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able to put a dent in the wide gap that
separates us from our holy and good
God. And yet, this gap was bridged, by a
love that was wider and deeper than the
forces that kept us apart. And the Gap-
Bridger, the Chasm-Leaper, his name
is Jesus, and the work that he did on
the cross was far more powerful than
the dark that may have surrounded
you in the past, or perhaps surrounds
you now. And the beauty of it all? You
don’t have to see it to believe it. You
don’t have to feel it to be so incredibly
assured of its truth that you can sense a
piece of calm, even if it’s a tiny piece, in
the chaos of the storm. Because God
doesn’t wait for the horizon. God IS the
horizon. God spoke, and Light broke into
the world, first in creation, then in Jesus.
The darkness didn’t stand a chance.
The beauty of this, outside of the breath-
taking beauty of the gritty and real and
overwhelming love that God has for you,
is that absolutely none of it depends on
you, and especially on your mental
health status. The bloody work that Jesus
did on the cross happened outside of
you, for you. You cannot make it better;
you cannot mess it up. When you look to
your heart and see its innate brokenness,
which perhaps is even a bit easier to do
when trapped in the dark, and you hand
those broken pieces to Jesus, you leave
yourself empty-handed… blessedly,
comfortingly empty-handed. And when
you are in the dark, that is a very good
thing to be.
The smaller issue then is where do we go
from that truth? Should that be enough?
The answer is yes, it is enough, but also
no, we don’t stop there. The truth is we
are broken physical creatures, living in a
broken physical world.
…Article continues on page 2
Life can be a challenge, and I know that
many of you in our family of Faith carry
heavy burdens daily. I hope this article,
written by a friend of mine in Minnesota,
can be a blessing to those in our congrega-
tion who struggle with depression or know
someone who does. – Pastor Josh
In February of this year, I had the joy and
privilege of teaching at our annual
women’s retreat. I spoke to the women of
our church about God being our refuge,
our strength, a subject I had been study-
ing for months leading up to it. Imagine
my surprise then when, 17 days later, I
would find myself being led in a wheel-
chair into station 32 of the psychiatric
wing of the hospital, where I would
spend the next eight days clawing my
way out of the literal depths of despair.
Those eight days are their own story in
and of themselves, of which I would hap-
pily spend an hour or two discussing over
a cup of coffee, but the question I want to
try and answer in a small way here is
this: How does a Christian bear up un-
der the burden of mental health ill-
nesses, of any variety, while maintain-
ing a “give it all to Jesus” mentality? Is
it possible? Is there an imaginary line
somewhere where medicine and self-
compassion stop helping so Jesus steps in
(or vice-versa)? Or should we not even
have these mental health issues to begin
with because we should just believe/pray/
fast/love/etc more?
The bigger issue is this: our separation
from God. The bigger issue is this chasm
that is so deep and so wide that we would
never be able to cross it on our own, even
if our mental health was at its peak. We
could never have a sad thought again for
the rest of our lives, and still our happy
little smile-factories would not even be
September’s Message from LAURA RINAS - Guest Contributor
Contact us at:
402-462-5044
Visit us at:
AFamilyofFaith.com
Inside this issue:
Prayers 2
Message cont. 2
News & Notes 3
Thank-you Notes 4
Looking Ahead 4
Community News 5
Staff & Council 6
September 2019 Volume 42, Issue 9
Faith Lutheran Church The Parish News
Please Take Note
Included inside this
newsletter is :
September calendar
& Council summary
Sept. 2019-20
Education News
Take a moment to check
out the Education News
insert and see all Faith
has to offer this Fall!
Message by Laura Rinas continued…
There are things that, though they hold no bearing
on our salvation and everlasting joy and peace with
Jesus, can and should be attended to, and our men-
tal health is most certainly one of those things. We
have a God who has given us creative minds, minds
that instinctually (for the most part) see a problem and
want to fix it. And this is a good thing. This is a way
that God has made us in His image. And we have
minds among us that are passionate about learning
about the brain, and learning how to help when things
go awry. Use those minds. Seek help. It was not meant
to be like this. Living in the dark is something that we
can do if that is what the Lord has planned for us, but
let it not be for setting aside the resources that He Him-
self has set before you. The weird, tricky call of Chris-
tianity is that we are to be prepared for suffering, ex-
pect it even. But the awesome, magnificent call of
Christianity is also to cry out to the God who loves you
in times of distress! And we can do that because of the
gospel. We can do that because the gap is already
closed. We can do that because having an illness does
not mean that you are not redeemable, and we serve a
God who delights to help His children.
