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September 2025

The Joy of the Holy Spirit
Pastor Schopp

For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
(1 Thessalonians 1:4-7)

The word joy and its derivatives appear over 200 times in the Bible, spread throughout both the Old and New Testaments.  Joy is one of the markers of faith in the Triune God because, as the text above says, joy comes from the Holy Spirit.  We all remember the little ditty we learned as children, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.”  That song may lack elaborate poetic language, but it is theologically correct.  We do have joy, a deep, abiding contentment that goes beyond our immediate situation.  As St. Paul pointed out, the Christians in Thessalonica had received the Gospel “in much affliction”, but that did not prevent them from also having “the joy of the Holy Spirit”.  Throughout the ages, Christians have contended with all sorts of calamities:  Plagues, famine, warfare, persecutions, natural disasters and more.  But the thing that stands out amidst all of this is the unbreakable joy they retain.

The news is awash in the latest tragedy to befall our nation, a shooting at a Catholic school in Minnesota.  The motives of the perpetrator, like other recent killers, have been labeled as nihilistic, which comes from the Latin nihil, which means “nothing”.  It can be described as “rejecting all meaning in life” and it is marked by a sense of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.  There are many young people today who have lost all sense of belonging and who find themselves completely without hope.  The dark corners of the internet feed this nihilism and they become more and more isolated, losing themselves in darkness.  The devil lives in this space, driving a wedge between the created and the Creator, until despair is all that remains.

We are surrounded by people without hope, who have never known joy in their entire lives.  They have heard of Jesus, of course, but only in an abstract way.  They have never had His Gospel applied to them.  It is like applying aloe vera on a sunburn, the sudden relief that comes from knowing God cares about you, individually. This is a relationship that was always there, but is often obscured, like trying to find your way through fog.  We can’t see the mountain right in front of us and so we think we are lost.

We are the joy-bearers in this dark world.  We share meaning and hope with those who have none.  They are hungry for it, even if they can’t name it, and it is our task to share it with them.  We have the joy, joy, joy, joy and we want them to have it, too.  Joy that overcomes all darkness and carries us throughout this life and into the next. 
 

Lutheran Family Service
409 Kenyon Rd, Suite C
Fort Dodge, IA  50501
(515) 573-3138
LutheranFamilyService.org
 
July 31, 2025

Friends in Christ at Our Savior Lutheran Church,

For over 124 years, individuals, LWML groups, and congregations of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod have answered the call of our Lord to serve His beloved children in many ways in partnership with Lutheran Family Service. This fall, LFS is responding to the needs expressed by LCMS pastors and churches in northeast South Dakota and the Rural Gospel Initiative to bring our ministry of counseling, pregnancy counseling, adoption, church worker support, and congregational outreach to this area. 

We are incredibly honored by and thankful for your partnership gift of $5,000.00 received on July 24, 2025. Your gift will be used to help launch this new office and support the staff who will be there when people call for help. Our first counselor, Dreena Wertz, will begin to serve in the Aberdeen office, hosted at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, in September!

Thank you, sincerely, for your partnership in this work. May it be - as together we intend - a blessing to many people in South Dakota who need Gospel-based help. God bless you!

In Christ's Service,

Rev. Max Phillips
Executive Director
 

 Our Savior September Birthdays
  1  Bob Rausch                  17  Sarah Rausch                             
  4  Tom Hanson                 19  Colton Fryer
  6  Phyllis Schott               19  Chad Petrich
  8  Rhyan Johnson             21  Barbara Wickham
  8  Dave Scepaniak           24  Kenneth Maas
  8  Jenelle Siebert              28  Russell Brandt
12  Nathan Thone              28  Baker Haar
13  Aaryah Lassanske        30  Cyarrah Fryer
15  Judy Bulian                 30  Chad Schopp

           Anniversaries
  9  Berwyn & Sharon Bain 
12  Steve & Paula Grieben
19  David & Karla Johnson
20  Paul & Peggy Dennert
22  Jonathan & Janean Imberi                                              
                                             
Our Savior Meetings in September:    
LWML – Mon Sept 8th at 3:45 pm
Elders – Thur Sept 11th at 5:15 pm
Council – Thur Sept 11th at 6:30 pm
Nursery Circle – Sun Sept 14th at 12:00 pm
Board of Education – Sun Sept 21st at 12:00 pm
 
Elders: Russell Brandt & Brandon Christianson

Acolyte Schedule:
Sept 7th – Rhyan Johnson & Maci Johnson
Sept 14th – Tucker Brick & Caleb Siebert
Sept 21st – Grace Rausch & Jaylynn Siebert
Sept 28th – Ella Brick & Rhian Angerhofer

Labor Day – Monday, September 1st the church office will be closed, and the Mat Ladies will not meet.

The Fall Wednesday Schedule resumes on Sept. 3rd, with catechism class at 5:00 pm, a short prayer service at 6:00, and Bible Study at 6:30.

Sunday School resumes September 7th at 9:30 am. Teacher Installation will take place during the service on that day. 

Newsletter – Starting in October, we will send out newsletters every other month. Each newsletter will have two month’s of information (ex. – Oct. & Nov.) We will test this for six months and see how it works.

