August 14, 2024

This Week

Your acceptance
Read the first 13 verses of Romans 15 and you will see a theme of acceptance. Acceptance is a word and a concept with a positive connotation in most contexts, but what does God’s Word say? How and why have you been accepted? Whom should you accept? How and why? Join us to wrestle with godly acceptance. Worship Thursday night at 7 or Sunday morning at 8 or 10:30.

Highlights

Events and ministry news needing immediate attention

St. Andrew picnic August 18
Let’s get together for some family fun! Get to know your St. Andrew family, including new Westside Christian School called workers. Fun and games and food and sweet treats await everyone. Show up as early as noon; food will be served until 1:30 PM. We will set up some seating, but the forecast looks great, so feel free to bring lawn chairs and/or a picnic blanket.

Grow in Grace
The Bible is clear that there are two genders. Yet we live in a world of gender confusion. Clear. Confusion. Pastor Greg Lyon, a teacher of God’s Word at Wisconsin Lutheran College, will be here to teach us what Scripture says about gender and how Christians can live and love among this confusion. Childcare will be provided. To help us prepare for childcare, please sign up by August 14.

Growth Groups
The fall lineup of St. Andrew Growth Groups is here! Spend some time looking through your options and then join one. Growth Groups help you, they help you help others, and they help St. Andrew, all to the glory of God. You can sign up using this link or in the atrium. For more information on St. Andrew Growth Groups, go here.

Worship

Resources and opportunities for you to worship

A/V serving opportunities
Don’t be intimidated by all the electronic equipment—the A/V booth provides many opportunities to not only serve but to learn new skills:

  • Livestream Video techs make live streaming possible each week by adjusting cameras and online microphones.
  • Audio techs adjust the microphone levels in the sanctuary and mix the music for our livestream.
  • Slide techs make it possible to worship from the screens as they advance the slides throughout worship.

Interested in learning more or shadowing in one of these areas? Contact Minister of Worship Naomi Laabs or Pastor Clinton.

Milestones
We thank our Lord Jesus for the miracle of baptism, which the Holy Spirit worked in twin boys on Sunday as Levi Brandon Rauch and Carson David Rauch were brought into the kingdom of God. Continue to pray for these young boys and for their parents Brandon and Darci, that the whole family might continue to grow in faith and serve the Lord.

Worship check-in
If you worship on-site, please fill out the Connection Card attached to your worship folder. Online worshipers, please continue to check in here.

Weekend worship songs
Preview some of the songs we will use for worship this weekend. Obviously ours won’t sound exactly like this, but listening to the links provided will certainly help you be more comfortable participating in the service.

House of the Lord” by Phil Wickham
“The Servant Song” arranged by Thomas Keesecker
Speak O Lord” by Keith Getty, Stuart Townend

Nurture

Ways to be connected to Jesus throughout the week in your personal life and with others

College addresses
Do you have a college student in the quickly approaching new school year? St. Andrew has a ministry team that keeps in touch with all of our college students. Help this team by sending those addresses to mark.kjenstad@st-andrew-online.org, or fill out an address card on the tall table in the atrium.

Moms’ Group
A group of moms (and their young children) from St. Andrew gets together every other Tuesday morning for friendship and encouragement. Contact Mark Kjenstad for the details.

Small Talk
Small Talk is back! The beautifully inspiring story of Queen Esther is the story of the mercy of God. Our special guest, Eliana, helps us see our merciful God in this true story. Click here to enjoy this brand-new episode, or find Small Talk by searching “Small Talk Kamin” wherever you listen to podcasts.

Impact
We have great sin. God has greater grace. That about sums up the Bible. Listen to that play out in part two of David and Bathsheba with Pastor John Boggs. You can listen to Impact here or by searching for “Kjenstad Impact.”

