June 2017

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son!

10th

11th

11th

17th

Community Carnival 10:00 am

Outdoor Worship Service 11:00 am

Church Picnic 12:00 pm

Thrivent Day at Miller Park 3:15 pm (game time)

Ephesians 1:5

3558 S. 24th Street Milwaukee, WI 53221 414-281-2280| www.centennialwels.org prayers@centennialwels.org GREG PUFAHL, PASTOR ROBERT GARBE, STAFF MINISTER LIN KANITZ, ADMIN ASSISTANT JENNY PUFAHL, SUNDAY SCHOOL RICH KANITZ, PRESIDENT

UPCOMING EVENTS! FAITH DAY AT MILLER PARK! Come with us! On Saturday, June 17, the Brewers will host the first ever Faith Day, presented by Thrivent Financial, at Miller Park featuring a free postgame concert by MultiPlatinum Christian music group, MercyMe, following the Crew's matchup with the Padres.

Grammy-nominated MercyMe has 27 number one hits, more than nine million albums sold, and has established their place as one of the greatest Christian bands of all time. $16.00 per person. See Maureen Rochester or Lin Kanitz to express interest. Invite your family and your friends to this fun event!!!

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CENTENNIAL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN JUNE 2017 – VOL. II ISS. VI

Our Waiting Father While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

JOHN NOLTE, TREASURER MIKE CHAPMAN, PROPERTY MANAGER YOUTH GROUP MEN’S MINISTRIES WOMEN’S MINISTRIES MINISTRIES FOR SENIORS INTERNET MINISTRY GLOBAL OUTREACH MISSIONS MUSIC MINISTRIES

Jesus said in Matthew, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” What better way to do that than to take our worship service outdoors? Come join us for our annual outdoor worship service will take place on Sunday, June 11th at 11:00 am. Our friends, His Way band will be here to lead our contemporary worship service. Come and let YOUR light shine and show our neighbors how we praise the Lord for all he has done for us. Remember the service starts at 11:00 am and will be proceeded by our annual church picnic. (see below)

SPECIAL NEEDS

Please join us for worship on Thursday nights at 6:30 pm and Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Luke 15:20

OUTDOOR WORSHIP SERVICE

CHURCH PICNIC “God Bless America!” is our theme this year as we celebrate our liberty and our faith together once again on Sunday, June 11th. The fellowship committee will provide the Hot Dogs, Brats and Buns. We ask that you bring a dish to pass.

We hope to get a balanced offering of fruit, veggies, snacks and hot dishes to complete the meal, so we ask that you sign up in the church lobby as to what you will be bringing this year. We thank you in advance for your wonderful generosity! Along with the good food we will have plenty for the kids, pony rides, music, bingo...and so much more! Invite everyone you know to join us in the fun on Sunday, June 11 right after our outdoor service!

F

“For in You the fatherless find compassion.” Hosea 14:3

Centennial Evangelical Lutheran Church

ather’s day is right around the corner. Every year we get a chance to celebrate the blessing that God has given to us in this world…A blessing known as our fathers. When you think about your father, what do you think? “He was rough and tough, but very loving.” “He would give up his life for the family.” “He would never do anything to harm me.”

perfect relationship between a father and his children.

Fathers, how long would you wait for your child? How often would you forgive your child? How many times will you show love to your child even though they time and time again go against what you say? Again, in a perfect world, we would want to say we would wait for our children forever and forgiven them all the time.

Fathers are a wonderful blessing to us because they are stern when they need to, and loving the rest of the time.

Of course that is in a perfect world. Sin has corrupted this

Our passage today comes from the story known as the Prodigal Son, or the Lost Son. This son wanted his possessions that were only supposed to be given to him Continued on page 2...

Continued from page 4...

Continued from page 1...

after his father passed away. This son only cared about his wealth and did not even care if his father was alive. Then he took the wealth and ran away. He used the wealth to please himself in many different ways. Everything was going great… until he ran out of money. How would you have reacted, as a father in this story?

For so long the father had been waiting for his son's return.

