Fall Festival. Church Events

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Fall Festival. Church Events"

Eileen Palmer
5 years ago
Views:

We are celebrating the hard work at the and Peace Booth during the 2016 Fall Festival!

Please extend this invitation to anyone you know who supported our booth. Please join us: Novemb

1 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER GRACE AND PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH NOVEMBER 2016 VOLUME 11 Fall Festival Another fantastic year! Thanks to everyone for their hard work! Final numbers are being tallied but we will update you when they are complete. We are celebrating the hard work at the and Peace Booth during the 2016 Fall Festival! You are invited to join us for an appreciation lunch. Please extend this invitation to anyone you know who supported our booth. Please join us: November 11:30 a.m. - Fellowship Hall Church Events November 6th - All Saints Sunday November 6th - Fall Festival Lunch November 14th - Council Meeting November 15th - Mission of Community Dinner November 18th - Movie Night November 20th - Joint Worship Service with Fresh Air

2 Fall Festival Fun

Church Wide News BIG LOOK AT SMALL CATECHISM Several years ago my husband s bishop tried initiating a diocese-wide call to the catechumenate to engage those preparing for confirmation in a period of

3 Church Wide News BIG LOOK AT SMALL CATECHISM Several years ago my husband s bishop tried initiating a diocese-wide call to the catechumenate to engage those preparing for confirmation in a period of study and formation. We call it confirmation class or catechism, something generations of Lutherans have gone through. But this was a new experience for the Episcopalians in his diocese. He set about developing a curriculum for prospective confirmands, only to encounter resistance. How do Lutherans get participation in multiyear catechetical instruction? I told him: Five hundred years of hazing. We do have a history of communicating the faith from generation to generation. Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism after the Saxon Visitation of the late 1520s, which examined the religious practices in the parishes of that part of Central Europe. He discovered a stunning lack of understanding of the basics of the Christian faith among laypeople and pastors. So in the Small Catechism he gives a concise but rich explanation of the Lord s Prayer, the Apostles Creed, the commandments, baptism, communion, the Office of the Keys and confession. The Small Catechism became an important part of faith formation in families. Millions of us throughout the centuries and world have studied and memorized it. Catechism has been a rite of passage in the Lutheran movement. It could be argued that no other experience is more universally Lutheran than studying this little book not language, not hymnody, not cuisine, not worship style. What does this mean? and This is most certainly true are two of the most recognizable phrases in Lutheranism. It s been said, Youth is wasted on the young. I m not suggesting that studying the catechism isn t beneficial to middle school students. But confining catechetical instruction to that age group and expecting fully formed disciples at the end of the process is probably a little unrealistic. All of this has me wondering how we can bring our Lutheran traditions, unashamedly and gratefully, into our relationships with ecumenical and interreligious partners. The ELCA is fully committed to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. We have six full communion partners: the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church and the Moravian Church. As the ELCA, we also claim the evangelical part of our name. Set free by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus and moved by the Spirit we want to tell everybody the good news. Some argue that emphasizing our Lutheran identity is an impediment to dialogue and evangelism. I would argue that if we aren t clear about who we are and what we believe it s not possible to have deep and authentic encounters with others. It s hard to have meaningful give-and-take with mush. There was a time in the 1980s when church growth experts urged us to shed denominational identity in favor of more generic, and so appealing, names for congregations. St. Paul Lutheran Church became the Church at Pheasant Run. It s like selling our inheritance for a mess of marketing pottage. Of course we are baptized into the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Of course our identity is in Christ and not in a 16th-century Augustinian monk. But there is something distinctive about our Lutheran voice that needs to be heard in ecumenical and interreligious conversations and in the public square. If we aren t clear about this we run the risk of sliding into relativism. It might be time for all of us to dust off our Small Catechisms (or find it in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, 1160) and take another look at the basics of the faith. Staff at the Lutheran Center in Chicago will be doing just that this fall. My guess is that places like Microsoft or McDonald s take great care in immersing their people into their corporate culture. We are Lutheran Christians. With great humility we can be unapologetic about being Lutheran. It would be wonderful if we as the ELCA prepared for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 by studying the Small Catechism together. We have a common language with which to talk about faith, engage Scripture and make sense of our world. Catechism is not just for the young. This is most certainly true. Editor s note: This is reprint of ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton s column from July Just as she did at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly, Eaton encourages people to dust off their Small Catechism and take another look at the basics of our faith as we near the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

