The Messenger
The Monthly Newsletter of Blessed Savior Lutheran Church
A Message from Pastor Stanton
Linda and I once took a cave tour in a cavern in Texas. It was my only experience in a cave of any kind. The beautiful colors of the stalactites and stalagmites; beautiful columns of rock,
huge vaults, all combined for an awesome adventure. I also vividly recall the moment at one point in the tour when the guide – after preparing us – briefly tuned off the lights. Darkness. Utter darkness.
It felt almost if a blanket had been drawn over one’s face. This world is blanketed with the darkness of sin. It takes away our vision; to see anything at all as it should be. It blinds and distorts. It causes us to stumble and fumble around in the dark. Thank God we
have a light – The Light – in Jesus Christ and His Word. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
Stumbling? Wondering where to go? Can’t find your way? Turn to your Savior in faith and let His Word be your guide in the darkness.
Pastor Stanton
Special Voter's Meeting-Pastoral Call
We invite you to a Special Voter's Meeting, with the intention of issuing a Divine Call to our next Pastor on Sunday, August 7th, 2022 at 10:30am in the church and via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82069437322) for those who cannot join the live vote.
The committee had an original slate of candidates (19) that was presented to the congregation in June. Of the original list, five were chosen for live interviews that were conducted via Zoom conferencing with all members of the committee in attendance. Of the five live interviews, the committee selected three to bring to congregation for a vote.
The three candidates in alphabetical order are:
Rev. Timothy Fraker
Rev. Ryan Meyer
Rev. Iromar Schreiber
Bios and interview notes are attached for your review. The complete Pastor’s Information Forms (PIF’s) and Self Evaluation Tools (SET’s) are available in the church office for anyone to review. These forms will be available for two weeks, July 25th through August 5th for review.
We ask that you would please pray that the Holy Spirit guides you through this very important process and vote at our meeting on August 7th.
Feel free to reach out to any member of the committee with questions. The call committee is comprised of: Bob Kunz, Diane Gihring, Melissa Best, Jayne Rosenberg, Jim Burow, Mark Filter, and Sean Malone.
Monthly Calendar
Serving Us in Worship
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Preschool News
Just Keep Praying
Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me,
and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12
Whenever I hear someone say just keep doing something, I am often reminded of Dory in finding Nemo. Marlin and Dory had just lost the mask that had the only information that would lead them to finding Nemo. Marlin naturally was down hearted and lost all hope to find his son. Dory steps in and says, “you know what you have to do when life has got you down? Just keeping swimming.” Sure enough, in her mantra she keeps swimming and the information needed to find Nemo is made clear. This situation is not too far off from the Christian life. Too often when life has got us down, we give up all hope and convince ourselves that nothing can be done, when in fact we should be doing just the opposite, but instead of just keep swimming, we should just keep praying.
We live in a time of turbulence; we always have and always will because of sin. The turbulence just looks different as time changes. The fact is, we can look at the world and complain about how badly things are going or how crummy our life is. We may blame the decay of our world on the government and cry “woe is me”. However, we are also to blame. God’s Word makes it very clear that no matter what the world looks like, God’s people have the power, authority, and responsibility to turn things around. How do we do that? We do it through the power of prayer.
We see countless examples in the Bible where God’s people could have easily just given up and moved on, but rather they went to God in prayer and JUST KEPT PRAYING. When things are going wrong in the world, when we receive a diagnosis we don’t want or can’t deal with, when we lose someone close to us, when we just don’t think we have the strength to carry on, we should JUST KEEP PRAYING. We read in 2 Chronicles 7:12 and following, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself…if my people, who are called by me name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.” This section of Scripture deals with Solomon and the temple, but the point comes because Solomon did not give up, he just kept praying. God’s promise is true, and He is there for us because we ARE HIS people, His dear children.
