Rally Day

Sunday school kickoff!

Spark your faith by living Christ's love!

Rally Day is not just for kids this year!

SEPTEMBER 12 − 9:15 a.m. 

Join us for a morning of fun!

Games, prizes, snacks 

For kids & adults

Salem Creative Arts

This Fall Salem Creative Arts is Raisin' Praise! [Down on the farm]

Cherubs: (singers 4 yrs old thru 1st Grade) Wednesdays 4:30-5:15 p.m. - Choir Room

Choristers: (singers in 2nd-5th Grades) Wednesdays 6:00-6:45 p.m. - Choir Room

Disciple Song: (singers in 6th-12th Grades) Wednesdays 6:00-6:45p.m. - Chapel Lounge

Celebration Voices: (Adult or HS singers) Wednesdays 7:15-8:30 p.m. - Choir Room

Puppet Praise: (Gr. 5 and up Youth and Adult puppeteers) Thursdays 6:15-7:15 p.m. - Choir Room

Sounds of Grace Bells: (Gr. 6 and up Youth and Adult ringers) Thursdays 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Balcony

Salem Praise Team: (Adults and HS youth) Saturdays 8:30-9:30 a.m. once a month - Sanctuary

Your gifts of song will be a gift to the Lord and our Church!

All Choirs begin Wed. Sept. 15th

Puppets and Bells begin Thurs. Sept. 16th

New to Puppets?

Intro to Puppets

5:30 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 16th

New to Bells?

Intro to Handbells

7:00 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 16

Please register for Raisin' Praise at Salem's lower level display

Carla and Ron Vanatta, Ministers of Music

Carla@SalemLutheranSycamore.org

Salem youth group rally day kick-off

High School Youth - Rally Day Kick-Off

"Minute to Win It" Game Show

Do you know the winning moves? Have you seen the show on Wednesday nights? It's also on Fancast.com.

Come to the Sunday Night Thing (SNT) Sunday, September 12th from 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. 

Food - Fun - Fellowship at every meeting!

Find us on FACEBOOK—Look for us as "Salem Youth Group." (There are several sites that use that name, but you will know Salem's because you will see the picture of Salem Lutheran Church.) You can also check out our church website, salemsycamore.org and click on Youth Newsletter. Also, check weekly bulletins, posters at church, and your e-mails.

Old Testament study series

Have you ever wanted to dig deep into scripture?

Do those Old Testament books overwhelm or intimidate you?

Have you ever wondered where and how God's people of old experienced God's grace?

Then this class is for you! 

October 4 - November 15 / 7:00 pm Fellowship Hall

Beginning on Monday, October 4, and continuing through Monday, November 15, we will work our way through the entire Old Testament together. Class will be held in Fellowship Hall beginning at 7 p.m.

Be sure to sign up in the Welcome Center today to reserve a copy of the book, An Introduction to the Old Testament by Water Brueggemann, which will guide our learning. The cost of the book is $20. (Please see Pastor Janet if this would be a hardship or prevent you from participating.)

affirmation of baptism

Affirmation of Baptism

Our ninth graders will affirm their belief in God's saving grace in Jesus Christ our Lord on September 19 at the 10:30am worship service.  Join us prior to the service for a 9:15am reception.

presentation of Bibles

Presentation of Bibles to Parents of 3 year-olds & 3rd grade students

Sunday, September 26 at the 10:30 Worship service

Dear Parents - Salem's congregation promised to support you in the raising of your children in the Christian faith. As part of this support, during worship, we will place in your hands Bibles appropriate for your child's age. Our prayer is that these Bibles will encourage you and your children to grow in faith together.

Parents of 3 year-olds

Please come to Sunday School with your child on September 26th. We will introduce you to your new Bible and play Bible games with your children.

Parents of 3rd Grade Class

Bible Workshop for you and your children is September 26th at 11:30 (after service) to about 1:30 with pizza lunch and introduction to your new Bibles with games and activities! Please RSVP to church office (815-895-9171) with number attending so we can order pizza!

Salem Labor Day Weekend worship

Salem Labor Day Weekend Worship

"Celebration of Daily Labor"

5:00 Saturday, September 4

8:00/10:30 Sunday, September 5

Please wear your work clothes to worship and bring a symbol of your occupation (tool, diaper, notepad, phone, plant, etc.).

Worship will include a Blessing of Hands.

stewardship

New Starts

September is a time of "new starts" because, for many congregations, the regular ongoing ministries pick up again after a summer break. Children and young people are back in school. Rally Day Services will be taking place, the church's committees are planning their ministries, and the congregational leaders start putting their plans into action.

"New starts" are very helpful for Christian stewards. The best "new start" for Christian stewards is that, because of Christ's forgiveness of our sins and failures, we have the opportunity to start with a clean slate.

In Christ the past is over and done with. We do not have to be nagged with the baggage of the past, but have the opportunity for a fresh start each new day. Besides, we cannot change the past even if we tried to.

The present is here and is really the only time we can actually take action steps. As St. Paul encourages us: "Let us make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16) and "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

The future provides us with another opportunity for planning and dreaming, but the future is beyond our reach. "Tomorrow I will do better" is often only an excuse for doing nothing today. At best it is procrastination and at worst it is laziness.

As mentioned before, "new starts" are truly important for Christian stewards. They provide us with the opportunity to put our plans into action. We can forget about those "what ifs," or "that didn't work because we tried it before," or "we've never done it that way before." The "new starts" can take many shapes. Perhaps we have wanted to be more generous when it comes to the giving of our time, talent, and treasure for the work of Christ's church! Perhaps we have intended to participate in this or that ministry or activity! Now is the time to seize the moment and go to work in a fresh and different way! Putting it off to the future will only add another negative day to the past.

"Christian stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God's family, the church, in managing all of life and life's resources for God's purposes."

Today is the ideal time to put those nice sounding words into practice!

women's Bible study

WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY: Let's fill all the chairs in the Chapel Lounge this fall!! On Thursday, September 30th at 9:30 a.m., Dr. John Prabhakar will make an appearance at Salem to kick-off our 2010-2011 Bible Study.

Dr. Prabhakar wrote a book he titled "God in the Golden Years" and will be here to introduce and autograph it! All Salem women are welcome, no matter your age. Please let us know if you need child care. Coffee will be provided, of course!

community servant speaker series

COMMUNITY SERVANT SPEAKER SERIES: Please join us Sunday, September 26th at 9:15 a.m. for Hospitality Hour in Fellowship Hall when Brittany Sheldon and Emilee Thumm will share their summer experience of leadership at LOCM (Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center) at Oregon, Illinois. We are anxious to hear from these young leaders in our congregation.

Mission Trip

MISSION TRIP TO OCEAN SPRINGS MISSISSIPPI

If you are interested in lending a helping hand, another mission trip to Ocean Springs for hurricane Katrina Relief is being planned. It is an opportunity to help those who are still in need even 5 years after Hurricane Katrina. Whether you are highly skilled in construction and remodeling or just know how to use a broom, everyone is needed and all are welcome to help. The week of October 18th through October 22nd is the week that is being scheduled for the trip.

Anyone interested in more information may call Scott Graves at 815-751-9896 or email him at sdgraves9896@yahoo.com or you may visit the Camp Victor website at www.campvictor.org