We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!
Sanctity of Human Life
Don't forget to bring you money-filled baby bottles and other donations for Options for Women this Sunday!
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. Join us this Sunday, January 24, at 10:45 a.m. 101 Pecan Drive, in Schertz [map and directions] as we celebrate God’s gift of life.
Installation of Pastor Ken Mitschke
What a wonderful celebration and installation we had last Sunday. Thank you for all the delicious side dishes to go with the great Rudy's BBQ! Check out these pictures from the day.
Nursery (infant to age 4)
A nursery is available for children infant – age 4 at any time during the worship service on Sundays in the Mother’s Room, to the left as you exit the worship area. The audio of the service is broadcast into the room. Interested in helping with Nursery? Sign up at the Info Table or contact Chris Stemmermann at 566-1401.
J.A.M. (ages 5-8)
Children ages 5-8 are invited to join us for J.A.M., our age appropriate worship/learning experience for children, just after the Children's message this Sunday! Interested in helping with J.A.M.? Contact David White at 650-3166.
Just for Tweens (ages 9-12)
Kids ages 9—12 are invited to be a part of Tweens, a group specially designed for them. Join them this Sunday during the LifeLesson portion of worship for this fun learning experience. Want to know more? Call Becky Peterson at 945-7952.
Grace Prayer Team
Know the miraculous power of prayer. Word of Life has a team of prayer warriors ready to pray for you. The team meets on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. [map and directions] to pray for the morning worship and other needs. Also, prayer partners will be available to pray with you or for you after worship. Just come to the right side of the worship area.
If you would like the team to pray for you throughout the week, just let Pastor Ken know (566-2237 or Ken@WordofLife4u.com), and he will share your request with the team.
The team is compiling a quarterly newsletter and they would like to add your story of answered prayer. Please share YOUR story and/or become a part of this exciting prayer team. Contact Betty Tolsma 659-8107 or bettytolsma@sbcglobal.net.
Building a Bigger Heaven in Texas
In our prayers this week, we’re lifting up missionary pastor Peter Mueller and the mission of Acts Church as they reach out to people in Austin and beyond. We support their work through the gift of 10% of our Sunday morning offerings to Texas Partners in Mission. To find out more, visit www.txdistlcms.org/tpim.
New!
God Sightings
Tired of relegating God to just one day a week? Want to learn how to experience God every day of your life? Then God Sightings is for you! Join MyGodSightings.com. This vibrant, online community makes it easy for you to experience the power of God’s Word. You’ll read God Sightings: The Complete One Year Bible, grapple with questions in the companion guide, be encouraged by posts in the online forum and share how God is working in your life. To join, go to www.MyGodSightings.com and click on “Sign up now.” Once you have created your profile, use the search box in the upper, right hand corner to search for the “Word of Life Fellowship” group. Click on the button to join our group! It’s free!
Join a LifeGroup
With the start of the new year, several of our home groups are starting or resuming. Start a better life now.
Tuesday Youth Group
7:00 p.m. at the Weissmann’s house
108 Rustic Trail, Cibolo
Questions? 314-3754
Wednesday Morning Women’s Group
9:00 a.m. at Sherri Smith’s home
3309 Dusty Crossing, Schertz
Questions? 659-2585
Thursday Men’s Group
7:00 p.m. at Ken Mitschke’s home
1531 Jasmine, Schertz
Next meeting: Thursday, February 4
Questions? 218-3685
If you would like to join a group, host a group or lead a group, please fill out the RSVP form at worship and leave it in the offering box.
Relief for Haiti
As news of what is being called the largest earthquake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years reached LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the Synod's mercy arm began preparing to reach out in the Caribbean nation with much needed assistance and working in cooperation with Lutheran partners. Your donation will help the effort already ongoing in this devastated country. Please make your check payable to Word of Life and write “Haiti relief” in the memo field or place your cash donation in one of the “disaster relief” envelopes available by the offering box.
If you are a member of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Thrivent will match $1 for every $2 you donate, up to $1 million. To qualify for these matching funds, Thrivent members must make their donation at Thrivent.com/helpinghaiti or by calling 800-236-3736 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. When prompted, say "directory" and enter ext. 83003.
For updates on the work World Relief is doing, please go to the LCMS World Relief and Human Care website at: http://www.lcms.org/ca/worldrelief/.
More Matching Funds
Recently, the Word of Life Student Ministry received $820 in matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a faith-based, not-for-profit membership organization nearly 2.6 million members strong. They're a Fortune 500 financial services organization with the strength of more than $61 billion in assets under management. They offer financial products and membership activities to Lutherans and provide resources such as the above matching funds to Lutheran organizations. For more information contact our very own Thrivent Representative, Bill Krueger, 734-8007 or go to www.thrivent.com/aboutus/.
Student Ministry Meeting
Parents & Students are asked to attend an important planning meeting, this Sunday, January 24 at 5:00 p.m. at the Stemmermann’s (1013 Gate Creek, Schertz).
Delicious Fund Raiser
The Youth will begin taking orders this Sunday, January 24, for fully cooked 10-12 pound briskets. The mouth watering briskets are just $40.00 each! Orders will be accepted through Feb. 2. Cooked briskets will be ready for pick-up on Feb. 6. Delivery arrangements can be made, if necessary.
