Official Publication of Hope Lutheran Church; Cedar Hill, TX June 2011 Volume XXVI Issue 6
Mission Statement: To discover and respond to our call
TO KNOW JESUS TO FOLLOW JESUS TO SERVE JESUS in unique ministries.
Church 972.291.7902
Fax 972.291.9003
Pastors Joel & Wendy Berthelsen [email protected]
Choir Director Andrew Trites
Director of Youth & Ministry
Development Matt Cleaver
Organist Sanctuary Choir Accompanist
Youth Choir Accompanist Cathy Peterson
Secretary Karine Samer
Heralds Editor Karine Samer
Church Council
Officers President
Dwight Bengtson- 972.515.8162
President-Elect
Tammy Hill - 972.617.7264
Secretary Kristine Clark 972.274.4616
Members at Large
Matt Cleaver - 972.754.7353 Carrie Hamilton -
972.775.3019 Bryan Pender - 972.775.1065 Ty Robenson - 972.723.9023 Barbara York - 972.298.7115
Appointees Treasurer
Kathy Still - 972.293.8016 Financial Secretary
Mark Driscoll - 972.742.4605
Haiku Baccalaureate
With more joy than tears
Family and friends give blessing
Yoked to Christ dreams soar
A College Freshman’s 23rd Psalm
The Lord is my advisor
I shall not lack experienced guidance
He makes me lie down even with coming tests
He leads me beside knowledge that I am not the first to feel this way
He restores my soul
He guides me in paths of purpose for his names sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of loneliness and insecurity
I will fear not being overcome
Thy Word and thy sacraments they comfort me
Thou preparest a table for me near the pulpit
Thou anointed my head with oil
My cup has been full, filled from Your wounds
Surely goodness and mercy has followed me all the days of my
life
And my house looks forward to having me home on holiday
with deep love forever.
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Commentary on an Open Letter to My Son An encouragement for Families to Come to VBS This June
The earlier open letter was a small part of a letter to Philip that was personal, so the whole letter is not
printed here. But I think this portion expresses the hopes and dreams of most parents. So I included it in
this Newsletter to lend voice for other parents.
This June we are having a Family Vacation Bible School. Graduation expressed blessings often culminate
a lifetime of hopes and dreams and encouragement. This June 12-15 we will engage in some of the think-
ing and planning and encouragement that comes before the day of transition when children leave the home
off to fulfill dreams. Thinking about those dreams beforehand is very helpful. We will be doing that kind
of thinking and praying together.
And the transitions never end: graduation, then work either in the workforce or in college, then graduation
from college, then looking for work (those who were in college), finding work, marriage, children, rethink-
ing work (for most this happens several time in a lifetime), midlife examination, children leaving, rethink-
ing life, (often times there are some pick-up-the-pieces moments scattered throughout all of this), retire-
ment, rethinking life in retirement.
Vacation Bible School will help us think and pray and plan for these transitions. Consider it pre-work for
any of these transitions just listed. And come join the a gathering of the family of God as we think and live
together in community.
Pastor Joel
An Open Letter to My Son on the Eve of Graduation
My Son, in whom I am well pleased,
“I have prayed for you nearly every day of your life,
I have prayed that you will hear and respond to His call.
I only see in part
He sees completely
I think only so far
He named every star in the sky… even those stars that will not be seen by us
So, seeing all he sees, and recognizing we do not see it, he now calls you into a good future
He sees it completely.
So listen to Him… trust Him… He is for you and has a “best” for you which only He can
understand.
Let His Word guide you. Let His peace confirm his direction.”
With deep love that wrapped my bones and encircled my heart the day you were born,
Dad
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Memorials and Designated Giving
Below is a list of designated funds at Hope used to pay for expenses or support ministries not included in our annual
budget. You may donate to any of the funds below by designating your offering or memorial to the appropriate fund.
Numbers below are as of 3/31/2011.
Fund Name Purpose Balance Donated
YTD
Altar Guild Extra expenses related to worship not covered in monthly operating
budget. Examples of items bought are new altar paraments and ban-
ners.
$ 2,022.36 $ 0.00
Bereavement Pay for food for funerals. $ 411.42 $ 0.00
Briarwood Sent directly to Briarwood Retreat Center, the camping ministry of our
synod, to support their ministry and operations. This fund balance is
kept at zero. Money is sent in as it is received.
