Special points of interest: A Word from your Pastor Celebration of Music Senior Adult Luncheon Words on Worship Women’s Ministry Bunco Night Super Bowl Sunday Party ~ Feb. 7 th Youth Corner Celebration of Music Words on Worship Thank You Senior Adult Luncheon 2 Women’s Ministry News Learning Foundation Lutheran Social Services 3 Care Ministries LWML 4 Voter’s Meeting Minutes Financial Summary 5 Adult Bible Study Envelopes/Contributions Birthdays/Anniversaries 6 Calendar 7 Inside this issue: Planning Ahead As the calendar changes from 2015 to 2016, it’s natural to look ahead. When I think about our plans for this year as a church, I am very excited by a number of things. But, let me just tell you about one event that’s coming soon. Starting January 19 th , Jeff Rodemeyer will be leading a seven-week class called The Legacy Journey. This is a brand new course from Dave Ramsey, and it’s all about how to truly live and leave a legacy for generations to come. The class will cover basic estate planning, as well as ideas and practices to increase the impact of what you leave to the next generation. A few months ago, I was in a meeting with three financial experts to discuss some best practices for our church. One of the experts was a lawyer and made the comment that after working with thousands and thousands of people for 30+ years, only two people ever truly had nothing to leave behind. His point was that everyone, no matter how wealthy, needs to plan ahead wisely so that their impact on the future can be as great as possible. I believe that healthy and vital churches are always going to be fueled by the sacrificial generosity of their current and active people. But I also believe we are heading into a key period in our country. Many analysts are predicting that the next 5-10 years will be the greatest wealth transfer in history. It’s exciting to think about what ministries could be blessed through people’s wise stewardship and planning. That’s what The Legacy Journey is all about. It’s about making a difference in the future. I humbly encourage you to consider joining Jeff for these seven Tuesday evening sessions. For more information, contact our office. You will also be able to register online at www.daveramsey.com. God bless, - Pastor Luke A WORD FROM YOUR PASTOR Volume 7, Issue 1 Living Lives for Christ January 2016
Transcript
Special points of
interest:
A Word from your
Pastor
Celebration of Music
Senior Adult Luncheon
Words on Worship
Women’s Ministry
Bunco Night
Super Bowl Sunday
Party ~ Feb. 7th
Youth Corner
Celebration of Music Words on Worship Thank You Senior Adult Luncheon
2
Women’s Ministry News Learning Foundation Lutheran Social Services
3
Care Ministries LWML
4
Voter’s Meeting Minutes Financial Summary
5
Adult Bible Study Envelopes/Contributions Birthdays/Anniversaries
Page 2 Newsletter T i t le Volume 7, I ssue 1 Living Lives for Christ
Words on
Worship
“Come to Worship Him”
~ Kip Fox ~
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” Matthew 2:1-2 ESV
Chances are you’re getting this newsletter on Christmas Eve or the day or two after Christmas. For many of us, this is a wonderful time. However, for some of us, this can be a very heartbreaking few days. Whether this Christmas is everything it could possibly be or something much less than that, the story remains the same. We don’t know exactly where the wise men came from. We don’t know their life stories. It’s likely they had each seen a lot in their lifetimes. If they were anything like us, life had given them great joy and it had handed them terrible pain. But something told them that this child was more important than anything they had ever seen. We often think of the gifts they brought, but we must also remember that they were there to worship this child.
Jesus is the Savior of the world. He didn’t come to create a jolly
season. He didn’t come to create a yearly family get-together. He
didn’t come to give the wise men a reason to eat sweet treats.
He came to save the world. He came to end the curse of death.
He came to bring peace between God and man. He came that
we might have life. Take a moment this Christmas to simply
worship Him. Take a moment to absorb the gravity of His
coming. Ponder the meaning of His birth. Thank Him for taking
on such a humble form for our sake. This Christmas, come to
worship Him.
We want to thank each
and every one of you
for your prayers,
support, calls, and
cards over the past month. God bless you all for
your thoughtfulness and prayers. We are so grateful
to belong to a caring family like St. Luke’s church.
~ Helen & Ray Burton ~
Celebration of Music
Sunday, January 3rd @ 4:00pm
Join the music ministry as we
celebrate Epiphany, with music
from the Christmas season.
Invite a friend!!
Address:
Lot 29043
1759 E. Broadway Rd., Mesa
2.3 miles from St. Luke’s!!
