Active in Faith January 2019 Monthly publication for members and friends of Faith Lutheran Church 4005 Palm Drive, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 Church office hours are 9:00am - 12:00pm Monday - Friday (941)639-6309 faithadmin88@embarqmail.com Pastor - Rev. Dana Alan Narring, MDiv Mission and Vision Statement: Empowering All People to Know Jesus Christ! Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 15 January 15 Epiphany January 6 Baptism of Our Lord January 13 Saturday Sunday Worship Services 5:00pm Praise and Worship Service 9:30am Traditional Worship Service Bible Classes Mon 10:30am Women s Bible Study Nurturing Your Faith - Prayers of Intercession begins 1/14 with our guest teacher, Pastor Narring! Dr. Mary Hilgendorf will return later this spring. Tues 7:00pm LWML Monthly Women s Bible Study Group resumes 1/8/19. Wed 11am & 6:30pm Our Rich Christian Heritage with Pastor Narring resumes 1/9/19. Thurs 10:30am Study the book of Joshua with our retired pastor Clyde Kaminska. 1
Board of Missions Thank You! I wish to thank all the people of Faith who took part in the Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army. We had a good turnout of ringers. The Salvation Army and I am very grateful for your time at this very busy time of year. I know the monies collected will be used well to help in times of disaster or for the homeless or hungry. These are only few volunteers who were caught on camera Jo Waterman. Here We Go A-Caroling! On December 11th, the Board of Missions once again reached-out to two of our local care-centers and provided a wonderful joy-filled program of music as we helped people prepare for the Advent of our Savior, Jesus! Twelve singing and ringing Elves sang as Pastor Narring provided the guitar accompaniment and a brief Christmas Message at each location. A wonderful time was had by all! 2
Board of Missions - continued Care Packages for Our Troops The care packages containing personal products and treats are like treasures from home. Please check the needed items in the narthex. Faith Quilters We invite you to join us. The Faith Quilt Group meets each Tuesday at 9:00am. Our numbers are small, and we need your help to do the work of the Lord! If you can tie a knot, you can help us. Thank you, Arlene Wells Jo Waterman - Missions Chair 3
Thank you to all who baked and shopped at the Cookie Walk. It was a success! From our proceeds of $860.81 we will support Back Pack for Kidz, Faith Quilters, and other on-going projects. A personal note of thanks to Linda Frantz and Ellen Jodway for taking leadership roles! Than you Achieva Credit Union for advertising our Cookie Walk! Bonnie Griffith was able to join us as greeter. Ellen Jodway weighed the cookies accurately. Carol Meyers found time to introduce Nancy Borden to becoming a cashier. Our friendly cashiers were happy to take your money! Nancy Vernon, Marilyn Bredvik and Muriel Pedersen. LWML Dates to remember: Jan 8 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm Jan 23 Fellowship and meeting 9am We welcome Howard Williams of Gideons Int l. Feb 12 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm Feb 27 Fellowship and meeting 9am Mar 1 &2 Flea Market (Set-up Feb26-Mar 1) March 12 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm Mar. 27 Fellowship and meeting 9am April 9 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm Apr. 24 Fellowship and meeting 9am May 14 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm May 22 Fellowship and meeting 9am June 11 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm Jun 20-23, 2019 37th Biennial Convention Mobile, Alabama Workers Needed! July 9 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm August 13 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm Sept. 10 Evening LWML Bible Study 7pm Sept. 27-29, 2019 Fall Retreat at Lake Yale Baptist Retreat Center, Leesburg, FL 4
Ready, Set, Recycle This is a program established to raise funds for the 2019 LWML Convention at Birmingham, AL. Our newest member, Angela Callahan, volunteered to be our zone facilitator for the FL/GA District. We can assist her by donating the following items to be recycled. printer cartridges (not accepted-fax printing film, printing ribbons or toner tubes for copiers). inkjet printing cartridge (not accepted-epson or Canon BCI - they don t have metal print head. Laser jet and Inkjet cartridges Cell phones, digitals cameras, e-readers, tablets, laptops, and calculators We have provided a container on the LWML counter for you to place your items. Thank you! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS DONE WITH THOSE MITES THAT YOU GIVE? Last year the national LWML gave : $100,000 to Mercy House for women and children $27,000 to Christ for Veterans and their Families $25,000 to Tanzanian Sewing Center $100,000 for current missionary needs $100,000 to Children s Hope through mass media in Egypt $100,000 to Christian Eldercare Home in Haiti $48,000 for completion of Lutheran school buildings in Uganda $100,000 to Sharing Jesus with People with Disabilities $50,000 to Reconnect to the Body of Christ Circuit 28 $36,500 Prison and Jail Ministry 2018 Synod-wide Conference and there is still another over $850.00 that has been designated as of September 2018. WOW! All of this from our loose change that the national women and some men put into their Mite Boxes each month. Please remember to use your Mite Boxes and turn them in monthly at the LWML counter in the right-hand corner of the church narthex. Lutheran Women in Mission of the Florida-Georgia, Gulf States, and Louisiana-Mississippi Districts Invite YOU to the 38th Biennial Lutheran Women s Missionary League Convention June 20-23, 2019 Mobile, Alabama As hosts, we are also asked to volunteer as workers during the convention. 500 workers are needed. There is a reduced registration price for those who volunteer. Please take a moment to read the information sheets and the workers needed list that are on the LWML counter in the narthex. Naomi Weslock LWML President 5
Board of Fellowship At the first supper we had soups served by the Board of Fellowship. Many tried several kinds and all were great tasting. Left to right: Nancy Vernon-stuffed peppers, Betty Pio (chairperson)-cheesy potato soup, Deborah Worthington-corn chowder, and Gloria Koehler-minestrone. Following the meal we gathered together for advent worship in the church. Pastor s advent theme was, Are You Ready For Christmas? The first sermon was called, Hold on Tight! The LWML ladies served with joy at the Advent meal. Although we missed taking photos for this meal, the group of ladies did a great job with the set-up, cooking, serving and clean-up! Many thanks to: Deborah Worthington, Linda Frantz, Roberta Misener, Carol Meyer, Joyce Weiner, Gloria Koehler, Jo Waterman, Marilyn Bredvik and Suzanna Thompson. Deb and Linda prepared the sloppy joe s. Advent worship followed the meal. Pastor Narring s sermon was what I needed, Where is your focus? (Naomi Weslock) The third Advent meal was prepared by the elders and Pastor Dana Narring. Everyone enjoyed the choices and many had seconds. From left to right: Ken Johnson-potato soup, Gerry Misener-chili, Mike Wirth-chicken chili, Cheryl Wirth served Pastor s chicken noodle soup, Don Sours-potato soup, and Steve Meyer-chili. Advent worship followed the meal. Pastor s question in his sermon was Where s the Joy? Bible readings and hymns led us to discover the answer... True joy is found in Jesus! It has been so wonderful fellowshipping with 50-60 people each week during Advent. We look forward to our springtime Lenten journey which begins March 6th with Ash Wednesday. 6
Board of Fellowship - continued The elegance of the table setting put us all in a festive mood. Terry Weslock was the MC and kept things in order. He thanked Betty Pio for the well organized enjoyable evening of fellowship. Phil Eyrich, our Saturday worship keyboard player, added wonderful sounds on the piano with Christmas music throughout the evening. He s pictured here with his beautiful wife, Anna Maria. Betty Pio introduced us to the French chefs, Thierry and Patricia, who cooked a meal with a French twist. We surprised Nancy Vernon with our singing of Happy Birthday! 7 Betty Pio Fellowship Chairperson
Altar Guild 12/1 Hanging of the Greens Though the number of workers were fewer this year, the decorating of the chancel and narthex were completed with great joy - as so many people appreciated the beauty of the finished work. It was like coming home for Christmas. Please join with our Altar Guild on January 12th at 9am as we Unhang the Greens. Your help is appreciated! Cindy Young Chairperson - Altar Guild Thank you for all the loving and caring work to praise our new-born King! Mortgage balance as of 12/31/18 New monthly mortgage payment Received in December Total received for Just 1% Program Program expenses Total extra paid to principal Total pledged Amount remaining to Goal $261,538.09 $3,215.23 $5,435.00 $325,272.00 $4,768.69 $320,503.31 $350,993.00 $25,721.00 Program end-date is March 31, 2019 If you had your photo taken during the last photo-shoot at Faith, your church directory is ready to be picked-up in the church narthex. Thanks to all who helped make this possible - especially to Joanna Waterman for organizing so much. You will find your directory with your name printed on the front. Enjoy your directory! Pastor Narring 8
Pastor s Brunch On Sunday, December 9th, 52 people attended our third tasty brunch of the season that was prepared and served by Virginia Johnson, Susan Narring, Mary Prod, and by Linda and Shirley Frantz. Once again, our heartfelt thanks to Pastor Narring for taking the extra time to plan and to organize this entire event for us! The quiche was again created by French Chefs Terry and Pat. Brunch included vegetable or meat quiche, a fruit cup or cottage cheese and beverages. A free will offering was taken and the proceeds of $152.00 benefited Redeeming Life Outreach in Sanford, FL! During the past three brunch s we have raised over $550 for this wonderful organization. Thank you for your blessed support! Please call the church office: (941) 639-6309 to sign-up for our next brunch on January 13 which will be held after the worship