Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania October 2017 Volume 6

Transcription

1 Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania October 2017 Volume 6 Greetings my sisters and brothers! Inside this Issue Pastor s Message.. 1 Deacon s Message. 2 October Events... 3 Council Notes... 8 Christian Education 8 MLCCC Music Ministry Witness & Service. 12 Blood Drive Birthdays In the Mail Synod News Calendar This month we join Lutherans and other Protestant Churches around the world celebrating the 500th year anniversary of the Reformation! It may be difficult for our minds in 2017 to imagine, but in 1517, the idea that there could be any Christian Church other than Roman Catholicism was revolutionary! The bold and brave ideas of the young Martin Luther both shocked and angered the organized church of his day! His understanding of the primacy of Holy Scripture and viewing the Word of God as standing above the traditions of the Christian Church launched a revolution! 500 years removed, we take many of the blessings of the Reformation for granted. In some ways, we have normalized what was once earth shattering revelations and we may have lost sight that throughout our history the Lutheran Church has been a bearer to the world of reformation. Things that are now seemingly commonplace such as children communing at young ages was once brand new. During the 19th century of American Lutheran Church history the idea of conducting worship in the English language was revolutionary. In the 1950 s, Women having the ability to become ordained ministers of Word and Sacrament was seen as a revolutionary idea and the church reformed again! I write this article with a sense of awe and reverence for our ancestors who were so bold in their own understanding of God and in their own faith walk that they were willing to make bold declarations of the Love of God in their generations! Today, you and I are on this same kind of passionate movement of Reformation! This past Sunday St. Matthew s Lutheran Church and Messiah Lutheran Church voted to consolidate and become the (Continued on page 2) 1

2 (Continued from page 1) Light of Christ Lutheran Church! For less than a month The United Proclamation of the Gospel has been in existence which has united three communities of faith together in powerful and profound ways in order to share the love of God in this world. Can you see my sisters and brothers? We are walking to the same beat of the Reformation Drummers that our ancestors walked before us! 500 years ago when Martin Luther hung the 95 thesis on the doors of the Wittenburg Chapel. Nearly 300 years ago, when Muhlenberg and others advanced the Lutheran Church on the shores of America! 150+ years ago when Lutheran seminaries were created on our soil and debates raged over German or English language! Nearly 50 years ago when women were allowed to enter our seminaries and become ordained! 37 years ago when major Lutheran denominational bodies in our country came together to form the ELCA! Yes, my sisters and brothers, we are walking to the beat of the Reformation Drummers and just like in generations that proceeded us, the pilgrimage that we now walk is a holy journey. It s a journey that will take some getting used to. It s a journey in which we will have to say thank you and good bye to some longstanding traditions that have formed and shaped our faith, such as where we worship, or when we worship, or exactly how we worship. Yet It is a journey in which we know that our God is accompanying us! It s a journey that will reshape and reform church as we have known it in the past and allow God s Light and God s Love to grow and flourish in the 21st Century in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania! This month my friends, you and I don t just have the opportunity to rejoice and celebrate the path that was taken by our ancestors 500 years ago; we get to rejoice and celebrate God s ability to continually renew and reform the church in our present! May the Lord be with us all! Peace and blessings Pastor Jerry Dear members of Messiah, Our new name says it all - Light of Christ Lutheran Church. We will proclaim to the community around us that we are a church that shines Christ's love for all to see. We will show Christ's love as we continue to serve the hungry with our Food Bank ministry. We will show Christ's love to the families who bring their children for Christian preschool education. We will show Christ's love in all the projects of outreach we promote through special offerings, meal preparations, food collections, the Giving Tree, the Christmas Ingathering, Blood Drives, the Day of Service, ELCA Good Gifts and other ministries. We have accomplished many goals of outreach as a congregation but is it enough? Is there more we could and should do? As we move forward with our plans to be two congregations joined as one, let us think of ways to expand what we are doing or, instead, replace old ideas with new ones. We have an opportunity to do many things differently. We will be a new congregation and we can put our collective imaginations to work. There is nothing stopping us. We have God on our side and holy words of blessing and commissioning from (Continued on page 3) 2

