BUSINESS NAMEJ JANUARY 2019 VOLUME 77 ISSUE 1 St. Paul s Epistle
A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR HUGH Vision 2020: Discerning God s Future Together At the start of a new year, it s always a good idea to assess the year gone by and to look forward to the year yet to come. In looking back, I cannot help but be reminded of one of my favorite choir pieces, Now Greet the Swiftly Changing Year, by the composer Alfred Fedak. Fedak drew the words for this piece from an early 17 th century Slavic hymn. The first verse is: Now greet the swiftly changing year With joy and penitence sincere. Rejoice! Rejoice! With thanks embrace Another year of grace. In looking back over the past year, I cannot help but be mindful of the many ways that grace, God s unmerited and transforming love, has popped up in unexpected ways and at the exact right moments. What we do as the faithful people of God in fact, all of our efforts as a congregation (a gathering together of the faithful) can only be effective when it is motivated and infused by grace. That was clearly the case in 2018. The same grace will be essential as we move forward. Grace is the foundation upon which we will build our future church. (After all, it was the only foundation upon which the Church, that is, the body of Christ, has ever been built.) How grace may become incarnate in the future life of St. Paul s and its ministries is something that will take focused and intentional spiritual discernment. And that is what leads me to an idea. An invitation, really. During 2019, I will be inviting our people (all of our people) into a lively conversation. At the heart of the conversation will be the question, Where is God leading us? That s certainly not a new question. But it is a vital one. And to answer it in any meaningful way, we will need to explore the question intentionally. And to do that, I am proposing that we spend some organized time together and create just enough structure (including creating a team to facilitate this) so that the time we spend asking and then listening for the answer actually bears fruit. I am calling this discernment effort: Vision 2020: Discerning God s Future Together. Perhaps we should unpack this title, including its double meaning: 2020 is the year in which the work we do in 2019 will bear fruit in concrete ways. 2020 is a lot like 20/20 and reminds us of the need to focus our spiritual vision so we may indeed discern God s will (as opposed to our own). The words, God s Future, are essential. A church is only the Church when it is obedient to the will of God. And in a world that is so often overwhelmed by noise and distraction, it takes real, intentional effort to hone our vision and discern what God s will actually is. And then real prayer and spiritual fortitude to follow that will into the future. Finally, there is the word, Together. No one person, no single committee or team, can do this work alone. Discerning God s future for St. Paul s will take the collective commitment of all of us together. It will do no good if only part of our community feels called to move in a particular direction while others remain reluctant or resistant. As Jesus himself, no city or house divided against itself will stand. (Matt. 12:25) It is together that we will discern God s will for our live and together that we will find the spiritual resources necessary to carry it out.
A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR HUGH, CONT D The specifics are being worked on. More will be shared at the Annual Meeting and in other forums to follow. And while intentional preparation and planning is important, the real value to this process will be in the surprises discovered along the way. Where is God leading us? I can t wait to find out. It will be like opening Christmas presents all year long! Here s to Another Year of Grace! Pastor Hugh
OFFICIAL NOTICE ST. PAUL S 76 TH ANNUAL MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2019 IMMEDI- ATELY FOLLOWING THE 9:30 AM COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE. ALL VOTING MEMBERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. IN THE EVENT OF POSTPONEMENT DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER OR OTHER HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS, THE ANNUAL MEETING WILL BE RESCHEDULED TO THE NEXT PRACTICABLE SUNDAY. ANNUAL MEETING RELATED DATES AND TIMES MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW! Sunday, January 6: All annual reports are due to the church office "Camera Ready," that is, ready to be printed without need for editing. Reports should be submitted via email to Jo-Ann@stpaulswethersfield.org. PLEASE be sure to CC me, as well: pastorh@stpaulswethersfield.org. Thursday, January 10: The printed Annual Report will be collated and stapled. Sunday, January 13: Reports will be available after each service. Sunday, January 20: We will have one (1) service at 9:30 am. Voting on new council members, receiving reports, and any other items that need a formal vote by the congregation, will take place immediately following the worship service. Actually, it will be the last things we do at the end of the worship service. (What can be better for the church than to make important decisions in the middle of worship?) RECEIVING NEW MEMBERS ON JAN. 20 During the Annual Meeting Worship Service, what better way to celebrate than by formally welcoming "new members" into our fellowship. While St. Paul's doesn't really discriminate between "members" and "non-members" if you worship with us you are part of our fellowship we are bound by our constitution to define a "voting member" as one who has been officially received into our fellowship and recorded in our books. "Voting members" are not only able to "vote" at meetings, they are also able to take a more active role in the life of St. Paul s, including serving on its Council. On Sunday, January 13, following the late service, I will be offering a "new members' explorer class" for anyone who would like to explore what it is that we believe as a community of faith. While there is no obligation to "join" St. Paul's after having taken the class, it does provide an opportunity to explore each person's relationship with God and how that might be supported within this community. For more information, contact me at any time.
