Martin Luther

Martin Luther
"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason---I do
not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have
contradicted each other---my conscience is captive to the
Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to
go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand,
I cannot do otherwise. God help me, Amen."
Reformation Sunday, October 27, 2013
Reformation Day, October 31, 2013
Where Will You Make a Stand?
In the spring of 1521, UNLESS I AM CONVICTED OF
Martin Luther, the re- ERROR BY THE TESTIMONY OF
former, met with theo- SCRIPTURE OR BY MANIFEST
logians of the Roman EVIDENCE...I CANNOT AND
Catholic Church who WILL NOT RETRACT, FOR WE
had condemned his MUST NEVER ACT CONTRARY
TO OUR CONSCIENCE....HERE I
writings and had deSTAND. GOD HELP ME! AMEN!"
manded that he recant
MARTIN LUTHER
his teachings.
At a
Pastor Alan Sommer
town called Worms, he
was asked to disavow his writings and books. This was no
child's play; his life had already been threatened. Yet with boldness and confidence in God, he said "I
cannot and will not retract." He took a stand and refused to give in.
Luther sounds very bold and courageous, doesn't he? Yet as he approached this meeting, he described
himself as "physically fearful and trembling". He felt no more courage than you or I would in that
situation.
What gave him confidence was the Word of God in his heart and mind. He knew that God's Word
was true, and that God had revealed that truth in the Bible. So, despite his fears and anxieties, Luther
had courage from the Lord to do what needed to be done.
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF
THE FAITH. TAKE HOLD OF
THE ETERNAL LIFE TO WHICH
YOU WERE CALLED WHEN YOU
MADE YOUR GOOD CONFESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF
MANY WITNESSES.
1 TIMOTHY 6:12 NIV
Where do you need courage in your life? Are you facing a difficult decision at work, one that may tempt you to put profits or
personal comfort before God's truth? Do you have a friend at
school who needs Jesus, but you are afraid to have that conversation? Or maybe you and your spouse need to talk about something, but you know it will be uncomfortable, so you avoid it.
The Apostle Paul wrote to his friend Timothy, a young man who
seems to have struggled to find courage. He was given a lot of responsibility, and at times seems to
have given in to fear and anxiety.
Paul called on Timothy to fight the good fight of the faith, to hold on to the eternal life to which he
had been called.
But this wasn't just a "rah rah" speech from Paul. In 1 Timothy 6:13, he reminded Timothy of what
Jesus had done for him. Jesus, "while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession."
Timothy wasn't alone. Like Martin Luther and like us, Timothy felt fear and intimidation at times.
But because Jesus took his stand before Pilate, because Jesus willingly went to a cross and then rose
from the dead, Timothy, Paul, Martin Luther, and you and I are able to stand for what is Godly and
true and right. We have been given the great gift of salvation freely. Eternal life is ours, and Jesus
stands with us. So in this life, we can stand with him.
Pastor Alan
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We, now, as the church are entrusted with this
gospel message. We now go forth joyfully
and proclaim Jesus Christ crucified and risen
again to the nations! Jesus Christ is coming
back, and we look forward to the eternal celebration with Him.
Letter From
Vicar Mommens
“For it is by grace you
have been saved,
through faith- and this
is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God –
not by works, so that no
Vicar David Mommens
one can boast. For we
are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
David Mommens, Vicar
Letter From
Annie, DYFM
On October 31st, millions of children across
the country will dress up as their favorite super-hero or princess and parade around their
neighborhoods asking friends, neighbors, and
family to provide them with delicious chocolate treats. This tradition has been around for
some time in our country and I have many
fond memories trick-or-treating with my family.
Annie Tiberg,
DY& FM
As you all know, fall/
autumn is my absolute
favorite season of this
year. The sights and
smells of warm cinnamon and apples and
pumpkins. Yummo!
This fall, however, seems to have begun
quicker than ever! Where did summer go?
Wasn’t it just 4th of July last week?? Was the
National Youth Gathering really 12 weeks
ago?! And now, it’s October already! Sheesh!
