Welcome Back / Come All

Come and join us for an Open House on Sunday, September 12th as we move into fall and

a new schedule! We want to show off the new Nursery and Library that our Operations Team

worked hard to transform. Look at the new screens in the Social Hall, Patio Room and

Fireside Room thanks to Pr. Scott and Operations. The Narthex/Atrium area is also receiving

an update thanks to Operations and Evangelism. At the Open House, also come and see

Playtown Preschool Center – this is a great ministry of OSLC that we proudly support. If you

have never seen the great space, we invite you to venture upstairs and check it out! Thanks

to our Caring & Fellowship Cabinet and additional volunteers, we will continue to provide

Sunday morning coffee and donuts outside by the Portico. Open House 9:30 - 10:30 AM

This isn’t quite the September for which we have been planning. Yes, (at the time of this

writing – always subject to change) we have returned to wearing masks indoors and done

some readjusting as we plan for ministry this fall. However, we (staff and leadership) are still

excited about returning and new ministries, and we want YOU to be a part of it.

NEW SUNDAY SCHEDULE BEGINS SEPTEMBER 12:

8:30 AM worship (this service is primarily organ/piano led with more ‘traditional’ liturgy)

9:45 AM Sunday School for our 2 year olds – 5th grade students in The Bridge

10:30 AM worship (this service is primarily band led with a slightly less structured liturgy)

So, come to the service that works for you! If we haven’t seen you in worship for awhile –

this is your invitation. I hope to see you soon!

We will not begin our Wednesday night worship service at this time; we will wait until we can

also have a meal and more ministry and fellowship opportunities with it. However, adult

choir resumes on September 8th! Confirmation for 6th-8th graders also begins this month.

Our new grief group has started, and more adult education opportunities are coming. In

addition, we have our Outdoor Movie Nights for members and neighbors. We are hopeful

we can resume sending volunteers into Johnson Elementary soon.

I have been blessed to serve a year now as your Sr. Pastor, and am in awe

that I get to be a part of the ministry at OSLC! Certainly, stepping into this

role in the midst of a pandemic has brought extra challenges. For example,

I don’t yet know all the people of OSLC and don’t know who is missing. If I

haven’t met you, please introduce yourself on Sunday or call the office so

we can connect. If there are folks you haven’t seen, please let me know – but also reach

out to them and invite them to join you on Sunday! If you, or someone you know, has a

(continued pg. 3)

Cro

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uth

era

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We are Rallying Back! Many OSLC ministries are starting back up this month:

Confirmation – Pool & Pizza Party September 1; Orientation September 4 or 8 (see pg. 4)

Music – Contemporary Band rehearsals begin Sept 2; Choir begins Sept 8 (see pg. 3)

Sunday School – Classes begin September 12 (details on pg. 4)

We invite you to these and other small groups/activities reconvening this month. Be a part of

our community to find friends in faith and grow in your relationship with Christ. Welcome back!

grow

share

love

inspire

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy.”

Philippians 1:3-4

Congrats, Pr. Rob!

Page 2

Calendar

September 2021

Page 3

September 2021

Worship & Music

Council

”Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart.

Come, just as you are to worship. Come, just as you are before your God. Come!”

– Brian Doerkson

Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite hymns! 51 people participated and

there were 73 different hymns named as favorites. The top four hymns named were:

1. How Great Thou Art (top vote-getter by one)

2. Here I Am, Lord 3. Amazing Grace 4. Children of the Heavenly Father

All four of these hymns will be sung sometime during the months of September and

October during Sunday morning worship. More of your favorite hymns will be

incorporated into worship throughout the year.

Attention All Singers & Instrumentalists: OSLC Choir (8:30 AM Choir) begins rehearsals

on Wed, September 8th, 7:00 – 8:30 PM in the Worship Center. We will sing at the

8:30 service, with an 7:30 warm-up prior, each Sunday beginning September 12. Our

10:30 AM Contemporary Band begins rehearsals Thurs, September 2nd from

3:30 – 5:30 PM. If you are interested in being a part of our band, please set up a time

to meet with Paula for an audition. Music ministry will be observing COVID-19 safety

protocols by wearing masks at rehearsals and worship.