Sponsor: Home Sweet Home Sponsor
Lutherans Building for Christ Coalition
START DATE
Saturday
January 9th
7:30 AM
“Wall Raising”
10:00 AM
Senior Adult Luncheon
Friday January 22
Noon
Come join us for a free
lunch and great fellow-
ship.
A very special
program will follow.
Sign up at the Information Center or by
calling the church office, 480-969-4414!
Invite
Friend! a
Watch for your invitation
in the mail!
Page 3 Newsletter T i t le Volume 7, I ssue 1 Living Lives for Christ
Women’s Ministry & Caroling Sunday
December began at St Luke’s with caroling on Sunday, December 6th.
Kathleen Hoffmann planned a great event, which began with notes written to
our homebound in the Thanksgiving Service. Kim planned and bought the
food, Karen Jacques and Women’s Ministry helpers cooked and serve, and
many members, friends, and youth took their voices on the road to deliver
songs, gifts from St Luke, and the joy of the Christmas message to our
homebound and their neighborhoods. Many musically talented members and
friends helped keep us on key. Many thanks to all who helped in any way to
spread the joy of the Christ Child.
On Friday evening, December 11th,
Learning Foundation held their second
Christmas concert on our campus. The
program included Silent Night. Every
grade performed and there were many
parents and friends here, about 530 in
attendance. We used this opportunity to pass out
Night in Bethlehem flyers as guests exited the
building.
Parents and friends gathered in the Oasis to view the students’ artwork before the concert. The
artwork was displayed on two large bulletin boards that were hung through the efforts and
funding of a Thrivent Action Team. We thank Bill Weyer, Jerry Hauptli, and Chuck Paulson for
work on that project.
LF students will be back in class on campus on January 4th, 2016. They will be off for MLK Day on Monday, January 18th.
We wish them a happy 2016, and we continue to enjoy having the children on our campus.
“Joyfully Connect, Support, and Serve Through Christ”
Thank you for a successful 2015! Now it’s time to plan for 2016!!
Sunday, Jan. 10 ~ 11:45 AM “Planning Meeting ”….Please join us in the Fellowship Room. Bring a sack lunch, snack,
or just something to drink. Come with suggestions and ideas for February through June. Your input is important!
Friday, Jan. 15 ~ 6 PM Pizza, followed by Bunco at 7 PM
A big thank you to everyone who
brought in winter wear for the I-Help
ladies in December!! It was great to be
able to send them into the New Year
with some cozy Christmas care packages.
Please continue to keep this ministry in
your prayers. We will be hosting twice
this month – January 24th and 31st.
for all the prayers
and cards when I
was in the hospital
with pneumonia.
~ Dorothy Johnson
Power up with Protein Your body needs protein to function properly. Your body uses
protein to build and repair tissue, and protein is an important
building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, and blood. Protein
also keeps you full, making you less likely to overeat. Protein can
also increase lean muscle mass, which keeps your metabolism
running on a higher level — even when you’re resting. Try these
foods to add more protein to your diet:
Seafood Tuna, sardines, salmon, halibut, and tilapia are great sources of
protein. Salmon and tuna have high amounts of fat, but it’s the
good, heart-healthy kind.
White Meat
Chicken, turkey breast, and pork tenderloin are good sources.
Pork tenderloin used to be considered a fattier meat, but it is 31%
leaner than it was 20 years ago.
Dairy
Dairy products not only have a substantial amount of protein,
they also contain calcium. Add Greek yogurt or milk to your
breakfast routine or eat cheese sticks as an afternoon snack.
Eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein. Try adding a hard-boiled egg
to your lunchtime salad.
Beans
A half cup of beans has as much protein as 3 ounces of steak.
Kidney beans, black beans, and lima beans are also excellent
sources of calcium. Plus, beans are loaded with fiber and will
keep you feeling full for hours.
Lean Beef
Lean beef has several more grams of saturated fat than a
skinless chicken breast, but lean beef provides the added
bonus of vitamins such as zinc, iron, and B12.
While protein is an important part of your diet, be careful not to
consume too much. Excess protein can be converted to fat and
stored in the body. According to the dietary guidelines of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), two to three servings of
protein-rich foods typically meet the daily needs of most adults.
