Good News. Connecting People to Jesus. Nuts and Bolts by Pastor Gaertner. November Special points of interest: Inside this issue:

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1 Good News Connecting People to Jesus Special points of interest: Join us for good food Enjoy a Christmas worship for Ladies only! Getting ready for the children's Christmas program Inside this issue: Quitting is not an option 2 Harvest Dinner 3 Advent by Candlelight 3 Youth Activities 4 Pictures 6 Calendar 7 Nuts and Bolts by Pastor Gaertner A short history of St. Paul Lutheran Church by Pastor and Gaertner our rela- First Communion Class Information Submitted tionship to other Lutherans in America St. Paul Lutheran Church is a congregation of believers in Jesus Christ. We have been gathered together in our trust that Jesus is our Savior from sin, death, and the devil. The Holy Spirit created in us this saving faith, and the Spirit sustains us in this faith through the Word of God and the Sacraments. People come to St. Paul Lutheran Church for different reasons. I believe people come back Sunday after Sunday because our congregation is focused on sharing the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation that is found in Jesus. The character of our congregation from the beginning has been built on the principle that God s Word builds the community. On November 9, 1952 the first service of our congregation was held at Winans Lake School. The twenty-eight people who gathered together to form the Lakeland Mission sought to build a community of believers who were centered on the good news of Jesus Christ. Pastor Oscar Gerken of Walled Lake and Pastor Arnold Claus of Milford agreed to share the effort of organizing a mission outpost in remote rural Hamburg. This mission outpost was nurtured by the Michigan District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and was served by a succession of vicars. This body of believers continued to grow through the Spirit of God at work in the Word and the promises of God delivered through Baptism and the Lord s Supper. In 1959 this small congregation called Pastor Luther Kriefall to be its first pastor. Through his leadership the congregation became self-supporting and equipped to grow as a body of believers. He took a call to serve elsewhere in 1964, and in 1965 Pastor Carl Welser arrived as the pastor. He continued to shape this congregation around sharing the good news of Jesus in the community. After Pastor Welser s retirement, Pastor Mark Neumann served St. Paul. I arrived to serve the people of this congregation and community in Michael Hausch has been November 2014 the Director of Christian Education at St. Paul Lutheran Church since You can discover more of the history of St. Paul Lutheran Church in a booklet that was prepared in This booklet will be available in the narthex all November. On Sunday, November 9, our congregation will celebrate the founding of our congregation. This year is not a significant anniversary year, but it is another opportunity for us to give thanks and praise to God. This congregation has had different programs, organizations, and activities that have filled the calendar. These calendarfilling events did not grow this congregation. God has been at work through faithful pastors and a strong group of highly motivated lay persons at St. Paul Lutheran Church. The health of this congregation has been its strongest when the pastors and the congregation have worked together to make known the promise and hope found in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our congregation does not serve as a lone ranger in the wilderness of the world. We are supported in mission by being a part of the Michigan District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Continued on page 3

