Gethsemane Lutheran Church

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1 December 2017 Volume 50,, Issue 12 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 Dr. Timothy E. Guenther tguenther@gethsemane.org Mission Developer Rev. Ipyana Mwakabonga ipibonga@hotmail.com Child Care Center Brenda Weilbacher bweilbacher@gethsemane.org Children s Ministry Assistant Joel Wildermuth jwildermuth@gethsemane.org LIC Student Debbie Pinnegar dpinnegar@tlsohio.edu Parish Secretary Diane Gutgesell glcoffice@gethsemane.org Custodian Brian McLean In this Issue From the Pastor P. 2 Christmas Activities P. 3 Adult Education P. 4 Ministry Teams P. 5 Small Groups P. 6 Prayer Concerns P. 7 Council Highlights P. 8-9 Serving Schedule P.10 Calendar P.11 Christmas Eve Worship December 24 7:30pm (pre-service music begins earlier) Christmas Day Worship December ember 25 10:00am

2 FROM THE PASTOR Do Not Be Afraid Let s face it. There s a lot to be afraid about. There s every day stuff that we ve always had to worry about like illnesses and accidents. And now we have to wonder about things like natural disasters, mass shootings, and nuclear war. Just watching the news can raise your anxiety levels through the roof. As I ve said before, the phrase Do not be afraid is the most frequent command in the Bible. God tells it to Israel in Isaiah, the Psalms tell us not to be afraid, the Angel Gabriel tells Mary not to be afraid at the Annunciation, Jesus tells the disciples to not be afraid when he sees them in the upper room after the resurrection. them not to be run by their fears and (eventually) they go out and continue their mission. This season of Advent, the season leading up to Christmas, our theme will be Do Not Be Afraid. As we struggle with the seemingly absence of God and constantly await God s arrival into our lives in the flesh, it is important to remember that though things are frightening, while we wait we should not lead with fear, but with courage, tolerance, acceptance, and love. This Advent (and always) Do Not Be Afraid! Rev. June Wilkins We might think that it was easy for Jesus to say. Life was simpler then and there was less to be afraid of. Yes, they didn t have guns and bombs that could blow everyone up, but there was plenty of violence (actually there are fewer wars and violent deaths today if you can believe it) and in that time, a lack of rain could starve whole towns and countries and an infected tooth had a good chance of killing you. Fear is something that everyone throughout humanity has known. There are always threats and worries no matter who you are or where you live. And Jesus isn t telling us that all those things aren t real, or they might not actually hurt you, or that you should feel bad for having your stomach in your throat sometimes. Jesus is saying do not BE afraid. Do not let fear consume you, or run your life, or determine your choices or actions. Of course Mary was scared having an angel sneak into her room at night and tell her she would have God s child! There are so many things there to be afraid of. But she took the angel s advice and didn t let her fear guide her decisions. Likewise, the disciples had a lot to fear after Jesus s crucifixion, but the risen Jesus tells 2

3 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES Sunday, December 10 10:45 AM All ages invited to carol to our homebound. Christmas Event Sunday, December 17 10:45 AM All ages invited to participate. 3

4 LEARN favorite costume. Penguins in the nativity? Let s see how that looks! (We will also have a slew of traditional costumes here!) Preparations begin at 10:45 in the Great Hall right after worship and our show begins whenever we re ready. And if you d rather watch, we need an audience to sing carols and people to decorate the sanctuary for Christmas. Join us! Bring cookies to share afterwards. Christmas and New Year s Weekends No Classes LIFETIME LEARNING HOUR Christian Education about life, for life, and for a lifetime SUNDAYS at 10:45 AM December 3 G.I.F.T.: Generations in Faith Together Advent Traditions and Trivia, Card-making, and Carol-rehearsing Lead by Joel Wildermuth Meets every Wednesday at noon for lunch and discussion in the library. All are welcome to join the group. Bring your lunch. December 10 G.I.F.T.: Generations in Faith Together Christmas Caroling to our homebound members. Bring Christmas cookies to share. December 17 Improvised Christmas Event Join with the whole Gethsemane Community to tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. No acting experience necessary! No rehearsal! All ages are needed! Be whatever character you want! Bring a Meets the last Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm in the library to discuss books chosen by the group. All are welcome to come and discuss one or all of the chosen books. 4

