March 2019
What's happening this month
Wednesdays during Lent
Soup, Story, Song, Silence

>March 20, 27, and April 3<

6:30- Free soup supper in the fellowship hall
7:00- Hymn sings in the Sanctuary

**Nursery will be available**
Bible & A Beer returns TONIGHT, Thursday, March 14th @ 7 PM @ Southern Pines Growler Company. Pastor Linn will be leading the discussion. Come out and enjoy some fellowship and a nice cold one. http://www.spgrowler.com/


We will be discussing this book if you would like to purchase the paperback ($10), or ebook ($3) to follow along. You are not required to buy the book.

Brew for Jesus: A Beer-Based Bible Study PURCHASE BOOK HERE


RSVP so we know you are coming and can save enough chairs.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING
BIBLE & A BEER GATHERINGS
Thursdays-April 25 and May 23
Sunday, March 24th immediately following worship
TELLER TEAM UPDATE
Change to teller schedule

Strohmenger teller team
Will count on March 24

Leib teller team
Will count on March 17
Sunday March 31

Please join us to hear The Rev. Dr. Melvin R. Jacob speak at the service about a ministry providing direct relief to the poor throughout Latin American and the Caribbean.

Pastor Jacob will share personal witness about Food For The Poor's mission to care for the destitute as a means of living out the Gospel mandate to love one another.

Rev. Dr. Jacob is an ELCA pastor who was ordained in 1974. Pr Mel was the Founder/Developer & Executive Director of Lutheran Counseling Services (FL) for 26 years and previously served over 10 years in parish ministry. He served as Chaplain to veterans and the US Army Reserves for 30 years.
Sunday April 7th
Agapé Day Camp is returning to Our Saviour Lutheran Church this summer, July 8-12 from 9:00AM to 3:00PM ! Campers will enjoy a week of games, songs, crafts, nature activities, Bible studies, and FUN, led by trained summer counselors from Agape' Kure Beach Ministries. Agape' Day Camp is for rising 1st through 8th graders. The cost is $135 per child. Early registration before April 30 will receive a $30 discount. A separate day camp for preschoolers will also be available July 8-12 from 9:00AM to 1:00PM for ages 3 to 5 . The cost per child is $75 with an early registration discount of $25 before April 30. There will be a $250 cap for families registering multiple children.

This year’s theme is Spirit Power! Based on 2 Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.” We will be exploring the Holy Spirit as a part of the Trinity and beyond! Together we will see the Holy Spirit as a gift that makes us advocates, community and peace makers.


To register, visit www.oslcsp.org and click on Day Camp Forms in the menu. Camperships are available! Contact Donna Knight at oslcsp@oslcsp.org or call 692-2662 ext. 206. Assistance is available!
FUN ON FRIDAYS
On Friday March 22, 2019 we will be going to Childress Vineyards in Lexington, NC for a tour. Childress opened their doors, in 2004. NASCAR team owner Richard Childress fulfilled a longtime dream that grew from the days when he first began racing in California and visited wineries with friends. What began as camaraderie and good times soon became an engaging passion for world-class wines and then the vision to build a world-class winery. The tour gives a history of the vineyards while walking around the facilities and learning about how our wines are made. We will be having lunch at K&W Cafeteria in Asheboro, NC. A delicious home-style food that will please everyone. The bus will leave at 10:30 AM from the church parking lot. We will have lunch first, at your expense. The bus ride will be $3.00. Please sign up at the Welcome Center.
the Blackwood Quartet

Friday, April 26, 2019
7:00 PM 


The Blackwood Quartet tours regularly and brings the word of Christ through song, to both believers and non-believers alike. The quartet has had the privilege of performing with Willie Nelson and many other great artists. Recently, we have seen our popularity grow among Elvis tribute artist fans, as well. For more information on the Blackwood Quarter, visit http://blackwoodquartet.net/bio/

The concert is free to the public. A freewill offering will be collected with a portion going to support the Northern Moore Family Resource Center.

The Property Ministry Team has an immediate need for a volunteer to lead a team to complete Phase 2 and Phase 3 of OSLC’s Safety and Security plan. 

A candidate with law enforcement or military experience would be ideal. This is an opportunity to shape the plan that will help ensure a safe worship and social environment for our church family. The Safety and Security Development team will include members of the Property Ministry, as well as, members-at-large from within the congregation. Certainly, anyone with an interest and/or skills in church safety and security is encouraged to participate.

If you are interested in the leader position, or a team member position, please contact Bill Lindenberger or Bill Blake.

We are excited to announce the creation of a Peer Support Group for First Responders at Our Saviour Lutheran Church of Southern Pines. The group will host monthly meetings for Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement officials suffering from the burdens created by serving others. The initial plan is to form a support network that is both dynamic and responsive to the needs of those that attend.  We welcome all first responders and their families seeking to deal with the multitude of issues that arise from the stresses of “the job”. While the group will be hosted by our Saviour, meetings will not be religiously based. 

