FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY – January 29, 2012
Sermon: “He Speaks With Authority” Mark 1:21-28
Hymns: 528, 578 sts.1-4, 641, 696, 810, 814
"Always keep on praying for all the saints." (Eph 6:18)
If you desire a prayer of thanksgiving or supplication to be offered today by the pastor in the worship service, please fill in a pink "Prayer Request" form and place it in the offering plate. Prayer request forms are on the shelf at the back of the church or are available from the ushers.
WELCOME TO WORSHIP Be ready to be surprised! This is the year of St. Mark. His Gospel is brief and to the point. But what is the point? The point is that Mark's Gospel is not finished. . .until it is finished in you! The people were astonished and surprised at Jesus' demonstration of power even over the demons. But the ones who were most surprised were the demons themselves. It is not surprising that the devil and his cohorts must bow in obedience to almighty God. What is surprising is that almighty God now stands before them in this seemingly weak, mortal human being named Jesus! When we hear, receive and believe this Gospel, we are surprised that, by means of our Holy Baptism, we are now empowered to battle the devil and all his works and all his ways. More than that, we look forward to the surprise of the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.
TODAY AS WE CELEBRATE the Sacrament of Holy Communion we will receive the body and blood of our Savior. In the bread and wine we receive Jesus' body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Since the Lord's Supper is an expression of our common confession of the Christian faith, we ask our visitors to speak with our Pastor before they attend the Lord's Supper.
IN OUR PRAYERS – For Pastor Gary Ruckman as he deliberates his call to be Assistant Pastor - Preaching Assistant at Our Savior; Jo Marie Middleton, Theresa King, Kris Richveis's grand niece, Ava Lynn Bortolini; David Hischke, Alvin Doerfler, Jim Belmont, father-in-law of Philip Koehler; Gloria Baumann, Audra and Kalina -- twin granddaughters of Linda and Karl Melbardis, Bob Rollins, Andy Wright, Karen Tucker Hischke; sister of Nancy Hischke; Pat Dietschweiler, Kristie Korducki, Ed Kietzer, Terry Albright, Alex Gomez, Sue Huebner, Joyce Pearl; for our military personnel: Bryon Ayers, Shaun Thomas, Jonathan Nathan, Colin Briggs, Zachary Bass, Zac Lois, Seth Meyer and Chad Wilcox; for those overseas: Yan Jin in China; Baker family in Kazakhstan; Katie Bolling, inner city ministry, Kansas City, MO and in Haiti; Marc Ellingstad, US Diplomat serving in Albania.
THOSE WHO SERVE - Elders: Saturday – Doug Welch, Sunday 8:00 – Dave Schmidt, 10:45 – Brian Hischke. Organist: Saturday – Annette Haas, Sunday 8:00am & 10:45am – Annette Haas. Scripture Readers: Sun. 8:00am – David Schmidt, 10:45am – Cathy Kaufmann. Altar Guild – Vickie Vyhanek.Coffee Break Servers – In His Arms Early Childhood Center. Nursery Staff – 1/29 ~ 10:45 – Nancy Harwood, 2/5 ~ 10:45 – Jane & Ally Schmidt. Greeters Schedule – 1/28 ~ 5:30pm – Art & Elaine Koenig, 1/29 ~ 8am – Dale & Connie Koehler, 10:45am – Sherry Fickau, 2/4 ~ 5:30pm – Ray & Sharon Rippel, 2/5 ~ 8am – Lee & Sherry Fickau, 10:45am – Audrey Goehner.
BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS go to Nancy Harwood 1/29; Barbara Murphy, Samantha Trawitzke 1/30; Dan Pahl 2/2; Pastor Rob, Dale Koehler 2/3; Catherine Roether 2/4.
OFFERING ENVELOPES FOR 2012 are available at the back of the sanctuary. If you would like to have a pad of envelopes, drop a note in the offering plate. Quarterly statements are available only to members who use their envelopes. Thank you. Lulu Kietzer, Financial Secretary
LAST WEEK AT OUR SAVIOR Church Attendance ~ Worship 122 (20, 42, 60); Sunday School Attendance – 19 children, 12 Teacher/Helpers, 16 adults; Unified Budget Receipts - 2,650.50; Loose Plate – 123.00; In His Arms (IHA) Tuition – 3,135.12; IHA Expenses – 327.00; IHA Chapel -20.46; Sunday School Offering – 5.00; Mortgage Reduction – 25.00; Greater Love – 110.00; New Furnace Fund – 1,280.00.
