ash wednesday - St. Andrew`s Lutheran Church

Page
St. Andrew’s Cross
Volume 59 Issue 1
www.standrewselca.org
30 Hour Famine
Sunday, February 2
Presentation of Our Lord
8:30am Worship Service
10:30am Holy Communion Service
Take a stand against hunger worldwide
and be a part of the 30 Hour Famine. The
fast begins on Friday, February 21 and
ends Saturday, February 22. Even if you
don’t want to fast, there are many ways to
help.
Sunday, February 16
8:30am Worship Service
10:30am Holy Communion Service
11:45am Book Club
Monday, February 17
Safe Harbor Meal
Friday, February 21 Saturday, February 22
30 Hour Famine
Sunday, February 23
8:30am Holy Communion service
10:30am Worship Service
Sunday, March 2
Transfiguration of Our Lord
8:30 & 10:30am Communion Services
First Holy Communion at 10:30am
February 15th
THE CROSS is
published 9 times a
year by:
St. Andrew’s
Church
3900 Freemansburg
Ave.
February 2014
February Happenings:
Sunday, February 9
8:30am Holy Communion Service
Coffee Corner
10:30am Worship Service
March
CROSS
Deadline:
E-mail: [email protected]
“Souper” Bowl
St. Andrew’s youth are
collecting cans of soup
through the month of
February for the food
pantry. Please leave
any donations in the
narthex collection box.
Weather got you worried? Check
Channel 69/WFMZ Stormcenter or call the
office to see if services are cancelled. Also,
follow St. Andrew’s on facebook, or check
out the www.standrewselca.org.
It’s Boys vs Girls in PENNY WARS!
There is a little friendly competition
taking
place
in
our
narthex—Penny Wars! Let’s
see who can collect the
most loose change to
benefit World Vision/30
Hour Famine in February—the boys or
girls! Drop off your loose change in
your teams container on Sunday!
ASH WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, March 5th
Holy Communion Services will
take place at 11:30am (Lunch
Bunch) and a 7:00pm
evening service.
Worship Notes: There are
no altar flowers during the
season of Lent, however,
Altar Giving Baskets are
Inside This Issue
Pastor Laura’s Page/Music Notes
Youth/Social Ministry
Council/Finance
SAW/SAC/Steel Magnolias
Milestones
Birthdays/Parish Nurses
Worship Assistants
Calendar
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 2
St. Andrew’s Cross
Pastor Laura’s Page
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Beyoncé is a young recording artist and actress. This past
July during a concert in Montreal, she got her hair caught in
a fan on stage as she was performing. Yet Beyoncé just kept
on singing while various people worked on untangling her
hair from the fan.
Instrumental Music in Church…
When did that happen?
Early Christians sang during worship but
instruments were probably not used.
Vocal music without accompaniment, continued in
Christian worship for centuries. Then somewhere
between the 10th & 12th century, Western Christians
began to use the organ in the liturgy.
You probably remember embarrassing moments from your
own life as well. The one I remember most happened back
in high school when I tripped running down some stairs. As
I fell, the books I carried flew up in the air… and so did my
skirt! I don’t remember who was walking behind me at the
time, yet to this day I imagine that the entire school got a
view of my underwear as I fell.
By the 15th century, organ music was widely accepted
in the Roman Catholic West, but it did not catch on in
the Orthodox East.
Awkward moments like these can leave us red-faced and
fearful, saying“ I’ll never do that again.” Yet look at this
quote a friend received in 2013:“I hope that in this year to
come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making
mistakes, then you are trying new things, learning, living,
pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world.
So that's my wish for all of us. Make new mistakes. Make
glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever
made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, and don’t worry,
whatever it is: art, love, work, family or life. Whatever it is
you're scared of doing, do it.”
During the Reformation, major western traditions
picked their positions:
It might seem totally ludicrous to risk making mistakes that
people could easily judge or laugh at. But no good comes
from hiding away, afraid to do anything new or creative.
