September 2012 Volume 70, Number 8 ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN CHURCH 371 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109 www.stpaulswethersfield.org (860) 529-5397 MINISTRY LEADERSHIP & STAFF SUPPORT PASTOR Rev. Hugh R. B. Haffenreffer Office: (860) 529-5397 Cell Phone: (860) 966-7360 pastorh@stpaulswethersfield.org OFFICE MANAGER Janet Vasel janet@stpaulswethersfield.org COUNCIL PRESIDENT Julie Perry jperry@stpaulswethersfield.org COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT William Fischer, Jr. bfischer@stpaulswethersfield.org COUNCIL SECRETARY Debbie Viola debviola@stpaulswethersfield.org TREASURER Roy Lewis roy@roylewiscpa.com FINANCIAL SECRETARY/BOOKKEEPER Mary Procyk mprocyk@stpaulswethersfield.org MINISTER OF MUSIC Melissa Cheyney COORDINATOR OF SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL Cathy Evans IT S GOOD TO BE BACK There s a saying in Latin, Tempus it et tamquam mobilis aura volat. Literally: Time goes and like a moving breeze it flies. Or as we might say in English, Time flies when you are having fun. During these last three months, while I was on my sabbatical, time indeed flew by; and while my sabbatical was not a long vacation, I did have moments of fun. What did you do on your sabbatical? When I left in May it was with the knowledge that I would not be spending my time accomplishing any specific task or project, such as creating a new program to be implemented upon my return. This gave me the freedom to spend my time focusing on what God was calling me to do in the moment, listening to the voice and movement of the Holy Spirit without any preconceived ideas or obligations. In other words, my focus for the last three months was not on doing but on being. And believe me this proved very fruitful. At first it was a bit disorienting to have this much unstructured time. Not having to be anywhere at a specific time, having no initial agenda other than to rest and unwind, felt foreign. It was a real challenge not to pick up the phone and find out how things were going. But I knew that under the leadership of Pastor Hawksley St. Paul s was in good hands and I could detach for a time. What did you learn on your sabbatical? Over the next few months, I will share some of the things I learned and the changes I wish to make in my ministry. Do to limits of space, I ll begin by sharing one learning experience: One of the things I promised myself was that I would attend worship whenever possible. While I didn t bat 1000, I did attend a variety of worship services while away. Among the things I re-learned was that it can be very intimidating for a visitor to attend a church service for the first (or even second) time. Being a stranger in a community where people already know each other (and have their comfort levels and boundaries well established) felt... strange. This was especially true in larger congregations where it was easier for me to be anonymous. I loved singing the hymns, hearing the lessons, and listening to the sermon (although I rarely heard the Gospel of Jesus preached.) Yet I often felt as if I could have parked my car, entered the church, attended worship, poked around the fellowship area, returned to my car and driven away without anyone noticing. Maybe it was me, or perhaps the congregation was having a bad day, but I rarely felt welcomed as a visitor. Lip service was paid (during the announcements, for example), but it often felt canned. Other than the Passing of the Peace it was rare for someone to actually look me in the Worship Schedule: Sept. 2: 9 AM - Starting Sept. 9: Worship at 8 &10:30 AM; Sunday Church School at 10:30 AM
eye and shake my hand in other words, to make me feel welcomed. Again, maybe it was me. Hmmm. The exception to this experience came when I attended a smaller congregation attended by my neighbor. It was because of my neighbor that I felt truly welcomed. While the congregation was much smaller, the preaching not that great, and the liturgy rather confusing, the welcome was a lot more real. I would go back there again... if I knew my neighbor would be attending, that is. All this made me wonder: how are we doing at St. Paul s? More importantly, since this is something I can actually change, how am I doing as St. Paul s pastor? When a visitor is brave enough to attend our service, do I make them feel as if I am truly glad that they are here? Do I intentionally overcome my inherent shyness believe it or not, I can be uncomfortably shy by nature and reach out to them, take an interest in their story, and welcome them as if I were welcoming Christ himself? Welcoming the stranger is an art, it takes discipline, and it s our calling. I