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Newsletter - September 2011 |
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FALL 2011
Dear Friends in Christ, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The church provides a vital place in the joy and happiness of each person because it points people to Christ. Everyone needs faith to carry them through life and to point them to eternity. Faith gives purpose and meaning. It's the rock we stand firm upon. We are called to make disciples....or written in another way, to introduce people to Jesus and his amazing message of love, hope, peace and love found in and through our Lords death and resurrection. Our common goal is to introduce people to this amazing God who promises to be with us in is life and in the life to come. His word is truth and can be trusted! Statistics speak very powerfully about the church in North America. We need to make some changes to assure that the church remains a vital and important part of our children’s and grandchildren’s future. I have shared many challenging facts concerning the state to the church in North America in my past sermons. Now with your church council, we have made some important and innovative decisions in regards to our future plans.
This year, you will discover how we plan to address some of these challenges as noted above and you will see some subtle and more direct means of meeting the challenges head on. Let us press on to know the Lord and to be known by Him. Pastor Rick Welcome Back! We would like to welcome you back to a new fall year by inviting you to Roundup Sunday on September 11 beginning with worship at 10:00am followed by a family Barbecue. Sunday mornings will look a little different beginning on September 18. We start with worship. Following Pastor Rick's children message, children ages 4 - Grade 4 will enjoy Children's chapel downstairs and return to worship for Holy Communion. Children grade 5 and 6 will take a more active part in worship and you will see their growing involvement in assisting Pastor Rick and the worship experience. Support their participation! At 11:00 am we head downstairs for fellowship. Those who want to study God’s word are invited to the trailer. The Narthex will be setup as a guest center where a few members will meet with visitors who are looking for more information about our church. We will brighten up our fellowship hall downstairs where you will be able to visit with your church family, find out about what’s going on at St. Peter's and look for books and events in our prayer and resource room. The second Sunday of the month we will have a soup and sandwich lunch for all to enjoy. Not potlucks but a lunch provided and organized by a food committee, so that all can attend and not feel obligated to provide a food item. Sunday mornings provide an opportunity for you to be fed with God's word and to enjoy the fellowship of your church family. Sunday morning is also the first point of entry for new people so we are trying to provide the best atmosphere for both purposes. This newsletter gives you some information about some of the opportunities to learn, grow and serve at St. Peter's. Our fellowship time following worship on Round up Sunday on September 11 provides another venue for you to check things out. See you there!
Where? At the Rev's House - 18 West Chapman Place
Come and find out what you may be missing in your life and how to possibly discover it.
We are planning ahead and believe that we will put into place our Soup and Sandwich events following worship on the 2nd Sunday of each month. Five Reasons why this is important…
We would like to 'float this idea’ for a Soup and Sandwich team to replace the monthly potluck. We are looking for teams of 4-6 families to provide this ministry on a rotating basis. If you would be willing to be part of one of the teams that would provide home made soup, sandwiches and squares after service please see/call - 403-932-7475/e-mail Jocelyne Duerksen
Each Sunday you will receive at the worship service a Table Talk sheet based upon Pastor Rick’s message. This helps you to continue to talk about the message and the gospel reading at home with your family. New this fall will be a blog to write Pastor and debate with others about the Sunday morning message. To access Pastor Rick’s message just click the Blog link on the church website – www.saintpeters.ca. (or go to www.rickbergh.com)
Community is a place where God meets us! Scripture tells us that where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. Numerous times in the Bible, God placed people to walk together in the faith for support and encouragement: Moses and Aaron, David and Jonathan, Naomi and Ruth, Paul and Barnabas. Even Jesus himself spent time with three disciples and Peter and Christ experienced numerous one-on-one specific times together. 90 percent of the male population lacks a true friend. Loneliness is common among women. Is it the same in the church? According to John Vanier, "A community is not simply a group of people who live together and love each other. It is a place of resurrection! Something happens when we roll the stone away from the inner depths of our lives and are able to come out to experience a new day and beginning. A good friend can help roll the stone away and bring us out and into a place where together we can meet Jesus in a new and explosive way. One of the greatest steps you can take in maturing your faith is to move toward having a Christian friend who knows all about you and who will commit the time to meet with you to talk about faith and to keep Christ as the focus. I believe the Holy Spirit is calling St. Peter's to develop a strong mentorship culture. I'm certain all of us when we look back on our lives identify key individuals that were crucial to our personal, professional and faith development. The aging baby boomer population with all of its experience is becoming valuable to many companies, and corporations who are smart are tapping into this wisdom before it's gone to retirement. I want to tap into the wisdom at St. Peter's. I believe that our church is filled with gifted people who are able to contribute to a 'God purpose' that has great possibilities for the kingdom. I'm asking you to pray about working with me to develop a peer mentorship program at St. Peter's. Your experience, ideas and feedback on the area of mentorship are important. We will add to a secular approach to mentorship a clear focus on faith….Christ-centered mentorship. Our plan is to develop a faith-centered peer mentorship program which can be implemented into our discipleship process at St. Peter's and then to offer it after we test its effectiveness to the rest of our church body and perhaps other Christian churches. I ask you to pray about this exciting research and development opportunity. I would like to have monthly round table discussions on this topic where we will flesh out a process that could be helpful for people in our church and for the Kingdom.