Day after day he scanned the horizon, yearning for that familiar figure to come down the road. And then one day it came true. None but a loving father's eye could have recognized in that scruffy wreck the son who had left home so confidently earlier. The father ran as fast as his legs could carry him to embrace his son. When the son began to stammer about his sins, the father cut his confession short.

He saw the change of heart in his son's eyes. Best of all, the father received his son back, not as a servant but as a son in full standing. The best suit of clothes, the finest shoes, the signet ring were given him as sign of that sonship. A sumptuous banquet was prepared with the son as the guest of honor. All because the son who was as good as dead to the father was now alive and safely back home.



Use Scripture if you’re able. Nothing encourages us like promises from God’s Word. Make a list of Scriptures that God has used to bless you personally or an excerpt form something your read in your daily devotional. Mine the Psalms, Romans 8, and the Gospels. Find and share riches of God’s grace with others. Be specific in what you say. The note I received from my friend included two very specific ways he had seen evidences of grace in my life. When I read them, I was humbled and reminded of the fact that God does actually work in and though me. I needed that.



Regularly encourage your pastor. If your pastor says something that God uses, tell him about it. Don’t expect him to write you back, but just send a few lines in a card or an email. Nothing encourages a pastor like hearing specific ways God used a sermon or counseling session to work in your life.



Pray that God would create a culture of encouragement in your church. Ask God to make your church a community that loves each other in specific, tangible ways like encouragement. Ask God to use you to help fan that flame. Don’t get discouraged if people don’t return your encouragement (Matthew 6:3-4; Ephesians 6:3-8) or if you don’t see fruit from it (Galatians 6:9-10). Creating a church culture that glorifies God takes a long time, lots of prayer, and abundant grace. I encourage you to keep at it.

So get started. Who can you encourage right now? Who has blessed you recently that you can thank? What verse can you share with them? How might God use it? May the Lord do more than we can imagine through just a little encouragement (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Of course, we are all children to one Father. Our Father is God. Time and time again we run away from him. Time and time again we turn from him and want to go our own way; do our own things. Time and time again we slap him in the face as we refuse to listen to him and chose sin instead. And time and time again, our Father should reject us and throw us from his presence, forever. Yet, does he do that? Or, is he waiting for us?

The parable of The Prodigal Son is really a story about the waiting father. I know who the prodigal son is. It is I who so foolishly and so often have left the Father's house. What I need to know is everything about the heavenly Father. Does he write me out of his will or long for my return home? Will he slam the door of heaven in my face or open his arms to me? Will treat me like some slave or take me back as a son or daughter? Here's the answer! Because of another Son, named Jesus, who left his Father's house on the task of salvation and returned with it completed, my Father will be waiting for me.

R OU Y !

E IT N DS V IN RIE F

Activities:  3-bounce houses  His Way Band  Balloon tying clown  Raffle items  David Fliss, caricaturist  Face painting  Fire truck & police car

Refreshments:  Pop corn  Nachos  Popsicles  Hot dogs  Lemonade  Cool refreshing water

IN V N EI ITE G H YO U BO R RS !

Father, thank you for still waiting for me although I often wander from home.

Amen. “...the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” Romans 8:15

Encourage One Another – Giving Grace With Your Words

June Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

June 4 Youth Group Car Wash Fundraiser @ Centennial 10:30am

4

Excerpts from an article from All Things for Good website...

Thu

Fri

Sat

1

2

3

9

10

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

5

6

9:30 am Worship Service with Communion 10:30 am Church Council

7

8

10:00 am Community Carnival

6:30 pm Worship Service

District Convention 6:30 pm Men’s Softball (St. Marcus)

11

12

13

11:00 am Outdoor Worship Service 12:00 pm Church Picnic

14

15

(St. Paul’s Franklin)

19

20

21

22

8:30 pm Men’s Softball

9:30 pm Worship with Communion 10:45 am Evangelism Meets

17 3:15 pm (game) Thrivent Day at Miller Park w/ Mercy Me!

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

6:30 pm Men’s Softball

18

16

23

24

6:30 pm Worship Service

(St. Paul’s Cudahy)

Youth Wisconsin Dells Camping Trip Happy Father’s Day

25

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

26

27

9:30 pm Worship

28

8:30 pm Men’s Softball

4TH SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP

29

30

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

(St. Lucas)

Youth Camping

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13 Yesterday I received a kind note of encouragement from a friend. It was only about three sentences in length but the Lord used it to stir some much-needed strength in my soul.

