A Newsletter concerning the
Mission and Ministry
of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, La Porte, IN
Vol. 54 July/August 2005
No. 6
“As one family, we lovingly proclaim Jesus Christ.”
FROM PASTOR BRAUER:
It has been one year since my arrival in La Porte. With all the
activities in which I have been involved, this past year went quickly.
Preaching, teaching, baptizing, making disciples, absolving sins, visiting the
sick and shut-ins, comforting those who mourn, singing, playing the organ,
scrubbing floors, serving food, vacuuming the gym floor—all these were part of
the activities that surrounded my life. Your kindly welcome, your
thoughtfulness, and your support have been greatly appreciated. I ask you to
keep your pastors in your prayers, asking God to give us that wisdom from His
Holy Word and to give us zeal and compassion to serve you, His redeemed people.
And while we still shuffle boxes around in our house, we know that our
settling in continues to be done as we also engage in activities at St. John’s
Lutheran School and at La Porte High School where my son and daughter attend
respectively. My family and I thank you for your understanding.
This summer, however, gives us all an opportunity to look forward by God’s
grace to recount His blessings and to be equipped to love and praise, serve and
obey the Lord. You will read more about the Planning Meeting on Saturday, August
13. Mark that date on your calendars (it’s open to all) and join your fellow St.
John’s members. Yes, it’s something new that I am introducing to St. John’s, and
I ask you to trust that this will help us to focus on the mission and ministry
of God’s people here at St. John’s.
REMEMBER TO SAVE THIS ISSUE OF THE CHURCH NEWSLETTER for the next 2 months.
Remember to attend God’s house of worship regularly and weekly. Just as you make
trips to the grocery store for food for the kitchen table, so we make trips to
God’s house to receive food for our souls—His Word and Sacrament. The faithful
ask each week, “What will the Lord give me in His Word and Sacrament that will
prepare me for what may come in the days ahead?” The Lord promises us to meet us
in Word and Sacrament. It is there where we seek Him. May your faith be blessed
as you come each week to hear the love of God as He shows you your sins
according to His holy Law, and shows you your Savior in the Gospel!
Pastor Brauer
Matthew 11:28-30
The Birthday Prayer
For this past year or so, attempts were made to call our members on or near
their birthdays. While in most cases I was able to make this visit on the
telephone, other times a message was left on the answering machine. In rare
instances, I got the ‘three-toned salute’ with the recorded message that the
number I had dialed was no longer in service. The visits I was able to complete
were well received, and some members had requested the text of the Birthday
Prayer I had shared.
The prayer comes from Growing in Christ, a book I used in my
days at Emmanuel Lutheran School in Aurora, Illinois. It served as my catechism
as well as a Bible Story book from which I learned the Six Chief Parts of
Christian Doctrine. (The Apostles’ Creed is one of them; can you name the
others?) In the prayer section was this prayer, one I share with you to have for
your own use as you greet others on their birthday!
My years, dear Lord, are in Thy keeping,
My days come as a gift from Thee;
Today I ask in Thy great mercy:
Grant Thou another year to me,
That I may grow in grace and wisdom.
And let my every thought and word,
My every deed, to Thee be pleasing.
Help me to be Thine own, dear Lord;
Look down on me from heaven above,
And bless me, touch me, with Thy love. Amen.
From Growing in Christ: An Exposition of Luther’s Small Catechism, ©
1953 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, page 284.
Congregational Planning Meeting
Saturday, August 13, 9:00 am
Attention all Boards, Committees, Circles, Church Officers, and Members of
St. John’s Lutheran Church!
Please plan on attending this first annual Planning Meeting on Saturday,
August 13 at 9 am in the School Cafeteria. The purpose of this meeting is to
look at the calendar of activities for the coming year, from this August 2005
through August of 2006. With many functions connected with our “Sowing Seeds for
the Harvest” it is necessary to give focus and coordination for this and all
other events. We also want to better serve our various boards and committees in
planning events for the year ahead.
The meeting will start with a Breakfast Brunch, so bring along that breakfast
casserole, those sweet rolls, fresh fruit salad, or that coffee cake you have
been wanting to share. After the eating, we will have a short Bible study
Devotion, and then look at the year ahead, month by month.
If your board, committee, or circle have annual events that should be
included in the calendar, please let Pastor Brauer know prior to this meeting so
that it can be noted on the calendar. If there are conflicts of dates, this can
be resolved beforehand. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated for the benefit
of all at St. John’s and the people we serve.
This meeting is open to all members; come for the fellowship—come for
breakfast! Bring a dish to share. Bring your Bibles!
Discipleship Classes to Begin July 10
Interested in becoming a member of St. John’s? Need to brush up on your
Catechism? Willing to meet new people and help assimilate them to the joys and
work at St. John’s?
