The “Weekly Reader” for … 7 October 2018

Lord of Life Lutheran Church * 2480 W Dublin-Granville Rd * Columbus, OH 43235 * (614) 889-2292

www.acceptingall.com

Membership: Is Lord of Life Calling You? We love that! We have a brief course designed exactly to do that: “Exploring Lord of Life.” It lasts seven weeks, and serves as our membership course. It’s at 10:15 in Room 309. If you’d like to pre-register (not required or necessary), fill out an “Interested In Joining” form from the Welcome Kiosk and put in Brianne Schooley’s mailbox in the office. No commitments to join are required to attend!

Welcome

Pastor

Martin We welcome Pastor Martin and his wife Ruth to Lord of Life Lutheran Church

and to the city of Columbus. We’re excited to do ministry with you!

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Dinner at JACOB'S PORCH on October 21st FOOD & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Jacob's Porch: Lutheran Campus Ministry at OSU, is our campus ministry serving college students here in Columbus. Lord of Life has a long history with Jacob's Porch: 2 of the last 3 campus pastors and their families have been members of Lord of Life. The band from this Lutheran Campus Ministry led multiple worship services here for LoL prior to 2004. We've had 4 different LoL members serving on the Jacob's Porch Board since 2005, and in that time at least 8 alumni of this ministry have become active members of our congregation and are now heavily involved with many of our ministries, including OneBody, crossCurrent, VBS, various Mission & Technology ministries, and more.

http://tiny.cc/JP-Oct21 Needs include: chili, cornbread, apple sauce or fruit, desserts, salad, drinks, and several people to help with cooking and serving. We'll cook in the Jacob's Porch kitchen, which Lord of Life remodeled roughly a decade ago. We'll have an hour to prep and can cook using oven, stovetop, or large portable roasting pans, so any food you aren't bringing with you should be ready to heat & serve and be given to Ben Buss or labeled "For Jacob's Porch" and collected near the tables by the narthex entrance by Noon on September 2nd (or let Ben Buss know if you leave it in the fridge/freezer). Volunteers will meet at Jacob's Porch (45 E. 13th Ave, Columbus) at 6pm, and are invited to stay for worship (which usually ends before 9:30pm). There is parking behind the building (on the alley between 13th Ave & 12th Ave), look for "Jacob's Porch" painted in large lettering on the back of the building. Contact Ben Buss in Realm with questions or to sign up.

Many Thanks

Dear Friends in Christ at Lord of Life Lutheran Church: Please accept my heartfelt and continuing thanks for the wonderful sendoff I received this past Sunday. Your kind words, the lovely reception, the giant card, the thoughtful and generous congregational gifts, and chances to reflect a bit on our year together all moved me deeply. Lord of Life is a wonderful congregation with welcoming and beautiful people. Blessings on your next chapter in Christ's mission for you. Jim Childs

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Adult Class

40 Days of Community will deepen your understanding of how God uses community for your own good and growth, as well as help you cultivate deeper relationships with those around you. Learn to fulfill God’s purposes … discover how we are better together.

Sessions include: 1. We’re Compelled to Love God’s Family 2. We’re Commissioned to Reach Out Together 3. We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together 4. We’re Connected to Grow Together 5. We’re Called to Serve Together 6. We’re Created to Worship Together Join us in Room 205 at 10:15 am each Sunday. We look forward to seeing you.

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Confirmation Today Sunday, October 7 Sunday morning class, 10:15, Room 211 Sunday morning classes through October 10:15 Room 211 Sunday, October 28, Rite of Enrollment All students commit to the program at the 11:15 worship. Parents and Baptism Sponsors are invited to participate. Please Save Saturday, November 10 and Sunday November 11 Confirmation class retreat/sleepover at Lord of Life

When God made the world and everything in it, God also made Adam and Eve, who could take care of the rest of creation. Students will learn about Adam and Eve and caring for creation in class today. Below are a few reminders

Reminders:

Life Passages (Preschool - 5th grade) begins each week at 10:15am in the Gathering Place for our large group opening and prayer.

