EASTER HOPE

We are in a HOPEFUL time of the year: on the church year calendar, this is considered the “Sundays after Easter.” Nature is in a springtime mood after a long, wet winter. Both are times of HOPE. Easter is a time of hope because of the promise of the resurrection of our Lord. Nature has brought us a new season of life and growth. Both give us cause for hopes of our own.

We all hope that the interim time is past for Our Savior Lutheran Ministries. At this writing we haven’t heard Pastor Scharnitzke’s response to our Call to be our resident Sr. Pastor, but we are hopeful. Please understand that I’m not unhappy to have served as your Interim Pastor for the past 18 months. Yes, that is one entire year more than I had expected back in November of 2004, but I’ve enjoyed being back in the saddle again and you are a delight to serve. It is, however, time for me to head back to retirement or whatever the Lord has in mind, and for the congregation to move ahead to fulfill God’s plan for you. My task will be done, and in many ways, your task will become more intense. And that is good news for both of us!

Another great hope is for the successful building out of the Ministry Center. This is a tool that is much needed to help OSLM move ahead. It will happen when ALL of us give to the best of our ability to make it happen. We have a big campus already, but it is crowded. We need the space to grow. May God richly bless “Building Up – Reaching Out” with success!

So far I’ve just talked about the hopes for our congregation. Easter and Spring are also filled with hopes for each of us. We hope for good health and full days. Our dreams are of happy and prosperous times ahead for us and for our loved ones. We hope for peace in the world and justice for all. We hope to experience love and friendship. We hope for meaningful lives.

It is a time of hope born of the promise of God’s blessings for us brought home in the death and resurrection and ascension of our Savior.

Blessings for sure!

Richard Brewer, Interim Pastor

Financial advisors use “risk tolerance” as a handle for how much uncertainty you are willing to live with in managing your money. Much of the work of the LGB involves uncertainty and change, and we have to maintain a prudent (not too much and not too little) risk tolerance as we look after the interests of the congregation and the ministries at Our Savior.

Like it our not, we are surrounded by change. Livermore is changing, as I mentioned in the March newsletter, and we have a mission field all around us. Our congregation is changing: we hope to install a new Senior Pastor soon, we hope to build out the Ministry Center, and we hope to be God’s agents in this community and to the ends of the earth (see Matthew 28:18-20). And we are each changing: as we grow older we (hopefully) grow wiser and closer to our Lord.

In the midst of change, how do you keep your bearings? How do you know what is important and what is only a passing urgency? Where can you find the fulfillment and security that give you risk tolerance to invest yourself for our Lord?

T.S. Elliot wrote, “He is the still point in a turning world.” We are surrounded by change, but Jesus is our anchor, guide, and point of stability. See Matthew 7:24-27 to know more.

The LGB, Call Committee, and other working groups at OSLM routinely open their meetings with a prayer asking for God’s presence and guidance. Currently we are working with the Senior Staff to propose Critical Targets for our ministries in the coming year. As a congregation we have built our Senior Pastor call process and our “Building Up, Reaching Out” campaign on prayer as we seek our Lord’s direction. The pattern is the same: He calls us, we turn to Him, and He gives us audacious opportunities.

We face exciting challenges and exciting possibilities, but are you in on the excitement? Ministry is a contact sport: it can involve contact with people, ideas, and situations, but it requires contact with God. Ask God to improve your risk tolerance, and then ask Him for directions into His work. You won’t be sorry!

Click on www.osyouth.com for information about upcoming Youth Events!

• Movie Night Saturday, May 13, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. – We will be watching the movie “Crash” and discussing what it is about. If you are under 17 you need a permission slip signed by your parents to watch. (Available at www.osyouth.com)
• NO Youth Night on June 1 due to 8th Grade Graduation. Please attend and support our new freshmen!

Go to www.osyouth.com for all the Youth Ministry information!

Women's Ministry

The Wednesday Women's Bible Study group meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday night of each month at 7 p.m. at the home of Dee Christopher. Please call the church office (925-447-1246) for directions. This month, the group will meet on May 10 and May 24.

Men's Ministry

• Men’s Breakfast Bible Study will take place on Fridays, May 5, 12, 19, and 26 at 6:30 a.m. at Baker’s Square, 1116 Stanley Boulevard, in Livermore. The topic is “Men of the Bible: Paul.”
• Men’s Open Gym Basketball on Mondays from 7:30—9:00 p.m. Come out and enjoy some good competition and fellowship.

Young Adult Ministry

Visit http://yam.osyouth.c om for more information about Events & Activities for Young Adults!

Ongoing Events

• 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, May 9 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. In May, we’ll be reading God's Story (Finding Meaning for Your Life through Knowing God) by Anne Graham Lotz, ISBN #0-8499-3758-2. This book is available at local bookstores or at www.amazon.com. We’ll meet for our discussion time on Tuesday, May 16 from 7:00-8:30 pm in Room 8. Call Steve Christopher at 447-1246 ext. 228 for more information.

