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Newsletter

Rest in Him?!

February 2019

Ahhhhhh… rest!In the craziness of our lives, rest is so critical and sometimes so neglected. I don’t know about you, but when I am without rest, I get cranky, unfocused, unproductive and usually sick. I believe the same could be said of spiritual rest.

When I do not “rest in the Lord” I become spiritually cranky (why are you doing this to me Lord), spiritually unfocused (I don’t have time to pray, read Scripture or worship), spiritually unproductive (my neighbor drives me nuts, instead of how can I help my neighbor and glorify God) and spiritually sick (it’s all about me).

The result of not resting in the Lord is self-centeredness, lack of grace and mercy, hopelessness, breakdown of fellowship and community, tunnel vision, and anti-Kingdom behavior.

So, what does it mean to “rest in the Lord?”

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

To rest in the Lord, first of all is not a legal obligation, it is a gracious invitation. It is an encouragement to stop and slowdown, get out of life’s ruts and understand why you do the things you do. It is an invitation to the weary and the burdened to hear of hope and forgiveness. It is a call to rest.

I know of no mechanic who will try to give a car a tune-up as it is speeding down the interstate!

It is no different with us.Secondly, it is a learning situation where gentlenessand humility can actually give you strength. They are not weaknesses, but life-giving vigor. Resting in the Lord is learning, following Christ, it is a part of discipleship.

Lastly, we find Christ’s yoke easy. The yoke is the device which hooked the ox to the cart, in our case it is that which connects us to life. I would call the yoke of Christ the Gospel, where we are forgiven, redeemed, restored and transformed. The yoke is easy because it is God who does all the work in our forgiveness, redemption, restoration and transformation.

The invitation from Christ is real and beneficial!

Ahhhhhh… rest!

- Pastor Kip Tyler

LCM Inspire | Pg. 2

When we go to God in prayer, we need to know to whom it is we are speaking and who then will respond. Last month we looked at the God we have come to know in the Bible and most particularly how we can call on Him as Father—how we can boldly and confidently begin prayer by saying “Our Father in heaven” and when you have finished praying, say “Amen” because that’s the way it’s going to be. After calling upon God as our Father in the Introduction, we now pray in the First Petition that God’s name will be hallowed.

Now hallowed or holy isn’t a common word we use today. The Lord’s Prayer is probably the only place where you use it regularly. But if you take the Second Commandment (You shall not misuse the name of the Lord, your God) as a clue, you should have a pretty good idea of what it means. We are asking that God will bring out the new you in us who will use God’s name as God intends it to be used, to “call upon Him in prayer, praise and thanksgiving.” As the new you that God calls out in Baptism takes shape, we no longer use His name as an exclamation point for curses and lies, the new you takes God’s name as a great and precious gift.

Because God has given you His name, you can call upon God, asking for help, praising God and giving thanks for all of the promises and gifts God has given. You know who God is, what kind of a God you have. Your God is the one who makes things out of nothing and raises the dead, the God of grace who speaks to you through His word to make you and all things new. That is what’s at stake in the word hallow—that God will hear and know us as He pierces through the theories, theology and opinion and deeply penetrate the very heart of us. We want to know the true God, the real Creator and Father. In effect, it’s a prayer that God would clear the air of all the religious noise by the speaking of the Word.

When we speak the words “Hallowed be Thy name” in prayer, we are asking Christ to come. We ask Him to come into our lives with His redeeming and hopeful Word, to come into our lives and shape them to His, to come into our lives and take all our losses, our failures and ambiguities and give us the promise of His resurrection. When we pray these words, we call upon God’s holy name, a name that defines us, grabs us, shapes us and finally brings us home. So, when we pray “Hallowed be your name,” we’re not only asking God to continue making a new you in us who will use the name properly, we’re asking God to see to it that His name is used properly wherever it is spoken. Holy means true to its purpose and doing what it was designed to do; authentic and pure. God’s name is hallowed or holy, then, “wherever His Word is taught in its truth and purity and we as children of God live in harmony with it.” We pray that the whole universe will see the good in God’s name and use it accordingly.

Hearing this, something else happens to the new you, too. Instead of being embarrassed or slightly ashamed to use God’s name, the new you treats it as the name that is above every other name. It is the name to speak to others, telling all who will listen what God has done and promises to do. That’s another way God intends His name to be used—so that we can give the word of grace to others. And so, we pray, as Jesus taught us to pray asking that God will help us to use the name as God intends it to be used—that God will hear our prayers and keep giving us the Word. And we ask that God will keep reaching into our hearts, taking hold of us by grace so that we can live as people of faith.

- Pastor John Lewis

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Rest. This is a concept most all of us are familiar with. We are busier than ever. Surrounded by noise, activity and the constant notifications on our smart phones letting us know that our world is moving forward at a break-neck pace. If you don’t keep up, you are going to be left behind. (And I’m not talking in a fictitious Tim LaHaye kind of way). We have a cultural currency that for many of us, equates time with money and rest with laziness. This perspective on our lives, that has been the driving force for many a generation, is slowly moving in a healthier direction, but there is still an overall lack of understanding of WHY rest is central to being fully human.

I’m guilty of this. I too, have often looked forward to times where I would give myself permission to rest. I understood rest as simply a pause of my normal rhythms in order to “recharge my batteries.” This intentional rest also had a word: Vacation. Yet, vacations offer a different kind of stress that our lives often don’t. We end up trading one way of being too busy with another.

Here’s what I’ve come to learn about myself when I’m on vacation. After a few days “resting,” my thoughts quickly begin to shift back to the busyness that for better or worse, defines me:

• “OK, I’m done resting. Back to work.” • What will others think of my being away?

