February 2018 IN THIS ISSUE: PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH WALKERSVILLE MARYLAND PASTOR S MESSAGE HURCH W

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1 PEACE IN CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH February 2018 HURCH W WALKERSVILLE MARYLAND PASTOR S MESSAGE IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Pastor s Message 2. Church Information & Financials 3. President s Message 4. February Calendar 5. Pastor s Message (con t) 6. Reflection s of Lent 7. President s Message (con t) LWML 8. Fellowship Message 9. Music Ministry 10. Community Outreach 11. Celebrations & Schedules We begin the season of Lent this month. Ash Wednesday is on Valentines Day and Easter is on April 1. Lent is a time of reflection and introspection and repentance leading up to the resurrection of Jesus on Easter. This is an important time in our Christian faith. We live in a world when the wisdom of the day tells us that we are a product of our past, or of our environment, or our genes, or some kind of destiny placed upon us, and we can't do anything about it. In that kind of world view, therapy consists of accepting who you are. That may be OK from time to time, but there is a danger in that too. When you live with anything for a while, it doesn't' seem so bad. Especially when you are asked to change. At least you know what to expect in your less than ideal situation. At least your life is familiar to you. Richard Rohr, in what I consider a brilliant analysis, says that what has happened to us is that, "the subjective truth has become the objective truth." Our Christian faith stands strongly over and against that, and says what the most important fact of your life is not what has happened to you in the past, and not even the way you are right now. The most important fact of your life is what God is offering you! God has given you the future! God has given you a new life! But, you have to get up and move towards it. For most of us, that is going to take a lot of discipline. It's not fashionable to talk about discipline these days. It's going to take discipline to change a life time of habits, and to begin a new life. But in a time when the subjective self is the definition of reality, we will do pretty much what we feel like doing, and feel good about it. But to have discipline in your life is to say, what is real for me as a person of faith, is not the way I am now, but the way I know I can become (Continued on page 5) We see God s people gathered together, growing up and going out by God s grace.

2 CHURCH INFORMATION & FINANCIAL NEWS Church Staff Pastor Rev. Dave Weber Vicar Vicar Richard Cox Director of Parish Music Sharon Stromberg Church Administrator Carl L. Tepper Pastor Emeritus Rev. David Betzner Church Council President Gregg Oberhaus Vice President Cindy Hofflinger Treasurer Gloria Johannessen Financial Secretary Leslie Oberhaus Recording Secretary Arlinda Sothoron Christian Education Jean Samuel Church Property David Hofflinger Board of Outreach John Jakupciak Board of Stewardship Dave Bandy Board of Fellowship Mary Meeker Jeannine Jennings Board of Elders Steve Graunke Heide Breuer Susan Bell Gail Burck Lori Carsey Kim Thomas CHURCH OFFICE HOURS TU-FR 8:00am 12:00pm ABOUT US Prints of Peace is a publication of Peace in Christ Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The LCMS teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God. Our congregation accepts and teaches the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone. 300, , , , ,000 Peace in Christ Lutheran Church 8798 Adventure Avenue Walkersville, Maryland , WORSHIP SCHEDULE 8:30am Divine Service w/holy Communion 9:45am Christian Education for Children and Adults. 11:15am Contemporary Worship w/ Holy Communion PUBLICATION DEADLINES Sunday bulletin Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. Newsletter Third Tuesday of preceding month. FINANCES THROUGH December 31 INCOME Dec YTD Weekly Offering Needed $4,780 $4,780 Weekly Offering Average $10,605 $4,437 Avg. Income (Shortfall)Over/week $5,825 $(343) EXPENSES Avg. Weekly Exp Budgeted $5,161 $5,161 Avg. Weekly Exp Actual $3,933 $4,415 Avg. Exp (Over)/Under Budget $1,228 $746 TOTALS Total Actual Income $42,820 $245,655 Total Actual Expense $19,667 $233,974 Total (Shortfall) Over thru 12/31 $23,153 $11,681 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec YTD Annual Budget YTD Income YTD Expense 2

