PILGRIM LUTHERAN CHURCH 44 CHAPEL ROAD KENMORE, NY (716) A Congregation in Mission, Community and Service PILGRIM S PROGRESS

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1 PILGRIM LUTHERAN CHURCH 44 CHAPEL ROAD KENMORE, NY (716) A Congregation in Mission, Community and Service PILGRIM S PROGRESS JUNE 2016 PASTOR: Rev. Ben Eder EDITOR: Mary Werth ASSOC. EDITOR: SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:00 AM TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY: 9:30 AM WORSHIP: 10:00 AM

2 Fatherly guidance Every man who desires to become a true father has to look continually to the Lord, that he might learn of him how to relate to his own children. Sunday Adelaja Family web Genealogy research turns up some intriguing relations; for example, Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are 10th cousins, and Britney Spears and Prince Albert of Monaco are 17th half-cousins. In the Bible, Jesus is linked to Rahab and Ruth, members of nations that were enemies of Israel. Searches for family connections quickly reveal not only roots but also a web. Only a few generations up in the branches of each family tree are so many people that trees intersect. Scientists speculate that most people living today are related through a recent common ancestor. So there s a web-like tapestry rather than a tree that fans out exponentially, according to writer Carl Zimmer. Realizing we re all connected should affect how we treat others. After all, we re related to people with diverse backgrounds and opinions. In terms of genealogy, as well as living as Jesus disciples, we belong to one another. Reflecting His Love My prayer to God is that you see his presence when you look at me. His steadfast love has set me free, and his reflection I can be when God is shining bright in me. MaryAnn Sundby

3 SUNDAY SERVER SCHEDULE JUNE 2016 DATE June 5 June 12 June 19 June 26 READER Wes Wiers Karen Smith Colvina Colvin Dooley O Rourke USHERS Colvina Colvin * Tyrone Bryant Peggy Clark * Jim O Brien Naomi George * Harvey Caldow Mike Weurch * Diane Weurch COMMUNION ASSISTANT NURSERY Jack Hambridge Amber Trimmer Gary Smith Ashleigh Berst/George Alessi George Alessi Diane Weurch Eric Fellner Carolyn Alessi What can I do? Pastor and hymn writer Phillips Brooks penned these words in the 19th century, but they re just as relevant for Jesus followers today: [People] are questioning now, as they never have questioned before, whether Christianity is indeed the true religion.... Can [Christianity] meet all these human problems, and relieve all these human miseries and fulfill all these human hopes? It is for us, in whom the Christian church is at this moment partially embodied, to declare that Christianity... can do for the world [that] which the world needs. You ask, What can I do? You can furnish one Christian life so faithful to every duty, so ready for every service, so determined not to commit every sin that the Christian church shall be stronger for your living in it; and the problem of the world be answered; and a certain peace come into this poor, perplexed phase of our humanity as it sees that new revelation of what Christianity is.

4 Rod Mohr Jun. 3 Marie Curcie Jun. 10 Robert Schober Jun. 10 June Pfohl Jun. 13 Jim Rodgers Sr. Jun. 18 Scot LaFalce Jun. 25 Betty Yesny Jun. 26 Diane Jakubowski Jun. 27 Roger Watkins Jun. 28 Mary Werth Jun. 28 Jun. 17 Jun. 22 Jun. 27 Gary & Karen Smith Paul & Sue Holway Roger & Pat Watkins

