Strengthen Faith, Build Hope, Share Love in Christ Our Savior 
Christ Our Savior
Lutheran Church
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ANDY KELTNER, PASTOR 
5 South 8th Street
Louisburg, KS 66053
 (913)837-4502
[email protected]


Worship 8 a.m. 10:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. 
Sunday School 9:15a.m.-10:15a.m.
Psalm 9:1-2
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
NEWSLETTER
November 2014
Pastor Andy Writes...
Andy
Pastor Andy Keltner

A Responsibility 


The Bible tells us that we are to respect the civil government.  We are also commanded by God to represent him in the public arena.  We are to confess him before men and he will confess us before our father in heaven.  In the contemporary culture it seems pervasive that Christians should be censored as they seek to share their Christian values.  The first Article of the Constitution is referred to as the free exercise clause.  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."  This free exercise clause is under close scrutiny in our nation.  Do our Christian churches have the freedom to profess values which are based on God's Word?

 

In our political system men and women are elected to office because of popularity and financial backing.   Phil Robertson says:  "The ungodly put the ungodly in office...The corrupt elect the corrupt and the corruption continues.  The depraved elect the depraved and the depravity continues.  If you want kindness, love, peace, patience, goodness, and faithfulness-the characteristics you will find in Godly men and women-you better get godly in a hurry and elect as many godly politicians as you can." (unPHILtered   p. 76)  As Christians we can change the political climate by first repenting our sins.  We should always pray for our elected leaders.  We need to listen to and study the candidates' records and vote our Christian faith.  Finally we need to be willing to lift up Christian men and women to run for office and if there are none we need to be willing to run for political office.

 

We have a responsibility to be active in leadership.  The very least thing we can do is vote in elections.  The first thing is always the first thing, we need to repent and commit our lives to honoring Christ.   A problem we have is that when the outside world looks inside our churches they see no difference between Christians and the rest of society.  Christians do not seem to have any better moral values than society at large.  The way we talk and act is more consistent with the world that with the teachings of Christ.

 

"We need to rise above the vitriol and learn to love people who disagree with us.  We need to love our neighbor who believes in abortion, and we need to love the recent college grad that wants to take down the nativity scene at the courthouse.  It does no good to argue with them...(2 Timothy 2:23-26) All we can do is love the non-believer and try to turn them." (unPHILtered p. 77)  As redeemed children of God we look at the world around us through the filter of God's Grace.

 

God calls us by name.  He sent his Son to die for our sins.  We are loved and forgiven.  How we live this and share this can change our world.  We have a responsibility to be active in our world.   We love and serve our neighbor and we engage in the election process.  It is our responsibility as Americans and as children of God.  Study the candidates and vote.  Elect candidates based upon their willingness to honor our God. This is our responsibility as children of God living in a democratic society.

 

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Zach Waite - Eagle Scout Court of Honor





















Zach writes "A special Thank You to those who attended my fundraisers and those who helped me install the flag pole. I would like to thank the following people and organizations, without their help I would not have been able to complete my project.

Pastor Andy Keltner, Nate Apple Construction Co., Craig Crosseley, the Bell family, Rich Walania, Richard Fauss, Jody and John Berve, Don Newman, Paul and Linda Richards, Nadine Wells.

 

I would also like to thank my Boy Scout leaders and troop: Chris and Rhonda Lewis, The Selenke family, the Smith family, the Rogers family, the DuBois family, the Tregeser family, and of course my Dad and Mom. Thank you to everyone who funded my camps throughout the years it was an incredible experience."

 

Congratulations Zach!!!!

 

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Christian Eickhoff prepares for his Eagle Scout Project
My name is Christian Eickhoff.  I'm currently working toward my Eagle Scout rank, and a requirement for Eagle is to do an Eagle Scout Project.  My project is to build a 10' by 12' storage shed on the South side of the church.  All of the funds needed to purchase the shed have been raised.  Three meals held in the fellowship hall along with donations from various people helped to accomplish this.

