🙏 April 2024 Newsletter

April 2024 Anno Domini

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:15-16

Fifty Years!

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church is preparing to celebrate 50 years as a congregation! Our 'golden anniversary' happens to fall on Easter Sunday in 2025! The vision back in 1975 of this church's first pastor, Andrew Garman, and the founding members, some of whom are still attending to this day, was one that not even any of them thought they would see the fruit of their labors 50 years later. Through faithful stewardship of God's provision, and creative ministry in all areas of our church life, we have enjoyed the success of remaining a place where many flock to all week long to learn, grow, and enjoy fellowship with one another.

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, one of the themes of his letter was Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ. As believers, we strive for unity despite our individualism. We can be proud of how much the church has grown over the years through outreach, etc., but we must continue to mature and look forward to the future of our church. In ancient Greek and Roman societies, high-achieving people were awarded crowns made of laurel leaves to mark their accomplishments. We must not rest on our laurels but, instead, continue to develop ways we can "Love those who don't know Jesus, and grow those who do."

On April 21st, we will embark on a year-long celebration of 50 years of La Casa de Cristo ministering in North Phoenix and Scottsdale.

There will be plenty of other communications about this very special day, and all that will happen that Sunday morning. But I will share with you what I first shared in February in my message: that building upon a solid foundation of our first fifty years, this is primarily a “look ahead” to our future.

You, as the church, will be involved in many ways. Not just at special worship services, events, and celebrations, but together being invited to see the vision of La Casa de Cristo, The Next 50!

You will be hearing much, much more of what the Holy Spirit is cultivating in the coming months. As always, we seek to live out our mission statement:

“To love those who don’t know Jesus Christ, and grow those who do!”

We are the church, TOGETHER!

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff Ruby, Lead Pastor

The Garden Tomb

Christ has risen! Although "The Garden Tomb" likely dates to a later century after Christ, it is a beautiful reminder of Jesus' resurrection. The tomb is rock-cut and provides a walk-in visual experience of what it must have been like for those who first encountered Jesus’ empty tomb on the first Resurrection Sunday. Located just outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem, it is moving to visit this location and experience an ancient tomb. Even more moving is to celebrate the fact that Jesus rose above the grip of the tomb. This “Garden Tomb” is a picture of Easter for us all. The garden is administered by the Garden Tomb Association, a charitable trust based in the United Kingdom. They had purchased the site in 1894 in order to preserve and maintain the grounds around the tomb.

Pastor Matt Knopf

Where is this piece of stained glass located in the Sanctuary?

And what is depicted on it?

After Jesus rose from the dead, he met two men on the road to where?

Jerusalem

Select

Tatooine

Select

Emmaus

Select

What date was the campus on Bell Road dedicated?

May 25, 1977

Select

May 25, 1997

Select

May 25, 2007

Select

The answers will be in the next

What's Happening Wednesday e-News.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul began in Paris, France in 1833 when a law student was challenged during a debate to demonstrate what he and his fellow students were personally doing to help the poor in Paris. At 20 years of age, he and six of his peers formed the first "Conference of Charity." This group financed their works of charity out of their own pockets and from contributions of friends and family. They visited the poor in their homes, providing them with needed assistance. The Conference of Charity quickly grew from seven to 600 volunteers, spreading to 15 other cities and towns in France, with more than 2,000 members. Twelve years later, in 1845, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul crossed the ocean to St. Louis, MO, where the first American conference was formed, and where the national headquarters is located to this day.

One hundred years later, Tommy Johnstone, a New Yorker familiar with the Society, recruited four other men and the seed was planted to start the Phoenix Council. Today, St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix (SVdP), serves central and northern Arizona and works to feed, clothe, house and heal individuals and families in need. They have a wide range of services and programs to include dining rooms, shelters, a medical and dental clinic, homelessness prevention services, and support services for families and individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. Volunteers are an essential part of SVdP, with 95% of their workforce being volunteers.

More than 7,000 hot meals are prepared daily in the central kitchen of SVdP, one of the largest commercial kitchens in Arizona, and are then distributed to their dining rooms and social services agencies. Roger and I began volunteering with the La Casa group 17 years ago. We serve the noon meal once a month at the Phoenix Dining Room, a key campus of SVdP. In addition to the hot meals delivered from the central kitchen, part of our duties include getting fresh fruit, sometimes salads, bread and, hopefully, desserts ready for serving. This includes cutting fruit such as apples and oranges, preparing salads, cutting donated breads and desserts. We also set up the tables and chairs in the dining room, fill water pitchers as well as prepare juice, when available. Once the doors are open, we have a line of servers who will plate the food. Additional volunteers will wait on tables, helping the handicapped clients carry their trays, ensure they have their drinks and silverware and clean off the tables as the clients leave. Afterwards, we clean up the dining room, which takes about 30 minutes.