Souper Bowl of Caring
This year, on Sunday, February 7, 140 million Americans will tune in to the Super Bowl football game. There will be parties with abundant food, friendship and fellowship. At the same time, there will be people worrying about staying warm, finding shelter and a warm meal. Please join young people around the US as they demonstrate God’s love by loving their neighbors through the Souper Bowl of Caring. Here’s how you can help:
Bring donations of non-perishable food items to worship on Sundays. Donations can be placed in the RACAP box in the lobby.
Our students will be at the door after worship on Sunday, February 7 to collect your monetary donations. Drop $1 (or more) in the soup pot as you leave. All monetary donations will also go to RACAP.
30 Hour Famine
Every 7 seconds a child dies because of hunger and related causes. But here’s the good news—our students are doing something about it! On February 20 & 21, our youth group will participate in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine. We’re fasting for 30 hours to get a taste of hunger—and to raise money to help feed and care for hungry kids and their families around the world. We need your help!
We’d like the whole church to be involved in our Famine. Here are some ways you can be part of the action . . .
Pray. Ask God to bless our students as they go without food so others can eat.
Participate. We need volunteers to help with our Famine weekend event!
Give. Support our students’ fundraising efforts—every $30 they raise can help feed and care for one child for a month!
Questions? Call Mark Stemmerman, 566-1401.
Got Skills?
Woodworking—We are looking for someone to build a manger for use during future Christmas celebrations
Banner making—We’d like to add special banners for Easter, Christmas, Life Sunday, etc.. Patterns and some materials are available.
Contact Shirley Christiansen, 452-0372, for more information or to volunteer.
Filled With Hope Conference
We live in a world where homosexuality is not only normal, it is often seen as the norm. This conference helps attendees move past blind acceptance, clichéd judgmentalism, or head-in-the-sand isolationism to a confident, effective, grace and truth ministry in our current culture. Hosted by Point of Grace, Pflugerville, the conference begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 30. (Mike Goeke, son of John & Shirley, is one of the presenters.) Registration is $20 per person ($10 for students). For more info, or to register online: http://pointofgracechurch.org. Click on the “Filled with Hope” logo.
Worship at Word of Life
You can listen to audio streams of recent worship services at Word of Life through the internet or download a recording of the service to your 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.
You can also 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.
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
OptionLine.org - Help for the person in a difficult pregnancy situation or for those suffering abortion aftereffects... [more]
The Name on the Card - Ginger Plowman tells her own gripping story of guilt and redemption following her experience with abortion..." [more]
LutheransforLife.org - Home page of an organization that offers news, commentary, a great free quarterly journal, excellent resources and positive witness on sanctity of life issues from a Biblical, law / Gospel perspective... [more]
Abortion - Links to papers and articles on abortion from a Biblical, Christian perspective... [more]
Abortion Pictures - "Be forewarned that these links contain graphic abortion photos and videos of aborted babies, but like the pictures of Nazi holocaust victims, they show the true horror of legalized killing..." [more]
Prayer Requests and Thanksgivings
We Thank God…
for the truth that every life is the work of His hands, that every life has been bought with the blood of Christ, that the Spirit calls every life into an eternal relationship through the Gospel
for the birth of Jake Aben and the joy given to grandparents Wayne & Mary Flowers
for the safe return of Julie Astrachan from Afghanistan
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 over $40,000 given by Word of Life in 2009 to help mission starts in Texas and Brazil
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 speak the truth in love so we may grow up into Christ, to speak the truth in love to our community so that a culture of death may be transformed into a culture of life, to speak the truth in love so people may be turned from sin and death to freedom and life
to bless missionary pastor Peter Mueller and the mission of Acts Church as they reach out to people in Lakeway, Texas 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, especially the earthquake victims in Haiti
to bless our leaders with godly wisdom and guidance that they would lead according to His will
to bless David & Ana Koester, Joe Curry, Chuck Tolsma, Kelly McDonald, Paulita and Javier (Koester) with employment
to bless and protect our troops abroad, especially Logan Christiansen in U.A.E., Tom Hermel, Erik Moore & Mr. Smith in Iraq, Juan Pizarro (Molina) in Indonesia and Jason Leible, Elizabeth Grossart & Jason Lieber in Afghanistan
to heal Archie Wortham, John & Nita Bowden, Lisa Flowers, Sharon Aben (Flowers), Jolla Burch (I. White), Ephram, Lorraine Leible, Reuben Stresemann (S. Smith), Pastor Jim Linderman, 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.
Bad Day Fun
You know it's going to be a bad day when your teenager knocks on your bedroom door first thing in the morning and says, "Today is 'Nerd Day' at school, Dad. Can I borrow some of your clothes?"
Just a Thought
Only half the patients who go into an abortion clinic come out alive. -Anonymous
Joy & Peace,
Pastor Ken Mitschke
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P.S. For past issues or to subscribe [WordofLife4u].
Word of Life Fellowship-LCMS
1531 Jasmine Dr
Schertz TX 78154-3738
www.WordofLife4u.com
210-566-2237
Ken@WordofLife4u.com
We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!
Word of Life Fellowship LCMS
1531 Jasmine Dr
Schertz TX 78154-3738
Pastor Ken Mitschke
210-566-2237
Ken@WordofLife4u.com