LAMPLIGHTER Fall 2020
Ten Weeks, Countless Stories . . . by Kristi Meyer Self-isolation. Quarantine. Shutdown. Flattening the curve. Social distancing. These new vocabulary terms are a microcosm of how life has changed for every one of us—one of the biggest changes being the suspension of in-person worship services for 10 weeks this spring. For the vast majority of our congregation, worshiping virtually was an experience like none other. For those of us there in person, planning and executing worship services for an absent congregation was equally strange. But being able to transition quickly to onlineonly worship clearly shows the resources that God has showered upon St. John’s. “Whether it was our ‘Quarantine Choir’ or other musicians or AV operator, it highlighted the efforts of the support staff and volunteer network that St. John’s has built—that we were able to still do worship well even without a whole congregation there,” says Pastor Eric Schroeder. From the very beginning, online services were intended to replicate “normal” worship services as much as possible. This meant recruiting a small group to simulate the congregation (albeit in a socially distanced way). “With separate microphones from different parts of the sanctuary, we were able to get what sounded like a full church without having many people present,” explains Pastor
Kyle Bitter. That small group quickly began doing more than just hymns and congregational responses. “We normally have choirs or small groups singing psalms and anthems, and we wanted to try to preserve that as much as possible,” says Pastor Bitter. What couldn’t be preserved, however, were the people physically sitting in the pews. Sermons that were prepared in the same way and that proclaimed the same law/gospel message were preached to an empty church, making sermon delivery very different. “Even though people aren’t responding and contributing out loud, there’s a lot of interaction that goes on during a sermon,” says Pastor Schroeder. “Missing out on that was probably the hardest part.” Even more difficult than preaching to an empty church was the lack of personal contact and interaction with the flock our pastors are called to shepherd. Pastor Joel Leyrer explains: “You’re used to seeing people on a regular basis before and after church services and touching base with them, and it was difficult not seeing people. Just the normal, commonplace social interaction with 400 people over the course of a weekend can’t be replicated through phone calls or anything other than corporate worship.” continued on page 3 . . .
P a s t o r ’s C o r n e r
What Time Is It? by Pastor Joel Leyrer Things may be different when you read this, but in light of the recent events swirling around us at the time of this writing, I find myself reflecting on Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. That’s the section of Scripture which begins with the statement “there is a time for everything.” So, what time is it? In the grand historical scheme of things, it is the time that has always been. What we presently face may be new to us, but we are not unique. Every era and every generation experience the highs and lows of living on a sin-stained planet. Solomon reminds us that life is cyclical, and different circumstances call for different reactions and responses. The times we live in are just the latest manifestation of what has always been.
Memorials In Memory of Martha Ellenberger From Dan & Lori Meiers (general fund) In Memory of John Ellenberger From Dan & Lori Meiers (general fund) In Memory of Carl Meiers From Dan & Lori Meiers (general fund) In Memory of Alfrieda Meiers From Dan & Lori Meiers (general fund) In Memory of Don Hackbarth From Charles & Patricia Wrucke and Sue Johanning (undesignated) In Memory of Helen Albrecht From Sue Johanning (undesignated)
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Nevertheless, it is fair to categorize the last few months as unsettled times. Uncertain times. Personally disruptive and inconvenient times. Most of us like to know when things begin, when they end, and what they look like in between. Not knowing causes uneasiness and makes us nervous, because we like to be in control. The last months have made it quite apparent that we aren’t. But God is. And he has promised that he’ll never leave us or forsake us, that he’ll make even the things we would never choose for ourselves somehow serve us in beneficial ways we may not fully understand until we’re in glory. So, it is a time to be patient. With each other. With the situation. Galatians 5 identifies patience as a fruit of the Spirit. Pray that the Holy Spirit will use these times to deepen this Christian virtue within us. It is a time to take the long view. An unschooled but wise saint once remarked that in difficult times his favorite Bible passage was “it came to pass.” This time will eventually pass—but according to the Lord’s timetable, not ours. Above all, it is a time to trust. We see the signs everywhere: “We will get through this.” And we will. But not by ourselves. The beautiful and powerful words of Psalm 46 provide the only “strategy” we need to employ during trying times: “Be still and know that I am God.” What time is it? An unusual and unsolicited time to be sure. But for us an especially critical time to be patient, to endure and to trust – confident that God is still in control.
