Happy New Year from Calvary Lutheran Church.

CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH

Your Weekly E-Newsletter Thursday, December 30, 2021

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — as we look forward to the celebration of our Lord’s birth at Christmas and His glorious return when the Father will call us all home to be with Him forever!

The purpose of this letter is to thank you for your good and faithful ministry, and for your partnership in the work of the Gospel. It is my deepest and most sincere desire and prayer that this Christmas season will be one in which we offer a strong and encouraging word of hope to a world that is in desperate need of what only our Lord Jesus can give.

There is little doubt that we are living in challenging times. Our world continues to be threatened by a global pandemic that appears to be with us for an uncertain amount of time. Our nations continue to be torn by politics that tend to separate and divide rather than unify and lead to peace. The uncertainty of the stock markets, the threat of increased inflation, the tension that exists between some of our world’s strongest nations — these are but a few of the many reasons why people are concerned for their futures and find little reason to hope for the generations that will follow.

At the same time, as followers of Jesus, we know that the troubles of this world are only of this world. As real as they are and as challenging and troubling as they might be, they do not and never will have the final say. The final say belongs to God. The final word is always and only His. And the Word He has given to us, in His Son, Jesus Christ, is one in which we find real and lasting hope.

In his letter to the believers in Galatia, the apostle Paul points to the confidence we can have in our God who knows and sees and responds to our deepest needs in a timely manner. “When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Our hope is in Jesus. Our security is in Christ. We have been redeemed, bought back, justified, and made right with God in what has been accomplished for us in His Son. Christmas offers a word of needed and lasting hope to all who are willing to place their trust in Jesus.

It is always helpful, in troubling times, to remember the context of the world into which our Lord Jesus was born. People were fearful of the political powers. Although there was a Roman peace, it was one brought about by a singular power instead of a shared unity. Countries were divided. Families were being torn apart. Racism was real. Life was fragile. There was as much anxiety and fear in Jesus’ day as there is in ours. Although much has changed in our world in the past 2000 years, little has changed when it comes to this world’s troubles and the need people have for a real and lasting word of hope.

Over the past several months, as travel restrictions have eased up, I have had the privilege and joy of visiting some of our mission districts and congregations. There is no doubt that our pastors have been challenged. There is no denying that the past year and a half have been a struggle and that the resulting impact of the pandemic has reduced the number of people in worship. There is also little doubt that God is alive and at work, and no denying that the lives of people for whom our Lord Jesus gave His life on the cross continue to be transformed.

My encouragement to our pastors is to not become too concerned with what might appear to be a decline in the impact we are having through our ministries. The deceiver wants nothing more than for us to focus on the numbers and percentages that would lead us to become discouraged. Rather, our calling is to fix our eyes on Jesus and to remember that there is nothing in this world that can stop the power of the life-giving message offered in Him.

Continue to love your people. Find new ways to make the connections that are so vital to our faith and life. Fulfill the ministry to which you have been called. The Church belongs to Jesus. He is Lord. He knows the challenges we face. Be encouraged by His presence in your ministry and His promise to give hope.

The promise and presence of the Christ child, born in Bethlehem’s manger, is as needed and relevant today as it was when our Lord was born. As the familiar Christmas hymn puts it, “The hopes and fears of all the years” are still being met and fulfilled in the Word made flesh, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.

As I reflect on the events of this past year and the work of our congregations and ministry partners, I cannot help but give thanks for the many ways in which God has been blessing us from the start. We are now in our twelfth year as a church body. We have missionaries and ministries in more than ten countries around the world. We have a vision for our future. We have a renewed energy and focus for our work. We have the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. We have the gift of forgiveness and life eternal in God’s only Son. And we have the purpose our Lord has given us in His commission, to “make disciples of all nations,” and the promise of Emmanuel, “God with us” in all things.

For these reasons, and many more, we are and will always be a people of hope. As a result, let us be bold in our witness and confident in the words we share. We carry a message our world needs to hear, and we follow the One who has called and claimed us for eternity.

Thank you for your faithful witness. Thank you for the partnership we share in Christ. Thank you for persevering in what has been another challenging year. I look forward to the year ahead and to continuing the work that is ours in Jesus.

