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Thank you for your prayers and support before, during, and after our mission trip to Galveston, Texas. God brought us safely there and back. I have to admit that I wasn’t so sure we would make it to our destination. The devil was intent on having us not help those in need. But God trumped the devil, allowing us to aid the victims of Hurricane Ike. It all started out with a flat tire. I pulled my car out of the garage and went about two blocks when I noticed something with the car wasn’t right. I got out and looked the car over. Sure enough, the tire was flat---the same tire I had put in air the day before! So, I drove the car home on the flat tire (I wouldn’t recommend anyone to do that. But I had to because I was pressed for time. The group was waiting for me.) and had my wife bring me to Aaron Bartel’s house, where the group was waiting. The flat tire really didn’t cause that much of a delay, praise God. The devil’s plan to hold us back failed. However, he tried again to prevent us from reaching Galveston. That same day, when we reached the southern part of Illinois, it began to snow. I would have to say quite furiously. And the further south we went, the worse the weather became. But we weren’t too far from Sikeston, Missouri, the city where we would spend the night. So we continued on. I have to admit I wasn’t sure we would make it. The lines of I-57 were so covered with snow that it was hard for drivers to judge where the edge of the road actually was. There were a couple of times when I thought a semitruck was going to run us off the road. What made things worse was that it was dark outside. So you can imagine my concern. By God’s grace we made it to Sikeston---unscathed at that. There were already several inches of snow on the ground by the time we arrived, but we were relieved that we were off the road for the night. The devil had failed to harm us. Tomorrow would be a better day once the storm had passed. The next day we rose early for breakfast. I noticed it was no longer snowing outside and thought to myself that the roads shouldn’t be too bad. We should make it to Nacogdoches, Texas, our next destination, without too much problem. But I forgot we were in the South. As soon as we left Missouri and entered Arkansas, we came to a standstill. That standstill on I-55 lasted for three whole hours. Thank God it wasn’t so cold that we weren’t able to get out of the vehicle and walk around. But for three hours we waited while tow trucks removed the semitrucks that had crashed and were blocking the road. The devil was intent on delaying us any way possible. Eventually the semis were removed, and we were able to resume our journey. I have never seen so many semis tipped over on their sides and jackknifed as I did that day. Needless to say, we didn’t make it to Nacogdoches that day. We spent the night in Texarkana, instead. God was merciful to us, though. None of us was harmed. We all arrived safely. On Sunday, the weather was much nicer. We stopped in Nacogdoches, Texas, for church and then drove on to Galveston, which we reached that evening. The devil did his best to keep us from reaching Galveston, but the Lord had other plans in mind for us. Again, thank you for praying for us. Had you not, I fear we may have not made it safely. There will be a presentation about the work the group did while in Galveston. The date and time will be announced. In short, the trip allowed the group to put its love for Christ into action, and for that reason it was worth the inconveniences the group had to endure. Thank you for your prayers and support!Pastor Doug Upcoming Events and Announcements Worship Services Our Regular Monday Evening Worship Service with Holy Communion is held the 1st Monday, after the first Sunday of the month. Our next Monday Evening Worship Service will be, Monday, March 8th at 7:00 PM. On the last Sunday of each month we conduct a Contemporary Worship Service. A New Thrivent Program Starting in April, 2010, a new Thrivent program will begin called Thrivent Choice. This program will operate a lot differently than GivingPlus. If you are a Thrivent policy holder or have investments with Thrivent, they will automatically send a certain amount to any qualifying organization, such as Camp Luther’s “Every Kid to Camp” ministry. All you need to do is call or e-mail Thrivent to let them know what organization you want your gift given to. Please be ready to respond to this amazing benefit and pass the word to fellow Thrivent members for them to take advantage of. If we had 5,000 Thrivent members in the district and Thrivent gave an average of $50 for each member, that would be $250,000. Which would send 769 kids to Camp Luther for free. What a blessing that would be! I