February 2016 - Charity Lutheran Church

family
connections
A SHELTER
A SHELTER
IN CHRIST
TRANSFORMING
IN CHRIST
TRANSFORMING
LIVESLIVES 2016
FEBRUARY
2015
DECEMBER
Pastor’s Corner
Geiger
newest Vision C
Remembering
and growing God’s way
Council
member
onnie Geiger and Matt Kaldor are Charity’s newest
Vision Council members, elected at the December
annual meeting. Along with the new Trust Fund
Committee member, Kari Edland, these three new disciples
growth we have witnessed
the last
s we enter the Christmas season
were over
installed
at the various
January education
10 Shelter service.
several years.
and come to the end of anothclasses
offered.
In upcoming issues
of the
newsletter, we would like to
We have added staff,
programing
er year, it is good to think back and
introduce them to you. O The WOW
and worship services to seek to address Worship service
reflect. It is also good to look forward
this trend. A Long Range Planning
to another
from 7 to 8 p.m.
See, the former year and plan
Committee examined goals
and
pro250 from Hazen to
Ken and Connieaverages
Geiger moved
Pastor Scott
vided
some
recommendations
based
based
on
that
parishioners.
things have
Bismarck six years ago. While their new Mandan
home was
on future growth continuing.
I
think
reflection. It is
The
activities
under
construction,
Connie
and
Ken
went
“shopping”
for a
taken place,
it is important for all to
bechurch
informed
important to
new
home. outside the church service alone numand new things take inventory, about the growth we are experiencing,
around
WOW
for WOW.
“The minute we ber
walked
into400.
Charity,
” Connie
said. “We
so here are some Wednesday
WOW
Sundays
are
also
very
busy.
I declare before assess the past
knew we were home. Upon walking in the doors we On
could
numbers for you to think
about.
year and what
average
650 people
feel the
presence of the
Holy more
Spirit,than
the people
wereworship
so
they spring
has worked and
at four
Sunday
O Volunteers arefriendly
serving and
morethe service
wasservices.
so uplifting.
” School classes
into being I
what has not
are
held
for
175
children
more
than 250 meals from 5 to Although
6 p.m.
Charity is larger than their smallwith
church
worked
to
see
than
80
of
those
ranging
from
0 to
announce them
O 150 to 175 students
in grades
in Hazen,
it had that small, intimate feeling and many
if changes need
sixand
years
Thereother
are also
adult
seven through nine meet
for confirmaopportunities
to meet
getold.
to know
areatwo
families.
to you.
to be made.
education
courses
involving 20
adults.
tion
from
6
to
7
p.m.
Connie
received
a
B.S.
in
Child
Development
and
Isaiah 42:9
This last
More
thanand
50 worked
childrenatare
Family
NDSU
theattending
North
O Simultaneously,
aboutRelations
200 chil- from
year has been
Sunday
School
in
each
grade
Dakota
Highway Department and then as a sociallevel
worker
dren ages 0 through 12
meet downlike that at Charity. The Vision Counthan
850and
children
marriedmore
Ken in
1981,
moved to
stairs for King’s Camp.with the elderly. She totaling
Connie
and Ken
cil, the staff
and Geiger
others with
have grandchildren
strategized (front, l-r)
Hazen.attend
Whilethe
living in Hazen, Connie worked at home
O More
than 30 adults
Conner,
Bostsyn and Cashtyn
and (back, l-r) Keira,
Bria and
how to accommodate
the tremendous
(CONTINUED
7)
(ContinuedON
on PAGE
page 9)
A
Madesyn.
Connie Geiger
Inside
Inside
Meet Jeff Brown
Annual assembly and budget forums scheduled
Charity’s newest hire has
Plan on attending Charity’s annual voter’s assembly following
Peske’s
Ministry
page 2
been a member
forMusic
10 years
the NOVA
worship
service at noon Sunday, Dec.
Pastor’s
Corner
Page 20.
2 A youth
Meet
your
Stephen
Ministers
page
2
fundraiser brunch will be served for attendees only. Items on the
Lenten Schedule
Page 3
Jeff Brown, Bismarck,
hasMinistry
joined the
Children’s
page
4
annual assembly agenda include:
staff at CharityRandy’s
Lutheran
Church
Vision
Council
Recap
Page
4
Random
Acts
of
Kindness
page
5
· Change in order of Voters’ Assembly Meeting
in Bismarck. Brown
began
his fullDecember
birthdays
page
6
Sunday
School
and
Youth
News
Page
5-6
· Change of Audit Committee to Finance Committee
time maintenance/custodial
position
December anniversaries
page 6
EEMN/Nordvall News
Page 7
Jeff
Brown
January
19.