Time sure flies! Although we’ve started off
with a bang, let’s not get carried away in the
busy-ness.
There is another holiday that occurs the same
day, celebrated by a much smaller group of
people, Reformation Day. On All Hallows
Eve way back in 1517, Martin Luther, a
Catholic monk nailed his 95 thesis to the door
of the church in Wittenberg Germany, in protest of the Catholic Church selling indulgences.
We are all so busy! We have kids to take to
soccer practice, assignments to complete for
work, homework to turn in, dance practices to
excel in. Our culture is pulling our families in
so many directions, isn’t it? Sometimes it’s
hard to discern what commitments and what
activities our kids really need to be involved
in. Sometimes it’s hard to make time for our
faith walk with Christ.
Martin Luther rightfully taught that humans
are saved solely by the grace of God, through
faith in the Gospel message. We are made
right in God’s eyes because God’s son, Jesus
Christ, came to earth and lived a perfect life
for us. Jesus then took upon himself the sinner’s punishment, death on a cross. When he
rose again, he gave us his perfect reward, forgiveness of sins and life eternal with him.
Let me first encourage you that we have all
been busy. We are all walking the road of
busyness with you. You’re not alone. But we
do need to take careful stock of those time3
wasters, time-users, and time-takers when
they take time away from our precious time
with God. We need to make daily time to
read, hear and listen to our Savior. To meditate on His Word. To listen to His response.
To share our struggles and celebrations with
Christian friends. Please don’t ignore this
need for your life or your family’s life.
Spending time together in God’s Word at
home and in worship and Bible study together
in God’s house is the best gift of quality time
you can ever give your family.
At this meeting, Council:
Authorized Maureen Popielarz to replace
the maintenance agreement for the old
copier with a new agreement that
would provide for a new copier at the
same cost, and to dispose of the old
copier as appropriate.
Discussed the disbursement of a large
anonymous donation. After much discussion about the possible uses of this
gift, Council decided to use part of the
gift (approximately $5700) to pay off
the balance of the new sound system
that would have otherwise been taken
from the property replacement fund.
This means that the sound system was
paid for entirely through non-budgeted
donations. Council elected to defer deciding what to do with the balance of
the donation until November.
If you haven’t been to Light of the Hills in a
while, know that we are always here to support you in your time of need, to celebrate
your joys with you, and to walk in daily living of faith together. Your youth family is
here for you. Not one of us is an island. We
are all walking the challenging road of faith
and life together.
My favorite verse right now is Psalm 16:11,
“You make known to me the path of life; you
will fill me with joy in your presence, with
eternal pleasures at your right hand. “ God
has given us His precious, holy Word in the
Bible to be in His presence, to know the path
that He has designed just for you. When we
spend time with our Creator and Savior, His
joy and guidance rain down upon us. So make
and take that time today.
Began finalizing the 2014 budget, which
will be considered at the November 10
Annual Voters’ Meeting. Council expects to send out the proposed 2014
budget immediately following the
budget’s final approval by Council at
the October 15 Council meeting.
The upcoming November 10 Voters’ Meeting
will be an important one for Light of the
Hills. Please pray for Council as they finalize
the budget for 2014.
Living in Faith & Serving Jesus with you,
Annie, DYFM
Council Update – September
2013
Please contact me if you have any questions
about this report or any matters for Council.
In Christ with you,
Brian Theaker
Congregational President
LOTH’s Congregational Council met last on
Tuesday, September 10 because both Pastor
Alan and President Brian Theaker would be
out of town on Council’s normal meeting date
(the third Tuesday of the month).
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The Reformation and
Martin Luther
Luther was born in Germany in a town named
Eisleben. He was the son of a prosperous
miner. In 1501, at the age of 17, he enrolled
at the University of Erfurt, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1502 and a master's degree in
1505. He then intended to study law, as his
father wished. In the summer of 1505, however, he suddenly abandoned his studies, sold
his books, and entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt.
Light of the Hills
Library Resources
There are a number of excellent resources in
the library regarding the Reformation and the
life of Martin Luther. As we prepare to celebrate the Reformation at the end of October,
you might want to read some of these resources or watch some of the videos.
