Jan. '12 St. John Church Newsletter

St. John Ev. Lutheran Church, LCMS Newsletter                       P.O. Box 162, Baldwin, Illinois 62217-0162 (618) 785-2344              

        Pastor John M. Taggatz,          Carol Wentz, Secretary

January, 2012                                      Lela Rehmer, Custodian          Kevin Kahle, Groundskeeper      

                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                        Church E-mail:  stjohnch@egyptian.net; jtaggatz@yahoo.com

                                                                                                        Church Web Site:  www.stjohnbaldwin.ctsmemberconnect.net

Serving on the Altar Guild for January are:  Geri Stahre and Susan Piel

               

Ushers for the Month of January are:  Connie Buch, Richard Buch, Dan Hartmann, Charlotte Liefer, Dale Luthy, David Piel and Susan Piel

CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE…

(618) 785-2344    (or)

(618) 785-2602

-When a member of your family is admitted to the hospital, so a visit can be made by Pastor Taggatz.

- When your group plans to hold a meeting, so it can be cleared and placed on the church calendar.

-When your home or business phone number or address is changed, so church records can be corrected.

- When you are planning to move either out of town or locally.

- When you know you are pregnant so that we will be able to assist you in any way we can with prayers, encouragement and support.

- When a new baby arrives in your family or in the family of another church member.

- When you are planning a wedding or baptism.

  “Present Yourself in the Temple”

                The trip to Bethlehem has been made.  The Child has been born.  The night skies are again lit only by the moon and stars, the angels having departed from the shepherds.  The shepherds, too, have gone back to their fields, going back to the business of shepherding their flocks.  Routine has returned, although, of course, nothing will ever be the same – certainly not for the shepherds and certainly not for Joseph and Mary.

               

                The new family makes its way to Jerusalem.  “When the time came…according to the Law of Moses, they brought [their newborn baby, Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22).  Holding the Son of God in their arms, they brought their “sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, a ‘pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons’ ” (Luke 2:24).  And there in the temple they received God’s blessings.  There waited “righteous and devout” Simeon.  He waited because “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26).  We all know Simeon’s prayer as he held God’s Son and blessed God with his thanks and praise as he himself is blessed by the fulfillment of God’s Word to him.  And he blesses the holy family as he himself is blessed by the Child.  Blessings all around!

                That’s what we can expect when we present ourselves to the Lord in His house.  We bless Him with our songs of praise and thanksgiving and our tithes and offerings.  We bless each other by our presence and by our words of encouragement in the faith.  The greatest blessings, however, are those God pours out upon us as He showers us with His Law and Gospel, as He seals us as His very own children in the Sacrament of Baptism, and as He gives us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation in the Sacrament of the Altar.  Why not make it a priority each week to present yourself to the Lord in His house? 

See You in Church!

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Pastor Taggatz

“Living to Serve”

                Many of us take time around the beginning of a new year to reflect on the past year and its accomplishments and disappointments and to speculate on what our goals might be for the coming year.  Most of us can come up with very worthy goals – many of which you can list in your mind right now – but how many of us have an earnest desire to live this new year with the goal of serving?

                Serving is something we fit into our schedules when we have the time. Serving is an obligation we fulfill as part of a family, a community, or a job.  Serving is usually not what we live to do; it’s not what we consider our purpose in life.

                As God’s people, we are urged to “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2).  The writer to the Philippians asserted, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).  What is that attitude?  When we “fix our eyes on Jesus,” what will we see? 

                We see the Suffering Servant about whom Isaiah wrote.  The One Who “took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows”; the One Who was “pierced for our transgressions . . . crushed for our iniquities . . . and by [Whose] wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4, 5).

                We see the Son of Man Who, in His own words, “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).  This is the Son of Man Who lived a childhood in obedience to His Father and to the earthly parents who were chosen for Him.  This is the Son of Man Who preached and taught, Who healed the sick, confronted the wicked, and comforted the despairing.  This is the Son of Man Who showed us what serving is all about and Who has directed us to “deny [ourselves] and take up [our crosses] and follow [Him]” (Matthew 16:24).

