BUSINESS NAMEJ APRIL 2018 VOLUME 76 ISSUE 4 St. Paul s Epistle
A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR HUGH For me, Easter is... How might we finish that sentence? Nostalgically? Do we remember the times when we were children and hunted for colorful Easter Eggs? Seasonally? Do we welcome the waning of winter and the sure and steady unfolding of spring? Agnostically? Might we really not know what to believe about the claims of a dead man coming back to life nearly 2,000 years ago, let alone how that has anything to do with us, today? Faithfully? Do we find in this story our story? Have we joined in Jesus death, by dropping the weight of past wrongs and relinquishing our claim on being right all the time, in order to be swept up into the whirlwind of God s transforming, resurrecting love? Do we find in this story one that has set countless captives free from the tyrannies of sin, death and the demonic a source of power that melts away our fears and brings to us new life with its promise of perfect love? None of the above? All the above? Easter is many things to all of us, to be sure. To the first followers, it came as a shock, an unbelievable shattering of the reality that had shaped their lives up to that moment. The Gospel of Mark tells the story of the resurrection in a manner that has left many scratching their heads. It seems so incomplete, like it s missing the most important detail: a resurrected Jesus. Unlike the other gospels that have stories of the resurrected Jesus encountering the fearful and bewildered disciples, Mark s story ends with the women, who had gone to the Jesus tomb expecting to prepare his body for a proper burial, discovering it was empty and, alarmingly, finding a young man sitting where the body ought to have been. When he told them that Jesus was alive and instructed them to tell the others, they did quite the opposite. Mark tells us that they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror [literally trembling or quivering with fear] and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Yet, clearly, they must have. After all, nearly 2,000 years later we come together on Easter Sunday to celebrate the good news that that young man in the empty tomb shared with those women. They must have found in that very story they were told, the key to unlock the shackles of terror and amazement that had seized them. They had come to the tomb with clearly defined expectations: a stone that had to be moved; a body that had to be properly prepared; and profound grief that had to be endured. What they found shattered all of that. No stone, no body, and... wait for it... no need to grieve. It must have taken time for the implications of all that to sink in, but eventually it did. For they eventually told others. And like a chain reaction, the story spread and spread. During this Easter season, let us take time to ponder how we respond to the news, The Lord, is Risen. If we, unlike the women, are not are seized by amazement (if not, by a bit of trembling), then we haven t really grasped its implications. If Jesus could break the chains of his own death, what might he do for us? Pastor Hugh
APRIL ALTAR FLOWERS AND ETERNAL CANDLE APRIL 1ST: Easter Memorial Garden APRIL 8TH: Given to the glory of God and in loving memory of my father s brother and sister and in Thanksgiving for grandparents everywhere and in celebration of my Grandfather s birthday, Fred Gerken, born 1860 s and died 1935. APRIL 15TH: APRIL 22ND: APRIL 29TH: Given to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Arthur by Carol Bruce Given to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Chester Sawrun and Carole Bardons by Winnie Sawrun Given to the Glory of God by the Branciforte family APRIL ETERNAL CANDLE: Given to the Glory of God and in celebration of Elvira Ellie Koczka by Joe and Sue Koczka-Cardillo. APRIL GOSPEL READINGS APRIL 1ST: Mark 16: 1-8 APRIL 8TH: John 20: 19-31 APRIL 15TH: Luke 24: 36b-48 APRIL 22ND John 10: 11-18 APRIL 29TH John 15: 1-8 A VOLUNTEER IS NEEDED TO OVERSEE THE FELLOWSHIP AREA We are looking for someone to take over the Fellowship area since I will be moving out of state. Please call me or leave a message with Karen if you are willing to do this. Thanks to all on my teams who have been so good to take charge each week. I couldn't have done it without you. Love, Winnie OFFICE HOURS FOR KAREN Our office manager, Karen Landry, is in the office on the following days (some have asked so this will make it clearer for everyone): TUESDAY 8:00-2:00 WEDNESDAY 8:00-2:00 THURSDAY 8:00-12:00
