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9/10<br />
Meet & Eat<br />
MKE Burger<br />
Company<br />
5:30pm<br />
9/11<br />
God’s<br />
Ways<br />
Course<br />
6:30pm<br />
9/12<br />
Faith<br />
Builders<br />
10:00am<br />
6:30pm<br />
9/12 Choir<br />
Practice<br />
7:00pm<br />
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CENTENNIAL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SEPTEMBER 2017 – VOL. II ISS. IX<br />
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.<br />
Icame across some information which I thought was<br />
rather interesting. Maybe this information will be<br />
shocking to you; maybe not. One thing is for sure, I did<br />
not know this information before. In the 1930s Congress<br />
almost passed a law calling for a 30-hour work week.<br />
Experts in the 1950s predicted that by the end of the<br />
century, Americans would work fewer hours and enjoy far<br />
more leisure time. Some people even predicted that<br />
people would only work Monday through Thursday and<br />
have a three day weekend every week. WOW! They were<br />
totally wrong.<br />
How did you feel as you read those words? Were you a<br />
little jealous or envious or desirous of those work hours?<br />
Today, if you do not put in more than 40 hours per week,<br />
you may be looking for a different job by the end of the<br />
week. Employers tell you to work 40 hours but expect you<br />
to work closer to 50. Executives work well over 55 hours a<br />
week, just to stay ahead of everyone else. And I believe it<br />
was during the 1990s that a new word was made up –<br />
“workaholic.” It is not uncommon to “bring your work<br />
home” with you. And with many people, Saturday does<br />
not mark the beginning of the weekend until they have<br />
come home from work on that Saturday. Sundays have<br />
become more of a weekend than Saturdays.<br />
It can be a little depressing. It can be a little upsetting.<br />
That is why we value our vacation times. That is why we<br />
value our rest. And that is why the month of September<br />
can be a little depressing too. School has started for those<br />
going to school. That means the families who have<br />
children are now sending their children to school. That also<br />
means that vacation times are over. The fun is done.<br />
Nothing more to look forward to except for the 40+ hour<br />
work week! And it is for that reason why people value<br />
their weekends. It is the only time of the week they can<br />
get away from it all.<br />
I want to bring you back to what I said earlier. I said that<br />
for many people, the weekend really only consists of<br />
Continued on page 2...
Continued from page 1...<br />
Sunday, since they have to work on Saturdays now.<br />
When that Sunday comes rolling around, they do not<br />
want to do anything. They want to have that<br />
Sunday to themselves and to their families.<br />
They do not want to go anywhere that they<br />
have not planned beforehand to go. They do<br />
not want anyone to tell them what to do.<br />
Sadly enough, this also includes church.<br />
“Why should I wake up on a Sunday morning,<br />
my only day to sleep in, to go to<br />
church?” From an earthly point of view, that<br />
question does make sense. But listen again<br />
to the invitation of Jesus - Come to me, all<br />
you who are weary and burdened, and I will<br />
give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).<br />
Rest! It is what we crave! Rest! It is what we desire!<br />
Rest! It is what we need! This invitation is perfect for<br />
each of us. We are the ones who are weary! We are the<br />
ones who are burdened! Yes, I am talking about our<br />
physical burdens, but more than that – I am also talking<br />
about our spiritual burdens too. We make poor<br />
decisions. We do bad things. We say words we did not<br />
mean. And we are burdened by those actions. So, we try<br />
to make up for it. We try to become good enough, smart<br />
enough. We try to measure up to God and His<br />
expectations. And that only adds to the burdens we<br />
already have because we cannot do it. No matter how<br />
hard we have tried or how hard we have worked, we can<br />
never take away those poor decisions or bad things or<br />
words we do not mean.<br />
So, what can we do? Listen again to your Savior’s<br />
invitation to you - Come to me, all you who are weary<br />
and burdened, and I will give you<br />
rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus is there for<br />
you. Jesus tells you to find rest in Him. For<br />
with Jesus you see your sin taken away. You<br />
see your Savior on a cross carrying your<br />
burdens. You see your Savior preparing rest<br />
from your poor decisions and bad things and<br />
words you did not mean to say. Because with<br />
Jesus, you see Him takes those wrongs away.<br />
And in the place of those wrongs, He gives<br />
you His love, His forgiveness, His rest.<br />
Come to me, all you who are weary and<br />
burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).<br />
Even though you may not get physical rest until you have<br />
come home after a 40+ hour work week, you have rest in<br />
Jesus every day. You can find rest in Jesus for 168 hours<br />
per week. You can find rest in your Savior who has<br />
removed your spiritual burdens forever! You can find<br />
rest with your Savior who tells you – “When your 40+<br />
hour work weeks are all finished, I have a place just for<br />
you – heaven!”<br />
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we bring all our burdens and our sins<br />
to you to be taken away and forgiven. Give to us the rest<br />
which you only can give – a heart which knows ‘I am<br />
forgiven! I am loved!’ Lord, we pray to you – Thank you<br />
for giving us rest! In your holy name we pray, Amen. <br />
Centennial, in conjunction with Word of Life School presents our first annual<br />
Trunk or Treat<br />
WHAT IS A TRUNK OR TREAT?<br />
October<br />
29th<br />
2 4pm<br />
A Trunk or Treat is an event that is often church or community sponsored. People gather and park their cars in<br />
a large parking lot. They open their trunks, or the backs of their vehicles, and decorate them. Then they pass<br />
out candy from their trunks. It is a great way to evangelize to your local community and to get to know your<br />
neighbors.<br />
Noah and the Ark<br />
Jesus’ Tomb<br />
Jonah in the Whale
SUPER HERO SEPTEMBER<br />
Starts September 10th<br />
Sunday School starts on Sunday, September 10th with a Rally Party outside on the school playground. Come get to<br />
know the other kids at our church while playing games and eating breakfast together! For the rest of September, we<br />
will become Superheroes in Christ by focusing on Ephesians 6:10, Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might!<br />
We will learn how to be superheroes through Bible lessons, games, and snacks.<br />
Please come and bring a friend!<br />
LYFE<br />
Our<br />
LYFE group Bible study will begin again on Sunday, September 10th at 8:15 am. They will discuss<br />
hot topics that affect today's youth through movies, videos, devotions, or activities.<br />
On Saturday, September 16, the group is going to the Bear Den Zoo in Waterford WI. The zoo has<br />
been family owned and operated for over 25 years. What started as a simple love for animals, turned<br />
into a dream of conservation, preservation and education. The Bear Den Zoo has a unique blend of<br />
exotic animals in addition to traditional farm and native wild life for you and your family to enjoy.<br />
The LYFE group is for students in grades 5 to 12 and guests are always welcome to join! Bring a friend!
STAFF MINISTER’S REPORT<br />
As Missionaries of Christ, we bring everyone we come in contact with closer to the Savior.<br />
We have decided to go ahead with this new event and coordinate it together with<br />
our school. We are calling this event “Fall Family Trunk or Treat”. We have picked<br />
the date of Sunday, October 29, 2pm - 4pm (which is also Milwaukee’s trick or treat<br />
time). We will be encouraging the community to bring their children to this “childsafe”<br />
event. We are asking our members to decorate the trunks of their vehicles.<br />
We will pass out treats, have a guessing contest, and invite people to come inside<br />
our building for treats of pies, hot coffee, chocolate and cider, popcorn, etc. This<br />
event would also be an opportunity to use it as an “open house” for our church and<br />
school.<br />
We will need congregation’s support for this new event. Can you support us by<br />
decorating your vehicle and handing out candy to our community? We would also<br />
like to conduct a raffle where we will ask our visitors to provide their contact<br />
information at this event. Can you donate something that we can raffle? We have<br />
had great success with receiving community contact information through these<br />