Our Lord Jesus loves us to try new things. He invites us
to be fearless, trusting that he guides, catches, and shows us
blessings flowing from risk. Recall I John 4:18: “There is
no fear in love…(God’s) love casts out fear.”
Ironically, the song Beyoncé was singing during that fan
episode was “Halo”. Right after the concert she posted
parody lyrics for all to see, “Gravity can’t begiiiiin to pull me
out of the fan again/I felt my hair was yankiiiiin/From the fan
that’s always hatiiiiin.” Whether she knew it or not, our
Lord was bringing blessing from Beyoncé’s embarrassing
situation. As we trust he will do for you and me, too!
Trusting God as a risk-taker with you in the coming months
of 2014,
Pastor Laura
The Coptic ( Egyptian) and Ethiopian churches, had
their own musical traditions, which made use of ancient
percussion instruments.
Catholics used instrumental and organ music performed
only by musicians (the congregation was not invited to
sing along).
Calvinists opted for unaccompanied congregational
psalm-singing,
Lutherans adopted a mix of instrumental and vocal
music, some of which was performed by musicians and
some of which was sung by the congregation.
Music has always had a strong tradition here in St.
Andrew’s. For as long as I can remember, we have
experimented with new ideas in music while holding on
to the traditional sounds of old hymns and the classics.
As I have asked in the past… All are invited to be a
member of our musical ensembles. The members of
‘PRAISE!’ (Praise Singers) are always looking for new
voices and instrumentalists. Please join us!
I can be contacted by email at [email protected]
or by phone at 610-248-6910.
In Christ,
Mark
Page 3
St. Andrew’s Cross
30 Hour Famine
Calling all Senior Youth! The
30 Hour Famine will be held
this year starting Friday,
February 21 thru Saturday,
February 22. Come for the entire event and
sleepover or come for whatever time you
can. Friday night starts the event with
Hunger Games and Saturday’s big event is
the annual canned food drive for our local
food bank. Please sign up on the bulletin
board by the kitchen or email Pat
Werkheiser at [email protected]..
Adults are welcome and encouraged to
participate.
ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit 2015
The National Lutheran Youth Event will be
held in July 2015. If you are interested in
attending there will be a meeting to discuss
the event; watch the bulletins and email for
a date and time. If you know you are
interested please sign up on the Youth
Bulletin board. More info to come.
Confirmation Class Schedule:
2/2—No Class/Enjoy Super Bowl
2/9—6:30pm Class
2/16 6:30pm Class
2/23—6:30pm Class if not enough
participation in 30 Hour Famine
 3/2—6:30pm Class




First Holy
Communion:
Thank
you
to
Pat
Werkheiser, Nancy Konn
and Heidi Shilanskas for teaching the First
Holy Communion Class this year. First
Holy Communion will be celebrated at
the 10:30am service on Sunday, March
2/Transfiguration of Our Lord.
SOUP FOR KIDS!
SOUPER BOWL!
Sunday School students are
collecting cans of soup for
the local food pantry. The
collection will continue
through the month of
February.
NURSERY SCHOOL NEWS:
Open registration begins on February
1st. SANS offers classes in the morning
and afternoon for children ages three,
four, and four “plus”.
Please call
Michele Benes, Registrar, at (610)3300942 for registration details, and contact the school directly at (610)258-7877
to schedule an observation.
We are in need of a
Youth & Family
Chairperson!!!
If you have an interest in the youth of our
church and a few hours a month to spare,
please consider serving as the Youth &
Family Chairperson. A Chair is needed to
serve as a coordinator to the youth programs already taking place, and to meet
with leaders of the youth programs a few
times a year. Please see Pastor Laura if
you are considering. Thanks to all for considering!
SOCIAL MINISTRIES!
PROJECT of Easton WISH LIST:
 Cereal
 Jelly in 12 or 18 oz jars
 Pancake syrup/mix
 Macaroni & Cheese
 Hygiene Products
 Inexpensive can openers
Donations of these, or other non-perishable
food items, can be left in the narthex. Jim
Slater will deliver to the ProJeCt food pantry.
