News letter - Dekorra Lutheran Church
Transcription
News letter - Dekorra Lutheran Church
Dekorra Lutheran Church N3099 Smith Road, Poynette, WI 53955 - Ph: (608) 635-7200 E-Mail Address: [email protected] Web Page Address: www.dekorralutheran.org Ryan Rouse, Pastor Cell Phone: (608) 566-4365 E-Mail: [email protected] July 2015 Newsletter From The Pastor… A couple of days ago when I was getting ready for work I heard our doorbell ring. After glancing at our alarm clock, and noticing that it was only about 9’oclock in the morning, I began to wonder who could be stopping by at that hour. Throwing on a shirt I headed downstairs with our dogs to see who was at the front door, and to let them out, and I found our front porch empty. As I let the animals outside from our backdoor I noticed two middle aged ladies approaching my neighbor’s house and when they saw me they asked if I had a relationship with Jesus and wanted to know if I read the Bible. I must admit that as a Pastor I found their questioning and interrogation a bit odd and slightly humorous, but it also made me think about outreach and evangelism. If like me, you take the time to study the Bible and could answer the ladies questions about Jesus and scripture with a yes, then perhaps you are aware of how Jesus sent his disciples out two by two to share the Gospel with others. Although I applaud the two women for stopping by to talk about their faith, and to ask me about mine, I must be honest and admit that I was kind of put off by their approach. First of all I felt like they were invading my privacy, and second of all since it was the morning, and I was in the middle of getting ready for work, I was a bit irritated at the interruption despite the good intentions behind it. I began to wonder why they had chosen that particular time to go door to door (aren’t most people at work or getting ready for work), and I began to question the effectiveness of their evangelism technique. Don’t get me wrong, in this day and age with attendance declining in most mainline denominations, and with more and more people claiming to have no religious affiliation, I firmly believe we need to do outreach and share Christ and our faith with others. I do think that perhaps there are other more effective ways to do this. Maybe instead of going out door to door (two by two) we should all focus on getting to know our neighbors and find out what their needs might be, without having any type of agenda on our part that might involve filling up our church pews or becoming more financially viable as a congregation. Perhaps we need to work on the spiritual health and wellness of the friends and members of Dekorra so that we can learn to demonstrate that having a relationship with Jesus does actually make a difference in our daily lives. Maybe we need to discover ways to ignite the curiosity of others so that when they witness the power of Christ in our lives they can’t help but try it out for themselves. In the book of Exodus before Moses confronts Pharaoh with the seventh plague, God informs Moses, “This is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.” Similarly, I believe that we have all been saved by the grace and the mercy of Jesus so that we too might demonstrate to our friends, neighbors, communities, country, and world, the power of God’s unconditional and sacrificial love for his creation. I believe that if we can truly live our lives allowing God to work through us in how we interact with others, in every kind word, in every caring action, then perhaps his name will indeed be known all over the earth! Summer Blessings, Pastor Ryan Education: Don’t forget Vacation Bible School will be happening this month! If you have a child in Prek-6 th grade we hope that you will consider enrolling them. The dates are from July 19 th until July 23rd. Also, if you would like to help out and be part of our staff for this incredible event please let Pastor Ryan or Monice Knuteson know as soon as possible. Council President’s Report…. VIEW FROM DA PEW July 2015 As I write this it is June 23rd and Dottie and I are just back from our trip to Indianapolis to see the Grand kids. It was a great trip and we got to see a lot of kid’s baseball games in spite of a lot of rain. This morning I called Terry to see how we did this last Sunday and it appears that we were not alone in our travel plans. Attendance at this last Sunday’s service was only 85 and the offering was $1500. YIKES!! We cannot continue to operate at that level of “giving”! I understand that people take