Cross Lutheran Church
End-of-Summer Newsletter 2013
Pastor’s Corner
September is the month of change for many of us. We're trying to get our last vacations in before the start of the school year. The idea of changing closets and packing up summer clothes and getting out fall and winter clothes is upon us.
It is the beginning of the Fall season for those of us in the Midwest. The landscape silently explodes with vibrant colors of red, yellow, and orange. The leaves begin to drop off the trees, providing endless hours of jumping into leaf piles for kids and raking them back up for parents! Baseball season hits the homestretch, while football season is just warming up. Temperatures begin to drop, nights begin to get longer, and all the woodland critters are storing up for the long haul of winter.
September is also the month we celebrate Labor Day. It is the perfect time to be reminded how much we are thankful for those whose labor on our behalf. These past 6 months have been one of transition and change. I would like to thank our staff at Cross for hanging in there and putting in extra hours as we all made concessions to cover our programming and ministerial needs during this very busy time:
· the Council for the demanding needs of the business of the church
· the Elders and Trustees for stepping up to take care of our members with visits, calls and letters and our building in caring for the needs of restoration in much needed repairs to the parsonage roof, belfry and installation of new elevator and grounds maintenance
· our wonderful HR team for putting in many hours for drafting the responsibilities for the Assoc. Pastor/Director and Custodian position and diligence in managing the interviews and selection of a new custodian
· the Youth & Education team did not have much of a break this year with the Peace Awards in June, Summer Enrichment Program and VBS in July and August
We thank you for your wonderful dedication to our children and youth and blessings on the upcoming year as we prepare for Sunday School and Adult Forum. Yes, at times the labor is long, but the fruits are plentiful.
The demands of this season can makes it easy for us to get caught up in the new schedules and routines that we are creating and implementing for the new season. Try and be mindful that God is still in charge and wants us to remember his Spirit and let that guide us as we move through our days and nights, being cognizant of the many blessings that we have been given and the awareness to transform our woes and misgivings into growing edges and new challenges to im-
prove our character and lives with integrity and purpose.
Cross is truly a unique faith community with so many gifts and talents. Let us continue to move forward out of a spirit of abundance in which we can continue to be a blessing to our partners, community and each other.
Happy Fall,
Pastor Michelle
VBS Family Fellowship Team
Many thanks for your wonderful Spirit and willingness to be servants for our family fellowship in Crafts, Games, Prizes, Bible study & Meals.
New Church Custodian
We give thanks and blessings for Les Brockman. Be sure to give him a hearty
"Hello" as we welcome his sunny spirit to the Cross Staff as our custodian.
September 15—Sunday School Rally Day
Mark your calendars for the begin-ning of bible learning fun! We kick off our registrations and preview of 2013-2014 curriculum with a meet and greet fellowship after worship. We would appreciate
$5.00 donations for covering supplies, snacks and curriculum for 2013-2014 year.
Bridges Tutoring Program
If you have a child entering 4th grade - 12th grade and would like to have individualized tutoring, please contact Pr. Michelle or the office with the age & grade of your child. We offer a meal, fun activity and emphasize reading proficiency, math and science. Vocational career field trips are part of curriculum. A nine month commitment is necessary and participation is limited, so don't wait. Register now!
Volunteer Opportunities
Time and Talents
· Sign up to donate a meal for the Bridges Tutoring Program
· Facilitators for Choices Girls Group
· Facilitators/mentors for Challenges Boys Group
· Adult Center Facilitator (Part of a Team--Monthly and/or Quarterly)
Goods
· Hygiene for Bread of Healing Ministry (Toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, lotion)
· Food for Bread of Healing Ministry (Canned Veggies, Soup, Mac n Cheese, Peanut Butter, Rice, Noodles)
· White Grape Juice for Communion
· Dry Erase Markers/Wipes for Conference Room
Call Committee Update
It's been a productive couple of months for the Call Committee seeking out our new Associate Pastor/Director of BOHEM. After sending out a posting to various places, both inside the church and out, we received a number of responses. Although we've heard the position seemed overwhelming to some, we did receive applications and have held interviews with strong candidates. The application period closed on 8/9, so the Committee is moving forward in the process. One of those steps was meeting with the Bishop this week to discuss the candidates and next steps.
The Call Committee, along with the Church Council, will make a recommendation to the membership at a special meeting, where discussion and a vote will be held. The current timeline is for the meeting to be on Sunday, September 29, and the position itself to be filled in Early October. A couple factors could impact this schedule, however, so watch for updates.
For a summary of the job and complete job description, visit our website. A link is on the homepage sidebar.
Call Committee Members: Dr. Terry Spears Barnett, Chair; Dr. Tom Jackson, Linda Radder, Trisha Dent and Emory Churness
Notes from the Parish Nurse
In the last newsletter, I wrote about the different kinds of arthritis. In this newsletter, I’d like to talk about how to live with arthritis.
Research has shown that people with a positive attitude often experience less pain and limitation from their arthritis and adopt more healthy lifestyle measures. These health lifestyle measures include:
Reducing stre-- muscle tension occurs with stress--this tension can worsen your arthritis pain. There are many ways to relieve stress including journaling, meditation, taking deep breaths, and having someone to share your issues with. Learn what causes stress in your life and then either avoid these situations or change how you react to them.
Losing excess weight--Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial, it can help reduce the pain in your lower limbs.
Taking time to relax--I mentioned meditation earlier in this article, learn what helps you to relax. For some people it might be prayer and reading their Bible. For some it may be other reading or listening to music. For others, it may be taking a walk or doing yoga or tai chi. You might also try something as simple as massage or tightening and relaxing different muscle groups throughout your body to help relax your muscles.
