Wow! We are now officially blogging! I appreciate the help from Eric Zimmerman to get us set up for this blog. I hope that it becomes a popular place for people to go and get the latest news, announcements and insightful thoughts from our church.
I am enjoying my first winter back in the north land, although I must say that I prefer snow falling at warmer temps than the below zero stuff. After a while the intense cold takes a toll on our bodies, our houses, our spirits. I had forgotten how much we appreciate summer, and why no one is ever around doing business at that time. Now I can't wait to be one of those folks who is "up at the lake" on weekends. I love that expression, "goin' up to the lake". There's a gazillion lakes between Wisconsin and Minnesota, but everyone has their personal favorite. Which lake is my personal favorite? I am quite partial to the Mother of all Lakes, the Big One, Lake Superior, Gitche Gumee. Growing up along the shores of Chequamegon Bay I realized that we had a little treasure cove hidden there; tucked away in the lower corner, guarded by Twelve Apostles for protection from the big lake. I am still a bit puzzled as to why they named them the Apostle Islands, and then didn't name them individually after the Apostles. Would you be a traitor if you went to "Judas" Island?
As we try and rejuvenate our lives in this spiraling economy, I am thinking of ways to rejuvenate my confirmation students. We will be at a gathering in a couple of weeks that I hope will be meaningful to them. I want them to experience the Holy Spirit in their lives. I will not be something I can explain to them in confirmation class, but if I can lead them to a better understanding of how the spirit works within us, and through us, I think that will lay a good foundation. They are a great group of young adults.
In a few more months the snow will melt down, and the ice will break up and float away. It will all look very new and different to us again, and we will feel reborn. I like that spiritual rejuvenation, and look forward to sharing it with my fellow Wisconsinites.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Weekend of Feb. 1 Announcements
Here are this week's announcements:
WEATHER If the weather appears to be bad, look on NBC 15 for any church activity cancellations. As always, use your best judgment with regard to your safety.
DRIVE SOMEBODY TO CHURCH Can you help provide a ride for someone to the church? Call the office at 835-3154 if you would like to help.
WANTED: ST. JOHN’S PHOTOS for the photo directory. Do you have any pictures of events or ministries happening around St. John’s? Lefse Making, Smorgasbord, Sunday School, Mission Trip, Fish Fries, Choir, etc. Please bring them to the church office by Feb. 21st so we can have them put in the new photo directory.
PALM SUNDAY CANTATA REHEARSALS are Tuesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. through March 31st in the Choir Room. We still need participants. All singers (not just choir members) are invited and encouraged to participate. Please join us!
YOUTHQUAKE From Friday, Feb. 6 at 4:30 to Sunday, Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m., Pastor Jason and Brigit will be at Youthquake in the Wisconsin Dells with 28 confirmation students and 8 adult chaperones. We are all very excited and looking forward to a great weekend together; please send us your prayers for safe travel and a positive experience for all attendants. Many thanks to our chaperones for agreeing to come along, and to the Hagstrom family for generously donating the use of a bus and driver to get us there and back!
MARDI GRAS TIME! We will have a fundraiser pancake and sausage dinner on Feb. 21st at 6pm after the Saturday worship service. After dinner, join us in the sanctuary for a musical show featuring St. John’s hidden talent. It’s sure to be a lot of fun! Come out and chase away those winter blues! All profits will go towards service projects for the 56ers.
WANTED DONATIONS We are looking for monetary donations so that we can purchase supplies for the Mardi Gras dinner such as pancake mix, milk, eggs, butter pats, syrup, sausage links, oil, coffee, fresh fruit, and juice. We also need volunteers to help out that evening with cooking, serving, cleanup, etc. Please contact Brigit Parlow if you can help at 835-3154.
JUST LIKE JESUS The young women’s group will begin a new book on Tuesday, February 3rd. We will be studying Max Lucado’s Just Like Jesus. We will meet from 6-7pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. Childcare will be provided. Questions? Call Kari Woodward at 835-3045 or Sarah Johnson at 835-6770.
