September From the Pastor s Desk Pastor Kelly W. Reagan

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1 St. Matthew Ev. Lutheran Church Good News St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 5566 Chambersburg Road, Huber Heights, Ohio Telephone: (937) stmatthewlutheranhuberheights.com From the Pastor s Desk Pastor Kelly W. Reagan September 2018 Keeping Score Baseball purists often delight in keeping detailed scorecards. So do many Christians often unknowingly. Do you give yourself credit for your years in the faith? for the number of services or studies you attend? for the good deeds you perform? for the Bible verses and creeds you know by heart? In Philippians 3:4-6, Paul recites his impressive scorecard, yet despite those credentials, he couldn t earn God s favor. Neither can we. Our tallies are all loss (v. 7) when compared to the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ (v. 9). Attending church, serving and memorizing Scripture are good things. But we do them not to get right with God but because we are made right with God through faith in Jesus. (by Newsletter, Newsletter.com Sept. ed.) I am reminded of the Dragons game we were gifted month in the parish and what a joy it was to watch the Dragons were crushing the Lugnuts holding them to or 7 th inning and then the Dragons put a rookie chance. Well, he began to walk all the batters until he eventually loaded all walked a run in ouch! Then a hurried huddle at the mound and he was pitcher to pick up the pieces, bases loaded and the new pitcher walked double ouch! Then he finally dug his way out of the hole Nutof had created the Dragons held the Lugnuts to 2 runs for the remainder of the game and some more! The Dragons finally won 8-2 and we were all happy even though the pitching was botched during an inning. They finally got back their rhythm and won the game. Kind of like us at times isn t it? We have an entire game to play and it is called life and we can botch it up at times but God seems to always be there to pick up the pieces and ensure that we are on the path to winning we call it the promise of eternal life in Christ. The Holy Spirit becomes our relief pitcher and gets back our

2 rhythm and puts us on the right path to eternity in Christ. We call this forgiveness (grace) and we too are called to forgive (show mercy) others just as Jesus forgives our sins and created the bridge to the Father for us! The new commandment is To love one another and to serve our Lord in humility with grateful hearts. There is no need for us to keep score for ourselves and for others God is the scorekeeper! Thanks be to God! Blessed Autumn to all in Christs name! Pastor Kelly From the Prez John Armstrong September is here! The kids are back in school and we will soon be seeing the multiple colors of fall as the trees begin to change. We have a number of things going on in September that are discussed in this newsletter. I would like to point out a few items of note: Thanks to everyone who contributed to the School Supplies Drive for Huber Heights Schools during July. An estimated $850 to $900 in school supplies was delivered to the school Administrative Office in late July and early August. Thanks for your support. The church directory is out and available in the church Narthex. The directory includes general information about the church, including a short history, our scheduled activities for the coming year, and the names/addresses of members of the congregation. One copy per family please! Oktoberfest is right around the corner (September 29). Since its inception more than 10 years ago, the event has become so popular that the Vestry moved the event to the church last year. This is a family-friendly event so bring the kids. There will be plenty of food and games. Come and enjoy the fellowship. We recently received a letter from the Ohio District concerning our contribution to the Ohio District Mission and Ministry Fund. President-Elect Rev. Kevin Wilson reported a portion of funds given by Ohio District congregations are set aside for financial aid for future church workers. The financial aid goes to students enrolled in one of the nine Concordia University System colleges or universities or two seminaries. In the past three years, the Ohio District has provided $60,000 in aid to students in our institutions of higher learning. A total of 46 undergraduates and 25 seminarians received financial report during that time. The letter concludes with a thank you for making possible the financial aid for future professional church workers. Pastor Reagan Contact Information Pastor Reagan (cell) Work k_w_reagan@yahoo.com If you require pastoral assistance in any way and/or are scheduled to go into the hospital or

