P R I N C E OF P E A C E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H

Transcription

1 P R I N C E OF P E A C E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H VOLUME XI, ISSUE VII JULY 2018 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. Genesis 2:15 The Westminster Catechism famously begins with this question and answer: Question 1: What is the chief and highest end of man? Answer: Man s chief and highest end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. (Westminster Catechism of 1648) Though not a Lutheran document I have to say that is a good answer to the basic question of our purpose. Great, now how do we do that? How do we glorify God? I m sure you can think of lots of great answers. We worship, we pray, we praise, we help and love our neighbor, we teach the children, and so many more things that together glorify God. Don t forget the original mission given to humans to till and keep God s garden, or to put it another way to take care of this beautiful and bountiful world God has given us. How have we been doing on that one? Historically, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution not so good. Up through the first 2/3rds of the 20th century we plundered the environment at will. Since then we have at least become aware and have in many ways taken steps to improve our air, our water and our use and reuse of resources. Yet there remain enormous problems. Vast quantities of plastics in our oceans, toxins in the drinking water of nearby communities, rising levels of greenhouse gases to name a few of the challenges that face us and God s creation. I can t solve these problems but each of us in little ways with our daily decisions can make a difference. As we enjoy this beautiful time of year my hope and prayer is that each of us, Important Contact Information Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 4 Northcrest Drive, Clifton Park, NY Telephone: (518) Fax: (518) Pastor Jeff Silvernail - pastorjeff@poplutheranchurch.org; Pastor Amber Waugaman - pastoramber@poplutheranchurch.org; Parish Administrator Melanie Edwards - office@poplutheranchurch.org Newsletter Editor Jennifer Van Ort - newsletter@poplutheranchurch.org citizens of the world, will take a few moments to acknowledge the wonder of creation and do the little things that when we do them in mass will make a big difference. Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jeff Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge Claude Monet EMERGENCY PHONE INFORMATION: If you have a pastoral emergency when the church office is closed, call the church number, , extension 324. Leave a message and phone number where you can be reached. Immediately after you hang up, a designated on call pastor or deacon will receive a call that there is an emergency message. He/she will retrieve the message from the mailbox and call you back.

2 Pastor s Pen - Every Season and Time PAGE 2 There s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death, a right time to plant and another to reap, a right time to kill and another to heal, a right time to destroy and another to construct, a right time to cry and another to laugh, a right time to lament and another to cheer, a right time to make love and another to abstain, a right time to embrace and another to part, a right time to search and another to count your losses, a right time to hold on and another to let go, a right time to rip out and another to mend, a right time to shut up and another to speak up, a right time to love and another to hate, a right time to wage war and another to make peace. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (The Message) Camp! As I write this, some of our Senior High youth are away at camp, and many of our former Senior High youth are chaperoning that camp. They have gathered at Aldersgate Camp for a week of learning and fun, of laughter and love, of little sleep and lasting friendships. They go to connect with others, to grow in their faith, and to find a place where they know they are welcome. No Camp. Camp has been, and continues to be all of those things for me as well, which is why I keep going, and why I agreed to be the director when it was needed. I did not want others to miss out on all that camp can offer. This year, I am not there. It is strange to be away, and strange to think it will be another year until I am once again with all of those campers and staff. But it was the right season, the right time, for me to stay home and allow others to lead. Summer! School has ended, the weather is hot, and we have finally made it to summer. It is the time when schedules change, when everything gets a little looser for a while, when we let things go a little and enjoy some relaxation. There is a season for this, a time to let go. A time to travel and see friends and family we haven t seen, or a new place we wish to explore. Our schedules change and we get a chance to live in a different time and rhythm for a while. It is a great opportunity to explore and see your life and your faith in different ways for a small period of time. New Seasons. I am definitely looking at some different seasons looming in my life. Not only do I enter summer with the rest of the area, but I also enter a new shared time with a new life partner, and together we enter a time of infants and babies and raising a family. Likely, this is the last newsletter I will write for a while as I will hopefully be on maternity leave starting sometime near the beginning of August. I will likely return the beginning or mid-october with many new insights, ideas, and expectations because of the seasons I have been through in the meantime. Many Seasons. We all face seasons in our life. Perhaps you find yourself in a particularly joyful or particularly stressful season right this moment. Perhaps the summer is enough of a season for you to deal with right now. Perhaps you seem between seasons. No matter where you are in the seasons and times of life, know that God is with you in that season. You are not alone or lost. God is carrying you through it all. May your seasons be blessed. Peace, Pastor Amber Waugaman SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE 8:00am and 10:00am from July 1st -September 2nd Rally Day Sept 9th Hours return to 8:00am and 10:30am REACH time takes a break, normal schedule will resume in September JULY/AUGUST OFFICE HOURS Just a reminder that the church office is closed on Fridays during July & August. LUTHERAN NIGHT Valley Cats Vs. Doubledays Wednesday, July 25th at 7pm Joe Bruno Stadium $10 Ticket $13 Ticket with Hot Dog at Soda Post game Fireworks! Sign-up sheet is in the Welcome area on the blue wall. Please sign up prior to JULY 15TH. If you have any questions please speak with Pastor Jeff. Need a head count as soon as possible. FUN! FUN! FUN!

