The Good Newsletter. St. Thomas United Church of Christ. CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday thru Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Transcription

1 The Good Newsletter St. Thomas United Church of Christ Volume MMXVIII, Issue 2 February 2018 Dear Church Family and Friends, Soon we will prepare to journey through the season of Lent and poise ourselves to reflect on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. In a recent group study, we were discussing all the confusion around us in the world today, from pensions to politics. We rested with a reading of Mark 14, where Peter disowns Jesus. There was much confusion in that courtyard. It was out of control, as our lives may sometimes seem out of control like a runaway train. When we are in this state, there is no sense of purpose, no placement of goals, nor awareness of consequences. We move forward in an anxiety driven panic. Maybe that is how Peter felt. He started out with Jesus feeling capable and confident. He thought he could handle anything that came his way. Then trouble arrived - there were questions, followed by accusations and piece by piece, his composure was attacked then it was dissolved - Weren t you...? Aren t you...? Didn t you...? Peter was at a loss. He could not find his voice; yet he could not remain silent. He tried to find a quiet place, but to no avail: it was no use. What a quandary! Sometimes, we are like Peter. Often, there is no place to hide from the world or from our broken selves. One second, everything appears to be fine; in the next moment, doubt and fear and anxiety flood over us. The situation overwhelms us and we have no words; we freeze in the moment; we stutter and stammer while trying to regain control. Of course, only God can overcome these situations beyond ourselves. We are transformed (back in control) because God dwells in us and the Holy Spirit works within us. Thank goodness, God is in our midst and helps us handle our chaos! Our lives can easily spin out of control. As we approach Lent, let s take a breath, pause in our busyness and allow room for God and God s Spirit to work within us. May God s grace and mercy be upon us every day. In God s love, Debra CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday thru Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CHURCH DIRECTORY We are compiling an updated church directory. Please complete the information form on page 11 of the newsletter. Please return the completed form to the church office by February 28. Forms will also be handed out at church on Sundays. Watch for the new directory in March! Thank you for helping us out. The Good Newsletter ~ 1

2 MEMBER INFORMATION Please consider calling or sending a card to someone who is celebrating a birthday or anniversary. 1 st Beverly Porter 2 nd Albert Bruch 10 th Barbara Thomas 21 st Gloria Hurley 11 th Elda and Sterling Bruch, Jr. 22 nd Dana & Jeremy Reaser HOSPITAL INFORMATION Please remember to let the hospital know our church number if you or a member of your family is admitted to the hospital. Our number for all St. Luke s and Lehigh Valley Hospitals is 498. Easton Hospital is U21. ESTATE PLANNING Please consider St. Thomas in your estate plans. If you do, let us know. We are not concerned with the amount of the gift but would like to be able to thank you properly and make sure your wishes are honored. For more information, contact the church office. SPONSORS The flower and bulletin sponsor sheet is posted for the first quarter of The cost is $35 and you may use the signup sheet or call the church office to sponsor the flowers and bulletins. Consider sharing the flowers with someone who is in the hospital or unable to attend worship. FOOD OFFERING Thank you for contributing to our on-going food offering. Your generosity is truly appreciated. The food offering is received during the entire month and distributed to St. Thomas families in need and area food banks. The Good Newsletter ~ 2

