The Calvary Connection - Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & School of ...

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Redding, California
September 2013
Volume 9, Issue 9
The Calvary Connection
Cookin’ God’s books
Inside this issue:
Kick Off! 2
What an experience 3
Meatballs for missions 4
Learn ways to reach out 4
Stewardship after you die 5
It’s a team effort 8
Lesson from a teenager 11
I need more...confidence 12
Mount Calvary Lutheran
Church · Early Childhood Center · Elementary School
3961 Alta Mesa Drive · Redding, CA 96002
Church · 530.221.2480 School · 530.221.2451
Website · www.mtcalvaryredding.org
Email · church@mtcalvaryredding.org
Pastor · Brian Doebler Principal · Dan Douglas
Early Childhood Director · Mollie Dorn
Could we become guilty of
cookin’ the books when it
comes to our freewill offerings
Major corporations filing for
bankruptcy . . . CEOs indicted
. . . accounting firms called
on the carpet. These have
been headlines from last
year. Somebody’s been
“cookin’ the books,” and the
pot’s overflowing! Are we
distraught, angry, fearful that
this could happen That
shareholders in large companies
would be cheated, that
some would lose their pensions
and other retirement
benefits “How could large
companies do that to the
shareholders” we ask.
Would we do the same to
God Would people dare to
cook the books and cheat
God It’s happened before.
Through Malachi God tells his
people near the end of the
Old Testament era, “When
you bring blind animals for
sacrifice, is that not wrong
When you sacrifice crippled
or diseased animals, is that
not wrong Try offering them
to your governor! Would he
be pleased with you Would
he accept you . . . Cursed is
the cheat who has an acceptable
male in his flock and
vows to give it, but then sacrifices
a blemished animal to
the Lord. For I am a great
king . . . Will a man rob God
Yet you rob me. But you ask,
‘How do we rob you’ In
tithes and offerings” (Malachi
1:8,14, 3:8).
In that era, when tithes and
sacrifices were part of the
law, a great many in Israel
were cookin’ the books and
cheating God himself. They
were bringing their worst
instead of their best, the leftovers
instead of the
firstfruits. If they did that
with the tithes and sacrifices
demanded by law, what were
their “freewill offerings” like
Today, in the New Testament
age of freedom, we’re no
longer laboring under the
laws of sacrifices and tithes.
We have the freedom to
bring our offerings to God
cheerfully and willingly in
love for him who first loved
us. We can tithe or do more
(and in some circumstances,
less) if we wish. Yet, could we
too become guilty of cookin’
the books when it comes to
our freewill offerings
Do we find ourselves thinking,
“Let’s see, that eight
percent I’m going to give to
the Lord this year . . . is that
before taxes or after taxes
Before the house and car
payments or after I’ve taken
care of those necessities
Before that anniversary trip
to Hawaii or after” What
does “firstfruits” (in Proverbs
3:9) really mean
If we look into our own hearts
and stewardship practices
and indict ourselves for
cookin’ God’s books today,
what can we do No better
example can be found than
that of two “book cookers” of
long ago. One stood in the
temple, bowed his head, and
prayed, “Lord, be merciful to
me, a sinner.” The other,
named Zacchaeus, vowed to
stop cheating and give back
to others what he had taken
for his own selfish purposes.
Perhaps it’s time for many of
us to do the same with our
offerings—to ask God to forgive
the selfishness that has
led us to cheat him out of the
offerings he deserves as the
God of grace who has saved
us and to bring him the offerings
that truly express our
thankfulness for all our undeserved
blessings, always
trusting in our Savior’s promises
to supply all of our
needs.
Source: Forward in Christ, January
2003, an article by WELS Pastor Roy
Rose.

P a g e 2 T h e C a l v a r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
Kick Off!
Opposing forces are
Satan and your Savior.
Who’s “team” will you be on
Sunday, September 8, is the
Kick-Off for a new year of
Sunday School. The start of
a new school year is a great
opportunity for families to
reestablish the routine of
studying God’s Word on Sunday
morning — for children,
teens and adults.
Sunday School is a vital component
of our congregation’s
program of Christian education
that gives children a solid
foundation in the Bible
before they being catechism
instruction. Sunday School is
intended to assist parents in
their God-given responsibility
of raising their children “in
the training and instruction
of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)
This year our Sunday School
will operate a little differently.
We’ll still start with an
opening in the sanctuary, an
inspiring time of songs, Scripture
and offerings to help
others. (See article below for
offering details.) After the
opening the students will be
split into two groups. One
group will first go to a lesson,
while the other group will do
a craft project. After about
20 minutes, the groups will
switch activities.
All children from age three
through eighth grade are
encouraged to attend Sunday
School. A Teen Bible
Class meets in the room next
to Pastor’s office for those in
9-12 grades. Adults are
urged to witness to their children
by their own participation
in adult Bible class, held
in the fellowship hall.
Orphanages in India
Above: a “closet” box for storing all
your things. Below: sleeping on a
mat on the floor.
So you think you’ve got it
tough You can “only” afford
basic cable, not the full package.
Your computer is five
years old and slower than
molasses. You can't afford to
eat out more than twice a
week. Yeah, rough life.
Compare your life style to
300 children living in ten rented
homes across India. Do
the math — that’s about 30
kids in each home — except
for the home for children
with AIDS. That home has
only about a dozen children.
These are WELS-supported
orphanages.
Each home has 3 rooms — a
sleeping room for boys and
another for girls, plus a common
room for eating and
studying. Toilet and wash
area (no showers, no tub) are
outside.
Sleeping is not in beds with
soft mattresses and clean
sheets — it’s on a straw mat
on the floor. You get to eat
meat once a week, an egg
once a week, a piece of fruit
once a week. You are given a
glass of buttermilk at breakfast.
The rest of the day you
will drink water. Not flavored
water. Not Kool-Aid.
Not soda. You will eat mainly
rice and curry.
You will be given one school
uniform to wear and it will
have to last you the entire
year. You will wash your own
clothes by hand. You will
have one plastic storage box
to hold all your personal
items — your uniform, underwear,
books, any other
clothes you might have.
You will walk from the orphanage
to school. The
schools are taught by WELStrained
native pastors. If you
are a lucky child, you will
share your desk with other
students. Otherwise, you will
sit on the floor. You will learn
three languages: English,
your own native language,
and the official language of
India. You will study God’s
Word, math, and social studies.
Do not think the children’s
parents are dead. Their parents
are very much alive!
Their parents sent their children,
as young as five years
old, out to work to earn money
to feed and shelter the
family. The child may have a
job in a quarry breaking rocks
into smaller pieces. Or the
child may pick seeds out of
cotton balls at harvest time.
The WELS orphanages have
saved the children from these
desperate lives and provided
them not only with food and
shelter but with a Christian
education also.
This school year, all the Sunday
School offerings will go
to WELS orphanages in India.
As a teen or adult, you may
also contribute. Use either a
plain envelope or a
“Designated Gift” envelope
— write on it “Indian Orphanages”,
and drop it in an offering
plate during worship.
You may also make a donation
through Meatballs for
Missions (see page 4 for more
details).

