Gethsemane Lutheran Church

Transcription

1 November 2013 Volume 46,, Issue 11 The Leaf a monthly publication of GLC Gethsemane Lutheran Church The Leaf 35 East Stanton Avenue Columbus OH Pastor Rev. June A. Wilkins pastorjune@gethsemane.org Music Ministries ies Dr. Timothy E. Guenther tguenther@gethsemane.org Learning & Family Ministries Terri Siebert tsiebert@gethsemane.org Child Care Center Brenda Weilbacher bweilbacher@gethsemane.org Parish Secretary etary Diane Gutgesell glcoffice@gethsemane.org Custodians Kate and Shana Bumster In this Issue From the Pastor P. 2 Special Worship Services P. 3 Adult Education P. 4 Faith Webbing P. 5 Community Service Day - P. 6 Gethsemane Habitat Day P. 7 Thrivent Choice Dollars P. 8 Prayer Concerns P. 9 Council Highlights P Finances P Thanksgiving Eve November 27 7:30 PM at Clinton Heights Lutheran Church Gethsemane will join Clinton Heights and North Community in worship on Thanksgiving Eve.

2 STAFF Congregational Meetings by Pastor June Wilkins May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 When someone says the words congregational meeting it often sends chills down the spines of church members and pastors alike. Many people have been to congregational meetings that have been confrontational, loud, or just filled with lots of tension (which is sometimes just as bad.) I ve heard about congregational meetings that have erupted shouting matches and even physical fights. Obviously that is not good for any organization and it is especially not good for a Christian community that is asked by scripture to love and support one another. Of course, there are disagreements even in churches, and congregational meetings are a time when we can discuss them and iron them out. But some people in churches take the congregational meeting as a time to bring up contentious issues, ambush other people, and air personal complaints publically. But I m not writing this letter to depress you, I m writing to brag about you all just a bit! I just want to say, I have so enjoyed the congregational meetings we have had since I ve been here! They have been respectful, kind, and almost tension free. There is a level of trust that the leadership is doing good work and behaving faithfully. If there are questions or if someone disagrees, there is a respectful conversation. And from being involved behind the scenes I know that people try to discuss disagreements privately so they can come to an agreement before the meeting. These are good ways to live as a community and not be derailed by conflict. I know that Gethsemane has had some less than peaceful congregational meetings in the past, but we have seemed to have come to a good place now. Congratulations on being one of those churches that have learned to live in harmony with one another! And if you ve stayed away from the congregational meeting because you re afraid of what might happen, try it out and see. Our next one is on November 24 th right after worship. Meeting together about the business of the church and other mundane topics is sometimes a dull necessity, but at least we don t have to face them with foreboding and dread. And that is something to brag about! Rev. June Wilkins Congregation Meeting Sunday, Nov :45 am 2

3 WORSHIP & MUSIC Sunday, Nov. 3, 9:30am Our worship on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 9:30am will feature the Choir performing a special musical setting of the service, titled Behold Your Saints in Glory: Worshiping with the Saints. This moving extended choral work was composed by Minneapolis area composer Aaron David Miller, who currently serves as Director of Music and Organist at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, MN. Aaron holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. (He comes from a long line of musical Lutherans his father, the Rev. David L. Miller, is a well-known ELCA pastor, currently serving St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Naperville, IL, and former editor of The Lutheran.) The service uses prayers and texts by various noted saints from the Lutheran liturgical calendar in the context of the All Saints Day liturgy, as well as festive settings of familiar hymns like O Day Full of Grace, Blest Are They, Give Thanks for Saints, The Church s One Foundation, and For All the Saints. at CLINTON HEIGHTS LUTHERAN CHURCH on THANKSGIVING EVE WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27 7:30 PM Join us and fellow worshipers from Clinton Heights and North Community in giving praise and thanks to God at a Thanksgiving Eve worship service held at Clinton Heights Lutheran Church, corner of High St. and Clinton Heights Ave A pie reception will follow the service. If you can donate a pie, please sign up in the narthex at the Sign-Up Desk. We need to bring 5 pies. Don t miss this moving musical offering by our choir bring your friends! 3

