CALLER Dec 2015 - St Paul`s Lutheran Church

ST. PAU L’S LU TH ERAN CHU RCH
The CALLER
Our Mission: Empowering others with the Good News of Jesus Christ:
Making Connections, Enriching Faith, Nourishing Lives, and Demonstrating love in God’s Name
December 2015 at St. Paul’s
Saturday Dec. 12 & 19 at 9 am—Men’s Club
Breakfast & Bible Study
Tuesdays Nov. 1, 8, 15, - 10 am Bible Study “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Thursdays 7:30 pm—Choir Rehearsal—all voice
parts are welcome—no auditions!
Wed. Dec. 2—10:00—Comforters & Prayer Shawl
Team meet in the Parish Hall
Sat. Dec. 5—4:00—Decorating the Church—Crockpot supper—sign up in the back narthex.
Worship at St. Paul’s
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord”
Psalm 122:1
Dec. 6 —2nd Sunday of Advent
9:00—Confirmation Class
10:00—Holy Communion
10:00—Sunday School
Dec. 13—3rd Sunday of Advent
9:00—Confirmation Class
10:00—Holy Communion
10:00 Sunday School
Congregational Meeting follows worship
Dec. 20—4th Sunday of Advent
10:00—Holy Communion and
Sunday School Christmas Pageant
Tues. Dec. 8— 7:00—Council
7:00—Eggertsville Community Org
Thurs. Dec.10 —Noon—Retired Folks Lunch &
Christmas Memories. Lunch provided for a small
charge.
Remember—if you’re scheduling a meeting or an event,
check the planning calendar on the board by the offices to
make sure space is available! Or call or e-mail the
Church Office: (835-0407 or
[email protected])
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve
Candlelight Carol Worship
4:00 and 7:00
Dec. 27—1st Sunday of Christmas
10:00—Service of Lessons and Carols
with Holy Communion
The Nursery is staffed during
10:00 worship time.
St. Paul’s is a congregation of the Niagara Frontier Conference of the Upstate New York Synod
Of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
D E CE MBE R 20 1 5
P AGE 2
Dear Friends and Members of St. Paul’s,
I know "typical December Pastor’s newsletter articles" are supposed to be about
Christmas Eve, Children’s Christmas Pageant, New Years stuff, blah blah
blah. So here it is December 20 - 10am - Children’s Christmas Pageant = lots of cute kids.
December 24 - 4pm and 7pm - Christmas Eve Candlelight Services = one 8
pound 6 ounce baby Jesus (also a cute kid)
January 3 - 10am - Family Blessing Service = cute families.
Now let’s move on to why we do those things - to celebrate God’s incarnation into the world!! And that incarnation looks like ministry and church and love and family and making a difference in the Kingdom of God
now. And here are three ways that is happening at and through St. Paul’s…..
1. Ryan Berglund - Ryan’s our intern and a student at Buff State. He’s discerning his call to ministry in the
world and you are the incubator in which God is hatching that plan! He’s visiting, preaching, teaching and fellowshipping (a word only actually used in church circles) to allow God to highlight some of his gifts that could
be used as a future leader of the church. Thank you for continuing to welcome him, learn from and with him
and guiding him along the way.
2. Christina Weber - Christina’s our new Youth Ministry intern and a student at Niagara Community College. She’s learning from the best of the best in Youth Ministry, Kristen Arends, on how not only to have excellent faith-based experiences with youth, but also all the behind the scenes fun stuff, like budgets, parent communication, etc. She’ll be helping to do youth nights and also add more Sunday morning gatherings for youth
as well.
3. Keyla Marte - Keyla’s our new Community Impact intern and a student at Daemen College. She’ll be leading a lot of our current outreach ministries like the backpack program, meal packaging here and at Daemen College and whatever else the community needs. Please welcome her on Sundays in worship and jump into the
opportunities she offers.
This is one aspect of a healthy church - raising up leaders in the faith. Raising up leaders to tell the Christmas
story for generations to come. We can all gather this month to tell it, sing about it and celebrate it, but if we
aren’t lifting up new missionaries, then who will tell that story next year? The mall? Amazon? Justin Bieber
on his Holiday album? Ugh.
This Advent/Christmas season is important. So let’s celebrate it. But I’m thankful today that you are a church
that lives into the challenge of training, giving permission to and following future leaders…so there’s someone
to tell the Christmas story next year!