service. If you don t reach us during office hours, please leave a message. Membership - Associate and Residential If you would like to know more about Associate or Residential Membership at Faith Lutheran Church including: The work we are doing in the Name of Jesus How we seek to Open the Book and grow in and through God s Word And what we believe/teach/confess as Lutheran Christians Then please take a moment and contact Pastor Narring to discuss these or other questions you may have. Happy 45th Birthday Faith Lutheran Church! One of the best kept secrets of 2018... was the 45th birthday of Faith Lutheran Church on December 31st! In case you missed it, we d like to invite everyone to join in the celebration of God blessing us during the past 45 years. A special worship and celebration is being planned for the weekend of February 16 and 17, 2019. We have invited Rev. Dr. Greg Walton - President of the Florida/Georgia District, to help us celebrate this blessed occasion. Look forward to more information in the next few weeks! 9
Board of Education Our Rich Christian Heritage Resumes Wed, January 9th 11am & 6:30pm Our classes will be starting-up this month and we invite you to join us as we grow together in God s Word. You can even pull-up-a-chair and join us for a single session anytime from January 9th through February 20th! As we review our updated and expanded Luther s Small Catechism, Pastor Narring will continue to guide us toward a better understand of how we can offer a greater Christ-like response to issues we may encounter as we: Live in God s Love and Share His Joy! We will especially be looking at The Lord s Prayer, Baptism, and The Sacrament of the Altar. There is no charge for the class. However, if you d like a personal and updated copy of the new Catechism, please call our office to reserve your copy - cost is $15. Woman s Bible Study Resumes January 14th at 10:30am You are invited to grow in your prayer-life and in the word of God as our guest instructor, Pastor Narring, helps us discover a deeper and richer understanding of prayer and how it can add greater meaning in our lives. Nurturing Your Faith is a 4-session Bible study from Lutheran Hour Ministries that has a brief video and then continues with discussion of God s word. The Prayer of Intercession is the focus of session one (January 14th). Prayers of Gratitude will be the theme for our second session (January 28th) this month. Please note, we will not meet on Martin Luther King Day - Monday, January 21st. Each session will also include a worksheet. You are invited to bring you own bible with you (bibles will be available if you forget). Also, Dr. Mary Hilgendorf will return later this spring to continue Women In the Bible. We pray God s richest blessings while she is enjoying the chill of Wisconsin. 10
In the News! On Wednesday, December 12th, Pastor Narring and Faith Lutheran Church were featured in a Charlotte Sun article in a section called, Meet the Preacher. Pastor Narring was asked by author Debra Gouvellis, What is the most challenging thing about what you do? Pastor replied, Conveying the never-ending truth of God s love for hurting souls through our savior and Lord, Jesus Christ! May we all continue to grow in God s Word so that we each can be prepared to respond to those hurting souls who need to hear of the love we have been given through Jesus. To God be the glory! Virginia Bowden 1/2 Elizabeth Hustman 1/3 Eugene Mayer 1/4 Dolores Lallmann 1/7 Patricia Koll 1/8 Linda Volz 1/11 Wauline Falce 1/12 Marian Dick 1/13 Gordon Meyers 1/13 Wayne Nicklas 1/14 Deanna Suckow 1/18 Carole Thalacker 1/20 Dana Narring 1/21 Noah Scaringella 1/21 Kathryn Pollock 1/22 Don Cavallini 1/23 Janis Hubell 1/23 Dennis Colwell 1/27 May Gossett 1/27 Joan Gregory 1/28 Carmen Vosberg 1/28 Lorraine Wulff 1/29 Richard and Patricia Koll 1/2 64 yrs. William and Patricia Davis 1/9 54 yrs. Gordon and Kathryn Meyers 1/16 37 yrs. If we have missed your special day, please accept our apologies and contact the office so we can help you celebrate next year! 11
The weekly prayer list is on the glass table in the narthex. If you, or someone you know, would like prayers please call the office. Please note, names will remain on the list only for four weeks. Name Tags We encourage everyone to wear their nametags to help us to know each other better! If you would like a Faith name tag, please sign up on the sheet in the narthex. January Ushers and Readers Date Ushers Reader Jan 6 Terry Weslock Naomi Weslock Terry Weslock Jan 13 Ellen Jodway Fred Vogelpohl Jan 20 Jan 27 There are still some opportunities available for you to greet our guests and members and assist as an usher, or share your gifts as a reader in the coming months. Please take a moment to add your name to the sign-up sheet located on the counter at the Welcome Center. Thank you! View weekly announcements and calendar at: www.faithlutheranpg.com February Newsletter Deadline is January 22. Please e-mail all announcements, articles, and photos to: wanderingweslocks@netzero.com Editor reserves the right to proofread and edit all articles for the monthly newsletter. 12