Clean Up Day

I want to thank everyone who came out on clean up day on Saturday. We got allot of things done. Rich Winkle for heading up the clean up on the outside of the building. John Schofield for heading up the paint in the old hall. He was there until wee hours of the night finishing up. Thanks. I installed 6 new emergency light through out the old building. I have one more to install in the Church.
I also want to thank Jo Martin for getting all the food ready on trays for our lunch. It was a great time and fellowship.

Thanks again for everyone who showed up.

Gods peace, Bryan Leslie

Council Meeting Minutes - April 20

The meeting opened with a reading and prayer by Pastor Pingel. There were no minutes for March's meeting.

Board of Elders - Bill Logan
Bill reported that at their last meeting they talked about financial issues. They also said that we have to reach out to some of our members that haven't been contacted lately. The prospect of renewing Tele Care was discussed at that meeting.

Evangelism - John Hazelwood
No meeting this month. John spoke about the Ongoing Ambassadors For Christ group that came in February. He reported that it was a very successful event. He also spoke about renewing the evangelism class that Vicar Matt taught last year.
John mentioned that it is not helpful to talk about others and this might lead to the alienation of some people.

Stephen Ministry - Ron Hietsch
Ron reported that Stephen Ministers were studying the chapters on divorce as part of their continuing education. Stephen Ministers will also be assisting with a renewed Helpmates program.
Additionally, he is starting a 12 step program on addictions. It will start on Tuesday, April 29th at 7:00. It may be called a Safe Recovery Group.

Volunteer Ministries - Janet Frisch
Pastor and Janet have reworked the Tele Care Program and got it on track again. Lists have been sent out and new callers have been obtained to facilitate the program.

Publicity - Helen Gillingham
Helen still sends out cards to everyone that moves into the area. She shared that there are a lot fewer people moving into the area than in the past.

Pastor
Pastor reported that the midweek program, Gospel Gang, has run its course and that staff appear burned out. In its place he suggested a program that would be run by a council of 5 or 6 under the auspices of the Board of Education. Pastor wanted some feedback from council before talking to Bonnie Hazelwood. He indicated that she has done a wonderful job running the program but that it is just too much for one person to run, and that no ministry should depend on one person. In the meantime we will involve District staff and explore alternative programming.
Pastor also said that sometimes people who are apt to complain are not participating themselves in the activities of the church, such as Bible Study and general programming.
Additionally, Pastor reported that the church has received $100,000 from the estate of Marge Patton that is to be put in the LCEF Building account. These monies are restricted and cannot be used for general fund purposes as per the wishes of Marge Patton. Only church council has the authority to free them for use.

Trustees
Scott Rodenbeck delivered the report on behalf of the Trustees. Work day is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 9am-1pm Lunch will be served. The Leslies purchased replacement emergency lights for the church.

Board of Education - Scott Rodenbeck
Scott reported that they have a nice summer Sunday School planned. The format is 13 lessons from the Bible. Teachers are still being sought to help instruct these classes. The notion of spending a portion of class time outside was discussed to take advantage of the nice weather. The Board of Education also wants to encourage adults to continue attending classes during the summer. Plans for Vacation Bible School are underway.

Preschool - Deb Levato
Deb went to a literacy program at the mall last weekend and it was very successful. It was very good publicity for the school. Both Pre-K morning classes are filled and the afternoon classes are coming along. Deb talked about the need for a transitional kindergarten for those children that are not ready for the first grade.
Deb thanked everyone who bought flowers. With the $3,000 that was raised the school was able to financially assist 8 students.

MOPS - Heather Greco
Heather returned from a summit convention and wants to start an evening MOPS group.

Other business
Ron Hietsch reported on the state of the church mortgage. Payments are on schedule however the loan documents call for a change in the payment amounts to accommodate interest rate changes. This has not happened and could create a balance due at the end of the 30 years. The Lutheran Church Extension Fund has been questioned about this situation and we are waiting for a reply. Ron will keep track of this as it progresses.

Council President - Rex Pagani
Rex stated that when times are tough, new things need to be tried. Instead of sitting back, extra efforts and attempts can be done. He thanked everyone and the meeting was closed with the Lord's Prayer

Believing Vs Following --- Rev. Dr. Harry Wendt

In his book Beyond Guilt (pp. 19, 20), George Johnson includes the following statement by Dr. Ernest Campbell, who once served as pastor of Riverside Church in New York City:

“It began innocently enough–a friend recommending a book by Jon Sobrino. The Salvadoran Jesuit blew most of my ducks out of the water. He threw a hat down on my scrabble board and messed up many of my combinations. He forced me to contend for the ground that I had claimed. The question that Jon Sobrino put to me I must share with you: ‘Are you following Jesus, or believing in Christ?’

“Plunge into the Gospels anywhere and you will likely find Jesus asking someone to follow. The Greek verb is akoloutheo. It represents a dominant motif. Why, then, do we hear so little about following Jesus in the church today? I’ve been in, with, and around the church for more than 50 years. Not when I was in the communicants’ class; not when I joined the church; not when I became a candidate for the ministry; not when I was ordained; and never in any of my services of installation. Always the questions have dealt with belief. ‘Do you believe in God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Do you believe in the veracity of the Scriptures and the Westminister Confession? Do you believe in the unity and purity of the church?’

