The Voice of First Lutheran October 2018 From the Pastor s Desk Everything Has Its Time Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Isn t is absolutely amazing and, yes, so true how quickly the seasons of life fly past. For me, as I note our change from Summer into Fall, I am reminded that Jesus has given each season of our lives its own joys and struggles. Not only in seeing the various changes of God s creation in each season, but also in our personal journey through our seasons of life. In our lives and in the life of our own faith community, Jesus doesn t want us clinging to seasons past, longing for the way things used to be. He has grace and peace for the moment we are living right now. He has new hopes and truth for this day and this day alone. Susanna Foth Aughtmon states it best when she writes we don t want to miss out on today s beauty. We need to soak it up. Revel in it. Sing and dance. And embrace the season we are living out with gratitude. Be Happy! Be Grateful! Feel Blessed! Walking with you, Pastor Nord Inside this issue: In Our Prayers, Shut-ins & Service Members 2 Birthdays & Anniversaries, Upcoming Events 3 Calendar of Events 4 October Volunteer Schedule 5 Worship Schedule/Council Members 7
In Our Prayers Stacey Beyer (member), Gail Peterson (member), Judy Johnson (member) Pastor Bill Nelson (member), Bev Nelson (member), Kathy Dougherty (member), Tom VanWyngarden (uncle of Lynn Love), Kristine Stevens (daughter of Doug & Ann Hoover), Sarah Banks (daughter of Kathy Dougherty), Lane Forrester (friend of David & Linda Book), Peggy Camp (sister of Judy Clark), Kenny Heffelfinger (brother of Ron & Lorie Heffelfinger), Loren Swanson (friend of Craig & Gail Peterson), Lisa Newman Book (friend of Craig & Gail Peterson), Kim Menke (friend of Julie Clark), Ava Beck, Max Hendrix (grandson of friend of Kathy Dougherty) & Baby Cohen We continue to pray for those in care facilities or homebound Margaret Stahl, Dee Fransen, Rose Dahlstrand, Frank Johnson & Mary Lagerstam And for those serving away from home Addison Haas, Jake Jenkins, Jason Hoover, Neal Leonard & Christian Richards Thank You! On Sunday, September 9, 2018, we gathered at Pecatonica Forest Preserve for the First Lutheran Church Picnic & Rally Day. We worshiped together, cooked lots of burgers and hot dogs, shared delicious potluck dishes, played games and finished off the day with many games of Bingo with everyone a winner! Our turnout was great with 66 in attendance and some of our friends from the Pecatonica Fire Department joined us for the day. It was a fun time being together and enjoying God s creation all around us in the park. Thanks to everyone who came out for the day and big THANKS to our Outreach committee members and spouses who were there to make this event a success. Craig Peterson Thank You! Thanks again to everyone who donated to the Lutheran World Relief Fall Ingathering. We assembled 42 Health Kits, 10 Baby Care Kits, and a record 201 School Kits under the Outreach Committee's God's Work Our Hands program. A special thank you to Martha Ebbesmeyer for figuring out the on line information and printing tracking labels for every box. Through this computer program, Lutheran World Relief will tell us exactly where our kits are sent! We are looking forward to seeing in which countries our items end up! Thanks Martha for putting First Lutheran "on-line"! Page 2 THE VOICE OF FIR ST L UTHER AN
October Celebrations ~ Birthdays & Anniversaries Anniversaries Birthdays 113151715212328- Sarah Dougherty Margaret Stahl Coni Stein Dolly Mathias John Peterson Shawn Pattison Luke Zimmerman Gerald Osowski Bev Nelson Delores Fransen 46815- Joshua & Cindy Merrick David & Teri Buzzard Doug & Stacey Beyer Jim & Janis DeWall Upcoming Events Monday, October 1 Council Meeting ~ 7 pm Tuesday, October 9 Worship & Music ~ 5 pm Thursday, October 11 Men s Group Breakfast ~ 6 am Friday, October 12 Friday Night Fish Fry! Thursday, October 25 Hope/Charity ~ 12:30 pm Hostess ~ Susan Enzenbacher Sunday, October 28 Reformation Sunday! Wednesday, October 31 Happy Halloween! Page 3 T H E V O I C E O F F IR ST L U T H E R A N
Page 4 THE VOICE OF FIR ST L UTHER AN
Page 5 THE VOICE OF FIR ST L UTHER AN
First Lutheran Church 627 Taylor Street P. O. Box 540 Pecatonica, Illinois 61063 (815) 239-2390 firstluthpec@gmail.com Copy of Church Council minutes are posted each month on bulletin board in foyer Putting Christ First! We express our deepest sympathy to the family of Doug and Ann Hoover upon the passing of their nephew, Trevor Haas. Just a reminder that daylight savings time ends on Sunday, November 4 Worship Schedule & Council Members Every Sunday at 9:00 am Sunday School at 10:30 am Pastor Nord Swanstrom (815) 520-5026 7308 Tunbridge Court Roscoe, Illinois 61073 (815)885-3647~home Mark Jensen Council President (815) 520-3024 Mike Durand Vice President (815) 239-9996 Sherri Wurster Secretary (815) 335-2855 Sallie Morgensen Treasurer (815) 222-2638 Janis DeWall (815) 703-1772 Bob Ebbesmeyer (815) 54-2182 Sue Eckburg (815) 239-2198 Craig Peterson (815)871-2085 Kent Peterson (815) 964-0952 Brett Zimmerman (815) 541-6510 David Zumdahl (815) 988-7959