A word from Pastor Dan Church Lutheran Timothy`s
Transcription
A word from Pastor Dan Church Lutheran Timothy`s
MARCH 2015 St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church GOOD news CHURCH staff PASTORS: DAN SELBO, EXT. 114 JUDY BANGSUND, EXT. 105 VISITATION PASTOR: JIM BANGSUND, EXT. 138 SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: GAYLE RENKEN, EXT. 113 CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: MARIA BONES, EXT. 120 DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIES: ELIZABETH SELBO, EXT 201 YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRIES: JOE HILL, EXT. 119 CONTEMPORARY MUSIC: ROXANN GALLAGHER, EXT. 122 CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SUPPORT: GEOFF SCHULLER TRADITIONAL MUSIC: JAMIE MULFINGER A wo rd f ro m Pa s to r D a n “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 The foundation of the Christian faith is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Everything we teach and believe is rooted in the good news that on the cross and through the resurrection, Jesus has won the victory over sin and death for us. It is what separates the Christian faith from every other religion. It is the unique and distinguishing mark of the Christian Church. But our faith is not simply something we believe. It is also something we live. As Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, there is both an inward and an outward dimension to our faith. We believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. That’s inward. It’s inside of us. We also confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord. That’s outward. It’s what we are called to do. As one of your pastors, I challenge you to keep working at both of these faith dimensions. They are equally important. Through worship and prayer, hearing and reading God’s Word, our faith grows. As a result, inwardly we become stronger and more certain in our faith. In the same way, as we speak the name of Jesus, share our faith with others, we find that our faith leads others to faith. As a result, outwardly, people are drawn to Jesus, the Church grows, and our words become a living witness to Christ. During this month, we continue on the path Jesus walked and the journey that led him to the cross. Our Wednesday night services are centered in what Jesus has done for us. I encourage you to make every effort to be here on Wednesday nights. The evenings include a soup supper at 6:15, with worship and something specifically designed for the children at 7:00. And then, at the end of month, we move into a weeklong remembrance of the final events of Jesus’ life. Palm Sunday is March 29. Easter Sunday is April 5. In between, on Maundy Thursday (April 2) and Good Friday (April 3), we focus on those final hours leading up to and including Jesus’ death. ORGANISTS: BILL MOWSON & JIM SKOOG BOOKKEEPER: JEANETTE STAHLKE It is the same pattern every year. What we are doing this year is nothing new. How come? Because what we are doing is at the foundation of our faith. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are what separate Christianity from every other religion. They are the unique and distinguishing marks of our faith. They are also the reasons we have a message to share. Jesus did not die and rise again only for us. He died and rose for the world. Our task, as we follow Jesus, includes both dimensions. Inwardly, we grow in our faith. Outwardly, we share the faith that is ours. Both are centered in Christ. Church 408-264-3858 School 408-265-0244 www.stlcsj.org Let’s commit ourselves to being two-dimensional in our faith. It is not enough to believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. We also need to confess that he is, indeed, our Lord. That’s our foundation. That’s our calling. That’s what following Jesus is all about. OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR: BETH TKACHEFF PUBLICATIONS: TAMMI HALL Following with you, Pastor Dan THOUGHTS F RO M J O E ! FA M I LY m a t t e r s How Does Your Garden Grow? For Lent this year we handed out a colorful placemat size calendar for the kids. It is a great way to mark the 6 weeks leading up to Easter. The theme, "How Does God's Garden Grow?" is a wonderful way to see God in our lives everyday. Here are some good points to remember in tending your own garden of little disciples. Gardens need good soil "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 