December 2006

OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN STAFF

Our Savior Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Inside this issue:

Choice Dollars 2

Scrip News 2

Financial Report 2

Amazon Smile 2

Social Ministry 2

Summer Camp 3

Dinner & A Movie 3

Piecemakers 3

Calendar 4

Stewardship 5

June & July 2019

Greetings in the Name of Christ, our Lord and Savior,

Yes, summer is here – both for our church schedule and for the weather. We are back to one service and no Sunday School, but increase our children and youth ministries during this month of June. First is the summer camp June 11 – 13, followed by confirmation camp June 16 -21. The Thursday evening after summer camp and clean up, helpers and children will be invited over to our house for some swimming and relaxation. . . . . Mary Lovig and I will be gone on the first Sunday of the month at the Synod Assembly in Corpus Christi. Ron Acebuche, our organ-ist, will preach on that Sunday. As announced, Ron’s last Sunday with us will be July 14 with an appropriate farewell to follow. He is relocating to the greater Austin area. . . . Sunday, June 9

th, will be our Senior Recognition Sunday, as well as the installation of our summer camp staff.

In addition, that is Pentecost Sunday where we all wear red. . . . Do note due to my summer travel schedule, it works out better to offer communion on the 2

nd and 4

th Sundays of June, July,

and August. . . . My vacation will begin on July 15 and finish on Aug. 5. We will have guest preachers during those three Sundays. . . . As a reminder, don’t forget to keep up your financial giving in the summer as the work of the church doesn’t stop when we take vacations and travel. . . . Yes, the summer is a change. Our God walks with us throughout. We give thanks for that consistency and agape love of the Father for us. May your summers be blessed and may you be a blessing to others. -Pastor Steve † Cell phone 956-340-0020

Volume , Issue

Our Savior Lutheran Church Living Faith Center

WORSHIP WITH US

Sunday’s at 9:30 AM

Coffee & Fellowship after the service. Communion will be offered the 2

nd & 4

th Sun-

day’s during the summer months.

MINISTERS ALL PEOPLE OF OSLC

PASTOR STEVEN HERZBERG

OFFICE MANAGER IRENE GONZALEZ

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR VICKI DREWS

MUSIC DIRECTOR KENNETH RIVENS

PIANIST RON ACEBUCHE

BELL CHOIR DIRECTOR CONNIE LAUMANN

YOUTH DIRECTOR DAWN EVERSON

COUNCIL MEMBERS

PRESIDENT JASON MILLIGAN

VICE PRESIDENT MEGHAN CAMPOS

TREASURER BILL MAUCK

SECRETARY DAWN GARCIA

FELLOWSHIP DONALEE VANRAMSHORST

EVANGELISM MEGHAN CAMPOS

PHYLLIS YARDLEY

LEARNING & YOUTH ALIE HILES

PROPERTY LARRY KEEFE

STEWARDSHIP STEVE HERZBERG

WORSHIP & MUSIC KELLI VANHEE

Financial reports and minutes are available in the Narthex.

Pastor’s Notes

Summer Potluck June 9 & July 14

It’s summer! That means

it’s time for good food and

fellowship on the second

Sunday’s in June & July.

Bring a dish to share and

we’ll eat together after

worship.

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

Healing: Dick Rush, Ron Hawkins, Sylvia Groom, Rolland Harrison, Don Sletner, Les Watkins. Friends of Congregation: Carol Campos, Bobbie Everson, Maria Her-nandez, Leanne Martens, Bob Nel-son, Jane Huston Ray, Brian Sand-ers, Wyatt Kamp.

In military service: Nicholas Fod-ness, Jason Hiles, Justin Hiles, Lo-gan McLaughlin, Ned Long, Tyler Watkins Poidinger. For the Family and Friends of Duanne Bagaus, who passed from life through death to eternal life on May 13, 2019.

Financial Review for January-April, 2019 April Income Year to Date 4 months Income

Actual $25,227 Actual $117,474

Plan $28,860 Plan $121,679

Difference $ -3,633 Difference $ -4,205

April Expenses Year to Date Expenses

Actual $22,954 Actual $ 98,068

Plan $21,628 Plan $ 98,391

Difference $+1,326 Difference $ -323

Four Months Actual vs. Plan (cash flow) Income less Expense

Difference Actual $ +19,406 Planned Difference $+23,288

Operating Funds Balance $102,536 Restricted Funds Balance $36,121

Usable Operating Funds $62,503

Income for April was less than our plan by $3,633. Offerings for envelopes and loose checks were less than planned by $3,236. Loose cash was higher than planned by $786, and loose checks was higher than planned by $2,118. Other envelopes was less than planned by $994. Other income fell short by $2,307. Expenses for April were slightly lower than budgeted for by $323. Year-to-date Income ($117,474) less expenses ($98,068) is positive though by $19,406 as we head into the leaner summer months. Offerings are right where they were budgeted for the year so far, but other income is less than expected by $4,517.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES will resume in September. It’s summer!!

