(Thanks to Debbie Marchini for this photo, taken at Pastor Scharnitzke's installation on August 27, 2006.)

“How can we know the way? Jesus answered, ‘I am the way.’” John 14:5c-6a

It’s only a matter of time now as the final steps are progressing in preparation for a Stewards' meeting regarding the building out of the Ministry Center. Meanwhile, there is no waiting when it comes to the reaching out and building up of our mission and ministry. Thanks to everyone who has come forward to provide new or renewed fellowship, Bible study, workshops, outreach, care ministry, etc. Let’s keep it up. We can’t possibly “over-construct” our spiritual house!

Also, I hope that this poem will provide insight to Jesus’ words, and inspiration to help others navigate.

In last month’s Newsletter, I raised an important question that the Lay Governing Board is trying to answer: given OSLM’s limited resources of time, talent, and treasure, how can we use them most effectively for the Kingdom of God? The short answer that I gave then was: do our part to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). But this is only part of the answer, since we also need to look at our congregation’s “everyday” activities and see how they are contributing to this goal.

Again, we can look to the Scriptures to see what these everyday activities were like in the early church. In Acts 2:42-47, we find, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The first sentence describes their corporate worship, which included study of the Word, fellowship, Holy Communion, and prayer. The next sentence describes the attitude they demonstrated in their daily lives. And the last sentence gives the result, which was that many of the people who saw these Christians and heard their testimony came to a saving faith in Christ.

These verses from Acts would make a pretty good mission statement for any congregation. However, our own Mission Statement, adopted a few years ago, is a little different. It says that OSLM’s mission is to (1) proclaim salvation through God’s grace in word and song, (2) build Christian relationships, (3) care for the people of the community, and (4) equip God’s people for life in Christ. These are not the same words, but they express many of the same ideas.

There is still, of course, the question of priorities. What specifically should we be emphasizing now in order to do the best job of carrying out this Mission? That is the question you elected the LGB to answer, but in order to answer it we need input from you, the Stewards of the congregation. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you think.

Accreditation Progress – Our Accreditation Team is moving along strongly. We are planning to have the final visitation for accreditation completed in the spring of 2007. It may sound like a long time off, but it is much closer than you might think! We will be getting our focus groups started shortly after January 1st. You might get tapped on the shoulder and asked to help as we evaluate our school’s progress. 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.

Yosemite / Catalina – Both 7th & 8th grades will once again participate in an outdoor education week during the week of November 5.

The 7th grade will be going to Yosemite. They will spend Sunday through Tuesday at “Crane Flats” where they may encounter snow at an elevation of approximately 7000 feet. On Tuesday evening they will come down to the Yosemite “valley” where they will continue the hiking and group building. They return to the school on Friday, November 10 at about 5:00 p.m.

The 8th grade will be going to Catalina. They will spend their first night on board a boat in Long Beach. On Monday, they will be conducting several “experiments” on board the boat while traveling to Catalina Island. While on Catalina, they will kayak, snorkel, hike, dissect squid, learn about water salinity, and work on team building. They return to school on Friday, November 10 at about 10:00 p.m.

Parent Teacher Conferences – The first quarter of school ends on October 27 (seems like we just started). On November 2-3, we will be conducting very important parent teacher conferences. Grades K-5 will have scheduled times to meet with each teacher. Grades 6-8 will again meet in the gym where parents will have opportunity to meet with all of their child(ren)’s teachers. This is an extremely valuable time for teachers and parents alike.

Teacher In-Service will be conducted on October 9 for all K-8 teachers. There is no school for students on that day. The topic will center around our accreditation process.

FALL FUN FEST! The annual PTO Fall Fun Fest will be on October 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be games, food, and fun for the adults and children alike. Join us.

Chapel is conducted each week at OSLS. Our theme for the year is “CrossRoads – Come and Journey.” The chapel, generally led by Linda Greenhagen, has a variety of staff members giving a message. Each grade is also responsible to lead a chapel one time during the course of the year. The schedule for those “special” chapel services is:

• Fifth Grade – September 21
• Sixth Grade – October 19
• Fourth Grade – November 16
• Eighth Grade – January 25
• Seventh Grade – February 15
• Third Grade – March 8
• Second Grade – March 29
• First Grade – May 10
• Kindergarten – May 31

Student Assembly – Our PTO provides funding for students to have special student Assemblies throughout the course of the year. This year we will have four assemblies. The dates and topics are:

• October 11 – “Bird Adventures”
• March 8 – “Science”
• April 2 – “Bike Show”
• May 7 – “Alborada”

Volleyball – Many of our 6th-8th grade students are currently practicing hard in volleyball. Our girls’ team coaches are Rebecca Rogers and Debbie Murray. The girls will have their end-of-year tournament at Prince of Peace-Fremont on October 7. Our boys’ team coach is Fred Brauer. They will have their end-of-year tournament at Prince of Peace-Fremont on October 14. Both teams will celebrate the end of the season on October 17, with a End-of-Season Parent/Student Volleyball Game and Pizza Night. Parents, beware!

