December 2013

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! “It is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” I Corinthians 4:2 You are encouraged to attend the LAST “We Say Yes” gathering to be held during Sunday School on Sunday – December 1 in Herbie’s Café! We will talk about what we will say yes to in Mission & Ministry at Atonement for 2014. Each member of Atonement will be given the opportunity to make financial commitments and to share how you will use your Time & Talents in our shared Mission & Ministry! This is a very important time to pause and consider together what our next step will be in staffing for the continued growth of Atonement! As you know Bethany Thier has accepted a full time position at St Norberts and our Director of Youth and Family Ministry - Jolyn Helgeson will be stepping down as of the end of December. Because of these changes in staffing it will be very important to consider together how we will staff for our continued growth in mission & ministry in 2014 and beyond. Your input is very important!! Sunday – December 1 10:00-11:30a.m. During this time of change in staffing which in packs our mission & ministry together I would ask the following of you: 1. Be in prayer about our future and also for me your pastor, staff and church council! 2. Volunteer to help! There are a number of ways you can be of help to me your pastor so that I do not over do it. I am still recovering from major surgery which means working shorter days so I can do self care therapy. A list will be posted very soon of some of the ministries you could volunteer to help with. 3. Stop in to visit with me about any questions and or concerns about our ministry together with limited staff. Your input at this time is very important and I welcome your suggestions and support! 4. Attend a We Say Yes Gathering in November! This is a very important time to come together as we consider where God is taking this church in Mission and Ministry! 5. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! This is so very important for us to do as a congregation. Unbinding Your Soul has reminded me of the power of prayer to not only give us direction but also renewed energy. Come to our prayer gatherings on Friday evenings at 6:00p.m. See you at one of the “WE SAY YES” GATHERINGS!! In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

PJ's November 2013 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! “It is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” I Corinthians 4:2 You are encouraged to attend one of the “We Say Yes” gatherings to be held during the month of November at Atonement. We will talk about what we will say yes to in Mission & Ministry at Atonement for 2014. Each member of Atonement will be given the opportunity to make financial commitments and to share how you will use your Time & Talents in our shared Mission & Ministry! This is a very important time to pause and consider together what our next step will be in staffing for the continued growth of Atonement! As you know Bethany Thier has accepted a full time position at St Norberts and our Director of Youth and Family Ministry - Jolyn Helgeson will be stepping down as of the end of December. Because of these changes in staffing it will be very important to consider together how we will staff for our continued growth in mission & ministry in 2014 and beyond. Your input is very important!! Sunday – November 3 10:00-11:30a.m. Sunday – November 3 4:00-5:30p.m. Tuesday – November 12 11:30-1:00p.m. Wednesday – November 13 6:00-7:30p.m. Thursday – November 21 11:30-1:00p.m. During this time of change in staffing which in packs our mission & ministry together I would ask the following of you: 1. Be in prayer about our future and also for me your pastor, staff and church council! 2. Volunteer to help! There are a number of ways you can be of help to me your pastor so that I do not over do it. I am still recovering from major surgery which means working shorter days so I can do self care therapy. A list will be posted very soon of some of the ministries you could volunteer to help with. 3. Stop in to visit with me about any questions and or concerns about our ministry together with limited staff. Your input at this time is very important and I welcome your suggestions and support! 4. Attend a We Say Yes Gathering in November! This is a very important time to come together as we consider where God is taking this church in Mission and Ministry! 5. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! This is so very important for us to do as a congregation. Unbinding Your Soul has reminded me of the power of prayer to not only give us direction but also renewed energy. Come to our prayer gatherings on Friday evenings at 6:00p.m. See you at one of the “WE SAY YES” GATHERINGS!! In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