Brown
has
been
a
member
Winter
Buster
classes
page
7
Budget
Forums:
Birthdays
Page 8
of
Charity
for
10
years
with
his
wife,
Grief
Service
page
8
Sunday, Dec. 6
9:30 a.m. (Fireside Room)
Heidi,
and
children
Emily,
18,
and
Jackson,
14.
Christmas program and worship
page 8
Tuesday, Dec. 8
7:00 p.m. (Fireside Room)
Sunday, Dec. 13
10:30 a.m. (Fireside Room)
Living Stones to
conduct Integrated
Planning Consulation
At the December meeting
of the Voter’s Assembly,
approval was given to the
Vision Council to engage
Living Stones Associates
from Wichita, Kan., and
have them conduct an
Integrated Planning
Consultation for Charity.
Living Stones will address
critical areas such as
facility, staffing, ministries
and financing; which
are the key elements
of church health and
incorporate them into
a comprehensive plan
that should enhance
Charity’s fruitful growth
and ministry in God’s
Kingdom.
You are also welcome to
check an example of Living
Stones work with other
churches at the link below.
http://ministrytodaymag.
com/facilities/
construction/21449-themore-with-less-church
~ President Don Nordquist
Pastor’s Corner - Pastor Randy Upgren
Moving forward together
I
hope and pray that
everyone had a
blessed and enjoyable
Christmas season!
It’s January and the
staff at Charity is already
eyeing the homestretch
for the school year
ministries (WOW,
Sunday School, etc). It
Pastor Randy
has been a good year, but
Updren
the challenges of growth
continue to pressure the staff and facility.
Growth is an awesome problem to have.
However, we do have specific challenges
- especially when it comes to worship and
youth space on Wednesday WOW nights.
I want to take a moment to elaborate on
how we are seeking to address them in the
short, and long, terms.
In the short term we are considering
these actions to provide temporary
relief:
• Rob Peske creatively found 40 seats
by reconfiguring the sanctuary. It
makes for less convenient space to
move around, but we feel the added
chairs are worth it.
• Julie Dolbec, Doug Leet and the
Vision Council are currently
exploring using one or two
portable classrooms from the
Bismarck Public Schools to alleviate
Wednesday space issues.
•
•
We foresee these units placed in
the north parking lot. Alternatively
reconfiguring the Sunday School
space in the lower level is also being
considered.
Julie, Sam, Rob and the pastoral
staff are working on encouraging
some of Wednesday’s high school
and college-age students to attend
Sunday evening worship and
small group Bible study. We are
also working through the logistics
of adding a Sunday night WOW
worship option during the school
year in lieu of the Quest service.
This year Easter worship services
will be held at Charity and Legacy
High School. A classic 8 a.m.
Easter Sunrise service, led by
Pastor Scott, will feature great
hymns and communion at Charity
Lutheran. Two more opportunities
for a contemporary Easter worship
service called, “Easter - More Than
Tradition,” will be held at 9 and
11 a.m. at Legacy High School’s
new amphitheater auditorium.
This worship will feature moving
contemporary music and hymns,
drama and a powerful message led
collectively by Pastor Randy, Pastor
Scott and lay pastor Sam Coleman.
We are anticipating 1,500 worshipers
to attend these events.
(Continued on page 8)
Ash Wednesday and Lenten services schedules announced
Charity’s 2016 Lenten Sermon Series “Wilderness
Time,” begins with Ash Wednesday services 12:10 to
12:45 p.m. and a special Ash Wednesday WOW service at 7 p.m., with communion and the imposition of
ashes. There will be imposition of ashes at noon, but
no communion.
Lenten services continue each Wednesday leading
to Holy Week. A Maundy Thursday service from 12:10
to 12:45 p.m. March 24 will be held instead of the
Wednesday service. There will be two Maundy Thursday services at 6 and 7:30 p.m. with reserved seating
for the families and fifth graders receiving their first
communion.
LENT SERMON SERIES “WILDERNESS TIME”
Wednesdays, 12:10 to 12:45 pm.
Feb. 10 - Ash Wednesday – Imposition of ashes
A Time of Learning – Mark 1:12-15
Feb. 17 - A Time of Challenge – Mark 1:12-15 and II Cor. 4:8-11
Feb. 24 - A Time of Dependence – Mark 1:12-15 and
Hebrews 4:14-16
March 2 - A Time of Doubt – Mark 1:19-15 and Mark 9:24b
March 9 - A Time of Comfort – Mark 1:9-15 and II Cor. 12:7b-10
March 16 - A Time of New Beginnings – Mark 1:9-15 and II Cor.
