What Do You Do With a Risen Christ?The Risen Jesus is really among us, although it’s hard for us to see Him in the midst of so much pain and death because of the coronavirus. The resurrection of Jesus and all it meant, all it involved, took a while to sink in. It was an event of such magnitude and far reaching implications that it took time for the disciples to comprehend and understand. It is equally true today. Many people, even today, do not grasp the true meaning of Easter. This is observed by many who did not observe Easter at all or even by those who may think an Easter Sunday church attendance takes care of it. It did not, of course. This is only the beginning of involvement. So it is with the Risen Christ!

The resurrection has a past tense. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead is an accomplished fact. It does not have to be repeated or done again.

The resurrection also has a future tense. Jesus has become the first to followed on that day when all who believe will rise from their graves.

But Easter also has a present tense, affecting our life here and now. It means we have a Living Lord who demands our loyalty and allegiance, our worship and our service, right now, even though we could not worship in the actual church building due to the coronavirus.

A pastor had a habit of asking the people he visited in their homes, “Does Jesus live here?” How would you respond if this question was asked of you today in your home? An Easter faith should respond with complete insurance that the Living Lord lives with you! This is a fruit of the resurrection that we may enjoy every day!

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hymn: Abide With Me

The Messenger Praising Christ…Growing in Christ…Serving for Christ…

Loving like Christ!

The Newsletter of Bethlehem Lutheran Church June 2020Address: 3705 S. Anthony Blvd. Phone: 260-744-3228. Email: bethfw@yahoo.com Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Fax: 260-744-3229 Web: www.bethlehemlcms.org

From the Pastor’s Desk

Bethlehem Services begin!June 6 at 4:00pmJune 7 at 9:00am

Masks will be provided if needed.

Worship Anew Lutheran Ministries Media, Inc.

5 Martin Luther Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996Phone: (260)471-5683 / Toll-Free: (888)268-8002

WorshipAnew.org / info@WorshipAnew.org

June 7, 2020 – The Holy Trinity“I Believe in God!” - Matthew 28:19

Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer

Who is God? What has God done for and through me? What does God continue to accomplish for and through me? Today we consider the true nature of our God and what it means to say, “I Believe in God.”

June 14, 2020 – Second Sunday after Pentecost“Christ’s Death is Amazing” - Romans 5:6-9

Rev. Dr. Walter Maier III

Christ’s death is amazing! It is amazing that He would even die for us. Also, His death is amazing in what it accomplishes.

June 21, 2020 – Third Sunday after Pentecost“A Bold Faith” - Matthew 10:27

Rev. Thomas Eggold

God’s call is a life-giving and active Word that changes the heart and empowers us from the outside. Through His forgiving Word, God calls us to a bold faith and a changed life, and He also provides the power to do it.

June 28, 2020 – Fourth Sunday after Pentecost“Sword of Peace” - Matthew 10:34

Rev. Shayne Jonker

Jesus Christ, His salvation, and heaven and hell are the most important things that there are. Next to Jesus, His holy life, His death, and resurrection, nothing else is significant. Not the weather, sports, terrorist attacks, not even our own lives. All of that’s meaningless when compared to the eternal reality of God's love for man in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. That’s what matters, and that’s worth fighting for.

The Men's Prayer Breakfast plans to resume at 8:00 am on the last Saturday of the month

following the date of the resumption of regular worship services at Bethlehem. "Wait for the the LORD; be strong and take heart and

wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14 NIV.

Classes will resume on Sundays in the Bethlehem cafeteria from 10:30am to 11:30am with the resumption of regular worship services. All Bethlehem members and visitors are invited to join us to learn more about our Lord and His great love for us. "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him." Proverbs

Here are a few churches who offer videos of their church

services: https://www.emanuelnh.org/good-stuff

https://www.concordiachurch.org https://www.holycrossfw.org

Worship Anew is being preempted Sunday at 8:00 a.m. on Fort Wayne’s MyTV station (WPTA-DT3 21.3) for eight weeks. It is not certain Worship Anew will appear on that station once those eight weeks are complete. In the meantime, Worship Anew can be viewed through the month of June at 6:30 a.m. on Fort Wayne's CW station (WISE-TV Channel 33). You can

always find Worship Anew in the Fort Wayne television market Sundays at 7:00 a.m. on the local NBC station (EPTA channel 21.2) and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on TCT (WINM channel 12).

