GOOD NEWS

Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church • www.kmlchurch.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

APRIL 2015

From the Pastor

Holy Week SchedulePg. 2

Our new Vicar introducedPg. 3

Intergenerational Game NightPg. 4

Rite of ConfirmationPg. 5

Creation Week activitiesPg. 7

On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was attending a play at Ford’s Theatre when John Wilkes Booth shot the President in the back of the head. It happened only four days after the Civil War had ended—a great victory followed by great mourning. This April 15 marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s death. Just 10 days after Easter, we will turn our attention to remembering the one who was perhaps our greatest President, and certainly the most beloved—although Lincoln was far from universally loved and appreciated during his presidency. Lincoln’s pastor said at his funeral, “Jesus Christ died for the world. Abraham Lincoln died for his country.” It seemed to be the widespread sentiment that Lincoln’s focus on justice, forgiveness and mercy for his enemies and the oppressed were seen as Christ-like qualities. But this is where the parallels end. Lincoln died on Holy Saturday morning at 7:22 a.m. When Lincoln breathed his last, his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, said, “Now he belongs to the ages.” Lincoln’s body

would lie in state in Washington D.C., before beginning the long journey to Springfield, Illinois. Mark tells us Jesus had been publicly crucified on Friday afternoon. A wealthy, secret disciple of Jesus named Joseph of Arimathea asked Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, for the body of Jesus. Joseph took the body and laid it in a tomb carved out of a rocky hillside, rolling a stone against it to seal it. On Sunday morning, the women came to the tomb to do their work of funeral preparation when they found the stone rolled away. The women saw “a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side” of the tomb who gave them shocking news: “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.” You can visit Lincoln’s tomb today in Springfield, Illinois, confident that his coffin is there. Visitors come to pay their respects to the man who saved his country. And you can visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the

traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and the tomb, but there’s no body there. His body hasn’t been moved, because he’s alive. That’s the message of Easter. Historians speculate on how the country might have been different had Lincoln lived out the rest of his life. We tend to lionize those who die too soon, and perhaps his later years in office would have revealed something more troubling about the man than his bouts of depression and undefined religious faith. All our heroes eventually turn out to be human, and, at some point, we start comparing them to ourselves. Easter tells us, however, that true divinity is only found in the one who is still very much alive and will make us alive as well. We should celebrate great men like Lincoln, but we do better to worship the one who is the risen Christ! Who will you invite with you this Easter to worship the Risen Christ?

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff

Good News2

Holy Week schedulePalm Sunday: March 28-29

Eucharist: Monday-Wednesday, March 30-31 and April 1 at 12:15 p.m.

Maundy Thursday, April 2:Services at 12: 15 and 7 p.m. with lunch and dinner

served before each service at 11:15 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The Youth Ministries Commitee and friends will be serving

chicken, rice, green beans, fruit, rolls and dessert.First Communion celebrated at 7 p.m. service.

Good Friday, April 3:Ecumenical Service from noon-3 p.m.

“Walk with Jesus” Passion Walk at 5:30 p.m. Adults and youths of all ages are invited to participate. Meet on the

front steps.Tenebrae Service at 7 p.m.

Holy Saturday, April 4:Easter Vigil at 10 p.m. (Note: There is no 5 p.m. service.)

Easter Sunday, April 5: Services at 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m.Easter Breakfast served 7-11 a.m.

Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m.

Ecumenical Good Friday serviceOur traditional Ecumenical Good Friday liturgy will take place on Fri-day, April 3 from noon to 3 p.m. You are welcome to come and go as your schedule permits during the service. The following featured guest preachers will preach on Jesus’ last words on the Cross: 1. Father Forgive Them The Rev. Jason Emerson, Rector, Church of the Resurrection, Episco-pal 2. Today, You Will Be with Me in Paradise The Rev. Gary Eller, Ph.D., Pas-tor, Westminster Presbyterian Church 3. Woman, Behold Your Son

The Rev. Portia Cavitt, Pastor, Clair Memorial United Methodist Church 4. My God, Why Have You For-saken Me The Rev. Dennis Anderson, Bishop emeritus, Nebraska Synod (ELCA) 5. I Thirst Dr. Carolyn Grice, Ed.D., Ruling Elder, New Life Presbyterian Church 6. It Is Finished The Rev. Gregory Carlson, S.J., Pastor, St. John’s Roman Catholic Par-ish (Creighton University) 7. Father, into Your Hands Rebecca Hilton, Executive Direc-tor of Mission Integration & Campus Ministry, College of Saint Mary

