From Pastor. Pastor Jennifer

Transcription

1 NOV/DEC 2018 VOLUME 48 NO. 3/4 St. Paul s United Church of Christ 47 South Whiteoak Street Kutztown, Pennsylvania Our Mission We, the family of St. Paul s UCC, guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ, are committed to carry His good news. We celebrate God s presence by sharing God s unconditional love with fellowship, worship and service to others. We pray for God s wisdom and compassion to lead us in our endeavors. CHURCH STAFF Rev. Jennifer Bannerman...Pastor Barb Merkel...Office Secretary Judy Heffley.. Organist Carol Reinhard. Choir Director Donna Sheaffer. Bell Choir Director Boyd Lenich.. Sexton CHURCH OFFICERS John Keiser..... President Tom Lenich.. Vice President Jerry Silberman.....Recording Secretary Cheryl Ziegler... Treasurer Marjorie Weida.. Financial Secretary BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Ashley Stofflet.....President Cheryl Ziegler. Vice President Christina Richard.. Secretary Pastor revjenban@yahoo.com Stpaulssecretary@hometownu.com From Pastor We received the following list of 10 Characteristics of Growing Churches in our communication from our Conference office. They are taken from an article from Outreach Magazine. As we go through our transition time, these 10 characteristics can give us a good place to start. I invite you to read through each characteristic, sit with it for a while, pray about it, and see how you can incorporate it into your life of faith. I ve added some additional thoughts and ideas for reflection and prayer to each of the characteristics. I can t guarantee that we will grow into a mega church if we embody these characteristics, but I can guarantee that we will grow in our faith and grow in the depth of our ministry if we do. So, take some time to reflect and pray, and ask God to help you grow in your faith and do what you can, to live out your faith in your everyday life. Pastor Jennifer 10 Characteristics of Growing Churches 1.They have leaders that lead! For God so loved the world that He did not send a committee! Not sure where I heard that but it s true! We all have the ability to be leaders - to lead with our words, with our actions, with our attitude, and with our skills and abilities. Ask God to help you to see how you can be a leader. Pray for all the people who are in positions of leadership in our church, that they might have the strength and courage and faith, to do God s work here. 2.A desperation for God s power! Prayer isn t a good luck charm that is attached at the beginning or at the end of something people are legitimately desperate for the power of God. They pray Habakkuk 3:2 prayers every day: O LORD, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O LORD, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy. Whether you pray this verse, or your own words, ask God to fill you with God s power, so that you might do God s work in the world. 3. They believe that greater things are in store. They don t just pray big prayers, but they have a sense of anticipation that is contagious! Continued on next page...