Page 4 Newsletter T i t le Volume 7, I ssue 1 Living Lives for Christ
Page 5 Newsletter T i t le Volume 7, I ssue 1 Living Lives for Christ
Voter’s Meeting Highlights - November 22, 2015 The meeting was called to order by the Church Council Director, Russell Horton. Pastor Hennings led the opening prayer. 61 voting members were present. Kevin & Tara Basso, Kristie Weibley, Caitlin Schroeder, Lee & Carol Brentlinger, Kathie & James Streifel, Cheryl Coscarart, and Mike & Renee Mosiman signed in to become new voting members. A motion was made and seconded to accept them. Carried. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the November 23, 2014 voter’s meeting. Carried.
Overview of Ministry: Russell Horton reported on St. Luke’s average weekly attendance since 2005. St. Luke's attendance had been trending down, but reversed after 2011. As of 10-31-2015 YTD income was $557,896 and YTD expenses were $557,781.
3 Focus Area Report:
The three ministry areas focused on in 2015 were:
1) Reach Young Families
♦ Hired a new Young Families Director
♦ Made VBS more family-oriented
♦ New children’s Sunday School
curriculum
♦ Developing children’s church
♦ Updating the corner sign’s appearance
♦ 10:30 attendance up 8% (Y2Y
Sept-Nov)
♦ 5th-12th attendance up 28% (Y2Y
Sept-Nov)
2) Develop Pro-Active Stewardship
♦ Developed 5-year facility maintenance
plan
♦ Integrated ‘depreciation’ into budget
♦ BTW reduced debt by $457,031
♦ Current debt is under $900,000
♦ Council preparing ‘40 Days of Vision’
to begin developing ‘2020 Vision’ with
entire congregation this February -
March
3) Encourage Relational Connections
♦ Implemented the “Dinner with a
Member” portion of our new member
process
♦ Launched 6 new fall small groups with
roughly 50 new participants
♦ Additional Sunday School classes
offered
♦ 5th-8th grade parents attending
confirmation
♦ Looking into refreshments after
10:30 service
Overall, we are grateful to look back at another year and see significant steps forward in our focus areas. Many people should be thanked for their continued hard work and dedication to these areas.
Herb Baumhoefner recommended having a slide next year showing the attendance trend by service.
Election of Officers:
The following officers are serving in the
middle of their two-year term:
Russell Horton as Director, Michael Ivey as
Financial Director, Jason Steinke as
Properties Director, Bruce Tonkin as Head
Elder, Mark Duchrow as Executive Elder,
Rick Lane as Executive Elder.
The following candidates were submitted for election:
Don Smith as Assistant Director (2yrs),
Ryan Brooks as Secretary (2yrs), Joanna
Parks as Treasurer (2yrs), Tim Dass as
Executive Elder (2yrs), Kevin Basso as
Executive Elder (2yrs), Steve Hines as
Executive Elder (2yrs).
Dan Spiro made a motion to conduct the officer election by acclimation. The motion was not seconded.
The vote was conducted by paper ballot. Carried.
Synod Nominations:
In preparation for the triennial synodical elections, congregations may submit nominations for candidates. The Council had discussed the following names and recommended that St. Luke’s nominate these individuals based on their history of service and excellent character:
President — Dale Meyer, STL Seminary President; 1st VP — Tim Klinkenberg, St. John’s in Orange County, CA; Regional VP — Mike Gibson, Christ in Costa Mesa.
The Synod nominations carried.
Extending a Call:
The council had made a motion to extend Caitlin Schroeder a call at her current position and salary. There was no need for a second. After discussion, the vote was conducted by yes/no paper ballots. Per Synod policy, this vote needed at least a 75% approval. Carried.
Budget:
Michael Ivey presented the 2016 budget. He reported that work began on this budget in early September. The budget presented for 2016 totals $710,771 with projected income of $710,810 which is a net surplus of $39. The vote was conducted by paper ballot. Carried. As always, any member wishing to obtain a copy of the entire budget may do so by picking one up at the church office.
Month at 11/30/2015 YTD at 11/30/2015 2015 Annual
General Fund: Actual Budget Actual Budget Budget
General Fund Ordinary Income 65,440 65,698 623,336 591,983 680,044
General Fund Ordinary Expense (40,789) (47,448) (509,062) (527,937) (576,017)
Net Ordinary Income 24,651 18,250 114,273 64,046 104,027
LCEF Mortgage Principal Paid (9,133) (8,900) (98,640) (95,100) (104,000)
Net Income (Loss) 15,518 9,350 15,633 (31,054) 27
St Luke Lutheran Summary of 2015 Actual & Budget Totals - Month, YTD & Annual
Page 6 Newsletter T i t le Volume 7, I ssue 1 Living Lives for Christ
01/13/84 Dennis & Shirley Vogts
01/26/02 Mike & Karrie Schelin
Envelope and Contribution Details
Many thanks to all of you for your many and varied
contributions to the ministry of St. Luke Lutheran.
