FLOWER CHART FOR 2012

The 2012 flower chart has been posted in the narthex to the right of the mailboxes and is ready for those who would like to order altar flowers. Please reserve your date as soon as possible to secure your desired choice. Signing the chart  places an order for a $28.00 bouquet, plus a charge of $6.95 for delivery to the church, or you may supply your own. (The $6.95 delivery charge may be avoided by calling 652-6960 and arranging pick up at Magic City Floral at 19th and Grand.) If you will be providing your own flowers, please indicate this by putting an asterisk (*) by your name. For any other arrangements or assistance, please contact Marlene Hedin. Thank you!

PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION FOR 2012-2013

Preschool registration for the 2012-13 school year has opened to the public as of February 1. All members or current students wishing to attend should sign up now to ensure a spot in next year’s class. Space is limited! (Our morning 4-5 year old class is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and our 3-4 year old class is Tuesday and Thursday from 12:45-2:45 p.m.) Please share this information with a friend who might be interested or speak with Lynette Scott or Pastor Bickelhaupt.

REVELATION BIBLE STUDY

When you receive a letter from a friend marked “URGENT!” you don’t put that letter aside without reading it, do you? Through the Apostle John, our Savior sent letters to seven congregations in Asia Minor. These letters were not just urgent for the original recipients, they’re urgent for us as well. Come to our multi-media Bible study on the book of Revelation, each Sunday at 9:15 a.m. and find out what is on Jesus’ mind.  It is never too late to join us! 

WOMAN’S BIBLE STUDY

Pray Christian, pray! We have the invitation and command to pray to God. Yet, sometimes it is a struggle to know what exactly to pray or even how to pray. Join the Woman’s Bible Study group every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. for fellowship, discussion and the study of God’s Word. We will be exploring the truths that Jesus has taught us in the Lord’s Prayer along with practical truths concerning prayer in general.  Speak to Pastor Bickelhaupt if you have any questions.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

SIF Executive Team - Saturday, February 11 at 9:00 a.m.

Elders - Monday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Heritage Team - Thursday, February 16 at 6:00 p.m.

Building Committee - Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Church Council - Monday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.

TAX TIME

If you made monetary contributions to Apostles in 2011, your annual statement for taxes is in your church mailbox.

Please remember to check your box regularly for information on upcoming special events, the monthly newsletter and calendar, and interesting news from the WELS!

PRESCHOOL FAMILY NIGHT

All members are invited to join us for our Preschool Family Night on Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m. Pastor will lead us in a children’s devotion, the preschool children will sing a few songs, and then we all will meet in the fellowship hall to decorate cookies - and eat them! This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know our preschool families!

We began the month with lessons on Day and Night and opposites.  We learned how God made the sun, the moon and stars and the whole earth to work together perfectly.  We also played games with “opposite” words.  We all enjoyed the last day of the week when we had Pajama Day!  We all wore our pj’s and shared our favorite bedtime toy or story.  Then for snack we made pancakes.

We moved right into a unit on transportation, or “how we get people and things from one place to another.”  We enjoyed different transportation math games, did tire track paintings, made rocket ships and played with different forms of transportation.  School district #2 visited us for our annual hearing screening this week, also.

We followed all that with a unit on fire safety.  We learned how to crawl low in smoke and what to do if we actually catch on fire (stop, drop and roll). Since that week was also too cold to    venture outside, we practiced these skills while doing different obstacle courses that worked on other gross motor skills such as hopping and balance.  We also discussed the importance of having a plan on how to get out of our classroom or house if there is a fire.  We need to have two ways to get out and then, when we get out, we need a safe place to meet the rest of our family.  We do fire drills throughout the year at school and we encourage them at home, too.

We finished the month with lessons on manners.  The children do a great job with please, thank you, excuse me and you’re welcome.  We all need on-going lessons to remind us of those and to use our kind words when we have a problem.  We worked on understanding why one should be sorry and that we need to forgive those who truly are sorry, just as Jesus forgives us for our mistakes.

During Bible time we heard about how the wise men visited Jesus and presented gifts to him.  We also heard how God protected Jesus by  telling the wise men not to go back to King Herod to tell him about Jesus.  We then heard how Jesus, even though he had never sinned, was baptized by John.  Then the Holy Spirit appeared in the shape of a dove and a voice from heaven said “This is my Son.”  As Jesus began his earthly ministry, we begin to hear of the wonderful miracles that he did as he preached.  We learned of the first miracle of turning water into wine and then how Jesus calmed a storm with his words.

As you can see, the classroom continues to be an active place of learning and fun.  We are already preparing for next year as we begin registration for the fall.  If you have anyone you would like to refer to us, please have them call so we can introduce them to our room.  Thank you for your prayers and support.

                    ~Lynette Scott

John 15:12-14

Valentine’s Day is this month!  Are you ready for it or are you like many who just don’t care? 

Do you chalk it up to another commercial holiday that was invented to sell chocolate and flowers?  Or are you the hopeless romantic who counts down to February 14 dreaming of roses and cupids flying around in a heart shaped formation.  Some will celebrate Valentine’s Day with gusto and others will loath the day or at least ignore it.  But somewhere there is a man who will not be able to ignore February 14 because he will have his wife or girlfriend reminding him that that he better show her some love...or else, mister!

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”  You and I are also commanded to love.  But your love isn’t forced.  Your love isn’t a result of severe threats of eternal hell and punishment.  The love that you produce in your life and the love that you have for your Savior is a product of the faith that the Holy Spirit created in your heart.  Your love is evidence of this Spirit working faith and the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is at work in your heart.  You love because Christ first loved you! 

No, your love isn’t forced at all.  Your love is simply a reflection of the greatest love that truly exists.  The love of God has been shown to you when he gave to you his one and only Son, born of a woman and placed in a manger.  Christ gave his love to you when he freely gave you his life on the cross so that you may experience his love for an eternity through the blessing of forgiveness! 

Valentine’s Day will come and go.  You may celebrate or you may not.  But today is the day, and tomorrow is another, that you can celebrate the fact that the greatest love that was ever shown is love that you possess and experience.  Christ’s love is what you are able to show to others and share with others through his Holy Word.  God’s blessings be with you as you put your faith in action and love!

Our team is gearing up for some great projects, including helping with the Dakota/Montana District Pastors’ Convention which will be held at Apostles in April. More details on that will be coming next month. If you're interested in finding out more about our team, feel free to attend a meeting; they're actually quite fun! The Events Team generally meets on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at the church.

~Lisa Sorensen

Fellowship Team News

At the last Fellowship Team meeting on January 4, we gave feedback on the preschool parents coffee hour and the Christmas event of decorating the church with dinner afterwards. All were in agreement that everything worked well and to go for it again next December. We discussed and planned the ladies "Love for Jesus" gathering held on January 29. Sherry will ask the Heritage team to put something on the bulletin board in the entryway. We made some plans to be discussed at a later meeting such as: bowling, couples night out, women's run, etc. If you have any ideas for these or new ideas, just contact Stephanie Syverson or Sherry Mansheim or put a note in our church box. We are always looking for new ideas and help. God's blessings on your days and your time with your families and your Lord. 

~Sherry Mansheim