The future of any organization is based upon the development of strong leaders. We are looking for individuals who feel called to invest some of their valuable time to be discipled for the purpose of discipling. Jesus chose people to build into over a period of time. They became the leaders of the church, ready and willing to lead the next generation of believers. The key to Jesus' ministry was his focused time with 12 men whom he worked with to prepare them for the sharing of the message he died for. These men began to then disciple other people to become followers. This was the multiplication factor. Paul Prochnau and Pastor Rick are committed to spending time with a group of men from St. Peter's starting this fall. Come and find out more information at our first event… the Steak-No-Salads Mens Garage Party.
Save the Date of November 18-20th for an exciting men’s retreat. We are bringing in a special guest speaker from the Wild at Heart Gang (many of our men attended a number of the Wild at Heart events offered a few years back) This time, we are going to be challenged and encouraged to look at our next call individually as Christian men. More information will follow. We have limited space so sign up now and bring along a friend. Let Cliff MacRae know if you will be attending.
The St. Peter's Children's Handbell Choir is an exciting group for kids for all ages. Last year, they performed in the Cochrane Music Festival and were given a mark of 92%, performing in the final gala concert. The Handbell Choir is directed by the very dedicated Natalie Moore and rehearses on Thursdays from 6:30-7:15pm in the church sanctuary. No fee is required to be a part of this great program. Kids lead in worship. Kids learn to read music. It's all good!
Come join us this Fall for exhilarating Thursday evenings of song at St. Peter's. We started with a Welcome Back BBQ on Wednesday, August 31st at the Bergh’s and our first rehearsal is Thursday, September 15th, 7:30-9pm. Our choir retreat day is on October 29th at King's Fold Retreat Centre from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. We will run throughout the fall with a final Christmas concert on December 11. We are looking for new members of the choir so please come and check us out at the first practice and see if singing for Jesus and sharing your gifts at worship may be something you would like to be part of. Because so many 'fly south' for the winter months, adult choir will only be offered in the fall, BUT…
In January 2012, we will be starting rehearsals for a full-blown children's musical at St. Peter's. The popular, Cool in the Furnace, is our musical of choice. Great music. Great script. Lots of fun. We might even need some cameo appearances from a few adults! When will rehearsals be? RIGHT after the service on Sunday mornings while parents are having coffee (11:15am to 12:15pm). Know any kids in the neighborhood who might be interested in joining us for this as well?
Please join us at 10 AM on Thursday, September 15th for the start of our fall season. Our study resource is the popular and high quality Faith Lessons DVD series, entitled “In the Dust of the Rabbi - Becoming a Disciple”. See the Bible come alive and be challenged. Filmed on location at biblically significant sites, this powerful DVD series, featuring renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan, explores what it meant to follow Jesus in the first century - and what it means to follow him today. Come, discover how to follow Jesus as you walk with teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan through the breathtaking terrain of Israel and Turkey and explore what it really means to be a disciple. Please contact Arnold Dubé (932-5525) if you have any questions.
