Happy Anniversary… Again! 40 Years – August 26th, 2019

Another Anniversary? Yes! Two years ago we celebrated the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

and the 60th Anniversary of Christ Lutheran Church with a “month long” celebration that included three

guest preachers over the course of three weeks, a “Reformation Walk” where members of Christ Lutheran

reenacted life events of Martin Luther and others for the community, and a special Anniversary luncheon

where charter members of the congregation were honored. And now, we celebrate again. At the end of this

month, we will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the dedication of the sanctuary.

On August 26th, 1979 members and guests gathered outside the main entrance of the newly

constructed sanctuary. There was a “Minor Processional” toward the front door where Mr. Charles (Rip) Van

Winkle, chairman of the building committee, received the keys to the new building from a representative of

the management firm hired to construct the new sanctuary. Mr. Van Winkle spoke a few words and then

unlocked and opened the doors. Pastor Krueger and the congregation responded by saying:

The Pastor: Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory

shall come in. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.

The Congregation: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to The Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Hallelujah!

From that point, the “Major Processional” took its start. The Crucifer was the first to enter, then the

Torch Bearers and the Banner Bearer followed. The Communion Vessel Bearers were next along with the

Sacred Books Bearer. After them came the preacher, Dr. Robert Sauer, 4th Vice-President of the Lutheran

Church—Missouri Synod and then last, but not least, was Pastor R.R. Krueger.

After the Major Processional entered the chancel and all the liturgical appointments put in their place,

the worshippers sat down and began to sing, “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest,” the first hymn ever sung in

our current sanctuary.

What a blessed day it must have been. Some of you were there and remember it well. And there is

little doubt who also was there… the one at the beck and call of those who sang His praises. The Holy Ghost

was there. We can hear it now… God’s people, singing with gusto, calling upon the Lord to fill His Holy

House… calling on God to bless this consecrated space and to be present for those who rejoice to hear God’s

Word and receive His Holy Sacraments.

Four decades later we are still doing just that. God’s House, set apart for a holy purpose in 1979, still

sees her members gather together as a special, consecrated community. What a blessing it is that our church-

family forefathers cared enough to build such a beautiful and praiseworthy place to call our spiritual home.

We have seen our children baptized here, the weddings of our daughters and sons, and the funerals of our

loved ones. Whether it is a time to cry tears of joy or tears of sorrow, our Lord is ever-present strengthening

believers through the work of the Holy Spirit who shows us the life won for us by Jesus on the cross.

Happy 40th Anniversary, Christ Lutheran Sanctuary. The Lord serves us well in you.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Arnold

THE SHEPHERD’S STAFF August 2019 CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH

www.christlc.net

Platte Woods, Missouri

Volume 62, Number 8

Christ Jesus, our Tree of Life

“And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9)

Moses describes the adorning of Paradise. God filled it was beautiful fruit-bearing trees, in the midst of which were two trees of a unique nature: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was to sustain Adam and Eve to everlasting strength, health, and life. It was the cure to every weariness and disease. Also, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was their church and school. Under its branches was kept the Sabbath day and celebrated the divine service, praising good and despising evil. They learned at a great expense the cost of eating from this tree…

After Adam and Eve transgressed God’s commandment against eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were banned from Paradise, the place of both trees. They were barred from the tree of life so that they would not live forever in sorrow and misery.

Because of our sins we have no Paradise, no tree of life, and no tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But the Lord Jesus went through great pains to win back Paradise for us. He Himself was lifted up on a tree, that by His bloody death we might have a tree of life. His Gospel is proclaimed throughout the world so that we have a true knowledge of good and evil: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36) and “Whoever does not believe is condemned already” (John 3:18).

Before His death Christ, once said, “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Our Lord is the Green Tree of Life. He was stretched out on a cross to bear blessed fruit so that as death arose by a tree, life might also prevail through the tree of the cross.

We are grafted into this branch of the Christ our Living Tree. In life and death, we are strengthened and made alive in Him. We are embraced and shielded by His arms from the beating rains of the Father’s wrath which we justly deserve. In death, Christ was cut down, but now stands, lives, flourishes, and blooms forever. Red flowers spring from His hands. Roses bloom from His feet. Red buds are seen from His open side. The scars of Christ Jesus are the most beautiful flowers that we dying sinners see.

