MAY 2015 - St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church

THE EPISTLE
May
2015
The Newsletter of the People of St. Paul
St. Paul Mission Statement
“As disciples in Christ’s Church, we gather to worship, to grow in faith, and to
serve our community and our world.”
From the Pastor…..
I hope you were truly inspired by Holy Week and Easter services this year. It was a wonderful
way to finish my pastoral ministry. It was great to be blessed by wonderful music and liturgies
throughout this Holy season. Thank you lay ministers, choirs and musicians.
It has been a wonderful 14+ years and I pray God's richest blessings on you as you go forward
as His disciples. I recently read Presiding Bishop Eaton's article in the April issue of The Lutheran. Please read her article and commit it to your heart and memory.
She said discover your niche as a congregation, whether it is young adults, justice and advocacy,
urban church, big church, small church, home church. "We need to be brave and daring," she
said. Ditto from me as well. I couldn't have said it better if I tried.
You will survive and thrive if you believe in the power of prayer, trust in His Spirit and be a welcoming and caring community of faith. Don't be shy about telling others about the love of God
and what He has done in your life.
She concluded that "the best thing about church, the thing that is uniquely church, is not programs or people but Jesus." We just need to share the love of Jesus with everyone we
meet. We are shaped by His word and nourished at His table. That gift is what we claim as followers of Jesus.
My prayer for each of you, our staff and parishioners of St. Paul, is that God will watch over and
protect you, and surround you in every time and place and keep you close in His love.
Bless your time of new beginnings.
A Humble Servant of our Lord,
Pastor Jim
PASTOR GABLE’S CELEBRATION OF MINISTRY
Please mark your calendars for Sunday, May 31 following the 9:30am service in the social
hall. This is an opportunity to say thank you to Pastor Gable for his ministry of over 14 years
at St Paul on his last day with us before starting his next chapter in life, retirement! We will
be collecting donations for his retirement gift. They can be sent to the church office with your
donation marked for Pastor’s Retirement. They can also be put in the collection plate, Mutual
Ministry mailbox # 15, or sent to Doug Hookway, Mutual Ministry Chair, 26 Round House
Drive, Lititz. We are all looking forward to this opportunity for fellowship with Pastor Jim as
he closes his official ministry with us.
Thank You from Stewardship Committee…..
Thank you to Jenny Bitzer for helping in the office while Susan was
recuperating!
Thank you to the Worship and Music Teams for arranging the beautiful
Easter flowers!
Thank you to Valerie for all of the wonderful Easter music!
Thank you to the Capital Campaign Committee for arranging the Cottage
Committee meetings and to the host families for holding the meetings!
2
SPAGHETTI DINNER
AND
AUCTION
SUNDAY MAY 17 at NOON
In the SOCIAL HALL
DINNER
SILENT AUCTION
AND ITEMS TO BE
TICKETS:
$5.00
AUCTIONED OFF
PRE-PURCHASE
BENEFITS: ELCA YOUTH
GATHERING ATTENDEES
TRAVELING TO DETROIT
IN THE
NARTHEX
OR PURCHASE
3
AT THE DOOR
Women of the ELCA
Happy Mother’s Day – God often speaks to us through a Mother’s love.
The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons
come from the journey, not the destination. By Don Williams, Jr.
Up-Coming Events – All Women Invited
Circle Meetings: The topic is “The Church Transforming and Reforming” by Linda Bell
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:3-5. The Ruth Circle will meet on May 3rd at St.
Paul at 9:30 a.m. in the library. The Luther Acres Circle will meet on May
6th at 1:15 p.m. in the Chapel.
May 12- Craft Night - All women are invited to join our group to share ideas and plans for
future projects for our Craft Bazaar and Craft Night. We are asking for donations of Holiday
items (cotton and cotton blend fabric - minimum of 1/2 yard, pinecones of all sizes and lace
for trimming picture frames) for the Bazaar.
May 19 - Knitting and crocheting group will meet in the Social Hall at 7 p.m. If anyone is
interested in knitting or crocheting a shawl or sweater, come and join us for a casual get together.