Be sure to use the new 2012 envelopes as some numbers have been re-assigned. Thank You, -- The Counting Ladies
SOUTH WISCONSIN DISTRICT MISSIONS – The Sheboygan County Chaplaincy Ministry has been serving the nursing homes, hospice and assisted living centers as a full-time ministry in that location since 1972. Please remember them in your prayers this week, thanking the Lord for the great work that is being accomplished there in God’s name and asking for His continued blessings!
THE BOARD OF EVANGELISM is seeking additional volunteers for serving as greeters at all services. This is a great opportunity for individuals, couples, or families to serve Our Savior in our Greeter Program. Please speak to Jim Filer or any of our current greeters if you are interested serving. Thank you to all who are currently serving: Sat. 5:30PM Service: Art & Elaine Koenig, and Ray & Sharon Rippel. Sunday 8:00AM Service: Bonnie Andres, Nancy Birkett, Betty Guntharp, Connie Keckhaver, and Dale & Connie Koehler. Sunday 10:45 Service: Lee & Sherry Fickau, Jim & Marie Filer, Audrey Goehner, and Tim & Amy Wurster.
FEBRUARY CHURCH NEWSLETTERS are ready to be picked up at the back of the church and can also be found online at www.oslb.org
DO YOU PARK ON KANE STREET? Please park so that our neighbors on Kane Street are able to access the street by using their walkways. We want to be as helpful as possible so that they do not have to walk through the snow to access the street.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD - Collection items for February; ** HARD CANDIES/SUCKERS.**
And watch for when HATS, GLOVES, SCARFS go on clearance, call Sarah Burris at 763-5967.
THE ACTIVE CHRISTIAN TEENS (ACT) - is having our second annual Super bowl Sub sale.
Only pre-orders again this year. Please see bulletin insert for order form, today will be your last chance to
order before we all get to enjoy eating our subs, while watching next Sunday the “Patriots and the Giants” J
Order Forms can be given to: Michelle Burger, Sara LaFlash, Tim Wurster, or Marie Miller
LIFE GROUPS BEGIN IN FEBRUARY A Life Group is made up of 12-15 people gathered in someone's home or other location. Life Groups form supportive, positive relationships that encourage individuals to grow as disciples of Jesus. Group members participate in a study of the Scripture reading used in Sunday worship. Group members get to know each other better as they learn, serve, pray together and have fun. Groups are offered on different days, times, and locations. They meet for an hour to an hour and a half for ten weeks. Three ten week sessions are offered during the year. At the end of a ten week Life Group session, group members can look forward to signing up for another session with the same group or a different Life Group. Life Groups are for anyone who wants to get connected with people and grow in their faith, service and fellowship.
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Week Day
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Group ID
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Time
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Leaders
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Location
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Sunday
Mornings
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SU1
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9:30-10:30am
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Chris & Sarah Burris
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Church Fellowship Hall
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Sunday
Evenings
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SU2
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7:00-8:15pm
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Jim & Marie Filer
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Filer's Home
N of Burlington, Rochester
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Monday
Evenings
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MO1
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7:00-8:15pm
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Pastor Rob & Pat
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Pastor's Home - Burlington
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Saturday
Evenings
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SA1
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6:45-7:30pm
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Chris & Sarah Burris
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Church Sanctuary
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“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” -- Acts 2:42
GROWING FRIENDSHIPS When people get together in a small group, Christian friendships form, are strengthened and often remain long after the group ends. Pray about your involvement in Life Groups at Our Savior. Think about a person you could invite to a small group. Now is the time to reach out and include your friends in Christian fellowship.
ANOTHER SESSION OF PASTOR ROB'S GOOD NEWS CLASS will begin Monday, February 19 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Come to the class if you want to know what the Lutheran Church and the Bible teaches. Everyone is invited, non-members as well as long time members of the congregation. You are under no obligation for attending. There is no cost; books and material are provided free. No one has to read in class or is called on. Just come, listen, enjoy and hear some really Good News! You can become a member of Our Savior by completing the Good News Class. Please see Pastor Rob for more details.
