Messiah Messenger March 2019 In This Issue: Spotlight on Missionaries page 1 Church Committee Liaisons page 2 Columbarium Siting Page 2 Preschool News page 3 From the Pastor page 3 Youth News page 4 Coming Soon — page 5 Take Away Hunger page 5 Scheduled to Serve page 6 Birthdays & Anniversaries page 6 Council Actions page 6 Calendar page 7 Messiah Staff Pastor Susanne E. Smith Youth Director Kelly Benz Assistant Youth Director Laura Carruthers Administrator-Bookkeeper Dennis Wohlers Secretary Shelley Morton Choir Director Alice Kenel Organist Hal Morton Facilities Jerry & Kay Claussen Adam Gerst Nursery Attendant Ashley Hester Preschool Staff Margie Gerst, Dir. Krystal Klein Erica Moser Council President Joanne Mohr Vice President Cathy Borden Treasurer Stan Lehman Secretary Sandy Good Sue Abbott Ruth Allen Ty Buras Marge Classen Nancy Johannson Kathy Newberry Don Shackleford Dave Weiler Donna Williams Spotlight on Missionaries Supporting those who carry out God’s work in faraway lands has long been the focus of Messi- ah’s mission sponsorship. The ELCA works with missionaries in 86 countries worldwide to bring the word of God to places where it’s needed. But of what benefit is proclaiming the good news to people who have more pressing things on their minds, such as poverty, hunger, disease and war? St. Francis of Assisi said “preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” ELCA- supported missionaries preach the “wordless Gospel” in many ways to help meet the needs specific to each population. Whether it’s building and running schools and hospitals, fostering community development, or helping young peo- ple further their education, God’s love is demon- strated every day. Messiah has deep connections in Liberia, where we support Brian Palmer, whose primary job is to provide theological education while helping to see to the basic needs of those around him. His blog, “Trying Small,” (www.tryingsmall.com) recounts the suc- cesses and difficulties he deals with every day in Totota, Liberia. It’s well worth your time to take a look. Brian’s wry sense of humor illustrates his joy working with the people of Totota to meet needs both large and small, all the while relying on God, and us, to provide. Our mission bulletin board across from the office is full of information about Brian and others bringing the Gospel, sometimes with words, to Liberia. PAGE 1
Transcript
M e ssi a h M e sse n g er March 2019
In This Issue:
Spotlight on Missionaries page 1
Church Committee Liaisons page 2
Columbarium Siting Page 2
Preschool News page 3
From the Pastor page 3
Youth News page 4
Coming Soon — page 5
Take Away Hunger page 5
Scheduled to Serve page 6
Birthdays & Anniversaries
page 6
Council Actions page 6
Calendar page 7
Messiah Staff
Pastor Susanne E. Smith
Youth Director Kelly Benz
Assistant Youth Director Laura Carruthers
Administrator-Bookkeeper Dennis Wohlers
Secretary Shelley Morton
Choir Director Alice Kenel
Organist Hal Morton
Facilities Jerry & Kay Claussen
Adam Gerst
Nursery Attendant Ashley Hester
Preschool Staff Margie Gerst, Dir.
Krystal Klein
Erica Moser
Council
President Joanne Mohr
Vice President Cathy Borden
Treasurer Stan Lehman
Secretary Sandy Good
Sue Abbott
Ruth Allen
Ty Buras
Marge Classen
Nancy Johannson
Kathy Newberry
Don Shackleford
Dave Weiler
Donna Williams
Spotlight on
Missionaries
Supporting those who carry out God’s work in faraway lands has long been the focus of Messi-ah’s mission sponsorship. The ELCA works with missionaries in 86 countries worldwide to bring the word of God to places where it’s needed.
But of what benefit is proclaiming the good news to people who have more pressing things on their minds, such as poverty, hunger, disease and war?
