OCTOBER, St. Paul s Ev. Lutheran Church. Everyone Engaging the Entire Community for Christ. Pastor s Column - October, 2017

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1 1 The Carillon OCTOBER, 2017 St. Paul s Ev. Lutheran Church Everyone Engaging the Entire Community for Christ Pastor s Column - October, 2017 A Mighty Fortress is Our God! Reformation 500: Sunday, October 29 will be observed at St. Paul s as Reformation Sunday. We will once again have the opportunity to join together in singing that glorious hymn that Martin Luther penned based largely on Psalm 46, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Reformation Day is officially marked on our church calendar as October 31. It was on that day, in 1517, on the eve of All Saints Day, that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis, which in detail listed what Luther saw as man made errors against God s word, on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. It would ignite a reformation of the church of which effects we still see today. As Luther proclaimed in 1517, we still profess today, as we celebrate the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation. That joyous proclamation, as God s word clearly states, is that by grace through faith we are saved, not by any works that we would do. Continue page 2 1

2 2 Continued from page 1 Much has changed in the world since Luther posted his thesis on the church door in Wittenberg. However, the old evil foe, that Luther writes of, still tries to devour us. Yet, scowl fierce as he will, he can harm us none. In that wonderful hymn we also read that the devil has been judged, the deed is done, Christ s victory over death and the grave has seen to that! In Christ s death we have been declared righteous before God, with His Son as our one and true advocate. Struggles and sufferings abounded in Luther s day, and they abound around us and in our lives today. As we proudly celebrate the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation, may we boldly, as Lutherans, as Christians, join together in these closing words of that powerful hymn: And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be gone, our vict ry has been won; the Kingdom ours remaineth. Yes, our victory has been won, God s Kingdom of Glory is ours, through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! May God continue to bless and guide His church as we go forward in His saving grace! OCTOBER GREETERS 10:00 AM Service October 1, 2017 Lucretia & Willie Rush October 8, 2017 Jeff Earp & Pat Stewart October 15, 2017 Ron & Susan Brauer October 22, 2017 Julie & Jeff Albrecht October 29, 2017 Andrea & Al Bohlen Everyone Engaging the Entire Community for Christ If you would like to become a greeter on Sunday mornings, please contact Pat Stewart (708) Pastor Croon 2

3 3 OCTOBER Wedding Anniversaries May the Lord Bless your Marriage Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. CONGRATULATIONS Gayle & Andrew Ahrendt Kirstie & Mark Angellotti Patricia & Mark Mantel 42 years 43 years 37 years LUTHERFEST 2017 Plans are being made for Lutherfest On Saturday, November 4th we will have our German Dinner. Melitta s wonderful sauerkraut, Maria s delicious German potato salad, sausage, music from the homeland and Vieles Gutes Essen. The cost of tickets will be $ If you would like to sell tickets to your family and friends please contact Maria Bunte. Also, Illiana Christian School expressed an interest in our German Dinner last year, but the students will not be able to afford the $12 tickets. If anyone would like to give a donation to help the students afford a ticket that would be appreciated. DVD/CD Our Sound Room lady, Dorothy Stelter records our church services on DVD & CD s. every Sunday. They are also available on our WEB Site. If anyone wishes to have a copy of our Church services, please let Dorothy know. Come and experience a great German Dinner and good fellowship! 3

4 4 God s Pastor At the end of this month, we will celebrate the 500 th Anniversary of the Reformation. We celebrate on October 31 st because that is the day Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses. Although this is when we often recognize the start of the Reformation it was not the birth of the Lutheran church. That happened June 25 th, 1530 when a group of Lutherans got together and wrote down for the first time what they believed and what their churches would teach. This document is called the Augsburg Confession. The Augsburg Confession is what we are studying at our monthly young adult dinner and Bible study. It has been a great opportunity to learn what we believe as Lutherans, why it matters, and how it is still relevant 500 years later. One of the articles we will look at is Article V, The Ministry. So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given (John 20:22). He works faith, when and where it pleases God (John 3:8), in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ s sake. Our churches condemn the Anabaptists and others who think that through their own preparations and works the Holy Spirit comes to them without the external Word. There are many points that can be discussed in this article but, the primary lesson is that God chooses to work through the Office of Holy Ministry to give faith through the Word and Sacrament to us. This is not a man-made office or optional for churches to partake in. There is only a Church because there is a way to administer these gifts and that is through our called pastors. The Church is not the people, it is the gift of Word and Sacrament and God chooses to give those gifts through this public office of the Holy Ministry. God instituted the Office of Holy Ministry in Matthew 28 and in John 20 when Jesus breathed on the disciples and gave them His authority to teach and baptize. What we call the Office of the Keys was given to the disciples, the institution of the Office of Holy Ministry was created, and the apostles were sent to give the gifts of God to all people. Throughout the book of Acts, we see this office grow and the Word spread through the laying on of hands, giving others the same power Jesus gave them. Pastors were installed in new lands and churches were formed to preach God s Word, baptize new members, and give the Lord s Supper when they gathered and we still partake in these practices today. Pastors are overseers of their flock (Acts 20:28), servants of Christ and stewards of the Sacraments (1 Corinthians 4:1), qualified teachers (2 Timothy 2:2), and ministers, even when it is unpopular, (2 Timothy 4:1-8). They are called to a great honor being in the stead and by the command of Christ for you and for me but, there is also great responsibility. They are in charge of our spiritual well-being. They will be held accountable for what they do or do not teach (2 Corinthians 5:10). It would be defying God s Word if they taught or allow things within the church that go against their conscience. Unfortunately, sometimes a pastor serving according to his conscience shaped by God s Word differs from what we think the pastor should be doing. Continue to page 10 4

5 5 A few of St. Paul s Shut-In s Mrs. Willie Chandler th St. Sauk Village, IL On October 12th, twelve of St. Paul s Sr. Saints and friends will attend The Big River at the Munster Performing Arts. I know they will have a great lunch and enjoy the Play. ENJOY!! Thanks Virginia for taking care of this outing. ***** BRANSON On November 13-17th there will be 48 Sr. Saints of St. Paul s and friends going to Branson Holiday Show Extravaganza. I hope that you signed up and will be able to join us on this great trip. We are looking forward to enjoy beautiful scenery, good eats, and good fellowship on this trip! Irv Eiskamp 3633 Breakers Dr. Apt. 126 Olympia Fields, IL Ralph Dandino 78 Rosewood Lane Chicago Heights, IL Mrs. Beverly Heft 1220 Ashland Ave. Chicago Heights, IL Ms. Karon Heft 134 Emelia St. Chicago Heights, IL Joan Davis 1125 D Amico Drive Chicago Heights, IL Mrs. Janet Jackubowski 328 E. 164th St. Harvey, IL Mrs. Marilyn Brackmann Clarendale of Mokena S. Wolf Rd. Mokena, IL Send them a note and let them know that you are thinking about them. 5

6 6 October 1, 2017 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21) Psalm: 25:1-10; Epistle: Philippians 2:1-4, 14-18; Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27 Heat or Light? - Sermon Text: Philippians 2:14-16 Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer Each of us possesses the potential to create heat or light in our world. Followers of Jesus Christ have the power to shine His true light onto a world that stumbles in darkness. Discover how the true Light of the world, Jesus Christ, can shine in us and through us. October 8, 2017 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22) Psalm: 80:7-19; Old Testament: Isaiah 5:1-7; Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46 God s Vineyard - Sermon Text: Matthew 21: Rev. Paul Shoemaker God calls us, His people, His vineyard. That is because even though a vineyard requires much care and attention, the final harvest is well worth it. Jesus paid the ultimate price to make us God s vineyard. October 15, 2017 Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23) Psalm: 23; Epistle: Philippians 4:4-9; Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14 The Wedding Feast - Sermon Text: Matthew 22: Rev. Dr. Daniel Brege Salvation, and even heaven itself, are compared to a wedding feast. In this parable Jesus shows how some people reject the feast, and how God, in His generosity, invites the "nobodies" to this feast. We are invited. The only way we can partake of God's feast is if we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. 6 October 22, 2017 Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24) Psalm: 96; Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22 Are We There Yet? - Sermon Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Rev. William Mueller Paul encourages the Thessalonian Christians, giving thanks to God for their faith, love, and hope, as positive examples to other Christians. As children of God, we are on a journey of faith through life. We might be tempted to lose hope, to be diminished in our love, or to let our faith waver. Take courage! God has not left us alone but continues to carry us on! October 29, 2017 Reformation Day Observed Psalm: 46 with Gloria Patri; Epistle: Galatians 5:1-2, 13-16; Gospel: John 8:31-36 Living in the Freedom of Faith - Sermon Text: Galatians 5:1-2, Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz Living the life of freedom that uniquely flows from a faith relationship with God, human beings yearn for freedom, the fight for freedom, but they can not have the ultimate freedom that they were indeed created for because of their sin. Jesus Christ entered the world to overcome our bondage, our sin, and all that seeks to separate us from the freedom that God created and redeemed us to have and to live for others in Him. Worship for Shut-Ins can be seen every Sunday: 11:30 AM Eastern Time 10:30 AM Central Time Comcast Channel 138 Total Living Network, Sunday 11:30 AM Direct TV Channel 377 Lutheran Ministries Media, Inc. 5 Martin Luther Drive

7 7 ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday School began another season on September 10th. We were blessed with 20 students and a few were not able to be with us on that day. What a joyous occasion it was! Much chatter and laughter when the children arrived and found out who their teachers were going to be. There was a lot of happiness in Sunday School. We welcome all children ages 2 years through the 8th grade. We are all looking forward to sharing the love of Jesus with all the children that have registered. If you know of any child/children that would like to join us, please have the parents bring the child/ children on any Sunday at 9:00 AM Sharp! S.P.A.C.E. Family Movie Night OCTOBER,19th And Open Gym OCTOBER 21 WE ARE INVITING YOU TO JOIN US FOR BOTH EVENTS Pizza and Pop with the movies at St. Paul s Lutheran Church 330 Highland Drive - Chicago Heights Phone (708) Thursday Night 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM Movies: Boys Town Kubo The children all received gifts to share with their grandparents for Grandparents Day. On October 29th, Sunday School will sponsor Trunks of Treats and a Car Show from 12 noon to 3 pm. Food will be served. We will be having a BAKE SALE on that day. If you would like to bake for Sunday School it would be greatly appreciated. It will be a great day for all!!! Rain or Shine! We are asking if you would like to share some wrapped candy to be given to the children for Trunks of Treats that would be most appreciated. Also, if you would like to help pass out candy, there will be a form to fill out in the forth coming bulletins. Sunday School will also be selling Christmas greens - wreaths, cross, roping, etc. These greens will be coming from Wisconsin. In His Name, Gloria Graham Smith 7 ****** OPEN GYM DAY Saturday, October 21 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Join us for: Bingo games with prizes, Table games, Basketball in the Gym, Snacks and Drinks EVERYONE ENGAGING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY FOR CHRIST All are welcome Young and Young at Heart and Seniors of St. Paul s

8 8 LWML October 2017 LWML Carillion Hi ladies, hope you had great summer. Hardly seems that fall has begun. At the 37 th Biennial Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico held June there were 22 new mission grants selected. Total mission grant goal is $2,075,000. Here are the top ten: 1. Providing Food and the Gospel to Starving Children 2. Mercy House for Women and Children 3. Christ for Veterans and Their Families 4. Tanzanian Sewing Center 5. Current Missionary Need 6. Lutheran Children s Books for Families Worldwide 7. Christian Hope Through Mass Media in Egypt 8. NOLA 4H: Hears for the Hungry, Homeless and Hurting 9. Lutheran World Relief Quilt and Kit shipping fund 10.Christian Eldercare Home in Haiti If you have any questions about any of these, please see me. We will soon be working on the transition of new zones in the Northern Illinois District. There not be a fall workshop this year. God s Blessings, Margo 8 The year 2017 is rapidly moving on. There are so many things I wanted to complete this year and most of them have not been done. One of the things I wanted to do was serve more months preparing the Altar, but illness and recovery time prevented me from reaching my goals. Now that I have been restored to good health, I will continue my journey by the help of God. Thank you to the Altar Guild members who served the month of September. We appreciate your hard work and dedication to serving our Savior in this capacity. We were unable to hold our meeting on Sunday, September 3, due to lack of attendance. Consequently that meeting was rescheduled for Sunday, October 1 st in the Ladies Parlor immediately following the 10:00 a.m. service. All members are asked to be present as we must make plans this month for the Annual Cookie Walk and Christmas Dinner. Everyone s participation is very important, and your input is greatly needed. The President would also like to have a discussion on new ideas to introduce and educate our younger church members about the Altar Guild s purpose and function in the church, and also how we may increase our membership. ALTER FLOWERS: Please contact Marilyn Harris by phone, text, or if you wish to put flowers on the Altar for any special occasion. Her contact information for phone or text communication is ( ). Send s to: marilynharris030@gmail.com. The cost of two fresh flower arrangements is $70.00, OR our silk arrangements can be used by making a donation to the Altar Guild. We are exploring opportunities to reduce the cost of fresh flowers. HELP NEEDED: Our membership continues to decline for various reasons. We are urgently in need of someone to help in case of emergency. Preparing the Altar is a specialized process, and it will be necessary to train those that will help us. Please contact our President, Ladye Allen, at (708) (male and female 18 years old or order) if you can help. An invitation to become an Altar Guild member is always open. Yours in Christ, Julia Outten

9 9 OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS Capuzzi, Olivia Oct. 01 Dau, Cynthia Oct. 01 Middleton, Kent Oct. 01 Youwer, Mary Oct. 01 Allen, Carol Oct. 02 Bodtke, Marianne Oct. 02 Sumners, Elaine Oct. 02 Toepfer, Rebekah Oct. 04 Randle El, Joshua Oct. 05 McGathey, Madeline Oct. 07 Baum, Olivia Oct. 08 Vietstra, Addison Oct. 10 Holtz, Jeffrey Oct. 11 McGathey, Francesca Oct. 13 Miller, Shirley Oct. 13 Fluechtling, Rev. Duane Oct. 14 Buetow, Ida Oct. 16 Heft, Beverly Oct. 16 Kranz, Mel Oct. 17 McGathey, Shane Oct. 17 Doyle, Grace Oct. 20 Clemons, Destiny Oct. 21 Chandler, Willie Oct. 22 Erdmann, Herta Oct. 24 Rush, Lucretia Oct. 24 Ziebert, Cynthia Oct. 24 Clemons, Tanzy Oct. 26 Stiso, Jeni Oct. 28 Gawczynski Oct. 29 Jackubowski, Janet Oct. 29 Reasor, Amber Oct. 29 Williams, Duane Oct. 29 Jackert, Johanna Oct. 30 SPECIAL OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS HAPPY 100 Years MRS. WILLIE CHANDLER HAPPY 90 Years Mrs. Marianne Bodtke Mel Kranz - 89 years Beverly Heft - 88 years Duane Williams - 87 years Grace Doyle - 86 years Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to all of you, Happy Birthday to you. God s Blessings to you, God s Blessings to you God s Blessings to all of you, God s Blessings to you. A Blessed Birthday from Everyone at St. Paul s Lutheran Church 9 9

10 10 ANNOUNCEMENTS Reformation 500 Celebration Day- On October 28th from 10:00 am-3:00 pm Lutherans throughout the region are encouraged to attend this event sponsored by Concordia University Chicago and the LCMS-Northern Illinois District. A renaissance-faire atmosphere will provide educational, dramatic, and spiritual activities for children of all ages. Adult seminars will engage important topics related to Lutheran history, education, missions, and family life. A festival Reformation worship service concludes the day featuring a region-wide children's choir. The cost is $12 for adults and $5 for children (5-14) and includes lunch. You can register at until October 23rd. St. Paul's Members let's attend this fun celebration together as a church family! Please sign up in the narthex as soon as possible if you are interested in attending. If we have enough interest we may be able to provide transportation! 20 s & 30 s Dinner and Bible Study-October 22nd at 6:00 pm 20's & 30's Dinner & Bible Study-October 22nd at 6:00 pm-join our young adults as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by studying the Augsburg Confession. We are studying sin and why we talk about it so much. Bring your questions, bring your appetite, and bring your Bible! Reformation at 500: An Interdenominational Conversation-October 30th at 7:15 pm. All are welcome to join us in the Ladies Parlor to livestream this unique event! We will watch from the comforts of our own church as contemporary Christian leaders discuss denominational differences at the historic mile marker and engage in conversation about the historic and theological divisions emerging from the Reformation controversies, as well as points of shared concern and common cause among Christian churches today. It s going to be an interesting conversation you will want to be a part of! Deaconess Katelyn Hansen Continued from page 4 Deaconess Column In these cases, we do not talk behind his back. We do not vote to fire him. We do not leave the church. Whether or not we like it, the pastor of our church has been called by God to serve at this specific time and to us specifically until God sends him somewhere else. God has not called our pastor to be popular or to be ruled by a vote, He has called him to be faithful and as his flock we should support him in his efforts to do just that by praying for him, forgiving him when his sinful nature shows, and continuing to receive from him the gifts God has for us. For the past 500 years, these have been the teachings of the Lutheran church and I pray they continue to be for the next 500 because they are a true explanation of God s Word. If you would like to discuss our Lutheran theology further join us at the next Sunday night dinner and Bible study, no matter your age! In Christ, Deaconess Katelyn Hansen 10

11 OCTOBER, th /Sunday After Pentecost Worship 10 AM Coffee Hour / Bible Study/ Youth/SS 9AM Altar meeting 2 Worship 7PM 3 Adult info Class Parlor 7-8:30PM 4 Confirmation Class 6-7PM Choir 7 PM th Sunday after Pentecost Worship 10 AM Coffee Hour / Bible Study/ Youth /SS 9AM 9 Worship 7PM 10 Adult info Class Parlor 7-8:30PM Darts 11 Confirmation Class 6-7PM Choir 7 PM 12 Bible Study 10 AM Elders 7PM 13 Dehning/Rayhill Rehearsal 5:30 PM 14 Dehning/ Rayhill Wedding 2:30 PM 7:30 pm 15 19th Sunday after Pentecost Worship 10 AM Coffee Hour/ Bible Study/ Youth/SS 9AM 16 Worship 7PM 17 Adult info Class Parlor 7-8:30PM Darts 7:30pm 18 Confirmation Class 6-7PM Choir 7PM 19 Bible Study 10 AM S.P.A.C.E. 6-8:30 PM 20 Croon/Morgan Rehearsal 6PM 21 Croon/Morgan Wedding 2PM S.P.A.C.E. Open Gym 1-3 PM 22 20th Sunday after Pentecost Worship 10 AM Coffee Hour/ Bible Study/SS/ Youth 9AM 23 Worship 7 PM 24 Adult Info Class 7-8:00 PM 25 Confirmation Class 6-7PM Choir 7PM 26 Bible Study 10AM BLOOD DRIVE 8AM-1PM NO Bible Breakfast 8-9:30 AM 29 Reformation Sunday Worship 10 AM Coffee Hour/ Bible Study/SS/ Youth 9 AM 30 Worship 7PM 31 Reformation Day Darts 7:30pm Adult Info Class 7-8:00 PM Sunday School Trunks of Treats & Car Show - Sunday October PM -Rain or Shine COME AND WORSHIP WITH US! 11 Sunday Worship 10 AM Monday Worship 7 PM Coffee Hour/Bible Study / Youth/SS Sunday 9 AM Church Office (708) Pastor Croon (708)