- St. James Lutheran Church

“THE VOICE”
ST. JAMES
LUTHERAN MINISTRIES
LIFE SUNDAY 2015
Lutherans For Life—Shawano Chapter
The theme for 2015 is
“Matters of the Heart” based
on Isaiah 40:1-2.
“Comfort,
comfort
my people, says your
God. Speak tenderly
to Jerusalem, and cry
to her that her warfare is ended, that
her iniquity is pardoned, that she has
received from the
LORD's hand double
for all her sins.”
Thank you to everyone who participated in our December 5th
Cookie Sale by supplying or purchasing cookies.
Our members are invited to join
WI Right-to-Life supporters at the
LIFE rally on Sunday, January
18th at the Community Room
next to the police station. The
march is at 1:00 PM followed by a
JANUARY 2 0 15
short program at about 1:30 PM.
This year an enthusiastic teenage
supporter of LIFE will be our
guest speaker.
Lutherans for Life will help sponsor a signature ad in the Shawano
Leader on January 17, 2015.
Please join us in this effort. Sign
up sheets will be in the Narthex
before and after all services the
weekends of January 3-4 and
January 10-11. Suggested donation is $3.00 per name to help
cover
the
cost of
the ad.
324 S. Andrews Street
Shawano, WI 54166
Church: (715)524-4815
Fax: (715)524-4876
School: (715) 524-4213
Prayer Circle: (715)584-2553
Inside this Issue:
Bible Study
2
St. James Alumni
3
LCEF Scholarship
3
ECC Ministry
4
Growing Churches
5
Calendar of Events
6-7
WRLHS News
8
From the Archives
9
Website:
www.stjames-shawano.org
Check us out on
www.facebook.com/
pages/St-James-LutheranChurch-Shawano-WI
VOLUME 0 11 — I SSUE 0 1
OGT
by!Wil Kleinschmidt, Area OGT Coordinator
Early Winter Bible Study
Led by Wil Kleinschmidt
Room 112—Church Basement
“JOY—How to Rejoice in Any Situation”
Wednesdays at 9:00 AM
Thursdays at 6:30 PM
Begins January 14th & 15th (4 Week Study)
Also at Oakhaven on Wednesdays at 2:00 PM
•Lesson 1: “JOY in Trials and Weakness”
•Lesson 2: “JOY in God’s Word”
Our local volunteers sorted and packed 15 times
in 2014. July through September are our busiest
months. We emptied our warehouse of items in
April, July, and November. A semi-truck was
filled about half full in April and November, and
completely full in July as we had around 600+
boxes of our own plus 24 items of donated household furniture and two large kitchen stoves.
Our latest WI Branch newsletter is on display in
the Narthex. It contains many pictures of our annual meeting, the 42 events of our branch from
May 29th through September 30th, plus notes of
thanks from happy recipients of OGT supplies.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
•Lesson 3: “JOY in the Gospel”
•Lesson 4: “JOY in God’s Discipline; Christ’s Rest”
JOY is found in the strangest of places: hospital
rooms, family dinner tables, school classrooms,
assisted living facilities, even in homes where we
live alone. Why? Because GOD is present in all
these places—if we let Him in—and He can transform any situation into the message “it is well”
because we know He is near.
These four sessions will lead us into our Lenten
series on “The Cross”.
PAGE 2
Sunday School resumes Jan 4th. Thank you to
everyone who helped with the Christmas program and all who donated to the treat bags.
Our next mission project is to Heifer International. We will use the offerings for January to donate livestock animals to impoverished families. Since 1944, Heifer International has worked
to bring help, healing and hope to millions of impoverished families worldwide. In its first 70
years, the total number of families assisted, directly and indirectly, is 20.7 million - 105.1 million
people in more than 125 countries. In areas
where hunger and despair once prevailed, Heifer
programs have reinvigorated communities
through livestock, training and Passing on the
Gift. Heifer International works in the areas of
livestock and agriculture to develop programs
that alleviate hunger and poverty.
