August 2025
Show and Tell
Pastor Schopp
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
Imagine this scenario: You sign your child up for little league, buy him a new glove and cleats, get him all ready for the first day of practice. You drop him off at the field, then pick him up an hour later. Day after day this goes on, week after week, until the day of the first game arrives. He is nervous and excited because he wants to impress you. He wants to do well not only for the sake of the team, but to make you proud.
Except you don’t show up for the game. It’s not that you don’t love your son, but you had other things to do. Baseball just isn’t that important to you. But you want him to have the experience you did as a kid, so you keep taking him to practice and games and picking him up afterward. But you don’t watch baseball games with him on TV. You have never taken him to a minor league game. You just run the drill: Practice, game, practice, game.
Finally, the big tournament arrives. He says he doesn’t want to go. It is in a different city, there are too many unknowns and fears, and he doesn’t want to go it alone. Because he is alone. His own father won’t be there. You let him bow out, kind of relieved, because now you don’t have to juggle practices and games with your own schedule. Now you have more time to spend on yourself.
I’m not talking about baseball, not really. I’m talking about the Christian faith. Too many parents give lip service to the Church, but don’t back it up with their actions. They’ll drop the kids off at Sunday school or catechism class, but they don’t go to church and demonstrate what it means to be faithful. They never read the Bible at home, don’t lead their family in prayer or devotions.
They do not lead by example. And so the children learn that
baseball Christ isn’t that important. If dad doesn’t think it’s important enough to go to church, then it must not be. Study after study has shown that the number one factor in whether or not a child will stay in the church is if the dad goes to church (sorry ladies). Children learn by everyday example just as much as by formal lessons and
they are watching.
Soon we will start our regular Fall schedule: Wednesday catechism class, service and Bible Study. Sunday School resumes. The Christian Foundations class starts on Sept 23. Life is going to get busy for us all. But our primary task as parents is to model the life of faith for our children. We are to “
Train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6) and that doesn’t just mean learning long division and proper grammar. It also means teaching our kids that worship is important, Bible Study is important, gathering with the saints to support and help one another is important. Just dropping them off for “practice” isn’t enough. We also have to show up for the games.
Looking ahead to the Fall
There will be a lot going on over the next couple of months, so it is important that everyone read the newsletters and bulletins and ask questions! We are trying to improve our internal communication, but that is a two-way street. Often we don’t find out about something until Sunday morning, when it is far too late to get it into the bulletin or on the monthly newsletter calendar. More communication is better than less.
- New wine testing period. Over the next couple of months we are going to test out several types of wine for communion. Several of them will be white wines. Why white wine? Lutherans have a long history of using white wine in the Sacrament to make a confessional point: The Lord’s Supper is not symbolic. It is the Body and Blood of Christ regardless of the color of the wine. Both seminaries use white wine as do LCMS congregations across the country. It is not required, but it is helpful for teaching what it is we believe and confess about the Sacrament. After we try several different types of wine, we will discuss it more during Bible Study. So don’t be alarmed at the change!
- Christian Foundations Class, Sept 23 – Dec 2. This is the adult education class that Pastor Schopp teaches twice a year (Fall and Spring). It is a ten-week class on the basics of the Christian faith. Not only is it a good class for those who are unchurched or new to the Lutheran church, it is also a good refresher for all of our members.
- Blood Drive at Our Savior on Tuesday, Sept 9. Help save a life!
- Higher Things 2026: It may seem a long way off, but now is the time for our youth to start planning on attending the Higher Things conference next summer. The “western” conference will be at Fort Collins, CO July 14-17, 2026. It will take us a day to get there and a day to get back. This year they have moved registration back even further, starting on October 1. The early bird pricing is $565 (subject to change). It may seem like a lot, but that includes lodging and food for four-day event. This year we have scholarship money available for those might not be able to afford it, so if you have high school aged youth interested, please let Eric Johnson know soon.
- October – Reformation Rumble: This year we will have a special event to celebrate Reformation Day. We will have a game show style competition (like Jeopardy!) in which we have fun and accidentally learn things. Food will be involved. Stay tuned for more.
Our Savior August Birthdays
1 Joyce Hermansen 11 Kathie Lassanske
2 Nicholas Zuber 12 Anna Korab
3 Ann Lee 14 Rebecca McHenry
4 Jan Bohling 16 Simeon Andreasen
4 Andrew Johnson 17 Hudson Haar
4 Stacey Nelson 20 Marlys Brick
4 Tristan Tschappat 21 Cody Rausch
8 Jody Haar 21 Rhylan Tschappat
8 Amara Klipfel 23 Jordon Andreasen
8 Rabecca Rohrbach 25 Lori Salfrank
9 Carl Bulian 27 Jayda Siebert
9 Amy Johnson 28 Amy Scepaniak
9 Michael Wendt 28 Terry Small
10 Sharon Bain 29 Tim Medenwald
Anniversaries
1 Todd & Lori Salfrank
5 Chad & Tami Schopp
6 Kenneth & Dorothy Maas
14 Cody & Ann Lee
14 Justin & Amy Scepaniak
18 Alan & Patricia Ludwig
18 Chris & Rebecca McHenry
21 Troy & Trina Tschappat
23 Douglas & Marianne Klipfel
26 Russell & Candy Brandt
27 Glen & Sarah Rausch
Meetings at Our Savior:
Nursery Circle – Sun Aug 3
rd at 12:00 pm
Board of Elders – Thur Aug 14
th at 5:15 pm
Church Council – Thur Aug 14
th at 6:30 pm
Board of Education & Sunday School Staff – Sun Aug 17
th at 12:00 pm
Sunday School Teachers will meet with the Board of Education on Sunday, August 17
th after the service to receive your materials. Classes will resume on Sunday, September 7
th at 9:30 am.
