About this Resource

The first issue is here! And frankly, it’s not a moment too soon. You’ve probably sensed that God is doing some exciting stuff in the St. Peter family, so these e-letter updates are meant to spark our anticipation so that we can be on the lookout for His work among us—“God Sightings,” as some people call them. Our prayer is that those sparks of anticipation will spread the Good News of Jesus like wildfire, extending throughout our congregation, into the community, and out to the world.

A note before you read. This is not an effort to restore the classic old church newsletter. You know, the one cranked out on a mimeograph machine with aromatic ink and clip art in the columns.  It had its day. Unfortunately it was often like painful tooth extraction to recruit authors for those journals, and sometimes more painful to read. This resource is meant to be a simple briefing, like a blog. Blogs are online journals with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, and space for interaction. As you’ll notice, you can follow the links to read full articles on our website. You can subscribe to our podcast, forward to a friend (please do!), or visit us on Facebook if you click on the links at the bottom of the e-letter. Soon we’ll have a calendar link so you can keep up with a schedule of events.

Ultimately, our hope is that this e-letter can be a catalyst for fresh and engaging conversation, and that it strengthens our unity as a Christian family. Happy reading!

About Our Church

It’s about spiritual formation and becoming a transformational community - - that’s what I think God is doing among us in 2011.  We tried many things in 2010 to strengthen our faith community and to heighten our visibility as a soul-reaching ministry. Some succeeded; some efforts tumbled, but landed on their feet.

Our vision as laid out in our ministry charter remains strong - - “We will be a Mission Center helping outsider pre-Christians become insider Christ-followers who grow into a life of full devotion to Christ. Whatever it takes!”  As we look at ourselves in our church we believe that “Full devotion to Christ and His cause (making disciples) should be normal for every believer.”  If a person or a venture inside the church is not fully given over to this cause of Christ - - to make disciples, we consider this to be uncharacteristic of what a Christ-follower or a church member should be. 

If we take this Bible-based vision and move it forward through the strategy of helping people take four journeys: The Journey to Faith, The Journey to Grow, The Journey to Serve, and the Journey to Love - - - I think this is a winning strategy to become a church that transforms people and can impact our community in a big way for Christ.

The question is - - Can we join hands?  Can we abandon our own individual agendas? (Did you know that the word “Synod” means “walking together”?).  The Devil will not stand around idle-handed in all of this.  Jesus says in Matthew 12:25, “A house divided against itself can not stand.”  And you’ve got to know that the Devil wants us divided so that this vision and strategy can not get traction. 

My church, my rights, my needs, my group must give way to a sanctified, God-designed “We”.  I pray that 2011 will be a defining moment in our church for a unified growing season in our church family. 

Exciting Things Around the Corner!

New Ministries. We are busy building a stronger Men’s Ministry and getting new ministries off the ground: Pursuit Ministry (follow-up with visitors), Connection Ministry (helping new members get connected with the life of our church), and School to Church Bridge (helping unchurched school families connect with our church). Some of these ministries are up and running and others are still being formed, but we are getting there.

 Love Works. Our first ever series focusing on compassion ministry—that is, God’s call for us to reach out to the helpless and hurting in our world—is planned for May 22 - June 5. The series is titled “Love Works” and will include a fair trade fair, a well-building opportunity through Living Water, and a community service project. We have lot’s of love to give, so let’s put it to work!

Facility Stewardship. Now that congregational Vice President Rick Grenz has educated us on the need to raise 150k (only 16k given so far) to replace our Heat/AC system in the gym, we will likely be holding a mini capital campaign asking members to make one-year commitments. More on this later.

School News. We are currently very busy interviewing candidates to fill our 7^th and 8^th grade positions in our school. Keep us in your prayers. Our new principal Anna Hu will be visiting us over spring break and plans to arrive here and begin serving July 1^st. 

 Small groups is where it’s at. What’s “it”?  A growing, serving, personally invigorating life in Christ. We have an outstanding Small Group Leadership team working overtime to help all of our members hook up with a small group. Already in one? Been in the same group for 2, 3 or more years? Try starting a new group.  In Revelation 21:5 and II Corinthians 5:17 God talks about creating “new” things. God likes “new” things. Consider something new in your life.

March and April Worship at a Glance

Mid-week Lent Series | 7 PM Wednesdays, March 9 – April 13

Caiaphas, Pilot's wife, Judas, and the chief priests were all enemies of Jesus. During the season of Jesus' death and resurrection, they meant one thing, but God said something more--God spoke truth through their words. Join us as we prepare our hearts this Lent season with "Sermons Preached by Jesus' Enemies."

