Happenings
Ambassadors in Chicago are continuing to meet monthly to learn and witness together. This month they met at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Chicago, IL. They went to a local church member's home and assisted in leading the Saturday night church service. It was an encouragement to spend time together in God's Word and sharing that with the fellow members of OAFC as well as the congregation and community. If you'd like to find out how you can connect with them, or host a gathering at your church email [email protected]
Summer Training 2019
July 26th-30th Hamburg, MN
For nearly half a century, OAFC has been helping to nationally strengthen LCMS churches by providing training and experience for members of local congregations in the areas of Evangelism and Outreach. This year, our national training is at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Hamburg, Minnesota. Participants will be able to attend workshops on tools like Music, Puppets, Drama and Bible Study as ways to do outreach. They will also knock on doors in nearby neighborhoods in order to learn what people really believe and participate in other outreach events to share our hope that is in Jesus!
This years music workshops are being led by Dave Horn. He will be giving a concert free to attendees and teaching how he uses music and singing to share of Jesus love and forgiveness!
Registration fee is $50 for single, $200 for family. This includes, food, housing, a concert, and a T-shirt for the event! To register or find a printable bulletin insert go to www.oafc.org/summer-training or click below!
Helping Lutherans grow together in faith and witness since 1970.
For nearly half a century, OAFC has been helping to nationally strengthen LCMS churches by providing training and experience for members of local congregations in the areas of Evangelism and Outreach. This year, our national training is at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Hamburg, Minnesota. Participants will be able to attend workshops on tools like Music, Puppets, Drama and Bible Study as ways to do outreach. They will also knock on doors in nearby neighborhoods in order to learn what people really believe and participate in other outreach events to share our hope that is in Jesus!
This years music workshops are being led by Dave Horn. He will be giving a concert free to attendees and teaching how he uses music and singing to share of Jesus love and forgiveness!
Registration fee is $50 for single, $200 for family. This includes, food, housing, a concert, and a T-shirt for the event! To register or find a printable bulletin insert go to www.oafc.org/summer-training or click below!
Helping Lutherans grow together in faith and witness since 1970.
Annual Meeting
Come to this year's annual meeting to see what changes we are voting on! We also have two positions on our Board of Directors up for election The nominees that accepted are:
Pastor: Michael Ruhlig
I currently am holding candidate status due to health. I am healing well and will be looking for a call after moving to Illinois. I was ordained in July 1995, have served four different parishes, and served as LWML Zone Pastoral Counselor in Illinois.
Adult Female: Katrina Jurica
I am 27 years old and currently serve as a Pre-school through 8th-grade music teacher at St John's Lutheran School and Grace English Lutheran School in Chicago, IL. I also serve as the organist at Jehovah El-Buen Pastor Lutheran Church in Chicago.
Pastor: Michael Ruhlig
I currently am holding candidate status due to health. I am healing well and will be looking for a call after moving to Illinois. I was ordained in July 1995, have served four different parishes, and served as LWML Zone Pastoral Counselor in Illinois.
Adult Female: Katrina Jurica
I am 27 years old and currently serve as a Pre-school through 8th-grade music teacher at St John's Lutheran School and Grace English Lutheran School in Chicago, IL. I also serve as the organist at Jehovah El-Buen Pastor Lutheran Church in Chicago.
A Great Test
Personal Witness By Adam Fosse, Missionary Volunteer in Mongolia.
Ever taken a test or exam? Been subjected to the pressures of having your work inspected, of having a grade given, the fear of being underprepared? Now imagine taking a test on a subject you’ve never even heard of, in a language you don’t know, and being told that the results will have eternal implications for your soul. How do you think you could ever pass?
This hopeless situation is very much the boat we are in when it comes to considering the prospect of our eternal judgement before God. God will ask if we’ve done good in our life, but in Romans 3:23 we learn that our very nature is such that we can’t even understand what it is that God considers good. Our heart in fact are actively opposed to being what God says is good. This is unfortunate, because in this Divine test failure means damnation; it means eternal separation from God, and any good thing from Him, forever.
Where is the light side of thing? Is there anything we can look forward to following this impending judgment? Fortunately there is! God has seen fit to rescue us through the Gospel. In John 3:16 we hear God himself became a human, a man called Jesus. Jesus came to face the judgment for us, and even though he aced the judgment exam with flying colors, He saw fit to trade test scores with us, and in doing so incurred the consequences of failure for us. Now Jesus is restored to power in heaven, and God has promised all the rewards for passing to us, and by giving us faith in Jesus ensures for us eternal life with Him.
Some day we will joyfully be able to say with a great multitude in heaven "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for His judgments are true and just..." But even now on this earth we are blessed to be surrounded by people in our every day lives with whom we have opportunity to share this great message! At church are fellow redeemed saints with whom we receive forgiveness and render thanks; and in our neighborhoods, schools, even our gas station are also people whom Jesus' Spirit is working in to bring the baptism hope that we have to share. We pray that God's kingdom may continue to come to us also! Amen.
Ever taken a test or exam? Been subjected to the pressures of having your work inspected, of having a grade given, the fear of being underprepared? Now imagine taking a test on a subject you’ve never even heard of, in a language you don’t know, and being told that the results will have eternal implications for your soul. How do you think you could ever pass?
This hopeless situation is very much the boat we are in when it comes to considering the prospect of our eternal judgement before God. God will ask if we’ve done good in our life, but in Romans 3:23 we learn that our very nature is such that we can’t even understand what it is that God considers good. Our heart in fact are actively opposed to being what God says is good. This is unfortunate, because in this Divine test failure means damnation; it means eternal separation from God, and any good thing from Him, forever.
Where is the light side of thing? Is there anything we can look forward to following this impending judgment? Fortunately there is! God has seen fit to rescue us through the Gospel. In John 3:16 we hear God himself became a human, a man called Jesus. Jesus came to face the judgment for us, and even though he aced the judgment exam with flying colors, He saw fit to trade test scores with us, and in doing so incurred the consequences of failure for us. Now Jesus is restored to power in heaven, and God has promised all the rewards for passing to us, and by giving us faith in Jesus ensures for us eternal life with Him.
Some day we will joyfully be able to say with a great multitude in heaven "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for His judgments are true and just..." But even now on this earth we are blessed to be surrounded by people in our every day lives with whom we have opportunity to share this great message! At church are fellow redeemed saints with whom we receive forgiveness and render thanks; and in our neighborhoods, schools, even our gas station are also people whom Jesus' Spirit is working in to bring the baptism hope that we have to share. We pray that God's kingdom may continue to come to us also! Amen.
Do you have a Personal Witness? Send it to [email protected] and you could see it in the next issue of the Crier!