St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church &

School(Wisconsin

Evangelical Lutheran Synod)

709 Milton Ave., Janesville, WI 53545Church & School Phone: 752-1304

James Janke, Pastor 563-4383Arden Wentzel, Staff Minister 758-4693

Kevin Proeber, Principal 752-5035www.stmatthewsjanesville.org

Worship for St. Matthew’s 75th AnniversaryApril 23, 2017

Invitation to Worship (Psalm 100)1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Opening Hymn: #735 “Speak, O Lord” (Please turn to pages 7 & 8 of the bulletin.)

InvocationP: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.C: And also with you.

The Confession of SinsP: Beloved in the Lord: let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father,

C: asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.P: Most holy and merciful Father, we are sinful from birthC: and we have sinned against you in our thoughts, in our words, and in our actions.P: We have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. C: Have mercy on us, Lord.P: We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness; the pride, the apathy, and impatience in our live.C: Have mercy on us, Lord.P: Our negligence in worship and prayer, and our failure to confess with our lives the faith that is in usC: we confess and plead with you, for Jesus’ sake to forgive us.P: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.

Prayer of the DayP: O God, you have promised to be with your Church forever. We thank you for those who founded this community of believers and for the signs of your favor over these past years. Increase our faith, knit us together in the bonds of love, and make our fellowship an example to all people; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.C: Amen.

Hymn: #392 “Not unto Us” (Please turn to page 9 of the bulletin.)

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 7:6-136 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The

LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that

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he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. 10

But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;

he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. 11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers.

Psalm: (by choirs) Psalm 118 (arr. Brian Henkelmann)

Epistle: I Corinthians 15:1-10Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I

preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Hymn: #753 “Father, God of Grace, You Knew Us” (arr. Paul Eickmann) (Please turn to pages 10 & 11 of the bulletin.)

Sermon Text: Matthew 9:9-13

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9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘‘Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and ‘‘sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

St. Matthew’s: Making a Name for 75 YearsI. Not by itself but by Christ

II. Not for itself but for Christ The Apostles’ Creed: (CW, p.19)

Offering “In Christ Alone” (sax ensemble arr. Alex Schroeder)

Prayer of the ChurchP: Praise, glory, and honor be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for establishing your Church in this place, in which for 75 years we have been permitted to hear your holy Word and celebrate your blessed sacraments.C: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.P: We praise you for showing us the way of salvation, for warning us of the wages of sin and for comforting us with the message of forgiveness through your cross. C: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.P: We praise you for the children you have made your own through holy Baptism, who were instructed in the saving doctrine of your Word, who made profession of their faith before your altar pledged their loyalty to you. We thank you for all the faithful members of this congregation over the years whose hearts you moved to do your work so generously and joyfully. We thank you for those whose guilt you pardoned, whose doubts you dispelled, whose fears you calmed, whose tears you dried with your everlasting comfort, and for those you kept faithful unto death and who received the crown of everlasting life.

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C: Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.P: We praise you for causing your Church to grow and for preserving your pure Word among us. Mercifully continue to grant your blessing to this congregation and its school. Give your people faithful pastors and teachers who will lead your flock into the green pastures of your Word and sacraments, and feed your sheep and lambs your life-giving Gospel. Grant the members of this congregation hearing ears and open and willing hearts to gladly hear your Word and obey it.C: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us.P: Grant that this Church may continue to carry out your command to feed your lambs and preach the Good News to all creation. Bless the efforts of your people and abide among us with your grace, your Word, your light, your peace, your protection, and your love that at last we may enter your eternal rest.C: May the favor of the LORD our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. Amen. Lord’s PrayerHymn: #770 “O Christ, Who Called the Twelve” (Please turn to pages 12 & 13 of the bulletin.)

Prayer P: Almighty God, grant to your Church the Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes from above. Let nothing hinder your Word from being freely proclaimed to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, so that we may serve you in steadfast faith and confess your name as long as we live, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.C: (sing) Amen.BenedictionP: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to

you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.C: (sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.