T h e C a l va r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I ss u e 9
P a g e 3
What an experience!
What an experience!
You don't have to travel to
the Holy Land to experience
it. It's been brought to Redding.
Just as the original
Tabernacle of the Wilderness
moved about the desert, this
life-size replica moves about
the United States, impacting
lives.
The Tabernacle Experience is
not a museum. It is not a
theatre production. The Tabernacle
Experience is an encounter
with the Living God!
This replica of the portable
sanctuary remains true to the
precise size and layout of the
original Tabernacle constructed
by Moses. Visitors
will take a self-guided 55 minute
audio driven tour, learning
at each station about the
tent that housed the Ark of
the Covenant over 3000 years
ago, as described in great
detail in the book of Exodus.
Jesus the Christ is revealed in
every aspect of The Tabernacle.
One step inside the Tabernacle
Courtyard will translate
you into Old Testament
times. You will experience a
day in the life of an Old Testament
priest as you engage
in the duties and rituals within
the Tabernacle.
First you will be 'clothed' in
the White Linen Garment of
the priest. At the Altar of
Burnt Offering you will lay
your sacrifice on its consuming
fire. You'll approach the
Laver and wash your hands in
preparation for the work of
The Lord. At the Lampstand
you'll light an oil lamp and
eat at The Table of Bread.
The smoke rising at the Altar
of Incense will heighten your
senses and remind you of
your prayers ascending to the
very throne of God. As you
draw back the Curtain and
enter The Most Holy Place
your journey will culminate
before the Ark of the Covenant
and the Mercy Seat.
You will be ushered out of
the ordinary and into his extraordinary
presence.
If you are available on Monday
evening, September 16
and would like to participate
in a group tour with other MC
members, FIRST: sign up by
this Sunday on the Opportunity
Board so an appropriate
group reservation can be
made. SECOND: Join in a
meal and fellowship before the
tour. Meet at 6:00 PM at In &
Out on Dana Drive. At 6:45 we
will drive to Little Country
Church for our group tour.
THIRD: Bring your own ear
buds or head phones for a better
listening experience.
FOURTH: suggested donations
are: $5 adults, $3 children,
$20 max for a family.
If you are unable to participate
with the group on September
16, the Tabernacle Experience
will be at Little Country Church
from September through 23.
Walk-ins are welcome or call
222-4092 (LCC) to make a reservation.
FIFTH: A follow-up Bible study
will be held the following Monday,
September 30, at 6:30 PM
at MC. Topic: Hebrews: Out of
the Shadow of the Tabernacle.

P a g e 4 T h e C a l v a r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
Meatballs for missions
Mount Calvary’s LWMS will
host another Meatballs for
Missions fun-raiser dinner at
MC on Sunday, September
22 from 5:00-8:00 PM.
On the menu will be spaghetti
and meatballs, tossed
green salad, garlic bread,
sparkling cider, an ice cream
dessert, coffee, and tea. You
will be seated at a table and
served restaurant style. Entertainment
will be provided
by Noël Ross and her accompanist.
Sign-up (reservations!) on the
Opportunity Board. Just like
restaurant reservations, you
will be able to choose your
arrival time and the number
of diners in your party.
You can enjoy all this for a
simple, generous donation to
support our LWMS mission
projects: India Orphanages/
Schools Project (see the article
on page 2 for more details)
and WELS-Canada Evangelist
& Pastoral Studies Institute
Training. This is our last year
to support these two projects.
Our last Meatballs for Missions
was a huge success raising
funds as well as providing
an enjoyable evening of food
and entertainment.
If you don't come, you'll miss
a lot of fun and a great way
to support the Lord’s work.
Put September 22 on your
calendar!
Sylvia Huss
Learn effective ways to reach out
The School of Outreach,
which includes two group
workshops, is provided by
the WELS Commission on
Evangelism and our AZ/CA
District Evangelism Commission.
The School of Outreach
serves congregations with
planning, assistance, and
resources for congregational
evangelism programming
and implementation of outreach
strategies.
The first one-day workshop
will be held at MC on Saturday,
September 21 from 8:30
AM to 3:00 PM. Our AZ/CA
District Evangelism Coordinator
- Pastor Steven Hillmer
– will be our guest presenter.
He is also Pastor at The
Springs Lutheran Church in
Sparks, NV.
This workshop is not just for
the Evangelism/Outreach
Committee. It is for all interested
members. Leaders on
the Church Board should
definitely plan to participate.
Many of the skills shared at
the workshop can be applied
to the work of all committees.
If you would like to attend
on September 21,
please sign up on the Opportunity
Board. Please also
indicate your choice of Subway
sandwich for lunch. (No
charge for lunch, but please
consider bringing a snack or
dessert to share.)
At the workshop, there are
breakout sessions at which
Pastor Hillmer will work with
us about our outreach plans
and strategies. A second oneday
workshop will be held at
MC between
Christmas and
Lent.
In the months
following each
of the workshops,
Pastor
Hillmer will
make several
contacts to
offer follow-up
assistance specific
to us.
In preparation for the first
workshop, MC will complete
a Congregational Profile and
Community Profile. This will
help our congregational leaders
plan specific outreach
strategies for Redding at the
first workshop. At the second
workshop, MC members
will learn more about Friendship
Witnessing, Church
Identity in the Community,
Worship Welcome and Assimilation.
In the months following each
of the workshops, advisors
follow-up with MC in order to
answer questions, supply
resources, and give advice for
fulfilling the goals that were
discussed and planned at the
workshops.
Mount Calvary has already
paid the registration fee of
$225 per congregation. The
fee includes workbooks for
each participant, lunch and
refreshments for both sessions
and the follow-up contacts
by the advisors. Faith/
Anderson has also registered
for participation in the School
of Outreach at MC.

