The early Christians have given us a great guide to follow in our journey through life. Acts 2:42 gives us four items to focus on…1) apostles’ teaching, 2) fellowship, 3) breaking of bread, and 4) prayers. The apostles’ teaching was not of their own making, it came from Christ’s words. The fellowship spoken of refers to being together with “like-minded” individuals. The breaking of bread is a two-fold reminder. First, sharing daily meals together and second, do not neglect to commune together at the Lord’s Supper. Finally, Luke emphasizes the importance of prayer. Remember, he begins verse 42 by telling us, “they devoted themselves to…” those four items. What does it mean to be “devoted” to something? My on-line dictionary states it is to “concentrate on a particular pursuit, purpose, or cause”. Another meaning says to “set apart, dedicate, consecrate”. These four items mentioned in Acts 2:42 are serious things, not to be taken lightly. Martin Luther did not take prayer lightly. He said about prayer, “Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart”. Luther prayed for hours. Some of that was his training as an Augustinian monk, but he also wanted to have a conversation with God, after learning God’s truth in the Bible. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. Luther prayed from the heart and felt God’s peace. How many times have you had a problem or concern, taken that concern to God in prayer, and then felt peace after you said “Amen”? That is what Christ wants for all of us. He says, Come to me, all that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest, (Matthew 11:28). Pray and rest easy in God’s peace.

TO GOD BE ALL GLORY!

Do You Believe in Prayer? 2

Psalm 66 2

Immanuel, Rolla comes alive again

3

Springfield Zone and Zion Ladies Aid Prairie City

4

A Day with Katie Luther and the St. 5-6

Giving Tuesday 7

National Convention Bus and Hotel Information

8-10

Inside this issue:

LUTHERAN WOMEN’S MISSIONARY LEAGUE MISSOURI DISTRICT

November 2016

Christie Steffens, LWML Missouri District President

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 2:42

Peace in Prayer

2

Friends, how many of you believe in Prayer? Did anyone raise their hand? (hehe) I must admit that me, a child born to Lutheran parents, baptized by two weeks, attended a Lutheran School, Confirmed at 8th grade, even married a Lutheran Pastor, doing the same bit with our 3 children, did not believe in prayer! Amazing! As some of you know, I am an architect, and I spend a good deal of time on my computer working on drawings, writing contracts, typing up meeting notes. As has probably happened to some of you, one day, my computer locked up. I was frantic! I was on a deadline. Of course, in my moment of panic, the phone rang, and it was my pesty Bible-totin’ sister-in-law (you know, the cheerful type)! “Hello.” “Hi Amee! How are you today?” “Awful!!! My computer locked up!” “O sorry! Did you pray about it?” “No!” (Really! What is God going to do about my computer!) Well it hit me – did I really think that? God can do anything, He hears all our prayers. So, playing it cool with my sister-in-law, we completed our cheerful little conversation. When I got off the phone, I prayed that the Lord would fix my computer. Immediately, we’ll almost immediately, I felt relief. I felt REALLY happy when ten minutes later, my computer started working again – Thank you, Lord! You can believe it, I was a reformed pray-er! I now pray for everything - my lost keys, a missing drawing, my missing phone, my glasses . . . you know what I mean. Sometimes I start looking for something and before I have a chance to pray, I find it! I’m amazed and immediately thank the Lord, even though I didn’t pray about it first. Now, I don’t always find things right away, and sometimes I don’t find these things at all. But now, I try to pray for the Lord’s help first, because I know He can help me even with the little things. Really, He is everything in this messed up world. I struggle with stuff, and I’ve tried to fill my Facebook “likes” with people and groups that post verses and words of encouragement. One of my favorite pray-ers is Corrie Ten Boom. If you don’t know about Corrie Ten Boom, look her up, you’ll be glad you did. Recently, someone posted one of her sayings, “Look outward and be distressed. Look inward and be depressed. Look upward and be at peace.” This is wonderful. Our Lord meets all our needs, when our only need is Him. May the Lord continue to bless you and may you believe in prayer and most especially, believe in Him who has done it all for us . . . even fixes our computers. Thanks for everything, God! I love you! Amee Boettcher Vice President of Gospel Outreach

