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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
