The Voice Of St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church 68 Eagle Street Williamsville NY

Transcription

1 The Voice Of St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church 68 Eagle Street Williamsville NY stpaulwilliamsville@roadrunner.com Why do we worship together? And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. Dear People of God --Hebrews 10: There are many ways to answer this question. First, worship is the way we acknowledge our gratitude for all that God has done, and continues to do for us. Christian worship keeps its focus particularly on Jesus Christ: his suffering, death, and resurrection. These realities are the reason we can hope for eternal life. We come together as God s people in this place, to say thank you to God. Why can t we thank God in our own way, on our own time? Of course you can thank God at any time of day or night. You can pray alone, or you can gather your family around you. But by coming together for worship, we acknowledge that we are part of the family of God, whom God has called to be together in this place. As God s family, God works through us. God gives us a mission, work to do. Reaching out to others to share God s love through word and deed. Worship is the public expression of that mission. Our worship is public, anyone can join us. We worship together with other families and other people who call our church their spiritual home. For Lutherans worship is a way we become stronger in our faith by hearing God s Word, and the preaching of that word. Each of us has our favorite passages from the Bible, but in Sunday worship we hear lots of scripture and we learn through the preaching what it means and how it applies to us. This is a collective process passed down through the years. The wisdom of the church throughout time. One of our favorite passages of scripture regarding worship is the one mentioned above, from Hebrews. We worship together to encourage one another in the living out of our faith, and provoking each other to be more loving and to do more good deeds for the sake of Jesus Christ. Our lives are complicated and busy. Sometimes we can feel worn down. That s when our worship together can renew and strengthen us. As we enter the summer season, think on these things, and come and worship! Pastors Wendy and Tim

2 Lutheran Charities 21st Annual Golf Classic Summer Praise begins on June 17 th As we move into summer, our worship schedule shifts a bit. Beginning on Sunday, June 17 th there will be only one service of worship in the sanctuary at 9:00am. At 10:30am worship shifts upstairs to the Friendship Room, where an informal, interactive service called Summer Praise is held. Discussion style sermons, Holy Communion. Come, join in! Waffle Church 2018 Hold Friday August 10, 2018 For the 21 st Annual Lutheran Charities Golf At Chestnut Hill Country Club in Darien It will be a great day of golf, food, beverages and prizes, plus the ever-popular (and ever-growing) congregation basket auction! It s time to think about Waffle Church. This is our church s summer Sunday School program for youth. The program will begin on Sunday July 22 nd. Sara Kuehfus and Pastor Wendy will be co-leading. The theme is TEAM Spirit emphasizing the social skills kids need to be followers of Christ. We will once again be collecting for the food pantry. As always it will be a good time for fellowship & learning. Golfers of any ability and volunteers are most welcome! Watch for our basket and please be generous in your giving. LUTHERAN NIGHT AT THE BISONS! Join the Lutheran Herd! Friday, July 20th is Lutheran Family Night at the Bisons at Coca Cola Field! A great evening of baseball, fun and prizes begins at 7:05 p.m. with fireworks to follow. Tickets are just $10 - contact Lutheran Charities or order on-line at LutheranNightAtTheBisons2018.bpt.me

3 Summer Giving Summertime can be a real challenge for a small church. While the days are beautiful and vacations or special outdoor activities beckon. The drop in giving can be worrisome for those charged with keeping the mission and ministry of the congregation up and running, even when you are away.. We learned at our most recent Council meeting that as of the end of April our expenses had exceeded our income by just over $15, Without your careful giving that amount could easily double by the end of the summer. An added worry this summer is that there is needed repair work needing to be done both to the parking lot and to the church which will run us easily another $5, This is work that has been put off, but now is urgent. Some of our members have addressed this by having their offering automatically withdrawn by their bank and sent to the church. They do this year round and it can be done weekly, monthly, or in any way that suits you. Some mail in their offerings directly from their own homes, and, of course, others place their offering in the offering plate as they attend worship throughout the summer. As your pastors, we ll tell you that seeing you, and your children, on Sundays through the summer is the best. We gather together either formally at 9:00am or informally at 10:30am to worship God. But if you need to be away, please do what you can to keep up your support of the congregation. Thanks. Prs. Wendy and Tim Thank you to all who participated in the Hearts for Houston fund raiser. We raised $202 dollars. Please remember these five young adults along with John Doerfler and Pastor Wendy as they gather for a week of faith formation. Through days spent in interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service and fellowship, young people grow in faith and are challenged and inspired to live their faith in their daily lives. Christopher Jankowski missing from photo St Paul's was part of the Lutheran world relief ingathering. 941 Quilts were received from 13 churches of which 82 were from St Paul's. Also collected were 144 Personal care kits; 51 baby care kits, 4 fabric kits, 19 blankets, 80 pounds of soap for a total of 245 boxes. Thanks to Sue Rojek and Pat McCarty for transporting 81 quilts (16 boxes weighing 357 pounds), May 1, 2018, to St. James Lutheran Church in Niagara Falls, their first stop on the way to Lutheran World Relief for distribution. Seven of the quilts were from St. John Creative Ministries." The youth gathering will be held June 27 thru July 1 in Houston Texas. Quilts for congregation to view and Pastor to bless Ladies Aid will have their last meeting on June 5 th. They will meet at Mr. Bill s for lunch. To resume September 11 th.

