first lutheran church first lutheran church · 2019/05/04 · june/july newsletter will be may...
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408 Ninth Street NW
Mandan, ND 58554
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH
Phone: 701-663-3594
Fax: 701-663-6217
E-mail: [email protected]
Building Faith and
Transforming Lives
in Christ.
ADDRESS LABEL
www.firstlutheranofmandan.org
We’re on the web!
Council E-mail:
May 2019
Associate Pastor
Rev. Christina Martin
663-3594
Parish Administrator
Jackie Schulz
663-3594
Sunday School Ministry
Coordinator
Kama Hoovestol
663-3594
Custodians
Ron & Mavis Watson
Financial Administration
Jennifer Scheet
First Lutheran Is A Mission
Partner with Camp of the
Cross Ministries
First Lutheran
Staff
First Lutheran Church
May Newsletter
PAGE 2 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH May 2019
Attention Senior Parents: We mailed a letter out to you on April
15th regarding the Senior Recognition Service that will be held on
Sunday, May 19th at the 10:45 A.M. service. Seniors will also need to
have your picture sent to the church before 5:00 P.M. on Friday, the
10th of May.
Please send the picture to [email protected].
We want to THANK everyone who has helped us with LAF (Lunch at
First) this school year. We have fed approximately 300-400 kids every
Thursday! This ministry is such an important part of our church, and
we are grateful to everyone who has helped us keep it going. We would
love to have you come check out this awesome event here at First
Lutheran. Come down any Thursday and join us!
A huge THANK YOU to all of our Church School teachers
and Confirmation leaders who gave of their time and
talents this year to bring the Gospel of our Lord to our
children of First Lutheran! You are a blessing to us all!
Pastor Christina
Kyushu Jogakuin. Recently, I received a request for information about a
graduate of our school from the 1940’s. It gave me the opportunity to dig into
the records of this school. Kyushu Jogakuin was founded by Martha Akard, a
missionary from South Carolina, in 1926. She continued as the principal of
the school until WWII broke out, when the staff and she decided it would be
safer for the school if she step down. She left the country during the end of the war, but
quickly returned for another 10 years until her retirement in 1955. In 2001, when I came to
Kumamoto, boys began to attend the school. The name Kyushu (the island we are on)
Jogakuin (private girls school) was retired and the name Luther was taken. In these 90 years,
the high school has been joined by a junior high school, a 4-year college and a kindergarten/
day care center (where Jun and Haru now attend). The pictures that I scanned and sent to
the person looking for information about his mother who finished at the school in 1944 are
now on my computer desktop and inspire me daily to work for the good of this school and these
students. Picture right, taken from the 70th anniversary publication: “All the students are
bowing deeply to the Emperor’s picture and the Imperial Decree on Education. Our school
was one of the schools that suffered severely under military training.” Martha Akard,
missionary from SC, is standing in the front of the chapel that our students
worship in every morning. Picture left: “In 1943, the graduates’ memorial
picture in `monpe` (wartime fashion)… Fifty-two out of fifty-four new graduates
were forced to serve as Girls’ Labor Service Group in the airplane industries.”
We continue to work for and pray for peace on this island and this continent.
May students never have to suffer the pain and difficulties that their smiles
must be hiding in this war-time picture.
Please pray for:
Erica, Jordan and Spencer who will begin teaching at Luther Gakuin when classes begin
on April 15th.
Erin who will begin teaching at our sister-school, Kyushu Gakuin.
Those who continue to have flash-backs, even after three years, to the Kumamoto
earthquake, April 14, 2016.
Peace in the region of Asia and around the world.
Christ’s Peace & Prayers,
Katie S. Narum Miyamoto
New Worship Time Starting in June...
For June, July & August our worship times will be Sunday’s at
9:30 A.M. & Wednesday’s at 6:00 P.M. We will not have coffee
hour during the summer months on Sundays.
NOTE: We will also have only one service on Sunday,
May 26th at 9:30 A.M.
April, 2019
Greetings from Kumamoto. The cherry blossoms were a little early this year and we have
enjoyed their beauty to its fullest. Now we start the school year and fiscal year (April 1) with
renewed vigor and excitement!
Thank you, Koizumi-sensei. On March 24th, the congregation of Kengun
Lutheran Church (where I am assigned) said goodbye to Pastor Koizumi and his
wife, Megumi. The JELC pastors are usually moved every 6-7 years with
assignments being given by “Tokyo.” However, Koizumi-sensei was allowed to
stay with us for 15 years! His children, Fu and Kai, grew up in Kumamoto and
attended Luther Gakuin’s sister school in Kumamoto, Kyushu Gakuin. They have
both been amazing to watch! Fu is finished with grad school from a prestigious
Christian college in Kyoto and headed to Canada. She is a representative from Japan to LWF
and was also selected as the youth representative from the Asia region. Kai is just finished
with high school and is headed to a Christian university as well. During his “gap year” (only a
few months in Japan) he took a trip to India with the JELA mission group to make prosthetics
for those who have lost limbs in land-mines and other reasons. (Picture top right with children
from the orphanage in the area.)
