November 2022 Newsletter
What are you thankful for? Faith, family, home, work, finances these are all normal answers. Confirmation class this fall has been focusing on Luther’s explanation of the First Article of the Creed where Luther writes: "I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all I that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil." Luther brings an exhaustive list to God's people of just how much God has done for us, just how completely He has provided for His creation. Everything we have, everything we are, everything comes from God! It has been a wonderful quarter that has put me in an extremely grateful mood.
The very next line is wonderfully comforting to us in the perspective it brings to the everything we have - the everything God gives: "All this He does out of Fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me." When we think of God's love the vast majority of the time we look first to God's love for us in Christ. This is the epitome of God's love. It is the ultimate declaration of God's love for us - His fallen creation, His wayward children. But God's love for us does not stop with Christ. His love for us in sending His own Son to die on the cross for our sins is far more than we deserve. God not only sends His Son to die on the cross for our sins, but also provides us with EVERYTHING!!! He does this not because we worship Him, praise, Him, follow Him, or glorify Him. Nor because we do those things as well or as constantly as we should. He does this solely out of "Fatherly divine goodness and mercy." He does this because He loves us! And as God's Word reminds us in Matthew 5:45, "He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." So, His Fatherly divine goodness and mercy extends to all creation as does His ardent desire for, "All men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4)." The distinction then, is that we as God's people more fully comprehend God's hand in our lives, and God's gracious providence of all things; as compared to the unbelieving world which due to hardness of heart because of sin, see all they have as their own.
This gives way to Luther's response at the close of the first article: "For all this it is my duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him." If all that I have, from faith and family, to work, home, health, and wealth come from God - what is my response? To thank Him for all He has given to me. To thank God for the everything He has provided me with in this earthly life. Is this relegated to one day per year? Should this not be every day of our lives? This is also reinforced by Luther's further comments about what thanksgiving looks like. Thanksgiving looks like more than merely saying thank you to God for His multitudinous blessings to us, but to thank, praise, serve and obey Him for all He gives to us. That praise takes many forms in the life of the Christian. Praise as a church on Sunday morning; praise in my daily life as I honor God with my life and proper use of His blessings. Praise takes further shape in the final two verbs Luther uses, to serve and obey. Because of God's gracious blessing to us it is our duty to use His gifts in service to Him as well as to our neighbor. It is easier to obey God in a thankful and praiseworthy way when we take into account the blessings, He has graced us with.
Luther's explanation also begs the questions: how are we thanking God for His blessings to us? how are we using God's blessings to us to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him? and how do view the many things God has given us differently when we view them as gifts from God? As we celebrate Thanksgiving again this year, let us take to heart God's gracious nature to us, and respond with joy and thanksgiving to Him and to our neighbor as we put to use daily the gifts He has given us to praise Him with in our obedience and service.
A Blessed Thanksgiving to you all,
Pastor Nick
Announcements:
ST JOHN: ARTICLE IV –
ELECTION OF CONGREGATION OFFICERS
A nominating committee, consisting of all elected officers shall present a slate of candidates at the annual meeting. This slate shall be published in the bulletin on two successive Sundays prior to the Sunday on which the annual meeting is held. The committee shall make every effort to propose at least two names for each office on the slate. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. The annual election shall be by ballot and shall take place during the annual meeting. To be elected a candidate must receive a simple majority of all votes cast. The elected officers shall assume their respective duties immediately upon their election. Officers shall be elected for terms specified in these Bylaws and shall hold office until their successors have assumed their office. (Amended 2-9-2016)
