L A K E O C O N E E Lutheran Church A Stephen Ministry Congregation Our vision is to become an expanding community of faith, growing in the Holy Spirit and practicing before the world a Christ-centered life. Lord willing, we will do this with Outreach that is inviting, interesting, and inclusive; with Serving the Seniors of our large area; and with Worship that goes beyond Sunday morning. A Monthly Newsletter Pastor!! ! ! ! ! Director Of Music! ! Secretary! ! ! ! ! ! Rev. Andrew Schroeder [email protected] ! Brad Rudisail ! Adria Riley [email protected] 1089 Lake Oconee Parkway Eatonton, Georgia 31024 Church Office 706-485-4600 Pastor’s Column June 2015 T y p e t o e n t e r t e x t Sunday Service ! ! ! 1st, 3rd, & 5th !! ! 2nd & 4th! ! 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion Morning Prayer Church School ! Choir Practice ! 9:00 a.m. in recess Visit our web site: www.lolc.info proclaim that the writings of the sixteenth century reformers, such as Luther, Melanchthon, and others, contained in the Book of Concord are a true exposition of Scripture. We celebrate the life, It Just Does Not Add Up! death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour in our weekly One of the great hymns of Easter worship. We have just celebrated Sunday, May 31, the church and given thanks for the coming of throughout the world celebrates the Holy Spirit at the Festival of the festival of the Holy Trinity. We Pentecost. The center of all these Lutherans are a Creedal Church. is the life, the ministry, and the We confess the three great ongoing presence of Jesus. Ecumenical creeds: Nicene, Apostolic, and Athanasian. We are So, what is the deal with this a Confessional church; we Trinity stuff anyway? It is not The Holy Trinity? Serve God, Serve Man ! ! about God the Father, who created us and all things—not exactly. It is not about God the Son, who redeems the world by his holy and precious blood—exactly. And it is not about the Holy Spirit, The Comforter, who calls us to faith through the Gospel of Jesus— exactly. Add to this mix all those confusing formulae in the Nicene Creed—let us not even go to the Athanasian Creed!—and what we have is a lot of head scratching and confusion. Exactly. So if the Trinity is all that confusing, why bother at all? 1 L A K E O C O N E E L Well, the celebration of the Trinity is exactly about confusion. It is about our inability to truly understand God in all his wondrous complexity. It is about our crying need for his intervention in our lives and in our world. It is about our crying need for his ongoing presence and support now and throughout our lives. And it is about how God has chosen to fill all our needs in a threefold way revealed in Holy Scripture and constantly confirmed to us week in and week out in Word and in Sacrament. U T H E R A N C H U R C H We may not “get” the Trinity. We may not ever understand the Trinity—at least not before we see God Face to face—but we need the Trinity and the promises of God brought us by the Three in One. And thanks be to God, that is what we get. Pastor Andy BIBLE CLASS Corner by Roger Martinson At the risk of overstating the facts, this writing acknowledges that members of the Bible class made quite a favorable impression on our circuit visitor during his recent visit to LOLC. Our visitor shared selected readings from the Book of Acts. Class members then present recognized the passages and showed it. Can class sessions be credited in any part for that happenstance? Bible class will avoid going into recess but will continue meeting each Sunday during the summer at 9 a.m. Inquirer’s Class Want to know more about the Lutheran church? Parishioners who want a refresher as well as those new to Lutheranism are all welcome. New member classes with Pastor Andy continue weekly on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. Ya’ll come. 2 Serve God, Serve Man L A K E O C O N E E L Edited From http://www.lutheranlogomaniac.com/ 2009/06/“the-divine-love-of-the-holy-trinity”-holy-trinitysunday/ Comment on The Athanasian Creed So to help us worship God rightly...we ...confess that ancient Christian confession known as the Athanasian Creed. One of the first sentences goes like this: Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. U T H E R A N C H U R C H Notice the word used there, dearly beloved. Not the word catholic. Catholic just means general or universal. No, the word I want to draw your attention to is the word worship. We worship one God in Trinity. Three in one, triune. But the word is worship, not understand, not give orders to, not make into a pretty greeting card saying, Our God, the true God, is to be worshipped. But what does that really mean, to worship God? To worship God is to live under Him in His kingdom. Worshipping God means receiving what He has to give to you. Worshipping God means being born again, or born from above, as Jesus