The CALLER ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN CHURCH. I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord Psalm 122:1

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1 ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN CHURCH The CALLER Our Mission: Empowering others with the Good News of Jesus Christ: Making Connections, Enriching Faith, Nourishing Lives, and Demonstrating love in God s Name December 2014 at St. Paul s Morning Prayer Tuesdays at 7:00 am. Bible Study at 10 a.m. - Advent Promises Tuesdays Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 Thursdays at 7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal Sat. Dec. 13 & 20 9:00 Men s Club Breakfast & Bible Study all men are welcome! Wed. Dec. 5 10:00 Comforters meet in the Parish Hall to make blankets, lap robes and prayer shawls. Pot-Luck lunch with Pr. Steve Sun. Dec. 7 following 10:00 worship decorating the Church for Christmas everyone is invited to stay and help! Refreshments follow! Tues. Dec. 9 7:00 Council 7:00:00 Eggertsville Community Org. Thurs. Dec, 11 Retired Folks our first regular meeting join us at Noon for hot soup, cool conversation and a presentation about Christmas Customs in other cultures. Friends & neighbors welcome! Remember if you re scheduling a meeting or an event, check the planning calendar on the board by the offices to make sure space is available! Or call or the Church Office: ( or office@stpaulseggertsville.org) Worship at St. Paul s I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord Psalm 122:1 Dec. 7 2nd Sunday in Advent - Pr Steve 9:00 Impact Service 10:00 Holy Communion 11:00 Decorating the Church Dec. 14 3rd Sunday in Advent - Pr. Steve 9:00 Impact Service 10:00 Holy Communion - Congregational Meeting follows worship Dec. 21 4th Sunday in Advent Pr. Steve 9:00 Impact Service 10:00 Sunday School Pageant Holy Communion Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Holy Communion 4:00 & 7:00 p.m. Dec. 28 First Sunday of Christmas - Seminarian Jeremiah Smith 9:00 Impact Service 10:00 Holy Communion Nursery Care is available at the 10:00 worship time. An usher can direct you to the Nursery if you need this service. St. Paul s is a congregation of the Niagara Frontier Conference of the Upstate New York Synod Of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

2 P AGE 2 D ECEMBBER 2014 From Pastor Steve Friends and Members of St. Paul s, Church is not a four-letter word! A couple weeks ago, the choir at St. Paul s sang a song called: We Are A Church. The song went on to share what it meant to be a church, a congregation and the blessings that are held in that. As I was sitting, listening and reflecting on the song, I was thinking about how on that particular Sunday, (for reasons that aren t worth getting into) I was at part or all of four different worship services at four different churches. Each church and each service carrying a different flavor, identity and purpose. And I thought: how awesome that we are a church! However, sometimes church is seen as a four-letter word! Many of my friends don t go to church. Most of the current culture does not go to church. Their reasons are wide and ranging some are personal because of bad experiences and some are general and based on rumors, misunderstandings and stereotypes. I guess I wish I could invite people to experience what I have experienced and maybe what you have experienced too: grace, people to struggle with through life s toughest issues, space to connect with God, mission, community, others to battle with through our imperfections and tangible hope. Church is not a four-letter word. It s not taboo. It s not just doctrine. It s a group of people waiting, preparing for and living into the good news of Jesus Christ coming into this world. As we jump into another Advent season, another church year, I m looking forward to doing it all over again. Waiting with hope for what is coming. Celebrating with energy what has already happened. Being church. See you there! Still in One Peace, ps

3 T HE CALLER P AGE 3 In our Congregational Family December 2014 Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store. Dr. Seuss As I write this, looking out at the snow, I can t help but think how fast time moves. Last Sunday I finished with raking all my leaves; two days later the Snowvember storm paralyzed our area for a week. We move from that right into Thanksgiving and the holiday season. God bless, Scott Fierle Throughout the fall the church leadership has asked for your time, your talents and your treasure. Your support has been outstanding. Pastor Steve and the church council want to make it even simpler for everyone to plug into ministry roles. We will be working on this over the next few months to help with our membership involvement. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas season. I look forward to seeing everyone during Advent, the church decorating and especially Christmas Eve. Thank you for all your involvement and support of our leadership. Merry Christmas! Pray for the Church! every day at 3:16 p.m. Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. Amen THANKS From Friends of the Night People Thank you for your generosity! We greatly appreciate your donation of a portion of the 20,000 meals you packed. These meals have been distributed to individuals and families who utilize our food pantry each week. We are still giving them out. The addition of our new food pantry, an increase in the number of meals we are serving as we continue to meet the needs of the community is all possible because of you. Since January, more than 82,000 meals have been served to the working poor, unemployed and homeless. Each week about 60 people are helped at the food pantry. Many more are assisted at the clothing closet and our clinics. Thank you for your shared compassion for those who need help. From Girl Scout Troop #122 Dear Pastor and Mary, thank you for letting us hold our Girl Scout meetings at St. Paul s! (the made Thanksgiving favors for our shut-ins!) From Joyce Chace A special thank-you to all my St. Paul s friends for your prayers and cards at this very difficult time. Also, for the beautiful altar flowers delivered to me at Greenfield Rehab. I greatly appreciated Pr. Steve;s visits. And thanks to Pr. Steve and Danny for bringing me communion, God bless!