Upcoming Event

Mark your calendar for Vacation Bible School at Our Savior: July 30 - August 3 from 6 - 8 p.m. It will be for the whole family!

It’s time to relax and enjoy an hour of music with some of the musicians and musical groups of Our Savior! This concert is always a fun one; the choirs and bells will present a few of their favorite songs from the year, as well as some light-hearted entertainment. We will have some delectable goodies in the gym after the concert. We have a lot of fun preparing this concert – you’ll have fun if you attend! The date is May 21; the time is 4 p.m.; the place is Our Savior Sanctuary.

As our Preschool year comes to an end, Matthew 28:20 comes to mind: Jesus said, “I am with you always.”

As we all finish the school year, whether it is as parents, students, or staff, we end the year knowing that God is going with us. What a great comfort in knowing that God is always with us! For some, it is the end of an era, which can often be sad and somewhat hard, but knowing that God is going with you makes that journey a lot easier.

April was filled with much joy and happiness as we learned the true meaning of Easter, and what a great joy it is to know that He is risen indeed! We had a Palm Sunday celebration as we paraded with palms from our building to the sanctuary, walking on the road leading to Jesus. We were able to enjoy a wonderful chapel as we celebrated Easter in the sanctuary. We joined with our Kindergarten friends and had a fun egg hunt and shared the joy of Easter with the Day School children as well.

At the ECDC, May will be filled with much excitement. The ECDC building will be transformed into Dinosaur Land. We will be gardening and learning about the One who makes things grow. We will dive into Ocean Week with great excitement and end our wonderful year with a Beach Party.

Our days will end with a Preschool Graduation at which time a chapter in our book will be done. What a joy to know that the last words will be “I am with you always!” It is our prayer as things change and chapters end that you have the peace that God is always with you!

Please click here for the Financial Report for March and also the Fiscal Year Report for July 2005 to March 2006.

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

General Giving is up 5.3% for March and down 2.2% YTD. April should be a good month due to Easter giving.

Balances in our various checking, savings, and stock accounts total $702,354, which includes $152,703 for the Ministry Center. Architectural fees are currently being paid from that account. The pledges for the Ministry Center totaled $137,248.

Pledges for the continuation program totaled $706,284, of which $606,793 has been received. This is the account from which we pay the church portion of the mortgage. Monthly pledges needed to make the mortgage payment are $22,000. In March, we received $10,145.

Discipleship Component #9 = Christ-like

We now conclude our series on the key components of discipleship.

You’ve seen the bracelets. Perhaps you even own one and maybe you have worn it on occasion. It is meant to be a reminder, a spiritual reminder to act in a different way. A reminder to do what Jesus would do. WWJD. This acronym is on t-shirts, jewelry, wristbands and many other items.

In this our final installation of the key components of discipleship discovered by noted Christian researcher, George Barna, we examine the concept of Christ- like. What does it truly mean to be like Christ? Is it doing what Jesus would do, or is it more?

As we think about the Christian life, as we contemplate our journey of faith, there are two ways in which to look at life: there is doing and there is being.

Doing is easy to define. It is observable. It involves action. Doing is a verb! There is almost always evidence of someone “doing” something—be it good or bad. Service is doing, and serving others in a loving manner as Jesus would have done is an admirable goal of Christian living. We want to help others who are less fortunate. We want to use our gifts to better the lives of others and further the Kingdom. As active Christian people, we don’t want to just sit in the pew on Sundays—we want to get out there and do something in the name of Jesus during the rest of the week! This is Christ-likeness.

But, what prompts such doing? How is one motivated to “do” such acts of service? It is the Spirit of God within us! It has to do with our being. Our “being” is often intangible. It is hard to get a handle on one’s being. How do we define it? Can you see it?

It starts at Baptism. The Spirit of God comes upon us, and takes residence in our hearts. He is the guiding force for our “doing.” Anything we “do” is because of Christ in us. We are incapable of any decent act on our own. We love, only because God loved us first. Christ-likeness is from the inside out.

A well-known Christian educator said that one of the best questions for disciples of Christ to ask of each other is “How is it with your soul?” This is a question that goes beyond mere doing. It is a question that penetrates the heart. It is a question that causes us to think about being Christ-like in our inner core, so that when it comes to taking action we can do the things that Jesus would have perhaps done, and what HE would have us do.

Work has started on the preliminary tasks for the seismic retrofit of the building. This consists of installation of anchors in the brick for the steel to be imbedded in the Shotcrete on the inside at four locations. As of this writing (mid-April) we are still finalizing the drawings. Next is entering into the contract with Overaa for the major work.