                What would happen if each Christian steward made serving a priority, rather than an obligation?  How might the Kingdom of God grow and be strengthened if we put into practice the Apostle Paul’s command to have the “attitude of Christ”?  Let these thoughts serve as a challenge to us to serve others even as our Lord has served us.

“Sharing God’s Love”

                At the heart of the Christian life is the love God has shown to us through His Son, Jesus.  Because He loves us, He has given us “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us…” (Ephesians 1:7-8).  God’s not stingy with His gifts: He “lavishes” them on us.  Forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation would be enough, wouldn’t they?  But God chooses to give us more gifts – the gifts of His creation to care for, food and clothing, family and friends, and much more.  He “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).  Responsibility comes with this enjoyment, for we “are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).

                We’re enabled to shoulder this responsibility because God Himself has called us to be His stewards. Because God has chosen to work through us, we faithfully respond to His love and grace.  Because of God’s grace in our lives we are transformed into Christ’s likeness.  We read in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

                As followers of Christ we’re capable of doing marvelous things because of God’s power at work in our lives.  God uses us as His instruments to share His love and rich supply with others.  God not only calls us to His work of stewardship, He sets out the good deeds He wants us to accomplish: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

                God’s love shines through us as we individually share our blessings with others.  We can reflect God’s love as we follow His guidance and willingly serve Him with our time, talents, and treasures.  As the Apostle Paul said, “Therefore,  my beloved brothers be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).  May our love never grow cold and may we never tire of doing God’s work. 

We Remember in Our Prayers—We pray for Lori Adair, Jason Mines, Bonnie Highberger, Lee Hogandobler, Evan Saldana, Dennis Bunte, & Jim Spier, all who are battling serious illnesses.  We pray for Greg Laufer, as he continues to be under rehabilitation.  We also pray for Liz Cook’s daughter Sophia, who was born three months pre-mature, Liz is a friend of Roxanne Taggatz, that Sophia would become healthy and be able to go home with her parents.  We pray for Del Anderson, a relative to Pastor and Roxanne, who is currently having problems in her pregnancy. 

We mourn with the family of Loretta Piller.  Loretta was called home to heavenly rest on Wednesday Dec. 28^th, 2011.  Lord, we pray that you would comfort Loretta’s family with Your Son Jesus’ victory over death and with the assurance that their loved one, Loretta, who has departed in the faith, joins the whole company of heaven in singing praises to the living Lamb and that they too, through faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will see Loretta again and their Lord Jesus who bled and died that we would have eternal life with Him in heaven.

Installation of 2012 Church Officers will be held during the worship service Sunday January 8th.

We will be having our Soup Dinner fundraiser to raise funds for our Baldwin Food Bank here at our church following the worship service on Sunday Jan. 29^th, 2012.  This past year of 2011 we raised over $2000 for our local food bank in Baldwin with Thrivent matching funds.  The Soup Dinner committee asks that donations of pies and desserts be made for the dinner.  There will be a sign up sheet in the back of the church for this. All donations are greatly appreciated.

An Invitation to Play Basketball—This is an invitation to all people to a night of scrimmage basketball.  The first night will be Sunday January 8th from 5 to 7pm at Trinity Lutheran School in Prairie.  Please call or text Kevin Luthy at 618 420-7423 if you have any questions.  Thank you and we hope to see you there!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You—We would like to thank everyone who donated items, helped out, or attended the Spaghetti & Meatball dinner on Sunday Dec. 11^th.  It was a SUCCESS! We made a total of $2925 with the matching funds! Thanks, from the Parochial School Families 

The Ladies Aid - Quilters we have a quilt in the Ladies Aid room. Anyone is welcome to come on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to ?

2012 Offering Envelopes may be picked up at the school. 2012 OFFERING ENVELOPES—The 2012 Offering envelopes are larger in size, (they are dollar size envelopes), this year than in years past, but the cost for purchasing the envelopes has remained the same.  The smaller envelopes that we’ve used over the years are no longer being printed by CPH.

BIBLE STUDY—

  Sunday Mornings (8:45 a.m.)                       

