Many were instrumental this month and deserve our heartfelt thanks.
To: Molly Strubbe for taking the reigns of the Board of Caring.Thank you!
To: Homer Kalinka for manning the helm for the Facilities Board. Thank you!
Education News
Mindy Bell is already looking at the coming 2022/2023 Sunday School term and needs volunteers to be Sunday school teachers. As of today she has no teachers.
Educating Christian children is one of the most important jobs in the church. BUT it's also pretty fool proof. Please don't think you need special training to teach! The lessons are already planned, supplies are provided and there's even a script if you don't know what to say.
This is a fun job. Watching children grow in their faith is very rewarding. Please consider being a Sunday school teacher.
The PLAN, an online Bible study tutorial is available HERE.
Wednesdays
Adult Bible Study at 7 PM.
Altar Flowers
07/03 Anonymous
07/10 Don & Linda Newman
07/17 OPEN
07/24 OPEN
07/31 OPEN
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Those who have signed up for flowers have two options:
You can provide your own. They must be at the church before the 8 AM service.
Sandy can get them for you for $20. (Make checks payable to Sandy Barsh.)
Flowers may be taken home after the 10:30 AM service. Please return vases to the church when flowers are done. You may contact Sandy Barsh at 913-548-9588 for questions or to fill and open date.
July Birthdays
07/01 Conner Marsh
07/01 Bob Rolofson
07/04 Deb Bell
07/05 Koell Smith
07/06 Michael Herl
07/14 Alaina Roth
07/14 Joyce Shaffer
07/18 Cheryl Brown
07/21 Jairus Brown
07/24 Mathilde Newell
07/24 Chelbi Seely
07/25 Jill Carlson
07/27 Joe Gregar
07/27 Gracie Waite
07/28 Homer Kalinka
07/29 Gloria Rolofson
07/30 Meghan Anderson
07/31 Tyler Roth
July Anniversaries
07/06 Harvey & Pat Lightner
07/13 Vernon & Lois Rausch
07/29 Jeff & Stephanie Lohse
Pastor Andy is looking for an administrative assistant.
Duties include but are not limited to bulletin and newsletter production, website maintenance, and inter-committee communication. Word processing skills are a must. A working knowledge of all Microsoft and Google applications is preferable.
This is a part-time position (20 hours a week) and training will be provided.
If interested please email resumes to Pastor at pastorandy4@yahoo.com. Contact Janie Ott for more information.
In the Military
Military members and friends of our congregation include:
Colin Alexander
Dylan Ash
Jim Buckman
Garret Cline
Mark Edgar
Maurissa Glick
Megan Honeywell
Jeremy Howard
Zac Howard
Freddy Hurt
Greg Jeffrey
Tyler Jordan
James Keltner
Tom Moore
Danny Myers
Austin Nicholes
Rob O'Bannon
Garrett Rausch
Lindsey Rausch
Allison Walania
D.J. Weaver
Worship: 8 AM, 10:30 AM
& 7 PM
Sunday school at 9:15 AM.
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
10 AM- 2 PM
Please contact us if we missed your birthday or anniversary so we can update our records.
Christ Our Savior newsletter is published monthly and produced in email and print versions.
Pastor Andy Writes...
"Christian Freedom"
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” --Galtian 5:1
As a nation we celebrate our freedom. As a nation we struggle with what that freedom means. As Christians we celebrate that we have, by the grace of God, been set free from bondage of sin. Christ by His suffering and death sets us free from the power of sin, death, and the devil. We have life in Christ. We are God’s chosen and redeemed children. Paul explains to the Galatians what this freedom looks like. We are set free by the power of the Spirit to serve God and serve others.
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
--Galatian 5:13-25
I am struck by what Paul writes in verse seventeen,
“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want.” --Galatians 5:17
In our culture, we have the idea that we should be able to do anything we want to do. We put the caveat that if we are not hurting anyone else, it is ok. This leads to divisiveness and strife. We are set apart by Christ to serve others. We are not called to satisfy the desires of our flesh. We are free from enmity and strife when we love as Christ has loved us, serve as Christ as Christ serves, and forgive as we have been forgiven in Christ.
We repent and pray that God will fill us with the fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” --Galatians 5:23-24
This is what Christian Freedom looks like. We are not free to do what we want. We are free to serve Christ and our neighbors.
The Worship Word...
"Work Life Balance (WLB)"
I recently held a strategy retreat with my team and one of the speakers at the 2-day event discussed work life balance. It was both educational for new leaders trying to manage work life balance and a reminder for those that have been leading for a long time. Below is a laundry list of things we heard:
Pause and take notice of actions and activities
Reprioritize and look for ways to introduce fun or downtime to lighten the load
Hansei* – Time for reflection – think about the following.
Am I fulfilled?
Am I present at work and at home?
Am I tired?
What really matters?
Is my time productive or am I wasting time?
Do we separate from technology?
Have we over committed?
Are our buckets over filled or not full enough?
Am I staying active?
This discussion went on and on and was very informative. I thought a lot about my team and who needed a break and won’t give themselves permission to unplug. Who does a GREAT job balancing? My mind then drifted to church……
Would this list be different? Is God’s direction different from the speaker at our retreat. Let’s look at what a google search shows for work life balance bible verses.
1 Timothy 4:8 - For bodily exercise profited little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
1 Timothy 4:7 - But refuse profane and old wives' fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Romans 7:18 - For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.
Ecclesiastes 7:16 Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?
2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness.
Hansei* continued,
What if…………………………
We prayed at the start and end of our day asking God to help us?
We exercise daily and listen to gospel music filling our soul with God’s glory?
What if we started our week in worship with our church family?
What if God was first in every aspect of our life?
I am wondering if we truly put God first in our life, would we have a work life balance struggle? Isn’t God enough? We are good enough in God’s eyes. He loves us. Many people feel they are not good enough and are unworthy of god’s Grace and mercy, rather than trusting that God loves us, and we are a beneficiary of his love if we ask him, he will give us what we need. He will give us rest, our foundational needs, his love. WE need to remember to ask him what we need in prayer.
*Hansei (反省, "self-reflection") is a central idea in Japanese culture, meaning to acknowledge one's own mistake and to pledge improvement.
I have held many things in my hand, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands that I still possess. -- Martin Luther
The first month of summer vacation is almost over. How quickly time flies! We all have our vacations planned, our sport events to go to, our time to spend with family and friends. This is all good but where is God in all this? Are we keeping our priorities in order?
Even in our absence the church is still here. Pastor is still preaching and teaching and serving the sacraments. Our lights are still on, the building is still maintained, materials for services are still supplied.
Tithing is not a command under the Law but a command for all believers to be generous and give with a grateful heart. Our tithes go to support all these things and more all year long. Tithing isn't really giving - it's returning to God what He has generously given to us. So have a great summer! Enjoy, rest, and revive but remember God and His promises.
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, " and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." --Malachi 3:10
Worship when you can, Pray continually, Stay in the Word, Be obedient and remember your tithe. Have a great summer!
In His Service,
Sue Flanery, Treasurer
The Ministerial Alliance is raising money and forming teams for the Miami County Relay for Life.
If anyone is interested they can check out this info attached here.
There is no July Council Meeting or Book Club. Enjoy the holiday!
