LAMPLIGHTER Fall 2019
Our St. John’s Communications Journey by Kristi Meyer Communication: noun; the imparting or exchanging of information or news; from the Latin for “to share.” With the creation of the Communications Committee in December 2013, St. John’s began its focus on communication. Where has our communications journey taken us over the past 5½ years? And where does this path lead in the future? As one of its first tasks, the Communications Committee discussed each St. John’s communications stream to determine its purpose and audience. This intentional “start at the very beginning” approach led to the development of several new communications streams and the refinement of others. The E-News (our electronic newsletter distributed on Thursday mornings) previews the weekend worship service and delivers the most important weekly announcements to our members’ inboxes. The Lamplighter (our quarterly newsletter) moved from the standard two-column, photocopied, announcement-heavy church newsletter to a graphically designed, magazine-style publication. For Pastor Joel Leyrer, this new design is a welcome change. “The reformatted and repurposed Lamplighter gives a broader perspective on what’s happening in our church and how our gifts are being used for gospel ministry.” A new and improved church and school website, a redesigned Crusader Chronicle (our electronic weekly school newsletter), Livestreaming of worship services, and printed service folders are just a few other communications refinements. All of these communication streams serve a specific purpose for St. John’s communications. “To not access all the media outlets available to us is the equivalent of having a printing press
and not using it,” says Pastor Leyrer. “In reaching people today, it would be irresponsible not to utilize these different venues.” An increased focus on communications also brings more subtle benefits. “Almost everything is at least a little bit easier in some way because information flow is better,” explains Pastor Kyle Bitter. “People now have a better idea of where they can go to have their questions answered.” This improvement in general information flow allows St. John’s to better involve all its members in our shared gospel ministry. Volunteers can only do so much to form and shape communications at a congregation like St. John’s, and there is a recognition that we have reached the limits of what can be done with volunteers. “As initiatives develop, they take up more time and responsibility,” says Pastor Bitter. “The responsibilities were becoming more than should be asked of a volunteer.” In response, the position of Communications Coordinator was created. This part-time position will provide St. John’s with a systematic, cohesive focus on communications. Pastor Leyrer describes the benefits of such a position this way: “A Communications Coordinator is a commitment to what we have been doing and what has, according to our people, been well-received and appreciated by them.” On a personal note, I am excited to step into this role of Communications Coordinator and am eager to carry out conversations about communications on a broader scale. I am especially passionate about telling stories of the gospel ministry God is allowing us to carry out at St. John’s Church and School. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with comments or suggestions related to communications. I look forward to your thoughts and feedback!
P a s t o r ’s C o r n e r
Does Church Take a Summer Vacation? by Pastor Kyle Bitter Family vacations, trips up north, camping outings, outdoor adventures—the list goes on and on from there. Summer is the time of the year when most people travel some, and many people travel quite a lot! Travel makes summer an enjoyable time of the year, a busy time of the year, and at times even a stressful time of the year. No matter where your summer travels have taken you, whether you saw long-time family members or explored new places, relaxed in the beauty of God’s creation or had adventures, it usually feels good to come home again. That’s true at church too. While it’s fun to visit sister congregations while traveling, participate in mission trips to other parts of the country, and meet Christians from other places, it usually feels good to come home again. As a new school year begins, you’ll get to see friends who were away over the summer. You’ll get to hear fun stories from travels and vacations. And you’ll get to gather together with everyone for one single combined service on Unity Sunday the weekend after Labor Day.
Memorials In Memory of Martha Ellenberger From Dan & Lorrie Meiers (debt reduction)
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Maybe in a small way, returning home from summer travels and regrouping around our shared ministry at St. John’s offers a taste of what God has prepared for us in eternity. In a sense, we are all traveling as Jesus leads us through this world, complete with blessings and struggles, companionship and loneliness, relaxation and stress. He has important work for us to do while we are here, and he pours out his blessings along the way, but this isn’t home. And so we can look forward to completing our varied journeys through this world and finally arriving in our permanent home. It will be an eternity with our God, with our family members and friends, and with all of God’s children from every generation. What a homecoming that will be!
