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Strengthen Faith, Build Hope, Share Love in Christ Our Savior
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Christ Our Savior
Lutheran Church
ANDY KELTNER, PASTOR
5 South 8th Street
Louisburg, KS 66053
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Pastor Andy Writes...
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Pastor Andy Keltner
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Doing Ministry
Every Sunday we come to worship God at church; our faithfulness in worship shows that we value our relationship with our God. When we gather together in worship we are reminded of God's promises. We are strengthened by Word and Sacrament. We are encouraged by our fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The church is not where we do ministry. The church is where we are equipped to do ministry in our world.
Eugene Peterson, a pastor and prolific writer, challenged his congregation on their understanding of ministry. In his books he encourages every believer to be in ministry in the settings where God has placed them. He writes:
Most of what Jesus said and did took place in a secular workplace in a farmer's field, in a fishing boat, at a wedding feast, in a cemetery, at a public well asking a woman he didn't know for a drink of water, on a country hillside that he turned into a huge picnic, in a court room, having supper in homes with acquaintances or friends. In our Gospels, Jesus occasionally shows up in synagogue or temple, but for the most part he spends his time in the workplace. Twenty-seven times in John's Gospel Jesus is identified as a worker: "My Father is still working, and I am also working" (John 5:17). Work doesn't take us away from God; it continues the work of God. God comes into view on the first page of scripture as a worker. Once we identify God in his workplace working, it isn't long before we find ourselves in our workplace working in the name of God. (The Pastor, Eugene Peterson p.281)
As we live, we work for God. As we work in the name of Christ, God opens opportunities for us to minister in his name. We minister when we serve. We minister when we help. We minister when we share the love of Christ. We minister when we live as his forgiven redeemed children.
Martin Luther in the sixteenth century talks about doing ministry. He starts by emphasizing what God has done for us. Everything we have is a gift of God. Our lives of ministry are lives lived in response to what God has done for us. Martin Luther writes:
The prince should think: Christ has served me and made everything to follow him; therefore, I should also serve my neighbor, protect him and everything that belongs to him. That is why God has given me this office, and I have it that I might serve him. That would be a good prince and ruler. When a prince sees his neighbor oppressed, he should think: That concerns me! I must protect and shield my neighbor....The same is true for shoemaker, tailor, scribe, or reader. If he is a Christian tailor, he will say: I make these clothes because God has bidden me do so, so that I can earn a living, so that I can help and serve my neighbor. When a Christian does not serve the other, God is not present; that is not Christian living. (8 Martin Luther, "Sermon in the Castle Church at Weimar" (25 October 1522, Saturday after the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity)
We come together as a worshiping community in order that we might be equipped and encouraged to serve. As we serve our neighbor we glorify our God. There are those who serve in the worship life of the church. Their job is to equip others to serve and to encourage others in their service. This is done in worship service preparation, fellowship, property management, finance, the things necessary for the business of the Church. Ministry is being done. But true Christian ministry is done when we take Christ into our community and share is love. Back to top
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2015 High School Graduates
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Christian Eickhoff
Graduating from Paola HS
Attending Wichita State University in the fall majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
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Kendall Nelson Karrow
Graduating from Louisburg HS
Attending Johnson County Community College in the fall. He is on the Louisburg High School State Forensics Championship Team.
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Michelle Henry
Not Pictured
Graduating from Louisburg HS Attending Pittsburg State in
the fall. |
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Gloria and Family Say Thank You!
Dear family, friends, church family, Bob's co-workers, and all those on prayer chains all over the country and world praying for Bob,
Bob, Grace, Garrett and I would like to take this opportunity to Thank everyone for the unbelievable outpouring of love and support we have received since March 14th. Thank you for the prayers, words of encouragement, Ipod of music, prayer blanket, cards, flowers, plants, meals at the hospital and now at home, snack bags, care packages, two nights to sleep in a hotel, cleaning our house, meat for our freezer, monetary gifts of all kinds, visits at the hospital, taking care of Grace and Garrett, being with me when our journey began, going to get Grace and Garrett when we were told they needed to be there, cutting Mom and Grace's hair, contacting "Gifted With Grace" so we could received weekly reminders of God's love and support, taking me out for lunch, dinner, and getting my hair fixed, contacting prayer chains all over the country to pray for Bob, and the list goes on and on. Your overwhelming show of love and support for Bob and our entire family is truly a blessing from God! Words can never begin to express or describe our deep sense of gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness and love we have for all of you.
All of the people who work with Bob, we want to tell you what a blessing it has been to watch your outpouring of love and support for Bob. We do not know you personally but everything you have done since March 14th and shown us how important he is to you and how much he is loved and respected at work. Thank you so much for everything!!!!!
