RE-FOCUS
A Publication of Reformation Lutheran Church
Volume 21 April 2001 Number 4
From the Pastor
Test time. Multiple choice. Please choose the one correct
answer. (Answer is given at end of the article.)
The purpose of the appeal, Refocus, Recommit, Reach Out is:
- To reduce our $1.1 million mortgage.
- To call another pastor.
- To grow spiritually.
- To reach out with the Gospel to others.
- All of the above.
Yes, with Refocus, Recommit, Reach Out we want to
reduce the mortgage significantly. Monthly mortgage payments of over $9,000 ($6,000
interest alone) severely hamper the mission of Reformation Church. We spend a lot of money
on the building, but build it and they will come is a myth.
Yes, we want to put Reformation in a position to be able to call a
second pastor. The Ministry Staffing Task Force has demonstrated that Reformation has much
less staff than congregations of comparable size. With a Sunday morning average attendance
of nearly 350, Reformation needs more staff. Our mission of inviting, growing, and sending
of disciples is hampered when a huge portion of our regular Sunday offerings go to
mortgage payments.
Yes, we intend for people to grow spiritually through this appeal.
Everything we do as a congregation must grow out of life centered in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Everything we are and have is a gift of God, who provides for our every need. Refocus,
Recommit, Reach Out is grounded in our life in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
We are Servants of God, Guided by the Holy Spirit, to Make Christ Known. Every
member of the congregation is being invited to lift up this appeal in prayer, talk about
who we are as disciples of Jesus, think about our mission as a congregation, and then freely
decide how to respond. Participate in faith and love, and we will grow spiritually.
Yes, we want to reach out to others, to those on the periphery of
our congregational life, to those who do not know life in Jesus Christ. Reducing our
mortgage can put us in a position to commit more resources to outreach with the Good News
of Jesus Christ. Our mission To Make Christ Known will be strengthened through this
appeal.
Yes, "e" is the correct answer. May God bless our efforts
in Refocus, Recommit, Reach Out.
- Pastor Jerry Mansholt
From the Deaconess
I grew up in a small town (pop. 800) in rural Nebraska. I went to
the same school from K-12th grade and graduated with the same people I knew in
kindergarten. When I walked down the streets I was greeted by name by most of the adults
in the town. We went to church every Sunday at the tiny Lutheran church while most of my
friends were at Mass at the big Catholic Church on the hill. We didn’t have a lot of
extracurricular activities or opportunities, but we had neighborhood football games, and
softball after 8th grade in the summer. I even took baton twirling when I was about 10.
I had parents who provided for my physical needs, other adults in
the town who cared about me, friends with the same values and background. It was a good
place and way to grow up.
Those aspects of my growing up life that were so basic and natural
make up the 40 assets that Search Institute has identified as necessary for our young
people to grow up healthy. But they are much harder to come by today, especially in the
more metropolitan setting.
I have found the 40 assets something easy to grab hold of for myself
and am involved in a group that is trying to focus on the 40 assets in the Wichita area. I
would like to invite each of you to come learn more about the 40 assets and how they can
make a difference in the lives of our young people. I will be leading a learning event for
Area 5 congregations on Sunday, April 1, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran
Church. If you have children, care about young people, work with our young people, or
are a youth, please attend this event on April 1. It won’t just strengthen our
commitment as a congregation to young people, it will strengthen our communities!
- Deaconess Doreen Scheuerman
Thanks to all of you for your prayers, cards, and wonderful meals
after my surgery. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful church family.
Yours in Christ,
Patty, Sean, Jack & Jaden Taylor
* * *
Thank you to Pastor Jerry and Anita Mansholt and the congregation
for their prayers for Bill and visits at the time of his surgery and during his follow-up
care.
- Bill & Sandy Carter
First Crossways Class Offered
Some of you have taken See Through the Scriptures. Others
have studied The Divine Drama for 15 weeks. Many of you are currently in the Road
to Coronation study. Perhaps there are still a number of people out there who have not
been involved in one of these classes at all.
