by the “Mountain Lake ... Waseca MN 56093 Website: Phone: 507-833-1703 RETURN …

S T. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH July 2016

To everyone at St. John: Let me tell you what an incredible privilege it is for me to be your pastor. Each day, I’m reminded what a wonderful opportunity it is

for me to know you, serve you, and encourage you. Each week, I’m reminded what an incredible responsibility it is for me to bring God’s Word to you in a relevant and informative way. St. John is a congregation of generous people who under-stand the value of community. Allow me to expand on my sense of gratitude in this July Lifeline. 1. I am thankful for your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Each Sunday, and each time we gather for worship, I am encouraged by your faith, my spirits are lifted, and I am filled with hope and love. Your faith shows on your faces, your attentive-ness, and in your words of witness to the Lord Jesus, and in your caring and compassionate actions. 2. I am thankful for your steadfastness, especially in trials. I think of those who have been through struggles or difficult times, and yet continue in worship, in acts of charity, and in giving. I have witnessed faith in a God who doesn’t give up on us, and that builds up my faith. 3. I am thankful for your spiritual gifts. Some use their gifts in the church, in the ministry that we do at St. John. Some use their gifts in their daily lives, at work, at home, in the community. I feel encouraged when I hear someone who asks me for prayer resources for their family time at home. I have seen people from St. John involved in many ways in the Waseca community, serving, helping, building up our town. 4. I am thankful for your partnership in the gospel. I think of the many in our congregation who use our devotional guides and read God’s word each day. I think of those who attend Bible studies. I think of those who listen so attentively and graciously to my attempts to preach the gospel on Sunday mornings, attending church services or watching on TV. 5. I am thankful for your kindness and friendship. I think of people who have reached out to Nadine and me, and have welcomed us, week after week, month after month, and year after year. You have lent a hand, taken time to visit, invited us, sent a card or made a phone call. You have shared concern during difficult times and have shared our joy during happy times. Thank you! Your servant in Christ,

– Pastor John

Page 2

Prayer teams will be available in the narthex for prayer during all Sunday Com-munion services. While com-munion is being served you are invited to go to the narthex and a member will be there to hear your request and to pray with

you. Please make use of this opportunity to pray!

Prayer Ministers

Homebound Communion

Anyone that wants to be included on St. John current Homebound

Communion list please call the church office at 833-1703.

Men in Mission will serve a Continental Breakfast following worship on Sunday July 3.

MILITARY SERVICE

Jacob Kuhns, Trevor Morris, Matt Wantoch, Dana Elias, Darren Peterson, Chad Chum, and Jacob Lemmen. Please let us know of others to add to this list.

Noisy Offering Sunday July 3 at 9 am. Help the children fill our milk can

Hospitalized or ILL? Pastor John would like to

visit you if you have any

mental or physical health

issues. Therefore if you or a

loved one is sick, or if you

are in the hospital for a

planned surgery or any

other reason do contact us!

CHURCH CHURCH CHURCH CHURCH

OFFICE HOURS OFFICE HOURS OFFICE HOURS OFFICE HOURS

Monday — Friday 7:30 am —11:30 am 12:30 pm— 4:30 pm

stjohn

@hickorytech.net 507-833-1703

July Lifeline Newsletter

St John Lutheran Church Mission Statement

St. John is a Christian family of disciples alive in a Scripture-based,

Spirit-led mission of ministry, worship and play. Disciples at St. John

Lutheran Church are expected to pray often, worship regularly,

learn from the Scriptures, participate in the serving groups if physically

able, offer their time and talent as the spirit calls them, and regularly

Have you checked out Pastor John’s blog, which is the current weeks sermon? http://stjohnwaseca.wordpress.com/ You can also find it on our website!

Page 3 July Lifeline Newsletter

Minnesota Twins Tickets Available Now

Join us for the Game Date: Tuesday July 26, 2016

Time: 7:10 pm Game Time

Coach loads at 4:45pm Leaves at 5 pm

Opponent: Atlanta Braves Cost: $30 includes hot dog and soda with each ticket

Children 14 and under free (accompanied by parent or adult)

Contact: Church office at 833-1703 or Russell Tesch at 835-3843 Sponsored by St. John Lutheran Men in Mission

Lutheran World Relief

“Fair Trade Coffee” or

“Fair Trade Tea” may be

purchased the first Sunday

of each month before or

after services.

