The Voice. Advent, Baptism, Christmas Blessings Abound. Evangelical Lutheran Church. Lighting Candles to Watch for Messiah.

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1 The Voice Westerville, Ohio January 2013 of grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Lighting Candles to Watch for Messiah Shirley Wortman, Carolyn Martin Robert, Joy, and Matthew Longfellow Jason, Becky, Amber, Ashley and A.J. Hockstok Advent, Baptism, Christmas Blessings Abound Alexa Rose Drakulich Born 1/17/12 Rylee Mariee Neighbarger Born 11/6/2002 Melanie Brianna Moore Born 4/9/12

2 A message from Pastor Walston Following the Star As I sit down at the computer this morning the news is full of coverage on the tragedy that took place in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty children and six adults at an elementary school in the suburban town were victims of a shooter. Psychologists are trying to make sense out of such a horrific event advancing theories and possible reasons that might have precipitated the killing. Others have spoken of evil as the motivation for these murders while others feel more attention must be given to mental illness in this country. The grief of parents and family members is beyond comprehension. A community, a nation, a world is devastated by this news from small town, USA. Thinking ahead past the Christmas Season and peering into the church s next season, the season of Epiphany, I am reminded that Matthew shares another story of the senseless killing of children. Only Matthew records the story that follows the visit of the Wise Men with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the young Jesus. Now when they had departed, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord and spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: A voice was heard in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children: she refused to be consoled, because they were no more. Two thousand years ago the town of Ramah, North of Jerusalem, was the scene of national grief inflicted by an enemy. Scripture tells us that families were inconsolable. There are other dark pages in history that tell of a million and a half children who died at the hands of the Nazis in the Holocaust. Now there is Columbine, Virginia Tech, Chardon, Tucson, Fort Hood and many other communities in this country and abroad to remind us that we live in a dangerous and imperfect world. In the face of tragedy and sorrow, it s hard to know what to say. Answers don t come easily. But I think of what one of the nine-year-old survivors of Sandy Hook Elementary said to her parents, If I can get through this, so can you. The Christ Child, the boy Jesus, the brightest and best Star of the morning, the Light of the world, promises to get us through our times of national darkness and personal darkness. In this new year of 2013 may the words of Scripture and the hope we have in Jesus Christ guide and strengthen us. Pastor Walston From the Archives by John Kleberg A notice in the Westerville weekly, The Public Opinion, announced the dedication of the first church building for Grace on East Home Street for October 16, The Congregation which was organized in May 1909 worked quickly to build the first building to hold regular worship services. The building served the congregation until 1936 when a new brick exterior and various interior improvements was completed. That building, much unchanged, is still located on the East Home Street site. A Public Opinion article in 1960 noted the celebration of the 50 anniversary of the Congregation. An interior view of the church shows the old altar, currently on display in a Rose Garden room along with two chancel chairs, which were preserved. The VOICE of Grace January Page 2

3 Concert Series The February 10th concert featuring Brian Cheney and Cathy Veneble has been canceled. Please check the next edition of The Voice for further updates. We continue to be in need of volunteers to help park cars, greet our visitors and take up the freewill offering. If a husband and wife team would like to volunteer as a team, a single person or a family please let Carolyn Martin know your desires. Please contact Carolyn at (614) or martin1529@sbcglobal.net. Please consider helping us. Thank you! A reception in our Gathering Space follows each event. There is no admission charge for A Joyful Noise! concerts. A free will offering will be taken. 