An ADULT Mission Trip

Here's an opportunity to serve and make a difference on the Rocky Boy's Reservation right here in Montana. It's a mission trip, but it's not for youth. It's for adults! Please read the letter below for information. And if you decide to go and serve, please let me know! (you can send me an email here: lindean@ctkbozeman.org)

A Letter from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church – Box Elder, MT

July 21, 2015

Greetings!

One thing I have learned as the pastor at Our Saviour’s on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, don’t be shy about asking for what you need! With that in mind, I would like to invite you, as individuals and as congregations, to participate in a service opportunity at Our Saviour’s.
August 29^th-September 3^rd, we will be hosting an adult Servant Group from Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN. The main project they will be working on is roofing two of our four cabins. We will be changing from rolled asphalt roofing to metal roofing.
Here’s the deal. We could use your help! It would be wonderful if we had enough volunteers so that we could get all four of the cabin roofs completed before winter sets in.
There is also the need to re-roof two sections of the asphalt shingles on the Big Church. This building is used by our congregation and our community as gathering space for VBS, Servant and Immersion groups, larger church services like Christmas and Easter, wakes and funerals, and many other things.
Besides needing people on the roofs, people will be needed on the ground as well to clear away stuff, take stuff to the dump, and help with other projects on our site. We can always use people to be part of the meal prep and clean-up crews.
The Servant Group will be arriving on Saturday afternoon (August 29^th), but the actual work on the roofs will not start until Monday morning (August 31^st). If you are willing to come and help with these projects on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (for any or all of those days), coming the night before would help you have a great start in the morning. The Servant Group from Zumbro will leave on Thursday, but we could continue the work on Thursday and Friday (September 3^rd and 4^th), if there were people interested in working on those days, too.
I wish we were able to offer this opportunity to you at no cost, but we are not in the financial position to do that. So, what we are asking is that you help with the food costs by donating $20 per day and if you are able to make an additional donation to help with the cost of materials that would be wonderful (but we are not asking for a specific amount for that).
We have space in our cabins for about thirty people, space in the Mission House for about ten people, and room for four RVs to hook-up to water, electric and sewer connections. Sorry, we don’t have the space to have couples stay together. And, because of the particular type of work we will be doing, this is an adult-only event. Young people who are high school and/or middle school age could help out, but they will, most likely, be back in school by then.
If you are interested in being part of this project, please contact me (Pastor Linda E. Webster) for more details. We’d love to have you come and participate.

Blessings,

Pastor Linda E. Webster
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
499 Mission Taylor Rd.
Box Elder, MT 58521-8983
www.oslcrb.org
406-395-4307

Middle School Service Plunge 2015

Last week, 10 CtK youth, plus a couple of their friends and some fabulous adults, joined middle school youth from Hope Lutheran Church for a week of worship, learning and SERVICE here in the Gallatin Valley.
The theme verse for the week was Micah 6:8 - He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Monday morning the group weeded at God's Garden, which produces thousands upon thousands of pounds of food for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and the Community Café.
Tuesday morning was spent on trail maintenance with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, at the Cherry Creek Fishing Access. It was hard work (there were blisters to be had!) but great to see the results of the effort, before and after.
Wednesday morning half the group went to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and packaged macaroni noodles into one-pound bags (finishing off a 1,000 pound box of noodles - that's a lot of pasta!). The other half of the group offered a free car wash, with donations accepted for the food bank.
On Thursday morning, the two groups switched places - half for a carwash, the other half to the Food Bank. This time, the Food Bank crew sorted eggs and repackaged unbroken eggs into cartons.
Friday morning, everyone headed to the Family Promise Day Center to help with cleaning, yard work and other projects.
Every afternoon included Bible study, lots of games, a crafty project, and worship.
It was a great week! Look for more photos in worship on a Sunday in the near future!

Middle School Service Plunge 2015 - the closest thing we got to a photo of the whole group.

Bishop Eaton's letter on the SCOTUS marriage ruling

ELCA presiding bishop offers letter on Supreme Court marriage ruling

6/30/2015 4:00:00 PM

            CHICAGO (ELCA) – The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), offered a pastoral letter June 30 to the 3.8 million members of the denomination in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples may now exercise the right to marry. The full text of the statement follows:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in the name of the crucified and risen Christ.

Last week the U.S. Supreme Court rendered its decision announcing the right of same-gender couples to have equal access to marriage. For many members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, this decision is a welcome sign of hope and a time for celebration. Other members of this church do not agree with the court's decision and remain deeply concerned because of their understanding of Scripture.

This decision affects each of us, some profoundly, and we are not of one mind. Let us continue to accompany one another with prayer, love and mutual respect as we reflect on this new reality and remember Paul's words in 1 Corinthians about the enduring power of God's love.

The ELCA social statement "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust" (2009) neither endorses nor forbids same-gender marriages and recognizes that we have differing understandings and convictions on this matter. In its decision, the court stated that "the First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths."

According to this church's social statement on human sexuality, all decisions about recognizing, supporting and holding publicly accountable same-gender relationships are entrusted to congregations.  Recognizing that the church is not of one mind on this subject, our 2009 actions provide that congregations and clergy should discern together whether to recognize such relationships and to what degree.

Pastors are to engage in conversation, discernment and partnership with the congregations who have called them prior to solemnizing or presiding over a same-gender marriage. On the other hand, no pastor is obligated to solemnize the marriage of any couple, same-gender or different-gender, whom the pastor cannot in good conscience marry.

As Lutheran Christians, we continue to be a church that engages in conversation and discernment in all aspects of our faith and life. Creating space for respectful conversation and dialogue continues to be an important part of our life together. A helpful resource for engaging in difficult conversations is "Talking Together as Christians about Tough Social Issues."

In addition, the ELCA Ministry to and with Same-Gender Couples and their Families Working Group remains in the process of completing its work. A report of the group's findings and possible recommendations will be presented to the ELCA Church Council at its November meeting.

We seek to see our differences as a gift to be celebrated as we live out that which unites us: the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ who leads us into mission and ministry in the world. In the midst of this change, we are first and foremost church – a church that proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ. May God bless, guide and strengthen you each day as you go in peace and serve the Lord.


The statement is available on the ELCA website at http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Letter_on_Supreme_Court_Decision.pdf,
the ELCA social statement "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust" at http://www.elca.org/en/Faith/Faith-and-Society/Social-Statements/Human-Sexuality?_ga=1.109044290.1780749877.1352499724
and "Talking Together as Christians about Tough Social Issues" at  http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Talking_Together_Social.pdf.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.8 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
Associate director, ELCA Publications and Public Relations
773-380-2956 or Melissa.RamirezCooper@elca.org
ELCA News: www.ELCA.org/news
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Lutherans
Living Lutheran: www.livinglutheran.com

- See more at: http://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7759#sthash.Zmf381HM.dpuf