St. John's Lutheran - Happenings

Marriage Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:33:00 +0000

Here is a great chance to make a difference: The Marriage Ministry Team, part of the Faith At Home Team, is expanding its outreach. We’re looking for two or three married couples to help plan events and select resources to promote great Christian marriages. We base our curriculum on God’s plan for marriage, with respect for husbands and love for wives. We are especially interested in gaining perspective from couples with school-age children and couples with grandchildren. If you want more information, please email Stuart & Heather Aspinall at stuart.aspinall@gmail.com or Jeff & Becky Eminger at eminger@chartermi.net. At St. John’s, we’re building marriages that will last forever! Would you like to give the Marriage Ministry Team a piece of your mind? We have just the way to do it. You can complete a short survey by clicking here. Complete the survey, and let us know just what you like, don’t like, and want to see in this Faith At Home ministry that focuses on married couples. Don’t forget to answer the question about pizza! We may even give a prize or two for the best/funniest answer!

Marriage Ministry Date Night

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:06:00 +0000

FIREPROOF: The Movie, September 9th

At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt
lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave
your partner behind. At home, in the cooling
embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules. Is
it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to
rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is about to face his
toughest job ever ... rescuing his wife's heart.

On September 9 at 7:00 p.m., please join the St.
John’s Marriage Ministry team for our fourth date
night featuring the movie FIREPROOF. The next
movie from Sherwood Pictures and Provident Films
has audiences laughing, crying, and on the edges
of their seats as they are drawn into the world of a
firefighter, his wife ... and a marriage worth
rescuing.

This event is free but we will be accepting a free
will offering. Childcare will also be provided.
Watch the theatrical trailer at www.FireprooftheMovie.com

Shool Walk-a-thon

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:03:00 +0000

We will be holding a school-wide Walk-A-Thon
Friday, September 23rd, 2011 (Rain Date: Friday,
September 30th) where teachers and students will
be walking for two hours straight! We are doing this
to raise much needed money for our school.
Please sponsor our students and teachers by
sending a tax deductible check (of any amount)
payable to “St. John’s Lutheran School” and send
it in by Friday, October 7th, 2011. This event is
sponsored by Thrivent Financial.

School News

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:55:00 +0000

St. John’s Daycare opened on August 22 for its
sixth year. We encourage anyone who is
interested in daycare in a Christian environment
to call the school office for more information (616)
842-0260. St. John’s Preschool,

There is a Preschool Open House on Tuesday,
September 6 at 6:30 p.m. St. John’s Preschool
begins on September 12. This year we have 48
preschoolers divided into three classes. Each class
has a teacher and an assistant. Kim Ryske teaches
the Tuesday, Thursday class and Debbie Luytjes
teaches Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sherry
Lyons is the assistant for all three classes. The
children come from our church family and
different areas throughout the community. In
September we will be learning about each other
and how to get along in our new environment.
Preschool has openings for this year in the three
year old class. For more information on the
preschool call Debbie Luytjes at (616) 842-0260 ext.
119 or dluytjes@sjlcs.org. St. John’s Day School

St. John’s Lutheran Day School is excited to start
the 2011-2012 school year! We are happy to
announce a 20% increase in enrollment! We thank
God for that Blessing and for the continued
support of our congregation! St. John’s Lutheran
Day School starts on September 6th. As always,
OUR MISSION is to assist and support parents
in providing a Christ centered education that will
equip God's children to faithfully serve as witnessing
Christians and productive citizens. If you have any
questions concerning the school or would like to tour the
school please feel free to contact Laura Harvey at
(616) 842-0260, ext. 121 or lharvey@sjlcs.org.

Jellation Ringers

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:50:00 +0000

Is there music buried in your heart? JuBELLation
Ringers would love to help you express it. Learning
to play handbells or handchimes comes rather
easily. We usually don't count higher than 4
sometimes up to 6. JuBELLation Ringers could use
several more ringers this season. If you would like
to try your hands at it, please join us on Wednesday.
September 7 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the church
balcony. I would appreciate hearing from you
ahead of time so I could prepare music for you.
Please call me, Director Ruth Haupt at (616) 846-
7875 or email me at hauptruth@hotmail.com.

