Pastor Richard Olson, who is still. Sunday School Rally Day Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. Register your children to learn about God! Guest Preacher Schedule

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Guest Preacher Schedule October Oct. 7, Louisa Klaven Oct. 14, Sister Virginia Oct. 21, Louisa Klaven Oct.

, will lead a one-hour bible study every other Tuesday at 10 a.m. beginning in October: Oct. 2, 16 and 23.

gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

Come and be made new by these gifts God offers us from His love and wisdom. A great opportunity to ask questions!

1 Guest Preacher Schedule October Oct. 7, Louisa Klaven Oct. 14, Sister Virginia Oct. 21, Louisa Klaven Oct. 28, Pastor Ed Voosen November Nov. 4, Pastor Ed Voosen Nov. 11, Sister Virginia Nov. 18, Sister Virginia Nov. 25, Louisa Klaven Oct. 2, 16 and 23 Pastor Richard Olson, who is still helping on Sundays at Trinity Lutheran Church, Brattleboro, Vt., will lead a one-hour bible study every other Tuesday at 10 a.m. beginning in October: Oct. 2, 16 and 23. The bible study will focus on the gifts of the Holy Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). These gifts from God s Spirit are given to bring deep meaning and purpose into our lives. Come and be made new by these gifts God offers us from His love and wisdom. A great opportunity to ask questions! Pastor Ed Voosen has been wearing this special red stole with Luther s seal on Sundays since last October, in celebration of the 500th anniversary year of the Reformation. He ll wear the stole for the last time Oct. 28, Reformation Sunday, here at Faith Lutheran Church. Embroidered on the back of the neck is Sunday School Rally Day Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. Register your children to learn about God!

Come join the Youth Group to Carve Pumpkins Oct. 14 What better way to observe the arrival of fall than to carve a pumpkin for Halloween?

And they invite you yes, you, all the adults, to join them for a fun inter-generational social to scare any goblins away! Please bring your own pumpkin.

This is for all ages, but young children must be accompanied by an adult.

2 Come join the Youth Group to Carve Pumpkins Oct. 14 What better way to observe the arrival of fall than to carve a pumpkin for Halloween? So, that s just what our Youth Group will be doing Sunday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m. right here at Faith. And they invite you yes, you, all the adults, to join them for a fun inter-generational social to scare any goblins away! Please bring your own pumpkin. Keith and Carol Jorgensen, and Tamara Taylor, youth leaders, will provide the stencils and carving implements, as well as cider and doughnuts. This is for all ages, but young children must be accompanied by an adult. In December, the Youth Group will create Christmas ornaments for the Outreach Team to distribute to shut-ins and those in nursing homes. Julia Pfeifle Oct. 1 Keith Jorgensen Oct. 3 Dorothy Sund Oct. 5 Allie Rocheleau Oct. 6 Gunnar Robinson Oct. 7 Jean Kiewel Oct. 9 Eric Bourque Oct. 9 Jeremy Luhtjarv Oct. 13 Alexander Jeleniewski Oct. 15 Jody Opgenorth Oct. 15 Stephen Ashmore Oct. 20 Sadie Beauregard Oct. 22 Macaylia Cochran Oct. 22 Ann Marie Frawley Oct. 26 Tricia Vorderstrasse Oct. 26 Rebbeca Kibbet Oct. 28 Jacob Desrosiers Oct. 30 Why is Reformation Sunday such a big deal for Lutherans? In 1517, 501 years ago, Martin Luther, a German monk and university professor, collected 95 points to fuel discussion about the corruption in the medieval Church. On Oct. 31, 1517, All Hallow s Eve, he posted his famous 95 Theses to the door of his hometown church in Wittenberg. With that small, symbolic act, Luther unleashed a storm of change, kicking off the most important religious event of the last millennium the Protestant Reformation. It also led to the formation of the Lutheran Church. That s why we observe Reformation Sunday on the last Sunday in October. A video by travel guru Rick Steves, a member of the ELCA, on Luther and the Reformation is available from the church office or Sister Virginia. God made you one-of-a-kind amazing! On your birthday, we celebrate God s work in you. Is your birthday missing? Misspelling? Please call the church office at so we may celebrate the day God introduced you to the world. for Gardner CAC during October SNACKS We continue to collect snacks, as this is what the CAC greatly needs. Crackers, chips, popcorn, jello, pudding, granola bars and Welch s fruit snacks. Any individually packaged foods a kid would enjoy eating

Jesus Is Here Faith packs food for hungry children You ve heard of whistle while you work? Well, 10 members of Faith Lutheran were among the 68 people who sang Saturday, Sept.

