The Road Less Traveled

Getting Excited About the New Year

It is summer I know. People like to kick back, relax,watch some baseball, enjoy the outside. This certainly describes our family. (After this winter I never thought I would crank up the lawn mower!) But... summer is also a chance to start planning for the new year beginning in September (OK, late August). I am soooooo excited about the plans that are taking shape for our TLC (Small group ministry), our Adult Bible Classes, our new Confirmation class, new tweaks to encourage and build the family(think marriages and parenting) for the 09-10 year, the exciting additions to our our PSI (Public School Instruction) Confirmation classes, the continued growth of our Family Care Groups as we continue to grow closer to Christ and one another, as well our School Chapel Schedule that is shaping up to be filled with some wonderful people coming to share Christ with the children and in the fall the return of the Minstry Fair. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Trust me!

I enjoy the summer because it does give one time to look back over the year, evaluate, refocus and renew. But it also gets me reved up (excited) for the next year because I love to plan ahead. I pray that you are enjoying your summer. Relax now...because once September hits we are going to "kick it up a notch!"

Lent Puplit Exchange at Our Savior

During our Midweek lent services, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Lansing, MI, is cooperating with three other congregations in exchanging pastors for one evening to lead worship and preach. What a wonderful opportunity to be able to work with a number of our sister Lutheran Churches in the Lansing area and preach. To meet new people, to here their stories, to interact with a different congregation to see how they live in their worship space and meeting places. About a year ago, a number of us pastors were throwing this idea around. Well it hatched and how wonderful it has been. I have truly been blessed by the first congregation that I spent time with. A tasty spaghetti dinner was served by the youth group, meeting some younger and older people, sitting in on a Bible class by a gifted and spirited lay person and above all, finally getting to share the Gospel with some new friends were all blessings.

This small congregation was very gracious to allow me to preach and lead worship. A leap of faith, you might say, because I am quite sure they didn't know what they were getting. One of our goals as we looked at this idea as pastors, is that our congregations take away from this that we are stronger together than we are individuals. To foster a growing cooperation between our congregations is a worthwhile endeavor. I look forward to the coming weeks when I will have the chance to meet more new friends, learn about how other churches live and work together, and finally to share the good news of a God who loved us that he sent His Son Jesus Christ. May He continue to bless our efforts as pastor and people to His glory and honor.

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  "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!""
Isaiah 52:7

Food Bank - Going Strong in Tough Times

I spent some time at the Our Savior Lutheran Church Food Bank this last week to see how I could help. I try to get over there every couple of weeks and spend some time helping out. What I found there today was certainly a great blessing. There were more workers in the Food Bank than there has been in years! Some new faces and some that have been there a while.

Johnny, pictured left, celebrated her 89th birthday on the day I visited. Wonderful woman and dear child of God, she grew up with 15 brothers and sisters in Arkansas where her father was a "preacher man." She comes to help out regularly.

There are other great "characters" that work together for the people in Ingham County.Michigan who need the basic necessities of life. All of these people, working in the back, putting packages together and many other things they do, help to share the love of God with people in desperate need of some sort of hope. Some people have special needs, some have disabilities, some with mental hardships, and some with many children but no jobs. Sharon Miller, the leader of this caring team, said this is the busiest that she has seen it in years. Last week there were so many donations from the community, that the local Red Cross Food Bank truck that delivers food, had to be canceled because there was no more room to put all the food! PRAISE GOD!

May we all continue to pray not only for this necessary ministry, but for the people that are without these basic needs of life. Our congregation has moved it's church and school facilities to the Grand Ledge area, but the heart of much of the people still lies with those in the south Lansing area and we pray that God will continue to bless this vital ministry.

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers of mine, you did for me." 
Matthew 25:40

Baptism and blessing - Young and Old

November 9, 2008. A day to remember as two more of God's children were welcomed into His family, a birth of water and spirit. Little Matthew (pictured here) was baptized along with another brother who is a grown man. What a wonderful gift it is as pastor to baptize. To just be a part of this wonderful gift of water and the spirit, is a joy that a pastor truly lives for. (If you were in that late service, you probably heard this in my voice during the prayer...Those there know what I mean. Sometimes it is hard to contain the joy and it chokes us up a little.)

Yes, life goes on, the news reports, people go to the grocery store, football games and tailgates were getting under way, people raking leaves, but for this moment God's spirit rested upon the very heart, soul and life of these two men, one young and one older. Time didn't stand still,it didn't make the headlines, and no one made a great discovery, but for a short moment we caught a glimpse of what awaits those who believe and baptized in Jesus Christ as the Gospel of Mark says. These small moments are treasured, for they are unfortunately to few and far between. May God continue to grant us this glimpse into the joy set before us more often and may we continue to cling to the promise we have in our baptism.

Welcome to the family Matthew and Lewis.

