LAMPLIGHTER Winter 2019
Why do Strategic Planning? by Pastor Kyle Bitter What do an airplane and a submarine have in common? Initially it might seem like not much, and both are indeed very different. There are similarities, however. Both are cylindric vehicles shaped like a long tube. Both have wings and rudders. Both function by moving through a medium rather than on a surface. Both are pressurized. Both are highly complex. Even though an airplane and a submarine clearly don’t function in the same way, one can observe some basic commonalities. A similar comparison might be made between a church and a business. Initially, there seem to be few points of comparison. A business exists to make money by providing some kind of service that people are willing to pay for. A church exists so God’s people can proclaim the gospel message in worship and in life. Despite such fundamental differences, some common ground does emerge. For example, both a church and a business need to deal with money as part of basic operations. Both have facilities to maintain, update, and manage. Both need paid personnel to conduct their work. And, like a business, a church can benefit from the kind of intentional planning we have been conducting at St. John’s over the last six months. Even though we have borrowed some planning practices from the business world, the idea of planning is not a secular thing. God talks about the value of planning in Scripture more than one might realize. God has made
us stewards of his earthly resources, and good planning helps us manage what he has entrusted us with to the best of our ability (Matthew 25:14-18). We strive to do this because God is worthy of our best efforts (Philippians 1:27). Good plans are not a guarantee of success, but God points out that the two are usually related (Proverbs 15:22). As we make plans, we acknowledge that God might have other plans than we do (James 4:13-15), that his plans are good and we want his will to be done before ours (Matthew 26:39), and that the success of our plans is ultimately in the hands of God (John 3:8). With thoughts like these in mind, our congregation tasked the Strategic Planning Committee with leading the effort to develop a new Strategic Plan to guide our ministry for the next five years. God has blessed the process so far by leading our members to share hundreds of ideas in listening sessions and surveys this past spring. During the summer months, the Strategic Planning Committee worked through these ideas to develop a new Strategic Plan which will be finalized and adopted this fall and implemented beginning in 2020. To read the new Strategic Plan, visit www.sjtosa.org/ strategicplanning. As you read, marvel at the many opportunities God has placed before our congregation. Consider how you might be involved, and pray that God would bless our efforts. May it all bring glory to his name!
P a s t o r ’s C o r n e r
The Beauty of Immanuel by Pastor Eric Schroeder With the season of Advent now upon us and the joyous celebration of Christmas quickly approaching, a new church year begins. We’ll repeat the cycle of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. We will review what we already know, but the story brings new depth and meaning each time. Even before welcoming him to Bethlehem, however, let’s pause to appreciate a moment that might be even more powerful than the first breath this newborn draws. In theological terms, it is called incarnation—God taking on human flesh. In biological terms, we use the term conception. Either way, it’s a really big deal. Some seven hundred years earlier, Isaiah foretold Jesus’ personhood with a mysterious prophecy (mysterious at least when it was first spoken). By God’s grace and the Spirit’s inspiration, the dots connect for us whenever we read, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew rarely translated Hebrew words because his original audience knew the language well, but here he leaves no room for interpretation: Immanuel means “God with us.” It’s one thing to read in Scripture that God is with us. Every Old Testament believer could say it with trust, and on rare occasions, they had visible or audible proof of God’s presence and his promise. But what they longed for, we see fulfilled when God hides himself in a single cell at the moment of incarnation. The virgin is with child; the cell divides and multiplies, as he develops just like each one of us.
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Pastor’s Corner
He is not just a God nearby; he is God with us. Immanuel means that Jesus knows what we feel when we suffer, when we hurt, when we hunger, thirst, and grow fatigued. He knows verbal abuse, rejection, and loneliness. He knows what dying feels like. He knows what rising feels like, too, and because he volunteered to experience our guilt, shame, and punishment, he lives to share eternity with all who trust in him. Let’s not waste too much time thinking about how the incarnation is possible. But don’t let its mystery get in the way of its reality either. Just because we begin another church year doesn’t mean we will reach the end of it; either individually or collectively, we could be called out of this world first. Regardless of what this church year brings we need not fear. We have Immanuel.
