LAMPLIGHTER Spring 2019
Blessings and Opportunities by Pastor Joel Leyrer The following is a condensed version of the “State of the Parish” report presented at our annual Mission and Ministry Sunday this past January 27. The various Boards reflected on 2018 blessings and outlined 2019 goals and plans. For more information and the entire “State of the Parish” presentation, please visit www.sjtosa.org/StateoftheParish. At the request of the Executive Board, the Long-Range Planning Committee continued to explore campus expansion and improvement. Guided by the results of a comprehensive “feasibility study” involving our members, the Executive Board is planning for a potential 2020 capital campaign and, in anticipation of this potential campaign, will devote 2019 to addressing the following areas identified in the study: resolving our parking issues, paying off our existing debt completely, refining and right-sizing our building plan, and replacing our current mission-vision document with new goals for a new decade. The Executive Board is also recommending the expansion of our ministry team through the addition of a full-time called Staff Ministry position. Based on a careful examination of congregational needs outlined in our current mission-vision document, both the Executive Board and the Church Council have endorsed the creation of this position. The main components of this new Staff Ministry position would be 1) communications and media oversight; 2) worship scheduling, coordination, and oversight of related print and electronic materials;
3) strengthening member involvement through volunteer management/coordination; and 4) development and strengthening of women’s ministry. At the time of this writing, an open forum has been scheduled for our members to hear more details about what this position entails, learn how we would go forward, answer questions, and provide feedback. By the time you receive this issue of the Lamplighter, it is likely that this open forum will have occurred. Look for the results of that open forum and the next steps involved through our various communication channels. For the Board of Elders, 2018 brought the implementation of a church security plan and the establishment of a St. John’s Military Veterans fellowship group. Goals for 2019 include stronger attempts to reach long term inactive members, possible reinstatement of a Care Committee for Called Workers, and greater assistance for members transferring from St. John’s and transitioning to a new church home. In 2018, the Board of Education oversaw the addition of STEM classes (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and the expansion of the K4 program. The constant for this year and next is personnel change, with new faces in our childcare program and school office and planned retirements for David and Rita Allerheiligen. continued on page 2 and 3 . . .
P a s t o r ’s C o r n e r
Is Ministry for Me? by Pastor Eric Schroeder
I didn’t always want to be a pastor. Looking back, though, I’m thankful for some positive influences that steered me toward the public ministry. One pastor at my high school even pulled me into his office and walked me through 1 Timothy 3 (the qualifications of a pastor), which I thought was a bit odd at the time. In other words, these people in my life saw something in me that I didn’t necessarily see in myself. I can also remember some not-so-positive influences. One “friend” in particular told me that I was stupid for considering ministry as a career path; his argument was that I could have so much more in life if I did something else. Perhaps his side had some truth to it. Being a pastor wasn’t the only possibility for me, and many other jobs come with higher salaries and varied opportunities . . . In the end, I can’t say that being a pastor is the perfect job. I can say, however, that I have been richly blessed through the education and callings God has provided for me. In addition, I am grateful for the kind and generous support that God’s people have provided me to help me see that my time and effort do have an impact on people’s lives. It might be a bit selfish, but sometimes I think that the person who benefits most from me being a pastor is me—after all, my life is filled with the study of God’s Word, and I am afforded the time to learn to know God better even as I teach and preach to others.
Is ministry for you? That’s not really the right question to ask. Ministry is for every blessed, forgiven child of God, gathered into the body of Christ. We all are called
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Pastor’s Corner
. . . continued from front page The Board of Education and our school faculty are also gearing up for an accreditation site visit scheduled for March 2020. By Scripture Alone, our daily Bible reading program now entering its third year, continued to be a focus for the Board of Discipleship. A format change in 2019 to reading through the New Testament and a plan for more frequent discussion forums have renewed and increased congregational interest and participation. The Board of Discipleship is also emphasizing fellowship and personal member growth through joint youth outings with other area congregations and a potential marriage retreat in 2019. The Board of Outreach is spreading our message through a presence at the Wauwatosa Farmers Market, the Holiday Train, and other community events. Attendance at the WELS School of Outreach in February will give our board members additional tools to share the gospel. In 2019, keep an eye out for promotional flyers for our members to use for inviting family and friends to various St. John’s events. Expanded e-giving opportunities, a planned giving education session, and participation in our feasibility study allowed the Board of Stewardship to better communicate with our members about various ways to financially support our church and school ministries.