T h e C a l va r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I ss u e 9
P a g e 5
Stewardship after you die
Endowments supported by
WELS Foundation and the
WELS ministerial education
schools generated distributions
of more than $1.6 million
from endowment funds
benefiting WELS ministries in
2013. The endowments provide
a dependable increasing
source of support to numerous
mission projects, student
scholarships, ministries to
those with special needs, and
educational programs in our
Lutheran schools.
The four WELS ministerial
education schools—
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary,
Mequon, WI; Martin
Luther College, New Ulm,
MN; Luther Preparatory
School, Watertown, WI; and
Michigan Lutheran Seminary,
Saginaw, MI—can use the
distributions for student financial
assistance and other
educational programs.
“Every year the endowment
distributions for financial
assistance enable a certain
number of students at our
ministerial education schools
to continue preparing for the
ministry. Many would not
otherwise be able to attend
our schools,” says Rev. Paul
Prange, administrator of
Ministerial Education.
The gifts to World and Home
Missions will fund current
and new mission projects.
“The opportunities to reach
out with the gospel are as
endless as the number of
people in this world. This
distribution allows us to jump
-start mission work that otherwise
would have to be put
on hold. Our hearts rejoice as
we see this urgent work expand,”
says Rev. Larry
Schlomer, administrator of
World Missions.
Rev. Keith Free, administrator
for Home Missions, says,
“The endowment funds along
with generous gifts from our
WELS members typically
allow Home Missions to open
one to two more missions a
year.”
WELS Endowment Funds are
donor-restricted gifts that are
invested in diversified investment
portfolios usually managed
by WELS Investment Funds.
Gifts of any amount can be added
to the existing WELS Endowment
Funds.
Donors can also establish new
donor designated endowment
funds. The minimum funding for
a new endowment fund is
$25,000. Endowments can be
funded with current gifts or testamentary
gifts (e.g. wills, beneficiary
designations on retirement
accounts, life insurance
proceeds). WELS Foundation
also provides endowment administration
for congregations.
For more information about how
an endowment fund can provide
a source of ongoing financial
support for WELS, your congregation,
or other ministry, visit:
http://welsfoundation.net/.
Worship God with planned gifts
In addition to regular offerings,
another way people can
support the Lord’s work is
through planned gifts such as
a will or another type of giving
instrument set up by the
government to encourage
charitable giving.
While offering an opportunity
for worshipping God, these
instruments also provide
perks such as tax deductions
that help people take care of
their families and their own
needs.
Unfortunately many people
haven’t heard much about
planned giving.
On Sunday, September 29,
our district’s Planned Giving
Counselor, Pastor Rich
Kogler, will be at Mount Calvary.
He will participate in
our worship services as well
as make a presentation during
Bible Class on estate
planning. Pastor Kogler will
also be available that weekend
to meet privately with
individuals to discuss their
personal questions.
MC’s Endowment Committee
members include Rob Waterman,
Dennis Riley, Debbie
Sprague, and Ron Bresolin.