In a group therapy session recently, the subject of hope
was brought up. We were asked to talk about if we had
it, and what we could do to bring more of it into our
lives. I thought about that for a long time, and came
away with this answer. There are days when I have no
hope, where I am convinced that this is what my life
will be for the rest of my days, the dark pushing in with
no rhyme or reason, and me just barely surviving it.
Those days come and those days go. But every day, I
have Hope. I have a Hope that, though this feels un-
bearable at times, it is just a blip in eternity, and that
regardless of how this plays out or if I ever find free-
dom from depression, the last chapter reads the same. It
is a Hope unaffected by the amount of tears I shed, or
the amount of hours I sleep to dull the pain. It is a
Hope that can never be scared off by the thoughts
that play in my head, because it has seen worse and
prevailed. It is a Hope that has nothing to do with
me, and everything to do with Him.
One of the most debilitating things for my own per-
sonal depression was the isolation, so if you are reading
this and are currently experiencing depression or have
and never sought help, I encourage you to start here:
Pray. Tell God of your suffering, and then tell a trusted
friend or family member. We were promised suffer-
ing, yes, but we were never promised isolation. We
were promised a body with which to mourn and to rejoice. Let those around you help you. And on the
days when you can do no more than that, rest easy, for
the biggest work has already been done.
Health, Treatments,
or Hospitalization Recently included in prayers: Linda Crum,
Will DeRosear, Glen DeVries, Jayden DeVries,
Julie Fitzke, Lydia Folcik, Gene Kohtz, Chris
Martin, Chandra Muske, Doug Nienhueser,
Sharon Petersen, Rick Rail, Bill Sadd, Betty
Stanley, Parker Stanley.
And continuing prayers for: Becky Baker,
Mark Doiel, Tim Dycus, Mason Gundersen,
Morgan Hanson, Karen Nykodym, Craig Parnell, Linda
Stocks Schafer, Harlan Schlachter, Fenton Sund, Merna
Urwin, Mary Lou Weber, Eddie Worthington.
Births & Baptisms
We give thanks for babies born to Brett & Andrean
Rowley, Chase & Alyssa Bengtson, Matt & Karissa
Folcik, and Landon & Brittany Epp; and we celebrate
with those newly baptized - Pierce Katherine McCarty,
daughter of Andrew & Courtney McCarty; and Kollyns
Lou Marquardt, daughter of Blake & Anjelica Marquardt.
Marriage We give thanks with Aaron Jank & Kathleen Thomas,
married in Omaha last month.
Sympathy
We pray for the family of Wanda Koch at her death; Judy
Bosier at the death of a brother; Gail Buss at the death of
her mother; and Carol Krause at the death of a cousin.
Page 2
PRAYERS
Did you know…..
Our church follows a 3 year lectionary. The church year runs from the First Sunday in Advent (the last of November or begin-ning of December) through the Last Sunday of the church year typically in November. Our Church year calendar is Series C which follows the Gospel of Luke for most of this year. If you would like to prepare in advance for the September readings you can read and meditate on the Gospel of Luke, chapters 14-16.
Home Visits– Meet the Intern! Over the next few weeks, Leah will be conducting
home visits, visiting students in Middle and High
School. This is an opportunity for her to get to know
these students better in their own setting. Please email
her at leah@afamilyoffaith.com or call the church (402-
462-5044) to set an appointment time that works best
with kid’s schedules.
College Bible Study Calling all college age students! Leah (our new DCE
Intern) is in the process of starting a college Bible
study. If you would be interested in joining, please
email her at leah@afamilyoffaith.com or call church.
College freshmen and their parents: Once you have your (or your child’s) college address
for the year, please call the church office or email Pas-
tor Josh (pastorjosh@afamilyoffaith.com). We would
like to keep in touch with them throughout the year!
Young Adults Young adults (ages 18-25)… how about joining others
your age for Bible study, fellowship, and food? If this
sounds like something you’d like to be a part of then
email Leah (leah@afamilyoffaith.com) or call the
church office.
September 2019 Volume 42, Issue 9 NEWS AND NOTES
We hope you will join us for one or more of these monthly get-togethers!
Priscilla Circle - September 3 at 1:00pm All women are welcome to be a part of this women’s group that meets monthly! For more information please contact Wyoma DeVries, 402-469-6149.
TheoPub - September 5, 6:30pm at Steeple Brewing All men (21 and over) are invited to join other men for conversation and fun fellowship.
Women in the Word All women are invited to meet at *The Blue Moon (downtown Hastings) on Tuesday, September 10, 6:30pm for an informal Bible Study and a time of fellowship. Contact Pam McCartney, 402-984-5561 for more info. *This is a venue change from Winestyles - we will discuss more at the Sept. meeting.
