Southwood Lutheran Church

God is Sufficient

This post comes from Scott Koehn, a member of Southwood's Tanzania team who recently hosted a visitor from Tanzania.

This past weekend, Saturday afternoon until Tuesday morning, we have had a Tanzanian named Munguatosha staying with us. It was his first trip to the United States and we spent all afternoon Sunday touring Lincoln.

He was amazed at the homes people live in, the shopping malls, the automobiles with only one or two people in them, the downtown area, and the university campus. As we passed a small used car lot he couldn’t believe the number of different cars and trucks there were for people to choose from. In his country walking, bicycles, and buses, are what most people use for transportation. I next took him to the new car lots on North 27th streets.

He asked how people could purchase such nice vehicles and live in such nice big homes. I tried to convince him that not everyone was so fortunate and drove him to some of the poorer neighborhoods with small houses and apartment buildings. He pointed out that people still had cars or trucks there as well.

We ended the trip by driving by a Starbucks and store that was marked Pet Hotel. He looked at me and before he could ask I said yes people pay money to leave their pets there while they are on vacation or out of town.

On Monday night I took him to small group where we went through the first chapter of the book “Enough” He sat and listened quietly to us talk about “affluenza” and “credititus” and keeping up with the Joneses. He listened quietly to us read and discuss the Bible verses. As we went through the discussion questions he talked about coming back from Henry Doorley zoo earlier that afternoon and seeing storage buildings where people stored there “stuff” they didn’t have room for in their homes and garages. Then I sat and became quiet. I thought about my own life filled with consumerism, all the stuff I had, and being driven to work hard to get a large enough retirement account that some day I could retire. But the thoughts and questions remained unanswered. How much is enough?

Munguatosha left Tuesday morning to visit other places in Nebraska. As Faye and I discussed the weekend’s events and our visitor around the dinner table Tues, evening, it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. I laughed out loud when it dawned on me the answer to my thoughts and questions had been with me all weekend. Munguatosha’s name translates to “God is sufficient”.

Our God is all we truly need.

Southwood Serves - Hunger Ministries

Several years ago as a result of becoming involved in a Small Group at Southwood, our group choose to volunteer at the Center For People In Need (Neighborhood Food Distribution Program). This one time choice of serving has evolved into volunteering at the CPIN every first & fifth Tuesday of each month ever since.

In 2008 the Neighborhood Food Distribution Program delivered 1 million pounds of groceries to low-income families each. This served about 4,000 families each month. Southwood volunteer contribution to this effort was serving about 8,000 families in 2008, & the numbers for 2009 seem to be on the rise.

Watching the many families come through the food distribution line is a very humbling experience. Not an evening goes by that you do not receive several “God Bless You’s” or “Thank You’s ” from the adults going past your distribution point. It is even more humbling to see the sadness in the eyes & faces of the many children that accompany their parents. After each session as we travel back to our comfortable home to eat our dinner meal, it is truly a wonderful feeling that maybe you contributed positively in a small way to someone else’s day & makes you thankful for what God has provided to us.

Thank you to the many Southwood Volunteers who have given of their time to support the Neighborhood Food Distribution effort. If you, your family, or small group is interested in serving, sign-up at Southwood Central of call me @ 421-2447 or 450-1576.

Merlyn Schuster

Southwood Serves

This fall’s preaching and small group series is called Southwood Serves.  We will be focusing on what it means to roll-up our sleeves and join God and honor him with our talents, passion, money and time.   

“… choose today whom you will serve … as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:15

On the blog throughout the fall, I will be posting people’s first hand experiences of serving by featuring quotes, faith stories, information regarding Southwood’s mission partners and how you can get involved. 

If you have a story about serving that you would like to share, please email me at nmroczek@southwoodlutheran.org, I would love to hear from you!

Here are some important events that are going on at Southwood this fall, make sure to mark your calendar:

· Small Groups – September 27^th – November 22^nd

Southwood Serves – an 8 week session focused on Serving.  Books go on sale September 6 at Southwood Central.

· Global Mission Sunday – September 27th

Learn about Southwood’s work in Honduras and Tanzania and ways you can get involved by participating in an upcoming mission trip or from the comfort of your own home.  A Hunger Banquet will be at 12:00pm in the Fellowship Hall.  Please join us to learn more about Hunger in the world.  Guest Speaker – Scott Young from the Lincoln Food Bank - Come, Eat, and Leave Hungry!

· Southwood Serves –October 3
Serve with your family, friends and small group at Southwood!  Day begins at 8:30am with Worship, followed by serving in the community of Lincoln from 9:00am – 12:00pm.  Opportunities will be available at City Impact, Tabitha, Food Pantry, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and many more.  Registration for serving opportunities begins on September 6^th in the Café.  Childcare for Children under 6 years will be available.  A barbeque lunch on the lawn following at 12:00pm for all participants.

