RE-FOCUS
A Publication of Reformation Lutheran Church
Volume 21 August 2001 Number 8
From the Pastor
This is my last newsletter article as Pastor of Reformation Lutheran Church. Six years
ago this very time of year I began the interview process with Reformation’s Call
Committee. My first day in the office, appropriately, was Reformation Day, October 31,
1995. So much has happened since those first days, and through it all we have grown
together as Pastor and Congregation.
It has been a joy and privilege to serve Reformation Church these six years. Anita and
I are very thankful for the blessings we have received through our life at Reformation and
in the community of Wichita. Six years ago you welcomed Anita and me and daughter Monica.
We value greatly the friendships we have made and all the people who have welcomed us into
their lives. Reformation Church and Wichita always will have a very special place in our
hearts.
It has been a blessing to work with excellent staff and congregational leaders. I am
especially grateful for my friend and colleague in ministry, Deaconess Doreen, for all the
Ministry Staff, Lotus, Barb, and Ruth, and for Becky, a joy and delight in the office from
day one. I could not have asked for more dedication and commitment.
Most importantly, I am thankful for our life together in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our lives have been centered in the life God gives in Jesus, our Risen Lord. This is the
Word we have shared in proclamation and in meal. We have gathered around that Good News,
grown as disciples, and gone forth using the gifts God gave us. The Apostle Paul’s
words to the Philippian congregation say it well, "I thank my God every time I
remember you . . . because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until
now." (1:3-5).
You will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers, ". . . and my God will fully
satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God
and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Philippians 4:19-20)
- Pastor Jerry Mansholt
From the Deaconess
Here I am, Lord, Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go,
Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
Here I Am, Lord, WOV #752
The song, "Here I Am, Lord," is a favorite for many people. It is one
that I enjoy singing, but also one that often moves me to tears. When I sing the words of
the refrain (printed above), I remember and renew my own call from God to serve God’s
people. I think about how I have gone to Indiana, California, Texas, and Kansas in answer
to God’s call. I remember all the people I have met along the way, whom I hold dear,
even if I will never see them again this side of heaven. And I, once again, say to God as
I sing the words, Here I am, I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
Many of you have shared your stories with me of how you have been called. God speaks to
us in various ways: Scripture, our family and friends, a story or a song, and in places
and ways that may surprise us. God calls us to various ways of serving. God may call one
person to be an accountant, another to be a doctor. God also calls people to service in
the Body of Christ. Ask Mary Brittain or Angela Davis about how they heard God’s call
to serve as coordinators for LOGOS!
Sometimes it is hard to hear what God is calling us to, especially in this fast-paced
society where we so seldom take time to be quiet and listen to the small, still voice of
God. As we gear up for the new program year, spend time asking God to show you where you
might best use your gifts, and listen to where God may be calling you to serve.
As you consider your call, here are two pieces of advice:
- A prayerful answer, whether "yes" or "no," is a holy answer.
- God doesn’t call the equipped, but equips the called.
- Deaconess Doreen Scheuerman
Many thanks to my Reformation family for all your kind expressions of sympathy through
your cards, calls, and prayers. It has been most comforting at this difficult time of my
father’s death.
- Kathy Drake & family
I want to thank Pastor Jerry and Barb Lee for their many visits, and the congregation
for all their cards, letters, and prayers sent during my recent hospitalization. It gave
immeasurable encouragement and support to both Reeva and me.
- Randy Anderson
* * *
I would like to thank our Parish Nurses, Jette and Barbara, for their time spent at the
hospital when I had bypass surgery. Also, thanks to our Reformation members for their
cards and letters received. Thanks to Pastor Mansholt for his very special prayers.
- Gene Peters
* * *
Interim Pastor
The congregation Council has designated Pastor Sally C. Fahrenthold as Interim Pastor
of Reformation Lutheran Church as Pastor Mansholt assumes responsibilities of Bishop of
the Central States Synod. Pastor Sally began service here on July 15, and will serve until
a new pastor is called by the congregation.
Pastor Sally is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She retired a
year ago, after serving as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Wichita, for nine years. She
previously served as Associate Pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church, Overland Park, KS.
While there, the senior pastor, Charles Maahs, was elected Bishop, and Pastor Sally was
interim pastor in effect. Before her ordination in 1985, Pastor Sally was Associate
Director–and for a while, Interim Executive Director–of Metropolitan Lutheran
Ministry in Kansas City.
Pastor Sally will provide pastoral leadership while the Council and congregation work
with the Synod staff to consider future pastoral needs, meet pastoral candidates, and
extend a call. She will preach three Sundays a month and serve on an approximate 60
percent time basis, being available for pastoral care whenever needed. Pastor Sally and
her husband Glenn have been members of Reformation since November 2000. She can be reached
at church (634-0586), at home (683-8649) or e-mail.