Unity Sunday will be held on September 8, at 9:00 a.m. in the school gym. In Memory of Dolores Hahn From Paul & Annette Birkholz (debt reduction) In Honor of Carl Meiers From Dan & Lorrie Meiers (debt reduction)
In Memory of Alfrieda Meiers From Dan & Lorrie Meiers (debt reduction)
In Honor of Levin’s Birthday From Anthony & Laila Kandarapally (general fund)
In Memory of Wilma Frailing From John Frailing (properties & landscaping)
In Memory of Jack & Michael Schmeling From Delores Schmeling (Lau/Tuition Fund)
In Memory of Theo & Viola Lau From Shirley Osgood (Lau/Tuition Fund)
In Memory of John Ellenberger From Dan & Lorrie Meiers (debt reduction)
In Memory of Ruth Sitz From Lee Abraham (debt reduction & Finish Strong council project), Ron & Jean Biffel, Drex & Charlotte Hansen (debt reduction), Dan & Mary Schmal, Steven & Jean Stern, Ken & Naomi Stein, Cary & Dinah Haakenson, Mike & Suzanne Swenson, (Lau/Tuition Fund), Sue Johanning, Louise Saylor, Jeff & Susan Scheibe, Barbara Weihing, Jes & Susan Mariscal, Keith & Leigh Ann Treichel, Larry & Gayle Totsky, Helen Albrecht, Michael & Marlene Cox, Lyle & Cynthia Haferman, Dean & Shirley Smith, Greg & Carla Martin, Delores Baumann, Delores Schmeling, Janet Hollatz, Jeff & Yvonne Quint, Paul Schoeneck, Dan & Sue Eick, Mark & Mary Gaub (undesignated), and Shirley Osgood (building fund)
In Memory of Katherine Weiss (Sue Eick’s sister) From Jes & Susan Mariscal, Michael & Marlene Cox, Dan & Sue Eick (Finish Strong council project)
Pastor’s Corner
In Memory of Robert Hahn From Annette Birkholz (boiler) In Memory of Viola Lau From Shirley Osgood (Lau/Tuition Fund) In Memory of Lloyd Hansen (Drex’s Brother) From Drex & Charlotte Hansen (debt reduction) In Memory of Howard Baumann From Delores Baumann (debt reduction) In Memory of Sharon Bartlien From Sue Johanning (undesignated)
Board of Education
More Than Just a Major by Kaitlin Lamb I owe my professors a lot of gratitude as they were the ones who pushed me to learn as much as I could and believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. All of my professors truly cared not only about me learning but also about me as a person. This made a tremendous difference in my education. I was accepted early into the nursing program before I even started my freshman year. And when that did not work out, I had the option of leaving WLC to go to another nursing program, but I chose to stay. I chose to stay because I knew that WLC had more to offer me then just a major. I changed my mind and decided to study psychology so that I could become a child life specialist instead of a nurse.
Kerry Kuehn
Casey Holtz
Adam Greggs
“I wanted to go to a small school because I found the value in the class sizes and the optional one-on-one attention with the professors.”
Staying at WLC was the best decision I could have made. WLC allowed me to grow exponentially in my faith and granted me opportunity after opportunity to serve my fellow students and the community. I learned how to be a humble servant leader who strives to love people in all situations. I took every chance to dive more into God’s word through the various Bible studies, retreats, chapel, church, and so much more. WLC is truly blessed with great campus pastors who make a difference in all the lives of the students there. College was not always easy but through the amazing professors who went beyond what was expected of them, the campus pastors who taught me God’s grace and word, the activities and clubs that were offered, and the people I met, I was able to get the best education and life altering change that I could have asked for. All glory be to God.
Pete Stauffer
I found Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) on an internet search. At the time I was living in Connecticut with my family, so thinking about going to Wisconsin to visit was not exactly in the picture. However, my parents surprised me, and I got to visit WLC after all. I noticed the warm and welcoming Christian atmosphere right away. This became even clearer as I started my freshman year as every person held the door for the person behind them and as most people smiled as I passed them. It was at WLC that I made the best friends that I have ever had in my life. And I am a Navy brat, so I have had a lot of friends come and go. There is just something different about the people at WLC.
