The Epistle St. Paul S lutheran ChurCh MAY 2015

Transcription

1 The Epistle St. Paul S lutheran ChurCh MAY 2015 Gathered to Go...to study God's Word, Worship together; and to walk with Christ by loving, serving and nurturing all God's people where ever they are and whatever their circumstances. 1

2 BREAKFAST AT HIS PLACE Join us May 3 rd for our last breakfast before summer. To Will Jenkins who will be confirmed Sunday May 24 th Sunday May 24 is Pentecost and the Confirmation of Will Jenkins. There is one service at 10am. Parish Life is planning a special coffee hour, with a cake, to celebrate this occasion! If you would like to contribute a food item or your time towards this event, please sign up on the bulletin board. 2

3 From Pastor Lexa Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Oh what a change from when I sat down last to write to you! The snow is really all gone now. (And let s just hope that the snow on Easter was the one Onion Dusting we always get ) I have seen crocuses and snow drops in bloom, and even some tulips and narcissi have come up to witness to the Easter News: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And with Christ s rising we also have been given new life. During the long, dark, and cold months of winter it may have felt as if things around here didn t move at all. But the transition and the preparations for calling a new pastor have come along. Our next step will be to work on something that is called the Congregational Vitality Assessment. This assessment will help us to learn more about our strengths, see where we can grow and stretch, and find new opportunities for ministry and connecting with each other, our neighbors, and God. And when that assessment is done, we can actually begin to gather information for our call papers. Our transition and the call process are really a bit like early Spring. There are signs of things moving along. Do we wish it could all speed up a bit (Both the call process and the Spring)? Well, yes! But even though we can t speed up Spring or our Transition at the moment, we know that Summer and the call of a new pastor - will eventually come. And so I invite you to dream. I invite you to dream about the summer that is surely coming. But I also invite you to dream about the future of our congregation. What are your hopes? What would you like to do? If we could do and be everything what would it be? I am looking forward to dream together with you about what will come for St. Paul s. And then I am looking forward to walk with you, and to help you prepare for calling a new pastor and help with realizing those dreams of yours with him or her. 3

4 Christ is really risen and we were raised with him! I am looking forward to discover together with you where this new life in God may lead us to! Peace, Pastor Lexa Greg Foster has done a wonderful job recreating the church s website. Please take a look at it. If you have any pictures that we can add to the website, please bring or them to the office. If you have any suggestions for the website, let the office know that too. Pentecost Sunday May 24 ONE service at 10:00am Confirmation Sunday Remember to wear red. 4

5 From Our Council President Brothers and Sisters, On the fiftieth day of Easter we celebrate the Spirit, through whom and in whom the people of God are created and re-created. Pentecost is sometimes called the church's birthday, but might better be called its baptism day, since the gift of the Spirit is the fullness of baptism. Ezekiel's vision shows the Spirit resurrecting and re-creating not just individuals but a whole people. Romans makes it clear that God is in the process of recreating the entire cosmos; yet the Spirit is also at work in the most intimate and personal way, praying in us "with sighs too deep for words" when we do not know how to pray. As we continue on our Easter journey toward Pentecost, we are filled with hope for the future. Hope for an abundant harvest, for healed relationships, for a more fulfilling life, for anything that makes us more productive. I am reminded daily that almost nothing in life comes easily and we sometimes must work very hard to achieve even the smallest goals. Our faith lives are the same... faith does not just magically appear in our lives. It is something that is worked on in our daily journeys. We've all had experiences that have shaped and molded our faith; whether good or bad. Yes, "by grace, through faith, we're saved," but it is not without some effort on our part. It is in those moments when I can share my story with others that I feel the most emboldened by the Spirit. On Pentecost we will once again hear the story of all those different people coming together in one space, telling their stories in their native tongues. Even though they are strangers to one another, it is with the gift of the Spirit that they hear and are able to understand one another. It's a little like us as individuals when we start telling our own stories or our aspirations for the future; our lives and hopes are very different from one another. But when woven together with the Spirit of the living God, we are joined into one body and it doesn't matter that we sometimes have to agree to disagree. We are here for a greater purpose; we 5