Martin Luther’s great struggle was to know
that he could be loved and accepted by God.
He had come to know God primarily as a
righteous judge to whom all people were accountable. He strove to please God through
righteous living, fasting, prayer, and many
other efforts.
DVD: Luther, starring Joseph Fiennes
Books:
Here I Stand by Roland Bainton
Martin Luther--Road to the Reformation -- by
Heinrich Boemer
He eventually became the chair of Biblical
theology at the University of Wittenburg. It
was in his study of the Bible that he realized
Christians are saved not through their own efforts but by the gift of God's grace, which
they receive through faith.
Martin Luther a Life -- by James A Nestingen
This Is Luther -- by Ewald Plass
Luther's Faith -- by Daniel Olivier
This revelation of God’s grace changed Luther and the church. He began to teach
against some of the common practices of the
day. Indulgences, for example, were certificates that, when purchased from the church,
would bring relief from the penalties of sin.
When Luther attacked these practices and others, the Roman Church had him excommunicated.
3 Volumes of What Luther Says
Kitty My Rib (Katherine Luther) by Jane Mall
Martin Luther
(Nov. 10, 1483 – Feb 18, 1546)
Luther was a very active writer and teacher.
Throughout all his writings, he clearly proclaimed that human beings are sinful, unable
to meet the righteous demands of God’s law.
But in Jesus, the Messiah, God has given a
gift to humanity. All who trust in Jesus as
their Savior, have eternal life as a completely
Martin Luther was a German theologian and
religious reformer, who initiated the Protestant Reformation. His vast influence, has
made him one of the crucial figures in modern
European history.
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free gift.
been a blessed time for this committee! We
have been able to share some of the financial
burdens of those members and nonmembers
of LOTH who are attending universities to
become future Pastors, DCE’s, and Directors
of Parish Music in our Lutheran congregations.
(Sources: The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran
Church; MSN Encarta.)
175 Years Ago
In faith, eight years before The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod was formed, those
who had recently emigrated from Sazonuy,
Germany to Perry County, Missouri founded
Concordia Seminary.
About the middle of February, a check for
$3,000 was mailed to Concordia Seminary to
help Tristan Engle (non-member) former
Vicar of LOTH (2011 – 2012) to complete his
final year of study and to be installed as a
Pastor in a congregation in Southern Missouri.
They made Christlian education and the
preparation of pastors their highest priority.
These visionary leaders, including Dr. C.F. W.
Walther, knew that theologically wellprepared pastors with good relationship skills
were essential for congregations.
Kyle Weeks (member) is attending Concordia, Irvine as a Junior to complete his major
in Business Finance in preparation to entering
the Seminary in St. Louis to become a Pastor.
A $1,000 grant was provided to Kyle to assist
him in achieving a required Bachelor Degree
so that he can enter the Seminary in a couple
of years.
They would be sorely tested. During those 10
years in Perry County, the Seminary’s founders faced poverty and the ravages of disease.
They trusted in their Savior and by the grace
of God persevered.
Two faithful and very qualified members of
LOTH’s choir, Rikki Pratt and Krista Mackin
(members) have entered Concordia, Irvine
with $1,000 grants to each of their accounts.
Rikki has entered as a Freshman to work toward a BA in the Director of Parish Music
Program. Krista is in her Junior year and
wants to become a DCE under the Leadership
Program.
In the almost 175 years since the Seminary’s
founding, their seminary has become your
seminary. Their vision and mission has been
passed down for generations into your hands.
To date, your Seminary has been privileged to
provide some 13,000 graduates to “The Lutheran Church-Missori Synod”.
This month, the LOTH Stewardship Fund
Committee awarded a $3,000 grant to our
most recent Vicar, James Conrad, (nonmember) (2012-2013) to assist him and his
growing family during his final year at the
Seminary.