Koizumi-sensei has been a crucial part to the out-reach of Kengun
Lutheran Church and has been a joy to work with for the last 15 years.
He will be sorely missed in Kumamoto, but he will be a blessing to the
congregation he will begin working with in Hokkaido. (Picture left:
Pastor Koizumi on his last day, taking a momento picture immediately
after worship at Kengun.) (Picture right: the new picture collage of all
the pastors who have served God at Kengun Lutheran Church, including the
missionary from South Carolina who started the congregation approximately 80 years ago, a
blind pastor who started the ministry which continues today to the blind, and most recently
Koizumi Motoi.)
(Continued on next page)
PAGE 10 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MAY 2019
Mark Your
Calendar…
2nd: LAF - Hot Dogs
9th: LAF - Chef's Choice
16th: LAF - Grilled Hot
Dogs (Served outside ~
weather permitting)
Special thank you to the
Dakota Community
Bank and Trust for
providing, preparing &
serving the LAF meal on
May 16th!
Upcoming Events
Join us at the Mandan Depot!
The youth will be serving at the
Mandan Depot on May 4th from 4 P.M.
to 10 P.M. Mandan Depot serves a
variety of German food, and has a fun
atmosphere. So come and enjoy some
good food served by your favorite
youth.
Happy Mother’s
Day to all the
women of our
congregation!
We Need Your Hospitality!!!
We are looking for places for Camp of the Cross staff to stay. You would provide them with a place to sleep and breakfast. I am hoping to get at least two homes. The dates are June 3rd-7th.
Sunday night through Thursday for lodging.
I am looking for four different families to provide Camp of the Cross counselors dinner. You would sign up for one night's dinner during the week. It could be a home cooked meal, a crock pot meal at church, or you can take them to eat at your favorite local place.
The meals would be for Monday through Thursday.
Please contact Pastor Chris if you have questions or are interested.
Join us for Vacation Bible
School!
Come and join us for a week of fun!
Counselors from Camp of the Cross
Ministries will be here to help us learn
and grow in Christ.
All K–6th graders are invited to join us
Monday, June 3rd through Thursday,
June 6th from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM and
Friday, June 7th from 8:00 AM - Noon.
The cost is ONLY $10 per child.
Register online at
https://firstlutheranofmandan.org/registration-form/
PAGE 4 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MAY 2019
Sunday ~
8:30 am ~ Traditional
10:45 am ~ Contemporary
9:30 am ~ Coffee
PLEASE NOTE: We will have only one
service on Sunday, May 26th at 9:30 A.M.
Wednesday ~
6:00 pm ~ Transitional
Worship Schedule
Special Thanks
Thank you to all the greeters, ushers, communion servers,
readers, communion set-up, coffee hour workers, and to all
who have supplied goodies for the last month. Your help is
greatly appreciated!
Baptisms:
April 7 Roman Edward Jerald Rietz
April 12 Charley Jo Fink
April 14 Axel Jon Ohman
Funerals:
March 29 Cheryl Lundstrom
April 20 John Hermanson
April 23 Lester Toman
April 26 Raymond Bliese
Memorial Fund
Pastoral Acts
In memory of Cheryl Lundstrom given by National
Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), Mark & Barb
Evanger.
In memory of Pete Peterson given by Rebecca Peterson,
Neil & Jan Effertz. (For LAF)
Deadline for
articles for the
June/July
Newsletter will be
May 22nd.
May ~ Mission of the Month
Camp of the Cross Ministries
Items needed are Food, Crafts, Paper Goods, Office
Supplies, & Miscellaneous Items. You may put
your items in the boxes in the Narthex. Thanks!
PAGE 9 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MAY 2019
PAGE 8 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MAY 2019 MAY 2019 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH PAGE 5
First Lutheran Church Council Minutes
Date: March 21, 2019
Members Present: Pastor Christina Martin, President Kevin Fishbeck, Vice President Wayne
Friesz, Secretary Jeff Bradford, Mike Hatzenbuhler, Ron Webb, Cody Miller (Non-Voting), Jen
Scheet (Non-Voting)
Members Absent: Pastor Lee Herberg, Carol Nitschke, Tony Michlitsch
Devotions presented by Pastor Christina Martin
Call Process Conversation - Bishop Mark Narum and Deacon Beth Anderson from the
Western North Dakota Synod Office are our guests this evening.
The Bishop and Deacon Anderson laid out a path for the church to transition as Pastor Lee
retires. Call Committee formation has begun by taking names of interested parties. Other
details will develop in the next month.