tells Nicodemus. Worshipping God changes you, transforms you, makes you anew in His holy image, wrought in the waters of your Baptism. Todd A. Peperkorn, STM Messiah Lutheran Church Kenosha, Wisconsin On Joy and Laughter in Heaven Dance and games are frivolous and unimportant down here—for “down here” is not their natural place. Here they are a moment’s rest from the life we were placed to live. But in this world everything is upside down….Joy is the serious business of Heaven. • C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer (San Diego, CA, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers, 1963) 92-93. He who sits in the heaven shall laugh. Psalm 2:4 Here the French Taunter in Monty Python and the Holy Grail might say to such theologians, “I laugh in your general direction.” (Okay the French Taunter appeared, oddly enough, to have a Lutheran background since he used a verb (or a phrase reminiscent of John 3) that was very popular with Luther. • Rev. Dr. F. Christopher Anderson, Jokes on THE TRINITY: Part of an Essay entitled “A Brief Systematic Theology of Humor” Serve God, Serve Man 3 L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H Bible Study Thursday Bible study continues weekly at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Having begun January 29, we read and discuss the Gospel of Mark, using study guides provided by Pastor Andy from the series, God’s Word for Today: MARK: The Serving Christ, a publication from Concordia Publishing House and Julene Gernant Dumit. Come join this wonderful continuing opportunity for fellowship and scholarship as we strengthen our commitment to the faith. From the back cover: Many people who are great by the world’s standards or who are in positions of authority lord their greatness over those they consider below them. Often such people expect to be served. But not our Lord Jesus. The Lord of heaven and earth took on the lowly form of a man to serve humanity and to sacrifice His life to ransom people St Mark the Evangelist from sin, death, and Satan. Mark speaks to us today about by Theophilia ✤this suffering Messiah; ✤the meaning of His sacrifice and resurrection for us; ✤His call to us to follow Him in a life of servanthood and sacrifice. The ladies of LOLC are have a good time on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. as we gather for Bible study, refreshments, and a good time. This study references Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs. Each week we study a different woman in God's Word. This month we will be looking at these women: June 16 - No Class - Carol out of town June 30 - Michal: Bad for a Moment June 2 - Sapphira: Bad for a Moment June 9 - Rahab: Bad for a Season, but Not Forever 4 June 23 - Jezebel: Bad to the Bone Serve God, Serve Man L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H Memories Marilyn and Dick Schneider’s grandchildren. Thanks to all the congregation who made this wonderful evening possible. God, Serve Man 5 S E Q U O I A C L U B Scenes from Spring Choir Concert May 2, 2015 Choir is now in recess for the summer. Please join with us again in latter August. 6 Serve God, Serve Man L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H Church Council Old Business • Personnel Procedures and Job Description are still under review, including office staff, choir The Church Council met May 17, 2015. After the call director, and church musicians. to order, opening prayer, and minutes of the last • Dick Schneider requested Council members read month, the group considered the following items of the documents again, provide input, and business: complete the revision by the end of 2015. Pastor’s Report • Pastor Andy reported that two couples and two individuals will join LOLC at next Sunday’s service: Tom and Connie Saner, Tom and Sandy Mathson, Karen Brown, and Suzanne Sponsler. New Business • Roger Martinson emailed the Council in the preceding week photos of recent tornado damage to Zion Lutheran Church in Delmont, South Dakota, requesting consideration of sending them a check to assist in repairs. After discussion Church Property Report, Charlie Crouch regarding Zion Lutheran Church having • Charlie expanded on his written report. insurance and support from their local synod, the • The heat pump for the Sacristy failed; the Council decided to take no action at this time. replacement was a 5-ton Puron heat pump with Respectfully Submitted, long line application kit for $5950. Robin Larson • Charlie replaced the broken soap dispenser in the Ladies room. • We discussed the confusion over which supplies Property buys verses other committees, such as Christian Service, concerning the kitchen. The Present: Carol Schroeder, Susan Larson, and Carol Policy and Procedures document should Riesmeyer determine this distinction. Board of Christian Outreach Christian Service Report, Cindy Helms • Cindy is