4 LEARN LIFETIME LEARNING HOUR Christian Education about life, for life, and for a lifetime. SUNDAYS AT 10:45 AM IN THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM Nov. 3, 10, 17 Book of Faith: Romans led by Pastor June Wilkins Paul s letter to the Romans is one of the most familiar of the epistles and one of the writings that influenced Luther s theology and Lutheranism. November 3, 10 & 17 in Lifetime Learning Adult Education, we will learn about the historical setting of the church in Rome and study the letter in depth. Classes begin right after worship at 10:45am in the Multi-Purpose Room. Meets every Wednesday at noon in the library to explore the Bible. They are finishing their study of the Gospel of Mark and will start Habakkuk. Bring your lunch and favorite Bible and join them. The OWLs Are Back! Q: What is an OWL? A: According to Webster, an owl is a nocturnal bird of prey with large eyes. But according to Gethsemane, an OWL is an Older Wiser Lutheran (get it? OWL) Q: Who is an OWL? A: You! Q: So what's an OWLgram? A: It's a letter or note of greeting, encouragement, support, prayer, advise... but don't forget your own stories of growing up (those are the best!) November 20 7:30 pm The Fiddler on Pantico Run Written by Joe Mozingo Discussion led by group in memory of Marie Needham. Q: Why? A: Because it's what we give each other... support, care, and love. It's about getting to know each other across the generations. It's about being a part of our children's and youth's lives. It's about being the family of Gethsemane! 4

5 LEARN Wrapping our kids in faith... It's all about connections between the generations. It's about sharing our faith stories. It's learning about each other - adults, children, and youth. In September, our Sunday School theme was caring for God's creation. After exploring the Genesis story of creation and making their own creations out of clay (check out the bookshelf outside Dr. Tim's office), our classes were visited by bees... yes, bees... but it was a good thing! Faith Webbing Howard Feole brought a hive of his bees along with his knowledge of bee-keeping. He shared what a wonderful creation God made in a bee and how important bees are to our agriculture and food supply. Question: How far does a hive of bees fly to bring you one pound of honey? Answer: over 55,000 miles! And then Joanne Leussing provided an opportunity for the children to learn about native plants and their importance in our environment by planting a flower bed on our property. Right away we found a bee discover a cluster of flowers! You can see the fruits of their labor between the parking lot and the day care house (by the stairs). What a wonderful place that will be when the plants take hold and grow! Coming next is 'being a welcoming community'. Bible theme is the story of Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah and their three visitors whom they welcomed so warmly and from whom they received such startling news (check out Genesis chapters 17-21). The Outreach team and others will be our faith webbers in November. 5

6 SERVE Help Local Homeowners at our Community Service Day, Nov. 9 God s Work Our Hands Sign up in the narthex to help with small repair or maintenance projects around our neighbors homes and yards. There will be lots of leaves to rake, gutters to clean and windows to wash. This will be a great opportunity for you to wear your GOD S WORK. OUR HANDS. T-shirts, but you DON T need a t-shirt to do God s work. Gethsemane Quilters Begin New Year After blessing the beautiful quilts made this past year, the Gethsemane Quilters look to a new project year. Quilts help comfort people living with poverty, injustice and human suffering. And to quilters, they represent community, sharing and love. Lutheran World Relief Mission quilts connect people to God's call to love and care for one another. This year our quilters put together 87 beautiful and colorful quilts to send to distant parts of the world. In 2012, nearly 81,000 quilts were sent to Tanzania! We thank the West Franklin County chapter of Thrivent Financial for their generous support of this project. How can you help? Take a roll of squares home to sew together. Directions are on each roll. You can find them on the Sign-Up Desk. Come to a quilt Saturday - no extraordinary skill needed! Tying knots, cutting squares. We can even teach you how to sew backings. Shop sales and thrift shops for fabrics. We can use most kinds, except anything stretchy. Curtains, sheets and bedding can be made into quilts, either as tops/bottoms or as batting. Help us change a life! Tied in Faith. Sent in Hope. Wrapped in Love. For information: Quilt Coordinator Terri Siebert, Next Quilt workday, Saturday, Nov. 23, 9am-12noon. Mark your calendars! 6

7 SERVE Small Group Ministries First Reflections Monday Bible Study Paula Sauer Brown Bag Bible Bunch Dick Lyndes Connections: Faith at Work Judy Reuning Book Group Sharon Walton Barbara Ford Men s Breakfast Bob Davis rjdjr@wowway.com Habitat for Humanity Bill Darlage Darlage_bill@hotmail.com LWR Quilts Terri Siebert tsiebert@gethsemane.org Prayer Shawls glcoffice@gethsemane.org Gethsemane s Prayer Shawl Ministry wishes to thank Thrivent Financial for the $ grant with which to purchase yarn and other supplies for making prayer shawls for Gethsemane members and others. We now have bins of beautiful yarn to use in making these items. Gethsemane Workday with Thrivent Builds with Habitat MidOhio Join Gethsemane volunteers in working to build homes being sponsored by Thrivent Builds on Saturday, Dec. 7. The date has been reserved for Gethsemane members and friends to help construct a home on E. 15 th Ave. between Hamilton Ave. and Cleveland Ave. Supervision will be provided by experienced house leads, and lunch will be provided. A sign-up sheet will be available in the narthex on Nov. 10 to allow us to prepare for the day. If you wish further information, please contact Bill Darlage ( ) or darlage_bill@hotmail.com OR Call the Church Office 7