vacations that are well deserved breaks from the everyday hassles of life and there is a definite need to refresh and rejuvenate so that we can come back and do better. However “YOUR” church is still here and needs your financial support every week. One very simple way of making sure that you continue to support “YOUR” church while you are away is to sign up for “Auto Giving”. You can elect to give any amount you wish, even less per week then you are now giving and I guarantee that by the end of the year you will have given more. Terry has the forms that you would need to fill out and the withdrawal can come from either checking or savings. This summer please take the time to enjoy all that God has given us and remember to give thanks by remembering “YOUR” church. William [email protected] 608-697-4434(c) 608-635-2452(h) 2 Bible Study Wednesday, July 1 1:00 pm Bible Study (Hope) Tuesday, July 14 1:00 pm Bible Study (Joy) Thursday, July 16 7:00 pm Bible Study (Faith) Please Remember in Your Prayers: Arlene Dalen (sister of Bev Trygstad); Carla Drake (sister of Ted Koch); Liz Schlender (sister of June Fiske); Sloan Patrick Schutz (great grandson of June Fiske); Pete Taylor; Matilyn Parker; Christopher Hehl; Betty Prucha; LeRoy Breneman (brother of June Fiske); Joyce Frahm (sister of Joanne Johnson); Holli Judd (daughter of Chuck & Penny Judd); Kristen Armstrong granddaughter of Barb & Bruno Kalan); Ralph Jesse; Christine Rasmussen; James McGinnity (son-in-law of Aileen Brager). Please Pray for Those Serving our Country in the Military: Phillip Kamps, Alex Kamps (nephews of Kathy Pederson); Kent Riedel; Deontá Backovitch; Nicholas Paske (great-nephew of June Fiske); Dustin Hoiten (nephew of Ted Koch); Bill Warren (son of Cheryl Lytle); Charles Judd (nephew of Chuck & Penny Judd); Quinten Case (great-nephew of June Fiske; James Wampole (nephew of Gene & Betty Hehl); Moira McCormack, (granddaughter of Renate Lokotz). Dekorra Women of the ELCA… **Please note** New dates and times for the July and August Women’s (Faith) Bible Study! The new dates and times are July 16th at 7:00pm and August 20th at 7:00pm at the church. Summer Picnic August 16 - The Evangelism committee would like to invite everyone to the annual church picnic on Sunday, August 16 following the outdoor church service. The Dekorra Men for Christ are supplying the burgers, brats and hotdogs. There will be sweet corn, too. Please bring a dish to pass. Upcoming events July 11 --- Dekorra Women Quarterly Meeting Sept 26 – Baraboo Conference Meeting at Dekorra Church Greeting Cards – We have many new cards, on both sides of the rack in the fellowship hall. Several boxes are marked for $.50 per card. If you only need one card, take it from the boxes marked $.50 each and not the boxes marked $4.50 per box. There is also a large box on the coffee shelf with cards for $.50 each. This is the same price as the Dollar Store! If you buy a box of cards at $4.50, that is less than $.38 per card. What a bargain for beautiful cards!! Missing Glass Bowl A very sentimental anniversary gift given many years ago is missing. The bowl is glass with 3 glass legs. It was left in the kitchen after an OWLS luncheon. The owner of this bowl wants it back, so if you have seen it or know where it might be please drop the bowl off at the Church Office or leave it on the kitchen counter, no questions asked. Thank You. _____________________________________________________ **NEWS FROM THE DEKORRA MISSION ENDOWMENT FUND** NORTHWOODS Inc. is teaming up with the Driftless Area Repertory Theater to raise funds to support their sheltered workshops which provide employment opportunities to intellectually and physically disabled people in our area; and, in so doing, will enable Northwoods, Inc. to become less dependent on government funding. Together they are starting a new “funraising” dinner theater project at their location in the Northwoods Banquet Hall two miles south of Portage on Highway 51. (This is one of the local non-profit organizations that has received support from the Dekorra Mission Endowment. present four productions, “Nunsense” in June, “Don’t Hug Me” in September, “Escanaba in da Moonlight” in November and “Sorry, Wrong Chimney” in December. There is a poster with more information on the bulletin board in the hallway by the restrooms. For a great meal and a great show, reasonably priced, contact them at 608-566-7138. Let’s give them our support! Vacation Bible School 2015 Everest, Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power kids