Receiving the note led me to open up my Bible and dig around to see what the Lord says to us about encouragement. As I read passage after passage, I was struck by how vital this expression of love is for God’s people. In one sense, encouragement is like oxygen in the life of a church. It keeps hearts beating, minds clear, and hands inspired to serve. Because encouragement is so important to the church, God doesn’t merely recommend it, but He explicitly commands it (1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11; Hebrews 3:13).

Why We Need Encouragement.

God commanded that His people encourage each other because He knew we would need it. Jesus warned that “in the world you will have tribulation…” which He followed with much needed encouragement, “but take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We live in a broken world where everything calls us toward selfishness and despair. Sin steals joy, our bodies break down, our plans falter, our dreams die, our resolves weaken, our perspective dims. We are promised suffering (1 Peter 4:12), persecution (John 15:20; 2 Timothy 3:12), and trials of all sorts (James 1:2-3). When encouragement is absent from the life of a church people will feel unloved, unimportant, useless, and forgotten. God knows His people are in need of grace-filled reminders, which is why He calls us to encourage each other every day until His Son returns (Hebrews 3:13).

STAFF MINISTER’S REPORT As Missionaries of Christ, we bring everyone we come in contact with closer to the Savior.

Community Carnival – June 10th: Because this article is being written before the carnival, I will up-date the congregation as to the results in the July newsletter. In our planning for this event, we have added our new Puppet Ministry to perform several times at the carnival. We have also switched from snow cones to freeze pops (a little less messy too!). In coordination with the Fellowship committee, we have moved the tent to a different location which is closer to the north church doors. This placement hopefully will be in a dryer area and will also be more convenient for His Way Band and their equipment.

4th of July Parade: We are again walking in the parade and handing out over 350 small water bottles to the onlookers watching the parade. We put labels on these bottles where we advertise our church and school. If you would like to walk in the parade and hand out water bottles, candy, and leaflets, meet on the corner of Wilbur and 20th street at 9:00am. We join the parade route there. After the parade free ice cream is provided for everyone at Wilson Park.

Trunk or Treat in October: This event was mentioned in the May newsletter where we would coordinate with the school’s Wolfpac group to combine our resources and host this new event together.

We will be meeting together at our July meeting to plan a date and organize this first time event. We will need the congregation’s help for this event. Preliminary plans are to decorate the trunks of cars/vans with some type of theme. We will try to encourage the community to bring their children to this “child-safe” event verses doing the traditional trick or treat. Please look for further info after July.

Bob Garbe - Minister of Evangelism & Outreach

How Do I Grow in Being an Encouragement to Others?

There isn’t only one “right way” to encourage each other, but here are a few ideas to help you get started.  Pray for God to make you an encourager. Ask Him to give you a heart that loves

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

FLOWERS 4th - Gary & Sandi Nath – Anniversary 11th - None Assigned 18th - Gary & Sandi Nath in celebration of Sydney’s 15th birthday 25th - None Assigned

SERMON RECORDING

USHERS Thursday - Maury Bell Sunday - Lump Brown / Mike Chapman Dave Rochester / Don Wintrone Lump Brown - Head Usher

4th 11th 18th 25th -

Dave Rochester Bob Mayer Rich Kanitz Dave Rochester

others and creativity to know how to show it. Ask Him to help you die to selfcenteredness and grow in a desire to build others up. Because God delights in helping His people obey His commands, we can trust that His Spirit will teach us how to bless others for His glory and their spiritual good.  Make encouragement a daily discipline. For some of us encouragement comes

naturally, for others, not so much. I have a reminder in my calendar each day to send someone an encouraging note, email, text, or phone call. I need this reminder to pause, pray, and then intentionally try to spur someone on in Christ. Pray for God to show you who to encourage. Ask God to bring someone to mind that you should reach out to. One way to do this is by praying through your church’s membership directory. (continued on page 5)

Encourage One Another – Giving Grace With Your Words

June Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

June 4 Youth Group Car Wash Fundraiser @ Centennial 10:30am

4

Excerpts from an article from All Things for Good website...

