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Worship Schedule Saturday 5:00 PM Sunday 9:00 AM The worship service will be available live or following the live stream on the church’s Facebook page. Current Oce Hours Monday –Thursday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM The oce is closed on Fridays. The oce is closed for lunch between 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM, if taken. St. Paul’s 2024 Church Council Members President: Vice President: Monte Hoegh Secretary: Paul Kite Treasurer: Steve Tjepkes Worship: Stewardship: Doug Steele & Barb Strand Educaon: Teresa Engler Fellowship: Monte Hoegh Property: Je Gude Outreach: Kirk Nelson St. Paul’s Sta Pastor: Lauri Boysen Administrave Assistants: Julie Tjepkes Joy Sturm Youth Director: Kelsea Tyson Financial Secretary: Steve Tjepkes Kitchen Coordinator: Sue Crall Custodians: Dick and Jamie Juhl St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 1011 E. 13th St Atlanc, Iowa 50022 712-243-3678 Email: stpaulsatl@gmail.com Website: www. stpaulsatlanc.com The Tidings February 2024
A Lenten Prayer Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye But do not noce the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye’ When you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? Luke 6:42 Holy One, you created me in my mother’s womb. You know the core goodness residing within me. You also know my propensity for self-orientaon. You see how I want others to grow and change. You know the thoughts and feelings that run rampant When I encounter someone whose behavior I dislike. If I say, “Surely I can get this person to be as I want,” Nudge me insistently with your grace-lled message: “Leave the other person’s transformaon alone. Tend to your own aspects that need to be altered.” In this Lenten season, guide me to a clearer awareness. Lead me to move beyond a wish to transform others. Focus my aenon on the personal renewal I resist. May I become more alert and accepng of the reality That the only person I can set about changing is myself.
What Does Heaven Look Like? From early fall through mid-February, me seems to y in the Church. There are all sorts of preparaons for fall programming and Christmas, then there is the annual meeng and this year we y right into Lent on February 14. Inially I thought I’d write about God’s love shown to us through those 40 days of Lent beginning on “love" day. But today as I await the rst snowstorm of the season, I received this queson, “Pastor, what will heaven look like?” as a pastor, I have the pleasure of receiving many wonderful quesons from people. Somemes quesons such as this may come from one of the 80 children who aend our God Squad program. Other mes, quesons come from one of our members as they contemplate their last days or as one of their loved ones has passed to their forever home. Regardless of who asks, it is probably a queson we have all contemplated out of faith lled curiosity. What will heaven look like? While my rst response would most oen be, “What do you think Heaven looks like?” to see where this queson came from. We can then look to the scriptures to help us. When we study the book of Revelaon, quesons like this pop up regularly. Will heaven literally look like jasper and have 12 high walls (Revelaon 21) or would heaven look more like the picture Jesus Himself painted of being lled with sheep and goats (Mahew 25:32)? The Bible gives us many dierent images of what heaven will “look” like, and there lies the challenge. The Bible is not necessarily interested in sharing with us what color scheme will be used on the walls in heaven, or what shades of green the grass will look like. The Bible is not necessarily in-terested in sharing with us those images of heaven, but the Bible is very interested in showing you heaven. During this me of year especially, we can see heaven. The stars and the sunsets are beauful from the southern sky. We are currently in the liturgical season of Epiphany, (lent is just days away). We use the word “epiphany” in our everyday speech if we have a sudden ash of insight, or we see a soluon to a problem. In worship, the word “epiphany” refers in some way to Jesus manifesng His divine nature in this world. For as much as Jesus reveals about Himself, isn’t it inter-esng that we don’t know what Jesus really looked like. The Bible doesn’t spend me telling us the length of Jesus’ hair, but it does spend me telling us God has numbered every hair of your head. The Bible does not tell us what Jesus’ clothes looked like, but the Bible does take me to tell us we have been clothed in Christ. The Bible doesn’t take the me to tell us what Jesus physically looked like, but it does take plenty of me showing us what our new life in Christ looks like. This takes us back to our original queson, “Pastor, what does heaven look like?” I may not have a clue what heaven will physically look like, but I know without a shadow of a doubt WHO we will see in heaven when we open our eyes and look around. May-be it would help to pray the following passage, it helps us see “who” heaven will look like. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” — Revelaon 21:3-4 Peace and love, Pastor Lauri Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Once again, our church council has prayerfully worked together to provide leadership and direction to our congregation. Please take time to thank the 2023 church council members for a job well done! Those people are: Holly Jarrett, Emily Krengel, and Holly Esbeck.
Ash Wednesday, February 14, is the rst day of the season of Lent. Lent is a me of prayer, repentance, and renewal. This day has been called "Ash Wednesday" since the beginning of its observance in the seventh century. The name comes from the pracce of placing ashes on the forehead as a sign of sorrow and repent-ance. Throughout Scripture, ashes are a sign of God’s wrath and condemnaon and were thusly seen as a sign of penitence, sorrow, and mourning. The sign of the cross is made with the ashes, along with the words, "Dust you are and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19). Those words are part of the curse given to Adam and Eve following their fall into sin. The words keep us mindful of God’s judgment upon sin, our subsequent mortality and need for a Savior. The cross, however, serves to remind us that Christ has conquered sin, death and the devil for us. Though we will all someday die, yet we shall live! As part of our Ash Wednesday at 6:00pm, we will be including the imposion of ashes for those who desire.
