Pioneer Lutheran Church
Publisher: Julie Petersen jmpete@itctel.com Volume Number 11 Issue Number 30
July 2009
Pioneer Lutheran
PASTOR Church
TYLER Council
HEPNER 601Minutes-
4TH St. June,
APT 12 BROOKINGS, SD 57006
2009
President Dana Crooks called the Pioneer Lutheran Church
Council meeting to order on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 7:00
pm. Present were Glen Thompson, Larry Holler, Aimee Lutz,
Kevin Quail, Arlene Madsen, and Lew Weeks. Pastor Tyler
Hepner and Tiffany Petersen were absent. Dana Crooks began
with devotions and then led the council in prayer.
Secretary’s Report: Minutes from the May, 2009 meeting
were presented to the council. A typo regarding approval of the
secretary’s report was brought to the attention of the secretary.
Glen Thompson moved to accept the minutes with the
correction. Kevin Quail seconded the motion, and the motion
passed.
Treasurer’s Report: Arlene Madsen presented the monthly
treasurer’s report. Arlene noted that REA will charge us
$35/month as a facility charge, and to maintain the security
light at the old building site. Additionally, a phone charge of
$0.90/month will be assessed as a maintenance charge for our
account. It also was noted that payment for the piano will be
made from the insurance advance. Larry Holler moved to
accept the treasurer’s report. Aimee Lutz seconded the motion,
and the motion passed.
Date:
OLD BUSINESS:
Insurance status: Dana discussed debris removal from the
building site and stated that the bid for such had been
submitted. GuideOne Insurance also asked for us to submit a
bid from our contractor for re-building the church building.
Dana was going to check with Mike from GuideOne to
determine exactly what form of a bid was required. Dana also
noted that the White Fire Department had not yet received
payment for services rendered during the fire. Dana was going
to check to make sure payment was in progress.
Dana asked for additional old business. Seeing none he
proceeded to new business.
NEW BUSINESS:
Visioning Committee: Dana discussed having a visioning
committee meeting some Sunday after church to discuss future
plans for Pioneer Lutheran Church. A date of Sunday, June 28,
2009 was decided on as a date for the meeting.
LCMC District Meeting: The Heartland LCMC district will
be having their annual meeting June 20, 2009 beginning at 9:15
am. Early registration is $20/ attendee by June, 15 or
$30/attendee at the door.
VBS: Vacation bible school will be held beginning July 5. An
opening to bible school will be held at Larry & Sue Holler’s on
Sunday evening July 5th and other VBS activities during the
week will be held at the park in White.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor Hepner was married on the Saturday
prior to the council meeting and was honeymooning in Seattle,
WA. A pastor’s report will be provided at the July meeting.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned and the Lord’s
Prayer was said in closing. The July meeting will be held on
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at George and Arlene
Madsen’s
Respectfully submitted,
Aimee Lutz
This may have been it the newsletter before but I think we all
need to read this often.
This is about the best thing I've ever read
as an explanation. We all wonder many many many times
over WHY?
Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to
deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?'
Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her
Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra,
her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving
away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and
asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter
says,
'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.' 'Here, have some cooking
oil,' her Mother offers. 'Yuck' says her daughter. 'How about a
couple raw eggs?' 'Gross,
Mom!' 'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe
baking soda?' 'Mom, those are all yucky! To which the mother
replies: 'Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But
when they are put together in the right way, they make a
wonderfully delicious cake! '
God works the same way. Many times we
wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult
times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His
order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him
and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
God is crazy about you. He sends you
flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He
can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
 VACATION BIBLE CAMP
Day camp will be Monday-Thursday (after the bus returns
from swim lessons) Noon-5 PM at the park in White. Campers
should bring a sack lunch to eat in the park and camp will start
after lunch. This summer’s theme is Jesus Is. Daily themes will
include: Jesus is the son of God, learning about the baptism of
Jesus based on Mark 1:1-11; Jesus is our healer, learning about
the man born blind based on John 9:1-38; Jesus is our Savior,
learning about Jesus’ crucifixion based on Mark 15:22-39; and
Jesus is our friend, learning about the believers on the road to
Emmaus based on Luke 24:13-35.
Day camp kickoff is Sunday the 5th with a cookout, ice cream
social and hayride at 5 PM at the Holler Farm. Wednesday the
8th includes a trip to the White Care Center to share camp
songs, followed that evening by a potluck at 6 PM and program
for families and friends at 7 PM
ANYONE INTERESTED IN TAKING CHARGE OF THE
FOOD BOOTH FOR PIONEER DAYS ON SUNDAY
FROM 1-4, PLEASE CONTACT JULIE PETERSEN 629-
3441. ANYONE INTERESTED IN WORKING A FEW
HOURS ALSO CONTACT JULIE.
