Joseph: Earthly Father of Jesus

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Jewel Edwards
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Matthias Lutheran Church, ELCA is a Spirit-led Congregation which worships God through Word and Sacrament and serves His Church and the community through fellowship, evangelism, Christian growth,

In This Issue Joseph, Earthly Father of Jesus Pastor s Place: Summer Pentecost: Season of Growth May and June Birthdays & Anniversaries Stewardship Place: Hello Summer!

) June Events Calendar Faith & Fellowship (June 2015 Events & Happenings) p5 p6 p7 Shop AmazonSmile (Cont.

What we know of Joseph, the earthly and legal Father of Jesus, is in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Joseph s complete genealogy is in Matthew 1:1-18. Genealogies were very important to the Jews.

He was a gracious man who kept the Judaic laws, observed the Holy Days and Hebrew Feasts and he was well respected. He was a man of 1 meager means but nonetheless honorable and faithful.

1 June 2015 Channel Marker Monthly Newsletter of St. Matthias Lutheran Church, ELCA 2751 Sunset Point Road, Clearwater, FL Ph: Web: Pastor: Bill Magee Deacon Diane Harrop Music: Fremont Ogle Administrative Assistant: Karen Cormier St. Matthias Lutheran Church, ELCA is a Spirit-led Congregation which worships God through Word and Sacrament and serves His Church and the community through fellowship, evangelism, Christian growth, equipping others to care for one another and respond to social concerns. In This Issue Joseph, Earthly Father of Jesus Pastor s Place: Summer Pentecost: Season of Growth May and June Birthdays & Anniversaries Stewardship Place: Hello Summer! p1 p2 p2 p3 Treasurer s Report (part 1) p3 Pentecost Vigil Photos p4 We Need Addresses p4 Shop AmazonSmile for SMLC p4 June 2015 Prayer Calendar p5 Treasurer s Report (Cont.) June Events Calendar Faith & Fellowship (June 2015 Events & Happenings) p5 p6 p7 Shop AmazonSmile (Cont..) p7 Worship Service Schedule, Office Hours and Location P8 Joseph: Earthly Father of Jesus As we celebrate Father s Day in June it seems appropriate to recognize Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. What we know of Joseph, the earthly and legal Father of Jesus, is in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Joseph s complete genealogy is in Matthew 1:1-18. Genealogies were very important to the Jews. These verses demonstrate Jesus Christ s lineage back to Abraham for all mankind to recognize another fulfillment of many prophecies given about the Messiah. Joseph was a direct descendant from David. He was a gracious man who kept the Judaic laws, observed the Holy Days and Hebrew Feasts and he was well respected. He was a man of 1 meager means but nonetheless honorable and faithful. Skilled as a carpenter in Nazareth, Joseph spent time teaching his son the trade and providing spiritual training. Jesus is very often described as working and being taught by Joseph in his carpenter s shop, an inherited occupation Jesus performed before He began His ministry. Through Joseph s sensitivity and obedience to God, he fulfilled the role of protector and guardian of Jesus, enacting the role of father admirably in every way. The Gospels divulge little other details of Joseph so it is speculated that, as Jesus entrusted Mary to the care of John, Joseph may have died a natural death after their visit to the temple when Jesus was twelve (Luke 2:41-51) but before Jesus Baptism when He was thirty (Mark 1:9-11). It is clear that others recognized Joseph as the legal father of Jesus in verses such as John 1:45. Joseph's influence during those early years must have been great. When Jesus spoke of God as being like a loving Father, he could draw from his youth the kind of love he had from Joseph. Joseph stands as a testimony to the values of integrity, obedience, faithfulness of value and honor to the entrusted role of "fatherhood. Happy Father s Day!

Pastor s Place Pastor William Magee Summer Pentecost: Season of Growth lot of growth of the church comes after our taking time for rest and relaxation.

in the fall. Part of this new growth is the love of Christ. The love of Jesus plants the seeds for new growth in our church and in our local community.

New opportunities encountered will obviously give us the chance to be the love of God that will ultimately change the world.

