Friedens Lutheran Church, 301 W. Washington Ave., Myerstown, PA

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1 March Friedens Lutheran Church, 301 W. Washington Ave., Myerstown, PA Dear Friends in Christ, If you have a mobile device, would you open it right now to the calendar app. If you use a booklet calendar with the Smith s Candies logo, please open it. Now, go to the week of March 25. Next, place a Wp on the 25 th, the 29 th, the 30 th, the 31 st, and April 1. Those are the days we gather for worship during Holy Week. For Sports fans, if you scored tickets for the NCAA final four you would be all over securing successive dates to be there. The same is true for dog lovers being able to witness the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. For many of us July is already set aside to attend daily events at the Lebanon Area Fair. I contrast the motivation we feel to attend multiple worship services or participate in some other activity during a single week in order to raise a question. [And if feelings of guilt are creeping around your emotional edge, tell it to leave you alone with God s love. Whether or not you attend Holy Week worship, God s love for you remains absolute!] The question I raise is this, Although you are familiar with the Holy Weeks stories - Jesus entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper foot washing, death on the cross, days in the tomb, and rising on the third day - do you believe that the Holy Spirit can address you, and your life circumstances, in a fresh way? When we celebrate Holy Communion, the words of Jesus do this in remembrance of me are recited in the Words of Institution. Our usual way of understanding is Jesus wants us to recall an event that happened many years ago. However, we can also receive these words as Jesus saying he wants us re - membered or reconnected to him through the meal. We believe that when we receive the communion meal in faith, Jesus personally comes to us as individuals and as faith community. We are re-membered with Jesus and with each other. This is the work of the Holy Spirit who is the constant presence of God among us. Attending Holy Week worship is much more than once again hearing a story - the old, old story - that you already know. Rather Holy Week worship is where you and I become one with the story. When this happens, the Holy Spirit brings light to our souls, addresses our hurts, and enables us to ever more fully love God and neighbor: Palm Sunday - We cheer Jesus entrance into Jerusalem believing he s going turn things inside out and upside down, but then get stunned by what happens. Maundy Thursday - Jesus s washes our feet and welcomes us into his home; then, he instructs us to love one another. Good Friday - We ponder how a brutal death becomes the means to release us from sin s captivity and make us ambassadors of God s love. (Continued next page)

Page 8 Easter Vigil - We make the dramatic move from darkness into resurrection light, and consider how God would bring new life

Easter Morning - We enter the brightness of a new day, and receive God s declaration: life triumphs over death; love conquers

Thus, we might attend one of the Holy Week services along with Easter.

By showing up, we say, Here I am Lord, make me completely yours.

Check out the catalog and selected items from it during Fellowship Hour today*!

2 Page 8 Easter Vigil - We make the dramatic move from darkness into resurrection light, and consider how God would bring new life into areas of life where darkness hovers. Easter Morning - We enter the brightness of a new day, and receive God s declaration: life triumphs over death; love conquers violence; hope reigns over fear. I know how each of us juggle many activities. Thus, we might attend one of the Holy Week services along with Easter. Please do what is necessary to take the full Holy Week journey from the Jerusalem gate to the empty tomb. By showing up, we say, Here I am Lord, make me completely yours. Peace+ and Joy, Pastor Robert Wallace Spring catalogs have arrived! Check out the catalog and selected items from it during Fellowship Hour today*! 10% discount from catalog price AND exemption from shipping and handling if orders are placed through Friedens. Cash or check payable to Friedens. Ordering and final sales will end on the day of our Fair Trade Fair, March 17th. *10:45 am worshippers can shop following service. PALM SUNDAY BREAKFAST, March 25th, 7-11 am in Fellowship Hall. Breakfast choices for the entire family. Free will offering to support Friedens Mission Teams-local and distant. Breakfast casserole, fruit, and pastry donations welcome! See Jan DuBois. March 11, 2018

Page 3 On Sunday, March 4, food will be collected for the Lebanon County Food Bank. All gifts are welcomed.

jelly, towels/wash cloths, paper towels, toilet paper, facial tissues, and reusable plastic containers.

To order, please use the envelopes on the narthex bulletin board and place it in the offering plate or bring it to the

Not an Olympic team, but instead a MISSION TEAM!

Have the option of overnight accommodations at Camp Kirchenwald OR return home at the completion of the work day.

The St Patty's Day (+1) Dinner will be held March 18th at 12:30 in Stauffer Hall.