raffles and this has resulted in new Centennial members in the past. Can your<br />
family support the church and school with your time and talents?<br />
Since this is a children-friendly,<br />
Christian event,<br />
please refrain from decorating<br />
your vehicle<br />
in a overly scary fashion.<br />
We have a pie sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the church lobby. Please sign up if you can donate a pie or other<br />
dessert. If you want to donate something for a raffle, please see me. We can always use your financial gifts as well. Help<br />
us make this new event a blessing to our church and school! Thank you.<br />
~Bob Garbe - Minister of Evangelism & Outreach<br />
MISSION MOMENTS<br />
Death and Demons Defeated BY SOUTH ASIA COORDINATOR<br />
Recently, a member at a WELS sister church in Asia died in an accident. This<br />
young woman, wife and expectant mother, fell out of a tree while harvesting<br />
berries. Our sister in Christ attended three Christian training workshops at<br />
the Scripture Learning Center in South Asia. Her dream was to eventually<br />
serve the local national church.<br />
An American may wonder why a pregnant woman was climbing trees! An<br />
understandable question. The answer is bone-jarring poverty leads Christians<br />
to work in unsafe conditions in this Asian country.<br />
The husband called the pastor who was attending a seminary session. The pastor left immediately and took an all-night bus<br />
to offer personal support to his grieving member. But, the bus had a flat tire at one o’clock in the morning and there<br />
wasn’t any spare. He then walked nine hours to reach the village.<br />
There is immense pressure–from the surrounding Hindu community–when Christians die. In this instance, the Hindu<br />
neighbors said the mother's abdomen must be cut open to remove the baby. Their belief was that the baby would become<br />
a demon and haunt the village. However, the law says it is illegal to do this. If the family gave in they would be breaking the<br />
law. And, once they broke the law, then, anyone in the community could accuse them of committing a criminal act!<br />
Several men spent the night at the church guarding the body, so that no one would come in the middle of the night and<br />
remove the baby from the mother’s body. They dug two graves but, both times the Hindu community confronted them and<br />
would not allow them to bury the mother with her child. Sometimes Hindus intimidate Christians into carrying their<br />
deceased many hours from their villages. Christian families then are unable to visit the grave site.<br />
Continued on page 8...
Have you read the whole Bible yet?<br />
Do you want to, but find it difficult to do<br />
on your own?<br />
GOD'S WAYS is a two year 60 week thematic study of the entire Bible in its chronological and historical<br />
settings. John Nolte will continue to lead this course starting September 11. The class meets in the<br />
7 th and 8 th grade room Monday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.<br />
The course is broken into four fifteen week quarters spanning two years. This year, one quarter will<br />
run from September 11th to December 18 th , and the second quarter will run from January 22 nd to May<br />
14 th with a two week break over Easter. The focus this year is the New Testament and Psalms, with a<br />
few books to help understand the transition from the Old Testament to the New.<br />
Attendance last year averaged about 15 each week. There is room for another 10 to 15 people to join<br />
us in the classroom. A 5 th or 6 th grade reading level is necessary. Anyone considering registration<br />
should be prepared to make this a major part of their lives during the times it is in session. It may<br />
mean some things will have to be dropped from your normal schedule.<br />
This course requires a serious commitment to spend some quality time each week getting to know<br />
your God and letting Him speak to your life. Several hours of reading plus worksheets are required<br />
most weeks. Reading and discussing the entire Bible with your fellow Christians will be some of the<br />
most profitable time you have spent in your life.<br />
Join us if you can! There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex.<br />
“This course is such a blessing to me. It is helping<br />
me understand the entire Bible as a whole and to<br />
