The Monthly Herald April 2018

FROM YOUR PASTOR:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

God’s grace, mercy, and peace be yours as we celebrate the resurrection of our

Lord Jesus Christ, live in the hope He brings, and share the good news of who

He is and what He has done with all who will listen!!

This month begins with the most significant event the world has ever witnessed:

the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead after He laid down His life for

the sins of the whole world. Take that in!! The whole world!! Easter egg

hunts are fun. Chocolate bunnies are delicious. My wife likes Cadbury Eggs. Yet Easter is about

deliverance from death and the hope of eternity. As Paul writes in His letter to the Corinthians:

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is

sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through

our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in

the Lord is not in vain.

This month also begins with “April Fools’ Day.” April 1 is a day in the year that many people pull

pranks and hoaxes on people that are usually harmless. However, being a “fool” as defined by

Scripture is not harmless at all. Psalm 14:1 declares: “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Without faith and trust in

God, there is no grace, no forgiveness, no hope . . . and that is truly tragic.

So let’s not only celebrate Easter on April 1,

rejoicing in Christ’s victory over sin and death.

Let’s live every day as resurrection people,

inviting our Lord into our lives each and every day

and in each and every situation. For as we live the

joyous, resurrected life, God can even use each

one of us to deliver people from the foolishness of

unbelief that they might have hope and joy and

peace through faith in Jesus! For the gift of Easter

is the greatest gift ever given to mankind! Of

course, it’s okay to enjoy a few jelly beans too!

In the Service of the Resurrected Christ,

Pastor Bender

Holy Week, Easter Worship 2

Bible Classes 3

Ladies Groups 4

LWML Rally 5

Quilters & Spring Retreat 6

Stewardship 7

Guatemala 8

School 9

Sr Fun Seekers & Fine Arts Night 10

Youth 11

Hymn of the Month 12

Divine Connections Clothing Give Away 13

Missions 14-17

The Gospel of John: Baptism 18

Farewell & Anniversary Celebration 19

April Calendar 20

Easter Celebration

April 1 at 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00am

Voter’s Meeting April 15, 2018

Mark your calendar and plan to attend!

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We continue our study of the pinnacle of the prophets: Isaiah. During the month of April we will finish

up the first half of Isaiah (chapters 1-39) and then get into the ministry of John the baptizer as foretold

by Isaiah (chapter 40) and delve into the prophetic servant songs about the Messiah to come (chapters

42, 49, 52-53, 55, 60). We meet every Sunday at 9:15am in the Fellowship Hall. All members are

welcome to come and grow in faith, fellowship, and the knowledge of our Lord!

This Bible Study group meets Monday mornings at 11:30am in the Instructional Room.

Class Leader: Laurel Privatt

We have seen that the living God does not leave it to the imagination of His

people regarding worship. God gave definite plans regarding the Tabernacle.

When God chose Mt. Zion for the place of His holy temple, King Solomon built it

after the pattern of the Tabernacle. These were the “God-ordained” places of

worship in the Old Testament times.

Yet, God had something bigger in mind. God would have the body of His Son, Jesus, become the new

Temple. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He was talking about

His holy body. Then, Jesus established a new temple, a living temple made of living stones.

Christianity is the only religion that has a living, breathing, temple of worship. For we are the “body of

Christ” (1 Cor. 12) and we, like living stones, are being built into the temple in which God Himself

dwells! (1 Peter 2) Join us as we grow together in faith and fellowship as “living stones” in the very

temple of God.

We continue to study God’s word given through the apostle Paul which includes many practical

insights for living a distinctively Christian life. In April we will be finishing up chapter four, which

includes one of Pastor’s favorite passages in this letter. We will also get into chapter 5, which has

some of the most important teachings for our day and age. We meet on the 2nd

and 4th

Saturdays of

each month. All men in the congregation are invited to join us as we eat, pray, have good fellowship,

and grow in God’s Word.

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This in-home Bible study is hosted by German and Heather Sanchez. It is held on two Saturday

evenings each month @ 6:00pm. April 7 & 21. You can bring your children with you to the study, as

arrangements have been made to have someone watch them during the study. The Sanchez family's

address: 7111 W. Crawford Ave., Milwaukee. Come and grow in faith and fellowship.

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LWML Mite Box Collection April 7 & 8

LWML Mite Boxes are located in the narthex. All members are welcome to use one and support our mission grants!

Widows Lunch The next Widows Lunch will be on Wednesday April 11th at 11:00 at Outback Steakhouse on 74th Street & Barnard Avenue.

