Tree Removed: A gift was made by Dave and Dawn Liscom

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1 Volume 68, Number 1 January 2016 Internet Web Site: From Our Pastor Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? - Isaiah 43:19, RSV As we start a New Year, we go forward in the Lord. We look to the places where God will do a new thing in the world, in our community, in our congregation, and in us. As it springs forth, we want to see it. We start the year with hope. We have seen much good in this past year. The economy has been growing slowly, but steadily. We have seen the people of our community support one another throughout the year. We have had many new families join our congregation. We have experienced God s blessing as we have celebrated and prayed with each other. We have seen gifts of generosity shared with our congregation, and through our congregation to help the Welcome Church, Silver Springs-Martin Luther School, and other great ministries. It can be so easy to see the negative, but we know that God is continually doing a new thing. We want to see it. As we begin this year, we also do so with a renewed sense of purpose. Our self-assessment has given us areas in which we wish to focus our work for Jesus. Connecting with each other and our community, Caring for the needy and those struggling with life s challenges, Equipping youth and their families for a life of faith in Christ, and Cultivating spiritual generosity are the four goals we have as a congregation. We have seen our Council and our committees begin to put flesh on these goals. I look forward to the ways we will continue to build on these in We are a blessed congregation. God has given us many talents and treasures, and a desire to use them to make a difference in this world. At our Annual Congregational Meeting on January 31, we will be able to celebrate many of the specific ways we have seen God doing new things among us, and we will be able to discuss ways we can work for new growth in the coming year. I hope you will join us for this time of connecting in fellowship, and cultivating the ministry before us. God is doing a new thing. Let us help it to spring forth! In Christ, Pr. Karl M. Richard Annual Congregational Meeting Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 31, 2016, beginning at 11:30 a.m. A light luncheon will be served following the 10:15 a.m. service. Please mark your calendars and plan to be present. The 2015 Annual Report will not be mailed. Copies will be available in the church by Sunday, January 24, the week before the meeting. If you are unable to get to the church and would like a copy of the report, please call Janice in the church office at With Thanksgiving for Gifts Received Tree Removed: A gift was made by Dave and Dawn Liscom to remove the large tree in the parking lot. Dave is an arborist, and had noticed how much of this tree was dead, and the way in which it was now a hazard for us to have it continue to stand. Because of the Liscoms gift, this tree is no longer a danger for those who come to our church. Sound System Improvements: Linda Shipley made a generous gift in memory of her husband, Ken, so improvements could be made to our sound system. Ken had issues with his hearing, and these improvements have brought a new digital mixing board into our sanctuary with enough capacity to handle our expanded use for instruments, choirs and vocalists. It also has enough capacity for further expansion, and is a step toward the potential to be able to live stream our services for those who are unable to attend. The improvements have given us new assisted hearing devices for those whose hearing is not as strong or clear as it once was. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from a little assistance to participate more fully in worship, please speak

2 to Joe Regan. He will be sure you can have the help you need because of Linda s wonderful gift! Endowment Fund: Earlier this year we received a very large gift from the estate of Tom and Helen Owens, who had been members of Saint Matthew for many years. We have recently received a second large gift from the remainder of their estate. Tom and Helen felt very strongly about their congregation, and wanted to help our ministry continue with strength. The majority of this gift will go to our Endowment Fund, with the remainder going to our account for Undesignated Memorials and Bequests. Over the years of our Restoration Project we needed to use much of the principle of our Endowment Fund. These two gifts from the Owens, in addition to those of the Bowlbys and Lutzs, have gone a long way to replenishing this fund for our future security. We are grateful to their foresight and generosity. If you are interested in how you might be able to make a gift from your estate to assist the ministry of Saint Matthew, please speak with Jim Snyder, chair of the Endowment Fund committee. Thank You to All Our Musicians Aword of thanks to all of our wonderful musicians who worked