Acres and acres of grass and dirt (I m thinking of baseball) which always led to fresh vegetables in the garden, tons of corn, fresh hay, and plenty of newly grown grass for what seemed to be

2 Pastor s Place Pastor William Magee Summer Pentecost: Season of Growth lot of growth of the church comes after our taking time for rest and relaxation. I invite you all to take advantage of that and not to feel guilty over the fact that your body, mind and spirit need that respite that will ultimately lead to getting back to the work of the church in the fall. Part of this new growth is the love of Christ. The love of Jesus plants the seeds for new growth in our church and in our local community. Therefore, as we move through the summer months, I would like to invite you to share that love. New opportunities encountered will obviously give us the chance to be the love of God that will ultimately change the world. The seeds of new growth are non-judgmental, loving and embracing of the diversity of God s vast creation. I remember vividly spending time each summer on my grandfather s farm in Ohio. Acres and acres of grass and dirt (I m thinking of baseball) which always led to fresh vegetables in the garden, tons of corn, fresh hay, and plenty of newly grown grass for what seemed to be countless sheep and cattle. In my mind, summer and my grandfather s farm go together along with all that newly grown produce. Liturgically, Pentecost and summer also go together. They are forever intertwined and it s no surprise that one of the many images of Pentecost is new growth. As the season of summer gives way to yields of produce, so does the spirit of Pentecost give way to new growth in the church. First of all, I would like each of you who has worked so hard this past year to understand the fact that a As the summer months gave way to all that growth on my grandfather s farm, so we can be the spirit of Pentecost by planting seeds of love and compassion in every situation in which we find ourselves these next couple of months. June 1: June 2: June 3: June 4: June 5: June 6: June 7: June 12: June 13: June 13: June 15: June 22: June 23: Jim Starcher Kari Richardson, AJ Lexi Moir Phyllis Perrone Gail Parks Patti Woodruff Janice Schweibinz Barbara Christ Virginia Wichman Swenette Ogle Robert Kissinger Jeff Koch Christiana Rolon June 12: June 13: Carrie & Steve Szurly Swenette & Fremont Ogle Maureen & Jeff Koch June 28: A Look Back at Peace and good hockey, Pastor Bill But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. ~Mark 4:8 2 A printing error covered Billy Magee s May 4th birthday last month. Happy belated birthday! Also, happy belated May anniversary to: May 11: May 12: May 25: Bonnie & Wayne Erickson Doris & Eugene Girardi Carol & Bill Kerber

Stewardship Place Carlee Layton Hello, Summer! The hot summer days are upon us, the snow birds left for the season and we have fewer folks to do the same amount of work.

3 Stewardship Place Carlee Layton Hello, Summer! The hot summer days are upon us, the snow birds left for the season and we have fewer folks to do the same amount of work. But, instead of locking you all in the Sanctuary until the monthly serving positions are filled, I thought we d have some fun with serving with a Serving Schedule Contest! It will run the whole month of July starting with the first Sunday, to give everyone a chance to sign up to serve. Serving Schedule Contest What s the Purpose? Create more volunteer opportunities Teach more volunteers new skills Create fun, friendly competition that ends at a packed restaurant doing what we like most: EATING! Here s How it Works: We form teams, each with five adults and (hopefully) one child. Each adult team member puts a predetermined amount in the pot ($2 - $4, depending on the number of teams). The winning team will get gift cards (one for each team member) on the last Sunday of the month to the restaurant we select for that month s fundraiser (i.e.: Burger Monger, Farmer Boy, etc.). Point System Each person gets 1 point for each job they complete on the weekly service schedule. Each person gets 1 point for each new position they learn (i.e.: sound, altar guild, etc.) Examples: 3 teams of 5 adults+1 child=15 adults X $4=$60 (6 - $10 cards) 5 teams of 5 adults+1 child=25 adults X $3=$75 (6 - $10 cards & $15 left over for???) 6 teams of 5 adults+1 child=30 adults X $2=$60 (6 - $10 cards) Team Assignments Team assignments will start with people who are already on the serving schedule. If you have not signed up for June, add your name to the signup sheet (in the same binder as the serving schedule) or see Carlee Layton. From the last two months of Serving Schedules I see we have 34 team members. Wow! We only need to sign up ONE new volunteer to have seven teams! Folks, this is your chance to learn new positions. You can learn and earn extra points for your team. (Did I mention Sound? ) But, let s not stop at Sound. We always welcome new volunteers on Altar Guild, Counting Stewards, Coffee Service, Greeters, etc. We ll assign the teams and post them in the Narthex within the next week or so. So, watch for your team assignment and then prepare to volunteer, compete and have fun! Love and Blessings, Carlee Treasurer s Report (Continued on pg. 4) We are in fairly good shape heading into the summer months but now that our seasonal folks have left we can expect the typical summer income slump. Now more than ever, we permanent residents must keep up our giving to the best of our abilities. Also, invite friends and family to join us on Sundays to bring in new members! Summary of April 2015 Financials Budget Monthly Totals (March) Actual Budget Year to Date Actual Income $ 14, $ 14, $ 53, $ 60, (All Sources) Expenses $ 12, $ 13, $ 55, $ 56, Income Less Expense $ 1, $ $ -1, $ 3,

Matthias is a registered charity on AmazonSmile! You shop. Amazon gives. 1. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to St.

