Gethsemane Lutheran Church

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1 January 2014 Volume 47,, Issue 1 The Leaf a monthly publication of GLC Gethsemane Lutheran Church The Leaf 35 East Stanton Avenue Columbus OH Pastor Rev. June A. Wilkins pastorjune@gethsemane.org Music Ministries ies Dr. Timothy E. Guenther tguenther@gethsemane.org Learning & Family Ministries Terri Siebert tsiebert@gethsemane.org Child Care Center Brenda Weilbacher bweilbacher@gethsemane.org Parish Secretary etary Diane Gutgesell glcoffice@gethsemane.org Custodians Kate and Shana Bumster In this Issue From the Pastor P. 2 Lessons and Carols P. 3 Projection in Worship P. 4 Adult Education P. 5 Bible Studies P. 6 Christmas Event P. 7 Caring Contacts P. 8 Prayer Concerns P. 9 Council Highlights P. 10 Installation Sunday, January 26, 2014 President Barbara Ford Vice President Hank Langknecht Secretary Bonnie Reilly Treasurer Rick Langner Council Members at Large Jill Woods Imma Lyatuu Gary Rader Char Jessie Judy Kulikowski

2 STAFF Goals for 2014 by Pastor June Wilkins who we are. With a vision we will be deciding where we will be going in the future. I will work on this process with our leadership, the congregation, with most of the work being done by council. There are some things that I would like for people in the congregation to take leadership. One is reworking our current web site. Our web site looks good now, and member Paul Siebert has the technological knowhow, but we need a few people to consider what we need to have on our web site for people who are searching for a congregation since the web site is the first place most people who are investigating a church go. We ve done a lot this year as a congregation! Early in the year, we became Reconciling in Christ, we started a justice ministry team as part of the B.R.E.A.D. organization, we started tutoring children from Broad Meadows in the summer, a monthly book group started by Sharon Walton has been continuing, a Stewardship and Endowment team have been started by council members, teams started to plan worship services together, and we had a team research the use of projection in worship and the council decided that we would invest in and use it beginning in the coming year. That is a lot! In 2014, we will be focusing on a few things: I will continue to work with the congregation and leadership to develop a vision, I will continue to visit individual members of Gethsemane, We will continue to work on reaching out to our surrounding community, And I will work with Outreach and Properties for new signage for the front of the church. I would love for people to start more small groups around an interest, activity, or other common ground. Also, we ve talked about using a consensus model for making decisions and we have used that for a few of our decisions (and it feels right for us) but if anyone would like to investigate this more fully and suggest a process to council we would listen! I want people in the congregation to start whatever initiatives they feel the Spirit is leading them to! Our leadership is ready to support any ministry that aligns with our purpose statement and guiding principles and that people seem to have an interest in. Just come talk to me if you have any ideas. Mostly I pray that as a congregation we listen to the Spirit, trust its guidance, and go where God wants us to go! Rev. June Wilkins A vision is one of my priorities for the year. With the purpose and guiding principles we described clearly 2

3 WORSHIP & MUSIC politely expressed). They are usually followed by: So, what are you going to do about this? The Worship Ministry Team has a long history (which we will spare you here) of attempts to make it easier to follow along and participate in worship and to make worship resources more user-friendly. All of these have been met with both approval and dissatisfaction proving to us that there is no right answer to the question of what to provide as an aid to worship. ALCM Columbus Cantor Connection presents A Service of Lessons and Carols for Epiphany Sunday, January 12, :00 p.m. Zion Lutheran Lutheran Church LCMS 766 S. High Street Columbus, OH Join choirs and organists from Columbus area Lutheran churches in celebrating the end of Christmas and the start of the Epiphany season! Give Me a Hand! No, not applause I need an extra hand to manage all the items used during worship! In the course of the recent discussions about the use of projection in worship services, the Worship Ministry Team has heard statements like this (and others less To give one example, printing everything in the bulletin makes an excellent worship guide, but doing so adds work for staff, uses a lot of paper, and increases cost. Also, it annoys some worshippers that Gethsemane is not using the hymnals, supplements, and other materials already available to us. There DOES seem to be consensus, however, that minimizing the number of items required for any one service is important. To that end, the Worship Ministry Team has asked that worship planners limit the items used to not more than two during a worship service e.g. the hymnal and a bulletin. Further, if the material to be used from the hymnal or some other printed source is brief, it should be published in the bulletin. The Team would be happy to hear your feedback on this decision and to receive your suggestions. We are eager to make worship participation as easy as possible for all our worshippers. Jeff Luedke jluedke@columbus.rr.com Elaine Haines thenutlady@hotmail.com Jim Sauer jpsauer@wowway.com Dave Norman dldanorman@aol.com Don Dell ddell@columbus.rr.com 3

