48 Days to the Work You Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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

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

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

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

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.