5:14-19
Thursday, 12:10 to 12:45 pm.
March 24 - Maundy Thursday communion service - Luke 21:7-20
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Memorials
WELLSPRING - In honor
of Arlan and Linda Okerson by
Larry and Janice Strand.
ONE MORE, ONE LESS
– by Brett and Janet Schafer in
honor of Jenalu Rose Thomas.
Jenalu was adopted December
12, by Schafers’ daughter, Abby,
and son-in-law, Bruce Thomas.
NURSERY FUND - In
Memory of Raymond Mittleider
and James Hofer by Wilbert and
Alvina Fueller.
A night for women only
Charity women of all ages are invited to attend a
“Women’s Night In” from 5:56 to 7 p.m. Wednesday,
Feb. 10.
This informal time of games and sweets will
be held in the Fireside Room, upstairs - past the
mailboxes. This event is a combination of the three
women’s Bible studies that usually meet at that time,
but any woman is invited to attend.
Enjoy some table games and treats and meet
some new Charity women. No signup is required to
attend, but bring a game or snack if you wish.
Lauri Desir’s women’s group will begin a new
study Wednesday, Feb. 17, on prayer, based on the
movie “War Room.”
Anniversaries
February 14 – Michael and Judy Smith
February 15 – Paul and Marlys Coughlin
February 17 – Milton and Evelyn Westgard
February 18 – Chad and Laura Kourajian
February 20 – Orell and Cathy Schmitz
February 24 – Joe and LaVerne Morrissette
Parents of Adult Children (PAC) meets Saturdays
Parents of Adult Children, or PAC, meets at 10 a.m. every
fourth Saturday of the month in the church library.This group
supports parents with children that are beyond high school. All
are welcome to attend. For more information call Pat Wheeler at
255-4043.
Charity staff recognized
Members of Charity’s staff were recognized for years of
service at a special dinner held in January.
This is the first year of recognition in five-year
increments.
Recognized for years of service were:
Randall J. Upgren............. 20 years in 2011
Scott P. Bauman................ 15 years in 2014
Judy A. Smith.................... 15 years in 2011
Sam J. Coleman................. 10 years in 2014
Douglas E. Leet.................. 5 years in 2015
Ken Birst’s Vietnam experiences
shared at February Amazing Grays
Charity member Ken Birst will be sharing his “Vietnam Experience” at
the February Amazing Grays gathering from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16,
in the Fellowship Hall at Charity.
Birst served in Vietnam during the war and recently returned from a
visit there with his daughter.
Dinner will be served. For more information, contact Kathy Wermager
at 390-7587 or Dawn Reynolds at 391-6753.
Women’s group formed for widows moving forward
Sister Widow Friends is a new ministry for women who
have lost their spouse, supported by the Capital Christian
Center, 3838 Jericho Road, Bismarck.
The group meets the first and third Wednesday of every
month from 9:30 to 11 a.m. beginning Wednesday, Jan. 6.
Women with similar experiences will have an opportunity
for fellowship, Bible study, prayer and sharing.
Leader Janet Fossitt said experiencing the loss of our
spouse is, in a sense, like losing a part of ourselves. It is her
desire to encourage you in your faith, that your hope be
renewed and your focus be fixed on God. Call 701-255-1388
or visit www.cccbismarck.com for more information.
-3-
Worship and Music Ministry
Can you hear me now?
F
reeze! Don’t move. No cheating.
Without looking, can anyone out
there tell me what 1 Kings 7:13-14
says? I bet you can’t. Does anyone
know what its about? Have you ever
heard a sermon about 1 Kings 7? Ok.
You can move now. Let me tell you a
little about 1 Kings 7:13-14.
“13 Now King Solomon sent word
and brought [c]Hiram [a skilled craftsman] from Tyre. 14 He was the son of
a widow from the tribe of Naphtali,
and his father was a man of Tyre, a
craftsman in bronze. Hiram was filled
with wisdom, understanding, and
skill for doing any [kind of] work in
bronze. So he came to King Solomon
and did all his [bronze] work.” - 1
Kings 7:13-14 (AMP)
Meet Hiram. Over the next 30
verses or so, the bible talks about all
the things that Hiram built for the
temple. He made basins, shovels,
bowls, stands and more. Apparently
he measured them because the verses
talk a lot about cubits (which I recently
learned is NOT a small piece of ice).
Have you ever wondered why this stuff
is in the bible? I mean, really…God has
one book to get His message across to
His people and He takes a whole chapter to talk about the guy who built the
bronze shovels in the temple. What’s
up with that?