see God’s entire plan of salvation from the Garden<br />
to the Cross and beyond. It is helping me to<br />
prioritize my faith and identify what role God<br />
wants me to play in this<br />
~Current Student<br />
God’s Ways<br />
Starts Monday, September 11th
HINDUISM FACTS<br />
Hinduism is the world's<br />
third largest<br />
religion with over 900<br />
million followers.<br />
In the United States,<br />
there are over one<br />
million Hindus.<br />
Continued from page 4...<br />
The pastor spoke with the family and the Hindu neighbors respectfully to assure<br />
them that the unborn child would not become a demon. He also shared the gospel<br />
of Christ's resurrection and the comfort we have in the death of a loved one. He<br />
explained, "She is in heaven. She will not become a demon." Finally, the family and<br />
the neighbors came to an agreement.<br />
I, along with the men studying at the national seminary, were praying for the national<br />
pastor throughout this ordeal. I witnessed great concern on the faces of all<br />
the men. Local pastors have two issues to handle when a member dies, grief and<br />
loss along with the challenge of burying the deceased.<br />
While a complicated burial ritual in the earthly sense, God’s message is simple and<br />
His word was used to preach the saving gospel message to many who remain in<br />
darkness.<br />
BEGIN THE YEAR WITH PATIENCE AND GRACE<br />
By Rachel Blum<br />
As an early elementary school teacher, I was both nervous and eager to begin each school year. Every new school year held<br />
so much promise. Yet beginning something new took such patience and hard work.<br />
I always knew that by mid-October all of the hard work would start paying off as individual students became a classroom<br />
community, learning was evident throughout the day, and teachers and families were settled into their new routines and<br />
relationships. However, the first weeks can be tough, and how we all handle them sets the tone for the rest of the year.<br />
Parents, teachers, and students are very tired at the beginning of the school year. Be patient! It is exhausting to<br />
implement and learn new routines, recognize new faces, and memorize new names while also focusing on academic<br />
learning and homework. Give each other time to get everything running smoothly, and try not to make quick judgments<br />
based on information gathered in the first couple weeks of the school year.<br />
Choose a Bible verse, like Colossians 3:12, on which to focus as you interact with your children, other families, teachers,<br />
and administrators: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,<br />
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Stressful times can give our sinful natures a foothold, but focusing on God’s<br />
Word supports us as we build and grow relationships at the beginning of the school year. Posting an encouraging verse in<br />
your car, on the fridge, or on your mirror can be a gentle<br />
reminder throughout the day of how you would like to<br />
treat others in this time of change.<br />
Just when it seems like things are going smoothly and<br />
it’s going to be a good year, a couple things often seem<br />
to set off a normally patient, kind, and gentle parent—<br />
homework and “mean” kids.<br />
Homework: Often schools have homework<br />
philosophies, and teachers need to follow what is<br />
required of them. Teachers work hard to give homework<br />
that is not too hard, not too easy, beneficial for every<br />
student, and that fits every family situation, but . . . this<br />
is tremendously hard to accomplish. The only way for a<br />
teacher to know if the homework is or is not working for<br />
your family is if you discuss it with him or her. If the amount, type, or content of homework is not working for your<br />
child or family, please ask to speak to the teacher privately and then share how homework is going.<br />
Continued on page 9...
Centennial Choir Begins<br />
Tuesday, September 12 7:00pm<br />
Our choir will begin their Fall season on Tuesday, September 12. It is at 7:00 pm and held in our<br />
church balcony each Tuesday. If you would like to join us, we would welcome anyone 8th grade and<br />
older, and anyone who would like to contribute their voice in praising the Lord.<br />
One of the first things we are preparing for is the Southeastern Wisconsin District Reformation<br />
Service, which will be held on November 5 at 3:30 in the afternoon at the 4000-seat Miller High Life<br />
Theatre (formally the Milwaukee Theater) in downtown Milwaukee. Our choir was asked to<br />
participate in this large service with several other church choirs from around the area.<br />
Please join us on September 12. We always welcome new voices.<br />
~Cheryl Nolte, Music Director<br />
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread<br />
your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in<br />
you.” Psalm 5:11
Bible Studies<br />
@ Centennial<br />
S ummer is coming to an end. The kids are going back to school and soon the leaves will start to fall. What better time for us to get<br />
back into the swing of things and start our Bible Study schedule for this season? We have many enriching classes in which you can take<br />
part. Make plans now to attend at least one if not all of these studies. You will be blessed for it!<br />
Starting September 10th - Sunday mornings 8:15am<br />
“I don’t need your money…I want YOU!”<br />
This 4 week stewardship study will help you identify who we are as disciples of Christ and<br />
what we are here to do. It will empower you to good stewardship by showing you how<br />
to live out your faith continuously throughout the week.<br />
Starting September 11th - Monday evenings 6:30pm<br />
“God’s Ways”<br />
This course is a thematic study of the entire Bible in its chronological and historical<br />
settings. This season will focus on the New Testament and the Apostles and Teachers<br />
that wrote the story of the Christ.<br />
Starting September 12th - Tuesdays10:00am & 6:30pm<br />
“Faith Builders”<br />
This course is being offered at two different times on Tuesdays. Faith Builders is an<br />
doctrinal course that will help you build the foundation of your Lutheran beliefs and<br />
shore up your understanding of Biblical principles.<br />
September 7th - 1st Thursday of every month 7:00pm<br />
“Resolved: 10 Ways to Stand Strong and Live What You Believe”<br />
This ongoing Women’s Bible study continues on with Chapter 6 of this impactful book by<br />
Lina Abujamra. No matter how strong we claim our faith in God is, when life is hard, it all<br />
comes down to resolve. Do we really believe what we say we do? Come find out more.<br />
For the month of September, we will meet at church for study.<br />
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,<br />
a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who<br />
correctly handles the word of truth.<br />
2 Timothy 2:15
Continued from page 6...<br />
Ask the teacher to help you problem solve so that your child can best benefit<br />
from the homework he or she is doing.<br />
Centennial Evangelical<br />
Lutheran Church<br />
3558 S. 24th Street<br />
Milwaukee, WI 53221<br />
414-281-2280|<br />
www.centennialwels.org<br />
prayers@centennialwels.org<br />
GREG PUFAHL, PASTOR<br />
ROBERT GARBE, STAFF MINISTER<br />
LIN KANITZ, ADMIN ASSISTANT<br />
JENNY PUFAHL, SUNDAY SCHOOL<br />
RICH KANITZ, PRESIDENT<br />
JOHN NOLTE, TREASURER<br />
MIKE CHAPMAN, PROPERTY<br />
MANAGER<br />
YOUTH GROUP<br />
MEN’S MINISTRIES<br />
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES<br />
MINISTRIES FOR SENIORS<br />
INTERNET MINISTRY<br />
GLOBAL OUTREACH MISSIONS<br />
MUSIC MINISTRIES<br />
SPECIAL NEEDS<br />
Please join us for worship on<br />
Thursday nights at 6:30 pm and<br />
Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.<br />
“The Lord bless you and keep<br />
you; the Lord make his face<br />
shine on you and be gracious<br />
to you; the Lord turn his<br />
face toward you and give you<br />
peace.” Numbers 6:24-26<br />
<br />
“Mean” kids: At the beginning of the school year, students often have some<br />
kind of social growing pains. They may not have spent much time with friends in<br />
the summer, and they now have to learn or remember how to problem solve,<br />
work, and play in a group and navigate the recess scene successfully. All kids<br />
struggle with some aspect of social learning as they practice being part of a<br />
group that includes others and treats others with respect. It’s important for<br />
parents to remember that other kids are not enemies—they are kids who are<br />
working on learning how to be kind friends and successful learners just like your<br />
child. When talking with your child about these experiences, try to help your<br />
child remain calm and focused on how to help the situation be better the next<br />
