STAFF EMAIL Darren Paulson

pastor@atonementbillings.org Jon Bates

doyfam@atonementbillings.org Kristin LaVe`

worship@atonementbillings.org Sara Davis

preschool@atonementbillings.org Nancy Rupe

office@atonementbillings.org

Atonement Lutheran Church 1290 Sierra Granda Blvd

Billings, MT 59105 Phone: 406-245-7004

www.atonementbillings.org

Atonement's Summer Concert Saturday, August 20th!

We'll be inviting our newest neighbors, the WyndStone community.

Join us for food, fun and music!

Commentator

July 2016 Volume 60, Issue 7

“We bring the hope we

share in Christ to all!”

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Blessed Beginnings . . . . . 2 Text Study . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Pastor’s Page . . . . . . . . . . 3 Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Summer Concert Series . .5 ELCA Day of Service . . . . 7 July Calendar/Servants

ATONEMENT LUTHERAN CHURCH 2016 COUNCIL MEMBERS

Teague Westrope, President 860-7864

Jason Beckwith, Vice President 701-595-1932

Michel Poodry, Secretary 855-8446

Lance King, Treasurer 656-1183

Shellie Ehrmantraut 670-6839

Rane Paulson 248-4080

Eddy Baker 245-6809

Butch Morse 534-4036

KayDel Shelton 839-0166

Mike Klein 896-1798

Walt Marten 245-6162

Paul Mueller (Alternate) 259-3565

Dawson Mangels (Youth Rep) 696-5111

PRAYERS FOR MEMBERS OF OUR CONGREGATION

Pray for blessings, health, safety and general wellbeing of these members of

Atonement. Give thanks for all who are working with us in the mission we share.

July 3: Andy, Stephanie, Ryder and Spencer Pentland; Joni & Rick Pentland; Ron, Rebecca, Ellie, Dani and Archie Picchioni; Louis, Kim, Angie and Charlie Plaggemeyer; Kelly, Vicki and Cody Pleas. July 10: Michel, Karie and Kristine Poodry; Terri Porisch; Jack, Courtney, Cassidy, J.C, Michael and Ryan Raty; Tami and Zoie Rector; Ed & Rita Reeve. July 17: Debbie Rensvold; Art Rensvold; Don & Jean Richard; Troy, Luann, Trenay and Daylon Rinebarger; J.D., Erin, Kona and Kai Roberts. July 24: Ruth Robilard; Bunny Robins; Clarence Robinson & Kay Garner; Tomas, Christine, Lauren, Logan, Nathan Rodacker; Shane & Ben Roedocker. July 31: Rick & Corlis Roedocker; Blaine, Katie, Haley and Tristan Roedocker; Colin & Kelsie Rubich; Mike & Janet Rubich; Robert &

ATONEMENT FAMILY CAMP August 5th—7th

Register online today! http://christikon.org/camps/registration/adult-family-registration/

We hope you are all enjoying your summer vacation! Even though we recently wrapped up the 2015 – 2016 preschool year, we are fast approaching the 2016 – 2017 preschool year! Registration continues to raise and we are very excited about the prospects of the upcoming school year. Check out Atonement’s preschool advertisement in the July and August editions of the Simply Family magazine. Please remember that word of mouth continues to be huge for us in referring preschool kiddos! As the days carry on and we continue our lesson plans for this coming year, we will to add items to our Preschool Wish List. This list changes often. As always, we thank you for your donations, time, well wishes, and prayers! Enjoy those Rays of Sunshine! Sara Davis-Preschool Director

ATONEMENT LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL BLESSED BEGINNINGS

Monday, Wednesday,

Friday

9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Enrollment for children

ages 3-5 years

JOY BIBLE STUDY

Join us Wednesdays at

6:30 a.m. at Montana

Jacks 520 Hansen Lane.

For information, contact

Tina Williams at 259-

0692.

Hope Circle Ladies Bible Study

Hope Circle will break for the summer months and return this fall on the third Thursday of

September.

Be blessed and refreshed!

Atonement to host! Pastor’s Text Study

Tuesday’s in July. If you are would like to help please contact the church

office at 245-7004.

