MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH
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AUGUST 2021 MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH Light in the Beartooths ~ Red Lodge, MT Pastor Ben Cherland August 2021 Newsletter
Transcript of MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH
AUGUST 2021
MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH
Light in the Beartooths ~ Red Lodge, MT
Pastor Ben Cherland
August 2021 Newsletter
AUGUST 2021
Dear Messiah,
Can you believe August is here already? What a whirlwind this summer has been. I have
always experienced summer as an opportunity to let my hair down, do some real
relaxing, and find more enjoyment in life than usual. This summer has certainly included a
lot of that but I’ve been feeling and observing anxiety too.
With drought consuming major swaths of the western US, wildfires breaking records, and
an uncertain forecast for Covid numbers this coming fall and winter, anxiety has been on
the rise for many as the summer has gone on. And on top of all this, with the blessing of
the Red Lodge Planning Board, we have a church to build!
Has this anxiety in the air wafted in through the doors of the church this summer? In our
life together, are you feeling nervous about the future of Messiah - this hearty community
beginning a major construction project?
I had the pleasure of helping out with the Vacation Bible School program put on by the
Community Church during the middle of July. And let me tell you, children are an
extraordinary remedy for anxiety! Whether Herman, the Kaleva ‘pet’ pheasant, was sick
or if there would be enough time after crafts to swing, seemed to make up the bulk of
their worry. The joy of their play, curiosity, singing and learning was enough to occupy
their minds and the hearts of those leading the experience.
I’ve heard some concern about the number of children at Messiah recently, especially
with our eye to its future in this build. VBS helped me understand: We want to see
evidence of a certain future for this church. Children have come to represent such a
future in churches like ours, and it’s understandable.
But is certainty what the church offers? Is it certainty that Jesus wants for us? To live by
faith, according to Messiah's mission, we engage the gospel of Christ and find ourselves
opened to an uncertain future in which Christ is active. Children are wonderful, and we
have a few wonderful ones, but let us never seek peace from our anxiety in their faces or
numbers, or anywhere other than our Savior and Redeemer himself. In the peace he
offers us, we stand with confidence.
AUGUST 2021
Corinth must have been a lively place. Its members were competitive, jealous, divided into factions and litigious. The congregation was diverse. There were Jews and gentiles, rich and poor, men and women, young and old, those brand new to the faith and those with more maturity.
Paul spent over 18 months establishing the church in Corinth. He worked with, lived with and loved these people. Paul wanted them to know the risen Christ and the life of love and freedom found in Christ.
While the Corinthians were enthusiastic, they weren't very disciplined. They argued about which of them had the superior spiritual pedigree—those baptized by Paul or those baptized by Apollos. They took each other to court. And when they gathered for the Lord’s Supper—neither decently nor in good order—Paul wrote, “When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:20-21).
At his ascension, Jesus told his disciples that they would “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The church in Jerusalem was the foundation of the Christian movement. It became the parent of the churches founded by the apostles throughout the world.
The decision had been taken at the Council at Jerusalem to welcome gentiles into the way of Jesus. This was a critically important decision and a difficult one. It wasn’t universally embraced by everyone. And the saints in Jerusalem had fallen on hard times. Famine threatened the city. Paul organized a massive stewardship campaign among the gentile churches to send aid to the church in Jerusalem.
Paul would have done well as a development officer. He urged the believers to give generously and cheerfully. He set them up to compete with each other to see which church could be most generous. The enthusiastic Corinthians jumped at the chance, especially if they could do better than the Macedonians! But their lack of discipline was stronger than their zeal, and their stewardship campaign faltered.
Paul wasn’t going to have it. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he laid out the spiritual basis for giving: it was about opening the self and the community, it was about glorifying God, it was a new way of thinking about sufficiency.
