st. paul lutheran church of bulverde the epistle · 3/2/2016 · office manager/bookkeeper our...
TRANSCRIPT
The Epistle
S t . P a u l L u t h e r a n C h u r c h o f B u l v e r d e
29797 US Hwy 281 N, Bulverde, TX 78163
Phone (830) 980-2813 — Fax (830) 980-9756
Sunday Schedule
Worship Services 8:30AM & 10:45AM
Holy Communion Every Sunday at both services
Adult Christian Education 9:40AM
Sunday School 9:40AM
St Paul Lutheran Staff
Ministers All People of St. Paul
Senior Pastor Lee R. Harder
Youth Minister Andrew Cave
Children’s Minister Meredith Ehler
Office Manager/Bookkeeper Sherry Schneider
Christian Day School Director Sandy Kantorak
Music/Media Director Paul Angulo
Facilities Manager Ron Norman
2016 Council Members
President Shauna Weaver
Vice President, Staff, Building
& Grounds Liaison Don Bragg
Treasurer Brian Meuth
Secretary and Special Tasks Liaison Libye Nuernberg
Fellowship, Cemetery and
Memorial Liaison Robert Marburger
Education Liaison Sandy Chapman
Ministry Liaison Woody Miller
Worship Liaison Kelly Schumacher
Evangelism Liaison Shawn Sande
March 2016
www.lcmc.net
www.redroofchurch.org
.
AMAZING GRACE
Our Lenten Season continues and God continues
to show us the full extent of His love by drawing
us closer with His mercy and forgiveness—
GRACE. Our midweek worship will explore
some of the experiences of God’s servants and
children from the pages of Scripture, both the Old and the New
Testaments. They, like all of us, are beneficiaries of His grace.
Thanks to several of our St. Paul disciples, we will actually meet
these people who are very much like ourselves. Please join us for
each of these rich stories as we make our own Lenten journey to
the cross of Christ our Lord. During this month we will
encounter:
March 2—Amazing Grace for the Free.
March 9—Amazing Grace for the Filled.
March 16—Amazing Grace for the Faithful.
Each Wednesday evening begins with a Soup and Sandwich
supper in the CFC at 6:00pm and our worship service in the
sanctuary at 7:00pm.
Please try to make midweek worship a time for the whole family
to gather in God’s house for worship as we journey together to
our Lord’s cross and victory. He did it for us.
Sunday, March 20th—Palm Sunday
Worship at 8:30 am in sanctuary & 10:45 am
in CFC.
Holy Communion celebrated at both with a
special order of worship.
Thursday, March 24th—Maundy Thursday
Worship at 12:00 noon & 7:00 pm in the
sanctuary. Holy Communion celebrated at
both with a special order of worship.
Friday, March 25th—Good Friday
Worship at 12:00 noon & 7:00 pm in the sanctuary. Special
music in a order of worship focusing on the words from the cross.
Sunday, March 27th—Easter Sunday
Worship at 7:00 & 8:30 am in the sanctuary.
Easter breakfast hosted by Mission Team beginning at 7:30 am in
Fellowship Hall. Easter Egg Hunt at 9:45 am beginning in CFC.
Worship at 10:45 am in CFC.
Holy Communion celebrated at all services with a special order
of worship uniting us in the victory of our Lord.
Complete your Lenten preparation with the worship during
Holy Week! Then Christ will be the center of your family’s
Easter celebration!
From
the
Pastor
Children Should Be in the Main Worship Celebration Regularly
This February, I marked 37 years of active parish ministry. In all that time, only three children ever, no really
EVER, bothered me during a worship service on Sunday morning. Their names were Dawn, Shannon and
Scott. My own. Even my grandchildren do not cause me concern as my own children did. That cannot be
said for all people in the worship setting. The presence of children who make noise, fuss and fidget can be a
distraction for the worshiping adult, especially the parent. There is a popular growing movement in many
churches today, most definitely among the churches surrounding us, that always have children separated from
adults. They have a children’s church where they can learn and worship God. However, I strongly believe
that they also need to regularly be in the main worship celebration with the rest of the church body.
Here are some reasons why I believe children should regularly be in the main worship celebration of the
church.
Children should not be removed from the body of the congregation for convenience sake.
This is a big reason why churches remove children. They want a professional church service where
adults can enjoy the worship without being disrupted by noisy kids. This sounds good, but has no
biblical foundation for such thinking.
The Book of Acts never talks about having a “professional” service nor does the Bible talk about
meeting our own selfish needs during church. It does talk about children not being pushed aside.
Matthew 19:14 — Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Children are a part of the body of Christ.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that children are a separate body. They are an important part of the
church and shouldn’t always be excluded when the church meets.
It’s one thing to have the occasional break during the sermon, as we do with Bible Sand Stories on
certain Sundays. However, shuffling them off to some other space week after week teaches lessons
we probably don’t want them to learn.
During the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel would come before the Lord to hear the reading of the Law so
that the children would hear it and learn to fear the Lord. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he gave
instructions directly to the children to obey their parents. He considered them a part of the church that
he was writing to. I think no less of our children here at St. Paul.
Children need godly examples of how to worship.
If children never see adults in the main worship celebration, they won’t know how to worship or what
is expected of them.
Children need to feel like they are a part of the church community.
If children are always separated from the body of Christ, they will never feel like they are a part of the
church community. And the disciples of the church will never get to know the children and be an
example to them unless they work in children’s ministry.
In this vein, we will make some new efforts to bring our children into the whole worship experience.
Children who don’t feel like a part of the church community will leave church when they’re older.
Imagine the culture shock of a child who has been in church his or her life but has never been a part
of the main worship experience. They have played games every Sunday, sang active songs, and had
every message or Bible story illustrated with a skit, object lesson or interactive device.
Suddenly the child turns 10 or 12, in some cases 18 years old. He or she has graduated to “big”
church. The music is strange. There are no games, skits or illustrations, only some guy they have
never met preaching. He or she doesn’t know any of the people. And there’s no candy.
Get the picture? That’s what happens to a child who is never in regular Sunday worship. Within a
few months, maybe even a few weeks, he or she decides they don’t want to be there. For a while their
parents make them stay, but as soon as they hit 18, they are gone, if not sooner.