overcome obstacles with God's awesome power. Anchor kids in rock-solid Bible truths that will guide them through life's challenges. At Everest vacation Bible school, kids experience God's Word in surprising and unforgettable ways! Each day, leaders reinforce one simple Bible truth—which makes it easy for kids to remember and apply to real life! On Day 1, we will learn how God has the power to provide, and learn about the bible story where God provided for Elijah. Each day kids will meet a new “Bible Buddy”, like Klymer, the snow leopard and Vacation Bible School July 19-23, 2015 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. All children 4 years of age through those going into 6th grade are welcome! Registration fee is $10.00 per child (no more than $20.00 per family). Scholarships are available. Contact Monice for more information (566-5900). Registration Form – One (1) Child Per Grade Child’s Name ____________________________________________________ Date of Birth _______________ Place of Birth ________________________ Grade (going into) _____ Your church name _______________________ Have you been baptized? ___ Yes ___ No Parent(s) Name _________________________________________ Home Phone ____________________ Home & Mailing Address _________________________________________________________________ City ____________________________ State __________ Zip Code _____________ Parent(s) Work Place & City _______________________________ Business Phone __________________ Emergency Person to call if unable to contact parents (please list relationship) _______________________ ________________________ Please list any allergies: ________________ Phone ___________________ Please check all days your child will attend Vacation Bible School: ___ Sunday 4 ___ Monday ___Tuesday ___ Wednesday ___ Thursday Lodi Summer School Lunch Program Dekorra will be joining other area churches again this year with the school lunch program for students in summer school at the Lodi High School. Our week to prepare and serve lunches is July 6 – July 9. A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board for those who are able to help out. The proceeds from the Easter Breakfast ($522.00) will go to the lunch program and Thrivent is also donating $250. The total amount to be donated to this program is $722.00. *Please note that in the May newsletter it was stated that half of the proceeds from the Easter Breakfast would go to the lunch program and half to the new roof. The Council voted to donate the entire amount to the lunch program. Poynette Area Family Fun Festival July 25 - The Poynette Festival Committee is challenging area congregations to participate in a “Holy Rollers Bed Race”. Dekorra Lutheran Church will be participating in the bed race. Prizes will be awarded for the winner, best decorated, best name (of the bed) and more! The festival will also have a kiddie and youth parade, bouncy house, concessions, human foosball game, car show, bake and plant sale, and much more! Watch for further details. Canoe Trip - Youth and families are encouraged to participate in a canoe day-trip to Ontario, Wisconsin on August 2. This event is being held in conjunction with the men's group. Children entering 7th grade and older may participate individually, or any age when accompanied by Parent/guardian. Cost is $15 per person, which covers canoe rental and lunch. If cost is a burden, sponsorship is available. Please mark it on your calendar and watch for the sign-up sheet at church. Blood Drive at Dekorra – Save the Date! Monday, July 27th, we are having a blood drive. Donation hours are 1:00 – 6:00 pm. We need volunteers to help set up (12:30) and take down (after 6:00 pm). Volunteers are also needed to make baked goods and snacks for the donors. For an appointment call RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or redcrossblood.org. If you have any questions about donating be sure to call the Red Cross at the number above. The next Blood Drive at Dekorra will be on Monday, December 7th. New Worship Assistant Gowns – The old Worship Assistant gowns were getting worn out and needed to be replaced. Thanks to an anonymous Dekorra Church member for the gift that made this purchase possible. God Bless! Auto Giving Enjoy the convenience of recurring donations through Auto Giving! No need to worry about forgetting your envelope at home or while on vacation, you can choose between weekly, monthly, the day of the month for the funds to come to the church. Call the church office at 635-7200 for more information.