Please come to the Discipleship Class beginning on Sunday, July 10 at 9:30 am
in the Ladies’ Lounge. Topics will include what religion is, who God is, the
Bible, The Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine (remember what these were? The
Ten Commandments is one of them!) Stewardship, and Mission and Ministry.
So as to prepare materials, please call the church office or let our Pastors
know your intention of attending.
Pastor Brauer to Attend Continuing Education
“The Holiness of God in Sacrificial Worship According to Leviticus” is the
title of the Continuing Education class Pastor Brauer will attend the week of
July 11-15 in Madison, Wisconsin. Conducted as part of the Continuing Education
of Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, the course is instructed
by the Rev. Dr. John Kleinig, professor at our sister seminary in Adelaide,
Australia. He is also the author of the Concordia Commentary series on the book
of Leviticus. Pastor Brauer is looking forward to ‘sitting at the feet’ of this
instructor to gain insight into the book of Leviticus and how it still applies
today. (However, he is not looking forward to driving the expressways through
Chicago en route to Madison!) Please keep him in yours prayers as he attends and
travels.
Thank You, Parents!
Thank you to you parents who faithfully bring your children to worship each
week. In many households the routine of getting prepared to come to church can
be rushed, harried, and frustrating, but the blessings and benefits will pay
off. Your pastors are pleased to see how well prepared your children come to the
altar to receive a blessing. With little hands folded and hearts ready to hear
the blessing, these children come to receive great things from the Lord. There
is a reverence and respect that all God’s children, young and old, show at the
altar, knowing that they are in the presence of a holy God. We are in God’s
House, and our actions will befit being in this special place. “Let children
hear the mighty deeds which God performed of old.” (LW 472)
From St. John’s School
Principal’s Report
7 /25 Kristi Georgi moves to town
7/30 Kristi Georgi is installed at 7:00 pm service
8/10 Registration 2-6:30 pm in the cafeteria
8/16 Tuesday...Year Beginning Meeting 9 am-12 pm...1 pm-3 pm
8/17 Wednesday 9 am-12 pm Meetings (if needed)
8/21 Teacher Rededication 8:00 am
8/22 Monday First Day of School ...Dismiss at 11:35 am-NO BUS
II. Other Items
*YEARLY THEME....PROVERBS: 3:6
IN ALL YOUR WAYS...ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS
STRAIGHT....
SONGS: “STEP BY STEP” by RICH MULLINS
“GOD WILL MAKE A WAY” by DON MOEN
Installation of Kristi Georgi, our new 7th grade teacher, will be 9/30/05
at the 7:00 service with Pastor Young and Pastor Brauer
presiding. A greeting will be planned for her between services on 8/21
following the teacher rededication service. Please join us for a meet and
greet between services in the cafeteria on 8/21/05. We ask that you would
bring pantry items to help Miss Georgi establish her new home.
Pizza Hut Fundraisers: Proceeds are still marked to help finance
the next trip in 2007. Pizza Hut Fundraiser Dates are: 6/29, 7/13, 8/17
from 4-11:00. St. John’s school collects 20% kickback on all orders.
4. We thank Janie Ulmer for finishing her 6th year as a member of the Board
of Education. We thank Dionne Wisniewski for finishing her term and we welcome
Josh Alexander and Nathan Alexander as new members effective July 12, 2005.
Rick Shortt will begin his second term.
Just a reminder: School is over for the school year, but if we are indeed
faithful members, our commitment to regular worship should continue faithfully
through the summer. I know most of us have vacations of some sort or another,
but the vacation from God is not supposed to be part of the experience of
summer. So, please continue to worship and serve the Lord with your time,
talents and treasures.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Vacation Bible School: July 25-29 are the dates for VBS this year.
Would you like to help with this summer’s VBS? Please contact Rhonda McConnell
at 608-9599 for more information about our “Summer Safari”.
From the Board of Missions & Evangelism: Mark your calendar for July
24th! That is the next Missions Sunday at St. John's where we place additional
focus on the Missions of our church. We are reminded that God has called each
one of us to be a Disciple, and our donations are assisting others to spread the
Gospel both locally and globally. If you haven't noticed, please take a look at
posters that have been placed in the Narthex of the church, including additional
information about the Missions that St. John's is supporting in 2005. To date,
St. John's has given $3,000 (Total) to the following missions…
• Duneland Lutheran High School
• Hispanic ministry of La Porte, Indiana, though the LCMS District
• Burmese Ministry of Ft. Wayne, Indiana
• Concordia Welfare & Education Society, based in China. These funds have
been directed primarily towards Tsunami Relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Other ways that you can get involved…
On Friday, June 17th, members of the Board of Missions & Evangelism served
dinner to over 40 people at the Salvation Army in LaPorte, Indiana. The menu
included Italian Beef sandwiches, salad, and delicious brownies! This has been
an ongoing outreach to the LaPorte community, where various groups from St.