Junior Confirmation

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Junior Confirmation starts up again on
Wednesday, September 21 and is led by Pastor
Haupt, Craig Kaschube, and Eileen Ritter. Classes
run from 6:30-7:45 p.m. with Junior Rock following
while parents are taught the next week’s lesson
which they will share with their children at home.
There will be a parent meeting on Wednesday,
September 7 at 6:30 p.m. to hand out materials,
discuss the confirmation process and answer any
questions there may be. We’ll have you out by
7:00 p.m. so that you can attend the Youth Board
meeting with parents as well.
The confirmation retreat on baptism will be held at
Camp Concordia on September 23/24, a Friday
night through Saturday event costing $35.00 at
which attendance is necessary for confirmation.
We will leave from church at 5:30 p.m.
Music News
JuBELLation Ringers

Sunday School News

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:38:00 +0000

We’re still looking for a Sunday
School Superintendent. If God is
tapping you on the heart, please
talk with pastor, Wayne Kohn,
Parish Ed. Board director, or Kim
Tullock, our past superintendent.
We need a part time or full time
Sunday School Teacher for 5th
grade and PreK/Kindergarten.
Rally Day is Sunday, September 11,
9:30-10:15 a.m. in the gym. We will
also have Sunday School that day
during late service at approximately
11:15 a.m. (after sermon). Cookies
are needed for Rally Day (NO NUTS
please).

Energize your spiritual condition

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Board of Parish Education

As summer begins to fade and a new academic
year challenges us, it gives us time to pause
and contemplate our spiritual condition. The
Parish Board of Ed invites you to consider
the ways thatyou might enhance and energize
your spiritual condition with regular study
of God’s Word. Our Church library has a vast
array of materials for individual study and
even several group studies that remain timeless.
Please browse through and check them out. We
also invite you to attend one of the many
studies that are held during the week
such as Crossways and Men’s Bible study on
Tuesday evenings, the Ladies study on
Wednesday mornings, and the various studies
throughout the year on Sunday mornings. Regular
study of God’s Word can enhance and enrich your
life in a closer relationship with our Lord and
Savior.

This month I share with you a piece that I ran
across just by browsing through some Spiritual
literature. A Prayer to Guide Life is from Arch-
bishop Oscar Romero as he calls us to step back
and take a long view. God give you wisdom and
perspective as you step into His Word.
Wayne Kohn, Board Director wdjnd@comcast.net

Sunday School News

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Sunday School News

We’re still looking for a Sunday
School Superintendent. If God is
tapping you on the heart, please
talk with pastor, Wayne Kohn,
Parish Ed. Board director, or Kim
Tullock, our past superintendent.

We need a part time or full time
Sunday School Teacher for 5th
grade and PreK/Kindergarten.
Rally Day is Sunday, September 11,
9:30-10:15 a.m.in the gym. We will
also have Sunday School that day
during late service at approximately
11:15 a.m. (after sermon). Cookies
are needed for Rally
Day (NO NUTS please).

Brush with Kindness

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:27:00 +0000

Board of Evangelism
“A Brush with Kindness”
Your Board of Evangelism is encouraging support
for a local activity that is part of Habitat for
Humanity. It is called “A Brush with Kindness”.
This organization coordinates local, short term
service opportunities such as painting a home,
raking leaves, or other projects a homeowner may
not be physically capable of doing for themselves.
We do not yet have dates for these service
activities, but please watch the weekly church
bulletin for upcoming projects and dates, expected
to occur in September and October. There are also
expected to be opportunities for group work at
the current Habitat Home build site, we will
advertise those dates as we get them as well. If
helping with projects such as these is of interest to
you, please sign up on the Evangelism Bulletin
Board located in the social hall. We will be sure to
contact you with dates and details.
Let’s continue to strive to be Christ’s hands and
feet – Loving others as He first loved us.
— From your Evangelism Board

