Link. The. From the Pastor. In April s Link. April at a Glance Church Statistics Easter Worship Schedule

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The Link St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church April 2017 From the Pastor In April s Link Dear Brothers and Sisters: During April we celebrate Easter!

1 The Link St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church April 2017 From the Pastor In April s Link Dear Brothers and Sisters: During April we celebrate Easter! While Easter Day as April 16 th, the season of Easter stretches over seven Sundays. Easter is a celebration of Jesus resurrection. When viewed with Jesus crucifixion (Good Friday), Easter is of incomparable significance for us. God s love is for us. God s power overcomes evil and death. God triumphs over all that separates us from God s love. God s love comes close and breaks into our world and lives. This is Easter. Easter makes a difference for you and for me Easter worship which happens not only on the Festival of the Resurrection, but each and every Sunday as we gather is a special celebration of the love God gives over and over again in Jesus death and resurrection. Easter worship is a gift for each of us. Easter worship is a time to hear and experience the comforting and supporting love God has already given so we may receive strength for the ministry we are called to do. In God s Easter Love, Pastor Paul Pastor Paul E. Shoop Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 13 From the Pastor April at a Glance Church Statistics Easter Worship Schedule Lenten Journey Confirmation Projects GFLC Spring Assembly Council Meeting Notes, LYO News from Church Office Planning Ahead RAIHN Car City RAIHN, Church Women United, Dorcas Rachel Mission of the ELCA W.E.L.C.A. Stand Against Racism Getting Involved! News from Volunteer & Event Coordination April Lay Ministry April Church Calendar

2 Mission Statement St. Paul s is a welcoming Christian family. We are created by God, saved by Jesus Christ, God s Son, and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Through joyous worship and Mission Commitment, St. Paul s furthers the word of God s Saving Grace. ATTENDANCE WE COUNT BECAUSE YOU COUNT Early Late Total Nursery Mar 5 th th th Average Sunday attendance through February Average Sunday attendance through February Average Sunday attendance through February Our Vision: To spread the Word, build a strong community, and make the world a better place. EASTER WORSHIP SCHEDULE Palm Sunday April 9th Holy Communion 8:30 a.m. Holy Communion 11:00 a.m. (Palm Cross making will take place after each Service in the Dorcas Room. Sign up in the Foyer to help.) Maundy Thursday April 13 th Dorcas/Rachel Circle 9:45 a.m. followed by Communion Lunch Holy Communion 7:30 p.m. (sign up to help in the Foyer) Good Friday April 14 th Prayer Vigil 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Tenebrae 7:30 p.m. (sign up to help in the Foyer) Saturday April 15 th No Easter Vigil at St. Paul s this year. South West Mission 7:00 pm. Lutheran Church of Incarnate Word 8:00 p.m. Messiah Lutheran Church 8:30 p.m. Easter Sunday April 16 th Webster Community Easter Sunrise Service 7a.m. Holy Communion 8:30 a.m. Easter Breakfast & Egg Hunt 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion 11:00 a.m.

PALM SUNDAY April 9 th On PALM SUNDAY, April 9 th, St. Paul s worship will focus on that day Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem to the acclaim of the crowds.

Matthew. Members of the congregation will assist in this gospel reading of the day. Plan to be present as we again here the story of our Lord on Palm Sunday.

3 PALM SUNDAY April 9 th On PALM SUNDAY, April 9 th, St. Paul s worship will focus on that day Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem to the acclaim of the crowds. This day has two foci the triumphal entry and also the suffering and death of Jesus later that week. Our worship includes the Congregational Reading of The Passion of Our Lord according to St. Matthew. Members of the congregation will assist in this gospel reading of the day. Plan to be present as we again here the story of our Lord on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, which is the week immediately before Easter in the Christian church MAUNDY THURSDAY April 13 th GOOD FRIDAY April 14 th On GOOD FRIDAY, April 14 th, we gather (at 7:30 PM) to hear the proclamation of the passion, to pray for the life of the world and to meditate on the life-giving cross. The Lenten Cross is moved to the center of the chancel for this service. As it provided a focal point for worship during Lent, it now stands central in the chancel for our Good Friday worship. The ancient title for this day The Triumph of the Cross reminds us that the church gathers to offer thanksgiving for the tree on which hung our salvation. Through scripture readings, hymns, the extinguishing of candles and gradual dimming of the sanctuary lights we focus on the crucifixion of Jesus in this powerful and moving service. MAUNDY THURSDAY is April 13 th. Holy Communion is celebrated at 7:30 PM. On this day Christians gather to share in the holy supper Christ gave the church sharing his unfailing love for us. Jesus demonstrates this love by speaking his word and giving us his body and blood. As Christ s followers we are strengthened and sent to continue Jesus actions in daily life: to serve those in need, to offer mercy, to feed those who are hungry. Pastor Paul will visit and bring Holy Communion to homebound members of St. Paul s the two weeks prior to Easter. Please keep these members and all members of the congregation in your prayers as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter.

Confirmation Projects Presentations Monday, April 10 th The youth of the Second Year Confirmation will present their Confirmation Projects on Monday, April 10 th, at 5:30 PM.

Paul's 150th Anniversary Committee reports plans for the special celebration are coming together nicely.

4 Confirmation Projects Presentations Monday, April 10 th The youth of the Second Year Confirmation will present their Confirmation Projects on Monday, April 10 th, at 5:30 PM. Please save the date and mark it on your calendar. Plan to attend as a way of showing your support and encouragement to these youth. GENESEE FINGER LAKES CONFERENCE SPRING ASSEMBLY March Council Meeting Notes: Church Council met on March 13 and devoted much of its time to reviewing the Ministry Site Profile (MSP) responses. Information gathered is now being condensed into the final version which will be submitted to the ELCA. St. Paul's 150th Anniversary Committee reports plans for the special celebration are coming together nicely. The Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries job description was reviewed and approved so that Mutual Ministry may begin their search for a candidate. The financial summary through the end of February 2017 showed a healthy status with no concerns. Council's next meeting will be held on April 17th at 6:45 PM. Respectfully submitted by Dorothy Borglum, Recording Secretary * * * * * The LYO is busy as always! Coming up in the next month are some very important events. The Genesee Finger Lakes Conference Spring Assembly meets Saturday, April 29 th, 9:00 AM 12 Noon, at Our Saviour, Chili Avenue. Pastors and voting members from Conference congregations gather for an opportunity to review the Conference s ministry. Also on the agenda are items related to the upcoming Upstate New York Synod Assembly. Saturday, May 6 th LYO will be participating in RAIHN Car City. We will be looking for the congregation s support. Thank you from LYO! Thanks to all who provided chili for our spin on the Souper Bowl of Caring Chili Cook- Off! This year s event was fantastic! We raised $441 from your generous donations for LOOP Ministries. Awesome!!