Your donations are greatly appreciated as the
number of families in need continues to increase.
Page 4
Your Council
Representatives:
Charles Bleice
(610) 868-4536
cbsble@verizon.
net
Lynn Cushing
(610) 253-4327
lcushing10@gmail.
com
Diane Laustsen
dianemlaustsen@
rcn.com
(610) 217-0448
Ed Piorkowski
(610) 253-7939
[email protected]
Don Sachs,
(610) 252-8461
dsachs@
minsitrails.com
Mark Schultz, V.P.
(610) 253-1422
[email protected]
Brian Snyder,
President
(610) 923-7003
Brian
@teamsnyder.net
Michelle Webb
(610) 923-7127
michellekwebb@
gmail.com
Pat Werkheiser
(610) 252-6208
patwerky@gmail.
com
St. Andrew’s Cross
January Council Meeting
Highlights
At the January 13 Council meeting
it was noted how well the Baptism of
Our Lord service was received, and
the baptisms of Nathan and Gabriel
Cichocki were celebrated.
The Treasurer’s report showed a
year end surplus of $7,798.32, and
reported a Building Fund balance of
$41,182. No monies were borrowed
from the Building Fund to supplement
the General Fund in 2013.
Pat Werkheiser, the Youth and
Family liaison noted that the Christmas
Pageant went well. There were some
concerns about a Youth & Family
Chairperson still being needed.
Chuck Bleice reported that three
bids have been received for the Sanctuary beam that needs to be replaced.
A fourth bid is scheduled for later in the
week. Palmer Township has approved
the process, and an engineering firm
in Allentown is the next step for approval. Volunteers are needed to help
with shoveling the walkways around
the church.
Council will provide and host the
February 17th Safe Harbor meal.
Don Sachs reported that to date,
103 Commitment pledges have been
received, for a total of $154,715. An
audit will be done during this month.
Council would like a list of email
addresses to be compiled and made
available. Lynn Cushing will work with
the church office to complete.
St. Andrew’s Women have requested that their monthly meeting notes be
posted on the Church website, for not
only SAW members to see, but all
members of St. Andrew’s.
President, Brian Snyder thanked
Council members for their service
throughout the year. Brian’s term as
Council President and as a Council
member will end following the Annual
Meeting on January 26th.
The next Council meeting will take
place on February 10th.
Year to Date Treasurer’ Report
(12/31/13)
Offerings: $245,785.71
Expenses: $237,978.39
Surplus:
$ 7,798.32
Building Fund Balance:
$41,182.00
THRIVENT NEWS:
In case you
missed it in the Annual Report, THRIVENT
CHOICE funds amounted to $1452 additional income in 2013. All Thrivent members are
urged to check with their financial representative to see if the products they own are
eligible for Thrivent Choice. This is available money that can be designated for whatever charitable organization you choose. It’s an
absolutely painless way of making a contribution that can benefit others. Don’t let your
opportunity slip by in 2014.
EMAIL ADDRESSES
NEEDED:
We are compiling a directory of email
addresses. If you would like to share
your email address with your St. Andrew’s family, please complete and return the form below; email your address
to [email protected]; call the church
office at (610)252-2258; or sign up in
the narthex the next time you are at the
church. A directory will be available in
mid-March.
NAME:
________________________________
email address:____________________
NAME:
________________________________
email address:____________________
Page 5
St. Andrew’s Cross
St. Andrew’s Women
(SAW)
Wednesday, February 12
10:00am
Program: Greeting Card Workshop
Hostesses: Bring a Bag Lunch
Devotions: Joan Holland
SAW is open to all women—members and friends of
St. Andrew’s on a come as you can basis. SAW
meets the second Wednesday of the month
throughout the program year.
St. Andrew’s Comforters
(SAC) and Prayer Shawl
Group
Wednesday, February 19,
10am-3pm
Please join a faithful group of ladies to make comfort
quilts that are distributed to those in need and are
given to our high school graduates each year as a
comforting reminder of their home church that cares.