It is great to see so many come together, said Fred Hoisington, chair of Faith s Social Ministry Team, as the room broke out in song with Sweet Caroline.

The group packaged more than 13,500 meals, primarily for needy Gardner children. The food was purchased in bulk from an organization called Outreach.

3 Jesus Is Here Faith packs food for hungry children You ve heard of whistle while you work? Well, 10 members of Faith Lutheran were among the 68 people who sang Saturday, Sept. 15, as they volunteered their time at the Knights of Columbus Hall to pack meals for Feed My Sheep, an ecumenical project to combat hunger in the area. It is great to see so many come together, said Fred Hoisington, chair of Faith s Social Ministry Team, as the room broke out in song with Sweet Caroline. The event was the brainchild of a local activist, Susan Hubbard, affectionately called Old Mother Hubbard, a member of St. Paul s Episcopal Church. The group packaged more than 13,500 meals, primarily for needy Gardner children. The food was purchased in bulk from an organization called Outreach. Six production line tables were set up, each having 10 people, all wearing hair nets and gloves, who packaged the food for delivery to the Gardner CAC and Heywood Hospital for distribution. The event began at 7 a.m. when the food was delivered, and the packaging was completed by 11:30 a.m. The food was carefully measured, mixed using funnels and placed into plastic bags, which were heat-sealed. The ambiance was incredible including music, singing and much laughing. Members of Faith donated $ to this project and deserve much credit for its success, said Hoisington. We look forward to continuing relationships with our Gardner sisters and brothers in Christ. God bless all of you who so generously donated your time and money to this outreach. Faith Welcomes Alcoholics Anonymous Monday through Friday 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m. Saturday noon to 1 p.m. FAITH S TEAM Helping to pack food for Feed My Sheep Saturday, Sept. 15, were Ruth Finne (from left), Gunnar Robinson, Anne Marie Frawley, Nick McClurken, Fred Hoisington, Julie Senesi, Barry Tresback, Karen Tresback and Karen Anderson. Missing from the photo are Keith Jorgensen and Al Anderson. Warm Clothing Collection O ur Social Ministry Team has agreed to participate in the Gardner CAC s warm clothing initiative during October. Items requested include new blankets and socks, new and used coats suitable for cold weather conditions, and personal hygiene items (shampoo, bath soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, washcloths, bathroom tissue, liquid hand soap, combs and brushes). You may bring these items to church until Oct. 28. Questions? Please ask either Anne Marie Frawley or Fred Hoisington, team chair.

Brooklyn girl has heart of gold as hospital volunteer Note: Each issue, we feature an interview with a member of our Faith family to learn their story. This month Ellie Roder.

of Brooklyn, N.Y. I could see that he was thoughtful and kind, she remembered. And she decided right then and there to join the choir!

18, 1931, at Wykoff Heights Hospital in the Ridgewood section of Brooklyn, the same hospital where Lou was born three years earlier. She is an only child.

4 Brooklyn girl has heart of gold as hospital volunteer Note: Each issue, we feature an interview with a member of our Faith family to learn their story. This month Ellie Roder. Eleanor Doer was 15 when she noticed a handsome young man with dark curly hair singing in the choir at her home congregation, Holy Trinity English Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Ridgewood section of Brooklyn, N.Y. I could see that he was thoughtful and kind, she remembered. And she decided right then and there to join the choir! Five years later, Ellie and the butcher s son Lou Roder stood before the altar at that same church to be married. Ellie was born Jan. 18, 1931, at Wykoff Heights Hospital in the Ridgewood section of Brooklyn, the same hospital where Lou was born three years earlier. She is an only child. Ellie grew up in a cold water flat six families in one tenement on Halsey Street. I can still see my mother doing the wash on a scrub board, she recalled. Ellie s Christian education began very early. When she was about five, her Sunday school teacher took her class to an orphanage; they brought gifts and spent time with the children. The first Thursday of every June, Holy Trinity joined the other Protestant churches in her neighborhood to parade together behind a rented brass band through the hustling and bustling Brooklyn streets in observance of the anniversary of the Brooklyn Sunday School Union. Thousands of adults and children would march several miles with their colorful banners, handsome crosses and floats, singing such hymns as Onward Christian Soldiers. We children received ice cream when we got back to church after the parade, she said. The Brooklyn Sunday School Union, founded in 1816, played an important role in the education of children in heavily-populated Brooklyn, the borough of churches. The parade, which once attracted as many as 75,000 participants, still stops traffic today. One of the participants Ellie recalls seeing was General Douglas MacArthur, the five-star general, who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. Ellie was into everything at church, including teaching Sunday school, and, yes, singing in the choir, which she couldn t join until she turned 16. Her first date with Lou was at the church during the traditional German celebration of Fastnacht on the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent (also known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday). Lou asked her next to his high school senior prom that May; she was 15 and he was almost 18. After the prom, many in the class, including Ellie and Lou, took a horse and buggy ride through Central Park. They continued to date while he was studying at Wagner College, Staten Island, N.Y., and after he entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., to become a pastor. His father had hoped that he would join him as a butcher but God had other plans. CONTINUED PROM NIGHT 1946 Ellie Doer was 15 and Lou Roder almost 18 when he invited her to his high school senior prom. It was their second date.

SPOTLIGHT: ELLIE RODER PRETTY IN PINK Ellie Doer (middle), wearing a pink dress, with tenement friends ready to march in the parade celebrating the Brooklyn Sunday School Union.

5 SPOTLIGHT: ELLIE RODER PRETTY IN PINK Ellie Doer (middle), wearing a pink dress, with tenement friends ready to march in the parade celebrating the Brooklyn Sunday School Union. Note the wash hanging on the lines. About a week after she graduated from high school in 1949, Ellie began working as a clerk in the commercial department of New York Telephone Co., doing general typing and filing. She soon advanced to a business office representative, a position she held until 1952 when she and her new husband left for married student housing at Gettysburg Seminary. The seminary is located on the edge of the historic Civil War battlefield. The couple never had a honeymoon, but Ellie enjoyed her life as a seminarian s wife in a peaceful, rural setting. She had never been out of New York City. Lou taught her how to drive on the battlefield. Lou was ordained June 3, 1953, and the couple moved to Wyandanch, Long Island, N.Y., when he received his first call as a pastor to Trinity Lutheran Church (less than 15 minutes away from where Louisa Klaven, one of our guest preachers, grew up in North Babylon). A young married couple can find finances a challenge, especially on a pastor s limited salary, so his father would bring them meat to tide them over toward the end of the month. Both of the couple s sons, Paul and Mark, were born in Wyandanch. In 1957, Pastor Lou accepted a new call to St. Paul Lutheran Church, Middletown, Conn., shortly after a tragic fire swept through the church. He helped the congregation rebuild during one of its darkest periods. While their sons were at school, Ellie worked as a secretary in the Master of Arts in Teaching office at Wesleyan University in Middletown. It was in this office she heard the traumatic news that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. In 1964, the Roders moved to Gardner when Pastor Lou was called as the first full-time English-speaking pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church on West Street, one of the three congregations that later merged to form Faith Lutheran Church. By then, Mark was 9 and Paul 7. Ellie quickly learned to have sugar cubes on hand when hosting the Mission Society in a congregation founded by Finns. (It s a Scandinavian tradition to place a sugar cube between your teeth and sip your coffee through the cube, instead of stirring granulated crystals in the aromatic brew.) Ellie found the people at Bethel very warm and welcoming. She sang in the choir, and served as a deacon, with the responsibility of visiting shut-ins something she faithfully continues to do today at Faith Lutheran Church. In 1966, Ellie began working at Heywood Hospital, filing reports for the director of radiology, Dr. Clarence McPeak. I didn t have a college education, Ellie said, but I read and taught myself through books to learn all those medical terms. Later, when she became secretary to Dr. Alvan W. Ramler, an orthopedic surgeon, a deep friendship developed between the Roders and Dr. Ramler and his family. Ellie made many friends at the hospital. Pastor Lou had his first heart attack in 1969, followed a year later by a terrible car accident in early December He had to resign as pastor of Bethel in 1971 due to his injuries. He was operated on twice for subdural hematomas and later developed Parkinson s Disease, which affected his speech. After his accident, he was instrumental in creating a chapel at Heywood Hospital and arranging for services. He also served in Campus Ministry at Mount Wachusett Community College for many years. Ellie retired in 1993 at age 62 to be home with her husband. However, she was home only one week before she returned to Heywood Hospital as a volunteer. In January of this year, she began her 25 th year as a hospital volunteer. Ellie is an amazing woman, said Anne Brewer, volunteer assistant at Heywood Hospital. She s a real trooper. She s willing to help wherever she s needed. We love her. Initially, Ellie served at the front reception desk and filed doctors reports in radiology, working with Sandy Turula, The Roder family in CONTINUED

Let Us Rejoice We thank AA for painting the large white wooden cross behind the church, which can be seen from Green Street. We are grateful for all they do for Faith.

The Ladies of Faith will resume their luncheons at the Mountain Room, the student-run restaurant at Monty Tech, Thursday, Oct. 11. The women will meet at the restaurant at 11:30 a.m. Please notify Maxine Pincott by Oct.

SPOTLIGHT: ELLIE RODER another member of Faith.

Ellie is a very special person to me, said Sandy, who has worked in radiology transcription at Heywood Hospital for 39 years. She has a heart of gold.

6 Let Us Rejoice We thank AA for painting the large white wooden cross behind the church, which can be seen from Green Street. We are grateful for all they do for Faith. We are marked with the sign of the cross. Call Process Update Our next step is to complete a Ministry Site Profile (MSP), a tool that all ELCA congregations use to help match them with a pastor whose gifts are a good fit for their current missional needs and priorities. The Congregation Council is forming a team with strong writing skills to write this congregational profile based on input from members. Watch for details! The Ladies of Faith will resume their luncheons at the Mountain Room, the student-run restaurant at Monty Tech, Thursday, Oct. 11. The women will meet at the restaurant at 11:30 a.m. Please notify Maxine Pincott by Oct. 8 if you intend to come, and if you need a ride, so she can plan accordingly. Also, if your plans change, and you can t attend, please let Maxine know, so the restaurant can free up the space. SPOTLIGHT: ELLIE RODER another member of Faith. Currently, Ellie is back at the reception desk Tuesday mornings, cheerfully welcoming visitors, answering their questions and personally guiding them to the labs or surgical day care. Ellie is a very special person to me, said Sandy, who has worked in radiology transcription at Heywood Hospital for 39 years. She has a heart of gold. Ellie says much the same of Sandy, who is like a daughter to me. In 1996, Ellie and Pastor Roder traveled to Germany, where his parents were born. The trip was led by the Rev. Ernest Ryden (Peg Knowlton s uncle); they left the group for a while to visit Pastor Roder s family in Neubrunn. The hospital community was a great support for Ellie, as was her church family, when Pastor Lou died in I was devastated, she said. They were married for 58 years. Pastor Ed Voosen, also from New York, one of our guest preachers during this transition time, called Pastor Roder a pastor s pastor, as he was patient, compassionate and understanding. Young pastors would be wise to emulate his pastoral style. Ellie later lost a very dear friend, Dorothy (Fitzgerald) Breda, also an only child, who lived near her in Brooklyn when they were young. They met in the first grade and remained sisters by choice for 80 years, until Dotty died from cancer in Dotty was just the dearest, dearest friend, said Ellie. Her folks would take me with them on vacations, and when miles separated us we would call each other every Monday night at 8 p.m. Ellie was Dotty s maid of honor at her wedding in 1951, and Dotty was Ellie s matron of honor in Ellie s son, Mark, now an attorney, lives in Scituate with his wife Diane; they have two adult children, Alyssa, who lives in Waltham, and Michael in Boston. Ellie s other son, Paul, works for Pratt and Whitney in Connecticut; he lives with his wife Terry in Sudbury; they have two adult children, Jacquelyn in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Greg in Hartford. I thank God for my caring family and friends, said Ellie. Through all the good times and the bad, Ellie feels God has always been there. God gave her the strength to care for Pastor Lou after his car accident. The church has been her home since childhood.

