sacred life - faith lutheran church · 2021. 1. 16. · sermon - “sacred life” song - “made...
TRANSCRIPT
WELCOME TO FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH
Inviting all people to faith ... Come and Worship - Go and Work
Pastor - Lee Laaveg | Ministers - All
Phone: 712-580-4316 2912 Highway Blvd, Spencer, Iowa 51301
January 17, 2021 - 9:00 a.m. Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Email us at: [email protected]
Catch us on the Web: www.faithlutheranspencer.com | YouTube Live Stream
Follow us @flcspencer
Like us on Facebook Faith Lutheran Church LCMC
Watch us on SMU: Monday @ 8:30 p.m. and Tuesday @ 11:00 a.m.
Sacred Life
Prelude
*Opening Song - “Lifesong”
Welcome
Prayer
Song - “Children Of The Heavenly Father”
*Invocation
We meet in the strong name of our God,
We praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
*Litany (from Lamentations 3)
Lord, renew our minds by your Spirit;
So that we might be filled with hope.
Your loving kindnesses never cease;
Your compassions never fail.
They are fresh and new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness, O God.
The LORD is our portion;
Therefore, our souls find hope in Him.
The LORD will not reject forever;
He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.
*Prayer of the Day
Lord God, you are the giver of life, and only you have the power to end life. We
confess today that life is your sacred gift to each of us. Thank you for the gift of life
in all its fullness and beauty. Empower us to nurture and sustain all life, our own and
the life of others. Give us the courage to protect and cherish life at every age,
especially the life of the innocent and the vulnerable. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
First Lesson - Jeremiah 1:4-12
Second Lesson - Psalm 139:13-18, 23-24
Gospel - Matthew 18:1-6, 10, 14
Children’s Message
Song - “Who Am I”
WELCOME!
Our 9:00 a.m. worship service is also found live on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/user/faithlutheranspencer
The church office is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Please contact the church office at 712-580-4316 for any questions or concerns.
Sermon - “Sacred Life”
Song - “Made New”
*Confession of Faith
Prayers of the Church
*Words of Institution for Holy Communion
*Lord’s Prayer
Communion and Song - “Take My Life And Let It Be”
*Blessing
*Closing Song - “Sing, Wherever I Go”
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
*Please stand if you are able.
First Lesson - Jeremiah 1:4-12 4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I
knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you as a
prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Oh, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to
speak, because I am a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall
speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to save you,” declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me,
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have appointed you this day over
the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to tear down, to destroy and to
overthrow, to build and to plant.” 11 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then
the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”
Second Lesson - Psalm 139:13-18, 23-24 13 For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give
thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your
works, and my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was
made in secret, and skillfully formed in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen
my formless substance; and in Your book were written all the days that were ordained for
me, when as yet there was not one of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts for
me, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber
the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; put me to the test and know my anxious
thoughts; 24 and see if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
Gospel - Matthew 18:1-6, 10, 14 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom
of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, 3 and said,
“Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the
kingdom of heaven. 4 So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives
Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for
him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the
depths of the sea.
10 “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that their
angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 14 So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.
Pastor’s Ponderings . . . 1. What does it mean to say, “Life is sacred”?
2. When do you think the life of an individual begins? What is the basis of your
belief?
3. If you have ever been pregnant, or been an expectant father, did you ever
dream about what this growing child would be like before he or she was born? About the child’s potential life adventures? About their looks or personality?
4. Is the pro-choice vs. pro-life dialogue exclusively about political positions, or
do faith and God’s Word inform this important ethical issue?
5. Does the way you live diminish or nurture the life of others? Is the way you
live loving toward others?
6. Why is the grace of God in Jesus’ name vitally important to all of us?
7. What does it mean to live a Gospel-motivated life?
Ingham Okoboji Lutheran
Bible Camp Sunday
Today we welcome Dan Antoine, IOLBC Program Director, who will be sharing about all our opportunities at the camp this summer. He will also be sharing during the opening time of Sunday School hour today.
Welcome and Thank you Dan!
2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Lakes Ice Arena (formerly Boji Bay Ice Arena)
3800 Sunner Ave., Spirit Lake
$10 per person
Meet at the Ice Arena at 2:30 p.m.
Help needed ... Council Secretary
Would you consider helping for a few hours
each month on a Wednesday night?
The 2021 Council needs a secretary to take notes and write minutes for their
meetings. This is a great way to serve God and Faith!
Do you feel the nudge to try?
Please contact Larry Wigen - 712-240-2647 or [email protected] - (or the church
office at 712-580-4316 or [email protected]) for further information.
Annual
January 27 - Registration
Deadline for Outreach Night at
IOLBC | If interested in attending
on Sunday, Jan. 31, contact
Brittany Spieker at 712-260-4273
January 31 @ 5:00 p.m. -
Outreach Night at IOLBC
(Winter Games)
6:30 p.m.