5 MINISTRY TEAMS comments, questions, stories, or pictures, contact Paula Sauer, or Outreach Ministry Team Welcomes New Members The Outreach Ministry Team has welcomed new members Deidre Hooley and Kreig Spahn to the team. Char has taken over the chair position and Debbie Pinnegar is assisting us as part of her time here at Gethsemane. If you have the time and desire, we can always use additional team members to assist us in welcoming visitors and in making Gethsemane more visible to our community. Just talk to Char if you have an interest. Perhaps you have noticed that the furniture in the narthex has been rearranged. We did this to improve traffic flow and to create a specific table for displaying guest information. If you have any comments, please tell us. 70 Sent to Serve! Gethsemane Lutheran Church has been aging gracefully! But of course you have heard the aging gracefully expression. This can take on quite a few different meanings, but the one that works for us here at Gethsemane is centered on God s GRACE! Being a congregation now for these past 70 years, keeps us learning that God s love for us is our gift and our guide. Gethsemane members have been Sent to Serve our neighbors and our neighborhood, to share God s love and grace with others. We all know that Jim Siebert continues to be our most visible greeter of new persons to worship. But this task isn t the sole responsibility of one person, as good and as dedicated as he is. We should all be aware of and welcoming to persons who may join us for the first time or who are somewhat new to our community. February 11, 2018, will be our church s 70 th Anniversary! During January and February you will be hearing much more about the plans! If you have 5

6 CONNECT Small Group Ministries First Reflections Monday Bible Study Paula Sauer Every Monday at 8:00am at La Chatelaine-Worthington Second Saturday of the month at 8:00am at TeeJaye s Brown Bag Bible Bunch Dick Lyndes rhlyndes32@outlook.com Connections: Faith at Work Judy Reuning jreuning@lifecrossings.com Every Wednesday at 12:00pm in the church library Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8-3:00pm. Book Group Sharon Walton skrwalton@gmail.com Barbara Ford bandbford@columbus.rr.com Men s Breakfast Bob Davis rjdjr@wowway.com Thrivent Builds Bill Darlage darlage_bill@hotmail.com First Friday of the month at 7:00am at Bob Evans on Olentangy River Road Quilting Saturdays to be announced from 9-12:00pm in Trinity Hall LWR Quilts Terri Siebert tsiebert@columbus.rr.com Prayer Shawls Emilie Hagerdorn rdhekh@att.net Last Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm in the church library. Third Monday of the month at 7:30pm in the church library. 6

7 December Birthdays 1 Doug Sand 5 Tammy Bullwinkle 9 Jackson Lyimo 13 Anna Bogan Celia Conlon Ruth Fisher 16 Anna Lagergren 18 Carol Kane 20 Beryl Cumberland 25 Imanuel Lyatuu 27 Charles Keller Rebecca Oldaker 28 Cindy Keller 29 Diane Gutgesell 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: Father of Patsy Carringer Maury and Mary Drum (parents of Andrea Mayer) Hope Hagen (friend of Rosa Prigan) Jack Karako (father of Linda Mackov). Our love and compassion to the families of former Gethsemane members, Ruth Fisher and Lillian Crawford, who passed away recently. Members with ongoing concerns: Donna Baer Alice Gerken Bob Hagerdorn Tyler Hagerdorn Elaine Haines Arlene Hendrickson Sue Jones Mark Keller David Kibble David Lagerberg Gary Rader Howard Spring. Friends and family with concerns: Dan Carroll (brother-in-law of Gary Rader) Chris Kasselmann and her daughter Maura (friends of Joanne Leussing) Monica McLean (daughter of Brian McLean) Megan Ottesen (relative of Patti Nelson) Kevin Reilly (brother of Joe Reilly) Susan Wilkins (aunt of Pastor June and sister-in-law of Carole Wilkins. PEOPLE NEWS Homebound: Marie Cooper Beryl Cumberland Carolyn Fergus (Wesley Glen) Alice Gerken (Mayfair Village) Phyllis Nelson Becky Oldaker (Bennington Glen) Joanne Vollrath (Worthington Christian Village) Phyllis Wei Reva Woodruff (Columbus Colony). Would you like to add a name to the Sunday prayers? Contact the church office 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 ( ). 7

8 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS Congregation Council OFFICERS: President Don Dell Vice-President Mike Siddall Secretary Anna Wildermuth Treasurer Jeff Luedke MEMBERS: Pam Hagerdorn Hono Lyatuu Jim Siebert Diane Spink Carol Savolaine Highlights of Council Meeting November 13, 2017 Copies of the Council minutes and Financial Report are posted in Atrium Way. PLEASE READ BUT LEAVE POSTED. Facilities Taskforce Report (Jim Sauer) Report not complete Play and Learn concerns o Security o Finishes Trinity Hall o Facilities Kitchen Church concerns o Long term maintenance Outreach Team Report (Bill Darlage) Suggest adding on-line contribution/donation option Pastor s Report Advent 4 is on Christmas Eve o Morning service at 9:30am o Evening service at 7:30pm Congregation Meeting goals o Last year Strategic implementation 70 th Anniversary o This year 70 th anniversary Mentor program for youth Outreach / Update website Possible new planning teams Clergy Renewal Sabbatical Grant re-write Officers Reports President s report Invite new council members to December meeting Health Ministry working on background check policy Treasurer s report For the month, GLC has a net surplus (i.e., income exceeds expense) of $2, The result is unfavorable to budget by approximately $5,200. Contributions in support of GLC operations are $22, Contributions are unfavorable to budget by approximately $5,300. continued 8