A sincere thank you to Pastor Paulson and our Atonement family for the prayers and visits while I was in the hospital and recovering. Your kindness was deeply appreciated. God Bless Stan Newton THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I would like to extend a big THANKS to all those who helped make VBS a success this year! Your kind thoughts, prayers, helping hands, and generous hearts made the week memorable! The 87 youth that participated in Cave Quest VBS had an excellent adventure “Following Jesus, the Light of the World.” The work was made lighter by having 47 youth and adult volunteers pitching in to decorate, be crew leaders, station leaders, and our cave runners! Let’s keep Following Him! Your partner in ministry, Sara

YOUTH SUMMER MISSION TRIP July 16-23 the youth group from Atonement and Peace will be headed to Chicago to serve at Good News Daycare in the Roseland Community. While in Chicago, the group will be teaching kids, going on field trips, and doing variations of outside work. Please keep Abby, Aryndelle, Dawson, David, Evan, Heidi, Jon, Jordan, Zach, Kenna, Noah, and Vanessa in your prayers while they travel.

July 3 Randy & Beth Henning

July 10 Del & Rose Steiner

July 17 Open

July 24 Jack & Anne Westrope

July 31 Open

July 11 Worship Committee Meeting 12:00 p.m. Property Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. July 12 Finance Committee Meeting 6:00 p.m. Evangelism Committee Meeting 6:30 p.m. Education Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. July 19 Church Council Meeting 7:00 p.m. July 28 Archery & Bow Hunters Christian Fellowship 7:00 p.m.

July 3 Tory Cichosz

July 10 Marlon & Julie Leno

July 17 Paul Mueller

July 24 Trudi Paulson

July 31 Jason Beckwith

Drivers

Leno’s 248-5359 Kyle Johnston 325-1235 Todd Koepp 256-1569

Trudi Paulson 690-4351 Craig Canfield 245-6557 Paul Mueller 259-3565

Jason Beckwith 200-7324 Tory Cichosz 670-6017

July 3 Janice VanAlstine

July 10 Tory Cichosz

July 17 Tammy Johnston

July 24 Kathy Cypher

July 31 Debbie Rensvold

Judy Belden

COFFEE HOUR

COMMUNION BREAD

COMMUNION PREPARERS

SANCTUARY FLOWERS

MONTHLY MEETINGS

USHER/GREETERS

TRANSPORTATION

July 3 Jay & Janelle Berry Vicki Leatherberry, Dale Molyneaux July 10 John & Bertha Olsen Craig & June Canfield July 17 Jesse & Sandi Gonzalez Ed & Rita Reeve July 24 Clarence Robinson Mark & Shirley Jennings, Lora Pederson July 31 Johnston Family Karen Underwood

Bold Names indicate Head Usher(s)

WELCA

Tina Williams

PASTOR’S PAGE

GOD’S WORK, OUR HANDS SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 11 Atonement Lutheran will share in this ELCA ministry on Sunday, September 11. We will gather in the sanctuary at 9:15am for a brief sending blessing, go into the community in teams to engage in service projects, and return at 12:30pm to celebrate with a potluck. We are looking for projects around our community that can utilize a variety of our abilities and interests. For example, the Worship Team has contacted the Food Bank to pack boxes for needy families. Some other community partners we might reach out to include:

MT Rescue Mission, Tumbleweed, WyndStone, Litter clean-up in

area parks, Church potluck crew, Or… your idea!

Crew leaders who might help coordinate these tasks are needed, so please contact Pastor Darren with your idea and availability.

Faith in action! It’s what the Christian life is all about. It’s what the ministry of Jesus was all about. And we see it all around us!

This past month, we saw it when Kristin LaVe’ was recognized for completing the Lay Pastoral Assistant program. More significantly, as we stood behind her as a congregation as a visual symbol of our support of and participation in her ministry.

This past month, we saw 87 children and 47 volunteers involved in the Vacation Bible School. We had kids from the community and area churches join the children of our congregation as we explored the Bible, had some fun – but greater yet, the seeds of faith and church life were planted.

This past month, we saw it when we welcomed Jon Bates as Director of Youth, Family and Educational Ministries. He is here not to do ministry “for” us – but rather to walk alongside us and help us better to minister to a new generation of believers, allowing us to be the church together in our common task of passing the faith forward.

This past month, we saw school kits, pillows, t-shirts, curtains and hundreds of quilts sent off to untold destinations to bless the lives of others. This in itself is a parable of stewardship as scraps that would otherwise be discarded are transformed into something wonderfully useful. Eyes of faith can see value and use and renewed life in this worthless “stuff.”

This past month, we saw our youth making the trek up the Boulder River valley to Christikon Bible Camp for a week of learning, fellowship and renewal in God’s creation. In these next two months, we’ll see more going for youth sessions, as well as family camp as we grow in faith through a unique partnership with this outdoor ministry.