3 Grace and Peace to my Sisters and Brothers of Peace in Christ. I am humble and honored to serve you as President in We have before us a year of opportunities, challenges, and new beginnings. This month I would like to talk about my vision of the Church, congregation, and address Pastor Weber s call. PRESIDENT S MESSAGE In my spiritual growth, I have developed an image of a church as a ship. Ironically, Pastor Weber s December Newsletter article set me up perfectly (Thank you Pastor). Not coincidentally, the sanctuary of a church is called the nave which comes from the Latin word navis, which is the word for ship. Each, and every one of us, crews this ship. We are to work as a team to figuratively keep the ship afloat, moving forward, and take care of each other. The ship s mission is to go out into the sea of the world and rescue those who have not heard the good news and bring them aboard to our sanctuary. Once aboard, we nurture them, train and assimilate them to be part of God s crew. Ideally, our ship gets full. Then we can build a bigger ship or build an additional ship. A ship has many working parts. It takes a captain (Pastor), ship officers (Vicar, Music Director, Elders, Council), and many different crew members with different talents to make things work. Some go out on rescue boats to save. Others maintain those boats and provide training and resources for those crew members. Others take care of the ship. And just as important, there are those who take care of the crew. Not everyone is cut out to be a proselytizer (Pastor is the lead for this). Not everyone is good with numbers and able to manage our financial records (Thank you Gloria, Susan, and now Leslie). However, there is something to do for everyone. This year, I am proposing our focus to be on Engagement of our crew. Engagement requires the following steps: There must be a defined mission strategy and it must be communicated to each and every member of the Congregation. There must be recognition, strategically utilization, training, and the development the talents that our congregation possesses. There must be alignment of our tasks to match the mission and keep the congregation focused and accountable to this meaningful work. There must be a process to account for our progress towards our Mission. My first goal is to form a Long Range Planning Committee that will lead our congregation to a consensus of what our mission is and what strategies we will engage to achieve our Mission. The plan would include representation from different demographics and viewpoints. Please me if you would like to be considered for the Committee (oberhausg@gmail.com). I am asking each of you to pray for guidance and wisdom to the congregation and its leaders. I am confident that working together, we will achieve our goals. (Continued on page 7) 3