  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
Romans 6:4-5

Funeral Service - Service of Victory

I just got back from a meal following a funeral service and internment of a dear sister in Christ. What a beautiful day! Yes it is sunny. Yes, it is 60 degrees. But that is not what I am talking about. It was a beautiful day because at that service we celebrated the victory that was won for Marsha by her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through His death and His resurrection. The comment that I kept hearing from many family and friends was, "I do not know how people who don't have the hope that we have make it?"

Yes, there were tears, a sister, a mom, a grandmother, and even a daughter was buried. Death is not natural. It was never part of the perfect plan. But these people, pastors included, did not mourn as those without hope. As God's Word was spoken, as His Word preached in all the boldness of the Law and Gospel by Pastor Maier, as the music of the contemporary band, yes I said band, filled the sanctuary, the Spirit of the Lord moved in that place. Marsha wanted a victory service. She wanted people to know of the joy she would be experiencing and she wanted everyone to know how to have the joy she now enjoys. And that the only way to attain that joy is through Jesus Christ; the way, the truth and the life.

If you do not know of this joy, of this hope, of this life, that these people in this service on this day heard, just open His book, the Bible, and let God speak to you and then speak to Him. May you come to know the joy that these people had today each and everyday of your life. Click here to learn of this Savior come to love you, who won the victory for you, now and forever. AMEN.

  "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Young and Old, Members of God's Family, Come Together

Recently on one of my shut-in visits, I took my son, Erik, with me to visit with some dear friends, Paul and Elsa. I am not sure who had more fun, the 9 month old, or the 90 year olds! Paul and Elsa are dear people of God who have dedicated their lives to God and to His church. It pains them that they are not able to come to God's House anymore. So I thought I would bring one of the smallest members of the church, their family, to visit with them.(How interesting it often is that those who so long to come to church can't, and those who can often don't or take it for granted.)

Here you see Paul and Erik playing together. I truly believe that this is what the church is, the very young, together with the older, and those in between, sharing a bond in Christ, through their baptism, that will stand for all time. I plan on sharing this picture with Erik as he gets older and may even put it in a frame for him so that he might also remember the importance of the entire body of Christ, the family of God and that one day, long after Paul and Elsa are gone, they will play together again. We need to remember, pray for, thank God and even visit our home bound family members.

Since this visit and picture, Paul and Elsa had to move out of only their second home in their lifetime, to an assisted living facility. Please keep them in your prayers as they make a new adjustment to their life.

 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."
Ephesians 1:3

Family Care Plan at Our Savior Lutheran

At Our Savior Lutheran Church we so deeply value the importance of a Family Friendly church that we are restructuring our entire system of member care( aka Elders) to reflect our commitment to the God given institution of family by implementing the biblical model of The Family Care system throughout our congregation.

This is a system that has been in development for over a year. The pastors in conjunction with the Spiritual Life Team(Elders) and other leaders of Our Savior, have been searching Scripture, praying, planning and fine tuning a Biblical model for the increased care and shepherding of God's flock.  We have asked God how we can best serve Him and one another, and we believe that He has provided for us with a refocus of the way we care for one another. What has been developed and will be presented on March 30th at Our Savior Lutheran will impact not only the current family, but will open new doors for many more new family.

Being a member is often associated with a club or a group that singles out people. Often you have to have a special card, even meet certain qualifications for membership. At Our Savior we would like to view our selves as family, not members. True we are all members of one body as St. Paul states many times in the New Testament, but that definition of "member" is quite different and actually reflects a family structure more than an exclusive club.

This shift in thinking and practice is by no means perfect nor will not happen overnight, but it is start as we journey together, as a family, seeking God's will, looking to be transformed by Christ, and reaching out with arms wide open ready to welcome people, not just into our family, but more importantly into God's family.

At both our 8 am and 10:45 am services we will share our mission to reach into and out to families. Special emphasis will be shared on our 9:30 am Adult Bible Class as we explain details how the impacts everyone in the family.

The Joy of New Family Members

It is that time of year when the pastors sit down with people that have gone through our Discover 101 or new family member classes. These are some of those moments that you live for as a pastor. To be able to sit with new people and connect our lives together. To sit and share with a new member of the family the beginning of a great journey that God has for us. What an honor it is to be a part of the joys and sorrows of a new family.This is just the start of a journey that God has by putting us together. It will be fun to discover what this new relationship means.

I love to learn new things about people and begin to explore a new bond of friendship and family brought together by the work of the Spirit.To even think about how God has brought us together, what work He has done, to connect us, is down right amazing. It is hard to put into words the sheer joy in connecting our lives in Christ.

What joy it brings to the gates of heaven when a mother sits down and shares with you that she wants herself and her children Baptized. To be a part of God's plan for this young family : Awesome.

My heart fills with joy for the Lord and shouts of thanksgiving to Christ when a family comes and shares that they felt like part of the family the first time they walked in the door and were greeted by so many people. To quote one of these people, "It made us feel like we had a home already." I can not begin to express what that does for a pastor to know that the spirit of hospitality is extended to new friends and new faces.