St. Francis of Assisi said “preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” ELCA-supported missionaries preach the “wordless Gospel” in many ways to help meet the needs specific to each population. Whether it’s building and running schools and hospitals, fostering community development, or helping young peo-ple further their education, God’s love is demon-strated every day.
Messiah has deep connections in Liberia, where we support Brian Palmer, whose primary job is to provide theological education while helping to see to the basic needs of those around him. His blog, “Trying Small,” (www.tryingsmall.com) recounts the suc-cesses and difficulties he deals with every day in Totota, Liberia.
It’s well worth your time to take a look. Brian’s wry sense of humor illustrates his joy working with the people of Totota to meet needs both large and small, all the while relying on God, and us, to provide. Our mission bulletin board across from the office is full of information about Brian and others bringing the Gospel, sometimes with words, to Liberia.
PAGE 1
It’s in the Youth News, but it bears repeating: A new Lenten devotional is available in the nar-thex. “Feast on This — Table Talk for Families” has daily devotions for families to discuss and pray over. Beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter
Monday, each day has for a topic some-thing you might find at a feast — napkins, onions, bread, plate, even crumbs! The devotion on “flour” (page 23) was written by Kelly Benz, our youth director.
TEACHING AND LEARNING ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND FORUM
Mar. 3: Bob Fleming “My term on city council” Mar. 10: Gather Bible study: giving / Joel Hanger Mar. 17: Gather Bible study: giving / Joel Hanger Mar. 24: Gather Bible study: giving / Joel Hanger Mar. 31: Gather Bible study: repentance
Church Council Elects Officers Committee Liaisons Assigned
Messiah’s church council met after the annual meeting on Jan. 27 to get acquainted and elect officers. Results of the balloting were:
President — Joanne Mohr Vice President — Cathy Borden Treasurer — Stan Lehman Secretary — Sandy Good
New council members Ty Buras, Marge Clas-sen and Kathy Newberry were introduced and made welcome. New member Don Shackel-ford was not able to attend.
During February, President Joanne Mohr as-signed the following council members to the church’s committees:
Christian Education — Ruth Allen
Endowment — Joanne Mohr
Membership/Parish Life* — Sue Abbott *Membership and Parish Life committees combined
Memorials — Cathy Borden
Outreach* — Marge Classen & Ty Buras *Messiah Cares, Social Ministry and Missions
Preschool — Nancy Johannson
Property — David Weiler
Stewardship — Kathy Newberry
Worship and Arts — Donna Williams
Columbarium task force — Don Shackleford
Constitution task force — Stan Lehman & Joanne Mohr
Feel free to contact board members with your concerns and ideas. Constructive input is al-ways welcome.
PAGE 2
Columbarium Task Force Report
The task force members discussed the colum-barium placement, and comments made at the adult forum last month.
The group agrees that with the increased use of columbaria, a single structure would not have enough room. The current planned place-ment in the courtyard would be inadequate when a second structure is needed.
After some thought, the group decided on a new site, just north of the semi-circular drive along West Avenue. While still facing the cross, there is also room for some landscaping to help make this a peaceful, reflective area.
Moving forward, the task force will obtain foun-dation drawings and landscaping proposals.
*Classified Ad* A Messiah family is looking for a used car. Do you have a decent, older family car to sell?
Contact Pastor Susanne for more info.
Preschool News
SHAPING FUTURES Through Faith-Based Education
Registration is underway for the 2019 — 2020 sessions. Our list is beginning to fill up, and we would love to invite your child, grandchild or neighbor to join us. Preschool is a very important start for our children. It’s their first glimpse at structure and learn-ing how to form friendships. Learning is essential at all ages!
The benefits of a developmentally appropriate preschool are tre-mendous. Growing in a faith-based school is icing on the cake! A new benefit for Messiah members: a discount on tuition for your child. I can help you with that process if you come see me. If you would like a registration form or need more information, please call Ms. Margie at 754-7951 ext. 2. As always, thank you for your support of our preschool and its mis-
sion to shape futures through faith-based education. If you are interested in providing tuition for a child next session, or would like to make a donation to the preschool fund, please see Ms. Margie. Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Messiah preschoolers and teachers. Spring is coming and we are so ready and excited!
