CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH
Your Weekly E-Newsletter April 29, 2021
This Week's Pondering ...
Pastor Ken Nelson
“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I” he said, unless someone explains it to me.” Acts 8:30-31

 
Have you ever had something you wanted to discuss with someone and did not know how to bring up the subject?  Instead, you wait for “an opening” or a natural segue – an “As long as you brought up the subject” moment?   As an introvert, this happens to me all the time.  I can’t tell you the number of times I have left a room thinking to myself “Why didn’t I ask/mention?” or fumble an answer when later someone said to me “Did you ask so and so about…?”   
 
It is said religion and politics - with money being a close third - are topics thought taboo to talk about in “polite” company, and given the polarities they can cause, you can understand why. Sometimes we just don’t feel we have the time to delve. Sometimes we want to avoid the embarrassment or the stress of an argument. And sometimes we’re just afraid to bring something up for fear of changing the mood of the room.   I get it.   Philip the Apostle of Jesus was the beneficiary of “an arranged conversation.”   He’d been sent to a region south of Jerusalem by the Holy Spirit without any specific mention of why or what to expect once he arrived. But when he did, he “noticed an Ethiopian official seated in his chariot by the side of the road.” We’re then told Philip was prompted by the Holy Spirit “to stay near it” – nothing more. 
 
But since he was “hanging around” he heard the official reading from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, and so Philip had his moment – a “Say, whatcha reading there?” moment, (“do you understand what you are reading?”) The official says he can’t understand without help.  Voila … a witnessing moment of the sort I have rarely encountered … a “this is my lucky day” moment to say the least.   Philip was invited into a faith conversation - just like that.  Can’t get it set up any better.   
  
It’s not always that way – but then again, they probably occur more than we realize.  The question is whether we’ll be ready and willing to pursue such an invitation.  I asked some questions of the congregation a few weeks ago in my sermon ...

To continue reading this week's Pondering, click here.
Worship Resources
Online Resources
Worship Information and Updates
Thursday, May 6th
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Fellowship Hall

Pastor Ken is holding an Informational Session for anyone interested in learning more about Calvary Lutheran Church.

If you'd like to attend, we'd love to have you join us. Please RSVP to Cindy Zilske at (262) 786-4010 or via email at office@calvarylc.com.


May 1 & 2, 2021
Fifth Sunday of Easter

PRESIDING MINISTER:
  • Pastor Ken Nelson

ASSISTING MINISTER:
  • Jessica Dudzik

DEACONS:
  • Saturday (5:00 pm): Ed Ramthun
  • Sunday (8:15 am): Larry Bonier
  • Sunday (10:15 am): Lisa Grossman

LECTORS:
  • Sunday (8:15 am): Cathy Wahlgren
  • Sunday (10:15 am):Lenni Graffin

USHERS:
  • Sunday (8:15 am): Andy Schatz
  • Sunday (10:15 am): Chuck Lukasik
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE:
  • Natalie Anderson



ALTAR GUILD:
  • Norene Giuliani

ALTAR FLOWERS:
  • Kalupa family in memory of Erwin Hummel
  • Dean and Diane Schmelzer in celebration of their 40th Anniversary

POWERPOINT TECHS:
  • Saturday (5:00 pm): Lydia Trudell
  • Sunday (8:15 am): Sue Rowe
  • Sunday (10:15 am): Sallie Schulz
Financials & Worship Attendance - April 24 & 25, 2021
Our Church Family

Mary Ellen Thiede, 4/27
Matt Powers, 4/29
RoJean Holler, 5/1
Beverly Lawson, 5/2
Ava Morris, 5/2
Don Heyen, 5/3
John Kalupa, 5/3
Piper Nowicki, 5/3
Al Rodriguez, 5/3
Jean Holman, 5/4
George Sedivec, 5/4
Jessica Dudzik, 5/5
Norene Giuliani, 5/5
John Lau, 5/5
Sam Sayas, 5/5

Ed Ramthun and Cathy Way, 4/27 (19 years)
Dean and Diane Schmelzer, 5/2 (40 years)
Larry and Bonnie Vasatko, 5/3 (52 years)
Kevin and Cathy Wahlgren, 5/9 (34 years)
Tony and Krista Dentice, 5/10 (7 years)
Scott and Lisa Grossman, 5/14 (44 years)
Bill and Betty Clayton, 5/15 (56 years)
Jeff and Melissa Griese, 5/19 (17 years)
Bill and Shirley Jordan, 5/21 (66 years)
Chris and Leah Morris, 5/30 (23 years)
New prayer requests: Dave (brother-in-law of Jan and Chuck Lukasik)

Ongoing short-term prayer requests: Ginny Cox; Grace Gunnlaugsson; Don Heyen; Morgan (cousin of Alex Baumgarten); Cannon Braatz (grandson of Caryl and Bob Braatz); Aggie Fingland (mother of Chuck Giuliani); Delores Seel (mother of Keith Pierce); John Nielson (brother of Judy Kestly); Dave DeBruine (son of Judy DeBruine); Rebecca Cornell (niece of Pastor Ken and Marcella).

