CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH

Your Weekly E-Newsletter -- Thursday, January 12, 2023

The Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 5 at 10:30 a.m.

(Contingency date in the event the February 5 meeting has to be moved is Sunday, February 12 at 10:30 a.m.)

An informational meeting will be held in the Sanctuary on Sunday, January 29 at 10:30 a.m.

This Week's Pondering from Pastor Ken

“I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” John 1:31

In his Small Catechism Martin Luther said that “we cannot by reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ our Lord or come to him. But the Holy Spirit calls us through the gospel…” John the Baptist, whose personal testimony is contained in this week’s gospel reading, gives full-throated support to Luther’s conclusions about faith. And astoundingly so. Please recall that John was related to Jesus, a second cousin in fact. Recall that according to Luke 1, when John’s mother Elizabeth heard the voice of Mary the mother of our Lord call to her, “the child in her womb leapt for joy”. If anyone should have “known” Jesus, it was John. But he said he didn’t, not by himself, that is. He knew Jesus by the gift of the Holy Spirit – he knew Jesus because God revealed Jesus to him as he was baptizing.

You are not a baptizer. I am only some of the time. I do all sorts of other things in my day and in my ministry other than baptizing, so we need therefore to expand our horizons here a little bit and ask ourselves two questions:

How do I know Jesus?
How do I make Jesus known.

That is what John addresses in this one verse of John 1:31 – how he came to know Jesus and how he then revealed Jesus to others.

The answer to the first question is largely the same for all of us. We know Jesus because God through the Holy Spirit has revealed Him to us. We cannot, as Luther said, conclude that Jesus is the Son of God and the forgiver of our sins any other way. We don’t sit down and decide this for ourselves, as for example, we sit down and choose our wardrobe, or choosing our diet for the day, or where to vacation, or what a five letter word for “one who serves as a father” is (hint…it starts with ‘d’ and ends with ‘y’ 😊), or what classes we’re going to register for in the upcoming semester. These we do with our “reason and strength”, but we don’t “know” Jesus that way. We know Him because God has gifted Him to us - entrusted Him to us. Our story and John the Baptizer’s story align in this regard.

But John then said, “The reason I came baptizing is that he might be revealed.” And so he was, but first to John – get it? John came to know Jesus as well by doing what God told him to do with his life. I felt the call to serve as a parish pastor about 27 years ago – sometime in late 1995. I never really gave much thought at the time to how folks I pastored might come to know the Lord by what I did – but I sure hoped some of them would. As I conclude my ministry as a pastor later this year, I’ll very likely dwell on this verse from John a bit more. How might folks have come to know the Lord by virtue of my doing what I believed God told me to do – word and sacrament ministry? This I’ll know for sure though – if anyone did, it will be the very same way folks came to know Jesus through his cousin John the Baptizer, and John doing what he was called to do, and God doing the revealing.

The Apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 3:6 said “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” Bingo, that’s the formula. I thank God that you’ve allowed me to scatter a bit of seed, or maybe water it now and again. But God did the work, and always will. And let me add, that is the same formula for you. By that I mean that whatever you do - be it parent, spouse, a retired person or student - God can, and does reveal himself through you in those callings. In that regard, your story and John’s are not so very far apart either.

A man was once asked by some traveling evangelist if he was a Christian, a “true” Christian, that is. He said yes, he thought that he was – but the old evangelist persisted and said “Are you sure? What evidence can you give?” To which the man replied, "Well, if it’s evidence you’re looking for, then you’ll have to ask my wife, my kids, my customers, my neighbors and friends. I could tell you anything you want about me and Jesus … they’ll tell you if it’s true or not.”

To know him and make him known is our collective calling. Thank you for letting me do my part these past six years. I promise I’ll keep it up over the next five months as best as I can. I am so very thankful that I can count on you to do the same, and then some.

The Lord be with you all,

Pastor Ken Nelson

Worship Resources

Calvary's Website

Live Stream Link

NALC Daily Devotion

This Week's Reflection from Martin Luther

In the eyes of the world these words cannot be convincing, because their meaning becomes clear only by faith.