“Joseph: Carpenter of Steel (through Sun. Jan. 15^th)” By: Rev. Greg Seltz
 

Coming later in January ‘12 to our Sunday morning Bible Studies:  “Walther:  The Movie”

October 25, 2011, marked the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Dr. C. F. W. Walther, the first president of The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States and both Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and Concordia Theological Seminary. In honor of this historic event, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis is producing a 5 part video series, which will follow the life of Dr. Walther, present a history of the The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (Synod), and – through studying Dr. Walther’s life and teachings – provide viewers with a better understanding of the importance of the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.

The five-part DVD series will include commentaries by well known Walther scholars and professors from both seminaries of the Synod.

Viewers will travel across the globe from Wittenberg, Germany to Wittenberg, MO. Each of the 5 parts will focus on a particular area of Dr. Walther’s life.

·         Part 1: Explore the theology of Lutheranism vs. Rationalism which the early church sought to escape. Where do we see Rationalism today? You may be surprised!

·         Part 2: A study on the Ten Commandments, Martin Luther, the theology of the Two Kingdoms and the importance of repentance, confession and absolution. Is there a place for private confession in today’s Lutheran church?

·         Part 3: Viewers will learn about the chaos, confusion and conflict that plagued the early church in America as it struggled to answer theological questions pertinent to day-today life in America. What is a “church”? What is the role of the laity? What is the role of the clergy?

·         Part 4: Hear Dr. Walther’s teachings on the invisible church, the visible church, the Law and the Gospel.

·         Part 5: The video series concludes with the legacy of Dr. Walther and his impact on modern society. It concludes with interviews of Synodical President Harrison; former Synodical Presidents Gerald Kieschnick, Robert Kuhn and Ralph Bohlmann; Concordia Seminary president Dr. Dale Meyer and former Concordia Seminary Presidents John Johnson and Karl Barth.

Re-enactments of key scenes in Dr. Walther’s life will drive the video forward.

Get excited about our Lutheran Church history and heritage!

Prepare to visit the early Lutheran Church in America, circa 1840. Prepare to meet this early hero of the church: Dr. C. F. W. Walther – a man who sacrificed his homeland, his health and nearly his life…For the freedom to speak freely, to believe freely, to live freely… To save his Church and the Faith for those he loved… AND for us who would come after.

Our next Evangelism task force meeting is:  Sunday Jan. 22nd after church. 

LYF UPDATE—

On Sunday Jan. 8^th the youth will be taking Christmas decorations down after the divine service.  On Sun. Feb. 5^th, the LYF will again be putting on the Chicken & Dumpling Dinner to raise funds for their trip to the National Youth Gathering.

If you have any questions email me (pastor):  jtaggatz@yahoo.com or Fleta Junge: tfjunge@htc.net  /call 282-4642 or 618-444-2764.

Remember:  Every 3^rd Sunday of the month we are praying for people who are in the military.  If you have a relative or friend who is an armed serviceman and woman in our Nation’s military please let the Church know so that we may be able to pray for them on the third Sunday of the month.

Zuehla Rowold                        Laverna Luthy

Red Bud Nursing Home        Three Springs N. Home  

350 W. South 1^st                             161 Three Springs Rd.    Red Bud, IL 62278                Chester, IL 62233   

Opal Luthy                               Patty Theobald

Red Bud Nursing Home        402 W. 2^nd  St.  

350 W. South 1^st                               Apt. F.

Red Bud, IL 62278          Sparta, IL 62286

Dorothy Junge           Mr. & Mrs. Russell Mahan

7555 State Rte. 15      800 Baldwin Rd

Baldwin, IL 62217        New Athens, IL 62264

      

Church Council Meeting Tue. Dec. 13th 7:30 p.m.

Present:  Pastor Taggatz, Connie Buch, Marvin Liefer, Kevin Luthy, Linda Schoenbeck, Fleta Junge, Toni Rehmer, Darla Porter, Terry Rehmer, Gerald Poenitske, Bob Wirth, Mark Schoenbeck, and Tony Junge. 

