October 2013 Newsletter

Saints Alive
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NEWSLETTER OF ALL SAINTS LUTHERAN CHURCH · ORLANDO · FLORIDA
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and
planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
Luke 17: 5-10
Power surges
Our first real experience of power is when we can beat up our kid brother or sister - or our older
sibling can beat us up.
But in his book Grace Notes, Brian Doyle writes that as he got older he started noticing that "often
the men and women who were most influential, most interesting, most startling, most amazing most powerful, really - were, by pretty much every definition of power, powerless.
"They were skinny penniless guys like Christ or Gandhi, or cheerful brilliant [but physically
challenged people] like Franklin Roosevelt and Flannery O'Connor, or stubborn dignified ladies like
Rosa Parks and Ursula Le Guin, or unknown geeky guys with courage coming out of their ears like
the guy who was carrying his grocery bags home one June day in Beijing in 1989 and suddenly had
just about enough of army tanks rolling by to smash kids in Tiananmen Square and jumped into the
street and made eighteen tanks stop and changed the world, didn't he? And isn't cool, more than
twenty years later, that no one knows who he is? And isn't what he did powerful beyond any words I
can find to describe his courage?
"And aren't there a million acts of incredible power and poetry like that every day? Like the firemen
who ran up the World Trade Center towers instead of running down as by all sense and reason and
logic they should have? And the millions of mothers who move recalcitrant heaven and sweet
bruised earth daily to find bread and water for their magic holy babies . . . ? And the million
business owners who scratch and kick and wrestle to stay in business because they know that if their
companies fail whole families and clans and towns will suffer . . . ?"
As a father, Brian Doyle has experienced a certain kind of "power" when he and Mom made all the
rules - but now that his children are teenagers, his power is in his ability "to persuade, to suggest, to
remonstrate, to hint, to remind, to confound, to complicate their brilliant and confused hearts.
(Cont’d on next page)
October 2013
(Cont’d from cover)
"It took me a while to shift gears from boss to bemused, but I might suggest that we are all in the
same boat, and whenever you think you are powerful you are pretty much not; or, in other words,
what makes you powerful - money or position or brains - is only useful if you use it to elevate other
people. Power is a cool tool, but tools at rest are only sculptures, lovely and useless."
Jesus' parable of the mustard seed is a lesson about power: that real power is not a matter of
strength or force but the resolve and dedication to use whatever "power" one possesses to affect
change and accomplish good. Mustard-seed faith enables us to do many more important things
than uprooting mulberry trees. Such faith is the unshakable conviction that every small act of
selfless kindness can re-create and transform; that the smallest act of forgiveness can lift up and
heal; that the smallest act of compassion, done in faith and trust in God's providence, can transform
our world in the justice and peace of God.
In praise of the honeybee
When you sit down to dinner tonight, offer a prayer of thanks for the honeybee.
Because one of out of every three mouthfuls of food you eat are because of the hard work of the
bee. From the blueberry bogs of Maine to the almond orchards of California, bees are the unsung,
unpaid laborers of American agriculture. Honeybees are the glue that holds our agricultural system
together, as they pollinate the seeds that ripen into our apples, cucumbers, cranberries, and many
other fruits and vegetables in our diet.
And the glue is failing. Over the past decade, worried beekeepers have seen many of their bee
colonies collapse. Last winter, a third of the U.S. honeybee population died, and the number is
rising. Scientists fear that the use of more virulent pesticides, as well as new viruses and diseases,
are decimating the bee population. A deadly hive beetle - unknown in North America until twenty
years ago - has also killed billions of bees.
A single hardworking honeybee can visit up to 100 flowers in a single trip and carry more than half
its weight in pollen - yet a single honey bee will produce only a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey its
short life time. In order to produce one pound of honey, a colony of bees will fly more than 55,000
miles and tap more than two million flowers.
The loss of the honeybee would leave the planet poorer and hungrier, but what most concerns
scientists and farmers is that the bees may be a sign of what's to come, a symbol that something is
deeply wrong with world around us.
[From "The Plight of the Honey Bee" by Bryan Walsh, TIME, August 19, 2013.]
Our new appreciation for the little honeybee mirrors Jesus' Gospel of the mustard seed: that what is
small, seemingly insignificant, and all-but-invisible can produce great things in the scheme of
God. The work and plight of the honeybee teaches us the value of the small, ordinary and unseen act
of reconciliation, of generosity, of peace given in service to others. Jesus asks all who would be his
disciples to embrace the hope of the mustard seed: that the Spirit of Gospel compassion, forgiveness
and justice can be the seed that one day will yield the harvest that is the reign of God
Consecration Sunday Is Coming
Congregations that approach financial stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view
the money Christians give to their church merely as a way to pay its bills. Rather, such
congregations see financial contributions as a way to help people grow spiritually in their
relationship with God by supporting their church’s mission and ministry with a percentage
of their incomes.
Our congregation’s Stewardship committee has selected the New Consecration Sunday Stewardship
Program as a way to teach the biblical and spiritual principles of generous giving.
New Consecration Sunday is based on the biblical philosophy of the need of the giver to give
for his or her own spiritual development, rather than on the need of the church to receive.
Instead of treating people like members of a social club who should pay dues, we will treat
people like followers of Jesus Christ who want to give unselfishly as an act of discipleship.
New Consecration Sunday encourages people toward proportionate and systematic giving in
response to the question, “What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?”
During morning worship on Consecration Sunday, we are asking our attendees and
members to make their financial commitments to our church’s missionary, benevolent, and
educational ministries in this community and around the world.
Every attendee and member who completes an Estimate of Giving Card does so voluntarily by
attending morning worship on Consecration Sunday. We urge people to attend who feel
strongly opposed to completing a card. The procedure is done in such a way that no one
feels personal embarrassment if he or she chooses not to fill out a card.
We will do no home solicitation to ask people to complete cards. During morning worship
our guest leader will conduct a brief period of instruction and inspiration, climaxed by
members making their commitments as a confidential act of worship.
We will encourage participation in Consecration Sunday events through the Consecration
Sunday team and governing board members. Since we will make no follow-up visits to ask
people to complete their cards, we will make every effort to inform, inspire, and commit
everyone to attend Consecration Sunday worship.
Thanks in advance for your enthusiastic participation in Consecration Sunday events.
ASYLUM (All Saint’s Youth-Lutherans Under Management…..6th-12th grade students)
Great Kids….check, Dedicated Adults….check, Positive Energy….Check!!!!!! We are ready to rock and Roll at
All Saint’s. ASYLUM will have both meetings/events with Middle and High School together as well as separate to respect their age differences. Ed Coyne hosted a BBQ kick off, Doc Dobbins is holding meetings every
other Wednesday at 7 for the High Schoolers, and 7:30 for the Middle Schoolers who will be meeting the opposite Wednesdays (10/9 HS, 10/16MS, etc...). The kids who attended Rock the Universe had a blast, thanks
for all who made that happen. In December the kids will be checking out the Christmas Lights with Emily
Kruszewski and Sarah Robin-Walczyk. Keep an eye out for more information and dates about upcoming
events. All are welcome, so invite your friends. If you have any questions please contact Debbie Ceja
([email protected] or 407-489-4646).
Beginning October 17th Join us for lunch in the parking lot of All
Saints Lutheran Church! Lunch will be served by a different food
truck each Thursday from 11am-2pm.
October 17th Posh Nosh
October 24th Fork in the Road & Yum Yum Cupcakes
October 31st The S.W.A.T. Truck
For news and updates about the Food Truck Thursdays follow us on Twitter
@Saintlycraving!
Confirmation Classes Coming
soon! More details to come!
DEVOTIONAL BREAKFAST
Pastor Chip will be holding devotional
breakfast on Wednesday mornings at
KeKe’s Breakfast Café in Hunter’s Creek
at 7:30am. KeKe’s is located at 4000
Town Center Blvd.