Well, I wouldn’t presume to know
what God is thinking (seems like a
good way to be painfully humbled),
but I would like to share what I see
when I think about Hiram. I see guys
like Wayne Dosch, Matt Bennes, and
Jerry Walz hanging TV monitors in
our sanctuary. I see Paul Keutemeyer,
Dan Samuelson and Bruce Irwin reading through manuals for new equipment (so they can teach me, the paid
staff member, how it works). I see Troy
Bradley and Nathan Toman running
back and forth across the sanctuary a
dozen times to get a camera to capture
images in color. Our church is full of
Hirams, and most of the time, you
never see them.
I think that’s why God puts this
section in the Bible. I think He’s
saying, “The work you do to prepare
a space for worship is important. I
see the work you are doing, and I’m
grateful. It matters to my kingdom.”
Most of us at Charity (myself
included) will never know the countless hours some of our volunteers put
in. There are days when I show up to
the church and sections of the sanctuary have been re-wired, upgraded,
cleaned, or improved and I didn’t
even know it was happening. We are
so blessed to have such a dedicated
tech team at Charity, and I hope you
will take a little time over the next few
weeks to thank them. You really don’t
know how much they do.
Sometime over the next couple of
months, these “Hirams” are going to be
helping us upgrade our soundboard.
We are all pretty nervous; the new
board will give us a lot more control
of our sound, a lot more power when
mixing, and many more options when
sending sound to our video suite and
fellowship hall. Here’s the catch, none
of us know how to run the new board
(remember the part about reading
manuals…). As we work on these new
projects, we would just ask for a little
extra grace and patience. We’re gonna
get it, but we’re probably gonna miss it
a couple times along the way, too.
Let’s make this an opportunity to
work together. If there’s a Sunday when
things aren’t going well (sound wise)
let’s just sing louder. If the pastor’s mic
doesn’t work for a couple minutes, lets
just listen closer. If you notice another
problem, maybe give us a week or two
to try and sort it out. If it never seems
to get better, please feel free to let me
know and I’ll pass it along to the team.
We’re in this family together and I
know we can be patient and continue
to use all of our gifts for what we have
always tried to do. We will continue
to offer everything we do, whether its
-4-
Worship Coordinator Rob Peske
singing, mixing, wiring, upgrading,
praying, plugging, dancing, painting,
or anything else, to the God who will
never forget his Hirams. Tech team,
you’re my Hiram.
By the way, if anyone is interested
in getting involved with the technical
end of worship, we’re always looking
for people who don’t mind learning
something new. Shoot me an email at
[email protected] or text
or just grab me in between services
some time and I’ll get you connected.
Who knows, maybe you’re a Hiram,
too?
Charity Lutheran Church
Vision Council Recap
Charity’s Vision Council held its
regular meeting in December. The next
meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday,
Feb. 16. Here are the meeting highlights. Once approved, you can find the
official minutes on the website at www.
CharityLutheran.org.
w Prayer requests were reviewed
and approved.
w Dallas Sailer gave the treasurer’s report - $105,768 income for
November with 3,113 people in attendance Sundays.
w The November 29 Sunday
offering went to the Vision (future
growth) fund. Charity was $11,499
budget over income for the month.
Actual income over expenses
was $15,358 for November. Charity is
$121,192 budget over income year to
date and actual income over expenses
is $33,945 year to date.
(Continued on page 7)
Childrens Ministry - Melissa Hill, Jess Toman and Chara Wangen
Cooperation - February’s Sunday School theme
W
hen you cooperate, you can
build more. You learn more. You
can do more. The Children’s memory
verse in February is, “Two people are
better than one. They can help each
other in everything they do,” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 NIrV). During the month of
February, the children will be learning
about cooperation, working together
to do more.
As kids are growing they become
more aware of the people around
them. Children learn the importance
of team and working together in the
classroom, at home and on the playground. If they don’t learn God’s plan
for cooperation, they’ll have a difficult
time getting along with people. That’s
why this month we are taking time to
discover more about what the Bible
says about cooperation.
Cooperation is actually a spiritual concept that originates with God.
God designed us as human beings not
only to need each other, but also to
need Him. He created us so we could
have a relationship with Him, and so
that we could participate in His work
together. In other words, God put all of
us together on this planet to do more
together than we could ever do alone,
and in some cases, with His help, we
might be able to do what might seem
impossible at first.
The Bible is full of stories of people
who came together in faith to do
something they never could have done
alone. We are excited to watch our kids
grow this month in their understanding of God’s design for cooperation.
