The Epiphany Star January 2019 Newsletter of Epiphany Lutheran Church Fort Wayne, Indiana Dear Epiphany Lutheran Church, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen. 2019 marks a very important mile-stone in the life and ministry of Epiphany Lutheran Church of Fort Wayne, IN. It is our 50 th Anniversary of becoming a charted congregation. It has been an interesting 50-year history. There have been a number of events in the history of our congregation and within the Lutheran Church. Some of the events have been helpful in the sharing of the Gospel message, while other events have not been so helpful. Over the next twelve months, The 50 th Anniversary Task Force will be presenting and hosting a number of events. There will be four Pulpit Dramas that will depict some of the historical events that took place in the history of our congregation. If you would like to be a part of the Pulpit Dramas please see Pastor Richard for more information. There will be two major events planned for 2019. There will be a Church Picnic with old fashion games and food in July. This event will invite the neighborhoods around Epiphany. Currently we have four different Neighborhood Associations that routinely meet in our facilities. This is a great way to show that we want to be good neighbors. There will be a Home-Coming Event with a meal and sharing in October. The Home Coming Events is just what it sounds like. It will feature a number of different events but culminate in a banquet. Each month, throughout 2019, there will be some kind of talk about the mission and ministries of Epiphany Lutheran Church over the years. You won t want to miss these opportunities. One of the most helpful things you can do is help the Task Force is to help gather addresses of former members. If you are friends with former members it would be very helpful if you would write their address and telephone number on a piece of paper and put it in the black tray in Dia s office. We would really like to have as many people back in July and October as we possibly can. If there is a particular
event that you would like to help with please let one of the 50 th Anniversary Task Force members know. The Task Force Members are: Lee and Sandy Hedin, Sue, Kay Evans, Barbara Werling, Denny and Karen Payne, and Pastor Richard. Through out 2019 we will be celebrating 50 years of mission and ministry as Epiphany Lutheran Church! That is a true gift from God. We have been blessed in so many different ways. Thank YOU! Pastor Richard Hartman Action Teams - How they work Anyone that has a Thrivent Policy of any kind can apply for an action team card which is seed money for a service, fund raising or service activity of $250. You can receive a card twice a year per person Projects are so numerous. Needs to be a passion of yours and help others. We have used in the past towards the fish fry supplies, quilters fleece backing and material, back packs for school kits, items for LWR kits, plus help with the camps. Recently applied for action team to replace garbage disposal and upgrade microwave, Military postage and 50th anniversary materials for new wall banner. We are compiling a list of possible teams and want to know your thoughts, passions and if you have a Thrivent connection to get us more Action Team Dollars. Talk to Pastor, Dave York or Dia. 2
We are Christians, called by God, committed to: Sharing the Gospel, Serving others as Christ taught us, and Creating disciples for witness. Epiphany Lutheran Church s Vision Statement: A Christian family of God committed to sharing the Gospel and serving others, through joyful worship, education and fellowship. Please feel free to stop in or call for any of your Pastoral needs. Our office hours are as follows: Pastor: Sunday Thursday 8:00 am 2:30 pm Monday evenings Dia: Wednesdays 9:00 am 4:00 pm, Other times as needed during tax season, (always available by email, can check at breaks) Due to unexpected circumstances, these hours may be subject to change. E-mail Us: Pastor s office... pastor@epiphanyfw.com Pastor s home... rlhart49@frontier.com Dia s office... dia@epiphanyfw.com WEB SITE: Epiphany Lutheran Church www.epiphanyfw.com 3
Lutheran Senior Care Ministry Update January 2019 LSCM has gained the support of two additional Lutheran churches- Antioch and Southwest. Rev. Dan May will join us as our new Executive Chaplain in January. We will also add some new Board members at our February 7 Delegate meeting at Epiphany. Thanks to Jerry Schmidt, our outgoing Treasurer, and Carol Hille-Klemm, longtime Board member who are leaving their roles in 2019. Our Secretary, Judy May will also resign as Pastor May is her husband and it would be a conflict of interest. We continue to gain support in the community and plan to increase visibility and advertising in 2019. We also are exploring partnerships with elder care agencies as a spiritual support resource. God bless you for your support of this ministry to elders in our community, many of whom can t attend their own church and some who are receiving the Word of the Lord for the first time. Peace! Sue Comfort Ye My People Our next quilting gathering will be Sunday, January 13 th, at 9:00 am. No special skills are required; if you can tie a knot, you can be a quilter! We have set an ambitious goal for ourselves in this new year, so please plan to join us in helping those in need around the world! 4