May our hearts flourish, too, from Christ Jesus, our Tree of Life, whose words are our very life: “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keep My word, he will never see death” (John 8:51) “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me shall live, even though he die, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25). In Christ’s Service, Pastor Froiland

Deacon’s Page Youth and Education Opportunities for the Parish August, 2019

YOUTH NEWS

SR-LYF / JR-LYF Grades 9-12 Grades 6-8 Little Lambs / Kids For Christ

Infant-Kindergarten Grades 1-5

FAMILY GAMES NIGHT Sunday, August 4 6:00 – 8:00 PM

All are invited to an evening of games, games, and more games from 6-8 PM on Sunday, August 4. This was an event that kept getting snowed out this past winter!

Bring your favorite board games and outdoor games to play. We’ll do some small group and whole group games and activities. This event is for ALL families! Snacks and drinks will be provided too!

SENIOR ‘19

RECOGNITION AND

SEND-OFF DAY

August 11, 2019

BETWEEN SERVICES – EPHPHATHA ROOM

Morning Refreshments by Christ Youth

SR-LYF / JR-LYF Grades 9-12 Grades 6-8 Little Lambs / Kids For Christ

Infant-Kindergarten Grades 1-5

ALL-YOUTH POOL PARTY Saturday, August 17 5:00-8:00 PM

All youth are invited to swim and play together on Saturday, August 18, any time after 5:00 PM, at the Tiffany Springs Aquatic Center.

Our “party” is being held during a regular session…it is NOT a private party, but an open swim time. Feel free to bring a friend or two!

Deacon will meet you at the front gate to get you admitted after 5 PM!

WEEKDAY SCHOOL

August 25 6:00-6:30 PM Orientation Night* August 28 4:30-6:30 PM First Day of Classes

*Be sure to attend this Sunday evening orientation. The Memory Work curriculum will be shared, which

will begin on the very first day of classes.

PARENT / YOUTH

COMMITMENT DAY

FOR SUMMER 2020

Sunday, October 6 Noon More details will be shared in mid-to-late August about the dates and location of the annual SR-LYF summer trip. The established three year rotation would have us participating in an LCMS sponsored Servant Event, perhaps at Camp Concordia in Michigan, but a Higher Things Conference is also a possibility.

August – October Acolytes

8:00am 10:45am

August Chadron Cummins Alex Smith, Jarien Montgomery

September Connor Henry Forrest Boynton, Joshua Keller

October Gus Jones Jacob Baker, Joseph Winfrey Dress and behavior

Your dress code shall consist of dark colored pants and socks and dark colored shoes; clean and combed hair.

Watch your posture when walking in the chancel. It is expected that you sit upright, both feet on the floor and do not stare out into the congregation. Also, acolytes are part of the worshiping community and are expected to sing hymns and participate in the liturgy.

You are responsible for securing your own substitute if one is needed. You are to be in the sacristy and vesting no later than 15 minutes before the service.

Please do not talk during worship!!

*******************************************************************

OASIS (Older Adult Seniors In Service)

KCPD Lab Tour

OASIS has reservation on Friday, August 9 @ 10:00 am to tour the KCPD Crime Lab.

The tour consists of a one-hour guided walk-through of the lab and an explanation of

what each section does. The tour does require a lot of walking and standing, so

comfortable shoes are advised. The address of the lab is 2645 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas

City, MO 64127.

There are a limited number of spots available for the tour. If you drive to the tour, plan

on parking in the front of the building (south side) and letting the receptionist know

you are there for a tour. Please see Judy Gibson for questions.

Pot Luck, Speaker & Collection

You are invited to a Pot Luck at church on Friday September 13 @ noon. Don’t miss

our speaker after lunch, Major Kelli Bailiff from the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s

Department. Kelli will be speaking on how the department assists with Lost & Exploited

children. (You have probably seen her on TV on a Sunday morning) Please sign up to

attend and note the food item that you plan to bring.

OASIS will be collecting freewill cash donations of any amount or $25 Walmart/Target

gift cards. With the funds we collect, we will purchase Walmart or Target gift cards in

$25 increments to present to Kelli. The gift cards will be for the Wyandotte County

Sherriff’s department, so they can purchase a new outfit of clothing for the children

recovered. New clothing is required when the children are recovered because they

surrender their clothing as evidence. For questions please see Lynda Reinert or Judy

Gibson or an OASIS committee member.