$
$
0.00
$ 0.00
Cedar Hill
Food Pantry
Sent directly to the Cedar Hill Food Pantry. This fund balance is kept at
zero. Money is sent in as it is received.
$
$
0.00
$ 475.00
Computer
Upgrades
Upgrade computer equipment, including the computer in the sanctuary
used for Sunday morning PowerPoint.
$ 950.00 $ 650.00
Council Used at the discretion of the Church Council. $ 100.19 $ 0.00
Council-
Outreach
Used at the discretion of the Church Council for outreach. $ 351.30 $ 0.00
Front sign
Flowerbed
Maintain and improve the area around the front church sign. $ 622.24 $ 0.00
Lawnmower Replace a worn-out lawn mower at church. $ 2,106.00 $ 1,800
Library Purchase new books as needed. $ 69.08 $ 0.00
Lutheran
World Relief
Sent directly to Lutheran World Relief to support their ministry and op-
erations. This fund balance is kept at zero. Money is sent in as it is re-
ceived.
$ 0.00
$ 00.00
Ministry
Development
Develop new ministries at our church. For instance, this Fund was used
to send people to Stephen’s Ministry training.
$ 2,241.82 $ 0.00
Matt Cleaver
Seminary
Support tuition costs for Matt Cleaver’s seminary program. $
0.00
$ 0.00
Sierra Leone Sent directly to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone to
support their ministry and operations. This fund balance is kept at zero.
Money is sent in as it is received.
$
0.00
$ 0.00
Sound
System
Maintain and upgrade sound system. $ 1233.22 $ 0.00
Sunday
School-
missions
Used to support Nedie, a thirteen year old girl from Haiti that we have
supported for many, many years through Compassion International. Our
commitment is $38 a month.
$ 42.46 $ 163.00
Youth
General
General youth ministry expenses. Often used to give scholarships to
youth who cannot afford to attend certain events.
$ 463.80 $ 1490
Youth
Mission
Supports the cost of the summer youth mission trip. $ 1,713.53 $ 690.30
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What if all of our high school and college graduates had a kingdom vision for trans-
forming the world in Jesus’ name for their lives … no matter what profession they
chose? What if God’s call and guidance provided the pathway and direction?
Wow… what would our world look like? Graduation gift idea: Custom Designed:
A Life Worthy of the Call ($14 with tax) & its companion Reflection Guide ($16)
… available from Pastor Wendy or Carolee Juergens
Call Inc. April 2011 E-News … copies available on the table in the Narthex (lobby)
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Sunday Schedule: Worship ~ 10:00 AM (8:00 AM service discontinued)
Adult & Youth Sunday School ~ 9:00 AM
Wednesday Night Activities:
All Wednesday night activities are recessed for the
summer.
2011 Calendar
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 Last Day of
School
4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14
Faith Circle
7:30 PM
15 16 17 18 Heralds
Deadline
19 Council
Meeting
20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
Begins
VBS 6:00 ~ 8:30 PM
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You are invited to celebrate Philip Berthelsen’s
Graduation! Ceremony: June 3, 8pm, Midlo-
thian Stadium. … BBQ Party: June 4, 12:30-
3:30pm, Berthelsen’s home at 5321 Joe Wilson
Road
New Church Council Members Elected
New Church Council President Dwight Bengtson encourages all members of Hope to email or
call him with any items that you would like brought before the church Council. You can call
him at 972-896-2660 or email him at [email protected].
At the May 22 semi-annual congregational meeting, the following new Council members were
elected:
Tammy Hill: President-elect
Ty Roberson: Member-at-large (1st term)
Carrie Hamilton: Member-at-large (2nd term)
Bryan Pender: Member-at-large (2nd term)
Matt Cleaver: Member-at-large (Matt is filling Brandy Trygstad's vacant position and thus
is elected to a one-year term)
Those remaining on the Church Council are:
Dwight Bengtson: President
Kristine Clark: Secretary
Barbara York: Member-at-large
We thank outgoing Council members Candy Moltz (President) and Gene Janke (Member-at-
large) for their service.
