Services this Sunday

We continue to pray for our community as the virus known as H1N1 spreads. We will be meeting this Sunday, but please read and heed the following to promote your health and the health of others:

Stay home if you have any symptoms of illness. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow.

Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

We'll be taking the following precautions this Sunday:

• We're discouraging handshakes and encouraging hand washing.

• We will not be celebrating communion.

• We will suspend Nursery, Children's Message, JAM, Tweens and Confirmation.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" - Psalm 46:1

Guest Speaker

Please welcome Pastor Ed Giese as our guest speaker this Sunday. He will be helping us take a fresh look at Jesus’ resurrection this Sunday, May 3 at 10:45 a.m. 101 Pecan Drive, in Schertz [map and directions].

One Month to Live - Really?

Has anyone noticed the irony (warning) in the coincidental (prophetic) beginning of our One Month to Live series and the outbreak of the potentially dangerous H1N1 virus in one of our schools? What would you really do if you had one month to live? We’ll dig into this question and look to God's Word, specifically Psalm 90:12. This will have a profound impact on anyone's life regardless of where they are geographically or spiritually. This isn’t about how to add years to your life, rather how to add life to your years. (No hand sanitizer required.)

Continues Sunday, May 17: Leave a Legacy

For Women—Evening
Join us for a study of the passion of the Christ as recorded in the gospel of John. Mondays at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Patti Mitschke’s home 1531 Jasmine Dr, Schertz
Questions? 566-1650

For Students
Students in 7th grade and up are invited to join us on Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Location: The Peterson's home 2839 Pond Apple Drive, Schertz
Questions? 945-7952

For Women—Daytime
We're studying I & II Timothy, looking into the instructions Timothy received for church leadership, and the encouragement Paul gave him for his faith. Join us on Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m.
Location: Sherri Smith's home 3309 Dusty Crossing, Schertz
Questions? 659-2585

For Men
Join us this Friday, 6:30 a.m. as we study and discuss, Jesus' Final Warning: Hearing God's Voice in the Midst of Chaos by David Jeremiah.
Location: IHOP 17220 I-35, Schertz
Questions? 566-2237

Can-Do Summer Mission Trip

We have a great group of youth and adults signed up to travel to the Texas coast this summer, June 7—13, 2009. All who plan to participate will need to go through some special advance training sessions. We'll be doing this training in 2 sessions. The sessions will be:

May 3 and May 17
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Sherlyn Scott’s house
831 Fern Meadow
Universal City

Everyone going on the mission trip needs to attend. Please bring a snack to share at our training sessions. Sherlyn will provide drinks. Questions? Contact Sherlyn, 566-2579.

New!
Men on a Mission

Men on a Mission isn’t a Bible Study group, it’s an adventure. We’ll look for what God is doing in our lives. We’ll eat together, pray together, grow together, but our main mission will be to work shoulder to shoulder to connect with those in need of God’s grace and make a tangible difference in their lives. Men on a Mission will be more out than in, more them than us, more action than talk. The adventure begins Wednesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m. at the Mitschkes.

Immediate Impact

Make an immediate impact upon people and help build a bigger heaven and better lives. We're thankful for the many who are continuing to serve the Lord at Word of Life in significant, fulfilling ways. However, there are areas which need immediate attention. Want to make an immediate impact? Is God calling you to help out? Peruse and pray, contact and impact!

Delivering Welcome Gifts
Service: Help first time guests connect with Word of Life by delivering a welcome gift at their doorstep. If they're home, engage them in a brief doorstep conversation and invite them to return.
Skills: Driving, Map Reading, People
Scope: Less than 30 minutes a week but needs to be done as soon as possible after a guest visits, ideally Sunday afternoon or Monday evening
Strategy Step: Invite
See: Pastor Ken, Ken@WordofLife4u.com or 566-2237

