St. Matthews Lutheran Church – Danube

Summer Worship Schedule

Join us for worship next week in Renville at 10:00am

Outdoor Worship Service out on the lawn next to St. John’s in Renville

Tuesday Night Worship Discontinued:

Tuesday Night Worship will no longer be held until further notice.  We are grateful for those who made use of the service throughout the years and we are thankful for those who served, however, due to an overall lack of attendance we thought it best to cancel this service and concentrate our ministry efforts elsewhere.  We invite our members and visitors to please join us for worship on Sunday mornings.  If you are unable to attend on Sunday, we encourage you to make use of our streaming services.  You are able to watch the service live or you can go back and view the service when you are able, as all our services are    archived on our YouTube page.  Search for St. Matthew’s Danube on YouTube or visit our website and click the Livestream tab.

The Basics of Christianity, One Word at a Time:

Getting back to the basics can be a refreshing exercise.  Join us for worship this summer for a series of messages that takes us back the basics of our faith.   Join us for the sermon series: The Basics of the Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Atonement, Righteousness, Reconciliation, Reversal, Buried, Battling, Longing, Praying, Chosen, Inseparable, Roots, Grafted, Awe, Sacrifice, Love, Freedom.  Read archived sermons or watch any services that you missed online.  Visit stmatthewsdanube.org or stmatthewflora.org

212 WELS Soccer Camp: Jesus Saves!:  

Soccer Camp will take place from August 7 –11. Each day from 1pm-4pm children will be instructed in the game of  soccer and they will also hear about deeper truths shared from Holy Scripture.   All children ages 5-13 are welcome to attend.  About 80 children have already signed up for the camp.  If you would like to volunteer or support the camp in any way please contact Pastor Kuschel.

Grandviews from the Vineyard:

Grandviews from the Vineyard aims to intellectually engage our ever-changing culture with a Christian perspective. It is a relaxed event  held at Grandview Winery (Belview, MN). A registration fee of $15 includes food and one drink from the Winery. Arrival is between 6 and 7 pm (tastings available during this hour). The speaker begins at 7 pm and ends roughly at 8 pm. Discussion may follow depending on the speaker’s schedule! Please call (507-485-3362) or email ([email protected]) to register. The topics, speakers, and times for this summer are listed below:  Tuesday, August 15th + Prof. David and Beth Scharf, “The Christian Family: Have Roots, Will Grow”.

Luther Movie: One Night Showing – in Willmar, Monday, July 31:

The area WELS churches are planning a special one night event at AMC Classic Kandi 6 on Monday, July 31 at 6:30pm.  A Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy will be shown.  Enough tickets were sold that they will be moving our group to a bigger theater.  Some tickets may still be available.  Contact Pastor Tuttle to get your tickets today!  May the Lord bless our night out at the movies!

Hog Roast and Outdoor Worship Service:

Our annual hog roast and outdoor worship service will be held on August 6 in Renville. Like last year this will be one day event, however, the worship service will be held an hour later to better accommodate the day’s schedule.  This will be a joint worship service, as members of our 4 area congregations will come together for worship in Renville.  The worship service will be held next to St. John’s Lutheran Church on their south lawn.  Worship is at 10 am with the meal to follow. Pastor Walta will be our guest musician and will play for the worship service and a short concert.  Please remember that there will be no worship services held at our usual locations, but this is an opportunity for our members to come together along with friends and neighbors for this special worship opportunity.

The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time:

Getting back to the basics can be a refreshing exercise.  Join us for worship this summer for a series of messages that takes us back the basics of our faith.   Join us for the sermon series: The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Atonement, Righteousness, Reconciliation, Reversal, Buried, Battling, Longing, Praying, Chosen, Inseparable, Roots, Grafted, Awe, Sacrifice, Love, Freedom.  Read archived sermons or watch any services that you missed online.  Visit stmatthewsdanube.org or stmatthewflora.org and click on the Livestream tab.

