December - The Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer

December 2014
Our Redeemer’s Voice
Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer
Inside this issue:
End Hunger NE
(Below) Ken Morse, Sandie Connelly
and Cheryl Morse. Sandie visiting
Ken and Cheryl at the registration
table
(Above) Team working hard to proportion and
pack the macaroni and cheese.
(Below) View of the operation
(below) Steve Perry, Caroline Vines, and
her husband Mike Cavanaugh, take a
well deserved break.
End Hunger NE
2
Remember in Prayers
2
Adult Education
2
From the Pastor’s
Desk
3
Thank You
4
Like Us On Facebook
4
Alpha News
4
Foxboro Food Pantry
4
2015 LCOR Mission
Trip
5
Pledge Reminder
5
Spotlight on Child
5
New Members
6-7
Progressive Supper
8
December Birthdays
8
Poinsettia's
8
Angelina’s
8
Christmas Decorating
9
Christmas Undecorating
9
Confirmation Class
9
End Hunger NE
We finished up celebrating our 50th anniversary year on Saturday, November 8th, with a meal packaging event that
is providing over 23,000 meals to area food pantries.
Working with END HUNGER NE /Outreach, Inc. the ingredients for high nutrition meals were purchased
wholesale and our teams portioned and packaged them for delivery to area food pantries. The minimum needed to
hold an event was $2500. We raised over $5,500, throughout our birthday year via sales of homemade candy, hand
stamped Valentines, memorial gifts and outright donations last Christmas.
One hundred and six people came and worked the event, with the youngest being 4 years old—and the oldest –
wasn’t revealing their age. The event ran from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. After the early team came to offload the
truck, 5 teams of between 10 and 12 persons portioned, and packaged bags of macaroni and cheese.
Also contributing to the day’s activities were two members of Marathon Physical Therapy, Norton who provided
much appreciated 10 minute massages as team members had a break. Joyce Parlapiano’s Blackthorne Publick
House, Easton, delivered several quickly-eaten pizzas for lunch. A huge thank you to both of these businesses for
their support of this event.
We packaged enough to fill 107 boxes (36 6-meal bags/box) to be donated to area food pantries. Those accepting the
meals included: Attleboro, Bellingham, Bridgewater, Easton, Franklin, Foxboro, Mansfield, Medway, Plainville,
Raynham, Taunton, Walpole and the Greater Boston Food Pantry.
END HUNGER NE works with churches, schools, businesses, civic groups, the United Way, etc. to help reduce food
insecurity in the Northeast US. It is part of Outreach, Inc. which serves the US and international communities.
Remember in Your Prayers
Those homebound, in nursing homes, recovering and/or taking treatments, who face difficult situations or
problems, those who are hurting or struggling or have lost loved ones, those serving our country both home and
abroad. Prayer request cards are available on the ushers’ stand. Place the completed card in the Prayer Box. Your
request will be forwarded to the LCOR Prayer Chain by Dot Whiting. Please pray for the following:
Connie, Ed, Gail, J.T., Joyce, KC, Maggie, Molly, Torey, Justin Bayoug, Marilyn Benaski, Ron
Benaski, David Boette, Lou Boette, Mark Bombelli, Rev. John Brndjar, Halina Brys', Judy
Champagne, Margaret Conlon, Phyllis Everson, Lynne Fraatz, Susan Franklin, David Frongillo,
Don Hallee, Toini Hallsten, Gerry Hannon, Joe Hillstrom, Thelma Jason, Michael Jeffers, Martha,
Jensky, Linda Knott, Norma Larson, Lois Mansen, Richard Mansen, Greg Maze, Trudy McCoy, Lori
McInerney, Becky Oag, Helen Olsen and Family, Linda Olsen, Myrna Pearson, Jaime Rodrigues,
Mike Sheppard, Cheryl Suess, Jeff Thompson, Troche Family, Rick Tula, Pat VanDyke, Ray
VanDyke, Roger Wheeler, Judy Whiting, Dave Whitty, Mary Williams, Doris Wright, Pat
Zimmerman, Claudia Zink.
Adult Education
In the season of Advent, the adult forum is studying the scriptures using the music of “Handel’s
Messiah”. This multimedia presentation will involve brief commentary and individual scriptures of
Messiah and a stream of historical art melded together to enrich ones spirit. All are welcome.
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Our Redeemer’s Voice
From the Pastor’s Desk
Wow, have we been growing lately! In the past couple of months (since the beginning of
October) we have received 25 new members into our LCOR membership! The new
members who have been received by either baptism or letter of transfer are: Matt &
Colleen Henderson; Jeffrey, Denise & Nolan Kelley; Greg, Courtney & Ayva Lopez;
Monti, Shannon & Emery Ossenfort; Brandon & Amy Runge; John, Becky, Katelynn
(Dineen) & Andrew Silva; Olivia Spinale; Matt, Angelic, Christian & Kaeden Tofteroo; and Matt, Marissa & Oliver
Vekasy. We were able to get photos of most of these new members and have included them in this month's
newsletter to help you get to know the names and faces of this large group of people! We are so thankful to God
that so many people have been joining our community of faith lately. Remember- one of the most proven ways for a
congregation to grow is when members invite friends and neighbors to attend their church. As the old saying goes"The more the merrier!"
