Greetings!
I'm hoping everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend. We have a great service planned for this Sunday and if you're in town, we hope you'll join us.
Pastor Tony
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This Week's Devotion 
Chaos
by Pastor Tony Haglund
"Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs" - Luke 18:16
You might notice that my Bible verse for this week's devotion is the same as last week's. It's because last week someone stopped in my office to complain that during the previous week's worship service, the children were just too noisy for her. As a Dad who at one point in his life, had a restless girl under 5 years old and twin boys in diapers, nothing gets me hotter under the collar than people who complain about kids in worship.
I remember those years of people glaring at me, scolding me or shaking their heads in my general direction. We took the kids to the nursery all the time but often there was no staff or the staff wasn't qualifed to handle my three kids plus the others. Sometimes, we just wanted to try and worship as a family and before you knew it, things just got out of control. I know people cherish their worship times but holy smokes, don't you think, as parents of three young children, we could have also used the "peace of God which surpasses all understanding"?
We have a God who came as an infant in a stable and when the song "Away in a Manger" uses the phrase "the little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes", I want to scream and say "ARE YOU KIDDING! ALL BABIES CRY!" I think we have a God who loves the noises we make, no matter how old we are. I think we have a God who wants families to worship together. I think we have a God who gives us nurseries for short times of rest and peace but also a God who loves to be in our midst, even in the midst of chaos.
Parents of fidgety children, hear the good news: God loves you and loves your children and doesn't care at all, even if you can't control them in worship. God loves the noise and God knows how hard it is to find places to feel comfortable in public when you're the parent of young children. In God's house, there is always a place for you. And if people stare or scold or make nasty faces in your direction, just smile and remember, you've been invited by God and each and every Sunday, you and your children are our special guests of honor. |
What's Happening at the Church
Wild Water West Family Fun Day
This Saturday, July 11th, CLC is having an all-church Family Fun Day at Wild Water Wester. Discounted tickets are available from Kari. $19.95 for anyone over 48" and $11.95 for kids under this height. Bring all the family and friends you want. If you're interested in going, e-mail Kari at youthkari@sio.midco.net or give her a call at 605-310-7315. |
Time to Register for Sunday and Wednesday School
The July Newsletter that was mailed on Monday includes a registration form for 3 years old - 6th grade religious education. Please consider the new test schedule for next fall, see if you prefer Sunday or Wednesday, fill out the form and get those back to us as soon as possible. For questions contact Janet Henke, Christian Education Director at parisheduc@iw.net |
Summer Baptismal Workshop
If you're planning on scheduling a baptism within the next few months, you'll need to attend Baptism Class on Saturday, July 18 at 9:30 a.m. in the library. Our next session will be held on October 17th so if you're thinking about scheduling a baptism before then, you are strongly encouraged to attend. We will go through the sacrament of baptism, the details of the service and answer any questions you may have. |
CLC Summer Day Camp
Counselors from NeSoDak Bible Camp will be here on July 27-30 to help put on our Summer 2009 Day Camp at Newton Hills State Park. Registration can be found in our July Newsletter that was mailed out on Monday. Students must have at least completed Kindergarten this year and up through 5th grade. For questions or if you need a registration form contact Janet Henke, Christian Education Director by calling 764-2429 or e-mailing her at parisheduc@iw.net |
New Fall Schedule Proposed
One of the fun problems we have at CLC is an abudance of Sunday School students with not quite enough space. This fall we are proposing adding a second Sunday School session to help address this issue - the twist is that this second Sunday School session will be on Wednesday nights! Look for more information in the July newsletter but begin thinking now whether Wednesday night Sunday School might be an option for your family. In addition to Wednesday School we will also be offering an additional worship service that might be really helpful for families that have to travel a lot on weekends. Following is our proposed Fall Schedule that we would like to test:
Saturday
Worship at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday
Sunday School at 8:45 a.m.
Worship at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday
Sunday School & Confirmation at 6:15 p.m.
Worship at 7:00 p.m. |