WEST LAKES CAPTIVE FREE group is coming through Oregon next Tuesday, February 3rd. They can either stay at the church and camp out, or they can split up and stay overnight at individuals' homes. They will need meals also; dinner Tuesday, breakfast and lunch on Wednesday. I need volunteers to either bring meals to church, or volunteer to take one or more of the group into their homes for the night. There are a total of 5 young adults - 2 women and 3 men. Please call the church office 835-3154 or Brigit Parlow if you can help. Thank you!!
LOST a small gold cross necklace with a small diamond in the center.
If found, please contact Marilyn Hermanson 291-0481.
WEATHER If the weather appears to be bad, look on NBC 15 for any church activity cancellations. As always, use your best judgment with regard to your safety.
DRIVE SOMEBODY TO CHURCH Can you help provide a ride for someone to the church? Call the office at 835-3154 if you would like to help.
WANTED: ST. JOHN’S PHOTOS for the photo directory. Do you have any pictures of events or ministries happening around St. John’s? Lefse Making, Smorgasbord, Sunday School, Mission Trip, Fish Fries, Choir, etc. Please bring them to the church office by Feb. 21st so we can have them put in the new photo directory.
PALM SUNDAY CANTATA REHEARSALS are Tuesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. through March 31st in the Choir Room. We still need participants. All singers (not just choir members) are invited and encouraged to participate. Please join us!
YOUTHQUAKE From Friday, Feb. 6 at 4:30 to Sunday, Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m., Pastor Jason and Brigit will be at Youthquake in the Wisconsin Dells with 28 confirmation students and 8 adult chaperones. We are all very excited and looking forward to a great weekend together; please send us your prayers for safe travel and a positive experience for all attendants. Many thanks to our chaperones for agreeing to come along, and to the Hagstrom family for generously donating the use of a bus and driver to get us there and back!
MARDI GRAS TIME! We will have a fundraiser pancake and sausage dinner on Feb. 21st at 6pm after the Saturday worship service. After dinner, join us in the sanctuary for a musical show featuring St. John’s hidden talent. It’s sure to be a lot of fun! Come out and chase away those winter blues! All profits will go towards service projects for the 56ers.
WANTED DONATIONS We are looking for monetary donations so that we can purchase supplies for the Mardi Gras dinner such as pancake mix, milk, eggs, butter pats, syrup, sausage links, oil, coffee, fresh fruit, and juice. We also need volunteers to help out that evening with cooking, serving, cleanup, etc. Please contact Brigit Parlow if you can help at 835-3154.
JUST LIKE JESUS The young women’s group will begin a new book on Tuesday, February 3rd. We will be studying Max Lucado’s Just Like Jesus. We will meet from 6-7pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. Childcare will be provided. Questions? Call Kari Woodward at 835-3045 or Sarah Johnson at 835-6770.
WEST LAKES CAPTIVE FREE group is coming through Oregon next Tuesday, February 3rd. They can either stay at the church and camp out, or they can split up and stay overnight at individuals' homes. They will need meals also; dinner Tuesday, breakfast and lunch on Wednesday. I need volunteers to either bring meals to church, or volunteer to take one or more of the group into their homes for the night. There are a total of 5 young adults - 2 women and 3 men. Please call the church office 835-3154 or Brigit Parlow if you can help. Thank you!!
LOST a small gold cross necklace with a small diamond in the center.
If found, please contact Marilyn Hermanson 291-0481.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Placing Value Where It Wants To Be
Posted September 11, 2008
Last night, we had our confirmation parent meeting. It went well. I was excited about it. We laid out expectations for the year, talked about the curriculum that I am very excited about, invited folks to consider being small group leaders each Wednesday, and went over the confirmation handbook. At times, it might have seemed like drinking from a firehose, as there was lots of information to take in. But, I wanted to be absolutely clear on what confirmation ministry desires to be about, what are the measures of accountability, and the invitation to parents to walk with their child through this confirmation journey.
