Inside this issue church has been abusive to vulnerable people. It should be no surprise that some fear the church Financial Update, pg 2

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1 Fall 2018 What happens when we fear something we want so badly? By Pastor Justin Dittrich Hannah was a dog, but I don t know what she knew about herself. She didn t know how to play, to go up and down stairs, to go potty outside, to be on a leash or even how to recognize her name. She had recently had puppies, and she felt comfortable in her kennel. Human interaction, though, was hard. It was obvious that she wanted to be petted and to be close, but she also feared such an encounter. Her body would tense up, her ears would drop back. I could see that she both looked forward to the pet and feared the contact. She must have been physically abused at some point, but she knew how good a scratch behind the ear would feel. Just watching that dilemma play out was painful. What is church? Sometimes interaction with the church resembles interactions with Hannah. The church is in a time in which we are not sure what we should do. What does the church look like? What should it be like? What should it live like? Church used to be obvious. It was marked by buildings, certain liturgies and other patterns of life. It used to be the center of the community. The church also caused harm. Part of the problem in being church is that the Inside this issue church has been abusive to vulnerable people. Council Information, pg 7 Dates, pg 8 It should be no surprise that some fear the church Financial Update, pg 2 even if they know of all the good the church has done Pastor Corner, pg 1 & 2 and is doing. t should be no surprise that there are Quilting Group, pg 6 barriers to church participation and activities because St Paul by the numbers, pg 7 people fear what the church can do as much as they Vestments, pg 4 & 5 Continued on next page

2 Continued from first page hope for the good the church can do. Because of all of this, it leaves the church not knowing how to act and be church. At its core, church is really simple: we love God and love our neighbor. But how to do this simple thing is really complicated and difficult. Like Hannah, we have to relearn and unlearn things. We have to be aware of the harm we have caused but also not let it hinder the good work of the future. The relearning and unlearning should lead us to renewal and reformation. Like Hannah, we will need to learn to walk again as a church built for a new generation and new time. Hannah was our foster dog and is no longer in our house. We just tried to set her up for her permanent home. We as Christians know that this earth is not our permanent home, we are being set up by our God for our permanent residence with him. Amen. We love God and love our neighbor Budget Update and the Importance of Pledging Richard Grenzke, Congregation President We have a problem this year that I hope is unique to this year. Let me explain. As of the October financial statement, St. Paul is showing a $26,400 deficit for the year. This deficit is not due to expenses being over the budgeted amount. In fact, our expenses through October are $14,000 below what we projected. The deficit is not due to our envelope giving by those of you that pledged for In fact, we have received $5,000 over the pledged amount for the first 10 months of the year. The main reason we are showing a deficit for the year is due to the amount we have received from those of you that do not pledge. We are currently $20,000 below what we estimated. Our estimate was based on the actual amount given in Predicting the amount of income from non-pledged envelope giving is not an exact science. This year we missed the mark with an optimistic estimate based on last year coupled with a decrease in non-pledge giving. So what can we do? Most importantly, Pledge! Allow us to make as accurate a budget as possible by letting us know what you expect to give in We do not hold you to your pledge. You are giving us an estimate, but an informed estimate of what we can expect. Please pledge. As far as this year goes, please review your giving for the year and help us finish the year strong. St. Paul has a history of having an exceptional December. We could use exceptional this year. St Paul Ev Lutheran Church 2

3 Youth Sunday, December 16 The youth of St Paul, including the Joyful Noise Choir, will lead the worship service. Following the service is the annual Cookie Walk and tree decorating in the sanctuary. A Sunday you won t want to miss! Advent Services, Wednesdays at 6:30 pm Throughout Advent we will have Agape Feasts on Wednesday evenings in the Bethany Room. While you watch a video on an Advent theme of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, you may enjoy soup, salad and bread. Discussion on the video will follow, and the evening service will conclude with Communion. Come and feel the meaning of Advent. Christmas Eve Services 2:00, 4:00 and 10:00 If you want to enjoy a Traditional Christmas Eve service, but have a hard time getting to one later in the evening, the 2:00 service will be the one for you. The Family Service is at 4:00 And at 10:00 is the Traditional Candlelight Service. 3 The Epistle, December 2018