2 Continued from previous page. They don t read Acts 2 and think those were the good ol days but rather they think, That s where God STARTED this thing we should be WAY ahead of this! If we believe that the best is before us, it will give us a vision to work towards together. 4. They are full of ordinary people. God always uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. Jesus didn t choose one scribe or Pharisee when He launched the church and Acts 4:13 talks about how He used ordinary people to absolutely turn the world upside down. The staff LOVES the church so much so that they would actually attend there even if they were not on staff! God can use each one of us, just as we are. What we have to offer is enough! 5. They leverage technology. They don t view technology as of the devil but rather as a tool given by God to reach as many people as possible for Jesus. By the way, isn t it funny that some churches are against the use of technology, yet all of them rode to their church in a car, and their church building has air conditioner? Missionaries translate the Bible into the language of the people, in the lands that they visit, so that they might come to understand God. Technology is just another language that we can use to reach the people of the digital age. 6. The church is full of passion. People in the church actually LOVE the church and do not attend because they feel like they have to! The only reason people get angry with the fact that you love your church is probably because they have no idea what it is like to actually love their church. Reflect on all the ways that you show your love for St. Paul s and for the mission and ministry that we offer. Does your family see your love? Do your neighbors? How can you share that love with others? 8. There is a willingness to change and adapt even when it means they have to go against the very innovative ideas that they themselves once established! Anyone can change the traditions of the past, but true innovation occurs when we re willing to change the ideas that we once thought were innovative and groundbreaking. We have the ability to change our lives drastically and still remain true to the core of our being. What do we need to let go of, and what do we need to embrace, to ensure that people will hear God s message of love for them? 9. Generosity is embraced. The world has never been impacted in a positive way by people that were greedy. Throughout the Bible, God always blesses people so that they might be a blessing to others. How have you been blessed and how can you share that blessing with others - today? 10. The people in the church are OWNERS, not merely members. Members have rights; owners have responsibilities. The people in these churches understand that it is not the pastor s job to minister to the people but rather the body s job to minister to the body! And as a result, people serve Jesus by serving others instead of sitting on their blessed assurance and expecting to be waited on hand and foot. Members feel that they have rights and privileges. Owners - or, maybe a better word would be disciples - have responsibilities. Do you feel that the church owes you? Or, do you feel that you are responsible for the work and ministry of the church? What do you need to do to change from being a member to an owner of St. Paul s ministry? 7. They take ownership of the Great Commission. They REFUSE to be keepers of the aquarium and instead embrace the COMMAND of Jesus to reach the world for Him. We grew up assuming that everyone around us knew God and believed in God, so there was no reason to talk about our faith. What if we assumed that no one knows God? How can we let people know how important God is to us in our lives?

3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: November 1 Dale Dubois, Lois Timberman, Christopher Sward 2 James Farber, Carl Arndt, Quinn Moyer 3 James Hoch, Natalie Bauscher 8 Sharon Eschbach, Daniel Silberman, Jade Fitzgerald 10 Pierre DeRagon 11 Geral Diehl 12 Jacki Kutzler, Jodi Brossman 14 Shirley Leinbach,, Charles Magee, Jeffrey Schmoyer, Katie Moyer, Ava Boyer, Megan Timberman, Josh Bungo 15 Susan Peter 18 Tina Burkos, David Leinbach, Stacy Davies 19 Anna Hartman 20 Emily Grim 21 Jacob Wessner 22 Michele Neiman 23 Sandra Fenstermacher 24 Marlene Strauss, Karin Delp, Kayla Bubbenmoyer 26 Marjorie Bryde, Sharon Seaman, Benjamin Reed 27 Ashley Strauss 28 Jennifer Hawkins 29 Ray Moyer, Martin Folk, Isabella Grim HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: December 1 Dalton Follweiler, Jacqueline Garcia, Lauren Schaeffer 5 Susanne Sharadin 6 Merritt Smith, Kristen Bortz 7 Brett Kulp 8 Kyle Balthaser, Carl Mantz 11 Bruce Wessner 12 Kevin O Neil, David Rung 13 Brandon Leinbach, Gregg Hartman, Lisa Stitzer 16 Cora Seidel, Lucille Seidel, Jacob Kutz 17 Marcia Keiser, Jennifer Pilgert, Thomas Swavely 18 Luther Balthaser 21 Donald Grider, Peter Swavely, Tyler Bungo 22 Walter Delcamp, Priscilla Farber 24 Samuel Bubbenmoyer, Larry Burgert 25 JESUS 26 Brad Follweiler 27 Catherine Madeira, Robin Rhodes Joshua Rarick 28 Steven Schaeffer, Frank Pilgert II 29 David Ordway, Jacob Bungo 30 Richard Weaknecht