All programs can also be viewed here at the Worship Anew website.

Senior Pastor Call Committee Update The Committee is currently in the process of reviewing a new list of potential candidates as provided to us by the LCMS Indiana District office to serve as the next Senior Pastor. We will be meeting, via Zoom, in early June to discuss the list as we move toward making a recommendation or recommendations to the congregation for issuing a call. Understandably, our process has been slowed by the coronavirus situation but we now look forward to again moving ahead.

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

WHAT DEFINES A FATHER?The Christian faith acknowledges Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God. Yet Jesus taught His

disciples to address God as “our Father in heaven.” Since Jesus is the only Son of God, why did He invite us all to call God “Father”?

Obviously, Jesus holds a unique position as God incarnate, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Consistent with His teachings, however, believers have always used the word Father when referring to God. One of the most important creeds in Christian history begins with the phrase, “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” This simple affirmation carries several important truths our children need to understand. Here are some of those essential truths:

Father = sourceOur earthly fathers are an important source of our genetic makeup. But God is the ultimate source of our lives. He knew us before we were conceived and formed us in the womb. Father = provisionFathers find joy in giving to their children. That’s because a chief role of fatherhood is to provide. Jesus used this reality to explain the goodness of God when He said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).Father = correction

Children don’t like discipline, but it fosters security knowing Mom and Dad love them enough to correct wayward behavior. Good parents mirror the fatherhood of God when they administer the short-term pain of discipline to shape a child’s long-term character. As the Bible says, “The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:6).Father = love

As a parent, you’ve probably received a small taste of how God feels as “our Father in heaven.” When parents look into the face of their newborn baby, they know they will love the child no matter what. That’s exactly how God feels about us.  — Kurt Bruner

SMALL GROUPS MINISTRY

NewsJune 21st is Father’s Day. Be sure to remember all the

fathers, uncles, mentors, coaches, teachers and big brothers in your life by reaching out and thanking them

for being there for us through out our lives.

In these stay at home, no gathering in large groups, wear your mask and stay socially distant times, what about Bible study? I’d suggest you explore the Lutheran Hour Ministries website. Some of the resources available thru LHM are daily devotions, workshops, podcasts and discussions (to name a few) to fit just about everyone’s interests and needs. Take some time to explore this wonderful resource. This would also be a good resource to use when on vacation.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

A special THANK YOU to Dain Christensen for helping me keep the food bank open to the many people in need of food. I am so sorry I missed you on the Thank You list last month. Thank you for sanitizing the waiting area every day the food bank is open. Thank you for helping us load the truck and unload the truck every week. Thank you for helpingwith the Associated Churches delivery. You are truly appreciated.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Food Bank Report for April, 2020

by Charlotte Ratliff

We provided food to 141 individuals: The 141 individuals included 30 children under the age of 18, and 20 individuals over the age of 60; 0 were veterans. Our congregation provided 219# of food; Randy and Josh Hapner retrieved 366# of bread and pastries from Kroger. We bought 2402# of food from Community Harvest for $1213. Associated Churches provided 1200# of food for Bethlehem‘s clients. I had to purchase 176# of food from the store for $116.40. Our 13 volunteers gave 159 hours of their time to provide 141 individuals with food. Thanks to ALL of you for all your many volunteer hours, dedication and support you give to help provide this mission at Bethlehem.

Box Tops for Education are done digitally. Please submit your grocery receipts. Go to BTFE.com and follow instructions. A+ by Tyson is still redeeming their coupons as usual for now.

