LEAVES FROM THE FOREST WHAT I HAVE MISSED AND PERHAPS WHAT YOU HAVE MISSED! June 2018 Sunday Worship 9:30 am Communion 2nd & 4th Sunday of each month Sunday School 10:45 am Bible Class 11:00 am Sunday Worship and Bible Class Closed Captioned for the Hearing Impaired Pastor: Rev. Glenn E. Fischer Founding Pastor: Rev. Milton Lehr Church Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (352) 683-9731 forestoakslutheran.com Food Pantry - Tuesday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Not To Be Missed: June Servant Schedule 2 Summer Break 2 Vacation Bible School 2 Financial Reports 3 Women s Guild & LWML 4 Quilting for Charity 5 Church Life Ministry 6 Food Drive Pictures 7 Memorial & Honor Gifts 8 Librarian Wanted 8 Birthdays/Anniversaries 10 Hurricane Season 10 Calendar 11 I have missed going to church for the past two months, not because I wanted to but because of breaking my hip and leg. I have always done things in a big way, this was not the BIG I wanted. I missed being with the fellowship of believers. I missed hearing the Pastor s voice. I missed singing the hymns and participating in the liturgical setting. I missed the choir and their beautiful voices rendering praise to God. I missed the readings by various members of our church. I missed the sermons, whether lengthy of short, they always give me something to think about all week. I missed the prayers of the congregation and those people who need our prayers from the Food Pantry. I missed the Communion Service. I missed the distribution hymns. I just missed the church. I missed the fellowship with coffee and cake and the genuine interest of those asking how you are. I missed the Bible Study classes. You would miss them too if you attended every week. I missed reading the Sunday Bulletin which gives us all directions for the week. What can I say, just that I Missed Being With All Of You. Now on the mend, I will try to make it most Sundays and continue to pray for this wonderful congregation. I will be attempting to walk without the walker soon and then driving my car. Just make sure when you see me behind the wheel, to give a little more room. God love you all and take time to pray for Forest Oaks Lutheran Church and Pastor Fischer. Goodness and mercy all my life Shall surely follow me, And in God s house for evermore, My dwelling place shall be. Norma Karpiscak From the Editor: Happy Father s Day! Congratulations graduates! Happy Summer! The calendar seems rather bare at this time of year when some of our groups are on summer break. God never takes a break from us, so this summer share with others His love for everyone. The newsletter needs your articles and pictures! Please email them to folc25news@outlook.com. For those unable to email, you may place it in the newsletter box behind the church office. The deadline for the July newsletter is June 17.
Page 2 LEAVES FROM THE FOREST SERVANT SCHEDULE FOR JUNE Serving on Altar Guild: Thelda & Roman Parks Christine Henson Marge Pritchard Suzanne Hanson Serving as Ushers: Mary Angrisani Louise Hirsch Darleen Keck Thelda Parks Serving as Lay Readers: June 3: Lil Heier June 10: Keith Higgins June 17: Norma Miller June 24: Marge Pritchard Serving as Counters: Darleen Keck Louise Hirsch Serving as Greeters: Alma Martin Roy Martin As you fulfill your commitment to serve, you are fulfilling God s words in 1 Peter 4:10: Each one should use the gift he received to serve others, faithfully administering God s grace in its various forms. Thank you. May God continue to bless you as you serve. Our choir and handbell choir are taking their summer break. We want to give them a big thank you for their contribution in making our services so beautiful and praising the Lord through music. Thank you to the Choir Director, Jocelyn Fischer and to Skip Guthrie for directing the Handbell Choir. We look forward to their return. The Craft Group is also taking a summer break. Watch for the date when they resume. Plans are underway for this year s exciting Vacation Bible School to be held July 16-20 from 9:00am to noon. It should be a fun time for children and volunteers alike as we become superheroes with the theme Hero Central: Discover Your Strength in God. This year our children (ages 4-12) will be divided into groups by age rather than mixing ages as we have in the past. Registration forms are available at the Welcome Center and on our Website and Facebook page. We especially need group leaders who can guide the children through the various stations each day, plus there are other areas in which you can serve. We can use everyone s help. If you can help full or part time, please sign up at the Welcome Center. Please prayerfully consider becoming a Superhero volunteer and ask God to guide our efforts to bring children to Christ and teach them about Jesus. This outreach to our community is so important in today s environment. Our superhero volunteers will be meeting again on June 3 rd immediately following worship. Please come and join us!