Basketball Season begins for grades 5-6 with a Pre-Season Basketball meeting on October 10, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Room 9. Fred Brauer will explain all the rules and guidelines to parents and students. Plan on attending! It is important to get an early start since OSLS sponsors a “pre-season” basketball tournament on October 28 for the girls and on November 4th for the boys! It’s a great opportunity for students to “show off” all their talents!

Ashley and I have moved into an apartment and are starting to get acquainted with Our Savior Lutheran Ministries. We are excited to be here. Thank you for all of your prayers for us while we moved here. I am excited to be the coach of the youth here and to lead them in their walk with God. In the coming months, I will have the dates and information on what the youth will be doing.

For this month's issue, the Junior High Youth will be going to the corn maze and the High School Youth event is still to be determined. Thursday nights are High School youth night. Come out with your friends and have a great time playing games and talking with God. It is high energy and a friendly atmosphere.

Again, thank you for your excitement at having my wife and me here. It is great to be part of this ministry and to serve God here at this place.

• 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, October 10, 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 Luther: Biography of a Reformer by Frederick Nohl. (ISBN #0-7586-0651-6.) This book is available at Concordia Publishing House by phone, 1-800-325- 3040 or on their web site, www.cph.org or at www.amazon.com. We’ll meet for our discussion time on Tuesday, October 17, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 8. Call Steve Christopher at 447-1246 ext. 228 for more information.

Upcoming Events

The 6th Annual Talent Show will be held on Sunday, November 5th, at 4 p.m. This will be a fun-filled afternoon for all - a chance to be entertained, to discover unique talents of your fellow OSLM'ers, and to enjoy each others' fellowship. Pizza will be served afterwards!

DON’T MISS OUR SAVIOR’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, AT 4:00 p.m. Mark your calendars now so you can enjoy this time of preparation for the coming Christ child!

Attention High School Youth: our name has changed! Our new name is C.L.I.M.B. C.L.I.M.B. stands for Christ Living In My Body. In high school, you are CLIMBING toward a faith that is more personal and deeper than when you were a child; therefore, the name “C.L.I.M.B.” Come to CLIMB on Thursday nights from 7-9 p.m. in the gym. Come CLIMB with Christ!

God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:10b

Just think about that: “God saw that it was good.” When you were born, I think perhaps those were the words on God’s lips. What about when preschoolers sing to the Lord at Chapel, or repeat the Bible words for the week. Think about those times when they help a friend who falls or give a hug to a friend who misses Mom. I believe God is in heaven watching over us and many times says, “That was good.” As you walk through your days this month, look for those moments and tell yourself and your children, “That was good.” I think God says it every day to each of us.

Wow! That is the word that comes to mind when I think of September in the Preschool. We have made it through the first month, making new friends and adjusting to being at school without Mommy and Daddy. Thanks to the power of prayer, we have 130 children enrolled in our Preschool this year. That is 130 children we “get to” share God’s love with each and every day! We get the opportunity to help them find their way at a crossroad of life.

We learned about colors with color weeks. We shared God’s love with the promise God made to Noah and all of us with the rainbow. We learned about each others’ families as well as our feelings. We had a visit from Mr. Christopher for our first chapel and learned how each of us has special gifts that we share, and that God gave us the world as a gift as well as His Son.

As we move into October, we will be taking trips to the pumpkin patch and continuing to learn of God’s great love for us.

Remember to take time to listen to God this month.

Choir Workshop October 14 – Get Ready for Christmas Concert

If you would love to sing with our choir, but can’t make a year-long commitment, consider joining the choir for a workshop on Saturday, October 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We plan to run through all of our music for the Christmas concert that day, so that we have a good foundation of preparation. We welcome any newcomers! If you would like to join choir for the whole fall season, come to rehearsals in the music room on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. If you can only join us for the concert, come each week between 7:50 and 8:30 pm. We will be preparing concert music at that time. Music is such a wonderful gift from God; why not consider giving the gift of music back to praise God! We have a great time together – join us! Call Christa Even at 447-1246, ext. 231 if you have questions.

Instrumentalists Needed

If you play a brass instrument, but have not yet played with our brass ensemble, now would be a great time to get involved! We have rehearsals from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. several Wednesday evenings each month. Rehearsals in October will be on October 11 and October 25 in the sanctuary. Pull that horn out of the closet and start playing again!

We’re also looking for string and woodwind players for our concert – call Christa Even if you’d like to play!

Christmas Concert December 10

DON’T MISS OUR SAVIOR’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, AT 4:00 p.m. Mark your calendars now so you can enjoy this time of preparation for the coming Christ child!

There will be an National Youth Gathering information meeting on Sunday, October 15 in the gym at 6:30 p.m. Youth and their parents are invited to attend.

Youth requirements to the attend the Gathering include:

• 15 years old by September 30, 2007
• Entering his or her sophomore year in high school in fall of 2007
• A 2007 high school graduate

Adult leader and a chaperone team will be discussed. A discussion on the costs will include:

• Registration fee
• Flight arrangements
• Hotel costs
• Food
• Personal spending

You may reserve a spot for the Gathering on October 15 by completing a registration form and providing a $100 deposit.