This article is being written during Week 9 of COVID-19. It almost seems surreal. It is a difficult time for most of us as it has disrupted many areas of our lives. The following words are now part of our almost daily conversation: pandemic, coronavirus, sheltering in place, socially distancing, self-isolating, contact tracing, asymptomatic, N 95, flatten the curve, quarantined, intubated, and more. This is mind boggling, to say the least. Stephen Ministers have not been able to gather (in person) for spiritual growth (Bible study), continuing education and supervision since March 12th. We miss the encouragement and the fellowship that we share with each other. It is our hope to gather together (socially distancing) on Thursday, May 26th to study the Lesson on Generosity in David Jeremiah’s book: A Life Beyond Amazing. Even though we have not had a chance to meet with our care receivers, we have been implementing telecare. TELECARE: The next Best Thing to Being There. Telecare means caring for someone by means of a telephone. With the use of a telephone, we listen and help our care receivers to recognize, accept and express feelings. We pray with them. We do our best to see that the person receives any extra care, if needed. Stephen Ministers grieve with those members who have experienced the death of loved ones in these past few months. Grieving the loss of a loved one is difficult under any circumstances, but the effects of the ongoing coronavirus crisis have made the grieving even harder for many. Even though we cannot care for an individual in person, there are ways we can be a light in the darkness of someone’s grief. Here are some suggestions: Be there emotionally for the person. Use the phone or video chat to communicate. Encourage honest expression of feelings. Listen and validate their feelings. Let the person know that you will be there for them throughout the grief journey. Stephen Ministry has a set of four short books entitled Journeying through Grief. Each book focuses on what the person is likely to be experiencing at that point in grief, offering understanding, empathy, compassion and hope. If you know of someone who might benefit from reading one of the books, please contact Ken (447-2367) or Sharon (515-2616). Jim Dohrmann, Th.D. (Cross Connections counselor, written by permission) gave these encouraging words: “Through our current hardship and hardships yet to come, we must realize that our line of sight is very different to what our Lord sees from his vantage point in our journey in this world. We at times are commanded to adjust our masts and expect to trust and obey the One who sees what we do not. Through that trust and obedience we avoid the many dangers that would send us to the bottom. Thank the Lord that He has the wisdom and the vantage point to navigate the ship that He himself created and to get us to the other side with Him.” Philippians 4:6 states “ . . . do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.” May we thank God for being our navigator in all facets of our lives. Stephen Ministers hope to see you in church soon. In the meantime, be safe, be healthy and be in prayer.

June 7Tim Miller Family in Southeast Asia

Tim and Michelle request prayers of thanksgiving for the recovery of the young man who had a Covid -related stroke. They also ask us to pray that he would be encouraged to be open to the Gospel. Pray also that Sarah Miller will be able to raise the rest of her support this month to be an ELIC teacher in Luang Prabang, Laos by the end of the Summer.

June 14LCMS Seminary and Missions in the Dominican

Republic Pray for the Pastoral Seminary and Deaconess students who will start or continue their studies at the LCMS seminary in Santiago, Dominican Republic this Fall, to prepare to serve all over Latin America. Pray especially for Caitlin, our former deaconess fieldworker, and Juancarlos Ramirez and their son Abraham, as Juancarlos continues his seminary studies and Caitlin works as a deaconess while they are in the country. Pray also for any effects of the pandemic that are being experienced there.

June 21Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in the

Dominican Republic Pray with thanksgiving for Good Shepherd Lutheran Home (Hogares Luteranos El Buen Pastor), which provides a safe and nurturing facility for young people with developmental disabilities. Pray that God would grant patience and endurance for the faithful workers who care for the group home’s residents. Rejoice that the residents have become active members of the local Lutheran church, where they are eager to hear God’s Word and to serve in any way possible!

June 28Mission Stations at Home and Abroad hit hard

by the Pandemic Pray for the residents, missionaries and others suffering as a result of the worldwide Corona virus, either physically, financially, or emotionally. Continue to pray that God will turn what Satan meant as evil into good for His people and the people He still desires to bring into His Kingdom of Light!

Tim and Michelle Miller have reported that the young man they had requested prayers for last month who had suffered a stroke related to the Covid virus is recovering well and regaining use of his limbs. Please continue to pray for this young man, that the loving care given to him by their church members might open the door to his learning more about Jesus! Due to the lockdown, Tim is working on some electronic video slides with Bible stories they have had in booklet form, to be viewed on You Tube in the “Krahn” language. Pray these will be helpful to seekers and new believers. The capital city and country in which they are serving is starting to open things up, even though there is very little testing to know how many have had the virus there. Pray people will stay healthy and still take some precautions, due to poor medical care there. The borders are still closed; so it is unlikely at this point that the Millers will be able to return to Thailand or the US any time soon. Their daughter Sarah is still hoping to leave for her 2-year teaching stint in Laos by the end of the summer. She will be teaching English at a teachers college in Luang Prabang, further north in the country and about 8 hrs drive away from her parents! She is hoping to raise the remaining 20% of her needed financial support by the end of June. No new prayer requests from the Joe Schlies in the Chicago area, but the areas they supervise as far as artists are concerned are still affected by the Covid Crisis. There are very few areas of our country or the world that are not affected by it, now; but our prayers continue be be that our God will use what Satan meant for evil to bring more people here and abroad to Him as Savior and Lord! This month’s LCMS prayers are all for the outreach and seminary work being done in the Dominican Republic, which has also been affected by the worldwide pandemic. It is where the Ramirez family is located while he is in Seminary. We sponsor a Compassion International child in the DR, and we have been informed there are many difficulties there.

Bethlehem Mission News

Test your knowledge with this Bethlehem Trivia.1.In July of 1926 there was a petition to Zion and Concordia congregations to organize a new congregation. The new congregation (Bethlehem) was formally organized on what date?2.Three other names were suggested for this new congregation. What were the names suggested?3.Who was the first infant baptized at Bethlehem?4.How many confirmed members in 1926?5.The first burial was Betty Jean Grote, when was it?6.Who was the first pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, installed in August of 1927?7.April of 1929 was the first marriage performed at Bethlehem. What are the names of the couple married?8.In 1930 Bethlehem moved from the corner of Drexel and Alexander to South Anthony. What was the first hymn sung at the new building? 9.In May of 1939 an architect was selected to begin construction of the permanent house of worship. Who was the architect?10.The building consisted of Wisconsin limestone and Bedford trim stone with a red tile roof. Congregation members donated the stained-glass windows and baptismal font. The congregation had set aside $65,000, but the project cost substantially more. What was the approximate final cost? 11.In 1952 school enrollment was 557 students and 1800 confirmed church members. A final building addition was made consisting of a gymnasium, a kitchen, and additional classrooms. When was the dedication of this $210,000 building? 12.Three bells cast in Holland, Denmark and Cincinnati, Ohio were installed on Sunday, February 21, 1965. What words are inscribed on all three bells? Answers: 1.September 14, 1926 2.Our Saviors, St. Luke’s and Holy Cross 3.Maxine Macke 4.125 5.January 1928 6.Pastor M.E. Reinke 7.Leonard Bearman and Myrtle Harris 8.The 46th Psalm 9.Hugo C. Haeuser 10.$85,000 11.September 5, 1955 12.“In memory of those who faithfully heeded the call to worship and now worship before the throne of the Lamb”

Aren’t you glad that spring is here? Let’s start a garden . . .

Plant four rows of lettuce:Lettuce be

faithfulLettuce be kindLettuce be

happyLettuce really love one another.

No garden should be without turnips:

Turnip for service when neededTurnip to help one anotherTurnip the music and dance.

Water freely with patience and Cultivate with love.There is much fruit in your garden - Because you reap what you sow.

To conclude our garden we must have thyme:Thyme for funThyme for rest

Plant three rows of peas:Peace of mindPeace of heartPeace of soul

Plant four rows of squash:Squash gossipSquash indifferenceSquash grumblingSquash selfishness

WOMEN of BETHLEHEMOur Rummage Sale has been postponed!

Due to the COVID-19 virus, we are postponing our rummage sale. As you are safe at home, consider cleaning out closets, garage, etc. and donating your unwanted treasures to

Bethlehem. When it is safe, items can be brought to Bethlehem.

