May 2008
From the Desk of Pastor Lassman
"Telling Others About Jesus"
My Fellow Redeemed in Christ,
One of the reasons that we exist as Messiah Lutheran Church is to tell other people about Jesus Christ. The sad fact is that without Jesus Christ people will spend eternity in hell. Hell is not a very popular subject. But so what? There are lots of things in life that are not popular but that are still real. No one likes to get cancer..that’s not popular..but it’s still real. No one likes tragedy and suffering…that’s not popular…but it’s still real. Being popular or not popular doesn’t change reality. And Jesus talks about the reality of hell in Matthew 10:28 as He says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” If there is no hell then why believe in Jesus Christ?” One of the reasons we believe in Jesus is to be saved from hell and God’s wrath on the judgment day as Paul says in Romans 5:9. “ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!”
But God loves all people. He created them. He sent Jesus to die for all people. And God wants all people to believe in Jesus. Before He ascended into Heaven Jesus told His disciples: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
God in His infinite wisdom has decided to use sinful, frail human beings to bring the message of salvation to all the world. Only Christians can tell other people about Jesus. This means you and me. How are you doing in your witness to Jesus Christ? Do you ever think about witnessing to Him? Do you look for opportunities to witness to Him? I know we have a great outreach program with the Adult Information Class but I sometimes wonder if we might think that this class is all we need to do in our witness to Jesus. Does the Adult Information Class mean that we don’t have to tell others of Jesus? I hope not. Of course, I know that many of you have invited people to come to the Adult Information Class and I assume many of you will continue to invite people. The Adult Information Class is certainly an important part of our bringing the Gospel to our community and it is how we make disciples of Jesus Christ. But I pray that you will also tell others about Jesus whenever God gives you an opportunity. What motivates me to tell others about Jesus? I want them to know what I know and to have what I have in Jesus Christ. And isn’t this the same with you? Don’t you want others to know what you know and to have what you have in Jesus Christ? The word Gospel comes from the Greek word that literally means Good News. This is the message we have to bring to other people: the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A clear conscience through the forgiveness of our sins, peace with God, and eternal life in the resurrection of our bodies to enter a new world without sin and death that will last forever.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is easy to become complacent and lazy in our witness to Jesus. There is always the danger that we will become “lukewarm” (Rev. 3:16) and even “cold” (Matt. 24:12) in our love for Jesus. May it never be. So I ask you, will you join me in praying that we all become better witnesses to the message of Jesus Christ? And then, trusting God to answer our prayer, we will look for opportunities to tell others what we know and about what we have in Him—and maybe we can even invite them to our Adult Information Class.
In Christ,
Pastor Lassman
YOU ARE INVITED TO A CLASS TAUGHT BY A SEMINARY PROFESSOR
WHO: Dr. K. Detlev Schulz, Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana. WHAT: The Doctrine of Church and Fellowship (including “closed communion”).
WHEN AND WHERE: June 23-27 (9:00am to 4:00pm each day) at Messiah Lutheran Church (lunch served for free-will offering).
HOW MUCH: For Lay Persons--$100
REGISTRATION: contact Katherine Rittner at 260.452.2241 or visit www.ctsfw.edu. Deadline is May 23.
QUESTIONS: Call the Church Office/Pastor, 206.524.0024
From the Treasurer
Enclosed is the financial report for the first quarter of 2008. Offerings have been down this year from last year, which is the first time this has happened in three years. As of March 31, 2008 offerings were 96.4% of the amount collected through March 31, 2007. Offerings are 90.7% of that called for in our 2008 Spending Guide. Expenses for the year are 95.6% of the spending guide. The net result is a deficit for the quarter of $6,210.
Since we started the year with $29,223 of carry forward money in the General Fund, we have been able to pay our bills despite this deficit, including all of our quarterly pledges to our mission projects. However, offerings historically drop off some after Easter, and more during the summer. If this drop off materializes we will have to either defer or cut some of our expenses. This will be on the agenda for the June 1 congregational meeting.