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Homebound Residents
Janet Dinwiddie
Park Manor ~ Rm. 405B
207 E. Parkerville Road
DeSoto, TX 75115-6251
972.223.6016
George & Jackie Milyo
2600 Parkview Lane #138
Bedford, TX 76002-7989
In the hospital ~ none
Recovering at home ~
Bob Sparr
P. O. Box 405
DeSoto, Texas 75154-1452 [email protected]
These members appreciate your prayers and words of encouragement.
Marv Christensen
812 Vince Lane
DeSoto, TX 75115-4410
972.223.5172
Fran Christensen
Park Manor
207 E. Parkerville Road
DeSoto, TX 75115-6251
Norman Emmons
2210 Stafford Drive
Arlington, Texas 76012-4141
817.461.4540
Dick and Joanna Snow
1771 County Club Blvd
Mansfield, TX 76063-6607
817.729.1688
Friends of Hope
Denise Eibel & Family
1084 Rosewood Drive
Grapevine, TX 76051
Prayers and Words of Encouragement
Our homebound members and friends enjoy
visits, calls and cards. Please take a few min-
utes out for those who can no longer get out
and about.
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June Anniversaries
Gene & Rose Janke 6/01
Frank & Susan Rugari 6/01
Marv & Fran Christensen 6/17
Jack & Virginia Trousdale 6/18
Ed & Kathy Longstreet 6/21
Clint & Claudia Skocpol 6/21
Dick & Joanna Snow 6/22
Mark & Karen Driscoll 6/23
Bob & Janice Wessa 6/27
Mike & Janet Savins 6/28
Charles & Lila Barnett 6/29
John & Bonnie Navarro 6/29
June Birthdays
Norman Emmons 6/03
Michele Lidle 6/03
Virginia Trousdale 6/05
Zelda Gates 6/06
Lynn Metzger 6/06
Mary Petrichenko 6/10
Catherine McLeod 6/12
Joanna Snow 6/12
Kim Standerfer 6/12
Addison Chappell 6/13
Drew Slayton 6/13
Amara Berthelsen 6/15
Paul Koska 6/16
Charles Barnett 6/18
Justin Wooley 6/19
Pat Foster 6/24
Reilly Bengtson 6/25
Lynn Foster 6/25
Diane Pleasants 6/25
Ana Berthelsen 6/26
Kaylie Cox 6/28
Sam Drane 6/28
Women of Hope
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Growing Your Faith: Call to Know, Follow & Serve Jesus
Children’s Sunday school will recess for the summer. Adult & Youth Sunday School: 9:00 AM
Adult Sunday School Sunday School led by Pastor Joel. Pastor Joel will continue his class on 1 & 2 Peter
through the month of June.
Other Spiritual Growth Opportunities
On recess for summer: Timothy Project Bible Study, Wednesday evenings, 7:15-8:30 PM. Taught by Pastor Wendy. Over a three year period of time, you will:
You will read through the entire Bible and study portions as you go. Learn to hear God personally speak to you through his living, active word. Incredible! Learn various spiritual disciplines so that you may know Jesus as a profound friend Learn to pray Learn to study the Bible in a faithful in-depth manner
No Bible knowledge or experience needed. Participate as you desire. We will study the early
part of the Old Testament this year as well as parts of the New Testament. Newcomers wel-
come!
On recess for summer: Wednesday Evening Prayer and Communion, 6:15-7:00 PM Wednesdays. Come for silent prayer in our prayer chapel. Prayer guides, Bibles, and journal-ing supplies are made available for you so that you can spend meaningful time in prayer lis-tening for God. Each evening closes with anointing with oil and Holy Communion.
Women’s Faith Circle—meets the second Tuesday of the month, 7:30 pm at the church. Come for fellowship, devotions, and Bible study led by Carolee Juergens. All women of the church are welcome.
Small (Spiritual Formation) Groups—Develop faith relationships. Talk about faith and real life. To explore an interest in becoming a part of a group, see Pastor Joel or Matt Cleaver.
Daily Devotionals and Study Resources
Available on the table in the church lobby. Take one!
Christ in our Home—Available quarterly, this devotional has daily Scripture readings,
thoughts and prayers.
Daily Texts—Written to last the whole year. Scriptures are given for you to read daily over
the course of 2010.
The Wise Economy of Your Life: Balancing Time and Money—This resource outlines
scriptural principles for creating freedom and versatility as you “spend” your time and money.
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