8 CONNECT Enroll in Kroger s Community Reward Program Gethsemane has been participating in the Kroger Community Rewards Program for over 8 years. We receive a check each quarter based on your grocery purchases. These reward checks continue to support both our Youth Fund and Gethsemane s General Fund. If you have a Kroger Plus card you need to enroll and have your shopping dollars benefit Gethsemane. Enrollment (and annual re-enrollment) is done online. Click on this link and sign up today to have Gethsemane be the recipient of your rewards. y_rewards.aspx If you do not have access to a computer, or require assistance, contact program coordinator, Wendy Luedke at or wluedke@columbus.rr.com. Once you have enrolled, check the bottom of your Kroger receipts and see that they are donating to Gethsemane Lutheran Church. If you don t do your grocery shopping at Kroger, but at Meijer or Giant Eagle instead, you can still have your purchases benefit Gethsemane by purchasing either a Meijer or Giant Eagle gift card from Gethsemane s SCRIP program. See the article below. You can even arrange with Wendy Luedke to have a standing order so that you don t have to fill out a form each month. SCRIP Card sale continues monthly! Gethsemane sells SCRIP cards every third Sunday of the month. (SCRIP is a fancy name for a store gift card.) All you need to do is pick up an order form from the blue folder on the Sign-Up Desk; check off the cards you wish to order; write a check payable to Gethsemane Lutheran Church for the amount; then place the check and order form back into the folder. Next order deadline is Nov. 17 with cards received by the following Sunday. See Wendy Luedke for further information on how to participate in this fundraiser. A percentage of each card s value is returned to Gethsemane Christmas is coming so purchase cards to use for your shopping or purchase cards to give as gifts. Thrivent Financial Choice Dollars Thrivent has announced Thrivent Choice Double Direction Church Campaign that runs from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, All Choice Dollars directed to enrolled churches will be doubled during this time or until $15 million dollars has been awarded, whichever comes first. Gethsemane is an enrolled church. So, if you have any Thrivent products that have earned choice dollars, please direct them to Gethsemane by going to their website at or call and when prompted say Thrivent Choice and when prompted again say Choice Dollars. 8

9 PEOPLE NEWS November Birthdays 2 Hank Langknecht 4 Dave Whitesell 5 Sue Jones Jacob Langknecht Eric Norris Nevin Woods 9 Nancy Feole David Frashier 10 Rowan Fleming 14 Tammy Stoshak 17 Bob Hagerdorn 21 Kate Lutz John Norris 22 Eugene Fisher 25 Carole Wilkins 26 Patti Nelson 27 Ed Savolaine 28 Barbara Ford 30 Michelle Larrimer Morgan Melton Our Prayers and Concern Are With... Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 New Concerns: Sharlene Brengman (mother of Jill Woods) Bob Custis Imma Lyatuu Connie Peters (cousin of Bonnie Spring) June Prigan (mother of Scott Prigan) Faith Weiner (friend of Jill Woods). Congratulation to Jim and Jen Tatz on the birth of Sean Patrick Tatz on Oct. 14 to Kelly Seifert and Brian Burdette united in marriage on Oct. 19. Our love and compassion to the family of Freddie Thompson (brother-in-law of Doris Devine) who passed away Members with ongoing concerns: Donna Baer Sibylle Custis Doris Devine Nancy Feole Emilie Hagerdorn Elaine Haines Sue Jones Manfred Maeffert Mary Lou Means Rob Needham Phyllis Nelson Lee Ann Perin Ralph Portzline Irene Ralls. Family and friends with concerns: Connie Peters (cousin of Bonnie Spring) Stephanie Savolaine (daughter-inlaw of Ed and Carol Savolaine) Dennis Weirick (brother of Jan Davis). Homebound: Dotty Edwards (Laurels- Worthington) Carolyn Fergus (Wesley Glen) Ken Gerken (Mayfair Village) Eleanor Nagy Becky Oldaker (Bennington Glen) Reva Woodruff. Would you like to add a name to the Sunday prayers? Contact church secretary, Diane, at or glcoffice@gethsemane.org before 10:00 am on Thursday to have the name printed in the bulletin. After that time, you will have the opportunity in worship to name those silently or aloud during the prayers. You may also have the name sent out to the congregation via our E-Prayers ( ). 9