4 WOW The Transition Year at St. Paul s Pastor Davies decided to retire from St. Paul s and Pastor Jennifer accepted our Call to serve as interim Pastor effective June 1st. It was a busy six months, however, we truly have been blessed to have a seamless transition, thanks to the efforts of our congregation. I would be remiss if I failed to thank two individuals, Debbie Schaeffer and Keith Wuchter, both of whom played a vital role in the transition. Unfortunately, we have not made any progress in developing a broader base of financial support within the congregation nor have we found it necessary to turn away individuals Sunday mornings because all the pews are filled. But, GOOD TIMES are coming. I hear more laughter in the halls of St. Paul s as we go about doing God s work and that is a good sign. We need to enjoy and find satisfaction in the daily activities at St. Paul s. To those members who have not been involved recently at St. Paul s, I invite you to join us for ; a Sunday service, community dinner, social night, adult Bible classes or Relay for Life. St. Paul s is alive and well!! Our Transition Team recently reported their progress to the congregation and consistory. We are on schedule thanks to the efforts of Pastor Jennifer. Pastor Jennifer has demonstrated she is willing to put in the time and effort to assist us in developing our goals and vision for St. Paul s. YOU need to be part of this on-going program. At the upcoming November 18th Annual Congregational Meeting, you will be asked to vote on two items in addition to the budget for 2019 and election of Deacons and Elders. Copies of the proposed 2019 budget are available in the church office, front and back of church. If you can t get to St. Paul s and you would like a copy, please call the church office at and a copy will be mailed. 1. Last year we decided to conduct our Sunday worship service at 10:15 am for a one year trial. Below is a three (3) year record of attendance and income for the summer months. 2. Seedchuckers have selected five (5) statements to be considered for new banners and printed literature. You will be asked to select one. Thank you to all the members of St. Paul s for the privilege to serve as your Consistory President the past two years. It has been an exciting and rewarding experience. God Bless All of Us. John Keiser, Consistory President

5 THE CHRISTMAS FUND Provides financial assistance to retired and active United Church of Christ authorized ministers and lay employees and their surviving spouses, including pension and premium supplementation, emergency assistance, and Christmas thank-you checks. A ministry of the Pension Boards, this offering is received annually on the Sunday before Christmas. Kutztown Community Choir Christmas Choral Concert The Kutztown Community Choir will present their annual Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 3:00 PM, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 W. Main St., Kutztown. This holiday season s concert, Rejoice! A Celebration of Seasonal Song, is indeed a celebration of the hope, joy and renewal we find in the lyrics & melodies of beautiful seasonal arrangements. This season s selections include the lovely medley Rejoice!, in addition to a variety of classic carols such as Jesus Christ the Apple Tree & Ding Dong! Merrily on High. This Holy Night combines an original tune with the much-loved O Holy Night and a sprinkling of holiday fun is injected into our program with secular favorites, including It s the Holiday Season. In what has become an audience favorite, the concert will once again conclude with the Hallelujah chorus, from Händel s Messiah, in which the audience is invited to join the choir. The annual Christmas Concert has become a treasured tradition in our town, one that affords the community a time to come together and enjoy the sounds and spirit of the holiday season. Please plan on joining us for an afternoon that is sure to delight. DISASTER RELIEF ITEMS PLEASE BRING ALL ITEMS BY NOVEMBER 11TH One hand towel measuring approximately 15 x 28 to 16 X 32 (no fingertip, bath, dish or microfiber towels) One washcloth One wide tooth comb (removed from package) One fingernail or toenail clipper (removed from package) One bath-size bar of soap (leave in wrapper) One toothbrush (leave in package) Ten standard size Band-Aids All items need to fit inside a one-gallon plastic zipper closure bag. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Please do not add any extra items or toothpaste. As always, thank you St Paul s for helping this cause. -Cindy Swan

