CHRISTUS VICTOR Evangelical Lutheran Church 9833 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21234 April 2017
Pastor's Report: Greetings, Have you ever had one of those moments where you are waiting for something to happen and you can t get excited about it just yet? I call it the in between time. We are in that period in which we are in the middle of Lent and mid-way through the month we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning. It is a time of waiting with anticipation. We want time to speed up so we can get to the resurrection day. What can we do in this in-between time? This is a time to reflect on our journey with Jesus and where our focus is on Him. Maybe we can stop and smell the roses. Meaning, we can reflect on where we have come in this journey. We witness Jesus being tempted, coming to the woman at the well and telling her story and inviting her, despite her hardship. We have been called to invite people along on our journey. How about we continue inviting our friends to join us, if not on this solemn journey, on the morning of the Resurrection, Easter morning! Studies have shown that 80% of newcomers and first time attendees have come because they were invited by someone. I ask you to consider inviting family and friends along on this journey. It can strengthen family bonds, friendships, and it can help someone to meet God on their and God s terms. It might just be something that someone needs at a time in their lives. May your in-between time be filled with wonderful reflections and may your invitations be accepted. Peace and Blessings, Pastor Chris Holy Week April 9th Palm Sunday- 8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. April 13th Maundy Thursday 7:00 p.m. Worship April 14th Good Friday 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. Easter Morning Sunrise Service at McCrea Farm 7:00 a.m. Service at church 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
The President's Corner He Has Risen! Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection not in books alone, but in every leaf of springtime. Martin Luther King, Jr. After Jesus died, women went to Jesus tomb. It was Empty, how? Amazing, they were Surprised! It was the Third day after His death, how Extraordinary! Jesus had Risen! Alleluia! Anonymous The angel said to the women; Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen. Matthew 28:5-6 May the blessings of Easter bring joy and comfort to each and every one of us. He Has Risen Indeed! If you have any suggestions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at sherrylsimpkins@gmail.com or 410-661-7568. Sherry Simpkins, council president
First Holy Communion April 2 nd at the 11:00 service A reception prior at 10:30AM in the Fellowship Hall. Please have your family sit together in the first few rows of the church, so you can all take communion at the same time. We are currently in the process of Holy Communion classes with the children taking their First Communion on April 2nd. There will be a reception prior to the 11AM service. The Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 8th at 11am. This event is open to everyone. There is a flyer in the Oakleaf. On Sunday April 23rd, immediately after Sunday School, the children will be painting flower pots for our annual Mother's Day brunch. We have 100 to do, so please add this extra hour to your calendars. All volunteers are welcome. Vacation Bible School has been scheduled for the week starting June 19th. The theme this year is "Maker Fun Factory". More details to come in the near future, but I am looking for volunteers to staff. We start at 5:30pm with a light dinner and finish by 8PM.
C.V.L.C. SUNDAY SCHOOL Annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 8 th @ 11:00 AM Come make an Easter craft, eat lunch, hunt eggs and hear the Resurrection story! Hot Dogs and drinks will be provided. Please bring either a salty or sweet snack to share Grades 6 and older come early and hide the eggs This event is open to friends, neighbors and relatives! Altar Guild Committee: As of January 1, 2017, we will no longer be accepting orders for Chancel Flowers. Only orders for Christ Flowers will be accepted. We regret having to make this decision. Flower prices remain the same at $15.00.
Past Events Escape It - Baltimore March 5th, 2017 As many of you may know by now, our members Kathie & Bob Nichols have opened an escape room down on Golden Ring Rd. based on an old hotel theme. We took the Youth Group (and some parents) there followed by a pizza lunch. We split into two groups and had to rescue a hostage and find our way out of the Lobby and Elevator. I can t give out any secrets, but it was challenging and great fun and I recommend it to anyone in the congregation. Thanks Kathie and Bob!
