Calvary Lutheran Church & School on YELP!

Calvary Lutheran Church & School April 2013 Greetings! Please be our guest... add a short description of the Calvary Lutheran School or Calvary Lutheran Church & School on YELP! Sincerely, Pastor Calvary Lutheran Church & School YELP! Needed ;-) Help Us Get The Word Out! www.yelp.com is an online resource for people looking for a variety of needs in their community.  Calvary Lutheran Church & School and Calvary Lutheran School are now on YELP. Please help us by going online and writing a review of the SChool and then of the Church! Yours in Chirst, Pastor

April E-Chronicle 2013

April E-Chronicle 2013 Quick Links January Financials February Financials April Birthdays 4/2        Katy Gerome     Marlene Mueller   4/4        Holly Jensen   4/5        Robert Ellis   4/6        Ethan Sosa   4/7        Al Naiman   4/9        Norma Blank   4/10      Rosalie Ellis         April Anniversaries 4/2   Russell & Norma Smith   4/6  Steve & Anne Ellis   4/8  John & Audrey Ohanesian   4/13  Stephen & Karla Regnier      4/14  Antonio & Aida Landaverde     4/19  Steve & Bernadette Vigneau      Pastor's Note Dear Friend, How Can A Pastor Forgive My Sins?   A recent article that I read included the above question. The context was that the person felt they had responsibility to "no one but God" and therefore didn't need or want anyone to forgive them.   This simple question is really two separate questions. Where does the Pastor get his 'authority' and where does the 'authority' to forgive, or retain, sins come from?   Let's look at the second question first. Luther's Small Catechism states the question (269) "What special authority has Christ given to His church on earth?" and answers it "Christ has given to His church the authority to forgive sins or to withhold forgiveness." The Biblical reference for this is Matthew 18:18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." This teaching is confirmed in John 20:22-23 where John records "[Jesus] breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."   The Church has given this 'authority' the name of the "Office of the Keys" since it works like a key to open heaven by forgiving sins, or to lock heaven by not forgiving them." Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven." However, this does not mean that the church of God has greater authority than God Himself, so the church cannot call that which God calls evil, good nor that which He calls good, evil.   The proclamation of forgiveness to a repentant sinner is the greatest joy in the church and of heaven above! Forgiveness for our sins is why Jesus went to the cross and died! The retention of sins is done solely to warn unrepentant sinners that, despite what they would like to believe, they are not on the path to heaven! It is both loving and courageous to so warn people.   So, understanding where the authority to forgive sins comes from, how does the Pastor have the authority to act in God's place? The Catechism answers this "The Christian congregation by the command of Christ call pastors to carry out the Office of the Keys publicly in His name and on behalf of the congregation. The pastoral office is a divine institution."   Accordingly, the Office of Pastor has special requirements. Some Biblical references for this are Eph. 4:11, Acts 20:28 and 1 Cor. 4:1 "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." And 2 Cor. 2:10 "What I have forgiven... I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake." And with regards to the Pastors qualifications, 1 Tim. 3:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:2 and 2 Tim. 2:15. Our church body has also exercised the "Office of the Keys" by further restricting the pastoral office by stating "our churches teach that nobody should preach publicly in the church or administer the sacraments unless he is regularly called." (Augsburg Confession XIV)   The Bible also warns pastors that they are going to be held to a higher standard, James 3:1 "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." And so it becomes the role of the congregant to pray for, aid and respect the Pastoral office.   Finally, does all this mean that only the Pastor can forgive sins? By no means, we may come to someone we have sinned against, confess to them, repent and ask their forgiveness AND they can forgive us for our sins against them! In fact, we pray in the Lord's Prayer that God will forgive us AS we forgive others!   In conclusion, the answer to the question, "How Can A Pastor Forgive My Sins?" is found in the words of Absolution we use in our Worship Service: "I, as a Called and Ordained servant in the stead and by the command of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."   In His Name,     Pastor Kelly   + Phil. 4:8   THIS & THAT The Experience- High School Youth Group Meets on Sundays from 6-8pm    Sunday School 10:15am in the Calvary Club Room.  Hope to see your kids there!   Prayer Quilters Meets on Wednesdays from 9am-12pm in the Parish Hall   Donations Leanna Mueller is donating the following items to anyone who may want it or need it:  1. Little Tikes bed w/ mattress shaped in a blue car 2. Plastic slide/sports theme (toddler size) Please contact Leanna Mueller for addition information, 510-276-9418   CALVARY PRAYERS    PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING Alicia Matthews gave birth on March 27th to a healthy baby girl.  