St. John’s Lutheran Church March 2013 Church Bell possessed no spiritual or otherworldly power; he was simply fooling our eye in some As the season of Lent got convincing way. This enabled started on Ash Wednesday, him to rejoice with us that there something interesting is a true and living God who happened here at church. A does have real power to magician showed up. Brett perform the miraculous, Myers brought his illusions to especially shown in Jesus the stage in the Family Life escape from the grave alive. Center. As I watched his act a Brett’s magic got me thinking part of my mind was still about Jesus’ temptation in a working on putting the sermon new way. The devil was telling together for that weekend. The Jesus to demand that God sermon was about Jesus’ become a worker of magic and temptation in the wilderness. perform feats that dazzle the The devil throws three traps out eye. We each can be tempted for Jesus. Perhaps the most to withhold our trust of dangerous is when the devil coaxed Jesus up There is a true God until he does onto a high tower in and living God something spectacular Jerusalem and who does have enough to get our challenged him to throw real power to attention. When we do that it’s as if we are perform the himself off so that God’s miraculous saying to God that all angels could swoop in that he has done thus and save him from harm. far is not impressive enough. As I watched Brett do his I think we can concede that illusions I was enjoying the by the time anyone gets to the surprise as much as the end of a Minnesota winter they children in the audience who deserve to see something would hoot and holler with magical and miraculous. No delight. What made Brett’s act matter what time of year we unique is that throughout his can all go through seasons of performance he reminded us life when we just can not see that he was performing illusions. He told us that he the splendor and majesty of From Pastor Disney (Continued on page 3) 1 St. John’s Lutheran Church Sharing a changeless Christ in a changing world 302 NE 2nd Street PO Box 238 Buffalo, MN 55313 Phone: 763-682-1883 Youth Line: 763-684-0460 Fax: 763-682-1936 Noah’s Ark Pre-School: 763-682-1368 info@stjohnsbuffalo.org Staff: Chairman of the Congregation Rev. James Disney, Senior Pastor jdisney@stjohnsbuffalo.org August Mussell Board of Elders Rev. Philip Meyer, Associate Pastor pmeyer@stjohnsbuffalo.org 763-229-7101 (Available 24/7) elders@stjohnsbuffalo.org Dave Haggerty, Head Elder Aaron Beckman Gregg Beckman Gary Bonk Greg Buttenhoff Nyles Gentz Jack Harlan Jory Louisiana Richard Marquette Ryan Rutten Kelly Thole, DCE, Youth Director kohland@stjohnsbuffalo.org Carla Myhre-Vogt, Office Assistant cvogt@stjohnsbuffalo.org Dan & Jackie Korbel, Custodians korbel@stjohnsbuffalo.org Nicky Haskins, Noah’s Ark Preschool noahsark@stjohnsbuffalo.org Board Chairs Altar Guild: Dorothy Bowman Education: Open Evangelism: Roger Strege Fellowship: Marti & Lee Ryan Kid’s Club: Ken and Amy Hill Library: Shala Holm Memorial Endowment/Investment: Janice Marschel Project Compassion: Sandi Baert Sanctuary Decorating: Shala Holm Stewardship: Open Trustees: Brad Hoseck Women in Mission: Chris Husom Worship: Pastor Disney Youth & Family Ministry: Open Kyle & Elizabeth Bjork, Treasurers Mary Peterson, Financial Secretary Cheryl Olsen, Board Secretary Gary Schillinger, Music Director Worship Times: Saturday 5:00pm Sunday 8:00 & 10:30am Sunday’s Service Radio Broadcast on KRWC 1360 AM at 8:00am Office Hours: M-F 8:30-4:30 Newsletter Deadline: Deadline for the March newsletter is Monday, March 18 th. Join the Newsletter Mailing Crew on Tuesday, March 26th at 9:00am. Bulletin Deadline: Tuesday at midnight 2 (Continued from page 1) God that is always on display. But we must not give in to the temptation to doubt God’s consistency. We must not arrogantly demand that God answer and pass whatever test we issue him. Got is not a traveling magician with a bag of tricks who shows up at a kid’s birthday party to perform on demand. God is sovereign and independent of any need to prove himself. He has no need of our applause at some conjured illusion. He is the Great I AM, author of all that is. He does not need to perform a more obvious trick just because we are a dull and inattentive audience. Amazingly God is incredibly gracious and has written into