Caption describing picture or graphic. OUR SAVIOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH LUTHERAN CHURCH- MISSOURI SYNOD GREEN BAY, WIS. THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2010 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 23 Some folks think we come from nothing. Some think we have nowhere to go. Others don’t know why we are here. Many think that what they have, they earned or deserved. What would Thanksgiving be to them? We can only imagine. What is Thanksgiving to us? Simple. It is saying “Thank you!” for our bountiful gifts presented to us by our Generous Giver, The Triune God. It’s not about hot turkey, the stuffing or the pumpkin pie. It’s not even so much about Grandma, the nieces or the company. It always starts with God and centers on Him. He’s the One who gave us Grandma and the nieces and the company. He’s the one who gave us life and salvation. Luther says it so well in the meaning to the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed. “What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures. That He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my rea- son and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.” Even the dirty dishes are a gift, for we thank Him for having dishes to get dirty and the food that was on them to sustain our lives! God bless your Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving; where do we start? David H. Hatch Find us on the Web! http://www.oslc-gb.org Life after meltdown - Reformation David H. Hatch Time and time again, we see it. People melt down. They encounter an unmovable obstacle, an event or a person, and it is out of their control to change it. It stops them in their tracks like they hit a brick wall. Usually this is preceded by a deep painful struggle. Finally they realize their inability to conquer that unmovable obstacle. Something changes… they change. You know these unmovables too, but perhaps in not such an extreme way. Try as we might, think, pray, get help, call out even to God, some things don’t change. They are outside our control. After gallons of sweat, long restless nights, fully depleted energy sources, the obstacle still will not move. The event, condition or person is unchanging. Some folks have described such an intense experience as, “being in a pressure cooker,” “a crucible” (a vessel made of material that does not melt; Continued on pg. 3
Transcript
Caption describing picture
or graphic.
O U R S A V I O U R
L U T H E R A N C H U R C H
L U T H E R A N C H U R C H -
M I S S O U R I S Y N O D
G R E E N B A Y , W I S .
THE VOICE N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2 3
Some folks think
we come from nothing.
Some think we have
nowhere to go. Others
don’t know why we are
here. Many think that what
they have, they earned or
deserved. What would
Thanksgiving be to them?
We can only imagine.
What is
Thanksgiving to us?
Simple. It is saying
“Thank you!” for our
bountiful gifts presented to
us by our Generous Giver,
The Triune God. It’s not
about hot turkey, the
stuffing or the pumpkin
pie. It’s not even so much
about Grandma, the nieces
or the company. It always
starts with God and centers
on Him. He’s the One who
gave us Grandma and the
nieces and the company.
He’s the one who gave us
life and salvation.
Luther says it so
well in the meaning to the
First Article of the
Apostle’s Creed.
“What does this mean? I
believe that God has made
me and all creatures. That
He has given me my body
and soul, eyes, ears, and
all my members, my rea-
son and all my senses, and
still takes care of them. He
also gives me clothing and
shoes, food and drink,
house and home, wife and
children, land, animals,
and all I have. He richly
and daily provides me with
all that I need to support
this body and life. He
defends me against all
danger and guards and
protects me from all evil.
All this He does only out
of fatherly, divine
goodness and mercy,
without any merit or
worthiness in me. For all
this it is my duty to thank
and praise, serve and obey
Him. This is most certainly
true.”
Even the dirty
dishes are a gift, for we
thank Him for having
dishes to get dirty and the
food that was on them to
sustain our lives! God
bless your
Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving; where do we
start? David H. Hatch
Fin
d u
s o
n t
he W
eb
! h
ttp
://w
ww
.osl
c-g
b.o
rg Life after meltdown
- Reformation
David H. Hatch
Time and time
again, we see it. People
melt down. They encounter
an unmovable obstacle, an
event or a person, and it is
out of their control to
change it. It stops them in
their tracks like they hit a
brick wall. Usually this is
preceded by a deep painful
struggle. Finally they
realize their inability to
conquer that unmovable
obstacle. Something
changes… they change.
You know these
unmovables too, but
perhaps in not such an
extreme way.
Try as we might,
think, pray, get help, call
out even to God, some
things don’t change. They
are outside our control.
After gallons of sweat, long
restless nights, fully
depleted energy sources,
the obstacle still will not
move. The event, condition
or person is unchanging.
Some folks have
described such an intense
experience as, “being in a
pressure cooker,” “a
crucible” (a vessel made of
material that does not melt;
Continued on pg. 3
P A G E 2
T H E V O I C E
OSLC official acts Weddings:
Julie Faltynski and Pedro Sandoval United at Our Saviour on September 18, 2010 Kirstin Helebrant and Aaron Neiheisel United at Our Saviour on October 9, 2010 Received their Crown: Velora Gertrude Bohm September 22, 1916~September 16, 2010 Funeral service held at Nicolet Memorial Gardens on September 20, 2010. Gary L. Laabs November 17, 1949~September 22, 2010 Funeral service held at Ryan Funeral Home on September 25, 2010.
Sales of gift cards through Scrip is gaining momentum. More than 3700 gift cards have been purchased through September of this year with a value of more than $185,000. The rebate from the sales is more than $8,600. About one third of the rebate amount will go to accounts designated for a child’s education at OSLC Preschool, Green Bay Trinity Elementary or as part of the OSLC Youth Group and the other two
thirds to the church’s general fund. If you have never purchased gift cards through Scrip, please stop by the Welcome Center on Sundays or see Michelle in the church office on week days for more information. The gift cards can be purchased for grocery stores, gasoline and almost any every day expense. And the rebates from the gift cards add up in a hurry when used for
larger once in awhile purchases. Recent gift card purchases were made to pay for carpeting ($120 rebate) and hotel stays during a vacation ($48 rebate). Consider gift cards through Scrip for your holiday shopping list. Sheets with the names of the retailers that participate in the Scrip program are available at the welcome center.
Scrip sales more than $185,000
The traditional summer slump received a big boost this year through the Adopt-a-Bill board. Almost $8,000 in bills from the board have been paid in just 17 weeks. The total unified giving during July-September this year is just about $8,000 more than the same period in 2009. Thank you to everyone who helped out. Total unified giving for the year through September is almost $49,000 below budget. Nontraditional revenue sources, such as the Super Sale and building rentals, have helped reduce the deficit for total revenues and expenses to $44,000. It will be a challenge to reduce the deficit further over the last few months in the year. Did you know that the annual budget for electric and gas utilities is $55,000 and snow removal is $3,000? Welcome to Wisconsin!
Summer slump gets a bump
Operation Christmas Child Collection is Nov. 15 through Nov. 21
P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2 3
“Jesus said, Let the l
ittle children come to me and
do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to
such as these.” Matthew
19:14.”
Samaritan's Purse, the
sponsor of Operation
Christmas Child, is an
organization dedicated to
bringing hope and the good
news to those in
desperate need around the
world. This year the shoe
boxes at Our Saviour will be
collected Sunday morning,
November 21. They will then
be taken to a central pick up
location nearby. By
participating in this mission, in
5 easy steps, you can help
bring joy and hope to children
in difficult situations all over
the world.
Step 1 – find an empty shoe
box or clear plastic box with
lid (shoe box size), pray for the
child who will receive it.
Step 2 – decide on the child's
age (2-4, 5-9 or 10-14) and sex
(male or female) (the children
most in need are in the 2-4 and
10-14 age groups)
Step 3 – fill the box with a
variety of gifts (see right)
Step 4 – attach a label to the lid –
designating the sex and age group
of the child who is to
receive the shoe box (include a
check for $7 payable to
Samaritans Purse with OCC in the
memo line or you can find out the
destination of your shoe box by
making your donation online at
www.samaritanspurse.org/ezgive)
Step 5 – place a rubber band
around your shoe box and bring it
to church by Sunday morning,
November 21.
If you wish to gift wrap
your box, wrap the top and bottom
separately. All boxes are opened at
the processing center where the
checks will be collected. The
money you include helps with the
cost of shipping and other
expenses. Your gift can be tax
deductible; include your name and
address if you'd like to receive the
proper form. You may also
include pictures of your family. If
you include your name and
address, the child may write back.
Once the boxes are collected,
they'll be taken to Green Bay
Community Church on Cardinal
Lane. From there they are sent to
one of five centers in the country
where they go through the final
processing and are sent to children
all over the world.
Items to Include in Your Box TOYS – small cars, balls, dolls,
December 2010 OSLC Usher Schedule Day: Date: Service: Lead Usher Team: Thu. 02-Dec 7:00 pm C. Arthur Carl Zimonick; Gary Kirchman; Dick Zimonick Sun. 05-Dec 7:45 am A. Knaus Clarence Ney; Josh VanKauwenberg; Jerry VanKauwenberg Sun. 05-Dec 9:15 am D. Wians Lonnie Peerenboom; Todd Korth; Barb Korth; Davis LaMarche; Dan Richer Sun. 05-Dec 10:45 am M. Charles Don Larson; Karen Kiekhaefer; †UN Thu. 09-Dec 7:00 pm P. Kuehl Bill Baneck; †UN; †UN Sun. 12-Dec 7:45 am J. Kielpikowski Chad Kielpikowski; Ron Klumb; †UN Sun. 12-Dec 9:15 am R. Vande Hei Walt Juhnke; Tiffany Duff; Brian Duff; Chelsea Vande Hei; Rachel Vande Hei Sun. 12-Dec 10:45 am R. Bruhn Rich Ryman; Sue Bruhn; Richard Christianson Sun. 19-Dec 7:45 am M. Dalebroux Andrew Prescher; Al Brietlow; Barry Dalebroux Sun. 19-Dec 9:15 am D. Bitters Robin Williams; Frank Helebrant; Don Schultz; Shelly Williams; Trey Boerschinger Sun. 19-Dec 10:45 am G. Buechner Carmen Leuthner; Lloyd Leuthner; DeVonte King; Rich Spangenberg
Fri. 24-Dec 1:30 pm R. Spangenberg Fri. 24-Dec 3:30 pm A. Knaus Clarence Ney; Josh VanKauwenberg; Jerry VanKauwenberg Fri. 24-Dec 5:30 pm W. Chamberlain Randy Dyle; Roxanne Dyle; Alex Chamberlain; Elyssa Ammerman; Kathy Ammerman Fri. 24-Dec 7:30 pm M. Charles Don Larson; Karen Kiekhaefer; †UN Sat. 25-Dec 10:00 am R. Bruhn Rich Ryman; Sue Bruhn; Richard Christianson Sun. 26-Dec 7:45 am M. Morgan Vernon Siech; Gloria Morgan; Ralph Hoerchler Sun. 26-Dec 9:15 am D. Wians Lonnie Peerenboom; Todd Korth; Barb Korth; Davis LaMarche; Dan Richer Sun. 26-Dec 10:45 am G. Buechner Carmen Leuthner; Lloyd Leuthner; DeVonte King; Rich Spangenberg Fri. 31-Dec 6:00 pm C. Arthur Carl Zimonick; Gary Kirchman; Dick Zimonick † UN -Usher Needed: If you'd like to volunteer as an usher please contact the lead usher of the group you'd like to join. Or contact Rich Spangenberg at (920) 983-9821 or e-mail [email protected]
All Saints Divine Worship – As we have done occasionally in the past, there will be an All Saints
Worship Service on Monday, Nov. 1. There will be a potluck at 5:00 p.m. with the service following at 6:00 p.m.
Of special care on this day are those who have lost loved ones in recent months and years. All are welcome!
Confirmation Public Exam – November 7 - The Confirmation Class of 2010 will be demonstrating their faith
and knowledge of it during the third morning service (10:45am) on November 7th. Come and witness these fine
young folks during this public examination, a Lutheran tradition prior to their Confirmation the following week.
This is as Lutheran as Jell-O at a potluck. Come and enjoy this historical event!
Confirmation – Sunday, Nov. 14 - Join us for Divine Worship on November 14th at the third service (10:45am)
when our Confirmation class of 2010 restates and personally confirms their Baptismal vows.
Loyalty Sunday – Sunday, Nov. 14 - Do you remember Loyalty Sunday? That is where we make our annual re-
commitment to the Lord’s work here and our sacrificial gifts toward that cause. In this issue of the Voice you
will see a Loyalty Sunday pledge form. All things on there are confidential, between you and the Lord. You need
not place your name on this form. Please give prayerful consideration to the gifts God has given you, and then
note your response to the Lord with your gifts of time, talent and treasure. We have a faith-based budget here,
therefore what the family of Our Savior places on their pledge cards plays a role in crafting the church budget.