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Let me introduce you to our new VicarThe term “vicar” describes a student studying to be a pastor, who as a part of their seminary education is to serve a 12-month, full-time internship. Vicar Suzanne How will be introduced to the congregation during the announcements on Easter Sunday. Vicar How was born and raised in Omaha and baptized at the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, a mission church of Kountze. After attending the University of Omaha for one year, she joined the Marines. Serving 27 years and retiring as a Sergeant Major, Vicar How has been stationed in Scotland; Okinawa, Japan; Hawaii; Korea; Philippines; Panama; Kuwait; and Iraq. Additionally, she served at Parris Island, South Carolina, The United States Naval Academy, Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station, both in North Carolina. Vicar How earned a B.S. in social psychology going to school at night while in the Marines and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2000. She returned to Omaha after retiring to be near family. Currently pursuing

a Master of Divinity online at Luther Seminary, Vicar How was endorsed for ELCA candidacy for ordained ministry in November 2014. Part of the online program at Luther is for students to serve at a contextual learning site. Holy Cross Lutheran Church is where she grew up and was confirmed, and has taught Sunday school, adult Bible studies and forums, participated in worship as guest preacher, lay reader, Holy Communion assistant and sound and project technician. Additionally, Vicar How has been involved with Vacation Bible School, a member of the discipleship and finance committees, a non-voting member of church council and faithful volunteer at the Holy Cross monthly food pantry through Project Hope. Her goal is to serve in parish ministry with a focus on preaching, word and sacrament, faith formation and teaching, providing pastoral acts and care, and efficient use of resources. After an internship year at Kountze, Vicar How will complete her senior year in residence at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating in May

2017. The following Kountze members have graciously accepted my invitation to provide support, feedback, and prayer throughout the year: Anita Morse, Susie Henry, Pastor Dean Bard, Kippy King, Bill Williams, Paul Sum, Ellen Pesavento and Samantha Schueler.

--Pastor Jeff

Vicar Suzanne How

Church CouncilThe Church Council met on March 17, 2015. The Treasurer’s Report was reviewed and accepted. Staff reports were reviewed and accepted. Pastor Alvestad, Kathe Andersen and Tarna Kidder updated the Council on the KETV negotiations. Pastor Alvestad reminded the Council of the next Organ Concert on Sunday, June 14. Our next concert is by Mark Babcock, who will be performing selections from Bach, Buxtehude and variations of familiar hymn tunes. He

noted that each concert in the series will be a different experience. In order to lay the groundwork for the possible calling of an Associate Pastor of Music, Fine Arts and Caring Ministries in the future, the Council approved a Ministry Site Profile for the Synod and approved the following to serve on a Call Committee: Jennifer Hamann, Elise Siffring, Mark Panning, Deb Hinrichs, Marvin Andersen and Gloria Erickson, in addition to Pastor Alvestad. It was noted that there is no particular timetable for calling

Yesterday’s YouthYesterday’s Youth will not be meeting in April in respect of Holy Week. We will resume on May 5.

an associate pastor, and there will be additional discussions with the congregation and council about budget considerations for 2016 before calling an associate pastor. The Council reviewed the bio and goals for the new Vicar. The Council adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer.

Good News4

Stewardship SpotlightPsalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” We are called to be good stewards of God’s creation; to care for it; and, sustain it. Be sure to check out the activities under the Going Green section of the newsletter on pg. 7 for Creation Week, Rogation Week and other related activities. See if you and/or your family can lend a hand in the clean-up activities on our campus and in our neighborhood. Also consider volunteering for the community garden which helps provide fresh vegetables to the Food Pantry. God has given us so much. Look out the window —see the sun shining? Be thankful for the warmth

it provides as well as energy for plants to be productive. Is it rainy? Be thankful for the moisture that provides water for all living things. Turn on a faucet in your home and be thankful for clean water for bathing, cooking and drinking. We do not appreciate how much of the world would consider that an unbelievable luxury. Walk out into your yard or perhaps to the park. See the green grass growing from the good earth. Look at the trees blowing in the wind. Be thankful they help keep the air we breathe clean. Take a deep breath and be grateful for all God has created. The world God has created is full of wonders, and people he has created have done wonderful things with the resources of the earth. The miracles of municipal water, electricity and modern transportation would astonish

most generations that preceded us. They have lead to levels of health and prosperity in many developed countries. As with many things, there are unintended consequences and sometimes harm caused by excesses. We should be mindful of all the discussions regarding the earth and the use of its resources as we choose the ways in which we are stewards of God’s creation. What a beautiful place God has provided to us. The next time the sun is shining, go outside, close your eyes and turn your face toward the sun. Feel the warmth of God’s love. Just try not to smile. Thank God for the love he provides to each of us and the wonders of this world—His world.

