“We are God’s house of living stones,

Built for His habitation.

He through baptismal grace us owns,

Heirs of His wondrous salvation.” (LSB 645:3)

These words from the hymn, “Built on the Rock the Church Shall Stand” points to the true ‘building materials’ of the true Church. Yet our catechism teaches us about the word “church” and how it is used in our society today.

”I’m going to church,” a member says. He may imply that he is going to a building set apart for the worship of God. This is the typical understanding of that word. But the “Church” (note capital C) relates to those believers in Christ on earth. The Church is where Christ gathers His people around the Gospel. It is into the Church the Holy Spirit calls and gathers God’s people to hear the Word and receive the Sacraments. It is in the Church where repentance and forgiveness of sins is proclaimed.

For that purpose, a building is constructed to serve as a place to meet. We carry the label of the name “Church” onto that building, and we hear people say, “I attend St. John’s Lutheran Church,” and have in mind the picture of a building.

On the first Sunday of May, we welcome six new confirmed members to the Church. While they have been baptized into the Christian faith, they are now received having made confession of their faith and vowing to remain faithful to God, even in the face of death, rather than depart from Him. That is a serious commitment! They vow to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and maintain their membership in this congregation.

Yet so many people fail to fulfill their commitments. That is the sin problem in our lives today. But God is faithful. He remains true to His promises. Throughout the month of May we will have additional services celebrating the Lord’s Supper that show His faithfulness—even unto and including death!

We continue to live the Easter life in Christ, who is risen from the dead. Our opportunities to exercise our faith is shown in how we take care of God’s house, that is the building we use for worship. While the Elders manage the care of our members and their faith, the Trustees manage the physical care of the buildings and grounds we use. You saw them busy in the middle of April with their grounds clean-up project. Another project is doing work at our spring clean up at the St. John’s Thrift Shop at 303 A Street and at the Cemetery. Throughout the year, they are busy managing the lawn cutting, trimming and weeding of the grounds. Perhaps you would like to assist. Kindly call the church office (362-3726) to let us know how you would like to help.

Our thanks to our Trustees who manage our temporal affairs, making sure the expenses are paid (even during the summer months—keep in mind expenses for salaries, insurance, utilities all need to be paid!) and that the financial and physical matters of the congregation are handled in a God-pleasing way.

Let us remember that it is in this building we call St. John’s Lutheran Church where the Gospel is preached, the water of baptism applied and the Words of life are spoken, where bread and wine are given with the body and blood of our Savior as that meal of all meals, and that sins are forgiven. You by faith are a member of this Church; come and be included with the stones that make the building and join your fellow members, those ‘living stones,’ in hearing the joy of sins forgiven and life restored in Christ, the Lord of the Church.

Pastor Brauer

Matthew 11:28-30

Lay Delegate STILL Needed for District Convention: Information continues to be received on what the delegates will be doing at the Indiana District Convention on June 25-26, 2009, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. While we needed a delegate name submitted back in March, we are still seeking to fill this important position. Please, PLEASE, contact Pastor Brauer to let him know your interest. The business affairs and mission of the Indiana District will be presented for review and action as we seek to serve our Savior Jesus.

New Bible Study, “Spirituality and Witness”: A new Bible study has begun on Sunday mornings between services on a topic vitally important to all believers. “Spirituality and Witness” seeks to lead the participant into an understanding of what a spiritual person is like, as well as to know what the believer has available in the Word of God. Some people have expressed an interest for an EVENING BIBLE STUDY, so during May and June this topic will be repeated. Please join us in the Ladies Lounge on Wednesday evenings May 13, 20, 27, June 10, 17, and 17, at 7:00 PM.

Please Welcome our New Confirmands: On Sunday, May 3 we welcome six new communicant members: David Cooley, Taylor Baima, Cory Nehmelman, Aaron Vaughn, Brittney Ryan, and Marissa King. Also, on the previous Sunday we received into membership by adult confirmation Patricia Bryan. Please welcome these members!

Special Worship in May: Mark your calendars to attend our special services in the month of May. Sunday, May 3 is not only Good Shepherd Sunday, but also the confirmation of our catechumens at the 10:45 A.M. service.

Ascension Day is Thursday, May 21, 2009. There will be two services that day with Holy Communion, at 11:00 A.M and 7:00 P.M. We were pleased with the attendance at the daytime services during Holy Week and hope this provides another opportunity to worship.