Jon Phillips
Kaitlin Lamb
Board of Education
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Board of Education/Properties
Meet Mr. Kriese by Angela Ebeling Meet our new 5th grade teacher, Mr. Brett Kriese. Brett graduated from Martin Luther College (MLC) in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. He was assigned to Grace in Falls Church, Va. for a six month emergency call where he taught Mr. Brett Kriese 5th Grade Teacher 5th - 8th grade. Since then he has taught at St. Paul’s in Algoma (5th - 6th grade) and served as principal and taught 5th - 6th grade at Pilgrim in Menomonee Falls. Brett continued his education by obtaining a Wisconsin DPI Elementary and Middle School License from Silver Lake College, a Wisconsin DPI Middle School and High School License from Wisconsin Lutheran College, and a Master of Science in Education from MLC. Brett currently lives in Germantown with his wife Tamara (Tammy), 14-year-old son Hans (freshman at Kettle Moraine Lutheran), and 11-year-old daughter Eva (6th grade). His hobbies include traveling, fishing, studying history, and shopping for antiques. In his free time he enjoys “spending time with my family, heading up to Crivitz, traveling both domestically and internationally, exercising at the WAC, and downhill skiing.” Some things you should know about him are that he cheers for ALL Wisconsin teams—Brewers, Bucks, Badgers, Packers, and he likes listening to the Beatles and watching Star Wars and Marvel movies. Brett was born in Appleton, Wis. and grew up in New London before moving to Appleton when he was 16. He attended Emmanuel Lutheran grade school in New London and Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton. When you have a chance, please introduce yourself and welcome Brett and his family!
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Board of Education/Properties
Green Thumbs Not Required by Kurt and Kelly Kramer The Rooted and Mowing team cares for the landscape at church and school. We are blessed with volunteers who give their time to mow lawns, weed, plant, water, prune, rake leaves, and haul away debris.
Our season begins in spring with clean up and planting flowers, and then the lawn mowing starts. It takes a large crew to keep the grass mowed. This year we are grateful that many members stepped up and volunteered to mow the lawns. In summer we schedule one to two work days each month to keep up with the weeds. In fall we rake leaves and prepare the beds for winter. Our group is supported entirely by donations from the congregation, and our expenses are not included in the annual budget. Donations are always welcome and can be given using your “Above and Beyond’ envelope marked with “landscaping.” We are currently looking for more volunteers for general weeding and maintenance. Green thumbs are not required to join our team, just a love of working outside and the desire to keep up the curb appeal of our campus. We are happy to provide training to anyone who is interested but feels they lack gardening experience. There’s a garden job out there for almost everyone. Scheduled garden work dates are emailed to volunteers and people can show up when they are available. We generally work for an hour or two on a weekend or weeknight. To join our group or if you have any questions please contact Kurt and Kelly Kramer at rootedandmowing@outlook.com.
Board of Outreach
A Relaxing 45 Minutes by Lynn Kozlowski After 13 years and 107 recitals, the Third Thursday Noontime Concert series is alive and well and ready to embark on a new season. We have sung and played for 6524 guests since April 20, 2006. What precipitated the launch of such a venture? Early in 2005 the church underwent a major redecorating: refinishing pews and floors, painting the walls, and dusting the wood ceiling. So that dirt (or workmen) wouldn’t fall into the organ chamber, our curator and organ tuner, Stanton Peters, removed and cleaned all 1627 pipes in the organ, revoiced the organ, and replaced the always out of tune pedal reed pipes with a new 16’ to 4’ Contra Trumpet. He also placed the console on a moveable platform and installed a Peterson solid state combination action with 100 memory levels. At the same time the balcony was also remodeled. Eight balcony levels were changed to four levels to better accommodate moveable chairs, string and brass ensembles, and handbell ringers. With such remarkable updates and improvements to an already superb organ, it seemed to me that it should be heard more than just on Sunday and other worship occasions. In addition, there is a vast canon of organ literature, some of which is better suited for concert situations than church services. The first recital was called “Meet the King.” The organ is often called the “king of instruments” because of its size, power, and versatility. When a nonmusical friend of mine said, “I didn’t
know Elvis wrote any organ music,” I knew the decision to do some concerts was necessary and timely. (For you younger readers who might not know him, Elvis Presley was a famous pop singer in the 50’s and 60’s, who was often called “The King of Rock and Roll.”)