the history books a moment of magic that can still get the most skeptical spectator stirred up. On Easter we celebrate the wonder of it. Jesus left his grave alive. In the forty days that followed Jesus proved that it was not an illusion. God really has the power and ability to raise the dead. The question we each face is whether we are clear-headed enough to give up the demand for more signs, wonders and amusements and accept that this seals it. Easter brings the question to your front door, are you going to lay down the demand for more tricks and join the celebration? God has shown for all time that He is beyond tests and demands of his power. The cry, “He is Risen” ends our blindness to all that God is. Your Elders are here for you, whether to assist with your spiritual needs or discuss a concern. Feel free to contact any of them at any time : Head Elder: Dave Haggerty 612-309-6609 dave13sales@hotmail.com Aaron Beckman 763-232-4416 ajbeckman70@gmail.com Gregg Beckman 952-261-8192 gsbeckman@charter.net Gary Bonk 763-682-3449 Greg Buttenhoff 763-682-3657 gbuttenhoff@centurylink.net Nyles Gentz 612-240-3980 nyles@gentzfinancial.com Jack Harlan 763-242-8708 jkharlan@centurylink.net Jory Louisiana 763-286-6537 s.louisianna@kleinbank.com Richard Marquette 763-682-3011 remarquette@bwig.net Ryan Rutten 651-283-2552 rdrutten@yahoo.com 3 From the desk of Pastor Meyer become more intentional in “reaching out” and visiting those who are “vacant” more often. You may get a phone call (again, if you missed the chance to let us know you are here). In this friendship register there are places to indicate special needs and special prayer requests. Using this booklet is very helpful in communicating such things. Now, to be fair, we realize that we could do a much better job of reminding all who are in worship each week to take the time to indicate their presence in this booklet. I would like to apologize for that, and ask for your assistance in assisting us. It is difficult to always know all of the needs of our family here at St. John’s, and this is one simple and easy way to continue to weave together the fabric of our family. Every Monday, Pastor Disney and I are given a summary from the information provided over the weekend in this “friendship register.” It helps us greatly, not only with identifying those who are visiting with us, but also in identifying the special needs Part II of Series: Why Do We Do It? “The Friendship Register” Perhaps you have seen a small binder that looks like this when you come to worship. If you haven’t, I would invite you to search for it. You should be able to find it on one end of the pew in which you are sitting. What is it? Why do we have it in our church? What is it used for? These are good questions. And, often, regular attendees of worship take this approach: “I am here every week. They should know that. Why do I have to fill this thing out? It’s a tedious endeavor.” Well, did you know? This “Friendship Register” is the method that is used by the office, the pastoral staff and the elders to ascertain the regularity of our members & friends in worship. What that means is if you are present, and do not let us know by indicating so in this booklet, it would appear that you have not been regular in your worship attendance. One of the goals of the pastoral staff and elders is to (Continued on page 5) 4 (Continued from page 4) good time to pickup this booklet and pass it down the pew to the people sitting next to you. (I suppose you could do this during the sermon, but I’d rather you didn’t!) In His Service, Pastor Phil Meyer within our family. This method, while it may seem tedious at times, is a very helpful tool, and I would like to encourage you to consider taking the responsibility upon yourself to use this method. During the gathering of the offering is a Book Club Opportunity Beginning Sunday, March 3th, Pastor Meyer will lead a new Book/Bible Study that will both challenge and reward you! Date: Time: Place: Topic: Begins Sunday, March 3rd 9:10, during Education Hour Fellowship Hall 3:16 - The Numbers of Hope Please preregister so we can be sure to order plenty of books! Signup boards are placed throughout the church or you can call the church at 763-682-1883. In addition, Pastor Meyer will offer an additional "section" during the week, for those who desire to meet