2022 Winter Lamplighter

LAMPLIGHTER

We’ll See . . . Part Two

by Pastor Joel Leyrer

The lead article for the last edition of the Lamplighter was written before any decisions were made on the campus expansion and enhancement plans shared with the congregation over the last few months. It outlined upcoming procedures and then ended with this short paragraph: So, stay tuned for next steps. As to what exactly God, working through us, has in mind for St. John’s . . . we’ll see.

The next step has now been identified. On October 13, our voting assembly approved the following four-point recommendation from the Church Council:

1) That we enter into a capital appeal to carry out the campus expansion plan as envisioned;

2) That we engage the services of Cornerstone Stewardship Ministry to manage the appeal;

3) That the cost of managing the appeal does not exceed $60,000;

4) That the management costs be covered through the appeal.

With this decision, our congregation recognized the importance of the proposed plans for furthering our Gospel ministry at St. John’s. These plans will allow us to expand our Early Learning Center ministry, add needed classrooms to our school, enlarge and improve our existing office and narthex space, and increase our parking availability.

This decision means our congregation accepts the proposed plans as being consistent with what, under God’s grace and guidance, we as a body of believers articulated in our most recent strategic plan (available at www.sjtosa.org/StrategicPlan). The purpose of this

document (and the grassroots efforts that went into composing it) was to identify ministry goals and plan our work as a church. The October 13 decision recognizes that it is now time to work our plan.

Invariably, adjustments and modifications will be made along the way. For example, one major discussion item will be a yet-to-be-determined decision on either retaining the parsonage or removing it for the sake of increased parking. Our Master Site Planning Committee will study this matter and make a recommendation to the congregation.

All told, this capital appeal will run until February or March of 2023. In the near term, a campaign theme and logo will soon be developed. Under the direction of our appeal consultant, strategies will be enacted that allow us to go forward in a measured and Gospel-oriented manner. Opportunities for greater member involvement and participation will become available. And the congregation will be kept informed every step of the way.

At various times in the 140-year history of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Wauwatosa, God has given its members the honor of honoring him through major expansion projects. We stand on the threshold of another such time.

As to what exactly God, working through us, has in mind for St. John’s . . . we’ll see. But this we know for sure about our good and gracious God: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Pastor’s Corner

Love in Human Form

by Senior Vicar Christian Willick

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

I’ve heard these words many times in my life. They always bring great comfort with them. But when I heard these words most recently, some very different emotions accompanied them.

Shortly after hearing these words read, I saw a young boy and his sister leading the casket of their father out to the hearse where it waited to take him away. It surprised me how deeply a scene could hurt. It moved me to tears. It made me wonder, “Why, Lord? Why should such a thing happen? Kids that young aren’t supposed to say good-bye to their fathers. Wives aren’t supposed to be left without their husbands so early. This isn’t how it’s supposed to work.”

But not 30 minutes later, I also saw a group of boys with soccer jerseys over their dress clothes surrounding that young boy with support, smiling and drawing out a smile from him. I saw a room filled with people who wanted nothing more than to share the love of Christ with this

family who had done the same for them, whether directly or indirectly. I remembered, more powerfully than I had in a long time, that this is what it’s all about.

This is God’s grace at work in the midst of this messy world.

This is the love the Father has lavished on us in human form. This is the ministry we are all called to carry out as children of God: to help each other through the joys and sorrows here until we all make it where those who’ve gone before us are now, to live with them where no more sorrow exists, to see the one we serve face-to-face forever.

Yes, 1 John 3:1 brought with it some very different emotions this time. But hearing Pastor Aaron Strong’s confirmation verse at his Christian Victory service put words to this precious privilege we all share—a privilege that changes our very identity and comes from none other than God himself: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

Memorials

In Memory of Howard and David Baumann

From Delores Baumann and Kristine Siwek (undesignated)

In Memory of Elaine Twietmeyer (Dana Leyrer’s mother)

From Larry & Gayle Totsky, St. John’s School Faculty, and Keith & Leigh Ann Treichel (K2 Expansion)

In Memory of Robert Hahn (Annette’s father)

From Annette Birkholz (Properties)

In Memory of Virginia Ruck From Mike & Marlene Cox (undesignated)

In Memory of Mahlon Freedlund From Sue Freedlund (100 Missions in 10 Years)

A New Chapter

by Kristi Meyer

As I write this, the leaves are changing color and some mornings bring a layer of frost on the grass. As you read this, the trees will be bare and our first significant snowfall might have arrived. But in Trinity, FL, the average high temperature for November is 78 degrees—an average high temperature that Pastor Joel Schwartz and his family are leaving behind for the change in seasons and cooler temperatures of southeastern Wisconsin. Why?