Since the first recital, St. John’s has hosted many organists, singers, and instrumentalists. Musicians, both from St. John’s and from other WELS churches, have been excited and grateful for the chance to perform in a concert situation, and they do so gratis, just because they love and want to share music. With the gift of a stunning Steinway piano last year, we will feature that great instrument as well as the organ in the next season. We are pleased to have guests who have attended almost every recital including Miss Treder and the 3rd graders from St. John’s School. We welcome guests from our congregation and from the community. If you have never attended a Third Thursday Noontime concert, please consider doing so and bring some friends. You can’t beat the admission price (free!) and you will enjoy a relaxing 45 minutes at lunch time of a great variety of good music—from Bach to Broadway.
Third Thursday Noontime Concerts for 2019-2020
• Nov. 21 – A Musical Journey
Adam Goede
Mike Gleason
Dan Ebeling
Erik Campbell
• Jan. 6 – Interpreting Engelberg
• Mar. 19 – Music from around the World • Apr. 16 – Young Artists • May 21 – Lynn and Friends
Jim Schneiker
• Oct. 17 – Pedals, Pipes, and Keyboards
• Feb. 20 – The Harmonious Horn
Kurt Handeland
• Sept. 19 – Just Duet
Board of Outreach
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Board of Outreach
Never a Dull Moment by Lexi Siegmund and Erin Welcenbach From July 6-14, St. John’s teens went on a mission trip to Rockhill, South Carolina. We ran a science camp at Illumine Lutheran Church for kids going into K5-5th grade. The theme this year was the rainforest. We grew in our faith, we grew as people, and we had plenty of fun while doing it. It was overall beneficial for the teens, campers, and the adults. The camp was our main focus for the trip but we also had plenty of fun doing other activities during the day and canvassing for Huntersville Lutheran Church. We would run the camp in the morning and in the afternoon we would go swimming and do other activities. One day we went to see a movie and another day we went to Carowinds: a water and amusement park located on the borders of North and South Carolina. Another entertaining thing we did was a talent show that included videos we made before the trip with our teams. Being surrounded by people with the same faith and teaching children about Jesus helped us grow and strengthen our faith. We would sing songs and have devotions with the kids at camp and later in the evening have Bible studies. Especially for the freshman, moving from being campers to counselors is a huge responsibility that helps you grow as a person while moving into high school. We get to teach and help children that we commonly don’t have the opportunity to do otherwise. This trip was very beneficial for the teens, campers, and adults alike. It was worthwhile for the teens because we were strengthening our own faith and others’ as well and learning to take on some responsibility. It was positive for the campers as they learned about Jesus for the first time, or just continued to learn as they weren’t in school hearing about it everyday. They also maybe don’t go to a Christian school where they could be reminded everyday of the sacrifice Christ gave them. Lastly, it was valuable to the adults as their memories were refreshed of all the things they learned as Christians while still attending school. Overall, this camp was helpful to lots of different people in different ways and helped people grow and strengthen their faith and to grow as people. There was never a dull moment and we were always having fun in whatever we did. We are so grateful for all the people who made this possible. Thank you to our pastors, teachers, parents, supporters, and chaperones for making this happen. Thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity to help so many people and spread the wonderful news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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Board of Outreach
Board of Outreach
New Challenges Every Day by Eric Dietze Unshakable: what does it mean to you? Maybe it’s your passion for the Green Bay Packers, what you want your financial stability to be, or perhaps the parable of the man who built his house on the rock. From July 6-14, St. John’s sent a team of volunteers to Cross of Life Lutheran Church in Mississauga, Ontario, to assist with their soccer camp. The 230 kids who attended the camp were divided into groups based on age, wearing blue, yellow, red, and lime green jerseys. But instead of their last name, every camper had one word boldly printed on the back of their jersey: Unshakable. In addition to the shooting and dribbling drills, the campers attended a 30 minute devotion focusing on our heavenly Father’s unshakable love for everyone. The devotion started when the camp counselors put on a skit that demonstrated God’s love in an applicable and goofy way. After the skit, Pastor Caleb Schulz explained how the skit related to God’s word and his love for us—a love that can’t be moved changed or turned away even if we miss the game winning goal. Every day a new challenge either mentally or physically confronted us. Campers and coaches alike