3 FEBRUARY WORSHIP FOCUS Feb. 4 Scout Sunday, Junior Singers Scripture: Isaiah 40: 21-31, 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23, Mark 1: Sermon: When Life Comes at Us Children s Message: Showing Others We Care Feb. 11 Transfiguration Sunday Scripture: 2 Kings 2: 1-12, 2 Corinthians 4: 3-6, Mark 9: 2-9 Sermon: Dazzle and Light Children s Message: Shine, Shine, Shine Feb. 14 Ash Wednesday 7pm Feb. 18 First Sunday of Lent, Communion Scripture: Genesis 9: 8-17, 1 Peter 3: 18-22, Mark 1: 9-15 Sermon: Angels in the Wilderness Children s Message: The Impossible Egg Feb. 25 Joyful Noise Offering, Second Sunday of Lent Scripture: Genesis 17: 1-7, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8: Sermon: Cross Purposes Children s Message: Pick a Card Any Card SERVING IN WORSHIP FEBRUARY 4 GREETER... Donna Hojohn USHERS... Shirley Hein, Donna Hojohn, Gloria Hurley, Elaine Taylor WORSHIP LEADERS... Pastor Debra & Ulvia Shay ACOLYTE... Elanna Erdman FLOWER SPONSOR... Sponsor Needed COUNTING TEAM... Dave Hay, Elaine Taylor FEBRUARY 11 GREETER... Mesha Lyons USHERS... Richard Graber, Larry Hillegass, Keith Jaindl, Bob Wilt WORSHIP LEADERS... Pastor Debra & Dave Hay ACOLYTE... Jacob Lyons FLOWER SPONSOR... Nancy Musgnung FEBRUARY 18 GREETER... Gloria Hurley USHERS.. Carol & Matt Ford, Beverly & Roger Porter WORSHIP LEADERS... Pastor Debra & Karen Jaindl ACOLYTE... Jackson Rohrbach FLOWER SPONSOR... Gloria Hurley COUNTING TEAM... Karen Jaindl, Dana Reaser Dave Anthony - training FEBRUARY 25 GREETER... Karen Peters USHERS... Brenda & Kenny Miller, Karen & Dave Peters ACOLYTE...Claire Erdman FLOWER SPONSOR... Sponsor Needed COUNTING TEAM... Karen Peters, Karen Shook DEADLINE INFO The Good Newsletter is a collection of material submitted to the church office and is published by the church. Please also refer to the weekly worship bulletins to keep updated on what is happening at St. Thomas. Please submit information for the March newsletter by February 15 th. The Good Newsletter ~ 3

4 MUSIC MINISTRY CHOIR REHEARSALS 7:15 pm 10:15 am CHIME REHEARSAL 6:30 pm CONFIRMATION CLASS If you have a child entering 7 th grade or above who is interested in Confirmation Class, please contact Pastor Debra. Classes will begin in September. The traditional time for Confirmation is Pentecost Sunday, which is June 9, PRAYER CHAIN & PRAYER REQUESTS If you would like to be a contact person on the prayer chain, please speak with Pastor Debra, Diane Wilt or the church office. If you know someone who is in need of prayer, contact one of the persons listed. Pastor Debra, Diane Wilt, Laurene Blair, Donna Hoffman, Kenny Miller, Karen Peters, Prayer List Since Our Last Newsletter: Homebound/Care Facility Bound: Walter Frey, Annabel Huth, Mae Michael, William & Patricia Musgnung, Charles Reichard EPIPHANY OFFERING Our 15 th Annual Epiphany Celebration continues through Sunday, February 11. Gifts will be dedicated during worship on Sunday, February 11, followed by a luncheon in the fellowship hall. The gifts will be received in the name of Christ during worship and will be for use in our church building. Suggested items are listed on the board in the information hallway and in the Sunday bulletins. Star items include: 8 plastic tables, hot dog roller, AED, ice melt and are posted on the board also. Envelopes for monetary donations and monetary donations for choir anthems, stair treads, etc. are also posted. The Good Newsletter ~ 4

5 The Prayer Shawl Ministry at St. Thomas meets the fifth Sunday of the month following worship at St. Thomas. The next meeting is Sunday, April 29, The group welcomes anyone who has an interest in knitting or crocheting, a novice or a veteran knitter/crocheter. If you or someone you know could benefit from a prayer shawl, please contact Pastor Debra or the church office. FEBRUARY SPECIAL OFFERINGS EPIPHANY OFFERING continues to February 11. Check the information listed in this newsletter. JOYFUL NOISE - The joyful noise offering will be received during worship on Sunday, February 25. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12 To all those who serve on & help with the various teams. To all those who helped with the BES Shelter. To all those who serve as ushers, greeters and acolytes. Credence Preschool is looking to open a 2.5 year old program. In order to open the program as soon as possible, Credence is looking for two 2.5 old children (roughly... doesn t need to be exact) to get the program up and running. The program will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Please contact Tonya at if interested. The Good Newsletter ~ 5

