RE-FOCUS
A Publication of Reformation Lutheran Church
Volume 20 May 2000 Number 5
From the Pastor
And now a message from our sponsor . . .
. . . but when the programming took a break during the weeks of April 10-23, the
message you heard may have been one from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The
thirty-second spots were produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as part of
the ELCA Identity Project. The buying of air time was made possible by a generous grant
from Aid Association for Lutherans and by the financial support from ELCA congregations of
central, north central and western Kansas, including Reformation Church. The plans are for
the spots to air again in August, just prior to the startup of fall programming in the
churches.
The spots are designed to connect with people who have no church home, offering an
invitation and welcome to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Imagine yourself a
person who has no church home and little knowledge of the Christian story. You know little
of the saving life of Jesus. Think of yourself as a person who ponders life with all its
joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, blessings and brokenness, when programming breaks for a
commercial. A rhythmic beat sounds forth over a variety of images with the words . . .
Now if you feel that you can’t go on . . . and your hope is all but gone . . .
life is filled with much confusion . . . and happiness is just an illusion . . . and your
world is crumbling down. . .Reach Out. . .
. . . and a voice speaks . . . What will life be like for our children a year
for now? It all depends on what we teach them today.
It is a message brought by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Viewers are
invited to a website: www.sharingfaith.org. This
invitation reaches out through the unique Wichita media market to the majority of
Kansas’ people and communities of central, north central, and western Kansas.
In August, just prior to Rally Day, approximately 100 spots
again will be aired each week over ABC, CBS and NBC television networks. During these
times Reformation has been sending direct mailings to more than 10,000 homes in northeast
Wichita. We used similar resources from the ELCA Identity Project, designed to complement
the video advertisements, inviting people to services of worship on Easter Sunday. Direct
mailings will also be done in August.
It is a way in which we, along with brothers and sisters throughout the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, are living out our vision as Servants of God, Guided by the
Holy Spirit, to Make Christ Known.
- Pastor Jerry Mansholt
From the Deaconess
I remember my sister’s friend, Dee, telling my sister
that she was so lucky to have parents who cared. Dee was 17 at the time, but she
recognized that boundaries and consistent discipline showed that parents loved you enough
to be firm. Dee didn’t have any boundaries or discipline, and she hungered for them.
Dee was one of the lucky ones. She somehow was able to learn what was necessary to live a
healthy, happy life, even though her parents were not able to teach her. Some of her
siblings have not been so fortunate.
Boundaries and Expectations make up the third of the four external assets that
are necessary for our young people to develop in healthy ways. Our children and youth need
to know clearly what type of behavior is expected and what kind of behavior is
unacceptable—what is in bounds and what is out of bounds! Boundaries
and expectations cannot just be set, they must be monitored and enforced with consistent
discipline.
Young people primarily learn about boundaries from adults who model responsible
behavior and peers who exert a positive influence. Philosopher Robert Bly suggests that
too often, adults refuse to articulate their wisdom about what matters. If this is true,
then our children and youth our missing out on a key source of learning to live with
boundaries.
In addition to setting boundaries, it is important to have high expectations for young
people. High expectations challenge youth to excel, as well as enhancing their sense of
being capable. High expectations are needed not only in education, but in social
relationships, how youth spend their time, and how they live their beliefs.
Communities of faith are often lacking today in leadership of setting boundaries and
high expectations for their youth, because too often, negative or restrictive boundaries
are associated with religion. This can be a dilemma for congregations. It is one with
which we are constantly faced. The topic comes up often as I talk to teachers, youth
sponsors and our LOGOS staff. I believe we have taken positive steps to help us in the
direction of setting boundaries and expectations, but that it remains one of our growing
edges.
- Deaconess Doreen Scheuerman
Invitation To Serve
As part of this year’s Synod Assembly, the Synod
Leadership Team will host Invitation To Serve - Finding Leaders for Tomorrow’s
Churches for all who would like to explore their sense of call to various forms of
ministry in the Lutheran church. This event is for anyone 15 years of age or older who has
a sincere desire to explore the possibility of full-time work in the church as a parish
pastor, campus pastor, chaplain, missionary, or other ministry professional. The event
will be held on Thursday, June 1, 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church in
Lindsborg. There is no cost to participants. Deadline for registration is May 17. For
additional information and a registration form, contact the church office.
CHURCH OFFICE
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday
Phone:(316) 634-0586
FAX:(316) 634-2034
Beginning Memorial Day weekend (May 30) and extending through Labor Day weekend
(Sept. 3), Sunday worship services will be at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. A Sunday
brunch will be offered between services.
