When we (the Scharnitzke family) take a road trip, we keep glancing at the map to make sure we are on course. If it’s a long trip (like from Michigan to California), we go over the whole plan at certain points along the way. Even if we had a satellite guidance system for turn-by-turn directions, I would be sure to have the “big picture” in mind.

The mission and ministry of OSLM is similar to this. Our Critical Targets provide a way to discern what we are doing to further Jesus’ Mission of reconciling people to Himself. While the Holy Spirit is like the satellite guidance system for our day-to-day operation, this is one of those moments when we go over the plan.

PASTOR
Target: A new Senior Pastor installed by October 1, 2006.
Result: Completed August 27, 2006

WORSHIP ATTENDANCE
Target: The average weekly worship attendance for 2006-07 is 15% greater than for 2005- 06.
Initiatives:

• The Crossroads Spiritual Campaign: Providing a practical application of heavenly truths inspires us to have a deeper relationship with the One who said, “I am the way.”
• Simplified Worship Guide: By eliminating the need to switch between bulletin, hymnal, songbook, and/or rote memory, our divine service is more “user friendly;” especially for visitors.
• Continuity: Incorporating this theme into our School Ministry, Chapel, What’s Brewing, the Vineyard, staff communications, etc., inspires more frequent participation.
• Worship Workshop: A Bible study, discussion group, ”hands-on” seminar expanding our understanding of the biblical principles of worship. This will lead to practicing different styles that have effectively attracted new members in other congregations.
• Sequel: The name of a second worship opportunity to be added in the near future. This divine service will grow out of worship workshop. It will incorporate contemporary music, instruments, and multi-media.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS
Target: OSLM is making use of all relevant means of communication to make the people of the greater Livermore area aware of our ministries and activities.
Initiatives:

• Advertising: Promotion through local medium has continued as in the past. New avenues are being checked out for upcoming events like Summer Bible Camp (i.e. Vacation Bible School), Fourth of July, etc.
• Website: Our “in-house” Webmaster is transforming this site into a very useful and timely means of communication.
• Support Staff: A plan is developing to maximize the talents of existing workers to improve our internal and external communication strategies, among other things.
• What’s Brewing: On some occasions the weekly messages are forwarded beyond the OSLM family.

MINISTRY CENTER
Target: The Ministry Center is completed by September 1, 2007. Plans have been developed for the full use of all campus facilities to advance the Mission of OSLM.
Initiatives:

• Building Up, Reaching Out: More than 1 million dollars were pledged toward this objective. Contributions continue to be strong.
• Plans and Building Permit: After several modifications, requirements are met and the plan is approved by the City of Livermore.
• Loan Application: Approved by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, St. Louis, MO.
• Giving Plus: Participation increased the resources for this Target by $28,000 in addition to many contributions that were over and above the original pledges.
• Stewards Meeting: Confirmed members who are 18 or older will meet on February 11th to determine the acceptance of the loan.

NEW MEMBER ASSIMILATION
Target: At least 75% of new Communicant Members received during 2006-07 become involved in some group or activity at OSLM.
Initiatives:

• Bible Basics Seminar: This fall, a modified version of “the Pastor’s Class” began. The first unit of this Seminar is for people interested in membership at OSLM. Following completion, and confirmation if appropriate, the participants continue on for several more units that will incorporate instruction, service, and becoming connected to the faith community.
• Elders: This winter, the spiritual gifts of the current elders will be evaluated. The purpose of this project is to restructure their mode of operation. In the near future, these individuals will take leadership roles in a variety of areas including, but not limited to: Assimilation, Outreach, Visitation, Stephen’s Ministry, Worship Assistance, Missions, Human Care, Social Ministry, Teaching, etc.
• Support Staff: In addition to the comments above, we will implement methods for implementing this on a more personal level through data management.

MINISTRIES TO THE 18-35 (YOUNG ADULT) AGE GROUP
Target: Ministries and activities specifically intended for the 18-35 age group are in place and functioning well. The number of Communicant Members in this age group has increased by 30% during 2006-07.
Initiatives:

• Timothy Potthoff: Calling Timothy soon after Brett Bortnem’s departure was the answer to a strategic prayer.
• Youth Task Force: A group of youth and parents is forming to provide direction and support.
• Youth Leadership Seminar: Four of our teens are attending this event the last weekend of January.
• Young Adult Task Force: Several of OSL’s young adults took it on themselves to gather, are working with Timothy, and are meeting on a regular basis.
• Support Staff: See above.
• Worship Workshop: see above.
• Sequel: See above.

