St. John’s Lutheran Church Newsletter

Sand Prairie – Green Valley, IL

September 2012

The ParishScope

LCMS NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING PARENT / YOUTH MEETING - SEPT 10TH - Calling all high school youth and current 8th grader & parents. Next summer is going to be the event of a lifetime. 20-30 youth and adults from our church will be joining with 30,000 others in San Antonio for an awesome fun and spiritually rewarding experience. This gathering has been taking place every 3 years ever since 1980. The informational meeting will lay out fundraising events for the year, transportation choices, deadlines for signing up and other important information regarding this once-in-a-lifetime major event for our youth taking place in San Antonio, Texas July 1-5, 2013. Details about the gathering are at: http://www.lcmsgathering.com The meeting will be held Monday Sept 10th 7-8:30pm in the fellowship hall. Questions? Contact Pastor Kevin or Tawn Bueltmann

September Youth Events - More youth events are planned for September. Go to these websites for details: High School Youth: SandPrairieLutheran.org/tfc.html 6th-8th grade Youth: SandPrairieLutheran.org/jfc.html MILESTONE MINISTRY: The Parish Education Committee is sponsoring another Milestone Ministry for our young people. On Sunday, September 2nd, at both services, the 6th grade students will be presented with a “Faith Alive” Bible that will be used in their confirmation classes. This is to remind all of us that we need to be in God’s Word. Please pray for this ministry to touch the hearts of all of our parish, but particularly our young people. SUNDAY SCHOOL WILL BEGIN THEIR FALL QUARTER ON September 2nd. Following are the teachers and the grades they will be teaching: Preschool and Kindergarten: Reva Simpson and Jody McFarlin; 1st and 2nd: Norma White; 3rd and 4th: Lori Worner; 5th: Bill Anderson; 6th: Mark Simpson; 7th: Adam Simpson; 8th: Jim Fairchild; High School: Chris Carson, Greg Jennings, and Tawn Bueltmann. MENTORING PROGRAM: As part of confirmation, St. John’s 8th grade students and their parents will be able to participate in a program called “Faith mentoring”. The 8th graders will have the opportunity to choose an adult to be their “Faith Mentor”. During the course of the year the students will meet with their mentor at least four times to discuss how their faith influences their lives and the decision they make. MILESTONE MINISTRY: The Parish Education Committee announces the annual Milestone Ministry for our Kindergarten children. On September 16th, the children and their parents will be gifted with a Storybook Bible. This is to remind all of us that we need to be in God’s Word. Please pray for this ministry to touch the hearts of all of our parish, but particularly the parents of young children.

THE WEDNESDAY MORNING BIBLE CLASS will begin on Wednesday, September 8th at 11am in the Memorial room. We will be studying various Heroes of the Faith. Please plan to join us for this weekly one hour Bible study. COLLEGE STUDENTS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL E-MAIL MINISTRY - Once again this year, we would like you to give us the e-mail addresses of your college students so that we can communicate with them occasionally. But we would also like to share occasional e-mail communication with whatever service personnel we are allowed to. It is understood that this will be more difficult, since at least some of them, for security reasons, are not afforded e-mail privileges. But if they do have an address, we have noticed that the more reminders of their home life many of them have, the better they will sometimes do. Whether or not your member of the military has an e-mail address or not, please relay that information to Brenda in the church office. For those without, a mailing address will also work well. - Pastor Wenndt GSLS Clays Event: The GSLS Sporting Clays Event is September 15th. Cost is $75 for 100 birds and lunch. Brochures at www.goodshepherdpekin.com or 347-9027. GSLS AUCTION: SAVE THE DATE and PLAN TO ATTEND Good Shepherd Lutheran School’s Seventh Annual Benefit Auction on Saturday, March 23rd, 2013!

CHURCH BAZAAR - Saturday, September 15th - 10:30am-1:30pm

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! Near and far! It’s time again for our bazaar!

September 15th is the date. Mark down the time so you’re not late!