One of my concerns I continue to see each year I teach confirmation is a diminishing level of parental involvement. This concerns me deeply. When Martin Luther originally wrote the small catechism, he did it as a response to the overwhelming distortion of faith formation among families. Luther sat down and wrote out what the church holds to be true about who it is as a body and why we believe those very things that form us. The intention was for the head of the household (father) to instruct his children in the faith using this small catechism. Hundreds of years later, the modern family relies on the church to offer for them that which they should be empowered to do. The church has become the surrogate parents for youth to learn the faith. But, the church in all of its giftedness and strength, cannot and will not be able to replace the time, attention, and devotion of a loving, concerned, and caring parent. Sometimes, as in my own life’s journey, the church has been there to teach the faith when the parents could not. That’s important too. But, my concern is when I see parents forget that their kids are watching them.
Their kids are watching them to see if this “faith thing” really is true. They want to know if this faith is relevant, can it speak into them, does it have any value of worth at all? Youth today want to know in the sea of luring allegiances, why they should value faith at all. It makes sense, that if their parents are not all that involved within the life of a church community by not really committing to it, their kids will not either. Kids will not understand the importance of learning the faith so that their lives become shaped by it. If parents assume the church, and the church alone is responsible, faith then becomes something associated only with the idea of church, as it is not yoked within the family of origin. The family of origin becomes separate from church, because the onus of faith formation has solely been placed onto the church, and that is where parents can change the behavior.
Parents should ask a vital question: How much value are we as a family going to place on our children’s faith development and formation? Not how much can we, or why should we. But, how much will parents decide to model for their children? If church becomes a priority, faithfully attending worship, serving where the needs are at, maybe joining a small group, parents then become leaders for their children; they become models of behavior they are asking their kids to learn about. Not that parents have to get it “right” or “correct,” but that they take a step out and risk leadership for the sake of their children’s faith. Parents are not alone…we know that. The Holy Spirit as it works, does its job too. But, parents will work in partnership with the Spirit so that faith can grow and produce as Matthew writes, “a hundred fold.”
What will sustain the youth of today as they become the adults of tomorrow when their lives become more difficult, more demanding, and more unknown? What will give them that foundation to stand their lives on so that they are not susceptible to believe in the lies and values of the world? What will be their rock they will cling to when the tragedies of life and chance are right in front of them? If parents take the time to place value where it wants to be so that their kids will value faith, and how God is shaping that for them, parents will have sown that seed of faith into a soil that is being cultivated by a church who helps that seed grow.
My enouragement for parents of confirmation students: please know that your child’s faith is important. Know that you are not alone in this journey. Your influence matters when your child’s faith is growing. You make the difference by how much priority your own faith journey and by how much you emphasize that in your family. I encourage you to make that difference, put down your pride, and come to worship. Be involved. Be men and women of God who will be faithful to the promise you made on behalf of your child the day he/she was baptized. Show them faith is important by placing value in it. Because, that value can last a lifetime.
I am looking forward to a great year, and I look forward to working with you and your children.
Peace,
Pastor Jason
Last night, we had our confirmation parent meeting. It went well. I was excited about it. We laid out expectations for the year, talked about the curriculum that I am very excited about, invited folks to consider being small group leaders each Wednesday, and went over the confirmation handbook. At times, it might have seemed like drinking from a firehose, as there was lots of information to take in. But, I wanted to be absolutely clear on what confirmation ministry desires to be about, what are the measures of accountability, and the invitation to parents to walk with their child through this confirmation journey.
One of my concerns I continue to see each year I teach confirmation is a diminishing level of parental involvement. This concerns me deeply. When Martin Luther originally wrote the small catechism, he did it as a response to the overwhelming distortion of faith formation among families. Luther sat down and wrote out what the church holds to be true about who it is as a body and why we believe those very things that form us. The intention was for the head of the household (father) to instruct his children in the faith using this small catechism. Hundreds of years later, the modern family relies on the church to offer for them that which they should be empowered to do. The church has become the surrogate parents for youth to learn the faith. But, the church in all of its giftedness and strength, cannot and will not be able to replace the time, attention, and devotion of a loving, concerned, and caring parent. Sometimes, as in my own life’s journey, the church has been there to teach the faith when the parents could not. That’s important too. But, my concern is when I see parents forget that their kids are watching them.
