LAMPLIGHTER
Summer 2018
Blessings of Christian Education by Mark Naumann and Kristi Meyer This May, we celebrate with families whose children will graduate from elementary schools, high schools, and colleges and universities. As we approach the end of another school year, it is a good idea to review some of the blessings that God continues to shower on our Christian Education program. Our offerings are used to support many aspects of ministry within St. John’s congregation, within our synod, and around the world. One of these areas of ministry is the support of Christian education at St. John’s Lutheran School. “This particular model of Christian education is a benefit to our families and our congregation,” says Pastor Eric Schroeder. “It produces a Christian community that we are all part of.” School parents pay tuition and fees which cover a good portion of the cost of education. Our offerings support the remainder of the costs of educating our students and the mortgage payments for the building. For Pastor Schroeder, this partnership between church and school is a blessing on many different fronts. “Through financial support of our school, we are carrying out the mission of the church to preach the Word. One way of doing that is by providing people with the good education they are looking for,” he says. “From childcare to preschool through eighth grade, we love having opportunities to impact families with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” We continue to see great academic success in our elementary school as our faculty work in conjunction with parents to provide a Christian based environment
for learning. However, far more important than academic achievement is the spiritual formation that takes place in Christian education. Pastor Schroeder sees this interplay between faith and academics as invaluable for our students. “The academics themselves aren’t necessarily all that different from somewhere else. But our students are blessed to be able to learn science from a Biblical perspective, see art as God’s gift of creativity, witness the order that God designed in creation through algebra and geometry, and so on.” Regardless of whether a St. John’s graduate attends parochial or public high school, they are well-prepared both academically and spiritually. “St. John’s prepared me well for my high school classes so that I can be successful in them,” says Nathanael Gaub, a freshman at Brookfield East High School. “The Christian education also had an impact on me. I can use what I was taught at St. John’s to lead a Christian life through my words and actions towards others at school.” Alyssa Ebeling, a freshman at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, agrees. “The teachers at St. John’s prepared me for more difficult high school classes by keeping high standards of responsibility in our classwork. But more important than my academic instruction were the Christian values and teachings that were emphasized and taught throughout my childhood. Through my instruction in the catechism, I am prepared to answer questions about my beliefs.” Please see page 7 for a listing of St. John’s members who will be graduating this spring.
P a s t o r ’s C o r n e r
What Do You Remember About Your Confirmation? by Pastor Eric Schroeder As our young people neared the end of their public examination (the last step leading up to confirmation), one of the final questions didn’t really have just one right answer: Question 158: Twenty years from now, when you look back on your confirmation, what is it that you will want to remember? At the time of this writing, the question hasn’t been answered yet for this year. Usually the confirmands express their desire to remember their friends and classmates, their confirmation verses, and the promises they made. What about you? How long has it been since you were confirmed in the faith, and what do you remember? Perhaps the older we get, the better we understand how memories work. We do our best to hang onto what is important for us, but time has a way of robbing us of what we once knew. Like unused muscles, unused knowledge slowly weakens. As they say, you use it . . . or you lose it.
accused of being unloving or intolerant because you belong to a church that won’t let non-WELS people take communion? Who wrote the Bible, and when? What is the difference between law and gospel? Why do we keep some laws in the Bible and seem to ignore others? Would you be prepared to answer these questions if a friend or family member asked? Question 157: As a young Christian, what plans do you have for keeping your walk with Jesus strong and alive? Here’s the good news: you’re never too old to be confirmed in your faith. God works through his Word and Sacrament as often as we will allow him. No matter how long it has been since your own confirmation, like all of us, you have room to grow. Please take this encouragement to renew your own spiritual development through active engagement in worship, Bible study, and personal devotions. As always, if you are looking for specific ideas, I am here to help.