Contact Mary Ann Gaumer at 610-258-2219 for
more information.
Steel Magnolias
On Tuesday, February 18, the
Steel Magnolias, a widow’s group,
will meet for lunch at 11:30AM at
Longhorn on Rt. 248
Please RSVP to Shirley Brugger for
reservations and/or more information
about these events at 610-438-1817.
Book Club
The next book club will meet
on Sunday, February 16, following
the 10:30am service. The Namesake by Jhumpa
Lahiri will be discussed. The Namesake takes the
Ganguli family from their life in Calcutta to
America. After their arranged wedding, Ashoke
and Ashima Ganguli settle together in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Ashoke adapts better than his
wife who resists all things American and misses
her family. When their son is born, the task of
naming him betrays the results of bringing old
ways to the new world. Named for a Russian writer
in memory of an earlier catastrophe, Gogol
Ganguli suffers the burden of his heritage as well
as his odd name. The author reveals the defining
power of names and expectations bestowed upon
us by our parents, but also the sometimes slow,
yet painful ways we come to define ourselves. All
are invited to share in this interesting discussion,
and should bring a bagged lunch to this gathering.
See you there!
Women’s Retreats:
Arndt’s Lutheran Church
Living Bold:
Celebrating Women of Faith
Saturday, February 22
Times: 9am—2pm
Women of the congregation and friendsJoin in fellowship with other women for a fun
and informative session. Breakfast and lunch
will be provided. Cost is $10. Please contact
Lynn Cushing at 610-252-4327 or Fay Slater
at 610-758-8405 for more information and/or
reservations.
The Thread that Binds:
150 Years of Women in Ministry
At LTSP
8th Annual Rest, Refreshment, and Renewal
Women’s Day 2014; Saturday, April 12, 2014,
9:00am – 4:00pm at The Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Philadelphia. The $45 registration
includes refreshments and lunch.
Page 6
St. Andrew’s Cross
We celebrate the birth of:
Lindsey Rae Celia
on December 16th, 2013
Lindsey is the daughter of Karen and
Ryan Celia, and little sister of Natalie.
Donna and John George are Lindsey’s
grandparents.
We mourn the deaths of
Ronald Lennen on January 6th
Kenneth Bird on January 7th
Edith Oswald on January 9th
Please continue to hold their
families and friends in your
prayers.
On Sunday, January 12,
we celebrated the baptisms of
Nathan Alex Cichocki &
Gabriel Nicholas Cichocki
Nathan and Gabriel are the sons
of Roseli and Frank Chichocki,
and little brothers of Daniel and
Michael.
MEMORIALS
A Memorial was received for Grace Utley
from the Steel Magnolias, designated for the
stained glass windows.
IN THE NARTHEX you will find copies of the monthly devotions, St. Andrew’s directories, the Annual Report, and issues of the Synod News.
Please feel free to take a copy, and
a copy to share with a friend or
neighbor!
February Second Sunday
Second Offering:
The February Second Sunday
Second Offering, collected on Sunday,
February, 9th, will benefit World Vision/30
Hour Famine. The 30 Hour Famine, supported by World Vision is “Students
around the world loving God and fighting
hunger. It’s that simple. Every year, thousands of students unite to do the 30 Hour
Famine. They learn about hunger - and
then they do something about it. They
raise funds. They experience hunger for
themselves. Best of all? They help save
lives.”
In the mailbag:
“Thank you so much for your donation
of $255 to the Boyertown Salvation Army. Throughout the year, many thousands of our friends and neighbors from
throughout Berks and Montgomery
Counties come to the Salvation Army for
help and support.”
ADDRESS CHANGES: Please
notify the church office if your
address changes so we may update our records. It costs St.
Andrew’s money if you don’t
let us know, and the Post Office notifies
us! Thank you!
