During the season of Lent we have some extra worship opportunities. Join us Wednesdays at 6pm for a lite meal, and then stay for special compline worship services at 7pm. This year we will use the Wednesday worships to go back to the Catechism basics of baptism.
Remembering Pastor Ryan Schlicht: a legacy of faith
Ten years ago was a challenging year for our church family. In 2012 a young Seminary graduate, Ryan Schlicht, was assigned to serve here at St Paul Clintonville. This young pastor worked to strengthen the ministry here. He started our church’s website, he created the church’s Facebook page to be able to better connect with each other, and he began posting sermon videos online. Many of Pastor Schlicht’s sermons are still posted online, you can find them at youtube.com/@stpaulclintonville. Pastor Schlicht also made sure to have many faith-building opportunities here, like book club and VBS. Ryan loved the Lord and is known for having put a sign that simply said “Jesus” by the door he went through to start each service.
In 2014, Pastor Schlicht was diagnosed with an illness that soon took his life. Ask anyone who was around our church at that time and when they think of Pastor Schlicht, they speak with confidence of the example he gave. Pastor Schlicht trusted the Lord. His final weeks were a beautiful and powerful sermon on that trust. While we mourn for the loss of a pastor, a friend, and a minister for the Church, we rejoice that we knew him. Pastor Schlicht’s legacy lives on here through those he impacted and who were encouraged in faith by him. 2014 was a very challenging year that the Spirit used to strengthen the faith of the believers here.
Pastor Schlicht left behind his wife Stacey, who was pregnant at the time, and their one year old daughter, Adeline. After his passing, Stacey moved to the Milwaukee area.
As a church family, we want to remember Pastor Schlicht, especially this year. We are planning on doing this in 2 ways.
· Firstly, we will make some blank cards that you can take and write a message for the Schlicht family. Let them know that they are not forgotten. At the end of February, we will send them to the Schlicht family. If you won’t be able to write a card here, you can email a message to info@stpaulclintonville.com and we will include it.
· Secondly, we will be taking a free-will offering for the education of young Adeline and Gabriel. If you so choose to give, please bring it or send it to church by the end of February. We will place a special box for collecting these offerings in the narthex/gathering area. You can also give using your normal offering envelopes. Label any offering given for this special purpose as “Schlicht” on your envelopes.
If you have any questions about this, please talk with Bob Petermann or Chuck Schowalter. Please have the cards and/or free-will offering brought to the church by the last Sunday of February 2024, February 25th.
Lent 2024
The church season of Lent begins February 14, 2024. During the season of Lent there will be extra opportunities to prepare our hearts as our hearts journey to the cross. Join us for these Wednesday services starting February 14th. Each week the schedule we be as follows:
At 5pm there will be Catechism class in the basement
At 6pm there will be a shared meal, please join us!
At 7pm we will join our hearts in meditation of Christ’s Passion
If you can’t make it Wednesday night, join Pastor Rothfuss as he leads the service on Thursday at Grace in Sugar Bush. The Thursday services start at 6:30pm.
Ash Wednesday marks 40 days before Easter (the early church excluded counting the Sundays in Lent since every Sunday is a mini-Easter celebration). We will mark the start of Lent this year with a very special worship opportunity. The service will balance the Law and the Gospel as we are reminded of our sin, that which separates us from God, and Christ, our Savior. This will be a special service that will include the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
The Wednesdays following Ash Wednesday our services will be focused on baptism.
Week 1: A Sacrament, not a Sign
Week 2: A Great Power and a Greater Gift
Week 3: Baptism Is Needed by All
Week 4: The Right Tool for This Job
Week 5: Reliving Your Baptism Every Day
Summer Camp 2024
It was just announced that this year St Paul Clintonville will host their summer camp from 9am-11:30am on June 17-21. We are hosting the event with our friends at Grace Sugar Bush. Planning is underway, so stay tuned for more exciting updates!
