CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH
Your Weekly E-Newsletter Thursday, November 18, 2021
It's that time of year when we share financial information and ask that you pledge your support for 2022.

This year our Commitment (Pledge) Sunday will be on November 21. Stewardship materials were mailed to all members the first week of November. Additional copies of these materials can be found on the table in the Narthex. In addition, charts showing how your money was budgeted and spent in 2020 and 2021 will be on display as well.

Pledge cards can be returned on Commitment Sunday (baskets will be placed at the altar - please bring your cards up with you during Communion). Or you can return your card directly to the church office via the postal system.

Special treats and fellowship will be available in Fellowship Hall following both services on November 20-21.
Music Ministry - "Nicole's Notes"

How Shall I Sing That Majesty

How shall I sing that Majesty
Which angels do admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie;
Sing, sing, ye heavenly choir.
Thousands of thousands stand around
Thy throne, O God most high;
Ten thousand times ten thousand sound
Thy praise; but who am I?

Thy brightness unto them appears,
Whilst I Thy footsteps trace;
A sound of God comes to my ears,
But they behold Thy face.
They sing because Thou art their Sun;
Lord, send a beam on me;
For where heaven is but once begun
There alleluias be.

Enlighten with faith’s light my heart,
Inflame it with love’s fire;
Then shall I sing and bear a part
With that celestial choir.
I shall, I fear, be dark and cold,
With all my fire and light;
Yet when Thou dost accept their gold,
Lord, treasure up my mite.

How great a being, Lord, is Thine,
Which doth all beings keep!
Thy knowledge is the only line
to sound so vast a deep.
Thou art a sea without a shore,
A sun without a sphere;
Thy time is now and evermore,
Thy place is everywhere.

Written by Restoration-era poet John Mason. 
About Lutheran Summer Music

What is LSM?
Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is where music, community, and faith intersect and create a life-changing experience for young musicians. As the nation’s premier faith-based music academy this four-week, immersive residential performance and training program is for students, grades 8–12.

What’s LSM like?
Students participate in large ensembles (band, choir, orchestra) and chamber music; receive lessons on primary and secondary instruments; and enroll in electives such as chapel choir, church music, handbells, composition, jazz band, conducting, musical theatre, and more. The daily schedule includes morning and evening prayer, classes, recreation activities, and concerts by faculty and guest artists.

Why LSM?
Generations of alumni discovered their vocations by attending LSM and now serve as pastors, musicians, composers, teachers, and more—connecting the communities they serve through faith and music. Our vision is to see churches and communities renewed through music for the sake of the world.

Do students receive scholarships?
Yes! LSM offers a robust matching fund program which allows many students and families to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Donations from church and community organizations are eligible to be matched by LSM at 50% for the full four-week session.

To learn how you or your congregation can connect with LSM, to share your LSM story, or to nominate a student, please visit https://www.lsmacademy.org.
Special Congregational Meeting - November 28 at 10:30 a.m.
EXPLANATION OF NALC CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

The 2020 NALC Mission Convocation voted to postpone proposed amendments to Article 11, Regional Subdivisions, of the NALC Constitution. The amendments proposed last year would have named mission districts as the regional subdivision. There was support for naming them as Mission Districts. The reason for postponing consideration of the amendments was to revise the amendments so the constitution clearly allows for Mission Districts to form mission regions. Several mission regions have already been formed in the NALC.

HERE IS A LINK TO WHAT WAS VOTED ON AND PASSED BY THE DELEGATION. THIS WILL BE APPROVED AT OUR SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING ON SUNDAY, NOV. 28 AT 10:30 A.M.
We invite you to purchase one or more poinsettia plants to decorate our altar for Christmas Eve/Day services. We are again working with Shady Lane Nursery to provide top quality red, white or "jingle bell" (red with flecks of white and gold) plants with two plants per pot and wrapped in colored foil.

The cost is the same as last year ($25/plant). Order forms can be found on the table in the Narthex. You can also access a form to print at home by clicking on the order form shown here.
Completed forms are due by Monday, December 13th.
November 20-21, 2021
Christ the King Sunday

Printed copies of the weekend's readings and text study guides are available at the entrances to the Sanctuary.
Financial Update and Worship Attendance - November 6 & 7, 2021
Save the date - Special Events Coming Soon!
Holiday Jazz Concert
featuring Kostia Efimov & Friends
Thursday, December 2, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday Advent Vespers
Begins December 1st at 7pm
Contemporary Worship
featuring Gela Ashcroft
Sunday, December 5, 9:00 a.m.
Lessons & Carols
Sunday, December 12, 9:00 a.m.
Our Church Family
Rich Baumgartner, 11/18
Bob Branston, 11/21
Pat Dieck, 11/23
Jacklyn Warber, 11/23
Terry Bzdusek, 11/24
Bonnie Johnson, 11/26
Allison Mayer, 11/26

Matt and Heather Wirtz, 11/19 (5 years)
Paul and Diane Speth, 11/23 (53 years)
Bill and Lenny Graffin, 11/24 (32 years)

Prayers of sympathy and God's peace to: Kim and family (sister of Tina Baumgartner and Chris Spangenberger) on the death of Kim's husband Tom who passed away on November 14.