4 4 Super Bowl 19 Presidents Day 13 Mardi Gras 14 Ash Wednesday/Valentine's Day 2 Groundhog Day 16 Chinese New Year ~ February 2018 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 8:30am-9:30am Divine Service w/ Holy Communion 9:45am-10:45am Christian Education 11:15am-12:15pm Contemporary Worship w/ Holy Communion 3:00pm-7:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 11 8:30am-9:30am Divine Service w/ Holy Communion 9:45am-10:45am Christian Education 11:15am-12:15pm Contemporary Worship w/ Holy Communion 3:00pm-7:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 4:00pm-5:00pm AGO Frederick Presbyterian 6:00pm-8:00pm Confirmation Class (youth room) 18 8:30am-9:30am Divine Service w/ Holy Communion 9:45am-10:45am Christian Education 11:15am-12:15pm Contemporary Worship w/ Holy Communion 3:00pm-7:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 25 8:30am-9:30am Divine Service w/ Holy Communion 9:45am-10:45am Christian Education 11:15am-12:15pm Contemporary Worship w/ Holy Communion 3:00pm-7:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 6:00pm-8:00pm Confirmation Class (youth room) 5 7:30pm-9:00pm AA Meeting (fellowship hall) 7:30pm-9:30pm IPV Meeting (sanctuary) 12 12:00pm-2:00pm Creative for Christ Group (fellowship hall) 7:30pm-9:00pm AA Meeting (fellowship hall) 7:30pm-9:30pm IPV Meeting (sanctuary) 7:00pm-9:00pm Council Meeting 7:30pm-9:00pm AA Meeting (fellowship hall) 7:30pm-9:30pm IPV Meeting (sanctuary) 26 7:30pm-9:00pm AA Meeting (fellowship hall) 6 5:30pm-6:30pm Girl Scouts Brownie Troop Meets (fellowship hall) Shrove Tuesday 9:00am-2:00pm Circuit Pastors Meet (Hagerstown) (8798 Adventure Ave\, Walkersville MD 21793) 6:00pm-9:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 6:00pm-7:30pm Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner 6:30pm-9:00pm God's Esther Marie's 20 Newsletter Deadline 5:30pm-6:30pm Girl Scouts Brownie Troop Meets (fellowship hall) 6:00pm-9:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 27 6:00pm-9:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 6:30pm-9:00pm God's Esther Marie's 7 6:00pm-9:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, Ash Wednesday 1:00pm-2:30pm Good Grief 7:00pm-8:00pm Ash Wednesday Worship Service 21 6:00pm-7:00pm Lenten Supper (fellowship hall) 7:00pm-8:00pm Lenten Worship Service 28 1:00pm-2:30pm Good Grief 6:00pm-7:00pm Lenten Supper (fellowship hall) 7:00pm-8:00pm Lenten Worship Service 1 6:00pm-7:00pm Girl Scouts Daisy Troop (fellowship hall) 7:00pm-9:00pm Contemporary Group Practice (music room) 7:15pm-9:15pm ESL Class w/ E.M.Emslie 8:00pm-9:15pm Vocal Choir (sanctuary) 8 7:00pm-9:00pm Contemporary Group Practice (music room) 7:15pm-9:15pm ESL Class w/ E.M.Emslie 8:00pm-9:15pm Vocal Choir (sanctuary) 15 6:00pm-7:00pm Girl Scouts Daisy Troop (fellowship hall) 7:00pm-9:00pm Contemporary Group Practice (music room) 7:15pm-9:15pm ESL Class w/ E.M.Emslie 8:00pm-9:15pm Vocal Choir (sanctuary) 22 7:00pm-9:00pm Contemporary Group Practice (music room) 7:15pm-9:15pm ESL Class w/ E.M.Emslie 8:00pm-9:15pm Vocal Choir (sanctuary) 7:00pm-8:30pm Junior & Senior Youth Group (youth room) 7:15pm-9:00pm ESL Class w/ E.M.Emslie 9 7:15pm-9:00pm ESL Class w/ E.M.Emslie 7:15pm-9:00pm ESL Class w/ E.M.Emslie 23 6:00pm-9:00pm IPV (sanctuary, library, :00am-12:00pm Elders Meeting 12:00pm-2:30pm LWML Luncheon (fellowship hall) :00am-3:00pm Church Council Workshop (entire facility) 7:00pm-9:30pm IPV (sanctuary, library, 4

5 PASTOR S MESSAGE (CON T) (Continued from page 1) through the power of God! What discipline means is that you will do the things God sets out for you to do, even when you don't feel like doing them. We know that God wants us to be in fellowship every week, so we make attendance in church a priority and attend even when there are other things to do and we don't feel like it. We know that God wants us to be forgiving to others that have harmed us and our loved ones so we forgive even when we don't want to. We know Bible, study, prayer and service to others are pleasing to God so we make a habit of doing them, even when we don't feel like it. People say you ought to be honest about your feelings. I believe that. Your feelings are a part of you, and you ought to take your feelings seriously. But there is far more to you than your feelings. There are also your hopes, your aspirations, your dreams, your visions, your responsibilities and your obligations, and there is now, because of the Gospel having been proclaimed to you, a new life that is being offered to you. That is a part of your life too. You should be even more honest and trusting of those things God has promised than you are your feelings. I have discovered that my feelings are not very reliable when it comes to determining the truth of a situation. When I am faced with making a choice between my feelings and God's promises in directing my path I will choose to follow God's promises every time. You see God has the power to create. He has created the Heavens and the Earth and He has created you. The Bible tells us that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17. As Vicar Cox reminded us in his homily last Sunday ( the 21 of January) that this transformation is not just a single event in history. Rather it is an ongoing process that continues daily, hourly and by the second. God's Spirit is continually renewing us! Isn't that great!!!! So let us let go of the old and embrace the new being offered to us in Christ. Pastor Dave 5

