Fall Bible Study @CLCValpo led By Walter Wangerin Jr. Galatians & 1st Corinthians

.....Beginning Monday, September 26, 2011

Please join us the fall for a bible study of the books of Galatians and 1st Corinthians with VU Senior Research Professor and National Book Award Winner Walter Wangerin, Jr.

For those looking for an entry into bible study and those seeking to add to their knowledge of scripture, all are invited and will find a place in this study.

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE:
GALATIANS AND 1ST CORINTHIANS
A BIBLE STUDY LED BY WALTER WANGERIN, JR


Date/Time:
Monday, Sept. 26th, 7 - 8 p.m.
(and every Monday thereafter)

Location:
Christ Lutheran Church sanctuary.

Registration not required.


For more information contact CLCVALPO@frontier.com
or call 219-462-6660

Ladies Come Join Us, New Bible Study Starts 10/25/11 -> The Tender Words of God

Come Join Us!

The Tuesday Evening Ladies Bible Study at Christ Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, IN is starting a new book study on 10/25/11:

The Tender Words of God – by Ann Spangler

God speaks words of: Compassion, Forgiveness, Peace, Strength, Protection, Love and Mercy, Blessing and Provision, Guidance, Faithfulness, Hope and Comfort, and Healing!

Jesus is The Last, Most Tender Word.

Enjoy the journey through the Old and New Testaments where scriptures are revealed that every human longs to hear.

We are a small group of ladies of all ages that enjoy fellowship, the study of God’s word (bring your own bible – we will share each others versions of scripture) and lifting up prayer requests.

Our meeting time is= 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm Room 120 on Tuesday Evenings starting October 25, 2011

Each Chapter of the Book is on a Different WORD. The book is not cumulative, so even if you miss a week of this study, you won’t feel lost :)

If you would like to join us, please sign up  CLCValpo@frontier.com  or  call 219-462-6660

We will be ordering the book if you need one, please let us know when you sign up if you need us to order you a book also-> the cost is $13.25 new.

Gifts and Talents, A Bible Study Outline For the Nominating Committee of CLCValpo

Nominating Committee,

As we think about those who will be the leaders into the future for Christ Lutheran Church of Valparaiso, it is imperative that the Nominating Committee understand the qualities required. In the church we call those gifts and talents. These are not necessarily the same, though they may be. Paul in his first letter to his protégée Timothy spends times describing the qualities of a deacon:

 “Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not greedy for money; they must hold fast to the m mystery of faith with a clear conscience. And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves blameless; let them serve as deacons. … Let deacons be married only once, and let them manage their children and their households well; for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” (1Timothy 3:8-10, 12-13)

In an understanding of the above passage, we as a church have applied this as a rule of thumb for the leadership of a congregation. Granted when Paul was writing he was referencing male leadership as that was the model for his day. However, I believe these qualities to be universal regardless of the gender of the leader. Also, we have massaged out some of this in the realization that in today’s culture not everything Paul was using as a measuring stick is useful.

When we talk about gifts and talents these are a bit more specific. Most of the information I am going to share here is from, Discovering God’s Vision For Your Life: You and Your Spiritual Gifts, developedby Kenneth C. Hauck, Tebunah Ministries, ©1998.

Dr. Hauck defines spiritual gift as:

“Spiritual gifts are unique endowments from the Holy Spirit, generously shared with Christians in community for building up the body of Christ in practical ways.”

He believes and so do I that every person is given at least one spiritual gift to use for the building up of the community of faith. Many people are endowed with several spiritual gifts as well. The one thing we as a Body of Christ can be assured of is that Jesus did not leave us bereft of all the gifts necessary to be His living presence in this community. We, the Congregation of Christ Lutheran Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, have been given all the spiritual gifts required to be about Christ’s business in God’s creation. So what are the spiritual gifts Dr. Hauck identifies? He has a group of twenty that are referenced in scripture. I will list them and the scripture references he provides as support.

1.       Proclamation – Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians12:10; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11.

2.      Servanthood – Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:5.

3.      Teaching the Faith – Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11.

4.      Encouragement – Romans 12:8.

5.      Generosity – Romans 12:8.

6.      Nurturing Leadership – Romans 12:8.

7.      Mercy ­– Romans 12:8.

8.      Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 12:8.

9.      Knowing - 1 Corinthians 12:8.

10.   Faith ­– 1 Corinthians 12:9.

11.   Healings – 1 Corinthians 12:9; 1Corinthians 12:28.

12.   Miracles – 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1Corinthians 12:28.

13.   Discernment – 1 Corinthians 12:10.

14.   Tongues – 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1Corinthians 12:28.

15.   Interpretation of Tongues – 1 Corinthians12:10; 1 Corinthians 12:30.

16.   Apostleship – 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11.

17.   Helping – 1 Corinthians 12:28.

18.  Visionary and Managing Leadership – 1Corinthians 12:28.

19.   Evangelism – Ephesians 4:11

20.   Shepherding – Ephesians 4:11

For each of these gifts as Dr. Hauck identifies them he has written up how he understands their definition. I have his whole system of gifts discernment in my library and will be more than happy to share these definitions with the Nominating Committee. I hope this is helpful and insightful as you accomplish the task of discerning the leadership for Christ Lutheran Church.

CLC Valpo

 Shalom

Pastor John

Premier Performance of a Musical Dramatization of the Story of Sarah and Abraham!