As our worship schedule grows to two services each week, we are in need of additional

volunteers for all worship ministries: Sound Tech, Video Screen Tech, Live Streaming

Tech, Communion Servers, Ushers, Healing Anointers (pray for members during

5th Sunday Healing service), Readers, Assisting Ministers, Greeters, and of course,

the Fellowship (donut) Ministry. Please contact Paula Mowbray to find out how you

can help. paula@OSLCRockford.com

A Message from OSLC’s President

Why Did We Have to Go Back to Masks?

By now, you have heard that the leadership of OSLC has decided to

require masks in worship and other indoor groups, as recommended by

CDC guidance. While it is disappointing, we felt it was necessary. Why?

The CDC recommends that people living in low vaccination areas

where the virus is spreading should wear masks in indoor groups.

Winnebago County, unfortunately, is one of those areas, with only 43%

of the population being fully vaccinated as I write this. This compares

with a statewide rate of 51%.

When can we ditch the masks? We don’t know at this point. It depends

almost completely on how many people get vaccinated. Only then

can we slow the spread of the virus. We will monitor the vaccination

rates and CDC guidance and keep you posted.

Will the choir be together to sing during worship? The choir will sing in the

fall, but with special masks to protect each other and the congregation.

Ministry continues and your generosity is important, even in the

continuing uncertainty. We can still be in fellowship as well. Let’s be

grateful that we can be together!

Jim Provenza, Council President / president@OSLCRockford.com

Paula Mowbray / Director of Worship & Music / paula@OSLCRockford.com

Welcome Back cont. (from pg. 1)

situation that has changed and would

benefit from being on our Home

Communion list, please just call the

office and let us know. We have added

new home communion volunteers and

want to make sure we are caring for all

members of OSLC.

Although things still look different than

we would like, I am confident that God

is with us as we move forward together

into a new day in ministry. I am grateful

to be in ministry with you.

God’s Blessings,

Pastor Rob James

Senior Pastor

(prrob@OSLCRockford.com)

New OSLC Intern

Welcome, Matt!

Our Savior’s welcomes

Matt Larson to our team.

A student in the Mass

Communication Program at

Rock Valley College, Matt

will serve as our AV intern

through mid-December.

Did you know? Matt is a

Rockford Lutheran graduate

and OSLC member. He

served as a Vacation Bible

School volunteer for many

years. Matt and his parents,

Frank & Lynn Larson, are

neighbors to OSLC.

Please stop by the sound

booth and share a

welcome and wave hello.

Page 4

Confirmation is about to begin!

To register your student, visit

OSLCRockford.com/youth to access the youth

page and link to the registration form.

We also offer a virtual option if you live outside

of the Rockford area.

Please join us. More information found at:

https://oslconfirmation.weebly.com/

Please contact Pr. Scott if you have any

questions about the Confirmation program at

OSLC. (prscott@OSLCRockford.com)

To kick off this year of Confirmation, we invite all

confirmation youth to a Pool & Pizza Party at

Pr. Rob and Ann’s house on Wednesday,

September 1 from 6-8 PM.

Children & Youth

Playtown Preschool

Our third and last week of summer school was held

August 9-13. The week was full of learning about the

ocean! Next summer we plan on having summer

school again as this was a

great way for the kids to

learn throughout the

summer!

Our first day of preschool is Wed, September 1.

We have some new families and some returning

families that will be with us. Most of our families do

live close to OSLC, and many come to Playtown

through word of mouth. Please “like” our Facebook

page and share with friends and family that we do

have openings for 3, 4, and 5 year olds.

Playtown is in need of a few substitutes. We are

looking for people who we could call in the event

that Miss Amy or Miss Jenn could not come to

school. The hours are 7:45 AM – 12:00 PM Monday

– Friday. To be a substitute, you just need to fill out

some paperwork and be fingerprinted. You do not

have to have any college credits, just a love for

children. You would work as an assistant to Miss

Amy or Miss Jenn. Please contact Playtown if you

would like to help out

(playtown@OSLCRockford.com).