3 (Continued from page 2) scripture. Christ frees us from sin and death to do and to be God's hands on this earth. Light of Christ Lutheran Church is a newly created body of believers and, with God's help, we will move forward with faith, hope and love to do God's will. Thanks be to God for giving us the unconditional love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to guide us in this most important chapter of our congregation's ministry. Yours in Christ, Deacon Linda Maule Four Worship Opportunities Every Week Wednesday 6:30 PM, St. Peter s Campus- Holden Evening Prayer Saturday 5:00 PM, Messiah Campus Holy Communion Worship Sunday 9:00 AM-St., Peter s Campus Holy Communion Worship Sunday 11:00 AM, Messiah Campus Holy Communion Worship Ministries to help us SEE AND KNOW God on a Deeper, more personal level! Weekend of September 30, October 1, th Sunday after Pentecost Jesus parable about two sons who don t do what they say reveals surprises in the reign of God, such as prostitutes and tax collectors going before others into God s kingdom. In the reading from Ezekiel the people question whether the ways of the Lord are unfair; instead they are to repent and turn to the Lord. Paul urges us to look to Christ as a model of humility, looking to the interests of others above our own. Nourished by the broken bread and shared cup, we offer our lives for the sake of our needy world. Brewing Theology! Monday, October 2, 2017 Join your friends for a wonderful discussion in a relaxing atmosphere with the ability to share in beverage and food! Brewing Theology is a night when sisters and brothers get together at TAPS located on 378 South of Bethlehem for informal discussions about faith and the world around us. This month we will come together on October 2nd at 6:30 PM (though some of us are there earlier to eat) and share time of fellowship together. Our gathering normally lasts until approximately 8 PM. This is a great place to ask questions and simply process the world around us through a faith perspective! Weekend of October 7, 8, th Sunday after Pentecost In today s gospel reading, Jesus tells a parable of the vineyard, an image of Israel, the prophets mission, and Christ s death. For Christians, the vineyard also speaks of God s love poured out in the blood of Christ, given to us for the forgiveness of sin. Grafted onto Christ the vine at baptism, we are nourished with wine and bread, that we may share Christ s sufferings and know the power of his resurrection. Weekend of October 14, 15, Harvest Home This weekend s worship experience will focus on the abundant blessings God provides in (Continued on page 4) 3

4 (Continued from page 3) this world for humanity and all creatures to thrive and flourish! Some of the wonderful traditions to celebrate this day from our sisters and brothers from the Messiah Campus will now be shared with the UPG. We ask that you please bring canned or non-perishable items, or a monetary offering to the worship experience of your choice. During our worship experience everyone from the congregation will be invited to bring their harvest home gift forward to the altar area to share with people who continue to be hungry in our world. Cinema for Christ! Thursday October 19, 2017 We will be offering Cinema for Christ! on Thursday October 19th in place of our Stories of Faith Bible study. This month s offering will be held in the social room of our St. Peter s Campus This evening s movie night will include a fellowship meal that will be set out at 5:00 PM and the UPG will provide the hot-dogs! Participants are encouraged to bring a side dish or a desert to share. The movie will begin at 6:00 PM, however the food will be left out for any late arrivals. Following the movie there will be a time for reflection and discussion! The October movie that we will be viewing is Luther a story about a young monk who literally changed the world without ever intending to do so! Consider coming out and enjoying a wonderful movie along with great fellowship and discussion! Weekend of October 21, 22, th Sunday after Pentecost In today s first reading God uses the Gentile ruler Cyrus to accomplish divine purposes. When the Pharisees try to trap Jesus, he tells them to give the emperor what belongs to him and to God what belongs to God. To gather for worship reminds us that our ultimate allegiance is to God rather than to any earthly authority. Created in the image of God, we offer our entire selves in the service of God and for the sake of the world. Weekend of October 28, 29, 2017 Reformation Day On this day we celebrate the heart of our faith: the gospel of Christ the good news that makes us free! We pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to unite the church today in its proclamation and witness to the world. In the waters of baptism we are made one body; we pray for the day that all Christians will also be one at the Lord s table. Please take note: There will be separate celebrations of Reformation Day on the two campuses of the UPG. Pastor Jerry will be preaching and presiding at the celebration of the St. Peter s Campus at 9:00 AM and will be present for post-worship celebrations! Holden Evening Prayer, every Wednesday 6:30 PM (Chapel) Not able to be present with our community of faith on Sunday morning? Need a little spiritual pick-me-up in the middle of the week? Why not come out and join your sisters and brothers who gather in Christ s name each Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM in our chapel to celebrate Holden Evening Prayer. This worship experience lasts approximately minutes and offers a reflection on Scripture, and a celebration of Holy Communion. (Continued on page 5) 4