We open doors at half-past ten So you can shop and dine and then We close up shop at half-past one.

So hurry and join in the fun. Come in and shop and have some lunch Of soups and salads and we’ve a bunch

There’ll be desserts you can’t resist. Sit down; relax and make your list Of all the things you want to share Or give as gifts to show you care.

The bakery will have a spread With pies and cookies, cakes and breads.

The Country Store will be replete With noodles, snax and candy treats;

Jellies and jams, dishcloths and brooms And great rag rugs “hot from the loom!”

There’s greeting cards in lovely rhyme And, oh my, crafts of numerous kinds. We’ll even have some quilts for you

To maybe buy or just to view. Centerpieces of humble gourds

For sale at prices you can afford. A day for friendships to renew.

Join in the fun. We’ll look for you!

Singers and Instrumentalists - Is making music one of the gifts you have received from the Lord? If so,

your help is needed. There are several opportunities for you to share your gift with others in praise of the Giver of all gifts.

1. Singers are needed for the choir. The choir sings at least twice a month at the 8 AM service. Practices are held on Monday nights from 7-8 PM in the balcony. If interested come to choir practice. Fall practices resume September 10th. Questions? Contact Connie Ary or Don & Sheila Lutz.

2. Soloists, either vocal or instrumental, are needed for some services. Contact DCE Bill Krueger.

3. Singers are needed for the 10:45 contemporary worship services. Practices are held on Saturday mornings before the Sunday service. You will not need to sing every Sunday. Contact Sheila Lutz.

4. Instrumentalists are needed for the 10:45 contemporary worship services. Contact Pastor Kevin.

5. Interested in playing the organ for a service? Contact Pastor Wenndt.

Make Music to the Lord. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to thy name, O Most High;

to declare thy steadfast love in the morning, and thy faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp.”

Psalm 92:1ff

CAMP CILCA’S ANNUAL CHICKEN FRY & AUCTION - Sunday, September 2nd - The whole family is invited to one of Camp CILCA’s biggest fundraisers of the year!!! Come support camp by eating a wonderful fried chicken dinner and listen to live blue-grass music. The day climaxes with the annual auction located in the Dining Hall. 10:30am worship, 11:30-2:00 Lunch & Blue Grass music, 1:30pm Auction. Swimming is open from 1-4pm and there is a Bocce Ball Tournament at 2:30pm. One for parent/child and one for adults. Winners of each tournament wins a prize. CAMP CILCA WHIPPOORWILL GOLF CLASSIC - Support Camp CILCA. $55 at Red Tail Run, Decatur, IL on Friday, September 21st, at 12PM. Rev. Daniel Smith: pastordan@grics.net or 309-342-7083. Contact Pastor Kevin if you would like to share rides. Thanks for your generosity! - Pastor Kevin & Tawn wish to express their deep gratitude for the anonymous donor(s) who contributed a generous gift toward the reduction of the $20,000 debt they incurred as a result of Pastor Kevin's seminary training. This gift was given through the church since the Endowment Fund graciously provides this loan on an interest-free basis while the Bueltmanns pay off this debt. Mark Your Calendars for October: "Sharing The Gospel In A Digital Age" Saturday, October 20th, 9-3pm at the Central Illinois District Office, LCMS 1850 N Grand Ave W, Springfield, IL 62702. EQUIPPING TO SHARE: On Saturday, October 27th, the Evangelism committee will be presenting a workshop in our parish hall from 9am to 2pm. This is for all members of the congregation. All who attend will receive practical insights for sharing your faith daily. Bible-based and interactive, the workshop combines training by a presenter with large and small group discussion. Refreshments will be served at 8:30am and a lunch at noon. Congregations from Manito, Delavan have been invited to attend.

