As one drives through Livermore, or any community in America for that matter, there are a variety of roads to travel on. Narrow residential streets lead to wider two lane avenues and/or multiple lane thoroughfares as well as the freeway. What determines the size of the road? A combination of the traffic volume and the section (residential, business, agricultural, etc.) I would surmise.

In a similar way, as one participates in the mission of a church in any community in America, there are varieties of size as well. What determines the modes of operation? The Bible does not give us any particulars as to "how" an assembly functions. Scripture reveals "what" we gather for - primarily to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all things as I have commanded you." Therefore, as above, it is a combination of volume (total membership) and section (urban, suburban, rural, etc.) it seems.

Over the years, the number of souls belonging to Our Savior has grown, as has the population of the surrounding community. In conjunction with this, the physical plant and location of our church has changed. These transformations are "paving the way" to accommodate a larger number of people who will be Rooted in Grace, Growing in Faith, and Serving with Joy.

In review, 63%, or approximately 3,100, congregations of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod are comprised of 150 members or less. In addition, 37%, or approximately 2,000 congregations, consist of 150 to 300 active members. This means that 90% (5,100) are smaller than Our Savior Lutheran Ministries.

Said another way, only 50 (10%) of our sister churches are of a similar makeup. So the "odds" are pretty good that the way we "do" our mission and ministry will be different from the majority of LCMS churches, in the same way that the five-lane road is different from the majority of residential streets in a suburban community.

Meanwhile, be assured that these accommodations to meet our growing mission do not change our biblical or doctrinal foundation in any way.

In His Grace,

PS+

(Again, the source of the topic above is: "Mission Moments" from the Center for U.S. Missions, (LCMS), Irvine California; Following Jesus into the U.S. Mission Field, Size Matters: Mission, Ministry, Boards and Staff, October-November 2006.)

The Family Church - Active Membership 50 or less

The Pastoral Church - Active Membership 50-150

The Program Church Active Membership 150-350

The Corporate [Large Groups] Church Active Membership 350 plus

The Lay Governing Board (LGB) has set a date and time for the next regular Stewards' Meeting. It will be on Sunday, May 20, at 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. If you are a voting member of OSLM (i.e., a communicant member, age 18 or older), I hope that you will take the time to come to this meeting, since the May Stewards' meeting is usually the most important one of the year. There will be three main items of business on the agenda:

1. The election of new LGB members - John Honig and Marilyn Janzen are completing their three- year terms of service on the LGB, so we need to elect two people to fill their seats for the next three years. The Nominating Committee has been working diligently to try to get at least four candidates for those two positions. Typically, these elections are strongly contested, often going through several ballots, so by all means come and vote for your favorite candidates. This is one of your main opportunities to influence the future direction of OSLM.
2. A discussion of our Critical Targets and Goals - This has two parts: (a) How did we do on the Goals we set for ourselves for the current fiscal year (2006-07)? and (b) What plans have been developed to meet the Goals we have set for next year (2007- 08)? Each of these questions will be addressed by Pastor Scharnitzke and by other staff members, but I also intend to keep the meeting as open as possible to your comments and questions about where we are going and how we are going to get there.
3. Adoption of the FY 2007-08 Budget - This is where our Critical Targets meet our checkbook. We want to have a budget that is consistent with our Targets and Goals, i.e., we want to spend our money on the things that we think are the most important. Joe Ryno and other members of the staff are working hard to develop a budget that does just that. Of course, we also need to meet our financial obligations, and we have quite a few that we didn't have last year (e.g., a full-time Senior Pastor, the Pastor's house, and the construction of the Ministry Center). So please, come to the meeting and participate in this important decision-making process.

I hope to see you all there. Please put the meeting on your calendar: Sunday, May 20, 4:00 p.m.

We give God the glory for a successful school auction. Our theme was "A Stroll through the Vineyard". We especially are thankful for the work of:

• Debbie Bertolino, Auction Coordinator - and her donation of countless hours and efforts.
• Traci Sprayberry and Angela Westphal, Co- coordinators who took care of every little detail!
• All the teachers and their parent volunteers who made, or contributed to, the beautiful class baskets.
• The parents, who without their generous donations of time, talent and treasure, this event would not be possible.
• The business community at large for their donations to our auction.

We give God the glory for the parents and staff who are working with the students for the upcoming track meet in May.

• Jr. High Track Coach: Fred Brauer
• Jr. High Assistant Coach: Robert Hobson
• Elementary Track Coach: Mickey Angerman
• Elementary Assistant Track Coach: Kelly Curtis
• Nutritionist: Carlyne Schultz

We give God the glory for all the lambs God has placed in our care.

Class of 2007 - Highest Honors
Claire Managan, daughter of Jayne and Robb Managan, has earned Valedictorian Honors for the class of 2007. Katelyn McMenamin, daughter of Deb and Sean McMenamin has earned Salutatorian Honors. We congratulate both of these students for their hard work. Both students will have the opportunity to address their graduating class at the graduation worship service on June 7.

Honor Students for the Class of 2007 are: Daniel Wright, Evan Carlo, Sarah Slabaugh, Katherine Dubowy, Justin Brauer, Marshall Hoaglin, and Amanda Pereira. Students must have an "A" average (92% or higher) over the last three years of school to be an honor student. We congratulate these students as well.

Honor Roll
The following students maintained grade averages to place them on the straight "A" Honor Roll. In order to be on the straight "A" honor roll, students must receive an "A" grade in every subject. In Grade 6: Natalia Custodio, Jessica Estrada, Sara Miller, Kaila Silver, and Kenneth Sturgill. In Grade 7: Nolan Beguhl, Sarah Carter, Jaimeson Cortez, Morgan Cortez, Jennifer Lackey, Jasmine MacDonald, Christine Tomasetti, and Amy Tripp. In Grade 8: Daniel Beguhl, Justin Brauer, Claire Managan, Katelyn McMenamin, Sarah Slabaugh, and Daniel Wright.

The following students maintained grade averages to place them on the "A" Honor Roll. In order to be on the "A" honor roll, students must receive an "A" AVERAGE in their subjects with no grade being a C or lower. In Grade 6: Devan Bertolino, Maria Carlson, Monica Chin, Kylie Clark, Christine Emerson, Malia Gonzales, Levi Matsushima, Mitchell Mayo, John McIntyre, Kendall Ott, Tei'a Peuliu, Brandon Reichmuth, Robert Sanlis, Nicolas Trebes, and Kelly Wright. In Grade 7: Emily Buyer, Taylor Fleer, Henry Jones, Brooke Lari, Christopher Miller, Allie Parker, Lucas Pertica, Julia Stager, and Sean Westphal. In Grade 8: Forrest Bradley, Evan Carlo, Katherin Dubowy, BreAnn Hipple, Marshall Hoaglan, Matthew Lonsinger, Chelsea Marriott, Jared McCallister, Richard McWilliams, Amanda Pereira, and Garrett Steward.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT OSLS

Track Meet
On May 12, students in grades K-8 will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Track Meet conducted in Fremont. It's a day of great competition, and plenty of fun, and lots of sunburn!

Graduation Banquet
The Graduation Banquet will be conducted in the school gym on June 1 beginning at 6:00 p.m. The focus of the evening will be the graduates - their accomplishments and honors, their history with the school (the good times and the bad), and what they see in the future. The evening will begin with a reception, followed by a dinner, a program where awards are distributed, prophecies and class wills read, and student speeches given. It will conclude with a junior high dance for students to celebrate their upcoming graduation.

Graduation
Graduation is on Thursday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Forty-two students will be presented with their diplomas. The Valedictorian and Salutatorian will have their opportunity to present their speeches. A brief reception will follow in the gymnasium.

Band / Handbell Concert
The OSLS Band, under the direction of Amanda Newman will have its annual Spring Band Concert in conjunction with the OSLM Handbell Choirs under the direction of Christa Even. You will have the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of music on Tuesday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. OSLS students will have a preview of the concert during that day.

SAT Testing / "Winterim"
Students in grades 1-8 will be taking the Stanford Achievement Test 10 during the week of May 14. Students in grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 will also be taking the Otis-Lennon School Ability testing. In an effort to make sure our students do their very best, we ask parents to ensure their child(ren) get plenty of rest.