Such young people will look for a church that entertains and isn’t boring. If they don’t find one, they
will simply drop out of church. This may be why so many young people are no longer attending
church. They never were a part of the church.
Isn’t it time we do something to stop this image. One might even consider it an evangelical field of
opportunity. We need to be thinking in terms of ministries at St. Paul that will attract families and then build
the whole body into a full experience of being the church. Help me make this happen.
Pastor Lee
Lenten services continue through March 16. Soup and sandwich suppers will be served at 6 pm hosted by several church groups.
This is the schedule for host groups: March 2 Youth/Sunday School Andy Cave, Meredith Ehler & Cari Anne Whitehead March 9 Music Connie White March 16 Altar Guild Lisa Neubauer We usually need 8 to 9 pots of soup and 8 to 9 plates of sandwiches. If you have any questions, please call Phyllis Havens at 830-885-2270.
Our Bible Breakfast Bunch meets on Saturday,
March 19th at 8:00 am in Fellowship Hall.
Pastor’s planned on an egg bake with fruit on the
side. The topic is CONFESSION.
We know that we are by nature sinful and un-
clean, but do we know how important it is
for us to confess that sin. The whole idea of
confession has fallen by the wayside as a
vital element in our worship and our living as
disciples of Christ.
Join us on March 19th for good food and good
fellowship as we explore confession.
Sign up sheets will be available the two Sundays
before we gather. You can also email
or call the church office. Please tell us if you are
coming so we can have enough food and
not too much. Thank you.
In the most recent issue of “Connections” magazine, your pastor had an article printed as a response to a all
too common an attitude among pastors and congregations that only “certified” pastors are REAL pastors.
They feel that only a person with a college degree and a seminary education are qualified and worthy of God’s
call. Well, I disagree.
I disagree because many second career people don’t need that kind of training. They already possess a clear
set of skills that need only proper sharpening to be effective in parish ministry. Second, far too many small
churches can’t afford such a pastor in the first place. Yet, they still have a body of believers needing a pastor
and a viable ministry to share with the community around them.
So, when one pastor wrote an article about how churches need to consider getting only REAL pastors, I
couldn’t let it go by unchallenged. I couldn’t because of what I believe to be true in understanding the call
from God to be a pastor and as president of Beyond the River Academy, I know there are people who have the
heart to be a pastor and could be with a little help. So I wrote the following article.
As it turns out, some of our disciples here at St. Paul get the magazine and strongly feel I should share it with
you. So here it goes...
Called to Serve
Approximately 84% of all the Christian churches in the United States are smaller than 350 members. I don’t
like that word “members.” I prefer “disciples” instead. A huge challenge in the church today is that there are
far too many members and not enough disciples. But that’s a topic for another time. These congregations are
the white steeple country churches scattered over the heartland, the storefront places of worship in city after
city, and the once filled but now more sparsely occupied houses of prayer dotting many a small town. They
are the grimy blackened edifices erected to the glory of God in the past as cities grew that are now beaten
down in the same decline as much as the urban setting around them. Yet, these people who gather for worship
in these places, who send their children to Sunday school and VBS, and who gather for a congregational
meeting and potluck supper still have a viable ministry to conduct. They still believe in Jesus Christ and love
Him as Lord and Savior. There is nothing they want more than to share His message of salvation with a world
that is in desperate need of such hope.
Today a seminary education and the average four years required to be a certified pastor costs between
$35,000.00 to $50,000.00, and that might be a low estimate. Such churches as these cannot afford a
“certified” seminary trained pastor because such a person requires and deserves an income that will let them
raise a family, pay back college and seminary debt, get health insurance, and, hopefully, retire above the
poverty level. In addition, a cold truth is that many of these trained pastors do not wish to serve these
churches and can’t because of economic constraints.
In the July issue of Connections I read an article which challenged congregations to first address the question, “What
kind of preacher do you want?” as opposed to the more common questions of “Can we get a pastor?” or “Where will
we get a pastor?” The implication of the article, I gathered, was that unless one gets a preacher with a well equipped
theological education (seminary), you are getting a sub-standard, inferior product to lead the congregation’s ministry.
Preachers, like soldiers, must be trained because untrained preachers are not ready to engage in the combat of winning
souls. (That’s actually not our job anyway. It’s God’s.)
It might be surprising to note that I do agree in the importance of a seminary education, but it is not the be-all, end-all
panacea that is indicated. It is far from perfect in providing an unquestionable level of spiritual certainty. Remember,
it was our seminary trained theologians in academia, pastoral ministry, and denominational leadership positions that
gave us such solid, sound, scholarly, theologically and doctrinally ground milestones as Called to Common Mission
(restoring a large number of pre-Reformational problems which we had supposedly overcome), a new definition for
marriage (since the old, biblical one no longer fit today’s sophisticated culture), universal salvation (giving heaven to
non-believers), and the obvious inadequacy of the Old Testament as an authority for God’s Word in the modern
Christian church. We won’t even begin to discuss the abandonment of dealing with the issue of sin in too many
modern pulpits because then we would still have to come to grips with our need for repentance.
Seminary is the answer for many desiring to become pastors and the churches they will serve, but it cannot be for all.
There must be room for those persons who feel called by God, but for much of their life have avoided responding to
that call. Now older, having served in one career, that call has returned and is louder as God seeks them out for
service in His name. They have a life’s worth of experience, a variety of skills in relating to people, their needs and
problems, and a resolute, biblically based love for the salvation that is Jesus Christ honed over a lifetime of living
their faith. Is it really possible that people such as these would be discarded from serving these needy, even desperate
churches, simply because they didn’t go to the right seminary? I would hope not.
Why not help them by providing the tools that they will need to serve a congregation in basic terms? Take their gifts
and sharpen them, embrace their faith and empower them so they can preach a good sermon, balancing law and
gospel, teach a confirmation class or a gathering of adults seeking a better understanding of God’s Word so that they
can grow together, and visit a sick or dying child of God sharing the power of grace in Christ and the hope for
something better only He can provide. Seminary is not and never was the only source for the ability to do those things
and more.