“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
The concept of sufficiency had changed over the centuries. In Cynic and Stoic philosophy, true self-sufficiency was attained when a person became completely independent, with no need of anyone or anything else. By the time Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, self-sufficiency meant not just having enough for oneself but having enough to give away to others. One could have all the wealth and power and status in the world, but if one didn’t share with others, that person was not self-sufficient. Contrast the rich young man who could give nothing away with the poor widow who gave everything. The rich young man went away grieving. The widow gave freely.
Stewardship is a deeply spiritual act. It moves us out of ourselves and toward the neighbor in need. It glorifies God. It brings freedom from wealth and status. It unclenches our hands and hearts. It lets us rest in the promise of God’s abundance. We become cheerful givers.
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton Presiding Bishop Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
AUGUST 2021
We meet again August 17th at 4:30 PM
BUILDING COMMITTEE UPDATE HOORAY!! The City Planning Board approved our plans to build! The City Planning Board met on
Wed, July 14th. It was clear they had each done a very thorough review of our plans and how they fit within the city code. After asking a few clarification questions from our architect and of Messiah, they unanimously agreed to approve our plans. Landscaping was of utmost concern, in that they prefer the parking lot to be screened from the highway. We will incorporate these modifications to our building plans. Additionally, we sent these plans to the HOA at the Golf Course and they replied with a
verbal okay. The next step for our committee is to meet with the builder, architect and drafting company to obtain final building plans, determine a new cost, (given the increase in materials) and
set a tentative building schedule.
Church Council met on July 21st. Highlights are below. Full meeting minutes can be found on the bulletin board.
• Mid year statements will be mailed out in the coming weeks • Congratulations to the Building Oversight Committee in getting plans approved by the City Planning
Board! • Passed a resolution to open and manage an account with DA Davidson in order to receive funds
from anonymous donor(s). • Plan to submit documents this fall to obtain non-profit status on land (waiting for full building plans
and approval from city council) • Discussed Audit Committee guidelines and a need for guidelines/descriptions for all committees • Format to accept online donations is continuing to move forward; platform will be available with this
years' stewardship kickoff • Approved change in schedule for Melinda: Office Hours will now be: Mon-Thurs 9am - 1pm. Projects in the works for Pastor, Melinda and others: Update directory Create funeral/wedding guidebook Create Welcome packet for new members or those considering new membership Update Innkeepers book
AUGUST 2021
Incorporating an improved Audio/Visual system into our new building will be important. We are interested in an innovative approach to technology as we move forward. While
Zoom is one component, and we want to ensure a good sound/video connection for those joining online, we also need to ensure our in-person congregation is hearing what
is being said at the front of the sanctuary and that online viewers can hear the music and readings. Could it be lapel mics, drop down mics, strategically placed cameras that
would improve this? Are you interested in technology and willing to research how to upgrade/improve our current system? Attending the online forum below may be a great
place to start. Contact Pastor Ben or Linda - we need your help!
We Bought the Stuff, Now What?
A Zoom forum to Discuss Technology, Gadgets and Best Practices Facilitated by Colter McCarty, Dir. of Technology and Communication for
the Montana Synod
This interactive forum will provide time for questions as well as a space for sharing ideas, concerns and plans for the future.
(Please note, this is not a tech support class.)
Tuesday, August 10 9:30 am to Noon
Free (Must pre-register on the NRIT page of the synod website.)
Pastor’s Discretionary Fund
The purpose of this fund is for our pastor to be able to share a cup of coffee with someone in need of counseling, to take a visiting pastor to lunch, or to
connect Messiah in some way with individuals/families in the community. In the past, this account was funded with a special offering and was used up over the following few years. We are looking to build this account up again to around
$250 to use over the next few years. If you are interested in contributing to this account, please note "Pastor's Discretionary Fund" on your check. Money
donated will sit in our account and will be used to reimburse Pastor Ben in his outreach efforts.
AUGUST 2021
"The Congregation Council has called a congregational meeting for August 29 after worship. The congregation will be voting on the amendments to Messiah's
Constitution, last updated in 2009.
The vote will be to approve or not approve the amendments to Messiah's Constitution by a majority of voting members present. Voting on the amendments
will be the only item of business conducted at the meeting.
