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A Word from your Pastor—
May the fullness of the Word Made Flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord, dwell in you richly!
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
The forgiveness of sins . I've said it many1
times (perhaps you've heard me say it)... that the
Church is all about the forgiveness of sins.
Consider, for example, the Third Article of the
Apostles' Creed wherein we confess how the
forgiveness of sins lies at the very heart and
center of the Holy Spirit's work in Christ's Church:
"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian
Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness
of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting."
By the grace of God, the Holy Spirit is forever
delivering the precious gift of the forgiveness of
sins to blood-bought souls through the wonderful
power of God's mighty Word. We know that
because a central truth of the Christian faith is
that God's Word does what it says. When God
says something, it happens. When God says "let
there be light," well... there is light. His very Word
is reality. Whatever He speaks springs into
existence by Word alone.
The same thing holds true when we talk
about the forgiveness of sins. Whenever we hear
the Gospel Word and believe it, we have exactly
what it says: "In Christ, God was reconciling the
world unto Himself, not counting their trespasses
against them and entrusting to us the message of
This month's article owes a profound debt of1
gratitude to an essay entitled "Individual Confession—Personalized Forgiveness," by Rev. Harold L. Senkbeil,Associate Professor, Pastoral Ministry and Missions, ConcordiaTheological Seminary
THE ANCHOR LINE
September 2010
Hope Lutheran Church
and
Angels of Hope Preschool
700 S. Superior St. De Pere, WI 54115 ~ (920) 336-9843
On the web: www.hopedepere.org ~ e-mail: [email protected]
Matthew Christians, pastoroffice: 336-9843, home: 336-9582
emergency cell: 615-5136e-mail: [email protected]
Gail Thiel, preschool directoroffice 336-9843
e-mail: [email protected]
Our Vision at Hope: that we would be a growing, vibrant, praying, caringcongregation– boldly reaching out with Jesus Christ in word and deed.
reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:19). Think about that!
God has entrusted to us that powerful message of
reconciliation. That means that God has given to
His Church on earth (that's us!) the special power
to forgive sins in Jesus' name and stead. In Dr.
Senkbeil's words, this is really a kind of spiritual
"power of attorney" by which you and I can
receive Christ's forgiveness from His called
servants, "not doubting but firmly believing that
with these words we are indeed forgiven before
God in heaven" (Sm. Catechism).
Hopefully, this news about the forgiveness
Jesus won for us and gives to us is not news to us.
Jesus Himself teaches us to ask God for our
forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer and encourages
us to confess our sins to our neighbor when have
done him or her wrong....
But besides these two kinds of confession,
did you know that there is a third kind?
This third kind of confession (which is
unfortunately not well known among Christians)
is the confession we
can make directly to
our pastor. Now,
we're used to hearing
him say in church:
"As a called and ordained servant of the Word I
therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
We call this the general absolution. It's valid and
effective, since it has the command and promise
of Jesus Christ Himself. But did you know that you
can also receive individual absolution, that is
forgiveness, custom-made just for you? In the
Large Catechism, Martin Luther writes :2
We strongly urge you by all means to make
confession of your need, not with the
intention of doing a worthy work by
confessing but in order to hear what God has
arranged for you to be told. What I am saying
is that you are to concentrate on the Word, on
the Absolution, to regard it as a great and
precious and magnificently splendid treasure,
and to accept it with all praise and
thanksgiving to God.
So magnificent is this splendid treasure of the
Word of absolution, Luther writes, that :3
If you are a Christian, then you ought to be
happy to run more than a hundred miles to
confession and not let yourself be urged to
come. You should rather come and compel us
to give you the opportunity.
But wait! "Pastor, I understand about confession
and absolution and what a great treasure it is, but
what's the big deal about individual confession?
Isn't general confession and absolution just as
effective?" The answer is: Yes, certainly! That's
why individual confession should never be
required; it is not required, but it IS beneficial.
Individual confession is the opportunity to
receive the forgiveness Jesus earned for you, but
to receive it in a pointedly and personally way—
not in a general way, but forgiveness for the
specific sins that burden your conscience. Just
think for a minute: which e-mails are you more
likely to open? Those from trusted friends with a
personal message just for you, or some electronic
spam sent randomly? This is the advantage of
individual vs. general confession— it's the gift of
forgiveness customized for you and for the guilt
weighing you down.
Individual confession is a remarkable gift (one
that I, Pastor Matt personally make use of with
Concordia, The Lutheran Confessions: a Reader's2
Edition of the Book of Concord, (St. Louis: ConcordiaPublishing House), Large Catechism V(22), p. 469. Ibid, V (30), p. 470.
3
This is the advantage of individual vs. general confession— it's the giftof forgiveness customized for you and for the guilt weighing you down.
another area pastor). Sadly, however, this gift of
God has fallen into wide-spread disuse in recent
generations. Therefore most people have some
very practical questions when they consider going
to confession the first time:
1. How do I know my pastor will keep my
confession confidential?
Answer: in the Lutheran Church, one of
the pastor's solemn vows and promise is a
pledge never, ever (for any reason) to
divulge sins privately confessed to him.
2. What will my pastor think of me when he
hears what I've done?
Answer: he will respect you for your
confidence in the power of Christ's
forgiveness. Besides, sins absolved in
Jesus' name don't exist any more and
therefore won't affect how he relates to
you in the future.
3. How do I start?
Answer: start with reviewing "Confession"
in your Small Catechism. Then set up an
appointment with your pastor and ask him
to help you understand how Confession
works. He will guide you and —when the
time is right for you— hear your
confession and absolve you in Jesus' name.
You've got nothing to lose but guilt and shame...
and a clean conscience and joyful spirit to gain!
(Psalm 51:10)
Yours, humbly, in Jesus' name,
Pastor Matt
"Hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, sothat [you] may be able to give instruction insound doctrine and also to rebuke those whocontradict it." (Titus 1:9)
The Catechism CornerThe Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
Hallowed be Thy Name.
What does this mean?
God's name is certainly
holy in itself, but we pray in
this petition that it may be
kept holy among us also.
How is God's name kept
holy?