6 CHRISTMAS BAZAAR NEWS Hi St. Paul s, I ve got exciting news. IT S COOKIE MAKING TIME AGAIN!! I am so excited! I need so many ingredients. Can you help me and my crew? Let s see, I need flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips, eggs, butter and your helping hands. See my friend Barbara about helping to mix cookies. If you have not done this before, come and join us. We would like to see new faces and have you share in the fun. She brings us food to eat while we are mixing. Save the date. Get up right now and mark your calendar for NOVEMBER 24 TH. The sign-up sheet is outside of the church office for cookie ingredients. Thank you all. You guys are the best!!!! Daisy, Church Reporter HELPERS FOR BAKING COOKIES NOVEMBER 27TH AND NOVEMBER 28TH WOULD BE GREATLY APPREICATED. PLEASE CONTACT JANE GRIM AT DONATIONS FOR SUPPLIES FOR KITCHEN FOR BAZAAR WILL BEGIN NOVEMBER 1ST! A SIGN-UP SHEET WILL BE AVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE SANCTUARY. PLEASE CALL ETHEL DEMATTEO-BECK FOR A LIST OF WHATS NEEDED. HELPERS ARE ALSO NEEDED ON NOVEMBER 28TH, 29TH and 30TH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. It's that time again! Everyone's busy making preparations for our annual Christmas Bazaar! The mice workers have been busy a good portion of the year creating the St. Paul Church Mouse! They cut, sew, glue to make these wonderful little creatures year after year. Check them out! Every year there is something special and different. Our craft people are working hard to create the special Christmas items you see each year. Unique is a good word to describe these beautiful creations. We have the cookie committees getting ready first to mix over 40 batches of sandtarts and 15 batches of chocolate chip. The bakers take over after the mixing and bake these tasty little treats. You'll want to stock-up, they are delicious! The day of the bazaar the kitchen is well stocked with soups, bar-b-que, sandwiches, pepper cabbage, baked beans and other goodies. These are homemade, prepared a few days before the bazaar. White elephant always has something for everyone... check it out. So come and check us out! St. Paul's Christmas Bazaar on December 1st! Great food, great crafts, and special people looking forward to seeing all of you! White Elephants for Christmas Bazaar White elephants are on the move. Donations have been coming in for the Bazaar White Elephant tables and we now have a sufficient amount to stock the tables with the exception of jewelry. Unless you have something very special (or Christmas items, which we will accept), we ask that you hold your items until next year or donate them to another worthy organization. Thank you!!

7 St. Paul s UCC Women s Guild Christmas Bazaar Saturday, December 1st 9 am 1 pm Christmas Mice baked goods ornaments cookies crafts food to eat-in or take-out decorations white elephant items St. Paul s United Church of Christ 47 South Whiteoak Street Kutztown, Pennsylvania

8 CONGREGATIONAL MEETING The Consistory requests your presence at the Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, November 18th The meeting will be held immediately following the worship service. We hope to see many of you. Thank you, John Keiser, Consistory President. WORSHIP COMMITTEE Decorate for Advent on Nov. 25th following the Worship Service. All Youth meet in the Lounge at 9:00 am to start bringing up boxes from the basement. (Un-decorate Jan. 13th) COMMUNITY DINNER Save the Date Come join us on Wednesday, November 7th for food, fun and fellowship. We will be serving dinner from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Bring a friend and spend a nice relaxing evening out. We hope to see you there!!! SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM The Sunday School program is scheduled for Sunday, December 9th at 10:15 AM. Luncheon will be served following the program in Fellowship Hall. Join us as we celebrate the reason for the season. FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE On September 9th, the Fellowship committee celebrated National Cleanup Day'. We had hamburgers, hotdogs, and salads for lunch. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperative so, we were not able to venture outside to clean up. We asked all in attendance to go out of their way throughout the week to pick up trash. Not quite as fun as the scavenger hunt would have been, but the end result was the same.clean our community. On October 7th, we hosted German American day. Pastor Bannerman started off the celebration with a prayer, spoken in the German Language. There were various authentic foods for everyone to try. The food was delicious! We then were led by Denise singing a couple of songs in German, followed by the Chicken Dance. That was fun! We served German Chocolate Cake, apple and raspberry strudel, and a Danube Wave cake for dessert. After that a few people played Schokoladenessen game and enjoyed their prize candy bar. On November 11th, we will celebrate Sundae Sunday. We will break the golden lunch guideline and go right to dessert. Yummy ice-cream and various toppings. Who could ask for more? December 16th, before the church service, we will have fellowship together with coffee, milk, and various homemade cookies. Some people may even share their favorite recipes. Be sure to mark your calendar for National Rubber Duckie Day. We will celebrate on January 20, It will be what it is QUACKED up to be. November 6th

