RE-FOCUS
A Publication of Reformation Lutheran Church
Volume 18 July 1998 Number 7
From the Pastor
We have CHOICES to make.
The Task Force for Effective Church Structure has been
meeting since early January. It was charged with reorganizing Reformation Church that we
may faithfully live out our vision statement: Servants of God Empowered by the Holy
Spirit to Make Christ Known.
One of our ELCA Bishops says, "We talk a lot about
mission in congregations, but we don't really engage people in mission." Bishop Maahs
in the Central States Synod has been encouraging congregations to move from
"maintenance to mission." The distinction is that maintenance congregations take
care of their own first. Mission congregations are intent about connecting with the
unchurched and making disciples of Jesus.
The Task Force has found helpful an interactive video
called CHOICES. Produced by the Evangelism Team of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, CHOICES presents 8 critical issues facing congregations today. Lest we start
reorganizing without giving thought to our mission in the 21st Century, we want as many
Reformation people as possible to view the video, discuss it with others, and give us your
feedback. In that process we think you will see that as we reorganize, we do indeed have
CHOICES to make.
We will be showing the video in 3 parts, allowing an hour
and a half for viewing and talking about each segment. So that the greatest number can see
the video, each part will be shown at least 7 times and at various times of the day and
week.
Who do we want to attend? Every youth and adult person who
worships regularly at Reformation, even those who are not yet members. There are good
things here to share and talk about. We would like to have your feedback.
- Pastor Jerry Mansholt
From the Deaconess
Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Have you ever been asleep when one of your friends or
family members thought they were being clever by running a feather gently over your face?
That bothersome, but light tickling sensation eventually wakes you up. For the past couple
years I have experienced this tickling to begin a prayer group. The tickling has
persisted, but I have claimed ignorance as an excuse not to "wake up." Now a
hammer has replaced the feather.
I have talked to other people who have participated in
prayer groups, so I can no longer say, "Lord, I don't know how to start!" I
even went so far as to mention the idea to two people who were willing to try being part
of this fledgling prayer group.
Then God pushed even harder. One day, just as I was getting
ready to go to lunch, one of the persons I had approached with the idea showed up at my
office and said, "Let's get started praying." My response was,
"Right now?" We went into the nursery and "got started praying."
We followed ACTS: prayers of Adoration, Contrition,
Thanksgiving and Supplication. We knelt on the floor and offered the prayers
that we were moved to offer. We paid no attention to time, but focused on our loving and
compassionate God who desires to hear our heart-felt prayers.
So-o-o-o, I have woken myself up and would like to offer
this prayer opportunity to anyone who is interested in praying aloud for self, family and
friends, the congregation, etc. Right now there is no set time or place. Let me know if
you are interested, and we'll set the place and time.
- Deaconess Doreen Leptien
Thank You!
Thank you for your prayers, cards--all your support. I have
been truly blessed by your thoughtfulness and concern. God bless all of you! I keep you in
my prayers.
- Pat McCleary
* * *
Thank you, Reformation family, for your prayers, cards, and
words of sympathy upon the death of my mother. Your support was deeply appreciated during
this time of sorrow for our family.
- The Scott Fraizer Family
Workshops for Parents and Others
Deaconess Doreen is offering three workshops this summer
for parents and other adults who are interested in children and youth. Each workshop will
be held on Sunday mornings in the Parish Hall from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.
July 12, Understanding Faith Development
A three-year-old's image of God is different than that of a
six-year-old. A nine-year-old thinks about faith and God totally differently than a
fifteen-year- old. What can you do to nurture your child's faith life at the various ages?
This workshop is based on James Fowler's stages of faith development and the book, Guiding
Children and Youth in Prayer.
July 19, Learning Styles Do Make a Difference!
Have you tried to help your child with his or her homework
but ended up frustrated? Have you ever taught a wonderful lesson in Sunday School but felt
like no one learned anything? It may be that you and your child, or classroom of children,
have different learning styles. Come learn what your learning style is and how you can be
more aware of the learning styles of others. Resources include Learning Styles by
Marlene LeFever and The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias.
August 15, You are Gifted
What gifts are needed to provide nurture and leadership in
our Sunday School for children and youth? I can't teach; I don't know enough about the
Bible, is a common feeling among Christians. The Christian education ministry needs
people with many gifts, especially the gift of caring. Come and see if you may have gifts
which you can use to serve in this area of nurturing our young people.
Do You Have Time to Listen?