God's name is kept holy
when the Word of God is taught in its truth and
purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead
holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear
Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or
lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name
of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly
Father! (submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Life Quote
"People of all ages need to be
touched, but sexual touching
is reserved by God for the
commitment of marriage. God
helps men and women keep
their desires under control by
reminding them that their
bodies are 'temples of the
Holy Spirit who lives within you' (1 Corinthians
6:19). What we do with our bodies should
bring glory, not to self, but to God!"
—Lutherans for Life brochure
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Patristic Quote of the Month"You, O Jesus, have
redeemed us all with
Your blood; and by Your
death You have bound
the powerful adversary.
Release me from the
fetters of the evil one; break his shackles and
bonds."
— Ephraim the Syrian (AXD ca. 306–373)
Hymn-writer and theologian
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Old Lutheran Quote of the Month
"On the other hand the
Word of God is such a great
treasure, that no one can
sufficiently comprehend its
worth. For God himself
considers his treasure immensely great, and
when he visits us with his grace, he earnestly
desires that we should gladly and freely
accept it, and does not compel us as he is
able to do, but it is his will that we should
gladly obey it from choice and love. For he
does not wait until we come to him, but he
comes first to us. He comes into the world,
becomes man, serves us, dies for us, rises
again from the dead, sends us his Holy Spirit,
gives us his Word, and opens heaven so wide
that all men can enter; besides he gives us
rich promises and assurances that he will
care for us in time and in eternity, here and
there, and pours out into our bosoms all the
fulness of his grace. Therefore the acceptable
time of grace is now at hand. Yet, we neglect
it, and cast it to the winds, so that he will not
and cannot give it to us."
— Dr. Martin Luther (AXD 1483–1546)
Lutheran church leader & professor
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
New Lutheran Quote of the Month
"The Reformation recovered
Scripture's truth that there are
not higher and lower ranks in
God's family, but that we are all
brothers and sisters together
before God our Father. This fellowship is one of
the greatest things expressed in congregational
singing. When we as a congregation sing to the
Lord, we do not sing as individuals, but the voice
of each of us is blended into the one voice of
God's family, giving glad answer to our Maker's
message of love. -- Dr. Norman Nagel."
— Dr. Norman Nage, M.Div., Ph.D., LL.D., D.D.
Professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Every Sunday Sermon PrepPreparation
To help you prepare for
worship, here are the weekly
readings for Divine Services
in September:
September 5 & 8. . . . . Deuteronomy 30:15–20
Philemon 1–21
Luke 14:25–35
September 12 & 15. . . . . . . . . Ezekiel 34:11–24
1 Timothy 1:5–17
Luke 15:1–10
September 19 & 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . Amos 8:4–7
1 Timothy 2:1–15
Luke 16:1–15
September 26 & 29. . . . . . . . . . . . . Amos 6:1–7
1 Timothy 3:1–13
Luke 16:19–31
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
The Biblical View of Worship (part 3 of 3)
by Dr. John W. Kleinig, Professor
Emeritus, Australian Lutheran College
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
C. Transmission
1. A television set does not remain inert as it
receives its transmission. The same electricity
that transmitted the vision helps it receive and
reflect the transmitted vision. We, too, cannot
remain passive and inert in worship. We are
affected by God's impact on us. We are, in fact,
bound to react and respond either negatively or
positively to God's dealings with us. That's rather
obvious, even though the priority of divine
activity does not always receive enough emphasis
in our understanding of worship. We tend to
emphasise the human side of worship too much
to the detriment of the divine side, which should,
however, always receive most weight. What we
do in worship stems from what God does and
corresponds with it. We don't take the initiative
in this, but merely go along with Jesus; we follow
his lead. He's our leader in worship, our chief
celebrant. What's more, we can't do this by
ourselves without the help of the Holy Spirit, any
more than the television set creates its vision by
itself without the help of the electricity which can
alone enable it to receive and transmit its vision.
Our service of God in worship depends on his
service of us. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit.
2. Our order of worship makes this quite clear
to us. In it we first react to God's invitation by
gathering in his presence; then we react to the
offer of forgiveness by confessing our sins; we
react to God's acceptance of us by singing the
great Gloria and other hymns of praise; we react
to God's speaking by listening faithfully to him
and confessing our faith; we react to God's
generosity by offering ourselves and some of our
money to him; we react to God's offer of help by
asking him for help in prayer; we react to our
entry into the presence of our heavenly Father by
joining together with the heavenly hosts in
singing the Sanctus; we react to the gift of Christ's
healing body and cleansing blood by gratefully
receiving these gifts and surrendering our lives to
him in the Song of Simeon; we react to God's
blessing by going out into the world and serving
him in our daily lives. So our order of worship not
only tells us how to respond, but also helps us to
respond appropriately to God's presence and
grace.
3. We aren't left to our own devices in all this.
We join in with our fellow Christians and are led
by the Holy Spirit who prompts us and empowers
us in our worship of the Father through the Son
(Eph 2:18). The Holy Spirit helps us react
appropriately and respond properly. He directs
our worship, so that it lets God be God and is
rightly attuned to the ongoing ministry of Jesus.
What's more, he turns our whole life into a single
act of worship, a continual song of praise about
our gracious heavenly Father for the whole world
to hear. So by helping us receive God's heavenly
transmission, the Holy Spirit makes us into living
transmitters of that transmission.
There are many people who participate
faithfully in worship but complain that they don't
get anything out of it. I guess we've all felt that
way at times. What we forget is that the work of
God is invisible to us. We don't notice it, but only
know about it, because he himself tells us about it
in his word. We may sense the results of it, as we
sense the results of our nourishment from
breathing and eating, but we don't see it
happening. I feel that it is just as silly to complain
about how boring, useless, and unpleasant church
worship is as to complain about how boring good
food is, or how useless sleep is, or how
unpleasant medicine is. Like good food, proper
worship is not meant to entertain but to nourish
us, and we can often be best nourished by what
we most dislike, like broccoli or liver. Like sleep,
worship may seem dull and its benefits often
escape our attention, as they can be as much
physical as mental or emotional. After all, God
instituted the Sabbath in the Old Testament for
physical, and not just spiritual rest, refreshment
and fellowship. Like medicine, worship is at times
unpleasant and uncomfortable, just because it
attacks, destroys, and heals the evil in us. God
does not necessarily give us what we want, but
what we need in worship. So, though I, for one,
am always grateful if I feel that I have got some
blessing from worship, I am not unduly disturbed
if I feel that I've got nothing. The benefits of
worship are a matter of faith and not of sight.
