First News is a monthly publication of:

First Lutheran Church

1200 Pinecrest Court, Placerville, CA 95667

(530) 622-3022 firstlutheran@sbcglobal.net

www.first4others.org

Pastor Mark Haas…………………....(530) 344-9410

Church Office……………………….…...…622-3022

Editor……………………….……..….Jean Haldeman

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage Paid

Placerville, CA 95667

Permit No. 342

Change Service Requested

First News

F i r s t Lu the r an Chu rch LCMS Ju ly 2013

Mon th ly News le t te r

VOL . 105 NO. 7

F i rs t Luther an Chur ch LCMS

1200 Pinecr es t Cou r t

P l ace rv i l l e , CA 95667

Phone 530 622- 3022

ema i l : f i r s t l u t h e r a n@s b c g l ob a l . n e t

We’re on the web!

first4others.org

A Rabbit-Tale By

Pastor Mark Haas

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Dear friends in Christ!

For most of my adult life prior to serving here in Placerville, late July-early August was the typi-

cal time frame for vacation. During the years I was a principal/teacher that particular window of

time would be the slowest summer several days on the calendar. Conducting inventories and or-

dering of curriculum for the next school year would be the best done by that time for monies

from tuitions from the previous term would stop and orders for the new term would be payable

30 days after shipping to allow for the new tuitions that were anticipated. Later on our children’s

school calendar’s dictated my pastoral calendar so we could get away when the kids were free.

And still later, Dee’s work schedule as a preschool director/teacher would take precedence

whether or not the kids were still in school or not! If the children were wanting to go with mom

or dad was less demanding than mom and dad just needed to get away…on vacation from work

and/or family or both!

Up until 1987, predominately our vacations were camping. At first Dee and I would spend a lot

of time in either Yosemite or Calaveras Big Trees or both. Before tent camping, we would sleep

in our Dodge Van. Then, we’d have as large a tent as possible to handle the kids as well as our-

selves, and eventually, we “camped” in very rustic cabins members of our church in Hayward

owned in Avery, from which we could hike into Calaveras Big Trees though forestry fire trails.

Two of those vacations stand out in particular….

The first was before we adopted Melanie. For 18 months we had a foster child: Melissa. She was

three when we were placed with her. Vacation time arrived and it was time to camp at CBT. So,

off we went to stay in the North Grove in our tent. After dinner one evening we could hear a lot

of commotion across the meadow. Campers were shouting and then you would hear garbage cans

clanking. There was a bear in the meadow! We quickly put away what we could and whisked

Missy into the tent with us. Slowly but surely our anxieties rose as the sounds came closer to our

campsite. In the moonlight flooding our camp we could see the shadow of a bear that came by

the tent brushing into one corner. We could hear his breathing and growling as he scooted away

from us and on to the next site. I guess we had cleaned up well as he didn’t disturb our site as he

lumbered along. We talked about that incident for a long time, and the kids heard grand embel-

lishments from Dee who was able to make the bear come alive with each retelling and admoni-

tion to beware of the bears!

The second incident involved Melanie before we adopted Gregory. She was three. Dee and I had

hiked all of the trails in CBT except one: the Lava Bluffs Trail. So we decided that again, one

morning while camped in the North Grove, we would drive to the trailhead and hike to see the

Lava Bluffs. It was not so much a tough hike and it was up and down and along hillsides of loose

terrain consisting of red soil and cedar bark and needles. And, did I mention that Melanie was in

a child carrier, a backpack, on my back! One of her favorite things was to pull my hair and get a

reaction, as we were carrying her over the landscape. Needless to say, the hike took longer than

expected and was not a pleasant one, especially as we ran out of drinking water.

3

Once we finally returned to the car, Dee proclaimed, “Once is enough for the Lava Bluffs Trail!”

Melanie repeated the comment, not just once, but continuously, and every time we visit CBT yet,

she repeats it, and even when we’re not close to CBT, but a circumstance arises that we only

want to experience once, the family reply from everyone, those who were there or only heard

about it, is simply, “Once is enough for the Lava Bluffs Trail!” As you may gather, we had some

interesting times, and these are just the beginning of a book Dee was always going to write as our

legacy!