Quilters April 2 & 16 at 9:00am and April 3 & 17 at 6:00pm. If you are interested in the quilting group or have any questions, please contact Dawn Ziolecki at 414-841-6097 or via email at dzwolf2012@gmail.com.

Elizabeth Ministry ~ We have a facebook page for Elizabeth Ministry for our church! It is – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (@elizabethministrysplcwa). Please remember Elizabeth Ministries in your prayers and if you wish to join this group, please contact Julie Avila at

elizabethministrysplcwa@gmail.com.

Ladies Book Club ~ Join us on April 9 at 6:30pm as we discuss “Rooms” by James L. Rubart

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Servants of Christ Conference July 29-30

God’s Peace to You! Please encourage youth in your congregations and youth you know to attend the Servants of Christ Conference at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW). The Servants of Christ Conference will ground youth in the grace of their baptism, teach them about the doctrine of vocation, give them information about college and careers, and allow them to take part in breakaway sessions led by CUW professors and other guest speakers. These sessions are designed to strengthen their faith and help them to live as servants of Christ in our challenging world. The Servants of Christ Conference is for all students in grades 9-12, and it will take place on July 29th and 30th on our Mequon campus. The cost, $25, covers lodging and three meals. Registration opens April 16th. Adult chaperones are welcome to attend for the same cost as students, $25. Please visit and encourage youth to visit this link for more information www.cuw.edu/ServantsofChristConference. 5

Quilters Patch We are happy to welcome Lou Ann Zimmel and Barb Heimsoth to the quilting patch on Tuesday nights. Thanks to Sue Chuppa and Nancy Hoelke for coming on Tuesday nights to welcome and work with the new quilters. A dozen quilts are completed and another dozen quilts are almost done. That is great progress for three months. The shelves in our closet look a little bare right now but come fall, they will be full of quilts. We all know that making quilts takes supplies of fabric, batting and thread. There are also tools that are used in making quilts (scissors, rotary cutters and mats, needles and quilt pins)…Over time some of these get dull or wear-out. Or we need to upgrade items, like to bigger eyes on needles for easier threading. How could you help….

· If you are spring cleaning a sewing room…donate cotton/polyester fabric and thread no longer needed. · If you have cotton/polyester bed sheets that are no longer being used but are still in good condition…we can use them. · If you want to spend some time in fellowship creating quilts…come join us Monday or Tuesday. · Even a few dollars help buy supplies since we try to use coupons and look for sales to keep the cost down.

I am happy to report that our Thrivent Financial Project has been approved. This provides $250 to purchase some of the above items. Most of these funds are used to purchase a 30-yard roll of batting, which at 50% off is about $120.

Thank you to John Ficken for the donation of fabric and other items. Thank you to Fred and Merle Hess for the donation in memory of Harold.

Quilting schedule for April and May is: Monday – April 2nd, 16th and 30th May 7th and 21st at 9:00am to 11:30am Tuesday – April 3rd and 17th May 1st and 15th at 6:00pm to 8:00pm

If you have any questions regarding the quilting group, please contact Dawn Ziolecki at 414-841-6097 or via email at dzwolf2012@gmail.com ___________________________________________________________________________________

Spring Retreat for 55 & Up! Wednesday, May 9 at Cedar Valley, West Bend. “From One Generation to the Next” is our theme for this spring’s retreat. Dr. Patrick Ferry, President of CUW, will help us reflect on how God keeps His promises from one generation to the next, and Dr. Louis Mueller, also of CUW, will show us ways to keep living and MOVING in Him. Registration is $60 for the day that includes a light breakfast and hearty lunch. There will also be an optional Tuesday evening (May 8) dinner and! fellowship followed by a presentation by author Rochelle Pennington about “The Endurance”, a 1914 trans-Atlantic adventure. For complete information and registration, go to swd.lcms.org or call Peg at the District office, 414-292-0744. ________________________________________________________________________________________

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The next time you shop at Northwestern Publishing House, be sure to mention

that St. Paul’s Lutheran Church – West Allis participates in the NPH Extra

Rewards Program. St. Paul’s then receives 1 % of your purchase.

Sharing God’s Bounty

What’s Your Gift?

Perhaps you haven’t spent much time, if any, pondering that question. God

has given each of us at least one gift, though, and if even one of us does not use

that gift, the Body of Christ suffers. Paul, in Ephesians 4:16 writes, “From him

the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows

and build itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Christian stewards tend to have a lower opinion of themselves than they

ought, denigrating their abilities and talents and even their financial capabilities.