updating the signup sheet for after the service Coffee and Conversation. • She will call people to fill in open dates for the summer months. Christian Education Report, Roger Martinson • Roger has been reviewing LOLC records. • In the past, churches he attended kept membership records when members joined and when they left or died; however, he has not found such records for LOLC. • Roger along with Alan Oberdeck, Pastor Andy, and Carol Schroeder visited Concordia College in Selma, Alabama, April 28-29. We discussed the possibility of establishing a relationship with the college, such as their choir or band performing at LOLC. Serve God, Serve Man Easter Ministry Talks • Thanks to Susan for her talks regarding LOLC ministries during the Easter season. Visitor Bags • We have passed out a number of bags throughout the past month. Spring Concert • The offering total was $800 for Greene & Putnam Christian Outreach. Pastor Andy will present the checks, and we will take photos. • Publicity strategies for future concerts was also a topic for discussion. Flood Buckets for Disaster Relief • We now have 39 buckets collected. 7 L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H • Transportation of the buckets to the district office Concordia College, Selma, Alabama • Carol Schroeder gave a report on her recent trip in Orlando will take place when the Schroeders and Ringers travel there for the LCMS district to Selma, Alabama, with Pastor Andy, Al conference June 12-14. We offer thanks in Oberdeck, and Roger Martinson to visit advance to them for the delivery. Concordia College. It is one of ten LCMS • We will take photos at the time of loading for affiliated colleges and serves a poverty-stricken travel. area in need of educational assistance. • In addition, many thanks to all members who • The school trains mostly education and business donated buckets & cleaning supplies. students with an emphasis on leadership training. They are in need of business internship Cards possibilities and housing assistance. • Susan will write a newsletter article to members • Their choir would be willing to travel here to to solicit help for sending out get well and perform for a fund-raising concert at LOLC sympathy cards from the congregation. sometime in October or November. • Having LOLC members mentor individual Vacation Bible School Concordia students was also a topic of • Kristen Kersey expressed an interest in discussion. • leadership of a summer VBS. Carol S suggested With a long term history of Lutheran support for we offer to assist a church in Eatonton to do a this school, we may be encountering an joint VBS. Susan will inquire at Putnam CO if important step for our congregation to become such a need exists. We discussed the value of involved. community interdenominational VBS and how shared efforts would benefit. BOCO work meeting will be on Thursday, June 11, to develop a new LOLC brochure. Submitted by Carol Riesmeyer Mites The Ladies of the Church organize mites collections on a continuous basis. The third Sunday of each month is the official Mites Sunday after which the monies gathered go to the Lutheran Women's Missionary League to support various ministries around the world. Updated news: the May mites collected $90. Detailed information is available at www.lwml.org and on Facebook. The third Sunday of the month is designated Mite Sunday, but donations are always welcome. We express heartfelt thanks for your charitable generosity. Susan Larson The Widow’s mite of Mark 12: 41-44 is the inspiration for the LWML mite boxes. 8 Serve God, Serve Man L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H Jerry Pailer giving some pointers and demonstrating flower arranging. Ladies of the Church Serve God, Serve Man 9 L A K E O C O N E E L What is a Deaconess? U T H • • The modern use of deaconesses emerged in the German Lutheran Church in the 1830’s and by North American Lutherans embraced the practice during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. At first deaconesses also trained as nurses, and they could not continue to be a deaconess if they married. That all changed in the mid 1900’s. In 1980, LCMS established its own deaconess training program at Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois. Now there are three training programs: one at River Forest and two at the seminaries in St. Louis and Ft. Wayne. In addition to completing coursework and practical fieldwork, all deaconess students enroll in a paid internship for one year of domestic service or two years of international service. Deaconesses assist the pastor in whatever capacity needed except preaching and serving communion. Deaconesses serve in a variety of positions according to their own talents and abilities, some of which follow below: Human Care Develop or coordinate programs to • Make spiritual care visits to people who are home bound or hospitalized • Assist single-parent families • Reach out to the incarcerated and their families through prison ministry • Provide support for those with special needs • Provide short-term spiritual counseling and assessment for referrals Administration Serve, assist, coordinate, or supervise • Church or community programs 10 • E R A N C H U R C H A Recognized Service Organization (RSO) or a department within an RSO A Lutheran school or other Lutheran organization A secular institution which can provide spiritual care, e.g., hospitals, nursing homes, with the developmentally disabled, etc. Aging and Continuing Care • Make regular visits to provide spiritual care • • • and companionship Support individuals and families who suffer the effects of lingering or chronic illness Support individuals and families during grief or loss Offer spiritual and wellness education Music • Select music for visitation, services, or office • • • use Direct vocal choirs and ensembles Direct instrumental choirs and ensembles Play organ or piano for worship services Education Teach or assist • Women’s Bible studies • Adults with aging issues, including the spiritual, physical, mental, or social aspects • Other educators, including Sunday school and VBS teachers • With human-care education for congregations or communities Institutional Representation and Staff Support • Foster relationships between institutions and congregations to develop partnerships • Participate in spiritual care giving programs • Offer spiritual care for staff members • Develop applicable spiritual care curriculum, including Bible studies or devotions for target audiences Serve God, Serve Man L A K E O C O N E E L Women’s Programs Serve, assist, coordinate, or supervise projects, programs, centers, or resources for • Women’s wellness issues, including infertility and pregnancy • Women’s spiritual fellowship, including ladies aid, small groups and singles groups • Altar guild training and supervision • Women suffering neglect, domestic violence, grief, shame or guilt Youth Programs • Be a leader, mentor, and motivator of youth for • • o Christian living and understanding o Human-care issues Organize and lead retreats and service projects Develop and facilitate Bible studies and wholesome activities In whatever capacity she serves, the LCMS deaconess brings her theological training to bear, endeavoring to spread Christ's love and mercy to both body and soul. U T H E R A N C H U R C H Deaconess Carol Schroeder trained at Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois. She did field work at Chicago area churches, teaching Sunday school and assisting with youth groups. Her internship was at Zion Lutheran in Decatur, Indiana, where her primary work was working with youth, women’s groups, and shut-in visits. She graduated with a major in Theology, a minor in Sociology, a concentration in youth work and a certificate in Deaconess ministry. Her consecration as a Deaconess was in February of 1992 at Epiphany Lutheran in Lake Worth, Florida. After this, she moved to Holtville, California, to serve as deaconess at St. Paul Lutheran. Her father had a stroke in 1993, and she moved back to Florida to take care of him. In 2004, she graduated from Nursing School and became a registered nurse. In 2006, Epiphany Lutheran called her as a Deaconess and sent her to Concordia College in North Dakota to study for a certificate in Parish Nursing. Carol worked at Epiphany as Deaconess, Parish Nurse until 2013. Altar Care Group Donna Crouch and Donna Hansen continue to cochair the Altar Care Group for 2015. We appreciate all of you who have participated in altar care this past year—our many THANKS to you all. We hope that you will continue to serve and that more members will also be willing and able to sign up,. altar liquid paraffin candles, which includes the filling of the candles, changing wicks, and any other issue that may arise. You will no longer have any duties with these candles. Copies of the LOLC Altar Care Guide are available for ALL who wish to serve. We are always available to answer any questions or to help in any other way. Donna Crouch 706-485-5592 Donna Hansen 706-467-3374 To help make altar care somewhat easier, we as cochairs will take over the COMPLETE care of the Serve God, Serve Man The Altar Care sign-up sheet is on the round table. 