5 (Continued from page 4) UPG Saturday Evening Worship Every Saturday evening at 5:00 PM we gather together on our Messiah Lutheran Church campus (2020 Worthington Ave.) to celebrate a worship experience with Holy Communion! Please consider joining us for this wonderful weekend opportunity! Women s Bible Study Gathering As Lutherans around the world prepare to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation and the posting of Martin Luther s 95 Theses, the women s Bible study will focus on the Apostles Creed found in Martin Luther s Catechisms~large and small. The Catechism is used to teach people the faith. So, for three months The Apostles Creed will be the focus of the study time. The author of the study is The Rev. Julia Seymour who serves Hope Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska. The study is found in Gather magazine,published by Women of the ELCA. Copies of the magazine are provided for each woman. Women gather in the Social Room from 9:3o to 11 AM, on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays~October 3rd & 17th (St. Peter s Campus). The coffee and tea pots will be ready and light snacks will be shared. ALL women are welcome. Come and bring along a friend. This will be a time of learning together, so no previous Bible study experience is needed!! Be part of this time of sharing, learning, praying and growing together in the faith. UPG Men s Fellowship Each Wednesday morning at 6:30 AM all men are invited to participate in our UPG Men's Fellowship Group! Our group is meeting in the Youth Room on our Messiah Campus and is currently reading Brennan Manning s Ragamuffin Gospel! Coffee is always brewing and our time together also includes an opportunity for mutual support and encouragement to one another. Stories of Faith Bible Study Join us every Thursday at 9:00 AM (Messiah Campus Library) or 6:30 PM in Messiah Campus Fellowship Hall for Stories of Faith Bible Study. During this 90-minute session we will take a closer look at the Scripture assigned for the coming Sunday's worship experience and explore the questions and thoughts that you bring to these Scripture lessons! There is no prior Bible Study experience necessary to join this lively discussion, simply bring an open heart and willing ears and see where the Spirit will lead our discussion. Consider joining us! A fellowship meal preceeds our evening study beginning at 5:30 PM Sunday School for young people available on both campuses of the UPG Sunday School is open to all children of the UPG on both campuses! St. Peter s will host Sunday school for pre-school, primary school, and confirmation youth on our campus immediately following our 9:00 AM worship experience. On our Messiah campus, Sunday school is available for children of all ages from 9:30 10:30 AM weekly. Please note that our worship experience on the Messiah Campus occurs at 11:00 AM each week. Adult After Hours Class Elizabeth Elterich has graciously agreed to lead our Adult After Hours class for adults during the Sunday School hour following our 9:00 AM worship experience (St. Peter s Cam- (Continued on page 6) 5

