GOOD NEWS March 2012 CONNECTING PEOPLE to LIFE in JESUS
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GOOD NEWS March 2012 CONNECTING PEOPLE TO LIFE IN JESUS "Daffodils, that come before the swallow dares, and take the winds of March with beauty." - William Shakespeare GROWTH RELATIONAL SERVICE AUTHENTICITY CREATIVITY EVERY PERSON A MISSIONARY Welcome 2833 Raritan Road · Fitchburg, WI 608-271-2811 office 608-271-2849 fax Email: [email protected] Web: www.livelifetogether.com Staff Lead Pastor Jeff Meyer— ext 12 [email protected] 332-0580 cell Chaplains Vicar Mike Peters A Beginner’s Mind [email protected] 273-8541 home Pastor Jeff Meyer Vicar Matt Wipperman [email protected] 444-5660 cell Recently I was invited to be the plenary speaker at a one-day seminar-“Sustaining Director of lifeGroup Leadership Ministry Conference” at Concordia University Chicago were I had the opportunity Amy Meyer—ext 11 to speak to a group of leaders in the church. [email protected] Director of Children and Youth As I share some thoughts on multiplying missionaries, I always make a point to Emily Bremer—ext 25 encourage these leaders to “go first.” [email protected] Director of Operations Whenever a leader commits to a worthy external goal, he makes a corollary Dan Haupt—ext 14 commitment to grow himself internally. Immature leaders don’t factor this in and [email protected] weaken their efforts. Mature leaders relish the process and know they owe their Office Manager followers this inside-out work.” Doug Silsbee, “Presence-Based Coaching” Jess Bohrer—ext 10 [email protected] When I came out of the seminary I thought I knew a lot. During my almost 20 Admin Volunteer years in the ministry I have, by God’s grace, recognized that I have so much to Adele Waterbury [email protected] learn. In multiplying missionaries, and in living as a missionary myself, I have Creative Communications had to embrace a “beginner’s mind and a beginner’s heart”. I realized a number Mayme Keagy—ext 13 of years ago that I did not know how to enter into a relationship with those far [email protected] from God, to hold conversations, to listen, to walk alongside them and support Kids Connection Teachers them in their discovery of God and His passion for them. And, I am still learning. Amy DeBaker [email protected] Perhaps you have heard the strong emphasis we have been making over the past Nursery Coordinator few years of being a missionary and think you don’t know how to do that. Leslie Waterbury Perhaps you think you have a lot to learn. Can I encourage you? You’re in [email protected] exactly the right place. Jesus invites you, as He does me: “Come, follow me. Traditional Worship Leader Heidi Chi And I WILL MAKE YOU…….” (Mark 1:17) Did you catch that? [email protected] Jesus is the One who makes us missionaries. Our job is to follow Him. So, I Exalt Worship Leader Jason Keagy invite you this month to make it a priority to adopt a beginner’s mind and heart, [email protected] and join the hundreds of other people in this ministry who are following Jesus and Preschool Director learning from Him. There are countless examples in this issue of the Good News Janet Vollmer—ext 15 of people who are venturing out with the support of friends and trying all kinds of [email protected] new things. And, as a result, they are growing, they are experiencing, they are Parish Nurse/Minister to Older Adults celebrating what Jesus is up to in the world. Pretty exciting stuff! Wouldn’t you Sara Peters [email protected] like to join them? Librarian Becky Levy [email protected] Fellowship Coordinator Renee Haupt [email protected] Maintenance Ministry Howard Hasz—ext 0 Pastor Jeff Meyer is the Lead Pastor at the Church. You can contact Pastor Jeff at 271-2811 x12 or [email protected]. You can follow Pastor Jeff on Twitter http://twitter.com/pjfire and on his blog http://jeffreymeyer.org/. 2012 Budget Meeting Kate Perleberg The Leadership Board has been meeting over the last few If you have any questions prior to the listening sessions or if you months to wrestle with the continued pursuit of our God-given are unable to attend the listening sessions, I encourage you to vision and a $160,000 budget shortfall for 2012 (See Pete reach out to any of the Leadership Board members (Karl Jaegers article in the February Good News). In conjunction Beckman, Anna Bolha, Elsa Gumm, Pete Jaeger, Kate with our staff, we have come up with a plan to balance our Perleberg, Brian Wilmot or Adam Wisner). In the meantime, 2012 budget and at the same time be obedient to God in please pray that we, both individually and as a church body, changing the spiritual landscape of Dane County. We would are faithful and obedient to God’s will. love your personal ownership of this ministry and invite you to attend one of the four listening sessions below to hear more about the plan and to share your thoughts and questions about what is happening in our pursuit to reach His lost sheep. March 11 in Verona after the 9 am worship service March 11 on the East Side after the 9:30 am worship service March 18 in Fitchburg in between worship services in the fellowship hall March 25 in Fitchburg in between worship services in the fellowship hall 3 Thoughts. Tools. Tips. for Missional Living Checking In Vicar Matt Wipperman “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only If you’re not sure if you filled out a card, and you didn’t get God’s Good News but our own lives too.” – 1 Thessalonians the 1impact Missionary Encouragement e-mail message 2:8 around February 7th, let us know, and we’ll add you to the list. How are you doing, missionaries? Here is a piece that went out in the first encouragement e-mail. 1impact is a movement of Jesus-followers who are Do you remember the 1impact Commitment Cards that we joining Jesus in His mission. It is a purposeful response to handed out and collected last October? Specifically, do you Jesus' leadership. As our friend, Pastor Greg Finke said in a remember the Lifestyle Commitment Card? One side of the recent blog: card had boxes to check signifying your commitment to life your life as a missionary, and to identify your mission field, Yes. Look. Not occasionally. Or without purpose. But look for along with space to record your impact list and mission field people. Look at people. Look for the people Jesus has orbiting action steps. The other side had a place to fill in your contact near you during your days. Look to notice. Look to recognize. information, and space to record any specific ways the Church Look to connect. Look to take the next step of acknowledging could support you now. and greeting. Look for a chance to ask their name. Jesus brings them near every day not to ignore but to notice, not to What is your missionary support team (staff) doing with those walk around but to recognize and greet. That's the wonder of cards, you ask? the immensity and immediacy of Jesus. He's doing that with each person. We just need to follow His lead. We’re praying for each of you by name, including any specific www.dwelling114.org "Look" January 24, 2012 prayer requests you wrote down. We’ve started sending out a monthly 1impact Missionary Please feel free to contact your missionary support team (staff) Encouragement e-mail message. Each message will focus on directly anytime. one of the specific types of support you requested on your 1impact Commitment Card. For example: God bless you in your commitment to 1impact! Prayer Accountability Challenge Information on Bible studies aimed at neighbors Encouragement Sharing of stories If there are any specific ways the Church could support you now, e-mail me or give your missionary support team (staff) a call. If you didn’t get to fill out a 1impact Commitment Card and would like to be counted as a missionary, please e-mail me at Vicar Matt Wipperman is the Director of Mission [email protected] and we’ll add you to the Multiplication at the Church and the Site Leader at list. the Church in East Madison . You can contact him at [email protected] 4 Mission God at Work in Haiti Dan Haupt A group from the Church went to Haiti January 11-18th to work at an orphanage in Jacmel. We loved on and played with the children, taught them a Bible story and songs each day, and got lots of construction done. The following paragraphs reflect the thoughts of some of the group members. Cana Laska In addition to the building projects, the bible studies, the meal prep, and the bonding with the kids, I had the huge blessing of sharing some songs twelve springs and 70 palm trees after leaving “Marah” (which with the kids. The meant bitter) and they camped beside the water. On our song "My God is So three hour trip from the airport in Port-a-prince to Jacmel we Big!" became a bit of an instant hit, and the kids sang it saw miles and miles of poverty and devastation. When we seemingly nonstop for the rest of our time there. We could pulled into our gated hotel on Wednesday night it felt like we hear them singing it together all over the had arrived in paradise.