The St. Olaf Caller

From the Desk of Pastor Matt
The following article is wonderful and relevant to today’s churches.  It’s entitled Family Bible written by Marilyn Sharpe (www.youthandfamilyinstitute.org).  It is a bit long for the pastor’s message, so I have continued it on the Taking Faith Home portion of the Caller.

Do you still wear the outfit that you wore at your Confirmation? Would you put that same outfit on a toddler?  Why not?  Now, I’ll bet that you are wondering what this has to do with family Bibles. 

In the same way that you outgrew the clothes you wore in junior high, the Bible that is appropriate today for our middle school youth or our toddlers is not the one you would expect them to read for devotions or use as a study Bible as adults.  In Bibles, one size does not fit all. Our children and their parents need a whole “wardrobe” of Bibles to fit every age and stage of their lives.  This is especially important for a culture in which parents are not steeped in scripture and may not know the stories that just a generation ago were considered basic knowledge, part of our shared heritage.

Part of Martin Luther’s genius was understanding that the Word of God needed to be accessible to all.  He translated the Bible into German, not elegant, academic German, but the everyday language of those he served, understood by all.  Luther wanted all to hear God’s living word for them, so that they would find themselves in God’s story and God in their story.

The best advice I’ve heard in a long time is that we all ought to tear the back covers off our Bibles, because God’s word is not complete until it is joined to our stories and our stories are not complete until they are joined to God’s story.

            Canadian pastor, Peter Van Katwyck

Today, many parents cannot share Bible stories by heart.  Not only can they not recount the stories of minor biblical characters, but they don’t know the stories of Jesus or of the giants of the faith.  They don’t have any stories that shape their understanding of God at work in their lives.  They cannot tell these stories to their children … because they do not know them.  So, where should we begin?  See the Taking Faith Home article in another section of this Caller.

           In Christ, Pastor Matt

St. Olaf’s Weight Loss Challenge
Join us in the St. Olaf’s Weight Loss Challenge. We are meeting ever other Saturday at 9:00 a.m.  You can join anytime and there is room on all teams. 

We will plan some kind of activity on the days of weigh ins such as a hike, guest speaker, or have people share their ideas on diet, exercise, or latest research.

Upcoming meeting dates are October 10^th and 24^th.  Hope to see you there.

Contemporary Worship
Since Wednesday Night Recharge faded out, St. Olaf has not had an alternative style of worship.  Yet there are those who still yearn to hear God’s same Word within that style.  Starting October 4^th and continuing on the first Sunday of each month, we will be adding a 10:30 contemporary service.  Get the word out, pray for us, and join us if you feel comfortable with that style.

Revelation Study
An exciting study at St. Olaf will be a discussion of the book THE RAPTURE EXPOSED. This book gives a very different viewpoint of the book of Revelation. The discussion group will be held on Sundays from October 25^th through November 15^th, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Please contact any member of the AEC to let them know of your interest in the discussion group.

Life Giving and Estate Planning
When was the last time you took a look at your will?  When you left your attorney with the document in your hand?  How long ago was that?

Taking a look at your will is a good thing to do, especially if there have been some changes in your life:  your children's independence; the addition of grandchildren; different needs of a loved one; a death in the family; or a move to or from another state.

If you have not considered charitable gifts in your earlier will, a new will would give you an opportunity to do so.  The church you have supported during your life could greatly benefit from a final gift you may make through your will. This is what we mean by Life Giving. 

Is it time for you to pull your will from its safe place, reconsider what you have written, update it, and perhaps consider a gift to your church? 

Women of Grace
Mark your calendar for our October meeting on Monday, October 26 at 7 p.m.  Lutefisk is coming quickly!  Come help us plan.

Women of the ELCA Synod Gathering
On Saturday, October 10 our local WELCA group will be holding its gathering.  Saturday will include a worship service and several workshops.  Come join us and attend this fun, uplifting event as we meet women in our area who are doing wonderful mission work in our community and around the world.  For more information, contact Laura Lee or Elaine Monis.  