Now, I could be convinced that some questions are more important than others— not to mention the fact that God surely isn’t going to quiz us on Bible trivia before he lets us into heaven one day. Maybe you don’t need to rattle off all 66 books of the Bible in order, or know the exact dates of Martin Luther’s life, or list the six confessional writings of the Lutheran Church. On the other hand, plenty of those Biblical answers come in handy in our daily lives as Christians. Have you ever been asked why Lutherans baptize infants when other Christians might not? Have you ever been
Memorials In Memory of Joe Pappalardo From Sue Pappalardo, Jeff & Yvonne Quint, Mark & Mary Gaub, John Eggers, Susan Smith, Peter & Lorrie Hansen, Jeff & Karen Sitz, Louise Saylor, Paula Rauth, Arlene Baumann, Marshall & Barbara Scheibe, John & Kris Schapekahm, Michael & Marlene Cox (Lau/Tuition Fund), Brian Cleary (debt/building fund)
In Memory of Jonnelle Bukowski From Barbara Weihing, Susan Freedlund, Sue Johanning, Paula Rauth, Michael & Marlene Cox, Friends In Fellowship, Richard & LaVonne Brown, Shirley Osgood (Lau/Tuition Fund) In Memory of Evelyn Zillmer (Dinah’s Mom) From Cary & Dinah Haakenson (Lau/Tuition Fund) In Memory of Delores Hahn From Paul & Annette Birkholz (general fund) In Memory of John Hanson From Carol Hanson (processional cross)
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Pastor’s Corner
Synod Update
Alphabet Soup Blessings by Kristi Meyer
SJTosa. SEW. WELS. CELC. Alphabet soup? No, a listing of the incredible blessings of Lutheran fellowship. Worldwide, thirty-two church bodies make up the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, a global grouping of Christians united in doctrine and practice. Closer to home, St. John’s belongs to the Southeastern Wisconsin District, one of the twelve districts of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. While not as familiar as activities occurring at the Synod level, work carried out at the district level is no less important. Every other summer during the month of June, each WELS district holds a 1½ day convention where male called workers come together in worship, hear reports from WELS organizations, and discuss issues affecting the Synod. “District convention is an opportunity to remember and appreciate our shared responsibility as those who have been called to minister to God’s people in our churches and schools,” says Pastor Joel Leyrer. “Opening worship with communion is always the high point of convention. It helps us remember who—and whose—we are.” Education is also an integral part of district convention. This summer’s convention commemorates the 100th anniversary of the SEW District. Pastor Leyrer will be reading and leading a discussion on the paper originally presented by Pastor August Pieper at the first SEW District convention in 1918. District convention only occurs every other summer, but the work of the district continues year-round. As first vice-president of the SEW District and a member of the district praesidium, Pastor Leyrer has a unique perspective on this important work occurring outside the walls of St. John’s. Made up of the district president and two vice-presidents, the district praesidium is involved in areas rising above those of individual congregations. “The role of praesidium is to give oversight to the doctrine
and practice of churches within the district,” says Pastor Leyrer. Altogether, the SEW District consists of approximately 1,200 called workers at 146 congregations, three high schools, and one college throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, Northeastern Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. For Pastor Leyrer, serving as first vice-president is essentially like serving as an associate pastor to another “congregation” of 1,200 called workers. “The praesidium in general, but the district president in particular, is heavily involved with personnel issues: helping with vacancies and call lists and aiding pastors and teachers who are seeking guidance in their calling. The role of the vice presidents is to support, encourage, advise and assist the district president in whatever manner is necessary.”
“We benefit from a strong Synod.” —Pastor Leyrer Although St. John’s members may not have heard of praesidium or district convention, these larger Synodical organizations are still crucial to our ministry. “In order to carry out our mission at St. John’s, we need qualified called workers. When a pastor or teacher appears on a call list, St. John’s voters can be confident they that have the training and background necessary to carry out their work,” says Pastor Leyrer. Please keep our praesidium members and all our called workers in your prayers as they serve the churches and schools in our district—and offer thanks for the organizational structure conceived 100 years ago that continues to produce rich blessings today.
