News and Announcements Christ Lutheran Church Eagan Minnesota
April 17th, 2016
Verse of the Week:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)
this week in Sunday school:
Students will be studying “Jesus
sends the 72” from Chapter 10 of Luke Jesus, The Good Shepherd Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. One of the most popular images of Jesus is that of the Good Shepherd. Even for city folks who probably have never seen a live shepherd and have probably never seen a live sheep outside of a petting zoo, the image of Jesus as our Good Shepherd continues to be one of our most comforting mental pictures. As a child growing up, one of my favorite pictures on the wall of my room was a picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It wasn’t magnificent art. In fact, it was rather plain. My grandpa found the picture, put it in a frame, and gave it to me. That in itself made the picture very special. The picture was that of a lone sheep that had obviously strayed from the flock. The sheep was stuck on a rocky ledge. It was in a very precarious spot. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is seen leaning down over that rocky ledge, about to rescue the sheep. I identified with that lone sheep – too often straying, finding myself on a spiritual “rocky ledge,” but one for whom my Good Shepherd had searched, even into rocky terrain, one for whom my Good Shepherd was reaching down to save.
Over the years, of course, I learned more about sheep and shepherds. Sheep have been described as “regrettably stupid animals.” They are prone to go, heads down, from one tuft of grass to another, until they finally raise their heads and realize that they are completely lost. So we, like sheep, are prone to go, with our spiritual heads down, from one thing that commands our attention to another, until we finally look up and realize that we are completely lost. Like that sheep in my favorite picture, the more we try to straighten things out on our own, the more likely we are to fall even farther down that “rocky ledge.” But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, comes seeking us. He finds us and, in His grace and mercy, leans down over that “rocky ledge” to rescue us. The shepherd in Jesus’ day, when he found a stray sheep, would pick it up in his arms and carry it back to the safety of the flock. The shepherd knew the sheep was probably too weak, maybe even wounded, to follow him, so he picked the sheep up and carried it. In our spiritual weakness, wounded as we are by life’s events, it would do no good for the Good Shepherd to berate us for wandering, conk us on the head, and say, “Come with me.” The Good Shepherd cares for us – carries us – in His love and mercy. He carries us back to the flock where He nourishes us with His Word of Scripture, with His true Body and Blood in the Eucharist. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” (Ps. 23:1NIV). – Pastor Heggen.
Announcements Reconciliation Sessions: If you would like to have an initial or an additional reconciliation session with Dr. Noren, please contact the Church Secretary. Please be prepared to provide your name, contact information, and a couple of good times that would work for a 45 minute session with Dr. Noren. These sessions are optional but are being offered to the Congregation in the desire to reconcile and move ahead to our preferred future. Please contact the Church office during normal hours (M-F 9am-3pm) and request to be placed on the list. Dr. Noren will reach out to you to confirm and schedule the session. The best times to contact the office are M-Th, 9-12 & 1-3. The number is 651-454-4091. Preschool Registration: for the 2016-2017 academic year is open, for returning families and families of Christ Lutheran Church. Please see the Church website for a description and cost of the classes. Lutheran Witness subscriptions: It is that time of year again to renew your Lutheran Witness Subscription. If you would like a subscription please sign up in the Narthex by May 1st. Thanks! Apologies: I apologize for the mistake in last week’s News and Announcements. The Bible Trivia key was not updated, but I am happy quite a few people are doing the trivia! Last week’s trivia answers were, 1. D, 2. A, 3. A, 4. D, 5. B Thanks!- Gabriel Hartog