Thu

Fri

Sat

1

2

3

9

10

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

5

6

9:30 am Worship Service with Communion 10:30 am Church Council

7

8

10:00 am Community Carnival

6:30 pm Worship Service

District Convention 6:30 pm Men’s Softball (St. Marcus)

11

12

13

11:00 am Outdoor Worship Service 12:00 pm Church Picnic

14

15

(St. Paul’s Franklin)

19

20

21

22

8:30 pm Men’s Softball

9:30 pm Worship with Communion 10:45 am Evangelism Meets

17 3:15 pm (game) Thrivent Day at Miller Park w/ Mercy Me!

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

6:30 pm Men’s Softball

18

16

23

24

6:30 pm Worship Service

(St. Paul’s Cudahy)

Youth Wisconsin Dells Camping Trip Happy Father’s Day

25

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

26

27

9:30 pm Worship

28

8:30 pm Men’s Softball

4TH SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP

29

30

6:30 pm Worship Service with Communion

(St. Lucas)

Youth Camping

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13 Yesterday I received a kind note of encouragement from a friend. It was only about three sentences in length but the Lord used it to stir some much-needed strength in my soul.

Receiving the note led me to open up my Bible and dig around to see what the Lord says to us about encouragement. As I read passage after passage, I was struck by how vital this expression of love is for God’s people. In one sense, encouragement is like oxygen in the life of a church. It keeps hearts beating, minds clear, and hands inspired to serve. Because encouragement is so important to the church, God doesn’t merely recommend it, but He explicitly commands it (1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11; Hebrews 3:13).

Why We Need Encouragement.

God commanded that His people encourage each other because He knew we would need it. Jesus warned that “in the world you will have tribulation…” which He followed with much needed encouragement, “but take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We live in a broken world where everything calls us toward selfishness and despair. Sin steals joy, our bodies break down, our plans falter, our dreams die, our resolves weaken, our perspective dims. We are promised suffering (1 Peter 4:12), persecution (John 15:20; 2 Timothy 3:12), and trials of all sorts (James 1:2-3). When encouragement is absent from the life of a church people will feel unloved, unimportant, useless, and forgotten. God knows His people are in need of grace-filled reminders, which is why He calls us to encourage each other every day until His Son returns (Hebrews 3:13).

STAFF MINISTER’S REPORT As Missionaries of Christ, we bring everyone we come in contact with closer to the Savior.

Community Carnival – June 10th: Because this article is being written before the carnival, I will up-date the congregation as to the results in the July newsletter. In our planning for this event, we have added our new Puppet Ministry to perform several times at the carnival. We have also switched from snow cones to freeze pops (a little less messy too!). In coordination with the Fellowship committee, we have moved the tent to a different location which is closer to the north church doors. This placement hopefully will be in a dryer area and will also be more convenient for His Way Band and their equipment.

4th of July Parade: We are again walking in the parade and handing out over 350 small water bottles to the onlookers watching the parade. We put labels on these bottles where we advertise our church and school. If you would like to walk in the parade and hand out water bottles, candy, and leaflets, meet on the corner of Wilbur and 20th street at 9:00am. We join the parade route there. After the parade free ice cream is provided for everyone at Wilson Park.

Trunk or Treat in October: This event was mentioned in the May newsletter where we would coordinate with the school’s Wolfpac group to combine our resources and host this new event together.

We will be meeting together at our July meeting to plan a date and organize this first time event. We will need the congregation’s help for this event. Preliminary plans are to decorate the trunks of cars/vans with some type of theme. We will try to encourage the community to bring their children to this “child-safe” event verses doing the traditional trick or treat. Please look for further info after July.

Bob Garbe - Minister of Evangelism & Outreach

How Do I Grow in Being an Encouragement to Others?

There isn’t only one “right way” to encourage each other, but here are a few ideas to help you get started.  Pray for God to make you an encourager. Ask Him to give you a heart that loves

Pastor Pufahl & family on vacation.