ATTENTION ALL PICKLEBALL PLAYERS! Members of Christ Lutheran Church are invited to play Pickleball

for free! Now through the end of August, Mondays through

Fridays, 7am to Noon, members of Christ Lutheran Church can

play unlimited Pickleball at HyVee Arena. Organize your groups

and contact Steve Foutch at steve@foutchbrothers.com to make

your reservation. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Greetings from Christ Lutheran Pre-K and happy August.

It’s hard to believe our first day of school is August

12, 2019. We are excited to have so many new

families at Christ Lutheran Pre-K and we are just as

excited to see all of our returning families. We are

sad to see some of our little lambs moving on to

kindergarten but we know they will do awesome

things this school year.

We would like to welcome Miss Erikka Dunn to our

Pre-K staff. Erikka will be working in the office in the mornings and aiding in Mrs.

Fredde’s classroom in the afternoons. Erikka has jumped in with both feet and is

learning all she can about the ins and outs of Pre-K. We are happy to have her and look

forward to working with her this school year.

As most of you have noticed, we have had a MAJOR construction project going on by

the Pre-K entrance. We are having a safe walkway installed so the children can get

from the Pre-K doors to the playground and back in the safest possible way. I want to

thank you for your patience, understanding, and support during this hectic time.

Please keep us in your prayers as we start another amazing school year.

*************************************************************

Orchids and Onions Orchids and thank you to everyone that donated items for the SPEAC pantry! Many families will benefit from the pantry items. Orchids to everyone that assisted with and attended the OASIS Ice Cream Social. And to our speaker from ‘Clear It Out’. Orchids to everyone who uses the hymnal for prayer before worship. If you’ve not done so, just open the

front cover and use the prayers on the first page. A fellow member strongly recommends it. Orchids to everyone who completed and returned a congregational survey. Orchids to Kelly Henrichs for doing such a great job at organizing our VBS again this year. Thank you, Kelly. Orchids to all our VBS teachers and helpers. Thank you for all did for our children. Orchids to all those who gave donations for VBS. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Christ Lutheran Church

Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting

July 18, 2019

Opening Prayer: John Winfrey

Study: Pastor Arnold

Discipleship Action:

a) Accessions Communicant:

o Jessica Baker, Hannah Dai, August Jones, Yasmin Scott, Alexander Smith, Youth Confirmation

June 9, 2019

b) Accessions Baptized:

o None

c) Deletions:

o Brittany Morehead and son Caden, transfer to Beautiful Savior, Lees Summit.

o Dorothea Bosworth, transfer to church Triumphant June 14, 2019

Lacking a quorum, Accessions and Deletions were deferred to the August meeting.

Minutes: Lacking a quorum, approval of June 14, 2019 BOD minutes were deferred to the August meeting.

The June 16 Special Voters Meeting minutes will be approved at the July 29 Special Voters Meeting.

Also read into the minutes of this meeting are urgent actions regarding the drainage project that were taken by

the Board via e-mail. A request was made on June 30, 2019 to approve an estimated $14,000 for a larger

drainage pipe to handle foundation and downspout drainage; this was approved via e-mail on July 1, 2019. A

request was made and approved on July 3, 2019 via e-mail to make urgent repairs to the electrical panel with an

estimated cost of $15,950.

Senior Pastor’s Report:

a) Where in the World is God – The Implanted Word – pg. 53

b) Our Youth attended the National Youth Gathering in Minnesota last week. The Syndical Convention is

this week (that’s where Deacon is). Our VBS starts on July 28th. Kelly Henrichs is directing. Thank

you all for your donations and prayers for the sake of these meaningful experiences for our Youth. On

August 2nd – 4th we are hosting our annual Doxology Grand Reunion here in Kansas City, KS. Please

pray for all those who are involved that they may have safe travel. Thank you.

c) We are getting close to Weekday School starting up for another year. Please keep in mind your child’s

enrollment in our Weekday School Program. Do invite others and encourage our members to register

early. Orientation will be on August 25th at 6 P.M. and the first day of Weekday School will be August

28th. Also, in August, Pastor Froiland and I will be putting together another date for the beginning of

another Adult Information Class. The classes will likely begin sometime in September. Again, do come

and invite a friend.

d) In the way of adult education at Christ Lutheran… we have continued our study of the Jesus through

Middle Eastern Eyes on Sunday mornings. Also, Tuesday morning continues to meet at 10:30 A.M. We

are studying 2 Samuel. Men’s Friday Morning Bible study continues to meet. And the Women’s Bible

study will begin at the end of August as well. Join us.

e) Don’t forget about the brief congregational meeting on July 28th regarding the change in the bylaws

regarding the election cycle of Directors. That meeting will be during Sunday morning Bible study.

f) Do fill out a congregational survey for our self-study report… if you have not already done so.

g) Also in August… we will be handing out the budget worksheets for your committee’s contemplation.