9 NOVEMBER 2018 Worship: 10:15 AM Sunday School 9:00 AM/Adult SS 8:45 Am Office/Pastor Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9:00 AM 1:00 PM 4 Pastor Sunday All Saints Day Communion Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 11 Veteran s Day Sundae Sunday Children in church 18 11:30 pm Annual Congregational Mtg :30 Decorate Sanctuary 5 7 pm SNIGNEB 9-12 noon Mice noon Mice noon Mice 6:30 pm Fellowship 7pm Missions 7pm Property 26 9 am Cookie Baking 6 6:30 pm Bible Study 13 7 pm Seedchuckers 20 6:30 Bible Study 27 9 am Cookie Baking 7 pm Personnel pm Community Dinner 14 8am H&H Quilters 7 pm Consistory pm Clothing & Food Drive (Dr. Joe) 28 8 am Food Prep 6 pm Bazaar Set-up 1 6:15 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Voice Choir 8 Minutes to Barb for Consistory 6:15 pm Bell Choir 6:30-9pm Women s 15 6:15 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Voice Choir 2 3 8:30 am Manna Food Bank 9-1pm Button Club 9 6 pm Social Night am Prayer Walk am Cookie Mixing 29 8 am Food Prep 6:15 Bell Choir 30 8 am Food Prep

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11 Worship: 10:15 AM Sunday School 9:00 AM/Adult SS 8:45 Am DECEMBER 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 Advent Communion Practice Christmas Program 9 Children s Christmas Program 16 9:30-10 am National Cookie Day Family Advent 23 Poinsettias :30 pm Bible Study pm Seedchuckers 7 pm Finance Mtg pm Property 24 7:30 pm Christmas Eve Worship 18 6:30 Bible Study 5 6 Minutes to Barb for Consistory 6:15 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Voice Choir 12 7 pm Consistory 13 6:15 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Voice Choir :15 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm Voice Choir 1 8:30 am Manna Food Bank 9 am - 1 pm St. Paul s UCC am Prayer Walk 14 6 pm Social Night PULSE DEADLINE 5-9 pm Parent s Night

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13 POINSETTIA ORDER FORM We thank you in advance for ordering poinsettia plants to add to the beauty of the church. We need to receive your order by December 2nd, along with payment, to ensure your requests. They will decorate the sanctuary during our Christmas Eve service. Those left at church may be picked up later in the week by calling the office to make DEADLINE: December 2, 2018 COST: $ 9.00 per 6 ½ inch potted plant from Trexler Florist CHOICES: RED; WHITE; JINGLE BELL (Red with light pink); and DAWN (White with pink) Please place your order and payment in an envelope. Make any checks payable to St. Paul s UCC. You may place your order form and payment in the offering plate; give it to Marjorie Weida or to the church office. Quantity of colors: Red White Jingle Bell Dawn (# Plants) x 9.00 = Placed by: In Memory of / honor of (indicate)

14 ST. PAUL S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 47 South Whiteoak Street Kutztown, PA Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage PAID Kutztown, PA Permit No. 30 Sent With A Prayer To: MARK YOUR CALENDARS November 4th All Saints Communion Daylight Saving Time Ends November 7th Community Dinner 5:00 PM November 10th Prayer Walk 9AM November 18th Congregational Meeting November 22nd Happy Thanksgiving November 25th Decorate the Sanctuary Nov 24th Nov 30th Baking & Kitchen Prep for Bazaar MARK YOUR CALENDARS December 1st Christmas Bazaar 9AM 1PM December 2nd Advent Communion December 8th Prayer Walk 9AM December 9th Christmas Program December 15th Parent s Night Out 5-9PM December 24th Christmas Eve Service & Communion-8PM December 25th Merry Christmas!! December 31st Happy New Year!!