MARCH 2024
When to Call Your Pastor
As we wait for God’s will to be done in obtaining a new pastor, I would like to thank the congregations of Our Savior and St. John’s for your patience and your kindness as I fill the gap. You are enabling me to serve “with joy and not with groaning” (Hebrews 13:17). Even after a new full-time pastor is installed, I look forward to continuing to serve in a more limited role.
This might be a good time to review what a pastor’s role is in the congregation. He’s more than a Sunday servant who conducts liturgy, preaches, and administers the Sacraments. The pastor is there for you in all your joys and trials. Here is a partial list of times that you might want to give your pastor a call.
1. Before you go into the hospital or before surgery.
2. When there is a death in the family.
3. When you are incapacitated or confined to your home and cannot get to worship and the Sacrament for a period of time.
4. When a baby is born.
5. Whenever you would like to be included specifically in your pastor’s daily prayers.
6. When you are troubled by a certain sin, past or present, or by a sense of guilt. Christ has instituted confession and absolution as a remedy for this very thing.
7. When you are plagued with depression or dark thoughts.
8. When you need help with any personal or relational problem. It is always better to find help too early than too late.
9. When you have a question on any spiritual or doctrinal matter.
10. When you are being “evangelized” by sects or members of non-Christian religions and need help dealing with them.
11. When you feel the pastor has slighted you or offended you in any way.
12. [Fill in the blank]
Remember that whatever you tell the pastor in private will be kept strictly confidential.
Also, remember that pastors understand sin and human frailty from their own struggles. What Scripture says of the Old Testament priest applies also to the New Testament pastor: “ He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness” (Hebrews 5:2).
Finally, remember that your pastor is not a king, whose time is too valuable for you. He is Christ’s servant and your servant, and is here to serve you in every way, however small, with the Gospel.
Pastor Ludwig
HOLY WEEK
Palm Sunday is March 24
th, with regular service times. At Our Savior, the Sunday School children will sing at the opening of the service, and have the 3
rd grade Bible presentation.
Maundy Thursday – On March 28
th at St. John’s in Columbia, a light supper, pie, and coffee will be served from 5:30-6:30 pm, followed by a service with Holy Communion at 7:00 pm. The van will go to St. John’s if anyone wants a ride (contact the church office or Eric Johnson 605-216-6701).
Good Friday – March 29
th at Our Savior there will be a short service of readings and prayer at noon, and the Good Friday Service at 7:00 pm.
Holy Saturday – Our Savior will host the circuit Easter Vigil service with Holy Communion on March 30
th at 7:00 pm.
Easter –We will have Divine Service with Communion at our regular times: 8:15 am at St. John’s, and 10:45 am at Our Savior. The youth group will serve breakfast at Our Savior starting at 9:30 am. There will be no Sunday School or Bible Class.
You Are Invited! Be our guest at an
LCMS Foundation Gift Giving Seminar on Sunday,
March 17th at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 214 7
th Ave SW, Aberdeen, SD, with presentations at 1:00 and 5:00. A light lunch will be served at both. Kurt Fuhr, LCMS Foundation Counselor, will be the presenter. There is no charge to attend. To
sign up by March 10th, call or text 605-887-7130 or email
pganderson@nrctv.com. For more info go to
www.RuralGospel.org and choose the events tab. Hosted by the Rural Gospel Initiative (RGI).
Gift planning is simply information on how assets you already have might be packaged into a gift instrument that fits you. With Kurt Fuhr’s professional service - at no cost to you as member of the LCMS - he will advise how various gifting avenues could bless others and benefit you. For those who are interested Kurt will meet individually at another time to set up their plan.
The Lutheran Witness – Going forward, there will be a change in how you receive your Lutheran Witness magazine. The church will order a bulk subscription which will be delivered to the church, and members can pick it up there. They will be hand-delivered to our homebound members. The District news supplement insert will still be included. Since the cost of magazines has nearly doubled in the last few years, the congregations of the South Dakota District of the LCMS have voted to end the policy of required blanket subscriptions, because some churches can no longer afford it. We do receive a discount on the bulk order.