PASTOR GARY RUCKMAN was selected by the members of our congregation to receive the call to be our Associate Pastor - Preaching Assistant. The Preaching Assistant will lead worship twelve weekends per year at Our Savior.
God has established the office of the public ministry for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel in its purity and administering the sacraments in accordance with the Gospel. While these are not the only duties a holder of this office may perform, they do constitute the heart and core of the office. The office is a divinely established “means,” in a sense, for the administration of the means of grace. As Christ has established the office of the public ministry, so he also places individuals into that office . . .
The Word of God is a precious gift that the Lord has given to his people. Indeed, the Word is the instrument or channel through which God forgives and recreates his people. The formal responsibility and high privilege of administering the Word publicly in behalf of the whole congregation has brought excitement and delight to those who serve within the office of the public ministry. -- From the "Theology and Practice of the Divine Call" CTCR, 2003
Please keep Pastor Ruckman in your prayers as he deliberates this call.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY GROUPS
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Class
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Meeting Time
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Place
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Leader
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Reading Through the Bible
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Sundays 9:30-10:30am
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Fellowship Hall
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Christopher Burris
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Jesus – The Early Years
The life of Jesus from birth to age 12
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Sundays 9:30-10:30am
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Christian Learning Center Room 123
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Pastor Rob
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Women’s Bible Study - Topical
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Sundays 9:30-10:30am
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Christian Learning Center Room 230
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Debra Schowengerdt
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Life Groups – Groups of 12-15 people Sign up at church or at www.oslb.org
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Throughout the week
A new 10 week session begins Feb 19
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In homes and at Church
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Various Leaders
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Good News Class
Introduction to the Christian Faith
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Sundays, at 3:30pm
Begins February
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Christian Learning Center Room 122
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Pastor Rob
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Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)
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Thursdays 10am – 12pm
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Christian Learning Center Room 126
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Pat Bolling
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Questions and Answers from www.lcms.org
Question: Please explain "divine call" to me. Is there a biblical reference, or is it a manmade concept?
Answer: Article 14 of the Augsburg Confession (one of the formal Lutheran confessional writings) says, "It is
taught among us that no one should publicly teach or preach or administer the sacraments in the church
without a regular call." Traditionally in the Lutheran church this has been described as a "divine call"
because:
1. It is God who has instituted the pastoral office in order that the Word might be preached and
the sacraments instituted in an orderly way (Luke 10:16; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2; Timothy 3;
Titus 1; Eph: 4:11, 14; Col. 4:17; 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Cor. 14:40; 2 Cor. 2:17);
2. It is God who has given congregations the right to call a pastor to carry out this work in their
midst and on their behalf (Matt. 28:18-20; Matt. 16:13-19; 18: 17-20, John 20:22, 23; 1 John 4:1;
1 Peter 2:5- 6; 4:11; Acts 6:6; 1 Tim. 3:10; 4:14; 5:17; Titus 1:5; Acts 1:23; Heb.13:17; 1 Thess.
5:12).
The specific process by which a congregation extends a call to a pastor is not set forth in the Scriptures,
and so this process may vary from time to time and place to place. In the interest of doing things
"decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14:40), however, the various districts of the Synod have established a set
of procedures which is intended to help congregations: 1) identify potential candidates for a call, and 2)
follow the steps by which the congregation may extend a call to the individual whom they believe would
be best suited to ministry at that place.
Happy New Year from your Active Christian Teens (ACT)
The Youth Group ACT will be having our second annual Super bowl Sub sale.
Only pre-orders again this year. Order Forms can be given to:
Michelle Burger, Sara LaFlash, Tim Wurster, or Marie Miller
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A.C.T Super Bowl Sub Sale Order Form
Please place a clear check next to each item in each category you wish to have on your sub.
Please complete a new order form for each sub ordered. Copies of the order forms will be
available in January bulletins.
All subs are foot longs and are $8.00each.
All orders should be submitted by Sunday, January 29th. 12pm.
All orders will be available for pick up Sunday, Feb 5th at either 9am or 12pm.
Sub Selections