Christ's Messenger January 2016

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January 2016

Christ’s Messenger

christlutheraneagan.org About US Christ Lutheran Church is a growing body of believers in Jesus Christ, sharing the love, Word, and grace of God with our family, community, and world. Christ Lutheran is a congregation of the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

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Christ Lutheran Church Exists to help people: 

Know the love of God in Jesus Christ

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Show the love of God in Jesus Christ

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Grow in the love of God in Jesus Christ

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Go and share the love of God in Jesus Christ

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Altar Guild

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Board of Ed.

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Preschool

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Human Care

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Board of Worship

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LWML

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Board of Youth

Our Staff

DH

MH

ML

LJ

AM

Rev. David Hahn

Rev. Michael Heggen

Michele Lukanen

Larry Johnson

Alex Mezeritski

Visitation Pastor

Preschool Director

Youth Director

Music Director

A note from Pastor

A New Year - 2016

You may have noticed that each year at this time we hear of people and events that made news during the previous year. There are also many predictions as to what the new year and the future will bring. For example, back in 1960's, experts predicted that by the turn of the century technology would have taken over so much of the work we do that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long, and that we would work only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time.

Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life was concerned! In fact, most of us seem to be very busy. We’re always in a hurry.

We walk fast, and talk fast, and eat fast. And after we eat we say, "Excuse me. I’ve gotta run."

So here we are in the year 2016. I wonder how we’ll do this year? Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? When this year is over, will we be looking back with joy, or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation, or with dread?

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

(Ephesians 5:15-17 (ESV) I think that in this passage the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider. First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited. There is probably an App out there that, after answering a few personal questions, could predict for you how much time you have left. Now don't go looking, but know this, our time on earth is short. That's what the Bible tells us. In fact the Bible tells us not to count on tomorrow because tomorrow may not come for you or for me. All we have is right now. So our time on this earth is valuable because it is very limited.

Secondly, Paul tells us that we must make "the best use of the time." And he gives a reason, "because the days are evil." Satan is a robber and a thief, and one of the things he tries to rob from us is our time because time is very precious. Just think of the time wasted in sinning. Think of the time wasted in gossiping or spreading rumors. Or think about all the time wasted worrying about the consequences of the sins we have committed. Satan is a thief and a robber!

But it is not just sin that makes demands on our time. Sometimes even good things can make demands. That’s the same mistake you and I make almost every day. We get so caught up in the here and now that we fail to deal with the eternal, the things that will last forever. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’re overloaded with possessions. We have overloaded ourselves in the area of work. Well, you get the picture. There are so many demands on our time and so many good things that need to be done. We do want to make the most of every opportunity, so what are we to do?

Well, to answer that, Paul tells us, "...do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

Now what do you think God’s will is for you in this new year? Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries and anxieties that you can’t strengthen your relationship with Him? Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for the important things? What do you think God’s will is for you this year? Let me make a couple of suggestions for you to consider. First of all, establish your priorities.

Ask yourself, "Who or what is most important in my life?" And I’m hoping that your answer will be, "My relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, is most important to me." If so, then put that at the top of your list of priorities. Read the Bible, pray for yourself, your family, and for the people around you, spend time with your family, and be a good worker. Learn how to live today. The two greatest enemies of our time are regrets for things we did in the past and anxiety about what will happen to us in the future. Someone said, "Life is what happens to you while you’re making plans to do something else." True, isn’t it? Another year has come and gone. A new year stretches before us, so have a happy new year!

And during the New Year may you have: enough happiness to keep you kind enough trials to keep you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human - enough hope to keep you happy, enough failure to keep you humble - enough success to keep you eager, enough friends to give you comfort - enough wealth to meet your needs, enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow, and enough determination to make each day better than the day before. Lord, please help us to use this year the wisest way we can for you, and for your glory.

Blessings in Christ!

Pastor David G. Hahn

Th

By Michele Lukanen

Preschool News

Another calendar year is behind us and what a great year it was! Now I look toward another exciting calendar year for the preschool.

Readers wanted! Do you have a favorite childhood story? Do you love to read to children? If so, we would love to have you as one of our guest readers!

Guest readers are needed Thursdays and Fridays at 11:30 am. A sign-up sheet is available in the east hallway on the preschool bulletin board. Please see Michele Lukanen if you have any questions.

Materials needed: The igloo will be returning to the preschool room. We are in need of empty, clean gallon containers (please rinse any gallon milk or juice containers with bleach water). Please place any donations outside the preschool classroom.