PJ's October 2013 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! What an amazing adventure I was blessed to go on these last 6 weeks! I must say I was not at all sure what to expect! I had visited many people in the hospital over the years but I have no memory of ever being the patient. (My mom has told me many stories of being the hospital as a young child – but I do not remember them). So going to St Vincent on the Tuesday morning – August 6th at 5:30 am was all new to me. What would I feel? What would I see? How will the beds feel? Will I have much pain? Will I be able to sleep? And how does one take care of that most basic of all functions – you know what I mean! It has to do with the bathroom! As you can tell I like anyone else had my questions and doubts and some fear about what this journey would all be like. Little did I know what God had in store for me! Little did I know how my relationships with my wife, sons and friends would become an amazing gift that would teach me what it means to be loved and cared for! You see since October of 1981 I had been the one standing by the bed side of family, friends and parishioners as the pastor. I spoke the words of hope and I placed my hand on their heads and prayed the prayer of blessing for healing and strength and comfort and peace. But now for the first time in my life I was the one in the bed! I was the one that needed help getting in and out of the car & the bed! I was the one that hungered to hear the words of hope and comforted I had spoken so many times! I was the one that looked with great anticipation for a familiar face to walk into that hospital room or into our home! And you know what? I was not disappointed! Over and over again you were for me Gods hands to take my leg and lift it up when I had no strength to do such a simple thing! Over and over again you were for me Gods voice that spoke those words of encouragement and love and understanding that I needed to hear when the days would get long and the ongoing challenge of therapy unending! Over and over again you were for me God’s incarnate Word when you would show up at the hospital or our home and the smile and the greeting of your touch gave me strength! And when I could not sleep because of the pain and discomfort you where their over the internet as I would have conversations at 2 or 3 in the morning by texting – yes you heard me texting! You have no idea how up lifting it was to read your words and to know in the darkness of the night I was not alone – you were being God’s Holy Spirit letting me know that I was not alone! And then there were the countless cards that keep showing up in the mail! I could not believe it! I read every single one of them over and over when the days got challenging and the nights got long! How can I begin to thank you for all the ways you where to me God’s hands, voice of promise and encouragement? Words can’t begin express my gratitude for each and every expression of support and love! You were being the church in the way God calls us to be! You were willing to walk with me in my time of need and I thank you!! I was also deeply touched and challenged by the 40 day journey we took together called “Unbinding Your Heart”! Wow! I can’t begin to count the number of times I would sit down at the dining room table at 3 or 1 in the morning and I would open God’s Holy Word to read things like: “Nothing can separate you from the love of God” or “ and she reached out to touch Jesus’ robe” or “Beloved let us love one another” or “I will send you the gift of the Holy Spirit” or “And he left the 99 and went looking for the one lost sheep” or… It seemed like each day when I opened to read there was ready for me just that word I needed to remember! As a result of this amazing 40 day adventure I am looking for 12 people to join me on another adventure! No – we are not going to the hospital or to therapy. But I can promise whoever is willing to join me on this next adventure you will have your life transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit at Work! I have no doubt! So far I have one person who has taken on this invitation to go on this spiritual life changing adventure! Call me or E-mail me or Text me that you are ready to go!! I’ll be waiting to hear!! The adventure will not begin until I have a total of 12!! Let me end with the first Words of Scripture I read the morning of my surgery: “The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in prayer let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus!” THANK YOU!! In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

PJ's July 2013 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! It is coming soon! Soon I will be going into the hospital for a knee replacement. This will take place on Tuesday – August 6th at St Vincent. I am so thankful that we have Bethany on staff full time. She has been a wonderful partner in ministry and will be a great blessing during my recovery time. I am told by my doctor that I will be out of work for 6 weeks. That’s hard for me to imagine but I continue to hear from others who have gone through this that I will need to focus my energy and time on rehab. I have begun to plan ahead through September – as much as possible. But I am asking for your help! I do not want Bethany to have to carry the whole load by herself! What follows are some ways you can use your gifts & time in the ministry we do together! 1. Bethany & Jairo & Pastor Stan will team up to take care of preaching and preside at Holy Communion. It may happen that we will not have communion every Sunday & Wednesday. You can help with worship in the following ways: Liturgist, Children’s Message, Help Serve Holy Communion, Turn on & off P.A System & Lights, Unlock & Lock Church Building, and be sure Ushers & Greeters & Reader & Acolyte are present. 2. Teaching of Confirmation will be taking place in September with the 7th – 9th graders and during August with a student who is planning to be confirmed in August. I will arrange for a pastor to be present for the August confirmation. You can help Bethany with the teaching of classes in September. We will have 7th graders doing Old Testament, 8th graders the Small Catechism and 9th graders doing “Who Is Jesus Christ!” 3. We are making plans for Sunday School in the fall now! There will be a meeting about Sunday School for all interested parents and other adults the later part of June or the first part of July! Please share your hopes for this part of our ministry with Pastor Jim or Bethany and be sure to attend the planning meetings. We will also need teachers and helpers!! 4. The Mid-Week Service and Barbeques will continue in August. Bethany will take care of the worship service and the speakers will be arranged for each Wednesday. You can help with the following: Setting up for Worship & the Meal, Help with the Holy Spirit Doves, Prepare, Serve and Clean Up after the meal. 5. Visitation will continue as needed. It would be helpful if someone would stop in to visit with those in our parish that can not join us for worship. There will be a display set up in the entry way for you to sign up to share your time and talents in the above areas of ministry! I am thankful for the staff God has blessed us with as well as members who are willing to serve. Like our United2Serve verse says: “Each one should use whatever gifts he or she has received to serve.” I Peter 4:10. Or I also like these words of Paul from Philippians 1: 3- “I thank my God every time I remember you, In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel!” In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

Pastor's June 2013 Blog

GETTING TO KNOW YOU!!! Just to remind you to stop at the GETTING TO KNOW YOU display on Sunday mornings to sign up to have either Bethany or myself stop over for a visit this summer. The purpose of these visits is to get to know you better, to share the vision the church council has for Atonement over the next few years and to hear what your hopes are for the Mission & Ministry we do together. Do stop by and sign up today! Thank you for your wonderful financial support of Atonement over these first 4 months of 2013. Your gifts have made it possible to move forward with the proclamation of the Gospel so that others may come to know Jesus Christ! May we continue to give out of Joy for what Christ has done for us! If you have any questions about our financial position you can direct them to a member of the Church Council. We give because Jesus gave His life for you and me. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in him may not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 SEE YOU AT WORSHIP! Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)