very hard rehearsing throughout the last two months. I know December is always a busy time for everyone, but the Christmas season wouldn t be nearly so special without each and every one of you. I appreciate all the time and effort you put in preparing the music to make our Christmas celebrations special. And most of all I cherish the time we spend together. Pat McHugh Bible Study Resumes Our mid-week Bible Study resumes on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. We will have a shorter session this season, as Ash Wednesday comes early on February 10. Because of this shortened time, I would like to suggest we look at various stories of the in-breaking of God, or to put it another way, epiphanies. To be honest, I have th not chosen them all yet, but we will start on the 6 with the first epiphany, the story of the Wise Men coming to find Jesus. This story is in the second chapter of Matthew. Please join me as we gather at 6:30 a.m. in the library, or noon in the parlor, and discuss the ways in which Jesus has been, and continues to be, revealed to us! Pastor Richard Silver Springs Christmas Gifts Thank you to the awesome people of Saint Matthew. Because of your generosity, we have delivered a total of 194 gifts to the children. It will go a long way to allow the children to share in the joy of the Christmas spirit. The gifts included the following: 12 baby dolls, 6 Dream Lites, 13 DVDs, 1 football, 2 pairs of gloves; 4 bracelets, 7 games, 11 card games, 27 body wash sets, 31 powered tooth brushes, 12 super heroes, 12 Barbie dolls, 8 Barbie doll outfits, 6 pillow pets, 3 cuddle blankets, 6 stuffed animals, 5 shirts, 3 Glow Pets, 5 sport hats, 4 pairs of socks, 11 puzzles, and 5 books. Thank you to all the wonderful Saint Matthew family. Nancy Regan, Women of the ELCA Liaison to Silver Springs/Martin Luther School Silver Springs Wrapping Trip On Wednesday, December 9, nine ladies from Saint Matthew traveled up the Blue Route to wrap the gifts for the children at Silver Springs - Martin Luther School. Between 9:45 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. we wrapped six gifts for each of the 72 resident treatment children, or that would be 432 gifts. Thank you to Marge Kobasa, Jessica Krauter, Joan Krauter, Dawn Liscom, Carol Penjuke, Linda Shipley, Patti Stefl, and Cyndy Touhsaent. It was a wonderful way to spend a day in this season of giving. Nancy Regan Children s Corner Dear Children, Have you thought about the Star of Bethlehem since you read the December Children s Corner? I have. We have a very large bedroom window and an unobstructed view of the heavens - no street lights, no tall buildings or trees - what a sight! Sometimes I feel that I can reach out and grab a star. The other night, Clancey hopped up on that window sill and with his little ears perked up and nose on the glass remained for a long time - just staring. The sight of Clancey s prolonged star gazing made me think of that Star of Wonder 2,000 years ago leading the wise men to the place where Jesus was born. As a child, I was always mystified by the camels plodding their way through the desert, the dark starry nights, the beautifully colored robes of the Magi, and the special gifts presented to the Christ Child. Because one of my favorite hymns (or carols) is We Three Kings, I decided to do a bit of research. This carol was written in 1857 by Rev. John Hopkins initially to be used in a play. As Rev. Hopkins traveled to visit his family in Vermont, he 2

3 surprised his nieces and nephews with this hymn; and it eventually became so popular that it was published with illustrations. It is thought that one of these illustrations pictured three men on camels traveling in a desert. Although in our mind, we have always pictured three wise men on camels, there is no description in the Scriptures of how they arrived, nor how long the trip took, nor how many men were traveling (some religions say there were 12 wise men.) Also, the wise men did not find a baby, they found a young child; and they went to a house, (the shepherds went to a manger.) Now, it really doesn t matter how they arrived, how long the journey was, or how many wise men there were. Just think of these wonderful men who studied the Old Testament and knew that God s guidance led them to the Christ Child. God also led them in their choices of gifts to give to Jesus: gold symbolizing the reign of Jesus here on earth as King; frankincense symbolizing his ministry here on earth; and myrrh, the bitter perfume which reminds us of the suffering and death of our Lord. Dear Parents, This is truly a wonderful and singable hymn, and each verse is part of a story. Remind your child that we often sing this hymn during Epiphany - the season that follows Christmas. You can look up the word Epiphany to find its meaning and the colors of the paraments for this season. A teachable moment might be to show how God can guide our lives - using prayer, thinking things through, talking with someone you