4 PROJECTION IN WORSHIP Last summer a group was formed to explore whether the use of projection in our church services was a good idea. After many meetings, discussions, and a survey, your Congregation Council has decided to move ahead with plans for using projection to help enhance our worship experience. A commitment was made to raise funds for the project from donations rather than use funds from the church budget. Some donations have already been received and additional funds have been promised but more is needed. If you would like to help fund this project, please make your check payable to "Gethsemane Lutheran Church" and put "projection" in the memo area of your check. If you choose to contribute to this project, please do so in addition to, not in place of, the contributions that you normally give to Gethsemane. This is still a work in progress and there are several issues that still must be resolved such as what will the altar area look like, who will make up the team that runs the program, and how will projection be used in the future. If you are interested in being part of the projection team (those who operate the technology during the service), please let Jim Sauer know. As we work to resolve these issues, we need to be raising the funds so that we may proceed with implementation when the time comes. WORSHIP PROJECTION QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS 94 responses have been received over the last month to the Worship Projection Questionnaire which was distributed to all members of the congregation. We are grateful to everyone for such a strong response and their participation. A review of the responses received reveals that over 80% of the respondents agree with the statement I feel positive about the use of projection in worship at Gethsemane. While certainly not everyone agrees, the response does suggest that in general, the congregation views projection positively. In regards to another key statement, over 90% agree that A decision to proceed with the use of projection in worship is a decision with which I could live. Thankfully, no one disagreed with this statement. Despite various concerns which individuals have raised over the last several months, the response to this statement speaks highly of the willingness of members to put the church s needs above their own. Finally, the responses to the two statements regarding the modifications which might be made to the chancel area to accommodate projection, and specifically the possibility of covering the organ pipes up front, were mixed, revealing that more study is needed on how best to approach this while respecting the concerns expressed. Included with the survey responses were a number of comments which have been recorded for further review and consideration. Additional detail of the responses received is posted on the Narthex bulletin board. Based on this information, Council decided in its November meeting, to proceed with the use of projection in worship with the stipulations that 1) all funds for projection be raised through individual donations outside of the budget, 2) we will proceed only after all monies needed have been raised, and 3) the Projection Committee shall continue its search for an agreeable solution to the treatment of the chancel. The Projection Committee 4

5 LEARN There will be childcare for our infants and toddlers as well as class for our children and youth. January 12 Autumn of Christian Life: Finding Meaning and Joy Amid Change and Loss LIFETIME LEARNING HOUR Christian Education about life, for life, and for a lifetime. SUNDAYS AT 10:45 AM IN THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM January 5 It takes a Congregation Led by Gary Pecuch Director of Youth and Family Ministry for our Synod. Faith webbing (or wrapping) is wrapping yourself and others in a web of faith so loving and so caring that the end result is folks knowing God and staying connected with the church. Concerned about your children, grandchildren, and our Gethsemane children and youth staying connected with the church? Concerned about our congregation staying vital in its faith so it can reach out to others? Wondering how you keep your own faith active and growing? Wondering how you can connect with our children and youth and fulfill our promises made to them at their baptism? Gary was with us in August to share his experiences with faith webbing and he is now returning to share further this concept called Faith Webbing. This will be a practical "how to" session that will help you to design a faith web both for yourself and for those you care about most. Class will meet at 10:45am in the multipurpose room on the lower level. Don't miss this great opportunity! This course, to be taught by Dick and Judy Reuning, is one of four in the series The Seasons of Christian Life that provides occasions for discussing the challenges and opportunities at the various stages of life. The other three in the LifeCrossings series by Dick and Judy are: Spring: Understanding the Faith Journey of Younger Adults Summer: Choices, Challenges and Celebrations Winter: The Generations Consider Difficult Choices All of the stories and dramas in the Seasons of Christian Life series are true stories whose places and characters have been disguised but not exaggerated. The stories, Biblical reflections in "Food for the Journey" and helpful information are skillfully woven together and become the basis for the conversations. Autumn: Finding Meaning and Joy Amid Change and Loss has six sessions or journeys to help people of all ages make plans and good choices now for later life. Rich Bimler from Wheat Ridge Ministries writes in the Foreword, A powerful part of this discussion resource is that it helps each participant to look seriously at the changes, the losses, the sufferings that we all endure, continued 5