REDNER’S Save-a-Tape
In 2013, St. Andrew’s received $1,185.87
from Redner’s. The grocery store chain
donates 1% of submitted cash register receipts. It is a simple way to help the
church. You must show your Redner’s
shoppers card at the register, and submit
the entire receipt (all credit card information is encoded for your protection).
Drop your receipts off in the
narthex, where cards are
available.
St. Andrew’s Cross
Happy Birthday to you . . .
2 Mark Phillips, Karen Celia
3 Hunter Klabunde, Logan
Klabunde
4 Jesse Nitchkey, Joelle Oraschin,
Jill Casterline
5 Jessica Miller
6 Olwen Bougher, Charles
Lawhead, Jr., Elizabeth Parvin,
Jarrod Vivian
7 Steve Diehl, Arlene McIntyre
8 Kimberly DeFelice
9 Emma Enea, Adam Pennoyer
10 Chrystian Bonser, David Skutches,
Brooke Finkbeiner, Jennifer Graney,
Jessica Zinno
11 Eli Game, Seth Game,
Ellen Olsen, Mary Schuck
12 Gary Strausser, Jesse Vivian
13 Lorraine Arnts
14 Carl Azzalina, Barb Kopfer,
Dorothy Weis, Emilee Hajdu
16 Cindy Matase
17 Dennis Hartzell, Cameron Rohatgi,
Zach Ward, Cooper Troxell, Karen Sachs,
Mekhi Grant
19 Samantha Kessler, Brad Schaeffer,
Blair Welsh, Tony Zinno, Loraine Heimbach
20 Timothy Fretz
21 Kimberly Bachorik
22 Shelby Barilone, Pastor Paul Braden
23 Kent Finkbeiner, Aidan Perry
24 Ronald Orcutt, Tracie Raven, Marla
Lombardo, Peter Tichy
25 Bob LaRose, Frank Sickle, Michael Simko
27 Ralph Bonnell, Chandra Chavous,
Betty Clark, Paige Weis, Daniel Cichocki
28 Billy Klein
Page 7
What are the most common
signs and symptoms of cancer?
Signs and symptoms are both
signals of injury, disease, or that
something is not right with the body.
A sign is a signal that can be seen by someone
else – maybe a loved one, or a doctor, nurse or
other healthcare professional. For example,
fever, fast breathing and abnormal lung sounds
heard through a stethoscope may be signs of
pneumonia.
A symptom is a signal that is felt or noticed by
the person who has it, but may not be easily
seen by anyone else. For example, weakness,
aching and feeling short of breath may be
symptoms of pneumonia.
Signs and symptoms are helpful in the
diagnosis of cancer, because treatment works
best when cancer is found early. The following
are some general signs and symptoms of
cancer:
1. Unexplained weight loss
2. Fever
3. Fatigue
4. Pain
5. Skin changes, including recent change in a
wart or mole
6. Change in bowel habits or bladder function
7. Sores that do not heal
8. White patches inside the mouth or white
spots on the tongue
9. Unusual bleeding or discharge
10. Thickening or lump in the breast or other
parts of the body
11. Indigestion or trouble swallowing
12. Nagging cough or hoarseness
The signs and symptoms listed above are the
more common ones seen with cancer, but there
are many others. If you notice any major
changes in the way your body works or the way
you feel – especially if it lasts for a long time or
gets worse – let your doctor know.