Opening Devotions—were led by Pastor Taggatz

Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved

Financial Secretary’s Report:  Total receipts for November, 2011 $13,199.37.

Treasurer’s Report: Ending balance of the General Fund November, 2011 (­-­$5,205.88).

Church Properties:

àFinish work is being done on Parsonage sump pump.

àMark and Brian Schoenbeck will attend a town meeting to discuss issues regarding the sewer line at the Parsonage.

àFire extinguishers need to be checked

àElectric work has begun on church and school

àSump pump in church basement needs repair

àBob Wirth met with owners of property surrounding the cemetery. The property line is correct. According to the property lines an additional 120 gravesites can be added along the east and south sides. Motion was made and seconded to add the additional sites. A site costs $20.00. Motion carried.

LYF:  The youth will distribute candy bags on Christmas Eve to the children.

àJan 8^th, 2012 – The youth will take down the Christmas decorations after the worship service.

àFebruary 5^th, 2012 – The youth are planning the Chicken and Dumpling Dinner.

Pastor’s Report:

Pastoral Acts from Nov. 9^th ‘11 through Dec. 13^th, 2011—

-Regular Saturday & Sunday worship responsibilities & catechetical youth instruction

            - 4 Bible Study class sessions (Sunday      mornings)

                        -2 COSLHS Meetings— Nov. 10^th & Dec. 8^th

            -1 School chapel @ Trinity Lutheran Church

            -3 Counseling sessions

            -8 Hospital Visits

            -17 Homebound/Member Visits

            -Attended Pastor’s Circuit meeting at St. Peter’s Campbell Hill—Dec. 6^th

            -Nov. 27^th did chapel at Red Bud Nursing             Home

            -R. County Care Center Chapel—Nov. 23^rd

            1—Baptism àMcKenzie Grace Schmoll       (daughter to Ken & Julie Scholl)—Nov. 27^th,                 2011

                1—Lutheran Marriage Encounter in S. County            St. Louis Nov. 11^th-13^th, 2011 with my wife   Roxanne (this helped me learn more about           how to counsel couples before they get married           and even counseling couples on their              marriage when they’re already married and how   to work on my own marriage with my wife as               well.  It was a great experience and I learned a             lot)

Julia Kahle requests that we have the Soup Dinner Fundraiser here at our church again on Sunday Jan. 29^th, 2011.  Jeff Rowold and Jim Buch will be helping out with this fundraiser on that day as well to support our Baldwin Food Bank.  This past year we raised over $2000 for our local food bank here in Baldwin.

Door Offerings for Missions at St. John Baldwin in 2012—

-At our recent Annual Meeting we approved to have door offerings after our worship service for these mission opportunities, they will be after one worship service per month:

                -Issues Etc. Radio program (in January 2012)

                -Operation Blessing (through our Lutheran    Ministerial Alliance of Churches that goes                     through St. John Sparta, IL) (in March 2012)

                -SIGHT Ministry Center (in Oct 2012 for       LWML Sunday)

                -Rev. Tim & Lisa Beckendorf of Lutheran Bible          Translators in Botswana, Africa (in                                                 August 2012)

Thank you to all who helped out and donated their time, food and money to support our Parochial School Tuition Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser—Here is a letter of thanks from Candace Ford:  I just want to thank ALL of you for making our first Meatball and Spaghetti dinner a success!!  We made $1956 in total profit!  I will let you know the total after Thrivent matches this.  What a great group of people to work with!!  Everyone was such a BIG help!  We appreciate all of you!!  Thanks again!!

   

DOXOLOGY FOR Pastor Taggatz & for leaders of our Church Council—At our annual meeting it was decided that I attend the Doxology program for next year.  When I looked at the Doxology website I found out that the Rockford, IL sessions for Doxology were already full, but the sessions in Donaldson, IN were still open, which is still roughly the same distance from our church.  It’s about 30 miles further from our church than Rockford.  Here’s how Dr. Yahnke, one of the directors for the Doxology program explained payment for this program.  “I'm happy to learn that you are planning to be with us for the Donaldson training events beginning this summer.  Since the Early Bird Registration closed only today, we will "grandfather in" your request and honor the $1,200 fee.  Please include a copy of this email with your congregational pledge of support (or with your check if you are paying by snail mail.)  You may surely proceed with making three payments, over an interval of two fiscal years, with the final payment coming due in August of 2013.  Each of the $400 payments would be due prior to the training event.”

