WordofLife4u

We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!

Confirmation

Our confirmands did a marvelous job of sharing their faith on Confirmation Sunday. Check out the pictures from this special Sunday.

Goodbye to the Scotts

Thanks to everyone who made the farewell event for the Scotts so touching! Check out these pictures from our farewell on Sunday morning and our Sunday evening Hang Time with Sherlyn. God's blessings to the Scott family as they seek to serve Him in their new home. We will miss you!

No Surprise. Surprise!

It’s natural to complain about our circumstances. How does God respond? He exchanges His mercy for our moaning, grace for grumbling. God is so good to us! Find out more this Sunday, August 2 at 10:45 a.m. 101 Pecan Drive, in Schertz [map and directions]. This Sunday is also Charter Sunday. Our special guest speaker is Pastor Mike Newman, the Mission and Ministry Facilitator for this region of the Texas District. We'll also celebrate with a special banner, music and a potluck lunch. Paper goods, cutlery and drinks will be provided. Depending upon the first letter of your last name, we suggest you bring the following:

A–G: main dish

H–O: dessert

P-Z: side dish (salad, vegetable, etc)

Please bring a generous portion, so there’s enough for everyone!We'll see you there.

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.

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. Want to be on this exciting prayer team? Contact Betty Tolsma 659-8107 or bettytolsma@sbcglobal.net.

Building a Bigger Heaven in Brazil

In our prayers this week, we’re lifting up missionary pastor Timóteo Fuhrmann as he reaches out to people in Cerrito, Brazil and beyond.  We support their efforts through our gifts of 10% of our Sunday morning offerings to the Brazil Mission Society (BMS.) You can find out more about BMS at www.brazilmissionsociety.com.

LifeGroups

Two of our LifeGroups are taking a break from regular studies for the summer. However, we still have two groups meeting.

For Women—Daytime
We're studying 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

Youth/Parents Meeting

All 7th—12th grade students, and their parents, are asked to attend a special Youth and Parents Meeting on Sunday, August 9 at 5:00 p.m. We’ll begin to make plans for the upcoming year and discuss preparations for next year’s National LCMS Youth Gathering. The youth will meet at the Mitschke home (1531 Jasmine, Schertz) and the parents will meet at the Peterson's (2839 Pond Apple, Schertz.) Parents. please pick up a flyer from the Info Table this Sunday for more information on this very important planning meeting. Questions? Call Mark Stemmermann, 566-1401.

Bowling Anyone?

Let's go bowling after church on August 16! Word of Life ‘Tweens have reserved bowling lanes at Brunswick Thousand Oaks Bowl for up to thirty people. Plans are to eat lunch together at the snack bar. Lanes become available at 1:00 PM; $10.00 covers games and shoes for two hours. Parents are asked to stay on-site with ‘Tweens unless special arrangements are made. Hope to see you there! For more information, contact Becky Peterson (945-7952) or David Smith (659-2585).

Congregational Assembly

Please mark your calendars now for our congregational assembly after worship on Sunday, August 23. Here’s what’s on the agenda: 1) final approval of the Constitution & Bylaws, 2) set the number of members to serve on the Leadership TEAM, 3) approval of Leadership TEAM members and 4) approval of the 2010 Ministry Financial Plan. After worship and take-down we’ll share lunch, then get down to the business of our meeting. Depending upon the first letter of your last name, we suggest you bring the following:
A–G: side dish (salad, vegetable, etc)
H–O: main dish
P-Z: dessert
Please bring a generous portion, so there’s enough for everyone!
Childcare help needed: We also need a couple of volunteers to help this Sunday by watching our younger children while their parents are involved in the meeting. If you would like to help, please contact Donna Molina, 705-9586.

Confirmation

Two Sundays ago we heard students share their profession of faith. They helped us understand just a bit of what they learned through two years of instructions with Pastor Ken in Confirmation. Now, it’s time to begin Confirmation studies for the new academic year.

Students in 7th and 8th grade are invited to learn more about their Christian faith and continue the process of becoming passionate followers of Christ through Confirmation instruction. Confirmation classes explore primary Christian teachings and help students develop the means to share their faith publicly. If you have a student in 7th, 8th or even 9th grade, please plan to join Pastor Ken for a Parent’s Meeting on Sunday, August 30 at 9:45 a.m. If you have any questions, contact Pastor Ken at Ken@WordofLife4u.com or 566-2237.

Answered Prayer

Members of the Grace Prayer Team have prayed for jobs, healing, comfort, restoration and much more. They have seen many examples of God’s intercession into the situations of our lives. They also know that many of you have experienced reaffirming examples of God’s mighty presence. The team is compiling a quarterly newsletter and they would like to add your story of answered prayer. Please share YOUR story with Betty Tolsma, bettytolsma@sbcglobal.net.

Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter - coming this Fall

Your daughter’s growing up. The world has a lot to say to her, and she’s starting to listen. Even if she doesn’t quite know it, she needs you more than ever. It’s time for you to press in, to tell her some things she might not know—or might have forgotten—about who she is in God’s eyes. In her latest Bible study, Vicki Courtney equips moms to have the five conversations that will empower their daughters to stand firm in the midst of a culture that would rob them of their treasured status:

  • You are more than what people see on the outside.

  • You shouldn’t be in a hurry to grow up.

  • Sex is great and worth the wait.

  • It’s okay to dream about marriage and motherhood.

  • Girls gone wild are a dime a dozen.

