located in the narthex for your contributions. WOW! Together we CAN make a difference to many! www.peacerosendale.org CHURCH LIBRARY NEWS We have new chairs in the library, or new to us, anyway! Come on in and try them out! Work a puzzle! Play a game! Read a book! Watch a movie! Just sit and chat!! We open ½ hour before church Sunday mornings and for a few minutes after the services. I have read two books since my last message to you. The first is THE CROWN AND THE CROSS by Frank Slaughter. It is the life of Jesus as told in story form. It is a great way to read the first 4 books of the new testament with all the characters given fleshed out lives and to be able to put yourselves in their shoes. Just what would you have done and felt if you had lived in Israel back then? The other book is titled NOW FOR SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT by Stuart Briscoe! This one is a study of The Sermon on the Mount. You know, the Blessed are those who . . .that the Lord preached? This book goes in depth on just what He meant and how we are to use his words in the here and now to come closer to what we are meant to be. I enjoyed the knowledge in this book so much that I am going to see if I can get it on my kindle and refer back to it often. Speaking of the Kindle, are you aware that so many things are going electronic that in the next 40 years, there will be no check blanks, books, post office etc.? I expect that if our library is kept up for the next century, our books will be very valuable. The Hardy Boy Series, among others already are. Happy March to all of you and happy reading!! - Karen Koch “CHRIST AS OUR KING” CELEBRATION Let’s Celebrate Christ as our King! Palm Sunday, Sunday, March 29 11-1:00 p.m. We will have Pizza, Snacks & a movie. Come help make decorations for the church for Easter Sunday. The Fellowship team is also going to have a cookie sale. We invite everyone to donate cookies which we will sell for a free will offering. Proceeds will go to the Youth group. 3 The MESSENGER RAD YOUTH NEWS!PER SCHEDULE Offering Choices Last month we had a great showing at Badger TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) 52 people including the support team attended and our church had 14 of the 52 including Mr. Andrew Thompson, who was co-director. That is beyond AWESOME! “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 ______________________________ We are just getting back from last months JYG in Neenah and it was an awesome time! General Fund Wednesday March 25th. RAD HS Game night. The Fellowship Team will be helping with snacks. (Thank you so much Fellowship Team!) Ministry To Others Brandon Food Pantry Crossways Camping Ministries Disaster Relief ELCA Synod Good Samaritan Fund Lutheran Campus Ministry Lutheran World Relief World Hunger Youth For Christ (High School) This month we will be working on finalizing our trip to the National Youth Gathering to Detroit in July. Here is the website, check it out. This is really cool! http://www.elca.org/YouthGathering “In House” Funds Bible Study Sunday March 1st. the High School youth are heading on a short trip to Chicago to church. This gives us a great fellowship time on our rides there and back. Here are upcoming Meeting Dates: Wednesday March 4th. RAD HS 7:37 Wednesday March 11th. RAD HS 7:37 Wednesday March 18th. RAD joint MS/HS 7:37 Wednesday March 18th. We will also be serving the soup supper. So I can use a bunch of help for this please. I'll have sign up sheets soon. Thank you Peace for all of your prayers and support! In His service, Mark Kottke THANK YOU FROM THE BRANDON FOOD PANTRY Dear Peace Lutheran members, Thank you so much for your continued support of the Brandon Community Food Pantry. We appreciate all you do! ~ Denise Bellmer Endowment Scholarship Fund LWR Projects Library Operation Christmas Child Flower Fund Sunday School TEC/Camper Scholarships Youth Group (RAD) (All monies undesignated will go into the General Fund) YOUR NEW 2015 CHURCH COUNCIL www.peacerosendale.org Rebecca Westphal - President Faith Bednarczyk - Secretary Cheri Roberts - Vice President Tammy Pflum - Treasurer Patricia Abbs Michael Gierach Henry Miller Glenn Becker Julie Mauermann 4 The MESSENGER MARCH BOOK CLUB March 22 @ 6 p.m. Book selection is Any book with the subject “Eleanor Roosevelt” UPCOMING SMALL GROUP STUDIES Want to find our how valuable you are? Mark your calendars!!! Beginning the week of April 12th, we will be holding our next small group series. It is from the Great Chapters of the Bible series from Saddleback church, entitled Ephesians 1. This is a four week study all about our identity in Christ and the blessings that are ours because of Jesus Christ. The four sessions will focus on four themes: We are Chosen, We are Adopted, Redeemed and Forgiven, We are inherited, included, and guaranteed, and Hope, Riches, and Power. Our Fellowship team in sponsoring the study, and hope that we can provide several different times and dates for people to meet. Stay tuned for more details! The next movie night will be on March 15 5:00 to 7:00. The movie to be shown is "BABE" GROUPS THAT WILL SERVE YOU!OUP SUP- March 18 The following groups will be hosting our annual