Over our 17 years of serving in this ministry, we have met many La Casa members and truly enjoy our time working together and the opportunity to get to know them. The clients we serve vary greatly. Many clients are considered the 'working poor' and just need an occasional hot meal. Some are in between jobs and I have had many clients over the years update me from month-to-month on the status of gaining employment. Many are in wheelchairs or walkers or have other special needs. St. Vincent de Paul allows us to help the clients in any way we can and there is always a staff member available with additional resources for the clients, as well as to provide direction to the volunteers. I have always liked that we do whatever we can to provide the clients with any special requests. Sometimes it's an additional dessert or maybe a specific dessert, an extra apple, water or maybe a sandwich for them to take with them. At a time when they have so little, it's nice to be able to make them smile with that additional cookie.

We have a core group of La Casa members who volunteer almost every month, but we really need to grow this number. We do serve all 12 months of the year, but the summer months can be challenging, when some volunteers leave for vacations or cooler places. Signing up is easy on the La Casa website, and you can carpool if you prefer not to drive. You will love working together and getting to meet other La Casa members. Your experience volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul will not only be eye-opening, but heartwarming as well.

To find out how you can be part of this great ministry and to read testimonials of people who serve at St. Vincent de Paul, go to lacasadecristo.com/svpd

What a glorious and meaningful Lenten season, starting with Palm Sunday and finishing with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter! The Easter Season continues on for 50 days, through the Ascension of our Lord to Pentecost, seven full weeks after Easter Sunday. The Easter season occupies the longest liturgical season of the year outside of Pentecost.

If you would like to join the choir, seats are limited 😀 – but we have a few seats and robes left. We will be singing regularly on Sundays until Pentecost, which is Sunday, May 19. Through the summer the Sanctuary Choir will sing approximately once a month. In the Sanctuary Choir you will find meaningful and beautiful music, along with good friends and the best seats in the house!

April brings wonderful music to La Casa de Cristo. Friday, April 5 at 7:30pm, the World Doctor’s Orchestra will be performing in the sanctuary.

Thursday, April 11, Grand Canyon University Orchestra & Choir will be performing Beethoven’s Ninth at 7pm. Come and enjoy!

Jennifer Sheldon

Director of Music and Worship

From the "bulletin-maker’s" desk...

You probably know by now that I create the bulletins, and have been doing so for over two years. If you peek at the bottom rear of the bulletin, you’ll see “all hymns and liturgy engraved by Jeremy Peterman.” The term “engraved” sounds archaic, but it is the general term used to describe the art of music notation, whether hand-written or on computer software.

The benefit of my engraving each hymn (instead of using scans from the hymnal) is that it allows me to expand or contract each hymn with a lot more control. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a particularly long hymn, for example. Now I can spread it out over two pages and it looks natural. Or, if I have limited space, I may only type up the melody, without the extra bass, alto, and tenor parts. I try to include all four voice parts when space allows, for your singing enjoyment!

🎼 Get to Know Your Choir

Kim Mehalko

I am a Business Systems Analyst and Project Manager for an IT company. I have been with life partner, Barb Davies, for 18 glorious years! My hobbies include watching quality movies at theaters, and watching college football from morning until midnight!

I have been singing as a bass with the choir since 2004. My favorite thing about singing with the choir is the camaraderie, and I find that it is a stress reliever.

My favorite hymns to sing are Ecce Novum and Come to Me. The hymns we sing usually have a message for all of us. When asked how the Holy Spirit has affected my life, I have to admit that I would like to become aware on a more frequent basis when the Spirit, our counselor, is present.

Hello Women of La Casa de Cristo!

As Spring ushers in the newness of season, change brings with it new hope and opportunity. I’m asking each of you, young and old alike, to get curious about how God may want to work in and through your life in this next season!?

This I know… I have made my closest friends in life as I have served alongside sisters in Christ, while we spend time in His Word. We need both! Are you hungry for connection and community? Friendship IS God’s idea. Our women’s ministry is growing to include young women in middle school and extends well into the senior years of our beautiful saints… with all ages in between.

Saturday morning, May 11, will be another opportunity for women to all be gathered, together, again for a ton of FUN. Discover BRINGO for yourself! You do not want to miss out. What is BRINGO? Hint: Click here for details.

A 5-week, summer season Bible study will then launch June 4 through July 2.

I want to know YOU! I invite each of you into serving and connecting opportunities to join in this community that we call La Casa Women, and to experience God’s love. I invite you to reach out to me via email or phone if you are interested in serving. A new opportunity awaits you!