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 members:  Diane Foley; Bill Jordan; Jeanette Ketelsen; Shirley Mahn; Nadine Schuelke; Marge Skarie; Lowell Sonderman; Donna Polizzi; Pat Treutelaar; and Janet Zastrow.

Non-members:  Debby (friend of Judy Sayas); Debbie and Jens Douglas (sister-in-law of Lynnae Douglas); 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.
Monday Morning Movie - May 17th at 9:00 a.m.
Showing "on the big screen" in the Sanctuary - The Secret Garden.
 
As a beautiful follow-up to our book selection this month, we invite any and all Calvary members and friends to watch “The Secret Garden” on Monday morning, May 17. Maggie Smith portrays the housekeeper. Need we say more?

Here's the summary from amazon.com: “Splendidly adapted . . ., the film opens in India during the early 1900s, when young Mary Lennox is orphaned and sent to England to live in Misselthwaite Manor, the gloomy estate of her brooding and melancholy uncle, Lord Craven. Because the uncle is almost always away on travels, struggling to forget the death of his beloved wife, Mary is left mostly alone to explore the estate. Eventually she befriends the young brother of a staff maid and Lord Craven's apparently crippled son, who has been needlessly bedridden for years. Together the three children restore a neglected garden on the estate grounds, and in doing so they set the stage for a moving reaffirmation of life and love. Filmed with graceful style and careful attention to the intelligence and cleverness of young children, The Secret Garden is that rarest breed of family film that transcends its own generic category, encouraging a sense of wonder and optimism to become a rewarding experience for viewers of any age.”

Prepare to leave with a smile on your face. Join us and bring a friend!
Faith Formation

Pastor Ken's Wednesday Bible Study
Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m.
Fellowship Hall
Join Pastor Ken as the focus of his weekly Bible study will return to an in-depth look at the readings which will be used each weekend. Handouts are provided that provide some thoughts and questions that focus on the weekly lessons. (Due to COVID restrictions, refreshments are not provided, but you are invited to bring your own coffee, tea or water.) Please join us!

If you can't attend the Study but would like to read the Text Study handout, you can pick up a copy in the Narthex each week or access it from the Worship Resources at the top of this page.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
July 26-30, 2021 9:00 a.m. - Noon



Children and students three-years-old to 5th grade are invited to join us for a fun-filled week of learning and discovering God's love for us in Jesus through Bible stories, music, games, crafts, and more! Cost is $20/child.


Save the Date!
July 26- 30, 2021
High School Youth Group
"Half Lock In", May 14, 6 p.m. - midnight


Middle School Youth Group
"Half Lock In", June 4, 6 p.m. - midnight
Women's Ministry
Marcella Nelson invites you to join her on a week-long retreat to
Mount Carmel Ministries in Alexandria, MN
September 10-17, 2021


The week will be a "Hymn Festival with Gracia Grindal" (retired professor from Luther Seminary). Gracia will dive into the riches of hymnody and how God works through hymns.

There will be morning presentations, afternoon recreation and rest and evening worship. Mount Carmel is located on lovely Lake Carlos and is a place of rest, renewal and recreation where people experience Jesus.

If you 'd like more information, please sign up on the sheets in the Narthex. Cost will depend on single or double occupancy, carpool, etc. (Alexandria, MN is about an eight hour drive) but will be approximately $450-600/person. Meals are included.

Questions? Contact Marcella at (701) 833-5157 or via email at nelskog@juno.com.
Women’s Ministry Book Group
Monday, May 10th at 1:00 pm
Fellowship Hall
 
We wrap up our year of reading with The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Burnett wrote The Secret Garden in 1910. It was published in serialized form in “The American Magazine” before being published in 1911 in book form. It is widely recognized as a classic in English literature.

Here's a summary from amazon.com: “Mary Lennox is a troubled, sickly, and unloved 10-year-old girl born in India to selfish, wealthy British parents. When her parents die, she is sent to live with her uncle in Yorkshire, England. As Mary is exploring the periphery of her uncle's gardens, a robin draws her attention to an area of turned-over soil. Mary finds the key to a locked garden and begins an adventure that will change her life forever.

The growth in the garden and Mary is the book's central symbol. Using the garden motif, Burnett explores the healing power inherent in living things. In a very literal sense, Mary Lennox "comes alive" as her garden does.”

What a fitting time to talk about healing power as we celebrate the Resurrection and the new life all around us this Easter season and on into spring!