6 LEARN continued but it does so by first looking through the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ Jesus! This is a book about hope and joy Each session helps all generations ponder the years before and beyond retirement. What s life all about? Am I ready for the future whatever it holds? Will there be a plentiful harvest or scarcity? Should I move? Is there no escape from change? Why suffering? Why loss? Where is God in all of this? Is there a role for the Christian community? What wisdom can I share with other generations? Next meeting is January 29 when the group picks their selections for Bring three books to choose from. Anyone is welcome to join. While the conversation is about one particular time of life, it is appropriate for all ages to learn from the experiences of others. Come and share your perspectives at Lifetime Learning which meets in the Multi-Purpose Room from 10:45 to 11:45 am every Sunday. BIBLE STUDY Meets every Monday morning at 8:00 am at Le Chatelaine in Worthington. Come for breakfast or just coffee and enjoy a good discussion on the readings for the coming Sunday. All are welcome. Meets every Wednesday noon to explore the Bible. Bring your lunch and favorite Bible and join them starting January 8. Meets Friday January 10 at 7:00 am at Bob Evans on Olentangy River Rd. All are welcome to join the group to discuss various topics. 6

7 Angels Audrey Tober and Maya Gardner Sheep Tammy and Joel Bullwinkle Shepherds Isaac Lutz and Jim Siebert Wise men Gottfried and Manfred Maeffert Joseph Brian Sieberth C H R I S T M A S E V E N T Mary -- Kate Lutz Jesus Sean Tatz 7

8 CONNECT Small Group Ministries First Reflections Monday Bible Study Paula Sauer Brown Bag Bible Bunch Dick Lyndes Connections: Faith at Work Judy Reuning Book Group Sharon Walton Barbara Ford Caring Contacts/Health Ministry: Many of you are already acquainted with Health Ministry's Caring Contacts ministry. It involves being paired with a Gethsemane member who may be ill or homebound or who has recently suffered a loss. You "sign-on" for one year and at the end of that time you can choose to continue your relationship or you may move on to another "contact" or you may discontinue your involvement. Some very rewarding relationships have developed in the past as a result of this ministry. The "duties" of a Caring Contact can include visits and phone calls, greeting cards on special occasions, out to lunch, to a movie, transportation to a doctor visit, bring them a meal, etc. The choice is yours. Taking Home Communion to your client is also a part of being a Caring Contact. We can instruct you in this procedure or another Health Ministry person can provide this service. Sign-up for this ministry will start Sunday, December 22, and go into early January. Watch for Health Ministry members at the table in the narthex who can answer your questions and help you become involved. Please prayerfully consider!! Men s Breakfast Bob Davis rjdjr@wowway.com Habitat for Humanity Bill Darlage Darlage_bill@hotmail.com Quilting Workday Saturday, January 25 9am - 12noon. LWR Quilts Terri Siebert tsiebert@gethsemane.org Prayer Shawls glcoffice@gethsemane.org OR Call the Church Office For information, call Terri Siebert at or tsiebert@gethsemane.org 8

9 PEOPLE NEWS January Birthdays 2 David Keller 3 Dick Reuning 4 Joy McLemore 5 Bob Davis Wendy Luedke 8 Mary Bardach 10 Steve Gutgesell 13 Jennie Myers 14 Andrew Kulikowski 16 Teresa Perin 18 Christy Feldman 23 Andrew Carringer Margaret Murphy 24 Lucia Murphy 28 Jon Ankrom 30 Eric Walton Our Prayers and Concern Are With... Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 New Concerns: Bob Hagerdorn Vicar Dave Keller of Ascension Kathy Lyndes (daughter of Dick Lyndes) Pastor Tim Muller of Ascension Allen Savolaine (brother of Ed Savolaine) Kathleen Vergamini Sela Woods. Members with ongoing concerns: Donna Baer Beryl Cumberland Bob and Sibylle Custis Doris Devine Robbie Dunham Elaine Haines Sue Jones Rob Needham Phyllis Nelson Lee Ann Perin Ralph Portzline. Our love and compassion to the families of Dan Erwin Linda Lee (sister of Dick Lyndes) June Prigan (mother of Scott Prigan) who all passed away. Family and friends with concerns: Sharlene Brengman (mother of Jill Woods) Debra Evans (sister of Char Jessie) Connie Peters (cousin of Bonnie Spring) Stephanie Savolaine (daughter-in-law of Ed and Carol Savolaine) John Siddall (father of Mike Siddall) Faith Weiner (friend of Jill Woods) Dennis Weirick (brother of Jan Davis). Homebound: Dotty Edwards (Laurels- Worthington) Carolyn Fergus (Wesley Glen) Ken Gerken (Mayfair Village) Mary Lou Means (Wesley Glen) Eleanor Nagy Becky Oldaker (Bennington Glen) Phyllis Wei Reva Woodruff. Would you like to add a name to the Sunday prayers? Contact church secretary, Diane, at or glcoffice@gethsemane.org before 10:00 am on Thursday to have the name printed in the bulletin. After that time, you will have the opportunity in worship to name those silently or aloud during the prayers. You may also have the name sent out to the congregation via our E-Prayers ( ). 9