Lent begins on Wednesday, March 6, later this year than most years. Ask me how the date of Easter is dic-
tated by the spring equinox, or better yet, ask the members of the Thursday morning Bible study. They know how the date for Easter was decided before modern watches and calendars. Worship changes in Lent. Alle-luias leave worship till Easter morning and the color of the season is the purple of penitence.
The invitation to Lent acknowledges our need for repentance, and for God’s mercy. It reminds us that our destiny is to live in joyful communion with God, to love each other and live in harmony with creation. To this end, we share Lenten fellowship, work on mission projects, worship and listen to stories of our faith jour-neys. We engage in fasting and sacrificial acts, works of love and songs of trust. There will be Easter, but not just yet. First Lent.
Ash Wednesday worship includes communion and marking with ashes, and there will be no 412 Timothy or Confirmation class that night. And we have our Lenten Wednesdays — here is our Wednesday schedule for the rest of Lent this year: 6pm supper; 6:30pm 412 Timothy participants meet in small groups; 7pm Holden Evening Prayer with Messiah faith stories; 7:30pm mission projects in the social hall, and confirmation class in the library.
Faith stories, like much of Christian life, are words of encouragement to the congregation, and assurance that we share each other's victories and losses, trusting that our Lord holds us safe in all circumstances. Our faith storytellers in midweek worship this Lent are:
March 13: Ty Buras, “How I survived to get my faith back” March 20: Fr. Paul Walker, “How I fed the town” March 27: Gwen Davis-Quick, “How we got our new family” April 3: Marcia Wiedemeier, “How I bought a husband” April 10: Braden Hayes, “How I kept the faith through high school”
Will you join us? We promise that Jesus blesses our time together and our journey into His life.
From the Pastor’s Desk
PAGE 3
Pastor Susanne+
PAGE 4
3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Lock-in
March 29th 6pm — March 30th 8am
at Bethany. Bring sleeping stuff and a
snack to share. Friends welcome!!!
Save the Date!!
Luther Fast Lock-In
For Jr. & SR. High
April 5th 6pm–
April 6th 8am
Friends Welcome!
Girl Scout Sunday
March 10th
Wear your uniforms to church
Communion Milestone Class
For children in 2nd grade and up (or
younger if parents wish) will be held
on Wednesdays during Lent starting
Mar. 13th 6:30-7:00pm. We will cele-
brate Communion Milestone on April
18th in worship with feet washing.
Please see Kelly to register.
The Youth Lenten meal will be
March 13th– Mexican Night
412 Timothy During Lent
412 Timothy will NOT meet on Ash Wednesday March 6th. You are en-
couraged to attend Ash Wednesday worship with your family. Dinner
6pm and worship at 7pm. The rest of the Wednesdays in Lent (March
13-April 10th) We will meet for the Lenten meal at 6pm and you can
eat with your families or small group leader, then you will meet
with your small group leader from 6:30-7:00pm, and we will finish
our evening with Holden Evening worship with the congregation
7:00-7:30pm. There will not be 412 Timothy on April 17th (Holy Week)
and we will be back to our normal routine on Wednesday April 24th
with yoga, small group, music with Alice, and prayer stations!
In the narthex is a Lenten
Devotional for families to use
at home this Lenten season.
Each day there is a small devo-
tional and prayer. I am excited
to be a part of writing this de-
votional for families. I wrote
the lesson on “Flour.” I hope
you include this devotional as
part of your Lenten practices
this year.
TAKE AWAY HUNGER'S next packaging occasion will be:
Saturday, Mar. 16, at 10 am.
If you’re planning on being there, please sign up in the narthex.
