What an exciting day at Our Savior Lutheran Ministries on April 6, 2008, as the 24,000 square foot Ministry Center was dedicated to the glory of God! The dedication was held at the conclusion of the 9 a.m. worship service with the congregation assembling in the Ministry Center, asking God to bless all who use it.

We are looking forward to celebrating a Grand Opening of this building with the Livermore community on June 7 from 1-4 p.m.

Last month we geared up for the dedication of the Ministry Center. Like Solomon and the people of Israel, we set aside time to focus solely on our God's goodness and mercy. Now we anxiously wait for the completion of the property and the permits to move in.

In his devotional, Turn, Max Lucado brings up God's response to Solomon following that dedication (2 Chronicles 7:12-16). In the private exchange, our Lord affirmed that in the future he would close the heavens, send locusts or plagues, and most importantly, be present to heal those who turn to Him.

Similarly, in dedicating this facility, we have asked Jesus for this to be An Amazing Place for Healing in the Livermore community. We know that there will always be people hurting from the difficulties of life. He can and will comfort, support, and even make them well. We believe that He will do some of that through this congregation. To be confident of this, let's heed what God told the King:

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

By practicing the spiritual discipline outlined above, we will serve as forgiven people who are His tools of healing. Humility stems from genuine contrition, as in public, private, or personal confession. "Seeking God's face" happens when we study His word (the Bible). In prayer, we speak to our Lord in response to His messages. These practices "turn" us away from the harmful and inspire us to be helpful.

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Thanks to all of you who responded to the Survey Monkey on-line survey that we conducted last month. We got a lot of good feedback, both in your answers to the multiple-choice questions and (especially) in your written comments.

Let me just summarize some of the high points of the survey results (if you would like a copy of the results, and/or a summary of the written comments, contact Sylvette Phillips or Marcus Schildbach). For one thing, the respondents were a good cross-section of the congregation (both men and women, all age groups, and all levels of experience at OSLM). There were a total of 93 of you who responded, and almost without exception, all agreed that our present Goals are either "very important" or "somewhat important" to our mission. In other words, we are aiming in the right direction. However, when it came to evaluating how well we are doing at actually achieving these Goals, the majority of the responses were in the "good" and "fair" areas. That is, we still have a long way to go, which is not surprising when you consider that these are intended to be 5-10 year goals.

On April 11, the LGB met for the purpose of generating the revised Critical Targets and Goals for 2008-09, and the following day many of the lay and professional leaders of OSLM met to study them and to start formulating plans for achieving these new Goals. During both of these meetings, your survey input, especially the written comments, were referred to often and had a significant impact on the results. When the new Critical Targets and Goals are presented at the May 18 Voters' Meeting, I hope that many of you will recognize the effect of your input. So thank you again for being such an important part of the process of planning for the future of OSLM.

We give God the glory for . . .

• Debbie Bertolino - Auction Chair, Sherri Jackson, Marianne Knowlton, Mickey Peterson, Michele Scharnitzke, Traci Sprayberry, Angela Westphal, - Auction committee members
• All the parents who coordinated their class basket, as well as those who contributed to them.
• All of our families who, by their attendance and participation, made the auction the successful event it was. Without you, it would not have happened! Thanks so much!
• Mickey Angerman and Fred Brauer for heading up the track practices. Special thanks to Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Eckel, Mrs. Johansson, Mrs. Vail, Mr. Chadwick, Mr. Krafcik, and Mr. Hobson for working with the students for the upcoming track meet in May.
• All the lambs God has placed in our care.

W.A.S.C. ACCREDITATION
We are going to try it again! If you remember, we were scheduled to have our WASC Accreditation Team Visit in February. That had to be postponed because the chairperson of the visiting team required medical attention three days before the visit! So the rescheduled time is April 27-30th. Hopefully, by the time you receive this . . . the visit will be concluded . . . the special 1st grade chapel on Wednesday, April 30 (instead of Thursday) will have impressed the visiting team . . . the teachers will be relaxed once again . . . and Mrs. Angerman and the Steering Committee will have nothing but smiles on their faces for completing a job well done.

Class of 2008 - Highest Honors
For 2008 we will have two valedictorians! Their past three year academic grade averages were separated by only 0.018 of a point! That is simply too close to call. We congratulate (in alphabetical order) our two valedictorians:
* Jaimeson Cortez, son of Jaime and Eleanor Cortez, and
* Morgan Cortez, daughter of Robert Cortez and Laura Onstead-Cortez.

We also want to recognize Jennifer Lackey, daughter of David and Debbie Lackey who has earned Salutatorian Honors for the Class of 2008.

We congratulate all three of these students for their hard work. All of them will have the opportunity to address their graduating class at the graduation worship service on June 5 at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary. This will be followed by a brief reception.