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Closing Hymn: (by Choirs) “Here I Stand” (Composed by Alex Schroeder to celebrate St. Matthew’s 75th Anniversary. From Joshua 24, selected Psalms, and Martin Lutheran Man of God.)

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Members of St. Matthew’s OrchestraBeth Stirmel, Hannah Schwark, Mark Butzow, Carrie

Schroeder, Annika Butzow, Deidre May, Claire Fox, Eddie May, Noah

North,Dave Fenske, Troy Moench, Ben May, Noah Schwark,

Kathryn Hendee, Alex Schroeder, Tom May Ruth Fenske,John Schroeder, Meredith Moeller, Todd Schwark, Kathi

Hendee,Don Dickinson, Theron Schroeder

St. Matthew’s Senior Choir Singers 2016-2017Mike Fox, Mike Lenser, Kevin Proeber, Craig Sonntag, Chris

Hosbach,Tom Heth, Jill Proeber, Katie Hosbach, Bev Boughton, Linda

Hilker,Mary Howard, Brenda Moench, Pam Brudos, Laurie Benson,

Diane Schroeder, Carol Hirsch, Sally Biddick, Ann Janke,Karen DeLong-Eichman, Jessica May

Members of St. Matthew’s Junior ChoirTannica Jones, Treyton Jones, Jenny Schwartz, David

Johnson,Emma Scott, Sara Stanelle, Charlie Newlin, Sam Schmidt,

Sydney Kanable,Jenna Shadoski, Sara Scott, Alyssa Burns, Amerlia Pfund,

Andrew Treptow, Noah Schwark, Riley Schmidt

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Members, Visitors & Guests—Welcome to St. Matthew’s!Let us thank God who called us by grace to follow Jesus by following faithfully as St. Matthew did.If you are visiting our service, please sign a “care card” in the church pew or our guest book and come back to visit again soon.Attendance Last Sunday—385 Offering Last Week—$18,511.33Good Friday – 405 Bible Classes – 11(Meeting our 2017 Ministry Plan requires weekly offerings of

$13,000.00.)Blue Special 75th Anniversary Envelope Update –

35 Envelopes have been returned totaling $4,880.80

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Announcements:1. Thank You A sincere thank you to Pastor Phillip Sievert

for bringing us the good news from God’s Word this morning as we celebrate our 75th anniversary here at St. Matthew’s. Pastor Sievert is the son of Pastor David Sievert who served St. Matthew’s from 1973 until 2005.

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Pastor Phil Sievert now serves as pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Thornton, Colorado. We thank Pastor Sievert for making the long journey from Colorado to help us celebrate 75 years of following Jesus at St. Matthew’s. You will have an opportunity to visit with Pastor Sievert during the fellowship time that is scheduled for between services today, and then during the dinner hour after the 10:30 service.

2. Thank You A sincere thank you to Matthew Proeber for handling the liturgy for our anniversary services today. Matt is completing his second year of study at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin. His next year of study will be spent in a congregation serving as a vicar, or assistant to a pastor. He will receive his vicar assignment on Tuesday, May 16. Our sincere thanks to Matt for serving as our liturgist today.

3. Thank You Our sincere thanks to the members of our Anniversary Planning Committee: George Ehlers, Carol Hirsch, Beverly Boughton, Mary Howard, Diane Schroeder, Peter Sather, Mr. Proeber, and Doug McIlvain. This committee has done outstanding work planning and organizing for our anniversary year and for this special anniversary service. “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” II Corinthians 9:12.

4. A special thank you to Craig and Cathy Sonntag and the students of our school for making over 300 table favors for our Anniversary Luncheon.

5. The flowers on the altar have given by the Evening Guild in celebration of our special 75th Anniversary Service.

6. Bible Class & Sunday School —Please note that Sunday School and Bible Class will not meet this morning.

7. Thursday Evening Services Our Thursday evening services will resume on Thursday, April 27 . The Thursday evening services will begin at 6:30 p.m.