In Grades 6-8, the "normal" classes are suspended during SAT10 testing and the week of "Winterim" is enacted. These are a series of "mini-classes" in a wide range of different areas, which include airplane building, bridge making, masks, bonsai trees, several field trips, and fun activities of bowling and "Boomers."

It's almost unbelievable that summer is just around the corner, but since the calendar says it's May, that must be true! The musical groups at Our Savior continue to work toward different end-of-year events. We pray that the musical was a blessing to all those who attended. If you see a young person who was involved, let him or her hear from you!

May will include two ministry-sponsored musical events, both presented by young people. On Thursday evening, May 24, the handbell choirs from Concordia University, Irvine will present a delightful concert at 7:00 p.m. in our sanctuary. Concordia has a fantastic program, and these young people are eager to share their music with all of us! HOUSING is needed for these musicians - sixteen homes to be exact. If you can take a group of two or three students, please let Christa Even know soon! Call 447-1246, ext. 231. If you have a high school student who may be thinking about the next step (college!), this would be a great opportunity to learn more about one of our Lutheran schools firsthand!

Our other event is on Tuesday, May 29, at 7:00 p.m. The bands of Our Savior School and our ministry handbell groups for children will present a joint concert, also in the sanctuary. It will be a short concert - an opportunity to see how becoming a musician begins. If you want to support these students, or are interested in these programs for your child, join us!

One more event, not in May, but coming soon, is our annual spring concert of lighter music. Sunday, June 3 is the date; 3:00 pm is the time. We have some musical treats in store for you in this "Summertime!" concert - some with uplifting spiritual messages and others that are just great fun! We know you can turn on your radio or listen to your iPod any time and listen to good music, but what could top hearing LIVE music presented by friends in your church family! Join us for the concert and fabulous food afterward!

Upcoming Musical Events in the Sanctuary (Ministry and Community)

• Saturday, May 19: Cantabella Community Children's Chorus, 3:00 pm
• Thursday, May 24: Concordia Irvine Handbells, 7:00 pm
• Tuesday, May 29: OSL Bands and Children's Bells, 7:00 pm
• Sunday, June 3: OSL "Summertime!" Concert, 3:00 pm

• 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 8, 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 for this month is Captured by Grace, by David Jeremiah, ISBN #1-59145-389-5. This book is available at www.amazon.com. We'll meet for our discussion time on Tuesday, May 22, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in Room 8. Call Steve Christopher at 447-1246 ext. 228 for more information.

Upcoming Event

Sunday, June 3 is the date for the "Summertime!" Concert, presented by the musical groups of Our Savior Lutheran Ministries. Join us at 3 p.m. for the concert and fabulous food afterward!

National Youth Gathering Participants
Please plan on attending a mandatory meeting on Sunday, May 20 from 7-9 p.m. in the gym. If you are going to the NYG, you need to be there for this meeting. Call Timothy if you have questions, 447- 1246, ext. 261.

FISH (Junior High Youth) and CLIMB (High School Youth)
Details about this month's event will be in the Grapevine and on flyers to come. If you have any questions, contact Timothy Potthoff.

My heart leaps for joy. Psalm 28:7

Wow-it's so hard to believe that the school year is almost over! We have had so much fun these last weeks of school that we are leaping for joy!

• We have learned of all the wonders of the ocean.
• Moms and dads came to visit for a special day of fun.
• We had a parade with teddy bears.
• We will have our end of the year graduation and chapel services.
• We will have our annual Ice Cream Float Open House.

Those are all wonderful reasons to jump for joy! We leap for joy as we think of summer camp fun and relaxing in the sun. We leap for joy when we think of the people that pray for us each year, thanking God that we have children to teach and teachers to teach them. We leap in anticipation of next year.

The one big reason that I leap for joy this time of year is thinking of all the "Jesus moments" that have happened this year: morning prayer, singing to Jesus, snack time prayer, playing with Jesus on the playground, story time, hearing about Jesus and how he loves us, and chapel time. Those "Jesus moments" that we have each day are the times that we are here for, and it makes us leap for joy! The "Jesus moments" each and every day are the moments that we touch lives and plant seeds.