Join Pastor Paul at the beginning of October for a Sunday morning study on the "The Contemplative Life." We live in such a busy age and are bombarded by noise and television and distractions of all kinds. Many Christian authors in recent years have called Christians back to the practice of a more contemplative practice of faith that stresses listening to what God may be saying to each one of us (through prayer, Bible mediation, journal writing, silence, and so on). More information will follow but we invite you to place aside the first three weeks in October (missing Thanksgiving) and three Sundays in November (missing the CALC convention) for this wonderful time of learning and conversation.
Join Steven Herbert for his ongoing study on the gospel that Pastor Rick preaches on each Sunday. This is a wonderful time to prepare your heart and mind for the proclamation of the word that takes place at Sunday morning worship.
Following are the course offerings for Fall 2011:
All of these course offerings are FREE to members of St. Peter's because we have partnered with the ILT as “Designated Teaching Center”. For more information and how to register, contact Ron Voss (403-932-1892; e-mail).
The Angel Ministry is supported through the generous designated gifts of the congregation. The Boundaries Course and the Budgeting Workshop (see next items) are examples of the healthy-living mandate of the Angel Ministry. The Angel Ministry also helps families in financial need. Three families were helped with their living expenses these past few months - mortgage payments, utility bills, food, etc. This totaled to $2500.00. In June and July, we received $3,272.98 in total donation. If we can raise $10,000 we will get a matching grant from a private donor. We need another $4,727.02 to complete our Fundraising Challenge. Please give generously so we can support this ongoing ministry.
Money stressing you out or someone you know? Have you ever wondered how you can help a friend or family member with financial discernment? You don't want to give bad advice? You are uncertain of what might be helpful? Gary Swatzky a Stewardship consultant from the Mennonite foundation will spend an evening October 4th at 7:30pm teaching simple skills and an effective process that can help you help others in the area of money. And then get ready for a budgeting course set for October and November where Gary will be leading three sessions, Monday October 24, November 7 and 21 teaching us skills on how to handle everyday day finances, eliminate stresses and use God’s money wisely. This event is sponsored by the Angel Ministry and is open to all members of St. Peters. For further information contact Marg, Robin or Sharon.
Often Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend offer biblically based insights into how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers and even ourselves. Boundaries that give us freedom to walk as the loving, giving, fulfilled individuals God created us to be. The second round of the boundaries course starts September 16 with a dinner and continues every Thursday until the end of October. Talk with one of the participants from last year’s group. They will let you know of the impact on them following the course. This Boundaries course is sponsored by the Angel Ministry, for further information please speak with Robin, Marg or Sharon.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10 The Caring Ministry is open to all persons in the congregation and its purpose is to extend Christian compassion and helpfulness to individuals of all ages in need of aid; physical, mental and spiritual. St. Peter's is blessed with many individuals and families who have followed the call to serve in this capacity in a formal way on our many serving teams. We are also blessed with many members who meet the needs of those inside and outside our church family in their own insightful and discerning ways. God has blessed our congregation with many gifted and caring families. The Caring Ministry looks forward to working closely with the other ministries to continue to meet the needs of our neighbors, in and outside our congregation. The Caring teams are always available to help and we have a well organized manner of meeting needs but have found that in the last few years the utilization of the caring ministry has decreased. Our focus this year will be on increasing the awareness of available assistance and increasing the communication of needs to the team leaders. We welcome everyone to contact one of the leaders if a need is identified. Current leaders are:
I would like to encourage anyone who would like to learn more about these areas to contact the leader. We are hoping that members will have these areas of support near the top of their memory for times of their need or when they see a need around them. We always welcome more individuals or families to become part of the teams if they wish to serve in one or more of these capacities. In Christ's service and love,
Come and find out on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th at 7:30pm We would like to invite you to come and discover how the caring ministry works at St. Peter’s. We want to be sure that you know what’s available and how you might possibly be involved in the caring ministry. It’s an evening of awareness so that we can be more effective in meeting the needs of our community and local congregation. Come and see how our prayer, social, caring and Angel ministries work together with the office and pastor to meet the needs of the body of Christ and how we can extend Jesus’ love to the community. All are welcome and encouraged to attend - men, women, teens…. See you there!