It is a joy and an honor to serve as your bishop. Know that my prayers are with each of you. Have a blessed and a hope-filled Christmas!

In Christ,

Bishop Dan Selbo

Congregation Annual Meeting - January 30 at 10:30 a.m.

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Save the Date! The Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 30 at 10:30 a.m. (In the event of bad weather, the meeting will be moved to Sunday, February 6th.)

An informational meeting will be held

on January 23 at 10:30 a.m.

Second Sunday of Christmas

Sunday, January 2, 2021

NOTE: There is no service

on Saturday, January 1st

Presiding Minister: Pastor Jerry Wittmus

Assisting Minister: Lee Tyne

Lector: Lynette Anderson

Acolytes: William Dudzik and Matt Schatz

Children's Message: Megan Schatz

Special Musician: Chris Dudzik

Deacons: Terry Bzdusek, Nancy Wittmus, Jonni Roush

Ushers: Lisa and Scott Grossman

Altar Guild: Marge Tyne and Shirley Brodell

Altar Flowers: Streicher/Steffens families in memory of Ruth Steffens and Brett Streicher

PowerPoint Tech: Grace Gunnlaugsson

LiveStream Tech: Sue Rowe

CHURCH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED

The church office will be closed on December 31 so that our staff can spend time with their families over the holidays.

Worship Attendance - December 24 - 26, 2021

Our Church Family

Judy Klade, 12/31

Sallie Schulz, 12/31

JoAnne Krause, 1/1

Emily Huettl, 1/4

Kyle Jones, 1/4

Hadley Brooks, 1/4

Bill Krause, 1/5

Ed Ramthun, 1/5

Jonni Roush, 1/5

Sean Corcoran, 1/7

Ben Huettl, 1/7

Joanne Juno, 1/7

Ernie Kretschmann, 1/7

Tiffany Schlieve, 1/7

Shirley Schwenn, 1/7

Chris and Jessica Dudzik, 1/7 (16 years)

Pat and Carol Cordoran, 1/12 (59 years)

Dave and Chris Cason, 1/17 (41 years)

Don and Fay Heyen, 1/21 (24 years)

Alex and Margaux Baumgarten, 1/25 (2 years)

Jiafu and Sophia Liu, 1/27 (22 years)

Ongoing short-term prayer requests: Dave and Paula Altman, Keith Pierce, Wayne Dieck; Janet Zastrow; Mary Smith; Ginny Cox; the Waukesha community; Pastor Mark Gehrke (son of Lois Gehrke); Barb Anderson (friend of Lisa Grossman); Susan Petropoulos (sister of Wayne Johnson); Matt (friend of Larry Bonier); Taylor Czerwinski (granddaughter of Bill and Lenny Graffin); Lisa Haggadone (daughter of Sallie Schulz); Tom Dallman (husband of Lucy Dallman); Marie Traxler (mother of Sue Meyer); Eric (friend of Larry Bonier); Father Patrick Malone (Holy Cross Anglican Church); Delores Seel (mother of Keith Pierce); John Nielson (brother of Judy Kestly)

Serving in the Military: Dan Berger (serving in the U.S. Marines); Kevin Butler (son of Heidi Powers, serving in the U.S. Army); Ben DeYoung (son-in-law of George and Kay Sedivec, serving in the U.S. Air Force); Alex Olson (U.S. Air Force, grandchild of Ardath Olson); Kyle Pierce (son of Karen and Keith Pierce, serving in the U.S. Army); Karmen Thomas (friend of Tony and Krista Dentice serving in the U.S. Army); Nicole Wahlgren (serving in the U.S. Army National Guard); all military chaplains; and all veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

For All Men and Women Serving: Police Officers, Firefighters, Health Care workers and First Responders.

Serving in the mission field: Our NALC missionaries and missionaries everywhere bringing the gospel to the ends of the Earth.