In Memory of John Scheurell (Deb Uecker’s father) From Cal & Lynn Kozlowski (school music program), Jeffrey & Karen Sitz, Lawrence & Gayle Totsky, and Charlotte Hansen (Lau/Tuition Fund) In Memory Of Drex Hansen From Jeffrey & Karen Sitz, Lawrence & Gayle Totsky, Charlotte Hansen, and Raymond & Rondi Braun (debt reduction) In Memory of Leah Leyrer From Cal & Lynn Kozlowski (choir), Pamela Schiefelbein, Greg & Carla Martin, and Michael & Marlene Cox (undesignated) In Memory of Robert Uecker From Cal & Lynn Kozlowski (school music program), Dan & Mary Schmal, and St. John’s School Faculty (Lau/Tuition Fund)
Board of Elders continued from page 1 . . . In spite of all the changes and challenges, positive trends and themes emerged as well. Hearing from members was particularly appreciated. “For those who reached out to us and said that they were watching and listening—that they were there even though they weren’t there—that was encouraging,” says Pastor Schroeder. And online-only worship services provided a natural witnessing opportunity, producing many stories about members sharing worship video with friends not normally open to an invitation to attend church. Pastor Bitter looks forward to maintaining this high degree of online worship moving forward, both for those who aren’t yet able to return and for a broader audience to watch and use and share.
In one sense, resuming in-person worship has been a welcome return to normalcy; in another sense, we continue to see the effects of our changed world. For those returning to worship on Pentecost, seeing roped-off pews, not shaking hands, and not immediately celebrating Holy Communion during the worship service must have seemed strange. Pastor Leyrer also experienced that feeling of strangeness: “It was good to see participation and people in the pews, although even that was a bit odd in people not sitting where they should. If I had to make a choice between that and an empty church, though . . .” And the uncertainty that is still very much a part of our everyday lives also extends to uncertainty in corporate worship. ”What this means long-term for people’s worship lives and worship habits, we don’t know yet,” says Pastor Schroeder. There are some things we do know, however. We know God has provided the technology that allows all of us to worship him, whether or not each of us can return to in-person worship at this time. We know we have the potential for proclaiming the Gospel outside the four walls of St. John’s, a potential that was realized in a most unexpected way this spring. And we know we have a message of peace to share with a world in the midst of chaos. What a blessing to be able to pass on that peace that only God can bring!
“Good Things” at St. John’s Three Good Things That Will Happen 1. We will welcome our students back to school. We are implementing a number of protocols to keep our students safe, and things will undoubtedly look different this fall. But we can’t wait to see our students again in person! 2. We will welcome two new teachers. Check out page 6 for profiles on Mr. Dan Markgraf (principal) and Miss Megan Bauer (4th grade teacher). Welcome to St. John’s—we’re so glad to have you here! 3. We will celebrate the elimination of our debt with a mortgage burning on Unity Sunday. In spite of all the turmoil of the past several months, we are grateful to God for this incredible blessing!
Two Good Things That Happened 1. We celebrated Confirmation. Although it was delayed by several months, and although the church was not as full as usual, 27 young people still made a public confession of their faith and pledged their faithfulness to their Savior. May God continue to bless them! 2. We hosted a teen campout. Mission trip was unfortunately cancelled this year, but we were still able to get our teens together for a weekend of fun and learning. Special thanks to Rev. Dr. Michael Berg (Wisconsin Lutheran College) for leading our teens on discussions on Christian Apologetics.