We’ll get to that, but let’s meet the Schwartz family first. Pastor Schwartz grew up in Prairie du Chien, WI, the oldest of four boys and the son of two WELS teachers. After graduating from Luther Preparatory School (LPS) in 2000 and Martin Luther College (MLC) in 2004, he began his pastoral studies at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon his graduation from Sem in 2008, Pastor Schwartz was assigned to Peace Lutheran Church in Holiday, FL (now located in Trinity, FL).

To tell the rest of the Schwartz family story, we need to back up to New Ulm, where Pastor Schwartz met his wife, Bethany Huebner, on a cold fall evening. She grew up in Greenville, WI, and also comes from a ministryminded family; both of her parents are now-retired WELS teachers, and an older sister and a younger brother round out her family background. Since graduating from MLC in 2005, Bethany has taught preschool, kindergarten, 3rd grade, and music. She leaves behind a classroom at Northdale Christian Academy, a WELS preK-8th grade school in Tampa, FL.

And . . . the rest is history. Pastor Schwartz and Bethany have been married 17 years and are blessed with three children. Their oldest, Elise, is already acclimated to Wisconsin weather by virtue of being

a sophomore at LPS. Tyler and Natalie will be transitioning from Northdale Christian Academy to 8th and 5th grades, respectively, at St. John’s.

Pastor Schwartz loves being outdoors, especially when he is coaching kids’ sports, biking, and golfing. The entire Schwartz family shares this love—they camp, hike, and travel to different parts of the country whenever they can. And although they cheer for the Tampa Bay Rays and Buccaneers, the Schwartz family is also happy to support the Badgers, Brewers, Packers, and Bucks.

So . . . why leave all that behind? Part of it was timing: the completion of a building project at Peace Lutheran Church marked the beginning of a new chapter in ministry. And Pastor Schwartz explains the rest: “I was intrigued by the thought of doing outreach and youth ministry in a team setting. Having had the opportunity to serve in a smaller church setting the last 14 years, I am looking forward to seeing and learning about ministry in a larger church setting.”

The Lord blessed his 14 years of service in the South Atlantic District, and we pray for similar blessings here at St. John’s. “I’m looking forward to getting to know God’s people at St. John’s and seeing the unique gifts the Spirit has given for ministry in this setting,” he says. Pastor Schwartz, the feeling is mutual—we’re also looking forward to getting to know you and your family!

As Pastor Schwartz prepares for his arrival at St. John’s, he’s thankful both for what’s behind him and what’s to come.

Board of Education

Smiles and “Good Mornings!” Needed

by Kristi Meyer

“You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” For many of us, this classic Joni Mitchell lyric was particularly relevant during online-only worship services. Thankfully, we are now able to come together again as a body of believers, and worship at St. John’s looks pretty much back to normal. Except . . . we are still experiencing a severe shortage of ushers, and our greeter program hasn’t yet restarted. What to do? Try something new!

Approved by the Board of Elders and spearheaded by Michael Schneider and Jon Johnson, these two programs are being combined to create usher and greeter teams. “Prior to the pandemic, we had enough volunteers to staff separate rosters for usher and greeter volunteers,” says Jon Johnson. “Now that we are returning to normal, we have reviewed the usher and greeter duties and found several overlaps. So it makes sense to combine the two teams.”

This change has an added benefit beyond just efficiency. More of our members, including women, will now be able to serve on these new usher and greeter teams. “In years past, ushering was traditionally viewed as a gateway for young men to begin service in the church and, as such, was limited to confirmed males in our congregation,” explains Pastor Joel Leyrer. “This new practice combines our two past practices of ushering and greeting into a single new welcoming approach open to any congregation member (male, female, family units) wishing to participate.”

If you’re hesitant about ushering and greeting, don’t be— it’s not difficult! “Each team will be led by a seasoned usher who will train and guide you along the way,” says Jon Johnson. Typical duties are as easy as handing out

Board

service folders and greeting worshipers, ushering people out after the worship service, and organizing offering envelopes and Connect Cards. There are also some fun “behind-the-scenes” duties that kids might particularly enjoy including turning on lights and TVs, lighting candles, ringing the church bells, and counting attendance during the worship service.

Speaking of kids, church and school families are especially encouraged to participate. Teams are scheduled by worship service, so volunteering can be done during your regular worship time rather than adding yet another commitment to your busy week. And adding families into the mix is the perfect way to engage our youngest members in service to their church: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

Not convinced yet? Still feeling hesitant or unprepared? Consider this encouragement from Pastor Leyrer: “This is not a labor-intensive position. The only requirements are a smile and a willingness to assist God’s people upon their entrance to worship—so we hope many of our members will consider becoming involved in this new and important avenue of service to our church.”

