October Newsletter Check out what we've been up to this month |
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Our Gratitude by P. Spotts Dear Faith Friends, THank you for the beautiful prayer Shawl. I use it and then a calm and peace come over me. Thank you for provinding a source of comfort. Stacey always enjoyed being a part of the Faith congregation. She looked forward to helping at the Faith Fair. Thank you for your love and support. |
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Our Gratitudeby Audrey Lago Dear Friends and members of Faith Lutheran Church, Words cannot express my appreciation for your prayers, cards, and beautiful prayer shawl. Finally home from rehab since August 31st. A long haul but I'm feeling stronger every day. Many many thanks, Love & hugs to all of you. |
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Our GratitudeBy Don Childers A HUGE thank you to my Faith Family fo your support and prayers throughout the summer and during my surgery. Your cards and well wishes are greatly appreciated. My beautiful prayer shawl is a source of the Lord's comfort during my recovery. |
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Welcome into our Family of Faith |
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Baptized October 3, 2020 Lucas Edward Davis Son of Edward & Lauren Davis Great-grandson of Doris Zimmerman |
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Ben Mroz III Received October 11, 2020 |
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Pastor's Page“We’ve never done it that way before.” “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:17) |
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This statement often comes as a response to an idea or proposal that is new or foreign to us. It is usually a mark of resistance against something unfamiliar and unknown. I have heard it said that these are the ‘seven last words’ of the Church. In the past few months we’ve been doing many things in ways we have never done them before… and never imagined we’d have to do them! Zoom meetings and fellowship time. On-line video services. Outdoor worship in the parking lot. Greeting people while wearing masks and social distancing. Worshiping indoors quietly… or sitting in the car and listening through the radio. For some it has meant receiving the service and sermon in the mail each week.
It has been and will continue to be a challenge for us all. It’s easy to cross our arms, dig in our heels, and long for the way we’ve always done it. But just think what the past few months would have been like if we hadn’t been willing to experiment and try new ways of connecting with God and with each other!
The reality in which we find ourselves tells us that the routine and familiar are just not possible for now… and in some cases, may not be again. When these days of challenge have passed, we will have a choice. Do we continue to resist, or do we embrace the new opportunities that these new days present to us?
I like to reframe this ‘deadly’ statement so it becomes “We’ve never tried it that way before!” It’s a subtle difference, but an important one. It becomes an expression of wonder and openness to the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst. It allows us to embrace the new thing that God is doing. It gives us the grace to try being in ministry in ways that may at first seem uncomfortable, but hopefully will soon become welcome and familiar.
We have returned to worship in the sanctuary… some of it feels familiar… but some of it feels quite different. We have been grateful to receive communion once more… but we miss our wine and home-baked bread. We love hearing Molly play the organ… but speaking the words of hymns may leave us longing to break out in song. But we also are grateful for the opportunity to once again be together… reunited as the Body of Christ in our church home.
As we go through the months ahead, there are other changes that will feel different for us all. As you saw in the Annual Report, the Finance Committee and I determined that Faith could no longer support a full-time minister, and I proposed a plan for a ¾-time position that was approved by Council and the Congregation. This plan primarily means that I will have fewer office hours. At times it may require greater participation from the congregation to be able to continue some of our ministry efforts… helping to lead Bible studies, phoning or visiting shut-ins, and even covering Sundays I am away. But we will adapt and we will move forward…as long as we do it together… and especially as long as we rely on Christ to carry us through!
I invite you to open yourselves to the ongoing work of the Spirit among us as we seek to be faithful in all things. We may not know a lot about what all of this will look like, but we do know that God is with us, and will continue to lead us and guide us into our what comes next. Let’s keep making room for the ‘new wine’ God will bring!
Your partner in ministry, Pastor Debby
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Highlights from The Annual MeetingHeld September 20, 2020 Constitutional changes were approved allowing remote meetings, both electronically and via phone conferencing, and allowing voting to be done under special conditions, both electronically and by voice vote.
