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May/June 2010May/June 2010May/June 2010May/June 2010
St. John NewsSt. John NewsSt. John NewsSt. John News
The
Ministries
of
St. John Lutheran www.stjohnseward.org
Church 919 N. Columbia Avenue Seward, Nebraska 68434 402-643-2983
School 877 N. Columbia Avenue Seward, Nebraska 68434 402-643-4535
Child
Development
Center 20 Main Street Seward, Nebraska 68434 402-643-3122
St. John News is published monthly by St. John Lutheran Church (402-643-2983) Newsletter Staff Shirley Liesener Richard Zwick
Proclaiming and Practicing the Love of Christ
From the Pastor’s Desk . . .
What is the Church?Church?Church?Church?
That is the question that has
been running through my mind
lately. It has been running
through my mind because of
conversations that I have had. It
has been running through my
mind because of observations I
have made. It has been running
through my mind because of
God’s Word that I have been
studying. It has been running
through my mind because of the
confirmations of faith for which
individuals have been preparing.
What is the Church?Church?Church?Church? The church is the group of
people whom God has called out
from the rest of the world
because of their relationship
with Jesus Christ. The church
are all those whose lives are
built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus as the chief
cornerstone. The church are all
of the people who have been
brought together by faith and in
whom lives God the Holy Spirit
(Ephesians 2:19-22).
What is the Church?Church?Church?Church? The church is a gathering of
people that are stained, wrinkled,
blemished. Yet God takes His
church, just the way it is, and
loves it through His Son, Jesus.
God takes His church and cleans
it up by His grace that poured
out of nail-pierced hands and
feet. He cleans it up with His
Word, with His washing
(Baptism), with His power.
Who is the Church?Church?Church?Church? It is your brother and sister in
Christ with whom you find it
easy to get along and it is also
your brother and sister in Christ
with whom you have a
difference of opinion. The
church is those who are newly
baptized into the Christian faith,
no matter their age. The church
is those who will confess their
relationship with Jesus Christ
publicly. The church is those
who have died in the faith and
now are with the Lord in
heaven. The church is those
who sing praises to Jesus Christ
with music that is too
traditional, too contemporary,
too repetitive, too loud, too
long, or too anything. The
church is those who respond to
your needs with compassion
and care; the church is those
who don’t know how to
respond and have caused you to
feel abandoned. The church is
those who have made you feel
welcomed when you were a
stranger and the church is those
who didn’t know how to include
you into their relationships.
Who is the Church?Church?Church?Church? Above all, the church is you and
me and all who believe in Jesus
Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Thanks be to God for making
you and me a part of His body,
the church. It is now my prayer
that you and I and all of the
church may respond with joy as
the Lord of the church feeds us
with His Word and Sacrament.
Now, we may walk by faith,
proclaiming and practicing the
love of Christ . . . in all of the
frail ways that the church, you
and me, strive to carry out His
holy will.
In Christ’s love,
What is the Church?What is the Church?What is the Church?What is the Church? Who is the Church?Who is the Church?Who is the Church?Who is the Church?
2 . . . more news
O n Sunday, May 2, we will
have the wonderful
opportunity to celebrate the
confirmation of faith of 20
teenagers and several adults who
are completing their instruction
in Christianity. What a joy! God
has blessed each of these
individuals with the gift of faith
in Holy Baptism; they have been
led to publicly declare before
others that they will continue to
confess Jesus Christ as their
Lord and Savior. As they pause
for this moment of public
testimony, we ask that you, as
their brothers and sisters in
Christ, would pray that God the
Holy Spirit continues to
strengthen them in their faith.
Rejoicing with
Concordia University
Graduates
W e join with our partner in
ministry, Concordia
University, Nebraska, as it
celebrates the accomplishments
of the graduates of 2010. The
Baccalaureate Service is being
held at St. John on Friday, May
7 at 7:30 p.m. and the
Commencement Service, at the
University on Saturday, May 8 at
10:00 a.m. Please take time to
share your support with the
students who worship with us at
St. John, especially those who
will be graduating and heading
out from Seward to serve as
servants of Christ to the church
and the world.
O Give Thanks to the Lord!
Many
Reasons to
Rejoi
ce!
Many
Reasons to
Rejoi
ce!
Many
Reasons to
Rejoi
ce!
Many
Reasons to
Rejoi
ce!
Confirmation May 2 Associate Pastor Call
O n April 18, the St. John
voting assembly, voted to
extend a divine call to Rev. Seth
R. Hemme. He is currently
pastor at St. Peter’s in
Eastpointe, Michigan where he
has been serving since his
ordination in 2004.
Pastor Hemme was born in St.
