The Weekly Newsletter

Archived issue

St. Andrew Weekly, 2026-11-04

Blind guides

Matthew 23 is mostly a scathing rebuke of the religious leaders. Many of us are not equivalent in position to either these spiritual overseers or the twelve apostles who were present, but Jesus' strong language can teach us all something about our obedience to the law and the example we set. Join us for worship Thursday night at 7 or Sunday morning at 8 or 10:30.

Call meeting November 8

A voters’ meeting will be held on November 8 at 11:45 AM. This meeting will have two agenda items.

Approve the Board of Directors’ recommendation to extend a call to Mr. Ron Kerr for the position of Ministry Operations Director. He has been serving as our Financial Administrator and has been approved for a provisional call by our synod office.

Extend a call to Mr. Joe Ritter, who has been hired to serve Westside Christian School, including as a middle-school instructor of Word of God. Mr. Ritter is a member at Our Redeemer and is currently in the process of completing a staff ministry program through Martin Luther College.

The process will be similar to a call meeting with only one candidate per position. All are welcome to attend and participate in discussion. Then, a majority vote from eligible voters is required to proceed with calling each man.

Call meeting November 22

We will be calling for two positions on November 22 at 11:45 AM: a Westside Christian School teacher for 5th grade and a Pastor for Outreach. After open discussion about the needs of our ministry and the candidates provided by synod representatives, the voters will select one candidate for each position who will then receive the call.

Part-time paid position | Facilities Manager

St. Andrew is seeking someone to be responsible for the overall maintenance, cleanliness, safety, and operational readiness of our campus. The facilities manager will handle routine preventative maintenance, minor repairs, and facility setups/teardowns, in addition to coordinating with external contractors. Applicants should have strong organizational and communication skills, adaptability, effective team leadership, and a proven ability to plan and execute. If interested, please contact Ben Carlson, President of the Board of Directors.

Thanksgiving worship

As we begin the month of November, our hearts turn to gratitude. We have a lot to be thankful for this year at St. Andrew and Westside including a beautiful new space to fill with people who need to hear about Jesus. As we reflect on our place of peace, we will dig into what God's peace means to each of us and how we can share that peace with others. Join brothers and sisters at St. Andrew for A Place of Peace Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 25, at 6:30 PM.

Milestones

God’s blessings to Alayna Hutter and Carter Kotecki, who were confirmed last weekend and received into communicant membership at St. Andrew. Continue to pray for them and encourage them in worshiping our great God, nurturing their faith in him, serving him and his people, and reaching out to those who don’t yet know him.

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.

"Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word" arr. by Tim Bode "King of Kings" by Hillsong "Before You I Kneel" by Keith and Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend "Make Me a Light" by Caleb Schmiege

Newborn Ministry

Have you noticed all the babies in church? St. Andrew is blessed to be the church home to many families with young children. Do you want to help St. Andrew help those parents? We have a role for you on the Newborn Ministry team. Contact Children's Ministry Director Yvonne Onsager or Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad for details.

WELS National Online Teen Bible Study

What a blessing to be able to offer a virtual get-together for our teens. Teens will hear and discuss how God can help them handle change and put balance back in life. Check it out on Sunday, November 8, at 6:00 PM. Click here to register and read more about it.

Impact podcast

Jesus is the vine and his followers are the branches. Those words are from John 15. That chapter is filled with teachings from Jesus prior to his arrest. Our guest for this insightful chapter is Professor Keith Wessel from Martin Luther College. You can listen to Impact here or by searching for “Kjenstad Impact” wherever you listen to podcasts.

FUEL scavenger hunt

St. Andrew has a ministry that serves high school students. We call it FUEL. On November 14 FUEL is heading to Epic for a scavenger hunt. Join the fun. Contact Seth and Delaney for details. FUEL also meets on Sundays at 9:30 in room 114 to discuss life and God's Word. Encourage your teen to attend.

A note of gratitude

Dear Members of St. Andrew and Care Ministry Team,

I am writing to express my deepest, most heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming abundance of love and support you have shown our family during my surgery recovery. I am so profoundly grateful for each one of you—words truly feel insufficient to express how much your kindness has touched my heart.

With Greg and our boys working long hours in the fields for harvest, I was so worried about how we would manage during my recovery. Receiving the many delicious homemade meals and restaurant gift cards was an absolute godsend during such a busy season. Your care and concern were so unexpected that it brought me to tears—I cannot tell you how deeply comforting it was to feel so seen, prayed for, and loved by our church family. I am filled with so much thanksgiving every time I think of your selflessness.

God answered my prayers far beyond anything I could have ever hoped for, and He did it right through your hands and feet. You truly lived out the heart of St. Andrew’s mission—to love God, love each other, and serve the world.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being the tangible grace of Jesus to me when I needed it most. My family and I are so grateful for your tireless hearts of service, and I pray that God richly blesses each of you as abundantly as you have blessed us.

With all my love, prayers, and deepest gratitude, Liz Markley

Calling all painters

As part of wrapping up the building project, a number of rooms and spaces could use a coat of paint. If you enjoy painting, consider adopting one item from the list to accomplish when it's convenient for your family:

Prime and paint the conference room off the atrium

Prime and paint the principal’s office

Prime and paint the worship assistant’s office

Putty and touch up paint throughout the new building

Touch up paint throughout the original building

If you are interested in adopting a painting item, please contact Properties Director Jackson Hunter.