Page 8
St. Andrew’s Cross
Sunday, February 2– Presentation of our Lord
8:30am Worship Service
Council Representative: Ed Piorkowski
Lector: Jessica Kessler
Acolyte: Morgan Kessler
Ushers: Danny Hynes, Will Tichy
Children’s Sermon: Ron Roth
Sound System: Rob Reese
Sunday, February 2– Presentation of our Lord
10:30am Holy Communion Worship Service
Council Representative: Chuck Bleice
AM: Jaime Merida Lector: Flo Heacock
Acolyte: Donna George
Ushers: Chris Lynn
Sound System: Geoff Reese
Sunday, February 9
8:30am Holy Communion Worship Service
Council Representative: Ed Piorkowski
AM: John George Lector: Casey Diehl
Acolyte: Casey Diehl
Ushers: Jim Slater, Don Sachs
Children’s Sermon: Bonnie Leidy
Sound System: Steve Diehl
Sunday, February 9
10:30am Worship Service
Council Representative: Chuck Bleice
Lector: Dona Forik
Acolyte: Susan Altemose
Ushers: Christopher Hess, Brenna Blanke
Sound System: Karen Barilone
Sunday, February 16
8:30am Worship Service
Council Representative: Ed Piorkowski
Lector: John George
Acolyte: Reeves Brehm
Ushers: Danny Hynes, Christian Combi
Children’s Sermon: Pastor Laura
Sound System: Warren Rute
Sunday, February 16
10:30am Holy Communion Worship Service
Council Representative: Chuck Bleice
AM: Gwen Krapf Lector: Linda Baskwell
Acolyte: Donna George
Ushers: Chris Lynn
Sound System: Mike Ryan
Sunday, February 23
8:30am Holy Communion Worship Service
Council Representative: Ed Piorkowski
AM: Lynn Cushing Lector: Christopher Hess
Acolyte: Allie Casterline
Ushers: Jim Slater, Don Sachs
Children’s Sermon: Judy Everett
Sound System: Ken Agren
Sunday, February 23
8:30am Worship Service
Council Representative: Chuck Bleice
Lector: Judy Everett
Acolyte: Nicole Ryan
Ushers: Christopher Hess, Brenna Blanke
Sound System: Geoff Reese
February Offering Counters: Donna George &
Carol Ehler
Altar Guild: Karen Barilone
Page 9
St. Andrew’s Cross
Saturday, February 1
Sunday, February 2/Presentation of Lord
8:30am Family Worship
8:30am Sunday School
10:30am Holy Communion Service
Monday, February 3
Tuesday, February 4
7:00am Bible Study @ Williams Diner
7:00pm Worship & Music
7:00pm Easton Musical Arts
Wednesday, February 5
4:30pm Girl Scout meeting
7:00pm League of Women Voters
Thursday, February 6
6:30pm Bell Choir
7:30pm Chancel Choir
Friday, February 7
6:00 & 7:30pm Crossroads Group
Sunday, February 9/Second Offering
8:30am Holy Communion Service
8:30am Sunday School
Coffee Corner between services
10:30am Worship Service
6:30pm Confirmation Class
Monday, February 10
7:00pm Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 11
7:00am Bible Study @ Williams Diner
7:00pm Easton Musical Arts
Wednesday, February 12
10:00am St. Andrew's Women (SAW)
7:00pm Easton Ice Hockey
Thursday, February 13
6:30pm Bell Choir
7:30pm Chancel Choir
Friday, February 14
6:00 & 7:30pm Crossroads Group
Sunday, February 16
8:30am Worship Service
8:30am Sunday School
10:30am Holy Communion Service
11:45am Book Club
6:30pm Confirmation Class
Monday, February 17/President’s Day
Safe Harbor Meal
Tuesday, February 18
7:00am Bible Study @ Williams Diner
11:30am Steel Magnolias
7:00pm Easton Musical Arts
Wednesday, February 19
10:00am-3:00pm Quilters/Knitters
4:30pm Girl Scout Troop meeting
Thursday, February 20
6:30pm Bell Choir
7:30pm Chancel Choir
Friday, February 21
30 Hour Famine begins
Saturday, February 22
6:00pm 30 Hour Famine ends
Sunday, February 23
8:30am Holy Communion Service
8:30am Sunday School
10:30am Worship Service
Monday, February 24
Tuesday, February 25
7:00am Bible Study @ Williams Diner
7:00pm Easton Musical Arts
Wednesday, February 26
Thursday, February 27
6:30pm Bell Choir
7:30pm Chancel Choir
Friday, February 28
6:00 & 7:30pm Crossroads Group