Yesterday, September 11, was an especially memorable day for us at Our Savior. Not only did we remember the horrific events and also the acts of selflessness and courage of 10 years ago, but on the same morning we began our new Sunday School year, for all ages which included so many of our children who weren’t even born 10 years ago! It is our hope and prayer that even though the bad things that happen in our world would change us for the worse, God’s Word of promise and forgiveness would be a force that would truly change us for the better. That is the Word we draw upon in good times and bad, and the Word which we pass along to our children.




As this season now begins to unfold, and we find ways to draw upon and live out God’s Word of promise and forgiveness, please check out the following dates to remember.



“Dates to Remember”



Sunday School has resumed, and along with classes for all ages, two adult classes will be offered. The one class that began yesterday looks at changes in life from a Biblical perspective. The 2nd adult class which begins this coming Sunday, Sept. 18, will be an in depth study on Holy Communion.



Also, for adults, there will be a Wednesday evening adult class offered beginning September 21 at 6:30pm, “Believing God: A Bible Study”, a Beth Moore 10 week Bible Study based on Isaiah 43:10 exploring not only what it means to believe in God, but to believe God! Please call Kelly Elsebough at 589-8651 if interested so she can order enough of the materials.



Wednesday September 28 will be a big night at Our Savior:



1) Wednesday night dinners resume at 6pm!



2) This will also be the first night of 3 New Member Gatherings. Anyone interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or just learning more about the congregation is invited to join us at 6:30pm after the dinner then again on Sunday, Oct.2 at 9:45am and again on Wed. Oct. 5 at 6:30pm. New members will be received the weekend of Oct. 15-16. On Sunday October 2 pictures will be taken for our on-line church directory. This will be for all upcoming members as well as anyone who would like an updated picture for our directory. (If you’d like to view our online directory, go to our website, www.oursaviorelca.com, click on “directory” and use the password: letyourlightshine.



3) Choir practice will resume at 7pm! If you’ve been in the choir before, or if you’d like to join the choir, there will be a gathering in the choir room for all interested. Carole Olsen, one of our deacons, will be there to look at something coming up for the choir and gather input from the choir members as to how to best serve in this interim period while we are seeking a new organist/choir director. Also, watch for hand bell choir information soon to come.



Sunday October 2, at 4pm, “Blessing of the Animals” with special guest, Dr. Anna Harp. Dr. Anna was born and raised in this congregation, and having graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama last May, is now practicing veterinary medicine at the Veterinary Center at Fishhawk, near Brandon, Florida. Dr. Anna will be joined by her rescue dog, Chai, and share with us how she is using God’s gift of love and care for God’s creatures.



Beginning First Thursday evening in October: Dancing with the Lutherans! Watch for more info to come.



SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, one service only at 10am! 50th Anniversary Celebration and Dedication of our new addition!

There will be a service on Saturday at 6pm that weekend, but only one service that Sunday at 10am. Bishop Ed Benoway will be our guest preacher that day. Worship will be followed by an “Open House” to tour the new addition, pictures and remembrances of Our Savior’s 50 year history, and a dinner. Watch for more info, but mark your calendars now!



For more information about the life and ministry of Our Savior, please visit our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com.



May you have a blessed week! See you in church! Pastor Jack +

O.S.E-news: Sept. 12

 

Yesterday, September 11, was an especially memorable day for us at Our Savior.  Not only did we remember the horrific events and also the acts of selflessness and courage of 10 years ago, but on the same morning we began our new Sunday School year, for all ages which included so many of our children who weren’t even born 10 years ago!  It is our hope and prayer that even though the bad things that happen in our world would change us for the worse, God’s Word of promise and forgiveness would be a force that would truly change us for the better.  That is the Word we draw upon in good times and bad, and the Word which we pass along to our children.   

 

As this season now begins to unfold, and we find ways to draw upon and live out God’s Word of promise and forgiveness, please check out the following dates to remember.