Louis, Missouri. He graduated
from Concordia, River Forest,
Illinois, in 2000 and completed
his seminary studies at
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in
2004.
His wife, Patricia, was born in
Detroit, Mich. and holds a BS in
elementary education, majoring
in teaching. They have one
daughter, Hannah, born in 2009.
Give Th
anks
Give Th
anks
Give Th
anks
Give Th
anks
W e give thanks to the Lord
of the church for the gift
of a new servant to serve as the
Director of the Child
Development Center ministry of
St. John. Mrs. Rebecca Bimler
accepted the divine call to serve
the Lord in this manner.
Following is the letter that was
sent to the congregation.
April 12, 2010
Dear Members of St. John Lutheran
Church,
I consider it an honor to serve Christ’s church through the ministry of education. I felt it a privilege to be considered a candidate to work among you in the advancement of ministry at St.
John Lutheran Church. After weeks
of prayerful consideration, I have
decided to accept the call to serve as
director of St. John Lutheran Child
Development Center.
I look forward with great
anticipation to serve among you. I,
along with my husband, Bob, and
daughter Abbey, wish to thank you
for your prayers and support during
this time of consideration. We truly
enjoyed our visit with you in March
and felt such an outpouring of
warmth and generosity. Thank you
for making us feel so welcome.
In closing, may I ask that you remain in prayer for my family as we make the transition from Illinois to Nebraska. In turn, I will also be in prayer for you this Sunday, April 18, as you seek God’s guidance as
to whom to call for the position of
Associate Pastor. May He grant you,
as a voting body, wisdom and
peace.
God’s richest blessings,
Rebecca E. Bimler
The congregation is asked to
keep Rebecca, Bob, and Abbey
in prayer as they prepare for
their time of transition from
Chicago to Seward. The needs
that they will have in regards to
housing and employment for
Bob will be shared through the
weekly news bulletin in worship.
At the time of printing, an
installation date for Mrs. Bimler
has not been set.
Erica Cauble
Stephanie Cool
Alexandra Deets
Siana Dyell
Joseph Gremel
Ian Hendrickson
Kiefer Keylon
Traci Kloppel
Adam Kohlmeier
Austin Luebbe
Jordan Nelson
Travis Nuttleman
Jarod Phillips
Brittany Ringler
Rachel Schulz
John Simpson
Nathan Sorsen
Brooke Tempel
Kayla Toovey
Lauren Wilcox
Confirmands
more news . . . 3
When the calendar turns to May,
you know it’s time to begin
thinking about confirmations,
graduations, and the ham
sandwiches and potato salad that
accompany such events.
Although life seems to be
changing in so many ways, our
hymn of the month for May
speaks of God’s love and mercy
to all his children—regardless of
their age, life event, or status.
Stephen Starke, prolific Lutheran
hymn writer, wrote this hymn for
a confirmation in 2003. It is set
to a tune named DUNEDIN,
written by New Zealand
composer Vernon Griffiths in
the 20th century. The tune was
named for the town of Dunedin
in New Zealand where the
composer lived and served as
Music Director of the Dunedin
Technical College. The tune was
composed at the College and was
frequently used there at assembly.
The gift of faith is created by the
Holy Spirit in baptism and
sustained through Word and
Sacraments (stanzas 1 and 2). We
pray that the Lord would keep us
from the assaults of the devil, the
world, and our sinful nature
(stanza 3). Our life here on this
earth will contain cross and trial
(stanza 4). Sustained by God’s
forgiving grace, the child of God
blossoms and bears good fruit
(stanzas 4-5). All this talk of
sustaining, protection, and
growing ultimately still ends in
earthly death. Should fear enter
the mind of the Christian at this
point? Never. The hymn speaks
in light of St. Paul’s words in
Romans 6:4: “We were buried
with [Christ] by baptism into
death, in order that, just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, we too might
walk in newness of life.”
5 O Father, grant that by Your grace
They may Your will each day embrace;
With fruits of faith their lives now bless,
Till they at death Your name confess.
6 Then robed in white before Your throne,
Your holy saints, by You foreknown—
Predestined, called, and justified,
Shall, crowned in light, be glorified.
Text: © 2003 Stephen P. Starke. Music: © 1971 Faber Music Ltd. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, number 100012333.
Every year an important festival
of the Church is celebrated on
the fortieth day after Easter. And
every year, it seems, fewer and
fewer people take note of this
special day.
The festival is the Ascension of
our Lord. Perhaps part of the
problem is that the fortieth day
after Easter falls on a Thursday
(this year on May 13). With so
much activity in our lives, it's easy
to overlook a festival of the
Church that falls on a weekday.
