The Advocate : June 2010

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Word and Sacrament Ministry When a pastor is ordained she or he takes vows and receives a calling to what the church calls “Word and Sacrament” ministry. In other words, the church has set this person apart for a special purpose, the core of which is seeing to it that God’s word is rightly proclaimed and that Christ’s sacraments are rightly administered.

A pastor may (and often should) delegate other responsibilities that come with running a congregation to lay volunteers or staff people who have gifts that better equip them to take on those responsibilities (administration, property management, etc.) but the responsibility for preaching and administering the sacraments is set apart for the ordained.

The Lutheran church recognizes two sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion, and it is Holy Communion that I want to ask you to think about in this article.
When Jesus instituted Holy Communion (the fact that Jesus instituted it is what makes it a sacrament in our understanding) it was in the context of a meal. Almost certainly there were several loaves of bread around the table and each one of the people gathered had their own cup from which to drink the wine that was typically served at such meals.

But when Jesus instituted Holy Communion he made some very deliberate choices for some very important reasons.

First, instead of saying to his disciples, “Everyone grab a piece of bread and listen to me,” he took one loaf, lifted it up and said, “Everyone take a piece of this one loaf.” The symbolism was clear and powerful. Jesus was saying, “All of us are in this together. By taking a piece of this one loaf, you are joining with me and with each other in our common purpose, identity and mission. You are making yourself a part of what I am about to do. You are becoming a part of my body by making my body a part of you.” The one loaf was a powerful symbol of unity and identity. It was a powerful symbol of inclusion, an image of the body of Christ.

Next, instead of saying, “Everyone grab your cup and listen to me,” he took his cup and said, “All of you drink from this cup.” Again, his intent was clear. He wanted to make sure they all understood that they were a part of something much larger than themselves. They were becoming a part of him and all that he was about to do for them by receiving him. One cup, one loaf, all partaking together in Christ.

Holy Communion is supposed to be our participating in the one body of Christ, receiving all that Christ has done for us in his life, death, and resurrection, fresh, every time we receive it. Holy Communion is receiving the very presence of the real, risen Christ. The symbol that carries this reality to us is the one loaf and the one cup, as Jesus intended.

I know that Holy Communion is something deeply important to everyone in our congregation and I understand that there has been some controversy about it in our not-too-distant past. I also know that I risk offending some people by even discussing it because we all have our opinions. Still, something has been troubling me since I was called to Advent and I believe the time has come for me to discuss my concerns with you.

The way we distribute Holy Communion at Advent does not help to lift up the reality of the true presence of Christ and the unity of the Body of Christ as Jesus intended. It does not add to our sense of inclusion and community in Christ. Instead, it lifts up individual tastes and personal preferences as being of more importance than Christ’s own design for his sacrament. This is unintentional, but I do believe it is real.
When we insist on one form of bread over another and use signs to indicate what sort of bread we prefer, Holy Communion becomes an individualistic ritual instead of a community activity. It focuses on what I want rather than what Jesus wants. In my opinion this is far from what Jesus intended.

Holy Communion is about community, not individual preference. It is about inclusion in the body of Christ, not personal taste.

On the other hand, grape juice makes sense and is coherent with Jesus’ intent. Why? Because it is our attempt to include people with special needs, to make it possible for those who can’t tolerate wine to be a part of the communal activity.
Gluten free wafers make sense for the same reason.

Individual glasses are an attempt to do the same thing by helping those people who are concerned about germs to be able to participate (although the medical community has found no evidence that the common cup was ever responsible for passing on any disease over the past 2000 years).

The part of our practice that falls into the area of personal taste is the bread. It is not about inclusion of those with allergies or intolerances, it is just about individualistic preferences. It is this individualism which tends to hide the truth of what is happening in the sacrament.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I do not stand in judgment regarding decisions that were made in the past under very different circumstances. I am only acting on what the Holy Spirit has laid on my heart for this time and this place in our ministry together.

My goal is to be faithful to what Christ intended first (so that we will be experiencing what Jesus wanted us to experience) and then to be faithful to our congregation so that as many as possible can participate in this sacrament without fear and with peace in their hearts.

