We all love the mountaintop. We love the thrilling rush we feel when things are going good and it’s obvious that God is with us. But what about when we go down the mountain? What waits for us down there? The disciples were once faced with a similar experience. Peter wanted to stay on the mountain, and little wonder. But Jesus leads His disciples—and us! —back down the mountain and promises to be with us every step of the way.

I am looking forward to snorkeling when we are in Roatan, Honduras. But there is always a little apprehension, too. It’s a big ocean off a foreign country. As I think about that initial plunge off the side of the boat and go deep into the water, it’s a little eerie. I make the decision to believe that I can do this.
Too often, it’s our fear that keeps us from stepping out in courage or faith. What would you like to do that you’ve never done before? What’s been stopping you from saying “yes,” whether it’s to something big or small? Inside our heads is a chorus of self-doubt that wants us to believe that it’s best not to put ourselves out there.
I believe that God has a great adventure of faith and purpose for our lives. Stepping out in faith doesn’t require perfection. Stepping out in faith IS success. Part of the adventure is that God gives us the grace of each day to keep figuring things out!
“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:23
Every day, God gives us a chance to try again. God’s faithfulness isn’t blocked by our fears or failures. The brilliance of God is that He can, even when we cannot. No matter how many times we’ve doubted ourselves or failed, God offers a divine do-over. He promises that as we let His Spirit guide our lives, freedom and victory are waiting for us.

Maybe the time is right for your 5^th-8^th 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 next 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.

Please join your brothers and sisters in Christ on Ash Wednesday, February 14, at 6pm for a traditional service with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes (no Ash Wednesday dinner). Then for the subsequent Wednesdays during Lent (Feb. 21 through Mar. 20) and Holy Week, you are invited to join us in the Auditorium for Dining with Jesus meals (6-6:30pm) followed by family-oriented, interactive worship (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 7^th & 8^th (menu: tacos); freewill offering to support 2024 spring class trip

Please be aware that west doors and parking lot are not available until 6pm due to TLS AfterCare.

As the adjustments continue in our new configuration, there is also a new need.  We do not have enough teachers for FaithRoots at our 10:30am service!  Do you enjoy children?  Would you be willing to teach just one Sunday a month?  Materials are ready each week for approximately  10 kiddos  and 2 teachers.  Would you prayerfully consider volunteering for this important ministry?  We will train and support you along the way.  If interested, contact Pastor Ryan soon.

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 on Sundays in worship between February 18^th through March 24^th. 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 February 18:       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

Singing Saints, a nationally acclaimed choir from Saint Paul Lutheran High School, will sing during both worship services this Sunday, February 11th. It is a great opportunity to enjoy amazing music and see how God is leading the young people of our Lutheran faith. Please come, invite your friends, bring your neighbors, and appreciate God’s gifts to these young people.

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.

The 2023 auction raised more than $140,000 to bless TLS families with scholarship support. 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.

Scan the QR code on the image or visit https://event.auctria.com/983406c2-5d74-4720-b5e0-23a3f4321da4/ to purchase tickets. Don’t delay! Contact Clancy Heisel (816.830.1582) with questions.

Thank you, Timothy, for your commitment to supporting Timothy’s general operating budget with your contributions, 10% of which, in turn, supports ministries beyond our walls. Below are excerpts from thank-you letters received recently from some of these organizations:

• “God bless everyone at Timothy Lutheran Church for all your prayers and support of Hillcrest and the families and youth we serve. Thank you!” Tom Lally, Hillcrest CEO
• “We at LAMP give thanks for your support of our missionaries as they share the joyful news of Jesus Christ to people who need it. You have been a blessing to us.” Rev. Dr. Steven Schave, Exec. Dir., LAMP (a cross-cultural ministry sharing Christ with God’s people in remote areas of Canada)
• “As we look towards the start of a new year, we want to thank you for your continued partnership in the LUMA ministry. We could not do what we do without your continued support and prayers.” Lutheran Urban Mission Agency, KCMO
• “Thank you for your partnership and generous financial support toward our Gospel-motivated, life-affirming ministry. Your fellowship and uplifting encouragement are a blessing and honor to receive, and we are humbled by your support.” David Probst, Dev. Dir., Lutherans for Life
• “Thank you for supporting Lutheran Bible Translators through the LCMS MO District. Your gift invests in the Bible translation movement around the world. It is more than words. Thank you for putting God’s Word in their hands.” Rev. Dr. Rich Rudowske, Exec. Dir., Lutheran Bible Translators
• “Thank you for supporting Mission Central as we serve our Lord Jesus by representing the Office of National & International Missions of the LCMS. Every penny of your donations fund the work of missionaries as they go into lands of darkness where people have NEVER heard the name of Jesus. That’s why your gifts of love are so, so important.” Gary Thies, Mission Development Counselor, Mission Central Foundation
• “Just as Jesus is the light to the world, you are a light to the young moms and babies we serve. Thank you for helping us restore hope to homeless, pregnant and parenting young moms in our community. You are such a blessing to us!” Angie McDonald, Exec. Dir., Mother’s Refuge, Independence, MO
• “For 140 years, Saint Paul High School has been supported by joyful, faithful servants in the “godly enterprise” of educating and lifting up those who are considering professional church work. Thank you for being one of these faithful servants.” Rev. Paul Mehl, Exec. Dir., Saint Paul HS, Concordia, MO.