Lenten Soup Supper. If you are not a member of one of the hosting organizations but would like to help by preparing, serving, or donating food please volunteer by calling the office, by contacting any member of a hosting group or any council member. Helping with the soup suppers is another opportunity for catechism students to fulfill a service requirement. (Note that there is not a soup supper during Holy Week.) March 4 – Fellowship Team March 11 – Men & Women’s Group March 18 - Youth Group www.peacerosendale.org March 25 - Ladies Group March 4 - Ladies Group 1 p.m. March 4 - Men's Group 8:00 p.m. March 17 - Council Meeting 7:00 p.m. Every Monday - Crafts & Sewing 2 - 4 p.m. 5 The MESSENGER Continued from page 1 As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a little late. George replied that she no longer knew who he was and that she had not recognized him in five years. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?' He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as George left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.” The season of Lent in a nutshell is about the kind of love that God has for us. Even when we do not know God, God has always come to us. God’s people have repeatedly forgotten about him. Over and over again in the Bible we see His people turning away from Him and going their own ways, only to have God come and save them from disaster. Even when God came in the person of His Son Jesus, STILL most people did not know him. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him” (John 1:10). Yet, Jesus laid down His life so that we may see that we have a God who knows us and loves us so much that He was willing to go to any length to reach us. This season of Lent gives us a golden opportunity to take time out and turn to the God who knows everything about us, good and bad, but still desires to be in relationship with us. Come join us for Sunday worship, as well as for soup suppers and Lenten services Wednesday nights. This year our theme is “Tree of Life in Lent.” Each week a different Pastor will present a message of hope: how our God is a God of life in the midst of death. May this season of Lent be a time of renewal for all of us! BASKETS OF PROMISES APPEAL 40 Days, Countless Lives Changed On this years’ Lenten Journey, we will be joining the Baskets of Promises appeal and making Personal Care Kits containing basic hygiene items for people living in poverty. Each week we’ll collect a different item that is included in the Personal Care Kits that give people around the world tools to stay healthy in life’s most challenging situation. Our goal is to assemble 50 LWR Personal Care Kits during Lent. Here is the collection schedule. MARCH 1st - Bath towels (light-weight, maximum 52” x 27”, dark color recommended) MARCH 8th - Toothbrushes (adult size in original packaging) MARCH 15th - Combs (must be sturdy) MARCH 22nd - Nail Clippers (metal attached file optional) God’s peace, Pastor Chuck ST. PATTY’S PRAYER FOR YOU May May May May May May ww there always be work for your hands to do; your purse always hold a coin or two; the sun always shine on your windowpane; a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; the hand of a friend always be near you; God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. March 28th - Bath towels (light-weight, maximum 52” x 27”, dark color recommended) *****HIGH PRIORITY IS BATH TOWELS 6 The MESSENGER MARCH BIRTHDAYS Brandon Food Pantry YTD Jan YTD Jan 2015 2014 19 25 0 77 ELCA Synod 30 30 Diaster Relief 15 15 Lutheran Campus Ministry 25 0 Lutheran World Relief 0 0 Good Samaritan 0 0 166 20 Crossways World Hunger Youth for Christ 0 General Fund Income 10,265 10,543 Gen.Fund Actual Expenses 14,044 14,528 General Fund Budgeted Expenses 13,442 14,084 General Fund (available) Balance 4,708 7,616 2 - Lyle Henrich 3 - Keith Beuscher 3 - Bryant Schumacher 4 - Florence Abbs 7 - Mary Gillett 7 - Brian Kind 7 - Charlotte Wolff 10 - Donna Waltenberry 10 - Caden Wittchow 11 - Margaret Wiese 14 - Braeden Gierach 15 - Anna Smit 16 - Lois Brault 16 - Kathy Towne 18 - Adriana Last 20 - Lorelei Zimmerman 21 - Nicole Gierach 21 - Hazel Klapperich 22 - Alison Wittchow 23 - Alyssa Towne 25 - Jolene McGuire 27 - Christina Muenchow 27 - Angela Robbins 28 - Dan Dahlke 28 - Blair Westfhal 29 - David Ostrem 30 - Henry Miller 31 - Brittany Wiese 26 - Larry & Cheryl Roberts Beckett James Gillett - February 15 BEAUTIFING THE CHURCH FOR EASTER Don’t Forget to…... MARCH 7TH 1 hour! Would you like to order an Easter Lily? The cost is $9.00 Order forms will be available on the table in the Narthex. Help Peace to fill the church with their beauty and celebrate the rising of Our Savior! Order Deadline is March 25. Peace Lutheran Church P.O. Box 177 Rosendale, WI 54974 www.peacerosendale.org PASTOR Charles R. Thompson Phone (920) 273-5105 pastor@peacerosendale.org YOUTH DIRECTOR Mark Kottke Phone: (920) 948-0969 mkottke@hotmail.com Feel Christ’s Presence At Peace The MESSENGER Services held every Wednesday Evening at 6:30 p.m. Preceded by Soup Suppers held at 5:30 p.m. The Tree of Life in Lent EASTER is celebrated on April 5!
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