would like to explore with any who would be willing to join me what it means to truly welcome the stranger. What can we do together to turn that potentially strange experience into a life-affirming, loving embrace. This is not a new conversation. But, now that I ve been on the other end of it, it is one that I would like to revisit. I think we can do better. I know I can. Again, it s great to be back. And I do have more to share... later. Pr. Hugh From the desk of Pastor R. Maureen Hawksley: It has been an honor, joy and privilege to serve you as Acting Pastor here at St. Paul s these past three months May 16 - August 12, 2012. Working together to carry out the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in this place has been a special blessing. You are a wonderful, Spirit-filled congregation and I look forward to our ongoing relationship as fellow congregants here at St. Paul s. May our Lord continue to bless you all and this congregation with His love and grace. Love and God Bless, Pastor R. Maureen Hawksley ST. PAUL S NEWS OF PEOPLE IN THE PEWS Oh my goodness, where did the summer go? Are you all saying the same thing? I know our summer was spent running between West Haven, Newington and back home with Les going to doctor visits. Once again, we thank you all for your prayers, cards, food, monetary help and good wishes. You are the best. So here we are in September with lots going on. Welcome back, Pastor Hugh and Marvin!! We missed you both and hope you are both rested and refreshed. Did Marvin gain any weight from eating too many cookies? I would have, I know that! Pastor Maureen held down the fort admirably and we all thank her for her care and dedication to all of us. Make sure you save the dates for the concert by Amalgamated Muck and also October 13th at 6:30pm for a potluck and a speaker from The Muslim Coalition. Details will be in the October edition of the epistle. This is just a HEADS UP so you know about it and can save the date. We hope to see many of you at both events. We had some new folks drop in over the summer and hope they will return and join our congregation. Anita Jones and her familyfriends of Missy and we had Jessica and her daughter Kayley who have just moved to Newington. There may have been others that I missed but I hope not. I am so proud of all of you for welcoming them and making them feel comfortable and answering their questions. Welcome back from your vacations and I pray you are all well and getting revved up for all the opportunities presented to us as active and grateful members of St. Paul s in Wethersfield. Send me your news so we can add them to our newsletters. I would like to make a thank you note to Carol Bruce for showing the Thursday morning group the adorable pillow cases she has made for our Fall Fair and giving us instruction on the assembly. Winnie and I have been having fun finding cotton fabric patterns to make these standard sized cases. In addition Paster Hawksley has volunteered to help Debbie Viola, assemble Friendship Soup jars on our August 9th meeting. In the meanwhile, Judi Lundeen, Carole Farley, Jan Pergande & Maryann Mead have been brewing up some absolutely delicious jams! Can t wait until the Fair! Love to you all. Emily at 860-563-5581 or emilyandles@cox.net or hand me a note in church. (I need a note or I forget!) and remember to PRAY FOR PEACE, EMILY September 2012 pg. 2
Holiday Fair Saturday, November 17, 2012-9 AM to 3 PM The Fair is quickly approaching. Please offer to bake and/or create a tasty treat for the Bake Shoppe Booth cookies, brownies, cakes pies etc. Please let Alice Ruppar or Winnie Sawrun know what you will be busy in your kitchen baking to add to the success of the fair. Any questions contact Alice Ruppar 860-721 6455 and thank you and we look forward to all the yummy treats! Volunteers are still needed! We will need help upstairs in Grandma s Attic before, during and after the fair. Please consider even a few hours of your time. NEW this year- We will be including clothing in Grandma s Attic. In addition to you gently used household items we will be accepting gently used clothing. NEW- We will also have a GIFT BASKET BOOTH. We will be accepting donated items that we can put into a basket or premade baskets either homemade or purchased. These baskets will be for sale at the fair. We are still accepting suggested charities to benefit from the proceeds. Please contact Debbie Viola or Bill Fischer, Jr. There will be a fair meeting Sept. 9th after the late service. Family Movie Night September 14, 2012-7:00 PM All are welcome! Bring a friend or two. FREE popcorn and a movie. Save the Date! Amalgamated Muck concert here at St. Paul s Lutheran Church