May 2017Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the strong, loving women in your life. At Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI), we see thousands of Iowa moms through their journey to build the brightest future for their children.

We see moms turning to LSI’s Mental Health or Behavioral Health Intervention Services to ensure their child is receiving the coping skills and behavioral supports they need to thrive. In our Early Childhood Services, we see young first-time moms who are eager to join our parenting education classes and support groups. In 2016, LSI’s Early Childhood programs provided support to 552 first-time parents. We are so inspired to hear their stories and see their hard work pay off as they raise our next generation.

As you celebrate Mother’s Day this year, remember how many Iowa moms are being empowered because of your support. If you are looking for a way to honor your mother this year, please consider giving a gift in her name at www.LSIowa.org.

Thank you for standing alongside our Iowa families.

Our Mission: Lutheran Services in Iowa responds to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service. LSI is an affiliated social ministry partner of the Iowa congregations of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and a member of LSA  (Lutheran Services in

America). We proudly serve people of all ages, abilities, religions, sexes, gender identities, national origins, ethnicities, races, and sexual orientations. Learn more at www.LSIowa.org and www.facebook.com/LSI.iowa.

It Takes a Village

When Fan’s first child, Rain, was born, she was determined to raise him to be gentle, patient, and independent. But as he entered his crawling, walking, and climbing phases, things began to change.

Originally from China, Fan was not well connected in her community. When Rain became a very mobile and curious toddler, she had no other parents to talk with about how to handle his latest developmental stages.

Fan turned to LSI’s People Place, a family and community resource center in Ames. The program provides parents with access to low-cost or free parenting classes, support groups, and home visitations. For low-income families like Fan’s, People Place is a life-changing resource.

Now Rain can play with other children his age at People Place, and Fan has a chance to meet more parents with similar life experiences.

“They’ve helped me a lot by answering my concerns when he’s growing or developing a problem,” Fan says. “Someone else there might be having the same problem, so you can connect with them. It’s a lot more fun to learn in a group how to raise your kids instead of doing it alone.”

Say Cheese! It’s that time again, time to refresh our Church Directory. Life

Touch Photography will be setting up shop in our church June 1-3. All families will receive a free 8x10 at no cost and there is no obligation to purchase anything additionally. We are trying a new version of directory this time called Community Connect. This version comes with a 5% discount on additional purchases with non-perishable food donation and 5% back to the church on any orders placed. This year you can schedule your own appointment online at https://booknow-lifetouch.appointment-plus.com/9rgg0lgy/ or you can have one of our volunteers assist you. Please contact Todd Moline or Sara Kavalier.

Adults 50 Plus May Event:

Join us Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017 at 11 a.m. for yard games followed by a Potluck Picnic at Peter Melendy Park in Cedar Falls (you can see the

shelter from the Cedar Falls Main Street bridge at Lincoln and E. Main St.).  The shelter is next to the river, bike trails, and has public restrooms close by.  Bring a dish to share and your choice of beverage.  Those large cheese filled/bacon wrapped hot dogs that went over so well at Backbone last year will be provided with buns, chips, and condiments for $1.50 each…..and, I'll bring a few naked ones for the dieters  Come and picnic with us and join in the yard games.  In case of inclement weather, our rain date will be Thursday, May 4th. Please RSVP to Dawn Holmes at 319-268-1663 two (2) days in advance so I have enough hot dogs for everyone who wants one or two. Wanting and waiting to hear from you!