to serve one another as we carry out our individual, God-given callings. The question to keep asking yourself is not whether ministry is for you, but which ministry is for you. Each one of you is uniquely gifted as God has apportioned his grace, and our different gifts are what God wants to come together and make the whole thing work for the big picture of his divine purposes. I hope our young people consider public ministry as a career option. If you see the gifts that they don’t see, take time to encourage them to think about being a pastor or teacher. I also hope that no matter what career path you have chosen, you consider how God has equipped you to serve—whether in an official capacity or a more behind-the-scenes role. Partner in ministry with your time, your prayers, and your support. See ministry opportunities both inside and outside the church; I assure you that each day affords multiple chances to serve God and neighbor, no matter where your schedule takes you. Thank you for your partnership.
Board of Discipleship
The Board of Finance presented a detailed report on the congregation’s financial status. As mentioned above, we are hoping to completely pay off our existing “We Give Thee But Thine Own” (mortgage) debt in 2019. Under God’s grace and guidance, the upcoming year looks to be filled with important initiatives and expanded ministry opportunities at St. John’s. We are a richly blessed congregation. Out of love for Christ, we strive to honor God with excellence and use these blessings to the best of our abilities. We know that true fulfillment comes through service and contribution to God, and we are grateful to each and every one of our members for their service to God and to St. John’s Lutheran Church and School. We pray this partnership will be strengthened in 2019.
Memorials In Memory of John & Martha Ellenberger From Dan & Lori Meiers (general fund & “We Give Thee But Thine Own”) In Memory of John & Angie Ailey From Bruce & Kary Ailey (Sunday School) In Honor of Ethan & Eden Rader From Anonymous (Lau Tuition Fund) In Memory of Carl & Alfreida Meiers From Dan & Lori Meiers (general fund)
Kevin Festerling
Brian Lampe
Anonymous Gift Bell tree for Handbell Choir
“RIBS” stands for Renewed and Inspired By our Savior. It was started in 2003 by several moms looking for fellowship and spiritual growth. But it is not a mother’s group—it is a women’s Bible study group for any woman who wants to deepen her faith and strengthen her walk with her Savior. RIBS members are younger, older, and everywhere in between. We are married and single. We have no children, young children, adult children, and grandchildren. We are lifelong Lutherans and new to the faith. We are members of St. John’s and nonmembers with children in the school. After class we go home, go to paid employment, and go to volunteer. We are all very different, but we all share a love for our Lord. Ours is like any other Bible class at St. John’s, but our small size and informality allow us a few “perks” that are difficult in a large, formal Bible study. For instance, after opening with prayer each person has the opportunity to contribute prayers of their own. This gives us the blessing of being able to lift each other in prayer. We also have flexibility with our schedule. If a scripture passage or a book we are studying strikes a nerve, we take time to discuss it. If someone has a question, we help them answer it—and Pastor Schroeder is always available if we need help finding that answer. Our small size allows us to get to know one another. Friendships are formed. We share laughter, serious conversation, and tears when one of us is hurting. Being such a diverse group brings a wide variety of life experiences, spiritual insights, and different points of view to our discussions. That is what makes this group so valuable—we learn so much from each other.