Amy McCormick, Playtown Preschool Director

Blue Stone Ministry

As followers of Jesus, we are all called to be disciples. This can

be an intimidating call to action. Many Lutherans want to follow

this call, but don’t know how to begin. The Blue Stone Ministry is

a beautiful, loving way to give hope to those in need, and

introduce them to God’s loving message. It also allows Christians

to begin their discipleship by demonstrating and sharing their

faith with those that most need to hear the Good News.

We encourage you to take a blue stone

and when you encounter someone in

need, give the stone away and share

“please take this blue stone and be

reminded God Loves you, He is always

with you, and I will be praying for

you.” There is no power in the stone, but

there is power in our words and actions of

love displayed in kindness and caring for others. The stone is a

reminder of encountering God’s love and compassion.

Be amazed at what God can do with even the very smallest

effort on our part.

And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of

men.” Matthew 4

Sunday School Students two years old through 5th grade: Join us in The Bridge

on September 12 at 9:45 AM for a treasure hunt and

adventure into Sunday School. We will gather, seek and find

hidden treasures, plus meet our serving teams. We look

forward to experiencing the true stories of the Bible while

having fun together. Parents are welcome to adventure with

us. Questions? Connect with Cyndi@oslcrockford.com

Nursery News

The nursery will be open for families to use starting on

September 12. It is not staffed at this time. We hope to have

Nikki (our Nursery Attendant) back as soon as it is possible. Until

then, we have two areas in the Atrium for families to use, and

the nursery available to watch and experience worship while

your children play. The TV in the nursery allows you to be a part

of worship and know when to come in for communion.

The nursery is a beautiful,

clean, safe environment for

families to use with children

birth – four years old. The

nursery is located off the

Social Hall (up the ramp

and turn to the left).

Page 5

September 2021

September Mission of the Month: Carpenter’s Place

The mission of Carpenter’s Place (CP) for the past 20 years has been to provide the tools

necessary for rebuilding the lives of homeless adults. Program case management and

accountability, combined with the determination and hard work of its homeless guests,

completes the formula for success! In the last 12 months, homeless adults in the CP

case management program achieved the following results:

• 185 obtained stable housing

• 108 secured employment (83 full-time; 25 part-time)

On average, four homeless men and women secure housing,

and two gain employment each week at CP. Lives are changing in phenomenal ways!

Missions

COVID-19 and Recycling Submitted by Lynne Townsend

As we began wearing masks in 2020, we also began to see many

discarded where garbage accumulates, as our Green Team found

when we participated in the Great American cleanup. In February

2021, Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful provided tips to end confusion

about recycling during a pandemic. Since the delta variant has

again forced unwelcome changes to our routines, it’s worth

remembering them:

• Keep plastic bags, masks, wipes and latex gloves out of the

recycling bin. They are not recyclable and are considered trash.

• If someone in your home has COVID-19, treat your recyclables

as trash.

KNIB also included a few general reminders:

• Don’t put recyclables in plastic bags. Plastic bags are not recyclable.

• Cans and jars must be rinsed or fairly

clean to be recycled.

• Break down cardboard boxes and put

them in the recycling bin whenever

possible.

• Put recycling and trash in the appropriate bins, not next to them.

They may not get picked up and may end up blowing around.

• Refer to your trash hauler for their rules and regulations. If you bring

your items to KNIB, refer to the website for a complete list of what is

accepted: knib.org.

Mission Updates Our July Mission of the

Month was school supplies

support for Johnson

School, Playtown Preschool

and WELCA/school supply

kits. A total of $2,205 was

collected in monetary gifts

and a huge amount of

actual school supplies.

These contributions will be

equitably distributed

among the three entities.

Special thanks to Kathy

Stim for her work on this

initiative (job well done).

Our August mission partner

was Johnson School, and

a “Back to School” family

hot dog cookout was

scheduled for August 31.

Thanks to all for your help

with this event.

KNIB Clothing Drive

September 11 @ OSLC • 9 AM - 1 PM

Our Savior’s is pleased to be a host site for

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful’s fall clothing

drive on Saturday, September 11. Place all

items into plastic bags, and remain in your

car while volunteers remove the items from

your vehicle.

All donations must be

bagged; no loose

items accepted.