New Monthly Calendar
With this issue of Re-Focus you will notice that the monthly calendar of church
activities and programs has been enlarged and a new feature has been added on the back.
The schedule of all worship assistants for the month is printed as a reminder to those who
are serving, and also to help make the congregation aware of just how many people are
involved each month. Each one of them fills an essential role in our weekly services of
worship. Depending on space available, the calendar page may be a loose insert, or it may
be necessary for you to tear/cut it out of the newsletter. It is our hope that it will
find a prominent place on your refrigerator or home bulletin board!
Women of Reformation
No Circle Meetings in August. We will be starting a new Bible Study series
in September. Be sure to watch for times, dates, and places of the circle meetings in the
September Re-Focus, and plan to attend the circle that is most convenient for you.
WELCA Board will meet August 6, 1:00 p.m., at the church.
All Reformation Women are encouraged to attend the 14th Annual Central States Synod Women’s
Convention in Salina, August 10-12.
Come to Synod Convention;
You can drive, fly, skip, or run,
For a Spiritual transfusion–
Good fellowship, lots of fun!
Walk-in registrations are welcome during the convention, but no meal reservations will
be received at that time. If you have questions, contact Kathy Drake, 686-8444.
Plan to join us for Women’s Night Out on Tuesday, August 28,
6:30 p.m. We will meet at Kobe Steak House, 650 N. Carriage Parkway. Sign up on the
nursery door or call Kimberly Lindemann, 691-1440.
A Women’s Retreat is being planned for September 22.
Watch for details in the September Re-Focus.
Come to the Fair!
ELCA congregations of our area will offer information and activity handouts at a booth
at the Kansas State Fair. Reformation members are needed to welcome booth visitors on
Saturday, September 8, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. If you would like to be
part of this outreach, please contact Marla Schmale, 686-2064. Thanks!
Usher Schedule for August
8:30 Bob Weaver, Randy Worrell
10:00 David Day Jan Moyer, Fred Hambright, Ken Woodard, Ben Langel,
Ryan Woodard
Farewell for the Mansholt Family
August 19, 2001
10:00 Worship Service
(only one service that day!)
light catered luncheon,
following service
You Are All Invited . . .
. . . to welcome our new music staff on Sunday, August 26, following the
10:00 service. Eugenia Yau, Director of Music, and Clark Rice, Organist, will be our
special guests of honor at an "Ice Cream Brunch" hosted by the Parish and Bell
Choirs. Ice cream with a variety of cereal and fruit toppings will be served in Parish
Hall. Please plan to join us that morning. Introduce yourselves and help welcome Eugenia
and Clark into our Reformation family.
LOGOS News
Many people ask what the word LOGOS means or stands for? Logos is Greek for The
Word. In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, we read, And the Word (logos) became flesh
and lived among us, and we have seen his glory... Jesus is the Word.
In our midweek LOGOS ministry, our children and youth meet this living Jesus, The Word,
through the activities, but more importantly, through the relationships that are formed.
One of the ways we all experience God’s love is through the love and care of those
around us.
As you arrive at LOGOS, you may find an 80-year-young talking with a seven-year-old. At
dinner time the first grader and the sixth grader are sharing a meal and fun activity
together. In LOGOS we are all children of God, reaching out to each other with the love of
Jesus Christ, the Word.
A Letter from Connecticut . . .
Dear Reformation friends,
It seems like just a few weeks ago that I had the pleasure of being in your midst and
leading you in worship on Trinity Sunday. Since then, Reformation has been going through
the growing pains of change with the news of Pastor Mansholt's departure. My thoughts and
prayers have been with you.
This summer has been full of activity and change for me as well. In May, I witnessed my
brother's marriage ceremony. It was a lovely candlelight service at a Lutheran church in a
small town outside of Buffalo, New York. A week after the wedding, I went with my parents
to Omaha, where we joined in our former congregation's 125th Anniversary celebration. It
was a delight for me to be in the midst of many friends and loved ones from the days of my
youth. It was following that celebration that I then drove down to be with you in Wichita.
It did my heart much good to be with you, if only for a brief moment in time.
After spending another week with my family in Buffalo, my mother returned with me to
New Haven. We combined our energies in an effort to relocate me to a new apartment in the
area. (Due to lack of availability, only first year Divinity students are able to live on
campus.) Housing is so limited that we had to go through realtors in order to secure
appropriate housing. With the help of a couple of friends, I was able to get moved into my
new apartment quite efficiently and am now in the midst of "settling in." It
won't be long before classes resume!
