Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church
September 2018
Growing Up in the Un-World
Have you ever heard of the “un-world”? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either, until I read an article in Touchstone magazine (July/August, 2018) written by Anthony Esolen. It’s a term he coined to describe this world as it exists under the domination of sin and Satan. Satan’s tactic has always been to offer to man something less than what God had given him, but make it look like something more, something better than what God had given. The result has always been that man has reached out to take hold of that which Satan set before him, thinking it was something better than what God supplied.
So God gave Adam and Eve the command, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Ge 1:28), but Satan has come along and said, “You don’t need children, at least not yet. Pursue a career. Earn some money. Get an abortion now. Don’t let children ruin your plans. You can always raise a family later.” God gave to man and woman the gift of sexuality to be used within marriage for the purpose of pro-creation. Satan tells us that we can utilize our sexuality apart from marriage for our own enjoyment, without strings attached. God created us to live in service to one another, but Satan urges us to put ourselves in first place and let our neighbor fend for himself. This is the un-world; it’s the world in which we live; it’s the world in which our children will grow to adulthood.
How can we help our children find their way–find God’s way–through the maze of this un-world? The psalmist gives us the answer:
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word. (Ps 119:9).
Only by sticking close to the Word of God can our children grow, knowing the truth of God’s creation and avoiding the pitfalls of the un-world in which they live.
This is why our ministries of Christian education are so vital. We have a school in which the Word of God takes center stage day after day. But we also operate a Sunday School in with the Word of God is taught Sunday after Sunday. We also hold Divine Services every weekend throughout the year and on special occasions as well that the Word of God might be proclaimed in its truth and purity. These ministries are vital to our children. They are growing up in an un-world that is far removed from what God called into existence in Genesis 1 and 2. In this un-world all the values God established are ignored and persecuted. This un-world desires to draw you and the generation following you into the lie of Satan and the power of sin.
It is your vocation as parents and grandparents to “bring them [these children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4). This congregation stands ready to assist you in that indispensable effort. Bring them to the Divine Service. Take them to Sunday School. If you can, bring them to our Lutheran school. But above all, make certain that the Word of God surrounds them every moment of their lives. Make sure they know their Savior, Jesus Christ, and all that he accomplished for their eternal welfare. This is their only hope!
—Pastor Schnare
Stewardship Corner
It’s September, and everything is in full swing again: back to school and back to church attendance after vacations and weekends away. And since everything is back into full swing, it’s a perfect time to get back to basics, back to the foundation.
At the end of the first of his chapters on the virtue of faith in Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis provides a helpful reminder, by way of analogy, for the foundation of stewardship. He wrote:
Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So then, when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like. It is like a small child going to its father and saying, “Daddy, give me six pence to buy you a birthday present.” Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child’s present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is six-pence to the good on the transaction. When a man has made these two discoveries God can really get to work. It is after this that real life begins. (128–129).
This is the first thing we are given to confess about stewardship, and it has to do with ownership. God owns everything, and we are simply managers—stewards—acting on His behalf. This is true not only of all that we have in this life (Deuteronomy 8:17–18), but also all that we are in this life (1 Corinthians 6:20).
The rest flows from here. Since we are stewards, or managers, of what belongs to God, entrusted to make use of it according to His will, there is an expectation of responsibility and accountability.
For the Lord said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48b).
And from this comes blessing and reward: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).
We have everything we need to support this body and life from our God’s fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us. We have everything we need for our spiritual life also from His merciful hands.
On account of the sacrifice of His Son, our Lord Jesus, through the preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments, we have the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and everlasting salvation delivered to us with absolute certainty that it is ours — not as stewards but as sons (Galatians 4:1–7).
Let us then, as His own sons, press all that He gives to us into the service of His church and to His glory.
September Coffee 2 - Nancy Scherbarth, Sue Bartels
9 - Marilyn Banks, Shirley DeVoogd
16 - Jennifer Foster, JoElla Fritzler
23 - Tammy Lore, Marlene Stewart
BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES. . .
Sunday Adult Bible Study - 9 am Fellowship Hall.