Please consult with your committees on what you would like to budget for the line item you are

responsible for this year.

h) August 26th… 40th Anniversary of our sanctuary.

Assistant Pastor’s Report:

a) The election for the President of Synod took place on June 25 and Rev. Matthew Harrison was re-

elected.

b) August 15’s BOD meeting each committee chairman will receive a budget spreadsheet to begin the

process for 2020. Submissions should be forwarded to Jeff Ferguson in advance of the September 19

Board meeting in order to assemble the package.

c) Our grant application from the Missouri District for the Oromo Congregation has been approved for

$2,500/month, totaling $30,000 annually. We will receive funds on a monthly basis.

d) On July 28, I will be preaching at Trinity Lutheran Church in Norborne, MO as their pastor will be on

vacation.

e) The Froiland family will be on vacation August 5-19.

Deacon’s Report: a) Sunday Morning: June Attendance 74 v 75 (’18)

b) During the Week: June Attendance 28 v 23 (18)

c) Weekday School: June Attendance

d) Thrivent Choice $4953 YTD

e) VBS July 29-August 01, 2019-“Miraculous Mission”

f) Activities listed in youth below

President’s Report: a) Special thanks to John Winfrey for his time, commitment and work on the extensive drainage repair

project.

b) Thank you to all Board members for being attentive and responsive on the necessary e-mail

communications and votes needed to proceed with the drainage repair issues.

c) I will be including a letter to the congregation in the August Shepherd’s Staff outlining the work,

expenses and funding for the drainage project. The letter was shared with the Board of Directors.

Committee Reports: (see following pages for committee report notes)

Continuing Business:

a) Director Proxy Nominations:

a. None

b) Security Updates: The new overflow room partition will arrive in October. Video surveillance cameras

are being researched.

c) Committee Ratifications

a. None.

d) Construction Update-Winfrey

4. Foundation Repair Project:

a. Eastern wall of Church from Tumble-Town south and southern wall to the exit doors east have been

waterproofed.

b. Electrical Conduit that was laid in such a way to impede foundation excavation was replaced and properly

laid at the foundation footing.

c. Boxes for electrical (both entering and exiting the building) at Tumble-Town replaced and weatherproofed.

d. Drainage box for collecting surface water has been installed.

e. Pipe under parking lot to be removed/replace on Saturday, July 20.

f. New Pre-School Walkway to begin installation on Monday, July 22nd.

g. South side-walk east of door entry will be replaced after New Pre-School Walkway is installed.

New Business:

a) Budget Spreadsheet will be provide by Stewardship and need to be completed and returned prior to Sept

19 BOD meeting.

b) Treasurer provided update on Capital Campaign and deferred maintenance balances along with

upcoming expenses for drainage project and church security. It may be necessary to fund these expenses

from other line items or use our line of credit at the bank. Pre-K Director has expressed concerns about

cost-sharing on the drainage project as they will be paying for 100% of the new fence from the

playground to the lower entrance. Treasurer will look into Pre-K balance and report back. Board

members are to compile an itemized list of significant future projects and present them at September

BOD meeting. Some items mentioned include: replacement of exterior doors and windows leading to

patio, future A/C replacement, electrical panel replacement, maintenance and upgrades at the staff

houses, repairing parking lot where drainage pipe is being installed. It may be necessary to renew the

Capital Campaign effort.

c) Andrew Spidle gave a brief update on the Amazon Smile Program which allows you to donate charitable

proceeds to the church, which are derived from your Amazon purchases. He will provide additional

information to the Board.

Announcements:

a) Next Meeting 8/15/19 @ 7pm

ADJOURN: Motion to adjourn carried and the meeting closed with prayer.

Closing Prayer: Roger Lewis

Respectfully submitted, Phil Daley, Secretary and Jeff Faller, VP

Next BoD Meeting: August 15, 7:00 PM

Opening Prayer: Foutch/O’Toole

Closing Prayer: Winfrey/Bartek

BOD Committee Reports: Buildings

John Winfrey 1. We are still looking to establish dates for the second phase of the LED light upgrade in the

Church.