MINISTRIES TO UNCHURCHED SCHOOL FAMILIES
Target: Ministries and activities specifically intended for unchurched school families are in place and functioning well. These include at least three new approaches for targeted witness to this group.
Initiatives:

• Women’s Fellowship and Bible Study: “R&R” was an attempt to provide a spiritual retreat on a weekday morning for school moms. The response was very minimal.
• Classroom Surveys: All school families are asked if they belong to a local congregation.
• "Family Connections:” This is the working title of an initiative to help Our Savior Church members who are also school families develop relationships with those who don’t belong to another congregation.
• Parent Classes: Our ECDC Director continues to find ways to provide connections to our Pre-School families.
• Visibility: The Senior Staff participates in chapel and many other school functions to make our community available to all.
• Support Staff: See Above
• Sequel: See Above

Summary: In addition to the “brick and mortar” improvements to Our Savior Lutheran Ministries, many, many exciting things are underway to further Jesus’ Mission among us. Thank you all for your prayerful and genuine participation in this faith community. In the coming months, your responses to the proposed Critical Targets for 07-08 will help guide our future decision making.

Rooted in Grace, Growing in Faith, Serving with Joy,
PS+ (Pastor Phil)

One of the important pieces of business that we will take care of at the January 28 Stewards’ Meeting will be the creation of a Nominating Committee. This committee has four members, two from the Lay Governing Board (LGB) and two from the congregation at large, and it has one main purpose—to generate a slate of candidates for election to the LGB. This election will take place at the May/June Stewards’ Meeting, when you will get to choose two new members for this seven-member Board.

Over the next couple of months, the Nominating Committee will be looking for “qualified” candidates, and they will make every effort to find at least four qualified candidates for the two open seats on the LGB. Assuming that they succeed (as all previous Nominating Committees have), this means that the Stewards will have a real choice and won’t be just “rubber-stamping” a decision that’s already been made by the Committee. It also means that if the Committee contacts you and you agree to be a candidate, you will not necessarily wind up actually serving on the LGB: it’s up to the voters.

But what is a “qualified” candidate? The OSLM Bylaws spell this out in detail, and I won’t bore you by listing everything the Committee will be looking for. But there are two items that are of particular interest. One is that qualified candidates are people who “regularly participate in the worship and educational life of the congregation;” this is one of several requirements that point to their spiritual qualifications. The other is that they “are not on the payroll of the congregation.” As you know, there are a lot of really good people on the OSLM staff, and it seems a shame to exclude them, but it’s important to prevent even the appearance of a conflict of interest. This is also the reason why we can have only two spouses of paid staff on the Board.

So if a member of the Nominating Committee should contact you and ask you to run for election to the LGB, please consider it prayerfully, and if the Spirit leads you to do so, please say “yes.”

We Give God the Glory for:

• Jaimeson Cortez who is the 7th grade Chapter winner (2nd year in a row!) and Jessica Estrada who is the 6th grade Chapter winner in the DAR American History Essay Contest 2006-07. Both will receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond, a medal, and a winner’s certificate. (Just for your information, Kayla Marchini is the 8th grade Chapter Winner and Kyle Marchini is the Winner of the 2006-07 Christopher Columbus Essay Contest.) Our Savior Lutheran Ministries is well represented!
• The 7th and 8th grade basketball teams and their coaches: 7th Girls: David Cauthen and Jon Parker; 7th Boys: Phil Acton and Mark Beguhl; 8th Girls: Rebecca Rogers and Johann Lotscher; 8th Boys: Fred Brauer, Scott Goodell, and Michael Lonsinger
• The opportunity to donate our chapel offerings to our Brazilian missionaries for the purchase of their van. Our goal was $4000 but a total of $5569.92 was collected!
• Our students in grades 6-8 who completed a project in one of four subject areas – art, history, literature, or science for our annual Talents Day. These projects are displayed and will be judged on Saturday, January 27. They will be shared with members of OSLM on Sunday morning, January 28, and with all the students on Monday, January 29 – a full weekend!
• All the “little lambs” of OSLS!