If you are a woman who finds herself free on a Wednesday morning, come check us out! Michael Skocir
A number of projects were completed by our Properties Coordinator in 2018: adding panic exit hardware to the church doors, air conditioning the Fellowship Hall, and refurbishing the nursery and the mother’s room. Bids have been gathered for the replacement of our venerable church boiler with replacement scheduled for this spring.
by Monica Gnat
Matt Pastorek
In 2019 the Board of Stewardship intends to review our pledge process and work on a strategy to eliminate all remaining building debt before moving into a potential capital campaign.
RIBS?!? What is this group with a food name?
Board of Discipleship
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Board of Education
A Change for the Better by Alyssa Ebeling Going to Wisconsin Lutheran High School (Wisco) has changed me for the better. My friends encourage me, my courses challenge and interest me, sports and music teach me teamwork, dedication, and patience, and in everything, every activity or class, my faith is strengthened by the people around me and by the Word of God.
Alyssa Ebeling (‘21)
From morning to night, activities happen at Wisco for the betterment of students. Before school, I attend steelpan practice. Steelpan is a unique percussion instrument that originates in Trinidad and Tribego. Our three steelbands have the opportunity to visit other churches and bring this inherently joyful music to congregations and schools. Classes at Wisco are challenging and intriguing, and all of them relate their material to God’s Word. In every chemistry lab, there is a chance to earn extra credit by selecting a Bible passage and explaining how it applies to what was learned. Sometimes it is difficult to find just the right connection, but it is definitely worth it. The labs are so much fun—we get to see reactions and create things that we learn about in class.
He emphasizes the need to look closely at what the Bible says and not assume things that it does not say.
“Chapel is a constant in the fluctuating mess of life. It is a small oasis of peace to learn about, praise, and pray to God.” Often, musical groups such as brass ensemble or various choirs accompany the [Chapel] service, and occasionally a senior will give chapel. Depending on the time of year, after school there is cross-country, winter running club, or track. The cross-country team is a like a family, supporting each other in the sport and in life. Running together creates bonds that last. Wisco means a lot to me and I enjoy being there, which is a very good thing since I occasionally spend over fifteen hours per day there and have twice spent the night for Christmas decorating with Student Council. My time is often occupied by academics, sports, music, and a host of other endeavors. I am glad that at this exciting and often hectic time in my life I am surrounded by people who I can trust to guide me in the right direction and spend my time in a place whose foundation is God’s Word.
Speech class can be daunting, but Mrs. Huebner makes the prospect of speaking in front of other students much less intimidating. She is encouraging and supportive, providing a safe environment for overcoming nervousness and making and learning from mistakes. Christian theology classes make Wisco a unique high school. In the Steps of Jesus is an in depth study of Jesus’s life. Although we go through familiar Bible passages and stories, Mr. Seeger also teaches new facts about what life was like at the time and applications of Biblical principles.
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Board of Education
Pete Stauffer
Jon Phillips
Kerry Kuehn
Casey Holtz
Adam Greggs
Alyssa (pictured center) with Wisco steelband
Board of Education
School Events STEM learning with penny bridges, 107 postcards delivered to the Kindergarten class on the 100th day of school, and Basketball News
Congratulations to our St. John’s basketball teams! B team girls (pictured top) took home third place in the basketball conference tournament to end their season. A team boys (pictured middle) captured the championship game, while A team girls (pictured bottom) came away with runner-up at the Hales Corners tournament. Go Crusaders! Board of Education
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Board of Discipleship
Fellowship, Food, and Fun by Pete Hansen The Food Team, or Hospitality Team if you’d rather— whatever you call us, we love to serve! Whether it’s an Advent or Lent fellowship meal or a lunch accompanying a church meeting or visiting group, we’re ready to help. Our core group is made up of Paul Schoeneck, Pete and Lorrie Hansen, Lisa Bingenheimer and Curt and Mary Henne. Along with additional volunteers as needed, we are your culinary helpers. The Advent and Lent fellowship meals are a project that begins long before the actual meals. The menus are discussed and decided on months ahead to allow for planning and publicity, as well as ordering and buying new decorations and necessary seasonal supplies. We also spend time finding and preparing the craft projects that help keep the kids occupied so that the adults can relax and visit. By providing a meal on a Wednesday evening, we truly feel that a large part of our mission is to relieve these families of that burden for one night during their busy week, plus they can socialize with fellow members and friends in a relaxed environment.