8. Pictorial Directories the 75th Anniversary edition of our church pictorial directories have arrived! If you had your picture taken for our directory, you will find your complimentary copy available on the tables in the narthex. If you didn’t have your picture taken, but are

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interested in purchasing one, please sign up at the table also.

9. 75 th Anniversary Offering Envelope At its February meeting our church council moved to offer all members of St. Matthew’s an opportunity to give thanks to God for 75 years of blessings on our congregation by means of a special thank offering. A special “75th Anniversary Thank Offering” envelope can be found on the counter in the narthex. Our “Anniversary Sunday” is scheduled for Sunday, April 23, which is the Sunday after Easter, but these envelopes may be used at any time to contribute to the anniversary effort.* Gifts given in these envelopes will be used first to offset expenses related to the special anniversary year celebration such as travel expenses for guest speakers and guest organists and costs for printing anniversary materials. Those costs are expected to be about $5,000.00. * If the gifts received exceed the amount needed to cover expenses the council recommends a remodel of the Milton Street entrance that is mostly unused. The plan for remodeling that entrance calls for removal of the four wooden doors, and for the covered entryway just outside the wooden doors to be enclosed with walls and windows. This remodel would create more room for members and guests to congregate and visit before and after services and would alleviate the “traffic jam” that often forms at the bottom of the ramp where the Milton Street doors are located.The cost of this project is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $10,000.00. * The final decision about how the proceeds of the special offering will be used will be made by the voters’ assembly and will be based on the total amount of gifts received. We hope all members of St. Matthew’s will take advantage of this special opportunity to give thanks to our gracious God for 75 years of blessings on our church and school!

10.The Master's Gardeners will be digging up and dividing Autumn Joy Sedum plants in the next couple of weeks.  This is a sun-loving perennial that blooms in the fall and doesn't require a lot of care.  If you are interested in some

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plants, please contact Kathi Hendee (815-629-2647).11.LWMS Spring Rally will be held at Christus Lutheran

Church on Saturday, April 29, 2017. The guest speaker for the 2017 LWMS Rock River Circuit Spring Rally “Outreach to Immigrants in Our Neighborhood Leads to Worldwide Mission” will be Pastor Paul Prange. He is currently serving as the Administrator of Ministerial Education and will talk about reaching out across the globe starting with those that live near you. If you are interested in attending, please sign up on the bulletin board in the lower hallway.

12.Preschool Registration We will be accepting preschool enrollment forms for the coming school year. Our program for 3 year olds will meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (Wednesday optional) from 8:00 – 11:15 a.m. Children must be 3 years of age by September 1st. Our 4 year olds will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 8:00 – 11:15 a.m. Children registering for this class must be 4 years old by September 1st. We would like you to get the applications in by May 6 so a spot can be reserved for you. Shortly after that we will begin advertising to the public that there are spots available for next year. New this year for preschool is: “Afternoon Care for Preschoolers.” The purpose of this program is to provide care for the child after preschool is over. This care will be provided on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays until 3:00. Parents have the option of choosing from one to three days. After that time, the students will go to the library for our After School Care program. If you have any questions about our preschool or would like an enrollment form, please contact Mr. Proeber or Mrs. Sonntag.

Name TagsDear members and guests of St. Matthew's,

Over 300 people will gather here today to reunite and share a meal as we celebrate "Following Jesus for 75 Years." 

For your convenience, name tags are paper clipped to your bulletins. Please feel free to write your name and the year or years you spent here at St. Matthew's. Perhaps you

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might like to include whether you were a pastor, teacher, student, etc.

Additional name tags, if needed, can be found on the counter near the stained glass windows in the Narthex or downstairs during fellowship hour.

Enjoy your day and thank you coming and helping St. Matthew's celebrate 75 years of Following Jesus.

