Sunday Morning Services
8:00 am and 10:00 am
A SUMMER OF CHANGE
“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” Ps 150:6
I’m reading a book right now, and it has me thinking about change. Any book that gets me thinking is my kind of book. Maybe that’s why so much of my reading is the Bible. I want to read and learn about me and this amazing world and people in it and God’s love and mercy. Change, as you know, is inevitable.
I wonder how things will be different before the next newsletter comes out in September. Where will St. James be? Where will I be? What changes will occur in our community? What family changes will there be? What will be the ‘big stories’ that captures the attention of people? How will we respond? Changes come to us whether we want them to or not. Change forces us to adapt to a new view and perhaps adjust to a ‘new’ normal.
While change in and of itself is not a bad thing, it can be scary. The way I deal with changes, both planned and unplanned, is to keep perspective on what I can think and do and what I can’t. We are not called to fix every situation and every one. I can love the Lord and love others to Jesus. This is the one thing that as a Christian I am not only called to do but get to do everyday no matter when, where, or how. Paul said it this way, “for me to live is Christ...”
What I will be working on this summer is how I view and adapt to change in my life. One more thing, don’t forget the summer change of worship times at church of 8am and 10am. No matter what changes come your way this summer, may you be rooted in that which never changes – Jesus, our sure foundation for all things. Let’s be part of everything that has breath and Praise the LORD!
Peace and Joy in Christ,
Pastor Mark Gilson
OFFICIAL ACTS |
Baptisms |
0 |
|
Confirmations |
5 |
Grace Hasenbank (5/7/23)
Matthew Hedges (5/7/23)
Ty McCormick (5/7/23)
Molly Mulder (5/7/23)
Wren Tryska (5/7/23)
|
Weddings |
0 |
|
Funerals |
2 |
Bill Van Fank (5/19/23)
Matthew McNeil (5/20/23) |
Reminder
Summer worship hours begin
June through August
1st Service ~ 8:00 am
2nd Service ~ 10:00 am
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The school year is almost over! Summer is just a few weeks away! Things are so so good! I can’t help but praise God for all that He has done over the past month. He IS in control and knows exactly the perfect timing for all things.
Summer is finally here and it’s full! The Junior High youth Gathering, Senior High Youth Gathering, Alaska Mission Trip, and VBS are all around the corner. Its gonna be busy. It’s during times like this that it is so crucial to remember to rest. Summer is fun with all it’s activities but remember what really restores you…The Word. I want to share a few verses with you that would be wise to take into this summer.
Proverbs 13:25 says this,
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”
Psalm 120:105 says this,
“Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.”
It’s all about Jesus. Remember He calls us to rest in Him. Enjoy the summer, enjoy the Word.
Things to mark for your calendar:
June 3-4th – Frankenmuth Junior High Youth Gathering
June 9-19th – Alaska Mission Trip
June 21th – 24th – Russell in Wisconsin for his sister’s wedding
June 26th – 28th – Mackinac Island Youth Gathering
July 5th – Parade!
July 13th – Family Pool Day
July 16th – VBS Prep Day
July 16th – Disc Golf
July 17-22nd – Russell serving at Camp Lutherhaven
July 24rd – 27th – VBS
July 27th- Youth Lake Day
August 3nd – Youth Lock Out
August 10th – Unity Fest Youth Day
August 17th – Family Pool Day
August 20th – Lutherans for Life Training day
August 21th – Youth Event
August 31th – Confirmation Parent meeting
Things are tentative to change. Times will be announced for each event in the bulletin. The best most up-to-date place to check for calendar information will be the weekly bulletin.
Remember, VBS takes a lot to plan and many hands are needed to help. Prayerfully consider helping out this summer.
