a publication of Kingo Lutheran Church

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017 volume 79 • number 6

A HOLY CURRENCY THANKSGIVING

In the biblical tradition, thanksgiving is about

remembering what God has done for us. The

Israelites remembered how God freed them from

the oppression of the Egyptians, and from slavery

to freedom through the Exodus. In remembering

this event, they thanked God through their offer-

ings and sacrifices. In doing this, they renewed

their vows to be faithful to God.

In Psalm 50, we are reminded that God does

not want empty sacrifices and offerings with little

action. The Psalmist encourages us to offer sincere

thanks to God, moving us to renewed commitments

of faith toward God and each other. Whether daily

thanksgiving or the national holiday, giving thanks

for gifts received has the potential for that which is

holy — expanding the currencies of wellness,

relationship, and truth.

Thanksgiving leads us into renewed promises

to sustain each other, our community and Earth so

that blessings continue to flow. As you celebrate

Thanksgiving, recall an event of blessing or

transformation. What sequence of events led to

this blessing or transformation? Were others

involved? If so, how? How might that blessing/

transformation be exchanged for other currencies

(leadership, relationship, wellness, time and place,

truth, money)?

HEPHATHA MISSION PARTNER APPRECIATION November 4 / 3:00-5:00 pm Mission is possible throughout the city because we are all one Church together. Join Hephatha Lutheran Church for worship/dinner in celebra-tion of shared mission and ministry. RSVP to Kingo’s Church Office.

ALL PEOPLE PRAISE DINNER November 19 / 3:00-5:00 pm APC Harambee Campus Share your Thanksgiving foods! Contact Kingo’s Church Office to coordinate Kingo’s sponsoring a table for 10 (boneless turkey or ham and 2 sides) at the APC Praise Dinner. All are invited to the APC community in eating and serving.

THANKSGIVING WORSHIP November 23 / 10:00 am Hephatha Luth. Church, 18

th & Locust

Give thanks for God’s Word, for Christ’s Church, for God’s Grace. Join with our partners at Hephatha Lutheran Church and commit to living thankfully.

by Pastor Carolyn Sellers

“Offer to God a sacrifice

of Thanksgiving

and pay your vows

to the Most High.”

Psalm 50:14

www.Kingo.org 2

T h e C a l l NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Flowing Current of Blessings The exercise below tells one story of how we enter the recirculating flow of God’s blessings through the Currency of Time and Place. See if you can match each part of the story to the blessing(s) that are flowing. The first match has already been completed for you:

1. Various groups and individuals use Kingo’s space. For example, since Shorewood does not allow overnight street parking, Kingo’s parking lot spaces are available for rent to residents that live in nearby apartments.

2. Last year donations for facility use (i.e., meeting space, parking) accounted for 7.5% of revenue.

3. Each week Kingo staff prays for several members, including groups that meet at Kingo. Postcards are sent to those for whom prayers are offered.

4. Shortly after receiving a prayer postcard, Nick*, a Kingo parking tenant, stopped by the Church Office and had a conversation with Carolyn Karl. Nick shared his story with Carolyn.

5. Nick had been laid off from his job and was sorting through decisions about this life change. The day Nick received Kingo’s prayer postcard, he also received a call from his previous employer offering him his old job back.

6. Nick shared that he had stopped going to church after having been raised in a tradition that fol-lowed a “black-and-white” theology. He believes in God but also thinks about logic. Nick felt the theology he was taught did not allow him to do both.

7. Carolyn listened to Nick’s story. She responded to his questions and concerns. Carolyn shared a bit of her faith story with Nick.

8. They talked about the ELCA. Carolyn told Nick she valued being able to ask questions to grow in her faith and having a faith community that helps her remember that God loves her and has gifted her with skills to go out into the world and share God’s love.

9. Nick said he might stop by worship sometime to check things out.

*not his real name

paid & volunteer time offered to the

church/ministry

use of skills, models & processes to create

gracious environments

internal/external networks of mutually respectful

connections

ability to articulate the experiences of individuals

& groups

state of being healthy socially, physically, spiritually,

economically, & ecologically

something accepted as a means of exchange or payment or a measure

of value

Cycle of Blessings © 2013 Eric H. F. Law Used by permission.

www.Kingo.org 3

T h e C a l l NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

PREPARING FOR LAUNCH

We’ve been singing it every

Sunday this fall right after

communion:

Open the doors,

go out, go out!

We are the bearers

of God’s good news.

These are the words of the send-

ing song from the Open the Doors

liturgy, written by Bonnie Drewes

of Holden Village. It is an upbeat

and energizing tune that launches

us out of the church and into the

world!

