Volume 16 Issue 1
A Congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
January 2015
New Year’s Resolutions
"I never make New Year's Resolutions, anymore," the man told me, "I never keep them,
anyway." I can remember all too many resolutions I've made and let slip away, too.
But I believe New Year's resolutions are worth making. Let me tell you why.
First, we all need changes. Some we find very hard to admit to ourselves. I've heard
people who say, "I have no regrets about my life. If I had it to do over, I'd do it the same
way again." But that attitude is way too blind and self-serving so far as I'm concerned.
There is great power in confession—to ourselves, to God, to others. Owning up to our
failures is the first, painful step on the road to something better.
Second, when we change calendars is a good time for reassessment. How did last year
go? What do I want to do differently this year? This time of year always reminds me of a
passage of scripture, better understood by farmers than suburbanites: "Break up your
unplowed ground, and do not sow among thorns." (Jer. 4:3) It makes sense. The more
land you put into production, the more prosperous you'll be. But some of us are dumb
enough to try to sow seeds in land overrun by thistles without breaking up the soil and
taking care to root out the thorns as they come up. Call it laziness. Call it ignorance or
even arrogance.
Let me ask you a serious question. What percentage of your life is producing something
of value to God? How much "unplowed ground" do you have that ought to be broken up
in this coming year and made useful? The brink of a new year is a good time for
reassessment.
Third, New Year's is an excellent time for mid-course corrections. Sure, we might fail in
what we set out to do, but if we fail to plan, the old saying goes, then we plan to fail. If
you're so fearful of failure that you never set up your row of tin cans to shoot at, you're
not very likely to hit any at all. Failure is not the end. For the person who determines to
learn from it, failure is a friend.
One of my heroes in the Bible is the Apostle Paul. Talk about failure! Throughout his life
he was opposed, persecuted, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, deserted by trusted
co-workers, slandered, and scorned. Sometimes it seemed that projects to which he had
devoted years were turning to dust before his eyes. But during one of his stints in prison,
we can see from one of his letters an unwillingness to quit. "Forgetting what is behind,"
he wrote, "and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the
prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:13-14, NIV)
No wonder he made a mark on his world. He stopped looking back, and looked forward
instead. He didn't let the fear of failure keep him from trying again.
Fourth, New Year's is a time to learn to rely more heavily on the grace of God. Now I've
met a few self-made men and women and so have you, but so often these people seem
proud and driven. There is another way: beginning to trust in God's help. One more
secret from the Apostle Paul: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength,"
he said. (Phil 4:13, NIV) And God's strength saw him through a lot—through pain,
through joy, and through accomplishment.
If this last year, you didn't practice relying on the Lord as much as you should have,
there is no time like the present to make a New Year's resolution. In fact, why don't you
say a short prayer right now—use these words if you like: "Dear God, I want the new
year to be different for me." Now spell out in prayer some of the changes you'd like to
see. And close this way: "Lord Jesus, I know that I'm going to need a lot of help for this.
So right now I place myself in your hands. Help me to receive Your strength. Amen."
Pastor Jon
Compassionate Friends
By Marcy Weight
Members of Compassionate Friends meet monthly to offer
Christian love, hope, strength and companionship to:
♦
Cope with a recent diagnosis of cancer
♦
Meet the daily challenges of a chronic disease or
terminal illness
♦
Encourage a neighbor, family member or friend suffering from a diagnosis
of an acute disease
♦ Offer hope to you as a survivor
The next meeting for Compassionate Friends will be January 12 at 1:00 PM at the
home of Marcy Weight. This support group is open to everyone who has gone through
or is going through an illness. Call Marcy at 763.755.6368 for more information.
Stephen Ministry
By Pastor Randy Stroming
Multiplying Ministry – Equipping the Saints
for the Work of Ministry
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and
teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12
Right now there are people in our congregation who would eagerly give care to
others if they:
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Were invited to recognize their Spirit-given gifts and to put their gifts to
use in meaningful ministry.
Received practical training that honed their caring skills, nurtured their
spiritual growth, and equipped them to care competently and confidently.
Were assigned to a caring relationship where their presence was
needed and welcome and where they could use their gifts and skills.
Knew they would have guidance, encouragements, and support in their
ministry.
Realized that they really could make a significant difference in another
person’s life.
The Stephen Series helps identify and mobilize the gifts of our congregation
members to meet the constantly growing needs for care.
