Active in Faith October 2017 Monthly publication for members and friends of Faith Lutheran Church 4005 Palm Drive, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 941-639-6309 faithadmin88@embarqmail.com Pastor: Rev. Dana Alan Narring, MDiv Mission and Vision Statement: Empowering All People to Know Jesus Christ! October 12 Our churches teach that the remembrance of the saints is to be commended in order that we imitate their faith and good works according to our calling. Augsburg Confession 21. LWML Weekend September 30 and October 1 St. Luke, Evangelist October 18 St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr October 23 Reformation Day An afternoon celebration service will be held on October 29 at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church See page 3 for details. St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles October 28 Worship Services Saturday Sunday 5:00 Praise and Worship Service 9:30 Traditional Worship Service Bible Classes Monday: 10:30 Women in the Bible led by Dr. Mary Hilgendorf resumes Nov 13th. (new date) Thursday: 10:30 The study of Genesis led by Pastor Clyde Kaminska resumes October 5th. (Please read his note on page 5) 1
Please enjoy this article from Concordia Seminary President, Rev. Dr. Dale A. Meyer. Pastor This may strike you as strange, but over the years I ve become convinced God strips away from us all the earthly things we hold dear. God personalizes how He matures us, but whatever your personal story, the heavenly Father disciplines His children by stripping away all the things we hold dear. It may be slowly or it may come in one fell swoop, but the Father finally takes all away from us. The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives (Hebrews 12:6) Think about it. Your possessions, your friends and family, your health, and finally this life itself will be taken away from you. Life narrows down. I once visited a little church in the Hartz Mountains of Germany. The railing leading up to the high pulpit was decorated with the wood-carving of a naked man. What s that about? I asked. Answer: We brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of the world (1 Timothy 6:7) From the pulpit comes the Word of God that the Good News of Jesus is all we finally have. The things you and I hold dear are gifts of God, not to be despised, but in the progress of life, aging, He takes them away so that more and more we come to see that Jesus is all we have. Certainly this is not welcome to our natural feelings. The grievous losses we experience are the Heavenly Father drawing us to an ever closer focus on Jesus. When ev ry earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. (Lutheran Service Book, #575, st.3) The Meyer Minute for September 13, 2017 2
Wandering Editor s Note This year we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the reformation when Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis on the door of the church. There are two events to celebrate this anniversary: one is on this page and another event on page 4. Let us all participate! Naomi Weslock Editor 3
500th Anniversary of the Reformation Event: Join us in Zahlman Hall on November 11 from 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM for a movie, popcorn, songs, and lunch. The NEW movie is a full-length docudrama, Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World. It was funded by a grant from Thrivent Financial. We ll learn more about Martin Luther and the historic Reformation as we share time together! A sign-up sheet is in the church Narthex. You may also want to order a Keepsake Book on the Reformation by Concordia Publishing House. It can be ordered prior to October 15 at the office or placed in an envelope marked Luther Book and placed in the offering plate. The check should be made out to Faith. There is cost of $22.49. Or you can order it and payable when your book arrives! Contact Joyce Jandola 732-309-5078 or Cheryl Kampa 239-994-6455 if you have questions. Rev. Barr Chittick He went home to his Heavenly Home on September 25. He faithfully served as pastor at Faith from 1997-2007. Immeasurably More as of September, 2017 Mortgage balance: $391,578.17 New monthly payment: $3,722.14 Received in Oct. IM (Just 1%): $525.00 Total received for IM Program: $243,849.77 Total extra paid to principal: $237,886.30 Pledges Received to Date: $350,993.00 4
Thursday Bible Class This Thursday, October 5 at 10:30 am, Pastor Clyde's Bible Class resumes with the completion of the Book of Genesis begun last year. If you did not attend this class last year, this will not hamper your participation this year. We will begin where we stopped, after a brief summary of what we studied last year: this will bring you up-to-date and we'll then start Chapter 41 :"Joseph, Made Ruler of Egypt". This story ends with Joseph's death at the end of Genesis -- an important Bible Story as a lesson-unit in itself. ALL ARE WELCOME! Board of Missions Thank you for your donations! The mission committee sends a box to the chaplains located in three different areas of the world. There is a box on the left side of the church narthex (as you walk in) for your donations. The chaplains to whom we send boxes of items for the GI's have requested some changes in what we send them. Please do not donate.... the small hotel samples of hair care and soap, phone cards, toilet paper, energy drinks or chocolate bars. Instead they would like:... protein or granola bars individually wrapped hard candy or Tootsie Roll suckers individually wrapped Rice Krispies treats small cans of Pringles small cracker packs (peanut butter, cheese) small packages of all kinds of nuts, chewing gum especially breath mint variety) personal hygiene items (tooth brush. tooth paste. razors, bar soap etc.) Joanna Waterman Board of Missions Chair 5