6 (Continued from page 5) pus). As Lutherans around the world prepare to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation and the posting of Martin Luther s 95 Theses, the women s Bible study will focus on the Apostles Creed found in Martin Luther s Catechisms~large and small. The Catechism is used to teach people the faith. So, for three months The Apostles Creed will be the focus of the study time. The author of the study is The Rev. Julia Seymour who serves Hope Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska. The study is found in Gather magazine,published by Women of the ELCA. Copies of the magazine are provided for each woman. Editors note: You may have noticed that several of our normal weekly ministries have moved to our Messiah Campus. Our hope is that this effort will allow more of our sisters and brothers in Christ from our Messiah and St. Matthew s campus to feel more comfortable with our ministries. In January of 2018 we will move these weekly ministries to a more permanent location utilizing both campuses of the UPG. Ministries to help us SHARE what we know about God with the world around us! Fall Community Day Festival/Day of Service Messiah Campus Saturday September 30, 2017 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM The Witness and Service team of our Messiah Campus is sponsoring this Fall Festival. Activities for children and adults will take place on the front lawn of our Messiah Campus, with food and baked goods available for sale in the Fellowship Hall. The youth will hold a car wash for free will donations. Cake walks will take place on the half hour. Proceeds from this year's Day of Service will provide care packages for men and women serving in the military. Please sign up to volunteer your help and wear your God s work. Our Hands" T-shirt that you may still have from last September s Day of Service. Come and join in the fun, fellowship and food. BETHLEHEM AREA CROP HUNGER WALK - Sunday, October 8, Mark your calendars for the 33rd annual CROP Hunger Walk in Bethlehem. Registration starts at 1:00 p.m. and walkers will start off at 1:30 p.m. Routes are 1, 3, 6 miles with rest stops along the way. Contact Matt Piszel for information at or bethcropwalk@att.net Wreaths Across America Last year, St. Peter s shared wonderful gifts and talents to help bring Wreaths Across America to Bethlehem! Ronnie Frankenfield has shared a wonderful ministry which lays Christmas wreaths at the graves of our veterans who have been laid to rest in Fountain Hill Cemetery. Each wreath costs $15. If you would like to sponsor a wreath or several wreaths for this wonderful ministry you may place your financial gifts in the boots located at the back of St. Peter s sanctuary, fill out a form on the table display, or go to to make an online gift designating Fountain Hill Cemetery. We thank you in advance for your support of this ministry. New Bethany Ministries Over the summer, our Food Pantry served more households than usual. While we traditionally serve approximately 250 families monthly, the summer months saw over 300 families utilizing our Pantry each month. Accordingly, our shelves are empty. We are currently in need of (Continued on page 7) 6

7 (Continued from page 6) donations of any of the following: Canned Fruits & Vegetables Canned protein like tuna, chicken, salmon, or spam Pasta and sauce Peanut Butter & jelly Breakfast items like cereal, oatmeal, and breakfast bars Hydration items like water bottles, juice, and Gatorade Place your donations in the baskets near the church doors. Thank you for helping to feed our hungry sisters and brothers in Christ! ST. MATTHEW S FOOD BANK Please think of each Sunday as a time to bring food offerings to Messiah for St. Matthew s Food Bank at our 11:00 AM worship experience. Items still needed: instant mashed potatoes, spices and condiments: cinnamon, chili powder, oregano, thyme, nonstick cooking spray or canola oil, also, canned fruits or fruit cups (canned in its own juice or no sugar added). Thanks to all for your donations. These items can be purchased at Aldi s or the dollar store. Thrift Shop Volunteers We are always looking for additional Thrift Shop Volunteers to help facilitate the South Bethlehem Thrift shop on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 10:00 AM (This month October 10 th and 24th.) Please contact Evelyn Smith if you might be interested in helping with this important ministry! Blankets for Around the World One of the projects of Lutheran World Relief is to provide warm blankets for those who have experienced trauma in their lives~~floods, earthquakes, tsuamis, or other natural disasters. Think of your favorite blanket~~one from childhood that was soft, cuddly; one you took with you to college that brought you comfort; the one issued to you in the service reminding you of home; the one surrounding you while recovering from surgery or health issues. Blankets bring warmth, comfort, and protection in times of need. If you can use a scissors, iron fabric, or tie knots, YOU can help make blankets to be given to people around the world who have a great need to know people care during their time of need. Blanket making happens in the St. Peter s Social Room the 3 rd Tuesday (October 17, 2017) of each month from 11:30 AM to about 2 PM. Bring your lunch and join others in making these life giving need, you will feel warm and comforted as well. Come, see how YOU can help with blanket making! BackPack Buddies Needs our Help Back Pack Buddies is a ministry of CoMiT, run through St. Paul s Lutheran Church in Fountain Hill that provides food for financially insecure families in the Bethlehem Area. Each Friday afternoon, children receive food that they can consume over the weekend. A shopping cart on the second floor of our Christian Education Building is available for you to share any food you would like to contribute to this wonderful ministry. Back Pack Buddies is currently in need of cereal, peanut butter, canned vegetables and/or fruit, soup, Macaroni and Cheese, canned one-dish meals or healthy snacks! (Continued on page 8) 7