Church Staff Contact Pastor To Be Named Organist Sue Sawyer Band Director Bob Boutwell Office Secretary Andi Hinckley Sexton Ray Pfeifle IV Contact Us Faith Lutheran Church 627 Green St.

7 Church Staff Contact Pastor To Be Named Organist Sue Sawyer Band Director Bob Boutwell Office Secretary Andi Hinckley Sexton Ray Pfeifle IV Contact Us Faith Lutheran Church 627 Green St., Gardner, MA Church Office Hours Andi, our church secretary, is usually in the Church Office: Tuesdays, 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m In Case of a Pastoral Need Ray Pfeifle III President of the Congregation Council (home) (cell) Raymond.Pfeifle@omnova.com Keith Jorgensen Vice President of the Congregation Council commwatr@gmail.com Please Call Ray or Keith When: You or a family member is sick or in the hospital; A baby is expected in your family; You want to arrange for a baptism or wedding; A family member has died; You feel the Church can help you in any way. Please Call the Church Office When: You are planning a meeting or scheduling an event, so it can be placed on the church calendar; Your telephone number or address has changed or you are planning to move, either locally or out of town. Sunday Worship Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28 9 a.m., Contemporary worship with praise band 10 a.m., Sunday school 11 a.m., Traditional worship with organ Join us for Coffee and Fellowship after both services! COUNCIL MINUTES AVAILABLE A white three-ring binder containing copies of minutes from all Council meetings is located on a table in the narthex for anyone to view. Anyone with questions about Council meetings is urged to contact any member of the Council. Congregation Council Ray Pfeifle President Jennifer Chagnon Secretary Keith Jorgenson Vice President April Lunny Steve Nolin Dave Palojarvi Transition Team Bob Boutwell Mary Chace Jenn Chagnon Dave Palojarvi Maxine Pincott Paula Rocheleau Two Vacancies Church Treasurer Steve Pincott Congregation Council meets the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Faith. Open sessions. Minutes are posted on the bulletin board. Steve Pincott Barry Tresback Ray Pfeifle, Council President Connect with us on Facebook: facebook.com/ faithlutherangardner

8 October 1 (Monday) October 2 (Tuesday) Adult bible study 10 a.m. Social Ministry Team 5:30 p.m. October 3 (Wednesday) October 4 (Thursday) October 5 (Friday) October 6 (Saturday) AA Noon OCTOBER 7 (SUNDAY) Worship 9 and 11 a.m. October 8 (Monday) October 9 (Tuesday) Congregation Council 6:30 p.m. October 10 (Wednesday) October 11 (Thursday) Ladies Luncheon at Monty Tech 11:30 a.m. October 12 (Friday) October 13 (Saturday) AA Noon OCTOBER 14 (SUNDAY) Worship 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday school Rally Day 10 a.m. Music & Worship 10:15 a.m. Pumpkin Carving Social 1 p.m. October 15 (Monday) DEADLINE for November Newsletter October 16 (Tuesday) Adult bible study 10 a.m. On the Calendar at Faith Faith Lutheran Church / 627 Green Street / Gardner MA / October 17 (Wednesday) October 18 (Thursday) October 19 (Friday) October 20 (Saturday) AA Noon OCTOBER 21 (SUNDAY) Worship 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday school 10 a.m. October 22 (Monday) October 23 (Tuesday) Adult bible study 10 a.m. Girl Scouts 6 p.m. October 24 (Wednesday) October 25 (Thursday) October 26 (Friday) October 27 (Saturday) AA Noon Men s Group 10 a.m. (downstairs) Writer s Group 2 p.m. OCTOBER 28 (REFORMATION SUNDAY) Worship 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday school 10 a.m. October 29 (Monday) October 30 (Tuesday) October 31 (Wednesday) NOTE: Dates and times of meetings at Faith during the week may change. Please call the church to verify.

Happy 500th Birthday, Lutheranism! In October 1517, the Reformation was born. This started the

Happy 500th Birthday, Lutheranism! In October 1517, the Reformation was born. This started the movement for the beginning of the Lutheran Church. Over the years it has taken on many forms and I am thankful