Israel finds themselves in a traumatic and uncertain place. So much has changed as their homeland has been destroyed, the temple burned, families separated, and now they are living in captivity in a foreign land. As daunting as it may seem, we are invited in this text to step back and see God’s fingerprints through this season of Israel’s life. He never left them, nor does He leave us.
Devotion: “I Meet God at Walmart “
I meet God at Walmart. Like the day when I was blocking the soup aisle, I apologized to the elderly woman waiting to pass through. Robed in a trench coat, she smiled at me and said something like, “Galatians chapter five, verse twenty-two . . . patience. We’ve got to live it out”.
“Amen,” I said as she slowly stepped past as if she were walking down the aisle towards the doors of a sanctuary. “I believe it!” I replied. God works at Walmart.
God meets us at Walmart, which is to say, God meets us in our ordinary days. He is beautifully weaving through our daily lives, appearing in trench coats at gas stations, in parks, in car rides to school and work, and even in Walmart. The divine comes in subtle ways we’re likely to miss. And most often we do. Most often, we are so focused on our plan for the day that we miss those moments. So, by grace, we need to open our eyes to see the hidden workings of God. And, oh, there is so much good to see.
Early Communion Class
Maybe the time is right for your 5th-8th grader to receive the Lord’s Supper. If that is stirring in their heart, we encourage you to join us for Early Communion Class. This 4-week class, starting this Sunday, Feb. 18, at 4pm in the Music Room, preps our young people to receive this beautiful gift. One parent/guardian/mentor is expected to attend with the kiddo. Please contact Pastor Ryan with questions.
Lent 2024
Please join your brothers and sisters in Christ on Wednesdays during Lent (Feb. 21 through Mar. 20) in the Auditorium for Dining with Jesus meals (6-6:30pm) followed by family-oriented interactions (6:30-7pm) for worship, fellowship, and a snippet of what Jesus has for us. Why around a table? Because that’s where Jesus often did His most important ministry. As a matter of fact, throughout Scriptures, we see meals being a beautiful place where God does some amazing stuff. So we are going to dive into the Gospel of Luke where we will find Jesus not only sitting with those who loved Him but also with those who hated Him. We will hear some powerful red letter words, and we will wrestle with what it means to be sustained by God’s Word. This series will carry us through Lent, Holy Week, and Resurrection Sunday.
Feb. 21, 6pm: Provided by LWML (menu: chicken tenders; potato casserole, jello salad, cookies and brownies); freewill offering to support mites (10%) and Hillcrest (90%), and LWML will match total freewill offering.
Feb. 28, 6pm: Provided by Women of Thursday Bible Study (menu: ham, cheesy potatoes, green beans, desserts); freewill offering to support Timothy’s operating fund
Mar. 6, 6pm: Provided by TLS (menu: pizza); freewill offering to support TLS Scholarship Fund
Mar. 13, 6pm: Provided by GATHER Commission (menu: pancakes, sausage, fruit, coffee, juice, & water); freewill offering to support upgrades to the gathering area in the 4G’s
Mar. 20, 6pm: Provided by TLS 7th & 8th (menu: tacos); freewill offering to support 2024 spring class trip
Please be aware that entering through the west doors and parking lot is not available until 6pm due to TLS AfterCare.
Upcoming Sermon Series
It seems like every time we blink, something is changing at Timothy lately. Not only that, but there is a lot of hurt, loss, concern, and grief stirring within many of us. And we are left in a heap of confusion. Let’s be honest—there are those who are disgruntled, those who are saddened, those who have stopped supporting ministry at Timothy, and those who are thinking about leaving. So what do men and women of faith do? We turn towards the God who loves and cares for us. We turn toward the one who promises renewal and restoration. That’s what we will do together starting this Sunday through March 24th. We will tune into the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to be reminded that we worship a God who restores His people in the midst of their confusion, chaos, and grief. We will also ask the Lord to restore us: restore our hope, restore our focus, restore maybe even our faith. We invite you to join us and even come prepared! Here’s a suggested reading plan for our season of Lent:
Prior to this Sunday: Ezra Chapter 1
Prior to February 25: Ezra Chapter 3
Prior to March 3: Nehemiah Chapters 1&2
Prior to March 10: Ezra 4:21-5:2 & Nehemiah 4:10-15, 5:1-12, & Nehemiah 6:10-14
Prior to March 17: Nehemiah 8:9-18
Prior to March 24: Nehemiah Chapter 10
Annual TLS Auction
TLS invites the congregation to attend the Annual TLS Auction for an evening of fun and entertainment on Sat., Feb. 24, from 6-10pm at the Adams Pointe Conference Center! All proceeds benefit the TLS Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $50 per person and include access to the live and silent auction, dinner, dessert, non-alcoholic beverages, beer, and wine.