Page 4

May 2016May 2016May 2016May 2016

Monthly Income $ 19,947 Expense — 20,820 Diff (873) Year to Date Income $ 95,325 Expense — 106,929 Diff (11,604)

July Events 07/06 – Large Group Gath-ering at The DeRaad Home 7pm – 8:30pm (address will be found on 3rd Gear’s face-book profile)

07/13 – NO 3RD GEAR

07/20 – 9/10 BreakOut Group at The Herman Home; 7pm – 8:30pm

11/12 BreakOut Group at TBA, 7pm – 8:30pm

07/27 - 9/10 BreakOut Group at The Herman Home, 7pm – 8:30pm

11/12 BreaOut Group at TBA, 7pm – 8:30pm

Graduate Trip Participants - We will be leaving for Into The Wild Colorado from Grace parking lot Friday, 07/08, in the early morning. Marty will contact for an exact van loading time!

Sunday Service Worship 9:00 am

Traditional Worship (first and third Sundays)

Contemporary Worship

(second and fourth Sunday)

Holy Communion July 10, 17

Combined Bible Study Thursday, July 14 at 7pm. Led by Pastor John Omans

PRAYER VENTURES a new resource from the ELCA is available in Trinity Hall and in the narthex. It includes prayers for every day of the month. Pick yours up today.

NOISY OFFERINGS

$81.27

was collected on June 5 for missions.


Page 5

Pentecost 7 July 3, 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship

Ushers: Gyles and Carol Randall, Dennis and Marcia Bartz Reader: Carol Tilney

Acolyte: Ethan and Grace Speikers Church Council: Sam Macklay Videographer: Marcia Bartz Fellowship: Men in Mission

Pentecost 8 July 10, 9:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship with Communion

Ushers: Rod and Vickie Kolpin, Steve and Jody Schroeder

Prepare Communion: Darwin and Julie Spies Prayer Ministers: Sue Erdman, Shirley Raetz

Reader: Jean Miller Acolyte: Josiah Behncke

Videographer: Gyles Randall Church Council: Kevin Dickie

SCRIP:_____________

Fellowship: __________

Pentecost 9 July 17, 9:00 am

Traditional Worship with Communion

Ushers: Merril and Mary Schultz John and Katie Shifflett Prepare Communion:

Don and Linda Wesseling, Danielle Timmerman

Prayer Ministers: Dewey and Kathy Zabel Reader: Julie Spies

Acolyte: Daniel Kuhns Cantor: Mike Harvey

Church Council: Rod Kolpin

Videographer: Curt Yess Fellowship: ___________


Contemporary Worship in Trinity Hall Ushers: Dennis Sommers, Mark Sommers

Pauline Dill, Linda Sandborg

Reader: Sam Macklay Acolyte: Lanesha Spies

Church Council: Marcia Bartz Videographer: Marcia Bartz

SCRIP:________________

Fellowship: Congregational Life


Contemporary Worship Ushers: Darwin and Julie Spies

Jodi and Teri Wilker Reader: Suzie Root Acolyte: Liam Aberle

Church Council: Cindy Coy Videographer: Jackie Krause

Fellowship: _____________

A New Purpose, A New Community

Join us this summer as we journey with

the people of God through the wilderness

7/10/16 Levi�cus 19:1-2, 9-18

7/17/16 Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

7/24/16 Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33; 14:1-4

8/14/16 Numbers 21:4-9

8/21/16 Deuteronomy 6:1-9

8/28/16 Deuteronomy 8:7-18

9/11/16 Deuteronomy 30:15-20


The following article is a sample of regular features in the Living Lutheran magazine, an excellent publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. If you would like to see more or subscribe to receive by mail or read on-line, visit www.livinglutheran.org Peace, Pastor John From persecution to witness By Elizabeth A. Eaton, bishop of the ELCA

For many months now people have been asking for some kind of statement about the persecution of Christians around the world. It seems to be a straight-forward issue. Christians are suffering in Iraq and Syria, in Nigeria and Egypt. Palestinian Christians encounter intense pressure. Christians in some parts of India are threatened. Some would even claim that U.S. Christians are under siege. Atrocities committed against Christians by the Islamic State, Boko Haram, al-Shabab and others are regularly in the news. We hear that more Christians have been martyred in recent years than in the first three centuries of the Christian movement. Each circumstance of violence against Christians is deeply painful. There are brothers and sisters around the world whose lives are part of the passion of Christ. People are targeted in some countries because they are Christians. But this is a complex issue. Are Christians suffering and dying as witnesses to the faith? Yes. But in many places interre-ligious conflict has been used as a calculated pretext for political gain. A narrative of religion vs. religion, or religion vs. society, is an effective way of generating support for one’s cause. And, regrettably, suspicion and fear of the “other” leads to intolerance and discrimination. The persecution of Christians is not new. Martyrs have existed since the beginning of the church. Stephen was martyred with the consent of Paul, who was martyred by the Roman Empire. Paul quoted the psalms, writing: “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:36). Outrage is a natural reaction to beheadings and crucifixions. The instinct to strike back is understandable. Many Lutherans accept that in a broken world deadly force might be needed. Revenge, however, is not an option for a Christian. I pray that none of you ever suffers violence for the faith, but every generation has faced hostility. German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “To endure the cross is not a tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ.” “Martyr” is a Greek word that means “witness,” “to give testimony.” A witness can also be a symbol that testifies a promised action has been accomplished. When we speak about the persecution of Christians, the real question is: “What will be our witness?” Here is a story about how some Lutherans in Ethiopia answered that question. It happened in one of our companion synods. Some Muslims burned down a church, thinking they were attacking Roman Catholics. Instead, they burned down a Lutheran church by mistake. They were arrested and sent to jail. In that region it’s the responsi-bility of families to take care of prisoners’ hygiene and food. Instead, members of the Lutheran church asked authorities if they could dig the prisoners’ latrines and feed them. That was their witness in the face of persecution.