Recharging the Building Fund
Recharging the Building Fund is a continuous campaign.  Saving spare change in your small battery at home and occasionally emptying it into the large battery just outside the sanctuary is an easy and effective way for young and old to help pay down the principal on the mortgage, and you'll never miss the change.  So far this campaign has collected about $2,514.

Coffee Hints and Helps
Often when the autumn air picks up a bit of a chill, we start yearning for of a nice, hot cup of coffee.  Mt. Meru coffee is an excellent choice.  Here are a few hints to help you get the most out of your coffee.

How can you brew coffee at home that tastes as good as the expensive stuff at the coffee shops?  Start with the freshest beans possible.  After roasting, beans start to lose flavor.  Mt. Meru beans are roasted once a week.  When I get a new order in, those beans have been roasted only days ago.  Store your coffee in an air-tight dark container, but not in the refrigerator.  The fridge has too much moisture in it, and your coffee may pick up ‘flavors’ of its co-inhabitants over time.  If you must store coffee for a long period of time, freeze it, but allow the beans to acclimate to room temperature before brewing.

Whole bean coffee will keep better than pre-ground as grinding increases the surface area and your coffee will go stale quicker.  If you can grind your beans immediately before brewing, you will notice a fuller flavor than when using pre-ground coffee.  Use hot water between 195 and 205 degrees (right before boiling).  If your water is not hot enough, it will produce a flat coffee.  If the water is too hot, your coffee will be bitter.

Don’t let the coffee sit in the carafe on the coffeemaker with the burner on.  That slow burn will break down flavor and make your coffee bitter.  If you won’t empty the carafe right away, pour the coffee into a preheated thermos.  Have you ever had coffee made in a French press – basically a plunger/filter in a glass beaker?  The coffee basically ‘steeps’ in hot water, like when making tea.  The result is very flavorful.

As always, Mt. Meru coffee can be purchased at church for $9 for a 12 oz. bag of regular or decaf; whole bean, drip or perc grind.  The coffee project is a project of the Greater Milwaukee ELCA Synod in conjunction with our companion synod, the Meru Synod of Tanzania.  The proceeds of the sales of this freely traded, organically grown coffee benefit our brothers and sisters in Christ in that economically depressed area of Tanzania.

October Anniversaries
1     Steven and Jodi Anderson
1     William and Christine Guenther                      
6     Russell and Carolyn Roraff                             
7     Dave and Kathy Johnston                              
11   Donald and Dawn Freiburger                         
15   Douglas and Lisa Kreger                               
15   Gregory and Nicole Ritger                             
16   Gene and Pamela Eggert                                
24   John and Janet Reed                                      
26   Dawn and James Christ                                 
27   Stanley and Joyce Christopherson                  
27   Scott and Patty Stewart                                 
30   Walter and Sandy Friedl                                
30   Gregory and Sherry Pietila                             
31   Donald and Pauline Christopherson                
31   Brandon and Darci Grochowski

Happy Birthday in October
   2   Nathan Uhlman
   4   Jennifer Becker, Phylliss Schlieve
   5   Talia Kluewer
   7   Steven Anderson
   9   Clara Birkel, Trent Birkel
   9   Joan Uhlman
10   Brandon Grochowski, Melissa Much
11   Brandon Reitz
12   Patty Stewart
13   Stacy Brakob, John Christenson
13   Brandon Kraft, Liz Laack, Brian Schutze
14   Susan Grulke, Dale Schlehlein
16   Joshua Cowell, Linda Fredrick
18   Angela Becker, Jody Homulos, Matthew Sutrick
19   Daniel Meier, Sandra Schroeder
22   Randall Buth, Sharon Nelson
24   Darci Grochowski
25   Laura Savatski, Mitchell Schlehlein
27   Melodie Christenson, Gerald Feutz

Membership Directory
Our latest Membership directory is available at church.  Stop by and pick one up so you can have the most updated list of addresses, phone numbers and emails.  Please notify the office of any changes in your contact information.  Thanks.