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 5^th – 7^th. 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.

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.

Calling all current 7^th 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.

Timothy’s staff and leadership are blessed to utilize help from both Pastors Lieb and Rod to assist Pastor Ryan and other staff in moving forward with ministries. Details about their areas of help and the duties within those areas are being developed to share with the congregation soon. We thank Jon Kraft for leading the Tuesday morning Adult Bible Class through Easter as they delve into I & II Kings.

We praise God that Timothy received $300,000 in additional funds from the Bart Prather estate this week as a start of a reserve fund at Truman Heartland Community Foundation.

Worshipers are reminded to reserve the handicapped 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!

A coat rack is available along the west wall of the lobby. A container in the vestibule entrance for umbrellas will be available soon.

Timothy’s Property Board is working hard on the various details of the storage building and auditorium changes  Currently, the site plan is under review by the City of Blue Springs. Steel for the building is scheduled for delivery on Feb. 29. Stage floor replacement work will start after worship on Sunday afternoon, July 7, and conclude before July 14. Large squares of commercial vinyl tiles will be laid. Volunteers are needed on July 7 to help remove equipment from the stage (piano will be moved by professional company). Volunteers are also needed on July 7 to paint the walls at back of stage (one on each side) from white to black. Please contact Louie Wilbers if you can help (816.988.6059).

As the consolidation process has unfolded over the past month and moves forward, leadership and staff encourage members to express their questions so that written and verbal updates can address those questions. Feel free to click here One Campus Questions to submit anonymous questions for responses in upcoming issues of Timothy Connects and after worship services as time allows.

The following question was asked this week:
“What will it take and how long will it take for the traditional service to be livestreamed? Is it volunteer-driven, equipment-driven, both or neither?”  Response:  This has been considered and will be useful in time. The current challenge not only involves training current sound techs about the traditional PowerPoint slides with the new sound board but also finding and then training additional techs to feel comfortable with the sound board. Anyone interested in serving as a sound tech should contact the church office.

One of the hallmarks of the Early Church was its generosity. Right from the beginning, the earliest Christians did everything they could to generously and joyfully give, knowing that they could put the many blessings that God had loaned to them to work for the Kingdom. So, too, we, the modern Church, put what He has loaned to us at work, storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven, motivated by God’s incredible love for us and for all people.

As I sit looking out across a frozen, silent street, I think of the James Taylor song, “In a Bleak Midwinter.” It’s a Christmas song, but I can’t help thinking about it on this icy Monday.
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
We read in Scripture that with a bite, darkness fell. Eden was lost forever, and the world became bleak. Sometimes when we stumble on a horrifying news story, hear of another shooting, or think about the wars happening right now across the globe, we can be overcome in a way that feels like Eden’s fall. We may want to crawl into bed and hide under the blankets, blocking it all out. But even then, we couldn’t block it out of our hearts, and I don’t think Jesus was ever able to either.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Tim. 4:18
It’s love that pushes us through the bleakness of the midwinter seasons. If we look closely, we can see Christ’s beautiful face around every snowy corner, each bare tree, and even in the brown blades of grass peeking through the ice covering our bleak midwinter land. May we give Him our hearts. May He come and reign forever.

Maybe the time is right for your 5^th-8^th 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 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.

All women and friends are invited to Timothy’s LWML Winter Society Meeting on Sat., Feb. 3, from 9-11am in the 4 G’s and Auditorium. Continental breakfast (coffeecake, sweet breads, and muffins) will be provided by Ruth Circle sisters. The guest speaker will be Jason Alvis, CEO of ReHope, which is a faith-based charity providing housing, treatment, and lifelong sustainment services for women and children victims of human trafficking. Gifts from the Heart will be monetary donations for ReHope. A short meeting will also occur. See you then!