I do not want this to sound too pessimistic. After all, Christ is risen and God still richly blesses our ministry at Messiah. Please spend some time to look at your budget and evaluate your giving to the ministry at Messiah. I have always been amazed at the ability of our members to respond when necessary. In the end this ministry is in God’s hands, and we will move forward as God grants us the resources to do so.
Harry Edmon
MISSIONARY WORK IN AFRICA
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is active in doing mission work in a number of African countries today including Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. According to recent statistics from the Lutheran World Federation, worldwide Lutheran Church membership has risen to an all time high of 71,823,423, which is a rise of over 15% in the past 10 years due largely to dramatic increases in Lutheran church membership in Africa of 76.2%. The number of Lutherans in Africa has increased from 8,659,300 to 17,185,299 in 1996.
In 2006, a young man by the name of James May graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, and received his first call into the Holy Ministry from the Board for Mission Services of the LC-MS to serve as a church plant missionary in Togo, West Africa. After his ordination in the United States, he and his wife Tiina and their four children set off for this foreign land. When Rev. May and his family arrived in West Africa, it was a priority for him to learn how to speak French. Since he arrived in late 2006, Rev. May has had intensive language training in the French language so that he could eventually learn the local tribal language of Gulmancema. Learning French was also very important because it is the language used at the Lutheran Seminary in Togo. Rev. May will soon begin work in planting churches in eastern Burkina Faso, northeast Togo, northwest Benin, and western Niger. At the present time, Rev. May and his family are living in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and he has been pleasantly encouraged by the opportunities to proclaim the saving Gospel while he learns the French language.
Rev. May describes one of the many highlights during his process of learning French: “As part of developing my French vocabulary, the teacher asked me to tell her how we celebrate Christmas. I said, “Christmas for Lutherans begins four weeks before the 25th of December during a time we call Advent.” I explained that we use this time to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of the gift of God’s Son…The response was very unusual for her because she has worked with many protestant missionaries over dozens of years and she has never heard of “Advent.” She said that as my French develops, she wants to hear more about Lutheranism… She knew that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus but in a way that you would celebrate the birth of a hero. To celebrate the birth of a child that is destined to die is confusing. It sounds depressing, but for Lutherans, we see God’s grace in His miraculous deeds…Just wait till we talk about why Good Friday is good!!!”
Rev. May comments on the delight of the gospel reaching people and baptizing them: “I was meeting with my language helpers one day. We meet together to read the bible in French. I really didn’t know too much about them personally. So I asked them if they were Christians. One man, Joakim, said, “I was a Muslim until the first day that we read the Bible together.
I had always thought that Jesus was a prophet like Muhammad and that Islam and Christianity were basically the same. I thought Jesus was a law-giver like Muhammad. I never heard that Jesus came as a Savior to pay for our sins. I had always tried to be a good Muslim, but my sin haunted me. Now I know that Jesus came to die for me and because of what He has done, I can be sure that I will go to heaven.”
Rev. May again tells another wonderful story about a man by the name of Jean Nikiema… “Jean is a Burkinabé by birth but has spent most of the last 20 years living in the Ivory Coast. He returned a couple months ago with his three children. He had been attending our Good News magazine reading class for several weeks when he asked for prayers for his 2 1/2 year old son who had suffered from diarrhea for many weeks. He didn’t ask for any money, just that we pray for his son, Victorien.
In West Africa one child dies every six minutes because of diarrhea, so it is a very serious matter. I asked if Victorien was baptized. Jean answered, the Catholic Church in the Ivory Coast charged $15 per baptism and he hadn’t had the money. He was barely able to afford the public school tuition of $4 for his other two children. I assured Jean that the Lutheran church does not charge for the gifts of God, and if it was his will, we could get Victorien baptized just in case he continued to get weaker. Victorien was baptized on September 30. The diarrhea has subsided, but he is still weak. Please keep him in your prayers.”
Finally, Rev. May comments on the challenges of educating the people with limited resources available. “There are very few Lutheran books translated in French and fewer in the national languages. Thankfully, this is the express purpose of Lutheran Heritage Foundation, to translate and introduce these Christian books… There is a further problem. Books are very expensive. Luther’s Small Catechism, for example, would cost as much as an entire week’s salary in most West African countries. Lutheran Heritage Foundation is committed to providing these books for free, but it is not free for them to produce them. Maybe your church could subsidize the cost of a few French catechisms.”
