The Shepherd’s Voice
Monthly Newsletter of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church
February 2012
Following is the internet-friendly version of our monthly newsletter. It’s the same content, just different formatting and no graphics. If you are interested in receiving our newsletter via snail-mail, please let us know. We would also love to hear from you with comments or submissions for The Shepherd's Voice. Our email address is sov@alaska.net; our telephone number is (907) 789-4093.
Shepherd of the Valley invites, nurtures, and empowers people to serve and praise God and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!
Newsletter Sponsorship
If you are interested in sponsoring a month of the newsletter in honor of someone or a special event, let us know. The suggested donation for sponsorship is $100. Call or email the church to let us know which month you would like to sponsor and any special wording you want included in the newsletter.
A Word from Pastor Tari
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."
1 Corinthians 12:27
I was behind a car the other day with a bumper sticker that said, “I ♥ My Pastor.” It is better than “I ♣ My Pastor,” but still a little odd. I was trying to think about who would put this on their car and what did it mean. I might be able to talk Kirt into such a bumper sticker, but hopefully no one else. I spent some time trying to figure out why this bumper sticker caused me so much discomfort. It could be that I was raised in a family where we didn’t put anything on our car bumpers because some day you might want to sell that car. But, I think it is more. Declarations of love from a bumper sticker strike me as only one step up from the declarations in the toilet stall. It just doesn’t seem like the correct place for such feelings.
But, I think my greatest challenge is that pastors aren’t meant to be the focus of love. We may love each other as individuals. You might be moved to put “I ♥ Tari Stage-Harvey” on your bumper in the same way that I could list your names on my bumper (except for the diminishing value impact on the car). But as a pastor and congregation our goal is to love the Christ in each other. Our relationship is not mainly one of affection and agreement, but recognizing the Christ in each of us and drawing that out. Our relationship may even be one of contention where we have to point out the obstacles that keep the light of Christ from glowing in our lives.
Our relationships are not about picking and choosing whom we will adore, but finding something to adore in all our relationships. Church is not about the pastor; it is about gathering as Christ’s body, all of us, even those for whom affection does not come easily.
One of my mantras is that everyone dies or leaves, including pastors. A community that builds itself on any person other than Christ will collapse. We should always be lifting up new leaders, new pastors, new musicians, new teachers because God is calling all of us into ministry. As we welcome new folks onto council, work to raise up new musicians, and bring in new members, may we witness together the entire body of Christ at work in the ministry of God.
Ash Wednesday Worship Services at Resurrection Lutheran Church
Wednesday, February 22
We begin Lent with a reminder of our mortality and God's incredible gift of renewal. Resurrection Lutheran Church will hold two Ash Wednesday services, at Noon and 7 p.m. They are located downtown at 740 W. 10th Street. If you need directions, please call 586-2380, or give us a call at SOV. Please note we will not have Ash Wednesday worship service at SOV.
The Season of Lent
Beginning with Ash Wednesday, Lent is a time of inner renewal and reflection. It is a time to take inventory, scale back, and look at one's life.
Lenten Prayer Services
Beginning at 5:05 p.m., Sunday, March 4, we will have thirty minute Sunday evening Lenten prayer services. These services will take place every Sunday through Lent. Please join us with your families for this wonderful time of prayer. This special prayer service takes the place of the regular 7 p.m. service; please note we will not have Sunday evening prayer services in February.
Give Something Up? Or Take Something On?
Instead of giving something up for Lent, take something on. Circle one thing on the following list that you will do for the forty days of Lent.
Read Scripture daily for 5 minutes.
Pray daily.
Worship weekly.
Exercise daily.
Give an extra $10 a week away.
Replace TV time with a family game or activity.
Participate in a small group or service event at church.
Lenten Devotions
Devotions will be available at church to guide you through this season of introspection. Watch for them at church later in February.
JCCC Lenten Lunch Series
The Juneau Cooperative Church Council is gearing up for another inspirational Lenten Lunch series. The theme this year is "Giving Up... Lent Matters." Community members will speak about their experiences of giving up things in their lives and how that has changed them. Shepherd of the Valley is responsible for bringing bread and cleaning up on March 8. The series will begin at Noon, Thursday, February 23 at Northern Light United Church and happens every Thursday through Lent. Guest speakers Beth Kertulla and Cathy Munoz will present to the group on February 23. Invite your co-workers and join us for good food and food-for-thought. A $5 donation for lunch goes to the Glory Hole.
