Getting Started

Dear Friends,

I'll be up front.  Journaling is not my forte.  I have an old homemade foot locker in the garage in which a bunch of old high school stuff is stored.  I pulled the stuff out hoping to find a beat-up spiral notebook with daily journals from an English class taught by Mr. Maddox.  A standard topic of these daily journals was my low opinion of keeping daily journals.

 



Contents from the "old homemade footlocker"

So, given that such a discipline is an uphill battle, I shall scale the incline by crossing genres -- "killing two birds with one stone," so to speak.  for example, what follows is a "snail mail" letter I sent the congregation prior to my departure.  Considering my skepticism regarding the number of eyes that read that antiquated means of communication, it connot hurt to cross genres by publishing it here as well.

 

Enjoy!

 

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As summer approaches I am excited for OSLC.  Great things are happening!  Sunday, May 28 at 8 a.m. OSLC goes back to Irvine Park for our 33rd consecutive summer park service.  Throughout the summer OSLC kids and families go to bible camp.  Our Servants of Our Saviour’s holds its annual June Salad Luncheon on June 8.  OSLC’s Friend in Faith go rock-climbing June 26-28.  We have folks heading to El Paso and Juarez in July.  Campfires at our north side fire ring begin May 31 and continue thru the summer.  Our long tradition of Vacation Bible School with Central Lutheran is scheduled for July 24-28.  Pure Water Days’ Ecumenical Worship at Irvine Park is at 10 a.m. on August 13.  Our annual blessing of the animals is August 20 at 8:00 a.m.  And more.

These are just the highlights!  We still worship weekly, our Faithful Friends continue to visit our homebound, and Jared, Shannon, Ellen, and Toni will be gearing up for the fall programming.

Overseeing it all, leading worship and checking in periodically will be Rev. Amy Fondroy-Eich, who has agreed to help out during my clergy renewal leave. I am excited for her because you are a great community of believers!  Sure, summer is a time to step back and take a breath, but that doesn't mean that the ministries stop.  Wonderful things are occurring at our Saviour’s as we enter into these summer months.

In addition to Amy, Natalie Leske, Curt Rohland, Barry Boyer and even perhaps Aaron Sturgis are also doing their part.  As for me, if I am not travelling, you may see some cameos of me around town.  My goal, however, is to relax, renew, travel, and get done those projects around the house that have been languishing.  I hope to do some visiting of family and friends, and, of course, enjoy the two big trips I have planned with Natalie and the kids – the Galapagos Islands and Washington D.C.  I will be back in the office on Monday, August 14, refreshed, renewed and ready to dive into a refreshed and renewed ministry with you!  Between now and then, follow what I am up to.  I plan to keep a blog at www.pauloppedahl.blogspot.com.  Feel free to check it out.

Now, what follows is important:  Your financial contributions are imperative.  We cannot accomplish all the exciting stuff going on in and through Our Saviour’s without them.  I thank God every time I remember you and cannot thank you enough for your support.  Each gift, no matter the size, helps us make a difference in our community and beyond.  As we enter into the season when the warm weather and summer activities take us away from church, I encourage you to consider an additional gift to support us through these months. 

Also, if you have not done it yet, make the leap into setting up a sustaining contribution.  If not you entire offering, consider taking a portion of what you try to put in the plate and give it via electronic funds transfer.  So many of us already pay our bills this way.  Why not support God’s mission through Our Saviour’s in the same manner?  Your ongoing donations are extra powerful because they help us ensure Our Saviour's viability week-in and week-out, well into the future.

Simply call your financial institution and set up an electronic funds transfer today, or contact the church office.  We can do it for you.

In the meantime, I invite you to make a one-time gift that can help make these leaner summer months just a bit easier.  Make checks payable to “Our Saviour’s Lutheran.”  Drop it in the mail or stop by the church office.  If you would prefer a more immediate method, visit oslccf.org and click on the $$$$$$ button on the right side of the top menu.

Thank you so much!