Shepherd's Voice

Brothers and Sisters in Christ committed to transforming homes! 1

Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church & School

Volume 38, Issue 3 September 2011

• Ask the

Pastor

• Save the

Date

• People

Believe

What?

• Putting

Faith into

Practice

• A Faithful

History

• Youth Room

Dedication


Question: You sure do talk a

lot about going to Bible study.

Isn’t the Bible just another

book?

There is an objection that goes

like this: "The world contains too

many books to count, so how

can one single book be the

source of information about

God? It's implausible to think

that a book as far-fetched as the

Bible, with all its miracle stories,

could be unique in revealing

who God is. The Bible is really

just another book."

As I've thought about this

objection over the years, I've

realized something that I've

found helpful. I've become

aware that the personal/

relational aspect in the world

around us seems, in general, to

be primary.

Let me explain what I mean by

this. When you read an

outstanding book like The Great

Gatsby or whatever your favorite

might be, or you see a great film

like Gone with the Wind or what-

ever tops your list, you're swept

up into the unfolding story. At

some point, though, you realize

that behind these compelling sto-

ries is a creative person.

When you see a house that

embodies everything you treasure

when you think of a home, it

dawns on you that behind that

house is an astute architect.

When you hear a new song that

captivates you, you might recog-

nize the composer right away - but

if not, you're soon using every

search function you know to iden-

tify the creative genius behind it.

And when you look at the

complex interrelationships in the

world, it's certainly plausible to

think that a personal God is be-

hind the scenes.

Think about how humans function.

We need interpersonal relation-

ships, so institutionalized infants

who don't receive sufficient hu-

man touch generally don't flourish.

We're relationally wired in a pro-

found way. Given that, it would

follow that a personal God would

want to be known. It's plausible,

then, to think that behind the

scenes is a personal God who

desires to be known.

Let's look at another facet of this

issue. The world seems to be full

of people who take it on them-

selves to claim, "This is God," or

"That is God," or even, "That is

not God." “The very essence of

God is beyond what finite hu-

mans can grasp, though, so how

can we be sure that what we think

about God is right?”

The only way to be sure is if God

reveals it. This means, then, that

it's actually quite logical to expect

a personal God to reveal himself

to humanity, because he wants

to be known authentically. At a

human level, the only way you

could know that I enjoy writing or

love football would be if I told you

I did, or if I in some other way

revealed and expressed those

things about myself. If that's the

case with human disclosure, how

much more would that be the

case with God?

A Christian can't prove empiri-

cally that God exists, of course. A

Christian can't prove a biblical

miracle, either, because you can't

duplicate the exact historical

circumstances and test the

outcomes scientifically. For the

same reasons, though, biblical

miracles can't be disproven.

Someone who dismisses the Bi-

ble because of its record of mira-

cles or its complexity is operating

from a position of faith. It's a faith

position that rejects the possibil-

ity that God has revealed some-

thing about his nature to human

beings. That assertion is a belief

that can't be either proven or

disproven. It's a faith position,

because you can't prove that

God doesn't exist.

Let's move a step beyond faith

positions, though. In general, it

seems logical that self-disclosure

is essential in getting to know

someone. It also seems logical

that God is unknowable apart

from God's self-revelation. It's

key, then, to determine if the

Bible is credible as the revelation

of God. You might expect me to

launch into more points about the

Bible and its credibility here, but

I'm not. Instead, I invite you to

explore the Bible directly. Have

you read the Gospels for yourself

recently? Go to the primary

source. See if it reveals God to

you and helps you enter a

relational experience with the

One who desires to be known by

you.

SAVE THE DATE

September 11 - Rally Day/Church Picnic September 24 - Compassionate Care Event

October 5 - Jesus Company begins (7 weeks) October 8 - Storm Runners 5k

October 28 - Trunk - R - Treat November 5 - School Auction

November 19 - Kids Against Hunger November 27 & 28 - Advent by Candlelight

December 10 & 11 - Christmas Cantata


Ladies …

mark your calendars

Advent By Candlelight

Sunday, November 27

and

Monday, November 28

From 7pm - 9pm

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• One-third of all adults (34%) believe that moral truth is absolute and unaffected by the circumstances.