3 PAGE 3 YOUTH NEWS FOR JUNE 2018 Clown Troupe Clown troupe is in full swing! Rehearsal times are from 7pm to 9pm on Sunday evenings unless otherwise noted. Rehearsals July 15 THE NURSERY SCHOOL AT PRINCE OF PEACE Registration for fall 2018 has begun. If you know of a family with interest in our school, please contact Director Kim Flood by leaving a voice message at the school phone number 518/ Or you may send a message via to thenurseryschool@poplutheranchurch.org. FOOD SHARING Food collection for The Little Food Pantry at PoP will take place on the 1st Sunday of each month. Items needed: Canned Tuna; Canned Stew; Canned Chili; Canned Fruit in juice; vegetables; applesauce; rice; beans; cereals; Oatmeal; Pasta sauce; Pancake mix; muffin mix; laundry detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste; soap. Thank you for your generous support! Sr. High Youth Group We will be planning at least one youth event each month through the school year. These events will fall on a variety of different days and will often be fun activities or service opportunities. It should be a great year! July Activity Pool Party ~ July 21 we will celebrate the beginning of a new year and welcome new youth to the group with a pool party! It will be at the Lustofins home, 17 Pine Hill Bend, Ballston Lake NY, and will start around 1pm. Please bring a snack to share, your swim suit and towel, and some sunscreen. The Lustofin s always host a great outdoor party! Future Activities I will be on maternity leave for August and September, so I won t be planning any youth group activities during that time. If some of the youth would like to suggest some activities and find some chaperons, it would be great to keep meeting! Mrs. L might help you plan if you ask nicely. I will see you in October!!! Important & Fun July Holidays & Observances! 6 - National Fried Chicken Day 7 - Chocolate Day; National Strawberry Sundae Day 8 - National Blueberry Day; Video Games Day 9 - National Sugar Cookie Day 11 - Cheer up the Lonely Day; National Blueberry Muffins Day 12 - Pecan Pie Day 13 - Barbershop Music Appreciation Day; National French Fries Day 14 - Shark Awareness Day 15 - Cow Appreciation Day; National Ice Cream Day 16 - Global Hug Your Kids Day 18 - National Hot Dog Day 20 - National Ice Cream Soda Day; Moon Day 21 - National Junk Food Day 22 - Hammock Day 24 - Amelia Earhart Day; Tell an Old Joke Day 29 - National Chicken Wing Day; National Lasagna Day 30 - National Cheesecake Day; International Day of Friendship