They probably think I’m lazy. • What if they discover that they really don’t need

me? • What if someone else does a better job at

completing my tasks than me? • I mean, this is fun, but I should get a head start on

that project that waits for me when I get home.”

(Those are just some of the thoughts that I’ve entertained from time to time).

You see, I have laid my cards out on the table, whether I realize it or not:

• Who I am is defined largely by what I do. • What I do has such a demand on my life, that it

becomes the point-of-reference for every other activity in life.

• Rest, paramount for a healthy “work/life” balance, is really more of a chore than a spiritual discipline.

Well, for many of us who follow Jesus, we bring this reality into our Christian lives. Rest is not just a concept Jesus talks about. It’s an invitation to abide in His life. Resting involves a surrendering of our perceived need to earn God’s favor, to seek the love and affirmation of others and to no longer derive a sense of worth from our accomplishments. (These things, in and of themselves, are not bad. In fact, we see all of these longings given to us by God, when we rest in Him).

Rest. It’s not just a concept or a taskmaster. But instead, an invitation by God to participate in His very life. God rested on the 7th day of creation. His resting points to a beautiful promise, that creation was complete. Finished. Creation also points us to the promise of what Jesus will accomplish in bringing heaven and earth back together. He is the first fruit of the new creation, as Paul reminds us, and the one who brings us into a Sabbath rest. That will mean taking time away from our normal rhythms in order to abide, listen and trust that God has everything under control. Whether we are working or recreating, the invitation from Jesus still stands:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and burden light.”

- Matthew 11:28-30

- Pastor Mario AlejandreLCM Inspire | Pg. 4

COULD IT BE THIS SIMPLE?Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

~ The prayer of Sir Francis Drake, adventurer (1577)

As we enter the month of February, I hope you have already picked up a copy of Pastor Greg Finke’s book, Joining Jesus on His Mission: How to Be an Everyday Missionary. This month, we are addressing the simplicity of missional living.

If you are like most people, when you start to think about personally being a missionary in the places you already live, work, or go to school it can give you the willies. We sense the complexity of the work. We know that if the redemption and restoration of our community depended solely on us it could end badly for everyone involved. And yet the mission of God is still calling us, messing with us, inspiring us to do something. There is a missional “disturbance”.

On the one hand, we no longer can abide the status quo of ignoring the redemptive needs around us. And yet, on the other hand, to move beyond the status quo of our daily lives in order to join the mission of Jesus is, well, disturbing. As Pastor Finke states, “We know how complex our world is. It is both beautiful beyond imagination and diabolically broken in ways that crush and swallow mere human beings. Our world is filled with people living in the mix and crush of this complexity – each person’s individual story adding to the complexity of the beauty and brokenness around us every day.”

This world is perishing, and yet it is the world our God so loved. Through the love of the Father and the work of the Son, the once-beautiful world will not be left to its own ruin and destruction. Through the Son, the world the Father so loved will be saved, renewed, and restored again.

Knowing the people around our homes, neighborhoods,workplaces, and schools, ask yourself these questions:What would be ‘good news’ to the people I encounter and interact with? What aspect of the gospel would bring some healing to their wounds and restoration to their lives?

Jesus wants us to join Him in this restorative work. In order to join Jesus on His redemptive mission all we really have to do is (1) enjoy people, and (2) seek, recognize, and respond to what Jesus is already doing in the lives of the people we are enjoying. Could it really be this simple? The answer is, “Yes!”

Only Jesus Christ can do the immense and complex work of renewing and restoring all things. Yet, He has decided to include us in that renewing and restoring in simple but important ways.

Next month, we will look at why the simple work of ‘enjoying people’ is so important to the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ.

** With the permission of Greg Finke, content has been quoted, summarized, and adapted from Joining Jesus on His Mission: How to Be an Everyday Missionary (Tyler, TX: Tenth Power Publishing, 2014).

- Pastor Jonathan Haseley

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CALENDARFeb 3 | LCM Kids: Sunday School 10:30am; 5th Grade Table of the Lord Feb 6 | LCM Kids: Wednesday 6-7pmFeb 9 | Valentine Night at East Campus 6pmFeb 10 | LCM Kids: Sunday School 10:30am; 5th Grade Table of the LordFeb 13 | LCM Kids Wednesday 6-7pm Feb 17 | LCM Kids: Sunday School 10:30am; 5th Grade Table of the LordFeb 20 | LCM Kids: Wednesday 6-7pmFeb 24 | LCM Kids: Sunday School 10:30am; 5th Grade Table of the Lord Feb 27 | LCM Kids: Wednesday 6-7pm

DOES YOUR FAMILY NEED REST? REST IN HIM.Does your family need rest? Rest seems foreign to families that are juggling activities, careers, school, and everything else. Many families run like crazy and rest doesn’t seem to be a part of their normal routine. When God created us, He knew we would need rest. God gives us a day in creation for rest, He put rest in the Ten Commandments, and ultimately Jesus invited all that are weary to find rest in Him. In the world we live in, it is difficult to honor God’s plan for rest when the majority of the world doesn’t. Since we know God’s ways are always best, what can we do to honor that rest? Maybe have your family try:

• Begin and end your day with a focus on Jesus. Use songs or stories to bring the focus back to Him.

• Find new ways and new places to rest, eat, laugh, and be together.

• Outdoors can be a quiet adventure for your family. Share God’s creation with your family like flowers, snow, clouds, or stars. Pack a lunch and find a picnic spot.

• Rest time can include small projects that focus on service of others. Put together care packages, making cookies for your neighbors all while enjoying the time together.

• Technology can distract us from honoring rest time and focusing on God. Maybe your family minimizes it for the day.

Jesus tells us in Mark 2:27-28 that the Sabbath was created for us. It is meant to be a blessing to us.

Making this rest a priority for our families hopefully will be something our kids will continue when they have busy families. But even more important than that, the greatest rest we can teach them is to put their faith in Jesus, to rest in Him. When we put our full trust and faith in Him, we will have a peace and comfort which gives us the ultimate rest.

5TH GRADE TABLE OF THE LORD CLASSES5th graders and their parents are encouraged to come Sundays every Sunday now through March 3rd to learn about Communion. Both parents and students are invited to learn and ask questions. This is a great time for parents to refresh their knowledge or learn about it for the first time with their child. The classes take place at 10:30am during Sunday School.

VALENTINE PARTYJoin us at East Campus for spaghetti, crafts, worship music, and games. We will be celebrating God’s love for us by making a craft to share with residents at a nursing home. All ages are invited. Come on Saturday, February 9th starting at 6pm. We will collect a free will offering. We are in need of volunteers to help run this fun event. Please let Tracy know if you can help with cooking or serving, cake walk donations, Hershey’s Kisses donations, simple craft help, game help, set up and clean up help.

LcmKids

Ministries

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LcmKids

Ministries

LCM KIDS: WEDNESDAY- EAST CAMPUSWednesday Nights the LCM Kids at East Campus have been having fun with “theme” nights. This month on the 13th wear Red, and then on 27th we will have “Backwards Nite” so wear your clothes backwards. LCM Kids: Wednesday is every Wednesday from 6-7pm.

“ROAR” VBS - WEST CAMPUSThis summer at West Campus we will be hosting “Roar: Life is Wild, God is Good!” Mark your calendars for June 10-14 from 9am-12pm. We will open registration and volunteer sign up in March. This VBS is popular and we will only be taking up to the first 300 kids. We will be asking for donations for several items. Please check the newsletter each month to see what we need.

Roar VBS Donations/Borrow List:• Large Cardboard Pieces and/or Boxes• Wooden Crates• 3 Cots• Money for Snacks • Projector for laptop• Green Poster board• Brown poster board• 3M Blue Painters Tape• Insulating Foam Spray• 2 inch PVC pipes• Christmas Tree Stands • Money for Roar Music CDs for each Family “Roar” VBS Prep DatesWe need your help to prepare for Roar VBS! Wednesday Nights from 6-7pm we will be working on various projects. You can come at 5:30pm to eat dinner and then help with tasks from 6-7pm. We will also meet on the following Saturdays: April 13th, April 27th, May 18th, and May 25th. Come anytime on these Saturdays between 10am-1pm. We need help assembling, painting, gluing, organizing, cutting, building and much more. Please consider volunteering your time and bring along anyone that need service hours!!

“ATHENS” VBS NEWS- EAST CAMPUSThis summer at East Campus we are hosting “Athens: Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Share the Truth.” This VBS is for ALL ages, where adults are paired with buddies. Mark your calendar for July 14-19 from 5:30-8:30pm.Currently, we are looking for individuals that can help brainstorm ideas for our theme, and/or want to help plan for this fun VBS. Contact Tracy. Watch in the upcoming newsletter for more to come about “Athens.” We are looking for donations of solid colored sheets, especially white, or red/burgundy, blue, brown or green and striped in these colors.

** REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR “GREEN” ON MARCH 13TH IN HONOR

OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY. **

QUESTIONS? FIND US AT: www.lcm.church/lcmkidsFacebook: @lcmkids

Kellie Webb- West Campus LCM Kidskellie.webb@lcm.church402.213.1893orTracy Schmidt- East Campus LCM Kidstracy.schmidt@lcm.church402.213.7585

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LcmYouth

Ministries

Cinco de MayoTaco/Nacho Fundraiser Dinner Contact: Chris Andersen / 402-616-3198 //Carla Faulk / 402-676-4518May 5 | 4-6pm | East CampusKeep your eyes open for late February/early March for opportunities to buy raffle tickets for some great items which will help support our efforts to go to the MOVE Conference and Pine Ridge this year! Also, don’t forget to mark your calendars for May 5th, as we will conclude this fundraiser with a taco/nacho bar and we will draw the raffle winners!

If you have any donations for raffle items to help support this fundraiser and would be willing to donate an item, we would greatly appreciate it! Call Carla Faulk or Chris Andersen before dropping off donations for the raffle at the church office.

May Geranium FundraiserContact: Chris Andersen / 402-616-3198 Starting March 3 Would you like to brighten someone’s day with flowers in May? Our lcmYouth are hoping so! Starting in March at both campuses you will be able to purchase geraniums that will be delivered on May 5th. The geraniums will be delivered to the campus you ordered them at. These are guaranteed to make someone smile when you had them a 4 inch or 6 inch geraniums and you will be able to smile knowing that you helped our youth become fully funded!

The geraniums will be available before and after church services. COST: 4” geraniums are $5 and 6” geraniums are $10.

We want to extend a big THANK YOU to Sun Valley Gardens for their generous donation!