On May 30-31 we will observe Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit came to the disciples. The holy Christian Church looks at this day as its birthday. Holy Communion will be celebrated in all three services that weekend.

As a note of interest, the Elders are discussing whether to have just one service on Sundays during the months of June-July-August at 9:00 A.M., (and preserve the 6:00 P.M. Saturday service). They will determine this in their regular meeting in May.

The above words really have nothing to do with the month of May except for using “May” as a part of the words. They come from a French phrase which means “come and help us!” and have become an international code asking for help for airplanes and ships in trouble and danger. “Come and help us” may be what many of us are thinking and saying in light of today’s gloomy economic conditions. Sadly, too many people are losing their jobs and homes and others are pulling back on their spending and giving because of what is happening financially.

“Why would God allow this?” is a question on the hearts and minds of many people, including faithful Christians. First of all, God did not cause this present condition. It is rather the result of some unwise behavior by many people in the business, financial and political realms. Perhaps we need to frame the question more like this: “What might God be trying to tell and teach us during such economic times as these?”

One thing that He may be trying to teach us is to distinguish between our wants and needs. More often than not we have what we need but don’t have everything that we want. The desire to have everything gets us into financial difficulty.

Another thing God may be teaching us is to concentrate on what is most important. The truth is that God has already come to answer our “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!” call by sending His only-begotten Son to be our Savior. Romans 8:32 offers us the assurance of God’s care and concern for us: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (NIV) Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34) encourages us not to be overly concerned with material things because our Heavenly Father knows what we need when it comes to food, clothes, shelter and such things. Will God fulfill all our wants? Probably not, but He will take care of our needs. Because of this assurance Jesus instructs us to “seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to us as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

So, in troubling times, we can live with the blessed assurance that God loves us and will take care of us so that we can live as His faithful stewards and continue to support generously the work of His church. Nothing done or given for the support of God’s work is ever done or given in vain! Or, to put it another way, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack for God’s supply!”

Note and Newsletter from Dave and Beth Hoeppner

Dear Friends,

The Lord is risen indeed! He continues to be with us here in India. We pray that he will continue to bless the ministry here while we return to the U.S. next month. With his grace we will return for the school year in the fall. We hope that you will find the attached newsletter interesting.

Blessed Easter, Beth & David Hoeppner

Dear Friends and Relatives,

This past month we continued to visit the IELC schools. There are over 80 schools and we have seen around 60 of them! It has been wonderful to talk to teachers and observe their dedication and see the smiling faces of the children who are eager to sing for us and speak English with us. The teachers continue to ask for Biblical pictures and other resources to enhance their telling of God’s Word. At the Bible Study Teacher Training sessions that we have planned, we will be talking to the teachers about different methods of telling Bible stories, teaching them some Christian songs, and having them prepare pictures, dramas and writing activities that they can use in their schools. We will also distribute some pictures of Jesus that we found. However, we will need many more materials in the future!

In the past month we have had some varying emotional experiences. Michelle came for a visit as she did work for Wheatridge Ministries. Her stay was short and we felt very lonely after she left. Her departure coincided with the end of volunteers Marie and Bill Meyers’ stay in India, which added to that emotion. Then we attend the funeral of one of the professors at the seminary who died very suddenly of a heart attack. That same week, Dave’s stepmother died in LaPorte. However, we enjoyed being with Hong Kong International high school students who came to Nagercoil for a service project. We did some sightseeing with them and watched them interact and witness to God’s love with students in the schools here.

At the end of March we were invited to a VBS workshop for teachers who are getting ready for VBS this month. (April and May are the hottest months, so those are the “summer” months when there is no school.) Over 200 volunteers were present and it was inspiring to see such a large group of men and women who are willing to spread the Gospel message in their own communities.

Pray for the teachers in the IELC, as they gather together with us to learn various teaching methods to tell Bible stories to their students in the future.

Pray for the four volunteers coming to the seminary in Nagercoil in June to teach spoken English to the seminarians.

Pray for the VBS program in Trivandrum district during the month of April. Pray that the children coming to VBS experience God’s love through the volunteers who are teaching this program.

Pray for our safe travel to Hong Kong and back to the States in May.