A Stephen Minister is a caring, committed Christian lay
person who has been trained to use his or her listening skills in support of other
Christians as they experience stress, sorrow, or sickness in their lives. Listening
non-judgmentally to the struggles of another, offering comfort and reassurance of God's
love--these are hallmarks of the Stephen Minister.
Do you have time to listen and share God's love with a
fellow Christian who is struggling with illness or grief or crisis? Can you reach out and
share the consolation of God's presence? You are invited to learn more about the ministry
itself--and the commitments required of Stephen Ministers--at an INFORMATIONAL MEETING
for those considering becoming STEPHEN MINISTERS Sunday, August 16 following each
worship service in the Parish Hall
Attendance at the informational meeting does not imply a
commitment to service in this ministry. The purpose is simply to provide the information
needed to help you consider whether this ministry is one suited to your individual gifts.
Make note of the date; more information will be provided in the August Re-Focus.
Vacation Bible School
This year's vacation Bible school with the theme,
"Space Mission Bible Camp," will begin Sunday evening, August 9, with a kick-off
dinner for the whole family at 5:00 p.m. Sessions will be held Monday, August 10, through
Thursday, August 13, 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. Space Mission Bible Camp is a five-day mission of
God's love, filled with lots of fun Bible-learning activities. There will be classes for
all ages, including an adult class on parenting taught by Deaconess Doreen.
So that a sufficient quantity of materials can be ordered,
everyone is asked to pre-register by July 5. There is a $3.00 fee per child to help
cover cost of materials, and scholarships are available. Volunteers and food donations for
snacks are needed. If you can help, please contact Patty Taylor (788-2435) or Jill Brink
(634-2168).
Women of Reformation
CIRCLE MEETINGS
Priscilla, July 14 9:30 a.m. Potluck Brunch at the home of Carol Ott, 8201 Limerick St.
Dorcas, July 15 1:00 p.m.at the home of Shari
Ryding, 160 Cardinal Ln.
TRIP TO LINDSBORG - JULY 9
Plan to meet at church between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m. The car
pool will leave our parking lot at 9:30. We will have lunch at the Swedish Crown at 12:00.
Sign up on the bulletin board in Parish Hall so that we can make lunch reservations,
or call Donna Moyer (733-2108). We will visit Bethany Home at 2:00, do the program
presentation at 2:15, enjoy cookies and coffee with the residents following the program
and return home by 4:30 p.m. Donations of homemade cookies are needed to take to
the Bethany Home residents--even if you can't go. Please have them to the church by 9:15
a.m. on July 9.
The $39 registration fee for Women of Faith's "Bring
Back the Joy" conference should be paid to Women of Reformation by July 15.
One check will then be sent for the first 10 women who register. It will be held at the
Kansas Coliseum August 7 & 8. Contact Kathy Drake for more information. There is a
poster and sign-up sheet in Parish Hall. Registration checks can be left in the Women of
Reformation mailbox in the church office or mailed to Kathy Drake.
Thank you to all those who helped with the recent
Mother-Daughter Tea. If you were unable to attend, you missed a very enjoyable afternoon.
THANKOFFERINGS HELP BREAK THE BONDS OF POVERTY IN
MISSISSIPPI
"As a single parent of three kids, this was a
rewarding challenge. It was challenging because I had never worked in home health before.
It was rewarding because it gave me a career to support my children and gave me the
incentive to go back to school. I am now a student licensed nurse."
These words are from Rhonda, one of dozens of women to
benefit from a non-profit congregation-based program of Lutheran Social Ministries of
Mississippi: Help Overcome Poverty with Education (HOPE).
Based in Jackson, Mississippi, HOPE offers short-term training opportunities to poor women
raising children alone. In Mississippi, one of three children and 50 percent of
female-headed households live in poverty. Through HOPE, congregations make an impact on
hunger and poverty in their communities.
HOPE addresses poverty, hunger, unemployment, and
education. Students take a 75-hour home health aide training course. After completing the
training, students receive help to make the transition from welfare to economic
self-sufficiency. Volunteers are the key component of the program. Every step of the way,
congregational volunteers, including those from seven area Lutheran congregations, serve
as instructors and provide meals and child care.
Rhonda's story is a testimony to the dedication of HOPE's
volunteers. "They have never lost touch with me. The HOPE personnel call and check
with me to see how we are doing and if we need anything." Your thankofferings help
the Division for Church in Society make life better for women and children living in
poverty.