8 (Continued from page 7) Souper Day for New Bethany Ministries Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 17, at noon at Blue on Easton Avenue for Souper Day. Cost is $35 for lunch, with all monies going to New Bethany as Blue provides the site, food, and staff at no cost. The event is the main fundraiser for New Bethany Ministries, our neighbor on Fourth Street for 31 years. During the past year New Bethany served over 57,000 meals at the meal center and provided help and housing for the most vulnerable in our community. To make a reservation, make out a check for $35 per person to NBM. Write Souper Day in the memo line and mail to New Bethany Ministries, 333 West Fourth Street, Bethlehem PA Plan to attend Souper Day to support our neighbors in need. The event normally ends by 1:30, enabling people to attend over the lunch hour. Come enjoy a good lunch while providing help for children and adults in our neighborhood. Fellowship Meal 6:00 PM, St. Peter s Campus, Christmas Eve worship 8:00 PM, Light of Christ Campus, Christmas Eve Worship 10:30 PM, Light of Christ Campus, Christmas Eve Worship December 25, :30 AM, Light of Christ Campus, Christmas Day Worship December 31, :00 AM, Light of Christ Campus, Hymns and Carols joint worship Christian Education Friend Request Us On Facebook! Congregational Council Meeting Highlights from September The United Proclamation of the Gospel conducted its first joint council meeting night on September 19, The following worship schedule was approved for the Christmas Season 2017: Saturday December 23, 2017, 5:00 PM, Light of Christ campus, Longest Night worship experience December 24, 2017, 10:00 AM, St. Peter s Campus, Lessons and Carols joint worship 3:00 PM, St. Peter s Campus, Children s Christmas pageant 4:30 PM, St. Peter s Campus, Christmas Dear Members and friends, On Sunday, September 10 th we welcomed our Sunday School students, their families and our teachers during our Rally Day celebration. Thank you to all of the families, teachers and our Educational Ministry Committee who donated food and supplies for this day. After our opening it was great to celebrate the beginning of another year of Christian Education with activities, fun, food and fellowship. Thank you to Kathy Pelletiers, Tracy Haas, Michelle Harvey, Carol Knauss, Ann Nonnemacher, Leslie Snow and Jerry Clavens for leading the Reformation themed activities: building sand castles, creating Here I (Continued on page 10) 8

9 (Continued from page 8) Stand church doors, Bible Word Pudding Pictionary and fun with dress ups! new students will receive their bibles during our 11:00 a.m. worship service: Please notify me if a child in your family is older than third grade and has not yet received a bible. We welcomed four new children on Rally Day and look forward to welcoming more in the coming weeks. Our Sunday School students and members donated enough school supplies to give bags full of pencils, pens, paper, folders, pencil boxes and more to our members who are teachers at area schools for their students in need. Thank you to everyone who helped in this way. Our confirmation students will be going to Bear Creek Camp the weekend of October 13-15, We will be joined by three students from St. Peter s Lutheran Church as well as Pastor Jerry and his wife, Shirley, Chris Bosco and Jennifer Powell. We are looking forward to participating in the low ropes course and learning how to work together to accomplish a goal. We will also be worshipping together led by the students. We will be enjoying each other s company in a beautiful setting where the students can reflect upon their faith and recognize where they feel God s presence in their lives. October 15th we will be collecting food for St. Matthews food bank during our Harvest Home worship services and in our Sunday School. Please remember to come to church and Sunday School with a nonperishable food item or items to share with those who are food insecure. Items especially requested are jars of peanut butter, cans of tuna fish, baby food (and baby diapers). On October 22, 2017 our third graders and Please welcome the following new class of catechetical students when you see them at events at Messiah and in worship: Taylor Baggest, Hannah Bosco, Olivia Grube, Hannah Nolan, Hailey Martin and Massimo Piscitello. Parents of college students and military members: please submit your son/daughter s address to the office before November 4, 2017 if you would like them to receive mailings from Messiah and a care package!!! We will be in need of bakers, packers and donations to fill the packages. Closer to time, a sign up sheet will appear in the narthex. Our Sunday School and Vacation Bible School have collected offerings for the St. Matthew s Food Bank. In August $ was mailed to St. Matthew s Church for their food bank. All of this money was given in offering by children and their families to help those people who are facing food insecurity. Thanks Be To God for this offering! Looking ahead to Messiah s Educational Ministry s Events: October 8, 2017 Crop Walk Catechetical students and families encouraged to attend October 13-15, 2017 Confirmation Retreat at Bear Creek Camp October 15, 2017 Harvest Home Food Collection October 22, 2017 Presentation of Bibles during the 11:00 a.m. service, (Continued on page 10) 9

10 (Continued from page 9) reception to follow October 22, Bible breakfast to be held in the fellowship hall during Sunday School. November 4, 2017 Care Package Assembly 10:00 a.m. Fellowship Hall November 5, 12, 19, First Communion Classes Time: 5:00-6:00 pm. - Library and Sanctuary November 11, :00 p.m Confirmation Class Dinner Fellowship Hall for those young people being confirmed on November 12, November 12, 2017 Confirmation Service, reception to follow December 3, 10, 17, 2017 part of each Sunday School class devoted to the Children s Christmas Eve Service for preschool through 6 th grades. December 3, 2017 First Sunday in Advent and First Holy Communion, reception to follow December 16, :00-11:00 a.m. Rehearsal for Children s Christmas Eve Service December 24th- 3:30 p.m. Children s Christmas Eve Service, No Sunday School this day. There are two ways in which you can support our school in addition to your prayers: Participating in Giant Food Stores A+ School Rewards Program By registering your bonus card number our school can accumulate points from October 6, 2017 through March 15, 2017 and be given a monetary donation from Giant based upon the number of points attained. These points do not take away from your personal bonus points. To register go this web address Our school ID number is Please see Lynn or call the church office if you do not have internet access. You do not need to reregister your bonus card number if you registered last school year!! Participation in the above program positively impacts our preschool. Each year of our participation in this program Giant has donated more than $1, to the Messiah Lutheran Church Child Center to be used to support our school! Thank you for your help! Like and Follow Us On Facebook!! On November 13, 2017 we will host another Friendly s Family Fun Night at the Friendly s at 3099 William Penn Highway from 5:00-8:00 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will go to our preschool. Please come and enjoy the fellowship with Messiah s members and our preschool families while enjoying dinner or just yummy ice cream! We also will hold a Christmas themed basket raffle during the evening. Thank you to Susan Schellenberg who applied to Thrivent for an Action Team Grant! (Continued on page 11) 10