I would like to thank everyone for their generous contributions, including those who spent time from their day cooking and preparing the meals.

The original plan was to build the shed on November 1st.  However, due to delays in the approval process through the Boy Scouts, this date is having to be pushed back.  I am hoping to get approval to build on November 22.  I appreciate the church's patience as we go through this process together.

 

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Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child 
The Youth Group has decided to sponsor Operation Christmas Child for our October/ November Servant Event. We will be helping to collect shoeboxes from the congregation until Sunday, November 16. We will have a collection box for shoeboxes in the narthex soon!  Operation Christmas Child pamphlets will be available soon if you would like to participate.  We will also have prayer bookmarks.  Your prayers are essential to the work of Operation Christmas Child, so please join us during National Collection Week Nov. 17-24. The Youth Group will then deliver the shoeboxes to the drop off site in Louisburg on Monday, November 17.   The goal this year is to collect 9.8 million shoebox gifts from the United States and nine other countries. During this collection time, we ask you to pray for the people packing the boxes, the volunteers who will be collecting, processing, and delivering the gifts, and for the children receiving them - thank you!  

 

CLICK HERE for Shoebox Instructions and Gift Ideas
 

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COS "You"th Fall Fling - Hayride/Bonfire!

THANK YOU KARROWS!

The Youth Group would like to say "Thank You" to the Karrow family for generously giving up their Saturday night to host the Youth Group on their farm for a hayride/bonfire.  Thank you to all of those who also brought some delicious side dishes to go with our main meal - yummy!!   We had 22 show up for this fun event.  We tromped around the woods, roasted hot dogs, ate S'mores, had a hayride adventure and then played a game of capture the flag in the dark!  We had a blast!




We would like to say "Thank You" to all those who purchased Bierocks from the youth group this year.  We are inching closer to our goal of $7700.  Thank you to Paulette, Drake and Brock Varns; Allison Walania; Micaela and Christian Eickhoff; Koell and Bill Smith; Garrett and Grace Rolofson and Pat Walker for waking up early on Saturday to bake 15 batches (450 bierocks).   We certainly had a fun time making them!  Thank you to the Varns family for providing lunch for everyone!

 

We would also like to shout out a few "Thank You's" to those who donated items for making our bierocks:  Paul Richards, The Weber Family, Pat Walker, Don & Linda Newman, Sandy Barsh, and the Walania Family.  We could not have made these without your generous donations!

 


 *more pictures available on our website

It's Showtime!

 

Youth Group, Friends and Family Movie night!

 

COS Community Center

 

Saturday, November 15

7:00 - 9:30 p.m.

 

Wear your PJ's.

Bring your pillow, blankets and your favorite soft drink to share!

Popcorn will be provided!

 

While we are all together, we will hold a short meeting to discuss how Operation Christmas Child (filling shoeboxes) is going and decide on meeting to deliver the shoeboxes; Sign up to work a 2 hour shift (or more) to serve Hot chocolate/Cider at the Craft Bazaar on Saturday, December 6 (Parent Help is needed to supervise during the shifts!) ;  Sign up for Potluck/White elephant/Nursing Home Caroling Party in December - this will be an after church event and we will try to coordinate with Pastor when he goes in December.  Note that this is a change from our normal meeting time this month!
 

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Children's Christmas Program to be held December 14th at 7:00 p.m.

This year's program is titled "Silent Night, Holy Night".  Lisa Albright, with Piccadilly Productions, will be leading our program efforts this year.

Rehearsal times will be at 9:15 a.m. on the following Sunday mornings:
November 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th & December 7th.

Additional dates will be added as needed.


