St. Mark Lutheran Church 277 Willow Street Elko, Nevada
(775) 738-5436 www.stmarkelko.com
Branching Out for the Sake of the World
JULY 2011 Newsletter
Sunday Worship Service: 9:00 a.m. – Holy Communion 2nd and 4th Sundays
July is a special month at St. Mark! We are so pleased and excited to welcome
Pastor Chuck and Jean to our faith family! Everyone make an effort to introduce
you and your family to Pastor Chuck and Jean-invite them over for a glass of iced
tea or just introduce yourself. Don’t wait for Pastor Chuck to visit you! Keep
Pastor Chuck and Jean and our faith family in your prayers; be ready to Branch
Out for the Sake of the World. Keep Pastor Doug and Mary in your thoughts and
prayers, too; they were a positive force in our midst for many months. We
appreciate all that Pastor Doug did for and with us and wish him well in his next
venture.
One Last Message from Pastor Doug
A man noticed a lady in the grocery store with her year-old child in her shopping cart. The child
was whining for cookies. Her mother said no. The little one began to cry loudly. The mother patiently
said, “Now Missy, we’re half way done, it won’t be long.” The same thing happened again in the candy
aisle. This time the little girl kicked and screamed. The mother said, “There, there, Missy, only two
more aisles and then we’ll be done.” At the checkout counter, the child reached for the gum. When her
mom said no she began to scream louder than ever. The mother patiently said, “Missy, we’ll be through
this checkout stand in five minutes and then we can go home and both have a nice nap.”
Intrigued that what he had just witnessed in the young mother’s patience, the man followed the
woman out of the store into the parking lot and complimented her. “I couldn’t help noticing how
patient you were with little Missy,” he said. Looking a little puzzled at first, the young mother replied,
“Thank you, but my little girl’s name is Francine…I’m Missy.”
Sound familiar? Life can be a lot like that. Even without little children in tow, it seems as if
there are always too many things to do, too many places to go, and too little time to get everything
done. Perhaps this past year was a lot like that for many of you here at St. Mark?
Sometimes when we find ourselves so rushed and wearied from all of the stress and clamor of
surviving and thriving in our hell bent society we tend to look for ways to ease our stress related
activities. Unfortunately, for many of us that ends up meaning that Sunday morning worship and other
church related activities fall victim to our hectic schedules.
If I as your pastor could ask you to change one thing in this coming year it would be to have you
rethink the whole of your busy lives and renew your commitment to worship. Yes, we are all too busy,
and yes, church and church related activities are on the surface activities that we can always put off and
then come back to when we have time or when we feel like we need to get back to it, but at what cost?
Being bombarded as we are by so many worldly activities that have little to no lasting value, can we
neglect what offers us so much spiritual and eternal value? Just think of what we are missing when we
turn our activities from the spiritual to the temporal: God misses our worship when we chose other
activities more important than His; We allow this world to dictate to us what is more important in our
lives instead of God and His Word; We miss the power that comes to us through the Holy Spirit in the
Word and Sacrament; We miss the fellowship of believers and the impact that they can have on our
lives; Our own lack of enthusiasm for worship affects the attitudes of others who question the
commitment of the body as a whole when there are so few in worship and related activities; Visitors
who are looking for a place to worship are reluctant to return when low attendance brings with it a less
enthused response to worship by those who are there to worship.
I could go on and I’m sure that you could too. Your participation and commitment to worship is
vital to the in-reach and outreach and success of St. Mark. When you’re not there we miss you more
than you can know. As we begin the rest of this year under the tutelage of our new pastor let’s renew
our commitment to God, to worship, to the Gospel, and to one another. There simply is no activity in
this world more vital to our hope for the future than our commitment to our loving Savior. Remember,
even while He had this whole world and everyone in it to care for as our sovereign God, He deemed
your salvation the most important. Leaving behind every other commitment, He dedicated Himself to
you, offering up His life, His blood, and His immediate future for your benefit. Can you offer any less
than your dedicated worship and commitment to His Gospel?