The seminary gave me a lot, but some of it I had to unlearn or fail as a pastor. Some of it I just wasn’t good enough to
learn. I suppose that makes me a bad pastor, especially when I admit that I forgot almost all my Greek and never did
learn Hebrew. I learned all the proper forms of worship, but few congregations use them or want them. What matters
to them more than anything is hearing the Word, according to the Bible, and how that Word can be applied in their
living from day to day.
For thirty-six years I have sought to serve God as a parish pastor. I don’t compromise the Word I preach or teach, not
in the church I serve and not in the face of those who would compromise it for the sake of social acceptance or
expediency, even if they do have certified seminary degrees. I was there at the very beginning of Word Alone and
LCMC fighting to keep the integrity of God’s holy and precious Word against those who sought to corrupt it.
Through writings, lectures and even debates with bishops, I kept to God’s Word and truth. I do the same with those I
serve as an instructor.
Yes, I am a teacher, not in a seminary, but at the Beyond the River Academy. While serving full time as Senior Pastor
of a congregation of disciples (with some members too) numbering over 900, I also manage to help persons who feel
called by God to serve as pastors to have a basic understanding of preaching and leading people of God in the worship
experience. This privilege I share with several fellow parish pastors whose knowledge in areas of Old and New
Testament theology, Church history, Lutheran doctrine and pastoral development make them equally qualified to
teach in the real world of parish ministry. We have felt challenged to share our skills with potential pastors to address
the desperate need of many small congregations seeking pastoral leadership.
I do agree completely that the training we provide must be “Lutheran.” However, as we have seen in the past with
some of our “Lutheran” seminaries, there is no guarantee that the training they offer is actually Lutheran. Being
transparent and accountable is essential, both for the seminaries and their equivalents, as well as the alternatives such
as The Academy. Beyond the River is pastoral training offered by pastors who currently serve congregations. These
are instructors who face the day to day challenges of parish life as they serve their congregations in the myriad of
ways demanded in this setting. By combining internet classes, solid and time tested textbooks with teaching that
forms a foundation for concrete understanding in theology, homiletics and pastoral development, and a mentoring
system that helps students grow in confidence, such alternatives can and do meet the needs of the small congregations
that still need pastors to lead God’s people in serving.
“What kind of preacher do you want?” My answer is first, one who is called by God and has the heart of ministry in
a desire to serve, not be served. This one absolute must prevail whether one is becoming a pastor through a seminary
path or an alternative. Without that, a pastor is only doing a job and not fulfilling a vocational call. My next point
might not apply to the person who goes from high school to college and from college to seminary. However, as I
have already noted, such people are not likely going to serve the many churches too small to afford the financial
vocational call. My next point might not apply to the person who goes from high school to college and from college
to seminary. However, as I have already noted, such people are not likely going to serve the many churches too small
to afford the financial demands of such a “certified” pastor. Hence, I focus my next point to the second career
candidate for pastoral ministry. Such churches must look to someone who has combined the talents and abilities
already evident through a successful career and compliment them with the basic training in the primary needs of a
pastor’s tools for ministry. Third, which applies to all potential pastors, is a clear understanding that the pastor must
constantly be sharpening those tools through a variety of opportunities to learn and grow whether formal or personally
motivated. We dare never stop learning how to fulfill our responsibilities better.
Finally, and this no seminary can teach, is to appreciate the truth that we don’t know everything, even if formally
trained in the “proper” setting. A pastor needs to be confident enough to make decisions that help a congregation
serve God. This means we will make mistakes. When we do this we must be humble enough to admit we did make a
mistake. My experience in serving churches is that they don’t mind if we make mistakes just so long as we own up to
them. Then, we have to be brave enough to try again a different tack. This kind of knowledge does not usually make
itself known in ivory towers, but in the earthy substance of the parish where the people are at, struggling to live as
Christ.
Seminaries are a genuine blessing to developing pastors, but so are many alternatives. However, the core to being a
pastor must come from God’s call. It never was the seminary. The training is important, but can never replace God’s
call in making a pastor. What kind of preacher do you want? I hope and pray the answer to that question is “one who
loves the Lord and is called to serve.” A school that helps that to happen is the kind I want? Whatever it is.
Every church needs leaders, but there are leaders and then there are LEADERS. Because we are a community of
believers, our definition of leadership must fit into our Lord’s understanding. He defined it for us in the gospel of
Matthew 23:11-12.
“The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself
will be exalted.”
It’s not enough to be a good leader who believes in Jesus Christ. The kind of leader Jesus desires and the church
needs is one who has transformed their heart, head, hands and life to that of a servant. That last point is the hardest.
Leaders in the church are those who live Christ because they have a personal relationship that reveals itself in every
aspect of their life in service to God and others.
More and more we are seeing a culture where successive generations are drifting further away from a deep,
meaningful relationship with the Lord. Thus, there is less time or devotion to the work of His church. We need
leaders who are more like parents, mentors or Role Models which requires a servant attitude. This kind of approach to
ministry is not something new or revolutionary. Quite the contrary. It is simply continuing the work the apostles
started when the church burst forth onto the world stage. It’s the first century church doing the Lord’s work in the
twenty-first century.
In the new year, it is our most fervent prayer and desire to help equip servant leaders at St. Paul who will be
committed to reach out into our fellowship of believers and be models that inspires more of us to be servant leaders.
Our plan is to contact twelve disciples and ask them to commit to taking a series of group sessions, six in number, in a
servant leader approach to all aspects of their lives. They will in turn reach out to others in our church family to
foster more small groups of servant leaders.
If you receive a letter asking you to participate, it is because we feel you have the qualities and faith that will make
this ministry a true blessing to our St. Paul family. Please give it prayerful consideration for yourself and your loved
ones. Discussing your involvement in this ministry with your family is of utmost importance because they, too, will
be impacted by your decision. That’s important because this whole outreach will change your lives.
Those of us who will be leading the six group sessions are really excited about the potential for St. Paul and for you.
We hope our first team of servant leaders will become the start of a new ministry/lifestyle for us all.
Last month we took a look at the biblical mandate for planting new churches and recognized church planting as being faithful to the Great Commission and modeled after the first century church multiplication that we read about in the New Testament. This month I'd like to propose that we should plant new churches because new churches are more effective at making new disciples.