Book Group - September 12, 7pm at Dally’s Deli-South
Join us to discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. All are welcome! Some come early (6pm) and enjoy supper together...we’d love to have you join us! If you have questions about book group or need a copy of the book club selections please speak with Amy Hafer, 402-984-8886.
Party at the Park: YOU ARE INVITED to join
us on September 15th at 5 pm
for a Party at the Park. Chau-
tauqua Pavilion (off of 3rd
Street, just north of the Aqua-
court Water Park) will be the
site of this gathering. Sand-
wiches and water will be provided for all. You are
asked to bring a side or a dessert to share with the
group, along with any games you’d like to play. If
you’re intending to come, please sign up in the church
forum, so we can have enough sandwiches for every-
one. Hope to see you for this time of fun, food and
fellowship.
Lutheran Layman’s League
Zone 8 Fall Rally
October 6 at Faith Lutheran
Registration begins at 5:30pm. Dinner
at 6:00pm. The guest speaker will be
Chris Birkestrand. RSVP by Sept. 30 to
Paul, 402.462.2064/Bill, 402-461.6624.
A Note from the
Board of Stewardship
The earth is the LORD’s and every-thing in it, the world, and all who live in it: for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. - - Psalm 24:1-2
God’s entire creation belongs to Him and we were created to help Him take care of it. We can’t be faithful in serving the LORD if we don’t take good care of what the Lord has designed to be good and holy. This includes the universe in which we live and move and have our being.
Dear Family of Faith, thank you to all of you, who shared
good wishes either verbally or in a greeting card, as we cele-
brated our 50th wedding anniversary. Our friends and family
make it a VERY special time that we will always cherish.
We are so richly blessed. Lee & Alyce Sherman
Faith Lutheran Church… thank you so much for your
generosity and support over these past few weeks. I am overwhelmed by your
kindness and care! I am settled into my apartment and have begun my work
here at Faith. I look forward to seeing what the next year will have in store! Leah Werling, DCE Intern
Thank-you to all those in the family of Faith who donated items to this year’s
Project Homeless Connect and all who helped at the event. Your giving spirit
and generous contributions were extremely appreciated in helping to assist ap-
proximately 200 families in need in Hastings and the surrounding area.
Thank-you for your prayers, kind inquiries, cards, and support! I’m doing
much better. God Bless! Rachel Reinke
Thank-you all so much for your prayers, cards, and other acts of kindness fol-
lowing my recent surgery. Pam McCartney
Thank-you and your “crew” for the leftover sand (from VBS) you gave for
our courtyard. The kids just love it and we appreciate your help. Hawthorne Elementary
Page 4
Thank-you Notes
FOOD PANTRY MINISTRY
Thanks to
everyone
dedicated to
our Food
Pantry min-
istry and
especially all
of you who
have stepped in to help with the
recent shortages of needed items.
To date our Faith family has given
1,339 pounds of food & other
nonperishable items to the Hast-
ings area Food Pantry. Thank you
so much! ♥
***Just a side note for those who
may not be familiar with this min-
istry… We collect non-perishable, non-expired food items and per-
sonal hygiene products in the two grocery carts - one in the forum
and one in the back of the sanctu-
ary. Every donation helps! And, a BIG thank-you to Ken Young for
counting and delivering the dona-
tions to the Food Pantry.
Faith in Action - October 6
We are starting to make plans for the October Faith in Action! We
love new ideas for ways to serve in our community. Thrivent offers
grants to help so if you have an idea you’d like to see implemented
please contact DCE Wade, 402-462-5044, soon to get plans rolling.
Voters’ Meeting - October 13
Our next quarterly Voters’ Meeting will follow the 10:30 worship service on October 13. Mark your calendar and
make plans to attend. It is a brief meeting intended to let everyone know what is going on in the life of our church.
Hope we will see you there!
80+ Meal– October 27
This meal and event was begun last year and was such a hit that we are making plans to do it again! The event is for
all those 80 and older and is hosted by our High School Youth. Watch for details to follow in next month’s news.
Financial Peace University Begins Sept. 9 at 6:30pm
at 1st Presbyterian Church
This Dave Ramsey money management
class is open to everyone. For more in-
formation about this class please contact
Deb Johnson at 402-469-5847 or email
her at debjohnsonflute@gmail.com
Women’s Event - Flourish
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2pm at The Lark This life changing adventure from
brokenness to wholeness is hosted by
Grace Life Church. Questions can be
emailed to morgan@gracelifene.org
Zion Vendor Show
October 20, 10:30-4:00 Mark your calendars and watch for more
information to come about this event.