In Christ,
Russell Baumann ~ John 3:30
Transition Committee → Call Committee
After months of surveys, interviews, collecting and compiling information about our St. James church family, the work of the Transition Team has come to an end and the work of calling a new pastor now shifts to the Call Committee. The Call Committee is made up of eleven members appointed by the chairman from a broad cross section of our church family. All of the information collected by the Transition Team has been submitted to the District President's office where a list of available pastoral candidates will be produced. Once the call list is received, hopefully by the first of July, it will be the job of the Call Committee to evaluate and prioritize the candidates and select several candidates for further consideration. These candidates will be interviewed and a final list of candidates will be selected for consideration by the congregation. At the Call Meeting the committee will present the information on each candidate and may offer recommendations and evaluations of each one. At that time there will be a Congregational Vote to select the Candidate to Call. Over the next weeks and months pray for the Call Committee and its members. Pray that they may exercise wisdom and discernment in considering the candidates. Pray that they take time and listen to the guidance of our Heavenly Father in selecting the right candidate to shepherd our congregation.
Keith Ramthun, Call Committee
GOOD SHEPHERD PRESCHOOL
May was a month of joyous celebrations for Good Shepherd Preschool! We celebrated:
- Ellen's 39 years at Good Shepherd (45 years in education) with an open house and a presentation from Michigan District Superintendent of Schools, Travis Grulke. What a blessing Ellen has been to so many children and families!
- A year of friendships, learning, and fun with a morning of playing at the park with the T-Th class and games and activities at the Bailey house with the M-W-F class.
- The close of the school year with a gathering of family and friends. The children sang some of their favorite songs from the school year and then we all enjoyed some cookies and fellowship.
Thank you to everyone who helped with the planning, preparation, and attended these events.
The summer months are a time of preparing for next school year. There are many supplies and materials that are needed for the day to day operations of the preschool. I am seeking your help and support with the purchasing of some of these supplies. We go through A LOT of tissues, paper towels, and napkins. If you are able, please consider purchasing some of these items during the summer months and dropping them off in the preschool rooms. You can also make a monetary donation by dropping it off in a labeled envelope to the church office and I will do the shopping. Every little bit helps and this is an easy way for you to support the ministry of Good Shepherd Preschool. As planning continues there will be more ways for you to give. Watch the Sunday bulletins throughout the summer for updates. Thank you for your support!!
Blessings and Joy,
Marilee
2023-2024 Preschool Enrollment is Open
M-W-F: 4-5 year olds, 9:00-11:30 $145/month
T-Th: 3-4 year olds, 9:00-11:00 $110/month
Thank You!
Dear St. James Family,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the generous congregational gift and Open House that you held for me to celebrate my retirement. Thank you for attending and sharing the day with my family and I. The cards, gifts, and kind words will long be remembered. Your support through all these years has been a blessing to me. The opportunity to share the love of Jesus with His children is a gift I will treasure. The friendships through the years with families and their children are friendships for a lifetime. I'm excited for what's to come.
Now it is time to support Marilee Bailey & Kellie Rachow as they continue to share, grow, love, and laugh with the children from our church family and our surrounding communities.
Prayers for Marilee & Kellie as they move Good Shepherd Preschool forward.
Blessings ~ Ellen Grimm
Graduation Sunday
June 4th, at 10:00 am Service
Congratulation to our 2023 Graduates…God bless your journey!
Elizabeth Bentz
Katelynn Cooper
Wyatt Davis
Will Ramthun
Olivia Stout
Billie Tryska
Summer Turpin
"Grieving with Hope"
We will be meeting Thursday, June 8, at 6:30 pm. There is still time to join us as we share our memories, tears, and reassurances in God's Word.
Thank you ~ Kathi Strahl
Don't Forget
Father's Day is Sunday, June 18th Thank you Dad, for all you do!
Trombone Camp 2023
We are, once again, hosting the Trombone Camp here at St. James. Camp begins Monday, June 19th, and runs through Sunday, June 25th.
BLOOD DRIVE
Wednesday, June 28th, beginning at 10:00 am
Happy Birthday America!
Tuesday, July 4th! America, America, God shed His grace on thee…
You are the Light of the World
Vacation Bible School 2023, July 23rd-27th from 5:00-7:45
We still have some open spots on our sign up sheets for the week of VBS this year. Dates are July 23rd-27th.