ZACHARY S TABLE 5:00 PM TUESDAY, APRIL 17TH Join us for our free community monthly meal in Fellowship Hall MEN S BREAKFAST 7:30 AM APRIL 19TH Denny s Restaurant, Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield Join with the men of our congregation for food and fellowship! THE MAY EPISTLE DEADLINE IS APRIL 15TH 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 ST. PAUL S BOOK CLUB Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 10th at 6:30 PM at the home of Carol Bruce. We will be discussing the book, Everyman by Philip Roth since we were snowed out and couldn t meet in March. Know the title of a good mystery?? That will be our May genre and we are interested in some good titles! Please join us and please share! 2018 CHURCH DIRECTORY The new directory is just about ready to go to print! If your email has changed in the last year, please be sure to send the new contact information to Karen in the church office as soon as possible! Thanks! A NOTE OF THANKS FROM LOIS WOY Thank you to the Saint Paul s people for the prayers, the get-well cards and notes, and good wishes. They have brightened my days and hastened my recovery during the long winter months. I have recovered quite well but I m still unsteady on my feet. As soon as the flu scare is past, I hope to be seated in my pew on Sunday mornings. PASTOR HUGH WILL BE ON VACATION While Pastor is gone, the Rev. Tom Olson, brother of Mark and son of George and Alvera, a retired Lutheran Pastor, will be officiating and preaching on Sunday, April 22.
APRIL 2018 SUNDAY SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR APRIL APRIL 1STAPRIL 8THAPRIL 15THAPRIL 22NDAPRIL 29TH- EASTER SUNDAY No Sunday School BOOK DRIVE STOCK SALES are ongoing throughout the month. If interested in purchasing stock to support the youth trip to Houston, and you don't see them out, please talk with one of our youth: Autumn, Marina or Brenda. Thanks! The Youth are collecting books for the upcoming ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas. Please see the flyer in Fellowship Hall for a list of requested books. New or Gently Used A donation box will be available to collect the donations starting on Sunday, April 8th. Please contact Kim PLEASE JOIN US TO BID A FOND FAREWELL TO WINNIE SAWRUN On Sunday, April 15th we will have a reception for Winnie Sawrun after the late service. She is moving to Massachusetts and we will miss her so much! Please join us to share your good wishes with Winnie.
APRIL UPDATE ON OUR 75 TH ANNIVERSARY The Anniversary Committee continues with planning and fund raising for our special event to celebrate St. Paul s 75 th Anniversary. A big THANK YOU to all who supported our fundraiser in March-to all those who baked, made cookies, donated the themed baskets, and bought raffle tickets-you helped to make the event a huge success. We raised funds that will greatly help to defray costs for our celebration. INVITATIONS WILL BE MAILED IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. Please RSVP with your meal choice by the designated date! We are still looking for pictures to be included in our slide show showing the history of the church and all the great things that have happened here in 75 years! Pick an envelope off the 75 hanging near the kitchen and support this idea to raise some more funds. PLEASE CONTACT ANY COMMITTEE MEMBER WITH QUESTIONS OR TO HELP: Debbie Viola, Lynne Matteson, Doreen Matteson, JoAnna Hansen, Deb Howe, Missy Cheyney, Alice Ruppar, Sue Agne 75TH ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISER Beginning April 1st you will have the opportunity to take an envelope attached to the "75". Place the corresponding $ amount in the envelope and put it in the offering plate. This fundraiser will be used to help off set the cost of our 75th Anniversary Celebration. THANK YOU!
SPRING BASKETS RAFFLE Basket Raffle Update Thank you to all who participated! The baskets that were donated were creative and very well received. We raised $1,028 in ticket sales which will greatly help to defray the costs of our 75 th Anniversary Celebration! The winners of the baskets are: 1 Take Some Bunny Out to a Ball Donna Anderson Game (Pair of Red Sox tickets) 2 Basket Quilt Carol Bruce 3 Date Night (Gift Certificates to Village Sue Bengtson Pizza and The Flower Box/Avenue Florist) 4 $15 Gift Card to Great Clips Sophia Hatje 5 Teen Cosmetics Marie Moeira 6 Children s Books Deblois 7 Coffee/Tea Lovers Ann Fantone 8 Jams/Sauces Bill Fischer, Sr. 9 Movie Night Sophia Hatje 10 Tea Time Dorothy Hartland 11 Spring Garden Carole Hughes 12 Kids Art Supplies Sophia Hatje 13 Italian Night Barbara Clark 14 Little Chef Branciforte 15 Kids Fun Walter Ruppar 16 Dog Gone Fun Rylee Ruppar 17 Family Game Night Owen Powers 18 Kitchen Helpers William Fischer, Jr. 19 Backyard Birdwatcher Deb Howe 20 Tote-Ally Yours Connecticut Lynne Matteson Theme 21 Tote-Ally Yours Girl Basket Rylee Ruppar 22 Tote-Ally Yours Boy Basket Russ & Patty Bengtson 23 Arbonne Basket Debbie LePage Another BIG thank you to all who participated! 75 th Anniversary Committee
GOT PLARN??? Plarn? You ask. Well, it is plastic yarn Let me explain Basically, you cut plastic bags into strips and crochet them. Why would one crochet plastic bag strips? Stay with me here Believe it or not, to make a plastic sleeping mat!!! Yes, a plastic sleeping mat for the homeless. It is amazing!!! I actually saw one, and it blew my mind!!! It is soft, creates a barrier between the person and the ground, repels bugs, is lightweight, and if it gets wet, it just has to be shaken to dry. It takes about 500-600 bags to make one mat! I know that is a lot of bags and the reason for this advertisement. I am collecting shopping plastic bags. Any size, any color, any store, but they do have to be plastic. A labeled box is located in the coat area. So bring in all those plastic bags that are overtaking your kitchen or pantry, double bag when you go shopping, and instead of putting the plastic bags in the recycling bin at the store, bring them here to recycle. I am so excited about this project, and I thank-you for your help! ~ Susanne Farley ~
Pastor Bruce Benander was a beloved Pastor at St. Paul s for ten years. Below is his obituary that appeared in The Republican last week. Each of us who were here during his tenure have a special, fond memory of Pastor Bruce. Gift of Ministry Reverend Bruce Kenneth Benander was born on April 4, 1932 to Mary and Emery Benander in Boston, MA. His early family life was deeply challenged by poverty during the Great Depression. Bruce experienced his calling to the ministry at a young age, influenced by his grandfather, Reverend Anders Benander, pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Boston. Bruce graduated from Upsala College, a Lutheran school in East Orange, NJ, in 1953. Bruce graduated from Augustana Lutheran Seminary in 1957 and was ordained as a Lutheran Minister that same year. He met Joan Gustavson through Upsala s Chapel Choir and they were married from 1954-1984, during which time they shared the joy of raising three children, Lynn, Laurie and Mark. Pastor Bruce s first church was St. Paul s in East Chicago, IN. He started Lutheran Church of the Cross as a mission congregation in Arlington Heights, IL in 1960. He answered a call to St. Paul s Lutheran Church in Wethersfield, CT in 1964 for ten years, prior to becoming the pastor of Bethesda Lutheran Church in Springfield, MA, from 1974 to 1997. At age 65, Pastor Bruce decided he was not ready to retire.he spent the last 17 years of his ministry serving three churches in upper New York State: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Poestinkill, Zion Lutheran Church in Athens, and Trinity Lutheran Church in West Sand Lake. Pastor Bruce officially retired in 2014, celebrating 57 years of pastoral care with the Lutheran Church in America. During his tenure, Pastor Bruce was passionate about family life, social justice, civil rights, youth ministry and ecumenical work in all of the communities he served. Bruce married Marty Rhodes in 1987, celebrating 30 years of marriage in 2017. He is survived by his brothers, Carl Benander (wife Liu), and Donald Benander (wife Rhona Rothenburg). He is predeceased by two sisters, Virginia Benander and Emily Benander Culver, and a brother, Anders Benander (wife Eve). Bruce holds a special place of faith, laughter and love in the hearts of his wife, Marty, his five children: Lynn Benander (husband Dan Post), Laurie Benander Cirillo (husband Paul Cirillo), Mark Benander (wife MJ Hyndman Benander), Lindsey Lane Seiffert (partner Drew Schilling), and Shawn Lane (wife Heather Dupont) as well as Kathryn Lyndon (formerly Joan Gustavson). Bruce loved being a grandpa and a great grandpa, celebrating 12 grandchildren: Maya, Marjorie, Emily, Luke, Jeffrey, Isaac, Katie, Julian, Ali, Wil, Austin, and Gracelyn, and 4 great grandchildren: Louis, Miles, Diana and Dorothy. Bruce courageously battled Parkinson s disease which escalated this past year. In the last month of his life, we discovered he was also fighting lung embolisms, blood cancer and bone marrow cancer. Our family made the decision with Bruce in love to bring him home on hospice. Bruce enjoyed a steady stream of family and friends this past week, and we are especially grateful to those who helped us care for him. He passed away early Sunday morning, March 25, 2018. The family is committed to creating a green burial for Bruce, as was his choice. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, April 7, at 11:00 am at Our Savior s Lutheran Church in South Hadley, MA. All are welcome. Donations in Bruce s honor can be sent to Our Savior s Lutheran Church, 319 Granby Rd., South Hadley, MA 01075. We celebrate and cherish Bruce s love, exuberance for each day, laughter and mischievousness, booming voice and vibrant spirit. We are grateful for the inspiration he has been for so many people, in so many places, spanning so many years. May the peace that passes all understanding be with us all. Published in The Republican from Mar. 29 to Mar. 30, 2018
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FEBRUARY 2018 MEETING The council was introduced to Reverend Robert LaRochelle who will serve as Pastor at St. Paul s during Pastor Hugh s sabbatical in July, August and September. Russ Bengtson was approved to return to council. Council shared correspondence from members of the congregation who are opposed to a banner being placed in front of the church welcoming members of the LGBTQ community. Pastor shared his essay entitled Adopting a Spirit of Confession Church in Dividing Issues. When there are dividing opinions within our church, we need to lead into a conversation where we can work together, respect where people are coming from and grow. More conversations will follow among council members and additional resources will be obtained from Synod and other sources. Debbie Viola will be in charge of finance during Mary s absence from 3/7-3/29. Council is considering how best to replace the lock for the door leading into the building from the parking lot. Possibilities are a deadbolt lock with a keypad code. It was also suggested that we get a bell for the door so the office manager can hear when someone needs to come in. Jackie was able to get clarity between the cost difference in quotes for the new parking lot. The $8,000 quote includes breaking up the old lot down to the original surface. The $6,000 quote was just going to cover the existing crumbling parking lot.