When I attempted to speak with a live person

at TurboTax, I actually “spoke” with a robot

instead—at least for a while, until “it” gleaned

enough of my personal information to deem

me worthy of being put through to a real, live

person. As I tried to speak with the president

of a local college, I discovered that I needed to

go through at least two different screening

people before I could actually get “the

president.” Historically, when I have phoned

my doctor’s office, I have normally waited a

while on hold (listening to music) before I

could get a live person there, too.

Our Lord Most High, the God of Glory, the

Mighty One spoke the cosmos into

existence! He created the Earth, created each

of us, and even knows the number of hairs on

each person’s head! He knows each of the

7,000,000,000+ (seven billion plus) people on

Earth intimately. He loves each one of us and

wants each of us to worship Him and maintain

constant communication with Him. That is A

LOT of communication!

How mind-boggling is it, then, that the Creator

of the Universe is ALWAYS AVAILABLE to each

of us? We don’t get a busy signal, we don’t get

put on hold, nor do we have to be screened by

anyone in order to speak directly to God

himself! We simply pray—and instantly a

direct line of communication with Our Father in

Heaven begins!

Your Sister in Faith,

Psalm 66 19 but God has surely listened

and has heard my prayer. 20 Praise be to God,

who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

November 2016

3

The year 2011 was sad for the members of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rolla, Missouri. The two ladies'

organizations of the church discontinued their meetings. Although in-house service functions of the

organizations continued, mission out-reach projects ceased. Three years passed before the Holy Spirit

answered the prayers of the church with movement toward the resurrection of hands-on mission projects

by the ladies of Immanuel. A nucleus of ladies devised a plan to witness to our community and world.

They proposed local projects to include the Back Pack Program for needy students in the school district,

health and beauty products and bedding for mothers and children seeking refuge from abusive partners,

crib quilts for infants enrolled in the church's day care program, and marking Bibles with the salvation story

for Prison Ministry in area correctional centers. They proposed international projects to include quilts for

Lutheran World Relief and pillow case dresses for Little Dresses for Africa.

Through the prayers, dedication, and commitment of countless men, ladies and children of Immanuel, these

proposed projects came to fruition: 100 quilts were donated to Lutheran World Relief, 122 pillow case

dresses were completed, 38 crib quilts were donated to the day care program, 84 Bibles were donated to

the chaplains of local Correctional Centers and 611 back packs were donated to the local back pack

program during the last year.

To God be the glory!

Immanuel Lutheran Church Rolla, Missouri November 2016

4

The ladies of Zion Lutheran Ladies Aid in Prairie City:

Support a college student

Collect postage stamps for LWML mites

Make contributions to Lutheran Bible Translators

Give Prayer Books to the Confirmands of the congregation

Collect coupons for the students at Concordia Seminary St. Louis Food Bank

Visit the congregation’s elderly and shut-in (they especially love to hear Christmas memories from the elderly!)

Correspond with Zion Lutheran School (K-8) student Pen Pals, receiving fun cards from them which show how many different things they can do and what they have learned.

Visit with their student Pen Pals at lunch

Give Birthday and Christmas gifts to their student Pen Pals

The Springfield Zone held their Fall Rally at Hope Lutheran in Republic, MO on Saturday, October 22nd. This

was a great Rally, and much business was brought before the assembly and conducted. The best part of the

day was our Zone Service Project.

For many years, the Springfield Zone rented a booth at the Ozark Empire Fair, spreading the good news of

God’s Love and Grace, along with lamb pins, bracelets, trinkets, and Bible giveaways. This year, the cost of the

booth increased beyond what the membership donates to the cause. It’s also gotten harder every year to

staff the booth from 9 am to 10 pm for ten days in a row.