The following are just a few of the
many things we have planned for the
kids in 2016. Please watch your email
and check the bulletin board across
from the elementary office for more information and sign-up opportunities.
Feb. 1 and 8 – Two-part Bible
workshop, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for Grades
3 – 5.
Feb. 6 – Un-Birthday party, 2:30 to
4:30 p.m. for Grades 1 – 5.
Feb. 12 – Second Grade class celebration, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 19 – Valentine Sweetheart
Dinner from 6 to 9 p.m.
Feb. 26 – Pre-school/Elementary
Game night
Feb. 27 – Huff Hills Family Ski Day
Feb. 26 and 27 – Arctic Blast at
Crystal Springs Camp for Grades 4 - 5
Learning for February
Week 1
Think about the Israelites building
the tabernacle. We’ll look at different
passages throughout Exodus 28, 31, 35
and 39. God could have had Moses do
the work on his own, but instead God
called expert artists, craftsmen and all
kinds of people to work together to
build this incredibly intentional place
of worship.
Bottom Line: We can work together to get God’s work done. Cooperation starts with God. When we
work together we can do the work He
has for us to do and accomplish more
than we could ever do on our own.
Week 2
There’s this really great and rather
bizarre story in Exodus 17:8-13 where
Joshua is battling a group of people
called the Amalekites. As the battle
starts, Moses is standing on a hill with
his brother Aaron and another guy
named, Hur. And there Moses is, holding up the staff of God. As long as Moses keeps his arms up, the Israelites are
winning. But when he drops his arms,
the Israelites start losing. So Hur and
Aaron make this really great decision.
They hold up Moses’ arms—and with
God’s help, the Israelites are victorious.
Bottom Line: We can work together to help someone else succeed.
Just like Hur and Aaron, it’s important
for a child to realize that working together isn’t just about doing something
for yourself. You can work with other
people to help them win at life too.
Week 3
In Luke 5:17-26, we find in the
life of one paralyzed man who just
happened to have some really good
friends. When His friends heard that
Jesus was in town, they tried everything to get their friend to Jesus. In
fact, as friends, they cooperated, tore
a hole in a roof, and dropped their
friend down in front of Jesus while
He was teaching. And as a result of
their faith and cooperation a miracle
happened.
Bottom Line: We can work together to change someone’s life. When
we work with others, we not only help
them, but we can help God change
their life.
Week 4
In our final week, we look at how
the Early Church worked together in
Acts 2:42-47 to help those who were
in need. And when they cooperated,
people noticed. When other people
(Continued on page 6)
Valentine dinner and movie night planned for young sweethearts
S
weethearts, mark your calendars for Charity’s Valentine
Sweetheart dinner and movie night from 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 19.
This event is open to all parent couples of pre-school
and elementary-age children. Older couples are invited to
help with serving, childcare, set-up, etc.
Childcare will be provided as a youth fundraiser in the
lower level of the church. A freewill offering will be taken
for childcare and a suggested donation of $10 will cover the
cost of the dinner.
Sign-up will begin soon. For more information, call
Lorri Mittleider at 701-400-1849.
-5-
Jasmine Wutzke wins title
Cooperation
(Continued from page five)
saw all of these different kinds
of people working together,
they came to know Jesus.
Bottom Line: Working
together can point people to
Jesus. Our kids can learn how
to be the church even at a
young age. Just think about the
impact they could have on the
world when they realize that
how they work together could
impact a person’s relationship
with Jesus.
This month, think about
this question: “What can you
do together?” What can you do
together as a church to demonstrate to your children the way
God designed us—not only
to need each other, but also to
need Him? How can we cooperate with God on His plan to
change the world?
I have this sneaking suspicion that the children who
watched those friends that tore
the roof apart and saw Jesus
make that man walk again
were never the same. They had
stories to tell for generations
because they had seen the
power of cooperation and what
happens when God shows up
to put His stamp of approval
on people working together.
This month, help make that the
story of our church, too.
C
harity Lutheran member, Jasmine Wutzke, competed
against 19 contestants from across North Dakota in the
Princess, Teen and Miss divisions of the Bismarck-Mandan
Scholarship Pageant in November.
Wutzke, an eight grader at Simle Middle School, won
the title of Miss Bismarck’s Outstanding Teen 2016. She
also won High Score Talent with her Jazz dance titled “Love
Runs Out.” Wutzke will compete in June for the state title.
She is the daughter of Jeremy and Sargianna Wutzke, brother of Jordan, granddaughter of Delton and Susie Heid, and
niece of Kayla Wutzke.
Family ski fellowship planned for Huff Hill
Charity families will receive a $5 discount on lift tickets at Huff Hills, south of Mandan, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27.