Grace United

GRACE'S TEN-YEAR CELEBRATION EVENT -Far fewer attended than hoped (we know people lead busy lives!) but it was a FUN time for Board & staff & those who did come.  Thanks to Christina Fauss for baking 300 delicious cookies (five kinds); many cookies went home with families but there were still plenty for our 92 kids now being Tutored.  A number of people want to see her succeed with "Tina's Bakery."  Thanks also to Pastor Andy for taking time to help me cut minutes out of my talk.  Because I wanted to stress the idea that our 501c3's 10 years was a long series of God-given miracles, I had given myself the job of talking about Grace's past.  People did enjoy being reminded of God's faithfulness, His provision of human and material resources to Grace throughout our 10 years, and that we can trust in Him in our future.  The major problem though was I was supposed to talk for only 10 minutes.  Me?!?  But I knew who to ask for help, our Pastor with his mantra of "be direct, be brief, be seated"!  I worked for 3-4 days to cut words & sentences & paragraphs out of my script.  I rehearsed and timed myself so much that I burned up our microwave!!  Now, if that doesn't make sense to you, you can ask Kathie why she now has a new microwave.  There is a reason she, and not me, is our home's "domestic engineer"!!

 

INSPIRATIONS - A HUGE "Thank You, Lord!" is recent approval and receipt of $50,000 from Kauffman  Foundation for help funding our major After-School Tutoring program.  Besides my talk on Grace's past, we had our Board Vice Chmn. who is so passionate about our Tutoring program speak, and then Michael Mayberry, our Exec. Dir., talked a bit about our future.  Michael's theme was a good one for all of us: "It is what it is - But it doesn't have to be that way."  If we are content with the way things are ("it is what it is"), nothing changes.  "We are stuck."  BUT, it doesn't have to be that way!

 

I recently discovered an amazing example of sacrificial giving.  Talking to one of our very largest donors, to invite her to our celebration because her donations have helped us survive and get to where we are now, I discovered that she doesn't own a TV.  She'd mentioned the Royals, but added that she's been going to a nearby pizza shop to eat and watch the games.  I was dumbstruck, she doesn't own a TV but gives us $5,000 twice a year, for 3-4 years now, because she heard Sharon Garfield speak once to her church's adult Sunday School class.

 

FUTURE PLANS - Michael wants us to expand our programming from Children's Education to "Family Education," to include "Teen Enrichment" as well as education for parents and other adults - GED, ESL, Job Readiness.  I am working this week on a grant to submit to a church that wants to see us work with teens who have "graduated" from our Tutoring and Summer School programs.  Michael wants us to meet with other churches and foundations, to see if they might help fund this comprehensive "family education" package or part of it.  Hopefully soon we will begin working with Support KC, a major nonprofit whose mission is to help other nonprofits, to help us create an overall fund development plan - and tell us how to implement it!  Our annual Christmas/yearend matching challenge appeal is already in place and really helps our cash flow as we go into a new year, so please keep that in your thoughts and prayers. 

 

VOTE ON TUES., NOV. 4!!!!I know there is always a lot of confusion and sometimes deception when elections roll around.  Leaders on both "sides" know just how much is at stake, so they really want to win!  Who we vote for demonstrates where we stand on traditional Christian values and also issues of dollars and cents.  We need to pray for this country and the direction we take - and pray for God to give us discernment to see through the political ads and cast informed, wise votes.   God is in charge, but many have died so we have the right to VOTE!

 

Bob Kirkpatrick - Home: 837-5804 - [email protected]


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In This Issue
Pastor Andy Writes...
Zach Waite Court of Honor
Christian Eickhoff Eagle Scout
Operation Christmas Child
Youth Group
Children's Christmas Program
Grace United
Friends for Christ
Craft Group
Thanksgiving Services
LWML
Altar Flowers
Education
Thank You!
In the Military
Anniversaries
Birthdays
Contact Info
Quick Links

  

tacos Friends for Christ  

Friends For Christ will meet Saturday, November 1st at 6:00 p.m. at the home of Pastor Andy and Debbie Keltner.

The theme - Mexican.  Tacos with all the toppings will be provided.  Bring a dish to share.  To avoid duplication of food items please call Debbie at (913) 837-5382.

Good food, great fellowship and a Bible Study - everyone is welcome.

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Craft Group
LWML craft

The Craft Group will meet Saturday, November 8th, from 9 am to 3 pm in the Community Center.  We are planning to have "breakfast for lunch."  Bring your beverage and snacks if you would like.