- Martin Luther

- Luther’s Works 17:169 (Lectures on Isaiah)

Online Resources

Note: If you give online to the Mission of the Month, your funds will be applied to the MOM recipient at the time of your gift.

See the monthly calendar by clicking on the image below.

Antarctica, anyone?

Tuesday, January 17

12:30 p.m.

Visit Antarctica from the warm comfort of Calvary!

Join Don and JoAnne Krause as they share a video and photos from a trip they made to Antarctica.

You'll see lots of icebergs and penguins - all six different breeds! Don will explain the many beautiful things from their trip. He explains it all wonderfully, maps out the area, shows what they needed to wear, and much more.

Bring a friend!

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

January 14-15, 2023

PRESIDING MINISTER: Pastor Ken Nelson

ASSISTING MINISTER/SERMON: Scott Langelin

DEACONS:

Saturday: Ernie Kretschmann
Sunday: Nancy Wittmus, Terry Bzdusek, Linda Thorpe

ACOLYTES:

Ava Morris and Mallory Zipp

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE:

Megan Schatz

USHERS:

Brad Meyer and Jon Sayas

LECTOR:

Ruth Brostowitz

ALTAR GUILD:

Lee and Marge Tyne

GREETERS:

John and Mary Lau
Karen and Keith Pierce

FELLOWSHIP:

Dudzik family in celebration of Chris' birthday

FLOWERS:

Dudzik family in celebration of Chris' birthday

POWERPOINT TECH:

Cindy Rooks/Saturday
Chuck Lukasik/Sunday

Sign Up Today!

Calvary's Fourth

Soup and Chili Cook Off

Saturday, February 11

6:00 p.m.

It's time to start looking through those cookbooks and recipe cards for that winning entry! Entry forms and sign up sheets are on the Opportunities Kiosk in the Narthex. There is a limit on the number of soup/chili entries (eight per category), so be sure to sign up as soon as possible.

We invite everyone to join us to come eat and judge! Bring a friend or neighbor for what is always a great time of friendly competition, yummy food and fellowship! There will be a free will offering with 100% of money collected donated to Calvary's Youth Programs. Special thanks to Thrivent for financial support to offset the costs of this event.

Faith Formation

International Week of Prayer

for Christian Unity

Joint Worship Service

Wednesday, January 18

11:00 a.m. at SJV

Calvary will join our neighbors and friends from St. John Vianney for a joint worship service on Wednesday January 18 at 11 a.m. The service will be held at St. John Vianney this year. A Daily Prayer Guide has been compiled and you can access it here. Copies of this guide are also available on the table in the Narthex.

This is the annual service marking the week of International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We are asking for non-perishable food items for the SJV food pantry. These items can be dropped in the shopping cart in the Narthex after January 1st, or you can bring with you to the joint service on January 18.

Please note that there will be NO adult Bible study at Calvary that day.

Women's Ministry Book Group

Women’s Book Group – Monday, February 13

Harnischfeger Room -Brookfield Public Library

12:30 – 2:00 pm

This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing

by Jacqueline Winspear

Book summary from Amazon.com:

After 16 novels, Jacqueline Winspear has taken the bold step of turning to memoir, revealing the hardships and joys of her family history. Both shockingly frank and deftly restrained, her story tackles the difficult, poignant, and fascinating family accounts of her paternal grandfather’s shell shock; her mother’s evacuation from London during the Blitz; her soft-spoken animal-loving father’s torturous assignment to an explosives team during WWII; her parents’ years living with Romany gypsies; and Winspear’s own childhood picking hops and fruit on farms in rural Kent, capturing her ties to the land and her dream of being a writer at its very inception.

An eye-opening and heartfelt portrayal of a postwar England we rarely see, This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing chronicles a childhood in the English countryside, of working class indomitability and family secrets, of artistic inspiration and the price of memory.

The Bridges library system owns 14 copies plus two CD versions.

Join us for interesting conversation – and bring a friend!