Please continue to keep Rev. May and his family in your prayers as he continues his work to reach more people with the Gospel in Burkina Faso and Togo, West Africa. To read more about Rev. May’s missionary work and see pictures of his family and life in Togo, you may visit his website at www.mayfamilyintogo.com
In Christ,
Vicar Huehn
From the President
Dear Congregation-
At our annual Council Retreat we take time to recognize the accomplishments of the past year and we develop Goals for the coming years. Some items are well planned, fully funded and nearing completion, while others are only at the study level and in the end may not be implemented.
The Council would like to share this information with the Congregation to communicate our plans for Messiah. Our hope is that this will spark even more ideas, interest and excitement in the growing ministry at Messiah.
Please pass on your thoughts about our Goals to the Council, and we would enjoy hearing your new ideas as well. Please also consider volunteering your own time and talents to accomplish the Lord’s work!
In Christ,
John Koppelman, President
A Special Thank You to Messiah Lutheran Church
April 13, 2008
Dear Pastor Lassman and Saints of Messiah Lutheran Church,
You’re special saints. The support of our Russian mission is a great blessing. I sincerely thank you!
May the peace of our Risen Lord fill each of your homes and lives.
Yours,
Dr. Dean O. Wenthe
President, Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne
Messiah Website Update
Here is a list all the weekly/monthly updated content on the website:
• Sermons Text and Audio
• This Week at Messiah Announcements from the Bulletin
• Calendar of Events
• Messenger
• Youth Events Page
• Sunday Morning Bible Study Audio
• Music Group Performance Audio
• AIC Video Clip of the Week
Links to all this content can be found on the right side of the homepage.
If you have anything you want to put on the website or if you want to help out with the website please contact Nate Schaub.
Messiah Website Statistics for March 16 - April 16
We started keeping detailed statistics of visitors to messiahseattle.org on March 16, 2008 and this is the first report.
Visitors:
1,965 visitors from March 16–April 16 or an average of 63 visitors per day
35% of these visitors left immediately and did not look at the site.
1296 visitors actually stayed and viewed the site at least one time.
66% or 855 of these 1296 visitors only viewed the website one time and have not returned.
33% or 440 visitors have returned and have visited our website more than one time.
On average, we have around 390 regular visitors who use our website on a daily or weekly basis.
Where visitors come from:
88% or 1,745 visitors come from the USA
29% or 510 visitors of the 1,745 USA visitors come from Washington State
Visitors come from all over the world: United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Philippines, Argentina, Japan, India, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Singapore, Malaysia, Finland, Ivory Coast, China, Nigeria, Taiwan, South Africa, Seychelles, Israel, Vietnam, New Zealand, Lebanon, Kenya, Russia… (These top 26 countries are in order of most to least visitors)
We have had visitors from all 50 states. Here are the top 10: Washington, California, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio
41% of visitors find our site by searching for us on Google.
34% of visitors type messiahseattle.org directly into the web browser
Other sites that link to our site are: wittenbergtrail.com, youtube.com, yahoo.com, lcms.com, aol.com, msn.com…
What pages visitors viewed:
9,539 pageviews (Total number of pages viewed by all 1,965 visitors)
(Repeated views of a single page are counted.)
177 Messiah webpages were viewed 9,539 times.
Pageviews by website sections:
1. Education: AIC Videos and Bible Studies Audio 3,061
2. Sermons: Text and Audio 2,475
3. Events: This Week at Messiah Announcements & Messenger 1,178
4. Index: Homepage 1448
5. About: Staff and Church Info 600
6. Youth 380
7. Fellowship: Church Group Info and Music Groups Audio 280
CURRENT AND UPCOMING BIBLE STUDIES
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FELLOWSHIP HALL BIBLE CLASS
WHAT: “Ephesians”
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
WHEN: Sunday Mornings 9:20 a.m.