The Lutheran Witness provides great information, instruction, and encouragement from our confessional Lutheran perspective. Individuals can subscribe on their own if they want, but the church would like to continue to provide this valuable resource for you. So look for the next issue at the church!
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
Website:
www.oursaviorlutheranchurchaberdeen.com
Rev. Alan Ludwig – Cell # 509-540-9083
Email:
lutheranprof@gmail.com
Pastor Ludwig will be in the office during the morning on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Secretary’s office hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 2:00 pm
Our Savior
March Birthdays
2 Lexi Pietz 17 Sandra Grieben
3 Megan Thone 19 Douglas Klipfel
5 Brandon Christianson 19 Patricia Ludwig
5 Scott Healy 20 Lois Abel
8 Sara Scepaniak 21 Kaitlyn Haar
9 Stuart Nelson 24 Hadley Haar
10 Scott Mayer 29 Karon Kurtz
11 Benjamin Andreasen 29 Todd Severson
12 Brendan Tschappat 29 Dale Thone
Anniversaries
7 Kelly & Cheryl Pietz
12 Justin & Anna Hofer
17 Waldemar & Frances Rutschke
Meetings in March
LWML – Mon Mar 4 at 3:30 pm
Board of Elders – Thur Mar 14 at 5:15 pm
Church Council – Thur Mar 14 at 6:30 pm
Nursery Circle – Sun Mar 10 after the service
Board of Education – Sun Mar 17 after the service
Elders for March – Russ Brandt, Brandon Christianson
Acolyte Schedule:
March 3 – Rhyan Johnson & Cashlyn Angerhofer
March 10 – Caleb Siebert & Tucker Brick
March 17 – Tristan Tschappat & Teigan McKown
March 24 – Dalton Lee & Rhylan Tschappat
March 31 – Ally Johnson & Rhyan Johnson
Call Meeting – Rev. Daniel Suelzle has returned the call to Our Savior and St. John’s (declined). The next call meeting will be Sunday, March 3
rd at 4:00 pm.
Bowling Party Cancelled – The Board of Education has had to cancel the bowling party on March 3
rd, due to schedule conflicts.
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 10
th at 2:00 am. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night!
Easter Lilies – Order forms for lilies to beautify our sanctuaries for Easter and to remind us of Christ’s resurrection will be in the Sunday bulletins. They cost $13 per lily. The list of lilies given in honor or memory of someone will be in the Easter Sunday bulletins. You can take your lilies home after the Easter services.
The Senior Potluck will be Tuesday, March 12
th at noon. Join us for good food and fellowship!
Midweek Lenten Services will be at Our Savior on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm through March 20
th. The services will be preceded by a potluck meal beginning at 5:30 pm. Catechism class will continue to meet at 5:00, and will have time for supper between class and the service.
"In House" Bible Bowl – Our Congregational Bible Bowl will be on Sunday, March 17
th, after the service at Our Savior. Gather a team of 3-4 people and sign-up in the narthex with a "team name" then read and study Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Psalm 118, and the Apostles’ Creed. Be prepared for multiple choice, fill in the blank, and question/answer format. We will have pizza for lunch. If you have any questions about Bible Bowl, contact Eric Johnson 605-216-6701.
Youth Bible Bowl – Our youth 6
th grade and up are taking part in the SD District Bible Bowl on Saturday, March 23
rd at Faith Lutheran Church in Pierre, SD. Their Bible and Catechism knowledge will be tested as they compete against other teams to answer questions.
LWML Mite Boxes are on the table in the narthex.
Anyone can use these small boxes to collect coins to be used for LWML missions. An introduction to the use of mite boxes is also on the table.
Lutheran Island Camp Men’s Weekend – March 8-10, 2024 in Henning, MN. Dr. David Coe is our speaker for the 2024 Men's Weekend! He is a theology professor at Concordia University NE and the author of the book "Provoking Proverbs: Wisdom and the Ten Commandments". You won't want to miss this weekend full of theological learning, fellowship, and fun! The cost is $155 and includes food, lodging, and Dr. Coe's book. If you’d like to attend this retreat, please contact Eric Johnson at 605-216-6701.
LWML SD DISTRICT 63rd Convention - June 7-8, 2024
Best Western Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center, Aberdeen, SD
"Inexpressible Joy ? Matchless Savior"
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Bible Study Leader — Donna Snow, author, LWML Texas District
Keynote Speaker — Kay Kreklau, LWML President 2011-2015, LWML North Dakota District
LWML Representative — Arlene Naasz, LWML Vice President of Organizational Resources, LWML South Dakota District
Gifts from the Heart items will be collected for Safe Harbor and Journey Home of Aberdeen:
SAFE HARBOR is a shelter and advocacy organization that provides services in northeastern South Dakota. Any of the following donated items will be appreciated: Ladies deodorant, brooms and dust pans, shampoo and conditioner, scrubbing brushes, facial tissues, floor cleaner, all-purpose cleaner spray, bath towels and kitchen towels, Ziplock bags of all sizes, Swiffer starter sets, disinfecting wipes, toilet bowl cleaner and toilet brushes.
JOURNEY HOME Helping people who have the desire to achieve more physically, intellectually, and socially. Their goal is to provide struggling people in the community with a hand-up not a hand-out, based on the love and wisdom of Jesus Christ. The following donated items will be appreciated:
FOOD BANK: peanut butter, coffee, toilet paper and non-perishable food.
CLOTHES: hats, any sheets, clothes for babies, elderly, men, women, and children.
USED ITEMS: pots and pans, silverware and drinking glasses to give out when going on their own.
Thrivent Choice Dollars® are charitable grant funds that can make a meaningful impact. Are you a member of Thrivent Financial who is eligible to direct Choice Dollars
®? As a part of a client’s membership at Thrivent, members are allotted Choice Dollars to distribute to non-profits of their choice within the Thrivent catalogue. Our Savior and St. John’s Lutheran Churches are both included. 2023 Choice Dollars must be allocated by March 31
st, 2024. Go to
https://www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more and find program terms and conditions. Or call 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” after the prompt. If you need help, you can also call the local Thrivent office at 605-725-2025.
St. John’s - Columbia
March Birthdays
8 Penni Hanna
12 Scott Meints
13 Joel Podoll
22 Zachary Daggett
23 Anna Bisbee
30 Debra Dell
Anniversary
1 Joel & JoLynn Podoll
St. John’s Usher List
March 3 Josh Larson & Anna Bisbee
March 10 Roger & Sharon Zastrow
March 17 Tony & Amanda Bisbee
March 24 Mic & Jen Daggett
March 31 Ray & Cyndy Larson
Vocatio Retreats at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis:
Find God’s calling and direction for your life!
April 14-16, 2024 – For college students or second-career adults who are interested in serving as a pastor, deaconess, missionary, or chaplain. Registration is free and includes lodging and meals. To register, visit csl.edu/vocatio-retreat. Registration closes March 29
th.
July 22-29, 2024 – Vocatio: High School – for 9
th through 12
th grade students to explore many aspects of the seminary, including worship and devotions, sessions with professors, and even some fun and recreation. Registration costs $100 and closes May 24
th. For more information, email
admit@csl.edu or call 800-822-9545
Coed 3v3 Basketball Tournament – Inviting all girls, boys, and adults to join us for some friendly competition between Circuit 1 churches at Aberdeen Christian School on Sunday, March 24
th, 2024. The co-ed 3v3 basketball tournament will start at 2:00 pm and end around 7:00 pm, or when the championship game is finished (whichever comes first). Churches can bring as many teams as they want. A team must have 1 girl on the floor at all times, and no more than 2 adults on the floor at a time. There is no limit to the number of players on any given team. And even if you don’t have a team, come anyway and we’ll provide you with teammates! We will also have a Bible study and snacks will be provided. Register no later than Sunday, March 17
th by emailing DCE Michael Leapley with your team’s name and players: michaell@stpaulsaberdeen.org. Please bring a
$5 registration fee for each team.
Click on the "Calendar" tab on the website to see the March Calendar.
