Professional Documents
Culture Documents
February 2016 Newsletter
February 2016 Newsletter
February 2016
Question:
What is the big deal of Lent and
why do we even celebrate it?
Early in the Church's history, the major
events in Christ's life were observed with special
observances, such as His birth, baptism, death,
resurrection and ascension. As these
observances developed, a period of time was set
aside prior to the major events of Jesus' birth
and resurrection as a time of preparation.
During Lent, the Church's worship assumes a
more penitential (remorseful, sorrowful,
contrite) character. The color for the season is
purple, a color often associated with penitence.
Sometimes certain hymns are omitted from the
liturgy that may contain praise type words like
Alleluia. The Lent season forms a powerful
contrast with the festive celebration of Jesus'
resurrection and hopefully we are preparing our
hearts and minds for the celebration of Easter as
we move through the themes presented in Lent.
The penitential character of Lent is not its
sole purpose. In the ancient Church, the weeks
leading up to Easter were a time of intensive
preparation of the candidates who were to be
baptized at the Easter vigil on Holy Saturday.
This time in the Church's calendar was seen as
an especially appropriate time for baptism
because of the relationship between Christ's
death and resurrection and our own in Holy
Baptism (see Romans 6:1-11). This focus would
suggest that the season of Lent serves not only as
Pastor Andy
Terry Callies
Licensed Deacon
ALC Finances
Terry Callies, President
Mission and Ministry Council (MMC)
Let me fill you in on how things
are going financially at ALC. First
of all, THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
THANK YOU!!! Let me explain. Year
after year our income
(offerings/giving) is down in the
summertime because many people are
traveling or on vacation. We experienced
that last summer. When fall comes we usually
rebound as giving increases, making up for the
reduced giving in the summer. That did not
happen last fall. In fact, giving was down even
further. That was not unique to ALC. Many other
churches and nonprofit organizations
experienced the same thing. I sent out a letter to
the congregation early in December explaining
our situation and asking you to consider giving
an additional offering before the end of the year
to help relieve our financial situation. You
responded and you responded big time. We
received approximately $75,000 in the month of
December, getting us back to a situation where
our giving for the year exceeded our expenses.
Thank you very much for your generosity. But
we are not totally out of the woods yet. The
cushion that we have is not very big and we still
need to make it through the end of the fiscal
year, which is the end of June and includes a
couple of summer months. In my letter I also
encouraged all of you to continue tithing on a
regular basis each week. If you do that we will be
able to make it through the end of the fiscal year
and ministry will continue as budgeted. The staff
is doing their part as they have been and will
continue to monitor expenses so that only
essential expenses are incurred. Thank you in
advance for your on-going efforts to tithe in
support of Jesus ministry at ALC.
It has been suggested that we think about
having an audit at ALC. I contacted Tracy
Hartung, who is the daughter of Steve and Sherry
Hartung and grew up in ALC. Tracy is a CPA and
a partner in a well-known CPA firm. She
provided me with some valuable information. I
522-3636
Weighing Anchor
February 1 means Enrollment Season again
here at Anchor, as we re-enroll for the next year
as well as get the word out to new families that
Anchor is a great Christian school environment
to choose. We hope to continue to grow and are
planning for a fantastic future here at ALS.
Youre invited to attend our upcoming All
School Open House on Thursday, February 4.
Swing by anytime between 6:30 and 8:00. This is
for all current and prospective families, as well
as our church supporters. All classrooms will be
on display with teachers present to talk about
the great things happening this year at ALS. If
you have children who could benefit from
attending, this is a great time to learn all about
us as well as to talk with current school parents
who are eager to share their experience. If you
have no school-age children, come by to learn
about the ministry work that your church is
supporting. Refreshments will be on hand, and
smiling faces will be ready to meet you.
We have another Open House later in March
and April as well. These will be specifically for
prospective new school families, providing
terrific opportunities to see the school in action.
Watch for those dates to appear in later
publications. If you ever have a question or
would like more information drop on by and we
would be happy to help you.
Enrollment growth allows us to move ahead
with our strategic plan here at Anchor, focused
on reaching the most families possible with the
good news of Jesus, our primary purpose for
existing. We are excitedly planning for future
opportunities, and look forward to sharing these
with our current and future students.
Thank you in advance for spreading the word
about the Christian educational opportunities at
Anchor Lutheran, your PS-8 Lutheran School
ministry in Anchorage!
LWML
Joanne Fritz, President
The Womens guild meets on the first
Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. We have
lunch, a Bible Study, and then do a service
project each time. The Service project for
February 6 is packing valentine boxes for college
students and valentine baskets for shut-ins.
The service project on March 5 will be
assembling Easter Baskets for Lutheran Social
Services (LSSA). Clients of their Food Pantry can
take Easter Baskets for their children. This is a
great way to spread the good news of the
resurrection. Donations of small toys for the
baskets are needed. There will be a collection
box in the narthex.
We collect Mites on the last Sunday of every
month. What does LWML do with all that
money? They support many ministries. One of
those is MOST (Mission Opportunities Short
Term), where college students serve on mission
trips. Projects have included building a cistern in
Dominican Republic to provide dependable
water for a home for orphans with disabilities;
English language classes in Latvia using Bible
stories in reading and writing lessons; providing
eyeglasses for 572 people in Tanzania, sharing
home visits with the local pastor, and baptizing
188 people!
Guest Ministry
Kathy Callies, Guest Ministry Coordinator
Valentines Day is on a Sunday this year! I
am excited that we can meet new people!
We never know who Jesus will send to
worship with us! But, He says Come all
you who are burdened and heavy
laden What a marvelous invitation to
Come and meet the One who loves us
more than anyone on earth! Id say this is
the Best Valentine ever!
So often I have met guests who are alone, lonely,
ashamed, in need of forgiveness, and God has led
them to come and worship together with us at
Anchorage Lutheran Church. This touches my heart
so deeply, as many years ago, I too was alone, very
lonely, lost, at times depressed.
God led me to worship here at Anchorage
Lutheran. A few welcomed me; some were very
unfriendly and even unkind. At times I wanted to run,
hide, and not return. Somehow Jesus kept
encouraging me to continue coming to hear the Word
and to know and accept that Jesus loves me just as I
am. In time I heard the words of the pastor saying
forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a FACT. From that
day forward, I could feel the transformation in my
heart and I began to love and accept myself as Jesus
loves and accepts me. Praise God!
The best Valentine ever! Jesus loves me just as I
am and because of that I continue to grow in His
love, to try the best I can with His Love and His Help
to extend the Hand of Jesus and the Friendship only
He can bring into our lives, to those who come just as
they are.
Please join me in showing our guests Jesus
welcome. Please look around you in the pews, before
and after worship and take the time to introduce
yourself to our guests and visitors. I guarantee, Jesus
wants to use each of us to answer the prayers of
many! We never know their pain, or what they are
going through, but we do know, Jesus brought them
to worship together with us for a reason and we are
called to love and show His love! What a better day to
begin then Valentines Day There is no better
Valentine than Jesus Christ, our Lord.
May you feel the love and blessings of Jesus! And
then, pass it on! Happy and Blessed Valentines Day.