Adults 50+ Group NewsThe Ark Encounter— For April, our church group took a bus trip to the Ark Encounter, Creation Museum, Cincinnati Zoo and Newport Aquarium. Veronica Bickel rode a camel at the Ark's zoo, a photo Jack had to take. We walked 2 miles in

absolute awe inside the Ark looking in amazement at what God directed Noah and his family to create to reestablish the Earth after the Flood.  Ask folks to see their pictures of the enormous interior structure with animal crates, exhibits, Noah's family kitchen, greenhouse, and living quarters, etc.  It was the highlight of the trip for most folks and something we won't ever forget when hearing scriptures talk of the flood.  Although we encountered light rain, mostly drizzle, during the next two days, most folks still chose to walk the outside Botanical Gardens at the Creation Museum as the sun peaked in and out.  Spring was in full bloom there with tulips, daffodils, Red Bud and Crabapple Trees, narcissus, etc.  Folks brazed the mist and walked the zoo trails to see the animals in realistic habitat…..and, “The Farm” buffet dinner put on by the bus trip was great, also.  I came home tired but with a renewed appreciation of God's miracles and love for all of us.  Dawn Holmes, Senior's Activities Director.      

NE Iowa Food Bank— We’re filling the food bin once again and your help would be greatly appreciated! Non-perishable grocery items suggested for the month of May include: Canned Tuna, Tuna Helper, Canned Fruit, Cereal, Powdered Milk, Crackers, Peanut Butter and Canned Pasta. Please be sure to check the expiration date so we are donating safe food items. Thanks for your ongoing help!

Evangelism Activities—

May 6 Plant Sale—The Board of Evangelism and the Board of Youth are combining their

efforts for a plant sale on Saturday, May 6th! A variety of flowers plus eatable plants will be available for purchase at low prices.

May 14   Birthday/Anniversary Sunday—Join us after the service in the lounge for a sweet treat to celebrate all the May Birthdays and Anniversaries.

May 21 Potluck Sunday—Come enjoy some good food and great comradery at our monthly dinner together. Bring something to share—but if you forget, we always have plenty so feel free to stay and eat with us!

April Showers –Thank you so much for your willingness to give so generously to the Women’s Shelter. We sure appreciate all who took a tag and brought items back and for those who donated funds to help us buy needed items. Your giving never goes unnoticed—God Bless You!

Supplies on the Way—109 Pillow case dresses, 55 men’s/boy’s shorts, 8 boys’ t-shirts, 24 miscellaneous lady’s clothing items, 4 knitted hats, 10 scarves, 25 pillow case dolls and 200 pocket crosses are on their way to Colombia, South America with Shelley Holmes-Clabough. These items will bless the less fortunate in rural communities that Shelley is helping with their medical needs. Thank you to Cindy Moline, Mary Hall, Betty Jacobsen, Deb Estrem, Louise Starkey, Gladys Love, Deb Evans, Mary Ann Spragg, and Deb Voelker for their help sewing, knitting, and making crosses. We apologize if we missed someone—be assured you are all appreciated! Todd Moline and Jeanette Alton

Men’s Group— All men of Our Savior’s are invited to share in our last breakfast before our

summer break. It will be held at Village Inn on Ridgeway in Waterloo Saturday, May 6th beginning at 8:00 a.m. Come along and join us!

Widows ‘n’ Widowers—You are invited to come enjoy a good time of fellowship, some good food and laughter on Monday, May 15th beginning at 11:30 a.m. We will be eating Golden China on the corner of Kimball Avenue and Brookeridge—Please come join us!

Call Joanne Lubbert with any questions you may have at 232-8129.

$$—Financially Speaking—$$Amount needed to meet our budget:

Weekly = $ 3,462.00Monthly = $15,000.00

*For the month of March 2017: offering $9,936 from savings +3,500 Total $13,436 Expenses $13,350Weekly Average Giving March = $2,484.00 Average Attendance March = 72

POWER POINT VOLUNTEERSWe are looking for volunteers to learn and help run the power point presentation (the screens in the sanctuary) on Sunday mornings.  Please contact Bob/Mary Slater with questions or join them upstairs on Sunday mornings to learn this process. This is a wonderful opportunity to be involved in a great "behind the scenes" ministry.