We are looking for people to lead games, be group leaders and helpers, help with registration, and to be floats wherever needed each day.
We need volunteers to be on the decoration committee and/or to help with set up and tear down of all the decorations. The volunteer dates are:
- July 15th from 9am-2pm
- July 22nd from 9am-2pm
- July 27th Cleanup after VBS is done for the night (around 7:45)
Keep an eye out for the donation table that will be going up around June 25th!
Call or text me if you have any questions at (260)458-4286
Thank you!
Emilie Baumann
White Lake Chamber Music Festival
Our church is hosting "seven" of the classical music events scheduled for August 5-13!
St. James concerts are scheduled for:
Saturday, August 5th and Tuesday-Saturday, August 7th - August 12th
Each performance begins at 7:00 pm.
We are asking for 1-2 volunteers for each performance. Volunteer responsibilities would include being here at 6:00p, unlocking the church and turning on the lights…being available to the organizers/performers if they have any questions, then turning off the lights & locking up the church.
This is a great community outreach for our church! If you are interested, please sign up on the bulletin board!
Thank you!!
Love Family News
Continue to mark your envelopes for "Love Family". Money goes towards member shut-in meals and helping out families with needs. They truly appreciate being thought about!
Prayer Chain
Please call Doris Grover (894-4753) OR Lolita Silvis (750-9679) for ALL prayer requests. Any new members wishing to join the prayer chain please call Doris for the call list or Jeri Wonders (231-855-0418) for the email list. Thank you for your help in this matter.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2
City of Montague Senior Millage Allocation
The City of Montague City Council recently approved the proposed allocation for senior millage funds for fiscal year 22/23.
The City's Health Initiatives program will provide fresh fruits and vegetables to seniors and access to fitness facilities for physical activity. Both programs will be administered by the City through a monthly voucher system. Each senior resident within the City can register and receive a monthly access pass to the Viking Athletic Center (VAC), a $30 dollar value, as well as $30 in coupons for use at the Montague Farmers Market. Senior residents can re-register at the beginning of each month to receive another monthly access pass and another set of coupons. To sign up for the Montague Farmers Market coupons and/or VAC membership, simply stop by Montague City Hall at 8778 Ferry Street. Residents must live within the City of Montague and be aged 60 or up. Please call Montague City Hall at (231)893-1155 with any questions. Other participating municipalities include Fruitland Township and Whitehall Township.
Pro-Life
What if you could change someone's mind about abortion in minutes?
Live Action's "What is Abortion?" videos are doing just that. We regularly take to the streets and talk to self-proclaimed "pro-choice" individuals to see whether or not these videos will change their minds...and they do, powerfully.
Recently, we spoke to three young women, one of whom was pregnant, who claimed to be "pro-choice" - until they saw Live Action's "What is Abortion?" video explaining a first-trimester suction D&C abortion procedure. After watching the clips of female former abortionists explaining what the most prevalent abortion procedures in America entail, all three had a change of heart.
Watch the video here:
https://www.liveaction.org/pro-choice-women-change-their-minds
A young woman named Katie also changed her mind after watching Live Action's second-trimester D&E abortion procedure video. After learning about the procedure, she admitted that abortion "mutilates a child" and even said she now wants more legal restrictions on abortion.
You can see the interview here:
https://www.liveaction.org/mots-she-supported-abortion-to-birth-until-this/
One thing is certain: most Americans have no idea what abortion is, and when people see the truth about abortion, they change. When people learn the truth, they can't help but view abortion more negatively.
Thank you for standing with us as we work to transform our society into a culture that cherishes every human life, one heart and one mind at a time.
Josef Lipp
Chief Operating Officer
LiveAction
Thrivent Update
SECURE 2.0 Aims to Brighten the Future for Retirement Savers
The $1.7 trillion appropriations bill passed by Congress at the end of last year included some notable provisions affecting workplace retirement plans and IRAs. Dubbed the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, the new legislation builds on the sweeping Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act that was passed in 2019.
The following is a brief summary of some of the most notable initiatives.