LOTH Scholarship Fund Grants
$9,000 for
Future Church Workers
So far this year, the members of the LOTH
Scholarship Fund have been busy reading applications and requesting checks to be mailed
to Concordia Seminary, St Louis and Concordia University, Irvine, California. This has
As you can see this has been a rewarding year
for the LOTH Scholarship Fund to be able to
assist these fine young people with much
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needed financial assistance. Please continue
to use the envelope marked: “OUR STEWARDSHIP AT WORK” – SCHOLARSHIP
FUND – so that there will be dollars available
for next year. The future leadership of our Lutheran Church rests in the hands of our young
people. Let us continue to encourage and
bless them!
Sunday Bible Classes
Join us for Education Hour Sunday morning
at 9:30 am. Pastor is continuing a study
called The Challenge of Islam in the Sanctuary and Vicar is continuing a study called
Creation College in the Multipurpose
Room. All adults are welcome! Bring your
Bible!
LOTH SCHOLARSHIP FUND COMMITTEE
Wednesday Evening Bible Class
Del Haven – Chairman, Casey Wright –
Member – Cliff Hendryx - Member
Revelation Bible Study continues Wednesday
evenings at 7 pm in the Multipurpose
Room. Bring your Bible.
Stephan Ministry Class
LOTH Sermons Are On The Web
LOTH will begin a new Stephan Ministry
Training Classs beginning in Mid-October.
The purpose of the training is to prepare us to
be deliberate care givers, to walk along side
people that are hurting, to provide a confidential 1 on 1 relationship pointing to Jesus
Christ, grounded in His Love. Please consider this opportunity to serve people in this
church and community. A sign-up sheet is in
the Narthex and you may contact Lynn Haven
or Rich Wright for any other questions you
may have.
Did you know you can listen to sermons from
any previous Sunday on the LOTH website? Click on this link to hear last Sunday's
sermon given by Pastor on Prayer, Men and
Women (1 Timothy 2:1-15). http://
w w w. l o t h . o r g / s e r m o n s / ? s e r v i c e = 5
Sunday School Corner:
A note from your Sunday School Directors:
Becky Zsoka and Jan Hendryx
Fit For Life Class
Oct 12, 27 and Nov 10, 24
The year is off to a good start! If you have not
completed the Sunday School registration
forms (on loth.org or through your child’s
teacher) please do so. If your child is not currently attending Sunday School we would
love to have them join us. Sunday School begins at 9:30 with opening in the upstairs conference room.
Fit For Life Class Coming Soon Fit for Life
In Christ Adult Instruction Classes will be offered this Fall - October 13 & 27, November
10 & 24. If you are new to Lutheranism &
seeking information or are already a congregational member & wanting a refresher
course - this is the class for you! Classes will
be held Sundays from 3-7pm and include dinner. Led by Pastor Alan Sommer. Call the office to register.
Our dedicated Sunday School teachers are:
PreK/K -Ally Cherko and Stephanie Tembey,
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1/2 - Jan Peoples,
3/4 - Mrs. Theaker,
5/6 - Mrs. Stanberry,
Jr. High - Mrs. Morris.
High School - DYFM Annie Tiberg.
The Health Ministry movement stems
from the healing ministry of Jesus, who
promoted wholeness of body, mind and
spirit. Jesus taught us to care for one another and Christians have been helping
the poor, hungry, sick, orphans, widows
and those in need ever since.
Please pray that our Sunday School students
continue to grow in the knowledge our Lord
and Savior and His Word.
Rev. Dr. Granger E. Westberg (1911-1999)
was a pioneer who, over the course of a long
and rich career, broke new ground in the areas of theology, clinical pastoral education,
and whole person healthcare. Westberg was a
Lutheran clergyman who had been a parish
pastor, hospital chaplain, professor of practical theology and teacher of medical students.
His work was based on his belief that healthcare transcends physical care, because true
healing involves the whole person in the context of their community. One of Westberg’s
most significant contributions to the church
and the community at large was the founding
of the parish nurse movement. Originally developed in 1984 as a partnership between
Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois and six area congregations, this new
ecumenical movement soon grew to encompass nurses and churches around the country.