Fiala Missionaries visit – Tuesday, Nov. 23 - David and Radka Fiala are missionaries supported by Our
Saviour. They are on a stateside trip and plan to visit at the 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Bible study groups on this
day. Everyone is welcome to attend. Watch the upcoming bulletins for more information.
Thanksgiving service times - Thanksgiving is very close. Make note of the Divine Worship service times: 7:00
p.m. on November 24 and 9:00 a.m. on November 25.
Cantata – Sunday, Dec. 5 at 7:45 a.m. – Lutheran High’s Cantata is coming to Our Saviour on Sunday Dec. 5 at
the early service. Come on, crawl out of bed early and fill the house for this special worship service!
Annual Voter’s Meeting – Sunday, Dec. 12 - Mark your calendar for December 12 at 10:00 a.m. We will be
having our annual voter’s meeting to elect council positions and church officers. We all need to be reminded
that this is our congregation and His church. We are called to be good stewards of it, and part of that is our joyful
participation in its governance. We hope to see everyone at this brief but vital voter’s meeting. How about it?
Christmas service times – Friday Dec. 24, four services - The Christmas worship times have a new addition to
the Christmas Eve service line-up. We are pleased to announce an additional praise service at 1:30 p.m! This will
allow more options for families who are traveling or have an early evening event. Our 3:30 p.m. praise service
and 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. traditional services will be held as usual.
His Love; Our Response – 2011’s Theme - As announced last month preparations for next year’s theme are
well underway. If you would like to lend a hand to assist with events and accessories to this theme, let Pastor
Dave know.
Budget – It’s Faith About the Facts - Soon you will be able to see the 2011 proposed church budget. It will be
posted on the bulletin board outside of the church office two weeks before the voter’s meeting. Please study it
closely; all comments and suggestions are welcome!
BIG
ST
UF
F C
OM
ING
!
P A G E 6 T H E V O I C E
“WORKING TO BUILD GOD’S KINGDOM” Our Saviour Lutheran Church
Two good things happen as a result of your gifts…those you help will be glad…(and)…they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your belief… They will pray for you…because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you. Thank God for His Son—His gift too wonderful for words.” 2 Corinthians 9: 13-16 (TLV)
In His Word, our Lord teaches us to return to Him first out of His blessings, but these blessings are not limited just to money. Each of us is blessed in many ways, with time, talent, and treasures, and it behooves each and every one of us to return a portion of all of these to the Lord. From a financial perspective, the Bible teaches about tithing, returning to the Lord a percentage of His gifts to us. You may wish to use this worksheet to help you as you prayerfully consider your commitment. Please note that you keep this portion for your records. $ X = $ Annual Household Income Percent to Return to the Total for the Lord’s work Lord for His work
(15% = 0.15, 10% = 0.10, 5% = 0.05) From a time and talents perspective, we urge you to consider where God fits into your life. Is he more important than a favorite TV show, or soccer practice, or band rehearsal, or whatever it is that pulls at your life throughout the week? If so, then please consider how you can devote a percentage of your week to the work of the Lord, whether that is by attending Bible classes or volunteering on boards, committees or special events at church. A week has 168 hours in it; 10 percent (a standard tithe) would be almost 17 hours. Including worship, reading the Bible, and daily prayer, how many hours do you devote to the Lord? Before you return this card, please pray: Lord, we thank you for your many great gifts.
May we generously and trustingly fulfill our intention to support your ministries through
our offerings to your cause, in the power of your name. Amen.
Please cut along this dotted line and return the bottom portion to us. We ask that all members who are able to attend bring their commitment card to Loyalty Sunday on November 14, 2010 and place it in the offering plate. Until that date, there will be a box set up in the Narthex for the commitment cards. If you cannot attend on that date, please mail the completed bottom portion of this page to Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 120 S. Henry Street, Green Bay, WI 54302. Please do not put your name or your envelope number on your pledge.
Out of thanks and trust to our Lord, I/we commit:
Talents I will offer in service of the Lord
Hours of service each week/month/year (circle one)
$ weekly/monthly/annually (circle one)
For the OSLC family ministries during 2011
E
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