May 27 - Blanket Making at 9:00 am– 2:00 p.m. in the Social Hall. All hands on deck. We
need sewers and knitters for our blanket making project, whatever time you can spare will be
appreciated.
June 4 – The Book Club meets in the Church Lounge at 7:00 p.m. The
book featured for the month of June is Pastrix: the Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a
Sinner & Saint written by Nadia Bolz Weber, a Lutheran pastor from Colorado.
There are no copies available in Lancaster County Libraries. The book is available in paperback and on Nook and Kindle readers. Sue Long has made her copy available
for loan (ask in the church office).
June 16 - Meeting of the Executive Committee at 6:30 p.m. in the Lounge.
Ladies Lunch Bunch
With the warmer weather, we can venture a little further for Lunch Bunch.
Mark your calendar to join us for lunch May 20, at 11:30 at Aromas Del Sur located at 548 S.
State Street in Ephrata. The food is the best Columbian/Spanish food in PA! I’d have a hard
time picking a favorite, but the empanadas are fabulous! All women are welcome to join in
the fun. Any questions can be directed to Nancy Miller at 405-0000.
4
From the office..........
This month we celebrate so many things: the blooming flowers, the moderate temperatures, graduations, year-end school activities, and Pastor
Jim’s retirement.
My daughter, Kiersten, will graduate on May 29th with her BSN. She
has been a nurse for 7+ years, starting as an LPN, then becoming an RN and now she
has earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She never ceases to amaze me with her
determination, patience, and her ability to stick with her goals. The women and newborns
she cares for at Hershey Medical Center are very blessed to have her.
My youngest granddaughter, Lillian, turns 1 on May 27th. It seems like yesterday that I sat
in the waiting room, anxious for her arrival. It was a beautiful night that I will never forget.
By now, we all know that this month is Pastor Jim’s last month here at St. Paul, as he
heads towards retirement. What an accomplished professional and personal life he has
enjoyed. He beams with pride when speaking of his family and I will miss hearing about
Eli and Ava’s adventures and Josie’s achievements on a regular basis. I have become
very fond of that Colantoni gang!
To say that I will “miss” Pastor Jim is an understatement. He has been a delight to work
with and has become a dear friend. He certainly always had a caring ear when I needed
one and a smart comment when I needed a laugh! Many days we discussed (and I’d like
to think could solve) an abundance of the world’s problems!
Pastor Jim has such a love for God and while he admits to not having all of the answers,
he IS sure of the love, grace and mercy of our Lord. His advice and perspective has
helped me become a better parent, friend and person. Jayne has also become a dear
friend. She is always willing to give of her time to her family, friends and this congregation.
We shared many laughs as she drove me to and from my chemotherapy appointments. I
will never forget laughing with her until my stomach hurt!
Pastor Jim and Jayne have had quite the life of travel during the
Air Force years. They are so deserving of this time that is coming very rapidly. They have served the Lord and I’m sure he is
pleased with them and will bless them and keep them safe in
their next chapter. It is a bittersweet time, but I am so happy for
them.
I’m sure that God will find a way to continue to work through
them, whether it be on the golf course or by the pool! No matter
how many miles separate us, I hope they always know that they
have an extended family here in Lititz who love them and will hold them in their hearts.
Entering a month of change…..
Susan
5
News from CELC:
We will be celebrating with our families at our Annual Spring Family Festival on May 12th.
Food, games for the children and fun are on the menu for the evening. Our School-Age
Summer Camp will also be holding a Silent Auction to raise funds for their summer activities.
We also will be celebrating Mothers the week of May 10th. Our mothers are invited to
come eat lunch with their children and their friends.
If we looked a little crazy around CELC in April it because we had Crazy Wednesdays all
month. Our crazy days consisted of Pajama Day, Sports Day, Color Day, Super Hero/Disney
day, and Crazy Sock day. Pajama day is always one of the favorites to teachers, parents and
the children.
We are gearing up for summer which means planning School-age, Kindergarten and Preschool Summer Camps. We have weekly themes and activities to keep children busy during
the summer months. Summer Camp information is on our website at www.stpaulcelc.org
or by calling Karen Schaeffer at 717-627-0900.