4 Youth & Sunday School Corner SUNDAY SCHOOL Christmas Pageant Rehearsals will begin the last Sunday of November. We practice during Sunday School hour for our pageant which is performed on Sunday, December 21st. Care Team VOLUNTEERS We can always use additional substitute teachers and help with props and costumes for the pageant. Talk to Adam or Kristen for more information. Saturday, December 13 10:00-Noon For anyone and everyone interested in some training to visit our sick and shutin members as part of the St. Paul s Care Team. Beverly Olin will be sharing two topics that are key for visitors The Art of Listening and Distinctively Christian Caring. Beverly has gone through intensive training as a Stephen Minister a person trained to provide one-to-one, Christ-Centered care to hurting people. Please call the Church Office ( ) or office@stpaulseggertsville.org to let us know you re coming Adult Ed Opportunities: Adult Forum Sunday mornings as announced at 9 a.m. Future subjects TBA Men s Club 9:00 Saturdays 12/13 and 27 Men of the congregation meet for Bible Study and breakfast. Tuesday Bible Study Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 at 10:00 Advent Promises. Anyone available in the morning is welcome! St. Pauli s Brewers Beer-brewing & Bible study for men. Thurs. Dec. 4 8:00 in the kitchen CROSS TRAINING (aka Confirmation Class) We started leaning about the Lord s Prayer & how & when we pray. Ask us why we ring the bell during the Lord s Prayer in church! No Class on Dec 21 we ll be helping with Sunday School Christmas Play! No Class on Dec 28 Christmas Break! Mary Wolf ll be teaching us how to Pray in Color Jan 4th Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Spoiler Alert!!!!! Souper Bowl 2015 is coming in January *Chicken Soup to vote for the NFC *Beef Soup to vote for the AFC *Cream of Mushroom or Tomato Soup if you just watch for the commercials. Details in the January Bulletins! RETIRED FOLKS We re back! Thurs. Dec. 11 our first regular mee ng on the 2nd Thursday of the month join us at Noon for hot soup, cool conversa on and a presenta on about Christmas Customs in other cultures. Thurs, Jan. 8 11:00 Brown bag lunch, dessert & beverages provided, and a speaker about Life File and how to help emergency responders know vital informa on. All re red folks, friends and neighbors are welcome! From the Parish Register Died: Into your hands, merciful Savior Thomas G. Cook Mary J. Oster Carole J. Brox + + +

5 First Communion on Sunday, November 16 for: Calyn Israel Brynn & Natalie Kalinowski Olivia MacDonell Bryce & Kylie Paige Maggie Skinner Victoria Silsby We welcome you to the Lord s Table! THANKS! To everyone who turned out to help with the Fall Clean-up on Nov. 15th. Bushels of leaves were raked and carted to the curb for pick-up right here at 4007 Main, and teams went out to help rake for folks who needed additional help (see the thankyou from Tracy and Len Nieman on p. 3) And THANKS to all the people who have offered their time and their energy and their food to help our neighbors. Shovelers went out Saturday 11/22 from as far as Gasport, Ransomville and Erie PA to South Buffalo, Lackawanna, West Seneca, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and Alden. And food went out for the road crews and emergency workers going 24/7 to get roads and streets cleared and access restored. Soup being prepared in St. Paul s kitchen for delivery to the Clarence Center Fire Hall Food collected at the Clarence Center Fire Hall for delivery to Alden and West Seneca!