PJ's May 2013 Blog

GETTING TO KNOW YOU!!! Just to remind you to stop at the information table on Sunday mornings starting in May to sign up to have either Bethany or myself stop over for a visit this summer. The purpose of these visits is to get to know you better, to share the vision the church council has for Atonement over the next few years and to hear what your hopes are for the Mission & Ministry we do together. Do stop by and sign up today! Thank you for your wonderful financial support of Atonement over these first 4 months of 2013. Your gifts have made it possible to move forward with the proclamation of the Gospel so that others may come to know Jesus Christ! May we continue to give out of Joy for what Christ has done for us! If you have any questions about our financial position you can direct them to a member of the Church Council. We give because Jesus gave His life for you and me. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in him may not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 SEE YOU AT WORSHIP! Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)

PJ's April Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” Luke 24:17 Do you enjoy taking a walk? I can not wait for the snow to melt so that I can go for some walks in the neighborhood and on some of the many area trails. There is so much to see and enjoy when one goes for a Walk. We are reminded of a few people who went on a walk with Jesus. At first they did not know who he was as they walked along talking about the things of life. It can be that way sometimes when one goes on a walk with a friend. One ends up talking about all sorts of things. So it was on the road to Emmaus that day with Jesus. These two men were opening up their lives to Jesus! It was further down the pathway that they came to realize who was walking with them that day – it was Jesus! I want to invite you to a WALK WITH JESUS that will take place at Atonement on Sunday – April 21. Together we will discover again just who Jesus is and what he is up to in our lives. We will encounter Jesus in the manger, walking on the water, feeding 5,000 people, healing a man, sharing a parable, dying on the cross and the empty tomb. The WALK WITH JESUS will begin at 2:00p.m. that Sunday afternoon and it is open to everyone. All of our confirmation youth are expected to participate in some way. LET’S GO FOR A WALK!! ********************************************************************** The visits begin! Starting in April Bethany & I will start our VISIT EVERY HOME CAMPAIGN! It is our intent to visit each household in the Atonement family over the next year. The goal for these visits are as follows: *To get to know each other better! *To hear what your hopes are for Atonement! *To share the vision the Church Council has for the next three years! I am looking for two people who would be willing to help us arrange these visits. We plan to do 4 or 5 visits each week. This is another way that we can grow in our understanding the Mission & Ministry Jesus is calling us to embrace! See you soon! In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

PJ's March 2013 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! “Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life!” John 6:35 Bread! I do love the smell of bread baking! I so enjoy taking a bite out of a piece of bread when it is still warm and has some butter and strawberry jam on it. Bread is just one of those food items that we all enjoy and is going to be the focus for our consideration on Wednesday evenings. Now I am not talking about Wonder Bread or some other brand. What I am talking about is the one who claims to be the Bread Of Life – Jesus Christ. Consider with me for a moment each letter of the word BREAD and what it may remind us about our relationship with the BREAD OF LIFE: B February 20 / Broken, Baptism, Believe, Bitter, Battle, Beautiful, Begotten, R February 27 / Ready, Remember, Redeemer, Renew, Rest, Rise, Rain E March 6 / Enough, Everlasting, Eternal, Enlighten, Expectation, Eating, A March 13 / Abundant, Alive, Abide Ask, Atonement, Alone, Anointed, D March 20 / Death, Deliver, Dust, Dying, Dark, Delight, Descendent, Each Wednesday evening we will enjoy some homemade Bread & Soup that will be served by our youth. The freewill offering taken for the meal will help support getting our youth to camp and mission trips. Following the meal we will gather for worship and celebrate and explore what it means to be in relationship with the one who is THE BREAD OF LIFE. The offering given during worship will be to help our Seminarian – Paul K as he prepares for ministry. If you wish your gift to go to another purpose please note it on the envelop. Our youth will be teaming up with Bethany to help lead us in worship! We are excited to welcome the members of Christ Community who will be worshiping with us on Maundy Thursday – March 28th. A special meal will be served that evening starting at 6:00P.M. with worship taking place at 7:00P.M. The focus of worship that evening will be meeting the one who is The Bread of Life in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Pastor Chris who is the intern at Calvary Lutheran and helps out at Christ Community will be participating in the service! LET’S FILL THE CHURCH as together we REMEMBER! Be sure to come and enjoy Soup & Bread from 6:00-6:45P.M. followed by worship at 7:00P.M. with Holy Communion. In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

