February 2006

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the

mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness

into God’s marvelous light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people;

once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I Peter 2:9-10

You, the people of Atonement, are a royal priesthood, a holy people, God’s own people. You are not a Beloiter or a Clintonite. You are not a Parker graduate or a Purple Knight. You are not a retiree or a corporate executive or a stay at home mom or a farmer. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Together we are God’s people, it doesn’t matter if we give all we own to the church or our widows mite, just so we give what we truly can with a joyful heart. It doesn’t matter if we wear jeans or a suit to worship, just so we come and worship God with our brothers and sisters in the faith. It does matter if we gather together or not. How can you maintain healthy relationships with your family if you never see your family? We are God’s people, we are God’s children. Our brother Jesus invites us to gather together around the welcome table.

True we are not a very big group of people, in reality about 200 strong. But look at what we have done. We finished 2005 with about $7,000.00 to the good. We have an average worship attendance of 76 folks. Out of our 200 or so folks over half of our confirmed members communion and contribute. We met our benevolence and fulfilled our financial commitment to the synod. We continue to host Hands of Faith and Y.A.G. We continue to enjoy fellowship together. We who once we not a people, are indeed a people. God’s people.

We are God’s people not just for kicks and giggles. The writer of I Peter continues with, ‘in order that’. You knew there had to be an ‘in order that’ didn’t you? In order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of God who has called you out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. Wow!

Proclaim!? Is that word even in the Lutheran vocabulary? Yes it is! We need to tell our friends and neighbors; our classmates and co-workers, even our relatives, that God is marvelous, that God loves them so very much that Jesus was sent to be our brother and our savior.

Come, people, let us tell all who will listen the Good News of Jesus Christ and the new life they can have through him. In a society where it matters who you are and what you do, people are aching to hear a word of peace and unity and welcome for who they are on the inside, not what they can bring or give.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the

mighty acts of him who called you

out of darkness

into God’s marvelous light.

Our next meeting will be on Sunday, January 22, after church to discuss the budget for the 2006 year. On Sunday, January 29, we will have our annual meeting, at which time we will elect Council members, select Synod representatives, and approve the budget for the 2006 year.

The 3rd annual Chili/Soup cookoff is February 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. Join in for good food and fellowship at this fund-raiser. Matching funds by Thrivent.

Don't forget to turn in the Time and Talent Sheets. Find them in the Klingberg Chapel.

Thanks to all for the pledges for this coming year. It's makes the Council's job of setting a budget so much easier when we know how much money we can count on.

God's Blessings -- Carole

Atonement’s 3rd Annual Winter Chili & Soup Cook-off and Bake Sale will be from 4-7 PM, Saturday, February 4th. This is a fund raiser event for this winter’s heating bill. A sheet of tickets to sell are included in this month’s newsletter, and packets of tickets are available at church as well. Prices are $4 for adults, and $1 for kids under 10. Guests will be given a bowl and spoon and are free to sample all the entries then vote on their favorite recipe, with the winner receiving a $100 bond. Matching funds by Thrivent.

Dec adults/youth

Jan adults/youth

Total income (year to date) $112.233.10

Net income (year to date) $ + 7,238.87

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The following items are posted in more detail in the Klingberg Chapel:

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between "wolves" inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

We will be printing a new directory (without pictures) this year, probably around Easter. Please fill out the form below and return to the office by the end of February.

Please take a minute and help us update our office directory. On a separate sheet, please fill in the information asked for below for each member of your household, then return the form to the office or place in the offering. Thank you.

Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Home Phone:

Cell Phone:

Email Address:

Date of Birth:

Date of Marriage:

Are you a member?:

Other members in your household:

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Give me a sense of humor, Lord,
Give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some humor out of life,
And pass it on to other folk.

Eternal Candle: The Eternal Candle for February has no sponsor

Altar Guild: no information available

Weekly Beloit Daily News ad: sponsored by Char Affeldt

Flowers: Dan & Andrea Garvey for their 12th wedding anniversary Bread of Heaven: Russ & Cheryl Ramczyk

Fellowship: Don & Marcy Reedy for Harold Berner’s 78th birthday Acolyte: open

KidsKorner: Jan Mitchell

Y.A.G. host: Candy Hoefer

Flowers: open

Bread of Heaven: Bob & Arlene Brauns

Fellowship: open

Y.A.G. host: LaVaughn Kunny

Bread of Heaven: Irene Baker, Nels & Phyllis Steele

Fellowship: Irene Baker, Nels & Phyllis Steele

Acolyte: open

KidsKorner: Ashlee Pearsall

Bread of Heaven: open

Fellowship: open

Kids Korner: Andrea Garvey

Y.A.G. host: LaVaughn Kunny

2/12 Kyle Hoefer 2/28 Richard Wendtland

2/21 Cheryl Ramczyk

2/13 Susan Grade 2/21 Robert Ruegger

Charlotte Laird, January 8, 2006

Lana Spangenberg & Ty Dummer, December 19, 2005

Ruth Smith, January 14, 2006

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2/5 St. John Jets @ Atonement Rebels Atonement Rejects @ 1st Congregational

2/12 Atonement Rebels @ Trinity Eagles

Trinity Mighty Darts @ Atonement Rejects

2/19 Sun Valley Too @ Atonement Rebels

Atonement Rejects @ 1st Baptist

2/26 Messiah Thunder @ Atonement Rebels

Atonement Rejects @ Our Savior’s Vikings

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A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup to come out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "It's the minister, Mommy," the child said to her mother. Then she added, "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."

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Get your needles out, your sewing scissors, your chain saws, whatever your tool is, and spend the winter months creating a unique Kuality Kraft item that Atonement can auction off in a silent auction during our Quilt Show this year.

Due to the new privacy laws regarding health information, the hospital will not release the names of patients. So if you are going into the hospital, or know someone who is hospitalized, please call the church office, or let Pastor Tina know.

The Luther College Nordic Choir, Craig Arnold, conductor, will present a concert of sacred music at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 3300 Rural Street, Rockford, IL on Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 7:30 PM. This performance will feature works by Hassler, Frank Martin, Z. Randall Stroope, Vaughan Williams, and Gretchaninoff. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for students. For tickets call 815-399-0531.

The Brotherhoods’ Sweetheart Dinner will be 6 PM, February 13 at the church. Dinner includes ham and chicken, salad, potato, vegetable, roll, beverage and dessert tray. Entertainment is the Stateline Harmony Quartet. Please RSVP to Rollyn Affeldt by Thursday, February 9. Cost is $8 per person.

Programs run from 10 AM-3 PM, and cost $10 per person. Lutherdale is located at N7891 US Hwy 12, Elkhorn WI. For more information, call (262) 742-2352.

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A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. Mrs. Goodnest said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed. The next school day, Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor boy he knew. She did this for the whole week. As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week Finally he said to Timmy, "Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?" Timmy nonchalantly replid, "Yeah, I know who she is." The friend said, "Well, who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy replied, "and her daughter Marcy." "Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?" "Well," Timmy explained, "every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!"

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