in a more relaxed setting. Sunday mornings will be in a teaching format, and midweek will be more casual with book discussion. The day/time for the midweek section will be determined. We will be working through Max Lucado’s book, 3:16 - The Numbers of Hope. This book, based on John 3:16, is a faith-builder for those who are new in their faith journey, as well for those who have been on their journey for a time. 5 Serving in March Some PEP for Your Bible Study Ushers 8:00 Don Lardy Eldon & Mary Peterson Greg Buttenhoff 10:30 Gene Lambert Ron Girard Confirmation Kids Audiovisual The Team Tim Berteau Matt Chapa Ron Girard Jennifer Green Dan Green Suzie Meier Colin Meier Bill Morris Coffee Servers 3/3 (Open) 3/10 Priscilla McKenzie Enjoy a casual study of the Bible with PEP (People Enjoying People). PEP meets on the first and third Tuesdays of every month in Room 110 across from Noah’s Ark Preschool. We begin with a brief Bible study led by Pastor Klemz followed by a variety of activities which may include joke telling, cards and games. In March we meet on the 5th and 19th from 9-11:30am. Bring your own beverage; come whenever you can; stay as long as you want. There is no regular commitment. The more the merrier. (Girl Scout Sunday) 3/17 3/24 3/31 (Easter) (Open) (Open) Youth E-News If you would like to receive this newsletter by email rather than snail mail, send an email to info@stjohnsbuffalo.org. You’ll get the news faster plus save the church some money in postage and printing. We’ll send the newsletter as a PDF Document which downloads quicker and opens automatically in Adobe Reader. Most computers already have Adobe Reader, but if you do not, call the church office. Please sign up to take a turn. Do you use the church nursery? If so, please take a turn watching over the nursery on a Sunday morning. We need more volunteers to help care for our little angels during the Education Hour and 10:30 service. If you can help, please call Morynn Marx at 320-2862230 or the church office. 6 St. John’s Lutheran Mission $ at Work Along with your March Church Bell, you are receiving an envelope supporting our 2013 Lenten Gift Program. As our economy continues to struggle, many Buffalo and Wright County families are still in need of assistance for their food. Being mindful of the needs of others is one of the most gracious things we can do. Each March, Minnesota Food Share directs the March Campaign, the largest food drive in the state and restocks 300 food shelves across Minnesota. It recruits thousands of congregations, companies, schools and civic groups to run local food and fund drives to aid in the effort. Our donations will stay with our local Buffalo Food Shelf. Over the years our congregation has been generous with offerings of food items and the monthly requested items. It is known, however, that cash donations go a lot further when it comes to buying food. The volunteers at the Food Shelf have access to purchasing food in larger quantities at better pricing than we as individuals can purchase at the grocery store. For example, with as little as $1.50 the Food Shelf can buy a case of green beans from Second Harvest. Some months when food donations are down, the money is used to purchase food locally. Please drop your Gold Gift envelope in the offering plate by Sunday, March 31st. Make checks payable to St. John’s Lutheran Church with a memo for the Buffalo Food Shelf. This way you will receive credit on your year-end Offering Statement. May God continue to bless each of you for your generosity and love given toward this mission outreach. 7 Youth & Family Ministry Lenten Supper Menu Enjoy a good meal and good company! Served 5-6:30 pm. Adults $5; children $2. March 6-Chili Cook-off March 13-Open March 20-Hotdish We also need cookies, bars or any other treat that you might be interested in donating for each supper. If you can help, please bring them to the kitchen. Mark your calendars for July 1st - 5th for the 2013 LCMS National Youth Gathering in San Antonio. This event is open to youth grades 9th - 12th, college students and adults. 