 

“Dates to Remember”

 

Sunday School has resumed, and along with classes for all ages,  two adult classes will be offered.  The one class that began yesterday looks at changes in life from a Biblical perspective.   The 2^nd adult class which begins this coming Sunday, Sept. 18, will be an in depth study on Holy Communion. 

 

Also, for adults, there will be a Wednesday evening adult class offered beginning September 21 at 6:30pm, “Believing God: A Bible Study”, a Beth Moore 10 week Bible Study based on Isaiah 43:10 exploring not only what it means to believe in God, but to believe God!  Please call Kelly Elsebough at 589-8651 if interested so she can order enough of the materials.

 

Wednesday September 28 will be a big night at Our Savior:  

 

1)      Wednesday night dinners resume at  6pm!   

 

2)      This will also be the first night of 3 New Member Gatherings.   Anyone interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or just learning more about the congregation is invited to join us at 6:30pm after the dinner then again on Sunday, Oct.2 at 9:45am and again on Wed. Oct. 5 at 6:30pm.    New members will be received the weekend of Oct. 15-16.     On Sunday October 2 pictures will be taken for our on-line church directory.  This will be for all upcoming members as well as anyone who would like an updated picture for our directory.  (If you’d like to view our online directory, go to our website,  www.oursaviorelca.com, click on “directory” and use the password:  letyourlightshine. 

 

3)      Choir practice will resume at 7pm!  If you’ve been in the choir before, or if you’d like to join the choir, there will be a gathering in the choir room for all interested.  Carole Olsen, one of our deacons, will be there to look at something coming up for the choir and gather input from the choir members as to how to best serve in this interim period while we are seeking a new organist/choir director.  Also, watch for hand bell choir information soon to come. 

 

Sunday October 2, at 4pm, “Blessing of the Animals” with special guest, Dr. Anna Harp.  Dr. Anna was born and raised in this congregation, and having graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama last May, is now practicing veterinary medicine at the Veterinary Center at Fishhawk, near Brandon, Florida.   Dr. Anna will be joined by her rescue dog, Chai, and share with us how she is using God’s gift of love and care for God’s creatures. 

 

Beginning First Thursday evening in October:   Dancing with the Lutherans!  Watch for more info to come.

 

SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, one service only at 10am!    50^th Anniversary Celebration and Dedication of our new addition!

There will be a service on Saturday at 6pm that weekend, but only one service that Sunday at 10am.  Bishop Ed Benoway will be our guest preacher that day.  Worship will be followed by an “Open House” to tour the new addition, pictures and remembrances of Our Savior’s 50 year history, and a dinner.   Watch for more info, but mark your calendars now!

 

For more information about the life and ministry of Our Savior, please visit our website at:  www.oursaviorelca.com.   

 

May you have a blessed week!    See you in church!   Pastor Jack +

 

 

 

Some construction pictures!

Attached are a few pictures of our construction project, which is coming along nicely!  The first two are of the bell tower.  The third is looking at the entrance coming down the new walkway from under the bell tower.  The last picture is in the new narthex looking out the new main entrance and up at the circle where the new faceted glass window will be.  Today the rest of the plywood for the roof is going on.  More pictures to come!    Dedication date is December 11, with one service that Sunday at 10am!    God’s work; our hands!    (Many thanks to our Property Chairperson from our Church Council, Mark Davia, for the pictures!)

I think summer must be “officially” over. It’s Labor Day, and I know for us Floridians, while Fall seems a long way off, and we are still in the peak of hurricane season, I received a text message from my son in Ohio today. He said that on Saturday the heat index was 105 degrees and people of all ages were suffering from heat exhaustion. Today it is 60 degrees and overcast. Good ol’ Midwest! So, Fall is on its way, at least in some parts of the country. That means this coming weekend we return to our regular worship schedule; Saturday remains the same, 6pm, but Sunday returns to 8:30 and 11am with Sunday School at 9:45am. After our wonderful Sunday School registration pizza night last week, it was reinforced for us once again that having a change of schedule for the summer, with a recess for Sunday School is really a good thing. After all the comings and goings of the summer, we can now all re-connect, the teachers are ready to go, we have another fun theme for the new Sunday School year (“working dogs” with Goldie our mascot) and this is something we’re all looking forward to! Hope you can be here for this kick off weekend! And on top of everything else, you can stop in the choir room after worship and get your blood pressure checked by one of our parish nurses.