This means then that two thirds of adults believe truth can change with circumstance!

• Half of all adults firmly believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches.

This doesn’t mean half of adults believe Bible is Word of God—just that its principles (morals) are

worthwhile. Half aren’t.

• Just one-quarter of adults (27%) are convinced that Satan is a real force.

Why are we tempted? Why do we sin? Why do bad things happen? Three quarters of adults can’t answer

that question!

• Similarly, only one-quarter of adults (28%) believe that it is impossible for someone to earn their way into

Heaven through good behavior.

Christianity’s chief doctrine is denied by the vast majority of American adults.

• A minority of American adults (40%) are persuaded that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life while He was on earth.

This means they certainly can’t call him Savior, but why even bother calling him a great teacher or example

if he’s just like everybody else?

• Seven out of ten adults (70%) say that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who still

rules it today.

This statistic sounds better than the ones above. Too bad that all the other answers reveal that most people

really don’t believe in the God of the Bible!

What does this mean? Many people want to have a spiritual connection to something. But, even putting the best

construction on things, we must conclude that the majority of our country is absolutely confused about who God is

and what it means for their life. They can say He rules and reigns, but they live like He doesn’t! Since this study

included Christians from all denominational groups we should also be alarmed at the Biblical illiteracy of those inside

the Church.

This is why Shepherd of the Lakes is a group of “Brothers and Sisters in Christ committed to transforming homes!”

We will transform homes by being in God’s Word. Praise God for our Christian Day School, Sunday School,

Confirmation, Children and Youth Ministries, Small Groups, and Adult Bible Studies!

Advent

By Candlelight

Jesus Company is back!

For kids ages 4 - 6th Grade

October 7 - Nov. 17

Wednesday Nights from 5:30pm - 7pm

The fee is $25 and includes

dinner each week and all supplies

See the Children’s Ministry Booth for registration.


A Faithful History

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Has your grief left you feeling…

Overwhelmed?

Or at times like you might be…

Going crazy?

Have you felt…

All along with your grief?

Do you feel like...

God has abandoned you?

Shepherd of the Lakes will be hosting a free Grief

Support Seminar in conjunction with New Hope Center for

Grief Support.

Saturday, October 29 from 9am to 12pm

Contact Suzanne Biddix for more information.


Putting

into Practice

The Scripture teaches that we cannot be saved through our good works. It’s all a gift of grace!

But the Bible also teaches that when we really take hold of that grace in our lives we will natu-

rally serve our neighbor. The things that we believe to be true about God aren’t just ancient

doctrines. The way we see Him changes the way we see our place in this world! Let’s take a

look at the core teachings of the Christian faith and how they call us to compassionate care.

Apostles Creed

We say it every week in worship. But does it mean anything for how we live?

First Article—I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

God is a merciful God. He made us to live in His glorious presence. But sin creates a divide. It’s a con-

dition we can’t cure! He saw our condition, and planned from Genesis how He would rescue us from our

predicament. If we’re the creation of a merciful God we must naturally understand that we are to be peo-

ple of mercy.

Second Article—I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

Jesus took on flesh to be one of us. He suffered the punishment of sin ultimately by taking the sins of the

world to the cross where He mercifully gave up His life for us. Picking up a cross and following him

means we exhibit mercy as it as has been shared with us.

Third Article—I believe in the Holy Spirit…

The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts to enable us to express our faith in acts of love and service.

Baptism

The merciful washing of Baptism enables and motivates merciful living. By baptism we’re made into a

new creation. The old is washed away the new has come. It declares us to be children of God. We can

live as beloved children who reflect the mercy of our Father.

Confession and Absolution

In confession and absolution the merciful Word of the Gospel enables and motivates merciful speaking

and living.

Lord’s Supper

In the Lord’s Supper Jesus gives Himself totally for us, that we might give ourselves totally to our

neighbor.

Because of who God is and who He has called us to be, we are “Brothers and Sisters in Christ

committed to transforming homes!” Use your gifts to support our compassionate care work

through Stephen Ministry, Urgent Home Repair, Personal Needs Pantry, and other special

events.


Kicking People out

of the Church?

One of the hardest to understand things for a Christian to understand is

something called, “Church Discipline.” In our modern culture we don’t

consider church a place to be disciplined. It’s a place where we expect to

feel good. It seems very judgmental to say that someone isn’t “up to

snuff,” or that they might not belong as members in the church. However,

as counter-intuitive as it seems, church discipline is not only Biblical

(Matthew 18), but is for the very best of the individual.

At Shepherd of the Lakes and many other churches the most often dealt

with circumstance related to church discipline is that of inactive member-

ship. It is quite misunderstood, with people often assuming that we “kick

people out of the church.” Let’s take a deeper look!

When a person joins Shepherd of the Lakes they are invited to make a

series of promises. They include, 1) Regular worship, 2) Regular study of

the Word, 3) Regular prayer, 4) Regular giving, 5) Regular serving. A

person is not coerced into making these promises. They make these

vows, one can only assume, as a response to God’s promises to them. In

other words they say, “Because of what He has done for me I will seek to

be more like Him.” If a person ceases to do these things, then again an

assumption must be made. Either that person is facing a real difficulty and

they need help or they are struggling in believing God’s promises. If that’s

the case it is our duty as brothers and sisters in Christ to reach out to them

and offer our caring assistance.

There are times when it becomes apparent that a person is no longer

interested in owning the membership promises they made. At that point it

is necessary to begin a process, stretching over a number of months and

repeated attempts of contact that may lead to their removal from church

membership.

We do this:

1. For the sake of the sinner. This is the first concern always. The un-

repentant sinner without discipline will most likely remain in sin and suffer

eternal death. Discipline is love. (Hebrews 12:6 …the Lord disciplines the

one He loves).

2. For the sake of all those in the assembly. If unrepentant sin is al-

lowed to simply reign in the church, others will fall under its power. (1

Corinthians 5:6 Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole

lump?)

3. For the sake of the lost. When the name of Christ is not kept holy

among us (which is what occurs when we allow those remaining in unre-

pentant sins to continue to claim the name of Christ), the lost do not see

Christ as they should and that becomes a stumbling block to belief.

4. For the sake of God’s promise. God has promises that His word

calls, gathers, and enlightens all people. That is as true of the rebuking

word as it is the forgiving word. It is our sincere hope that a rebuking word

will lead to repentance, which leads to forgiveness.

5. For the sake of God’s command. He has directed us to do this.

There is never any desire to “kick someone out of the church,” but rather

to bring someone who has placed themselves outside of the church back

in.

The following is an article that will appear in the upcoming

edition of Concordia Seminary Magazine—a publication of

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Thank you Band of Brothers

for being an example to our whole church body!

“Band of Brothers” Thankoffering

“We are absolutely thrilled with the man who

was placed here.”

Enthusiastic about their senior pastor, Rev. Mark

Milatz (Concordia Seminary graduate class of 2003),

Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church in Brighton,

Michigan turned to Concordia Seminary to request that a

new graduate be placed in their congregation to serve as

associate pastor.

Call Day 2011 brought the good news that Concordia

Seminary had placed pastoral candidate Ben Vogel at

Shepherd of the Lakes. Pastor Milatz recently shared,

“We could not have been more pleased with the

quality of all the guys we spoke to, and we are

absolutely thrilled with Pastor Ben Vogel, the man

who was placed here.”

The very first week end after Pastor Vogel was

ordained and installed he joined 50 members of

Shepherd of the Lakes at their annual retreat. Known as

the “Band of Brothers,” this group of men are

committed to a grass-roots effort to strengthen

families and battle the cultural norms that are so

destructive to God’s church and to families. They

provide outstanding leadership and embrace Christian

service as a privilege.

At the retreat, in order to give thanks to God for bringing

Pastor Vogel to their faith family to join Pastor Milatz in

pastoral ministry, the “Band of Brothers” decided to take

a thankoffering. Blessed with $2,500 in gifts they for-

warded their offering to Concordia Seminary to prepare

more pastors for the Holy

Ministry.

In order to have a personal relationship with a future

pastor, Shepherd of the Lakes also participates in Con-

cordia Seminary’s Adopt-A-Student program by sponsor-

ing a second year seminarian.

Pastor Milatz: “Now, with eight years of pastoral

ministry experience, I am acutely aware of just how ex-

cellent my education was. The Seminary really taught

me how to think in a Christ-centered way. I’m also very

grateful that many generous donors made my time at

the Seminary possible.”

For information or questions about supporting

Concordia Seminary, including the Adopt-A-Student pro-

gram, please call Seminary Advancement at

1-800-822-5287.


Over a year ago our congregation voted to move forward with three building projects, one being a youth construction

project. A Youth Building Committee was formed to generate a plan. Over a twelve month period several variations of

the project were considered. Utilizing our existing space and making it larger by removing the shared wall was

decided to be the best use of our resources. With Board approval and a schematic design in place the youth construction

was ready. On May 14th the wall was demolished and the project began. On August 21st we dedicated and blessed the

room!

The central focus and inspiration for the design of the room is the painting “Christ Eyes.” In July of 2010, 15 of our

youth along with 4 adult chaperones attended the LCMS National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. While there we

had the privilege to see a man named Mike Lewis, aka The Jesus Painter. Thanks to the generosity of the families that

attended the gathering and the Band of Brothers we were able to purchase one of the paintings from the Gathering.

We were so honored to present it to our congregation and hang it in the youth room on August 21st.

Many thanks go to the SOTL business owners who did the work on the room:

Cutting Edge Carpentry (Bob Calkins)

Carpet Direct (Dan Fitchett)

Danco Construction (Dan Spagnoletti)

Morris Electric (Rob Morris)

Thank you to those who served on the Building Committee:

Jeff Colley

Lori Gaines

Rodney Komaromi

Dwight Pugsley

Dave Thompson

Jerry Trusty

And to all those who spent many volunteer hours helping in so many ways, thank you! Our youth are blessed to be part

of a congregation that values them and supports their faith walk.


Has anyone else noticed that this place is crazy busy? Sometimes

I drive by a full parking lot and wonder what I’m missing! If I’m the Senior Pastor and feel that

way, I can only imagine how some members must feel. There is a whole lot that happens

through God’s grace at our church. And perhaps the greatest challenge is to communicate all

the ministry happenings. To do this we use many, many different vehicles such as this newslet-

ter to reach you. Below are a few other avenues:

Weekend Worship

At every worship service we have announcement slides before the service begins and verbal announcements at

the end of the service.

News and Notes

Each week we produce a take home newsletter with upcoming events called the News and Notes. They are

available at the Worship Center entrances.

Website

www.shepherdsvoice.org is regularly updated with the latest happenings at SOTL. You can find information about

all of our ministries, view the church calendar, and download this newsletter, the News and Notes, sermons, and

Bible studies.

Facebook

Become a fan of Shepherd of the Lakes by “liking” us. There is also a page for Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran

School. This is a great way to stay tuned to last minute changes and connect with other members.

Shepherd’s Voice Weekly

Every Thursday a synopsis of upcoming events is emailed directly to 400 homes in a one page web format.

Bulletin Boards

Check out the board across from the church mailboxes. It advertises events and has sign-ups for participation.

There is also a “Current Events” board outside of the Worship Center. It

includes many pamphlets related to our church and school happenings.

Commons

There is a Welcome Center, as well as booths for Adult, Children and Youth, School, and

Compassionate Care ministries. Each booth has detailed information about those ministry

areas.

On Saturday, September 24 from 9am to 11am, families are invited to help package Personal Care Kits to be

distributed through Lutheran World Relief. These kits give families throughout the world a helping hand, a sign of

comfort and hope for the future. Individuals and families can sign up at the Outreach Booth in the Commons

We are currently collecting items for the kits at a table in Genesis Hall:

• Bath Towels

• Bath size bar soap

• Adult size toothbrushes

• Combs

• Metal nail clippers

The work of your heart and hand will be an immeasurable blessing to families in need around the world!


Let’s get to know Mrs. VanDeven!

by Christi Gaertner

Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran School is thrilled to welcome Mrs. Juli VanDeven to serve as

our new principal. Juli and her husband Jason live in Howell with their daughter Payton

(age five) and their son Palmer (age two). Jason works for O&W, a Miller beer distributor in

Ypsilanti. As a family, the VanDevens enjoy swimming, camping, and biking. When Juli has

time, she loves to read.

Juli became an educator because she loves to learn, and she loves the feeling that she has

helped someone. She said, “I like to interact with people. Through education, I can meet lots

of different people, and I myself can learn something every day.” She has pursued becoming

an administrator because she enjoys “making plans and seeing them through.”

Juli earned her undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University and will soon complete her master’s degree in

Educational Leadership, also from Eastern. She has spent the last six years teaching at a charter school in Lansing.

Juli has big plans for SOTL. “My hope for SOTL is to make sure that as many people as possible know what a wonderful

school we are. I want kids to continue to strive for success. I want parents to feel that they would go to the ends of the earth

to send their child to SOTL because the education they would receive is head over heels above any other.”

Pastor Vogel and your Youth Leaders are working hard to

plan a year of service, fellowship and faith building

activities.

Here are just a few items being planned:

• Wednesday night youth group (1st/3rd weeks)

beginning in October will include working on our

A.C.T.S. Service Project and a Worship Service just for

you!

• Winter Retreat - January 27-29, 2012

• Mission Trip - Summer 2012

• Movie and game nights

• Michigan vs. Michigan State Tailgate (Go Blue!)

• And much more!

A full calendar of events, costs and registration information

will be available at the Parent Meeting on Sunday,

September 18th in Genesis Hall at 12:30pm. Youth are

encouraged to attend!

****************************

Don’t forget about Breakfast Club!

We will be meeting every Sunday at 9:45am in the

Youth Room to study God’s Word.

A group of parents are working on fellowship events for

our 7th and 8th grade student to participate in.

A complete calendar of events, costs and information will

be handed out in both Confirmation classes.

If you are interested in helping to organize, communicate

and participate in these events please contact Lori Gaines

in the church office at 810-227-5099 or

[email protected].

Storm Runners 5k Run/Walk to benefit:

When:

October 8, 2011

8:30am for 1 Mile Run &

9:00 am for the 5k Run/Walk

Cost:

5k Run/Walk $18 by Oct. 1

or $25 after Oct. 1

1 Mile Kids Run $12 anytime

Registration:

Registration forms available at School Booth or

online at www.sotlschool.com


2101 S. Hacker Road

Brighton, MI 48114-8764

Phone: 810-227-5099

Fax: 810-227-3566

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.shepherdsvoice.org

JOIN US FOR WORSHIP

Sundays at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Mondays at 6:45 p.m.

Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.

Wee Worship at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. for ages 3-6.

SOTL Festival Chorus, Orchestra and Soloists

SOTL Lutheran School Children’s Chorus

Present

Searching for the King

Script by Walter L. Black

Arranged and Orchestrated by

David T. Clydesdale

Searching for the King is a compelling dramatic

Christmas musical in the style of the Dove Award

winner cantata, “A Baby Changes Everything”

(presented at SOTL last December). A dynamic

contemporary story parallels the biblical story delivering

a message as powerful as the prophets and as relevant as

today’s headlines. Walter L. Black’s exciting script

juxtaposes one of the Magi (Mordecai) as he follows the

Star of Bethlehem, with Benjamin, a soldier stationed in

the Middle East 2,000 years later who is looking up at

the same stars. They are both searching for the truth,

and they both find it at the foot of the manger.

One of the highlights of our church calendar, our

Christmas Cantatas are a wonderful opportunity to

invite family and friends.

Saturday, December 10

4pm & 7pm

Sunday, December 11

11am

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