LENT: Mid-Week Supper & Worship - Friedens hosts Wednesday evening soup supper and worship during the Wednesdays in Lent

3 Page 3 On Sunday, March 4, food will be collected for the Lebanon County Food Bank. All gifts are welcomed. There is a need for frozen hams, canned meats and stews, canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned soups, peanut butter, jelly, towels/wash cloths, paper towels, toilet paper, facial tissues, and reusable plastic containers. If you are interested in ordering a lily to place in the church for Easter, now is the time to do so. To order, please use the envelopes on the narthex bulletin board and place it in the offering plate or bring it to the church office. The cost is $6.75 each. The last day to order is MARCH 6. Be a part of a TEAM. Not an Olympic team, but instead a MISSION TEAM! Join the Lebanon Lutheran Mission Team for a local mission June 17-23, Have the option of overnight accommodations at Camp Kirchenwald OR return home at the completion of the work day. See Jan DuBois for commitment forms and more information. Registration is requested by March 1, The St Patty's Day (+1) Dinner will be held March 18th at 12:30 in Stauffer Hall. Pick up your tickets in the Hall between services. LENT: Mid-Week Supper & Worship - Friedens hosts Wednesday evening soup supper and worship during the Wednesdays in Lent - March 7, 14 & 21. Supper begins at 5:30 pm and Evening Prayer starts at 7:00 pm. As part of midweek worship, Pastor Wallace presents a bible study on the book of Ephesians. Prayer - Pastor Wallace invites you to join him for a Lenten discipline of prayer. Each week following the Mid-Week Worship, the prayer group will gather to pray for the congregation, the community, the nation, and the world. Prayer begins at 8 pm and concludes at 8:30 pm.

Page 4 MARCH 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 7 PM Choir 4 9 AM - Contemporary Service 10:45 AM - Traditional Service 5 6 7 PM 10:45 Worship Committee 7 5:30 PM

Life Group 7 PM Property Committee 14 9 AM -Women Sew 5:30 PM Soup Supper 6:45 PM Praise & Worship Band 7 PM Bible Study & Worship 15 7 PM Ministry Coordination 16 17

7 PM W ELCA Meeting 20 7 PM Vision to Mission 215:30 PM Men s Yoga 5:30 PM Soup Supper 6:45 PM Praise & Worship Band 7 PM Bible Study & Worship 22 7 PM Church Council

4 Page 4 MARCH 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat PM Choir 4 9 AM - Contemporary Service 10:45 AM - Traditional Service PM 10:45 Worship Committee 7 5:30 PM Men s Yoga 5:30 PM Soup Supper 6:45 PM Praise & Worship Band 7 PM Bible Study & Worship AM - Contemporary Service 10:45 AM - Traditional Service PM Life Group 7 PM Property Committee 14 9 AM -Women Sew 5:30 PM Soup Supper 6:45 PM Praise & Worship Band 7 PM Bible Study & Worship 15 7 PM Ministry Coordination AM - Contemporary Service 10:45 AM - Traditional Service 8 AM-2 PM Youth St. Patty s Day (+1) Dinner 19 6:30 PM Finance Committee 6:30 PM Endowment Comm. 7 PM W ELCA Meeting 20 7 PM Vision to Mission 215:30 PM Men s Yoga 5:30 PM Soup Supper 6:45 PM Praise & Worship Band 7 PM Bible Study & Worship 22 7 PM Church Council AM - Contemporary Service 10:45 AM - Traditional Service AM -Women Sew 6:45 PM Praise & Worship Band PM AM Youth Lock-in 7 PM 6 PM Youth Lock-in 7 PM

Page 5 THE FRIEDENS ENDOWMENT PROGRAM The Frieden s Endowment Program annually disburses earnings to support various ministries in keeping with our congregation s mission and guiding principles.

According to council and subsequent congregational action, Friedens now has an Endowment Committee that will review requests and make recommendations.

5 Page 5 THE FRIEDENS ENDOWMENT PROGRAM The Frieden s Endowment Program annually disburses earnings to support various ministries in keeping with our congregation s mission and guiding principles. The deadline for 2018 requests is March 15. Forms for requests may be obtained from the church office. You can direct your questions to either Jon Zinn or Pastor Wallace. According to council and subsequent congregational action, Friedens now has an Endowment Committee that will review requests and make recommendations. The recommendations come before the congregation at the June 3 rd meeting dedicated to approving our spending plan and endowment disbursements. There are four areas where disbursements are made: Area One is seed money for new ministry endeavors. A percentage of seed money is held in reserve for new ministry opportunities that may arise during the year. Area Two includes ministry endeavors arising outside Friedens congregation. This would include local organizations, other congregations, the Synod, or the Synod and related institutions. Area Three includes ministry endeavors arising from within Friedens congregation. Currently, this includes our youth ministry, missionaries Stephen Deal and Marta Giron, and our sister parish in El Salvador. Area Four includes property capital expenses and equipment purchases. The Finance Committee determines the amount of endowment fund earnings made available for the annual disbursement The congregation has four endowment funds that are managed by the Finance Committee. The Restricted Fund - The principal of the fund cannot be used. As determined by the finance committee, proceeds from the fund are used toward the annual disbursement. The Quasi Fund is an unrestricted fund. The fund itself may be used for exceptional projects when approved by the church council and by a two thirds approval vote at a called congregational meeting. The William Zartman Fund distributes earnings for the support of God s work in the mission field.