10 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS Purpose Statement The people of Gethsemane Lutheran Church Sing God s good news Share God s unconditional welcome Care for each other Serve those in need Guiding Principles The life, words, and actions of Jesus Christ are the inspiration for all we do and are. We recognize the uniqueness of each individual. We welcome and value everyone. We reach out to each other, our neighbors, and creation with our hearts and minds as well as with our labor, generosity, and works of justice. We create a supportive environment to nurture growth and learning. We find Christ in the study of God s Word and through sharing questions, doubts, a diversity of opinions, and new ideas. As a faithful Christian community, we are led by the Holy Spirit to live and worship together, respect differences, communicate openly, and seek consensus. Highlights of Council Meeting October 10, 2013 A copy of the Council minutes and Financial Report is posted in Atrium Way. PLEASE READ BUT LEAVE POSTED. Take home copies (minus attachments) are available at the Sign Up Desk in the narthex. PASTOR S REPORT The next creative worship is planned for October 20th. Confirmation will take place on October 27th. Two weddings are scheduled in October. Imma Lyatuu s immigration case has been reopened. Pastor is working on the details of how to post his bond as quickly as possible once it has been set. Barbara Ford and Joe Reilly will need to sign for the money s release. So far $7500 has been raised towards bond and legal needs. PRESIDENT S REPORT Nomination Committee supplied a slate of names for 2014 council and ministry team members for nomination. The Committee is still looking for nominations for Council Secretary, Personnel Committee, Nominating Committee, Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Financial Secretary. VICE PRESIDENT S REPORT Barbara Ford proposed a MOTION: (B. Ford, G. Rader) to accept Andrea Mayer as a member of the Stewardship Task Group until the end of Carried. Barbara Ford presented a draft of the letter that will be sent to church members discussing first quarter financials, specifically contributions which were behind budget. She will make the recommended changes and the letter will be sent out via for those members with and by letter to all others. SECRETARY S REPORT TREASURER S REPORT FINANCIAL REPORTS Fund activity for the month includes the money raised for Imma Layatu s bond. This is a flow through item and will not impact the church budget. MINISTRY TEAMS Service Day is November 9th. Many requests for help have been received. continued 10

11 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS Congregation Council OFFICERS: President Joe Reilly Vice-President Barbara Ford Secretary Alice Siddall Treasurer Rick Langner MEMBERS: Imma Lyatuu Jill Woods Donna Darlage Tim Mayer OLD BUSINESS Properties would like to move money from Play and Learns 2013 surplus into the 2014 surplus line so that improvements that were not completed in 2013 fiscal year can be completed. This action was not approved by council. By-law changes proposal will be sent out to congregation by October 24. NEW BUSINESS Joe Reilly is forming a team to work on building an endowment fund. Dick Reuning, Don Huiner, Violet Meek and Joe Reilly will be discussing what the endowment will be, how it will be setup and how it will be used. ELCA has changed the Health Care packages for the coming year. The gold plan choice will be closest to what staff members currently receive. The additional cost is $90/month. MOTION: (J. Reilly, J. Woods) to accept the gold plan choice for Gethsemane staff members who receive health care through the church. Carried. Joe Reilly requested to be allowed to set up a Brokerage Account for the church. He will need Barbara Ford and Pastor June s signature to continue. MOTION: (G. Rader, T. Mayer) to allow a brokerage account to be set up for the church. Carried with Joe Reilly absenting. ANNOUNCEMENTS NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 14 AT 7:00 P.M. Meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm. Submitted by Alice Siddall Gary Rader grader@wowway.com 11

12 FINANCES Gethsemane Finances First quarter, fiscal year 2014 (July 1, September 30, 2013) Our Constitution in section C requires the Council to review contributions quarterly; and, if necessary, revise the budget with input from the congregation. The first quarter of our fiscal year ended September 30, This is a snapshot of our financial status as a community at the end of the first quarter of the fiscal year. This information is presented to you for your information so you can plan your contributions going forward in support of the Gethsemane community and the work we do. Please keep in mind that much has been done to cut expenses, including: Asking ministry teams not to increase their budgets (for the past 2 years) Ministry teams spend only what is necessary, not what is budgeted for them Funding the Tutoring Program initiative entirely off budget Refinancing our mortgage to decrease the amount of our monthly payment Reduced bank fees to close to zero Staff efforts to reduce expenses. We hope to, but are not able to, put money in the budget for: Programs An increase in compensation for the Director of Music Ministry. This fiscal year: $203,800 is needed to pay salary and benefits for our staff $85,700 is needed to pay the mortgage and to operate and maintain our property $44,300 is needed for our constitutionally mandated 15% benevolence to local, national, and international organizations. Contributions of $315,000 to the general fund are needed over the course of the fiscal year (July 1, June 30, 2014). In order to meet that annual amount: We anticipated first quarter contributions of $87, We received contributions of $73, Leaving a shortfall of $13, In our congregation there are: 115 active giving units (individuals or families assigned an envelope number). Inactive members were not included in this tabulation 12