11 L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H Habitat for Humanity ReStore Two of our LOLC members, Janis & Mara Lipacis, are faithful volunteers for Putnam County Habitat for Humanity, a vital organization that does much to benefit our community. According to Janis, the Habitat Furniture ReStore affiliate is in dire need of more volunteers. Please consider that the amount of time you donate is flexible and at your convenience plus you can meet new people. In addition, the variety of things you can volunteer for is tremendous. The organization especially needs • Thursday afternoon cashiers; • Mentors who give support and friendship to families selected to be homeowners and keep a record of their sweat equity hours; • Friday and Saturday volunteers at the store; • Construction team members; • Help with pickup of donations that includes driving the truck; and • A secretary to the board. Just stop at the ReStore at 1027 Lake Oconee Parkway and look around. Everyone in the store is a volunteer and always happy to share information. Help us to spread the word to anyone else—friend or family—who might be a willing volunteer. For even more first-hand information, talk to Janis after church or contact him at 706-484-0543. Coffee and Conversation after Church Check your calendars and sign up for a turn preparing coffee and light refreshments for Coffee Hour after service each Sunday. A sign up sheet is on the round table at the back of the church. FLOOD RELIEF BUCKETS Along with many other LCMS congregations and districts, LOLC is participating in an outreach ministry that is assembling flood relief buckets as part of a disaster preparedness program. The idea is to fill empty 5-gallon buckets with cleaning items from a suggested list. We are asking members to either purchase or donate money for buckets and items from the list. The 12 total cost is approximately $25-$30 per bucket. This project helps to provide cleaning supplies needed by those in affected flood or hurricane areas. A sample flood bucket and copies of the needed cleaning items list are available in the narthex. Please take the list and help in any way you can with this project. Thank you! Serve God, Serve Man L A K E O C O N E E L U T Come join the men’s breakfast for another great time of fellowship on Saturday, June 20, at 9:00 a.m. H E R A N C H U R C H Men’s Breakfast Stephen Ministry Small Seeds, Mighty Trees Paul wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” (I Corinthians 3:6). Is it time to add more water to the seeds of faith planted in you? Stephen Ministers train to water seeds of faith while leaving the outcome in God’s capable hands. The Stoning of St. Stephen, fresco ca. 1435 Prato Duomo (1395-1475) For more information about this one-to-one caring lay ministry, please contact Virginia Daley (706-485-3564) or Leroy Horst (706-453-1602). For the HEROES program, contact any who took the HEROES training: Julie Applehoff, Rosemary Bonnough, Virginia Daley, and Bob Stallings Virginia Daley, Stephen Leader Healing Service James 5:14 affirms, “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;” The third Sunday of each month we hold a very short healing service after the regular service with Stephen Ministers assisting. ~ Pastor Andy Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed: save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Jeremiah 17:14 Serve God, Serve Man 13 L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H Congratulations On May 2, 2015, Kristen Kersey received her Certification In Youth Ministry for successful completion of Youth Ministry Certification School at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg directed by Rev. Dr. Michael CooperWhite, President of the Lutheran Seminary, and Chelle Huth, YMCS Course Director. Kristen would like to thank those members of Lake Oconee Lutheran Church who made her accomplishment possible. Kristen is the granddaughter of Clay and Rosemary Bonnough. Kristen’s favorite Bible passage is from Jeremiah 29:11-14: 11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Kristen, front row, sixth from left, with her graduating class. Lutheran Laughter Q. Why are there three persons in one God? A. God knows. But any card game is better than solitaire for eternity. " Matthew 28:19 Q. Why is the doctrine of the Trinity important? A. Those who abandon it begin prayer with the words, “To Whom it may concern.” " Luke 11:2, Acts 7:59, Acts 5:3 From http://home.comcast.net/~fcba/site/?/page/Jokes_on_THE_TRINITY%3A_Part_of_an_Essay_entitled_%26quot %3BA_Brief_Systematic_Theology_of_Humor%26quot%3B/ 14 Serve God, Serve Man L A K E O C O N E E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H Recycling Projects Remember the LOLC paper recycling program to include extra copies of the weekly bulletins and other white paper products. All collected paper goes to the recycling center. We are also collecting aluminum cans for Amber Bailey, the person who does such an outstanding job keeping our church clean. Calendar June 7, 2015 Trinity I June 11, 2015 St. Barnabas Public Relations Janie Seglund, Editor in Chief 706-467-9256 [email protected] Submissions due by the " 15th of each month June 14, 2015 Trinity II Botticelli Trinity June 21, 2015 Trinity III Healing Service Mites Sunday June 22, 2015 St. Peter June 23, 2015 St. Paul June 28, 2015 Trinity IV Serve God, Serve Man 15
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