Forest Oaks Lutheran Church April 2018 Financial Reports General Fund Operations Income $25,892 Disbursements $22,392 Year-to-Date Accounting Income $103,189 Disbursements $85,241 Budget $88,140 Debt Reduction Loan Principal $3,133 Additional Principal $710 Year-to-Date Loan Activity Principal $12,451 Additional Principal $4,385 Loan Balance (June 1) $306,231 Accounting Fund Balances General $54,231 Needy Family $202 Memorial Garden $2,642 Endowment $23,985 Major Repair Income $4,149 Major Repair Balance $22,435 Financial Report - April Income for April was very good as we usually do when there are five Sundays. Expenses were high due to a quarterly insurance payment. We also had to have a sprinkler company to come in and set up the system. There were several nonworking sprinklers and most of the others needed adjustments. Major Repair and Replacement Fund income was very good and helped to make up for a couple of inadequate months. Any questions, please contact Jesse Ward at 352-585-5194. LEAVES FROM THE FOREST Page 3 Our Worship Services Attendance Were you among these? March Sunday Services 2017 184 167 154 160 Ash Wednesday 100 Lenten 76 72 56 50 2018 178 152 143 181 Lenten 7 58 14 21 56 46 Maundy Thursday 77 Good Friday 81 April Sunday Attendance Easter 2017 173 173 164 164 243 Maundy Thursday 75 Sunrise 75 Good Friday 115 Easter 2018 157 154 162 159 219 and Sunrise 46 Listed below are the number of Communicants who worshipped at God s Altar in 2018 to receive Christ s body and Blood. March 11 148 Maundy Thursday 76 April 1 Easter 211 April 8 150 April 22 154 Pastor s 2018 Bible Class Mar 28 21 21 Apr Easter 16 Sunday School Mar 9 6 9 6 Apr 8 6 11 12 11 Body and Soul Class meets at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Page 4 The Women's Guild had its last meeting before our summer break. After a wonderful devotion by Lil Heir, we had a short business meeting. We celebrated Birthdays and discovered a new Anniversary song by Karen Postel. It was announced that all Officers and Committee Chairmen will meet on Wednesday, August 15 th, at 10am in the conference room to develop the 2018 & 2019 Calendar. Pastor Fischer conducted the LWML Installation of Women's Guild President, Bonnie Wright and Treasurer, Darleen Keck. We sat back, passed out the popcorn and watched a LEAVES FROM THE FOREST very Inspirational Movie called Dinner with a Perfect Stranger. After we wiped our tears, we joyfully went to a great lunch provided by the Guild. See you in the fall with a new calendar of events. Your President, Bonnie Wright 2018 LWML FL-GA DISTRICT CONVENTION INFORMATION SHEET Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside Orlando, FL September 28-30, 2018 STRENGTHENED. HELPED. UPHELD. The convention theme Strengthened. Helped. Upheld is based on Isaiah 41:10; Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. SPEAKERS: Keynote Speaker: Rev. William Weedon, Director, LCMS Worship; LWML Representative: LWML President Patti Ross; Mites in Action Speakers: Rev. Dr. Robert Roegner, Board Chairman and Mrs. Kristi Roegner, Apple of His Eye Mission Society. REGISTRATION: Registration forms will be available in the Summer Evangel. Early registration will be $160 MUST BE postmarked on or before June 30, 2018. Regular registration will be $195 MUST BE postmarked on or before August 31, 2018. Late registration will be $215 MUST BE postmarked on or before September 7, 2018. Pastors OR Young Woman Representatives $95 There will be NO online registration or payment available. There are THREE MEALS included in the registration fee: Saturday lunch and banquet, and Sunday breakfast. Sign up for the Convention at the Welcome Center. Need directions? These days, online map services can tell you how to get to just about any destination. Yet even these sites make no guarantees. Disclaimers absolve them of responsibility if the directions run awry. These directions are for planning purposes only, one site warns. You may find that construction projects, traffic, weather or other events may cause conditions to differ from the map results, and you should plan your route accordingly. Fortunately, the Bible has no such disclaimers. God s Word always gets us where we need to go. In fact, when the unexpected happens, that s when Scripture is at its best!