Mark Your Calendars and come join us on Tuesday Evening, May 24th, 2011 @ 7pm 
Christ Lutheran Church 
2610 North Campbell St. Valparaiso, IN 46385 

We've hosted Keri Burman's - Yadah Paraise Productions performances at church in the past. Great stories from the Bible brought to life like:

Queen Esther

Mary of Nazareth

Mary Magdalene

Now for the 1st time, the newly married Mrs. Keri Castro will be performing with her husband Daniel in their Premier Performance of a Musical Dramatization of the Story of Sarah and Abraham!

"Through songs and monologues, one couple describes how faith and trust in God's timing led to blessings beyond compare in their lives and marriage."

So, if you would like to join us on Tuesday Evening, 5/24/11 @ 7:00 pm please call Paula Starek at Christ Lutheran Church 219-462-6660 or email CLCValpo@Frontier.com
There is no charge to attend - (free will offerings for Mr. & Mrs. Castro are appreciated).
We just ask you please RSVP in advance by Sunday 5/22/11
- Refreshments provided after the presentation.
Check out CLCValpo's Social Media Sites:

CLCValpo on Facebook

CLCValpo on Twitter

CLCValpo on You Tube

CLCValpo's BLOG

Prayer Vigil @ Christ Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, IN on 4/12/11 Come Join Us!

On Thankful Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Let’s come together in prayer, filled with thankfulness for 32 years of faithful ministry to CLC from Pastor Jerry W. Castleman
Pr. Castleman will retire after Mothers Day in May. May Almighty God continue to bless Pastor and his family during his retirement.


We Invite You to Join Us to Ask for God's Blessings and Lift Up Those in Need by attending a

Public Prayer Vigil
on
Tuesday, April 12

anytime between
9:00 am to 9:00 pm
at the
New Sanctuary of

Christ Lutheran Church
2610 N. Campbell St. Valparaiso, IN 46385
Map

219-462-6660 or clcvalpo@frontier.com


Please commit to participating on this Thankful Tuesday
in the Sanctuary
or in your heart
at a specific time of your choosing.

Come Join Us, All are Welcome Here!

Praying The Names of Jesus - A New Ladies Bible Study at Christ Lutheran Church in Valpo

Opportunity Knocks!

Did you ever want to join a Ladies Bible Study?

How about one that is flexible enough that you can plug in any given Tuesday Evening, and even miss a week and not fall behind, because the topic is NEW each week. Your chance starts April 5th, 2011 at 7:15 pm – Mark your calendar!

The Study “Praying The Names of Jesus” (written by Ann Spangler from Grand Rapids, MI), Will be held in Room 120 @
Christ Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, IN and consists of:

• Reading the Weekly Lesson aloud

• Reading & Reviewing associated Bible passages of scripture(we all have different versions of the Bible, bring your own or we can lend you one if needed)

• Answering a few thought provoking questions written by the author

• Prayer time (requests)

• Fellowship and Laughter

"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Matthew 18:20

Come Join Us Ladies – All are welcome here!

For more information contact Paula Starek @ clcvalpo@frontier.com or call 219-462-6660

Facilitated by Grace Safrin

Christ Lutheran Church serves as a Great Commission congregation

Christ Lutheran Church serves as a Great Commission congregation.

· We love our neighbors who need our help inside and outside of the church.

· We attempt to invite those who are “disconnected” from Jesus Christ or from a church home to join us in loving God and loving our neighbors.

We begin by realizing what only God can do, and then what we can do. Only God, the triune God, can convince people of their need for a Savior, forgive sin, give faith, bring people to repentance and conversion, and give people lasting peace and hope.

We can model Christ’s love by building relationships based on trust and caring, and helping others to meet their needs in a culture, where Christian service and friendship can make a huge difference. If our lives reflect more love and caring, then more people would be encouraged, empowered and equipped to act in neighborly ways.

It’s about WE. We will pray. We will invite. We will serve gladly. We will shine!

We will pray, in Jesus’ name, for people “disconnected” from Christ or a church home.

We will pray, in Jesus’ name, that the work of Satan in our community will not disunite more lives.

We will pray, in Jesus’ name, that God’s love will shine through us so that others see that God is good.

We will invite people to meet Jesus with us.

We will pray that the Holy Spirit will be active in all hearts -- to soften the hard-hearted and to ignite the believers to shine the love of Jesus.

We will pray that the Holy Spirit will open all eyes and ears to God’s word and the love of Christ.

We will invite people to come for worship and to serve gladly and help others.

We will pray, in Jesus’ name, to shine God’s love to make new friends and build caring relationships in our community.

We will pray that the Holy Spirit will give people confidence to “connect” with Christ in this congregation.

We will pray that the Holy Spirit will ignite the light of Jesus to shine on others in this congregation and in the community -- to serve gladly and to help others.

It’s about WE. We invite you . . .

· We invite you to an all day public PRAYER VIGIL on Tuesday, April 14. We will welcome you to Christ Lutheran’s new sanctuary -- joining others in the Valparaiso community to thank God for the faithful service of Pastor Jerry Castleman, who will retire on Mothers Day. Pastor Castleman has served as a Pastor of the Great Commission at Christ Lutheran for 32 years. Also, this is an occasion to ask almighty God to continue to look on Pastor, and his family, with grace and favor.

Karen Seykowski - Evangelism Chair, CLCValpo