CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH
| Your Weekly E-Newsletter -- Thursday January 11, 2024 | |
Due to the impending snowstorm and blowing snow on Friday and Saturday, as well as allowing Pastor Jerry to have additional recuperation time, Saturday night's service is cancelled. Please join us on Sunday morning if you can. As always, the Livestream will be available.
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Reflection on this weekend's Scripture reading | |
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Our psalm this weekend is Psalm 139. The reflection below is on vs. 1-6 and is found in the "One-year Book of Psalms".
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.” -- Psalm 139:1
“The Eye Outside the Keyhole”
When the Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth from the world’s first trip into outer space, he said flippantly that he didn’t see God up there. Maybe it would’ve been better to ask if God saw him up there.
The Marquis de Lafayette, who fought with George Washington during the Revolutionary War, returned afterward to France, and led a French army against Austria. Captured, he was confined to a small cell. In the door to the cell was a small hole. A soldier was placed at the hole day and night to watch him. When Lafayette looked out, all he could see was the soldier’s eye. It was dreadful, he said. There was no escape from that eye. It was always there, watching his every movement.
For some, it may be equally terrifying to know that God is all-seeing and all-knowing. But to the Christian, it is full of comfort, and that’s the way David meant it when he wrote this song. It reminds us of the 23rd Psalm with the shepherd going ahead and goodness and mercy following behind us.
A theologian would say that these verses tell us that God is omniscient, or all- knowing. But these verses show us more than that; they show us that God knows each of us. These verses are warmly personal. In every line is a first person pronoun (I, me, or my). If that Russian cosmonaut were looking for this kind of God, he might have seen him in outer space – – or in the inner space of his own heart.
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Severe Weather Announcements
With winter in full swing, we are reminded that weather can definitely impact traveling to church. And with that, inclement weather could necessitate the cancelling of worship.
In the event this should happen, you will receive an e-mail stating that the church is closed. We will also be sharing this with local TV stations (WISN-TV 12 and FOX6) so that it will be included in their scrolling list and on their website of closures.
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Second Sunday after
the Epiphany
January 14, 2024
No Saturday evening worship service
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PRESIDING MINISTER: Pastor Jerry Wittmus
ASSISTING MINISTER: Larry Bonier
DEACONS:
Sunday: Larry Bonier, Linda Thorpe Judy Kestly
ACOLYTE:
USHERS:
- Tom and Mary Ellen Thiede
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE:
LECTOR:
ALTAR GUILD:
- Marge Tyne and Shirley Brodell
GREETERS:
- Carol Roe
- Jonni Roush
- Judy Sayas
FELLOWSHIP:
FLOWERS:
POWERPOINT OPERATOR (Sunday):
LIVESTREAM OPERATOR:
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Annual Meeting Date
January 28, 2024, 10:30 a.m. - Congregational Annual Meeting (Contingency date is Feb. 4, 2024)
January 21, 2024, 10:30 a.m. - Informational Meeting
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New prayer requests or any updates to this current list should be directed to Cindy Zilske in the Church office (office@calvarylc.com).
Prayers of sympathy and God's peace to: the family of Rev. Dr. Wolf Knappe (father of Pastor Mark Knappe) who passed away on December 9. Details on his funeral plans can be found here.
New prayer requests: Gloria Strei
Ongoing short-term prayer requests: Laura Burger; Kris Larsen; Eric Dix (Linda Thorpe's son-in-law's brother); Jim Sanborn (friend of Linda Thorpe); Drake Ferber (Judy Sayas' neighbor's son)Jean (friend of LInda Thorpe); Richard and his wife (friends of Joanne Schultz); Justin Rowe (son of Sue Rowe); Kathy (friend of Judy Sayas' sister); Christine (cousin of Judy Sayas); Peggy (niece of Judy DeBruine); Sandy (friend of Linda Thorpe); Gerald van Zyverden (nephew of Lisa Grossman); Jim Walters (cousin of Krista Dentice); Lynn Weber (godmother of Angie Schatz); Karly Bambanek (friend of Joanne Schultz); Wolf Knappe (father of Pastor Mark Knappe); Sue Miller (sister of Mary Ellen Thiede); Peter Vang (relative of Ka Thao); Edward Hermann (son of Marilyn Hermann); Courtney Cook (friend of Lenny Graffin); Nate Kreiter, Matti Beilfuss (friends of Rick Kegel); Sharon Anderson (mother of Deron Anderson); Lou Dangler (friend of Evelyn Ceci); Paul Mahn (son of Shirley Mahn); Hunter Green (nephew of Andy and Angie Schatz); Tom Schatz (father of Andy Schatz); Susie Barnhart and Amy Clark (friends of Megan Scott); Delores Seel (mother of Keith Pierce).