Elders for August – Douglas Klipfel & Glen Rausch
Acolyte Schedule –
Aug 3 – Rhyan Johnson & Grace Rausch
Aug 10 – Dalton Lee & Tristan Tschappat
Aug 17 – Ella Brick & Grace Rausch
Aug 24 – Caleb Siebert & Dalton Lee
Aug 31 – Tristan Tschappat & Tucker Brick
The Our Savior LWML Breakfast will be on Thursday, August 7
th at 9:00 am at The Waffle Cone (201 S Main St). Please sign up in the narthex.
Brown County Fair –
Lutherans for Life will have a booth at the Brown County Fair Aug. 11-17 and welcomes volunteers to man the booth for any length of time, no experience necessary. The booth will also have information on the new
Lutheran Family Service counseling office that will be opening in September in Aberdeen and on the LCMS
Rural Gospel Initiative. Our Savior will man the booth on Tuesday and Sunday – there are sign-up sheets in the narthex. St. John’s will man the booth on Thursday – you can contact Cyndy Larson. If you’re interested in working another day, contact Vicky Baumgartner at 605-216-8967 or stop by the booth. Thank you!
Catechism Class Information Meeting – There will be a meeting for students in grades 5-8 and their parents at Our Savior on Thursday, August 21
st at 6:00 pm. Pizza and pop will be provided by the Board of Education. Classes will start Wednesday, September 3
rd at 5:00 pm.
Youth Group Activity – The youth group will meet at Our Savior on Saturday, August 23
rd at 9:00 am to build a tabernacle model. This will lead into our Wednesday Bible study on Exodus, which begins September 3
rd. St. Paul’s youth will join us and build a model that they can take back to their church.
Coffee & Confessions – Join us Tuesdays at 6:30 am at Our Savior to learn about the Lutheran Confessions, from the Book of Concord. All are welcome!
Saturday Bible Study – There will be no Saturday Bible study in August.
Wednesdays – On September 3
rd we will resume our Wednesday schedule of catechism class at 5:00 pm, a short midweek service at 6:00 pm, then Bible study at 6:30 pm. We will begin studying the book of Exodus.
Greeters are needed at Our Savior to welcome people at the entrance of the sanctuary for about 10 minutes prior to the Sunday services. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex.
“You Are the Man!”
A Higher Things® Youth Retreat
August 8-9, 2025
St. John Lutheran Church – Gregory, SD
We all know those words can either make someone’s day or stop them in their tracks. Nathan said them to David and exposed his sin. Jesus owns them for Himself—“I am He”—and then claims us in forgiveness: “You are Mine.” That’s what we’re unpacking this year—God’s Law and Gospel in real life.
Speaker: Pastor Simek (Our Redeemer, Sioux Falls)
This retreat is intended for youth confirmation ages and up. Attendees should bring toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.), a sleeping bag, a pillow, and a change of clothing.
If interested in attending, contact Eric Johnson at 605-216-6701.
St. John’s Columbia
August Birthdays
2 Mark Yeske 15 Darren Dennert
4 Dwain Buntrock 17 Barry Sieber
4 Dwight Buntrock 20 Cathi Podoll
7 Hudson Eichler 24 Nicole Pierson
7 Jack Hieb 26 Mason Podoll
8 Cheryl Kampa 28 Kerry Hansen
10 Brent Miller
Anniversaries
8 Keith & Naomi Underberg
12 Lyle & Cathi Podoll
Usher List
Aug. 3 – Josh & Desa Larson
Aug. 10 – Jack & Jennifer Hieb
Aug. 17 – Mike & Molly Ringgenberg
Aug. 24 – John Bisbee & Lucas Daggett
Aug. 31 – Dean & Lorie Ringgenberg
St. John’s Voters Meeting will be Sunday, August 10
th after the service, at 9:00 am. Please attend to help conduct the business of the church.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Christ commands us to love and serve our neighbor. By His love, we love others. By His mercy, we show mercy to others.
So when our neighbors suffer some disaster, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) responds with the love and mercy of Christ — the love and mercy He first showered upon us.
On July 4, flash floods in central Texas left over 130 people dead. An additional 100 people remain missing. The flooding also caused significant damage to homes, businesses and local infrastructure. Together, let us pray for peace for those who mourn, comfort for those with loved ones still missing, and strength for all involved in search-and-rescue efforts.
Assessments by LCMS Disaster Response are underway. If you believe God is calling you to financially support the church’s response to the flooding, while maintaining a prudent reserve for unforeseen needs and future disaster, please prayerfully consider a contribution to:
- LCMS Disaster Response—Strategic Use
Visit lcms.org/givenow/disaster or mail a check to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, or LCMS, at P.O. Box 66861; St. Louis, MO 63166-6861. On the memo line, write “Disaster Response—Strategic Use (TR9206).” This fund allows our Synod to continue its care and support, as the demands warrant, of those still suffering in Texas.
- LCMS Disaster Response—Flood Relief
Your gift will only be utilized to help those impacted by floods. Visit lcms.org/givenow/flood or mail a check to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, or LCMS, at P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-6861. On the memo line, write “Disaster Response—Flood Relief (NM8040-26040).”
For answers to questions or help with other donation options, please contact LCMS Mission Advancement by calling
888-930-4438 or emailing
mission.advancement@lcms.org.
Your gifts enable your church to bring the love and mercy of Christ to victims of terrible disasters, like the flooding in central Texas.
Thank you for your continued, faithful, joyful partnership.
Sub Cruce (Under the Cross),
Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Rev. Chad Schopp – Cell # 605-380-2545
Rev. Alan Ludwig – Cell # 509-540-9083