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
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HIGH SCHOOL BIBLE CLASS SUNDAY MORNINGS SUNDAYS
WHAT: “Growing in Christ” Bible Study
WHEN: Sunday Mornings 9:20 a.m. 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202 Room 202
INSTRUCTOR: John Daigneault, Dave Manion, Vicar Huehn
Dave Manahan
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MONDAY EVENING MARY/MARTHA BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: “Pass the Salt: Living a Blessed Life”
WHEN: First Monday of the Month 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Lounge
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Huehn
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TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: “Matthew”
WHEN: Tuesday Mornings, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
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THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY Young Adults
WHAT: “Old Testament Overview” “21st Century Spirituality”
WHEN: Thursdays, 7 p.m. Two Thursdays a month 7 p.m.
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202 Lounge
LEADER: Jim Grant Vicar Huehn
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ADULT INFORMATION CLASS
WHAT: A 15-week course on basic Christian teachings
WHEN: Thursday Evenings, 7:00 p.m.; began Feb. 7th
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
UPCOMING EVENTS
Men’s Night Out - Monday, May 5th at 6 p.m. at the Kona Kitchen, 8501 5th Ave NE. Please RSVP to Brian Danforth.
Spring Clean Up
Spring clean up will be Saturday morning, May 17th from 9:00 am -12:00pm. We will be working both indoors and outdoors. Indoors we will be cleaning, vacuuming and fixing areas that don’t get covered on a weekly basis. Outdoors we will be weeding, pruning and doing general cleanup around the church. Bring your pruners, rakes, brooms, gloves, etc. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
June Messenger deadline is May 18th.
Noted Historian and author, Dr. Paul Maier, will once again be conducting a seminar at Good Shepherd in Tacoma. This year, “Jesus of Nazareth - What else do we know? Exploring Sacred and Secular Sources” will be held on May 17th from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. The cost of the seminar, including lunch, is $15.00 (pre-registration) or $20.00 at the door.
Seattle seniors and baby boomers are invited to attend the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens Healthy Aging Fair on Thursday, May 15, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm in the Central Building, 810 3rd Avenue in downtown. This free event feature blood pressure, bone density and other health screening as well as workshops and demonstrations on health promotion, fitness, disease prevention and senior wellness.
Jesus and the Lion - A New Look at the Gospel of Mark
May 9-11th, 7th Annual Lay Symposium at Peace Lutheran Church in Bremerton.
Guest Speaker Dr. Peter J. Scaer, Associate Professor of Exegetical Studies from Ft. Wayne, IN. Come and hear of the surprising ways in which Jesus is presented in the second gospel. For more information, call 360. 377.6253.
“Kaleidoscope on Delano Bay” Open to youth entering the 10th grade in the fall of 2008 through the class of 2008 students. July 6 - 11th at the Delano Bay Christian Camp. Look for more information on the youth board or contact Pastor Lassman for more details. Deadline for sign up is June 8th.
The choir at Messiah has decided to end their season earlier than usual this year, due to the small size of the group and to the commitments and limitations of its members this spring.
Our sincere thanks to all who participated during the year: (Sopranos) Stephanie Colbert, Sue Hewitson, Karla Sanger; (Altos) Marie Byarlay, Carol Johnson, Gail Ludvigson, Ann Melvin; (Tenors) Mike Boomhower, Harry Edmon, Dick Hillmann; (Basses) Robin Melvin, Bob Solum, Arnold Swanberg, John Viets; (Director) Janet Solum; (Accompanists and Substitute Director) Barbara Sackett.
It has been our joy to sing the Lord’s praises during the Sunday services and special services. We look forward to resuming again next autumn.
Social Ministry News
Monthly Donations
Messiah supports Compass Cascade and Immanuel Lutheran in their ministries to some of Seattle’s homeless. Compass Cascade provides temporary housing for women and Immanuel Lutheran has hygiene facilities which men use during the day. Both organizations appreciate the hygiene supplies we give them, because there are so many people who use their facilities throughout the year(s). This month we are collecting large bath towels. These are for the men who use Emmanuel Lutheran’s showers, and for the women who live temporarily at the Compass Cascade. Please help by putting these items in our lounge upstairs. Because we only donate bath towels once a year, these two organizations are in short supply. The large bath towels may be new, from your own supply at home or from a thrift store. Please include receipts if new or from a thrift store. Receipts help our other social ministry projects.