2. On-Demand Water Heater was installed and electrical was fed to unit on July 1.

3. Operable partition panels should be delivered at the end of October for installation.

New Items: Deferred to later date

1. Two Federal Pacific (FP) Electrical Panel Boxes in HVAC room near Sanctuary need to be

replaced ASAP. The FP Panels are known to be a source of failure, leading to fires – quote

provided at $2950.

2. Windows and doors leading into patio area of Church have corroded and need replaced. No

quote has been obtained for this activity. Education

Stephen

O’Toole

Pre-K needs fence from playground to lower entrance; Buildings will research. Buildings director

suggest adding privacy fence to hide A/C and Electrical Boxes on East side of Church.

Elders

Lowell Smith Home Calls - 2, Phone Calls – 3, Church Calls - 10, Funeral visitation - 1, In person - 1. See also

Security Update. Fellowship

Jason Hester Committee thanks to Roger and Jackie Lewis, Barb Chastain for organizing and hosting Pastor’s

Arnold’s 20th Anniversary. Also thanks to John Henrichs for serving donuts on 7/21 Finance

Steve Foutch June Plate Offerings: $63,861 $5699 ABOVE budget.

YTD Plate Offerings Deficit; ($4060)

Total Plate Offerings $63,861 Grounds

Chuck Eberth All mowers are operational again. Still in need of volunteer to assist with the grounds crews. If

you know anyone that would be interested, please have them contact me. Some clean-up work has

been done near the main entrance to church. This will be an ongoing project until complete. Open

to suggestions about removing and/or replacing some of the shrubbery behind the bell tower. If

you know anyone with landscape design skills, please have them contact me.

OASIS

Kirk Henry No report

Outreach

Matt Miller Four calls were made and one in person visit. Next meeting is 7/14 @ 2pm

P. R.

Gary Bartek Our new resident “Sherry” has moved into the apartment and received bags of groceries this

month as she attends life classes. Stewardship

Jeff Ferguson Average Attendance 225(19) v. 230 (18) v 235 (17)

Treasurer

Andrew Spidle Offerings were $5370 OVER Budget in June and $1254 UNDER budget YTD

Expenses were UNDER budget by $3030 during June and UNDER budget YTD by $9,226

At the end of June there was no deficit of cash to restricted funds.

Education and

Youth

Shane Rogers

July 29-Aug 1 – All Youth – Vacation Bible School. August 4 – All Youth – Family Games Night

@ Church. August 11 – SR-LYF – Senior Recognition Day @ Ephphatha Room.

August 17 – All Youth/Families – Back-To-School Pool Party @ Tiffany Springs Aquatic Center.

Attendance (check box if present): Daley Henry x Bartek x Rogers x Pr. Arnold

x Winfrey Eberth O’Toole x Pr. Froiland

x Lewis x Ferguson x Spidle Hester Deac. Buchholz

Smith x Faller Miller Foutch

Dear Parish Family

Many of you have probably recently noticed a significant construction project underway on the southeast corner

of the Church building. This is outside the Pre-Kindergarten area. I wanted to take the opportunity to offer a

brief explanation to each of you on the status, scope and cost of the project.

The “project” was presented to the Board of Directors by the Buildings Committee to fix a long term significant

drainage problem which was resulting in rain seepage into the building and ice build-up on the sidewalk and

parking lot. The work involves removal of the A/C units, water proofing the foundation, relocating and re-

installing the A/C units and constructing a new sidewalk for use by Pre-K to comply with federal guidelines.

The initial cost estimate was just over $66,400.00, with the Board of Directors and Pre – K committing to a

75% / 25% split on funding the project. As a result, the Directors approved and allocated $60,000.00 for the

project at the June 20, 2019 meeting.

Often times construction projects don’t go as planned. We have experienced that here. Once the work began, it

was discovered the drainage pipe under the south parking lot was not large enough to handle the volume of run

off from the building downspouts. The Board of Directors approved an additional $14,000 to replace the pipe

and re-asphalt the section of parking that will need to be removed.

It was then discovered the wiring in one of the sub-distribution boxes in the Pre-K area was in true need of

repair. The wiring had been damaged by age, rodents, and the water issues. The Directors were not willing to

take a risk and NOT approve this work. As a result nearly $16,000 was approved for this part of the project.

Total to date is just over $96,400.00, again with the Board’s portion being 75% and the Pre-K portion 25%.

Through the very gracious and generous contributions from many of you, the Capital Campaign fund is

sufficient to handle these costs. In addition, we do have reserve deferred maintenance funds within our budget

that are available.