"More churches mean more disciples." This is a church multiplication saying that is often attributed to the Baptists. Timothy Keller puts it this way: "New churches best reach new generations, new residents, and new people groups." Studies have repeatedly demonstrated how younger generations, people new to a community, and different socio-economic or ethnic groups are reluctant to join established organizations or groups. And this is not a new phenomenon nor does it only impact the church. I personally witnessed this in North Dakota with local Senior Citizen Clubs. In town after town on the prairie, these clubs have folded in the past decade after a 30 or 40 year run. Why? Not because there are no longer any senior citizens! It's just that today's seniors don't identify with those established clubs of an older generation. We see the same thing in churches, too. New churches break down barriers of participation for new people to come and be a part of a community of faith.
Yet even more important than this is the fact that the new people coming to new churches in large part come from an unchurched background. Approximately 8 out of 10 new adult members of established congregations join by membership transfer from another congregation. Conversely, in new churches, the numbers are nearly reversed: approximately 7 out of 10 new adult members were previously unchurched. Church planting is so effective at reaching the unchurched, Ralph Moore reports, that one denomination discovered that 80% of new believers across their denomination came to Christ through the ministry of new churches less than two years old!
There is no doubt about it, church multiplication is essential to reaching the unchurched and making new disciples. Establishing new churches is the evangelical frontier for our association of congregations to be faithful to the Great Commission, to "Go and make disciples of all nations," reaching new people for Jesus.
Pastor Bryce Formwalt is the Director of Mission Growth for the LCMC Texas District. Residing in Georgetown, Pastor Bryce is available to coach congregations on mission. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments: 512-942-7776 or
[email protected]. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lcmctexas
© 2016 Bryce J. Formwalt, All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
March 2016
Why Plant Churches?
Making NEW Disciples
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The Adult Christian Education (ACE) Schedule for March 2016
Sunday ACE classes meet at 9:40 AM. Pastor Lee’s Bible Study is continuing in March on the Book of Acts and meets Thursday’s at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 6:30 PM. Our leaders are dedicated and well qualified disciples that spend much time preparing for the classes. Please plan to attend at least one class of your choice. Class led by Jeff Smith meets in the ACE (Portable) building We are continuing with the study on the Holy Spirit. We are looking at the power and attributes of the Holy Spirit. We are using numerous Old and New Testament scriptures as we work through this study. Our goal is to understand what a Christian receives through the indwelling of the Spirit. Class led by Dean & Kathy Krueger meets in the Luther Room In March, Dean and Kathy's class will transition from Noah's rainbow covenant into a new study, "The Six Major Covenants of the Bible." God has Covenant relationships with important people like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Phinehas, David, the Israeli People, and....YOU! Come discover how the Word explains various binding agreements with God, including the unique final "signatures" on each that no lawyer or judge can declare invalid. Class led by Mike Scott meets in the choir room This six-session small group Bible study, Fire on The Mountain, by noted teacher and historian, When the Israelites left Egypt, they were finally free. Free from persecution, free from oppression, and free to worship their God. But with that freedom comes a new challenge – learning how to live together the way God intends. In this ninth volume of Faith Lessons, discover how God teaches the Israelites what it means to be part of a community that loves him and what that means for us today. Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God's Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible's fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures' significance for modern believers. Class led by Ingrid Lingle meets in the office area workroom In March Ingrid's class will be starting a new study "The Twelve Apostles". They will be exploring the lives of the twelve, where they came from, where they went and how their lives ended. Tuesday Women’s class which meets Tuesday's in the choir room at 9:00AM is led by Connie Osborn Connie's class will be continuing their study of "Death and the Resurrection of the Messiah" volume 4 by Ray Vander Laan It will take 20 weeks. 10 videos and 10 homework discussions. February 2 they will be watching Video Session 3 of 10. Please come and join them. Contact Connie Osborn at 830-885-7592 or by email at [email protected] . .
On Sunday,March 13, we will be collecting non-perishable food items and
monetary donations for our local food bank, Provisions. Please remember to use
the orange bordered envelopes and write “Provisions” in the memo section of
your check. Thank you!
Guatemala Update
The Guatemala Team for 2016 has formed and has had their first meeting and is eagerly making plans for their journey to Jalapa to serve a long side our soon to be disciples David and Julie Sutton. Seven of our team members have been before and four are first time mission “goers.” As we train and prepare for this trip, we once again reach out to our congregation for your prayer support. There is no way for us to make our trip without your prayers!
The Suttons will be moving Casa Hogar to land that has been given to them to use so that the children can have better living conditions than they have now. The land is not a permanent place but this enables them to at least give the children more room to move about. Our team will be working on the land to help build a garden and other projects plus visiting schools in the surrounding mountains.
Please be watching our bulletins and Epistles for more information as to how you can become involved in our journey this summer.
Our Mission Team: (Back Row) Pam Markiewicz, Nita Scott, Lupita Ecoff, Chuck Reeh, Debbie Schmaltz, Sarah Harrell, Katie Ecoff, Katherine Noakes, Laura Sprowls(Front Row) Sharon Knibbe, Lucy Walker
Save the date...Sunday, March 27, we will continue to collect money for the Suburban for the Sutton Family. Help us fill the tank and use the orange bordered envelopes. Please make checks payable to “Hands of Mercy” and write Suburban in the memo section on your check. Our goal is to raise $14,000...we’re about a 1/4 of the tank there!
On Sunday, March 20, our special mission offering will
be for Magadalena House in San Antonio.
Magadalena House is a transitional home for abused
women. Please use the orange bordered envelopes
and write “Magadalena House” in the memo section
of your check.
Prayer Warriors
We love to know your praises and continued concerns. The prayer warriors are in continuous prayer for all! Please contact Lucy Walker or the church
office for your prayer requests: [email protected] or [email protected].
Prayer Warriors: Pastor Harder, Pastor Ofsdahl, Lucy Walker, Cindy ’Boo’ Peek, Lynn Rosenfeld, Sharon Knibbe, Dagi Fischer, Stella Ross, Laura
Sprowls, Gloria Krueger, Marjorie Rothchild, Connie Osborn and Janice Walker.
...are continually praying for you according to God’s will in all circumstances through Jesus
Christ.