This major fundraiser goes a long way to enable every child who wants to attend TLS the assistance to do so. With the congregation’s support, even more assistance for TLS families can be available in 2024.
Shout out to our junior high kiddos! We will make our way to the Lake of the Ozarks for the Missouri District Youth Gathering from April 5th – 7th. There will be worship, rec activities, large-group sessions, and break-out sessions. It will be a great getaway to recharge and connect with our Lord and others! Cost is $160 per person, with scholarship money available if needed. Contact Clancy Heisel (816.830.1582) or Pastor Ryan with questions.
Youth Going to Bump City
All Timothy youth and their friends are invited to our all-youth Bump City outing on Friday, February 23, at Bump City at GAGE. Two hours of playing, laughing, and fellowship will be good for our winter souls! Free pizza & snacks will be available. A $5 donation is requested, if possible. Hope you can join us! Contact Pastor Ryan with questions.
National Youth Gathering 2025
Calling all current 7th graders through juniors in high school! The LCMS National Youth Gathering will be held in New Orleans in July 2025. We’d love for you to join us as 20,000+ youth take over New Orleans to worship, grow, learn, serve, and more! Plan to attend a short informational meeting on March 10 at 11:45am in the Music Room to learn basic information and ask questions. If you have ANY interest in attending the NYG, you need to attend this meeting or send a representative. Contact Pastor Ryan with questions.
Volunteer Opportunities
As the adjustments continue for our new configuration, additional volunteer opportunities are available. Please consider how you can help in these areas. Click the links below to offer your time and talents. Thank you!
FaithRoots teachers (Sunday morning children’s ministry, either service, once monthly): Materials and training provided
“Dear Members of Timothy Lutheran Church,
Thank you so much for your generosity in continuing to regularly support me as a missionary here in Hong Kong. I am ever so grateful to you. Since we need to find our own funding for our mission work, that means a lot to me. Your donations help so very, very much. Your care and generosity in helping me financially really touches me. Thank you again and again.
With love and gratitude,
Carol Lee Halter
Missionary to the Chinese people”
Consolidation & Other Updates
Timothy’s staff and leadership are blessed to utilize help from Pastors Lieb and Rod to assist Pastor Ryan and other staff in moving forward with ministries. We thank Jon Kraft for leading the Tuesday morning Adult Bible Class through Easter as they delve into I & II Kings.
Last Sunday’s traditional service (Feb. 11) was recorded and placed on YouTube. Click here to view it again: Feb 11th Part 1 and Feb 11th Part 2.
At its monthly meeting this past Monday, the Board of Elected Elders started discussion about the call process for a senior pastor. Direction from the MO District Office and Timothy’s circuit visitor will assist in this process.
Worshipers are reminded to reserve the handicapped parking spaces and at least the first row of regular spaces along both the south and west sides of church for those with mobility concerns. Thank you!
The west doors are unlocked on Sunday mornings from 8am-9:20am and from 10am-10:50am for entrance into church from west parking lot. Those doors are locked during other Sunday morning times for safety and security considerations, particularly since FaithRoots classes meet in the classrooms in that hallway.
A coat rack is available along the west wall of the lobby. A container in the vestibule entrance for umbrellas will be available soon.
The Festival Committee freezer truck was moved from RD Mize to storage at Pointe of Hope. Timothy thanks Pointe of Hope very much!
As the consolidation process moves forward, leadership and staff encourage members to express their One Campus Questions. Feel free to click here One Campus Questions. Responses will be included in upcoming issues of Timothy Connects and on Sunday mornings as time allows.
Thank you! The following questions were submitted this week:
The following questions were submitted this week:
“Will there be some sort of review done on service times? They seem to be running over each other so far.” “Need an hour between services, no parking for seniors, services run long causing a parking problem.” Response: Leadership is aware of these situations. We do not want to make minor or major changes until we completely understand the situation and the options available to resolve the problem. One option to address the parking situation is to utilize volunteers as parking attendants to help worshipers find open spaces and enter the building, as needed. More time is needed to assess the new format regarding service times and length of services. Thank you for your patience.
“Can a row of chairs be placed against the back wall for ushers and worship assistants?” Response: Yes. As of last Sunday, a row of 6-8 chairs was placed in front of the bleacher inside the Auditorium south entrance for this purpose. Reserved signs will be placed on the chairs for this purpose.
