Messiah Lutheran

Here I Am Lord

2012-01-22T19:22:00.001-08:00

The Messiah Lutheran Church Adult Choir sings "Here I am Lord!". The choir is Directed by Randall Fields. The Director of Music Ministries is Lois Graff. Please contact Lois or Randall if you would like to learn how your musical talents can be used for the Glory of God at Messiah Lutheran Church. We have ensembles for all age groups and skill levels.

Season of Giving

2011-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Tis the season of giving and that is exactly what Messiah Lutheran Church is doing. This week, several members of the Messiah Congregation collected up the gifts from our Angle Tree and delivered them to the Downtown Rescue Mission. This year we collected gifts for more than 30 children.

The Downtown Rescue Mission is a nonprofit organization serving the homeless living throughout northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. For more than 30 years, the Mission has saved lives and has had a profound impact on thousands of others by providing Christ-filled, enriched and compassionate services to those in desperate need.

In total, an estimated 200 children from the community will be coming to the Mission to receive toys at the annual Christmas Children's Party on Friday, December 23. This event is organized and executed by Mission staff and volunteers. The program has always been a wonderful experience that is fun for both adults and children of all walks of life.

Messiah also delivered clothing and gifts to Jamie, the social worker at Madison Crossroads Elementary School. Jamie immediately picked out a jacket for a boy who needs one. She also picked out presents for the last few children she needed gifts for.

Messiah also provided a bag of books and a set of puzzles for Health Establishments at Local Schools (HEALS) which is an non-profit health clinic next to Madison Cross Roads.

Many thanks to the Messiah Outreach Team and all of the congregation members who so generously provided the gifts and clothing for these great causes. You have touched many lives and have shared God's love and blessings.

If you would like to learn about additional opportunities to help those in need, please contact Janell Zesinger or the Church office.

Milestone Christian Academy

2011-12-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

Last week several members of Messiah Lutheran Church visited our adopted school, Milestone Christian Academy. While there, they delivered gifts from the congregation and spent time visiting with the school staff.Milestone Christian Academy, a division of Milestone Development Inc., was founded in 2008. It is a Christian based nonprofit organization that began as a small after school program serving only 25 children's in Huntsville, Alabama. It has now expanded to a new facility, and is licensed to provide service for over 100 children.

Milestone is unique, in that it offers a sliding fee scale based on income, for qualifying parents, who are employed or attend and educational instrtution. With the help from donations and grants, Milestone provides schalarships for tuition. Enrollment consists of full paying clients, single family homes, homeless children, and children under protection service. Milestone serves children from 6 weeks of age to 12 years. Their program offers more than just "child care". They provide a rich, nurturing environment for children's cognitive, social and physical growth in a fun learning enviorment.

Milestone believes that children are a gift and reward from GOD. They are capable, active leaners, constructing their knowladge through exploration, investigation, story, and play.

If you you would like to learn how you can help Milestone Christian Academy, please contact Claire Strand.

Related Articles

Messiah Lutheran: Milestone Christian Academy

Dec 29, 2010

Messiah Lutheran: Milestone Children's Corner

May 02, 2010

Steeple Raising, December 14, 2011

2011-12-15T04:39:00.000-08:00

On December 14, 2011 Messiah Lutheran Church raised its new steeple as part of the Sanctuary Expansion Project.

Wheelchair Ramp 3

2011-12-14T04:16:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, the Messiah Carpentry team constructed another wheelchair ramp for a gentleman in Huntsville. Despite a chilly morning, the ramp was constructed in a record time of just two hours on the work site. So this record begs the question, Why was the ramp constructed so quickly? Was it because everyone wanted to get out of the chilly air? Maybe. Was it because we didn't have to make a single trip to the hardware store? Maybe. Was it because we we had 11 carpenters show up for this build? Maybe. Was it because Joe Stuart fed us an awesome breakfast of Sweet Potato Pancakes and Hot Sausage? Probably not, but that didn't hurt and it sure got everyone energized. The real answer is that after building several other wheelchair ramps, we have generally figured out how to get the job done without a lot of wasted energy.

These wheelchair ramps are built in support of CASA of Madison County which provides them free of charge to aged and homebound people. The Messiah Carpentry Team is led by Owen Wasmoen. If you would like to participate in a future wheelchair ramp build, please contact him for additional information.

Ring and Sing 2011

2011-12-12T16:38:00.001-08:00

Without a doubt, Messiah Lutheran Church is blessed with some exceptionally talented musicians. They gathered together this week to share their remarkable talents as part of Messiah Lutheran Church's Annual Ring and Sing Concert. Special thanks to Rhonda Gaede for organizing all of this talent and making this such a wonderful event.

Appalachian Christmas - Notabella (arr. Waldrop)
At the Manger - Notabella (arr. Morris)
Jingle Bells - Cherub Choir (Pierpont)
Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer - Cherub Choir (Marks)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Seraph Choir (France 15th Century)
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Randall Fields (MacGimsey)
What Child is This? - Audience Participation (England 16th Century)
Up on the Housetop - Audience Participation (Hanby)
Joy to the World - Hymn (Handel)
German Christmas - Notabella, Adult Choir (arr. Tucker)
For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Notabella (Handel, arr. McChesney)
Carol of the Bells - Notabella (Leontovych, arr. McChesney)
O Holy Night - Hymn (Adam)
He is Born - Handbell Quartet (arr. McChesney)
Caroler's Hoedown - Handbell Quartet (arr. Stephenson)
The Blessing - Youth Choir (Sleeth)

Building Getsemani, El Salvador

2011-12-09T18:42:00.001-08:00

November 5–13, 2011
By Susan Burrer

...how do you go on a mission trip and not be changed in some way—not possible. First of all—what is a “mission trip”? I believe it is whatever God speaks to your heart to do for others, whether across the street or in some far-off corner of the world; it is your particular way to pass on your blessings—play it forward—in my case, building houses with the people of El Salvador...only it is SO much more than that!

This was my fourth trip, the first three building Villa Esperanza, a Thrivent/Habitat for Humanity village of 75 houses, a community center, a preschool, and an outdoor marketplace—all now complete; this time, Getsemani, a community on the outskirts of Ahuachapan. Here, Thrivent/Habitat will build 90 houses over 3 years and develop programs in community leadership, values education, community health, cultural exchange, and microentrepreneurship. Ahuachapan is a city nestled in the valley of the mountain range Ilamatepec, located in the department of Ahuachapan, one of the 14 in El Salvador, bordering Guatamala and the Pacific Ocean. This department is rated as extreme poverty...what will that mean to us throughout the week?

Our team of 13, the other 12 from North Dakota, hooked up in the airport at San Salvador with Aleks, a local Habitat employee and friend from previous trips, and stayed the night there at the LaPosada del Angel Hotel, a quaint, very hospitable, little place, where we had orientation and regrouped our gifts of health/school supplies for the children of the church and those to take to the village. We also had our first El Salvadorian meal of various pupusas, a thicker tortilla made with freshly ground corn dough and stuffed with cheese, beans, or meat, and then grilled...yum!

Inside Cristo Rey Lutheran Church, Santa Ana; note pedestal flower pot is the baptismal font

From El Salvador 2011

Church—Sunday morning we loaded up everything again for the hour ride to Santa Ana...our team picked going to Cristo Rey Lutheran Church again, where we have been going the past four trips, instead of a larger church in San Salvador. There is something truly spiritual worshiping here, even though there isn’t much of the church and surrounding buildings left after it was destroyed in an earthquake in 2001. The church motto is “we are a poor church who serves the poor,” as most of the members are low-income families who work as day laborers, factory workers, or street vendors and many do not have decent homes themselves, but yet actively supported Habitat by coming to build houses for others in Villa Esperanza every Saturday. We also pick up our interpreter, Ronald, an awesome young man, an El Salvadorian, very compassionate with a truly caring heart, and perfect for the role he has in keeping everything going!


Outside the church—Pastor Carlos; Church coordinator,Carlos; Pastor’s wife (also a pastor), & Ronald

From El Salvador 2011

One little elderly lady in particular touched our hearts from the first time we met her—and don’t let her small size of not even 4 feet fool you—she was still quite able to sift sand or move block with the best of them!—but as she opened her small coin purse in church and removed the few remaining coins, she just had a glow about her, and was pleased that she could contribute to God’s work, and us knowing that it no doubt probably was her last coins—she had faith, and gave them with a thankful heart...

From El Salvador 2011

As usual, the newest members on our team got to participate in the service by reading the lessons in English and serving the communion. The songs are all sung in Spanish, without a piano...we try to keep up the best we can, some better than others!...but it is especially enlightening when the song is one we sing in our church, such as “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore,” which we’ve sang three out of the four times! And no, I have not been requesting it, but it is so moving when sung in Español a cappella. When the service was over, all the children got up to sing several songs for us. We then presented the school and health kits we brought for them.

Accommodations—the opposite end of the spectrum this time...instead of staying in the midst of the busy city of Santa Ana, we are staying up on a mountain side at Hotel Alicante Montana (almost 5,000 ft in elevation), a beautiful, peaceful setting despite the armed guards at the gate...rustic but very moderized ...but still, we must stay focused...use bottled water for things like brushing our teeth, and no paper in the toilet...neither comes natural! There is no air conditioning, but not now needed, especially every evening when the sun sets, the strong mountainous “river of winds” pick up, blow like crazy!, all night until sunrise, when they normally go down for the day. After a hearty breakfast of eggs, beans, plantains, fresh fruit, and plenty of their wonderful locally grown coffee, we are ready for the 25-minute van ride down the mountain to embark on our mission.

As we start our further descent into Getsemani on the rocky trail with big pot holes from the recent torrential rains, we see building is going to be a little more challenging here with the slope of the hillsides. We will find out more about that as the week progresses! As we wind through the village, many people wave or call out to us “hola” (hello) or “dias” (short for buenos dias, or good morning). The children are especially curious to see who is coming this week!

Since this co-Thrivent/Habitat for Humanity El Salvador project has been in progress all year, the community center has already been built. This is the center of activity where we will eat lunch every day, cultural exchanges take place, training for various things within the village is held, AND it has two flush toilets for our use! Latin American people are very artsy and the inside of the Center is painted reflectively, with a beautiful mural all across the front, depicting how they envision the village. Our first introduction to the families, masons, and helpers we will be working with takes place...even the little children got up to tell us their name, welcome us, and thank us for coming to help build...truly heart-warming...

Team in the Community Center: (back) Jeff, Kent, Carol, Tim, Susan, Kelly, Craig
(front) Mark, Melton, Sandy, Rita, Evelyn, Kristen

From El Salvador 2011

The Build—We will be working on three houses, two just a half block from the community center, side by side, and another a block away. The houses are all single-family style here, again no larger than 400 square feet, with two 9x9 foot bedrooms, an open area for living (where many times they run a small business in part of that space also, such as a tienda (store) or hair salon), a patio area where they do all the cooking on little stoves and the large cement, three-compartment sink resides for ALL purposes, and then the small bathroom that has running water with a sink, shower, and a flush toilet! They are built to be earthquake resistant. It seems there is much weather-related activity in this area...volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, torrential rains, flooding, mudslides...just when it seems like they are getting ahead, something happens to set them back again...it just doesn’t seem fair.

The first of the three houses has the footers dug, which is done by digging trenches by hand—no forms—and bucket brigades (human chains) to move the dirt, tamp the soil, and join rebar to build somewhat of a frame for the cement blocks to slip over when building the walls, to tie it all together. There are a few rows of block already up. Only the local masons can lay the block with a mortar called mezcla and volunteers fill in the center holes around the rebar with chispa. Blocks have to be moved, sand sifted, and “something” transported in the wheelbarrows. Work continues all week building the walls with this family.

House 2 is farther along—work progresses putting the final rows of block on, and before the week is over, the corrugated metal roof is put on, sidewalks and patio are poured, septic tank dug, floor prepared for the tile, and walls both inside and out are prepared for painting. Has anyone shovel-dug a 6-foot-deep hole by about 4 feet wide lately on a 90-degree day?!

House 3—the house I worked on all week—was going to be the residence of Francisco, his wife Evelia, two of their sons who are in their 20’s, and a couple grandchildren who sometimes stay there while their parents work. It appeared that 50% of the block laying was done, so in between hand mixing the mescala and chispa for the masons or hauling blocks up the hill in semi-rollable wheelbarrows, our job was to build up the floor...not so bad I thought...I’m experienced moving dirt!

Francisco and Evelia

From El Salvador 2011

After our pile of loose dirt from digging out the footers was gone, we would need to pickaxe the dirt apart on the mountain, pull out all garbage and tree roots...anything that would later decay and create a hollow spot under the tile, and by bucket brigade, the dirt would be passed into the house and dumped, bucket after bucket, maneuvering around the scaffolding set up in the doorways and throughout the house, until there was about 4 inches everywhere. Then, it would need to be tamped (compacted) to prepare for the next layer, and the next, and the next... (a handmade tamper is created by an empty paint can filled with cement with a tree branch handle in it). Each morning we would ask the masons, “quantos mas” (how much more), to which they would reply “poquito” (a little more)! Guess they didn’t think us gringos could handle the truth! Come Wednesday, we got an explanation that we had to build the floor up 27 cm above the elevation of the lot above ours. The amazing thing to me all the time is nobody complains—everyone just pitches in to “get ‘er done!”

Current house of Francisco and Evelia

From El Salvador 2011

Inspiration to keep on keeping on—Unlike building Villa Esperanza where we built a whole new village on an unoccupied flat piece of ground, we learned that the shack about 15 feet behind this new house of old corrugated metal scraps, branches, mud, plastic, and whatever else there was to make a wall of some kind was Evelia and Francisco’s current home of 8 years...something you’d see in a documentary...only now, it was real...we knew their names...they had a face...we felt their hugs, these happy, loving, grateful people with much faith lived here...truly surreal for all of us...the dirt floor, the bed set up on pieces of block to keep it dry as the torrential rains wash through their house, the big barrels of clothes soaking—the laundry. You can’t feel sorry for them, in the sense that we know, because they don’t feel sorry for themselves...they look ahead, that tomorrow is going to be better...one does not really know how to feel other than it is something unfamiliar to us. There appears a new sense of urgency and strength within to “move that dirt”!

Our dirt-moving team and masons—I’m feeling TALL next to Evelia!

From El Salvador 2011

Eventually, we heard “no mas” (no more), and moved on to put the last layers of another “recipe” that started with eight wheelbarrows of sand, all to be hand mixed twice, water added, and hand mixed twice more, and then more bucket brigades and tamping. Friday the floor was declared “done” until they put the layer of crushed lava and then tile, which would be next week’s team.

Francisco worked side by side with us every day...these people have an amazing work ethic...he did not rest it seemed. When we’d go for our 15-minute break and come back, a big mound of dirt magically appeared...he was trying to make our job easier!

Mowing grass with machetes

From El Salvador 2011

His wife Evelia was no different. She was heading up a community clean-up program with her crew working the huge lot next door when she got done working her real job. In a few hours, they “mowed” the entire lot with machetes, had it raked with “tree branch” rakes, the tall grasses loaded onto sheets of cloth or plastic, and carried off into the woods. They then proceeded to dig up the land with pickaxes and large hoes to make a community vegetable garden...truly amazing to watch them work so diligently with such primitive tools but much enthusiasm! Evelia was also “in training” to learn how to sew—many try to subsidize their income ($200/mo is a good salary for working outside the home). This “sewing group” had hoped to get the contract to sew school uniforms, which the children need before they are allowed to attend school. She proudly showed me the uniform she made when I told her I sewed too!

Their house on Friday when we left

From El Salvador 2011

...now what? We then started to sand the outside of the house. How do you sand a cement block house? By taking a smaller broken piece of block and using it as “sandpaper” until the wall is smooth, then you wet down the blocks, brush on several coats of diluted cement until the entire house is sealed, and ready for painting. When asked what color they had picked out for their house, Francisco beamed with joy...the bottom third would be brown and the top light blue, knowing that this was the first time in his sixty-some years to have a REAL house with walls to paint. ...you then get the Thrivent Global Village motto...