Prayer Chain Ministry
What is it? This is a ministry of over 40
people who pray for specific concerns and crisis upon request. It was started in November
1992.
Who makes the requests? Anyone who is in crisis or has a specific concern
may contact the coordinator, Carol Ott, at 683-5482, and she will see that the request is
started by five different groups of "prayers."
When are prayer requests forwarded? During the day and evening hours. You
will not be disturbed in the middle of the night. Sometimes we have many during a week,
and some weeks there are none. It all depends on the need.
How are requests forwarded? By telephone. Each member of the chain
receives a call and makes one. However, if you are interested in receiving the requests by
e-mail, contact Mark Yeskie.
How do I become involved in this ministry? To participate in the prayer
chain, you must be willing to write down the request when you receive it by phone,
immediately offer a brief prayer and pass it on to another member of your chain. For more
information, contact Carol Ott.
New Phone Number
- Laura Ulicky-Weerts 618-5961
Women of Reformation
CIRCLE MEETINGS
- Priscilla - Tuesday, May 9, 9:30 a.m. at the church
- Rachel - Tuesday, May 9, 7:00 p.m. at the church
- Ruth - Thursday, May 11, 7:00 p.m. at the home of Muriel Hansen, 8146
Grail St.
- Sarah - Monday, May 15, 7:00 p.m. at the home of Dolores Hoyle, 3900 N.
Woodlawn, #10 Lansdown
- Dorcas - Wednesday, May 17, 1:00 p.m. at the home of Mark Dickerson, 2123
Bluff Ct.
Women’s Board Meeting will be held Monday, May 1, at 1:00 p.m. at
the church.
Blanket Makers will meet May 1 & 15 at 9:00 a.m. in the Parish
Hall.
Church Women United of Wichita will celebrate May Friendship Day at West Towne
Baptist Church, 2000 N. Maize Rd., on Friday, May 5, at 1:00 p.m. Please contact
Carol Ott to car pool since this is over on the west side of Wichita.
Please join us for a Women’s Night Out on Tuesday, May 23, at 6:30.
We’ll be meeting at Piccadilly Restaurant, Central & Rock Rd. It’s an
enjoyable way to get to know other women of all ages in our church. Reserve a place at our
table–sign up on the nursery door or call Kimberly Lindemann at 691-1440.
Looking Ahead . . . Set aside June 25 for the Mother-Daughter Event. The
theme this year will be "The Teddy Bear’s Picnic." Daughters may bring
their Teddy bear with them. We will also ask for donations of Teddy bears to be given to
the Police Department.
Our annual Journey to Lindsborg will be July 6. Sign-up sheets will be
posted in the narthex in June. Mark your calendar and join in the fun of shopping, dining,
and visiting the Bethany Home residents.
Best Times of Life will meet on Monday, May 15, at noon in Parish Hall. BTOL is
a friendly group of persons 55 and over who meet monthly for tempting food, great
fellowship, and varied programs. Please join us! Our May meeting will be an entertaining
game of Penny Bingo. It’s a simple game played with cards, and each person should
bring 10 pennies! We hear it’s great fun to play–so come and have some fun!
Bring a covered dish to share and your own table service. If you’ve not been called,
please phone Pauline (942-4885) or Betty (682-2030) with your reservation.
Helping the Needy
During the month of May, the Women of Reformation will be
collecting the following items for local and worldwide needs. Bins will be place in Parish
Hall for your donations.
- EYE GLASSES - Used eye glasses will be collected for the downtown Lion’s Club.
- SOAP - Wrapped, unused bars of soap (any size) will be sent to Lutheran World Relief.
Thank you in advance for helping the needy in the world!
College Graduate
Carly Zimmerman, daughter of Mel & Pam Adams,
will be graduating with the degree Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the
University of Kansas on Sunday, May 21.
Meal-A-Month Menu for May
- Canned Chicken
- Fruit
- Noodles
- Corn
- Mushroom Soup
- Dry Milk (optional)
Yellow Bags with the May menu attached are available in the
narthex. Please return yours with requested items by Sunday, May 28. Your ongoing support
is needed and greatly appreciated!
Confirmation Sunday
All members of the congregation are invited to the
Confirmation Program on Sunday, May 7, from 9:45 to10:45 a.m. in the Parish Hall.
Our twelve confirmands will present their faith stories in various ways.