· Serving Fair – October 18
 Visit with our Community Missions partners and volunteers from Southwood to learn ways that you can get involved at Southwood’s Hospitality, Hunger, Mentoring, and Medical Ministries. 

Stories from Tanzania: People are People

"A person's a person, no matter how small."  When I was a kid my mom would read to us Horton Hears a Who, it was one of our favorite books.  Last summer I saw the movie and thought they really captured well the theme of the dignity of each and every human life.  It really is a global mission theme.

I really believe this:  No matter where you go,  People are people.   After my trip to Tanzania, I believe it even more!

One of the biggest insights for me on our trip to Tanzania was that at the very core of who we are as human beings we are all the same.  No matter where we live, no matter how much we have or don't have, no matter the color of our skin - we all have the same basic needs.  We need relationships with other people and we need hope.

I recently read this quote at  www.oxfamaerica.org:

"The one thing I would like you to remember is this:  Everyone on earth has the same basic needs; it is only our circumstances - where we live and the culture into which we are born - that differ.

Some are born into relative prosperity and security, while millions, through no choice of their own, are born into poverty ....

While the US is one of the wealthiest countries on earth, almost 37 million Americans live in poverty.  Stark inequalities prevail everywhere."

In the picture above is Pastor Moshi and Benarick Urassa.  Pastor Moshi is the pastor in charge at our sister parish, the Uswaa parish.  Benarick (Ben) is an evangelist for this parish, and has responsibilities in confirmation and youth.  These are two incredible people, they are compassionate, they are faithful to God, and they are on a mission to reach out and serve in the name of Jesus Christ.

It was so fun to get to know Pastor Moshi and Ben and to hear about the life of the people in their parish.  The needs are so great, poverty, hunger, health care, and education are all at the top of the list.  What is the church doing about it?  They are forming small groups, they are going to people's homes and praying with them, they are building a new church. Is it surpising to you that our Sister church in Tanzania is committed to small groups?  It surpised me, but it also helped me to think more of our similarities than our differences.  It also just solidified for me that our hope comes from relationships, not from money.

Pastor Moshi writes this about relationships built in small groups:

All of us need to learn to motivate and encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25).  In an interview, Manjau said that "you hear someone in the group saying 'I know what you're experiencing.  When I was going through a similar situation, the Lord directed me to this passage.  Let's study it together.'"

When a woman anointed Jesus' feet before his death with costly perfume and was reprimanded by Judas for wasting money that could have been spent on the poor, Jesus said this:

"'Leave her alone,' said Jesus.  'Why are you bothering her?  She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them anytime you want.  But you will not always have me.'"  Mark 14:6-7

Pastor Moshi and Ben believe that bringing people together under the banner of their faith brings them hope. Building relationships with God and with other people brings hope to people.  That is true here in Nebraska too.There will always be problems, but when we come together around the cross of Christ there is hope.

What brings you hope?  I am so thankful for the ministry of these faithful servants in Tanzania who bring hope to countless people through their dedication to Jesus.

Pastor Sara

How does your Small Group grow?

Sometimes the best way to grow is with others.  Other people do a great job of encouraging you, challenging you, supporting you, and holding you accountable.  Check out some of these great ways that your small group can continue to grow together.

• Worship.  Find one Sunday this summer to meet in the café with your group for coffee and catching up and then attend worship together.  Summer Brunch is on July 26.
• Keep on Studying.  We have many great small group study resources in Southwood’s Library.  Talk to Pastor Sara for more ideas!
• The Shack.  This book has generated a lot of buzz.  Get your small group together to read and discuss the book.  Pastor Sara has a great study guide you can use.
• Take care of each other.  Sometimes the best thing your group can do is to be together, eat together, check in with each other, and continue to pray for and with one another.
• Invite.  Think about those people who are not connected to a church or a small group yet.  Would they fit in your group?  Could you group divide and welcome more people into your midst?  Are there people in your group emerging as potential small group leaders?  Invite them to consider this kind of leadership.

Forecast: Pray, Pray, Pray

These are very trying times in our country.  Almost every day, I hear stories on the news of major US companies struggling to make a profit, companies cutting jobs, and the increasing numbers of people who are unemployed.  Recently I have noticed that a majority of these stories are focusing closer to home, right here in the heartland and in the Lincoln community.