5. Our worship of God here on earth is
unfortunately always rather clumsy and
inadequate. Our reception is poor and our
transmission is poorer. Our worship is more like
learning to play a musical instrument than playing
a symphony. But that does not matter. The
validity of it does not depend on our ability and
performance but on Christ's expertise and skill.
What matters is that he gets it right for us. We
won't be able to get it all right this side of
eternity. Our whole life then is a matter of
earning, bit by bit, how to appreciate, enjoy and
worship God. None of us is an expert in worship;
we are all beginners. At best we can support and
encourage each other as we learn to worship by
worshiping together.
Conclusion: To conclude, let me tell three stories
to illustrate the purpose, nature and importance
of worship.
1. First a story about the purpose of worship.
The story is told about Prince Vladimir of Kiev in
Russia. At about 1000 AD he decided that the
ancestral religion of his people was no longer
good enough. So he sent ambassadors around the
world to assess the claims of various great
religions. First they went to Mecca where they
examined the worship of Islam. But they found it
too severe, drab and gloomy for their liking. Then
they went to Rome where they learned about
Roman Catholicism. They found it better than
Islam, but it lacked a sense of heavenly mystery
and beauty. Then finally they went to
Constantinople where they experienced Orthodox
worship in the great Cathedral of Holy Wisdom.
They came back from there, all excited, and
reported to their King:
We did not know whether we were in heaven
or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor
or beauty anywhere upon earth, We cannot
describe it to you only this, we know, that God
dwells there among men and their service
surpasses the worship of all other places.
So Orthodoxy became the religion of Kiev and
Russia. I like that legend, because it reminds me
about what worship is, the mystery of God's
heavenly presence with us on earth.
2. The second story comes from Luke 24:13-35.
It is the story of the appearance of Jesus to two
disciples on the road to Emmaus. You remember
how Jesus joined them as they traveled from
Jerusalem and discussed the events of Good
Friday and that Easter morning. They did not at
first recognize him. Even when he showed them
from the Old Testament that the Christ had to
suffer and die before his coronation as the
heavenly King of he world, they still did not catch
on. They only recognized him when he took over
the meal in their home, as if he were their host,
took bread, blessed, broke, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened and he disappeared
from their sight. Luke calls this the breaking of
bread, which is his name for the Lord's Supper in
the book of Acts. He does this, because he wishes
to suggest that we are in the same boat as those
two men that Easter Eve. Like them we have
heard about the resurrection of Jesus but are
unaware of his presence with us until he teaches
us about himself from the Holy Scriptures and
reveals himself to us in Holy Communion. So
every time two Christians meet together in the
name of Jesus, the risen Lord comes to them and
makes himself known to them. Every act of
worship is an Easter celebration where we meet
with our Lord and get to know him as he sets our
hearts aflame by his speaking to us and opens our
eyes to his presence with us by hosting his meal
for us. Every Sunday the risen Lord appears to us
as he did to them.
3. Lastly, an incident which illustrates the
importance of worship and the folly of its neglect!
Some time ago my wife met up with an old friend
whom she hadn't seen for years. In the course of
their conversation my wife discovered that she
was living with her two children in Adelaide, while
her husband lived more or less permanently in
Canberra. They saw each other occasionally, but
they lived mostly apart. It occurred to me that
many Christians are like that. They are like a
married couple that refuses to live together after
marriage and so does not share a common life.
These Christians are baptized and confirmed but
seldom worship, pray, or receive the Lord's
Supper, because they regard all that as an
unnecessary business and burdensome
obligation, rather than a marvelous privilege and
the highlight of the Christian life. Surely a
Christian who doesn't interact with God and
doesn't enjoy the lively intimacy with him that
comes from worship is as stupid as a married man
who lives apart from his wife.
Ultimately, worship is nothing but our
enjoyment of God. The Westminster Catechism
begins with the question: “What is the chief end
of man?” The answer is apt: “The chief end of
man is to worship God and enjoy Him forever.” In
the final count, they amount to the one and the
same thing. #
Green Bay Area Lutheran
Confessions Discussion GroupMark your calendars now— Pastor Matt
and Maggie are organizing a Lutheran
Confessions reading group. Tentatively set to
meet (starting in
October) on the first
Monday of each
month, 6:00 – 8:00
p.m., this will be an
opportunity to read
together the Lutheran
confession of faith as it
is contained in the
Book of Concord. In
other words, the
confessions will be our guide to reading and
studying what God's Word says to us in Holy
Scripture.
# Will it be kid-friendly? YES (of course!) –
we'll put a movie on for kids to watch
# Will there be food? YES (we'll eat dinner
first before we read)
We already have preliminary interest from
members of three area Lutheran
congregations (Pilgrim, Redeemer, and
Hope); for more information, call Pastor
Matt (336-9843 office; 336-9582 home) or e-
mail him at [email protected].
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Real Reformation Radio
Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show
hosted by LC–MS Pastor
Todd Wilken and produced by
Lutheran Public Radio. Topics
include: Jennifer Aniston on
Fatherless Motherhood, the
Secularization of the Church, the Dangers of
Hipster Christianity, Repentance, Justification and
more. You can listen to what you want when you
want at www.issuesetc.org.
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Pastor's Matt's Office Hours
Pastor is changing his office hours slightly
starting in September (the day after Labor Day).
What are office hours?
Pastor Matt is in and out
of the office throughout the
week. But he does his best to
always be in the office (excepting
vacations and emergencies) at
certain times for office hours.
Office hours are a good time to
drop in and catch pastor if you
would rather not make an
appointment. Of course, he is
available at all times by appointment; just e-mail
or call him at [email protected] or
336-9843 (office); 336-9582 (home).
New Office hours:
� Mondays 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
� Wednesdays 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
� Thursdays 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Youth Confirmation Begins
Reminder: Confirmation begins Wednesday
evenings starting on September 8th.
• 6th graders: 5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. (once-a-
month on the second Wednesday)
• 7th/8th graders: 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. (weekly)
Parents, siblings, general church members all
welcome to sit in... anytime!
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
How to Read the Bible
We all know how to
read the Bible, right?
Many of us read the Holy
Scriptures every day.
Many more of us pull out
God's Word in times of
trouble and doubt and
uncertainty. The question is: do we always get as
much out of God's Word as we should? Is there
something in us (the "post-modern" man) that
stands between me and my understanding what
God is telling me? The answer is: yes!
We don't always get as much out of God's
Word because we don't necessarily read the Holy
Scriptures in the best possible way.
Our Adult Sunday School class (Sunday
morning Bible class) will start out this Fall by
discussing "How to Read the Bible." It's a timely
topic that should be of benefit to all of us in our
walk with Christ.
The class meets during the Sunday School
hour every Sunday 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. We will
begin at the same time the children's classes
begin, on September 12th. If that time doesn't
work for anyone and you'd like to suggest an
second alternative time, just call Pastor Matt and
suggest a time.
For those who've never been to a Bible
class before, the start of a new school is a great
And in pastor'soffice... the
coffee's always
on! (
time to try it out. No one is required to read or
speak or anything... just come and listen if you'd
like.
Parents with children in tow who are too
young to begin Sunday School are welcome too
(more than welcome!) Come join us.
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Memory Verse of the Month
This year, the Sunday School is
starting something new that
they'd like to share with the
entire congregation. Each month
all the grade levels of the Sunday
School (including the adults!) will work at
memorizing a Bible Verse of the Month. Wouldn't
it be a neat thing if the entire congregation could
learn by heart this little bit of God's Word:
Memory Verse for September:
"The Lord . . . is patient toward you, not
wishing that any should perish, but that all
should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Elliott Derricks, Missionary to
Slovakia
Here at Hope Lutheran Church, we are
currently supporting missionary Elliott Derricks
(member of Zion Lutheran Church in Wayside). He
left last month for a one-year commitment to
serve in Presov, Slovakia. We've received news
that he arrived safely and has been hard at work
sharing the great glad news of Jesus Christ the
Savior of sinners.
One copy of his August 2010 newsletter
will be pinned to the bulletin board if you'd like to
read it and several copies will be placed at the
wooden kiosk for your convenience. A few
excerpts from his newsletter are reproduced
below:
Hello everyone! Well, I'm finally here in
Slovakia! It was hard to say goodbye to all my family
and friends when I left, but when I met Neil, Ryan,
and A.J. at the airport, I immediately became
excited for this year and for doing the work of God
with such wonderful guys! All of our flights went
really smoothly. I had some wonderful witnessing
opportunities on my plane rides. One I especially
want to share with you is with a girl named Nikol
who I met on my way from Prague to Zilina,
Slovakia. She was 16 and coming home to the Czech
Republic from working all summer at a camp in
Maryland. We had a wonderful discussion about the
differences between America and the Czech
Republic. She also wanted to practice her English
with me as much as she could! She was very good
since she spent the whole summer in America! I was
able to share my faith with her and I could sense
God with me as I was witnessing to her. This was
definitely a wonderful start to a year I am so excited
to begin!
I want to thank you all so much for your
support of my mission trip! Without you, my work
here in Slovakia would not be possible! I thank you
from the bottom of my heart for your willingness in
partnering with me in bringing Jesus to Slovakia. I
had such a wonderful time at all the churches I
presented at about my mission work. I cannot wait
to come back and share my experiences with you
next year when I return! I am not 100% funded yet,
however. I have about $14,000 roughly of the
$20,114 needed to fully fund my mission work. If
you feel God moving you to support me I thank you
so much for that! Be sure that checks are written
out to the LCMS World Mission and have my name
(Elliott Derricks) in the memo line. They can be sent
to LCMS World Mission at: 1333 S. Kirkwood, St.
Louis, MO 63122-7295.
(submitted to "The Anchor Line" by Pastor Matt)
Stewardship
“The blessings of honest work”
On Monday, September 6, Americans and
Canadians will observe “Labor Day,” a legal
holiday set aside to honor labor. Work is often
thought of as drudgery – something that you
have to do to make a living. So we sometimes
call work toil, a chore, an obligation, or even a
necessary evil. The New World Dictionary does
not agree with that, but holds work up as
honorable and positive. Part of its definition
goes as follows: “work is physical or mental
effort exerted to do or make something and be
involved in purposeful activity.”
The Bible takes an even higher view of labor.
Labor is actually a gift from God meant to fill our
hours and days with meaningful activities that
honor God, respect His creation, and provide
blessings for others and ourselves. It was God
who put Adam in the
Garden of Eden to work it
and take care of it
(Genesis 2:15). This work
was given to Adam before
the fall into sin and thus
was a blessing from God.
It is true that after the fall
into sin, work became wearisome toil as the
ground was cursed so that sinful human beings
would have to earn their daily bread by the
sweat of their brows until their dying day
(Genesis 3:17b-19). But, in spite of that curse,
labor or work remains a blessing from God.
Dr. Martin Luther (who wrote much on the
subject of vocation) believed that vocation was
a calling, which encompassed the whole of the
life of the believer, and was NOT narrowly
defined as a job, trade, or even a religious
vocation. Luther believed that the honest work
of a janitor, maid or housewife was just as
important and pleasing to God as the work of a
president, pastor, teacher, doctor, scientist or
any other vocation held in high esteem.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 (NIV) reads: “A man can
do nothing better than to eat and drink and
find satisfaction in his work.”
This too, I see, is from St. Paul in writing to the
Ephesians and Thessalonians said: “He who has
been stealing must steal no longer, but must
work, doing something useful with his own
hands, that he may have something to share
with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28 NIV). For
even when we were with you, we gave you this
rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
(2 Thessalonians 3:10 NIV).
God’s redeemed people understand that
Christian stewardship is the free and joyous
activity of the child of God and God’s family, the
church, in managing all of life and life’s
resources for God’s purposes. Giving money to
support the work of the church and other
institutions, giving time to help with honest
efforts, and using our talents to bring glory to
God and blessings to others are all important
parts of Christian stewardship. This truth is
summed up beautifully in these words from 2
Corinthians 10:31 (NIV): “So whether you eat or
drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory
of God.”