Intergenerational Game Night April 18Come on down to Kountze and enjoy a night with family and friends on Satur-day, April 18. We’ll have pizza and pop for dinner from 6-7 p.m., followed by some quality time playing your favorite card or board games from 7-9 p.m. We might even play some bingo, and there will be some surprises! Nursery care will be provided. Invite your friends and bring your favorite snack and card/board/video games. All children, youth, adults, fami-lies and friends of all ages are invited! Please R.S.V.P. to Ian Hartfield

or Katie Larson at (402) 341-7761, katie@kmlchurch.org or ian@kml-church.org. Sponsored by the Congregational Activities Committee.

Volunteers will again be providing free blood pressure checks to parishioners on the first Saturday and third Sunday of every month.

Blood pressure checks offered in April Blood pressure checks will be provided free of charge in the Bride’s (Hospitality) Room just to the west of the Sanctuary on Saturday, April 4 from 4:30-5 p.m. and in Fellowship Lounge on Sunday, April 19 from 10-11 a.m.

Communion AssistantTraining April 12

At noon on April 12, Pr. Hall will lead an information and training session for all members inter-ested in serving as Communion Assis-tants. Participants will review the Lutheran understanding of Holy Communion and the reverent cus-toms related to its distribution. Wor-ship is the cornerstone of our Christian life, and the Lord’s Supper is the central pillar of our Sunday liturgy. Serving the People of God in the liturgical life of the Church belongs to the common ministry of the baptized. For more information, please call Pr. Hall. To register, please call the church office at (402) 341-7761.

www.kmlchurch.org 5

YOUTH And FAMILY @KMLCYOUTH

FACEBOOK.COM/KMLCYOUTH

@KMLCYOUTH

Connect with us!

Children’s MinistriesSunday SchoolOur Sunday School schedule this month is as follows: April 5: Jesus is Risen (John 20:1-18). April 12: Early Believers Share (Acts 4:32-35). April 19: Jesus Appears to Dis-ciples (Luke 24:36b-48). April 26: The Good Shepherd (John 10: 11-18). May 3: Let Us Love One Another (1 John 4:7-21).

Children’s ChoirsDon’t forget to check out Children’s Choirs on Sunday mornings. Both the Cherub Choir (K-2nd) and Good News Singers (3rd-6th grade) meet up-stairs in the Sunday School classrooms from 11-11:45 a.m.

Rite of Confirmation April 12Confirmation Sunday will be April 12 at the 9 a.m. service. Confirmands need to meet in the Youth Center at 8:30 a.m. Pictures will be taken immediately following the ser-vice. There will be a reception during the Adult Forum at 10:10 a.m. If you have any questions, call Katie Larson at (402) 341-7761 or e-mail katie@kmlchurch.org. Congratulations to this year’s Confirmands, who are listed along with their chosen Bible verse: Angie Renae Arispe - Psalm 59:17 “O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.” Jackson James Barrett - Ro-mans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called ac-cording to his purpose.” Nicole Marie Campbell - Psalm 33:20-22 “Our soul waits for

Girls Bible StudyApril 12

Girls Bible Study will meet Sunday, April 12 from 7-8:30 p.m. We have decided to leave the topic undecided so we can cater each Bible study to what is on our minds that day. Please contact Katie Larson at katie@kmlchurch.org or (402) 341-7761 for the location.

the Lord, he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” Sydney Marie Dietrich - Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.” Zachary Jacob Griger - Jeremiah 29:11 “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Ryan James Lawrence - John 1:9 “The true light, which enlight-ens everyone, was coming into the world.” Rachel Leigh Stouffer - Isa-iah 35:5-6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for you. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and stream in the desert.”

Easter Breakfast April 5Mark your calendars for the annual Easter Break-fast, which is Sunday, April 5 from 7-11 a.m. This is an annual event hosted by the youth (6th-12th

grade) of Kountze Memorial, and the do-nations collected help support the youth activities and summer mission trip. All middle school and senior high youth are asked to help with the breakfast. Please contact Katie Larson at (402) 341-7761 or katie@kmlchurch.org for more information.

Third Sunday Youth Group

This month for 3rd Sunday Youth Group Pastor Adam White, the UNL campus pastor, will be leading us in a Bible study. Kountze Memorial is hosting this month’s 3rd Sunday Youth Group so join us on Sunday, April 19 at 7 p.m. Pizza, snacks and drinks provided!