HELP NEEDED
We are in need of individuals to serve as
digital disciples. This will involve making
sure that the projector and power point
for our worship service is set up and
operating. The new digital disciple team
will also run the slides during our
worship service. If you have an interest in
serving in this area please sign up on the
sheet in the fellowship area or let Vinny
Mirandi know.
Youth Group Team
A Youth Group Team has been created to help
strengthen and build All Saint’s Youth Groups,
ASYLUM and A.S.K. If you would like to join
this team or have some good ideas please contact Debbie Ceja ([email protected] or 407489-4646). Updates will be in the Sunday Bulletin and sent via e-mail.
All Saints Sunday Lawn
Crosses
We will begin our All Saints Sunday worship with a
gathering on the west lawn where there will be placed
remembrance crosses.
OUR STEWARDSHIP OF GIVING
Our 2013 monthly pledge commitment is $10,250. In September we received
$11,142 or 109% of budget. YTD end of September we are $7,015 behind or
7.6%.
In 2013 we planned to receive $3,500 per month from non-pledging
members. In September we received $2,305 or 65.8% of budget. YTD end of
September we are $8,953 behind or 28.4%.
In 2013 we planned to receive $1,042 per month in loose giving. This is
anonymous giving or giving from non-members. In September we received
$315 or 30.2% of budget. YTD end of September we are $5,947 behind or
63.4% of budget.
Total behind YTD in these areas end of September is $21,915
MORGTAGE UPDATE
I want to thank everyone who has been contributing to paying down the principal on the mortgage. Here is some updated information:
•Additional Principal paid since 9/13/13
•Outstanding Principal as of 3/14/13
$
11,087.00
$ 557,374.78
•Interest Saved over the life of the loan
$ 238,228.16
•Number of months decreased on the term of the loan
•Current date mortgage will be paid off
11
3/1/2036
In 2013 we have received $3,594.00 from members and have budgeted $4,338.00 to additional
principal payments for a total of $7,569.00
If every member gave $1.00 a week/ $4.00 a month the church would save $102,345 and reduce
the term by 4 years 8 months.
THE CALL PROCESS
The Call Committee has completed the congregational survey and has compiled the results. It
will be posted on the website in the password protected area and also on the communication
board in the fellowship area. This is an exciting step that takes the Call Committee closer to
being able to get a list of strong pastoral candidates to serve at All Saints. A big thank you to our
Call Committee for their dedication and hard work they have been meeting weekly to move
things forward as quickly as possible.
Craft Night
Friday November 8th at 6:30pm.
Please bring a snack to share and something to
drink!
Don’t forget to set you clocks back 1 hour for
Daylight savings time November 3rd 2am.
THRIVENT CHOICE:
“Please direct your Thrivent Choice Dollars to your church,
school or non-profit of your choice. An additional $25 will be
given is you direct your funds on-line (Thrivent.com) before
October 31st. Your church/school will appreciate your efforts!”
Pastor Chip will be holding Bible
Study here at All Saints on Tuesday
evenings from 7 to 8pm.
Middle School Youth Meetings 7:30-8:30
October 30th & November 13th
High School Youth Meetings 7-8:30 October
23rd, November 6th & November 20th
Thrivent Wine & Cheese Night
November 9th 7pm
Advent Sundays Begin December 1st.
Trunk or Treat Food
Truck Night
th
Sunday, October 27
5:30 – 8:30 PM
(Trunk or Treat from 6:00 – 7:30 PM)
Decorated Trunks Needed!!!! – Get your creative juices flowing and come pass out candy to our children and community. We need 40+ decorated trunks to participate. There will be a sign form in the fellowship hall.
Do you have a company or know of a business who would like to participate? Please let Beth Siegmann know. We have
several opportunities for them to participate; this is a great way for them to get out into our community.
Can’t attend but want to participate? We are looking for candy donations for the decorated trunks to pass out. For
those interested, please let Beth Siegmann know. (We are expecting about 600+ people)
Be sure to invite your friends and neighbors to attend, food trucks attending will be Posh Nosh, The Crepe Company,
Monsta Lobsta and Yum Yum Cupcakes. (Portion of their proceeds will benefit Freedom Middle & High School Food
Pantry) There is no cost to the community; however, we ask for them to bring a non-perishable food item.