October Lay Ministry Schedule

 Altar Guild: Liz Laack
Counters:  Mark & Linda Fredrick and Al & Pat Davies
For questions regarding the following, please call:
Acolytes:   Robyn Cowell 262-673-9693
Assisting Ministers: Gwen Downing 262-673-6717

Contractor Donation
Kyle Johnson Remodeling and Handyman Services LLC Roofing, Gutter-guards, decks fences, rec. rooms, ceramic tile, screen doors, garage door openers, design / build, interior / exterior remodeling, garages, home maintenance & repair, shelving & storage 414-550-5502.  johnsoky@yahoo.com. For any job bids accepted by any member of St. Olaf for the remainder of 2009, I will donate to St. Olaf’s 10% of the price of the job.  This is over and above our family’s weekly giving.

Business Directory
Those who are advertising in St. Olaf's Business Directory, please submit your ad to Karl Scheife at competitor@wi.twcbc.com.  If you want him to help you design your ad, call him at 262-369-5800. Profits from the sale of ads will go to the building fund to pay down the mortgage.

It’s time for School Kits
We’ll be collecting school kits again for Lutheran World Relief.  A school kit may provide the only supplies for children returning to school after the disruption of war. School kits help parents continue their children's education, even while living in a refugee camp, for example. A school kit may also be used in adult literacy classes.  We need the following supplies:

►   Notebooks of wide- or college-ruled paper   
       approximately 8" x 10 ½" totaling 150-200
       sheets (if using 70-sheet notebooks, please
       include three); no loose-leaf paper

►   One blunt scissors (safety scissors with
       embedded steel blades work well)

►   One 30-centimeter ruler, or a ruler with
        centimeters on one side and inches on the other

►   One pencil sharpener

►   Six new, unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers;
       secure together with a rubber band

►   One eraser approximately 2" long

►  12 sheets of construction paper in assorted colors
      (if necessary, fold in half to fit into the school kit
       bag)

►   One box of 16 or 24 crayons

►   One sturdy cloth bag approximately 12" X 14"
       with cloth handles or drawstring closure

 Please bring items to church and leave in box by the nursery.  Thanks in advance for all the wonderful donations.

 

Adult Acolyte Training
This one hour training program is for any adult interested in acolyting and any acolyte that needs a refresher.  We will meet on October 18^th at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary.  Pastor Matt would like to have adults team up with the youth for acolyting duty in the future, so don’t wait!  Come to this training.  No sign up is necessary, just come with a willing heart.  Any questions please contact Clara Birkel. 

2009 Oconomowoc Area CROP Walk
Sunday afternoon, October 11

What is a CROP Hunger Walk?
Neighbors walking together to take a stand against hunger in our world. Together we raise awareness and funds for international relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting. 25% will stay in the local communities.

This program not only raises funds, but helps train people how to stop the cycle of poverty and improve the life of their family.   Please consider joining us for a lovely walk around Fowler Lake on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (less than 2 miles) and raise money for this chance to CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.  Remember that many of the people we are helping have to walk farther than 2 miles everyday just to get clean water to drink.  Ever walk 2 miles carrying 2 to 5 gallons of water?

Any questions see Randy Sikkema or email him at randy_sikkema@yahoo.com

Calling all Nature Nuts!
Did you know there’s a beautiful Nature Center right in Neosho?  Be one of the few to check it out on Saturday October 10^th starting at 9AM.   The Nature Center is on Hwy MM on that brief stretch between Hwy 67 and Hwy EE just a mile south of Neosho.  You may get roped into cutting some wood or doing other jobs as it’s the annual woodcutting day.  Learn more about the mission of Neighborhood House, the non-profit that owns the Nature Center and what they offer to kids.  A cookout will follow.  It’s going to be a great time!
 
So what can you do to help?
 