6 PNEC NEWS: THE JOINT CONFERENCE VISIONING & DEVELOPMENT TEAM Looking to the future, there is much discussion and conversation about the initiative to have Pennsylvania Southeast Conference and Penn Northeast Conference merge. Leaders from PSEC and PNEC have engaged in conversations to explore how we might be in ministry together. As the conversations continue, we should offer prayers in this process. At the PNEC annual meeting in April, the team hopes to share information and explore how we might move forward. The team has developed a devotional guide for Lent to help our congregations in personal, community, and conference study and prayer. Please visit for the devotional guide. "I love to tell the story; 'tis pleasant to repeat. What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet." 3 Great Loves is a denomination-wide story telling initiative. Over the span of two years, with the help of local Ambassadors, we will collect and lift up the stories of our local congregations and affiliates all around the nation. We want to hear about the knitting clubs, the food pantries, the community meals, protests, letter writing campaigns and anything else your church or organization may be doing to create a just world for all. NOTHING IS TOO SMALL. Our hope is that this initiative, we will tell the story of how we are impacting and transforming the world as covenantal partners united in common purpose, vision, and mission. PNEC congregations are invited to submit a LOVE STORY FORM to Gary Barraco, PNEC 3GL Ambassador. Gary will submit these to the national church for inclusion in the web site but we will also select 5 stories to present at the PNEC Annual Meeting in April. Submissions can start now and will close April 1st. The form is available at or from the church office, If you have questions, feel free to contact Gary at garybarraco@verizon.net or (732) "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 The Good Newsletter ~ 6

7 Source: newsletternewsletter.com The Good Newsletter ~ 7

8 LOOKING AHEAD TRINITY UCC MONTHLY HOAGIE SALE February Deadline to order is Sun. February 4. Hoagie pickup is from 6:45-7p.m. on Tuesday, February 13. Cost of hoagies or sandwiches is $4.00. Hoagies are with or without onions. Sandwiches are Ham & Cheese, Turkey & Cheese, or Trinity Special (Turkey, Ham & Cheese). To order call Trinity UCC at FEBRUARY SHOO FLY PIE SALE Tuesday, February 13, 2018 ~ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. To Order: Place your order on the message board next to the church office, or call the church office at Cost: $8.00 each Please place your order by Wednesday, February 7! February Pie Baking Work Schedule Wednesday, January 31: 9 a.m. Pie Shell Rolling & Crumb Making Monday, February 5: 9 a.m. Pie Shell Rolling & Crumb Making Saturday, February 10: 9 a.m. Pie Baking Tuesday, February 13: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Pie Pick-up LENT STUDY 2018 What Makes a Hero? The Death-Defying Ministry of Jesus by Matt Rawle will be our focus for our small group study this season of Lent. We will see together what it looks like to be victorious over trials and temptations while looking at pop culture heroes and others through the lens of faith. Rawle helps us answer the question, How does Jesus redefine what it means to be a hero? MONDAYS FEBRUARY 12, 26 & MARCH 5, 12, 6:30PM Use the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board to register. MARCH CABBAGE & NOODLES SALE Thursday, March 15, 2018 ~ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. To Order: Place your order on the message board next to the church office, or call the church office at Cost: $6.00 per quart Please place your order by Tuesday, March 6! Work Schedule: Wednesday, March 14: 9 a.m. Cook Thursday, March 15: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Pick-up The Good Newsletter ~ 8

9 ASH WEDNESDAY February 14 7 p.m. FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Sunday, February 18 10:45 a.m. CONTINUING MINISTRY 2018 Resource Persons We print this information so that members and friends of St. Thomas will know who to contact with questions, concerns, and ideas pertaining to the ministry of St. Thomas. The following persons serve as resource and contact persons: Pastor Rev. Debra K Hess Office: Cell: Church Office Karen Jaindl Governing Board President: David Hay Vice President: Bob Wilt Treasurer: Matt Erdman Recording Secretary: Karen Jaindl Financial Secretary: Karen Peters Members: David Anthony, Jason Dutt, David Hay, Kyle Hess, Karen Jaindl, Kenny Miller, Karen Shook, Bob Wilt Elders you may also contact Laurene Blair, Matt Erdman, Shirley Hein, Donna Hoffman, Gloria Hurley, Keith Jaindl, Brenda Miller, Nancy Musgnung, Karen Senft, Michael Shay, Elaine Taylor, Diane Wilt Music Director J. Christopher Malocheski or Prayer Resource Person Diane Wilt Christian Education Amy Rohrbach Address St. Thomas UCC ~ stthomasunited.churchofchrist@rcn.com Web Sites St. Thomas ~ stthomasuccbeth.com Penn Northeast Conference of the U.C.C. ~ United Church of Christ, Cleveland, Ohio ~ Pastoral Care Please call the staff through the church office, , or contact Pastor Debra, , if you or family members are in need of Pastoral Care. The Good Newsletter ~ 9