Nevertheless, we invite you to
join together with parish and
school vocal, instrumental, and
handbell ensembles in celebrating
this sure and certain confidence:
“Behold, I am with you always, to
the end of the age.” (Matthew
28:20) Alleluia!
Our parish community will
celebrate the Ascension of Our
Lord on Thursday, May 13 at
7:00 p.m. Much of the story will
be told through hymns and
anthems presented by many of
our music groups. Heavenly
refreshments will be served
following the service.
Paul Soulek, Director of
Parish and School Music
O Gracious Lord, With Love Draw Near O Gracious Lord, With Love Draw Near O Gracious Lord, With Love Draw Near O Gracious Lord, With Love Draw Near
Ascension Day 2010!
Hymn of the Month
Hymn of the Month
Hymn of the Month
Hymn of the Month
(LSB 599)
4 . . . more news
G odparent Groups are about
to wrap up another school
year of Godparent meetings the
end of April. That means it’s
time to gather committed
Freshmen youth and seek
leaders who would love to share
their lives with them and be
part of something special!
This is what Jeff and Kirsten
Volzke had to say about leading
a Godparent Group: So far, we
have thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. We have a good
group of youth and look
forward to our weekly get-
togethers. When we were first
asked to lead a group, we were
concerned that we weren’t
qualified to lead a group of
teenagers and wouldn’t know
what to discuss with our group
each week. However,
curriculum has been developed
(topics and lesson plans) and
gives us great ideas for
discussion. We’ve also had fun
outings: an all Godparent group
corn maze, “Blind Side” and
“To Save a Life” movies, and
fun activities in our home such
as carving pumpkins. Having
three children of our own, we
were concerned about what our
kids would do during the
meetings, but the group likes
our kids and our kids love
having them come over each
week. We have learned much
from the youth about some of
the challenges high school
brings, which helps prepare us
for when our own children
enter high school. It’s hard to
believe that our first year is
almost over and we look
forward to the next three years
with our group.
And from Harold and Beth
Pester: When we first were
asked to lead a Godparent
group, we were hesitant. All five
years we were asked! And this
year we decided to take the
plunge and lead a group – and
we’re so glad we did! We have a
group of nine Freshmen who
come to our house each
Wednesday evening during the
school year. The time we spend
with them is something we have
come to really look forward to!
We play games, have snacks,
talk about what’s going on in
our lives and, most important,
dig into the Word of God. We
have had a chance to get to
know our group better, to share
our faith and have them share
with us, and they even put up
with our crazy little kids! It’s a
big commitment, but already it’s
been well worth it. We can’t
wait for the next years with
them! Why don’t you join in our
fun?
If God has been tugging at your
heart to lead a Godparent
group, why wait and see if you’ll
get a call to be asked. Just leave your name at the church office
643-2983, with a youth board
member, current Godparent
leader, or with the Godparent
coordinator Lana Urban (643-
3964 or 641-3099. Say Yes and
grow spiritually and develop
relationships with our youth!
We thank Clark and Allegra
Koehler and Bob and Lana
Urban for their four years of
commitment to the Godparent
program as leaders of the
Senior groups. Your devotion
to our youth is much
appreciated by the members of
the congregation and especially
the youth that you served. God
bless you as he involves you in
other ways in His service in our
church, community and beyond.
Come the 3rd Sunday of every
month, 10:00 am, to the School
Library to join others in praying
for the youth of our church.
The prayer time will focus on
youth from 7th grade to college
age. Parents, grandparents,
youth leaders, and anyone who
has an interest in the needs of
our youth are encouraged to
participate. The prayers will be
for all youth connected to the
church, not just those in youth
group. Participants will be
offered a variety of ways to
pray, so that all who come will
feel comfortable—no matter
what the preferred prayer style
is. You can choose to pray
silently, use a written prayer, or
offer a spontaneous prayer. The
time will be based on Scripture
and a list of prayer requests/
praises. Focused prayer time
will be from 10 to 10:15 am.
More prayer opportunities will
be available until 10:45, but
participants are welcome to
leave at 10:15. You can come
one time, each time, or just as
your schedule allows. Contact
Chris Blanke (643-4278) or the
youth board for questions or to
make prayer requests.
Refreshments and prayer
resources available.
Freshman Godparent Leaders Glad They Said Yes!
Join in Prayer for the Youth
Youth
New
sYo
uth
New
sYo
uth
New
sYo
uth
New
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more news . . . 5
D uring the third weekend in
May, the members of St.
John Lutheran will vote for its
officers and board members.
Proposed are to amend the
Bylaws, to add a new board and
to increase the size of one of the
boards. We will need 132 people
to fill these elected positions.
That is about 17 percent of the
adults who regularly attend
worship. In other wards, one of
every six of the Saints you
worship with each week is
serving as an elected official of
our Lord’s church.