We also have a few mission projects in the
works! We will once again begin collecting
donations for Operation Christmas Child
boxes in November! Be on the lookout for
more information about OCC and our two
Compassion International Students that your
Sunday School offerings help support!
New LOTH Members
The qualifications for a Parish Nurse are:
a skilled professional nurse with a current
active registered nurse license in the
State of practice
a screener for existing or potential health
problems utilizing the skills of nursing
diagnosis and assessment
a person of faith committed to promoting
"whole person" health (mind, body,
and spirit)
a patient/congregational member advocate working with the health/pastoral
team to promote patient/
congregational rights
New Members, Jill and Andrew Burnette
Jill and Andrew Burnette were welcomed
into membership at the second service on
Sunday, September 30. Please get to know
these new members.
New Parish Nurses
Carol Pridden and Karen Arnal are the new
Parish Nurses at LOTH.
What is the Role of a Parish Nurse?
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a referral source to needed supports and
services within congregational and
community health care resources
Caregivers, or Grief Support.
Karin Arnal and I have agreed to be Light of
the Hills Parish Nurses. Please feel free to
contact one of us to assist with any health issues or concerns you have so that we can
help give you a better understanding of any
health issues you may have. We look forward to meeting and praying with you.
A Parish Nurse is NOT:
just a Registered Nurse working within
the congregational setting
a source of "hands on" medical/nursing
care
there to administer medications
there to take the place of the physician,
home health care, or pastoral team
God's blessings to all.
Carol Priddin RN
Karin Arnal RN
A Parish Nurse helps to facilitate understanding on wellness through education, counseling, referring, advocating, and praying with
members of the congregation. The nurse reminds people to care for their body, mind
and spirit. The nurse does this by offering
one on one discussions with a parishioner or
by offering health forums to the congregation.
LWML News
October 6th is LWML Sunday. Be sure to
pick up a Mite box and fill it with coins,
checks or dollar bills. Look for information
regarding the Mites on the back of the Bulletin.
A Parish Nurse is a Health Educator and can
offer one on one discussions on health problems with parishioners to give clarity and
support in understanding the connection of
attitude, faith and wellbeing. The nurse can
make home, hospital and nursing home visits
as needed. The nurse can assist with the network of the health care system and community resources and make referrals when
needed. The nurse is the parishioners’ health
advocate and will assist with healthcare assessments and decisions when requested or
needed. All information shared with the Parish Nurse is strictly confidential.
The LWML quarterly meeting is on October
23rd. All ladies are invited to join us for a
salad luncheon and a presentation by the
LWML Zone President. We are challenging
all ladies to bring a friend to this meeting.
LWML sewing group - Look for our display
in the Narthex starting in October. It is never
too early to start your Christmas shopping.
LWML was pleased to be able to donate
$100.00 to the Bible Military Sticks program.
The Parish Nurse can offer group forums to
the congregation on various health topics to
help facilitate a better understanding of
health issues. For example, forums could be
on Understanding Alzheimers, Support for
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song at Ponte Palmero for several years now.
Most recently a team has been formed so
many can be blessed by this opportunity.
Those involved in this team in addition to
Marilyn & Lynn are Nancy Skjelbred, Linda &
Mike Shaw, and Carol Womble.
Women—You Are Invited!!
On Saturday, October 12th, you are invited to
attend a special workshop at Town and Country Lutheran Church in Sacramento in which
ideas will be shared as to how to better engage
churches in the valuable work of the LWML.
It is entitled PING – Prepared-InspiredNourished-Go. Please sign up in the Narthex,
bring a friend, and we will be carpooling. The
cost is $10.
The group ministers according to a schedule
taking turns using a team with music and the
Word. There has been a little adjustment from
the residents with this Team Ministry, but in
this way they also receive the blessing of being ministered to by several from LOTH.
Library News – Check It Out
Our non-fiction section of the library
has been reorganized to make it easier to find a book you might want. Now it has
been divided into categories! Some of these
include the following:
** Defending the Faith
** Christian Growth
** Parenting
** Evangelism
** Prayer
** Marriage
We thank the Lord for this extension of ministry within the community
LOTH Seniors-”The Classics”
LOTH Seniors enjoyed a potluck luncheon on
September 21, at the church. Dick Anderson
presented a program about “The Great Lakes”.