S T. J AMES L UTHERAN C HURCH · S HAWANO, W I
ALUMNI NEWS
SCHOOL NEWS
!
January School Calendar
Jan 5— School Resumes
Jan 9— Home BB Game vs. Trinity
GC 4:00; GA 5:10; BC 6:20; BA 7:30
Jan 12—Away Game vs. Hoops @ Hillcrest
GC 4:00; GB 5:00; GA 6:00
Jan 13—Away Game @ Assumption Pulaski
GC 4:00; BC 5:10
Jan 16—SECOND QUARTER ENDS
Away Game @ Pilgrim
GB 4:00; GA 5:10; BB 6:20; BA 7:30
Jan 17—Away Game @ Pilgrim GC 10:00; BC 11:00
Jan 19—NO SCHOOL
Jan. 22—Home BB vs. Assumption Pulaski
GC 4:00; BC 5:10
Jan 23—Away BB @ Sacred Heart
GC 4:00; GA 5:10; BB 6:20; BA 7:30
Jan 24—Away BB @ Sacred Heart BC 10:00
Home vs. St. Paul GB 9:00
Home vs. Pilgrim GB 11:00
Jan 26—Home BB vs. St. Paul BC 4:00; BB 5:10; BA 6:20
Jan 27—Home BB vs. St. Paul GC 4:00; GB 5:10; GA 6:20
Jan 30—Away BB @ St. Martin Clintonville
GC 4:00; GA 5:10; BB 6:20; BA 7:30
Jan 31—Away BB @ St. Martin Clintonville BC 10:00
It is always great when we can step back and take
a moment to recognize those alumni of ours who
have gone on to high school and share their accomplishments with the rest of the school! Pictured above are members of the Shawano High
School National Honor Society and all these girls
are St. James graduates.
Pictured above are: FR: Megan Klitzke, Lauren
Roloff, Hannah Neumann, Samantha Raddant
and Kristi Kurtz.
BR: Morgan Klitzke, Lexi Dobberstein, Erika
Dunnam and Madeline Schultz. We are so proud
of these girls and their academic achievements!
Congratulations!!
Six LCEF scholarships, each in the amount of
$1,000, will be awarded to six graduating high
school seniors or current full-time post-secondary
students at an accredited institution with at least
one year of courses remaining. Candidates must
also be members of a congregation belonging to
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod located in
one of the following LCMS districts: Iowa East,
Iowa West, Minnesota North, Minnesota South,
North Dakota, North Wisconsin or South
Wisconsin.
The application deadline is February 28, 2015.
Apply online at:
lcefuppermidwest.org/scholarships.
JANUARY 2015
PAGE 3
ECC HAPPENINGS
by Joan Urban, Director of ECC Ministries
Happy New Year from
all of us at St. James
Early Childhood Center!!
We are ringing in the
New Year with many
smiling faces and anticipation of what 2015 will bring for us. Last year
went by so quickly and here we are looking forward to what 2015 will bring us. Only God
knows the plans He has for us but whatever He
has in store for us we know that God will lead us
and be right there steering us in the right direction.
As we say good-bye to 2014 we remember many
good times, and some not so happy moments too.
Sometimes we didn’t even know how we would
get through the tough days but when we look
back we can see God’s hand in everything that
happened. We have an amazing God and I for
one, am very thankful for the blessings that have
come my way, and when the days were not so
easy that is when God took me by the hand and
led me through.
I know there will be many blessings in this upcoming year. God knows the direction that St.
James is going and he already has the plan laid
out for us. We just need to focus our eyes on Him
and let Him lead. Sometimes we forget that it
should be God’s will not ours and I pray that God
would use each of us in 2015 to follow Him. Use
us Lord to be your hands, and feet so that we can
hear your call and be of service to you in the New
Year!
P AGE 4
SHUT-IN VISITS
Visitation Pastor
Meet Rev. Roy Rinehard, St.