XOXOX

Paula Webb

Director of Women's Ministry

As I was putting my 5-year-old daughter Claire to bed the other night, we were getting ready to say our nightly prayer together. Since she was an infant, we have said a prayer that thanks God for people and blessings in our lives. First, it started with me saying the prayer each night when she couldn’t yet talk, and now it has progressed to her saying it without my help. As the years have gone on, her sweet prayer has progressed to adding new people in our lives such as her preschool teachers, new friends or things that she thinks of from her day. She even created an additional puppy prayer to thank God for the puppies she meets.

This night in particular, she said, “ Mama, did you know that you can talk to God about anything?” I said, "Yes, Claire, I did! Is there something you want to talk to God about tonight?" She said, "Yes! I want to tell God that I know He is there, no matter what.” Together, we talked about what different things we might say to God. We talked about thanking God, praying for others and even sitting quietly with God to look around at every detail He created.

God is there, no matter what. This line, from the lips of a 5-year-old, continues to stick with me. In our Sunday morning kids program, Ignite Kids, we are kicking off a new series, Wild West Faith. In this series, we are talking about how even when it gets “wild” in the Bible, God is there.

I pray that as we go on in the next seconds, months and even years, we can know that God HAS been there, IS there and WILL be there in every moment of our lives. It is my hope that as we go on in life where it can feel like the Wild West, we can truly trust in Him and talk to Him no matter where we are. Just as Claire said, "God is there, no matter what."

Staci Medina, Director of Children's Ministry

Nothing is Wasted

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none."

And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?'

And he answered him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down."

That story is found in Luke 13:6–9.

Here’s a conversation I had with God, and maybe you can relate.

God: What in your life do you want to cut down? What isn’t producing fruit? What is making you mad? Angry? Frustrated? What do you look at in your life and wish wasn’t around? What do you think is just taking up space? What have you spent time, treasure, and talents on that seem to just be sitting there unmoved, unmotivated, and unchanged? What do you want to CUT down?

Me: I know what I want to cut down but what purpose would talking about it serve?

God: You’ll see.

Me: Sometimes it’s safer to just leave it like it is and not dig things up. I’ve held it together this long. What could possibly be good that would require me to dig all that mess up? I’ve buried it and what’s in the past needs to stay in the past. Don’t touch that, I’ve carefully packed it down to protect it.

God: But you are suffocating it and growth can’t happen when there is no oxygen. Why don’t you just let me excavate around it and aerate it? I promise I will make sure everything that is supposed to stay will still be there.

Me: Will it hurt?

God: Probably.

Let me use this manure to grow you.

Everything that you discarded in your story.

I’ve collected all of it and I’ve thrown it in a pile.

I’ve been waiting for the right time to add it.

Me: That’s quite the pile. I wish it was a smaller pile.

God: Why? It’s the very thing I am going to use to produce fruit that others will be able to eat from. Just so you know, it smells, or that’s what everyone else says. And some would call it waste.

But nothing is WASTED.

Just give me another season of time.

Me: I’ve waited this long.

I may as well wait a little longer and see if fruit will ever grow.

God: Trust me, I know what I’m doing. Nothing is WASTED.

Ryan Callahan

Director of High School Ministries

On Tuesday, April 9, at 1 pm in room B will be our second Love of Learning (LOL) meeting. This group is open to all men and women who enjoy learning new things. Each month will cover a different topic.

The April workshop is called The Art of Card Making with Jan Boykin. In this class you will learn how to make different styles of cards. All materials will be provided for you to take home a finished card or two. Sign up here to attend so we have supplies ready for you.

The Easter Garden flowers have been planted on campus due to the efforts of our Grace Growers Gardening Group. If you have a passion for gardening, planting, weeding, light watering, landscape design, etc., please join us on Friday, May 10 at 10am in the church office conference room.

On Palm Sunday our Art Show was a beautiful spotlight on the ways that God has gifted members of our congregation. If that sparked your creativity, there are art demos that you can view and create alongside. Go to AZwatercolor.com/demos for painting demonstrations by Arizona Watercolor Artists. It’s never too early to get your work ready for next year’s Art Show here at La Casa de Cristo (Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025).

Blessings,

Donna Bosley

The Power of Thoughts and Emotions

Did you know that thinking negative thoughts and experiencing negative emotions can amplify pain and make things hurt more? Zeroing in on the negative aspects of life is part of human nature. If you live with chronic pain, negative thoughts can come up more frequently and make it difficult to find enjoyment in much of anything. Most people would feel unhappy or discouraged if confronted with similar challenges. But just because it’s understandable doesn’t mean that it’s helpful. In fact, the more you speak, think, act and engage with others in a negative or unhelpful way, the more you’re feeding your pain. In other words, thoughts can worsen pain.

Strategies you can use to separate yourself from negative thoughts, emotions, and actions are: doing things you enjoy, increasing your social connections, talking less about pain, and positive self-talk. The goal of positive self-talk is to transform the way you look at yourself so that it becomes a positive and helpful approach rather than a negative and unhelpful one. When you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, challenge it. Find a way to put a positive or more helpful spin on it. Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else!