Dick lived on the shores of Lake Michigan and
Lake Superior and sailed on all the Great
Lakes, except Lake Ontario , on a 620’ iron
ore carrier.
Also, we have a large selection of Bible studies. They are free, do not have to be returned,
and are waiting for loving hands to take them.
Ellen Katz continues to use her “spread-sheet”
skills to keep an ongoing inventory of the
books we have. Thank you, Ellen.
Our next fellowship gathering will be on October 21 at 12:00 PM. Our tentative location
will be at the home of Judy and Bill Base. We
will contact you with final details the week of
October 13. A map and directions will be
available.
By Carol Womble
We are planning on a November 18 gathering
at the church for a potluck luncheon at 12:00
PM. We are hoping to have more seniors join
our group for fellowship. Please contact Millie or Dick Anderson for any information at
530-677-4721.
There’s a New Look at
Ponte Palmero
A Ministry Team has been formed to minister
at Ponte Palmero. Marilyn Helsley and Lynn
Haven have been ministering in Word and
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Memoriam
Michael Hammer
February 6, 1985 - August 12, 2013
Mark Adams
August 17 1953 - September 1, 2013
Bible Quiz
What Old Testament people experienced God parting
the waters so they could cross on dry land, and under
what circumstances did they do so?
A. The Hebrew slaves, fleeing Egypt through the Red
Sea
B. The 12 Tribes of Israel, as they crossed the Jordan
River into the Promised Land
C. Elijah and Elisha, crossing the Jordan before Elijah
was taken up into heaven
D. All of the above
Answer: D (See Exodus 14:22; Joshua 3:17; 2
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Every Wednesday, 5:30pm, the youth room is open for
YOU! Come just to do homework, play ping-pong and just
hang out with us until youth group begins at 6pm!
High School Bible Study! Wednesday nights 6-7:30pm!
Topic: In the Beginning: Genesis
Sunday Morning Bible Class
is every Sunday at 9:3010:30am in the Youth Room!
Topic for HS:
ALL YOUTH CORN
MAZE In Dixon–
RESCHEDULED from
September
Sunday, Oct. 13th,
How Can We Defend
the Bible?
Jr High: CLIQUES
Sun., Sept. 15th, 1-3pm in the
Youth Room;
JH Youth Days
Unbelievable– but TRUE
stories in the Bible
12:30-5pm; $10 for
admission to the Corn Maze.
Bring your own spending
money for lunch on the way.
Parent drivers needed!
Sunday, Oct. 6th,1-3pm:
Remember to turn in your CONFIRMATION quizzes & sermon notes!
High School Sacramento Zoo is moved
to November 2nd, 10-3pm!
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NOTE FROM ANNIE: Below is an excellent article from Jim Burns of HomeWord Ministries, a website out of Azusa Pacific University
in So. California. I hope this article, helps you realize that you, the parent, are the # 1 most important influence in your teen’s life.
Keep up those conversations so that, with God’s help, sticky faith will continue to develop! Blessings on your parenting journey!
Annie Tiberg, Director of Youth & Family Ministry
Voices in Your Teen’s Life
By Jim Burns, Ph. D
Article found at: www.homeword.com/voices-your-teens-life-ta-a-1548-t-6_137.html
Before 2008, Katy Hudson was a little-known singer with a string of unsuccessful recording deals and a powerful set of vocal chords.
The second daughter of two Christian pastors, she grew up using her musical talents in churches and camps. Then, in 2008, her new
record label released the single “I Kissed A Girl,” and Katy Hudson—now known as Katy Perry—launched into pop music superstardom. Over the last five years, Katy Perry has dominated the airwaves, iTunes, and even the silver screen, with millions of diehard fans
around the world. Many of those fans are American teenagers.