In our Prayers… Michelle Phillips
George Whitehead
Chris Kimmell
Susie Freeland
Scott Rosenquist
Jacob & Rachel Flores
Marsha Mudge
Ken Atkins
Doug Morganroth
Jerry Beatty
Ginger Kreitel
James McNeill
Norm Thoruw
Jerry Neufeld
Mack Mullino
Tanya Palmer
Shelly Kurtz
Nicholas N. Kreitel
Aiden Griffith
Karen Harder
Ella Johnson
Arlene Welch
Jerry Barnes
Chad Larsen
Mark & Debra Harder
Helmut Kleve
Shirley Remmert
Ruth Lytle
Grace Kaeppel
Jimmy Cox
Jean Miller
Debra Saur & Family
Lauren & Spencer Wilson
Mission Mexico International
Hands of Mercy, Guatemala
Prayer works….
Have you ever heard those stories that always seem to happen to others and not yourself? Have you ever asked God to send you someone that you could help minister to, or to show you what God desired for you to do, on any particular day? These questions have certainly been in my heart and prayers before. So why did God answer a true believers prayers on one of the most sought out day to express love, Valentine’s Day? I believe it was to show his children that he truly is in the business of answering prayer when you are in the “right place”. When I say “right place” I am not referring to chance meetings, I am talking about when as a Christian, you are in the “right place” with God. We never know when God is about to do what he does best, but on this day he did exactly that. As you know Valentine’s Day is never on the same day every year and that’s why this year it was even more special being on a Sunday. God answered a prayer for a man named Jonathan. Actually he answered more than one prayer on Valentine’s Day. I will get to that, but first let me tell you about Jonathan. Johnathan is a man whose heart is in the “right place” with God. He asked God those questions I mentioned earlier and he had no idea how it would turn out. You see, he asks God the same question every day when he wakes up. He also praises God for the beautiful mornings with so many different sunrises and he enjoys them like no other. Jonathan journals his daily walks with Jesus and at the end of every day he praises God for what he has done for him that day. Years ago he had asked God to put him in the front lines so that he could witness to those he meets. He tells me “that it is not always easy”. He is out there every single day spreading Gods love and is equipped with Scripture as he teaches. He knows that he will also die doing God’s work because he is devoted to the one who made each of us in his image. This is not something Jonathan takes lightly and will easily shed a tear when he talks about how Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He shared with me that he is no better than Jesus, so why should he have it better than Jesus did when he spread the good news so long ago. The first question he asked of God on Sunday was to send him someone who he could worship with. When he opened his eyes he said “it’s like two angels was standing in front of me with breakfast”. He asked if he could pray with them and he thanked God for his angels and thanked God for answering his first prayer of the day and they left him to his breakfast. As he ate he asked God for the second prayer of the morning and that was to send back his two angels. These two were in their own little world deep in thought when the question that was asked finally sunk in. “Why don’t we ask him to church? So we turned the car around and asked that question. He was smiling from ear to ear when he seen his angels driving up. When he first heard the question he could only nod yes and that’s because his second prayer had just been answered. He wanted to worship God on this beautiful Sunday and that’s exactly what we did. You see when you are open to what God has in store for you there is no end to the miracles he will give you. He was enjoying his time so much in the house of the Lord that he willingly stayed for both services. Jonathan asked pastor’s wife if he could pray for her and he did along with our pastor and all of the disciples of St. Paul. He felt like he was the one who had his prayers answered and was blessed, but the truth is he touched our lives in a way that you can’t imagine unless you were there. We had the privilege to spend some time with him and once it was time for him to go home we had to say goodbye to Jonathan. That was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do and he even answered a little girl asking why it had to be this way. His answer was this, “I have to continue to spread the word of God and I will die out here doing his will”. Earlier, I said I’d get to the other prayer that was answered and that prayer is/was one of my own. I’ve asked God to help me teach my children to always be kind to others and that is exactly what he did when he broke my daughter’s heart for this homeless man who we call Jonathan. She seen him the day before and wanted to stop and give him money. She was also the one who suggested we take him to church. I thank God that on this Sunday we stopped and I listened. Jonathan has become more to us than a homeless man he has become a dear friend who just happened to be in the “Right Place”. So my question is this, will you stop and listen when God calls and are you in that right place for a chance meeting? Angels come in all forms and they walk among us or in our case they roll into your life on a wheel chair and for the record…. God does answer prayers.
Blessings~Prayer Warriors
Sunday School News
March 6—Regular Sunday School
March 13—Combined Classes—Stuffed Animal
Sunday!!! Bring you favorite stuffed animal
March 20—Combined Classes—Holy Week
Activity
March 27—NO SUNDAY SCHOOL
Easter Egg Hunt at 9:45am, parents required to attend
with child
Sunday School classes are offered for children
4 years through 5th grade. If you have questions
about our Sunday School Ministry, contact
Meredith Ehler at [email protected] or
830-980-2813 or Cari Anne Whitehead at
210-393-8821.
Spring Break Lunch at Beefy’s Backyard
On Tuesday, March 15, children are invited to join us for
lunch at Beefy’s Backyard at noon. A parent or
responsible adult must be present for the entire time.
Join us for this fun time of fellowship!
“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress
them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk
along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” -Deuteronomy 6:6-7
St. Paul Children’s Ministry
Children’s Worship Notes
Last month’s children’s Worship Notes winner are:
Ethan M. & Whitney W.
Be sure to turn your worship notes each week for a
chance to win!
3rd-5th Grade Bible Bunch
All 3rd-5th Graders are invited to join us on
March 20 from noon-1:30pm in the Middle School
Youth Room for games and lessons that help us to
learn more about the Bible. We will have lunch!
Invite your friends! All participants must have a
Basic Information form and Release on file.
Easter Egg Hunt
All children 5th grade and under are invited to
participate in Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, March
27 at 9:45am in the Christian Faith Center. This will
take the place of Sunday School. Each child
must have a parent or adult present to
participate. Bring your own bag or basket to
collect eggs!
Soup & Sandwich Supper
The children & youth will be hosting the soup and
sandwich supper on March 2. Sign up with Meredith
to help out!