8 Youth & Family Ministry Attention 8th-12th graders! March 8 Come and join fellow youth at St. Johns for a High school Fun Night with a twist! You try to go without food for 30 Hours! Plus you’re encouraged to challenge friends and family to sponsor you For every hour you go without food, . All the money raised will go to help feed hungry children through World Vision! Students will be breaking the fast on Friday at midnight. This event includes… Live Music Games Open GYM Service projects and devotion focused around how children each day go without food! Want to know more? Have questions? Contact Kelly and yet your fundraiser packet @ 763-684-0460. 9 Youth & Family Ministry Family Bowling @ Huikko’s March 17th 1-3 PM $5.00 per person $20 maximum per family Join the St. Johns Youth and Family Ministry Board for bowling and a good time with family and friends. We will meet at Huikko’s at 1:00 PM. We’ve reserved ALL the lanes so there’s room for everyone! Invite a friend, bring the family! For more information contact Kelly @ 763-684-0460. 10 Youth & Family Ministry Easter Breakfast When: March 31st Time: Servings at 6:30 AM & 9:00 AM Menu: Pancakes, Bacon, Eggs, Fruit, Juice & Coffee Cost: Adults: $6.00 Kids 10 and under: $3.00 All proceeds from this event help our youth attend the 2013 National Youth Gathering in San Antonio For information contact Kelly @ 763-684-0460. Thank You for your support of the Youth of St. John’s Lutheran Church! 11 In Concert: The Ball Brothers Saturday, April 20 7:00 pm St. John’s Family Life Center We are delighted to announce that national recording artists The Ball Brothers will be returning to St. John's for a Spring concert of Gospel and Christian music on Saturday, April 20th, at 7:00pm in our Family Life Center. The Ball Brothers were an absolute smash when they were here last year, and people have been asking about their return. They will delight you with their energetic style, as well as their fresh sound and wonderful harmonies. If you like The Gaither Vocal Band and fourpart harmony you will love the Ball Brothers. If you were not at their previous concert, you will not want to miss this one! You won't be disappointed! The two-hour concert will have a brief intermission with time to visit with the guys and purchase their latest CD. So start your Spring with the exciting sounds of The Ball Brothers. General seating tickets for the concert are $10.00 in advance or $15.00 at the door, and can be purchased at Setterberg Jewelers in downtown Buffalo and at the St. John's Church Office. More information can be found at www.stjohnsbuffalo.org/ or www.theballbrothers.com/ or by calling the Church Office at 763-682-1883. Generate money for St. John’s Youth without spending a dime. Search the web with www.goodsearch.com and every time you do, St. John’s Youth will receive a penny. GoodSearch gives 50% of their earnings from advertising to charities. Just go to www.goodsearch.com and enter “St. Johns Buffalo Church.” Then add GoodSearch to your toolbar. Thanks! 12 Acknowledging Recent Memorials and Gifts Donor Memory or Honor of Item Audrey Mainquist Elsie Mutterer Building Fund Wish List Computer Frank & Marvel Korbel Tom Loberg Building Fund Steve & Carla Vogt Tom Loberg Building Fund Joseph Steffel Tom Loberg Building Fund James Sandberg Tom Loberg Building Fund Arlys Bauer Joseph & Renee Lepinski Caroline Laugtug Tom Loberg Building Fund Tom Loberg Tom Loberg Building Fund Building Fund Carl & Dorothy Bowman Tom Loberg Building Fund Earl & Sharon Dierks Tom Loberg Building Fund Ruth Jans Allen & Ardys Buskey Elmer & Fran Kuseske Tom Loberg Building Fund Tom Loberg Building Fund Tom Loberg Building Fund Mina Loberg Tom Loberg Building Fund Audrey Mainquist Tom Loberg Building Fund Dan & Chris Husom Tom Loberg Building Fund Janice Marschel Wayne & Karen Rebishke Tom Loberg Building Fund Tom Loberg Jerry & Ordella Uhde Tom Loberg Building Fund LWML Quilt Group Friends of Tom Loberg Tom Loberg Building Fund Paul Henning 13 Birthdays Laura Dawn Shyanne Rio Gracie Carissa Eli Alex Madalynn Ben Ryan Jim Brad Toni Cody Stephanie Bauer Lillian Heather Marilla Jesse Brent Lori Samuel Eyan Janessa Mavis Carl Jill Destiny Macey Donald Jesse Cindy Corey James Michelle James John Brad Edward Rod Dalchow Danielson Lambrecht Thelen Bixby Degn Erickson Henrichs Personius Walker Cummings Holm Hoseck Kock Otto Berg Erickson Reil Spike Frykholm Keifenheim Laine Letsinger Marx Meier Piersiak Bonk Bowman Furneisen LaFave Bonk Forsythe Meyer Stoppelman Commerford Bonk Dalchow Karie Karie Ordorff Peltz Strenge 