As our Lenten journey begins on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14 at 6pm), we invite you to join us around the table each and every Wednesday and through Holy Week to worship, fellowship, and catch a snippet of what Jesus has for us. Why around the 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 conclude on Resurrection Sunday. Meals WILL be served on the Wednesdays of Feb. 21 through Mar. 20. Join us as we dine with Jesus. The interactive service following the meal will conclude approximately 7pm.

To date, the information concerning the meals includes the following with more to share soon:

• Feb. 21, 6-6:30pm:  Provided by LWML (menu TBD); free-will offering to support mites (10%), Hillcrest (45%), and TBD (45%).
• Feb. 28, 6-6:30pm:  Provided by Women of Thursday Bible Study (menu TBD); free-will offering to support Timothy’s operating fund
• Mar. 6, 6-6:30pm:  Provided by TLS (menu TBD); free-will offering to support TLS Scholarship Fund
• Mar. 13, 6-6:30pm:  Hosting ministry TBD
• Mar. 20, 6-6:30pm: Provided by TLS 7^th & 8^th (tacos); free-will offering to support 2024 spring class trip

Any Timothy ministry interested in hosting the meal on Mar. 13 is urged to contact Diane Mayfield soon (816.228.5300 Ext. 8040).

As the adjustments continue in our new configuration, there is also a new need.  We do not have enough teachers for FaithRoots at our 10:30am service!  Do you enjoy children?  Would you be willing to teach just one Sunday a month?  Materials are ready each week for approximately  10 kiddos  and 2 teachers.  Would you prayerfully consider volunteering for this important ministry?  We will train and support you along the way.  If interested contact, Pastor Ryan soon. Pictured here are kids in the 9am FaithRoots class this past Sunday as they watched their peers perform a skit as part of the lesson.

Timothy praises God for the many years of service donated by Carol Ready for coordinating the weekly, non-perishable food donations at both campuses. Upon consolidation, we also praise God for Gary Flandermeyer’s willingness to continue these coordination efforts. Worshipers are invited to drop off items in the grocery cart just outside the Administrative Office near the church entrance. Feel free to pick up a half-sheet of suggested monthly donations attached to the cart. All January donations will be delivered to Hillcrest; donations in February are designated for Jesu el Buen in Kansas City. Thanks to Joe & Sandy Sauter who will continue to help Gary in this ministry. If you would like to join this ministry to help with monthly deliveries to Hillcrest, Jesu el Buen, or Community Services League, please contact Gary Flandermeyer (816.809.7916) or Sandy in the church office (816.228.5300 Ext. 8042). Thank you!

Calling all junior high crew! We will head to Jaegers Laser Tag for some good times TONIGHT, meeting at the church at 5pm and returning about 8pm.  Pizza will be served with a side of revenge. Cost is $20 per person (scholarships available, if needed). Grab a friend or 2 and join us!

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 on Sundays in worship between February 18^th through March 24^th. 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 February 18:       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

The weather finally broke enough to allow the Tuesday morning Women’s Bible Study and Adult Bible Study to meet at Pointe of Hope for their weekly studies! We again thank Pointe of Hope for welcoming a few of Timothy’s activities to use their Coffee House and meeting rooms during the school week. Pictured here are members of Pastor John’s study this past Tuesday, Jan. 23^rd.

Singing Saints, a nationally acclaimed choir from Saint Paul Lutheran High School, will sing during both worship services on February 11th. It is a great opportunity to enjoy amazing music and see how God is leading the young people of our Lutheran faith. Please come, invite your friends, bring your neighbors, and appreciate God’s gifts to these young people.

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.

The 2023 auction raised more than $140,000 to bless TLS families with scholarship support. 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.

Scan the QR code on the image or visit https://event.auctria.com/983406c2-5d74-4720-b5e0-23a3f4321da4/ to purchase tickets. Don’t delay! Contact Clancy Heisel (816.830.1582) with questions.

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 5^th – 7^th. 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.

The Church has always faced persecution, conflict, and trauma from both inside and from outside its walls. Under the pressures and temptations of the world and the devil, some parts of the Church have had great loss and even crumbled. Peter, however, encourages us today and reminds us that the Church can and will endure.   But we’ve got to set our eyes and ears on the right focus. So are we there?