The Springfield Zone always used to hold a Zone Service Project at our Fall Saturday Rally, but in recent years,

the practice had fallen away. Everyone was terribly excited this year to have a Service Project planned. Kathy

Merritt and her husband Ron applied for Thrivent dollars. Next, Kathy and Laura Cooley went shopping at

JoAnn Fabrics armed with the knowledge of a great sale and a 25% off total

purchase coupon, where they bought fleece for 17 blankets to be made for

Lutheran World Relief. JoAnn Fabric was so

accommodating! The manager Kim told us ahead of time

about the sale, and

then she had her staff

cut all the fleece (34

pieces) to 80” lengths

for us, and arranged

for us to pick them up

later instead of

waiting.

Kathy and some other members pinned and pre-cut most of the blankets before the Rally. As

soon as the business meeting and lunch were over, the ladies rushed to tie blankets. Everyone

was able to participate, and they all did! They were all so happy to be able to do this project!

We were able to complete 14 of the blankets in about 2 hours. The remaining blankets were

tied a couple of days later, and then all were packed in boxes and mailed to LWR within days.

I heard so many times at the Rally and again since then how

much everyone enjoyed the project, and how happy they were

to have a Zone Service Project again. The Springfield Zone truly

has a huge Servant Heart!

~~Laura Cooley~~

Springfield Zone Fall Rally and Service Project

5

A $20 paid registration to the LWML St. Charles Zone Fall Retreat was actually a passport to a day in 16th century Wittenberg where participants spent a day in the castle, experienced life in Wittenberg, and heard from Katie Luther herself. The one-day trip began by women traveling from St. Charles and St. Louis counties in weather ranging from heavy rain to heavy snow. At the registration table, they received their name tags and passports for the day: for each activity they participated in they could add a Luther Rose seal made by Connie Gamache, member of the Retreat Committee. Then they crossed the constructed archway portal of the Holy Cross gym into the Great Room of Wittenberg Castle—home of Martin and Katharina Luther. Decorated by members of the Retreat Committee, the gym was transformed. Judie Woelfer created stained glass windows from both paper and cloth. An archway constructed over the gym doors was covered with grapevines. Candles flickered on round tables with white tablecloths surrounded by paper stone walls. A variety of breads and muffins, some from a German bakery, and coffee were offered as breakfast refreshment. Playing overhead on a video screen was a tour of the city of Wittenberg with English subtitles. Sprinkled on table were lists of German phrases for women to practice. The day started and ended with versions of the Morning and evening Prayer Services led by Pastor Jim Lang, zone counselor. These services were a nod to the convent lifestyle that Katie Luther grew up in—she would have been familiar with the chants and liturgies. In both services, the Lord’s Prayer was said in German and in English. In the morning, Christel Hundt read the German while women responded in English. Katharina von Bora was brought to life in a first-person narrative created and performed by Bonnie Matzat, a former English teacher and wife of a retired LCMS pastor. Katie (Bonnie) enthralled the audience with an account of the life of this woman who grew up in one convent, escaped from another, married an ex-monk with a price on his hear, raised children, and administered a hectic household amidst the social, political, and theological upheaval of the Reformation nearly 500 years ago. DCE Danielle Mizel invited women to visit prayer stations, set up in the lower level of the church, sanctuary, and Welcome Center, where they experienced prayer in different ways and through different actions. Food was prepared on-site with Marian Hoehner and Michelle Sliger as the chief chefs. Our guests enjoyed bratwurst boiled in beer, red cabbage, spaetzle, and rolls with apple butter made at a local Lutheran church. Dessert was a variation of Black Forest cake with cherries, brownie bits, and whipped cream served in footed cups with small silver spoons. Along with the coffee and water, homemade root beer made by Linda Ziolko (we couldn’t serve real beer!) was offered. Food was served on the church’s china (which hadn’t been used for quite a while). Women just loved the family-style service of the meal. Members of Holy Cross Grace Guild and four young teenagers helped bring hot dishes to the table and serve desserts. After lunch, another video journey to learn about the Wittenberg Project, the mission focus for the retreat. The old Latin School in Wittenberg has been refurbished by LCMS; it is being used as an educational center for foreign visitors, scholars, and the local German people who have lost touch with their Lutheran heritage. Irene Godbold, daughter of Christel Hundt, had visited Wittenberg just a few months prior, added her knowledge about the Wittenberg Project through slides taken on her trip.