Our half day preschool school year will be coming to an end with graduation set for Thursday May 21st. We wish all of our graduates success in kindergarten and beyond.
With graduation upon us we are also accepting registrations for the Preschool 2015-16
school year. We still have openings in each of our classrooms. Scholarships are available for
families regardless of financial capacity.
To all the Mothers of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Happy Mother’s Day!
6
News from the Worship and Music Committee
At the Worship and Music Committee meeting in February we learned that our church needs
more active lay participation in our worship services. For one thing, we want to give more people an opportunity to serve. We are also experiencing a generational shift within our congregation, and we are in need of “new blood” to serve where others are no longer able. The Lutheran
Church is a participatory church that encourages lay members to take an active part in the service by performing many important tasks. Lay people serve as ushers, greeters, light and sound
workers, altar guild workers, lay readers, acolytes, Communion assistants, assisting ministers,
processional participants, musicians and traditional choir musicians, bell choir musicians and
contemporary music musicians. At the holidays, we need help decorating and un-decorating
the church. We are also looking for people to serve on the Worship and Music Committee,
which meets several times a year to coordinate the efforts of all the groups mentioned above.
Many of these tasks can be completed by families or groups. Usher teams have often included
families. This is also true for the altar guild. Families can work together to set up and clean up
for communion. And, families can bring the communion gifts to the pastor. We are also looking
to have our youth participate in some of these areas. The Families in Faith Sunday School
Class has suggested some ways in which the youth can be more active. We are looking into giving the acolyte more to do during the service besides the candle lighting and extinguishing. Also, students who are comfortable can sign up to read the lessons, assist with communion, play
an instrument, usher, and sing in the youth choirs.
Some of these duties require training, and we will be discussing this in future Temple talks and
in Sunday School Classes. Our church family would appreciate your prayerful consideration in
offering to serve as a part of our worship service. If you have questions about helping or want to
sign up for a particular function, please call the church office at 626-4709, or call Jane Brye 3935009 or Gayle Stauffer, 626-4109 for more information.
“We know that becoming more involved in the worship service has been very fulfilling to each of
us personally, and helps us to better understand and appreciate our church and its worship liturgies.” (Jane Brye and Gayle Stauffer)
Blessings and thank you for your consideration,
Jane Brye and Gayle Stauffer, Co-chairs of the Worship and Music
Committee
7
Stephen Ministry
The Importance of Confidentiality
Confidentiality, as you may have read and/or heard before, is a cornerstone of
Stephen Ministry. St. Paul Stephen Ministers are trained to keep confident who
their care receiver is and what has been shared by that care receiver. What a
care receiver says to his or her Stephen Minister is kept in strictest confidence.
Even the identity of a care receiver is kept secret (unless the care receiver
chooses to tell someone.)
How does this relate to you, as a member of St. Paul? Even if you are not a Stephen Minister,
think about the importance of confidentiality in your day-to-day relationships. Consider how you
can improve relationships and help people's healing by maintaining confidentiality when something is told to you.
Confidentiality is a standard of conduct all of us need to live by--not just those involved in our
Stephen Ministry. Confidentiality promotes trust, builds one another up, and encourages healing in a Christian community.
And finally, confidentiality gives care receivers the reassurance they need so that they can risk
revealing to their Stephen Ministers their deepest thoughts and feelings, details they might not
be able to discuss with anyone else. It is through the sharing of innermost feelings that God
can work the miracle of healing, restoring faith and hope to care receivers' lives. Without the
assurance of confidentiality, most care receivers would have a difficult time opening up, which
would impede the healing process.
In June, two or three practical ideas will be shared for St. Paul disciples who want to maintain
confidentiality and are not Stephen Ministers.
Be the change that you wish to see in the world.
-Mahatma Gandhi
8
God’s Precious Children Update
April 4, 2015
This will be the 17th year of the tuition sponsorship program and we praise God for His faithful provision through the years. Schools in Liberia opened in February and should finish their year-end lessons
by the end of November. It looks like this may be the permanent schedule for the Liberian school
years.