respect, and reflecting on Bible personalities that have made good choices. Sylvia Yost Christian Education Committee Happy New Year, everyone! The Hanging of the Greens was a special time together as a congregation. So many volunteers helped to make our church look beautiful from cleaning the chandeliers to decorating the church. The cooks prepared a delicious chicken dinner for us to enjoy. The instrumentalists played wonderfully while the youth entertained us, with the help of a few adults, in a skit entitled The Surprising Christmas Pageant. We lifted our voices singing carols in the sanctuary and ate delectable cookies afterwards. Thank you one and all for keeping this delightful and meaningful tradition alive at Saint Matthew. Our next project will be to support the Souper Bowl of Caring event in our community. We will encourage our families to participate in any way they can. Be sure to look for flyers advertising the details of this event soon. Carol Penjuke Social Ministry Many thanks to all of you who so generously supported the Pajama Gift Program for the children of Faith Immanuel Lutheran Church. All of the tags were taken in less than a week! The gifts were delivered to the church before their annual Christmas Party, so please know that your kindness truly made each child feel very special that day. We continue to collect non-perishable food items and gently used kitchen items for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry. A group still meets monthly to pack food for their clients. If you are able to help with that effort, even if it is only once or twice, it is greatly appreciated. Please see Rick Link if you have questions or can help. Cheryl Morrell We wish all of our congregation a joyous Saint Matthew Christian Nursery School Happy New Year from the Nursery School staff and children. We will return to school on Monday, January 4, The new year will be filled with wonderful activities, continuation of the alphabet recognition, printing skills, and enjoying friends. School will be closed on Monday, January 18, for the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Parent teacher talks will take place January 26 to January 29. School will remain open during conferences with substitutes in place. Registration for 2016 for our in-house students returning in September will take place at this time. Any prospective families who are interested to have their child attend our school in the fall of 2016, please contact the Nursery School office at We wish you many Blessings in the coming year! Linda M. Maylie, Director Men s Breakfast The January Men s Breakfast will be held on Saturday, January 16, at 7:15 a.m. at the Red Iron American Pub, 650 Baltimore Pike, Springfield. All men are invited to join us for morning devotions, a great speaker, an excellent breakfast and good fellowship. Please come and enjoy an excellent way to start the day. 3

4 First Thursday Friends ( FTF ) Our first 2016 gathering of First Thursday Friends will be on January 7, 2016 at 11:30. We will be dining at Bertucci s, 965 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, PA Please contact John Stefl at if you intend to attend so he can make reservations. Please contact him if you would like a ride. The Naughty Boy Constable, my son has gone missing! My mother was wringing her hands in anguish. He was here a minute ago, and now he s gone! I don t know what happened to him! This was serious circumstance and the police officer took her down to the station to make out a missing person report. How old is your son? the Sergeant at the desk asked. He s only 3 years old, said my Mom. He was there with the stroller and groceries when I went into the shop to get one item and when I came out he had vanished. Stroller, groceries and all, simply gone! Don t worry, madam. We ll send out a search party, he can t be too far away was the reply. While my Dad was away overseas in the Air Force during World War II, my Mom and I lived in an apartment in a lovely old home near the center of Christchurch, a city in the South Island of New Zealand, where summertime is in January. To reach the shopping district, we had to pass through the park, a beautiful landscape with the River Avon and a place of wonder for a youngster of my age. There were ducks on the pond, there were squirrels and pigeons and pine cones. What a great setting it was. This was an adventure every time we went out to go shopping. Four burly police officers, mounted on bicycles, fanned out from the station looking for this missing kid. How far could he get, if he was on foot? You might as well head home, Madam. We ll call you as soon as we find him advised the Sergeant. Distraught, my Mom hurried home not knowing what had become of me. She walked through the park, down the street and around the corner to the house. There I was, proudly waiting at the front steps with the stroller and the groceries, safe and sound. I had walked home from downtown through the park by myself. A disappearing