Our Church Family

Olivia Schlieve, 1/12

Marge Tyne, 1/13

Amy Blobaum, 1/14

Nora Ostrander, 1/15

Tom Thiede, 1/15

Chris Dudzik, 1/16

Natalie Voss, 1/16

Erik Wahlgren, 1/16

Lauren Beeson (Jones) 1/19

Allison Duch, 1/21

Juanita Osowski, 1/21

Alex Baumgarten, 1/22

Amelia Evert, 1/22

Jackson Gall, 1/22

Jo Shannon, 1/23

Cindy Rooks, 1/23

Sue Vollmar, 1/25

Bode Zipp, 1/25

Diane Iverson, 1/27

Tony Dentice, 1/28

Chris and Jessica Dudzik, 1/7 (17 years)

Pat and Carol Corcoran, 1/12 (60 years)

Dave and Chris Cason, 1/17 (42 years)

Alex and Margaux Baumgarten, 1/25 (3 years)

Jiafu and Sophia Liu, 1/27 (23 years)

Joel and Linda Richmond, 1/30 (41 years)

Do You Need a Church Directory?

The Calvary Church Directory is available electronically or in paper format. If you'd like an electronic copy, please send an email to Sue Rowe at communications@calvarylc.com.

There are also printed copies available in the church office.

If there are any changes to your phone, email or address, please advise the Church office. Any updates should be submitted to Cindy Zilske at office@calvarylc.com.

New prayer requests: Jan Chesner, Grace Gunnlaugsson

Ongoing short-term prayer requests: Tom Kurtz; Jonni Roush; Kira (daughter of a friend of Jessica Dudzik); Susie Barnhart (friend of Megan Scott); Tony Shemberger (father of Amy Blobaum); Ray-Ann, granddaughter of David Ernst; Pastor Tim Peterson (friend of Ken and Marcella Nelson); Elizabeth Stem (niece of Evelyn Ceci); Dennis Heimdahl (son-in-law of Marilyn Hermann); Sarah Green (sister of Andy Schatz); Laura Lynn (friend of Pastor Jerry and Nancy Wittmus)

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, EMT's; 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 members: Pat Corcoran; Ron Foster; Beverly Lawson; Shirley Mahn; Myrna Mavroff; Donna Schroeder; Nadine Schuelke; Gloria Strei; Pat Treutelaar; Ruth Young; Janet Zastrow

Non-members: Gerry Fosdal (friend of Linda Thorpe); Tom Bruns (brother of Carol Rooney); Lauren (granddaughter of Scott and Peggy Langelin); Isabelle George (wife of Judy Sayas' cousin); Joe Dentice (father of Tony Dentice); Mike Andrae (husband of former Calvary member Luisa Andrae); Nicole Sayas (daughter in law of Judy Sayas); Dennis Reich (friend of John and Mary Lau); Curt (friend of Larry Bonier); Pastor Mark Gehrke (son of Lois Gehrke); Barb Anderson (friend of Lisa Grossman); Gareth George (cousin of Judy Sayas); Joseph Franko (friend of Judy Sayas); Rose Luther (friend of Nicole Moritz); Judy Grospitz; Monica Barchus (niece of Ernie Kretschmann); Michael Rossa (Lucy Dallman's son); Karen (friend of Lydia Trudell); John Nielson (brother of Judy Kestly); Susan Petropoulos (sister of Wayne Johnson); Tom Dallman (husband of Lucy Dallman); Delores Seel (mother of Keith Pierce)

If you have any new prayer requests, please contact the church office at 262.786.4010 or via email to office@calvarylc.com.

Worship Attendance and Giving Update

Offering Envelope Update

The company we use to create and mail the offering envelopes has been experiencing some printing equipment issues and is behind in mailing our first quarter envelopes.

In the meantime, please use the envelopes in the pews. You can also skip the envelope and just place your check in the offering basket. If you want the funds to be designated to something specific (Mission of the Month, flowers, fellowship, NALC, etc.), please designate that on your check.

Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Rooks at finance@calvarylc.com.

Giving to the NALC Campaign

Just a reminder that contributions to the NALC's 20/20 Vision Campaign need to be designated as "NALC" either on your giving envelope or on your check. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Rooks at finance@calvarylc.com.

Online giving provides options!