The new student picture profiles should be ready by mid-June. I am sorry to say, the new student picture profiles will have last year’s picture on them. Due to the severity of the Ebola outbreak we did not
travel to Liberia this past January. I felt it was most important to insure our team stayed healthy. I
pray our sponsors will understand my decision and will be all right with last year’s picture.
When the student profiles are ready to mail, I will be in touch with everyone. I pray that you would be
willing to give us a hand again. With all the turmoil and fear of Ebola this past year, our friends in Liberia need us more than ever. I thank God for your faithful help making all this possible.
Your friend in Christ,
Gary
Worship and Music Committee
The Worship and Music Committee wishes to thank all the musicians, choirs, and participants who made this year's Holy Week services so meaningful.
We especially want to thank the young people who served as acolytes and processional participants.
They are: Brandon Fink, Ryan Fink, Nathan Lamb, Tyler Lamb, Adam Reichard, and Luke
Reichard at the 8:00 AM service and Sarah Charles, Kendall Eby, Alexis Kellogg, Emily
Paynter, Daniel Spadaro, and Vanessa Weidner at the 10:45 service.
9
APRIL 2015 COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
Treasurer Wayne Gongaware reported:
Regular income (General Fund) for March was $43,011 compared to budget of $39,750 or favorable
by $3,261.
Average weekly income over 13 weeks is $8,222 compared to last year’s weekly average of $7,774.
Regular year-to-date income was $106,944 compared to budget of $119,250 or unfavorable by
$12,306. However, this year’s actual income is better than last year’s by $5,876.
Expenses for the month of March were $43,409 compared to budget of $43,667, or favorable by
$258. Year-to-date expenses are $126,965 compared to $131,000 (favorable by $4,035)
We were able to make March’s Churchwide Mission Support payment, but we are still two payments
totaling $4,333 behind. Making those payments at this time would mean using funds from the line of
credit, which we are reluctant to do. We have borrowed money from our investments in order to pay
down the line of credit. We will need to apply $5,000 of that money to make March’s payroll.
We have already begun to receive money for the Capital Campaign and are in the process of opening
a separate checking account for those funds. We have opened a brokerage account for the Capital
Campaign in order to accept stock transfers .
Council approved the confirmation of 3 young people on May 10. They are Amelia Fair, Emalie
Martzall, and Daniel Spadaro.
Report on the March 15th LCO meeting by Gayle Stauffer:
LCO has planned the following upcoming events. Check the Bulletin and future Epistles for details
Hugs and Kisses Walk/Ride – May 2 on the Mt. Gretna rail trail beginning near the Twin Kiss in Colebrook. The Taylor family of Lititz are this year’s recipients. Their daughter, Annie, was born in December, 2014 with PHACE syndrome and goes to CHOP for monthly visits. The family is planning to attend the event. It was decided to have a two hour start time from 1-3 PM and have bottles of water
and snacks for participants. Sign up sheets for participants are available on the kiosk in the Narthex.
Sign up to walk or ride, or pledge a donation to those participating.
LCO Youth event – Youth Leaders from the 6 congregations will meet at Brickerville to plan event(s)
for elementary age youth.
Hurricane Sandy Mission trip – Members from several LCO churches are leaving Monday April 20
for a week-long work project in New Jersey.
Fellowship/Barnstormers game – August 2. July 11 is the deadline to sign up for the game.
LCO worship in the park and picnic – Tentative date of Aug. 23 was selected. Zion’s worship and
music committee will lead team of people for the service and music.. Salem would again take care of
the picnic.
Bus Trip to Gettysburg – October 17. Sign up deadline is September 13.
Committees—Information for the Annual Report is due by April 24
Capital Campaign Prayer Vigil April 25 dawn to dusk. Commitment Sunday April 26
The Personnel Committee will be reviewing all staff job descriptions in the near future.
Property Committee is still seeking a chair person.
Delegates to the Lower Susquehanna Synod Assembly (Friday June 5
to Sunday June 7, 2015) are Wayne Gongaware, Jenny Bitzer, and Valerie
Lefever-Hughes.