6 Page 6 HOME TEAM Friedens needs forty volunteers to serve the congregation as members of our Home Team on Sunday mornings and at special worship services. The Home Team volunteer helps the congregation by opening the outside doors for persons and providing a watchful eye throughout the morning. The service is part hospitality and part security. Each Sunday two Home Team volunteers work in tandem with one stationed at the Canopy Door and the office, and the other stationed at the West side Parking Lot Door then walking about the building during worship. On assignment Sundays, the volunteers serve from 8:30 to Noon. With forty volunteers a person would serve two or three times during the year. A ninety-minute training session is scheduled for March 17 and April 14, beginning at 9 am and concluding by 10:30 am. We ask persons who can help with Home Team service to attend either one of the sessions. For more information, please contact Brian Kleinfelter (bowx2@hotmail.com), Dave DeSteno (ddesteno@comcast.net), or Pastor Wallace (robt.wallace2@gmail.com). GRIEFSHARE StoneRidge Poplar Run is offering a program known as GriefShare for residents, team members and the public. GriefShare is group of caring people who will walk alongside you through one of life's most difficult experiences and help you face the challenges of grief. The video program features nationally recognized experts speaking and offering advice on grief recovery topics. GriefShare topics include Is This Normal? The Challenges of Grief, Grief and Your Relationships, Why? Guilt and Anger and many more applicable topics. Group discussions will follow. Stone Ridge welcomes to these sessions anyone currently experiencing grief. Classes take place Wednesdays, April 4 - June 27 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Players Lounge at StoneRidge Poplar Run, 440 East Lincoln Avenue (Route 422), Myerstown. The cost for this 13-week video curriculum is $15. For more information or to reserve a seat, please call Chaplain Dana Logan at or visit GriefShare.org.

7 Page 8 SECOND MILE GIVING When Jesus spoke to the crowd gathered on the hillside, a message we call The Sermon on the Mount, he used the illustration of carrying a soldier s pack not only the required mile but going an additional mile. Jesus raises the question for each person to ponder, How am I being urged to go the additional mile to support God s good work? At Friedens we emphasize 52-week giving. We want you to commit to supporting God s good work happening at and through Friedens congregation - in areas affecting you and in areas that serve other persons. This support means you / your family sets aside a portion of household income as a weekly or monthly offering. We follow through with this commitment whether or not we can attend worship a particular week. Simply put, regular stewardship is what followers of Jesus practice. Throughout the year, we offer additional opportunities to support various ministries around Friedens, and rally relief efforts at times of emergency. In recent years there were occasions when a couple of these requests happened at the same time. That is why the church council established a calendar of special giving opportunities. Please note we set aside two months to receive disaster relief donations. Even though we do not know when we will receive the call for disaster relief, we know it will come. Therefore, over two months we will receive contributions to a disaster relief fund. Here is the 2018 Calendar: February March April May June July August September October November December Spang Crest Youth - National Gathering in Houston Hunger Relief: 30-Hour Famine Hunger Relief: Synod Food Packing Project Disaster Relief Disaster Relief Back to School Projects Sister Parish / El Salvador Lutheran World Federation: Quilts and other projects ELCO Friends Helping Friends Angel Tree

Page 8 FRIENDS OF SPANG CREST 2018 Annual Membership Drive The Annual

The Friends of Spang Crest is an auxiliary organization dedicated to

Crest, Luthercare s Senior Living Community in Lebanon, PA.

for programs, services and purchases including: Benevolent Care;

Bus Trips; Specialty Wheelchairs; Resident Halloween Event; Outdoor Band

Your membership dues, combined with generous donations from

the Spang Crest Gift Shop, will allow the Friends of Spang Crest to

00 Sustaining - $10.00 Contributing - $5.00 Patron - $25.

8 Page 8 FRIENDS OF SPANG CREST 2018 Annual Membership Drive The Annual Membership Drive is your chance to join or renew your membership to the Friends of Spang Crest. This year s drive will run through March 31, The Friends of Spang Crest is an auxiliary organization dedicated to supporting activities and projects benefitting the residents of Spang Crest, Luthercare s Senior Living Community in Lebanon, PA. In 2017, the Friends of Spang Crest donated over $27,000 to Spang Crest for programs, services and purchases including: Benevolent Care; Resident Christmas Presents; Digital Picture Frames; Patio Furniture; Bus Trips; Specialty Wheelchairs; Resident Halloween Event; Outdoor Band Concerts; Family Entertainment Nights and Fish Tank Maintenance. Your membership dues, combined with generous donations from congregations, individuals, annual fundraising events and proceeds from the Spang Crest Gift Shop, will allow the Friends of Spang Crest to continue its work in Membership Levels for 2018 are: Member - $2.00 Sustaining - $10.00 Contributing - $5.00 Patron - $25.00 Thank you for Supporting the Friends of Spang Crest. Together We Make A Difference! SAVE THE DATE!! VBS 2018 is coming to Friedens on Sunday, July 8 through Wednesday, July 11th. 6-8:00pm. More details coming soon!

Friedens Lutheran Church, 301 W. Washington Ave., Myerstown, PA

April 2017 717-866-4910 Friedens Lutheran Church, 301 W. Washington Ave., Myerstown, PA Dear Friends in Christ, On the last Saturday in March our intermediate youth got together to bake cookies with a