THURSDAY BIBLE STUDY will continue through July 11 at 10:00 a.m. We’ll take a closer look at the Gospel lessons for the week. Pastor Steve leads.

2

Our Savior Lutheran Church

SCRIP NEWS!

This is a quick reminder that our Scrip pro-gram will continue through the summer. Vicki Drews will be taking your orders on Sunday, June 23rd and delivering them the following Sunday, June 30th. For the month of July, orders will be taken on Sunday July 21st for delivery July 28th. Cant be in church those Sunday’s? Stop by the office during the week to place your order with Vicki. Monday’s 9:00am—12:00pm & Tuesday—Friday 1:00pm—4:00pm. Thanks!☺

SOCIAL MINISTRIES/SHARING & CARING:

Every communion Sunday we collect food or supplies for distribution to our neighbors in need on the first Sunday of each month. For June, we ask for CANNED MEATS, and for July, CANNED VEGETABLES & CEREALS for our friends at Cristo Rey Lutheran Church in Las Milpas. All items are needed and appreciated. The third Sunday please bring items for the Neighborhood Pantry, helping families with food in our area. A list of the items we include in each bag is in the Narthex and you may also donate funds and designate Food Pantry. We’ll begin meeting again this fall, but the ministries continue throughout the

summer. God’s Work, Our Hands

WORSHIP ASSISTANCE: Please sign up each week during the sum-

mer for ushering (4 each Sunday) & serving communion (2 on communion Sundays) & lectoring (1 each Sunday, the lessons will be sent to you for the week you are going to read). Thank you.

SHOP AT AMAZON? You can help OSLC at the same time. The link is: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/74-

1903015 or visit the church website at oursaviormcallen.org and click on the AmazonSmile banner. The Ama-zonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the selected organization.

CHOICE DOLLARS:

With Thrivent Choice®, Thrivent

members can recommend where

some of Thrivent Financial's char-

itable outreach funds go, includ-

ing to OSLC. Since 2010, more

than $370 million has been dis-

tributed to churches and nonprof-

its nationwide. Visit the OSLC

website and click on the Thrivent

Choice image to be taken to the

Thrivent website, or call 800-847-

4836 or visit thrivent.com/

thriventchoice. A total of $3,278

was donated to Our Savior in

2018 through Thrivent Choice.

JUNE ANNIVERSARIES

4 Lynn & Edith Engel

5 Duane & Verla Buenzow

5 William & Mary Curll

6 Ron & Roxanne Cheney

7 Bob & Karen Olson

8 Zane & Judy Juncker

19 Edward & Lorrie Long

27 Rudy & Verna Losoya

29 Daniel & Faith Meurrens

30 Gene & Joann Goede

3

JULY BIRTHDAYS

4 Lena Doering 4 Karen Olson 7 Wendy Fowler 7 Patrick Hovland 7 John Klein 7 Jason Milligan 8 Verles Emry 9 Duane Bagaus 10 Delia Oberloh 13 Janice Zuzulka

16 Thomas McCann

20 Alex VanHee 27 Fred Varner

28 Sue Nielsen 30 Judy Colbenson 31 Shirley Johnson

JUNE BIRTHDAYS

2 Kathy Bush 2 Joan Einhorn 6 Paul Jensen 8 Dick Welding 13 Tonia Herzberg 16 Roxanne Cheney 17 Talia Fuentes 17 Phyllia Yardley 18 Verla Buenzow

19 Dorothy Case 21 Kay Paulson 22 Steve Herzberg

26 Diana Herzberg 27 Tyler Zuniga 29 Robert Garcia 29 Jude Young

JULY ANNIVERSARIES

1 John & Teri Klein

3 Kurt & Pam Von Rosenberg

7 Gene & Sue Nielsen

13 Javier & Jeanne Fuentes

13 Bennie & Margaret Mueske

16 Richard & Wendy Fowler

17 Larry & Judy Keefe

18 Dayle & Ruth Haaland

19 Bill & Irene Robinson

21 Sam & Michelle Milligan

30 Glen & Sally Vissering

OSLC Dime Ministry Save the dimes you receive in change and bring them the last Sunday of the month. Our dimes will help buy yarn to make af-ghans for our veterans. And if you don’t use change much, you can donate any amount you would like to help with this ef-fort. Thanks.

PIECEMAKERS! Help is needed in making patriotic red, white & blue afghans again this year. All of the afghans you

made in 2017 were given away at the Veteran’s Clinic. The veterans who received them were so appreciative. Each afghan was given with a card which read, “This afghan was made by a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church with love and gratitude for your service to our country.” You can use any pattern, just make them at least 32 inches by 46 inches. Our goal is to deliver them to our local veterans on Veterans Day, November 11.

DINNER & A MOVIE

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 Dinner 5:00 p.m. at Mama Mia’s Pizzeria

(100 E US-83 BUS, McAllen)

Movie in the Sanctuary at 7:00 p.m.