The following dates are highlights within our community life at LCOR:
Saturday, December 6- There will be a Memorial Funeral Service at LCOR at 11:00 a.m. on the morning of the
6th for Mr. David Zink. David and his wife, Claudia, were members at LCOR before they relocated to North
Carolina for their retirement. The members of LCOR are most welcome to attend this service as a formal Rest in
Peace is given to our departed brother in Christ. Pr. Michael Fruth will serve as the worship leader for this
service. This is also the date for our next Progressive Supper. The evening will start with appetizers at 6:30 p.m.
at the home of Jim & Brenda Redmond. By @ 8:15 p.m., the dessert course will be hosted the home of Paul & Loni
Ivanovskis. Why not plan on attending? If so, please place your name on the appropriate sign-up sheet on our
bulletin board.
Sunday, December 14- This is the date for our annual Children's Christmas Pageant which will be presented
during the 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service. This is also the date on which we have scheduled our next semi
-annual Congregation Meeting which will start at @ 12:00 Noon.
Sunday, December 21- We will be erecting the Christmas tree and decorating the church for Christmas. We will
start on this project at @ 12:00 Noon. Remember- many hands make light work!
Wednesday, December 24- We will celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord with two worship services. The early one
which begins at 5:00 p.m. is more contemporary in liturgical style while the later 9:00 p.m. service is more
traditional in liturgical style. Let's fill the church for both services and make a joyful and seasonal noise to the
Lord!
Sunday, December 28- We will do our annual Christmas caroling on this afternoon. We will gather at LCOR and
leave from here at 2:00 p.m.
As you may have noticed, I have not taken much vacation time so far this year. I will, however, be taking some
time away from parish duties during the end of November and in the beginning of December. On November 30, Pr.
Alan Grant will be leading our worship services as I will be enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend while my mother
and sister visit from Ohio. From Tuesday, December 2 - Tuesday, December 9, I will be visiting my friend "RB" in
Michigan. He will be installed as the new pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Rhodes, MI. I have been asked to
deliver the sermon for that service on December 7. While I am away, please contact Pr. Michael Fruth in the event
of a pastoral emergency. His phone number is: 508-386-2486. Pr. Fruth will also be leading the worship services
at LCOR on December 7.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas with all of your loved ones!
Pr. Rick Schlak
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Thank You
November 15, 2014
To My church family,
Many thanks for all the warmth and support that you have given me and my family at this most difficult
time. Your generosity and hard work at the reception was so appreciated by my family. My children were
blessed hearing about memories you shared with them of their Dad. Thank you again for everything.
In God's love,
Helen and family
Like Us on Facebook
Did you know? LCOR is on Facebook! Back in July, we had 50 followers – and as of this newsletter
we’re up to 80. Feel free to “Like” us. You can get a link to like us from our websites home page at
www.lcor.org.
We try to add or share items of interest going on at LCOR, the New England Synod or from the
ELCA. As our audience grows we hope to add more.
Alpha News
The Alpha Course will begin on the January 18, 2015 in the church narthex
The ten-week practical introduction to the Christian faith offers answers to some key questions. Each
weekly session begins with an Informal dinner, followed by viewing a video, and ends with small-group
discussions and interaction..Alpha began in London and is now held in thousands of churches around
the world. Join others who have found answers to their questions about life and God and how they relate. To learn more about the course pick up a brochure in the narthex or see Cal Foster
Foxboro Food Pantry
God's work. Our Hands. Once again we have a chance to remember the hungry as we prepare for
Thanksgiving. Please bring your food offerings forward to add to the baskets at the altar or place them
in the shopping cart in the narthex. We will be delivering to the Foxboro Food Pantry on the Tuesday
before Thanksgiving. Thank you for your generosity. Community Life and Social Ministries
Committees.
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Our Redeemer’s Voice
2015 LCOR Mission Trip
2015 LCOR MISSION TRIP
Maine Seacoast Mission
"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words
of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
The Outreach Committee invites you to consider signing up for the 2015 LCOR Mission Trip. We will be going to
Maine (about a 5-6 hour drive) to work on repairing and winterizing homes for the poor and elderly from June 14 th
to June 20th (Sunday-Saturday).
The cost is $175.00 per person for a week's time. Housing is provided and includes sleeping space, group kitchen,
and bathroom facilities.
