CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH

Your Weekly E-Newsletter -- Thursday, January 19, 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.

Copies of the 2022 Annual Report can be found on the table in the Narthex.

Prayer Service for Victims and

Survivors of Human Trafficking


You're invited to join Marcella Nelson for a Prayer Service on Tuesday, January 24 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church in Waukesha. The poster below contains more informatoin.


If you'd like to carpool from Calvary to St. Mary, please contact Marcella at nelskog@juno.com or (701) 833-5157.

Calvary Has Talent!


To the good folks of Calvary:


Following the established tradition, we will have a pancake supper on “Fat Tuesday” (February 21) served by the youth of our congregation.


During and after the meal, we plan to present a "Calvary Has Talent" at the south end of Fellowship Hall. Your talent need not be musical, but music is welcomed as part of the whole. Each presentation should be between 2-4 minutes long. See some suggestions listed in this article.


All ages are encouraged to participate!


We are looking for early sign ups - the sign up form for the Talent Show will be on the OPPORTUNITIES kiosk in the Narthex. A separate sign up for the pancake supper will be posted soon. We invite everyone to come enjoy fellowship, a good supper and fun!


If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Moritz at music@calvarylc.com.



Fat Tuesday

Talent Show

February 21

5:30 p.m.



Some talent ideas include:


  • magic tricks, juggling
  • stand-up comedy (family-friendly!)
  • skits (may include others)
  • solo acting or monologue
  • hula hoop, yo-yo tricks, ball-handling skills
  • story-telling, lip-syncing, karaoke
  • creating a dress out of toilet paper
  • dancing, cheerleading, gymnastics
  • face-painting
  • imitating a famous person
  • painting or drawing a picture while we watch (perhaps with narration!)
  • singing/playing an instrument with or without accompaniment. Using pre-recorded music is fine.

This Week's Pondering from Pastor Ken

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them … and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” 

Luke 2:51-52






Well, what else would you expect – the little guy was the Son of God after all!  Much is made of the “two-natures” of Jesus - the particularly Christian teaching that Jesus was both fully human and is fully divine.  In that regard – the ‘being fully divine’ part that is - being obedient to his parents would not be much of a surprise.  After all, Jesus who is “from the beginning with the Father” is also therefore the one through whom the Law was given, and the command to “honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”


We want to raise our children to be faithful men and women. We want to instill in them the virtues that not only our culture recognizes as beneficial, but which our faith recognizes as essential to being Christian men and women. Learning to live under authority is done first in the home. That is why God gave the command to children to honor their parents.  Luther wrote “Next to Himself, God gave to parents the highest honor.”  It’s not an easy task however, and even Christian parents in our society report that being a parent is neither easy nor always enjoyable for them.   


That is why we’ve decided to host a workshop at Calvary in April featuring Dr. Leonard Sax – a bestselling author of books such as “The Collapse of Parenting”, “Boys Adrift” and “Girls on the Edge.” Dr. Sax is a Pennsylvania-based MD and Board Certified Psychologist who has over 35 years of experience as a family physician. He has combined that with a deep concern and passion to help parents parent in a society that increasingly seems to instill in kids what Dr. Sax calls “a culture of disrespect.”  

Dr. Sax will be at Calvary April 26 -27 of this year - a visit that has received a generous amount of financial support from the Calvary Endowment.  


This two-day workshop will be open to everyone at Calvary, but all the more to the wider community. We are already making great strides in publicizing this through other area churches, school districts, parent groups, etc.  We need “all hands on deck” from Calvary to help us get the word out about this unique opportunity to hear from a respected national and international speaker on parenting and child/teen mental health.   


Marcella and I are currently facilitating a study of Dr. Sax’s book “The Collapse of Parenting” on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. This study will run for four more weeks through February 19.  That group study may be followed by one of Dr. Sax’s other books.  At this time, Marcella and I have decided to offer these study sessions to parents in our congregation with children in the home.   If you are a parent and you’ve not joined the group discussion yet, you still may. We’d love to add you to the mix!  


We want to hear from our parents chiefly about how they are experiencing the gift and task of being a parent. It was not our intent to exclude others in our congregation from learning about this topic. So when we finish this first session, we may offer a discussion opportunity to the wider congregation.  Please bear with us.  


By the way, Dr. Sax not only has good research-based recommendations for parents today; he also dedicates sections of his books to “faith communities” in general, and about how they should think (or re-think) their role in supporting parents in faith formation.  He has some startling statistics about how faith is passed along and some winsome recommendations to congregations about how to do this important work.  He’ll address that when he comes in April.  


