From the Desk of Pastor Diehl September 2008 Whether a person is married, single, with children, without children, you name it, in so many ways our calendar of activities runs concurrent with the school calendar. As I write this, teachers are back at school getting ready for another school year, and by the time you read this, the children will all be back, and another year begins. And the beginning of another school year also marks the beginning of another "season" for the church. But what will this "season" mean for us? Just as a new school year means a time for children to learn and grow and discover their gifts, a "new season" in the church can be a time for all to grow and learn as a person of faith. Beginning the weekend after Labor Day we will return to 3 worship services: Saturday 6:00 PM, and Sunday 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM. Along with worship, Sunday School resumes with classes for all ages. In addition to Sunday School, there are Bible study and service opportunities in our women's groups, ChristCare groups, the Lutheran Men in Mission, God Pause, Wednesday evening events, and choir to mention a few places where faith can be nurtured and lives can be enriched. As we think about growing in faith, and helping our children grow in their faith, here is something for you to think about. As a part of the teacher orientation for our Indian River County teachers, a man by the name of Dale Alexander spoke to the teachers on the subject "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" Remember, this is to public school teachers, but he gave some statistics about church involvement and families. He said if both parents brought their children to church and were involved with them there, 82% of the children would remain in the faith of the family. If only the father, 56%. If only the mother, 18%. If neither parent (drop off the kids), 7%. Another statistic he shared was that of a study of 46,000 prison inmates, only 13 were Jewish. 13! Not 13%, or anything like that. He said that the reason for that was the strong bond between Jewish fathers and their sons, and the strong affirmation given to sons, "I'm proud of you", "You're a great boy", "Look what you can do", etc. I share these statistics to hold up the importance of the influence of parents, especially fathers. As the "new season" of the church year unfolds, think about the ways you can grow in your faith, and perhaps help to influence the growth and development of a child's faith. There are plenty of opportunities available for you to experience the Fatherly goodness and mercy of God, and to help others experience that as well, as we try to reflect God's Fatherly goodness to our children and live and grow in that special relationship with God our heavenly Father. See You in Church! Pastor Jack |
August June/July
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