New prayer requests: Shirl Gordon (friend of Cindy Rooks) and Matt (friend of Larry Bonier)

Ongoing short-term prayer requests: Chuck Giuliani; Fay Heyen, Janet Zastrow; Kay Sedivec; Megan Schatz; Mary Smith; Ginny Cox; Steve (son of Bonnie Johnson); Tom Frank (brother of Mary Ellen Thiede); Bruce Kurth (brother of Glori Kurth); Taylor Czerwinski (granddaughter of Bill and Lenny Graffin); Paul Kwiecien (friend of Glori Kurth); Lisa Haggadone (daughter of Sallie Schulz); Tom Dallman (husband of Lucy Dallman); Marie Traxler (mother of Sue Meyer); Eric (friend of Larry Bonier); Dale Hermann (son of Marilyn Hermann); Father Patrick Malone (Holy Cross Anglican Church); Delores Seel (mother of Keith Pierce); John Nielson (brother of Judy Kestly)

Serving in the Military: Dan Berger (serving in the U.S. Marines); Kevin Butler (son of Heidi Powers, serving in the U.S. Army); Ben DeYoung (son-in-law of George and Kay Sedivec, serving in the U.S. Air Force); Alex Olson (U.S. Air Force, grandchild of Ardath Olson); Kyle Pierce (son of Karen and Keith Pierce, serving in the U.S. Army); Karmen Thomas (friend of Tony and Krista Dentice serving in the U.S. Army); Nicole Wahlgren (serving in the U.S. Army National Guard); all military chaplains; and all veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
 
For All Men and Women Serving: Police Officers, Firefighters, Health Care workers and First Responders.   

Serving in the mission field: Our NALC missionaries and missionaries everywhere bringing the gospel to the ends of the Earth.

Long-term prayer list: Calvary membersDon Heyen; Shirley Mahn; Donna Polizzi; Nadine Schuelke; and Ruth Young.

Non-membersNancy Myers (friend of Judy Sayas); Paige Yeager (friend of Sallie Schulz's family); Rose Luther (friend of Nicole Moritz); Judy Grospitz; Jan Janchan (friend of Jonni Roush); Monica Barchus (niece of Ernie Kretschmann); Michael Rossa (Lucy Dallman's son); Karen (friend of Lydia Trudell)

If you have any new prayer requests, please contact the church office at 262.786.4010 or via email to office@calvarylc.com.
Church Council Updates
Council Bullet Points from Nov. 16 meeting
  • Commitment (Pledge) Sunday for 2022 Calvary Lutheran Church's Stewardship Pledges is this Sunday, November 21st - special treats and fellowship will be available in Fellowship Hall following worship services on Saturday, November 20th AND Sunday, November 21st
  • Reminder for the upcoming Special Congregational Meeting being held on Sunday, November 28th at 10:30am to vote on the ratification of NALC's proposed constitutional Article 11 amendments
  • Upcoming Holiday Jazz Concert featuring Kostia Efimov and Friends on Thursday, December 2nd at 7:00pm
Fellowship Opportunities
Join us for a piece of pie and cup of coffee after the Thanksgiving Eve worship on Wednesday, November 24. Worship will begin at 7pm , followed by the Pie Social in Fellowship Hall. Our youth will be helping to serve the yummy treats.

If you plan on attending, please sign up on the sheet on the glass doors in the Narthex. There is also a place on the form to indicate if you're able to bring a pie.
Hospitality Treats
We invite you to stick around after worship on Sunday mornings and enjoy fellowship time and a treat/cup of coffee in Fellowship Hall. We are taking great care to provide safe food items for you (poured cups of coffee and plated breakfast snacks).

If you'd like to provide treats (donuts, bagels, etc.) for Sunday hospitality time, there is a sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. You may bring the treats (3-4 dozen) and drop them off in the kitchen, or simply add a “P” behind your name, pay $30 to the church office and the treats will be purchased for you. 

For the time being, we are asking that any donated food be something that can be easily cut and placed on individual plates for serving.
Faith Formation
Noisy Offerings will resume
this weekend
Sunday, November 21

Children are invited to bring their offerings to the altar
during the Children's Message each Sunday.
SPECIAL PODCAST RECORDINGS!

The Spiritual Realms Bible Study
Session 8: New Jerusalem

In this penultimate episode of The Spiritual Realms Bible Study series, Pastor Ken and Kyle look at what the Bible has to say about life after "life after death." What will the new heaven and new earth look like? And what does it mean that a new Jerusalem will "come down" to us?
Pastor Ken's Weekly Bible Study
Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall
Pastor Ken's weekly Bible study is held each Wednesday from 12:30 -1:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. He will lead discussion around the Scripture lessons that will be read in worship the following weekend. Please bring your Bibles - other materials will be provided.