LEAVES FROM THE FOREST Page 5 QUILTING FOR CHARITY June is here! After the cold winter, the surviving flowers and plants seem more beautiful and vivid than ever. God s creation is rejuvenated and His love for His children is more evident than ever. How appropriate that we should honor our fathers this month, especially our Heavenly Father! On Father s Day, let s thank Him for his ever-lasting love. May has been as busy as ever for the quilters. Though you may not see many photos of our accomplishments this month, we have many quilts on the verge of completion. Lynn and I were travelling for a week in May so I was unable to shoot photos on May 14 th. I will make up for it next month, God willing. We planned to celebrate Suzanne s birthday at our May 7 th session but unfortunately, she was ill. We will wish her a belated Happy Birthday as soon as she returns. Barb s Blue & White Sudoku Quilt Our Father Dani s Cute Creatures Baby Quilt Above are the finished quilts we put away during the past month. If you would like to be a part of what we do, stop in any Monday afternoon between 1:00 and 4:00. The Fellowship Hall will be abuzz with the sound of chatting voices, the hum of sewing machines and the clipping of scissors. You can help out no matter what skills, or the lack thereof, you may possess. There is always room for you, or, for you and a friend. We will be looking for you. May God Bless You! Karen ~Don t Forget God~ Robert Brault said, A vacation trip is one-third pleasure, fondly remembered, and two-thirds aggravation, entirely forgotten. Much of the hassle involved with getting away comes from packing. What do we need? How can we save space? Where are the items we haven t used since the last vacation? Inevitably, we forget something sunscreen, umbrella, diapers. Vacationers miss these items almost immediately and quickly replace them. Do we also often forget the Bible at home? Do we leave our prayer and worship routines behind? Do we take a vacation from our faith? We may not notice those missing items as quickly, but they re crucial nonetheless. God never schedules a getaway from us. This summer, take a vacation with God, not from God. We believe our members should be involved in the study of God s Word. Sunday Morning (following fellowship) Pastor Fischer s Bible Study Thursday Morning 9:00 am Body and Soul Bible Class
Page 6 LEAVES FROM THE FOREST When it comes to fathers as with anything earthly, they are not perfect. Even the best dad in the world is only human and marred by sin. But we have a Father who is perfect - our heavenly Father, our God. When He makes a promise, you can be sure He will do it. It s a sure thing. You can bank on it! When you read His Book, the Bible, you can read about all the promises He has made. And here s the good news, all of His promises are yes and Amen in Christ Jesus! That means if we find a promise He has made in His Word, we can stand on it, believe, receive it, and in faith expect it to happen. For God is not a man that He should lie. But we must have faith. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Hebrews 1:6 - It s not just about giving money. It s about giving everything. God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God s many kinds of blessings. 1 Peter 4:10 NALC Food Drive: Our annual Post Office food drive was a huge success. We collected approximately two hundred and twenty-five boxes which equates to 6,750 pounds of non-perishable food items. We are hopeful this will keep us supplied for a few months. Thanks to everyone who came to help us. Pastor Fischer was kind enough to cook hot dogs and burgers for the volunteers. Fourth of July Picnic: We will have our annual picnic after church on July 1 st. Beverage, hamburgers and hot dogs will be furnished. Nothing is better than a potluck, so we will have a sign-up sheet at the Welcome Center for you to sign up for a dish and attendance. We are trying something different this year; we will also list jobs to help in the fellowship hall and kitchen. Please take a moment to select a chore so we can all enjoy the day. BODY AND SOUL FOOD MINISTRY NEEDS: cereal (lots of it) saltine crackers canned soup peanut butter jelly bars of soap canned chili and canned beef stew canned yams toilet paper canned sloppy-joe mix pancake mix plastic bags canned fruit canned potatoes Volunteers Spaghetti-os or canned spaghetti We do not need egg cartons. In April, we served 343 families with a total of 884 people. Of these, 242 were children and 258 were seniors (65 and over). There were 299 repeat families and 44 new families. The families that we served in April came from the following zip codes: 34601 22 34606 107 34609 54 34614 10 34602 3 34607 22 34610 6 34667 1 34604 7 34608 74 34613 34 Homeless 3 Please remember our food ministry when you shop and in your prayers. Thank you for your continued support.