Pastor Linn Fisher has a background in counseling, with a concentration in PTSD; he serves as a Chaplain in the Air Force Reserves and has served multiple deployments in that capacity. Pastor Fisher has also served as Chaplain for multiple Fire and Police Departments.  He understands the job and can lend professional guidance as needed. Shane Flack serves as a Lieutenant and Peer Support Team Leader on a large local fire department. He brings his service experience as well as the experience he gained working in wilderness therapy.  

We will be publishing the next meeting on our Facebook page or you can call the Welcome Center at 692-2662 for further details.
Joyous News!
Effective February 25 th , we have successfully spread the compassionate, Christian support for the local community by offering a second weekly support group for family members caring for loved ones suffering from dementia-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease. The Good Lord has guided us to a partnership with the Village Chapel to offer a second, weekly support group.
We are the only organization that offers a weekly support group; all other offer a once a month, or twice a month session. But we know that these caregivers need to have a safe place to discussions their situations, and even more importantly, their emotions as they travel this arduous journey.
It is so difficult to watch a loved one slowly lose their memory, and losing the basic skills of taking care of themselves. The statistics are overwhelming:
·          More than 170,000 North Carolinians are living with Alzheimer’s
·          One third of all Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
·          Every 66 seconds, someone in America develops the disease
·          There are over 15 million American caregivers for someone with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia
·          Currently, THERE IS NO CURE

If you are one of those traveling the journey, please think about joining one of our support groups. Even better, if you have already traveled the journey with your loved one, consider becoming a certified facilitator; help us spread the Lord’s love as we make progress by serving the greater community.
If you need support, know of friends or neighbors who could benefit from compassionate, Christian support, or if you wish to help us in this community based ministry please contact Dale Krech, cell 925-413-2570, or Pat Soler, cell 925-708-3691
We want to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to the vendors that helped make the Daddy Daughter Dance last month a success. Please be sure to check out their websites and follow them on social media for the next event you need help with.


Thank you Miranda Ward for DJing the event!
Ash & Dash photos courtesy of The Pilot and photographer Ted Fitzgerald
Happy Anniversary

2- Chuck & Louise Crum  , 61 yrs
6- Travis & Kerry Alfrey, 9 yrs
15-Wes & Tracy Merchant, 16 yrs


Happy Birthday

1-Marian Oswalt
1-Bonnie Springer
4-Debbie Cruse
4-Harris Skinner
7-Rory Board
7-Dick Bock
7-Betty Zeilstra
7-John Pfisterer
7-Fritz Flemming
9-George Rackl
10-Lauren Wilson
10-Marian Cornell
10-Wayne Osborne
11-John Baumeister
12-Francis Wilson
13-Charles Smith
14-Sue Pfisterer
14-Pat Wiggins
14-Samantha Young
16-Mark Anderson
17-Bill Blake
17-Olivia Antil
18-Connie Quick
18-Tina LaForge
18-Ethan Drew
20-Ashlyn Merchant
20-Lainee Higgerson
22-Carole Gaskill
25-Cathy Miller
26-Emily Colman
26-Laura Haulsee
27-Joseph Ernst

 

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How good are you at giving directions? We had some friends visiting OSLC the other week, and we decided to have lunch after worship. Too many of us to drive in one car, we said, Follow us. (That’s always a mistake; traffic lights change, drivers switch lanes, etc.) So how about if we just tell you where to go. (GPS may or may not be accurate--and it’s just easier for us to tell you the route.)

Changing my story (and the destination), how would you get from the church to the hospital? (I know—the old joke says to just stand in the middle of US1 and wait to get hit.) But really, how would you get from here to there? I can think of several options and not many of them match. Still, you insist your route is the best way—based on your experience, your traffic tolerance, and how well you handle roundabouts.

But shifting the focus again, in life, how would you get from here to there? Obviously, I suppose, it depends on where “here” is and where “there” is. Nor is your “here” always the same as my “here” even though you assume it is. (How often people say, I know just how you feel—when they don’t have the slightest idea.) Well, if it’s all that difficult, to keep people from being lost or frustrated with choices about parenting or care facilities or diet plans or worship options or Moore County road directions, should we just give up offering advice? Or should we say, Here’s my first choice, but you may choose something different. Here’s why I made my first choice, but you’re not me. Here’s what I found helpful, and here’s what disappointed me. Be your own self. And that can work, I suppose.

And then, through it all, regardless of what we say and how we say it, how it’s heard and how it’s received, we can share the knowledge that every “here” is someone’s “here” and not everyone’s ”here” is like ours. And our understanding of “there” may or may not be the same. But we stay tolerant and helpful, even loving. Jesus said, You know the way. Thomas said he didn’t know. But do you remember what Jesus said next? He said, I am the way and the truth and the life. Knowing that may or may not get you to the restaurant, may or may not get you to the hospital. But it will certainly get you into the loving arms of our Lord.
Here is a re-print of IT'S MONDAY by Pastor Nagle, from March 11th. It's a good read and worth a second look.



IT’S MONDAY! And maybe you wonder where I was on Sunday? (That assumes you were here on Sunday and noticed I was gone!) But I was absent, on a trip my wife and I planned long before I accepted the OSLC work, spending some time in a warm and happy place where there’s water and sand and, well, lots of good stuff.

Because OSLC is served by two pastors (even if one of them is very very part-time), you may ask, Can a congregation exist without a pastor? Sadly, because of changing demographics, a lot of churches exist without a full-time pastor, or even a part-time pastor. It’s true here in North Carolina and throughout our country. Nor is that situation limited to Lutheran churches.

What happens to congregations without a pastor, because they’re numerically challenged or because they can’t financially support someone? Well, some churches merge with other churches in the area. In downtown locations and in rural areas, two or more churches combine their resources to form a single stronger unit. But sometimes, churches that cannot support a pastor (and who have not engaged a pastor for some long time) actually close their doors.

But not all pastor-less churches close or merge. Some continue to exist and even to thrive. How? By realizing that although an on-site pastor is a valuable guide, a loving shepherd, a good administrator, a trained counselor, a faithful reader of scripture, and a teacher of kids and adults, a congregation is rich when it realizes that a congregation need not and should not depend on the called pastor alone. Indeed, Luther’s understanding of the priesthood of all believers says that every one of us (!) is capable of proclaiming the Word of God (even if it’s only a simple three sentence sermon) and visiting the sick (once or frequently) and teaching children (and our grandchildren too) and offering spiritual guidance and reminding folks of God’s grace and forgiveness. Which is to say—even if Pastor Linn and I are both absent on the same Sunday, or during the same week, there are still plenty of pastors at 1517 Luther Way, and West End and Whispering Pines and Broad Street in SP.

Am I glad I’m one of the pastors at OSLC? Yep! And I’m glad that you’re one of the pastors too!

By the time you read this, I’ll be one day away from returning home. And I promise to see you on Sunday. That is, dear pastor, if you’re here at OSLC too!


 
Pastor Nagle
Lent is a great time of the year for personal and spiritual self-examination. So, let’s examine our thoughts!
                               
There are many things in life over which we have NO choice. However, you can choose what you think about! As the great author Max Lucado says, “You can be the air traffic controller of your mental airport. You occupy the control tower and can direct the mental traffic of your world. Thoughts circle above, coming and going. If one of them lands, it is because you gave it permission. If it leaves, it is because you directed it to do so. You can select your thought pattern.” 

Proverbs 4:23 (NCV) tells us, “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” We have a choice, don’t we? We can mentally train ourselves to be anxious, worrisome, or fearful. We can wallow in our regrets and assume the worst or we can spend time sowing the seeds of happiness by counting our blessings, encouraging one another, studying His word, singing songs of praise, and spending time in prayer. 

As I spoke about in my sermon this past week, the Devil is the master of deception and lies. He whispers in our ears exaggerated, inflated, and irrational thoughts. That’s his specialty. Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus and God’s truth. As Philippians 4:8 says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  

Guard your thoughts and trust the Lord your God “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).


Prayers & Cares

Friends and Relatives
All Military, Flood, Earthquake, Volcano Victims, Cancer Patients, Chelsea Boet,
Jim Constantino, Barbara Dice, Don Brother–in-Law of Pat Nussman, Pam Grupp, Phillip Hause, Diane Lewis, David Nelson, Lloyd Paris, Phillip Paris, and Danielle Stefanik



HOME —  Eloise Anderson, Rick Barnes, Polly Bethea, Shirley Braisted, Cris and Florrie Crisafulli, Dorothy Cullen, Jack and Sue Diffily, Leatha Ferebee, Florence McCormick, Leonard Nagel, Joan Nelson, Marian Oswalt, Barbara Reid, Jim Seevers, Jean Sherrill, Grace Sides

In Extended Care — Pinehurst Rehab: Peggy Smith, Quail Haven Rehab: Mary McNabb, Fox Hollow Rehab: Harris Skinner, Bonnie Springer, Magnolia Gardens Rehab: Pat Wiggins, Penick Rehab: Bob Springer

In Service To Our Country — Sean Barnes, Jon Drew, Pastor Linn Fisher, Ben Flanick, Matthew Hinds, Mark Jennings, Matt Prairie, Amy Ramirez and Sean Ramirez

Our Mission Partner — Joy of Discovery Lutheran Church in Raleigh
 
Our Missionary in Costa Rica — Pastor Stephen Deal
 


 


Memorariums

In Memory of
Fay Blankley
Given By
Margaret Harriz

In Memory of
Harry Carter
Given By
Karyn Kline

In Memory of
Bill Bradley
Given By
Catherine Nichols

In Memory of
Fay Blankley
Given By
Diane Forsberg

Johnson Memorial Scholarship
In Memory of
Gilbert Johnson
Given By
Richard Johnson

OSLC Scholarship
In Memory of
Fay Blankley
Given By
Charles & Ann Leib

OSLC Scholarship
In Memory of
Ellen Klingener
Given By
Charles & Ann Leib

 
To submit items to be included in the monthly newsletter or on social media, please email Keri Johnson or visit the church social media/communications office across from the welcome desk. All submissions are due by the 20th of the month and are based on approval by the Pastor.

Please email photos from events and church activities to kjohnson@oslcsp.org.