PJ's February 2013 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! “Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life!” John 6:35 Bread! I do love the smell of bread baking! I so enjoy taking a bite out of a piece of bread when it is still warm and has some butter and strawberry jam on it. Bread is just one of those food items that we all enjoy and is going to be the focus for our consideration on Wednesday evenings. Now I am not talking about Wonder Bread or some other brand. What I am talking about is the one who claims to be the Bread Of Life – Jesus Christ. Consider with me for a moment each letter of the word BREAD and what it may remind us about our relationship with the BREAD OF LIFE: B Broken, Baptism, Believe, Bitter, Battle, Beautiful, Begotten, Belong, R Ready, Remember, Redeemer, Renew, Rest, Rise, Rainbow, Ransom, E Enough, Everlasting, Eternal, Enlighten, Expectation, Eating, A Abundant, Alive, Abide Ask, Atonement, Alone, Anointed, Alpha, D Death, Deliver, Dust, Dying, Dark, Delight, Descendent, Disciple, Each Wednesday evening we will enjoy some homemade Bread & Soup that will be served by our youth. The freewill offering taken for the meal will help support getting our youth to camp and mission trips. Following the meal we will gather for worship and celebrate and explore what it means to be in relationship with the one who is THE BREAD OF LIFE. Just before the offering we will be visited by someone from one of the many countries in the world. They will share with us insights into life where they live and the bread they hunger for! Our youth will be teaming up with Bethany to help lead us in worship! More will be coming to you about this Lenten BREAD! Be sure to come and enjoy Soup & Bread from 6:00-6:45P.M. followed by worship at 7:00P.M. In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

December 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, December 1, 2012 Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! “The Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace.” Isa 9:6 Peace be with you. Those are the words that Jesus spoke to his followers many times. We all hunger for Peace. Peace in our homes. Peace in our Community. Peace at our place of work. Peace in the world. Be sure to join us this Advent & Christmas as we prepare and welcome the one who brings peace - Jesus Christ. There will be a PEACE TREE where you can attach a ribbon as an expression of your prayer for PEACE. The PEACE TREE will be lit up for the very first time on Wednesday evening - December 19 at 7:00p.m. This will be part of a Live Nativity and Christmas Cantata of Carols that will end with the PEACE TREE being lit. Anyone in the area is welcome to attach a ribbon to the Peace Tree starting the very first Sunday of Advent – December 2nd. There will be a container by the tree filled with ribbons for you to attach to the Peace Tree. You will find a schedule of all the other activities taking place during Thanksgiving, Advent & Christmas below. Place it some where around your home to remind you of how you can celebrate that CHRISTMAS IS HERE! In Christ, Pastor Jim (P.J.)

PJ's January 2013 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! I love a good story – don’t you? There is something about a good story that draws you into the drama of people places and things that it become hard to put it down. Well – there is a story that we are going to explore this fall and winter that you will not want to miss. It is simply called – “THE STORY”! We will explore stories like stubborn Jonah and his improbable fish tale or a family patriarch named Abraham whose with filled with surprises and hope, or Ruth who showed such courage when life seemed impossible or Peter who was willing to except an invitation to step out of a boat our Job who struggled to understand the reason for suffering and how God was present in it. Yes these are the stories of faith that shape who we are as children of God. But among all these remarkable stories we will come face to face with God’s Son. We will look long into the eyes of Jesus Christ and hear his claim that he is the alpha and omega the beginning and the end. It will be in The Story that we will come to discover together how our stories of life are found in God’s Story. Our journey will begin on January 1st as we begin a period of prayer. We will pray that the Holy Spirit will open our hearts to this journey! Each day an email will go out to the members of Atonement and will be posted on my face book inviting you to be in prayer for a few moments. There will be a short devotional and some suggested things to be in prayer about during the day! This time of Prayer is followed by a kick of Sunday that will take place on Sunday – January 13th . The sermon that Sunday will be an invitation to join thousands of others on a journey that will be life changing. We will open THE STORY together to discover what God is doing and how we are part of God’s Story. Each Sunday The Story for the week will be part of the children’s message followed during the week by a number of small groups that will explore further The Story. There will be small groups at a number of times and places: *Sunday morning during Sunday School *Sunday late afternoon in a members home *Thursday morning at 6:30AM in Herbie’s Café *Thursday evening at 6:30PM in Herbie’s Café *Bethany’s Talk Group(day of the week to be announced). Your help is needed as we hope that every member of the Atonement Church Family will participate. I need helpers to work with me in preparation for this remarkable adventure in the following areas: *Prayer Ministry Organizer *Small Group Organizer * Publicity Coordinator *Sunday Morning Worship Planning *Food Organizer *Face Book Coordinator *Other Please give me a call if you would like to help me prepare for this churchwide campaign as we walk together through THE STORY!! You can reach me at 920-468-0713 or james.gerth@yahoo.com In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)