As congregations use the Stephen Series, more needs are met, lives are
changed, and the church grows stronger in love.
~2~
Welcome-Men’s Ministry
By Pastor Randy Stroming
Spark is Needed!
Have you ever had a battery that goes dead on you? It seems to happen
at the most inopportune time. My battery charger has a location that has a
slow charge and a fast charge. Because of the need and my impatience,
I usually go with fast charge. Sometimes that is just what we need in life
also. We need a spark, a fast charge to give us energy and focus.
As we face the New Year, I want to invite you to join us for a special charge of Bible
Study and Fellowship.
Monday, January 5 at 6:30-8:00 PM. We will start with a meal and fellowship and
follow with a Bible study and prayer. Topic: Courage to Walk as a Man of God.
Monday, February 2 at 6:30-8:00 PM. We will start with a meal and fellowship and
follow with a Bible study and prayer. Topic: Interpersonal Relationship as Men of
God.
MEN’S WILD GAME FEAST is on Tuesday, January 20 at 6:00 PM in Cana Hall.
Please sign up at Kiosk in the Welcome Area. Hunters: Bring a wild game dish to
share. Non-hunters: Bring a side dish to share.
L.I.F.E. Groups
Filling the Hole in My Heart
A LIFE Story - How small groups have changed me
from the inside out. (Article taken from
smallgroups.com.)
From Bible Knowledge to Application. This article
would be a great discussion for your small groups.
I've found that meeting with my small group isn't just enjoyable, I need it—
especially when it comes to spiritual growth. I've used many different types of Bible
reading plans over the years, and I've learned a lot through my individual quiet
time with God. But when it comes to practicing God's Word, I need the help and
accountability of the people in my small group. And that support has made the
biggest impact on my life. Bible knowledge can happen anywhere, but real-life
Bible application can only happen in the context of relationships. After all, it's easy
to understand that we should love one another, but it's something else to actually
live that out.
I can remember many times when the facilitator would begin by referring to our
application from the previous meeting by asking, "How did you do with your
assignment this week?" And there are some meetings that I don't have a response
because I haven't applied it during the week. That weekly accountability has
helped me move forward and follow through with applying the lesson.
“As
the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts
for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42
~3~
Welcome Focus - Women’s Ministry
By Mary Schultz
DON’T MISS OUT...
MOUNT OLIVE
WOMEN’S RETREAT !
rejoice… renew… relax...
Mount Carmel Ministries
Alexandria, MN
February 2020-22, 2015
$150 per person,
$50 deposit due by Jan. 15
(includes 2 nights, 4 meals)
The theme for this year’s retreat is
“The Best Yes”
Yes” by Lysa TerKeurst.
We will be studying God’s intentions for our
lives and the best use of our time and talents.
Registration available at the Welcome Desk
or online at www.mtolivewww.mtolive-anoka.org.
~4~
The Word
By Pastor Randy Stroming
What State Are You In?
Recently I was playing a game of trivia questions. One
of the trivia questions was “What is your state…?” (What
is your state bird, state flower, state tree, etc.)
We had fun trying to recall what our state symbols were.
As we talked we also asked what state of mind we were
in. It made me think as I look at the calendar, I see a
new year on the horizon. It is important that we look
ahead with a focus of optimism rather that pessimism. That is a hard thing to do when
we look at it from the eyes of the world. We need the attitude and eyes of Jesus. We
need His Power and Peace. Paul encouragers us “Your attitude should be the same
as that of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 2:5) He also urges us in Ephesians 5:1 to be
"imitators of Christ as dearly beloved children." Have you ever noticed how children
love to "copy" everything they see and repeat everything they hear? In a similar way,
we are encouraged to model Christ's behavior and to be clear reflections of the Lord.
Jesus always maintained a perfect attitude in every situation because He prayed about
everything and worried about nothing. Prayer was His lifeline. He sought God's
guidance about every aspect of His life and allowed the Lord to work out His perfect
will without interference. Christ never became defensive, discouraged, or depressed
because His goal was to please the Father rather than to achieve His own agenda.
In the midst of trials, He was patient. In the midst of suffering, He was hopeful. In the
midst of blessing, He was humble. Even in the midst of ridicule, abuse, and hostility
He "made no threats” . . . and did not retaliate. Instead He entrusted Himself to Him
who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:23)
By God’s Holy Spirit in His Word God gives to us a power and Peace that is out of this
world. By faith in God and what he has done for us on the cross, we are made new in
Christ. With this confidence we live our lives and face everything every day with the
Spirit of God that is within us. That is a great state to be in. Amen.