Sharing our Christian Faith and Fellowship by Barbara Weihing At some point in time, you may have encountered the words “friends in fellowship.” What do they mean, especially when we think of the Friends in Fellowship organization at St. John’s? The picture clears when we hear its former name, OWLS (Organization of Wisconsin Lutheran Seniors). The picture is further defined when we read the St. John’s Mission Statement: “As 21st century disciples of Jesus, we reflect the light of God’s love by fostering Christian friendship for mutual encouragement and support.” Friends in Fellowship is described as a group for those in our congregation who are 55-years or older. However, individuals of all ages are welcomed. The group usually meets monthly on the first Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall for lunch at 12:00 noon. Each member brings a personal lunch. Coffee/tea and desserts are provided. We also hold an annual Christmas party with entertainment as well as a June picnic before the July/August summer recess.
Sometimes that leads to the cooks franticly finishing the chow while the lines form! That’s what makes it fun!
As we approach the beginning of each season, the kitchen is deep cleaned (by us) and inventoried. Then the week before the first meal, the shopping begins. It usually entails trips to three or four stores to load up for the big day. On the day of the dinner, we assemble around 1:00 p.m. and start cookin’! There is the main meal to prepare, the soup to simmer, and salad bar fixings to chop wash and chop. While that all happens, part of the team decorates the room and tables, gets out the craft supplies, and readies the buffet table. It’s usually a delicate balance to have the food ready at the same approximate time that the service ends so that it does not get stale and so the folks don’t have to wait to eat.
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Board of Discipleship
Once the serving has started, we monitor the amounts on the buffet table, salad bar, and drink table to keep things full and fresh, and we do our best to keep the area clean and the line moving. Mealtime lasts until 6:30, and we clean up once the serving and eating is winding down. Pots are scrubbed, tables are bused and wiped down, and the equipment is packed away. Then we inventory our food supplies and make the shopping list for the next week. We also have a donation box for a freewill offering. All the proceeds benefit the Lau Fund, which is the St John’s tuition assistance fund.
It is our great pleasure to cook for and to serve our fellow members and guests!
Board of Outreach
Meet the Board of Outreach by Adam Goede
Mike Gleason
Dan Ebeling
Erik Campbell
Do you take seriously Jesus’ Great Commission to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20), but aren’t quite sure how this should look in your life? Offerings at church certainly help with global outreach efforts. Being intentional about sharing the “hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15) with your FRANs (friends, relatives, acquaintances, and neighbors) can be effective because of the trust established in these relationships. Yet with eternal life at stake, how can we reach even more people?
Our goals for the coming year are: 1) include more St. John’s members in these activities, and 2) make it easy for people to invite others to church for any and every reason. Witnessing your faith while participating in these events is fun and rewarding, but unfortunately most members don’t know about our outreach plans. If you’d like to be notified of upcoming activities so that you can consider helping, contact adam.m.goede@gmail.com. We’d also like to make inviting people to church easier. The Board of Outreach will create flyers for upcoming events that will be available at an “Invitation Center” table in the narthex. Members can use the flyers to invite people they know as well as people they don’t—hanging them on doors or even knocking to share, “I’m a neighbor who attends St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Wauwatosa. We teach God’s love—that we are fully forgiven by what Jesus has already done for us—and we’d like to invite you to [the latest event].”
What should the Great Commission look like in our lives? It [outreach] can be as simple as showing the same love to others as God has shown to us and then extending an invitation that leads them to the precious message of Jesus that has so wonderfully impacted our lives.
Jim Schneiker
Friends in Fellowship look forward to your joining us, whether it is for lunch and/or a program of interest. Look for information in the News & Notes. As we reflect upon our Lord’s love, what a blessing it is to share our Christian faith and friendship.