I’m certain that each of you have many vacation stories you could tell, happy or sad, that you

could relive with gusto as you recount all of the details. Our memories of exciting times keep us

longing for the next episode, next new experience, and next vacation to arrive. When I’m feeling

especially “blue” I’ll go to the website of the family from whom I share rents each fall the past

eight years, that shows photographs of the beach house in Irish Beach, Mendocino County, and

daydream for a while what is has been like to stay and relax and vacation there! I can imagine the

waves of the ocean and breezes and walking the private beach and neighborhoods dreaming

about living there in retirement! I can wish!

Jesus repeatedly took his disciples on short vacations to get them away from the crowds to relax

and replenish, to pray, prepare and teach them what they would need to know when he left their

visible sight. Jesus would leave the disciples at times to go a distance away to pray and be in

contact with his Father. I’m certain God wants us to enjoy his creation and what better way than

to get away to a different location to walk in nature or just view another one of his environments

that He created for us to enjoy and take into our memories. It’s not so much the length of the va-

cation, though the longer the better for regeneration, but the quality of the time away that really

affects us allows us to revitalize our bodies and minds.

Another thing of which I’m certain: God is with me and you wherever we go to vacation! He is

never away from us and continues encouraging us to do what is right, honorable and true when

we are away. And then He is with us before we leave and after we return so we’re never out of

His loving care! The saying which says, “Don’t forget Jesus on your vacation,” is a good one to

remember so that you are reminded to have your devotions and possibly attend worship in a dif-

ferent locale on your vacation. However, Jesus is always with us. He’s there even if we don’t re-

member…remembering that He is present is just the frosting on the delicious cake of faith that

He has provided to us.

So vacation hearty and enjoy yourself if you get way…and if possible, plan ahead to be ready to

continue the devotional life you already have going at home! Have a great time vacationing, and,

if you’re like me and celebrate your time away later in the year, remember the fall months are

beautiful and not nearly as warm or hot as summers in Placerville! And if you’re vacationing this

month into next month, don’t be jealous when I go away in late September for two weeks, be-

cause we’ll both need the vacation time!

Yours in Christ’s service,

Pastor Mark Haas, Soli Deo Gloria

4

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 3p Stephen Ministers

2 3 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9a String Band Practice 6p BHG practice

4 5 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 6:15p Templo El Mesias

6

7 7:45a BHG Practice 8a Adult Bible Study 9aContemporary Worship 9:15a Adult Bible Study 10:30aTraditional Worship w/Holy Communion 2:15p Templo 6:30p A.A FSR

8

8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9a VBS 3p Stephen Ministers 6p Property Board

9 9a VBS

10 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9a VBS 9a String Band Practice 6p BHG practice

11 9a VBS 7p AlAnon

12 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9a VBS 9:30a Quilters 6:15p Templo El Mesias

13

14 7:45a BHG Practice 8a Adult Bible Study 9aContemporary Worship w/Holy Communion 9:15a Adult Bible Study 10:30aTraditional Worship 2:15p Templo

15 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun

16 17 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9a String Band Practice

18 3:30p Upper Room 6p BHG Practice 7p AlAnon

19 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 6:15p Templo El Mesias

20

21 7:45a BHG Practice 8a Adult Bible Study 9aContemporary Worship 9:15a Adult Bible Study 10:30aTraditional Worship w/Holy Communion 2:15p Templo 6:30p A.A FSR

22 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 3p Stephen Ministers

23 6:30p Elders

24 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9a String Band Practice

25 6p BHG Practice 7p AlAnon

26 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9:30a Quilters 6:15p Templo El Mesias

27

28 8a BHG Practice 8a Adult Bible Study 9aContemporary Worship w/Holy Communion 9:15a Adult Bible Study 10:30aTraditional Worship 2:15p Templo 6:30p A.A FSR