Greeting Guests and Members
Service: Provide a welcoming, warm atmosphere and help people connect with others by welcoming guests and regular attenders at Word of Life on Sunday mornings. May include welcoming, helping with name tags, introducing to others, handing out LifeLesson Notes and Announcements.
Skills: Smiling, Hospitality, People
Scope: About 30 minutes, about 2 Sundays a month
Strategy Step: Worship
See: John Goeke, jagdeepwater@yahoo.com or 651-3153

Setting Up and/or Taking Down
Service: Establish a place where people may hear God's Word, receive Christ's presence, pray and be empowered by the Holy Spirit by using your muscles and/or intellect to set up/take down the systems and supplies that facilitate worship services and more.
Skills: Moving, Following Directions
Scope: Setup - about 1.25 hours, Takedown - about 30 minutes, flexible scheduling
Strategy Step: Worship
See: Greg Peterson, gpete@sbcglobal.net or 945-7952

Constitution and Bylaws
The Constitution and Bylaws which we submitted have been revised in accordance with the recommendations of the Texas District Constitution Review Committee and have been approved in their revised form by both the Constitution Review Committee and the Board of Directors of the Texas District. Copies of the revised and approved Constitutions and Bylaws will be available at the Information Table in the lobby this Sunday and will be presented at a Congregational Assembly Meeting in a few weeks for final approval.

Nominations for Leadership TEAM
A Nominating Committee has been formed and is now accepting recommendations from members for Leadership TEAM candidates. The Nominating Committee will accept recommendations for at least three weeks and will consider all recommendations according to the qualifications stated in the Bylaws. They will contact each qualified candidate and seek to obtain his or her written consent to strive to meet and uphold the following qualifications and duties as stated in Bylaw III. B. 1.:

Qualifications and Duties – Members of the Leadership TEAM shall strive to:

• Seek out non-churched people, pray for them, build relationships and share a verbal witness with them and invite them to groups, events and services;

• Actively participate in a LifeGroup or Bible class;

• Faithfully attend weekly worship services and receive the Lord's Supper;

• Offer at least ten percent of their income to the Lord;

• Pray for and support their fellow leaders, pastor and staff;

• Support the values, mission, vision and strategy of the Congregation and assist the pastor in communicating them;

• Make God-pleasing strategic and policy decisions which are driven by and consistent with the values, mission, vision and strategy of the Congregation;

• Recruit, empower and lead TEAMs to accomplish goals that are driven by and consistent with the values, mission, vision and strategy of the Congregation;

• Transact or supervise the transaction of all legal and general business of the Congregation (except that which is reserved for the Congregational Assembly), conduct business within the limitations of the annual ministry financial plan approved by the Congregational Assembly, annually report to the Congregational Assembly on the organizational and financial condition of the Congregation, and recommend an annual ministry financial plan at the annual Congregational meeting.

• Be held accountable by fellow leaders for these duties; and

• Hold fellow leaders accountable for these duties.

You may submit your recommendations to David Smith, Bob Gibson, John Goeke or Ken Mitschke.

Blood Donations Needed

Amanda Conniff, Jayme Edward’s 14 year old niece, continues her battle against cancer. Amanda has had a difficult struggle and has needed a great deal of blood. You can donate blood to “replace” the units used by Amanda. Go to any blood donation station and let them know you want to give a replacement donation for Amanda Conniff, a patient at Christus Santa Rosa Children’s hospital.

Calling all singers!

It's not too late to join the San Antonio Lutheran Chorale. Sign up for this short term commitment and help them present “Patriotic Pops” concerts the weekend of June 27 & 28. Singers of all skill levels will enjoy the light and easy music during this brief spring/summer season. The SALC exists to spread the gospel through music and provide an opportunity for fellowship among area church musicians. Everyone is welcome. Rehearsals are held at Concordia Lutheran Church, 16801 Huebner Road. The Sunday afternoon rehearsals will run from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on the following dates: May 3, 17, 24, and June 7, 14, 21. Questions? Call Barbara, 830-331-9775. (Mary Flowers is part of this group and would be glad to carpool with other interested singers.)

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.

Listen Online to Worship at Word of Life

If you have a broadband internet connection, you can 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.