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

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1 The Good Newsletter St. Thomas United Church of Christ Volume MMXVIII, Issue 3 March 2018 Dear Church Family and Friends, With the fog swallowing us up these past few mornings, it feels even more Lent-like, at least to me. As we step into the month of March, we will continue to observe Lent, through fog and rain and sunshine and perhaps, yes, even snow. As we journey together to the cross through our bible study, our worship, and our work, we try to understand how death can lead to life, and how endings can lead to new beginnings. Many times, we perceive death and endings as the worse things that can happen in our lives and experience a sense of deep and painful mourning beyond words. That perception is contrary to what our faith teaches us. The worse things in our lives would be to live our lives without God, to live our lives without love, and to live our lives without hope. The worse thing would be if we believe there is nothing after death; the worse thing would be if we were considered a total failure, even if we made only one mistake one time. However, it is because of the cross of Christ that death leads to new life; that endings turn into new beginnings. We mourn death and endings because the experience is not easy by any means; but we should not despair because we are people of faith and people of hope. Each of us is part of a story that has many twists and turns along the way. Each of us has a personal story of death and resurrection, a story of an ending that developed into a new beginning. As Christians, we are part of a story that will never end because God s salvation story continues until the time when all creation is made new. Once again, we share the Lenten journey to Holy Week and then on April 1, Easter Sunday, we will celebrate together the gift of new life that Christ has given us through his death and resurrection. May God guide you during this Lenten Season. Pastor Debra CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday thru Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME Remember to turn your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday, March 10. Daylight Savings Time begins March 11. The Good Newsletter ~ 1

2 MEMBER INFORMATION Please consider calling or sending a card to someone who is celebrating a birthday or anniversary. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS New members Megan & Autumn Desthers and Dorothy Langenbach were welcomed into the fellowship of St. Thomas on March 12, nd Connor Shupp 5 th Eric Jaindl, Owen Kittek 7 th Heather Dutt, Joseph Malocheski 12 th Alan Blair 19 th Jeremy Reaser 20 th Edward Berger, Jana Dieterich, Ray Hess 21 st Nicholas Dutt 22 nd Nora Cascioli, Karen Jaindl 24 th Brenda Lichtenwalner 25 th Dana Reaser 27 th Karen Shook 29 th Annabel Huth, Ulvia Shay 30 th Frank Alexander 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. 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. 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 MARCH WORSHIP FOCUS MARCH 4 3 rd Sunday of Lent, Dedication of Baptismal Fount and Chimes, Junior Singers Scripture: Exodus 20: 1-17, Psalm 19, John 2: Sermon: The Cross Takes Care of Everything Children s Message: Stop, Look, Listen MARCH 11 4 th Sunday of Lent Scripture: Ephesians 2: 1-10, John 3: Sermon: Like It or Not Children s Message: Bible Boy MARCH 18 Combined Worship Service at 10:30am at Christ UCC followed by a light luncheon MARCH 25 Palm/Passion Sunday A Service of Hymns and Lessons Children s Message: Celebrate! MARCH 29 Maundy Thursday Service at 7pm; 2pm Trinity MARCH 30 Good Friday Service at 7 pm SERVING IN WORSHIP MARCH 4 GREETER... Kenny Miller USHERS... Gloria Hurley, Mesha Lyons, Brea Pina, Jean Stauffenberg WORSHIP LEADERS... Pastor Debra & Bob Wilt ACOLYTE... Ethan Reaser FLOWER SPONSOR... Jean Stauffenberg COUNTING TEAM... Jason Dutt, Matt Erdman MARCH 11 GREETER... Nikki Anthony USHERS... Megan Desthers, Dana Reaser, Amy Rohrbach, Elaine Taylor WORSHIP LEADERS... Pastor Debra & Diane Wilt ACOLYTE... Asha Harhart FLOWER SPONSOR... Nicholas & Benjamin Dutt COUNTING TEAM... Dave Hay, Elaine Taylor MARCH 18 10:30 a.m.... Combined Christ UCC No Sunday School or St. Thomas MARCH 25 Palm/Passion Sunday GREETER... Kim Hartzell USHERS... Brenda & Kenny Miller, Karen & Dave Peters WORSHIP LEADERS... Pastor Debra & Karen Jaindl ACOLYTE... Jacob Lyons FLOWER SPONSOR... Nikki & Dave Anthony COUNTING TEAM... Karen Peters, Nancy Musgnung MARCH 29 MAUNDY THURSDAY 2 pm... Trinity UCC 7 St. Thomas UCC MARCH 30 GOOD FRIDAY 7 St. Thomas UCC 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 PRAYER BOX We are starting an intentional way to pray for our St. Thomas Family. A small box has been placed on a table in the area near the card rack. Slips of paper with names of our members are in this box. As the Spirit moves you, draw a name from the prayer box and pray for that person. The Good Newsletter ~ 4

5 The Prayer Shawl Ministry at St. Thomas usually meets the fifth Sunday of the month following worship. Due to the Spring Cantata on Sunday, April 29 followed by food and fellowship, the next meeting will be Sunday, May 20, 2018, following worship. 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. MARCH SPECIAL OFFERINGS One Great Hour of Sharing is a Christian effort to empower, provide water, supply food, and give relief from disasters. Special envelopes for OGHS will be in the Sunday bulletins to be turned in by March 25 th. Please consider contributing to this special need. JOYFUL NOISE OFFERING The March Joyful Noise Offering will be received during worship on Sunday, March 25 th. EPIPHANY OFFERING Thank you to everyone who contributed to our 2018 Epiphany Offering. The items and monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. "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. The Good Newsletter ~ 5