With these news stories on my mind, I set out to visit all of our community mission partners.  I wanted to gain a better understanding of their needs and what they were forecasting for the upcoming months.  Here are some of the eye opening stories that I learned in the last week:

• Clinic With A Heart is seeing double the number of their average patients. On many of the free clinic nights, they have to turn patients away due to time constraints and lack of volunteer physicians. 
• The total number of elementary school students in LPS on free lunch is 5,584 and reduced lunch is 1,309.  The FoodBank will distribute 52,683 backpacks during the 2008-2009 school year. That is equivalent to 263,415 meals. For the 2009-2010 school year, the FoodBank is predicting that they will distribute 68,000 (2,000 per week).      
• Matt Talbot is seeing increases in the number of people that are coming to their kitchen for free lunch and dinner meals. When comparing the months of January 2008 to January 2009, they served 1,000 more meals in the month of January 2009. This increase is due to in the number of families of the working poor that are struggling to survive in the weakening economy.
• Matt Talbot is also moving forward with a $1.4 million capital campaign to fund a new facility on North 27th street. They need to relocate due to the Antelope Valley project and are trying to raise these funds when many companies are cutting budgets.

When I asked how the people of Southwood could help in the upcoming months, the message was universal - PRAY!  So I am asking you to pray for our community missions and their leaders, pray for the homeless and working poor, pray for our community, pray for our countries leaders, and pray for the people you personally know that have been affected.

I am also asking you to continue to open up your hearts and serve in the community where you are able to help fill the gaps. Below is a list of community mission partners, see if God is calling you to be a part of a mission.

This is your chance!

If you've ever even thought about joining a small group, this is your chance! If you've ever thought Southwood was so big and you wish you knew a few more people, this is your chance. If you've ever wondered if other people are asking the same questions that you are, this is your chance!

On Sunday, March 1st, small groups at Southwood will begin meeting again. Several brand new groups are forming, and this your chance to join. Our study is six weeks long, during this time groups will be meeting at Southwood and in homes for bible study, questions, and friendship. This is an exciting time because we get to see so many people growing in their love for God and others.

Kick-Off Event
Now is your chance to join a group.  Sunday's March 1 and 8 we will be holding a kick-off event at Southwood for anyone interested in a small group.  The evening will begin at 7:00 p.m., we will divide into small groups and study the lesson from 40 Days of Love, and of course there will be refreshments and dessert to pass around!  After these two weeks at church, the small groups that have formed will continue to meet on their own through Easter.

They're Here.

If you tried to buy a Small Group book on Sunday, by mid-morning you were turned away.  Wow!  The books have been flying out of here.

Good News.  A shipment of books arrived yesterday so if you missed out Sunday, you can get one now.

Books are available at Southwood Central on Sundays, or you can stop by the church office during the week 8 am - 5 pm and get one.  They are $12 each.

Our study begins March 1.  You will hear sermons on these book themes on both Sundays and Wednesdays all through Lent.  You do not need to be in a small group to get a book, but if you'd like to join one contact Pastor Sara.

Learn more about small groups by clicking here.

Discomfort, Anger, Tears, and Foolishness

Keep reading …

There is a Franciscan Benediction that says:

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and the exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

This prayer/blessing is all about relationships – with God and with each other. It is a prayer that we would be able to recognize the heart of God in each encounter we have. It is incredibly beautiful and extremely challenging all at the same time.

During Lent we are going to be studying this beautiful and challenging thing called relationships. Our study will be focused on how Jesus himself entered into relationships and how we can strive to encounter people with the same passion that he did. This study will be enhanced by participation in a small group.

Small groups are made of of 8-12 people who meet together to learn more about each other and God. These studies are facilitated by a small group leader and based on the book The Relationship Principles of Jesus, by Tom Holladay. Books are available now at Southwood Central for $12. If you would like to join a small group contact Pastor Sara.

Things You Can't Do Alone

This may surprise some of you, but I consider myself an introvert. I draw a lot of my energy and enthusiasm from moments of solitude. However, I do enjoy groups of people and I always find that the energy expended is well worth it.

Why? Because there are just some things you can't do alone. Check out this video:

The only way I ever really grow spiritually is by spending time with other people. Reading scripture, prayer, and asking questions just takes on a whole new life for me when I approach it from another person's perspective. I know I cannot ever grow spiritually when I try to do it alone.

My small group is made up of about 10 other people who are a lot like me, we ask questions, we are inspired by the faith and service of others, and we really like sweet treats and laughter!  At Southwood, we are putting small groups together right now.

I hope you will consider trying out what it means to be in a community of people that grow spiritually together.   Small Groups begin meeting the week of  March 1st.  There are a couple of ways you can join a small group:

• Sign up this  Sunday.  There will be a card in this Sunday's bulletin that will help us to know what kind of group you are looking for and we will work hard to get you into a group. 
• Give small groups a try.  Sundays February 8, 15, and 22 we will have a small group trial run during the 9:45 Sunday School hour.  You can come for just one or all three and see what its like to be in a small group.  After this, if you like, we'll get you into a group for our church wide study.

If you'd like more information or how to get involved please feel free to contact Pastor Sara via email or the church office (402-423-5511).

Pastor Sara