WoW! Worship
Service and
Confirmation
Wednesday, January 20
Mountains of Glory - Mount Sinai
5:30 p.m.
WoW!
Community Meal:
Maidrites
Next Sunday,
January 24
Immediately
following Worship
2020 Annual Reports
are available on the
Welcome Center and
in the Devotions Box.
Call Team Election Process It is important to clarify a few things about process
for the nomination, selection and work of Faith’s
Call Team in 2021! It is an exciting time in the life
of a congregation to seek and call a new pastor for
the next chapter of Faith’s life and ministry.
Our constitution and bylaws state that we will have
nine to fifteen people on the Call Team for the
search process to call a new pastor. It instructs
that we should seek to elect a Call Team with
different ages, gender, and family dynamics. We would desire that the Call Team be
appropriately representative of the congregation. The president of the congregation is
an ex-officio member of the Call Team.
At the office, we have had several people express a willingness to serve. We also have
had a number of names brought forward as good possible candidates. We have
compiled a list of these people. But, please remember several things. First, each Call
Team candidate will need to have someone nominate them the day of Faith’s annual
meeting on January 24th. Second, offering yourself to serve or being willing does not
necessarily mean that the individual will be elected to serve.
2021 President Larry Wigen is in contact with Rev. Perry Fruhling, LCMC’s Pastoral
Coordinator, about these matters. He will come on January 30-31 to preach and to
visit with the elected Call Team about the process.
Faith would be well served to take a step back and evaluate how our church is doing
in our mission, values, and programs. In that same conversation, it would be helpful
for the congregation to offer input on the qualities everyone feels are essential in
Faith’s next pastor.
Please pray daily about all these things, and plan to attend our annual meeting to
have a part in electing our Call Team. We look forward in faith expectantly.
Call Team Interest
Offering to Serve Suggestions received
Ann Lear Al Vanderberg Ruby Nitzel
Patty Ellsworth Doug Schwartz Linda or Dave Susie
Pete Crew Karen Brandt Cindy Tigges
Cheryl Hessenius Kyle Rouse One of the Tigges boys for youth
Del Brockshus
Happy
Anniversary
to ...
January 19
Paul and Kris Behrens
Happy Birthday
to ... January 17
Julie Fisher
January 18
Lisa Becker
January 19
Courtney Thompson
Debbie Zitterich
Kiersten Campbell
January 20
Pam Hanson
Norm Nielsen
January 21
Colton Doran
Denise Laaveg
January 22
Hannah Dibble
Amy Freeman
January 23
Gerald Hanson
Dear friends and partners in the Gospel,
We have a prayer request for you guys.
God has been leading us in a direction of going into
South Sudan to provide leadership training, as we
partner with a few pastors there. I just had a meeting
with the pastor with whom I have been growing in a
relationship, and he is looking at opening up a
training center in his village. He has planted 6
churches, and they are in great need of training. They
want to evangelize and plant more churches in their
area of South Sudan, but these new Christians don't
have the needed Bible training to do it. They have
learned that much of their area of South Sudan have
never even heard the name of Jesus. They are
worshipping false gods past down through their
ancestors.
We are looking for God's leading in possible
partnering with them in the training center's opening.
They are building small brick houses for the students
to sleep in, and they are harvesting enough food to
feed the students for the first term. If God wills, we
will help them in some of the other necessary items
needed, materials, partnering in teaching by making
trips there, etc. We need prayers for guidance in all of
this! We don't know yet if we begin before the trip
back to the states or wait until we return, only that
we may not return until July. We would love to begin
a term before we leave. With this, we would be
making trips throughout the year so that we would
continue the ministry with the children in the village
of Pawel.
We have some special prayer requests for our prayer
warriors ...
1. Planning our trip back to the states with the
current situation.
Josh and Whitney Smith and
Family in Uganda
Dear Visitors,
We are glad you are
worshiping with us today!
We’d love to connect with
you. Please share your
contact information, and a
member of Faith will be in
touch with you soon.
Please put this form in the
offering bowl at the back of
the church. - Thank you!
Name/Family Names:
_________________________
_________________________
Phone Number:
_________________________
Email:
_________________________
Address:
_________________________
I’d like to ...
Learn more about
opportunities at Faith.
Learn about becoming a
member.
Join a small group.
Visit with the Pastor.
Other: _______________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
Thanks for
worshiping with us!
Share Your Faith Memories!
Watch for articles
in the newsletter,
the bulletin, and
for videos in our
worship together
of Faith people
sharing special
memories of
Faith’s first ten
years! Many of
you have cool
stories to tell
about how God’s Spirit assisted in the birth and early
years of our congregation’s life. Maybe it’s about our
building, a special memory or event at our church, your
involvement as a leader, or a unique relationship with a
special person.
Would you be willing to write out your special memory,
or your treasured event from our life of Faith together?
Write your story or memory and send it to Lori Krei in
the office at [email protected].
