Through the Word, the Lord Crushes Evil

God’s words are so powerful! With only his words, Jesus cured illness and raised the dead. With his words, Jesus created the faith that receives his forgiveness. So we should not be surprised this week when we see that Jesus’ words also have the power to push back the spiritual forces of evil that are in the world. Jesus’ words expose idols as worthless and following idols as self-destructive evil. Jesus’ words are so compelling, even demons must obey them. It is not surprising that God’s words crush evil. It is a surprise, however, to see that Jesus’ words have Jesus’ power even when they are not coming from Jesus’ mouth. Jesus puts his words on our lips. He makes us his witnesses. And as we carry out that awesome role, Jesus continues to drive back Satan and his allies, just as he did when he walked the earth. When the gospel comes out of the mouths of sinners like us, Jesus “sends the power of evil reeling" (Hymn of the Day).

This Week in Worship

Gospel—Luke 8:26–39

First Reading—Isaiah 43:8–13

Second Reading—2 Timothy 1:3–10

Psalm of the Day—Psalm 66

Gospel Acclamation—1 John 4:14

Hymn of the Day—Rise, Shine, You People (CW 744)

Sermon

Luke 8:26–39

One Little Word in a World of Evil

• The family of John "Jack" Roemer, who was killed in his home. While troubled by the circumstances of his death, we rejoice to know that as a child of God he is home in heaven. Pray also for the people of St. Paul's Mauston-Adams, as they grieve this faithful servant and congregational leader.
• Shirley Eplattener, cousin of Debbie Lange, who has cancer.
• All those affected by acts of violence in our nation, especially those who lost loved ones in the recent shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX. God grant them peace and comfort in the midst of deepest grief, and may the peace and love of Christ extend over the lives of all to live in harmony with one another.
• Our brothers and sisters in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church and the Concord Evangelical Lutheran Church (Russia), and all others affected by war and rumors of war around the world. Pray for peace among nations and for protection over God's people as they proclaim the true, eternal peace we have in Christ.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

Services At Hillsboro Campus Only June 30—July 10

While the carpet and flooring work is going on at the Wonewoc campus beginning at the end of the month, we will be having worship services solely at the Hillsboro campus. Service times will be as usual for both Thursdays and Sundays, but held only at Hillsboro.

Church Directory Pictures Coming Soon

We are planning on publishing a church directory later this year and want to sechdule family portrait sessions in late summer. The dates of the sessions are:

• Thursday, August 11—3:00-7:00
• Sunday, August 14—12:00-4:00
• Thursday, August 25—3:00-7:00
• Sunday, August 28—12:00-4:00

The sitting fee is covered by the congregation; families may purchase additional prints if they desire. An 8x10 print is $20, with $10 for each additional sheet.

Contact Stephanie Frick at weberfrick@yahoo.com or 608-797-4349 to schedule an appointment; photos will be slotted into 15 min blocks. Please leave details about what date and time slot you prefer, as well as an email address or phone number at which you can be reached. When calling, calls after 5pm on weekdays and after 9am on weekends are appreciated.

Help with Church Houses, Sanctuary Remodel Prep

June is a busy month for our congregation's properties. With Pastor & Mrs. Snyder moving to the Hillsboro parsonage and our new teacher moving into the S. East St. house in Wonewoc, there is a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time. From some basic clean-up work to appliance installation, we are in great need of volunteers.

There is also some drastic maintenance work needed on the Church St. parsonage. Most immediately is the need to replace a leaking roof in the kitchen, as well as flooring and possibility sub-flooring in the kitchen and bathroom. The garage is also in need of new siding and gutters on the house are in need of repair. We are getting quotes on some of these projects, while others may be possible to be done by congregation volunteers.

Additionally, the sanctuary remodel project at the Wonewoc Campus will be completed soon. On June 26, after 10:30 worship, we will need volunteers to move half the pews over to one side so the flooring can be refurbished. We will again need volunteers on July 2nd to move pews back and do the same with the other side, and finally on July 9th to reinstall pews again.

Please let us know if you are able to help with any of these projects.

Teacher Assignment

The Lord has provided a new teacher for us. Last Saturday, Sydney Peterson of Sioux Falls, SD, was assigned to be our 5th & 6th grade teacher. Miss Peterson will be moving here around July 1 and will be installed near that time. We will share more information about new teacher in the near future. Please keep her and our school in your prayers as we move forward together in gospel ministry.

Change For Life

Look for the Change for Life display in back of the church. Pick up a baby bottle, take it home and fill it with spare change. On June 19th, Father’s Day, return the filled bottle to church. The money collected will be sent to help the mothers and babies at New Beginnings, a ministry for single mothers and babies based in Milwaukee. 

H.O.P.E. Walk

The H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Everyday) Walk will be held this year on June 17 from 6pm to 11pm at the Hillsboro High School track. H.O.P.E. is a local fundraising effort to help people in our communities who have been affected by cancer. Funds are raised by teams representing churches, organizations, and families and include many ways of fundraising and activities including food sales pledges, a silent auction, and more. Pastor Prell and friends will be there with sales of hot dogs and brats. If you would like to help, you can come to the track at any time during the walk. If you would like to organize a team, there is more information and registration forms on the tables in the back of the sanctuary/narthex. Anyone can register a team to raise donations.

Summer Church Cleaners Needed

We are in need of church cleaners for the summer months at the Wonewoc Campus. If you can help, please take the time to sign up for one or more weeks on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the back entry. Thank you for giving your time for this need.

Summer Office Hours

Beginning June 1st, the church/school office will be open from 9am-3pm Monday through Thursday. If you need to contact someone, there is usually either a pastor or teacher that can answer your call, or you can call Jan Fick at her cell number of 608-381-1177. Pastor Snyder and Pastor Limpert can also be reached on their cell phones, listed below.

Discipleship Committee: Now Recruiting

Looking for a simple way to serve God and your brothers and sisters at St. Paul Lutheran? Consider joining the Discipleship Committee. This committee will help the pastors and elders in encouraging our members to remain connected to God’s Word. The time commitment is low (no meetings!), but the work is vital. Talk to one of the pastors or elders for more information or visit stpaulhw.com/discipleship. 

Let's Stay in Touch

We have a new church database in place and now would be the perfect time to update your contact information. We encourage you to let us know your current home/mailing address, phone numbers, and email addresses. We are also especially looking for birthdates. Give us a call at the church office or email us. All contact information is used solely for keeping members informed about what’s going on at church; we won’t spam you or sell your info.