Sample completed house—theirs will be light blue on top

From El Salvador 2011

Culture Exchange/Farewell Party—One of the things the masons look forward to all week is playing the great fútbol game (soccer) with us! One can see why that is the No. 1 sport in their country just watching even the smaller kyds play...they are good at it, and I’m sure it helps to be small, thin, fast, and coordinated! We also got to go back to Villa Esperanza on an outing to look over the completed village...many of us had not been there for the building of the market place, the last project before dedication of the village last November. Throughout the week we took a walking tour of more of Getsemani and visited the corn grinding station, toured through a house that was completed (they just welcome you in to take a look...nobody is concerned whether it is up to par for visitors or not; if you don’t have much “stuff,” it can’t be out of place!), bought a coke from the tienda in the house a couple doors down from where we were working...interesting concept! They don’t want you to take the glass bottle because it is refillable...so...they dump it into a clear plastic bag, tie it shut, and you bite the corner off and sip it out of there when you are ready!

Preschool in Villa Esperanza

From El Salvador 2011

...oh no, not Friday ALREADY...which means saying goodbye to our new friends is inevitable. The families whose houses we worked on all week got up to gratefully thank us all for coming to help build...that it just isn’t about the house, but hope, a way to a better life, and that people like us who don’t even know them, care, and come to help. It is almost impossible to maintain dry eyes through their heartfelt thankfulness.

Some of the local ladies prepared authentic El Salvadorian food for us, while we made “dirt cups” (crushed oreos, chocolate pudding, and gummy worms) for all of them! I believe it was their first time for dirt cups, and after a little hesitancy—about the worms perhaps!, they seemed to really enjoy them! ...then the mariachi comes around the corner and it is now time to be joyous and celebrate the week with music and dancing!! All too soon the party is over!

Why go there, people ask, there is plenty of people in need here? What truly inspires someone to keep going back after the first time, now knowing the work that is involved, and the conditions...it is something that really has no explanation...just a calling to do something I guess. One lady from a Canadian team working there in a different village with Habitat was there for her fourteenth time; most on our team have been there at least four times...what is it? Perhaps it is literally the sweat and tears that one shares working side by side with the families...you look into their faces and know they have some story...you cannot really speak, at least not in words, but the connection of our hearts is much more powerful than words could ever be. Perhaps it is the gratefulness in their faces and the feeling in their hugs. They may be poor in material things but they are much richer in faith, happiness, and spirit than we could ever hope to be...there is MUCH to be learned from our new friends.


Our hike to the inside of an inactive volcano; coffee fields in background (harvesting was just starting—Nov. through Feb.)

From El Salvador 2011

Las Ruta De Las Flores (the route of the flowers). Our team voted to tour the coffee fields/hiking, Apeneca (an artsy shopping town), and zip-lining for our Saturday adventure day! Our guide took us to the coffee bush field where he explained
the growing process of coffee. All the dark green criss-cross trees on the mountain side are to protect the coffee beans from being blown off the plants. We then continued our hike to the top of the volcano (beautiful views) and down to the lake inside of it, where there was a flower farm. After a delicious lunch on the patio back at the base, we went to Apeneca to check out the shops, have a fresh cup of coffee, and then on to do zip-lining! The open-air bus ride up to the top was great, and the 14-leg zip-lining was awesome! The longer runs took you out across the canyon! Did I say it was AWESOME! We went back to San Salvador for the night as most had an early flight Sunday morning. As we said our team goodbyes, we wondered...not IF, but WHEN, we get to come back to El Salvador again...as our bonds are not easily broken...

New Member Reception - 4 Dec 2011

2011-12-05T19:24:00.001-08:00

A special welcome to the newest members of Messiah Lutheran Church! We are so happy that you are part of our Church family!

Greg and Meredith Kilby
Chad and Regina Hyatt
Brandon, Rachel, Gabe, Nitin, and Kreneck Gardner
Bill Meyer
Keith Bux
Jeff, Heather, Gabriel, and Kara Ostendorff

Benito Montoya Graduation, November 2011

2011-11-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

For several years now, Messiah Lutheran Church has been supporting the Lunches for Learning Program and one special school in Honduras. This is the text of the Temple Talk delivered by one of the two missionaries who visited our school on the occasion of their graduation ceremony.

Two Sundays ago, you commissioned Sarah and me as your ambassadors to the 6th grade graduation ceremonies at Benito Montoya school in El Barrial Honduras. We promised to love them for you and we kept our promise.

Now let me try to tell you what it means to them. First just a few tourist pictures. The tropical storm at the end of the rainy season in October tore up the pan-american highway. There was room for one lane of traffic. These are sesame seed shocks harvested on the side of Elephant Mountain. We visited 2 other schools up there. The wildfowers had not dried up before our visit. Different varieties of red, pink, white, yellow, purple and orange flowers were hiding among the rocks and brush.

Now I will try to convey what God has done in El Barrial because of you. If you made and donated a craft, shopped or worked at the Handmade market, made tacos or ate tacos at the spring taco lunch, designated your offering to L4L or prayed for their ministry then you are responsible for what I’m about to show you. You know the old saying “if mama’s not happy ain’t nobody happy?” Here’s a new one “when the kids are fed everybody’s happy.”

Remember the original kindergarten? Here is the new one. Gerard deJong secured funds for its construction from benevolence grants at his employer. Remember how the school looked when we began our sponsorship? This is the school now.

By sharing with them what God first gave you, the community and the school have blossomed like Miracle Grow in number and in spirit. About 150 children, parents, grandparents and friends came to El Barrial to celebrate not only an achievement, but also a new feeling of significance in a place where they have felt forgotten for a long time.

To make their day more like what the schools in the city do, the graduates of 6th grade and kindergarten wore new shirts, conducted a candle ceremony, and danced all afternoon.

They loved receiving the Bibles you sent. The parents especially seem to love them. For many homes that will be the only book they have. They loved the books and supplies for the new kindergarten. Each student was given a stack to carry over to the building.

And yes we did check on Deysi. The nurse from Healing the Children became a sponsor of a school and she went with us to see Deysi and offer once more the possibility of corrective surgery for her knee in the US.

The principal, the upper grade teacher, and the kindergarten teacher attribute the growth of their community to the relationship and cooperation we have together with them. They thank you with a gift and hope the relationship will continue to inspire the community

Related Articles

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Oct 15, 2011

Messiah Lutheran

Oct 23, 2011

Messiah Lutheran: Lunches For Learning Mission Focus

Jan 18, 2011

Messiah Lutheran: Lunches For Learning Graduates

Nov 08, 2009

Messiah Lutheran: Mission To Honduras

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Messiah Lutheran: What's Happening at Benito Montoya?

Sep 20, 2010

Messiah Lutheran: Handmade Market

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Israel Pilgrimage: Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea

2011-11-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

Church at Masada

Karen and Sue in front of caves at Qumran

Bill and Marcie in front of cave #4 where Dead Sea scrolls were found

November 8-9, 2011

As Jesus came out ofthe temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him thebuildings of the temple. Then heasked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here uponanother; all will be thrown down.” When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to himprivately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign ofyour coming and the end of the age?” --Matthew 24:1-3

The end? A thread running through the desertplaces we visited today (as we are nearing the end of our time in Israel) was theend.

At Qumran we saw 2,000year-old remnants of the Jewish sect usually called the Essenes. These devout Jews grew so disgustedwith what was happening in the capitol (Jerusalem), especially in the Temple,that they withdrew to the desert awaiting a final apocalyptic battle betweenthe forces of light and darkness. (Of course, they were on the side of light.) Before the Romans arrived to destroy their community, theyhid their precious writings in desert caves. Those writings, discovered only about 60 years ago, arecalled the Dead Sea Scrolls. Theygive us the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament.

At Masada we rodea cable car that took us up over a thousand vertical feet to see remnants ofKing Herod’s opulent palace/fortress perched atop an immense rockyplateau. Though built by Herod,Masada is most remembered for being the location of the last stand of almost1,000 Jewish zealots. This was theJewish version of the Alamo. Ittook a long time, phenomenal effort, and ample resources, but an estimated13,000 Roman soldiers finally breached the fortress walls and prevailed. This finally ended the Jewish War,which already had brought about the destruction of Jerusalem including theTemple in 70AD. This ending wasexactly what Jesus foretold 40 years earlier (see above). To the very end, those Zealots prayedfor and set their hopes upon the Lord rescuing them.

In recent years Ioften have been asked by people, “Do you think this is the end?” Usually that question has come after themost recent in a dreadful string of disasters. Some have been distant earthquakes and tsunamis, but othershave been tornadoes and hurricanes and tragedies that have hit us where welive.

So, is this theend? Only God knows. More important for us as Christians areJesus’ promises that the end of this age will be good news for us. Some have gone before us. All of uswill join them in the end that our Lord has prepared for His children. God’s end, God’s final judgment on youwas announced in your Baptism. That was when our Lord promised, “Youare mine. That is forever.” So now, as we are…

Waiting for the end:We have been told that this good news is for us to share. God even uses us to bring more into Hiskingdom. The risen from the dead Jesustold his first disciples and tells us, “Itis not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his ownauthority. But, you shall be mywitnesses, in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of theearth” (Acts 1:7-8).

While we wait:Tomorrow our pilgrim band will celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the GardenTomb. (The Garden Tomb is anotherpossible location for Calvary where Jesus died on the cross and the tomb wherehis body temporarily rested.) Inthat simple meal we will again get the promise first announced to us inBaptism, and the nourishment needed to keep walking and witnessing as disciplesof the risen Lord.

This is the endof this blog for me, but I hope and expect this is a new beginning for many ofus pilgrims through life. That iswhat we all are. We are chosen andcalled to share the good news of our living Lord that has named and claimed usso we might be his witnesses.

Shalom from Jerusalem.

The Dead Sea

Swimming in the Dead Sea

Israel Pilgrimage: Mount of Olives, Upper Room, Israel Museum

2011-11-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Marcie Emerson in front of Jerusalem model at Israel Museum

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed." --Luke 22:7

TRAVELOGUE: Start from the top of the Mt. of Olives, walk the path of Jesus' Palm Sunday procession into Jerusalem, stop where He wept over Jerusalem for rejecting the ways that make for peace, and near the end of that descent skip ahead four days to Thursday night to visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus retreated for impassioned prayer immediately before his arrest.

Wait there is more....

Next, go to the room where Jesus celebrated the Passover and transformed that ancient ritual meal into his Last Will and Testament. Jesus bequeathed to disciples in every age all he had to give away--that is his very body and blood. (He did this so that when we receive the Lord's Supper we get the forgiveness, life, and salvation he came to bestow.) Then--before lunch--walk the short distance to the home of High Priest Caiaphas where the arrested Jesus was brought for trial and imprisonment that same Thursday night.

That was our morning.

How does a person process all that in a few hours? One does not. A lifetime of learning and contemplating the majesty and mysteries of those events are not nearly enough time to digest what God was doing for us in those events.

Yet, being here to see and touch and listen does shed light on it all. Some call the land here 'the Fifth Gospel' because it opens our eyes to the places and ways that our Lord used to work out his saving work on earth. I would encourage those who know someone on this pilgrimage to ask her/him, "What came to light for you in the Holy Land?"

If you asked me that question right now, I would say, "God came to earth for you and me. I saw and touched where that happened. That did not change God, but it changed me and my comprehension of God's work for you and me."

We are very safe, but some of our group have been ill. Today six of the 44 on our bus did not leave the hotel because of illness. Please pray for health for all in the last few days of our time here and for our return travels.

Grace and peace!

A view of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives

Dominus Flevit Chapel: Shaped as a tear drop representing Jesus weeping over Jerusalem

The Upper Room

St. Peter in Galicantu

Steps on the outside of St. Peter of Galicantu where Jesus would have walked

Israel Pilgrimage Day 5: Via Dolorosa and Western Wall

2011-11-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Matthew and Jutta in front of Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Matthew kneels at the site of Calvary

Christine in front of the Western Wall

Janet and Lee standing on the Teaching Steps

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
--Romans 6:3-4

Today we arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher at 8:00am. God worked a miracle there this morning. That is, 37 of us were nearly alone as we climbed the steps up to the chapel perched on top of Calvary/Golgotha. It was relatively quiet and unhurried as below the altar we knelt to touch the rock that held the cross of Jesus. Then we descended the steps and, after a short wait, all were able to enter the tomb of Christ.

It has two chambers. Bending low we got into the chamber of the angels. Tradition says this is where the angel told the women on Easter morning that Jesus had risen from death (Mark 16:5-6). Then five of us at a time squeezed into the compact area believed to be where the body of Christ laid from Friday evening until Sunday morning.

To kneel and bow where everything changed for you and me and all humanity for eternity is a moving, humbling experience. Yesterday in Bethlehem we witnessed where heaven came down to earth. Today we witnessed the portal into heaven opened for us by our crucified, risen Lord
Jesus.

It was 8:57am. We walked less than a block to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Before the bells stopped ringing the 37 of us were seated for the 9:00am All Saints' Sunday service of worship. In the prayers of the church we had an opportunity to speak the names of saints who have gone before us into the Church Triumphant.

So, this morning in Jerusalem, just down the street from where Jesus died and rose, the names of Jeffrey, Margaret, Randolph, Sue and Karen's niece, and many others were raised up. After that a meal was shared that united us with them and all the saints--past, present, and future. For us, it was a foretaste of the feast to come.

Do you see the connections? First, we walked and stood and knelt and touched where our Lord worked out our very salvation. Then, in worship, we remembered it, took hold of it, celebrated it, and longed for the joyous consummation of all the hopes our Lord has given us: Just like we do every Sunday in worship. These hopes will not be disappointed (Romans 5:1-5).

Thank you for your prayers. They are carrying us.

Shalom!

Israel Pilgrimage: Bet She'an and Bethlehem

2011-11-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Roman Ruins at Bet She'an

Pastor Scott and Bonnie Jane are surprised to see Pastor Rolf Svanoe and his daughter, Siri from South Dakota while at Bet She'an

14 point star in Church of the Nativity representing Jesus' birth in Bethlehem

Sue Doubleday and her sister Karen Rushman at Church of the Nativity

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room. --Luke 2:6 -7

In 320AD Roman Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which basically served to make Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. Shortly after that he sent his mother, Helena, to the Holy Land to find the places where the foundational events of Christianity took place. So Helena came to what now is Israel and began doing her research.

In Bethlehem she built the Church of the Nativity over the location she determined was the place of Jesus' birth. That is where we were today.

It took over an hour in line to have the privilege to kneel at a small altar and touch the place where Helena's research said was the birth place of Jesus.

Think of that. Think of that some more.

God came to earth arriving as a helpless infant. God chose to become one of us. Remember this is the same God who created the heavens and the earth. The God who created sub-atomic particles and the DNA helix and the human brain and the solar system and distant galaxies and black holes, etc. etc. This God beyond our small imaginations and limited minds decided to show up as a babe. Amazing!

As we exited from the Greek Orthodox managed site identified by Helena as where heaven came down to earth, we walked through the Armenian chapel into a lovely, relatively modern Roman Catholic church. We had to be quiet because we were barging into a Baptism already in progress.

A beautiful baby girl dressed in a stunning silk Baptismal gown became a child of God as the water washed over her "In the name of the Father, and of the Son (the One who showed up as a babe), and of the Holy Spirit." What a wonderful reminder that our Lord who arrived as a babe keeps announcing His promises to children of all ages.

As we exited we witnessed something else that is rare here--rain came down upon us. In this dry, dry land, every drop is a blessing. And, that water washed and renewed and reminded us of the unfailing promises our Lord has made to you and me in Baptism.

Shalom

Israel Pilgrimage Day 3

2011-11-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Karen Ulbricht sitting in Herod's Theater

Entertainment in the Theater of Caesarea

Remnants of Herod's Caesarea

Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

November 4, 2011

In the days of King Herod of Judea…

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” --Luke 1:5,26-27

Today we visited Caesarea and Nazareth. At Caesarea many of the remnants of that remarkable development are still evident. Nazareth today is a traffic choked small city with an uneasy mix of Jews, Moslems, and Christians. In Jesus’ time, the contrast between these two places could not have been much greater.

Caesarea was a wonder of Roman architecture and ingenuity. It was one of the gems built by Herod the Great. Caesarea had an aqueduct over three miles long serving a remarkably constructed port. Herod’s palace was on a peninsula into the Mediterranean that sported his fresh water swimming pool. For the community Herod built an amphitheater for drama and debates, a hippodrome for sporting events and public proceedings, and residential villas to house this bustling community. Herod the Great was a bad man who did remarkable projects.

Nazareth, on the other hand, was an out-of-the-way little Jewish village with just several hundred residents. When disciple Philip told his friend Nathanael he just had to meet this guy Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) It was a fair question to ask.

So, what does that say about our God who chose to announce His eternal plans for saving us from sin and death in Nazareth (rather than Caesarea or Jerusalem or Rome)? For sure, it says a lot more than I could possibly put in this blog and infinitely more than I will ever understand. Yet, I do believe God has some good news here for you and me.