We are fortunate to have the same Overaa crew for this work that we had for the sanctuary construction: Kevin Smith is the project manager and Bruce Barrows is the construction superintendent.

At a hearing on February 2, Livermore’s Historic Preservation Commission approved the exterior design except for the rework of the opening in the north (street side) face. We planned to replace the sliding wooden door with a glass block structure. The Commission ruled that we must close the opening with a metal frame and plate glass (translucent) structure, set in and parallel with the brick front. We requested and obtained a reconsideration of this ruling on April 6. The Commission, after an hour-and- a-half discussion, decided to accept our design. The glass block will be arranged in a half cylinder, extending into the building and reaching above the floor of the second level to provide additional light to the youth activity area.

Please continue to pray for God’s blessing on our endeavors.

Do you enjoy stitching – would you like to help enrich the ornaments on the “Chrismon” Christmas tree in the sanctuary this year? (Chrismons are Christian symbols designed to enhance a Christmas tree –they are usually white and gold.) We have patterns for counted cross-stitch ornaments, and are looking for folks who would like to help make some. Cathy Kinter is coordinating this effort. Please see her or call the church office at 447-1246, ext. 259, if you can help with this effort. Thanks!

Another project for the summer will be a series of canvas panels to enhance our sanctuary for this coming Advent/Christmas season. We plan to use the front wall on the Family Room side of the sanctuary, and will need lots of helpers to work on this larger scale project. Watch for more information in the June newsletter, or let us know now if you would like to help. You can contact anyone on the Liturgical Arts Committee (Kris Back, Ellyn Wheeler, Ruth McDonald, Cathy Kinter, Jan Edmeyer, Bill Even, Christa Even or Dee Christopher). Also, if you might like to be part of this group, call Christa Even at 447- 1246, ext. 231. We would love to involve more people (high school through adult).

The church office has so many volunteers, and we are very thankful for them! The following people help us each week:

• Dottie Nessett calls many people to arrange the readers and greeters for each Sunday’s service.
• Shirley Volkman chooses the Prayer Encouragement Bible Verses that are printed in the bulletin.
• Hanne Brummond makes up the list of people who are the prayer bidders each Sunday.

There are so many “behind-the-scenes” people that make each Sunday’s service take place so smoothly. We thank God for all of you!

During the six weeks of Lent, 17 young people of Our Savior and their parents, gathered together for study and discussion in preparation for Holy Communion. They met after Lenten Vespers with Pastor Brewer and Mr. Christopher, and worked hard and showed a keen interest in learning about what it means to participate at our Lord’s Table.

On Maundy Thursday, we celebrated the First Communion of:
Alyssa Laraine Bastovan, daughter of Karen and Nick Bastovan;
Kylie Renee Clark, daughter of Dee and Dave Clark;
Taylor Winfield Futral, son of Scott and Linda Futral;
Andrew Gordon Hall, son of Randy and Sara Hall;
Madison Reine Hinrichs, daughter of Pam and John Hinrichs;
Andrea Gabrielle Honig, daughter of John and Betsy Honig;
Trevor Daniel Houghton, son of Susan Houghton and stepson of Larry Thompson;
Joseph Patrick Martin, son of Phil and Robin Martin;
Mitchell Scott Mayo, son of Jennifer and Scott Mayo;
Hailey Christine McDonald, daughter of Ruth and Mark McDonald;
Maria Gabriella Meienburg, daughter of Glynn and Gina Meienburg;
Kyle Henry Muñoz, son of Henry and Karin Muñoz;
Robert Sanlis, son of Ted and Glenna Sanlis;
Erica Janette Smith, daughter of Dan and Valerie Smith;
Daniel Walsh, son of Jeff and Pensri Walsh;
Julie Mildred Walsh, daughter of Jeff and Pensri Walsh;
Kelly Jeanne Wright, daughter of Graham and Lori Wright.

We welcome each of you into the fellowship that we share, as members of the body of Christ here at Our Savior, who participate in Holy Communion together!

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.
• Informal Worship: 10:30 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 is installed and competently fulfilling all the obligations of his position by May 1, 2006.
• Membership: There is a 20% increase in active membership by July 1, 2006.
• Communications: Every person in our “community”—in the church, in the school and in the area—is aware of events and activities that are of interest to them. OSLM’s leaders know the opinions and feelings of those in the “community” with regard to our ministries.
• Stewardship: There is a 10% increase in General Giving for 2005-’06 versus 2004-’05.
• Ministry Wing: The Stewards give their approval to proceed with the construction of a Ministry Wing by July 1, 2006.

Mission Statement

Our Savior Lutheran Ministries’ Mission is to:

• Proclaim salvation through God’s grace in word and song
• Build Christian relationships
• Care for the people of the community
• Equip God’s people for Life in Christ