Their kids are watching them to see if this “faith thing” really is true. They want to know if this faith is relevant, can it speak into them, does it have any value of worth at all? Youth today want to know in the sea of luring allegiances, why they should value faith at all. It makes sense, that if their parents are not all that involved within the life of a church community by not really committing to it, their kids will not either. Kids will not understand the importance of learning the faith so that their lives become shaped by it. If parents assume the church, and the church alone is responsible, faith then becomes something associated only with the idea of church, as it is not yoked within the family of origin. The family of origin becomes separate from church, because the onus of faith formation has solely been placed onto the church, and that is where parents can change the behavior.
Parents should ask a vital question: How much value are we as a family going to place on our children’s faith development and formation? Not how much can we, or why should we. But, how much will parents decide to model for their children? If church becomes a priority, faithfully attending worship, serving where the needs are at, maybe joining a small group, parents then become leaders for their children; they become models of behavior they are asking their kids to learn about. Not that parents have to get it “right” or “correct,” but that they take a step out and risk leadership for the sake of their children’s faith. Parents are not alone…we know that. The Holy Spirit as it works, does its job too. But, parents will work in partnership with the Spirit so that faith can grow and produce as Matthew writes, “a hundred fold.”
What will sustain the youth of today as they become the adults of tomorrow when their lives become more difficult, more demanding, and more unknown? What will give them that foundation to stand their lives on so that they are not susceptible to believe in the lies and values of the world? What will be their rock they will cling to when the tragedies of life and chance are right in front of them? If parents take the time to place value where it wants to be so that their kids will value faith, and how God is shaping that for them, parents will have sown that seed of faith into a soil that is being cultivated by a church who helps that seed grow.
My enouragement for parents of confirmation students: please know that your child’s faith is important. Know that you are not alone in this journey. Your influence matters when your child’s faith is growing. You make the difference by how much priority your own faith journey and by how much you emphasize that in your family. I encourage you to make that difference, put down your pride, and come to worship. Be involved. Be men and women of God who will be faithful to the promise you made on behalf of your child the day he/she was baptized. Show them faith is important by placing value in it. Because, that value can last a lifetime.
I am looking forward to a great year, and I look forward to working with you and your children.
Peace,
Pastor Jason
Back From Lifest!
Posted July 15 2008
Just a quick update about Lifest for y’all. For the four of us that went from St. John’s, we had a rockin’ good time. Between dealing with the swealtering heat, bugspray, caked on deodorant, sunburn, torential downpours at 2AM for two nights straight, and hurricane like winds, you’d think that we were all professional festival concert goers.
I’ll be honest. I went to Lifest this year not really looking to be inspired or filled up with the Holy Spirit. But, sometimes, that very Spirit that I wasn’t looking for, showed up and once again softened my heart through some incredible teachers like Bob Lenz and Reggie Dabs. Then again, some of the musicians that I heard also lifted me up. Geoff Moore (check him out) is a truly gifted man of God, and anointed with such beautiful voice. Meeting him was very cool. Keith L. Cooper can play the guitar like nobody I have ever heard. Steven Curtis Chapman ministered to us as he definitely invoked a spirit of vulnerability and worship as he is still dealing with his own grief after losing his daughter this past May. This was his first concert back as he is still mourning her loss. I would say that the highlight for me was seeing Skillet play. This hardcore band definitely speaks the gospel through this music that blends heavy and melodic with beauty and inspiration. I am awed by their lyrics and their talent each time I have seen them.
But, I did not go to Lifest for me though. I am glad I went, and I am still feeling the effects of it. But, the kids are the reason I went. I am glad to know that they became even more exposed to positive music, whatever genre of music that may be. And even if they did not really listen to the lyrics, they were all caught up in the messages and energy of the concerts. Each one of them in their own way told me that they loved being there and taking it all in. Apparently, they want to go back next year. Was the Holy Spirit working on them too? I tend to think so. Who says that the Spirit is unable to work in and through teenagers today are fooling themselves.
I was once again inspired by the music and speakers at Lifest event though I wasn’t looking to be. But then again, I was more inspired by seeing thousands of teenagers lifting their hands in prayer, exposing themselves to the gospel message that they are loved and valued in a world that de-values individuality, and uplifts the outer beauty. The youth that I saw gives me hope for the future of the world and for Christ’s church. Our youth here at St. John’s give me an intense hope. They are interested in realizing the gospel for themselves and how intense that gospel looks in the clueless confines of a world that claims there is no god, but the god of the self. This generation is the church of today! God Bless them and their future.