11 *Continued from page 10) We were accepted and will use the money to support this event. Thank you, Thrivent Financial!! Please mark your calendars as this is lots of fun!! The week of September 11, 2017 we opened our doors to thirty-eight children and their families. We had a very good start to our school year with only a few children experiencing difficulty separating from their families. September found the children excited to learn about their new classrooms, their teachers and classmates names and looking forward to playing with new friends. During October some of the classes will be going to the pumpkin patch for games, activities and picking pumpkins. The children will experience the changes in God s fall world as well as paint, read and sing about signs of autumn in their classrooms during the month of October. Chapel lessons will begin in October where the children will learn that Jesus is God s Son and what it means to follow Jesus. Pastor Jerry is reading one story to us every Tuesday and teaching us a few new silly jokes throughout the school year!! It is a wonderful way for the children to get to know him and him to know them. One child recently told me I heard Pastor Jerry when Pastor Jerry was in the library leading a class and the child was with me in my office - how great is that!!! J Pastor Jerry also officially opened our school year with a short worship service on our Backto School Information Night for our parents. His message was reflective of what it means to be a church school. We are truly thankful for Pastor Jerry s involvement! Soon to come during the month of October, Pastor Alfred Ruggiero will lead a story time with our children. Pastor Al read to us last year and we look forward to his return soon. This school year we are sponsoring four children with tuition assistance. Please consider donating to our scholarship fund. All money that we receive goes directly toward tuition for a child. Requests for assistance are ongoing throughout the school year. Contribution envelopes for our Scholarship Fund are located on the card table in the narthex. Respectfully submitted with prayers for our members, friends and MLCCC families, Lynn Terry Christian Education Director/MLCCC Director Lynnjt680@verizon.net MLCCC (610) October 1 - Holy Communion and Baptism (Joshua John Sangillo) October 8 - Holy Communion (also the day of the Bethlehem Crop Walk) October 15 - Holy Communion and celebration of Harvest Home (Please bring non-perishables for the food bank.) October 22 - Holy Communion and presentation of third grade Bibles October 29 - Holy Communion and celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation as we worship for the first time as Light of Christ Lutheran Church (please wear red). 11

12 Christmas Ingathering Throughout the fall season, we will be collecting 100 cans of shaving cream and 100 disposable razors toward our commitment to the Christmas Ingathering. Please begin to bring your donations in and place them in the box in the Narthex (next to the TV) labeled Christmas Ingathering. The Ingathering is Wednesday, December 6th. Thank you for supporting our outreach to the social service agencies of our community. MUSIC MINISTRY ON THE LIGHT OF CHRIST CAMPUS Senior Choir rehearsals began last month on September 13 th. We can be found on the 2 nd floor of the Education Building every Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM. We need and welcome additional singers as we prepare for our participation each week in worship and as we prepare to celebrate the 500 th Anniversary of the Reformation on October 29 th at the 11:00 AM service. Contact Linda Maule ( ) or just join us at rehearsal. You will be glad you did and we will be grateful. Chime rehearsals will begin soon as soon as we have a full complement of players. We are in urgent need of volunteers to play several positions. You will have many willing hands helping you to become familiar with chime playing. We play hymn tunes arranged for three octaves of chimes. Our rehearsals are on Sunday mornings between 9:30 and 10:15 AM. Please contact Linda Maule ( ) if you are able to join us. Blood Drive on the Light of Christ Campus Blood Drive Coordinators Kasey and Chris Bosco are anxious to sign up potential donors for the Fall Blood Drive on Sunday, November 5 from 8 AM to 12 PM. You will find the signup sheet in the Narthex or contact the Boscos directly ( ). A simple act of giving can save a life. REFORMATION SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29 TH, ON THE LIGHT OF CHRIST CAMPUS To celebrate the 500 th year of the Reformation and the creation of Light of Christ Lutheran Church, the worship service on October 29 th at 11:00 AM will feature a brass choir and an expanded senior choir. We will also welcome in joyful fellowship our sisters and brothers from St. Matthew's congregation as we worship together for the first time as one congregation seeking to shine Christ's light into our community and beyond. Please be present to worship and praise God on this special festival day. 12