JANUARY ALTAR FLOWERS AND ETERNAL CANDLE JANUARY 6TH: JANUARY 13TH: JANUARY 20TH: JANUARY 27TH: All Sundays in January are available JANUARY ETERNAL CANDLE: given in memory of Grandma Darlene Cornog by the Byrd Family JANUARY 5TH JANUARY GOSPEL READINGS Matthew 2: 1-12 JANUARY 13TH Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 JANUARY 20TH John 2: 1-11 JANUARY 27TH Luke 4: 14-21 THE 2019 FLOWER CHART IS NOW AVAILABLE on the information wall near the coat rack. If you are interested in signing up for flower donations for the new year, please sign your name next to the date on the calendar AND complete a flower form which can also be found on the wall. Flowers are $50 per week. Weeks can be shared by more than one family. Once again St. Paul s was very generous in their support of the Salvation Army Angel Tree program. We collected over 40 games to give to children in need. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED! Bernice Noeker
Thank you to everyone who helped with the Christmas Pageant. Heather Christensen coordinated the program. The children did a wonderful job. Thank you to Ellie Bengtson for sharing her story, God's Gift, with the children. Thank you Julie Perry Kim Parsons Alice Ruppar SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS DATES During the month of January we will not have Sunday School classes. The children will receive bulletins in church each Sunday which will be based on the lessons for the day. There are Pre reader and Reader levels available. CALLING ALL ACOLYTES Acolyte training class: January 6 at 12 noon. Whether you have already served as an acolyte or would like to serve, we will be gathering together after the late service on January 6 for an acolyte training class. For those who have never served, we will make this as easy and fun as possible! For those who have, we will need your help to show the new acolytes just how easy and fun it can be. Please let me know if you are able to be there. Also, if you are not able, but wish you could be, let me know that, too. I am happy to find another time to work with those who can t make it on Jan. 6th. Pr. Hugh 2019 God s s Creation Wall Calendars for SALE! The Youth Group is still selling calendars for $10 each in Fellowship Hall! These calendars are perfect for scheduling your appointments all year long and also make wonderful gifts. Each calendar is packed with beautiful pictures of God s creation and Biblical quotes.
Dear Saint Paul s family, Thank you for the very generous financial gift that you gave me for Christmas. Your generosity and love touches me very deeply. I hope and pray that we will all have a very happy and healthy 2019. All my love and gratitude, Pastor Hugh Blankets of Hope, Part 3 In July and September, the Outreach Committee sponsored events in which we gathered to make 26 No-Sew Fleece Blankets for Soldiers Angels. Everyone who participated had fun in fellowship and crafting the blankets. We have enough fleece to make another bunch of blankets to provide comfort for members of the US military who have been injured or fallen ill in the line of duty. While it may seem like a simple gift, just think how much warmth and comfort your favorite blanket provides for you when you are cold or lonely! The great thing about these blankets is that ANYONE of ANY age can help make them! No special talents are needed all you need to be able to do is tie knots. Your next opportunity to help make these blankets will be after the 10:30 service on January 27 th. Lunch will be provided. Please plan on joining us! Watch for a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Area. QUESTIONS? Contact Lynne Matteson (860-529-3603 or LPM18@att.net) Soldiers' Angels provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, their families, and a growing veteran population. Thousands of Soldiers' Angels "Angel" volunteers assist veterans, wounded, deployed personnel, and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways. "May No Soldier Go Unloved" encapsulates the motivation behind Soldiers' Angels. The volunteers of Soldiers' Angels work tirelessly supporting our nation's veterans, wounded heroes, deployed service members and their families.
ZACHARY S TABLE 5:00 PM TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH Join us for our free community monthly meal in the lower PE building EXTRA HANDS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED! MEN S BREAKFAST 7:30 AM JANUARY 17TH Denny s Restaurant, Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield Join with the men of our congregation for food and fellowship! THE FEBRUARY EPISTLE FINAL DEADLINE IS JANUARY 20TH Please get your articles to Sue Agne no later than the third Sunday of the month. Items can be emailed to me at: susanagne@yahoo.com Thanks, in advance, for your help and cooperation! Solar Panels Update December 2018 We were premature in our message about the amount of money that we were saving from the solar panels. We based our calculations solely on our bills from Eversource. However, we have now learned that we must pay an additional bill to Soldel for the power generated from the solar panels We are currently paying an estimated amount so it is hard to know the exact amount of savings. It appears the savings will be about $120 per month over what we paid previously. However we will postpone giving you any exact amounts until we have had it for at least a year and we are no longer paying estimated amounts.
