M e ssi a h M e sse n g er February 2020

Annual Meeting page 1

Save the Date page 2 Synod Book Club page 2

Council Actions page 2

Preschool News page 3

From the Pastor page 3

Youth News page 4

Take Away Hunger page 5

Grandview Concert Choir to visit page 5 Thank You page 6

Scheduled to Serve page 6

Celebrations page 6

Calendar page 7

Pastor Susanne E. Smith

Youth Director Kelly Benz

Assistant Youth Director Laura Carruthers

Administrator-Bookkeeper Dennis Wohlers

Secretary Shelley Morton

Choir Director Alice Kenel

Organist Hal Morton

Facilities Jerry & Kay Claussen

Adam Gerst

Nursery Attendant Ashley McCain

Preschool Staff Margie Gerst, Dir.

Krystal Klein

Erica Moser

President Kathy Newberry

Vice President Cathy Borden

Treasurer Stan Lehman

Secretary Brenda Clements

Sue Abbott

Ty Buras

Marge Classen

Steve Davis-Quick

Joel Hanger

Jane Kuepper

Christa Ruther

Don Shackleford

Dave Weiler

Spotlight on

The annual meeting took place Jan. 26 between the early and the late service.

President Joanne Mohr called the meeting to order and called for approval of the minutes of last year’s annual meeting. Cathy Borden, representing the nominating committee, read the list of candidates for the congregational council, the preschool board and syn-od assembly delegates. A motion from the floor called for voting by ac-clamation rather than paper ballots. The motion passed, and all candi-dates on the ballot were voted in with a resounding “aye.”

New to the Congregation Council are: Joel Hanger Jane Kuepper Christa Ruther

Brenda Clements and Steve Davis-Quick, who were filling unexpired terms, were elected to full terms.

New preschool board members are: Lois Clark Brenda Clements Deb Hatteberg

Kelly Benz and Kathy Newberry will represent us at the synod as-sembly, and Blake Ruther will join the Endowment committee.

Retiring board members Sandy Good and Nancy Johannsen will join the nominating committee for next year.

The Sunday school kids enter-tained us by singing “Sanctuary.”

Copies of the annual report and budget are available in the nar-thex.

PAGE 1

Save the Date: Lutheran Day on the Hill

Join Lutherans from all over Iowa on Febru-ary 25 for a rousing morning of advocacy training, then speak directly with legislators at the Iowa State Capitol in the afternoon.

Whether you’re an advocacy pro or you’ve never talked with a legislator, you’ll gain new insights on important Iowa issues and faith-grounded outreach to our policymakers.

This event is presented by Lutheran Ser-vices in Iowa and the three Iowa Synods of the ELCA. Registration is open at

LSIowa.org/LDH.

Council Actions

January

A copy of council minutes and reports is available in the office for review.

Action items: ♦ Approved the agenda for the Annual Meeting

Facility usage approval: Feb 1: Family party 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. K, SH Feb 29: Baseball team project 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. K, SH

June 19/20: Hicks/Culbertson wedding

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Columbarium Task Force

Present: Kathy Newberry, Susanne Smith, Paul Walker

We discussed a recommendation that the task force present its proposal to council in incre-ments. The first likely piece to present would be a business plan. Preparation of this will be next meeting’s agenda.

We reviewed the 2019 task force financial re-port, the results of the adult class council forum, and a conversation with Alex Truuro from Eick-hof Columbaria. That material is in the colum-barium task force binder in the narthex. The next meeting of the task force is Thursday, February 20, at 5:00 p.m. Note the change to a later time.

Synod Book Club

One Coin Found by Emmy Kegler is the last book to be featured by the Synod Book Club.

The discussion is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb 13, streamed online via Zoom video conference.

To register, go to: communications@seiasynod.org

Subscribe to

Lenten Daily Devotions

Lenten devotions are offered through the Southeast Iowa Synod. One short email delivered to your inbox every day during Lent. Sign up at https://seiasynod.org/lent/

Emails begin Ash Wednesday.

PAGE 3

Lions and tigers and bears OH MY! … as well as eggs, candlesticks, wells, chicks, pigs, wolves, cows, lambs and more. It’s nursery rhymes and fairy tales time in preschool. We have so much fun leaning and reciting our rhymes, fingerplays, and stories about a time long ago. We are busy learning about another time long, long ago ̶ the dinosaurs and their habits through books, short videos, music, sand play (digging up bones), water play (washing them), and painting pictures of what their habitat looked like.

We are also doing many winter science experiments with snow (when it comes), water and ice. Many winter projects are decorating the rooms and halls showing all our work. A naturalist from Starr’s Cave Nature Center came to visit and helped us learn about box turtles.

We also participated in the National School Choice Campaign. Because parents choose to send their chil-dren to Messiah Preschool, we are included in this cam-paign and given scarves for each of the children to proudly wear and let others know their parents chose us! Each child was also given a letter thanking his or her parents for choosing Messiah Lutheran Preschool for their child’s first school experience.

We are running our annual enrollment drive right now. Forms are available on the church website and in the preschool office.

If you’d like to provide tuition for a preschooler next session or make a donation to the preschool

fund, please see Ms. Margie, or Dennis in the office.

REMEMBER: As a member of Messiah, your child or grandchild receives a discount on tuition. Thank you for your prayers for our preschool and its children, families and staff.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY from us to you!

Somewhere in the sixth century, a Christian monk named Benedict gathered a group of individuals around him, and together they built a different kind

of community with a different kind of politics. The Rule of Benedict isn’t grounded in the need for oil, or highway bridges or social security, nor in the fear of any of them falling down. Life was incredibly more precarious in the sixth century, life expectancy decades shorter than our own. These monks who gathered together to form an intentional Christ-centered community did not do so to preserve their own lives or to extend them, but to become an energized vehicle for salvation, that is, to be-come a powerful Christly presence in this world, that depended on the grace and mercy of God to bring them into the next world. They planned to be a model of heaven’s politics on earth.

Here’s how they did it in the sixth century, and how they are still doing it in community at St. John’s Abbey, in Collegeville, Minnesota, and in many other places. The Rule of Benedict has 73 chapters, but we can count its essence on our fingers. They call it ‘the little rule for beginners’ and it fuels col-laborative leadership to translate this vision into real improvement in lives. Trust me on this: the Benedictines have brought us health care, schools, and churches, and liturgy in English. They built Minnesota Public Radio, and what they do works for Christian communities, including our own. See Pastor’s Desk, p. 5

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Children, Youth

, &

Fam

ily M

inis

try

Look for a new monthly blog from Kelly that has tips and tools for passing the faith! This is a great resource for par-ents, grandparents, and any adult who is looking to share their faith with young people. This blog will be shared on Messiah’s Facebook page and can also be found at:

messiahchildrenandyouth.blogspot.com

2020 Camp EWALU Early Bird discount

deadline is March 2nd.

s possible,

~ St. Francis of Assisi

Sub Sandwich Fundraiser

Sunday Feb. 2nd Pick up before or after both

services. Cost is $7 each and includes a sandwich, cookie, chips,

and a bottle of water.

Communion Milestone Class

For children in 2nd grade and up (or

younger if parents wish) on Wednesdays

during Lent. We will celebrate Commun-

ion Milestone on April 9th — Maundy

Thursday — in worship with the tradi-

tional feet washing.

Please see Kelly to register.

Timothy

Family Night — February 12th

No 412 Timothy on Ash Wednesday, February 26th.

Boy Scout Sunday is Feb. 2nd — Scouts, please wear your Class As to church!

Scouts BSA

Messiah’s next packaging session for TAKE AWAY HUNGER will be:

Saturday, Feb. 15, at 10 am.

Please sign up in the narthex if you plan on helping.

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Pastor’s Desk, cont. Number one: Benedictine monks listen to all members of their community when they’re mak-ing decisions. That doesn’t mean succumbing to weak group-think. It means listening carefully for the heart and mind of Jesus, and trusting that his heart and mind are deeply present in the voices of every member present.

Number two: They are hospitable, and they don’t try to make eachother look bad when working toward a solution. The Benedictines know that sin can make us selfish, and shame can make us cold and fearful. But they trust that the grace and mercy of God will address even the worst of our situations, even in cases of sex-ual abuse perpetrated by one of their own com-munity. Benedictines don’t expel sinners; they join together to repair and strengthen what has been broken. They stand with the broken, both victim and perpetrator.

Number three: the monks keep death daily be-fore their eyes. They watch the cross, and their cross is a crucifix with the body of Jesus hang-ing on it. It’s a fine and ancient way to remind ourselves that human power ends, and it ends absolutely. Minding the suffering of Jesus the Christ for all our sakes eats away at our preoc-cupation with self, and draws us into more con-stant awareness of our neighbor’s needs. It em-powers the Benedictines to take initiative for the community’s common good and common vision.

Fourth and finally: the Benedictines protect and expand on the resources entrusted to them. They always ask, “How are we making the situ-ation better?” They put their money into initia-tives and places that have long-term return: ed-ucation, the arts, worship, and the care of the vulnerable. For this reason, people invest in THEM to keep their dynamic work working. It’s not “how can we save dollars,” or “how can we say ‘no’” to avoid sacrifice or commitment, but a transforming approach, “how can we invest our money and our work in order to innovate and

Pastor Susanne+

make things new?”

Benedictines tolerate criticism for moving ahead, and they tolerate conflict as the salt that makes progress truly tasty. And they haven’t stopped for fourteen centuries. They believe in God’s future for them, and for the rest of us. Good job. Good model for the rest of us, don’t you think?

Grandview Lutheran University Concert Choir

In performance Friday, March 13, 7 p.m.

Messiah Lutheran Church

Join us Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m. for a lovely evening of music and fellowship. Pastor Ryan Cosgrove has been working with choir director Dr. Kathryn Duffy to bring Grandview’s concert choir to Burlington and is asking us all to be a part of the experience.

How can we help? We will need a kitchen crew to serve supper that Friday evening to about 50 people, and we will need hosts to provide over-night accommodations for 20 women, 10 men, one married couple and three faculty. Contact: Pastor Ryan Cosgrove at pastor@trinity-burlington.org (319) 560-1741 or Pastor Susanne Smith at messiahpastor@gmail.com (319) 754-7591.

Expect to be rewarded for your participation! An evening with these young people will be de-lightful.

Any high school student who is interested in Grandview Lutheran University is invited to have supper with the choir.

Scheduled to Serve in February

8:00 Service:

Lectors: February 2 ...................................... Mary Chicken February 9 ...................................... Doug Worden February 16 .................................. Marge Classen February 23 .................................... Jane Kuepper

Communion Assistants: February 2 .......................................... Bob Wright February 9 ............................................ Bill Evans February 16 .................................. Marge Classen February 23 ........................................ Bob Wright

10:30 Service:

Ushers: .............. Dan Wiedemeier (h), Ty Buras, ................. John & Kay Wischmeier, Mark Smith

Lectors: February 2........................................ Karen Cahill February 9 ................................. Roger Hatteberg February 16 ................................ Rev. Dick Bailey February 23 .............................. Brenda Clements

Communion Assistants: February 2 ........................................ John Larson February 9 ................................ Brenda Clements February 16 ............................ Lotegeluaki Lengai February 23 ............................................ Ty Buras

Acolytes: February 2 ................................... Caroline Wolter February 9 ..................................... Emma Tesson February 16 ........................................ Ben Wolter February 23 ..................................... Jacob Dittner February 26 (Ash Wednesday) ........ Lachlan Kirk

Altar Guild: .............................. Kay Wischmeier, ............................................... Nenyo Lotegeluaki

February Birthdays

Dalton Hayes ........................................ 1 Lois Clark .............................................. 2 Colleen Hiebner .................................... 2 Natalie Jacobs ...................................... 2 Betty Mauer ........................................... 2 Sue Abbott ............................................ 5 Kathryn Boyle ........................................ 5 Jaelyn Gerst .......................................... 6 Susan Sharkey ...................................... 6 Will Brinkley .......................................... 8 Nathaniel Weiler .................................... 9 Adam Gerst ......................................... 12 Thea Good .......................................... 12 Mary Lee Matteson ............................. 14 Robert Goede .................................... 16 Tom Miller ........................................... 16 Carrie Ruther ...................................... 16 Patricia Hudgel .................................... 18 David Otto ........................................... 18 Makalah Peterson ............................... 18 Doug Classen ..................................... 20 Kathy Furnald ...................................... 21 Marge Classen .................................... 23 Stephanie Benne................................. 26 Bailey Galvin ....................................... 26 Katie Schultz ....................................... 26 Lois Bailey ........................................... 27 Robin Graham ..................................... 27 Sally Miller ........................................... 28 Connor Sheagren ................................ 29

February Anniversaries

Carole & Robert Beck (50) .................. 1 Lois & Gregory Sirek (39) ................. 23

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If we’ve missed your

anniversary or birthday, please

let the office know!

The Christmas hat and glove tree was very suc-cessful. We delivered 42 pairs of gloves, 32 hats, eight scarves and five headbands to the Burlington School Administration building.

School bus drivers distribute them to the children as needed. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

the Social Ministry committee

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MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH 2411 West Avenue

BURLINGTON, IA 52601

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Burlington, IA

52601-1598

Permit No. 360

Return Service Requested

Sunday Mornings Worship 8:00 a.m. Adult Forum 9:15 a.m. Sunday school 9:15 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m.

Third Wednesdays Supper 6:00 p.m. Worship 7:00 p.m.

February 2020

MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH

Phone: 319-754-7591

Fax: 319-754-7592

E-mail: messiah2411@gmail.com

www.messiahburlington.org

Our Mission Statement

Welcoming all people to share in God’s blessings by strengthening our commit-ment to God through pray-er, fellowship and service.

§

This Month

Take Away Hunger packaging - Saturday, February 15, at 10:00 in the social hall

Every Month

Men’s Bible study - every 2nd and 4th Monday in the library Weekly Bible study - every Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m.in the conference room Al-Anon - every Tuesday at noon in the conference room Alateen - every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in the library Exercise class - every Monday and Thursday at 10:45 a.m.in the social hall Veterans Support group - First Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the library 3rd Thursday - 6:00 supper and 7:00 Holden Evening Prayer in the social hall