This Labor Day and every day give thanks to God
for the blessing of work. Giving thanks for
honest labor is something that Christian
stewards can remember to do in their daily
thoughts and prayers. So, enjoy whatever you
are doing to observe Labor Day, and then
continue your daily work with joy and
enthusiasm.
Financial Figures
2010 average per week: $3,105.33
Budget per week: $3,765
Difference: ($659.67)
2010 20/20 offerings: $4,685.03
Those Who Serve in July
New sign-up sheets are available in the
coatroom for all positions. Confirmands will be
signing up for acolyte times at the first
confirmation class at 4:00 pm on Wednesday,
September 8 or parents may choose times now
on the sign-up in the coatroom.
Ushers:
Sun. 9am Wed. 7pm
9/5 Available Available
Sun. 9am Sun. 10:30am Wed. 7pm
9/12 Available Available Available
9/19 Jane &
Dan
Available Available
9/26 Available Available Available
Flowers:
9/5 Available
9/12 Available
9/19 Dave & Mary
9/26 Randy & Michelle – birthdays
Greeters:
Sun. 9am Wed. 7pm
9/5 Available Available
Sun. 9am Sun. 10:30am Wed. 7pm
9/12 Available Available Available
9/19 Available Available Available
9/26 Available Available Available
The church calendar for September 2010
through August 2011 is in your church mailbox.
Dates and times are subject to change and will
be announced in bulletins.
Thank You
Thank you to those who served in August.
Ushers: Dan & Jane, Troy, Paul & Nancy, Dennis,
Darryll, and Dave
Altar Aides: Elvera, Louann, Carol
Acolyte: Nikki
Readers: Christian
ABC Festival
Coming your way again on Saturday, November
6 from 3:00 until 7:30 pm. Silent auction, chili
dinner and bake sale. Donation slips are
available in the church office for anyone wishing
to donate items for the silent auction to benefit
the Hope Lutheran Youth and Angels of Hope
Preschool.
Church Council & Voters’
Assembly Mini-Minutes
Both meetings were held on Monday, August
9, 2010. Below is a synopsis of information from
both meetings; other info covered in the
meetings is covered in other articles of the
newsletter.
Bible Studies will resume in September.
Pastor Matt and Maggie will be attending the
third session of the Doxology conferences the
last weekend of August.
Matt and Chris will co-chair the Evangelism
Ministry committee.
A chairperson for the Stewardship ministry
committee is needed.
De Pere Christian Outreach has paid over
$150,000 on the building they purchased. Over
80 families are fed through the food pantry
each week. More volunteers are always needed.
$100 per month of the regular mission funding
that we send to Synod will be earmarked for
funding Elliot Derricks, missionary to Slovakia.
Elliot attends Wayside church and attended
NEWLHS; he made a presentation to Hope in
July.
Church office secretary applications have been
received and interviews will be set up.
A delegate to the Trinity Lutheran Elementary
School board is needed from Hope; we have
two delegates, Lynn continues as one delegate.
They are looking for people with a business
background as they are experiencing severe
financial needs.
The Voters did vote to guarantee (indemnify)
$5000 of the loan Our Saviour is giving to Trinity
(if Trinity is unable to repay the loan, we would
repay up to $5000). The alternative is being
liable for up to 1/4 of the $70,000 debt Trinity
currently has.
A bylaw change was presented: Change Article
IIA - Change from “regular meetings of the
Voters’ Assembly shall be held quarterly as
announced on the church calendar” to “regular
meetings of the Voters’ Assembly shall be held
in February and November as announced on the
church calendar.”
Financial reports are available throughout the
year; minutes of council meetings are provided
in the newsletter. Special meetings may be
called as needed by the chairman or pastor. A
vote will be taken on this bylaw change at the
November Voters’ Assembly meeting.
Nominating committee – David, Pastor Matt
and Helen. Positions available for next year
include: vice chair, three elders, two trustees,
recording secretary, financial secretary and an
appointed treasurer position.
Words from the chairman
Submitted by David
Summer is here. The weather is hot and we are
all happy that Hope has air conditioning.
I’ve been a little remiss in submitting articles
lately.
It is mainly due to my travels over the past two
months. Mary and I have been out of town
many of the past few weeks on vacation,
business, and at the LCMS Synodical
Convention. We have attended over a dozen
church services and five Bible studies at various
locations including St. Louis, MO; Houston,
TX; and Milwaukee. Services ranged from the
very traditional to the very nontraditional.
I spent 9 days in
Houston, TX at the LCMS
Synodical Convention as
the lay delegate for our
Green Bay area Circuit.
Just in case you missed
the news, the
Convention elected a
new President to lead
the Synod going forward. Pastor Matthew
Harrison was elected President on the first
ballot. Information about Pastor Harrison and
other Convention actions can be found at the
LCMS Website.
At the Convention I came to realize the
importance of making nominations for the
various synodical offices/positions as well as
making overtures of anything we feel the Synod
needs to take action on. The determination of
who appears on the ballots for President and
Vice-President positions is heavily dependent
on the number of nominations received. The
determination of which overtures to bring to
the convention floor is dependent on what is
submitted and how many similar submissions
exist. Therefore if we feel any nominations or
overtures are important, we have to make them
as the body of Hope instead of assuming
“someone else will do it.”
Hope’s VBS program went very well again this
year. Many thanks to Kim, Alice, and Beth for
their hard work in putting this together and to
the many volunteers who helped in many ways
including creating the ship and other settings,
leading a group of children, playing music,
bringing food, and assisting in many other ways.
Thanks again for all of your hard work – the
children were excited.
Education Ministry
The September education ministry meeting will
be changed from Monday, September 27 to the
following Monday on October 4 at 7:00 pm. The
October meeting will be Monday, October 25 as
scheduled.
Ya' all come to the all
church Family Fall Fest
and Hayride sponsored
by the Sunday School
will be at 12:00 noon
on Sunday, September
26 at the Loppnow
farm. It will begin with at potluck picnic so bring
a dish to pass and enjoy fun and fellowship with
our family from Hope.
Search the web and earn 1 cent
for each search. Designate Hope
Lutheran Church De Pere as
the cause you support. Goodshop
for you’re online shopping.