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/2 3/2 3/2 3/2 3/3 3/3 3/4 3/4 3/4 3/4 3/4 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/6 3/6 3/6 3/6 3/6 3/6 3/6 3/7 3/7 3/7 3/7 3/8 3/8 3/8 3/8 3/9 3/10 3/10 3/10 3/10 3/10 3/10 3/10 Nathan Kenzie Jack Jennifer Rod Susan Nathan David Lukas Matthew Erica Leah Andy Garrett Ryan Edward Shayla Tom Kelsey Tom Pat Breanna Mackenzie Scott Bernice Cole Parker Scott Parker Brad Jenny Gene Joseph John Del Steve Missy Taylor Hannah Shelley Theresa Kim 14 Zitzloff Berg Cummings Kennedy Holland Kohn Nelson Peltz Husom Jurgens Karels Mussell Baumgard Buttenhoff Finke Koehn Marquette Rassat Bergman Johnson Johnston Ordorff Ottenstroer Raasch Ramthun Ruckle Ryan Wald Gentz Holland Long Schimmele Stevens Berg Larson Miller Schoen Varner Churness Fadden Henson Miller 3/10 3/11 3/11 3/11 3/12 3/12 3/12 3/12 3/13 3/13 3/13 3/13 3/14 3/14 3/14 3/14 3/14 3/14 3/15 3/15 3/15 3/15 3/15 3/15 3/15 3/15 3/16 3/16 3/17 3/17 3/17 3/17 3/17 3/18 3/18 3/18 3/18 3/18 3/19 3/19 3/19 3/19 Eli Evelyn Camden James Annukka Claire Jason Jack Lucille KaiAnne Lisa Howard Erik Adelyn Jenna Jane LeighAnn Shane John Mark Paul Terri Andrew Abigail Tricia Lori Radtke Clermont Hagan Marty Neumann Strege Farruggia Hayes Packard VanHorne Abresch Bremmer Corey Ebeling Huikko Luoma Stoppelman Bertsch Bremmer Bremmer Henning Kenmir Klatt Hatling Korbel McLellan Tami Randolph Amanda Jeremy Carter Deana Sierra Mariana Shirley Kathy Thomas Ethan Ethel Lib Brian Suzanne Andy Doris Luke Carol Joan Kathy Abby Eldon Sandy Meg 3/19 3/20 3/20 3/20 3/20 3/20 3/21 3/21 3/21 3/21 3/22 3/22 3/22 3/22 3/22 3/22 3/22 3/24 3/24 3/24 3/24 3/24 3/24 3/25 3/25 3/25 Pautzke Klatt Stock Dahlheimer Gatz Gunderson Johanson Zea Elletson Forcier Elletson Ellis Kruschke Larson Loberg Meier Miller Neske Zumbusch Cook Danielson Klemz Mackenthun Peterson Schwartz Paden Tschudi Anniversaries Steven S. & Roxanne Miller Bill & Theresa Henson Earl & Lue Graham Jan & Lib Larson Bill & Melissa Morris Scott & Kathy Raasch Ben & Toni Clifton Terry & Sarah Klaers 15 3/5 3/9 3/11 3/16 3/20 3/23 3/25 3/27 3/25 3/26 3/26 3/27 3/27 3/27 3/27 3/27 3/28 3/28 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/30 3/30 3/30 3/30 3/30 3/30 3/31 KRWC broadcast sponsors needed for most of March and all of April! Our 8:00 worship services are broadcast on radio station KRWC AM1360 for the benefit of those unable to attend church. Each broadcast costs us $150.00. There are three ways you keep this important ministry going: 1. Contribute $150.00 to sponsor an entire broadcast for an available date of your choosing with a personal dedication. 2. Contribute $75.00 for a 1/2 sponsorship of a Sunday that we pick. Your name will be mentioned. 3. Contribute any amount of money toward the Broadcast Ministry Fund and we will use it as needed. To be sure you get the date you want, call the church office now at 763-682-1883. Leftover Key? Readers Needed The Trustees ask that those who have a church key or fob who no longer hold a board position or no longer require a church key turn them in to the church office. Would you like to serve as a reader for a Saturday night or Sunday morning service? Your participation would be welcomed. If interested, please email the Elders at elders@stjohnsbuffalo.org or call the church office at 682-1883. Welcome, Teresa! Teresa Berg is our new office administrator, working Wednesday to Friday each week. She and her family are long-time members of our church, and are active in the community. Please join us in congratulating her! 16 MARRIED COUPLES:GIVE A GIFT FROM YOUR HEART... “Lutheran Hour” broadcast sponsors needed The “Lutheran Hour” is broadcast each Sunday at 12:30 pm on KDUZ AM-1260. The cost of each broadcast is $93. Sponsors are needed for March, and continuing through 2013. If you would like to sponsor a broadcast, call Charles Jensen at 320-864-3579 for specific dates. Checks should be made out to Men’s Club LH Broadcast and mailed to Charles at 404 20th St. W, Glencoe, MN 55336. Thank you for your support in helping the Lutheran Hour “Bring Christ to the nations—and the nations to the Church.” 