Please continue to pray for: God’s guidance and support for our Call Committee, and that the Holy Spirit is working in the heart of the pastor He wishes to call as the next pastor of Calvary.
Serving in the Military: Kevin Butler (son of Heidi Powers, serving in the U.S. Army); Ben DeYoung (son-in-law of George and Kay Sedivec, serving in the U.S. Air Force); Alex Olson (U.S. Air Force, grandchild of Ardath Olson); Kyle Pierce (son of Karen and Keith Pierce, serving in the U.S. Army); Nicole Wahlgren (serving in the U.S. Army National Guard); all military chaplains; and all veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder.
For All Men and Women Serving: Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT's; Health Care workers and First Responders.
Serving in the mission field: Our NALC missionaries and missionaries everywhere bringing the gospel to the ends of the Earth.
Long-term prayer list: Calvary members: Jan Chesner, Pat Corcoran; Wayne Dieck; Ron Foster; Bev Lawson; Shirley Mahn, Sue Rowe; Nadine Schuelke; Pat Treutelaar; Janet Zastrow
Non-members: Mark Sturms (cousin of Cindy Zilske); Ron Parker (brother of Linda Thorpe); Mary (sister-in-law of Jane Taufner); Lauren (granddaughter of Scott and Peggy Langelin); Dennis Reich (friend of John and Mary Lau); Curt (friend of Larry Bonier); Pastor Mark Gehrke (son of Lois Gehrke); Barb Anderson (friend of Lisa Grossman); Gareth George (cousin of Judy Sayas); Monica Barchus (niece of Ernie Kretschmann); Michael Rossa (Lucy Dallman's son); Karen (friend of Lydia Trudell); Susan Petropoulos (sister of Wayne Johnson); Tom Dallman (husband of Lucy Dallman); Laura Lynn (friend of Pastor Jerry and Nancy Wittmus)
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Liam Brooks, 1/11
Carol Roe, 1/11
Olivia Schlieve, 1/12
Marge Tyne, 1/13
Tom Thiede, 1/15
Chris Dudzik, 1/16
Natalie Voss, 1/16
Erik Wahlgren, 1/16
Lauren Beeson, 1/19
Allison Duch, 1/21
Juanita Osowski, 1/21
Alex Baumgarten, 1/22
Amelia Evert, 1/22
Jackson Gall, 1/22
Cindy Rooks, 1/24
Sue Vollmar, 1/25
Bode Zipp, 1/25
Diane Iverson, 1/27
Jeanette Bauer, 1/28
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Pat and Carol Corcoran, 1/12 (61 years)
Dave and Chris Cason, 1/17 (43 years)
Alex and Margaux Baumgarten, 1/25 (4 years)
Jiafu and Sophia Liu, 1/27 (24 years)
Joel and Linda Richmond, 1/30 (42 years)
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Church Life Fellowship Opportunity | |
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"The Savannah Sipping Society"
Sunset Playhouse Theater Event
Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
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TICKET SALES ARE NOW OPEN!
In this delightful, laugh-a-minute comedy, four unique Southern women, all needing to escape the sameness of their day-to-day routines, are drawn together by fate—and an impromptu happy hour—and decide it’s high time to reclaim the enthusiasm for life they’ve lost through the years.
Tickets are $19/each. We have a limited amount of tickets so please sign up on the "COMING EVENTS" kiosk in the Narthex. Payment can be dropped in the Offering basket or in the church office. Ticket sales will close on Monday, February 19th - no exceptions for late orders.
Wheelchair seating is available in the theater. If you'd be interested in carpooling from Calvary to the Sunset Theater, please note that on the sign-up form.
Hope you can join us!
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January Mission of the Month | |
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AbleLight (formerly Bethesda) is a national Christian non-profit organization headquartered in Watertown, Wisconsin that provides support services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at program locations across the U.S. They are in eight counties in Wisconsin.
They work to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by giving them the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest. They seek to be a champion of change by supporting independence and community inclusion.
They make a difference every day in the lives of those they support though advocacy, raising awareness and promoting independence.
They ensure communities understand the unique abilities people with disabilities have and encourage everyone to become advocates for people’s rights and independence.
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Some of AbleLight's current and future initiatives include:
- Smart home technology to enhance daily living
- Financial Support Services (they currently provide financial management for more than 700 clients)
- Bethesda College of Applied Learning
- Independent housing choices that offer true community inclusion
- Behavioral Support Services (for people of all ages)
- Faith resources made available online and free-of-charge through Concordia Publishing
For more information about AbleLight, please click here.
To support this important Mission of the Month, you may include it in your weekly offering envelope or designate the donation as "Mission of the Month" in your online giving.
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Winter Retreat January 5-7, 2024 | |
Five youth attended this year's Winter Retreat at Camp Timber-Lee in East Troy, WI. Special thanks to chaperones Jeff Griese (seen above poking his head through the sign) and Angie Schatz.
