Weekly Messenger

Weekly Messenger
Lutheran Church of God's Love
791 Newtown-Yardley Road, Newtown, PA 18940
215-968-4335
www.godslovenewtown.org
November 2, 2014
Vol.2014, Issue 44
ALL SAINTS DAY
The first Sunday of November is set aside to remember all those beloved
ones who have died and who wait for the Day of Resurrection. Those we love
continue to be carried in our hearts, and we give thanks for the privilege of
having known and loved them.
Again this year we will have a candle lighting ceremony during each worship
on November 2. You are invited to light a candle and place it in the sand box to
remember those you love and who are dear to you.
ARTICLES INSIDE:
ADULT FAITH & LIFE
pg. 2
GOD’S CARING STITCHERS
pg. 2
CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR
SOLDIERS
pg. 3
Mark Your Calendars for Hunger 101
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16
The new Food Insecurity Alliance will be hosting a Hunger 101 Simulation
event at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Yardley on November 16 at
2PM. Pastor Marissa will be the facilitator. Participants will be given the chance
to step into the shoes of a neighbor who is a risk of hunger and to come faceto-face with the complex realities of trying to feed a family on a limited budget.
The program will last approximately 2 hours.
For more information and to RSVP, please contact Pr. Marissa. The next regular
meeting of the Alliance will be here at God's Love on Thursday, December 4
at 7PM.
ASP MISSION TRIP
pg. 3
AID FOR FRIENDS
COOKIN
pg. 3
STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
pg. 4
RECEIVE A TEXT
pg. 4
RECEIVE PASTOR PETER’S EMAILS
Once every week or two, Pastor Peter writes a short devotional piece and we
email it to the congregation and friends. Are you getting this email? If not,
please let us know. We can add you easily to the distribution.
Bible Readings for
Next Weekend Nov 9
About Micah
Micah 5:2-4; 6:6-8
Matthew 9:13
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ADULT FAITH & LIFE
SUNDAYS AT 9:30AM
PRAY FOR
WORSHIP LEADERS
Our next session will be entitled "Advent Conspiracy" starting next Sunday, November
2. While it may seem a bit early to think about Advent and Christmas, we all know the
holiday decorations and commercials are already out there! The Advent Conspiracy is
a movement designed to help us all slow down and share a memorable Christmas with
those in need. Each week we'll explore one of the 4 tenets of the program: Worship Fully,
Spend Less, Give More, Love All. We will tie this all in with the Container Project and
the idea that "together, we CAN make a difference". All are welcome to join us at 9:30am
in Room A4/A5.
November 2nd: John Shultz
November 9th: Larry Zetterberg
FRIDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
Join us Fridays at 8:30am at Moish & Itzy’s Deli in the Summit Square shopping center
off the Newtown Bypass. We meet in the back of the restaurant at a reserved table – just
ask the waitresses for God’s Love table.
Pastor Marissa will lead us in studying the upcoming Sunday’s scripture lessons and filling
in the gaps between the weekly narratives. Each person purchases their own breakfast.
Come as often as you can!
OUR KITCHEN REMODEL APPROVED
Another thing to celebrate!
At their October 20 meeting, our Church Council approved a remodel of our kitchen.
The goal is to create a sanitary, functional kitchen that will meet our needs for preparing
fellowship meals in the future. The old stove (which didn’t work well any more) will be
replaced by a new six burner commercial Garland. The broken island will be traded in
for an 8 foot stainless work table. The dishwasher (which took 90 minutes to cycle) will
be changed into an under-counter sterilizing commercial one which does 22 loads per
hour. We will add a tall dual convection oven and a three bay stainless sink. All this will
happen soon.
How are we paying for it? Through the generous allocation of several memorials, a few
donations, and probably a small balance from our major maintenance fund. We also would
like to re-stock the kitchen with good cookware, nice dinnerware, and serving dishes. We
are seeking donations to help pay for this. We want to buy all new, commercial quality.
This is exciting!