James’ Visitation Pastor. As a
called and ordained servant of
God, Pastor Rinehard has served
St. James since 1989 as a visitation Pastor. He serves those who
are unable to attend worship
services on weekends, due to
age, illness, or lack of transportation to church. If you or a family member could
benefit from this ministry, please call the church
office.
ONLINE CHAT
Keeping Christ as Our Focus
Do you have a computer? Do you have a Facebook account? How about joining some fellow St
James members in a weekly current events discussion? You can drop by any time and read and
comment. Each week, we will have an online
chat to discuss that week’s topic. Weekly chats
are currently scheduled for 8 p.m. on Mondays.
Join us as we strive to keep Christ our focus in
this crazy world. https://www.facebook.com/
groups/currenteventsbible/
YAC
Monthly Can Collection
First weekend of the month – January 3rd & 4th in
the Church parking lot. Please put cans in tied
plastic bags. These funds will be used to help defray costs for Youth events.
S T. J AMES L UTHERAN C HURCH · S HAWANO, W I
WHAT GROWING CHURCHES DO
Reprinted from USCLS website
The research says congregations using the following strategies or approaches grow in numbers and
ministry effectiveness:
Strong churches welcome new people
1. Increase the number of worship visitors.
2. Increase the visibility of the congregation in
the community (e.g., Web site, paid newspaper
and telephone book ads, good outdoor signage,
participation in community events).
3. Encourage members to invite others; equip
members to invite effectively (e.g. Bring a
Friend Sundays, special events).
4. Identify and make personal and telephone follow-up contact with all visitors, especially first
time worship visitors.
5. Offer a group for new people.
Strong churches encourage participation
1. Fast-track new people into meaningful ministry roles. Ask them what they feel passionate
about. What do they see as their ministry?
2. Identify what types of new people the congregation attracts (e.g., returnees, switchers). Ask
new people what made the church attractive
to them.
3. Create additional small group experiences,
such as prayer or study groups. Strong churches offer meaningful worship experiences
4. Evaluate current worship service(s) for vitality. Are service(s) connecting with all age
groups and relevant local cultures (e.g., ethnic
groups, family types)?
5. Offer more worship service options (e.g., additional services, more variety in worship and
music styles, different types of services).
2. Identify congregational strengths. How can
the church optimize and leverage these
strengths? How can the congregation be more
effective in the areas that encourage numerical growth — such as, care for children, participation, and more new people?
3. Evaluate current church organization and
committee structure. Minimize the number of
maintenance committees. Create ministry
teams.
4. Try new strategies. Evaluate efforts. Learn
from failed efforts. Fix it and try again.
The research also says
Denominations and local judicatories using the
following strategies help congregations grow in
numbers and ministry effectiveness:
1. Take action and set policies to help congregations undertake the above steps.
2. Start new churches.
The research says many churches are not yet using the strategies or methods listed above. This
lack of action occurs in many denominations that
are declining in membership in recent years.
A major research question remains unanswered:
How do we address the issue of motivation? How
do we get pastors and lay leaders to take the actions that research demonstrates works? Accurate
information must marry motivation and action.
Otherwise, fewer and fewer children of God will
gather in our churches.
Strong churches help people grow spiritually
1. Focus on the long-term development of disciples (spirituality or faith, financial stewardship, and ministry).
Strong churches commit to a positive future
1. Use multiple ministry methods and strategies
all the time.
JANUARY 2015
PAGE 5
CALENDAR OF EVEN
SUN
MON
TUE
W
* denotes Radio Broadcast— WTCH 960AM, WTCH 96.5 FM
P AGE 6
(HC)
denotes Holy Communion
YAC
denotes “Youth Acclaiming Christ Youth Group”
4
YAC CAN COLLECTION
7:30 Worship (HC)
*9:00 Worship (HC)
9:00 Sunday School
10:30 Celebration (HC)
4:00 Friends for Fun
5
SCHOOL RESUMES
5:00 Bell Choir
5:45 Praise Team
7:00 St. James Choir
6
4:45 Zumba
7
2:45 Confirm
11
7:30 Worship
*9:00 Worship
9:00 Sunday School
10:30 Celebration
6:00 Youth Bible Study
6:45 4-H
12
5:00 Bell Choir
5:45 Praise Team
7:00 St. James Choir
13
14
2:45 Confirm
9:00 Quilters
1:30 Parkinsons Support Grp. 6:00 ECC
4:45 Zumba
5:50 ECC Staff
6:30 Board of Directors
18
LIFE SUNDAY
7:30 Worship (HC)
*9:00 Worship (HC)
9:00 Sunday School
10:30 Celebration (HC)
19
NO SCHOOL
2:00 Dementia Support Grp.