Church Women United—May 5th is May Friendship Day! Our theme this year is “Kindling New Fires of Love” and will

begin with a luncheon served at 12:00 Noon. The host Church is Westminster Presbyterian located at 1301 Kimball Avenue in Waterloo. Tickets are $7.00 per person for the meal with a program to follow. Tickets are available from Our Savior’s Listening Team: Joyce Arends (234-4376) and Joanne Lubbert (232-8129). Every woman in the Cedar Valley area is welcome. Come and enjoy food, fellowship, and a meaningful program. An offering will be taken at this celebration which is designated as a fundraiser to benefit local groups in our own communities. Mark the date, call for your tickets and come to the luncheon. If you can’t come to eat but you can make for the program, please do so! The deadline is Monday, May 1st. Our Savior’s will assist with setting tables and cleanup before and after the event so we need your help! Please plan to arrive at 11:15 a.m. at Westminster. Any donation you can contribute would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact Joyce or Joanne—leave a message if there is no answer. Thanks!

Tabitha Quilters— Ladies are invited and welcome to participate in the Quilter’s activities. In May, they will meet on the first and third Tuesday beginning at 9:00 a.m. Everyone brings a sack lunch and eats together around noon. Two O’clock in the afternoon is our usual quitting time. See you in the Social Hall on May 2nd and 16th!

W. E. L. C. A. Reminder—Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

The women of OSLC would like you to mark and save these dates on the Church calendar:

Wednesday, September 13th – WELCA

MeetingSaturday, September 30th – Fall Dinner

Fundraiser

All Women are invited to share in the fellowship, study and prayer of the Ladies’ Circles listed below:Rebecca Circle – we will meet on the first Monday of May. Come gather with us beginning at 10:00 a.m. on May 1st. Please direct any questions to Jeananne Tharp at 234-7271.

Ruth Circle – Ladies of the Ruth Circle will get together on Monday, May 8th starting at 10:00 a.m. For more information contact Roberta Cue at 233-7323.

Deborah Circle – The evening circle of Our Savior’s meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Deborah Ladies will gather for study and prayer on May 9th beginning at 5:30 p.m. Mary Martin can answer any questions about this group. Her number is 235-7597.

Garden of Eatin’ News

We have some updates for the Garden of Eatin’ for you. In the last 3 years, we have raised 795 pounds of food that was given! In a recent conversation with the House of Hope staff, they reported to us that the Moms really liked getting fresh produce. They learned how to cook some new things like acorn squash and swiss chard. The impact that we have made by introducing people to good, healthy fresh produce excites us!

This year we have several new things going on. We are installing some “ollas” to help with water conservation. This is an ancient drip irrigation system with clay pots. Thanks for the suggestion Andy! We are also planting potatoes in two growing bins.

We planted the garden seeds on Earth Day in April. We will finish with the tomato plants in May. All volunteers are welcome. We are having work days this year on Monday and Friday mornings from 9-11 am. Come see us at the garden! Any questions, call Debbie Crawford, garden manager at 277-7514.

Semi-Annual Meeting/Potluck Dinner— Our semi-annual meeting is scheduled for Sunday, May 21, 2017. Please mark your calendar and come participate. We will be having elections for council and some committees. After the meeting, please stay for a potluck dinner hosted by the Board of Evangelism. Everyone is invited and welcome!

PLANT SALESpring is here and it's time for the Youth & Evangelism Boards Annual Plant Sale. Stop by the parking lot/social hall on Saturday May 6th between 9am-2pm for some great deals for the garden and flower beds. Thanks for your continued support— Hope to see you there!  

2017 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATEJordan Slater

Daughter of Bob & Mary SlaterWaterloo East High Class of 2017Jordan is graduating a year early and will be working until she decides the next path of her journey.You're all invited to an Open House in her honor on Saturday, May 20th from 1-4 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church Social Hall. 

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE YOUTH!

Thanks to ALL who had a part in the Easter

Breakfast. The donation sheet for food items filled up fast and

everyone had their donations here on time. We are grateful for the several friends who showed up to prep, serve and clean up! Thanks also to those who came to enjoy the food and fellowship. All the donations of food, time and money are greatly appreciated. Around 77 people were served breakfast and it was a great time for all!

