Bell Choir Director, Larry Walker- From the Pastor s Desk

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1 First Lutheran Church 208 West Sandusky Avenue Bellefontaine, Ohio Fax: Website: First Lutheran Church First Hand January 2018 Pastor Larry Novak Secretary, Lisa Nevers- Director of Music, Judy Vassar- Inside this issue: Bell Choir Director, Larry Walker- From the Pastor s Desk 2 3 January Events 4 First Lutheran Church will host the Epiphany Worship Service January 7, 2018 at 3:00 pm Youth Events 5 The Women s Corner 7 A fellowship time with cookies and beverages will follow the service. Director of Music 8 Parish Register 10 Thank You s 11 January Birthday/Anniversaries 12 Serving In Worship 13 January Calendar 14 TableTenTalk 15 If you would like to participate and be in the combined choir, come at 9 am on Saturday, January 6th to rehearse. Coffee and donuts will be provided ahead of the rehearsal time. *Prior to this date, please see Judy Vassar for copies of the music. Saturday, January 13, 2018 Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Epiphany is the season following Christmas and preceding Lent. It is the time in the church year when we focus on Christ revealing his role as the son of God. Epiphany means, to make manifest, or make known. It is during this time, and culminating in the Transfiguration, that Jesus reveals to His disciples and all the faith God s gracious purpose in sending His Son in the flesh. In many churches, the Day of Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas, is marked with services and celebrations and, in some cases, the ceremonial removal of some or all of the Christmas decorations. We will mark the season with the necessary work of removing and storing the Christmas decorations. Your help is greatly needed for this task! 1 The church office will be closed on New Year s Day, January 1, 2018.

2 From the pastor s desk Did you make a New Year s resolution this year? Every January, people make an agreement with themselves that this year will be different in some fashion. A list I once saw of the top ten New Year s resolutions consisted of the following: Get healthy Lose weight Learn a new hobby Read more Travel more Spend more time with family Live life to the fullest Spend less and save more Get organized And, my personal favorite: Stop making New Year s resolutions! There is nothing wrong with any of these ideas. But what if we looked at New Year s resolutions from another point of view? Every January, the first Gospel reading in the season of Epiphany (unless the first Sunday is January 6) is the story of the baptism of our Lord. Baptism is more than just a nice little ceremony where we sprinkle some water on a baby. It represents our very identity as Christians. It is about death and resurrection. We die to our old sinful selves and are resurrected to a new life in Christ. Although we, as Lutherans, believe that we only need to be baptized once, the ELCA does provide for us a way to affirm our baptism. Our congregation will, in fact, do this on January 7. In this affirmation, we renounce the devil and all his empty promises, confess our faith in the Triune God, and pledge to continue in the covenant God made with us in five ways: To live among God s faithful people To hear the Word of God and share in the Lord s supper 2

3 To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, To serve all people, following the example of Jesus To strive for justice and peace in all the earth. Therefore, I propose that for the new year, let these five pledges guide your resolutions: Some proposals: Join a ministry team-one you have not served on before Invite someone outside of your family to worship or to a church sponsored activity Volunteer to bring communion to our shut-ins Find any one of the numerous organizations that work for justice in the world, one that you have not been associated with before, and give of either your time or your resources (or both!). Write your senator or congressman about an issue of peace or justice that weighs heavily on your heart, and ask how you can help make what you desire become a reality. Let us focus not on ourselves, but on our church, our community, and our world! Christ has assured us of our salvation. Therefore, we are free to help our neighbor. Happy New Year, everybody! In the abiding hope of the empty tomb, Pastor Larry 3

4 January 7, 2018 REGULAR classes begin again at 9:00 am for all ages! The Monday afternoon Bible Study will meet in the church lounge beginning January 8, We will start a 12-week study on the Gospel of Mark. The group gathers from 1:30 pm 2:30 pm. Everyone is invited, including family members, neighbors and friends. This might be a great time to invite a person who may be considering membership at First Lutheran. Inviting a new person to a smaller group ministry is often a better entry point to the new congregation than inviting them on Sunday, when there is a bigger crowd of folks following a liturgical order which may be strange to potential new members without a liturgical church background. We look forward to studying God s Word with all who may be interested. Out to Lunch Bunch- The January OTLB will be going to Kiyomi Sushi & Steakhouse of Szechwan in Bellefontaine on Saturday, January 20 th at 5:30 pm. All are welcome to come and be part of the fellowship. Contact Judy Vassar or the church office if you are interested or for more information. Annual Meeting: J 4

