St. Paul s. Lutheran Church. Volume 23 Issue 9 October 2017

Transcription

1 St. Paul s Lutheran Church Volume 23 Issue 9 October 2017 The first Lutheran worship service in North America is believed to have taken place in what is now Manitoba, Canada, on Jan. 23, Check out the other 46 at reformation. On the website livinglutheran.org is a page where you can find a plethora of information dedicated to the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation which will be celebrated this year on Sunday, October 29. One of the more interesting features is Reformation 500 which offers lists of 50 musings on different aspects of the Reformation: 50 Hymns Written by Martin Luther 50 Reformation Publications 50 Things You May Not Know About the Reformation Reading through that list of 50, I became more acutely aware of the significance and impact Martin Luther had on the course of human history, and why this 500th anniversary is being marked with such interest and fanfare in communities of faith worldwide. Continued on next page... This one piqued my interest. Here s what I learned: An estimated 6,001,500,000 Bibles have been printed since the first one came off the press in the Middle Ages. The first Bible published in North America was printed in Whether or not to use pipe organs and other musical instruments during worship became a hotly debated issue for many churches involved in the Reformation movement. Some went as far as banning the use of organs and instruments. Today the United States has more Protestants than any other country, about 160 million. Nigeria is second, with nearly 60 million Protestants, and China has the third-largest Protestant population at approximately 58 million. This month feel free to take your own picture with Marty - and share it on Facebook! #Reformation500

2 We, too, as the community of faith known as St. Paul s Lutheran Church will be marking this anniversary with interest and fanfare. Of note: Sundays, October 1, 8, 15, and 22, the Living Lutheran sermon series will continue. Monday, October 16, Pastor Janet Volk will begin serving as St. Paul s interim pastor. Sunday, October 22, at 4:00pm St. Paul s will be hosting a musical celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Choral, piano, organ and handbell music will be provided by Joy, St. Mark s, St. Paul s and Trinity Lutheran churches. Sunday, October 29, we will have one service only, at 9:00am, to truly celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. May your interest be so piqued that you will join your sisters and brothers in Christ (and invite your friends) to be part of the fanfare of this historic moment in our church s, and indeed, our world s history. God s peace and love, Pastor Brad Musical Celebration of the Private Tour of the Newberry Library s Reformation Exhibit Saturday, Nov. 4 Van leaves at Noon Featuring over 150 objects from the Newberry s collection, Religious Change and Print, views the Reformation through the eyes of the people clergy and laity, rebels and regulators, preachers and teachers who experienced the social, cultural, and political transformations it thrust into their lives. Chris Fletcher has spent the last year coordinating the development of this exhibit at the Newberry Library in Chicago, and it is now open to the public. Chris has offered to give a private tour to his St. Paul's family the afternoon of November 4. The Elbe s 15 passenger van will make the trip down, leaving church at Noon. Cost is $5 per person. Sign up in the Gathering Room. Reformation Sunday October 29, 9:00am This year we will celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation with one powerful and uplifting service. Sunday School will not meet. Plan to come back for the Trunk or Treat neighborhood outreach event at 1pm. Sunday, October 22, 4:00pm Choral, piano, organ and handbell music will be provided by Joy, St. Mark s, St. Paul s and Trinity Lutheran churches. Free admission & refreshments. Invite a friend! Trunk or Treat Sunday, Oct. 29, 1-3pm Trunk or Treat returns! This year we are going to give people an option of staying 1-2pm or 1-3pm. If you would like to decorate your car, please sign up on the sheet in the Gathering Room beginning Oct. 1. Donations of candy will be collected Oct See Becky Ingram for any more details or if you d like to help without decorating your car. Page 2

3 Financial Recap July August Weekly Giving $24, $20, Monthly Income $27, $ Monthly Expenses $30, $35, Monthly Shortage -$2, $6, YTD Shortage -$8, $15, Fund Balances August Mortgage Repayment $8, Raise the Roof $12, Weekly giving was substantially down for August, by almost $3,000 from our typical monthly average. Attendance was down as well, as people enjoyed the rest of summer! Our monthly income was propped up by the rummage sale proceeds. As a comparison to August 2016, our low point last year, we were ($ ) for our year to date shortage. Hopefully, with the return of fall and the church programming year, we will see our finances return to typical levels. Thanks for all you do for the ministries of Christ's church through St. Paul's. Mary Ellen Modlin Sunday Storytime! Sunday, Oct. 15, 10:30am Parents and grandparents with children ages birth to 3 are invited to a half-hour of connecting with God and with other parents and grandparents of little ones with a quick story, songs, and activities. All are welcome. Please come! Free Flu Shots Sunday, Oct. 8 & Oct am Noon Walgreens will provide free flu vaccine shots for members of our congregation. If you have an insurance card please bring it, but it is not necessary to receive the flu vaccine. Oktoberfest Saturday, Oct. 21, 6pm The fifth annual Waukegan to College Oktoberfest event will be held at Bernie s Book Bank (917 North Shore Drive, Lake Bluff, IL 60044). Tickets are $50 per person and will be sold at church and online at waukeganto college.org. To donate items to the auction, please contact Karen Papp at or her at karenjpapp@gmail.com. Sunday, Oct. 15, 12:30pm North Lake County s Annual 5K/10K Walk for Hunger departs from St. Anastasia Church, 629 Glen Flora Ave. in Waukegan. Adrianne Elbe is organizing this year s team from St. Paul s. Please sign up with her in the Gathering Room or contact the church office if you wish to participate or to make a donation. Page 3

4 TRANSITION UPDATE The Church Council interviewed and hired Pastor Janet Volk to serve as our Interim Pastor (see her message below). She is very excited to have the opportunity to serve St. Paul's as our pastor and to help guide our congregation to identify and call our new pastor. Pastor Janet's first day will be October 16 and she will preach on Sunday, October 22. We look forward to getting to know each other and continue to maintain St. Paul's as a strong and caring church. We anticipate forming a transition committee early next year to develop the Ministry Site Profile that describes what we are looking for in a new pastor, followed by forming the call committee that will screen and interview candidates selected by the synod. Please speak with a council member if you would be interested in learning more or participating directly in this process. Page 4 Hello! My name is Pastor Janet Volk and I am excited to be your new interim pastor! Let me tell you a little about myself. I grew up in Palos Heights with my parents and two older brothers. As a charter family at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church we all were involved in building the church my father literally helped with the construction; my mother was a key leader in building the women s programs; my brothers were part of the original youth group; and I (not really realizing it) helped shape children s ministries. I wanted to follow in my brothers footsteps and be an acolyte at Good Shepherd, but alas, girls couldn t do that back then! I did follow in my brothers footsteps in going to Valparaiso University where I majored in theology and minored in math and biology. I was very active in the music department and played in two orchestras there. After graduating from Valpo, I moved on to Emory University (in Atlanta) where I earned a degree in health care administration. I worked at several hospitals (both big and small) during the course of this career. After 16 years of working in healthcare, God called me to ministry. I attended the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago where I earned a Master of Divinity degree. After serving at two suburban churches and ready for something completely different, I moved to the mountains of eastern Tennessee where I did transition ministry for a year. Returning back to Chicagoland, I have served as an interim minister at suburban churches and as a temporary shepherd at a Chicago church (literally in the shadow of Wrigley Field). Besides being a pastor, I also have the important vocation of motherhood. My son Andrew is a software engineer. He, his wife Adrienne, their 4-year-old son Fox and 9-month-old daughter Bijou live in Saugatuck, Michigan. My daughter Elisabeth lives in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago and is a strategist and writer in the design world. After raising my children in Elmhurst, I sold my house two years ago and downsized to an 800 square foot condo in Chicago. I love living in the city and especially enjoy the cultural treasures of Chicago. Also, I am a volunteer tour guide at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park and with the Chicago Architecture Biennial. So, now you know a little bit about me. I look forward to getting to know you! Pastor Janet

5 9:00am Ushers Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct :30 Ushers Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 9:00 Acolytes Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Athanas, Robinson, Wiesemann, Nixon Aaron, Stover, Campbell, Stateler Hall, Sandine, Mizera, Dahlbo Sorensen, W. Burba, J. Burba, Gehrt Baraboo, Kilpatricks, Koskinen Alwardt LaMontagne, Swanick Hopkins Alwardt No 10:30 worship Jesse, Wyatt Benjamin, Bobby Skye, Aidan Dylan, Sophia Jonathon, Jesse Conflicts? newsletter@splcwaukegan.com. Be a Kids Hope USA Mentor! Kids Hope USA program is a program that develops church-school partnerships which pairs church members with at-risk kids in supportive, mentoring relationships. This is our fifth year in the program. Last year we had twelve mentors from St. Paul s that are making a difference in a child s life at Whittier School. Mentors spend just one hour per week reading, talking, playing and listening to a child at school. By helping the child feel loved and valued, they help that child to learn, grow and succeed. Millions of children are living in situations where their emotional and social needs are not being met. You can change a life and that s no small change. All it takes is one hour once a week. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Karen Papp at Karen- JPapp@gmail.com or and she will lead you through the next steps, including any necessary training. Trunk or Treat Sunday, Oct. 29, 1-3pm Below are ideas for dressing up your car. Please also plan to bring a tablecloth we will move the event to the Fellowship Hall if it is raining.

6 9 Columbus Day 31 Halloween/Reformation Day Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 10:30am Worship & Learning 8 10am Flu Shots 10:30am Worship & Learning 15 10am Flu Shots 10:30am Sunday Storytime Worship & Learning 12pm CROP Walk for Hunger 22 10:30am Worship & Learning 4pm Musical Celebration of the Reformation 29 9am Reformation Worship No 10:30am Worship or Sunday School 1-3pm Trunk or Treat 2 1-3pm Knit & Crochet 7pm Altar Guild pm Knit & Crochet 23 9:30am Quilters pm Knit & Crochet pm Finance Team 19 7pm Church Council pm Wedding 6pm W2C Oktoberfest Bernie s Book Bank 28