5 News from the Church Office Articles for the April edition of the Link must be received by 9:00 a.m. on Friday, 14 th April. It will be mailed on Tuesday 25 th April beginning at 9:30 a.m. Please sign up to help mail it in the volunteer work area. Please use a flower envelope from the pew backs to sponsor an Easter lily. A freewill donation is asked for. The last date to donate is Palm Sunday, April 9 th. Your generous donations not only create a beautiful display on Easter, but they also provide for a small plant to be delivered by Pastor to each of our shut in members prior to Easter. So, even if you don t want to sponsor a lily a donation to the flower fund is appreciated. Filled Easter Eggs are needed for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Please take some empty ones from the box in the Foyer and return filled by Palm Sunday, April 9th. The egg hunt will be held between services on Easter Sunday. We will hold our traditional Easter Brunch on Easter Sunday between the two services. This is always a very well attended, popular event and we need many volunteers to makeit the usual big success. Please see Jori Cincotta with specific questions or sign up in the Foyer. Christ in our Homes Devotionals for April, May & June are available in the Foyer. They are on the counter next to the sanctuary entrance. Each Sunday during Lent we will share soup and bread after our 11 a.m. service. Please join us. Each Sunday will feature a different presentation and gives us a great opportunity to get to know each other better. The last meeting will be held on Sunday, April 2 nd. We are in need of volunteers for Holy Week. Please consider stepping up to help out during this special time. All s regarding volunteering should now be directed to (Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries) covm@stpaulspittsford.org instead of being sent to Mara or Eileen directly. Thank you! Please see the table in Foyer and take a Lent free gift. We will have books and devotionals for all ages. We will collect loose change during Lent and will have coin boxes available to assist you. All proceeds will go to Saint s Place to assist refugees newly arrived in our area. Collection boxes and information on Saint s Place are available in the Church Foyer. You can bring your coins in weekly or in a lump sum on Easter Sunday. Look for the collection pot in the Foyer. Thank you so much to all of our Office Volunteers! Your extra hands and warm smiles help to make the office run smoothly and enable us to do as much as we can for our congregation. It means so much to have your help. We hope that you are finding this Lenten and upcoming Easter season full of blessings. Michelle Josephson Church Admin. Assistant

Planning Ahead The Genesee Finger Lakes Conference Spring Assembly The Genesee Finger Lakes Conference Spring Assembly meets Saturday, April 29th, 9:00 AM 12 Noon, at Our Saviour, Chili Avenue.

6 Planning Ahead The Genesee Finger Lakes Conference Spring Assembly The Genesee Finger Lakes Conference Spring Assembly meets Saturday, April 29th, 9:00 AM 12 Noon, at Our Saviour, Chili Avenue. Summer Service Schedule Will begin on Sunday May 28 th. Holy Communion at 9:30 a.m. followed by Fellowship. Upstate NY Synod Assembly The 30 th Assembly of the Upstate NY Synod is Thursday, June 8, to Saturday, June 10, in Rochester. Delegates from St. Paul s are being determined and will be communicated. Visit for more information. St. Paul s Lutheran 150th Anniversary Weekend July 29-30th, :30 am - Holy Communion and Celebration of St. Paul s 150th Anniversary 11:45 am - Celebration Brunch/Lunch Annual Church Picnic At North Lodge, Kings Bend Park, Jefferson Road, Pittsford on Sunday September 10 th. 8:30 a.m. service at the church building. 11 am service and picnic to be held in the park. Save the date! will be held August 14th-18th. RAIHN Car City Car City gives the comunity an opportunity to learn about family homelessness in a meaningful, hands-on way. Similar to the idea of a walk-a-thon, participants in Car City raise a registration fee plus pledges. Groups, families and individuals are encouraged to register and participate in the evening s events. While sleeping in one s car can provide a valuable lesson in empathy, being a virtual participant (raising funds, but sleeping at home) is also acceptable. This year we will be joined by a panel of RAIHN graduates to talk about their experiences in RAIHN, local photojournalist Michele Ashlee who will share her photography, along with dinner, car decorating contest, photo booth, sundae bar, games, bedtime yoga and CAR-aoke, karaoke singing to your favorite songs about cars! Visit to register or to donate! Saturday, May 6th, 5 Asbury First United Methodist Church, 1050 East Ave., Rochester. Registration = $30 adults/$15 youth. Please contact raihncarcity@gmail.com or for more information. RAIHN helps homeless families achieve sustainable independence in partnership with your congregation. Thank you so much for using the Property & Maintenance forms to submit your work orders as you notice upkeep needed in the Church. Please remember to fill the form out completely as it is very important for P&M to be able to reach out if they have questions or need additional info.

RAIHN Thank you to everyone who helped with our RAIHN rotation March 5-12, 2017. Whether you cooked, served, visited with our guests, played with the children or slept overnight.

