CGLC Monthly Newsletter

8 June, 2016 | created using PDF Newspaper from FiveFilters.org

A Message From Our Pastor

Expand With Vicar Jake

A Summer Dream

Friends,

I have a dream of a church on mission. I have a dream of lost people being found. I have a dream of leaders being multiplied to reach lost people. I have a dream of our entire church body prioritizing spiritual awakening through Journey Groups. I have a dream of starting numerous new churches and non-profits to meet the wholistic needs of the SE valley. I have a dream of an entire congregation radically committed to time, talent and treasure generosity. I have a dream that the Holy Spirit unites all hearts at CGLCS to have similar dreams.

As the school year came to an end in May, Hannah Drager, one of our school’s 8th grade graduates wrote a paper reflecting on her Hearts and Hands in Motion project. I wanted to share this with you because it was an honor to see Hannah go visit with the homeless this Spring on Tuesday mornings with Vicar Joe, Leslie Scott, Geoff Nedry and I as our team invited people to La Mesa on those evenings. I pray we could all be as bold as Hannah to build relationships with the least, lost, and lonely.

When I wake up I see that Jesus is working day by day to make these dreams a reality. I lead a church on mission. I see lost people coming to the waters of baptism. I see La Mesa growing quickly. I see generations changed through our incredible school. I see people joining Journey Groups. I see leaders being raised up. I hear of and lead numerous conversations where entrepreneurial, kingdom expanding ideas are shared. I hear stories of lives that were radically changed toward wholistic generosity — I have never heard one person regret their choice to move up in their generosity. Jesus is doing incredible things at CGLCS. To Him be all the glory! Yet, my summer dreams continue. Jesus continues to speak through His Word, “There is more I have in store for CGLCS. Don’t stop dreaming. This is just the beginning.” Please dream with me this summer. Jesus is Lord!

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Take a look. Enjoy. And pray about joining us any Tuesday at 9am this summer. On Mission with You to Reach the Lost, Vicar Jake Hannah’s Hearts and Motion Paper “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:13–14

where they “camp”, which is where they sleep. You could also ask where they work, if you know they have a job. The main point in talking to them is to build a relationship.

When choosing my Hearts and Hands in Motion project I started to think about what I am passionate about. I almost did a basketball fundraiser because basketball is my favorite sport. It didn’t work out and I truly believe that was God’s way of telling me to choose something else. He led me to thinking about St. Vincent de Paul. I took a “Heart Your Hood” elective, which is all about the homeless ministry and we took a field trip to St. Vincent. During that class time I learned not only how to approach them, talk to them, but also that all they need is a good relationship with people and God. After thinking about how much fun I had in that elective I realized that that is how I want to help my community. I have always felt very passionate for the homeless and less fortunate and I am so grateful that I was able to use that for my Capstone Project.

Jake and Joe typically started conversations with people on the streets. When Leslie (a lady that normally comes to St. Vincent) comes I follow her around the tables and pass out flyers. She typically passes out flyers to everyone before Jake can even get in the building. It was great that I could follow someone around and observe the first few times. I liked following around Jake and Leslie because they did two different things. Jake talks in deep conversations where Leslie goes quickly and talks to many people. Both ways are great ways to share the Gospel. I learned a lot during this project and it went very well. The only negative was when I missed school, but I was able to catch up easily. I learned about the homeless’ daily lives. It was very rewarding to see how grateful the people were for me just being there. The hardest part about this project was talking to the people because I didn’t know what to say at first and I was a little nervous. I now know that I was silly to be nervous, in that environment it’s a good thing to have your guard up, but I didn’t need to be scared. They were just people and were some of them were the nicest people I have met. This project was perfect for me and I would not change anything.