Pastor's November 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! Now which way do we go? – that was the question on my mind as I came to an intersection on the north side of Chicago. It was dark and I simply could not figure out which way was the right way. Thankfully we had our Garmin plugged in and the voice of this women that we call Myrtle was able to guide us safely on our way. If it had not been for Myrtle I would still be lost on the north side of Chicago. I needed help to know which way to go. Atonement finds itself at the threshold of an exciting adventure. We have seen much growth in this ministry over the last few years: *Worship attendance is ahead of last year by 1865. *First Communion Classes have grown from 4 or 5 to over 20. *Hope For All – our ethnically mixed worship service has grown from an average of 17 to an average of 30 in less than two years. *We ended 2011 with a balance of $81,652 and we meet our budget for the first time in a few years. *United2Serve continues to grow as we focus on three specific areas of mission & ministry. Total gifts through U2S as of September of this year is $15,489. *The small group ministries continue to grow. There are 35 to 40 adults gathering each month around the Word of God to explore what God is up to in their lives. *Vacation Bible School has grown from 65 to over 110 children this summer. *Community Outreach continues to expand as we see the importance of Walking Together with Preble Hive, Freedom House, Martin School, Spanish A.A. Group, NEW Shelter, Just Drive, Annual Festival & Rummage Sale just to mention a few. *Our passion for ministry has also gone beyond our community as we see growth in our support of LWR, Mission Trips, Seminarians, Malaria, Crossways Camping Ministries and many others. *There has also been an increase over the last two years in our membership. Last year we welcomed 14 new families and this year we have welcomed 23 new members. The Atonement Community is growing. *We have been blessed with the financial support of other churches, individuals and the synod as they have gifted us with over $23,000 this year alone for our MultiCultural Ministry. *Our confirmation classes have seen growth as we have a total of 13 young people in grades 7-9. *In 2010 we celebrated 4 baptisms and this year we have celebrated 11 baptisms with the possibility of 3 more. *Facility upgrades with a new roof, carpet and windows over the last few years. Growth in volunteers coming forward to help in the upkeep of our grounds and building. *and… What more have you seen in regards to our growth these last few years? The Walking Together in Mission & Ministry wants to hear what you have to say about what has taken place these last few years and how we can continue this growth. There will be two LISTENING TIMES between services on Sunday November 4th & 11th. This will take place in the parish hall. Please come and participate in this conversation. “Effective mission planning is the work of an entire congregation. There may be a small group of people involved in the hands-on work and planning activities, but the WHOLE CONGREGATION is engaged through prayer, discernment and other forms of participation and support as well as sharing a commitment to the actions that emerge from the planning process.” It has been exciting to see this growth and we Praise God for how the Holy Spirit has helped to move us forward as we discover what it means to WALK TOGETHER in mission & ministry. So what is the next step? Your participation in the conversation about what has been taking place and how we can build on this growth. One thing we will be asking you to consider is the expansion of staff to include a full time Lay Associate in Ministry. Let me leave you with these words from Paul in Ephesians – “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15 Peace through Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth

PJ's October 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! Read the following to prepare for our Harvest Festival Ephesians 2: 19-22 I Peter 2: 4-6 Luke 10: 1-2 It is coming soon! The last of many 50th Anniversary events will take place on Sunday – October 21. This will be our 50th Anniversary Harvest Festival. Just think – it was over 50 years ago at this time of year that farm workers would show up on this land to bring in the harvest. Yes – it was on this section of land that a farmer grew tomatoes. I can seem them in my mind’s eye harvesting all those beautiful and ripe tomatoes. Now as we look back for the final time there is reason to celebrate for another kind of harvest has been taking place – it has been the harvest of the heart and soul of the lives of hundreds and thousands of people. Just like those farmers would sow the seed so have we been sowing the seed of God’s love and grace and look at the harvest God has made possible. Wow! It is time to pause and celebrate that as Paul wrote in Philippians 1: 3-6 – “that God who began this good work in you will bring it to completion.” God has done this through the power of the Holy Spirit at work through you. It has been that Holy Spirit that has nurtured and called for the harvest in the lives of so many. This is what will take place on Sunday October 21. We will gather for worship at 10:00a.m. Yes that is right – there will be only one service that morning at 10:00a.m. Paul Kacynski will be with us that Sunday morning to lead us in worship using the liturgy he shared with us in August. The focus of the worship will be to give thanks to God for the harvest these last 50 years and to prayerfully look to the future. We will seal the cornerstone at worship so be sure to share with us your ideas for what to put behind the cornerstone. Sunday school will take place during worship – it will begin after the children’s sermon. The worship & Sunday School hour will be followed by the Harvest Festival Meal – homemade booyah, homemade breads, desserts and something to drink. (No Takeouts please). We began our 50th Anniversary year in prayer and we plan to bring it to a close in prayer. There will be a 50th Anniversary Prayer Journey that I invite all to participate in. This will begin on October the 17th and end on November 25 (the last day of this liturgical year). It will take you 8 to 10 min each day but what a blessing it will be to you and to the future of Atonement. This will be on facebook, our website and in paper form. Each day you will be asked to read from the bible a certain verse and then pray. Yes it is time to Celebrate the Harvest. If you would like to help with this celebration please contact the church office! “O give Thanks to the Lord for God is good and God’s steadfast love goes on forever!” Peace in Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)