Proceeds benefit Angels of Hope Preschool.
Participating stores are listed in the Website and
you can still use other coupon codes.
www.goodsearch.com
Funds raised in 2010: $41.43
Funds raised since we first registered: $125.22
Lambeau Concessions
Sign-up sheets for the
next games are on the
bulletin board. Thanks
to all who have worked
so far!
All funds raised from
Lambeau concessions goes toward the payment
of the building loan – last year it was over
$9,000.
LEVY Online Alcohol Training – Non-Profit
Groups:
Instruction sheets are on the bulletin board.
This training must be completed before working
any Packer games. It’s basically the same as last
year but, of course, a bit different. Remember
to e-mail Judy so we also have a record of
who has completed the training. Thanks.
Evangelism
Our Evangelism committee
has regrouped and we are
looking forward to a year
of progress in our ministry.
Our committee members
include: Paul (Elder), Matt (chair), Chris Below
(secretary/co-chair), Pastor Matt, Maggie &
Nancy.
We have several existing projects to review and
are looking forward to implementing other
ideas for outreach to our members at Hope as
well as our community. We are currently
revisiting our greeters program and publicity
options to communicate “who we are” in the
community. Please mark your calendars for our
next “New Member Recognition” on Sunday,
October 10, 2010. We will have a potluck
luncheon after the 10:30 am service.
Look for more details in the upcoming weeks.
Our next meeting will be Saturday, September
25 at 8:30 am. If anyone would be interested in
joining our Evangelism ministry please contact
one of our current members. New hands and
new ideas are always welcome.
2010-2011 Sunday School Year
First day of Sunday School will be Sunday,
September 12.
As we say good bye to summer, we are set to
begin our new Sunday School year for 2010-11
at Hope Lutheran Church. Our theme this year is
“Come and go with Jesus to my Father’s
House.” We have an exiting day planned for our
first day of Sunday School on September 12th.
Sunday, September 12
Worship at 10:30 am where kids willsing VBS songs.
Carnival and cookout following thechurch service sponsored by the Hope
Lutheran Youth.
Proceeds from the carnival andcookout will benefit the Hope
Lutheran Youth program.
Check out our schedule:
• 9:15-9:30 am – opening devotion (ages 3
to high school)
• 9:30 -10:15 am – children return to
Sunday School
• 9:35-10:10 am – parents meeting &
social
• 10:30 -11:30 am – worship with VBS
songs
• 11:30-12:30 am – carnival
Our Hope Lutheran Youth will sponsor the
carnival with games and food for sale. Since our
youth, senior high and 8th graders will be
involved with the carnival, they will start bible
study on September 19.
On September 12, parents and students should
locate their children’s classroom and meet their
teachers. We will then convene in the
fellowship hall for an opening devotion.
Students will return to their classroom and
parents will stay in the fellowship hall for a
calendar of events and a morning social.
2011 Registration Forms:
We like to make sure we have correct
information going for the new year, therefore,
please complete the form in this newsletter and
return to church before September 12, 2010
Installation of Sunday School Teachers:
Our teachers will be installed on Sunday,
September 12 . We thank all of our teachers for
their willingness to serve. Your gifts are truly a
blessing to all of our children and parents.
Vacation Bible School Missions:
We are so thankful for all that attended and
assisted with VBS. It was an awesome week of
sharing Jesus' love and the mission will extend
beyond our church home.
Over 50 pencils, scissors, glue sticks, notebooks
and markers were collected by the VBS children
and donated to local De Pere Schools who will
share them with families in need for school
supplies. Our financial donations for VBS from
the children and the congregation totaled
$500.00. This will be split and sent to Alyssa
Stone, an LCMS missionary in Haiti and to
Friends of Haiti, a local medical and mission
group who will travel to Haiti October 16-30,
2010. Thank you to all who shared and gave.
Angels of Hope Preschool
Let the school year
begin!!!
Our preschool will be back
in session on September
7th. We are near capacity
with 16 three year olds
and 16 four year olds
registered for the
2010-2011 school year.
We are anxious to meet many new families as
well as welcome families from the past.
We are looking for someone that may be
interested in building a sturdy wooden cart on
wheels to hold the new office laminating
machine. The dimensions of the cart would be
30’’x45” and about 28” tall. It would need to be
strong enough to hold a 100 pound machine. If
you have the interest and ability to accomplish
this task for us please contact Gail Thiel.
We are also looking for donations for the
preschool. Please read through the list below to
see if you can help us out with any
of them. We will be placing a
giving tree in the narthex
containing apples with these items
on them. If you plan on donating one of the
items, please take the apple from the tree. We
would like all of the donations to be to us by
September 15, 2010.
• cotton balls (3 bags)
• plastic spoons (100)
• ziplock baggies (2 gallon size)
• ziplock baggies (sandwich size)
• ziplock baggies (snack size)
• ziplock baggies (quart size)
• ziplock baggies (gallon size)
• white yarn
• white reinforcement stickers
• Q-tips
• blue rick-rack
• a small cross stamp
• flat lollipops (20)
• bingo dabbers (3 blue, 3 red, 3 purple, 3
green)
• coffee filters
• curly blonde hair (for crafting)
• face paint pens
• green cellophane
• bag of white balloons
• bag of purple balloons
• bag of green balloons
• plain white paper bowls
• small white paper plates
• muffin cup liners
• foil star stickers
• circle rummage sale stickers (primary
colors)
• a bag of white polyester fill
• colored sand for the water table (can be
found at Menards)
As we begin our new school year we want to
once again invite you to stop in any time to give
us a visit and see our program. It is never an
interruption to have visitors.
In His Service,
Mrs. Thiel and Mrs. Thompson
National Lutheran Youth
Gathering
The LCMS National Youth Gathering was held on
July 17- 21, 2010 in New Orleans.
The theme of the Gathering was We Believe.
“But these things are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that by believing you may have life in his
name.”