This no-chaperone ski day is open to families looking for a fun fellowship day.
To create a sense of community, families are asked to gather in lodge at 12:30 p.m.
for table prayer and fellowship before lunch.
Snowy the Owl will be riding the chair life with as many Charity families as possible. Skiers riding with Snowy the Owl are asked to sign a sheet in the lodge before they
travel home.
Contact Chara Wangen by e-mail at [email protected] with any
questions.
As with all Charity activities, cancelations will be posted by 8:30 a.m. on the home
page at www.CharityLutheran.org.
Parents of preschoolers hosting
family game night in February
Two-part Bible Workshop begins monday
A two-part Bible workshop for elementary students
will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb.1 and 8
in the Gazebo.
Learn how to use your Bible. Children who attend
both nights receive Bible tabs. Sign up on the bulletin
board across from the Sunday School office downstairs.
B
ring your best dish and favorite game to Family Game
Night from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. Hosted by the
parents of preschoolers, this evening full of fellowship and
fun will shorten your winter.
Sign-up will begin soon. For more information, call
Lorri Mittleider at 701-400-1849.
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EEMN and Nordvall News
Pastor David Breidenbach assumes EEMN directors role
Greetings, Charity Friends,
We are well into 2016 and I wish you a most blessed
journey in this new year. I am glad to report good news on
behalf of East European Missions Network and the unfolding ministry we have, particularly in Estonia. Early in
2015, we brought on board our new
Director, Pastor David Breidenbach,
located in Albuquerque, N.M. David,
together with his wife, Angela, has
had a long association with EEMN
and they have served over a number of years on short term mission
teams. David got off to a fast start
and through the year, traveled to E.
Europe and Russia making contact
Pastor Bob Nordvall with all partners. In November he
travelled to Bulgaria and Albania to
meet with potential new partners, and already in 2016 we
will be linking arms in ministry in Bulgaria.
Developments in Ukraine necessitated great changes
in our work there. Of course the Russians have had much
to do with that with their incursion and consequent political and economic ramifications, and that situation is only
temporarily showing signs of settling. The entire region of
Stephen Ministry trainees
commissioned last month
Four new Stephen Ministers were commissioned at
Charity Lutheran in January.
Chere Allard, Mike Fluharty, Jewel Mehlhoff and Dawn
Reynolds have complete 50 hours of specialized training.
They now move forward as the result of God’s call and their
individual gifts to provide distinctive Christian caregiving.
Each is aware of the unique vantage point they bring to
individuals who may be having a difficult time.
Stephen Ministry belongs to the congregation and
Charity’s family is encouraged to continue prayers for them
as they grow and serve through the power of the Holy
Spirit.
Chere, Mike, Jewel and Dawn join other Stephen
Ministers who are currently serving: Beth Allen, Jennifer
Farley, Leanne Fried, Carol Hineman, Karl Lemmerman,
Lori Lemmerman, Jo Lindquist, Cindy Mastel, Rod Melby,
Macel Monthye, Edwina Njos, John Seedorf and Sandy
Seedorf.
Check out future newsletters for more information
about our new Stephen ministers.
If anyone would like to meet with a Stephen Minister or
inquire about becoming a Stephen Minister, please contact
the church office @ 258-1228.
E. Europe remains on edge. But another change has also
come with the German UK Church, when the Archbishop became quite heavy handed and dictatorial, bringing
about the closure of our new Bible and Training school near
Odessa, followed by the terminal return home of our missionary family, Andy and Monica Coyle. EEMN has had to
terminate the relationship with that small national Church,
and we are in the process of talking with leadership in the
Lutheran Brethren Church in UK regarding a possible new
partnership. We regret the unfortunate changes, but are
excited about new opportunities.
Your ongoing dedicated partnership in support of Tartu
Academy in Estonia is resulting in significant expansion
of mission opportunities in Estonia. We have added a new
Language Camp on the Island of Saaremaa, so in August we
will add one more mission team. (We are always looking for
short-term servants to join us!) I, along with Patti Ivey, have
been given invitations over the last two years to expand retreat ministry among pastors/spouses and students in training for ministry. We will leave February 24, for two weeks of
ministry at the Seminary in Tallinn and TAT in Tartu. It is a
great joy and privilege.
Really big news for us, as you know, is our engagement and upcoming wedding April 2, at Charity. Patti and
I are thankful to the Lord and blessed in our love, and we
look forward to celebrating with you! Please know that the
invitation in April is open to Charity friends – we gave out
invitations until we had no more to give. Pardon me please,
if it should appear as an oversight. Everyone is invited to a
family-style dance at the Baymount Inn, Mandan, following
the service. Meanwhile, we covet your prayers for us as we
conclude plans and plan for travel overseas in the meantime. Thank you for your continued support, prayers and
love.