Special Services December 2023
Advent Wednesdays
November 29th, December 6th,
December 13th, December 20th
Meal starting at 6:00pm
Worship Service at 6:30pm
Christmas Eve
Sunday, December 24th
Sunday School Service at 9am
Candlelight Hymn Sing Service at 8pm
Christmas Day
Monday, December 25th
Festival Service at 9am
New Year’s Eve
Sunday, December 31st
Worship Service at 9am
Communion Service at 6:30pm
Sundays
Worship Service at 9am
Sunday School & Bible Study
at 10:15am
Pastor Appreciation Month
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. We are so blessed and thankful to have Pastor Rothfuss here! Thank you Pastor for all you do! Thank you for leading worship, for teaching us God’s Word, and for all you do that few know about or notice. You and Amanda are in our prayers. Thank you to Pastor’s wife, Amanda, too… Pastor’s Wife Appreciation Month is March, along with every month.
Thank You FWD Seagrave Museum
On October 1, 2023, a large group from our church family went for a tour of the FWD Seagrave Museum here in Clintonville. Thank you to the Museum staff/volunteers for preserving this local history and for sharing it with us! We had a great time and plan on coming back to learn some more!
…in case you missed it, they even had an artifact that featured Pastor’s favorite hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings!
Dedication Sunday: 5 Years Later
Five years ago today, on September 16th, 2018, our church family gathered to dedicate the expanded and renovated church building. With voices united in praise and thanks, we dedicated the expanded and renovated facilities to the service of the Lord and we re-dedicated ourselves to the mission of the Church. For 5 years we have gathered here, worshiped within these walls, and shared the Gospel message beyond them. As we hit this milestone, let us remember the reason we exist as a church and let us thank the Lord for still blessing our work and ministry here.
Take a moment to reflect on this excerpt from the dedication service worship folder…
“Today we also remember what has brought us here to this moment and to this ministry. We were redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ even though we were miserable sinners who didn’t deserve God’s love. Because of God’s sacrifice and unending love for us, we have new life and we overflow with joy and thankfulness to God and his Word. This has brought us to this moment of reflection, thanksgiving, and dedication.
Today is also a day for us to rededicate ourselves to the mission of this church, to proclaim the timeless truths of the Bible, and to share the good news with the world. We commit ourselves to that endeavor and we pray for God’s help, strength and guidance in the years ahead.
In all of this, may God alone receive the glory.”
Our expansion was carried out by MJI Building Services. We were truly blessed to work with this company. They understood our needs and worked with us every step of the way. The owner, who is a WELS member from Appleton, even gifted us the cross above the altar. The cross weighs over 400 pounds and is from a single tree.
Before the building project…
During the construction process
Sunday School Kick-Off 2023
Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate and start our Sunday School year. This important part of our ministry is an opportunity to share the praise-worthy deeds of the Lord to the next generation and to train them up in His Word. Starting this week there will be a weekly lesson that is targeted at the younger age groups, so that they can learn and know what God has done for them.
On September 10, 2023 we had a special prayer during the worship service, praying for all Christian education for our youth, at home, at other schools, and especially here. We installed the Sunday School teachers and thanked them for their service. The service closed with hymn 762, Lord, Bless Your Word to All the Young.
1 Lord, bless your Word to all the young;
let them, your truth possessing,
declare your praise with heart and tongue,
their faith in Christ confessing.
From birth your firm embrace
has held them in your grace.
Baptized into your name,
redeemed and free from blame,
as your dear children keep them.
2 When faced with pressure, grief, or pain,
when Satan comes alluring,
may their baptismal grace remain
a refuge reassuring.
God’s promises are sure;
his mercy will endure.
They shall not be undone
who trust in Christ alone;
God is their mighty Father!
After the service the children had a fun event downstairs. They met their teachers and classmates, they worked on memory work, they colored, they heard about Jesus, and they even got tattoos (temporary ones). Following that, our church family shared a meal. What a blessing it is to have all these young ones here!
A huge thank you to all the Sunday School teachers for all the work you are doing to help teach the young ones! You are in our prayers!
Men's Breakfast Bible Study
Gentlemen, join us for Saturday, September 9th for breakfast and a Bible Study. Starting at 6am, we’ll meet in the church narthex/gathering area and enjoy a hearty breakfast (there will be coffee to help wake you up if you need it).
These breakfast Bible studies will take place the second and fourth Saturdays going forward (probably until next summer). Feel free to join us at 6am, or a little later if you can’t be there right at the start. Talk to Pastor if you have more questions, or contact us by email: info@stpaulclintonville.com