6 are called and sent out to live boldly and proclaim the love of God no matter the place or circumstance. In His Peace, Whitney May is our month to ride the bus for the handicapped. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board. Please help with the very important ministry. CROP WALK The CROP Walk is Sunday May 3 rd. If you would like to walk, sponsor sheets are available here at the church. Walkers gather at the Presbyterian Church at 1:00pm. If you have taken a form, please let Charlene Nielsen know. 6

7 Remember our Veterans During the month of May, we will be filling a couple boxes for local veterans and their families. Much like we did at Christmas time, we ll be asking for donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries, gas cards or Walmart cards. It never fails to show the overwhelming thoughtfulness and generosity of the St Paul s congregation when asked to fill boxes for our veterans. To round things out, we ll be supplying all the fixings for a picnic, so if you want to donate $$ to that end, please place in an envelope marked Veteran s boxes. A table will be placed in the narthex for your donations. Let s use this opportunity to say Thanks to a couple local vets. Any questions, call Cathy Booth YOUTH NEWS Happy Spring, Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!! April; April 5th; We did not have a breakfast due to it being Easter! ;) April 12th; Will, Justina, and Mrs Jenkins and I went up to Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Rochester, NY for one of our meetings for the upcoming ELCA Youth Gathering in July! May; May 3rd; We will having our last breakfast, so please came join us! May 3rd; We will be going to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Webster for our last meeting before our trip in July. Thank you! Youth Rep, Katya McBride 7

8 Social Ministry Deacon s Report Our confirmation students are required to work a designated number of community service hours. Much of this service was completed at work camps in other locations in past years. It is not logistically possible for this to happen this year. We have altered our work experience by deciding to stay at home and work within our congregation. We are asking the members of St Paul s to consider small jobs you may need to accomplish that require some help. We d like to give you that help. You tell us about the task you need completed and we ll provide the manpower to do it. We ask you to provide the necessary materials to do the job. For example, if you need your ceilings washed, you provide the soap and water, we will do the washing. You need your window screens washed and placed in your windows; you provide the soap and water, and we ll wash and insert the screens. The jobs are a one time only request. They should take about 1 2 hours to complete. They will probably be done on Saturdays during late April and May. All job requests may be given to Cindy Covert, Dan Malte, or phoned to the church office. Please do not ask the teens to mow your lawn every week for four months. We cannot commit to a task that great. We have already been asked to rake a small yard and weed a flower bed perfect! The teens (2 4) will be accompanied by two adults. You will not pay for this service. We hope to get to know the members of our congregation better. We hope you ll see what great youth we have in our church. We d like to use this opportunity to build a bridge between the youth and the adults. These young people are the future of St. Paul s. Let s work together to build communion amongst all of us. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Covert 8

9 From our Worship Deacon: Dear Members of St. Paul's, How did it get to be the month of May already? Even though we have celebrated Easter, we are still in the Easter season and will be until May 24 when we will celebrate Pentecost and this year confirmation. The Easter season is the season of white paraments; the Christ candle being lit and up front on the altar area; we say the Nicene Creed each week; we sing many parts of the liturgy; and our lessons are from the Gospel of John. On Pentecost Sunday there will be ONE SERVICE at 10:00 AM; the white paraments will be changed to red; the red tent will be draped over the altar area; there will be red balloons and red votives decorating the sanctuary; and you are all asked to dig deep into your closets and wear something red that morning. It is a festival Sunday and this year Will Jenkins will be confirmed. We celebrate with Will in the fact that his confirmation time of study is complete; he has done some service projects; he has helped serve many breakfasts; has acolyted and ushered at the 8:00 AM service; BUT we want him to know that his attendance is still needed as part of the community of faith that he has been nurtured in. So, Congratulations, Will, and welcome to the continuation of your faith growth at St. Paul's as you let your light so shine before others. After Pentecost Sunday, we will celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday which is May 31. Once again we will return to the white paraments for the day. Holy Trinity Sunday begins the Pentecost season and ends the month of May! Time really does fly! The seasons of the church year fly by just as quickly. It is the liturgy which keeps us constant in our worship. The Liturgy invites us in where we meet God and are joined with the past, present and future. The liturgy is the four acts of our service: Gathering; 9

10 Word; Sacrament; and Dismissal. You will notice these are named in your weekly bulletin. You probably also notice that certain parts in each act change a bit during the different seasons. Sometimes we omit the Kyrie; sometimes we sing it. Sometimes there is a hymn of praise; sometimes it is omitted. Our offertory hymn and our hymn before the prayers may change also. We use the Nicene Creed during some services and during others we use the Apostle's Creed. These changes are not meant to confuse you, but are meant to enhance the worship time we spend together. During The Gathering time we are pointed back to God's gathering the people of Israel. The Word is the reading of the scripture and the sermon when we hear the Biblical story. It is also when we say the creed together and share the prayers. We move then into the Sacrament which is when we, the people of God, share in the Eucharist and Christ is truly present with us. Our fourth and final act is the Dismissal when we are sent out to do the work God has given us to do. Through-out these acts our words are put to music and we sing the stories of God throughout the ages! Next time you worship, look at the liturgy or acts and think about what each means to you. Where do you meet God on Sunday? Blessings, Elaine Gleason, Worship Deacon The Danes of Yates County: The Yates County History Center is hosting this presentation by Stephanie Olsen on May 9, Come and learn more about the Danish people's migration to Yates County and their customs. The event will be held at 1:00 PM at the Underwood Museum. $5.00 per person. 10

11 If you know of anyone graduating from high school or college in May or June, please let the office know so their names may be noted in the June Epistle. ROCHESTEREDWNGS BASEBALL GAME sponsored by Thrivent Financial. Friday, June5, :00pm picnic; 7:05pm Red Wings Game Frontier Field, Rochester, NY Picnic & Game: Adult - $10.00; Children $6.00; Children under 4 free; Game only - $4.00 Register and purchase tickets from the church office by May 11 th This event is a fund raiser for Food Link if you are able, each family is asked to make an additional $5. Donation. WORSHIP TIME CHANGES Beginning Sunday June 7 th, we go to our summer hours. Worship will be at 8:00am and 10:00am. 11

12 PIE AUCTION FUND RAISER FOR MILLY S PANTRY Saturday May 9 th at Milly s Pantry. Bidding starts at 11:00am. We would love for this to be successful and raise lots of money to support all the good that Milly's Pantry does in our community! Our hope is that we can continue this on an annual basis. We want to keep the costs as low as possible, so we can give all the money we raise to Milly's. I am asking for some volunteers from each church to donate baked pies. If all 15 churches on the PYACOC participate, we would only need 3 pies from each church. If you are willing to bake a pie, please let your church office know and they will get that information to me. We ask that you include a 3" X 5" card with your pie donation with the following information: Your Name, Your Church's Name and the type of pie. The idea is that if you are promoting the event and someone comes to purchase your specific pie, or someone from your congregation, they will be able to identify it this way. Pie boxes will be provided upon drop off at Milly's Pantry on Friday, May 8th. More details will be provided to those who donate pies. Thank you all very much! Let's work together to make this a huge success! Anneke Wheeler Relief Society President The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 12

13 OFFICE HELP NEEDED Charlene will be on vacation June We are looking for a person or persons who would be in the office 9am to 12noon basically to answer the phone, bring in the mail, and perhaps fold bulletins. If interested, please call the church office. Congregation Council Positions At this year s annual congregational meeting in September, we will be electing seven Council member positions, and three Non Council member positions. The Council positions whose terms expire this year are Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Finance trustee, Social Ministry trustee, Parish Life trustee, and Youth representative. The Non Council positions to be filled are Financial Secretary, one member of Memorial Committee, and one member of Audit Committee. From our Constitution, Congregation Council has general oversight of the life and activities of this congregation, and in particular its worship life, to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Word of God and the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For further information regarding the duties of Council refer to our Constitution page 12 beginning with C Regarding duties of the positions up for election, all positions and duties are listed in our Constitution, beginning on page 17, C , and ending on page 21. Copies of these pages of our Constitution will be available in the Narthex. Council meets once a month, on Monday after the first Sunday of the month, at 7:00 P.M. All positions are for a three year term, except Financial Secretary, and Youth 13