Pastor Peter
VOLUNTEERING CORNER
COUNTING THE OFFERING
November 3rd: Fran and Joan
November 10th: Eileen and Ed
STEWARDSHIP CORNER
“. . . but they gave themselves
first to the Lord.”
2 Cor 8:5
Respond gratefully to what God has first
given us. All that we do is a response to
God’s grace. Everything we are, have,
and use comes from God. Best of all,
God gives the gift of Jesus Christ and the
community of believers. Our confession of
faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior
is not of our doing. Grateful stewards put
God first.
PRAYER GARDEN BRICKS
Have you seen the brick walkway through
our Prayer Garden? Did you know that for
$100 you can “purchase” a brick and have
it placed in our garden? Look for the green
halfsheets on the table near the Office
Entrance. You may select up to 15 characters per line for a total of 3 lines (includes
spaces). Bricks take up to 2 months to arrive
once ordered.
September was volunteering month, and the response was great! Many of you filled out
your Community of Gifts survey (COGS). Thank you very much!
We are now in the process of contacting our new recruits to get them placed in their new
volunteer roles. If you haven’t been contacted yet, hang tight; you should be shortly. If you
didn’t have a chance to fill out your COGS yet, there are copies on a table in the Commons
along with a return box. Or you can go to the church website at www.godslovenewtown.
org where you can use the link to complete the survey online (under the “Get Involved”
tab). In November we will be contacting those folks who did not complete one. We are
aiming for 100% participation to have everyone do “one new thing”.
Sandy Anthony, Volunteer Coordinator
215-757-4709 or [email protected]
ATTENDANCE
For Sunday, October 19th
Attendance186
For Sunday, October 26th
Attendance305
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Dear Friends,
Thank you to all who have lovingly and faithfully expressed opinions on the question of
same gender marriage. Thank you also to all who have patiently waited for Council to
listen, to deliberate, to pray and to labor toward a decision.
The following is the resolution that was proposed by a representative cross section of our
Council members, discussed in detail, accepted and voted upon at our Council meeting
this past Monday (October 20).
Whereas same-gender couples are now permitted to marry in Pennsylvania,
And whereas it is likely that the Pastors of God’s Love will receive requests to perform
same-gender marriages,
And whereas the Pastors have agreed to respect and reflect the stance of the congregation
rather than act independently in responding to these requests,
And whereas the Church Council, trusting in the Holy Spirit, made a prayerful effort to
determine the stance of the congregation with the guidance of the 2009 ELCA Social
Statement on Human Sexuality,
And whereas the Church Council understands that the ELCA 1) acknowledges that
consensus does not exist concerning how to regard same-gender committed relationships,
2) draws on the foundational Lutheran understanding that the baptized are called to
discern God's love in service to the neighbor, and 3) encourages all people to live out
their faith with profound respect for the conscience-bound belief of their neighbor,
Therefore, be it resolved by the Church Council of God’s Love, being mindful of the
opinion of an apparent majority of the congregation yet humbly respectful of the opinion
of the minority, that the Pastors shall be permitted to respond positively to requests to
perform same-gender marriages.
Be it further resolved, that as with all marriages, the Pastors shall continue to use their
normal pastoral discernment, discretion and pre-marital counseling in their decision to
perform a particular marriage.
The resolution was passed with a 10 to 3 majority. Council members were encouraged
to vote consistent with their own faithful position, as informed by the feedback received
throughout the process. The vote does reflect the proportionate input received from
members and will guide the Pastors’ response to any future requests for same gender
marriage that they may receive.
We understand that this is welcome news to some and a source of concern to others. One
of the most important things that we learned/confirmed as a Council, was that we are a
welcoming community of faith, and while positions on this subject were shaded across a
wide spectrum, there is one absolute…
we are God’s Love, and we value diversity, differing opinions and are blessed to grow in
our personal faith journey next to others who also seek God in our midst. As a Council,
we pledge to continue to support and grow together, and encourage all of our friends and
members in the same way. The Pastors and Council continue to be available to you on
this or other concerns.
GOD’S CARING STITCHERS
NOVEMBER CALENDAR
Our group is very busy working on all the
knit and crochet items we want to give
away at Christmas to the various charitable
organizations. Come join us anytime. All
are welcome!
