THE CONNECTION November 2018

Transcription

1 United Lutheran Church, ELCA 21 Mesnard St. L Anse, MI THE CONNECTION November 2018 United Lutheran Church, ELCA 21 Mesnard St., L Anse, Michigan Ph: (906) ; ulc_lanse40@yahoo.com Website: Facebook: Pastor: John Ansell; (906) Come and Worship! We celebrate with worship on Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Sunday School at 10 a.m. and Mondays at 6 p.m. OFFICE HOURS: Monday: 9 am 12 noon Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9 a.m. 1 p.m. Wednesday: 1 p.m. 4 p.m.

2 Greetings Everyone, Well November has fallen upon us and hopefully the snow does not fall with it. Though snow did fall in October so who knows what November s weather might be like. As for November there are a lot of things that seem to be going on: deer hunting, Election Day Thanksgiving, Veterans Day and All Saints are just a few of the things that will keep us busy this month. On Veterans Day this year we will recognize the 100 th anniversary of end of the First World War which was supposed to have been the war to end all wars. World War I came to an end on the 11 th day of the 11 th month at the 11 th hour and was accompanied by hundreds of church bells ringing out to celebrate a future of peace and tranquility. Sadly we all know that this turned out to be misplaced exuberance. Even today wars still rage on throughout the world and we can only pray for a future that is filled with peace and tranquility. On this year s November 11 th which falls on a Sunday; we as a church are encouraged to ring our bells at 11:00 in honor of the 100 th year anniversary but we shall also accompany those bells with an offer of prayer in hopes of a future that is filled with peace. As for the Saint of the month I decided not to pick out a specific saint but to talk about All Saints Day which is November 1 st. The Church dedicates All Saints Day as a day to remember all the saints that have gone before us. For us at United Lutheran we will recognize All Saints Day in worship the following Sunday. During this worship service we recognize all the saints that have gone before us particularly those who have passed away within the last year. So far in my newsletter articles I try lifting up certain well known saints that have had an impact on the Christian Faith but the reality is all Christians have an impact on the faith and for this month instead of just recognizing one saint I recognize every saint that has gone before us. May your November be filled with the hope of peace while we take time to give thanks for the many blessings that are in our life and to recognize and give thanks to the saints that have had an impact within our faith. May God bless us all this month and every month. Sunday, November 4 Sunday, November 11 Sunday, November 18 Sunday, November 25 TELLERS for November Tellers are needed USHERS FOR November Sweeney Boys Need someone Vicki Martinac Need someone READERS FOR November Readers are needed Please check the Volunteer Wall to sign up to Usher, Read the lessons, or Acolyte. Sincerely, Pastor John Ansell

3 FELLOWSHIP HOSTS We are a family UNITED and what a great way to get to know each other better over coffee! But we need YOU to put on the coffee and be willing to clean up afterwards (and perhaps provide something to go with the coffee). Check the sign-up sheet in the barrier-free entrance. Remember, the focus is the fellowship so keep the food simple. All the monetary donations received during the Fellowship Hour go toward World Hunger. Sunday School!! Sunday School has begun on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. All children ages 3 years through 5 th grade are welcome to attend! SUNDAY SCHOOL teachers are needed Please prayerfully consider teaching Sunday School in the fall. If you are interested, please contact Renee Eliason, or call the church office. FELLOWSHIP HOSTS FOR November November 4 Kerri Koskinen & Jane LeClaire November 11 Evelyn Welch, Leann Davis, & Robbie Schultz November 18 Jestila s and girls ADULT BIBLE STUDY Adult Bible Study is every Sunday at 9 a.m. The Bible Study is based on the Readings of the week. Please join us for this Bible Study!! November 25 Need someone Please check the Volunteer Wall to sign up to Serve Coffee. CONFIRMATION CLASS Confirmation class will be held on Sunday, November 4 th and November 18 th following worship (about 11:15 a.m.)