With the new “season” upon us, please check out our “Dates to Remember” section below which highlights some special events coming down the pike. (This section will be updated weekly.)



But before you check that out, I need to make one comment about worship this past weekend. We started a new tradition this past weekend as we celebrated and honored all the work that the people of Our Savior do during the week. We placed a bulletin board in the chancel, entitled “God’s Work; Our Hands” where people placed their business cards or wrote on post-it notes their names and what they did in their daily work. As the board filled up we saw what a wonderful mixture of gifts and abilities from Our Savior are out there at work in the world! It was so interesting that we decided to hang that bulletin board on the wall in our gathering/sending space for you to see. And if you weren’t here this past weekend, feel free to bring in a business card or put your own note on the board. We will be leaving it in church for the month of September. As I mentioned at the end of worship, as we look at the altar and see only the crust of the loaf of bread left after communion, we are reminded that the rest of that loaf, the Body of Christ, is now out in the world in each of us as we leave the altar and take Christ with us into our daily work and daily lives. May that be so for each of you.



“Dates to Remember”



Wednesday September 28: Wednesday night dinners resume; 6pm! This will also be the first night of 3 New Member Gatherings. Anyone interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or just learning more about the congregation is invited to join us at 6:30pm after the dinner then again on Sunday, Oct.2 at 9:45am and again on Wed. Oct. 5 at 6:30pm. New members will be received the weekend of Oct. 15-16.



Sunday October 2, at 4pm, “Blessing of the Animals” with special guest, Dr. Anna Harp. Dr. Anna was born and raised in this congregation, and having graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama last May, is now practicing veterinary medicine at the Veterinary Center at Fishhawk, near Brandon, Florida. Dr. Anna will be joined by her rescue dog, Chai, and share with us how she is using God’s gift of love and care for God’s creatures.



Beginning First Thursday evening in October: Dancing with the Lutherans! Watch for more info to come.



SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, one service only at 10am! 50th Anniversary Celebration and Dedication of our new addition!

There will be a service on Saturday at 6pm that weekend, but only one service that Sunday. Bishop Ed Benoway will be our guest preacher that day. Worship will be followed by an “Open House” to tour the new addition, pictures and remembrances of Our Savior’s 50 year history, and a dinner. Watch for more info, but mark your calendars now!



For more information about the life and ministry of Our Savior, please visit our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com.



May you have a blessed week! See you in church! Pastor Jack +

O.S.E-news: Happy Labor Day!

 

I think summer must be “officially” over.  It’s Labor Day, and I know for us Floridians, while Fall seems a long way off,  and we are still in the peak of hurricane season, I received a text message from my son in Ohio today.  He said that on Saturday the heat index was 105 degrees and people of all ages were suffering from heat exhaustion.  Today it is 60 degrees and overcast.  Good ol’ Midwest!  So, Fall is on its way, at least in some parts of the country.   That means this coming weekend we return to our regular worship schedule; Saturday remains the same, 6pm, but Sunday returns to 8:30 and 11am with Sunday School at 9:45am.   After our wonderful Sunday School registration pizza night last week, it was reinforced for us once again that having a change of schedule for the summer, with a recess for Sunday School is really a good thing.  After all the comings and goings of the summer, we can now all re-connect, the teachers are ready to go, we have another fun theme for the new Sunday School year (“working dogs” with Goldie our mascot) and this is something we’re all looking forward to!   Hope you can be here for this kick off weekend!  And on top of everything else, you can stop in the choir room after worship and get your blood pressure checked by one of our parish nurses. 