Photos below are from the Broomball Tournament (our team combined with another church and took Third Place!) and a successful attempt in an Escape Room.
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Youth & Family Ministry Schedule
Little Lutherans
PJ's and Prayers, Friday January 26, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
PJ's and Prayers, Friday, March 8, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Elementary School (1st - 5th grade)
Tubing at the Rock!, Sunday January 21, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Youth Group, Sunday February 11, 11:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Roller Skating, Sunday March 17, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Middle School (6-8th grade)
Monthly Youth Group, Sunday, February 25, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Snow Tubing, Sunday February 4, 11:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
High School (6-12th grade)
1st & Bowl, Sunday, January 28, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Youth Group, Sunday February 4, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Mini-Golf, Sunday March 3, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Youth Group, Sunday March 10, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
If you didn't get a chance to pick up the bulletin with upcoming Youth & Family Ministry events, you can link below to see all the fun activities planned for us. Paper copies are also on the Opportunities kiosk in the Narthex.
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Women's Book Group
Monday, March 11 2024
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Media Room
"The Book of Lost Friends"
by Lisa Wingate
Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.
Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.
When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.
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Weekly Men's Breakfast
Wednesdays at 7 a.m.
Maxim's Restaurant
18025 W. Capitol Drive
Brookfield
All men are invited to attend!
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Monthly Men's Gathering
Fellowship Hall
Thursday, January 18
6:00 p.m.
If you have any questions, please contact Ernie Kretschmann at erniekretschmann@gmail.com
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Worship Attendance and Giving | |
Giving to the NALC Campaign | |
Just a reminder that contributions to the NALC's 20/20 Vision Campaign need to be designated as "NALC" either on your giving envelope or on your check. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Rooks at finance@calvarylc.com.
For an update on the NALC's 20/20 Vision campaign, click on the link below to watch an update from Bishop Selbo. This video highlights the work we are doing, the ways in which gifts to the initiative are already being used, and the impact future gifts will have in our shared witness and mission.
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Online giving provides options!
While cash and checks are always welcome, the “Give Online” button on the Calvary Lutheran Church website provides another option. And, with the expansion of our vendor’s software, the options are now expanded and customized. In addition to giving to the General Operating Fund, Building Fund and Mission of the Month, you can now specify contributions for Altar Flowers, Sunday Morning Fellowship Treats, NALC, etc.
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Please note that contributions to the Mission of the Month are allocated to the organization for the month in which the donation is made
If you have any questions or would like to make a pledge, please contact Cindy Rooks, Finance Secretary, via email at finance@calvarylc.com or (262) 786-4010.
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Do you need a new Church Directory? | |
The Calvary Church Directory is available electronically or in paper format. If you'd like an electronic copy, please send an email to Sue Rowe at communications@calvarylc.com.
There are also printed copies available in the church office.
If there are any changes to your phone, email or address, please advise the Church office. Any updates should be submitted to Cindy Zilske at office@calvarylc.com.
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Sanctuary Flowers
A wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion or remember a loved one is by sponsoring flowers at our altar. The cost is $35 and you may take them home following the Sunday morning worship. (If you'd prefer, you can leave the flowers at church to be enjoyed in the church office.)
The 2024 sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex, near the door to Fellowship Hall.
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We invite you to provide
Hospitality Treats on Sunday
We invite you to stay after worship on Sunday mornings and enjoy fellowship time and a treat/cup of coffee in Fellowship Hall.
If you'd like to provide treats (donuts, bagels, etc.) for Sunday hospitality time, there is a sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. You may bring the treats (six dozen) and drop them off in the kitchen, or simply add a “P” behind your name, pay $30 to the church office and the treats will be purchased for you.
The sign up sheet for 2024 has been posted on the bulletin board. Thank you for your support!
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Live Stream Attendance Link | |
If you watch our services via the Live Stream, please take a minute to let us know. There is now a link called "Online Worship Attendance" on the page where you access each week's service.
We appreciate you taking the time to complete this each week. It helps us know that our Live Stream is being viewed and by whom.
Thank you!
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The right side of the Sanctuary (as you face the altar) is equipped with a hearing loop system which transmits an audio signal directly into a hearing aid via a magnetic field. This greatly reduces background noise, competing sounds, reverberation and other acoustic distortions that reduce clarity of sound.
Most hearing aids are equipped with a t-coil and connecting to this system is an easy switch on the hearing aid. If you need assistance during worship with this system, please reach out to an usher or any staff member.
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The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon. The door that is closest to the office (NW corner) will be open during those hours.
Please check in with the office staff so we know you are in the building.
The office phone number is (262) 786-4010. Feel free to leave a message if you call after hours and we will contact you the next day.
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