Coloring thank you cards was the service project. Sparrow’s Nest, a shelter in St. Charles County for pregnant teenage girls, requested them so that the girls could write thank you notes to all the people who send them various donations. Katie Luther was no stranger to service projects, and adult coloring is currently very popular. The afternoon ended with Evening Prayer, closing with “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” accompanied by Michelle Sliger on the piano. Pastel goodie bags were filled with information about The Wittenberg Project, the Sparrow’s Nest, and the Reformation. Mint-filled tins labeled with the theme and date, laminated Luther’s Roses made by Holy Cross confirmands at their Confirmation retreat, and bubble-wrap prayer helpers would also be found in their bags as souvenirs of the day.

Top: Emily Williams, Caroline Sliger, and Ashleigh Williams show the bracelets they made at one of the prayer stations. The girls helped serve the meal by bringing dishes to the tables. Not shown is Margaret Sliger. Left & above: examples of prayer stations in the Welcome Center and lower level classrooms.

Time literally stopped for the event; the clock above the castle wall cloth backdrop, borrowed from Child of God, was frozen in time. The drinks table provided water, tea, and homemade root beer. Below left: DCE Danielle Mizel explains prayer stations set up in three areas of the building. Prayer stations allowed women contemplation time, to think about and do prayer in different ways.

LWML St. Charles Zone Fall Retreat at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, Missouri, on November 21, 2015 A Day with Katie Luther

6

At the registration table, Elma Jane Kramer and Connie Gamache greet women with their day’s passport and name tag. Signage written on scrolls by Sue Bredow showed women where prayer stations were located.

Top: The archway con-structed by Judie and Paul Woelfer welcomed women into the “castle”. Notice that the 95 Theses are hung on the left door. Below are the stained glass windows created by Judie that adorned the gym entrance. Top right: Spaced dividers created the illusion of castle walls. Judie also used material donated by Sharon Evans to create “stained glass” windows. Left: Bonnie Matzat performed her first-person monologue as Katie Luther. She captured everyone’s attention.

Top left: Standing behind the Breakfast Table, Elaine How-ard, Susan Williams, and Ashleigh Williams follow the Morning Vespers in their program. Middle: Food was made fresh in the Holy Cross kitchen. Marian Hoehner, Sue Bastian and Judie Woelfer get things ready. Sue washed all the church china plates so they could be used during the retreat. Many other helpers were in the kitchen!

At right are some items created by Connie Gamache for the retreat. Top: pickle ornaments were set at each place setting in castle boxes made by Connie. Middle: a wooden castle and open treasure box painted by Connie were used to collect the ingathering for the Wittenberg Project. Right: Connie stamped more than 200 thank-you cards so that women could color them for Sparrow’s Nest, a home in St. Charles County that cares for pregnant teenagers, which was introduced by Jeanette Stewart.

Photos by Brian Storm

Final registration was 136. Most of the labor and materials were donated by

committee members. A free-will offering of $450 will be given directly to

the Wittenberg Project. After final costs are considered, more than $1,000

will also be sent. According to comments made in the retreat evaluation,

women loved the integrated theme, the speakers, the food—and they gave a

good thumbs up for prayer stations which mamny6 had never before experi-

enced. Holy Cross Grace Guild members were an immense help in the

kitchen, providing candles, and serving. A Thrivent Action Team grant of

$250 covered some food and material costs, and Lutheran Senior Services

donated pens.