Approval of the Agenda:
Moved: Ron Webb
Seconded: Wayne Friesz
Motion Passed
Approval of Secretary’s Minutes:
Moved: Jeff Bradford
Seconded: Mike Hatzenbuhler
Motion Passed
Financial Report:
Given by Jen Scheet, Financial Manager
Income for February 2019: $27,913
Expenditures for February 2019: $39,431
Cash on Hand: $132,333,87
Building Fund: $33,568.60
It was agreed upon that moving forward, Cash on hand would be reported with a breakout by
account. It was also agreed upon that it was not necessary to open a new checking account for
the building fund as the extra work to split deposits from offerings outweigh the benefits.
Unfinished Business:
Ceiling fans in Sanctuary…middle one has failed: Wayne will contact Lillis Electric
about replacement.
Education/Youth Support Staff Position: Kama Hoovestol has agreed to terms for
employment and has continued her work with the Sunday School.
Leadership for Faithful Innovation: No Updates
Sanctuary Choir Director/ Contemporary Worship Coordinator positions: No
update besides Kathy Brandvold and Cathy Long have received extra compensation for all of
the extra hours that they have been contributing to the music program. The council is very
grateful for their help.
There will be a special congregational meeting this Sunday at 9:30A.M. in the
Sanctuary for the purpose of electing Mike Held and Cody Miller to church
council. We will need 50 people in order to have a quorum: No discussion
New Business:
The regularly scheduled meeting for church council is the 3rd Thursday of the
month. In April, the meeting date will fall on Maundy Thursday. What date do
you want to meet in April? The meeting will have to be later than the 12th of the
month in order for Jennifer Scheet to have the financials prepared: The next
council meeting will be on Monday April 22 at 7:00pm.
Reports
Pastor Lee: 1 Baptism, No Weddings, 1 Funeral. Presided at communion services at Sunset
Drive and Miller Pointe – Prospera on Wednesday March 13. Met with Bishop Mark Narum
on March 15 to submit application for retirement which he needs to sign and submit to the
ELCA.
Pastor Chris: No Baptisms, No Weddings, No Funerals. Had a Leadership for Faithful
Innovation Zoom meeting. Rostered Leaders Lunch for Missouri Slope. Participation in
Bismarck-Mandan Pastor Exchange for Lent
Stewardship: No report
Worship: No report
Parish Education / Youth: 29 5th graders are preparing for First Communion. Kama is
organizing that the youth sing at the 8:30 and at the 10:45 services on Palm Sunday. This
year, there will be Palm Crosses for the youth in addition to Palm Fronds. Youth will be
serving a fundraiser at Station West all day on March 30.
Evangelism and Outreach: LAF is going well. Last one will be May 9. Dakota
Community Bank will serve the one on May 16.
Property and Management: Wayne is working on a solution for the water issues on the
roof. If elected to the council, Cody Miller volunteered to be a part of this committee.
Correspondence:
Golden Age Service: Thank you for $90.80 to Home Delivered Meals Program
Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center Foundation: Thank you for $153.23 to the M-
Club
Motion to Adjourn:
Moved: Ron Webb
Seconded: Wayne Friesz
Motion Passed
Closed with the Lord’s Prayer
PAGE 6 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MAY 2019 How will you pass on your Lutheran Legacy?
Just as we plan to ensure financial health for our families, we must plan for the health of our “faith families.” Your planned gift to our Endowment Fund at First Lutheran Church will provide financial support for generations to come. It’s a wonderful way to steward your finances and pass along your faith and love for First Lutheran Church. You have a wonderful Lutheran Legacy - Pass in On! To learn more about the advantages of making a planned gift to The First Lutheran Mission Endowment Fund for the benefit of our church, please contact Kristi Entzi (400-6900), Michelle Radke (400-9687), Heather Heinle (226-4956), Terry Bohn (471-7725), or Dave Anderson (400-5081) or call the church office for more information on how you can contribute (663-3594).
As the month of April comes to an end, First Lutheran of Mandan will be going through some staff changes. First and foremost, I invite all of you to celebrate with us April 28th after the 11:45 service. As Pastor Lee Herberg has decided to retire, we will be thanking him for his years of service at First Lutheran and the ministry he has provided for us. I use the word “Celebrate” as we will continue to thank God that Pastor Lee gifted all of us with his presence when he answered the call to First Lutheran. Pastor Lee and his daughter Mikaela have become not only members of our church but our community as well. Their gifts went beyond the walls of the church. You are welcome to bring a dish to pass as council will be providing pulled pork sandwiches.
Pastor Eugene Anderson has been appointed as Interim Pastor at First Lutheran and will begin his ministry May 1st. Pastor Anderson has been an Interim Pastor for many churches and he will help guide us through our call process for a new Administrative Pastor at First Lutheran. Pastor Chris will also continue her ministry with us and give us some stability as she now has some years of service at First Lutheran. Pastor Chris, along with Jackie, can help show Pastor Gene the ropes. Our congregation will be in good hands.
May God’s blessings fall upon our congregation.
Your council president,
Kevin Fishbeck