Ladies Group Meetings:

Epiphany Society First Thursday of Month 1:30pm normally Rebekah Circle Second Thursday of Month 7pm usually at the church Dorcas II Fourth Thursday of Month 9a-3pm in the parish hall Lydia Guild Tuesday after ParishScope handout 1pm in the parish hall Hannah Guild Quarterly 10am in chapel Bernice Guild No set meeting date

SUNDAY SCHOOL PERFECT ATTENDANCE

June & July 2012

June: July: Preschool: Cameron Bell Preschool: Cameron Bell Ethan Fairchild 6th grade: Mason Meints Lilly Fairchild High School: Luke Friedrich 1st Grade: Hannah Cantrall Aubree Jennings Davin Fairchild 3rd Grade: Gabe Fairchild 5th Grade: Chelsey Catton 6th Grade: Jacob Urish High School: Luke Friedrich Aubree Jennings Karley Lay

September Birthdays HAPPY BIRTHDAY to those whom God has enriched in their baptismal blessings, as He has allowed

them to be on earth for at least 75 years!

2 - Emma Hintz 14 – Beverly Kitchell 5 - Dick Hibbert 16 - Grace Hoerr 5 - Gertrude Schrader 22 - Marlene Jones 7 - Eda Louie 25 - George Fleckenstein 9 - Ed Burch 28 - Evelyn Smith 11- Donald Schumm 28 – Geraldine Shay

St. John’s Lutheran Church – Sand Prairie 13443 Townline Road - Green Valley, IL 61534-9216

(309)348-3180 – Secretary@SandPrairieLutheran.org

www.SandPrairieLutheran.org Pastor Tom Wenndt Pastor Kevin Bueltmann DCE Bill Krueger Good Shepherd Lutheran School Principal Ralph Mickley – 347-2020

8:00 am Traditional Worship 9:30 am Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:45 am Contemporary Worship

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

Paid Green Valley, IL

Permit No. 1

“WEATHER – WISE”

Friends, I grew up in the first days of when getting a remote-control TV – or a color TV, for that matter – was no longer the luxury it had once been. Although cable TV was some years away yet, because of where I lived – exactly between two sets of regional television signals – with a good antenna, my family was able to tune in seven channels on TV (vs. the usual 3–4).

One of the great things about that was the ability to pick and choose where you were going to get your news, weather and sports from. In Davenport, Iowa, one of the chief weathermen at that time was a man whose name was Bill Wise. Whenever it was time for the weather, the news reporter would look at him and say, “WEATHER – WISE!” knowing that could be taken two ways. And indeed, he seemed to have a wisdom about him. Growing up, I could not have known that terms that they were forced to occasionally use, such as, “SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING,” and such were still in their infancy. At my age, I didn’t understand that their use of radar and technology had only begun to start tracking the weather much better than had been the case even just a few years before that. But then, and now, all they did – or could do – was tell people what was going to come, whether that was nice, ugly, boring, dangerous or whatever. Not one weatherman, no matter how “wise” he was, was going to be able to change the course of it. And how nice it would have been to make some changes over the course of this past Summer. I note that as I finalize this column, many are just now returning to cutting their grass, after not having had to do it at all through most of the Summer. Most of the crops are already well past the point where anything can be done to save a significant part of the yield that will be lost this year. The Lord gives us SO many blessings that we absolutely have to rely on to have and enjoy the lives we do. Once in awhile, we are exposed to things like this to remind us that we cannot take such blessings for granted. And yet, even without this one blessing this Summer, look at all the other ways we are still blessed. Then, with the abundance of his blessings, it looks like the worst of that weather is indeed over – who knows – it may yet be a very wet Fall – or cool – or … What about you? Do you feel like some of the Lord’s greatest blessings have been removed from you – temporarily or even permanently? Martin Luther, in his explanation to the 5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer says this: “We are neither worthy of those things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment.”

And yet, there is SO much more evidence of God’s goodness and mercy than His wrath and judgment. OK, being able to alter weather may never be one of them. But even as becoming so much more “weather–wise” for all of us is a part of those blessings, so will he continue to give and give and give. THAT you can count on – far more than the weather.

PEACE, my friends!!! Pastor Wenndt

SEPTEMBER 2012