Clothing that is not

wearable will be

recycled into things like carpet padding

and insulation. Only clean clothing

accepted – wearable or not, bedding,

pillows, fabric, stuffed toys, soft sided

luggage, belts, purses and shoes.

Clothing drives such as this help reduce 85%

of unwanted clothing from going to landfills.

Mobile Library The Rockford Public Library’s Mobile Library

may be making a stop or two at OSLC in

the coming weeks. We are not sure of their

schedule at this time. Watch for details.

The Missions team will provide an opportunity for the congregation to support

Carpenter’s Place this month.

• Tables will be outside after church on September 12 & 19.

• View the display of food items needed (large cans of vegetables, fruit, etc.).

• Purchase one or more items to help with CP’s meal program by donating online or

by check, or by purchasing the item(s) and dropping off at OSLC by September 30.

You can also text "OSLCRKFD Missions" to 73256 to give using your mobile device.

This number will never send unsolicited texts to you. Please indicate which mission

you are supporting by designating the mission on the memo line provided.

Did you know that a faithful group of OSLC volunteers provides meals to Carpenter’s

Place every second Wednesday of the month? We give thanks for their ministry. Thank

you for your generosity in supporting brothers and sisters in Christ.

Page 6

WELCA Sunday

Sunday, September 26

We look forward to our annual celebration of the Women of the ELCA

and the active ministry of OSLC. Our guest preacher will be Pastor Violet

Johnicker, pastor of Brooke Road United Methodist Church, Associate Director of Rockford Urban Ministries, and

a frequent contributor to the Rockford Register Star.

The Worship Center will be decorated with quilts, and special treats will be served at the fellowship time between

services.

WELCA Event

Tuesday, September 28 • 10 :00 AM – 12:30 PM

“Flora and Fellowship” at Klehm Arboretum

All women and guests are invited to meet at the Visitor’s Center at 9:50 for a docent

led walking or riding (open air) tour followed by a box lunch on the patio. The tour is

approx. one hour. Both activities are outdoors; masks required. Bring a foldable

chair to the meeting spot (we will store for you). When you enter the Arboretum, tell

them you are attending the OSLC WELCA event. Registration is required. First dozen

registrants receive reserved seating on the patio for lunch! Please complete the

registration form found at the Information Center and submit form/payment to

OSLC WELCA with Klehm on memo line. Registrations due Tues, September 14. See

details on the registration form for ways to submit your registration. For more details,

visit OSLCRockford.com/women or contact Lisa Doll at henli@comcast.net.

Calendar Collection

Are you starting to receive calendars in the mail? Are you getting more than you

need? This year, starting in September, WELCA will again be collecting all sizes of

2022 calendars for Cornucopia Food Pantry clients to keep track of the dates of

food distribution. Your help is appreciated. Thank you!

Book Club

September 20 • 6:30 PM

Join us Monday, September 20 in

the new library for a discussion of

Butcher by our own Reid Matthias

(former OSLC pastor). The first in

Reid's trilogy The Amicable Circle,

Butcher is the story of a butcher

with an amazing gift of "reading

people" which can be both a

blessing and a curse. His

interactions with the residents of

the small Iowa town he moves to

highlights the pitfalls of not being

able to accept change in our

lives. The book unveils a host of

characters who become

intertwined in many unexpected

ways.

WELCA & Events

Financial Update

as of July 31, 2021

To the left is a summary of the

General Fund/Operating and Playtown

Preschool revenue and expenses as of

July 31, 2021.

Should you have questions or concerns,

members of the Finance Cabinet are:

Diane Hielsberg (Director), Jim Keeling;

Paul Knopp; T.J. Leake; and John

Linder. Diane can be contacted at

mdhielsberg@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your continued support of

OSLC during these uncertain times.