In order to accomplish these goals I have decided to instruct our Altar Guild to institute some changes in the way we distribute Holy Communion beginning with the first Saturday/Sunday in July.

Because (in my observation) some of those who grew up using individual wafers have a very difficult time adjusting to the idea of bread, I am going to ask our altar guild to prepare for Holy Communion at 8 AM and 11 AM with only individual wafers. At 9:30 AM on Sundays, at 5 PM on Saturdays, and at 6 PM on Wednesdays we will use bread. I am also going to ask our worshipers to ask for gluten free wafers if they wish.

If things could be the way Jesus designed them to be we would all be sharing from one loaf and from the same cup, but even the size of our congregation makes it necessary for us to adapt his initial model to our circumstances. My hope is that this small change will be a step toward moving our practices closer to Jesus’ initial intentions for Holy Communion while keeping it accessible to as many in our congregation as possible.

“One bread, one body, one Lord of all. One cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.” I pray that it will always be so among us.

Serving with you,

As part of Christ’s body on earth, Advent, under the leadership and tutelage of Pastor Jahn and supported by many other lay leaders, have us all focused on learning, teaching, and performing according to “what God expects of us,”  which, to quote Richard Sterns, in its simplest form:
We are to love God
We are to love our neighbors
We are to go and make disciples of others that will do the same.
           

With the many and varied worship services at Advent, we have the opportunity to learn what these commandments mean to each of us.  We have the opportunity to learn how to love our God through teaching and reflection.  With our many ministries, we attempt to love our neighbors as we love our God.  Finally, through our Evangelism, under the excellent leadership of Doris Jannke this past year, we seek to make disciples of others who will do the same.  During 2009-10, Advent has been fortunate to add more disciples to its membership. 

It is my honor to serve as your president.  It allows me to work with the dedicated pastor, staff, and lay leaders of our ministries.  In doing so, I feel their love of God and of our neighbors.   Seeing the awesome work performed in so many areas gives me strength as it should give you strength. 

It is also a challenge to serve as your president.  The most difficult of these challenges is to have the skill to discern God’s wishes.  We live in a very complex world with changes in our society occurring all the time.  It is often difficult for us to discern God’s will from our cultural and individual opinions and yes, biases.  It takes time and reflection.  It takes prayer and reflection.  The challenge for me, and I think for most of us, is to find the time for thoughtful prayer and reflection.  There are many places that I have failed as your leader but this is the greatest.

I want to thank our dedicated 2009-2010 Council members, who have given of their time, their energy and their skills: Vice President Doris Jannke, Treasurer David Holub, Financial Secretaries Ron Klein, Carol & Rob Marshall, Secretary Laurel Jolly, Council Members-at-Large:   Jim Carter, Bob Borchers, Diane Jackson,  and Harry Maynard. 

I also want to thank the dedicated Commissioners: Evangelism Doris Jannke, Christian Serving, Ron Klein, Worship & Music, Deb Bohn, Fellowship Chris Dickman, Stewardship Marv Traxler / Jean Ott, Women’s Group Jean Ott / Lucille Zimmerman, Men’s Group Rudy Pacarro, Property Pete Jolly, Youth Matt Miner, Christian Ed Emily Miner

Again, as with the council members, it is because of the commitment, energy and skill of these commissioners and their volunteers that Advent is able to accomplish God’s work.

Each day, I pray to follow as closely as possible the example of Christ.  But each day, I fall woefully short as a tiny speck in an enormous physical and spiritual universe.  It is so hard to imagine the immensity of God with our puny physical and mental capabilities.  The challenge before us as Christians is large and demanding.  Yet with God’s help, we as the church of Christ, do great things together.  May we have the faith and strength to continue God’s work at Advent.

May God bless all of you!
Bill Stanton

As our snowbirds leave for their summer homes, we are left with many positions that need to be filled to make our services run smoothly.  We need people in the forefront (Assisting Ministers, Acolytes, Welcome Center, Greeters, Ushers, etc) and in the background (Altar Guild, Fellowship, Counters, Faithful Folders, etc.)  Please call the office at 259-8515 ext 221, if you are interested in helping out during the summer months and please read the paragraph below!