4 Members of St. Paul s; Once again spring is upon us and we are headed into summer, and our focus changes from inside to the beautiful weather and days our God has given us. Heading into summer there are a couple of things we should know and keep in mind. Once again St. Paul s will be offering camperships to Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Camp. To take advantage of this program please send me a note ( , snail mail or drop it in my mailbox in the office), include the camper(s) name and week(s) they will be attending and I will take it from there. Our picnic is coming up June 10 th and I am told that there will be more kid friendly activities. Hope to see you there. We have five young people off to Houston this year. THANK YOU, for all the support (financially and spiritually) that you have given to help us provide this experience for them. Finally, every summer we become more concerned about finances. This is due to us enjoying the season, and not attending church. There are a couple of options that will allow you to give, when it is not possible to attend. We have an account with tithe.ly. This is a site which allows you to electronically give. Go to the site our church is listed as St. Paul s ELCA. When on the site you can set up individual or recurring donations. It will also ask if you want to increase your donation to cover their fee. This can be done from your phone, computer or any other smart device. Most banks today offer a Bill pay service. I consider my donation in my personal budget, so like my other budgeted expenses each month I direct my bank to send a check for a given amount. The money is there even though I might not be. Finally, there is the mail service and good old tried and true check writing. Write the check, stick it in the mail and you re done. Have a most Blessed summer and enjoy all that the season has to offer. George A. Roeser Council President Golf Tournament Familial Cancer Foundation is hosting our 2nd annual golf tournament June 29th at Chestnut Hill in Darien. For $99 you get 18 holes with a cart, beverages and contests on the course, and a steak dinner with open bar. We are the first organization to be reaching out to identify individuals at high risk for hereditary cancers. We rely solely on private donations and fundraisers. Please consider joining us for golf or just the dinner portion. Visit our website for details, to register or to donate: Thank you. Contact Andrea Whitmarsh, Dawn Sagerman or David Johnston with questions or concerns.

5 Thank you to all who supported the Autism walk this year, and for the past seven years. With the generous support from friends at St. Paul s, the Brown Family reached their goal this year and raised $5,000. Bringing to their seven year total of over $42,000. To all the people especially the children that worked so hard to put together a joyous celebration for our congregation on Mother s Day. We appreciate all the effort that was put into it. Special thanks to Erin for continuing on after the untimely passing of her husband, so we could enjoy a wonderful service. SAVE THE DATE The LCLC Auction A fundraiser for ministry Location: St. John s Lutheran Church 6540 Main Street, Williamsville, NY October 20, :30 PM - 4:30 PM The LCLC Auction raised just over $12,000 last year. We need your help to meet or exceed that amount this year. Mark your calendars now and join us in October for a great event! Event Includes: Live auction for quilts, handmade artwork and crafts, and unique services Silent auction for a wide variety of theme baskets Cash and carry homemade pies Opportunity to connect with LCLC friends and alumni Snacks and drinks Closing Worship Helping LCLC to share the gospel in ways that give life people of all ages Donations Needed: Donations of quilts, pies, paintings, pottery, handcrafted items, special services, entertainment, and theme baskets are needed. Please call LCLC for information on how to make a donation Or visit

6 We all hope you re planning to come out for the Annual Joint Church Picnic at Ellicott Creek Park on Sunday June 10 th, beginning at 11am, shelter 10. The folks from North Park will be joining us again and members of the Faith Journey Band will be on hand to lead us in music. Worship with Communion starts us off at 11, with food and fun to follow. Hot dogs, beverages, and ice cream are provided free of charge. Bring a dish to pass, your table setting, and a lawn chair if you d like. Please sign up in the social hall or contact Andrea so we can plan accordingly for games and prizes, for the kids. Shelter 10 is near a huge play area so the kids will have a great time. Turn left off Niagara Falls Blvd. onto Park Road, just past the Ellicott Creek Rd. traffic signal. Watch for shelter 10. There will be a church service at 9:00 am at St. Paul s for those unable to attend the picnic. Food Glorious Food! Recently, the Family Justice Center received an offer we could not refuse. Davie Nuzzo, friend and supporter of the Center and a gifted chef, will be donating his culinary talents for the benefit of our clients. With the assistance of St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church and funding from the William Hein Company, Dave will be cooking and freezing homemade gourmet meals that clients can take home with them. Dave has been working on an initial menu that includes such delicious entrees as baked eggplant parmesan, chicken and shrimp enchiladas, and spinach and mushroom lasagna. These delectable meals, along with soups and cookies, will be available at each of the Family Justice Center s office. While the Family Justice Center has had an on-site food pantry to assist clients, David s meals offer something even better a pre-prepared hot meal that are sure to not only fill the stomachs, but also warm the hearts of our clients. We cannot thank Dave and his supporters enough for choosing to share their time and talent to support domestic violence victims and help them meet some of their most basic needs.