St. John Church Council Members- Openings 2023
President: (Open) Nominations Needed
Board of Elders:
Bill Erb- Elected 2017/2020 Nominations Needed
Luke Hischke- Elected 2020 Eligible for Nomination
Marvin Genskow- Elected 2018/2021
Steve Rakow- Elected 2021
Ruben Rakow- Elected 2019/2022
Rob Laabs- Elected 2022
Board of Education:
Sarah Hischke- Elected 2020 Nominations Needed
Kate Mikle- Elected 2021
Kayla Hischke- Elected 2022
Board of Trustees:
Bill Bartz- Elected 2020 Eligible for Nomination
Jeff Heimerl- Elected 2021
Robert Johnson- Elected 2022
Board of Stewardship:
Scott Bohmbach-Elected 2020 Eligible for Nomination
Susan Schneider- Elected 2021
Kathy Tuschy- Elected 2022
Secretary:
JoAnn Wilber- Elected 2018/2021
Treasurer:
Larry Tuschy- Elected 2021
Board of Finance:
Cathy Rakow-Elected 2017/2020 Nominations Needed
Financial Secretary: Kimberly Krings
Day Anniversaries
Nov 3 Robin Malek and Joe
Nov 12 Larry and Kathleen Tuschy
Day Birthdays
Nov 1 Rick Berg
Nov 1 Wendell Heimerl
Nov 2 Charles Cooperman
Nov 2 Travis Linzmeyer
Nov 3 Allison Napier
Nov 3 Dana Rakow
Nov 4 Aidan Thompson
Nov 6 Jenny Jahnke
Nov 6 Melissa Quant
Nov 6 Carmen Strauss
Nov 9 Santiago Lopez
Nov 10 Travis Schardt
Nov 11 Henry Buchholz
Nov 13 Kanon Schneider
Nov 15 Shelly Gerndt
Nov 16 Ray Heimerl
Nov 21 Emily Jaeger
Nov 21 Larry Tuschy
Nov 23 Dorothy Pethke
Nov 25 Adam Firgens
Nov 25 Rachel Kirchner
Nov 26 Sarah Hischke
Nov 27 Colleen Carey
Nov 27 Timothy Reed
Nov 29 Grace Wilber
Nov 30 Mckenzie Chesterfield
Labor Day Food Stand:
Thank you to all who supported the Labor Day Food Stand! The Profit was $5,026.46. The next Labor Day Committee Meeting is January 19th, 2023 at 7pm at the library (Suring) meeting room!
St John School- Carnival Day:
Carnival Day was a blast! Thank you to the teachers, older students, volunteers and PTL Group 2 for making the afternoon a success. Students were offered a Carnival Themed lunch, a variety of carnival games, a candy bar and cotton candy!
St John Gym Furnace:
We have raised just over $11,000 towards our goal of $23,000 that is needed to replace the gym furnace. If you would like to donate towards the replacement, please note or comment “Furnace Fund” on your check/envelope.
Playground Update- Help Needed:
Big THANK YOU to Wes School and Manny Elbe, owner of North Branch Ent., for getting our Gaga Ball Pit removed and setting up a place for the new one! We have several play structure pieces (slides, climber, steering wheel, tic-tac-tie) that we need help installing on the existing playground structure, so if you are interested in helping, please contact the office, pastor or Mr/Mrs Denkert. The new gaga pit has been ordered and the new Rainbow play structure is set to be installed very soon!
St John School- Chapel Offerings:
For the months of Sept and Oct, chapel offerings will be used for Operation Christmas Child.
St John School- Memory Work
The Second Article: Redemption
What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
St John Money Counters:
We are looking for a few people to join the money counter rotation.
Counters typically help count one Sunday a month. Please reach out to the office if you are able to join a group.
St John Church Cleaning Help Needed:
We are in need of families/groups to sign up for a month of cleaning our church. Each group signs up for one month and cleans once a week during their month. There are a couple months available. Call the church office if you can help or have any questions- 920-842-4443. Please consider helping in this way as it saves us from hiring someone.
Sunday School, Youth Bible & Adult Bible Class:
We are excited to have 3 Bible Classes on Sunday mornings at 9am!
- Sunday School- Students in 3K-7th grade
- NEW Youth Bible Class- Students in 8th-12th
- Adult Bible Class
St John Church & School Calendar:
A “paper” calendar is published as part of our Monthly Newsletter. An electronic calendar is continually updated and maintained on our new website: www.stjohnlutheranhayes.org/calendar.
Weekly Bulletin Articles:
Please send all bulletin articles to the secretary by Wednesday morning each week.
Office hours this week:
The secretary will be in the office Monday through Friday from 8am to 12pm.
The secretary is also available by email: stjohns@stjohnlutheranhayes.org or by phone (920)842-4443.