John's have served meals at the Salvation Army on the third Friday of each
month. If you or a group of you are interested in doing something like this,
please contact the church office.
The Board of Missions & Evangelism is exploring possible fund-raising
activities to bolster up the funds within the Mission budget. A total of
$12,000 has been committed by the church to our Missions, but wouldn't it be
great if we could do more? Your support of these upcoming activities is
appreciated, or if you have a fantastic idea, don't hesitate to contact a member
of the Board. Thank you. Board of Missions & Evangelism
From the Women’s Care Center: Thank you for your prayers. We now have
over 250 client visits at our center each month. The needs are great but so are
the blessings. When we see a family torn apart by an unexpected pregnancy and
then have the privilege of offering them hope, it is amazing to see the changes.
The counselors work through all of the potential obstacles with each client and
help her make educated decisions for her pregnancy. Because of their brave
decisions, we have many babies born each month and we delight in each one! Thank
you for your continued help. Some of our needs are: Enfamil, Walmart/Kroger/Meijer
Gift Cards, strollers, diapers (sz. 2,3,4),wipes, booties, blankets.
Thanks!
From the Board of Parish Fellowship: First of all, a huge “thank you”
to all who have donated money, coffeecakes, fruit and cookies for our Sunday
morning Fellowship Coffees and especially for Mark Jerndt’s farewell gathering.
We really appreciated your contributions.
On July 30, at the 7:00 pm service, Kristi Georgi will be installed as the
7th grade teacher at St. John’s Lutheran School. She will be welcomed officially
with a Pantry Shower in conjunction with the reception for all the day
school teachers between services on August 21, at 9:15 am. Please show, by your
attendance, just how much we appreciate their dedication, teaching skills and
abilities.—We will have a Gift Basket for cards and love offerings for
Miss Georgi. In addition, please bring something to stock her pantry in her new
apartment. Items such as paper and plastic products, cleaning and laundry
products, canned goods—whatever is needed to set up a household.
Then on August 28, we will begin the Sabbath Day with “Sowing Seeds for the
Harvest” Bible Study at 9:00 am in the cafeteria. After that our annual
Outdoor Service under the natural canopy of trees on the south lawn of the
church beginning at 10:00 am. There will be only one worship service that
morning. Immediately following worship, we will have our Hog Roast and family
potluck in the gym and cafeteria at noon. There will be games for the
children and their families and the older generations will have a good time
playing games for their age bracket. This entire day will be a wonderful
opportunity for everyone of all ages to share in food, fun and fellowship.—Watch
the weekly
bulletin for more information on types of food needed for the potluck.
Monetary donations will also be welcomed to help offset the cost of the hog
roast. These can be given to Linda in the church office. Stay tuned for more…
Mark your calendars for all of our upcoming events.
Come join us for Fellowship Coffee at 9:15 am each Sunday. Most importantly,
plan to stay for Bible Study at 9:30 or the new Discipleship Class beginning
July 10 at 9:30 am in the Ladies Lounge. We would love to see some new faces in
addition to our faithful attendees.
Newly Formed Circle: The first official meeting of the newly formed
Family Circle, with mothers in mind, will be Wednesday, July 20, at 6 pm and
thereafter, the third Wednesday of each month in the Ladies Lounge. If you
cannot find a sitter, your children are welcome. For more information, please
contact Julie Sinclair at 326-0585.
From the Board of Social Ministry: Thank you for all of your past
support. Your donations have kept our food pantry going. We are now in need of
more help. We are asking for the following products; toilet tissue, paper
towels, laundry detergent, dish soap, face soap and toothpaste. We are also in
need of cereal, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, rice dishes, tuna, canned fruit,
coffee and tea. We could also use any plastic grocery bags that you may want to
get rid of. We will greatly appreciate anything you would like to donate. Thank
you for your prayerful consideration.
Branson Trip: There are still seats available for the Branson trip
with the Seniors November 2-6, 2005. Even if you are not interested, please tell
your friends, it might interest them! Phone tour director, Eunice Wright, at
219-362-7947 for more details.
Worship on Wednesday Evenings! Beginning Wednesday, July 6th, we will
have an Evening Prayer service, immediately followed by a Wednesday Evening
Bible study. Service begins at 7:00 pm; Bible study at 7:30 pm. Make plans to
attend, especially if your vacation schedule takes you away on the weekends this
summer!
Women’s Bible Study: A new 5-week Bible Study for women (adults only)
will be starting on July 7 and continuing through August 4. The Bible Study
topic will be: “Prayer, an Adventure with God.” Please mark your summer
calendars now to include this on your Thursday schedules. Kathy Young will lead
the Bible Study at her home. Please call the church office for more details.
