February 2020 - Pastor's Newsletter Article

Jerusalem 

Below please find my article for the Church's February Newsletter.  I've included several of the photos taken while we were in Israel.  Gail and I are working on sorting through the photos but between the two of us and three cameras, we have over 5,000 photos.  It's going to take some time to sort and identify all the shots.  Stay tuned for more photos to come!

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

Masada

Pastor's Ponderings – February 2020

Well, January certainly has blown right by us!  With Gail and myself being gone for the first two Sundays and then the weather causing us to cancel worship on the 19th, it's been a very crazy month, to say the least.  Let's hope the worst of winter is behind us and that it's all downhill from here.  My attitude has long been that if we can just make it through January then the rest of the winter goes by quickly enough and at least the end is in sight!

As you all know from January 2nd to the 12th Gail and I were fortunate enough to be on a pilgrimage with three other couples to the Holy Land.  I've already been telling stories about the trip in my sermons and I'm sorry to say you'll be hearing many more stories as the year (years) go by.  So far I've talked about our being re-baptized in the Jordan, being on a boat on the Sea of Galilee, seeing what is believed to be Peter's home in Capernaum, and there were so many other places that we visited that will work their way into sermons and lessons.  It truly was an amazing journey and once again I want to thank the folks with Burntstone Ministries, thank you, thank you, thank you, for what was and is such a blessing!

The Western Wall

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

I want to thank Ryan Daisy for filling in for me while I was away.  He did a wonderful job (as always) with his preaching and I am very much thankful to him for taking care of Don O'Tool's funeral service and visiting Donnie in the Hospital prior to his passing.  Thank you, Ryan!  Your efforts are very much appreciated!

Please remember to pray for comfort and strength for Don's family, Clarice and her family are true gems and may God comfort and console them all in the days, weeks, and years ahead.  God bless you all!

While I was in Israel, I received confirmation that our planned Christmas Concert on December 5th is a go!  We will be hosting Camille and Kennerly Kitt, a/k/a as the “Harp Twins” here at Woodlawn.  The concert will be on December 5th at 7 pm.  The tickets for the concert will be $15 and we have not yet determined when we will open up the sale of tickets.  These wonderfully talented musicians sell out all of their concerts and they are a show that you will not want to miss!  Mark your calendars and keep your eyes and ears open for more details... once we open up the ticket sales you will not want to wait to purchase them as most of their concerts sell out within just a very few days.  You can find their music on Spotify, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and I'm sure more places as well.  They have over 60 million views on Youtube so they have a huge following for their music.  This will be the beginning of their first-ever Christmas Concert Series and we couldn't be more fortunate than being able to book them to perform here at Woodlawn!

I am planning to be out of the office on February 10-12 to attend the American Baptists “Ministers Council Retreat” at Dayton Oaks Camp.  I will be in the office for a bit on the 10th and will arrive back later in the day on the 12th so please check with Clint in the office to make sure I'm around before you head in to see me.

Speaking of Clint, we all should welcome aboard Clint DeVries as the new Church Secretary/Receptionist.  Clint took over for Brittanie and is in the office in the mornings Tuesday through Friday.  Clint has been doing a great job and please drop in and say hello and thank him for coming to help us out!

With that, I am going to wrap up my ramblings for this month.  Please remember as always to...

Be a blessing to someone today!!  Pastor Roy

Caesarea by the Sea

January 2020 - Newstletter Article - Pastor Roy Karlen

Below please find my Newsletter Article for the January 2020 Church Newsletter.  It's hard to believe it's nearly the year 2020.  I remember as a child thinking there was no way I'd live to see the year 2000... after all, I'd be forty in 2000... and who could live to be that old?

But, here we are closing quickly on a new year and a new decade.  May these new things bring you all only the best.  And may first and foremost among those wonderful things, may it bring you a closer and more fulfilling relationship with your Lord.

God bless and as always...
Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Pastor's Ponderings

As I write this we are drawing ever closer to Christmas... perhaps, by the time you're reading this the Christmas Eve Program has already passed. I want to thank in advance Jodi and all of her helpers, the kids always love putting the program on and the families always enjoy this annual event. Hopefully, being involved in this annual celebration of Christ's birth will help to instill in these young minds a love for Christ that will remain with them for a lifetime. We can only pray that our efforts will be a success and continue working for our Lord. Thank you again, Jodi and all the rest of you who work so hard to teach the children.

December was an amazing month for us at Woodlawn, we need to thank all of the new and returning members of the Church's two Councils. Thank you to all of you for all that you do and for stepping forward to lead the Church into a new decade. But even beyond celebrating the new leaders, we need to celebrate the new members! We baptized three adults into our fold last Sunday. During our morning service, we were so very pleased to baptize Stephanie Blunt. Stephanie is the daughter of Steve Wine and the granddaughter of Shirley Wine. Shirley and Steve were both there to witness her baptism and we all were proud to witness this long-awaited blessing for the Wine family. During the evening gathering, we then baptized both Tiffany and Paul McCoy. Tiffany's parents came to witness their daughter and son-in-law take the 'plunge' and embrace a life of service and following Christ. What an amazing day! Praise God! Please make sure to congratulate and welcome to Woodlawn, Stephanie, Tiffany, and Paul.