10-Day Holy Land Tour November, 2013 Pastor Hartfelder and Bishop Callon W. Holloway are working together to offer members of our Southern Ohio Synod the opportunity to travel to Israel in early November, The 10-day tour includes hotels, airfare, in-country transportation, all breakfasts and dinners and most lunches. Planned locations are: Caesarea Maritima; Mount Megiddo (Armageddon), Caesarea Philipi, Nazareth, Cana, the Sea of Galilee, Mount of the Beatitudes, Capernaum, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and many more. The estimated cost is $3,349* per person (double-occupancy hotel room). At this time there is room for 30 participants. Please contact Pastor Will at ; or w.hartfelder@grace43081.org with your questions and/or to reserve a place. *price does not include gratuities (ca. $90), optional travel insurance ($270) and airport tax and fuel surcharges which are subject to change until tickets are issued. Katharine Circle Katharine Circle will meet in Rose Garden #1 Tuesday, January 8 at 7:15 pm. We are studying the series Couples of the Old Testament. Our lesson Jacob and Rachel will be led by Juanita Martin. If you are interested in joining us or have any questions, please call Margie Cepek at Please join us! The VOICE of Grace January Page 3 Katharine Circle will meet in Rose Garden #1 on Tuesday, January 8th at 7:15 p.m. We are studying the series Couples of the Old Testament. Our lesson IJacob and Rachel will be led by Juanita Martin Wednesday Mornings (10-11am) Grace Women s Bible Study The Wednesday Grace Women s Bible study has begun a new topic: The Book of Judges: Heroes and Heroines of Israel s History. Judges, the 7th book of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, is full of stories about divinely inspired leaders who serve as wise and faithful champions. Participants will practice reading these stories within their original contexts with application for faith and life today. Bring your Bible! Time: am. Day: Wednesdays. Location: Fellowship Hall. Teacher: Pr. Hartfelder. For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church 100 E. Schrock Road, Westerville, OH PH: (614) Web: office@grace43081.org Rev. William A. Hartfelder, Senior Pastor VM 11 w.hartfelder@grace43081.org Rev. Richard O. Walston, Visitation Pastor Cell (614) rjwalston@msn.com Dr. Karen Eckenroth, Music Ministries VM 10 KEckenroth@otterbein.edu Linda Hoch, Organist Kathy Snead, Office Administrator VM 18 k.snead@grace43081.org Marjie Penn, Receptionist/Secretary Paul Hotchkiss, Custodian Jack Pfeifer, Property Manager wrtjack@yahoo.com Jocelyn Shuman, Preschool Director; VM 14 littleblessingspreschool@grace43081.org

4 David Kile and Abigail Kotik Headed for Faith Trek Our Southern Ohio Synod has a program for youth called Faith Trek: An Adventure in Christian Leadership and Service. The brainchild of Bishop Callon Holloway, Faith Trek 2013 is taking place for the sixth time. It doesn t happen every year, only when the Abigail Kotik and David Kile Synod can adequately fund it. Every congregation is invited to nominate up to two young people from grades nine or ten. Pastor Hartfelder nominated David Kile and Abigail Kotik. Both have been invited to participate and have accepted the invitation. Although there is a cost to participate, thanks to the generosity of a member of Grace our congregation is able to provide a scholarship to David and Abigail. The program has six parts and begins February 2nd with a Inaugural Banquet at the Confluence Park Restaurant in Columbus. It will conclude at the end of July. Some travel is involved. Faith Trek is part of our Youth and Family ministry. The Voice will report on the activities of David and Abigail over the next several months as they take this special Faith Trek. Grace Seraphina Sisters Help with W.A.R.M./Rotary Food Drive Pictures from the WARM/Rotary Food Drive that the Seraphina Sisters took part in. Empty bags were dropped off in Westerville neighborhoods on Saturday, December 1 and then filled bags were picked up from those same neighborhoods on Saturday, December 8. The Seraphina Sisters next get together is scheduled for Friday, January 11 at 7:00 PM. Mollie Okonak is the host. For specific details please Connie Brenning (cbrenning@att.net) for the link to the Seraphina Sister s Yahoo site. Scioto Valley Brass Performed Before Packed House on December 9th In what has become a tradition at Grace, the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company, directed by Chris Hoch, awoke the Westerville community to the coming of Christmas with magnificent and glorious proclamations. Many thanks to the Joyful Noise concert series of Grace for their continuing efforts in providing inspiring and quality programs. The VOICE of Grace January Page 4