Questions? Call Timothy Potthoff at 447-1246, extension 261.

Please click here for the Preliminary Financial Report for August and also the Preliminary Fiscal Year Report for July 2006 to June 2007.

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

General Giving is UP 12.6% for August and 10.9% YTD.

Balances in our checking and savings accounts total $535,212, which includes $3755 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 August we received $36,182.

As a reminder, the Building Up – Reaching Out program began July 1, 2006. The pledges total $1,022,259 vs. a goal of $1,296,000. This leaves a shortage of $273,741, which will need to be covered by 1) increasing the pledges, or 2) lowering the construction costs, or 3) third source funding.

The Family Workshop has begun at Our Savior Lutheran Church! We meet in the gym every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. following Coffee and Fellowship time. Steve Christopher serves as the guide of this multi-media workshop. We will explore a variety of topics pertinent to family life in these busy and stressful days as we move further into the 21st Century. We have practical discussion of topics and look to see where the scriptures will guide us in addressing these vital issues within our families. The workshop is for anyone who is a member of a family: single, married, young, old, male, female, parent, grandparent, etc! Come and learn and grow!

The topic schedule for October is as follows:

• Oct. 1: Taming your Family Zoo—A 2nd Principle
• Oct. 8: Dealing with a Brat
• Oct. 15: Breaking Free of, “It’s all about me!”
• Oct. 22: Manners made Easier
• Oct. 29: Friendships made Easier

Your committee is working with the architect on the final details of the plans for the Ministry Center. The general contractor (Overaa Construction) is working on the costs and schedules, which should be finalized the first week of October. The bids from the subcontractors were due on September 21. When we have the contractor’s information, we can pursue the financing. It may be the end of the year before we begin real work in the building. (We received the building permit from the City early in September.)

As always, we solicit and appreciate your prayers and support.

The 6th Annual Talent Show will be held on Sunday, November 5th, at 4 p.m. Last years' performances included tuba, hand chimes, flute, vocals, keyboard, guitar, drums, accordion, dance and equestrian vaulting. This will be a fun-filled afternoon for all - a chance to be entertained, to discover unique talents of your fellow OSLM'ers, and to enjoy each others' fellowship. Pizza will be served afterwards! Those interested in performing (after all, you make the show), please contact Don Young during fellowship time or by phone. (Please call the church office for Don's phone number.) Experience not required. We welcome all levels of talent; this is a great opportunity to get up in front of a supportive group and showcase the gifts God has given you.

There is no Raiders game on this Sunday, and the 49ers should be victorious over Minnesota by our start time. Let's come out in numbers to support our performers. Please put this event on your calendars now!!

Attention Crafters! The OSLM annual Craft Boutique will be November 11, 2006 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are hoping you will join us this year! Participation flyers are in the church office, or you may contact Nora Zinnel (447-2082, ext. 252). Please share the news with your friends!

Attention, ladies of Our Savior: You are invited to a special evening to celebrate the beginning of Advent. On December 5 at 7 p.m., join us in the gym for ADVENT BY CANDLELIGHT for a time of quiet reflection and fellowship. As in past years, we are looking for ladies to host a table of six. If you would like to be a hostess, please supply a guest list to Kathy Newman or Carol Clobes. (A hostess decorates a holiday table and prepares a dessert.) If you would like to attend (without being a hostess), please contact either Kathy or Carol or sign up after the worship service on Sundays. The deadline for church members to sign up is October 15. Please contact Kathy if you have any questions.

If they can do it in 1517 with death threats, certainly we can do it in 2006 with all Lutherans joining together on October 29 to launch the California-Nevada-Hawaii (CNH) District mission projects.

“What can I do?” you might ask. The Lord has placed each one of us in the middle of mission work, without even recognizing it:

• Mothering three teenagers, raising them up to be imitators of Christ.
• Using God’s gift of song in the ministry of music, to reach out to worshipers.
• Praying for and supporting pastors, missionaries, and Christians that God uses as fellow workers to share the truth of the Gospel (1 Thess. 3:2).

Do you know much about our Lutheran mission outreach in our district? First of all, we have a mission outreach right in our own congregation! Pastor Scharnitzke is the leader of a Medical Team, which serves the Brazilian Samaritan Project (a mission outreach of a sister Lutheran Congregation.) Also, on the district website (www.cnh-lcms.org), there is a list of 28 missions! Some of them include new worshipers in a school cafeteria in Oahu, newly planted churches in Rohnert Park and Dayton, NV, several Hispanic, HMong, Chinese and Liberian ongoing ministries, youth mission trips to Mexico, and radio programs that are resonating God’s Word to the HMong people.

Each of our district missions are investments of time, resources and treasures that can only help to advance God’s Kingdom. It is exciting to see God’s story unfold before our eyes as He uses all Lutherans in various ways to promote the gospel.

What can you do specifically prior to October 29, 2006? Please pray to God about making a personal commitment to a Reformation offering in support of our district’s ongoing mission work.

All 50,000 CNH District Lutherans can then rejoice in our collaborative efforts to the passing on of our Reformation faith in 2006!

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:

• 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