While cash and checks are always welcome, the “Give Online” button on the Calvary Lutheran Church website provides another option. And, with the expansion of our vendor’s software, the options are now expanded and customized. In addition to giving to the General Operating Fund, Building Fund and Mission of the Month, you can now specify contributions for Altar Flowers, Sunday Morning Fellowship Treats, NALC, etc.

Please note that contributions to the Mission of the Month are allocated to the organization for the month in which the donation is made

If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Rooks, Finance Secretary, via email at finance@calvarylc.com or (262) 786-4010.

Online Giving Link

Mission and Outreach

January Mission of the Month AbleLight

(formerly Bethesda Lutheran Home)

Mission Statement: Enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services that share the good news of Jesus Christ

AbleLight is a national Christian non-profit organization headquartered in Watertown, Wisconsin that provides support services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at program locations across the U.S. They are in eight counties in Wisconsin.
They work to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by giving them the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest. They seek to be a champion of change by supporting independence and community inclusion.
They make a difference every day in the lives of those they support though advocacy, raising awareness and promoting independence.
They ensure communities understand the unique abilities people with disabilities have and encourage everyone to become advocates for people’s rights and independence.
Some of their current and future initiatives include:

Smart home technology to enhance daily living
Financial Support Services (they currently provide financial management for more than 700 clients)
Bethesda College of Applied Learning
Independent housing choices that offer true community inclusion
Behavioral Support Services (for people of all ages)
Faith resources made available online and free-of-charge through Concordia Publishing

For more information about AbleLight, please click here.

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.

The Waukesha County Creation Care Network is designed to develop, support, mentor, and inspire Creation Care teams in Faith Communities through sharing resources, programs and ideas.

You're invited to join the Waukesha County Creation Care Network and Catholics for Peace and Justice for an in-person afternoon of fellowship and learning.

January 29, 2023

12:30pm-3:00pm

St. John's Lutheran Church

20275 Davidson Road, Brookfield, WI

We will explore the connection between caring for creation, faith, equity, and justice, demonstrate best practices and tools for building your volunteer network, and meet others working toward the same goal! Bring a friend and share within your congregation!

Explore best practices for growing your Creation Care team.
Connect faith, equity, and justice to sustainable practices
Meet others working on Care for Creation.
Receive resources and tools for your congregation.

A light soup lunch will be served. Program is free - please click the box below to register.

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

Thursday, January 19

6 p.m.

Fellowship Hall

If you have any questions, please contact Ernie Kretschmann at erniekretschmann@gmail.com

A few reminders ....

CLICK HERE FOR Imposter Scam Info from State of Wisconsin

Scam Emails from "Pastor Ken"

You may have recently received an email from Pastor Ken (or another member of the Calvary staff) requesting assistance for an important matter. These are NOT from Pastor Ken and are imposter scams. You will never receive an email from Pastor Ken or staff requesting your assistance in this way.

Please take a minute to check out the information from the State of Wisconsin which contains very helpful information about Imposter Scams.

Copies of this information is also on the Resources kiosk in the Narthex.

Severe Weather Announcements

With winter in full swing, 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.

Sanctuary Flowers

A wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion or remember a loved one is by sponsoring flowers at our altar. The cost is $35 and you may take them home following the Sunday morning worship. (If you'd prefer, you can leave the flowers at church to be enjoyed in the church office.)

The sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex, near the door to Fellowship Hall.

We invite you to provide

Hospitality Treats on Sunday

We invite you to stay after worship on Sunday mornings and enjoy fellowship time and a treat/cup of coffee in Fellowship Hall.

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 (six 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.

The sign up sheet for 2023 has been posted on the bulletin board. Thank you for your support!

Live Stream Attendance Link

If you watch our services via the Live Stream, please take a minute to let us know. There is now a link called "Online Worship Attendance" on the page where you access each week's service.

We appreciate you taking the time to complete this each week. It helps us know that our Live Stream is being viewed and by whom.

Thank you!

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.

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.

CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH www.calvarylc.com

Regular office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - noon 262.786.4010

Questions or comments? Email Sue Rowe at communications@calvarylc.com