When we keep in mind that it is God Himself who has chosen our gifts and

blessed us materially, we realize that to belittle these gifts is to question God’s

wisdom and generosity. Again we read Paul’s words, now from Romans 12:5,

“. . . in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to

all the others.” He goes on to say that whatever our gifts are, we are to use them

as effectively as we can.

Yes, it is the pastor’s job to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments, but we, as stewards who have

received the Great Commission from Matthew 28:19-20, are to be obedient also to Jesus’ command to tell the

Good News to the whole world.

Yes, there are those in your congregation who seem to have more abilities and talents than you, and there may

be members who have more money than you – perhaps may even be very wealthy. Does that exempt you from

the responsibility to serve or to give? By no means! In 2 Corinthians 9:7 we’re commanded, “Each man should

give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful

giver.” Each one is to give and to give cheerfully – of his time, his talents, and his treasures. God looks at the

size of the heart of the giver rather than at the size of his gift. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is

acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12).

If you are not using your gifts, if you are not giving your money, if you are not sharing your time, the Body

of Christ suffers. We need each other and our individual gifts in order that we might carry out our

responsibilities as stewards to the end that the name of Christ might be made known.

Stewardship is not about large giving, but gifts in small ways. A child’s gift, although small, gives

glory to the Lord in many ways. Stewardship does not have to be in monetary ways. A gift of time

to an elderly shut-in serves the Lord, too. A gift of a loaf of bread to a homeless family could mean

the difference between going to bed hungry or going to bed satisfied.

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Krankin’ For Kids Charity Bike Ride & Walk to help support Lutheran Special Schools

Saturday June 23, 2018 at Trinity Lutheran Church – Mequon

Contact Lutheran Special Schools at 414-461-8500 or

their website at www.lsses.org for more details or to register. 7

May 6, 2018

Anniversary & Farewell Celebration

We are pleased to introduce our official team for the October 2018 trip to Groundwork Guatemala. We have an entirely veteran team this year, so we are creating some excitement by shuffling our teaching teams. Working with the young children will be Kristy Baars, Nancy Gottschalk, Bob Reynolds, and Joe Ross. Carri Becker, Lou Ann Zimmel, and Pastor Bender will work with the teens. Crystal Barry, Darla Leitermann, and Lenore VanSanten will work with the adults.

The 3 teams will teach an assigned Faith Lesson in 3 towns and also at the Mission House in Guatemala City. This year’s assignment is Numbers 22, the story of Balaam and his talking donkey. This scripture is proving to be quite a challenge, both for us to understand, and to come up with ways to teach the lesson! And, oh yes, in Spanish...

The team has had a couple of unexpected blessings: We have been able to save nearly $300 per traveler by flying out of O’Hare rather than Milwaukee. And, the Pick N Save in Hales Corners is still sponsoring weekend barbecues, so we can again take advantage of this major fundraising opportunity. We are thankful, and very happy, to be able to focus more on our mission, and less on finances!

Thanks to all of you who enjoyed a meal at Big Deal Burgers on March 16. Not only did you have a great Fish Fry, you were celebrating Pastor B’s birthday AND St. Urho’s day (driving the grasshoppers out of Finland).

Advance Notice: We will be taking orders for wooden boxes, crosses, and the new plaque of Jesus praying, and also for Guatemalan coffee, the first 3 weekends in May. Check your gift list needs: weddings, confirmations, birthdays, etc.

As always, we thank you for your interest and your continued prayers for the Groundwork team and their mission. 8

Save the Date

Greetings to you in the name of our Easter Lord and Savior, Jesus

Christ. April is a wonderful month with many exciting things taking

place. We have the opportunity to complete our achievement testing

to assess how we are doing as teachers, as a school, and how our

students are fairing with respect to their peers across the state. We

get a few days off of school to celebrate the resurrection of our

Savior. We get to share our fine art talents in song, print, and actions

(Fine Arts - 6:00pm, Friday, April 20th in the school gym - you are all

invited). April is a great month.

On Friday, April 27, 2018 we will be hosting a fundraising dinner for Lindsay Radtke.

Lindsay is the mother of Paityn, who is in our 4K, and Owen, who will be coming to our 3K

in the fall. Lindsay has been receiving cancer treatments and we are having this to raise

money to help the family with medical costs. Come and support the Radtke family.

The dinner will be held in the school gym from 5:00pm-6:30pm. The cost of the dinner

will be $5 for an adult and $3 for a child if purchased in advance at the school office

(Grant and Lincoln). If tickets are purchased at the door, the cost will be $7 for adults

and $5 for children. The money from the tickets will be used to cover the cost of the

food. Free Will Donations will be expected to generate additional funds. There will also

be an opportunity to win Brewers tickets. 100% of the profits will go to the Radtke

family. I hope you can make it.