One Good Thing That You Might Not Know About 1. There are a large number of volunteers who work behind the scenes to make worship happen each weekend, and we need your help! We are especially looking for ushers and AV technicians. Please contact the church office at church@sjtosa.org for more information. Board of Elders
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Helpful Advice, Renewed Zeal, Temporary Partings by Kristi Meyer Note: this article is the fourth in a series on the call process. Deliberate: verb, “to weigh in the mind; to consider.” Most of us will never know what it’s like to deliberate between two divine calls. But many of our St. John’s pastors and teachers regularly go through this process. What can congregation members do to support a called worker during the time of weighing and considering both calls, and what happens after a decision is reached?
The best way of supporting a called worker during the deliberation process is by praying for them. Pray specifically for God to give the called worker wisdom, guidance, and peace, and share this with the called worker. “I always appreciate when people say, ‘I’m praying for you,’ “ says Miss Mandy Treder. As mentioned previously, feedback during the deliberation process is also welcome. According to Pastor Eric Schroeder, “the perspective of people who observe and partner with me in ministry is the most helpful thing.”
Telling a called worker they are needed is also flattering but not entirely true. Pastor Schroeder explains: “The danger is to place too high an emphasis on yourself or on your gifts, as if ministry would halt in one place or the other. That’s simply not the case, because God— not the called worker—is really the source of blessing.” Miss Treder adds, “If I accept a call, I know that God can fill my role with someone else of his choosing. When it comes down to it, it’s really all about the ministry.” We rejoice when one of our St. John’s called workers declines a divine call, and they also experience a sense of relief and rejuvenation. “It’s nice to just go back to normal,” says Pastor Kyle Bitter. “It’s a rededication— a recommitment – to what you’re doing. You’ve had a chance to think about your ministry, and you know that’s where you fit.” The encouragement received during the deliberation process often provides refocused priorities and a renewed zeal for ministry in one’s current call. Accepting a new call comes with a different set of challenges. Until a called worker actually leaves a congregation, they want to use every bit of time they have to serve the people to whom they are currently ministering. They also have a limited amount of time to tie up loose ends and get things in order for the next person who will come in and take their place, and sometimes this happens without knowing who that next person will be. But that’s far from the hardest part. “Leaving the congregation you’re in is an emotional time,” says Miss Treder. “I’m always sad to leave the people and the ministry where I’ve been serving—it’s hard to close out a chapter.” Thankfully, we know that these partings are only temporary. “The good news is that ministry continues and we get to say ‘we’ll see you again in heaven’,” adds Pastor Schroeder. “We don’t have to say goodbye.”
Unfortunately, people also give non-supportive advice. Although this advice is almost always well-intentioned, it is still usually not helpful to the called worker. As nice as it is for a called worker to hear “we want you to stay” or “you can’t go,” this doesn’t help in determining where one’s gifts can best be used in service to God’s kingdom.
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Next time: What happens when a congregation has an extended pastoral vacancy? What if there is a teacher vacancy after the call window has closed?
Board of Education
A Year of Great Change – My First Year at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary by Christian Willick from being the oldest and wisest at MLC to being the youngest and most inexperienced at Seminary. We first-years (or “juniors,” as the succession of class names goes at Sem) had to look for guidance from the upper two classes on campus (the “middlers,” or second-years, and “seniors,” the fourth-year students who had just returned to campus after their “vicar” year at a congregation). Thankfully, this big change also brought with it a big blessing.