Our Lord shows up and works among common people in common places. The God who makes the final, eternal decisions about this world and each of us, is not impressed by architecture or ambition. Our Lord’s ways are not our ways. God was certainly just as present with you today, as He was when we visited the place where Gabriel announced to Mary and Jesus grew up (Luke 1-2) and St. Paul stood on trial (Acts 25-26). Hopefully both you and we were open to hearing that.

Grace and peace to you.

Israel: Day in Galilee

2011-11-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sea of Galilee: view from boat ride

Bill's St. Peter fish at Ein Gev Kibbutz

Israel Pilgrims at the Jordan River

Lois standing beside the Jordan River

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. --Mark 1:1

BEGINNINGS: Gospel writer Mark certainly had in mind Genesis1 (In the beginning the Lord created theheavens and the earth.) as he opened his gospel. Like Genesis, Mark’s gospel begins packed with action. Nonativity scenes here; Mark jumps in with the prophecy of Isaiah pointing aheadto John the Baptist (1:2-4).

By verse 9, Jesus is baptized. Verse 14: Jesus begins preaching in Galilee. The firstdisciples—four fishermen: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John—are quicklycalled and immediately follow Jesus (vs. 16-20). Then Jesus entered the synagogue in Capernaum and healed aman with an unclean spirit. Afterthat Jesus went with his disciples to Simon Peter’s house and healed hismother-in-law and many others. Allthat and we are not even through the first chapter of Mark.

TODAY WE SAW ALL THOSE BEGINNING PLACES and more. We dipped our hands and in water of theJordan River, walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calledthose first disciples, saw Simon Peter’s house where Jesus did all thathealing. Not only that, we visitedthe location believed to be where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount(Matthew 5-7), and the site traditionally identified as the place Jesusmiraculously fed over 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish (Mark6:30-44). What a beginningto our time in the Holy Land!

AN ENDING TOO: We also saw the mensa Christi (table of Christ) located where it is believed therisen Jesus fed breakfast to disciples after He guided them to haul in 153large fish with just one drop of their fishing net. That is my favorite fishing story in the Bible and brings toan end to the fourth gospel (John 21). I picked up seashells and stones from the beach there to bring home toshow you.

Wish you could be here with us. Yet, you do not need to be here to know that Jesus is withus from the beginning, calls us to follow Him just as He called the firstdisciples, comes into our homes to bring healing, faithfully feeds us, and asour risen Lord sends us out to feed His sheep.

Shalom!

Israel Pilgrims Land in Tel Aviv

2011-11-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

November 2, 2011

I lift up my eyes to the hills--from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, whom madeheaven and earth. Psalm 121

LIFTED UP: Our pilgrim band was lifted up three times. Most of us lifted off fromHuntsville, Atlanta, and finally (all 14 of us) from New York City. We landed in Tel Aviv at 2:00pm. There we were joined with others whowill be touring with us. Theyswelled the group to over 40. Wemet our guide, Hillel Kessler, and got on the bus to Tiberius.

TO THE HILLS: I am writing from the Royal Plaza hotelperched on a hillside above the Sea of Galilee. On the way here Hillel pointed out the hill named Mt. Carmelwhere Elijah and the prophets of Baal dueled (I Kings 18). And, with darkness falling he pointedto the lights of the city crowning a hilltop which likely prompted Jesus tosay, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.” Tomorrow morning we begin on the Mount of the Beatitudes:the traditional site of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

OUR HELP COMES FROM THE LORD: That certainly is evident in the safe travels, the storiesthat ooze from this land, and the kind people who have brought us thus far onour journey.

Our guide Hillel opened his Bible for the first time to readand said, “I like to read this Psalm as groups of pilgrims arrive in the HolyLand because I think it is a fitting way to begin.” Then he read Psalm 121. This moved me deeply because at my father’s funeral onMonday the Bible passage written on the memorial folder and read in the serviceof worship was Psalm 121. Indeed, in life and in death our help comesfrom the Lord.

Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-off 2011

2011-10-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Good times were had by one and all at this year's Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook Off.

The kids had a great time filling up their bags with treats in the parking lot. There were some very creative costumes. All of the cars were well decorated. The lengths that some of the adult participants went to in order to decorate their cars was a little frightening in and of itself. Good job everyone.

The food was delicious as always and the games and activities for the younger kids were a lot of fun.

There were 13 different chili's entered in this year's cookoff. All of the chili's were delicious and the competition was pretty tough. Second place went to Mary Mast. Mary was only one vote behind the first place winner and she was somewhat dismayed to learn that her husband did not vote for her chili. First place went to Bonnie Flowers. This was Bonnie second trip to the winner's circle. Here last win was in 2001.

The title of hottest chili went to Stephen Strand for his 5 alarm entry. Stephen didn't think his entry was especially hot. The rest of us however were considering an emergency phone call to the EPA. We thought his chili was in the range of uranium spill, sulphuric acid, oops I accidentally drank Drano hot.

For those of you who are keeping count, here are the previous winners of the Chili Cookoff Title

1999 - Stephen Strand
2000 - Doug Hendrick
2001 - Bonni Flowers
2002 - Tammy Stender
2003 - Sue Stough
2004 - Paul Zutter
2005 - Stephen Strand
2006 - Katrina King
2007 - Paul Zutter
2008 - Stephen Strand
2009 - William Strand and Anita deJong
2010 - Dan Byers
2011 - Bonni Flowers

Special thanks to our youth director Lauren Gray and the Fellowship Committee for organizing this years event.

Wheelchair Ramp #1

2011-10-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today Messiah Lutheran Church embarked on a new ministry. The carpentry team, which consists of veterans of Habitat for Humanity, decided that they needed a project to keep them busy during the off season. They teamed up with Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound (CASA) of Madison County to build wheel chair ramps. CASA currently has 55 elderly or homebound people on the waiting list for a wheelchair ramp. Today the Messiah carpentry team help scratch one off of the list. The lady we constructed a wheelchair ramp for today has been on the waiting list since April of this year.

For the last several weeks, the carpentry team has been preparing parts of the wheelchair ramp during Wednesday Night Activities. We joke with each other that this gives us something to do while all of the people with musical talents are participating in their activities.

Today was the big build day. We met at the Church at 7am and enjoyed a hearty breakfast prepared by Joe Stuart. We then loaded up the trailer and headed out to the work site. We were joined by Max Bennett who has built over 100 ramps for CASA. He showed us some of the finer points of ramp building. We expected the build to take about 4 hours, but the learning curve coupled with a few false starts and runs to the hardware store made the build last 6 hours. We are pretty sure that we can build ramps much faster now that we have a better understanding of the process.

Our plan is to build one ramp per month. If you would like to participate in a future ramp build, please contact Owen Wasmoen for more information.

Sanctuary Expansion Update

2011-10-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the transformation taking place in the front of the Church. There was a lot of activity on the Sanctuary Expansion project during the last several weeks. Here is a quick status of what has happened recently.

The the installation of the major steel supports and glulams are complete and remainder of the framing is being installed.
The installation of the roof has begun.
The steeple was delivered this week and is now sitting in pieces in the front of the Church.
The pews in the sanctuary were moved temporarily to storage to facilitate installation of the new fire sprinkler system and the new chandeliers.
Ten new pews were ordered along with new fabric to cover the 20 old pews.
A team has begun the work of designing the stained glass window which will be installed on the front of the Church.
The water system was converted from Madison water to Huntsville water.
As of this time, we expect to move back into the Sanctuary some time in February 2012.

2011-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

This year's Handemade Market was a great success.Hundreds of donated items were sold including every imaginable manner of handicraft including paintings, photographs, sewed and knitted items, woodwork, food, seasonal decorations and much, much more. The Handmade Market team also served a delicious taco lunch. The community turned out in full force to support the event. In total, over $3,500 was raised through the sale of donated items and food sales. This year $800 additional dollars will be added to the total through matching funds from Thrivent.

Proceeds from the Handmade Market are used to support our Lunches For Learning Ministry.

Lunches for Learning exists to help break the cycle of poverty by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the very poor children in public schools in the Republic of Honduras. It costs approximately $15 per month to feed one child a nutritious meal each day of the school year. In the schools where the Lunches for Learning program have been in place, the results have been outstanding. The children are coming to school to receive a meal, but they are also receiving an education. And those children who receive an elementary school education in Honduras are much more likely to be able to get a well paying job and end the cycle of poverty.

Many thanks to all of the artisans and craftsmen, coordinators, shoppers and volunteers who worked so hard to make this event a success.

Holy Land Pilgrimage

2011-10-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Fourteen members and friends of MLC will be touring the Holy Land November 1-10, led by Pastor Scott and Bonnie Jane Peterson. They will start in Galilee where Jesus lived, worked, and began his ministry. Then they will travel to Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Watch this blog for reports on their adventures. Please include these pilgrims in your prayers as they are on this journey of faith.

Handmade Market (Sat - Oct 22, 2011)

2011-10-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

From 2010 Handmade Market

This year's Handemade Market will be on Saturday, October 22nd from 9 - 4.

Contact Jackie Myers for more information.

Drop off items and inventory on October 13, 14, 18, 19 at 9 am at Messiah. **The sooner you drop off the items the better, but on those days we will be at church pricing and tagging all of the items.
Baked items can be dropped off on Friday, October 21st at 2 pm, or Saturday, October 22nd at 8 am.

Proceeds from the Handmade Market are used to support our Lunches For Learning Ministry.

Last year, the talented artists and craftsmen of the Messiah congregation donated over 700 items. The donated items include every imaginable manner of handicraft including paintings, photographs, sewed and knitted items, woodwork, food, seasonal decorations and much, much more. A host of volunteers organized the donations and manned the cash registers. The community turned out in full force to support the event. In total, over $3,750 was raised. We can do even better this year.

Lunches for Learning exists to help break the cycle of poverty by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the very poor children in public schools in the Republic of Honduras. It costs approximately $15 per month to feed one child a nutritious meal each day of the school year. In the schools where the Lunches for Learning program have been in place, the results have been outstanding. The children are coming to school to receive a meal, but they are also receiving an education. And those children who receive an elementary school education in Honduras are much more likely to be able to get a well paying job and end the cycle of poverty.

Blessing of the Animals 2011

2011-10-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 8th, Messiah Lutheran Church conducted a Blessing of the Animals Service. At Messiah Lutheran Church, along with many other churches, it has become the custom to bless pets on St. Francis day.

St. Francis enjoyed a legendary relationship with animals, and stories about his experiences with them abound. It is said that St. Francis loved animals so much that he regularly bought captured birds and freed them.

Perhaps the best story about St. Francis concerns a wolf that was terrorizing an Italian town. St. Francis convinced the townsfolk to feed the animal regularly in exchange for its friendship. Though there were no wolves at Messiah's Blessing of the Animals Service, there were 10 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 Guinea Pig. The Guinea Pig was a little nervous with all of the bigger animals around, but the spirit of St. Francis prevailed and all of the animals were on their best behavior.

During the service, Randall Fields performed an excellent solo rendition of "God of the Sparrow" while holding his dog. It was very impressive.

Do you give special thanks for the animals who share your home? Do you count them among the blessings of this life?

Gracious Lord, thank you for the gift of animals. Thank you for making these dear creatures which have become blessings in our lives. May we see in them your unfailing love, and may we share with them your boundless compassion. Amen.

Special thanks to Jonianne Ridzelski McCombs who coordinated the Blessing of the Animals service and delivered a lovely meditation on why animals are important to her. The following is the text of her meditation:

Years ago I asked Pastor Scott if we could have a Blessing of the Animals at Messiah Lutheran Church. He seemed pleased as well as scared.

Pleased because he was and is well-versed in St. Francis Assisi. Scared because he is allergic to cats.

Many churches celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on October 4 each year. The feast commemorates the life of St Francis. It is a popular time for pets to be “blessed”.

Saint Francis was the First Advocate for Animals. He is known as the patron saint of animals and ecology (or environment). He is also known as the Promoter of Peace, Simplicity, and Harmony. In a time when animals were last in line to be treated with any respect, Frances understood the need that respect begins with all creatures.

These services are a powerful way to celebrate both Francis's and God's compassionate concern for all creatures.

She works like a dog. He eats like a pig. He eats like a bid. Or she gets my goat. They let out a wolf-whistle which really embarrassed her, because she's as timid as a mouse.

Where would we be without our animal friends? Our figures of speech would be so much less rich, for one thing. Animals have provided covering for our fragile skins, food for our empty bellies, bones for tools, oil for light, free labor for our fields and farms, subjects for scientific experiments that have benefited you and me.

And yet for most of us, our connection to the creaturely world comes exclusively through the companionship of those animal friends we call our pets. For the more politically correct animal advocates, "animal companion" is the preferred term, as it takes away the connotation of ownership. After all, do we really "own" our pets or do they own us? From my own experience as a caretaker of many animals in my life -- I would vote for neither. We' re responsible for their food, shelter and veterinary care -- and to that extent are their keepers -- but truth be told, they "keep" us just as surely as we keep them, but they keep us through bonds of unconditional affection. We keep them through care and they keep us by loyalty.

We love our animals. They ask so little. They respond to the simple pleasures of existence with such fullness of spirit.

For me, there was no question that this celebration or blessing was something that I want to do. Something I care about.

From my very first animal companion. As a little child. I still remember snuggling up to a poodle that nobody wanted because her body wasn’t the show-dog type of body. She was the runt. But she was my buddy. All the way through my teenage years. I remember when she died and how it hurt me more than anyones death before her.

To my two cats now. The snuggling with my animal friends is so therapeutic. Talking to my cats is so therapeutic. Playing with my cats is so relaxing. They are such a blessing.

But what is a Blessing?

I have talked about the blessing of the animals and how my animal friends are a blessing.

I looked up the definition on-line.

1.) God's favor and protection as in may God continue to give us his blessing

2.) A prayer asking for such favor and protection as in a priest gave a blessing as the ship was launched

3.) Grace said before or after a meal

4.) A beneficial thing for which one is grateful; something that brings well-being

5.) A person's sanction or support as in he gave his blessing for his daughter to marry.

But I like the verb of Bless, which is to honour something.

The animals in my life have brought me such comfort and joy. It is a way I could bring them into my spiritual life and honour them.

What looked like a pet show was actually a blessing in disguise.

We call this service the blessing of the animals. But of course, it is they who bless us.

A Special Welcome to our Newest Members

2011-09-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

A special welcome to the newest members of Messiah Lutheran Church. Terrence, Amy, Terrence and Lauren Chance, Lisa Evers & Kirk Hamlet, and Steve, Debbie, Taylor and Michelle Bono.

Congratulations Jim and Ellie Nelson

2011-09-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

From 2011

Congratulations to Jim and Ellie Nelson on the occasion of their 50th Anniversary.

2011 Walk to Defeat ALS

2011-09-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a deadly illness with no cure. But we are working to change that. This year Messiah Lutheran Church together with Thrivent and the rest of the Huntsville community came together with one goal in mind. Defeating ALS.

Thanks to you, the 2011 Huntsville Walk to Defeat ALS was a success!

You helped raise $151,127.60, critical funds that enable us to continue providing hope and courage to those living with ALS.

And in case you haven't heard. Two weeks ago a major breakthrough was made in the fight to defeat ALS. For the first time, the cause of all forms of ALS has been isolated. It's not a cure, but as long as ALS has been known, no one really had any idea what caused the disease. Now that a cause is known, researchers can begin work on treatments. http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2011/08/siddique-als-breakthrough.html

Thank you for your unwavering support to help us create a world without ALS.

Farewell Pipe Organ

2011-08-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

This month we packed up the 1940's era pipe organ from Messiah Lutheran Church in order to make way for the sanctuary expansion. Though this organ has brought a lot of joy to Messiah Lutheran Church, it is not powerful enough for the expanded Sanctuary that we are constructing. We hope that this wonderful instrument will find a new home soon. Here is a video of the last few notes played for the Glory of the Lord by this instrument at Messiah Lutheran Church.

Here are some photos of the organ and its removal.

Sunday School Rally Day

2011-08-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

From 2011

The 2011-2012 School Year was kicked off to a good start at Messiah Lutheran Church on Sunday. Gary Garrison, the Sunday School Superintendent opened the Rally Day with a number of activities including songs prayer. The Sunday School teachers were also installed into their new positions. We ask that God give them each wisdom, patience, discipline and humor. We ask that God makes them good examples for the children they will teach this year.