6 GIVEN OR LENT? Most of us have a mental list of items that somebody has borrowed and never returned. Possibly we even have a few such items in our own possession, that never made it back to their owners! I don t know about you, but I suspect I might not be so quick to LEND things if I were outright GIVING them away. And I know that misunderstandings about whether something was GIVEN or LENT can become very uncomfortable. Ash Wednesday falls on February 14 this year, marking the beginning of the liturgical season of LENT. The name Lent comes from an Old English word meaning spring time, and refers to the forty-day period before Easter. Traditionally this is a time of repentance and introspection, or inward-looking. We think about the humiliation and temptation of Jesus. Often we choose something to give up LEND back to God? to remind us of His fasting and prayer. Since words are some of my favorite toys, I invite you to explore this pun as part of your Lenten reflection: when it comes to my relationship with God, which things should be GIVEN, and which ones LENT to be returned at some future point? Have I GIVEN my sins and my worries to Jesus, or merely LENT them? Do I keep taking them back? Has God GIVEN me the blessings of time, money, even loved ones or LENT them? To whom does each one ultimately belong? Are God s grace and forgiveness GIVEN to us, or LENT? What might it mean to return them to God (or to others)? In what ways was Jesus GIVEN to (or for) us? In what ways might we say He was LENT to humanity? What about my heart is it GIVEN or LENT to God? I m not saying that there is one right answer to any of these questions. The answers can vary depending on how I think about the questions. The bottom line is, I am grateful for all that God has GIVEN me. I consider it an honor to give back to Him as well (the things that might be thought of as LENT). And I want to relate generously to others, whether the situation calls for something to be GIVEN or LENT. Sharon Wright Stromberg 6

7 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE (Continued from page 3) Finally, I would like to address Pastor Weber s recent call from Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, San Diego, CA. The Call process is a sacred experience where Pastor and Judy pray to discern the Holy Spirit s intentions for Pastor s ministry. We should not interfere with that process. What we can do is pray for Pastor and Judy, our church, and for Our Redeemer in San Diego. We realize that many of you may be anxious and concerned for what the future bring. Please feel free to speak to me or your Elder. I would like to assure you that, the church leadership, as well as our areas Circuit Pastors, Southeastern District staff and LCMS leadership are prepared to support us, if a Pastoral vacancy should occur. We must place our faith and trust in the Holy Spirit allowing revelation of time and intention. God s blessings. Gregg Oberhaus, President LWML Ladies Luncheon (sponsored by LWML): To all the ladies at Peace in Christ, join us for a Luncheon Saturday, February 12:00pm. RSVP to Patti Adamson See You There!! 7

8 A message from the Fellowship Co Chairpersons Jeannine and Mary, AKA JAM Happy February Peace in Christ! According to Webster, fellowship is companionship, a mutual sharing, a group of people with the same interests, an endowment for the support of a student Hmmm. Did you notice that FOOD was not mentioned? Fellowship is not just about food! Having said that we d like to invite everyone to the annual Lenten Soup and Salad dinners on Wednesdays during Lent starting promptly at 6pm. We will fellowship for 1 hour followed by service at 7pm. We will be asking all to bring your favorite (or Wegmans and Costco s) soups, salads and breads. This year our final dinner will be a Chili Cook off. Bring your best chili and a team of judges will crown the finest cook! Our Lenten dinners will be held on: Feb 21 s, Feb 28, March 7, March 14, and March 21 for the cook off. Can t wait to see you there for mutual sharing, and yes, FOOD! 8