The last 10 minutes of class will be spent practicing songs and motions for the Christmas musical.

The Baby of Bethlehem will debut at 11:15am, December 9, 2018. Please invite family and friends to attend this delightful presentation of the birth of Jesus and a sample of the crafts and activities of the week.

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Wonderful Wednesdays are back and full of fellowship and activity for everyone! Pizza is served starting at 5:15 PM. A contribution is collected at the start of dinner to cover the costs of food, plates & drinks. We gather at 6:25 PM around the baptismal font for Five at the Font as a community of faith for quick devotion & prayer. See below for more details on the choirs.

Cherub Choir - Preschoolers and Kindergarteners – Please join us Wednesdays from 6 - 6:25 PM in room 309 to make a joyful noise! No experience required and no pressure to perform – just an invitation to lift our hearts and voices together. Questions? See Miranda Powell or send her a message via Realm.

Grace Choir - The fun continues with our elementary school kids! Join us Wednesdays from 5:45- 6:25 PM in Room 305 for grades 1-5. Questions? See Melissa Scott or send her a message via Realm.

Adult Choir - Do you love to sing? Are you looking for a place to sing His praise with a group of great people? Open to all from grade 6 - 100 years. No auditions or experience required. They meet from 7 - 8 PM in Room 305. Questions? See Ryan Jenkins or contact him in Realm.

Christmas Musical 2018

We're off to find the Baby of Bethlehem! The 2018 Children's Christmas Musical is going to be epic! It's time to start practicing, The Baby of Bethlehem! All children ages 3 - 12 are invited to participate. The more smiling faces, the better! We review the music and choreography the

last 10 minutes of the education hour and on Wednesday evenings (5pm for 1st grade and up and 5:45 for Kindergarten and below). Dress rehearsal will take place on Saturday, December 8 from 9AM - 12, and the show will be performed Sunday, December 9 at the 11:15 worship.

Lastly, we are in need of a few parent volunteers for various (super easy, promise!) jobs including helping with the set, props, and snacks. If you can help, please contact Melissa Scott in Realm.

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Tuesday Afternoon Bible Study When you hear or see the word repentance, what comes to mind? Is it a term you use or think about when though it is mentioned in the Bible in multiple books. We are beginning a two month study of repentance. We will ponder how repentance shapes our relationship with God, our relationships with others and how the church relates with the world. One of our focus verses is from Joel 2: Return to the Lord, your God, for [God] is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. We meet twice a month, the first and third Tuesday of the month in room 309 at 1 PM We welcome men, women, young, and old to join us as we read, reflect and share our thoughts. This topic is a great time to dip your toes in the waters of Bible Study. Join us for our discussion. In any relationship, including our relationships with each other, with our community, and with God, communication is key. We need to share our thoughts as well as listen to each other and, of course, also listen to God. Joining us as we reflect on God’s word might impact your life in ways you can’t even imagine!

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This Week’s Lessons

1st: Genesis 2:18-24 Ps: Psalm 8 2nd: : Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 Gospel: Mark 10:2-16

Next Week’s Lessons

1st: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 Ps Psalm 90:12-17 2nd: Hebrews 4:12-16 Gospel: Mark 10:17-31

BREAD Justice Ministry

Are you interested in social justice and making a difference in our community? If so, BREAD invites you to attend one of our two house meetings coming up in October. These house meetings are a great opportunity to share your thoughts about injustices that are happening here in Columbus. You can also learn more about BREAD and how you can be a part of this interfaith organization seeking justice for Columbus residents. Dates and locations are below. Contact Ally Huntsberger on Realm for more information!

October 8th @ 7:00 PM at Ally Huntsberger's home

October 14th - @ 12:15 PM at Lord of Life Rm 309

SELAH Serving at Faith Mission Ministry

Looking for an opportunity to serve? Would you like to build relationships with the women of our church? Join us in October, we have many opportunities!

SELAH, our women’s ministry, is working with our Faith Mission Ministry in October to provide dinner at Faith Mission’s walk-in facility. It’s a double meal this time, we’re serving both the women/families and later that evening, we’ll serve the men for dinner, so we’ll be serving around 300 meals!