A Day with Katie Luther (continued)

7

8

9

10

11

Mission Grant Amount

Amount

Paid

6/9/16

1. Concordia Seminary Food Bank, St. Louis, MO $10,000 0

2. Urban Youth Outreach, Camper Scholarships, Heit’s Point, Lincoln, MO $16,800 0

3. Little Bit of Haven, Scholarships, Christian Hospitality House, St. Louis, MO $15,000 0

4. Healthy Homes, Stronger Families, Successful Kids, St. Trinity Lutheran Church,

Carondelet neighborhood in St. Louis, MO

$15,000 0

5. Assistance for the University Lutheran Chapel of Hope, Southeast Missouri State

University, Cape Girardeau, MO

$10,000 0

6. Restored Hope Against Additions (RHAA), Lockwood, MO $15,000 0

7. Open Arms Early Childhood Development Center in Ozark, MO $15,000 0

8. Bringing the Gospel to Muslim Refugees in St. Louis: Witness through Local

Churches, POBLO International LCMS mission society, Clinton Township, MI

$12,000 0

9. Our Savior Christian Academy, serving Platte City and Smithville, MO $25,000 0

10. Financial Aid for Students in Need at Messiah Lutheran School, Independence,

MO

$10,000 0

11. For the Greater Things, St. Matthew Lutheran Church and School, Walnut Park neighborhood in North St. Louis

$20,000 0

12. Wonderfully Made—First Conversations about Disabilities and Supporting

Families in Missouri with materials from Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Water-

town, WI

$4,200

(Partial)

0

TOTAL $168,000 0

(0%)

November 2016

Trinity Lutheran Ladies Aid 2016 Annual Baby Shower Ingathering

These items were sent to the Springfield office of Lutheran Children and Family Services. In addition, their Mission Committee sets up sev-eral work days throughout the year at which the ladies and other church members assemble quilts and hand tie them. These quilts are given locally and to areas experiencing devastation from weather and other natural disasters.

12

November 2016

www.missourilwml.org

Women In Mission Theme and Deadline February Issue

Theme: God’s Love Deadline: January 23, 2017

No need to limit submissions to theme Email articles and pictures to: missouri.lwml.news@gmail.com

mail to: Linda Dunn, 3908 Forest Ave Kansas City, MO 64110

President Christie Steffens 573.517.8200 lwmlmopresident@gmail.com VP of Organizational Resources Pat Petzoldt 573.824.5912 vporganizationalresources@gmail.com VP of Christian Life Myra Case 816.805.2061 mcase@embarqmail.com VP of Communication Kristy Carter 417.234.0618 kcarterlwml@gmail.com VP of Special Focus Ministries Ann Seider 573.489.2816 seider6366@gmail.com VP of Gospel Outreach Amee Boettcher 573.450.7733 ameeboettcher@gmail.com Recording Secretary Linda Verman 816.824.0301 laverman@comcast.net Treasurer Donna Lacey 816.695.0134 donnajlacey@att.net Senior Pastoral Counselor Rev. Kristopher Morris 573.286.3862 pastormorris@ctklo.org Junior Pastoral Counselor Rev. Martin Hasz 573.979.2791 pastormarty@lutheranchurchscottcity.org

Archivist-Historian Kathy Merritt 417.869.9573 rkmerritt@mchsi.com Paliamentarian Angela Gielow 636.734.5262 gielow@swbell.net Administrative Assistant Teresa Backs 417.840.4563 tbacks@hotmail.com Communications Editor Linda Dunn 816.518.1408 missouri.lwml.news@gmail.com Communications Webmaster Stephanie Edgar 314.640.8601 kumbawatta@aol.com Organizational Resource Structure Judy Rose 417.230.9672 judyrose@suddenlink.net Organizational Resource Leader Development Karen Drury 573.450.0552 otherdruryinn@gmail.com Gospel Outreach Church Worker Study Grants Crystal Lueckenhoff 573.896.5627 crystaljczonelwml@yahoo.com Financial Secretary Carol Riedel 573.881.4318 criedel@bessi.net Mission Servants Cindy Redecker 573.579.7128 cmredecker@yahoo.com

Convention Site Coordinator Janice Rose 417.883.5598

jrose4546@yahoo.com