Christmas Carolers Strike a Chord in the Community

Members of Beautiful Savior joined neighbors in caroling around Kops park on a recent frosty afternoon to share the Christmas spirit in song. Through carols such as "The First Noel," "Silent Night," "Deck the Halls," and, of course, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas,"  these faithful bearers of God's message told the most remarkable true story in history: God became man to live among us. Many Kops Park neighbors responded to the latest Beautiful Savior food drive by leaving bags of non-perishables on their doorstep. In total, the carolers collected an entire wagon full of donations. Praise God for his provisions, and a huge THANK YOU to all the neighbors who gave! Finally, 18 cold and hungry singers returned to the Beautiful Savior church parlors for chili and hot chocolate, full of conversation of Christmas Caroling 2011 and excitment for 2012!

Kevin Hinckley Memorial Service Planned for Spring

Kops Park’s own Kevin Hinckley made his mark in our neighborhood simply by following his passion for gardening. His enthusiasm for planting things went far beyond things green. Planting friendships and traditions are just two of the things Kevin was known for, both locally in Kops Park and in the years prior to his moving back home when he worked and lived in the Lodi, WI area (See letter from a Lodi friend and colleague). The lives that he touched will enjoy neighborhood and civic cohesiveness for years to come.

Kevin’s hobby crossed over to extensive volunteer work as various events germinated from “what if” ideas between neighbors to full-grown events like park and neighborhood clean-up days. On more than one occasion, neighbors asked Kevin why he was going to all the bother contacting Milwaukee Parks & Rec personnel, City and also County departments to pull off so many tasks and events.

“Because it needs doing and because I enjoy the day-to-day interaction with our neighbors,” Kevin would respond with sincerity. He divided his time between Kops Park revitalization, Auer Garden development and maintenance, along with the care of his aging mother Margaret (Meg), a resident of the Kops Park area for more than 50 years; she passed away in July of this year.

An updated plan is forming for a Kops Park memorial service for Kevin, who passed away unexpectedly on October 21, 2011. Because of Kevin's friends from Lodi, local friends decided to postpone the memorial service until spring. Kevin's favorite time of year was spring, and travelers will have dryer roads and more daylight in the springtime. Various groups are discussing ways to remember Kevin, including possible tree donations. If you have ideas and memories to share, "Like" us on Facebook and write on our wall. For additional memories of Kevin and his accomplishments, see our blog on Kevin.

Beautiful Savior Website Now Hosts Milwaukee's                         Kops Park Neighborhood Calendar

Did you have fun at the Patroitic Parade, National Night Out, Doggie Dip, and the rest of the AMAZING events hosted at Kops Park this year? We did, and we want to make it even easier to spread the word about these great community get-togethers. With this in mind we are excited to announce that the Beautiful Savior webpage will now be your home for the up-to-date Kops Park Neighborhood Calender! To access this schedule of events, simply click on the "Kops Park Calendar" link on our calendar links menu above.

If you would like to submit an event for the calendar, you can simply send us the event details, or login (alternate link at the very bottom of the webpage) and register. Once you are logged in you will be able to "add an event" using the appropriate button on the calendar page. After submission, your event will be reviewed and posted by one of our staff members. Please remember that ONLY neighborhood events will be approved. If you're not sure if your event qualifies, ask us! As you may have heard, we are here for YOU!

Beautiful Savior in Milwaukee Introducing: "Youth Bible Study"

Due to the overwhelming excitement of the children and teachers involved in "It's a Gold Rush! Discovering the Rock of Ages" Vacation Bible School program this year, we have decided to continue the teaching this fall in our brand new Youth Bible Study. The setting will be very relaxed as children in grades 4 through 8 will be placed in small groups of 3-5 to discuss pertinent and interesting topics from a Biblical perspective. Please join us Sunday mornings at 10:15 starting on September 18, and bring your questions! For those not currently in 4th through 8th grade, don't go away! We'd love to have you join us in our other Education Hour groups, including Kids' Bible Discovery Hour and Dialog with the Pastor. See our Ministries page for details.

Just for Fun, Check Out Our New Beautiful Savior Recipe Community!

With all of the wonderful baked treats salads, desserts, appetizers, etc. served at our many events here at Beautiful Savior, we decided to start our own recipe community. It's so simple: just go to our "Submit a Recipe" page and fill in your favorite recipes! Then, check out all of the delicious creations that our friends and neighbors have entered in many different categories. Notice that some of the recipes have even been entered in (or won) contests and the State Fair. Happy cooking!

Vacation Bible School: "Golden"

 

What a wonderful week of VBS! With registrations topping 50 and an average attendance of 45, our faithful volunteers had their hands full. Through a series of meals, skits, songs, crafts, games, and, most importantly, Bible stories, the children (and teachers!) discovered a Rock of Ages that is more precious than gold -- the Lord Jesus Christ. Many thanks to all of our volunteers from Beautiful Savior, other congregations and our neighborhood, and to the children and parents who brought an extra dose of excitment and energy into the church all week. We hope to see you all soon!

Due to the excitement of the children and volunteers during VBS week, we are planning many more family and youth activites for the near future. Point your mouse in our direction often for more details! Please check out the photos from this amazing week in our Photo Tour and on our Facebook Page.