Setting Perry’s success aside, you have to wonder how a girl who sang in the church worship band became a pop star who sings
about bisexual encounters. As parents of adolescents, we must ask ourselves: what kind of influence are celebrities—and the media—having on our teens? And perhaps even more important: how can I guide my teen toward Christ-centered choices with regard
to media and culture?
Christian parents have not always done very well when dealing with popular culture. Too often we get overwhelmed with the
voices competing for our teens life and mind. They come in many shapes and different forms. We tend to fluctuate between pulling
ourselves completely out of the world attempting to put our kids in kind of a protection bubble or blending into the culture as if there
were very little difference between our faith and our society. It can be extremely difficult to tell whether our parenting choices are
resisting or exacerbating the siren-calls of secular media. These days, our kids are being bombarded by messages from a variety of
media sources: TV, movies, radio, magazines, and Internet. It’s no secret that the media’s messages that our kids listen to, watch, and
read have a powerful influence on their lives.
The question on most parents of teenager’s minds is how do we create a media safe home while instilling Christ honoring values
into lives of our own kids? No one said it would easy and few of us ever feel confident about dealing with the influx of negative cultural values and images our kids are bombarded with on a regular basis. As a parent you can take practical steps to help your teenagers make right and wise decisions about culture and media. And the most effective parents don’t give up or bail out. There are steps
we can take to improve the media health of our family and understand how to help steer the voices shouting for attention in our
teen’s minds and hearts. With all the negative cultural messages what can a parent of a teen do?
Become Students of the Culture. With a teen in your house, a parent can listen to what they listen to, read what they read and
watch what they watch. This doesn’t mean you have to read, watch or listen to everything. You will just want to make sure you understand who and what is influencing your kids. Become familiar with the music your teenager listens too, even if you can't stand the
sound of it. Know what Internet sites they visit, what movies they watch, what books they read. Read teen magazines and check out
MTV and YouTube once in a while to learn more about the voices that are influencing today's teens.
When my daughters where teens, CDs were still the very best method of enjoying music. It was simpler then because we had a
policy that my wife, Cathy, and I would to listen to whatever new CD they purchased. In today’s world of instant iTunes downloading
and online radio sites it’s more complicated and many parents struggle to keep track of the music their teens consume. The same
issue applies to Web-streaming video and movies, Facebook, TV shows, and even blogs. Yet by staying in touch with what is most
popular among teenagers, parents have a much better chance of being able to initiate conversation about cultural concerns and intervene when a red flag is raised.
Create a Media Safe Home. Your parents didn’t have to think much about the issue of media safety. Sure there were Playboy
magazines and worries about television usage as well as time permitted on the family landline phone (remember those?). But today’s parent of a teen must deal with texting and sexting and Internet pornography just to name a few. Today the Internet is more
influential in your teen’s life than even television. Although you will want to establish boundaries for all uses of media let’s look at
Internet usage.
The Internet is wonderful, but it is also dangerous. So learn all you can about the Web and make it your friend. Just like friends at
school, it will either be a positive influence on your children or a negative one. There has never been a time when the world had a
greater access to positive information and negative influences. According to the research compiled by familysafemedia.com, the average age at which children are first exposed to Internet pornography is 11 years old. Further, an estimated 12% of all Websites are
pornographic! I’m glad I’m not a fifteen -year-old boy anymore tempted by the call of the darker side of the Web....
To continue reading this article and to learn a few things you can do to help ensure that the
Web is your friend, please visit www.homeword.com and search “Voices in Teen’s Life” Annie
also has copies of this article on her bulletin board outside her office.