April 6-10 Visit more schools in the Ambur district

April 11-23 Visit with friends in Mumbai

April 24-27 Finalize plans for our Bible Study Teacher Training sessions

April 28 Trivandrum Bible Study Teacher Training

May 4 Ambur Bible Study Teacher Training

May 5 Fly to Hong Kong to see Michelle and Sandro and HKIS friends

May 12 Fly back to the United States to make final preparations for Michelle and Sandro’s wedding in Italy on June 20 and our celebration of their wedding in La Porte on July 5

May 27 St. John’s Chapel Worship Service at 8:00 a.m. for day school students and congregation members who are interested in hearing of their mission experiences in India.

Our prayer card is available for download: www.lcmsworldmission.org/prayercards. Click on Asia, then India.

To personally support our work financially, you may send a tax –deductible gift to: LCMS World Mission, 1333 S. Kirkwood Rd, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295.

Make checks payable to LCMS World Mission. Mark checks “Support of David and Beth Hoeppner”. Gifts can also be given securely online through the LCMS World Mission Web site,   www.lcmsworldmission.org

Principal’s Page—from Mr. Wippich

4/27-5/6 ISTEPS #3

5/2 Academic Bowl

5/6 Mother Daughter Dessert-6:30 PM-Gym

5/8 Grade 4 to Art Institute 7:50 AM to 4:15 PM

Washington D.C. fundraiser dinner-5-6:00 PM-Caf.

and Science Night 6-7:30 PM-Gym

5/11 Grade 4 FISH in basement

5/22 Spring Musical-6:30 PM-Gym

5/29 Pk/K Graduation 6:30 PM-Gym

6/3 No school/Teacher workday

Grade 8 Graduation-6:00 PM-Church

6/4 Last day of school (No bus service)

6/15 Enrichment Summer School begins

It is time to go to Washington again next spring. Our first fund raiser will take place on Friday, May 8, from 5-6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. Join us for dinner and then attend the Science Activity Night that follows in the gym from 6-7:30 p.m.

Ashley Glassman will receive the St. John’s Lutheran School Scholarship awarded at LPHS this spring. Congratulations to Ashley. We pray the Lord’s guidance as she moves to the next level of her learning.

We applied for a waiver of one snow day as is allowed by state law. This waiver was granted which means we finish school on Thursday, June 4, instead of Friday, June 5. We will give out student awards, have a closing service and go to the park for a picnic on this last day.

A refrigerator was donated by Dana Alexander to be auctioned off to help support the Conner Prairie field trip. We were able to get $299 for that. Thanks to Dana and the family that made the purchase. We applaud your generosity.

Brian Meyer and the principal have been working on promoting the people serving in the armed forces. Brian proposed an idea to collect care package items and has been collecting some shipping funds at his Saturday morning basketball drill program. We will be collecting a

Pastor for providing addresses of the nine young men serving over seas. We will gladly accept any donations to help support shipping costs. Any excess funds we collect will be applied to a fund which would support

future shipments as the school will continue to send care packages to our service people next school year.

Brian Meyer installed electricity to the remaining classroom projectors. Dave Surma is hooking them up to the computers. Thanks to both of these men for their time and talents and treasure donations.

We will be meeting next on May 8, and are still looking for projects. If you would like to join us, or if you have a project for us to work on, please call Luke Vandercar at 393-1741 or Jim Peters at 393-3496

The Trustees are sponsoring their second clean up for this spring, and are asking for your help. May 9 will be the day to clean up the cemetery, and many hands are needed. If you can help, we will be working from 8:00 AM–11:00 AM. Please bring rakes, shovels, trimmers, wheelbarrows and other tools.

We would also like to thank all of the wonderful, hard workers that came to clean the church grounds on April 19. Thank you!

Sunday, May 17^th is the last day of Sunday School before summer break. This is also the day of our Sunday School Picnic and Fun Fair. More information will be provided regarding the Picnic & Fun Fair, but we are collecting prizes for the raffle NOW. If you would like to donate raffle prizes or give a monetary donation for the purchase of prizes and/or food, we would appreciate it. Raffle prizes can be dropped off in the church basement any Sunday during the Lutheran education hour

(9:30-10:30 am). The kids always have a wonderful time at the Sunday School Picnic & Fun Fair and we encourage all families in the congregation and school to attend.

