NON-PROFIT ORGN US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 163 VALPARAISO, IN 46385 CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH 2610 CAMPBELL STREET VALPARAISO, IN 46385 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH The Good News January 2018 Faith Formation Opportunities Sunday 9:20 a.m. January 7 “The Nurse is in” with Juli Verkler (Gathering Area) January 14—February 11 “Christianity & Racism” with Heath Carter (Church Hall) January 14 “Social Ministry” with Irene Adams (Room 107) February 4 “The Nurse is in” with Juli Verkler (Gathering Area) February 4 “Social Ministry” with Irene Adams (Room 107) February 18 & 25 “Manna & Mercy” with Pastor Erica (Church Hall) Thru May 2018 “Book of Revelation” with Walt Wangerin, Jr. (Sanctuary) Thru February 25 "Faith in Action" Includes selections from Daniel, Matthew, Acts, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, James
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CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH The Good News
January 2018 Faith
Form
atio
n O
pp
ortu
nities
Su
nd
ay 9
:20 a
.m.
Jan
uary
7 “T
he N
urse is in
” with
Juli V
erkler (G
atherin
g A
rea) Jan
uary
14
—F
ebru
ary 1
1 “C
hristian
ity &
Racism
” with
Heath
Carter
(Ch
urch
Hall)
Janu
ary 1
4 “S
ocial M
inistry
” with
Irene A
dam
s (Room
107)
Feb
ruary
4 “T
he N
urse is in
” with
Juli V
erkler (G
atherin
g A
rea) F
ebru
ary 4
“So
cial Min
istry” w
ith Iren
e Adam
s (Room
107)
Feb
ruary
18
& 2
5 “M
anna &
Mercy
” with
Pasto
r Erica (C
hurch
Hall)
T
hru
Ma
y 2
018 “B
ook o
f Rev
elation” w
ith W
alt Wan
gerin
, Jr. (S
anctu
ary)
Th
ru F
ebru
ary
25
"Faith
in A
ction" In
cludes selectio
ns fro
m
Dan
iel, Matth
ew, A
cts, Ephesian
s, Colo
ssians, 1
Tim
oth
y, Jam
es
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH 2610 Campbell Street, Valparaiso 46385
201 CHURCH COUNCIL OFFICERS PRESIDENT : Phil McGuire VICE PRESIDENT : Roy Summerville TREASURER : John Obermann SECRETARY : Janet Casbon
2017 COUNCIL MEMBERS CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: Brian Niksch CHRISTIAN GROWTH: Sue McPherson CHURCH PROPERTY: Marla Niksch HOSPITALITY & OUTREACH: Sara Long SOCIAL MINISTRY: Irene Adams STEWARDSHIP: Tim Sutherland WORSHIP & MUSIC: Dorothy Bass YOUTH: Erin Schmidgall LLP REP: Kris Trapp YOUTH REP: Anthony Summerville
Did you KNOW? Louise Andrews started the Lutheran World Relief Baby Care Kits Project. That was in 2003, and as we enter 2018 we will be in our 15th year for the project here at Christ Lutheran. During those years there has been much gathering, laundering, packing, and transporting of items to our warehouses where the kits are checked, and then shipped to all corners of the globe where mothers and their babies are in need. THANK YOU, CHRIST LUTHERAN MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, FOR ANSWERING THE CALL -“YOU SAW I WAS IN NEED AND YOU RESPONDED.” THANKS FOR BEING SUCH FAITHFUL SERVANTS.
Young MOTHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS CAN HELP! If you have children/grandchildren that have outgrown clothing in the ages 6 months to 2 years, will you consider donating that clothing to the BABY CARE KITS PROJECT? Check the listing of items needed in the Sunday bulletin, monthly Good News, or pick up a card in the white basket in the Gathering area by the back shelf. WE CAN ONLY USE WHAT IS ON THE LIST. WE CAN NOT ADD OR SUBTRACT TO THAT REQUIRED LIST. Avoid heavy winter jackets donations because they are too bulky to pack.
Be on the alert for bargains, clearances, sales, and reduced items that we can use. No donation is too small!
If you can't shop or travel to sales, financial gifts are greatly appreciated. All financial gifts are used to buy items that are not donated. Just mark the financial gift for the Baby Care Kits Project. THANK YOU!
January Needs-Sleepers with/without feet and jackets.