5 We re so glad you asked.. A response to questions and concerns on a variety of topics. If you have a question, please put it in writing and deliver it to the Church Office or it to: office@grace org. Questions must be signed. Question: I thought the three recent baptisms (December 9th) were a wonderful and powerful celebration. I also think it s great we can now baptize older children and adults by immersion. However, Pastor Hartfelder also dipped one of the infants while he was standing in the water! Is that right? Do we Lutherans do that? When it comes to Holy Baptism there is a long history to our Christian belief and how this Christian belief has been practiced. Sadly, all-too-often our differences have done more to divide the Christian family than unite us in the gift we have in Holy Baptism. Martin Luther preferred immersion in the water. Indeed, he advocated for total immersion of the one being baptized regardless of age. Why? Luther looked to Holy Scripture and, as in Romans 6, the imagery of our being baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus (Luther s Works, 1551 edition, Vol. 2, p. 76). Luther also cited the Greek for baptism and its meaning of being immersed. Likewise, Luther looked to the German word tauf for baptism, noting it comes from tief, the German word for deep, because what one baptizes sinks deep into the water (Ibid, Vol. 21, p 229). However, Luther neither required immersion nor did he ever make the accusation that baptism by water applied in any other way was not a valid baptism. In his Small Catechism, Luther refers to the third chapter of Paul s Letter to Titus and writes: How can water do such great things? It is not water that does these things, but God s Word with the water and our trust in this Word. Water by itself is only water, but with the Word of God it is a life-giving water which by grace gives the new birth through the Holy Spirit. So, yes, we Lutherans can baptize by immersion and Martin Luther would give us a thumbs up! Grace Altar Guild Meeting The Annual Altar Guild meeting will be on Saturday Feb. 16th, from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Join our discussion as we reflect on last year and plan for We will also set up team schedules. Coffee, juice and rolls will be served. Stewardship Corner Ten Principles for Graceful Giving* This is the first in a series on ten principles for the Christian disciple s graceful giving. Each principle is reflected in St. Paul s words (2nd Corinthians, chapters 8 and 9) to the new Christians in the prosperous, hustling and bustling first century city of Corinth. Scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version. Principle One: - Christian giving is always a personal response to God s grace St. Paul writes: We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; 2 for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, 4 begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints 5 and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, 6 so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. Paul s words are very personal. First, he addresses those to whom he writes as brothers and sisters. Paul isn t writing to the residents of Corinth in general, but to a specific community. It s the community that, despite its urban diversity, is united under one name: Jesus Christ. For the believer, our giving is always a personal conversation among brothers and sisters in Christ. Second, Paul refers to the Macedonians generosity as a reflection of the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia. They are generous not because they are so good but because God has already given everything in the person of Jesus Christ. For the believer, our giving is always a generous personal response to the flesh and blood gift of God s grace in Jesus Christ. Third, Paul s states how the generosity of the Macedonian Christians comes in the midst of their personal experience of life s hardships. In verse 2, Paul speaks of the Macedonian churches ordeals, their joy, and their poverty. The Macedonians generosity is neither an intellectual exercise nor a byproduct of their affluence. It is rooted in their daily experience of God s grace in real life. For the believer, our giving flows from our personal experience of the generosity of God in all things. Next month: Principle Two: Christian giving is always a positive gift of the Spirit *Based on John Stott s Ten Principles of Christian Giving Copyright 2002 John Stott. The VOICE of Grace January Page 5

6 01 Jan Agler 03 Wayne Dray Allison Friend 04 John Clark Daniel Ray Casey Campbell 05 Scott Dunn Cheryl Martin 07 Linda Seamon Megan Sweet Anna Dove Alison Rothmann Skyler Sharfman 08 Alberta Parsons Angela Hughes Medin Ucubagabriel 09 Shirley Moleno Madeline Wareham Cole Myers 10 Sarah Smith 11 Jon Sweet Lisa Kuhar Celebrations January Anniversaries Thank you from the Shugerts! The Shugert family would like to thank Pastors Will and Dick and the members of the Grace Lutheran family for your caring, your cards, and prayers during Dave s long journey with cancer, especially this past year. To know that you were thinking of us and were praying for our strength and courage meant a great deal to Dave and to our family. The presence of so many of you during viewing hours or for the memorial service was a wonderful gift to all of us. As we re certain Dave anticipates his best Christmas ever, we know he joins us, in spirit, to wish you a blessed and meaningful one, as well. Gratefully, Jean and the family Ja n u a r y B i r t h d a y s 11 Heather Singleton Randall Roshon Joseph Cashman 12 Donna Avery Hill 13 Hanna Phillips Evelyn Heimrich Larry Gehlhar Linda Sima Linda Fichtelman Sarah Peters 14 Marilyn Hagan 15 Lois Turner Jill Morrison Elizabeth Heydman Abigail Reynolds 16 Patricia Patterson 17 Nelson Miles 18 Marcelene Kennedy Brian Campbell Andrew Rhodebeck 19 Lenny Warncke David McMahon 20 Roger Wells Jeff Monroe Shelbi Kurtz 21 Amy Quinn Erika Finy Eli DeTemple 23 J essica Whitacre 24 Dawn Dyke David Quast 26 Becky Miller 27 Ray McMillen Kathleen Schulter Justin Cashman 28 Barbara Clarkson 29 Tom Seamon Matt Breen Brandon Hannum 30 Sharon Ulrich Leslie Cohagen 31 Kenneth Fischer Carl Sellke Christine Heilmann Michael Hanley 11/24/2012 Alexa Rose Drakulich Born 1/17/12 Rylee Mariee Neighbarger Born 11/6/2002 Melanie Brianna Moore Born 4/9/12 07 Ande & Tsegu Ucubagasbriel 28 Ray and Roberta Bertelsen 31 Dave and Patricia Patterson Thank you from the Hartfelders! My family and I thank you, our sisters and brothers in Christ at Grace, for the many expressions of care, condolence and prayer we have received at the death of my mother, Margaret Veronica Hartfelder, who died in Christ, December 7th. My mother was blessed with 91 years of life and during that time she was a blessing to many. Words cannot express the depth of my love and appreciation for the gift of my mother in my life. Likewise, words cannot express the depth of my affection and appreciation for all of you. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones (Psalm 116:15) With you in our Lord s Church and service, Pastor Will and family The VOICE of Grace January Page 6

7 Blood Drive Our first Red Cross blood drive for 2013 will be held Tuesday January 15, 2013 from noon to 6:00 pm. Sign up appointments will be set up in the Gathering Space on 1/6 and 1/13. First time donors please start the new year out right and help to save someone s life. It s a great feeling! Regular donors thank you for your continued life sharing support! Happy New Year to all from the Staff of Little Blessings Preschool Our preschool children have enjoyed many fun days of social, educational and spiritual growth through learning activities, play and song. Our awesome teachers provide many wonderful classroom activities, field trips and special programs. The school year is flying by. Enrollment for 3, 4 and 5 year old children for the preschool year will begin soon. Grace members are welcome to take advantage of early enrollment for fall classes before registration is open to the community. Early registration is Thursday, February 14, 2013 for current, alumni and Grace families. Open registration for the community begins Tuesday, February 19, I would be happy to send you information about the registration procedures. I encourage you to visit Little Blessings, meet the teachers we are so blessed with and see a class in action. Please call me at to schedule a tour or if you would like more information about Little Blessings Preschool. Jocelyn Shuman, Preschool Director Grace Sermons Are Available on itunes Download past sermons as a podcast from Apple s itunes store! Grace is on FACEBOOK. Check it out. Click like. Write on the Grace wall, or add some pictures or an event to the Grace calendar. A New Years Resolution Suggestion: Just Refuse Refuse to fall down. If you cannot refuse to fall down, refuse to stay down. If you cannot refuse to stay down, lift your heart toward heaven, and like a hungry beggar, ask that it be filled, and it will be filled. You may be pushed down. You may be kept from rising. But no one can keep you from lifting your heart toward heaven. Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés Stay up-to-date on the ministries of Grace. Log on to Church Council President... Bill Kulju Ph: (614) kuljub@att.net Vice President... Julie Abrams Ph: (614) jabrams@napls.us Treasurer... John Hicks Ph: (614) johnmh3@gmail.com Senior Pastor...Will Hartfelder Ph. (614) w.hartfelder@grace43081.org Members at Large: Jeff Brenning... jbrenni@att.net Ph: (614) Joanne Figge... jcfigge@gmail.com Ph: (614) Angela Hughes... oangelajustine@gmail.com Looking ahead to next summer Ph: (614) Save the Date Vanessa Stewart... vsrnc@aol.com VBS/LOMO day camp for next Ph. (614) summer will be the week of Randy Stoll... rstoll3@columbus.rr.com July 14-19, Ph. (614) The VOICE of Grace January Page 7

8 FIRST FRUITS MINISTRY WISHES ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR Honor the Lord with your substance and the first fruits of all your produce. (Proverbs 3:9) The last twelve months have passed quickly. The economy remains stagnate and the outreach efforts that Grace has undertaken to help W.A.R.M. continues. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this important ministry during the past three years. Our First Fruits Ministry is a way for all of the people at Grace to give back to God what He has given to us through donating to the Westerville Area Resource Ministry Food Pantry (W.A.R.M.). Cut out the January grocery list, have it with you as you shop, and consider purchasing items for the pantry. Please check expiration dates on all items. JANUARY GROCERY LIST: Canned Items: Chicken, hash, chili, and soups Boxed Items: Hot cereal, rice sides, potato sides, pop tarts and hot chocolate Hygiene Items: Deodorant, shampoo, tissues and diapers (sizes 5 and 6) Hotel/motel toiletries are also appreciated. Contributions may be placed in our grocery carts at any time with the primary emphasis on the first Sunday of each month. Checks should be made out to Grace Lutheran Church, notation to W.A.R.M. Cash may be placed in the boxes that are with the grocery carts or in an envelope marked for W.A.R.M. into the offering plate. Please contact Jill Morrison at if you and your family would like to help on one First Fruits Sunday at the service of your choice. God s blessing to all during 2013 and for making First Fruits a part of your regular giving. NEXT FIRST FRUITS SUNDAY is JANUARY 6 and then FEBRUARY Outcomes for Summer Lunch Program Dear Pastor Hartfelder and everyone at Grace Lutheran who volunteered in the Westerville Area Kids Lunch Club this past summer. Thank you so very much for the enthusiastic and sustaining support you gave to the program and the children we served. By volunteering at the site, you forged positive and kind relationships with the kids and staff. This made the program fun and engaging, which, in turn, encouraged children to come regularly to recieve the much needed nutrition. vdecember 2 Totalsv Over the summer we distributed 9294 free children s lunches and an additional 10,212 weekend backpack Food/Hygiene = pounds meals to Westerville children at our four sites. With the Monetary = $ grace of your support the children also received the message that they are loved and valued by their community. Thank you again for your time and love. Sincerely, Deb Wallace, WARM Project Coordinator Westerville Area Kids Lunch Club The VOICE of Grace January Page 8 Totals to Date for 2012 Food/Hygiene = 3,690 pounds Monetary = $ 4, October 10, 2012, Dear Pastor Will, W.A.R.M. extends our sincere appreciation to you and your congregation for your generous effort in supporting W.A.R.M. during the third quarter of Your monetary donations of $1, along with approximately 871 pounds of food have provided significant help in our mission to provide nutritious meals to our clients and their families. Our church partners are so essential in our efforts to assist those in need, here in our comminity. Thank you for your grace in sharing and your support for our organization. May God bless you and all the members of Grace congregation. With WARM thanks, Scott Marier, Executive Director. p.s. Your contibutions supplied 10,539 meals to those in need this past quarter - ministering life in a practical and much needed way. The Gospel in Action is Powerful!

9 The Youth and Family Ministry and Learning Ministry want to emphasize that all children are welcome to participate at any time throughout the year. If your child is only able to participate once or sporadically through the year, we still welcome his/her involvement. Mark Your Calendars... MARCH Kingdom of Bounce Party - Grades 1-5 SPRING All Church Camp To be held on Church Grounds In January, the Sunday School lessons will shift from Old Testament to New Testament stories. We will revisit some aspects of Advent and Christmas as lessons during these seasons are often put aside for play practice (many thanks to Erin Bopp for coordinating this) and family time. Preschool class will focus on: the visit from the wise men, the baptism of Jesus, taking care of baby Jesus, and Jesus as a child. Kindergarten/1st grade will cover: the visit from the wise men, the birth of John the Baptist, Jesus in the temple, and Jesus heals in Capernaum. 2nd/3rd grade children will learn about: Simeon and Anna, King Herod and the escape to Egypt, John s teaching, and Jesus temptation in the desert. 4th/5th grade is discussing: John the Baptist in prison, Jesus goes to Nazareth, the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus teaching about anger. Middle schoolers will continue with the new curriculum they began exploring in November. This age group has increased steadily over the past few years and currently has between 8 and 10 students each Sunday. Their teachers, Carrie O Neil and Dan George, are excellent leaders for this group. High school attendance has also increased in size (and diversity as it is no longer all girls). Larry Beckwith and Ted Ray provide a great lesson each week utilizing the Faith Lens blog from the ECLA. Faith Lens is a weekly Bible study that engage youth and young adults in connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life. It can be found at : Malaria project: The Sunday School children are embarking upon a new service project: reducing the number of children in Liberia who contract and die from Malaria. This past Sunday School BLAST DANCE and PIZZA PARTY 1st through 5th Graders January 13, :30-6:30 p.m. Bring a friend who is also 1st through 5th grade Contact Christine Kotik cmkohio@yahoo.com summer, Pastor Glen Benson spoke about the EL- CA s Malaria Campaign during one of the weeks he served as a substitute minister at Grace. The statistics are disheartening, especially when the solution is so simple. Currently, a child in Africa dies every seconds from Malaria! The solution to this problem is mosquito netting, medical treatment, and education. The offering contribution from the Sunday School children will go toward purchasing mosquito netting for the children in Liberia so that they may enjoy safe, peaceful slumbers. This is an easy concept for the children to understand: under the netting, safe; not under the netting, not safe. As with the Raise the Roof project, a visual representation of their progress will be maintained. YOUTH AND FAMILY Dance party: Children in 1st through 5th grade are invited to join in the fun of a dance party on Sunday, January 13. (see Blast Dance above) Watch the Sunday bulletins for additional information. Safe Sanctuary Policy: The Youth and Family Ministry has been working on revisions to the Safe Sanctuary Policy: Policies and Procedures for the Prevention of Child Abuse. This document outlines the steps taken to ensure the safety of children and youth participating in any of the programs at Grace. Components of the policy include, but are not limited to, criminal background checks for all paid and non paid individuals working with children and youth, procedures for reporting incidents occurring within various programs, and striving to have two adults present at all youth events. Council approved the revisions at their December meeting. A full copy of the policy is available for review in the children s ministries section of Grace s website: The VOICE of Grace January Page 9