pilgrim`s progress - Pilgrim Lutheran Church

PILGRIM LUTHERAN CHURCH
44 CHAPEL ROAD – KENMORE, NY 14217
(716) 875-5485
A Congregation in Mission, Community and Service
PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
APRIL 2015
PASTOR: Rev. Ben Eder
EDITOR: Mary Werth
ASSOC. EDITOR:
SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:00 AM
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY: 9:30 AM
WORSHIP: 10:00 AM
Dear Friends in Christ,
On this blessed Easter, I’d like to share one of my mom’s poems that was in a previous newsletter for all of you
to enjoy.
In her notes, she wrote, “Jesus’ resurrection from the grave shows us mortals that there is life beyond the grave.
Through Jesus Christ we have obtained salvation from sin and eternal life in our heavenly home.”
“As Christians we know that beyond our life here on earth we have eternal life with Christ in heaven. Easter is a
special day set aside for our remembrance of life eternal.”
In Jesus’ Love,
Marilyn Schneck
MY RESURRECTED LORD
I hear the sound of angels’ wings
I see a gentle light;
O list! The whisper of the trees
Behold! The dawn is bright!
O look! Up yonder way I see
A gravestone gently lay –
Now who would venture in the tomb
Where Jesus rests this day?
“He is not here!” a stranger says –
“He’s risen!” “Oh, do tell . . .”
“Did you not feel the rumbling earth?
He walked the floor of hell.”
Then when my vision cleared I saw
A figure in the way
His soft eyes gleaming, full of love
Yes, I believe today!
For Jesus spoke to me this day
He loves me – Mark my word!
‘Midst death and darkness light has come
He’s risen! Praise the Lord!
C. 1998
Doris V. Neumann
SUNDAY SERVER SCHEDULE
APRIL 2014
DATE
READER
Apr. 5
Wes Wiers
USHERS
Pat
Watkins
*
Roger
Watkins
Jack
COMMUNION
Hambridge
ASSISTANT
Apr. 12
Mary
Werth
Naomi
George
*
Harvey
Caldow
Apr. 19
Sue
Holway
Jim
O’Brien
*
Gary Smith
Apr. 26
Steven
Rodgers
Peggy
Clark
*
George
Alessi
George
Alessi
Frank
Alessi
Gary Smith
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Palm Sunday, March 29th – 10 a.m.
Maundy Thursday – Pilgrim at Nazareth Lutheran Church (joint service), 7 p.m.
Good Friday – Tre Ore Service at St. Luke Lutheran Church, Cheektowaga, noon to 3 p.m.;
Good Friday service at Pilgrim (joint service with Nazareth), 7 p.m.
Holy Saturday – Memorial service for Grace Himmele, 11 a.m.; Saturday service, 5:30 p.m.
Easter Sunday – 10 a.m.
Eric Alessi
Apr. 15
Melody Keef
Apr. 20
Jeanette Donnelly
Apr. 21
Adam Keef
Apr. 22
Kevin Rodgers
Apr. 25
The ultimate gift
If God didn’t withhold from us his very own Son, will God withhold anything we need? If trust must be
earned, hasn’t God unequivocally earned our trust with the bark on the raw wounds, the thorns pressed into the
brow, your name on the cracked lips? How will he not also graciously give us all things he deems best and
right? He’s already given the incomprehensible.
—Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts
BOOK CLUB
The Women's Book Club will meet at church at 7 pm on Monday, April 20. We will talk
about books for discussion this year. We will also discuss Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn
Jourdan. Ms. Jourdan was a Capitol Hill lawyer who returned home to Tennessee to help her
country physician father. Her memoir follows her first year working in his office and coming
to understand what he means to his community. Whether you have read this book or not, you
are welcome at our meeting to offer books for future discussion.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*** There will be no Community Dinner in April as the first Friday is Good Friday. ***
============================================================================
*** Game night will be Friday, April 10th at 6:30 p.m. ***
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*** The P.A.L.s will meet on Saturday, April 18th at 8:00 a.m. at Pilgrim. ***
VOTER’S MEETING
A Voter’s Meeting was held on Sunday, March 22nd, after the service. The men’s
restroom renovations are complete – it is now wheelchair accessible. The lift still needs
some slight repairs to the outside door, but is otherwise functional.
There will be a memorial service for Grace Himmele on Saturday, April 4th at 11 a.m. A
luncheon hosted by the Esther Circle will follow. The family has invited members of Pilgrim
to attend as well.
Pastor Ben’s nomination for English District Bishop/President was discussed. He is
helping the Church Council to “get our ducks in a row” for what will happen just in case he is
elected. (This includes what must be done in preparation for calling another pastor.)
May our prayer be that God’s will be done.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 28th. We adjourned and closed with
the Lord’s Prayer.
ESTHER CIRCLE saves the following items and would appreciate
your support!
Dash’s Market tapes –
Give to Sue Holway
Used inkjet print cartridges and
Cancelled postage stamps (cut around stamp leaving at least ¼ inch edge of envelope
paper on each side) –
Give to Pat Watkins
Pennies (mites) for LWML missions –
Give to Karen Smith
Eleven Mission Grants Still to be Funded
As men and women respond to all God has given to His children, and as a result of faithful prayer and mite*
giving, the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) was pleased to partially fund two more Mission
Grants for the 2013-2015 biennium. As the fiscal close of the biennium draws near, the LWML asks for prayers
as eleven Mission Grants still require full or partial funding.
The women of the LWML have each made a personal commitment to funding and praying for the mission
grants chosen on both the district and national levels of this organization. They are aware that mission
organizations are relying on these funds to reach out to thousands in the name of Jesus. After the announcement
of the mites shortfall at the January 2015 LWML Board of Directors’ meeting in St. Louis, several districts
responded with additional gifts, and single donors are also responding with gifts. All praise to our Lord, Jesus
Christ, for gracious giving!
If any other districts would consider offering extra gifts to make the biennium’s national Mission Goal, they are
urged do so before March 31, 2015, which is the end of the fiscal biennium.
These two Mission Grants for the 2013-2015 biennium received partial funding in January:
Another installment of $25,000 for I CAN – Serving At-Risk Children With Learning Needs. This grant will
help to bring the love of Christ to children who are at-risk and have special learning needs through Lutheran
Special Education Ministries’ after-school and summer programs. An additional $29,000 is still needed to
complete this grant.
Another installment of $10,000 for Support for Lutheran Public Radio. This grant will help allow the director
of business operations to devote more time to development, so that the radio and Internet show, “Issues, Etc.,”
can continue to proclaim the Gospel and provide a better understanding of contemporary social issues in a
Christian context. An additional $5,000 remains to be funded to complete this grant.
By God’s grace, your mite offerings, along with the contributions of other LWML supporters, can help meet
this national mission goal of $1.83 million. You may donate online here and checks or money orders may be
designated as missions and mailed to Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, P.O. Box 411993, St. Louis, MO
63141-1993.
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE MAY
NEWSLETTER IS APRIL 26TH.