When our Nominating
Committee contacted
candidates, some responded
immediately to the call to have
their name on the ballot. Others
admitted, as they declined, that
it was with sincere concern, but
they could be counted on to
support and serve their church
in other ways. And, there were
some who are comfortable with
having someone else do the
work of Proclaiming and
Practicing the Love of Christ.
It is too late to add your name
to the ballot, but it is never too
late to be a volunteer advisor on
a board or to be a servant at
church. When I consider the
total adult members at St. John,
only 7 percent are serving as
elected officials. So let me share
some thoughts that may
admonish some and encourage
others to serve our Lord. If you
are not familiar with the twenty-
fifth chapter of Matthew, spend
a few minutes reading God’s
powerful word.
When Jesus divided his flock in
Matthew 25:31-46, there were
only two types of animals: the
sheep (Baa, Baa) and the goats
(Naaa,
Naaa).
When the
lord who
was
traveling
reckoned
with his
servants in Matthew 25:14-30,
there were only two types of
servants; good and faithful, and
wicked and slothful. When the
bridegroom came in Matthew
25:1-13, there were only two
types of virgins; the wise and
the foolish.
These and other parables of
Jesus make it crystal clear there
are only
two types of
stewards;
faithful and
slothful.
Indeed,
when we
consider the servant
opportunities at St. John, none
of us is close to being a perfect
steward. However, each saint
should examine his/her
participation, not only when the
church is electing leaders, but
also throughout the year, to
assure that one’s discipleship to
the Lord has not slipped over
the line between a faithful
steward and an unfaithful
steward.
Examine yourselves, to see whether
you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
Or do you not realize this about
yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?
– unless indeed you fail to meet the
test! (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Jack Swanson, President
Baa..Baa.. or Naaa..Naaa.. From the PresidentFrom the PresidentFrom the PresidentFrom the President
St. John Lutheran Laymen’s
League will meet at 6:00 p.m.
May 20, 2010, in the Fellowship
Hall.
This will be a wonderful time to
reflect on the Lord's blessings of
the past LLL year, and to look
forward to the new year.
Instead of a topic we will be
installing the Officers for the
2010-2011 LLL year.
Reminder: The LLL Zone Six
Rally is May 2 at St. Paul
Lutheran Church in Utica,
Nebraska.
“Dementia” will be the topic of
Stephen Ministry Continuing
Education on Thursday, June 10,
7 p.m., in the Heritage Room.
Presented by staff members at
Ridgewood, the meeting is open
to all congregation members and
guests.
During 2009, Stephen Ministers
made 726 personal visits to care
receivers, giving 782 hours in
those visits. Other contacts
(phone calls, e-mail, cards) totaled
401 for the year.
Stephen Ministry St. John LLL
6 . . . more news
Educational MinistriesEducational MinistriesEducational MinistriesEducational Ministries Ce
lebra
ting
125
year
s of
Chris
tian education
to t
he fam
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St. J
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to t
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2009-2010 Third Quarter Honor Roll Congratulations to the following students!
Honor Roll With Distinction (A+ and A’s): Gr. 5 – Evan Mettenbrink.
Gr. 6 – Alexa Bruick, Clara Heinicke, Kaylee O’Dell.
Gr. 7 – Kristi Einspahr, Kelsey Sloup, Madison Sloup.
Gr. 8 – Emmi Moll.
Honor Roll: Gr. 5 – Anna Baack, Dalton Berry, Ryen Diaz, Harrison Helmer, Nolan
Homp, Daniel Royuk, Joshua Sherman.
Gr. 6 – Kelsey Bruns, Alexandra George, Sara Granfors, Will Helmer, Joshua
Hendrickson, Rebekah Krause.
Gr. 7 – Thomas Gremel, Timothy Krause, Jacob Sloup, Cale Wagner.
Gr. 8 – Joe Gremel, Ian Hendrickson, Kailey Meyer, Jordan Nelson, Brittany
Ringler, Nathan Sorsen, Brooke Tempel, Lauren Wilcox.
Honorable Mention: Gr. 5 – Zach Vacha.
Gr. 6 – Katie Adams, Brodie Oshel, Bea Pfeiffer.
Gr. 7 – Abigail Kongsjord, Austin Van Velson.
Gr. 8 – Erica Cauble, Adam Kohlmeier, Jared Kongsjord, Nate Shimek.
8th Grade Graduation
Tuesday, May 18
Twenty 8th Grade students will
receive their Diplomas of
Graduation from St. John at
services in the church on Tuesday,
May 18 at 7:00 pm. Twenty-one
Kindergarten students will also be
recognized. The public is invited
to attend. The service will be
followed by a reception to which
the graduate’s families are invited.