Think of your home as the soil your kids have been planted in. Show your love by teaching and challenging them (to be kind, loving, thoughtful), spending time in conversation, giving them your full attention, saying you are sorry, and offering forgiveness. Model your faith at home. The strongest growth comes from healthy soil. Gardens need sun, rain, and fertilizer "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit..." John 15:5 We won't be growing anything spiritual without food from the Word! Jesus brings the hope and joy of God's promises to life, and we all need to connect with him. Share the stories of the Bible through books or apps. Check out JellyTelly.com or "The Bible App for Kids" if you need ideas. Bring your children to church and Sunday School to celebrate our Lord! Feed your kids on music, prayer, and stories from the Bible. Gardens go through different seasons "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22 As parents it is so important to remember that growing a garden of little disciples takes time and patience. It is not easy to have to repeat the same lesson over and over 10 times, or more, and they still don't get it. Is my child ever going to understand? This is a long term project, and every lesson they DO get makes a difference. There is a time for growth, rest, and harvest, depending on the season. What kind of fruit will be coming out of your garden? Gardens need times of rest in order to gather the energy for growth. Are there areas of your life that could use some pruning? It takes courage to prune back my rose bushes, but I do it with the hope that it gives them room to grow in the spring. Don't be afraid to prune the noise of too many activities in your family life. Make room for your priorities. Make your children's spiritual growth one of those priorities. -Maria Bones, Director of Children’s Ministry By the time you read this, sign-ups will have already begun (and possibly filled up!) for this year’s Mexico Mission Trip. As I prepare for “Mexico Season” I am reminded of the many, many amazing things God has done through that experience over the years. I want to share one with you here. Several years back, I was a part of a team that built a home for a couple named Jorge and Lenora, and their 3 young children. Each year we go, it is always encouraging and exciting to return to visit families we had built for in previous years, so the following year I was happy to find that the work site I was on was half a block away from Jorge and Lenora’s home. The first day of work we went by at lunch to say hi and learned that Jorge was not home because he was at work (a positive since, the previous year, he was on the job search). Nonetheless the reunion was a happy one, and we tried to “chat” as best we could, involving many hand gestures, head nods and pointing. Lenora gave us directions to the construction site that Jorge was employed at and, at the close of our work day, we drove by. Much to our surprise and amazement, Jorge was working building a church in the very same neighborhood that we had been building homes for years. Jorge had picked up where we left off, and God’s work in that place did not stop just because we left. This is not just a plug for the Mexico Mission Trip, but an exhortation to live in the Spirit- make the most of every relationship, every conversation, every act of servicebecause you never know how God will make the seeds you plant grow. -Joe Hill, Director of Youth & Family Ministry Coming Up this Month IGNITE, March 8th & 22nd, 6:00-8:00pm High School Bible Study, Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 High School: St. Fort-ricks Day Party! March 17 @7pm Jr. High: Are You Afraid of The Dark? March 27 @7pm OT HE R eve n ts & up date s SUPER SENIORS: Please join us Thursday, March 26th at noon in Fellowship Hall for a delicious lunch of baked potatoes served with a variety of toppings, together with drinks and dessert. Cost is $5 per person. RSVP to Olga Walters (408-268-3739). Following lunch, Joseph Harrison, health specialist, will talk about senior health issues. Reservations will also be taken for lunch Thursday, April 23rd at the Mandarin Gourmet. The April lunch will cost $16 per person. Reservations need to be made and paid for by April 16th. Super Seniors is a fellowship group open to ALL seniors, new members are always welcome. St. Timothy’s Technology Updates We are