“Love others as Christ first loved us” (1 John 4:19)
Sometimes we struggle with the question, “Who is our neighbor?” Cochrane appears to be affluent, but are you aware that semi-annual food drives and Christmas hamper donations do not prevent the shelves of the Cochrane Food Bank from becoming empty?
In addition, I would like to entertain your ideas for community involvement that we can do as a St. Peter's family. We will continue to do the Food Drives (FALL FOOD DRIVE- OCTOBER 15). This is an easy 1-2 hour commitment and I am looking for volunteers. If anyone feels it on their heart to reach out to the community, please contact me. What other churches have done is form a group of interested individuals to whom requests from Helping Hands can be emailed. This gives you the opportunity to peruse them and respond to those that may “speak” to you. They are also posted on the bulletin board downstairs. “Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Wendy Williams
You will notice our attempt to encourage people to talk about faith at home during the week. As you hear the message at worship, your children will be reflecting upon the same bible story downstairs during children’s chapel. Confirmation students will study the Gospel from Sunday and will talk with their parents at home. Steven Herbert will be leading people on Wednesday evening in the lessons coming up on Sunday. Table talk with help you reflect on the Sunday morning message at home with your families and friends. The pastor’s blog provides another medium to have further conversation. We will evaluate our ministry on how many conversations about Jesus take place at home with our children, grandchildren, spouses and friends.
Our Lutheran Confirmation Program begins this fall on Tuesday, September 13. Pastor Rick will be teaching the program, so if you have a teenager, grade 7 or up, who has not completed confirmation and desires to enter into study, prayer and conversation with pastor, let him know a quickly as possible.
For all girls and boys, grades 1 to 6. Elisabet Cox from our congregation has a passion for children. Involved with Women’s Aglow, she is now offering a program for Kids at St. Peter’s. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says, " In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. " Beginning October 29th, come and learn how you can be a light for others in this world. 6-8 P.M. Supper is included. After this, we will meet the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, same time, omitting long weekends. Anyone who is interested in mentoring boys or girls, please call Elisabet Cox at 403-981-9030.
You have heard us talking lots about a discipleship process the last couple of moths. This process will be introduced as soon as we conclude our new mission survey and are able to share the results. You can now cast your vote online here.
Are there times when you would love to talk with someone about the faith? Are there times when you get stuck on a scripture reading or need to talk with another person about God? Are there times when you would like to hash over Sunday morning message? It's not always easy to figure out the things of faith! We are planning to have people ready and willing to spend time with those who come to St. Peter's. Whether it is a member who needs to talk or a new person coming to learn and experience God, we want to be available. Are you interested in sharing some time with people to talk about faith? Talk with Pastor Rick if you are interested in becoming a faith mentor.
We are looking for a Missions coordinator or individual people who are able to stay in touch with our mission projects and keep us updated. Become involved as a family or as an individual in the ongoing work of our mission projects. What are they?
Let us know. We are gathering names and will be setting a date where we can meet together prior to membership Sunday which is November 27th. Let Evelyn know in the church office if your membership needs to be transferred in from another congregation.
We are working ahead to interest as many people as possible to attend Breakforth in Edmonton this coming January. Spots fill up fast. Hotel rooms go quickly. For more information on Breakforth talk to Robin Smith who is facilitating this event.
CALC’s Constituting Convention took place October 30-31,1992 in Calgary. Therefore this year’s General Convention, November 4-6 in Cochrane, will be CALC’s 20th Annual Convention. Our convention theme, Cast the net on the right…and you will find (John 21:6), brings to mind boldly trying something new in faithfulness to God and His Word and guided by the Holy Spirit. The relatively short business session in the morning will be followed by “CALC 101” at which time various speakers will explain who CALC is in terms of organization, ministry standards, confessional emphasis and vision. The afternoon session will be devoted to the convention theme, which hopefully will engage the delegates and visitors in conversation and sharing about creative ways to “cast the net”. The invited speaker for the afternoon session is Rev. Dr. Douglas Schoelles, lead pastor at Resurrection Lutheran Church, Keller, Texas.