5 The youth of First Lutheran will be selling sub sandwiches just in time for all those Super Bowl parties! Let us help make your party prep a little easier. Subs made of ham, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion will be sold for $4.00 each. Order forms will be included in the January 21 st & 28 th bulletins. Please mark down how many subs you would like to order and any items you might like left off your subs. Also, please mark if you would like the lettuce, tomato and onion packaged separately (for eating later). Subs will be available for pick-up in the kitchen on Sunday morning, February 4 th after the worship service. The last day to turn in an order will be Wednesday, January 31 st. Thank you for your support of the youth! Get Ready to TACKLE HUNGER in 2018! The Confirmation Class is asking for help from the congregation to tackle hunger in Hunger isn t just a Third World problem. One in six people in America (one in four children) live in food insecure households. (source: United States Department of Agriculture). Logan County is not exempt from this problem. We are asking the congregation to bring in different kinds of soup or canned goods by Sunday, February 4 th, for the Souper Bowl of Caring collection. Look for a cart in the lower narthex to put your donations in beginning in January This collection will run all month long. The donations will be given to the LCS Food Pantry. If we all work together we can tackle hunger in 2018 and make a difference right here in Logan County! Confirmation Retreat at Camp Mowana The confirmation class will be attending a 2 day retreat January at Camp Mowana. We will enjoy Bible Studies (Supplemented by Luther s Small Catechism), Campfires, S mores, Worship, Devotions, Congregational Time, & Games! It is sure to be a fun-filled weekend! Parents: please have your children at the church by 5 pm on Friday, January 26 to carpool to Camp Mowana. We will return on Sunday, January 28 around 2 pm. 5

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7 Thank you to everyone who donated to our special mission Thankoffering. It has been sent to the churchwide WELCA office in Chicago. Our total received was $ Also thanks to all who donated items for the Mitten Tree and cards for the Sunshine Bags. Your generous hearts and willing hands are a blessing. Faith Circle will meet on Tuesday, January 16 th at 1:30 pm at the church. Pat Taylor will be sharing her card-making skills and materials with us so we can make Valentines for friends of concern. Have in mind a couple names with you for whom you would like to create a Valentine card. These can be personal friends, family, neighbors of yours, young or old, or church members. Anyone who would enjoy a special Valentine pick-me-up. Pat will have supplies and ideas to share with us to help us to create a special Valentine. Our business meeting will include planning the Winter Dinner, so bring your ideas with you! Our mission project for the month is to collect items of Valentine Cheer for the residents of Logan Acres. Suggested items: Red and Pink/ heart-shaped items, small notepads, post-it notes, pens, pencils, coloring pencils, coloring/activity books, boxes of valentine cards like children share at school, hand cream, cherry chapstick, individual tissue packs, emery boards, Valentine Conversation hearts, Valentine candies, hullless popcorn, Corn Puffs, snacks, etc. Bring your Valentine Cheer to the meeting on the 16 th or drop off in the church office prior to that date. All women of First Lutheran are members of Faith Circle and are always welcome to join us and participate in our mission. We look forward to seeing you all in January! Mitten Tree Totals: 478 Hats 44 Gloves 159 Hat & Gloves Set 14 Scarves 65 Head Bands 5 Socks 98 Pajamas 1 Thanks to everyone who donated! Underwear 5 Hair Items 83 Toys 4 Thanks to Jinny Fergus & Tina Keckler for organizing and counting these items. Looking Ahead... WELCA Winter Dinner February 10, :00 pm appetizers/5:30 pm dinner Mark this date down on your calendars. **watch upcoming bulletins for more details. 7

8 Report of Director of Music Thank you to everyone who participated in the music for Christmas services. They were all very special in their own way from the classics to the contemporary. Please join us for the joint Epiphany Service at First Lutheran Church on Jan. 7, 2018 at 3:00 PM. Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas that afternoon. Upcoming Feb. 11, 2018, 3:00 PM Majesty Quartet. Our own version of Mardi Gras. Submitted by Judy Vassar Worship Team of First Lutheran Church will sponsor a concert featuring Majesty Quartet on Sunday, February 11, 2018, at 3:00 pm at First Lutheran Church. The concert will be open to the public. The concert will feature an hour of music and message. Members of the group are local residents Ward McBrien, Jerry Noble, Shannon Reames, and Tim Walls. "They raise their voices, they shout for joy; they acclaim the Lord's Majesty." Isaiah 24:14 8

9 Ministry Team Meetings- January /3 7:00 pm Council 1/13 9:00 am Property 1/22 7:00 pm Worship Ministry Team Highlights Christian Action Ministry Team Christmas breakfast Church Council Finance Ministry Team 2018 Budget Learning Ministry Team Sunday school classes Christmas program Cheri Comstock, Dick Griffith, Gail Keck, Adam Smith, Corey Van Hoose, Susan Wyckoff, Julie Zoldak Property Ministry Team Building & Maintenance Issues Worship Ministry Team Christmas Eve Services Scheduling Group Meetings at the Church- Just a quick reminder: if there is a church group or community group looking to hold a meeting at the church, especially in the evening, please make sure to contact the church office prior to the meeting so it can be put on the calendar. We need to be aware of people in the building and the times they are here. Thank you. The next evening we will be serving Our Daily Bread is Monday, January 15 th. If you can t help us serve, but would still like to help you could provide the dessert. This month we are asking for cookies. If you haven't had the chance to help at Our Daily Bread, please consider doing so. A sign-up sheet is in the upper narthex. Volunteers are asked to arrive at Our Daily Bread about 4:15 pm prior to the serving time of 4:30 pm. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the church office. Lenten Services Copies of reports from the monthly meetings of each ministry team is available for you to view in the Partners In Ministry Book located in the lower narthex. As part of our celebration of the Holy Supper of our Lord, we are asking you to remember those around us who need to be fed. You can help keep the LCS pantry stocked by bringing basic food items on the first Sunday of each month. What is needed is canned items: especially fruits, vegetables, meats and soups; and basic nonperishable items: cereal, flour, sugar and juices. There is a basket in the upper narthex to receive your donations. Let s remember Food on the First as part of our monthly celebration of Holy Communion. 9