God knows what is in our hearts and He watches over us, He hears us and listens for our cry. No matter what we come up against, God is there for us, and He is always ready to help! Just as He was there for His people in the past, He is here for us today as well, but we must do our part. We must pray, humble ourselves, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. Just as a small child runs to mom and dad when they are hurt, we must run to our Father in heaven. He will never turn us away; in fact, He is just waiting for us to come to Him. So, in the words of Dory, “JUST KEEP PRAYING”. Not only does prayer bring us closer to God, but it also reminds us that all things are possible with God. Run to Him, pray to Him, ask for whatever it is you need. And without a doubt, it’s praying time, so “JUST KEEP PRAYING” and watch God’s promises be fulfilled!
In His Service,
Jennifer Leinss
Prayer Bookmark
Once again, we will be making available a prayer bookmark for the 2022-2023 school year. Each bookmark includes the name of one of our preschool or Sunday School students. Please take a bookmark and simply pray for that child and his/her family daily! We see just how important prayer is so please take a bookmark!
Now Hiring
New School Year
Welcome back! We will welcome the 33rd preschool class of Blessed Savior on Tuesday, September 6 . What a blessing to know that Blessed Savior is part of sharing the Gospel message with so many families again this school year. Thank you for your Christian support and for all that you provide as a congregation to these students and families! Don't forget to take advantage of the opportunities to become part of your preschool this year!
Sunday School
Personal Care Kits
Our mission project for Kick-Off Sunday will be to assemble personal care kits for Lutheran World Relief. These kits are handed out to those that unfortunately do not have the basic personal hygiene items available to them. Each kit will have a light weight bath size towel, 2 bars of soap, an adult size tooth brush, metal nail clippers, and a sturdy comb. Please consider bringing these items with you to Kick-Off Sunday so that we can assemble as many kits as possible.
Sunday School
Save the date! We will kick-off this year's Sunday school year on Sunday, September 11th at 9:15, complete with a waffle bar! We will also be assembling the Personal Care Kits that we have been collecting items for throughout the summer! We hope that you will join us!
Sunday School Teachers
We are currently looking to add a couple more teachers to our Sunday School roster, specifically the preschool and middle school ages. With a couple more teachers we would be able to not only have more people teaching the Bible to our youngest members, but it would also provide the opportunity to team teach and work with a shared schedule. This means you could take turns! This is an experience that you don’t want to miss out on. If you are willing and able to work with young children and enjoy sharing Bible stories, don’t hesitate. Contact Jennifer Leinss today!
Quarterly Missions
For our third quarter special missions we will be supporting Mark and Megan Mantey. Mark and Megan currently are serving the Lord in Uganda, Mark as a project manager for the Seminary and Megan as a teacher. Please see the attached prayer card for more information on the Mantey family. May God continue to bless them and use them in big ways as they serve God's people in Uganda.
Women's Ministry
Regular Worship Hours
We will resume our regular worship hours on
Sunday, September 11th.
Sunday 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.
Thursday 7:00 p.m.
Our Sunday morning Education Hour will also resume on the 11th with Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:15am.
Bible Class Schedule
Board Members Needed
Young at Heart
September 1-Trivia Game and lunch
October 6-Tour of Historic Trinity Lutheran Church in Downtown Milwaukee
November 3-Games and Projects with the Preschool
December 1-Presentation on Mary and Joseph with David Weidenkeller
Outdoor Worship and Church Picnic
Please join us on Sunday, August 21st for an Outdoor Worship Service at 10am (please bring your own chair), followed by our annual Summer Picnic. We'll have yummy food, yard games, a dunk tank, and Kona Ice!
Blessed Savior will provide the food for the picnic, so please sign up on the bulletin board, or by calling the church office so we can have an accurate count.
Ladies Bible Study Social
If you attend the Tuesday morning ladies Bible Study, or have considered starting, please make plans to join us on Monday, August 15th at 6:30pm. Weather permitting, we'll meet outside at the fire pit, otherwise we'll meet in the Fellowship Hall. Please bring a snack to share and your own drinks.