7 Congratulations to our 2018 Graduates Tessa Santillo: Tessa will graduate from Clarence High School. Tessa is a secretary of National Honor Society and co-president of Art Partners. Art Partners is a school service club that gives back to the community by using art. She was also a member of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). Tessa has been a fixture at St. Paul s in her early High School career where she helped at VBS and Sunday school. She has been employed in the after school program at the Little Red School House in Clarence. She is planning on attending Daemen College. Her major is undecided but Tessa received the award for the best art portfolio submitted for her admission. Jack Tamburlin has graduated from Alfred State with a degree in Electrical Construction Maintenance. Jack was admitted to the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) #41. Throughout his college career Jack has helped with a number of projects including wiring Whole Foods last summer. HE has accepted a position with Frey Electric. (Jack actually started the day after graduation.) On April 28th-29 th Vicky Woite competed in the Cheerleading World Championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando with her team Elite Heat All Stars 24K. Laceyanne Woite Inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Laceyanne Woite of Snyder, New York, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Lacey is pursuing a degree in Health and Human Performance at State University of New York at Oswego. Lacey is a lifelong member at St. Paul s. CONGRATULATIONS LACEY

8 Happy Mother s Day North Park s Faith Journey Band performing a concert for Sacred Sites on May 6

9 Apple Trees For Sierra Leone, Africa Throughout the months of May and June you will notice a tree in the Foyer. The Sunday School is sponsoring a program in which members of the congregation can donate apple trees to be planted in Sierra Leone. For $10.00 a tree, you can provide food and income for hundreds of people in this part of the world. To purchase a tree please take a paper apple next to the tree, write your name on it and tape it onto the tree. Money or checks made payable to 'Let them LOL' can be put in a marked envelope into the offering trays or on Sharon's desk in the church office. Our goal is to donate 50 trees, please help us reach this!! Thank you in advance for helping us with this worthy cause!! CARE FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT RECYCLE! Computer/electronics recycling: 69 Hayes Place (off Seneca St.) Metal recycling: Niagara Metals Buffalo, 1731 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY HOPE IN EL SALVADOR El Salvador is one of the poorest, most dangerous countries in the world. Extreme poverty and violence often cause Central Americans to migrate to the US. When they find a job, they send money back to their family members to keep them from starving. But it is a dangerous process to cross the border, smugglers often extorting migrants out of hundreds of dollars to guarantee their safety. So, the Salvadoran Lutheran Church has launched a migrant ministry program which offers basic humanitarian assistance food, medical care, and psychological attention and attempts to address the economic desperation that causes the poor to seek to emigrate. Start-up funds are available to open small businesses; in one village there are now stores, a fish processing business, a beauty salon, bicycle repair, and a plantain farm. Where violent gangs are the issue, victims are turning to the Lutheran Church for help. The ELCA supports the migrant ministry through the Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation, and Opportunities (AMMPARO). Learn more at elca.org/ammparo. Your mission support helps the Salvadoran Migrant Ministry! Thank you!

10 Dick Atkins Diane Busdiecker Dick Edwards Ursula Grau Beverly Heinricher Ed Jacobi Pearl Kibler Holly Kolb Marge Kolb Jim Murray Eva Paulson Art Plant Kim Retallack Tony Rizzo Pat Valentine BOOK CLUB will meet Sunday, July 15 at 3pm upstairs in the Friendship Room to discuss A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Our hostess will be Peg Clukey all are welcome. If you have questions, please call Ellen Pachioli at Rest In Peace Timothy C. Jankowski died on April 23, A memorial service was held at St. Paul s on May 5. Be sure to extend birthday wishes to these folks June 3 Ray Hopkins June 18 Cindy Sikorski July 10 Pastor Wendy July 14 Maureen "Moe" Sieteski July 18 Alexa Tamburlin July 19 Diane Busdiecker Church Library Addition ALTAR FLOWERS ($40) Open dates: June 10 & 24; July 1 & 29; August 5, 19 & 26; October 14 & 28; November 4, 11, 18 & 25; December 2, 9, 23 & 30 Forms are available in the narthex and foyer. Thanks to Ruth Hansen for donating a new children s book to our Church Library, "The Bird Olympics" written and illustrated by Ruth s daughter, Virginia Hansen." The deadline for our August edition of the voice is Monday, July 23, 2018 Please send your articles to stpaulsvoice@yahoo.com or in the box in the office.