Page 6


Page 7


Christians aren’t the only ones being targeted and persecuted. More Muslims have reported-ly been killed by the Islamic State than any other group. Our witness must be as peacemakers and as defenders of religious minorities in our country and around the world. We must be the ones who speak out when entire religions are falsely characterized by the actions of extremists. We would not accept Christianity being defined by the Ku Klux Klan or the Christian Identity movement. We should not define entire communities by the distortion of their religion. The cross is God’s visual symbol that a promised action has been accomplished. It is God’s stake in the sand. It is God’s witness to the truth that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). This column originally appeared in The Living Lutheran’s May 2016 issue. Reprinted with permission.

The entire month of July St. John is

collecting packages of new

underwear to be donated to the

Neighborhood Service Center.

A special thank you to all of our members who make homemade Communion bread. These people are such a blessing to our congregation at St. John.

Fair Trade is a reflection of our faith. Purchasing fairly traded coffee, tea and chocolate improves the lives of farmers, families, and communities and is a direct path for you and your congregation to participate in life-changing work around the world. This year, we are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of LWR Fair Trade! Since 1996, US Lutherans have been champions of fair trade and have helped to lay the foundation for others to put their faith info action by uplifting farming communi-ties. Fair Trade is an important tool in the mission of bringing an end to poverty, injus-tice and human suffering around the world. Through LWR’s partnership with Equal Exchange, more than $713,000 has been directed to the LWR Small Farmer Fund in support of farming projects and farmers. We now have success stories to share. For more information go to www.lwr.org.

July Lifeline Newsletter Page 8

A meaningful way to make a difference

A new focus on kits. Introducing Project Promise: Build Kits of Care – a perfect

way for you to gather a group of people you know and turn ordinary items

into extraordinary gi8s. You can help people dealing with some of life’s most

difficult situa�ons –the a8ermath of earthquakes and floods, fleeing home to

escape violence and living in extreme poverty. Through our gi8s of hands and

hearts we pass on the transforma�onal love of Christ. We are also moved by

the knowledge that transforma�on can occur within our own communi�es.

For more informa�on visit buildkitsofcare.org.

Page 9

Senior Lutherans

Dinner

Entertainment by the “Mountain Lake Gospel Singers”

Wednesday, July 13 at 11:30 am $7.00 Call the church office at 833-1703 before noon on Monday, July 11 to reserve your meal.

Thrivent Action Team - St. John Quilters Summer Project

The St. John Quilters received approval for a summer project of completing 50 quilts to be given to Lutheran World Relief, Neighborhood Service Center, Red Lake Indian Reservation and youth mission trips. Seed money of $250 was received to purchase 50 twin size sheets to be used as backs of these quilts. Approval was also received this year to purchase some batting for the quilts that we make. We are so grateful that Thrivent has made this available to Thrivent members. The quilters will be working on Mondays through the summer to get these quilts finished. Half size quilts are also being made. We appreciate seeing that some of our quilt kits are being taken home to sew together. If anyone is interested in seeing what we do, please stop in.

If you have any questions, call Jean Miller at 835-2094.