February Squeaky Cleaners
Please sign up to help clean the church! Many hands make light work; everyone is invited to jump in and do some cleaning. Use the check list in the fellowship hall closet to mark off what you have done so other people know what is left for them - likewise check the list before you start, in case someone came in early to do a task. If you are able to help prior to any of the Sundays in February (generally the church gets cleaned the days prior to Sunday; whatever day works for you) or if you have questions about what to do, please call the church at 789-4093 or email sov@alaska.net.
Plea for the Pantry
Thank you for your continued prayers and volunteer time and donations of food. YOU keep our pantry open and stocked! Many of our pantry visitors enjoy the fellowship too - they appreciate friendly words and a friendly face - even the brief visits are appreciated. Next time you go to the grocery store please put something for the pantry on your list.
Rainbow Glacier Camp
Camp will be held in Haines at Rainbow Glacier Camp from Monday, July 23 (ferry departs at 7:15 a.m.) to Saturday, July 28 at 11:00 p.m. This is one of the most beautiful places in the world, so we are excited to have camp there. The fee for camp will go up to $250, but we will work hard to make sure that anyone who wants to go will get to go (the actual cost is about $400, so we will depend on congregations being extra generous this year). Camp is a meaningful and powerful experience for many adults and youth. Just ask one of the dozen or so people from our congregation who were involved with camp last year!
Prayer Shawls
A special ministry at SOV is our prayer shawl ministry. Do you know someone who could use a reminder of God's love and perhaps a "hug" from God? Feel free to take a prayer shawl from the selection at church to give away to such a person. Thank you to the folks who knit and crochet these lovely shawls.
The following is information that might be of interest to those of you who make the shawls. It was taken from an article in the Steele County Press (Finley, North Dakota).
A traditional pattern for prayer shawls is knit three, purl three, representing the Trinity, or some pattern that uses a combination of three or maybe three colors. You should make sure they are large enough to wrap around the shoulders (50 to 72 inches long is suggested and 30 to 40 inches wide).
Colors of yarn have different meanings; red - energy, strength, power, love and courage; pink - joy and friendship; brown - stability, masculinity; orange - happiness, success, and encouragement. For more information, see the website www.prayershawlministry.com.
New Members and Baptism
Jesus calls his disciples, they follow, and get on-the-job training. That is similar to how the church operates. We like to do an introduction of what is going on in the church and what being a member means, but most of what you learn comes from participating in worship and studies.
If you have been baptized in the name of the God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit we do not re-baptize you. We do not "re-baptize" because it could bring someone to doubt the efficacy of God's promises. We have what is called an "affirmation of baptism." A traditional time to have baptisms and affirmations of baptism is on Easter Sunday. There are other times, but Easter is a fabulous time to welcome folks into the church community. If you are interested in becoming a new member or being baptized, please talk to Pastor Tari. We will do preparation as a community following worship on March 18 & 25.
Atlanta Mission Trip
There are fifteen people from Shepherd of the Valley and Resurrection Lutheran Churches headed to Atlanta in February. The group will work on a Habitat for Humanity project with the help of Scott Ranger. This was one of the goals that came out of the last cluster planning session.
The mission group is Mike McMullen, Lisa Brendle, Pete Christensen, Katherine Andrews, Pastor Tari, Dan Corson, Philis and Paul Beran, David and Thordis Moe, Gen and Ken Nestler, Julie Neyhart, Mark Kissel, and John Leque. Please keep these folks in your prayers as they head South.
The group, including Pastor Tari, will be gone over Ash Wednesday. SOV is warmly invited to join our friends downtown at Resurrection Lutheran Church for Ash Wednesday worship at Noon or 7 p.m. on February 22.
Souper Bowl of Caring
The Souper Bowl of Caring is youth across the nation working to fight hunger and poverty in their communities around the time of the Super Bowl football game. This year it takes place on Sunday, February 5 (the same day as that other Super Bowl). The youth of our congregation challenge us to bring one can of food or $1 for every device or appliance in our homes that use electricity (everything from the toaster to the laptop). The donations will go to our own SOV community food pantry. Bring your food or monetary donations to church on February 5 and help our youth to fight hunger in our community!
Men's Group
7 p.m., 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month, February 2 and 16 at SOV - A time for the guys to get together, take part in a Bible study, maybe play some dart ball, and talk about guy stuff.
No Sunday Evening Prayer Service in February
There will be no Sunday evening prayer service in February. Please refer to the page about the Season of Lent for details about a Sunday evening prayer service beginning in March.
Tuesday Theology Class at SOV
6 p.m., Tuesday, February 28 - See the Faith Formation page for details.