Upcoming Events Mar-Lu-Ridge weekend April 28 th 30 th (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) By popular request we are going to Mar-Lu-Ridge for the weekend (Friday evening to Sunday noon). I have reserved a lodge for just our group (no sharing with other churches). I promise no bible groups or seminars this time, just a weekend of fun in the woods with activities such as hikes to Shock Rock, campfires, zip lines, rock climbing, etc. You don t want to miss this! And you can bring your friend or friends as long as they play well with others. Cost to members/non-member: $0, but you ll need to bring one snack for the group. This really needs to be reserved and a deposit sent, so RSVP to Mr. Gordon in his class on Sunday or email gordonkrause@comcast.net. ASAP, but final Deadline is April 1st. Victors Vittles: NEEDED FOR MONTH OF MARCH: canned fruit, Jello, pudding February 2017 Summary (4 Saturdays): 94 families served. 1596 pounds of food (this number does not include meats, breads or desserts) March 2017 Summary (4 Saturdays): 92 families served. 1216 pounds of food (this number does not include meats, breads or desserts)
Victor Vittles is in need of volunteers in order to stay open as we have been for the past 20 years. Please look in your hearts and decide if you can help by volunteering a couple of hours every month and half or more. The job is easy and rewarding. We will be meeting with anyone who wishes to volunteer, in any way, on April 1st, Noon inside the Fellowship Hall. I hope we have standing room only! Sandy Petrovich ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stewardship Committee: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 When it comes to stewardship, we often think about money and giving. It is also about caring for. This month as we approach the crucifixion and resurrection we see a caring for the body of Jesus. He is not taken away to an unmarked grave or treated like all the others. He is carefully laid in a selected spot. He is cared for all the way through this event. He is cared for in God s resurrection. He is raised from this sleep because there is work remaining with God s people. We, too, are called to care. We are called to care for ourselves. One of the ways to care for ourselves is physically. We are called to care for our bodies that God has given us through regular check-ups (lifeline screenings are coming April 18 th ). Please check the narthex for information if you want to schedule an appointment with lifeline. And remember, the last Sundays of the month, Nancy Kohlman performs blood pressure screenings in the parlor in between services.
Evangelism Committee: Calling all members to be on Team Evangelism! The following is from the ELCA website: (see credits below) Evangelism is a Greek word meaning good news. The word has the same root as angels, messengers who announce good news. To be about the task of evangelism is to announce the Good News of Jesus through word and deed. Evangelism Team Job Description: + Become an ambassador of Christ, Sunday through Saturday + Share the good news of Jesus Christ during one-to-one conversations in daily life + Invite family, friends and acquaintances to learn more about God s love + Invite people to join your congregation for worship, study, fellowship, and service + Witness to Jesus by living a compassionate, gracious and loving life + Welcome guests who come to church activities + Encourage each other to grow in faith Wait a minute! Doesn t that sound like the calling of every follower of Jesus? Each of us is called to be a witness to Jesus Christ. Absolutely! Jesus said, You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) Doesn t that sound like our Mission statement? To unite in Christ, To grow in faith, To serve in love, To share the Good News. So Welcome to Team Evangelism Here are some easy things you can do to help our team. 1. Invite your friends and neighbors to come worship or enjoy fellowship with us. 2. If you see someone new at a service or event... Introduce yourself and say Hi! Writer: Robin McCullough-Bade Copyright 2004 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. May be reproduced for local, non-sale use provided the above copyright notice is included. E-Tips, Division for Congregational Ministries - Evangelism. www.elca.org/dcm/evangelism
Mutual Ministry committee: Let your light shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 Devotional by Dr. Bob Sizemore I want to challenge you to make a recommitment of your life to Christ to give as much of yourself as you can to as much of God as you can understand. Let me repeat some words of wisdom that I have heard through the years: I can t do everything or even very much for God, but what I can do, I will do. T his last statement reminds me of a story that I have told numerous times. A man was walking on the beach and saw hundreds of starfish which had been washed ashore. He saw a little boy standing by the large number of starfish and asked what he was doing. The boy said, I m saving these starfish. The man laughed and said, You can t save them, there are hundreds of them. The little boy picked up one of the fish, threw it in the ocean, looked at the man and said, I saved that one, didn t I? That is what God expects us to do light our little candle in the darkness, help one person find salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ, reach out to one person who is sick, afraid, homeless, or without hope. Start with one person and see how many other opportunities God will give you. As I say, God may have brought you to where you are for just such a time as this. Only God knows how the consequences of your one small act of faith, kindness or love will spread. Prayer~~Lord, the needs and problems all around me seem so great that I can t see how I can make a difference. But I know you want me to light my one little candle in the darkness so that you can fan it into a flame of love which can touch the lives of many people. And I pledge that what I can do, I will do. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen. Your Mutual Ministry Committee hopes you have enjoyed this Devotional. Pat Crum, Pastor Chris, Pastor Keyser, Suzanne Bruneau, Terri Falloni and Renee Norman
Fellowship Committee: Shrimp Feast Saturday April 29th 2:00-5:00 p.m. shrimp tickets $30 social ticket $15 (no steamed or fried shrimp) tickets will be on sale after the 8:30 service and before and after the 11:00 service Save the Date! April 22, Shrimp Feast May 14, Mother s Day Brunch June 18, Father s Day Brunch July 9, One service at 10 a.m. with a Carnival Theme July 20, Orioles baseball game August 13, One service at 10 a.m., theme to be determined September 9, Crab Feast November 11, Christmas Bazaar December 3, Advent Social to celebrate the Church s New Year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the third Wednesday of every month, one of their trucks comes to Christus Victor to pick up any donations from the congregation. (clothing, toys, useable house wares, small appliances, baby items, holiday items, tools, dishes, etc.) Please leave any donations in the fellowship hall by the coat rack and label your items LMS. The next pickup date is March 19. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Easter Recipe Chesapeake Deviled Eggs This Easter add a Colonial Williamsburg twist to your deviled eggs ~Sherry Simpkins From the Kitchen of my husband, Mike: a family favorite recipe Ingredients: 12 eggs ¾ cup of mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 3 green onions, rinsed and chopped (about 2 tablespoons), divided 1 ½ teaspoons crab seasoning (Old Bay) ½ pound of crabmeat (fresh or canned), picked clean of shell or cartilage Diced red bell pepper, for garnish Directions: 1. Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. 2. Bring the eggs to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-high heat and simmer the eggs for 10 minutes. 3. Immediately cool the eggs under cold water. 4. Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut in half lengthwise. 5. Separate the yolks from the whites and place yolks in a large bowl. 6. Mash the yolks together with the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons of the green onions, and the seafood seasoning mix well 7. Gently mix in the crabmeat to avoid breaking it up too much. 8. Spoon the crabmeat/egg mixture into the egg halves and sprinkle with additional seafood seasoning, if desired.
9. Garnish with red bell peppers and the remaining green onions, if desired, and serve chilled. (Holiday Fare: Favorite Williamsburg Recipes by John R. Gonzales) Thought for the Day: God loves you more in a moment than anyone could in a lifetime ~~Anonymous The Smile Corner A little boy was in church with his mother when he started feeling ill. "Mommy," he said, "can we leave now?" "No" her mother replied. Well, I think I'm going to be sick, Momma!" "Then go out the front door and around to the back of the church and then behind a bush." his mother replied. After about 60 seconds the little boy returned to his seat. "Were you sick?" her mom asked. "Yes." "How could you have gone all the way to the back of the church and returned so quickly?" "I didn't have to go out of the church, Mommy. They have a box next to the front door that says, 'For the Sick'." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mother's day breakfast May 12th 9:30 am
2017 Congregation Council Contact Information Pastor, Chris Litton clitton12@gmail.com 443-517-9890 President, Sharon Simpkins sherrylsimpkins@gmail.com 410-661-7568 V. President, Mike Schumann mike 82212@gmail.com 410-665-0702 Secretary, Linda Meyer lindacmeyer@msn.com 410-529-6401 Treasurer, Helen Tennant helentennant2@comcast.net 410-661-0686 Mutual Ministry, Pat Crum patcherb@qis.net 410-661-9418 Worship and Music, Pat Eichner paeeichner@hotmail.com 410-662-5345 Social Ministry, Diane Frederick dfrederick99@gmail.com 410-882-1402 Christian, Education, Cheryl Fidler ctfidler@verizon.net 410-879-1568 Administration, Todd Hieber todd.s.hieber@gmail.com 410-591-0986 Evangelism, Kathy Krause kathykrause@comcast.net 410-529-7083 Stewardship, Faye Lari fmlarimd@aol.com 410-241-6741 Fellowship, Diane Frederick dfrederick99@gmail.com 410-882-1402 Church Staff Pastor: Pastor Christopher Litton pastorlitton@gmail.com 443-517-9890 Music Director: Tate Armstrong, taylor.armstrong@comcast.net Parish Administrator: Sharon Ibex office@christusvictoronline.org 410-668-8089 Church Leadership Financial Secretary Diane Earnest 410-760-8406 Asset Funds Chad Roeder 410-690-0888 Altar Guild JoAnn Velten 410-254-2814 Usher Chairman Chad Roeder 443-690-0888 Victor s Vittles Chairperson Cindy Brazil 410-668-8089 Sunday School Superintendent: Sandy Petrovich 410-444-7947 Childrens Choirs Chad Roeder 443-690-0888 Oakleaf/Newsletter Editor Kathie Nichols 410-592-7942 WELCA Virginia McCurdy 410-665-9499 JoAnn Velten 410-254-2814 Please send Oakleaf articles to office@christusvictoronline.org
Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil -it has no point Christus Victor Care & Concern List will keep names on the prayer list for 4 weeks unless the Church Office is called (410.668.8089) or emailed: office@christusvictoronline.org to request a longer listing. Thank you. John Bakie Henrietta German* Jennifer Granek Valerie Hargest Shane Hoehn Glen Kizina Tom & Marti Mabry* Nicoletta Minutella Kathi Peck* Kelly & Don Scott Mildred Taylor* Homebound Members: Kay Diggs, Jean Doty, Betty & Frank Hines, Mabel Meinhardt, Elizabeth Raines, Ruby Wilt, Linda Walck, George Warren