The relationships you develop at WLS
Christian Willick (pictured middle right), graduated from St. John’s Grade School in 2011.
are so supportive and your purposes so closely united, that everyone freely
The last year has been a time of great change for all of us, presenting us with new challenges, unique experiences, and opportunities for growth. One such change that I experienced within these past twelve months was my first year as a student at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS)—the culmination of my four years at Luther Preparatory School and four years at Martin Luther College, and the last leg of my ministerial education on the road to becoming a pastor. So, you could say I was pretty star-struck to finally arrive at Seminary last August. I could tell right away that this would be a big change for me and my classmates.
calls each other “brother.” This brotherhood extends to nearly every aspect of our daily lives, and to literally every person in the faculty and student body. We study alongside our brothers. We worship daily with our brothers. We eat a deliciously prepared lunch and laugh at the cafeteria antics of our brothers. We even learn from our much older and much wiser brothers, namely, our exceptionally caring and personable professors.
Jon Phillips
Kerry Kuehn
Casey Holtz
Naturally, that feeling was closely tied to another big change my classmates and I were experiencing: going
Troy Schulz
This big change has also brought with it the chance for me to be closer to home and to serve you, my own brothers and sisters at St. John’s, as your “pastor-in-training.” It means more than I can say to be able to serve at St. John’s in this way, and I wish to say thank you to everyone for all your support. And now after all these big changes we’ve experienced, if there’s anything this young Seminarian can reiterate, it’s this: Don’t sweat the big changes too much; our God is big enough to use even our biggest challenges for our ultimate good. And he promises always to do exactly that.
Big changes can be intimidating at first. Already at orientation, my classmates and I were getting used to the prospect of wearing professional dress every day on campus, a far cry from being able to roll out of bed in college and go to class in sweatpants. (Not that we ever abused that privilege, of course!) To be honest, I couldn’t help but feel that I didn’t quite fit into my own dress clothes at first.
Not pictured: Dan Young
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Meet Mr. Dan Markgraf
Meet Miss Megan Bauer
by Angela Ebeling
by Angela Ebeling
Dan was born in Waupun, Wis., but spent most of his childhood in New Ulm, Minn. He received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Dr. Martin Luther College (now Martin Luther College) in 1986 and obtained his master’s degree in school Mr. Dan Markgraf leadership from MLC with his wife Carol in 2011. Dan taught for four years at Zion in Valentine, Neb., followed by 11 years at St. Peter’s in Kekoskee, Wis., and then 19 years at Beautiful Savior in Cincinnati, Ohio.
This school year will be Megan’s seventh year teaching after graduating from Martin Luther College in December 2013 and receiving her assignment in May 2014. She served for a year at St. John’s in Montello, Wis., and then for five years at Beautiful Savior in Grove City, Miss Megan Bauer Ohio. She spent her grade school and high school years in Waukesha, Wis. (Mr. Uecker was her principal from kindergarten through 3rd grade at Trinity!), Fort Worth, Tex., Somers, Wis., and Sturtevant, Wis. Megan has two older sisters, a brotherin-law, and a niece who was born on her birthday.
Dan says, “I’ve really enjoyed serving God’s people in each of these congregations. I was principal and teacher in each school. Zion in Valentine was a one-room school when I got there. That was something very new for me. In Kekoskee, I got to be part of opening a brand-new school. We spent most of our ministry in Cincinnati. We got to be part of a building project there, and I got to work with Builders for Christ on that building.” Dan and his wife Carol have been married for 33 years and have four children and seven grandchildren. They find joy in traveling, although often that involves driving through the Midwest to see their families. Dan also enjoys playing golf and watching football, basketball, baseball, and soccer—note that the Packers are his favorite sports team. Other “favorites” you might like to know: although it depends on his mood, you might find him listening to “Still” by the Commodores and “Come Sail Away” by Styx and for choral, religious music he likes “This is My Word” and “By Faith.”
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Some of her hobbies include reading (especially historical and Christian fiction), playing piano, and spending time with family, friends, and her two cats, Oreo and Charlie. You can easily remember what she likes by remembering three C’s: chocolate, coffee, and cats. Megan also adores traveling, especially to her favorite European countries of Ireland, Scotland, and Italy. She is currently living in West Allis. According to Megan, “I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone at St. John’s, and I thank God for the opportunity to serve you in both the school and church. I’m grateful for opportunities to watch students grow in their learning as they think a little more deeply and discover new things every day. My favorite part, though, is sharing Jesus—His love, His life, His death, His resurrection—with His little lambs every single day, and watching them grow in their faith and their love for their Savior.”