Here’s the time we have been building up to for over a
year—the first section of Crossways! This 10-week class will cover Creation
through the 40 years of wilderness wandering by the Israelites. Crossways, the most
comprehensive course from Crossways International, is designed for adults who want to work
through the Scriptures in detail. This class is open to anyone who has been through one of
the other classes, as well as those who have not yet experienced one of these Bible
studies. It is also open to non-members so please invite a friend to join you.
From Creation to the TransJordan will be held on Tuesday
nights from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. beginning April 17, 2001.
Gun-Free Day on TV
A grassroots effort is underway to designate Easter Sunday, April
15, as a day of "Gun-Free Television." We can work together with people
of faith nationwide to advocate for just one day of gun-violence-free television.
We can take one day out of the year to pause to reflect on the effects of
television violence on our children. We can work to help every parent, child, and family
become aware that shooting people with guns is not a solution to problems.
What each person can do to help:
- Pledge, including your whole family, not to watch any television
programming with gun-related violence on Easter Sunday.
- Tell your friends and neighbors about the Gun-Free Day on TV.
- Ask that the television networks and local stations not air any
television programs or commercials that day in which gun-related violence or guns are
shown.
For more information, contact Safe State Kansas at
Inter-Faith Ministries, 264-9303.
Women of Reformation
CIRCLE MEETINGS
- Priscilla - Tuesday, April 10, 9:30 a.m. at the church
- Sarah - Monday, April 16, 7:00 p.m. at the home of Iva Volbrecht, 640
S. Mission St.
- Dorcas - Wednesday, April 18, 1:00 p.m. at the home of Reeva
Anderson, 7806 E. Champions Cir.
- Rachel - Wednesday, April 18, 6:30 p.m. at the church, Nursery
available
- Ruth - Thursday, April 19, 7:00 p.m. at the home of Anita Mansholt,
3538 N. Rushwood Ct.
WELCA Board Meeting is set for Monday, April 2, 1:00 p.m., at the
church.
Blankets Makers’ regular meetings will be on Mondays, April 2,
16, and 30. Those who do hand quilting will be working daily on the quilt to be given to
Camp Tomah Shinga for their Quilt Auction on August 4.
Church Women United of Wichita will hold their Key Women’s
Koffee at Inter-Faith Ministries, 829 N. Market, on Friday, April 6, at 1:00 p.m. The
president and key woman from each church’s women’s organization will be honored.
The Ark River Valley Cluster #2 will be meeting on Saturday, April
21, in Newton at Peace Lutheran Church. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. To make lunch
reservations, call Kathy Drake at 686-8444 by Wednesday, April 18.
Join us for Women’s Night Out on Tuesday, April 24, 6:30 p.m.
We will meet at the Timberline
Steak House, 21st & Rock Rd.
Plan to attend a Women’s Retreat at Reformation on Saturday,
September 22. More details will be available later.
Best Times of Life, Reformation’s fellowship group for those 55
and over, will meet on Monday, April 9, at noon in Parish Hall for our potluck luncheon
and program. This month our program will be presented by Wayne Bryan, Producer-Director of
Music Theatre of Wichita. Please come and join us for good food, friendly fellowship, and
an entertaining afternoon! Bring a covered dish to share, your own table service, and call
Pauline (942-4885) or Betty (682-2030) with your reservation.
The Pool Boys in Concert at Camp Tomah Shinga
Camp Tomah Shinga is hosting an outdoor concert weekend on May
12-13, 2001. The Pool Boys will perform from 9:30 to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday. Gates
will open at 3:00 p.m. There are two options available for youth groups. For $20 a person
you can come at 3:00 on Saturday, have dinner, and receive a t-shirt. If you would like to
stay over night and go on a sunrise hike and have breakfast, the cost is $30 per person.
If any youth are interested, we do need to register as a
congregation by May 1, and must have one adult for every six youth in attendance. Please
let Deaconess Doreen know if you are interested in attending this exciting event.
Outreach Auction
You are invited to a night of fun at St. John’s Episcopal
Church, 402 N. Topeka. Their outreach committee is sponsoring their Annual Outreach
Auction on Saturday, April 7, 6:30 p.m. Many items will be offered--gift
certificates, jewelry, gift baskets, plane ride, gourmet dinner, etc. Proceeds will
benefit many needs, including Venture House, Operation Holiday, Inter-faith Ministries,
victims of natural disasters here and in other countries, to name a few. Babysitting
available.
From the Seminary in New Haven, CT
THE MATURE CHRISTIAN IN LIGHT OF CONFLICT
The Church, over its many centuries, has succeeded in keeping the
message of Christianity alive and well generation after generation. The core message of
Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection has been central to our faith as Christians since the
actual resurrection which we will, once again, remember this month. If we look at the
church's overall history, however, we find not only good that has come from the church,
but also much corruption for which the church can and must be held accountable. We can see
this in the many wars and crusades said to be carried out in Christ's name. We can see it
at the time of the Reformation when Martin Luther worked so fervently for changes within
the church but finally had to make a stand for his conviction of the gospel, which put him
at odds with the church at large. In more contemporary times, we can see the abuse of the
church in its silence during the Holocaust of WWII.
At its best, the church, as a gift from God to God's people, has
been a gracious revealer of the gospel message for the enhancement of the Christian faith.
At the same time, however, we must acknowledge that sin can and does affect some of the
decisions, perceptions, and doctrinal applications of the church. Because of this, our
'holy intuitions' should always be ready to respond to a perceived wrong among the church
and its people.
Is there a concern within yourself or within the teaching of the
church that bothers you...that just doesn't feel right or good, and yet you find yourself
brushing that feeling aside? Do you ignore what doesn't seem like an important concern for
many others that you know? Do you find that the church either doesn't take a stand on this
issue or may be embracing a position that is unsettling for you? This is the time to wrestle
with your intuition. What is necessary in this situation is not to force yourself into
confused efforts to conform so much as it is a time for clarification of the issue and a
restoration of true perspectives. If for no other reason than your own conscience's sake,
it is important that you seek out an answer that puts your spiritual uneasiness to rest.
The mature Christian continually brings forth his/her inner conflicts for testing
in a most sincere and thoughtful way.
As we mature in our faith, this testing cannot be avoided. Not only
must we revise and renew our understandings of faith and faithful issues, but we may also
have to confront in our lives inadequate ideas of God and the church. Indeed, we may have
to grapple with actual abuses that reside within our church body. This is a cause of fear
to many of us. "Isn't it easier to just let things be and live my Christian life the
best I know how on my own?"
That is probably what many Christians in Germany said during the
holocaust. What they didn't know or didn't want to know would never hurt them, so why make
things complicated? But, you say, "There is no holocaust at this time in this
place." Ah, but are you sure? What about the issue of abuse, for example?
Statistically, there is some percentage of congregants within our own church today who are
currently experiencing abuse. Yet no one either knows it or acknowledges it. And... what
about abuse of the spirit? How many people have been hurt by the church either
overtly or subvertly? What is our role in addressing these abuses? I am quite certain that
ignoring concerns such as these is not pleasing to God. Rather, we are called as a people
of faith to search for truth, and to share our revelations in love to those around
us - especially those in the life of the church.
Follow your 'holy intuition,' then. Pray for guidance. Search for
truth, and God will empower your implementation of it. May God be with you in the midst of
your quest as you journey on in faith.
Blessings and Peace, Laura Ulicky-Weerts
Affirmation of Baptism
Eleven young people will affirm their baptism in the rite of
Confirmation on Sunday, May 6 at the 11:00 service. The congregation is
invited to the Confirmation Program on that Sunday in the Parish Hall from 9:45-10:45.
Confirmands are: Amanda Applegate, Allisa Ellingson, Eric
English, Sapphire Garcia, Emily Johnson, Jordan List, Melicent King, Sara Koepsel, Eric
LaRue, Sam Martin, and Robert Pfeiffer.
From the Seminary in Austin, TX
Dear Friends,
In late February I was given my region and synod assignments. First
came the call about the region. I was assigned to Region 4, which includes Nebraska,
Kansas-Missouri, Oklahoma-Arkansas, and the three Texas Synods. This announcement was not
much of a surprise to me, and so I waited a week for the synod assignment. On Friday,
February 23, while I was taking Anne to school, Bishop Ray Tiemann of the Southwest Texas
Synod left a voice-message welcoming me to his synod.