Rich Advent blessings to you,

BKYahnke

Dr. Beverly Yahnke

Executive Director for Christian Counsel

3415 Tall Oaks Dr.

Brookfield, WI  53045

www.doxology.us

414-305-0131

DOXOLOGY PROGRAM IN Donaldson, Indiana in 2012

Lindenwood Retreat Center

Gathering July 15 - 18, 2012

Encore Nov 16 - 18, 2012 

Grand Reunion for IL Venue will be August 2-4, 2013 in Belleville, IL at “Our Lady of the Snows”

Encouragement to attend Bible Study—On Sunday mornings after church we will be focusing on the life of “Joseph the Guardian of Jesus” in a video Bible study series with the current Lutheran Hour Speaker Rev. Gregory Seltz.

Total Giving through Thrivent Choice for Jan. –Dec. ‘11— I am pleased to announce that our giving through the Thrivent Choice program for Dec. ‘11 has amounted to:  $472.00  -Total amount our church has received from the Thrivent Choice program since February 2011:  $5,718.00

The “Be Well, Serve Well” Program for Concordia Health Plans—I am currently enrolled in this program through the Concordia Health Plan.  This is a program that tries to get church workers involved in living a healthy lifestyle.  By participating in this program the church worker and the church will get $250.00.  Our church should be receiving $250.00 by the end of the year, since I am participating in this program.

Special thanks to all the Council members for their hard work throughout the year and for their years of service in being leaders of our congregation!!!

OLD BUSINESS:

Due to the cold and flu season, a friendly wave instead of a hand shake during the “Sharing of the Peace” on Sunday mornings is requested.

New Business:

Gerald Poenitske encourages any congregational member who has questions regarding the church’s current financial situation and/or budget to direct those questions to a council member.

The housing Allowance for Pastor’s needs to be recalculated to be accurate according to tax laws. The council needs to determine a reasonable “rental fee” for the Parsonage. This fee plus Pastor’s expense receipts will be the housing allowance. Pastor’s expenses can include utilities, water, electric, cleaning supplies, etc.

Toni Rehmer has requested having Falkenhein Tax Service prepare the tax return. Motion was made and seconded. Motion carried.

No change will be made in Saturday evening services

As there was no other business the meeting was adjourned

Terry Rehmer, President

Darla Porter, Secretary      

We Believe, Teach and Confess.

Martin Luther’s Small & Large Catechism

“Confession & the Office of the Keys”
                                                               

“What is Confession?”

Answer:› Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

“What sins should we confess?”

‹Answer:› Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts.

“Which are these?”

‹Answer:› Here consider your calling according to the Ten Commandments, whether you are a father, mother, son, daughter, master, mistress, a manservant or maidservant. Consider whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, or slothful. Consider whether you have grieved anyone by words or deeds, whether you have stolen, neglected, wasted, or done other harm.

                                                                                       

This is what St. John the Evangelist writes in chapter twenty:  The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  (John 20:22-23, Small Catechism)

Introductory Note:  Article XXVIII of the Augsburg Confession expands on Articles V and XIV. What authority, or power, do bishops have in the Church? Over the course of centuries, bishops had become not merely Church leaders, but political figures as well, claiming the right to govern both Church and State and to make and enforce laws in both realms. By returning to a biblical understanding of church, the Augsburg Confession clarifies that the true authority, or power, of bishops is the preaching of the Gospel, the forgiving and withholding of forgiveness of sins, and the administering of the Sacraments. The Church is not to interfere in the government, but is to keep its focus on the Gospel. This article is the foundation for the Lutheran understanding of the two kingdoms: God’s work and rule in the world by means of the Church (the kingdom or regiment of the right hand) and the State (the kingdom or regiment of the left hand). Bishops, or pastors, have authority in the Church only to forgive sins in the name of Christ, to reject false doctrine and reprove those who uphold it, and to exclude persons who refuse to repent of open and manifest sin. This article, like the others, places the focus on the chief teaching of the Gospel: we are justified by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone. (See also Ap XXVIII; SC Table of Duties.)