9 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS continued 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. Year-to-date, GLC has a net shortfall (i.e., expense exceeds income) of $2, The result is unfavorable to budget by approximately $14,000. Year-to-date contributions in support of GLC operations are $99, Year-to-date contributions are unfavorable to budget by approximately $18,300. The cumulative surplus is $35, Unfinished Business Communication Liaison position o Deidre Hooley has volunteered to help with the Facebook page. Audit Committee o Council is addressing all suggestions Audit Committee has no major concerns Congregation Nominees o Dorian Norstrom and Dave Reutter added to Audit Committee as candidates. Jeff moved, Jim 2 nd o Wendy Luedke added to Nominating Committee as candidate. Diane moved, Jim 2 nd. Annual Reviews o Suggested text change in bylaws concerning Personnel Committee o Suggested moving committee descriptions for Personnel Committee and Stewardship Committee to chapter th Anniversary o Committee in place o Committee has no responsibility for a gift drive New Business Discussion of Capital Drive Approved Puerto Rico fundraising and SERRV sale through discussion. Approved Tree of Needs. Congregation Meeting on November 19 th o Anna will not be present so Pastor will recruit a replacement secretary Next Meeting: Monday, December 11, 7:00 pm. Jeff to lead devotions. Submitted by: Mike Siddall, Secretary Pro Tem 9

10 SERVING THIS MONTH DECEMBER 2017 December 3 December 10 December 17 December 24 December 31 Assisting Minister Gary Rader Gary Rader Gary Rader Gary Rader Gary Rader Projectionist Paul Siebert Brian McLean Mike Siddall Kate Lutz Mark Geary Sound Monitor Readers Ushers (*Captain) Kreig Spahn Rick Langner Jim Sauer Mark Geary Brian McLean Eric Walton Sharon Walton Bob Abdou* Kreig Spahn Jim Driver Barb Driver Don Seidelmann Pam Seidelmann Bill Darlage* Howard Feole Rick Langner Diane Langner Lisa Whitesell YOUTH Dave Reutter* Scott Conlon Jim Sauer Paula Sauer Nursery Bryn Hagerdorn Jen Tatz Jeff Klukas Karen Obee Communion Bread Communion Care Darlene Norman Kreig Spahn Jim Siebert Brian Burdette* Hugh Geary Joyce Geary Mark Geary Mike Siddall Carol Savolaine Jim Siebert* Brian McLean GottfriedMaeffert Manfred Maeffert Joyce Geary Doug Sand Carole Wilkins Brian Lutz Joyce Geary Darlene Norman Darlene Norman Darlene Norman Darlene Norman Counters Joanne Leussing Hugh Geary Imma Lyatuu Kreig Spahn Dave Reutter Brian McLean Jeff Luedke Diane Spink Celia Conlon Scott Conlon Confirmation of Kate Lutz, Nevin Woods, and Ian Lyatuu followed by a potluck celebration on the 500 th Anniversary of the Reformation, October 29,

11 DECEMBER 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Worship 10:45 AM G.I.F.T. 4:00 PM IbadaYaKiswahili 10 Worship 10:45 AM Caroling 4:00 PM IbadaYaKiswahili NEWSLETTER DEADLINE 17 Worship 10:45 AM Christmas Event 4:00 PM IbadaYaKiswahili 24 Worship 10:45 AM NO Education 7:10 PM Pre-Service Music CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES 31 Worship 10:45 AM NO Education 4:00 PM IbadaYaKiswahili 4 8:00 AM Reflections A.A. & Al Anon 11 8:00 AM Reflections 7:00 PM Congregation Council A.A. & Al Anon 18 8:00 AM Reflections 6:00 PM Day Care Prayer Shawl A.A. & Al Anon 25 10:00 AM CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP A.A. & Al Anon 5 P&L Chapel 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 6:45 PM Swahili Choir 12 P&L Chapel 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 6:00 PM Handbell Choir 6:45 PM Swahili Choir 19 P&L Chapel 10:30 AM Staff Meeting 6:45 PM Swahili Choir 7:00 PM CAC District 9 26 CHURCH OFFICE & DAY CARE CLOSED 6 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 6:30-8:00 PM Food Pantry 13 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 6:30-8:00 PM Food Pantry 20 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 6:30-8:00 PM Food Pantry 27 12:00 PM Brown Bag Bible Bunch 6:30-8:00 PM Food Pantry Book Group 7 6:00 PM Handbell Choir 7:15 PM Vocal Choir 14 6:30 PM P&L Christmas Program Vocal Choir 21 6:00 PM Handbell Choir 7:15 PM Vocal Choir 8 7:00 AM Connections: Faith at Work 9 8:00 AM Men s Breakfast 5:00 PM Scandinavian Club :00 AM Swahili Ministry Team 22 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED :00 PM Mkesha 23 4:00 PM Ibada Christmas Service & Dinner :00 PM Norman Family Gathering 11