P a g e 6 T h e C a l v a r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
Parishable items
Remember 9/11 Of course
you do. You remember
where you were when you
first heard about the attack.
Did you keep a journal in
2001 where you wrote down
your thoughts about the day
Most of us probably didn’t
keep a diary then or now.
But Anita Rupprecht, who
taught our second, third and
fourth graders at that time,
did memorialize the attack
and what it meant to the children
in her class. Anita asked
her students to write about
their thoughts and feelings.
She incorporated those
thoughts into a newsletter
the following week. A copy
of that newsletter is posted
on the Opportunity Board.
You may be surprised who
was in Anita’s classroom in
2001 — they’re not little children
any more! Please read
the children’s comments —
the newsletter will only be
posted until September 15.
The 50th anniversary of
Mount Calvary’s first worship
service is coming in November
of next year. To thank
the Lord for all his blessings
over these 50 years, a planning
committee is organizing.
Their first meeting will
be Monday, September 16 at
7:00 PM. If you would like to
plan and/or carry out the
plans, then speak with Brenda
Wilson. Many willing
hands are needed to create a
God-pleasing celebration.
Fall LWMS Rally is October
19, 2013 at St. Mark’s Lutheran
in Citrus Heights. The rally
theme is “You are the Light
of the World” based on Matthew
5:14. Everyone (ladies
and men as well as teens!) is
invited and child care will be
provided. The speaker will be
Pastor James Buske from
Lighthouse Youth Center,
Milwaukee, WI. Pastor Buske
works with Urban Outreach.
The day will include worship,
Bible study, food and fellowship.
Christian stewardship is defined
as the free and joyous
activity of the child of God
and God’s family, the church,
in managing all of life and
life’s resources for God’s purposes.
A blind person asked St. Anthony:
"Can there be anything
worse than losing eye
sight" He replied: "Yes, losing
your vision."
The Privilege of Evangelism
If God so wished, he could
trumpet his gospel to the
whole world over one gigantic
audio-visual system. But that
is not his way. Instead he
grants us human beings—
interesting or dull, lively and
humorous or thoughtful and
ponderous—the infinite privilege
of getting out the good
Word about Jesus Christ. And
that for the sake of people
whose eyes need so terribly to
see his face, his loving look.
Source: Walter C. Riess, author of
Say It for God’s Sake, Northwestern
Publishing House.
More outreach opportunities
Hope you read the article on
page 4 about the upcoming
Evangelism Seminar! Don’t
miss this opportunity to learn
and grow!
The Outreach Committee is
also looking for volunteers --
especially teens -- to start our
puppet ministry. Kids, do
you have something to say
This is your chance to be
heard. We need scripts written,
music selected, and
practice, practice, practice so
that we can present God’s
love in the best possible light.
If you want to be part of the
puppet ministry, speak to
Ashley Rhodes.
We would like to have another
day at Kids Kingdom just
for puppet shows. . .before
the weather changes. We’d
also like to do shows at the
House of Hope in Redding, (a
home for women and children
sponsored by Good
News Mission).
Please call me or speak with
me on Sundays if you would
like to have participate in any
of our outreach programs!
Mark Wallace, Chairman

T h e C a l va r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I ss u e 9
P a g e 7
Inspiration
At times even the strongest
of Christians may feel weak
in their faith. Maybe it's at a
particularly hard time in life.
Maybe it's during a time of
reflection when questions
arise about faith, life, and
salvation. In FIC’s cover article
this month, Pastor Fred
Kogler tells a story about
how his mentor, friend, and
fellow pastor was questioning
his faith and his ministry
on his deathbed. What did
Pastor Kogler do He reminded
this faithful Christian
about his baptism.
Our baptism is an event in
our lives that none of us
should forget. The baptismal
font found in each of our
churches reminds us how we
are all redeemed children of
God. That's also one of the
reasons why there is a font at
the new Center of Mission
and Ministry in Waukesha
(WELS headquarters). Pres.
Schroeder shares more about
this and the importance of
remembering our baptism
throughout our lives in his
message this month.
We all rejoice when another
child is added to God's family
through baptism. I wish we
could run all the baptism pictures
that are submitted to
the magazine. We did include
one in this issue—of a person
with disabilities in Malawi,
Africa.
Julie Wietzke
Managing Editor
Forward in Christ
Articles in this issue:
Singing the Songs of Scripture
Buddha is dead and in his
grave
The September issue of Forward
in Christ is available in
the church entry. It’s free.
Help yourself!
Sierra Circuit news
Mount Calvary is one of nine
WELS congregations that
form the Sierra Circuit in
Northern California. These
are our closest fellow believers.
Christ Lutheran in Lodi
worked very hard this summer
on their new church facilities,
made by joining modular
units together to form a
worship space, plus a fellowship
and administrative area.
This will enable them to
move out of their present
church, which is not in the
best neighborhood, to their
new location on the growing
south side of Lodi. They plan
to dedicate their new church
on Sunday, October 13 in an
afternoon service. They also
have a tentative buyer for
their present church, which
will help greatly with financing.
Shepherd of the Mountains in
Reno has decided to call a
lead pastor. You may remember
that Pastor John
Beck suffered a stroke in
2012. The members hoped
and prayed that he would be
able to continue his ministry
with his accustomed vigor.
His recovery has not permitted
that, but he continues to
serve in a reduced fashion.
Keep him in your prayers as
he deals with this very difficult
health situation.
The Springs Lutheran Church
in the Spanish Springs area of
Sparks, NV is gradually moving
toward a permanent
church building. They hope
to purchase land in an excellent
location in the months
ahead and be able to build
their first permanent church
in the near future.
At Hope in Penryn the members
are redoing the large
outdoor meeting area outside
the front doors of the
church. When completed it
will be a useful and attractive
area.
Keep your fellow WELS congregations
in your prayers,
asking for the Lord to bless
their ministries.
Source: St. Mark’s Lutheran,
Citrus Heights