Everyone is welcome.  Please stop by and say hello if you are in the neighborhood or bring a project and join us.   Come and go on your schedule!

Call or text Cindy Karrow
(913-269-1935) if you have questions or send an email to [email protected].

Thanksgiving Services

Christ Our Savior
Thanksgiving Eve Service 
Wednesday, Nov. 27 
at 7:00 p.m.


Community Thanksgiving Service

This year's community Thanksgiving service will be held on Saturday, November 15th at the Louisburg United Methodist Church.

This service will include a live concert by the Asante Children's Choir, a group from Rwanda, Africa.

The concert will feature traditional African music, Christian vocal music, and high energy drumming and dance, all in traditional dress. These children, ages 7-14, come from an orphanage in Rwanda and have seen civil war, fighting, and illness, yet they bring incredible hope.  Jesus said, "Come to me with the faith of child."  The evening is sure to inspire us to remember that hope exists through education, perseverance and faith.

 

Festivities begin at 5:00 p.m. with a potluck dinner followed by the concert at 6:30pm. Doors open at 5:30pm, so arrive early enough to get a seat. The concert and dinner are free, but bring a dish to share and maybe a little extra for lots of hungry children.

 

Postcards for this event are available on the bulletin board in the narthex. Please feel free to take one.


LWML Logo
Lutheran Women's Missionary League

Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) regular meeting will be held Monday, November 10th, at 7:00 pm in the church basement. There will be a Bible study and a short business meeting.

If you have any questions, Please contact Sandy Barsh at 837-2997 or Linda Newman, 837-5116. 

 

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flower-bouquet.jpg
Altar Flowers

 

11/02  OPEN
11/09  The Walania Family
11/16  OPEN
11/23  The Karrow Family
11/30  Micaela Eickhoff

Sign up for flowers in the narthex or call Sandy Barsh at 837-2997.

   

Bring flowers to church before the 8:00 a.m. service or contact Sandy Barsh to provide the flowers for $15 (checks payable to Sandy Barsh).  Flowers can be taken home after the 2nd service.Vases should be returned to church.

 

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November Education

   

Wednesdays

Confirmation Class

6:00 p.m. 

 

Evening Bible Study

7:15 p.m.  

 

Sundays

Sunday School

 Ages 3-Adult

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.  

 

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Thank You
Thank you so much to the Axmann family for providing boxes of Kleenex in the sanctuary!  They are very much appreciated!
In the Military
 
Military members and friends of our congregation include: 

 

Jim Buckman

 

Mark Edgar

(stationed in Africa)

 

Ray Gigliotti

 

Greg Jeffrey

 

Lindy Kalinka

 

James Keltner

 

Clara Littrell

 

Rob Ortman

 

November Anniversaries

 

11/01/97 Dennis & Gretchen Lee

11/02/05 Amando & Jeannie Aguayo

11/15/88 David & Courtisa Sharp

 

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November Birthdays

 

11/4       Tanner Lee

11/4       Teresa Schlegel

11/5       Mark Edgar

11/5       Drew Walania

11/6       Austin Raetzel

11/7       Loren Hoskins

11/7       Chad Turney

11/7       Jamie Waite

11/8       Paulette Varns

11/9       Allison Walania

11/14     Angie Graham

11/15     Molly Curtis

11/16     Larissa Scammey

11/16     Kyle Sharp

11/18     Rebecca Burton

11/18     Kert Maul

11/20     Debi Stephens

11/22     Judy Lohse

11/22     James Martin

11/22     Malerie Scammey

11/23     Shae Murphy

11/27     Lindy Kalinka

11/28     Taj O'Connor

11/30     Rick Peek

   

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Christ Our Savior Newsletter is published monthly and produced in  email and print versions.

Contact Info 
Gloria Rolofson
newsletter@ christoursaviorlouisburg.com  
(913)837-4502

If we've missed your birthday or anniversary contact COS Office so we can update our records. 
(913)837-4502
office@ christoursaviorlouisburg.com