John 20:31
At the 2010 National LCMS Youth Gathering,
we focused on these words. What an awesome
experience to see over 25,000 youth and adults
who shared this faith. We asked each youth
three questions regarding the Gathering and we
share their responses below:
MEET: SARAH
ATTENDS: De Pere High School, senior
PARENTS: Dave and Kim
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? My favorite part of the
Gathering were the mass events. I love seeing
everyone there together worshiping God when
the band plays, everyone would stand up
excited to sing and clap, yet when someone
began to speak it became silent so everyone
could hear the Word.
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? My faith has grown because of the
Gathering. It is so reassuring to see and be with
so many people who believe the same things I
do.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? I learned that it is not about
you. It is about Jesus. We are not the HERO of
the story, HE (JESUS) is.
MEET: KATIE
ATTENDS: Ashwaubenon High School, senior
PARENTS: John and Karen
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? My favorite part of the
Gathering was that there were 25,000 other
people celebrating and praising JESUS.
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? This Gathering showed me that I
shouldn’t be afraid to share and express my
faith. I am now more confident to keep Him in
my life at all times.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? One thing I learned here is
not to live 2 separate lives (one with you in the
center and one with Jesus). You need to live one
with Jesus in it and then everything will fall into
place.
MEET: EMILY
ATTENDS: De Pere High School, freshman
PARENTS: Scott and Lori
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? Bob Lenz was a speaker that
was one of my favorites of the Gathering
because he was so laid back and could really
relate to our lives as youth. Also, the mass
events were great to see all 25,000 of us all
singing and dancing to contemporary praise
music.
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? Just seeing so many kids my age who
believe the same thing I do is so reassuring and
impactful.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? I learned there are so many
ways to express our faith like servant events or
dancing around to upbeat praise music.
MEET: TRICIA
ATTENDS: De Pere High School, sophomore
PARENTS: John and Deb
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? My favorite part of the
Gathering was when we all helped out in the
school for our servant event. I like to help
people and it was a kind thing to do for others
that were truly in need. (Our servant event
involved our youth going to a school in
downtown New Orleans that had been failing
for the last 5 years. A new charter school and
group of teachers were taking it over and the
school was in desperate need of organization,
paint, clean up and more.)
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? It helped me believe more. Because I use
to not really read the Bible but it has helped me
to be more confident and want to read it more
often.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? I learned that we don’t have
to hide that we believe in JESUS. So we can
teach others what happened when Jesus was
alive on earth but He will always be with us.
MEET: SYDNEY
ATTENDS: West De Pere High School, freshman
PARENTS: Bill and Char
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? My favorite part of the
Gatherings was the mass events because I felt
really involved and they helped me strengthen
my faith the most.
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? The Gathering impacted my faith by
making me feel really connected to God. It
strengthened my faith and expanded it.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? At the Gathering, I learned
that people everywhere share our faith. Seeing
this and just hearing it helped me grow in faith.
MEET: KRYSTA
ATTENDS: West De Pere High School, freshman
PARENTS: Jeff and Dawn
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? My favorite part was the mass
events because I loved singing and dancing with
people that believe the same thing I do.
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? It strengthened my faith and opened my
eyes more.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? I learned that a lot of people
believe and there are many things that I can do
to spread the Word and I also learned that God
has a plan for everyone and that He loves every
single one of us.
MEET: BRIANA
ATTENDS: West De Pere High School,
Sophomore
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? The mass event because it
was cool to see thousands of Lutherans
gathered and having fun hearing God’s Word
and what Jesus did for us.
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? It strengthened m faith and my
relationship with God.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? I learned that God has a plan
for everyone and even in the darkest times we
should remember that there is a reason for
what we are experiencing.
MEET: BAILEY
ATTENDS: West De Pere High School,
Sophomore
PARENTS: Michele
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF
THE GATHERING? My favorite part of the
Gathering was the mass events. I liked the mass
events because I liked singing and dancing with
everyone and praising God.
HOW DID THE GATHERING STRENGTHEN YOUR
FAITH? The Gathering impacted my faith by
knowing that there are many others Lutherans
out there praising the same God and that you
can praise him with whomever and wherever
you are.
WHAT IS SOMETHING NEW YOU LEARNED AT
THE GATHERING? I learned that God is with you
through everything and things happen for a
reason not just to ruin your life. I learned that
anything is possible with God and that there are
many more people who believe the same thing
and you don’t have to be afraid to express your
love for God.
Youth News
“He who began a good work in you will
carry it out until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6
It is the eve of another school year. It is time to
get ready for the work that is ahead, to practice
getting up early again, and to wake up that part
of your brain that has enjoyed vacation. Yes, it is
a time of mixed emotions. There is joy for a new
start to a new year mixed with sadness that the
fun frolicking days of summer are coming to a
close. No matter where your emotions are it is
here. I love this time of year. I love walking into
class on that first day of Kindergarten and
greeting both excited and nervous students. It is
like looking out at a garden one which God has
given me the tools to help grow and bloom for
that year. It is exciting as I prayerfully begin
another adventure. Although the calendar says
it is time to start, the work has already begun. I
am not just talking about the grunt work like
cutting out projects and writing lesson plans but
the “spiritual work” that began months earlier.
At the end of every school year we receive our
tentative list for the coming year. It is then that
my job as their teacher begins.
As I spend my summer thinking and preparing
what I will teach, I also spend it praying for the
students that will walk into my room tomorrow.
You see I have a gift that God entrusted me with
for the year. I have thirteen little hearts in my
care to help water the seed of faith which God
has planted in them. It is both exciting and at
the same time, a bit scary. Like my own
children, they will imitate what I say, what I do,
how I respond… and that leaves a big
responsibility. Some of you have embarked on
the same task here at church. Some of you will
be God’s outstretched hands teaching our
children on Sundays at Sunday School, or
volunteering in positions that help “water the
seeds of faith” already planted. What an
awesome gift God has given you.
Whether you are in classroom or not you are all
a valued part of God’s team. Together we
embark on a journey in service to Him. As
Christians it is our responsibility to help water
the seeds of faith in the lives of those around
us. How we live our lives, respond to others,
give of ourselves – all of it is opportunities to
share the Gospel – to share Jesus with another.
God has begun a good work in each of you and
He will carry it out to completion. As you think
back on your own life I am sure you can think of
people that “helped water your seed of faith”. It
may have been something they said, or
something they did for you but God was using
them to grow your faith. He wants to use you to
do the same for another! Are you looking for
those opportunities?