10 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS Purpose Statement The people of Gethsemane Lutheran Church Sing God s good news Share God s unconditional welcome Care for each other Serve those in need Guiding Principles The life, words, and actions of Jesus Christ are the inspiration for all we do and are. We recognize the uniqueness of each individual. We welcome and value everyone. We reach out to each other, our neighbors, and creation with our hearts and minds as well as with our labor, generosity, and works of justice. We create a supportive environment to nurture growth and learning. We find Christ in the study of God s Word and through sharing questions, doubts, a diversity of opinions, and new ideas. As a faithful Christian community, we are led by the Holy Spirit to live and worship together, respect differences, communicate openly, and seek consensus. Highlights of Council Meeting December 11, 2013 A copy of the Council minutes and Financial Report is posted in Atrium Way. PLEASE READ BUT LEAVE POSTED. Take home copies (minus attachments) are available at the Sign Up Desk in the narthex. PASTOR S REPORT Pastor June worked with council on visioning. She will continue with the 2014 council to come up with a clearer vision. The Swahili Ministry is moving forward. Currently working with the Synod on how the Ministry book keeping will be run. At this point not certain if the Ministry can be under Gethsemane s control. Dan Erwin s funeral is Saturday, December 14, at 11:00 a.m. The Melton s have withdrawn their membership to Gethsemane. PRESIDENT S REPORT With the passing of Dan Erwin council needs to assign a new treasurer. Rick Langner has offered to stay on as treasurer for another year. MOTION: (J. Reilly, B. Ford) to appoint Rick Langner as treasurer for the year Carried. VICE PRESIDENT S REPORT Stewardship Team is planning events to grow discipleship. The team will start in February with a Gethsemane awesomeness day. TREASURER S REPORT Rick Langner reminded council a decision needed to be made on staff raises. After a discussion the following motion was proposed. MOTION: (J. Reilly, T. Mayer) to hold staff salaries level going into 2014 at which time the 2014 council can re-address as they see fit. Pastor June requested a housing allowance increase for 2014 to reflect her actual expenses. MOTION: (R. Langner, J. Reilly) to increase the Pastor s housing allowance to $20,000. Carried. continued 10

11 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS Congregation Council OFFICERS: President Barbara Ford Vice-President Hank Langknecht Secretary Bonnie Reilly Treasurer Rick Langner FINANCIAL REPORTS November operating fund contributions showed some improvement compared to budget. Expenses continue to run below budget, and below income, so the year to date net is a large surplus, and the cumulative net continues to be a small surplus. As the opposite happened last month, year to date expenses are below budget, but income (generally contributions) remains much below budget for the year. NEW BUSINESS The defibrillator machine needed a new battery. Payment was placed under the properties line of the budget. Properties asked if this was the correct line to use. As Council decided it was, no further action was required. Joe Reilly requested Pastor June approach the church secretary to update the council group to the 2014 council member addresses. ANNOUNCEMENTS NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 23 AT 7:00 P.M. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm. MEMBERS: Imma Lyatuu immwilly@hotmail.com Jill Woods jwoods0649@wideopenwest.com Judy Kulikowski dkulikow@columbus.rr.com Char Jessie cjessie@columbus.rr.com Gary Rader grader@wowway.com Submitted by Alice Siddall Congregation Meeting November 24, 2013 The Congregation Meeting was called to order at 11:05 a.m. by Joe Reilly. 65 congregants signed into the meeting. Opening prayer was led by Pastor June. Joe Reilly asked for a motion to accept the slate of officers for 2014 as presented by the Nominating Committee. Slate is as follows: Barbara Ford President Hank Langknecht Vice President* Bonnie Reilly Secretary* Dan Erwin Treasurer (ed. note Rick Langner) Jill Woods Council at large Imma Lyatuu Council at large Gary Rader Council at large* Char Jessie Council at large* Judy Kulikowski Council at large* (* indicates new members) continued 11