- Later age for RMDs. SECURE 2.0 raises the age from 72 to 73 beginning in 2023 and to 75 in 2033.
- Reduction in the RMD excise tax.
- No RMDs from Roth 401(k) accounts.
- Higher limits and looser restrictions on qualified charitable distributions from IRAs.
- Higher catch-up contributions.
- Roth matching contributions.
- Automatic enrollment and automatic saving increases.
- Emergency savings accounts.
- Matching contributions for qualified student loan repayments.
- 529 rollovers to Roth IRAs.
- New exceptions to the 10% early-withdrawal penalty.
- Saver's match.
- More part-time employees can participate in retirement plans.
- Rules for lifetime income products in retirement plans.
- Retirement savings lost and found.
- Military spouses.
These provisions represent just a sampling of the many changes that will be brought about by SECURE 2.0. To learn more, contact your Thrivent Financial Advisors, Marci Bentz and Tony De Nicolo at the Whitehall office by calling 231-894-8886, texting 231-760-8246, or email whitehalloffice@thrivent.com
Online Service Directions!
How to watch our services online step by step: on Facebook Live on Sundays at 8:00 am
- In the top search bar... Go to https://www.facebook.com/stjamesmontague/videos
(You do not need to have a Facebook account page to access this)
- Close the popup box asking to login to your Facebook account.
- Scroll down through the Facebook page until you come across the most recent videos
- Click on the Live video of the church service.
- Explore the rest of the Facebook page and watch other videos. 😊
May Birthdays |
06/01 | Edwin Bender | 06/17 | Betty Hager |
06/02 | Aidan Buchberger | 06/18 | Jase Lohman |
06/02 | Harper Seymour | 06/18 | Louie Bender |
06/03 | Char Dean | 06/19 | Brianna Bentz |
06/03 | Christine Claus | 06/19 | Hannah Jandt |
06/03 | Joel Best | 06/20 | Karissa Tryska |
06/04 | Roger Smith | 06/20 | Paul Schultz |
06/05 | Royce Kroll | 06/22 | Olive Oquist |
06/07 | Robin Owens | 06/23 | Courtney Friday |
06/08 | Lynn Pastras | 06/25 | April Lipka |
06/08 | Riley Mulder | 06/25 | Isaiah Towne |
06/09 | Bob Wackernagel | 06/25 | Kendall Rachow |
06/09 | Dave Ramthun | 06/26 | Carrie Strahl |
06/10 | Alyssa Goodrich | 06/26 | Clayton VanBlargen |
06/11 | June Buchberger | 06/26 | Jared Justian |
06/14 | Adalynn Dean | 06/27 | Amy Urban |
06/14 | Stacy O'Connell | 06/28 | Gail Treptow-Crane |
July Birthdays |
07/01 | Melinda O'Connell | 07/16 | Vicki Vanderlaan |
07/03 | Odin Oquist | 07/17 | Elizabeth Birkhofer |
07/05 | Carol Towne | 07/17 | Genevieve Kroll |
07/05 | Jeremy Turpin | 07/17 | Kyle Stevenson |
07/06 | Bob Dean | 07/18 | Henry Schultz |
07/06 | Cameren Cooper | 07/18 | Sue Streblow |
07/06 | Carol Crevier | 07/19 | Zach Buckberger |
07/07 | Briann Justian | 07/21 | Delaney Hopma |
07/09 | Dave McNeil | 07/21 | Henry Friday |
07/09 | Tyler Grover | 07/21 | Theodore Huls |