Messiah needs a coordinator for the Lu-theran softball team for 2019. This team is composed of members of area Lutheran churches. Do you feel the “call to play
ball?” You will announce the schedule, coordinate players for the games, and set up a meal for the team at the end of the season. Contact Pastor Su-sanne in the church office for more information.
PAGE 5
Coming soon: RAGBRAI !
Calling All Keys!
If you once chaired a committee or performed some other duty and had keys to the church that you no longer need, please return them to the office or drop them in the of-fering plate. We’re rounding up the spare keys so we don’t have to have more made. Thanks!
This is going to be one fun night in Burlington. No fewer than 15,000, and possibly as many as 25,000 bicyclists will come through Burlington Friday, July 26, for dinner, and a place to stay the last night of this year’s RAGBRAI ride. Messiah’s council has voted to host two RAGBRAI groups for the night. We will have an inside group, the Hawkeye Bicycle Association from Cedar Rapids, and an outside group, Pedaling for Parkinson’s out of Central College.
The indoor group is about 70 riders — most over 50 — who say they only want a good night’s sleep, and no late night entertainment whatsoever. Our outside group is about 50 riders who will bring tents and tandem bicycles and camp in the grass on the south side of Messiah’s property. Both groups are making donations to Messiah. The inside group is bringing their own outside, propane-heated showers, and the outside group will use rented port-a-potties.
Next question: where do these thousands of riders find their dinner the evening of July 26? Could Messiah be one of the churches who puts on a dinner that evening? It would be an extraordinary fundraiser for us, and a gra-cious contribution to the RAGBRAI experience if we do. A RAGBRAI veteran told us they would ride across town, if they had to, for homemade pie, and that they love chick-en and noodles. Let’s form a task force to create and serve a meal, and divide the donations from the meal to support several of Messiah’s ministries.
Please let Pastor Susanne know if you and your ministry group are interested in being part of this event. We will need a planning team to work with our RAGBRAI ex-perts ̶ Messiah members who have ridden RAGBRAI in past years. We will need bakers and cooks, servers and a cleanup crew, and a treasurer.
Think about it and talk with your ministry group. This could be your 2019 windfall!
Take Away Hunger by the Numbers
2018 was another good year for Take Away Hun-ger, and many, many people were helped by this important food program, not only overseas, but in the United States as well:
700,000 meals went to Texas flood victims
500,000 meals to Oklahoma tornado victims
200,00 meals for flood victims in North and South Carolina
196,000 meals went to Central America
Locally, Take Away Hunger packaged 119,800 meals in 2018
Scheduled to Serve in March
8:00 Service:
Lectors: Mar. 3 ............................................................. Marge Classen Mar. 10 ........................................................... Bonnie Kienlen Mar. 17 ............................................................. Cathy Borden Mar. 24 .............................................................. Katelyn Orth Mar. 31 ............................................................. Mary Chicken
Communion Assistants: Mar. 3 ............................................................ Marge Classen Mar. 10 ................................................................... Bill Evans Mar. 17 ............................................................. Cathy Borden Mar. 24 ................................................................ Diane Gray Mar. 31 ................................................................. Bob Wright
10:30 Service
Ushers: ............................. Bob Kremer (h), Blake Ruther,
................................... Mark Smith, John & Judy Wischmeier
Greeters: Mar. 3 ...................................................... Mary Lee Matteson Mar. 10 ...................................................... Lois & Dick Bailey Mar. 17 ......................................................... Pat & Jim Watts Mar. 24 .................................................................................. Mar. 31 ..................................................................................