WHAT WENT WRONG?
This is the story of four working people:  Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.  There was an important job to be done, and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.  Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job.  Everybody thought that Somebody would do it.  But Nobody asked Anybody.  It ended up that the job wasn’t done, and Everybody blamed Somebody, when actually, Nobody asked Anybody!
Taken From Ann Landers

We are almost ready to set sail with our amazingly fun VBS program but IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP! You can access our registration form online at www.adventsuntree.com  -- it’s right on the home page. Limited Spaces are still available. Ages:  VPK thru children just finishing 5th Grade $15 per child and $35 cap per family Questions?  Call Carol Ann at 259-8515 ext 228

Here is what we need:
JUICE BOXES for our thirsty crews
Clean, empty 2 liter bottles!!
Please leave your donations at the front desk of the Knoedler Center and

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS IMPORTANT MINISTRY!!
PLEASE BRING YOUR DONATIONS ANY TIME UP TO SUNDAY JUNE 13TH!!

First communion class will be held on Palm Sunday,
March 28th at 12:15 pm in the Knoedler Center 
for third grade children and older.

Lunch will be provided. 
Please call the church office at 259-8515 ext 221  if your child will be participating.

Last month we talked about the meaning of Biblical Stewardship and we concentrated mainly on money and how a Christian should view money.  This month, we want to explore the attitudes of a Christian Steward.

The dictionary defines Stewardship as, “the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.”  Christian Stewardship would then be the careful and responsible management of the life God has entrusted to us.

Christian Stewardship is often defined as everything we do after we say, “I believe.”  Having been saved, redeemed, and forgiven by our good and gracious God, we now live in the reality of that salvation.  We realize that life is not just about us, but about God’s will for us.  The source and strength of Christian Stewardship is the salvation that is so richly and daily given to us in Christ.   We live in the awareness now that all things belong to God.  We are called to be good and faithful stewards of those things God has entrusted to us.  Jesus taught us this in the Parable of the Talents in Luke 19:11-27.

When we catch the vision of Christian Stewardship that flows from a Christ-centered Gospel-centered understanding of God’s Word, we are able to put issues of our time, talent, and treasure in perspective.  They are not “ends” but “means.”  They are the means by which He permits us to join hands with fellow believers in supporting generously the work of the church in reaching out with the message of forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ.

By combining our Christian time, talents, and treasures we become a vibrant, active, and caring church, making a significant contribution in our community and spreading the Gospel just as the early Christian Church did in Acts of the Apostles.

Your Stewardship Commission wants Advent Lutheran Church to become a joyful congregation using our combined time, talent, and treasures for God’s glory.

Since Advent Lutheran began offering an automated giving program called The Simply Giving Program endorsed by Thrivent Financial Bank, 21 families have chosen to participate.

The Simply Giving Program is for people who wish to have offerings transferred electronically to Advent's account.

This is especially helpful for people who travel and want to keep their intended offerings up-to-date, rather than making up the difference later.  Advent has approved this new, convenient giving opportunity.  Please contact Carol Ann at 259-8515 ext 228 for more details.

Community Care continues to serve an ever increasing number of individuals/families.  For the past 2 months we have exceeded the limits of our charter in supplying financial assistance.  Fortunately SVAAC has the resources to fund this overage and we at Advent are a major source of that funding—thanks to our Bread Fund and some generous individuals.

Advent donates to those in need through SVAAC.  Financial aid and food is distributed here at Advent on Thursday nights. We need food donations for this food pantry. 

We need the following food items:

• Pasta
• Pasta sauce
• Peanut Butter & Jelly
• Canned Vegetables

Please leave the items in the bin located in the Knoedler Center. If you have any questions or would like to help, please call Kristina Petrik at 321-684-1420.

Thank you notes were received from the following people: 
Doug Torgerson, Mary Wilgeroth, and  Carol Stanton

The notes are posted on the bulletin board outside of the main office. 
Please drop by and read them!
(We would love to print everyone’s notes but we are limited in space!)

Aloha,

I hope that you’re all doing well. I’m still sore from working on the monthly Work Day…Pete Jolly and Don Rydeen always have a list of things that need attention. It is a blessing to be able to work at keeping the grounds of Advent presentable for our congregation and guests. Please come to the next Work Day in June…we can lose weight together and help our church!