P a g e 8 T h e C a l v a r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
Need Christmas gift ideas
Mount Calvary Lutheran
School offers an opportunity
monthly to purchase scrip.
You can purchase scrip for
stores you normally shop in
and a percentage of that purchase
is returned to MC. That
percentage is then split between
our school and a student
of your choice, or you
may choose for all of the rebate
to go to our school. The
student’s portion of the rebate
will defray their registration
fee.
Here are a few examples of
vendors and rebates:
American Eagle Outfitters —
10%
Payless Shoes — 13%
TJ Maxx — 7%
Office Depot — 4%
Applebee’s — 10%
Safeway — 4%
CVS Pharmacy — 6%
Michaels — 4%
It’s a team effort
Parents, youth and pastors.
It’s a team effort.
Youth confirmation instruction
began on Tuesday, September
3 at 4:05 PM. The
series is titled “Grace Alone
Youth: A Confirmation
Class”.
Did you miss the first class
Don’t miss the second, or
any of the classes through
this school year. The class
meets for just over an hour,
closing at 5:15 PM. Plenty of
time for dinner and homework
before a good night’s
rest.
Holiday gift giving will soon
be upon us. Why not save
time, effort, and give the gift
of a scrip card Purchase
scrip for the vendor of your
choice, give the scrip card to
your family, friends or coworkers
(someone you would
normally give a gift to at
Christmas). You just saved
yourself from running all over
town AND you supported
MCLS! What a deal!
Example: Aunt Maude lives in
Ohio. You love her dearly,
but shipping costs as much as
the original gift these days.
Give her a scrip card for Macy’s,
JC Penney, Marie Callendars,
Amazon.com or even
the Home Shopping Network!
Scrip cards are cheap
to mail. Your scrip purchase
earns a reward for MC AND
makes Aunt Maude happy
too!
Do you have a digital teen
One who’s always hooked up
to cyberspace Give a him or
The Lutheran Church has
embraced catechism instruction
for hundreds of
years. During that time, instruction
models and approaches
have changed, but
the doctrines have not.
In fact, the teaching of Luther’s
catechism dates back
to Jesus as the teachings of
the catechism are based on
the Word of God which the
Holy Spirit has preserved for
thousands of years.
God has blessed our Synod
and our congregation with a
her a scrip card for iTunes or
Best Buy.
Are you hoping Grandma will
visit her grandchildren for the
holidays Purchase a scrip
card for gas (Arco, Chevron,
Exxon, Shell or Texaco) and
make the trip less stressful
for her.
Deadlines for ordering scrip
are always printed on the
monthly calendar. Order
forms are on the table in the
church entry. Return forms &
payment to Sherri Jenkins or
Laurie Larson by the deadline
and cross gift giving off your
“to do list”! You can also order
scrip cards online 24/7 in
your jammies at
www.shopwithscrip.com.
MC’s enrollment code is
8648L2829778. At the same
site you can also order reloadable
cards so you don’t
have to wait for new cards to
arrive each month.
true treasure in confirmation
instruction.
Please pray for the students
and Pastor Doebler (who
teaches the Tuesday classes)
and Pastor Atrops (who
reinforces the catechism on
Sunday morning). Also pray
for the parents of the confirmands
as they strive to
train up their children in the
Word of God.

P a g e 9 T h e C a l va r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
The soul needs food too
Food for the Soul provided
lunch to people in need on
Sunday, August 25. Members
of MC who helped serve food
and spread God's love were
Pastor Doebler, Pastor and
Linda Atrops, Mike Behling,
Steve Taylor, Cindy Lange and
Mark Wallace.
There was an unusually large
number of people at the park
that day -- about 120 enjoyed
the Spanish hamburger, chips,
cookies and bottled water that
were served. Many thanks to
our church members who donated
small toiletry items and
socks for the hygiene bags
that were handed out with
pamphlets. The supplies --
especially the socks -- were
greatly appreciated by the
homeless. Many people spend
all day walking around town
and really enjoy a new pair of
socks.
Text to give
Pastor Doebler was able to
help a young woman with
two children who was stranded
with a flat tire while traveling
through our area.
The park gives us the opportunity
to talk with many
about salvation through Jesus.
A lot of young people
were at the park that day.
They had just been released
from prison and had nowhere
to go. Our hope is that by
showing them that we care
and telling them about the
love of our Savior it may
change their lives. God tells
us to spread his good news
and the rest is up to the Holy
Spirit. There are so many
people who desperately need
to hear that God loves them
more than enough to forgive
their sins through Jesus.
We hope that more members
of MC will join us in this outreach.
The park days are a
great chance to practice talking
with others about what
we believe. It isn't necessary
to be a pastor or teacher. All
you need to say is “Jesus
loves you and through him
you are saved”. The next park
day will be Sunday, September
29 beginning at 1:30 in
Redding’s South City Park.
For more information talk to
Mark or myself.
Kathy Wallace
A new way for WELS members
to give was introduced
at the synod convention this
summer. Text to Give allows
WELS members to simply
text the word "WELS" to
85944 to give $10 to support
WELS ministry. The $10 will
be added to the donor's cell
phone bill, with the entire
donation going to WELS.
"Recognizing that mobile
phone dependency and
smartphone usage are on the
rise and that nearly every
phone has texting capability,
we decided to beta test this
option," says Rev. Kurt Lueneburg,
director of the Ministry
of Christian Giving. "I'm
sure you’ve read or heard
about the Red Cross text to
donate appeal during the
recent Oklahoma City tornado
disaster. This is a similar
program that, if successful
during this test, could be a
benefit to our mission and
ministry fields."
The Ministry of Christian Giving
has decided to open up
this beta test to all WELS
members through September.
All money received during
this test will go to the
synod operating fund. If the
test is successful, Text to
Give will continue to be a
giving option for WELS members,
available at the spur of
the moment, with future giving
opportunities being mis-
sion and ministry specific.
Lueneburg highlights that
WELS members can also give
online via credit card or electronic
funds transfer. This
way of giving allows donations
to be acknowledged by
Christian Giving. It also allows
donors the opportunity
to give recurring or larger
donations and to have their
gifts appear on the annual
statement WELS sends to
each donor in January.
View the live results of the
test.

P a g e 10 T h e C a l v a r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
Stewardship for the future
"Just as you excel in
everything—in faith, in
speech, in knowledge, in
complete earnestness
and in your love for us—
see that you also excel in
this grace of giving."
2 Corinthians 8
Right now in WELS we have a
lot of amazing ministry taking
place thanks to God’s
blessings, but there is more
to be done. There are more
people in the world, many of
whom are walking next to us
but who don’t know Jesus.
God has given us abundant
gifts that we can use to praise
him. We pray that, walking
together in his grace, he will
reach many more souls
through us.
As a Christian maybe you are
feeling disappointed about
the way things are going in
the world. Polls and news
stories seem to point to a
movement away from the
authority of God’s Holy
Word. But the Lord’s blessings
on mission work in our
church body give us reason
for hope.
“Nothing can stop the progress
of the Great Commission,”
says recently retired
World Missions Administrator
Rev. Dan Koelpin reflecting
on 15 years of service,
“because it is the Savior’s
master plan for the evangelization
of the world, and it will
be done with us or without us
(Matthew 24:14).”
Regarding doing mission
work in 23 different countries
Koelpin says, “Even though
our expatriate missionary
staff has been cut in half, the
number of souls, pastors, and
evangelists in the national
churches that have been
planted have more than doubled.
We are also able to operate
in less accessible countries
(those that don’t allow
foreign missionaries) in ways
that we wouldn’t have
dreamed of even a decade
ago. The Multi-Language
Publications program has
done an outstanding service
in getting the life-saving
message out in other languages.
More than two million
pieces of literature have
been produced in more than
40 languages. This is the
Lord’s doing.”
Praise be to God, it is similar
good news on the home
front. While 8 new missions
were opened between 2008
and 2012, Home Missions has
a goal of opening 10 new missions
each year starting this
year.
The challenge is not finding
people thirsty for Jesus; it is
consistently having the funding
to support those who
proclaim Christ in these
fields. It was for this reason
that in 2005 the synod in convention
approved the start of
an endowment fund for missions
that would supplement
congregational offerings with
annual distributions that
grow larger each year as the
fund builds up.
It is working as planned. The
fund began in 2006 and,
since distributions began in
2007, the WELS Missions
Endowment Fund has provided
$1.1 million to Home and
World Missions, with the annual
distribution averaging
$300,000 in recent years.
“The endowment has helped
contribute to Home Missions
extra funds that are used to
complement the congregation
mission offerings designated
for Home Missions,”
says Rev. Keith Free, administrator
of Home Missions.
“Over the past three years
Home Missions has opened
16 missions. Without the extra
dollars, our synod would
not have been able to open
all 16 missions.”
It’s a similar situation in
World Missions. New World
Missions Administrator Rev.
Larry Schlomer shares that
endowment distributions
have been used to support
efforts in Africa, Asia, India,
Russia, and with reaching out
to Muslims in the U.S.
So far the Missions Endowment
Fund is at $9.7 million
in gifts received with $28.1
million expected through
planned gifts. The goal set by
the 2005 synod convention is
$150 million, which would
allow an estimated annual
distribution of $6 million.
With the current budget for
missions at $11.1 million, this
would do much to support
the expansion of the gospel
across the globe.
The Lord is building this endowment
through Christians
like you who work with
one of our WELS Christian
giving counselors or who respond
to this appeal. Please
consider a gift to our Savior
for this aspect of his work.
Talk to Pastor Rich Kogler on
September 29 when he visits
MC. (See page 5 for details.)
And please say a prayer of
thanks to our almighty God
whose Great Commission is
victorious.
Rev. Kurt Lueneburg
WELS Director of Christian
Giving

T h e C a l va r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I ss u e 9
P a g e 11
Lesson from a teenager
"You can't expect to get
much financial help from the
teenagers in our congregation."
This statement, or others
similar to it, can be heard
frequently when the subject
of giving is brought up in congregational
meetings. When
talking about an average per
communicant giving, the
direction usually given is to
forget the teenage member.
But is this good advice
Teenagers aren't ignored by
the world's advertisers. A
good portion of commercials
on television and radio seek
to get the attention and
money of teens. It is true that
often the money comes by
way of parents to their teen
to the storekeeper, but this
isn't always the case. If a
teenager wants something
badly enough, he or she will
find a way to get it with or
without parental financial
aid.
Maybe our churches have
failed to tap a great financial
supply by basically letting
teenagers off the hook when
it comes to their offerings.
Tips for Tennessee
The longer we wait to stress
stewardship with the young,
the easier we make it for a
poor teenage steward to become
a poor adult steward.
Of course, when talking
about average giving it is true
that the vast majority of
teens can't reach the average
dollar amount, but shouldn't
they be instructed to strive to
reach the same percentage
of giving as others
I recently discovered that a
teenage member of our
church gave the Lord $250
last year. I was amazed that
he could do that. He comes
from a single parent home, a
home that has a very modest
income. In talking to his
mother I found that he not
only gives generously to the
Lord, but also pays his own
tuition to an area Lutheran
high school and buys a lot of
his own clothes. All this is
funded mainly through a paper
route.
If he can do it, why can't others
If he can be so generous
to the Lord, why can't you
and I He didn't give to receive
any applause or to have
an article written about him.
He gave because he loves the
Lord. His percentage offered
to the Lord would put most
of us, teenagers and adults,
to shame. This is probably
the case because his love for
the Lord might just be of a
higher percentage than ours.
We can all learn from this
dedicated teen to increase
our love to the Lord, and as a
direct result, increase our
participation in "the grace of
giving."
I am sure the example of this
generous teen isn't an isolated
case. In fact, in our congregation
another teenager
also gave over $200 to
church. There are undoubtedly
many other such generous
teens. With proper encouragement
there would
probably be many more. We
all can be encouraged and
learn from those teens a lesson
in stewardship.
Source: Forward in Christ, an article
by Pastor Thomas Hilliard.
The youth of MC are planning
to attend the national WELS
youth gathering in June of
2014. The cost is $800 per
person. Our teens will be
hosting several fundraisers
between now and then to
defray the cost.
The first fundraiser will be a
BBQ on Sunday, September
15 at 12:00 noon. Hamburgers
and hot dogs will be
served along with salads,
chips, and desserts. All the
kids are asking from you is a
generous donation! If you
haven’t eaten too much that
day, games of soccer and kick
ball will also be “served”.
Parents against the teens,
anyone Game on!
Questions Talk to Carie Nadin
or Heather Rhodes.