Easter is just around the corner, and as Christ’s disciples we are called to
share our faith with those around us! We have a family event planned to
help equip you to do that! Join us on Sunday, March 13 from
noon-1:30pm in the CFC for our Easter Evangelism Extravaganza. Bring an
Italian style potluck dish to share during a time of fellowship & then
participate in a number of activities that will provide you with the tools to
share the Easter message with others. This event is open to all ages. We
just ask that you sign-up at the Welcome Centers or with Andy Cave or
Meredith Ehler by Sunday, March 6 to ensure we have enough materials.
March is here!!!
YOUTH GROUP MEETINGS IN MARCH
Sunday, March 20 – Youth Group in the CFC from
12:00-1:30pm. Lunch will be provided.
CONFIRMATION IN MARCH
March 6 — Lesson 12
March 13 — Lesson 13
Confirmation is in the sanctuary from 9:40-10:35am.
SUNDAY SCHOOL IN MARCH
March 6, 13, 20
Sunday school takes place in the CFC High
School youth room for both middle school
and high school aged youth from
9:40-10:35am.
YOUTH PRAISE BAND
Youth Praise Band will not be leading
worship the month of March. Our
next time playing will be Sunday,
April 3.
“Jesus said to her, i am the
resurrection and the life. The one who
believes in me will live, even though
they die.”
RAMPAGE HOCKEY
GAME!!!
Sunday, March 6
We will be heading over to the AT & T center for
an AHL hockey game. This will take place of youth
group on this day. All youth attending the event
must be at the church by 2:30pm.
EASTER EVENGALISM EXTRAVAGANA!!!
March 13 from 12:00-1:30pm
This will be a family event for all children and youth
of St. Paul. There will be an Italian style potluck
followed by 3 activities that encourage spreading the
Easter news and joy to friends and other families.
Don’t miss it!!!
If you ever have questions, or
for some reason are not
receiving youth e-mails
regarding events, let Andy
Cave know. Call the church
office to get in touch with him
or shoot him an e-mail at
Lunch at BEEFY’s on March 15
Meet Andy and Meredith at the Beefy’s on 281
close to Bulverde Rd. at noon on Tuesday, March
15. Youth are responsible for covering their own
meals. This is open to all of the Children & Youth
of St. Paul. Why not kick off Spring Break
together???
You can contact Sandy Kantorak, the director, at
830-980-6771, by email at [email protected]
and you can also find more information about the
Day School at www.redroofschool.com.
Open Registration is Monday, March 7 at 9:00 a.m. If you haven’t taken a tour yourself or told your neighbor, who is looking for a really fabulous preschool, about us now is the time. We are excited to welcome our new families to St. Paul CDS! For those of you who are reading about us for the first time, we are an outreach ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Our mission is to provide a Christian preschool program that encourages and develops our children into confident, capable little individuals. We want to help them grow and develop a love for learning. We enroll children ages 6 months through 5 years of age and hold classes Monday – Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There are 2 day and 4 day openings available. All admission information and packets are available on-line at www.redroofschool.com or give us a call at 830-980-6771. Preparing for registration did not slow us down; we blazed through February with the Zoo Man, Valentine’s Day, and Rodeo Days and had a fantastic time. Check out our Facebook page for some snapshots.
March is again jam packed with exciting learning activities for the kiddos. The Children’s Museum is at the beginning of March and it is a day that the kiddos tour different classrooms to learn in depth about a specific topic. They learn through books and crafts, our teachers make it so fun for the kids. We will then celebrate Easter later in the month. We teach the kids what the Bible tells us and what this means to Christians. However, no preschool Easter is complete without an Easter Egg Hunt so that will be another highlight of Easter week.
Lastly, we are starting to plan for our largest fundraiser of the year—Family Fun Night!! It will be held Friday May 6th from 5-8 p.m., please mark your calendars it is fun for everyone. In preparation we are asking for donations of stuffed animals as well as any little toys that could be prize giveaways. If you have been waiting to clean out your children’s playrooms, now is the time. We are happy to take these items off your hands at any time. We are also collecting donation items from local businesses to either raffle off or place in a silent auction. Some items will be included in beautiful theme baskets and others will be raffled separate. We appreciate anyone who has a local business that can contribute or if you know someone that has a business and wouldn’t mind asking for a donation, it would be much appreciated. If they would like a donation letter for tax purposes I would be happy to provide one. Contact me, Sandy Kantorak at 830-980-6771 or [email protected]. Thank you all so much for your support of our wonderful preschool.
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
St. Paul Christian Day School News
CDS Calendar of Events for March
Open Registration—March 7 at 9:00am
Children’s Museum Day—March 7
Spring Break—March 13-18 (CDS Closed)
Easter Egg Hunts– March 23 & 24
From Left Front: Darlene Griffith, Sherry Schroeder From Right Front: Donna DuBois, Robin Armke, Karen Harder
From Left Back: Kathy, Liz Page, Janice Walker and Dee Eisenbraun
Threads of Love – St. Paul Lutheran
Our first Threads of Love meeting was inspirational in many ways. To name a few, we are now beginning to get started on crocheting, knitting and sewing items for preemies in San Antonio and military hospitals; and Liz Page, the founder of TOL/Sarah Chapter, was present to give an overview and testimony on what the Lord has done in growing TOL. We also had trainers from another satellite, King of Kings Lutheran Church: Donna DuBois, Dee Eisenbraun, and Pam Lloyd. Burial gowns and a silk-lined casket made from donated wedding gowns were among the many items Liz brought with her. Not one item from these wedding gowns is wast-ed. The caskets are also made by TOL volunteers. If you would like to donate your wedding dress, please contact Janice Walker or one of our other members: Robin Armke, Darlene Grif-fith, Karen Harder, and Sherry Schroeder. As there is one more meeting to go, we may be add-ing more new members and you are always welcome to join us!! Our TOL satellite will focus on crocheting and knitting these precious caps, booties, and kan-garoo squares from approved TOL patterns. What is a kangaroo square you may ask? It is a crocheted or knitted 18”, 19”, or 20” square. Mother and preemie use these during skin-to-skin bonding times in the hospitals for privacy and warmth. Some from our group will also be sewing very small laundry bags given to the new mothers. If you want to participate in crochet-ing and knitting any or all of these items or sewing the laundry bags, please contact Janice Walker at (830) 228-5777 for an instruction book which contains crocheting and knitting pat-terns and a sewing pattern for laundry bags. Soon, a large plastic basket will be available to drop off completed items and, inside the basket, instruction books will also be available. Please visit www.threadsoflovesa.org for more information.