4 I-K Synod Give us this day our daily bread. The Lord s Prayer, 4th Petition, Small Catechism AJ Jacobs, a self-professed agnostic who is not sure he believes in God, spent a year of his life living as literally as possible according to the rules or commands that he found in the Bible. He shared his experience in the book The Year of Living Biblically: One Man s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. At the beginning of the year, he says, I wrote down every rule, every guideline, every suggestion, every nugget of advice I could find in the Bible. It s a very long list. It runs 72 pages. More than 700 rules. Some rules were wise, some completely baffling. Some were baffling at first, then wise. Some were wise first then baffling. When the year was over, Jacobs developed a number of his own lists, among them a list of the most unexpectedly wise and life-enhancing rules that he had discovered along the way. These can be found on the web at ajjacobs.com/resources/the -rules/. The fifth rule on this list was: Give thanks. The Bible says to thank the Lord after meals. I did that. Perhaps too much. I got carried away. I gave thanks for everything for the subway coming on time, for the comfortableness of my couch, etc. It was strange but great. Never have I been so aware of the thousands of little things that go right in our lives. Our old friend Martin Luther might say that through the discipline of giving thanks Mr. Jacobs discovered daily bread. In his explanation of the fourth petition of the Lord s Prayer, Luther said: In fact, God gives daily bread without our prayer, even to all evil people, but we ask in this prayer that God cause us to recognize what our daily bread is and to receive it with thanksgiving. It is as if the discipline of giving thanks opens our eyes, ears, and hearts to see more than we would see otherwise, a world filled to overflowing with daily bread. What then does daily bread mean? Luther asked in his Small Catechism and then answered his own question: Everything included in the necessities and nourishment for our bodies, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, farm, fields, livestock, money, property, an upright spouse, upright children, upright members of the household, upright and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, decency, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like. Giving thanks opened AJ Jacobs eyes to see this daily bread filling his life. It can do the same for us. Why not give it a try, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day? Imagine the thousand bits of previously overlooked daily bread you will see! And, giving thanks for the daily bread in our own lives can also open our eyes, ears, and hearts to see the many people around us and in the world who do not have all the daily bread they need: refugees, the poor, those who struggle with hopelessness or aimlessness, victims of natural disaster, war, and prejudice May our giving thanks also move us to be grateful enough that we ourselves, as individuals and communities, will reach out to become bits of the daily bread for which others pray. Peace be with you, +Bishop Bill Gafkjen

REFORMATION THOUGHTS Sunday, October 30, marked the 499 th Reformation day. We have just begun a year long commemoration of the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation.

5 REFORMATION THOUGHTS Sunday, October 30, marked the 499 th Reformation day. We have just begun a year long commemoration of the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation. Each month I will share with you some interesting facts about the church and its traditions and achievements since that day in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed 95 Thesis to the door at Wittenberg. There are some things that we do in worship today that date back to that day. Martin Luther s protest gave us the following liturgical reforms: Mass (means word and sacrament) in the vernacular (the people s language) Communion in both kinds (bread and wine) Emphasis on congregational singing Two sacraments (baptism and eucharist, which is another way of saying Holy Communion) Removal of sacrificial language in the canon of the Mass. ( what we call the eucharist prayer) Texts in the hands of worshipers (advent of the printing press) Emphasis on preaching (law and gospel) The presence of Christ in the eucharist described as real presence, in, with, and under, rather than either transubstantiation or mere symbolic presence Worship as nourishment for laity living their baptismal vocation in the world On Reformation Sunday, everyone present received a copy f the 500 th Anniversary Edition of Luther s Small Catechism. If you were not there, please call the office for your copy. We will save you a copy. We will refer to it several times during the next year. and Peace to you all, Pastor Roberta

6 Definitions A couple words have come to my attention that about which some questions were asked. The first word is evangelical. Because this word is used by some churches as their identifying label, it was asked, Are we like them? Because I m don t believe the same things as many Evangelicals do. The word evangelical comes from the word evangelism which means to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. We are part of the ELCA, (the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America). Our purpose is to Do God s Work with our Hands. That is truly being evangelical. The other word I was asked about this month was catholic. It was noted that in the Apostle s Creed some churches say, I believe in one Christian and apostolic church. That is what we said when I was growing up. However, in 1978, ELCA Lutherans began saying, I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. The word catholic is the more accurate and historic word. It means universal. When we say catholic we are saying we believe in one universal church where God is the Lord of all God s creation in the universe. It is inclusive. One distinction that helps: When you see catholic with a small c it means universal. That distinguishes it from the Roman Catholic Church (in capital letters) which is a denomination that just chose that word for their name. Kind of like the Christian Church, or the Baptists, or us Lutherans who chose words that are meaningful as our names. If you ever have any questions about our worship or what we do or why we use certain words, etc. just ask. I will try to answer, or I will find the answer for all of us. Blessings, Pastor Roberta

This Month at & Peace 11-08 - Maurice & Rachel Mayes 11-27 - David & Roberta Meyer 11-27 - Dale & Fran Junker 11-04 - Brenda Piper 11:08 - Maurice Mayes 11-11 - Virginia Landers 11-12 -

11-26 - Laila Simpson 11-28 - Vicki Young Please contact the church if you or someone in your family is sick, shut-in, hospitalized, or if there is a death in your family.