“Do you believe in Christ? It isn’t hard to answer that. What is wanted is an affirmative response to treasured propositions about the Second Person of the Trinity. But when someone asks, ‘Are you following Jesus?’—this can get to be expensive. This question has to do with my lifestyle, my attitudes, my values, my surrender.

“If I’m following Jesus, why am I such a good insurance risk? If I’m following Jesus, why, when I have done my giving, have I so much left over for myself? If I’m following Jesus, why do my closets bulge when so many are unclothed? If I’m following Jesus, why do I have so many friends among the affluent and so few among the poor?
If I’m following Jesus, why do I have so much privacy in a world that is starved for love? If I’m following Jesus, why am I tempted to overeat in a world in which so many beg for bread? If I’m following Jesus, why am I getting on so well in a world that marked Him out for death?

“Are you following Jesus or believing in Christ? Unfair, you say; the two are inseparable. Theoretically, yes, but pragmatically, no. We separate them all the time. If we must, let us err on the side of following. For one can believe without following, but one cannot follow without believing.”

On The Anvil --- by Max Lucado

With a strong forearm, the apron-clad blacksmith puts his tongs into the fire, grasps the heated metal, and places it on the anvil. His keen eye examines the glowing piece. He sees what the tool is now and envisions what he wants it to be—sharper, flatter, wider, longer. With a clear picture in his mind, he begins to pound. His left hand still clutching the hot mass with the tongs, his right hand slams the two-pound sledge upon the moldable metal.
On the solid anvil, the smoldering iron is remolded.
The smith knows the type of instrument he wants. He knows the size. He knows the shape. He knows the strength.
Whang! Whang! The hammer slams. The shop rings with the noise, the air fills with smoke, and the softened metal responds.
But the response doesn’t come easily. It doesn’t come without discomfort. To melt down the old and recast it as new is a disrupting process. Yet the metal remains on the anvil, allowing the toolmaker to remove the scars, repair the cracks, refill the voids, and purge the impurities.
And with time, a change occurs: What was dull becomes sharpened, what was crooked becomes straight, what was weak becomes strong, and what was useless becomes valuable.
Then the blacksmith stops. He ceases his pounding and sets down his hammer. With a strong left arm, he lifts the tongs until the freshly molded metal is at eye level. In the still silence, he examines the smoking tool. The incandescent implement is rotated and examined for any mars or cracks.
There are none.
Now the smith enters the final stage of his task. He plunges the smoldering instrument into a nearby bucket of water. With a hiss and a rush of steam, the metal immediately begins to harden. The heat surrenders to the onslaught of cool water, and the pliable, soft mineral becomes an unbending useful tool.
“For a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (I Peter 1:6-7)

Mount Olive Church ---- A Safe Place For Recovery

Like a lot of things the Internet is a mixed blessing. This blogspot is an excellent idea for sharing and communicating information in our congregation and I thank Vicar Jon for bringing us this tool. However, we must remember that whatever we place on here for our own use is available to the entire world. I have seen my comments show up in surprising places when I have “googled my Name”. I am fully prepared to confess my sins when needed but only to my brothers and sisters in Christ, not the whole internet community.

With this little caveat in mind I do wish to share this shortened testimony concerning my recent miraculous weight loss.

The shortened version starts in September of 2007. Pastor Pingel presented the continuing education portion at our monthly Stephen Ministry supervision session. At that time he casually mentioned that he had some twelve step recovery materials and this was an area that someone could pursue if interested. Roughly 14 years previously I attended some 12 step meetings for compulsive overeaters and achieved considerable success. I didn’t stay with the program, relapsed into compulsive overeating and gained a lot of weight. I started reading 12 step materials again. The morning of September 29 I decided to once again read “The Big Book” by alcoholics anonymous (AA). It required some editing on my part. I substituted food for alcohol and compulsive overeater for alcoholic. AA like other 12 step groups, in order to be very inclusive, talks about a Higher Power of your own understanding. I naturally read Jesus Christ every time the “Big Book” said higher power.

After only reading a few pages, I asked God, in prayer, to please grant me abstinence from compulsive overeating. I then ate a small lunch and went down to my favorite Saturday afternoon “watering hole” and or “feeding trough” for what usually was two or three beers and a hamburger or two. I nursed one beer all afternoon and symbolically put the money for the hamburger that I didn’t eat in the tip jar. What a miracle - abstinence from compulsive overeating descended on me at that point. It is as if God was waiting for me to ask. I experience normal hunger at normal times but my cravings for food are gone. This power comes from God and not from me. (2 Cor. 4:7)

Step twelve of AA is to carry this message to others. I plan to continue attending 12 step meetings and hopefully when needed function - like Paul - as an apostle to the gentiles.
My true passion, however, is to bring a totally Christ centered program to Mt. Olive. This group could serve not only compulsive overeaters and alcoholics but other compulsive behaviors. I have spoken confidentially with others and there is interest in forming a Christian 12 step group here. Please feel free to talk with me in confidence and anonymity if you want to participate or need more information.

Ron H.