 

With the new “season” upon us, please check out our “Dates to Remember” section below which highlights some special events coming down the pike.  (This section will be updated weekly.)

 

But before you check that out, I need to make one comment about worship this past weekend.   We started a new tradition this past weekend as we celebrated and honored all the work that the people of Our Savior do during the week.  We placed a bulletin board in the chancel, entitled “God’s Work; Our Hands”  where people placed their business cards or wrote on post-it notes their names and what they did in their daily work.  As the board filled up we saw what a wonderful mixture of gifts and abilities from Our Savior are out there at work in the world!   It was so interesting that we decided to hang that bulletin board on the wall in our gathering/sending space for you to see.  And if you weren’t here this past weekend, feel free to bring in a business card or put your own note on the board.  We will be leaving it in church for the month of September.  As I mentioned at the end of worship, as we look at the altar and see only the crust of the loaf of bread left after communion,  we are reminded that the rest of that loaf, the Body of Christ, is now out in the world in each of us as we leave the altar and take Christ with us into our daily work and daily lives.  May that be so for each of you. 

 

“Dates to Remember”

 

Wednesday September 28:   Wednesday night dinners resume; 6pm!    This will also be the first night of 3 New Member Gatherings.   Anyone interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or just learning more about the congregation is invited to join us at 6:30pm after the dinner then again on Sunday, Oct.2 at 9:45am and again on Wed. Oct. 5 at 6:30pm.    New members will be received the weekend of Oct. 15-16.

 

Sunday October 2, at 4pm, “Blessing of the Animals” with special guest, Dr. Anna Harp.  Dr. Anna was born and raised in this congregation, and having graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama last May, is now practicing veterinary medicine at the Veterinary Center at Fishhawk, near Brandon, Florida.   Dr. Anna will be joined by her rescue dog, Chai, and share with us how she is using God’s gift of love and care for God’s creatures. 

 

Beginning First Thursday evening in October:   Dancing with the Lutherans!  Watch for more info to come.

 

SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, one service only at 10am!    50^th Anniversary Celebration and Dedication of our new addition!

There will be a service on Saturday at 6pm that weekend, but only one service that Sunday.  Bishop Ed Benoway will be our guest preacher that day.  Worship will be followed by an “Open House” to tour the new addition, pictures and remembrances of Our Savior’s 50 year history, and a dinner.   Watch for more info, but mark your calendars now!

 

For more information about the life and ministry of Our Savior, please visit our website at:  www.oursaviorelca.com.   

 

May you have a blessed week!    See you in church!   Pastor Jack +

 

 

 

O.S.E-news: August 29

 

This 50^th year of Our Savior is proving to be even more of an eventful year than we anticipated.  To help keep up with some of the many things going on, at the end of this and future E-newsletters we’ll be running an ongoing “Dates to Remember” section.  So, be sure to give that a quick perusal each time. 

 

This Wednesday night, August 31, is our Sunday School Pizza and Registration night, beginning at 6pm.   If you have a child Sunday School age (pre-school thru grade 12) please join us and see what is in store for another Sunday School year.  This is always a fun night and great way to get to know folks!

 

This coming weekend (Labor Day Weekend) we will be celebrating the work that is done in and through our members and friends throughout the week.  This will not only be a way to recognize and give thanks to God for the work we do, but also get to know better what each member does and how each member uses his or her gifts.  So at either 6pm Saturday or 9:30am Sunday worship, bring a business card or brochure for your place of work, or wear what you wear to work, or just plan on filling out a 3X5 card (which we will provide) for you to put your name and what  you do to be placed on our bulletin board.  You might be surprised at all the various gifts and abilities present in this congregation!

 

Now, getting back to this 50^th Anniversary year being even more eventful than anticipated, on August 23 our church council received a letter of resignation from our music director, Jim Boschker.   The council thanks him for his service and sharing his gift of music with us for these past seven plus years.  Jim has been the most gifted and experienced musician Our Savior has had in our 50 year history.  We’ve appreciated the work he’s done with our chancel choir and hand bell choir, along with introducing our congregation to our red hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship.  I’m proud to say that we are probably one of the few congregations in the ELCA who know most of the settings in the ELW, and we have Jim to thank for that.   We understand that he will be moving to Colorado to help his sister care for her seriously ailing husband.  We wish Jim well in this new chapter in his life. 

 

As we also now enter a new chapter in our life, we invite your input as we look at the future of music ministry here at Our Savior.  We have many musically gifted people among us. We thank especially Johanna Jones and Ron Sample for stepping up and leading worship and we look forward to other musical gifts among us to be shared in the weeks and months ahead.   

 

Finally, remember, this will be the last weekend of our Summer Worship Schedule (Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9:30am).  Our regular schedule of Saturday 6pm, Sunday 8:30 and 11am and Sunday School at 9:45 am resumes the weekend of September 10-11.

 

For other information about the life and ministry of Our Savior be sure to visit our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com. 

 

See you in church!     Pastor Jack +

 

“Dates to Remember”

 

Wednesday August 31:   Sunday School and Confirmation Registration Night, 6pm with pizza and salad supper.

 

Labor Day weekend, September 3-4:  Last weekend of summer schedule:  Saturday worship 6pm, Sunday 9:30am.  For all our working folks, bring a business card and wear your “work” clothes to worship as we celebrate and give thanks for the workers among us.

 

Wednesday September 28:   Wednesday night dinners resume; 6pm!    This will also be the first night of 3 New Member Gatherings.   Anyone interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or just learning more about the congregation is invited to join us at 6:30pm after the dinner then again on Sunday, Oct.2 at 9:45am and again on Wed. Oct. 5 at 6:30pm.    New members will be received the weekend of Oct. 15-16.

 

Beginning First Thursday evening in October:   Dancing with the Lutherans!  Watch for more info to come.

 

SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, one service only at 10am!    50^th Anniversary Celebration and Dedication of our new addition!

There will be a service on Saturday at 6pm that weekend, but only one service that Sunday.  Bishop Ed Benoway will be our guest preacher that day.  Worship will be followed by an “Open House” to tour the new addition, pictures and remembrances of Our Savior’s 50 year history, and a dinner.   Watch for more info, but mark your calendars now!

 

 

 

Today is another one of life’s milestones for many children and families: the first day of school in Indian River County! This past weekend it was wonderful having so many of our children, teachers and those who work in the school system in any way, come forward for a beginning of the school year blessing. While a couple of our folks couldn’t be here due to being sick or out of town, the blessing included them also.




To take a few images from our Scripture readings and sermon yesterday, our prayer for our students, teachers (and all of us in fact) is that: 1) this year may be built on God’s presence and promises, which is a Rock solid foundation for life; 2) with that foundation that our lives be transformed into the kind of people God made us to be; and 3) that we find our true identity in that transformed, “built on a Rock” life, remembering that we are numbered with all of those heroes of faith from Abraham to Peter and all of the others since.



With the school year begun, Sunday School is now around the corner. A week from Wednesday, August 31, will be Sunday School registration night at Our Savior. A pizza and salad dinner will be served, children can come and meet their teachers and classmates, everyone will get to meet “Goldie” our Golden Retriever “Seeing Eye Puppy in Training”, who will be this year’s mascot for the Sunday School and you’ll get to hear about all that is in store for this new Sunday School year, for our kids and adults. So, please mark your calendars and plan on joining us.



As we keep an eye on our latest tropical weather system, our “Disaster Response Team”, which went to Alabama back in June, is on standby and ready for whatever may come our way. But the general feeling is that we probably won’t see more than some extra wind and rain, which is still needed (at least the rain part).



For other information about what is happening in and around Our Savior, please check out our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com . To see the member directory on that website, the password is: letyourlightshine. (I know, it’s kinda long. We’re working on that.)



God’s work; our hands! See you in church! Pastor Jack Diehl +