Open House: The preschool will have open houses on Tuesday, January 19. The early open house will be 10:30-11:00 to allow families to see the preschool classroom in action. The later open house will be from 6:00-7:00 in case families are unable to attend the morning open house. This will be a great chance for current, past, and new families to see our new bathroom in the preschool room.

REGISTRATION Registration for the 2016-2017 academic year will open on Sunday, January 3rd, for returning families and families of Christ Lutheran Church. The following is a description of the classes and cost: Tuesday/Thursday morning ($135 per month) 9:15-11:45 am This class is meant for children who are at least 33 months by September 1 st. In this class the children will be introduced to colors, shapes, letters of the alphabet, and numbers. The class focuses on helping children with their social skills through small group activities along with large group activities.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday morning ($165 per month) 9:15-11:45 am This class is meant for children who are 4-years-old by September 1st. Special consideration can be made for children who turn 4 during the months of September and October. In this class the children will review colors, shapes, and numbers. The children will also work on letter recognition, along with the sound that each letter makes. It is the goal of this program to ready children for kindergarten the following year.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday Extended Day ($330 per month) 9:15 am – 3:15 pm Children will participate in the activities with the morning class but stay for further academic and fun activities in the afternoon. A daily bag lunch, blanket, and pillow are needed.

Extended Day Options: Tuesday/Thursday ($150 per month) 9:15-1:15 Children will bring a lunch from home and enjoy an extra activity in the afternoon. The cost of this program includes the cost of the morning class.

Monday ($25 per Monday) 11:45-3:15 Letter Mania Mondays focuses on letters pre-reading skills throughout the year.

Wednesday ($25 per Wednesday) 11:45-3:15 Number Wonder Wednesdays focuses on numbers and pre-math skills throughout the year.

Friday ($25 per Friday) 11:45-3:15 Science Frenzy Fridays focuses on science activities throughout the year.

The registration fee is $100. However, returning families can register and pay only $75 if they register by January 31st. After January 31st the registration fee will return to $100.

By Larry Johnson

Education News

January 2016 Sunday School Lessons: January 3rd – Sunday School/YAMS will be studying “Mary Visits Elizabeth,” through several verses in Luke (New Testament 1 - Lesson 3 of “Growing In Christ”).

January 10th – Sunday School/YAMS will be studying “The Birth of John,” through several verses in Luke (New Testament 1 - Lesson 4 of “Growing In Christ”).

January 17th – Sunday School/YAMS will be studying “An Angel Visits Joseph,” through several verses in Matthew (New Testament 1 - Lesson 5 of “Growing In Christ”).

January 24th – Sunday School/YAMS will be studying “The Birth Of Jesus,” through several verses in Luke (New Testament 1 - Lesson 6 of “Growing In Christ”).

January 31st – Sunday School/YAMS will be studying “The Presentation of Jesus,” through several verses in Luke (New Testament 1 - Lesson 7 of “Growing In Christ”).

January Sunday School Teacher Meeting: The CLC Sunday School Teachers will have their monthly meeting Sunday January 3rd after the Education Hour (11:15 am) in Sunday School Room 1 downstairs.

Youth News

By Larry Johnson

January Youth Night: Our first Youth Night of 2016 will be Friday January 1st from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. We will need a new signed 2015-2016 Annual Youth Night (Event) Permission form, found on the Youth/Ed board or online at christlutheraneagan.org under the tabs Ministries/Youth/Youth Forms. Bring a friend and a snack to share – suggested donation is $1.00.

Youth Sunday: Sunday January 3rd is our next Youth Sunday! In addition to setting up, baking and serving delicious Cinnamon/Carmel Rolls, we need Youth Greeters, Lay Readers and Ushers to help with the 9:00 am service. A great Service Hour opportunity –sign up on the Youth Board today!

This & That

Our very own Hannah Hartog will be taking a mission trip to Budapest, Hungary with Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent, June 30-July 8, 2016. Hannah is the daughter of Curt and Karra Hartog and is a junior at Concordia University, St. Paul. Hannah is asking for donations to help fund her trip. To donate or to find out more about Hannah’s trip, go to https://share.habitat.org/Hannah-hartog-gvt17604.

Way to go Hannah! We are so proud of you!

Open Officer Positions: Starting in 2016, CLC is looking to fill the officer positions of President and Financial Secretary. If you are interested in filling one of these positions, please contact Joe Lukanen (email: jlukanen17@gmail.com or phone: 651-340-7977).

