RE-FOCUS
A Publication of Reformation Lutheran Church
Volume 19 July 1999 Number 7

From the Pastor

As I listened to the speaker at a recent workshop, my mind went back in time to my childhood. What I remembered was my Grandpa Mansholt seated at the family dinner table on the farm in Illinois and praying: The eyes of all look upon thee, O Lord, and thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest thy hand; Thou satisfiest the desire of every living creature.

The workshop was part of the Saturday event at the Central States Synod Assembly, an event themed, Tending the Tapestry of Faith. Speaker after speaker, workshop after workshop, said the same thing: mothers, fathers, and other adults of the extended family are vital to faith development in our children. They model the faith and engage children and youth in dialog about matters of faith and life. Those youth who do not have such adults end up leaving the church for good. Or, they display an anemic and distorted theology that neither glorifies God nor serves humanity.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but Grandpa was modeling the Christian faith, following the mandate of Pastor Martin Luther. In Part 8 of the Small Catechism (1529) the head of the family is instructed to teach the household to offer a blessing and a thanksgiving at the table. Grandpa, in good Luther fashion, was praying the words of Psalm 145, as suggested by the catechism.

I can also remember my mother standing at the doorway of the bedroom, making sure my brother and I read nightly from our devotional booklet. I think of my father and mother taking us as a family to services of worship. Last month I wrote about Alma Klopmeier, and she was only one of many adults who modeled the Christian life. These were no small parts of my childhood. They were vitally important dynamics through which the Holy Spirit has worked to instill faith in my heart.

We live in days of separated families and isolated communities. If we truly love our children and care about the lives of our youth, all of us adults, along with the parents, will find ways to engage our children and youth in talking about the Christian faith. We will find ways to stand by their sides in service to others. We will do all we can to BE Christian with our young people and weave the

tapestry of faith.

- Pastor Jerry Mansholt

From the Deaconess

Eric was an angry young man; sometimes it boiled up in him, but at other times he was helpful, polite, and enjoyable to be around. During his eighth grade year, something happened—maybe it was drugs, his unhealthy family environment, or the people he hung around with. We’ll never know for sure what the cause was, but the result was a person filled with anger that became dangerous to himself and those around him. He frequently ran away from home, stopped coming to church, and never celebrated confirmation with his class.

The downhill slide that began in 8th grade and increased over the last two years ended this week. Eric was found dead in a motel room in Atlanta with so much of his life and even his death unanswered.

Eric’s parents loved him, brought him to church and Sunday School faithfully. Within the church there were other adults who loved and cared about Eric. As I reflect on the three years that I knew Eric in Houston, I wonder how often I told him that I loved him. How often did I say the words, God loves you. Did he understand that God’s love and grace was not just for those who were faithful, but for those who fight against God, those who rebel against God and family? Did Eric know that God’s grace and love was for him? I don’t have the answers.

I just know that my life has been changed by Eric’s death.

- Deaconess Doreen Leptien

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I want to thank all of you for all the many cards, calls, expressions of concern, and prayers during the illness and death of my sister, Dagney Benson. May God bless and watch over you.
- Sylvia Stevens

THANK YOU to my Reformation family and friends for your many acts of kindness during my recent foot surgery and recovery. Your prayers, calls, cards, visits, food, and rides were abundant and greatly appreciated. Special thanks to Barb Lee, Parish Nurse, for her devoted concern during and after my surgery. Reformation’s deep well of compassion and caring is a constant source of support and joy to me.
-Sincerely, Mary Lou Bengtson

Thank you to all who offered their prayers, thoughts, kind words of encouragement, cards and flowers after the recent death of Doris’ sister in Pennsylvania.
- Doris & Jim Frank

A big THANK YOU to all who helped make Treasure Hunt Bible Adventure VBS a success!

Discovery Site Leaders:

Myndy Brandes, Sheryl Johnson, Susayn Brandes, Wil Johnson, Jill Brumbaugh, Amy Keith, Kelsey Brumbaugh, Mike Lofing, Jennifer Cummickel, Judy McDiffett, Amy Dyvig, Pastor Jerry, Al Flores, Patty Taylor, Tanya Flores, Karen Vlamis, Ramona Hamilton, Ted Vlamis

Clue Crew Leaders:

Susan Bachman, Brianna Hamilton, Danni Bradley, Ken Hobart, Josh Brandes, Kate Johnson, Monica Carr, Lauren Lofing, Holly Coleman, Stephen Lofing, Emma Ellingson, Sara Muse, Al Flores, Hillary Pfeiffer, Tanya Flores, Sean Taylor

Design Crew:

Laurenbrook Ellingson, Mary Ward-Pfeiffer, Julie Hansen

Nursery: Jane Camenzind Samantha Hamilton

We hope we haven’t missed anyone!

- Carole Lofing, Joan Lucas, Jo Ellen Vandersee

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Stephen Ministry

On August 15, following both services, there will be an orientation session to provide details and to answer questions about the Stephen Ministry program.