Memorials In Memory of Theo Lau From Shirley Osgood (Lau/Tuition Fund) In Memory of Barbara Schmelzer From Cal & Lynn Kozlowski (school gift/memorial) In Memory of Delores Schmeling From Lee Abraham (debt reduction), and Carol Hanson (undesignated)
Board of Discipleship
The Most Lutheran of Questions by Kristi Meyer “What does this mean?” Regardless of whether you grew up in the Lutheran church or became a member later in life, these words likely have a familiar ring to them. This most basic question is the basis for Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. In 2020, By Scripture Alone (our St. John’s daily Bible reading program) will focus on the catechism—one of Luther’s most pivotal works.
Let us heed well the words of Luther: “Our ministry today . . . has become a serious and saving responsibility . . . Christ himself will be our reward if we labor faithfully. The Father of all grace help us to do just that.” Join us in 2020 as we strive to labor faithfully and deepen our understanding of the truths of God’s Word!
Michael Skocir
Kevin Festerling
Brian Lampe
If the catechism was written for fathers to instruct their children, why is it the basis for By Scripture Alone in 2020? We spent two years reading through the Bible chronologically and are just finishing a year in the New Testament. Why such a radical change for next year? By Scripture Alone participants have expressed a desire for a topical arrangement of God’s Word, and the catechism
If you haven’t participated in By Scripture Alone before, next year is the perfect time to start. Since its inception in 2017, this program has been a blessing to our congregation—and beyond. Pastor Schroeder has had numerous people tell him how valuable the program has been in their own lives. “Time spent in God’s Word on a regular basis is always a good thing. That’s been reinforced again and again through By Scripture Alone.” Catechisms can be purchased from Pastor Schroeder for $20 or ordered online from Northwestern Publishing House.
Matt Pastorek
Luther first published the Small Catechism in 1529 for a very specific purpose. “The catechism was always intended to be a home resource rather than an institutional resource,” explains Pastor Eric Schroeder. “Luther wrote the catechism so that parents could teach their children the truths of God’s Word.” At Luther’s time, most fathers did not have the theological background needed to educate their children. Written in a style that anyone could understand, the catechism allowed fathers to once again serve as the spiritual heads of their households and bring their children up “in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
fits that request perfectly. A year in the catechism is really a year in the Bible—only in a different way. “The catechism is just a question-and-answer arrangement that provides the opportunity to think through the teachings of the Bible,” says Pastor Schroeder. “It frames your understanding of God’s Word in a way that is meant to be able to answer questions. We grow in our insight of what God is saying, and we grow in our confidence to explain this to others when asked. There’s an educational focus as well as an evangelism benefit.”
Board of Discipleship
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Board of Outreach
Four Steps to Personal Evangelism by Adam Goede
3. See your opportunities. Your vocation is where God has placed you to serve in a variety of roles, such as family member, coworker, friend, and neighbor. “Bloom where you’re planted!” As we go about our daily work, we can be empowered by our hope in Christ to lovingly help the people around us. Fellow Christians can sharpen one another in the faith. We can contribute at church as part of Jesus’ body of believers carrying out his mission. This includes making worship welcoming for guests: greeting others, helping people find their way around, and making it easy for them to find a seat.
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Leave the results to God. As we go about this important work, Paul puts things in perspective: “The Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).
Evangelism can seem intimidating. We get to be Christ’s witnesses, to “go and make disciples,” to share God’s light with the world. But how do we get started? Here are four steps to make outreach a part of your life.
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Board of Outreach
We each play a role in the big picture of nurturing people’s spiritual lives. We can find comfort in knowing the
Jim Schneiker
Kurt Handeland
timing and results are in God’s hands.
Adam Goede
Amaze with the love of Christ. When it comes to connecting with other people, we might think we need to woo them with a charming personality and engaging conversation. However, the power of evangelism isn’t in our persuasiveness but in the gospel—Christ’s undeserved love. We can demonstrate this in our everyday dealings with others. We smile and greet. We listen carefully when they speak. We offer to help when we see needs. We provide comfort in times of trouble. “Live such good lives among [unbelievers], that they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12).
