Vacation Bible School 16 Visitation Coordinator 30 Women of the ELCA 19 Worship and Music 30 Youth Ministry 16
Annual Congregation Reporting Meeting
February 24, 2019
2018 Annual Report
Evangelical Lutheran Church 117 East Arch Street Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
ANNUAL CONGREGATION REPORTING MEETING
Agenda
Call to Order Devotions 2018 Annual Congregation Budget Meeting Minutes Annual Report of the Treasurer Annual Report of the Financial Secretary Acceptance of the Audit Committee Report Update on 2019 Financials Update on Parish Administrator Position Annual Ministry Reports Adjournment
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Altar Guild 26 Catechetical Instruction 13 Choir Director 28 Coffee and Conversation 13 College Ministry 17 Communications 20 Congregation Council Report 4 Cultural Series 24 Eucharistic Ministry 28 Faith Community Nurses 17 Fellowship 17 Financial Secretary 32 First Communion 14 Handbell Choir, Hand Chime Choir 29 Garden Club 21 Generosity/Stewardship 22 Minutes: December 10, 2017 Cong. Budget Mtg. 1 Mutual Ministry 9 Overtime 26 Pastoral Care 18 Preschool 14 Property 24 Report of the Parish Administrator 10 Report of the Pastor 5 Sunday School 16 Treasurer 33 Vacation Bible School 16 Visitation Coordinator 30 Women of the ELCA 19 Worship and Music 30 Youth Ministry 16
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fleetwood, PA Congregation Budget Meeting Minutes Sunday, December 9, 2018
The meeting was called to order by Mark Tobias at 9:15am with a quorum present.
Devotions by Mark Tobias.
Reading of the minutes for the February 25, 2018, Annual Congregation Reporting Meeting by Liz Wessner.
Motion to approve the minutes by Charles Mohn and seconded by Eric Schaeffer. Motion approved.
New Business Election of the nominated Council Members for a three year term: Sue Heffner, Keith Santangelo, and Russ Walbert.
Question asked: Who is leaving council? Can anyone volunteer throughout the year and join? Council members whose terms have ended are Allen Gehringer, Jen Gehringer, Mark Tobias, and Liz Wessner. There is still an open seat on council if someone is interested in the position.
Mark Tobias recommended the new slate and Tony Cox seconded the motion. All approved.
Election of the Nominating Team which includes Allen Gehringer, Jen Gehringer, Mark Tobias, and Liz Wessner. Mark Tobias mentioned that we can accept nominations of more members, and we would like to have a total of 5-6 members on the Nominating Team.
Charles Mohn moved to close the nomination. Betty Buss seconded the motion. All approved.
Budget Mark Tobias introduced the budget and reviewed important items. He mentioned that Council needed to look at the current budget and create a program to support it.
Key items mentioned: Need more focused effort and support for all spending. MAG funds are blended into one fund for everyone. MAGs may need to ask for donations or do fundraisers to support their ministries. The Sunday School Director is now a volunteer position. The budget for sextons was reduced by 60%. 1
Visitation coordinator position is reduced to $2,200.00. Office and Support Staff salaries are reduced. The Pastor’s Package has changed.
Michelle Yourkawitch presented the budget. She thanked Jayne Schaeffer for all of her help, especially since she was new to the position.
Michelle mentioned that the expenses are $5,000.00 more per month than the income.
Tony Cox made a motion to approve the budget. The motion was seconded by Eric Schaeffer. The following discussion occurred.
Discussion Items: So we are running in a deficit. What funds do we have in place? We have $70,000.00 in the M&M fund and $60,000.00 in an unrestricted memorial account. Is there restricted money anywhere? Yes. The budget is showing a decrease in the pastor’s salary. How did you get there? The savings came from removing the pastor’s spouse from the health insurance coverage.
Tony Cox mentioned that during the process of deciding the pastor’s salary and benefits: Council sought guidance from the Synod/ELCA Council chose with ELCA guidance to increase the budget to allow for a 12% increase in pension Council approved the higher amount to allow the pastor to purchase the gold package The Call Letter for the pastor’s term of agreement was in effect until the annual budget negotiation and could be renegotiated at that time.