struggled to learn names and make friends. The heat and high humidity hit us hard, exhausting even the most energetic campers. Wobbly and tired legs broke out among the counselors, an effect of the hard fought coaches game that day. A torrential downpour halted the camp, forcing everyone to seek shelter. In the chaos of the wind and rain some of the tents (used to provide shade for the parents) were crumpled and destroyed. While our gear was shaken, our resolve wasn’t. Friday was a final day full of scrimmages and tournaments; all capped off by one last devotion. Pastor Schulz made one final effort to witness to hundreds of kids and parents, saying, “Give an hour of your time, it could mean your eternity.” The message resonated specifically with James, a Nigerian immigrant who feared the dangers of his home country’s shaky government. The next Sunday, James and his wife took their three children (two of whom attended soccer camp) to church at Cross of Life. The message of God’s love and the life giving salvation brought by Christ that Pastor Schulz and the other camp coaches taught that week won’t come as quickly as it did for James and his family. Like the parable of the Sower, the seed of life may lie dormant, waiting for next year’s soccer camp or 40 years down the line to blossom into faith. Board of Outreach
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Board of Discipleship
The Case for Sunday School by Pastor Eric Schroeder
“I don’t need Sunday School . . .” “I never went to Sunday school and I turned out fine . . .” “Isn’t one hour of church enough?”
Commonly Asked Questions About Sunday School
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Kevin Festerling
Brian Lampe
My child hears God’s Word in school all week; do they really need one more hour? The short answer is yes, they do. Your child benefits from meeting friends from the congregation who attend other schools, and they can bring friends as a witness to those who don’t have a church. In addition, Sunday school uses an entirely different curriculum from that of our grade school, so the material won’t repeat exactly what our St. John’s school kids get during the week.
Board of Discipleship
I’d like to personally invite your children to Sunday school and you to adult Bible study or a BIC review. It’s good for everyone, and your children might just look forward to Sunday school if we create a culture in our homes of loving every opportunity for growth in God’s Word.
There is no such thing as time wasted in God’s Word. What am I supposed to do during the extra hour? Our Adult Bible Study Committee works hard to provide a variety of relevant study topics throughout the year. Join us in the Fellowship Hall at 9:15 a.m. and grow in your faith at the same time as your children, then share with each other what you learned or reviewed. Or you can invite a friend or neighbor to go through a Bible Information Class (BIC) with you. BIC is also held at 9:15 a.m. and is taught by the St. John’s pastoral staff What if my child doesn’t like going to Sunday school? Does your child like going to the doctor or the dentist? Will they love every day of school? As parents, it’s our job to train our children in the way they should go, not the way they would go if they made all the decisions.
Michael Skocir
Our Board of Discipleship aims to provide opportunities for all St. John’s members to grow in our faith regularly. Of course this includes Sunday (or Saturday) worship, but we also recognize the need for age-appropriate teaching for our children. Currently Matthew Pastorek is our Sunday school superintendent, and his volunteer position focuses solely on overseeing the Sunday school
ministry for children from age 3 through teenagers, held Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m. Volunteer teachers and assistants team up to welcome the children, teach a short Bible story, and reinforce the lesson with a project or activity. Older children are able to have deeper discussion with life applications they take from God’s Word.
Matt Pastorek
Maybe you’ve heard the resistance. Maybe you find it easy to sleep the extra hour and still make it to late church or to leave after the early service and go about the rest of your day. I am biased, and I can’t call it mandatory; please allow me, however, to make a case for Sunday school.
Board of Discipleship
PATHWAYS 2019 Fa l l Bi bl e St ud i es SUNDAY MORNINGS at 9 : 15 A.M. Large Group Bible Study • Fellowship Hall Christian Apologetics Dr. Michael Berg (Wisconsin Lutheran College) September 15-29 Christian Apologetics can be described as “Defending the faith using reason.” The biblical mandate for apologetics comes from 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason (apologia) for the hope that you have.” Yet there is more to the story. Apologetics is a ministry of caring: we care about the doubts of skeptics and believers alike. While Christians cannot produce faith in dead hearts, they can knock down faulty arguments against the Christian message and make a positive argument for the Christian faith. The apologetic task is to make the case for the Christian claim and let the Spirit do the work of faith by presenting the gospel to the skeptic.
