RE-FOCUS
A Publication of Reformation Lutheran Church
Volume 19 April 1999 Number 4
From the Pastor
As you receive this newsletter, the Church throughout the
world will be marking the events of Holy Week. Likewise here at Reformation the services
of Holy Week will take us into those events that are at the heart of the Christian
faith--the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Once again this
year we will observe the Vigil of Easter, a worship service at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday,
April 3. It may be something new to you, but the Easter Vigil is the oldest celebration in
the church year. It was the way early Christians celebrated the Resurrection in an annual
observance, dating back to the early 2nd century.
The Vigil of Easter brings a completeness to the events being celebrated in Maundy
Thursday, Good Friday, and the Resurrection of our Lord. Through symbol and song, reading
and prayer, the mighty acts of God in the Hebrew Scriptures are read in and by the light
of Christ.
The service will begin outdoors around a small fire from which the paschal candle will
be lit. This light of Christ will lead candle-carrying worshipers into the dimly lit
sanctuary where the Cantor will sing the Easter Proclamation, a solemn hymn of cosmic joy
and profound thanksgiving.
We will hear Readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, which tell again the story of
God’s mighty acts in history, a story we read in and by the light of Christ.
Creation, the Flood, Israel’s deliverance at the Red Sea, the Fiery Furnace are
celebrated in the Light of Christ, the New Creation and our Salvation.
Worshipers will renew baptismal vows and remember baptism as the means by which we are
active participants in Christ’s death and resurrection. Remembering our baptisms we
might even get a little wet as water is sprinkled about.
Finally, lights come on, bells are rung, and God is praised for Resurrection victory
and the Easter meal of Holy Communion is celebrated.
The Easter Vigil, along with Passion Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the
Feast of the Resurrection, takes us to the events at the heart of the Christian faith.
- Pastor Jerry Mansholt
From the Deaconess
We were sitting around the table in the conference room/library trying to define
discipleship and what it means to deepen our discipleship here at Reformation. One person
told about an incident last year when a 2nd grader offered a prayer during a circle prayer
with all adults. Another recounted an incident that had recently happened at their dinner
table. His 1st grader had offered a very appropriate prayer for her little brother. Others
had similar stories to tell about other children.
Then we stopped. This task force’s job is to establish objectives and strategies
that will lead toward the deepening of discipleship among the adult members of
Reformation Lutheran Church. This does not mean we do not believe children are not
important; it does mean that by discipling parents, the children will be taken care of.
I started thinking about all those stories we shared that showed how children
demonstrate their faith in Jesus Christ. It is so easy for children. Someone’s
hungry, we have to feed them. Their friend is sick, we have to pray for them. It’s
Sunday, isn’t it the day we go to church and Sunday School? We can learn so much from
how children live out their faith. In Mark 10 Jesus says, Truly I tell you, whoever
does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.
What can this Task Force on Deepening Discipleship learn from our children? That is the
question I am asking myself. As we define what discipleship looks like for our adults, we
may need to look at our children.
- Deaconess Doreen Leptien
Thank you to all my wonderful friends at Reformation for their many prayers, cards,
visits, flowers, food, phone calls. Also thanks to Pastor Jerry, Deaconess Doreen, and
Barbara Lee for their visits and prayers. I’m home trying to get the medications
adjusted and get ready for life with full steam ahead. Again, thanks to everyone of you
for your kind and thoughtful prayers.
Your friend, Pauline Latham
* * *
I want to thank the members of Reformation for their prayers, get-well cards, and
support during my illness. Reformation is a very caring and compassionate church indeed.
Sincerely, Jane Donaldson
* * *
A sincere thank you to those who sent us cards after my grandfather’s death. Your
kind words touched our hearts!
- Mary & Bruce Brittain
* * *
Matt Schultz’s 3rd grade basketball team sincerely appreciates the use of your
facility for their practices. Your generosity was a great help to our winning season.
Players: Nicholas Schulte, Mike Malone, David Fleming, Thomas Atwater, Nicholas Singer,
Nick George, John Morgan, Michael Tatum, Nicholas Isom, and Taylor Vaughn.
- Matt Schultz and Craig Singer, coaches
* * *
The Middle School youth would like to thank everyone who supported them by making and
purchasing goodies at the bake sale on March 14. We earned $200.26 to help send youth to
upcoming synod events. Thanks for your generous support!
* * *
Meditation Garden Update
The contract for the construction of the Meditation Garden
is to be signed the week of March 22. The contractor has already done some preliminary
surveying, and construction is expected to begin the first week of April. Construction
time is estimated to be 60 days. The monogrammed bricks for the Garden were ordered in
early March and totaled 350 bricks.
New Member Luncheon
The following people were received into membership at
Reformation on Sunday, March 14. A welcome luncheon for these members and their sponsors
will be held at church following worship on Sunday, April 11. The luncheon is
another opportunity to welcome these new members and help us grow closer to one another.
The luncheon will conclude by 1:00 p.m.
Stephen & Laurenbrook Ellingson 733-4154
Owen, Emma, Seth
1601 W. Highlander Ct., Andover 67002
Paul Federinko 944-0483
3615 W. 13th St., #D-5, Wichita 67203
Patricia Harding 686-9028
Jordan
8406 E. Harry St., #211, Wichita 67207
Erin Heckenliable 691-1794
1157 S. Webb Rd. #1001, Wichita 67207
Twyla Hill 612-1037
2021 N. Broadmoor, #605, Wichita 67206
Gina Hueske 685-9475
6009 E. Mainsgate, Wichita 67220
Gladys Moum 630-6154
10550 E. 21st St. N., #218, Wichita 67206
Chad Pettera 691-0829
1945 N. Rock Rd., #1413, Wichita 67206
Rob & Holli Schmidt 744-9977
Sarah, Haylee, Casey, Tanner
4138 Danbury, Wichita 67220
Tony & Carlene Sieverin `687-9221
6904 E. Mainsgate, Wichita 67226
Leslie Stevens 685-6819
2749 N. Battin Ct., Wichita 67220
Dr. Ann Vaughan 652-0279
7510 Pagent, Wichita 67206
Usher Schedule for April
8:30 Tim Allbritten, Robert Norton
11:00 Obert Fladeland, Pat Johnson, Eugene Peters, Mark Johnson, Rod LaRue, Les
Alseike
Women of Reformation
CIRCLE MEETINGS
- Ruth Thursday, April 8 - 7:00 p.m. at the home of Muriel Hansen, 8146
Grail St.
- Priscilla Tuesday, April 13 - 9:30 a.m. at the church library.
Nursery available with prior notification. Call 529-1491.
- Rachel Thursday, April 15 - 7:00 p.m. at church. Nursery available
with prior notification. Call 683-5520.
- Sarah Monday, April 19 - 7:00 p.m. at the home of Vera Bentson, 1655
Georgetown, #308
- Dorcas Wednesday, April 21 - 1:00 p.m. at the home of Carolyn Pitts, 1630
N. Sabin St.
BOARD MEETING - Monday, April 5, 1:00 p.m., in the church library, for all
officers and circle leaders.
A MOTHER-DAUGHTER EVENT is scheduled for June 6. More details will be published
next month. If you are interested in helping with this event, contact Carol Ott, 683-5482.
THANKOFFERINGS: Even though this offering won’t be gathered until this
fall, telling the story helps us recount what God has done. It helps us to see God’s
love and give thanks. Thankofferings give action to our call to live God’s justice.
One of these stories is about an anti-alcohol program:
Women of the ELCA Thankofferings helped launch a powerful anti-alcohol program aimed at
changing the lives of Native American youth in Phoenix, Arizona. No More Firewater
Please is an alcohol abuse prevention program provided by Alzona Lutheran Church
and assisted by contributions through the ELCA Social Ministries for Congregations
program.
Alzona, long respected for its leadership in social justice issues, has a
multi-cultural membership that is roughly one-third each white, Hispanic, and Native
American. Its pastor, Rev. Ralph Gomez,
a Yaqui Indian, said, "Alcohol is killing a lot of our tribal members. We want to
alert our children and youth--that’s not the way to go--that the end of the road for
the Indian alcoholic is death." They are doing that through counseling, small-group
rallies, and meetings that help Native American youth discover alternatives to alcohol and
gangs and develop a vision for their future. "We want the Native American community
to see Alzona as a safe place for children and youth, and to know that Lutheran Christians
are concerned for their welfare," Gomez said.
Motivational speakers who connect well with young people at No More Firewater
meetings, and others who work through Alzona’s networks, are helping build bridges of
understanding and trust between the Native American community and Phoenix Lutheran
churches; and Women of the ELCA is helping them do that.
Best Time of Life
B.T.O.L. will meet Monday, April 12, at 12:00 noon in the
Parish Hall for a potluck luncheon. At 1:00 p.m., two Reformation fitness experts, Barbara
Everson and Shirley Anderson, will present plans for a fitness program for mature adults.
The program will cover an indoor walking course based on distance measurement, as well as
a set of stretch exercises. Members of Reformation’s Health and Wellness Ministry
encourage all senior adults to attend this initial meeting.
55 Alive - Mature Driving
This AARP classroom refresher course for drivers 50 years
of age and over will be presented at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1101 N. River Blvd., on
Thursday, April 8, and Friday, April 9, 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. each day. The cost is
$13.00, which includes an $8.00 fee to AARP plus $5.00 for two lunches. To register call
263-0872.
Single Adults
Single adults will meet on Sunday, April 18, at the Wichita
Art Museum for lunch at 12:45 p.m. Those wishing to tour the museum may do so afterwards
for no charge.
On Sundays, April 11 and 25, single adults will lunch together at Barn’rds (just
south of 21st St. on Woodlawn) at 12:30 p.m.
From the Seminary . . .
Last month we considered the first three of the Ten
Commandments, which center on our relationship to God. The second group of the
Commandments helps us in our relationships with others. We can think of these Commandments
as the horizontal beam of the cross. These Commandments show us how to reach out to
others.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female slave, or his ox,
or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Think back to the days when you first learned these Commandments. What comes to your
mind? A parishioner who attends our church in Texas laughed, saying she became aware of
sex when she first studied the Commandments--don’t commit adultery and don’t
covet your neighbor’s wife. They were startling ideas for a nine-year-old.
What do you think as you read them now? Sometimes we resist the Ten Commandments
because the language seems dated and the Commandments themselves look like irrelevant
moral rules to follow. Who doesn’t gossip a bit; and, if we are guilty, how many ways
can we justify adultery. We also are tempted to turn away from the Commandments because
our image of the Old Testament God is often an image of a wrathful God. Remember, though,
that God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites after he saved them in the Exodus.
They are given by a loving and protective God. The Ten Commandments do not focus on moral
theology, and they are not necessary for salvation. They simply show us how to care for
one another as God cares for us.
Luther writes about the Commandments in a positive way. We are to esteem our parents
and others in authority. We are to help our neighbors in all ways, improving and
protecting their income and property. We must always speak well of them and interpret
kindly all they do. We should do all we can to help our neighbors keep what is theirs and
encourage others to help our neighbors. The Ten Commandments shed a positive light on
living in community.
Luther prayed the Ten Commandments every day. We, too, can pray that God will reveal
our shortcomings and guide us in our relationships with others.
May the peace of the Lord be with each of you,
- Dawn Gorges
Camp Tomah Shinga
Camp Tomah Shinga, our Lutheran camp near Junction City,
Kansas, has various camps this summer for children and youth. Registration forms and
schedules are available on the ushers’ cabinet in the narthex.
This year’s annual Camp Tomah Shinga work day will take place Saturday, May 15,
beginning at 9:00 a.m. Groups and individuals are welcome, and if you have specific skills
you could lend us, please let us know. Contact Pastor Tim Leaf, 522-1091, to participate.
Jr. High Synod Event
www.Prayer.God is the theme of this year’s
junior high synod event at "The Mount" Conference Center in Atchison, Kansas, on
April 23-25.
All 7th and 8th graders are invited to experience this combination of the world of
computers and our prayer practices. We’ll have lots of fast-moving fun with youth
from all over the synod. Cost of the event is $45.00 per person since some of the
fundraiser monies will help offset cost. Anyone wanting to attend should turn in their
registration and check (made out to Central States Synod) to Deaconess Doreen by
April 4. We will need one male and one female adult sponsor for this event. Please contact
Deaconess Doreen if you would like to have a great time with our Jr. High Youth!
Sunday School on Easter
There will be no regular Sunday School on Easter Sunday. A
special celebration will be held in the sanctuary, 10:10-10:30 for all children and
adults.
This time together will feature puppets made by our LOGOS 3rd-5th graders.
The 8th graders are hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for children 5th grade and younger. The
Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Meal-A-Month Ministry
The response of the Reformation congregation to this new
ministry of outreach to the community has been tremendous. Please continue your support!