I, WE, wanted you to know the scope of the work being done and the significant capital outlay involved. Please

take note that the Board of Directors remains very committed to being true stewards of Church funds and are

very thankful for your unwavering support, and Prayers, as we consider and deliberate in our decision making

processes. Please feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions or concerns.

Blessings to All

Roger A. Lewis, President

8/1 Gregg Harrison

Phil Daley

Rob Henrichs

8/2 Rick Trumble

Jason Hester

Lydia Froiland

8/3 John Sager

Kacie Ferguson

8/4 Rick Lietzau

8/5 Lisa Van Winkle

8/6 John Henrichs

Patsy Saving

Anne Newhouse

Collin Henry

8/7 Julie Ketelsen

Bruce Cummins

Tyler Pride

8/8 Bob Manlove

Roger Lewis

Sarah March

Meredith Darlington

Isabelle Schneider

8/9 Rachel Kraft

Piper Dorsey

8/10 Robert Gallant

Lema Easley

Dominic Montalvo

8/11 Andrea Both

John Keller

James Keller

Joshua Buchholz

Shelan Kaky

Gage Messbarger

8/12 Donald Musil

Shannon Stark

Jackson Foutch

8/13 Don Fligge

Tyler Van Winkle

8/14 John Groth

Joe Yulich

Matt Miller

8/15 Peter Oetting

8/17 Gayle Brekke

Pamela Brown

Beth Campos

Cooper Oathout

8/18 Nicholas Greenhagen

Tristin Chandler

8/19 Verna Cox

Michael Barker

Madeline Beck

Gabbie Sinnett

8/21 Mark Sandridge

Marie Gehrke

8/22 ‘D’ Cox

Diana Pence

Joy Patrick

Phoebe Fera

Sophia Sager

8/23 Pastor Arnold

Stacy Oetting

Lauren Obie

8/24 Jodi Oathout

Carla Jones

Joshua Keller

8/25 Cindy Smith

Michelle Szabados

Paislee Overstreet

8/26 Brian Hopkins

8/27 Matthew Hall

8/28 Kelly Bayless

8/29 William Hudnall

Kelly Henry

Josiah Aguilar

8/30 Larry Scroggins

8/31 Wilma Chandler

Paula Graham

Charles Clark

Brayden Basch

********************************************

IN MEMORIAM

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15

Dixie Lou Butler

April 26, 1935 – July 5, 2019

We get letters……

Dear Parish-Family,

Thank you so much for the thoughtful 20 year anniversary celebration with

gifts and cake on June 30th during the Bible class hour. I thank God

continuously for the privilege and honor to serve such a blessed congregation

like Christ Lutheran. All of you are such a wonderful blessing to my family and

me and we couldn’t ask for anything more. You continue to shower us with your abundant love and

kindness. I really appreciate the beautiful red stole and certificate you gave me during the

celebration. Both are wonderful gifts. The Lord remains with our work together. I am thankful that

this work is with such fantastic Christians such as you. Thank you. Pastor Arnold

Discipleship Data Accessions Communicant:

Jessica Baker, Hannah Dai, August Jones, Yasmin Scott, Alexander Smith – Youth Confirmation,

June 9, 2019; Pat Rodina, Gayle Brekke – Adult Confirmation June 2, 2019

Deletions:

Brittany Morehead and son Caden, transfer to Beautiful Savior, Lee’s Summit, MO

Dorothea Bosworth, transfer to the Church Triumphant, June 14, 2019

Dixie Butler, transfer to the Church Triumphant, July 5, 2019

Jesse Ayres and sons Brooks and Jordan, released at own request

Attention! All College Students (and their parents)

By the time the next issue of The Shepherd’s Staff is delivered

to your home, many of our parish’s college students will have

already “left” for college and those who stay but are “commuting

students” will have already begun their commute. We would like

to make sure that when the next issue of The Shepherd’s Staff

reaches your home it also reaches our college students, whether

“away” or “home.” Therefore…

We need the college addresses of all of our students who will be “away” and we would also like

to know which of our college students will be “home” but “commuting.” Just e-mail the church or

call the church office with that information. There are several reasons for wanting this

information:

1) Most obviously and importantly, we want to stay in touch with all of our college students.

Especially those we will not see on a Sunday-to-Sunday basis because they are away.

2) If away, we want to notify the Campus Pastor of our Missouri Synod church who ministers to

the students on that particular campus.