ATTENTION THRIVENT MEMBERS AND
MINISTRY LEADERS!!!! Thrivent Financial
has begun a new program to fund activities.
The Action Team Program will replace
Thrivent Chapters throughout the country. As
of January 1, there will no longer be chapters from which we can request funds to help us as
we have done in the past for our school, quilters, midweek meals, food shelf, etc. Now each
Thrivent member can put together an Action Team for a project/event. Application is made
on-line at least one month prior to your project/event; if approved Thrivent will send you a
$250 credit card to use for your project/event. T-shirts, a banner, name tags, invitations, and
other helps are also available, which you can order when you apply. When your project/event
is complete you have two weeks to report your event, again, this is done on-line. You need to
keep track of the number of volunteers that worked and how many hours were invested in
your project/event; also give a brief explanation about your event. Each Thrivent member
can do two projects/events per year. Check the bulletin board in the Cana Hall for ideas of
events or projects you might sponsor. Thrivent has provided 101 ideas to get you thinking. If
you have questions contact Joyce Lanie at [email protected] or 763.421.9683 or go to
www.thrivent.com.
~5~
Word Ministry Focus - Life +
By Pastor Randy Stroming
Life
Bible Study Opportunities
The Book of Hebrews
Hebrews faithful promises are just as true today as they were for the people of the early
followers. The encouragement to stand strong and confident in the Lord is a strong
theme as we walk in this day and age. Life is tough and there are many challenges as
we walk the walk of faith. The Epistle of Hebrews gives spiritual refreshment that we all
need in the church. It gives a powerful perspective on Jesus’ identity and work, which
results in a freshness and revitalization to endure our Christian walk with boldness and
courage. Join us Sundays in Cana Hall from 9:15-10:15 AM.
Bible Study for Parents!
Join us on Sundays during the 9:15 AM education hour for a
Bible study geared for parents. We will learn about training up
our children according to God's will, as we study 17 Godly
principles over eight weeks. Bring your Bible and a willingness
to grow as a parent. Questions? Email Tony and Penny
Walsh at [email protected].
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Tuesday Women’s Bible Study meets at 11:15 AM in the Conference Room. Contact
Carol Martin at 763.427.5305.
Beth Moore Bible Study meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 PM in the Senior Youth Room.
We are studying Children of the Day, a study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Contact Mary
Schultz for more information at [email protected].
Wednesday Morning Men’s Bible Study meets at 6:00 AM in the Coffee Shop.
Contact Jeff Paschke at 763.427.5539.
First Place 4 Health: Don’t Miss It!
Do you want to improve your relationships with others? Do
you desire to be physically fit? Are you tired of being tired?
Would you like to know God in a more intimate way? The
answer is coming! First Place 4 Health, a Christ-centered
total-wellness program, is offered at Mount Olive Church. To find out how to achieve
emotional, physical, mental and spiritual wellness, go to www.fp4h.mtolive. First Place
4 Health group meets on Thursdays at 6:30-8:00 PM in the Conference Room (through
the library). For more information and to RSVP, contact Janet Orrick at
[email protected].
In the Word Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Conference Room.
We are studying the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in aggregate. The
common link is using the video series Jesus of Nazareth. We welcome anyone who
wants to join us! Contact Jim Rootes at 763.753.3682.
~6~
Work Ministry Focus - Stewardship
By Pastor Jon Haakana
Stewardship doesn’t have to be diﬃcult. We oen make it more diﬃcult than it need be. The
fundamentals of stewardship come from answering these basic quesons: Who are you? To
whom do I give? And how much? It’s that simple.
So who are you? Look at the Table of Dues in the Small Catechism. Are you a hearer of God’s
Word? Are you a cizen of society? Are you a member of a family? Stewardship covers these
three estates: church, society, family. We don’t parcularly struggle to give to society or family.
Our struggles, our diﬃcules and quesons, arise in giving to the church.
So what are our stewardship dues as members of this church? The Table of Dues gives us a
guide. If you are a hearer, a member of the church who receives instrucon, St. Paul taught:
“Anyone who receives instrucon in the word must share all good things with his instructor.”
(Gal 6:6) This means that the local congregaon is primary.
The primary recipient of stewardship resides here. Your pastors are the ones called to preach the
Gospel to you and administer the Lord’s blessed sacraments to you. Your congregaon is the
place where those things are given out. Therefore, we give to the local congregaon to ensure
that this connues. We don’t vote with our giving. We don’t let the pastor or the congregaon
know we are unhappy by how we give: because we are supposed to see our giving as giving to
our Lord!
Thus, when God calls us to give to the church, He has His work in mind – especially right where
we live. For “the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their
living from the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps
what he sows” (Gal. 6:7).
How much do we give to the local congregaon? Our only instrucons are these: to give
regularly (1 Cor. 6:1–2), proporonally (1 Cor. 16:1–2; 2 Cor. 8:12), and generously (2 Cor. 8:20)
of our ﬁrst fruits (Gen. 4:4; Prov.3:9; Lev. 27:30) with a spirit of eagerness (2 Cor. 9:2),
earnestness (2 Cor. 8:7), cheerfulness (2 Cor. 9:7), and love (2 Cor. 8:23).
In other words, giving to the church is not to be an aerthought, given aer everything else is
spent. In this way, it is deliberate. We set it aside beforehand, before anything else is spent.
From those ﬁrst fruits, we set aside a proporonate and generous amount. Ten percent was the
standard for the Israelites. This was a command for them. We’re not bound to that command in
the same way as they were. Just like we are not bound to all the regulaons of the Sabbath day
(no physical labor, no hot meals, etc.). But the paCern remains: Chrisans sll gather for worship
once a week, for how could we do less than the Israelites did? Likewise, does it seem right that
we would support the New Testament ministry at a rate less than the Israelites supported the
Old Testament ministry?
And how are we to give it? We give it with eagerness and earnestness. We give it cheerfully and
with love, not out of compulsion. For through the preaching of the Gospel and the
administraon of the Sacraments, God has made us His children, forgiven us all our sins, given us
grace upon grace, promised us life everlasng with Him in His kingdom, and ﬁlled us with His
own Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This makes giving a joy. For it is more blessed to give than to receive.
(Acts 20:35)
It’s that easy. And it is joyful. For in stewardship, our gracious and giving Lord invites us to take
part in the work that He accomplishes here on earth, providing for the ongoing preaching of the
Gospel as well as those who are in need. Taking part in that, makes all our work holy work, work
~7~
that is done in service to the Lord as priestly members
of His kingdom.
Witness Ministry Focus - PreSchool
Mount Olive Christian
Early Childhood Center
700 Western St.
Anoka, MN 55303
Registration Opens for 2015-2016 School Year
Dear Parents,
Registration for the 2015-16 school year will open to the public on
January 26 at 8:00 AM. However members of Mount Olive may sign up on
Sunday, January 25, starting at 9:00 AM at the Welcome Center. We want
to insure that first priority is given to the children who are attending now
and Mount Olive Members. Because of many inquiries about certain classes,
we are anticipating that some of our classes may fill up right away.
In efforts to provide this best environment for your child, we have
decreased the class sizes for all 3-4 and 4-5 yr. old classes. So all 3-4 yr.
classes will have a limit of 14 and all 4-5 yr. old classes will have a limit of
18. We feel that this will provide the best learning environment to nurture
and teach your children.
Choosing the right program for your child is an important decision.
We recommend that you call and set up a time to tour our facilities or
come to our Open House on January 8 from 4:00-7:00 PM. You may meet
the staff, see a classroom and have an opportunity to ask questions.
Enclosed is a school brochure and brief description of classes and
tuition rates. Please feel free to call for a tour or if you have any
questions. You may also visit our website for all necessary forms.
In Christ,
Linda Stroming
Director
Phone: 763.421.9048
Fax: 763.576.9626
www.mtolive-anoka.org
[email protected]
~8~
Witness Ministry Focus - WOMO
By Joyce Lanie
LWML ONLINE: www.lwml.org & www.mnslwml.org
Check up on our District Mission Grants by clicking on
“Resources” and then “Mighty Mites” to see stories about
Mission Grants being completed by your mite offerings.
Continue praying for all the Mission Grants. Join LWMLers on Mondays at noon as
we ‘Storm the Gates of Heaven’ on behalf of our missionaries and our mission grants.
WOMO MEETING - JANUARY 5 – 1:00 PM!!!
Women of Mount Olive will resume meeting in January. Invite a
friend and join us for Bible study, refreshments and fellowship.