Also coming up this summer will be our outdoor concert where the time, talent and labor of this congregation will provide an opportunity for our neighborhood – and beyond – to enjoy some great music in a great (and hopefully warm!) outdoor setting.

And as the fall ministries resume, we’ll be finding yet another way to put our faith into action with “God’s Work Our Hands” Sunday on September 11. As projects are identified (we have 2 great tasks… more are needed!), we’ll have sign-up sheets in the Commons Area to create teams of volunteers to reach beyond our walls to bless the lives of others in our community.

All these things and more – thank you for putting your faith into action!

Open to youth grades 7-12

Wednesdays @ 6:30 p.m.

1st & 3rd Wednesday we meet at

Atonement Lutheran.

2nd & 4th Wednesday we will meet at Peace Lutheran

*If you would like a ride to Peace Lutheran, contact

Pastor Darren. We’ll depart from the

Atonement parking lot at 6:00 pm.

FINANCIAL REPORT

General Fund May 2016

Income: $ 31,757.29

Expense: $ 33,174.11

Net Income: ($ 1,416.82)

Net Income YTD: $6,686.63

Budget Expense: $35,337.05

Building Fund May 2016

Income: $ 6,980.00

Expense: $ 8,150.00

Net Income: ($1,170.00)

Net Income YTD: $ 375.71

Budget Expense: $ 8,150.00

YOUTH, FAMILY AND EDUCATION MINISTRIES

I have been humbled greatly by my experience in already such a short amount of time as your new Director of Youth, Family, and Education Ministries. I would like to give a huge shout-out to the outpour of love through the gifts that I have received from when I moved into my apartment on June 10th, from the gift cards, laundry soap, and tips of life in Billings, MT. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU! I’m amazed and I am so grateful to be a part of this community.

With this position, there will be of course a lot of learning and I want to have some dedicated time where I can listen to your hopes and dreams. So if you’re a youth or going into 6th grade to graduating from high school. If you’re a parent of a youth. Or if you want to become more involved in the youth ministry I’ll have a listen session on Sunday, July 10th after worship. We will be done by noon.

Peace,

Jon Bates—Director of Youth, Family and Education Ministries

CAMPUS PLANNING TEAM

The Campus Planning Team will be

having a meeting on Tuesday, July 12th at 5:30 p.m. to do further development of the campus, landscape and sidewalk improvements. For more details please

contact Tyler Westrope tk_westrope@hotmail.com.

FINANCE COMMITTEE:

As we welcome our new Youth and Family Minister, the Finance Committee would like to provide a reminder that if you have not already adjusted your giving (80% to General Fund and 20% to Building Fund) please do so at this time to ensure our General Fund budget will continue to support the operating expenses as our ministry grows. We have generous reserves in the Building Fund so that we can “short” giving to that fund for the time being; however our General Fund giving has yet to keep up with our budgeted expenses. Thank you for your support! Atonement Lutheran Finance Committee; Teague Westrope, Lance King, Rose Steiner, Jason Beckwith, Linda Michaelis, Janelle Berry, Julie Anderson

9:15 a.m.

July 3 Jasen Denowh

July 10 Danara Tulimaiau

July 17 Dalton Strilcov

July 24 Aidan Morgan

July 31 Quinn Mayhall

MARVELOUS MONDAY

WONDERFUL

WEDNESDAY MEALS

Cold Cereal

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS

Shirley Jennings

HOSPITAL

VISITATION

LOVE OFFERING

WORSHIP ASSISANTS

LECTOR

Judy Belden

Kathy Cypher

Jeanne Heine

July 3 Gary Dunmeyer/Eddie Baker

July 10 Kelly & Linda Michaelis

July 17 Becky Lujan/Debbie Heyd

July 24 Gary Dunmeyer/Eddie Baker

July 31 Kelly & Linda Michaelis

Wednesday, 07/13

Applebee’s

Monday, 07/25

Guadalajara's

9:15 a.m.

July 3 Tina Williams

July 10 Trudi Paulson

July 17 Linda Lange

July 24 KayDel Shelton

July 31 Amy Carter

9:15 a.m.

July 3 Nancy King

July 10 Steve Slater

July 17 Bertha Olsen

July 24 Kim Mangels

July 31 Tammy Johnston

CANTORS

ALTAR GUILD

Campus Ministry

ACOLYTES