29 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun

30 31 8:15a Fit ‘n Fun 9a String Band Practice

2013

July 7 July 14 July 21 July 28

9:00

Sound 10:30

Lionel Rogers

Stephen Cass

Lionel Rogers

Stephen Cass

Lionel Rogers

Bill Swift

Lionel Rogers

Stephen Cass

9:00

Elders 10:30

Larry Adloff

Larry Adloff

John Brady

Larry Adloff

Larry Adloff

Bob Rios

9:00

Acolytes 10:30

9:00

Ushers

10:30

Larry & Vicki Hermone

Bill Swift, Loretta Bryld

Carol Martin,

Gail Mulkey

Greg and Gayla Mott

Larry & Vicki Hermone

Bill Swift, Loretta Bryld

Carol Martin,

Gail Mulkey

Greg and Gayla Mott

Larry & Vicki Hermone

Bill Swift, Loretta Bryld

Carol Martin,

Gail Mulkey

Greg and Gayla Mott

Larry & Vicki Hermone

Bill Swift, Loretta Bryld

Carol Martin,

Gail Mulkey

Greg and Gayla Mott

9:00

Altar Guild 10:30

Jean Haldeman

Vicki Hermone

Donna Kemppainen

Jenny Yanick

Liturgist Rich Yanick Pastor Mark Rich Yanick Pastor Mark

Counters R. & M. Durand K. & F. Jones C. Schultz,

L. Hertzberg P. & D. Corson

9:00

Video 10:30

Cindy Terpe

Jean Haldeman

Cindy Terpe

Jean Haldeman

Cindy Terpe

Kathy Cass

Cindy Terpe

Jean Haldeman

Servants for ChristServants for ChristServants for ChristServants for Christ July 2013July 2013July 2013July 2013

Just a Reminder for Altar Guild: Remove the candles into the wooden holder and fill each candle with the liquid wax. Light each candle to make sure they are all burning at

the same height. Please do not cut wicks to adjust flame, simply push down or pull up gently. Return the candles to the holders and

make sure they are secure and straight.

Fill two(2) communion trays, four (4) on the Sundays when communion is held in both services. Fill all center cups in each tray with the white grape juice. This amount is subject to change when we grow in membership!!

Keep the filled trays in the refrigerator.

Straighten and fill in the cards as needed and make sure all the pencils are sharp in each pew.

Fill the coffee and water pots. The directions are on the closet door.

All these functions can be done on Friday or Saturday.

On Sunday set out communion prior to service and clean up and put it away after the service.

5

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A THIRD PERSON BIOGRAPHY OF KATY WOZNIAK…

Katy couldn’t be more excited about moving to California and seeing how

God is going to use her to do His ministry at First Lutheran. She was born

and raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, so Placerville should be a

big change. Katy loves working with families and helping to equip parents to

be teachers of the faith. Katy considers herself to be a little bit of a nerd, en-

joys most of pop culture, and is extremely good at “Name That Tune.” When

she wants to relax, Katy will often read or do some sort of crafting; she really

enjoys knitting and jewelry making. Again, she is super excited to start at First Lutheran,

because she can’t say it enough!

Blessings,

Katy

SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, GOOD-BYE!

Two of our member households are moving to new homes in the Mid-West! They will be

dearly missed and at the same time we rejoice with them as they venture into the next

phases of their lives….

CINDY ISDAHL first came to Placerville at the end of 1995 and joined First

Lutheran in June of 1996. With her late husband, Lloyd, they became active

in the campers group, hosted wine parties, and were active with Stephen

Ministry. For a while Cindy led the Fellowship Board. She has been very ac-

tive with the Altar Guild, most recently its chairperson, and has served as crucifer for our

traditional worship. The last seven or eight years she has generously hosted the Fourth of

July BBQ for the congregation. Together with dogs: Tawny and Louie, she will be moving

to her hometown of Creston, Iowa. Her brother is coming down from Oregon with a large

trailer to “pack what fits.” Cindy has purchased a house near her twin sister’s home. She

anticipates leaving Placerville on July 8 or 9. Her many friends will truly miss her!

MIKE, MELISSA, NATALYA AND OLIVIA OPSAHL became famil-

iar with our campus through the CDC (preschool) when Natalya and

Olivia, as two year olds, in 2004. The girls were baptized during the

closing ceremony of VBS in the summer of 2006. Melissa joined the

CDC Board as an active parent. Mike and Melissa became communi-

cant members of First through one of our adult membership classes in 2007. Mike has s

served as a member of the Property Board and Melissa is concluding a two year term as

Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Voters Assembly. Over the years the family has

not only been active with the CDC, but also VBS and Sunday school leadership. The girls

have been the backbone of the Angels Choir with their singing and creative dance, and

characters in our children’s Christmas pageants. Around August 6, the family will leave

their Pollock Pines home behind to move to Reserve, Montana, 10 or 15 miles from the

North Dakota border and about 30 miles south of the Canadian border. Mike has been

working there for several months and commuting home here on off-weeks. Their many

friends and family will miss them dearly…we’ll look forward to future vacations here to

visit us!

7

CONTINUING/COMING IN JULY 2013…

We conduct our worship services at 9 AM (Contemporary) and 10:30 AM

(Traditional). Adult Bible Classes on Sunday are offered at 8 AM and 9:15

AM. Sunday School for nursery/preschool age children through age 12 is on

“vacation” until September 8!

REVITALIZATION

We continue to receive donations to the “Revitalization Fund” established to raise

monies to offset the expenses of calling a DCE/Family Life Minister-Intern, to us this

summer 2013. You may recall that our stewardship program 2011 involved these

items…Financial Growth by Three Means: (1) Commitment to tithing, (2) Increased

contribution in 2013, and (3) Specific pledge to the Revitalization fund.

DCE INTERN

We have been placed with an Intern from Concordia Chicago (River Forest): Katy

Wozniak. Katy is from the Chicago area. She will be Inducted into office on July 7!

Katy will be assisting with Vacation Bible School the week of July 8-12 and become

more deeply involved as she gets settled.

COOKS FOR THE HOMELESS

Ida Brady has a friend, Dee Hook, who helps prepare lunches for distribution to the

homeless camps around town, as identified by Mike Parr with Mercy Rescue Way

Mission. If you would like to assist in the meal preparation, contact Ida or contact Dee

directly at 916-941-9541 or via email … deehook@att.net.

MUSICIANS/SINGERS

“By His Grace,” our contemporary service worship leaders are seeking out

more instrumentalists and singers to accent their ministry. In the meantime,

Bill and Jenny on guitar and Denise on keyboard as instrumentalists are the

core along with Clydene, Jenny and Bill as vocalists! Do you know someone,

maybe you, who could join along? Let Bill Rosenberry or pastor know.

MISCELLANEOUS

“Little Back Packs” for Schnell School, 21, were filled again in mid-May…

the donations of nutritional snacks and drinks were very much appreci-

ated! This ministry is complete until the fall school months! Your generos-

ity was outstanding! Thank you very much!

PASTORAL ACTIONS

Deaths: Florence Sampson 6/12/2013; Memorial Service 6/15/2013

8

STEPHEN MINISTRY

Training and continuing education remain the focus for our nine Stephen

Ministers and three Stephen Leaders throughout the summer and into the

fall months. Do you know of someone whom you believe would benefit by

having a Stephen Minister? Check out one of our “yellow” information flyers

available in the church entrance (Narthex) or church office and see just how

broad and yet narrow the scope of care-giving is and can be for you or some-

one you may want to refer to us! Questions: contact Judy Bryld or Pas-

tor.

BLOOD SOURCE SUNDAY

If you are able to donate blood, and did not sign up prior to July 7, please

consider being a “walk-in” sometime between 8:30 and noon. As of today,

there were 16 sign-ups and we need 25 to guarantee the mobile unit to come

to us once-a-year! If we fall short and we are no longer a donation site, you

can still arrange for donations at the Cedar Ravine donation office!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

July 7 at 9 and 10:30 AM: Induction of Katy Wozniak as DCE Intern here at

First Lutheran!

July 14 at 4 PM: Installation of Rev. Ryan Hochgrebe as pastor of Mt. Olive

in Folsom (Ryan was previously a vicar for LOTH).

July 21 at 9 and 10:30 AM: Gideon’s Bible Society talk

September 8: Sunday School Resumes and “Food for the Poor” guest

speaker

September 29: Guest Pastor: Rev. John Herrmann

October 6: Guest Pastor: Rev. Darrell Deuel

9

10

LUTHERANS FOR LIFE (LFL) By Lois Brauer

“Equipping Lutherans to be Gospel-motivated voices for Life!”

The Walk/Run for Life was a huge success on May 18th. What a joy and blessing to see lots of members of Zion there. Some joined in the walk and others were there to encourage and support our team. Our Chapter won the team challenge and members’ personal pledge goals were met as well. The amount we raised will assist both the Sacramento Life Center and Alternatives Pregnancy Center with 10% of their goal. How awesome is that! In addition, that day we learned the last abortion clinic in our area has been closed. Praise God! He hears and answers the prayers of His children. Thanks to all of you awesome people who have been so sup-portive. I want to mention a great (and free) quarterly publication by Lutherans for Life. Its title is “Life Date.” In this publication, there are some very good and informative articles. The articles share information on many different life related topics—from facing an un-planned pregnancy, the effects that abortion can have on men and women, adoption, bioethics (stem cell research & In Vitro Fertilization), coping with various diseases/disabilities, facing end of life issues, grieving, and more. These articles have provided me with new perspectives or simply with information I didn’t have earlier to help make choices as I face difficult life decisions.

