E p is t l e

of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Nevada, MO

T
H
E


St. Paul Lutheran
15156 E. Pony Hill Rd.
Nevada, MO 64772


417-667-7209 (O)

Stpaulnevadamo
@gmail.com

Worship 11:00 a.m.


Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, &
Thursday 9:00noon
August
2014

Vol. 14, No. 8
It was a

Harvest of Love
Vacation Bible School
2014
Thanks to all who helped make
another successful Vacation
Bible School experience for our
young people: Becky Kiel,
Katherine Kerbs, Amber Ogle,
Geoff Stewart, Chelsea Deines
& Pastor Chris.
See more pictures at the
St. Paul Facebook page,
the St. Paul website or on
the bulletin board by the
kitchen.
Dear Congregation of St. Paul,
First and foremost, we apologize for the ridicu-
lous amount of time it took for us to send this thank
you note. Please do not feel that our tardiness
equals lack of sincerity!
We were beyond grateful for all of the wonderful
gifts showered on us at Vivienne's diaper
shower. We were truly overwhelmed by the gener-
osity, love, and kind words shown to sweet Vivi and
our entire family.
We feel blessed to be a part of such a giving and
tight-knit church family. Thank you again, from the
bottom our hearts. God bless!
In Christian love,
Vivi, Chad, Jill, Jack and Simone Spangler
Congratulations to Gregg and Kathy Poe who
have become new grandparents. Keith and Erin Poe
Rodgers have a beautiful new baby boy, Jack Alexander
Rodgers, born July 21 at 7 lbs. 12 oz.
Congratulations to Greg and Reanna Villagomez on the birth of their twins on July 25 at St. Lukes in Kansas
City. Greyson Charles weighed 4 lbs., 11 oz. and was 18 3/4 long. Ronan Jesse (on the right) weighed 3
lbs., 3 oz. and was 16 1/4 long. At the time of this printing, both babies remain at St. Lukes, but they are
gaining everyday and all is going well. The proud grandparents are Russell and Ronda Johnson and great-
grandma, Joyce Gundy. Everyone at St. Paul is sending prayers and good wishes.
A Word of Thanks:

Jack Lathrop has been supplying gravel and con-
trolling the weeds in the back parking lot for years.
Its one of those things that goes unnoticed, but
definitely helps St. Paul: Thanks, Jack

Russell Hogan made and donated a bbq grill to St.
Paul which he installed back by the kitchen door.
He also installed the new sign on BB for St. Paul.
What would we do without Russell!

Sam Delaney donated a wheel chair to the church
in memory of her sister, Linda Craig. The chair is
located by the front door and available to any who
might need it.

Margaret Bond has continued to organize the
Farmers Market sales helping our youth raise
money to attend the national convention.



Sharon Kamla
made a beautiful
quilt that was auc-
tioned off at Camp
Tomah Shinga in
July.

The Church Council voted and approved that the
personal financial statements will be given out semi
-annually instead of quarterly. You will get your next
statement from Jeanne Craig at the end of the year.
Any questions, please see Jeanne or Sam.
St. Paul Choir will start again on
August 13, at 7:00 p.m. If you didnt
sing with us last spring and would like
to join us, the only requirement is a
desire to sign. We perform about
once a month and out performances dates are an-
nounced ahead of time. For those who have been
in the choir before I will look forward to hearing your
Telling the Story

Chelsea and I dont often get people knocking on the door to our home, but it happened the other night.
We had just gotten home, putting grocerys away when the door bell rang. The UPS driver is usually the only
one who comes a knocking, but then quickly drops off the package and leaves. This night it was not the big
brown truck, but two women who lived a few doors down from me, which I didn't know until they introduced
themselves. They told me that they were with one of the local churches and invited me and my family to some
special worship services they were going to have at the beginning of August. I asked a few questions about
their church and told them that I was a Pastor of the Lutheran church in Nevada and Butler. They gave me a
half sheet of paper that listed all the information on one side, and on the other in large font, Jesus loves you!
In the 10
th
chapter of Luke's Gospel, Jesus sends out seventy to go into the towns and villages and into
the homes of people. Jesus sends them out in pairs so that they may tell people about the Word of God. I
couldn't help but think about this text after the mother-daughter pair left our home. And I am sure that you all
have had people come to your door looking to tell you about Jesus. Sometimes it may just be an invitation.
Other times it may be something more aggressive, asking if you have been saved, or asking if Jesus Christ is
your personal Lord and savior. The last two examples of evangelism gives the E word a bad wrap, and per-
haps why many of us Lutherans would run the other way if the Pastor would ask you to do this. And perhaps
the reason it makes us so uncomfortable to go out and knock on doors and invite someone is because those
two examples of evangelism are not how we think of God. We are saved by God's grace, we don't chose to
be saved, God saves us in the cross of Jesus Christ! We think Jesus is more than our savior, but the savior
of the world. So what does Lutheran evangelism look like?
It's telling the story; the story of God's love and grace, the story of what God is doing in our lives, and
relationships that are formed through the story.
Maybe evangelism is as simple as loving someone, understanding them, and hearing their story. Come
to think of it, isn't that what God does for us? Loves us while we are yet sinners, welcomes us, and makes us
new?
So let's begin with gratitude for all God has done and will continue to do in our lives. Sometime in the
month of August drop a thank you note to God in the offering plate, it can be on a post it note, a formal card, a
napkin, a short or lengthy message. You decide! Think about the story, your story, God's story in your life,
and lets say thanks! Perhaps one day those thank you notes will turn into invitations to experience God in this
place, to hear the story of God's love and grace, and to live in community as children of God.
Peace,
Pastor Chris
Womens Book Club:

The group will soon finish Ms Understood by
Jen Hatmaker. This book has used examples of
five women named in Jesus lineage to help define
a daughter of Christ. From the woman who acted
like a prostitute to the woman who was one, the
widow to the adulteress to the mother, each had
something to pass on.
We need a new book! Have any ideas? All
women are invited to our next meeting which will be
at the Reinert house (18048 S. 1550 Rd [South
Washington]) at 7:00 on Thursday, August 14.
Even if you have not read Ms Understood, please
feel free to join us in the discussion. Weve had
some wonderful discussions and fellowship and are
keeping things simple: no food, just a glass of wine.
Well be discussing the last chapters of Ms Under-
stood, but will also be selecting a new book to chal-
lenge us, so get in on the selection.
Did you know you could make prayer requests on
the St. Paul website: www.stpaulnevada.org. The
current church calendar and servant schedule is
also available there.

The St. Paul Facebook page has 133 likes. If you
havent done so already, take a minute to like St.
Paul. And, feel free to comment on posts. Lets
keep our St. Paul family in touch with one another.
This is just one of the many wagon loads of
food that was delivered to Community Out-
reach. Thanks to the generosity of so many
that helped. And, thanks to Jerry and Carol
Janes for making the
deliveries.
Peace Lutheran Includes Outdoor Ministry

When Peace Lutheran in Joplin their church follow-
ing the destruction of the 2011 tornado, they did more
than just build a building. The whole intent is to use
as much of the land as we can for ministry, said Pas-
tor Katherine Redpath. As people of God, we are
called to be the stewards of the earth.
The five acres of the property includes a walking
trail around the periphery leading to a prayer tree
which is a large tree supporting a cross and a bench
nearby.
Building on an idea taken from conservation
experts at Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon
Center, they planted native trees and shrubs to form
a rain garden to manage water runoff. They also
planted a small orchard of apple and peach trees that
they hope will one day bear fruit . Bat houses were
built to help control the mosquitoes.
The last Sunday of every month, Pastor
Redpath holds an outdoor campfire service complete
with a short sermon, singing, and roasting hot dogs.
Also chief among the new outdoor features is
the labyrinth, a mulched pathway incorporating a
4,500-year-old concept based on the principles of
sacred geometry, Redpath said. The seven-circuit
labyrinth is proposed as a meditation or prayer walk,
although there is no one right way to use it, she said.
The idea is to just give yourself over to the path,
clear your brain and, in our case, listen to God, she
said. The whole idea is the journey, not the
destination.


St. Paul Lutheran Church
15156 E. Pony Hill Rd.
Nevada, MO 64772
August Congregational Life Committee:

Don & Deanna Ness 667-9120
Anna Lee Bloesser 667-7986
Susie Knuteson 667-5407
Julie Sitz 448-4585
Margaret Bond 321-2905
August Birthdays

Cameron Byergo August 3
Carol Janes August 4
Candy Creech August 8
Kaden Cherry August 10
Marjorie Biber August 10
Gregg Poe August 12
Patsy McCullough August 14
Chelsea Deines August 15
Shaun Doyle August 16
Zachary Dale Fulton August 16
Robin McHugh Campbell August 20
Kathy Poe August 22
Sharon Kamla August 23
Trey Phillips August 23
Marjorie Range August 25
Larry Kerbs August 27
Margaret Bond August 30
August Anniversaries

Larry & Sam DeLaney August 19, 1978
Dyke & Becky Kiel August 27, 1966
Ernie & Julie Sitz August 27, 1960
Jerry & Carol Janes August 28, 1960
Have you thought about getting involved with the St.
Paul Lutheran Church Council?? There are 3 people
who finish up their terms this year. Is this something
that interests you?? Please see Pastor or Sam for
more information or to let them know you are inter-
ested. Thank you!!
Mark Your Calendars:

September 7: Gods Work: Our Hands Sunday

September 14: Rally Sunday