                                                                                       

⁵ The authority of the Keys [Matthew 16:19], or the authority of the bishops—according to the Gospel—is a power or commandment of God, to preach the Gospel, to forgive and retain sins, and to administer Sacraments. ⁶ Christ sends out His apostles with this command, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you … Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld” (John 20:21–22). ⁷ And in Mark 16:15, Christ says, “Go … proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.”

⁸ This authority is exercised only by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments, either to many or to individuals, according to their calling. In this way are given not only bodily, but also eternal things: eternal righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. ⁹ These things cannot reach us except by the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments, as Paul says, “The Gospel … is the power of God for salvation to everyone that believes” (Romans 1:16). ¹⁰ Therefore, the Church has the authority to grant eternal things and exercises this authority only by the ministry of the Word.

²¹ The only authority that belongs to the bishops is what they have according to the Gospel, or by divine right, as they say. For they have been given the ministry of the Word and Sacraments. They have no other authority according to the Gospel than the authority to forgive sins, to judge doctrine, to reject doctrines contrary to the Gospel, and to exclude from the communion of the Church wicked people, whose wickedness is known… ²² According to this Gospel authority, as a matter of necessity, by divine right, congregations must obey them, for Luke 10:16 says, “The one who hears you hears Me.” ²³ But when they teach or establish anything against the Gospel, then the congregations are forbidden by God’s command to obey them.

Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (57–58, 59) (341). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House..

                                                                                               

The deadline for getting articles and reports in to be included in the Newsletter is the 18^th of every month.

Do You Have a Question?  There are tracts in the narthex that may be able to help…  Take a moment as you come into church to check out the Lutheran Hour Ministries tract rack.  These pamphlets are free for you to take home.  You may see one that would be interesting, maybe not for yourself, but for a friend or relative who is experiencing or questioning a particular topic.

EDUCATING A NEW GENERATION OF LUTHERANS… Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and produced by Lutheran Public Radio.  Topics include: The Wise Men, The Epiphany Season, The Baptism of Jesus, Jesus Calls Philip & Nathanael, the Cappadocian Fathers and more.  You can listen LIVE weekdays from 4-5 p.m. on KSIV, 1320 AM.  You can also listen at your convenience at www.issuesetc.org.

An Update from Lutheran Bible Translators:  Rev. Tim & Lisa Beckendorf (Dec. 2011)

          Thank you for your continued prayers for our ministry and for us personally, we have really been feeling like we are 'under attack' lately, and your prayers sustain us.

          Once again last month did not go quite as planned. You would think we should be used to that by now. In our last update we told you that Tim was due to go to a planning conference for San languages in Windhoek. Well, Tim never made it. Two days before he was to leave, the truck blew a rear axle seal when he was way out in the bush doing community checking of Genesis with Moses and Splash. He limped the truck home but couldn't fix it in time to make it to the conference. Much of the rest of the month was taken up with repairs; vehicles, house, office, you name it.

          Last update we also told you that the translation office burned down. Well, the rubble has been cleaned up, the walls inspected for integrity, damaged bricks and plaster knocked off the walls, and a couple of interior walls removed. A builder has been hired to repair the outside walls, though we are still looking for someone to do the roof (not thatch this time). We have been extremely blessed in that about a week after the fire we were told that there was a charitable organization which would be able to help us with about half of our rebuilding expenses -- an answer to prayer before we even thought to pray it. We are now going to open a mission project with LBT for the rest of the rebuilding costs. Thankfully though, because we already have about half the amount needed we have been able to get a head start on rebuilding the office.

          Tim and the translators were able to get some translation work done during November. Moses and Splash were able to complete the community checking of Genesis 12-50, which means that book is now ready for our consultant to check. Splash has been working on the birth story of Jesus (parts of both Matthew and Luke) and the initial draft has also been completed. Our 2012 Khwe calendar featuring the creation account is on it's way to the printers and we hope to have those in a week or two.