******************
MITES ARE MIGHTY. Bring your filled Mite Boxes to the
Welcome Desk. Pick up a Mite Box from the table in the
hallway going to Cana Hall. There is also a golden half
sheet listing both national and district mission grants.
Pick one up and use it to pray for the mission grants.
Keep those mite boxes Jingling!
*****************
2015 DES MOINES CONVENTION
Date: June 25-28, 2015
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Theme: "Bountiful! Sow • Nourish • Reap"
Scripture Verse: “And God is able to make all grace
abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound
in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV (link is external))
Convention Goal Statement:
Through Christ’s bountiful love and blessings of Word and Sacraments, I am equipped
by the Holy Spirit to work in my Father’s harvest field.
THERE WILL BE A CHARTER BUS GOING FROM MN SO DISTRICT! Here is some information
from bus lady Joyce Swedean: My plans are that we will arrive in Des Moines on
Wednesday evening on June 24 so that everyone can participate in Thursday activities
such as delegate session (3:00-4:00 PM), choir rehearsal (12:30-2:30 PM), Servant
Events begin at 9:00 AM and exhibits open at that time, tours, etc. Then we will leave
the Convention Center immediately following the Sunday session bringing us home
Sunday evening.
If you plan on riding the bus, please contact Joyce at: Joyce Swedean, 1535A Clemson
Drive, Eagan, MN. 55122; phone: 651.688.8245, email: [email protected].
SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS!!!
~9~
Youth & Family
By Marla & Carol
The kids of Mount Olive did a fabulous
job proclaiming the birth of our Savior
at this year’s program!
The King’s Kids choir was also
outstanding as they performed in Mount
Olive’s Christmas Tonight program!
We are all so proud of all of the hard
work, time and effort that the kids put
into both of these productions.
For more information
please contact:
Marla Chesser
Children’s Ministry
PreK-Grade 4
763.421.7156 x 117
[email protected]
Carol Kietzman
Youth Ministry
Grades 5-12
763.421.7156 x 107
[email protected]
New Beginnings
New Year’s resolutions are a big deal to a lot of people. It’s sort of a turned
page, a blank slate, a whole year untainted with the mistakes we made last year.
So many of us use it as an excuse to set new goals, not choosing to focus on past
failures, but rather to think of future successes. The only problem is that very
few success stories, even with the best of intentions come to an end on a smooth
road. It seems that every success, whether it’s to lose weight, to speak more
kindly, get a new job, whatever it is, comes only after we have messed up more
than once. Let’s face it. We as humans seem to learn best from our
mistakes. Why is it then, as parents, is it so hard for us to let our kids move on
from their mistakes. Yes, we know it’s important to show our kids forgiveness,
but how often do we find ourselves reminding our kids of their past mistakes
each time they make a new one. Kids make mistakes, and like adults, they learn
from them. They also learn, like adults, by the grace that is extended to them
regarding those mistakes. That is not to say that natural consequences aren’t
important. They are, but once the child has paid those consequences,
or fixed the situation to the best of their abilities, they need to be
given grace...a fresh start. The problem is that I, as a parent, quickly forget
grace when they make the same or similar mistake.
For example, “You ALWAYS lose you homework”, or, “you NEVER remember to
feed the dog” are not only (most likely) inaccurate statements, but they also
make the child believe that there never really was true forgiveness in the first
place, and that their mistakes will always haunt them anyway, so why try. This
New Year, I am going to make a real effort to not only let my mistakes from last
year stay in last year, but also try to do the same for my kids. Jesus came to
offer us all a new beginning, to make us into “new creations”. Let’s try and teach
that valuable lesson to our kids by modeling it in our parenting.
Let’s let their mistakes of 2014 stay there too.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, January 7, 17, 21, 28: 1st Communion Classes with Parents
Sunday, January 11: Sunday School Resumes
Wednesday, January 14: J.E.L.L.
Wednesday, January 28: Senior Youth Parent Meeting
Saturday, January 31: First Communion
Saturday, February 12: Me and My Special Someone
~ 10 ~
Upcoming Events
January 5:
Women of Mount Olive
January 5:
Men’s Bible Study
January 8:
Lutheran 101
January 12-16: Meals on Wheels
January 14:
J.E.L.L.
January 15, 22, 29: Life 101
January 19:
Martin Luther King DayChurch Building Closed
January 20:
Men’s Wild Game Feast
January 24:
Life 101