Still in One Peace,
Pastor Steve
New Missionaries at St. Paul’s—welcomed on November 1, 2015:
Cheryl Gillen
Helen Gibson
Gail Singer
Pam Wunderlin
And, on Nov. 17, Marion Benk
T HE C ALLE R
P AGE 3
In our Congregational Family
Sharing the Supper
We share the Lord’s Supper when we gather on Sunday mornings, but the Table is
larger than what we see in the pews.
Maybe you’ve noticed the Assisting Minister disappears before the end of worship? He or she is taking communion to the Sunday School so that the students and
teachers also share in the supper.
Our shut-in members and those who are hospitalized join us at the Table as Pr.
Steve, Intern Ryan and Mary Wolf take communion to them on a regular basis. If you know of someone who needs to be added to the list of those who receive these visits, please call the Church Office.
THANKS FROM:
LCLC—LCLC is blessed with friends like you who give to our ministry,
through gifts such as yours we are able to provide programs that encourage
and nurture the spirits of our guests and campers. We appreciate your ongoing support and are grateful for the ways you bless LCLC. Thank you,
friends!!
LTSP—the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia is a gift to students who have
been called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, and serve the church through a variety of ministries. You are a gift to students as your support allows the mission of LTSP to
continue. On behalf of our new President, Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, the students, faculty and
staff, we thank you for your gifts to the Leadership Fund. It is through gifts like yours that
God’s will to send out disciples to preach, teach, serve and lead is fulfilled.
Lutheran Charities: Dear Rev. Steve and Friends at St. Paul’s, Thanks be to thee for conceiving and hosting the First-and-Last-Ever Reformation Bowl—we heard it
was a great success! We are so touched by your thoughtfulness to designate Lutheran Charities as beneficiary, Because of your generosity, the
funds raised will go a long way toward underwriting the good work of our
WNY charitable agencies. May God richly bless your ministry!
Millie Mahoney: I want to thank my St. Paul’s friends for the beautiful altar flowers delivered
to me at Beechwood for my 94th birthday by Joyce Chace.
Louise Duethorn: Just want to thank you for the beautiful flowers I received. They really brightened my day.
Sunday School Corner
GIVING – FOLLOWING – TOOLS – THANKS
Giving – in Sunday School we read
the book “The Giving Tree”. We
learned about different ways to give
and to do so with joy in our hearts!
We made crafts to remind us of
ways we can give every day! We
joined with the older classes to make pies for our shut-ins
as a way to give.
Following – we talked about
paths to follow and who to follow – Jesus! And about the tools
we need to do that! A hammer
to crush out the enemy’s lies, a
screwdriver to tighten our faith,
sandpaper to smooth out the
rough edges, and nails to remind us of Jesus’ blood shed
to wash away our sins.
Thanks – we wrote what we
are thankful for and added
those leaves to our tree of
thanks! We reviewed all we
have to be thankful for and made Thanksgiving crafts!
Upcoming – We will talk about Advent and make crafts.
December will be working on the Christmas Pageant
with Adam and Kristen. The Pageant will be on December 20th during worship. There will be no Sunday School
on December 27th. Happy & Healthy Holidays to all!
Love and Peace – June Piette
December 2015 – January 2016
Cross Training!
Have you seen us as ushers, communion helpers, greeters
bell ringers, readers?
November was our food collection
More than 30 bags of food went to Reformation Food Pantry to
help re-stock the shelves after Thanksgiving.
December is another busy month for us!
12/6 we’ll help with the food packaging.
12/13 Jesus was born 2000+ years ago. What does that mean
to us today?
12/20 we’ll help with the Sunday School Christmas Pageant
12/27 – No Confirmation Class
January 3 we have a special guest –
Mary Wolf will teach us how to Pray in Color.
Everyone is invited to join us at 9:05 am in the Confirmation
Classroom!
Spoiler Alert!!! – Jan 10 – Feb 7 is the
“Souper” Bowl Collection
Chicken soup if you’re rooting for the NFC’
Beef soup if you’re routing for the AFC
Tomato or Cream of Mushroom soup if you just watch for the
commercials
YOUTH MINISTRY
Hey St. Paul's Youth!