It is a thrilling blessing and

humbling responsibility to be

instructed to share the good news of

God with the world. All followers

of Christ are called to do this. But

how does it feel when someone

you’ve come to love is the one being

sent into the world… away from

you?

Because of Kingo’s geographic

location and reputation as a welcom-

ing congregation, Kingo is in a

unique position to spread the Word

outside of the Shorewood and

Greater Milwaukee area. Our

by Carolyn Karl, Cross+Generational Ministry

proximity to several universities

has made it possible for Kingo to

be a home for many students.

These students have been a vibrant

part of Kingo in recent years. Their

leadership, energy, and ideas have

made us a more welcoming and

dynamic community. We have the

privilege of welcoming these

young adults and young families

and walking with them in faith for

the time they are in the Milwaukee

area.

When the time comes for our

students to graduate—and often

move out of town for further

education or to start their careers—

it can be bittersweet for the congre-

gation. We will miss them dearly,

even as we rejoice with them in

their milestones, because we have

loved and appreciated them.

While we will miss having

them as a part of our regular wor-

shipping community, we celebrate

the gift they are to the world. We

can take joy in launching them out

of Kingo’s doors to bear God’s

Good News to the broader world.

Thanks be to God!

Community is an important part of being Christian. At different stages of our lives, for different reasons, we

may be separated from our faith community. Join us in sending care notes to our college students and home-

bound members to let them know they are remembered and cared for by the Kingo community. It is easy to

do - stop by the mailboxes after worship and sign the notes. There is also a box for donations for the care

packages (candy, gum, lip balm, snack packs, etc.). Cash donations also accepted for purchase of coffee

shop gift cards. Thank you for continuing to support our Kingo community members, near and far.

Care Connections November 5

th after worship

www.Kingo.org 4

T h e C a l l NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

W ILL CHRISTMAS GET YOUR GOAT?

DAIRY GOATS FOR FAMILIES Special Advent Financial Donation Request

Meru, Tanzania Goat Project-Milk for Children, Widows and HIV orphans led by women for women in the Diocese of Meru

A project of the Meru Partnership Committee of the Greater Milwaukee Synod

gives goats to poor women in villages of the Diocese of Meru.

PREPARE A PLACE Wednesday Worship in Advent (November 29 — December 20)

We prepare a place in Advent - a place for God incarnate in Jesus Christ, a place for worship, and a place for each other. Soup suppers are served at 6:15 pm on Wednesdays in Advent. Soup preparers needed; look for the online sign-up at www.kingo.org. Worship begins at 7 pm. Our liturgy is Marty Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer. Let Jonathon Gideon know if you would like to be a cantor

We turn to Isaiah this Advent who speaks words of restorative hope to the Israelites - God has forgiven them and will lead them home. Congregation members are welcome to share poems or others forms of art during worship that reveal restoration and hope. These forms of art may be by famous artists, aspiring artists, or personal artwork. All ages and contributions are welcome.

How does the project work?

Goats are distributed through self-directed women’s groups.

Model requires working together. Groups form savings coops.

Membership in the group comes with the expectation that each women will contribute to a fund.

The woman lay leader who organizes the project, Marcy Mariki, is a certified livestock specialist and leader in the Diocese and her home parish.

What is expected of the recipients?

Building an elevated pen for the dairy goat. Feeding and caring for the goat under the supervision of the project leader. Giving the first kid of the goat to the cooperative. Participating in the savings activities of the cooperative.

Get Your Goat Day

To donate towards the Meru Goat Project:

make your check payable to Kingo with “Meru Dairy Goat Project” in the memo

Why dairy goats? Dairy goats can be cared for in small elevated pens. Food is generally readily available. Dairy goats do not need as much water as cattle or other livestock. Goat milk is high in protein and healthy fats lacking in most diets. Goat kids can be sold or kept after the first is given to the cooperative.

$150 pays for : A young dairy goat for a family 3 months of feed / supplements Training to feed & care for a

goat Formation of a women’s coop-

erative group Ongoing support

www.Kingo.org 5

T h e C a l l NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Baptism Anniversaries November 12, 2017 • 10 am

Join us in worship November 12th as

we offer a baptism anniversary

blessing for members who were

baptized in the months of

November and December.

November Stacey Benson

Isabella Busby

Kristin Larsen

Stephen McCormick

Eli Miller

Erik Neilson

Rosie Nielson

Erik Schubert

Julia Turner

December

Bonnie Arnold

Evelyn Burdick

Melissa Dawkins

Randy Hoth

Carolyn Karl

Dick Merklein

Jodi Schei

Sophia Schmidt

Wendy Smith

Kathy Stokebrand

In Our Prayers Mary Behrendt Margo Brown Ginny Connor Jean Einerson Randy Hoth Barb Jones Barb Loberg Kathleen Martinson Maud McAuliffe Jean Moberg Rhody Sorensen Joanne Strommen Beverly Swanson

Melissa Dawkins & Anthony Schock, married September 30th Joan Johnson, sister of John,

died in September William John Jacoby, born October 12th, to Jaime & Troy

Jacoby

Send prayer requests to: Ellen Greever 414-961-9709

eagreever@yahoo.com

November Birthdays 4 Randy Hoth

10 Kathy Stokebrand

18 Carolyn Karl

20 Alec Jacobi

28 Dick Merklein

December Birthdays 3 Shannon Mahony

3 Andrew Jack

16 Melissa Dawkins

27 Joe Simon

30 Kathy Hoth

30 Kathleen Martinson

31 Jennifer Brooks

Anniversaries 11/22 Kristin Larsen &

Wu Chen Khoo

12/28 David & Roberta Drews

1st Communion Nina Turner will celebrate her

first communion in 10 am

worship on November 12th

In the Life of Our Community…

Pastor Visits: 414-964-2620 or 414-944-1160 (emergency visits)

Due to privacy laws hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, etc., are not able to contact churches with member/patient information.

If you are hospitalized for surgery, illness, having a baby, or any other reason, and would like to be included on the prayer list or receive a visit from Pastor, please contact the Church Office or give someone else permission to do so on your behalf.

Thank you for allowing us to hold you in prayer!

1st Sunday

Food Focus The food pantry shopping cart is in the sanctuary the 1st Sunday of every month, col-lecting non-perishable items for Isaiah 55 Food Ministries at our partner congregation All Peoples Church.

Novevmber • Spam • Canned Ham (low salt) • Toilet Paper

December • Canned Beef Stew • Canned Ravioli • Toothbrushes • Toothpaste

A Day at the Farm!! Majestic Meadows Dairy

Saturday, December 2nd • 9 am—3 pm

Join Kingo’s Ending Hunger Task Force for a trip to Majestic Meadows Dairy in Sheboygan Falls. Our visit will include a tour of this innovative dairy where 2500 cows are milked in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way and a presentation on the economics of world hunger from a provider perspective. The trip will leave from Kingo at 9 am and return by 3 pm. Kids of all ages will love walking through the dairy! Sign up today by emailing kingo@kingo.org.

KINGO LUTHERAN CHURCH

1225 E. OLIVE STREET

SHOREWOOD, WI 53211

address label

(fold here)

Church Council 2017-2018 Walt Chossek, President Mary Lou Zuege, President-Elect Steve Jacobi, Secretary Members-at-Large:

Eric Schubert Jackie Davit Lou Ann Madson Jeanne Larsen

Church Staff Pastor Carolyn Sellers Carolyn Karl, Cross+Generational Ministry Jonathon Gideon, Minister of Music Maria Koester, Organist Bob Wardinski, Maintenance Technician Arrisa Robinson, Nursery Attendant Danette Braun, Parish Administrator

Kingo Lutheran Church

1225 E. Olive Street

Shorewood, WI 53211 Mission: Kingo Lutheran Church is a community centered in the Good News of Jesus Christ and led by the Spirit to walk joyfully with our diverse world in living out God's life-giving inclusive love.

Sunday Worship 10 AM Office Hours 9 -2, M-Th; 9-noon, F

Phone 414.964.2620 Email kingo@kingo.org Website www.kingo.org

Committee / Ministry Contact Altar Guild Jeanne Larsen

Book Club Dennis Larsen

Ending Hunger Walt Chossek

Mt. Meru Coffee Kathy Hoth

Gracious Spaces John Mahony

Kingo Garden Mary Lou Zuege

LGBT Welcoming Sara Kruschke Bishop

Luther Manor Aux. Viki Olsen

Prayer Chain Ellen Greever

Quilting Connie Fowler

Stewardship365 Pr. Carolyn Sellers

Ushers Dan Martinson

Worship Planning Pr. Carolyn Sellers Pa

sto

r’s

Co

nta

ct

Info

: P

ho

ne:

414

-964

-2620

E

merg

encie

s: 4

14

-944

-11

60

E

mail:

p

asto

r@kin

go.o

rg

Pasto

r C

aro

lyn c

an b

e r

eached t

hro

ugh t

he

Churc

h O

ffic

e M

onda

y-T

hurs

da

y.

She

is o

ff o

n

Frida

ys a

nd

Satu

rda

ys.