Synod Update
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Board of Education
School Events St. John’s school play: “Snow White and the Friendly Dwarfs”
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Board of Education
Board of Outreach
Conversation stoppers: What would you say? by Pastor Kyle Bitter “Why should I listen to your Bible? Isn’t it just a book of myths and stories from years past?” Christians are used to pointing to the Bible for evidence of what we believe, and rightly so. As the inspired Word of God, the Bible is the final source of truth for God’s people of every age. What’s more, the truth recorded there is powerful. The good news about Jesus Christ —living, dying, and rising for sinful people—is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to change people’s hearts. As Paul writes to the Christians in Rome: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
What can you say to a person who has no interest in hearing the word of Christ? It’s impossible to plausibly deny that Jesus Christ is a historical figure who once walked the earth. The debate really centers on who Jesus Christ was and what he did; most specifically, his death and resurrection. As with any study of history, the best place to look is the eyewitness testimony of those who were there themselves. The Bible’s four gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are the most detailed eyewitness accounts we have of the events surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. When people read this eyewitness testimony, they will see that Jesus claims to be God himself (John 8:58, John 10:30, et al.) and even goes so far as to boldly claim that his resurrection from the dead will prove his deity (Matthew 12:39-42).
What’s more, they didn’t stop with writing. They also testified to what they saw and heard before a hostile audience in their day, even when it was clearly in their personal best interest to keep quiet. Many of them even went to their death for telling others. No matter what you think about what they wrote, such eyewitness testimony can’t be simply discarded without due consideration. An objective study of what happened in the time of Jesus demands a careful reading of the four gospel accounts from the Bible. In the end, the persuasiveness and logic of Christian people cannot convince people to believe. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can do that. But Christians may succeed in leading people to take a look at God’s Word. And with the power of the Holy Spirit working through that Word, anything can happen. May God give you opportunities to point others to the good news written and recorded in his Word!
Brett Taylor
Jim Schneiker
Ben Haferman
Kurt Handeland
Dan Ebeling
That’s the most significant part, because no matter what you believe, death is something you will have to face. Jesus overcame death because he paid for sin at the cross—a feat only God could accomplish. People saw and heard, and God led them to write it down.
Board of Outreach
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Board of Elders
Master Site Planning Update by Jon Johnson The Long Range Planning Committee is continuing its work with Excel Engineering on the Master Site Plan for the St. John’s church and school campus. We have completed a thorough review of our church, school, and childcare ministries and have identified the additional building and parking needed to successfully support our ministry into the future. Leveraging the design expertise of Excel Engineering, the committee has begun the process of evaluating the buildings and open space on campus to identify where we can expand, remodel, or build. Since St. John’s is landlocked, identifying potential areas for expansion has required us to creatively think “inside the box” of our campus borders and develop an option of achieving our ministry goals without property acquisition. In order to have other site planning options, we are in ongoing discussions with Aurora to determine if and how we may acquire the small wedge of property east of the school. In addition, Excel Engineers are in contact with the City of Wauwatosa to identify potential zoning restrictions related to building on that property. As you can see, we have a number of moving parts to this puzzle of a Master Site Plan, but things are starting to come together. The Long Range Planning Committee expects to have multiple site plan options prepared for congregational review by this summer. Look for an update at the June 5 voters’ meeting, followed by congregational listening sessions where the various site plan options will be presented and openly discussed.
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Board of Elders
As the Long Range Planning Committee continues its work, we ask for your continued prayers of support and thanksgiving for all the committee members who are giving of their time to support this activity. Most of all, join us in giving thanks for God’s rich blessings on our church and school ministries. Without him, we wouldn’t have this “good problem” of outgrowing our church and school facilities.