Peace,
Pastor Jason
Just a quick update about Lifest for y’all. For the four of us that went from St. John’s, we had a rockin’ good time. Between dealing with the swealtering heat, bugspray, caked on deodorant, sunburn, torential downpours at 2AM for two nights straight, and hurricane like winds, you’d think that we were all professional festival concert goers.
I’ll be honest. I went to Lifest this year not really looking to be inspired or filled up with the Holy Spirit. But, sometimes, that very Spirit that I wasn’t looking for, showed up and once again softened my heart through some incredible teachers like Bob Lenz and Reggie Dabs. Then again, some of the musicians that I heard also lifted me up. Geoff Moore (check him out) is a truly gifted man of God, and anointed with such beautiful voice. Meeting him was very cool. Keith L. Cooper can play the guitar like nobody I have ever heard. Steven Curtis Chapman ministered to us as he definitely invoked a spirit of vulnerability and worship as he is still dealing with his own grief after losing his daughter this past May. This was his first concert back as he is still mourning her loss. I would say that the highlight for me was seeing Skillet play. This hardcore band definitely speaks the gospel through this music that blends heavy and melodic with beauty and inspiration. I am awed by their lyrics and their talent each time I have seen them.
But, I did not go to Lifest for me though. I am glad I went, and I am still feeling the effects of it. But, the kids are the reason I went. I am glad to know that they became even more exposed to positive music, whatever genre of music that may be. And even if they did not really listen to the lyrics, they were all caught up in the messages and energy of the concerts. Each one of them in their own way told me that they loved being there and taking it all in. Apparently, they want to go back next year. Was the Holy Spirit working on them too? I tend to think so. Who says that the Spirit is unable to work in and through teenagers today are fooling themselves.
I was once again inspired by the music and speakers at Lifest event though I wasn’t looking to be. But then again, I was more inspired by seeing thousands of teenagers lifting their hands in prayer, exposing themselves to the gospel message that they are loved and valued in a world that de-values individuality, and uplifts the outer beauty. The youth that I saw gives me hope for the future of the world and for Christ’s church. Our youth here at St. John’s give me an intense hope. They are interested in realizing the gospel for themselves and how intense that gospel looks in the clueless confines of a world that claims there is no god, but the god of the self. This generation is the church of today! God Bless them and their future.
Peace,
Pastor Jason
Celebrate - Small Groups Launch at St. John's
Posted March 20, 2008
Easter weekend 2008 marks the launch of our official small group ministry effort here at St. John’s. Our pastoral leadership speaks frequently of being a “New Community”. That language comes from the Book of Acts as His disciples accepted the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit to build a church that was Christ-like, loving, welcoming and a place where disciples felt true community. Read the first few chapters of Acts. See if you can either find or picture St. John’s in those words.
The disciples felt the Spirit guiding them. We believe that the spirit is moving St. John’s in building small groups that connect and inspire people to grow closer to Christ. And isn’t that cause to celebrate?
May the Spirit continue to be with us.
Greg Konop - Small Group Ministry Liaison/Church Council
Easter weekend 2008 marks the launch of our official small group ministry effort here at St. John’s. Our pastoral leadership speaks frequently of being a “New Community”. That language comes from the Book of Acts as His disciples accepted the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit to build a church that was Christ-like, loving, welcoming and a place where disciples felt true community. Read the first few chapters of Acts. See if you can either find or picture St. John’s in those words.
The disciples felt the Spirit guiding them. We believe that the spirit is moving St. John’s in building small groups that connect and inspire people to grow closer to Christ. And isn’t that cause to celebrate?
May the Spirit continue to be with us.
Greg Konop - Small Group Ministry Liaison/Church Council
Welcome To Our Blog
We are St. John’s Lutheran Church located in Oregon, WI, a few minutes South of Wisconsin’s State Capital, Madison. This is a new blog we are just getting started. Our web site is www.stjohnsoregonwi.org, please check it out.
God Bless!
God Bless!
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