P.J.'s September 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! THE STORY has been put on hold until January of 2013 so that we can continue a conversation on POWER SURGE. I encourage you to participate in this very important conversation that will take place each Sunday morning – starting on September 16th – during the Sunday School hour in Herbie’s Café. Each Sunday morning I will be preaching on one of the Marks of Discipleship that Michael Foss sees as being very important for the future of the church. September 16 Matthew 18:21-35 PoWeR SuRGe: Flying Blind September 23 Luke 18:1-8 PoWeR SuRGe: P for Prayer September 30 Hebrews 10:19-25 PoWeR SuRGe: W for Worship October 7 2 Timothy 3: 14-17 PoWeR SuRGe: R for Read October 14 Matthew 25: 31-46 PoWeR SuRGe: S for Serve October 21 I Thessalonians 1: 1-10 PoWeR SuRGe: R for Relationships October 28 Malachi 3: 8-12 PoWeR SuRGe: G for Give November 4 Luke 7: 18-23 PoWeR SuRGe: Commitment Michael Foss said this in his book, “Christian leaders are looking for new, dynamic, and effective ways of being the church, ways that are faithful to the call of God and that will energize them and their ministries. Pastors and lay leaders are longing for a spiritual spark to ignite the passions of God’s people once again. This deep longing on the part of Christian leaders is accompanied by a growing sense of urgency, a growing sense that the time may be running out on American Protestantism.” Consider the following: *91 percent of all households own at least one Bible. *80 % of adults name the Bible as the most influential book in human history. *Yet, only 38 % of adults read the Bible in any given week. *Only 24% of adults volunteer to help a church. *96% of adults believe in God. *Yet 39% say Jesus did not have a physical resurrection. *61% say that the Holy Spirit is not real. What is going on here? How has this happened? And what can we do about it? It is time for a new vision of what it means to be part of the body of Christ, the church in the world. Join us on Sunday mornings as we discover together the six Marks of Discipleship in our own personal walk of faith and in the mission of Atonement Lutheran Church! See you at Herbie’s Café! In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)

P.J.'s August 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! I love a good story – don’t you? There is something about a good story that draws you into the drama of people, places, and things that it become hard to put it down. Well – there is a story that we are going to explore this fall and winter that you will not want to miss. It is simply called – “THE STORY”! We will explore stories like stubborn Jonah and his improbable fish tale or a family patriarch named Abraham whose filled with surprises and hope, or Ruth who showed such courage when life seemed impossible or Peter who was willing to except an invitation to step out of a boat or Job who struggled to understand the reason for suffering and how God was present in it. Yes these are the stories of faith that shape who we are as children of God. But among all these remarkable stories we will come face to face with God’s Son. We will look long into the eyes of Jesus Christ and hear his claim that he is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. It will be in The Story that we will come to discover together how our stories of life are found in God’s Story. Our journey will begin on August 12th as we begin a 40 day period of prayer. We will pray that the Holy Spirit will open our hearts to this journey! Each day an email will go out to the members of Atonement and will be posted on my face book inviting you to be in prayer for a few moments. There will be a short devotional and some suggested things to be in prayer about during the day! The 40 Days of Prayer is followed by a kick off Sunday that will take place on Sunday – September 16th. The sermon that Sunday will be an invitation to join thousands of others on a journey that will be life changing. We will open THE STORY together to discover what God is doing and how we are part of God’s Story. Each Sunday The Story for the week will be preached on and a number of small groups will gather during the week to explore further The Story. There will be small groups at a number of times and places: *Sunday morning during Sunday School *Sunday late afternoon in a member's home *Thursday morning at 6:30AM in Herbie’s Café *Thursday evening at 6:30PM in Herbie’s Café *Others (Maybe you would like to host a small group in your home). Your help is needed as we hope that every member of the Atonement Church Family will participate. I need helpers to work with me in preparation for this remarkable adventure in the following areas: *Prayer Ministry Organizer *Small Group Organizer * Publicity Coordinator *Sunday Morning Worship Planning *Food Organizer *Face Book Coordinator *Other Please give me a call if you would like to help me prepare for this churchwide campaign as we walk together through THE STORY!! You can reach me at 920-468-0713 or james.gerth@yahoo.com In Christ, Pastor Jim Gerth (P.J.)