Lectors Mar. 3................................................................. Karen Cahill Mar. 10 ........................................................... Darwin Bunger Mar. 17 ............................................................... John Larson Mar. 24 ........................................................... Darwin Bunger Mar. 31 ................................................................. Dick Bailey
Communion Assistants: Mar. 3 ..................................................................... Don Duke Mar. 10 ............................................................... Joel Hanger Mar. 17 ............................................................ Steve Lehman Mar. 24 ..................................................... Steve Davis-Quick Mar. 31 ............................................................... John Larson
Acolytes: Mar. 3 ............................................................ Brian Newberry Wednesday, Mar. 6 ....................................... Wayne Carruthers Mar. 10 ................................................................... Kylie Wolf Wednesday, Mar. 13 .............. Harrison Arnold, Matthew Dittner Mar. 17 ............................................................... Quinlan Kirk Wednesday, Mar. 20 ..................... Josie Wolter, Emma Tesson Mar. 24 ................................................................. Ben Wolter Wednesday, Mar. 27 ....................... Jacob Dittner, Lachlan Kirk Mar. 31 .................................................................. Elle Jones
Refreshments: Mar. 3 ....................................... Sue Abbott, Marcia Lohmann Mar. 10 .................................................................................. Mar. 17 .................................................................................. Mar. 24 .................................................................................. Mar. 31 ................................................................ Lorna Miller
Mission Statement Welcoming all people to share in God’s bless-ings by strengthening our commitment to God through prayer, fellowship and service.
March Birthdays
Deborah Hatteberg ....................................... 3 Ernie Voigt .................................................... 5 Jerry Claussen.............................................. 9 Mary Chicken ............................................. 10 Jane Kuepper ............................................. 12 Carla Wills .................................................. 12 Jill Fuqua .................................................... 13 Mitchell Brinkley .......................................... 15 Kevin Wischmeier ....................................... 17 Margaret Schupick ...................................... 19 Leah Galvin ................................................ 20 Barbara Shivapour ...................................... 20 Marcia Taeger ............................................ 21 Lauren Galvin ............................................. 22 Ronald Natzke ............................................ 22 Lomayiani Lotegeluaki ................................ 24 Ruth Ann Griggs ......................................... 28 Paige Clements .......................................... 30 Nancy Johannson ....................................... 31
March Anniversaries
Kathy & Brad Newberry ................................. 6 Mary & Paul Polahar ................................... 11 Carol & Richard Benne ............................... 20 Kay & John Wischmeier, Jr. ........................ 24
If we’ve missed your anniversary or birthday, please let the office know!
February Council Actions
A copy of council minutes and reports is available in the office for review.
Facility usage approvals:
Mar. 13: Sunrise West luncheon, 10:30 to 1:30 May 3: P.E.O., 11:00 to 4:00, Kitchen, S. Hall May 20: P.E.O., 9:00 to noon, library & kitchen July 26: Hawkeye Bicycle Assoc., RAGBRAI July 26: Central College Alumni “Pedaling for Parkinson’s,” RAGBRAI Also:
Assigned board members to church committees.
Approved the appointment of Blake Ruther to the Endowment committee to fill the remaining year term of John Lundgren, who resigned.
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9
MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH 2411 West Avenue
BURLINGTON, IOWA 52601
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Burlington, IA
52601-1598
Permit No. 360
Return Service Requested
Sunday Mornings Worship 8:00 a.m. Choir Practice 9:15 a.m. Sunday School & Adult Bible Study 9:15 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m.
Third Wednesdays Supper 6:00 p.m. Worship 7:00 p.m.
Ash Wednesday - Mar. 6. Supper at 6:00, Worship at 7:00 p.m. Girl Scout Sunday - Sunday, Mar 10. Show your Girl Scout pride! Take Away Hunger packaging - Saturday, Mar. 16, 10:00 in the Social Hall Each Wednesday in March - Supper at 6:00, Lenten worship at 7:00 p.m.
Every Month
Men’s Bible study - every 2nd and 4th Monday Weekly Bible study - every Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m.in the Conference room Al-Anon - every Tuesday at noon in the Conference room Alateen - every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in the Library Exercise class - every Monday and Thursday at 10:45 a.m.in the Social Hall 412 Timothy - Every Wednesday at 6 p.m. Veterans Support group - First Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Library