Please think and pray about serving in this way. If you can hand somebody a service folder and say “Good morning,” then we want you to join the team!

For more information and to sign up, visit www.sjtosa.org/Ushering or contact the church office at 414-258-7831.

of Education

Casey Holtz, chair | Greg Beyer | Nick Cutting | Luke Sankey | Troy Schulz

Board of Education

School Events

“Good Things” at St. John’s

Three Good Things That Will Happen

1. We’ll install our new pastor. Pastor Joel Schwartz will be joining us shortly after Thanksgiving, and he’ll be installed in a special afternoon service on Sunday, December 18. To meet the Schwartz family, check out the article on page 3.

2. We’ll begin the pastoral call process again, this time to fill the vacancy created by Pastor Joel Leyrer’s upcoming retirement. Watch for more information coming in early 2023 on the calling process and schedule, and especially keep an eye out for information about Pastor Leyrer’s retirement celebration.

3. We’ll embark on a new church year. The paraments (altar decorations) will change to blue, and the Advent wreath will mark time as we prepare for our Savior’s birth. Please plan to join us for worship this Advent and Christmas season!

Two Good Things That Happened

1. We held several events for our church and school families with younger children. Bedtime Blessings and a Parenting Workshop are wonderful ways to connect with these families outside of the typical classroom environment.

2. We wrapped up another round of Growth Groups. This fall, groups only ran for three weeks instead of six, and we’re happy to report that participation was up! Watch for more information on the next round of Growth Groups coming soon.

One Good Thing That You Might Not Know About

1. In addition to Senior Vicar Christian Willick, we have three other Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary students working with us this year through the Early Field Training program. We welcome middler (second-year) Ethan Carter and juniors (first-year) Caleb Kuether and Matthew Rugen. Keep an eye out for them around church and school!

A-team Girls Volleyball Captures First at State, Teen Pumpkin Carving, and Bedtime Blessings

St. John’s Member Spotlight—Pete & Lorrie Hansen

by Kerry Ognenoff

Pete Hansen was raised as a member of St. John’s and was joined by Lorrie when they got married in 1979. Their two children, Phil and Mary, are both married with children and live in the Milwaukee area. Three of their grandkids attend school at St. John’s, one attends St. Paul’s Franklin, and two are out of school and becoming successful adults.

Pete says, “It has been a great joy to be a member here for so long. Baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals; a lot of our activities revolve around our church life.”

Lorrie and Pete are part of the Food Team at church, serving fellowship meals during Lent and Advent, helping out at funeral luncheons and receptions, and doing whatever else is needed. They have a lot of fun as part of the team while working with their friends and serving others. “Like so many Lutherans, we understand that food is central to fellowship,” says Pete.

Lorrie is an accomplished quilter and an expert at sewing. Together they are an award-winning competition BBQ team and very much enjoy cooking for others, either for family and friends or by catering parties and gatherings. In whatever other spare time they have, they are up at their cabin with the family, or Pete is out in his fishing boat.

Lorrie has been working for the municipal government for almost 30 years in the information technologies department, and Pete runs the family business filling vending machines. In their younger days, they both represented St. Johns managing and playing on the softball teams.

Pete and Lorrie have found it a great pleasure to watch St. John’s grow as a family of faith and enjoy going to services and Bible classes with our fellow members.

“I have enjoyed serving on many boards and committees at St. John’s and would encourage others to plug in and get involved.” (Check out the volunteer bulletin board in the Narthex for opportunities!)

Pete & Lorrie Hansen

Announcing the St. John’s Member Spotlight—a space in each issue of the Lamplighter to share a little more about some of our members of St. John’s.

This quarter, we introduce Pete and Lorrie Hansen.

Pete encourages members to find ways to get involved at church.

“We look forward to watching our school grow and introducing Jesus to more and more children.”

Pete & Lorrie with their two kids and four grandkids

Engaging a Different Aspect of Our Faith

by Kristi Meyer

Bo Giertz was a Swedish Lutheran bishop who lived from 1905 to 1998.

He wrote more than 600 books about the Christian faith and is best known in the English-speaking world for his novel The Hammer of God.

As a theologian who took Scripture seriously, Giertz promoted a focus on the sacraments and prayer. It’s likely very few of you reading this article are church historians or are familiar with the Church of Sweden. So why should you care about Bo Giertz? Because he’s also the author of To Live with Christ , a collection of daily devotions that will be the focus of By Scripture Alone (BSA, the St. John’s daily Bible reading program) in 2023.