4 SHUT-INS REMINDER for those that have signed up to attend the Congregational Renewal conference. Conference 2 Meeting will be on Sunday, November 4 th, from 3-5:30 p.m. at Mission United, in Pelkie. Our congregation is bringing hot dishes. Please remember our shut-ins. Keep them in your prayers. If you have a moment, stop and visit them. At Bayside: Beatrice Harju, and Joyce Taipalus. At home: Ellen Biekkola, Ruth Ranta. At Mill Creek Assisted Living, Marquette, MI: Betty Ann Pyhtila. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO MAKE WREATHS Wreath makers are needed!! We will be making wreaths on the following dates: Saturday, November 17 th from 10 a.m. until? Sunday, November 18 th from 1 p.m. until? Monday, November 19 th from 10 a.m. until finished. We will need Cedar, Balsam, Norway, Scotch, White Pine boughs. If you know of anyone who would donate boughs, please contact Mary McCord. Wreaths can be picked up from Mary & John McCord s house after November 19 th or Sunday, November 25 th from 10:30 a.m. 12 noon in the church parking lot. Ruthy Brown, Isaac Collins, Tom DesRochers, Bob Eliason, Darryl Giddings, Martha Harju, Glenda Hiltunen, Nicole Kaiser, Janel LaPlante, PJ LeClaire, Karl Presslein, Kathy Teddy, Matthew Weir, Donn Williams. The family and friends of Betty Holso. Dear God, I humbly ask that you heal us from any hurt, shame, sickness, and guilt. Heal our hearts, O Lord God. Give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and let us wear the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness and burden. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

5 SNOWBLOWER Do you need a snowblower? The church has one for sale. It works, but needs a little TLC. If you are interested, please make an offer. UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING The next Regular Council Meeting will be on Sunday, November 11 th following worship (11:15 a.m.) Please remember that all council meetings are open to the congregation. Deposit for Contributions Did you know that even if you do not attend worship YOU CAN still give to your church? Go to your financial institution and tell them you want to set up a deposit to United Lutheran Church General Fund Account # ; SNB Routing # It is as easy as that! Thank you for supporting your church! WINDOW FUND ENVELOPES If you are interested in donating to the Window Fund to replace the windows in the education window, there are envelopes in the Barrier-free entrance. WOMEN OF THE ELCA Sarah Circle will meet on Tuesday, November 6 th at 9:30 a.m. at Dee Dee Soli s house. All ladies are welcome to attend. Trinkets & Treasures During our Annual Cookie Walk on December 1 st, we will have a Trinkets & Treasures section in the tunnel. Our Trinket and Treasure room has gathered some things over the past few months and it s time to unload. We are also asking, if you have any trinket, you can gladly put them in our Trinket/Treasure room off of the Social Hall. Please NO clothes, books, or furniture. The proceeds from this sale will help fund Camperships and Scholarships. The Annual Cookie Walk will be held on Saturday, December 1 st from 9:30 11:30 am. Set up will be on Friday, November 30 th from 5-7:30 p.m. A light supper will be provided. Congregation members are asked to bring 5 dozen cookies (or more) to the church on Friday, November 30 th. The church will be open at 9 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. The Women are asking for extra cookies to be delivered to our shut-ins. If you have any questions, please call Joanne Kemppainen. Thanks!