Re-enrollment / Registration - While the first semester of school just ended on January 19, believe it or not, it is time to register for next year. The school year 2007-08 will begin in just seven short months from now! Registrations for continuing students will be sent home with students on February 2, 2007.

If you would like a registration form, but did not receive one, please contact the school office after February 2. Please check out the OPEN HOUSE information below if you want more information about OSLS! New registrations may be submitted beginning February 6, 2007 at the Open House.

OPEN HOUSES COMING! While you may not be thinking about it quite yet, it is the time for us to begin developing plans for next fall’s (2007) enrollment. We will be conducting several Open Houses for new students, continuing students, area preschools, etc.

• There is an OPEN HOUSE on February 6 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (in the gym). This is the OPEN HOUSE where we give information about OSLS to potential new families who are interested in our school. This would be a great time and place to invite neighbors and friends to “take a look” at OSLS! They will have the opportunity to visit classrooms, talk to teachers in smaller groups, and talk to other parents about our school.
• An OPEN HOUSE is planned for February 13 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. This open house is intended for new and continuing students. It is a chance for parents of current students to look ahead to the next grade level, talk to teachers, and other parents. There will be “hot chocolate” for students and parents as more is learned about next year’s academic year.
• A final OPEN HOUSE is being planned in April or May. While still in the planning stages, it is intended for area realtors to learn about our school and perhaps let their clients know about OSLS!

Accreditation Progress – Our Accreditation Team is moving along strongly. We are planning to have the final visitation for accreditation completed in the fall of 2007. Focus group committees are meeting as we evaluate our school in various areas. As a reminder, our school ESLR’s (Expected School- wide Learning Results) are:

• Kids of the King walk like Jesus.
• Kids of the King are avid learners.
• Kids of the King develop important life skills.
• Kids of the King enhance their lives with enriching activities.

Each of these ESLR’s have “explanation bullets” for both the preschool and K-8 school. If you would like more information regarding these, please check out the school website (www.oslm.net) for a detailed copy!

PTO AUCTION – Set aside the date of April 28th for the Annual PTO Auction. In the past, this fundraiser (besides being a great night out!) has purchased playground apparatus, backstops, computers, digital cameras and projectors, etc. We have numerous suggestions as to what can be funded for this year. But it all starts with YOU being at the Auction. Further information will be coming your way soon, but keep this date clear: April 28, 2007 – AUCTION.

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund has approved our request for a loan to finance construction of the Ministry Center. This means that the next significant decision is for the Stewards of the congregation (any confirmed member, 18-years-old or older) to give their approval. Therefore, there will be a Special Stewards’ Meeting on Sunday, February 11, at 12:15 p.m. in the gym. We are working on providing childcare. There will also be a pizza lunch provided before the meeting. If you are a voting member of Our Savior, please plan to come and cast your vote at this extremely important meeting.

• Blood Pressure Monitoring will be offered in the Family Room after the worship service on the first and third Sundays of each month.
• Pinochle Club—This group meets on the second Tuesday evening of the month. Everyone is invited to come out for a game of cards on Tuesday, February 13, from 7—9 p.m. in Room 18. Come and join in the fun!
• The Christian Reading Club of Our Savior meets on a monthly basis to share insights and reactions to a monthly reading assignment. The book is Original Sin by Brandt Dodson (ISBN #0-7369-1809-4). This book is available at www.amazon.com. We’ll meet for our discussion time on Tuesday, February 20, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in Room 8. Call Steve Christopher at 447-1246 ext. 228 for more information.

Upcoming Events

• Crab Feed, Saturday, February 3, 5 p.m. in the gym.
• Women's Retreat, February 23 - 25, 2007 at Villa Maria Del Mar in Santa Cruz.

CLIMB Super Bowl Party
The game starts at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 4, but you can arrive as early as 2:30 p.m. at Brandon Renker’s house for a Super Bowl party! (Call Timothy at 447-1246, ext. 261, for directions to Brandon’s home.) Even if you do not like football, there will be things to do other than watch the game. Come hang out and have a great time!