Quilters- 2nd and 4th Monday of the month
Martha Circle - 2nd Monday, 7 pm
Rhoda Circle - 1st Tuesday, 7 pm
Hemingford Bible Study - Mondays, 2 pm Hemingford Care Center
Highland Park Bible Study - Wednesdays, 9:30 am
Lydia Circle - 2nd Wednesday, 1:30pm
Bible Break - Thursdays, 9:30 am, Conference Room
Men’s Bible Study - Fridays, 6:30 am, Fizzy’s
Tabitha Circle - 4th Monday’s, 6 pm, Fellowship Hall
ALTAR GUILD will meet Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 6 pm in the Conference Room.
RHODA CIRCLE will meet September 4, 2018.
QUILTERS meet the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month.
LYDIA CIRCLE will meet September 12, 2018, at 1:30 pm in fellowship hall. Janice Brixius will be the hostess and will give the devotion and Pastor Mueller will lead the Bible study.
TABITHA CIRCLE will meet September 24, 2018.
MARTHA CIRCLE will meet September 10, 2018 at 7 pm in fellowship hall. Becky Herian will give the devotion and Pastor Mueller will lead the Bible study.
ONGOING MISSION PROJECTS: We collect good used clothing and shoes. Used bedding is needed by the quilters. Canceled postage stamps and Campbell soup labels are needed for mission projects. Old eye glasses and outdated hearing aids are useful to others. Clothing and bedding may be left in the quilting room. Other items can be left in the cupboard under the guest book.
COLLEGE STUDENTS: Please let the church office know your new address.
GREETING CARDS: If you plan to send greeting cards for any occasion consider cards from our LWML. We have adult, youth, and children birthday cards as well as sympathy, anniversary, and get well cards. The selection includes box or individual cards for purchase. New cards in September include thank you notes, highlighting thank you to our servicemen and women as we prepare for Veterans Day November 2018 and thinking of you cards. –Becky Herian
OUR SINCERE CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY: The families of Rob Francis (Becky Herian’s brother), Kenny Lenz (Katie Huston’s brother) and Betty Stoetzel, (Sue Bartels’ mother.) Be comforted by these words, “I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25.
RETURN TO SENDER: A reminder to notify the church office of any address changes. We are required to pay a fee for undeliverable mail.
MEALS ON WHEELS- The Board of Missions would like to thank all who delivered Meals on Wheels in August. Thanks for all your help.
ALTAR FLOWERS for August were in memory of Kent Korth from Bob & Lori Swedeen, Aaron and Stephanie, Leighton, Lawson and Lennon Korth, Caleb & Millisa Korth & Ethan, Jenny & Isla Korth.
SUNDAY SCHOOL will start Sept 9 at 9 am, with classes for Pre-K thru 6th grade. We look forward to seeing you there!!
IMMANUEL EV. LUTHERAN SCHOOL 2018-2019 ALUMINUM CAN DRIVE is an ongoing year-round fund raiser. This helps fund the operational costs of our school. Please ask everyone to collect and save all aluminum cans, bring them to the east side of the school, and place in the bins that are labeled “Aluminum cans.” We appreciate your help in this ongoing effort!
GROCERY KART SCRIP We will now be keeping Grocery Kart Scrip both here at the church and at the school for your convenience! The church office will have the scrip available Monday-Friday from 8 until noon.
RAISING DISCIPLES total receipts to date as of August 22, 2018 is $557,136.79.
JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER when making out your contribution checks, the church has many different funds. (i.e., General, Building, Missions, School, Raising Disciples, Memorial). It is very helpful to make out SEPARATE checks to these funds to make the counting more efficient. It is very difficult to split up a check into two or more different funds for depositing. Thank you for your help!
THERE WILL NOT BE A WOMEN’S RETREAT this year.
MIDWEEK SCHOOL – Sorry to inform you, but because of the lack of teachers there will be no Midweek School this Fall. We will see what we can do for next year. We do have Sunday School at 9 AM on Sunday mornings. All children Preschool through 6th Grade are welcome to attend.
SCHOOL TIDBITS
Greetings from a very busy (and a bit noisy) Immanuel Lutheran School. It is really hard to believe that we are beginning our 5Th school year! In so many ways it seems as if the time has just flown by! We now have added the 8th grade and have a total enrollment of 145. I often find myself looking back to all that has gone on over these past years. I am greatly amazed and humbled by all of the ways that the Lord has used this school and its people to accomplish His tasks. We can, at every turn see His hand directing and lifting us through it all. We trust that He will continue to do this in the year to come. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Psalm 127:1. None of the things that this school and church have accomplished over the past years has been done without the direction and inspiration of God. We thank Him daily for all that He has done and continues to do through IELS. We thank you for your continued prayers and support as well.