Best Time of Life
B.T.O.L. will meet Monday, July 13, at 12:00 noon in the
Parish Hall for the regular potluck luncheon. The program following the luncheon will be
presented by Bob Gress, a naturalist with the Wichita Department of Parks and Recreation.
Mr. Gress, who serves as director of Wichita Wild and the
Great Plains Nature Center, likes to show people that "wildlife is pretty neat to
have around."
All senior adults are invited to attend.
Change in Christian Education
Carol Nelson, Sunday School Superintendent, offered her
resignation to the Christian Education Committee in June. Carol has devoted much time,
energy, and love to the Sunday School ministry here at Reformation for the past eight
years. We give Carol our thanks and appreciation for her dedicated service.
From the Seminary . . .
Dear Friends,
This summer I am working at Seton Medical Center in Austin
as a chaplain intern. This assignment is a required part of my curriculum, with a two-fold
purpose: to help seminary students recognize who they are in a pastoral sense, and to
provide pastoral care for hospital patients. I am one of the seven-member intern team. We
meet for class two hours every morning and then report to the hospital for a full day's
work. We also work some evenings and weekends. My primary assignment is major
medical/major surgery. This includes mothers who will go into or have come out of the
neonatal unit. On evenings and weekends, I cover the entire hospital.
Seton Medical Center is a Daughters of Charity of Saint
Vincent de Paul hospital. The mission of the Daughters of Charity is to serve the sick
poor. Throughout the hospital are reminders of the mission statement of the order, which
is to serve each patient as we would Christ himself. This spirit of caring permeates
Seton's health care system.
The chaplaincy program is an essential part of Seton. Each
patient's chart has a pastoral care section, where chaplains record visits and concerns
about the patient's well being. There are seven full-time chaplains, representing a number
of Christian denominations. Additionally, there are seven part-time and on-call chaplains,
plus the chaplain intern team. Chaplains provide spiritual and emotional care to patients
and are referred by social workers and nurses. Some patients request visits, and we also
drop in on patients as there is time. A chaplain attends each patient death to minister to
the dying person and family in any way needed. This is a very powerful ministry.
Peace and blessings to you, Dawn Gorges
E-Mail from Hungary
Well, school is finished. I have cleaned out my drawer, and
I have said good-bye to my students. To be completely honest with you, I am having a hard
time figuring out how to feel . . . consequently, articulating my thoughts in this last
e-mail is going to be a chore. Perhaps a chore I will leave to the time when I can speak
to all of you in person when I return home. However, as I think of my time in Hungary and
prepare to leave the "family" I have here in my students and friends, I am
struck by how God brings people into our lives to teach us, challenge us, and love us.
Indeed, God uses people to be his hands, eyes, ears, and voice. And in people he reaches
from our bedsides, across the globe--to the farthest corners of the earth.
This year I have had the unique opportunity to both
experience Christ in others and to try to take that love and pass it on. I have had the
privilege of hearing my 11-year-old students recite verses from Philippians and Luke in
perfect English; I have been moved by the honesty of my older students; and I have watched
students gain confidence in speaking, and develop patience and listening skills. Of
course, I have also learned to accept that I can't reach everyone right now and know that
God is working in ways that I can't see when I see and feel the lack of progress in some
classes and in myself.
Saying good-bye has been extremely difficult. I am leaving
behind a year that has changed me and will continue changing me in the years to come. I am
leaving behind relationships that have shown me how amazing our bond in Christ really
is--it unites languages, cultures, age and time--and I am leaving behind work for the Lord
in a country that needs Christ. However, as I look at all that I am leaving behind, I can
also see all that I am taking with me: a new perspective, relationships that will journey
with me all my life in spirit and in prayer, and work for the Lord that has only just
begun. For in closing my year here, my job as a Christian and as a missionary is far from
over. I will continue praying for the peace and love of Christ to move this nation, which
is still healing from the times of communism, spiritually and economically. I will pray
for the teacher who will replace me. And I will take with me the knowledge that every day
presents an opportunity to serve Christ by serving people--maybe not always in the grand
way I would like, but even in small, even unknown moments.
And finally, I will take with me the feeling of how amazing
Christian love, community, and support is. Reformation has been my lifeblood this year.
You cannot know how important you have been to me and my ministry. Thank you. I am excited
to see all of you, worship with you, and share a common mission field.
"Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. . .
."
(Romans 12:11-12)
God's peace, blessing, happiness, love and wonder!
Amy