5:00 Bell Choir
5:45 Praise Team
7:00 St. James Choir
20
4:45 Zumba
6:00 Lay Ministry
6:30 Six Boards
21
11:00 Senior
2:45 Confirm
25
7:30 Worship
*9:00 Worship
9:00 Sunday School
10:30 Celebration
6:00 Youth Bible Study
26
5:00 Bell Choir
5:45 Praise Team
7:00 St. James Choir
27
9:00 Quilters
4:45 Zumba
7:00 Celebration Committee
28
2:45 Confirm
S T. J AMES L UTHERAN C HURCH · S HAWANO, W I
NTS—JANUARY 2015
WED
THUR
FRI
SAT
1
2
NO SCHOOL
3
YAC CAN COLLECTION
5:30 Worship (HC)
9
mation
8
2:00 Tabitha
10
8:00 Men’s Open Gym
5:30 Worship
mation
15
6:30 Stephen Ministry
16
2ND QUARTER ENDS
17
8:00 Men’s Open Gym
5:30 Worship (HC)
22
23
24
8:00 Men’s Open Gym
5:30 Worship
29
30
31
8:00 Men’s Open Gym
5:30 Worship
r Service (HC)
mation
mation
JANUARY 2015
PAGE 7
LCFS HELP
!"#$%
Duel Credit Program
Lutheran Counseling and Family Services (LCFS)
is looking for volunteers to staff the LCFS Thrift
Shop. They need volunteers for the second Friday of each month. Also, a random extra day is
assigned about every other month. What volunteers do is run the cash register, help customers,
and handle incoming items. St. James congregation is responsible for men’s shirts, sweaters and
pants. Store hours are 9:30—6:00 on Fridays. We
have a morning shift from 9:15—2:00 available as
well as an afternoon shift from 2:00—6:00. If interested, please call Marilyn Heinrich at 715-5262648 or Yvonne Polzin at 715-526-5076.
VOLUNTEER
Opportunities
Imagine what our families,
community,
and
world
would be like if we all took
the time to do what God
uniquely designed each of
us to do in serving others.
The ripple effect of each
person making their unique
contribution would result in
a revolution of Christ's love being felt in tangible,
life-changing ways. Whether you have lots of time
to volunteer each week or only a few hours every
once in a while, consider making the kind of impact that only you can make! Call the church office at 715-524-4815 to see where your talents
are needed.
P AGE 8
Wolf River Lutheran High School is pleased to
offer The Dual Credit Program which allows students to earn both high school and college credits
through online courses taught by Concordia University Wisconsin faculty. The program allows
students to complete dual credit courses online
for a fraction of the traditional undergraduate
cost.
Features and Benefits
•Earn college credits while in high school.
•Receive dynamic instruction from collegiate
faculty.
•Highly affordable tuition through the Concordia
Promise* and Concordia Promise Plus scholarships.
•Choose from a number of semester-long (15
weeks) courses.
•Access to CUW’s online library holdings and databases.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High School Dual Credit Courses
Introduction to Sociology
Introduction to Psychology
American Civilization
Civilization and Worldviews: Literature
Introduction to Writing
Principles of Management
Principles of Economics
Principles of Marketing
Introduction to Business Writing
Mandarin I
Accounting
Accounting II
Foundations of Computer Science
*The Concordia Promise scholarship reduces the
cost of tuition from $200 per credit to $50 per
credit and is available for students currently enrolled in a Christian high school or homeschool
who are not eligible for state, district or outside
funding.