THANK YOU to all that helped make the Sunday School Easter egg hunt a fun time for more than 50 kids! The celebration began with a prayer and sharing the great news that Jesus died for all and conquered death! This important message was followed by the gathering of nearly 2,000 eggs around the church and school, a snack and a craft. The feedback from the kids and parents was very positive. This would not have been possible without the donations and help from many people. Thank you for supporting Sunday School! A special thank you to all of the parents that helped fill the eggs and filled in as teachers when called upon (sometimes last minute). Finally, I'd like to thank Lesa Hill and Maria Surma for their continued dedication and commitment to teaching Sunday School full time for the last few years. THANK YOU!

Next year, I would like to re-start a Parents and 2's class. In order to do this, I need at least one more teacher (or more if you'd like to share a class) that would be willing to teach the Parents & 2's or 2nd/3rd grade class. If you are interested in doing this, please call me, Tracy Fronk.

Now is the time to clean those closets and sort through the children’s toys so that you can be a part of the next parking lot sale at St John’s. It will be Saturday, June 20, 2009, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. It’s good fun, fellowship, and a chance to sell your unwanted “treasures.” For more information, or to rent a space, call Karen Piper or Ellen Heidel.

The Willing Servants (funeral dinner committee) wishes to thank all of the ladies who have donated food, money or help for our past dinners. Only through your generosity can we function in this labor of love. Anyone who would like to be added to our calling list should contact Jo Borg or Louise Mellenthin.

Come join us at Skills and Drills Basketball on Saturday mornings from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM in the school gym. We practice our skills and run lots of different drills. We also have scrimmage games. Parents are welcome to stay and watch or participate if they would like. Boys and girls from fourth to eighth grade are welcome. Thanks! Brian Meyer

Please help spread the word that our Thrift Shop has a variety of new, discontinued, wedding dresses in various sizes. We also have new mother and grandmother of the bride and groom dresses. If you know of someone getting married soon, send them in to have a look. They may find a great bargain!

People have called asking about the broadcast times of “The Lutheran Hour,” the half-hour radio program with hymns, Scripture, message and a ‘question and answer’ time with Rev. Ken Klaus are the usual features. Below is a station log with frequencies and times.

Station Broadcast from Freq. Day and Time

WGN Chicago, IL 720 AM Sunday, 6:00 A.M.

WGVE Gary, IN 88.7 FM Sat., 9:00 P.M.

WJOB Hammond, IN 1230 AM Sunday, 10:00 P.M.

WJOB Hammond, IN 1230 AM Sunday, 6:00 P.M.

WKVI Knox, IN 1520 AM Sunday, 8:00 A.M.

WKVI Knox, IN 99.3 FM Sunday, 8:00 A.M.

WEFM Michigan City, IN 95.9 FM Sunday, 10:30 A.M.

This information is from Lutheran Hour Ministry’s web page, (www.lhm.org.) You may also download the pod cast to an mp-3 player, or listen on-line. You can also subscribe to read the text of the sermons via email.

Worship for Shut-ins-May 2009

May 3, 2009: Acts 4:8-10,12 "The Name of Jesus"

Believing in the name of Jesus, a person has salvation. This is the only Name by which a person is saved. Also, believing this Name, a person has power to do God-glorifying works.

May 10, 2009: John 15:1-8 "Jesus, Our Vine"

Dr. Daniel Brege, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Decatur, IN

Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. The heavenly Father not only established His Son as our saving-vine, but He sent the Holy Spirit so we, the branches, could be connected to Jesus, our vine. The only way to have any spiritual sustenance or to accomplish any God-pleasing work is to be connected to Jesus.

May 17, 2009: John 1:4&5a

Darkness is all around us, so we have a night light. But the darkness of sin and evil needs the Light of the world – Jesus Christ to light our paths.

May 24, 2009: Luke 24:44-53 "Lifting Up His Hands"

Rev. Paul E. Shoemaker, Emanuel Lutheran Church, New Haven, IN

Jesus lifted up His hands in blessing. Those lifted hands tell us of a sacrifice that cleanses us from all sin and of power that is sufficient for our witnessing task.

May 31, 2009: John 16:8-11 "The Convicting Spirit"

While the Holy Spirit convicts the unbelieving world in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment, He does not so convict us. Because of His work in us, we have salvation: the forgiveness of our sins, the righteousness of Christ, and everlasting life!

WHME TV- Channel 46 at 10:00 AM.

TLN- (La Porte cable channel 60-with the converter box) at 11:30 AM

DIRECTV Channel 377 at 10:30 AM Central Time, 11:30 Eastern

Anytime at: www.worshipforshutins.org

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