Pastor Eric Schroeder is excited about working his way through To Live with Christ next year. “I’ve heard good things about this devotional, and people whose word I value have recommended it,” he says. “I’m looking forward to exploring it and giving other people the opportunity to do the same.”

To Live with Christ is organized according to the church year—another change for BSA. Even though the church year and the calendar year don’t line up exactly, BSA participants can still benefit from intentionally focusing on the church year. The liturgical calendar for the Church of Sweden is also slightly different, meaning there will be a few unexpected holidays here and there. Pastor Schroeder doesn’t see this as an issue, though. “Using a slightly different calendar will be a learning experience and help us to appreciate the church year as it highlights the life and work of Christ on an annual basis.”

Even though To Live with Christ is a book of devotionals, the daily blurbs from St. John’s writers will continue. These blurbs are instrumental in reminding BSA participants that they’re not alone and bringing out the fellowship aspect of the program. Pastor Schroeder also sees a benefit for the blurb writers: “It allows them to use their gifts and engage in another level of their devotional life by sharing what they’ve picked up along the way.” Some BSA participants have built up a library of these daily blurbs that they can share with others, thus taking BSA well beyond the walls of St. John’s.

But this change fits into the program’s overall emphasis: that there are many ways to have a devotional life. “There are lots of good resources out there that can augment what we know about the Bible or help us take a step towards being more comfortable reading the Bible,” explains Pastor Schroeder. “Varying our habits in a way that engages our intellect and a different aspect of our faith is a good thing.”

If you haven’t participated in BSA before, or if you’ve been intimidated by the volume of reading, we’d love to have you get involved in 2023. “I’ve never had anybody say, ‘I wish I hadn’t spent time in God’s Word,’ ” says Pastor Schroeder. “More often than not, it’s ‘This is really neat.’ “ He thinks BSA is really neat too: “Try it, and I’m pretty sure it’ll make a difference in your life.”

Board of Discipleship

John Warnke, chair | Dave Todor | Steve Wolf

Bo Giertz, author of “To Live with Christ”

Board of Elders

Worship Opportunities

Sundays, November 27–December 18:

Come, Lord Jesus!

November 27 – As King

December 4 – As Judge

December 11 – As Messiah

December 18 – As Immanuel

Wednesdays, Midweek Advent Services

November 30–December 14, 3:30 & 6:45 p.m.

Membership Changes

NEW MEMBERS

BY TRANSFER

Robert & Jessica Herriges, Emmett & Jude from St. Jacobi, Greenfield, WI

Mackenzie Repavich from Trinity, Brillion, WI

Joanna Schachtschneider, Axel from St. Marcus, Milwaukee, WI

Peter Schachtschneider from Apostles, San Jose, CA

Christian Willick from Beautiful Savior, Marietta, GA

MEMBERS LEAVING

BY TRANSFER

Joseph Eick to Trinity, Waukesha, WI

John Frailing to Bethlehem, Germantown, WI

Dan & Lindsay Hahn to Living Word, Waukesha, WI

Anna Johnson to Christ, Pewaukee, WI

Chris McGrath & Nolan to Christ, Big Bend, WI

Emily Woldt to NorthCross Lutheran, Lakeville, MN

Don & Kris Zimmer, Kaylee, Brady & Jacob to St. Paul’s, Franklin, WI

RELEASED BY REQUEST

Bill & Bev Braun

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, 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.

December 31 – New Year’s Eve worship, 5:30 p.m.

January 1 – New Year’s Day worship, 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.

January 8 – Epiphany worship

Sundays, January 8-22: Jesus Appears

January 8 – As the Anointed One

January 15 – As the Lamb of God

January 22 – As the Light in the Darkness

Sundays, January 29–February 19:

The Savior’s Sermon

January 29 – Trust in God’s Strength

February 5 – You Are . . . So Be

February 12 – Live a Holy Life

February 19 – Love Your Enemies

Board of Elders

Kevin & Michelle Moll, Jonny & Sammy

Pastoral Acts

ASLEEP IN THE LORD

Mark Greenfield

June 2, 2022

Zachary Todor July 27, 2022

Jerry Seidner September 7, 2022

Virginia Ruck October 2, 2022

BAPTISM

Grace Katherine Cleary

July 23, 2022

Keaton Berk Huffman July 30, 2022

Ester Emilia Cierna

August 14, 2022

Keyra Michelle Knight September 10, 2022

Eli James Andrew Rivers

Elsie Mae Gretebeck

Willow Brooke Billings

MARRIAGES

October 2, 2022

October 15, 2022

October 16, 2022

Kyle Schaefer & Laura Lindemann October 21, 2022

Greg Martin, chair | Dave Allerheiligen | John Peterman | Brian Treichel | John Schapekahm | Mike Schneider

Board of Elders