We’re asking for donations of our side dish, a broccoli salad, and our desserts, pumpkin chocolate cake, to round out our healthy menu!

SELAH members will prepare the main dish, a loaded baked potato casserole with buffalo chicken, on Tuesday night (10/9) and serve at the Community Kitchen on Friday night (10/12). Look for SELAH and/or Mission team members in the Narthex between services to sign-up to donate or help serve our fall meal at the only kitchen in Columbus that is always open and always free! And thanks, as always, for your prayers and your support. Questions contact: Heather Reeves or Amy Seeds in Realm.

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Buddy Bags – They’re back and we need your help!

Starting Sunday Oct. 7th through Sunday Oct. 28th, we will be collecting food and money for Buddy Bags, a collection of specific food items that are sent home with and can be prepared by school age children providing them food for the weekend. Through a partnership with the Family Mentor Foundation, this amazing resource started with the ability to only serve 250 and have grown to serve 750 kids. Unfortunately, this still does not meet the current need.

Pick up a list of food items required and ask any questions at the ministry opportunities table in the narthex on Sundays. We learned from the past collections we can purchase some items from the Family Mentor sources more economically, so those items have been removed from the list. Donated money will be used to purchase those items. Money given should be by check and made payable to, Lord of Life, and have “Buddy Bag” written in the memo line, or donated through Realm by selecting “Buddy Bags” in the drop down menu.

Saturday Nov. 3rd we will prepare to pack buddy Bags. Sunday Nov. 4th we will fill the Buddy Bags. Our goal is to support 300 students for a month which will require 1200 Buddy Bags.

Saturday, October 13th, 2018 4:00 PM—8:00 PM The Reeves Household

Come join us for a wonderful evening of fellowship! Hot dogs and s'mores ingredients provided. Bring a side dish to share, your own beverage and lawn chairs. There will be

a fire pit, a fall craft and games.

This event will happen rain or shine!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!

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What Is Stephen Ministry?

Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2, NRSV).

Stephen Ministry is the one-to-one lay caring ministry that takes place in congregations that use the Stephen Series system. Lord of Life is a Stephen Ministry Congregation. Stephen Ministry congregations equip and empower lay caregivers—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high quality, confidential, Christ-centered care to people who are hurting.

How Stephen Ministry Works

The best way to understand how Stephen Ministry works is to learn about three groups of people involved in this ministry: Stephen Leaders, Stephen Ministers, and care receivers.

Stephen Leaders

Stephen Leaders establish and direct Stephen Ministry in a congregation. They build awareness of Stephen Ministry within the congregation and community. People learn to serve as Stephen Leaders by attending a one-week conference that introduces the resources used to lead Stephen Ministry, and to develops key skills, for caring.

Stephen Ministers

Stephen Ministers provide Christ-centered care to people who are hurting They receive 50 hours of training and monthly Continuing Education

Care Receivers

Care Receivers anyone (friend, neighbor co-worker, relative, you) going through a difficult time— emotionally, spiritually, or relationally? Are you lonely, experiencing a crisis, or simply stressed by everyday life? All including names are very confidential.

Contact: Jan Hoffman - Coordinator at 614-226-3148 or jan@consultjan.com

or Nancy Lentsch at 614-562-8851 or nlentsch@yahoo.com or

Bill Hoffman at 614-313-3039 bill@consultjan.com.

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Panera Book Group

The Panera book group meets each Sunday at Panera located at 2750 Martin Rd, Dublin, down the street from Lord of Life, between the 10AM -11AM hour to discuss chapters of a chosen book and it's relevance to our lives spiritually. The next book the group will be starting is Christmas Jars by Jason Wright. We will meet to begin discussing this book on Sunday October 14th. Please have the first chapter read for that week. All are welcome to join the group at any time!

Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.

Zumba for a Cause

Come support Miriam Vargas and her family, who are currently in sanctuary at First English Lutheran Church, by getting active! Come Zumba with Rani and Stacey Biffle-Quimba! This is a donations only event and will be held October 20th from 11AM-noon. We will accept donations in any amount. We are working on getting child care during this time. Please see Stacey or Rani with any questions.

