Building a Bigger Heaven in Brazil

In our prayers this week, we’re lifting up missionary pastor Marcos Weide and the mission of Paz as they reach out to people in São Vicente, Brazil and beyond.  We support their work through the gift of 10% of our Sunday morning offerings to Brazil Mission Society. To find out more, visit www.BrazilMissionSociety.com.

Make Daily Devotions a Habit in 2010

Check the Info Table at worship this Sunday for your family’s copy of Portals of Prayer. Each daily devotion in this booklet features a Bible reading, meditation, and prayer in an easy-to-read format. Portals of Prayer is great for personal devotions, and these timeless devotions can be used to open meetings or launch Bible studies.

Installation of Pastor Ken Mitschke

Recently, our congregation called Pastor Ken to serve as our Pastor. He had previously served as a mission planter through a call from the Texas District. Last Sunday, Pastor Ken announced he has accepted our call to serve Word of Life and work with us to build a bigger heaven and better lives. Pastor Ken will be installed as our pastor on Sunday morning, January 17.

Rev. Ken Hennings, President of the Texas District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, will be our guest proclaimer for worship. He will share the Message and perform the Rite of Installation. To continue our celebration, we’ll enjoy a special meal together after worship. Make plans to stay after worship! Details for the meal are still being arranged. Be watching for more information.

Sanctity of Human Life

God’s Word compels us to speak and act on behalf of those who are vulnerable and defenseless. Our society has placed these individuals at risk through legalized abortion-on-demand and the growing threat to the lives of others through legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia. On Sunday, January 24, we will celebrate God’s gift of life. We’ll be collecting diapers and other baby items to give to the Options for Women center in New Braunfels. Bring your donations with you to worship the next few Sundays and share a tangible expression of Jesus’ love.

We’ll have baby bottles available Sunday, January 3 for you to take home as a reminder to pray for those who are most vulnerable when it comes to life issues. Collect your spare change and extra bills in the bottle and bring the filled bottle with you to worship on Sunday, January 24. We’ll donate the bottles and the money to the New Braunfels Pregnancy Center. If you would rather make a single donation to the Center, use the “Life Sunday” envelopes. Make your check payable to Word of Life and note “Pregnancy Care Center” in the memo line.

Website Team

It’s time for a review of the Word of Life website. We need your input on how to update, organize and streamline our web presence. We’re looking for 3 – 5 volunteers to help with this project. You DO NOT have to be a “web expert” to help. We need input from all kinds: young: old, men: women, tech phobic: computer nerd. To volunteer, please contact Greg Peterson, 945-7952 or gpete@sbcglobal.net.

Thank You

Special thanks to all of you for remembering me at Christmas time with the beautiful Christmas wreath. It means so much! Joanne McDonald

When does $24,000 = $48,000?

Now! For every dollar you give to our Building Fund until the end of 2010, the Texas District LCMS has generously offered to match it up to $100,000. What a great way to double the impact of your contribution! As a bonus your donation will receive a high rate of return in the coming year through our Texas CEF Building Fund which is currently paying 2.53% apy. Just write "Building Fund" in the memo line of your check or place your gift in a Ministry Facility Fund envelope.

Wanted: Administrative Services Provider

Pastor Ken is looking for an administrative services provider who can work a half day to a day each week on a contract or volunteer basis doing detail oriented administrative tasks. If you or someone you know would like to assist Word of Life Fellowship in building a bigger heaven and better lives, click on the following link or pick up an Administrative Services Expectations description from the Info table and contact Pastor Ken, 566-2237 or Ken@WordofLife4u.com.

Camp Lone Star

At home and at camp, Camp Lone Star communicates to youth that we can glorify Christ in everything we do. A summer camp experience at Camp Lone Star creates an intentional Christian community submersing participants in Christian values facilitated by a Christ-centered staff.

Through the 2010 summer camp programs, Camp Lone Star will communicate the message of the hope we have through the mighty grace and love of our God to youth of all ages. This message is made a reality by structuring the camper’s day with flexibility while making a commitment to key activities throughout the week. Here’s a taste of what every camper can expect this summer:

• Living in a small group of similarly aged cabin mates

• All-camp morning devotions

• Morning praise and worship time

• Daily activity time, which may include any of the following:

  • Archery

  • Arts and crafts

  • Time at the pool

  • Nature Center activities

  • Canoeing

  • Multiple sports activities

  • Fishing

  • Hiking

  • Daily cabin group Bible studies

  • All-camp games like All-camp Soccer, Flicker Ball, Darebase and Lone Star favorites like Capture-the-Dooger!

  • Roundup: an evening time when each cabin group presents something they learned that day through a skit, song or other creative method

  • All-camp evening devotions and camp fire to close the day

For more information or to register, visit www.LOMT.com or pick up registration information at the Info Table. For personal Camp Lone Star stories, talk to the Petersons, Osgoods, Molinas or Mitschkes.

Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition
(LINC) San Antonio

Lutheran congregations, ministries and individuals are combining efforts and resources to reach the multi-cultural and urban people of the San Antonio area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We plan to equip and train servant leaders for ongoing ministry to care for the spiritual and physical needs of our neighbors in the name of Jesus. The Texas District has agreed to help in this endeavor by providing a $50,000 matching grant. To find out more, click on or pick up a new LINC flyer from the Info Table. You may make a donation directly or by writing a check to Word of Life with LINC in the memo line.

New!
Podcasts of Worship at Word of Life

Now you can subscribe to our Podcast/RSS Feed of Worship at Word of Life. To subscribe to the podcasts and LifeLesson notes, click on  Subscribe. To take advantage of this feature you may need to update your web browser or get a free RSS reader. For more information about RSS subscriptions and readers go to www.WhatIsRSS.com.

You can also listen to audio streams of recent worship services at Word of Life, or you can download a recording of the service to your computer or mp3 player and listen whenever you'd like. Click here! and you'll be directed to our Worship at Word of Life page. Left-click on "Stream" to listen to a service right away or click on "Download" (some require a right-click) to download a service to your computer and/or connected mp3 player to listen to later. You can view, save or print a copy of the LifeLesson notes too.

Online Calendar

You've read through the WordofLife4u. You sense what God wants you to do, but how do you keep track of events to invite your friends and neighbors to, groups where you can grow, and ministries where you can use your gifts to make a real difference? Check out our online calendar at: www.WordofLife4u.com/calendar.

"Better Life" Links

Questions for a New Year  - "The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up and get our bearings. For starters, here are 10 questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God..." [more]

Resolutions Worth Keeping  - "The origins of new years' resolutions, and one famous list..." [more]

Why I Don't Make New Year's Resolutions -  "Making and breaking resolutions was not the solution..." [more]

Prayer Requests and Thanksgivings

We Thank God…

• for giving us vision to see what others can’t see, faith to believe what others will not, and for giving us the courage and ability to do what others say can’t be done

• for successfully calling our first pastor and his acceptance

• for employment for Cathy Ashcraft

• for protecting Doug Stresemann through a serious auto accident

• for healing Chase Bargsley and Austin McDonald

• for the joy and blessings of God’s presence with us in Christ and for family and friends

• for our nation and our leaders

• for standing guard over our troops and their families

• for those who have sacrificed life and limb defending us

• for all the resources God has entrusted to our care

• for those who contributed $24,000 to our ministry facility fund in the last two months

• for His promise to multiply our tithes and offerings to help build a bigger heaven and better lives.

We Ask God…

• to inspire and empower us to see, believe and do what God has planned for our lives in the coming days, weeks, months and years

• to bless missionary pastor Marcos Weide and the mission of Paz as they reach out to people in São Vicente, Brazil and beyond

• to direct the purchasing of a property to help us reach our community with the Gospel

• to comfort the victims of persecution, terrorism and disaster

• to bless our leaders with godly wisdom and guidance that they would lead according to His will

• to call Pastor Mark Hotopp soon to the ministry He has chosen and bless him and his family through transitions

• to bless those who travel and to bless David & Ana Koester, Chuck Tolsma, Kelly McDonald, Paulita and Javier with employment

• to protect our troops abroad, especially Logan Christiansen in U.A.E., Erik Moore & Mr. Smith in Iraq, Juan Pizarro in Indonesia and Jason Leible, Julie Astrachan & Jason Lieber in Afghanistan

• to comfort the family and friends of Ron Stone and Alden Malachowski as they mourn their deaths

• to heal Shirley Stewart, Archie Wortham, Nita Bowden, Lisa Flowers, Ninfa Sanchez, the mother of Rosie Cortez, Paige, and to heal those battling cancer: John Dury, Rachel Midgett, Kayla Nunnery, Sadie Norris, Matthew Provencio, Manuel Coloura, Zach Vangundy, Amanda Conniff, Pam Smith, Kurt Bickel, Susan Doering and to comfort and strengthen their families

• for financial and people resources to enable His vision to come into being through us

• to empower us to connect people to Christ.

Join us in prayer wherever you are! You may leave prayer requests at 566-2237 or Ken@WordofLife4u.com.

New Years Resolution Fun

An overweight business associate of mine decided it was time to shed some excess pounds. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving route to avoid his favorite bakery. One morning, however, he arrived at work carrying a gigantic coffeecake. We all scolded him, but his smile remained cherubic. "This is a very special coffeecake," he explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window were a host of goodies. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed, 'Lord, if you want me to have one of those delicious coffeecakes, let me have a parking place directly in front of the bakery.'" "And sure enough," he continued, "the eighth time around the block, there it was!"

Just a Thought

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!