There are many ways that you can continue to help us at the school. Starting September 1st, we will once again be collecting Grocery Kart receipts. We are so thankful for the many years that Maxine Fox has totaled these up for us. Maxine is stepping down and we need some help in this area. This involves totaling up receipts and bundling them in groups of $1000. This job can be done at your convenience and we will get the receipts to you. If you can help with this, please let me know.
A huge thanks also for those who helped provide school supplies for our students. This is such a load off of all of us. If you haven’t seen our new classroom, we invite you out to see it. It looks awesome. A big thanks to the wonderful men who built it this summer for us. We are also thankful for those who made sure our grounds and fields were mowed in time for school. At the time of this writing, we are looking forward to our new basketball court that the Wyoming District LWML ladies granted to us! The kids cannot wait for it to be finished.
We continue to offer our Scrip program and this helps out our school in many ways. If you are unsure of how this program works, please contact Stephany at the school office and she will help you figure it out.
I am always worried that I will forget to thank someone who has helped us at the school. Please know that this is not my intention, but I am often swamped by the amount of assistance that you offer. Please know we are SO thankful for you all and for your support of IELS. This year we have two cadet students from the high school coming out to our school. We welcome Lezlie Hausmann and Payton Gomez. We still need helpers in the preschool classroom. If you are able to assist me in this room, please let me know as soon as possible. –Miss Jill
THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE
Year #5 for Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran School opened with a chapel service based on Psalm 46. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. It was wonderful to hear the voices of the children singing in the school again!
In grades 3 and 4, the children are learning the routines and expectations of the classroom. They are using lockers and student planners like the big kids. We are reviewing some of the skills taught last year in grammar and math. History will focus on the time after the fall of Rome.
Please come visit, please join us for chapel, please pray for the pastors, the teachers, the children, and their families.
I found a great article about Classical Lutheran Education by Cheryl L. Swope, M.Ed. I have reprinted parts of it here so we can understand the focus of the curriculum being used at our school.
–Mrs. Schnare
Classical and Lutheran education can be defined simply as the liberal arts with Lutheran catechesis. The liberal arts cultivate the student’s mind and character with academic rigor, formative content, and tools for learning. Lutheran catechesis addresses matters of the child’s soul through the Holy Scriptures, Lutheran confessions, Lutheran liturgy, and Lutheran hymnody. With the Seven Liberal Arts and the Small Catechism’s Six Chief Parts, classical and Lutheran education teaches for two kingdoms: an earthly kingdom and a heavenly kingdom.
The Arts of Language: The Trivium (3)
Grammar – all that is foundational in language
Grammar includes learning letters, reading, spelling, identifying parts of speech, writing with beautiful penmanship, crafting sentences and paragraphs, and developing a rich vocabulary. Grammar is taught by imitation – copying excellent writing of others, reading and hearing good literature, and by studying Latin. Latin teaches English grammar and English vocabulary. The disciplined study of the inherently ordered Latin language strengthens the child’s mind while giving the child an understanding of his great literary heritage. For thousands of years, Greek has also assisted in teaching the arts of language.
Logic – analysis of language
Analytical thinking, discernment, and argumentation comprise Logic. The student of Logic learns to identify false statements and illogical premises, whether in his own thinking or in the assertions of others. Logic helps to order a student’s mind and prepare him for public discourse. Taught in the child’s early years with the simple cause and effect of consequences, such as those found in Aesop’s fables and in family life, formal Logic is taught as the child’s mind matures.
Rhetoric – eloquence, beauty, and persuasion with language
Taught from the earliest years with modeling of clear speech and complete sentences, Rhetoric enables the child to write and speak with eloquence. Ancient Roman orator Quintilian urges the use of excellent speech even with very young children (Institutio Oratoria, Book One). When parents and teachers read great literature aloud, they bring beautiful examples of language to their children. As the child masters the foundational and analytical elements of language, instruction in formal Rhetoric becomes part of his classical curriculum.
The three Arts of Language enable the child to master language for the very Lutheran purpose of service to his neighbor in love.
Classical and Lutheran education cultivates in a child self-knowledge, tools for learning, the contemplation of great ideas, and an understanding of the world in which he lives, all for the love and service of others. Above all, classical and Lutheran education inclines a child toward Goodness, Truth, and Beauty found fully and eternally in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is most certainly true.
From the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, August 2018