We'll talk about our summers, laugh together, and pick out the new Bible Study we'll start in the September.
Stay at Home Servant Event
August 3-Green Power Garden (Hope Center) and Church
August 10-New Berlin Parks and Jesus Rocks
August 17- Soles for Jesus and Phil's Friends
August 24-Feed My Starving Children
For more information, contact Jaime Greene.
Youth Group
Sunday, August 7th for a bonfire
Sunday, August 28th for the Gross Olympics
Both nights will be from 6pm-8pm
Youth Gathering Presentation
Gideon Bible App
The Gideons International is a non-profit ministry that is dedicated to getting God’s Word to everyone, everywhere. One way in which they are keeping people connected to the Bible is through a free app. The Gideon Bible App makes it possible to read or listen to the Bible in more than 1,000 languages right from your cell phone. Scan the QR code to the right and you’ll always have God’s Word at your fingertips.
In the Community
Steeple View Christian Community
At Steeple View Christian Community you will experience independent, worry-free living in the caring environment of a Christian community. They offer a variety of sizes and floor plans in Hales Corners, which is conveniently located for shopping and daily needs.
Call 414-525-5500 for a personal tour, or make plans to stop by the Open House on September 11th from 12noon-2:00pm or September 16th from 2:00pm-4:00pm.
Teen Community Programs
August 5- Craft Hour from 3-4pm
August 12- Therapy Dog Visit from 3-4pm
August 18- Teen Movie from 2-4pm
August 26- Outdoor Fest from 3-4pm
To learn more about the programs or to register, please call 262-754-1815
Concerts at City Center
Grab your lawn chairs, blankets, and yummy treats, because the Concerts on the lawn of the New Berlin Library are back! On August 10th you can enjoy music from various local artists and the company of your New Berlin neighbors. Storytime with Miss Brenda is from 6-6:30pm, and the concerts run from 6:30-8:30pm.
Financial Update
General Offerings: $243,962.04
General Expenses: $228,411.98
Other Income: $54,234.92
Other Expenses: $58,895.48
Total Offerings, Less Expenses: $10,889.50
Preschool Income: $116,671.20
Preschool Expenses: $99,915.78
Preschool Income, Less Expenses: $16,755.42
Membership
Average Weekly June Attendance: 165
Average YouTube Worship Views: 36
Official Acts
New Members:
Membership Loss Due to Transfer:
Gary and Phyllis McGroarty
Membership Loss Due to Death:
Vice Chairman - Donald Kazel
Secretary - Pat Hurlbut
Treasurer - Laura Schmitz
Board and Committees:
Altar Guild - Janet Steinhaus
Education - Terry Ratayczak
Elders - Sean Malone
Evangelism - BobbieJo Koski
Stewardship - Laurie Cataldo
Trustees - Matt Birr
Endowment Committee - Jason Herried
Greeter Coordinator -
Lay Reader Coordinator -
Carla Herried
Personnel Committee - Donald Kazel
Women's Ministries - Joy Ward
Summer Worship Schedule
The Sunday services will be at 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. from Memorial to Labor Day.
The Thursday evening service will remain at 7:00 p.m.
Holy Communion
2nd & 4th Sundays (Thursdays)
Pastor Stanton,
Vacancy Pastor
Jaime Greene, DCE
Jennifer Leinss,
Preschool Administrator
Kim Woller, Music Director
Julie Luetzow
Teaching Staff:
Jennifer Otto
Laura Kidd
Angela Heisler
Blessed Savior Lutheran Church
Email: blessedsavior.nb.lcms@gmail.com
Website: www.blessedsaviorwi.org
Location: 15250 West Cleveland Avenue, New Berlin, WI, USA
Phone: 262-786-6465
Facebook: facebook.com/BlessedSaviorNBWI
Twitter: @BlessedSaviorWI