Those receiving diplomas are:
Congratulations State Winners
St. John 5th-6th Grade
Reading Classic Team
Katrina Bergantzel
Alexa Bruick
Will Helmer
Daniel Royuk
Evan Mettenbrink
Mrs. Sue Sylwester, 6th Grade
Teacher, Reading Classic Coach
Competition was held at
Centennial School in Utica on
Saturday, April 10.
All Lutheran School Track
and Field Championship
� Saturday, May 15 at
Concordia’s Bulldog Stadium
� Hosted by St. John Lutheran
School
� Watch as more than 15
Lutheran schools and over
300 young athletes compete
in events in the field and on
the track. A small admission
fee is charged.
Register Now for
2010-2011 at St. John
The new school year may be
months away (first day is Tuesday,
August 17), but preparations for
new students and new programs
continue to be made throughout
the year. St. John is always open
for visits to the school, and
inquiries are welcome at any time.
Remember to share the good news
about St. John, as we share the
Good News about the Lord Jesus
Christ each and every day! Contact
the school office at 402-643-4535
to speak with the principal or to
set up a time to visit.
“O give thanks unto the Lord,
his mercy endures forever!” I
wish to extend my sincere and
heartfelt thanks for all the kind
words and gifts of appreciation
extended to me during my
anniversary recognition on April
11. It is a privilege to serve the
Lord with all of you at St. John.
You are truly a blessing! Please
take the opportunity to extend
your thanks to all the members
of our church, school and CDC
ministry staff for proclaiming
and practicing the love of
Christ among us and into our
community.
Dave Koopman, School Principal
With Thanks...
Erica Cauble Joe Gremel Ian Hendrickson Kiefer Keylon Adam Kohlmeier Jared Kongsjord Austin Luebbe Kailey Meyer Emmi Moll Jordan Nelson Travis Nuttleman
Martin Richards Brittany Ringler Rachel Schulz Nate Shimek John Simpson Nathan Sorsen Brooke Tempel Sydney van der
Heijden Lauren Wilcox
June—July office hours:
9 a.m. to 12 noon. Call for an
appointment any time.
more news . . . 7
of St. John . . . . .of St. John . . . . .of St. John . . . . .of St. John . . . . .
Good news from the CDC
W e have been blessed by having Mrs. Rebecca
Bimler accept the call as Director for St. John Child Development Center. Mrs. Bimler is highly qualified and we look forward to having her serve as our director. Please pray that all processes involved in this transition go smoothly for the Bimler family as they make the move to Nebraska.
Mrs. Darlene Rockenbach has submitted her letter of resignation as preschool teacher at St. John Child Development
Center. Mrs. Rockenbach will be starting a new preschool for Centennial Schools in Utica. We want to thank her for her dedicated service and ask God’s blessing on this new endeavor. We wish her only the best.
The last Family Night for this school year was held April 13, 2010 at Faith Lutheran Church. Parents received information and strategies on replacing talking back, temper tantrums, refusal and fighting with social problem solving skills, emotional self-control, and empathy. We look forward to
next fall’s family nights and learning further parenting skills.
May brings not only flowers, but also the end of the school year. We have completed registration for summer care and are filled to the brim...what a blessing that is! Our fall registration is nearing completion with only a few openings in the toddler and three year old rooms.
We look forward to a summer of fun activities at St. John Child Development Center. May God continue to bless this ministry to young children.
Dee Mitchell, Interim Director of CDC
Child Development CenterChild Development CenterChild Development CenterChild Development Center
Thrivent Funds
Program Update
S t. John Lutheran Church,
School and Child
Development Center have
completed the registration
process to receive charitable
funds through the new Thrivent
Choice Dollars program.
Thrivent will use an April voting
event to begin the process, but
contributions directed toward
congregations and educational
institutions will not begin until
the summer months. Continue
to watch for additional
information regarding this new
program from Thrivent Financial.
G etting ready for summer?
Plan to include Summer
School at St. John! Classes are
offered to ‘09-’10 students in
grades K-8. There are three
different sessions; each session
lasts one hour. The program
runs in the morning from 8:15
a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Registration
is open now and due by May 29
– pick up a form at the school
or church office! Classes cost
$25 with a $5 administrative fee
per student. There is limited
space available, with a minimum
of five and maximum of ten
students per class; register soon!
Twenty-four different classes
will be offered with outstanding
instructors. Just a few of the
classes are:
� Insects and Bugs with Tim
Huntington
� American Girl Dolls with
Laura Asplin
� iMovies with Shelly Mowinkel
� Cooking Around the World
with Dawn Navis
� Land of Pirates with Kathy
Luebbe
Do you have grandchildren
visiting this summer? Sign them
up! Do your neighbor kids go to
another school? Tell them about
Bright Horizons. This program
is open to the community and
all are welcome. For a complete
catalog contact St. John School
Office at 643-4535 or
email [email protected].