APRIL 2018 AS SEEN RECENTLY AT ST. PAUL S BAKE SALE, COOKIE WALK & BASKET RAFFLE
APRIL 2018 AS SEEN RECENTLY AT ST. PAUL S PALM SUNDAY
UPCOMING EVENTS AT ST. PAUL S CHURCH CHAPTERS Tuesday, April 10th 6:30 PM Carol Bruce s Home MEN S BREAKFAST Thursday, April 19th 7:30 AM Denny s in Wethersfield ZACHARY S TABLE Tuesday, April 17th 5:00 PM WOMEN OF THE ELCA 2018 SPRING GATHERING SATURDAY, MAY 5TH 8:45-3:00 PM (SEE THE FLYER HANGING IN FELLOWSHIP HALL FOR DETAILS) ST. PAUL S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION JUNE 2-3, 2018 JUNE 2ND GATHERING IN FELLOWSHIP HALL JUNE 3RD ONE SERVICE AT 10:30 LUNCHEON AT WETHERSFIELD COUNTRY CLUB
April 2018 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1EASTER SUNDAY Family Sunday Worship: 8:00 & BREAKFAST: 8:30-10:30 2 3 4 10am AA 7pm AA CHOIR: 7:00 PM 5 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY 10:00am THURSDAY GROUP 6 7 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Worship: 8:00 & SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:30 6:30 CHURCH CHAPTERS 10am AA 7pm AA CHOIR: 7:00 PM 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY 10:00am THURSDAY GROUP 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 15 Worship: 8:00 & SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:30 OUTREACH 12:00 noon 16 17 5:00 ZACHARY S TABLE WORSHIP & MUSIC MTG 6:15 PM 1810am AA 7pm AA CHOIR: 7:00 PM 19Mens Brkfst 7:30 AM 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY 10:00am THURSDAY GROUP 20 21 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Worship: 8:00 & SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:30 7:00 PM PARISH ADMIN & COUNCIL MTG 10am AA 7pm AA CHOIR: 7:00 PM 10:00 AM RECOVERY BIBLE STUDY 10:00am THURSDAY GROUP 9am SALEM CHURCH 7:30 pm AA 29 Worship: 8:00 & SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:30 30 PASTOR HUGH WILL BE ON VACATION FROM APRIL 16TH-APRIL 23RD.
MEMBERS IN SERVICE - APRIL 2018 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE DATE APRIL 1ST EASTER APRIL 8TH APRIL 15TH APRIL 22ND APRIL 29TH ASSISTING MINISTER Donna Camillo Deb Viola Patty Bengtson Donna Camillo Patty Bengtson Mary Procyk Jerry Valliancourt Mary Procyk Bill Fischer, Jr. Jerry Valliancourt COMMUNION ASSISTANT Sue Agne Walter Ruppar Joan Kratzer Jerry Sue Agne READER Kylee Sartwell Jeanette Serafine Joan Kratzer Bill Fischer, Jr. Dave Bayek ALTAR GUILD 8:00 Deb Howe 10:30: Winnie Sawrun Mary Procyk MaryAnn Mead Bob Bowman & Bill Fischer, Jr. Jennie Dotts & Deb Howe Patty Bengtson Mary Procyk ACOLYTE Zach Parker Megan Creevy TBA TBA TBA COUNTER George Howe Lillian Doerschler Mary Procyk Helen Peterson Kathy DiMartino USHERS Deb Viola Bill Fischer, Jr. Mary Ann Mead Jerry Hansen Brian Beckwith Mary Ann Mead Curt Leonard Brian Beckwith Mary Ann Mead Curt Leonard Brian Beckwith Mary Ann Mead Curt Leonard Brian Beckwith Mary Ann Mead Curt Leonard FELLOWSHIP EASTER BREAKFAST Patty & Russ Bengtson Winnie Sawrun Mary Procyk Youth Group TAPING Heather Christiansen Heather Christiansen Heather Christiansen Heather Christiansen Heather Christiansen
WHERE AT ST. PAUL S CHURCH ARE WE? This month s scavenger hunt is a little different! This featured item will be easy to find. The hunt is to learn where it was recently found and what is its significance in St. Paul s history. The answer will be in the May Epistle. Answer to March Scavenger Hunt: These are the letters engraved on the standing gold cross on the altar. The letters are the first three letters for the Greek spelling of Jesus.
APRIL 2018 VOLUME 76 ISSUE 4 ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN CHURCH 371 WOLCOTT HILL ROAD WETHERSFIELD, CT 06109 860-529-5397 PASTOR: Rev. Hugh R. B. Haffenreffer Office: 860.529.5397 Cell: 860.966.7360 pastorh@stpaulswethersfield.org OFFICE MANAGER: Karen Landry Karen@stpaulswethersfield.org MINISTER OF MUSIC Melissa Cheyney SUPERINTENDANT OF SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL: Jennifer Baldoni 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