Join us for Breakfast!- AT East Campus -

February 17th - Pancakes

March 17th - Breakfast Burritos

April 21st (Easter) - Cinnamon Rolls (Both Campuses)

All the money goes to support our young people who are going on Summer Mission Trips

and attending summer Camps

Upcoming Fundraisers

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LcmYouth

Ministries

Pine Ridge Wanblee, SDJuly 21-27

-- First Pine Ridge Meeting --February 10 | East Campus | 12-1:30pm

M.O.V.E. ConferenceAnderson, IN

June 16-22

Pine Ridge Chanku Waste RanchJuly 6-13

2019 SummerTrips

Questions?: Steve Hemmer (402) 689-9143 or Chris Andersen (402) 616-3198

Pre-Register at: WWW.LCM.CHURCH/YOUTH-CAMPS

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Alleluia! Preschool: During February, Preschool kids will be focusing on the following Bible stories: Jacob’s Dream, the Lame Beggar who was healed, and the Good Samaritan. We will get to wear our jammies to school and have a “Share God’s Love” celebration with our friends! We will have conferences with our Preschool parents! It is always a bit hectic scheduling and meeting with the parents but we truly enjoy this opportunity.

Alleluia! Kindergarten:Kindergarteners will be hard at work this month! Each student will get the chance to take our classroom teddy bear home for the weekend and write all about Brown Bear's adventures in his journal. We will also be celebrating the most exciting day of the year for kindergarteners: the 100th day of school! Following that, we will have another celebration, on February 14th, commemorating how much Jesus loves us and how we should show that love to each other! Along with all of this celebrating, we are continuing to grow in our reading and phonics skills as well as taking our first steps into the wonderful world of geometry. It's a wonderful time to be a kindergartener!

Hy-Vee Receipts: Thank you for supporting us with the Hy-Vee receipt program. Receipts have been turned into Hy-Vee and we should receive a check later this year for $43.70! Thank you for your support.

Alleluia! Preschool & Kindergarten 2019-2020 Registrations: Please remember to register your child for the 2019-2020 school year. Registration forms are available online and in the Church office. We have 22 children enrolled at the time of this writing and are busy scheduling visits for more interested parents! It is always exciting to share our passion and what activities we do with the children that make Alleluia! Preschool & Kindergarten a special place!

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Horizons

Program: “2018 Tax Law Changes”Presented by: Kelly Martinson, CPA

Meal: Chili or Chicken Noodle Soup with crackers, raw vegetables and

ice-cream

Price: TBD

Reminder: No Horizons Meeting the Month of February

We meet the second Wednesday of the month, usually at 10am, in the Fellowship Hall at East Campus. It is a time for retirees to get together for food, entertainment,

and fellowship. Some luncheons are catered and some are pot-lucks. There is a sign up two weeks before the meeting.

Come and meet some new people!

Game DayJoin us monthly for a morning filled with a variety of games, food, fellowship & fun!

Meets at East Campus (114th & Center)Starts at 10am

February 13 & 27

March 13 | 10am | East Campus

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The Physical and Spiritual Aspects of MusicMaybe one of your New Years Resolutions is/was to get more physical exercise. Anyone who has played handbells knows that ringing is a workout! It’s an intensely physical activity. Often, moving the muscles through those ranges of motion loosens them up; sometimes the wrong movement tenses them up. Sometimes the ringing workout gives a surge of energy, and sometimes it is totally exhausting. It’s not just true for handbells, of course: playing any other type of musical instrument can be equally physically demanding, although in a very different way. And don't forget singing - the physical production of sound using only the human body. Therefore, making music is inherently a physical act as much as it is a mental one.

How does that physicality affect us spiritually? When we think of "Spiritual Practice" we tend to first think of things like prayer and meditation—things that happen mostly within the mind, even if they still involve the physical component of breath. But humans are not just free-floating minds. We are bodied creatures. We were created to move. We were created to eat and sleep and play. Jesus acknowledges this in many places in the Bible, such as in the miracle of turning water into wine and the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. We were created to feel physical sensations as well as emotional ones and a spiritual practice that ignores those things doesn’t minister to the whole person.

So when thinking about what music, and ensemble music in particular, might bring to worship and our spiritual life, one can’t help but feel that a lot of it is about this physicality. By “making a joyful noise,” we integrate and engage all aspects of ourselves instead of using just one. By doing so together with others, like when we play handbells or sing hymns during worship services, we use our bodies in service of each other as well, actively reminding each other that we are both physical and spiritual beings. The physicality

of music, then, benefits spiritually those producing the music, whether a church ensemble or the whole congregation singing a hymn together.* So, resolve to get more physical and spiritual exercise in February! Consider becoming a member of The Master Ringers either as a sub or as a permanent ringer. We hold our work-outs on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM.

*Content has been adapted, quoted, and summarized from Alys Lindolm's article "Music and the Physics of the Spirit" in the 2019 winter edition of Handbell Musicians of America's Overtones magazine.

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A Little Biblical Humor To try to give you a chuckle during the

sometimes bleak February days

1) What kind of man was Boaz before he married?

2) Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?

3) What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible? 4) Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible? 5) Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible? 6) Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy? 7) Which Bible character had no parents? 8) Why didn't they play cards on the Ark ?

Answers at the end In Ecclesiastes 3, we learn that there is a time for everything. Sometimes we can chuckle and laugh and sometimes life is just hard.

Here at LCM you can call on a Stephen Minister during difficult times. They are here to help you by listening, praying and walking alongside you during this period in your life.

A Stephen Minister is a trained, caring Christian friend that you can trust. The Stephen Minister can meet with you in a private, one-on-one confidential setting. If you have questions or would like to meet with a Stephen Minister, please call one of the pastors or Stephen Leaders.

Carolyn Scheer: 402-289-4863Kathy Rudd: 402-679-2515Jim Rudd: 559-362-1300Connie Davis: 402-305-0815

Answers: 1) "Ruth"less 2) Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet. 3) Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David 's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord. 4) Samson. He brought the house down. 5) Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once. 6) The area around Jordan. The banks were always overflowing. 7) Joshua , son of Nun. 8) Because Noah was standing on the deck.

heARTeffectThe effect of art on the hearts of our youth

Stressed Beyond Relief? Join us and we’ll help teach you some healthy ways of dealing with your stress.This is for 7th - 12th graders (13-18 year-olds) | Parents Welcome!