4 What We Wear As Worship Leaders By Bill Wrobel The following is taken from in the Worship Formation & Liturgical Resources: Frequently Asked Questions. I found this to be a great resource as well as interesting information regarding our worship experience. Background Vestments are the distinctive clothing worn by those who lead worship. They are worn by pastors, lay assisting ministers, acolytes, communion ministers, choirs and cantors. Vestments are more related to uniforms than costumes; they communicate the role of the leader. They also say that an individual is functioning in a particular relationship to a community of believers and connected to a recognizable, historic pattern of leadership. The distinctive clothing worn by police officers, judges, and nurses communicates their role; vestments function in a similar way. This differs from wearing a costume and pretending to be something or someone else. Using vestments in idiosyncratic ways confuses and undermines identification with a role, just as dressing a judge as a police officer only confuses and makes the uniform a pretense. Vestments, like uniforms, ought to communicate clearly and honestly. Worship leaders wear vestments on behalf of the assembly. Wearing white garments such as the alb (see below) reminds us of the white garment presented or worn at baptism. The colors of vestments, especially those worn by the pastor or displayed as paraments, communicate the liturgical season. The use of vestments in Lutheran churches is not dictated by any law and will vary according to local customs and practice. What is most important is that congregations take the time to understand that what we wear will carry meaning. When used clearly and with understanding, vestments (with other visual arts and symbols) embody and support the proclamation of the word of God. The use of vestments varies ecumenically. The Episcopal Church, one of our full communion partners (see also, What does Full Communion mean for Lutheran worship? ) ordains deacons. In this tradition, a special stole is worn to mark their ordained ministry. Diaconal ministers, a lay roster of the ELCA, do not wear stoles, but may wear a vestment called a dalmatic. Like other clothing, the exact design of vesture in the church varies over time according to artistic development. Congregations are using rediscovered traditional and exciting contemporary design as they explore ways to use vesture in worship. Commercial vestment makers are not the only source for vesture. Artists and designers also work in this area. Many congregations seek out those talented in working with cloth to design and make vestments that reflect the local culture and artistic tastes. The wearing of vestments can present St Paul Ev Lutheran Church 4

5 challenges. Many people do not understand the baptismal connection of the alb. In all situations regarding vestments, congregations are encouraged to fully explain and understand why certain vestments are used. In certain contexts, practical concerns can affect the wearing of vestments, especially by choirs. In non-air-conditioned worship spaces, they can simply be too warm in the summer months. Vestments in Detail The stole is a long band of fabric worn by clergy as a sign of ordination since the eighth century. It is presented during the ordination rite. Stoles are worn in the color of the day, over the alb by ordained ministers. In fabric and color, it usually matches the chasuble. It is a symbol of the yoke of obedience to Christ (see Matthew 11:28-30). Since the stole is a sign of ordination, care should be taken that vestments worn by others, especially choirs, should not appear to be stoles. The stole is usually not worn for Daily Prayer. The chasuble is the principal vestment of the presiding minister at the Eucharist. It is a very full vestment, in the appointed color of the church year, and is worn like a poncho over the alb and stole. It is a sign of the abundance of the eucharistic feast. It has been used as the distinctive eucharistic vestment since the eleventh century. The vestments of lay assisting ministers depend on those of the presider. If the presider wears alb, stole, and chasuble, the assisting ministers also wear albs. Other vestments are traditionally worn by bishops. All wear a pectoral cross. Optional vestments include a miter (a stiff, pointed hat) and a crozier (staff). Some congregations have their assisting ministers wear dalmatics or tunicles. This vestment is also worn by diaconal ministers, a lay rostered ministry in the ELCA. Choir Vestments Choirs and other musical leaders may also wear vestments. Like pastors and lay ministers, choirs and musicians serve as worship leaders. For this reason, their vestments best resemble those of other lay ministers rather than resembling academic gowns. Such gowns may be colorful, but their use separates the choir from the other worship leaders. To accentuate the common ministry of the choir with other ministers, wearing albs is recommended. Choirs also vest to accentuate the unity of the group. By wearing a common garment, attention is not drawn to the clothes or styles of individual members. Children s choirs can wear the same vestments as adult choirs, differing only in size. This demonstrates that choirs of all ages serve as worship leaders and that their role in worship is as important as the adult participants. 5 The Epistle, December 2018