212 WELS Soccer Camp: Jesus Saves!: 

Planning for the 212 WELS Soccer Camp has begun.  Registration forms are available in the back of church.  The camp this year will take place from August 7 –11. Each day from 1pm-4pm children will be instructed in the game of  soccer and they will also hear about deeper truths shared from Holy Scripture.  Our theme this year is a revisiting of the theme from our first year: Jesus Saves!  All children ages 5-13 are welcome to attend.  If you would like to volunteer or support the camp in any way please contact Pastor Kuschel.

Soccer Camp Meals:

Daily meals for the volunteer coaching staff will be provided during the soccer camp.  A serving schedule (much like previous years) is being put together, if you would like to volunteer a dish, other food items, or your time to this effort please contact Pastor Kuschel or Kathy Tepfer to find out how you can help.  We are so thankful for the ladies groups who have headed up this effort in the past, but we would certainly welcome new volunteers to come forward to help support soccer camp in this way.

Grandviews from the Vineyard:

Grandviews from the Vineyard aims to intellectually engage our ever-changing culture with a Christian perspective. It is a relaxed event  held at Grandview Winery (Belview, MN). A registration fee of $15 includes food and one drink from the Winery. Arrival is between 6 and 7 pm (tastings available during this hour). The speaker begins at 7 pm and ends roughly at 8 pm. Discussion may follow depending on the speaker’s schedule! Please call (507-485-3362) or email ([email protected]) to register. The topics, speakers, and times for this summer are listed below:  Tuesday, August 15th + Prof. David and Beth Scharf, “The Christian Family: Have Roots, Will Grow”.

Luther Movie: One Night Showing – in Willmar, Monday, July 31: The area WELS churches are planning a special one night event at AMC Classic Kandi 6 on Monday, July 31 at 6:30pm.  A Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy will be shown.  All tickets must be purchased in advance.  May the Lord bless our night out at the movies!

Hog Roast and Outdoor Worship Service: Our annual hog roast and outdoor worship service will be held on August 6 in Renville. Like last year this will be one day event, however, the worship service will be held an hour later to better accommodate the day’s schedule.  This will be a joint worship service, as members of our 4 area congregations will come together for worship in Renville.  The worship service will be held next to St. John’s Lutheran Church on their south lawn.  Worship is at 10 am with the meal to follow. Pastor Walta will be our guest musician and will play for the worship service and a short concert.  Please remember that there will be no worship services held at our usual locations, but this is an opportunity for our members to come together along with friends and neighbors for this special worship opportunity.

Tuesday Night Worship Discontinued: Tuesday Night Worship will no longer be held at St. Matthew’s Danube until further notice.  We are grateful for those who made use of the service throughout the years and we are thankful for those who served, however, due to an overall lack of attendance we thought it best to cancel this service and concentrate our ministry efforts elsewhere.  We invite our members and visitors to please join us for worship on Sunday mornings.  If you are unable to attend on Sunday, we encourage you to make use of our streaming services.  You are able to watch live or you can go back and view the service when you are able, as all our services are archived on our YouTube page.  Search for St. Matthew’s Danube on YouTube or visit our website and click the Livestream tab.

Little Lambs Calls a Preschool Teacher:

Our district president was able to identify a few names that were eligible candidates to fill our need for a preschool teacher.  May the Lord direct the board as they continue in their search and may the LORD of the church grant us a teacher who will share his love with the children of our center.

Council Meeting:

St. Matthew’s Danube Council Meeting – Monday, July 17 @ 7:30pm

Quarterly Meeting 

St. Matthew’s Danube Quarterly Meeting – Sunday, July 23 – following worship

The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Getting back to the basics can be a refreshing exercise.  Join us for worship this summer for a series of messages that takes us back the basics of our faith.   Join us for the sermon series: The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Atonement, Righteousness, Reconciliation, Reversal, Buried, Battling, Longing, Praying, Chosen, Inseparable, Roots, Grafted, Awe, Sacrifice, Love, Freedom.  Read archived sermons or watch any services that you missed online.  Visit stmatthewsdanube.org or stmatthewflora.org and click on the Livestream tab.

212 WELS Soccer Camp: Jesus Saves!:  Planning for the 212 WELS Soccer Camp has begun.  Registration forms are available in the back of church.  The camp this year will take place from August 7 –11. Each day from 1pm-4pm children will be instructed in the game of  soccer and they will also hear about deeper truths shared from Holy Scripture.  Our theme this year is a revisiting of the theme from our first year: Jesus Saves!  All children ages 5-13 are welcome to attend.  If you would like to volunteer or support the camp in any way please contact Pastor Kuschel.

Soccer Camp Meals: Daily meals for the volunteer coaching staff will be provided during the soccer camp.  A serving schedule (much like previous years) is being put together, if you would like to volunteer a dish, other food items, or your time to this effort please contact Pastor Kuschel or Kathy Tepfer to find out how you can help.  We are so thankful for the ladies groups who have headed up this effort in the past, but we would certainly welcome new volunteers to come forward to help support soccer camp in this way.

Grandviews from the Vineyard: Grandviews from the Vineyard aims to intellectually engage our ever-changing culture with a Christian perspective. It is a relaxed event  held at Grandview Winery (Belview, MN). A registration fee of $15 includes food and one drink from the Winery. Arrival is between 6 and 7 pm (tastings available during this hour). The speaker begins at 7 pm and ends roughly at 8 pm. Discussion may follow depending on the speaker’s schedule! Please call (507-485-3362) or email ([email protected]) to register. The topics, speakers, and times for this summer are listed below:  Tuesday, August 15th + Prof. David and Beth Scharf, “The Christian Family: Have Roots, Will Grow”.

Thank You – Mike Westendorf and Family: We thank Mike Westendorf and his family for adding their unique sound to our service of praise this morning and we wish him well on his travels and his continued service in God’s Kingdom.  Mike led our outdoor worship service last year and we are pleased that he was able to join us here at St. Matthew’s as he traveled through the area again this summer.  A free will offering will be taken to support his music ministry.  For more of Mike’s music visit www.mikewestendorf.com.

Luther Movie: One Night Showing – in Willmar, Monday, July 31: The area WELS churches are planning a special one night event at AMC Classic Kandi 6 on Monday, July 31 at 6:30pm.  A Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy will be shown.  All tickets must be purchased in advance.  Between the 10 congregations involved in this special event we need to sell about 95 tickets to rent out the theater.   Look for more information in the bulletin insert on how you can purchase your tickets online.

Pastor Tuttle reaches a milestone:  20 years ago, Pastor Rick Tuttle was ordained in the gospel ministry.  We give thanks for Pastor Tuttle and may God continue to bless his ministry.

Memory Candle:  In memory of  Delmar Butenhoff

The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time:

For the next few weeks we will be following a sermon series on the Book of Romans.  These lessons from the book of Romans read like a curriculum for St. Paul’s adult instruction class and provide an excellent opportunity for us to walk through the basic doctrines of the Church, one word at a time.  Join us for worship this summer for this sermon series.  The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Atonement, Righteousness, Reconciliation, Reversal, Buried, Battling, Longing, Praying, Chosen, Inseparable, Roots, Grafted, Awe, Sacrifice, Love, Freedom.  Read archived sermons or watch any services that you missed online.

Visit stmatthewsdanube.org or stmatthewflora.org and click on the Livestream tab.

212 WELS Soccer Camp: Jesus Saves!: Planning for the 10th Annual 212 WELS Soccer Camp has begun.  Registration forms are available in the back of church.  The camp this year will take place from August 7 –11. Each day from 1pm-4pm children will be instructed in the game of soccer and they will also hear about deeper truths shared from Holy Scripture.  Our theme this year is a revisiting of the theme from our first year: Jesus Saves!  All children ages 5-13 are welcome to attend.  If you would like to volunteer or support the camp in any way please contact Pastor Kuschel.

Soccer Camp Meals: Daily meals for the volunteer coaching staff will be provided during the soccer camp.  A serving schedule (much like previous years) is being put together, if you would like to    volunteer a dish, other food items, or your time to this effort please contact Pastor Kuschel or Kathy Tepfer to find out how you can help.  We are so thankful for the ladies groups who have headed up this effort in the past, but we would certainly welcome new volunteers to come forward to help support soccer camp in this way.