Long-term prayer list: Calvary members: Don Heyen; Shirley Mahn; Donna Polizzi; Nadine Schuelke; Ruth Young

Non-members: Gareth George (cousin of Judy Sayas); Joseph Franko (friend of Judy Sayas); Tom Frank (brother of Mary Ellen Thiede); Nancy Myers (friend of Judy Sayas); Paige Yeager (friend of Sallie Schulz's family); Rose Luther (friend of Nicole Moritz); Judy Grospitz; Jan Janchan (friend of Jonni Roush); Monica Barchus (niece of Ernie Kretschmann); Michael Rossa (Lucy Dallman's son); Karen (friend of Lydia Trudell)

If you have any new prayer requests, please contact the church office at 262.786.4010 or via email to office@calvarylc.com.

Music Ministry

Special Epiphany Service Music - January 6 at 6:30 p.m.

We have a special treat before the worship service on Thursday, January 6th to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. A prelude program, "In the Company of Angels", will be performed by the Gutekunst Flute Choir. The 30-minute musical program will include Christmas hymns that highlight the many places in the nativity story where angels served as heralds of God Most High and messengers of the "good news that will cause great joy".

The Epiphany service will follow at 7:00 p.m.

Here's a little more information about the flute choir: In 2002, Karen Gutekunst founded a flute choir in Milwaukee. Adding flutists over time to reach their present size of 12 members, this local group performs at public and private venues throughout southeastern Wisconsin. Originally the “Ladies of Flute”, the group adopted its current name after Ms. Gutekunst sadly passed away in 2010. Members feel her name, which means “Good Art” in German, is a fitting tribute to the talented musician and friend who brought them together. The group loves to make beautiful music in her memory. Visit their website at https://www.gutekunstflute.com/

If you weren't able to join us for the special Holiday Jazz Concert featuring Kostia Efimov that was held on December 2nd, you can watch it on a YouTube video, provided to us by Kostia's videographer.

Click the button below for a quick link

to that video.

Performing with Kostia Efimov were Carmen Nickerson, Ellen Winters, Stas Venglevski, and Michael Prusinsky.

Click here to watch the concert

Women's Book Group - January 10 at 1:00 p.m.

Wanna get away? Pick up a copy of our January book, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and escape to France!

From amazon.com: In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron with his wife and two large dogs.

He endures January's frosty mistral as it comes howling down the Rhône Valley, discovers the secrets of goat racing through the middle of town, and delights in the glorious regional cuisine. A Year in Provence transports us into all the earthy pleasures of Provençal life and lets us live vicariously at a tempo governed by seasons, not by days.

The library system has several copies on the shelves. We hope you are able to join us!

Monday Afternoon Movie - January 17 at 1:00 p.m.

I.Q. is a light comedy to bring some sunshine into a January afternoon. Join us in the Media Room for some fellowship and a movie. Bring a friend!

The story line: Ed Walters, an auto mechanic, falls for the intelligent and beautiful Catherine Boyd. It is love at first sight. There is however a problem: she's engaged to stuffy professor James Moreland. Fortunately, her uncle likes Ed, and he and his friends scheme to make her fall for Ed. The comedy in this movie stems from the fact that her uncle is none other than Albert Einstein, who's portrayed as a fun-loving humble genius, as are his mischievous friends, Nathan, Kurt, and Boris.

Einstein is played perfectly by Walter Matthau, with Tim Robbins (Ed Walters) and Meg Ryan (Catherine Boyd) bringing their romantic-comedic gifts to the screen as well. With the story set in Ike’s first term as president, we’ll all feel right at home.

Faith Formation

The Sunday School children recently had a "BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR JESUS", which included crafts, activities, food and fellowship.

Christmas Season 2021

Christmas services included a youth program on December 19 and Christmas Eve/Day worship. Please enjoy some of the photos captured from those services.

If you ordered a poinsettia plant, it can be picked up anytime when the office is open (8-noon, M-F) or while you are at church for weekend services. If you forgot what color plant you ordered, there is a sheet at the PowerPoint desk with details. Special thanks to Shady Lane Greenhouse in Menomonee Falls for the additional poinsettia plants they donated this year.

Thank you to all of the musicians who participating in the Christmas services. It was a beautiful worship celebrating the birth of our Lord.

Youth Director Kyle Jones delivered a great message about the meaning of the Advent wreath candles to the children gathered for the Children's Message at the Christmas Eve service.