Questions about the program?
Contact Liz Owens, Program
Coordinator at 643-6302 or
Jill Johnson, School Board
Advisor at 643-9725.
Last Day of 2009-2010
Wednesday, May 19
The final day of 2009-2010 for
students in Kindergarten – 7th
Grade will be on Wednesday,
May 19 with an 11:30 am
dismissal. Pastor Bruick will lead
the closing chapel at 8:25 am.
Bright Horizons Summer Enrichment Program
June 21-25
For an updated look at the latest school information, visit the
Ministries of St. John Website at www.stjohnseward.org
8 . . . more news
W hen we first arrived in
Uganda, Shauen
frequently assisted in worship at
the Kampala congregation. He
preached several times, led the
liturgy, and led Bible study
classes. As his other
responsibilities began to
demand more of his time, he
stepped back from that level of
work in the Kampala
congregation. This month he
was asked to preach one last
time to fill in for a scheduled
preacher who wasn’t able to
come. As Shauen prepared his
sermon that week, tragedy
struck in Uganda.
Fertile soil is found in the
shadow of Mount Elgon. The
area is heavily populated to take
advantage of the relatively easy
farming. But the productive
land suffered, with crops
replacing trees and ground
cover on the slopes up the
mountain. After days of
unusually heavy rainfall, the
earth gave way just after dark
one night. Two small villages
were completely obliterated by
the mudslide. Hundreds were
feared dead—many of them
children. The landslide in
Bududa made international
headlines.
The Gospel reading for March
6 was Luke 13:1-9, “Repent or
perish.” Jesus discusses recent
tragedies well-known in
Jerusalem and gives his reply:
“Do you think these people
died because they were more
guilty than all the others living
in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But
unless you repent, you too will
all perish.” We cannot hope to
see into the hidden God—to
understand those things He
does in His own ways for His
own purposes. But maybe one
of the purposes of such tragedy
is to bring us to repentance, to
bring us to our knees before the
cross, and to give us again that
free forgiveness won there.
Your missionaries to East Africa
Shauen, Krista, and Josiah Trump
Preaching on Current Events—Landslide in Bududa
A s far as days go, I would
have to say this is a pretty
good one. I woke up knowing
that we would be celebrating
Easter with the third level of
kindergartners (K3, 5-6 year
olds) this morning.
When I arrived at the office, it
was already bustling with
assistant teachers wrapping the
cookies that would be hidden for
the “Easter egg” hunt in brightly-
colored cellophane. Judy, the
amazingly-connected mom-to-all,
supreme-teacher, excited-about-
the-possibility-of-Christianity-
but-doesn’t-quite-realize-it-yet,
organizer of this year’s
Kindergarten Easter fair greeted
me with a smile and a cheery,
“Good morning!” I was in
charge of both the opening and
the Easter Egg Relay. Judy didn’t
hesitate to introduce what
needed to be done.
Stepping in front of 100 kinder-
garten students, 16 university
helpers, four homeroom teachers
and four teachers from my
office, I had a smile on my face.
Judy’s infectious smile had
touched something deep in my
heart. Here she was, a seeker,
working hard with joy to
proclaim the saving resurrection
to over a hundred of God’s
children. But for her it was just
another day in the office.
Colossians 3:16 says it perfectly:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly as you teach and admonish one
another with all wisdom, and as you
sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
God is there in the smile of a co-
worker, the caring touch of a
friend, and the playful banter of
a student. Because of Easter,
because of Jesus life-saving death
and resurrection, my day is
bright. Every tomorrow is bright.
May the hope, joy, peace, and
triumph of Easter manifest itself
in your life today and always.
He has risen! He has risen
indeed!
In Christ, Our Hope,
Benjamin and Amy Riley
Easter in Taiwan
Prayer Requests
� Please pray for Judy, that she
comes to faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ.
� Pray for the people in
Taiwan who are lost, praying
to idols and ancestors. Pray
that they come to faith in the
one true God.
Prayer Requests
� Pray for the final prepara-
tions of our move to Nairobi
April 20.
� Thank God that He
provided a buyer for all our
furniture, saving us from
moving items worth less
than the cost to move them.
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more news . . . 9
T he Alaska Mission Team
will be serving the Yupik
Indians of Akiachak, a town in
western Alaska. The population
of the town is stated as 700
residents. Of those, 200 are in
grades K-12. We will be
conducting a VBS experience
for the children as well as a
basketball camp. The town itself
is quite poor with nearly a third
of the residents lacking
electricity and running water.