After congregation approval, the final step in amending the Constitution is ratification by the congregation (without change) which will take place at the next annual meeting—Jan/Feb 2022. A 2/3 majority of the voting members present is
required for ratification."
A printed, side by side comparison of the Constitutional amendments is available in the sanctuary as well as a copy of the full constitution if you are interested.
~Brooke Flynn~
https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/29512
"One of our Messiah members, John Flynn, is riding in August to raise funds for research into the disease, Multiple Sclerosis. This is the 12th year he has been riding to fight against MS. If you are interested in helping this year, the
link is below.
Thank you so much!
AUGUST 2021
We are worshipping on Zoom AND in-person through the end of August. We are keeping an eye on Carbon County
and Yellowstone County case numbers, so watch for announcements regarding changes to our in-person
worship. We look forward to seeing you!
Women’s Safari Book Club
Date: August 19th
Time: 7:00 PM
Book: Little Fires Everywhere
Author: Celeste NG
Facilitator: Kim Elsberry
Location: Jackie Cordill’s house
Contact host, Marla Ebel, at 426-8277 if you need more info
“Those who've been vaccinated need not wear masks or maintain social distances.” This is the basic message making headlines in the wake of the recent shift in CDC
guidelines. The question of how we should proceed as a church hangs in the air. Along with this new stance, the CDC warns, "If you have a condition or are taking
medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated." As a community, we are not all vaccinated, though many of us are. We can expect visitors this summer from near and far who may or may not be
vaccinated. In light of all this, and based on the consistently low county case numbers in our corner of Montana, I am comfortable having you define what "condition" means
and whether or not you need wear a mask. I would only ask that you continue to consider the "condition" of other members of our community in what you decide.
How We Worship Together Safely
AUGUST 2021
Every Tuesday
Women’s Group
at Messiah
10:00 a.m. In person
and online via Zoom
Every Monday
(led by Allen Hansen, LPA)
at The Willows at 1:00 PM
at Cedar Wood Villa at 4:00 PM
(Canceled until further notice)
Worship Services
Third Thursday of Each Month
(led by Allen Hansen, LPA)
at Cedar Wood Villa at 2:00 PM
(Canceled until further notice)
PRAYER REQUESTS
For prayer requests, contact the church office at
446-2430 or [email protected]
with accurate information and permission from the person you are adding.
Ongoing Prayer Concerns
Lowell Anderson Manuel Cabanas
Amy Crane Brooke Feister
Nancy Gasparro Nathan Green
Del Harris
Kenneth Rich Dick Rosekelly DJ Rosekelly
Marianne Schapendonk Christian Strickland
Josh Wilker Jim Zenz
Ruth Hilderman Andrea Holmen
Jim Johnson Rick Koski Neil Laird Tallu Quinn
AUGUST 2021
Monthly Offering for
August:
RLACF’s FUN RUN
The Annual Fun Run for Charities is in its 18th year of service. Each year, the Fun
Run aims to provide a way for more than 60 Carbon County charities to work TOGETHER to fundraise. In 2020, the Fun Run surpassed $3 million raised in 17
years of operation.
This year, the Fun Run has 64 participating charities. The key is everyone works together to raise money with each other, rather than competing against each
other throughout the summer.
On September 4th, we’ll get together in Lions Park to run/walk the Fun Run – the
culmination event for everyone’s hard work. Annually, the Fun Run is one of Montana’s largest charitable 5K/10K events.
The offering from Red Lodge Messiah Lutheran Church will be used as a Match Fund donation. The Match Fund is a pool of donations that is divided equally
among the charities. Match Fund checks are awarded on top of what charities individually raise.
~Thank you for your donations~
Stephen Kalb-Koenigsfeld
AUGUST 2021
Christikon Clips
August 2021
Information for our Congregations
As you are reading this clip, we are readying for the last sessions of our 70th season. We hosted over 550 campers so far this sea-son including youth, families, adults and at risk youth. We have re-treats schedule through August.