Board of Parish Education

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:20:00 +0000

As summer begins to fade and a new academic
year challenges us, it gives us time to pause and
contemplate our spiritual condition. The Parish
Board of Ed invites you to consider the ways that
you might enhance and energize your spiritual
condition with regular study of God’s Word.
Our Church library has a vast array of materials for
individual study and even several group studies
that remain timeless. Please browse through and
check them out. We also invite you to attend one
of the many studies that are held during the week
such as Crossways and Men’s Bible study on
Tuesday evenings, the Ladies study on Wednesday
mornings, and the various studies throughout the
year on Sunday mornings. Regular study of God’s
Word can enhance and enrich your life in a closer
relationship with our Lord and Savior.
This month I share with you a piece that I ran
across just by browsing through some Spiritual
literature. A Prayer to Guide Life is from Archbishop
Oscar Romero as he calls us to step back and take
a long view. God give you wisdom and
perspective as you step into His Word.
Wayne Kohn, Board Director wdjnd@comcast.net

Pastoral Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:07:00 +0000

“O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the
words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in
parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of
old—what we have heard and known, what our
fathers have told us. We will not hide them from
their children; we will tell the next generation the
praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the
wonders he has done.” Psalm 78:1-4

These and other similar exhortations in the Psalms
(22:30, 31; 45:17; 79:13; 89:1; 102:18; 145:4) have
been our congregation’s motto and mantra over
the past six years; and we have diligently worked
at putting it into practice over the last two years –
establishing worship themes and services, bible
studies, confirmation classes and a marriage
ministry around this very idea that FAITH STARTS
AND IS NURTURED AND NOURISHED IN THE HOME.
Parents, and according to the Psalmist in the text
shared at the start of this article, fathers in
particular, are to share the faith, the Lord, with
their children. Yet, we gladly acknowledge that
the entire congregation is involved in the effort to
bring a child up in the Lord, to introduce them to
Him, to help them get to know Him and His great
love for them.

To that end St. John’s invests a lot of resources into
our childhood education ministry. We run a
preschool and day school to inundate our children
in the Christian faith. We have a Vacation Bible
School every summer (which by the way was
blessed with 85 children and 44 staff this past July,
a 60% increase over 2010). We hold Sunday School
classes during every school year (September –
May) in order to share Jesus Christ and His gospel
with children and adults alike. We thank God for
Mrs. Kim Tullock’s leadership in this ministry over the
last several years. We continue to seek and pray for
her replacement for this coming school year.

We are thrilled over the Fireproof film that will be
shared at our date night (September 9) and the
small group and Sunday morning bible studies that
will flow from it. We rejoice over the Lord’s working
in this area as the movie Courageous will run at the
Grand Haven Nine during the last week of
September. Courageous is a follow-up to Fireproof
and deals with being a godly father. We would
highly recommend everyone seeing it. Perhaps we
can even go as a group and help sell the place
out one night as a strong Christian witness to our
community and the staff at the Grand Haven
Nine.

It is thrilling to see how all the pieces are falling into
place as God blesses our ministry in His name. It
seems He continues to give us more and more
materials and mechanisms to put our Faith at
Home ministry emphasis into practice. We should
not be surprised for it is thoroughly Biblical, based
on His premises and promises.

Let me encourage each saint of the Lord here at
St. John’s to become involved in some if not all
aspects of this ministry. A bible study could be an
excellent place to start – or perhaps a date night –
or Sunday School or….

Yours for Him,
Pastor Dieter Haupt, dhaupt@sjlcs.org

P.S. Our preschool is filled except for 2 or 3 in the
three year old class and our day school has sixty-two
students enrolled (an increase of ten or 20%)
to date. PTL!

Junior Confirmation

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:04:00 +0000

Junior Confirmation
Junior Confirmation starts up again on
Wednesday, September 21 and is led by Pastor
Haupt, Craig Kaschube, and Eileen Ritter. Classes
run from 6:30-7:45 p.m. with Junior Rock following
while parents are taught the next week’s lesson
which they will share with their children at home.
There will be a parent meeting on Wednesday,
September 7 at 6:30 p.m. to hand out materials,
discuss the confirmation process and answer any
questions there may be. We’ll have you out by
7:00 p.m. so that you can attend the Youth Board
meeting with parents as well.