The following openings for volunteers are still available: Nominating Committee – 1-2-year term Endowment Committee – 1-1year term Thank you to outgoing Council members – Barbara Fox, Arlene Sinclair, and Phyllis Nutt for your service to the congregation. And thanks to the Nominating committee – Carol Ray, Judie Tim, Glenda Hoffman, Joyce Klein, (all outgoing members) and Barbara Laughlin and Doris Zimmerman (each with another year). Thanks to Lauren Catrino for her invaluable knowledge, insight, dedication, and service to Faith as our Treasurer during the last 2 ½ years. Elected as Church Council Officers President – Mike Gillis Treasurer – Ben Mroz III Vice President – Paul Frantz Appointed by Council Financial Secretary – Phil Newlander Council Secretary – John Lyman Phil Newlander Financial Secretary |
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Indoor and Drive-InEvery Sunday @ 9:30 am Indoor service is open following social distancing and using masks according to CDC protocols. If you wish to stay in your vehicles, tune into 93.1 FM radio. |
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COMMUNION WILL BE SERVED – HYMNS ARE READ PRAYERFULLY! "Recordings of each week's service will be posted on our Facebook Page the following Friday at 5 pm, and available on our Website and YouTube channel." Facebook: Faith Lutheran Church of Blakeslee PA Website: www.faithlutheranblakeslee.org YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCut8vdI1KlIJFPbkCzmK4GQ |
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In Need of Disinfectants Wipes, Sprays, and Cleaners In order to continue to open safely, we need proper cleaning products continuously. We have been unable to find on-line sources for these products. If you happen to run across any of these items while shopping, please pick up one or two for the church. We will reimburse you for these purchases. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP |
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Share your harvest, if you are able John the Baptist went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins…. And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” – Luke 3:4, 10-11 God’s people have traditionally given thanks and celebrated God’s abundance at harvest time, when farmers close out their growing season. In 2020, North Americans once again rejoice that our land has produced plenty of food. And many Americans, blessed with stable jobs and rebounding investments, can give thanks for a harvest of financial and personal blessings as well. But millions of us and our neighbors are struggling. Covid-19 has caused massive joblessness, pushing countless families into poverty. Hunger and homelessness are skyrocketing. Federal, state and local safety-net programs are breaking, and food banks, shelters and other charities are overwhelmed.
The rising need presents an opportunity for God’s people who are blessed with more than enough to help siblings in need. This year, consider celebrating your harvest of blessings not only by giving thanks but also by donating generously – of your time, talent, money or goods – to a local food bank, homeless shelter, soup kitchen or charity. Our congregations could lead this effort with a campaign, “Harvest of Giving.”
Our hurting, struggling neighbors need to know not only that Covid-related misfortune is not their fault, but also that God and God’s people are standing with them, supporting them with love and help. The best way is for those who are blessed with an abundant harvest to share it with those whose harvests are lean.
–Rob Blezard
Copyright © 2020, Rev. Robert Blezard. Pastor Blezard serves as an assistant to the bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Synod, ELCA, and works as content editor for www.stewardshipoflife.org. He blogs at www.thestewardshipguy.com
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Letter from Finance Committee Greetings Faith Family, I hope this newsletter finds you all in good health and in good spirts. Faith Lutheran Church has continued to thrive during a very strange year for everyone. Pastor’s efforts to provide the congregation with a spiritual foundation through many different means have been well received. I can say that from personal observation of the number of cars each Sunday in our parking lot and the monthly donations we see on our financial reports. My strong belief is that we will stick this out together as some of us move back inside the church while others remain in their cars at a distance comfortable to them. This is yet another example of our church leadership providing as many paths to worship and participate in the life of the church that can be safely and economically supported. We are actively working to bring our Sunday services live to the internet. Within the next month or two the congregation will be able to tune in from anywhere on Sunday morning, with an internet connection, and participate in the service. I mention these examples to inform you that your 2020 donations have been used to keep our church going through the pandemic. Without your faithful support the church would have been out of funds by June. Our 2021 budget and income projections are based on your continued support at the 2020 level. I am asking you to commit to maintaining your current level of giving at a minimum to get us through 2021 and the return to full operation at Faith. If you can find it in your heart and check book to help even more there are several projects that need to be funded. As you know we have replaced one furnace this year. There is second one that is the same age. While that one is still working, we suspect it won’t last a lot longer. We have also been informed that our air-conditioning system has reached end of life. This is not funded in the 2021 budget. We plan on addressing it in 2022. As you can see any gifts the church receives will be put to good use to keep your place of worship maintained and ready for the next set of challenges that will certainly come our way. Respectfully, Paul Frantz Finance / Stewardship Committee Chair |