just spoke with some grandparents who gave a gift to help send kids to Camp Luther next summer. Because their own grandchild was able to go free last summer due to the “Every Kid to Camp” ministry, they were happy to help send another child to camp - just as they have for the past three years. In addition to their grandson, a friend from the neighborhood was also able to go for free. When it was time to pick the boys up from Camp Luther, they begged, “Can we stay another week?” A lot happened that week for them, and they learned a great deal about Jesus. What a blessing! I recently shared with a pastor that I met his son, a first-time counselor, at Camp Luther this summer. The pastor said he wasn’t totally sold on Camp Luther until he saw what it did for his son. He went on to share what a blessing that had been for his son (not to mention mom and dad) and for his daughter who also received a scholarship last summer. Camp Luther be came a family affair when two cousins, whose dad is currently serving in Iraq, also enjoyed a free week at camp. The experience completely sold mom and dad on Camp Luther and next summer their youngest son will attend camp for a week. The pastor said, “I’ve sent my kids to other camps and none of them compare to Camp Luther and what they offer.” What a testimony! Every kid needs to experience Camp Luther for a week at least once. It will make a lasting impression on their life. During the last four years, the “Every Kid to Camp” minis try has provided funds for 680 free summer camp registrations for kids from the district and beyond; many from outside the church. Camp Luther is a great mission out post for the North Wisconsin District for reaching kids with Christ! It costs $325 to send one child to camp for a week. The goal for our 5th year is to send 275 kids, who otherwise may not be able to attend a week of summer camp, to a free week. Although it will take $89,375 to reach that goal, with your help we can make it happen. Will you support a child or two next summer? What a great Christmas gift - one that will make memories and change lives. Please make your check payable to: Camp Luther (‘Every Kid to Camp”), and send your check to: 1889 Koubenic Road, Three Lakes, WI 54562. You can also make a credit card gift by going to: www.campluther.com or by calling Camp Luther at: 715-546-3647 Thank you and God’s richest blessings to you, your family and all you do in ministry. Lee Belmas, “Every Kid to Camp” Director. RETREAT FOR YOUTH AT CAMP LUTHER: GAME NIGHT MARCH 4, 2010 UPDATE FROM CAMP LUTHER: FAMILY FLURRY RETREAT ! ! ! CAMP LUTHER IS A RELAXING AND BEAUTIFUL GETAWAY!! Plan your individual or family getaway at Camp Luther. Cottages are available this winter for just $78 (two-night minimum stay). Tubing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, broomball and much more are available activities. To book your family or individual retreat getaway, contact Camp Luther at 1-877-264-CAMP. CAMP LUTHER AT BEAVER CREEK RESERVE!! Camp Luther is coming closer to Western Wisconsin! There will be a week-long youth camp held at the Beaver Creek Reserve near Fall Creek. Under the direction of full-time camp staff, it will be just like regular youth camp with trained counselors, great activities, in-depth Bible studies, and campfire devotions. Go to campluther.com for more information about this exciting, NEW opportunity. This camp will be offered July 11-16, 2010 for those who have completed 4-6th grade. IMPACT- Hands On Leadership Camp!! IMPACT is just one of many learning and camping opportunities at Camp Luther this summer. Participants in IMPACT will develop leadership skills, work as a team, be accountable, and practice these skills to bring leadership and the impact of the Gospel to their church and communities. Consider IMPACT Leadership Camp as you register at www.campluther.com. International Lutheran Laymen’s League Convention July 22-25, 2010 International Lutheran Laymen’s League Convention will be held in Omaha, NE. Fox Valley Diabetes Education & Support Group Join us the 2nd Thursday of each month from 6:00 – 7:30 PM at Fox Valley Technical College for an evening of information and camaraderie! Located on the North side of the building Door 15, Room C190. Upcoming topics: Healthy Eating and Label Reading, National Disaster Trainings Scheduled Redeemer/Marquette, MI TBA Trinity/Ironwood, MI – Thursday,March 11, 2010 Pilgrim/Green Bay-- Tuesday, March 16, 2010 St. Mark/Wausau -- Thursday, March 18, 2010 Peace/Eau Claire-- Saturday, April 17, 2010 (9 a.m. – noon) St. Luke/Rapids -- TBA All meetings are from 6-9:00 p.m. unless stated differently. Call Sandi or Lee Belmis at the District Office for dates, times, or to register: 800- 333-2421, ext. 16. CAP Services Thrivent At the end