P.J's July 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus Christ! I chronicled my walks with emails. Here is a recap of that spiritual 50 mile journey: Greetings from the 50 mile walkers, Thankful that the heat is gone and we have cool temps for our first day of walking. Yes we are all Walking Together. We are taking with us part of the prayer cards from Sunday as we walk along we will be praying. Our day began as my days have begun preparing for this walk - devotional time and prayer. The title for the May 29th devotion in the Christ In Our Home is "Walking Together". WOW! I find that so encouraging. We are WALKING TOGETHER! That is the gift and the joy that God has given us at Atonement. The devotion is based on Isaiah 2:1-5. Isaiah invites us to walk in God's path, to be shaped by the Lord's ways, and to learn of God's vision that all creation live in harmony and peace. Yes we are WALKING TOGETHER - people of God from many different backgrounds. But we WALK TOGETHER all to the Glory of God! Join us on the walk through the rest of the week. We would love to see you along the way. We can only do this with your prayers and God's help! You can call me at one of the following #'s 920-660-1516 or 920-370-5031. Let us by the grace of God continue to WALK TOGETHER!! Peace of the Lord be with You! P.J. & Walkers Day 2 began with a devotional reading entitled "Called and Sent". It was based on Isaiah 6:8 "Here I am send me". Wow! It just so happens that this was the bible verse placed on a walking stick by a very dear friend that I still use when I walk. May we also respond like Isaiah did with faith saying, "Here am I; send me!" We have now covered a total of 21 miles. Praise God! Thursday will be a short walk - only 7 miles to the Frosty Tip. We should arrive at the Frosty Tip by about 10:30 - 11:00AM. Thank you to all who walked with me on Wednesday - there was a total of 8 walkers and three people helping with water! Thanks! We have now in cash & pledges about $2,600. You can still support this 50 mile walk with your prayer and financial gifts. Let us continue to Walk Together With Jesus all to the glory of God! P.J. Dear Friends, Wow! It is hard to believe that we are now at the 43 mile marker! 43 Miles! With God all things are possible - this is so true. Thank you to all the walkers and those who helped with water and prayed for us on Friday. Thank you to all who have given gifts to support the paying of our mortgage and support our Multi Cultural Ministry. Last time I looked we are close to $3,000 in gifts and pledges. Thank You! We do this to the Glory of God in thanksgiving for God's gift of peace! God is Great! P.J. With God all things are possible! Really? Yes - with God all things are possible! When I started this journey I was not at all sure that I would make it all the way. 50 miles is a long way. But God sent many to pray, to walk, to run to bring water and with all that holding me up we made it. Thank you to all who participated! It has been a blessing to me and I trust it has been a blessing to you. It is amazing how God walks with us on this journey of life. I know that the Holy Spirit is guiding Atonement and each of us into the next 50 years! Praise God! P.J.

P.J.'s June 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, June 2012 Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! There is a Vacation Bible School song that I have been thinking about as I prepare for the 50th Anniversary here at Atonement. The words to this song are: “Celebrate! Celebrate God’s Love! Celebrate shout and sing. Celebrate! Celebrate God’s Love declare it joyfully!” Yes now is the time to CELEBRATE and GIVE THANKS to God for all that has taken place these last 50 years at Atonement! There are a number of special events being planned for May & June that you will want to attend! They are: *LET’S CELEBRATE GOD’S LOVE* Pentecost Sunday 50th Anniversary Celebration * Corner Stone Opened* Sunday May 27, 2012 7:30-8:45AM Anniversary Breakfast (Freewill Offering for 50th Anniversary) 9:00AM Pentecost Worship with U2S & Holy Communion (The Corner Stone) *********************************************************************** *LET’S CELEBRATE GOD’S LOVE* 50th Anniversary Celebration Sunday - June 3, 2012 9:00AM Worship & Holy Communion Special Guests: Bishop James Justman & Pastor Roald Harswick 11:00AM Reception at Riverside Ball Room 12:00 Noon Anniversary Meal Children 12 and Under are .50 per year Adults $11.00 each May we continue to grow in the love of Christ for the next 50 years. Be sure to share your ideas with the Anniversary Team about what we might place into the corner stone for the next 50 years! I am also asking for your prayers and support as I Walk 50 Miles in Celebration of God’s Love. You are invited to join me and others as we Walk Together With Jesus in Celebration & Thanksgiving of 50 years of Living the Gospel at Atonement Lutheran Church. The plan is to walk 16 miles a day starting on May 31st. We will start at Hainesville Lutheran Church outside of Sturgeon Bay. I am doing this for the following reasons: 1. Pray the Holy Spirit will continue to Guide Atonement into the next 50 years. 2. Raise funds for A.D.R. (church mortgage) & Multi Cultural Ministry. 3. Celebrate the Love of God in Christ! 4. Care for the gift God has blessed me with of my body! This is all being done that we might grow in what it means to Walk With Christ Jesus! Let’s Celebrate! Celebrate God’s Love! Celebrate Shout and Sing! In Christ, Pastor Jim (P.J.)

PJ's May 2012 Blog

Dear Friends, May 2012 Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! There is a Vacation Bible School song that I have been thinking about as I prepare for the 50th Anniversary here at Atonement. The words to this song are: “Celebrate! Celebrate God’s Love! Celebrate shout and sing. Celebrate! Celebrate God’s Love declare it joyfully!” Yes now is the time to CELEBRATE and GIVE THANKS to God for all that has taken place these last 50 years at Atonement! There are a number of special events being planned for May & June that you will want to attend! They are: *LET’S CELEBRATE GOD’S LOVE* 50th Anniversary Ball Saturday—May 12 Atonement Lutheran Church 2132 Deckner Ave Green Bay, WI 6:00-7:00PM Dance Lessons 7:00-10:30PM Anniversary Ball $5.00 Single $7.00 Couple Join us as we celebrate 50 years of ministry all to the glory of God! *********************************************************************** *LET’S CELEBRATE GOD’S LOVE* Pentecost Sunday 50th Anniversary Celebration * Corner Stone Opened* Sunday May 27, 2012 7:30-8:45AM Anniversary Breakfast (Freewill Offering for 50th Anniversary) 9:00AM Pentecost Worship with U2S & Holy Communion (The Corner Stone) *********************************************************************** *LET’S CELEBRATE GOD’S LOVE* 50th Anniversary Celebration Sunday - June 3, 2012 9:00AM Worship & Holy Communion Special Guests: Bishop James Justman & Pastor Roald Harswick 11:00AM Reception at Riverside Ball Room 12:00 Noon Anniversary Meal Children 12 and Under are .50 per year Adults $11.00 each Yes there is even more to CELEBRATE ! Be sure to join us on Sunday May 6th as the following youth celebrate God’s Love by affirming their faith in Jesus Christ - Autumn Frerk, Hailey Huebner, Alexis Krenke, Jared Pike, Megan Zentmeyer, Savanah Gunderson And Karla Lopez. We also have four adults who will be Celebrating God’s Love by affirming their faith on Sunday – May 20th. They are Tiffany Wiebel, Michael & Emily Dagner and Randy Reeves. WOW! There is much to Celebrate as we can see how God’s Love continues to touch the hearts and minds of many! Let’s Celebrate! Celebrate God’s Love! Celebrate Shout and Sing! In Christ, Pastor Jim (P.J.)