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH 2018 CHURCH COUNCIL LEADERS
President PHIL MCGUIRE
Vice President ROY SUMMERVILLE
Treasurer JOHN OBERMANN
Financial Secretary JESSICA NIKSCH
Secretary JANET CASBON
Christian Education BRIAN NIKSCH
Christian Growth SUE McPHERSON
Hospitality & Outreach SARA LONG
Property MARLA NIKSCH
Social Ministry IRENE ADAMS
Stewardship TIM SUTHERLAND
Worship & Music DOROTHY BASS
Youth ERIN SCHMIDGALL
Little Lamb Board Rep KRIS TRAPP
Youth Rep ANTHONY SUMMERVILLE
Installing New Council Members January 7, 2018 THANKS and BLESSINGS
Priscilla Circle thanks all those who took an angel from the Angel Tree and gave Christmas joy and love to people who need extra help during the season. Each year we find more deserving families and individuals and YOU STEP UP! We are grateful, Your sisters in Christ
GIVING ENVELOPES
The 2018 giving envelopes are available and in your mailbox.
Don’t forget to check your mailboxes regularly for information.
Happy are the poor; the Kingdom of God is yours! Happy are you who are hungry now; you will be filled! Happy are you who weep now; you will laugh. (Luke 6:20b-21)
First Contact, Inc. http://firstcontactinc.org and Mike Steiner Special Needs Memorial Fund.
Each month the Social Ministry highlights a special giving opportunity and a volunteer opportunity. January’s emphasis is to provide volunteers and monetary support for 1) First Contact (http://firstcontactinc.org) and 2) the Christ Lutheran Mike Steiner Benevolence Fund.
First Contact is a not-for-profit interdenominational resource and referral ministry, which endeavors in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit to assist Porter County residents in need. The vision of First Contact is to engage a community of givers, through churches, individuals and organizations to help support those facing hardship. First Contact’s missional scripture verse is “To spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed (Isaiah 58:10).” First Contact has offices in Valparaiso and Portage. When Porter County residents come to the offices of Christ Lutheran with needs as described above, First Contact is our partner in helping address these persons in need.
Mike (Marjorie) Steiner was a former member of Christ Lutheran who in her will asked her family to donate her financial savings (about $15,000) to Christ Lutheran. Mike asked that these monies be used to help Christ Lutheran members who from time to time have social, physical, and financial needs. The Social Ministry and Mission Committee established policies and procedures for making effective use of these funds to benefit CLC members in need with rent, utilities, emergency food, medicine, and counseling. Since it has been several years since Mike’s donation, and several CLC members have been assisted over these years, the fund can benefit from new donations.
Our financial goal is to also provide $3000 in funding (envelope giving + budgeted amount) to First Contact and the Mike Steiner Memorial Fund. Use your weekly worship service envelope and indicate “FC/MSF” on the line marked Social Ministry with the amount you wish to give in addition to your regular giving. Thank you for supporting monthly social ministry needs.
A Message from Pastor Erica
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East
came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this,
he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him….Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may
also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star
had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not
to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. ~ The story of Epiphany, from Matthew 2
“Gospel” originally meant the “good news from the empire” -- namely, when a new territory was
conquered, when an elite child was born -- but Mark changed the meaning to “good news to the poor.”
“Advent” originally meant the coming of a royal person or a high dignitary, but the gospels changed that meaning to the coming of the poor Jesus of Nazareth. “Epiphany” originally meant the abrupt manifestation or showing up of a sovereign to inspect a subordinate; but the gospels changed the meaning to the appearance of the poor Jesus of Nazareth to inspect the powerful.
– Rev. Eliseo Pérez-Álvarez, Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest
Last month I realized that school pick-up time was practically sunset, and in desperation I found myself turning my face toward the setting sun, trying to soak in every last ray and convince my body and brain that bedtime would not be arriving in the next half-hour. All through Advent we prayed, “give light, give hope.” We focus on awaiting the promised presence of God, noting the ways that everything else fails to satisfy. Now the church year brings us to Epiphany, our feast of light – we gather under the star that led to the arrival of unexpected and unlikely visitors at the house of the child Jesus. We, too, look unlikely in the light of this star – thousands of years late, gentiles whose language and world is so very different than the one that expected a revealing of God’s promised Messiah. But the light of his presence is compelling, even across the ages, and in it we catch glimpses of the kingdom of God.
If Advent is our season of hope, Epiphany is an invitation to trust. We are called to join those magi from the East, to follow the light that is so compelling, even as we don’t know what it’s leading us into. We are called to welcome the epiphany, the sudden-showing-up of God in the weakness of flesh – and to entrust our lives and world to his inspection. We are called to see ourselves in his light, to trust his judgment (high standards coupled with transforming mercy). In this month of resolutions and habit-forming or habit-breaking, we trust that the patterns of faithfulness he calls us to are the ones that give us light. And in this secular month that preaches self-improvement, we’re called to trust that God sees us in the light of that star – in the light of the truth revealed in Jesus – in the light of his transforming love.