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Serving Our Lord in October
E = 8:00 AM L= 10:45 AM
64
13 20
27
6
Altar Guild
e
l
Linda Olsen Davis
e
l
e
l
e
Shirley Fidler
l
l
Ed Dumas
Acolytes
e
Daniel Tucker
e
Dexter Adams
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Projectionist
e
Shirley Hallet
13 20
l
Lexi Martin
l
Paula Weeks
e
Simone Adams
e
Pam Small
l
Jadon Turnbull
l
Kristie Weeks
e
Ella Gilzean
e
Daniel Tucker
l
Maureen Popielarz
l
Emma Wymer
e
Robbie Deitz
l
Sara Russell
Greeters
Eileen Hanebutt, Darlene Eilders
e
l
Judy Bace, Karin Arnal
e
Becky & Mike Parish
l
Wendy & Robert Deitz
el
Marilyn Helsley
l
Kristen Edlund, Becky Wolkenhauer
eL
Alison Dumas
e
Barbara Lee, Laurie Lively
Musicians
l
Linda Olson-Davis & David Davis
el
Fred Weber
e
Jane & Will Nelson
e l
Ushers
Elders
Will Haunschild
e
l
Rich Wright
Vicar Mommens
e
e
l
e
l
l
el el el e l
e
e
e
e
Alice Wentland, Carol Womble
e
e
e
e
Laressia Carr, Sherry Hammer
l
l
l
l
Shirley Mattison, Pamela Sousa
l
l
l
l
Counters
Coffee Setup/Clean Up
Ellen Katz
Darlene Bair, Carla McCreary
e
e
e
Clifford Hendryx, Paul Maier
e
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October Birthdates
Date Name
Date Name
14 - Helen Ames
15 - James Zsoka
16 - Kathy Ynclan
17 - Arta Green, Barbara Lee
21 - Gretchen Luther, Weston Palmer
26 - Millie Anderson
27 - Rikki Pratt
28 - Bill Priddin
29 - Alison Dumas, Stacy Enzler, Debbie Paul
31 - Jack Garver, Sean Hormel
01 - Janet Summerville
02 - Kyle Hoffman
03 - Bob Wentland
05 - Aaron Stewart
07 - Mike Hanebutt
08 - Sydney Paul, Abigail Sommer
10 - Deloris Feldman, Michael Vavricek
11 - Justin Springer
12 - John K. Eilders, Del Haven
13 - Robert Deitz, Eric Paul
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
August 2013 Statistics
Attendance:
Total:
YTD Total:
% Change 12/13:
YTD Change 12/13:
1st Service:
2nd Service:
Sunday Ave Attend: (248 in 2012)
937
9,371
-3.6%
-4.3%
116
125
241
Offerings:
Total:
Year to Date General Offerings:
% Change 12/13:
YTD Change 12/13:
Ave Weekly Offerings
Weekly Budget Need
Ave per Attendee:
$43,186
$364,340
14.6%
9.3%
$10,716
$10,813
$38.88
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Church Membership as of: 06-30-2013
> 60
31 - 60
18 - 30
13 - 17
6 - 12
0-5
159
131
75
28
40
15
448
> 60
31 - 60
18 - 30
13 - 17
6 - 12
0-5
35.5%
29.2%
16.7%
6.3%
8.9%
3.3%
100%
Kid’s Page
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HOSTED BY:
Our Lutheran Women in Mission at LOTH
Wednesday – October 23
Lunch will be served at 12:00
Our Featured Presenter will be
Sherry Clifton
President of ZONE 19 – LWML
Come and enjoy good food, fellowship, and learn more about our
Women in Mission of our Lutheran Church. Please sign up in
the Narthex.
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Alan Sommer, Pastor
pastor@loth.org
LOTH Web address:
http://www.loth.org
Annie Tiberg, DCE
Director Youth & Family Ministries
youthandfamilies@loth.org
LOTH e-mail address:
loth@loth.org
David Mommens, Vicar
vicar@loth.org
LOTH Office Phone:
(530) 677-9536
Maureen Popielarz
Business Manager
businessmanager@loth.org
LOTH Fax:
(530) 677-4376
Church Office Hours
Monday - Wednesday
8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Business Manager Office Hours
Monday 8:30AM - 4:00PM
Tuesday 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday - Friday
8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Dorothy Polster, Church Secretary
loth@loth.org
Church Newsletter
Dick Anderson, Editor - ”The Beacon”
(530) 677-4721 dick.anderson@loth.org
Light of the Hills Lutheran Church
3100 Rodeo Road
Cameron Park, CA 95682
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