          Another positive thing which happened this past month is that the rains have finally started, giving us some relief from the heat. It was a terribly hot October and first half of November, and we are very thankful for the rains. Things have really greened up and the grazing animals now have something to eat again. We also thought we were going to have to go all the way to the capital city in the south because Tim and Andrew needed new passports, however, we were able to meet the consular from the American embassy while he visited Maun and he was able to do all the paperwork for us there. That really saved us a lot of travel and expense, we are so thankful.

          We are hoping the rest of December will be relatively quiet, that the builder will continue his work on the office building, that the translators will reach their goal for the year (130 more verses to go), that Tim's and Andrew's new passports will come this next week, and that Christmas will be a real celebration of Christ's birth.

Prayers:
* Please pray that rebuilding the office will go quickly.
* Please pray that translation work would go forward smoothly and without so many interruptions.
* Please pray that Splash's son, Genesis, will have successful surgery for a tied tongue this Monday.
* Please pray that Tim's and Andrew's passports will arrive quickly. 

Praises:
- Thanksgiving for the amount of translation work which has been completed this year.
- Thanksgiving that rebuilding has been started on the office.
- Thanksgiving for good health and prayers for continued protection as the malaria season is in high gear.

Thank you again for all of your prayers on our behalf,

Rev. Tim, Lisa, Aaron & Andrew Beckendorf

(Lutheran Bible Translators: Botswana, Africa)

WOMEN’S DAY OF RENEWAL February 3-4, 2012

It is not too late to register for the Women’s Day of Renewal planned for Friday and Saturday, February 3 & 4, 2012 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, IL. The theme will be RESPONDING WITH FAITH. Keynote speakers, Phyllis Wallace and Dr. Melanie Wilson will help participants identify their own individual fears, develop a game plan to seek God’s power, and move forward toward replacing numbing fear with a strong faith as they discuss Faith for Freakouts. Saturday attendees wil be able to personalize their experience with two workshops. A continental breakfast and catered lunch wil be included at the cost of $25.00. The fee for Friday evening is $10.00. After January 15 will be a $15 late fee.

Consider Giving to Camp Wartburg—Jesus said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me.”  When you support Camp Wartburg, you support a ministry that shares the Gospel with children.  Through Word and song and teaching and mentoring—all surrounded by the inpiration of God’s creation—Camp Wartburg encourages youth to open their hearts to the Lord.  Statistics show that adults entering church work frequently do so based upon positive camp ministry experiences as a child.  Camp Wartburg makes an impact on young lives.

In this New Year, I hope that you will count Camp Wartburg as a blessing to the thousands of children we serve!  I ask you to add Camp Wartburg in your giving this year. 

Camp Wartburg is a ministry of Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois.  Their address is: 

5705 LRC Road

Waterloo, IL 62298.

Email is:  wartburg@htc.net

Camp Wartburg served over 1100 campers in the summer of 2011:

      -77 campers with disabilities enjoyed a week of fun and new experiences

      -82 campers whose parents are deployed in the armed forces joined us for a weeklong experience

      -55 campers affected by cancer enjoyed a special week just for them

      -36 children in Illinois foster homes had the time of their lives at summer camp

      -14 campers with autism joined us for the first time this year for Camp ADAPT

Camps are subsidized and scholarships granted to make camp accessible to every child.

Warm Regards,

Bob Polansky, Executive Director of Camp Wartburg

Camp Wartburg Wish List

-New or used aluminum canoes in good condition

-New or used pickup truck, minivan or gator in good operating condition

-A large commercial mixer for the kitchen

-Vacuum cleaners

-Weed eaters in good condition

-Lateral file cabinets in good condition

-Donations to purchase new bunk beds ($650 each)

-Donations to purchase new heating/air conditioning wall units ($600 each)

U. S. POSTAGE PAID Non-Profit Org. Permit No. 1 Baldwin, IL 62217

St. John Ev. Lutheran Church

P. O. Box 162

Baldwin, IL 62217-0162

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED