CONNECTIONS Living a life transformed by the Holy Spirit Inside this issue... Bible Study~Fall Line-up Financial Peace University Jr & Sr Youth Events Mission Sunday School Ministry Moments Sunday School Updates
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Anniversaries 2 Attendance 2 Bible Study ~ Fall Line-up 4 Birthdays 2 Calendar 11 Financial Peace University 8 Human Care 10 Intentional Thank You 8 Jr & Sr Youth Events 5 Mission Sunday 8 Stewardship Monthly 9 Pastor Jim s Message 3 School Ministry Moments 7 Special Thank You 3 Sunday School 4 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JULY ATTENDANCE 7/5 8:45 122 11:15 103 7/12 8:45 147 11:15 90 7/19 8:45 148 11:15 133 7/26 8:45 145 11:15 77 1 Ron & Lee Gsellman 17 Dan & Jean Wurzbacher 3 Jim & Carolyn Lewis 17 Alan & Kimberly Traverse 4 Reid & Lindsey Yoder 21 Al & Gina Hedervary 5 David & Elaine Sheets 23 Don & Betty Lang 11 George & Eileen Wahl 23 Todd & Jessica Swingley 13 John & Betsy Tancous 29 Woody & Phyllis Woodward 15 Blaise & Ann Congeni 29 Don & Mary Dee Raabe 15 Scott & Susanne Riegger HAPPY BIRTHDAY 01 Jodi Harelson 17 Kay Price 02 Lauren Weidinger 19 Lee Gillette 03 Gary Furukawa 19 Randy Thomas 03 Mike Rusyniak 20 Beverly Leu 03 Eden Federwitz 20 Elissa Shockley 04 Michael Labay 20 John Morrison 05 Ann McGee 20 Alyssa Lance 06 Matt Urbach 22 Don Khoenle 06 Tyler Reinecke 22 Jeanne Nelson 07 Ellee Riley 22 Damon Furukawa 08 Sylvia Mabee 23 Larry Long 08 Alan Tobin 23 Rebecca Rusyniak 08 Pam Emery 24 Mike Menyes 09 Jill Chipps 25 John Tancous 11 Lauren Strickler 25 Connor Flanick 11 Aliah Keller 27 Sharon Wood 11 Maddox Albright 27 Melinda Winter 13 Blanche Green 27 Mackenzie Buckham 14 Karen Collins 28 Alex Morrison 16 Dave Boldi 29 Delores Scheu 16 Elise Morton 30 Maryellen Hessel October Connection NEWSLETTER Articles due by Sept. 21 st to Kim at kim.hornyak@fairlawnlutheran.org Congregational A Congregational will be held on Sunday August 30, immediately following the early service. The meeting will begin at approximately 9:30am and end at 11:00. The meeting will include the first vote on the proposed amendments to our Constitution (we did not vote in May as a quorum was not present), an update on staffing needs and position descriptions, and an update on the vision process. Please mark this date on your calendar and plan to attend. P A G E 2
PASTOR JIM S MESSAGE September is a busy month around here! Many of our Fall programs start up this month. We have youth activities, catechism classes, Sunday school, several Bible studies and our school. The activity level around church will increase and the sounds of 100+ kids will soon fill our space during the week. St. Paul writes to the church in Colossae: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. He was on to something there! God invites us into His word, to learn of Him and from Him. This is no light matter. Paul urges us to let Christ s word dwell in us richly. Translation immerse yourself in the Bible. It is God s very word to you. Bathe in it and let it fill you up. Read it every day and often throughout the day. As you look over your Fall calendar, plan on attending one or more of our Bible studies offered, either on site or off. Our Sunday school and Sunday Bible classes kick off on September 13! During the week there are other opportunities offered. You can find out where and when in this newsletter and in our Sunday announcements. We have a great Sunday school staff set for this year, and an excellent program ready to go. If you haven t been to Sunday school for a while, it s time to reconnect with it and let God s word dwell in your children richly. We have some new teachers at our weekday school this year and very full slate of kids coming. Please keep them all in your prayers and stop by to say hi and introduce yourself. The school would welcome your support and encouragement. As we head into our new year, praise God for His great blessings found in His word, and plug into a class on the Christian faith. Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly! Peace in Christ, Pastor Gau SPECIAL THANK YOUS Thank You To all the loving members of our church family for phone calls, cards, food, flowers, and most of all for your prayers. After having a shock treatment to the heart I feel as good as new. I do have some after effects to watch out for that keeps me from Thanking you all individually. Heartfelt thanks for your prayers, get well wishes and caring thoughts, my sisters and brothers in Christ. Barb Porter K. Pinter P A G E 3
Rally Day at Fairlawn Lutheran Church and School Sunday, September 13, 2015 Worship Services at 8:45am and 11:15am Sunday School from 10:00am-11:00am Parents are encouraged to attend Sunday School with their children (ages 3 years old to 6 th grade) on Rally Day. There will be time to meet their childrens teachers, hear about this year s program, and help their children create Bible Bags. Please plan on registering your children in between services on Registration Round-up Sunday, August 30, 2015, or complete the Registration Form in August s Connections Newsletter and return it to the church office. Bibles will be presented to all registered children on Rally Day Sunday. Sunday Morning Chapel Bible Study begins on Sept., 13 th at 10:00am. The first topic will be Faith in an Era of Unbelief: Study of Elijah and Elisha. Pastor Gau s Sunday Morning Bible Study begins Sept. 13 th at 10:00am in fellowship hall. Pastor will continue his study, from the Spring, on the book of Revelation. Wednesday AM Promise Keepers mens group meets at 6:15am at the Cracker Barrel in Montrose. Currently the group has begun a review/study of Luther's Small Catechism. Newcomers are always welcome! Contact Ron Gsellman for more information at ron@gsellman.com. Saturday AM Bible study group will begin meeting on Sept 12. The group will be studying the chronological life and ministry of Jesus utilizing all four gospels in harmony. The study draws upon additional commentaries and study bible notes, etc...participants are encouraged to bring their study bibles with them. For more information please contact Ron Gsellman at ron@gsellman.com. We give thanks to the individuals who have volunteered already to share their time and talents with FLCS s 2015-2016 Sunday School Program. There is still room for YOU to share YOUR time and talents with the children attending FLCS s Sunday School this year. Both long and short term opportunities for assisting with Sunday School are available. Please contact Barb Hinderegger and Arin Sloan at sundayschool@fairlawnlutheran.org with questions or to let them know how you would like to assist with Sunday School. The Sunday School year begins with Rally Day on Sunday, September 13 th and will continue with classes from 10:00am-11:00am each Sunday in September. Women of Faith begins Monday, September 21 st at 7:00 pm at the Montrose Panera. The study will be The Power of God's Names by Tony Evens. Contact Lisa Sears for more information at dl_sears@yahoo.com. The Empty Nesters Bible study will begin on Friday, September 18. The group meets the 1 st and 3 rd Fridays of every month. Our study is published by Concordia Publishing House and is entitled Faith on the Edge. Contact Jan Seymour for more information at jseymour@neo.rr.com. P A G E 4
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Lutheran School Moments By: School Ministry Director, Karla McDivitt It is the 18 th year of the school ministry at Fairlawn Lutheran, and my 13th year. What had originally began with one 3 year old and one 4 year old preschool class has expanded to one 2s class, two 3s classes, four 4s classes, two PreK classes and one Kindergarten class. My how God has blessed this ministry along the way. If the average annual enrollment is 100 (some years are higher, some lower) it would be fair to say that we ve intentionally brought the Gospel message to over 1,800 student and their families. I can t think of a better place to call a job! A M E N C O R N E R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kindergarten begins August 25 th with 13 students! Preschool begins September 9 th with 119 students Your support and prayers are always appreciated! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ School Ministry will be serving about 132 students for the 2015-2016 school year. We look forward to walking alongside these families and their kiddos. If you ever want to join us for reading, cooking or play we d love to have you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Acme receipts will be collected beginning at the end of September through the end of February. Kindly place your receipts in the middle slot of the wooden box in the Fellowship Hall (near the nursery). Our School Ministry receives a 5% return on Acme store brands! Last school year we earned over $650.00! Thanks for helping. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don t let the cover fool you! This is a wonderful coupon books for all ages; whether you have kids or not! For just $25 (school ministry receives 50% back) you can enjoy savings at many local spots including Bed Bath & Beyond; Dick s Sporting Goods; Jo-Ann Fabrics; Macy s; Boston Market; Donatos; Regal Cinema's and much more! Look for sales in the narthex Sept. 11th & 18th. P A G E 7
FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY Financial Peace University returns to Fairlawn Lutheran Church in a new nine week format. This class provides an opportunity for families to get their finances in order through a casual setting. Become debt free and have a fully funded emergency fund. Learn God's way of handling money. The average turnaround is $8,000 in just the first three months. CLASS INFORMATION: First class September 24, 2015 6:30PM Location Fairlawn Lutheran Church Class term Nine weeks Coordinator Larry Long ~ lnjlong@yahoo.com Child care will be provided. INTENTIONALLY SAYIING THANK YOU! Our church is extremely blessed with wonderful musical leadership for which we are very thankful for. The choir, directed by Gary Pinter, leads the congregational singing at the 8:45am service September through June. They also teach new hymns, liturgy, sing anthems focused on the theme of the sermon, sing for special occasions, and provide soloists for special music during the summer months. The choir recently completed a renovation of the choir room including repairing water-damaged walls, painting the walls a new color, cleaning the carpet and adding decorative items to enhance the space. New members are always welcome; rehearsal is Wednesday evening at 6:30pm. The worship team for the contemporary service at 11:00 is led by Al Hedervary (guitar). Other members are Claire Gau (piano/keyboard), Ted Urbach (bass guitar), Alyssa Lance, JoAnne Gillette, Lee Gillette (drums), Karla McDivitt, Alexandra Morrison, and Julia Fluharty. The music is all Christian contemporary and provides a wonderful energy for worship. Rehearsals are Thursday evening at 7:00 and Sundays after church. New members are always encouraged to lend your talents to this vibrant music ministry. The Bell Choir, directed by Barbara Porter, adds their beautiful tones to both services on an average of once a month and at holiday services on Easter, Reformation, and Christmas. It is a group for all ages: 8 th grade to 100. There are five octaves of bells available to play. New members are very welcomed. A need to count music is the major requirement. Practices are 90 minute long on Thursday evenings. It is fun but work, too. Please take a moment to express your thanks and appreciation to all of these members whose time and talents create such a wonderful addition to worship. LIVING EACH DAY AS A STEWARD MISSION SUNDAY Both of the worship services, as well as the adult Sunday School hour on September 20, will revolve around reaching out to the unchurched through missionary activities. Paul and Ali Federwitz, whose mission with the Lutheran Bible Translators in Ghana we gratefully support as a congregational outreach, will be here to preach as well as to conduct a workshop on guidelines for practicing evangelism. This will be a time for questions and interchanges with them about their work in relation to the mission field right here in the Akron area. There will be a separate free will offering dedicated to meeting the special needs of their activities in Ghana. P A G E 8
STEWARDSHIP MONTHLY THOUGHT Fulfilling God s Purpose! And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10 Our stewardship is the expression of our faith as we manage our lives and resources for God s purposes. It is the wise management of who we are and all that we have. God has chosen us as his stewards and grants us the wonderful privilege to serve the Kingdom. God also equips and empowers us for service. As God molds and transforms us into his stewards, we acknowledge that everything in this life is a sacred trust from him. God is the source and owner of all things. He allows us to use his creation and intends it for our good. Our stewardship is seen in our deeds and actions. Our acts of stewardship become more Christ-like as our relationship with Jesus grows. Out of love and gratitude for our Savior who has redeemed us, we are eager to perform our stewardship activities. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we become faithful stewards who respond willingly and joyfully to God s love, goodness, and mercy. Through faith, we are empowered to do as God directs us in 1 Peter 4:10: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God s grace in its various forms. Lifestyle of Stewardship In a lifestyle of stewardship, we commit our lives, gifts, and resources to serving the Lord and fulfilling his will for our lives. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord s will is (Ephesians 5:17). Being a Christian steward involves the way we view life, our whole human vocation, the ordering of our lives, and the deployment of all of God s blessings. Jesus said, Here I am... I have come to do your will, O God (Hebrews 10:7). Just as Jesus came to do his Father s will, we are also called to do God s will. Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22). Because our sinful nature no longer controls us, our lifestyles reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our minds are set on doing what the Spirit desires. Through the working of the FAIRLAWN LUTHERAN S Fall Stewardship Program September 27 thru October 11 Holy Spirit, we are taught to put off the old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires... and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-23). P A G E 9
HUMAN CARE TEAM Haven of Rest - Happy Birthday Jesus Party Saturday, December 5th DONATION OF TOYS, GAMES & GIFT CARDS FLCS will again be collecting new toys, games or gift cards for all ages during the month of October. The gifts we provide may be the only ones these children will receive. The details of the collection will be in the October Connections. Questions? Contact Grace Goettler at goet30@aol.com THANK YOU FOR THE HELP! The fourth of five free hot lunches for this year was served at OPEN M on Tuesday, August 18. The lunch bunch, men and women volunteers, prepared and served the hot lunch to many hungry men, women and children. Our cookie bakers donated 29 dozen cookies! Additionally, we were very happy to have a brand new helper Lisa Tobin. Thank you Lisa! If we were able to get a good picture of the Lunch Bunch in action it will be posted on the Mission Tower. Our next OPEN M free hot lunch is Tues., Oct. 20. Join us! Questions: Jacquie Kyle, 330-666-5725, jmkyle@msn.com. Mark Your Calendar for the next Human Care meeting is Tuesday, September 8, 6-7pm, in the FLCS Library. We invite anyone who might be interested in Serving God by Serving Others to attend. For more information call or email Jacquie Kyle at 330-666-5725, jmkyle@msn.com. In FLCS s on-going fight against hunger September s donations of non-perishable food will be going to Haven of Rest. They donations are needed to support the over 800+ meals served PER DAY at Haven of Rest/Harvest Home to men, women, and children. Please place items in the box inside the church front door. Thank you for your continued caring and sharing. OPEN M's annual Fire & Ice Celebration dinner is Friday, August 28. This is their largest annual fundraiser which goes to help break the cycle of poverty as well as updating supporters OPEN M's impact in the community. A prime example is their Community Works Connection program which has 33 clients or which 29 have already been employed. OPEN M has speakers available to come to our church or a board meeting to speak on all the programs and resources that are available. Please contact Jill Chipps if your small group is interested in learning more about OPEN M. Donations Needed: School supplies toothpaste, toothbrushes, personal care items, business attire clothing for both men and women, clinic needs acetaminophen 325mg, 500ct Ibuprofen, 200mg, low dose aspirin 81mg. Place donations in the labeled boxes in the fellowship hall. And as always, volunteers are needed in various programs Contact Dorothy Wiseman for further information( 330) 434-0110 Ext. 429 Any questions please contact Jill Chipps at ljchipps@gmail.com P A G E 1 0
SEPTEMBER 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday EACH SUNDAY.Join Us! 8:45am Liturgical Worship 10:00am Christian Education 11:15am Contemporary Worship 1 9:30am Staff 6:30pm Facilities team 7:00pm Prayer Ministry 8:00pm AA 2 6:00am Men s Bible Study - Cracker Barrel 9:30am Moms of Faith Bible Study 3 6:30pm Discipleship 7:00pm Worship Team Practice 4 9:30am FAA 5 6 7 Labor Day No School 5:30pm Golf and Fellowship 6:30pm Admin Team 8 9:30am Staff 6:00pm Human Care 6:30pm New Family Parent/Guardian orientation 7:00pm Prayer Ministry 8:00pm AA 9 First Day of Preschool 6:00am Men s Bible Study - Cracker Barrel 9:30am Moms of Faith Bible Study 7:00pm Financial Team 10 6:30pm Church Council 7:00pm Worship Team Practice 11 9:30am FAA 1:30pm Assimilation Team 12 8:00am Bible Study 13 Rally Day 14 5:30pm Golf and Fellowship 6:30pm School Ministry Board 15 9:30am Staff 6:00 Evangelism Team 7:00pm Prayer Ministry 8:00pm AA 16 6:00am Men s Bible Study - Cracker Barrel 9:15am School Chapel 9:30am Moms of Faith Bible Study 17 9:15am School Chapel 1:15 School Chapel 7:00pm Worship Team Practice 18 9:30am FAA 19 8:00am Bible Study 20 Mission Sunday Evangelizing Paul and Ali Federwitz 21 October Connection Newsletter Articles Due in Church Office 5:30pm Golf and Fellowship 22 9:30am Staff 7:00pm Prayer Ministry 8:00pm AA 23 6:00am Men s Bible Study - Cracker Barrel 9:15am Moms of Faith Bible Study 9:30am Moms of Faith Bible Study 1:00pm Brown baggers 24 9:15am School Chapel 1:15pm School Chapel 2:00pm Alzheimer Support Group 6:30pm financial Peace University 7:00pm Worship Team Practice 7:30pm CLT 25 9:30am FAA 26 8:00am Bible Study 27 Stewardship Drive 28 7:30am School Staff 5:30pm Golf and Fellowship 7:00pm Stewardship 29 9:30am Staff 7:00pm Prayer Ministry 8:00pm AA 30 School Fall Field Day 6:00am Men s Bible Study - Cracker Barrel 9:15am School Chapel BRAILLE WORKSHOP 9am. M, W,Th 12:30pm..M-Th 3:30pm M 7pm.Th P A G E 1 1
at Fairlawn Lutheran Church and School Sunday, September 13, 2015