1. Art and Diseño

PERSPECTIVE
Newsletter of
St. Paul Lutheran Church—ELCA
200 N. Commercial Street · Neenah, WI 54956
Phone (920) 725-3961 · Fax (920) 725-4690
www.stpaulneenah.org
February 2015
Calling and Responding
By Paul Holte
Senior Pastor, St. Paul Lutheran Church
What’s your calling in life? No, not necessarily your job – your calling. What is God calling you to do as a Christian? And what is God calling
us to do together as a community of faith? These are essential questions.
en. Some of my colleagues tell me they initially tried to run from it – like
Jonah tried to. They found out, just as Jonah did, that you cannot run; you
cannot hide.
As you know, I’m the guy who changes the messages on our reader
board sign on Commercial Street. For New Year’s, I posted this little rhyme:
May God be seen
In 2015.
As I write this in the month of January, we’re working on a number
of Sunday texts for preaching, where the appointed Bible stories deal with
“the call” to ministry – the Lord calls out to young Samuel in the night; the
Lord calls Jonah to go preach to Nineveh; the Lord calls John to preach repentance and baptize in the Jordan River; the Spirit calls Jesus out into the
wilderness after his baptism to be tempted and tested; Jesus calls his disciples
– Simon and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Nathaniel; Jesus even calls
out to the demons in people who are possessed, and commands them to leave.
Throughout the Bible, there is this sense of “call.”
So maybe I should come up with a new slogan for that reader board:
May we at St. Paul
Respond to God’s call.
Respond to the call.
Old Eli, the temple priest in Jerusalem, under whom Samuel served
as a boy, told him that when he heard the Lord calling out to him in the night,
he should respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (In this way,
you not only put yourself in a receptive pose, ready to listen to what the Lord
has to say; you also humbly put yourself in a subservient pose, ready to serve
the Lord.)
So if the first step is to listen, the second step is to respond. It’s a bit
like when the teacher takes attendance at the start of the class period: when
your name is called, you answer. You reply, “Present,” or “Here!” Otherwise, the teacher keeps calling out to you until you do – or counts you absent.
(When God calls out, you do not want to be marked “Absent.” You
acknowledge your presence.) “Here I am, Lord,” we sing in the contemporary hymn, “I have heard you calling in the night.”
By the time you read this, we will have had our Annual Congregational Meeting, which was on January 25. We will have reviewed the past
year and set some direction for the year ahead – choosing new leadership
(Council elections; appointments to various ministries); laying out a spending
plan (approving the 2015 Budget); celebrating past achievements (PowerPoint
slides; reports from groups and individuals; ending the year in the black);
setting goals (for the challenges ahead); encouraging one another (through our
prayers and presence).
A congregational meeting is a wonderful opportunity to clarify our
sense of call as God’s people. What does God want us to do as his particular
people in this particular place at this particular time?
We use the word “call” in a variety of different ways. You may receive a phone call. For your job, you may call on a client. If students misbehave, they may be called into the principal’s office. If workers misbehave,
they may be called onto the carpet in the boss’ office. Out in public, you may
call out to a greeting to a friend. Your mother may call you to dinner. In
whatever context we use the word call, there should always be a response. If
you’re called on the telephone, you should answer the phone. If you’re called
to supper, you should sit down at the table. If a friend calls out your name on
the sidewalk, you should acknowledge that.
That’s why we use the phrase, “call and response.” For instance,
when the worship leader says, “The Lord be with you,” the people respond,
“And also with you.”
When God calls, we definitely ought to respond.
I serve here at St. Paul because of a Call – a couple of them, actually.
Decades ago, I felt the call to become a pastor. So I dutifully went off to
study at graduate school, completed my Master of Divinity degree at theological seminary, and was ordained into Christian ministry. Then eleven years
ago, this congregation called me to serve at St. Paul as your pastor. Again,
sensing this was God’s will for both you and me, I moved my family to
Neenah.
Now there is a rather elaborate process that a congregation undergoes any time there is a change in pastoral leadership. It’s called, naturally,
“the Call process.” (You can ask Gary O’Dell for the particulars. Gary was
chairman of the Call Committee that eventually proposed my name to the
congregation.) It occurs to me that for those who are not called to professional church work, there is also a process for hearing and responding to our various callings. I’ll lay out some of the steps of this:
Hear the call.