10
Mission & Outreach Moments…
Lititz Project
In June 2015, we will be participating in the Lititz Project. The purpose of the Lititz Project
is to complete home improvement projects within our own community for those who are
unable to complete them for themselves and share God’s Love.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED… Please mark your calendars for June 22-July 5 if you would
like to volunteer. More information and sign ups will be coming… Questions? Contact
Barb Paynter.
Meal Serving Volunteer Opportunity
Our congregation has partnered with Zion Leola to serve community dinners in Lancaster. These dinners serve approximately 200
people. The next dinner will take place at:
Christ Lutheran on Thursday, May 21.
Volunteers (ages 15+) are needed for the following responsibilities:
Set Up (2 people) – 3:00-5:00pm
Serving/Clean up (4 people) – 5:15-7:00pm
If you are interested in volunteering, please see Barb Paynter or Joyce Groff
Christian Service Box
The Christian Service Box for May will be to support the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem. This hospital and other East Jerusalem hospitals
need assistance to ensure that the treatment of West Bank and Gaza patients is not interrupted. The Palestinian Authority is unable to pay the patient fees. The financial situation has been exacerbated by the Israeli government’s recent decision to freeze $127 million in tax revenues as well as
by the possibility of new US Congressional restrictions on American assistance to the Palestinian Authority due to the PA’s plan to join the International Criminal Court. This plea
came from the ELCA’s Peace Not Walls Team. Augusta Victoria Hospital is a program of
the Lutheran World Federated Dept. for World Service in Jerusalem. The hospital is moving towards becoming a specialized center in medical excellence.
11
Thank you to our wonderful team of Power Packs volunteers! We are currently serving 16
families. Please continue to keep our Power Packs ministry in your prayers as we work to
feed our neighbors. The Power Packs Schedule for March:
Driver:
Distributors:
May 7
Sev Yerger
Sandy Bingaman
Dave Bingaman
Bettilee Loemker
May 14
Gerald Miller
Irene Miller
Diana Hill
Bruce Hill
May 21
Jane Brye
Jenn Maryniak
Sally Hall
Tammy LaCombe
May 28
Jenny Bitzer
Jenny Bitzer
Mary Ann Seitz
Sue Yeager
If you are unable to work your scheduled day, please contact another volunteer to trade days
or call Barb Paynter to substitute for you.
St. Paul Seniors Group
Join us on Wednesday, May 13 at 1:00pm in the lounge for our next
social. We will be enjoying presentations from some of our members
on their recent travels. We will take a journey overseas through pictures…
Life Story Writers
Tuesday, May 26 ~ 1:00pm
Everyone has a story to share! Join us as we write and share our memoirs. No prior writing experience is needed – just a desire to on the 4th
Tuesday of each month and bring a notebook and pencil.
12
Summer Community Lunches at St. Paul
We are excited to announce a NEW outreach ministry at St. Paul! To
help address the growing issue of hunger in Lititz, we will be serving a
community lunch every Thursday at 11:30am during the month of July.
This lunch will be open to everyone in our community – it is NOT based
on need. It is a time to come together as neighbors and share a meal.
If you are interested in helping – cook, serve, or clean up – please contact Barb Paynter.
Craft Night
We got together at our last Craft Night to brain-storm and plan for
the year ahead. We had a very successful meeting and came up
with some wonderful ideas for the future of our Craft Night and Craft
Fair. Thank you to everyone who came and brought your thoughts
and ideas.
We decided on 3 items to make this year for our craft fair: Fabric
Picture Frames; Pinecone Baskets, Vases and Tins; and Bead
Bracelet Kits for children. We need your support as a member of St.
Paul to make this a successful endeavor. We are asking for donations of Holiday items (cotton
and cotton blend fabric – minimum of ½ yard, pinecones of all sizes and lace for trimming the
picture frames). There will be bins placed in the narthex for the collection of these items so
please make contributions as you are able.
We also invite anyone who is interested in helping make these items and/or joining our Craft
Nights to come when your schedule permits on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. There will be
a calendar of our monthly schedule for the year and sign-up sheets placed in the book in the
narthex.
Thank you and God Bless,
Joyce Groff
13
St. Paul Prayer List
Fellow members of St. Paul . . .