Mike Gleason
Erik Campbell
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Be intentional. We have a lot going on in our lives, and this can cloud our real purpose: to proclaim God’s name and glorify him in all we do. We need to be in the Word to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). We may worry that if this is our focus we’ll lose control of other parts of our life, but the reality is just the opposite. Jesus says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
Dan Ebeling
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Board of Education
School Events Bedtime Blessings, Fall Festival, A-team Girls Volleyball, and Girls Cross Country wins 2019 Nationals
Board of Education
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Board of Elders
The Logistics of Issuing a Divine Invitation by Kristi Meyer conducts a pre-call meeting with congregational leadership to assess the congregation’s needs.
Note: this article is the first in a series on the call process. It’s shaping up to be another year of calls for St. John’s. As I write this, we will shortly be extending our second call for a principal and one of our teachers is deliberating a call. Over the next several months, more letters will be read in church and more voters’ call meetings will be scheduled. The call process can seem archaic and mysterious at times. Why do we as a synod fill pastor and teacher vacancies the way we do, and how does it all really work? Before discussing logistics, it’s important to remember that although the call itself is divine, the process by which calls are issued are not. However, it’s also important to remember that a call into ministry is more than a job offer. It is a divine invitation to carry out public gospel ministry on behalf of a church, school, or other calling body. This invitation is extended indirectly through a calling body rather than directly by God himself. However, as we see in Acts 20:28, it is still a divine invitation. Therefore, as Pastor Joel Leyrer explains, “As a synod we feel that the call process—as we presently carry it out— best reflects the sanctity of the call itself and the recognition of the Holy Spirit’s guidance throughout the process.”
When a calling body desires to issue a call, they first determine their ministry needs and the potential gifts and talents of an individual best suited to fill that position. For teacher calls, this is usually done by the Board of Education and then passed on to synodical district officials. For pastor calls, the district president generally
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Board of Elders
After this assessment is complete, the district president compiles a list of candidates—a call list—for the congregation to consider at its call meeting. All pastors and teachers throughout our synod appear in a database available to district presidents. The district president uses this database—which contains demographic information, candidates’ self-assessment of their abilities, and candidates’ interest in different ministry tasks and ministry settings—to match up candidates’ gifts and abilities with the needs of the calling body.
Congregation members can also request that a pastor or teacher be placed on the call list, but this comes with a few caveats. First, at St. John’s this must be done in advance; a candidate cannot be added from the floor at a call meeting. Second, there is no guarantee that the individual will be placed on the list—for example, if they are already deliberating a call or do not fit the needs identified by the congregation. Although call lists are compiled by and made up of imperfect human beings, we know that God is perfectly in control of the entire call process. When considering a call list and extending a call, we can trust that God will always work through our actions to bring about the outcome he desires. We simply need to wait for the unfolding of his will. Next time: Can called workers request a call? What happens at the call meeting, and who can attend? How often can a called worker receive a call?
Executive Board
2019 Goals Progress Report by Pastor Joel Leyrer Let’s review. Approximately a year ago we considered various proposals from our Long-Range Planning committee, followed by a comprehensive internal self-study under the direction of a professional consultant. We discovered two things. First was the willingness of our congregation to financially support campus enhancements and expansions that will best serve the Gospel ministry opportunities with which the Lord is presenting us. Second was the desire to address four specific areas before embarking upon a capital campaign, which then became our four goals for 2019. An update on each of them follows.
Goal #3: Refine and right-size the first building phase in line with projected financial support. Our consultant concluded we could reasonably expect financial support over a three-year period in the range of $3.5 to $4 million. The Long-Range Planning committee (which now also serves as our interim building committee) is addressing this goal as we speak. They will share their findings with the congregation in early 2020. Goal #4: Create and implement a new strategic plan. The “Called Together, Called to Gather” mission vision document has served as our roadmap since 2011. Formulating a new strategic plan for the next five years based on the thoughts, insights and counsel of our people was undertaken last spring and shared with the congregation in October. More information is available in this issue’s cover article.
Much has been accomplished, and much is yet to be accomplished. We will need the prayers and involvement of all our members. Goal #1: Address parking needs. Blessed with a large bequest from our sainted member Alida Feind, and in an arrangement mutually beneficial to both our church and our member Aileen Walters, we purchased the property south of the vacant lot we already own on Dewey Avenue. Combined, these two properties present potential parking expansion.
Together we look “to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
Goal #2: Eliminate remaining debt. With the resources we have in reserve added to our people’s 2019 commitments, our outstanding debt entering 2019 was a little over $200,000. Last spring our Board of Stewardship presented a plan to eliminate this debt. Beginning in April, our members were asked to consider an additional offering for debt reduction each month in the amount of their regular Sunday offering. At the time of this writing, the amount needed to accomplish this goal and have a mortgage burning ceremony as a part of our 2019 New Year’s Eve service is approximately $150,000.
So far this fiscal year, actual received offerings are $43,199 less than budgeted offerings.
Executive Board
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Board of Elders
Membership Changes
Midweek Advent Services Wednesdays at 3:30 & 6:45 p.m. Christmas & New Year’s Services December 24 – Children’s Christmas Eve Service, 4:00 p.m. at WLHS December 24 – Lessons & Carols Service, 7:00 p.m. December 25 – Christmas Day worship, 10:00 a.m. December 31 – New Year’s Eve worship, 6:45 p.m. January 1 – New Year’s Day worship, 10:00 a.m.
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Board of Elders
Jes Mariscal
Not pictured: Terry Paul
David Close
Epiphany Season Promises in Action January 5 – Savior of the Nations January 12 – Anointed One January 19 – Lamb of God January 26 – Light in the Darkness The Savior’s Sermon February 2 – Trust God’s Strength! February 9 – Let Your Light Shine! February 16 – Live a Holy Life! February 23 – God’s Glory Revealed!
ADULT CONFIRMATION Hailey Ruth, Nicole Tutaj, and Alexi Walters-Ketchum MEMBERS LEAVING - BY TRANSFER John & Mary Eggers to St. Marcus, Milwaukee, WI Lauren Konkol to Peace, Houghton, MI Tianyi (Peter) Ma to Morning Star, Jackson, WI Brad & Amy Morin, Maddy & Katie to Bethlehem, Menomonee Falls, WI Casey & Carrie Simon, Lucas, William, Aubrey & Charlotte to Christ the Lord, Brookfield, WI Mitchell & Tzvia Springer, Owen & Logan to St. Paul, Lake Mills, WI Zach & Kathryn Wood, Finley & Soren to Christ Alone, Mequon/Thiensville, WI RELEASED BY REQUEST Alison Eggers, Aubry Eggers, Emily Eggers & Erin Eggers
Pastoral Acts BAPTISMS Karlee Bikomeye Cameron Carlson Eleanor Lesperance Apollonia Peterson Emersyn Arroyo Audrey Deming Joshua Binger Reese Huenerbein ASLEEP IN THE LORD Kathy Weiss Barbara Schmelzer Delores Schmeling
September 22, September 28, October 12, October 13, October 20, October 26, November 2, November 3,
2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019
June 9, 2019 October 12, 2019 October 28, 2019
John Peterman
Sundays in Advent: Promises Made December 1 – God’s Kingdom is Coming December 8 – God’s Kingdom is Worth Waiting For December 15 – God’s Kingdom Gives Us Strength and Courage December 22 – God’s Kingdom Comes Through Immanuel
NEW MEMBERS - BY TRANSFER Deanise Coleman from Mt. Lebanon, Milwaukee, WI Kristine Groening from Abiding Word, Milwaukee, WI Amelia Lauth from St. Paul, Green Bay, WI Candace Letcher from St. James, Milwaukee, WI Gregory Martin & Yolanda Quesada from Mt. Lebanon, Milwaukee, WI Matthew & Jessica Moeller, Isaac, Olivia & Elijah from Christ, Pewaukee, WI Andrew & Kerry Ognenoff, Anna & Henry from Grace, Milwaukee, WI Erika Sims from St. Paul, Columbus, OH Marc & Kate Shambeau, Jonathan & Malachi from St. Paul, Muskego, WI Martina Spelter from Grace, Milwaukee, WI
Greg Martin
Worship Opportunities