Health Ministry continues to offer classes and presentations that are hopefully helpful for the community. We just completed 2 classes: Matter of Balance and Chronic Pain Management. Another Matter of Balance class will be held again in the fall. We began a series titled Mind Over Matter on March 18 and will continue through mid April. On May 8, we will have a presentation on Care for the Caregiver and on June 1, we will have a panel discussion on Parenting Aging Parents. Please watch the newsletter for information and to sign up.

As always, I am blessed to be able to minister to you.

Jean Knowling, R.N.

Parish Nurse

Abby Akin

Sara Albani

Tyler Amenson

Janice Anderson

Lino Antunes

Courtney Arnold

Carole Baker

Kathy Barnes

Paul Bashaw

Paul Blumke

Bob Boettger

Nicole Bostrom

Abbey Brandt

Mimi Brown

Marvin Brown

Cory Busch

James Campos

Avery Cline

A.J. Coletta

Kaylee Costlow

Brian Coughlan

Cheryl Crozier

Sandi Dahl

Cassie Delaware

Cole Derosier

Judi Dickson

Lucky Discont

Charmaine Dorsey

Leon Drage

Jean Edwards

Kate Fegan

Daniel Fladhammer

Emily Franson

Roxy Fronko

Paul Fruscello

Avery Furnish

Chris Gale

Kelly Gates

Susan Gilbreath

Cole Gilroy

Brian Grummell

Gary Haarer

Carol Haenel

Cameron Hall

Gene Hansen

Kimberly Harder-Ibarola

Lynn Harper

Audrey Harris

Donna Marie Hartley

Kristi Hatfield

Hailey Haug

Tom Hauser

Mariah Hawley

Lori Henry

Katie Herrington

Caden Hoffman

Charlotte Holen

Mike Hooley

David Huff

Allison Hurley

Eric Ibarola

Shelby Jennings

Suesan Johnson

Shelby Johnson

Jim Katzman

Julia Katzman

Finn Kearney

Andrea Keegan

Shawn Kendall

Cathy Kendall

Terry Kiesling

Jeff Knoll

Jessica Knopf

Jean Knowling

Thomas Koehler

Esther Kovacs

Frank Kovacs

Chelsea Kupiec

Doug Lau

Justin Laursen

Jennifer Lee

Matt Lee

Connor Leicken

Will Leicken

Jim Leonard

Sandy Letterly

Paul Lindbloom

Paul Lindsey

Larry Lommen

Chris Ludwig

Natalie Lull

Maxwell Mallinak

Nancy Mantei

Kylie Mariucci

Don Martin

David Maynard

Steve McCormick

Phyllis Merritt

Mara Michaels

Linda Milanovich

Karin Milligan

KyLeigh Montgomery

Phyllis Moses

Grace Mueller

Jenny Munger

Nicholas Murwin

Brock Narveson

Kristy North

Martin O'Sullivan

Doug Oberhamer

Deb Oberhamer

Kyle Olsen

Michael Olson

Abby Ostlie

Connie Pals

Bob Paris

Spencer Paulsen

Carol Peters

Sam Petersen

Emily Potter

Tracy Potthoff

Logan Powell

Maddy Puthuff

Gary Reed

Bob Rierson

Warren Riggers

Kitty Robbins

Jim Rogers

Erik Ruby

Meredith Rudden

Jackson Rudden

Carol Rudel

Brandon Sales

Irene Sar

Katherine Schanafelt

Ian Schmal

Mark Scott

Kathryn Scott

Sophie Seratte

Devin Seratte

Judd Shaft

Alec Shillingburg

Judith Shipp

Jeremy Simpson

Alexa Simpson

John Skarda

Dan Slocum

Kristen Snyder

Steve Staffo

Michael Staffo

Bette Stevens

Ashley Stevenson

Doug Stewart

Matt Stockslager

Ernest Storz

Anthony Taouil

Bill Tarnasky

Marcy Thieme

Wayne Thoreson

Vern Tillberg

Susan Toll

Barbara Turley

Shay Valenti

Tricia Veilleux

Mark Viale

Bill Wahl

John Waltz

Barb Wang

Alyssa Webber

Vern Weldy

Lynn Werner

Chuck Weschler

Sandi Weschler

Meghan Wilde

Scott Williams

Tasha Wood

Chris Wood

Riley Woods

Brent Work

Todd Wright

Kyle Young

Shannon Young

Marceyle Ziemba

Steven Zonsius

Zach Zupke

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Mary Estelle & Bill Amberg

59 years

Terry & Doris Chaillie

52 years

Jim & Wanda Hough

50 years

Kathy & Roy McAlister

60 years

Bob & Anne Paris

59 years

Greg & Kate Smith

51 years

Marcy & Ron Thieme

50 years

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