February Birthdays Milestone Birthdays in bold. (80 years or more) 2/1 Michelle Schroder, Michelle Woolsey 2/3 Bonnie Britson 2/4 Diane Rogers 2/5 Sylvia Christoersen, Kason McCool 2/7 Bi Bonnesen, Carly Seddon, Victoria Williams 2/8 Steve Lamb, Owen Niemann 2/9 Dave Boldt, Je Goergen 2/10 Erin Steele-Blake 2/11 Mark Kyhnn 2/12 Brooklyn Gelly 2/14 Kim Podhajsky 2/15 Ken Burkhart 2/16 Marilyn Behrends 2/17 Leroy Phillips 2/18 Hazel Sager 2/19 Laurie Andersen, Amy Robinson 2/20 Stacie Euken, Jonathan Friesleben, Ileen Furne, Emmy Williams 2/21 Jean Templeman 2/22 Halsey Bailey, Brandi Mericle 2/23 Jan Highll 2/24 Janice Schope 2/25 Tyson Widrowicz 2/27 Jena Larsen 2/28 Dean Brownlee, Cathy Juhler February Milestone Birthdays Bonnie Britson 1605 Linn Street Atlanc, IA 50022-2636 712-243-2939 Sylvia Christoersen 1501 Oak Street Atlanc, IA 50022-2640 712-249-9863 Dave Boldt 802 Chestnut Street Anita, IA 50020-1150 712-762-3389 Marilyn Behrends 66888 Jackson Road Wiota, IA 50274-8711 712-783-4225 Ileen Furne 608 East 19th Street Atlanc, IA 50022-2834 712-249-4965 Janice Schope 2102 Chestnut Street Apt 2 Atlanc, IA 50022-2584 February Anniversaries 2/5 Marty & Connie Boose [1983] 2/9 Russ & Colleen Lange [1994] 2/14 Greg & Deb Williams [1986]
Automated Giving Instrucons Automated Giving is the easiest and most secure method to give at St. Paul’s, both for our members and for the church sta. There are two ways to give automacally, through ACH Bank Transfer and by using Credit/Debit Cards. To get started. go to the church website at www.stpaulsatlanc.com and click on the E-Giving box. Enter the amount you want to give, then which fund you would like to give to (from the drop-down menu: Tithe & Oering is for the General Fund). Select if you would like to make a one-me payment, or if you would like to give regularly. If you chose to give regularly, you can set up the fre-quency of your donaons. Aer entering your email. Click “Connue”. From there you can select which payment method you would like to use, ACH Bank Account or Debit/Credit card. Follow the in-strucons to set up your chosen payment method. You will also be given the opportunity to set up your own account within Realm for future reference. If you have any quesons, contact Steve Tjepkes at 712-249-2947. Pastoral Visits: The only way we know when someone is hospitalized and/or in need of a visit is if the family calls the church at 712-243-3678 or Pastor Lauri at 712-269-8423. Adult Bible Study: Begins with Pastor Lauri in the conference room February 11th at 10:30 a.m. Come and deepen your understanding and faith with fellow Chrisans. Ulity Bill Assistance: If you, or anyone you know, could use some assistance with your ulity bills, the Out-reach Commiee would like to help. Please contact Pastor Lauri at 243-3678 for details. Oering Envelopes: Please pick up 2024 oering envelopes in the entryway. If you no longer wish to re-ceive envelopes OR if you want envelopes, and your name is not on any please let the oce know. Another great opon is an automac transfer from your account. The instrucon are in the next box. New Council Members: Our new council members are: Holly Esbeck, Emily Krengel, and Holly Jarre During the February church council meeng, a vote will be held as to which role they will hold within the council. A big thank you to them for their dedicaon to our church! God Squad: God Squad will not sing on March 4. Instead, they will sing March 24th for Palm Sunday with breakfast to follow. Outgoing Council Members: A big thank you to church council members who have completed their terms! Eric Wendt, Deb Lamb, and Dan Hoegh each served 3 years and did a wonderful job. A big thank you to each one of them!
Worship with us on Ash Wednesday February 14 @ 6 pm
Fellowship Schedule February 4th: God Squad February 11th: Gary Williams February 18th: Dorcus February 25th: The Debord Family March 3rd: God Squad March10th: Steve & Julie Tjepkes March 17th: Sarah Circle March 24th: The Noelck Family March 31: Easter Children’s Church Volunteers February 4: Engler Family March 3: Sandy Cooper March 24: Andy Neimann and Paul Kite Upcoming Dates February 1 9:30 a.m. Dorcas Circle February 2,9, 16, 23 Oce closed/Pastor’s day o February 3 5 p.m. Worship February 4 9 a.m. Worship/Children’s Church/Noisy Oering February 6 1 p.m. Sarah Circle February 7,14,21,28 2 p.m. God Squad/Conrmaon 4 p.m. Middle/High School Youth Group February 10 5 p.m. Worship/Second Saturday Supper @ Pizza Ranch February 11 9 a.m. Worship February 13 5 p.m. Worship Commiee Meeng 6:30 p.m. Outreach Commiee Meeng February 14 6 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service February 15 2 p.m. WELCA Board Meeng February 19 9 a.m. Do Day February 20 5:30 p.m. Church Council Meeng February 21 6 p.m. Lenten service @ Methodist Church February 28 6 p.m. Lenten service @ Bapst Church March 2 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Lifeline Screening March 6 6 p.m. Lenten service @ Presbyterian Church
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