From 2011

Sunday School is conducted every Sunday from 9:45 to 10:45. Please check the Messiah Website for the 2011-2012 school calendar. Contact the Church office or Gary Garrison if you would like to register your child. Click here for the registration form.

From 2011

Groundbreaking Service For Sanctuary Expansion

2011-08-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 14th, Messiah Lutheran Church officially broke ground on our Sanctuary Expansion Project. This project will add 50% more seating and an expanded and raised Altar area. Construction is proceeding according to plan and is expected to take about six months to complete. During the construction period, we will meet in the Parish Hall for Worship Services.

Church Picnic

2011-08-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 14 the congregation of Messiah Lutheran Church gathered in fellowship during the annual Church Picnic. This event was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Lot's of tasty food and plenty of activities for the young (and young of heart). The fellowship committee really outdid themselves. Many thanks to everyone who organized, cooked and helped make this such a fun and successful event.

Blessing Of The Backpacks

2011-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

From Blessing of the Backpacks August 7, 2011

The beginning of August means that it is time for the children to head back to school. One of the traditions of Messiah Lutheran Church is that the children of the congregation bring their backpacks to Church with them to be blessed. We ask our Gracious God to bless the students and their parents. Help us to know you walk with us each day. Bless our journeys, our schools, our friends, and our families. We ask that you make our teachers examples of your righteousness for the children they teach. Keep them and all of us steadfast in your Word. We ask Generous God, that you bless the books and school supplies, the lunches and snacks that these backpacks will hold. Thank you for the tools and nourishment you give for learning. Just as these backpacks will hold what is needed for school days, we look to You to securely hold each child forever.

Disaster Relief Team

2011-08-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

From 2011

Last week, Messiah Lutheran Church was truly blessed to be able to host a disaster relief team from Grace Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. This group of talented tradesmen came to Northern Alabama on a mission trip to help rebuild following the devastating tornado damage that occurred in April. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their hard work in 100 degree heat and 100% humidity to bring some relief to those in need.

At the end of their visit, they left the following thank you note to the congregation.

Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your hospitality. The food and "Provisions" made our stay so much nicer. Your Church building is beautiful and we hope to see pictures of the finished project. We hope our small amount of help to your community aids your neighbors in returning to their normal lives. You are blessed with a great group, both here in your Church, and surrounding you in your community. The Harvest Youth Club is a wonderful group of people reaching out to those in need. We are happy to have met you and invite you to our church at any time.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Grace Lutheran Church
Disaster Relief Team 2011
Grace Lutheran Church
Salisbury, NC 28144
David Miller
David Diggs
Ashley Miller
Trey
Patti Aldridge
Shannon Moore
Randy and Sheila Basinger
Cassie and Adam Cowick
Donnie and Kim Stout

If you would learn more about Messiah Lutheran Church's disaster relief effort or if you have some time or talent to provide to this worthy cause, please contact Kay Spence.

Youth Coffeehouse

2011-08-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

From 2011

Last Friday, members of Messiah’s youth groups participated in the Second Annual Youth Coffeehouse, which was sponsored by Lois Graff. The evening consisted largely of food, friends, and entertainment.

We were each invited to prepare an optional music performance for the coffeehouse. Before the music started, we gathered in the Parish Hall to catch up with friends that we hadn’t seen in a while. Members of both youth groups were present, as well as graduates from the last few years. We filled our plates at the nacho bar and snacked the entire night while enjoying each other’s company.

After some casual conversation amongst ourselves, we took a moment to introduce ourselves to everyone. Then the performances began. The performers delighted everyone with their talents in singing and on piano, guitar, bass guitar, recorder, and tenor saxophone. As the evening wore on, the solo or duet performances turned into humorous singalongs around the piano.

The coffeehouse was a wonderful opportunity to welcome new faces to the youth groups and say goodbye to those who are leaving for college soon. The casual environment put the performing musicians at ease. Some of us were pleasantly surprised by the talents that our friends had. The coffeehouse was a nice break from our back-to-school stress and the perfect occasion for us to be ourselves with our friends. Editor's Note: Thanks to Rebecca Mast for submitting this article.

Messiah Hosts Rebuilding Crew

2011-07-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

From 2011

During the week of 1-8 August, Messiah Lutheran Church will be hosting a team of volunteers from Grace Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. This group of skilled carpenters and masons will be helping to rebuild tornado stricken areas (most likely the Harvest area).

They will be arriving in Huntsville mid-afternoon on Monday, August 1 and will be staying in the Parish Hall. Arrangements have been made for them to have shower access at Hogan YMCA on Hughes road. They are bringing their own work equipment so we may have some trailers in the parking lot. They will also be providing their own sleeping equipment and supplies and have been given access to Parish kitchen and the washer and dryer. They may be cooking, and I have assured them that restaurants are very close for their convenience.

We are planning a congregation pot luck meal while they are here which will be conducted on Wednesday evening, August 3 at 6 PM.

If you would like to help volunteer with the rebuilding effort or would like to help make our guest feel welcome, please contact Kay Spence for more information.

Family Movie Night

2011-07-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

From 2011

Messiah Lutheran Church is a very busy place. In fact it's sometimes hard to keep up with all of the exciting ministries that are continuously taking place. Every once in a while though, it is important to sit back, relax, and just enjoy a little fellowship. And there probably isn't a better way to do that than by enjoying a fun family movie and a big tub of popcorn. Especially if that movie is being projected on a state of the art projection system with surround sound. Special thanks to Paul Zutter for turning family movie night into a theatrical extravaganza. Messiah Lutheran Church periodically hosts a family movie night which is free of charge event. Just bring a snack to share.

From 2011

Renew: The Green VBS 2011

2011-07-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

This Year's Vacation Bible School was titled, "Renew: The Green VBS" and was conducted July 11-15 at Messiah Lutheran Church.

Grounded in Jesus' Parable of the Sower, ReNew: The Green VBS brings together the Bible and environmental stewardship. From tiny towns to huge cities, kids grow in faith as they play, learn, sing, and work toward renewing their congregations and communities. By serving in the community and inviting the community into church, kids demonstrate that being green can be easy, faithful, and fun. Although current threats to our environment can seem scary, ReNew is about hope, opportunity, and service. Kids and congregations lead the way as stewards of the earth.

What happens when heads, hearts, and hands are in harmony? Kids grow in faith, have fun, and change the world. And did the kids have fun and learn a lot? You Betcha! Just look at the smiles on their faces and you can tell just how much fun it was.

Many thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who put so much of themselves into making this year's VBS such a success.

Here is a short video about what Renew: The Green VBS is all about.

On Eagle's Wings Mission 2011

2011-07-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

This year Christine Berry was our missionary to the Northwest Territories as part of the On Eagle's Wings Mission. Christine along with two ladies from Mechanicsville, PA went to the villiage of Deline.

View Larger Map

Deline is a Dene Village of the the Satchu Tribe on the Great Bear Lake. The native language is Northern Slavey and the villiage of Deline is pretty remote. Deline has a population of 550, and it is the only village on Great Bear Lake which straddles the Arctic Circle.

It took 3 airlines, 5 flights and 2 days for Christine to reach Deline.

Christine said of her trip, "I have a mosaic memory of the kids. The Bible school theme was Splash-Show, People Love and Shared Happiness. From Logan who cried the first day until the very end when I let him wear the white hat (aka the skit headgear). The rest of the week he came and had a huge smile. 5 year old Tayla told me she knew "Our Father" and asked if I wanted to hear it - it is the Lord's Prayer. Layla and Noaka led the snack prayer with "Our Father" in Northern Slavey, all the kids bowed their heads, the kids running around the arena rushed back to their seats, bowed their heads, and the prayer volume kept rising. It gave me goose bumps. The kids rushing to comfort a little 5 year old who was frequently teary. She had just come to live with her grandparents because her mother is having problems."

Christine also went on to say how much Paul's letters helped her. "I have a better lesson of those letters. It was a lesson this year for me to not let fear of the unknown and pain prevent me from carrying on and trusting in God."

Messiah Lutheran Church has been supporting the On Eagle's Wings Mission for many years. Throughout the year we conduct several fund raising events to help support the mission. This year's fund raisers have included a Spaghetti Dinner and Talent show as well as a Auction.

On Eagle's Wings serves more than 30 remote communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut from a base in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The people of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are Inuit, Metis and First Nations people who come from five different tribal backgrounds. The area is served primarily by the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in partnership with On Eagle's Wings

Thrivent Builds and The Moore Family

2011-07-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

From 2011

On Sunday, July 17th, Messiah Lutheran Church was visited by Frank Childs from Thrivent and the Moore family. The Moore family is the owner of the Habitat For Humanity Home that members of Messiah helped construct this year. We have been blessed as a congregation by the opportunity to get to know and work with this awesome family. We are also thankful for the leadership and support provided by Thrivent. We can't wait until next year's habitat build.

Here are some pictures from this year's build.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services organization that offers financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more to its nearly 3 million members. Thrivent Financial sponsors national outreach programs, notably its alliance with Habitat for Humanity. Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity seeks to increase Habitat's capacity to build more homes and promote donations, volunteerism, neighborhood development as well as worldwide homebuilding trips by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' members.

Habitat for Humanity International is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat and its homeowner families have built or rehabilitated more than 400,000 houses. A nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing ministry, Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build together in partnership.

Sanctuary Expansion

2011-07-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

You have probably noticed that construction of Messiah Lutheran Church's new Sanctuary has commenced. It is pretty hard to miss the large construction equipment and somewhat disheveled appearance of the front of the Church. As construction proceeds we will provide periodic updates to make sure that the congregation knows what is going on.

We will be also making maximum use of the Parish Hall during the construction period. This facility will be used not only for our Worship Services, but will also be used for all of the other events that we normally use it for including Wednesday Night Cafe, Musical Events, etc. This means that will all be getting good at taking down and setting up the chairs for services. As I was reminded by some of the older members of the congregation, this is not that big of a hardship. The founding members of Messiah Lutheran had to set up chairs in the union hall every week for services. I guess that we can manage for a few months until our shiny new Sanctuary is complete. Thanks in advance for all our your support during the next six months.

2011 Habitat For Humanity Build Is Complete

2011-06-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Habitat For Humanity Build is Complete. On Thursday, June 23, 2011 we gathered together in celebration for the dedication of five habitat homes. Messiah Lutheran Church partnered with Thrivent Builds and eight other Lutheran Churches to help build a home for the Moore Family. The photo gallery attached to this post is a little larger than usual. It contains close to one thousand pictures that document the build of our house from beginning to end. Though one thousand is a lot of pictures, it is only a small representation of the thousands of hours that went into building this home. Many thanks to everyone who contributed or volunteered to help turn an empty patch of grass into a beautiful and safe home for a deserving family. And special thanks to our house leader Dan Pate who has now helped us complete five habitat homes.

Sam, The Shams And The Shepherd King

2011-06-13T03:40:00.000-07:00

Messiah Lutheran Church Music Camp presents Sam, The Shams And The Shepherd King.

Many thanks to all of the Cast, Crew, Performers and Volunteers who put this awesome Worship service together in just one week.

Habitat House Nearing Completion

2011-06-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

This year's Habitat For Humanity project is nearing completion. This week we completed all of the landscaping. We are waiting for a final decision on the home dedication date. Stay tuned for the exact time and date.

Using Junk to Build Houses

2011-06-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Messiah Lutheran Church conducted its annual rummage sale yesterday. The Church raised over $1000 which will be used to support Habitat for Humanity. Special thanks to Paulette McNamara and all of the volunteers who donated the items and organized the event.

Congratulations Confirmands

2011-05-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the newest confirmands of Messiah Lutheran Church. Sunday marked the end of a two year program in which the confirmands built upon their faith foundation. During this two year process, the confirmands focused on many areas of their spiritual life including:

A focus on grace, affirmation of Baptism, mission, discipleship, and vocation.
A focus on the Bible and the Small Catechism.
An understanding of affirmation of Baptism as a lifelong process rather than a once-in-a-lifetime event.

This year's confirmands are:

Meggy Nazrini deJong
James Samuel Hendrick
Mitchell Taylor Holden
Stephanie Taylor Holden
Jacob Alexander Mahafza
Mikayla Rachel Mast
Rebecca Lynn Mast
Morgan Nicole McDaniels
Jacqueline Dee Stender
Ashlyn Allegra Perry
Kyle Aaron Thompson

Confirmation usually takes place during the 8th and 9th grades, but older students often participate. If you are interested in confirmation, please contact the Church office.

Volunteers Needed For Disaster Response

2011-05-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Messiah's FEMA Form Brigade

Volunteers from the community congregations in cooperation with InterFaith Mission Service (IMS) and FEMA are canvassing the tornado ravaged areas in our community to assist and encourage those affected to register with FEMA. Messiah is working in cooperation with All Saints Lutheran, Eagle's Nest Ministries and Progressive Union Baptist in the Ford's Chapel/Wall Triana/ Stoval area of Harvest. We have identified 200-300 homes in this area that have damage. In addition to going door-to-door, we will also be hosting "Help Centers" at locations near this area where residents can come in for help with the FEMA process. If you are interested in helping with this endeavor please contact Kay Spence, our area coordinator. Training is provided and you can work as much or as little as you want. =) The deadline for FEMA registration is June 27.

CHAINSAWS NEEDED JUNE 11

The United Way is hosting a clean-up blitz on June 11 and are in desparate need of persons who will donate their chainsaw help. There are about 500 volunteers ready to haul limbs to the curb but they need chainsaws to cut up the downed trees. If you can volunteer some time on Saturday, June 11, please contact Marcie Williams at the United Way (marcie.williams@uwhsv.org or 256-518-8206). You may also volunteer at www.keepvolunteering.org or check this site for the latest information on the recovery efforts, volunteer opportunities or needed donations.

Mission to Guatemala

2011-05-21T05:02:00.001-07:00

Please pray for our missionary Lois as she travels today with a delegation from the SE Synod to the Lutheran Church in Guatemala (ILAG).

The Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala) was founded in 1991 by Padre Horacio Castillo and his family. The members come from the margins of the Guatemalan society, people of few resources and are predominantly indigenous.

Guatemala suffered through a 36 year internal war. This war ended in 1996 with the signing of the peace accords. Padre Horacio Castillo helped write and later was among those who signed the peace accords.

The first churches of the ILAG were formed in Guatemala City among the internally displaced, those who fled into the City during the war, who were (and still are) living in the ravines of the City. The ILAG also operates two elementary schools which serve children and families in these marginalized areas of the City.

As refuges began to return from Mexico, they contacted Padre Horacio as they had known him from his visits to some of the camps. Through these contacts the ILAG grew in the rural areas of the country among the resettled refuges.

The ILAG continues to grow each year by a few mission sites and churches as communities hear that the ILAG walks with people delivering the gospel freely to all people and visits the communities regularly.

New Members

2011-05-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

A special welcome to our newest members: DJ Warren, Randall Fields, Crystal Beard, and Hank Alewine.

Inviting Friends to Church

2011-05-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

As I was driving down Highway 72 today in Madison, Alabama, I saw a man dressed in religious garb waving at cars. As I drove closer, I realized that the man was Scott Peterson, the Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church. I was intrigued, so I parked my car and went over to talk to him. I asked him why he was standing on a busy highway waving at cars as they went by. He answered, "This is just a simple way to invite the thousands of people who drive past this Church every hour to stop in and visit. I know that many people are looking for a Church right now and I want each of them to know that they are welcome at Messiah Lutheran Church. I've done this in the past and I've had people visit the Church and become members simply because I stood on the road and waved at them."

As I drove home, I thought about what the pastor had said. Could it be that simple? And the more I thought about it, I realized that the Pastor was on the right track. There are many people in our community who are looking for a Church. They just need an invitation. I personally am going to look for opportunities to invite the people I meet to visit Messiah Lutheran Church. I encourage you to do the same.

We are all a little nervous, or even a little “afraid” to invite people to church. We fear rejection, the loss of a friendship, or may feel that we will “mess things” up. But God wants us to grow as a Christian Community! And if Pastor Scott can stand on a busy highway and wave at thousands of cars, I guess the least we can do is to put ourselves out there by extending invitations to our friends.

Mother Daughter Tea 2011

2011-05-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

On May 7, 1914, President Wilson signed a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as "Mother's Day," the official day for honoring moms. In celebration of Mother's Day, Messiah Lutheran Church hosted a Mother daughter tea. This formal event provided an opportunity for all of the ladies of the congregation to join together for some quality social time. This lovely event was filled with enrichment for body, soul, and spirit and focused bolstering fellowship between mothers and daughters.