3 end up there unexpectedly, please contact me so that I/we can include you in our prayers (unless instructed to maintain privacy) and I can visit you. Your health and well-being is important to all of us! From the Congregation Oktoberfest - September 29 We will again celebrate Oktoberfest at St. Matthew on Saturday, September 29, at 4 p.m. There will be activities for kids of all ages and plenty of fellowship. Bring a dish to share and, if you choose, a beverage of choice! Brats and hot dogs will be provided. Bring a lawn chair. Come and enjoy great food and lots of good fun! Dimes for Missions The dimes for September will be going to Concordia Wives. Please bring your dimes to church on the first Sunday of the month Choir Resumes Choir will resume on Saturday, September 15 with a rehearsal at church at 10:00. Following the rehearsal, about 11:30, we will go to Younger s for a cookout. All the family is welcome to come and join us for the meal. The choir is in need of more voices. Bass, soprano, alto, tenor - please come, even if you cannot be there all the time. Your presence, even part of the time, would be of great support for the rest of the choir members. Sunday School Teachers (Subs) Needed We are blessed to have over 15 kids in Sunday School classes from 3 years old to high school! I am looking for substitute teachers or teachers to team teach which means you take turns teaching with another person. You may choose the age group you want to work with. I would like to have a fourth class for the 1 st Grade to 3 rd Grade kids. Please contact me as soon as possible if would like to teach this age group. If I do not find another teacher, we will need to split this age group up and blend them into other classes. Sunday School begins September 9 th! Please prayerfully considering serving as a substitute teacher, a teacher or a team teacher. Chrissy Iadarola and I team taught for years and it worked great!! The material we use from Group is awesome! Little prep time and lots of FUN choices to teach the kids God s Word! 3 5 year olds - Alicia Driver 1 st 3 rd Grade TEACHER NEEDED year olds - Jill Fischer Matt Posey will teach the Jr. High & High School class until he goes into the Air Force to serve! We will need someone to step in for him! Matt will be starting serving in the Air Force in November! We are so proud of him! Any questions, please call Alicia at or alicia.a.driver@gmail.com

4 Here is some info about the materials we teach with in class! Volunteers love it because it's easy. Kids love it because it's different every week. YOU'LL love it because Buzz is perfect for busy volunteers. Since all they prepare is their heart, you'll never burn them out. Buzz keeps kids' attention with Bible stories they haven't heard before those less often told but just as memorable. Children learn in their own style, and they choose which way the lesson goes. You simply open the box and go. Teachers follow the lesson step by step, experiencing God's Word together with the kids. Group's Buzz Sunday school curriculum gives you everything you need to help bring kids closer to Jesus!

5 Stewardship The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod LCMS Stewardship Ministry August 2018 Newsletter Article When it comes to stewardship, a favorite Bible verse is the account of the widow s mite (Luke 21:1 4). It s a moving account. Our Lord praises the seemingly small gift of two copper coins given by a poor widow above the abundance of gifts given by the rich, saying, Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them (Luke 21:3). And that is usually where we stop. But the text goes on. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on (Luke 21:4). She put in all she had to live on. She gave everything. She held nothing back. She trusted that the Lord who made her and all creatures, who gave her everything she had, who redeemed her from her own sin, from death, and the power of the devil, who called her by the Gospel and enlightened her with His gifts of Word and Sacrament, would continue to do this. He would provide her with all that she needed for this body and life because that is the character of the God she had. But this is not why we give small gifts. Her gift, though it appeared small, was actually large. When we are tempted to give small gifts it is precisely because we want them to be small! We don t trust the Lord to provide for us. We give small gifts because we lack faith in the One who created us, redeemed us, sanctifies and keeps us in the one true faith. We give small gifts because we doubt that God will really give us what we need and desire. We give small gifts because we are not content with what God has already given. We are not slaves, children of the slave woman, under the Old Covenant (Gal. 4). We are adopted sons of the free woman. And since we are sons, we are also heirs. And heirs receive the inheritance. For everything is already ours in Christ. And thus, moved by the willing spirit of adoption, we do the will of God in financial matters far beyond all that done by those under the Old Covenant who were forced by legal demands. So what have you decided to give? How do I decide what to give? Let the Scriptures be your guide. We are to give proportionally to what we have received from God s giving to us (Luke 12:48; 1 Cor. 16:1-2, 2 Cor. 8:12). But you have not been set free to give nothing. See that you excel in the grace of giving (2 Cor. 8:7). We are not free to live selfishly outside the Gospel, without regard for God who gives us all good gifts, without generosity for our neighbor who needs us and our gifts, without supporting the community of faith in which we live, without care for our spiritual fathers and those who teach and help raise our children in the faith, without resources for the poor and needy in short, we are not free to live unto ourselves, hoarding what God has given us only for us.