Giving statements will be in the narthex in mid-
January 2016, in your mailboxes or on the window
shelf. Winter visitors will also find statements there.
The 2016 envelope boxes have been in your mailboxes since December
2015 and most have been picked up. Thank you! If you have questions or
concerns about any of this, please call Kathy Paulson [480.619.1263] or
Dorel in the office.
Super Bowl
Sunday Party February 7th
11:30am-1:00pm
Proudly wear your favorite team’s
colors to church!!
Following the 10:30 worship,
join us for football fun and fellowship.
We’ll be grilling hot dogs and hamburgers!!!
Fun Activities
Bounce Houses ~ Popcorn Machine
Happy Birthday!! 1/12 James Self
1/15 Elizabeth Steinke
1/16 Marie Welsh
1/17 Barbara Fowler
1/18 Cheryl Powell Kathryn Schriewer
1/19 Fay Lieber
1/1 Betty Harmon Helen Oeters
1/2 Arne Kolsrud Wendy Mannetter
1/3 Don Scharf
1/4 Sandy Fettig
1/5 Drew Hackmann
1/7 Cheryl Coscarart Anna Tonkin
1/10 Kathryn Juilfs Charlotte Vark
1/11 Paula Kelsey Betty Maisenbach
1/12 Caleb Hennings Margaret Sanders
1/21 Dinah Villalobos
1/23 T.J. Lindberg Tony Mannetter
1/24 Dan Neterval Emily Savastano
1/25 Dawn Enright Lenard Mummert
1/26 Kevin Harris, Sr. Savannah Luginbill
1/27 Dan Smith
1/29 Mary Beth Nelson
1/30 John Yoccabel
1/31 Carol Grovesteen Paulette Moza
New Adult Bible Study beginning
Sunday, January 3rd at 9:30 AM
In ancient times, nothing was
bigger than Egypt—powerful
pharaohs, strong armies, and
a multitude of gods. God’s
people, the Israelites, seemed
no match against the
Egyptians. Come travel to
Egypt and see how God
answers the cry of persecuted
people and proclaims himself
Sovereign Lord both to them
and their oppressors.
—led by Joanna Parks
God Heard Their Cry
Finding Freedom
in the Midst of Life’s Trials
++++
That the World May Know, vol. 8
DVD series by Ray Vander Laan
Christian historian and teacher
LOVEFEST
February 12th-14th
9th-12th Grades Only
Cost: $50 (includes food and hotel)
Mark your calendars for this awesome
mini-retreat tackling some
of the tough issues facing us today.
Please let Kelly know if you’re interested in attending.
Page 5 Newsletter T i t le Volume 7, I ssue 1 Living Lives for Christ
**Events begin at 11:45 with lunch** January 17 ~ Six-months-out National Youth Gathering meeting.
All participants and parents, please plan on attending.
January 24 ~5th – 12th - Rock Climbing at Focus Climbing Center, Mesa (I will send out an Evite for this, I must have advance attendance notice.)
January 31 ~ 5th Sunday Breakfast and Servant Event – TBD
January 3 ~ 5th-8th – Christmas Show and Tell – Did you get anything really exciting for Christmas? Enjoy some lunch while we share our fun stories!
January 10 ~ H.S. only – Lunch out. Let’s go out for a nice lunch
and catch up on our Christmas break adventures.
“They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). Soon, we will celebrate Epiphany, a time when we recognize the wise men’s worshiping of Jesus. We often have a very stereotypical view of these Magi that traveled
to see the new king of the Jews. When we look a little closer, however, these astrologers show us something pretty amazing. These men were Gentiles (non-Jews) and really didn’t have much reason to be interested in this child. However, they made a great effort to see him and, when they found him, worshiped him. I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and break from school. I encourage you to always be on the lookout for worship opportunities. One fun way to worship God is with a group of friends. Singing and praising God at St. Luke is a great way to stay connected!
I hope to see you at our events this month. I enjoy talking with you as we hang out and form lasting relationships. Make sure you are “friends” with Luke Youth-Group on Facebook to stay up to date with activities. Also, if you ever need to get in touch with me for any reason, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or text (928.241.8038) or email ([email protected]).