Emergency Response team

This is a great way to serve on Thursdays or Sundays and provide our guests with an extra measure of peace. Having someone who knows what to do in various specific circumstances can make a big difference. If you can be that someone, this might be a service role for you. Contact Pastor Clinton for more information.

Monthly Mission Partner

Our November partner is our sister mission churches in Nepal. Though the glacier collapse and flash flooding of late August did not directly impact these congregations, opportunities abound, but one current obstacle is that some of these congregations do not have restrooms. Our donation could change that, so let’s pray for the ministry efforts there this month and consider how our monetary gifts might help them upgrade their facilities significantly.

Walkway improvements

In previous articles, you have read about the Westside Stride and how the funds raised through this event support various improvement projects around our campus. One of those projects addresses a long-standing challenge: the walkway from the school building to the playground equipment.

During wet weather, this area has often become muddy, making it difficult for students to get to the playground without tracking mud back into the building. Thanks to the funds raised through the Westside Stride, we are installing rubber walkway mats to provide students with a cleaner, more accessible path to the playground.

You may have already noticed some of these rubber mats just outside the school entrances. We are excited to continue making improvements around campus!

Connections

Connections is a special opportunity for members of St. Andrew to build relationships with Westside's third-grade students. Throughout the school year, students and congregation members gather four times to enjoy time together, play games, share laughs, and get to know one another.

We would love to have you join us! You are welcome to participate as often as your schedule allows. This year's first gathering will take place on Friday, November 6, at 2:30 p.m. in the gym.

Come be part of the fun and help strengthen the connection between our congregation and school! If you have any questions or would like to sign up to join us, contact Mrs. Beth Plath (612-616-1760).

Job opportunity | Classroom aide

Westside Christian School is looking for a part-time classroom aide for grade 4. If you are interested and would like more information, please reach out to Mr. Plath, and he can provide you with all the details.

Serving Jesus at St. Andrew this week, November 5 & 8, 2026

Musicians

Lead musician: Melissa Dyer Vocalists: Adam Bohl, Esther Bohl, Melissa Dyer, Trudi Jo Havlorson Guitar: Jacob Bohl, Dan Wasmer Drums: Scott Fanello Euphonium: Darren Powers Piano: Logan Thomas

Westside Christian School Choir

Coir Director: Ashley Renstrom Piano: Emma Nolte Vocalists: Camille Carlson, Raine Johnson, Charlotte Schmoller

Greeters

Thursday: Ellen Goetz, Darin and Angi Schubring 8:00 AM: Joe Kotecki and Georgia Siler family, Markley family 10:30 AM: Robert and Beth Ramos, Susan Wright

Worship Attendants

Thursday: Phil Otto, Jim Pease 8:00 AM: Brad Hougaard, Paul Wittkamp 10:30 AM: Adam Bernd, Tom Bernd

Lay Readers

8:00 AM: Ferron Havens 10:30 AM: Brandon Brickner

Communion Assistants

Thursday: Andy Bindl 8:00 AM: Ferron Havens, Paul Onsager 10:30 AM: Brandon Brickner, Daniel Plath

Communion Care

Thursday: Lisa Bindl, Stella Bindl 8:00 AM: Chris Hougaard 10:30 AM: Susan Wright

Audio

Thursday: Naomi Laabs 8:00 AM: Todd Kleman 10:30 AM: Ben Kleman

Slide Tech

Thursday: Maddy Hougaard 8:00 AM: Rowan Behrens 10:30 AM: Jacob Miller

Livestream Video

Thad Molling

Hospitality

Thursday: Heidi Pease 8:00 AM: Charlotte Schmoller, Shelly Schmoller 10:30 AM: Jennifer Maron

Connection Card Assembly

Donna Bare

Offering Caretakers

Jim and Heidi Pease

Musikgarten

Karen Hong

Plugged into Jesus

Esther Bohl, Jessica Bohl, Austin Brunet, Andrew Hanna, Anthony Hanna, Hannah Ihlenfeldt, Sarah Kuschel, Lola Weiss, Sarah Wendorf

Spark

Daniel Plath

FUEL

Seth and Delaney Fenske

Growth Group Leaders

Mary Bruskewitz, Scott Fanello, Paige Fricke, Brian Fritz, Clayton Grow, Amy Heckmann, Mark Kjenstad, Todd Kleman, Pastor Clinton, Michelle Luppen, Neil Marshall, Sue Martalock, Nancy Ninman, Paul Onsager, Jane Schlenvogt-Dew, Tom Shepard, Jim Teteak, Wayne Utke, Laura Westphal

St. Andrew Weekly

November 4, 2026

Past issues

• St. Andrew WeeklyOctober 28, 2026
• St. Andrew WeeklyOctober 21, 2026
• The Weekly — October 14, 2026October 14, 2026
• The Weekly — October 7, 2026October 7, 2026
• The Weekly — September 30, 2026September 30, 2026
• The Weekly — September 26, 2026September 26, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — September 16, 2026September 16, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — September 9, 2026September 9, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — September 2, 2026September 2, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — August 26, 2026August 26, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — August 19, 2026August 19, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — August 12, 2026August 12, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — August 5, 2026August 5, 2026
• The St. Andrew Weekly — July 29, 2026July 29, 2026