Soon it will be a new year and a new decade, and we can only imagine what lies ahead of us... let's do our very best to stay focused upon our calling and accomplishing all that God leads us to do on His behalf here in His Creation. Shortly after you read this, Gail and I will be heading off on the trip of a lifetime. Thanks to the very gracious blessing of a group that I believe prefers to remain anonymous, Gail and I along with three other ministers and their spouses will be taking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We will be spending nearly a week and a half touring the Holy sites and walking roads and viewing scenery that the Lord Himself walked upon and gazed upon. There is no way to fully appreciate in advance what impact this trip will have upon Gail and I but we look forward to it with great anticipation and no small amount of joy. Thank you to those who have so kindly and lovingly made this experience possible... God's love and blessings upon you.

I also want to thank in advance Ryan Daisy for agreeing to preach on the two Sundays that we'll be away. Ryan jumped at the chance to fill the pulpit on both dates offered and I can't thank him enough for doing so! It's very much appreciated! Gail and I also thank Clyde and Donna for watching our 'girls' (the dogs) while we're gone and Kathryn for agreeing to keep an eye on our cats. Knowing that our babies are being so well watched over means the world to both Gail and I.

Our prayer is that everyone has a wonderful and meaningful Christmas and that each of you is blessed and is a blessing to others. Let us not only strive to remember the true meaning of Christmas but to be certain to share it with others...

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Be a blessing to someone today! 
Pastor Roy

December 2019 Newsletter Article

Well, November was a crazy month and I topped it off by smashing and deeply lacerating my ring finger on my left hand.  Many have asked how I injured myself and it was simple carelessness on my part.  The finger (and the fingers on either side were smashed as well they just didn't get cut or broken) was injured on a machine used for joining picture frames and it's one I've used for 27 years without serious injury.  Therein lies the problem... I was too confident and unafraid... when we get too familiar is when we start taking shortcuts or hurrying... and I was doing both.

As we progress through this Advent Season, let's remember to not rush... nor be careless... nor take shortcuts... about our relationship with God.  Advent is a time when we should embrace the waiting as well as reflect upon the coming of the Christ Child.

Be a blessing to someone today!!

In His Glory,
Roy

Pastor's Ponderings

We made it through another November!  November is for us at Woodlawn always a busy and hectic time.  Our God's Portion Sale was another great success and I want to thank everyone who worked so very hard to pull off this oh so very important project.  I'm not going to even try to list everyone as there were just too many.  Thank you to all who pitched in and helped Donna to get the lunch ready as well as those who collected, donated items, purchased items, set up the room, clerked, cleaned, organized, or did any of the many things we don't really think about that need to be done.  Thank you all!!!

We also had a great meal last Sunday for our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner.  This year Kim and Laura cooked the turkey, potatoes, and gravy, thank you, ladies! There was so much food that certainly nobody went away hungry!  After we ate we went up and decorated the Sanctuary for the Advent and Christmas Season.  Thank you to everyone who pitched in and decorated the Church in record time.  It was great to have Ryan Daisy home to help (his height comes in handy!) and it was great to have Paul and Tiffany McCoy helping us out as well.  Their four little ones also were a great help as were all of the rest of the little ones who were running around helping and keeping us all entertained.

I don't know if you've noticed but we've had a lot of little people in worship lately and there is little that should give us greater joy than seeing children in Church and being active in Church functions and projects.  Having said that, Jodi and her helpers are putting together another Christmas Eve Service and they should have a great gaggle of little ones performing.  If you know of any youngsters who aren't attending but who could (should) be... please invite them to come to Sunday School and Jodi will gladly include them in her program.  Rumor has it that at least one of the youth will bless us with their musical talents during worship on the 8th, so plan to be in Church on the 8th.

Our Annual Congregational Meeting (and potluck) is coming up on December 15th.  The meeting and potluck will be immediately following worship, this is an important annual event where we elect our leaders for the following year as well as set our Church budget.  Please plan to attend this important meeting.  The nominating committee is working to find a full slate of candidates and I believe there are a couple of jobs left to fill, if you'd be interested in serving in a leadership role please let Kathryn know.  There is (I believe) still one slot on the Christian Council to fill and you don't even have to be a member to serve on the Christian Council. (FYI, you must be a Church member to serve on either the Church Council or as an Elder)

That reminds me, also please remember that joining Woodlawn is an extremely easy thing to do, all that must be done is to tell either the Church Council Chair (currently Mel) or the Pastor that you'd like to join the Church.  Then, as long as you've been baptized, (if you're not we can baptize you in either a public or private celebration) you're a member!  Please also remember that you must be a member to vote at the Annual Congregational Meeting on the 15th.

I'm going to cut this article a bit short as my injured finger is making typing a real challenge.  I do pray that everyone has had a great Thanksgiving and I pray all will have a wonderful and Christ-filled Christmas.


Be a blessing to someone today!!  
Pastor Roy 

November 2019 - Pastor's Newsletter Article

Below please find my article for the November Newsletter; I need to mention a couple of things that slipped my mind when writing the article.  Among the busy schedule of November, we also have our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner on November 24th immediately after worship.  The Church provides the turkey for the meal and we ask everyone to bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share.  It's always a great feast and a wonderful time of fellowship.  Immediately after the meal we then do our annual "Hanging of the Greens", where we decorate the Church for the Christmas season.  Advent begins on December 1st this year and this annual decoration celebration always prepares the Sanctuary for the coming of Advent.

Please mark your calendars and try to take part in both of these events on November 24th.  There's nothing better than fellowship and welcoming the Advent/Christmas season into the Lord's house.

Be a blessing to someone today!!
In Christ,
Roy

Pastor's Ponderings – November 2019

Well, we're quickly moving into November and what is one of our busiest months of the year.  November 9th will be the Men's meeting at 7 am, the men will be preparing for their “Baked Potato Bar” on November 10th.  Make sure to plan to stick around after worship on the 10th and enjoy a great lunch and help sponsor the Men's programs here at Woodlawn. Baked Potato Bar serving: Baked Potato w/choice of toppings, Dessert Bar &/or Ice Cream, plus a Beverage Cost just $6.00 per person.