6 D ECEMBBER 2014 ebay News from Sara Gallagher December 2014 On October 22, 2014 we had our 7 th ebay anniversary. That s how long St. Paul s has been a seller on ebay. There was some time off in November for Thanksgiving week. So far, since last report we have sold: A vintage giant Tupperware paper clip Lot of Norman Rockwell Christmas Ornaments Lot of 60 cookie cutters Packing Materials Needed! If you are one who orders on-line and has packages shipped to your home, please bring me any bubble wrap, foam pieces and boxes that you don t want to keep. I can make good use of all those things. Also, by the end of December, another $500 from ebay sales will be transferred into the checking account at St. Paul s. Wishing you all a blessed Christmas. Contact me by at SaraJG@aol.com, find me at church, or call It's that wonderful time of year again - time for our fun Adult Retreat at LCLC! Jan ,2015! Reserve your spot, now as the sign up sheet hanging in the back narthex fills up quickly! Feel free to bring someone along who is not from St. Paul's - the more the merrier! The cost of the weekend lodging and 6 meals is $165 per person for single room occupancy and $145 per person for double room occupancy. You can count on lots of laughs, delicious food, great fellowship and just plain fun!!! Watch for more details in early January. Any questions... see Barb Walter. Remember - Jesus loves you snooooooow much!!! Blessings from God's loving hands! When Should You Call the Church Office? To arrange for a Baptism To schedule a wedding date and pre-marital counseling sessions Anytime you or a family member is in the hospital (including having a baby!) If there is a death in the family If you move or change your phone number (we have to pay the post office for returned mail!) When you need to talk with a Pastor... When there s a situation you think we need to know about... Worship Schedule Sunday Mornings: 9:00 Impact Worship 10:00 Holy Communion Daily Prayer: 7:00 a.m. Tuesdays Dash s Receipts = Cash! Please continue to save your Dash s register tapes and place them in the collection box in the back narthex. They provide a source of extra income which enables the Niagara Lutheran Health System Guild to enrich the lives of the residents at the NLHS facilities. They really do add up! Who Are Prayer Shawls for?? People in the congregation, friends, co-workers, family people who are sick, home-bound, grieving, going through difficult times anyone who needs to know they are wrapped in prayer! And if you know someone who needs a prayer shawl, we have them! Speak with Marilyn Emerson or Jean Brundage and they ll help you choose one for the need! Do you get our Updates? Every week (and sometimes more often!) an update goes out from the Church Office to remind you of coming events, and to inform you of things in the life of the congregation that happen between Sundays. If you re not on the list receiving these and you would like to be, just contact the Church Office with your address and let Mary know you want to be added. We need your permission to add your e- mail to the list.

7 "Joy T HE CALLER D ECEMBER 2014 Reaching Beyond St. Paul s Food for December MAC & CHEESE! Thanks for all the pancake mix in November! And gently used bedding and household linens are needed for the Threads of Hope Linens Pantry. Making an IMPACT! Fall is upon us and we have many opportunities to serve our community!! Thanks to all who helped out with the raking event! We had a great crew out clearing the church yard and others' yards just in time for the big snow storm. In Hayward, Wis., more than 800 will receive Lutheran cheer Nearly 20 percent of Hayward s population lives below the poverty line second highest in the state for those of all ages living in poverty. Tourism jobs are seasonal and the climate can be difficult. Great turnout for our mentoring program! We have 11 mentors committed to working with middle school youth in Amherst for the remainder of the Fall. Both mentors and students are very excited about this. Stay tuned in January if you'd like to join in! Upcoming Impact events: Pay attention to our social media throughout December for daily reflections as we recognize Advent. During December we'll be collecting Christmas gifts for families in the Amherst school district. Look for the tree in early December for information on the ages of the children receiving gifts. December 13th 9-3 we will be volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. The sign-up sheet with additional details is on the Impact bulletin board - sign up now so we know you'll be there! December 21st - We will be caroling immediately after church. Hope to see you there! In January we'll be kicking off the year with 31 Days of Compassion just like last year. As a part of this, we'll be distributing gift cards to restaurants for those who are hungry in the Buffalo area. First Lutheran Church, Hayward, has for 41 years been making a difference for neighbors at Christmastime. First began Operation Christmas in 1973 to provide a small group of residents anonymous food baskets, which included coloring books, crayons and puzzles for children. The Salvation Army pitched in with vouchers for turkey or ham. Members donate generous gifts of food and money. A restaurant provides pies and a famous candy shop puts a pound of fudge in each basket. Hats, mittens, gloves and socks for all family members are added, as well as wrapped presents for nearly 400 children. In the last two years, First formed a partnership with two other churches in town. Operation Christmas spent $4,500 (all of it donated) to purchase gifts and enough food for a week for each family. The congregation has always been led by the Spirit to serve God within our broader community, said a member. She believes Hayward s Operation Christmas could be a model for what other congregations and communities could do. The outreach of this congregation is nothing short of phenomenal, she said. We are church together for the sake of the world. God s Work. Our Hands.

8 St. Paul s Lutheran Church 4007 Main Street Eggertsville NY Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #3595 Buffalo New York ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Coming in January Morning Prayer Tuesdays at 7:00 am. Bible Study Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Wed. Jan. 7 10:00 Comforters/Prayer Shawl meet in the Parish Hall pot-luck lunch with Pr. Steve Thurs. Jan. 8 11:00 Retired Folks meet for a presentation on the Life File Program (a place to keep vital information in case of emergencies (especially medical!) and a brown bag lunch bring a sandwich, beverage & dessert will be provided Tues. Jan. 13 7:00 Council 7:00 Eggertsville Community Org. Adult Retreat at LCLC Jan see details inside St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church Our Mission: Empowering others with the Good News of Jesus Christ: Making Connections, Enriching Faith, Nourishing Lives, and Demonstrating love in God s Name Pastor: The Rev. Steve Biegner ( cell) Editor: Mary E. Wolf Assemblers: Dorothy Menth, Marilyn Emerson, Betty Arbogast, Dolores Shearer, Marion Schwertz, Marilynn Speich, Norma Stevenson, Joyce Chace, Joan Maefs Telephone: (716) Fax: (716) office@stpaulseggertsville.org Web: