April May Musings. Caring for others because Christ cares for us

Transcription

1 April 2018 May Musings This month, I want to share with you information on a variety of topics for the good of our community. Thanks for reading! Visioning sessions and follow-up event As I write this newsletter article we are halfway through our six weeks of questions in worship. I thank you for the perspectives that you have shared thus far and will continue to share in the weeks to come. For some of us, our best responses and ideas come after more intentional thought than this process allows in worship. If this is you, please reach out to me with additional thoughts. I want to hear from you. The follow-up event for these questions, which will include more information about where we go from here, themes that you lifted up in your responses, and time for conversation will take place after worship on both Saturday and Sunday, June 16 & 17. I hope you will be able to attend one of the sessions that weekend. Members of council, Vicar Adam, and I will be leading these gatherings. Steeple repair and chimney demolition Crossroads council approved two separate projects that will begin as soon as we have enough dry weather. The brick on both the steeple and chimney need significant maintenance. Council authorized Tri-Town Roofing to fix the cracks and brick on the steeple to maintain the integrity of this structure. The chimney on the building is no longer functional. It is slightly listing and in need of similar repairs. Rather than repair, Tri-Town suggested that they could remove the chimney for the same basic cost as repairing it. In short, Crossroads council authorized the repair of the steeple and removal of the chimney. Synod Assembly Voting Members needed Each year Crossroads sends two voting members, in addition to its pastor, to the Upstate New York Synod Assembly. Assembly this year is Sunday evening through Tuesday morning, June 3-5 in Rochester. We need two volunteers to fill this role. Please talk to me soon if you are curious, interested, or would like more information. There are inspirational speakers, meaningful worship, workshop options, along with the regular business sessions of the assembly. Harry Graser and Friend in Concert Sunday, May 20 at 3pm Harry Graser, our music director will be leading the last concert of Crossroads Community Concert Series this spring. I look forward to the variety of music he and his collaborators will share. Please plan to come and bring some music-loving friends and family for what I believe will be a great concert. Upcoming Summer events Impact Day Camp will be hosted at Crossroads again from July I anticipate another energetic collection of Kindergarten through fifth graders. We will need another great group of volunteers like we had last summer to help this work smoothly. Crossroads and St. Paul are still trying to finalize a weekend and location for a joint worship and picnic similar to what we held last summer. Keep watching your bulletins and newsletters. If you golf or know some golfers, I want to point you to two charity golf events this summer: The Lutheran Charities of Western New York Golf Tournament is Friday, August 10 at Chestnut Hill in Darien. The Bishop s Golf Tournament begins at noon on Monday, August 20 at Shadow Lake Golf in Penfield. In closing, thanks for being on this journey together. We have a lot to be thankful for, many important conversations to continue to have, and some exciting opportunities coming up. Peace and hope to you, Pr. Adam

2 Vicar Adam Instructions for the Intern As an intern I often take the role of the student. As the Vicar at Crossroads, I am not yet a pastor, and so I often tend to defer to Pastor Adam or to members of Crossroads when decisions need to be made. This is an appropriate role for a student to take in many ways. I am also reminded lately that there are times when even a student intern should act, decide, and claim my power. What does it mean to claim my power? As a kid I often dreamed of having a super-power like the heroes I read about in my comic books. Is this the sort of power I can claim now? Not exactly. When Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection, the last thing he says to them is, And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49) What sort of power does Jesus promise his disciples? This month we celebrate Pentecost. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came like a rush of wind to the disciples, resting on them like tongues of flame. Each of them could speak in a language so that others around them could hear them speaking about God s deeds of power. (Acts 2:1-13) God gave the disciples power in Jesus name, through the Holy Spirit to tell the world about Jesus love and defeat of death and saving grace. The disciples shared the good news in ways that others would understand and come to believe. Telling the story of Jesus is one of the powers given to the disciples. Jesus also, of course, charged his disciples with his authority to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19) The apostle Paul adds to these powers by listing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Paul also writes about the gifts of the Spirit, which include speaking wisdom and knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, discernment, language, and interpretation. (1 Cor. 12:7-11) gift to proclaim the truth of God s love through reading and preaching. And what about you? What is the power you have been given through the Spirit? Is your power one of those listed above, or do you have other gifts? Are you using this power? Are you claiming it in Jesus name? We claim our power through the Spirit not as individuals, not as members of a certain congregation, but as disciples of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, how are you using you Spiritual gifts, how are you claiming your power for the sake of others in the name of God?. Council Corner March saw lots of exciting things happening within the church. The council began the month with a joint meeting with St. Paul's council. We joined together to discuss our visions of the future for both our congregations. We all envisioned the perfect future for our church and began sharing ideas on how we could get to that goal including small steps now that we can take each week and each month to begin building for our futures. We shared ideas on future social events and the sharing of resources in helping to move us both to stronger, healthier churches. March also saw a fantastic gathering early in the month to celebrate all those that have given so much to our church through their volunteer efforts. The church is its people and it was heartwarming and uplifting to be able to celebrate for and with those that have given so much of themselves for the church, for others and for God. We were able to also take a new congregational picture to commemorate the event and each member received a specially designed Buffalutheran mug. March ended with the celebration of Holy Week and April brought us an early Easter and a chance to come together for the rising of our lord. As we look to May, the council will continue to listen for guidance from our entire congregation and work towards making Crossroads a vibrant place to worship. Please continue to share your feedback and ideas to help us do God's work! Andrea Weininger So what is my power in the Spirit? I have learned that it is good to listen, observe, and learn. It is also good to speak up, share what I know, and to question. It is a gift to be able to visit those in nursing homes and at home in the name and love of Jesus, sharing communion. It is a

3 Youth Night Saturday, May 19 th all 6-12 th graders are invited for a fun, impacting night together at Crossroads Lutheran Church. Families and youth are invited to worship at 5pm and we ll eat dinner together before our games and activities begin about 6pm and go until 9pm. The youth continue collecting returnable bottles until May 6 th. There is a garbage can in the gathering room or you can take the bottles to Integrity Bottle and Can Redemption, 2790 Sheridan Drive. Mention that this is for the ELCA Youth Gathering. Upcoming Events June 2, 1pm-4pm. 1st-5th Grade Spring Play Day at St. Paul s Lutheran Church in Eggertsville. Cost: Free! Tiger s Den Food Pantry THANK YOU for helping to supply the Tiger s Den Food Pantry. For the month of May we are asking for sugar. You may continue to place your food donations in the food barrel. -Carolyn Catalano Lutheran Chorale Concert The Lutheran Chorale of the Niagara Frontier bids Farewell To Thomas J. Mudd, Jr., Director with its concert of Thanks and Praise, Sunday, May 20, 2018, 4:00 pm at St. John s Lutheran Church Clinton St. West Seneca, NY. Call for more information. Youth Gathering Fundraiser The Grill at the Dome Tuesday, May 29, am closing 175 Brompton Road, Tonawanda, NY 20% of restaurant sales will support our youth attending the ELCA Youth Gathering in June May Birthdays 5 Corey Miller 21 Richard Palmer 6 Rana Weininger 24 Lois Snyder 8 Marina Rietz 25 Quinnton Adams 10 Lanny Repman 25 Kelley Omel 11 Arlene Eberhard 28 Josephine Slater 12 Laura Bernisky 29 Julie Fundalinski 12 Fiona Sikorski 31 Michael Graser 15 Louis Omel 31 Wolfgang Rietz May Birthday Lunch The April Birthday Luncheon will be held at 12 pm on Tuesday, May 15 at Just Say Cheesecake, 3553 Sheridan Drive in Amherst. Everyone is welcome whether it s your birthday or not. Call the church office for reservation. Geraniums Geraniums will be used on Pentecost weekend, and then planted in the church gardens. They may be purchased in memory or in honor of a loved one for $3.00 per plant. Order slips are available in the back of the church or you may call the church office to order a plant. Deadline for ordering is May 9. Garden Planting Day May 22 2:00 4:00 (Raindate May 23) Join us in planting the Pentecost Geraniums! Names of Graduates We would like to have the names of Crossroads= 2018 high school and college graduates. Please call or the church office with this information so that our graduates can be recognized in the June newsletter.

4 The best way to grow a congregation is for a friend to invite a friend to church! This is what the Crossroads Community Concert Series is all about bringing new people (who may not regularly attend church) into our church, have them actually sit in the seats, experience what a warm and inviting place Crossroads is, read about who we are and all we do for the community in the program s brochure, and motivate them to join us on Saturday night or Sunday morning. We have 160 seats to fill for the May concert with Harry and friends Synod Assembly Project The aluminum can tab collection project has proved to be a successful endeavor that all of our Synod congregations can participate in. There is a box in the coat room for your collections. Renewal In Nigeria The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) is in the midst of a renewal campaign to revitalize the church s educational ministries and welcome members and youth to better understand their faith as Lutheran Christians. With nearly 100 evangelists and missionaries, the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria reaches out to new communities with the gospel message of Christ and supports local communities through education, agriculture and other ministries. However, with a strong presence in northern Nigeria, the influence of radical Islamic thought had led to a need to reform, revitalize and renew the church s education initiatives and institutions to better teach the freely given liberating grace of God and protect against radicalization. Through the Global Ministries project, Nigeria: Reforming, Revitalizing and Renewing Education and Ministry, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is partnering with the LCCN to help the church discern its spiritual and educational needs, now and in the future. The goal is to raise $350,000 to be used to evaluate and restructure education initiatives and increase youth engagement in creative new ways. Learn more about this global ministry project at ry/global_ministries_nigeria.pdf. Your mission donations support this initiative. Thank you! We are church together for the sake of the world. God s work. Our Hands. Marcia Brown, mission interpreter It's time to register for Summer Camp 2018 It's time to register for one of our many exciting programs this summer. Please don't forget that camperships are available to help any child who wants to experience a week at camp. For more information or to register online, please visit our website via this link. Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center 5013 Rt. 430 Bemus Point, NY contact@lclcenter.org

5 MAY 2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Groups Using Crossroads Building: AA Meetings: Tuesday & Thursdays 6-7pm in the Fellowship Hall Northside Writers: 1 st & 3 rd Thursdays 7-9pm in the Lounge St. John Board Meeting: 2 nd Thursday of the month 2-3pm in the Lounge (Sept.-June) Al-Anon Meetings: Saturdays 10-12pm in the Lounge Garden Nursery School: Basement & Stage (Sept.-June) # pm Confirmation Class am Bible Study #3 13 9:15 am Sunday School am Bible Study 15 12:00pm Birthday Lunch at Just Say Cheesecake 7pm Church Council St. Paul s am Baby Blessings # pm Youth Group 20 Pentecost 3 pm Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon with Harry Graser am Bible Study pm Planting Geraniums pm Raindate for Planting Geraniums 24 # Office Closed :15 am Sunday School #2 29 Maundy

6 Crossroads Lutheran Church 4640 Main Street Amherst, NY Address Correction Requested Caring For Others, Near and Far, Because Christ Cares For Us. May Main Street Amherst NY (716) (716) fax Our Pastor: Rev. Adam Miller-Stubbendick Our Vicar: Adam Arends Won t You Join Us? Saturday worship 5 pm (Informal) Sunday worship 10:15 am Sunday School 9:15 am