P a g e 12 T h e C a l v a r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
I need more. . .confidence
The Church of Scientology
teaches that people are basically
good, that their capabilities
are unlimited, and those
capabilities can be realized.
People can also achieve new,
higher states of awareness
and ability. Scientology
claims that the secrets to this
higher knowledge can only
be found in their church
through a process they call
“auditing.”
Seems strange But honestly,
a cultic religion that encourages
you to look within
yourself for more knowledge
can really satisfy an itch. Who
doesn’t feel they need more
knowledge And how about
being able to pat yourself on
the back for pursuing it and
supposedly finding that
knowledge within yourself
That’s pretty appealing to the
human heart.
But God’s Word sounds much
different than L. Ron Hubbard,
who authored the book
that has become Scientology’s
bible. God says people
Stewardship is not
Stewardship is not a part of
the Christian life.
Stewardship is not an important
auxiliary component
of Christian living.
Stewardship is not ancillary
to the practice of Christian
faith.
Stewardship is not optional.
One cannot claim fidelity to
Christian truth in other respects
while ignoring the
practice and inculcation of
faithful stewardship.
are not basically good, that
people’s natural capabilities
are limited to sinning and
rebelling against God. As a
result, God says all people
are the same: “There is no
one who understands, no one
who seeks God…The way of
peace they do not know”
(Romans 3:11,17).
God is right! Not L. Ron Hubbard!
Need proof Think
about Adam and Eve when
they pursued more
knowledge on their own
apart from God. They rejected
God’s Word and sinned.
Look at what their own inner
pursuit of knowledge got
them and us! A world infected
by sin so badly that everyone
eventually dies.
Jesus knows we all lack
knowledge, and he wants to
fill that void. He does so not
by telling us to find it inside
ourselves, but by telling us to
look outside ourselves. We
find knowledge in the Bible.
Through his Word, God
makes us wise; he gives us
Proclamation of the gospel, a
focus on forgiveness, or a
rigorous commitment to orthodox
doctrine, are all worthy
practices and defensible
paradigms for Christian life
and ministry; but none of
them obviate the practice of
good stewardship.
The doctrine of justification
cannot be the camouflage
beneath which one hopes to
hide from the expectations of
a call to serious stewardship.
insight and understanding
(Psalm 119:98-100). That’s
because God’s Word gives us
knowledge that we can’t find
or discover anywhere else.
The Bible tells about Jesus. It
tells how wide and long and
high and deep Jesus’ love is
for people. That love drove
Jesus to come to this world,
to bear the sin of every person,
to die on a cross, to
suffer the eternal punishment
for all sins. That’s love—love
so amazing that God declares
that your sins are forgiven
because of Jesus. That’s
love—love so beyond understanding
that Jesus, the
righteous one, should die for
the unrighteous. But he did!
That’s why the Apostle Paul
says that “this love surpasses
knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19).
In Jesus’ love for you, you
have everything you truly
need to know, both now and
forever.
Source: WELS Outreach newsletter
The gospel does not negate
or displace stewardship; it
restores the creature to a life
of responsible stewardship.
Good theology yields good
stewardship; more than that,
good theology demands
good stewardship.
Source: www.lcms.org

T h e C a l va r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I ss u e 9
P a g e 13
Save on Bibles
Concordia Publishing House
is offering up to 45% savings
on selected Bibles. CPH is
still offering the NIV84 which
MC has been using in worship
and Bible study, but is no
longer readily available in
print.
Whether you are looking to
purchase your child’s first
Give the growth
If you have a choice in how
you support gospel ministry,
it’s usually better to give appreciated
stock than to give
cash. Here’s why: You receive
a federal income tax charitable
deduction for the appreciated
value, not just the
amount you paid for the
stock. You also avoid tax on
the growth.
Consider Mrs. Lutheran. She
wants to give her church
$5,000. If she wrote a check
for this amount, it would cost
her $5,000. Let’s assume,
however, that Mrs. Lutheran
has stock worth $100 per
share that she bought years
ago for only $10 a share.
That’s excellent growth, but
not unusual for a good
growth stock.
If Mrs. Lutheran gave 50
shares of this stock to her
church, the gift value would
be $5,000, not the $500 she
paid for these shares originally.
In other words, her $5,000
gift would cost her only $500!
Also, consider the capital
gains tax Mrs. Lutheran
would have to pay if she sold
those 50 shares outright.
Ouch. She avoids all of that
Bible or update your own
study Bible, there’s something
on sale to interest you!
Some of the Bibles offered
are: The Lutheran Study Bible,
The Concordia Self-Study
Bible (NIV84), Concordia’s
Complete Bible Handbook,
The Story Bible, 120 Bible Stories,
Faith Alive, My Very First
by simply transferring those
shares to her church. Since a
congregation is a qualified
charity, the IRS permits the
church to sell those appreciated
shares without paying
tax. They are able to avoid
the “growth tax,” and so does
Mrs. Lutheran.
Do you see why it’s wise to
“give the growth”
There are, of course, a few
rules. First, you must have
owned the stock for at least a
year and a day prior to making
the gift. Second, the value
of the gift is determined
by the average trading price
on the day the gift is made.
Third, the charitable income
tax deduction can be applied,
on an itemized return, up to
30% of the donor’s adjusted
gross income, whereas a cash
gift is deductible up to 50%.
Fourth, if you are unable to
apply all of the deduction in
one year, you have an additional
five years to use it.
Your accountant can explain
these things and anything
else that may apply to your
situation. It’s prudent to obtain
professional advice when
Bible. See the poster on the
Opportunity Board to sign
up for the Bible of your
choice. (The NIV84 versions
are marked.)
MC will place a group order
at the end of September
and will notify you of the
total cost including shipping
and tax.
making a non-cash gift.
You may agree that “giving
the growth” is a good idea,
but maybe the process seems
difficult if you haven’t done
anything like this before. In
order to help, MC has a WELS
Christian giving counselor
assigned to us who can explain
how the process works
and assist you along the way.
Actually, giving stock is a
common practice for many
donors. It’s much easier than
most people think. Call 800-
827-5482 for the WELS
Planned Giving counselor —
or to be put in contact with
our local giving counselor,
Pastor Rich Kogler. (See article
on page 5 for more information.)