March 17 | West Campus | 11:45am - 2pm

While the speaker speaks, you and your child will be creating art in whatever way inspires you. Art supplies will be there at your disposal. So, come and enjoy a time to create, to be inspired and encouraged.

Please register by March 12th by visiting www.hearteffect.org/news

Questions: Tasha Morrison402-333-4444

February Prayer FocusIndividuals who work outdoors

Arline Bagaason

Bernice Baldauf

Marian Bohlmeier

Dorothy Brei

Harlan Brei

Veljean Brown

Esther Christensen

Bruce Donelson

Elizabeth Donelson

Don Eitzmann

Jean Hill

Velda Giebelhaus

Esther Holmes

Marvin Kent

Karen Kerns

Lorine Maaske

Helen Madsen

Roland Mariucci

Louise Nelson

Jean Pospichal

Carol Rohrig

Norma Schlegel

Irma Senteney

Dorothy Weston

Prayers for church members in skilled or assisted living

Prayers for those who have lost loved ones

Garrett Bachorski - USMC

Capt. Megan (Beaty) John -

USAF

Capt. Travis Benne - USAF

Vincent Bevilacqua - Navy

Travis Bland

Anthony Blum

Maj. Jim Chester

Carl Edwardson - Navy

Andrew Enholm - Navy

Daniel Day

Dustin Funk - Navy

Ryan Hansen

Major Aaron Jackson

Samuel Jacobson - USMC

Airman Adam Nielsen - USAF

Joel Knox

Michael Koba

Tim Pecoraro - USMC

Lt. Cmdr. Keland Regan

Medic Cody Stickman - Army

Sam Worthington - Army

Prayers for loved ones in the military

Marie ReickKen Van Zandbergen

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"Many thanks to all our great friends at LCM for the support during our recent medical issues. Thanks so much for your prayers, food, visits and cards. Special thanks to Chris for his visits and Communion.”

- Dan & Dottie Dankof

A warm thank you to all those that donated to Project Hope via the Mitten Tree”. We were able to collect the following:

103 hats 24 pairs of socks

33 scarves2 pairs of pants

84 pairs of gloves and mittens 28 coats

Thank you all again for your tremendous contributions. You’ve helped make so many warmer this cold season.

- Christin Honeyman LCM Inspire | Pg. 15

Jerry Osborne and Bruce Goolsby were elected into the open LCM Church Board positions. They will each serve 3 years. Brad Burklund has exited the board; we thank

Brad for his dedication to serving on the church board.

Nominating Committee Results:

Dee Acklie and Doug Spence will serve 2 years and Clara Tsai will serve 1 year

LCMC Delegate Results:

Vel & Kathie Magnuson and Denny & Carolyn Scheer

2019 Budget was passed as submitted

Candidate Election Results

Bruce Goolsby Jerry Osborne

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WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTSContact: Nikki Kotchka / 402-333-4444 /nikki.kotchka@lcm.churchSubmissions for all versions of announcements (Videos, Slides, etc.) need to be submitted two weeks in advance. Please provide your submissions to the church office.

NEWSLETTER DUE DATEContact: Tasha Morrison / 402-333-4444 /tasha.morrison@lcm.churchAll newsletter submissions are due February 15th for the March newsletter.

JANUARY’S ATTENDANCEJanuary 6 - 709January 13 - 566January 20 - 529January 27 - 683

FINANCIAL INFORMATIONLutheran Church of the Master Financial SummaryActual: Jan. 1, 2018 - Dec. 31, 2018Total Income $1,790,483Total Expense $1,906,621 Net Income $(116,138)

BAPTISMS• Colton Michael Lanoha

Baptized January 13, 2019• Mary Jean Breazier

Baptized January 15, 2019

INCLEMENT WEATHERContact: Church Office / 402-333-4444 / www.lcm.churchIn case of inclement weather, please check the local news stations, the LCM App, Facebook and/or our website for the most recent cancellations. LCM will cancel activities (including public activities using our space) when Omaha Public Schools cancel. The weather may also warrant the office closing so please call ahead.

TSHIRTSContact: Church Office / 402-333-4444A limited number of LCM t-shirts are still available while supplies last. Sizes that are available include X-Small, Small, Medium, X-Large, 2X-Large, 3X-Large and 4X-Large. Contact the church office if you are interested.

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TITLE DATE TIME LOCATION FACILITATORQuilt Tying 1st & 3rd Monday 9:30am E Fellowship Hall Shirley FalconeGab & Grow Every Monday 12:00pm W10/11 Shari BevilacquaPrayer Shawl Every Monday 1:00pm E21 Clara TsaiPrayer Study Every Tuesday 10:00am Pacific Springs Village Donna HolmquistMen’s Breakfast Every Tuesday 6:30am W Narthex Pastor LewisStephen Ministry Not Meeting 7:00pm E21 Carolyn ScheerMary Elizabeth Circle Tue. Feb. 12 9:15am E Fellowship Hall Char SmithHorizons Resumes in March 10:00am E Fellowship Hall Don SchulerGame Day Feb. 13 & 27 10:00am E Fellowship Hall Jeanne Cline*Wed. Women’s Connection Every Wednesday 6:00pm E8/9 Michelle Kalin*TGOW Every Wednesday 9:15am West Campus Kellie WebbSisters of Faith Every Wednesday 6:00pm E21 Shelly OestmannJesus Re-discoverd Every Wednesday 6:00pm W10/11 Pastor Alejandre*Pr. Tyler’s Bible Study Every Wednesday 6:00pm E Fellowship Hall Pastor TylerPr. Tyler’s Bible Study Every Thursday 9:30am E Fellowship Hall Pastor TylerPr. Tyler’s Bible Study Lunch Every Thursday 11:45am E Fellowship Hall Pastor TylerHurting Parents First Thursday 7:00pm W10/11 LoraStephen Ministry Not Meeting 1:30pm E21 Carolyn Scheer*Faith Full Moms 2nd & 4th Fridays 9:15am W5 Jen JohnsonFriday Morning Bible Study Every Friday 9:30am E21 Chris AndersenChristian Book Club Every Friday 12:00pm W10/11 Pastor TylerPanera Bible Study Sat. Feb. 2 & 16 8:00am 130th & Center Marcia DownsGrief Share Every Sunday 1:00pm E21 Carl Johnson*Morning Adult Study Every Sunday 9:00am E21 Pastor Schaff*Young Adult Study Every Sunday 10:30am W12 Jen Johnson*Adult Bible Study Every Sunday 10:30am W Office Dave Schilke