2 Page 2 Quitting Is Not an Option by Sheri Falzone similar goal, too. caught him. Matthew 14:27-31 Only God, not the community, can fulfill the yearning for righteousness -Sheri Falzone I am going to finish. -Anna Balhoff I didn t see her modeling the latest couture on the cover of a fashion magazine. She wasn t crooning a ballad, while swinging on a wrecking ball in a music video. Nor was she featured for her athletic feat on a cable sports program. Nope. A role model for me was sitting across the aisle two pews up from mine. Earlier in the year, Anna had posted on her Facebook page that she had entered a triathlon. Oh, Anna! I thought to myself, Are you capable of really participating in a triathlon? I knew Anna was a former Marine, but I worried about her health and the outcome of taking on such an event. Anna and I are the same age, same height, and in a similar weight class. I wouldn t have had the energy to train in such a short time frame nor the courage to attempt a triathlon. I followed her training updates on Facebook and prayed for her success. When she posted a photo on her Facebook page crossing the finish line with hands raised with a big smile on her face, I wept. I wept because she finished what she had set out to do, that she was okay, and because she gave me hope that perhaps I could achieve a A few months later, I visited Anna to learn more about her triathlon journey. The Tri Goddess Sprint Triathlon was a half mile swim, 10.7 mile bike ride, ending with a 3 mile run. She told me that she had just decided to enter the race. There wasn t any motive to prove anything to herself or anyone else other than she had been trying for years to manage her weight and become healthy. Anna gave me a detailed account of her training and triathlon experience. Throughout the entire race, she spoke of how race officials, volunteers and other racers asked her if she wanted to continue the race. The half mile swim was the first leg of the triathlon and she knew it would likely be the most difficult part of the entire race. When Anna reached the first buoy in the water, resting there, officials floating in kayaks asked her if she wanted to go in. No, she would continue she said. She struggled to keep going, her back went out of alignment, she experienced leg spasms, and she was coughing from swallowing lake water. With the last buoy in sight, Anna had a vision of Peter in the water. But Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! It is I. Don t be afraid. Lord, if it s you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water. Come, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and She believed she could make it to shore. Finally, on the shore, she heard a crowd cheering in the distance. Racers had already completed the entire triathlon and she still had to bike 10.7 miles and run 3 miles. Undaunted, she retrieved her bike. While biking, she sees a volunteer driving a truck picking up race markers. When she asked what he was doing, he remarked the race was over. Not for me, she would exclaim. He guided her where the markers had been only asking if she wanted him to drive her up to the finish line. No, she said, I m going to finish. When she reached the run portion of the race, two runners who had already completed the race but had decided to go for another run, noticed Anna. They, too, would ask her if she wanted to give up. No, Anna said, Quitting is not an option! Between intervals of walking and running, together, they guided Anna to the finish line. In Anna s words, I survived! Throughout her storytelling, I kept thinking how many times in my life had I allowed people to encourage me to quit. Or, how many times did I give in to peer pressure? Anna s faith did not allow her to give up, give in, or even let her body give out until she finished the race. Quitting, she said emphatically, was not an option. All she heard was, Take courage! It is I. Don t be afraid. She heard Jesus say, Come! Cont. on page 4

3 Page 3 It s Harvest Dinner time again by Barb Wahls Mark Your Calendars! The date for our annual Harvest Dinner is Saturday November 8th from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Come and enjoy an all you can eat turkey dinner and good fellowship. Tickets go on sale starting Sunday, October 12th between services. Advanced tickets are required so we can plan for how much food we will need. Tickets for adults 12 and up are $7, Children 5-11 are $5, and Children 4 and under are free. Any questions can be directed to Barb Wahls at Advent by Candlelight for Women by Bonnie Stowe To all adult women of St. Paul, invite your mothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends to an evening of fellowship, desserts, carols, and a very special program to prepare our hearts and minds for the Christmas Season on Monday, December 1st from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. appropriate traditional Irish and Celtic music. Seating is limited. Please sign-up to attend between services on Sunday, November 9 th, 16 th and 23 rd in the Fellowship Hall. Any questions, can be directed to Bonnie Stowe at The Village Strings and Dulcimer Society will join us to present a collection of religious Christmas tunes mixed with A short history... continued The LCMS is a conservative Lutheran denomination in America that was founded in 1847 by German immigrants. The Rev. Matthew C. Harrison is the current president of the LCMS. The LCMS now has 6,100 congregations and more than 9,000 pastors. With 2.2 million members, it is the eighth-largest Protestant denomination in America. The LCMS supports two seminar- ies, 10 colleges, and our congregations operate the largest Protestant parochial school system in America. The LCMS is in full doctrinal fellowship with 33 other Lutheran church bodies worldwide. You can read more about the LCMS at lcms.org. There are 35 districts in the LCMS, and 33 of these districts are defined along geographic lines. The Michigan District offices are located in Ann Arbor. The Rev. David Maier is the district president. The district is subdivided into 44 circuits, and our congregation is in the Ann Arbor Circuit. The Rev. Larry Courson is our circuit visitor. A circuit visitor helps oversee the other pastors within a circuit. The position is best understood as a peer advisor.

4 Page 4 Good News St. Paul Youth Happenings by Mike Hausch IMAC I Am A Christian (5 th and 6 th graders) On November 23, we are going bowling at Belmark Lanes! We will meet at church right after the 11:00 am worship service. The gathering spot will be by the kitchen. We will bowl 2 games, eat pizza and drink pop. The cost is $10. A sign up sheet will be posted by the kitchen in the small fellowship hall. The IMAC December Activity will be Laser Tag on December 7. LAC Living Active Christians (7 th and 8 th graders those in Confirmation instruction) On November 16 we are going to Sky Zone, an indoor Trampoline Park that is awesome fun. We will have lunch together and then head to Sky Zone in Canton. The cost is $14 and advanced sign up is required. The sign up deadline for this activity is Sunday, November 9. A sign up sheet will be by the kitchen on Sunday, November 2. Pick up the waiver from Mike or take one posted on the bulletin board by the kitchen. We may also do a Rake and Run Service Project during November. Watch the announcement page and your for details. The LAC December Activity will be Angel Tree Shopping on December 6, at 10:30 am. Quitting... Cont. from page 2 There is joy in Anna s story of perseverance. Even so, there is a point of sadness in it, at least, to me. At the end of her story, Anna told me how she was grateful the congregation prayed for her and how Janet Simpson had been her motivational coach during her triathlon training. At the beginning of the race Anna scanned the crowd of onlookers and supporters, she saw no one she knew. Then an acquaintance from work spotted her. Nancy just happened to be at the race that day, and when she found out Anna was there alone, she said she would see Anna off at the starting line. Anna said her spirits lifted and she was encouraged by Nancy s presence. Tearfully, I thought, How many people surround me in the pew who not only need my prayers, but who also need my presence? I wished I had not speculated on her success, and that I had done more than just follow her sporadic Facebook posts. Yes, I had prayed for her, but she could have used my presence in that race, too. Anna taught me more than what was possible. Her triathlon journey was a witness to the importance of community and being present in the lives of my church family. Connecting people to Jesus has since taken on a whole new dimension for me and quitting is not an option.

5 Page 5 Librarian s Recommendations by Jean Schneider The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern. Youth The Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving lasted three whole days. Ann McGovern's simple text introduces children to the struggles of the Pilgrims during their first year at Plymouth Colony and the events leading to the historic occasion we celebrate today. The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh and Helen Sewell. Youth The Thanksgiving Story is a distinguished book on that holiday. Miss Dalgliesh has told the Pilgrim story simply from the point of view of the Hopkins family whose little Oceanus was born on the Mayflower. Helen Sewell made wonderful full-color pictures. Same Kind of Different As Me: A modern day slave, an international Art Dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together by Ron Hall Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent. A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it. It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana and an East Texas honky-tonk and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda, an upscale New York gallery, a downtown dumpster and a Texas ranch. Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love. What Difference Do It Make, Stories of Hope and Healing by Ron Hall Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent. What Difference Do It Make? Continues the hard-to-believe story of hope and reconciliation that began with the New York Times bestseller, Same Kind of Different as Me. Ron Hall and Denver Moore, unlikely friends and even unlikelier coauthors. A wealthy fine-art dealer and an illiterate home- less African American share the hard-to-stop story of how a remarkable woman s love brought them together. Now, in What Difference Do It Make? Ron and Denver along with Lynn Vincent offer: more of the story, with untold anecdotes, especially Ron s struggle with his difficult father and Denver s dramatic stint in Angola prison. The rest of the story, how Same Kind of Different as Me came to be written and changed the lives of its authors. The ongoing story, true tales of hope from people whose lives have been changed by Ron and Denver s story and how they make a difference in their worlds. Your part in the story, wise, practical, and hard-lived guidance for how you can make a difference to those in need. Plus intriguing extras, including full-page color samples of Denver s paintings. Deeply moving but never sappy or sentimental, What Difference Do It Make? answers its own question with a simple and emphatic answer. What difference can one person (or two) make in the world? A lot! Children s Christmas Service Our Sunday School children are now preparing to lead us in celebrating the birth of our Savior. They will be using the familiar hymn, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing written by Charles Wesley to direct us to the Christ Child and His wondrous birth. Using the Bible passages of promise and fulfillment, we will celebrate His birth. The celebration will take place on Sunday, December 21, at the 11:00 am worship service. Our children have already started practicing the songs in the Opening Devotion of Sunday school and in the near future speaking parts will be distributed.