We hope to see many of you on May 10.
Women of the NALC Retreat
September 24-26, 2021
Green Lake Conference Center
Green Lake, WI
More information to come next week.
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, May 27
6:00 p.m.
Fellowship Hall

Come for fellowship, food and devotion time. Dinner will be provided. Invite a friend. Social distancing will be respected and practiced.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ernie Kretschmann at kretschmann@att.net.
April Mission of the Month - Compassion International
Compassion International is a child-advocacy ministry that pairs compassionate people with those who are suffering from poverty. The ministry releases children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty. The goal is for each child to become a responsible and fulfilled adult.
 
Compassion's work has grown from modest beginnings in South Korea in 1952 when American evangelist Rev. Everett Swanson felt compelled to help 35 children orphaned by the Korean conflict. Today it is a worldwide ministry where millions of children are now reaping the benefits of one man's clear, God-given vision. To learn more about Compassion's child sponsorship programs, please click HERE.

To support this important Mission for the Month, you may include it in your weekly offering envelope or designate the donation as "Mission of the Month" in your online giving.



Saturday, May 22
Mitchell Park
9:00 a.m.



The Church Life Committee is sponsoring the second "Poker Walk for Water" on Saturday,
May 22 at 9 a.m. at Mitchell Park. (There is no rain date for this event.)

Join Pastor Ken as he kicks off the Walk at the South Pavilion at Mitchell Park. You will receive three playing cards to start you out, and through a safe and leisurely walk through a 1.6 mile designated path at Mitchell Park, you will pick up four more cards. At the end, you will get your final playing card. You will then submit your best five-card poker hand to try to win a prize for best hand. We will have winners in both youth and adult categories. It is a fun event for all!

Registration is $10/person or $25/family. All registration money collected will be donated to Compassion International for its Clean Water programs. Light refreshments will be served at the Pavilion following the walk. Special thanks to Thrivent for their financial assistance for prizes and refreshments.

A sign up sheet and a map of the route is posted on the glass doors in the Narthex. If you'd like to volunteer to help at one of the stations where playing cards are handed out, please send an email to Sue Rowe at communications@calvarylc.com.
Community Outreach
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Thursday, May 13, 2021
8:30 am - 2:30 p.m.
Fellowship Hall

If you're interested in donating, a link to sign up will be available in the coming weeks. Volunteers are needed to help with pre-screening of participants. If you can help, please contact Sue Rowe at communications@calvaryl.com.
BRAIN HEALTH

Are you concerned about memory loss or having difficulty remembering things? Are you concerned about a loved one's memory?



The Aging & Disability Resource Center of Waukesha County is sponsoring a ZOOM session regarding brain health. Learn about the difference between normal aging memory changes and memory loss related to mild cognitive impairment or dementia and what can be done for better brain health.

Jennifer Harders, Dementia Care Specialist, will share more on this important topic and what people of all ages can do.

The ZOOM meeting date is: Tuesday, May 25, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

To register, please contact Jennifer at jharders@waukeshacounty.gov or (414) 519-1246. You will receive more information on accessing the ZOOM session once you are registered.
St. Vincent de Paul Meal Program
Donations Accepted
St. Vincent de Paul's meal program has significantly changed during COVID and serving of their nightly hot meals has been changed to ensure safe transfer of food. Food is now pre-packaged by St. Vincent de Paul staff and handed out to clients at the doors. Since the food is not donated as it was in the past, and their budget has had to incur this extra expense, they could use additional funding to purchase the food that is given out.

If you'd like to support this worthwhile cause, an easy way to do so is through your giving envelope, or online giving. Simply designate your contribution as "St. Vincent de Paul" and the church office will make sure it gets sent to SVDP. Last year we forwarded $1,345 of your generous donations to Saint Vincent de Paul - great job Calvary!
A few reminders ....
Our Stephen Ministers are here for you!
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.
WORSHIP LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE EVERY SUNDAY!

Can't make it to worship? We are live streaming the 8:15 a.m. service on Sunday mornings, and it's almost like you're with us in person.


You can access it at any time from the home page of our website (www.calvarylc.com), or by using the link below. You'll also receive a link on Sunday mornings via email.
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.
If you are choosing to remain at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, any Calvary member, regardless of age or health, can request consecrated bread and juice from the weekend worship service. A sealed communion "kit", along with simple instructions to prepare you for communion, can be dropped off at your home by a member of our home communion ministry team.

If you'd like to get on the schedule for this important ministry, please contact the church office at 262.786.4010 or via email to office@calvarylc.com.   You may set up a schedule of delivery weekly, or less often if you choose.
Flower Chart

Sanctuary Flowers Sign Up


We invite you to sign up for flowers to beautify our altar each weekend. The sign-up sheet for this year is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex.

Flowers are $35 and you may take them home following the 10:15 am worship on Sunday morning. If you'd prefer, you can leave the flowers at church to be enjoyed by the office staff.
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