*“The Huddle” Every Sunday 10:30am East Pastors

* Nursery/Childcare AvailableIf there are any groups that are not shown here or any changes that need to be made, please contact the

church office. We would love to have the most up-to-date listing possible each month. Thank you!

LCM Inspire | Pg. 18

GAB AND GROWContact: Shari Bevilacqua / 402-333-4444Mondays | 12-1:30pm | West CampusJoin us as we go through Beth Moore’s study, Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms.

SISTERS OF FAITH Contact: Shelly Oestmann / 402-630-6349Wednesdays | Jan. 9 - Feb. 13 | 6-7:30pmEast CampusWe are doing Kathie Lee Gifford’s Bible Study, “The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi”.

WEDNESDAY WOMEN’S CONNECTION BIBLE STUDY GROUP Contact: Michelle Kalin / 402-333-4444 / michelle.kalin@lcm.churchEvery Wednesday | 6-7pm | East Campus | E 8/9The Wednesday Women’s Connection group is now studying “Living Above Worry and Stress” and it’s not too late to join us! We’d love to have you as part of our group! Please contact Michelle if you have questions or would like to join us so study guides can be ordered.

TGOW: THANKING GOD ON WEDNESDAYSContact: Kellie Webb / 402-213-1893 kellie.webb@lcm.churchWednesdays | 9:15-11am | West CampusTGOW is a Bible study for women where we have a great time studying God’s Word together. We invite you to join one of our studies currently taking place. You can choose from The Amazing Collection, Sets 7-8 or “A Life Beyond Amazing”. These studies continue through April 10. Come join us Wednesday mornings!

ADULT BIBLE STUDYContact: Dave SchilkeSundays | Starting Feb. 24 | 10:30 am | West CampusSundays at 10:30am is a DVD study from Focus on the Family. “The Truth Project” is a 12 week study designed to equip believers with a comprehensive biblical world view. Led by Dave & Joyce Schilke

FAITH FULL MOMSContact: Jen Johnson / jen.lathrop.johnson@gmail.com Starts Jan. 11 | 2nd & 4th Fridays | 9:15-11:15am West CampusFaith Full Moms, a group of mothers raising young children, will begin studying 1 & 2 Thessalonians with Beth Moore’s study, Children of the Day. Child care is provided. Contact Jen for more details.

Ash Wednesday (March 6 )East Campus | 12pm & 7pm* (Trad.)

West Campus | 7pm (Contemp.)

Midweek Lenten Services (Wednesdays)March 13, 20 & 27, April 3 & 10 | 12pm* & 7pm (Trad.)

Healing Service (April 10)East Campus | 7pm*

Palm Sunday (April 14)East Campus | Normal Service Times

Maundy Thursday (April 18) East Campus | 12pm* (Trad.)

Maundy Thursday Drama (April 18)West Campus | 7pm*

Good Friday (April 19)East Campus | 12pm* & 7pm (Cantata)

Passion of the Christ Movie Showing (April 19)West Campus | 3pm

Easter Sunday (April 21)East Campus | 6:30am*, 8am & 9:15am (Trad.)

West Campus | 8am* & 9am (Trad.), 9am & 10:30am

* Denotes Communion

LCM B i b l e S t u d i e s

Len ten Ser v i c e s

LCM Inspire | Pg. 19

CHRISTIAN BOOK CLUB WITH PASTOR TYLERContact: Church Office / 402-333-4444Fridays | 12-1pm | West CampusJoin us as we continue to read through Greg Finke’s book Joining Jesus on His Mission. February 1 | Joining Jesus on His Mission| Ch. 5February 8 | Joining Jesus on His Mission | Ch. 6February 15 | Joining Jesus on His Mission | Ch. 7February 22 | Joining Jesus on His Mission | Ch. 8

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEALS MENUFeb. 6 -- Mac & CheeseFeb. 13 -- Sloppy JoesFeb. 20 -- PizzaFeb. 27 -- Pulled Pork SandwichesThese are served at each campus

PRAYER SHAWLContact: Clara Tsai / 402-630-5583Mondays | 1-3pm | East CampusIf you are interested in learning or already know how to knit or crochet, come join the Prayer Shawl Ministry! We meet every Monday, 1-3 pm, at the East Campus, in the room across from the office. Supplies are provided unless you prefer your own yarn, needles and/or hooks.

heARTeffect EVENT - HOW TO DEAL WITH STRESSContact: Tasha Morrison / 402-333-4444tasha.morrison@lcm.church / www.hearteffect.orgSunday | March 17 | 11:45am - 2pmWest Campus | 7th - 12th Graders Parents/Guardians WelcomeJoin us for an afternoon of creativity, food and learning techniques on healthy ways to deal with stress. There are only 20 spots available so be sure to register through heARTeffect’s website under the “NEWS!” tab soon!