~ Pastor Bob (and Patti)
VISION COUNCIL RECAP
(Continued from page 4)
w The annual report was compiled for the 2015 annual meeting in December.
w The nominating group is still looking for Vision
Council nominees to start in 2016.
w New Business: Because earnings were limited this
year, the Trust Fund Committee requested approval from
the Vision Council to allow for an appeal for additional
monies in order to meet a request from the youth group for
money. The Council declined that appeal idea and decided
instead to assess the youth group request and its merits
when the council considers other requests for funding if
there is a 2015 income surplus.
w There will be a Vision Council retreat in early 2016,
date to be announced.
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February 5
Jeff Carlson
Aubrey Hay
February 1
Andrea Collin
Teddy Dohrmann
February 2
Jen Anderson
Jake Erickson
Norman Graf
Dawn Kindel
Carol Mielke
Aliza Sullivan
Nolan Wangler
Shawn Wermager
February 6
Cindy Kleeman
Dorine Wiedrich
Kim Wood
February 7
Bryce Dahle
Jenny Kivisto
February 8
Kevin Dutchuk
Kaden Schlosser
Kayla Wutzke
February 3
McCoy Bauer
Micheal Farley
Rhonda Fritz
February 9
Isaac Goy
Michael Kuehn
Emmerson
Lubbers
Blake Wahl
Andrea Wike
February 4
Timothy Austin
Neal Brown
Alan Lommen
February 10
Douglas Berglund
Ashley Keidel
Stanley Voll
February 11
Mark Miller
February 18
Beth Allen
Harley Kleeman
February 12
Megan Reep
February 20
Sharon Rooney
Carter Suchy
February 13
Lynn Connell
Harrison Godfread
Beverly Holtan
Jaxon Tabert
Evelyn Westgard
February 21
Kathy Kinnischtzke
Daniel Lubbers
Raine Skjod
February 14
Olivia Bettenhausen
Eliason Bullock
Wyat Buntrock
Brita Feland
Tiffany Quitt
Breena Sand
Keith Soiseth
Faye Wangen
February 15
Valerie Kuhn
Linda Okerson
Robert Peske
Terrance Traynor
February 16
DeLores Soiseth
February 25
Heidi Brown
Julie Dahle
Brianna Lasher
Jessica Voll
Kelly Wike
February 22
Brooke Hensley
Matt Ihmels
Nancy Jensen
Nichole Sailer
February 23
Nick Broderson
Robert Graveline
Quinn Kost
Jonathan Kuhn
Pamela Nelson
Elle Waldoch
February 26
Callie Bosch
Jackson Brown
Amy Helgeson
Mary Korsmo
Grace Miller
Velvet Schmidt
Levi Stoeckel
February 27
Thomas Leno
Nicole Peske
Barb Weaver
February 28
Cade Casey
Tom Rehborg
Dylan Sether
Tracy Wolf
February 24
Tessa Johnsen
Kari Knudson
Marshall Liudahl
Change in service times and locations part of Charity’s change
(Continued from page 2)
Charity members will be asked to reserve seats at
these services to assure room for everyone and their
families. This will help spread attendance over the two
services and reserve seating for guests. Tickets are
free and may be reserved by contacting the office after
February 10.
• WOW’s finale will be held Wed., April 20, at the
Legacy High School Auditorium. The capacity of
the auditorium (about 650) allows us to welcome
all Charity families for this awesome event. We are
very excited to announce this year’s WOW’s finale
features “The Skit Guys.” Creative, funny and thought
provoking, this two-man team is a national sensation
and should make our finale one to remember.
The long-term growth solution is aggressively being
pursued by Charity’s Vision Council, the Long Range
Planning Team and the staff. We have contracted with
Living Stones Consultants in order to more faithfully
and clearly discern God’s will for Charity. Living Stones
Consultants specializes in helping churches Charity’s size
grow in ways that are effective, fiscally responsible and
consistent with the Kingdom values of scripture. The next
six months will entail rigorous work, but we are hopeful that
by mid-summer a vision and plan of action will emerge that
the people of Charity can get behind with passion, energy
and confidence.
Stay tuned everyone. Good things are on the horizon
for Charity, and the people we are called to reach and serve
with the incomparable news of Jesus Christ. Let’s continue
to love each other, serve each other, give grace to each other
(even as we are bumping elbows) and pray together for the
next chapter of Charity’s story.