This will challenge our creativity
and resourcefulness. Fortunately
there are showers in the school
where we will be staying.
The VBS will be held in the
Moravian church which has a
history that goes back to John
Hus in the late 14th century and
pre-dates Luther’s reformation.
The Moravian missionaries were
the first large scale Protestant
missionary movement and
established churches throughout
the world. The church in Alaska
was established in 1885 and is a
member of the Lutheran
Council of Churches.
The basketball camp will be
conducted in the school gym
and will provide activities for all
ages including adults. We plan
on bringing deflated basketballs
and inflate them there which
will reduce packing space.
We will leave as a group from
Denver and fly to Anchorage.
From Anchorage we travel to
Bethel a community of 6700
residents and the largest
community in western Alaska.
Bush planes will take us the final
leg to Akiachak, a 15 minute
trip. Please pray for us during
this week of working with the
Yupik people.
Members of the team are:
Alexa Bruick, Jan Bruick, Pastor
Scott Bruick, Zach Bruick,
Dottie Huebschman, Ray
Huebschman, Pastor Ryan
Matthias, Lou Anne Mueri,
Mike Mueri, Jenna Ripke, Judy
Ripke, Nick Rippstein, Tim
Rippstein, Ryan Shrum, Alan
VanVelson, Connie VanVelson.
Team members range in age
from 12 -73 and include a junior
high student, two high school
students, and one college
student.
The Alaska Team
2 hole punches
200 yds leather lace or twine
25 boxes 16 count crayons
25 boxes markers
1 pencil sharpener
25 pairs of scissors
5 reams of computer
paper
1 pkg 100 sheets of each of
the following colors
of construction
paper: Red, green,
gold (yellow), white
1 pkg 250 sheets black
construction paper
600 butterfly stickers
150 ea. star stickers, cross
stickers and jewel
stickers
1 bag 200 clothes pins (clip
kind)
1 lg box popsicle sticks
1 roll masking tape
3 rolls scotch tape
6 pkgs various colored
tissue paper
10 large bottles of
Elmer’s school glue
1 pkg ea. 150 count pony
beads in black, red,
white, green, gold
(yellow)
300 sandwich Ziploc
bags
1 box gallon Ziploc bags
2 staplers
1 box of staples
1 box 150 straws
Since these items will be
shipped to Alaska ahead of
time, we will need them by May
16. Check the board each week
to see the items that have been
donated and that are still
needed. The donated items can
be placed in the marked
containers at the west entrance
of church.
Thanks for your support!
List of items we need donated for VBS
Thank you to everyone who
braved the cold, wintery night on
March 19 to attend the VFW
Burger Night benefitting the St.
John Alaska and Arkansas
Mission Teams. If you baked one
(or more) of the delicious pies or
cakes, we thank you! We
consistently heard comments that
we had the best-looking desserts
ever! Your support of this
mission event impacts not only
the people of Seward, but the
people of Akiachak, Alaska, and
Boonville, Arkansas. To Him be
Praised!
Thanks!
From the Alaska Mission Team
From the Alaska Mission Team
From the Alaska Mission Team
From the Alaska Mission Team
10 . . . more news
M ission interest takes on a
variety of avenues at St.
John and may seem at times not
too directed or consistent. This
isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, the
variety of action is challenging
and vibrant! There’s Guatemala
outreach, Alaska and Arkansas
upcoming trips, Cambodia
family connects, continued
family support for Schmidts,
Rileys and Trumps, and finally,
Fan Into Flame! One might say,
“What more can you ask for?”
Recently the mission committee
published an explanation and
encouragement note in the
April Sunday bulletins. Shorter
range support is being sent to
the Schmidts and Trumps and
longer range support is set aside
for the Rileys. Since the Trumps
will apparently reenter the east
African mission field next
January, we will be looking at
additional funding in 2011.
Please continue contributions to
“Mission Efforts” as identified
on your weekly envelopes for
this missionary support. This
fund also assists in special
mission and servant projects
like Guatemala and Alaska.
As a result of our
congregation’s participation in
Missouri Synod’s Fan Into
Flame mission fund drive we
are beginning to receive our
Jerusalem portion for mission
action. Your mission committee
is in the process of
recommending areas of action
directly involving congregation
members and programs. A few
suggestions include support to
the elders in welcoming
Concordia students and in our
midweek program, welcoming
potential and new members of
St. John, and assisting the youth
board in their Winnebago
outreach event. The Fan Into
Flame monthly report has
examples of how some
participating congregations are
using their Jerusalem monies.