Do you have Secretary or Administrative Assistant Experience? If so, the church could really use your experience as we create a job description for our church secretary position. Please contact Joe Lukanen for further details (jlukanen17@gmail.com or 651-340-7797)

Lwml Corner

By Joyce Swedean

I found this poem in my Mom’s Bible and I found it to have a wonderful message for all of us as we begin 2016.

SHINE ON ME, my Savior, As You did that Christmas night On the shepherds, quietly watching, With a holy, brilliant light.

Shine on me, my Savior, Grant to me my spiritual sight, Sweep away my sin and darkness, Flood my soul with joy and light.

SHINE IN ME, my Savior, Guide me, lead me day by day.

As you led the faithful wise men To the infant, far away.

Shine in me, my Savior, Let my friends and neighbors see, As I manifest Your glory That You truly live in me.

SHINE THROUGH ME, my Savior, Guide me with Your power above, Send me forth to love and witness, Telling others of Your love.

Shine through me, my Savior, Use me as You set men free.

May I be an open channel, As You live and shine through me.

Anonymous Praise the Lord! 175 food items were collected during November for the Open Door Food Shelves.

Thanks to all of you for you donations to this worthy cause.

YES our LWML is meeting in January (I know we haven’t done this before but change is good) so mark your calendar: SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016 9:30 AM in the EAST ROOM We continue our study: “Living A Chocolate Life-Promises” Bring your Bible and your MITES! ALL WOMEN OF CLC ARE WELCOME!

L.i.f.e. Group The LIFE Groups come into a New Year to meet and share God’s Word, fellowship, prayer and seek ways to serve the Lord in our churches and community. I realized how much PRAYER is an important part of all we do. It is through our personal relationship with Him that we find a connection on a personal level in our prayer life. In my quiet time I have been reading a book by Cherie Hill on the life of Job. I share with all of you who have had a struggle in many ways in knowing the essence of prayer a paragraph that has been meaningful to me.

“We must come to understand the very essence and purpose of prayer, Without true understanding, prayer is useless and meaningless. We can find ourselves believing just as many who pray, that prayer doesn’t work. Too often, we look at God as some kind of ATM ‘automated teller machine,’ walking up to ‘withdraw,’ but only to leave feeling ‘overdrawn.’ At other times, we take our ‘fast food drive thru’ concept into the gates of Heaven and believe that when we come before God, we ought to get what we came for….in a hurry; when it takes too long, we become angry, disgruntled customers. Sometimes, we decide we won’t come back for a while--- we’ve decided ‘the service wasn’t good anyway.’ Our will is in a struggle with God’s will; we beg, demand, and throw our tantrums, and then expect God to react. Oh how we should praise Him for the fact that He doesn’t.”

C.S. Lewis said “If God had granted all the silly prayers I’ve made in my life, where would I be now?”

Something to think about.

God does not react to our manipulative prayers. No matter what we are struggling with, we must never resent these moments of God’s silence. His silence is part of growing us and deepening our relationship with Him. His silence moves us from the inner struggle and turns us toward Him. We should never stop praying. When we call on God we never get a wrong number or are put on hold. God answers in His perfect time and what is best for us.

He knows our heart and wants to hear from us no matter what we pray.

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

For information on how to join a small group call 952-431-1865. You may be the very one God wants to fill our “Empty Chair.”

May God bless your New Year -Sharonlee

Prayer Requests

Cancer - Steve Brennan (Uncle of Lynn Burows), Carol Brown, (mother of Christa Brown-Switzer), Keith Feickert, Karl Kruggel (son of Dave Kruggel), Bob Manthei (Father of Rebecca Hahn), Lucy Roemhildt, Don Wolf.

Having surgery, recovering from surgery, illness, or other – Abang (Omat’s Mom back in Africa), Glenn Gregory, Richard Hanson (son of Florence Hanson), , Ben Kothe, Antonina Kopcheve (mother-in-law of Alex Mezeritski), Judy Lebahn, Ioannis Madzaris (friend of Alex Mezeritski), Mary Marlow, Zhanna Mezeritski, (mother of Alex Mezeritski) Tatyana Mezeritski, Louise Neil, Jackson Peterson (infant son of Mike and Nicole Peterson), Jerry Studer (Husband of Marianne Studer).