Announcements
“Beware the Ides of March” wrote Shakespeare for Marc
Anthony. Well, you need not “beware” but I hope you will
“Prepare” for the Ides of March.
Men’s life meets this month at church in Fellowship Hall on
Tuesday, March 15th at 6:00 pm for our regular meeting
with dinner served at 6:30 pm. Pastor’s whipping up some
kind of Reuben concoction along with a devotion fit for the
season as Holy Week will soon be upon us.
Contact the church office or pastor at [email protected]
by 10:00 am Tuesday morning to reserve a meal. Don’t
forget to bring a friend.
Women of the Word
Attention all ladies of the church...Join us on Monday, March 21 for a planning meeting. Bring your ideas AND your favorite dish to share. We would like to plan for the whole year. Women of
the Word will be meeting every third Monday of the month. If you have any questions, please call the
church office at 830-980-2813 or email at [email protected].
The Thursday Bible Study classes at
8:00am, 10:00am and 6:30pm continue
their in depth exploration of the book of
Acts. You are invited to join in the fun
and fellowship and gain a greater
appreciation for God’s grace and plan of
salvation by becoming a part of the class.
Coming is painless and a chance to grow
in faith, too. We’ll be looking for you
soon.
RED ROOF READERS Red Roof Readers has chosen the nonfiction book Unlikely Angel by Ashely Smith which is her story of being taken hostage by Brian Nichols who had shot to death a judge, a court reporter, a deputy, and federal agent, hours before. The
gripping story is a powerful account of how this nightmare scenario developed into a remarkable connection between a man wanted for multiple murders and a single mother struggling to make a fresh beginning from her troubled past. Join us on March 14th for our lively discussion of this book. We meet at 6pm in the Fellowship Hall so join us even if you have not read the book. There is always fun, food, and fellowship! Please call Lucy Walker for any more information at 885-3939 or email at [email protected].
Easter Eggs & Easter Candy
We are collecting plastic Easter Eggs and candy for
the Easter Egg Hunt until March 13. Please donate
candy that is small enough to fit in the Easter Eggs.
Donations can be dropped off in the Narthex, CFC or
church office. If you have questions, contact Meredith
Ehler at 830-980-2813 or [email protected]
Guatemala Gift of Life Giving Tree
The Guatemala Mission Team is asking you to be
part of their journey to Jalapa, Guatemala. On
March 13th you will see a tree in the narthex of
the church and also one in the CFC with
envelopes hanging from its branches. You are
invited to take an envelope along with a book
mark and finger puppet. The book mark has a prayer to pray for us
as we journey to our mission this summer. Inside the envelope is a
Partner Card and a way you can help support us on this trip either
financially or through prayer! Whether you financially contribute
to our trip or contribute through prayer, you will be part of the
Great Commission. Please place your support along with the
completed Partner Card in the envelope and place it in the basket
below the tree. Your checks may be written to St. Paul Lutheran
and put Guatemala in your memo. Thank you for your support.
My “THANKS” to all of the St. Paul disciples
who sent me such “lovely and thoughtful
cards” for my birthday. This was very
special for me!
Blessings and Love to each one of you.
Mildred Bartels
Announcements
Honoring Our Elders
March 18, 2016 Long time St. Paul Elder
Disciple
Carmen Rittimann
will celebrate her 96th birthday
710 Rittimann Road
Spring Branch, TX 78070
************************************
Please join in the celebration of this elder’s
birthdays
by honoring her with a birthday card!
Sign your name and member of St. Paul Lu-
theran Church,
if you do not know her personally.
Did you know that you can give electronically to
St. Paul every month? You can set up to have
automatic withdrawals from your checking or
savings account. If you are interested, please
contact Sherry Schneider at 830-980-2813 or via
email at [email protected].
Did you know that Tired and Retired
collects aluminum cans as a fundraiser?
They do! There is a wire fenced in area by
the garage where you can leave them.
Please make sure they are bagged.
Paul Angulo, our Media/Music Director, is looking to assemble a team who would be interested in helping
out on Sunday mornings with the 10:45am service. The goal is to train other people on the system so that we
have back up for any Sundays that Paul cannot be there or for special services when he could use help. If your
interested, please contact Paul at 210-325-1596 or [email protected].
TIRED AND RETIRED BUNCH
Our next Tired and Retired gathering will be on Wednesday, March 30 from 10am-2pm. Please plan on joining us for an afternoon of fun and fellowship.
We are looking for a photographer to
take photos of our new disciples and for
events that we have at church. Also,
we are considering doing another
pictorial directory. If you are interested,
please contact the church office at
830-980-2813 or by email at
Monday, March 14 & 28 at 6:30pm in the CFC
contact Tibby Armke at 830-660-5734
for more information.
In each bulletin during March there will be a Disciple
Information Sheet that you can complete and return to
the office. This sheet will allow you to update your
information such as address, phone numbers, email, etc.
so that the church database can be up to date. Please take
the time to fill out this sheet if any of your information has
changed. If you have questions, please contact Sherry
Schneider in the church office at 830-980-2813 or by email
at [email protected]. Thank you!
Discipleship Commitments
Love God! Love Others! Serve All!