No cots or bedding offered so we bring our own sleeping arrangements like cots, air mattresses. We are responsible
for acquiring and cooking our own meals.
We hope to recruit a wide variety of people for this trip. 15 year-olds and up can work at the site with parental
supervision and signed minor forms. Other family members with a custodial parent are welcome to stay at the
camp while one adult works on the site. Facilities include Chapel, Education Center, hiking trails, ropes course,
tent platforms. A packing list will be provided for necessities and tools.
Thursdays are a group cookout whereby residents as well as the volunteer groups get together for a cook out. WE
donate food for this.
10% Non-refundable deposit to secure dates of our reservation.
Please contact Paul Burns, Loni Ivanovskis, Ute Taylor or Cal Foster for further information. An information
meeting will be held in January for those signed up.
Pledge Reminder
A reminder to everyone that as the LCOR 2014 fiscal year draws to a close please be mindful of your 2014 pledged
amount as compared to your actual giving amount.



Pledged amount through 10/31
Pledged actuals received through 10/31
Pledge shortfall through 10/31
 $118,971
 $111,335
 < $ 7,636>
Spotlight on Child Care Center
Board of Directors’ Meeting, November 4, 2014
Our Redeemer Child Care Center is doing very well with a current capacity of 92%. The Infant room has 77% of capacity; Yearling room 71%
capacity; Toddler 1 has 87%; Toddler 2 is at 96%; Pre-school is at 103% capacity; and Pre-K is at 97 % of capacity.
One new infant will start in November, one in January, and another in March.
The Alpine Giftware fundraiser, which occurred in October, generated $850 in profit.
A successful Halloween family night party took place on October 30 th and was attended by many families.
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New Members
(left) Amy
and Brandon Runge
(right) Becky,
Katelynn (Dineen), John,
Andrew Silva
(left) Christian,
Matt, Angelic, Kaeden
Tofteroo
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Newsletter Title
New Members
(left)
(right) Marissa,
Monti, Emery, Shannon Ossenfort
Oliver, Matt Vekasy
(left) Mike
(right) Courtney,
and Colleen Henderson
Ayva, Greg Lopez
Page 7
Progressive Supper
Progressive Supper: Please join us at the homes of James and Brenda Redmond and Paul and Loni Ivanovskis for
the winter progressive supper. We always have a great time and we'd love to see you! Bring a dessert or appetizer
to share if you'd like. Please see sign-up sheet on bulletin board.
When: December 6th beginning at 6:30 and continuing at 8:15
Where: 15 Reservoir St, #52 in Mansfield for appetizers and 141 East St in
Foxboro for desserts
December Birthdays and Anniversaries
Holly Barros
Carol Boette
Mason Bowman
Camilla Burton
Kimberley Dearborn-Nelson
Jai Demers
Tim Fairchild
Lynne Harrison
Aidan Higgins
Nancy Hopkins
Jessica Keaney
Ayva Lopez
Clara Malinowski
Alyssa McAuliffe
Kristen McKay
Mary McNeil
Ken Morse
Heather Murphy
Shannon Ossenfort
Alyson Rando
Neila Schweitzer
Tanya Taft
Chris and Jeanine McAuliffe
Shane and Sherry Stenehjem
If you do not see your name listed, then your information is missing
from our database. Please contact the church secretary with the
information so we can update our records. We don’t want to leave
anyone out.
Christmas Poinsettia’s
Help adorn the sanctuary with poinsettias this Christmas. Large, beautiful plants will be
available for purchase at $15 per plant. They’ll enhance our worship on Christmas Eve and
you can take them home after the second service that evening to decorate your home or to
give as a gift. Sign up on the list on the bulletin board in the hallway. You can designate
your gift in memory of or in honor of someone if you choose. Checks payable to LCOR can be
put in the offering plate—please put “Christmas Poinsettia” on the memo line.
Angelina’s
We are now offering brunch at
Angelina’s on Sundays from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
All you can eat for adults is $17.95,
Children $9.95 and kids under 4 eat
for free.
This includes an omelet station
where you pick all your own toppings,
bagels, cinnamon bread, croissants,
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sausages, bacon, home fries, baked
haddock, hot pasta dish, fresh fruit,
desserts such as cheese cake, carrot
cake, cannollie
and chefs choice of the hot meal
whether it is carved ham, turkey or
roast changing weekly. Brunch comes
with coffee, tea, orange, tomato and
cranberry juice as well.
Mimosas are $5 and can be served
after 12 p.m.
Thank you kindly.
Maiju
Angelina’s
1230 South Street
Wrentham, MA 02093
774 | 847-9311
774 | 847-9958 Fax
Newsletter Title
Christmas Decorating
We will decorate the sanctuary for Christmas after the 2nd service on Sunday December 21sth.