9 MUSIC MINISTRY BIG THANK YOU! Much appreciation to all who participated in Christmas caroling to Peace in Christ shut-ins. Over the course of two Saturday afternoons in December, we visited Kate Johnson, Pat Pemberton, Ed Schlessinger, George & Annis Moran, Bob & Lori Carsey, Betty Jagow, and Mary Jane & Chester Wagstaff. In each case, folks were very glad to see the carolers. Pat P. gathered a whole group for a sing-along in the dining room. We sang a verse of Stille Nacht in German for Betty J. and others on her floor who were assembled for supper. Special thanks to Susan Riddles for driving her van both days. WALKERSVILLE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING Peace in Christ was one of two churches that provided music at the Walkersville Christmas Tree Lighting on December 2. More than a hundred people were on hand to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies and a visit from Santa. Thanks to those who braved the cold to come out and sing/play with us. Participating in events like this helps us stay visible in our community. CHRISTMAS CONCERT Our church family has a lot of musical talent, and it was on display for the Christmas Concert on the evening of December 16. We had solos and ensembles, vocal choir and handbells, piano and organ music. Like most services at Peace in Christ, the concert was recorded and archived on our YouTube channel, which you can visit by clicking the picture at the bottom right of the church Web site (Click here to visit our Video Library of Sermons). If you appreciate this ministry, please make sure to tell Richard Cox and Steve Graunke; they and others work hard to make sure that the streaming service has good-quality audio and video. 9

10 COMMUNITY OUTREACH PIC will be hosting families through the Frederick Emergency coordinated by the Religious Coalition on February 3-9. We will need lots of volunteers! There are many ways to be involved setting up or packing out on Saturday mornings, volunteering to help serve meals and interact with the children in the evenings, spending the night, and donating snacks and/or meals. Sign-ups will be available online thru the Sign-Up Genius web site. If you have any questions or need more information contact John Jakupciak. Thank you! Walkersville Food Bank continues to serve the needs of the community. There is a huge need for donations at this time. With cold weather around the corner and the holidays rapidly approaching, many more families will need additional help. Please continue to support those in need with this important offering. Items of special need are; peanut butter, canned fruit, canned tuna, salmon, chicken, spaghetti sauce and of course boxed foods of all types. All donations can be placed in the narthex. ASH WEDNESDAY - February 14th 7:00pm Mid-week Lenten Worship 7:00pm Mid-week Lenten Meals 6:00pm PALM SUNDAY - March 25th 8:30am & 11:15am MAUNDY THURSDAY March 29th 7:00pm GOOD FRIDAY March 30th - 7:00pm EASTER - APRIL 1 10

11 CELEBRATIONS & SCHEDULES Gospel Text - February Feb 4: Fifth Sunday a. Epiphany Mark 1:29-39 Feb 11: Transfiguration of Our Lord Mark 9:2-9 Feb 14: Ash Wednesday Matt. 6:1-6, /1 Kelly Putz 2/2 Mary Meeker 2/2 Gwen Nolte 2/3 Richard Nehring 2/4 Max Fiore 2/6 Erin Monahan 2/16 Karin Bauer 2/20 Matthew Fiore 2/24 Amy Graunke 2/28 Maggie Walton Feb 18: First Sunday in Lent Mark 1:9-15 Feb 25: Second Sunday in Lent Mark 8:27-38 JANUARY WEEKLY ATTENDANCE 1/7 Epiphany (Observed) 68 1/14 2nd Sunday a. Epiphany 85 1/21 3rd Sunday a. Epiphany 75 1/28 4th Sunday a. Epiphany 2018 Weekly Average 76 Please note that the weekly average attendance number includes All Services for the week not just Sunday Worship Services February Lori Carsey 8:30am Kim Thomas 11:15am Tom & Debbie Bolthouse 2/26/ yrs. William & Julie Monahan 2/27/ yrs. February Gregg Oberhaus Amy Graunke February Worship Assistants DATE LITURGIST ACOLYTE USHERS LECTOR GREETERS February 11:15am February 11:15am February 7:00pm February 11:15am February 11:15pm Deacon John Jakupciak Deacon Richard Benjamin Deacon John Jakupciak Vicar Richard Cox Deacon John Jakupciak Gregg Oberhaus Esther Marie Emslie Gregg Oberhaus Kim Thomas John Jakupciak Gregg Oberhaus Heide Breuer Gregg Oberhaus Gloria Johannessen Lori Carsey Heide Breuer Doris Ochs Mary Meeker Heide Breuer Lori Carsey Mary Meeker Katleen Steppe Dave & Jonette Stupke 11

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