One of his passions (and his doctoral dissertation) is How Do We Equip Parents to Be the Spiritual Leaders in Their Home. Rev. Schoelles has agreed to speak about his passion at CALC’s General Convention. Equipping Parents to be the Spiritual Leaders in Their Home Parents by God’s design are intended to be the primary spiritual guides for their children. But most parents no longer know how. If we are to raise children as disciples in a post-Christian society, they need to be equipped to carry out their spiritual role. The strategy for infusing the four basic faith-forming practices of prayer, bible reading, faith discussions and faith in action is relatively simple, requiring hands-on learning, and uncomplicated tools to achieve measurable and significant results. The issue will be examined through Biblical, theological, sociological and educational perspectives. We will touch on methods for implementing the strategy in congregations and why this is a critical evangelism strategy for the 21st century. Rev. Schoelles’ talk will be in four parts:
As St. Peter’s will be hosting this year’s convention, we are looking for willing volunteers. If you would like to help in some way, please talk to someone on the Convention Committee, Ron and Diane Voss, Fred and Robin Shickedanz, Erica Bergh, Tim Bauer, Steven Herbert and Pastor Rick. |
I care about the future of the church very much. Now that I'm a grandpa, I am even more convinced of the importance of the church and the impact in the life of my children and grandchildren.
A Steak-No-Salads Men's Garage Party
When: Friday, September 16th
I am excited about starting a girls youth group this fall at St. Pete’s. My Dad challenged me to pray about where God wanted to use me in the church now that I am making my home back in Cochrane and my church home is St. Peter’s. God has led me to start a group for young girls grades 7-12. Come join me at my house (18 West Chapman Place, Cochrane) on Friday, September 9th from 6-8pm. Let me know if you can come. See you there. Larissa Bergh (403)932-7179 or 
Why Believe? What is faith? Is it merely a blind leap in the dark - or is the actual evidence to support belief? WHY BELIEVE? INVESTIGATE EVIDENCE OF FAITH is a 5-week Stonecroft Bible Study and the first of two Bible Studies. This study invites you to investigate scientific and historical evidence that backs up the Bible’s claims that God exists, He left a message, and He desires a personal relationship with you. This is a wonderful opportunity to reach people around you who are seeking the truth. The second Bible study will be GREAT WOMEN OF THE BIBLE III. Ladies morning Bible Study will begin Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 10:00 am in the church basement. Contact Judy Stuehrenberg at 403-851-9819.
Fall 2011 Course Offerings - The ILT's Word at Work Series provides individuals and congregations with live courses over the Internet, featuring expert speakers and timely topics.
I am excited to be your Social Ministry Representative. This is a new council position that allows us to respond, as a faith community, to the needs within the Cochrane area. The Bible is full of scripture where Jesus calls upon us to take the church outside of the institution itself and be His “hands and feet” in the world.
'Cochrane Helping Hands' was founded, a few years ago, when individual churches struggled to meet the requests that they received for help. It was hoped that if the faith community worked together all needs would be met. Many seniors, single mothers and people with physical limitations make requests to Cochrane FCSS (Family and Community Support Services). They are then fanned out to point people (like myself) within the churches of Cochrane. The number of requests continue to grow and vary from one-time things like driving a senior to a medical appointment or helping them with a move; to weekly commitments like visiting a lonely senior or providing childcare for a single mom while she does grocery shopping. Many requests involve some physical lifting, so men would also be very much appreciated!
We need to shift our focus from depending upon the church to provide all of the Christian instruction to children, to an emphasis on empowering parents to raise up their children in the faith. During the year you will experience some Faith at Home events which will equip you to play a bigger part in the faith development of your children and grandchildren.
Worship is an integral part of our life at St. Peter’s. It begins when you walk in the doors and are greeted by the ushers. As you enter the sanctuary you will often see flowers or banners related to the season or church year. The screen provides information and sets the tone for the service. Music draws you into the spirit of worship. Although individual tastes in music may differ, we all seek to know God and our heart attitude makes us receptive to his voice and respectful of our neighbour. There are many ways to participate in worship. Volunteers are always needed:
Rev. Schoelles describes himself as “an eternal futures investor. I invest time and take risks to influence the eternities of others”. He is the devout husband of Isabel, and dedicated father to Richard, Joshua and Rebekah.
| © 2011 - St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Cochrane, AB Canada |