When one of the teachers introduces me to a new family who wants to have their children baptized. Once again it demonstrates how we work together teacher, pastor, parent to secure the future of these young ones entrusted to our care. It is a partnership.

God is working in our midst. He promises that where His Word is proclaimed and His Sacraments given, He is alive. HE IS ALIVE AT OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN! We have a long way to go, and our congregation is anything but perfect. I know as a pastor, I have much to learn, but life is about learning and growing in the wisdom and strength of the Lord. May we continue to grow together. May we continue in our battle against that old evil foe, Satan and may we continue to build one another up in love as we each are every one unique but transformed by the ONE who continues to do a new work in us and through us.

AMEN.

New Opportunities at Our Savior Needs New People

There are a lot of exciting events coming up in the life of Our Savior Lutheran Church, especially the next few months, and I don't mean only a new building. There are a number of new initiatives that our congregation is starting and some of them involve the need for new people.

One such initiative is the New Neighbor Outreach Program. This is provided by the Lutheran Hour Ministries. The purpose of this program is to get in touch with new people to the neighborhood by "providing a series of touch points with those who have moved into our area using direct mailings, which are followed up by a personal visit." This is a great resource and opportunity to reach out into our new community of Delta Township and Grand Ledge.

For this program to be successful we will be looking for 20 - 40 volunteers to assist in this great opportunity from very small time commitments to a more regular weekly commitment. After the new year, when the planning and preparation is done to kick it off, you will be hearing more about how you can be involved in this new outreach ministry.

Another great opportunity for involvement is through our Family Friendly Partners Network. A few weeks ago I spoke to the congregation about this new framework for our congregation that will involve a 2 - 3 year process of evaluation, examination and application of improving the family friendliness of our church. We are currently looking to recruit a few people to sit on the core leadership team as we receive training in family life education through a series of workshops.

There will then be eight other areas of training in which we will be looking for someone to champion each one of the these eight areas along with a team of 3 - 4 people in each team. Overall we will be looking for another  26 to 36 people that have a heart and a passion for family ministry from marriage enrichment to children's ministry to strengthening parental roles to non-nuclear families (step families) and basically anything that involves family ministry from cradle to grave. I will provide more specific information in upcoming blogs. 

YOUR CHURCH NEEDS YOU! These are just a few of the new and exciting things happening at Our Savior. I ask for your prayers as we seek to bring our community the Good News of Jesus Christ and together work for God's Kingdom.

If you would like more information on any of these opportunities or to get involved email me at rolsen@oursaviorchurch.org or give me a call at 517-882-8665 to help invigorate and renew our sense of partnership with homes and bring more people into the joy of ministry.

Pastor Olsen Glad to See Pastor Maier Back

What a ride it has been. Outside of Pastor Maier himself, I don't think there is anyone more excited to see him back in action that I am. I have missed my brother in the ministry, my friend, my captain, my fellow shepherd. It is truly a blessing to be at a church with another pastor. Going into my third year into the pastoral ministry, it has been a blessing to learn from the combined experience of Pastors Bill Hill and Eldor Bickel. This year we celebrate Pastor Maier's 25th anniversary in the ministry, 25 years of which I have had the opportunity to learn from.

Not a lot of guys get this opportunity to be an associate, and it does have it's drawbacks, but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Seeing him get back in the office this week, starting to implement some of the things that he has had time to think about changing and doing, has got us fired up again for the ministry. When you are out like that, I am sure that it gives you time to think and reflect. I am certain that Pastor Maier will come back with a greater fire and a greater passion for the ministry as we look ahead to the challenges that our building program has.

When we first found out that his lymphoma had resurfaced I asked Pastor Appold for advice since he had been through this once before. He told me, "You have to just put your fingers in there and try to plug the holes in the boat until he gets back." I took that advice to heart. But I set out as my goal to do more than just plug holes, but to keep the boat going forward, while asking those in the boat with me to help me plug the holes. In the end I prayed that we would be a stronger church for it, realizing that as great a shepherd as Pastor Maier is, it takes all the people together to take care of the boat.

During our time without Pastor Maier has the boat rocked?  Has Satan tried to capsize us? Have we even turned in and at each other at times? Could there have been a worse time for this to happen in the midst of a new structure of church governance, another Capital Campaign, the selling of the church and the building of a new one? BUT WE MADE IT! By the grace of God we stuck together throughout the storm, fought back the waves of uncertainty, held the winds of change at bay and not let them misdirect our course, and we have found our way through one of the darkest of nights in the life of the congregation with the guiding light of God's Word. God has His plan, whatever that may be, we trust in His guidance.

The rough times are not over. There are still rocky shores to stay clear of, dangerous reefs and sand dunes that threaten to run the boat aground and mysterious sirens threatening to lure us off the course, but we are stronger now, stronger together and stronger now that the Captain is back on board. As first officer, on board the USS Our Savior Lutheran Church, it is my joy to announce, "All hands on deck. The Captain is aboard." Your crew mates are ready, willing, and able to sail on beside you.