S T. J AMES L UTHERAN C HURCH · S HAWANO, W I
FROM THE ARCHIVES
by Paul Wollangk, St. James Historian
Rosalind Westphal retired at
the end of December 2014
from an organ playing career
that lasted for 74 years.
We at St. James have had the
privilege of knowing and loving Mrs. Westphal for the last
30 years. What would we
have
done
without
her? Hidden in the balcony,
she has provided the music
that has lifted our spirits and
led us in singing hymn upon
hymn. This happened on Saturday night, Sunday morning,
and on Wednesdays for special services during
Advent and Lent. She also played for countless
Wednesday school chapel services, weddings,
and funerals.
It was in that balcony she came to know her future husband Ken, while he videotaped the Sunday services. Together they have been an inspiration in the community and a joy to watch as
they served the Lord together.
Mrs. Westphal arrived in Shawano in 1984 to
teach in the Christian Day School and to serve as
an organist and choir director. She taught a classroom half day and school music the rest of the
day. Through the years she led bell and chime
choir groups in the church and school, she directed adult and school choirs as well as numerous plays. She played organ for St. James in a regular rotation with the other organists, and she
taught school music, eventually spending full
days in that position.
remember her easy laugh and wonderful way of
getting the best out of each of her volunteer singers.
In 1994 Mrs. Westpahl retired from teaching but
not from the organ bench as she continued playing for church services. In 1998 she was still serving the congregation as assistant organist. Eventually she played not only for St. James
but also for St. Jakobi in the Town of Richmond.
We are thankful for the countless hours of practice that no one witnessed and for her leadership
in this congregation. We are further thankful for
the joy she had ministering with her brother, H.
P. Hilgendorf, during the years he spent in
Shawano serving as pastor.
For these and many other blessings Mrs. Westphal has brought to Shawano, may God receive
all the glory and all of the honor.
Mrs. Westphal brought her school groups to
many Tabitha and Ladies Aid meetings providing
the entertainment for these organizations. She
has brought joy and a zest for life to all the positions she has held at St. James. Choir members
JANUARY 2 015
PAGE 9
G"G$%%&!
Electronic Newsle.er!
In an effort to be good stewards of God’s gifts and to be more environmentally responsible we would
like to e-mail the “Voice of St. James Lutheran Ministries” newsletter directly to your inbox. Along with
the cost savings to the church, you would also receive it sooner. Please fill out the information below
and return to the church office or email the Church Administrative Assistant at secretary@stjamesshawano.org. Thanks!
NAME _________________________________________PHONE____________________________________
ADDRESS_________________________________________________________________________________
EMAIL____________________________________________________________________________________
Outstanding Value • Exceptional Service
Butchering & Custom Processing
Beef • Pork • Venison
911 E. Green Bay Street
SHAWANO
W10947 Riverside Rd.
Marion, WI 54950
715-754-5136
Bob Adams
715-524-8200
www.covantagecu.org
Physical, Occupational & Speech
Therapy Services
1475 Birch Hill Lane • Shawano, WI 54166
715-758-2506
PAGE 10
FOR AD INFO CALL Tom Schmanski 1-800-950-9952 •
715-526-3161
• Small Business Services
• Software Consulting • Income Tax Preparation
• Payroll & Accounting Services
103 Alpine Court
Shawano, WI 54166-0059
Perry Seamless Gutters
Call for free estimate
Paula A. Wegner, CPA - Church Member
“Where Caring Comes Naturally”
Phone: (715) 526-3831
Fax: (715) 526-4237
Swedberg
Funeral Home
www.swedbergfuneralhome.com
715-526-2631
S T. J AMES L UTHERAN C HURCH · S HAWANO, W I
B 4C 31-0804
WWW.4LPi.COM
ST. JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH, SHAWANO
11-11-2014 09:45:37
Dine-in or Carryout
521 S. Main St., Shawano, WI
715-524-2523
607 South Main Street • Shawano
www.heinsappliance.com
OPEN DAILY 7am til 10pm
707 S. Washington St., Shawano, WI.
charliescountymarket.com
715-526-5120
(715) 624-4791
Tuesday-Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sunday Noon - 9:00 p.m. • Closed Monday
Whether buying or selling,
we offer dedicated and
professional service
designed to your needs.