Gatorland, Gatorland, Gatorland…we had a great time there. So many exotic birds nesting, most with chicks, and close enough you didn’t need a gigantic telephoto lens. The men and their wives saw gator wrestling, gator jumping, giant white gators, and the beautiful grounds of this hidden Florida treasure. Dij and I went back the next week and got an annual pass.

Please pray for the VBS at Advent in June. Some of the Men will be working there, too.
As you can see, the Men’s group is about fellowship and working together for God’s Kingdom. If you are interested, please come to the next Men’s Breakfast on Saturday 19 Jun 2010 at 9 am in the Knoedler Center.

Mahalo,
Rudy Pacarro
Our next men’s breakfast will be Saturday, june 19th at 9:00 am!

There will be no business meetings during June, July, and August.  Our next business meeting will be Tuesday, September 7th, the day after Labor Day.

Please call the church office or send an email when leaving FL for the summer season so we can update our database.  We want you to receive your Advent information in a timely manner.  Thank you!

Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal timeline
The Worship & Music commission would like to thank everyone for their generous donations. 

June 5, 6 - "Goodbye" and "Blessings" of hymnals during all services.
Those who donated an LBW or green hymnal may take one on June 5, 6.

Favorite Hymn Sing Sunday
It’s your turn to plan the music for worship!  That’s right, we need YOUR help planning our favorite hymn sing for August 29th.  Just follow these three easy steps:
1)  Find your favorite hymn(s)

3)  Drop your list into the box at the Welcome Center

WHAT DO 2OO BACKPACKS LOOK LIKE?

Although it is still six months away, we are filling backpacks to give to the homeless at Christmas! We are way behind our goal of 200 backpacks. Every year at Christmas time the youth go out to daily bread and distribute these backpacks. Daily Bread's soup kitchen serves between 200 and 250 people daily, the kitchen is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, providing a hot mid-day meal plus hygienic services, including shower, laundry and mail service, to any one in need. Will you help us reach our goal?  We still need (January) SOCKS, (February) FLASHLIGHTS, (March) ZIPLOC BAGS, (April) CAN OPENERS, (May) Toothpaste and Toothbrushes and we are collecting SUNSCREEN in June! Please leave the items in the baskets marked BACKPACK PROJECT underneath the bread tables in the narthex

Preschool
School closes for the summer on May 21st!

We will have an Open House on

 Wednesday, August 4th. 

School will begin on Monday, August 9, 2010. 

Please call Chris at 254-7139 if you are interested in having your child attend our preschool next year. 

The Adult Youth Leadership Team includes: Rick Rowe, Karen Jesse, Alberta-Jo Parker, Sarah Gould, Eddie Wolchick, Cindy Gordon, Terri Gordon and Kristina Petrik

Pastor Jahn is working with this Youth Leadership Team to coordinate both Junior (Grades 6 – 8) and Senior (Grades 9-12) Youth activities.  The Plunge Youth Sunday School Classes occur every Sunday at 11am.  In addition, the Youth meet weekly on Sunday for two hours between 12:30 and 2:30 pm.  These meetings consist of having fun with games, group discussion on issues facing youth today, and small group Bible study.   In addition, one Saturday per month is dedicated as Monthly Mission Opportunity which involves giving back to the community in places where extra help is needed.

Silent Auction Results:  The Silent Auction that occurred on March 13th brought in about $3750 for the July 2010 Youth Mission Trip.  Advent Youth and the Youth Leadership Team thank all who participated in this event and made such a success.

Youth Mission Trip, July 3-10, 2010:  Advent Youth are really looking forward to the upcoming Youth Mission Trip and they sincerely thank Advent members for their support of this mission trip.  Chris and Megan Dickman have volunteered to help lead the 2010 Youth Mission Trip while Alberta Jo Parker has volunteered to be the point person for Mission Trip Fund Raising.  Overall, it looks like the mission trip will be fully funded with current fund raising and congregational youth sponsorship.  To date, $10,595 has been raised for the July Mission Trip.  $7840 has been through fund raising and participant contributions and $2755 has been received through Advent Congregational Sponsorship.  The Advent Youth and their leaders are planning three more fund raisers to help build a cushion for unexpected mission trip expenses.  These fund raisers are:

Tropical Smoothie – May 23rd
Bake Sale – June 13th
Pizza Gallery – June 20th
There are currently 20 youth and 7 adults signed-up for the mission trip.  Due to YouthWorks restrictions, it now looks like only 5 adults will be attending which leaves room for two additional youth to attend.  Megan and Chris Dickman are currently addressing this issue.