6 ~From the Bishop Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing When I read this in Matthew, I think back to a song that was popular a few years ago. It had a sort of Jamaican beat, and the singer sang over and over again, Don t Worry, be Happy. And whenever I heard it, I thought of palm trees and the blue ocean, and drinking something cool and fruity on a white sandy beach. This song speaks about worry as if we can just turn it off, check out from life, distance ourselves from all our cares and concerns and feelings and live as if life didn t matter. At Thanksgiving, we give thanks, because life does matter. The cares and concerns and feelings we have speak to how invested we are in living a life that matters. As we eat too much pie and turkey, we give thanks that we do not have to worry about what we shall eat or what we shall wear. We give thanks that life is more than food and clothing. We give thanks, that as much as God is involved in creation and feeding the birds of the air, making the lilies beautiful, causing grass and grain to grow, much as God is involved in all that is around us, we give thanks at how much more is God involved with that which is even more precious. As people of faith we take time to thank God for how much more God cares for you, provides for you, and gives you what you need the most. Jesus says do not worry or be anxious, because Jesus knows how easy it is for us to get bogged down in the details. Of course food and clothing matter, but they only really matter if you don t have any. I read the other day, about two Christian congregations. One is here in the U.S., and one is in Malawi. The congregation in the U.S. sent some folks over to Malawi for a visit and they saw first hand how the people struggled. The country was in the grip of a severe famine. People were barely surviving on what little they had, and yet worship was a priority, and the church in Malawi was full to busting on Sunday mornings. After the visiting group returned home, they continued communicating with this congregation in Malawi, and along with gifts of support, they November Birthdays 3 John Conley Robert Lawson Andrew Reed 4 Isabelle Martinez Brian Perry 5 Jayden Sullivan 6 Michael Lytikainen 8 Cody Carter 9 Eva Wren 12 Barbara Marinich Annette Mervar Bobbi (Teddy) Edwards Carter Turunen Allison Waara 13 Jane Mervar 14 Jane LeClaire Meghan Mattson 15 Kayla Hoffman 17 Lynn Aho 18 James Tollefson 19 Faith Eliason 20 Michael Harden Brittany Keranen 21 Patricia Anderson Kenneth Kokko 22 David Mars Krystal Heikkinen 23 Tony Gerzetch Joy Turunen 26 Debbie Eliason Grace Peltola 27 Lola Cichosz 29 Shawn Gibbons 30 Haylee Heikkinen

7 Worship Attendance Sunday Monday Sun School Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept September 2018 Financial Report 2018 Year-to-Date Financial Report Income $ 8, Income $82, Expenses $ 8, Expenses $90, Deficit ($ ) Deficit ($ 8,023.67) Balance of the General Fund Savings as of September 30, 2018: $7, Articles for Newsletter Looking for ideas and articles for the newsletter. What would you like to see? Do you have information to be put in the newsletter? Remember that the newsletter deadline is the 10 th of every month. Please submit any articles or information to the church office by that date to be included in the next month s newsletter. The November Newsletter deadline will be October 10 th. DON T FORGET to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to sleep on Saturday, November 3 rd. sent a letter commending the congregation for their lively and thriving faith in the midst of such hardship. And they asked the question, How is it that you have faith when you have so little? And the people of the church in Malawi, sent back a letter of thanks, and their own question, How is it that you have faith when you have so much? The congregation in the U.S. wondered how it was that the people from Malawi were not driven to despair. The people from the church in Malawi wondered how it is that having our basic needs met and then some, doesn t lead us to trust in ourselves rather than God. It is a good question. It is easy to take what we have for granted. Having the food and clothing and shelter we need frees us to focus on what kind of food, clothing and shelter we want. And this can easily distract us from what really matters. The people of the church in Malawi know first hand about faith born of desperation. But they are not alone in this. We know too that often it is out of need and desperation that we seek God. So often, it is a crisis that brings us to our knees. So often it takes an emptiness that we cannot name, or when life spins beyond our reach and we don t know what else to do but pray. So often, faith comes when trust in God is all you have to go on. We are blessed when despair leads to hope in God. We are blessed when crisis brings us new understanding of God in our lives. While there may be times when we come to God in desperation, how nice it is to come to God in praise and thankfulness for the many blessings we enjoy. At Thanksgiving and every time we worship, we gather to offer thanks to God, not just for food and clothing but also for the life we have that is so much more than food and clothing. We thank God for the wonderful gift of people we love and the blessing of people who love us. We thank God for all that God has made us to be and everything God calls us to become. But most of all, we thank God for giving us what we need the most, the saving power of Jesus the Christ. Yours in Christ, Bishop Katherine Finegan