This includes putting up the tree, decorating it, assembling the handheld candles/holders for the
Christmas Eve celebration, and setting up the crèche. There are chores for all ages and it’s a
quick job with enough helping hands. Please consider staying after second service or returning
to church at 12:00 to help with this fun and important activity!
Christmas Undecorating
The tree and other Christmas decorations will be taken down and put away after the 2 nd service on Sunday
January 4th. Maybe not as festive and fun as decorating….but just as important! Many hands make quick
work …all are welcome!
Confirmation Class Fund Raisers
Our eight Confirmation students, their chaperones and I from LCOR will be joining with the Confirmation
students, their chaperones and pastor from Trinity Lutheran Church of Fairhaven, MA to participate in the
Nightwatch program at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in upper Manhattan on Friday, January 23. On
Friday morning, January 24, we will travel to lower Manhattan to visit the 911 Memorial- including the recently
opened museum. This trip is typically the highlight of our two-year Confirmation program. The cost for the coach
bus to transport us along with our participation in the Nightwatch program is not financially insignificant. So, as
in years past, our Confirmation students and parents will be sponsoring some special projects which you may like
to support?
On Saturday, December 13 from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., our Confirmation students AND their parents will
provide child sitting services so that parents may have some free time to go Christmas shopping. If you are
interested in this service, please place your name on the appropriate sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. This
service is being provided for children age 3 and older but this age limit is negotiable if you are comfortable with
younger children being included.
In this regard, you may contact Maryanna Biedermann (e-mail:
[email protected], or phone 508-339-1859), a parent of two of our Confirmation students, who is organizing
this service. It will be important for you to place your name and your child(ren)s name(s) on the sign-up sheet
along with your cell phone number and e-mail address. Please remember to also include information about any
allergies that your child(en) may have. We are asking for a donation of $25 for one child and $35 for two children,
but any donation will be accepted. Parents are asked to pack and provide a suitable lunch for their children. You
can also make use of this service if you simply want some free time to yourself to do some Christmas wrapping.
You certainly are free to utilize one of our many rooms here for doing such a chore.
On Sunday, December 14 during our fellowship hour (which is also the date of our annual Children's Christmas
Pageant), our Confirmation students will be hosting a bake sale in the church narthex. Be sure to check out these
tables of goodies on the 14th as I know there will be a number of tasty treats for people, and so I'm told, there may
even be some freshly baked dog cookies too! All donations will be accepted.
Please start saving your redeemable bottles and cans because on the Sundays of January 4, 11, and 18 our
Confirmation students and parents will be accepting redeemable bottles and cans which they will turn in to
augment our fundraising efforts. Our Confirmation students and parents are: Alex Behling (son of Bill and Nancy
Behling), Harry & Lily Biedermann (son and daughter of Rick & Maryanna Biedermann), Christian Edgecomb (son
of Lynn Dognazzi, Tyler Newman (nephew to Lynn Dognazzi and grandson to Pr. Michael & Mrs. Jan Fruth),
Hayden Phillips (son of Cliff and Susan Phillips), Christian Tofteroo (son of Matt and Angelic Tofteroo), and Justin
Willson (son of Patrick and Joelle Wilson).
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You can find updated Server Schedules as well as the monthly calendar on the church’s website at
www.LCOR.ORG—The Calendar and Server Schedule are updated on regular basis.
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Our Redeemer’s Voice
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Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer
212 Main Street
Foxboro, MA 02035
Phone: 508-543-4071
E-mail: [email protected]
www.LCOR.ORG
Flowers for the Altar
If you’d like to put flowers on the altar, simply
sign up on the large flower chart on the
bulletin board in the hallway leading to the
education wing.
They may be given in honor of someone, in
memory of someone, an event (anniversary
birthday etc.), or simply to the glory of God! If
the flowers are being given in honor or
memory of someone, please write that on the
flower chart. If no reason is stated on the
chart then flowers will be given to the “Glory
of God.”
You must sign up a minimum of 7 days in
advance. Flower arrangements are $35 each.
Please place your payment in the offering
plate and be sure you designate the payment
as “altar flowers.”
These flowers belong to you, after the flowers
adorn the altar area for both services, please
take your flowers home.
Receiving E-Mail Newsletter
If you are interested in receiving the newsletter
by e-mail rather than the regular mail, please
sign up on the E-Mail signup sheet on the
bulletin board, or leave a note on the
secretary’s desk (providing your name and email address). You can also send an e-mail to
[email protected] with your request to be added.
Each month the e-mail version of the newsletter
will be e-mailed out generally 3 days prior to
when the printed copy comes out. The e-mail
version is in color. You can print out only what
you want printed. The format of the e-mail
bulletin is normal sized paper.
For those of you concerned with computer
viruses, the church computer is updated and
checked weekly and all e-mail addresses are
kept confidential. The e-mail bulletin is sent
out to all as a blind copy so if it is forwarded the
only email address that is seen is the church’s.