These young people will then affirm their baptism during the 11:00 a.m. service. Please
keep in your prayers our confirmands: Kevin Brumbaugh, Julie Buxton, Alex Fornshell,
Tim Garcia, Kyle Koser, Christopher Leavitt, Stephen Lofing, Matthew Metz, Hillary
Pfeiffer, Aubrey Ramsey, Marlow Smith, and Ryan Woodard.
Nurturing Faith in the Home
Every family has to deal with conflict at some time. When
conflict arises, try to make the connection between conflict resolution and forgiveness.
It is helpful if you can teach your family members to STOP and figure out what the
problem is and choose a new way to handle it.
- S-Step back and identify the real problem.
- T-Take time to get your heart ready to resolve conflict.
- O-Be open to considering the many ways to solve it.
- P-Remember, people are more important than the problem.
Then when you are ready, GO for it!
- G-Go over the problem with the other person and choose an option for
resolving it.
- O-Openly ask for forgiveness and offer to make a fresh new start.
Here are some other suggestions on dealing with conflict and forgiveness within your
family.
- Help your children appreciate your discipline as healthy guidelines, not final
performance ratings. Encourage them to respond to your words with, Ok, I’m
learning.
- Learn Bible verses that promote healthy behavior and display them on your refrigerator.
- Model God’s unconditional love by teaching your children to respond to
people’s mistakes with the phrase, I don’t like what you do, but I still love
you.
Teachers Appreciated!
We give thanks to our Sunday School and LOGOS teachers who
have dedicated their time and care this year to our children and young people. Please
offer your thanks for the love these people showed in sharing Christ with our children and
youth.
Sunday School Teachers:
- Lotus Gerards & Beth Shafer - 3 yr. olds
- Rhonda Larma - 4 yr. olds
- Barb Borg - Kindergarten
- Megan Deines - 1st Grade
- Ken Hobart & Marcia Werts - 2nd Grade
- Myndy Brandes - 3rd Grade
- Kris Brink - 4th Grade
- Joan Lucas and Patty & Sean Taylor - 5th Grade
- Dodie Kloth - 6th Grade
- Ken Woodard - 7th Grade
- Susayn Brandes - 8th Grade
- Kathy & Dan Wegner - High School
- Jill & Tom Pletcher - High School
LOGOS Teachers:
- Susan Martin - Kindergarten
- Johnie Pearl Nulan - 1st Grade
- Ken Hobart - 2nd Grade
- Keith Martin - 3rd Grade
- Wil Johnson - 4th Grade
- David Dibble & Victoria Morgan - 5th Grade
- Sheryl Johnson - 6th Grade
Thanks also to the six parents who served this year as Confirmation Guides,
facilitating discussion and activities:
- Paul Garcia
- Maggie Koser
- Pat Johnson
- Rod LaRue
- Sheri-lyn King
- Ken Woodard.
A special thanks also goes out to Pauline Latham for
serving as attendance and offering recorder for Sunday School.
Monday Morning Play Group
We welcome all infants, children, and parents to join us
for play and fellowship. We meet in the nursery on the second and fourth
Monday each month. During May we will meet on Monday,
May 8, and Monday, May 22, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Contact Jane
Camenzind, 685-6154, if you have questions.
Sunday School Schedule
- May 7 - Regular Sunday School, 9:45
- May 14 - No Sunday School, River Festival Worship, 9:30 a.m.
A. Price Woodard Park
- May 21 - Sunday School Recognition
- 9:45-10:10 in Sanctuary
- 10:15-10:45 Class Closure in rooms
- May 28 - Begin Summer Schedule, No Sunday School,
8:30 & 10:00 Worship
High School Graduates Recognized
Sunday, May 21, has been designated to recognize
our high school graduates during the 11:00 service. Please keep these young people in your
prayers:
- Mark Buxton
- Mike Metz
- Megan Deines
- Ashlea Woodard
- Anna Denkeler
- Jennifer Worrell
- David English
They will also be honored at a brunch for their families in
the Parish Hall from 9:45 to10:45 a.m. on the 21st. Ruth Koepsel is coordinating this
celebration.
Usher Schedule for May
- 8:30 - Jack Dickerson, Gary Hoepner
- 11:00 - Chris Deines, Jenna Godwin, Loren Deines, Dick
Hasselwander, Robin Folkerts, Keith Martin
Leaving a Legacy for Ministry
Is being a good steward important to you? Do you have a
will? Have you given any thought to estate planning? Is helping others something you would
like to do? Would you like to support the work of the church beyond your lifetime? If the
answers to these questions intrigue you, then consider "Leaving a Legacy for
Ministry." This summer the Reformation Mission Endowment Fund will provide a format
to discuss these and other questions you may have.
The Parish Record
JANUARY - MARCH
BAPTISM
- Jaden Frances Taylor, February 13
- Jack Michael Taylor, February 13
- Celia Rane Askelsen, March 12
- Cadence Bailee Ciesielski, March 12
- Tabitha Dawn Percival, March 12
- Andrew Hofrenning Marsden, March 19
MARRIAGE
- Angela Adkins and Van Rose, March 11
TRANSFER
- Alan & Beth Schnitkey, Alaina, to Trinity Lutheran, Hixson, TN
- Rev. Jim Munson to Faith Lutheran, Little Rock, AR
DEATH
Nursery Volunteers Needed
The nursery staff are trying to reduce costs. We are
needing volunteers to care for our nursery children during the Sunday services in June,
July, and August. We must have at least one adult for each service. We would also like
teen volunteers to assist the adults. We hope to have enough volunteers to keep the
nursery open for both services. Please sign up on the schedule posted on the nursery door.
Call Jane Camenzind, 685-6154, if you have any questions.
Sitters Wanted
A babysitting services sign-up sheet is located in the
nursery for those individuals qualified for offering babysitting help to members of
Reformation. Please sign up if you are interested in assisting other members at their
homes in this way AND making a little extra cash while you’re at it! The information
requested on the sign-up refers to the area in which you are available to sit and any age
preference you might have regarding the children you would be watching. Please note that
this opportunity is not limited to teenagers.
From the Internship Site in Waco, TX . . .
Affirmation of Baptism
When my girls were small, at bedtime we would sing the lullaby from the opera
"Hansel and Gretel," which went in part, "When at night I go to sleep,
fourteen angels watch over me . . . ." Now one of my daughters is an adult, and the
other, Anne, will be confirmed in a few weeks. Anne spent her formative years at
Reformation, and her RLC friends will also celebrate their Affirmation of Baptism in May.
A formal definition of confirmation is, "a pastoral and educational ministry which
helps the baptized child through Word and Sacrament to identify more deeply with the
Christian community and participate more fully in its mission." As a teacher of
confirmation, it seems that the rite is more meaningful to the parents and grandparents
than it is to the young women and men being confirmed. I think this is good. By the time
of confirmation, the young people know the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed and
the Lord's Prayer from Sunday School. They take their faith for granted because they have
great confidence in the Lord. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith .
. . it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Certainly they struggle with life
choices, but salvation is not a struggle for them. In this, parents, grandparents, pastors
and Christian teachers have done their job well. To further affirm the confirmands at St.
Matthew in Waco, this year the prayer chain will begin praying for each young person on
the Saturday evening before their Affirmation of Baptism. Additionally, the confirmands
will have prayer partners, whom they will pray for in the days before confirmation. My
daughter Anne is too old for me to sing lullaby prayers, though I still pray that the
fourteen angels will watch over her. Prayers for her and her Reformation friends, Kevin
Brumbaugh, Julie Buxton, Alex Fornshell, Tim Garcia, Kyle Koser, Christopher Leavitt,
Stephen Lofing, Matthew Metz, Hillary Pfeiffer, Aubrey Ramsey, Marlow Smith, and Ryan
Woodard, will be on my lips in the days before their confirmation. In Christian Love,
Dawn Gorges
River Festival
The Festival of Faith service will be on Sunday, May 14,
at 9:30 a.m. at the A. Price Woodard Park. Pastor Mansholt will provide the sermon. The
Festival of Faith choir will be directed by Dr. John Leavitt, with members of the Master
Arts Chorale joining our choir. Music will also be provided by the Senseney Music
Community Band.
The doors at Century II connecting the two buildings will be unlocked, providing access
from the parking lots. Limited parking is available close to the park for those needing
assistance. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided after the service. Bring your lawn
chairs or blanket and enjoy the service.
AAL Meeting in May
AAL Branch 4499 will hold its May meeting on Sunday, May
14, at A. Price Woodard Park immediately following the River Festival church service.
12 Warning Signs of Good Health
- Persistent presence of supportive friends.
- Chronic positive expectations–a tendency to frame
events in a positive light.
- Regular signs of joy in living.
- Sense of spiritual renewal in the Lord.
- Increased sensitivity to others.
- A tendency to adapt to changing conditions.
- Increased appetite for physical activity.
- Tendency to identify and communicate feelings.
- Repeated episodes of gratitude and generosity.
- Compulsion to care for other people.
- Persistent sense of humor–known to laugh out loud.
- A life centered in the forgiveness of Christ.
- Wheat Ridge Ministries
Last update
August 03, 2008
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