This month, as preschool comes to an end for another school year, let's pray that we are having many "Jesus moments" everyday. Share Jesus with a friend. We do just that in preschool every day and we invite you to join us.

Renovation is under way! Cleanout of the building should be done as you read this. The next major visible step is to cut the doors and windows on the east and west sides of the building. We are meeting weekly with the architect and contractor project manager to ensure all goes smoothly. If there are no unforeseen delays, renovation should be complete by February, 2008.

Please keep the workers in your prayers.

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

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

General Giving for March is DOWN 16.7% 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 during the current fiscal year. Given this fact, we are also DOWN 8% YTD, however this difference should easily be made up by fiscal year-end.

Balances in our checking and savings accounts total $398,604 which includes $44,198 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 March, we received $15,948, however, funds normally set aside for this account were probably used for the Thrivent matching funds program.

The Thrivent GivingPlus program has generated $96,103 for the benefit of the Ministry Center. This includes $27,295 matching funds received from Thrivent.

Diners' Club wraps up another season of fellowship and fine food in May. We are glad that everyone enjoyed this year's activities. Thanks to all the hosts and guests for participating. Everyone did a great job!

We will resume in September. We are looking forward to dinners with you this Fall. New members are always welcome. If you are interested in joining Diners' Club, please contact Jo Ann Swift.

The schedule for May is as follows. Host(s) names are in bold.

• Suzie Chamberlain; Guests: Dave & Ada Dorn, Roy & Bea Slice, Carmen Jellinghausen
• Jack & Leslie Hitchcock; Guests: Hal & Ann Brand
• Norm & Kris Back; Guests: Mark & Ruth McDonald, Phil & Judy Niemi
• Arnie & Joan Lange; Guests: Lou & Kathy Bertolini, Jim & Sandy Hermerding
• John & Sylvette Phillips; Guests: Bob & Judi Greenwalt, Herb & Virginia Street
• Joe & Rita Ryno; Guests: Charlie, Jo Ann & Chuck Swift, Hal & Jan Pfeifer, Dan Smith
• Wayne & Jacki Shotts; Guests: Pete & Ann Oliver, Les & Erna Knott
• Mike & Ellyn Wheeler; Guests: Marcos & Susan Contreras, Ann Benson, Gloria Streufert

During the six weeks of Lent, 15 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 Scharnitzke, Steve Christopher, and Timothy Potthoff, 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:

Celine Elaine Asef, daughter of Faramarz Asef and Robin Young;
Kristian Thomas Berry, son of Thomas and Antonia Berry;
Klayton Frederick Brauer, son of Frederick and Karla Brauer;
Matthew Jordan Carlo, son of Eric and Katherine Carlo;
Logan Stanley Eppstein, son of Cynthia and Simon Eppstein;
Clayton Nicholas Frieders, son of Gene and Sue Frieders;
Jonathan Scott Futral, son of Linda and Scott Futral;
Ashleigh Elizabeth Garrett, daughter of Janet Wardlaw;
Christopher Alan Heckman, son of Claudia and Alan Heckman;
Stephanie Elizabeth Herbert, daughter of Jim and Sandy Herbert;
Craig James Lewis, son of Janet Wardlaw;
Russell Alexander Newman, son of Charlie and Kathy Newman;
Brendan Paul Schierloh, son of John and Shari Schierloh;
Madeline Joan Schmitz, daughter of Aline Tewes and Joe Schmitz;
Jonathan Derek Wapman, son of Kay and Derek Wapman.

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!

Vacation Bible Camp at Our Savior will take place July 9 - 13. The theme for this year is the "Quest for Truth." Sessions take place from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and we will begin in the sanctuary. Children ages 3 years through 5th grade are invited to attend, and they will have fun with games, crafts, music and snacks. A donation of $10 per camper is requested. Registration forms are available at the church office or online at www.oslm.net. See you there!

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: 10:15 a.m.
• Sequel Workshop: 11:15 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.