6 ...and Also With You. By Nicole Minnick Cathy Wrobel began Pieces Be With You, St. Paul s quilting group, in 2002 because she believed that everyone should have a quilt, and one person can t make them all. You may have noticed the Pieces Be With You quilters have expanded beyond the walls of their narrow quilting room into the opening area. With their new sewing machines, specialized tools and over 40 members, this active ministry regularly donates piles of quilts to Lutheran World Relief, Freedom House of Detroit, Days for Girls, and several one-time outreach events. They also bless our youth with their handiwork for special milestone achievements. Pieces Be With You recently held a one-day workshop to complete their next wave of projects. A good day is a day spent quilting, laughing and sharing with friends. Cathy Wrobel St Paul Ev Lutheran Church 6

7 Council News by Rick Grenzke, Congregation President Church Council interviewed two fundraising consultants on September 18 and 19. The decision was made to work with Luke Bouman of The Enrichment Group. Luke spent 20 years as an ELCA pastor and then 2 years as an administrator at Valparaiso University before becoming a consultant for The Enrichment Group. He will be working with us throughout the capital campaign process. If you see him at church, please introduce yourself. The proposed changes to the Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions (CBCR) document was approved by council to be presented to the congregation. It has also received approval from the Synod. Congregation Council set the timing for the congregation s review and adoption of the CBCR document. The reviews took place earlier this fall. We then held a special meeting of the congregation on October 21 to vote on accepting the CBCR. This vote passed, unanimously. There will be a subsequent special meeting of the congregation on December 9 to take a final vote on accepting the CBCR. This vote requires a 2/3 majority of those present for our adoption of the new Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions document. Consequently, the structure of church council for 2019 would then be under the new CBCR. We will have an additional ratification vote at the Annual Meeting to meet synod requirements. Also on the 9th of December there will be a vote on the nominations for Congregation Council. Following that there will be an informational meeting about the Capital Campaign proposal and the costs associated with it. There will be another informational meeting on the Capital Campaign proposal on January 13. The Annual Meeting will be held on January 20. St Paul By the Numbers Envelope Giving Actual Giving, Jan - October 2018: $356,700 Budgeted Giving, Jan - October, 2018: $380,404 Variance in Giving, Jan - October, 2018: ($23,704) Actual Giving, Jan - October, 2017: $367,300 Expenses Actual Expenses, Jan - October, 2018: $383,103 Budgeted Expenses, Jan - October, 2018: $397,243 Variance in Expenses, Jan - Oct, 2018: ($14,140) Actual Expenses, Jan - October, 2017: $ Net Totals Actual Net, Jan - October, 2018: ($26,404) Budgeted Net, Jan - October, 2018: ($16,840) Actual Net, Jan - October, 2017: $8,988 Attendance Average Sunday Jan - October, 2018: 94 Average Sunday Jan - October, 2017: The Epistle, December 2018

8 Ongoing, Regularly Scheduled Events Mondays Joyful Noise Rehearsals and dinner, 5:45 PM Handbell Choir Rehearsal, 6:45 PM Confirmation, 7:00 PM Prayer Vigil, 4th of the month, 7:00 PM Tuesdays Bible Study, 9:30AM Pieces Be With You Quilters, 2:00 or 7:00 PM Naomi Circle Bible Study, 3rd of the month at 12:30 Wednesdays Council, 3rd of the month, 7:00 PM Listening for God, Book Group, 2nd of the month at 7:00 PM Thursdays Men s Breakfast and Conversation, 1st of the month, 8:00 AM Sundays Chancel Choir Rehearsal, 8:30 AM Worship, 9:30 AM Coming Events December 16 Youth Sunday - Service led by the Youth of the Church December 24 - see pg 3 for service times January 13 - Capital Campaign Informational Meeting January 20 - Annual Meeting January 20 - First Bibles March 3 - Jazz Service April 20 - Easter June 9 - Affirmation of Baptism June 16 - Graduation Sending Service St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church 375 Lothrop Grosse Pointe Farms, Mi Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 am to 4 pm Telephone: Fax: