VisionQuestAugust 2020

Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer1811 Lincoln AveEvansville, IN 47714

and7811 Oak Grove RdNewburgh, IN 47630

Bible Readings 2 From Pastor Tom 3-4 Shut-Ins 4 Sarah Prentice 5-6 Jeremy Seger 6-7 Treasurer’s Report 7 Member Information 8 Upcoming Events 9 Redeemer Preschool 10 Eagle Scout Project 11 Giving Garden 12 ELS Mum Sale 13 Mission Focus-POBLO 14 Worship Anew 15

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Volume XX Issue VIII July 23, 2020

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August Monthly Readings

August Bible Studies9:15am Sundays - Online AND In-Person

July - September Mission - POBLO Ministrieswww.poblo.org

Adult Bible Studies Pastor Tom - Luke

Thursdays - Backyard Bible Study with Pastor Tom on Facebook Live @ noon!

August 2 - Meeting the World with Kindness: Loving Your Enemies Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Prov. 24:17-20, Gal. 5:13-18, Matt. 5:43-48

August 9 - Meeting the World with Kindness: Caring for the Least Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Lev. 19:33-37, Jude 17-25, Matt. 25:31-46

August 16 Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Is. 56:1, 6-8, Rom. 11:1-2a, 13-15, 28-32, Matt. 15:21-28

August 23 Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Is. 51:1-6, Rom. 11:33-12:8, Matt. 16:13-20

August 30 Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Jer. 15:15-21, Rom. 12:9-21, Matt. 16:21-28

FROM PASTOR TOM

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VisionQuest

Fear and Faith

Many of us are struggling with what to think about the current world situation and how to act. It should not surprise us when things like Covid-19 and racial tensions come around. We live in a world with the curse and sin. Still, it is sometimes surprising when the curse and sin show how bad they can be. History would tell us that they can still be worse, and that is scary.

Another confusing aspect of both of these crises has been the mixed messages and flawed information about them. With Covid-19 we have really been learning on the fly. Somehow, there is a fair number of people who think it is a hoax or that its seriousness is a hoax. Let me assure you it is real, a serious threat to life or quality of life to people of any age, and it is not to be trifled with. Covid-19 will always be around, but if we can get to “herd immunity” levels through the development of a vaccine then it will be no longer a threat. Vaccines have allowed us to put smallpox, polio and others in a very small corner. They still exist but are not a threat. Bubonic plague still exists but antibiotics treat it.

Until we get a vaccine for Covid-19, we all must do our part to limit its ability to spread. Mask wearing and social distancing do make a difference. Some have made mask wearing a political issue. It is not. We have freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, the right to bear arms, but not the right to do whatever we want. Some things we must do just to survive as a society. The disciples of Jesus should lead the way in doing what is right. This includes voluntarily limiting some of our rights for the common good. When we fight against this we look uncaring and, frankly, ignorant. Mask wearing and good hand washing practices is not hard to do. It is merely a small inconvenience.

We need not live in fear about these things. Risks are real, but we can keep them small. Respect them but don’t fear them. Should we get sick, our lives are in the hands of God. We can go through temporary trials, but we cannot lose. We can have faith that God has our eternity secure in Jesus, that He can use all things for our ultimate good, that He will be with us in all situations. We should not assume that God will do what He has not promised. Assuming that God will prevent us from getting sick because we are Christians, would be an example of this and would throw away the responsibility of the stewardship of our health and the health of others.

Our Congregation In a Pandemic

Obviously, the pandemic has impacted the operation of our congregation. The impact isn’t all bad, however. We have been able to do less in-person pastoral care, very little getting together as groups,

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Remember Our Shut-Ins

and the loss of fellowship has got many of us down. Still, there has been the opportunity to reach out to more people online and hopefully the limitations of Covid-19 have made us all examine our priorities in life.

Just so you know, here is a breakdown of worship attendance, both in person and online over the past month:

8am 10:30am Newburgh Online (via our website + Facebook for all)

June 14 67 33 36 470

June 21 65 53 33 303

June 28 43 41 22 390

July 5 50 36 19 749

July 12 36 37 46 391

Our online numbers include actual login to the viewer on our website and those who actually clicked to watch on Facebook (engagements versus views).

MONDAY EVENING SERVICES ARE BEING DISCONTINUED UNTIL FALL 2020

Member information is not available online. Please contact the church office.

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SARAH PRENTICE, DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Sunday Morning Bible Classes for Children and YouthI have been working on ways to safely resume Children’s and Youth Sunday Morning Bible classes. My biggest concerns have been the small windowless classrooms we have to use and the availability and safety of volunteers. Unlike the Adult Bible Class that only requires one teacher, Children’s and Youth Ministry require at least 8 adult leaders. How do we practice social distancing with children and the adults who are responsible for them? Especially in confined spaces like the classrooms and hallway?

Starting August 2nd:

For 2 year olds through 4th graders we will do Family Sunday Morning Live! This will be led by me and done in the Fellowship Hall with each family at their own table. Parents will be responsible for their own children negating the need for volunteers. Everyone age six and older will be asked to wear a mask. (This is an update from the email that was sent out to families. The change was made based on the recommended age in the Evansville Mask Mandate.) Families will gather for Bible Study and hands-on learning as we explore God’s Word together!

Damon Brown has agreed to lead the Middle School Bible Class. The plan is to hold the class outside in the courtyard, weather permitting. Otherwise the class will meet in Room 208 and youth will be asked to wear mask.

The High School Bible Class will be a Youth Led class and also meet outside weather permitting. I am still working on finding them a space to meet inside.

I will continue to email families weekly Bible Studies to be done at home. I understand that not everyone is ready to resume in-person Bible Classes. If anyone in your family is feeling sick or if there is a possibility that you have been exposed to Covid-19, please stay home! While it is important for us to gather as a community, we are also called to take care of each other.

Youth MinistryWelcome new 5th Graders to YouthNight and Freshmen to LYFsavers! We will meet at Redeemer Newburgh to take advantage of the great outdoor space there. At this time I am asking that youth not bring friends so that we can keep our numbers manageable. If youth are sick or showing symptoms of being sick, or if there is the possibility of

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JEREMY SEGER, DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Barnabuddies~

Our LCOR Barnabuddies program is designed to partner congregational members with students from our congregation attending university or trade school. We ask the member to pray for, email, text, send cards, care packages etc. to keep the students connected to our congregation. Now, with our online presence, it is also a good idea to remind the students that they can attend worship live on our website and Facebook pages or watch at a later time on Facebook or on our YouTube channel. I will also be sending these links to the students.*** If you are interested in becoming a Barnabuddy for one of our college students, please send me an email at jeremy@redeemerchurch.org. I will be contacting students to see how each of their universities will be handling student returns due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Online Ministry~

We have implemented a structured and intentional schedule of posts for our social media sites. If you are engaged in our sites, I encourage you to like and share our posts, tweets, videos and pics. By doing this, more people can see and interact with our worship, posts and discussions. This also increases our visibility through each social media site, putting our pages and handles in front of more people. This gives us more opportunities to share the Gospel. You can find us on Facebook at Redeemer Evansville and Redeemer Newburgh. Our Instagram handle (username) is redeemerevv. Our Twitter handle (username) is Redeemer Church.

UE Campus Ministry~

UE will be returning to campus in the fall. Right now that start date is set for August 17th, with semester ending November 25th. However, like everything else, that could change. Whenever it does start, we will be in the best position we have been in years for campus ministry. We as

SARAH PRENTICE, DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, cont’d

exposure to Covid-19 of youth/immediate families members, please stay home. Please note the time change of activities. We will start at 6:30pm (it was 6:00pm last school year) to accommodate the group playing volleyball at Redeemer Newburgh.

LYFsavers Youth NightBible Study DodgeballSunday, August 9 Sunday, August 166:30-8pm 6:30-8pm

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TREASURER’S REPORT

ACTUAL BUDGETJune Income $ 86,371 $ 86,500 June Expenses $ 92,780 $ 80,600 Income - Expenses $ (6,409) $ 5,900 YTD Income $ 511,741 $ 469,020 YTD Expenses $ 539,840 $ 525,313 YTD Income - Expenses $ (28,098) $ (56,293)

Memorial Trust Fund $ 655,678

JEREMY SEGER, DIRECTOR OF MUSIC….cont’d

a congregation are now listed as a certified volunteer for Religious Life. What this means for us are these exciting things:

1. We will have access to reserve any room on campus. 2. We will be able to have events on campus. 3. I will have a UE email and ID for easy access, correspondence and legitimacy with the

students. 4. We will have a means to easily advertise events held on campus. 5. We will be sharing office space with other Christian Campus Ministries on campus. Each

group will be asked to have 2-3 hours of office time/week to be available to UE students.

I am talking with the Director of Religious Life and the Pastor at Student Christian Fellowship. One of the new ideas that we are hoping to begin is a “Workout and the Word” Bible Study for men. This would take place at the UE Rec Center. It would consist of a 30 minute workout partnered with a 30 minute Bible Study.

As a congregation, we are planning on continuing our Study Lounge during finals and also expanding our “Midweek Paws” with the Vanderburgh Humane Society. We have found that since new parking has opened up (and enrollment has decreased) our Grab and Go breakfasts have been poorly attended. These will be put on the shelf for a season and hopefully replaced by more “on UE campus” events.

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Member info…

Are you getting emails from Redeemer? If not, we may have incorrect or incomplete contact information for you. Be sure to let us know when changes occur.

Member information is not available online. Please contact the church office.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Church Week at Rural King

Rural King is honored to host Church Week August 2 - August 15. 2020. Through this program customers can support their local Christian churches and schools. Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer has been accepted as a registered organization. All you have to do is shop at Rural King during this time period and then go online to www.ruralking.com/churchweek, choose Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer as your organization of choice and upload your receipts. All receipts must be uploaded by September 1, 2020. Rural King will donate 10% of each valid receipt’s total to Redeemer!

SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 19

This is the date for Trinity Henderson’s 10th Annual Women’s Retreat Celebration! The Guest Speaker for the day will be Donna Snow, a popular speaker and author. Her presentation will be: “Perseverance: Praying Through Life’s Challenges, A Nehemiah Battle Plan”. This study focuses on Nehemiah, chapters 1-7. Bring your Bibles!

Times and location are yet to be determined, so stay tuned and watch for updates and more information as the date approaches.

Any questions, please contact Debbie Ragan at kyladybug88@gmail.com or Pastor Moog at mamoog52@gmail.com.

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REDEEMER CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL AND PRE K

Redeemer Christian Preschool

Enrolling now for 3-5 year olds in Preschool and Pre-K

Preschool Class (3-4 yr olds) Pre-K Class (4-5 yr olds) Tuesdays & Thursdays Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays 8:30am-Noon 8:30am-Noon $100 a month $125 a month

NEW OFFERING!! Preschool Class (3-5 yr olds) Monday thru Friday 8:30am-Noon $200 a month

Call or email for enrollment information: (812) 476-9991 preschool@redeemerchurch.org

Follow us on Facebook (Redeemer Christian Preschool) for updates and Covid -19 precautions

Teachers: Mrs. Jean Pogue, Director and Mrs. Meghan Hillenbrand, Assistant Teacher

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My name is Elizabeth Knea and I am a member of Trinity Lutheran Church-Darmstadt in Evansville, IN. I am actively involved in youth groups and attended the LCMS Youth Gathering in 2019. Ever since I could, I’ve attended either Camp Lakeview or Lakeview Villages and it became one of my favorite places to go. I am also a part of Scout BSA Troop G374 where I am a Life Scout working on being an Eagle Scout in the first class of girl Eagle Scouts. One of the main things I have to do to become an Eagle Scout is my Eagle Scout Project. Since Lakeview Ministries has made such a lasting imprint on my life I have decided to do my Eagle Project at Camp Lakeview. I will be making a walkway with stairs for the Slip and Slide. This project will cost around $8,000 and I will need help to raise this money. I would like the support of the churches and congregations that would have people who would benefit from the work I am doing.

You can donate at www.lakeviewministries.camp. Click on the “give” tab at the top of the page and select campaign “Eagle Project” and purpose “Elizabeth Knea’s…”. You can also mail your check to: Lakeview Ministries, 13500 W Lake Rd, Seymour, IN 47274 with a memo saying it is for “Elizabeth Knea’s Eagle Project”. If you have any questions please email me at elizabethk1228@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!!

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT

Have you picked up the latest copy of Portals of Prayer? If you can’t make it in to do so, we would be glad to mail you a copy, just call or email us your request.

You can also now download the Portals of Prayer app (from Concordia Publishing House) on your iPhone or Android. The app is currently on sale through July 31st.

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REDEEMER’S GIVING GARDEN (formerly known as Alms Garden)

Signage for the garden has arrived!  Thank you to Lindsey Prentice for the design and to the Trustees for their anticipated assistance in hanging the sign on the fence.  We are hoping visitors have questions about the Sola's.  

Thank you Pastor Tom and all who attended the blessing ceremony for the Little Free Library.  The library is registered and our sign has arrived.  When working in the garden we have received many positive comments about the library, bench and garden.  We have seen families bicycle in specifically to visit the library with a bag for the books they bring/take.

Neighborhood Share continues on Monday and Thursday evenings with 10+ visitors each evening.  

U-Pick vegetables and herbs are available anytime.  With Covid19 the outreach to the homebound and those in nursing homes is on hold; however, the flowers are blooming and ready for cutting to enjoy or share.

Supporters ask what we need for the garden?  Prayers and Volunteers are the priority!  Activities/items wanted and envisioned:  music, prayer ministry during Neighborhood Share, blueberry bushes and expanded storage start the conversation.