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Page 8 LEAVES FROM THE FOREST Memorial and Honor Gifts - through May 20, 2018 Praise God for blessing us through those He s placed in our lives! With Gifts in Memory and Gifts in Honor, you demonstrate your love and appreciation for someone, while contributing to drawing people to Christ and expanding the reach of the Gospel through various ministries at Forest Oaks. GIFTS IN MEMORY: A memorial gift is a meaningful way for you to celebrate the life of a dear one who has passed on, or express to their family how much they meant to you. We extend our deepest sympathy to families who have recently lost loved ones. Hoping all things that made your loved one a special gift from God will forever bless your life in beautiful memories. God is our refuge and strength...psalm 46:1. In Memory of: Contribution for: Given By: Donald Bearden, D.O. Future Maintenance Ms. Jackie Bearden Gussie Garbinski Future Maintenance Ms. Mary Angrisani Gussie & Gene Garbinski Pastor Visitation Ms. Nancy Stentz Patti Hammond Future Maintenance Anonymous, Mr. & Mrs. Derald Kading, Ms. Darleen Keck, Mr. & Mrs. Lynn Postel, Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Ward Security System Anonymous Sunday School Ms. Jodell Burgdorf John Karpiscak Future Maintenance Ms. Norma Karpiscak John McPhillips, Jr. Food Pantry Ms. Kathleen Guarante Mary Ann Mielke Future Maintenance Mr. & Mrs. John Eicher Our Mothers Future Maintenance Mr. & Mrs. Roy Martin Ernest & Glenda Stoldt Future Maintenance Unknown GIFTS IN HONOR: An honor gift marks a special occasion or acknowledges someone who has had a significant impact in your life or to praise God for His blessings. It s a great idea for birthdays or anniversaries, or just as a way to say thanks. In Honor of: Contribution for: Given By: Orville Carrow for service to our Lord through his crosses (John 3:16) General Fund Anonymous Pastor & Jocelyn Fischer Future Maintenance Ms. Norma Karpiscak Norma Karpiscak Future Maintenance Unknown My brother Hans Mutschler Future Maintenance Ms. Margot Hoyt Dee Sowllles & Bobbie Braun (our mothers) Future Maintenance Mr. & Mrs. Mike Braun Our church library is lonesome and in need of someone to care for it. If you are interested in becoming our volunteer church librarian, please see Lyla in the church office or Judy Ward. Thank you for prayerfully considering this opportunity to use your time and talent in sharing Christ s love in the service of your congregation.
If you know of a FOLC member, a family member or friend who is ill or in the hospital, please let the church office (352-683-9731) and Marilyn Nibert (352-683-0023) know right away. The names will be placed on the Prayer List for one month and will be removed if the office or Marilyn is not updated. Our Church Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (Monday is Pastor s Day off) *Hours may vary occasionally. PLEASE NOTE: The church office is closed Saturday and Sunday. If you call on these days, you will get our answering machine. No one will answer the phone, so please leave a message and your call will be returned on Monday....be aware of the groups meeting in the Fellowship Hall and Conference Room. It is very important to check with the Secretary in the church office before you schedule a meeting or event. Our members always take precedence over the outside groups/ organizations that meet here. We just have to be sure and alert them to any changes that have to be made. Another reason for checking first before scheduling is that you may not be aware of another church meeting or activity that is already on the calendar. Thank you for your kind consideration and cooperation in the scheduling process! ATTENTION! All articles for the weekly Bulletin and slides MUST be in by 1:00PM on Wednesday if you want it included for that week. Please send or give your item to Lyla in writing. Thank you. June 17 LEAVES FROM THE FOREST Page 9 Lyla, our church secretary, is a Notary Public and can notarize your documents. There is no charge for this service, but PLEASE CALL first, if you want her to notarize something for you, to make sure she will be in the office and have her notary seal with her. Please let us know if your address, email address or phone number has changed. If you have an e-mail address, please send an email to our office: folcoffice2@tampabay.rr.com and your name will be added to our email contact list. That way we can let you know of sick members and cancellations of church activities. You can also get our newsletter and send in any prayer requests or information to the church. Please Notify the Church Office When You or a member of your family is hospitalized You have a change of address Your phone number has changed Your email address has changed You want to use the conference room for a meeting Your board or committee changes a meeting date or time Members of your family are students attending school away from home or are living at a different address Your help with all of the above is very much appreciated! We are still collecting the following items: 1. UPCs from Campbell s soup labels. The Sunday School gets free stuff for all we send in. 2. Used ink cartridges 3. Used eyeglasses 4. Coupons for Food Pantry 5. Labels for Education 6. Aluminum cans for F.O.C.U.S. 7. Box Tops for Education* 8. Aluminum Tabs from soda cans* Containers are next to the double doors or in the hallway that leads to the Fellowship Hall. *Donation boxes are at the Welcome Center.