Yellow bags with the new April menu attached are available in the narthex. These should be
returned
by April 25. The April menu is:
- Tuna
- Tuna Helper or Mushroom soup and Noodles
- Green Beans
- Pears
- Dry Milk (optional)
Vacation Bible School
Treasure Hunt Bible Adventure is the theme for this
year’s Vacation Bible School, which has been set for Monday-Friday, June 14-18. VBS
will be held in the evening, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Carole Lofing is the coordinator of the VBS
Ministry Team. Contact Carole for more information or to volunteer.
Nursery Cleanup
Two sign-up sheets have been posted on the nursery door.
One is to help with a spring cleaning of the nursery on Thursday evening, April 22,
starting at 6:30 pm. The other is for help with monthly cleaning. Contact Jane Camenzind
if you have questions about either, 685-6154.
Help Wanted
NEED: A ministry team (1 or 2 individuals) to plant
or care for the decorative concrete urns near the front entrance to the church.
REQUIREMENTS: Some experience in choice of seasonal plantings and ability to
properly water and fertilize.
COST: None to ministry "team." Funds are available for 1999.
BENEFITS: Satisfaction in enjoying the beauty these plantings will provide to
all.
HOURS: Flex time.
To "apply" for position, contact Waldo Gerards, 683-8602, soon.
River Fest
The River Festival worship service, "Festival of
Faith," which we sponsor, will be held on Sunday, May 9, at 9:30 a.m., at the
downtown A. Price Woodard Park. Pastor Mansholt will be the preacher. For this one day,
the 8:30 a.m. worship service and 9:45 a.m. Sunday School will be canceled. There will
still be an 11:00 a.m. worship service at Reformation.
Middle School youth have been invited to participate in the River Festival Sundowner
parade on Friday evening, May 7. They will be carrying and walking behind a long banner
publicizing the "Festival of Faith" service on Sunday. Parents of Middle School
youth who wish to be included must contact Waldo Gerards, 683-8602, by April 11 with the
names of their children of that age and their shirt size, as participants will be provided
a free "Festival of Faith" T-shirt.
David of Old, Men of Today
The Saturday Men’s Breakfast Group is beginning in
April the study, David of Old, Men of Today. The study looks at contemporary
men’s issues in the light of the Biblical story of David. On April 17, 7:30 a.m. at
Reformation, the Saturday Men’s Group will look at David and his father as well as
talk about their own fathers and fatherhood today. All men of the congregation are
invited.
Homebound Communion
Since Easter is on the first Sunday of April, this
month’s distribution of Holy Communion to the Homebound of the congregation will be
on Sunday, April 11.
Don’t Forget - April 4! Move your clocks
forward
Cooking Activity for Holy Saturday
Here is a devotional cooking activity for your whole family
to participate in on Holy Saturday. It will help children and adults better understand the
Easter experience.
To be made the evening before Easter. You will need:
- 1 c. Whole Pecans Zipper Baggie
- 1 tsp. Vinegar Wooden Spoon
- 3 Egg Whites Electric Mixer
- Pinch of salt Tape
- 1 c. Sugar Bible
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them
with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he
was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that
when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to
give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the
rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’
followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c. sugar. Explain that the
sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and
belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain
that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes on those whose sins have
been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain
that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew
27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and turn oven OFF. Give each child a
piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read
Matthew 27:65-66
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.
Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20, 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface
and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were
amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:109.
LOGOS Highlights
« Only 3 regular
LOGOS sessions remain (April 7, 14, 21). Our "End-of-the-Year" party for all
LOGOS families and volunteers will be April 28 at 5:30 p.m. Invitations with details will
be mailed.
« LOGOS 3rd-5th
graders will present a puppet show on Easter morning in the sanctuary at 10:10 a.m. Each
child constructed his/her own puppet and planned the performance. Special thanks to Eva
Whetstone for coordinating the puppet creations.
« LOGOS 6th-8th
graders will present a special message in narration and bells during worship services on
April 11. Directors are Janice Yeskie and Lynda Carrier-Metz.
« Reformation will
host a national LOGOS Training School on July 22-24. As many as 10 of our members can
attend this outstanding program at no cost. Will you be someone who shares and further
develops a spiritual gift by attending?
Holy Week / Easter Schedule
Maundy Thursday - April 1
Good Friday - April 2
Holy Saturday - April 3
- Easter Vigil Service 6:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday - April 4
- Service of Holy Communion 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.
- Easter Breakfast 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
- Easter Puppet Program 10:10 - 10:30 a.m.
- Easter Egg Hunt 10:30 a.m.
Nursery Available at All Services
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