of 2009 the Care in Congregations is ending along with the Congregational Coordinator position. Thrivent is forming a new position called a Congregational Advocate. Anyone wishing to be considered for this position should go to Thrivent.com and go to the Congregational Coordinators/Advocate page or call 1-800-236-3736. Women’s Leadership Institute Conference - April 16-18, 2010 LISTENING, LINKING, LEADING: FROM WORDS TO ACTION Founded in 2003 to encourage and equip women for leader ship and service in their homes, congregations, and communities, the Women’s Leadership Institute of Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) will feature three plenary speakers at its 2010 national conference at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Milwaukee, WI. Focusing on communication, the speakers include: --Dr. Jean Garton, Benton, AR, who will give the keynote address on the conference theme, “Listening, Linking, Leading: From Words to Action.” --Dr. Bernard Bull, Assistant Professor of Education at Concordia University Wisconsin, who will do two presentations on the latest developments in communication technology and their impact on ministry, and --Dr. Carol R. (Schroeder) McDaniel, Long Beach, CA, who will emphasize spiritual disciplines in her talk entitled “I Haven’t a Thing to Wear!” Dr. Garton is an author and speaker who currently serves on the Lutheran Church-- Missouri Synod Commission on Theology and Church Relations and on the Board for World Relief and Human Care. She also has served for 12 years on the LCMS Board of Directors. She is well known for her leadership in Lutherans For Life. Dr. Bull serves as Director of Concordia’s M. S. in Education Educational Technology program and Director of the Instructional Design Center. Noted for his ability to mix his broad range of scholarship and knowledge With communicating in clear and understandable language and style, Dr. Bull also has a knack for targeting critical issues for ministry in our digital world. His presentations were scheduled because of the importance of knowing more about technology and its potential for reaching people with the Gospel of Christ in today’s world. His first plenary session will explore The Online Lives of Women. In the last 20 years, the Internet has transformed the way that many think about communication, networking, conducting business, and staying connected to friends and family. In this presentation, Dr. Bull will explore how these changes are impacting the lives and opportunities of women around the world. The topic for Dr. Bull’s second plenary presentation is The Ten Commandments in a High-Tech World. Although God’s Word is unchanging, Christians live in an ever-changing world. In this combined presentation and Bible study, he will explore how these timeless truths can help believers navigate life in an increasingly technologi cal society. Dr. Carol R. (Schroeder) McDaniel serves on lie senior staff of Bethany Lutheran Church, Long Beach, CA and at Concordia University Irvine where she directs the parish music pro gram. Dr. McDaniel’s plenary presentation is entitled I Haven’t a Thing to Wear! Christian women in this new century are discovering that there are more things competing for their attention than ever before— much so, that in the midst of a “closet” overflowing with the latest fashion finds, they discover they “haven’t a thing to wear!” This session will encourage a return to the dressing room of spiritual disciplines, where God longs to refashion His followers in His image. Bible studies at the conference will be led by Karen Lippert, a popular speaker at the 2008 conference. The Director of Women’s Ministry at Divine Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hartland, WI, Karen’s passion is leading women deeper into God’s Word and its application to their lives. Consult the WLI website (www.wlicu.org) for registration information or contact Bonnie Treloar, Associate Director, at bonnie.treloar@cuw.edu or 262-243-4422 (toll free: 866-859-0002). Employment Opportunity There is an employment opportunity with the 2010 Census. The 2010 Census is planning to hire many temporary employees to work 6 to 8 weeks for twenty to forty hours per week. The bulk of employees will work as enumerators, going from door to door within their communities, in order to gather information. Most of the work will begin in the spring and summer of 2010. The pay rate for this work is about $13 per hour. If anyone is interested in knowing more, please go to www.2010censusjobs.gov or call 1-866-861-2010. Thrivent's Program for Helping Haiti We've partnered with Vanco Services, LLC, to make it easy to donate online to our $3 million effort. You want to help those affected by the Haiti earthquake. We want to join you. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will add $1 to every $2, up to a total Thrivent Financial contribution of $1 million, when our members donate to one of the following: * Lutheran World Relief. * ELCA Disaster Response. * LCMS World Relief/Human Care. * WELS Committee on Relief. Thrivent Financial will add a maximum of $250 per member donation, and donations will be accepted through March 31, 2010. For questions or to make a donation over the phone or via U.S. Mail, please call 800-236-3736 from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central time, Monday – Friday. When prompted, please say "directory" and enter ext. 83003. Turning $2 Million into $3 Million. We expect that this response will result in more than $3 million to support the earthquake survivors: $2 million donated by members and an additional $1 million from Thrivent Financial. Grain Train In cooperation with LCMS World relief and Human Care Orphan Grain Train will ship 513,216 "Kids Against Hunger" meals (two semi-loads) to Haiti next week. Orphan Grain Train is shipping to Haiti both by air and by sea. A semi-load relief shipment of food sent last month arrived on January 6th, and is being used to respond to the disaster. Each semi-load contains 256,608 meals. The next two semi-loads will leave Norfolk the week of January 17. Other relief shipments are in the planning stage. "Kids Against Hunger" volunteers in Hastings, Lincoln, and Norfolk, Nebraska prepared the "Kids Against Hunger" meal packets. Food distributions are intended for all people in need, regardless of church affiliation. Cash donations of any amount will help the survivors in Haiti. Shipping one semi-load to Haiti costs more than $5,000 in transportation costs. Checks may be sent to Orphan Grain Train, PO Box 1466, Norfolk, NE 68702-1466. Please write "Haiti" on the memo line. You may also give on-line by credit card as www.ogt.org. Click "Donate Now" and fill out the requested information. You will receive an email confirmation when your gift arrives in Orphan Grain Train's bank account. Thank you for your support and helping send Relief for Human Need Worldwide! Sincerely, Richard Jostes, Director of Development, Orphan Grain Train, rjostes@ogt.org Biennial Convention of the North Wisconsin District Lutheran Women's Missionary League June 4-6, 2010 The North Wisconsin District Lutheran Something to Consider… Leadership takes on many roles within a congregation. What is your area of responsibility? It could be in the role of director of the little lambs nursery, a Sunday School class, the entire Sunday School, a school principal, a classroom teacher, head elder, chairman of the congregation, scout leader, or pastor. What is needed is your leadership. Therefore, whatever your area of responsibility, your leadership is going to be important. Here are ten tips for being a good leader. Special thanks to Dr. Lou Jander, MMF, Texas District, LCMS for sharing these. 1. Keep Your Word. Do not make promises you cannot keep. 2. Be Fair to All. A good leader shows no favorites. Do not allow friendships to keep you from being fair to all members of your unit. 3. Be a Good Communicator. You do not need a commanding voice to be a good leader, but you must be willing to step out front with an effective “Let’s go.” A good leader knows how to give and receive information so that everyone understands what is going on. 4. Be Flexible. Everything does not always go as planned. Be prepared to shift to “plan B” when “plan A” does not work. 5. Be Organized. The time you spend planning will be re paid many times over. Keep records of who agrees to help and expect them to be responsible. 6. Delegate. Some leaders assume that the job will not get done unless they do it themselves. Most people like to be challenged with a task. Empower your unit to do things they have never tried. 7. Set an Example. The most important thing you can do is lead by example. Whatever you do, others are likely to do the same. A cheerful attitude can keep everyone’s spirits up. 8. Be Consistent. Nothing is more confusing than a leader who is one way one moment and an other way a short time later. If people know what to expect from you, they will more likely respond positively to your leadership. 9. Give Praise. The best way to get credit is to give it away. Often a “Nice job” is all the praise to make a Scout feel he is contributing. 10. Ask for Help. Do not be embarrassed to ask for help. You have many resources at your disposal. When confronted with a situation you do not know how to handle, ask someone with more experience for some advice and direction. Humor…. The Comforter Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the Sunday School lesson was about.
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