-Feed wood into splitter
-Run wood to splitter
-Stack split wood
-Donate/cook food for other volunteers
-Work on gardens
-Help spruce up the Nature Center
-SPREADING THE WORD TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND RECRUITING THEM TO HELP TOO

For more info contact Laura Savatski 262-670-0550

Taking Faith Home
Continued from the Pastor’s Desk
Where do we begin?

begin at the baptismal font

As they grow in years, place in their hands the Holy Scriptures…Holy Baptism, LBW 

When the child in their arms was splashed with promise, named and claimed as a child of God, parents were given this guidance for how to raise this child in the faith.  What is our next step as a congregation?  Let us begin early to support families to tell the old, old story. 

Here are some innovative and faithful steps that congregations are taking to make sure that parents not only “place in their hands the Holy Scriptures,” but open those Bibles and learn them by heart.  Not by memory, but by heart!

 BEGIN EARLY, GIFT THEM OFTEN

Some congregations place a board book Bible in the child’s FaithChest, given at baptism.  Baby’s First Bible has a little handle for the child to carry.  Appealing, child-friendly illustrations and simple, age-appropriate words tell the most familiar stories.  Remember, this may be a parent’s first Bible … or the first one they have opened in years and years and years.  This can be such an inviting first step.

Bethel Lutheran Church in Willmar, MN gives their first Bible to three year olds.  God Loves Me Bible has a place for a photo of the child to be slipped into the cover.  Forty-six simple stories each have a two page spread, telling the story on one page, and the facing pages all proclaim, “God loved ____.  And God loves me!”  What a wonderful message.

Older preschoolers can receive Pray and Play Bible for Young Children, a large format book with 14 stories, gorgeous illustrations, and three pages following each story, filled with prayers, songs, crafts, activities, and projects that families can do together to amplify the impact of the story.

For other families with preschoolers, My Goodnight Bible: 45 Bedtime Bible Stories for Little Ones, is the perfect way for families to do devotions regularly at the child’s bedside.  Each story closes with Quiet Time, simple questions for children and parents to wonder about; Prayer Time, a child’s prayer to close the ritual; and Sleep Time, focus on a single word from the story, that makes the child feel safe, beloved, and necessary to God’s family.

Children love Bible story cubes, a familiar story that literally unfolds before your eyes.  (Warning:  it took a four year old to show me how it works.  Hint:  follow the arrows.)  When a child has seen and heard it once, the child is ready to lead the family in devotions, using the story cube.

For young readers, The Young Reader’s Bible: 70 easy-to-read Bible stories and The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories encourage children to read the stories to their parents and younger siblings.

PARENT-CHILD CLASSES

Congregations offer classes for parents and children together before the children receive their Bibles.  They have a chance to practice reading the Bible together and experience simple devotions as a family.  David Lynn of Tucson, AZ, who has a passion for partnering home and congregation to pass on faith, believes that we should “never expect a family to do at home what they haven’t first practiced in the congregation.”

NEVER GIVE A CHILD A “NEW” BIBLE

Before giving a child a Bible, invite parents, godparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other adults who love the child to gather.  Give them colored pencils or pens.  Hand them the Bible and ask them to underline or highlight their favorite stories or verses; then sign it and identify it as their favorite. In the margin, write a brief prayer or blessing for the child.  If an adult important to the child is not in town or available, mail it to them instructions about what to do and the date you need it back.  Then, give it to the child and watch their eyes light up!

GIVE THE BIBLES IN WORSHIP

Always make the gift of the Bible a part of corporate worship.  Pastors, please hand the Bible to the parent to give it to the child.  It’s baptismal.  Use it as an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of Scripture for all the generations.  At First Lutheran Church in Minot, ND, the pastor hands the parent the Bible to give to their third grader, then hands the third grade child a Small Catechism to put into the hands of their parent.

PEER MINISTERS LEAD HOME BIBLE STUDIES

The week following the gift of a new Bible, have trained youth Peer Ministers go to the home of each recipient and do Bible study, using the new Bible with parents and children.