Honor Roll - Third Quarter
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: Krystal Hill, Letitia Edwards, Tito Quihuis, and Jonathan Wapman
• In Grade 7: Jessica Estrada.
• In Grade 8: Sarah Carter, Jaimeson Cortez, Morgan Cortez, Jennifer Lackey, and Amy Tripp

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: Klayton Brauer, Daniel Chrisman, Alex Clark, Mary Ellam, Logan Eppstein, Taylor Harrison, Bailey McCrory, Benjamin Nilsen, Matthew Proetel, Jennifer Reiches, Kathryn Thibault, Alex Wang, and Lauren Young
• In Grade 7: Devan Bertolino, Kylie Clark, Malia Gonzales, Kaila Silver, Kenneth Sturgill, and Nicolas Trebes
• In Grade 8: Nolan Beguhl, Emily Buyer, Brooke Lari, Jasmine MacDonald, Allie Parker, Lucas Pertica, Sean Westphal, and Jordyn Wright.

Upcoming Events at OSLS

F.A.M.E. - May 1 - 2
Our last F.A.M.E. (Fine Arts Mini-Experience) of the year will be presented to students on May 1 and 2. The artist presented will be Andrew Wyeth and his work "Chambered Nautilus." The composer highlighted will be Ferde Grofe with emphasis on "Sunrise and Cloudburst Movements" from the Grand Canyon Suite.

Track Meet - May 10
On May 10, 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! We will need parents for support and cheering!

"Promotion Day" - May 14
On May 14 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., the faculty will be conducting a continuing student "Promotion Day." This will simply be an opportunity for students and parents alike to look ahead to next year, visit the classrooms for the next year, talk to the teachers, etc. There will also be root beer floats and some cookies available for snacking. Please join us as your time permits.

"Bingo Schmingo" Assembly - May 16
The preschool through grade one will be the recipients of an assembly entitled "Bingo Schmingo." The program was developed by a teacher while teaching kindergarten in a high English as a Second Language school. Songs are interactive, promoting language development, phonemic awareness, and just great fun. This assembly was made possible by a gift from one of our parents.

Sports Banquet - May 20
On May 20, the OSLS athletes (volleyball, basketball, cheerleading) will have their annual Sports Banquet. This event recognizes all of our OSLS sports participants for their efforts and achievements over the past year. It is a fun and exciting event. More information will be sent to the athletes and their parents.

Bells and Band Concert - May 21
The Our Savior Bells and Band will have its annual Spring Band Concert on Wednesday, May 21 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Students will have a preview of the concert on the same day at 1:30 p.m., so if you can't come in the evening, join us at 1:30 p.m.

Talent Show (K-8) - May 23
OSLS will be conducting a Talent Show on May 23 at 1:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Guidelines are still being developed, so students should watch for more information!

Chapel - (Kindergarten Message) - May 29
There is always an invitation for everyone to join us for chapel every Thursday morning from 8:40 -9:20 a.m. We extend a special invitation to all kindergarten parents to join us on May 29 for chapel since the kindergarten classes will be presenting the message through song, drama, "whatever." It is always interesting to hear about God's love for us - through the eyes of a kindergartener.

Graduation Banquet - May 30
The Graduation Banquet will be conducted in the school gym on May 30 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, student speeches given, and their choice of a speaker from the faculty. It will conclude with a junior high dance for students to celebrate their upcoming graduation. The dance will conclude at 10:30 p.m.

Graduations - June 3, 4, 5
Preschool
* June 3 at 10:30 a.m. (Preschool chapel following the graduation)
* June 4 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (Preschool chapel at 2:00 p.m.)
8th Grade Graduation
* June 5 at 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary

Yes, that's right! The spring musical presented by the children's choirs is coming soon - and at a new time. Due to our new worship schedule, we will present this wonderful walk (actually run!) through the Bible on Sunday, May 18, at 11:30 a.m. This gives you the opportunity to do MANY things that Sunday morning, so we pray that you will save the last 45 minutes of the morning to enjoy a wonderful performance! The choirs have been rehearsing since February (that's why you're not hearing them much in church!), and are looking forward to sharing this musical with the Our Savior community. HURRY to the sanctuary after Sequel, Bible class or KIDZ CLUB to hear the great news of Jesus in song.

• Monday morning Bible study meets weekly at the home of Ann Brand at 9:30 a.m.
• "Living Beyond Yourself" - Exploring the fruits of the Spirit. This is a Bible Study opportunity just for women based on Galatians 5:22-23. "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." This is a wonderful, in-depth, video study by Beth Moore. Facilitators will be Michele Scharnitzke and Karen Buntjer. We will meet in Room 9 from 7 - 9 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning April 16 and ending June 25 (11 weeks). The cost will be $20 for the study workbook. Refreshments and childcare (Room 3) will be provided. For more info or to sign up, email Michele at mmsemail@c omcast.net. You may also sign up by calling the church office, 447-1246. We look forward to growing together!
• "Stitches from the Heart:" Join them on the first Tuesday of the month for gathering together for fellowship and working on the needed baby blankets/hats/booties for the little ones to be warmed and loved. The group will meet on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 from 7 - 9 p.m. at the Dorns'. Newcomers welcome!
• Women's "Catch All Night" will meet on Sunday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the ECDC. This gathering provides an opportunity for women to gather socially while accomplishing tasks along the way. Bring something to work on, like a craft, mending, paying bills, whatever you need to accomplish. Come and join in the fun and fellowship!
• The Women's Bible Study Group meets at the home of Dee Christopher. Please call the church office for their next meeting, 447-1246.

Men's Ministry

• The Men's Breakfast Bible Study continues to meet on Fridays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 at 6:30 a.m. at Baker's Square, 1116 Stanley Blvd. in Livermore. All men of Our Savior are invited to attend! Remember to bring your Bible!
• 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

All Young Adults are welcome to attend a weekly walk with God in His Word and a chance to fellowship with one another on Sunday evenings. Please contact the church office, 447-1246, for more details.

Ongoing Events

• Blood Pressure Monitoring will be offered in the Family Room after the 9 a.m. 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 13, from 7 - 9 p.m. in Room 18. Come and join in the fun!
• The Christian Reading Club of Our Savior will meet on Tuesday, May 20, at 7 p.m. in Room 8. The book to be discussed is, Kingdom Triangle, by J.P. Moreland. All readers welcome! Questions? Contact Steve Christopher, 447-1246, ext. 228.

Upcoming Event

Join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of the Ministry Center on June 7 from 1 - 4 p.m.

F.I.S.H. (7th and 8th grade)
Come test your skill on the bowling lanes Saturday, May 10, 7 - 9 p.m. The cost is $15, which includes shoe rental. Bring your friends! Sign up on or before Wednesday, May 7. For more information and to sign up, contact Timothy Potthoff at 447-1246, ext. 261 or email him at tpotthoff@oslm.net.

JUNIOR HIGH DISTRICT YOUTH GATHERING
If you missed the early bird registration for the Junior High District Youth Gathering, you can still sign up for this event during the standard registration. The price of standard registration is $110. Sign up with Timothy Potthoff on or before Wednesday, May 28. The Junior High District Youth Gathering is for all youth who will be entering 7th-9th grade next school year. The dates are JUNE 22-25, 2008 at Mt. Cross Ministries in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

C.L.I.M.B. (9th - 12th grade)

• The big celebration night planned is going to happen Saturday, May 24 from 7 - 10 p.m. Come out for free food, fun, and fellowship. Spend two hours hanging out and enjoying all that the new youth room has to offer!
• Mark your calendar for the annual lake retreat to the Handrock Cabin. The retreat will be from July 24 - 27. It will be a great time filled with spending time in the hot tub, going kayaking, tubing, and hanging out with friends. More information to come soon.

You are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8

As our year in Preschool draws to an end, it is our hope that all of the lambs in our care leave knowing that they walk with Jesus as their light. During the month of April, we learned how Jesus took care of His people and how He continues to care for us. It is our prayer for you this month that you let Jesus take care of you. Often we take on burdens without realizing that we could just give them to Jesus. Take time to let Jesus take care of you!

The month of April brought much excitement to the preschool. We began the month celebrating "The Week of the Young Child" with other preschools in the Tri-Valley. We had a bounce house, pajama day and a teddy bear parade and picnic. We hope that you took some time to view our art show in the sanctuary. During the middle of the month, if you had come to the ECDC, you would have seen the Big Room transformed into Dino Land. The children had a wonderful time climbing up Dinosaur Mountain, crossing over dino swamp and crawling through the dinosaur cave. We ended our month with a wonderful stuffed animal pet show.

The month of May brings our annual Muffins with Mom and Donuts with Dad, as well as gardening and beach weeks. We will continue to have fun at the ECDC and hope that your month is filled with fun as well.

We hope you all enjoyed the sneak preview of the Ministry Center following the dedication ceremony on April 6. Those of you who missed it, please be patient. We hope to have the occupancy permit by late April or early May. At that point we can move in, assuming all the finishing touches are complete. As of this writing, we are preparing for the testing of alarms, laying carpet, completing the landscaping, and cleaning up, etc.

We thank you for all your prayers and support during this renovation.

On May 4, 2008, fourteen young people from our congregation will stand before the Lord, their friends and family, and publicly confess their faith in Jesus Christ, which was given to them at their Baptism.