working hard to help you stay connected to St. Timothy’s. We have recently added our sermons archives to iTunes and Vimeo. We also launched a new website this month, and coming soon is a St. Timothy’s church app. Don’t forget we are also on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram! Be sure to share us with your friends and family using any or all of these vehicles. iTunes Podcasts Sermons are now available as podcasts in iTunes! Never miss a sermon by subscribing. There are two podcasts under the name of St. Timothy's Lutheran Church in the iTunes store so be sure to subscribe to the one with the 3 green crosses. Sermon Videos on Vimeo Download the Vimeo app and register with your email address. You can then follow St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church by searching and selecting people. You can download videos to watch offline. Don’t want to download the app? You can still watch all videos online at: http://vimeo.com/user28125518/ videos. 40 donors needed for our next Blood Drive on March 7 from 8-1pm at Carter. Sign up on line at redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: TIMOTHY to get to our drive. You can also sign up after worship services on Sunday, March 1. Adult Education Who Is This Man? Sundays, March 1-29 at 9:45 & 11:00 Jesus was an unusual person. Although having only a basic education, he became known for his wisdom. Although he never traveled farther than he could walk, his movement has now spanned 7 continents. The world now sets its calendar by Jesus’ lifetime. His name is on everyone’s lips – either as a curse or a blessing. Countless pieces of art (paintings, music and architecture) memorialize his life and message. WHO IS THIS MAN? “The Unpredictable Impact of the Unescapable Jesus”, a 5-week study by John Ortberg. During this season of Lent, take the opportunity to find out just what made Jesus so great. What led him to the cross? What makes him so compelling that you would want to follow him? Women’s Bible Study runs through 4/2 9:30-10:30 in Fellowship Hall “Daring to Hope in an Unstable World”. About the prophet Jeremiah -- Led by Susan Lovelady and Tammy Briner. Women’s Groups Naomi Circle meets the 1st Thursday of the month at 12:30pm in the Fireside Room. Contact Joyce at 408-723-2437. Lydia Circle Book Club meets the 2nd Friday of the month at 6:30pm. Contact Diana at 408-264-3524. Zest For Life meets Tuesday mornings from 9:45-11:30am (Music Room.) Contact Marge at [email protected] or 408-356-9960. Quilters and Cut-Ups meets the 1st & 3rd Wednesday mornings (Music Room) from 9:00am-noon. Contact Paula at 408-225-8626. Pins & Needles meets weekly on Friday mornings from 9:30-11:30am (Library). Contact Danielle ([email protected]). Men’s Groups Iron Men meets the 3rd Tuesday evening of the month at 6:30pm. Contact Dale Miller at 408-371-5789. Men’s Bible Study meets every Tuesday morning at 6:30am. Contact Steve Hill at 408-531-5025. CHILDREN’S MINISTRY The mission of St. Timothy’s Children’s Ministry is to grow children into disciples of Jesus Christ. Questions? Maria Bones, Direct or of Children’s Ministry. 408-264-3858, ext 120, [email protected] Sunday School Lessons for March 9:45-10:45 am Carter Building Wednesdays in LENT Game On! In this sports-themed unit, kids will learn about the Lord’s Prayer, the model Jesus gave them to coach them in the art of prayer. Kids will learn six big prayer skills laid out by the ultimate prayer coach, Jesus Himself. Kids will discover how praying about God’s character, kingdom, provision, forgiveness, guidance, and protection will turn them into prayer all-stars who will change the world. We will finish the month off learning about Palm Sunday and the Easter Story. Your kids are welcome to join Sunday School anytime. Our classes are open to all children, ages 3-5th grade. Nursery Corner The nursery is open to all babies and toddlers (up to 4 yrs old) during all Sunday morning Worship services, and is located in Room B3, across from the Sanctuary. Nursery care is provided by church members on a volunteer basis. HEALTH & WELLNESS POLICIES: We want all our children to be healthy, therefore, we ask parents to follow these guidelines to assess their child’s health before bringing them to church. This is for their comfort as well as for the health of other children. Parents should keep their children home if they observe these symptoms of illness within the last 24 hours: Fever (99.1 or higher) Excessive coughing Vomiting or Diarrhea Discharge in or around the eyes Questionable rash or contagious skin infections Green or yellow runny nose A child that is being treated with an antibiotic should have received treatment for a minimum of 24 hours before coming to church. All nursery workers and teachers should follow the same guidelines. The Nursery and general toys are cleaned on an ongoing basis. Toys that have been mouthed and all nursery surfaces are disinfected daily. SAVE THE DATE! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL June 22-26 MT. CROSS DAY CAMP July 20-24 WONDER-BLIMP OF KNOWLEDGE 7pm, Fellowship Hall Elementary Children (1st-5th) Come check out “Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge” as we jump into BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD. NURSERY CARE (6mo-5yrs) is available during LENT Worship as well. CHILDRENS MINISTRY CALENDAR Sundays in March, 2015 Sunday School 9:45-10:45am Sermon Activity, 11:15am Worship Nursery Care, 8:15, 9:45, 11:15am LENT LESSONS, Wednesday, 7pm Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge Nursery Care VBS / Summer Camp Registration opens Monday, March 9 www.stlcsj.org OCC Craft Night Thursday, March 19, 7pm Debbie Bauman’s house College Connection donations due March 22 Mom’s Park Date—Coffee & Conversation Tuesday, March 24, 9am - La Colina Park Join other moms for Coffee and Conversation at a different neighborhood park each month. Easter Egg Stuffing March 30, 9am “ ejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God s will for you in hrist Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 IGNITE is worship by students and for students! Sundays, March 8 & 22 - 6:00-8:00 - Carter Bldg -discussions-messages-potluck-fellowship- March 21 8:30-12:00 Joe s team So Fresh So Clean Eli abeth s team the Walkodiles isit the website (events.watermissions.org siliconvalley) and click Join A Team to get in on a great morning with some friendly competition while helping a great cause H GH March 27, 7:00-9:00 @ the Youth House Come on out for a bonfire and games in the dark! H GH SCH St Fort-ric ’s Day U arty March 17, 7:00 @ the Youth House Bring a sheet to build a massive fort, bake cookies, and wear green things! unior High - Mt Cross railblazers Camp, uly 19-24 We are encouraging all St. Tim’s Jr Highers thinking about Summer camps to check out Trailblazers at Mt. Cross this summer. This is for all who will be in 7th-9th grade in the Fall of 2015. Low and high ropes courses, night swims, beach day, and other fun! Check out the website http: www.mtcross.org !summer-programs c3vg for more info! High School - Me ico Mission rip, uly 11-1 Scholarships a ailable as needed Contact oe oe hill stlcs org for info @sttims_youth For all 8th graders and older. Cost is $250. We have 44 total spots for the Mexico Mission Trip. Contact Joe if you are interested in going to check if there are spots still available! Marc - st “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” -Matthew 25:35 Come be a part of The First Annual Silicon Valley Discipleship Walk for Water There are many ways to help! If you would like to volunteer or help raise money, please contact Ruth Hardin at 408-266-8217 or [email protected]. If you would like to walk, please visit the website (events.watermissions.org/siliconvalley) and click “Join A Team” to get in on a great morning with some friendly competition while helping a great cause! S A BUCKS S A F MY M SS F D Elizabeth Selbo – The mission of God starts with relationships and happens all over the place. Starbucks is part of my mission field! Here’s what I mean… While driving to Starbucks, pray and ask God to meet you there. Then pay attention. He has a funny way of showing up. Become a regular. Instead of “Starbucks hopping,” frequent the same one. Get to know the staff. You’ll run into other regulars. Conversations and relationships will start to happen. Don’t use the drive-thru. Walk inside and while you’re at it, hold the door open for the person behind you. Slow down. Jesus was often busy but never in a rush. Take the extra couple of minutes to interact with people. Do you read a daily devotion? Read it at Starbucks! Feeling generous? Leave a dollar or two to pay for the next person in line. Put your phone away. Just for five minutes – you can do it! Pray for the people you see – no one even has to know what you’re up to! Starbucks. The grocery store. Target. The library. You name the place and God will meet you there! Some of the Walk For Water teams are joining together for a "parking lot sale" (in front of St. Timothy's) on Saturday, March 7th with all proceeds going to Water Missions International. Team leaders are responsible for items brought with them and as such will take remaining items home or to Goodwill following the sale. Come support this effort. The sale hours are 8-2:30. Feel free to contact Donna Ovens at [email protected] for further information. SCHOOL blog Lent can be hard to explain to children. As adults, we understand that Lent is a time to prepare for Easter. There are many customs associated with Lent, such as fasting, spiritual discipline and moderation. This time gives us an opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. Lent is a chance for God to confront our sin, invite our confession and give forgiveness through Jesus’ death on the cross. Adults understand the symbolic nature of Lent; however, for children the repeated focus on Jesus suffering and death on our behalf can be scary. Children are concrete thinkers and so need concrete ways to grasp the meaning of Lent and Easter. Here are some ideas of things you can do as a family to involve your children in hands-on ways and discuss with them God’s wonderful promises to us. Attend an Ash Wednesday service. Whether at church or at the weekly Chapel at St. Timothy’s Lutheran School, children are given the opportunity to receive the mark of the cross on their forehead with ashes. This is a chance to talk with your children about life and death. There will be death and burial for each of us. Even Jesus died and was buried. But death wasn’t the end for Jesus nor will it be for us. Jesus has promised us eternal life with him. At the beginning of Lent we observe Jesus time in the wilderness. While he was there, he prayed and prepared for what was coming. So, Lent is a wonderful time for your family to set aside time to pray and prepare for what is coming up for us. In the six weeks of Lent, you can use this time to begin a family devotional or prayer time each day. Resurrection Eggs are a great way to talk through the story of Holy Week in a concrete way. You can purchase Resurrection Eggs at most Christian bookstores, however making your own as a family is a great way to get the conversation started. You can Google Resurrection Eggs for assembly instructions. The conversations that you have with your children when you do any of these activities are the most important part. We want to share with our children the Good News, to tell them about Jesus, to assure them that God loves them and forgives them. It is hard to express all the intricacies of faith, but experiencing events in concrete ways, praying, worshiping, and participating create openings for the conversations we want to have. Ultimately we want our children to grow in their faith. -Gayle Renken, School Principal Sunday Monday uesday ednesday & M PM AA M Men s S IP Meeting reakfast M Education Hour PM Handbell M EST M Adult Ed PM Leadership Choir PM Recovery Team PM AA Meeting PM H.S. ible Study ursday Friday Saturday M uilters & PM aomi M Pins and PM AA Cut-ups Circle eedles Meeting M Women s PM Chancel PM AA Meeting M lood PM ulletin ible Study Choir Drive PM Soup PM nstrumental Team M Parking Supper Worship Lot Sale PM S IP - & M PM AA M Men s S IP Meeting reakfast M Education Hour PM Handbell PM H.S. ible M Adult Ed Choir Study PM gnite PM Recovery PM Caring PM AA Meeting Christians & M PM AA Mting S IP PM Handbell M Education Hour Choir M Adult Ed PM Recovery PM AA Meeting M Men s reakfast M EST PM ron Men PM H.S. St. Patrick s Party M Women s PM Chancel M Pins and PM AA ible Study Choir eedles Meeting PM Soup PM nstrumental PM AA Meeting PM West PM ulletin Supper Worship Side Saints PM S IP Team PM Rio 2 Movie PM Lydia Circle M uilters & PM CC Craft M Pins and M Walk for Cut- ps ight eedles Water M Women s PM Chancel PM AA Meeting PM AA PM ulletin ible Study Choir Meeting PM Soup PM nstrumental Team Supper Worship PM S IP & M PM AA Mting M Men s -fast M Women s PM Super M Pins and PM AA S IP PM Handbell M Moms @ Park ible Study Seniors eedles Meeting M Education Hour Choir M EST PM Soup PM Chancel PM AA Meeting M Adult Ed PM Recovery PM H.S. ible PM ulletin Supper Choir PM gnite PM AA Meeting