Worship Attendance February 4th 9am – 246, 10:30 am 242 (plus 56 St Paul Choir Members each service) Ash Wednesday February 14th 6 pm: 201
February 11. 2024:
(Budgeted Weekly General Contributions: $24,038) Actual General Contributions: $35,700.56 2024 First Fruits Budgeted Goal: $100,000.00 Total to date: $20,431.00 (1st $12,000 to NYG expenses)
New address: 301 East Wyatt Road, Blue Springs, MO 64014
Thank you, Timothy Family, for your prayers, calls, cards and messages during my recent hospitalization and rehab. Shirley Meineka
Lobby Table Reservations: Leaders of Timothy’s various ministries need to contact Sandy Gregory (816.228. 5300 Ext. 8035) during the work week to reserve tables in the lobby for Sunday morning sign-ups for events and other reasons. Thank you!
2024 Flower Chart for Sunday worship service is now located at the front desk in the lobby. Arrangements cost $45 each. Thank you!
Thrivent Choice Dollars. Thrivent members are reminded to allocate their accumulated Choice Dollars to charitable organizations of their choice by March 31. Thank you for considering Timothy Lutheran Church and School. In 2023, Timothy received $5642 in Thrivent Choice Dollars grant funding. Thank you!
Volunteer Opportunity: Transport members for local errands. Contact the Church Office if available. Thank you!
OASIS Seeking volunteers to help serve catered meal from 6-6:30pm on April 10 and May 14. Minimal clean-up. Contact Pastor Ryan (816.228.5300 Ext. 8046) or Clancy Heisel (816.228.5300 Ext. 8047) with questions.
Web Designer Timothy is seeking a volunteer to help with web design. Contact Mary Taggart (816.228.5300 Ext. 8040) with questions.
Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study “The Gospel of Luke”; 9-10am, Library; led by Fritz Barlag & Dale Russell
Monday Evening Adult Bible Study (1st & 3rd Mondays) 6:30pm fellowship; 7pm study; Music Room; led by Roxanne Kerwood
Tuesday Morning Men’s Bible Study “The Gospel of Mark”, 6:30-7:30am, 4G’s; led by various men
Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle; 9-11 am, Pointe of Hope Library; led by various ladies
Tuesday Morning Adult Bible Study 10-11am, I & II Kings; Pointe of Hope Coffee House; led by Jon Kraft
Wednesday Night Sr High Revolution 7-8 pm during Lent; Mobile Classroom 4
Wednesday Confirmation 7-8 pm; during Lent; Music Room
Thursday Evening Women’s Bible Study (Women of Thursday) Book Study 6:30-8pm; Library; led by Miriam Lindemann
Saturday Morning Moms Bible Study (1st & 3rd Saturdays) 9-10:am, 4G’s; led by Kaye Gray
Do You Have A Story To Share? If you have an article or celebration you would like to share with the members of Timothy, please submit it to Diane Mayfield (click on either) or Mary Taggart
Please keep your submission between 200-250 words.
Maybe the time is right for your 5th-8th grader to receive the Lord’s Supper. If that is stirring in their heart, we encourage you to join us for Early Communion Class. This 4-week class, starting this Sunday, Feb. 18, at 4pm in the Music Room, preps our young people to receive this beautiful gift. One parent/guardian/mentor is expected to attend with the kiddo. Please contact Pastor Ryan with questions.
TLS invites the congregation to attend the Annual TLS Auction for an evening of fun and entertainment on Sat., Feb. 24, from 6-10pm at the Adams Pointe Conference Center! All proceeds benefit the TLS Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $50 per person and include access to the live and silent auction, dinner, dessert, non-alcoholic beverages, beer, and wine.
Shout out to our junior high kiddos! We will make our way to the Lake of the Ozarks for the Missouri District Youth Gathering from April 5th – 7th. There will be worship, rec activities, large-group sessions, and break-out sessions. It will be a great getaway to recharge and connect with our Lord and others! Cost is $160 per person, with scholarship money available if needed. Contact Clancy Heisel (816.830.1582) or Pastor Ryan with questions.
Calling all current 7th graders through juniors in high school! The LCMS National Youth Gathering will be held in New Orleans in July 2025. We’d love for you to join us as 20,000+ youth take over New Orleans to worship, grow, learn, serve, and more! Plan to attend a short informational meeting on March 10 at 11:45am in the Music Room to learn basic information and ask questions. If you have ANY interest in attending the NYG, you need to attend this meeting or send a representative. Contact Pastor Ryan with questions.
If you have an article or celebration you would like to share with the members of Timothy, please submit it to 
