RE-FOCUS
A Publication of Reformation Lutheran Church
Volume 20 June 2000 Number 6

From the Pastor

Pentecost. This is the Feast in the Church Year celebrating God’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We read about it in the Book of Acts, chapter 2. Gathered in Jerusalem, the disciples were lethargic and uninspired, bewildered by the appearances of the Risen Jesus, yet, surprisingly, lacking zeal, passion for the work before them. Then a marvelous event took place--the sound of a mighty wind, a stirring in the house, tongues of fire, a filling of hearts with the Spirit, disciples speaking in various languages.

Pentecost in the first century C.E. was a festival that celebrated the harvest as well as the giving of the Law. That is what brought Jews from what appeared to be every nation under heaven to Jerusalem. At this festival, upon Jesus’ disciples came the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birthing of the Christian Church. People from many different lands heard the disciples speaking in their own languages. Peter explained to the astounded that the disciples were not drunk on wine, but were filled with the Spirit in fulfillment of the prophet Joel.

Pentecost always stirs my heart and soul and reminds me the Spirit gives life. The Spirit moves in and among us, stirring hearts, awakening souls, shaking structures, upsetting our equilibrium. Oh, for us to be open to the Spirit, moved by the Spirit’s power, stirred to see visions and dream dreams!

Pentecost always means diversity--differing gifts, tongues, ages, abilities, perspectives, cultures, insights, tastes. There is variety and richness in the weavings of the Spirit. Oh, that we might celebrate this gift and be open to those who are different from us, who see things in different ways!

Finally, the Spirit, for all her freedom and power and diversity, always brings us back to Jesus, the Christ of God. The Spirit works to enliven in us the life of Jesus, to counsel us in the ways of our Lord and God. Let us rejoice and give thanks!

- Pastor Jerry Mansholt

From the Deaconess

For the past three months I have been writing about the 40 assets that the Search Institute has determined to be essential for healthy youth. While I was writing my article for last month, I felt a strong conviction that Wichita needed to become a community that supported youth by promoting these 40 building blocks. As soon as that thought entered my mind, I rejected the following thought that I needed to do something to help this happen. I didn’t have the time or energy to do something of this magnitude, let alone the know how. On May 4 my phone rang. It was someone from Lutheran Brotherhood who was putting together a task force of people in Wichita to bring in a speaker from Search Institute to explain about their initiative, Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth. Would I serve on this task force?

Seven of us met on May 8 for the first time to plan a Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth Event for Thursday, September 7, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Rebecca Groethe, who directs the Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth training and support for Search Institute, will explain the 40 assets and offer steps to implement the initiative in Wichita.

For a fully functioning Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth initiative, all aspects of a community need to be involved. The hope and goal of the task force is to involve schools, religious communities, civic groups, and government organizations. The first step is to have people from all these areas attend the event on September 7 to learn about the 40 assets and how we can work together to make Wichita a better place for young people.

While we on the task force are dreaming big, a smaller dream would be that we could become an asset-building congregation. We are doing many things well, but if you would like to learn more about the assets and how we can provide an even more positive environment for our young people, please mark September 7 on your calendar.

- Deaconess Doreen Scheuerman

The family of Ruth Blackburn wish to thank you–for Dr. Mansholt, for the lovely and beautiful basket of flowers, and for the cards, all sent to the hospital. We very much appreciate your kindnesses. Ruth is now residing in the Homestead Health Center, 2133 S. Elizabeth, Wichita 67213. She is in God’s hands. Thank you & God bless all,

- Margaret Blackburn, sister

Meal-A-Month for June

During the month of June, instead of requesting food items, we will be collecting paper goods for the food bank. Suggested items include:

• Paper Towels
• Napkins
• Toilet Paper
• Facial Tissue
• Waxed Paper / Plastic Wrap

Please bring your donations to the church by Sunday, June 25.

Vacation Bible School To Be Held in July

Vacation Bible School will be held July 16-20 in the evenings. This event will kick off on Sunday,

July 16, with an all-congregation ice cream social. Victoria Morgan and David Dibble are the coordinators. If you would like to help with VBS, please call Victoria, 681-2012, or Dave, 685-5897.

Bonhoeffer Film on PBS

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s last years, his participation in the German resistance, and his moral struggle are dramatized in Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace, a new film premiering at 9:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 14, on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Check your local listings. The film won top honor at the Monte Carlo TV Festival in February.