March 6 March 13 March 20 March 27
Ushers 8:30
Peter and Carol
Stahman
Peter and Carol
Stahman
Peter and Carol
Stahman
Peter and Carol
Stahman
Ushers 10:45
Kelly Schumacher
Mike Murphy
Kelly Schumacher
Mike Murphy
Kelly Schumacher
Mike Murphy
Kelly Schumacher
Mike Murphy
Communion Assistants
8:30
Connie Osborn
Judy Wemmert
Connie Osborn
Judy Wemmert
Connie Osborn
Judy Wemmert
Connie Osborn
Judy Wemmert
Communion
Assistants 10:45
Bonnie and Jere Kimmell
Bonnie and Jere Kimmell
Bonnie and Jere Kimmell
Bonnie and Jere Kimmell
Fellowship Randy and Nida
Fischer The Winkler Family Ben & Phyllis Havens
Worship Assistant
8:30 Evelyn Gurganus Connie White Larry Bodoczy Judy Wemmert
Altar Guild 8:30
Karen Kublank
Sandy Chapman
Karen Kublank
Sandy Chapman
Karen Kublank
Sandy Chapman
Karen Kublank
Sandy Chapman
Altar Guild 10:45
Judi Sims
Libye Neurnberg
Judi Sims
Libye Neurnberg
Judi Sims
Libye Neurnberg
Judi Sims
Libye Neurnberg
Altar Flowers Vic and Connie
White The Winkler Family
Brian and Trece
Meuth
The Family of Charlie
and Elise Lee
Biesenbach
March Anniversaries
4 Avery & Maurine Johnson Jr.
8 Ron & Suzanne Reyes
Seth & Kelly Armke
13 Greg & Desi Snell
18 Eric & Jennie Scott
21 Jason & Anna Kaiser
29 Chuck & Cindy Reeh
30 Vince & Sue Freiburger
March Birthdays
1 Savannah Chapman
2 Dalton Laumer
3 Chuck Knibbe
4 Elise Almquist
Audrey Schwanenberg
5 Jessica Corn
Jon Jackson
Chris Schroeder
8 Courtney Rawe
10 Connor James
Mason McClellan
Patrick Sims
Luke Snell
11 Charles Schumacher
Kelli Sims
12 Shelly Pascale
Sallie Wagner
13 Laci Dobbins
Jason Lingle
Colton Miller
17 Brian Ehler
Spencer Miller
18 Sarah Harrell
Carmen Rittimann
Chuck Schumacher
20 Teri James
22 Meagan Bridgewater
23 Shane Dobbins
Weldon Smith
24 Denny Rosenfeld
25 Freddie Biesenbach
26 Joan Bass
28 Susan McConnell
Robert Miller
Crystal Weaver
29 Fernando Chavez
Ryon Krause
31 Hailey Meurin
Christina Slowey
Ryan Smith
Katie Soileau
Ashley Williams
1 CDS 9am2pm
Women’s Bible Study 9am CDS Chapel 9:30am Staff Mtg. 10am Basketball in CFC 6-8pm
2 CDS 9am-2pm
CDS Chapel 9:30am BUNCO 12-2pm Lent Supper 6pm Lent Service 7pm Choir 7:45pm
3 CDS 9am-2pm Bible Study 8 & 10 Bible Study 6:30pm Praise Team 7:30pm
4 Bulverde
Networking Group 8:30-10:30am
5
7 CDS 9am-2pm
CDS Open Registration starts 9am CDS-Museum Day Gospel Band 5pm
8 CDS 9am-2pm Women’s Bible Study 9am CDS Chapel 9:30am Staff Mtg. 10am Prayer Shawls 1pm Council 5:30pm Basketball in CFC 6-8pm
9 CDS 9am-2pm
CDS Chapel 9:30am Lent Supper 6pm Lent Service 7pm Choir 7:45pm
10 Bible Study
8 & 10am CDS 9am-2pm Moms of Faith @ The Loft 9am Bible Study 6:30pm Praise Team 7:30pm
11 Bulverde
Networking Group 8:30-10:30am
12 Remember to set your clocks forward 1 hour before you go to bed.
14 CDS Closed
Banner Committee 9:30am Gospel Band 5:30pm
Red Roof Readers 6:00pm Acoustic Jam Session 6:30pm
15 CDS Closed
Women’s Bible Study 9am CDS Chapel 9:30am Staff Mtg. 10am-Men’s Life 6:00pm
16 CDS Closed
Lent Supper 6pm Lent Service 7pm Choir 7:45pm
17 Bible Study
8 & 10am CDS Closed Bible Study 6:30pm Praise Team 7:30pm
18 Bulverde
Networking Group 8:30-10:30am
19 Bible
Breakfast Bunch 8-10am
21 CDS 9am-2pm
Prayer Warriors 9:30am Gospel Band 5:30pm WOW 6:30pm
22 CDS 9am-2pm
Women’s Bible Study 9am CDS Chapel 9:30am Staff Mtg. 10am Basketball in CFC 6-8pm
23 CDS 9am-2pm
Chapel 9:30am CDS Board Mtg. 5pm Evangelism Meeting 6pm
24 CDS 9am2pm
Services @ noon and 7pm Choir Practice 7:45pm Praise Team 7:45pm
25 Services @
noon and 7pm Church office closes at noon
26
28 CDS and Church
Office will be closed. Gospel Band 5:30pm Acoustic Jam Session 6:30pm
29 CDS 9am-2pm
Women’s Bible Study 9am CDS Chapel 9:30am Staff Mtg. 10am Basketball in CFC 6-8pm
30 CDS 9am-2pm
CDS Chapel 9:30am Tired & Retired 10am-2pm
31 Bible Study
8 & 10am
CDS 9am2pm Bible Study 6:30pm Praise Team 7:30pm
6 Traditional Worship 8:30am
ACE/Sunday School and Confirmation Classes 9:40am Contemporary Worship 10:45am Youth 6-12—Rampage Hockey Game 2:30pm
13 Traditional Worship 8:30am ACE/Sunday School and Confirmation Classes 9:40am Contemporary Worship 10:45am Easter Evangelism Extravaganza 12:00-1:30pm
20 Traditional Worship 8:30am
ACE/Sunday School Classes 9:40am Contemporary Worship 10:45am Bible Bunch 12:00-1:30pm Youth Group 12:00-1:30pm Guatemala Mission Team Mtg. 2:45pm Basketball (CFC) 4-6pm Deadline for April Epistle
27 Traditional Worship 7:00 &
8:30am Easter Breakfast 7:30-10:00am Easter Egg Hunt 9:45am Contemporary Worship 10:45am
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Color Key:
Education Ministry Evangelism Stewardship Fellowship Worship
ALL EVENTS AND MEETINGS at the church must be scheduled through the church office. This helps to prevent groups from meeting at the
same time and location. Please call Sherry Schneider at 830-980-2813 or email at [email protected] for more information.