Over the years we have taken advantage of the blessings God has given us. Our childcare and school lead to new connections. We also get out to meet and serve people in various ways at blood drives, the Tosa Farmers Market, Tosa’s Night Out, TosaFest, Chili’n on the Ave, and the Holiday Train. God is blessing these efforts! This past December we received a heartwarming comment while handing out hot chocolate and Christmas cards at the Holiday Train: “You guys are always so nice—handing out bags at the farmers market and now this!”
Kurt Handeland
Friends in Fellowship also supports the European Civilian Chaplaincy Program and projects within St. John’s and WELS.
St. John’s has many opportunities. We are a large congregation of enthusiastic members. We operate a thriving school. Our location near downtown Wauwatosa puts us at the intersection of many different neighborhoods and right in the middle of so many community events.
Adam Goede
Following lunch, a short meeting and program is scheduled. May is reserved for musical offerings by the St. John’s school children. All grades from kindergarten to the upper level have been involved. A sample of past programs include: “Forward in Christ” (Rev John Braun), African Mission history (Rev Raymond Cox), Institutional Ministry, Friends of China, Wisconsin War Dogs and History of St. John’s. Travel included visits to the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry, the Schoeneck Corporation as well as lectures on trips to Israel, Normandy, France, India & Nepal, Ronald McDonald House, and the Presidential Libraries. Musical performances ranged from the Dulcimer to the Third Thursday Concert, and we cannot forget WELS authors Mary Schmal/Leanne Ross and Connie Cortright.
Board of Outreach
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Board of Elders
Worship Opportunities
Easter Season The New Normal April 21 – From Death to Life (Easter Sunday) April 28 – From Doubt to Certainty May 5 – From Insignificance to Purpose May 12 – From Trouble to Triumph May 19 – From Self-Indulgence to Selfless Love May 26 – From Fear to Peace May 30 – From Earthly to Heavenly (Ascension, 6:45 p.m.) June 2 – From Physical to Spiritual My family and I wish to thank the members of St John’s for your love, support and prayers during my prolonged hospital and rehab stay. Your thoughtfulness and generosity will not be forgotten.
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Board of Elders
Jes Mariscal
David Close
Sue Pappalardo and family
NEW MEMBERS BY TRANSFER Matthew Flister from Faith Lutheran, Antioch IL Esther Otto from St. John’s, Fremont WI BY CONFIRMATION Dale Jurney II Nicole Krueger Richard Krueger MEMBERS LEAVING BY TRANSFER Chelsie Alf to Grace, Milwaukee WI
Pastoral Acts BAPTISMS Callum Behnke Tyler Krueger Leo Mancl Margaret Hedrick
December 16, 2018 January 27, 2019 February 2, 2019 February 3, 2019
MARRIAGE Benjamin Honeck & Kaitlynn Stirling December 1, 2018 Jacob Cook & Melissa Corkhum December 31, 2018 ASLEEP IN THE LORD Lucille Lambrecht Joy Schnell
December 6, 2018 February 9, 2019
John Peterman
Midweek Lent Services: Three Words of Truth Wednesdays at 3:30 & 6:45 p.m. March 13 – Love One Another March 20 – I Am He March 27 – What is Truth? April 3 – Watch and Pray! April 10 – Take Him Away!
Membership Changes
Greg Martin
Worship in Lent: Jesus Knew March 6 – He Would Be Punished (Ash Wednesday, 3:30 & 6:45 p.m.) March 10 – He Would Be Alone March 17 – He Had to Be Resolute March 24 – He Would Surrender March 31 – He Would Show Mercy April 7 – He Would Be Silent When Accused April 14 – He Would Humble Himself (Palm Sunday) April 18 – He Would Establish a New Covenant (Maundy Thursday, 3:30 & 6:45 p.m.) April 19 – He Was the Substitute (Good Friday, 1:00 p.m.)