PLAN TO ATTEND THE COMMUNITY CHURCH
SERVICE ON SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2009 AT 12:00 PM AT
THE ART GRASLIE PARK
WE WILL ALSO BE HAVING OUR REGULAR
SERVICE AT 10:00 AM AT THE EIDNESS FUNERAL
HOME.
Hearing the Word
Understanding the difference between the Law and
Gospel of God is deemed by Martin Luther to be of
utmost importance for the Christian life. While it is often
thought to be a distinctly "Lutheran" doctrine, however, it
is in fact seen as an essential aspect of the faith by a
variety of Christians. The following quotation, poem, and
prayer illustrate the point, and serve as well to draw us
closer into the grace and mercy of our heavenly Father,
whose promises all have their "yes" for us in Jesus
Christ.
Consider the following quotation from John Bradford:
Whosoever truly understandeth the division
of the places of the Law and of the Gospel,
gathered out of the holy scriptures, cannot
by any man’s doctrine be seduced from the
truth, or read the scriptures but to edify both
himself and others: whereas he that is
ignorant of the same cannot, though he
were a great doctor of divinity, and could
rehearse every text of the bible without
book, but both be deceived, and deceive
others; as the experience hereof (the more
pity) hath taught, nay, seduced the whole
world….Therefore, I say, take to thee the
glass of God’s law; look therein, and thou
shalt see thy just damnation, and God’s
wrath for sin, which, if thou dreadest, will
drive thee not only to an amendment, but
also to a sorrow and hatred of thy
wickedness, and even to the brim of
despair, out of which nothing can bring thee
but the glad tidings of Christ, that is, the
 gospel: for as God’s word doth bind thee,
so can nothing but God’s word unbind thee;
and until thou comest to this point, thou
knowest nothing of Christ.
This poem displaying the difference between God’s Word
as Law and Gospel was written in 1745, by Ralph
Erskine (1685-1752), a Scottish churchman.
A Poem On Law & Gospel
The law supposing I have all,
Does ever for perfection call;
The gospel suits my total want,
And all the law can seek does grant.
The law could promise life to me,
If my obedience perfect be;
But grace does promise life upon
My Lord’s obedience alone.
The law says, Do, and life you’ll win;
But grace says, Live, for all is done;
The former cannot ease my grief,
The latter yields me full relief.
The law will not abate a mite,
The gospel all the sum will quit;
There God in thret’nings is array’d
But here in promises display’d.
The law excludes not boasting vain,
But rather feeds it to my bane;
But gospel grace allows no boasts,
Save in the King, the Lord of Hosts.
The law brings terror to molest,
The gospel gives the weary rest;
The one does flags of death display,
The other shows the living way.
The law’s a house of bondage sore,
The gospel opens prison doors;
The first me hamer’d in its net,
The last at freedom kindly set.
An angry God the law reveal’d
The gospel shows him reconciled;
By that I know he was displeased,
By this I see his wrath appeased.
The law still shows a fiery face,
The gospel shows a throne of grace;
There justice rides alone in state,
But here she takes the mercy-seat.
Lo! in the law Jehovah dwells,
But Jesus is conceal’d;
Whereas the gospel’s nothing else
But Jesus Christ reveal’d.
And here is a prayer reflecting the distinction, written by
John Calvin, theological founder of the Reformed and
Presbyterian traditions of Christianity:
Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast
made known thy law, and hast also added
thy gospel, in which thou callest us to thy
service, and also invitest us with all
kindness to partake of thy grace; O grant,
that we may not be deaf, either to thy
command or to the promises of thy mercy,
but render ourselves submissive to thee
everywhere, and so learn to devote all our
faculties to thee, that we may in truth avow
that the rule of a holy and religious life, has Sunday after church, a Mom asked her
been delivered to us in thy law, and that we
may firmly adhere to thy promises, lest
very young daughter what the lesson was
through any of the allurements of the world, about. The daughter answered, "Don't be
or through the flatteries and delusions of scared, you'll get your quilt." Needless to
Satan, thou shouldst suffer our minds to be say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the
drawn away from that love which thou hast day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the
once for all manifested to us in thine only Mom asked him what that morning's
begotten Son, and in which thou daily
confirmest us by the teaching of the gospel, Sunday school lesson was about. He said,
until we at length shall come to the full "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."
enjoyment of this love in that celestial
inheritance, which has been purchased for
us by the blood of thine only Son. Amen.
People want the front of the bus, the back
of the church, and the center of attention.
Pastor Tyler Hepner
Pioneer Lutheran Church