Enrollment is now open for the 2018-19 school year. If you or

someone you know is interested in receiving a Christian education,

please contact the school office. The School Board has Called an Early

Childhood Administrator to coordinate activities at the ECC for next

year. The School Board has also Called a 7th Grade / Middle School

Science Teacher for next year. I pray both will accept their Calls.

Please continue to keep St. Paul's Lutheran School in your prayers as

we equip and train children with Christ as our focus. God’s richest blessings to all of you

as we move forward reaching out to more and more people with the Gospel message.

Yours in Christ,

Rick Schneider

Principal

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Wednesday 5/9 Foamation Tour (cheeseheads etc). The tour is approximately ½ hour and costs

$12.00. It is by appointment only so I will need to know by Monday 4/30 if you would like to

go. Any ideas for lunch.

Thursday 6/14 Nativity Collection at Holy Cross in Menomonee Falls. Free Must go between 1

and 3 pm. Lunch at Odyssey in Meno Falls. Do not need a count for the Collection but would

need to know for lunch which we will do before the tour. Let me know by 6/11.

Thursday 8/2 MPTV studios at MATC Free Would probably go in the morning. They would

like 2 weeks notice so I would need to know by 7/16. Again looking for lunch ideas.

Other ideas: Wis Maritime Museum in Manitowoc about an hour drive from

Milwaukee. Cost is $10.00

Lakefront Brewery- Supposedly has a great Friday Fish Fry after

Tour.

Any other ideas as suggestions are always welcome. Janine at 414-322-9148

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Fine Arts Night -- Friday April 20-- 6 PM “Our Mission Around the World”

St. Paul’s students 3K - 8th grade will share about some of the many countries around the world, teaching about the land, people and cultures through music, art & dance. Join us in the St. Paul’s gym.

We need YOU to come join us for an evening of fun for all ages.

Following our celebration come and see artwork from around the world hosted by our own local renowned artists in the St. Paul’s fellowship hall.

Come and taste treats from around the world while seeing the talented artists.

Come hear and see the students share about God’s love around the world.

We NEED you to help us make Fine Arts Night, April 20th, a success. Do you have any treats you make that are from another country? We would love to have tasty treats to share from other countries at our Fine Arts Night. Please contact Michelle Prince: michelle@splcwa.org or call 414-541-6251 and let us know what you would like to share. Plan to have a card that tells us your treat’s country of origin. Thanks so much for sharing! 10

Sr. High News April 14 @ 8:30am – Milwaukee Rescue Mission Servant Activity

Serving the Lord by serving others in need is a great way to bless our Lord’s heart. It is also a

wonderful blessing to serve, as we grow to know that servanthood is simply part of being a

Child of God. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall about 8:30a.m., leave for the rescue mission

about 8:45a.m., and then serve in whatever way they ask us to serve. We should return to

church about 11:15a.m. or so. If you need service hours, bring your sheets for pastor to sign. If

your parent can also help drive, please let Pastor Bender know (217-779-7985)

April 29 @ 6:00pm – Dinner and a Movie at Pastor’s House

A Mexican fiesta with tacos, nachos, guacamole and a special dessert will be served. Then we

will watch a movie that will help us grow in faith with a Bible study and discussion to follow.

We should be done about 8:30pm. Come and invite your friends to join you!

Renewed in Christ Hope • Strength • Soar

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Easter Message

The joy of each Easter morn,

As God’s children gather in

The house of the Lord.

Hearing the angel proclaiming

At the empty tomb, He is not here.

He has risen

He has risen indeed

Our Savior lives – Alleluia!!

Elaine Lemke

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Make Songs of Joy LSB #484 The month of April brings spring flowers, warmth and joy as we celebrate the resurrection of our King, Jesus. Our hymn of the month helps us lift our spirits and praise the Lord. Here are a few stanzas from our hymn this month:

Make songs of Joy to Christ, our head; Alleluia! He lives again who once was dead! Alleluia!

Our life was purchased by His loss; Alleluia! He died our death upon the cross. Alleluia! O death, where is your deadly sting? Alleluia! Assumed by our triumphant King! Alleluia!

What a joyful song of praise! We bring our praise and joy to our King as He has risen from the dead for us! Praise the Lord! ♬ ♬ ♬

The Lutheran A Cappella Choir of Milwaukee will present its Spring Concert “Ye Shall Have a Song” on Friday, April 27th at 7:30pm and again on Sunday, April 29th at 3:00pm. Friday’s concert will take place at Hales Corners Lutheran Church, 12300 W. Janesville Rd. in Hales Corners, and Sunday’s concert will take place at St. Matthew’s Ev. Lutheran Church, 1615 N. Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa.