7 This Month at & Peace Maurice & Rachel Mayes David & Roberta Meyer Dale & Fran Junker Brenda Piper 11:08 - Maurice Mayes Virginia Landers Philip Lawrence Jazzma McNary-Brewer Mike Musgrave Deborah Ferguson Aysha Johnson Lindsey Emily Spinner Imori Rogers Gabriel Jones Laila Simpson Vicki Young Please contact the church if you or someone in your family is sick, shut-in, hospitalized, or if there is a death in your family. Our Synodical Authorized Minister, Roberta Meyer, will be available to come and visit you. Call the church office to set up an appointment (812) Or gracepeacelc1937@gmail.com You re Invited!

Meet Eunice Marie Garnett Eunice was born on March 14 th in Evansville. As was the tradition of the time, she was born at home. She was one of six kids of Douglas and Lillian Lander.

Eunice became a Nursing Assistant at Deaconess Hospital. She enjoyed working and her friends said she began to open up more. She talked to patients and some asked her to pray with them.

8 Meet Eunice Marie Garnett Eunice was born on March 14 th in Evansville. As was the tradition of the time, she was born at home. She was one of six kids of Douglas and Lillian Lander. She was the second oldest having two sisters and three brothers. She attended Lincoln for both elementary and high school. She married James Cecil Garnett on March 24, Eunice became a Nursing Assistant at Deaconess Hospital. She enjoyed working and her friends said she began to open up more. She talked to patients and some asked her to pray with them. At the same time she was working, she was also raising five kids. Two of her children are now deceased; Raymond and Mary Kay. Her son Michael is the father of Isiah and Salina, both of who were baptized at Lutheran. Her son James has a daughter Brejunnie who attends a Baptist church. Her daughter Ellena has a son Jamale. Eunice counts 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Her extended family is so large she has trouble keeping track of everyone. One grandchild we all know is Starr. Starr comes to church with Eunice, usually comes to part of Adult Sunday School, and frequently is our only acolyte. She seems to enjoy her time with Eunice, a great role model. Eunice was baptized on July 19, 1936 at Lutheran. She has attended Lutheran and now and Peace since day one. As a young girl she fondly remembers going to Bible School from 8 AM to noon for a week. She also remembers the socials on the lawn. Everybody in the neighborhood would come. It was great fellowship. Eunice also remembers the great fun at the Church s annual picnic which was held at Mesker Park Zoo. Another wonderful opportunity for fellowship. Eunice was a Sunday School teacher for high school age kids. Since coming to and Peace she has helped with Bible School. Rita Calhoun and Eunice got together and formed a bereavement team for members who have lost a family member. They prepare materials that contain prayers and information on dealing with grief. For several years, Eunice has been working at the Mission of food pantry on Wednesdays. She helps clients prepare the necessary paperwork to ensure they meet eligibility requirements. Eunice also works every year as a donut cutter for the Fall Festival booth. And beyond the church, Eunice spends a lot of time helping out her family and friends. She helps get them to and from appointments and school. Eunice retired after 26 years at Deaconess Hospital. Eunice s husband James, worked at Anchor Industries until retiring. James continued his favorite pastimes, watching sports and fishing. Eunice however, was always on the go. When Phil and Cheryl Lawrence would plan a bus trip, Eunice would sign up. Some of her more memorable trips included Washington DC, where she saw Kennedy s grave; New York City and the MLK Museum. Besides traveling, Eunice also likes to crochet. She admits to not doing it as much as before, but she is a busy lady. The one thing Eunice excels at is cooking and baking. For Christmas she makes all the grand kids a tray of a variety of cookies. She also makes dishes for church events and they are always emptied. If and Peace opens a restaurant, I know who we can call on to cook. Eunice shows her Christian faith every day by the loving things she does for her family and others. After James died in 2005, she continued to demonstrate her giving spirit. and Peace is indeed blessed to have such a selfless woman in the congregation. As Starr has done, we can look to Eunice as a remarkable Christian role model.

Mission of ALL ARE WELCOME!! On the 3 rd Tuesday of every mo

It is also time to bring in winter items, Jackets, boots, gloves/mittens, hats and scarves.

Emanuel Lutheran Church, Christ Lutheran Church, Fresh Air Community of Faith, and Unity Church of Evansville A friendly reminder from

9 Mission of ALL ARE WELCOME!! On the 3 rd Tuesday of every month Our Next Dinner is Tuesday, November 15th 6:00-8:00 p.m. Please continue to donate cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, paper towels and toilet paper! It is also time to bring in winter items, Jackets, boots, gloves/mittens, hats and scarves. This month s dinner will be held at and Peace Lutheran Church The Mission of is an outreach ministry of and Peace Lutheran Church, Emanuel Lutheran Church, Christ Lutheran Church, Fresh Air Community of Faith, and Unity Church of Evansville A friendly reminder from Fellowship.. Please empty any trash and dispose in the trash and/or recycling cans outside after use of the Fellowship Hall. Also, please wash, dry and put away any dishes used. We appreciate your help to maintain a sanitary environment for all!