FLOWERS 4th - Gary & Sandi Nath – Anniversary 11th - None Assigned 18th - Gary & Sandi Nath in celebration of Sydney’s 15th birthday 25th - None Assigned

SERMON RECORDING

USHERS Thursday - Maury Bell Sunday - Lump Brown / Mike Chapman Dave Rochester / Don Wintrone Lump Brown - Head Usher

4th 11th 18th 25th -

Dave Rochester Bob Mayer Rich Kanitz Dave Rochester

others and creativity to know how to show it. Ask Him to help you die to selfcenteredness and grow in a desire to build others up. Because God delights in helping His people obey His commands, we can trust that His Spirit will teach us how to bless others for His glory and their spiritual good.  Make encouragement a daily discipline. For some of us encouragement comes

naturally, for others, not so much. I have a reminder in my calendar each day to send someone an encouraging note, email, text, or phone call. I need this reminder to pause, pray, and then intentionally try to spur someone on in Christ. Pray for God to show you who to encourage. Ask God to bring someone to mind that you should reach out to. One way to do this is by praying through your church’s membership directory. (continued on page 5)

Continued from page 4...

Continued from page 1...

after his father passed away. This son only cared about his wealth and did not even care if his father was alive. Then he took the wealth and ran away. He used the wealth to please himself in many different ways. Everything was going great… until he ran out of money. How would you have reacted, as a father in this story?

For so long the father had been waiting for his son's return.

Day after day he scanned the horizon, yearning for that familiar figure to come down the road. And then one day it came true. None but a loving father's eye could have recognized in that scruffy wreck the son who had left home so confidently earlier. The father ran as fast as his legs could carry him to embrace his son. When the son began to stammer about his sins, the father cut his confession short.

He saw the change of heart in his son's eyes. Best of all, the father received his son back, not as a servant but as a son in full standing. The best suit of clothes, the finest shoes, the signet ring were given him as sign of that sonship. A sumptuous banquet was prepared with the son as the guest of honor. All because the son who was as good as dead to the father was now alive and safely back home.



Use Scripture if you’re able. Nothing encourages us like promises from God’s Word. Make a list of Scriptures that God has used to bless you personally or an excerpt form something your read in your daily devotional. Mine the Psalms, Romans 8, and the Gospels. Find and share riches of God’s grace with others. Be specific in what you say. The note I received from my friend included two very specific ways he had seen evidences of grace in my life. When I read them, I was humbled and reminded of the fact that God does actually work in and though me. I needed that.



Regularly encourage your pastor. If your pastor says something that God uses, tell him about it. Don’t expect him to write you back, but just send a few lines in a card or an email. Nothing encourages a pastor like hearing specific ways God used a sermon or counseling session to work in your life.



Pray that God would create a culture of encouragement in your church. Ask God to make your church a community that loves each other in specific, tangible ways like encouragement. Ask God to use you to help fan that flame. Don’t get discouraged if people don’t return your encouragement (Matthew 6:3-4; Ephesians 6:3-8) or if you don’t see fruit from it (Galatians 6:9-10). Creating a church culture that glorifies God takes a long time, lots of prayer, and abundant grace. I encourage you to keep at it.

So get started. Who can you encourage right now? Who has blessed you recently that you can thank? What verse can you share with them? How might God use it? May the Lord do more than we can imagine through just a little encouragement (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Of course, we are all children to one Father. Our Father is God. Time and time again we run away from him. Time and time again we turn from him and want to go our own way; do our own things. Time and time again we slap him in the face as we refuse to listen to him and chose sin instead. And time and time again, our Father should reject us and throw us from his presence, forever. Yet, does he do that? Or, is he waiting for us?

The parable of The Prodigal Son is really a story about the waiting father. I know who the prodigal son is. It is I who so foolishly and so often have left the Father's house. What I need to know is everything about the heavenly Father. Does he write me out of his will or long for my return home? Will he slam the door of heaven in my face or open his arms to me? Will treat me like some slave or take me back as a son or daughter? Here's the answer! Because of another Son, named Jesus, who left his Father's house on the task of salvation and returned with it completed, my Father will be waiting for me.

R OU Y !