If you are unable to come but would like to make contributions for Ms. Vargas' legal costs, donations are being handled through Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio. Please make checks out to "UUJO." Please put "SOLIDARITY" in the check memo line. Mail to: Columbus Sanctuary Collective PO Box 980, Worthington OH 43085

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Last Sunday’s Spiritual Arithmetic

Worship Attendance: 197 Operating Fund Giving = $7,329

OUR MISSION

To reach people with

the love of Jesus Christ.

OUR VISION

Lord of Life Lutheran Church is a community of Christ where we experience God's grace, comfort and acceptance through each other. From here, everyone is empowered to share, teach and give what each has received.

OUR VALUES

1. The Gospel calls us to unconditional regard for all people.

2. Prayer is necessary for our relationship with God, one another, and the world.

3. Scripture provides the foundation for our lives of faith.

4. The authority for our ministry is founded in Jesus Christ, the head of the Church which is the Body of Christ on earth. An elected Congregation Council provides administrative authority; our called pastor (s) provides the spiritual authority of the Office of Word and Sacrament Ministry.

5. Each member is uniquely gifted by God for ministry and is expected to mature in discipleship of Jesus Christ.

6. Any ministry based on our Mission, Vision and Core Values is valid for our congregation, and may, at any time, evolve or end.

LoL is on

Find us at www.facebook.com/AcceptingAll or search for Lord of Life Lutheran and “like” us for daily updates and inspirations

@ Lord of Life Church

Sunday Welcome Pastor Martin & Ruth Gehring!

8:00 AM Contemplative Worship

9:00 AM Traditional Worship

10:15 AM Life Passages

10:15 AM Exploring LoL, Rm 309

10:15 AM ONEbody Grow, Annex

11:15 AM crossCurrent Worship

Mon. 6:00 PM crossCurrent Leaders

6:45 PM Boy Scout Troop 243, Gath Space

7:00 PM crossCurrent Rehearsal

7:00 PM Executive Committee

Tues. 10:30 AM Weekly Staff Meeting

4:30 PM Selah Kitchen Prep for Faith Mission

8:00 PM Alcoholics Anonymous*, Rm 309

Weds. 10:00 AM Stephen Ministry Leaders, Fishbowl

5:15 PM Wonderful Wednesday Dinner

5:30 PM Grace Choir, Rehearsal Room

6:00 PM Cherub Choir, Rm 309

6:25 PM Five @ the Font!

7:00 PM Adult Choir, Rehearsal Room

Thurs. 11:00 AM Alcoholics Anonymous*, Rm 309

6:30 PM Alliance Choir*, Gath Space

7:00 PM Congregation Council, Fishbowl

Fri. 8:00 PM Alcoholics Anonymous*, Rm 309

Sat. 8:00 AM Alliance Choir, Gathering Space

4:00 PM Fall Fellowship, Reeves House

8:00 PM Alcoholics Anonymous*, Rm 309

Sunday 8:00 AM Contemplative Worship

9:00 AM Traditional Worship

10:15 AM Life Passages

10:15 AM Exploring LoL, Rm 309

10:15 AM ONEbody Grow, Annex

11:15 AM crossCurrent Worship

Check us out on the web at:

www.acceptingall.com

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MATTHEW 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Stewardship, the giving of our time, talent and treasure, is our joyful response to God’s many gifts and blessings. Our giving supports the ministries and mission of Lord of Life. Our congregation also practices its own giving by including 10% of our budget as a direct gift to the greater Synod and ELCA. We as individuals and as a congregation give in accordance with our blessings! What do you treasure? How have you been blessed? Is your stewardship in direct response to the answer to these questions? Daily prayer for this week: “ Lord, I give you thanks for the many blessings and gifts in my life. I thank you for the opportunity to serve the mission and ministries of this church. Please help me dedicate my time, utilize my talents, and give my treasure in your service, for there will my heart be also”.

Amen