Worship & Study Page 6 Ministries & Programs Page 16 Youth & Family Page 27 RHLS Page 35
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Summer 2018 Worship & Study Page 6 Ministries & Programs Page 16 Youth & Family Page 27 RHLS Page 35 redhillchurch.org Page 1 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:5 Summer…the season we take time to rest, go on vacations, enjoy our families, and spend time recharg- ing. The summer season is also a great time to set goals and look toward the start of a new church year. In September, Red Hill goes into high gear looking forward to the joy of discovering new ways to grow in our faith and learn about all of the wonderful ministries Red Hill has to offer, from music, to youth and family, to adult education, and everything in between. In this issue of The Vine, we highlight many of our on-going ministries, as well as programs that our own Red Hill members have been called to lead. These gifted individuals are passionate and joyful about sharing the love of Jesus with our Red Hill community and beyond. Have a look at some of the various programs Red Hill offers, and spend some quiet time reflecting on your own gifts and talents to determine in which programs you would like to participate. I pray that this summer season brings you much joy! Pastor Seth Table of Contents The Vine Editor - In - Chief Page 4 Summer and Sabbath Donna Kunz [email protected] Page 6 Worship in the Church Creative Director Marty Schaefer Page 11 The Importance of Bible Study [email protected] Graphic Artist Page 16 Music Ministry’s Legacy Isaiah Coughran [email protected] Page 20 Programs and Ministries Contributing Photographer & Cover Photograph Page 27 Youth & Family Manny Olmedo Page 35 Red Hill Lutheran School Visit us on the web at redhillchurch.org. Red Hill Lutheran Church is a member of Page 42 The Grapevine Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) www.lcmc.net Red Hill Lutheran Church & School is located at 13200 Red Hill Ave. Tustin, CA 92780 Page 2 The Vine Church & School Staff Rev. Dr. Seth Britton, Senior Pastor Joel Kelly, Executive Pastor Dr. Paul Marquardt, Principal [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Lori Browne, Director of Admissions Heather Bullock, Administrator Donna Kunz, [email protected] [email protected] Executive Assistant to Senior Pastor [email protected] James M. Schaefer, Isaiah Coughran, Annie Caamano, Preschool Director Director of Arts and Worship Director of Contemporary Worship [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Jennifer Brenner, Shelli Haynes, Carmen Gogosha, First Look Coordinator Director of Youth & Family Ministry Asst. Dir. of Youth & Family Ministry [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Angie Calderon, Jason Harney, Dr. Linda Brown, Organist/Jubilee Bells, Director of Biblical Community Director of Music/Principle Conductor Hand Bell Choir/ Childrens Choir Director [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] redhillchurch.org Page 3 Summer and Sabbath By Rev. Dr. Seth Britton I cannot believe that the Summer is upon us! When I was nual gifts from God that resembled the ancient Jew’s a kid, summer was the light at the end of the tunnel—the participation in the festivals of their day (the three na- long awaited days of shorts, no shoes, lots of Baseball, tional feasts of Pentecost, Booths, and Passover).”1 staying up late, and sleeping in (except for Saturdays—my Viewed from this spiritual perspective, even our vaca- dad believed in chores on Saturday mornings and if he tions become a sacred task that grounds us in God’s was up, everybody was up)! Summer was the time that presence in all aspects of our lives—work and play, the “Three R’s” of school transformed into the “Three R’s” the Sanctuary on Sunday morning and the beach of summer: rest, renewal, and recreation. Summer was during the week! For example, God’s gifts of Word awesome! Hopefully, you will find some time in these next and Sacrament are administered weekly in corpo- few weeks and months for rest, renewal, and recreation rate Worship, feeding and equipping disciples to go for your body, mind, heart, and soul. out into the world with hearts full of gratitude, ready and open to receive from God His other unique gifts Of course, at Red Hill, we do not take the summer off! through the week; gifts such as a sun-set in the eve- While some of our ministries will take a summer hiatus ning or playing with your kids or grandkids during the or change its structure somewhat, our core ministries will day. Maybe even a long nap in the afternoon! As