13 1 Rosalie Adducie Eloise Laufer 3 Olivia Grube Frank Kociolek 4 Paul Toub 5 Sandra Butch 6 Luke Pokojni 9 Matthew Piszel 10 Peggy Bankowski 11 Joyce Hittinger 13 John Borso, Jr. Harry Musgnung 18 Alexandria Jimenez 23 Joyce Lang 24 Cliff Bengston 25 Daniel Terry Anthony Villani 26 Richard Chontofalsky Mark Murray 27 Alison Hepler 29 Todd Jones 30 Roseann Bannon Keegan Thompson 31 Patricia Chontofalsky Clifford Ousley Thank you for all the prayers and cards while Randy was in the hospital. Unfortunately he did not make it home. Special thank you to Pastor Dody for her prayers and support. Janette Moyer Dear Pastor Kulp and members of Messiah, Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers through our high risk pregnancy these last seven months. Your prayers and well wishes ensured we would be watched over and have a safe and successful delivery. Thank you, Pastor Kulp, for joining us in the hospital just before delivery to pray with us. It meant the world to us and put our minds at ease before such a major surgery. We appreciate the beautiful flowers and birth rose from members. Baby Betsy had a perfect delivery and is doing wonderfully, as is Mom. Blessings, Kristen, Tom, & Betsy Christman Dear Members Lutheran Church, Thank you very much for the gift of $290 that we received in July of We are grateful for your support and for your partnership in the Gospel. It takes a great team of people and congregations to keep the ministry of Bear Creek Camp alive and well and we are very thankful that your congregation is part of our team. We are very excited about what God is doing at Bear Creek Camp. We are happy to provide opportunities for spiritual growth, community building, faith formation and exciting adventures to all our campers and guests. We understand the positive impact that time at Bear Creek Camp has on our campers and we pray that they will take home what they learn here and share it (Continued on page 14) 13

14 (Continued from page 13) with others in word and deed. I encourage you to keep up with all that is happening at Bear Creek Camp by checking out our website at bearcreekcamp.org or by liking our page on Facebook. We would also love to show you around and explore all we have to offer. Thank you once again for your gift! We thank God for you! Sincerely, Dan Scharnhorst Bear Creek Camp Executive Director The Reformer is always right about what s wrong. However, he's often wrong about what is right. G.K. Chesterton Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons. Jim Bishop You aspire to great things? Begin with little ones. St. Augustine Appreciate and act October is Pastor (or Clergy) Appreciation Month, reminding church members to thank their hardworking ministry leaders. But the people in the pews though they might lack official church titles also play important roles in doing God s work. In User Friendly Churches (Regal Books), researcher George Barna compares the behavior of people in growing vs. stagnant or declining churches. Members of growing churches actively participate in the church s ministry. They did not divorce their faith from their lifestyle; their faith was their lifestyle, Barna writes. They took seriously the classical Reformation doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. By contrast, laypeople in stagnant churches tend to observe rather than participate. They perceived their role as being in the audience in the stands, Barna notes, nodding approvingly in efforts to demonstrate religious behavior as the clergy went through their paces. Appreciate your pastors, but then follow their example by living out your beliefs! Just show up! In A Million Little Ways (Revell), Emily Freeman says in order for Christians to show up as you are with what you ve been given, we must confront these statements I m not cut out for this. Someone else can do it better. People might not like it. I have nothing to offer. I hate my calling. It s a waste of time. It s too much work. Who do you think you are? A million loud voices keep us from the million little ways [Jesus] wants to show up through us to the world, Freeman writes. MESSIAH S MISSION STATEMENT Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church is a congregation of faith committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Reflecting His love in our lives through worship, witness, and education, we serve community and worldwide needs. 14