PJ's April Blog 2012

Dear Friends, April 2012

Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ!

It seems as though no matter where I look I see info about the new movie coming out called “The Hunger Games”. Now I must admit that I know nothing about the plot. But the title intrigues me – “The Hunger Games”. It must have something to do with a game and it must be a game that one wants to win because we have a hunger for it. Well, I am not at all sure that I am close to the plot but it has clearly got the attention of people around the world. Everyone is excited about the release of this movie at mid night – March 22nd. I find this all rather interesting because we are in the midst of another kind of event that will having a lasting impact on the world. In fact the event I am thinking about will also touch the lives of people all over the world. It is not the release of another movie or the Final Four or some other type of game. The event that has caught my attention is the empty tomb on Easter morning.

Luke recounts the events this way in Luke 24 – “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.’ And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.” Wow! That is what the world is truly hunger for – NEW LIFE! This is no game what Jesus has done! This is no movie that Hollywood has produced to entertain us. No – this is real! Death could not hold Jesus in the tomb. The victory over sin and death has been won by Jesus!

We are told that after they saw the empty tomb and heard the word from the messengers of God that they went out to tell other what they had seen and heard about Jesus. What story are you sharing with your neighbor or coworker who is hungry for peace? What story are you giving witness to with those loved ones who are sick or grieving? Let us share with the world the Good News about Jesus Christ who lives! Let us tell others about the one who can satisfy the hungers of our hearts. Let us invite them to worship this Easter so that God’s Spirit can touch them with a peace that is beyond all human understand. Remember? Remember like those early followers of Jesus did. They not only remembered but they went out into the community telling others about Jesus Christ! Worship times on Easter Sunday are as follows:
SUNDAY – APRIL 8
8:00a.m. Easter Celebration & Holy Communion
9:30a.m. & 12:30PM Easter Egg Hunt
10:30a.m. Easter Celebration & Holy Communion
11:30a. m. Esperanza Para Todos & Holy Communion / Easter
CHRIST LIVES!!

In Christ,
Pastor Jim (P.J.)

PJ's March Blog

Dear Friends, March, 2012

Greetings to you in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ!

Be sure to join us on Wednesday evenings during Lent (begins on February 22) as we discover together what it means to “GET OUT OF THE BOAT”! Let’s go for a walk this Lent. The Bible is, among other things, a list of unforgettable walks. The first one was taken by God himself, who, we are told, used to walk in the garden in the cool of the day. But as a general rule, God asked people to walk with him. Perhaps the most unforgettable walk of all was taken by Peter the day he got out of a boat and walked on the water. Join us as we explore this familiar bible story in Matthew 14 and what it means to walk together with Christ!
Our evenings during Lent will begin with a SOUP & SANDWICH MEAL served by the youth of Atonement from 6:00-6:45PM. A freewill offering will be taken to help support our youth ministry. Worship will follow the meal at 7:00PM and will focus on the Matthew 14 texts of Jesus walking on the water.

SOUP SERMON THEME

March 7 / Beef Vegetable Soup “COME FOLLOW ME”
March 14/ Potato Soup “HELP!”
March 21 / _________________ “IS GOD ENOUGH?”
March 28 / _________________ “WAITING”

I am also looking for volunteers to share about how Christ has been present for you in the storms of life and the impact that had on your life. These would be reflections on the Matthew 14: 22-33 story of Jesus walking on the water. They would be no longer then 7 min. Let Pastor Jim know if you would like to share your story.
There will also be “Get Out Of The Boat” small group gatherings each week where we will view a DVD and talk further about walking with God. They are:
*Sundays at Herbie’s Café during Sunday School at 10:15AM
*Sunday afternoon at Reeve’s home at 5:30PM
*Thursday mornings at 6:30AM at Herbie’s Café at Atonement
The Sunday morning focus during Lent will be on prayer. There will be a prayer room set up that will be open though out the week for you to stop by and have a quite time with God. There will also be a prayer wall where you can share your prayer concerns with others who come to this quite place to pray.
Come and join us during Lent as we go for a walk with God. Remember - You’re One Step Away From The Adventure Of A Life Time”

In Christ,

Pastor Jim (P.J.)