January 6 th Epiphany of Our Lord Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 January 13 th 1 st Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 43:1-7 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 January 20 th 2 nd Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 62:1-5 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 January 28 th 3 rd Sunday after Epiphany Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 Join us for Worship this month! Every Sunday at 8:00 am and 10:15 am Every Monday at 7:00 pm Bible Study on next weeks Lessons Confirmation Class at 9:00 am on Sunday Please join us! Please join us for our annual Epiphany Service on Sunday, January 6 th, at the 8:00 & 10:15 am service. Our congregation will start our 50th anniversary celebration with a drama about how Epiphany started 50 years ago. The Saturday morning Men s Bible Study will continue their study out of the book Fruits of the Spirit. We will meet on Saturday, January 12 th, at 7:00 am for breakfast and the Word. All are welcome. We hope to see you there! 5
Mission Moment January 2019 Thanks to everyone who so generously donated to our military families. We were able to make sure they were provided with lots of Christmas cheer. As we continue to celebrate the Christmas season through Epiphany, we hope to collect items for A Baby s Closet. Please bring your gifts of diapers, clothing, toys and baby food and place them in the crib in the gathering area. Throughout January we hope to gather items for Come 2 Go as they minister to the homeless in our community. We will collect men s socks, gloves, hats and hand warmers. As soon as the NFL play-offs begin we will start to collect soup for the Associated Churches Food Bank, leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. Vote with your cans for your favorite team! Written by Jsne Dawkins 6
Winter Wear Needed! As hats, gloves, and scarves go on sale after the holidays and the wintry weather starts, please consider picking up an item for Come2Go s ministry to the homeless. Thank you! As many of you know, Epiphany is part of the Kroger Community Rewards program, where members can have a portion of all of their Kroger purchases come back to the church. If you are currently enrolled in this program, thank you! If you are unsure if you are enrolled check the bottom of a receipt and Epiphany will be printed as your recipient. If you receive an email about Kroger Community Rewards simply open the e-mail and click on Keep Current Organization. You should be taken to a confirmation screen where you will see Epiphany listed as your organization, and you re all set! If you have not yet enrolled in this program and would like to take this easy step to help generate funds for the church, there is an information sheet with instructions available in the tract rack in the narthex. Thank you for your support! www.krogercommunityrewards.com. It s SOUPER Bowl Time! In mid-january, we will begin collecting for our annual Souper Bowl contest! Each year, Epiphany members have the chance to root for their favorite Super Bowl team by bringing in nonperishable food items to be donated to the Associated Churches Food Bank. Once the teams have been set, simply bring in your items and place them on the appropriate side of our field to let us know which team you want to see win! Epiphany almost always correctly predicts the winner of the big game, so if you want to see your team emerge victorious, bring in those canned goods! 7
Christmas decorations will be put away on Saturday, January 12 th at 9:00 am. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board if you would like to come help. Thank you in advance for the gifts of your time and assistance! We have members of our congregation who do many things behind the scenes, and we want to take the time to recognize just a few in this month s issue! Thank you, Angels! Greens were hung and poinsettias donated to beautify our worship space Peanut brittle was purchased, raising money for our debt reduction Prayers were said for members and friends in need of God s care Many Lectors lent their voices to our annual Service of Lessons and Carols Special music enhanced our Christmas Eve worship The choir sang carols with residents at Heritage Park Donations of gifts and food brought the Christmas spirit to military families Cookies, candies, and other treats were donated and purchased at our annual Cookie Walk to raise funds for Epiphany. Community members that use our building and give back to our outreach programs 8
January Baptismal Birthdays Krista Rumfield Ron Roemer Terry Goodspeed Rosemary Werling Joselyn Thompson Happy birthday! to those who celebrate their second birthday during the month of January! Martin Luther said, When you wash your face remember your baptism. Take time to remember and celebrate this month! Meals on wheels collected for October and November totaled $194. Bringing our total to over $9,300. If you want to help it only takes $7 per month. See Dia for information. So far, this winter has been cold compared to last year, but things can always change in Indiana! In the event that hazardous weather could affect safe travel to worship, Pastor and David York, Church Council President, will make the decision whether to cancel services. Every effort will be made to contact members. Safe travels to everyone in the months to come! 9
Jan. 6 th Jan. 13 th Jan. 20 th Jan. 27 th WOV Setting 5 LBW Setting II WOV Setting 5 LBW Setting II Organist/ Pianist Amanda Pickett Sara Sara Sara Assisting Minister Jane Dawkins Rebecca Hartman Dia Herb Alicia Lector 8:00 am Kurt Unrue Sue Cheryl Ralston Connie York Lector 10:15 am Nina Haag Mark Herb Karen Payne David Dawkins Acolyte Rachael Pickett Corey David Osheskie Nathaniel Pickett Communion Assistant 8:00 am Hank Schroeder Kurt Unrue Devin Meunier Dave York Communion Assistant 10:15 am Becky Roemer Ron Roemer Mark Herb Dia Herb Altar Guild Greeter(s) Picketts Hartmans Mike Rumfield Cathy Rumfield Terry Goodspeed 10