4 Day trip to Carnegie Hall for PoP Senior Choir Concert! As you know, our choir will be part of a mass choir performing at Carnegie Hall on Sun, Nov 18th. Are you interested in going down to NYC for the day and attend the concert? We have reserved the bus to go to Carnegie Hall and there is still room for you! Please add your name to the signup sheet. Also - It is time to order your tickets for the concert! There are envelopes on the Carnegie Hall table. They contain an order form for your concert tickets and you can pay for both the concert and bus. You will also need this envelope if you want concert tickets, but are not taking the bus. Details: Concert: Sunday, Nov 18, 2018 at 8:30 PM Bus Departs POP 1:00 pm Drop off at Carnegie Hall Pick up at Carnegie Hall after the concert - 11:00 PM Return to POP Faces of Faith Meet a member of our choir, Tina Greenfield! Tina and her husband, Jim, have been coming to POP since Her parents were faithful churchgoers in a Lutheran mission church on Long Island. For Tina, church was a big part of her childhood. When her parents received a flyer for Coburg Village in Clifton Park, they became interested in moving Upstate. Tina was asked to help find them a church to attend once they moved. Jim began researching online and found the POP website. Tina and her mom visited POP for the first time during a service involving EPES missionary, Karen Anderson. It was a packed house and Tina s mom was excited to attend again. On the second visit, it was a clown service and Tina enjoyed the involvement of the youth. Tina had been an educator for 20 years at the Guilderland schools. She worked with an average of 350 children each year as a school guidance counselor. Tina loved working with the middle school students who were transitioning to high school and with the seniors as they transitioned from high school. Her love was with the problem solving; in helping each student discover their own solutions through the pros and cons. Tina attended school for history/political science with minors in art and education. She eventually attained her Master s degree with an emphasis in counseling. As she was attending grad school, Tina recalls that it had occurred to her that if you are a really good counselor, the person doesn t know that you are counseling to them. She had always sensed that this was her role in life. All during this time, Tina was not attending church. She felt that even if unchurched, her role in the world was to always be helpful. But with her mom, Tina and Jim continued to attend POP. Within a short amount of time at POP, Tina s father passed away. She recalls clearly how a member of POP, Janet Green, stepped up and offered to provide food for the funeral that was being held in Rensselaer. This experience, along with several others, led Tina to realize that the people of POP don t just talk the talk, but walk the walk as well. Tina and Jim attended POP regularly and were under the radar for the first couple of years before deciding to join as members. Tina got involved with the choir and will be a part of the Carnegie Hall concert in November. She has also worked with Vicki Behrens, providing her art talents to create the stages for Vacation Bible School for the past 5 years. Tina has also been painting the name tags for the Advent Tea for the past 4 years. She volunteers with the Crop Walk and as an usher, reader, and even providing REACH topics. Tina and Jim have attended two mission trips with POP Berlin, Germany with Pastor Charles Lindholm and Ireland with Don Arnold. They have also been to all 50 states in their travels. Tina has a sister in Maryland and brother in New Hampshire and a number of nieces and nephews. In her retirement, Tina has enjoyed developing her interest in art particularly decorative painting. She is part of Capitolers, a 40 year old local organization where members get together and paint. For the past 10 years, she has been volunteering at Good Samaritan nursing home, where her mom had resided for 2 ½ years. Twice a month she offers art therapy classes and has developed an array of seasonal projects that are tailored for those who can t see well or have arthritis. She believes her mission is to help relieve daily boredom, provide some laughter and put them back in a memory, if only for a moment. Tina likes that POP is all encompassing in their welcome; that the church supports all diversity, no matter what it might be. She enjoys coming to church to be reminded, to be supported and to find answers. The price for the bus is $40 per person. Concert Ticket Prices are $20, $60 or $100 depending on seating choice. We need to have the form and payment by July 29th. Please contact Laurel Catellier for additional information. Thank you!