-8-
~DATE CHANGE~
“Helping your children handle pressure”
Sunday, Feb. 28
5 to 8 p.m.
At Shiloh Christian’s
Commons Area
FREE of charge and open to
the public. Dinner included
Faciliators: Pastor Randy Upgren and Ernie Hockett
New Vision Council member
(Continued From Page One)
until the birth of their daughter when she
decided to be a stay-at-home mom. They have
three beautiful children, Amy and her husband,
Chris, and children Madesyn, Bostyn and
Cashtyn, live in Minot; Sarah and her husband,
Craig, and daughter Bria, live in Bismarck;
Chris and his wife, Stacy and their two children,
Conner and Keira, live in Bismarck.
She was active in her Hazen church and
over the years as a Sunday School teacher,
superintendent, Bible School director, treasurer
for her women’s group, Bible study groups and
co-chairman of church work groups.
As an outreach worker for the church,
Connie visited members and inactive members
to see how their
needs were, or were
not, being met. She
played an instrumental
part in starting
and organizing the
first contemporary
worship service.
When her
children entered
Connie Geiger
junior high school,
Connie worked as
a preschool teacher. She also represented the
school in the foreign student exchange program,
placing students from abroad with host families
and then placing North Dakota students with
host families abroad.
“When the nominating committee asked
Ken, or myself, to consider being on the Vision
Council, I just assumed Ken would be the one
to accept,” Connie said. “But after much prayer
he decided to decline. I prefer to be anonymous
and just ‘blend in’ so after encouragement from
my husband and much prayer I asked God for a
sign that it was his will for me to accept this.
“The next day we went to a funeral and
the homily was on serving others and being a
servant for Christ. I knew God was giving me
his answer.
“I am very excited, and yes, nervous about
this as I want to do a good job. So I continue
to look to God as my guide and teacher and
ask the members of this congregation for your
prayers. I love this church and pray that I am a
blessing to God, to the Vision Council and to
you the members of this church.”
The minute we
walked into
Charity, we
knew we were
home.
Working on the church
Jim Wheeler, Duane Bentz and Mike Fluharty updated the minikitchen area outside the Fireside Room. This provides a more
convenient space to serve the groups meeting in the Fireside Room.
What is Wellspring?
One of Charity’s small groups has been a supporter of Wellspring for several years. A gift of $6,350 was given to Wellspring in
January and will be used to fund water wells in Africa.
Wellspring for the World is funding wells in 10 different African
countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.)
Each new well can
impact up to 300
people. These wells
mean improved
health, opportunities for education and in many cases, new life of people who have not
previously had access to clean water.
For many around the world collecting a daily water supply is
exhausting. The trip to collect water is on average about 7.2 miles
roundtrip. The responsibility of collecting water often falls on the
shoulders of women and children. Frequently, these water supplies
are contaminated and exposed, putting these women and children at
a greater risk for injury due to animals, harassment, and even sexual
assault.
Through our matching grants and partnerships, Wellspring is
able to triple every dollar raised. This makes it is easier for us to
bring clean water to millions around the world. Just $50 dollars can
provide a lifetime of clean water for one person. Wellspring has a
goal of funding its 1,000 well by the end of 2019. To date, pledges for
460 wells have been received. Visit www.wellspringfortheworld.org.
-9-
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage PAID
Permit # 353
Bismarck, ND 58503
Charity Lutheran Church
120 Aspen Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58503
Phone: 701-258-1228 or Fax: 701-258-4398
E-mail: [email protected]
www.charitylutheran.org
Pastor: Scott Bauman
Pastor: Randy Upgren
Lay Pastor: Sam Coleman
What’s not to love about the smell of dinner cooking?
Something’s
always cooking
in the Charity kitchen
or at least it seems so....
With Charity’s many events like WOW and Winter Busters, there’s never a shortage of savory smells coming
from the kitchen. It’s not without a dedicated team of volunteers that plan, order and prepare meals for
classes, services, Riverside Harvest and special events held nearly every night of the week at the church.
WOW’s kitchen squad serves an average of 350 meals each Wednesday during the school year. It all begins
with (above, l-r) Kathy Nordquist, Kim Wood, Sarah Carlson and Barb Berglund getting things cookin’ early
Wednesday afternoon. Additions to the team members that assist with preparation, serving, busing and
dishwashing include Sandy Erickstad, Roseanne Lindell, Tamara Neumiller, Doug Berglund, Karl Carlson,
John and Linda Westbee, Mike Carlson, Don Nordquist and YOU. INTERESTED? Call the office at 258-1228
and volunteer today.