E IT N DS V IN RIE F

Activities:  3-bounce houses  His Way Band  Balloon tying clown  Raffle items  David Fliss, caricaturist  Face painting  Fire truck & police car

Refreshments:  Pop corn  Nachos  Popsicles  Hot dogs  Lemonade  Cool refreshing water

IN V N EI ITE G H YO U BO R RS !

Father, thank you for still waiting for me although I often wander from home.

Amen. “...the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” Romans 8:15

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son!

10th

11th

11th

17th

Community Carnival 10:00 am

Outdoor Worship Service 11:00 am

Church Picnic 12:00 pm

Thrivent Day at Miller Park 3:15 pm (game time)

Ephesians 1:5

3558 S. 24th Street Milwaukee, WI 53221 414-281-2280| www.centennialwels.org prayers@centennialwels.org GREG PUFAHL, PASTOR ROBERT GARBE, STAFF MINISTER LIN KANITZ, ADMIN ASSISTANT JENNY PUFAHL, SUNDAY SCHOOL RICH KANITZ, PRESIDENT

UPCOMING EVENTS! FAITH DAY AT MILLER PARK! Come with us! On Saturday, June 17, the Brewers will host the first ever Faith Day, presented by Thrivent Financial, at Miller Park featuring a free postgame concert by MultiPlatinum Christian music group, MercyMe, following the Crew's matchup with the Padres.

Grammy-nominated MercyMe has 27 number one hits, more than nine million albums sold, and has established their place as one of the greatest Christian bands of all time. $16.00 per person. See Maureen Rochester or Lin Kanitz to express interest. Invite your family and your friends to this fun event!!!

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CENTENNIAL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN JUNE 2017 – VOL. II ISS. VI

Our Waiting Father While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

JOHN NOLTE, TREASURER MIKE CHAPMAN, PROPERTY MANAGER YOUTH GROUP MEN’S MINISTRIES WOMEN’S MINISTRIES MINISTRIES FOR SENIORS INTERNET MINISTRY GLOBAL OUTREACH MISSIONS MUSIC MINISTRIES

Jesus said in Matthew, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” What better way to do that than to take our worship service outdoors? Come join us for our annual outdoor worship service will take place on Sunday, June 11th at 11:00 am. Our friends, His Way band will be here to lead our contemporary worship service. Come and let YOUR light shine and show our neighbors how we praise the Lord for all he has done for us. Remember the service starts at 11:00 am and will be proceeded by our annual church picnic. (see below)

SPECIAL NEEDS

Please join us for worship on Thursday nights at 6:30 pm and Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Luke 15:20

OUTDOOR WORSHIP SERVICE

CHURCH PICNIC “God Bless America!” is our theme this year as we celebrate our liberty and our faith together once again on Sunday, June 11th. The fellowship committee will provide the Hot Dogs, Brats and Buns. We ask that you bring a dish to pass.

We hope to get a balanced offering of fruit, veggies, snacks and hot dishes to complete the meal, so we ask that you sign up in the church lobby as to what you will be bringing this year. We thank you in advance for your wonderful generosity! Along with the good food we will have plenty for the kids, pony rides, music, bingo...and so much more! Invite everyone you know to join us in the fun on Sunday, June 11 right after our outdoor service!

F

“For in You the fatherless find compassion.” Hosea 14:3

Centennial Evangelical Lutheran Church

ather’s day is right around the corner. Every year we get a chance to celebrate the blessing that God has given to us in this world…A blessing known as our fathers. When you think about your father, what do you think? “He was rough and tough, but very loving.” “He would give up his life for the family.” “He would never do anything to harm me.”

perfect relationship between a father and his children.

Fathers, how long would you wait for your child? How often would you forgive your child? How many times will you show love to your child even though they time and time again go against what you say? Again, in a perfect world, we would want to say we would wait for our children forever and forgiven them all the time.

Fathers are a wonderful blessing to us because they are stern when they need to, and loving the rest of the time.

Of course that is in a perfect world. Sin has corrupted this

Our passage today comes from the story known as the Prodigal Son, or the Lost Son. This son wanted his possessions that were only supposed to be given to him Continued on page 2...