Youth Gathering Meeting Every three years, high school youth and adult leaders gather for a week of faith formation known as the ELCA Youth Gathering. Through days spent in interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service and fellowship, young people grow in faith and are challenged and inspired to live their faith in their daily lives. The next gathering will take place June 27-July 1, 2018 in Houston, TX. It would be great to have a group go from OSLC.  High School students and their parents are invited to an informational meeting on Sunday May 7th at 6:30 pm in the library. Contact Pastor Megan with any questions. 

Sunday morning with you all are one of the joys of serving as your pastor. It is wonderful to see all of you and worship our God with you.

Sunday mornings are also a crazy time as a pastor. I usually have several things running through my head about the service and whatever else may be going on that morning.

While I enjoy talking with you in person, I don’t always retain everything that is said to me and I don’t always have paper and pen to write things down. If you have something that you want me to contact you about, or pass along to the prayer chain or whatever your need might be, I do my best to remember when you mention it, but sometimes it can slip my mind. It’s always better to follow up such Sunday morning conversations with me with a text, phone call or email on Monday.

Thanks for helping out your sometimes-forgetful pastor as we work together in the ministry of this place.

~Pastor Megan

Day Camp OSLC will be hosting Day Camp beyond the Narthex June 26-30 with the daily programming provided by Ewalu camp staff. This a great opportunity to bring children into our building and share the good news with them. Details are still coming together but we will need volunteers and other help throughout the week and in preparation. Watch for information about volunteering and other opportunities in the coming weeks. Even if you aren't able to volunteer, encourage the young people in your life to join us for what will be a week of friends, fun, and faith. Contact Pastor Megan with any questions please.

Bible Quiz

 

Acts 17 describes Paul speaking about God to the people of Athens in front of — incredibly! — a site that still exists. What is that site? 

A. The Panathenaic Stadium B. The Areopagus C. The Acropolis and the Parthenon D. The Temple of Hephaestus 

See Acts 17:22/Answer on Activity Calendar

Communion VisitsWe are still looking for people who are willing to help out with our communion visits to our homebound members. There are approximately 30 individuals and couples to visit each month. The whole group is split in half and Pastor Megan visits one half Jan., Mar., May, etc. and the other half Feb., Apr., June, etc. Those who make communion visits do so for the individuals in the group which Pastor Megan is not visiting that month.

We currently have 7 individuals/couples who currently have no one to take them communion and visit them in the months which the pastor does not visit.

Volunteers are responsible for visiting/bringing communion to 2-3 homebound individuals. Volunteers will receive instruction on how to go about a visit. Visits may include scripture reading, communion, prayer, some conversation, and relaying necessary information to the pastor. Please consider participating in this ministry opportunity. If you are interested or have questions, contact Pastor Megan.

Out of the Office— Pastor Megan will be on vacation Tuesday, May 9th through Tuesday, May 16th. Pastor Ron Spears will be sharing with us and leading us in worship on Sunday, May 14th. If you are in need of a pastor or have an emergency, Pastor Kristen Wipperman is on call and would be glad to assist you while Pastor Megan is away. Pastor Kristen’s number is (319) 621-8074.

Agnus Dei 

The Agnus Dei — Latin for “Lamb of God” — seated on a book (perhaps the Lamb’s Book of Life, Revelation 13:8), symbolizes the final judgment. The seven seals shown in the image align with the seven attributes that Christ is worthy to receive, according to praises around the heavenly throne: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12, NIV). 

Willing recipientsA young graduate longed for a certain sports car and knew his dad could afford it. So on the big day, he was infuriated to receive instead a leather-bound, embossed Bible. He threw it down and left for good. 

Years later, after his father died, the son entered his father’s study with sorrow and regret. Sorting through belongings, he found the gift and this highlighted verse: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11, ESV). Suddenly something dropped from the back of the Bible: a key with a tag from the dealer of the car he’d wanted long ago. On the tag was his graduation date and the words “Paid in Full.” 

How often we miss out on God’s generous gifts because they come “packaged” differently than we expect! At graduation — and throughout life — may we be open to every gift God bestows on us with a Father’s deep love.