One congregation in Alabama
coupled a fund drive for a new
preschool along with their Fan
Into Flame drive and then are
using Jerusalem monies to
support a husband-wife team to
Africa! A Canton, Ohio,
congregation decided they
wanted more “hands on” action
and decided to build a school in
Haiti. A team of eight members
will go to Haiti in late April to
build! Grace Lutheran in
Naples, Florida, is developing a
plan to enable each member to
become missionaries in their
own neighborhood.
Additionally, they are updating
a multi-purpose room for
expanded technology and
community outreach.
So what are your ideas? A close
friend of mine suggested
augmenting our St. John school
scholarship fund to include
need-based grants for non-
members. And so we thank
God for new opportunities in
spreading the Gospel. The
harvest time is ripe! Have a fun
and Christ-filled summer!
Marv Plamann,
Mission Committee Chairman
Dear members of St. John
Lutheran Church of Seward,
I t is hard to try to explain to
you how much I appreciate
the ways that you have blessed
me, my family, and the people
for which I care. Because of the
generous way you responded to
what happened to our family in
Haiti and supported my son
Josias and his family, who are
members of your congregation,
I was able to feed and help
numerous people. As we say in
my language, “Thank You”
does not express it well enough.
Many of you may not
understand how difficult it has
been every day since the
earthquake started. Physically
but also emotionally and often
spiritually, most people have
been shaken to their core. Daily
survival is in the hands of God
alone, as we should realize as
Christians, but we receive many
lessons in trust through our
entire lives. Please continue to
keep us in your prayers as
encouragement is needed. We
should not forget that God can
use tragedy such as this to wake
up those who need to come to
Him.
As many tried to escape the
damage and uncertainty of Port
Au Prince to stay with family or
friends, my household has been
(continued on page 11)
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more news . . . 11
Baptisms March 7, 2010, Rylan James Chapp,
son of Blake and Jenna
March 13, 2010, Brady David Wood,
son of Christopher and Amy
March 14, 2010, Margaret Noel
Neujahr, daughter of Benjamin and
Margaret (non-member)
March 21, 2010, Lily Grace Jackson,
daughter of Clark and Amanda
March 21, 2010, Parker Chapin Smith,
son of Jamie and Bailey
Deaths March 5, 2010, Dwayne Ernest Otte
at the age of 70 years, 11 months
and 6 days
March 20, 2010, Loretta LaRee
Ohlman at the age of 79 years and
4 months
March 20, 2010, Betty Jean Mertins at
the age of 77 years, 1 month and 18
days
March 24, 2010, Vincent C.E.
Jacobson at the age of 95 years, 4
months and 23 days
March 28, 2010, Alvina Jean Beckman
at the age of 82 years, 5 months
and 3 days
Marriages None
Transfers In (M/M) Eugene & Shirley Bokelmann
Nicki Dey and Braeden
(M/M) Kasey & Casey Keylon and
Kiefer and Karson
Transfers Out (M/M) Scott & Danna Seevers and
Gracelyn, Gemma, Luke & Marshall
to The Rock Lutheran Church,
Seward, Nebraska
Official ActsOfficial ActsOfficial ActsOfficial Acts
(continued from page 10)
overflowing with people. I
appreciate that you agreed to
send some of the money you
provided for my son’s trip and
expenses to me and my
ministries. With $1,500 I paid the
professors of my school because
parents were not able to pay
tuition money, and they had no
way to provide for their own
families. The rest I used to feed
the family and friends that have
been staying at my home. I had
nothing at all to use to care for
everyone and had been living on
credit that some of the sellers
allowed for a time.
Your actions spoke strongly to
us, and we ask God to bless you
richly for the ways you have
shown His love to your brothers
and sisters in Haiti. We continue
to place our hope in Him and
praise Him for providing for us.
In His love,
Pastor Jean Claude Marin
First Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Maranatha of
Thomassique
Thomassique, Haiti
12 . . . more news
St. John News St. John News St. John News St. John News Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage
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Seward, NE 68434
Return service requested
St John Lutheran Church
919 North Columbia
Seward, Nebraska 68434
St. John Staff . . . Scott Bruick, Senior Pastor [email protected] David Koopman, Principal St. John School [email protected] Bob Paulson, Pastor for Visitation and Pastoral Care [email protected] Paul Soulek, Director of Parish and School Music [email protected] Dee Mitchell, Interim Director of Child Development Center, [email protected] Jonathan Lobmeyer, Part-time Youth Director [email protected]
Inside this issue . . . • Message from the Pastor
• Rebecca Bimler accepts call
• Confirmation May 2
• Hymn of the Month
• Youth News
• Message from the President
• Stephen Ministry
• LLL
• News from St. John School and CDC
• Mission News
• Alaska Mission Team
• Letter from Haiti
Deadline for July newsletter is June 15, 5:00 pm
Email: [email protected]