St Paul Lutheran Church in Williamsburg

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Williamsburg will be hosting a brunch on Sunday, October 4. It will be at the Lutheran Interparish School following the 8:45 am service at the school. The event will feature Lithuanian foods. Proceeds will go to the diaconal center in Palanga, Lithuania to help finish the interior of their building. Rev. and Mrs. Gary Arp will be joining us with pictures and mementos of their trips there.

Everyone is invited to join us. To help with the meal planning we would like people to call the church at 319.668.1266. You may also call Lynn Evans at 319.668.2332. We ask everyone to pray for our success in this project.

Lithuanian Meal Committee

CAMP I-O-DIS-E-CA

Amazing Summer

The last campfire of Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca’s 2009 season had been reduced to a bed of glowing embers, but the memories of the previous nine weeks sparked skyward….

The High School Servant Event, with participants from seven congregations in five states, swelled the residential summer camp program to a twenty percent increase over the 2008 season. Young men and women came from as far away as Texas and Virginia to work in Cedar Rapids, mucking and gutting, building and painting, sweeping and mopping, to help our neighbors recover from last year’s flood damage.
Numerous unchurched campers learned for the first time how Jesus lived, died, and rose for them. They heard how they are forgiven without any merit or worthiness of their own. Another unchurched camper recently began to attend a local LC-MS congregation because of what she had heard in the daily Bible study time.

Campers had an uproariously great time singing camp songs and engaging in the many camp games and activities. A new group activity was unveiled the first week of summer and rapidly became the new camp favorite - human foosball.

As the last refrain of the “Benediction Song” rang out softly among the morning breezes of the closing programs campers often left with tears in their eyes begging their parents to return again next year.
It was an amazing summer.

Fall Festival 2009
The first quilts have arrived for the Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca Fall Festival auction from the women of Concordia, Cedar Rapids who have crafted some magnificent quilts and lap throws for the camp’s annual festival. Other quilts and craft items will be arriving soon. Please mark your calendars for Sunday, October 11th and make plans now to attend. Fall Festival will feature great food, a lively auction, hay rack rides, apple bobbing, bake sale and much more. Quilts and other fine items are needed for the auction. Auction items may be delivered until October 7th. Fall Festival activities will begin at 12:30 with the auction starting at 3:30. Jason Knapp will once again serve as this year’s auctioneer and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will provide matching funds.

Capital Campaign

Exciting things are in store for Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca as the capital campaign approaches its kickoff. The camp is nearing its 50th anniversary. In order to better serve the congregations and schools of the Iowa District East in future years, capital is needed to update the Alpha Lodge, replace the climbing tower, upgrade the swimming pool, and build a home for year round staff. The consultants hired by the camp board recommend a campaign with a goal of $300-500,000 to make these needed upgrades to the camp’s facilities. If you are interested in serving on one of the campaign committees or would like to volunteer to assist with administrative tasks please feel free to contact our Executive Director, the Rev. Terry Small, 319.848.4187 with any questions.

IDE Confirmation Retreat

Under the theme “Forgiveness - For You” catechumens will gather November 6-7 at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca to study the fifth chief part of Luther’s Small Catechism, Confession and the Office of the Keys. This retreat definitely will not be all work and no play. In addition to their in-depth study, participants will engage in camp games such as Dare Base or Eagles Nest, enjoy singing around a campfire and playing human foosball, the camp’s newest hit game, and much more. The registration fee is only $36. Registration materials are available from IDE congregations or by contacting the IDE office.

The last campfire of the season.....

Camp IO-DIS-E-CA

ANNOUNCING THE FORMATION OF THE CAMP IO-DIS-E-CA DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, My name is Greg Gerjerts. I am Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca’s volunteer development director, and this month I’m launching a 3-year process of forming a Development Office to work on behalf of the Camp.

Over the next 3 years the Development Office will be involved in creating its own policy manual and strategic plan, launching and sustaining a quarterly e-newsletter, organizing an Annual Fund committee and assisting with the first two Annual Fund drives in 2011 and 2012. Additionally, we’ll be assisting with the Camp’s Capital Campaign, which should begin later this year, and we’ll also be coordinating our efforts with those of the Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca Foundation. It will take a small group of devoted individuals to carry out the Development Office’s charter, and so I am making this earnest appeal for individuals in Iowa District East to step forward and assist me on behalf of the Camp.

Are you a good communicator? An effective organizer? An experienced financial or investment advisor? An attorney? Do you simply have a desire to pitch in and help in our efforts to secure a long-term future for this remarkable IDE institution?

Now more than ever the Camp needs our support and direct involvement in order to reach its goals of being a best-in-class facility and serving our District Congregations with great distinction—presenting the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ to LCMS and non-LCMS constituents in this unique, natural setting. Please prayerfully consider my appeal, and contact me to discuss the possibility of your serving on this, the inaugural Development Office for Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca. I promise I’ll do my best to make your involvement a rewarding experience, and in turn you’ll be able to help make it a rewarding venture for the Camp.

Email me at gerj@cfu.net, or call me at 319-961-1103, and I’ll be happy to discuss the possibility of our serving together in this worthy endeavor.

Peace in Christ Jesus only,

Greg Gerjerts

1816 Grand Blvd Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Thank You

A very special Thank You to all of you who took the time to drop me a card, letter or email regarding my "retirement." Your prayers and words of encouragement and support over the years I served as District President are very much appreciate. I urge you to do the same of President Saunders. "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)

GARY M. ARP

garyarp@me.com

Need Pews?

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bowling Green, Mo. has eight newly refurbished pews to give away. They are medium brown and seat seven adults comfortable. They are leftover from renovation.If interested please call Debbie at 573-213-9442.

Bethany Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids

ADULT VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Bethany Lutheran Church hosted Adult Vacation Bible School, “Martin Luther- the Man & the Message” was the topic led by Pastor Paul Scheidt. Nearly 30 adults from Bethany and Cottage Grove attended four morning sessions that included refreshments, singing, prayer, and Bible Study. Pastor Scheidt covered the time line of the Reformation, Martin Luther’s life and work, Lutherans after Luther, Significant Scripture, the Reformation- Theological issues/doctrine, Christian faith issues, Christian living issues, Scripture-Church-Authority issues and Hymns by Martin Luther. Senior worship concluded the week with communion followed by a delicious meal and more fellowship!

Grace Lutheran Church in Waterloo

CHAPLAIN COLONEL RANDOLPH MCHONE RETIRES

Pastor McHone of Grace Lutheran in Waterloo retired after 25 years of service as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve. Chaplain McHone took the oath of office in December of 1983. Since then, he has been stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knobnoster, Mo., the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Co., and Scott AFB in O’Fallon, Ill. McHone was awarded the St. Martin of Tours medal by the LCMS in 2003 for twenty years of dedicated service. In his retirement he will continue to serve as a United States Air Force Academy Liaison Office for eastern Iowa as well as an Operation Barnabas Counselor for the Iowa District East.

CAPTIONS: Retirement clergy : Top row L-R Pr. Bruce Boyce, Pr. Gerald Kapanka, Pr. Ron Roland, Pr. Michael Wagnitz. Bottom row: Pr.Tom Wegener, Ch. Randy McHone, Pr. Don Pooch

Returement chaplains: Top row L-R Sgt. Justin East, Ch. Len Brokenshire, Ch. Tom Elbert.

Bottom row Ch. Frank Yerkes, Ch. Randy McHone , Ch. Ted Wuerffel.

St. John Lutheran Church in Clinton

On Sunday August 2, Sarah Barkley was inducted as Deaconess Intern at St. John, Clinton. Sarah Barkley is pictured here with Pastor Dan Pool.