Bible Information Class • St. Matthew’s Room The Wonders of God Pastoral Staff This course provides a general overview of the Bible, touches upon every major Christian doctrine, and supplies a solid understanding of what we confess and believe as a confessional Lutheran Church. Since it provides the foundation for a deeper relationship with God, we encourage both members and non-members to attend.
The Names of Jesus Pastor Eric Schroeder Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. beginning September 12 The Names of Jesus: Immanuel. Messiah and Christ. Lord and King. We know those names refer to Jesus, but what exactly does each name especially emphasize about his place in our lives? This study will remind us of what we already know and reinforce the deeply relevant truths contained in the names Scripture attaches to our Savior. Video clips will take us to the places where Jesus walked and help provide a context for our discussion. All are welcome.
RIBS (Renewed & Inspired by Our Savior) Women’s Bible Study • Fellowship Hall Living by the Book: Workbook Wednesday mornings from 8:30-10:00 a.m. beginning September 4 We are continuing our study of Living by the Book: Workbook by Howard Hendricks and William Hendricks. Even if you didn’t join us at the beginning, it’s never too late to learn effective Bible study methods. Contact Monica Gnat at 414-774 6180 or monicagnat@sbcglobal.net for more information. Book and workbook will be used.
Men’s Bible Study • City Market (8700 W. Watertown Plank Rd. #2) Genesis Wednesday mornings at 6:30 a.m. This first book of the Bible gives us information about the origin of the universe and the human race. It also records the tragic details of how sin entered this perfect world and its ugly consequences. Join us as we discuss this important “book of beginnings” and discover God at work to redeem us with his message of law and gospel. Please contact Jon Johnson (jon8011@yahoo.com) with questions. Board of Discipleship
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Board of Elders
More Than a Handful by Jen Wolf Traditionally, church bells are used to call people to worship, for festivals, and to mark important events such as weddings and funerals. Handbells were originally made for change ringers to practice ringing steeple bells for these occasions in the 1600s, according to Whitechapel Bell Foundry of England. Hundreds of years later, you are probably most familiar with the 4 octaves of handbells that you see and hear played in St. John’s. “St. John’s has had bells since 1992,” says choir director, Kristi Meyer. “I love watching a piece come together from an initial rough start to a beautiful final musical work.” Playing in the handbell choir can be a challenge since each person is only in charge of a few notes. You must rely on the rest of the choir to make a full song.
A ringer must rely on the choir director in order to make chords and tricky timing work. It’s truly a team instrument. “I love the fellowship time,” says Julie Handeland, who plays with the adults and directs the junior handbell choir. Students who begin to play in the junior handbell choir have grown up with music and several play or have played with the adult choir. Student and adult choir members have the opportunity to play for church, special programs like Advent by Candlelight, and even WELS national and regional handbell festivals.
In April 2020, St. John’s will be one of many handbell choirs playing at the WELS national handbell festival at Wisconsin Lutheran College How do the ringers make that joyful noise? Imagine you are holding a wine glass in your hand by gripping the stem in your fist. The glass is half full. In a gentle, circular movement, tip the glass forward while extending your arm and bring it back to your shoulder without spilling. Feel free to try that at home (at your own risk)—it will give you an approximate motion of how to make the clapper strike the bell to ring it.
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Board of Elders
Here are a few other sounds to watch for. Yes, that’s right—handbells are both a visual and aural experience! • Echo Ring: Lightly brushing the padded table with the bell in a circular motion • Tower Ring: Swinging the bell down and back carefully so as not to hit something behind them • Malleting: Using mallets to strike the bell either sitting on the table or held in hand • Gyro: Holding the bell extended and twisting it in a circular motion • Martellato: Punching the bell into the padded table • Shake: Extending the bell and shaking it; most often done by the smallest bells • Singing Bell: Making a stirring motion around the rim of the bell with a wooden dowel; most often done by the largest bells
Board of Elders
A High-Quality Online Presence by Rachel Wendland In today’s digital and social media age, the Internet is most often the first place we turn to find directions, buy gifts, or research restaurant menus before dining out. The Internet is also one of the first places many families turn when they’re looking for a school, preschool, or a childcare program for their children. So much information can be found at the touch of a button, so having a high-quality online presence is important for any business or school. First impressions go a long way. If someone’s first experience with you as a school leaves them frustrated, confused, or with more questions than when they started, their opinion (whether fair or not) could greatly influence their decision to choose your program. Steve Williams, co-founder of Campus Suite, makes some good points about school websites.