COMING SOON--TIME TO PLAN AHEAD Lent is rapidly approaching (Ash Wednesday is February 14) and with it comes our annual Baskets of Promise effort for the personal care kit project. As usual we will be collecting items for the LWR kits on each Sunday in Lent. Please prayerfully consider joining us in this important service project. We know that there are so many situations in the world right now where any kind of help is greatly needed. Beginning on February 18 we will collecting in the following order:
February 18--Soap, 4-5 ounce bars February 25--Bath Towels, lightweight and dark color
March 4--Toothbrushes, adult size March 11--Cash for Combs
March 18--Cash for Clippers March 25--Your choice
Please note that we are asking for cash for combs and clippers because they can be purchased on line in bulk at a huge savings (Combs for about 25 cents each and clippers for about 40 cents). If you are willing to contribute, we can do the purchasing. This allows us to stretch our money and complete many more kits.
In the last 4 years we have provided 2700 personal care kits to Lutheran World Relief and we hope to continue that tradition this year. Your generosity can make this happen. Thank you so much for your support. Any questions or comments may be directed to Dave Keammerer at 219-462-8447 or [email protected].
“The Little Trolley that changed Liberty Township” (Interurban Railroad)
Some Business Items
For more information -- Contact Jeff Peiffer at 219-707-5080 or [email protected]
LWR/CLC FABRIC KIT PROJECT 2018 Goal-150 Kits Completed-8 Project Leader-Sandy Keammerer The Fabric Kit Project started in 2015 with a large donation of fabric from an individual who was not a member, but knew we had quilters here at Christ Lutheran who could use the fabric. The quilters then passed on some of the baby fabric to the Baby Care Kit Project. The yardage was so great that it could be used better by the LWR Fabric Kit Project with which we had not participated. Thus, started Christ Lutheran's Fabric Kit Project. 2018 will begin its 3rd year. FABRIC has greatly increased in price and the quality has not. Sometimes, Hobby Lobby has cotton/cotton blend for $2.00 a yard while JO-Ann's cheapest fabric is $3.00 a yard. Each kit must have 2 three yard cotton/cotton blend fabric pieces. Thrivent has provided the two spools of thread for each kit. It does not matter what colors or patterns the fabric is as long as it is not war/peace related. No offensive sayings can be used. All material must be new. The Fabric kits will travel to sewing centers in Africa where individuals are learning to sew. They can have a marketable skill that will provide them with clothing for themselves and their families as well as giving them clothing to sell so they can break out of the cycle of poverty. Any financial gift given would be used to purchase fabric. Mark the gift for the Fabric Kit and put it in the offering plate. THANK YOU! January Need: 3 yard pieces of cotton/cotton blend material.
FEARLESS 2018
Happy New Year to one and all! I suppose, like most folk, when joining with any group or “body,” as Cindy and I did, lo those many years ago, when we came to CLC, one has little idea of the work that goes on behind the scene “to get the job” done and you just, at first marvel at how well it works and then, over time, actually take it for granted, because it does work so well!
What a year it has been! The stuff we have done, it took Grace, at the Congregational Meeting, quite a while to go through the list of activities that, we as a Body, did in 2017. The one thing that struck me was the dedication and fearless work that people have put in , whether in a continuous mode, such as on a Board or helping out with a specific project. I have to give a special shout out to our new Youth Director, Clint Mullet, who has done a fantastic job. He has done such a good job, in fact, that it is hard to believe that he has not yet been with us for even a year! Speaking of people, we are active in the process of acquiring a new Music Director and that will be a highlight of 2018.
Oh, the other thing, the Organ. In January 2017, it was....well... we have this....opportunity???...to now-almost “real.” Speaking of behind the scenes, a special thanks to John B. and the rest who have worked, at an eye-watering pace, to get this done. The financial support has been nothing less than stunning…$275k collected to date on a $300k and change project. We are on schedule to the First Grand Hearing of the Organ at the Easter Services.
Speaking of Fearless, the theme of our stewardship campaign is Fearless Giving, it is about “Fearless”- living, worshiping, giving and spending too. The Boards and Finance Advisory committee have been extremely conscientious, agonizingly so, in their utilization and execution of our financial resources. As the Council worked planning for next year, they discerned a need to increase our expenses by $100,000 to meet property maintenance needs, offer a cost-of-living adjustment to our staff, and rising cost of benefits. On the flip side, we are managing a going concern, of just a tad over a half a million dollars! So, how bad can things be?
The question is: What are we here for? What is our Mission? The budget is a tool to serve the Congregation. In turn, the Congregation is to serve...Who? We give not to a budget, not to a church but what?? And in fact, giving of money representationally honors The Ultimate Giving. Christ gave Himself for us, but not with money. It was horrendously painful and gory. He did it out of Love. Yes, in the 21st Century, the way things work, our money and more than that, our hands, hearts and minds are needed to get the job done, which is to Love one another as we are Loved.
I don’t mean to be a downer, from the Thanksgiving Service, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 “Each of you must give, as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work”!
Fearless living is what we do, in Christ, in this Body called CLC. Fearful existence is what the rest of the World suffers and our Mission is to show them a better way! Phil McGuire Council President 2018
As we stare down Finals week and Christmas festivities, the youth here at Christ Lutheran Church have been great examples of joy and hard work. We’ve completed three service projects for our community, had some great discussions in youth group, and will be wrapping up our Silent Auction fundraiser soon! We had our Christmas Party earlier this month and it was a blast! Our games and White Elephant Gift Exchange were filled with fun, gut-busting laughter, and good memories. Our youth know how to have a good time! Our Sunday mornings have been filled with engaging discussion and good snacks. As we close on the year, I’m encouraged by what we’ve accomplished this year. We may not be as ‘noisy’ as we’ve been in the past, but it was good for us to take a step back and just breathe for a few months. Over the coming months, we’ll see some more changes take place as we continue to take steps forward! Lastly, I want to thank you all for support of our church’s youth ministry. We’ve received many cards, donations, and kind words over the last few months. Our fundraising goal for National Youth Gathering is $20,000.00 and we’ve raised $11,724.00 so far! We’re halfway to our goal, but in a great position to meet it! We feel blessed by our church and all the support shown to us!
College Care Packages College Care Packages have been mailed. We mailed 7 packages to former youth. We made a total of
22 packages! The remaining college care packages with be donated to InterVarsity at Valparaiso University. The church stepped up in a big way with donations which allowed us to send the mailed
packages via USPS Priority!
Leaf Raking We were tasked with 10 yards and this amount proved overwhelming for our group. It took a total of 3 work days to complete most of the work. The kids worked hard and had a great time! A special thank-
you to them, their parents, and the volunteers who helped out when the work was tougher than expected! Unexpectedly, without asking, we raised $275.00 in donations for National Youth Gathering
for our leaf raking efforts.
Silent Auction Our Silent Auction for National Youth Gathering is shaping into a massive success for us. We have 94 items donated to the auction with bids on over 75% of the items. We’ve had to extend the auction a full
week to December 17th to give enough time for more bids to come in!
Little Lamb Preschool
Registration News for 2017-2018 CLC members have the opportunity to enroll in the month of January for our fall classes. LLP will be accepting online registrations from CLC families as well as present and past LLP families during the month of January, beginning January 4th. Please note that current LLP students have registration priority for spots during the week of January 4th – 12th. Registration is available online only on the CLC website. The link will be available online beginning January 4th at 9AM. Please call Jen Gottlieb at the preschool 462-6660 if you would like to schedule a tour or have any questions. We would love to have you become part of the LLP family!
Registration Open House
LLP will have an Open House on Sunday, January 28th from 2pm to 4pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the entire staff and view the classrooms. We open registration to the community on that day.
The Faith of Children and Their Families
We would like to sincerely thank both Pastor Tim and Pastor Erica for celebrating the season of Christmas with us. What wonderful Pastors we have here at CLC! Pastor Tim graciously volunteered to play the piano for us for both our Christmas programs. He also shared the Christmas story with us during Chapel. Pastor Erica welcomed all the parents to the Christmas program. She also shared Advent with us in Chapel. A special thank you to Paul Danger for volunteering his time and talents with the sound booth for the program. Thank you to both pastors as well as all the CLC staff for all their help this year with LLP. We definitely feel like we are a cherished ministry of this church!
Throughout December the children learned about the Christmas story at other times as well. We were so happy to hear the reactions of parents and grandparents thanking us for the Pre-K and Young 5’s Christmas Program, and the message the children learned about the birth of Jesus and then shared with their families. The Beginners have heard the story in their classrooms and have been retelling the story with the Playschool Nativities. All of the older students made individual nativities to take home, while the Beginners made Advent Wreaths. LLP Families demonstrated living out their faith by donating over 120 gifts for families of Housing Opportunities. What a blessing to see the faith of our students and their families! Thank you Christ Lutheran for joining with Little Lamb Preschool as together we “shepherd God’s children!”