Grandviews from the Vineyard: Grandviews from the Vineyard aims to intellectually engage our ever-changing culture with a Christian perspective. It is a relaxed event  held at Grandview Winery (Belview, MN). Speakers are brought in to discuss various topics from Apologetics to Early Childhood Development, from Church and State Issues to Marriage. A registration fee of $15 includes food and one drink from the Winery. Arrival is between 6 and 7 pm (tastings available during this hour). The speaker begins at 7 pm and ends roughly at 8 pm. Discussion may follow depending on the speaker’s schedule! Please call (507-485-3362) or email ([email protected]) to register. The topics, speakers, and times for this summer are listed below:  Tuesday, August 15th + Prof. David and Beth Scharf, “The Christian Family: Have Roots, Will Grow”.

Danube Fun Days: Food Stand Volunteers

The 212 WELS Soccer Camp will be hosting a food stand during the car show in front of the Danube School on July 8th from about 10am – 1pm.  If you are willing to make bars, volunteer to serve at the food stand, or you would be willing to set up or take down our booth, please contact Beth Kuschel or pastor.  Little Lambs is also running a food stand at Danube Fun Days on Saturday, July 8th. The stand is open from 10-4.  Volunteers are needed.  If you are able to volunteer the work day will be broken up into three two hour shifts; 10-12, 12-2, and 2-4. If you are available to help during those times please let Mrs. Stephanie Smith know.  This is another opportunity we have to promote the center to the people of our community and support the daily ministry of Little Lambs.  Look for our soccer camp and little lamb entries in the parade as well!

Mike Westendorf Concert and Worship Service:  Mike Westendorf, who led our outdoor worship service last year, will be coming through the area again this July.  A concert will be held at the Renville Community Center on July 15 and Mike will be at St. Matthew’s Danube to add his unique sound to our Sunday Morning Worship Service on July 16.  Look for more information in the weeks to come.

Kim Kluver bridal shower: Kim Kluver is getting maried!  An open house bridal shower in honor of Kim Kluver will be held at St. Matthew’s in Danube on July 9.  The shower is from 1pm-3pm.  God’s blessings to Kim and Brad!

Quarterly Meeting – April 30 

A quarterly meeting will be held at St Matthew’s Danube after worship.

Confirmation Service – May 14:

Madison Urness has been working her way through Confirmation class and is set to be confirmed in the Christian faith on Sunday, May 14.  As we at St. Matthew’s prepare to welcome Maddie to the Lord’s table as a communicant member we pray that God would be with Maddie as she continues to grow in her baptismal grace and in the training and instruction of the LORD.

Graduate/Confirmand Recognition Sunday – May 7 

On Sunday May 7, cake and coffee will be served after worship as we recognize the upcoming confirmation of Maddie Urness.  Please join us, next Sunday, as we commemorate this upcoming milestone in Maddie’s life.

Ascension Service – May 25:

A special joint worship service will be held at St. Matthew’s Danube at 7:00pm on May 25 as we observe the festival of Ascension.   We hope to see you for this    special worship opportunity, forty days after Easter, as we praise our risen and   ascended Lord.

Wedding of Mandee Jakel and Mike Voelz

On Saturday, April 29, Mandee Jakel and Mike Voelz were united in marriage before God and witnesses.  They were encouraged in their marriage by the words of God from Colossians 3:12-14. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. May God bless their new life together and lead us all to appreciate our Lord’s love and forgiveness and we daily put on his love.