“The ability to get around on your site and find what they need reflects on how well your school is organized. The more organized your website is, the more inviting it will remain, building confidence in your visitors that they’ll get the information they need when they visit. Your school website should be a reflection of your school—the students, the staff, the facilities, the experience. It has more visitors, after all, than the front lobby, the football game or any school play. Your website’s design is more important that you may realize.”
One of my initial goals as the new childcare director was to re-evaluate our online presence. Reorganizing and redesigning the childcare portion of the website has been the first focus of my goal. As that goal was discussed, it led to a re-evaluation of our entire website. This spring, Kristi Meyer and I worked together to pick a new website design template that will create a cohesive feel between the church, school, and childcare pages. Kristi will be working on the church and school pages this fall, and I created a new childcare page this summer. This childcare page also houses information on our Early Childhood programs: 3K, 4K, and Mornings with Mommy. As we redesign our pages, we are intentionally thinking about what information to include, how that information is organized for ease of navigation, and how that information is presented through color and design choices. This redesign will lay a solid foundation in using our website for outreach efforts. Another facet of online presence is social media. I created a childcare Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sjtosachildcare) to house more consistent updates for childcare without overtaking the church and school page. I plan to use this platform to keep our families engaged in the everyday activities of childcare and to promote any special or upcoming events within our community. Please pray that all these efforts take root and serve to continue growing our ministry at St. John’s! Board of Elders
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Board of Elders
Worship Opportunities
Financial Update
September 8 – Unity Sunday Hear Jesus’ Warning
September 15 – The Door Is Narrow September 22 – Humble Yourselves September 29 – Count the Cost
Expenses exceeded revenue, resulting in the need to use funds from the Financial Stability Account.
Rooted and Growing October 6 – United in Love for the Lost October 13 – In Faithful Use of Possessions October 20 – Earthly Riches are an Opportunity to Do Good
Promises of the End October 27 – The Truth Will Set You Free November 3 – They Are Safely Home November 10 – To Everyone Who Has, More Will Be Given November 17 – They Can No Longer Die November 24 – You Will Be With Me In Paradise
Each area of revenue is needed to reach the targeted budget. This fiscal year we came short in General Offerings and Childcare revenue. Revenue: Expenses:
MEMBERS LEAVING BY TRANSFER Emily Raychel, Sebastian & Isla to Crossroads, Chicago, IL Cirilo & Katie Chavez & Eladio, Dayanara, Ariana to Peace, Hartford, WI Kaitlin Lamb to Messiah, S. Windsor, CT
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Board of Elders
Jes Mariscal
David Close
RELEASED BY REQUEST Kelsey Riegel to Zion LCMS, Columbus, OH
Financial Stability Account:
Actual $ 2,172,281 $ 2,198,442 ($ 26,161)
Applied to Fiscal Shortfall
Remaining Balance
$ 26,161
$ 56,073
Pastoral Acts ASLEEP IN THE LORD William Bernard Ruth Sitz
May 21, 2019 June 15, 2019
BAPTISMS Aaron James Shorey Theo Sullivan Rusch Anna Cierny
May 19, 2019 June 8, 2019 July 11, 2019
MARRIAGE Quinten Petersen & Megan Leverence June 21, 2019 Daniel Johnston & Megan Schaeuble July 13, 2019
John Peterman
NEW MEMBERS BY TRANSFER Mitchell & Tzvia Springer, Owen & Logan from Star of Bethlehem, New Berlin WI Brett & Tamara Kriese, Hans & Eva from Pilgrim, Menomonee Falls, WI
Fiscal Year Shortfall:
Greg Martin
Membership Changes
Budgeted $ 2,261,424 $ 2,261,424