5 ESTHER CIRCLE NEWS Our Pot Faith brunch was a great success. Thank you to all who made tasty dishes and to those who came and enjoyed the feast. We raised $75.50 for Journey s End. Our Book/Bake sale is fast approaching (June 18th). In the back of church, there are totes to collect the books. We are looking for non-fiction and fiction novels, cookbooks, and children s books. Both paperback and hardcover are welcome. Please DO NOT donate textbooks, dictionaries or encyclopedias. Also, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for anyone who would like to bake for this event. Pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, cookie bars, and breads are most welcomed. Our next meeting will be on June 6th at 6:30 p.m. All women are invited. The next Community Dinner will be on Friday, June 3 rd, from 5 to 7 pm. The menu is Taco night with desserts and beverages. This is sponsored in part by a grant from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The next meeting of the Pilgrim Active Laymen (P.A.L.s) will be on Saturday, June 11th, at 8:00 am at Pilgrim. All men are welcome to join us! Blessings bestowed When author Gary Smalley asked 100 people to share how they knew they d received their parents blessing, they offered these memories of fatherly love: My father put his arm around me at church and let me lay my head on his shoulder. When my father faced a transfer at work, he purposely took another job so I could finish my senior year in high school. When I wrecked my parents car, my father s first reaction was to hug me and let me cry instead of yelling at me. My father went with me to the store when I had to return a purchase I regretted. My father let me practice pitching to him for a long time after work. My father cried during my wedding because he was going to miss me being at home.

6 LWML The LWML DISTRICT CONVENTION of the Eastern District, of which our Esther Circle is a voting member, will be held June 10 th to 12 th in Binghamton. NY. Sharon McGuan will attend the meetings and vote, on behalf of our Esther Circle, for the Mission Projects and district officers for the coming biennium. If you took a ballot for the convention, please return it to Sharon's mail box by June 1st. Thank you. CAMP PIONEER Camp Pioneer and Retreat Center will host Summerfest on a Saturday this year! The event is on August 13 and promises to be lots of fun! The traditional Chicken Barbecue will also offer games, face painting, kayaking, swimming, bingo, the camp train and many more activities. The event will begin with a worship service at 10:30 am and proceed throughout the day. Tickets will be available from Sharon or Tim McGuan or by calling Camp Pioneer at Church Projects 2016 During the past two Congregational meetings a number of projects around the church were discussed. Some of these were for upkeep, some were updates and some were additions and improvements. Our current carpet throughout the church is over ten years old and can no longer be maintained in a timely or economical fashion. We are looking at replacement options now. The parking lot has a few areas that need repair along with sealing and stripping. We are looking into a camera monitoring system. This will help address some of the societal concerns and insurance issues. The current sign for the church needs to be replaced due to failing components and worn parts. After being denied a digital sign by the Village we are looking at options to update or replace the current sign. Feel free to see me any questions. Gary Smith

7 Kenya Ministry Welcomes Visitors with a New Lease on Life The office of Lutheran Hour Ministries Kenya, known locally as Nuru Lutheran Media Ministry, gets its share of visitors but for Nuru Director John Maina, a recent visit from three women was particularly meaningful. "They came in with a lot of hesitation three ladies looking for an address," he says. "You could perceive their anxiety about institutions. But you would not blame them if you knew their histories. They were keen to meet with our coworkers Christine and Rhoda here, in a less restricted environment; all of their previous meetings had taken place in prison. "They were all mothers and had participated in a Nuru program called Prison Mums," says Maina. "They had only recently left the Langata Women's Prison, where they had met." Young mothers who have been convicted of petty offenses are separated from their children and incarcerated at the Langata detention facility. Since Kenya has no social programs designed to provide adequate foster care, many of the children of these women end up among the thousands who walk the streets of Nairobi and other cities. "Nuru's Prison Mums program reaches out to these young mothers, shares the Gospel of Jesus with them, reunites them with their children as quickly as possible, and helps them begin a process that will equip them to earn a legal living wage," says Maina, who adds, "Our aim is to keep even one more child from having to try to survive on the streets. "For Rachel, Ruth and Rael, this was a visit to people who meant a lot to them. Nuru's Prison Mums workers Rhoda and Christine, together with the ministry's volunteers had introduced them to the Gospel. And the Gospel had changed their lives." The women's visit means that the change in their lives is set to continue: in this second phase of the Prison Mums program, the women will participate in a support group that will help them make the transition back to society and connect them to Christian congregations. "Pray for us and our efforts to share the Gospel," says Maina, "and please pray also for Rachel, Ruth and Rael as they seek to rebuild their lives with Christ at the center!" To learn more about LHM's Nuru ministry, visit

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