The SWT Synod extends south of Austin to the Mexican border, about
75 miles to the east of Austin and 250 miles to the west. There are 177 congregations,
with about 72,000 baptized members in the synod.
I am what is called a first-call pastor, meaning a recent seminary
graduate. There are nine churches in the SWT Synod requesting a first-call pastor. The
synod was assigned only three first-call candidates. Two of those will serve in the San
Antonio area. The office of the bishop is trying to find a church for me within commuting
distance of Austin, so Anne can continue in her school. I will meet with one of the
bishop’s assistants at the end of March, and we will consider the needs of certain
congregations and my gifts with which I might serve them.
I will keep you informed about my call process.
Blessings, Dawn Gorges
Meal-A-Month for April
- Beef Ravioli
- Canned Mixed Vegetables
- Pineapple / Jello
- Cornbread Mix
Dry Milk (optional)
Plan to return Yellow Bags with the requested items by April 29.
Parent Get-Together and Class
On Sunday, April 29, all parents of young children who
were baptized in 2000 are invited to a potluck get-together and parenting class from 4:00
to 6:00 p.m. Children are welcome, and child care will be available in the nursery.
Summer Camp at Tomah Shinga
Registration forms for summer camp 2001 are available in the
narthex. There are some exciting opportunities for all ages. The theme for the week is
"Jesus Is." The daily texts will focus on ways we experience Jesus in our lives
today: Son of God, Healer, Teacher, Savior, and Friend. Don’t wait too long to make
your camping plans. Registrations are due by May 1, 2001. Please let Deaconess
Doreen know when your child will be attending camp so that she can connect people
interested in the same week!
Here are some dates to note:
Parent/Child Overnighter
Pre-Junior Half-Week
Junior Camp
- Grades 4-6
- June 10-15, July 8-13
Confirmation Camp
Combination Camp
- Grades 4-9
- July 29-August 3
Usher Schedule for April
- 8:30 Robert Norton,
- 11:00 Les Alseike, Mark Johnson, Emily Johnson, Rod LaRue, Pat
Johnson, Eugene Peters
Nurturing Faith in the Home
In a few weeks we will be into Holy Week and then Easter. It seemed
appropriate to lift up the faith practice of serving. On Maundy Thursday we will read from
John 13: Jesus tied a towel around himself. Then, he poured water into a basin and
began to wash the disciples’ feet. Then, he said, "So if I, your Lord and
teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet."
You can help your children learn to be people who serve others
because Jesus first served them by dying for their sins and rising again to give them
eternal life.
- Create a mission statement for your family. Identify who you as
a family would like to be. List some ways you will accomplish the goals and ideals you
have chosen. Post your statement on the refrigerator. Invite all to think about the
reasons why God brought your individual family members together.
- Invite children to design coupons on paper or on your computer. Help
them decide what the coupons might be good for—free hugs, emptying the dishwasher,
taking out the garbage, etc. Encourage them to give the coupons freely.
- Instill a sense of pride in completing household tasks. Make a poster
charting jobs that can easily be done. Use stickers, treats, and compliments to motivate
or reward those who help.
- Model random acts of kindness. When you are in a check-out line, give
a place to someone who
- might be in a hurry or have fewer items.
- Take a yellow bag and when you are shopping with your children,
encourage them to find the items listed for the month. Return the bag to church by the
last Sunday of the month. Talk to your children about how the food goes to help feed those
who do not have much.
- Become involved in opportunities to lead and serve in this
congregation. There are many ways children, youth and families can use their gifts and
abilities to serve God within the congregation
Holy Week Schedule
Palm Sunday, April 8
- Holy Communion 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.
- Palm Procession & Passion Narrative
Maundy Thursday, April 12
Good Friday, April 13
Holy Saturday, April 14
- Easter Vigil Service 6:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday, April 15
- Holy Communion 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.
- Easter Breakfast 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
- Easter Egg Hunt 10:15 a.m.
