Fall Friendship Club Series Begins in September
OSL’s Friendship Club will kick off its fall series on September 19, at 10:30 a.m., in the Friendship Room, with Pr. Randy Gehring speaking about his trip to Germany earlier this year.
In May, Prs. Randy and Shelly Gehring, along with OSL members and friends, went on a ten day trip to Germany on a Reformation Tour in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. There they saw many of the historical sites where the Reformation began. Come hear about their time in Germany, and how we too at OSL are preparing to celebrate the Reformation anniversary this fall. Lunch will follow the presentation, in The Gathering Place. For more information, contact Pr. Tim Lemme, 336-2942.
Lutheran Men in Mission
Lutheran Men in Mission will resume on September 16. The group meets on the third Saturday or each month, at 8:30 a.m., in the
Offi ce Conference Room, for an hour of Bible study, breakfast, and fellowship. For more information, contact Pr. Tim Lemme, 336-2942 or tlemme@oslchurch.com.
Blood Mobile Returns to OSL on October 1
Get ready to roll up your sleeve to save a life! The Blood Mobile will be back at OSL on Sunday, October 1. Watch for sign-up details to follow (although walk-ins are always welcome).
CPR, AED, and First Aid Training
Jeremy Robertson of Sioux Falls Fire and Rescue will be conducting CPR, AED, and first aid training at OSL on Thursday, October 19.
The evening will start off with a pizza supper, from 5:30 to 6:30, followed by an informal class with hands-on CPR practice from 6:30 till 7:30, in The Gathering Place West.
Who should attend? Any interested adults and youth, OSL volunteers, ushers, teachers and mentors, and staff.
Health Ministries
Our Savior’s has a number of ongoing health ministries that meet on a weekly or monthly basis. Feel free to join any of the following sessions. For more information, contact Michelle Anderson, Faith Community Nurse, 336-2942, ext. 48, or mianderson@oslchurch.com.
Footcare Clinic
Cost is $25 per person. September 6, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Call the Church Office, 336-2942, to schedule your appointment.
Hope for Living with
Illness or Cancer
Every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. in the Friendship Room. People and their families who have or are experiencing the challenge of cancer are welcome. If you cannot attend, but would like to be on our prayer and devotional mailing list, contact Michelle Anderson, Faith Community Nurse, 336-2942, ext. 48, or mianderson@oslchurch.com.
Knitting/Crocheting Ministry
Learn how to knit or crochet prayer shawls (to be given to people to remind them of God’s presence and love in their lives) and mittens and scarves (for missions).
Wednesdays, September 13 and 27, 9:30, 9:30 a.m., Sonshine Rm.
2nd Saturday Knitters, September 9, 9:30 a.m., Sonshine Rm.
Good Grief
Every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in Room 103. Offers support to anyone dealing with loss and crisis in their lives.
Memory Care Support Group
Saturdays, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Office Conference Room. For caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, the group is a place for caregivers to share and to receive understanding and empathy. Contact Michelle Anderson, Faith Community Nurse, 336-2942, ext. 48, or mianderson@oslchurch.com.
Pickleball
OSL-sponsored Pickleball: Mondays, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Tuesdays, 8:00 a.m. to noon
Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thursdays, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Men’s Bible Breakfast Resumes in September
A visiting pastor was attending a men’s breakfast at a Mississippi farm-country church. He asked one of the older farmers in attendance to say grace that morning. After all were seated, the old farmer began:
“Lord, I hate buttermilk!”
The pastor opened one eye and wondered to himself where this was going. Then the old farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard!” Now the pastor was worried. However, without missing a beat, the old farmer prayed on, “And Lord, you know I don’t care much for raw, white flour.”
Just as the pastor was ready to stand and stop everything, the old farmer continued: “But Lord, when you mix ’em all together and bake ’em up, I do love fresh biscuits! So, Lord, when things come up we don’t like, when life gets hard, when we just don’t understand what you are sayin’ to us, we just need to relax and wait till you are done mixin’, and probably it will be somethin’ even better than biscuits! Amen.”
You never know what God will be mixin’ up at the OSL Men’s Bible Breakfast, but I hope you will come and see! We meet on the first and third Friday of every month, at 6:30 a.m., in The Gathering Place, for food, Bible study, and fellowship…and maybe even some fresh biscuits! Join us as the Fall Series gets underway. For more information, call me at 336-2942.
—Pr. Tim Lemme
OSL Woodshop Ministry
Are you looking for a fun, hands-on ministry experience, where getting a little sawdust on you doesn’t bother you? If so, OSL’s Woodshop Ministry is for you!
The OSL woodshop team meets every Wednesday evening, from 6:00 to 8:00, and again on Saturday mornings, from 8:00 to noon, to work on various projects for Our Savior’s and its members. The team’s main project is to build Faith Chests to give to newly baptized children, but there are always a variety of other woodworking projects for OSL, too. You don’t have to be a skilled carpenter or woodworker to be part of the woodshop team—and you don’t need to be a man, either: Woodshop Ministry is for women as well as men! All you need is a willingness to learn and a willing heart to serve. And yes, the team always takes time for coffee, fellowship, and fun!
For more information on how you can be part of OSL’s Woodshop Ministry team, contact Pr. Tim Lemme, 336-2942 or tlemme@oslchurch.com, or just show up at one of the scheduled work times and visit with crew members in the shop, which is located in the southwest corner of the lower level. We hope to see you soon!
Stephen Ministry Leadership Training Course: A Reflective Time, by Erin Kaiser and Michelle Anderson, RN, Faith Community Nurse
“To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12
First and foremost, we give thanks and praise to God for the opportunity to be in Pittsburgh, Pa., for Stephen Ministry Leaders training, July 30 through August 5. We also give thanks for the time to learn all we could from Stephen Ministry staff, other leaders, and all the people who surrounded us that week.
Here are a few statistics from our week:
• There were over 300 in attendance
• A total of 12,000 congregations or other organizations are in the Stephen Ministry program
• Those 12,000 entities represent people from all states, 10 Canadian provinces and 29 other countries
• Some 170 Christian denominations participate in Stephen Ministry
• More than 70,000 pastors and lay leaders have been trained as Stephen Leaders
• More than 600,000 people have been trained as Stephen Ministers
We spent time in sessions role-playing, reviewing modules in the Leader’s Manual (actually, this was a 35-pound box of highly organized file folders), and in discussion with others as to what works well for them. We also grew in our understanding of what it means to give compassionate care while still being assertive. Throughout the event, we met many different people with many different experiences, backgrounds and denominations. In this time, we picked up on ideas that we look forward to utilizing here at Our Savior’s.
After long days of learning, we spent time outside going for walks in the beautiful Point State Park, in the Three Rivers area. Through this time, we were able to start processing what we have learned, bounce things off of each other, and explore the town of Pittsburgh. This time was fruitful and beautiful as was the time spent with the people there.
The Stephen Ministry banner hanging near the OSL Library portrays what this lay caring ministry is all about. The words around the image are “Christ Caring – For People – Through People.” Our Savior’s has been a Stephen Ministry congregation since 1988, an amazing 29 years! Very few at the Pittsburgh Leader’s Training Conference came from congregations with that legacy.
One of the new resources created by the Stephen Ministries team is a book titled Cancer – Now What? by Dr. Ken Haugk, the founder and director of Stephen Ministries. Several from our team have already reviewed this book and recommend it to those facing a new cancer diagnosis. We may have the opportunity to host an event with the author and other staff from St. Louis (where Stephen Ministries is headquartered) as they tour with this new book. Stay tuned!
Thank you again for this opportunity to learn, to grow personally, and to strengthen our faith. We are grateful to have gone together, as we found that we were able to glean more as a pair, rather than going alone. In this adventure, we bring back new information that will strengthen our Caring Ministries and outreach to others in need of Christ’s love and care.
—Erin and Michelle
To Everything There Is a Season, by Margot Nelson
Here we are at the end of summer, heading into fall. Seasons do change, and we probably all have recognizable signals. Signals of the coming fall will be upon us soon—don’t panic as you read this; there are still some days before fall appears. We will see color changes in the leaves, an occasional breath of crisper air; and in my backyard the berries on the mountain ash tree will change from white to orange. That is a clear heralding of autumn. The signals of season changes have different meanings for each of us. Autumn signals may bring anticipation and excitement related to the beginning of a new academic year; sadness at the waning of summer, perhaps even panic in anticipation of deadlines and hectic schedules.
Transitions of any sort bring about a variety of responses, many of which may be stressful and even disturbing. There may even be connections with previous events, anniversaries of losses by death or ending of a relationship.
Whatever difficult responses you may have with seasonal transitions or other circumstances, know that Stephen Ministers are available to help—to walk with you, to help you process your reactions, to listen and share their presence in a caring and confidential manner. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity by contacting Pr. Tim Lemme (336-2942, ext. 19, or tlemme@oslchurch.com); Deb Harlan, Caring Ministries Director (336-2942, ext. 48, or dharlan@oslchurch.com); or Michelle Anderson, Faith Family Nurse (336-2942, ext. 28, or mianderson@oslchurch.com).
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted,
A time to break down, and a time to build up,
A time to weep, and a time to laugh…
Ecclesiastes 3:1–4
The Apostles’ Creed, Session One: “We believe in God…” by Tami Skorczewski
“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Philippians 2:1-2
Bible Study. The Apostles’ Creed is part of our prayer life, our welcome liturgy, and our teaching tools. It connects us to the history of the church and the faith. (Source: gathermagazine.org).
Upcoming Events. WELCA Fall Luncheon, Saturday, September 30, 11:00 a.m., in The Gathering Place. Jo Hausman will speak on the topic “Go for It! A Woman’s Guide to Perseverance.” Tickets ($9) will be on sale mid-September.
Annual Pie and Lefse Sale, Sunday, November 19.
Christmas Luncheon featuring Anjelic, Saturday, December 2.
“By all these lovely tokens September days are here, with summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.”
—Helen Hunt Jackson