Pastor Doug
MOMENTS with the PREACHER’S WIFE
Lessons Learned From the Beach
By Mary Denison Williams
In the distance where the dark blue of the Pacific Ocean meets the light blue of the
sky, I see a two-mast sailboat on the horizon. The warmth of the afternoon sun feels good
on my skin as I sit on the beach chair drying off from a recent swim. I look among the
boogie board surfers to find my husband and our youngest son, Jon. A feeling of
satisfaction fills my heart as I see them riding the crest of a wave together into shore
and head back out again to catch the next wave. Nearby are two small children digging a
giant hole on the beach with a mountain of sand as protection around their ditch. I see
the water rising on the shore and know that soon the tide will overtake their efforts to
keep out the sea with their sand barricades.
Since it is our last day of vacation here, I think over this last week of our time
together, the three of us. I am thankful for this time of rest and relaxation and am
reminded that even God took time to rest from His labors. Amid the days spent at the
beach and the nights spent watching movies, cruising the local mall, or just playing cards at
the kitchen table, I am amazed at God and the lessons He had for us at the beach this
week.
Our stay at Newport Beach started with the offer of a friend to use her family’s
beach house a block from Corona del Mar Beach while we attended the annual Christian
Homeschoolers’ Convention and for a week afterward. My friend had no way of knowing
that in April my husband had looked into renting a place at Newport Beach for a three day
mini-vacation as that had been a hope of mine, but it was beyond our budget. On our last
day here, I am once again surprised by my heavenly Father’s gift. He, who knows the very
number of hairs on my head at any given time, also knew of my longing for time at the
beach with my family. He even gave me the very place that was my heart’s desire. “Take
delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (New International
Version Bible, Psalm 37:4).
On our first day in the surf this week I remembered and passed on a lesson that my dad
had given me when I was a child in San Diego where I learned to swim. My dad taught me
to dive directly into and under the crest of the wave if it broke before you could body
surf it into shore. Even though as a seven-year-old child that wave looked enormous
coming down on me, I trusted my dad, and sure enough when I dove under the wave, the
current brought me up on the other side.
Each night here people bring out their beach chairs and watch the sun go down. As the
sun sinks below the horizon, the spectators all clap and cheer the setting of the sun.
Since only God can know the heart of man, I do not know if they applaud the created or
the Creator. But I do know that the very fact they come prepared to watch the sunset
shows they trust that the sun WILL set, just as my dad taught me to trust that the
current would bring me up again.
“O Lord my God you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He
stretches out the heavens like a tent…He set the earth on its foundations…You covered it
with the watery depths as with a garment;…You set a boundary they cannot cross; never
again will they cover the earth…and the sun knows when to go down.” Psalm 104:1ff In
His creation, our Father teaches us to respect and trust Him.
As I watch the children playing nearby, the ocean has finally overcome the sand
barricades and filled their ditch with seawater. It brings to mind a story the nuns in my
Catholic grammar school told of another child who played in the sand by the sea. This
child dug a hole in the sand and went back and forth to the sea, filling the hole with
seawater. As the story goes, when St. Augustine, who had been walking by the seashore
pondering his own puzzle, saw the child, he stopped and asked, “What are you doing?” The
boy answered, “I am going to put the sea into the hole I am digging.” St. Augustine told
the boy, “It doesn’t fit!” Then St. Augustine realized that the dilemma of the Triune God
– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three Persons in One God – would never “fit” into his finite
mind either.
Like St. Augustine, we will not know all the mysteries of God while we are here on
earth. In I Corinthians 13:12, God’s Word reveals, “Now we see through a glass darkly; but
then (in heaven) we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even
as I am fully known.” To think that we will know Him as He knows us is truly amazing!
I sincerely hope that each of you take time for rest and relaxation this summer, and
may God give you your own lessons in trust as you observe His creation. When you have
been refreshed, I pray you will use the talents God has given you to pass on these lessons
to others as you reach out with love and joy to share the Good News of the Gospel!
………A MESSAGE of STEWARDSHIP
Awhile back I came across the story (I failed to write down the pastor’s name whose experience
it was) of a pastor’s wife whose car broke down one rainy afternoon. After calling for a tow and leaving
her car at a repair shop she was offered a loaner which she gladly accepted. On the way home she
decided to stop and shop at her local supermarket. After putting her own groceries into her loaned
vehicle she was about to leave the parking lot when she was approached in the rain by an older lady
who brazenly asked her if she wouldn’t mind giving her and her groceries a ride home. Discovering that
the woman’s home was across town in the other direction, in Christian charity she decided to help the
old woman out.
Arriving at the old woman’s home, with the rain still pouring down, the old gal asked the
pastor’s wife if she wouldn’t mind carrying the groceries into the house and to help her put them away.
Although frustrated in that her own day was fast disappearing in the needs of the old lady she agreed
and did all she had been asked. Having set down the last of the bags on the kitchen table the pastor’s
wife was quickly ushered to the front door and with little but an abrupt “Thank you,” had the door
slammed in her face.
Now fuming at the thankless treatment afforded her by the old woman, the pastor’s wife
struggled to keep her godly spirit alive all the while not able to think about anything else but how rudely
she had been treated.
Arriving home she related to her husband the whole dreaded story. Her husband however was
quick to size up the probable cause. Written on both doors and on the back bumper, were written the
words, “Free Courtesy Car.” Undoubtedly thinking the courtesy car for her benefit, the old woman
thought that the pastor’s wife worked for the supermarket and was then only doing the job she was
supposed to do. Ignorant of the sacrifice the pastor’s wife had made, the old gal felt little need to show
gratefulness.
We, on the other hand, are not ignorant of the sacrifice made on our behalf by our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. Far more that a ride home in the rain, our Savior gave Himself over to the most
horrible suffering and death on our behalf. Releasing us from the punishment our sins deserved He took
them upon Himself and offered us in return His own righteousness.
The question now becomes, how then will we respond to such unwarranted sacrifice? Will we
whimper a feeble thank you as we close the door in His face? It would seem that way given the
response of some who claim Him as Savior but then live as though they don’t know Him. Thinking that
His service to them requires nothing in return they are content to offer little in the way of worship,
praise, and service to the saints for whom Christ too gave His life.
Not willing to offer Him such feeble service however we at St. Mark cannot be content to do
other than to willingly and faithfully serve Him. Far from closing the door in His face we will open it with
joy and offer ourselves to Him in return. “This is your reasonable service” (Roman 12:10), the apostle
tells us; to offer to Him our thanksgiving by faithfully worshipping, praying, and serving, and by being
good stewards of all with which we have been so abundantly blessed.
Pastor Doug
CHURCH COUNCIL MINUTES
May 7, 2011
Present: Pastor Williams, Dale Clarke, Tana Doerr, Marc Blanchard, Lori Byers, Don Pietz.
Secretary: Tana made a motion to accept the minutes. Dale seconded. All approved.
Treasurer: There was discussion about paying the full amount of $7800.00 for the copier. Pastor had
talked to Reese at Alliance where we got the copier from and worked out a contract for monthly charges
around $331 a month for 4 years. We still will need to pay a monthly maintenance fee and we still need
to pay off the old lease. Tana talked to Jody and said Alliance sent a bill for the $7800.00 so she just paid
it. Buster’s numbers are off the books now because Jody moved money from the general fund over to
cover money she used from the SS account to pay for SS supplies. There wasn’t $500 in the SS account
which made a negative balance, so she just reversed it. Dale made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s
report. Lori seconded. All approved
Preschool: No Report.
Trustee: Don cleaned the filters on the overhead projector. Don will look at where he could move the
white board/chalk board. Tana said the outside lights were on last time she drove by. Don said
someone probably turned off the light switch that is supposed to be left on.
Pastor: Chuck Hoffman’s tentative installation will be July 10. He will be ordained in his Michigan
congregation on July 3. The Interim pastor usually leaves 2 weeks prior to a new pastor arriving.
However, the Transformation for Missions Committee wants Pastor Williams to be here for Chuck’s
installation. The Interim program feels that it’s healthy for a congregation to do a farewell for the pastor
upon his leaving. Pastor will be going to Morrow Bay to a pastor’s conference after service this Sunday
and will be back on Friday afternoon.
Old Business: The parsonage carpet has been cleaned and repaired. Chuck & Jean Hoffman will be
renting a moving pod to move their stuff which will only cost $2,000 – $3,000. Tana doesn’t need the
church on June 18 because Nicki’s wedding has been postponed.
New Business: Pastor would like to buy the piano in the parsonage. There should be a tag inside the
piano with a serial # & year. We should be able to find an appraisal either online or with the help of
Sharon. The Council approved a $100.00 going away gift certificate for Jody. Summer has some ideas.
The next meeting will be on June 13 at 7pm. Elders meeting will be at 6pm.
The voter’s meeting will be June 12 right after church.
Pastor closed with prayer.
PRESCHOOL BOARD MINUTES – No Report
LWML NEWS
LWML members raised $ 5104 at the annual June yard sale held at the church! The LWML has
distributed funds (with some matching funds from Thrivent) from the yard sale to the following:
. $400 to Carol Halter, Missionary Deaconess in Hong Kong
. $405 to 1st Baptist Church, Elko for annual community Thanksgiving feast
. $500 to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
. $750 for floor coverings at the parsonage
Decision to disperse remaining funds will be finalized at the September LWML meeting.
Zone LWML is planning a retreat at the Cowboy Rest September 9-11, 2011. All ladies of the
congregation are invited to attend. For more information or to register, please, talk with Charlotte
Schneider or Kristi Kraft by July 15, 2011.
Hello from Africa……………………….
Habari (Hello) from Tanzania! I want to take this opportunity to tell you all that I am thankful for your
prayers for me and my family while I am away. I want to share with you some of the experiences I have
had with some of the other Christians while being here. I went to church here on the compound around
7:30 in the evening. There were 12 of us worshiping with song and Bible study. Numa, who is Filipino,
played the guitar and we sang ‘How Great Thou Art’ under the stars. We sat around a picnic table and
the topic was about Holiness. We would read the different versions from the NIV, American Standard,
Swahili translation and mine The Message in contemporary language. It was a real kick to hear the Bible
being read in Swahili! 1st Peter 1:13-16 tells us “So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally
ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily step back into those old grooves
of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient
children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with
holiness, God said, “I am holy; you be holy”. Seems like the pressure is on doesn’t it? God does not
want us to fail. James 1: 16-18 says it all for me “So, my dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every
desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the
Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in god, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to
life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all creatures.” I have asked a few of them, to
give me a list of things they might want help with upon my return. I know they want Bibles for sure and
may want some help with a local church in Kahama.
God bless you all and thanks again for your support.
Yours in service, Dave (Pennell)
COOKBOOK NEWS from Karen
Rooted In the Word
As this newsletter is being published, so is the new St Mark Lutheran Church & Preschool cookbook
titled “Rooted in the Word”. The cookbook, as most of you know by now, is being produced to raise
funds for the building of our, now very small, library ministry. Many of the old books that were in our
library need to be updated with newer versions or were just outdated and no longer pertained to life as
we know it in the twenty first century.
There are many new books available on Christian parenting, lifestyles and good Christian fiction for
children and adults that are being considered for our updated library. If you have read or seen a book
that you would like to see in our library, please let Karen or pastor know and the library committee will
take it into consideration.
Of course, the library is more than just books. We are also planning to upgrade our video library from
VHS tapes to DVDs and the process has been started with the new Veggie Tales “The Night before
Easter” and the “Luther” movie starring Joseph Fiennes. Other media in our library includes Christian
music CDs and will soon include periodicals from the synod and other Lutheran organizations such as
LWML and our local Thrivent Financial Branch.
So if you haven’t taken a look at our library cart lately, please do so next Sunday. You might find
something to read or listen to that you just can’t pass up. And don’t forget, we also have many bible
studies for sale on the “gift shop” side of the cart as well as St Mark hats and cups. This side of the cart
will help our library ministry grow also and many of the items have been affordably priced.
A Note from the Newsletter Staff………
Thank you for the news articles and minutes. A big thank you to Pastor Doug and Ms. Mary for
your thought provoking messages! I know there are more committees and individuals that
have been busy supporting St. Marks over the past months that we have not included in the
monthly newsletter. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Don’t be shy, please, take the time to write
a brief article and submit it by e-mail to stmarkelko@frontiernet.net or drop off a copy of your article/committee minutes to Lori in the church office by the 20th of every month. We are sure
everyone would like to hear what is happening at St. Mark as well as how we are being
represented in the community. As an example of community outreach, I was amazed at the
turnout for the recent fun Run Walk and Rock event that began and ended at St. Marks on a
Saturday in June. The front yard of the church was full of participants who looked like they
were having a great time. Thank you Summer, Jody, and all the other volunteers who made this
event possible. A big thank you to the LWML members and volunteers and to all of you who
donated items for the yard sale. The yard sale was a lot of hard work for many of you but
what a successful activity that raised a large amount of money that will help many in so many
ways. GOD IS GOOD!
Your Newsletter Staff
Marilee Kuhl Jenette Fuller
775-738-6431 307-689-4371