LWML FORT WAYNE THREE-ZONE SPRING RALLY

Due to the Covid-19 Virus outbreak, the Fort Wayne LWML 3 Zone Rally has been postponed to September 19, 2020. Site to be announced. SPEAKER: Natalie Reynolds, Music and Art Instructor at Lutheran South Unity Lutheran School, Fort Wayne. LSUS received an LWML grant for their instrumental music program last year.

INGATHERING: Monetary gift for the maintenance of the instrumental and music program at LSUS.

If you plan to attend, please contact your society or church secretary.

The Joyful CornerThe Joy of Worshiping … Online

Worship changed with an abruptness we’ve not seen before. On March 15, we were in our church buildings, on March 22, we were worshiping online. By “online,” we now mean FaceBook Live, YouTube Live, Zoom, or any other of the myriad systems that have recently popped into the collective consciousness.

What is happening to us during this time spent worshiping online?Many people have answered this question prefaced with some version of, “The numbers of blessings that

are springing up are amazing!” Here are some of the things I’ve noticed or heard about.• The lack of receiving communion creates a hunger for it. When we can all gather at the altar again,

it’ll mean so much more to us.• People from all over the world are visiting online services from many churches.• Extended family members and past parishioners can join us in worship.• People who rarely go to church are attending worship more often. They say that it’s easier than

getting dressed up and driving to the building.• You can go around the world to worship if you like. • You can go to more than one service a Sunday. • People who only participate in worship, and not the social, Bible study, or work projects at church,

can now be more involved.• Many churches are sharing pastor’s messages and Daily Offices too.• Many churches have added ways to give on their websites or social media, providing increased

opportunities for giving. This makes it easy for people to give whatever they can. Places with online donations are having less financial difficulty than those without.

• In many cases, online worship has changed the minds of those who were previously against livestreaming or recorded worship. They have also seen that they can create worship experiences that people feel good about.

Re-commencing in-person worship will bring its own issuesSome authorities are loosening their rules, allowing limited occupancy in church buildings. Many

people are excited at the thought of going back to their buildings, even in small numbers. Other people aren’t ready to go into a group situation again. 

The issue here is what will happen when only a few people can be at the in-person service? Do we turn people away at the door once we hit our occupancy for that service? Or, do we have a ticketing system or provide multiple, smaller services? What about all the new people joining us online? They are not on our rosters, and can’t sign up easily. Or at least may not feel comfortable doing so. 

Keep it up!Please keep working on your social media online. Bible studies, meetings, etc. Keep doing it all – the online service and the in-person. People are accepting the technical limitations, and don’t expect a full studio-quality production with fancy video equipment and microphones, though those are nice. We have managed with laptop and phone cameras, and we can continue to do so. When we can have in-person worship again, just set up a cell phone in the front pew and record away!There are too many people counting on us for continued worship. People new to worship, those who can’t physically get to church, those who don’t want to visit a church, and people who travel, who, in the past,

Bethlehem Services begin! June 6 at 4:00pm and June 7 at 9:00am Masks will be provided if needed.

PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE Lord, as the coronavirus spreads globally, heal those who are sick, support and protect their families and friends from being infected. Grant us your spirit of love and self-discipline so that we may come together, working to control and eliminate the coronavirus. Strengthen and encourage those in public health services and in the medical profession: care-givers, nurses, attendants, doctors, all who commit themselves to caring for the sick and their families. Inspire, give insight and hope to all researchers focused on developing a vaccine. Sustain all workers and business owners who suffer loss of livelihood due to shut-downs, quarantines. Lord, send wisdom to our elected and appointed officials, instill Your perfect justice in our lawyers and judges, and bring Your perfect hope to our communities. We pray for those who serve in our country in the armed forces, especially for Nathan Hiegel, Mark Hutchinson and Eddie Ramos and ask that You would guard and protect them in the fulfillment of their duties in domestic and foreign lands. We give thanks for the safe return home of Joe Nelson. We pray for those who are shut in: Marge Boester, Chloe Davis, Carl Deimling, Nancy Ferguson, Herman and Jenny Guenin, Corinne Nahrwold, Barbara Owen, Miriam Roesener, Dale Schott, Leonard Snyder, and Barbara Jean Staller. We pray for healing to those we name before You, especially for Pat Abbott, Patricia Anderson (Jewel Robinson’s daughter), Teddy Bishop, Ruby Bonner, Glendora Boway, Lisa Brewer (John and Shirley Davis’s niece), Kristy Caldwell (Bob and Deb’s daughter-in-law), Dain Christensen, Gene Dettmer, Diane Dietrich (Sharon Dietrich’s cousin), Jasmine Douglas, Sharon France (Candy Terrell’s sister), Ren Frank, Karen Herring, James Hubbard (Barb Netterville’s brother), Bill Ihssen, Russell Miller (Rhonda Cheng’s father), John Moerer (John and Shirley Davis’ son-in-law), James Nahrwold, Barb Netterville, Elvis Netterville, Kathy Pettit, Brian Rasso (Gene Kalthoff’s brother), Adam Rice, Joan Richter, Olivia Robinson, Elizabeth Roe (Earl and Nancy Kruger’s niece) and Kathy Young. We pray for Your healing hand to end the coronavirus epidemic. We lift up those who mourn, comfort those who grieve the death of loved ones, we pray for the family of Eugene Saalfrank who passed away on May 12. Please pray for the family of David Campbell, Kim Rasmussen’s cousin who passed away from the virus on Memorial Day. And for her cousin Connie Campbell who was sent home on oxygen to recover from the virus. Let not their hearts be troubled or weighed down with any fear, but lift their eyes to Your sure and certain promises of eternal life and joy.

We want to pray for you. Please call Pastor Jeff at 437-0563 or 437-9389 or Rhonda Cheng at 437-4250 if

you or your family member is ill, hurt, having surgery or hospitalized. Due to COVID-19 visits are only in life or death situations, but we would still like to pray for you. Church office: 744-3228

Visit www.myfwl.org to view this month's issue,

JUNE BIRTHDAYS 1 - Christopher Hill 3 - Robert Miller 4 - Alexis Branigan 5 - Fred Barnhart Mark Hutchinson 7 - DeAynne Suttle 8 - Charles Adams Deb Christensen Nicole Moore Yolanda Snyder 9 - Kaitlyn Bacon Layla Brooks 10 - Lenka Bercot Aaron Brown 11 - Jazmine Martin 12 - Rhyan Fernanders Douglas Hall Amber Martin 13 - Karen Jarrell 14 - Cesar Flores 15 - Deborah Caldwell Tamala Kahn Wilbur King Chane McPherson David Volmerding

16 - Josie Reed Sharon Varner 17 - Jason Mann 18 - Samara Hill-Roddy 21 - Deana Dennis Karen Gerke Michael Williams 22 - LeAsia Jones Gertrude Savage 23 - Ebbie Clark IV Vicky Geisler Victoria Nelson Christopher Vachon 24 - Thanh Nguyen Thomas Oberholtzer Glen Reinking 25 - Rachele Dance Regina Ferguson Patricia Tinsley 26 - Victor Garcia Wendy Magadan Tina Nguyen 27 - Beau Bishop 30 - Carl Deimling Carla Johnson

MAY AT A GLANCE General Fund Envelopes $20,895Misc. Income                      $ 1,884Total Income                      $22,779Needed for Operations      $27,308Designated Funds              $ 1,940

We also received a $5000 grant toward installing a camera in the sanctuary.Bethlehem sent a check for $740 to the Nashville Tornado Response of the Mid-

CLHS NEWSSERVINGbowls

cancelled for this year We are sad to announce that we are cancelling our SERVINGbowls fundraiser for this year. We are saving all of the bowls and ceramic pieces that the students have created for next year. Please plan to attend!

Summer Camps / Classes are still on! We have had to reschedule and cancel some

camps in June because of the closure, but we are still planning on Summer Programs this year.