6 For love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). And the sum of the law is this: Love God and love your neighbor (Matt. 22:34-.40). We love because He first loved us. We give because He has given to us. Luther once said, Possessions belong in your hands, not in your heart (LW 14:240). There is a reason your 10 fingers spread apart. With your hands you catch God s gifts for what you need and let the rest fall through your fingers to your neighbors your family, your friends, your community, your church. Guild Gathering - Sunday, September 9, 12 p.m. At this gathering, we will be planning for the Holiday Bazaar which will be held on Saturday, November 10th. Alicia Driver is looking for someone to take over as the publicity person. This would include preparing bulletin articles, fliers and advertising on social media. If you are interested, please contact her. If you can join us, please bring a salad, hors devoir or dessert to share. Many of us will be staying for Sunday school after church so this will allow us to share a meal together, socialize and plan. We ask God always to guide us to carry out His work. Please join us!

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9 Prayer List IN OUR PRAYERS WE REMEMBER: Luanne Handley-Blair; Margaret Thomas; Phil Bullock; Elizabeth Karns-Poole; Marliese Driver; Milvi Wilson; Carol Schroder; Gary Hockman; Mary Muller; John Juergensen; Bill Yorgen; Mike Stapleton; Liz Grimsley; Sheldon Smith; Amber; Karen Dean; Anna Vincent; Richard & Jean Grabowski; Don & Verni Kramer; Alisa Cahill; Mason Kincaid; Chris McGarigle; Cheryl Younger; Connie Schindelholz; Douglas Herron; Andrew; Lois Richards; Curt Sebastian; Courtney Muller, Corey Ashworth, Seth Thomas, Nick, Larry, & Rose. We ask that you be with those who are away serving our country, especially Sarah Petrock & Sean Vincent, all absent members, and those suffering from manmade and natural disasters. We continue to pray for the deliverance of your people oppressed around the world. Thanks to God as we remember Bettie Petrock. If you have a prayer request, please send your request to the Church Secretary, Linda Brock, no later than Thursday morning for inclusion in the Sunday bulletin. You can send your prayer request electronically to the church address, leave a note in the church office, or call and leave a message on the telephone. If the need for a prayer comes up after that time, please give your prayer request, in writing, to the Pastor, one of the Elders or one of the Ushers before the Sunday worship service so it can be included in the Sunday prayers. Once the need for the prayer request passes, please let Linda Brock know so she can take the request off the prayer list in the bulletin. Thanks for your help. Check out St. Matthew on Facebook Or click the link on the homepage of the church website,

10 May Jesus Bless You All! If your name has not appeared in either the birthdays or anniversaries listings; please let us know. We would like to include your name here as well.

11 Bible Quiz Who was Moses father-in-law, and what was his occupation? A. Joshua; shepherd B. Miriam; tentmaker C. Aaron; farmer D. Jethro; priest Answer: D (See Exodus 3:1.) Puzzle! Match the name of each Bible person with his or her occupation.

12 Hours: 9:00-11:30 a.m. September :00-3:30 p.m. SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 9 Holy Communion Sunday School Begins Ladies Guild Meeting, Noon 16 Choir, 9 am Confirmation Class Begins, Noon 23 Holy Communion Choir, 9 am 30 Holy Communion Choir, 9 am 2 3 LABOR DAY Begins 11 Yarn Matters, 6 pm Yarn Matters, 6 pm 5 12 Bible Coffee, 10:00 am Bible Coffee, 10:00 am Bible Coffee, 10:00 am Al Anon, 10:30 a.m. 13 Al Anon, 10:30 a.m. 20 Al Anon, 10:30 a.m. 27 Al Anon, 10:30 a.m. 7 Taste of, 9-11:30 a.m. A.A./Al Anon, 8:00 p.m. 14 Taste of, 9-11:30 a.m. A.A./Al Anon, 8:00 p.m. 21 Taste of, 9-11:30 a.m. A.A./Al Anon, 8:00 p.m. 28 Taste of, 9-11:30 a.m. A.A./Al Anon, 8:00 p.m. St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church Phone: (937) Chambersburg Road ST_MATTHEW_EV_JESU@att.net Huber Heights, OH Web page: Choir, 10 am Choir Cookout at Younger s, 1:30 am OKTOBERFEST, 4 pm, Church