Peace in the World President Obama and our country's leadership - For our soldiers in Afghanistan: James Greenleaf; for those overseas: Thomas Caspersen, Justin Higgins, David Oliver; for those in the Reserves- Jonathan Ellis, Frank Mitchell II; Talitha Benz, now stationed in Arizona   For our Staff Fred Brauer; Margie Luehrs; Chrystle Vincent; Traci McClain; Christina Grace; Bethany Chhom; Ellen Hackerd; Kristi Morlock; Mike Souza; Doug Henry; Kim Heggins; Blenda Schultz; Sherrie Akre; Carol Liston; Cecilia Guerra; Cindy Suppus; Lydiana Sanchez; Holly Contier; Pastor Kelly   Peace and Comfort Boston Marathon     Cancer Patients Larry Sousi; Marjorie Britts- kidney cancer; Ralph Foskett; Robert Kruger; Joanna Chan; Richard Cole; Melody Saldate; Pat Brown; Evelyn Asker   Healing Holly Contier Expectant mothers Jacqulyn Riley due in May; Amy Goldhammer due June; Nicole (Souza) Stark due August   Unemployed and/or underemployed Jerrie Moyer; Nancy Schibler   A Word From Kindergarten Change, Growth, & New Life As spring is upon us we are reminded of change, growth, and most importantly NEW LIFE. I am privileged to see this growth every day in my Kindergarten students! This school year was a change for all of us as the Kindergartners began a new school year with a new teacher and I began a new school year with an entirely new grade. This school year has been a joy as I have taught Kindergarten for the first time and relied on our Lord every step of the way. He has given me the excitement, energy, passion, and ability to teach these Kindergarten joys and share His love with each of them. We began the school year with 15 students; 10 boys and 5 girls. We experienced another change with the winter seasons as students moved away and our class became a class of 13; with 9 boys and 4 girls. We have enjoyed the change that comes with every season and now are seeing the blessing of NEW LIFE and our continued growth academically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually! As the season of Easter is upon us we have studied Jesus death and resurrection. We are studying the gifts of NEW LIFE all around us as we use our five senses to explore God's beautiful creation, including the NEW LIFE of animals and plants. In Religion we are studying God's insurmountable love, grace, and mercy in sending His only Son to die on the cross for us to forgive our sins and give us eternal life! The Kindergartners are learning about Jesus' resurrection and His defeat of sin, death, and the power the devil. We have been given NEW LIFE in Christ and have now inherited eternal life if we believe in HIM. In Science we are studying different animals and the NEW LIFE that comes as the baby bird hatches and bunnies are born. We have also studied the growth of plants and the stages plants go through, including the NEW LIFE of plants in the spring. It has been incredible to see the growth of every Kindergartner throughout the fall, winter, and now spring season. They have grown immensely in so many ways, including physically, emotionally, socially, academically, and spiritually. They have grown as they learn about manners, social skills, and what it means to be a student. It is amazing how much information these young Kindergartners can retain and how excited they are to learn. They are like wet sponges soaking up all I have to offer them. They are so proud as they all can count well past 100 in Math, they all know the names and location of the seven continents and four oceans in History, they all know the parts of a plant/flower in Science, they all know their days of the week, and have begun to READ! It is a joy to watch them grow and see the light bulb go on and see a child finally understand a concept or skill. We just finished out study of different fairy tales and had a blast at our Fairy Tale Ball. Pictures can be found on Calvary Lutheran School's facebook page. We have become a class filled with God's love and compassion. These Kindergartners really do serve each other and show one another God's love through what they do and say! May you all enjoy this Easter season and be reminded of the change, growth, and most importantly NEW LIFE that comes with spring. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. Love in Christ, Mrs. Chhom & Kindergartners     DATES TO REMEMBER Friday, April 26th 7:00pm (Calvary Church) Spring Production Preschool 1st & 2nd Grade     Saturday, April 27th 10:00am-12pm Blessing of Pets & Car Wash (Calvary Church/School parking lot)   Sunday, April 28th 11:00am Secret Sister Spring Breakfast - (Calvary Church Parish Hall)   Saturday, May 4th Wittenberg Spring Tea  Sunday, May 19th - Confirmation  (Calvary Church)   Wednesday, May 29 at 7pm Ohio Northern University National Tour Choir Concert VBS  August 5-9   Church Contacts  Pastor Kelly Smith:  ksmith@calvaryslz.org    Elders Hank Blank, Gerry Luehrs, Dave Mueller, Bill Sandau, Dave Schultz:  elders@calvaryslz.org BoG Barbara Adams, Sarah Anderson, Carol Adams, Rick English, Toni Troya:  bog@calvaryslz.org Accountant/Office Admin. Lydiana Sanchez:  admin@calvaryslz.org Church Secretary Holly Contier:  churchsecretary@calvaryslz.org  Calvary Lutheran Church