3) We want to make sure that students receive their own issue of The Shepherd’s Staff.

4) We want to be able to occasionally send them one of our “Care Packages.”

In advance, thanks for getting that information to us.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Christ Lutheran Church is performing a Congregational Self Study. As part of this process, we are asking our members to complete a survey. You can complete the survey in 1 of 3 ways:

1. Complete the survey that is in this newsletter and return to the church and place in 1 of 2 survey receptacles.

2. Mail the survey back to the parish, Attn: Congregational Self Study Survey. 3. Electronically submit the survey by accessing the following link:

https://forms.gle/rJ3gCjGA3VEPHL3x7 (4. An email has been sent to those on our church contact list with the survey information.)

What is a Congregational Self-Study?

Scripture-based assessment of a Parish’s past, current and future ministry, theology, practices, programs and needs

In the case of Christ Lutheran Parish, it is a “re-assessment” Why do a Congregational Self-Study?

It directs us to reassess the Biblical purpose and functions of the Church and whether Christ Lutheran is meeting them

A self-study promotes stewardship of the Parish-family’s time, talents and treasures o As Church leaders, God holds us accountable

It helps us prepare for the future It is necessary and assists the Call process.

Thank you for helping us prepare for the future.

Christ Lutheran Church Congregational Self-Study Survey

Please complete this survey. It will help us to reassess the biblical purpose and function of the church and whether Christ Lutheran is meeting them and to help promote stewardship of the Parish-family's time, talents, and treasures. 1. How would you summarize the purpose for which your congregation exists?

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Mark three statements that best describe current conditions of our church.

____ Strong sense of mission and purpose among every member ____ Poor sense of mission and purpose among every member ____ New members do not sense church's purpose ____ Church leaders and congregation have shared goals ____ Common purpose throughout ministries of the church ____ Congregation and church leaders have mixed goals ____ Church and congregation do not have any known goals

3. Mark two statements that best describe involvement of membership

____ High percentage of individuals' time and identity committed to the church ____ Volunteers easily found ____ All members willing to work ____ New members quickly find a place to be involved ____ High level of enthusiasm among membership for participation ____ Members assume there are enough others to do jobs within the church ____ Lots of opportunities for families to be involved ____ Difficult to find volunteers ____ Needs to be more opportunities for family involvement ____ Most members are open to helping out in the church ____ Most members are not comfortable helping out in the church

4. List 3 positive events or things that have happened in this church and congregation in the last 10 years.

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

5. List at least 3 areas in which you feel our parish is strong (things the congregation does well).

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

6. Are there new things in which the church and congregation should be doing that it is not doing now?

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

7. What can the church and the congregation do better to attract new parish members?

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

8. List three positive things about having an immigrant ministry like the Oromo congregation at church?

_____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

9. What negatives are there in having an immigrant ministry like the Oromo congregation within ours?

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

10. Identify what you see as your “community” and describe the changes you see taking place there. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Please return to Christ Lutheran Church. You can drop off your survey within the church at one of two boxes marked “CONGREGATIONAL SELF STUDY SURVEY” or mail them back to:

Christ Lutheran Church Attn: Congregational Self Study 6700 NW 72nd Street Platte Woods, MO 64151

Christ Lutheran – August 2019

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

6pm - VBS Ice Cream Social

2

6am - Men’s Bible Study

3

4

8am - Divine Service 9am - Fellowship 9:30am - Bible Study & Sunday School 10:45am - Divine Service - LS Noon - Oromo Worship 6pm - Family Game Night

5

Pastors’ Day Off

6

10:30am - Bible Study 7pm - Elders

7

7pm - Midweek Service - LS

8 9

6am - Men’s Bible Study

10

11

8am - Divine Service - LS 9am - Fellowship 9:20am - Senior Recognition 9:30am - Bible Study & Sunday School 10:45am - Divine Service 2pm - Callers for Christ

12

Pastors’ Day Off

13

10:30am - Bible Study

14

7pm - Midweek Service

15

7pm - Board of Directors

16

6am - Men’s Bible Study Noon – Shepherd’s Staff Deadline

17

5pm – All Youth Pool Party

18

8am - Divine Service 9am - Fellowship 9:30am - Bible Study & Sunday School 10:45am - Divine Service - LS Noon - Oromo Worship