The confirmation retreat on baptism will be held at
Camp Concordia on September 23/24, a Friday
night through Saturday event costing $35.00 at
which attendance is necessary for confirmation.
We will leave from church at 5:30 p.m.

Sing a New Song at St. John’s!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Wood) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:50:00 +0000

There are plenty of places to sing for every person here at St. John’s! Find a place where you fit in and join us! Any Questions? Contact Tracy Wood at twood@sjlcs.org.

September: Men’s Choir
This special group will only meet for a month. If you love to sing, but can’t commit to an entire year of choir, this is the place for you. We will practice 7:00-8:00 Wednesday evenings and sing in late September/early October. First practice is September 7th.

October – April: Celebration Choir

This choir is for people high school age and older. Don’t hesitate to join us! You don’t need to be a seasoned singer/musician to be a part of this exciting group. We are glad to teach and would love to have lots of new members. We will practice 7:00-8:00 Wednesday evenings and sing on Sundays and Saturdays throughout the church year, with special emphasis on the Christmas and Easter seasons. First practice is October 5th.

We are also actively looking for people to man the sound board and run video projection during worship services.

Christmas Eve Women’s Choir. Gals of all ages!

Back by popular demand! Please join me for a special, one-time choir event. We will sing “I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In” at the 7:00pm service on Christmas Eve. Just a few Wednesday evening practices – December 14^th and 21^st . We will meet 6:30 - 7:00pm.

March – April: Guitar Choir

Back by popular demand! Let’s meet again as guitar players and hopefully we will discover much hidden talent in our congregation! This choir is for those of you who would love to bring out your old guitar and learn some easy ‘folk’ type songs. Guitars must be in good working order. We will practice 6:15 – 7:15 on Thursdays and play together on various Sundays along with the Praise Team. Guitar choir members should be in 6th grade or older. See Tracy early if you are curious to look over the music.

May: Women’s Choir

This month long choir will meet 7:00-8:00 Wednesday evenings. This is a great choir for you ladies who want to sing with friends and can’t commit to an entire year of choir.

Every Thursday 7:15-9:00 p.m. Praise Team.

Would you like to be a part of this fun and dynamic group? Singers and musicians are always welcome.

September – April: JuBELLation Bell Choir

This choir is open to anyone in 7^th grade and up wanting to ring bells! This lively musical group is only improved with additional members – the more the better. We meet from 6:00-7:00 on Wednesday evenings and ring throughout the church year. Our Fall Season starts on Wednesday, September 7^th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the church balcony. Our first ringing for worship will be Sunday, September 18^th at the beginning of both services. Interested in ringing with us or learning how to ring, call director Ruth Haupt (616) 846-7875 or email her at hauptruth@hotmail.com

Chicken Dinner Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 19:49:00 +0000

You are invited to join us at St. John's Lutheran School for their Annual Chicken Dinner Fundraiser Sun., Sept. 11, 11:00a.m.-1:00p.m. Free Will Offering. Take out meals available. Proceeds will benefit St. John's School Technology Fund.

DATE NIGHT MOVIE

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:59:00 +0000

FIREPROOF: Coming to St. Johns September 9th, 2011
At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules. Is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is about to face his toughest job ever ... rescuing his wife's heart. On September 9, please join the St. Johns Marriage Ministry team for our fourth date night featuring the movie FIREPROOF. The next movie from Sherwood Pictures and Provident Films has audiences laughing, crying, and on the edges of their seats as they are drawn into the world of a firefighter, his wife ... and a marriage worth rescuing.
Watch the theatrical trailer at www.FireprooftheMovie.com

Parking Lot Fundraiser:

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:11:00 +0000

The annual Washington DC Coast Guard parking Lot Fund Raiser will be August 6th right here at St. John’s. You can’t beat the location or the price! Park here Coast Guard Saturday and
help our school kids get to Washington DC! Thanks!