5 Ticket Information - Please Register By July 2nd Individual Tickets: $45 Table of Ten: $500 (Includes Sponsorship) Sponsorship Information Cannot attend or want to show extra support? Purchase a sponsorship listing! Sponsors will be listed in the evening program book. One Name Listed: $25 Two Names or Firm Listed: $40 Silent Auction Donations - Silent Auction Items Wanted! Silent Auction Donation Benefits (minimum retail value of $25) Your business name listed in the event program as a Silent Auction Donor Your business name and donation listed on event website at For information about tickets, sponsorships, and silent auction donations, please visit: Our Spiritual Journey - Thursday Morning Woman s Fellowship Another year of the spiritual journey of the Thursday Morning Woman s Fellowship has ended with loving fellowship and joyful discovery on life s path. We began the year studying Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown which invited us to travel deeper into our spiritual being by reading of the journey of five women in a spiritual formation journey at a retreat center where they explored several tools for spiritual development. We concluded our year s study with Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault adding still another option for spiritual growth. The year s journey ended perfectly with a road trip to Wiawaka Center for Women in Lake George NY. On a delightfully warm and sunny day we were able to practice one of the spiritual tools studied by walking a labyrinth, enjoy quiet time where we could listen to the breeze rustle in the trees and the waves of Lake George slapping the shore, feel the glorious lake swept breeze, explore the peaceful grounds of this silvan preserve and enjoy a lovely lunch and each other s company. In September we will begin our studies by reading The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. We invite all women to join us on Thursday mornings as we fellowship and share our spiritual journeys. If you would like more information, please contact Winnie Petterson at

6 PAGE 7 Environmental Team FAIR TRADE ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH, WE OFFER: COFFEE Organic Breakfast Blend Regular Organic Breakfast Blend Decaf TEA Organic Chamomile Decaf Organic Rooibus Decaf Organic Earl Grey Organic Chai Organic Green Tea CHOCOLATE Organic Very Dark Chocolate Bar (71% Cocoa) Organic Milk Chocolate w/hint of hazelnut (38% Cocoa) Organic Dark chocolate Minis (55% Cocoa) Organic Hot Chocolate Mix OTHER Organic Mixed Berry Chewy Cereal Bar Organic Cashews Organic Almonds When you read this column, you will be enjoying our wonderful summer season and hopefully spending lots of time outdoors. Unfortunately, with all of that outdoor time, there comes a risk: ticks. But, ticks are part of our environment and we need to learn how enjoy the great outdoors and do so safely. Recently, Governor Cuomo announced more aggressive efforts to combat ticks in NY. According to the Press release from 5/18/18: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced an aggressive Lyme and tickborne disease control plan to control tick populations on public lands, increase public awareness and access to available data, and create a working group to participate in a Lyme disease summit this summer. I was thrilled to hear about this plan and I encourage you to go online and read the details. Now you may be wondering what you can do in your yard to be safe. According to the New York State Department of Health website, there are actions we can take to reduce ticks in our yard. They are: Keep lawns mowed and edges trimmed. Clear brush, leaf litter and tall grass around the house, and at the edges of gardens and stone walls. Stack woodpiles neatly away from the house and preferably off the ground. In the fall, clear all leaf and garden litter, where ticks can live in the winter, out of your yard. Keep the ground under bird feeders clean so as not to attract small animals that can carry ticks into your yard. Locate children s swing sets and other play equipment in sunny, dry areas of the yard, away from the woods where ticks can be abundant. Have fun, be safe, and love the planet! All Fair Trade products buy direct from small farmers who grow products using ecologically sustainable farming practices. Their trading partner, Equal Exchange, donates $.20 for each pound of Fair Trade coffee, tea, & cocoa we sell.

7 Prince of Peace Month In Photos!

8 Celebrate! July Birthdays 7/1 - Ian Hughes, Veronica Hughes, Lana Tedrick 7/2 - Charles Palmer, Kathleen Logan 7/4 - Gail Welter, Kevin Albagli 7/5 - Roy Castelli, Barbara Brubaker 7/6 - Alan Hughes 7/7 - Alexander Quail 7/8 - Kathleen Fay, Mark Steele, Ayva Caschera 7/9 - Joely Miller 7/10 - Kyle Albagli 7/12 - Nicholas Flood, James Cobb 7/13 - Cynthia Petersen 7/14 - Tara Fay 7/15 - Nicholas Dunn, Nolan Dunn, Ryan Haley, Jill Opitz 7/16 - Irene Katz 7/18 - Debbi Risch, Loren Grimm 7/19 - Sun Cha Sawyer 7/20 - Kristen Palmer, Kellee Koenig 7/21 - Kevin Walker 7/22 - Evan Fargnoli, Robert Morehouse 7/23 - Elizabeth Green, Natalie Kaplan, Annika Shea 7/25 - Jeffrey Bennett, Hazel Weeden, Joshua Opitz 7/26 - Scott Haley, Julia Bodien, Deirdre Hahn 7/28 - Glenn Gerber 7/29 - Crystal Burlison, Heather Blackwood 7/30 - Cindy Smith, Lynn Manke