Upcoming Meetings and Events ADULT BIBLE CLASS. Join us today (Sunday) at 10:15 in the fellowship hall. Our topic will be "Christ is Risen! So What?" The need is constant: The gratification is instant. Give Blood on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, 12:00 - 6:00 pm at Christ Lutheran Church. For appointments call 1-800-733-2767, or online @www.redcrossblood.org. or sign up at church. Mother’s Day Flower Sale: The Mother’s Day flower sale will be on Saturday May 7th in the church parking lot. The sale goes from 10am-1pm or until the flowers sell out! Special Voters Meeting Update: A Special Voters meeting was held on April 10, 2016 to determine if the Budget line item for the National Youth Gathering (line item 6805) could be increased from $0 to $5,500 to pay for three Youth and two chaperones to attend the gathering in New Orleans this summer. The Voters Assembly voted to deny the increase in the budget line item. Without a budget line item increase, the funds donated for the National Youth Gathering cannot be spent. May Voters Meeting Set: The Church Council has set May 15, 2016 as the date for the required Voters meeting. A meeting agenda is being prepared and will be posted in the Narthex. Official notice for the Voters meeting will be posted and placed in the bulletin on May 1st and May 8th in accordance with the Article II.D.1 of the By-Laws. Constitution and By-Laws Committee: The Church Council is seeking volunteers to be part of a committee to examine and propose changes to the Constitution and ByLaws. This informal group will report to the Church Council recommendations for changes to both
the Constitution and the By-Laws. After Church Council consideration, the changes recommended may proceed through the approval process as outlined in the Constitution and By-Laws. If you would like to participate on the committee or have suggestions, please contact Kelly Callahan or let Pastor Hahn know. LIFE Group Meetings schedule: Monday Nights, 6:30 pm, Men’s and Women’s group at Eagan Pointe: Contact Sharonlee 952-431-1865 Wednesday Afternoons, 1:30pm, Women’s group: Contact Geri Bonewell 952-891-2853 Thursday Nights, 7:00pm, Men’s and Women’s Group: Contact Deb Buntjer 651-452-8956 Saturday mornings (First three of each month), 9am, Men’s Group: Contact Mark Bonewell 952-891-2853
Get Involved The Church Council is seeking nominations for the office of President and Vice President. These two congregational officers need to be at least 21 years old, male and be a communicant member of Christ Lutheran Church. The complete list of duties for both the President and Vice President are available in the Officers and Board Manual. The basic duties of each position are provided: President Is the Chief Lay-Executive Office of the Congregation. Presides at Voter’s Meetings. Prepare agendas and schedules for Voter’s Meetings. Vice President Presides over meetings of the Church Council. Serve as President in the absence of the President at Church meetings. Secretary(does not have to be male, but does have to be 21+, Nominations accepted until May 1st) Record all minutes of the Voters' Assembly and Church Council meetings Be a member of and attend all meetings of the Church Council and Voters' Assembly Maintain a record of the members attending the Voters' Assembly and Council meetings If you would like more information or would be interested in service to this Church, please contact an Elder or Pastor Hahn. Nominations will be accepted until April 24th. Spring Clean Up Day is scheduled for Saturday April 30th, starting at 9:00am. All are welcome to help spruce up the church grounds and remove that winter coat of dust. Both indoor and outdoor projects will be available. Lunch will be served. The Trustees are looking for volunteers to help mow the church grounds. With enough helpers, each person may only have to mow about 4 times during the season. Most of the mowing is done with a large lawn tractor. Contact Jeff Aldinger for more info or to sign up to help.
By the numbers
Have a little fun Trivia 1. How many Beatitudes are there? (Matthew 15: 3-10) a. 10 b. 11 c. 8 d. 9 2. What is the name of the city founded by Cain? (Genesis 4:17)
a. Enoch b. Shiloh c. Etam d. Gaza 3. What is the shortest verse in the Bible? a. Matthew 4:3 b. John 11:35 c. Acts 12:17 d. Exodus 4:15 4. In Genesis two men are identified as having walked with God? (Genesis 5:24 &6:9) a. Abram & Isaac b. Moses & Aaron c. Cain & Adam d. Enoch & Noah 5. What is the most common name in the Bible? a. Joseph b. Zechariah c. Ezekiel d. Matthew
For Those Viewing Online: Christian Games for all ages http://christgaming.com/play-games/ Trivia Answers 1. C, 2. A, 3. B, 4. D, 5. B