Beth
Worship Service and Carnival:
On Sunday, September 12 we will have a
carnival following 10:30 am worship service.
Youth in grades 6 to 12 we will need your help
in organizing and running
our games and cook out
on this day. This is the
first day of Sunday School
and we will plan to meet
for our opening at 10:15 am and then prepare
for the carnival. If you are unable to attend the
August 30 planning meeting please contact Beth
or Kim about volunteering. We will need help
with game and serving food and this will be a
way to earn funds for your youth account.
Youth Servant Event:
Friends of Haiti is the
nonprofit group that will
make a medical and dental
mission to the mountains
of Haiti in October. The
group is in need of assistance to help pack pills
for the group. Our youth did this service once
before but we would like to help again. Please
sign up on the bulletin board to help serve by
packing pills on Wednesday, September 15,
2010. We would leave church about 5:40 pm
and return about 8:15 pm. All are welcome to
serve and share God’s love by giving your time
to help others.
Hayride:
On Sunday, September
26, following the 10:30
am church service,
come enjoy some fall
fun at the Hayride at
the Loppnow farm.
More details are
provided in another portion of the newsletter.
LCMS NYG Youth:
On Wednesday, September 29 from 6:30 to
8:00 pm we will have a follow up meeting to the
2010 National Youth Gathering. We will meet at
the Thompsons to see a follow up to Katrina and
New Orleans sharing in bible study and planning
for our church service to share the Gathering
with the Hope Family.
Calendar Preview:
• The ABC Festival is scheduled for
November 6, 2010. Plan now by
organizing items to sell at the auction.
This is a way for you to earn funds for
your youth account.
• The Christmas Program is scheduled for
December 18, 2010.
• Youth Winter Retreat at Camp Luther is
scheduled for January 21-23, 2011.
• Our Captive Free concert and youth lock-
in will be on February 18, 2011.
Thank YouHope Lutheran Church......
In July, 8 youth and 2 chaperones did travel to
New Orleans to the 2010 Lutheran Youth
Gathering. It was a great faith building
opportunity for all of us. What was extra special
about this trip is that we learned much about
"We Believe" in Jesus but we also learned about
New Orleans and the needs of this community.
Due to the great need still evident in New
Orleans following the recovery from Katrina,
the Lutheran youth were able to show Jesus'
love in many servant events. The attached letter
from Terry
Dittmer, Director
of Youth Ministry
for the LCMS,
highlights many
of the servant
events and also extends appreciation for all of
the support. We also want to thank all of the
congregation for their support. The youth will
be sharing a service in the future highlighting
the Gathering. We had hoped to do this on
August 22 but we will postpone it as we
are still waiting on some materials from the
Gathering to incorporate into our presentation.
Thank you to all of you that supported the Hope
Lutheran Youth that attended the 2010 National
Lutheran Youth Gathering,
In Christ,
Beth and Kim
Sarah, Katie, Tricia,Emily, Krysta, Bailey ,
Briana and Sydney
The Incredible Privilege of
Saying, “Thank you!”
The LCMS Youth Ministry Staff and Gathering
Executive Team thank God for the participants,
planners and volunteers at the 2010 National
LCMS Youth Gathering. We deeply thank the
participating congregations and the parents of
the youth for entrusting the spiritual nurture of
their youth at the Gathering for five days in July
and for providing the necessary spiritual,
personal and financial support along the way.
What a humbling privilege it is to organize the
Gathering.
Thanks also to the hundreds of Gathering
planners for their amazing creativity and
energy. Thanks to the awesome local
volunteers, the yellow-shirted Community Life
Builders and the “Orange Nation” of Young
Adults Volunteers.
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a month
since the 2010 National LCMS Youth Gathering.
There were 24,000 youth and adults in New
Orleans gathered to praise God and worship
Jesus. As we like to say, the Gathering is, first of
all, all about Jesus – how He loves us, how He
saves us, and how He inspires and encourages
us to serve Him by serving others. It is an
amazing story about how a Gathering can
impact a community. Check out this short
inventory of what was accomplished in Jesus’
name, over five days in July.
• About half of the 24,000 NYG
participants volunteered at 100 servant
events benefitting local churches,
schools, parks, cemeteries, summer
camp programs and other service
organizations, and individual
homeowners.
• Dozens of neighborhood prayer walks
where Gathering participants walked
through neighborhoods and prayed with
and for residents.
• Nearly $140,000 was collected for the
special Gathering offering, of which a
portion will go to provide grants for local
congregational youth programs doing
outreach to un-churched and
marginally-churched youth.
• 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food
items were donated for Second Harvest
Food Bank.
• 3,000 personal care kits were assembled
for area shelters and community
organizations through the District Care
Kit Scavenger Hunt with financial support
from our LCMS Districts.
• 2.000 placemats were created for local
nursing homes.
• 1,000 units of blood were donated for
southeast Louisiana hospitals.
• 400 fleece blankets were made.
• 50 participants received haircuts and
gave their hair for Locks of Love.
• 125 baptismal banners were created for
local churches.
• 665 handmade cards were created for
military chaplains, active servicemen and
military families.
• 200 batches of play dough were made for
local preschools and Boys & Girls Clubs.
• 2,000 thank-you notes were written for
local oil spill recovery workers
• In addition, the LCMS Youth Ministry
office sponsored an “Art4Haiti” project.
All told, 144 folk art crosses were
assembled and sold, raising nearly $5,000
for Haitian relief.
How amazing to see God working through the
Gathering and making such an impact in a
community! So many people in the city’s
neighborhoods saw the love of Christ shared
through the service of so many.
So many people point to a Gathering as one of
the most significant events in their lives.
Professional church workers – pastors, teachers,
DCEs – point to a Gathering as the event leading
them to pursue a church career. There are many
stories from those encouraged through the
messages shared by Gathering speakers and
performers. Many are led to celebrate their
faith and explore their gifts. The Youth Ministry
Office will share some of these stories in future
Gathering updates. What else is there to say.
Again, thanks be to God. It is His gift of faith that
enables us to confess, “WE BELIEVE!”
Dr. Terry K. Dittmer, Director
LCMS District and Congregational Services –
Youth Ministry