Sunday September 30, 2012 at 3:00 PM Thank You As I sat on a hot Sunday in July, I began to think about my family at St. Paul s in the last year and before, and I would love to say thank-you to all for being my family in my need. I m waiting for the good news of my son to return from overseas, soon I hope, by the time this is printed. I am now looking at my daughter who will be going overseas where he came back from sometime at the end of August. I look back at my family during these times and they have been there always. In 2002 my wife and mother of my 3 children passed on. In last 10 years I have seen the three of them become great adults. At 13 and 15 that it was hard for Tim and Kim but big brother was always there and still is. JR thank-you. They graduated from high school with honors and went on to college and did the same thing there, graduating with honors and on the dean s list. GOD BLESS AMERICA. You have and will have my loves and BLESS THEM TO BE SAFE. As time went on, I also was blessed with 2 beautiful grandchildren Dylan and Rylee and, of course, my daughter-in-law Sarah who are my loves. I just want you all to know how I feel and how strong it is to be part of St. Paul s family. This is not like me to write but I found it was the time to do it. Also, thank-you to Alice, Jenn and Steph for also being there more than you can believe. Walter Ruppar September Birthdays: 10 Elizabeth Weston 11 Lois Woy 12 Gerry Caughman 13 Alice Ruppar 14 Patrick Farley 16 Kim Parsons 17 Carol Farley 18 Danielle DeBlois 18 Bernice Noeker 23 Patricia Scirocco 27 Judy Lundin 27 Heather Christiansen 27 Curt Leonard 28 Michaela Creevy 28 Debora Haffenreffer 30 Bruce Ashline 30 Franklyn Matteson III September 2012 pg. 3
NEW SCRIP FUNDRAISER: SAVE THE DATE Sunday Sept. 30, 2012 In between the services you will have the opportunity to participate in St. Paul s new fund-raiser. Throughout the month, information will be available in Fellowship Hall and on Sept. 30th we will be ready to launch this project. What Is Scrip? Scrip is a term that means substitute money. When you purchase scrip, you re purchasing negotiable gift certificates and prepaid cards that are used just like cash. You can use scrip to purchase everyday expenses like food, clothing, and other essentials, and with every purchase, you earn revenue for our organization. How scrip generates revenue for you The Great Lakes Scrip Center acts on behalf of churches, schools and other non profit organizations to purchase large amounts of scrip from grocery stores, department stores, and other retailers. Because the scrip is purchased with cash up front, the participating retailers offer a substantial discount. Our organization buys the scrip from Great Lakes Scrip Center at a discount, and re-sells the certificates to families like yours for full face value. The discount from two to fifteen percent or more is our organization s revenue. Scrip is shopping cart fundraising Scrip is a popular fundraiser because families don t have to sell anything. Organization members produce revenue by making regular household purchases they would make anyway. Groceries, clothing, toys, gifts, even gasoline can be purchased with Scrip. Find Out More Information is located in Fellowship Hall. Contacts: Deb Viola 860 529-5051 or Linda Anderson 860 659-4094 Greetings from Vacation Bible Camp We are having so much fun at camp this year and the weather is great. Thank you to Ellie Bengtson and the generous monetary donation to the camp in memory of her mother Norma Olson and many others whom donated their time, talents, and food. There were as many as 18 kids at onetime, a record for VBC here at St. Paul s. Also thank you to: Pastor Maureen, Mrs. Evans, Mr. & Mrs. Perry, Mrs. Cheyney, Mrs. DeBlois, Mrs. Viola, Mrs. Christensen, Mrs. Farley, Mrs. Mead, and Mr. Bill. They all help us learn more about God and his Son our Savior, Jesus Christ. Also thank you to all of the youth that helped us with our crafts, games, music, story telling, and keeping us safe from harm: Angela, Cameron, Celia, Erica, Jared and Roxanne. Thank you to our parents and care givers too, for letting us go to VBC this year and wait for next year!!. YEAH! With Love, Camp Kids Mom2Mom Sale Saturday, October 20, 2012-9 AM to 1 PM A Mom2Mom sale is where mom s can rent a table to sell their new and gently used items pertaining to maternity, infant through preteen clothes, toys, and miscellaneous to other moms, dads, grandparents from the general public. Shoppers can get a wide variety of clothes, toys, equipment and miscellaneous at a fraction of the cost of retail. New items from specialty vendors, also, such as, taggie blankets, tutus, hair