FISH Ice Skating Night
Junior High Youth—Join us on Friday, February 23 from 8 - 10 p.m. at Dublin Iceland located at 7212 San Ramon Road in Dublin. The cost will be $7, which includes skate rental.

NYG Meeting
For high school youth attending the National Youth Gathering in July, there will be a meeting on Monday, February 5 in the ECDC from 6:30—8:00 p.m. This meeting will be about the funds still needed for the trip and a discussion about the next fundraiser, as well as other details and a time for questions and answers. It is essential and encouraged for both parents and the youth to be in attendance.

Love bears all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7a

During the month of February, hearts are seen everywhere, and love seems to be in the air. As we spend February with the little lambs God has placed in our care, we share His love with them. We talk of ways that God loves us and how we can share His love with others. Our world often changes and for most of us, change is not an easy thing. When change comes our way, we need to take time to adjust and know that God’s love will never change. Some days, Joey may not want to play with us, but God is always with us and that will never change. Some days our routine is thrown off and we need to keep smiling, and know that God’s love never changes and He alone will get us though this change and every change that comes our way. When we are faced with detours and crossroads, we need to look to Jesus and know that His love is there, bearing all things with us.

The month of January brought the cold weather and fun talk of snow. We made snowmen and snowflakes. We played with ice and snow in our sensory tables while learning of the wonderful winter that God made. We looked at the bare trees, and were able to see our breath on cold winter mornings. We learned of animals that live in the snow and how they stay warm. We discovered words that rhyme and learned some fun nursery rhymes. We created Humpty Dumpy with real egg shells and learned that if an egg falls off a wall, it will probably break. We talked about our homes and who lives in our homes. We created houses out of used boxes as well as popsicle sticks. We will end our month learning about people who work in the medical field and how God gave them a special gift to help make us feel better and teach us how to take care of ourselves.

Our prayer for you this month is that you never forget that God’s love bears all things, even when things seem too tough. God is there walking right beside you and perhaps even holding you when the road seems too hard to walk alone.

Celebrate the Bounty of the Bay at the 9th Annual Crab Feed on Saturday, February 3, 2007 from 5 - 9 p.m. at Our Savior Gymnasium! Enjoy All-You-Can-Eat Crab, Caesar Salad, Pasta, Garlic Bread, and Dessert. There will be music, dancing, and lots of family fun! Join us - it'll be all it's cracked up to be!

There are still a few tickets available! Costs for tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 5 - 10, and kids ages 4 and under are free.

Please click here for the Financial Report for December and also the Fiscal Year-to-Date Report.

The mission pledge is current and all expenses have been paid.

General Giving for December is DOWN 12.1% from projected giving but part of this may be from members who have redistributed funds to the school in order to obtain matching funds from Thrivent and plan to catch back up in 2007. Given this fact, we are also DOWN 3.5% YTD; however this difference should easily be made up by fiscal year-end.

In comparing this fiscal YTD vs. last fiscal YTD, there is a significant increase in expenses even though we are running better than plan this year. These items include the following unplanned or under-planned expenses: pastor’s salary, a full-time music teacher, two new higher salaried replacement teachers, moving expenses, purchase of the Elston Street parsonage, curriculum, computer and photocopier expenses.

Balances in our checking and savings accounts total $336,870, which includes $95,497 in the Building Up – Reaching Out fund. The Church’s portion of the mortgage as well as architectural fees are being paid out of this fund. Monthly pledges needed to make the mortgage payment are $22,000. In December, we received $39,579.

The Thrivent GivingPlus Matching Funds program will generate $28,195.75 for the benefit of the Ministry Center through December based on member contributions to the School and ECDC in the amount of $56,391.50.

The season of Lent is nearly upon us. As is tradition here at Our Savior, we will offer a “First Communion” Class for children. The purpose of this course is to offer some basic teachings on the topic of Holy Communion to youth (and their parents) in grades 5 - 8. This time of instruction will help both students and parents determine whether a young person is ready to begin communing at our Lord’s Table. This year’s class schedule will be as follows:

• Dates: Wednesdays—February 21, 28; March 7, 14, 21, 28
• Time: 7:45 – 8:30 p.m. (following Lenten Service)
• Location: Room 17 (Mrs. Greenhagen’s 5th grade room)
• Class Instructors: Pastor Phil, Mr. Steve Christopher, Mr. Timothy Potthoff
• First Communion: Maundy Thursday Worship, April 5, 7:00 p.m. There will be a special welcome to our Lord’s Table and recognition of these new communicants as they partake of their First Communion on this sacred evening in which our Lord first gave us this Holy Sacrament.