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Thoughts from your Council President Who said, “Change is good”? I for one am not so sure. The last six months have seen changes that may well be permanent. The one that has me thinking now is technology. Faith Lutheran will be putting together a new committee to address the challenges of how our church moves forward under what is now the “new” normal. While this may seem simple, if you attended the annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday 20 September, you saw how quickly the technology can break down. Nearly everybody has a smartphone. I just retired my basic, simple flip-phone for a new iPhone. This has shown me how far behind the curve I am with current technology. But I am learning. I want to, and will, join this new technology committee when it gets up and running. The opportunity to learn new things from people with far more experience will be a blessing. We at Faith Lutheran are all part of a family. We are here to love and support each other in all that we do. So, this is an open letter to everyone to get involved with our church. Technology may not be your strong point (It’s certainly not mine) but every committee can use your talents and support. How well this family of faith will work in the future is going to require help from us all. You may think that you have nothing to contribute, but you do. It’s putting together the many little things that keep the church running smoothly. The day will come when we all return to the “old” normal. Will you be there as active members doing whatever little thing that you can that helps? Your Council President, Michael Gillis |
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Faith LutheranSunday School Children's Newsletter Preparations are well underway for our very first edition of Faith Lutheran Church Sunday School Children’s Newsletter. It will be published in October and contain: |
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• Pictures of our children working on materials from our Pizza Take Home Vacation Bible Camp: “God is Every Where, in Every One, and in Every Thing”. • Children’s handwritten stories about their favorite people, places, pets
• Pastor’s and Sunday School Teacher’s remembrances from their Sunday School days
Still recognizing COVID CDC guidelines, our children will be receiving bi-monthly Sunday School lesson mailings in October and possibly November. Our young men students will be learning about the Major Prophets of the Old Testament: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Our young women students will be learning about important Old Testament women: Deborah, Jochebed and Miriam,, Esther, and the Queen of Sheba! We are hoping to rejoin classroom learning together in our Sunday School room at church as we prepare for Advent in December.
Grateful thanks to our teaching staff: Pastor Debby, Janice Neagle, Tom Hutton, Phyllis Nutt, Lois Childrers, and Judie Tim.
Stay tuned!
Respectfully Submitted, Judie Tim |
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Turn Your ClocksFall Back 1 Hour Remember to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on Oct. 31st! Enjoy that extra hour of sleep! |
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We will celebrate All Saints’ Sunday on November 1st, when we will remember Henry Schaumloffel and Eleanor Kohv who died in the past year. If you have anyone you would like remembered as part of the service, please contact Maritza at the office (570) 646-0309 or email: maritza_faithlut@frontier.com |
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Bakeless Cake Sale"Fun"d-raiser Since we cannot hold our Apple Fest this year, we are hoping that everyone who would normally be baking or buying goodies for the fair will help out the church by donating your 'savings' to the church! Write "bakesale" on your check or envelope, or make a notation on your Vanco donation. If you're not here to pin your choice on the wall, we will do it for you! |
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Church Change! The church change project is back with bright and colorful banks! Please empty your loose change into the banks daily and return when full. Thanks! |
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Home TouchScripture Reading: Philippians 4:1-9 Worry doesn’t take care of tomorrow’s problems; it takes away today’s peace! —Anon. | | |
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Red Cross Blood Drive Wednesday, November 25, 2020 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Faith Lutheran Church 550 Route 940, Blakeslee PA 18610 Please continue to use masks and social distancing. |
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Eligibility RequirementsTo ensure the safety of both patients and donors, these are some of the requirements donors must meet to be eligible to donate blood based on their donation type. |
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To pre-register your appointment, please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). There are donation eligibility requirements by donation type. Please click on the link below for Eligibility Requirements. |
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