Stay Focused! by Pastor Bill Wangelin

One of the most given instructions in driver’s training is “focus forward!” There are many

distractions for drivers, and they seem to be multiplying. Winter weather requires us to be

even more vigilant. It can be dangerous to lose our focus while driving, and in life. Our

families and even churches can lose focus.

There are a lot of things competing for our attention these days. Culture and society attract

our gaze with wealth, beauty, and power. Terror and violence grip our attention with fear and

uneasiness. Politics, health issues, and technology are all vying for our attention.

Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.” As disciples, as Christian families, and as a church and

school, we want to keep Jesus the center of our lives.

The centrality of Jesus in our worship at Our Savior is demonstrated by the stained glass cross that

commands our view during worship. In this cross, the life of Jesus is portrayed in seven panels. Jesus’ Birth,

Baptism, Transfiguration, Last Supper, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension are set before us. It is

through the life of Jesus that we find our life, our salvation, and our hope.

What keeps your family focused on Jesus throughout the week? Is it reading and discussing the Bible

together, or going over lessons from Christ Connections or Christian Studies? Is it making weekly worship a

priority and setting aside every Sunday as “the Lord’s day”? Maybe it is Christian art in your home, or Bible

verses that you place at your desk or in your car. Especially as we decorate our homes for the holidays, we

have the opportunity to stay focused on the Reason for the Season.

During Advent and Christmas, the front of our church fills with decorations – each of them pointing to the

Reason for the Season. Beginning in January, we will spend four months going through the Gospel of John.

This Gospel begins with John the Baptizer saying, “Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the

world!” (John 1:29). John’s Gospel helps us to stay focused on Jesus.

In this edition of Learn, Live, Share, you will see examples of how young and old alike at Our Savior are fixing

their eyes on Jesus through worship, Bible Study, and service. There is amazing ministry happening here!

Your participation, your support, and your prayers, are providing opportunities for people to grow in faith as

they follow Jesus. We pray that as we grow in faith as a church family, we would keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,

and the peace, joy, and hope we have in Him.

In Joyful Service to Jesus,

Pastor Bill Wangelin <><

First Bible Milestone Ministry by Kristine Julien & Meghan Morris

In this season of thankfulness we wanted to extend our thanks to

Mrs. Engelbrecht and Mr. Wright for teaching the First Bible

Milestone Ministry class this fall for the parents and first graders

here at OSL. As parents, one of our most important responsibilities is

teaching our kids to be hands on with the bible on a daily basis but sometimes that

can feel a little daunting. The Bible Milestone class was a wonderful refresher on how to have

family devotions and to use that time together to grow as a family in our faith. It was also a great way to

spend some time navigating the bible with our kids. One of the things we enjoyed most about the class was

going on a bible scavenger hunt. Finding verses with our kids, using the contents page in the bible to find

books of the bible and watching them get excited about their own bible was such a blessing. Another neat part

of the class was watching the kids sign their bibles, put a thumb print in it and reading together the notes we

as parents wrote to our kids in their bibles. Besides the scavenger hunt the Bible Milestone booklet also had

some great suggestions on how to incorporate devotions throughout the day and key verses in the bible to

share with our kids. This class was a great way to enhance family devotion time and also help equip our kids

for their own individual faith walk. Thank you to OSL, Mrs. Engelbrecht and Mr. Wright.

Advent Services & Events

How Can You Support Life?

by Deb Kamm

"I came that they may have life and have it

abundantly." John 10:10

These words of Jesus tell the story of Lutherans for

Life! He came and paid the ultimate price so that we

may have life. He wants us to choose life. We make

countless choices each day ranging from the easy

and obvious to the completely overwhelming. Isn’t it

great to have His holy Word that states “I have set

before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now

choose life, so that you and your children may live…”

Deuteronomy 30:19

Our culture bases human value upon what we are

able to do or not do. God bases human value upon

what He has done—created, redeemed, called! “But

now thus says the Lord, he who created you ... ‘Fear

not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by

name, you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1). That Good News

is the theme for Life Sunday, a special day set aside

for focusing on life issues such as crisis pregnancy,

abortion, adoption, creation, end of life, sexual purity,

post-abortion healing, and more.

There are several ways we can choose to support life

all through the year!

Participate in our annual Statewide Diaper

Shower (Mother’s Day – Father’s Day)

Participate in 40 Days For Life and/or Life Chain

Establish a Life Team in our congregation

Participate in Bible Studies on Life Issues

Attend the District Theological Conference on Life

Issues on April 16th (hosted by Our Savior)

Volunteer at and support our local pregnancy

resource center or other FOR LIFE organizations

in our community

Choosing life has nothing to do with political or social

agendas. It has everything to do with what God has

done! “I came that they may have life and have it

abundantly." AMEN!

~for more information, contact Deb Kamm at

5176945339 or d.kamm@comcast.net.