19

Pastors’ Day Off

20

10:30am - Bible Study

21

7pm - Midweek Service - LS

22 23

6am - Men’s Bible Study

24

25

8am - Divine Service - LS 9am - Fellowship 9:30am - Bible Study & Sunday School 10:45am - Divine Service 6pm – Weekday School Orientation

26

Pastors’ Day Off

27

10:30am - Bible Study 11:30am - Collate Shepherd’s Staff

28

4:30pm – Weekday School 5:30pm – Women’s Bible Study 7pm - Midweek Service

29 30

6am - Men’s Bible Study

31

S

C

H

E

D

U

L

E

o

f

S

T

E

W

A

R

D

S

H

I

P

Acolytes: 8am – Chadron Cummins 10:45am – Alex Smith, Jarien Montgomery Head Ushers: 8am – Kim Heermann 10:45am – Stephen O’Toole

Ushers: 8am – Troy Fredde, Andrew Spidle

10:45am – Charley Buckner, Paul Naher

Elder In Charge: 8am: Watson/Lyons 10:45am: S. Smith Midweek: 7th – Steffens; 14th – Hollander; 21st – S. Smith; 28th – Daley

Greeters: 8am – Carol Houghtlin 10:45am – Shawn and Kelli Smith

Counter: Lee and Julie Ketelsen

Altar Guild: Servers Linens

8/4 Chastain/Gibson/Vincenti Truetken

8/7 Oswald/Schneider Faller

8/11 Durham/Degnan/Moore Faller

8/14 Rothert/Schneider

8/18 Duff/Howard/Daugherty Truetken

8/21 Rothert/Schneider Faller

8/25 Sperl/Steffens/Truetken Faller

8/28 Lewis/Truetken

Launder and Steam Acolyte Robes & Cottas, Pastors’ Cassocks & Surplices – Durham

A

U

G

U

S

T

2

0

1

9

Trinity Sunday 1st Sunday after Trinity2nd Sunday after

Trinity3rd Sunday after

Trinity4th Sunday after

TrinityAverage for period

2016 229 218 224 219 182 215

2017 221 247 224 248 246 238

2018 234 198 191 205 197 205

22

9

21

8 22

4

21

9

18

2

21

522

1

24

7

22

4

24

8

24

6

23

8

23

4

19

8

19

1 20

5

19

7 20

5

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Weekly Church AttendanceJune - July

The following are the participants at the Dedication Service along with some words about the new building found in the original Service Folder used at

the August 26th, 1979.

A Stewardship Lesson from God’s Word … Deuteronomy 14:22-26

Have you ever noticed the subtle ceremonies in receiving the offerings during our Divine Service? The offerings are collected in our offering plates and they are brought forward and given to one of our assisting boys, who collects them in a larger offering plate. This acolyte then turns toward the altar and slightly bows his head, and then walks over and places the plates on the shelf behind the pulpit.

Why do we have these ceremonies? And what do they teach us? For that’s what ceremonies do – they teach, as the Augsburg Confession tells us, what we need to know about Christ (AC XXIV, 1–3).

Originally, these offering ceremonies included more than simply bringing forward what was collected in the plates. The elements for the Holy Communion – the bread and the wine – were brought forward with the offerings. The elements were lifted toward the Lord and placed upon the altar. The altar, now made a table, would be set for the Lord’s Supper.

Gifts brought to the altar come from the sweat of His people’s brow. They are the bread and wine, the fruits of His people’s labor in this fallen world. After six days of labor and toil, we are to bring a generous proportion for the Lord’s work. The fruits of our labors, though coming from many different places, are brought together and received by the assisting boy into one larger plate—showing the unity of purpose for their use. These gifts are offered to the Lord for Him to take up and press into service for His gracious work to us.

For what is offered to the Lord from the sweat of His people’s brow – the bread of anxious toil – comes back to us as the Bread of Life. The Bread comes down from heaven that whoever eats this Bread and drinks this Cup will receive life through the forgiveness of their sins.

This is not unlike what the Lord did for His people in the Old Testament: “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire – oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.” (Deut. 14:22-26)

What a blessing! God provides for us in all things. He provides bread from the sweat of our brows. He receives this from us in the first-fruits offerings we give to Him in thanksgiving and praise, and He turns these into Spiritual Bread. He gives this Heavenly Bread – the Bread of Eternal Life – back to us so we might have joy.

So, the next time you are in the Divine Service, watch these ceremonies in wonder. The offerings we have given to Him, the Lord gives back to us in His Supper so that we may rejoice in the salvation He won for us upon the cross.