4 Pentecost Vigil Photos St. Matthias Lutheran Church and St. Paul s Lutheran Church held a beautiful Pentecost Vigil at St. Paul s followed by snacks, desserts, coffee and wine in their Fellowship Hall. It was a wonderful evening of worship and fellowship for all! Shop AmazonSmile for SMLC St. Matthias is a registered charity on AmazonSmile! You shop. Amazon gives. 1. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to St. Matthias Lutheran Church whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. 2. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon benefits. 3. Support your charitable organization by shopping at smile.amazon.com. We Need Addresses! Yes! I want to stay informed. Here is my address: Member Name We wish to add addresses to our Church Directory and create an distribution list. This will help you stay informed of special events and receive the Channel Marker and other communications more quickly. It will also help us save on postage and printing costs. Please complete this form and put it in the offering plate or take it to the Church office. Thank you! Address St. Matthias Lutheran Church may send the following correspondence to my address: Channel Marker Church Notices Special Events Giving Statements 4 What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support St. Matthias Lutheran Church at no cost to you, every time you shop. Shop at smile.amazon.com and find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as on Amazon.com. Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charity. You can choose to support up to one million organizations. To Get Started 1. Login to 2. Select St. Matthias as your charity. 3. EARN MONEY FOR SMLC! How do I shop at AmazonSmile? Go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also bookmark smile.amazon.com to make it easier to return and start

June 2015 Prayer Calendar 19. For a reviving Synod Assembly 20. For blessings for the Florida- Bahamas Synod 1. For a very quiet hurricane season 2. For a successful Beer & Hymns event 3.

5 June 2015 Prayer Calendar 19. For a reviving Synod Assembly 20. For blessings for the Florida- Bahamas Synod 1. For a very quiet hurricane season 2. For a successful Beer & Hymns event 3. For the 2015 graduates 4. For our ministry partner, depaul School 5. For world peace 6. For our sister Suncoast Conference churches 7. For Today s Worship Leaders 8. For each on our Circle of Prayer 9. For our Pastor Magee and his family My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:15 (NIV) 10. For those celebrating June birthdays and anniversaries 11. For the sick 12. For all military personnel and families - past and present 13. For those who mourn 14. For Today s Worship Leaders 15. For our ministry partner - Ukrainian Christian Church 16. For our shut ins 17. For all weather and disaster victims 18. For travel mercies for those attending Synod Assembly 21. For Today s Worship Leaders - Happy Father s Day! 22. For a fun summer 23. For our church St Matthias 24. For Church Council 25. For the success of our new Bible Study 26. For summer music 27. For God s world leaders 28. For Today s Worship Leaders 29. For those who are hungry 30. For our family Treasurer s Report (Continued from pg. 3) April 2015 Selected Designated Donations Monthly (April) Year to Date CCO $ $ Benevolence $ $ World Hunger $ $ Building Fund $ 3, $ 4, Memorial Fund $ $ 2,

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 1-2:30 DePaul School End of Year Recital June 2015 Events Calendar 10am Quilters 10am Worship 11th Hour 1pm UCC 7 8 9 10 11 12

6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30 DePaul School End of Year Recital June 2015 Events Calendar 10am Quilters 10am Worship 11th Hour 1pm UCC am Quilters 7pm Pinochle - Fellowship Hall 10am Worship 11th Hour 1pm UCC :30pm Clowns - Fellowship Hall 10am Quilters NEW ROOF NEW ROOF NEW ROOF CONSTRUCTION! CONSTRUCTION! CONSTRUCTION! Synod Convention (Pastor Bill) Synod Convention (Pastor Bill) 6:30pm Mylams (Anderson s) 10am Worship 11th Hour 1pm UCC am Quilters 11am Heart 10am Worship 11th Hour 1pm UCC

Shop AmazonSmile for SMLC Strong Strong will meet at 10am every Monday and Wednesday in the Narthex. Quilters The Quilters will meet Tuesday, May 5th and Tuesday, 19th at 10:00a.m. Pinochle Club Starting May 12th, the Pinochle Club will meet Fridays at 7:00p.

We wish you a happy, safe, blessed summer. See you in the fall! UCC will meet every Sunday at 1:00p.m. and every Tuesday and every Friday at 7:00p.m. Bible Study Choir The Bible Study group will meet every Tuesday at 7:00p.