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2020 8th Grade Confirmation Class
Front row: Pastor Joel Leyrer, Sabrina Meingast, Noah Fritz, Izzy Lovelace, Annabelle Nault, Keegan Pagel, Rhiannon Gantner, Collin Doan, Eva Kuehn, Krista Meingast Middle row: Pastor Eric Schroeder, Emma Lindert, Kaylee Zimmer, Christina Burghardt, Sarah Laufer, Emily Leyrer, Allison Mauer, Aubrey Mortl, Cecilia Brown Back row: Pastor Kyle Bitter, Sam Goede, Samuel Maurer, Antonio Hernandez, Kon II Knueppel, Logan Rindfleisch, Jesse Rost, Ian Ban, Cael Eide, Nathaniel Crowder Not pictured: Jonny Moll
School Events St. John’s Childcare “Around the World” summer program.
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Membership Changes NEW MEMBERS BY TRANSFER Megan Bauer from Beautiful Savior, Grove City, OH Renee DeMarce Billings from Grace, Oskaloosa, IA Jonathan & Tedi Cox, Josiah & Sebastian from Our Savior, Springville, NY Dan & Carol Markgraf from Beautiful Savior, Cincinnati, OH Morgan Markgraf from Beautiful Savior, Cincinnati, OH Angelo Picciolo from St. Andrew, Milwaukee, WI Tiffany Vitangcol, Sydney, Abby & Tyler from Fairview, Milwaukee, WI CONFIRMATION CLASS Those in italics will become members of sister congregations
Ian Ban Emma Lindert Cecilia Brown Isabella Lovelace Christina Burghardt Allison Maurer Nathaniel Crowder Samuel Maurer Collin Doan Krista Meingast Cael Eide Sabrina Meingast Noah Fritz Jonathan Moll Rhiannon Gantner Aubrey Mortl Samuel Goede Annabelle Nault Antonio Hernandez Keegan Pagel Kon II Knueppel Logan Rindfleisch Eva Kuehn Jesse Rost Sarah Laufer Kaylee Zimmer Emily Leyrer
BY PROFESSION OF FAITH Emily Gapinski MEMBERS LEAVING BY TRANSFER Melissa Cook to St. John’s, Mukwonago, WI Bret & Dawn Myers to Our Savior’s (ELS), Naples, FL
Pastoral Acts ASLEEP IN THE LORD Faye Mayer Donald Hackbarth Sr. Aileen Walters
May 31, 2020 June 7, 2020 July 22, 2020
BAPTISMS Matilda Sue Dodd Ozwin Albert LiuPerez Adeline Anne Warnke
May 22, 2020 July 12, 2020 July 14, 2020
MARRIAGES Jeff Konkel & Amber Stein Matt Chasco & Beth Oehler Evan Willick & Megan Plocher Thomas Tremaine & Hannah Leyrer Caleb Tomlin & Becca Heller
June 26, July 17, July 25, July 31, August 8,
2020 2020 2020 2020 2020
Worship Opportunities Children of God Are . . . September 6 – Undefeated September 13 – United (Unity Sunday) September 20 – Watchmen September 27 – Free to Forgive What Is God Like? October 4 – Is God Fair? October 11 – Is God Righteous? (Mission Festival) October 18 – Is God Forgiving?
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Brian Treichel
John Peterman
Greg Martin
Dave Close
Bill Braun
Lord, Keep Us . . . October 25 – Steadfast in Your Word (Reformation) November 1 – Thankful for Grace in Years Past November 8 – Mindful of Judgment November 15 – Watchful for Triumph November 22 – Confident in Our King
Not pictured: Terry Paul