Copies of the text study sheets will be available on the table in the Narthex if you can't attend the Bible study, but would like to refer to it for the weekend worship.
Men's Ministry
Weekly Men's Breakfast Wednesdays at 7 a.m.
Maxim's Restaurant
18025 W. Capitol Drive
Brookfield

The restaurant seating has been reconfigured in compliance with social distancing requirements.

All men are invited to attend!
Monthly Men's Gathering

On hiatus until January 27, 2022


If you have any questions, please reach out to Ernie Kretschmann at kretschmann@att.net.
November Mission of the Month
Care Net Pregnancy Center of Milwaukee
  
Care Net Pregnancy center is a new Mission for Calvary. We’ve learned of it in the past year and are thrilled to be part of those helping to fund and spread it’s good work. Several of us have visited and volunteered on site and have witnessed the work of God that this group does. Below is listed their PURPOSE and MISSION:
 
PURPOSE: To uphold the sanctity of human life and share the love of Christ and the hope of the Gospel with women and their families facing an unplanned pregnancy.

MISSION: To encourage women to choose life by offering spiritual and practical care during and after pregnancy.
 
STATISTICS FOR 2020
277 pregnant women considering abortion were seen and offered ultrasounds. 80% of those women chose life for their babies. Several of these women chose to place their babies for adoption, and so many more received physical and religious support throughout their pregnancy and beyond. 
 
Care Net also offers emotional and religious support for women who have had abortions and are suffering emotional anguish after.
 
Counseling is offered to unmarried women to encourage abstinence (going forward) until marriage which is God’s plan for us. 
 
Please consider Care Net to support their Godly work, as well as possibly volunteering at the site. Click here to be directed to their website for more information. To support this important Mission of the Month, you may include it in your weekly offering envelope or designate the donation as "Mission of the Month" in your online giving.
Community Outreach
It's time to decorate the Mitten Tree ... and more.
The 'mitten tree' will be in the Narthex ready for your donations. In addition to mittens, hats and scarves for all ages (which can be placed on the tree), we are collecting the following winter clothing donations (children, teens, men's and women's sizes):

  • Coats and jackets
  • Sweatshirts, sweaters
  • Long underwear, socks

Items can be new or used and should be placed into the collection bins which are under the tables in the Narthex. Please bring your donations by December 19th. 

All donations will be distributed at the annual New Year’s Eve Day outreach sponsored by B.A.S.I.C.S. (Brothers and Sisters In Christ Serving). Let's all help keep our Milwaukee neighbors warm!
It's easy to support our local Food Pantry!
Thanksgiving Food Pantry Collection

Stop by the shopping cart in the Narthex and grab a grocery bag to fill with food items. There is a list attached to each bag (see list in this article) of suggested food items to fill the bag.

Plase bring your filled bags to the Thanksgiving Eve Service (November 24 at 7pm) or on Sunday, December 5th.

Thanks for sharing your food blessings with the hungry.
A few reminders ....
The Sunday livestream has returned!

We are back up and running! You can access the livestream any time from our home page at www.calvarylc.com.

Thank you again for your patience while we worked through changing our internet carrier to gain better upload speeds.
Sanctuary Flowers
We invite you to sign up for flowers to beautify our altar each weekend. The sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex.

Flowers are $35 and you may take them home following the 9:00 am worship on Sunday morning. If you'd prefer, you can leave the flowers at church to be enjoyed by the office staff.
Severe Weather Announcements

With winter coming, we are reminded that weather can definitely impact traveling to church. And with that, inclement weather could necessitate the cancelling of worship.

In the event this should happen, you will receive an e-mail stating that the church is closed. We will also be sharing this with WISN-TV 12 and FOX6 so that it will be included in their scrolling list and on their website of closures.
Facing tough times? Need a Christian Friend?
Stephen Ministry is here to help. Free, just like God's love.
Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained by Stephen Leaders to offer high-quality, one-to-one Christian care to people going through tough times. A Stephen Minister usually provides care to one person at a time, meeting with that person once a week for about an hour. 

If you, or someone you know, could benefit from this important ministry, please contact Scott or Peggy Langelin at 262.853.0018.
The right side of the Sanctuary (as you face the altar) is equipped with a hearing loop system which transmits an audio signal directly into a hearing aid via a magnetic field. This greatly reduces background noise, competing sounds, reverberation and other acoustic distortions that reduce clarity of sound.

Most hearing aids are equipped with a t-coil and connecting to this system is an easy switch on the hearing aid. If you need assistance during worship with this system, please reach out to an usher or any staff member.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon. The door that is closest to the office (NW corner) will be open during those hours.

Please check in with the office staff so we know you are in the building.

The office phone number is (262) 786-4010. Feel free to leave a message if you call after hours and we will contact you the next day.