Redeemer Lutheran Church
2510 N. M-52
Owosso, MI 48867
989-725-5442
Reformation Celebration Planned
On Sunday, October 29th we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his “95 Theses” on a church door in Germany. We will meet for a combined Worship Service at 9:30 a.m. followed by a movie on the life of Martin Luther. We will then come together for lunch.
October 31, 2017, marks the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther posted his “95 Theses” on a church door in Germany. This wasn’t an unusual act at the time; Luther was simply welcoming scholarly debate. But his ideas opposing certain teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church led to a monumental shift in Christianity. Along with other reformers, Luther taught that Scripture is the supreme authority for the believer; that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone; and that baptism gives all full access to God in Christ (“the priesthood of all believers”), so there’s no need for an intermediary such as a pope, priest or saint. Initially, the reformers intended not to leave the Catholic Church but to reform it. But those who protested church practices became known as Protestants, and eventually, multiple denominations arose — Lutheranism, Presbyterianism, Anglicanism and others — and did, in fact, separate from the Roman tradition. Sadly, woven amid the good intentions to rightly teach and live the faith were sins on all sides: Luther hurled insults “with the best of them”; the pope excommunicated him and had other reformers executed; the beliefs and faith of theological opponents were regularly disparaged. As Heinz Josef Algermissen, a present-day Roman Catholic bishop in Germany, states: “In commemorating the Reformation, we cannot just see it as a jubilee, but should also admit our guilt for past errors and repent on both sides for the past 500 years.”
Stewardship is about love! Love for God.
Love for our neighbors. Love for our church.
Our annual stewardship drive is a program that emphasizes the important roles your service and your financial support play in continuing the work of our congregation. Thank you for your past service and financial support!
Stewardship is the way in which we use all the resources that God has entrusted to our care – including our income – so that we can love God and our neighbor. Stewardship is a matter of the heart and a response to the love that God has shown us. Stewardship is about love.You will be receiving in the mail very soon your annual Time & Talent Survey and pledge card. Please spend some time in prayer asking God to speak to your heart about where you can serve the church. Please do not just check the same boxes you always do. Open your hearts to God’s leading in this matter and also in the matter of your financial pledge.The 12% portion of your offerings that Redeemer dedicates for missions is our direct response to God’s call that we help the poor and needy, heal the sick, and comfort the oppressed. Giving to the church is a way of loving God and your neighbor.Sunday, October 22nd is Commitment Sunday. Please bring your Time & Talent Surveys and Pledge Cards to church that day to commit them to the Lord.