day. It is hard to hear that your child is sad or upset, but learning how to<br />
problem solve and build relationships with others is a vital skill that your child<br />
needs time to learn.<br />
Teachers want you to know that we see these relationship dynamics and are closely<br />
monitoring interactions between children. However, we will not always step in, as it<br />
is so important for kids to practice their problem solving skills and then ask adults<br />
for help if needed. If you are concerned about a situation or<br />
relationship that seems to be bothering your child, please talk with your child’s<br />
teacher in a respectful way. Often asking the teacher for his or her perspective on<br />
the situation sets you up for a conversation focused on helping your child, which<br />
works better than an attack on the teacher.<br />
Whether you are frustrated about homework, worried about your child’s<br />
friendships, or unsure about a teacher’s decisions, remember the grace that God<br />
gives you every day and pass that grace along to others. Choosing to<br />
interact with people in a spirit of love, kindness, and patience will make all the<br />
difference as you strive to begin the school year with positivity and grace.<br />
Rachel Blum and her husband, Matt, have three young children and are<br />
members of St. Paul, Green Bay, Wis.<br />
MEET & EAT SCHEDULE<br />
Here is the schedule of Meet & Eats until the end of the year.<br />
With the holiday season just around the corner and our schedules getting more hectic as<br />
that time approaches, we thought it would be helpful to list the schedule of the monthly<br />
Meet & Eats that are scheduled out until December. We hope to see you attend as many<br />
of these dinners as you can to spend some time with your brothers & sisters in Christ.<br />
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH | 5:30pm<br />
Milwaukee Burger Company 6421 S. 27th Street Franklin WI 53132 | 414-301-9938<br />
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8TH | 5:30pm<br />
Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que 5077 S 27th Street Greenfield, WI 53221 | 414-727-1940<br />
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5TH | 5:30pm<br />
Ruby Tuesday 5320 S. 76th Street Greendale, WI 53129 | 414-423-0530<br />
SUNDAY DECEMBER 3RD | 5:30pm<br />
Water Street Brewery 140 W. Towne Square Way Oak Creek 53154 | 414-301-5290
September 2017<br />
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat<br />
1 2<br />
3 4 5 6 7 8 9<br />
9:30 am<br />
Worship<br />
Service<br />
with<br />
Communion<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
8:15 am<br />
Bible Study &<br />
Sunday School<br />
9:30 am Worship<br />
Service<br />
10:45 am<br />
Evangelism Meets<br />
5:30 pm Meet &<br />
Eat<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
8:15 am Bible<br />
Study & Sunday<br />
School<br />
9:30 pm<br />
Worship w/<br />
Communion<br />
SEPT 10th<br />
Meet & Eat<br />
MKE Burger<br />
5:30 pm<br />
24 25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
8:15 am Bible<br />
Study & Sunday<br />
School<br />
BAPTISM WEEKEND<br />
9:30 am<br />
Contemporary<br />
Worship Service<br />
4TH SUNDAY<br />
FELLOWSHIP<br />
6:30 pm<br />
GOD’S WAY<br />
STARTS!<br />
6:30 pm<br />
God’s Way<br />
6:30 pm<br />
God’s Way<br />
10:00 am &<br />
6:30 pm<br />
FAITH<br />
BUILDERS<br />
STARTS!<br />
7:00 pm<br />
CHOIR<br />
PRACTICE<br />
STARTS!<br />
10:00 am<br />
Faith Builders<br />
11:30 am<br />
Staff Minister’s<br />
Gathering<br />
6:30 pm<br />
Faith Builders<br />
7:00 pm<br />
Choir Practice<br />
10:00 am<br />
Faith Builders<br />
6:30 pm<br />
Faith Builders<br />
7:00 pm<br />
Choir Practice<br />
6:30 pm Worship<br />
Service<br />
7:30 pm Women’s<br />
Bible Study<br />
6:30 pm<br />
Worship<br />
Service with<br />
Communion<br />
6:30 pm Worship<br />
Service<br />
6:30 pm<br />
Worship<br />
Service with<br />
Communion<br />
BAPTISM WEEKEND<br />
FLOWERS<br />
3rd - (none assigned)<br />
10th - (none assigned)<br />
17th - Don & Stefanie Wintrone in loving<br />
memory of Julie Wintrone<br />
24th - Karen Pappas in loving memory<br />
of Dan (Gran Dan) Pappas<br />
USHERS<br />
Thursday - Maury Bell<br />
Sunday - Mike Chapman, Gary Peske,<br />
Steve Peske<br />
Lump Brown - Head Usher<br />
SERMON RECORDING<br />
3rd - Dave Rochester<br />
10th - Bob Mayer<br />
17th - Rich Kanitz<br />
24th - Dave Rochester