Good News6

College students invited to join ‘The Way’Nebraska Lutheran Campus Ministry-Omaha invites all area Omaha college and university students to be a part of “The Way”—a community for college students. The group meets Thursday nights from 9-11 p.m. (Holden Evening Prayer begins at 9:30 p.m.). “The

Way” meets at different churches each month. For April, they will be meeting at Rejoice! Lutheran Church, 2556 S 138th St. in Omaha. For more information, contact Pastor Mike Ostrom at m.ostrom@nelcm.com or call (402) 350-5414.

Youth Forumschedule

Every Sunday, youth in grades 9-12 gather in the Youth Center at 10:10 a.m. for Youth Forum, which features a mix of Bible study, discussion, devo-tions, fun activities, guest speakers, games, music and much more. Friends are always welcome! This month, we’ll celebrate Easter by hosting our annual Easter Egg Hunt for the Sunday school children, honor our confirmands with a special recep-tion and learn more about Rogation Day. Upcoming Topics: April 5: Easter Egg Hunt April 12: Confirmation Reception in Fellowship Hall April 19: What is Rogation Day? April 26: Rogation Day service projects set-up

Graduate Sunday June 7 June 7

All 2015 high school graduates and their families will be honored on Sunday, June 7 with a blessing and quilt presentation at the altar during the 9 a.m. worship service, followed by a reception and video presentation in Fel-lowship Hall at 10:10 a.m. All graduating seniors who wish to be included in the senior video should submit around 12 pictures ranging from birth to 12th grade to Ian by: Sun-day, May 17. It is our sincere hope that all graduates and their families will attend this special celebration Sunday.

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Going GreenEggs-actlyAs you prepare to dye those eggs for your Easter celebrations, plan ahead and consider how you might reuse those leftover egg cartons. Here are a few ideas: • Start seeds for your garden—sow/sprout/plant all in the same biodegradable container. • Make a bird feeder—attach a length of string or yarn to each corner, fill with seed and hang from a good viewing spot. • Use as packing material—cut into individual cups, it works great for preparing packages for mail. • Fire starters—stuff the cups with organic flammable material recycled from your house (like dryer lint and pencil shavings) and use melted candle scraps to bond it all together. • Feed your compost—healthy composts need a 50/50 ratio of green and brown ingredients to feed the microorganisms. • Use for your next craft project—it can become the art project itself or can be used to hold paint or glitter while creating. • Give them to a chicken keeper—they are likely in need of extra containers to store eggs.

First Quarter Going Green Raffle Congratulations to Harold Gillespie! His name was drawn for the First Quarter Going Green Raffle, and he won an assortment of energy efficient light bulbs donated generously by Kiewit Building Group, Inc. Our next raffle will be held in May—look for reminders in the newsletter and bulletin. Local Events Earth Day Omaha 2015 April 18; Elmwood Park This year’s event will feature a demonstration tent brought to you by the Green Omaha Coalition, children’s tent with activities, more than100 vendors and exhibitors, live music and prominent speakers from the environmental community. Creation Week 2015 – Save the Dates! April 19 at 10:10 a.m. Property Blessing at KMLC April 22 at 7 p.m. “The Lord’s Good Land: Climate Change and Hope” presented by Rev. Kim Morrow, Nebraska Interfaith

Power & Light at KMLC. April 26 from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Midtown Clean & Green Volunteer Day VOLUNTEERS & SPONSORS NEEDED! Please consider one of the following: • Donating bottled water • Contributing to the volunteer lunch • Volunteering to help clean-up Kountze & Midtown If you’re interesting in getting more involved in the Going Green Program, please contact Pastor Hall. Green Links www.greenomahacoalition.org www.treehugger.com www.nebraskaipl.org

Kountze to host Rachel Kurtz, Agape* for benefit concertKountze Memorial Lutheran Church is excited to announce that we will host a weekend this summer with singer/songwriter Rachel Kurtz and Lutheran hip-hop artist, Agape*. The weekend will kick-off with Rachel Kurtz in worship at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, con-tinue with Rachel Kurtz and Agape* leading opening and closing worship for Lutheran Youth Serve Omaha on Monday, June 15 and conclude with a

Synod-wide and community concert for all ages at 7 p.m., benefitting ELCA ministries around the world. No matter your musical tastes, this concert is for everyone and will feature musical selec-tions from many genres! Both musicians will be performing at the ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit this summer. Check out: www.rachelkurtz.org and http://www.hiphopoutreach.com/ to learn more.

Good News8

Urban MinistriesApril Adult Forum Schedule

5

12

19

26

Easter Breakfast (No Forum)

Confirmation Reception

Rogation Week and Blessing the Property

Rogation Sunday and High School/Middle School Choir

Join us each Sunday at 10:10 a.m. in Fellowship Hall for the Adult Forum.

Book Club meets April 12

The Book Club will meet on Sunday, April 12 when we discuss “The Meaning of Names” by Karen Gettert Shoemaker. Stuart, Nebraska, is a long way from the battlefields of Western Europe, but it is not immune to the horrors of the first Great War for Peace. Like all communities, it has lost sons and daughters to the fighting. Set in 1918 in the farm country at the heart of America, “The Meaning of Names” is the story of an ordinary woman trying to raise a family during extraordinary times. Estranged from her parents because she married against their will, confronted with violence and prejudice against her people and caught up in the midst of the worst plague the world has ever seen, Gerda Vogel, an American of German descent, must find the strength to keep her family safe from the effects of a war that threatens to consume the whole world.

The Healing Gift Free Clinic is an outreach program of Kountze that is touted from the pulpit, but is largely unknown by most of the congregation. Until I was involved in this ministry, I was totally unaware of what went on at the clinic. If you’re interested, let me share what happens here on Thursday afternoons. The clinic is open just one day each week for two hours, from 4-6 p.m. In that short time, the clinic sees 30 to 40 patients. Our patients are a diverse group and come from all over town and even the state. One of our patients gets a ride here in the morning from Bellevue and is picked up after clinic. It’s a long day for her. A senior couple comes all the way from Hastings, Nebraska, to see a doctor here. They get a ride from their son. Another long day. At 4 p.m., Pastor Hall begins the clinic with a welcome and a prayer. He often provides pastoral care for our patients as well. One evening he sat with a grieving mother who had lost her son to gun violence. Another night he helped a patient who had recently been released from the mental hospital and needed someone to talk to. Most times, it’s just a friendly word and a smile. The clinic takes place upstairs in the Sunday school area. The patient is first seen by a volunteer nurse, who takes their vitals and charts the reason for their visit. Sometimes it’s a specific medical complaint, sometimes it’s a just a prescription refill. The clinic has a number of regular patients who depend on the clinic for providing their prescriptions as well as their general health care. After the intake process, the patient is seen by one of the clinic doctors. We usually have about four doctors available on clinic night. Like our nurses, our

doctors are all volunteers who donate their time and expertise. They come from different medical backgrounds. Some are practicing doctors; some are retired. We have doctors from different parts of the world, too. One of our doctors is from Burma; one is from China. We usually have medical students and nursing students, as well, who help the doctors and learn from them. After being seen by the doctor, the patient returns to the waiting area until his or her prescriptions are filled. The clinic is fortunate to have a licensed pharmacy staffed by volunteer pharmacists and pharmacy techs. They are very busy each week filling the prescriptions—usually more than 200—and consulting with each patient about the proper use of their medications. Prescriptions make up the bulk of the clinic’s expenses. At 6 p.m. the clinic doors are closed, and the patients have all left by around 7 p.m. The staff turns the clinic back into a Sunday school, and the clinic is done for the week. The Healing Gift Free Clinic’s mission is to provide health care to those who can’t afford it. We also feel it is important to provide hospitality, to let our patients know they are welcome, and we care about them not just as patients but as people. If you ever want to visit the clinic and see the wonderful work our volunteers do or become a volunteer yourself, please stop by. If you would like to help with the expenses of the clinic, we welcome your donations. We are blessed to be able to provide this ministry in Jesus’ name. As He said: “I was sick and you cared for Me.”--Gordon Boe

n Keep April 11 on your calendar for the Women’s Spring Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Joy Johnson will speak. She is the author of many comedy and mystery books as well as six editions of the “Boob Girls” (Burned Out Old Broads). She will present the latter for the program. Johnson co-founded, with her late husband, the Centering Corporation and Ted E. Bear Hollow. She has also written many books on grief for children. No reservations are necessary!!

n Lutheran Women of Omaha will meet April 14 at noon at Calvary Lutheran Church at 2941 N. 80th St. The program will be “Getting to Know You.” The project will be Quilt Kits for Camp Carol Joy Holling.

Women’s NewsPastoral ActsBaptismsMateo Ralphiel Corona Feb. 21, 2015

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n Church Women United will meet at Kountze on April 28 at 9:30 a.m.

n Kountze Women of the ELCA provides a great opportunity to meet other Kountze members and to take part in an excellent Bible study that is in “Gather” (the magazine of W-ELCA). There are four circles held on various days, evenings and times to accommodate schedules. If you are interested in joining a circle, please call Carole Woodworth at (402) 339-2056.

n The project for April is Lutheran Family Services.

n The next Board Meeting will be April 9.

Heritage Seriesresumes April 15

The Heritage Series will resume at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. We will begin by learning more about the theology, history and diversity of Islam. All reading materials will be provided. All are welcome, especially new com-ers.

Luther ReadingChallenge webpage

The Luther Reading Challenge web-site is now functional and open for all! (https://www.lutherreadingchallenge.org/) This project received generous support from the Kountze Endowment. Established by the (Lutheran) Ecumeni-cal Institute in Strasbourg, France, the Luther Reading Challenge is a world-wide effort to encourage Lutherans to read the major theological works of Martin Luther (and discuss them in open, online forums and small groups) in preparation for the 500th Anniver-sary of the Reformation in 2017. The site is free and open to all!

Plan to Serve cardsPlease return your Plan to Serve cards to Ian Hartfield in the church office as soon as possible so that we can connect you with the various ministries you are interested in assisting. Thank you for taking the time to share your gifts with the church!

Save the date!The annual Jazz service

and Neighborhood Gathering will be Sunday, June 28.

Registration deadline is June 8 (May 27 to guarantee a t-shirt).

Good News10

Happy Birthday!April 1

Pamela Carlson, Stephanie Aguilar, Patricia Studts, Donald Zinnecker

April 2Barbara Chrisman, Dale Enger, Alissa Fial, Scott McDermott, Thumbelina Molly, JoAnne Whitmyre, Genelle Girthoffer

April 3Ruth Larsen, David Pafford

April 4Kurt Arends, Noah Bieber, Mary Martens, Mark Panning, Judy Sealer, Rebecca Zellmar

April 5Julie Bratcher, Jennifer Hamann, Kassandra Morgan

April 6Stephanie Dart, Bill Fonda, John Fonda, Laurie Houseworth, Vicki Meyer

April 7Diane Schrader, Leon Valquier, Zachary Zellmar, Jr.

April 8Sarah Heimes, Karl Niehaus, Jr.

April 9Lauri Askew, Donald Bass, Connor Cameron, Lauren Holm, Kay Mayberry, Vickie Wichert, Robert Woodworth

April 10Ronald Brown

April 11Victoria Anderson, Marci Luczynski, David Lyles, Ryan Pemberton, Scott Radwan, Leonard Swanger

April 12Janet Darst, Jennifer Johnson, Robert Johnson, Ted Kaasch, Adam Kotula, Mark Maser, Robert McDowell, Patricia Neuman, Bruce Peterson, Margaret Reinholz, Jenna Woster

April 13Arlene Andersen, Thomas Brumfield, Jeffrey Hiatt, Rodger Price

April 14Rachel Coufal, Sandra Fonda, Rhiannon Taylor

April 15Darlene Anderson, Leonard Falk, JoAnn Robins

April 16Justin Bradley

April 17Wanda Frykberg, Alexander Skovgaard, Brittany West

April 18Keith Kotera

April 19 Rodney Brown, Brad Morrow, Mark Muller, Deanne Skovgaard

April 20Jessica Carlson, Brenda Myers, Gina Samland

April 21Dean Anderson, Susan Malesa, Matthew Woster

April 22Gwendolyn Berney, Madeline O’Kane, Brent Rasmussen, Bessie Swanson, Anola Wheeler

April 23Michelle Jensen, Rae Johnson, Shelley Smisek-O’Connor, James West, Daniel Wolf

April 24Linda Daugherty, Britten Johnson, Deborah Oshlo, Rebecca Sedlak

April 25Melvin Hinrichs, Jean Lien

April 26Ruth Hashberger, Esther Riha, Nancy Wiese

April 27Cynthia Edwards, Sydney Morrow, Alison Ward

April 28Michelle Kuehn, June Van Bibber

April 29John Patrick Askew, Marilyn Burdic, Stevie Duffield, Gregory Fonda, Phillip Frye

April 30Roberta Van Buskirk, Todd Weiland

Men’s Retreat at Camp Carol Joy Holling

May 8-9A Men’s Retreat, titled “Understanding the Cornerstones of Faith,” will be held May 8-9 at Camp Carol Joy Holling in Ashland, Nebraska. The cost is $110 per person, which includes all meals, snacks and hotel-style lodging in the Sjogren Center. All men and friends of Kountze are invited to attend this event. For registration, contact Ian Hart-field at (402) 341-7761 or e-mail ian@kmlchurch.org. For more information or to see a full schedule of events, visit http://cjh-center.org/mens-retreat.

Men’s LuncheonApril 16

The Men’s Luncheon will be held on Thursday, April 16 at 11:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. All men of KMLC are invited. The cost is $10 for a catered lunch. Please R.S.V.P. to the the church office at (402) 341-7761 or to Ian Hartfield at ian@kmlchurch.org by Wednesday, April 15. This month, KMLC member Bill Williams will be with us to share about the recent Korean War Honor Flight and discuss his work with the Remem-bering Our Fallen program.

Next Organ Concert June 14Our next Organ Dedication Concert is Sunday, June 14 at 3 p.m. Perform-ing will be Mark Babcock, the M. Joan Farver Endowed Chair of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Central College and Organist at Westminster Presbyterian in Des Moines, Iowa. Our guest preacher that weekend will be the Rev. Harold Stromer.

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Ecumenical Ascension Day is May 14

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, mem-bers of KMLC will host and partner with members of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral for an Ascension Day liturgy. Dinner will be served prior to the liturgy at 5:45 p.m. Ascension marks the culmination of Christ’s earthly ministry and his return to the “right hand of the Father.” Far from marking his absence, Ascen-sion celebrates the completion of God’s work of salvation for us! The liturgy will include readings and hymns for the occasion, as well as the Lord’s Supper. Anyone interested in serving as a reader, usher or commu-nion assistant is invited to contact Pr. Hall. Please join your neighbors and fel-low Christians in this major festival of the Church!

Faith in ActionEach month, we will highlight a faith formation ministry happening in the church. Send us your stories of Faith In Action, and we’ll share them with the congregation. Contact Ian Hartfield at (402) 341-7761 or e-mail ian@kmlchurch.org with your stories.

KOUNTZE COLORING BOOKSFOR SALE

Many years ago, inspired by their children, KMLC members Tim and Jonna Holland, with the help of the Rev. Robert Shirck, created a coloring book to tell the stories of the beautiful windows of Kountze Memorial. As you know, the windows of Kountze depict many important Bible stories. The Hol-lands created this book to help parents use the windows to teach their children about faith and art. We are again offering these won-derful coloring books to the congrega-tion for the price of $10 each. They are treasures to be shared with family and friends, especially children and grand-children, or anyone who loves Kountze and religious artistry. Please visit the Welcome Desk located in Fellowship Hall, contact the church office at (402) 341-7761 or info@kmlchurch.org, or simply place a check in the offering plate, labeled “Kountze Coloring Book” to order your copy. All orders must be received byJune 7.

THANK YOU!A sincere “Thank you!” to all the church committees and groups (in-cluding Outreach, Congregational Activities, Stewardship, Social Ministry, Youth Ministries, W-ELCA and the Young Mother’s Group) for preparing, cooking and serving our Lenten meals this year. We also would like to thank our confirmands and their parents, who served coffee, tea and milk each Wednesday during Lent. Your presence and spirit was a blessing to all!

500 Trees in Luthergarten“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would end, I would still plant an apple tree today.” These famous words, ascribed to Martin Luther, were the starting idea for the Luthergarten in Wittenberg, Germany. This memorial project was initiated by the Lutheran Word Federation in Geneva, with the support from the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany. The memorial will commemorate on October 31, 2017, the 500th Anniversary of Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses at the Castle Church in Wittenberg. In the Luthergarten, a plaque at

each tree will document the church sponsorship. Each of the churches sponsoring a tree will also plant a tree and place a plaque at a significant place at its own home. This memorial is a good way for Kountze to commemorate and help tell the story of the Reformation. The cost of these two trees and plaques will be about $1,200. We have already collected $400. If you would like to make a donation towards this Reformation Memorial, please make a check payable to Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church and designated to the Wittenberg Tree Memorial. Thank you!

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Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDOmaha NE 68131

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Kountze MemorialLutheran ChurchGood News • April 20152650 Farnam St.Omaha, NE 68131-3616

Phone: (402) 341-7761Fax: (402) 341-4841E-mail: info@kmlchurch.orgWeb: www.kmlchurch.org Jeffery Alvestad, Senior PastorH. Ashley Hall, Associate Pastor Inba Inbarasu, Visitation PastorSuzanne How, Vicar

Worship Schedule:Saturday at 5 p.m.

Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m. Wednesday Communion at 12:15 p.m.

The 9 a.m. Sunday service is televised live on Cox Cable Ch. 126 in Omaha.