When Vicar Jake, Vicar Joe, and I pull into the parking lot of the Mexican-Seafood restaurant next to

In Christian Learning we have been learning more about our faith and how it is different from other religions. When the world says that homeless are bad, not to go near them, or that they are gross, I know that as a Christian I should try and help them. Jesus came down to serve not to be served and we should do the same. If I have time or a talent to give to less fortunate, why would I not want to use it to glorify God, while helping others? Vinny’s (St. Vincent) we start by praying and then we walk into St Vincent. There are many homeless people walking around and sitting on picnic benches and curbs outside. Most of the people are clearly homeless with shopping carts or backpacks, but others look like everyday people you’d see at Target. We normally start by talking to two men who are regulars at La Mesa. The first couple of times I went, I just observed and gave out flyers for La Mesa. By the last time I was at St. Vincent, I started a few conversations and invited them to La Mesa. La Mesa is a place where the homeless can get a free meal and stay for worship if they want. A good thing to ask is their name and what they are doing today. You can ask

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In closing, I would recommend this to any other eighth grader looking for a Hearts and Hands in Motion project. It taught me a lot about other people’s lives. After doing this project I will not be able to look at the homeless the same again. I hope I can do something like this again because it was very eye-opening.

Empowerment Update With Annie

Greetings CGLCS friends! This month has been jam packed with planning and preparing for Vacation Bible School, the National Youth Gathering, Confirmation and fall youth ministry plans, and preparing for some new Journey Groups!

Expanding the Kingdom in Peru

Many of you have expressed an interest in being a part of a Journey Group! We are so glad that you want to join us on the journey of living life in Christ together with one another. Many of our Journey Groups are thriving and heading towards multiplication this fall. We are also in need of some new Journey Group leaders. If you are interested in leading a Journey Group, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to sit down and chat with you about how God is working in your life. If you are integrated into Journey Group life and feel God leading you to help multiply a group, please let me know.

Imagine your child just playing around the inner city streets and markets as you go off to work for around $5 a day. Caitlin Worden, missionary and deaconess intern, serves as the director of Castillo Fuerte in Peru, a mercy house that provides a Christian haven for the children of the La Victoria district. The children, who would otherwise be left to wander the dangerous streets, are now receiving mentoring as well as hearing God’s Word. Not only are Peruvians receiving God’s love in the form of the Word and Sacrament offered during the mission’s worship services but also in the form of emotional and physical care at Castillo Fuerte.

Here’s a VBS update: as of today, we have 260 children in K-6th grade and 100 in preschool. WOW! We have over 100 volunteers and more are needed! If you can volunteer your time to be a crew leader for a group of 5 children, please email [email protected] ASAP!

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Miami. Then, drive for about two hours down to Key Largo in the Florida Keys, and turn into John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. From there, take a short boat ride out into the ocean, don your snorkeling or scuba gear, and plunge into the tropical waters. There, submerged in 25 feet of water, you can find a 9-foot sculpture of Christ. Known as Christ of the Abyss, Jesus is portrayed with arms outstretched toward the surface, as if reaching out to the world above. Christ of the Abyss was sculpted in 1954 by Guido Galletti from the inspiration of Italian swimmer Duilio Marcante, in memory of a friend who tragically disappeared during a dive. He wanted to create a place for underwater meditation and prayer, and a symbol to inspire all who explored and loved the sea. I get that. That’s why Christians adorn their homes with pictures of Jesus and wear crosses on their necklaces and put fish symbols on their cars. We don’t worship these things, but they mark us as Christians and serve to inspire us. But you don’t expect to find an expression of Christian faith at the bottom of the ocean. It is that unlikely location that makes it so striking. In the same way, that’s why I find it uplifting to hear a football player give thanks to God for his athletic prowess during a spontaneous post-game interview. Or consider the bold 98-foot “Christ the Redeemer” statue on top of a 2,300-foot peak overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Or the way the Apollo 8 astronauts read from the book of Genesis as they became the first humans to orbit the moon in 1968.

And we are ALMOST fully funded for the National Youth Gathering! Thank you for your incredible generosity. We have only $2000 until we reach our goal! We have 37 students and 8 adults joining us on this one in a lifetime experience and it will be so empowering for our students to explore New Orleans, and dive deeper into their faith in Christ. Please join us online for the Mass Events, at www.lcmsgathering.com. All Mass Events in the evenings of July 16–20 will be live streamed online on the website and on Facebook. You can experience it with us!

Rest assured that our Savior promised to be with us to the very end of the age, wherever believers in His name might gather. He offers peace in times of trouble, in everyday locations or in orbit around the moon; on mountaintops or in the abyss.