Join us as we watch ‘A Dog’s Way Home”

As a puppy, Bella finds her way into the arms of Lucas, a young man who gives her a good

home. When Bella becomes separated from Lucas, she soon finds herself on an epic 400-

mile journey to reunite with her beloved owner. Along the way, the lost but spirited dog touches

the lives of an orphaned mountain lion, a down-on-his-luck veteran and some friendly

strangers who happen to cross her path.

We Walk Together as Stewards in God’s Church. As baptized members of the body of Christ, we gratefully confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We boldly proclaim the gospel as the Word of God. We clearly recognize the gifts that God has first given us through grace, and we joyfully accept our role and responsibility as stewards. We share principles to provide a foundation for the life of a faithful and generous steward.

1. Respond gratefully to what God has first given us. All that we do is a response to God’s grace. Everything we are, have, and use comes from God. Best of all, God gives the gift of Jesus Christ and the community of believers. It all begins with God. Our confession of faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is not of our doing. Grateful stew-ards put God first. “..but they gave themselves first to the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 8:5

2. Obey Responsibly to glorify God as a faithful proclamation of God’s word. We acknowledge our faith and show our faith in the gospel for the glory of God and for the building up of the body of Christ. This takes courage. It involves our life-long obedience, including the ways we treat our families, others, and ourselves. “...you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 9:13

3. Sacrifice Proportionately as Christ sacrificed for us. For our sake Jesus gave up everything to make us rich through the cross and the resurrection. We are called to sacrifice so others may share in God’s word and blessings. “...gave according to their means, and even beyond their means.” 2 Corinthians 8:3

4. Give willingly as moved by the Holy Spirit. We have been prepared to give of ourselves. We give our time, talents, and resources freely. “For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave...” 2 Corinthians 8:3

5. Share abundantly as we have received. The purpose of these gifts is for the good of the community of God. We give to build up the body of Christ. We use and share our gifts for the benefit of all. “...and God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

6. Give proportionately is our way of giving in relation to our abundance. We are to give according to our “means,” not according to an income or a budget. “If the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12

7. Commit intentionally means making a statement about your intent and following through. As members in the body of Christ, we are asked to make a commitment of our time, talents, and resources as a faithful response to God and as a statement of support for God’s work. “......arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised.” 2 Corinthians 9:5

8. Contribute regularly means practicing our stewardship on a daily bases. By doing so, this becomes a lifestyle. Paul instructs us: “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn” 1 Corin-thians 16:2

9. Live genuinely means putting your faith into action. This is the tangible demonstration of what is sincerely in our hearts and where our treasure is, not simply a verbal expression. The Macedonians set an example that Paul called to the attention of the Corinthians. “I am texting the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others.” 2 Corinthians 8:8

10. Accept a challenge means recognizing the dynamic nature of our faith. As our faith grows so will our blessings, and our responsibilities. Paul writes, “...the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

Our role as God’s stewards is one of many dimensions—grateful, responsible, self-sacrificing, willing, sharing, propor-tionate, committed, regular, genuine, and challenged. By generously giving of ourselves, we discover joy in Christ. “...you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

-2 Corinthians 9:7

†

I AM A CHURCH MEMBER.

I will seek to be a source of unity in the church. I know there are no perfect pastors, staff, or other church members. But neither am I. I will not be a source of gossip or dis-sension. One of the greatest contributions I can make is to do all I can in God’s power to help keep the church in unity for the sake of the gospel.

Our Savior Lutheran Church

1105 West Fern Ave

McAllen, TX 78501

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

PERMIT #65

DATED MATERIAL

This newsletter was taken to the Post Office on May 24, 2019

If you received this newsletter in error, please

contact the church office.

Phone: 956-631-6121

Email: oslcelca@aol.com

www.oursaviormcallen.org

Need to send a fax? Call the office.

JUNE & JULY 2019

Where...

God is seen,

Love is felt;

Lives are changed.

Stewardship of Community: †

You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. –Leviticus 19:18b And who is my neighbor? – Luke 10:29b

Think of all the homes, apartments and condos within walking (or easy driving) distance of our congregation. Now ask, how do we interact with these neighbors? Does our con-gregation understand their issues, joys, opportunities and challenges? How can we love them as ourselves? Though God has filled the world with neighbors for us to love, we have a special opportunity and responsibility with neighbors who are nearby us. They form our immediate community. Many congregations narrowly define “community” as people who are already part of church, but God calls us to broaden our vision. Congre-gations across our denomination are finding renewed energy and purpose by connecting (or reconnecting) with their community neighbors. It takes work and a willingness to go outside our comfort zone, but worth the effort pays off for them and us. “It’s within our power to become good neighbors, to care for the people around us and to be cared for by the people around us,” write Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon in The Art of Neighboring (2012, Baker Books, p. 22), a handy guide for a church to start a neighboring movement. “There really is a different way to live, and we are finding that it is actually the best way to live.” Loving our neighbors we naturally gather together as community that is blessed by God. It holds true in our personal lives as well as our congregations. As summer un-folds, let’s commit to finding ways to be better stewards of our community, engaging our neighbors, especially those who live closest to our congregation. - Rob Blezard

Copyright © 2019, Rev. Robert Blezard. Reprinted by permission.