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Did you know Kountze has a library?Did you know that Kountze Memorial has a church library? The room just to the east of Fellowship Hall, surrounded by beautiful stained glass windows, houses our family library. This is a won-derful congregational resource, which includes a wide range of religious and spiritual learning materials for chil-dren, teens and adults of all ages. Our church library houses books ranging from devotionals to Bible study guides, fiction and non-fiction, religious art, health and holistic care, church history and popular children and teen titles. Thanks to a recent Endowment grant, our church library is currently undergoing a renewal process. At this time the library is closed as the library team is hard at work cleaning and organizing the space to better serve our members. New books and resources are being ordered, and a new library management software program has been installed to help us keep track of

our collection and to make check-ins and check-outs faster and easier. By summertime, the library should be fully up and running, and we are excited to make this resource available again to the congregation. We antici-pate the library being open Sundays and during other special events. Stay tuned for more updates! We will keep you informed through regular notices in the church newsletter about books already in our collection and new items, so that you and your family will able to check out something you will enjoy. Interested in Volunteering? Volunteers are needed to help organize the collection and be present during library hours, both one-time and ongo-ing. Please contact Kim Vawter or Ian Hartfield at library@kmlchurch.org or (402) 341-7761 for more information. Thinking about donating books to the library? The library accepts books and audio-visual materi-

als that are in good condition. Donated books and AV materials become the property of the library. Sometimes a donation cannot be placed on our li-brary shelves because it duplicates oth-er works, does not fit with the focus or purpose of the library or due to other limitations of space and staff. By donat-ing to the library, you are authorizing Kountze Memorial to accept, sell, re-cycle or discard any donated materials at the discretion of library volunteers and/or church staff. (--adapted from Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Minneapo-lis.)

Congregational Life CornerBy Ian Hartfield, Director of Congregational Life

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

--Jeremiah 29:11

This past week, my daughter Alexa and I had a rare chance to eat out together, just the two of us. She chose a local Chinese food restaurant. As we were finishing our meal, I was delighted to read my fortune, “We must always have old memories and young hopes.” I don’t normally put too much stock in these often trite sayings, but this one stuck with me. It also reminded me of a devotional that Pastor Deedee, our longtime associate pastor who retired in 2009, had shared with the staff once titled, “God in a Fortune Cookie”. The Bible tells us that God used many different ways to reach people. God used a bush to talk to Moses, rainbows to make promises, even a sorcerer to bless the people of Israel. Certainly God can remind us of His love and care through a fortune cookie, right? Indeed, God really spoke to me in this meaningful saying. And caused me to take stock of both the past few months and the coming year in terms of mission and ministry at KMLC. Since January, as a congregation, we have shared in many wonderful experiences: the first of four organ dedication concerts, a new member class of 21, an altar guild retreat, the beginning of our Lenten season “Grace and Peace,” first communion classes for some of our children, the youth progressive dinner, a commissioning and celebration for our acolyte ministry, our annual congregational meeting and discussion on KETV, men’s luncheon, book group, Sunday school, food pantry and medical clinic, plan to serve drive, Midland University choir performance and more! Incredible! Kountze is doing amazing things. These are just a few of the recent achievements carried out for the glory of God, of which there have been countless over our congregation’s long and rich history—a tradition of worship, growth and service that is unmatched and guides and informs all we continue to do today. My fortune that day was a good reminder of all that we have accomplished as a faith community—“old memories” that we should celebrate, give thanks for, and remember with fondness. But equally important are our “young hopes” for the future, which I believe is very bright. The above passage in Jeremiah teaches us that God long ago prepared

plans for those that came before us and will prepare plans for those that come after. We can also trust God is intricately involved in making a new and glorious future for each of us and our church today. We can be confident that God is working in and through Kountze Memorial. In closing, I share a quote form Pope Francis: “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” This is a description of a church that has “young hopes” or rather one that continues to vision and dream. This is a description of a church that trusts “the plans God has for us.” This is a description of a church that looks for God in the big and the small. And this is a description of a church that is willing to take chances to build the kingdom of God in this time and place. May Kountze continue to be that church, so that all have a future and faith in Christ!

Men’s Fishing Trip in September

Camp Carol Joy Holling is sponsoring a Fishing Trip for Men Sept. 24-28 at Lake Miltona, just north of Alexan-dria, Minnesota. For more information or to register, visit http://cjh-center.org/mens-fishing-trip.

New Member classescoming in June

Our next New Member classes will be held on Sun-days, June 7 and 14. New members will be received on Sunday, June 28. Call the church office at (402) 341-7761 to register.

Family and Friends LuncheonThe Social Ministry Committee is hosting a luncheon, fol-lowed by Holy Communion, for all homebound members and friends of Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church on Sunday, April 19 at 12:30 p.m. in Meeting Rooms A&B, north of Fellowship Hall. Members of the committee will be calling you soon. If you need a ride, please let them know at that time. Please join us!