7 RAIHN Thank you to everyone who helped with our RAIHN rotation March 5-12, Whether you cooked, served, visited with our guests, played with the children or slept overnight. We appreciate your help! Our next rotation is June 4-June 11, THE NEXT VOLUNTEER TRAINING SESSIONS ARE: Thursday April 6, 2017, 6:30 PM Mary Magdalene Church, 1008 Main Street, East Rochester Wednesday May 7, 2017, 6:30 PM St Paul s Episcopal Church 25 Westminster Road, Rochester If you have questions please contact Jen Canning at: Jennifercanning@urgrad.rochester.edu - Or - Roberta Fitzsimmons at: hfitzsimmons@rochester.rr.com We would like to have you join our team! Church Women United in New York State 2017 State Assembly Friday, April 28 29, 2017 Radisson Riverside Hotel 120 E. Main St. Rochester, NY Telephone: DORCAS RACHEL CIRCLE Maundy Thursday Communion Brunch Date: Thursday, April 13, 2017 Time: 9:45 a.m. Fellowship 10:00 a.m. Meeting 11:30 a.m. Communion Service Place: Dorcas Room Program: Pam Poduska s Book Review Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown Devotions & Communion: Pr. Paul Shoop Lunch: 12:00 p.m. Pot Luck Table Hostesses: Jane Pfromer, Shari MacFarlane Julie Huse Bring: - Blanket to be donated to Zion House, Avon, NY (Women Veteran s Home) - In lieu of paper goods, a special offering will be taken for the PFC. - A dish to pass for the Brunch following Communion. APRIL DORCAS RACHEL CIRCLE The Dorcas Rachel Circle will be discussing the book, SENSIBLE SHOES, by Sharon Garlough Brown on Thursday, April 13th at 10:45 AM in the Dorcas Room. "SENSIBLE SHOES is a story of four women of very different backgrounds who meet at New Hope Retreat Center in Michigan for a six session spiritual formation group...

Mission of the E.L.C.A. Seafarer s International House Harbor of Hospitality What do the following things have in common; fruit, grain, fuel, clothing, electronics, cars and people?

Even in port, some sailors lack the documents or money to come ashore before setting out again. Seafarers International House is a Harbor of Hospitality.

8 Mission of the E.L.C.A. Seafarer s International House Harbor of Hospitality What do the following things have in common; fruit, grain, fuel, clothing, electronics, cars and people? They are all carried on ships. 90% of what we buy is transported to the US by cargo ship. Most ships have a crew of 25 or fewer who spend most of their year at sea. Even in port, some sailors lack the documents or money to come ashore before setting out again. Seafarers International House is a Harbor of Hospitality. It serves seafarers and immigrants with pastoral care, hospitality, social assistance, advocacy and prayer in the U.S. Ports: Baltimore, Philadephia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Chaplains from these ports visited over 22,400 seafarers last year. Often the chaplains greet the seafarers with a useful kit, a satchel containing clothes, candy, canned meats and knitted hats to keep them warm on the open seas. Women of the ELCA are knitting hats for Seafarers and sending them to the Seafarer s International House to be distributed ALL YEAR LONG! St. Paul s sent 7 wool hats in November! That is wonderful! Thank you so much. The next collection of knitted hats will be sent in April A box is available for your donation in the Dorcas Room. So KNIT UP A STORM!! Thank you, Shari MacFarlane Women of St. Paul s ELCA Upcoming Events of 2017 Genesee Finger Lakes Conference Women of the ELCA Spring Communion Brunch: - Date: Saturday, April 8, Time: 10 a.m. registration $ :30 Program/Communion Pastor Keith Campbell 11:30 Pot Luck Luncheon - Place: Our Redeemer Lutheran Church 1549 Dewey Avenue, Rochester, Bring: o Dish to pass for the Spring Brunch following the Communion Service o Non-perishable items for the food cupboard o Juice boxes for Maggie s Kids - Call Shari MacFarlane ( ) to answer questions concerning this event. The Ingathering box will be placed in the Dorcas room. This year s Ingathering will be: FAMILY SOCKS & UNDERWEAR In September, our 2017 collection will be donated to Willow (battered women). Women of the ELCA Triennial Convention Date: July 11 15, 2017 Minneapolis, MN

STAND AGAINST RACISM April 27 April 30th, 2017 Each April the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County spearheads the local effort for the national Stand Against Racism.