We will also be raffling off some great prizes during the event. Make sure to buy your tickets!
If you have any further questions, please speak to Beth Siegmann
*Thank you to the following businesses Gatorland, AMC Theaters at Universal Studios and Ata Dental Offices for their
support for this event and helping make it a huge success!
For news and updates on this event follow us on Twitter @ASLtrunkortreat!
Outreach is going to continue collecting
food and funds to help the 70-75 homeless
students who are currently attending Freedom High School and assist Freedom Middle School. Please see the information in
the fellowship area for details. This is a
great way to help these young people in
need that are part of our community. Please
give your receipts to Sue Ambrose. Thrivent
will be providing supplemental funds.
A.S.K. (All Saint’s Kids/Kindergarten-8th grade)
Our A.S.K. Youth Group has been busy with event and service projects since we started in July of this
year. The children have made “Blessing Bags” which had small toiletries, snacks, water, $1.00, and information about local shelters. Not only did they have fun making the bags together, feedback was 100%
positive from them about how they liked giving the bags and out and how well the receivers liked them.
Other fun events have included Bowling at Firkin and Kegler, and a visit to The Central Florida Zoo. On
November 2nd we hope to see our little “Lutherunners” at Give Kids the World for their annual 5K fundraiser. There is a sign- up sheet at the back of the church. Even if you don’t want to run but your child
does there are a few of us who are running and will be happy to have them with us. Other upcoming
events include decorating prescription bags for Walgreens to brighten the day of the patrons picking up
medications. A.S.K. is not limited to the children of All Saint’s. Encourage friends to join in the fun.
More information about upcoming events will be in the Bulletins and sent via e-mail. If you have any
questions please contact Debbie Ceja ([email protected] or 407-489-4646) or Beth Siegmann (516965-6447).
Thrivent Night at the Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. St Louis Blues November 2nd 7pm.
At the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa. Tickets are $13 for
groups of 10 or more. Seats are limited, place your orders early! The last day to receive tickets (if still available) is October
15th.
Save the Date! Saturday, November 16th Adult Night
The Melting Pot in Dr. Phillips beginning at 5:30pm
Watch for more details!
November 2nd all youth (K-12) are
invited to participate in the
Gingerbread Run benefiting Give Kids
the World. There is a sign up sheet in
the fellowship area for this event.
Thanksgiving Eve service
November 27th 7:00 pm
VINO (Valuable Inspirations Nourishing Ourselves)
VINO is a small group for all ladies of All Saints Lutheran Church dedicated to
building friendships, sharing inspirations and growing our faith. Please e mail Emily Kruszewski at
[email protected]
if you would like to be a part of Vino. We hope you consider joining Vino this year.
We have a lot of fun things in store for 2013 and you don’t want to miss them.
Advent Family Night
Coming December 6th
6:30pm
December 15th will be our Christmas
Pageant during Sunday Worship.
Pageant Rehearsal will be Saturday
December 14th in the morning. More
details to come.
Thrivent Christmas Dinner
Saturday December 14th
Youth Tour of LIghts
December 15th in the evening
the Middle School & High
School Youth will be having
their annual Tour of Lights
with the Kruszewskis’ &
Walczyk’s.
All Saints Lutheran Church Christmas Dinner &
Dance
Friday, December 13, 2013
Cocktail hour: 6:30pm
Dinner & Dance: 7:30pm
Formal Invitation to follow
Christmas Eve Services
6;30pm
8:30pm (Spanish Services)
10:30pm
2013 SANCTUARY CANDLES
The 2013 Sanctuary Candle Book is now
available in the fellowship area. Please
reserve your dates that you would like
recognized. Up to 3 occasions my be
recognized each Sunday. Please take and
use a payment envelope provided in the
sign up book.
2013 REFRESHMENT BOOK
We ask that each member family or individual
provide refreshments (generally a pastry of some
sort) at least one time during the year for
approximately 100 people. Coffee is provided by
the church. Please sign up for a turn early so to
prevent us “looking” for those to sign up on short
notice. Thanks! We really need sign ups for
2013!