The Confirmation Class of 2008
Amanda Anderson
Emily Buyer
Dillon Graber
Brandon Hall
Chris Hermes
Madison Hinrichs
Craig Lewis
Hailey McDonald
Anna Stiffler
Jeff Stiffler
Andrew Scharnitzke
Clifford Tam
Julie Walsh
Sean Westphal

For a more personal look at these young people, click here.

The congregation is invited to witness the Confirmation class share their faith expressions on Saturday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. The faith expressions can be presented in a variety of forms, such as a video, a power point presentation, singing of an original song, the writing of a poem or story, a drama production, a visual work of art, or a speech based on their Confirmation verse.

If you are unable to attend, we ask for your presence in thought and prayer for our Confirmands.

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.

Largely due to Easter Sunday, general giving for March was up 5% from the budget projection and is also up 11.2% year-to-date. This continues to be great news for this budget year; however, general giving will need to continue as usual or better to maintain our budget requirements.

The church has a positive net income of $9,723 year- to-date. The school shows a negative net income of $56,792 primarily due to the downsized enrollment and settlement of a lawsuit. At this time, the Early Childhood Center also has a positive net income of $17,597.

Balances in our checking and savings accounts total $193,884, which includes $18,863 in the Building Up - Reaching Out fund. The Church's portion of the mortgage is being paid out of this fund. Monthly pledges needed to make the mortgage payment are $22,000. In March, we received $19,761; however, funds normally set aside for this account were contributed to the Thrivent GivingPlus campaign in the additional amount of $3,225, for a total of $22,986.

The next regular semi-annual Voters' Assembly (also known as the Stewards' Meeting) will be held on Sunday, May 18, at 6:00 p.m. in the new Ministry Center (if it is available). It will be preceded by a potluck dinner at 5:00 p.m., also in the Ministry Center. The main items of business will be the election of two new directors to the Lay Governing Board, the approval of the 2008-09 budget, and the presentation of our new Critical Targets and Goals.

Please plan to attend!

Take a short break from yard work, team sports, and spring cleaning with an hour of light musical enjoyment on June 1 at 3 p.m. The talented musicians of Our Savior are preparing some beautiful and inspiring music, as well as a few pieces that are just plain fun! You will hear choir, brass, bells, piano and maybe more! After the concert we will enjoy root beer floats and ice cream sundaes -YUM! Invite a friend or two; this is always a relaxing, informal and enjoyable Sunday afternoon.

It's Amazing how much we accumulate, isn't it? Wouldn't it be Amazing to be able to raise some major funds for the Youth Program? Gather up those Amazing treasures that take up space and are cluttering up your life and home. You will be Amazed at how much better you will feel when you can separate yourself from those Amazing lifestyle-clogging items. Someone else would love to have them to enhance their life.

We will be planning to have our Amazing Sale on May 31. Watch for details in The Grapevine. Contact Sylvette Phillips or email her at Phillips_092 66@msn.com if you have any questions. (Thanks to Leslie Hitchcock who is helping with this project!)

Join us as Our Savior is transformed into a forest and we trek through the woods in search of our forever friend Jesus.

Registration has begun; you may pick up your registration form from the church office or visit our Web Site at www.oslm.net; click on "family." There are a variety of ways to get involved. Tell your friends and neighbors. Pray for us! Prayer cards are available on Sunday mornings at the VBC table. Register your children to attend.

Junior High and High School Students are needed as Junior Crew Leaders and Junior Staff. We need crew leaders to lead the children from station to station. No teaching prep is required. This is a wonderful way to help children find their forever friend in Jesus. You may sign up to be a crew leader at our VBC table on Sunday mornings. We need volunteers to help make this wonderful event a reality.

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.
• Sequel: 10:30 a.m.

Critical Targets and Goals

To accomplish our mission and ministry here at Our Savior:

• STAFFING LEVEL: The staff of OSLM (both professional and volunteer) has the size, the combination of skills, and the organizational structure that are needed to achieve the Desired Outcomes.
• REFRESHING THE VISION: The Stewards understand the Vision and Mission of OSLM, and they are actively engaged in defining and carrying out the Mission.
• NUMERICAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH: OSLM is experiencing continual year-by-year growth in (1) communicant membership, (2) worship attendance, and (3) number of people engaged in ministry activities.
• HOME AND FOREIGN OUTREACH: The staff and the Stewards of OSLM are carrying out a variety of mission activities here in the Livermore area, in the northern California region, and in foreign countries.
• PHYSICAL PLANT: The physical facilities of OSLM, both on and off the main campus, are being used effectively to achieve the Desired Outcomes.
• MINISTRY TO YOUNG ADULTS: The number of active communicant members in the 18-40 age group is growing year-by-year. OSLM is carrying out a variety of ministries aimed at the different sub-groups within this age group, including un-churched families of OSLS students.

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.