Thank you again for your generosity, your prayer support and your time. These ministries thrive on the body of Christ serving one another! Blessings on your summer! Annie Tiberg, Director of Christian Education, Empowerment, Journey Groups and Youth Ministries.

Deacon’s Corner Christ of the Abyss

If you have a love for adventure, try taking a cross-country flight to

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In Christ, Tom Luley

Music Notes from Matthew Frable

To Thee, great One in Three, eternal praises be, Hence, evermore. Thy sovereign majesty may we in glory see, And to eternity love and adore!

Come, Thou Almighty King (LSB 905)

Video with organ and congregational singing

This hymn is one of the most widely used hymns and has been translated into several languages. The anonymous text dates from before 1757, when it was published in a leaflet. Filled with names for the various entities of God, this song exhibits a common Trinitarian structure, addressing God the Father (stanza 1), God the Son (stanza 2), and God the Holy Spirit (stanza 3), concluding with a doxology to the Trinity (stanza 4). This uplifting hymn is often sung at the beginning of worship.

Video with an organ setting of the hymn

Facebook Check-ins For Charity

Felice de Giardini (1716−1796) composed the hymn tune, ITALIAN HYMN, specifically for this text. He was living in London at the time he wrote this tune which was named for his homeland. The tune is also occasionally referred to as MOSCOW, where Giardini died.

This June, our Facebook check-ins will provide a pair of shoes for a child in need! Hey CGLC community,

Giardini achieved great musical fame throughout Europe, especially in England. He studied violin, harpsichord, voice, and composition in Milan and Turin; from 1748 to 1750 he conducted a very successful solo violin tour on the continent. He went to England in 1750 and for the next three decades lived in London, where he was a prominent violinist in several orchestras. Giardini also taught and composed operas and instrumental music. In 1784 he traveled to Italy, but when he returned to London in 1790, Giardini was no longer popular. His subsequent tour to Russia also failed, and he died there in poverty. Come, Thou almighty King, help us Thy name to sing, Help us to praise! Father all glorious, o’er all victorious, Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days!

This June, we get to play a part in the fight against poverty by providing shoes for people around the world. Every 10 Facebook check-ins at CGLC will provide 1 pair of shoes for someone in need through Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls is committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing. Their goal is to eradicate extreme poverty by 2050. Their shoes are distributed in places like the US, Honduras, Haiti, Bolivia, and Ecuador. To learn more about Soles4Souls, check out their site at: https://soles4souls.org. Thanks for being involved with our outreach efforts. Remember, your Facebook check-ins not only provides shoes for people in need, they also gently invite your friends to participate in our church community. All the best, Bree Long P.S. If this is the first time you’ve heard of our Facebook check-in program, here’s how it works… we make a donation to a Kingdom-building cause every time our community checks in on Facebook. It’s a great way to tell your friends about CGLC and do some good in the process. If you need some help checking in on Facebook, just ask any of our staff members and we’ll show you how.

Come, Thou incarnate Word, gird on Thy mighty sword, Our prayer attend! Come, and Thy people bless, and give Thy word success, And let Thy righteousness, on us descend! Come, holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear In this glad hour. Thou who almighty art, now rule in every heart, And né’er from us depart, Spirit of power!

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We Care

“Be still and know that I am God”. Psalm 46: 10 That Psalm sounds so simple, yet it means so very much when we are going through hard times and it is hard to be calm. We need to hold on to that truth. The We Care Ministry wants to help us to do that. Since 2004, we have been doing so behind the scenes. 1Peter 5: 7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you!” We visit the sick in their homes, in the hospital and nursing homes. My husband, Ralph and I were blessed with visits, phone calls, cards and prayers recently when our daughter, Julie went to be with the Lord. She had a very serious illness for over 12 years that had been in remission, and was very depressed. We feel we should go to be with the Lord before our children, but God has his own timetable. Prayer is so very important. We can cry out to Jesus.….….…Luke 19: 28–44 Which I can do a lot. We are never ready to lose our children. One of my friends prays with me over the phone. My husband and I pray out loud at the end of our day. If you have concerns, please call on the “WE CARE MINISTRY” In Christ, Sally Liefer

June Calendar

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