Crossings Bible Study

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 17:51:00 +0000

Parish Board of Education
Crossways Bible studies will resume
September 6th ~ the first Tuesday in September.
We will finish with the intertestamental period
(4 lessons) and then begin with the study of the
New Testament on October 4th ~ the first
Tuesday in October. This is a great opportunity
to join in at either point as we begin the new
series. The only prerequisite required is a
yearning for studying the Bible and a deeper
understanding of the Biblical narrative.
Crossways offers a unique approach to Biblical
studies utilizing illustrations along with the
workbooks.

A strong historical perspective adds to
the understanding of the times and practices of
the Jewish nation. The ultimate focus of the
studies is Jesus, the Servant-King. Dr Wendt,
the author, does a marvelous job of
demonstrating how the Bible consistently
throughout the ages directs us to Jesus who
invites us to follow him by loving and serving
others. The call to service is compelling and
you will hear it and feel it if you join
us and participate with fellow members in the
weekly Crossways studies.

If you would like to order the 2 workbooks
That cover the New Testament please contact
Wayne Kohn at (231) 798-1561
orwdjnd@comcast.net. The approximate cost
for the material would be $35.00. If you just
prefer to stop by and listen and give it a try
you are welcome as well. We will be
meeting Tuesday evenings in the Sanctuary
at 7:00 p.m. and we usually go for about 90
minutes. Please feel comfortable to join us
as we are very informal and have some
great and inspiring discussions around these
materials. God bless you as you contemplate
your studies for the coming
year.

Other Choirs

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 02:44:00 +0000

May - Women’s Choir: This month long choir will meet 7:00-8:00 Wednesday evenings. This is a great choir for you ladies who want to sing with friends and can’t commit to an entire year of choir.

Every Thursday 7:15-9:00 p.m. Praise Team. Would you like to be a part of this fun and dynamic group? Singers and musicians are always welcome. We are also actively looking for people to man the sound board and run video projection during worship services.

September – April: JuBELLation Bell Choir. This choir is open to anyone in 7th grade and up wanting to ring bells! This lively musical group is only improved with additional members – the more the better.
We meet from 6:00-7:00 on Wednesday evenings and ring throughout the church year.

JuBELLation Ringers. Our Fall Season starts on Wednesday, September 7th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the church balcony. Our first ringing for worship will be Sunday, September 18th at the beginning of both services. Interested in ringing with us or learning how to ring, call director Ruth Haupt (616) 846-7875 or email her at hauptruth@hotmail.com.

Everyday Evangelism

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 02:21:00 +0000

In June a husband/wife team from Mission U of Lutheran Hour Ministries came to St. Matthew Lutheran Church and presented a program on “everyday evangelism.” In the next few newsletters I would like to share with you the key points of this seminar, based on the Power Point notes I received from Ronda Chapman. The goal of this presentation was to help the participants gain confidence in Christian witnessing. To “witness” means to speak from personal experience and to introduce others to
Jesus. Have you ever wondered how many
people surrounding you such as neighbors and coworkers really know Jesus and understand the meaning and importance of having a personal relationship with Him? If you want to change someone’s life, start them on a path of learning about Jesus. Plant the seed, and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. We tend to think of witnessing as a prepared monologue on our part that we recite from someone’s doorway. With that thought in the back of our mind it’s no wonder we approach witnessing with timidity. Actually, the spotlight is not on us. It’s on Jesus. Witnessing is not about me! It’s about Jesus. It’s all about His mission, His message, and His power; and the person who needs to know Him. It’s our privilege to participate!
Next month I’ll talk about the hindrances to
witnessing. In the meantime think about how you came to the Christian faith and what it has meant for your life. We speak best about what we truly know!

Randy Cooper; Evangelism Committee
Renzie@aol.com

Music Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:52:00 +0000

There are plenty of places to sing for every
person here at St. John’s! Find a place where you fit in and join us! Any
Questions? Call Tracy Wood (616) 402-5099 or email at twood@sjlcs.org.
September: Men’s Choir. This special group will only meet for a month. If you love to sing, but can’t commit to an entire year of choir, this is the place for you. We will practice 7:00-8:00 Wednesday evenings and sing in late September/early October. First practice is September 7th.

Hello ?? Where Are You ??