Thanks to Winnie Sawrun who shared the following obituary for Diane Schilke, daughter of St. Paul s former Pastor, Albert Schilke Remembering Diane Helena Schilke Diane H. Schilke, described by friends as resourceful, resilient, and redoubtable, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 20, 2018. She was born in Brooklyn but spent part of her childhood in Jamaica, Queens, NY. Her family moved to Wethersfield, CT, where Diane's father Albert, a renowned Lutheran minister in the region, was called to lead worship. The transition from the close-knit and diverse neighborhood to a rural farm across from the church parish was a milestone in her life. After graduating from Susquehanna University in 1956, Diane was a music teacher. She then joined the United Lutheran Church Foundation and became a member of St. Peter s Lutheran Church in New York City. Looking for a challenge she sought a position at G. Schirmer Inc., the classical music publishing company founded in 1861. As a pianist and member of the Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, Diane was talented, knowledgeable and technically proficient. She became the assistant to the publisher and delighted in the presence of musical geniuses such as Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber and Carlo Menotti. Diane went on to join New York consulting firm Cresap, McCormick and Paget (now Towers Perrin) and then moved to Washington, DC in 1968. She finished her career with Proskauer, Rose working with an attorney who specialized in entertainment law. In June 2000, Diane was given what was at the time the firm's first retirement party for a secretary. Jack Valenti, then the head of the Motion Picture Association of America and client of the firm attended the event. Diane was an active member of St. Stephen the Martyr parish. She was a lector and Eucharistic minister, helped with and gave nearly a decade to the visiting ministry at Rock Creek Manor nursing center. In December 2002, she received the Archdiocese of Washington s Order of Merit for faithful service. In September 2003, she was recognized by the DC Healthcare Association as Volunteer of the Year. In May 2008, Diane joined Augustana Lutheran Church. At Augustana she found the familial diversity she remembered from her childhood in Jamaica, NY. She found an active community of support interwoven with residents in and around Dupont Circle that carried her through to her end. She worked, entertained and cared for her mother, Helena, during her 30 years at the St. George Condominiums. Diane was a caring neighbor and contributed to the building s aesthetics by cultivating a robust rooftop garden. Over her lifetime she adopted many cats; the last of which was 21 year-old Rosie, who was cared for by the Dupont Veterinary Clinic. Diane will be remembered for her generous heart, her integrity and stalwart compassion for others animal, plant or human. Diane was a loving friend and attentive Godmother. She had a robust sense of humor accompanied by a beautiful smile and contagious laugh. She endeavored to age with dignity and decorum even in the spread of infirmity. Diane is survived by her cousins Babette G. Schieman, John Geffken, Jane G. Henderson, and John Schilke. It is requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to a charity of the giver s choice.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 27th MEETING Financial Reports for October were reviewed and accepted 48 2019 Pledges have been received through 11/27 totaling $102,254 The new chairlift was inspected and found to be in good order Pastor presented his monthly report Plans will be forthcoming to envision our future Mutual Ministry is meeting on a regular basis St. Paul s is covering the cost of transportation service for one of our members ($30 per week) Website monthly maintenance needs attention Holiday plans for Christmas Worship and Caroling are in place $6,000 was raised from the Holiday Fair; half will go to the Red Cross general fund for helping people displaced by catastrophic events such as fire, hurricanes, etc Office phone system needs updating Joanna Hansen will use the upstairs room for storage of items donated for the Spring tag sale
JANUARY 2019 Enjoying German music and food during Adult Fellowship at the Hartford Sangerbund Ellie Bengtson shares her story, The Gift with the kids as they wait for the pageant to begin.
JANUARY 2019 PICTURES FROM THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT THANK YOU TO OUR CHILDREN, ADULT CHOIR, AND DEDICATED SUNDAY SCHOOL STAFF FOR GIVING US ALL SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
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JANUARY 2019 PICTURES FROM CHRISTMAS EVE LATE SERVICE
UPCOMING EVENTS AT ST. PAUL S ACOLYTE TRAINING CLASS JANUARY 6TH 12:00 NOON NEW MEMBER EXPLORER CLASS JANUARY 13TH 12:00 NOON ZACHARY S TABLE TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH 5:00 PM WORSHIP AND MUSIC MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH 6:30 PM MEN S BREAKFAST THURSDAY, JANUARY 17TH 7:30 AM Denny s in Wethersfield ST. PAUL S ANNUAL MEETING SUNDAY, JANUARY 20TH FOLLOWING THE COMBINED SERVICE AT 9:30 AM WELCOME 2019
January 2019 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT ANNUAL REPORTS DUE IN THE OFFICE 1 2Confirmation 6-7:30 PM CHOIR 7:30 PM 10am AA 7pm AA 3 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY THURSDAY GROUP 4 10am AA 5 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 6 Worship: 8:00 & 10:30AM Faith Forum 9:00 AM ACOLYTE TRAINING 12:00 NOON 7 8 9Communication Mtg 10:00 AM Confirmation 6-7:30 PM CHOIR 7:30 PM 10am 7pm AA 10 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY THURSDAY GROUP 11 10am AA 12 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 13 Worship: 8:00 & 10:30AM Faith Forum 9:00 AM OUTREACH MTG12:00 NOON 14 NEW MEMBER EXPLORER CLASS 12:00 155:00 ZACHARY S TABLE Worship & Music mtg 6:30PM 16 Confirmation 6-7:30 PM CHOIR 7:30 PM 10am AA 7pm AA 17Mens Brkfst 7:30 AM 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY THURSDAY GROUP 18 10am AA 19 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 20 Worship: ONE SERVICE 9:30 AM ANNUAL MTG 10:45 AM 21 22 7:00 COUNCIL MEETING 23 Confirmation 6-7:30 PM CHOIR 7:30 PM 10am AA 7pm AA 24 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY THURSDAY GROUP 25 10am AA 26 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 27 Worship: 8:00 & 10:30AM Faith Forum 9:00 AM 28 29 30 Confirmation 6-7:30 PM CHOIR 7:30 PM 10am AA 7pm AA 31 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY THURSDAY GROUP
MEMBERS IN SERVICE - JANUARY 2019 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE DATE JANUARY 6TH JANUARY 13TH JANUARY 20TH JANUARY 27TH FEBRUARY 3rd ASSISTING MINISTER 8:00 AM Patty Bengtson 10:30 AM Jerry Vaillancourt 8:00 AM Donna Camillo 10:30 AM Mary Procyk ONE SERVICE 9:30 AM ANNUAL MEETING Bill Fischer, Jr. 8:00 AM Patty Bengtson 10:30 AM Jerry Vaillancourt 8:00 AM Donna Camillo 10:30 AM Mary Procyk COMMUNION ASSISTANT Jeanette Serafine Joan Kratzer Sue Agne Rick Seip Walter Ruppar READER Sue Agne Bill Fischer, Jr. Jeanette Serafine George Howe Carol Bruce ALTAR GUILD Mary Procyk Carol Bruce Chuck & Jennie Dotts Patty Bengtson Mary Ann Mead Deb Howe Bob Bowman Bill Fischer, Jr. ACOLYTE TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA COUNTER Mary Procyk Jeanette Serafine Debbie Viola George Howe Jeanette Serafine Heather Christainsen Doreen Matteson Mary Procyk USHERS 8:00 AM Brian Beckwith 8:00 AM Brian Beckwith ONE SERVICE 9:30 AM 8:00 AM Brian Beckwith 8:00 AM Brian Beckwith 10:30 AM 10:30 AM 10:30 AM 10:30 AM FELLOWSHIP Dick & Sue Agne Mary Procyk LeAnn Burbank Mary Ann Mead Jackie Fischer Margaret & Brenda DeBlois George & Deb Howe TAPING Dave Bayek Dave Bayek Dave Bayek Dave Bayek Dave Bayek
JANUARY 2019 WHERE AT ST. PAUL S CHURCH ARE WE? Can you find this month s featured part of St. Paul s? The answer will be in the February Epistle. ANSWER TO LAST MONTH S MYSTERY: This is the original hymn board at St. Paul s. It now hangs on up in the choir loft.
JANUARY 2019 VOLUME 77 ISSUE 1 ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN CHURCH 371 WOLCOTT HILL ROAD WETHERSFIELD, CT 06109 860-529-5397 PASTOR: Rev. Hugh Haffenreffer Office: 860.529.5397 Cell: 860-966-7360 pastor@st.paulswethersfield.org OFFICE MANAGER: Jo-Ann Formica Jo-Ann@stpaulswethersfield.org MINISTER OF MUSIC Melissa Cheyney SUPERINTENDANT OF SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL: Alice Ruppar (interim) COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Dick Agne agne23@yahoo.com COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT: Jerry Hansen jerryhansen1957@gmail.com COUNCIL SECRETARY: Rick Seip rlseip@aol.com TREASURER: Roy Lewis FINANCIAL SECRETARY: Mary Procyk mprocyck@stpaulswethersfield.org