“By His Wounds We Are Healed” Sunday Passion Series | March 27 – April 17

March 23: Wednesday Lent, 7 PM: Jews For Jesus: Christ In The Passover

March 27: Sunday, 8 & 10:45 AM: By His Wounds We Are Healed: At Gethsemane

March 30: Wednesday Lent Gathering, 7 PM: Sermons Preached By Jesus’ Enemies Part 3

April 3: Sunday, 8 & 10:45 AM: By His Wounds We Are Healed: On Trial

April 6:  Wednesday Lent, 7 PM: Sermons Preached By Jesus’ Enemies Part 4

                 

April 10: Sunday, 8 & 10:45 AM: By His Wounds We Are Healed: The Cross

April 13: Wednesday Lent Gathering, 7 PM: Sermons Preached By Jesus’ Enemies Part 5

                                   

April 17: Palm Sunday: On this day we celebrate Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem, which occurred several days before his death. According to the gospels, the people of Jerusalem spread branches from trees—identified specifically as palm branches in John's gospel—on the road to welcome Jesus as he rode a donkey into the city. Classic Praise Worship at 8:00 AM and the Sunday School production of “The Three Trees” Children’s Musical at 10:45. The musical is a wonderful opportunity to invite your friends and family to hear the Easter message!

April 21: Maundy Thursday Service, 7 PM: Christians commemorate the Last Supper—a Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples the night before his death.

April 22: Good Friday Chapel at St. Peter Lutheran School, 12 PM

April 22: Good Friday Tenebrae Service, 7 PM: The word "tenebrae" is a Latin word that means "darkness." In this quietly dramatic service, lights are gradually extinguished as we reflect on the death of Jesus.

April 24: We celebrate Easter! Classic Praise Worship at 8:00 AM, Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Breakfast at 9:30 AM, and Band-Led Worship at 10:45 AM.  

Mind to Mind in Christ--from Pastor John

At the bottom of every popcorn bag there are a handful of kernels that have failed to pop. They are made to pop. God, giving inspiration to ag science, has genetically engineered them to pop. But according to The Popcorn Board (yes, there really is one) there is a 4 to 47% failure rate based on whether you have a premium or bargain brand.

So what takes the pop out of popcorn?  It’s the dried out kernels or kernels with cracked hulls that robs them of their water content (hmm, I’m restraining a social comment here). It takes a 14% water content to make them burst. So you can actually take the duds and hydrate them into their popability again (is that a word?). 

God builds popability into Christ followers. The Bible says, “Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). Love one another. Serve one another. Be my witnesses. Respect authority. Be prayer-full. Be generous.  “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Sin takes the popability out of me, but Christ hydrates the popability right back into me. The church is to be a transformational community helping people, confronting people (truth with love), and pointing people upward. Yes grace is the engine, but Christ forever called people up to be “all in” for Him, not just “half-way” in. 

The Pharisees and the Jewish religious community said, “we are Abraham’s children,” meaning, “we’re getting it right with God by the sheer fact of our being Jews.” They were solid denominational God-followers, so they thought. Until Jesus came along and upset their spiritual apple cart.

The church is to be a transformational community. Pastors, leaders and people are to join hands in this effort to help outsiders—those living outside of Christ—become insiders—popable people living fully in Christ, whatever it takes. 

Lent, a Time of Sacrifice--from Jonathan


“After he fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matthew 4:2).

Lent is a time of sacrifice. A time to give up something. A time of preparation. A time to mold and change our heart to find out what we really need.

When was the last time you gave up something for Lent? I went to college at Concordia University in Seward, NE, and many people there came from a church background. Some were PKs (pastor’s kids), some were TKs (teacher’s kids), DCE’s kids, music director’s kids, and most were raised in the church. Then there was me. I think I was one of two students who, when professors talked about Confirmation, had no idea what they were talking about. “Confirmed in what?” I would say.

Slowly, I started to understand the church traditions. When Lent came around, it was my first experience with the season so I wanted to give up something that would be very meaningful—something I would have to really struggle to give up and that would place my heart back on track with God’s heart. So, I was going to give up time. I was going to give up playing games, watching television, being lazy, etc. and spend that time in prayer or reading and studying scripture. I was very excited.

One night at dinner we started talking about what we were going to give up for Lent. Some friends said chocolate, others said soda, another said coffee, and my soon-to-be wife said she wasn’t giving up anything. Then it was my turn. I hesitated. I wondered if I had this whole Lent thing backwards. Was I supposed to give up candy? I don’t really like candy, I thought to myself, but maybe that’s what we’re “supposed” to give up…

“Time,” I finally said. Then I explained to everyone why I wanted to give up time, they thought about it for a few minutes, and we carried on in our conversation.

Matthew tells us that Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights and he was hungry (who wouldn’t be?) Obviously, we don’t need to nor could we ever give up enough for Jesus, for it is through grace we are saved. However, if you are going to give something up this Lenten season, let it be something that forces you to think about Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Because I think this is really what Lent is about: a time to draw us back to know how much God loves us. He loves us so much he laid down his life to bring us back to a right relationship with God.

Blessings.

Jonathan.