None of us are immune to the burdens and pains of this life. Though we have a God who loves us, we all experience loss, hardship, and disappointment. I entered this Sunday’s worship with great trepidation. But I found in the midst of it all, I was not alone. My faith family arrived and filled the chairs at our church. We sang, communed and I felt the Spirit bring us together as one Church.
In our most vulnerable moments, it’s great to have friends. Friends to share experiences and worship together assuring us all will be well. It is not over. Hard things will continue to happen in this world or in our lives, and that is okay. Because our suffering and pain connect us together in our humanity, but they also connect us to Christ, who bore it all on the cross. He held the tension between heaven’s holiness and the world’s brokenness, and though we all long for resurrection, we have a God who stayed in the tomb — in darkness, in death, in time suspended — before He rose again on the third day.

And these are His words to us: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

WE ARE CHURCH! Two services under one roof again! We praise God for the enthusiasm and energy evident at church this past Sunday. All morning long, worshipers exchanged greetings with familiar faces as well as with some whom they haven’t seen in a while. Pastor Rod delivered a powerful message for unity to 223 worshipers in the contemporary service and 205 in the traditional service. Holy Communion was celebrated in both. The Adult Bible Class met in the Library near the 4G’s area, and FaithRoots started in the Music Room and moved to TLS classrooms for breakout sessions. Please join your brothers and sisters in Christ this Sunday as the WE ARE CHURCH sermon series continues.

Maybe the time is right for your 5^th-8^th 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 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.

Congregational President Diane Mayfield and Congregational Secretary Charlie Johnson signed the closing documents to sell the RD Mize Campus to Harvest Baptist Church yesterday afternoon, January 11, 2024, at 1pm, at a price of $3.25M. Funds will be wired to Lutheran Church Extension Fund ($2.25M to reduce debt) and to Timothy’s Commerce Bank account ($994,317.00) until Executive Board determines allocation of those proceeds. Timothy’s closing fees totaled $5,683.00.

The organ at RD Mize has a new home! On January 6^th, it was moved to Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, with organist Mary Burge sharing a beautiful sound through it for worship the next morning. The keyboard formerly sitting next to the baby grand piano in the sanctuary also has a new home at a Timothy member’s house.

Members are reminded again to mail all correspondence to Timothy to 301 E. Wyatt Rd., Blue Springs, MO 64014-5801. It is unknown how long USPS will forward mail from the 425 NW RD Mize Rd address.
Thank you very much!

All women are invited to attend Timothy’s LWML Winter Society Meeting on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 9-11am in the Auditorium. A continental breakfast will be available. A guest speaker from ReHope will share information about its ministry. Gifts from the Heart are monetary donations to ReHope or QuikTrip gift cards.

Make plans to participate in Timothy’s Lenten season observances this year. On Ash Wednesday, February 14^th, a traditional setting with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes will start at 6pm in the Auditorium. There will be no Ash Wednesday meal this year. The Maundy Thursday service on March 28^th (traditional setting with Holy Communion) will start at 6pm, and the Good Friday service on March 29th (contemporary setting, no communion) will start at 6pm. Services on Easter Sunday, March 31^st, will be 9am (contemporary setting; no communion) and 10:30am (traditional setting; no communion).

The Wednesday Lenten opportunities will revolve around the theme “Dining with Jesus.” From 6-6:30pm each Wednesday (Feb. 21 through Mar. 20), a meal will be available for families in the Auditorium. At 6:30, the pastors will lead an interactive service based on various meals in the Bible where Jesus led or was part of a meal. Timothy’s LWML will offer a meal on Feb. 21, menu to be determined.
LWML will allocate donations from the free-will offering as to 10% for mites, 45% for Hillcrest, and 45% TBD. For the other four Wednesdays (Feb. 28, Mar. 6, Mar. 13, Mar. 20), ministry groups are invited to “sponsor” a meal, the free-will offering allocated to a ministry of their choice or the general operating fund. Leaders from interested ministries should contact Diane Mayfield (816.228.5300 Ext. 8040) as soon as possible to sign up for your preferred date. The free-will offering for all the meals will be the only offering collected on Wednesdays during Lent; there will be no offering during the interactive service.

Be sure to mark your calendars to take in this creative approach to Lenten worship services!

Calling all junior high crew! We will head to Jaegers Laser Tag for some good times on Friday, January 26^th.  We will meet at church at 5pm and return about 8pm. Pizza will be served with a side of revenge. Cost is $20 per person (scholarships available, if needed). Grab a friend or 2 and join us! Please RSVP to Pastor Ryan. A few drivers are needed if any parents want to be a kid for the night! Pizza, lasers, and Jesus—how can you miss this??

The congregation is urged to attend the Annual Voters’ Assembly Meeting THIS Sunday, January 14^th, immediately following the 10:30 service in the Auditorium. A minimum of 40 congregants is required to conduct business. Agenda includes approval of proposed slate of lay leaders; proposed 2024 general operating budget; approval of LCMS-rostered call to Ken Holland as TLS Principal; Consolidation Update; and Next Generation Update. The meeting will be recorded for posting on Timothy’s website next week, but not live-streamed.

Today is a hard day for so many of us.  We say goodbye to a facility that we have known for so long.  It’s a place we feel comfortable in; it’s a place that has meaning to us.   Change is a part of life which God’s people experienced in countless different ways throughout the Scriptures.  But with all the changes, God always calls His people to gaze back and “remember” all the blessings that He has given, and then He calls us to look forward to the blessings that He has promised ahead.

Panic hit like a freight train. I woke up realizing Christmas is over, and now is the big push to move from RD Mize to Wyatt. This year has been a tsunami, to put it mildly. Every time I think I see a break in the waves, the storm picks up, which would be laughable… if it weren’t so heartbreaking. I know it is God’s plan, but the work and the loss are real as we plan for the Worship of Remembrance this Sunday, December 31, at 10:00 am.

We, as a faith family, know this world is temporary. The dust will settle, the move will happen, and once again we can begin feeling content. Our hope doesn’t lie in the things of this world. One day, every storm will be permanently silenced. One day, chaos will be calmed for good. But for today: We don’t have to hold it together. There is One who is holding us, and He’s familiar with waves. Sometimes Jesus says, “Peace, be still” to the waters that rise, but sometimes, instead, He says those words to our overwhelmed hearts.

*** Volunteers to pack Bibles and hymnals from the sanctuary pew racks on Tuesday, January 2, would be appreciated. Please call church office if you can help. Thank you!

*** Volunteers to help move remaining office furniture as well as smaller final items on Tuesday, January 2, would be appreciated. Please call the church office if you can help. Thank you!

Worshipers who mail correspondence or contributions to the RD Mize address should send to Wyatt address, effective January 1, 2024. That address is 301 E Wyatt Road, BSMO 64014. Please also contact any financial institutions who may regularly mail in your contributions. USPS will forward RD Mize – addressed mail to Wyatt address, beginning Jan. 1, 2024, for a short time.

There is a need to store the Festival Committee freezer truck in covered storage until the new storage building is constructed. If you can help, please contact Louie Wilbers (816.988.6059).

The congregation is urged to attend the Annual Voters’ Assembly Meeting on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at 11:45 am in the Auditorium. A minimum of 40 congregants is required to conduct business.

The agenda includes the following: proposed slate of lay leaders (click here for slate); 2024 proposed operating budget; extending call to Ken Holland as LCMS-rostered principal of TLS; and 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.  A review and update about consolidation efforts will also be included.

Please plan to attend! Thank you!

Have you ever thought about serving as an usher either as an individual or a family? Perhaps as a worship assistant on Sunday to serve alongside the pastor, or maybe a front-desk volunteer during the weekdays? You may go to Timothy’s app or website to click on Volunteer or click on this link.
The Elders have scheduled a training session for all current and new worship assistants and ushers wishing to serve in either service moving forward on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 6:30pm in the Auditorium. Attendance is strongly encouraged to learn procedures that will impact both services, such as distribution of Holy Communion, collecting offering & attendance cards, and welcoming people to worship.

Have you ever desired to assist victims of national disasters, such as the recent tornadoes in Tennessee? Are you willing to go to such areas but feel ill-equipped? On Saturday, Jan. 27, St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit will host a Disaster Response Training workshop from LERT (Lutheran Emergency Responsive Teams) from 9am-3pm. LERT teams respond to local and national disasters. Once training is completed, you’ll be FEMA-badged and certified to serve in any community hit by a disaster in the United States. Please understand that serving doesn’t mean you are necessarily relegated to manual labor. A portion of the training will identify other ways to serve on the teams. LERT also provides numerous opportunities to serve your neighborhood in need during non-disaster times as well, such a building wheelchair ramps, updating homes for more accessible bathrooms, and much more. If interested in learning more, please visit https://www.lcms-lert.org/need/detail/?need id=869609. Please register by January 10, 2024, if possible. Questions can be directed to Tom Keel (816.213.5665 or twk500@gmail.com).