The Reformation Talent Show, held on June 6, was an
enjoyable event. We began with a wonderful potluck meal where many cooks
shared their talents. Then we moved on to the entertainment provided by
Amy Yeskie; Kara Smith; Matthew Hobart; Jeanne Tiller and her
grandchildren, Cora, Lily & Nathan Burgoyne and Kathryn & George Bunting;
Shirley Anderson and Virginia Leikvold; Paul & Glennyce Reimers; Eugenia
Yau; Pastor Tom, Marlene & Erin Hallstrom; and the Handbell Choir with
Janice Yeskie and Linda Brown. Thank you to everyone who helped with
preparation, food and entertainment!
Marlene Hallstrom
Nursery Committee Needed
Time for a change. Jane Camenzind is stepping down as
Nursery Coordinator. In her absence we are needing some help. We would
like to form a Nursery Committee so that no one person is responsible for
it all. This committee of four or five would update the bulletin boards in
the nursery as the seasons change; monitor and restock the diapers, lotion
and other nursery supplies; maintain and restock the “Busy Packets”; and
incorporate the Infant & Toddler Ministry. The hiring and coordinating of
the nursery attendant will be taken care of by Michon. If you have a
calling for this type of ministry, contact Jane Camenzind, 685-6154, or
Michon in the church office, 634-0586.
The Parish Record
APRIL - JUNE
BAPTISMS
- Brock Louis Stupka, April 10
- Ryan Cooper Troub, May 30
TRANSFERS
- Steven Keith to Church of the Magdalen, Wichita
- Jody & Tammy Birkholz, Brandon, Ashley, Bailey and Michaela to Risen
Savior, Wichita
- Kory & Karen Wilson, Kaden to Peace Lutheran, Andover
WEDDING
- Howard Smith & Peggy Martin, June 26
Heartland SHARE
The Heartland SHARE sign-up deadline for July is
Monday, July 12. The distribution will be Sat., July 24 from 9 to 10 a.m.
Come early and join us for coffee and cookies at 8:30 a.m. Watch the
bulletin board in the Parish Hall for the menu and other updates. You can
also go online for more information: www.heartlandshare.com
Garage Sale
As you begin sorting through your stuff this summer,
please remember that we have our
“Annual Garage Sale” scheduled for Sept.30 through Oct.
2. This is the major activity we do each year to raise funds for the
National Youth Gathering. The next national gathering will be July 2006 in
San Antonio, Texas.
Women of Reformation
CIRCLE MEETINGS
- Sarah, Will not meet this month
- Dorcas,
Wed., July 21, 1:00 p.m. at the home of
Janice Barr, 6950 Kentford Circle, Lesson Leader: Ruth Koepsel
- WELCA Board
will meet Monday, July 5, 1:00 p.m. at the
church.
- Blanket Makers
will meet Monday, July 5 & 19 at 9:00 a.m. at
the church.
- Monthly Outreach Ministry
: We will visit at Cornerstone
Assisted Living on July 13, at 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. All women of
our church are invited to join in fellowship with their residents.
- Women’s Night Out
will meet at Margarita’s Cantina, 3109 E.
Douglas, July 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Community Ministries
Local Community
Yellow Bag Food Ministry – The “Food of the
Month” for July is canned vegetables. Thank you for all the
cans and cases of tuna last month! All other non-perishable food donations
are always welcome, too.
Habitat for Humanity – A “Lutheran Build”
home will be part of a Habitat “Blitz Build” in September with
completion by October 2. A $20,000 Thrivent grant has been awarded
for this home. It will be our challenge, along with all the other
Lutheran congregations in Wichita, to match that $20,000. Watch for
more information.
Volunteers will also be needed. Anyone 16 years of age
and over can volunteer. All levels of skill, experienced or inexperienced,
will be needed. Using volunteers and partnerships with local businesses, a
house can be built for only $55,000.
Habitat homeowners mortgage payments, including
principal, taxes and insurance, average $325 each month. The homes built
by Wichita Habitat for Humanity through 2003 have given stability
to hundreds of children who can now attend the same school, year after
year! Plan to join in making this “Lutheran Build” a reality. Sign
up will be available in late July and August.
Faith in Action – Reformation is a
partner congregation in this program to help the elderly and disabled
of Wichita remain in their homes. The Faith in Action Program
Director trains volunteers and matches them with clients for services. The
types of service that may be needed include: preparing a meal, writing a
letter or reading a book, providing a ride to a doctor’s office or to get
groceries, doing minor house repairs, picking up a prescription, just
being a friend, etc.
Volunteers are also needed to provide family support to
give a caregiver a break. If you would like to volunteer, are in need of
services, or just have questions, Rich Hanley, Program Director, can be
reached at 264-9303.
Global Community
Fair Trade Coffee – We hope you are enjoying the
Fair Trade coffee on Sunday mornings. We are trying some different
coffee blends this month from other parts of the world. Let us know which
ones you prefer. In June coffee was available for sale to the
congregation. We will try some different ways to do this in the months
ahead. Please take a look at the information on the kiosk in the narthex
for information about what our purchase of Fair Trade coffee means for the
growers. In the future we will make available for purchase, hot chocolate
and tea, as well as coffee.
Yellow Bag Food Ministry for July: CANNED VEGETABLES
Michele Groves
Community Outreach Coordinator
634-0553
Confirmation Camp
Confirmation Camp is July 18 - 23. We will leave from
Reformation at 12:30 p.m. Please make sure the students have had lunch. We
will be returning at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Camp
Tomah Shinga should be sending a camp supplies list in the mail shortly.
If you have any questions please contact Michon in the church office at
634-0586.
Vacation Bible School
Reformation’s Vacation Bible School is July 11-15, from
6 – 8 p.m. Children who are 3 years old by September 1, 2004 through those
just completing the 5th grade are invited to attend. This year our theme
will be Davey and Goliath’s Camp Creation. At Camp Creation, kids
celebrate the gospel by learning from Jesus how to care for everything in
God’s world. Let’s go camping with Davey and Goliath where you will enjoy
cool crafts, crazy comedy sketches, wild games, exploratory experiments
and real “down to earth” camp food.
If your child is planning to attend please fill out a
registration form and include the $5.00 fee. Please return the form and
payment to the church office by Monday July 5. Forms are available at the
Youth Activities table or in the church office. If you have any questions
please call Katie Johnson at 644-4895 or Michon at 634-0586.
Youth Activities for July and August
High School:
- July 24 – Heartland SHARE distribution, 8:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
- July 25 – Swimming at the Ryding’s 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Aug. 12 – Paint the High school room 6:00 p.m.
Middle School:
- July 11 – Swimming at the Ryding’s 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- July 18-23 – Confirmation Camp at Camp Tomah Shinga
- Aug. 28 – Heartland SHARE distribution 8:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
- Fellowship in Aug. – Date & place to be determined.
First Communion Class
We are offering another First Communion Class on
Saturday, August 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. We provide the class not only for
those children who want to begin receiving Holy Communion, but also to
help parents and children, with the input of Pastor Tom, discern readiness
for the sacrament. In accordance with the policy on Holy Communion adopted
by this congregation in the summer of 2001, the class is open to children
of all ages and their parents, as well as any older youth or adult who do
not currently receive Communion. Please call the church office by August 9
to let us know how many from your family will be attending. First Holy
Communion will be received on Sunday, August 22.
New Structure Introduced For Mission Effectiveness
A new organizational structure composed of six Boards will begin work
this Fall to carry out the mission goals of Reformation Church.
The Boards have been created to correspond with the six primary functional
responsibilities of every congregation -- Worship, Learning, Witness,
Service, Stewardship, and Fellowship.
Each Board will have oversight responsibility for a wide range of
ministries. Each will have authority to establish sub-committees and task
forces as needed to achieve their goals.
A seventh area, Administration, will not be represented by an oversight
Board. Oversight responsibility for Administration will lie directly with
Church Council and, more specifically, with the Executive Committee.
People who have been around Reformation for a while may be asking why
we are going back to a committee-type structure, considering all the
discussion we had 5 or 6 years ago about the value of a “team approach.”
The answer, according to the Transition Team appointed to study
reorganization, is that the team approach has proved excessively
dependent on staff. Conditions have changed. We don’t have as many
staff members – paid or volunteer – as was visualized when the team
concept was introduced. In fact, the staff is smaller now than it was
then. In addition, there seemed to be a need for greater functional
relationship between ministries assigned to each supervisory entity. The
combined effect of these factors has been a reduction in the number and
effectiveness of active ministries within the congregation.
“Too many things have been falling between the cracks,” according to
Dallas Cronk, Transition Team Chair. “We hope that involving more people
more directly in ministry will seal those cracks and enhance our
effectiveness in mission.”
Six members will be called to serve on each Board, and a Council member
will also be appointed to serve on each. Staff will serve in an advisory
capacity.
The six Boards will meet for the first time on Thursday, September 9
for orientation. After that, they will meet regularly on the 1st Thursday
evening of each month.
During July, the Transition Team will be sending letters of call to
some members of the congregation. “It is our hope,” said Pastor Hallstrom,
“that those who are called to service as Board members will consider the
call prayerfully, with vigor and enthusiasm.”
Members of the Transition Team are Dallas Cronk (chair), Pastor
Hallstrom, Greg Keith, Michele Groves, and Sondra Langel.
More Good News
In last month’s newsletter, Lotus Gerards and Dottie
Caplan reported on the success of the RRR plan to reduce the mortgage on
our church home to $278,614. This month the news got even better! Because
so many members honored their pledges and also because of a large bequest,
we can now report that the mortgage at the end of June will be even more
significantly reduced as the campaign closes.
This good news enables us to take an important step in
stewardship of our most valuable asset – our church building and its
surroundings.
On July 11, there will be congregation meeting
immediately following the worship service. The Church Council asks you to
attend and to approve an important major repair and renovation project.
Like our own homes, our church home must be properly maintained to ensure
its ongoing viability and to maintain the already significant investment
that has been made. We plan to tackle five important items:
Repave the parking lot and driveways to repair dangerous potholes
and uneven surfaces.
Repair multiple serious leaks in the roof. Leaks have caused
exterior and interior damage and have the potential to cause more.
Repair and renovate interior and exterior surfaces damaged by water
leaks or by general usage.
Add windows to classroom doors (in line with our "Safe Haven" policy
for children.)
Complete a number of small, but important routine maintenance jobs
including painting, planting, sealing and other normal repairs.
We estimate the total repair package will cost between
$75,000 and $125,000, depending on the success of roof repair strategies -
we have multiple problems and will need to employ several different
solutions.
The commitment of the congregation to reduce our
mortgage makes it possible for us to properly maintain our significant
investment in our church building while actually reducing our monthly
payment.
Please look in the Narthex for a fact sheet describing
the repair and renovation project in greater detail. If you have questions
or suggestions you are encouraged to contact Sondra Langel, treasurer, or
any member of the Council or finance committee.
Finance Committee: Sondra Langel, Carl Nelson, Scott
Fraizer, Jeff Larma, Marj Bender, Greg Keith and Pr. Tom Hallstrom..
Last update
August 03, 2008