bows, crayon wraps, baby carriers and much more. A Large Item Area is a great place for moms and dads to compare the condition, price and benefits of multiple similar items from strollers, high chairs, pack n plays and more that they need for new baby and growing families. This is a fundraiser for St. Paul s. We will be raising money through table/rack/large item fees, $1 admission charge, and light breakfast/lunch food sales. Funds raised will be used for Sunday School supplies and projects. This is also a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our church and what we offer to families in our community. We will have an informational table with picture boards and take away literature. We are currently seeking sellers. Please share our flyer (available in fellowship hall) with your family and friends. We also need volunteers for this event planning committee and/or day of the event. We need all kinds of volunteers to help with advertising, setup on Friday (day and/or evening), day of event tasks such as collecting admission, information table, food table, large equipment area, and clean up. Our first committee meeting will take place Wednesday, September 12th at 7 p.m. at the church. Please contact Cathy Evans for more details 860-478-6918 or email at cathyfevans@hotmail.com September 2012 pg. 4
Practice Peace Making Day Erica DeBlois The purpose of the Practice Peace Making Day was to help us find our call and how we could achieve peace and justice not only within ourselves, but also the community, and the world. There were so many activities you could participate in. Some people did a water challenge. This is where they carried a full jug of water around course mimicking the different terrain children encounter when retrieving water in Africa. It showed how difficult it is to do a simple task and get water. We take it for granted that we can turn on the faucet and immediately have water. That was also the day you could donate your hair to Children with Hairloss or donate blood. The hair donation is used to make wigs for children who have medically related hair loss. I chose to donate my blood along with Linda, Kaitlin, and Mark from Emanuel in Hartford. Angela, and Emily from Our Savior s in Newington both donated their hair. For both of them the new length was a shock but they quickly got used to it. Everyone that donated something that day felt moved to do it, whether it was blood or hair, we made a difference. That was the first time I d donated blood and it was exciting but scary at the same time. You had to wait in several lines while being processed. When it was finally my turn I was scared. I didn t watch the lady put the needle in my arm because I think I would have fainted. My buddy for the day was Maria from Emanuel in Hartford. Since the first day we sat down to dinner together we had become and still are close friends. Without her I don t think I would have made it through giving blood. She couldn t watch the lady put the needle in my arm either but after that she came over and held my hand, and got me through it. She was there for moral support and to act as a distraction. I don t honestly remember what we talked about but she distracted me, made me laugh and helped me accomplish what I had set out to do. It felt like a lifetime sitting in that chair but it really only was twenty minutes. In those twenty minutes I could help save someone s life. That feeling is one I ll never forget. Just pure happiness that I could help someone I don t even know. July 21, 2012 is a day I ll never forget. I was the 385th person to donate blood that day. Discipleship Day Celia Cheyney On Discipleship day we went to a hotel and we had some worship time in the ball room. Everyone that participated was from the New England Synod. We heard a lot of fantastic music from the bands that played and some very interesting speeches. During the service before communion they broke down a giant wall that was made of cardboard boxes, splitting us up. It was transformed into a huge cross that filled the middle of the room and was used as an altar for communion. Bishop Payne officiated at the service. Kaitlin was one of the 6 kids from our tri-church group that served as a communion assistant. After the service we split into groups according to our bracelet colors and we went through bits of the bible and looked at different stories. We also had time to get to know each other as well and it was very fun to learn where people came from and other things about them. I would like to thank St. Paul s for sending us all on this amazing trip. We all had a fantastic time and learned so much! CHURCH CHAPTERS Join us for Great Reading! Our book club, Church Chapters, is ready to begin a new year of terrific reading and interesting discussions! We meet the second Tuesday of each month to talk about that month s book selection. Books are gathered and made available to borrow from the Wethersfield Public Library a few weeks before we meet to discuss them. Our September meeting will be on September 11th at 6:30 at the home of Carole Hughes (41 Sunrise Terrace, Wethersfield). We hope you will consider joining us each month or for whatever month fits into your schedule. If you are able to join us in September or have any questions, please contact Sue Agne (860-563- 0776 or susanagne@yahoo.com). We hope to see you there!! September 2012 pg. 5