FOYER GROUPSContact: Jan Krause / 402-334-6846More fun and fellowship coming up for 2019! It’s a simple and fun way to meet new people over food and drinks. As a host/hostess, you have the choice to either serve or go out for dinner. Groups are around eight (8) to ten (10) people and the date on when to meet is chosen by your group.Sign up at the Connections Table at the East Campus or the Welcome Center at West Campus. Questions, contact Jan Krause.

LUTHERAN WOMEN OF OMAHAContact: Mardell Gocek / 402-292-1328February 12 | 12pm Luther Memorial Church (6099 Western Ave.)The program will be Lutheran Family Service and the Free Will Offering will go to Lutheran Family Social Service. RSVP to Mardell by February 10 by 5pm.

Fe l l o w s h i p & Commun i t y S pe c i a l Even t s

LCM Inspire | Pg. 20

ALTAR FLOWERSContact: EAST - Nancy Cooke / 402-391-1965 // WEST - JoAnn Kratky / 402-333-4080Please select a date and write in your name and phone number. You will be contacted for your bulletin information during the month before your chosen date. The cost is $30 for each bouquet and the flowers can be picked up after the last service on Sunday.

KITCHEN HELPERSContact: Joan Welsh via the Church Office / 402-333-4444We are in great need of volunteers to stay and clean up the coffee and kitchen after Sunday Worship. Rotating with others is an option. Please notify Joan Welsh by calling the office if you would be able to assist in this manner. Thank you!

ALTAR GUILD Contact: Nancy Tietsort / 402-330-0624 //Dugan Haver / 402-895-3842 Our Altar Guild helps with many tasks each week such as changing banners, setting up for communion and baptisms, filling candles, and decorating for church holidays. We rotate volunteers monthly so this only requires a small amount of time every few months. We would love to expand our list of volunteers.

PRAYER CHAIN CALL LISTContact: Church Office / 402-333-4444Would you like to be a link in our Prayer Chain ministry but you don’t have email access? We now have a volunteer who will make phone calls to pass on prayer requests to Prayer Chain members who don’t have email. Please call the office to be added to the list.

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEFContact: Jane McGowan /402-333-6630If you have been blessed with the gift of sewing, Lutheran World Relief could use your set of skills in putting together easily assembled backpacks for their ongoing project. Please call Jane McGowan to set up a time and place to pick up materials.

SOUP & CRACKERS FOR PROJECT HOPEContact: Ken & Mavis Stratton /402-333-8545Please consider placing soup and crackers on your grocery lists in the coming weeks for Project Hope. Donations will be accepted until February 4th. These items are in short supply at the pantry, and we would sure like to have a big carload of soup and crackers when we make the delivery the week of February 4th. Project Hope folks are very appreciative of how our church steps up to serve those who are less fortunate. Thank you very much. Please call us if you have questions.

SOCIAL CONCERNSGod Will Ministry Needs: Contact: Anthony Yates / 402-932-52972 full sized beds, gaming consoles, dining room table & chairs and sofa sets- all in good working condition. TV Program at 9pm on Sunday’s on Channel 22.

Ins i de LCM ’ s Wa l l s O u t s i de LCM ’ s Wa l l s

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HELP LCM WITH DONATIONS BY USING:

LCM Inspire | Pg. 21

Social Concerns Cont...

Prayer Shawl Ministry: Contact: Clara Tsai / 402-630-5583Do you know someone ill or someone dealing with loss or trauma? Give them a prayer shawl, or learn to make one at a Monday knitting/crochet session from 1-3pm at the East Campus. Project Hope: Please donate soup, cereal and crackers. Senior Care Ministry: Contact: Char Repp / 402-639-3168Share your God-given-talents. South Lutheran Pantry/Iglesia Cristiana: In need of peanut butter, macaroni and cheese and non-sweet cereal, and rice, brown beans, TP, soap & toothpaste Stephen Center: There is an urgent need for clean pillows, new or used as well as pillow cases. Please bring them to either campus.

FUNERAL COMMITTEEContact: Church Office / 402-333-4444We are updating our list of willing members who would like to provide cookies and/or bars for funeral luncheons. Those offering will be on a rotation and will be called when a need arises. If you wish to serve others in this way, please call the church office or sign up in the narthex.

QUILT TYINGContact: Shirley Falcone / call the church office at 402-333-44441st & 3rd Mondays | 9:30-11 East CampusLooking for an excuse to have some fun, gather together for some time of fellowship and the chance to meet new people? The Quilt Tyers are seeking volunteers to help tie quilts. It’s a great reason to gather and work on this wonderfully beneficial project for a great cause. We look forward to meeting you.

SENIOR CARE MINISTRY Contact: Char Repp / 402-639-3168An hour of your time every week or month is greatly appreciated by residents in an assisted living environment. Senior Care Ministry visits those people and offers sing-alongs and a short devotion. Please consider donating your time and talent if you are a piano player or singer to lead the residents. All songs are very familiar and you do not have to be a professional musician to volunteer, just a willing spirit and love of people. If you are unsure of your availability, please consider being a substitute and volunteering when your schedule allows.

LWR - SCHOOL KITSContact: Pam Burklund / 402-619-0405We could really use everyone’s help on continuing to collect school supplies throughout the year for the Lutheran World Relief school kits and other projects. Please keep your eyes open for those sale and clearance items. (We are currently in very short supply of rulers and children’s scissors.) Supplies can be dropped off at either church site, just label your bag LWR school supplies and drop in the church office at West or the bin by the stained glass window/coffee pot at East. Thank you for your continued support!

NURTURING NOURISHMENT MINISTRYContact: Co-CoordinatorsJenny Hemmer / (402) 980-5680 //Megan Zarembinski /m-soellner@hotmail.com //Marilee Buland / (402) 778-0729Would you like to provide a meal for someone in need within our congregation? Our new meal ministry (Nurturing Nourishment) is getting started and we need LOTS of volunteers to provide meals for individuals/families experiencing illness, recent hospitalization, death in the family or a new baby, etc.

Contact a Co-Coordinator or the church office (402-333-4444). If you’d like to help provide meals. A coordinator will then notify you when meals are needed.

LCM Inspire | Pg. 22

If you’re like me, you are going for the “new year, new me” thing (again) and have since launched your diet and exercise plan. And this new exercise plan of yours is also probably showing you where some muscles, you didn’t know existed, are - and those muscles are not terribly fond of the fact that you found them. As with most workout plans, those “rest” days are always very welcomed. Resting allows our bodies to rejuvenate, to restore and to repair themselves. When we rest, that is when our bodies are doing the most work - work on repairing what we are working hard on building up. We rest, also, at the end of our days and we rest when we’re sick -- all of this rest is so our bodies have a chance to, again, rejuvenate, restore and repair itself.

The same applies when we choose to follow Christ. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that life, from now on, is going to be a gentle, peaceful stroll on the beach - NO - being a Christian means that when are faced with trials, issues, troubles, stress, anxiety, conflict, etc... we have God on our side and He is always there to be with us, to help us go through what lies ahead. Just as one works out to build their strength and get healthy, the same goes for our walk with the Lord. We are placed in situations that are difficult, seemingly impossible and we may get to a point in the “fight” where we just want to give up and ignore the issue, hoping it just floats away. We want to cry out, “...Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” Psalm 55:6 Did you catch that? So you could be at rest. But what does it mean to rest?

When I think of being “at rest”, I think of being still; physically and mentally. Resting, for me, is when the girls (my two dogs) are asleep, my husband is watching a movie and I’m in my “haven” (aka my art room) either painting, felting, sewing, or reading. Whatever it is I am doing, I’m doing it in silence and with minimal movement.

I take these moments of rest when I’ve been overwhelmed by life; when my mind, body, and soul has been retched with thoughts and problem solving,

when I’ve endured harsh words and/or multiple issues at once. I rest when I’ve accomplished, or at least, worked on something that required a lot from me. When I have worked, then will I rest.

Let’s say that you’re going through a hard time, though sitting on the couch to watch a movie helps you vanish into numbness, it is only a temporarily fix/ a band-aid fix. There is a better way of resting and it happens when you realize that what you need isn’t rest, but a reparative rest. Only God can provide this healing and only He can provide it when we choose to rest in Him. It is when we put our rest, our trust, in Him - Him who is the creator of creation/of life - it is then that we can recover and heal the wounds we have been dealt. “For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.” Psalm 54:7 “You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.” Job 11:18

I believe these verses are saying that God is our God, He is our Savior, He is our protector; God is strength itself and can handle anything that crosses our paths. It is in knowing this that we can then put down our swords and rest in the knowledge that “God’s got this”. We can rest safe and secure, wrapped in His arms of infinite strength, so we can heal and recover, thus left to fight another day - another day stronger.

- Tasha Morrison

LCM Inspire | Pg. 23

P. 402.333.4444 | F. 402.333.4482 www.lcm.church

Ministry Staff:

Kip Tyler: C.402-651-0858 H.402-334-7152 Senior PastorJohn Lewis: C.402-598-3986 H.402-321-8232 Associate PastorMario Alejandre: C.801-597-4869 Campus Pastor (West)Jonathan Haseley: C.716-807-1370 Campus Pastor (East)Galen Greer: C.402-639-7265 Worship CoordinatorSteve Hemmer: C.402-689-9143 Youth & Family Coordinator (West)Chris Andersen: C.402-616-3198 Youth & Family Coordinator (East)Kellie Webb: C.402-213-1893 Children & Family Coordinator (West)Tracy Schmidt: C: 402-213-7585 Children & Family/Sudanese Coordinator (East)Alleluia! Preschool / Alleluia! Kindergarten: Debbie Lubker: Director/Teacher debbie.lubker@lcm.church

Sundays:Traditional Worship................................9:00 am Contemporary Worship........................9:00 am Contemporary Worship.......................10:30 am

West Campus | 1200 N. 181st Court | Elkhorn, NE 68022

East Campus | 2617 S. 114th St. | Omaha, NE 68144

Saturday Traditional Worship..............5:30 pm

Sundays:Traditional Worship................................8:00 amTraditional Worship................................9:15 amNuer Language Worship Service .....1:00 pm

114th & Center Location2617 S 114th St.Omaha, NE 68144

LCMemberNeLCMOmaha

Support Staff:Shari Bevilacqua -- Church AdministratorJamison Denton-Carter -- Video ProductionConnie Hacker -- BookkeeperNikki Kotchka -- Receptionist (West)Diane Madsen -- “The Master Ringers” DirectorMichelle Kalin -- Connections CoordinatorJim McKay -- Maintenance TechnicianRob Meredith - Social Media SpecialistAnne Miller -- Chancel Choir DirectorTasha Morrison -- Receptionist (East)Vickie Wagner -- S.S. Superintendent (West)Jay Westerhold -- Grounds Maintenance

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope.”

Acts. 2:26