My new address and phone number are:
998 Campbell Ave. Unit #16
West Haven, CT 06516
Phone: (203) 937-6109
It is my hope that you will keep me close at heart, once again, throughout this next
year. As always, my thankfulness abounds for you and for your continued remembrance of me
in prayer and in financial support.
My love to you in Christ,
LAURA
Faith in the Home
The following are excerpts from the Church Home Connection in the March 2001 Parish
Teacher. The article was written by Leslie Maycroft.
In 1 Samuel 3:10 the child, Samuel, hears God’s voice in the quiet of his room.
How can we help our children be just as receptive to the voice of the divine as it seeks
to be involved with them? How do we help to create a quiet chamber in our children’s
hearts when they have become strangers to their own rich inner life, and quiet has become
intolerable. How can they listen to God if they cannot even listen to themselves? It is in
silence, a sacred space, that God meets us. Following are some suggestions on how you can
help your children to embrace silence and listen to God’s voice in their lives.
- Realize that children are able to be fully present with silence, and recognize that
"Alone Time" is a need, not a luxury.
- Model your comfortableness by your own silent, reflective time.
- Provide quiet spots in your home that are away from action and noise.
- Don’t feel you always have to talk when you are with your children.
- Teach children how their body feels different when they are tense and when they are
settled. Have them consciously tense their muscles, their jaw, and their fists. Then have
them relax the muscles and feel the difference.
- Teach your children self-calming skills and simple relaxation techniques to help them
soothe themselves.
- Ground your children in the practice of prayer, faith rituals, and worship.
Meal-A-Month for August
- School Supplies
- Pencils / Pens
- Erasers / Rulers
- Notebooks / Paper
- Crayons / etc.
Classes Set For Crossways,
New offerings for two separate adult education classes are scheduled to begin in
September.
See Through the Scriptures, a 4-session introductory course designed to
provide an overview of the entire Bible, will be offered each Thursday evening in
September, beginning Sept. 6. Dr. Eunice Myers is the instructor.
This short course is ideal for those who want to refresh their acquaintance with
Biblical characters and concepts but who are unable to commit to a longer course of study.
Cost of See Through the Scriptures is $15, which covers the expense of study
materials.
A more in-depth Bible study is found in The Crossways Series, a 2-year
course that is divided into 6 "semesters." One semester, covering the time from
Creation through the Wilderness Wanderings, was offered this spring.
The second semester of Crossways will begin Sept. 10 and continue each Monday
evening through Nov. 19. Cost per student is $10. Crossways Instructors are Deaconess
Doreen, Dallas Cronk, and Lynn Schriever.
Israel ends its wilderness wanderings as the semester begins. During the new semester,
study will focus on the Judges, the Kings (Saul, David and Solomon), the Divided Kingdom,
and ultimately the Babylonian Exile.
Although it is helpful for students to complete these Crossways "semesters"
in sequence, it is not absolutely necessary. Interested students should feel free to
register for Crossways II even if they have not completed Crossways I.
Advance registration is required for both See Through the Scriptures and Crossways
II. Registration forms will be available in the narthex during August, or contact
Deaconess Doreen.
Dates to Put on Your Calendar
- Sept. 7 LOGOS Parents’ Meeting
- Sept. 8 Reformation’s day to staff the ELCA Fair Booth at the Kansas State Fair in
Hutchinson
- Sept 8 LOGOS staff training workshop
- Sept. 9 Kick-off for Sunday School and fall programming with potluck dinner with
installation of teachers
- Sept. 10 Crossways, Unit 2 begins first of 10 sessions
- Sept. 12 LOGOS Parents’ Meeting
- Sept. 13 1st Communion instruction for 5th graders (class 1 of 4 on Thursdays)
- Sept. 15 3rd Grade Bible Workshop
- Sept. 16 Middle School Kick-Off Activity
- Sept. 19 Confirmation Dinner &Commissioning for 7th & 8th graders and their
families
- Sept. 26 LOGOS staff planning
- Oct. 3 Logos & Confirmation begins
- Oct. 6 H.S. Youth Annual Garage Sale
- Oct. 7 Fall Festival and Oaks Sunday
- Oct. 13 Bishop Mansholt’s installation at Atonement Lutheran in Overland Park
- Oct. 14 First Communion for 5th Graders
- Oct. 20 & 27 First Communion instruction for all ages
- Oct. 28 Reformation Sunday with First Communion
Reformation’s Mortgage with Lutheran Brotherhood
Principal Balance
December 31, 2000 $1,104,047.
June 30, 2001 $ 811,476.
Quilt Auction
Camp Tomah Shinga is planning their First Annual Quilt Auction to be held on Saturday, August
4, at the camp, which is located near Junction City, KS. Over 50 quilts of various
sizes and styles will be on display beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Silent and Live Auction
will begin at 10:00 a.m. All proceeds will benefit the camp’s outdoor ministry. Door
prizes will be given throughout the day, and a concession-style lunch will be served by
Remedy, Inc. Face painting and free swimming for children of all ages, and much more. For
more information, phone (785) 238-3654, or e-mail.