Our summer staff will be completing their stay with us and will soon be heading back to their lives outside of Christikon.
We look forward to our congregational and family retreats sched-uled this fall. A few retreat times are still available.
Call Kerry in the office and reserve a time.
We continue to ask for your prayers for those traveling to camp, our staff, and campers.
Blessings to all of you who support Christikon with prayer, time, skills, and financially. We are grateful!
Please visit https://christikon.org/donate-to-christikon/ and continue your support.
It is the mission of Christikon to awaken and nurture faith in Christ— exploring God’s creation and the adventure of life together.
CHRISTIKON ● 1108 24th Street West ● Billings, MT 59102
406 656-1969 ● [email protected] ● www.christikon.org
AUGUST 2021
Summer Outdoor Worship!
Mark your calendars and join us for Worship on the Land!
Weather permitting, we will gather at 9:30 on our Hwy 78 land near
the cross. Please bring a chair.
August 22
8/1 Andrea Holmen
8/2 Joel Hardy
8/3 Jeff Gildehaus
8/4 Jim Johnson
8/10 Jeff Clark
8/17 Andy and Laurie Grygiel
8/22 Jane & Denny Chatlain
Howard & Barbara Marquardt
8/31 Dennis & Kathy Kreatz
8/19 Don Lindall
8/23 Bill Miller
8/26 Dennis Christ
8/27 Kim Elsberry
8/28 Gina Farnham
8/29 Karen Young
Pastor Ben will be on vacation
August 7th-17th.
AUGUST 2021
If you have something you’d like to be included in our monthly newsletter, please
send an email to [email protected] with the blurb you want included,
no later than the 25th of the month.
Special Offerings for the rest of the year: August: RLACF Fun Run September: Center for Changing Lives - Liberia October: DSVS November: Campus Ministries December: Prison Ministries
Rally Sunday is September 12th!
Mark your calendars! More details to follow - plan to kick off education, mid-week services, and more -
stay tuned!
Melinda, our Administrator, has new
office hours!
Monday—Thursday 9 a.m.—1 p.m.
AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 2021
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 9:30 AM Worship Adult Forum: Steve from
RLACF
2 3 4 5 6
7
Pastor Ben Vacation
8 9:30 AM Worship
Susan Leaverton
LPA Guest Pastor
9
10 10:00 AM
Women’s Bible Study
Building
Committee Meeting 4:30
11
12
13 14
15 9:30 AM Worship
Allen Hansen
LPA Guest Pastor
16
Pastor Ben Returns
17 10:00 AM
Women’s Bible Study
Council Meeting 4:30
18
19
Safari Book Club 7 pm
20 21
22 9:30 AM Worship
Hwy 78 land
23 24 10:00 AM
Women’s Bible Study
25 26
27 28
29 9:30 AM Worship Congregational
Meeting after service to approve revised
Constitution
30
31 10:00 AM
Women’s Bible Study
Messiah Calendar—August
AUGUST 2021
HOW TO CONTACT US AND STAY IN TOUCH:
Church Office: 406-446-2430
Office Hours: Administrative: Mon-Thurs. 9-1
Pastor’s Office Hours: Monday: Off Tuesday : 9:00-4:00 Wednesday: 9:00-3:00 (Text Study 10:00-11:30) Thursday: 9:00-4:00 Friday: 9:00-4:00 Saturday: 12:00-4:00 Sunday: 8:00-12:00
Pastor’s Cell Phone: (646) 708-1389
Church Address: 723 S. Adams
P.O. Box 1330
Red Lodge, MT 59068
Website: www.redlodgemessiah.com
Facebook: Messiah Lutheran
Email: General: [email protected]
Prayer Requests: [email protected]
Pastor Ben: [email protected]
Messiah’s Mission:
“Live by Faith, Share Christ’s Love, and be a Voice of Hope”
Sunday Worship Service:
9:30 AM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Red Lodge
Light in the Beartooths