Over the six weeks of Lenten dinners we served 412 people and after expenses we have $942.91 for Social Ministry projects. Thank you for attending the dinners and for your donations for future projects. A BIG THANK YOU to the people who helped prepare the fellowship hall and the food, they are: Arlene Ramsey, Mazie Johnson, Margie Longan, Harry Edmon, Marie Byarlay, Kathy Lassman, Syd Altena, June Scott, Judy Koppleman, Sara & Bob Zimmerman, Joni Noges, Kara Huehn, Ardis Fisse, Jane Krueger, Laurie Mendes.
But it is not all about money. The fellowship and getting to know one another better is also very important. The dinners were a big success!
“Give the Gift of Mobility” - Senior Services’ Transportation Program is seeking dedicated and caring volunteers to drive seniors in King County to their medical appointments. Use your own vehicle, choose the days, times and areas you wish to drive and receive reimbursement for mileage and parking, plus supplemental liability insurance. For more information, call 206.448.5740 or visit the website www.seniorservices.org.
Sue Hewitson
Vacation Bible School NEWS
“Friendship Trek” is the theme of the Messiah/Concordia Vacation Bible School this year. July 14th through 18th is the week; save the date. Bring your children and their friends for a week to remember. They will make five new friends, who will teach them about God’s love, in a week-long hike through the word of God: Raya Racoon on day 1, Honey Bear on day 2, Baldwin Eagle on day 3, Buddy Porcupine on day 4 and Rocky Ram on day 5. More later but please give your name to Bob Guthrie if you are able to help. He is starting the list now.
LWML News
Ladies Guild (afternoon LWML)
• Annual “Lunch at a Restaurant”
• Wednesday, May 14th, 12 noon
• Wedgwood Broiler (35th Ave NE & 85th St.)
• Please RSVP to Margie Longan or church office
Project Day
• Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 9:30am to 2:30pm
• Bring a sack lunch
• Call Irma Guthrie for more information
• Next Project Day will be in September 2008
Lutheran World Relief Spring pickup date is May 2-3, 2008. The Project Day group is contributing 11 quilts. They will be on display the Sunday before the pickup days. If you would like to participate in the making of quilts for LWR or lap robes for nursing home residents, call Irma Guthrie. A big THANK YOU to all the Project Day ladies for a job well done!
November 2007 Gatherings from Portland, Seattle and Spokane
Quilts/Blankets 4,345
Soap 2,206
School Kits 14,910
Health Kits 4,133
Layettes 2,944
Total Pounds 100,788
These item, plus all item collected int the United States were distributed in 23 countries around the world.
Mary-Martha Ministries
Monthly women’s Bible study, Monday May 5th, 7pm. Come join us as Vicar Huehn continues this study on the beatitudes out of Matthew’s Gospel.
Calling All Mite Boxes!!
Don’t forget your mites: You can bring in your mite box the last Sunday of the month. There will be a basket at the back of the Sanctuary.
LWML District Event
•26th Biennial Convention June 20-22, 2008 at the Holiday Inn in Everett
•Theme: For the Lord, the Lord is the Rock Eternal - Isaiah 26:4
•Highlights: Missionary speakers, worship services, Bible studies, interest sessions, fellowship, servant events
•Don’t miss this great opportunity. For more information, call Margie Longan.
News From Concordia
Meyer’s Minutes
“My father has 2 to 3 weeks to left to live”. This statement was made to me this by one of our parents here at Concordia. Their family is headed to say “good-bye” this weekend. What an amazing statement of reality for me to process? I have been wallowing in self-pity the last few days because specific efforts that I have been making are not being rewarded the way I want them to be rewarded. How selfish? There seems to be a whole lot of me, me, and me in the previous statement. I think I forget that what we have here at Concordia is a ministry to children and their families. I need to remember that as I sink into a hole of self-pity I tend to close my ears to the need of others. I write this to ask not only for your prayers for this family but also to remember the importance of loving and listening to others. As I heard this story, my perspective was adjusted and God woke me up from lumbering in self-pity. Maybe the same happens for you….