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
Denise Sedon
Jack Ross
Marilyn Matthews
Jean Lefel
Juliana Perez
Bill Underhill-Screen
Katie Spring
Wendy Allen
Noah Highwood
John Lefel
Patrick Weisner
Jackie Ives
Piper Daniels
Zachary Siegmann
Jared Miller
Elizabeth Kurtz
Marijo Erickson
Michael Daniels
Oct 1st
Oct 2nd
Oct 3rd
Oct 3rd
Oct 6th
Oct 6th
Oct 7th
Oct 8th
Oct 8th
Oct 10th
Oct 10th
Oct 14th
Oct 14th
Oct 16th
Oct 25th
Oct 29th
Oct 29th
Oct 30th
Patrick & Carmen Weisner
Stewart & Dorie Dobbines
Leonard & Brenda Messina
John & Emily Kruszewski
Merv & Donna Starn
Martin & Joan Scotto
Oct 5th
Oct 6th
Oct 20th
Oct 23rd
Nov 5th
Nov 12th
November 1st
November 3rd
November 9th
November 10th
November 12th
November 13th
November 13th
November 17th
November 25th
November 29th
November 30th
November 30th
Jake Wiley
Felicia Gounraj
Carson Eelman
Bob Weidner
Joel Beaudry
Jeremy Miller
Shawn Bullock
Kevin Knight Jr.
Karen VanCura
Harvey Scott
Vinny Freda
Karen Leeling
All Saints Lutheran Church Serving Schedule
Ushers
1st Sunday
John Lefel
Fred Holden
Jason Graham
2nd Sunday
Clint Usery
Clint Usery Jr.
Matt Leeling
3rd Sunday
Bob Weidner
Joe Livingston
Davi Livingston
4th Sunday
Brad Mansfield
Berris Turnbull
Marilyn Matthews
Substitutes:
Clint Usery, Jr.
Pat Wiesner
John Kruszewski
Lay Reader
1st Sunday
Jen Tomlinson
Pam Keil
2nd Sunday
Vanessa Barnes
Marilyn Matthews
3rd Sunday
Ann Hurbanis
Becky Cox
4th Sunday
Becky Cox
Dawn Beaudry
5th Sunday
Dawn Beaudry
Kathy Geres
Substitutes:
Becky Cox
Digital Disciples
Communion Assistant
1st Sunday
Tom Siegmann Sr.
2nd Sunday
Michael Daniels
3rd Sunday
Eileen Perez
4th Sunday
Becky Cox
5th Sunday
Dee Adams & Kathy Geres
Scott Harvey
Cindy Collins
Joel Beaudry
Jen Tomlinson
Greeters
Oct 13th
Oct 20th
Oct 27th
Nov 3rd
Nov 10th
Beth & Tom Siegmann Jr.
Tom Siegmann St
Clint Usery
Sue Ambrose
Mike Bobroff
Acolytes
1st Sunday
Sunday Refreshment Clean up
2nd Sunday
Carson Eelman & Julianna Perez
3rd Sunday
Kelli Ross
4th Sunday
Clint Usery Jr.
5th Sunday
Hannah Maus & Sidney Maul
1st Sunday: Amy Howard & Beth Siegmann
2nd Sunday: Shelby Holden & Sue Ambrose
3rd Sunday: Jennifer Livingston & Elin Livingston
4th Sunday: Lynda Richardson & Dorrie Dobbins
All Saints Lutheran Church
12601 Balcombe Road
Orlando, FL 32837
All Saints Lutheran Church is a congregation of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Our mission is: To Know, Serve, and Promote Jesus Christ
through worship, fellowship, education, and outreach.
Our pastor is The Rev. Robert “Chip” L. Salzgeber.
Our regular Sunday morning worship service is at 9:30
AM. Sunday School begins at 10:30 AM (September
through May). A nursery is provided for both church
and Sunday School. The church phone is
407-859-9468.
Our website is www.allsaintsorlando.org.