Christ Lutheran Church January 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 Happy New Year!! 2 7:30 am Executive Committee (offsite) 12:30 pm Staff Meeting (GA) 1:00 pm Priscilla Circle (209) 7:00 pm Boy Scouts (AC) 7:00 pm The Spiritual Life Bible Study (209)
3 9:00 am Quilters (CH) 9:15 am LLP Chapel 12:45 pm LLP Chapel
4 9:15 am LLP Chapel 1:30 pm Spiritual Direction Group (107) 6:30 pm Youth Board Meeting (209) 7:00 pm Girl Scouts (AC)
5 6 9:00 am Boy Scouts (AC) 8:00 pm AA Meeting (GP)
7 Baptism of our Lord
Congregational Forum Council Installation (2018) 8:00 am Worship 9:20 am Faith Formation 10:30 am Worship 6:00 pm High School Youth Group (CH, YR, AC)
8 LLP Returns 6:00 pm Porter County Stephen Leaders Session (222) 6:00 pm Property (120) 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry Supervision (209) 7:00 pm Stephen Ministry Classes (CH)
9 1:00 pm Priscilla Circle (209) 5:30 pm LLP Board Meeting (119) 7:00 pm Boy Scouts (AC) 7:00 pm Council (209) 7:15 pm Women's Bible Study(120)
10 9:00 am Quilters (CH) 9:15 am LLP Chapel 12:45 pm LLP Chapel 6:00 pm Confirmation Class (YR)
11 9:15 am LLP Chapel 9:30 am Student Nurses (222) 6:45 pm Boy Scouts PLC (119) 7:00 pm Boy Scouts CMT (120) 7:00 pm Girl Scouts (AC)
12 13 9:00 am Council/Staff Retreat 4:30 pm Kenyan Dinner/Fundraiser
(CH) 8:00 pm AA Meeting (GP)
14 Second Sunday after Epiphany
8:00 am Worship 9:20 am Faith Formation 10:30 am Worship 6:00 pm High School Youth Group (CH, YR, AC)
15 No LLP
7:00 pm Stephen Ministry Classes (CH) 7:00 pm Young Women's Bible Study (107)
16 10:30 am Staff Meeting(209) 1:00 pm Priscilla Circle (209) 7:00 pm Boy Scouts (AC) 7:00 pm The Spiritual Life Bible Study (209) 7:15 pm Women's Bible Study(120)
17 9:00 am Quilters (CH) 9:15 am LLP Chapel 10:00 am Social Ministry & Mission (119) 12:45 pm LLP Chapel 6:00 pm Confirmation Class (YR) 7:00 pm Christian Ed Meeting (107)
18 9:15 am LLP Chapel 9:30 am Student Nurses (222) 7:00 pm Girl Scouts (AC) 7:00 pm Our Carriage Support Group (107)
19 CLC Retreat
20 CLC Retreat 8:00 pm AA Meeting (GP)
21 Third Sunday after Epiphany
8:00 am Worship 9:20 am Faith Formation 10:30 am Worship 6:00 pm High School Youth Group (CH, YR, AC)
22 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry Supervision (209) 7:00 pm Stephen Ministry Classes (CH)
23 1:00 pm Priscilla Circle (209) 7:00 pm Book Club (119) 7:00 pm Boy Scouts (AC) 7:15 pm Women's Bible Study(120)
24 9:00 am Quilters (CH) 9:00 am TGN Mail Crew (209) 9:15 am LLP Chapel 12:45 pm LLP Chapel 6:00 pm Confirmation Class (YR)
25 9:15 am LLP Chapel 9:30 am Senior Meeting (CH) 9:30 am Student Nurses (222) 7:00 pm Girl Scouts (AC)
26 27 8:00 pm AA Meeting (GP)
28 Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
8:00 am Worship 9:20 am Faith Formation 10:30 am Worship with Sunday School - 5th Grade 2:00 pm LLP Open House (YR) 6:00 pm High School Youth Group (CH, YR, AC)
29 7:00 pm Stephen Ministry Classes (CH) 7:00 pm Young Women's Bible Study (107)
30 1:00 pm Priscilla Circle (209) 7:00 pm Boy Scouts (AC) 7:00 pm The Spiritual Life Bible Study (209) 7:15 pm Women's Bible Study(120)
31 9:00 am Quilters (CH) 9:15 am LLP Chapel 12:45 pm LLP Chapel 6:00 pm Confirmation Class (YR)
Revised 12/18/2017
If you have any questions, please contact Megan Pendleton at 465-7723 or [email protected]
If you have any questions, please contact Megan Pendleton at 465-7723 or [email protected]