We will meet on Friday afternoons at 1pm
at church in Room A1/A2 on November 7,
14, and 21. We will NOT meet on Friday,
November 28, the day after Thanksgiving.
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving everyone!
If you have any questions, please call Cindy
Sundstrom at 215-493-2484 or email her at
[email protected].
Cindy Sundstrom, Coordinator
DINE OUT
Monday, November 10
November's Dine Out is unusual, because
I'm proposing that we have takeout
seafood that we eat at church. Dom's
Seafood in Croydon has a good
reputation for seafood. However, they are
really a takeout place rather than
a sit-down restaurant.
Since there is a room at church that night
that we can use, we will gather in Room
A1/A2 at 7:00 pm to eat and socialize. In
your RSVP, tell me what you want to order.
(The menu for Dom's is on their website).
A couple of days before the Dine Out, I can
call in an order to the restaurant for all the
diners together. I can go down to Croydon
to pick up the food shortly before we eat.
I’ll pay for everything and then you can
each reimburse me. The RSVP deadline is
the evening of Friday, November 7.
Sara Wheeler, Coordinator
Karen Fox, President of Church Council
CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR SOLDIERS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 AT 9:30AM
We will meet in the café to address Christmas cards for our soldiers. Please join us for
coffee, fellowship, and sharing the Good News and cheer. If you have leftover cards or
stickers from years past, please bring them. See you there.
Janet Nordberg, Coordinator
AID FOR FRIENDS COOKIN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3
AT 7PM
This month’s menu is: beef stew,
applesauce, and green beans.
All volunteers please meet in the main
kitchen to help us assemble meals for the
clients of AFF.
Kurt Nelson, Coordinator
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STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM FOR 2015
You will shortly receive a mailing from the pastors. It will explain this year’s campaign
and have a card to fill out. Let us know if you do not receive a packet of information.
Consecration Sunday is November 16 when all of the Plan of Giving cards will be blessed
at the altar.
HELP US CONTACT YOU
RECEIVE A TEXT ON YOUR CELL PHONE
Are you interested in getting texts from God's Love? Thanks to a service called "One
Call Now", we can text you with reminders about important upcoming events, changes in
our schedule due to weather, or other important notifications. Want to sign up? It's easy!
Well... almost. It's a two-step process.
Step 1: Text the word Alert to 22300. This means in the "to:" line, where you would
normally type a person's name or phone number, type 22300. Then, in the body of the text
message, type the word "Alert". You'll quickly get a message that you're all signed up. But
wait! There's actually more.
Step 2: Email Ken ([email protected]) with your cell phone number so we can make
sure you're in our system. We uploaded numbers from our directory, and many of you
chose to publish your home numbers rather than your cell. Once Ken updates your number,
the system will remember that you've opted-in to receive texts and you will be all set.
TREASURES SALE UPDATE
What a wonderful sense of “community” and cooperation we shared this year during the
week of our Treasures Sale! Over fifty people were involved in the prep work and on
Saturday, the day of the sale. God’s Love friends met other new friends. Perhaps a hundred
people contributed something to the sale. In addition, scores of people got to see our church
and experience the warmth and hospitality of our faith community. Plus we have the added
benefit of raising about $1500 from the sale!
Pastor Peter
CAN: PROJECT KICKOFF
There was a wonderful amount of energy at God's Love last Sunday (October 19) as we
officially kicked off the Container Project. Our big red CAN has arrived and is gathering
attention in our parking lot. Dr. Florence Muindi of Life in Abundance joined us for the day
and shared wonderful news that the Luo people of Kisumu, Kenya will receive our clinic
and are already preparing and praying for it! How can you help? Please spread the word
about our project. A letter went out recently, including a project brochure and identifying
some of our needs. Donations have already started coming in. Additional copies of the
brochure and letter are available in the Commons for you to take. Also, keep an eye out
for details about work crews that will be forming soon, and please keep the CAN and the
Kisumu community in your prayers.