We invite you:  Come to the garden, Talk with us, Share the joy! 

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ELS MUM SALE

Evansville Lutheran School Fall Mum Sale

We will be selling beautiful fall Mums through August 24

Hard 8 1/2” potted mums ready to bloom!!

Available colors:

YellowRed

OrangeWhite

Red Daisy

Cost is $9.00 per plant. Order SIX or more and pay only $8.00!

Send order and check to:Evansville Lutheran School

111 E Virginia StEvansville, IN 47711

Or order online at www.evansvillelutheranschool.com

Pick-up date will be after Labor Day

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Poblo International POBLO International is a Christian mission organization working to transform the way missions are approached in the United States.

Our Mission To meet the physical, social, and spiritual needs of Muslims and other immigrants and refugees in the United States by sharing the love of Jesus in practical and culturally relevant ways.  

About Us Poblo International Ministries is a non-profit, Christian organization that is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus with Muslims and other immigrants and refugees living in the United States. Unlike in the past, American Christians do not have to go overseas to do mission work— the mission field is in our own front yard. Poblo International Ministries is responding to this change in demographics and revolutionizing the way the gospel is shared by engaging in cross-cultural missions and grassroots community outreach here in the United States and training and partnering with local churches. Learn more at: www.poblo.org.

Our Approach First and foremost, before we can share the love of Jesus, we must first bridge the gap between Americans and Muslims, and other immigrants and refugees who came to the United States for a better life. To do this, we reach out in friendship and love and build relationships and trust between our missionaries and volunteers who are sharing the Gospel with Muslims and other immigrants and refugees who may not know the love of Jesus Christ.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.POBLO.ORG

MISSION FOCUS JULY-SEPTEMBER: POBLO INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES

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WORSHIPANEWDirecTVSundays@11:30amonchannel377

worshipanew.org

August 2, 2020 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 136:1-9; Isaiah 55:1-5; Matthew 14: 13-21 “More Than Enough” - Sermon Text: Matthew 13:20 - Rev. Thomas Eggold Our Savior has compassion on the needy and has provided for the poor in miraculous ways. He has called us out of our poverty, exhaustion, anxiety, and doubt and has forgiven our sins. In Him, we have more than enough and now we can share His life-giving, life-changing, life-saving gifts with the world.

August 9, 2020 – Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 18:1-6, 46; Job 38:4-18; Matthew 14:22-33 “The Powerful Word” - Sermon Text: Matthew 14:27 - Rev. Shayne Jonker Fear is the underlying issue of this morning's Gospel reading. Fear threatens to swallow up Peter and the disciples in their little boat out on the rough sea. Fear paralyzes, it wears us down, it erodes our faith, and it generates doubt. To the disciples' fear, and to ours, Jesus speaks His Word: “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.”

August 16, 2020 – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 13-15, 28-32; Matthew 15:21-28 “Perfect Healing” - Sermon Text: Matthew 15:21-28 - Rev. Paul Shoemaker We all pray for physical health to be restored when a loved one is ill. Our spiritual health has been restored by Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Christ, whether in life or at death, we have perfect healing.

August 23, 2020 – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 138; Isaiah 51:1-6; Matthew 16:13-20 “Built on the Rock” - Sermon Text: Matthew 16:13-20 - Rev. William Mueller The question Jesus asks His disciples is rather simple: Who do people say that He is? However, Jesus’ purpose in asking the question was far more than taking a poll of public opinion – He was narrowing it down to each individual person. Who do you say that Jesus is? Is He just a moderately powered helper, enough to help us over the speedbumps in life, OR is He the Lord God Himself who is our Savior?

August 30, 2020 – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 26; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28 “The Way God Thinks” - Sermon Text: Matthew 16:23 - Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer Are you ever tempted to be God’s “script-writer,” to tell God how to be God? Life’s greatest news is this . . . God does NOT meet our expectations, He EXCEEDS them! This good news changes our lives now and eternally.

Lutheran Church ofOur Redeemer

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID EVANSVILLE, IN PERMIT No. 1592

The Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer1811 Lincoln Avenue

Evansville, Indiana 47714

Address Service Requested

Telephone: 812-476-9991Church Office HoursMonday-Friday 8am-4:30pm

Sundays@Redeemer EvansvilleTraditional Worship 8am & 10:30am(Also available Live online @ 8am)

Adult Bible Study 9:15amAVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN PERSON

Mondays@Redeemer EvansvilleSERVICE WILL RESUME FALL 2020

Sundays@Redeemer Newburgh7811 Oak Grove Rd.Blended Worship 11:30am(Also available Live online)

www.redeemerchurch.org