07/10 | Brent Rogers | 07/24 | Alex Goodrich |
07/10 | Leif Oquist | 07/25 | Gerry Hissong |
07/10 | Wolfgang Koenig | 07/25 | Peyton Schultz |
07/11 | Charlotte Rice | 07/25 | Randy Zeller |
07/11 | Lily Stevenson | 07/27 | Henry Bailey |
07/11 | Marilee Bailey | 07/27 | Jack Bailey |
07/13 | Nikki Seymour | 07/27 | Julie Grow |
07/13 | Ty McCormick | 07/27 | Olivia Johnston |
07/14 | Kashton Ramthun | 07/31 | Marsha Schlager |
07/15 | Eric Vanderlaan | | |
August Birthdays |
08/01 | John Patrick | 08/12 | Fred Bentz |
08/01 | Kim Hardy | 08/12 | Ruschel Friday |
08/01 | Mike Griffith | 08/14 | Ron Barrs |
08/03 | Beth Meacham | 08/16 | Eloise Baxter |
08/03 | Ruth Ann Francis | 08/16 | Pam Kroll |
08/04 | Art Jones | 08/17 | Rusty Streblow |
08/05 | Sarah Justian | 08/18 | Dre DeRose |
08/05 | Shelby Friday | 08/18 | Killian Nordlund |
08/06 | Oliver Bantien | 08/19 | Faith Mayville |
08/07 | Keira Lindstrom | 08/20 | Amber Mayville |
08/07 | Lolita Silvis | 08/20 | Stephen Stout |
08/08 | Gloria Alvarez | 08/20 | Virginia Roesler |
08/08 | Grace Kool | 08/21 | Rich Canniff |
08/08 | Mary Ann McPheron | 08/22 | Julia Hasenbank |
08/08 | Matthew Hedges | 08/24 | Brooke Sheesley |
08/08 | Patti Engelter | 08/24 | Janet Gifford |
08/09 | Ben Stevenson | 08/24 | Penny Mayville |
08/09 | Betsy Patrick | 08/25 | Vicki Schultz |
08/09 | Martin LaFever | 08/26 | Evelyn DeLong |
08/09 | Wren Mills | 08/26 | Rich Kessler, Jr. |
08/10 | Becky Winters | 08/26 | Willa Mills |
08/11 | Cathy Hissong | 08/28 | Angie Wigren |
08/11 | Kelly Vantien | 08/30 | Dylan Hopma |
08/12 | Dale McKenzie | 08/30 | Tracy Sheesley |
SERVING IN JUNE |
| 8:00 | 10:00 |
ELDERS | Keith Ramthun | Henry Friday |
TRUSTEES | Ron Bailey | Joe Goodrich |
ACOLYTES | | |
USHERS | Jim Silvis | Brad VanBergen |
| Bill Treptow | Ken VanBergen |
| Jason Cooper | Gary Mason |
| Rich LaFrance | Christian Mason |
ALTAR CARE | Ron Barrs & Angie Wigren |
PRAYER PARTNER | 4th | Frank Morningstar | No Second |
| 11th | Royce Kroll | Service |
| 18th | Dan Hardy | Prayer Partners |
| 25th | Phil Albrecht | |
GREETERS | 4th | M/M Frank Morningstar | M/M Tom Kring |
| 11th | Marge Block | M/M Jeff O'Connell |
| 18th | Rich LaFrance | M/M Tom Mott |
| 25th | Marva Riggs | M/M VanBergen |
MULTI-MEDIA | 4th | Eric Lindstrom | Friday Family |
| 11th | Alicia Koski | Eric Lindstrom |
| 18th | Jeri Wonders | Lizbeth Bentz |
| 25th | April Lipka | Jill Squire |
COFFEE HOUR | 4th | Nancy & Merle Bernhardt |
| 11th | Pat Ramthun & Jennifer Mulder |
| 18th | Marilee & Ron Bailey |
| 25th | Wendy Kessler & Jen Huizenga |
NURSERY (Service Only) | 4th | Kim DuBois |
| 11th | Sarah Bernhardt |
| 18th | Tina Timmich |
| 25th | Bentz Family |
ALTAR FLOWERS | 4th | Neubauer |
| 11th | |
| 18th | Schroeder |
| 25th | Zeller/Soderborg Wedding |
SERVING IN JULY |
| 8:00 | 10:00 |
ELDERS | Chris Hasenbank | Jeff Boulet |
TRUSTEES | Josh Huls | Joel Best |
ACOLYTES | | |
USHERS | Tom Blink | Jeff O'Connell |
| Kevin Buchberger | Joel O'Connell |
| Claude Babcock | Kyle Stevenson |
| Joel Best |
ALTAR CARE | Pat Smith & Susana Albrechtsen |
PRAYER PARTNER | 2nd | Ron Bailey | No Second |
| 9th | Rick Gifford | Service |
| 16th | Josh Huls | Prayer Partners |
| 23rd | Eric Lindstrom | |
| 30th | Ron Barrs |
GREETERS | 2nd | M/M Phil Albrecht | M/M Steve Urban |
| 9th | Alicia & Ethan Koski | M/M Jared Justian |
| 16th | M/M Brent Rogers | M/M Greg Neubauer |
| 23rd | M/M Jerry Gardner | Mary Ann McPheron |
| 30th | M/M Roger Buchberger | M/M Dan Osborn |
MULTI-MEDIA | 2nd | Eric Lindstrom | Friday Family |
| 9th | Alicia Koski | Eric Lindstrom |
| 16th | Jeri Wonders | Lizbeth Bentz |
| 23rd | April Lipka | Jill Squire |
| 30th | Eric Lindstrom | Friday Family |
COFFEE HOUR | 2nd | DeeDee Treptow & Kelly Bantien |
| 9th | Kim DuBois & Lauren Mills |
| 16th | Faith Mayville & Candy Stevens |
| 23rd | Kim Wackernagel & Beth Meacham |
| 30th | Eileen Schroeder & Dianne Gardner |
NURSERY (Service Only) | 2nd | Elizabeth Birkhofor |
| 9th | Justian Family |
| 16th | Jill Squire |
| 23rd | Amber Lanning |
| 30th | Lauren Mills |
ALTAR FLOWERS | 2nd | Lisa Siedenstrang |
| 9th | |
| 16th | |
| 23rd | |
| 30th | Russell & Emilie Baumann |
SERVING IN AUGUST |
| 8:00 | 10:00 |
ELDERS | Chris Hasenbank | Merle Bernhardt |
TRUSTEES | Casey Seymour | Ruschel Friday |
ACOLYTES | | |
USHERS | Ray Grow | Jason Rice |
| Bob Wackernagel | Caleb Rice |
| Jake Wackernagel | Roger Simon |
| Sam Wackernagel |
ALTAR CARE | Sue Streblow & Marsha Schlager |
PRAYER PARTNER | 6th | Jordan Lohman | No Second |
| 13th | Alan Mayville | Service |
| 20th | Louie Mayville | Prayer Partners |
| 27th | George McLaughlin | |
GREETERS | 6th | M/M Kevin Buchberger | M/M Todd Tryska |
| 13th | Lisa Siedenstrang | M/M Henry Friday |
| 20th | Marsha Ramey | Diane Babcock |
| 27th | Karen Chamberlain | Judy Best |
MULTI-MEDIA | 6th | Alicia Koski | Eric Lindstrom |
| 13th | Eric Lindstrom | Friday Family |
| 20th | Jeri Wonders | Lizbeth Bentz |
| 27th | April Lipka | Jill Squire |
COFFEE HOUR | 6th | Kellie Rachow & Girls |
| 13th | Alicia Koski & April Lipka |
| 20th | Katie & Lilly Rice & Tanya Simon |
| 27th | Amanda & Katelyn Cooper |
NURSERY (Service Only) | 6th | Amy Wackernagel |
| 13th | Nikki Seymour |
| 20th | Katie & Lilly Rice |
| 27th | Jennifer Moore |
ALTAR FLOWERS | 6th | Susana & Dennis Albrechtsen |
| 13th | Rex & Pat Allen |
| 20th | DuBois/Griffith |
| 27th | |
Reminder
If you are unable to fulfill your assigned duty, please make arrangements with someone before or after you on the list. Thanks!
Funeral Families
If we have a funeral, Faith Mayville, our Luncheon Coordinator will contact you for help. Each funeral luncheon requires table/chair set up, food donations, food servers (kitchen staff), and table/chair take down. Faith will let you know what is needed.