- Together, we CAN make a difference.-
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
COLLECTION FOR
OCTOBER
We will collect non-perishable food
for Bucks County Homeless Shelter
during the month of October. All the
local food banks are experiencing an
increase in demand as many families
are finding it difficult to feed their
families. Let's do all we can to help!
Gloria Nelson, Coordinator
COMMUNICATION VIA
EMAIL
If you are not getting emails from the
church and would like to, please list
your email address in the Friendship
Notepad at worship. Multiple members of households are welcome to
list all emails.
THANK YOU’S RECEIVED
1. On October 21 we received a letter
from “On Eagles’ Wings” thanking
us for our donation of $1500. This
represents our annual gift to the
organization. “Your generosity
continues to express the partnership
On Eagle’s Wings and God’s Love
enjoy. Your care, service, prayers,
and faithful financial giving make
this so very obvious!”
2.
On October 24, the ERA
(Emergency Relief Association
of Lower Bucks) thanked us for
the food pantry items totaling 647
pounds during the 3rd quarter of
2014. “We truly appreciate your
support. Without donations like
yours, we could not succeed.”
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VISION
United by the Holy Spirit,
we will make Christ known!
MISSION
We will invite all people to experience God’s
love, grow in faith together, serve and care
for others.
GOD’S LOVE STAFF:
Rev. Peter Naschke, Senior Pastor
Rev. Marissa Krey, Associate Pastor
Kay Rozolis, Office Manager
Ken Weisensale, Office Manager
Patricia Guth, Director/Organist
Walt Kull, Rejoice! Co-director
Nicole Masceri, Rejoice! Co-director
Tom Baust, Heartsong Musician
Sharon Sottung, Confirmation Administrator
Josh Morales, Sexton
CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Karen Fox, President
Stacey Sottung, Vice President
Norm Sundstrom, Secretary
Anthony Canamucio
Gayle Gunnerson
Walter Kull
Kathy MacDonald
Susan McDonnell
Earl Monk
Eric Nordberg
Barbara Roth
John Tidd
Financial Secretary: Renard Smoots
Treasurer: Barbara Senft
Church Council
LCGL_Council@verizon.
MUTUAL MINISTRY CONTACT INFO:
Will Toppin
[email protected]
Andi Webber
[email protected]
Jay Roth
[email protected]
Gayle [email protected]
Jim Gunnerson [email protected]
John Bowen
[email protected]
SUNDAY – All Saints
8:15am Traditional Worship
9:30am Education Hour
10:45am Contemporary Worship
Noon Worship Meeting
5:30pm Heartsong Service
6:30pm Confirmation 8th Grade
7:30pm A.A. Meeting
THIS WEEKLOCATION
Mon
Counters 9amA1
Aid For Friends 7pm
Kitchen
Boy Scouts 7pmFellowship Hall
Tues Preschool Closed
Wed
Yoga 6:30pmFellowship Hall
Bell Choir 6:30pmA1, A2
Adult Choir 7:30pmSanctuary
Mutual Ministry 7:30pmOffice
Thurs
Fri
Bible Study 8:30am
Offsite
Knit & Crochet 1pm
A1, A2
A.A. Meeting 7pmMods
Sat
Newtown Chamber Orchestra
Concert 7pm
Sanctuary
NEXT SUNDAY – Lectionary 32
8:15am Traditional Worship
9:30am Education Hour
10:45am Contemporary Worship
5:30pm Heartsong Service
6:30pm Confirmation 7th Grade
7:30pm A.A. Meeting
GOD’S LOVE CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
Janet Nelson, Director
Pre-K: M – F 9:15-11:45am
4 yr olds: M, W, F 9:15-11:45am
M, W, R, F 12:45-3:15pm
3 yr olds: T, R 9:15-11:45am
T, W, R 12:45-3:15pm
Telephone: 215-497-0506
Email: [email protected]
E-mail
General address: [email protected]
Rev. Peter Naschke: [email protected]
Pastor Marissa Krey: [email protected]
Kay Rozolis: [email protected]
Ken Weisensale: [email protected]
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