St. Peter Lutheran Church 6745 Palms Road PO Box Fair Haven, MI May 2016

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1 THE INFORMER St. Peter Lutheran Church 6745 Palms Road PO Box Fair Haven, MI May 2016 O Holy Spirit, enter in, And in our hearts your work begin, Your dwelling place now make us. Sun of the soul, O Light divine, Around and in us brightly shine, To joy and gladness wake us. That we may be truly living, to You giving prayer unceasing And in love be still increasing. The Time of Easter ends with Pentecost Sunday. Our victorious Savior rises from the grave, reveals Himself to His disciples, and ascends into heaven. The Lord Jesus tells His followers to wait in Jerusalem; to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, comes to the believers and makes His home with them. Pentecost Sunday begins the Time of the Church; the time in our Church Year when we recognize that Jesus continues His work in this fallen world by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, His chosen people. Give to Your Word impressive power, That in our hearts from this good hour As fire it may be glowing. That in true Christian unity We faithful witnesses may be, Your glory ever showing. Hear us, cheer us, by Your teaching; Let our preaching and our labor Praise You, Lord, and serve our neighbor. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the truth of the Gospel. He indwells us at our Baptism. He opens our hearts and minds to grasp the wonder of our heavenly Father s love for us. He ignites faith in our hearts as we realize that Jesus died for each of us, the perfect sacrifice for our sin. He gives us saving faith and He strengthens and keeps us in that one true faith. All this He does through the means of grace our heavenly Father has given to us: His Word and His Sacraments. O mighty rock, O source of life, Let Your dear Word, in doubt and strife, In us be strongly burning. That we be faithful unto death And live in love and holy faith, From You true wisdom learning. Your grace and peace on us shower; By Your power Christ confessing, Let us see our Savior s blessing. We begin the Time of the Church remembering that the Holy Spirit is keeping us safe in His Church. The Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, given to the Prophets and the Apostles, continues its miraculous work of bringing salvation out of damnation and life out of death. We live in our heavenly Father s grace, poured out on us through Jesus Christ, our Savior, and realized by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2 The Elders Corner Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. ~ Proverbs 3:5-8 Last month we considered the peace which our God grants us as we live in humility toward Him. We saw that our churning, restless minds are often agitated by things over which we have little control. We saw that, as we leave the issues of this life in our God s hands, He blesses us with His peace: that peace which is beyond our human abilities to comprehend. We continue these considerations as we recognize that, when our minds are troubled by people or the events of the day, we often allow our imagination to drift toward the negative side of things. Thoughts of revenge or pay-back, clever come-backs, or simply the march of things I should have said tend to push our minds in an endless circle as we try to apply our own wisdom to that situation. Instead of allowing our minds to chase round-and-round uselessly, these verses from Proverbs remind us of where we ought to place our focus. We ought to fix our eyes on Jesus, our Savior and Friend. When we look to Him, when we bring our troubles to Him, we ve done exactly what our loving God wants us to do. We place our circumstances in His hands. We place our scattered, worried thoughts in His hands. We place our fears and our frustrations and our failures in His hands. By doing so we acknowledge Him: we acknowledge that He is the only One capable of bringing good out of bad and bringing joy out of sorrow! St. Peter s Trusty Trustees St. Peter s Trusty Trustees are gearing up for another season of keeping our facilities in tiptop shape. We ve identified a few upkeep projects that will need to be addressed this year. These include replacing the exterior door into the Fellowship Hall, stiffening up our mailbox support, continuing upkeep on our parking lot and driveways, and grading and leveling some of the dirt piles near the cemetery. Completed projects include the culvert repair at the south-end driveway, and re-lamping some of our emergency exit lights. Your Trustees are also considering improvement and enhancement projects for our facilities, so stay tuned for more news! Please contact one of your Trusty Trustees if you notice our facilities needing maintenance or improvement. The following are our Trustees: John Harper ~ ~ Head Trustee Bill Boike ~ Charlie Jones ~ Ken Brockmiller ~ Dan Stahl ~

3 FROM THE CHAIRMAN Isn t it nice to see the lawns green again instead of white, then brown, watching the leaves on the trees trying to open up but it is still too cold? The most fun thing to watch is the snow birds coming home from the long winter in Florida or Arizona wondering where is the warm weather. I did something I tried to avoid again this year I tried to ignore it but it got the best of me again. I starting mowing the lawn in April like I did last year I tried to talk myself out of it but the consequences of letting it grow another week scared me. So begins the long hours of quality time with the lawn mower, thinking of the problems of the world how to solve them, and creating more I kind of wish GOD would warm things up a little so we can start planting our gardens and making our homes beautiful with flowers. For the boaters in the congregation a nice relaxing boat ride, for our fishermen a nice day of catching our favorite fish or just sitting outside and letting the world go by, sipping a nice cold glass of your favorite beverage. Whatever your pleasure is, have a great time doing it, and spring and summer will be here sooner than you think. Kevin Rummage Sale Coming soon! May 13 th & 14th On Thursday May 12 th we will be setting up the sale from 12 noon until finished. We will open on Friday May 13 th at 9 am and close at 3pm. On Saturday May 14 th we will open at 9 am and close at 12 noon. We are accepting donations for the sale but please no encyclopedias. There is space in our garage to put items until the sale. Scrapbook Friday In May we will be meeting on Friday the 20th from 6 till 11pm. Everyone is invited to come and scrapbook, make cards or work on anything you would like to work on. Bring a snack to share and enjoy the fellowship. If you would like to mark your calendar here are the dates for the year: August 12th September 9th May 20th October 14th June 10th November 11th July 8th December - TBA Sunday School May is here...i'm not sure, but was that the fastest winter ever? Only one more month of Sunday School...but a full month that will be. Our children have learned many many things this year! (and so have the teachers!) We are busy with our music! The kids are planning a little music presentation on their last Sunday of Sunday School, which will be May 22nd. That Sunday, we also plan some events following the singing, for fun and food and games! It should be fun for all! There will be a Sunday School teacher's meeting on May 3rd at 6:00P.M., before the ladies meeting, to help plan our last month. Once again...thank you to all our teachers, to our wonderful kids, and for all the help and support from our congregation!

4 Patrick J Klenner, FIC, CLTC Greater Mack Ave Ste 206 Financial Associate St. Clair Shores, MI Lakefront Financial Associates /Cell: Patrick.klenner@thrivent.com Fax: How to Hit a Financial Planning Homerun The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd as you round the bases. While hitting a homerun in the big leagues is nothing but the stuff of dreams for most of us, baseball can serve as a wonderful analogy for our quest for financial security. Reaching retirement, or home plate, is the goal. So step up to the plate, take a swing and round the bases with these general, yet timeless financial tips from Thrivent Financial. First Base Get on base by: *Creating an emergency cash fund with at least three to six months worth of living expenses, like a major car repair bill or broken furnace. Keep the funds safe and accessible in a savings or money market fund, and be sure to replenish the fund later if you draw from it for an emergency. *Purchasing property insurance that protects you and/or your business against the loss of the property or income. Auto, homeowners and business owner policies fall under this category. *If your employer does not provide health coverage, buy your won. You can t afford to be without if. If you fall ill and have to be hospitalized without health insurance, you will quickly realize that the cost of not being insured far exceeds the cost of premiums, said Bruce Fear, vice president of Protection Products and Solutions for Thrivent Financial. Second Base As you head to second base you re approaching the middle part of your life and earnings potential. Second base is about protecting your income from a long-time illness or injury, or the death of a loved one. *Investigate disability insurance. It s easier and cheaper to get when you re younger, and provides a benefit to replace a portion of your income if you become to sick or injured to work. It protects your most important asset your ability to earn an income. *Life insurance is also essential. It protects your loved ones against the loss of income they would experience if you died. There are two main types term and permanent. Both help preserve the lifestyle of your surviving family members, but permanent can also allow you to accumulate a cash benefit. Third Base Third base is about protecting your hard earned dollars, the assets you ve accumulated for retirement or other financial goal. As you head to third, consider what types of events can lower your probability of rounding third and heading home? Two key items you should consider: *Investigate medical insurance. While many companies provide medical insurance, once you retire, the coverage usually ends. And, if you aren t eligible for Medicare you ll need to consider individual medical insurance. If you re eligible for Medicare, keep in mind it won t cover all your health-related expenses in retirement. Supplemental insurance can cover the gaps. *Long-term care insurance should also be on your mind at this stage. The coverage can provide for necessary medical or personal care services provided outside a hospital setting, such as in a nursing home or your own home. Reaching Home Covering all of the bases over time will help you reach home plate-protecting your retirement plans. *Estate planning is a key element of retirement planning. This is the process of working with your legal, tax, and financial professional to arrange your financial affairs so that you have sufficient assets to meet your lifetime needs, while ensuring that your wealth will be distributed according to your wishes after your death. A stable, solvent retirement in which you can maintain the standard of living you enjoyed while you were working is the equivalent of hitting one out of the park, added Fear. With a little bit of planning, the goal can be within reach. Ladies Aid It s that time of year to dig into your garage, basement and other little hidey holes to find all those little items that you have been meaning to get rid of. And just in time the Ladies Aid is having their annual Rummage & Bake Sale. We are now accepting items for the rummage sale to be held on May 13 & 14, We will be setting up on Thursday May 12. We also hope that the Ladies of the Congregation will get their aprons on and help to donate for the bake sale. We will accept those donations as well on Thursday or Friday. There are sign- up sheets on the bulletin board for workers- all three days. C mon and join up, it will be lots of fun. Who knows you might find a real treasure among the junk. Don t forget the Ladies Aid Mystery Trip is coming up on June 7 th. Sign- up sheet will be on the bulletin board. If you have any questions contact me at It should be lots of fun. Marie Brockmiller/ Treasurer

5 Choir News Your choir is again joining with Pastor and the Elders to make our Pentecost/Confirmation Day service a meaningful and enjoyable experience. The choir will be joining the congregation in singing the familiar hymns of the season and will also be adding a few melodic offerings of their own. An Ascension hymn, Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise commemorates our Savior s returning to His Father in heaven. A Pentecost song, Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God remembers the coming of the Holy Spirit in gracious power. Finally, Come People of the Risen King reminds us of Whose we are as we gather together as the Church. We will be wrapping up this year s choir schedule by singing the anthem Creation Sings on Trinity Sunday. We hope you have enjoyed the music we ve shared as much as we ve enjoyed preparing and performing it! Garden Club The Cemetery Committee will again be joining with the Garden Club to spruce up our outdoor environment! Volunteers will be meeting weekly to continue the work of pruning, weeding, cleaning, dividing, and straightening. We are planning on beginning this work the first week of June! Stay tuned for more information! Altar Guild The Altar Guild is looking for a couple more volunteers to help with serving at the Altar each week. The Altar Guild makes sure the Chancel area is ready for services, the Paraments are correct and in good condition, and the Communion Ware is properly cleaned and stored after each celebration of the Lord s Supper. Please contact Debi Hoerr if you d to volunteer or would like more information concerning this opportunity to serve at St. Peter.

6 A Schedule for Reading the Bible in 12 Months ~ May Day Old Testament New Testament 1 st 1 Kings 10 & 11 Luke 21: nd 1 Kings 12 & 13 Luke 22: rd 1 Kings 14 & 15 Luke 22: th 1 Kings 16, 17, & 18 Luke 22: th 1 Kings 19 & 20 Luke 23: th 1 Kings 21 & 22 Luke 23: th 2 Kings 1, 2, & 3 Luke 24: th 2 Kings 4, 5, & 6 Luke 24: th 2 Kings 7, 8, & 9 John 1: th 2 Kings 10, 11, & 12 John 1: th 2 Kings 13 & 14 John 2 12 th 2 Kings 15 & 16 John 3: th 2 Kings 17 & 18 John 3: th 2 Kings 19, 20, & 21 John 4: th 2 Kings 22 & 23 John 4: th 2 Kings 24 & 25 John 5: th 1 Chronicles 1, 2, & 3 John 5: th 1 Chr 4, 5, & 6 John 6: th 1 Chr 7, 8, & 9 John 6: th 1 Chr 10, 11, & 12 John 6: st 1 Chr 13, 14, & 15 John 7: nd 1 Chr 16, 17, & 18 John 7: rd 1 Chr 19, 20, & 21 John 8: th 1 Chr 22, 23, & 24 John 8: th 1 Chr 25, 26, & 27 John 9: th 1 Chr 28 & 29 John 9: th 2 Chronicles 1, 2, & 3 John 10: th 2 Chr 4, 5, & 6 John 10: th 2 Chr 7, 8, & 9 John 11: th 2 Chr 10, 11, & 12 John 11: st 2 Chr 13 & 14 John 12:1-26 Looking Ahead Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ~ 2 nd Timothy 2:15 The Day of Pentecost is Sunday, May 15 th this year. The Day of Pentecost commemorates the Holy Spirit pouring out upon all believers, indwelling them, and uniting them together as God s chosen people; His Church. On the day of Pentecost we also celebrate Confirmation Day. That is the day set aside for our 2 nd year Confirmation class to publicly confess their faith and join in receiving the Lord s Supper for the first time. This year s class is comprised of Tori Beels, Michael Pardo, and Emma Weider. Tori, Michael, and Emma will publicly confess the faith into which they are being confirmed. This public confession is made before the church service on Pentecost. The Confirmands, Pastor, and members of the congregation will gather in the Sanctuary at 8:30am. The purpose of this public confession is two-fold: first, it allows the Confirmands to demonstrate that they are able to rightly handle the word of truth by answering questions concerning the faith. Second, it allows the congregation to know that those who will join them in Holy Communion truly understand what they are receiving in the Sacrament. Please congratulate our 2016 Confirmands as they join us in Altar fellowship this Pentecost Sunday!