We are looking forward to being joined by the Concert Choir from Martin Luther High School in presenting Mozart’s “Missa Brevis in D”, accompanied by strings and organ. Their choir will also be performing two works of their own. Additional works by Randall Thompson, Alice Parker, Mack Wilberg and others will also be featured, including a number of Early American hymn tunes.

Tickets are $15.00 each and $12.00 for Seniors and Students. Tickets will be available at the door, and are also available for purchase on the choir’s website atwww.lutheranacappella.org. The Lutheran A Cappella Choir of Milwaukee, now in its 82nd season, is a volunteer group of Christian singers that employs the finest sacred music from all centuries to convey the message of our Triune God. More information is available at http://www.lutheranacappella.org/spring-concert-2018.html We are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/LACofMKE

Lutheran Special School - JOIN THE JOURNEY - CELEBRATION LUNCHEON DATE: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 TIME: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PLACE: Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI COST: $100 per plate ($60 tax deductible) -- Table sponsorships are available/encouraged. SPECIAL GUEST: Mr. LeRoy Butler, former Packer safety, has committed to being part of our celebration event! Come hear him talk about his own personal journey, get your picture taken with him, and try for some great Packer items to take home! You won't want to miss this! And I encourage you to sign up soon because we expect to fill the room. You can register on-line at www.lsses.org.

Teachers Needed: Lutheran Special School (LSSES) is growing!!! Thanks to the move to our own building last June, LSSES is expanding and adding an elementary and secondary classroom for the 2018-2019 school year. We are looking for teachers with special ed training who would enjoy teaching in a creative, ministry-minded, making a difference kind of school. Please contact info@lsses.org for more information!

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St. Paul’s Divine Connections, our Outreach Ministry, will be holding the

annual “Community Clothing Giveaway” on Sat. April 14 2018

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School West Allis- ECC

7835 W. Grant Street.

The goal of this clothing drive is to minister to those in need by providing gently used clothing.

We are looking for help and support in the following areas:

1. Volunteer to work taking in clothing at designated time and at the ECC-see below for drop off times.

2. Volunteer to help sort the clothing on Saturday, April 7, 2018 beginning at 9:00 am ending at noon at the ECC. Anytime that you can give will be appreciated

3. Volunteer to help move tables from the main school to the ECC. Friday April 13, 2018 4. Volunteer to set up for the clothing drive on Friday April 13, 2018 any time after 3:00 at the ECC. 5. Volunteer to work at the event, helping attendees and help to serve food on April 14h, 2018 any

time during 9-3. 6. Donate clothing.

Volunteer sign-up sheets are located in the Narthex.

If you would like to donate clothing the following drop off dates and times are as follows:

Drop off location- St. Paul’s Early Childhood Center- 7835 W. Grant Street

In addition to the dates below, clothing can also be placed in the bin located between the doors at the ECC.

Saturday – April 7 - after the 5:00 church service

Sunday – April 8 - after 10:30 church service

PAPER GROCERY BAGS NEEDED!!! If you have any questions, please contact Bonnie Kroner 414-331-0910 or Terri Strysick 414-659-3874

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Join Friends of Concordia and travel to the Fireside Theater in Fort Atkinson for the next show April 28, 2018. 42ND STREET is a celebration of Broadway, Times Square and the people who make the magic of musical theatre. Aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer comes to the big city and soon lands her first job in the ensemble of a glitzy new Broadway show. The night before opening, the leading lady

breaks her ankle. Will Peggy be able to step in and become a star? With a score chock-full of Broadway hits, this show is every musical lover’s dream come true! Reservation information regarding cost, pickup locations and times are available by calling Sandy Vick in the Advancement office (262) 243-4333. Make reservations this week, seats are going fast. Fireside Gift Cards are accepted for payment. Bring a friend!

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FAREWELL AND

ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION

MAY 6TH

2018- SUNDAY

12:00 P.M. – St. Paul’s gym

SAY FAREWELL TO ST. PAUL’S STAFF

STARTING A NEW JOURNEY IN LIFE.

CELEBRATE STAFF AND Faculty

ANNIVERSARIES AND REJOICE IN THE

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES OF ST. PAUL’S

MEMBERS.

FREE LUNCH PROVIDED - Deluxe

Burger Bar, FRENCH FRIES, ONION RINGS,

FRUIT SALAD, beverages and sundaes.

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