Service & Outreach

Opportunities for you to live your faith and love for Jesus by sharing Jesus with others

Attention all teachers
Back to school is not just for the students! In all the excitement and preparations for a new year, we’d like to pray for the teachers among us and encourage you in your vocation. Teachers received an email from Pastor Hunter last week, but we don’t want to miss you, so please send us a note at [email protected] if you did not receive the email last week.

Service role | Plugged into Jesus team
This children’s ministry for 4K – grade 5 uses God’s powerful and precious Word to lead young children to learn more about our Savior, Jesus. Plugged into Jesus is 9:20 – 10:15 AM on Sundays, September through May. If you would like to join the team as a leader or assistant, please contact Yvonne Onsager or Pastor Clinton.

Thank you, childcare providers
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” St. Andrew is a haven for many young families because of how you welcome and involve children and their families. This includes providing childcare for various events, allowing parents of young children to participate in different ministries. Those who make those ministries possible by caring for children are highly appreciated. Thank you for your service.

Note of gratitude
Dear St. Andrew Lutheran Church,

I am writing to thank you for supporting the Care Net mission again! Your donation of the hand-made blankets warms our hearts as they warm the babies in our maternity home!

Sincerely,
Taylor the mobile clinic driver and everyone here at Care Net!

Some of the ladies of St. Andrew have donated blankets to Care Net, an organization dedicated to helping women and men facing an unexpected pregnancy.

Monthly Mission Partner
Our August Mission Partner is The Love of Christ Ministry. This is St. Andrew’s compassion ministry to the community. It is one way we help those in physical need. We show the love of Christ by helping not out of obligation, but out of thanksgiving for Christ’s love. We embrace the outstanding debt to love.

Westside Christian School

A ministry of St. Andrew, preparing students for academic success and lives of Christian service founded on God’s Word

Final details
With school only days away, all the final details are being addressed. The carpeted section of the floor in the kindergarten room was removed and now matches with the rest! The room has been put back in order, and it is ready for those young minds to grow.

The gym got a couple of extra holes in the floor. That never sounds good when the floor has been redone. These holes are for additional volleyball poles so now we can have two volleyball courts in the gym instead of one.

Finally, the principal’s office was finished with some beautiful blinds that allow for a bit more privacy when needed.

Thank you to all that made these improvements possible. WCS is ready for another great year of sharing Jesus with many!!

Serving This Week 

Serving Jesus at St. Andrew this week, August 15 & 18, 2024

Musicians
Lead musician:                 Madison Kremer
Vocalists:                           Dan Kremer, Sarah Kuschel
Guitar:                                 Liam Liermann, Jon Povich
Drums:                                Oliver Povich
Flute:                                   Sarah Wendorf
Adult Choir Director:         Naomi Laabs

Greeters
Thursday:           Karl and Carrie Pasch
8:00 AM:             Markley family
10:30 AM:           Ron and Linda Ketterer

Ushers
Thursday:           Phil Otto
8:00 AM:             Brad and Josh Hougaard
10:30 AM:           Dennis Schlender, Dan Simpson

Communion Assistants
Thursday:           Dick Bernards
8:00 AM:             Bill Beier, Brian Fritz
10:30 AM:           Jackson Hunter, Mark Kjenstad

Communion Care
Thursday:           Glennda Brandt
8:00 AM:             Chris Hougaard
10:30 AM:           Bethani Ramos

Audio
Thursday:            Naomi Laabs
Sunday:                Brent Denton

Slide Tech
Thursday:           Kaitlyn Mullin
8:00 AM:             Julia Nixon
10:30 AM:           Jacob Miller

Livestream Video
Elle Bolstad

Hospitality
Thursday:           Heidi Pease
8:00 AM:             Crystal Murkve
10:30 AM:           Jill Kaltenberg

Connection Card Assembly
Pete and Alice Zimpelman

Offering Caretakers
Dick and Vicky Bernards

Growth Group Leaders
Daniel Dammann, Jared Dammann, Paige Fricke, Mark Kjenstad