Help us tell our story please! We will be remembering
and celebrating these reflections and videos all year.
2. That God would give us wisdom in timing and how
to approach this ministry opportunity as we would
partner with them and the current ministry we are
serving here in Uganda - Mobilizing Uganda for
Mission.
3. Guidance as we continue assessing costs,
materials, and above all,
God's will!
Thank you so much for your
dedication to missions
around the world and our
ministry and our family!
God bless,
Joshua, Whitney, and kids
Jordyn, Jayda and Jonah
GIVING YEAR TO DATE ATTENDANCE
NOVEMBER $37,735.35 $318,627.52 115
DECEMBER $36,004.87 $354,632.39 62
DESIGNATED GIVING 2020 - $183,615.66
JAN. 1-3 $ 3,645.00 $ 3,645.00 86/12
JAN. 4-10 $ 7,280.00 $ 10,925.00 99/12
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10: YOUTUBE LIVE-STREAMING COMPUTERS - 42
Thank you for generously supporting Faith Lutheran in 2021!
9:00 a.m. Worship Recommendations As discussed by Faith Lutheran Council on Wednesday, September 9, 2020:
1. All are welcome to enter the church building through any door.
2. Please respect 6-foot social distancing.
3. Please respect and be mindful of those who mask to stay safe.
4. For health reasons, masks are encouraged for those who wish to sing.
5. Unmasked individuals are welcome to sit in the 2 sections east of the
center aisle.
It is wonderful to worship the Lord together!
GENERAL OFFERING
AND ATTENDANCE
“The Lord’s acts
of mercy indeed
do not end,
For His compassions
do not fail.”
Lamentations 3:22
2021 “God’s Creation”
Calendars are
still available!
Cost is $10.00 each!
You can pick one up
at the table in the back.
Take one home TODAY!
Offering Envelopes
Are Available! Offering envelopes for 2021 are
available on the table at the back
of the church. Please sign your
name and record the envelope
number on the form
provided.
- Thank you!
Pastor: Lee Laaveg
Outreach & Stephen Ministry Director:
Eric Patten - [email protected]
Custodian: Rich Stueven
Technology Director: Lori Krei
Office Assistant: Cheryl Stueven
LifeKids Director: Radina Jansen
Worship Director: Denise Laaveg
Church Administrator: Lori Krei
Faith Lutheran Church Staff:
Thank you to today’s . . .
Worship Leader Dennis Larson
Instrumentalists Denise Laaveg, Jared Hansen, Conner Essick
Vocalist Radina Jansen
Scripture Reader GA Darnell
Children’s Message Dodo and Emu
Prayers of the Church LaVonne Clark
Altar Prep Denise Laaveg
Camera Paul Wire
Lead Tech Lori Krei
Fellowship Lee and Nancy Ketcham
Fellowship Set-up Nancy Ketcham
Greeters/Ushers Paul and Kris Behrens
Next Sunday, January 24
Worship Leader Jim Paulsen
Instrumentalists Denise Laaveg, Jared Hansen, Conner Essick
Vocalist Ross and Beth Brockshus
Scripture Reader Dave Susie
Children’s Message Radina Jansen
Prayers of the Church Dave Simington
Altar Prep Denise Laaveg
Camera Cheryl Stueven
Lead Tech Lori Krei
Fellowship Dave and Barb Solberg
Fellowship Set-up Barb Solberg
Greeters/Ushers Brett and Jolynne Eilts
Faith Lutheran Church
Videos on SMU
Each week our worship
service is broadcast on
SMU Channel 3 on
Monday and Tuesday. The
service may also be viewed
on the SMU website.
A handy link is provided
here: https://bit.ly/3aj4jyq
This Week at Faith!
Today - Sunday, January 17
8:00 a.m. Worship Vocalists/Instrumentalists Rehearsal
9:00 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
10:30 a.m. Sunday School
1:00 p.m. Worship - Masks Required
2:30-4:30 p.m. Ice Skating
Monday, January 18
7:40 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. All-Day LifeKids-Field trip: Dickinson County Nature Center
Tuesday, January 19
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. LifeKids After School Program
Wednesday, January 20
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. LifeKids After School Program
5:30 p.m. WoW! Community Meal - Maidrites and Chips
6:30 p.m. WoW! Worship service
Confirmation
7:00 p.m. High School Youth Group
Thursday, January 21
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. LifeKids After School Program
Friday, January 22
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. LifeKids After School Program
Saturday, January 23
7:30 a.m. Men’s Bible Study
Upcoming Events!
January 24 - Annual Congregational Meeting
January 27 - IOLBC Outreach Night deadline
January 31 - Guest Speaker Pastor Perry Fruhling
January 31 - IOLBC Outreach Night - Winter Games
Please contact the church office (712-580-4316) for a current calendar of events.
Or, check the online calendar at www.faithlutheranspencer.com/events