9 STAND AGAINST RACISM April 27 April 30th, 2017 Each April the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County spearheads the local effort for the national Stand Against Racism. The Stand Against Racism is an annual community-wide event dedicated to building awareness about racism. We reach out to businesses, schools, houses of worship, organizations, and government agencies to create greater awareness and to encourage conversations about race. Be part of the Stand at StandAgainstRacism.org. Phone Tree Help Still Needed Still looking for about 2 more individuals to help make calls. It s easy and calls are done on your time. You only make 4-6 calls during the year to let our congregation know of important dates that are coming up. It s only 4-5 names to call. Please consider trying, call Mara Berndt at or her at Mara@Stpaulspittsford.org. Hoping to add a couple of more individuals to the list for our April calls. Youth Care Packages We are collecting financial donations to purchase items for care packages sent to our college youth. Boxes contain yummy snacks and a letter from Pastor to remind our college youth that they are loved and thought of often! Please place your financial donations in a pew envelope, marked 'Youth Care Packages' and place in the collection plate. Donations may also be mailed to the church office. Contact Elizabeth Conderman with updated addresses of your college student. Easter Lily Set-up Do you like arranging flowers? Or are you interested in trying? Would love to have someone to work with, two individuals or more. It s fun, so come and join me. It s simple and easy. And the results are breath taking once done! Set up Friday, April 14th or Saturday, April 15 th. Time of set up will be based on volunteers that have contacted Mara. If interested contact Mara Berndt at covm@stpaulspittsford.org or leave message at St Paul s for her to call you back or a message at

10 News/Updates from your Volunteer and Event Coordinators Friends, Many of you have noticed some recent changes in the coordination of Volunteer Ministries. As Eileen is phasing out of her position, Mara and Michelle have been consolidating the tasks into one position: Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries (COVM). We are hoping to have this position filled before the end of April Part of this transition includes merging Mara s and Eileen s previous addresses into one address: covm@stpaulspittsford.org. By using one address, we can maintain a better communication with our members and transition the new COVM into our church community. As of right now, Eileen is creating the 3 month volunteer schedule but Mara and Michelle are executing it. This means that all weekly changes, switches and sub questions will be handled by them. They can be reached by phone at church and by s at michelle@stpaulspittsford.org and COVM@stpaulspittsford.org. We appreciate the help of our congregation during this time. It is so vital that we work together to make Sundays flow as smoothly as possible, especially during the busy Lent season. Please consider signing up for short term volunteering in an area you haven't tried. Signing up to volunteer just TWO times a year in any area at St Paul's will make a HUGE difference in our church. Starting in May, be on the lookout for Informational segments and Training opportunities for Volunteering. If you re not stepping up because you don t know what a Sunday ministry (job) entails, then this is the time for you to dive right in. We cannot stress enough how much we need your help. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mara or Michelle. Many blessings, Eileen Whitaker Volunteer Coordinator of Lay Ministries Mara Berndt Event Coordinator Until our new COVM is hired and trained, Mara will be maintaining her commitment to Events and Volunteer Ministries at St. Paul s.

Link. The. In December s Link. From the Pastor: St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church December 2016

Link. The. In December s Link. From the Pastor: St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church December 2016 The Link St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church December 2016 From the Pastor: Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 244) is one of my favorite Advent hymns. It captures for me a spirit