You can sing, play a musical instrument or even read poetry.

If so, contact Choir/ Music Director, Fremont Ogle. Dorothy Anderson is hosting MyLams Saturday, June 20th at 6:30p.m. Young@Heart Young@Heart will meet on Saturday, May 30th at 11:00a.

Tens of millions of AmazonSmile products are eligible. They are marked Eligible for AmazonSmile donation on their product detail pages.

Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry and other account settings are also the same. How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?

7 Shop AmazonSmile for SMLC Strong Strong will meet at 10am every Monday and Wednesday in the Narthex. Quilters The Quilters will meet Tuesday, May 5th and Tuesday, 19th at 10:00a.m. Pinochle Club Starting May 12th, the Pinochle Club will meet Fridays at 7:00p.m. Lydia Circle Lydia Circle will not meet in June. Stay tuned for future updates. UCC Wednesday Night Live, our multigenerational worship event is taking a little summer hiatus. We wish you a happy, safe, blessed summer. See you in the fall! UCC will meet every Sunday at 1:00p.m. and every Tuesday and every Friday at 7:00p.m. Bible Study Choir The Bible Study group will meet every Tuesday at 7:00p.m. MyLams The Choir is on summer break and will return in the fall. In the meantime, would YOU lend your own musical and/or vocal talents to our worship service? You can sing, play a musical instrument or even read poetry. On the other hand, if you couldn t tune a fork, don t know limerick from poem from prose, or aren t musically inclined, do you know someone who is and who would be willing to share his/her talents? If so, contact Choir/ Music Director, Fremont Ogle. Dorothy Anderson is hosting MyLams Saturday, June 20th at 6:30p.m. Young@Heart Young@Heart will meet on Saturday, May 30th at 11:00a.m Dorcas Circle Dorcas Circle will be taking a break in June. We will see you soon! 7 (Continued from pg 3) Which AmazonSmile products are eligible for donations? Tens of millions of AmazonSmile products are eligible. They are marked Eligible for AmazonSmile donation on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not eligible. Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile? Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry and other account settings are also the same. How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile? On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection and every eligible purchase on smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. Can I change my charity? Yes, you can change your charity any time. Your AmazonSmile purchases after the change count towards your newly selected charity. To change your charity, sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser and simply select Change your Charity in Your Account. What charities can I choose from? You can choose from almost one million eligible 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations. So, shop AmazonSmile.com and help raise funds for St. Matthias! Questions? Contact Linda Toth.

Worship Service Schedule Sunday Activities Sunday School... 9:00a.m. Sunday Worship*... 10:00a.m. 11 th Hour Fellowship... 11:15a.m. Wednesday Activities Wednesday Night Live Family Dinner... 5:30p.m. Service of Prayer with Communion (Compline) 7:00p.

.. Pastor Continuing Education Visitation... As needed Times are subject to change according to the needs of the congregational. Location St.

8 Worship Service Schedule Sunday Activities Sunday School... 9:00a.m. Sunday Worship*... 10:00a.m. 11 th Hour Fellowship... 11:15a.m. Wednesday Activities Wednesday Night Live Family Dinner... 5:30p.m. Service of Prayer with Communion (Compline) 7:00p.m. Sunday day care available. Church Office & Pastoral Hours Office Hours Monday thru Friday... 9:00a.m. 1:00p.m. Pastor s Hours Monday, Wednesday & Friday... 9:30a.m. 1:00p.m.* *Or by appointment Thursday... Pastor Continuing Education Visitation... As needed Times are subject to change according to the needs of the congregational. Location St. Matthias Lutheran Church is centrally located in Pinellas County on the east side of US 19 N. on Sunset Point Rd. in Clearwater. St. Matthias Lutheran Church, ELCA is a Spirit-led Congregation which worships God through Word and Sacrament and serves His Church and the community through fellowship, evangelism, Christian growth, equipping others to care for one another and respond to social l concerns. c St. Matthias Lutheran Church, ELCA 2751 Sunset Point Road, Clearwater, FL Ph: Web: stmatthiaslutheran@yahoo.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS. Please remember that articles for the January newsletter are due by December 15.

ANNOUNCEMENTS. Please remember that articles for the January newsletter are due by December 15. ANNOUNCEMENTS QR Code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave Corp. Sunday, 12/9 Traditional Worship Service (Sanctuary).....8:30am Sunday School Christmas Program Rehearsal and ACE classes..9:40-10:35am