November 9th will also be the day of Bessie Hendricks's 112th Birthday party.  Yes, Bessie will be 112 years old!  The party is here at Woodlawn from 2 to 4 pm, make sure to come up and recognize this amazing event for Bessie, the Hendricks family, Woodlawn, and the State of Iowa.  Bessie is the oldest soul in Iowa and a genuine piece of living history!  God bless her!

November 14th will be the “season opener” for our Annual Soup Suppers.  Watch for more details!  Make sure to thank Donna Westcott for agreeing to chair these Suppers this year.

On November 23rd will be our “Main Event”!  Don't miss our Annual God's Portion Sale!  This is a crucial event for the success of our yearly ministries and operations.  Please donate and attend to help make this event the huge success it has long been!  Thank you all!!

Please note that I will be taking Nov. 25-27th as vacation days.  Gail and I have a large number of her family coming to spend Thanksgiving with us and it will be good to spend some time visiting with them all and preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner.

This last Sunday we talked again about 'prayer', as we grow closer and closer to 'Thanksgiving', let us think more and more about lifting up prayers of thanks to our Creator.  It is so often said that we just can't thank God enough but it is so very, very true.  Each day lift up prayers of thanks and also remember to thank those around you who help you out and make your lives just a little bit better.

I want to thank all of you who have worked so hard here at Woodlawn, there are too many to list but I do want to thank everyone (especially Gloria and Roxy) who work to put together the funeral luncheons.  In October it seemed that we really got socked with funerals and to all of you who help with this ministry of grace to these hurting and mourning families I must say thank you.  

I do want to lift up a specific thank you to Clyde for all he does for Woodlawn and all that he does for Gail and I personally.  You my friend simply make my experience here in Lake City so much easier and enjoyable.  Thank you for all the times you pitch in and all the times you literally bail me out.  God bless you for all of these times and more to come!

As we grow ever closer to Thanksgiving we each know that just around the corner of the Calendar is that wonderful day in December when we celebrate our Lord's birth.  This year let's all make a concerted effort to allow the spirit of giving “Thanks” to properly prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord... Thanks be to God for His greatest and most timeless gift...

Be a blessing to someone today!
Pastor Roy

October 2019 - Newsletter Article

Below Please find my October 2019 Newsletter Article.

Pastor's Ponderings

October is closing fast upon us and that means it's nearly time for our Annual Hay-rack Ride.  The Hay-rack ride this year is scheduled (weather & harvest permitting) for October 20th.  We'll meet at the Church at 2 pm and ride the rack together to Hickory Grove Park.  Hickory Park is such a cool location and makes for a wonderful place to have a bonfire and to sit, visit, and enjoy nature.  Of course, there will be hot-dogs roasted over the fire and smores.  It's always a fun outing and I encourage you to grab your friends, kids, grand-kids, or anyone else who's interested and come on along!  We guarantee you'll have fun!

In October, I will be out of the office on the 7th, 8th, and 9th.  I have a seminar in St. Paul on the “Craft of Preaching” that I will be attending as part of my continuing education.  I will have my cell phone along so you can contact me if need be, but, please if you're able and it's not an emergency try to text rather than call as I will be in workshops or worship services much of the time.

PLEASE, PLEASE, please... mark your calendars for October 6th.  We will be having a “Harvest Potluck Dinner” here at the Church.  The event will be immediately after worship so bring something along to share with everyone.  This would be a great time to bring a friend or family member along to church as the more the merrier for the dinner!  There's nothing better than a Church Potluck!!  Don't miss Sunday, October 6th!!

Also, for those in our Sunday Night Group, there will not be a gathering on the 6th.  I will be leaving for St. Paul sometime that afternoon and thus I won't be in Lake City that evening.  Please make sure to note this cancellation.  Thank you.

In October, we will be having a joint Council Meeting as set out by the By-laws.  The meeting of the Church Council and Christian Council will take place on October 16th rather than on the 9th.  This delay is again due to me being in St. Paul for the Seminar.  So, if you're on either Council please note this change in the meeting date.

Our Annual “God's Portion Sale” is slated for Saturday, November 23rd.  We will have a Committee Meeting after Worship on September 29th to kick off the solicitations for Auction items, if you'd like to be on the committee please come to the meeting.  Please make plans to be at this year's Auction, it's always a tremendous amount of fun and it's a very important fundraiser for the Church and our ministries.

Well, I need to wrap this article up so I will just leave you all with this final thought... remember that we all, each of us, have been created in our Lord's image and each of us, no matter who... is so precious to our Lord and Savior that Jesus came into this world and took on flesh in order to suffer and die for EACH of us.  You will never meet a human that God didn't (doesn't) love so much that He wasn't willing to suffer and die for them... Let's try and remember that when we're conversing and interacting with each other.  That person with whom you disagree, and who is annoying you to no end... is precious to your God... treat that person as such.

Be a blessing to someone today!  Pastor Roy

August 2019 - Newsletter Article - Pastor's Ponderings

Below please find my article for the August 2019 Newsletter.  July was a bit of a wild month with both the Concert and VBS packed into it.  In addition, I did spend some time at the DOC General Assembly down in Des Moines.  Gail and I also snuck away for one day to make a long weekend up in the Twin Cities, however, we ended up coming back sooner than planned in order to perform a funeral.