First, of course, you need to open your ears. Jesus kept saying, “He
who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
It’s hard for me to believe, but it’s been 40 years since my seminary
graduation. (I will have just returned from our class reunion at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.) As I said, my classmates and I became pastors
because we first heard The Call. We were receptive to that Voice from Heav-
Remove any impediments.
At the start of his ministry, Jesus called some fishermen to join him
in his mission. “Follow me,” he said. “I will make you fishers of men.”
Amazingly, they left their nets, and followed. Can you imagine dropping
everything, just like that? Surely Jesus must have been a compelling, charismatic person!
But some would-be followers resisted. “Go, sell all you have,” Jesus
said to one man, “give it to the poor, and come, follow me.” We learn that
the man turned from Jesus and went away, “for he was very rich.” Now, I
don’t think Jesus wants anyone to be penniless and destitute. No, in this case,
he saw that money had become an idol for this man, and he was inviting him
to put God first in his life. But the rich man balked.
“First let me bury my father,” said another whom Jesus invited to
follow him. Now, I don’t think that Jesus wanted him to dishonor his father
by skipping the funeral. What that man was really saying was, “Jesus, can’t it
wait? Maybe a few years from now, after my parents have died, and I’ve
settled the estate, perhaps I could follow you then?” He was trying to keep
living in the past, that was his impediment. Jesus said, “Don’t look
back.” (Follow me, and move forward.)
The Ethiopian eunuch said to Philip, who had explained the scriptures to him, “Here is water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?”
What might prevent you from following the Lord’s will? Do you
really want to imagine that these little personal roadblocks you have set up
are bigger or more powerful than heaven’s intentions for you? Remove any
impediments to following Jesus!
Come and see.
After the initial invitation, there may be doubts. That’s only natural.
Doubt is a component of faith; don’t let anyone tell you different. When Philip, who had just decided to follow Jesus himself, invited his friend Nathaniel
to also follow this Jesus of Nazareth, Nathaniel scoffed, “Can anything good
come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see!”
This is not only a present tense invitation; it is the ongoing present.
All through our lives, we will need to keep coming to Jesus, keep seeing his
mighty works.
Perhaps we should also say, “Come and touch.” Remember Thomas? After the other disciples had seen the risen Lord, he stated, “Unless I put
my hands in the mark of the nails, I won’t believe you!” (Show me!) Well,
the Lord got through to Thomas, too; for he came and stood before him, “in
the flesh.” See, God makes the first move; he comes to us. Then we in turn
are called to perceive him – as the Psalmist says, to “taste and see that the
Lord is good!” Come and see!
See RESPONDING, Page 3
Church Helper Schedules & Staff/Team Contacts
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH—ELCA
www.stpaulneenah.org
Day, Nancy (8:00);
Jan. 25 narthex;
March 1 elevator
Eckrich, Sue (10:30);
Feb. 8 narthex; Feb.
15 elevator
Grondahl, Butch
(10:30); Feb. 1 narthex; Feb. 8 elevator;
March 8 narthex
Jones, Kathi (8:00);
Feb. 1 elevator; Feb.
15 narthex
Kalfahs, Darlene
(8:00); Feb. 22 elevator; March 8 narthex
La Fond, Esther
(10:30); Jan. 25 elevator; Feb. 22 narthex;
March 1 elevator
Peterson, Pete (8:00);
Feb. 15 elevator;
March 1 narthex
Procknow, Kathy
(8:00); Feb. 8 elevator; Feb. 22 narthex
Scovronski, Dorothy
(10:30); Jan. 25 narthex; Feb. 1 elevator;
March 1 narthex;
March 8 elevator
Tews, Bud (8:00);
Jan. 25 elevator; Feb.
8 narthex
Wismer, Chuck
(8:00); Feb. 1 narthex;
March 8 elevator
Wyman, Laura
(10:30); Feb. 15 narthex; Feb. 22 elevator
PRAYER PARTNERS
Morgenstern, Connie
(10:30); Feb. 1; Feb.
22
Procknow, Kathy
(8:00); Feb. 8; March
8
Scovronski, Dorothy
(10:30); Jan. 25; Feb.
15; March 8
Beverlin, Jill (8:00);
Feb. 15
Dvorachek, Mike
(8:00); Jan. 25; Feb.
22
Holte, Robin (8:00);
Feb. 1; March 1
Maas Pike, Jean
(10:30); Feb. 8;
March 1
Bauer, Roger – captain
(10:30); Jan. 25; Feb. 15;
March 8
Boche, Don – captain
(8:00); Jan. 25; Feb. 15;
March 8
Bonikowske, Cary - substitute (8:00)
Bonnin, Dorothy (8:00);
Feb. 8; March 1
Collier, Tammy (10:30);
Feb. 1; Feb. 22
Coyle, Loretta (8:00); Feb.
15; March 8
Dvorachek, Mike (8:00);
Feb. 8; March 1
Elkin, Luke – youth usher
(10:30); Feb. 1
Evenson, Gene (8:00); Feb.
1; Feb. 22
Grondahl, Butch (10:30);
Jan. 25; Feb. 15; March 8
Habighorst, Dick (8:00);
Jan. 25; Feb. 15; March 8
Haufe, Linda (10:30); Feb.
8; March 1
Hemp, Lyle (10:30); Jan.
25; Feb. 15; March 8
Hintz, Dan (10:30); Feb. 1;
Feb. 22
Hodek, Hannah – youth
usher (8:00); March 1
Jansen, Sherm – substitute
(8:00 & 10:30)
La Fond, Esther – substitute (10:30)
Lewis, Joy (10:30); Jan. 25;
Feb. 15; March 8
PERSPECTIVE
· FEBRUARY 2015
USHERS/YOUTH USHERS
GREETERS
Page 2
LECTORS/
COMMUNION ASSISTANTS
Lewis, Kjersta – youth usher (10:30); Jan. 25; Feb. 15;
March 8
Lind, Jacob – youth usher
(8:00); Feb. 1
McCarry, Alex – youth
usher (8:00); Feb. 15
Nieland, Ken (8:00); Feb.
1; Feb. 22
Parker, Linda - captain
(10:30); Feb. 8; March 1
Peterson, Dan – captain
(8:00); Feb. 1; Feb. 22
Roth, Paul (8:00); Feb. 8;
March 1
Sherwood, Jeff (10:30);
Feb. 8; March 1
Smith, Dave (10:30); Feb.
1; Feb. 22
Sund, Jim & Bev – substitute (10:30)
Thacker, Mike – captain
(10:30); Feb. 1; Feb. 22
Tipler, Eric (10:30); Feb. 1;
Feb. 22
Wasinger, Brad (8:00); Jan.
25; Feb. 15; March 8
Wismer, Chuck – captain
(8:00); Feb. 8; March 1
Wolfe, Jenny (10:30); Feb.
8; March 1
Wyman, Laura - substitute
(10:30)
Zeinert, Cliff (8:00); Feb.
8; March 1
Beuther, Paul (8:00);
Feb. 1 lector & c.a.;
March 15 c.a.
Beverlin, Jill (8:00);
Feb. 1 c.a.; March 1
c.a.; March 15 c.a.
Collier, Tammy
(10:30); March 1 c.a.
Day, Nancy (8:00);
Feb. 15 c.a.; March
15 lector
Ellickson, Christine
(8:00); Feb. 8 lector
Files, Beth (10:30);
Feb. 1 c.a.; March 1
c.a.
Freeman, Ralph
(10:30); Jan. 25 lector; March 29 lector
Gillis, Becky (8:00);
Feb. 15 c.a.
Grondahl, Mackenzie (10:30); Feb. 22
lector
Holte, Robin (8:00);
Feb. 1 c.a.; March 1
c.a.
Holte, Serena (8:00);
Feb. 15 lector
Jones, Kathi (8:00);
Feb. 15 c.a.
Jones, Tom (8:00);
Feb. 15 c.a.
Kalfahs, Darlene
(8:00); March 1 lector
& c.a.
PLEASE NOTE
Kolb, Marianne
(10:30); March 1 lector
Kurtti, Chuck
(10:30); Feb. 1 c.a.;
March 15 c.a.
Lind, Kjersta (8:00);
March 29 lector
Maas Pike, Jean
(10:30); Feb. 1 c.a.;
March 15 c.a.
Micale, Melissa
(8:00); Feb. 22 lector
Morgenstern, Jim
(10:30); Feb. 1 lector
Pirwitz, Emily
(8:00); Jan. 25 lector
Roth, Paul (8:00);
March 8 lector
Scovronski, Dorothy
(10:30); Feb. 15 c.a.
Sigl, Wayne (8:00);
March 15 c.a.
Strong, Cindy
(10:30); March 15 c.a.
Sund, Jim & Bev
(10:30); Feb. 15 c.a.
Tews, Jody (10:30);
Feb. 8 lector
Thacker, Laura
(10:30); Jan. 11 lector; March 8 lector
Tipler, Linda (10:30);
Feb. 15 c.a.; March
15 lector
Wyman, Laura
(10:30); March 1 c.a.
NURSERY HELPERS
If you are unable to perform your assigned task, please
find a substitute and notify the church office at 7253961.
Djupstrom, Hayley;
Feb. 15
Gillis, Jenna; March 8
Hodek, Haley; Feb. 1
Hodek, Hannah; Feb.
1
Lind, Kjersta; Feb. 8
McCarry, Cassie;
Jan. 25
I Love You!
~ God
Oliver, Beth; Jan. 25;
Feb. 8; Feb. 22;
March 8
Randall, Morgan;
March 1
Rosenthal, Maysun;
Feb. 22
St. Paul Lutheran Church—ELCA
200 N. Commercial Street · Neenah, WI 54956 · www.stpaulneenah.org · (920) 725-3961 · Fax (920) 725-4690
Church Staff:
Parish Records
Paul L. Holte
Senior Pastor
[email protected]
Marillyn Freeman
Director of Music Ministries
[email protected]
Cindy Huxtable
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
Clarence Harms
Interim Associate Pastor
[email protected]
Eric Ihde
Bethany Broeders/Jamaica Festge
Handbell & Sanctuary Choir Director Nursery Staff
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Jill Beverlin
Minister of Congregational Life
[email protected]
Tamie O’Dell
Coordinator of Volunteers
[email protected]
Richard Tucker
Jeff Sherwood
Custodians
Baptisms:
Nora Winter Cvengros
Cam Robert Fischer
Weddings:
None
Deaths:
None
Ministry Team Contacts:
Teaching Ministry:
Alissa Jones
[email protected]
Prayer Ministry:
Worship Ministry:
Marillyn Freeman
[email protected]
Social Ministry:
Carol Ihde
[email protected]
Evangelism Ministry:
Jody Tews
[email protected]
Stewardship Ministry:
Eric Tipler
[email protected]
Perspective · (USPS 0019447) · February 2015 · Volume 41, Issue 2.
Perspective is published monthly by St. Paul Lutheran Church, 200 N.
Commercial Street, Neenah, WI 54956 for its members. Periodicals postage paid at Neenah, Wisconsin and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Perspective, St. Paul Lutheran
Church, 200 N. Commercial St., Neenah, WI 54956.
Like us on
Facebook!
Jill Beverlin
[email protected]
Young Families Ministry: Linda Tipler
[email protected]
WORSHIP: Sundays 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.
Mondays 6:30 p.m.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION (Adult & Youth): Sundays 9:15 a.m.
NURSERY: Sundays 9:00 a.m.—Noon
Church Office Hours: Mon—Fri 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Page 3
www.stpaulneenah.org
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH—ELCA
· FEBRUARY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
Lenten Prayer Journaling Class
The prayer team offered an experience in prayer journaling last year during
Lent and some participants have requested that we offer it again this year.
So, on Wednesday evenings during Lent (February 25-March 25) from
5:30—6:15 p.m., a class will be offered. We’ll be meeting in either the Meditation Room or Classroom #5.
Why would anyone want to come to this class? One of the best answers
appears in an online blog by Eyvonne Sharp. In her writing for
“Discovering Together” she shares that prayer journaling helps her:
• stay focused
• enables her to see how and when God answers prayers
• illuminates patterns in thinking
• and helps develop the habit of spending intentional time with God.
Do you want to have a more meaningful, focused prayer time? Please consider joining us for these sessions on prayer journaling. We will explore a
wide-variety of techniques that are sure to add meaning and depth to your
prayer time.
Taize Service—February 12, 7:00 p.m.
We can make babysitting available in the nursery if needed during the class
time. Please contact Jill and let her know the dates you need this service and
the number of children who will be in the nursery.
Facilitator: Jill Beverlin
Before Lent begins, a Taize service for the Fox Valley community will be held at St.
Paul Lutheran Church. This is an opportunity to gather with others in darkness and
silence, to acknowledge our tears, our wounds, our grievings, and our deep longings.
Taize worship is powerfully contemplative, using meditative singing, Scripture readings, and healing prayer. Songs are repetitive and continue on in the silence of our
hearts. The setting is candlelight and flame-colored draped material. The service will
be led by Pastor Paul Holte, cantors, readers, and instrumentalists.
The service draws on the style used by an ecumenical community in Taize, France---a
community committed to promoting and praying for reconciliation, peace, unity, and
healing throughout the world. Founded in 1949 by Brother Roger, this community now
numbers about 100 Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic brothers from 25 different countries. Worship at Taize takes place at three daily gatherings. During the
busiest weeks of the year, there are 4000 to 6000 visitors participating in this meditative prayer.
First Communion Classes
Attention fifth graders! Get ready for taking Holy Communion!
This mini-course will run for five Wednesdays, February 25—March 25.
The class is from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. in the church library. It is taught by the
pastors. There is no charge for the class. This is a course on the meaning of
the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
While normally we start communing at fifth grade at St. Paul Lutheran,
some families may wait till a later year; some may wish to start earlier. That
should be a family decision, when you feel your child is ready.
Parents are encouraged to attend with their children. Those students who are
ready will make their First Communion on Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015,
at the evening service.
If you are an adult who would like to understand more about the Eucharist,
you are certainly welcome to sit with the class, or you may make separate
arrangements with the pastoral staff for individualized instruction.
Note that a soup-and-sandwich supper will be available in the Fellowship
Hall starting at 5:00 p.m. on all those nights. Also, there will be a mid-week
worship service each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. You are welcome to make a
family night of it and stay for any or all of these events!
Responding (continued from Page 1)
Upcoming New Member Classes
Interested in joining St. Paul as a member? Just want to learn more about us? We hold
New Member / Inquirer Classes four times a year! The next class will be on two consecutive Sunday mornings, February 22 & March 1, at 9:15 a.m. between services. We
meet in the church library for an hour. Please let us know if you’ll be able to join us
for those classes.
If those dates don’t work for you, and you’d still like instruction, we’ll work with you
to arrange another time for that to happen. Talk with either Jill Beverlin, Minister of
Congregational Life, Pastor Paul, or Tamie in the church office, 725-3961. Or drop by
– we’re open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We’d love to get
better acquainted!
Go and tell.
So first we “Come and see.” Next, we “Go and tell.” Again, when
Philip was called, the first thing he did was to enlist other followers. He
sought out a friend and said, “We have found him of whom the Law and
Prophets spoke.” He became an ambassador, an evangelist.
The same thing happened with the Samaritan woman at the well.
After Jesus spoke with her, she ran (ran!) into town, crying out to all the
townspeople to come out and meet this man. “He told me everything I’ve
ever done! He must be a prophet!”
This same process happens with everyone who ever truly hears the
gospel call: we want to tell others about this great news! On the day of
Pentecost, the apostles witnessed so fervently to Jesus that it appeared they
were “on fire” for the Lord!
We are called to have that same zeal. Share the good news! That’s
the final step of our St. Paul motto. Our mission is to go out and share the
good news of Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters, our directive for 2015 is clear: Hear the call.
Respond to the call. Remove any impediments. Come and see. Go and
tell!
What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice,
and love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.
~ Micah 6:8
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ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH—ELCA
· FEBRUARY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
Page 5
www.stpaulneenah.org
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH—ELCA
· FEBRUARY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
Attention Crafters!
Do you like to craft, scrapbook, or do some
other hobby, and you just need to spread out a
little bit while you are being creative? Join us
on Monday, February 16 in the Fellowship
Hall of St. Paul Lutheran Church - we will set
up some tables and work on our projects (who
knows ... we might even complete some of
them!). Ellen and Jody will be there from 9:30
am until noon (maybe later, depending on how
productive we are!), so join us when it fits your
schedule. Open to everyone!
Harmony Week
The Fox Valley's 5th annual World Interfaith
Harmony Week Event will be at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 5, at St. Mark's Lutheran
Church in Neenah. Go to
http://
worldinterfaithharmonyweek.com/ for information and endorsements. The Fox Valley
Event, one of hundreds around the world during the first week of February, will be an hour
to pray, share and plan together.
Did You Know?
Did you know that in our PreK/Kindergarten Sunday school class we
celebrate baptisms?
Instead of celebrating birthdays, we
celebrate Baptismal Anniversaries once a
month. Summer baptisms are celebrated
the last day of school. To celebrate, the
child is called to sit on a special "throne"
and wear a crown for a photo, and we
also highlight something special about
their baptism. Maybe they were baptized
the same day as other children, or with a
sibling, etc. Each child receives a
homemade card that reads, "You are a
prince/princess... your Father is the King of
Kings!” Then we have a special treat and
sing "This Little Light of Mine" instead of
"Happy Birthday" In a nut shell, that is
how
we
have
been celebrating
baptisms. We celebrated Leah’s baptism in
November and Dylan’s in December (both
pictured). Earlier this year we celebrated
Malinah (September), Macy (October) and
Kaden’s (October) baptisms.
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ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH—ELCA
Charitable Giving: Where Head and Heart Meet
How can a person support organizations that help people in need? Some may choose to give their time
and abilities through volunteer service, while still others provide financial support. Charitable giving
provides an opportunity to engage both head and heart in making a difference. The following tips
from Thrivent Financial can help donors make the most of their charitable gifts.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Choose a reputable organization. Never give to an organization without first knowing
its purpose and effectiveness. The Philanthropic Advisory Service of Better Business
Bureaus and National Charities Information Bureaus can help.
Budget for donations. Systematic gifts spread throughout the year may help donors give more
than if they give a one-time gift based on their financial leftovers.
Keep good records. To deduct donations for tax purposes, people must keep appropriate record
of their contributions. The type and value of one’s gift may require specific forms of acknowledgement from the recipient organization. For details, see Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 526.
Take advantage of tax benefits. For a charitable donation to be tax-deductible, the charity must
be recognized by the IRS as a qualified organization.
Give generously and wisely. From wills, living trusts, charitable gift annuities, endowments and
mini-foundations to gifts of appreciated stock, retirement funds or real estate, there are many
vehicles through which individuals can make charitable gifts. Special care should be used to
determine the option that meets one’s financial circumstances. Gifting some assets to IRSrecognized charities may potentially reduce capital gains tax. Life insurance may also be an excellent option to magnify a gift.
Consult with experts. Always consult a financial, legal and/or tax professional before putting a
gifting plan into action.
When moved to make a difference, donors should remember there are many options for making a
financial gift. Just be sure to explore the options and enlist appropriate support along the way. By
fully planning a charitable gift, a person can ensure that both head and heart are satisfied.
This article was prepared by Thrivent Financial for use by local area representative Al Davies. He has
offices at 2000 E. Milestone Drive in Appleton and can also be reached at (920) 628-3732 or at
[email protected].
About Thrivent Financial Thrivent Financial is a financial services organization that helps Christians be wise with money and live generously. As a membership organization, it offers its nearly 2.4
million member-owners a broad range of products, services and guidance from financial representatives nationwide. For more than a century it has helped members make wise money choices that reflect their values while providing them opportunities to demonstrate their generosity where they live,
work and worship. For more information, visit Thrivent.com/why. You can also find us on Facebook
and Twitter.
Insurance products issued or offered by Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. Not all products are available in all states. Securities and investment
advisory services are offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. S.,
Minneapolis, MN 55415, a FINRA and SIPC member and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent.
Thrivent Financial representatives are registered representatives of Thrivent Investment Management
Inc. They are also licensed insurance agents/producers of Thrivent. For additional important information, visit Thrivent.com/disclosures.
· FEBRUARY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
Giving With Love
Many women and men in our congregation love to knit, crochet, sew, and quilt. They use their talents to create shawls,
afghans, quilts, and prayer squares which bring warmth,
comfort, love, and prayers to congregation members and
friends in need.
The Stitch & Tie Group sews quilts for Lutheran World Relief. They are given to disaster victims and others in need.
Our Prayer Quilt Ministry shares prayer quilts and prayers
with people facing illness, grief, and other life challenges.
Knitted and crocheted shawls, afghans, and prayer squares
bring comfort and warmth to many friends.
These creations bring joy to those who receive them and
satisfaction and happiness to those who create them.
Blankets of Promise—
Lenten Service Project
This Lenten season, our congregation is taking part in Lutheran World Relief’s (LWR) Baskets of Promise appeal.
Each week in Lent we’ll collect items to form LWR Personal Care Kits that help impoverished people stay healthy in
life’s most challenging situations.
When LWR distributes Personal Care Kits, it’s often to
people who have lost everything. In the wake of an earthquake, or having fled from violence as their homes were
overtaken, they clasp a towel from a faraway place, with a
bar of soap, a toothbrush…and washing up, they know that
they have not been forsaken by the world.
The very simple gesture of giving a Personal Care Kit can
give someone the encouragement to start anew, beginning
with a bath. You can share God’s grace and love by providing that simple comfort.
St. Paul's goal is to assemble 100 Lutheran World Relief
Personal Care Kits during Lent. Lutheran World Relief's
mission statement coincides nicely with our focus on
Thanks-Living: LWR—"Sustainable Development. Lasting
Promise."
St. Paul's ThanksLiving Mission Statement: "God's generosity—Our gifts. Blessing the world."
Our collection schedule is:
Fox Valley Lutheran Homes (FVLH) News
The staff of Fox Valley Lutheran Homes and tenants living in Linwood Place apartments are surviving
this cold winter weather by dreaming of warmer spring temperatures, budding leaves and thoughts of
planting gardens! God in God’s everlasting wisdom will again make our outdoor temperatures more
tolerable and trees and flowers will again bloom.
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February 15: Bars of soap in original wrapping (4-5oz.
- any brand)
February 22: Bath Towels (light-weight, maximum
52" X 27", dark color)
March 1: Toothbrushes (adult size, in original packaging)
March 8: Combs
March 15: Nail clippers (metal, attached file optional
March 22: Bars of soap in original wrapping (4-5oz. any brand)
In December we said “Happy Retirement” to Judy Zich and welcome to Ruth Laughlin as our new Care
Coordinator. At the end of January we say “good-bye” to Marlys Regan, VP-Development and welcome
to Rebecca Luett, the new Executive Director at Fox Valley Lutheran Homes. Rebecca (she likes
Becky) will begin her employment on February 1st. Welcome, Becky!
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•
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If you and/or a couple of your friends have experience with painting, we can use your volunteer services
at FVLH. Recent tenant changes have opened up several apartments which we are currently in the process of upgrading and painting. If you have a couple hours you can assist with painting, John, our Building Manager, will be happy to have you work with him. If you have some time on a Monday, Tuesday
or Thursday to help, please call John at 419-5754 to offer your services. We currently have one 2-BR
and a couple 1-BD apartments available for immediate rental. For more information or a tour, call John
at 419-5754 or Becky at 734-7225. The tenants at Linwood Apartments are a very friendly group and
would welcome you as part of their family.
Kit Assembly will take place after the Lenten worship service (approximately 7:15 pm) on Wednesday, March 25, in
the Fellowship Hall. Contact Jill Beverlin with questions!
Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the
ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you
can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.
~ John Wesley
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www.stpaulneenah.org
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH—ELCA
· FEBRUARY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
Smallest Ministry Continues
One of the first projects that was done in the Knit2gethter Group
was to make a prayer square, either knit or crocheted, about 5 x 5
inches square. The squares are given as a gift with a special prayer to anyone who would need a prayer. The squares continue to
go home with members and visitors alike. They can be given for
comfort, celebration, remembrance, and healing.
The squares have gone with children to school, cancer patients in
Phoenix, AZ, with the aunt of a child who died at a school shooting, to the juvenile detention center locally, and to mourners at a
funeral. They have also been given to members of a grief support
group. You can request some for a special ministry of yours. This
year our prayer squares will travel to Africa.
You do not need to be a member of Knit2gether to participate.
Our group has grown to include quilters and embroiderers...squares can be created from any soft material.
If you make some, drop them off in the office. We have the prayers and will put the prayer with the square into plastic bags.
“In life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small
things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa
Quilts & Kits & Comfort
Quilts and Kits are bringing warmth to Syrian refugee families.
Lutherans in North America assembled nearly half a million quilts in
2014. More than 10,000 quilts from the Minneapolis warehouse were
sent to the region involved in the Syrian conflict. Perhaps some of St.
Paul Lutheran Church’s comforters were among them. Here’s a story
that indicates how important the work of Stitch & Tie, in partnership
with Lutheran World Relief, continues to be.
In July 2013, Adra was wounded by a gunshot in the leg during a violent
outbreak at the market near her home in Syria. At that time she was three
months pregnant. The situation had gotten so dangerous that Adra and
her husband felt there was no other choice but to relocate with their children to Lebanon, where they sought refuge in Ein el-Helweh camp. Due
to overcrowding in refugee camps, life is hard for families like Adra’s.
Space is tight and sanitation is poor.
Ein el-Heweh camp is currently housing an estimated 70,000 refugees,
with thousands more arriving every day. Because of this influx, resources are stretched extremely thin. With a few bed sheets found in the
garbage and concrete blocks, Adra and her family built a shelter. They
didn’t have anything except the clothes on their backs. Blankets and
beds weren’t provided. Adra said that it was heart breaking to leave her
house and belongings behind to live in a tent in a wasteland.
Ongoing conflict in Syria, along with growing unemployment and staggering inflation, has created a pressing humanitarian crisis. Since the
beginning of the Syrian Civil War in March 2011, 6.5 million Syrians
have been internally displaced with another 2.8 million fleeing to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
Like Adra and her family, few Syrian families arrive at refugee camps
with clothes, blankets, towels or any supplies for personal hygiene. Also,
most have very little money for food, medical issues or any other expenses. This was the situation for Adra a month before her due date
during a cold winter day. She had become anemic and her health began
to decline. She prematurely delivered a four-pound baby girl named
Lin. This unexpected birth worried Adra and her husband because they
lacked the resources to care for Lin.
Your loving gifts of School Kits, Personal Care Kits, Baby Care Kits
and Mission Quilts are making a difference in this conflict-torn region.
Since 2012, LWR’s partners have distributed more than $5 million worth of Quilts and Kits to vulnerable Syrians in Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
Adra’s family received a Baby Care Kit, Mission Quilts and Personal
Care Kits, full of supplies that will help her family stay healthy. The
family reports that baby Lin is still weak, but their LWR Mission Quilt
helps to keep her warm during the cold nights. Thank you. Your gifts of
LWR Quilts and Kits reach out to suffering people around the world,
showing them that they are not alone.
Condensed from an article by Aries Brown, LWR staffer
Faith in Action newsletter, January 2015
Members of the Steeple People group (in the above two pictures) roll bandages for hospitals in
Africa, many of which are fighting the Ebola crisis.
You cannot ask Jesus into your heart alone. He
will ask, “Can I bring my friends?” You will look
at his friends—the poor, the marginalized, the
oppressed—and you will hesitate. But Jesus is
clear, “Only if I can bring my friends.”
~ South African Bishops Peter Storey
Birthdays, Anniversaries, and a Calendar of Events
www.stpaulneenah.org
BIRTHDAYS
February 1
Michael Heise
Phyllis Sahotsky
Mildred Schmidli
February 2
Sawyer Grambihler
Megan Mueller
February 3
Alexander Broeders
Roger Orlady
February 4
Helena Moe
February 5
Ewalt Wollerman
February 6
Diana Clarke
February 7
Lisa Lind
February 8
Sarah Dvorachek
February 10
Emily Brumm
February 11
Daniel Klepps
Erma Kuhr
February 12
Jack Bower
Nancy Lee
Amy Mentz
Thomas Wiegand
February 14
Emily Schroeder
Joseph Shafer
Eric Shea
February 15
Jeanne Bauer
Susan Eckrich
Erin Wedemeier
February 16
Lucy Walsh
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH—ELCA
· FEBRUARY 2015
Page 8
PERSPECTIVE
February 17
Isabelle Bramer
Howard Johnson
Reese Peotter
Kenneth Reinhardt
February 18
Christopher Plier
February 20
Dana Elkin
Camryn Krueger
February 22
Dorothea Gambihler
Darlene Kalfahs
Jacob Randall
February 23
Marillyn Freeman
Jean Maas-Pike
February 25
Kimberly Heinz
Kadyn Kubisiak
February 26
Donald Gomoll
Ella Olson
February 27
Mike Turke
Bryson Wasinger
February 28
Sage Leiton
Lorraine Wahlers
ANNIVERSARIES
Bryan & Alissa Jones
February 5, 2000
Keith & Pat Matthews
February 6, 1960
Burt & Julie Rosenthal
February 10, 1973
Michael & Peggy Schultz
February 14, 1981
Walter & Lana Angell
February 25, 1982
Florent & Kristi Malard
February 26, 2005
Kevin & Mackenzie
Grondahl
February 28, 2004
Creation by one of our Todd Steven volunteers!
St. Paul Lutheran Church Calendar—January 2015
Look for more information about events at www.stpaulneenah.org