The Stephen Ministry program at Reformation is about giving love and care to those persons who are in need. Stephen Ministers are lay persons who are trained and committed to providing distinctive Christian care, through one-to-one relationships, to people experiencing a difficult time in their life.

Every Stephen Minister receives approximately 50 hours of training prior to commissioning. We expect to begin a new class of Stephen Ministers this September. Has God given you the gifts to be a Stephen Minister? If so, plan to attend one of the orientation sessions.

Telecare Ministry

Telecare ministry is a method to keep in touch and stay in touch with all our local members. You will hear more about this new ministry in the weeks to come. It is a wonderful opportunity for Reformation and has worked well in many congregations. Please keep this new ministry team in your prayers as they prepare to implement this congregation-wide effort later this summer. Everyone likes a call from a caring friend!

Meal-A-Month Ministry

Watch for Yellow Bags with the new July menu attached, available soon in the narthex. Please return these by Sunday, July 25.

The July menu is:

• Vienna Sausages
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Corn
• Peaches
• Dry Milk (optional)

Usher Schedule for July

8:30 Brett Hansen

10:00 Mike Buxton, Craig Stallwitz, Mark Buxton, Randy Koepsel, Chris Koepsel, Scott Fraizer, Don Anderson

Women of Reformation

CIRCLE MEETINGS

• Dorcas Wednesday, July 21, 1:00 p.m. at the home of Shari Ryding, 160 Cardinal Ln.
• Priscilla No Meeting
• Rachel No Meeting
• Ruth No Meeting
• Sarah No Meeting

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! A great big THANK YOU goes to Megan and Martha Deines and to Ashley and Barbara Woodard for the beautiful Mother-Daughter Garden Tea on June 6.

Be sure to "Pick a Petal" from the poster on the bulletin board in Parish Hall to assist women of the YWCA Crisis Center with needed clothing items. Your donations should be brought to the collection bin in Parish Hall by July 5.

Trip to Lindsborg, KS - July 15

Plan to meet at church between 9:15 & 9:30 a.m. The car pool will leave our parking lot at 9:30. We will arrive in Lindsborg in time to do some shopping in the many unique shops along Main Street before having lunch at the Swedish Crown at 12:00. Sign up on the bulletin board in Parish Hall so we can make lunch reservations, or call Dolores Hoyle (681-2916) or Pam Adams (733-9627). You may bring your children if you want to. We will visit Bethany Home and present a program at 2:15. We then share homemade cookies and coffee with the residents. We plan to be back in Wichita about 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 15.

Thankofferings help Lutheran Campus Ministry address justice. This spring, Pastor Sandy Jacobs, the students and council of Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) will host the 32nd person to occupy that ministry’s Gamaliel Chair. Gamaliel is the teacher who, in Acts 5, uses his wisdom and status for justice to bring reconciliation when an angry mob threatens the Apostles. His call for reason and faith as alternatives translates into this visiting chair in peace and justice at UWM each fall. The October 1999 Gamaliel Chair will focus on use-of-the-land justice issues. In 1998, Malle Parne, an Estonian actress, poet, singer, comedian, radio personality, women’s rights activist, and Lutheran seminarian, was the month-long guest of the campus ministry and university. She addressed the role of women in church and society in Estonia, the rebuilding and redefining of that culture, and reconciliation with a former oppressor without role reversal. In addition to visiting classes, student and faculty organizations and forums, Parne touched many congregations in the synod with her programs of song, story, poetry and drama.

Your Thankofferings through Women of the ELCA help support the Gamaliel peace and justice program provided by UWM and for the Milwaukee community through Lutheran Campus Ministry.

LOGOS Training School

The LOGOS Training School is coming to Reformation July 22 - 24. News from the LOGOS administration is that response to the training school has been great! Over 50 people will be attending from regional and area churches.

The training includes preparing and serving meals, LOGOS style! This involves a lot of kitchen help, as many of you know! We will need volunteers for the following items:

• Bring snack and continental breakfast items
• Make a main course dish at home
• Prepare a LOGOS meal at church
• Help with cleanup after the meal

We will also need loaner chair cushions. As the training involves long hours of sitting on hard chairs, we would like to make our accommodations as comfortable as possible. We are needing 60-70 cushions, which will be returned after the training.

Please help in making this training course a successful event! Call Ruth Koepsel, 685-3800, to sign up. Thank you!

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Best Time of Life

Do you know that BTOL had its origin on Valentine’s Day in 1983? The Reformation Ladies Guild, chaired by Jo Hyman, hosted a Valentine luncheon for all church members 55 years of age or over. The group was enthusiastic and organized immediately, having their first potluck luncheon in March of that year.