Recently our Chapter learned that some people are making donations to the National LFL but do not know that if they provide our Chapter number (#313) in the correspon-dence with their check, we will get 20% of their gift to help us continue our ministry here in the Greater Sacramento Area. Or they assume National will automatically pro-vide that amount to us. If you contribute to the National LFL and want to support our local Chapter through that gift, please provide our Chapter number 313 on your check or correspondence. Thanks!

We will be having a meeting in July and would love for you to join us. It will be at 11:00 a.m. on July 13, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Georgetown. After the meet-ing, we have been invited to spend the afternoon relaxing at Diane Buchholz’ home in Garden Valley.

Scholarships for College

It is time for those planning to attend college in the fall to turn in

their applications. The applications may be obtained in the

church office. All applications are due by August 1.

JulyJulyJulyJuly

BirthdaysBirthdaysBirthdaysBirthdays JulyJulyJulyJuly

AnniversariesAnniversariesAnniversariesAnniversaries

7/16/1971 Bob and Vicki Rios 7/26/1975 Dale and Vicky Hogrefe 7/26/1975 Rich and Jenny Yanick 7/27/1996 Martin and Elizabeth Humbird 7/30/1950 Harold and Alice Williams

3 Martin Humbird

4 Patty Adloff

9 Jerry Burk

12 John Mooney

13 Kathy Templeton

16 Roberta Hendry

19 Marian Ekness

23 Dale Hogrefe

24 Carol Schultz

Patrick Monahan

26 Bob Henkell

29 Josh Wienholz

30 Ellen Page

11

By Carol Schultz

Blood Drive is this Sunday, July 7th. Along with Katy’s installation, it

will be a busy day! But please keep in mind that we do need good par-

ticipation in order to continue having the blood mobile on site for our

convenience in the future. This is a wonderful op-

portunity for nearly all of us to give a life-saving do-

nation to the needs of our greater community. Please

be among those who see a need and fulfill it—you’ll

be glad you did!

LOTH & FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH

PRESENT

WOMEN’S RETREAT-2013

SATURDAY, OCT. 5th 9:00AM-3PM @LOTH

CONFIDENT GRACE

Philippians 1:6

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Come and enjoy a day of fellowship, Bible Study, prayer, meditation time and singing with your friends. Snacks and lunch, too!

Our speaker is Susanna Foth Aughtmon a pastor’s wife, mother and author from Palo Alto. She loves connecting with people of all ages and from all walks of life. She brings the message of God’s love for us and His ability to close the gap between the person we are and the person He created us to be, using scripture, humor and real life examples. Her talks revolve

around the themes of her books: God’s grace, God’s truth, and His ability to restore us as we give ourselves completely to Him.

Susanna’s books will also be available for purchase:

All I need is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans, My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself, and I Blame Eve.

She loves signing her books!

PLAN TO ATTEND........SAVE THE DATE!!

BRING A FRIEND!!

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Your Stephen Ministers have been busy during May and

June participating in in-service activities to support them

your ministry. The two topics covered were “Ministering to

People Before, During and After Hospitalization” and min-

istering to “People Experiencing Losses Relating to Ag-

ing”. Speakers from Marshall Hospital and the county

Senior Center were of great value to the group. Just a few

of the services available through our county include legal

assistance, help in understanding and working with Medi-

care and Medical, assistance and support in providing care

for a loved one, a variety of activities for seniors, various food programs and sup-

port groups for a wide variety of needs. For more information please feel free to

contact Pastor Mark, Judy Bryld or one of your Stephen Ministers (Vicki and

Larry Hermone, Tom and Peggy Hayhurst, Bill Rosenberry, Barbara Calvo,

Kathy Pennington, Jean Liddell or Lori Jarvis.) Also, please be aware that seven

of your Stephen Ministers are available for assignment and eager to be of service.

Informational brochures on the Stephen Minister at First Lutheran are available in

the Narthex or in the office.

All God’s Blessings Be With You!

Your Stephen Ministers

Stephen Ministry

Vacation Bible School

July 8-12th

9:00am to noon

Bring your neighbors, grandchildren, nieces,

nephews, friends……the more the merrier!

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

This year our VBS will be sending

Bible booklets to India. We will

take a picture of each child and

volunteer worker during VBS.

These photos will be pasted into

the Bible booklets. The children

will draw a picture or write a

message in the booklet to person-

alize them.

The booklet that is written in

Hindi will be sent to the distribu-

tion center so they can be distrib-

uted to the children in India.

We have purchased 40 booklets to

be sent.