Finances

Page 7

Among Us

Prayers and Blessings (as received through August 15)

We lifted up in prayer:

Sharon Angileri, Gert Breidigam, Fred Bruning, Gary Campbell, Stephanie Chaffin, Dave Cleven,

Odessa Dahlgren, Henry Doll, Marjorie Falls, Chris Gissal, Bob Hallstrom, Nancy Hausknecht,

Judy Larson, Lee Larsen, Carol Lind, Deloris Mahler, Sharon Peterson, Stephanie Peterson, John

Pofelski, Marlon Pool, Wendy Stolberg, Gloria Swanson, Ron Thorson, Denise Wessman

We prayed for families and friends of OSLC:

Phyllis Booker, Malorie Berge, Carol Burns, Oliver Carlson, Trevor Darrow, Don Gillingham, Greg

Gray, Jacob Hunter, Courtney Johnson, Tim Johnson, Kelly Knudson, Darin Mark, Nancy Marqui,

Emily Mastin, Spring Mehlhop, Laura Morrison, Ashley Noto, Maryanne Peterson, Elijah Richards,

Kacen Streed, Amber Talcott, Glenda Vanzant, Steve Walker

We celebrated births:

Ruby Mae & Eloise Lane, daughters of Peter & Jennifer Ratkovic

We celebrated baptisms:

Brooks Michael Landgraff, son of Michael & Courtney Landgraff

Mia Nicole Milvert, daughter of David & Kaitlyn Milvert

We celebrated marriages:

Major Matthew & Samantha Perry (nee Yarolimek)

We offered sympathy to the families of:

Bob Carlson, Mike Jennings, Dottie Kast, Rev. Dr. Bob Linstrom, Kathleen Stofflet

We prayed for peace in our world and protection for those in service

to our country:

MEMBERS: Scott Hlavin, Nicholas Rinaldi, Matthew Weyburg, Christopher Winters,

Rev. Rachel Zarnke

FRIENDS of OSLC: Steven Anderson, Jacob Blair, Kyle Brees, Ryan Brees, Jeremy Buttram,

Tristan Davenport, Ben Everette, Xander Gehrke, Dylan Kaltenbrun, Brandon Morgan, Quenten

Pal, Matt Perry, Tyler Pillmore, Alex Rickard, Charlie Van Galder, Austin Wagner

September Birthdays

1: Christian Mowbray 2: Allison Lackner, Jennifer Ratkovic 3: Scott Hlavin, Dale Melquist, Karen

Thompson 4: Steven Elliott, Nancy Hausknecht, Drew Swenson, Sue Vasseur 5: Evelyn Langsholt,

Marilyn Nazzarini, Oliver Papoccia, Rod Stevens 6: Mia Anderson, Rosemary Faber, Erma

Svoboda 7: Daniel Bry, Zoe Doll, Dawn Hendricks 8: Mary Ann Gaunt, Michael Pixler 9: Carol

Edson, Stacy Wells 10: Marjory Day 11: Rafael Hernandez, Albert Winters 12: Joseph Angileri

13: Noah Derry, Tom Hartley, Lorie Parker-Weinrich 14: Candi Buelow 15: John Addams, Michael

Hielsberg, Griffin Sager, Paige Williams 16: Fred Muehlfelder, Sophie Prabhakar 17: Catherine

Carlson, Jonathon Kryder 19: Tyrone Johnsen, Karen Montgomery, Marie H. Nelson, Betty Olson,

William Schmeltzer 20: Mary Buzzell, 21: Betty Boyd, Tamara Spencer, Lisa Williams 22: Noelle

Clark, Cyndi Hlavin, Keith Syfert 24: David Gustafson, Paul Knopp, David Spencer 25: Lois

Moore, Colleen Strey 26: Allison Insko, Judy Millhouse, Catherine Wright 27: Aubrie Abbott,

Sharon Angileri, Carson Blatchford, Jerry Buss, Pamelyn Minneci, David Schultz 29: Emmalyn

Fritschler, Tom Lackner 30: Tom Anderson, Helen Myers, Dave Sager

September Anniversaries

2: Gary & Laurie Page 4: Peter & Mary Kay Thomas 5: Michael & Tracy Wallin 6: Steve & Britta

Anderson, Brian & Karen Johnson, Victor & Judith Yehling 10: David & Kaitlynn Milvert 12: Jeff &

Robin Winters 13: Greg & Julie Peet, Jim & Peg Provenza 14: Larry & Judy Gunderson 15: Tom &