12 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS Appointed Positions: Chris Bullwinkle Asst. Treasurer Wendy Luedke Financial Secretary Scott Conlon Asst. Financial Secretary Jim Sauer and Bill Darlage Properties Diane Langner and Paula Sauer Play and Learn Bonnie Spring and Byron Ford Mutual Ministry Mark Hagerdorn, Jane Sieberth and Mike Siddall Personnel MOTION: (Nancy Feole, Howard Feole) to accept the slate of officers as presented by the Nominating Committee. Carried Joe presented the proposed By-Law changes. Changes affect the properties overseeing of the church s janitorial staff. MOTION: (Don Dell, Violet Meek) to accept the By-Law changes as presented. Carried. Pastor June presented her accomplished goals for 2013 and goals for Accomplished goals include the church joining RIC and B.R.E.A.D. Continuing goals include visiting members, inviting community to events, building a justice ministry team and working with outreach towards new signage for church. Presentations were given about new small groups which were formed over the year. Pastor spoke on behalf of Donna Darlage about the Tutoring Program. Sharon Walton reminded everyone about the Book Group. Jill Woods spoke about the Creative Worship group. Barbara Ford talked about the Stewardship Team and Joe Reilly about the Endowment Team. Pastor presented her goals for These include work on updating the website, more small groups and work on what consensus is to the congregation. Imma Lyatuu informed the congregation that the Swahili service has been recognized by the ELCA and has received a grant of $30,000 which will be used for a part time pastor pay and housing. Joe Reilly informed the congregation that council has decided to move forward with projection assuring everyone nothing will happen until money is raised. These funds will not come from the budget but from dedicated donations. Pastor June thanked Joe Reilly for all his work as President in Meeting adjourned at 11:34 a.m. Submitted by Alice Siddall 12

13 SERVING THIS MONTH JANUARY 2014 January 5 January 12 January 19 January 26 Assisting Minister Jeff Luedke Jeff Luedke Jeff Luedke Jeff Luedke Sound Monitor Readers Ushers Nursery Mike Siddall Eric Walton Mark Geary Jim Sauer Howard Feole Nancy Feole Jim Driver Barb Driver Howard Feole Jim Siebert Jim Siebert Heidi Hiller Gottfried Maeffert Manfred Maeffert Brian McLean Scott Conlon Margaret Murphy Michael Murphy Diane Langner Rick Langner Wendy Luedke Scott Conlon Brian McLean Joy McLemore Dave Reutter Paul Siebert Bob Abdou Bill Darlage Click on the link to sign up and serve in the nursery. Communion Bread Joyce Geary Carole Wilkins Worship Team Brian Lutz Communion Care Darlene Norman Darlene Norman Darlene Norman Darlene Norman Counters Joanne Leussing Hugh Geary Mary Bardach Imma Lyatuu Dave Reutter Brian McLean Joyce Davis Order your sub(s) from the Youth on Sundays, January 12, 19, and 26 in the narthex. Pickup on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2. Cost is $5.00 per sub. Money raised will be used for youth activities and the 2014 ELCA National Youth Gathering in Detroit. 13

14 JANUARY 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 CHURCH OFFICE AND DAY CARE CLOSED 2 NO Handbells 7:15 PM Choir Worship 10:45 AM Education 3:30 PM Swahili Choir 12 Worship 10:45 AM Education 3:30 PM Swahili Choir NEWSLETTER DEADLINE 19 8:30 AM Health Ministry Team Worship 10:45 AM Education 3:30 PM Swahili Choir 26 Worship 10:45 AM Education 3:30 PM Swahili Choir 6 8:00 AM Reflections 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 13 8:00 AM Reflections 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 20 8:00 AM Reflections 6:00 PM Day Care 7:30 PM Prayer Shawl 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 27 8:00 AM Reflections 8:00 PM A.A. & Al Anon 7 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 12:45 PM P&L Chapel 14 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 12:45 PM P&L Chapel 6:00 PM P&L Staff 21 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 12:45 PM P&L Chapel 28 1:30 PM Staff Meeting 12:45 PM P&L Chapel 7:00 PM Worship Ministry Team 8 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 15 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 22 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 29 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 9 NO Handbells 7:15 PM Choir 16 6:00 PM Handbells 7:15 PM Choir 23 6:00 PM Handbells 7:00 PM Council 7:15 PM Choir 30 6:00 PM Handbells 7:15 PM Choir 10 7:00 PM Connections :00 AM Men s Breakfast :00 PM Quilting 31 14