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Your Board of Elders is beginning an ongoing effort to contact and connect with members of our congregation who have not been active in worship or participating in the activities at St John’s. Our purpose is to bring our lost sheep back to St John’s or to help them connect with a sister congregation if they have moved out of our service area. This effort is being made out of love and concern for the spiritual well being of our missing family members and is intended to be an opportunity to renew the spiritual life of these brothers and sisters in Christ. If you have family members, friends or neighbors that you have not seen in worship, please ask them to join you in worship. In today’s society there are many activities and diversions which may distract some people of God from keeping their confirmed commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our prayer is to reconnect these folks with worship and the Word of God through personal contact.

Please join the Elders in prayer and action as we ask the Holy Spirit to touch the minds and hearts of those who have been absent from St John’s. If you are aware of special circumstances or situations, please advise Pastor Haupt or an Elder with information regarding our inactive members of the family of God. Thank you for your prayers and support as we begin this important area of ministry. Regular updates will follow in the church newsletter and weekly bulletin.

Charles Edwards, Director Board of Elders

Pastoral Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 03:33:00 +0000

Pastoral Musings

This month I’d like to give this space over to Rev. Ken Klaus, speaker emeritus of the Lutheran Hour, who is still active, writing most of the Lutheran Hour Ministry’s daily on-line devotions (and preaching once in a while on the Lutheran Hour). He wrote the following devotion back on July 10, 2011.

"Unnoticed"(The LORD said) "... When I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not listen; but they did what was evil in My eyes and chose that in which I did not delight." Isaiah 66:4b

It was a fair number of years ago that a huge
crowd gathered in the street outside a hotel in
Glasgow, Scotland.

The folks, who hailed from every economic and
educational strata, had come together for a very
important purpose: they wished to welcome home their victorious soccer team.

During the midst of the celebration a quiet, little man entered the hotel unnoticed. He wasn't a soccer player and since he wasn't he didn't amount to anything in the eyes of that great group of enthusiastic humanity.

That shouldn't have been. For while the soccer
team had brought home a trophy and a certain
amount of civic pride, the unrecognized man had been responsible for many of them being there. Indeed, he was the reason many of them were still alive.

You see, the forgotten fellow was Alexander
Fleming, the man most responsible for putting
penicillin on the shelves of the world's pharmacists.

This is just this devotion's way of saying that
sometimes the important can be pushed aside by
the inconsequential. If I asked the Daily Devotion readers if the Savior is important to them, they would look shocked at such a foolish question. I pray all of us have been brought to that place where we recognize the incomparable value of the Christ whose life was offered up in payment for our salvation.

We would say, "Jesus is the most important Person in our lives," and we would mean it.

Sadly, things of this world often get in the way of our worshipping Him. Cabins, vacations, grass cutting, family visits, toothaches and a whole host of minor events and insignificant situations get in our way and draw our attention away from Jesus who is the "one thing needful" (see Luke 10:42).

If that is so, accept this devotion as a little
reminder that when the Lord calls, we need to
answer; when He speaks, we ought to listen and
when the opportunity to worship Him presents
itself, nothing ought to woo our eyes away from
the cross and empty tomb.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive the times the trivial pushes aside the important things in my life. Help me remember the wonders of Your love and respond with worship and praise. This I ask in the Savior's Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus

Short-Term Mission Team Scholarships

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Short-Term Mission Team Scholarships Offered to College Students: Being part of a MOSTMinistries short term mission trip can be expensive. Often, a student's only hope for going and sharing the love of Jesus in less developed countries is through financial assistance. The Renken Scholarship Fund is now extending $500 scholarships to students, age 18-25, who are currently enrolled or attending any university or college. There are several summer team openings and teams are scheduled over the Thanksgiving holiday. For more info, contact Debby at (734) 994-7909 or www.mostministries.org

noreply@blogger.com (Irene HR) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:07:00 +0000

Upcoming OWLS Event: The Owls Annual Picnic will be held Sunday, July 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Church Social Hall. Please bring a dish to pass, your own tableservice, and card or games to play. OWLS will supply coffee. Please call Peggy Ehorn (616) 844-5095 for more information.