On Eagle's Wings Auction 2011

2011-05-08T04:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 7th, Messiah Lutheran Church conducted it's annual On Eagle's Wings Auction. The master of ceremonies and head auctioneer was Ken Grant. He did a fantastic job of keeping the evening lively and keeping the auction items moving. All of the proceeds from this event will be used to support the On Eagles Wings mission.

On Eagle's Wings serves more than 30 remote communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut from a base in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The people of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are Inuit, Metis and First Nations people who come from five different tribal backgrounds. On Eagle's Wings:

is Christ-centered, ecumenical, theologically faithful to our denominational backgrounds and sensitive to the cultures and diverse traditions of northern Christians
provides pastoral care to individuals and groups living in remote northern communities
identifies, trains, encourages and mentors northern Christians for leadership and ministry within their own cultural and denominational traditions
maintains a ministry staff that reflects the denominational diversity of the aboriginal and non-aboriginal people of the North
is an ecumenical partnership of northern and southern Christians working together to proclaim Jesus Christ and serve the Church
provides counselling, worship and Bible study opportunities for northern Christians
provides Christian education programs for families, children, women and men
produces Christ-centered Christian education curriculum for use in northern churches and homes
is a network of prayer, spiritual, financial and human resource support of Christian people throughout North America
reflects our core values of Respect, Integrity, Stewardship and Ecumenism

If you would like to learn more about the On Eagle's Wings Mission, please contact Lois Graff or the Church Office.

Health Kits for Disaster Relief

2011-05-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday, May 2, 2011 the Youth of Messiah Lutheran Church gathered together to build health kits in support of Lutheran Disaster Response. Even though these children have been without power for the last week as a result of the tornadoes, they wanted to to help make a difference. They worked in the Church's Narthex because the Church still doesn't have power and the Narthex was the best lighted and ventilated area of the church. It was still a warm and humid day. Despite these challenges, they worked hard to assemble over 100 health and baby kits that will be used for disaster response. If you would like additional news and information about how you can help the Church's Disaster Response effort, please visit the Messiah Lutheran Church Disaster Response Web Page.

Stephen Ministers Commissioned

2011-03-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

This week four members of Messiah Lutheran Church joined the ranks of the Stephen Ministers. Mary Mast, Jacquie Fry, Sarah Walker, and Barbara Azzam completed the 50 hours of required training and were commissioned to serve among us in this caring ministry.

Stephen Ministries' Core Purpose is summed up in the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.

"To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13).

In Stephen Ministry congregations, lay caregivers (called Stephen Ministers) provide one-to-one Christian care to the bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated, and others facing a crisis or life challenge. Stephen Ministry helps pastors and congregations provide quality caring ministry for as long as people need it.

If you would like to learn more or would like to discuss the possibility of becoming a Stephen Minister, please contact Claire Strand.

Habitat Build is Off to a Good Start

2011-03-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

This year's Habitat for Humanity build is off to a good start. Last week, several members of Messiah Lutheran Church along with members from other Huntsville area Lutheran Churches began to build a new home. The first step in the process was the assembly of the wall sections in the Habitat For Humanity Warehouse.

On March 26th the construction will continue with the wall raising which will be conducted at the building site at 6334 Banks St., NW, Huntsville, Alabama. Extra hands are always needed. You don't need to have any special skills. You just need a willingness to help. If you would like to learn more, please contact Gerard deJong or Virgil Burrer.

Capital Campaign Forum

2011-02-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

On February 13th, 2011, Messiah Lutheran Church conducted a forum during Sunday School hour in support of the Capital Campaign for our Sanctuary Expansion.

Much has happened at Messiah Lutheran Church since 1990. A quick look around at any worship service reminds us of God’s abundant blessings to us. In 1994, largely through the labors of members, the building was completed and provided a home for our ministries. In 2005, we completed our educational wing that provided ﬁve much-needed classrooms and a large youth room. In 2006 we dedicated our new parish hall, an audio room, and a much larger kitchen. Our continued growth has led to space issues. Of course, overcrowding on about two Sundays a month is a nice problem to have, but it is time to plan for our continued growth. As Bonhoe!er emphasized, “The church is only the church when it exists for others.” Our purpose with this appeal is to expand our worship area by about ﬁfty percent.

Our goal for this capital program is $600,000. This project will provide a strong ﬁnancial base for needed improvements for our facility so that we may better reach out to families. The short-term beneﬁts would be to provide space for growth. The longterm beneﬁt could be a ﬁfty percent increase in our overall mission.

Information to help everyone determine their part will be provided in various ways. This will include Bible reading and reﬂection, prayer, and opportunities to learn more about different ways of giving. Everyone in the congregation will be encouraged to participate and grow in generosity as we help each other gain a vision of what our congregation can be and do. Three information sessions on the expanded facility will be held to answer questions. These will held be during Sunday School hour on Feb. 13, 20, and 27.

Additional Information

Building to Share God's Story

2011-02-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

From 2011

On Sunday, February 6th, 2011, the congregation of Messiah Lutheran Church gathered together to kick off the campaign to raise the funding for the proposed Sanctuary Expansion.

The congregation was joined by Dr. Eugene Grimm who visited the Church, preached the sermon and led a special adult forum to discuss the capital funds campaign. Pastor Grimm is a Stewardship Key Leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is a specially trained pastor, not a professional fundraiser. For over forty years Pastor Grimm served Lutheran congregations in Ohio. He also served as a stewardship specialist for the ELCA in the three synods of Ohio for nearly twenty-one years, a position from which he retired in 2008. He will return on March 12-13 for the culmination of the capital appeal.

Our capital campaign will continue on Sunday, February 13th with a adult forum at 9:45am.

We will review the schedule of events for the campaign, the planned design of the expanded sanctuary, and discuss the plans for New Facility Fund giving during the Capital Fund Appeal.
We will hear from several MLC members on previous construction projects and the one we are considering.
We will also discuss the gift chart our Stewardship Key Leader, Pastor Eugene Grimm, has prepared for us.

OWLS Spend Night In Italy

2011-02-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mama Mia That's A Spicy Meatball. On January 29th, the Older Wiser Lutherans (OWLS) of Messiah Lutheran Church in Madison, Alabama dined at Terranova's Restaurant in Huntsville Alabama as their monthly outing. The OWLS are a fun loving bunch and apparently the word is getting out. The OWLS set a new attendance record with 30 members attending this event. During this delightful evening event, the OWLS were immersed in an authentic Italian experience as they shared fellowship with one another. Terranova's provided an authentic Italian backdrop with ambiance unlike any other in the Tennessee Valley with bona fide Italian antiques, artifacts, and memorabilia, and Italian mood music which allowed all in attendance to savor their delicious dishes.

The OWLS are a loosely knit group of folks (over 50 years of age) who get together once a month for an activity. These activities vary from a potluck at the church, Sunday brunch at a restaurant, miniature golf, a visit to the Botanical Garden, to attending the "Living Christmas Tree" concert. If you would like to learn more about the OWLS, please contact Jan Murphy or the Church Office.

On Eagle's Wings Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show

2011-01-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

Today was Messiah Lutheran Church's annual On Eagle's Wings Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show. This event started with a delicious meal prepared by our very own team of volunteer gourmet chefs. Our chefs prepared a lovely Spaghetti Dinner with home made spaghetti sauce, garden salad, garlic bread and a tasty assortment of deserts. It was then time for an awesome display of talent by many of our congregation members. Their performances consisted of piano recitals, vocal renditions, comedy and feats of daring-do. Together this combination of delicious food and exciting entertainment made for a most enjoyable afternoon. The money raised during this event will be used to support the On Eagle's Wings Mission.

On Eagle’s Wings is on a spiritual journey with Christians living in small communities in isolated areas of northern Canada. It is a ministry journey of northern and southern Christians who come from many different cultural and denominational traditions. We are working together to touch the lives of God’s people in remote communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. In response to requests from northern people and churches On Eagle’s Wings trains, encourages and mentors northern people for ministry within their own cultural and denominational traditions.

The ministry of On Eagle’s Wings also includes counseling, worship and Bible study opportunities as well as Christian education programs for women, men, youth and families. Northern aboriginal Christians trained by On Eagle’s Wings are shaping the life of their communities and churches as they lead worship and Bible studies, start Sunday Schools and develop programs to support individuals and families. Northern and southern Christians and On Eagle’s Wings are working together to proclaim Jesus Christ, serve the Church and touch the lives of God’s northern people.

Lunches For Learning Mission Focus

2011-01-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

In November 2010, three missionaries from Messiah Lutheran Church embarked on a journey to Honduras to visit the school that we sponsor through the Lunches For Learning Program. It was a special occasion at Escuela Benito Montoya, because it marked the graduation of 11 students from the 6th grade. Through the efforts of Messiah Lutheran Church and the Lunches For Learning Program, these children will now have a much brighter future. On this page, you can watch a video of the graduation ceremony and listen to Claire, Bob and Sarah tell the congregation about their visit to our school in Honduras.

This is the text of the temple talk as presented by Claire Strand: On November 24th, the day before thanksgiving, Bob, Sarah and I were the guests of honor at the graduation ceremony at Benito Montoya school in the village of El Barrial in southern Honduras. The school lies near the end of a 6-mile road of boulders on the west side of the Nacaome River. It takes nearly an hour to get there. The bad rainy season made the road more treacherous than usual. There had been a fatality this year. A truck slid backwards into a deep ravine. We bowed our heads when we heard this sad story. That is why we must drive so slowly and carefully. My driver is Fernando, the L4L manager. I only met him last February and have only spent a few days with him, but I have much faith and trust in him. If you can ever meet him (and you might get the chance because he finally got his visa), you will sense this trustworthiness immediately. It is his gift.

When we got to the school, my heart leaped. I saw familiar faces and a lot of changes.

The school has been painted. This picture is the school now. This picture is the school back in February. The doors have been replaced. They were rotting off the hinges. The bat problem is fixed. Bats were coming in through the deteriorating windows each night and leaving horrendous messes. The frames and slats have all been replaced. The bats can no longer get inside. The broken concrete was replaced and the cracks were repaired. This mud hut will go back to being the kitchen soon. Some Messiah Lutheran members have secured outside funding to build a kindergarten. Once the river goes down more, they can begin dredging it for the sand for the concrete. Why does all this make my heart leap? 2 reasons. Reason number one: all of this work is done by the parents and people of the community. The school has become the center of the community. It is a place where they want to be. They all take pride and ownership in it. The school gives them all hope. Ron calls the remote and poor parts of Honduras fatalistic societies. He gives this analogy: if you had an American and a Honduran together in a sinking boat, the American would bail water and look up now and then to the horizon to see if help is arriving yet. The Honduran would bail water and not look up, never thinking to hope that help will arrive. The support that L4L gives to Benito Montoya and 21
other schools gives them a hope that all the village sees and feels. Reason Number 2: All these repairs were possible because of Messiah Lutheran Church. While the hard work of the taco luncheon and the handmade market raised enough money to feed 62 children for 10 months, other contributions from you financed these repairs. The people in El Barrial and at Benito Montoya school are not alone in their poverty; they can see you on the horizon. More importantly because of you they can see their Lord and saviour on the horizon, the ultimate messenger of hope.

Here are some pictures from graduation: The ceremony began with a prayer led by Pastor Bob. Principal Mutate joyfully and enthusiastically announces that he may have 70 pupils for 2011. In 2009 there were 40. 2010, 62. Now maybe 70. More kids in school. This is the goal of L4L.

This young lady is Isis. She says to take with us the love in their hearts as it is all they have to give us in return. The leader of the parents’ association asks us to come visit more often. The next trip is planned for November. Talk to me if you are interested. Pastor Scott wrote a letter about thinking and praying for their future. The graduates received their diplomas. All graduates were given a Spanish Bible with their names embossed on the front. The Bibles were in handmade cases with their initials monogrammed on the flap.
Even the parents got in the hug line.

Muchas Gracias from Benito Montoya and from Bob, Sarah, and me. It was a blessing for us to represent you.

While in Honduras we were able to visit a church service. One of their hymns was “you have come down to the lakeshore.” We will sing this hymn in a few minutes before the sermon. We hope as you are singing you will remember the friendships we are making in Christ’s name in Honduras.

After worship, we invite you to please join us in the FH for a 22-minute video and much more about the mission to Honduras.

Messiah Helps Build Children's Health Facility

2010-12-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

One of the local community organizations that Messiah Lutheran Church sponsors as part of our outreach ministry is the HEALS program. HEALS stands for Health Establishments at Local Schools. HEALS provides free medical and dental care, mental health counseling and social services to low-income children at Martin Luther King Jr., Morris and University Place elementary schools.

To support their mission, the HEALS program is constructing a new pediatric clinic on the campus of Madison Cross Roads Elementary School. Fifty-four percent of the school's 1,100 students live below the poverty line. The new pediatric facility will share a ranch-style house on the campus with the nonprofit Huntsville Assistance Program, which provides food and other basic needs.

Messiah Lutheran Church is supporting HEALS with a monentary donation of one-half of the offerings collected during each of the Advent Worship Services this year.

Milestone Christian Academy

2010-12-29T18:04:00.000-08:00

During this Christmas Season, the congregation of Messiah Lutheran Church has been busy sharing gifts with a number of Huntsville area organizations. One of these organizations is the Milestone Christian Academy.

Milestone Christian Academy, is a Christian based non-profit organization that provides childcare for approximately 100 children. Milestone is unique, in that they offer a sliding fee scale based on income. For qualifying parents, who are employed or attending an educational institution, help is provided in the form donations and grants.

Members of the Messiah Lutheran Church Congregation have visited Milestone on many occasions. We are committed to helping Milestone in their mission to provide not only child care, but also a rich nuturing environment to help children grown cognitively, socially and physically.

This month, several members of the Messiah Congregation delivered gifts to the children of Milestone. They also gave a special gift to Milestone's administrative staff. This gift was a brand new copier which will save them countless trips to the local copy shop.

We wish all of the staff, parents and children of Milestone Christian Academy a very Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from all of your friends at Messiah Lutheran Church. Today we celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Please take a moment as you enjoy this performance of Still, Still, Still by the Messiah Adult Choir to reflect on the awesome gift given to us by God.

Luke 2:8

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’

Seraph Choir - O Come Little Children

2010-12-22T19:39:00.002-08:00

The Seraph Choir of Messiah Lutheran Church in Madison Alabama performs "O Come Little Children" as part of the contemporary worship service on December 19th, 2010. Messiah Lutheran Church offers many opportunities to make a joyful noise and we believe in giving our youth members an early start in developing their musical talents. The Seraph Choir is directed by Claire Strand.

Related Articles:

"Lord, Use Me" - Music Camp 2010
Notabella Bell Choir
Contemporary Worship Service

Sunday School Christmas Program

2010-12-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, December 22nd, the Children of Messiah Lutheran Church's Sunday School presented a special program during the Advent Worship Service. They did an awesome job with bible readings, explanations of Christmas traditions and several musical performances. This video is their performance of Silent Night.

Pastor Amanda Olson Visits December 2010

2010-12-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, December 12th, Messiah Lutheran Church was blessed with a visit from Pastor Amanda Olson and her husband Horatio de Castillo. Pastor Amanda is a missionary and along with her husband Horatio is a Pastor in the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG).

Pastor Amanda led an adult forum during the Sunday School hour and preached at both services.

Pastor Amanda and her husband Horatio have visited Messiah numerous times in the past and their visits are always welcomed just as we welcome home close family members. Messiah Lutheran Church along with other Churches in the ELCA proudly sponsor Pastor Amanda and ILAG as they work to spread God's word in Guatemala.

The Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala) was founded in 1991 by Padre Horacio Castillo and his family. The members come from the margins of the Guatemalan society, people of few resources and are predominantly indigenous.

Guatemala suffered through a 36 year internal war. This war ended in 1996 with the signing of the peace accords. Padre Horacio Castillo helped write and later was among those who signed the peace accords.

The first churches of the ILAG were formed in Guatemala City among the internally displaced, those who fled into the City during the war, who were (and still are) living in the ravines of the City. The ILAG also operates two elementary schools which serve children and families in these marginalized areas of the City.

As refuges began to return from Mexico, they contacted Padre Horacio as they had known him from his visits to some of the camps. Through these contacts the ILAG grew in the rural areas of the country among the resettled refuges.

The ILAG continues to grow each year by a few mission sites and churches as communities hear that the ILAG walks with people delivering the gospel freely to all people and visits the communities regularly.