10 Sunday Attendance for December 2017 December 3-96 December December December 24 TBA December 31 TBA 10

11 I would like to thank everyone for all of the many kind thoughts, prayers, cards and visits after my recent accident. Special thanks to Pastor Larry for his visits at the hospital and the nursing home and to Walt and Sally Stephan for bringing me the church flowers. I greatly appreciate all of my church family. -Bill Fent Thank you for your gifts to ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response this year. Thanks to you, together we re working for justice and peace in the United States and more than 60 countries around the world. May God bless you this Christmas and always, even as you and your generosity are a blessing to others. - The Rev. Daniel Rift director, ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal, ELCA Thank you for all the stuffed animals donated to Noah s Ark! Your donated stuffed animals were distributed with the Lutheran Community Services/Our Daily Bread Toy Baskets. Christmas morning for many local children was made a little more special from your generous donations. Thank you! 175th Anniversary Appeal Giving Numbers Total Pledges- $335, Giving summary as of December 10, 2017: Congregation Giving- $325, New Life Charitable Foundation- 100, Noisy $$$- 5, TOTAL GIVING TO DATE: $431,

12 January birthdays 01/02 William Heintz 01/02 Jinny Fergus 01/03 Chuck Bingaman 01/03 Christian Miller 01/04 Jim Penrod 01/07 Norma Warren 01/08 Ted Hoy 01/11 Marge MacGillivray 01/11 Mike Zoldak 01/12 Brent Smith 01/15 Alexis Johnson 01/16 Dan Shively 01/17 Karen Gamble 01/17 Corey Van Hoose 01/19 John Fultz 01/24 Tiffanee Wagner 01/25 Bill Badenhop 01/27 Don Voorhies 01/28 Kevin Miller 01/29 Gary Shields 01/29 Autumn Horton 01/29 Dakota Horton 01/30 Jenna Van Hoose 01/19/1980 John & Beth Marshall Do you have Christmas, birthday or any other greeting cards that you have received and don t know what to do with them? Don t throw them away bring them in and we will recycle them for you. Place them in the receptacle located in the lower narthex. You can bring your cards in all year long. 12

13 Serving in Our Worship JANUARY :00 am service Ushers Gary Shields Max Bixler Carl & Rachel Gillespie Acolytes 1/7 Zane Gamble 1/14 Lauren Dixon 1/21 Megan Keckler 1/28 Samantha Starkey Crucifers 1/7 Conner Gamble 1/14 Garrett Dixon 1/21 Lucas McKenrick 1/28 Sarah Starkey Communion Helpers 1/7 Madison & Marley Shields 1/14 Winnie & Lottie Bodin 1/21 Noah & Eden Smith 1/28 Karsyn & Kyndal Newkirk Readers 1/7 Margie Bixler 1/14 TBA 1/21 TBA 1/28 TBA Communion Assistants 1/7 Jinny Fergus & Tina Keckler 1/14 Paul Karn & Cindy Weikart 1/21 Barb Triplett & Brenda Shively 1/28 Corey & Renae Van Hoose Greeters 1/7 Ed & Deb Pulfer 1/14 Marge MacGillivray 1/21 Carol Smola 1/28 Jim & Janet Donnelly Nursery 1/7 open, but not staffed 1/14 open, but not staffed 1/21 open, but not staffed 1/28 open, but not staffed Worship Assistants 1/7 Kris Swisher 1/14 Stephanie Oaks 1/21 Dick Griffith 1/28 Brenda Shively Altar Guild Jinny Fergus & Tina Keckler 13

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15 TableTenTalk Resolutions As we approach a new year we often think about New Year s resolutions. Typical resolutions often include losing weight, exercising more, or taking 10,000 steps per day. These are great resolutions for our physical wellbeing but what about our spiritual well-being? Can we make a resolution to improve our spiritual wellbeing? In 2 Peter 1:3-11(ESV), Peter tells us how we can be partakers of the divine nature through God s precious and magnificent promises. We must resolve to: 1. Apply all diligence to supplement our faith 2. Supplement our faith with virtue 3. Supplement our virtue with knowledge 4. Supplement our knowledge with self-control 5. Supplement our self-control with steadfastness 6. Supplement our steadfastness with godliness 7. Supplement our godliness with brotherly affection 8. Supplement our brotherly affection with love Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. (2 Peter 1:10) With these qualities we will be fruitful and useful. We will not doubt or fear but enjoy assurance from God that we are his. I encourage each of us to make a resolution to apply all diligence to live our lives to the glory of God and escape our sinful nature to gain our divine nature. I wish you all a blessed new year filled with God s promises. Cindy Weikart Council President 15

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