Page 10 LEAVES FROM THE FOREST June Birthday* Blessings to: 03 Carolyn Martin 04 Phyllis Kuehn 05 Lynn Postel 06 Nolan Huseby 07 Debbie DiCono 08 Dorothy Abel JoDell Burgdorf 09 Barb Mourand Warren Schauer 10 Duane Caflisch 19 Robert Lineback 21 Mary DeCarlo 22 Eric Mutschler 24 Kimberly Lineback 25 Hank Hansen 28 Edna Heilmeyer 29 Dennis Dix June Anniversary* Blessings to: 03 Steve & Terri Arndt 04 Orville & Gloria Carrow 07 Mary DeCarlo & Barry Robinson 08 Gary & Ellouise Emke 10 Andrew & Sloan Fischer Ernest & Audrey Stead 20 David & Carole Kaminske 27 Hank & Joan Rullman May the Lord be with you always And as years go passing by, May your happiness keep growing And your blessings multiply. God Bless your day! * If you don t see your birthday or anniversary listed or you prefer not to have the date included please contact the church office. Call, email, or write it down and leave it in Lyla s box in the hallway. Thank you. We received no notifications of any graduations. We pray for all of our schools and their graduates that God will continue to richly bless them. After church 2018 Storm Names Alberto Helene Oscar Beryl Isaac Patty Chris Joyce Rafael Debby Kirk Sara Ernesto Leslie Tony Florence Michael Valerie Gordon Nadine William Sign up at the Welcome Center
10 Mites Sunday 17 Father s Day 24 John the Baptist 25 Augsburg 14 Flag Day 1 Hurricane S U N D A Y M O N D A Y T U E S D A Y W E D N E S D A Y T H U R S D A Y F R I D A Y S A T U R D A Y 3 Worship-9:30am Fellowship after service Sunday School-10:45am Bible Class-11:00am Worship-9:30 am ** Fellowship after service Sunday School-10:45am Bible Class-11:00am Name Tag Sunday Worship-9:30am Fellowship after service Sunday School-10:45am Bible Class-11:00am Newsletter Deadline Worship-9:30 am ** Fellowship after service Sunday School-10:45am Bible Class-11:00am 4 **Holy Communion will be celebrated at this service Quilters-1:00pm 11 Quilters-1:00pm 18 Quilters-1:00pm Confession Quilters-1:00pm 5 TOPS-8:00am Food Ministry-9:00am 12 TOPS-8:00 am Food Ministry 9:00 am Finance Meeting-9:00am AARP 12:00-3:00 pm 19 TOPS-8:00am Food Ministry-9:00am 26 TOPS-8:00am Food Ministry-9:00am SH Garden Club-1:00pm 6 W.I.S.E-6:30pm 13 W.I.S.E-6:30pm 20 Lunch Bunch 12:30pm W.I.S.E-6:30pm 27 Forest Oaks Lutheran Church Care Ministry-1:00pm W.I.S.E-6:30pm 7 Body & Soul Bible Study 9:00am Body & Soul Bible Study 9:00am AARP 12:00-3:00 pm Accordion Club-1:00pm 21 Body & Soul Bible Study 9:00am Produce drop-9:00am 28 Body & Soul Bible Study 9:00am Accordion Club-1:00pm Season Begins H.C.I.G. Mtg.-6:30 pm 8 Illinois Club-12:30pm 2 9 15 16 22 23 29 30 10:00am