A voters’ meeting regarding the proposed annual ministry plan (budget) will be held on Tuesday, June 5, at 6:30 p.m. This meeting will also include an update from the Long Range Planning Committee. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Board of Elders
2018 8th Grade Confirmation Class
Back row: Pastor Kyle Bitter, Caleb Pollesch, GraceMarie Theesfeld, Alex Hernandez, Austin Danko, Pastor Eric Schroeder Middle row: Pastor Joel Leyrer, Quinn Taylor, Alexis White, Tony Jones, Reagan Godager Front row: Ingaliese Ornburg, Sofia Chasco, Lindsey Lampe, Madison Sipe
Graduating 8th Grade Class
Graduating High School Seniors
(their intended high school is in parenthesis)
(the high school they are graduating from is in parenthesis)
Sofia Chasco (WLHS), Miaya Chesterman (Brookfield East), Austin Danko (WLHS), Alex Hernandez (WLHS), Tony Jones (WLHS), Lindsey Lampe (WLHS), Abagail Montoure (Brookfield East), Ingaliese Ornburg (Divine Savior Holy Angels), Caleb Pollesch (Phillips High School, Phillips, WI), Madison Sipe (WLHS), Quinn Taylor (Wauwatosa East), GraceMarie Theesfeld (WLHS)
Evan Bertotto (Wauwatosa East), Andrew Bilitz (Wauwatosa East), Megan Gordon (Nathan Hale), Vanessa Hoene (WLHS), Anna Johnson (WLHS), Sierra Jones (WLHS), Jacob Jurney (Germantown), Lauren Konkol (WLHS), Briton Kostrzewa (home school), Hannah Leyrer (LPS), Ethan Rindfleisch (WLHS), Vanessa Schuh (Wauwatosa East)
Board of Elders
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Board of Elders
Worship Opportunities “A Christian’s Calling: God Works Through His People” June 3 – September 9
of his calling and appointment by God . . . Remember you are called to a far different and vastly higher life than others know.” This year’s summer sermon series focuses on “A Christian’s Calling: God Works Through His People.”
Jars of clay. Lights of the world. New creations. God’s adopted sons and daughters. Dwelling places of the Spirit. The body of Christ. Imitators of God. Throughout 2 Corinthians and Ephesians, Paul uses these phrases to characterize the lives of Christians—lives that are to be lived differently by faith. Luther emphasizes this change produced by faith: “The chief thing that should influence a Christian’s outward walk is the remembrance
NEW MEMBERS BY TRANSFER Ellen Lange from Grace, Waukesha, WI Marcus & Karah Radue from Star of Bethlehem, Milwaukee, WI Megan Schaeuble from Trinity, Brillion, WI Rachel Wendland from Trinity, Watertown, WI Brittany Rusch from St. Matthew’s, Oconomowoc, WI Robert & Katherine Rusch from St. Matthew’s, Oconomowoc, WI Nathaniel Bruckschen from St. John’s, Gibson, WI
RELEASED BY REQUEST Colleen Nehmer Oliver Nehmer
Pastoral Acts
ADULT CONFIRMATION Dominic Boettcher
ASLEEP IN THE LORD Joe Pappalardo
CONFIRMATION CLASS
BAPTISMS CHILDREN Alaina Lynn Berens Edward William James Berens Reece Masami Inouye Yifan Wang Olivia Wang
Those in italics will become members of sister congregations
Sofia Chasco Austin Danko Reagan Godager Alex Hernandez Tony Jones, Jr Lindsey Lampe
Ingaliese Ornburg Caleb Pollesch Madison Sipe Quinn Taylor GraceMarie Theesfeld Alexis White
MARRIAGE Ann Washburn & Jason Sasada
Board of Elders
John Peterman
MEMBERSHIP REINSTATEMENT Karin Meier
Jes Mariscal
ADULTS Feng Wang Yuan Fan
Mark Maurice
BY PROFESSION OF FAITH Doug Lange
David Close
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MEMBERS LEAVING BY TRANSFER Dan & Beth Wittig and Ethan to Trinity, Waukesha, WI Carolyn Sachs to Grace Lutheran, Milwaukee, WI Brian & Emily Graf and Sean to Bethany Lutheran, Manitowoc, WI Cole Kraft to Immanuel Lutheran, Greenville, WI
February 23, 2018
February 4, February 4, April 14, May 9, May 9,
2018 2018 2018 2018 2018
May 9, 2018 May 9, 2018
March 24, 2018
Adam Sipe
Membership Changes