Youth Group Activity – The youth group will meet at Our Savior on Saturday, September 6th from 9:00 am to noon to finish building the tabernacle model.

Senior Noon Potlucks will resume on September 9th at Our Savior and continue on the second Tuesday of each month through May. Join us for good food and fellowship.

Blood Drive – Help save a life! Vitalant Blood Services will be at Our Savior on Tuesday, Sept. 9th from 4:00-7:00 pm. To schedule your donation, contact Vicky Baumgartner at 605-216-8967.

Nursery Circle will resume their meetings on the second Sunday of each month after the service, starting September 14th.

Saturday Bible Study – Due to scheduling conflicts, there will be no Saturday Bible study in September. We will resume on October 11th.

Youth Fundraiser Carnival – Everyone is invited!
Games and Concessions, Fun for all ages!
Sept. 21st  12:30-2:30 pm
at Our Savior Lutheran Church
Anyone can sign up to help with games or to donate a cake for the cakewalk. Youth will be in the back on Sundays at Our Savior after the service to sign you up.

Coffee & Confessions – Join us Tuesday mornings at 6:30 am at Our Savior to learn about the Lutheran Confessions, from the Book of Concord. All are welcome!

The Our Savior LWML “Bakeless Bake Sale” will run from September 1st through October 5th.  There is a container in the narthex at Our Savior for monetary donations.  Thank you to everyone for your generosity in helping with our mission fundraiser.

Grocery Receipts & Labels – Receipts from Ken’s and Kessler’s will be collected again from September through May so they can be turned in for cash. Place receipts in the container in the narthex. We can only turn in receipts from the current school year, so no old receipts, please. (Just an FYI – we receive a percentage of the grocery sales only; not for gas, gift cards, lottery tickets, alcohol, or cigarettes.)
We also collect Best Choice labels. Best Choice products can be found at Ken’s.  Save the UPC (bar code) including the words “Best Choice” above it, and place them in the same container as the receipts.

Ink cartridges and cell phones – Please bring your used printer ink cartridges and cell phones to church.  They can be recycled so as not to harm the environment, and raise money for LWML mission projects as well. There is a box for them in the narthex.  Thank you!

Home and Hospital Visits – If you would like Pastor to visit you at home, and bring communion, please let Pastor or the church office know. Also, if you are having surgery or are hospitalized and would like Pastor to visit and/or include you on the prayer list, please let us know.
 
LWML Fall Zone Rally
Saturday, October 4, 2025
at Our Savior Lutheran Church
Registration begins at 8:30 am
More info coming soon!

LWML South Dakota
Fall Christian Life Workshop
"Deeper Relationships. Wider Kingdom Influence"
Presenter: Rev. Billy Newell of Lord of Life Lutheran 
October 18, 2025
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
2600 S Sycamore Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 

Registration: 9:30–10 am
Workshop: 10 am to 3 pm
Morning offering for mites.
Noon freewill donation to help cover lunch expenses.

Kristy Ring, SD District VP of Christian Life
kmring08@gmail.com  or  605-831-9295
sdlwml.org 
 
St. John’s - Columbia
                          September Birthdays
   5  Molly Ringgenberg                 21  Dustin Buntrock
   8  Lorie Ringgenberg                  25  Andrew Buntrock
 12  Erin Wolter                              30  Larry Vietmeier           
 17  Amanda Bisbee          
              
                                  Anniversaries
                           2  Mic & Jen Daggett
                          18  Karl & Val Eichler
                          21  Brent & Barb Miller
                          26  Eric & Karen Hermans   

                          St. John’s Usher List
          Sept. 7        Roger & Sharon Zastrow
          Sept. 14      Tony & Amanda Bisbee
          Sept. 21      Brent & Barb Miller
          Sept. 28     Lyle & Cathi Podoll
                       
Vocatio: Retreat - October 5-7, 2025
Vocatio: Retreat is a three-day retreat at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, held in the spring and fall for college students and second-career men and women that offers an opportunity to rest in God's Word and learn more about the path to full-time service as a pastor, deaconess, missionary, or chaplain. 
During Vocatio: Retreat, you will devote time to prayer and the study of God’s Word, and engage in sessions that focus on the spiritual and personal aspects of the decision-making process of becoming a seminarian, as well as learn about academic courses, field education, vicarages/deaconess internships, financial aid, housing, and the enrollment process. This event is free.

Registration deadline: Sept. 15, 2025
Visit https://csl.edu/admissions/visit/vocatio-retreat/ for more information and to register.
Questions? Email admit@csl.edu or call 800-822-9545.

Our Savior Lutheran Church
624 North Jay Street – Aberdeen, SD 57401
St. John’s Lutheran Church
23 North James Street – Columbia, SD 57433
Phone 605-225-7106, Email oursaviorlutheran@nvc.net
www.oursaviorlutheranchurchaberdeen.com
Rev. Chad Schopp – Cell # 605-380-2545
Email: cschopp@protonmail.com
Rev. Alan Ludwig – Cell # 509-540-9083
Email: lutheranprof@gmail.com
Secretary’s office hours: Mon-Fri  9:00am – 2:00 pm

Click on the calendar tab on the website to see the September Calendar.