St. Paul s Members In Service for September 2012 AC O LY T E S : Linda Anderson, Coordinator, 659-4094 Sept. 2 - Kaitlin Anderson 9 AM 9 - Cameron Cheyney 16 - Angela Mihalick 23 - Jared Christensen 30 - Celia Cheyney F E L L O W S H I P H O U R H O S T S : Winnie Sawrun, Coordinator, 529-7588 Sept. 2 - Joanne & Allen Piscitello 9 - Pat Granger & Alan Niederfringer 16 - Pam Speno & Winnie Sawrun 23 - Carol Hopkins & Pat Scirocco 30 - Patty & Russ Bengtson A LTA R G U I L D : Linda Anderson, Coordinator, 659-4094 Sept. 2 - Debbie Howe 9 - Jennie Dotts 16 - Linda & Kaitlin Anderson 23 - Patty Bengtson 30 - Winnie Sawrun & Ann French F I N A N C E : Mary Procyk, Coordinator, 257-4793 Sept. 2 - Bob Bowman 9 - Debbie Viola 16 - Winnie Sawrun 23 - George Howe 30 - Heather Christensen A S S I S T I N G M I N I S T E R S : Sept. 2 - Emily Lourigan... 9 AM 9 - William Fischer, Jr....8:00 Mike Coyle...10:30 16 - Patty Bengtson...8:00 Jerry Vaillancourt...10:30 23 - Patty Bengtson...8:00 Mary Procyk...10:30 30 - Emily Lourigan...8:00 Kathy Coyle...10:30 C O M M U N I O N A S S I S TA N T S : Sue Agne, Coordinator, 563-0776 Sept. 2 - Lillian Doerschler 9 AM 9 - Sue Agne 16 - Dick Agner 23 - Joan Kratzer 30 - Carol Hughes L E C TO R S : Lillian Doerschler, Coordinator, 529-1939 Sept. 2 - Lillian Doerschler 9 AM 9 - Sue Agne 16 - Vicki Anderson 23 - Joan Kratzer 30 - Kaitlin Anderson U S H E R S : Brian Beckwith, Coordinator, 8 AM, 563-4066 September -... Brian Beckwith Louise Lostocco, Coordinator, 10:30AM, 529-3079 September -... William Fischer, Sr. & Mary Ann Mead 10:30 AM Ushers: Starting Sept. 9 TA P I N G : Jan Pergande, Coordinator, 644-2888 September. - Grace Durkin September 2012 pg. 6
SEPTEMBER 2012 EVENT CALENDAR SUN. MON. TUES. WED. THURS. FRI. SAT. Notes: Please note: Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival participants will be using our sanctuary for practice on Wednesday, Sept. 5 through Friday the 7th. 1 Confirmation classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 6 PM. Installation of our new bishop Rev. Jim Hazelwood, on Saturday, Sept. 29, Trinity, Worcester. Amalgamated Muck concert: Sunday, Sept. 30 at 2 PM. AA 7:30 PM 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Holy Comm. 9 AM Baptism: Natalee Simcik Labor Day Office Closed OA 7:30 PM AA 7 PM Choir Reh. 7:30 PM Recov. Bible Study 10 AM Thur. Group 10 AM AA 8 PM CA 7:30 PM AA 7:30 PM 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Holy Comm. 8 & 10:30 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Holiday Fair Meeting 12 PM "Church Chapters" Book Club: 6:30 PM OA 7:30 PM Bible Study 10 AM AA 7 PM Choir Reh. 7:30 PM Recov. Bible Study 10 AM Thur. Group 10 AM AA 8 PM Family Movie Night 7 PM CA 7:30 PM Epistle Deadline AA 7:30 PM 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Holy Comm. 8 & 10:30 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Confirmation Parents/Youth Meeting 12:30 PM OA 7:30 PM Holy Comm. 8 & 10:30 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Holy Comm. 8 & 10:30 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Concert 2-6 PM Bible Study 10 AM Confirmation Class 6 PM AA 7 PM Choir Reh. 7:30 PM Men's Breakfast 7:30 AM Recov. Bible Study 10 AM Thur. Group 10 AM AA 8 PM CA 7:30 PM AA 7:30 PM 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Parish Admin 6:30 PM Council 7:30 PM OA 7:30 PM Bible Study 10 AM Confirmation Class 6 PM AA 7 PM Choir Reh. 7:30 PM Recov. Bible Study 10 AM Thur. Group 10 AM AA 8 PM CA 7:30 PM Installation of Bishop Hazelwood, Trinity, Worcester 2 PM AA 7:30 PM
Saint Paul s Ev. Lutheran Church 371 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109 www.stpaulswethersfield.org What s inside: September 2012 Volume 70, Number 8 A Message from the Pastor pg 1 News of People in the Pews pg 2 Announcements & Birthdays pg 3 Scrip Fundraiser & Mom2Mom pg 4 Reflections on NOLA by Erica & Celia pg 5 Church Chapters pg 5 Members in Service pg 6 Calendar pg 7 Volume 70, Number 8 SEPTEMBER 2012