6 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. Fund Raiser Results 57 Quarts sold for a profit of $ Thank you for supporting this fund raiser. Proceeds benefit New Bethany Ministries. 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 April newsletter by March 15 th. GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP Pastor Debra is considering starting a grief support group this spring/summer and first would like to know if there is any interest. The program, Beyond the Broken Heart: A Journey Through Grief, is an 8 week program and would be held Tuesday mornings at 10am. The program would be offered again the fall. Please contact Pastor Debra if you are interested in attending. TALENT SHOW Join us on May 6 following worship for lunch and a show! We are looking for YOU to share your talent! See Chris or sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board! AAA s SAFE DRIVING FOR MATURE OPERATORS COUSE Call to register for AAA s 4 or 8 hour driver improvement course which meets PenDOT standards for an insurance reduction. Must be age 55 or older. 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 Sunday, March 4. Hoagie pickup is from 6:45-7p.m. on Tuesday, March 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 LENT STUDY 2018 What Makes a Hero? The Death-Defying Ministry of Jesus by Matt Rawle is 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? It s not too late to join us. MONDAYS MARCH 5, 12, 6:30PM 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 EASTER FLOWERS Please use the sponsor sheet located on the bulletin board to order Easter Flowers. Lilies - $9 ~ Daffodils, Tulips, & Hyacinths - $7 each The last day to order flowers is Sunday, March 18. The Good Newsletter ~ 8

9 SUNDAY, MARCH 18 COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE AT CHRIST UCC A LIGHT LUNCH WILL FOLLOW BETHANY UCC CHRIST UCC CHURCH OF THE MANGER ST. THOMAS UCC TRINITY UCC EASTER EGG HUNT Join us Saturday, March 24 at 10 a.m. for an Easter Egg Hunt! The Easter Bunny will be stopping by. Children up to sixth grade are invited to attend. Bring a basket! Rain or Shine! EASTER FRUIT CRUMB PIE SALE Tuesday, March 27 ~ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Crumb Pie Choices: Apple, Blueberry, Cherry, & Strawberry Crumb To Order: Place your order on the message board next to the church office, or call the church office at Cost: $9.00 each Please place your order by Wednesday March 21! Thank you. Easter Pie Baking Work Schedule Monday, March 26: 9 a.m. - Easter Pie Baking Tuesday, March 27: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Easter Pie Pick-Up The Good Newsletter ~ 9

10 SPECIAL WORSHIP SERVICES MARCH 28 Maundy Thursday with Communion Trinity St. Thomas MARCH 29 Good St. Thomas APRIL 1 Easter with Communion Trinity St. Thomas Everybody s Birthday Party April 22 nd (following worship) Food * Fun * Games Sign-up if you plan to attend. SPRING CANTATA The Choir will present a Spring Cantata during worship on Sunday, April 29 th. Food and fellowship will follow. Please use the posted sign-up sheet to volunteer to bring food for the luncheon. FLEA MARKET & BAKE SALE Saturday, May 12 th, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Spring is on the way clean out your basement and attic donate items (no clothing please) to the St. Thomas Table or donate something for our bake sale. Reserve your own space for $10. Call the church office to reserve your space. Proceeds benefit Christian Ed. (Rain date May 19) The Good Newsletter ~ 10

11 MAUNDY THURSDAY March 29 2 Trinity UCC 7 St. Thomas UCC EASTER SUNDAY Sunday, April 1 9 Trinity UCC 10:45 St. Thomas UCC 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 ~ 11

12 MAY 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, Spring Cantata May 3 Choir rehearsal, 7pm May 8 Congregational Care, 7pm May 10 Choir rehearsal, 7pm May 12 Flea Market May 17- Choir rehearsal, 7pm May 20 Pentecost Sunday, Communion, Last SS class, Prayer Shawl Meeting May 24 - Choir rehearsal, 7pm May 27 Joyful Noise Offering, Memorial Day cemetery service May 27 Church Office Closed Memorial Day 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 ~ 12

13 March 2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 6:30 pm Chime 7:15 pm Choir 9:30 am Sunday School Classes 10:45 am Worship Junior Singers Following Worship Shelter Meeting 4 5 6:30 pm Lent Study 12 6:30 pm Lent Study 9 am 1 pm Shoo Fly Pie Pick-up 13 7 pm Care Team Meeting 9 am Make Cabbage & Noodles 14 Christ UCC 18 No Sunday School Classes 10:30 am Christ UCC 7 Church Office Closed 8 6:30 pm Chime 3 9 am Bake Shoo Fly Pies Church Office Closed 7:15 pm Choir 11 9:30 am Sunday School Classes 10:15 am Choir 10:45 am Worship Bible Boy, Prayer Shawl Blessing First Day of Spring 6:30 pm Governing Board 9 am 1 pm Cabbage & Noodle Pick-up 15 6:30 pm Chime Church Office Closed 7:15 pm Choir 6:30 pm Chime 22 St. Patrick s Day Church Office Closed 10 am Easter Egg Hunt 7:15 pm Choir 25 9:30 am Sunday School Classes 10:15 am Choir 10:45 am Worship Joyful Noise Offering Palm/Passion Sunday 26 9 am Bake Easter Pies 6:30 pm Lent Study 27 9 am 1 pm Easter Pie PickUp 28 Christ UCC 29 2 pm Trinity UCC 7 pm St. Thomas Communion Maundy Thursday 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 30 Church Office Closed 7 pm St. Thomas Good Friday 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 ~ 13 Sunday Worship ~ 10:45 a.m. 31