14 representative, which are one year terms. Council positions are open to any voting member of this congregation. We, your elected nominating committee, would like all voting members to prayerfully consider running for one of the above mentioned Council positions if you have an interest in serving. If you are unsure, need more information, or possibly don t know how Council meetings work, all regular Council meetings are open to any voting member, and you may attend. Nominating committee members as well as any current Council member can also be contacted for any further information, or questions. Anyone wishing to be nominated for any of the positions please contact any member of the nominating committee Nominating Committee Members Amy Stewart Elva McBride Katya McBride Guy Christiansen Cathy Booth Terry Jensen Whitney Booth

15 Treasurer s Report Jan 1 Mar 31, 2015 Operating Account Total Income $46,367 Selected Items: General Donations 30,760 Facility Rental 1,700 Building Fund 6,958 Local Hunger 554 World Hunger 919 Special donations 3,018 Memorials 255 Youth monies 327 Seminarian 413 HOPE collections 0 Total Outlays $36,514 Selected Items: Employee Compensation 8,937 Property (insurance, utilities, etc) 7,229 Mission Commitment (Upstate NY) 4,544 Mortgage payments 7,500 Outreach Programs 2,373 Office expenses 1,521 Church programs 1,086 Supply Pastors 2,599 Seminarian 413 Net $ 9,853 15

16 Building Fund Mortgage with Lyons National Bank Total Income 6,959 Contributions 6,958 Interest 1 Total Outlays 7,500 Loan Interest 1,900 Principal Payments 5,600 Loan Balance (at Mar 31, 2015) = $132,624 Savings Acnt Bal at Lyons NB = $ 9,008 Memorials: For Peg Barto: Karen & Bob Pinneo Carl & Barb Simon For Christa Jorgensen: Karen Pinneo 16

17 MAY BIRTHDAYS 2- Katya McBride 3-Chris Carlson 6-Carol Carlin 8-Laura Shaw 9 Phyllis Christensen 10- Amanda Rivera, Barb Pinneo 15-Elaine Gleason, Alan Jensen, Sallie Jensen 16-Kurt Owen 17-Greg Booth 18-Blondie Snyder 20- Steven Nussbaumer, Brian Fitzpatrick 22- Rachel Gaston 23-Geraldine Christensen, Jason Riley 24- Hannah Gaston 25-Brent Rodgers 26-Pat Christensen 31-Joey Goodsell, May McFetridge, Owen Kennedy ANNIVERSARIES 2-Mike & Pat Christensen (34) 8-Gary & Carol McFetridge (45) 14 Marty & Lisa Jenkins (21) 21-Ken & Phyllis Petersen (60) 17

18 Remember Date See Pg. # Ride the bus May 6 Spring Cleaning help May 8 Nominations for council Helping our Veterans May 7 Anyone Graduating? 11 Breakfast May 3 CROP walk May 3 Danes of Yates Co. May 9 10 Pie Auction May 9 12 Baseball game May 11 deadline 11 Epistle Deadline May 15 Pentecost Sunday May 24 Confirmation Sunday May 24 Worship time change June

19 COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE HELD AT SAINT PAUL S LUTHERAN CHURCH TUESDAY, JUNE 9, :30 PM 6:30 PM Located at 135 Hamilton Street Christian Education Room The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood. Please call RED CROSS or go to to schedule your lifesaving appointment. If you donated on or before APRIL 14FEBRUARY 17 (Whole Blood) or AUGUST 19 (Double Red Cell), you are eligible to donate. 19