10 MARCH (weather permitting) March 1 Choir rehearsal, 7pm March 4 Shelter meeting March 8 Choir rehearsal, 7pm March 13 Congregational Care, 7pm March 14 - Shelter March 15 - Choir rehearsal, 7pm March 19 Governing Board, 6:30pm March 22 Choir rehearsal, 7pm March 25 Palm Sunday service, Joyful Noise Offering March 28 - Shelter March 29 Maundy Thursday service March 29 Good Friday service, 7pm APRIL April 1 Easter, Communion. April 5 Choir rehearsal, 7pm April 10 Congregational Care, 7pm April 12 Choir rehearsal, 7pm April 16 Governing Board, 6:30pm April 19 Choir rehearsal, 7pm April 22 Everybody s Birthday April 26 Choir rehearsal, 7pm April 29 Joyful Noise Offering, Prayer Shawl Meeting Snow, sleet or severe weather in the forecast? Call the church office or visit to find out if a worship service or church activity is cancelled. NOTE: Regular Sunday Events: 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 10:15 a.m. Choir, 10:45 a.m. Worship Not all events/activities have been scheduled. Please check the calendars each month for updates! The Good Newsletter ~ 10

11 ST. THOMAS UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST MEMBER / FAMILY INFORMATION NAME: MEMBER BAPTIZED CONFIRMED BIRTHDATE: YES NO YES NO YES NO CELL PHONE: ( ) MILITARY SERVICE: YES NO IF YES, BRANCH & TIME FRAME NAME: MEMBER BAPTIZED CONFIRMED BIRTHDATE: YES NO YES NO YES NO CELL PHONE: ( ) MILITARY SERVICE: YES NO IF YES, BRANCH & TIME FRAME HOME PHONE: ADDRESS: WEDDING ANNIVERSARY DATE: CHILDREN (Living at Home): BAPTIZED CONFIRMED YES NO YES NO NAME: BIRTHDATE: CELL PHONE: ADDRESS: NAME: BIRTHDATE: CELL PHONE: ADDRESS: NAME: BIRTHDATE: CELL PHONE: ADDRESS: NAME: BIRTHDATE: CELL PHONE: ADDRESS: EMERGENCY CONTACT: NAME: CELL / PHONE #: ( ) RELATIONSHIP: Revised The Good Newsletter ~ 11

12 February 2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 9 am Cook Soups 6:30 pm Chime 7:15 pm Choir 9:30 am Sunday School Classes 10:45 am Worship Scout Sunday, Junior Singers Following Worship Shelter Meeting :30 am Sunday School Classes 10:15 am Choir 10:45 am Worship Joyful Noise Offering 6:30 pm Chime 3 9 am noon Souper Bowl of Caring Soup Sale Church Office Closed 8 9 Church Office Closed 10 9 am Shoo Fly Pie Baking 7:15 pm Choir am Pie Shell Rolling & Crumb Making 12 9:30 am Sunday School Classes 10:15 am Choir 10:45 am Worship Following Worship Epiphany Luncheon, Christian Ed Meeting 9:30 am Sunday School Classes 10:15 am Choir 10:45 am Worship Communion am 1 pm Shoo Fly Pie Pick-up 7 pm Care Team Meeting 6:30 pm Governing Board 19 7 pm Ash Wednesday Service with Communion 14 Christ UCC Valentine s Day! am Pie Shell Rolling & Crumb Making 6:30 pm Chime Church Office Closed 7:15 pm Choir 6:30 pm Chime Church Office Closed 7:15 pm Choir 26 9 am Pie Shell Rolling & Crumb Making Christ UCC St. Thomas United Church of Christ 902 East Macada Road, Bethlehem, PA Church Office ~ stthomasunited.churchofchrist@rcn.com stthomasuccbeth.com Rev. Debra K Hess Pastor J. Christopher Malocheski Music Director Our Mission To welcome all people into a growing spiritual family dedicated to helping and serving others, inspired by the love of God and Jesus Christ working in our lives. The Good Newsletter ~ Sunday Worship ~ 10:45 a.m. 24