Remember that time you peeled and chopped apples and then we put them into an apple pies? And that other time when the younger grades all took
turns adding ingredients that were made into pumpkin pies? I think that roughly 20 individuals helped make those 15 pies. And then 12 other people took those pies out into the community to folks that have a difficult time getting to church on Sunday mornings. What an example of the power
there is in being a part of the Body of Christ! Thanks for being a part of it. With Christina on board we've got even more ideas for what we can do
together!
Upcoming Youth Nights:
Saturday, December 5th - Christmas Decorating and Party 4pm -9:00pm
Your whole family is invited to participate starting at 4pm. There will be a potluck dinner and singing of carols while we decorate St. Paul's for
Christmas. At 7pm the adults will be leaving the building and we will stay for a night of Crazy Christmas Games.
Saturday, January 16th - New Year Youth Night! More details to come
6th-12th Grade Sunday School will be held on 12/6, 12/13, 1/3 and 1/17
Can't wait to celebrate Christmas with each of you!
St. Paul's Christmas Pageant
Youth of all ages are welcome to join in the fun of telling the Christmas Story.
12/6 - 10am - Rehearsal during regular Sunday School time
12/13 - 10am - Rehearsal during regular Sunday School time
12/19 - 10am-11:30 Dress Rehearsal
12/20 - Pageant Day! 9:30am arrival for costumes
Retired Folks
Thurs. Dec. 10 at Noon—We’ll share
lunch (provided at
a small cost) and
share memories of
Christmases past.
Sign up in the
back narthex .
BIBLE STUDY
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
It’s a hymn, it’s a prayer, but
where did it come from and
what’s the Bible connection?
Tuesdays, Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22 at 10:00 a.m. in
the Fellowship Room.
Saturday, Dec. 5th
beginning at
4:00 p.m.
Join us to help
decorate the
Church for
Christmas
And then enjoy a
Crockpot PotLuck Dinner
There’s a sign-up sheet in the back
narthex. Please let us know you’re
coming!
D E CE MBE R 20 1 5
eBAY News
from Sara Gallagher
December 2015
We have had good sales lately. Some of October sales were reported last month. The rest of the October sales and one item from November is listed here. At the end of October another $500 was
transferred to our checking account. Items sold:
St. Paul’s Memorial Fund…
The following people have given donations
in memory of Ruth Lampe, which, at her
request, are being applied to Mortgage Reduction:
Barbara Walter
•
Vintage Glass Paperweight with Sword Letter Opener
•
Vince Gill CD
The Following donations have been received in memory of Carl Andersen:
•
Pair of Baldwin Brass Candle bases with Glass Chimneys
John & Rose Ann Grimaldi
•
Casio HR-100TM Business Calculator w/paper rolls & ink
Sandy Hoehn
•
Cheri Blum Framed Print, Resin Plaques and Votive Holder
Vintage wooden hangers with advertising from hotels and
stores
•
Vintage Pfaltzgraff Cream and Sugar Set with Lid
Christmas is approaching. Remember me for the bubble wrap,
styrofoam peanuts and air pillows that come in your holiday delivered packages.
Email [email protected], find me at church, or call 834-1833.
From the Parish Register
Baptisms: By Water and the Spirit
Madeline Rose Pierce
Greyson Martin Schenback
Nicholas R. Hazlett
Deaths: Into your hands, O merciful Savior
Thomas M. Mogle
When Should You Call the Church Office?
—To arrange for a Baptism
—To schedule a wedding date and pre-marital counseling sessions
—Anytime you or a family member is in the
hospital (including having a baby!)
—If there is a death in the family
—If you move or change your phone number (we have to pay
the post office for returned mail!)
—When you need to talk with a Pastor. . .
—When there’s a situation you think we need to know about . . .
Sally & Dick Grove
Dean & Nancy Millar
June Grier
Eliza Fernbach
Blue Christmas9
Wed. Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. at
Crossroads Lutheran Church,
4640 Main at Burroughs.
This is a quite time of prayer and
reflection for those who are
mourning the death of loved ones or for
other reasons find this time of year difficult to handle. All are welcome to participate to the extent you wish and are
able.
Do you get our Email Updates?
Every week (and
sometimes more often!) —an e-mail update goes out from
the Church Office to
remind you of coming events, and to
inform you of things in the life of the
congregation that happen between
Sundays.
If you’re not on the list receiving these
and you would like to be, just contact
the Church Office with your e-mail address 835-0407and let Mary know you
want to be added.
We need your permission to add your
e-mail to the list.
T HE C ALLE R
D E CE MBE R 2 01 5
Reaching Beyond St. Paul’s
Community Outreach
My name is Keyla Marte and I am
a senior at Daemen College. I am
so excited and honored to work as
the Community Outreach intern. I
truly believe in the work God is
doing at St. Paul’s and I am so
blessed to become apart of it.
I am passionate about helping the community and
teaching others about faith.
My role at St. Paul’s will involve creating opportunities
to allow the church to connect with various organizations in the community to host events such as food
drives, volunteer opportunities and much more.
As I begin my journey, I look forward to getting to
know each of you.
I am always available, if you have any questions,
comments or ideas. Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call me 718-640-7924
My Best,
Christmas Shopping
Do you have someone on your shopping list that’s
just impossible to buy for? Already has everything?
Can one gift be given to more than one person?
Would you know how to giftwrap a goat? The ELCA
Good Gifts catalog answers all these questions. Log
on to ELCA.org and type “good gifts” into the
searchbox, and you’ll find an amazing array of gifts
that will help those in need around the world. From
farm animals to clean water wells, mosquito nets to
meals for a refugee, from school supplies to health
care for an orphan. Make this gift in honor of someone in lieu of an actual present, and you’ve gifted
two people at once. You will receive a card to send
the honoree, who may actually be very happy to not
receive another tchotchke that will just gather dust.
Start a tradition in your family—it certainly will start
a conversation!
Keyla Marte
St Paul's is partnering with the
Amherst schools again this year
to help make Christmas special
for some local families. There
will be tags on the "Angel " tree
in the Gathering area with items
needed for several families, as
well as for Tops gift cards. The
tag should be attached to the outside of the wrapped
gift so they reach the intended person. All gifts must
be at church by Sun Dec 13.
FOOD PANTRY UPDATE…
Thanks to you we collected 280
cans of fruits and vegetables in
October!
The need for December is Peanut Butter and Jelly. Please pick up some
when you do your grocery shopping.
Thanks for your continuing support of this on
-going need, and for helping to make it a happy Thanksgiving for others!
Lord, when did we see you hungry…?
We are church together for the sake of the world.
God’s Work. Our Hands.
Dash’s Receipts = Cash!
Please continue to save your Dash’s register tapes
and place them in the collection box in the back narthex. They provide a source of extra income which
enables the Niagara Lutheran Health System Guild to
enrich the lives of the residents and they do add up!
Who Are Prayer Shawls for??
People in the congregation, friends,
workers, family… people who are
sick, home-bound, grieving, going
through difficult times …
co-
anyone who needs to know they are wrapped in
prayer!
If you know someone who needs a prayer shawl, we
have them! Speak with Marilyn Emerson or Jean
Brundage and they’ll help you choose one for the
need!
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage PAID
Permit #3595
Buffalo New York
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
4007 Main Street
Eggertsville NY 14226
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Coming in January
Family Blessing Service—Sunday, Jan. 3 at 10 a.m.
SMILE - God loves you and His love keeps us warm and happy - especially when we we are at the
Adult LCLC Retreat weekend!!!
Smiling, laughing, giggling and much more is what you will do if you join us for the LCLC
Adult Retreat the weekend of January 22-24, 2016. Mark your calendars now for a fun filled time
with St Paul's family and friends. Feel free to bring someone along who is not from St
Paul's - the more the merrier! Great fellowship, delicious food, lots of laughs and relaxation are on
the "schedule"! More details and info will be coming soon to the back entrance bulletin board!
Please join us for a really great getaway! Any questions - contact Barb Walter. Winter may be coming but remember a smile always warms one's heart !!!!!
A cheerful heart is a good medicine—Proverbs 17:22
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Our Mission: Empowering others with the Good News of Jesus Christ:
Making Connections, Enriching Faith, Nourishing Lives, and Demonstrating love in God’s Name
Pastor: The Rev. Steve Biegner (868-1232 cell) Editor: Mary E. Wolf
Assemblers: Dorothy Menth, Marilyn Emerson, Betty Arbogast, Dolores Shearer, Marilynn Speich,
Norma Stevenson, Joyce Chace, Joan Maefs, Bertha Efstation, Sue Keppel
Telephone: (716) 835-0407 Fax: (716) 836-3493 e-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.stpaulseggertsville.org