Bette Hofferth
David Yost
Susanne Evans
Jim Rathkey
Clyde Petticoffer
Ed Rosenquist
Julia Silsdorf
Joyce Pretz
The family of Bob Griffith who entered the Church Triumphant on March 7th
The family of Suzanne Goodling who entered the Church Triumphant on March 8th
The family of Rob Myers who entered the Church Triumphant on March 12th
The family of Chester Reitz who entered the Church Triumphant on April 6th
The family of Jacob Sentz who entered the Church Triumphant on April 10th
Family and Friends of St. Paul . . .
Charles Brubaker
Don Weaver
Joan & Barry Decker
Jonnelle Wallmeyer
Sue Ney
Mary Youtz
Gwen Faulkner
Warren, Laura & Ethan Crills
Carter Newman
Christine Lamar
Barbara Fish
Debbie Tenney
Marty Bell
Larry & Sybil Lawrence
Colin Yablonski
Landry Stamm
Patricia Manno
Candice Kusienski
Monroe Wonder
Mike Lefever
Curt, Sandy, Tyler & Madi Morris
Contact the church office to add or remove someone from the prayer list. The weekly list is
always available on the kiosk in the narthex.
Please keep Pastor Jim and Jayne in your prayers for safe travels as they
head to Florida on June 1st to their new home and retirement life!
14
Sunday School...
Ministers
The People of St. Paul
Augsburg
Pastor
Rev. James R. Gable, Jr. - [email protected]
May 3 "Coworkers with the Truth" George Nickel
May 10 "Gifts of the Spirit" Steve Shaub
Administrative Assistant
Susan Faulkner – [email protected]
May 17 "The Spirit Creates One Body" Don Shaub
There will be no Augsburg Class for the summer.
Christian Ed. /Youth Director
Lori Nikoloff – [email protected]
The last day of Sunday school will be Sunday, May 17.
Director of Traditional Church Music
Valerie Lefever Hughes - [email protected]
Director of Contemporary Church Music
Melodie Fair – [email protected]
CONGRATULATIONS to our 2015 Confirmands
Amelia Fair
Director of Family & Outreach Ministry
Barbara Paynter - [email protected]
Emalie Martzall
Financial Assistant
Kim Swinko - [email protected]
Daniel Spadero
Custodian
Marc Buckwalter—[email protected]
Jim Templeton, evening custodian
VBS is just around the corner!
"CATCH the BUZZ' is the theme for this year.
Congregation Council Members
Al Rothermel, President
Beverly Spadaro
Mallory Weiss
Kelly Perkins
Gayle Stauffer, Secretary Dan Rusnock
Craig Wagaman, Vice Pres. Wayne Gongaware
Christine Colantoni
Josie Colantoni
John Bell
Dates:
Every Thursday in July from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
(July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30) in the
Social Hall.
We will have a lunch each Thursday and a time for a lesson,
craft, games and more!
Treasurer
Wayne Gongaware – [email protected]
We are looking for volunteers that would be willing to help us
with the program.
Stephen Leaders
Pastor James Gable Nancy Weiss
Dave Althouse
Julia Groff
A planning meeting is scheduled for Monday May 11 at 6:30
p.m. at the church.
Please join us that evening if you are interested in helping in
many of the different aspects of the program.
Contact Lori Nikoloff or Barb Paynter with any
questions.
Web Designer
David Fair – [email protected]
Publicity
Dick Mearig – [email protected]
St. Paul Christian Early Learning Center
website: www.stpaulcelc.org
Come and "CATCH the BUZZ!"
Gail Price, Executive Director 627-0900
15
St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
200 West Orange Street
PAID
Lititz, PA 17543
Permit No.55
Lititz, PA
Return Service Requested
ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
www.stpaullititz.net
Phone: (717) 626-4709
Fax: (717) 627-0425
Dial-A-Service Phone 625-4400
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.
WORSHIP SERVICES & HOLY COMMUNION
Sunday’s at 8:00 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.
Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.
Contemporary Services are the 2nd and 4th Sunday’s at 10:45 a.m.
16