9 PAGE 9 July Server Schedule July 8-8:00am July 8-10:00am July 15-8:00am July 15-10:00am Bread: Rene Panarese Reader: Steve Dzembo Ushers: Matt Petersen Emmaline Petersen Bread: Valarie Shaw Reader: Susan Zappen Ushers: Jim and Tina Greenfield Bread: Valois Berger Reader: Valois Berger Ushers: Mark Steele Dorothy Stuart Bread: Diana Foote Reader: Katie Goot Ushers: Jim and Tina Greenfield Counters: Denene Hisgen Nancy Kowalski Deacon: Diana Foote July 22-8:00am Bread: Susan Anderson Reader: Rob Anderson Ushers: Grace and Emma Anderson Counters: Janet Green Deacon: JoAnn Koenig July 22-10:00am Bread: Debbie Waugaman Reader: Bryan Waugaman Ushers: Jim and Tina Greenfield Judy Rogers Counters: Bill Yoquinto Tom Miller Deacon: Donna Turner July 29-8:00am **Important** Bread: Ann Crivello Reader: Ann Crivello Ushers: Rob Anderson Josh Anderson July 29-10:00am Bread: Winnie Petterson Reader: Jim Greenfield Ushers: Jim and Tina Greenfield Counters: Christine Sheppard Laura Johnson Deacon: Nancy Hoelzer Please notice service time change for summer. Services will be: 8:00 am 10:00 am Until Rally Day in September. Claimed by Grace, We seek to Welcome All, Worship Joyfully, Grow Spiritually and Share God s Love

10 P R I N C E O F P E A C E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H 4 N O R T H C R E S T D R I V E C L I F T O N P A R K, N Y We sincerely hope you enjoy CONNECTIONS! If you know of any friends or neighbors who might be interested in learning about Prince of Peace, please feel free to forward the electronic copy to them. SUMMER SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM *Contemporary worship on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month CONNECTIONS is the monthly newsletter of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. In an effort to be more fiscally & environmentally conscious, we send the newsletter electronically to as many people as possible. You can help by ing the church office to give us your current address or calling the church office if you don t use (we ll be glad to put your copy in the mail). U PCOMING SERVICES & E VENTS July Daily Activities July Weekly Activities 7/8 Worship - 8:00 & 10:00 AM Camp Sunday & Baptism 7/9 Prayer Group - 1:30 PM 7/11 Golf - 5:30 PM Choir Rehearsal - 6:30 PM 7/12 Contemporary Worship Rehearsal - 7:30 PM 7/13 Carnegie Calling Panza s - 6:30 PM 7/14 Contemporary Worship Rehearsal - 8:30 AM 7/15 Worship - 8:00 (Traditional) & 10:00 AM (Contemporary) 7/16 Prayer Group - 1:30 PM 7/18 Golf - 5:30 PM Choir Rehearsal - 6:30 PM 7/19 Contemporary Worship Rehearsal - 7:30 PM 7/22 Worship - 8:00 & 10:00 AM 7/25 Golf - 5:30 PM Choir Rehearsal - 6:30 PM 7/26 Thursday Morning Women s Fellowship - Offsite Contemporary Worship Rehearsal - 7:30 PM 7/29 Worship - 8:00 & 10:00 AM Sundays: Worship - 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM **Please note time change.** Wednesdays: Golf - 5:30 PM Choir Rehearsal - 6:30 PM