Understanding your pain--There is a difference between pain that occurs with general joint discomfort and pain caused by joint overuse. When a joint is damaged, pain may occur even though the joint is not inflamed and you have not overdone an activity. However, when pain comes on quickly or lasts for more than an hour or two after an activity, you may be overdoing it or doing an inappropriate activity. Learn to understand what is causing your pain.
Knowing when to rest--How will you know when to rest? You may feel your joint become tired--this is a signal to back off or change activities. Painful, inflamed joints may require total rest or even an immobilizing splint for some time. It is also important to get a good night’s sleep--something that is being called “whole-body rest.” Talk to your health care provider for tips on getting a better night’s sleep. It can also be useful to rest during the day by putting your feet up and relaxing for 10 – 15 minutes as well as planning at least 10 minutes of rest for every hour of physical exertion.
Using assistive devices--many products are available to make everyday living easier for people with arthritis. There are jar openers, devices to extend your reach and aids to help you dress and make eating easier. Some people may not want to use these devices; they may consider them a form of weakness. Others realize, however, that our lives are full of assistive devices such as cars, washing machines, and microwaves and are happy to have the assistive devices to preserve the function of their joints for as long as possible.
In addition to adopting health lifestyle measures, it is also important to find ways to treat arthritis pain without medications. (Don’t worry, next month I will discuss pain medications used for arthritis). Pain medications may be necessary “down the road” however, the following techniques may also be helpful.
Cold and heat: Applying cold for occasional pain flare-ups can dull the sensation of pain and reduce swelling and inflammation. You can apply cold several times per day with ice packs, ice massage with an ice cube, or by soaking the affected joint in cold water.
Applying heat to a joint may be done with a hot pack or heating pad, by taking a hot shower or bath. Alternative heat methods can include a heat lamp or a warm paraffin wax bath for your hands. If joints are sore, but not inflamed or swollen, heat is great to ease the pain, relax muscles that are tense and painful, and increase blood flow to the affected region. You must take care to avoid frostbite or burns.
Topical creams, gels, or sprays: These are usually non-prescription products which produce either a warm or cool sensation. These products come with a variety of active ingredients. Ben-Gay, Aspercreme, and Sportscreme may reduce inflammation in muscles and joints, as well as products containing capsaicin may also help reduce pain.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): Electrodes are taped to your skin and a small painless electrical current is delivered to the joint area. This may reduce the pain, however, but not everyone benefits from TENS therapy. This is a treatment to discuss with your health care provider.
Visco-supplementation: This involves injecting a form of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance found in healthy joint fluid, into knee joints that are painful. This is usually done only after more conventional pain relief methods have failed. The injections are given over several weeks, when effective pain relief can last for six months or longer.
Physical and occupational therapies: A physical therapist can teach you exercises to help you maximize your physical abilities with less pain. The occupational therapist can help you maximize your abilities for at home to work with adaptation and assistive devices. The therapists may also help you with custom devices such as wrist splints, shoe inserts, knee braces, or a cane.
Psychological therapies: Sometimes a psychologist or psychiatrist may be able to help find therapies that may help relieve your arthritis pain. The goal will be to make positive changes to cope with adjustments and to improve your ability to cope with stress, setbacks, and to learn to live a great life despite what is happening to you.
(Adapted from the Mayo Clinic Health Clinic Special Report – Arthritis, 2012)
In addition to all these helpful suggestions, use prayer and other spiritual supports as well as friends and family to get you through the “rough” times.
Next month I will discuss the pain medication choices for arthritis.
Take care and have a great September!
Your Parish Nurse Linda
Book Club Update
The book club is now reading The Good Braider written by Terry Farish. We will be discussing the book on Friday, September 6, at 1:30 p.m. at Pat Coleman’s home, 8949 N. Iroquois Rooad, Bayside. All are welcome, even if you haven’t read the book. Please bring a dish to share if possible.
Pastor Jacobsen Retires
After 26 years as pastor of Incarnation Lutheran Church, Pastor Dennis Jacobsen is retiring. Please join Incarnation in wishing him a farewell on Sunday, September 8, at their 9:30 a.m. church service with a reception to follow. The church is located at 1510 W. Keefe Avenue. If you cannot attend and would like to make a monetary donation, please contact Nicole Owens at 414-889-4003 or email .
Cross Adult Center
The Cross Adult Center will resume on Tuesday, September 10. Everyone is welcome! If you are in need of transportation to or from the center, please give Les Brockman a call at 871-6784. We hope you had a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you on the 10th.
Second Lesson Readers for September
Sept. 1 Michelle Glover, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Sept. 8 Tracy Harris, Philemon 1-21
Sept. 15 Brad Hausler, 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Sept. 22 Judi Hunter, 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Sept. 29 Ann Hogan, 1 Timothy 6:6-19
Calendar
Sun., Sept. 1 Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Mon., Sept. 2 Office closed for Labor Day
Wed., Sept. 4 NO BOHEM programs today
Sat., Sept. 7 Trustee meeting, 9 a.m. – noon
Cross Youth Praise Team practice, 10 a.m.
Cross Comm. Gospel Choir practice, 11 a.m.
Cross Praise Choir practice, 12:30 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 8 Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Mon., Sept. 9 Finance/Stewardship Comm. meeting, 5:45 p.m.
Tues., Sept. 10 Adult Center resumes, 9:30 a.m.
Wed., Sept. 11 BOHEM, 11:45 a.m.