The philosophy of the ILAG is to provide pastoral accompaniment and holistic development. The center of the ILAG is Christ and from this center we seek to provide for all aspects of the life of our members and their communities - the spiritual, physical, emotional and material.

The church has about 3,000 members in nearly 20 congregations spread throughout Guatemala. ILAG also operates two elementary schools in Guatemala City.

Elfin Magic

2010-12-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, the elves of Messiah Lutheran Church were busy creating handcrafted Christmas gifts. Each year Messiah Lutheran Church sponsors an event called Elfin Magic. This event provides the kids with craft supplies and supervision so that they can create Christmas gifts of their selection. The kids selected from 5 crafts including: Tile Coasters, Christmas Ornaments, Pendants, Christmas Wreath with Candle and a Bucket of Goodies. The children also participated in an Outreach Project in which they constructed Fruit Baskets. Twenty-one Children participated in this year's event. Many thanks to all the parents, senior and junior youth and sponsors who helped make the event such a success.

Operation Christmas Child 2010

2010-11-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

The Youth of Messiah Lutheran Church participated again this year in a workshop for Operation Christmas Child. They wrapped presents for the Foster Children's Alliance, packed and wrapped shoebox packages for Samaritan's Purse, decorated cookies for military personnel and college students and made food tray savers for Meals on Wheels clients. The North Alabama Thrivent Chapter along with the Grace Lutheran Church youth hosted the event at Grace Lutheran Church in Huntsville, AL. Thanks to all of the youth members, parents, and sponsors who participated in this year's event. Their efforts will certainly help brighten Christmas for many members of our community and those in need around the World.

Related Articles:

Operation Christmas Child 2009, November 15th, 2009

Silent Quilt Auction

2010-11-13T17:12:00.001-08:00

This month, the Comforters of Messiah Lutheran Church are conducting a silent quilt auction. The auction includes ten beautiful handmade quilts that were lovingly created by the comforters. The funds raised from this auction will be used throughout the year to support the comforter ministries.

The Comforters having been making quilts for those in need since 2003. During their first year, they made 63 quilts. This year they have created over 100 quilts which will be donated to a number of worthy causes.

The Comforters are a self sustaining ministry. Each year in November, they raffle off some of their quilts in order to raise the funds needed to continue their ministry. They are always in need of supplies and would welcome any donations of Fabric (no knits or stretch fabric), Thread, Twin sheets for backs. Cash can also be donated for supplies.

The group meets each Tuesday at 9 AM until 3 PM. You are welcome to participate during any portion of the day. The group will also be happy to teach you some quilting skills.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Annette Joens or the Church Office for more information.

Notabella Bell Choir

2010-11-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Messiah Lutheran Church is blessed with many talented musicians. Last week we highlighted the talents of the Contemporary Worship Service Band. This week we are focusing the spotlight on the Notabella Bell Choir which performed "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" as part of the Reformation Sunday Service. The Notabella Bell Choir is the most advanced of Messiah's Bell Choirs. This group is directed by Rhonda Gaede. In an exclusive interview with the Messiah Lutheran Blog, Rhonda stated that she got her start in the Bell Choir by accident. While she was rehearsing with the vocal choir, the director asked her if she could read music. When she acknowledged that she could read music, she was invited to fill in during a bells rehearsal. She was immediately hooked on bells and the rest is history.

Messiah has many bell choirs for all age groups and for all skill levels. If you have ever listened to the bell choir perform and thought it might be fun to try, Rhonda could probably find just the right bells group for you.

Your next opportunity to hear the bells perform will be at Messiah's annual Ring and Sing concert on Sunday, December 12th at 6:30 p.m. Music from the Notabella Bell Choir, Cantabile Bell Choir, Children's and Adult Chime and vocal groups will be featured. Audience hand chime participation for ringing of Christmas carols is also on the program! We hope to see you there.

Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child 2010

2010-11-02T19:53:00.001-07:00

Jr. and Sr. Youth are invited to participate in the annual Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child event Sunday, November 14 from 4-7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Huntsville. Youth will be collecting and preparing Operation Christmas Child boxes for shipment, along with frosting cookies and wrapping Christmas gifts for local children in need. Youth from all north Alabama Lutheran churches participate in this event. This service and social event ends with a pizza party sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Please see Pastor Mark or Dan Casey for more information.

Tweens - Saturday, Nov 13, 2p.m. – Operation Christmas Child - Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Mission. Bring a shoebox full of items for either a boy or a girl your age or younger. Small toys, clothing, personal supplies or candy (that won’t melt) work well. We will wrap them and hand them off to the Jr and Sr Youth
to take to Grace Lutheran.

View Larger Map

Related Article:

Christmas Workshop 2009

Halloween Party And Chili Cook-Off 2010

2010-10-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today was Messiah Lutheran Church's Annual Halloween Party and Chili Cook-Off. This is always a great event, but this year the Fellowship Committee out-did themselves. Everyone had a ghoulishly good time. The decorations were great. The food was delicious. There were a ton of great costumes, and not just on the kids. Many of the adults also dressed for the event. After the opening Halloween Parade, the kids got down to some serious activities including pin the wart on the witch, guess the goo, jack-o-lantern toss, fishing and the ever popular Halloween Cake Walk. While the kids were winning lots of prizes, the adults were taking part in some very serious Chili Judging. There were 12 entries this year, and it was very difficult to select a winner from all of the very tasty chili. In the end, the grand prize went to Chili Master Dan Byers. Second Place went to Emily Householder and Third Place went to Stephen Strand. The winner of the hottest chili contest was Stephen Strand with an entry so hot that it had to be kept in a special container for fear of spontaneous combustion. Many thanks to everyone on the Fellowship Committee for making the Halloween Party so much fun!

Related Articles:

2009 Halloween Party and Chili Cook-Off

Contemporary Worship Service

2010-10-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Worship at Messiah Lutheran Church is enjoyed in many styles and formats. Our services include the traditional Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW), the With One Voice (WOV) book, and The Chicago Folk Service. Messiah also offers a contemporary service that includes hymns of praise and worship led by our very own Messiah Contemporary Worship Service Band. This talented group of musicians provides an inspiration backdrop to the Contemporary Worship Service with their high energy songs. The song performed in this video clip is "Blessed Be Your Name" which was written and released by Matt Redman in 2005.

We know that people respond in positive ways to many different styles of music, and we work to incorporate those styles in our worship.

Messiah's worship life is enhanced by the vocal and instrumental gifts of many people through our adult and youth choirs, children’s choirs, bell choirs, and instrument ensembles, adding to the beauty and enjoyment of worship each week.

If you would like to learn how you can lend your musical talent to one of Messiah's many musical groups, please contact Messiah's music director Lois Graff or the Church Office at (256) 721-0041.

OWLS Social Event October 2010

2010-10-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

The Older Wiser Lutherans (OWLS) of Messiah Lutheran Church had a Dominos Party for their October 2010 get together. And by Dominos, we mean the 1000 year old board game and not the similarly named pizza chain. Not that we have anything against pizza.

The event was hosted by Ed and Mary Ann Stasiak. It was a beautiful evening and everyone enjoyed visiting in their very lovely garden and patio area. The very delicious snacks everyone brought were enjoyed by all.

Several games of Dominoes ensued. Some of the experts were teaching the others how to play their favorite game. Some of the rules had to be checked out and there was lots of good humored bickering about this.

Some members of the group found the University of Alabama football game on TV and couldn't be coaxed away to play Dominos.

Everyone had a good evening and we thank the Stasiak's for inviting us to their beautiful home.

The OWLS are a loosely knit group of folks (over 50 years of age) who get together once a month for an activity. These activities vary from a potluck at the church, Sunday brunch at a restaurant, miniature golf, a visit to the Botanical Garden, to attending the "Living Christmas Tree" concert. Both men and women are welcome. And don’t let our name fool you. We may call ourselves the “Older” Wiser Lutherans, but we know we’re all young at heart.

Please call Jan Murphy or the Church Office for more information about the OWLS.

Handmade Market 2010

2010-10-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, 23 October 2010, Messiah Lutheran Church conducted a Handmade Market to raise funds for our Lunches For Learning Ministry. During this second year of the Handmade Market, the talented artists and craftsmen of the Messiah congregation donated over 700 items. The donated items include every imaginable manner of handicraft including paintings, photographs, sewed and knitted items, woodwork, food, seasonal decorations and much, much more. A host of volunteers organized the donations and manned the cash registers. The community turned out in full force to support the event. Additionally, a delicious taco lunch was prepared to raise additional funds. In total, over $3,750 was raised, which will allow Messiah Lutheran Church to continue supporting this awesome program for next year.

Lunches for Learning exists to help break the cycle of poverty by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the very poor children in public schools in the Republic of Honduras. It costs approximately $15 per month to feed one child a nutritious meal each day of the school year. In the schools where the Lunches for Learning program have been in place, the results have been outstanding. The children are coming to school to receive a meal, but they are also receiving an education. And those children who receive an elementary school education in Honduras are much more likely to be able to get a well paying job and end the cycle of poverty.

If you would like to learn more about Lunches For Learning, please visit the Lunches For Learn Page on the Messiah Lutheran Church Website. You can also donate to Lunches For Learn by designating your weekly offering to Lunches For Learning.

Related Articles:

What's Happening at Benito Montoya?

2010-09-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

What's Happening at Benito Montoya? Thank you for asking. There is a lot to tell you. Since school began in February (the school year in Honduras runs from February to November), attendance in grades 1st thru 6th has grown from 40 to 54. Why the increase? Word is out that a nutritious meal is served for lunch at Benito Montoya. More kids are coming to school! This is exactly the purpose of the Lunches for Learning mission. It works!

There's More... Last month, Gerard deJong organized a Lunches for Learning presentation at his corporation and raised enough donations with employee grants to build a kindergarten at Benito Montoya! The mud hut the students were using as their classroom can go back to being the school's kitchen. Meals can be cooked at the school again and will not have to be carried over the rocky terrain.

Growth at our school means growth in our commitment. Here are some ways you can help:

Designate Lunches For Learn on your offering envelope or use Messiah's Online Giving Program
Donate handcrafted items to the Handmade Market on October 23rd.
Do your Christmas shopping at the Handmade Market
Designate your Thrivent Choice Dollars online to Lunches For Learning. If you have questions about this talk to Lois Graff

Related Articles:

48 Days to the Work You Love

2010-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

48 Days to the Work You Love by Dave Miller Class to be held at Messiah starting Tuesday, October 5th and running for 12 weeks. This well organized curriculum will outline a step by step process that is highly acclaimed to help organize and achieve career transition. The class includes a chapter on Spiritual Gifts and how they relate to the work you do. Great for anyone returning to the work force after extended time away or anyone who wants to change careers. Career Kits include CD’s, Workbook and Text book $45.00 (on line cost is $65 plus shipping). Contact Barbara Azzam or the Church Office, (256) 721-0041 to sign up and get the discounted price for the Kit. This class is open to the public as well as Messiah members.

Wednesday Night Cafe

2010-09-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night marked the first "Wednesday Night Cafe" of the season for Messiah Lutheran Church. Wednesday Night Cafe is a Fellowship event that is conducted each Wednesday night from 5:30 - 6:30 PM in Parish Hall of Messiah Lutheran Church. Everyone is welcome. For the low price of $3 per person or $15 max per family you can get a delicious meal and hang out with some great folks. The menu for each upcoming Wednesday Night Cafe is posted on the Wednesday Night Cafe Page of Messiah's Website.

The money raised from this year's first Wednesday Night Cafe is being donated to support the Walk to Defeat ALS. $329 was raised on Wednesday Night to support this great cause.

If you would like to learn more about Wednesday Night Cafe, please contact the Church Office, or Dorothy Seitz, the event's coordinator. We look forward to sharing dinner with you next Wednesday Night.

PS. The editors of the Messiah Lutheran Church Website appologize for the excessive use of the word "Wednesday" in this blog article, but there is no way to describe a great event like the "Wednesday Night Cafe" without using the word "Wednesday" excessively.

Knocking On Doors For Jesus

2010-08-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

For the next several weeks, Pastor Bill Funk and his wife Helen will be knocking on doors to help Incarnation Lutheran Church find those in need of a Church home. Incarnation is the 10th congregation to receive help from the Funks. By their own estimation they have knocked on approximately 20 thousand doors. During the first 10 days of their ministry with Incarnation, they knocked on 1037 doors, talked to 573 people and identified 48 families with no Church Home.

Bill and Helen are now seeking volunteers to walk along with them during their ministry. You don't have to say a word. You just have to be willing to walk along during a 2 hour shift and be the silent partner during this important ministry. The Funks will continue supporting Incarnation Lutheran Church through the 19th of September. There are 2 shifts each day including 3-5PM and 530-730PM. If you can spare 2 hours to walk along with the Funks, please contact the Messiah Lutheran Church Office.

Walk To Defeat ALS 2010

2010-08-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, August 28th, Team Messiah participated in the Walk to Defeat ALS. Often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. Every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. This crippling disease can strike anyone. Presently there is no known cause of the disease yet it still costs loved ones an average of $200,000 a year to provide the care ALS patients need. Help make a difference and donate or join a walk today.

The team from Messiah Lutheran Church set a goal of raising $800 to support this cause. Thanks to the many generous members and friends of the Messiah Lutheran Church congregation, the team was able to raise over $1,500. We aren't done yet though. There is still a chance to help support this important cause. On Wednesday, September 8th, Messiah Lutheran Church will conduct a Spaghetti Supper Fund Raiser during the first Wednesday Night Cafe of the Year. All proceeds from this event will go to support the ALS cause. You are invited to attend the Spaghetti supper at 5:30 PM on September 8th at Messiah Lutheran Church. If you would like to help with the event, please contact Mary Mast or the Church Office.

If you would like to make a donation directly to the cause, please visit the Team Messiah Page on the Walk To Defeat ALS Website.

Dinner Theater 2010 - Beatles Review

2010-08-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Question: What do you get when you mix Asian food with British Music?

Answer: A great meal and awesome entertainment.

On Saturday, Messiah Lutheran Church conducted it's annual Dinner Theater. A great Asian themed meal was prepared by Songae Wasmoen, Jill Casey, Anita Dejong, and the ladies from Korean Holy Hill Church. The meal included asian cucumber salad, rice, BBQ short ribs, wontons, fried veggies and a lovely coconut concoction for desert.

Many of Messiah's youth members served as wait staff for the evening.

After dinner, it was time to strike up the band and take a day trip through the sixties and seventies. The choir and music ensemble performed some rousing renditions of many of our favorite Beatles Tunes including: Day Tripper, Hard Day's Night, Can't Buy me Love, Sergeant Pepper and All You Need is Love. Some of the solo and Duet performances of the evening included:

When I'm Sixty Four - Ed and Mary Ann Stasiak
Two of Us - Betty Greene and Laura Peterson
Fixing a Hole - Gerry Myers
Let it Be - Lydia Scroggins
Yesterday - Bob Gustafson
Love Me Do - Phil and Heather Pederson
Octopus' Garden - Laura Peterson
In My Life - Melissa Gurner
Here Comes The Sun - Betty Greene
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Ric Birdson
Hey Jude - Phil Pedersen

The finale performed by the entire ensemble was "The Long and Winding Road" which brought down the house.

This year's show was produced by Dick Azzam and Laura Peterson. The music director of Messiah Lutheran Church is Lois Graff and the Choir Director is Randall Fields.

The music ensemble included Dick Azzam (bass guitar), Ric Birdsong (guitar), Bob Davis (guitar), Lois Graff (keyboards), and Gretchen Perry (Violin).

The choir included: Robin Douglass, Betty Greene, Derlene Jeter, Linda Zutter, Barbara Azzam, Jan Murphy, Laura Peterson, Mary Ann Stasiak, Larry Frakes, Terry Frakes, Bill Murphy, Gerry Myers, Phil Pedersen, Art Rockett, Bob Gustafson, and Ed Stasiak.

Special thanks to the decorating committee: John and Derlene Jeter, Betty Greene, Linda Zutter, and Robin Douglass.

The proceeds from this event will be used to support our Guatemalan Mission and the Church's Music Ministries.

If you would like to learn how you can participate in one of the many music groups in Messiah Lutheran Church, please contact the Church Office.