Grandviews from the Vineyard

Grandviews from the Vineyard aims to intellectually engage our ever-changing culutre with a Christian perspective. It is a relaxed event  held at Grandview Winery (Belview, MN). Speakers are brought in to discuss various topics from Apologetics to Early Childhood Development, from Church and State Issues to Marriage. A registration fee of $15 includes food and one drink from the Winery. Arrival is between 6 and 7 pm (tastings available during this hour). The speaker begins at 7 pm and ends roughly at 8 pm. Discussion may follow depending on the speaker’s schedule! Please call (507-485-3362) or email ([email protected]) to register. The topics, speakers, and times for this summer are listed below:  Tuesday, June 20th + Rev. Craig Engel, “Lutheran Hymnody: Singing the Unholy Trinity to Hell”  Tuesday, August 15th + Prof. David and Beth Scharf, “The Christian Family: Have Roots, Will Grow”.

MLC Day

May 3, MLC Day, will be a day of celebration for Martin Luther College and all who support our synod’s college of ministry. With an emphasis on communication through social media, MLC Day will allow supporters across the globe to follow activities online, share messages with friends, pray for the mission of the college, and give to support the training of future pastors, teachers, and church leaders.  Visit our mlc-wels.edu or “Like” the MLC Facebook page to receive more details!

The news was distressing to say the least. Confusion and fear reigned. Then they remembered his words (Luke 24:8). In a world filled with confusion and fear, our Savior has words of assurance and hope for you. He was delivered over to death for you. He has paid for your sins in full. He was raised to life so that you might live for all eternity. Celebrate the hope that Jesus brings.

Join us for Worship the Easter Season

St. Matthew’s Danube

Maundy Thursday – April 13

Worship w/communion – 7:30pm

Good Friday – April 14

Service of Darkness – 7:00pm

Easter Sunday – April 16

Sunrise Service – 6:30am

Easter Breakfast – 7:30am

Worship Service – 10:30am 

Almost 500 years ago, the world was turned upside down—not with a weapon of mass destruction but with an instrument of mass instruction—a man’s pen. A monk (technically a friar) by the name of Martin Luther penned 95 theses, or propositions, and nailed them to the university bulletin board of his day—the Castle Church door. Luther penned these theses for debate among the professional theologians of his day. At the theses’ heart was this practical question: What does it mean to repent?

In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. (Luther, 95 Theses, No. 1)

Almost 500 years later, we are here on Ash Wednesday, not to debate theses but to confess our sins; not to nail words to a door but to hear words preached from a pulpit. Repentance is on our minds as another Lenten season begins.

Repent: Turn to Jesus! Through the power of the Word the Lord leads us to turn from our wickedness, confess our sins, and know that Jesus has paid the price for our sins in full.

Thanks be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ, let us be renewed to live for him.

Family Day – Sunday, February 19.  Join us  on Sunday, February 19 for a special presentation from MLC student Allison Dorn.  Alli has been St. Matthew’s “Be-friend an MLC Student” for the last few years.  Allison is thankful for all the encouragement that she has received  from our congregation and would like to come and say thank you by giving us an update on her MLC experience and her plans for future ministry.  A special soup & sandwich meal will be enjoyed after the   presentation.  A sign-up sheet for the meal is in the back of church.

Mysterious Marriage: Online Bible Study: WELS Adult Discipleship offers LIVE online Bible studies for use by congregations, small groups, or individuals. Rev. Randy Hunter, will lead a study on enriching marriages twice each Wednesday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Feb 1 through Feb. 22. Couples will have the opportunity to build their marriage on the gospel of Jesus through the study entitled “Mysterious Marriage.” This study will examine how the gospel gives you the power to be married and how marriage gives you a way to show the gospel. Lessons will also be archived online for those who cannot view the study live.  Visit www.wels.net for more information. Wed Feb. 1 – Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

GriefShare – Your Journey from Mourning to Joy. A GriefShare group meets at Mondays at Zion, Olivia at 1:30pm.  Remember this ministry is open for all and provides thoroughly helpful and practical materials.  A GriefShare group will begin meeting on Tuesdays at the Renville Community Center in a few weeks.  If you are interested in attending this support group, please contact Pastor Tuttle.

Tuesday Night Bible Study: The Life of Christ: Christ’s work for the world–his obedience, his suffering and death, and his resurrection–are the focus of this study. Consider what Jesus did for us and hear his call for us to serve him and others..  Join us on Tuesday Night at 6:15pm as we explore the life of Christ Jesus.

Pastor Kuschel Receives a Call : Pastor has received a call to serve Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in  Duluth, MN.  We ask that you would keep him and his family in your prayers as he deliberates where the LORD might best use him to serve God’s kingdom.

Celebrating a Milestone in Ministry: Pastor Kuschel is approaching a milestone in his ministry.   Nearly ten years ago Pastor Kuschel graduated from the seminary and was assigned to serve St. Matthew’s Danube and St. Matthew Flora Twp.  The seminary and its Grow in Grace division encourages pastors to participate in a special retreat to celebrate this milestone of 10 years in the ministry.  This retreat will be held April 19-21 in San Antonio, TX.  The church council has agreed that it would be beneficial for Pastor and Beth to attend.  A special collection will be taken the next few weeks to put toward the estimated $1500 it will cost to send Pastor Kuschel and his wife to the retreat.  This amount includes a $399 registration fee and estimated expenses for lodging and travel.  For more information please contact Pastor Kuschel or Marvin Lentz.

Installation of Officers: We are so thankful for those who give of their time, energy, and intelligence to carry out the work of the congregation on the church council as well as other additional boards and committees.  During worship today newly elected and re-elected members of the church council will be installed. We thank those who have served in the past and we thank and hold in our prayers those who will serve us in 2017 and beyond.

Livestream Tab on Our Websites: A direct link to our YouTube page can be found on our church websites.  Look for and click the word Livesteam at the top of the home page to be redirected to our YouTube page.

Pastor Luetke Announces Retirement: Pastor Luetke has announced his intention to retire in June of 2018.  We thank God for the ministry that Pastor Luetke has carried out in area for some time now and we ask God to continue to bless Pastor Luetke and his remaining months of ministry among us.

Mysterious Marriage: Online Bible Study: WELS Adult Discipleship offers LIVE online Bible studies for use by congregations, small groups, or individuals. Rev. Randy Hunter, will lead a study on enriching marriages twice each Wednesday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Feb 1 through Feb. 22. Couples will have the opportunity to build their marriage on the gospel of Jesus through the study entitled “Mysterious Marriage.” This study will examine how the gospel gives you the power to be married and how marriage gives you a way to show the gospel. Lessons will also be archived online for those who cannot view the study live.  Visit www.wels.net for more information. Wed Feb. 1 – Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

GriefShare – Your Journey from Mourning to Joy

A GriefShare group meets at Mondays at Zion, Olivia at 1:30pm.  Remember this ministry is open for all and provides thoroughly helpful and practical materials.  A GriefShare group will begin meeting on Tuesdays at the Renville Community Center in a few weeks.  If you are interested in attending this support group, please contact Pastor Tuttle.

Annual Meeting: St. Matthew’s Danube held its annual meeting on Jan 29.  Annual reports are available in the back of church.

Tuesday Night Bible Study: The Life of Christ: Christ’s work for the world–his obedience, his suffering and death, and his resurrection–are the focus of this study. Consider what Jesus did for us and hear his call for us to serve him and others..  Join us on Tuesday Night at January 31 at 6:15pm as we explore the life of Christ Jesus.

Pastor Kuschel Receives a Call : Pastor has received a call to serve Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in  Duluth, MN.  We ask that you would keep him and his family in your prayers as he deliberates where the LORD might best use him to serve God’s kingdom.

Penelope Joy Kuschel

Penelope Joy Kuschel was born on Monday, January 23.  We give thanks for this gift of healthy child and we praise the LORD for the special way that he pours out his blessings of forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and life eternal through baptism.  This morning “Penny” will be made a child of God through water and the word.

The Christian Funeral of Hazel Minkel

The Lord in his wisdom called Hazel Minkel to her eternal home on Thursday, January 26. Funeral services will be held at St. Matthew’s in Danube at 11:00pm on Tuesday, January 31.  Visitation will be held an hour before the service.  Our LORD in his kindness and mercy gives us real and lasting comfort in the good news of his life, death, and resurrection. May these words of our Savior’s sermon give peace to those who are hurting,  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4.