No onsite camps or classes will happen during the month of June because of the Governor's closure of schools. However, we have rescheduled many camps into July, and have moved classes that were onsite in June to online (physical education has been moved to July).

For any camps that have been cancelled, we are working on issuing those refunds. For camps that have been moved, please see those new dates. If the new camps (or classes) do not fit your schedule, please contact us at shellinger@clhscadets.com for a full refund.

Martini Lutheran ChurchVacation Bible School

June 22-26 You are invited to Vacation Bible School at

Martini Lutheran Church, 333 E Moeller Road, New Haven, IN 

June 22-26, 2020 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. 

Children from age 3 at 1/1/2020 through having completed grade 5 are welcome. 

Please register at https://vbsmate.com/events/MartriniNewHavenIndiana/19356

36 Bible Verses for Father’s DayBy Paul Maxwell

Here are eight things we learn about dads from Bible verses about fathers and eight ways we can praise God for his gift of dads. 

1. Fathers lead families: Fathers have an instinct to cast a vision and execute that vision for their family. In Scripture, God often charges men to be responsible for leading their households in devotion to himself. Fathers have an industrious spirit and an unstoppable grit that God hardwired into them. The task of leading a family requires bravery, decisiveness, and devotion to God. Fathers are uniquely equipped to manifest all of these qualities. Genesis 18:19, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Joshua 1:9, Joshua 24:15, Proverbs 14:26

2. Fathers protect: Fathers not only lead—they guard. Fathers are charged to protect the innocent. Fathers are meant to be suspicious of their daughter’s boyfriend. Fathers are driven to make a home for their families.Deuteronomy 1:29-31, Proverbs 14:26, Ephesians 6:11-18

3. Fathers are examples: Fathers are examples for their children. Fathers are meant to take children by the hand and train them to become strong adults. A father who leaves a good example is an irreplaceable asset to his children.1 Kings 15:11, Proverbs 3:32, Proverbs 23:22

4. Fathers are guides: Fathers are meant to give wisdom to their children. This doesn’t mean that every dad has to be a genius.But fathers have an instinct to want the best for their children. Fathers show children how to make wise decisions and serve as a reservoir of wisdom for his children. Dads are meant to guide us. 1 Chronicles 29:17, Proverbs 3:11-12, Proverbs 4:1-4, Proverbs 10:9, Proverbs 17:27, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21, 2 Timothy 3:15-17

5. Fathers give stability: Great fathers are the backbone to the family unit. They provide a steady foundation, a firm handshake, and a consuming hug when we need it.  In Bible verses about fathers, we see that they provide the steadiness that we need to look out from our homes and into the world as we embark on our own home-building.Malachi 4:6, Ephesians 5:25-37, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, 1 Timothy 3:2-5

6. Fathers are loving: Nothing can replace a father’s love. Daughters need their father’s love. Sons need their father’s love.It’s what enables daughters and sons to find a husband or wife to love. The way a father loves a child will become a template for that child as they seek to find another relationship. God meant this relationship to reflect how he relates to us as our Heavenly Father. We see this exemplified by fathers in the Bible.Psalm 103:13 , Hebrews 12:7

7. Fathers take pride in their children: Fathers are invested in their children. When you fail, your dad’s there to pick you up. When you succeed, your dad’s there to cheer you on. There is no feeling quite like that of a father who sees his child become a woman or man of integrity, love, service, and work ethic.Psalm 127:3-5, Psalm 128:3-4, Proverbs 3:11-12, Proverbs 20:7, Proverbs 23:24, 3 John 1:4

8. Fathers reflect God’s unique love: Fathers are meant to show us what it’s like to receive love from God. We are made in God’s likeness just like we bear the likeness of our fathers. When we see a father’s unwavering commitment to a rebellious child, his swelling pride when they do their best, and his willingness to sacrifice everything to be in a relationship, we see the character of God.Psalm 103:13, 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, Matthew 7:9–11, Luke 15:20-24

Honor your father this Father’s Day. Give your father a card and a kind recognition of his added value to your life this Father’s Day. Use one of these Bible verses about fathers to help you express what’s in your heart. It will make his entire year.