Dining for Dollars - Applebee's, Tuesday April 16th

Dining for Dollars  Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 16th at   Applebee's at Southland Mall from 4pm to 9pm. 24041 Southland Dr., Hayward Pick up a flyer from the school office or print your own from the link below.  Buy an Applebee's giftcard from the office beforehand and the school receives an even larger  percentage back.    Applebee's Flyer

Friday Talent Show & Sunday Worship

Calvary Talent Show Come Support Our Students! Friday evening from 6pm - 7:30.  Come and see the great Talents of our students! Pastor will be singing too. Also, This Sunday we will be having Modern Hymns, a different Order of Service and the Calvary Ringers Playing! Join us at 9am! Stay Connected

Bless your Pet - Get your Car Washed - Sat Apr 27 - 10-noon

Easter Greeting from Pastor and Pam

Dear Friends,  As we conclude Lent and prepare for the Joyous Celebration of Jesus' Resurrection, Pam and I wanted to wish all of you God's richest blessings!  Although this is our first Easter without at least some of our children or other blood relations, we rejoice in our new Church Family here at Calvary! We thank you for the warm welcome you have given us!  If we had only that to be thankful for, it would be enough!  However, God has given us even more to Rejoice in as we gather together with a worldwide family of believers in Christ and celebrate that HE IS RISEN! We wanted to thank everyone for their prayers for Pam's health!  And we wanted to thank all who participated in the Maundy Thursday Drama!  Especially Dave Schultz for coordinating and narrating! Make sure to set your clocks and join us in the morning for:   SONrise Service-6:30am Pancake Breakfast following 6:30am service Traditional Service-9am Community-Wide Easter Egg Hunt following 9am service!      In Jesus Name,   Pastor and Pam

Connections - March 6, 2013

A Newsletter of Calvary Lutheran  CONNECTIONS Prayer must mean something to us if it is to mean anything to God.

March 2013

IN THIS ISSUE _________________ Letter from the Pastor Article By Kristi Morlock Fiancial Report (Located in Narthex)