Mom's Group - Laughter (rescheduled from January)!
Hey Moms! Let's meet at 5 p.m., Monday, February 27. We'll eat pizza, then get the giggles with a trained laughter therapist. She will lead us through some laughter inducing exercises; be prepared to get silly. A group of at least five works best for the laughter therapy, so please do your best to attend. Childcare provided. Please let Pastor Tari know if you can help babysit the kids while the Moms bust a gut. Thanks!
Monthly Marvelous Meatloaf
We cook & serve at the Glory Hole on Wednesday, February 15. Cooking begins at 1 p.m.; we serve the meal at 5:30 p.m. The sign-up sheet for donations of time and food is on the round table at church.
"Epiphany" Progressive Dinner
Epiphany was just too short to sneak in a progressive dinner so we are looking at Saturday, April 14 (mark your calendars). We had a great time doing the dinner last year. It is an adult event (with kids having a party at church). We rent a bus, so we can ride together and not worry about parking or getting lost, as we travel to four different homes (eating a course of the meal at each). We have two homes ready to be blessed and are looking for two more. Please call or e-mail the church if you are interested in hosting a course of the meal or going along for the ride. Monthly
Faith Formation
You can call it Sunday School, but faith formation doesn't just happen on Sunday! Faith formation is a journey. Check out the following opportunities to explore, to grow, and to act out your faith.
A Note About Sunday Mornings
On Sundays mornings, all ages are invited to gather in the fellowship room right after worship for a brief opening with treats and songs.
Opportunities for Adults
Sundays - Manna and Mercy: An Overview of the Bible in the sanctuary with Pastor Tari.
Tuesdays - Thank you to the thoughtful, contemplative group who participated in the January theology classes. Theology class will resume at 6 p.m., Tuesday, February 28.
The SOV Book Club that usually meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month will not meet in February. Meetings will resume in March (please watch the Sunday bulletin and March newsletter for details).
Yutes (9th grade and older)
Leaders Mark Kissel and Becky Corson.
Sundays - This and that...including discussions about How to Be Christian without Being Religious.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month - Let's gather to eat, chat, and see where the Holy Spirit leads us.
Confirmation (6th to 8th grade)
Leaders Teresa Kissel and Adam Doten-Ferguson.
Friends are welcome to attend. Our focus this year is discipleship. Confirmation students meet on Sunday mornings after worship, and take occasional field trips. The February schedule is as follows:
Sunday, February 5 - Class.
Sunday, February 12 - How to plan a wedding/What do you look for in a mate?
Sunday, February 19 - Class.
Wednesday, February 22 - 10 a.m. Field trip (maybe to funeral home).
Sunday, February 26 - Meet with mentors.
Students Age Two-Years Old through 5th Grade
Learn about Jesus' parables through hands-on activities.
2nd to 5th Grade Students
Leaders Kirt Stage-Harvey and Dan Corson.
Kindergarten and 1st grade Students
Leaders Michelle Weaver and Nadine Marx.
2 to 4 Year Olds
Leader Philis Beran and parent volunteer(s).
Fat Friday Follies at SOV
Pancake Dinner and Variety Show
5:30 to 7 p.m., Friday, February 17
Pancakes served until everyone is full!
Variety Show begins right around 6 p.m. (There will be prizes!)
Family-oriented talent is needed for the variety show. If you'd like to be in the show, call the church at 789-4093. This event was a blast last year! Please invite your friends and neighbors to juggle, sing, tell jokes, or impersonate platypuses (or just to come eat pancakes..lots and lots of pancakes). The event is free, but if you'd like to make a donation that evening, those will be given to the ELCA Malaria Fund.
The night before Ash Wednesday is often referred to as Fat Tuesday, referring to the "traditional" last night to eat fatty foods before the religious obligations and fasting associated with Lent. This year we are celebrating on the Friday before Ash Wednesday instead (so the Atlanta mission trip folks can eat pancakes with us before they head South). Pancakes are traditional "Fat" celebration fare (as they are full of sugar, fat, and eggs and are oft smothered with butter and syrup). Mmmmm...!
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Your church family is here for support, prayers, visits, and encouragement. Please call us if you would like a visit from Pastor Tari, or anytime you can use a kind word.
We would also love to hear from you with comments about or submissions to The Shepherd's Voice. If your address has changed, or if you no longer wish to be on our mailing list, we want to know that too. Please contact us by email at www.sov@alaska.net or call the church office at (907) 789-4093.
Rev. Tari Stage-Harvey, Pastor
Editor: Becky Corson
Production/Distribution: Alice Gates