Just five conversations—but they could be the basis for a whole new way of relating to your daughter. Are you interested in being part of this group for mothers of daughters zero—18? Contact Becky Peterson, bpeterson2@sbcglobal.net or 945-7952, for more information. In order to allow greater participation by the most number of people for this exciting and vital study, we’ve decided to offer the study in the fall. New target start date: September! Be watching for details!

A Ministry in Need of Help

Iglesia Luterana Cristo Nuestro Salvador (Christ Our Savior Lutheran) Daycare is located in central San Antonio, in an older part of the city. The Daycare Center accepts children from 6 weeks to 5 years and exists to care for the whole child: physical, emotional, social and spiritual. The Center serves many children from the Sam’s Shelter, a temporary living facility for homeless families and many children of lower income single parents as well as foster children placed by Child Protective Services. Because of the current economic environment, enrollment is down and the Center is struggling financially. You can help this vital ministry in a number of ways: 1. Please pray that God would continue to bless this ministry so it can be a blessing to many children in need. 2. Tell parents in the area (5323 Blanco Rd.) about the quality care provided at the Center. 3. Give financially to support the work of the Center. Make your check payable to Word of Life and write “Ministry in Need” in the memo line.

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.

Recently Updated:
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.

"Better Life" Links

What We're Doing - "God's Mission through us..." [more]

How We'll Get to Where God Wants Us to Be - "Our five-step strategy starts with those who are heading for an eternity without Christ. It then lays out the steps we’ll take to join with God in..." [more]

The Texas District of the LCMS - "The mission of the Texas District is..." [more]

Prayer Requests and Thanksgivings

We Thank God…

  • for being so good to us, for remembering us even when we forget Him, for giving us grace even when we grumble, for granting us mercy even when we mope, for giving us everything we need for life now and eternally

  • for our guests and those who invited and brought them

  • for the marriage of Kelly & Joy McDonald and for Kelly’s recent employment

  • for Jeremy Wortham’s successful ear surgery, and we pray for full recovery of hearing

  • for our nation and our leaders, for standing guard over our troops and their families, and for those who have been wounded or who have sacrificed their lives defending us

  • for all the resources God has entrusted to our care and for His promise to multiply the gifts we offer today to help build a bigger heaven and better lives.

We Ask God…

  • to inspire and empower us to learn the Surprise, to lead others to the Surprise and experience God’s glory

  • to bless missionary pastor Timóteo Fuhrmann as he reaches out to people in Cerrito, Brazil and beyond

  • to bless Sarah Livesay, fellow missionaries and their students in Slovakia

  • to direct us to the property which will best help us reach our community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for resources to help us buy it

  • to comfort the victims of persecution, terrorism and disaster

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

  • to bless us and refresh drought stricken lands with rain

  • to bless Mickailis Molina’s travel and experience of Philmont Scout Camp

  • to bless the transitions of the Scotts, particularly the contract and closing on the sale of their house

  • to bless Ana Koester & Ryan Lester with employment and bless Stacey Kohan and her publishing company

  • to bless Logan Christiansen during his deployment

  • to protect our troops abroad, especially Erik Moore in Iraq and Julie Astrachan in Afghanistan

  • to bless Betty Mahoway with peace and strength as she adjusts to the loss of her husband

  • to heal Randy Long, Lisa Flowers, Art Stemmermann, Reida York, Ethan Cheatham, Leigh Ann Mayo Hawthorne, Heather Stirnweis and her unborn child, Emmanuel Morno, Jordan Hernandez and to heal those battling cancer: Kayla Nunnery, Alden Malachowski, Marcia Waldgeir, Sadie Norris, Matthew Provencio, Manuel Coloura, Todd Reineck, Zach Vangundy, Amanda Conniff, Pam Smith, Vonda Boerger, Kurt Bickel, Susan Doering and to comfort and strengthen their families

  • to empower us to build a bigger heaven and better lives.

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

Pot Surprise Funny

A couple goes for a meal at a Chinese restaurant and orders the "Chicken Surprise." The waiter brings the meal, served in a lidded cast-iron pot. Just as the wife is about to serve herself, the lid of the pot rises slightly and she briefly sees two beady little eyes looking around before the lid slams back down. "Good grief, did you see that?" she asks her husband. He hasn't, so she asks him to look in the pot. He reaches for it and again the lid rises, and he sees two little eyes looking around before it slams down. Sputtering in a fit of pique, he calls the waiter over, describes what is happening, and demands an explanation! "Please sir," says the waiter, "what you order?" The husband replies, "Chicken Surprise." "Ah... so sorry," says the waiter, "I bring you Peeking Duck."

Just a Thought

Christianity is not about learning how to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring. The grace of God is preposterous enough to accept as beautiful a coloring that anyone else would reject as ugly. The grace of God sees beyond the scribbling to the heart of the scribbler – a scribbler who is similar to two thieves who hung on crosses on either side of Jesus. One of the two asked Jesus to please accept his scribbled and sloppy life into the kingdom of God …and He did. Preposterous. And very good news for the rest of us scribblers. - Mike Yaconelli, Dangerous Wonder

Joy & Peace,
Ken
Pastor Ken Mitschke
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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!

www.WordofLife4u.com

Word of Life Fellowship LCMS
1531 Jasmine Dr
Schertz TX 78154-3738

Pastor Ken Mitschke
210-566-2237
Ken@WordofLife4u.com