Calvary’s mission statement is “To live and share the life -changing message of Jesus Christ.”  So much of this mission is fulfilled in the Christ-centered home. God honors parents – he called men and women to literally be “co-creators” with him and endowed them with the grace to raise children who will in turn, one day, be parents themselves.  It’s a tall task, and our aim with hosting both the book studies and the April workshop with Dr. Leonard Sax is to support Calvary’s parents and those of the wider community in that effort.


You can learn more about Dr. Sax at his website www.leonardsax.com.   


I hope this finds you well.




Pastor Ken Nelson    


Worship Resources
Calvary's Website
Live Stream Link
NALC Daily Devotion

This Week's Reflection from Martin Luther

We should never regard this call from God, which takes place through the preaching of the Word, as some kind of deception. Instead, we should know that God reveals his will through it, namely, that he wills to work through his Word in those whom he has called.


- Formula of Concord

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.


Third Sunday after the Epiphany

January 21-22, 2023

New Member Weekend

PRESIDING MINISTER: Pastor Ken Nelson

ASSISTING MINISTER/SERMON: Larry Bonier

DEACONS:

  • Saturday: Ernie Kretschmann
  • Sunday: Lisa Grossman, George Sedivec, Mary Ellen Thiede

ACOLYTES:

  • Kyle and Jackson Gall

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE:

  • Larry Bonier

USHERS:

  • Caryl Braatz and Jim Brostowitz

LECTOR:

  • Lee Tyne

ALTAR GUILD:

  • Lorna Reiter

GREETERS:

  • Carol Roe
  • Judy Sayas

FELLOWSHIP:

  • Calvary

FLOWERS: Calvary

POWERPOINT TECH:

  • Cindy Rooks/Saturday
  • Sue Rowe/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. Entry forms are due by January 30th.


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!


Who will take home the coveted prize ladle this year? Here are the prior Cook Off winners ....


Soup:

2018: Sue Rowe

2019: Lydia Trudell

2020: Lydia Trudell


Chili:

2018: Erica Zipp

2019: Carolyn Schuelke

2020: JoAnne Krause


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

Pastor's Bible Study


Pastor Ken's Mid-Week Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, January 25 at 12:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. He will present the readings for the upcoming weekend, followed by discussion and insight.


Please note that there will not be a Bible Study on February 1 as Pastor Ken and Ben Blobaum will be at a Pastor's Conference.

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


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



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)


Mike and Sue Rowe, 2/14 (42 years)

Bryant and Nicole Moritz, 2/20 (14 years)


Kyle Jones and Lauren Beeson, 3/1 (11 years)

Rick and Chris Spangenberger, 3/16 (24 years)

Craig and Michele Schmidt, 3/28 (53 years)

Wayne and Pat Dieck, 3/30 (60 years)


Do you need a new 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: Dave DeBruine, Judy Debruine, Bob Varvaro (friend of Sue Rowe)


Ongoing short-term prayer requests:  Jan Chesner; Grace Gunnlaugsson; 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-membersGerry Fosdal (friend of Linda Thorpe); Tom Bruns (brother of Carol Rooney); Lauren (granddaughter of Scott and Peggy Langelin); ; 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); 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

Contribution Statements


Thank you for your generosity in 2022. Contribution statements were mailed this week. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Rooks at finance@CalvaryLC.com or (262) 786-4010. 


As a reminder, if you use online giving and changed your pledge for 2023, please remember to update your information accordingly. There is a link to the online giving site in the article below.

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

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.

Mission and Outreach

Well Done Calvary!


Members of the Mission & Outreach Committee met this week to sort and pack the winter clothing items that were donated by the congregation. They will be delivered to Care-Net Pregnancy Center Milwaukee, which is one of our 2023 Missions of the Month.


Thank you to everyone who donated hats, mittens, scarves, blankets, gloves and other clothing items for our mission partners in the Milwaukee and surrounding area.



Pictured (l-r): Paula Altman, Marcella Nelson, Kay Sedivec

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.

REGISTER HERE

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:
  1. Smart home technology to enhance daily living
  2. Financial Support Services (they currently provide financial management for more than 700 clients)
  3. Bethesda College of Applied Learning
  4. Independent housing choices that offer true community inclusion
  5. Behavioral Support Services (for people of all ages)
  6. 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.

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