3/24 3/28 3/29 3/30 3/31 when you and your husband/ wife attend a Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekend! The communication in your relationship will improve by leaps and bounds on this special weekend. Choose from March 15 17 in Alexandria or April 5 - 7 in Duluth! For more information visit GodLovesMarriage.org, or contact Peter & Phyllis McMahon at mcmahonp@comcast.net or call 763-5611575. Weekends fill fast and applications are due soon don't miss out! Palm Sunday Maundy Thursday Good Friday Easter Vigil Easter Worship Breakfast 17 8:00 & 10:30 am 4:30 & 7:00 pm Noon & 7:00 pm 5:00 pm 6:00, 8:00 & 10:30 am 6:30 & 9:00 am Women In Mission "And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!'" Luke 9:35 St. John’s will host the Litchfield Zone Rally this year, but the date hasn’t been set yet. Stay tuned! The 35th Biennial LWML Convention will be held June 27-30, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The theme is "Quenched! by the Water" and is based on the Scripture Verse: [Jesus said:] “… but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). According to the invitation, “You will have the opportunity to: participate in the “Servant Connections”; worship with thousands of your sisters and brothers in Christ; visit the exhibits in “The LWML Neighborhood”; join the “Mission in Motion” fundraiser; study God’s Word with Donna Pyle, author of the Your Strong Suit Bible study; meet new friends and renew old friendships; and praise God through song.” Check out www.lwml.org, or call Chris at 763-682-3997 for more information or to let us know if you are interested in going. Parents, as you plan your summer activities, you may want to check out all the fun offerings at Camp Omega. Our group pays half the campership fees for our youth who attend. Take a look at their website: www.campomega.org We are looking for a team to head the 45th Annual Country Fair for Missions in November. We have experienced people, and detailed records to help you every step of the way. Prayerfully consider being part of this important project. The funds we raise benefits many missions and other worthy projects. 18 Please fill a Mite Box for missions. Pick up and read The Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly and Women on a Mission. Attend our meetings and Bible studies. Join us for activities, such as quilting in the sewing room every Tuesday afternoon. We welcome your ideas and input. Thank you! Our Motto: Serve the Lord With Gladness! Upcoming Events: Thursday, February 7th: Business Meeting at 6:00, Bible Study at 6:45. We meet in the upper level boardroom in the Family Life Center. Monday, February 25th: Zone Board meeting at 6:30. March: No business meeting or Bible Study. April 4th: Board Meeting at 6:00, Bible Study at 6:45, in the upper level boardroom of the Family Life Center. June 27-30: 35th Biennial LWML Convention in Pittsburg, PA Prayer The Prayer Shawl is given to someone who is suffering or in crisis as a loving reminder of God’s comfort and presence, and that His unending love can bring healing to their heart. The knitter prays as the needles create a prayer shawl that will bring physical warmth and spiritual comfort. In the past week we have given out 7 prayer shawls. We need knitters and those who can crochet to help out with the ministry. Patterns for knit, crochet, and fleece fringed shawls are available in the east narthex, along with yarn. We also have folders and crosses to be given to those people who need prayers and support. This is truly a rewarding ministry. For more information: Pat Norine 763-682-3606 19 Board Meeting Minutes—2/11/2013 Call to Order: August Mussell Opening Prayer: Pastor Meyer Review Agenda: Agenda approved as printed. Secretary’s Report: Report approved on a motion from Roger Strege seconded by Janice Marschel, motion carried. REPORTS: Pastor’s Reports: Pastor Disney reported that Teresa Berg has been hired as the Office Administrator. She is a member of St John’s and comes to us with lots of varied experience. Under Worship, he is excited to comment on the Lenten services being more casual and kid friendly. There will be a marriage milestone blessing and Feb. 24th will be the start of a bible study called Sacred Marriage. Pastor Meyer gave an overview of his written report which covered from 1/1/13 through today. He is working with Elders, completed a lot of visitations, performed a baptism, participating in the 72 Partner program, he too is excited about the Lenten services being a somewhat different format. The whole family is