Through the years we have enjoyed many stimulating programs, including speakers such as: Former City Historian Bill Ellington, "Eleanor Roosevelt," Music Theatre’s Wayne Bryan, Tree Sculptor Gino Salerno, Representatives from the Fire and Police Departments, Cindy Klose of Channel 12, Norman Warminski, and many others.

BTOL meets the second Monday of each month except August at 12:00 noon in Parish Hall. If you are 55 or over, you are invited and encouraged to join the group for fellowship and good food.

Are you interested in a program on the ministry of servanthood, the power of prayer, and the status of Faith and Values in Wichita? These and other topics of universal interest to churchgoers will be discussed at the BTOL meeting on Monday,

July 12, in the Parish Hall. Tom Schaeffer, editor of the Faith and Values section of The Wichita Eagle, will present the program.

The potluck luncheon will start at 12:00 noon, and The Reverend Tom Schaeffer will speak at about 1:00 p.m. All mature adults (55 and over) are invited to attend. If you wish to bring an adult friend, please call either Pauline Latham, 942-4885, or Betty Hayenga, 682-2030. As usual, bring a potluck dish and your table service.

Tour of Scotland and England

Members of Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma, are planning a group tour of Scotland and England September 16-28. This will be a custom tour with private bus; accommodations are all first class hotels. Seats are still available, so this opportunity is being opened to members of other Lutheran churches. The tour will experience some of the most beautiful sites in England and Scotland, take in ancient cities, visit cathedrals and palaces, and enjoy the beautiful countryside of the Scottish Highlands. For further information and pricing, contact Mark Carter or Sandy Moeller at Christ the Redeemer Church by phone (918-492-6451) or e-mail.

From the Seminary . . .

The book of the prophet Obadiah is only 21 verses, the shortest book in the Old Testament. In this book the prophet writes of retribution. "As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head" (v. 15). As Christians, we struggle with the concept of retribution. We know judgment is not ours but God’s. Still, we sometimes find ourselves muttering, "What goes around comes around," and "just desserts."

This past spring, our country experienced too much retribution, in the form of horrible violence in schools. This retribution was not an act of God, but an act of evil carried out by young people who felt powerless. The abhorrent actions were retaliation for the hatred and ostracism they felt. The retribution we witnessed in the schools was an act of evil in response to our failure to love them. Those who forced their retribution upon their teachers and classmates felt left out, not loved or honored or accepted.

In a recent Gallup poll, 36 percent of young people surveyed reported having classmates they considered capable of shooting up the school. More telling, though, is the answer students gave when asked what causes the acts of violence. They said the anger is provoked when some kids are bullied, taunted and made to feel like outsiders. By spurning those desperate young people, we deny Jesus’ command to love.

It may sound naive in light of such terrors, but as I grew up, one of my aunts always said, "There is goodness in everyone." Sometimes we have to search for the good, but when we find a glimmer of it, we must lift it up. We must validate the goodness. Unhappily, there are times when we cannot love a person enough, but it is our calling to try.

We must make careful choices in our relationships with other people, not be too quick to judge or disregard another individual. God does not reject anyone. God is always open to change and repentance. Our call is to talk with each other, to love each other, and to pray for insight into our relationships. We are wise to heed the words of Obadiah, and we must be aware of our own deeds, and the response they may provoke. And let us always recall Jesus’ words, "Just as I have loved you, you should love one another."

Peace of the Lord be with you,

Dawn Gorges

Homebound Communion Training

Last fall Reformation began the practice of taking the Sacrament of Holy Communion to the sick and homebound following the services of worship. Training for Homebound Communion Assistants will be offered on Wednesday evening, July 14, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. If you are interested in serving in this monthly ministry, speak to Marla Schmale.

New Member Reception

Three times a year at Reformation Church we officially receive persons into membership. The next New Member Reception will be on Sunday, July 25, in the 10:00 a.m. worship service. People come to Reformation from many different backgrounds, including many different church experiences. On Sundays, July 11 and 18, at 11:00 a.m., Pastor Mansholt will offer new member orientation classes. This will be an opportunity to build some relationships among people new to the congregation. It will also be a time to learn about what we believe and confess as Lutheran Christians. If you are interested in participating in these classes, please call the church office.

Monica Mansholt at LOMC

The Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center (LOMC) in Oregon, Illinois, announces that Monica Mansholt is serving as one of their camp counselors this summer. LOMC is one of approximately 145 outdoor ministries in the ELCA Outdoor Ministry Network. ELCA outdoor ministries affirm and experience our interrelationship with all of God’s creation in an intentional Christian community. Outdoor ministries encourage spiritual growth for the whole person by providing encounter with Scripture, the experience and care of the environment, witness of staff, and opportunities for worship, recreation, and development of relationships. Primarily in partnership with congregations, outdoor ministries encourage and enable people to live lives of service and witness. Monica’s address this summer is:

Monica Mansholt
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center
P.O. Box 239
Oregon, IL 61061

Monica will be returning to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, as a sophomore this fall.