ACLEA Golf Tournament
Sun. Sept. 8 at 1pm This four person scramble at the Elks
Country Club supports Christ Lutheran
and Zion Lutheran Schools. Entry fee is
$220 per team which includes 18 holes
of golf. Cart rentals are an additional
cost of $15 per player. For more infor-
mation contact Dan Rayburn at 402-984-
5974 or you can email him at
dan.rayburn1960@gmail.com
Caregiver Connections
If you’re caring for a loved one with
Alzheimer’s or another dementia you
can join other caregivers monthly on the
1st Wed. at The Kensington. For more
info call 402-461-3149 or email Cheri at
CTheesen@Kensington-Evergreen.com
2nd Annual Walk Against
Human Trafficking September 14, 10am-10pm
Grace Abbott Park, Grand Island
CLUB VOLLEYBALL
Christ Lutheran Church, Juniata, spon-
sors a Fall Volleyball Club for girls
entering grades 6-8. This competitive
program is open to girls attending Lu-
theran schools and churches in Adams
County. To learn more call the church
office at 402-744-4991.
UNITED HARVEST MOBILE
FOOD PANTRY 3rd Saturday of each month at 1st
Presbyterian’s Annex Bldg at 7th &
Lincoln. The United Harvest Pantry dis-
tributes food to any in need! No ques-
tions asked!!! They follow a distribution
schedule so please stop by the church
office and pick up an instruction sheet.
They also welcome any volunteer help!
Page 5 Volume 42, Issue 9
Community Events
“[Jesus said]: “I tell
you, there is rejoicing
in the presence of the
angels of God over one
sinner who repents.”
-- Luke 15:10 September 2019
Recommended Reading
Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade
The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey
If you’re reading this, you may have a loved one suffering from dementia, and you’re looking for hope. The disease has already taken so much, and though you’re determined to fight, you’re weary. Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade shows how love can persist even as dementia gradually erodes memory and physical abilities. It offers powerful testimony to the lasting nature and immense power of human relationships.
Please note that many of the listed community events have detailed posters on the bulletin boards here at Faith Lutheran. The information provided in the newsletter is just a snippet to let you know of the possibilities within our larger community. So check out the posters or call for more info! ………………….
September Verse of the Month
– – Luke 15:10
Pastor George Buttrick (1892-1980) comments on this
verse: “In human life the last word is not sinning…the
last word is joy, for Calvary is but the halfway inn that
leads to Easter…Could any words more thrillingly tell
the sympathy of God? He cannot rejoice alone; he
needs to share his…joy with men and angels…Man’s
only true joy is that which comes from God by God’s
sharing, the joy of finding the lost. At long last there
can be no other joy than God’s joy…”
2019 Church Council Chairman: Doug Koopman Vice Chairman: Bill Henkel
Treasurer: Adam Jacobitz Recording Secretary: Deb Bunde
Board of Education: Becky Hamik, Dave Johnson, Jason Weseman
Board of Evangelism: Bill Henrichs, Jade Bartunek, Denise Koch
Board of Family Life: Lisa Mertens, Jocelyn Rundle, Deanna Haase
Board of Finance: Linda Venteicher, Jim & Doll Wiegel, Ron & Linda Hemberger,
Dave Bierman, Jody Davis, Victor & Teresa Bockerman
Board of Lay Ministry: Ron Haase, Becky Schutte, Trisha Shafer, Phil Nelson
Regina Anderson, Larry Kuehn
Board of Trustees: Jeff Grabill, Larry Ochsner, Tyler McCartney, Kathy Johnson,
Donna Buss, Patti Hinrikus
Board of Stewardship: Eric Arneson, Sandy Frerichs, Deanna Dirks
Faith Lutheran Church
Office – 402-462-5044
www.aFamilyofFaith.com
-includes all email addresses
STAFF
Paul T. Dunbar, Pastor
462-9551 (Home)
Josh Davis, Pastor
402-705-0874 (cell)
Wade Johnson, D.C.E.
402-834-1077
Vicki Fisher, D.C.E.
402-462-0194
Leah Werling, D.C.E. Intern
Support Staff
Cindy O’Donnell, Secretary
Deb Henkel, Bookkeeper
Angie Nissen, Custodian
Non Profit Organization
US POSTAGE PAID
Hastings, NE
Permit No. 309
Faith Lutheran Church
837 Chestnut
Hastings, NE 68901
Return Service Requested
Our Mission Statement: Faith Lutheran Church is the body of Christ, called to be the caring hands and loving voice of Christ in this world.
September 2019
Recommended