act that is in the family history book to this day. You naughty boy! Mom said. I thought you were lost. You must never go off by yourself again! I was proud to be off by myself. I was growing up! Mom insisted that I return with her to the police station and apologize to the officers. This was to teach me a lesson, which it did; but I was not intimidated as she intended because I liked policemen, they were kind people. The Sergeant looked down from his desk and I stood there in awe. The buttons and badges on his uniform, to me, made him look like God himself. Young man, he said sternly, you must stay by your Mom. She was very worried that something happened to you. Yes sir I answered. I had nothing else to say. I loved my Mom, and knew she loved me. I was the man of the family while my Dad, whom I had never met, was away at the war. We are born to become independent. Each of us comes to this realization in different ways. Sometimes it comes very early in life. Such it was in my case. I think we all have little stories to share about when we were growing up. We are protected by unseen hands - angels who watch over us. May peace be unto all of us, Tony Webb Women of the ELCA News Greetings and best wishes to all! Hope your Christmas was heartwarming and filled with the special gifts of love, peace, joy, and friendship. May the memories of this very special time live within each of us throughout the coming year and bring us contentment. Jesus is definitely the reason for the season. In the wink of an eye, January 1, 2016 will be here, New Year s Day - a time to look forward! What are you looking forward to? Perhaps happy family gatherings, a graduation, or a new life to come. Or perhaps you re in the midst of a season of sadness or loss. Whether you look ahead with hope or anxiety, remember who sits on the great heavenly throne - Jesus! He is our reason to celebrate the new year, the days and seasons of our lives, and an endless eternity of rejoicing. Hats off to our church family and friends for the wonderful response to our Welcome Church List for September through December. We know Pastor Little is very appreciative of your kindness shown these past few months. Now we want to let you see just what was collected these past four months: September: October: 248 socks 2 pairs of gloves 14 lbs. 5 oz. coffee 511 tea bags, 2 loose tea 9 ½ lbs. hot chocolate 7 lbs. 12 oz. non-dairy creamer 620 packets Sweet N Low 4 lbs. 12 oz. sugar - plus 100 packets 12 honey spoons 4

5 November: December: 290 cold cups 267 styrofoam cups 209 bowls oz. paper cups 2008 mixture knives, forks, spoons 717 large plates 85 small plates 86 small napkins (cocktail size) 1292 napkins 2 paper towel rolls 9 lbs. store-bought cookies 9 batches homemade cookies Isn t that above response great? The January request for the Welcome Church is for small toiletries, small baby powder, foot powder, deodorant. Again, please place them in the Welcome Church list container in the hallway. Thanks again. The Executive Board will be planning and preparing the Annual Congregational Luncheon for the end of January. We hope to see you there! Activities for January 2016: Dee Bratz for the Executive Board January 9 - LWR Quilting - 10:30 a.m. - Parish Ed Building January 13 - Board Meeting - 9:30 a.m. - Library January 18 - Ronald McDonald Quilting - 10 a.m. - Parlor January 26 - Sarah Circle - 7:30 p.m. - Parish Ed Building January 27 - Esther Circle - 10 a.m. - Parlor January 31 - Congregational Luncheon The Welcome Church List Pastor Little requested for the month of January the following items: small toiletries small baby powder foot powder deodorant The items collected for the past four months are listed in the Women of the ELCA News article. Many thanks to our church family and friends for the wonderful response to our September - December requests. Hats off to you! Great job! Dee Bratz for the Executive Board Financial Update I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (From Philippians 4:11-13) November 2015 Year to Date Giving/Income: $48, $427, Expenses 42, , Plus/Minus 5, (19,355.16) Summary: November was a good month as we were to the positive close to $6,000. For the year, we have a deficit of $19,355.16; however, this is still lower than what was budgeted for last year. We are hoping with a strong December, including Advent, Christmas and any end-of-year contributions, that we can finish the year in a much stronger standpoint. As a Finance Committee, we have been very pleased and blessed by the way that our members have stepped up this year and contributed to the various appeals and needs. Bless you all in this holiday season, and we wish you a wonderful and meaningful Christmas! Giving Opportunities: Wanted to give an update on some additional giving where we asked, you responded. In our October update we talked about the need for new Advent candles at a cost of $200 and piano tuning at a cost of $200. We have already had 3 generous members pledge funds totaling $500 to defray these costs - Thanks so much! As we write this in mid- December, snow is not a thought as it has been in the 60s. However, we know that it is coming. Last year we were able to defray all of our snow removal costs through donations from our members. Remember that the mundane costs of keeping our church home safe and beautiful frees up funds to do our work in the community. Can you help? Your Finance Committee Financial Response for 2016 The response to the appeal to financially support Saint Matthew in 2016 has been strong. Most of our members who have stated a financial intent have either held steady, or made an increase over their intent for While there will likely be more data since the time of this writing, as of December 1, the comparisons are as follows: 5

6 # pledges $ amount $277,584 $266,624 These numbers include 12 families who have pledged for 2016, but did not state an intent for They do not include 16 families who had stated an intent for 2015, but who have not yet made a pledge for These 16 families have been faithful and consistent givers over the years, and we anticipate they will be supporting us in the new year, even as we have not heard from them at the time of this report. There are 98 families who made an intent for both 2015 and Of these families, only 10 households decreased their intent from 2015 to families held steady with their intent. 39 families increased their intent. Comparing these pledges for the two years, we see an increase of 5%: year to year pledges $240,720 $253,758 When we add to this the amount from the new pledges, we come to the number above. As we count on the support of the 16 families who have not yet pledged, which was over $30,000 last year, we feel very confident of the positive direction we see developing. We still need the support of our other 200 families. Even as we have had an increase from these 110 families, it is still just over half of what we need to cover our expenses for the year. It is not too late to state your intent. For those who do not fill out an intent card, remember we still count on your offerings for the work before us. We are counting on each of our families to do what they can to move us into the coming year able to accomplish our goals with strength. How happy it made me on a recent visit to my mom, Betty Jane Camagna, to see a Thanksgiving card to her from her Saint Matthew Family! Although Mom is unable to process this completely, it comforted me to know that her Saint Matthew Family is keeping her in thought and prayer. Mom values family above anything else. With sincerest thanks, Beth Camagna Dear Saint Matthew Friends, * * * Thank you very much for the Halloween treats and the treats throughout the year for the children. This year they all dressed up and trick or treated at the offices around the Silver Springs campus. I m not sure who enjoyed it more - the children or the staff! They were smiling ear to ear by the end and were so excited about all of the tasty treats they received. Thank you for making that excitement and simple childhood joy possible! We are very grateful for your ongoing commitment to our ministry and the boys and girls we serve. On behalf of the children, thanks again! Sincerely, Amanda Bryant Silver Springs-Martin Luther School Vital Statistics Death: Mrs. Marion Deans Died December 3, 2015 Funeral December 9, 2015 Thank you for your ongoing support! Monthly Mailbag Dear Church Members, Thanks so very much for your prayers and the altar flowers. It really brightened my spirits. Janet and I say thanks again. th 50 Wedding Anniverwary: New Members: Mr. and Mrs. John Liebeskind, Sr. January 8, 2016 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bartlett (Jessica Miller) Schaeffer 2709 N. Kent Rd. Broomall, PA Sincerely, Dan McLaughlin * * * College Graduate: David Parsons, Jr. Dear Saint Matthew Family, 6

7 Health and Healing We ask you to remember all those who are ill, as well as those who mourn the loss of a loved one, in your thoughts and prayers. We also remember and pray for the homeless, the hungry, and all the men and women serving in our armed forces. Ihope that each of you enjoyed a Blessed Christmas, and I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy New Year. Thank you for your support of our newsletter during 2015, and I hope that you will continue to do so in 2016 as well by providing material for inclusion in upcoming issues. Please submit your items of interest directly to Janice Gardner, our Church Office Administrator, by the stated deadline, and she will pass them on to me as electronic files C.E.A. The Good Newsletter, a congregational newsletter, is published monthly, September through June by Saint Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, 400 Lynbrooke Road, Springfield, Pennsylvania Please direct all correspondence pertaining to this publication to the Editor, Dr. Carl E. Aronson, at the above address. The deadline for submitting copy is 12 noon on the 15th of each month. 7