6 Page 6 Last Month in Pictures

7 Page 7 NOVEMBER St. Paul s Special Events and Scripture Readings Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Matthew 21: Jeremiah1:1-19; Matthew 21: Jeremiah 3:6 4:2; Matthew 22:1-22 7pm Leadership Team 4 Jeremiah 5:1-19; Matthew 22:23-46 Election Polls 6PM Boy Scouts 5 Jeremiah 7:1-29; Matthew 23: Jeremiah 8:18 9:12; Matthew 23: am Hymn Selection 6pm Girl Scouts 7 Jeremiah 11:1-23; Matthew 24: Jeremiah 20:1-18; Matthew 24: :30pm Harvest Dinner 9 Jeremiah 22:1-23; Matthew 25: Jeremiah 23:1-20; Matthew 25: Jeremiah 23:21-40; Matthew 25: PM Boy Scouts 12 Jeremiah 25:1-18; Matthew 26:1-19 6pm Brownies 13 Jeremiah 26:1-19; Matthew 26: Jeremiah 29:1-19; Matthew 25: Jeremiah 30:1-24; Matthew 26: am Fall church clean up 16 Jeremiah 31:1-17, 23-34; Matthew 27: pm LAC Sky Zone 17 Jeremiah 33:1-22; Matthew 27: :30pm Love Knots 18 Jeremiah 37:1-21; Matthew 27: PM Boy Scouts 7pm LAMB 19 Jeremiah 38:1-28; Matthew 27:57-66 NEWSLETTER ARTICLES DUE 20 Daniel 1:1-21; Matthew 28:1-20 6pm Girl Scouts 21 Daniel 2:1-23; Revelation 18: Daniel 2:24-49; Revelation 19: Daniel 3:1-30; Revelation 20: pm IMAC Bowling 24 Daniel 4:1-37; Revelation 21: Daniel 5:1-30; Revelation 21:9-27 6PM Boy Scouts 26 Daniel 6:1-28; Revelation 22:1-21 7pm Thanksgiving Eve Worship 27 Isaiah 1:1-28; 1 Peter1: Isaiah 2:1-22; 1 Peter 1: Isaiah 5:1-25; 1 Peter 2: Isaiah 6:1 7:9 ; 1 Peter 2:13-25 Weekly Schedule Sunday 7:30 a.m. Fresh Brew Bible Study 8:30 a.m. Worship 9:45 a.m. Education Hour 11 a.m. Worship & Kids Connection Monday 9 a.m. Quilters 11 a.m. Women s Bible Study Wednesday 8:30 a.m. Classical Conversations Saturday 8:30 a.m. Men s Bible Study 9 a.m. Altar Preparation 10:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Tuesday 9 a.m. OldTimers 6 p.m. Scouts *indicates off-site events

8 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hamburg, MI Permit No. 53 St. Paul Lutheran Church P.O. Box E M-36 Hamburg, MI RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Worship Times Sunday 8:30 am Traditional Divine Service 9:45 am Christian Education Hour for All ages 10:45 am Fellowship Time 11:00 am Blended Divine Service 11:00 am Kids Connection for Preschool 2nd Grade after the Children s Message Give Thanks unto the Lord! Evan Gaertner, Pastor TheRevEv@gmail.com Michael Hausch, DCE mike@stpaulhamburg.com Phone: Fax: stpaul@stpaulhamburg.com Facebook.com/stpaulhamburg Join us on Wednesday November 26th at 7:30pm for our Thanksgiving Eve Service. Please bring a food item to donate for our Christmas food baskets.