Kit Ministers Pack Boxes With Love

2010-07-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Kit Ministers of Messiah Lutheran Church continue to prepare kits for Lutheran World Relief (LWR). Last year Messiah supported Lutheran World Relief with 970 Layette Kits, School Kits, and Health Kits. This year the Kit Ministers have set their goal even higher. They intend to prepare over 1000 kits which will be used by LWR to support those in need around the world. Every day in 35 countries, Lutheran World Relief works to combat the causes of poverty and the dignity it robs from people’s lives. We advocate for Fair Trade that helps farming families and artisans earn a better income. We teach people to better care for themselves, their communities and the environment. We teach people how to be less vulnerable to natural disasters. We advocate with and for them for policy change that more fairly represents them. We counsel them after manmade and natural disasters, and help them recover with material aid. We do all of this exclusively with partners from the communities we serve. Our partners help us remain incredibly efficient and effective. Our partners let us help people help themselves…for a day when they won’t need us at all.

Would you like to help the Kit Ministers in their mission? Please contact Rhonda Gaede or the Church office for more information. You can also make a designated offering to the kit ministries by marking your offering envelope with "Kit Ministries".

Baobab Blast - Vacation Bible School

2010-07-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last week 43 children from Messiah Lutheran Church and other area churches participated in Baobab Blast a vacation bible school experience. At Baobab Blast, the kids received a message of God’s unconditional love. They participated in activities to help them understand how to build nurturing relationships with God, family, and others. They also participated in the mission project, Africa Jam, in which they learned how to help expand God’s community. Africa Jam is a youth empowerment organization serving more than 10,000 young people in Cape Town, South Africa. The children also shared some of the music and bible verses they learned during vacation bible school at the Sunday worship service. Please watch the video to see a sample of their music. Special thanks to Dorothy Seitz the leader of this years vacation bible school and the 30 adult and youth volunteers who helped make the Baobab Blast a wonderful and enriching experience for all of our children.

Mission Trip to Lutheran Church in Guatemala

2010-07-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Editors Note: The following Story and photographs were submitted by Bill Emerson, one of the missionaries on the recent trip to Guatemala.

Between 18 and 26 June 2010 four members of the SE Synod visited Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG). These were Bill Emerson, Dennis Fry, and Christina Daniel, all from Messiah Lutheran Church, Madison, AL, and Glenna Mason, from Christ Lutheran Church, Prattville, AL.

The ILAG is headquartered in Guatemala City and the Lutheran Center consists of three buildings, two of which have been built in the last three years, and are used by visitors and for classes and church services. One of the new buildings has four dormitory style rooms on the first floor, with each room having space for six people. Above these rooms are the new chapel and a storage area. The second new building has a kitchen and dining area and above that a large class room. This was the center for the SE Synod representatives while they were in Guatemala City.

On Saturday morning, June 19, the SE Synod visitors painted a wall at the ILAG center, then in the afternoon several native/indigenous women and their children visited ILAG. Glenna Mason helped teach sewing to the women while the others taught the children crafts and Bible stories, and supervised them at play.

Sunday morning we all attended a church, La Resurrección (The Resurrection), which ILAG has supported for several years. While it is in a poor neighborhood the building itself has greatly improved over the last four years and now has a nice floor, a roof, good pews, and is painted. When Bill Emerson first visited the church in 2007 it had a dirt floor and the cinderblock walls were unpainted. Missionary Amanda Olson de Castillo helped conduct the church service. After returning to the Lutheran Center we attended the chapel service at the center. In the afternoon we painted a large railing on the roof of the newest building.

On Monday, 21 June the group left Guatemala City and traveled north over the mountains and through the highlands in preparation for visiting two villages, which we reached the afternoon of Tuesday, 22 June. Each village contained about 12 families. Esther de Castillo and the younger Padre Horacio Castillo were the trip leaders. The last part of the trip included a 2-1/2 + hour ride over rough roads and a ½ hour hike through some muddy trails and crossing a few streams. We reached Bella Vista about noon and attended a two-hour church service, then met with village leaders and had a late lunch.

We then took a boat ride to another village, Porvenir de los Martires, where we helped dedicate a brand new church building and participated in the initial service in the building. We spent the night at this village. We left Porvenir de los Martires on Wednesday, June 23, and took a boat upstream for several miles where we met our van and driver so we could return to Guatemala City, where we arrived about 10:15 pm.
Bishop Horacio Castillo had been hospitalized with a hand injury and he was at the ILAG center when we returned and is recovering well. The SE Synod group, with Amanda, toured Guatemala City and then we visited a school sponsored by ILAG. We taught crafts related to Bible stories to the children at the school.
After a visit to Antigua on Friday, we left on Saturday, 26 June for a return to Atlanta!

Stephen Ministries

2010-07-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

The PBS “Religion and Ethics” news show recently aired an eight-minute feature about Stephen Ministry. You can watch online on the PBS web site: www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/tag/stephen-ministry ...just click on the April 9, 2010 “Stephen Ministry” feature.

"Christ Caring for People through People"

What is Stephen Ministry?
Our congregation's Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals in our congregation who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry: The identity of those receiving care and what takes place in each caring relationship remains private.

Who can benefit from having a Stephen Minister?
Anyone who has experienced a change in life that has resulted in stress or loss may benefit by meeting with a Stephen Minister. Throughout life, there are times when each of us needs the care and Christian friendship that a Stephen Minister can provide.

Would you like to learn more?
Please visit the Stephen Ministries Page at www.mlutheran.org.

Habitat Home Dedication

2010-06-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

This week members of Messiah Lutheran Church along with other Huntsville area Lutheran Churches helped dedicate a new home for the Cowan family. In just three months an empty field was transformed into a home. This home was constructed in conjunction with Habitat For Humanity and Thrivent Builds. Many thanks to all of the Messiah members who donated their time and talent to help build this wonderful house. In early 2011 we will begin a new home and hope that more members of Messiah will have and opportunity to participate in this great project.

"Lord, Use Me" - Music Camp 2010

2010-06-17T06:20:00.001-07:00

(Video Credit - Bonnie Jane Peterson)

This week, 41 children from Messiah Lutheran Church participated in an original musical production entitled "Lord, Use Me" during the Church's annual Music Camp. Music Camp is a week long event in which the youth practice during the week and then perform during both Sunday worship services. "Lord, Use Me" teaches that God can and does use us to be his messengers in this world.

In addition to practicing for the musical production, the children also enjoyed music, drama, arts and crafts, recreation, snacks and afternoon activities. If you watch the video above, you will easily be able to tell that the kids had a great time based on all of the smiles on their faces.

We give special thanks to the small army of adult and teen volunteers who helped make Music Camp a success this year.

The Music and Lyrics for "Lord, Use Me" were written by Pastor Scott Peterson and our Music Director, Lois Graff.

Happy 20th Anniversary

2010-05-31T19:48:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, May 30th, Messiah Lutheran Church celebrated its 20th anniversary. The event was filled with special music, displays, food, and best of all visits by old friends and family including many of the founding members of the church. There is no telling what the next 20 years will bring to Messiah Lutheran Church, but you can be sure that it will be filled with same love and energy that marked the first 20 years. If you would like be a part of Messiah Lutheran Church during our second 20 years, please contact the Church office at (256) 721-0041 for more information.

Building Houses With Second Hand Goods

2010-05-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

This week Messiah Lutheran Church conducted a rummage sale and bake sale in order to raise funds to support Habitat For Humanity. Messiah Lutheran Church along with eight other Lutheran Churches from the Huntsville Area are sponsoring the construction of a habitat house. Habitat for Humanity builds "simple, decent, and affordable" housing. The Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit.

Thanks to the many generous donations of goods and strong support from the community, we were able to raise over $1,800 to support this worthy cause.

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is a homebuilding and advocacy alliance between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity. This alliance seeks to increase Habitat's capacity to build more homes and promote donations, volunteerism, and worldwide homebuilding trips by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' members.

Each spring, Messiah Lutheran Church along with the other Lutheran Churches in the Huntsville area sponsor a house as part of the Thrivent Builds Ministry.

You don’t need any special skills to participate. Just a willingness to help. If you would like to learn more about how you can help support Habitat For Humanity, please visit our Habitat web page, or contact the Church office at

Confirmation Sunday

2010-05-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Seven new warriors for Christ were confirmed at Messiah Lutheran Church this week. These seven were confirmed into adult membership of the Lord's Church by affirming the faith they entered in Baptism:

The confirmands are:

Luke Myers
Adam Neely
Gina Saladino
Michael Spence
William Strand
Alejandro Velazquez
Rachael Wier

At Messiah, we sponsor a two-year confirmation program for eighth and ninth grade students. Confirmation at Messiah is about faith formation, not simply faith information. We focus upon being the church not teaching about the church. Our program includes learning events, fellowship events, service events, worship events. If you are interested in Confirmation classes for yourself or your child, please talk to Pastor Peterson or call the Church Office at 721-0041.

Messiah Youth Starve to Help Starving Children

2010-05-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

The junior and senior youth of Messiah Lutheran Church participated again this year in the 30 Hour Famine.

World Vision's 30 Hour Famine is a worldwide movement of students who are serious about serving God and fighting hunger - all on an empty stomach. For 30 hours, participants get a taste of hunger by not eating - something more than a billion people around the world experience every day. And by doing fundraising activities, community service projects, and learning more about the facts of world hunger, students are changed in amazing ways as they help others and save lives.

During the event, for 30 hours, participants must abstain from eating food, and instead they typically drink water, fruit juices, or other liquids. Games, fund raisers, and other events may also take place to help teach and educate the participants and others about world hunger all over the world. It is also a time for education and awareness of world hunger, and an understanding of how people go without food for long periods of time. Our youth conducted a fund raising car wash to raise funds.

The youth led the Sunday Worship Service during the second day of their famine. They gave a temple talk, provided the music and delivered the sermon.

After starving all night, praying, leading worship service, raising money to feed the hungry, and washing cars, it was finally time to break their fast.

The youth all left with a greater understanding of the plight of the hungry. They all left with a belief and an understanding that we can all make a difference and have the responsibility to help our fellow man.

The 30 Hour Famine is a World Vision event in 21 countries. It started in 1971 when 14 Calgary, Alberta teenagers staged an event in a church basement to raise money for World Vision.

Thousands of teens across the U.S.,Canada, and several other countries participate to raise money and then fast for 30 hours. However, individuals can raise money and fast by themselves. In 2006, over $11.6 million dollars were raised in the United States.

Milestone Children's Corner

2010-05-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

This week Bill and Marcie Emerson from Messiah Lutheran Church presented a check for almost $3000 and additional school supplies to Gia Mitchell and Zefross Moss, directors of the Milestone Children's Corner. Messiah Lutheran Church has adopted the Milestone Children's Corner as one of our local outreach ministry projects.

Milestone Children’s Corner, a division of Milestone Development Inc., was founded in 2008. They are a Christian based nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. They began as a small after school program on Drake Avenue serving only 25 children. They have expanded to a new facility, and are now licensed to provide service for 140 children. Milestone is unique because it offers a sliding fee scale based on income, for qualifying parents, who work are attend school. With help from grants and donations, they provide scholarships for tuition. Enrollment consists of full paying clients, human service clients, homeless children, and children under protective services.

Milestone Children’s Corner, a Division of Milestone Development Inc., is a Christian based, nonprofit 501 (c) (3) Childcare development center serving the community of Huntsville, Alabama. Their ultimate goal is to bridge the gap in early childcare education in socially disadvantaged communities. They desire to teach Christian values, respect for others, and self confidence. Their focus is to help low to moderate income families with the challenges of quality childcare, afterschool care, and community resources. With the help of their dedicated staff, volunteers, grants, and donations, they provide a safe, loving, educational environment where children can “Learn, Grow, and Explore.”
Philosophy: Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

If you would like to learn more about Milestone Children's Corner, please visit their website www.milestonechildrenscorner.org.

Tweens Visit Huntsville Botanical Garden

2010-04-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

This month, the Tweens of Messiah Lutheran Church visited the Huntsville Botanical Gardens.

The 112 acres of the Huntsville Botanical Gardens includes a seasonal butterfly house, and aquatic, annual, daylily, fern, herb, perennial, rose, and wildflower gardens, as well as a nature path and collection of flowering dogwood trees. Tremendous Treehouses offers fun, interactive hand-crafted tree houses for kids of all ages.

And many aren’t just your regular, run-of-the-mill backyard tree houses. Some were designed and built by local architects, builders and even a local high school! The tweens had a great time visiting the gardens and climbing in the tree houses.

The Tweens are one of the youth groups at Messiah Lutheran Church. They are made up of children in the 3d, 4th, and 5th grade. They usually conduct an activity each month. In October they visited a corn maze. If you would like to learn more about the Tweens, please contact the Messiah Lutheran Church Office at (256) 721-0041.

Mission To Honduras

2010-04-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

For several years now, Messiah Lutheran Church has been a sponsor of an important ministry called Lunches For Learning. Throughout the year, Messiah Lutheran conducts fund raising events to raise the funds to support the program. And in November we celebrated our schools first group of 6th grade graduates. This March, Claire Strand and Lois Graff made the first mission trip to visit our school in person.

The goal of the Lunches for learning program is simple. It offers the children a nutritious meal each day in school to encourage the children not to drop out in order to search for food. The program provides the raw ingredients for the meals and the parents of the school volunteer and take turns preparing the food in their homes and take it to the school.

While visiting, Lois and Claire had the opportunity to meet with the students, parents and teachers. They even got to try a little cooking Honduras style.

While visiting the school, the children of the school performed a song for the visitors. The song was led by Alex who instructs the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades.

Did you know that:
60%–70% of the people in Honduras live in poverty.
20%–30% of elementary school children drop out of school each year so they can search for food.
Most of the children complete little if any education, but if they can make it through just the 6th grade, they will have a much greater chance at a productive life.

Jesus is alive in the ministry of the Lunches for Learning program. As John said, "He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him". Jesus is here and he wants to be seen. If you would like to learn more about the Lunches For Learning Program, please contact the Messiah Lutheran Church office at (256) 721-0041 or visit our webpage.

Easter Sunday Service

2010-04-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Messiah Lutheran Church joined together to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

All of the members of the Messiah Lutheran Church Family participated in the celebration. The music ministries of Messiah Lutheran Church pulled out all of the stops to make sure that the celebration was a memorable one. The musical groups included the Choir directed by Randall Fields.

And the Notabella Bell Choir directed by Rhonda Gaede. There are Bell Choirs for all experience levels.

The instrumental ensemble is conducted by Lois Graff our musical director. The ensemble consists of talented musicians of all ages.

There was even a special Easter sermon for children of the Church.

Messiah Lutheran Church is a dynamic and growing Church Family. On Easter Sunday we had over 450 members and visitors joining together in celebration. If you would like to learn more about Messiah Lutheran Church, please visit our website or contact the Church Office at (256) 721-0041. We would love for you to become part of our family.

Related Articles

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny Visited Messiah Lutheran Church the Saturday before Easter for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

With their buckets in their hands (or on their heads) the children managed to find a ton of Easter Eggs.

Approximately 25 children attended this year's event and they all had a great time.

The Junior Youth also conducted a hot dog lunch fundraiser to raise funds for the youth ministries.

In addition to hunting for Easter Eggs and eating hot dogs, the children also painted and colored Easter egg pictures and decorated sugar cookies.

The Egg Hunt was coordinated by the Junior Youth Group of Messiah Lutheran Church. The Junior Youth consists of students in the 6th through 8th grades.

If you would like to learn more about the Junior Youth Group at Messiah Lutheran Church, please contact Diane Davis, the Junior Youth Adult Leader or the church office at (256) 721-0041.

Senior Youth Easter Breakfast

2010-04-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday, the senior youth of Messiah Lutheran Church hosted a fundraiser breakfast to raise funds for the youth ministries.

The Senior Youth and many other volunteers prepared and donated all of the food and drinks, set up and decorated the dining room and served the food during the breakfast.

On the morning of the breakfast, the volunteers busily flipped pancakes, cut up fruit, prepared trays of muffins, filled drink cups and manned the serving lines.

Several hundred congregation members were served Easter Morning.

Dan Casey the Senior Youth Adult Leader stated that the event was very successful. The Youth were able to raise over $1000 for Senior Youth activities. He thanked all of the volunteers and the entire congregation for their generous support of the Youth Ministries.

The Senior Youth consist of students in the 9th through 12th grades. They meet each Sunday at 6:30 PM at Messiah Lutheran Church. They typically conduct an outing once each month.

If you would like to learn more about the senior youth as a volunteer or a participant, please contact Dan Casey or the Church Office at (256) 721-0041.

El Salvador Mission

2010-03-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: The following is story is shared by Messiah Lutheran Church member Susan Burrer after returning from her mission trip to El Salvador in Feb 2010. This was not Susan's first trip to El Salvador. Last year she and her husband Virgil participated in another mission trip to El Salvador. If you would like to learn how you can participate in a home building mission a little closer to home, please visit our Habitat for Humanity Page.

Photo Caption: This is a “tool” they designed to lift a cement block up and slide it over the rebar, since all the rebar sticks about 8 feet up from the ground footers, and works really slick without needing a ladder. As I was “explaining” to Antonio (turquoise shirt, Habitat lead mason) one day, that it was pretty ingenious of them to design that tool to lift block after block up over the rebar and how it speeded up the building process. I told him it looked like a cross to me, and it was like using the “cross” as the main important tool to build the house! After patiently listening to me ramble about all that, he looked at me, smiled big, and said, “no comprenda”! I forgot that they sometimes (mostly!) didn’t understand what I was saying, although I think a few understood more than they let on!

...when I was in the store the other night, I kept hearing "Hola, Hola"! ...for a minute it took me back to Villa Esperanza and all the friendly little children calling hello as you walk through the village...but reality hit, and it was just a friendly little boy with a BIG toothless smile in a shopping cart down the aisle here in Huntsville, Alabama...he brightened my day as I got a “warm fuzzy” from good memories of my recent return trip to Santa Ana, El Salvador!

…several people have asked where “my story” was, and if my second visit was as profound as the first! I find myself grasping for words to describe what one experiences…because, really, there are no words to adequately tell the story… and yes, the second visit is even better than the first…in a different way! Some of you know my “cap connection” story but in case you don’t, I’ll need to write that first so you know why there wasn’t any doubt that I had to return!

I knew when I left El Salvador on the Thrivent Builds/Habitat for Humanity trip in September 2009 that I would have to return. I thought at the time that it would be a miracle if I ever actually got to; little did I know all the right connections would just fall into place in the next few weeks and leave no doubt...and it all started with the “cap connection”!

When we were building in Villa Esperanza outside of Santa Ana, the Habitat for Humanity architect for the Thrivent-sponsored village, Cristina, kept wearing this blue cap with Basin Electric on it. Being originally from North Dakota some 27 years ago, I knew it rang a bell, so when asking her about it, she said there were two teams from North Dakota there in May and brought it for her, but she couldn’t remember where they were from.

Well, the week after I got back from there in September, I went to ND to help my mom pack as she was moving to another retirement community. She asked me to share my experience in El Salvador with her devotion group at the Waterford; so I did. In conversation, I stated that the architect had a connection to North Dakota through the Basic Electric cap she was wearing...small world, I said. …little did I know! The lady sitting next to me, who had only recently started coming to devotions, stated her daughter, Dawn, was in El Salvador in May but she couldn’t remember which village. I gave her my e-mail address and asked if she would have Dawn contact me so we could compare stories about our experience! She immediately e-mailed, and come to find out, Dawn and the Bismarck team from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church were also in Santa Ana helping build Villa Esperanza, the same as us, and SHE (Dawn) was the one that brought Cristina the blue cap from Basin Electric where she works! Dawn said a bunch of them were going back in February, and if I was interested in going, she would give my name to their Thrivent team lead, Rita Keegan! All coincidences? ...I don’t think so! …how could I NOT go now! …the rest is history…I connected with Dawn and the other nine Bismarck, ND team members, none of whom I had previously met, in Houston on February 18 for the journey to Santa Ana, El Salvador! It didn’t come without incident…we were diverted to Mexico for over 7 hours as a lady who was going to her son’s funeral back in El Salvador was having a heart attack. They asked if there was a doctor or nurse on board, and we just happened to have a doctor and three nurses on our team so they stepped up to take care of things. …another small world, but later we found out that the lady was our interpreter Aleks’ step-mother’s sister, and that she, unfortunately, passed away that evening. In the mean time, they had used up all the oxygen supply so we had to wait until someone drove some in from Cancún, which was at least 4 hours away. We eventually got to Hotel Sahara that evening, a 2-hour drive from the airport, and all was well! We were all anxious to get to Villa Esperanza, a 20-minute drive into the country, on Saturday morning! Of the 11 of us, 9 were “returnies” so we were filled with excitement to see the local Habitat workers and interpreters that we had formed close bonds with our last visits, hoping that they would still all be there and remember us, and to see want kind of progress they had made building the village! It was fun to walk down the street where we had previously started the single house and duplex way at the end and now see the street mostly filled in with houses, especially on the same side of the street; across the street is mostly vacant yet, with someone tending to three cows. It was great to see families now living in all three units, and there was a small boy about 2 playing out front! Even the “great wall” we started building that ran the entire length of the street between backyards is now complete! There will be
75 houses total in this villa, and I’m guessing more than half are now built.

This time they had at least six houses going in various stages, from digging trenches in the earth for footers, digging 8-ft-deep holes for the septic system, building walls, painting the inside and outside of houses, laying floor tile, to pouring sidewalks. The first day I transported a lot of dirt/gravel/sifted sand with my wheelbarrow…I’m WELL experienced with that from last trip! Even my zebra stripe bruises returned all across my legs from pushing wheelbarrows with “semi-rollable wheels” through gravel! I was helping make the sidewalk and back patio area, where all the “activity” of the house takes place…cooking, washing dishes/clothes/bathing kyds in the large three-compartment, multi-use sink! The rest of the week I worked with Antonio’s team building walls of a duplex, including hauling block, wiring rebar, mixing chespa (concrete) and mescala (mortar) and filling it in the cement blocks, setting up scaffolding, and backfilling dirt around the foundation. Each part of the duplex is no more than 400 sq. ft., two bedrooms about 9 x 9 feet each, and a bathroom that is also outside, off the patio as well, but has a flush toilet and shower…life is good!

The right side of this duplex was Ingrid and Juan’s (she could speak English also so would interpret for Juan)! I was extremely happy to have the opportunity to work beside them all week as they put in their sweat equity. They had been married 6 months, both had good jobs at Pizza Hut which qualified them for repayment to Habitat, and their love for each other and excitement about building their own house radiated to all of us! You could truly experience the feeling of not just building a house here, but HOPE, the established theme for building the whole “Village of Hope,” or Villa Esperanza! It was an especially touching moment for me as I took off my HOPE necklace I wore all week and placed it on Ingrid’s neck and told her that she and Juan were the finest examples of the future HOPE of the village…they were both so sweet and SO grateful that people come to help build not just their house, but the whole village. …does it get any better than that?

Wednesday is Culture Exchange afternoon in the villa…we had the great fútbol game (soccer), made pupusas, tried a bunch of their foods; and we made them s’mores, which they liked a lot!, had a piñata for the children, and a mariachi. Friday afternoon is the party no one likes…the Farewell celebration! It is heartwarming as they get up and tell you what it means to them to have us give up our lives for 10 days and come help them make a difference…they have such a strong faith. Faith is believing what you can’t see…somehow I think they see more than I do! They present us with certificates, little pails to remember all the chespa we put in the walls, and hugs! The party part is fun in that a different mariachi came so there is dancing, cake, etc. …and then the inevitable, goodbye hugs to everyone…I don’t think they like it any more than we do! I am always amazed at how close you get to these people when you can’t even speak Spanish…perhaps “words” are over rated…like the song says, …you say it best, when you say nothing at all…

The week is not just filled with work…they want you to experience the whole culture thing of El Salvador in general. Sunday we went to Cristo Rey Lutheran Church and then to Lake Coatepeque, an inverted volcano, for lunch, overlooking the lake, with a mariachi, took the boats across the lake to a swimming area. An unexpected added bonus came Sunday night when we were up on the hotel rooftop terrace. A big brilliant orange/red streak came across the sky, close to us, and then we heard a BIG boom! We all thought it was a meteorite, and it must have hit Honduras! Until the next day, when we found out it was actually the Space Shuttle coming home! How cool was that! Tuesday we went to a thermal springs/water park area after work, which felt wonderful after working in the HOT sun!, Thursday afternoon we took the Santa Ana walking tour, visiting Catedral de Santa Ana, a huge beautiful old cathedral; Teatro de Santa Ana, the theatre, both built in the early 1900s, and visited street vendors. Friday we went to the destination we voted on, Hotel Pacific Paradise, a resort on the Pacific Ocean…a beautiful area with GREAT sunsets! Saturday most of us went on a separate snorkeling adventure in Los Cobanos, a couple hours away, and saw more of the countryside and the hot surfing area; and early Sunday morning it was back to the States. …wait…didn’t we JUST get here!

...guess we never know what simple thing can speak volumes and be our next “connection” in God’s greater plan! I’m doubting if it will ever be revealed as simple as the cap connection, although I’m waiting for my next sign, because I would like nothing better than to return one more time! I know I always say, I initially went there to “pass on the blessings” because I’ve been blest in many ways over the years, but how do you even begin to compare with the blessing you get by spending just that short time at Villa Esperanza with those people...there are no words...

My previous “theme” was “Compassion without action is empty.” On the way back I found my new theme in the airline magazine: “The smallest good deed is greater than the grandest intention.” ...even though it seems like such a small thing to do to go there and work, everyone’s “small good deed” is adding up to build the ENTIRE village...and that is pretty awesome to be a part of...

OWLS Souper Cake Walk

2010-02-01T18:22:00.000-08:00

On January 22d, the Messiah Lutheran Church's Older Wiser Lutherans or OWLS as they are known conducted a Souper Cake Walk. The event included a dinner of Soup, Salad, and Bread.

When the staff of the Messiah Lutheran Blog received the pictures from the Souper Cake Walk event, we were a little puzzled. We decided to interview Ellie Nelson who is one of our blog's staff photographers and a contributing writer. "What's up with the Funny Hats?", we asked. Ellie stated that hats were part of the Cake Walk. Everyone joined in a circle and passed around the fashionable hats while the music played. If the music stopped while you were holding the hat, you were allowed to go and choose your cake from the beautiful selections lovingly prepared by our talented bakers.

The event certainly looked like it was a lot of fun.

And the staff of the Messiah Lutheran Blog is getting hungry just looking at all of those great cakes.

The OWLS are a loosely knit group of folks (over 50 years of age) who get together once a month for an activity. These activities vary from a potluck at the church, Sunday brunch at a restaurant, miniature golf, a visit to the Botanical Garden, to attending the "Living Christmas Tree" concert. Both men and women are welcome. And don’t let our name fool you. We may call ourselves the “Older” Wiser Lutherans, but we know we’re all young at heart.

Please call Jan Murphy or the Church Office if you wish to learn more about the OWLS.

Seminary Student Visits Messiah Lutheran Church

2010-01-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

For the last several weeks, Messiah Lutheran Church has had a special seminary student visiting and helping to lead services. Charlie Underwood, a member of Messiah, returned for a visit during his Christmas break. He is a second year student at Wartburg Theological Seminary. Charlie isn't your typical seminary student straight out of college. Though he has been thinking about attending the seminary since the age of 26, he did not answer his calling until much later in life. Charlie is a self described "Second career" seminary student. In fact he could actually be called a "third career" seminary student since he retired from the US Air Force and then worked in private industry for a number of years before finally deciding to attend Wartburg.

Charlie states that the program has so far been very challenging academically. He states his biggest challenge has been the study of languages including Greek and Hebrew. Despite the academic challenges, he has found the program very rewarding. Last summer he had the opportunity to conduct Clinical Pastoral Education at Lutheran Homes of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Lutheran Homes is a family of health care and residential service organizations committed to providing quality care and life-enriching opportunities to the aging and those in need in a caring, Christian environment. While at Lutheran Homes, Charlie spent 11 weeks working with the patients there under the supervision of the Lutheran Homes Chaplain. One of the things that he had to learn to deal with was death, which he states he had little experience with previously. He explained that the experience was both intimidating and humbling and has forever changed him.

So what's next for Charlie you ask? He will soon return to Wartburg for one more semester of studies, and then he will be sent off on an internship. During the internship, Charlie will spend a full year under the supervision of an experienced pastor. The purpose of internship is to provide pastoral candidates a learning environment in which they can both engage in the practice of ministry, and reflect on the quality of their involvements under the direction of a supervising pastor and lay internship committee. Internship provides congregations a way to enhance and extend their ministries through the gifts of an intern. At the same time, internship brings the additional responsibility of providing honest and compassionate evaluation of an intern's abilities.

We thank Charlie for helping out during the last two weeks at Messiah and wish him the best of luck during the remainders of his studies.

Elfin Magic

2009-12-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

On December 6th from 2-4PM, The Elfs of Messiah Lutheran Church conducted their annual Elfin Magic Workshop. Elfin Magic is a fun afternoon where children, ages 2 and up, create beautiful crafts to give as Christmas gifts.

This year 42 children and a ton of elf helpers participated in the event.

Twelve different crafts were available this year including:

Candy Cane Mice
Puzzle Pin
Puzzle Bookmark
Marshmallow Sticks and Hot Chocolate
Button Ornaments
Snowman Wooden Ornaments
Stationary Kit
Magnetic Board
12 Days of Christmas
Gum Drop Tree
Soup in a Jar
Cork Hot Plate

Christmas Workshop

2009-11-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

On November 15th, the Junior and Senior Youth of Messiah Lutheran Church and Incarnation Lutheran Church joined several hundred other participants in a Christmas Workshop that was hosted by Grace Lutheran Church.

After an opening ceremony and instructions, the participants of the workshop were divided into three groups and began busily working on their various projects.

Each of the three groups had the opportunity to wrap Christmas Presents for foster children, create Christmas ornaments for Meals on Wheels recipients and decorate cookies for those overseas.

Everyone involved had a good time. The spirit of God was present and the youth were able in a short period of time to create a mountain of gifts for those in need.

At the conclusion of the event, everyone gathered back in the gym for concluding ceremonies and pizza.

Messiah Lutheran

Here I Am Lord

Season of Giving

Milestone Christian Academy

Steeple Raising, December 14, 2011

Wheelchair Ramp 3

Ring and Sing 2011

Building Getsemani, El Salvador

New Member Reception - 4 Dec 2011

Benito Montoya Graduation, November 2011

Israel Pilgrimage: Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea

Israel Pilgrimage: Mount of Olives, Upper Room, Israel Museum

Israel Pilgrimage Day 5: Via Dolorosa and Western Wall

Israel Pilgrimage: Bet She'an and Bethlehem

Israel Pilgrimage Day 3

Israel: Day in Galilee

Israel Pilgrims Land in Tel Aviv

Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-off 2011

Wheelchair Ramp #1

Sanctuary Expansion Update

Holy Land Pilgrimage

Handmade Market (Sat - Oct 22, 2011)

Blessing of the Animals 2011

A Special Welcome to our Newest Members

Congratulations Jim and Ellie Nelson

2011 Walk to Defeat ALS

Farewell Pipe Organ

Sunday School Rally Day

Groundbreaking Service For Sanctuary Expansion

Church Picnic

Blessing Of The Backpacks

Disaster Relief Team

Youth Coffeehouse

Messiah Hosts Rebuilding Crew

Family Movie Night

Renew: The Green VBS 2011

On Eagle's Wings Mission 2011

Thrivent Builds and The Moore Family

Sanctuary Expansion

2011 Habitat For Humanity Build Is Complete

Sam, The Shams And The Shepherd King

Habitat House Nearing Completion

Using Junk to Build Houses

Congratulations Confirmands

Volunteers Needed For Disaster Response

Mission to Guatemala

New Members

Inviting Friends to Church

Mother Daughter Tea 2011

On Eagle's Wings Auction 2011

Health Kits for Disaster Relief

Stephen Ministers Commissioned

Habitat Build is Off to a Good Start

Capital Campaign Forum

Building to Share God's Story

OWLS Spend Night In Italy

On Eagle's Wings Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show

Lunches For Learning Mission Focus

Messiah Helps Build Children's Health Facility

Milestone Christian Academy

Merry Christmas 2010

Seraph Choir - O Come Little Children

"Lord, Use Me" - Music Camp 2010Notabella Bell ChoirContemporary Worship Service

Sunday School Christmas Program

Pastor Amanda Olson Visits December 2010

Elfin Magic

Operation Christmas Child 2010

Silent Quilt Auction

Notabella Bell Choir

Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child 2010

Halloween Party And Chili Cook-Off 2010

Contemporary Worship Service

OWLS Social Event October 2010

Handmade Market 2010

What's Happening at Benito Montoya?

48 Days to the Work You Love

Wednesday Night Cafe

Knocking On Doors For Jesus

Walk To Defeat ALS 2010

Dinner Theater 2010 - Beatles Review

"Lord, Use Me" - Music Camp 2010
Notabella Bell Choir
Contemporary Worship Service