Study PM S IP PM nstrumental Team PM Leadership PM Jr. High Worship Team Event & M M Egg Stuffing M Men s S IP PM AA Mting reakfast M Education Hour PM Handbell M EST M Adult Ed PM H.S. ible Choir PM Recovery Study PM AA Meeting M uilters & M Women s Cut-ups White reakfast M Women s PM S IP ible Study Financial Update 2015 2015 3 Year General Fund Building Fund Capital Campaign OFFERINGS to date $ SPENDING to date $ Excess/(Shortfall) $ 117,838 $ 138,787 $ (20,949) $ 20,498 $ 22,905 $ (2,407) $ 27,832 30,027 (2,195) Table Graces Try a new prayer this week for dinner...or any meal! Dear Lord, thank you for this food. Bless the hands that prepared it. Bless it to our use and us to your service, and make us ever mindful of the needs of others. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen “Before Amen” by Max Lucado - the author addresses “the power of simple prayer” “The Language of God” by Francis S. Collins - A scientist presents evidence for belief Additionally, we have a number of donated Children’s books that are currently being processed. Members of our Church Family Dee & Elmer Abeloe Janine Arietta Marilyn Bentson Dick Betz Gary & Karin Mallet-Boegner Chris & Joanne Brewer Liz Brewer and Family Doris Campagna Norman Conrad era Frase Lisa Furlo Traci Ganatra Betty Gravdahl Kelsie Hardin Kathleen Hawley Jackie Heimann Ste en Hendric son Bea Henrickson Michael an ows y Lori Madsen Micki Mowson Ken Newcomb Dorothy Oberschulte Grant Paedon oe Stamos Bob Suda Rosamund Suhr Clare Switzer Sara Wagner Angie Watson Elsie West M Pins & M Easter eedles Egg Hunt PM AA Meeting PM AA PM ulletin Meeting Team PM S IP elati es and Friends Aaron, Jennifer, Justin, Jerry, Teresa & Natalie (children of Karin Boegner) Matt N. (online request) ichard Aze edo Stephanie Baker (cousin of Antoinette Fox) Russ Brown (brother-in-law of Liz Brewer) Clark Burrell Niko Cattarin & family (friend of Stephanie Reitz) Jocelyn Chavez (wife of NALC General Secretary) Claire friend of the Bushurs ancy, Mi e & at Dowd relati es of amie Mul nger Marilyn Dunla ey friend of erri ames Carolyn Gilbert former member nes Gomez friend of eesie Carmac Marie Hughes (friend of Terri James) uli Kachmanian sister of Mary Fries Be y Kampe friend of eesie Carmac Don Koester ill anducci friend of Shelby ong ancy Molay friend of Katy Stamos Jeanette Nill (friend of Dan & Mary Selbo) Abigail arsons relati e of Stephanie eitz Filonila Rosario (mother of Claudia Schalesky) Martha Smith (friend of Julie Altomare) Nick Stamos (relative of the Stamos family) ulie Steiner mother of Maria Bones Martin Steffan (relative of Terri & Stewart James) Kurtis atum friend of Diana ’Halloran Bruce Tritch (husband of Elizabeth Tritch) Val Vyhanek (relative of Christine Lavazza) he family of Kristin eyrebrune friend of Alisha Collier he family of Sean Messina relati e of Marsha Wells he family of Bill Maize father of ami ugmair he family of Mi e Kampe friend of eesie Carmac St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church & School 5100 Camden Ave San Jose, CA 95124 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 291 LOS GATOS, CA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Holy Week & Easter Worship Schedule April 2: Women’s White Breakfast, 7:00 am Maundy Thursday, 7:00 pm April 3: Good Friday, 7:00 pm April 4: Easter Egg Hunt, 10:00 am April 5: Easter Sunday, 8:15, 9:45, & 11:15am Maundy hursday White Brea fast: All women are invited to attend the White Breakfast, a tradition here at St. Timothy's. We will not only be nourished at the breakfast table (hosted by Lydia Circle), but also at the Lord's table as we celebrate Holy Communion together. aster anca e Brea fast: Will be served in the Fellowship Hall from 9:00 - 11:00 am. Come hungry and enjoy breakfast with your church family. Hosting the breakfast will be the Mission to Mexico Team. All donations will go toward the building of houses and a Youth Center in Mexico. Each home costs $1,850 to build. We look forward to having you with us for breakfast. Thank you for your support! Soup Suppers & Midwee enten ser ices Wednesdays :00 pm Join us for a time of worship in the Sanctuary and fellowship during Lent, through March 25. Soup suppers begin at 6:15pm. Families come with your children – see the Children’s Ministry page for details on the Lenten Children’s program. Childcare is provided in the Nursery for children age 6 months - Preschool.