WELCOME BACK! ALL WOMEN OF FAITH ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND! Our first meeting in the 2017-18 season will be on October 25 at 9:00am fellowship and meeting following. Old business discussion will include the Cookie Walk which is scheduled for December 2. New business topics are a mission trip to Kisumu, Kenya January 18-29, 2018 and the possible start of an evening LWML Circle for ladies who are not able to attend our morning meetings. If you are interested in providing refreshment, please call Naomi Weslock (630-947-4309). All ladies at Faith are invited to attend the LWML Sarasota Zone Rally on be held on Saturday, November 4, 2017 hosted by Good Shepherd and Hope Lutheran Church in Bradenton, FL at Hope Lutheran Church. 4635 26th Street West, Bradenton FL 34207 (941-755-3256) 9:00 9:25 am: Registration and refreshments. It Is Still About Jesus Short break 9:30 am: Worship and Communion Service Offering for LWML-Local and FL/G District Bible Study led by Zone Counselor, Rev. Todd Kuehn Guest Speaker from Care Net of Manasota Luncheon Business Meeting Gifts from the Heart will be an offering for Care Net of Manasota. You may also bring items for new born babies. Registration fee is $8.00 person. Please see Naomi Weslock or Nancy Vernon in the narthex. Deadline is October 17, 2017. A map to the church and items needed for new born babies are on the LWML counter in the narthex. 6
Mission Trip...Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here am I. Send me! Isaiah 6:8 What a better way to answer that call than by going on a mission trip to Kisumu, Kenya on January 18-29, 2018? Leaders will be Pastor Dennis and Deaconess Lorna Meeker. (4kenyaskids.org) You will doing some construction, building a mud hut, sprucing up a Ladies Community Center, and working on the water system. Plus plenty time to play with the kids and teach them about Jesus. Cost is $950/person which covers hotel, food, transportation and projects in Kenya. Spouses are welcome. Airfare depends on the airport you are flying out of. If you interested, you can stay for the safari afterwards for an additional $650 and you would stay until February 1. Space is limited to 16. There will be a doctor on the trip, as well as other medical professionals. Please keep Sam Fink, our adopted seminarian, in your prayers during his vicarage year at St. John s Lutheran Church in Orchard Park, NY. Spreading the Gospel of Christ Please continue to fill your mite boxes, bring them to Faith and deposit them in the large Mite Box located on the LWML counter in the narthex. There are mite boxes on the LWML counter if you need one. LWML Dates to remember: October 25: 9:00 Fellowship and meeting November 4: LWML Zone Fall Rally at Hope, Bradenton with Good Shepherd, Sarasota. November 22: 9:00 Fellowship/meeting December 2: Cookie Walk (Set-up on Dec 1) January 17: 9:00 Fellowship/meeting Speaker: Jean Roehrs February 21: 9:00 Fellowship/meeting March 2-3 Flea Market. Set-up starts Feb 26 March 28: 9:00 Fellowship/meeting April 25: 9;00 Fellowship/meeting 7
Dorothy Heimnick September 4, 2017 Update to last month s Newsletter announcements: George Mark s memorial service will take place at 11am on October 14th at Faith. Zola Cheever s memorial service will take place at 11am on October 23rd at Faith. Jamie Luce 10/2 Joyce Metz 10/4 Barbara Johnson 10/7 Ted Naumann 10/9 Margaret Trapp 10/9 Gloria Koehler 10/14 Linda Nicholas 10/17 Simone Clark 10/20 Charles Holt 10/20 Lucille Pfeiffer 10/21 Lou Young 10/23 Elfrieda Wuerz 10/26 Sherrie Marks 10/28 John Wuerz 10/30 Ruth Aylesworth 10/31 Jane Irwin 10/31 Jack and Donna Macdonald 10/1 (68 yrs) Dana and Susan Narring 10/4 (2 yrs) Phil and Ro Miller 10/12 (49 yrs) Tom and Mary Saxton Dick and Lou Young Steve and Carol Meyer 10/22 (57 yrs) 10/23 (41 yrs) 10/27 (5 yrs) 8
At just the right time, according to God's good and gracious will, God saw fit to take Pastor s sweet and loving mother, Cecelia Goettling, home to him early Saturday morning, September 9 th. We pray God's blessings upon all of our family and friends as we mourn her loss but rejoice in her entrance into the Kingdom Triumphant! Susan and I thank you so very much for your prayers, cards, and the kindness showed to us following Cecelia s death. A memorial service was held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lutz, Florida on Tuesday, October 3 rd, at 10 AM. Donations may be made in Cecelia s name to help support those church workers in need through the President s Circle, Florida/Georgia District LCMS, 5850 T G Lee Blvd., Orlando, FL 32822. Pastor and Susan Narring October Ushers, Readers and Elder Schedule Date Ushers Reader Elders October 1 Virginia Johnson, Naomi Weslock Naomi Weslock Gerry Misener Steve Meyer ( c ) October 8 Michael Koenig, Sam Jackson Fred Vogelpohl Gerry Misener October 15 Naomi and Terry Weslock Fred Vogelpohl Gerry Misener October 22 Michael Koenig, Cheryl Kampa Fred Vogelpohl Gerry Misener October 29 Michael Koenig, Erwin Vosberg Fred Vogelpohl Gerry Misener Saturday Evening Elder: Dick Lehman (c) = communion support We have a full Board of Directors except for a president. If you would like to know more about serving the Lord in this way, please call Pastor Narring. View weekly announcements and calendar at: www.faithlutheranpg.com The church s office email address is: faithadmin88@embarqmail.com Church office hours are 9:00-1:00 Monday - Friday Deadline for November newsletter is October 22. Please e-mail all announcements, articles and photos to wanderingweslocks@netzero.com Editor will reserve the right to proofread and edit all articles for the monthly newsletter. 9