RESOURCE THE FAMILY TO READ SCRIPTURE TOGETHER

Find simple devotional books for all ages and make them available.  Offer Bible study for all ages and some intergenerational groupings.  Make it a part of congregational dinners.  Make good, simple Bible dictionaries and concordances available and teach children, youth, and adults how to use them.  Coordinate the scripture that is read in worship with scripture that is studied in Sunday school and Bible study for all.  Invite children, youth, and families to read Scripture in worship, sometimes from a children’s Bible. 

BUT, IT’S NOT IN THE BUDGET

The wail goes up, “But it’s not in the budget.”  So, be creative.  Do this outside the normal budgeting process, if you need to.  Ask for memorials to be dedicated to equipping families to pass on faith.  Take a special offering, asking the congregation to invest in faith nurture.  Invite a person with a special heart for this to donate money to cover the costs.  We figure out a way to keep the lights on, the furnace working, and salaries paid.  Can there be anything more central to the body of Christ than to hear, to read, to know, to study God’s Word?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 

            And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

                                                                                                                        Colossians 3:16-17

Changes Coming to Simply Giving
By now all of you should be aware that St. Olaf’s  participates in an electronic debit program called Simply Giving sponsored by Thivent Financial for Lutherans.  This has proven to be a popular program for those in our congregation who utilize it.  From its inception 10 years ago or so, Thrivent has completely funded the program so there was no cost for congregations to use it.  This will change January 1, 2010.  While Thrivent will still sponsor the program, there will then be certain charges the congregations must pick up.  We will be charged a small fee for every transaction that takes place and every change we make to a member’s account.

For this reason, we are asking that any of you who are considering signing up for Simply Giving to do it yet in 2009 while all these functions are still free.  Likewise if you anticipate changing the amount or frequency of your weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly donation to St Olaf’s for the new year, I would ask you make those changes still in 2009.  For those of you donating weekly through Simply Giving, if it honestly makes no difference in your financial situation what the time frame of your donations are, would you consider changing to a larger, but less frequent donation, either semi-monthly or monthly?  While the transaction fees are small, they do add up with multiple members over time.  For example, a member switching from weekly to once monthly donations will save the church $8 in fees per year.  We want to be the best stewards possible of any money entrusted to us.

If you have any questions about the Simply Giving program, don’t hesitate to see Denise.

St. Olaf Sunday School Presents
Daniel & the Lions’ Den
October 18 – November 8

Daniel had some enemies.  Maybe you know that feeling, too.  They persuaded the king to sign an order that people could pray only to the king. Anyone who disobeyed the order would be thrown to the lions.  But Daniel worshipped God, not the king, and the king’s order did not stop him from praying to God. Three times a day he went to his house and prayed. His enemies went to his house and caught him praying and told the king. The king was upset, but according to the law he had to carry out his order, so he commanded that Daniel be thrown to the lions, saying, “May your God deliver you!” The next morning the king hurried to the lion’s den and called, “Daniel, did your God save you?” And Daniel answered, “God sent an angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me.”  The king was overjoyed. Daniel was freed unharmed from the lion’s den and the king wrote a message to all the world saying, “In all my kingdom people shall fear the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring for ever. He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”  It takes strength and guts to believe in God and obey God's commands and be a role model to others. Believing one thing and doing another is wrong.  Saying you love God but not obeying God is wrong.  Daniel probably thought about giving in and hiding the fact that he was a follower of God. But Daniel decided to stand up for his belief in God, even if it meant death. There are times when even kids have to stand up for their beliefs--when they see someone treating another badly-- when they hear gossip--when they have the tough choice of sleeping in or going to church--when it's time to pray and they'd rather play--when others speak negatively about church--when there are things distracting them away from worshipping God. Distractions and lions come in all shapes and sizes!

Sunday School Classes

• In the Oasis Café we will make Lion Corncakes and focus on the lions Daniel met.
• In Colors of Faith we will make mosaics that retell the story of Daniel’s bravery.
• In Creation Exploration we will learn more about prayer as we explore a prayer labyrinth.
• In Jammin’ with Jesus we will play some games and learn more about facing the lions we encounter in our daily lives.

Our focus verse:

In all my kingdom people shall fear the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring for ever.  Daniel 6:26