Special NoteOn April 23, Anniversary Sunday, the Sunday School, families, and guests will have the opportunity to enjoy an Easter review video in the church from about 9:20 to 10:00 a.m.There will also be a special fellowship, coffee, etc., in the fellowship hall at this time. Come and enjoy anniversary Sunday and also attend the luncheon in the gym after the 10:30 service.

8:00 a.m. Service9:30 a.m. Fellowship (video, coffee)10:30 a.m. Service11:30 a.m. Luncheon

Come and enjoy and thank our gracious Lord!

St. Matthew’s Bible ClassesToday’s Bible Classes

Fellowship Hour (9:15 a.m.)Sunday School – Easter Video – All invited. (9:15-10:00 a.m.)

Tuesday Evening Bible Class 6:30 p.m.Galatians 5 – “Paul Explains Justification”

Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible Class 9:30 a.m.“Having a Mary Spirit”

Saturday Men’s Bible Class 7:30 a.m.Isaiah 11 – “The Branch from Jesse”

Next Sunday’s Bible Classes 9:15 a.m.Bible Study – “The Christian’s Dual Citizenship”

Sunday School – “Jesus Calms the Storm”

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Assisting with WorshipOrganist:

Meredith MoellerUshers Today:

1st. Service: Dale Beutin, Andy Phelps, Stephen Phelps, Michael Borchardt, Ryan Borchardt

2nd Service: Steve Sage, Jeff Nolte, Chad Nolte, Paul JohnsonUshers Next Week:

1st. Service: George Ehlers, Bob Williams, Jeff Burandt, Mike Fox

2nd Service: Tim Stirmel, Austin SchultzGreeters:

1st Service: Tom & Cheryl Heth2nd Service: Jake & Jennifer Herden

Next Week Greeters:1st Service: Tom & Karin Timmermann

2nd Service: Steve SchubringChurch Cleaning:

April 29 – Jack Melvin & David NewlinMay 6 – Kevin Proeber & Steve Sage

CODS:1st Service: Briton Peterson2nd Service: Roger Howard

Next Week CODS:Thursday 6:30 p.m.: Dale Beutin

1st Service: George Ehlers2nd Service: Brian Becker

This Week at St. Matthew’s

SundayWorship 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.Sunday School 9:15 a.m.Fellowship Hour 9:15

a.m.75th Anniversary Meal after 11:30 a.m.TuesdayEvening Bible Study 6:30

p.m.

ESL Classes 6:30 p.m.WednesdayWomen’s Bible Study 9:30

a.m.Public School

Confirmation Class 5:00-6:30 p.m.

Sr. Choir 5:45 p.m.

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ThursdayEvening Worship 6:30

p.m.ESL Classes 6:30 p.m.FridaySt. Elizabeth’s Service 10:30 a.m.SaturdayMen’s Bible Study 7:30

a.m.SundayWorship with Lord’s

Supper 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.SS/Adult/Teen Bible Study 9:15 a.m.

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A Brief History of St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

1941 The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod begins exploratory mission work in Janesville.

1942 St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church is formally organized.

1945 The congregation purchases the property on which St. Matthew’s is presently located. Services are held in a house that originally stood on the SE corner of the property.

1956 First service is held in the basement of a newly completed school and temporary chapel building. That building today serves as the link between the present chapel building and the present gym/classroom building.

1962 St. Matthew’s Lutheran School opens.

1974 Construction is completed on the present chapel building.

1979 New gym-fellowship hall are dedicated.

2002 New classroom building and re-modeled office area is

dedicated.

2012 St. Matthew’s School celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

2017 St. Matthew’s Church celebrates its 75th Anniversary.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *The following pastors have served St. Matthew’s:

William Keturakat 1941-1942Richard Jungkuntz 1942-1946Ernest Wendland 1946-1948

Mentor Kujath 1948-1957James Thrams 1957-1966

Wernor Wagner 1966-197220

David Sievert 1973-2005Mark Lindner 2006-2012

James Janke 2012-Present

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