Everyone keeps saying to me "you're so strong." The only way we are getting through this is with your support and our never-ending, deep rooted faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Two verses that have helped me daily are:
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
Joshua 1:9 - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Thank you again with all of our heart!!!! We are truly watching a miracle of God unfolding every day!
All our love,
Gloria and family
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Care Packages for Rolofson's
Items will be picked up from church on Wednesday, May 6th. Ideas: Cards for Bob; helpful items for Gloria, gas cards or gift cards to restaurants. For more information contact Richard or Christine Fauss at 913-837-3261.
If you would like to send a card to Bob Rolofson his address is: Bob Rolofson Room #150 Madonna Rehab Hospital 5401 South Street Lincoln, NE 68506 |
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Summer Sunday School
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Human Dignity Product Drive
 
Dear Christ Our Savior Friends:
Thank you for allowing my Louisburg Girl Scout Troop to do a Giving the Basics drive at our church. Giving the Basics is an organization that helps provide the things that people need for day to day life. They mainly have four groups that they help: senior citizens, the working poor, the homeless and the unemployed.
Products requested:
deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, toilet paper, Kleenex, diapers, baby wipes, incontinence pads, feminine hygiene products, soap, trash bags, dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, Ziploc bags, and cleaning solution.
Please check your homes for these items or go shopping for these items and then place them in the large blue barrel in the lobby. Someone from Giving the Basics will pick up our barrel on April 27th, but you may continue to bring in donations to church until May 24th. My troop is having a work day on May 30th to process ALL of the Louisburg donations. We appreciate any and all donations for this great cause.
If you have any questions, please ask me at church or check out this cool website. http://www.givingthebasics.org/
Sincerely,
Koell Smith,
Girl Scout Troop 800 Back to top |
Due to the busy graduation month in the Eickhoff household, we will not be holding any activities this month. ☹ We will be discussing hopefully during Sunday school time possibly some date/times in June/July for having a barbecue/S'Mores at the Eickhoff's, going to World's/Oceans of Fun, going camping/fishing as a youth group at one of the area lakes, or going to Pinstripes in Overland Park to play Bocce for our fun events. We will also be doing again our fundraisers, the flamingoes & carwash this summer! So get ready youth!!! We hope to make a new video for the flamingo flocking's this year and possibly the carwash during Sunday school time as well.
We have a lot of exciting prospects for the summer months ahead for the youth group. We hope that you will join us and be a part of a fun, exciting group that just likes to hang out together and have a great time! We would like to wish a "Happy Graduation" to all of our youth moving on in their next big step; whatever that is and don't forget that God is there with you wherever you go! Congrats! Gerry & Michelle Eickhoff
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Little Boy Movie Review
THIS AN AWESOME CHRISTIAN MOVIE!!
A great Christian movie opened last Friday: Little Boy. Kathie and I HIGHLY recommend seeing it. It is truly a classic. A very cute "Little Boy" will do anything to get his dad home safe from WWII, he loves him so. He has "the faith to move mountains." The 8-year-old child actor is terrific, as are all the other leads. The mom is one of two Oscar winners. This film was 5 years in the making and deserves our support. As Kathie said, "Every emotion was on display [including racial hatred of the Japanese], lots of tough issues are dealt with, and all are done well." Click here to see the trailer online - PG 13. This movie is as good as it gets! See it and then tell others.
Bob Kirkpatrick
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Update from Grace
Appeal for Summer Camp
Please continue to pray for God's continued provision for Grace. Last week, we emailed an appeal to fund our summer camp, seven weeks of Education Before Recreation, followed by a week of VBS. This is one week longer than ever before and will also be bigger than last year, with the launch of a Teen Leadership Program as part of it. The teens will be assisting the younger kids and also doing their own things, hopefully including videos/photography (we've applied for a $5,000 grant from KC Royals Charities to fund that). Staffing, meals, and field trips will be included. Our challenge is immediately raising about $55,000 ($500/kid) from new and old Grace supporters, on top of the amount committed by our Board. Prayers are requested.
Major Foundation Grant Proposals for August-July
Recently, I attended three foundation meetings with Michael Mayberry, our ED, and one other person. All three - Kauffman Fdtn., Hall Family Fdtn., and Healthcare Fdtn. were extremely encouraging! A fourth meeting was with COMBAT, funded by a Jackson County tax. Based on those meetings, we will be busy preparing four major grant requests, all to be submitted in the June-November time frame. They will help cover the annual (fall through summer) operating costs for our Children's Education, new Teen Leadership & Enrichment, and our first Parent/Adult Education & Job Readiness classes, some of which have already begun. Among other things, Michael wants the teens to come up with their own Situational (Prevention) Playbook -- a great idea, whether for kids in the inner-city or in Louisburg! Once we get those grants submitted, with God's help I firmly believe that Grace should be well positioned for the future.
Bob Kirkpatrick - Home: 837-5804 - rwkirk@mokancomm.net
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