Respectfully Submitted

Bob Borchers

Church Council Representative for Advent Youth

Small Seeds, Mighty Trees
Paul wrote, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Is it time to add more water to the seeds of faith that have been planted in you? Consider serving our congregation as a Stephen Minister. A newtraining class is starting soon.

Grow in the Lord
The more you focus on the Lord and do God's work, the more satisfaction you will find. It's that simple! Are you looking for more satisfaction in your life? By helping others, you will help God's kingdom grow--and you will grow too!

Want More Freedom and Joy?
Did you know that there is joy and freedom when we put the needs of others ahead of our own? Stephen Ministry provides this kind of care, freedom, and joy. If you ever thought about finding ways to bring Christ's love to those who are hurting, you need to learn more about Stephen Ministry.

For more information, contact Kristina Petrik 684-1420. God has plans for you to grow.

They might be a person you see on the street, in a car or on the bus.  They might be a family member, your neighbor, co-worker or friend.  You might sit by their side at church or stand behind them in a store.

The Faces of the Advent Food Pantry are those who have been touched by the issues of hunger or those who are suffering from hunger itself.  They are the folks at the soup kitchens, other food pantries, and shelters. They are the individuals, families and seniors that receive groceries from Advent’s Food Pantry.

Advent Food Pantry needs Canned Meals: Stews, Soups, Tuna, Ravioli, etc., Peanut Butter, Cereal, Canned Fruits and Vegetables, Rice, Pasta and Dried Beans, Hygiene Items: Toothpaste, Shaving Items, Soap, etc., Infant Products: Diapers, Wipes, Paper Products: Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, etc. Check out Publix for BOGO’s. Or purchase a gift card and we’ll do the shopping for you!

Hello from your Property Commissioner Pete Jolly.            

The property work day for May was held on Saturday, May 8th. Work accomplished included shrubbery trimming along the driveway and trimming of the trees around the Church property. The lawn care people were contracted to trim the grass and bushes along the driveway. Thanks to Don Hagen, Don Rydeen, Rudy Pacarro and Pete Jolly for a good work day. Thanks also to Audrey and Harlan Nassen who did some work on the parking lot planters. Also thanks to Tony Porada who has been doing ongoing work cleaning and arranging the dumpster enclosure area.           

The next scheduled property work day is June 5th. This is the first Saturday of June. Work scheduled will be sent out in a later E-mail. There may be other unscheduled work sessions called as necessary during the month.            

If anyone is interested in getting on my email list for these work sessions or joining the Property Committee please feel free to contact me.  My contact information is as follows:

                        Phone              321-610-7790

                        Cell                  703-283-0716

                        email               old_plane_man@yahoo.com
God Bless,

Pete Jolly

What: Cleaning, yard, and repair work
Who: Everyone!
When: June 12th
Time: 9:00 am until?
Where: New Beginnings Ministry
483 Adger Smith Lane, Melbourne, FL 32935
 
  We need workers for:
Yard work & Tree Trimming
Repairs
Little jobs—Big jobs
Painting (later in the project)
Come and help clean and fix up this wonderful ministry. 
There is a lot to do and many hands make light work. We could sure use your help.
New Beginnings Ministry provides transitional housing for women who are coming out of correctional facilities. New Beginnings home is a highly structured discipleship program. They believe that true transformation can only happen through developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The women voluntarily choose to come into the program with a sincere desire to make a fresh start. They understand that without change there can be no new beginning. Their mission is to provide a home where they will find unconditional love and support. In their new home they are trained, encouraged, and assisted in finding employment. They are also mentored as they transition into responsible positions in society.
For more information contact Rudy Pacarro at 806-5877.

Please direct all concerns member/attendee and extended family & friends to the office (x 221) or Pastor Dave (x 222).    The cards are in the pew racks. Fill one out and place it in the Prayer Box located near the Baptismal Shell.

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www.adventsuntree.com