Homebound – Adona Braun, Marvin & Waltraud Bundt, Sherrill Champion, Norman Discher, Lori Dolney, Jim & Shirley Eilola, Vicki Groenke, Hubert Heggen (Pastor Heggen's father), Lucille Jung, Ed & Elaine Klamm, Iona Kruger, Dorothy Lueck, Marlys Lund, Sidney & Lois Mollenhauer, Marian Neujahr, Heinz Rother, Gladys Wachter, Guy Westphal Those in the military and their families - PFC Cody Klinksiek who was deployed to Iraq, and SH Cole Klinksiek, (nephews of Julie Lefebvre), SR Jennifer Adelmann, (Granddaughter of Marylou Adelman), Apilo Ojullu (of our Anyuak community), and Jake Anderson, Kyle Anderson, and David Hernandez (grandsons of Dick and Joyce Swedean).

The Anyuak ministry at Christ Lutheran Church, the Anyuak people back home in Ethiopia and Sudan.

Persecuted Christians in 53 countries around the world.

Our nation.

Birthdays January 1st: Ariat Agway, Jaime Doffing, Merlin Leiding, Loretta Walker, & Wills Loyd.

January 3rd: Vince Grady, Aaron Haedike, Karen Hulquist, Callie Ricke, & Savannah Switzer.

January 4th: Joshua Wild.

January 5th: Hannah Kieser & Dale Peterson.

January 8th: Deborah Aschenbrener & Randy Buntjer.

January 9th: Alexius Peterson.

January 11th: Alex Barringer & Didummo Okwayoo.

January 12th: Grace Hanenberger.

January 14th: Dave Studer.

January 15th: Walter Gaugert, Troy Macdonald, Shari Medland, & Debra Young.

January 16th: Connie Baunmen, Earl Breuer & Tonia Gustafson.

January 17th: James Larson.

January 18th: Savanah Chapel & Ginger Hasche.

January 19th: William Derosier & Dave Ries.

January 20th: Sarah Barringer, Noah Carrington & Robert Landis.

January 21st: Ardene Langfield.

January 22nd: Stacy Horning.

January 23rd: Luanne Bork.

January 24th: Rev. Michael Heggen.

January 25th: Mitchell Lefebvre. January 26th: Landon Hafstad.

January 27th: Kelly Callahan, Lois Mollenhauer, & Kirsta Sjulstad.

January 29th: Nikota Moseng-Charles, Don Roemhildt, & Danielle Sieckert.

January 30th: Carla Benson, Eileen Gregory, Alexis Macdonald, Ajulu Nyang, & Linda Rice.

January 31st: David Bauman & Karra Hartog.

Looking Forward

Sunday

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1. New Year’s Day -Office Closed

2.4pm: Praise Jam Practice

6pm: Youth Night 3. 9am: Worship

4.

10:15am: Education Hour

5. 9am: Bible Study at Eagan Pointe 6pm: Boy Scouts

11:15am: SS Teachers Meeting

6. 6pm: Confirmation

7. 6:15pm: Youth Choir

8.

7pm: Adult Choir

4pm: Praise Jam Practice 5pm: Worship

11.

10:15am: Education Hour

10:15am: Education Hour 11am: Voter’s Meeting

10:15am: Education Hour 2pm: Anyuak Worship

13. 6pm: Confirmation

14. 6:15pm: Youth Choir

15.

7pm: Adult Choir

16. 4pm: Praise Jam Practice 5pm: Worship

6pm: All Boards/Council Meeting 18. No Preschool 7pm: Dakota Ramblers 4H

2pm: Anyuak Worship

24.9am: Worship

12. 9am: Bible Study at Eagan Pointe 6pm: Boy Scouts

2pm: Anyuak Worship

17.9am: Worship

9. 9:30am: LWML Meeting 11am: Wedding

2pm: Anyuak Worship 10.9am: Worship

5pm: Worship

19. 9am: Bible Study at Eagan Pointe 10:30am: Preschool Open House

20. 6pm: Confirmation

21. 6:15pm: Youth Choir

22

7pm: Adult Choir

23. 4pm: Praise Jam Practice 5pm: Worship

6pm: Boy Scouts & Preschool Open House 25.

26. 9am: Bible Study at Eagan Pointe 6pm: Boy Scouts

27. 6pm: Confirmation

28. 6:15pm: Youth Choir

29.

7pm: Adult Choir

Our Staff

7pm: Trustee’s Meeting

31.9am: Worship 10:15am: Education Hour 2pm: Anyuak Worship

January 2016

30. 4pm: Praise Jam Practice 5pm: Worship