13 FINANCES Contributions to the General Fund from active giving units during the first quarter were: 35 contributed $0.00* 35 contributed $ $ contributed $ $ contributed $ $ contributed $ or more *Keep in mind that a few of these are folks who contribute on a semi annual or annual schedule and therefore do not show up as having contributed this quarter. Please prayerfully consider this information as you plan your contributions to the General Fund going forward. Electronic funds transfer is available and easy to start. Envelopes with instructions are available on the table in the narthex by the bulletin board. Council will present another information sheet to let you know how we are doing at the end of the next quarter. If you have questions or comments you would like to make about this information, please speak to any member of Council. Thank you for your contributions and prayers. They sustain our community in Christ. Three ways to help Gethsemane finances besides at no cost to you 13

14 SERVING THIS MONTH NOVEMBER 2013 November 3 November 10 November 17 November 24 Assisting Minister Elaine Haines Elaine Haines Elaine Haines Elaine Haines Sound Monitor Readers Ushers Nursery Jim Sauer Byron Ford Mike Siddall Eric Walton Carol Savolaine Don Huiner Mark Geary Joyce Geary Hugh Geary Judy Reuning Jon Ankron Brian Murphy Joe Reilly Jim Sauer Paula Sauer Mike Siddall Joyce Geary Hugh Geary Mark Hagerdorn Dave Whitesell Ed Savolaine Bob Hagerdorn Dick Reuning Judy Reuning Eric Walton Barb Driver Jime Driver Howard Feole Click on the link to sign up and serve in the nursery. Communion Bread Joyce Geary Wayne Melton Worship Team Brian Lutz Communion Care Barb Driver Barb Driver Joyce Geary Joyce Geary Counters Joyce Davis Dan Erwin Jeff Luedke Wendy Luedke Joanne Leussing Hugh Geary I ve signed up to be an... usher... reader... counter... etc. How do I know when I will serve? You may find serving schedules in each monthly newsletter whether you pick up a paper copy in the narthex or download it from the link that is sent out each month.... posted on our webpage at Click on Serving Schedules under Quick Links. Then click on either the current month or one of the future months.... posted on the bulletin board across from the church office. If you find you are unavailable, please trade with someone and let the church office know. If you haven t signed up to serve, but would like to, please call the church office at or glcoffice@gethsemane.org. 14

15 NOVEMBER 2013 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 7:00 AM Connections 2 3 Worship 10:45 AM Education Hour 3:30 PM Swahili Worship 10 Worship 10:45 AM Education Hour SERRV SALE 3:30 PM Swahili Choir NEWSLETTER DEADLINE 17 Worship 10:45 AM Education Hour SERRV SALE 3:30 PM Swahili Choir 24 Worship 10:45 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Congregation Meeting 3:30 PM Swahili Choir 4 8:00 AM Reflections 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 11 8:00 AM Reflections 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 18 8:00 AM Reflections 6:00 PM Day Care Com. 7:30 PM Prayer Shawl Ministry 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 25 8:00 AM Reflections 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 5 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 12:45 PM P&L Chapel 12 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 12:45 PM P&L Chapel 6:00 PM P&L Staff 6 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 13 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 7:30 PM Swahili Ministry :30 AM 12:00 PM Staff Meeting Brown Bag Bible 12:45 PM Bunch P&L Chapel 7:30 PM 7:00 PM Book Group Worship Ministry 26 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 12:45 PM P&L Chapel 27 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 7:30 PM Swahili Ministry 7:30 PM Thanksgiving Eve Worship at Clinton Heights 7 6:00 PM Handbells 7:15 PM Choir 14 6:00 PM Handbells 7:00 PM Council 7:15 PM Choir 21 6:00 PM Handbells 7:15 PM Choir 28 CHURCH OFFICE & DAY CARE CLOSED 8 9 8:00 AM Men's Breakfast 9:30 1:00 PM Service Day 15 Floors to and 22 12:00 PM Play & Learn Thanksgiving Lunch 10:00 PM Mkesha Prayers 29 CHURCH OFFICE & DAY CARE CLOSED 16 be stripped waxed :00 PM Quilting Set up in Great Hall for Swahili Thanksgiving Dinner 30 15