P a g e 14 T h e C a l v a r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I s s u e 9
A time to express our faith
Worship Attendance:
Average:
Bible Class Attendance:
Average:
Sunday School Attendance:
Average:
Teen Attendance:
Average:
Gifts of Love:
Average:
August 2013
548
137 (57/80)
220
55
89
22
8
2
$16,454.41
$4,113.60
July 2013
685
171 (63/109)
246
62
109
27
5
1
$17,801.66
$4,450.42
August 2012
595
149 (63/86)
247
62
46
12
n/a
n/a
$20,905.83
$5,226.46
A time for serving the Lord at Mount Calvary in October
Early:
Ushers:
Kevin Nadin, John Lagoy,
Keith Ones, Wayne Hadsel
Greeters:
Keith & Teresa Ones
Elders:
Wayne Hadsel, Todd Van
Boekel, John Lagoy
Mow Front & Teacherage:
10/5 volunteer needed
10/12 volunteer needed
10/19 volunteer needed
10/26 volunteer needed
Late:
Ushers:
Mark Wallace, Todd Larson,
Gene Jenkins
Greeters:
Mark & Kathy Wallace
Elders:
Gene Jenkins, Bob Parker
Mow Back:
10/5 volunteer needed
10/12 volunteer needed
10/19 volunteer needed
10/26 volunteer needed
Coffee:
Teresa Ones
Communion Set Up:
Karen Field
Communion Clean Up:
Susan Brunett
Sunday School Teachers:
Jessica Doebler, Amanda Jenkins,
Coleen Youngman, Miriam
Waterman, Brynn Waterman,
Dave Atrops & Gene
Jenkins
Cleaners:
10/4 volunteers needed
10/11 volunteers needed
10/18 volunteers needed
10/25 volunteers needed
Deadline for the
next Calvary Connection
is Sunday, October 6.
Submit articles or info
to Naomi Henkel.

T h e C a l va r y C o n n e c t i o n V o l u m e 9 , I ss u e 9
P a g e 15
Highlights from the CB meeting in August
Pastor
We will be hosting an evangelism
seminar at MC. The
date is Saturday, September
21. This is an event for the
whole congregation, and I
would like the leadership of
Mount Calvary to participate
as a whole. This is not just for
the evangelism minded or
the evangelism team. Things
we will talk about and learn
there have to do with the
work of the congregation as a
whole, what we plan, what
we emphasize, prioritize, etc.
as a congregation. Please set
that date aside to participate.
Catechism begins again with
the start of the school year.
We will meet on Tuesdays at
4:05 PM normally. These are
the potential students: Lars
Norine, Cory Saltsman Jr.,
Kendal Nadin, Bridget Wilson,
Brendan Faust, Lily Lagoy,
Madeline Nightingale,
Cody McNerny, Nils Norine,
Lindie May Larson, Valar
Radie, Abbie Griffith, Ryan
Ulloa, Frankie Avantino, Thorin
Radie.
Our Youth Group met on July
28 at the house of Carie
Nadin’s father for a BBQ/pool
party/volleyball game. There
were 15 youth there with
youth from MC inviting
friends which is encouraging.
I had a Bible study with the
kids as part of the get together.
Thank you to the Griffiths
and Nadins for hosting.
Estate Planning Seminar on
September 29. Pastor Rich
Kogler will be here on Sunday,
September 29 to present
on estate planning. He is
our area’s WELS Planned
Giving Counselor.
Outreach Committee:
Art in the Park was spearheaded
by Matt Rhodes with
artful support from Susan
Brunett and Ashley Rhodes.
It was a success with several
big and little children making
different crafts to take home.
One family also made an appointment
with Ms. Dorn for
further information about her
pre-k class.
The first of two evangelism
seminars is scheduled for
September 21 at MC. The
entire program has four
phases: workable organization
for evangelism, one year
plan of outreach strategies,
managed prospect list, and
training lay evangelists. All
members are urged to participate
on September 21.
Property Committee:
We have started the remodel/repurpose
of the smaller
second office for the school.
It is being converted to a secure
storage room. (At press
time, the room is near completion.
Go, take a look!)
School Board & Principal:
Damon Rydell volunteered
his time and company equipment
(A+ Carpet Cleaning) to
clean the carpets in four
classrooms this summer.
All the books and new curriculum
have been ordered for
the 2013-2014 school year.
The total for the book/
curriculum orders were about
$4,888.99. That was $728.99
over the budgeted number.
The good news is that the
office supplies order came in
$777.02 under budget.
Current enrollment in MCLS
is at 49 students (pre-k: 16
students; elementary school:
33 students). That is up from
38 students last year.
President:
Hopefully everyone has
turned in their Congregational
Planning Surveys. It is really
important to express your
thoughts on how you feel the
church is doing and offer your
ideas on how the church can
grow and what directions you
feel the church should be
heading in.
I would caution us, myself
included, that we have a very
comfortable church life style
and hopefully not to the
point that our Lord wants to
spit us out because he finds
us to be foul tasting. I read a
quote from an atheist the
other day “How much you
must hate me that you do
not invite me to know the
same God that will save you”.
Vice President:
No report.
Endowment Committee:
No report.
Financial Secretary:
Total income for the church
and school for July:
$30,032.09
Treasurer:
Church year to date (July)
profit:
$3,609.17
School year to date loss:
$-11,144.30
Preschool year to date loss:
$-2,873.80
Total loss for YTD:
$-10,408.93