now here and his wife is currently looking for work. Youth & Family Ministry – Education: Kelly Thole said Feb. and March are extremely busy months for the youth. They will work at the Lenten Suppers; have fundraisers for the Mission trip which are vital as this is a big endeavor with approximately 30 people going. The illusionist Brett Myers is performing on Feb. 15 which is one of the fundraisers. The 30 Hour Famine is coming up on April 8th and several other Church’s will be participating in this. The seniors have started a program called Transitions of which their parents also attend. It is a how to make their faith stick after High School, program. The youth will again be participating in a Kick Ball tournament March 26th. The Sunday school children are using their offerings to create Baby Bundles, which they will also put together and then give to for mothers and children in need. After Easter a program called First Faith Steps will start for children from baptism on into Sunday school times. Treasurer’s Report: Kyle Bjork gave an overview of his written report noting that Jan. came in under budget which is typical after the holiday season. It also is a combination of timing of insurance payments, snow plowing, Easter music and some items not budgeted for such as the new pastor’s moving expenses. Financial report was forthcoming from Kathryn Elsen. Report was approved on a motion from Janice Marschel seconded by Dave Haggerty. General Fund Contributions and Expenses for January Contributions $27,063 Expenses 47,876 Net Increase (Decrease) (20,814) 20 New Business: Kyle Bjork asked if more people should have access to Shepherds Staff on the computer and August Mussell will fill that position. Discussion on Noah’s Ark and ways to help them out followed. Old Business: Pastor Disney reported on the hiring of the Office Administrator. Janice Marschel gave a report on where we were at with the 72 Partner program. The Board agreed to continue with the next portion – training for small group leadership – after Easter when we will also learn how to and do a special canvassing. The phone and internet service are still being worked on with the issue being the line from the outside to in the building. BOARD & COMMITTEE REPORTS: Elder: Dave Haggerty reported the Board did not meet in January but along with the Pastor’s attended classes for Elders at Concordia. The Board will provide a Lenten supper. Trustees: Brad Hoseck gave an overview of his written report with comments on normal repairs and the never ending extra items such as the Life Center door which was thought to be fixed but will have to be looked at again. Worship: (covered under Pastor Disney) Evangelism: Roger Strege has purchased a template for the website as work on it had been temporarily stopped but now continues. The church’s membership with the Chamber of Commerce was renewed and it was noted that the Buffalo Days parade will be June 15th. This year we will combine the Family Fun Fest with our Rally Sunday which will be Sept 8th. Stewardship: No report at this time. Fellowship: Thank you Marti for putting together the great Pot Luck for the Meyers Family. The church picnic will be July 28th. Education: (covered under Youth) Lutheran Women in Mission: A written report with Chris Husom also commenting we will host the Spring Rally in April. Library: We have a new and exciting type of book review coming up in March. The book is 316 and Pastor Meyer will do a type of book review / bible study between services and on one other day of the week to discuss this book. There are sign ups in the Narthex by the Library and by the Life Center. Noah’s Ark: Held their Open House. Project Compassion / Health Cabinet: Mailed out Valentines and continue their visiting. Missions: Janice Marschel reported that the Food Shelf envelope will again go out during Lent. Decorating: Shala is still looking for volunteers in this area. No Other Business at this time. Closing Prayer: Pastor Disney On a motion from Dave Haggerty seconded by Brad Hoseck the meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Cheryl Olsen 21 22 .9 ine p 11 m a F our . 12 st p. 30-H Breakfa oncert p 17 r C Easte rothers edule p. h B Ball Week Sc Holy Return Service Requested Non-Profit US Postage Paid Buffalo, MN Permit #33
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