Advent Midweek Worship 2nd - 3rd Grade

O Christmas Tree

Wednesday, December 2 ● 7 pm

Advent by Candlelight Saturday, December 5 ● 2 pm

Early Childhood Christmas Program Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten,

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Let’s Dress Up for Christmas Sunday, December 6 ● 4 pm

Advent Midweek Worship 4th - 5th Grade

Tell the World Jesus Is Born

Wednesday, December 9 ● 7 pm

Advent Midweek Worship 6th - 8th Grade

The Carols of Christmas

Wednesday, December 16 ● 7 pm

The Living Nativity Saturday, December 19

5 pm – 7 pm

Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship (communion at each service)

Thursday, December 24 4 pm - worship band

7 pm - organ, handbells, choir, brass 10pm - piano, organ, strings

New Year’s Eve Worship Thursday, December 31

7 pm (Communion)

Financial Peace University by Michelle Stahl

According to personal

money-management

expert Dave Ramsey, 70%

of Americans are living

paycheck to paycheck.

Back in 2013, that was

Mark and me. Despite being well educated with a

healthy income, we somehow found ourselves in

the trap of believing that more is better and better

is best. Our poor financial state caused more than

a few disagreements and a whole lot of stress on

our relationship. Then the storm hit. We found

ourselves needing a large sum of money; money

that we didn't have. With no emergency fund and a

whole lotta debt, we knew something had to

change. A local church was offering Financial

Peace University (FPU) and we jumped at the

opportunity to take it. 21 months later our

consumer debt was reduced from $33,000 to zero,

we had a healthy emergency fund established and

we were giving generously and gladly to our church.

But even more, FPU strengthened our marriage

and brought us to God. Prior to then, we were not

part of a church family nor did we have much of a

relationship with God. By helping us refocus on the

truly important things in our lives and look beyond

all the stuff that goes back into the box, we were

able to dramatically change our lives for the better.

Financial Peace University is a nine-week program

that helps people eliminate their debt, take control

of their money, and learn new behaviors around

money that are founded on scripture.

I'm so excited to share that Paula Manning and I

will be hosting FPU, here at Our Savior beginning

on January 14th. (childcare available) To learn

more about the course, review the course outline

and register, visit www.daveramsey.com/fpu/

locations/class/1008365. If you have questions

about the course, please feel free to email me at

stahl.michelle22@gmail.com.

A Mountain Top Experience by Vicar Aaron Hauser

A few weeks ago our

confirmation class

went on their

confirmation

retreat to Camp

Arcadia. It was

truly a mountain

top experience;

one of those

memories from your life

that you’ll always remember. It’s one

of those places that you always want to go back to

no matter how elusive. This was my (Vicar Hauser)

first time at Camp Arcadia. I had heard plenty of

hype the weeks leading up to it so I was curious as

to how awesome it would truly be. I must say, it did

not disappoint. Aside from it being an indubitably

beautiful place, the true beauty lies in the people

you are with, in the conversations, in the memories

made, and of course, in all of that wrapped in

Jesus. It was an honor sharing all these memories

with the confirmation students in 7th & 8th grade,

ranging from the drive up, to playing soccer-tennis,

to the meals, to conversations about faith, to the

game of biffer and so many more. It is a unique

place where you can really get to know everyone

better, have fun, be deepened by an incredible

faith experience, and come away with a more

personal relationship with God. I thank God and

OSL for giving me the opportunity to go to Camp

Arcadia with this FANTASTIC group of students and

staff. All of you who shared these memories with

me have a special place in my heart. Thank you.

Coming Soon -- New Early Childhood Outdoor Play Space

The “little ones” at Our Savior will have a new outdoor play

space this spring, providing preschool through 1st graders

a single-level playing space. Currently, only two structures

on our existing playground are certified for this age group,

and they are at opposite ends of the playground. Having an

outdoor, fenced in, level play space opens up many

opportunities for outdoor play for younger students,

extension program, and summer camp. It greatly enhances

our early childhood program and can serve as an outdoor

classroom.

Watch for the fence going up

on the south side of the

building, just outside the

kitchen. Volunteers will be

needed to help install box

gardens, a canopy, and

other features. Special

donations can help us to

enhance this space with a

tricycle track, outdoor

kitchen, and more!

Start the New Year Off on the Right Foot by Jennifer Smith

At the end of 2012, I was scheduled to have foot surgery. As a

runner, it was extremely frustrating. I wanted to be out there

pounding the pavement with others who shared my passion.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be that winter. However, I found

a way to stay involved. I had received a couple of emails requesting

volunteers to work at the Resolution 5k on New Year’s Day. I had

never participated in this run but this was my chance. My chance to

volunteer, like so many had done at races I ran. I signed up,

showed up New Year’s Day and worked registration. After the race,

I assisted with presenting medals to the top 3 finishers in each age

group. What an amazing experience! Seeing the joy on the faces of

these runners was awesome!

The next year I decided that I would volunteer and run! What a

great decision! The course was well marked, the Eaton County

Sheriff’s Department assisted with traffic control and safety, and

course volunteers were helpful and encouraging. I have made this

run one on my annual events. I would highly recommend that you

come out to the Resolution 5k on January 1, 2016, as a volunteer

or participant. Get 2016 started on the right foot…and the left!

Register online or by mail-in form: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Lansing/Resolution5k. For questions or

to volunteer, contact Ryan Cummins at 989-620-1674 or email oursavior5k@gmail.com.

National Lutheran Schools Week

January 23-31

Life Together “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord.” ~1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV)

Jan. 23 PTL Winter Ball - Family Dance

All-School Sing at 8:00am & 10:45am Services

Jan. 25 Pray Together

Jan. 26 Learn Together

Jan. 27 Reaching Out Together, All-School Chapel 8:30AM

Jan. 28 Service Together School Spirit Day

“Blue Out” Our Savior Basketball Games

5pm Boys JV, 6pm Girls Varsity, 7pm Boys Varsity

Jan. 29 Play Together

Fall Field Experiences for

1st Grade & Kindergarten Church Members Enjoy Sharing God’s Creation

This fall students were invited to the garden and pumpkin fields of

Our Savoir Lutheran members’ Mr. & Mrs. Krause. Being in close

proximity to the church and school, the Krauses have been inviting

early childhood classrooms for science investigation and pumpkin

picking for decades. The Krauses love sharing the goodness and

joy of Jesus with others in God’s creation. Their hospitality begins

with a school door to field tractor ride. This year Ms. Allen’s

kindergarten class and Mrs. Engelbrecht’s first grade class toured

the friendly confines examining milkweed, learning about Monarch

butterflies, and exploring the fish-filled pond. Thank you for your

generosity and kindness as neighbors and friends in Christ, Al and

Mary Lou Krause. Jesus loves you and we love you too. From all

your student smiling friends!

OSL Food Bank Serves, Honors

Veterans

by Brad Ritter

One of the ongoing missions of the OSL Food Bank

has been an outreach to veterans in Ingham

County. Often, veterans from past service and more

recent deployments have found providing for their

families difficult, especially service members from

Iraq and Afghanistan who have had difficulty

re-entering the job market.

About 30 veterans were recognized this past

Veterans Day by Our Savior Lutheran School

students, who created pictures to send to veterans

served by the OSL Food Bank. The vets also

received cards honoring

and thanking them for

their service to our

nation.

As wintertime

approaches, the need for

warm winter clothing

increases at the OSL

Food Bank. Clients may

pick up a selection of

clothing from the “free

room” when they pick up

their food orders on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays

from 12:30-2:30 p.m.

“We always have a need for winter coats, snow

pants, hats, mittens and gloves, scarves and winter

-weight sweaters,” said Sharon Miller, OSL Food

Bank Director.

Clothing items may be dropped off at the OSL Food

Bank at 1515 W. Holmes Rd. during service times,

or in the church lobby donation station, near the

nursery.

Through October, the OSL Food Bank has served

7,731 people, representing more than 2,300

families. Of that service number, more than 3,000

are children under the age of 17.

“We issue five or six new pink cards (the ID cards

that OSL Food Bank clients use when they pick up

their food packages) each day we’re the open the

last several weeks,” said Frank Carman, who

oversees the statistical records for the Food Bank.

“The number keeps increasing every day.”

To drop off food or gently-used clothing at the Food

Bank, call 882-7750 during service hours.

Annual Our Savior Auction:

Did You Know?

The 2016 Auction Hoedown on Saturday,

March 5th at 4:30pm will be the 4th year that

the auction will be held in the Our Savior

Gymnasium

In the past 3 years, over $100,000 Has been

raised to further the ministries at Our Savior

Each year, an average of 150 items are up for

bid. Every donation makes a difference!

All desserts are donated for the dessert

auction each year. Many of which are

delicious homemade creations made by our

church and school families!

The generous donors who sponsor the auction

each year help offset the cost of food,

decorations and more, allowing more funds to

support Our Savior.

It only costs $35 per person or $240 for a

table of 8 to attend this fantastic event

supporting the many ministries of Our Savior!

Quarterly Newsletter ● Winter 2015-16

Our Savior Lutheran Church and School

7910 E. St. Joe Hwy

Lansing, MI 48917

7910 E. St. Joe Hwy, Lansing, MI 48917 www.oursaviorlansing.org

Our Savior Lutheran Church and School

Church

517-882-8665

Office Hours:

Mon - Fri: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Learn Live Share

School

517-882-3550

Office Hours:

Mon - Fri: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Worship Times

Sunday: 8:00am & 10:45am

Hmong Worship

Sunday: 10:45am

NONPROFIT

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

MAILED FROM ZIP CODE 48837

PERMIT NO. 3

December (See Advent schedule on page 3 for all Events) 19 5pm Living Nativity

24 Christmas Eve Worship

25 Christmas Day

31 New Year’s Eve Worship

January

1 New Year’s Day

10am Resolution 5K

14 Discover Our Savior begins

Financial Peace University begins

23 7pm Blizzard Blast Family Dance

24 Congregational Meeting

25 - 29 National Lutheran Schools Week

February

8 Re-enrollment Begins

10 7pm Ash Wednesday Worship

Winter Events at Our Savior