Page 10

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

3 9:00 am Traditional Worship Noisy Offerings 10:15 Fellowship

MiM breakfast 5:00 pm Video Voice

4 Happy 4th

Of July

Office Closed

10:30 am

Video Voice

5

7:00 pm Commissions

6 7pm 3rd Gear

7 8 9

8am-4pm Vacation

Bible School

10 9:00 am Contemporary Worship w/comm

10:15 Fellowship

5:00 pm Video Voice

1110 am Quilters 10:30 am Video Voice

12

No Council meeting

13 11:30 am Senior Lutherans Dinner/ Mountain Lake Gospel Singers

14

7pm WELCA Combined Bible Study led by Pastor John.Omans. Thrivent Action Team Health Care

15 16

17 9:00 am Traditional Worship w/comm

10:15 Fellowship

5:00 pm Video Voice

18


19

20 7pm 3rd Gear

21

ICE

22

23

24 9:00 am Comtemporary Worship

10:15 Fellowship

5:00 pm Video Voice

25


26 4:45pm load bus MN Twins game hosted by

Men in Mission

27 7 pm 3rd Gear

28 Joint Communion

11:15 am Lake Shore Inn

1:00 pm Colony Court

29 30

31 9:00 am Comtemporary Worship

10:15 Fellowship

5:00 pm Video Voice

Pastor John on vacation


Youth Mission Trip “Into The Wild”


A Special Thank you to Pastor Hegal for leading worship on Sun. July 31!

SCRIP NEWS for SUMMER

Summer vacation time is here so many of us are making travel plans. The same goes for the Scrip Team. We will only sell scrip on the 2

ndand 4

th

Sundays of June, July, and August.

Sales usually fall off in the summer, so I will plan to enjoy processing orders every other week instead of every week. Thanks for your under-standing while I take a little vacation time too! We will resume weekly sales again in the fall. — Amy LeCocq, St John Scrip Coordinator

SimplyGiving®

Aneasy,generouschoiceIf you thinkyoumaymiss church services

thissummerduetotravelorother

commitments,considersettingupanauto-

maticgivingschedule.Yourconsistent

support is vital to our church, especially

duringsummermonths.Tosetuparecur-

ringcontribution,visittheChurchWebsite

andlocatetheelectronicgivingpageortalk

toCarrieinthechurchoffice.Endorsedby

theThriventFederalCreditUnion.

VIDEO VOICE OF ST JOHN

Each Sunday morning the worship

service at St. John is videotaped

and broadcast on Channel 8

Sundays at 5:00pm and Mondays at 10:30

am.

Complimentary bus Tokens are available for St. John mem-bers riding the bus to church. Call the church office 833-1703. You must call DISPATCH 1-855-762-7821 before 3pm Saturday to schedule your pickup and drop-off.

Sunday Bus (Smart Bus)

September 27-Oct. 1, and Oct. 7-8

More information coming in August!

St. John Church will be putting together a new directory in the Fall with the help of Lifetouch.

LIFETOUCH DIRECTORY

PROGRAM

Currently Available in the Narthex and Trinity Hall

Large print and regular size copies of :

“Portals of Prayer”, “Christ in our Home”, and “The Upper Room” quarterly devotion books.

Council meeting monthly minutes

Extra Copies of our Lifeline Monthly Newsletter

Monthly Prayer Ventures from ELCA

“Pockets” learning about God for children

“Gather” women’s magazine for faith and action

“The Lutheran Prayer book”-a collection of prayers and inspirations for every Lutheran.

July Lifeline Newsletter Page 11

Council Members and Staff Senior Pastor Council President Pastor John Omans work # 833-1703

Rodney Kolpin, 835-7780 home 833-1525# 833-1539 Church office 833-1703 cell 201-1103 Council Vice-President E-mail -- E-mail [email protected]@.com David Oraskovich 835-7387

3rd Gear Youth Director Marty Aberle, 461-3552 Council Secretary Email: [email protected]

Cindy Coy, 837-9115 website www.3rdgearwaseca.org Home # 833-1084

Senior Choir Director Mission and Outreach Deb Wantoch-Yess 835-3498

Education Worship and Musicvi22343405234350507Tesch Congregational Life Assistant Choir Director ,So 461-4030 Jan Macklay, 835-8706 Organists Jan Macklay, 835-8706 Al Tonn, 507-234-5737 Council Members at large Kevin Dickie 835-4151 Sunday School Director Pam Grunzke 835-3121 Marcia Bartz 507-676-0608 Don Wesseling 835-3985 Custodian Building and Grounds Cindy Fordham, 521-1085 Sam Macklay, 835-8706-

(cell) 720-7680 Parish Nurses Marcia Bartz, 507-676-0608 Carol Tilney, 835-7311 Financial Secretary Office Manager Al Tonn 507-234-5737 Carrie Lonneman, 833-1703 E-mail : [email protected] Facebook: St John Lutheran Church ELCA 4571

Nonprofit Organization US

Postage Paid Permit No.35

Waseca, MN 56093

WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.stjohnwaseca.org

St John Lutheran Church

401 3rd Avenue NE

Waseca MN 56093

Website: www.stjohnwaseca.org

Phone: 507-833-1703

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