continue throughout the summer months, providing you Scazerro reminds us: and your family opportunities to Worship, study, pray, con- nect, and care for others at and through your church. Remember, the purpose of all earthly life and matter is to lead us to communion with God. The entire cosmos During the summer, many of you will be taking much is meant to serve as a material gift from God in and needed time for vacation, spending time with those you through which we enter into the joy of his heavenly love, visiting places you have longed planned for, and/or presence. That includes our vacations!2 perhaps just relaxing from the business of your life?! As you plan your vacations, time off, changing schedules, Can our vacations truly be holy times through which we are and hopefully a slower pace this summer, I encourage awakened to God’s never-ending presence with us? Can you to consider how even vacations can be a part of your we view our vacations not only as time-off from work, but discipleship; a way that the Holy Spirit can transform our also time for recognizing the blessings of God all around hearts, minds, and souls for the purpose of drawing us us? Using the principles of Biblical Sabbath and the Dai- closer to Jesus and His sustaining grace. ly Office that we examined through Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Stop, Rest, Delight, Worship), the answer can One of our core values at Red Hill is emotional health. We be yes! What would a “vacation as Sabbatical” look like? believe that Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (EHS) can- not be separated from our discipleship. Two of the steps Stop. The weekly Sabbath is a twenty-four hour period along this EHS journey, are the practices of a Daily Office; when we stop working and realize that we are NOT God. regular times through the day when we stop, in solitude During our vacations, however long they may be, we are and silence, to be with Jesus through prayer and Biblical stopping our regular work to focus on the One who is God! reflection. Second, theweekly Sabbath; One day in seven What can you do on your vacation that would help you to where we stop, rest, and delight in God’s love. be aware of God’s power, character, and love? “On the Sabbath we let go of the illusion that we are indispensable One of the gifts that these practices give is that we are to the running of the world. We recognize we will never made continually aware that we were created in love, by finish all our projects, and that God is on the throne, man- God, for a relationship with Him, and how this foundational aging quite well in ruling the universe without our help.”3 relationship with God informs all of our other relationships. We can often forget this and allow God to be crowded out Rest. The institution of the Sabbath was reflective of of our lives by business, worry, and simple inattention to God’s resting on the seventh-day after creating the cos- our Heavenly Father. The Daily Office and Sabbath are mos. Resting is integral to Sabbath. Sabbath resting is used by the Holy Spirit to keep us grounded in God’s grace two-fold: we cease activity proper, allowing our bodies, and aware of His constant presence in our lives. Likewise, minds, and souls to relax, and we “engage in activities annual vacations can be times not only for needed rest that restore and replenish us—from napping, hiking, read- and re-creation, but also times for spiritual refection and ing, and eating good food to enjoying hobbies and playing recognition of our human limits, dependency upon God, sports. What are the activities that you could engage in and a reminder that God has created us to love us—God that would restore and replenish the soil of your soul?”4 wants us to enjoy our relationship with Him! 1 Adapted from a blog-post by Pastor Peter Scazerro, “Turning Vacations into Sabbaticals.” www.emotionallyhealthy.org. 2 Ibid. Pete Scazerro, author and founder of Emotionally Healthy 3 Ibid. Spirituality, comments that vacations can be seen as, “an- 4 Ibid. Page 4 The Vine From our Pastor Reverend Dr. Seth Britton photo by Donna Kunz Delight. God’s resting on the seventh-day involved God and vacations are an invitation to see the invisible in the delighting in His creation (Genesis1-2). God desires that visible—to recognize the hidden ways God’s goodness is we delight in, even enjoy, our lives and this world! God at work in our lives…How can you more intentionally look “invites us to enjoy and delight in his creation and all the for his grandeur in everything from people, food, and art to gifts he offers us in it.