November 2016 and Peace Lutheran Church 200 South Boeke Evansville, IN 47714 812-476-8201 E-mail: gracepeacelc1937@gmail.

Weimer's celebration of life 7:30 AA Mtg.

10 November 2016 and Peace Lutheran Church 200 South Boeke Evansville, IN Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 7:00 Bible Study 2 9:30-1 Mission of 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women s Bible Study 3 6:30 Fresh Air Service 4 5 9:30-1 Mission of 2:00-4:00 Visitation 4:00 Wally Weimer's celebration of life 7:30 AA Mtg. 6 All Saint s Day 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion 11:30 Fall Festival Celebration Lunch 7 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous 8 7:00 Bible Study 9 9:30-1 Mission of 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women s Bible Study 10 6:30 Fresh Air Service pm Visitation Herman Thomas Alexander Funeral Home 2115 Lincoln Ave Evansville, IN :30-1 Mission of Herman Thomas Celebration of Life Memorial Baptist Church 645 Canal St Evansville, IN Viewing 10:00AM Service 11:00AM 7:30 AA Mtg. 13 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion 14 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous Council Meeting 15 6:00-8:00 MOG Thanksgiving Dinner 16 9:30-1 Mission of 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women s Bible Study 17 6:30 Fresh Air Service 18 Movie Night 19 9:30-1 Mission of 7:30 AA Mtg. 7:00 Bible Study 20 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion Walnut Creek Service 21 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous 22 7:00 Bible Study 23 9:30-1 Mission of 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women s Bible Study 24 Thanksgiving Day Hanging of the Greens 9:30-1 Mission of 7:30 AA Mtg. 27 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship Communion 5:00 Lights Before Christmas 28 7:00 Overeaters Anonymous 29 7:00 Bible Study 30 9:30-1 Mission of 10:00 Bible Study 5:30 Women s Bible Study Deadline for December Newsletter: MONDAY, November 21st

11 Welcome Kyra Marzec! Little Kyra Marzec was baptized Sunday, October 2, 2016 as a child of God into our and Peace congregation. She is the daughter of Ryan and Katie Marzec, sister of Eliana Marzec, and the granddaughter of Wally and Mary Weimer. The baptism took place at Walnut Creek, so her grandfather could be a part of this special day.

Viewing 10:00 am, Service- 11:00am. at Memorial Baptist Church., 645 Canal Street, Evansville, IN.47713.

Walter Clarence Weimer September 6, 1944 - October 29, 2016 Wally Weimer's celebration of life will be this Saturday, November 5th

13 In Loving Memory Herman E Thomas, Sr. August 24, October 26, 2016 Herman Thomas celebration of life will be held on November 12th. Viewing 10:00 am, Service- 11:00am. at Memorial Baptist Church., 645 Canal Street, Evansville, IN Visitation will be held at Alexander Funeral Home, 2115 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, IN on November 11th from 2-7 pm. Walter Clarence Weimer September 6, October 29, 2016 Wally Weimer's celebration of life will be this Saturday, November 5th at 4 pm at and Peace. Visitation will be from 3pm until the service at 4:00 pm at the church. The family will be bringing Wally home to Tri-Cities in Washington State The for his final resting place. There will be a viewing at Einan s Funeral Home form 10:30-11:30 with graveside service to follow.

14 Church Council Members Pastor Roberta Meyer President Luke Anderson Secretary Mary Weimer Christian Education Congregational Life Larry Johnson Fellowship Linda Heidorn Finance/Stewardship Team Jeff Byrne Property David Meyer Social Outreach - Vicki Oshodi Treasurer Toni Beumer Worship and Music Vicki Young Our Mission is: To Proclaim God s And Share God s Peace Through Love And Service To All. Adult Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Children s & Youth Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 10:00 a.m. Church Office: (812) Monday - Friday 9:00a.m. - 1:00p.m. Website: gracelc1937@yahoo.com and Peace Lutheran Church 200 South Boeke Road Evansville, IN ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

William Blake. A Fridge Worthy Quote. Here is a quote to ponder this month. I m printing it and putting in on my fridge. FEBRUARY 2017 VOLUME 2

William Blake. A Fridge Worthy Quote. Here is a quote to ponder this month. I m printing it and putting in on my fridge. FEBRUARY 2017 VOLUME 2 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER GRACE AND PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH FEBRUARY 2017 VOLUME 2 A Fridge Worthy Quote Here is a quote to ponder this month. I m printing it and putting in on my fridge. William Blake Connect