Habitat for Humanity
Wichita Habitat for Humanity will have a Blitz August 13-25 to build four
houses. Lutheran Brotherhood Wichita Branch 8062 has designated Saturday, August 18,
as Lutheran Brotherhood Day. Volunteers are needed! You do not need to be a master
craftsman– there is plenty of work for everyone. Watch for additional information in
Sunday bulletins. Contact person is Marsha Meili, 687-2239.
Growing in Our Faith
A visit to Hatman Jack’s store near downtown Wichita is an eye-opener. Dozens of
hat styles perch on shelves and stands. There are Stetsons and Panamas, fedoras and
berets. For the ladies … cloches and pillboxes and garden party frou-frou with satin
ribbons and tulle. Hats for golf, hats for fishing, hats for hiking. Try a couple on. Look
in the mirror. Maybe you’ll find one that’s a perfect reflection of you.
We also try to find the ONE hat that fits God, the one that is a perfect reflection of
the Almighty. (Refer to illustration to the left)
Which one looks best on God? Is he The Graduate (1) who knows everything, or maybe The
Policeman (2), who’s out to catch us sinners. Do we see him as The Puritan (7), who
expects us to work hard and forego pleasure?
God might look good in The Chef’s hat (3). After all, he does supply our daily
bread.
Sometimes we think of God as Santa Claus (4) or The Magician (5), who exists to provide
us with gifts and miracles. Sometimes we expect God to appear as The Healer (8), whose
mandate is to cure our ills.
The King’s hat (6) is very becoming to God, who is the real king of the universe.
In fact, each of these hats does, in some way, reflect an element of the divine
personality. But no ONE of them is a perfect reflection of God. God is in all this,
but God is so much more.
God is love. It is God’s love for his creation that ties his many attributes
together into an all-embracing whole.
Trying to put a hat on God? How about this one? It’s a crown of thorns.
From Crossways International
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Swiss Family Reformation, VBS, was a great success. We had
between 45 and 55 children each night. We learned that God watches over us; God provides
for us; God wants us to share his love; and God saves us through Jesus the Christ.
We thank God for all the people who helped make VBS a success. We
apologize if anyone was inadvertently left out.
Co-Directors: David Dibble and Victoria Morgan
Music: Amy Keith
Set Design: Gene Bowers and Keith Martin
Registration Kimberly Lindemann and Art & Pauline
Latham
Snacks: Kimberly Byers, Carol List, Pat Johnson, Faith
Tucker, Allisa Ellingson, and Suzanne Dwyer
Crafts: Ken Hobart & Marcia Werts, Susie Kaufman, and
Laurenbrook Ellingson
Games: Holly Coleman, Mary Ward-Pfeiffer, Kelly &
Brenda Laflin, Sara Muse, Scott Yeskie, and Bryce Pfeiffer
Preschool: Robin Folkerts, Carole Lofing, Juanita Freed,
Dolores Hoyle, and Amber Kershaw
Tribe Leaders: Emily Johnson, Caroline Johnson, Amanda
Applegate, Mitchell List, and Sara Koepsel
Lesson Leaders: Al & Tanya Flores, Kate Johnson, and
Nathan Johnson
Puppets: Geoff Pool and Sarah Schmidt
Other Support: Kara Uplinger, Andy Johnson, Adam Watkins,
Aaron Watkins, Lauren Lofing, Suzi Meyer, Hillary Pfeiffer, Sheena Morris, Korea
Henderson, Marla Schmale, the Brandes family, Pastor Sally Fahrenthold, Pastor Jerry
Mansholt, Deaconess Doreen, and Carole Lyons, who cleaned up after us each day!
Food Donations: Susan Pool, Donna Moyer, Pauline Latham,
Reola Lerager, Pat Johnson, Sheryl Johnson, Mary Ward-Pfeiffer, Denise Peer, Joanne
Applegate, Susan Bachman, Beth Shafer, Al Flores, Angela Davis, Mary Brittain, Kate
Johnson, Brenda Laflin, Allisa Ellingson, and Kimberly Byers
Rally Day
Rally Day for Sunday School 2001-2002 will be Sunday, September 9, and it
will be here before we know it!
This year we are planning an extra-special celebration that will include both church
services and a potluck picnic, in addition to the Sunday School Hour Kickoff, 9:45-10:45
a.m.
We are still in need of a few teachers and helpers. Prayerfully consider if you are being
called by God to serve in this ministry. If you have questions, contact Kimberly Byers,
612-1012, or Deaconess Doreen.