In August, we have a bit quieter month coming up and that's okay.  But, quiet is good sometimes...

Be a blessing to someone today!!

In Christ,
Roy

Pastor's Ponderings

Well, our 4th Annual “Son Celebration” Concert is now a thing of the past.  Thank you so very, very, very much to all who worked so hard to pull this all together!  I'm not going to try to list all of the folks that pitched in because I'm scared I'll miss someone!  There were so many that gave of their time to make this happen.  I do want to thank the Concert Committee, so thank you to - Kathryn Myers, Kathy Holm, Kim Anderson, Gail Karlen, Mel Alcox, Jared Kuhlers, and Stephanie Kuhlers.  The committee did a great job this year in getting everything organized and selecting some truly, truly, truly amazing bands.  If you didn't come out for the event then you simply don't realize what you missed... it was a TREMENDOUS night.

The performers were “Will & Jane” who brought along their daughter and another musician to perform for us. You might remember that Willy and his wife Sarah Jane performed as our “Headliner” for our first two concerts.  Next, we had “Lisa Larsen” a/k/a “High Heel”, Lisa has such a powerful voice, she brought her praise band along with her and they really shined!  Lisa has performed professionally for many years in the Omaha area and all across Nebraska and Iowa.  This was Lisa's first foray into doing strictly Christian Music outside of the Christmas Concerts that she performs each year in Omaha. Last we had “Jill Miller” along with her band, Jill is a true professional and a top-notch performer.  You may also remember Jill from last year when she performed with just two of her band members, this year we hired her and her whole band... and what a performance they delivered!

I can't tell you which of the three were my favorites because they were all amazing!!  It was just a great event!  Each of the groups gave a powerful witness to the strength and faithfulness of God in their lives, so much inspiration to those who attended.  Our only disappointment was the number of people who decided to join us for the concert.  It's discouraging that so few from our own Church and the surrounding area avail themselves of this “Free” event.  To be totally honest we should be charging for this kind of concert and the tickets would not be cheap!  We need to pray as to how we reach and convince more people to attend and feel the power of God through the voices of these individuals whom He has blessed so much.  Please join us in praying to this end...

Last night our Vacation Bible School kicked off and what a rush!  We had 59 little people attending and it was so much fun to see them all so excited and having fun all while learning about the love of Christ.  By the time you read this, we'll already be done with VBS and I do want to thank Jodi and Janet, along with all of their MANY helpers!  It takes a lot of folks to pull of VBS and we are very blessed by all that pitch in and work to teach these children about God and His Kingdom.  Praise God!

In August, Gail and I will be away on the 11th.  That Sunday my friend Kevin Wagner will be filling the Pulpit.  Kevin was one of my classmates in the ELM program back in Nebraska.  He has a great preaching voice and a strong presence in the Pulpit, I've always enjoyed hearing Kevin preach and I'm sorry I will miss it.  Kevin grew up in the Glidden area and was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Glidden, his father is still a member there and Kevin visits him regularly.  Please make Kevin welcome and let him know how much you appreciate him giving you a break from hearing me preach!

The Men's Group had their drawing for the Raffle at the completion of the Concert.  Jill Miller and Lisa Larsen were kind enough to help me with the drawing.  Our prize winners were: Mark Hungate, Donna Lambert, Sue Rowley, Dan Morrow, Joan Schaffer, Doug Filmer, and Craig Hildreth.  Congrats to them all and thank you to all who helped by selling tickets.  Special thanks to Lonnie Daisy for all the time and effort he put in selling tickets!  He spent a lot of time manning the booth at the Dance during Western Days and then again at the Concert.

We had a great offering of bottled water during our July “Water Sunday”, with I believe a final tally of 20 cases being donated.  Don't forget that “Water Sunday” for August is August 18th.  If you bring a case of water and are unable to carry it inside just let one of the men know and we'll carry it into the Sanctuary for you.  I do want to also thank all the folks that helped carry the cases of water to the basement, my knees truly thank you!

With that, I am going to close and forward this article to Brittanie.  Please, please remember... to...

Be a blessing to someone today!  Pastor Roy 

April 2019 Newsletter Article - Pastor Roy

Pastor's Ponderings – April 2019

Well, come Monday morning it will be April, and with April comes the date of my having officially been with you all here in Lake City for four years.  It's gone extremely fast and I can hardly believe that it has been four years, it seems like just yesterday that Gail and I came to meet with the Search Committee.  But, we've managed to come a long way in those four years (though we remain to have a long way to go)... among other things, we've added the members of First Baptist Church to our family and we've become a dually affiliated congregation with both the Disciples of Christ and the American Baptist Churches.  This is without a doubt the greatest change/event for the Church in these past four years and thus far I think it has been the most significant and profitable.  Bringing the Baptist into our fold has been nothing but a blessing and I for one believe fully it was God's desire for this congregation.  Perhaps if I accomplish nothing else in the time we have left, this alone was why God called me here to Lake City.  I guess we'll all just have to wait and see what else the Lord has in store for us all in our time together.

On this anniversary month, Gail and I would like once again to thank you all for all you've done for us and for all the love and support you've provided to us.  We truly love this Church and Lake City, God Bless you all for being such a blessing to us!  Thank you and we look forward to many more 'adventures' with all of you in the years ahead.

This past month was a brutal one for Lake City in general and for all of us as a Church community, we had far, far too many deaths.  For us, at Woodlawn, we lost Lura Knipp who has many family members among our number, and of course, we lost Judy Stern.  Judy's funeral/memorial service is this coming Friday and I confess this has been one of the hardest funeral messages I've ever had to write.  How do you encapsulate Judy and her amazing spirit and devotion to her community, Family, and Church Family in mere words?  You honestly can't... Judy was almost literally always here, if we had a function going on Judy was always one of the souls that would be here.  She missed very, very few events or activities, when you needed a worker of almost any kind she'd be there with a smile and her dry wit ready and able.  It's been a very strange last few months without her here and now knowing that we won't see her again in this world, it is very difficult to accept.  We should all strive to live as true a Christian life as Judy did, as role-models go she was among the best I've ever seen in my Christian Walk.  God bless her and God comfort her family and all of us as well.

April of course also brings all the various events associated with Holy Week, look further along in this Newsletter for the calendar of events for Holy Week and mark your home calendars in order to take them all in... Easter time is such a wonderful time and one where we need to remember that this time of Lent which we are going through right now is a time to prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits in order to fully embrace the grace and gift of Easter Morning.

This Thursday night, I will be preaching over these verses in 2nd Corinthians 5:16-21:
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In these verses, Paul reminds us all that a major part of our walk with Christ and our duty as professing Christians is to be 'ambassadors for Christ' and to carry His message and goal of 'reconciliation' to the world.  We through this desired reconciliation are to no longer view each other from a 'human point of view' but we are instructed to see each other as children of the Most High God.  We are to be 'a new creation' and to see each other as 'a new creation'.  We all (myself included) need to constantly remember this in our dealings with each other... let us see the immortal spirit of the one with which we are dealing and not the frail and flawed human body that they are temporarily adorned within.

Be a blessing to someone today!
In Christ Alone, Pastor Roy

November 2018 - Pastor's Newsletter Article

Pastor's Ponderings – November 2018

Well, once again we're preparing for the Church's Annual “God's Portion Sale”.  This year's sale is on November 17th and will be another fun and festive event.  Please mark your calendars and make plans to come and take part in this fun and important fundraiser for the Church.  The committee is working hard on gathering items for the auction but the success of the auction really stems from the donations of auction items by the congregation and upon the attendance and participation of the church membership.  Please come, have fun, and help this long-running (72 years!) program be successful!  Thank you all!!

November is always a very, very hectic month and please take note of all the things that are coming up and please try to partake in as many as you can.  First off we have the Ministerial Associations Community Thanksgiving Worship Service on November 11th.  This year it will be held at Union Church at 3:30 pm.  Next, we have the God's Portion Sale setup on Friday, November 16th, I don't believe a time has been set yet, so please stay tuned for an announcement on the time for setup.  Then on Saturday, November 17th, we have the God's Portion Sale and the Lunch beforehand.  The lunch starts at 11:30 am and the Sale follows at 12:30.  This year we will have a new auctioneer, Justin Brant will be doing the calling for us, make sure to thank him for helping us out!

On November 18th, we'll have the annual Thanksgiving Dinner right after Worship, and then after we've finished eating we'll go into the Sanctuary and do the 'Hanging of the Greens' and decorate the Church for the Christmas Season.  Thanksgiving Day is on the 22nd this year, the earliest it ever is on the calendar and it's my birthday as well!  On the 27th, the Annual Remembrance Service will be hosted by Lampe's Funeral Home at Saint Mary's Catholic Church at 6:30 pm, I will be performing part of the service along with all the other local ministers.  On November 29th, we will be having our November Soup Supper, serving from 5 to 7.

Please note that we won't have our normal Thursday Night Worship Service on Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd.  Which would also be our normal night for the 'Supper Then Service' so we won't have a 'Supper Then Service' in November but we will resume this event on December 27th.

We also have an Elder's Meeting on November 4th, and the Men's Meeting on November 10th, so if you are part of either or both of these groups make sure to plan for those meetings as well.

I'm looking forward to November, it's one of my favorite months of the year, (not the least of all because it's my birthday month!) it's the start of the Thanksgiving to Christmas Season which is just such a great time of year.  People are feeling rushed and stressed, but at the same time we're all thinking about our loved ones... try to remember while you're out shopping for that 'perfect' gift that the important thing isn't the gift but showing your loved one that you do love them.  As I get older the gifts that are more special are the simple things and more importantly spending time with those I love.  Gail and I are very excited that her family is once again coming to spend Thanksgiving with us and our two children will both be here as well.  That's really all I could want or hope for in the end...

In closing, October was a very sad and difficult month for all of us here at Woodlawn.  We laid to rest our dear friend and someone that we all loved so very, very much... Evelyn Johnson.  I confess that it was a very difficult service to write and to perform.  But, it was an honor to preside over the remembrance celebration of such a wonderful, beautiful, and loving woman.  Evelyn is singing and playing music along with the angels now... praise be to God!  All of us will long remember Evelyn and the long and beautiful music ministry that she lived here at Woodlawn and Lake City.  Make sure to extend a hand of comfort and grace to Evelyn's family... God bless them each and every one.  Let me share with you one of Evelyn's favorite verses Psalm 118:24 along with a few of the verses that precede this verse. 

Psalm 118:14-24
14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
15 Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has chastened me sorely, but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank thee that thou hast answered me and hast become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Be a blessing to someone today!!!  Pastor Roy 

Pastor's October Newsletter Article - Be a blessing to someone today!

Pastor's Ponderings – October 2018 Newsletter Article:

It's fast closing on the month of October, which is such a fun and beautiful month of the year.  It's a great time to enjoy the colors, sights, and scents of nature and towards that end, we've scheduled this year's “Hay-rack Ride” for October 21st.  We'll be leaving the Church at 2 pm on the hay-rack provided once again by Nick & Rita Burley. (Thank you, Nick & Rita!) Bring your jackets and a blanket or two, as it may well be chilly!  The annual hayrack ride is always a great time so please come on up and take part!  We'll have some hot-dogs and treats around the bonfire, there's not much better than hot-dogs cooked over a bonfire!  See you all there!

We also have the 2nd Annual “Baked Steak Dinner” coming up quickly.  This event will be Saturday, October 13th from 5-7 pm.  The meal includes a baked steak, a baked potato, veggies, a dinner roll, dessert, and a drink.  ALL OF THIS FOR JUST $10.00!!! What a deal!  I hope to see you all there!

Gail and I were away for a week this past month and had a great vacation, we truly appreciate all those who pitched in and helped, allowing us to get away and relax a bit.  Thank you to Bob Arnold who came in and preached for me and thank you to Bill Hungate for running the Thursday night service while I was traveling.  While we were traveling about in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa we saw a lot of beautiful country and met a lot of interesting people along the way.  We had one experience, in the small town of 'North Buena Vista, IA' though that really struck home to us and was a witness to both Gail and I about God's love and provision.  I'll let you hear the story from Gail first and then I'll comment a bit more:

This is the story as Gail told it on her FB page:
I want to share our experience today of God's grace and love, giving God all the glory for His blessings.
We stopped to look at a grotto in North Buena Vista, IA. When we started the car, it wouldn't go into gear. Roy walked down the road, a very small town, nothing there. We had no internet and no phone coverage. I sat and prayed for rescue. That God would provide help for us to get home. In only a few minutes, someone brought him back in their car. Turns out there was Sinclair station just a couple of blocks down. The guy did some jiggling and got it to go in reverse so Roy had to back down the road. The Sinclair station just happened to also be a car repair and the guy that picked up Roy was the owner and mechanic. He said it was just a cable connector that broke and he welded it together. The whole time I'm thinking we're going to have to replace the transmission or buy a new car to get home. He comes in from the shop saying it's done and only charges $25! Praise God. I didn't notice but Roy said the guy's car had a sticker that said: "pray the rosary every day."
Before we left the lot we said a prayer of thanks. I was so thankful, relieved and grateful I had to cry.
God is good, all the time.
The car seemed to be fine after that, but we're just a little anxious about tomorrow. I know we shouldn't be anxious, but we are a long way from home. So please pray a prayer of thanks for us tonight and continuing safe travel all the way home. 

As Gail said, we had traveled to North Buena Vista to see the little Grotto that they have there.  The Grotto was constructed in the late 30's and early 40's and one of my friends actually shared with me that his Grandfather had helped work on it when the Grandfather was still a young boy.  We parked on the hill slope leading into the Catholic Cemetery and I got out to take a few pictures and look around.  When we were ready to leave the car wouldn't go into gear.  My first response was to think 'great... we're here in the middle of no-where and the car is broken down'... (New Buena Vista is a town of 90 people!)  On top of that our cell phones were not picking up a signal, so I resorted back to doing things the old way and I told Gail I would hike back to the corner and see what I could find and to see if I could get a phone signal there.  Well, at the bottom of the hill I discovered a mechanics shop.  I walked up and talked to one of the guys and he yelled to another fellow who came over to talk to me.  I told him we were just passing through to see the Grotto and that we were having car trouble.  He said “let's go look at it”, and while walking up to his car I saw the bumper sticker that Gail mentioned, “Pray the Rosary every day”.  The gentleman was Al Breitbach, the owner of the garage and he was able to get the car into reverse, which was great... except that I had to back around the hill turn around (all the while in reverse) go back around the hill and then down the hill and back into the bay of the garage.  This was a time when my years of being a farm kid backing silage trucks across the field came in handy... at any rate... Al and his staff quickly figured out a way to get us back on the road by welding the piece that had broken and ultimately only charging us $25 for all their troubles.

The moral of the story is this... in life, there is going to trouble... God doesn't cause those troubles to happen, but what He can do (and most often will) is place us in a position where when those troubles arise that he has 'workers' there able and ready to rescue and assist us.  That part on our car was going to fail somewhere along the way... it could have happened at any time... but, where it finally failed, in that little town of 90 people was right where God had His servants waiting to come to our aid.

When things go wrong, when the wheels come off the bus so to say... we can be (and will be) frustrated that these events occur, but what we must do is to be aware that God will provide a way out of these difficulties... we just need to look and see where His servants are waiting to help us.  Often, perhaps always, these servants aren't even aware that they are there to serve.  But, God's people are everywhere... waiting to help... let us also be waiting to serve when God chooses to use us to be His Angels.

Be a blessing to someone today!!
In Christ, Pastor Roy

September 2018 Newsletter Article

September Newsletter Article - Pastor Roy Karlen

Pastor's Ponderings

Well, there have been a few mornings lately that have certainly felt like Fall was in the air and now I sit down to write my September Newsletter Article, so it must be official... Fall is coming sooner than later.  September means that all the kids are back in school and so much newness is about in their lives as they've advanced and for many, it's a very new beginning with moving up into middle school, high school, or college.  Even for us adults, it's exciting to watch our children and grandchildren going off on new adventures.  The Youth Group will be starting soon and as I have done in the past, I will be helping Janelle over at Union Church by teaching one of the classes.  This year I will be tasked with teaching a group of 4th-grade boys.  I am looking forward to this new group and the new challenge and hope it will be a great year for the students I am charged with.  I've always enjoyed working with children and even though it can be frustrating it is vastly rewarding.

Our Youth Sunday School starts up again on September 9th, and we all need to thank Jodi for all the hard work she puts into teaching the little ones.  If you know of any little people (or big people as well, we're always excited to get more adults in Sunday School) that might be interested in coming to Sunday School invite them to come and see us on September 9th at 9 am for the kick-off to a new season of learning about our loving and grace-filled God!

We really have no greater responsibility as a Church than the education and molding of our youth.  There is no future for the Church if there are no children learning to carry on our faith in the future.  Each of us no matter, if we have children or grandchildren of our own, has a responsibility to these young children among us.  Also, each of us by the way we live our lives and how we treat these children is, in fact, influencing and teaching these little ones.  This Thursday night during our Thursday Evening Worship, I will be preaching over the verses found in James 1:17-27.  These verses among so many others found in Scripture urge us to behave in a Christ-like fashion.  Remember, that we behave as such not only for our own sake but much more-so for the sake of the children who are watching and learning from us day by day.  Always be a reflection of Christ to those around you.

I will be away for a while in September, Gail and I will be leaving for vacation on September 13th and will be away until September 19th, I will be back in the Church on September 20th.  We are going to spend some time visiting my 'roots' up in Wisconsin where the Karlen family were among the founders of the Cheese Industry.  My great-grandfather Christian Karlen and his brothers were cheesemakers and immigrated from Switzerland to Wisconsin, bringing their craft along with them.  The building that they used is crumbling now but still, there, my brother and I are planning to go and visit it while we're in Wisconsin.  We'll be attending the Wisconsin Cheese Festival while we're there and I'm really looking forward to it!  True to my Swiss roots I do love cheese!

Once again, I need to put a plug in for the Thursday night Service.  If you haven't been to one, by all means, come on up at 7 pm on Thursday night and see what's going on.  So far, everyone seems to really enjoy the services, if you can't make it but still want to be involved, it is 'Live-Streamed' on our Facebook page.  Either way, please do try to take it in and please tell a friend or family member to come up and visit us on Thursday night (or Sunday morning).  Remember that on the 4th Thursday of the month there is a meal before the evening worship.  We sit down to eat at 6 pm and once we're done we move into the Chapel for worship.  These meals are either hosted by a member/members or we do a free-will offering.  The meal in September will be hosted by Judy & Bill Hungate, thank you, Judy and Bill!!

We'll be having a Church Clean Up day on September 8th, that morning we'll start at 8 am and work on various projects around the church.  Clyde is putting together a list of projects and there will be things that will be slated towards every skill and ability level.  Don't feel like you can't contribute, there will be all sorts of things to do.  If you know of something that needs attention, let Clyde know so he can add it to the list.  At noon, we'll stop and have a meal together, the meal will be hosted by the Men's group.  Please mark your calendars for the Clean Up Day, and let's work to fix, clean, and prepare the Church for fall and winter!  Plus we'll feed you, so it's all good!!  Thank you ALL!

With that, I think I'll wrap up this article for September.  Please do remember though... each and every single day to “be a blessing to someone”!

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,  Pastor Roy

August Newsletter Article - 2018

Pastor's Ponderings

Well, the calendar is about to turn over to August and the beginning of the birthday run (gauntlet) for the Karlen family.  Gail and Creath both have birthdays in August, my mother's birthday is in August, one of my sisters has a birthday in August, and then on September 5th, we celebrate the genuine miracle of Madeline's birth.  For me, August has long been a whirlwind, couple that with the end of summer and school starting again and it's just rush, rush, rush.  Still though August is always a great month, this month we're a little slower paced here at Woodlawn, but that's okay as we have several projects that we need to attend to behind the scenes, preparing them to launch in the months ahead, August will hopefully allow us the time to prepare for these events/projects.

Coming up on the 5th of August, we do have a 'Meatloaf Dinner' scheduled.  This dinner will take place right after worship so plan to stick around and enjoy a great meal.  Starting this Sunday we'll have a training program on “Grief Ministry” put together by Noreen Bauman.  This program will be taught in Fellowship Hall and go from 4:00 to 5:30 pm.  This is a two-part class with the second installment being on August 19th also at 4:00 pm.  Thank you, Noreen, for putting this class together!!

The concert that we just concluded Saturday was a great, GREAT time and I want to thank EVERYONE who helped out in both large and small ways!  Jeff did a wonderful job chairing the project and we should all thank Jeff for all the hard work he did both in full view and behind the scenes.  I will also thank Clyde as he really went the extra mile and was involved in nearly every aspect of the event.  The committee will be meeting very soon to review and make future plans, if you have any insight or suggestions concerning the concert, please let Jeff Frank or myself know so we can take these ideas to the meeting.  Thank you all for your support, it was a great ministry and we had people come all the way from South Dakota and Des Moines to attend.  Jordanne and her Church's praise band were the opening act and did a great job, please send her a note thanking them for coming up and blessing us with their music.  Jill Miller out of Sioux City did an absolutely fantastic job as our second act and let me tell you... she's GOOD!  Very good!  I bought one of her cd's and we may play some of her music in worship one of these upcoming Sundays.  Our main act was Jacob Daniel out of Sioux Falls, Jacob is an up and coming young performer and he really is talented.  He'll be opening for several big-name Christian performers in August and beyond so hopefully, he won't be out of our budget in the future. (I also bought one of Jacob's cd's and we may well play that in worship soon too)

Jill Miller performing at the "Son Celebration" July 21, 2018

One of the new ministries that we'll be working to implement in August is the new 'Safety and Security Team'.  This is an entirely new avenue of ministry and if anyone is interested in serving on or knowing more about this team, please contact either Gary Dooley, Clyde Westcott, or myself.

I've been in contact with 'Central Christian Church' in Marshalltown, IA.  They have a member who is a 90-year-old World War II veteran named Gary Anderson who had no homeowners insurance and whose home was struck by the recent tornado.  The roof was torn off of his home and it sounds like the city will condemn the remaining structure. He's been moved into the Veteran's home and right now the Church is working to figure out where and what to do to help him in this time of need.  I've offered to help them help this gentleman out and we'll be taking collections for the next two weeks to send down to Central Christian Church.  I also offered to bring a few people along to help if they had a need for clean up, they indicated that right now they are mostly in need of funds to accommodate Mr. Anderson.  Please be in prayer concerning assisting this elderly gentleman.  Thank you all!

If anyone knows of anyone here in the local area who has a need for minor repairs or such... please let Jeff Frank or myself know, also if you know of anyone that is in need that could be benefited by the “Taste of Grace” program that the Woman's group has formed, please contact Kim Anderson.  We'd really love to get both of these ministry's functioning more fully in order to meet whatever needs we are capable of fulfilling.  We really need the assistance of the congregation in locating and steering us towards those who are in need of our blessing through these programs.  Thank you!!

Together, we can truly be... a blessing to someone today! (and every day)

God's love, grace & joy to all,
Pastor Roy

October 2017, Newsletter Article

Fall is in the air and October is quickly coming upon us! Honestly, Fall is one of my favorite seasons (second only to Spring) but of course, the problem with Fall is that we know it's a very brief season, and all too soon we'll find ourselves in the grips of another Midwestern Winter.  Hopefully, it will be a mild winter this year and we'll all get through with flying colors.

These last couple weeks have been very sad for all of us here at Woodlawn with the passing of our very dear and beloved friend Lou Green.  Lou has been such a long-term fixture here at Woodlawn that she'll be forever missed.  If you haven't reached out to her family with words of support, please do so.  God's love and strength to all of Lou's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

This past Sunday was, however, a great day for us all here at Woodlawn, as we saw the Kuhlers family come forward to ask to become members here at Woodlawn.  We welcome Jared, Laura, Stephanie, Will, and Lucas to our little family.  I will be putting together a baptism class for them and if there is anyone else that is interested in getting baptized, please let me know.  Right now I'm thinking we'll schedule the ceremony for Easter 2018, which happens to fall on April 1st.  Please make sure and introduce yourselves to the Kuhlers and welcome them to Woodlawn.

Our concert “Son Celebration” on the 16th was a bit disappointing due to the rainy weather.  But undaunted, we moved the concert into Fellowship Hall and everyone that turned out really enjoyed the show.  I do thank our performers for the evening, “Peregrine” along with “Will & Jane”, both groups were fantastic!  “Will & Jane” performed for us last year as well, though last year they performed under the name of “Orphan's Cry”.

On the 21st, the 'Women of Woodlawn' had a dinner and meeting to celebrate a new name for the Women's Group.  It was a great night and even though I was unable to attend, everything I'm hearing about it is very positive and exciting.  Thank you to all those who worked to make this program happen, and thank you to Kim Anderson especially, for all her hard work on planning and preparation.

On the 9th, we had a wedding here at Woodlawn, Jordan and Kelsey Beidler were married and we all wish them all the very best.  Jordan and Kelsey have started attending the 'Sunday Night Group' since their work schedules clash with being able to attend our normal Sunday Morning Worship. We're very glad that they've started attending and we welcome them here to Woodlawn.

The big news to remember is that starting October 1st, we have moved our normal Sunday Morning Worship from a start time of 10:30 AM to a starting time of 10:00 AM. Please, make sure to note the change or else you'll find yourself coming into worship when we're about halfway through. If by chance you discover you're running late, PLEASE do go ahead and come to worship... none of us is going to mind you walking in at the mid-way mark of the service.

The 'Catch' training program is going along very well, and we have just two more sessions left to complete. The next sessions will be October 10th and 24th.  Even if you've missed the previous sessions, please feel free to join us on either or both of these nights.  In the spirit of 'Catch', I would like to invite everyone to invite someone to Church in October (and November and December and...).  We're called to be 'Fishers of People' and it's tough to catch fish if you don't cast a line every now and again. Please, invite a friend or relative to join you at worship or at a Church Event.

Other things to note in October are; Contemporary Worship Committee Meeting on the 1st after Sunday Worship, Christian Council Meeting on the 3rd at 6:30 PM, Elder's Meeting on the 8th after Worship, Church Council Meeting on the 11th at 6:30 PM, Men's Meeting (at Sweet Things) on the 14th at 7:00 AM, and the 'Baked Steak Dinner' on the 19th from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.

As you may have noticed, the Men's Meeting in October will be down at Sweet Things.  We've decided to try this for a few months to see how it goes over, it relieves us of having to plan for how many may or may not show up, and it also gets us out and visible in the community.  Please plan to gather with all the men on the 14th at 7:00 AM.

It's also time to start thinking about the “God's Portion Sale” in November.  If you'd like to be on the committee for the sale there is still time to add your name, the committee is currently made up of Clyde Westcott, Jesse Gorden, Bill Hungate, Leon Hendricks, and myself. We could certainly use a lady or two on the committee, if you're interested please give me or one of the other members a call.

Well, I've probably used up my allotted space in the newsletter already so I better wrap it up... “BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE TODAY”!

In His Grace & Care,
Pastor Roy