A letter of invitation will be sent out to all eligible youth of Our Savior congregation in grades 5 - 8. For further information, please contact Steve Christopher in the church office at 447-1246, ext. 228.

On Sunday, March 25, there will be a servant and silent auction at Our Savior Lutheran Church starting after the worship service and ending at 11:30 a.m. in the gym. (This event is to support the youth in raising funds to attend the National Youth Gathering in Orlando in July.) Brunch will also be served.

The youth will be the participants in the servant auction. In the silent auction, there will be items for bid and for raffle, with a possible live auction. Information on the items and the activities that the youth will do for the servant auction will be available in The Grapevine and in “What’s Brewing” (Pastor’s weekly email) as the items come in.

Come out to support the youth as we raise funds for the National Youth Gathering!

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will continue to make your donations to the Ministry building fund GROW—and all that’s required is a simple little form.

If you’re already supporting the Ministry Center building fund or would like the opportunity to do so AND are a Thrivent member, your donations to the building fund can grow by 50%.

As we begin a new year, Thrivent Financial members age 16 or older are again eligible to participate in the GivingPlus Program by supporting our school and/or Early Childhood Center. Members can donate up to $600 to both or either of these organizations each year and have their donations supplemented by Thrivent Financial, who will contribute $1 for every $2 donated, up to a maximum supplement of $300 per person, per organization, per year. These funds will be used to help with the school's portion of our building and loan payment program. (Please note: This program is no longer available to Associate Members.)

Thrivent is a NON-PROFIT organization. To maintain that status, the IRS lets them distribute their earnings to Lutheran schools and service organizations by supplementing the gifts made by individual contributors. Let’s help them maintain that status while we support the completion of our Ministry Center!

Information about this program is available from Joe Ryno in the church office (447- 1246, ext. 221) and you can learn more about the simple process that will allow God to multiply your gifts to His Ministry at OSLM.

There are so many ways God's people give their time in service to Him and our community of faith. This month, we would like to thank Linda Greenhagen for her many years of leading and coordinating an aerobics class twice a week at our campus. Thank you, Linda, for your gift of time and for helping other women to keep their bodies in shape!

There is only one place left for the Women's Retreat, February 23 - 25, 2007. Contact Kathy Newman at 447-1246, ext. 420 if you would like this place to be yours!

For those of you that haven't paid for your reservation, please do so by February 16. Thank you.

Our Savior Lutheran Ministries is a Christian Community--

• Rooted in Grace
• Growing in Faith
• Serving with Joy

Worship Schedule

• Sunday Worship and Communion: 9:00 a.m.
• Sunday School for all ages: 10:30 a.m.

Critical Targets and Goals

To accomplish our mission and ministry here at Our Savior:

• Pastor: A new Senior Pastor has been installed by October 1, 2006.
• Worship Attendance: The average weekly worship attendance for 2006-07 is 15% greater than for 2005-06.
• Community Awareness: OSLM is making use of all relevant means of communication to make the people of the greater Livermore area aware of our ministries and activities.
• Ministry Center: The Ministry Center is completed by September 1, 2007. Plans have been developed for the full use of all campus facilities to advance the Mission of OSLM.
• New Member Assimilation: At least 75% of new Communicant Members received during 2006- 07 become involved in some group or activity at OSLM.
• Ministries to the 18 - 35 (Young Adult) Age Group: Ministries and activities specifically intended for the 18-35 age group are in place and functioning well. The number of Communicant Members in this age group has increased by 30% during 2006-07.
• Ministries to Unchurched School Families: Ministries and activities specifically intended for unchurched school families are in place and functioning well. These include at least three new approaches for targeted witness to this group.

Mission Statement

Our Savior Lutheran Ministries’ Mission is to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) by:

• Proclaiming salvation through God’s grace in word and song;
• Building Christian relationships;
• Caring for the people of the community; and
• Equipping God’s people for Life in Christ.