“Where Quality Is Watched Like A Hawk”
DALE HAWKINSON - OWNER
W6091 HWY 22
SHAWANO, WI 54166
PH: (715) 526-3217
FAX: (715) 524-9951
Each Office is Independently
Owned and Operated.
105 SOUTH WASHINGTON STREET
P.O. BOX 555
SHAWANO, WI 54166
Contact Tom Schmanski to
place an ad today!
TSchmanski@4LPi.com or
(800) 950-9952 x2537
John Koeller, Realtor®
CRS, GRI, SRES
CHURCH MEMBER
Office: 715-526-6148
Auto Prep Center
APC Store
430 S. Main St.
Shawano, WI 54166
220 N. Main St. • Shawano
APC 715-526-5555
Auto Repairs 715-526-3411
715-526-2220/800-413-0908
www.culliganofshawano.com
FREE 15 minute
Injury Consult
Martin Jewelers
Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine
212 E Green Bay St., Shawano
(715) 526-5221
www.advancedptsm.com
“The Diamond Store”
148 S. Main, Shawano
526-2030
Church Member
MOEDE & SONS INC.
RADDANT
ELECTRIC SERVICE
SINCE 1922 • MP226858
“Serving All Your Electrical Needs”
4 GENERATIONS OF PLUMBERS
Generac Generator • Sales & Service Dealer
Commercial Q Residential • New Construction Q Remodeling/Repairs
Water Heaters - Plumbing Fixtures - Showroom Hours M-F 8A-5P
W7850 County Rd. MMM • Shawano
CHURCH MEMBER
Rich Raddant • 715-526-6578
810 E. Center St. • Shawano
524-4211
www.raddantelectric.com
CUSTOMER
CONCRETE
• Poured Walls • Excavating
• Agriculture Work
• All Types of Flat Work
CALL JESSE KAUFFMAN
715-851-0171
Rob and Nancy Mickelson
336 S. Sawyer Street
P.O. Box 36
Shawano, WI 54166
715-526-3135
“Providing the Compassion and Care Your Family Deserves”
www.knopehvac.com
• Complete Funeral Services • Cremation
• Advance Funeral Planning • Monuments
A Wisconsin Funeral Home Since 1909
First Call Locksmith LLC
Twig’s
“Your full service locksmith”
Key Systems for Commercial,
Residential and Automotive.
VERKUILEN CHIROPRACTIC
& WELLNESS CENTER
1401 E. Elizabeth St.
Shawano, WI 54166
Beverage Inc.
(715) 524-6720
www.firstcalllocksmith.com
Shawano • 1-715-524-2365
Carrie Verkuilen DC
Jennifer Skibba DC
715-526-5031
Excalibur Auto Body
TOM MILLER
715-758-7158
NEW OWNERSHIP – NEWLY REMODELED
W5306 Castle Rd.
(Off Old Hwy 29)
Shawano, WI 54166
Restaurant ~ Lounge ~ In-Door Pool ~ Banquets
201 N Airport Rd, Shawano
715-201-1501
www.shawanofourseasons.com
FOR AD INFO CALL Tom Schmanski 1-800-950-9952 •
WWW.4LPi.COM
Mon.-Fri. 8-5
Sat. by Appt. Only
30 Years Experience
A 4C 31-0804
ST. JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH, SHAWANO
11-11-2014 09:45:37
US POSTAGE PAID
SHAWANO, WI
NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
PERMIT # 64
324 S. Andrews Street
Shawano, WI 54166-2406
Return Service Requested
January
2015