LETTER FROM THE PASTOR Hebrews 10: 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ!  Habits are hard to establish or to break!  Maybe you have even given up trying to control your habits?  Perhaps you have given up making New Year's resolutions or setting aside something for Lent.   In Hebrews, we see that this is nothing new!  Some in the Church have stopped attending; they have lost the 'habit.'  I am sure that many could tell you the reason(s) that they had stopped meeting together.  The donkey was sick, the children were unruly, they were working six days a week and the Sabbath was their only day off, etc. etc., etc.  Some probably had no real reason, they just had gotten distracted.  Each one, if asked, would most likely say that they 'knew they should be in Church' or that 'they intended to return, once life settled down.'  You may be thinking right now about who should be reading this!   If you haven't gotten in the 'habit' of not opening your e-chronicle.  Let me ask you about a few other 'habits' that seem to get crowded out in today's busy world, the 'habits' of daily prayer and daily Scripture reading.  Any positive 'habit,' or skill, that we stop – lessens us.  In modern language, "Use it, or lose it."   How do we get Back into the 'Habit' of doing something which we once did?  First, we need to remember the blessings that we received from the 'habit.'  In Worship, we are reminded of our absolute NEED for a Savior AND of God's mercy and forgiveness for us!  Plus, as we gather together, those around us are blessed by our presence!  Isn't it a joy to go somewhere where you are appreciated and welcomed?  Second, we need to give up our excuses, our wrong temporal priorities and focus on that which truly matters and lasts!  In my previous Parish, I had a number of young people and their families who didn't come to Worship because youth hockey or softball caused their priorities to shift!  I would love to say, "But it all worked out because now they play for the Sharks or the Giant's or A's", but no.  They sacrificed the option with Eternal importance for that which does not last.  To use a passage out of context, but it really isn't, "He who does not gather with me scatters." Matt. 12:30  I look forward to gathering with you this, and every, Sunday!  Yours in Christ, Pastor Kelly  +SDG+ Phil. 4:8 AN ARTICLE FROM OUR 4TH & 5TH GRADE TEACHER KRISTI MORLOCK   Joyous Sorrow By: Kristi Morlock 7th & 8th Grade Homeroom Teacher             It is only March and already I have heard, "Is it June yet?"  There are whispers of impatience on the lips of young and old alike. The anticipation of summer break seems to start earlier and earlier each year – or I am simply becoming more aware of it. As we begin to prepare for graduation – making decisions about the ceremony, banquet, dance, and the class trip the following day – I see both the end of something beautiful and the beginning of something even more remarkable. I feel the joy of setting free my students and the sadness of having to do the same.             Each year I have to fortify myself in the knowledge that my kids are not leaving us at Calvary so much as they are heading toward something even greater; they are heading toward their own destinies and bright futures. They are taking what they have learned here in this family and will add to it. Their foundations are nearly set; they are almost ready to build.             While we tend to get caught up in the to-do lists and details of graduation, applications to high schools, family trips, graduation and confirmation parties, and the like, there is more to prepare for. These young men and women are about to embark on a new and wondrous journey. One filled with joy, struggle, hope, chaos, victory, defeat, tears, and success. Choices they make in the coming years will help them fulfill their dreams and goals as they find and pursue their careers and passions. They will make new friends, find new activities that draw them in, as well as weed out those things that no longer appeal to them – or never did. They will begin to see more fully just who they are, and as they do so they will take with them not only the love of the Lord, but also the love of each and every teacher, student, parent, and parishioner who touched their lives. They must be prepared to make tough decisions and good choices while knowing they have the support of those who love them. They must be willing to accept defeat graciously while continuing to work diligently in the face of that defeat.               This year I have the honor of being the homeroom teacher to a very special class for a second year in a row. I have seen and been a part of their continued growth for at least the last three years.  I know we started out in unfamiliar territory despite having had two years together already, but it has indeed worked out.  We have enjoyed some great field trips, amazing learning moments as well as a few bunny trails that found us discussing real and meaningful topics. There have been challenges, and there have been triumphs. More importantly, there has been growth.             I do love the summer months. It is a time to spend with my other family, a time to relax and rejuvenate, as well as a time to prepare for the coming school year. I relish the joys of time with my husband and daughter as well as our annual visit to Montana to see my parents, extended family, and long-time friends. There are so many joys to celebrate in what is to come – yet I find myself fighting back tears as I ready myself to release such amazing young people to the future that is before them.             As a parent I have learned that there is a separate place in my heart reserved just for my little girl; as a teacher I have known that there is also a separate place in my heart for each and every student. I know one day I will have to let my baby grow up, move on, and move out, but that place in my heart will always be hers. So as I struggle with my own conflicting emotions about sending my Calvary kids on to continue their stories, I also know that their places in my heart will always be there – as will the memories we have made – as we built and fortified not only their educational foundations, but also their spiritual ones.

CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL 17200 VIA MAGDALENA, SAN LORENZO, CA 94580