January Worshiping God, Growing in Faith, Serving Neighbors--near and far

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1 The Messenger January 2015 St. Matthew Lutheran Ithaca, OH Worshiping God, Growing in Faith, Serving Neighbors--near and far Our 2015 Council members were installed on December 7, Please remember that everyone is welcome to our meetings, which are (usually) held on the 1st Monday of each month, beginning at 7 p.m. Our first meeting will be held on Monday, January 5. If you would like to know what s going on at our meetings, we post the most recent approved notes on the bulletin board in the back of the sanctuary and take-home copies are available on the back table. A list of all council members, their phone numbers and addresses, is included in our 2015 WELCA booklet (available on the back table) Thanks to our out-going council member, Ken Bailey, for your service. It is very much appreciated. The Altar Flower Signup Sheet for 2015 is posted and ready for your signature!! The cost is $28 for a centerpiece and $33 for a set of vases Please see the bulletin board in the back of the sanctuary (or see Mary Hofacker). Payments can be made by designating altar flowers on your offering envelope. If you would like something added to the bulletin about your flowers, please give Shannon a call Offering Envelopes are now available on the back table. If you are new and would like to use envelopes this year, please contact Shannon McCullough (skmccullough@earthlink.net or ) Or, if you prefer a simpler way of giving, see our Treasurer, Jane Brown, about our Simply Giving Program.

2 OUR MONTHLY WELCA MEETING will be held at the home of Earlene Morris on Wednesday, January 14 at 7 p.m. We will continue our studies in the Gather magazine with the January issue, Repent and Forgive, based on Psalm 51:10. Don t forget that we are serving at the Grace Resurrection Center in Greenville: Soup Kitchen on January 14, and Food Bank on January 29. If you would like to help, please let us know. During the months of January through March, we collect items for the Personal Care Kits for Lutheran World Relief. Each kit is to contain: One light-weight bath-sized towel (between 20 X 40 & 52 x 27, dark color recommended bath-size bar (4 to 5 oz.) of soap, any brand, in its original wrapping (2 per kit) One adult-size toothbrush in its original packaging One sturdy comb, remove packaging Metal nail clippers (file optional) Any donations you are able to make are greatly appreciated! A donation box is located at the back of the sanctuary. ONE Ministry Castine Food Bank item of the month: Kool aid or fruit juice Church Trivia!! Can anyone remember seeing 3 fixtures that was used in the Sunday School Christmas Program which was very much a part of a typical Sunday morning in the past decades? If you do, tell Mark, alias Donkey, and you will win a prize! A nice Warm Thank You to everyone who donated hats and gloves for our Head Start Mitten tree last month! We donated a total of 68 mittens and 11 hats!! In case of Church cancellation due to bad weather, we will continue to use our One Call Now update system for our regularly worshipping members. If you do not receive a call, tune into the following: TV: Channel 2 or Channel 7; OR WEB: 2

3 From the Pastor A new month, a new year, and an opportunity to look ahead to the events and activities of SMLC. January is usually pretty quiet at SMLC. We usually have a lot of snow and ice blow across the county. There may not be feet of snow, but the inches we do receive can create dangerous conditions, especially on the north-south county roads. This is a good time to remind all that if there is a Level 3 Snow Emergency on a Sunday, worship is cancelled. If there are events during the week, and there is a Level 3 Snow Emergency, those events will be cancelled as well. Should we have a Level 1 or Level 2 condition, the council president, the trustees and I will confer to decide if worship or an event should be held. We want to honor and praise God by worshipping on Sundays, however we also want to prevent anyone from slipping and falling, or getting into a car accident on the way to SMLC. A One Call will be made should SMLC worship or events be cancelled. In addition, you can check WHIO-TV. We usually have snow and ice in February too, but we pray there is never enough to cancel the Annual Oyster Supper, held the second Sunday of the month. This annual SMLC event has taken place longer than anyone can remember, and is a time of wonderful food, including fried oysters, oyster stew and even raw oysters. Should you not like oysters, not to worry, the supper is also a carry-in, and the people of SMLC love to share favorite dishes. Attendance has increased the past couple of years, as we ve intentionally invited friends, neighbors and family. We were even honored with the Bishop s presence last year and I m guessing the SMLC Oyster Supper is already on Bishop Dillahunt s calendar for this year. March is usually the season of Lent, and 2015 will be no exception. At SMLC we hold midweek Lenten services, usually following a theme. Prior to the worship we have a light soup supper in the basement. Light is a relative term at SMLC! Usually there are 3 different soups, salads and bread. If you ve never joined us, plan to this year, for food for the body and soul. April brings Easter in 2015, and on Easter SMLC s Sunrise Service. We usually are blessed with special music and lots of lilies, hyacinths and tulips decorating the altar. In between the Sunrise and Regular service, the youth or Sunday School host an Easter Brunch with many tasty breakfast casseroles, fresh fruit and baked goods. May is traditionally the month of Confirmation at SMLC. June brings Pentecost, and our Annual Picnic, the past few years under a tent. Last year we worshipped accompanied by a steel brass band. I hope you have the opportunity to celebrate the church receiving the Holy Spirit with us this year. July is VBS month. The past few years SMLC has jointly hosted VBS with Gordon United Methodist Church. Sharing this ministry is a way both churches can provide Vacation Bible School to the children of the community, without exhausting either s resources. August is Fair month, and the Back to School Blessing. September brings Rally Day, the beginning of Sunday School after a summer off. This past year SMLC participated in God s Work, Our Hands Sunday, gathering materials and creating back to school kits for the teaching staff of Arcanum-Butler Schools. What might we do this year to serve the community? October includes Reformation Sunday, and sometimes All Saint s Day. During November SMLC has an Annual Healing Service, as well as a Thank-offering Service and a Thanksgiving Eve service. December has well, December has just past, so I will let you remember on your own. In Christ s Peace, Pastor Joene 3

4 January Birthdays 18th Keri Covert 19th Anita Schneider 23rd Carolyn Kinninger 27th Hannah Eley 29th Dean Ehlers January Anniversaries None this month December Prayer Concerns Annette North Dorothy Hunt Sandy Thompson Duane Ehlers Jane Brown Abigail Stump Pastor Joene Matt Lammi Hannah Eley Carolyn Fourman Chris Miller Ruth Ary Butch Steele Betty Baker Chet Wirrig Larry Harter Bob Bochenek Carol Don Potete T Jones Aiden Terry Warner Prayers of sympathy and healing for the families of: Beulah Pharol Dodt Travel mercies to all who are traveling this holiday season! May you all make it safely to your families, and safely back home. To reach us for the prayer chain, please call Rhonda Kress at or rhonda.j.kress@gmail.com Notes of thanks Thanks for coming to visit us during caroling. We appreciate your melodious voices, and always enjoy the goodies. Your visits are very much appreciated. Leon & Phyllis Fisher The following thank you was sent after the quarter auction for Chris Miller: Pam, thank you for all your help with the quarter auction. Please tell your church we appreciate their generosity Ted, Melanie & family Thanks for the Christmas Caroling and the very nice Goody Bag, also for your cards and prayers. Duane Ehlers Thanks to council and my church family at St. Matthew. The Christmas gifts and bonus were very much appreciated Shannon McCullough and family Thank you for the generous bonus and for all the Christmas cards, gifts and blessings this season. I am honored to serve God with you, and to share your love of Christ in the community. Many blessings this Christmas and Epiphany season! Pastor Herr 4

5 January 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January Greeters: Dick & Linda Kinninger Epiphany of Our Lord Communion 5 7 pm - Council Meeting Lector: Ron Fasick Acolyte: Alysson Pahl Bread: Linda Kinninger 11 Baptism of Our Lord Communion pm WELCA Lector: Julia McCullough Acolyte: Josie McCullough Bread: Linda Kinninger 18 2nd Sunday after Epiphany :30 am GRCC Soup kitchen Lector: Mickie Ary Acolyte: Mickie Ary 25 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Lector: Chris Stump Acolyte: Karr Stump Newsletter entries due 5 pm GRCC Food Bank

6 Church Address 6825 St. Route 722 Ithaca, OH Office Phone/Fax: Pastor Joene Herr Phone: Wheelchair accessible + Elevator on premises + Holy Communion celebrated - 1st Sunday of every month- major church festivals We re on the web!! Facebook: St. Matthew Sunday Worship services: 9 am Traditional worship 10 am Coffee Break (food & fellowship) 10:15 am Sunday School for all ages St. Matthew Lutheran Church Ithaca 7820 State Route 722 Arcanum, Ohio Dated Material 6