More than just a biographical film, Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace sheds light on the little-known efforts of the German resistance. The film, directed by Eric Till and shot in the Czech Republic, Berlin, and Canada, brings to a wide audience the heroic rebellion of Bonhoeffer, a highly regarded Lutheran minister who could have kept his peace and saved his life on several occasions but instead paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. Program support for Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace was provided by Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL).

Time Out For God at Cheney Lake

The 34^th year of Time Out for God lakeside services at Cheney Lake State Park begins Sunday, May 28. This ministry for campers and others in the area has grown over the year. These services run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Time of service is 9:00 a.m. each Sunday. These services include a time for singing, special music, scripture, and a timely meditation. Rev. John Pool conducts this ministry.

Should you or your family be in the lakeside area on Sunday morning, you are invited to come as you are, bring a friend with you, and join us in a unique worship experience. Enter Cheney Lake State Park on the west side at the main entrance off of 21^st St. West. Services are held in and around the pavilion.

Usher Schedule for June

• 8:30 Terry Everson, Paul Ryding, Jeff Larma
• 11:00 Bryan BarrJohn Lee, Larry Barr, Ron Ott, Jim Frank, Jerry Whetstone, Waldo Gerards, Pam Whiting

Women of Reformation

CIRCLE MEETINGS

• Priscilla, Tuesday, June 13 9:30 a.m. at the church
• Rachel, Thursday, June 15 7:00 p.m. at the church
• Sarah, Monday, June 19 7:00 p.m. at the home of Dolores Hoyle, 3900 N. Woodlawn, #10 Lansdown
• Dorcas, Wednesday, June 21 1:00 p.m., at the home of Dorothea Rindt, 1945 Charlotte St.
• Ruth, No meeting

Women’s Board Meeting will be held Monday, June 5, 1:00 p.m. at the church.

Blanket Makers will meet June 5 & 19, 9:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall.

Church Women United will meet for a listen forum about the 2000 legislature. Legislators will be there to discuss issues that faced the law makers this year and to answer questions. This event will be held Friday, June 2, 1:00 p.m., at Valley Center United Methodist Church, 560 North Park.

Have you marked your calendar for our annual Journey to Lindsborg on July 6? A sign-up sheet will be posted in the narthex so we’ll know who can go and who will donate homemade cookies for the residents at Bethany Home.

Have you ever attended a synod convention? It will never be easier than this year. The Women of the Central States Synod will be meeting in Wichita on August 11-13 at the Marriott Hotel near Kellogg & Webb Rd. Most of us won’t even have to drive across town. Registration is $50. For more information contact Kathy Drake, 686-8444, who will be going as the delegate from Reformation. There is scholarship money available. The registration deadline for visitors is July 15.

Mother- Daughter Event

Plan now to attend the Mother- Daughter Event on Sunday, June 25, at 4:00 p.m. All women are invited to attend "The Teddy Bear’s Picnic." You may make reservations by paying $2.50 per person after church services on June 11 and 18. Children 5 and under are free. Children are asked to bring their teddy bears as their guests. We are also asking for donations of teddy bears to be given to the Police Department. Come and enjoy yourself with your daughter, mother, or friend. For more information, call Carol Ott at 683-5482.

Best Times of Life will meet on Monday, June 12, at noon in the Parish Hall. BTOL warmly invites persons 55 and over to join our friendly group for great food, enlightening programs, and enjoyable fellowship. Please feel welcome to try us out! The program for our June meeting will be presented by Duane Dyer of Natural Treesource. 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.

Needed: Nursery Volunteers!

In an effort to reduce costs, the nursery staff are looking for volunteers to care for our nursery children during the Sunday services in June, July, and August. We need 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.

College Graduate

Gretchen Koch graduated May 13 from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Religion. Her parents are Clarence & Suzanne Koch.

Faith in the Home

Summer vacation is an excellent time to connect God’s story to our own story. As you enjoy the activities of summer, help your children see God in all that you do. Following are Bible stories that can be used as a sharing time as you enjoy family activities.