Deb Hartley, James & Judy Schmitt 16: Mark & Sandra Byers, Tom & Lynn Lackner 17: Mike &

Karen Montgomery 19: James & Carol Edson 20: Ted & Dina Getty, Mark & Jamie Yarolimek

23: Michael & Nancy Booker 25: Ted & Melissa Johnson, Timothy & Nancy Seiter, Steven & Kristen

Elliot 28: John & Bonnie Heimbach, Wayne & Joy Wiedenhoeft

Thank You

On behalf of the

Grace Place Campus

ministry board and

Pastor Mack Patrick,

please accept our

deep gratitude for

your donation of

$1,000 to GPCM in

support of our Fall

Meals. Your generosity

makes a great

difference in the

ministry we are able

to provide. Thank you

so very much.

In Christ,

Dn. Cheryl Erdmann

Grace Place

NIU Campus Ministry

I would like to say

“Thank You” to

everyone in the

congregation that

sent cards and

continues to pray for

me and Nadine.

Everything is going

well. God bless each

and every one of

you.

Bob Hallstrom

I wish to express

my thanks and

appreciation to all

my friends at OSLC

for expressions of

sympathy with calls

and cards in the

death of my sister

Kathleen. Your caring

thoughts and prayers

helped me cope

with so much

sadness. I know that I

am not alone!

Karen Stebbins

September 2021

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage

PAID

Rockford, IL

Permit No. 2645

In This Issue Senior Pastor 1

Rallying Back 1

Calendar 2

Worship 3

AV Intern 3

Children/Youth Ministries 4

Playtown Preschool 4

Missions 5

WELCA 6

Among Us 7

3300 Rural Street

Rockford, IL 61107-3540

815.399.0531

www.OSLCRockford.com

facebook.com/oslcrockford

Worship*:

Sept 5: Sundays at 9:00 AM

Sept 12 (and going forward):

Sundays at 8:30 & 10:30 AM

Office Hours:

Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Staff

Senior Pastor - Rev. Rob James

Associate Pastor - Rev. Scott Stolberg

Worship & Music Dir. - Paula Mowbray

Connections Ministry Dir. - Cyndi Hlavin

Business Coordinator - Elizabeth Brinkley

Communication Coord. - Katie Belinson

Bookkeeper - Jenni Ripplinger

Assistant Coordinator - Angela McNally

Admin. Asst./Receptionist - Sheryl Gray

Playtown Preschool Dir. - Amy McCormick

Playtown Preschool Teacher - Jenn Pierson

Council

President - Jim Provenza

Vice President - Emily Bork

Caring & Fellowship - Karen Thompson

Education - Renee Guse

Evangelism - Ted Johnson

Finance - Diane Hielsberg

Missions - Randy Larson

Operations - Roger Mahler

Personnel - Bob Rothkopf

Worship & Music - Carolyn Kobler

At Large - Andrea Bathje, Paul Grover

Recorder - Trevor Johnsen

Access to the OSLC facility is available for scheduled appointments and

meetings. Information contained herein is based on information at the time of

printing and subject to change. Please do not come to OSLC if you are feeling

ill, have a fever, and also for those not vaccinated, been exposed to COVID-19.

Submissions for the October issue of CrossTalk are due by Friday, September 10

for consideration. Please submit articles to katie@OSLCRockford.com.

Outdoor Movie Nights

Our Savior’s main parking lot

September 24 • 8 PM

October 29 • 6 PM (double feature)

Make your plans to join us for some free family fun at

our Outdoor Movie Nights. Grab your family, friends,

lawn chairs and snacks, and watch a family friendly

movie under the stars.

• No registration necessary.

• Concessions for sale.

• Visit OSLCRockford.com for

more details*.

This month’s featured film,

released in 2021, features a

warrior and fiery beast. Please join us!

*If inclement weather, visit OSLCRockford.com to get

event status updates.

*worship also available online

via our FB page

OSLC Calling Tree

We know that things

continue to change

rapidly and we continue

to do our best to stay in

touch with everyone on

important changes

(such as the return to

wearing masks). If you

do not use email or

texting and would like to

be added to an OSLC

calling tree when things

change, please call the

office at 815-399-0531

and let us know you

want to be added.