Thank you to Nicole Moritz and Angie Schatz for putting together this year's Children's Nativity Program.

Pastor Ken's Weekly Bible Study

Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall

Pastor Ken's weekly Bible study is held each Wednesday from 12:30 -1:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. He will lead discussion around the Scripture lessons that will be read in worship the following weekend. Please bring your Bibles - other materials will be provided.

Copies of the text study sheets will be available on the table in the Narthex if you can't attend the Bible study, but would like to refer to it for the weekend worship.

December Mission of the Month

In December we raise up a vital Mission of the Month supporting the training of pastors for service in the North American Lutheran Churches. We were been blessed to have Lynnae Douglas with us during the past year as a pastoral intern. Lynnae and her husband Caleb are both graduates of the North American Lutheran Seminary in Amhearst, PA and have moved to western Pennsylvania where Caleb has taken a call to serve. Pictures of Caleb and Lynnae from Caleb's installation are shown below.

The NALC is growing and the need for pastors trained is crucial to us and congregations like ours in the NALC. Initially there was only one seminary in Amhearst, PA; however, due to growth and demand, the Lutheran Institute of Technology in Brookings, SD also trains pastors for the NALC.

We have a goal this year to increase our giving to $7,000. Please prayerfully consider an end-of-year gift in support of these vital seminarians. To support this important Mission for the Month, you may include it in your weekly offering envelope or designate the donation as "Mission of the Month" in your online giving.

Men's Ministry

Weekly Men's Breakfast Wednesdays at 7 a.m.

Maxim's Restaurant

18025 W. Capitol Drive

Brookfield

The restaurant seating has been reconfigured in compliance with social distancing requirements.

All men are invited to attend!

Monthly Men's Gathering

On hiatus until January 27, 2022

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ernie Kretschmann at kretschmann@att.net.

A few reminders ....

Hospitality Treats

We invite you to stick around after worship on Sunday mornings and enjoy fellowship time and a treat/cup of coffee in Fellowship Hall. We are taking great care to provide safe food items for you (poured cups of coffee and plated breakfast snacks).

If you'd like to provide treats (donuts, bagels, etc.) for Sunday hospitality time, there is a sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. You may bring the treats (3-4 dozen) and drop them off in the kitchen, or simply add a “P” behind your name, pay $30 to the church office and the treats will be purchased for you.

For the time being, we are asking that any donated food be something that can be easily cut and placed on individual plates for serving.

Sunday mornings at 9 a.m.

The link is available on the home page at www.calvarylc.com

Sanctuary Flowers

We invite you to sign up for flowers to beautify our altar each weekend. The sign-up sheet for 2022 is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex.

Flowers are $35 and you may take them home following the 9 a.m. worship on Sunday morning. If you'd prefer, you can leave the flowers at church to be enjoyed by the office staff.

Severe Weather Announcements

With winter coming, we are reminded that weather can definitely impact traveling to church. And with that, inclement weather could necessitate the cancelling of worship.

In the event this should happen, you will receive an e-mail stating that the church is closed. We will also be sharing this with WISN-TV 12 and FOX6 so that it will be included in their scrolling list and on their website of closures.

Facing tough times? Need a Christian Friend?

Stephen Ministry is here to help. Free, just like God's love.

Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained by Stephen Leaders to offer high-quality, one-to-one Christian care to people going through tough times. A Stephen Minister usually provides care to one person at a time, meeting with that person once a week for about an hour.

If you, or someone you know, could benefit from this important ministry, please contact Scott or Peggy Langelin at 262.853.0018.

The right side of the Sanctuary (as you face the altar) is equipped with a hearing loop system which transmits an audio signal directly into a hearing aid via a magnetic field. This greatly reduces background noise, competing sounds, reverberation and other acoustic distortions that reduce clarity of sound.

Most hearing aids are equipped with a t-coil and connecting to this system is an easy switch on the hearing aid. If you need assistance during worship with this system, please reach out to an usher or any staff member.

The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon. The door that is closest to the office (NW corner) will be open during those hours.

Please check in with the office staff so we know you are in the building.

The office phone number is (262) 786-4010. Feel free to leave a message if you call after hours and we will contact you the next day.