• Mark 11:1-11 (Palm Sunday) Parades
• John 6:1-14 (Feeding the 5000) Picnics
• John 21:1-14 (Miracle of the fish) Fishing
• Jonah 1 (Jonah & the whale) Fishing
• Matthew 4:30-32 (Mustard seed parable) Gardening
• Luke 8:4-8, 11-15 (Parable of sower) Gardening
• Genesis 28:10-22 (Jacob’s ladder) Camping
• Luke 2:41-52 (Jesus in temple) Travel
• Luke 2:1-7 (Journey to Bethlehem) Travel
• Mark 4:35-41 (Jesus Calms Sea) Boating
• John 6:16-21 (Jesus Walks on Water) Boating
• Genesis 6:9-8:22 (Noah’s ark) Zoo

Confirmation Camp

Our going-into-8th graders will be attending Confirmation Camp at Camp Tomah Shinga,

June 18-23. The theme for the week is Weak, but STRONG! They, along with young people from nine other churches in Kansas, will discover that some of the heroes in the Bible experienced some of the same temptations, failures and weaknesses that we do. Drivers are needed to take the youth to Tomah Shinga on the 18^th and to pick them up on the 23^rd. If you can help out, please contact Deaconess Doreen.

See Through the Scriptures

Back by popular demand, sort of!!! If you missed out on the first round of See Through the Scriptures back in January, here’s your chance to experience the big picture of the Bible’s message.

A two-day workshop will be held on Saturdays, June 10 and 17, from 8:30 to noon for anyone who would like to take an airplane flight through the Scriptures using over 40 illustrations. Registration forms are available in the narthex. We will need a minimum of 10 people in order to hold the class, so please register soon.

From the Internship Site in Waco, TX . . .

Chilstrom Scholarship

Faces of seminarians are quite different than they were 30 years ago. Today half of all ELCA seminarians are second-career students, and half of all students in ELCA seminaries are women.

The Women of the ELCA, along with Bishop Herbert and Corinne Chilstrom, created The Herbert W. and Corinne Chilstrom Scholarship to assist ELCA women who are second-career students at an ELCA seminary and who are preparing for ordained ministry in the ELCA. The scholarship is one way Women of the ELCA carries out its purpose statement to affirm and support women's gifts and growth.

It is with great pleasure that I tell you that I have been given one of the two scholarships that have been awarded this year. Requirements for scholarship qualification included two academic references and response to three essay topics: Tell us about yourself and your career plans. Tell us your faith story that has led you to the seminary. Why should Women of the ELCA invest in you?

I answered the first question saying that I thought one needed to be careful about limiting one's call, but that, with my background in communication, eventually I would be interested in becoming an interim specialist. The second question brought me back to my days at Reformation. While I was growing up, women did not have strong leadership roles in the church, outside the women's groups. During my 16 years as an active member at Reformation, I made up for lost time, by serving in many lay capacities, including the church council and on the Women of the ELCA board. My response to the last question reflected on the gifts that church women's groups give women and my reciprocal commitment to the Women of the ELCA.

Since I entered the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, Reformation has continued to be at the heart of my faith. It was an outstanding training ground for me. During my three years in seminary, the church and its members have faithfully remembered me with prayers and financial gifts. Reformation is a personal blessing to me, but it is also a very important partner in the mission of the church.

In Christian Love,

Dawn Gorges

The Divine Drama

The first class of The Divine Drama finished up the 15-week study of The Biblical Narrative in May. Thirty-plus adults studied the biblical storyline from creation to Christ in order to gain a better understanding of:

1. the background of the Bible’s message;
2. the covenants God made with Abraham, Israel, and David;
3. the kings and their kingdoms;
4. the prophets and their messages;
5. the Babylonian exile and post-exilic Judaism;
6. the life of Jesus the Messiah; and
7. the nature of the Messianic Kingdom.

Congratulations to the following for completing the course: Pam Adams, Randy & Reeva Anderson, Don Arnold, Mary Lou Bengtson, Jody & Tammy Birkholz, Galen Blume, Vernette Chance, Dallas Cronk, David & Nancy Day, Michele Groves, Betty Hayenga, Dolores Hoyle, Wil Johnson, Ben Langel, Kimberly Lindemann, Mike Lofing, Anita Mansholt, Marsha Meili, Keith Martin, Russell & Sandy Muse, Carol Ott, Lynn Schriever, Craig Stallwitz, Leona Synstegard, Ted & Karen Vlamis, and Jerry & Eva Whetstone.

The Divine Drama, part 2, Our Narrative, will be offered in the fall. These 15 sessions will examine many biblical teachings, such as:

• your baptismal exodus,
• the persons and work of the Trinity,
• Law and Gospel,
• the Lord’s Supper,
• the Church,
• prayer and the Lord’s prayer, and
• redemption and the call to servanthood.

Last update August 03, 2008