Discussion continued: Things were not completed by the pastor according to the original agreement in the Call Letter. For example: The relocation to the community was never done according to the agreement. Pastor Lang mentioned that he needed to stay in the Southeast PA Synod territory for his wife and had made that clear to the Call Committee and congregation from the beginning of the interview process.. Was it discussed to take money from the reserves? No. We cut the whole budget and then we needed to look at the pastor’s salary. Staff and Pastor’s salaries were comprising about 85% of the budget and we needed to lower that percentage.
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Mark Tobias mentioned the need to increase revenue. We are coming up with ideas to improve attendance, and we are growing in many ways. Tony Cox mentioned that we chose to maintain current building status instead of purchasing a new roof and carpet. There is a need to increase income, trends were showing an upswing but then went down in September and October. If we get more revenue we can increase salaries. We had to make tough decisions and we needed a starting point. If the budget is not approved, what is the next step? Council will need to go back to the drawing board. We don’t need a visitation coordinator. We can use volunteers. Kathy Pike volunteered to provide visitation and only wants mileage reimbursement. We need to thank the current council members and welcome the new members of council. The pastor’s salary package was $113,000.00. Now it is $101,000.00. Is that fair? There is $66,800.00 in Capital Campaigns. Those funds are only designated to capital projects. What are maintenance funds for? Snow removal, Ehrlich, etc. How are we going to clean the church if we have fewer sextons? We are in the process of developing a plan. It could include volunteers. People need to give 5% more to help us meet expenses. An average 5% increase from members would be enough to restore the pastor’s package to the 2018 level. We need people to give consistently and we need to increase stewardship. Council is starting to address this problem and has given us a good start that can be altered and changed. The new budget reflects the current giving of the congregation. Did Council think of other ways? We are moving in the right direction.
Sam Borrell made the motion to approve the budget as proposed. Motion seconded by Allen Forsman.
Motion passed and the budget was approved. Yes – 51, No- 29
Motion to adjourn by Eric Schaeffer and seconded by John Bessey.
Meeting adjourned at 10:37am with the Lord’s Prayer. 3
CONGREGATION COUNCIL REPORT 2018
If we look closely at the year 2018 at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, I believe what we see time and time again are God’s gracious lessons in Faith. These lessons were not all so obvious. Some may not have been fully learned. Through God’s unfailing patience and faithfulness, these lessons will continue, I am sure, through 2019. We need only pay attention and, with gratitude, learn.
We had faith in the calling of a new pastor, and so we have now completed our first full year under Pastor Tom’s leadership. Sunday attendance is on the rise. We welcomed 19 new members into our congregation. We saw membership in our Chancel and Praise Choirs increase. Contemporary praise services were introduced and are going to continue with more frequency in 2019. More members became engaged in our ministries and we saw a strong increase in generosity. Faith.
We took a chance and increased our budget, even after experiencing a significant deficit the year before, to expand our Preschool Programs. There definitely were growing pains and it took a lot of work to adjust to the new format. But now, we have more youth than ever being served in our Preschool Program and the future of this ministry is bright, indeed. Faith.
As you can see by the reports from our Ministry Action Groups, St. Paul’s members, with God’s guidance, continue to do wondrous works in our community and beyond. We saw MAGs and teams step a little outside their usual procedures to work together in cooperative ventures. We moved outside the walls to celebrate on our lawn and invited our neighbors to join us. We saw fellowship grow. Faith.
Yet with all of this promise we had our moments of doubt. We bowed to fear when our budget numbers looked bleak and we took severe action on the compensation to some of our staff and funding for some ministries. Despite our human failings, God continued to smile upon us and guided us to end the year with donation dollars that are over twenty-five thousand more than realized in 2017. Faith!
How could 2019 look any more hopeful?! We are moving forward with Christ. There is much to be done, and this is joyous work. We continue to look to engage all members in our ministries; to share in each other’s gifts; to enjoy each other’s fellowship; to delight in the community working in the name of God. And, above all else, to have Faith in God.
Mark D. Tobias, For the Congregation Council
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REPORT OF THE PASTOR
“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:4-7
These words written by the Apostle Paul were dictated by him while he was in prison for doing the very thing Christ had called him to do - proclaim the gospel of Jesus in order to make God’s way known to many towns and cities throughout the Roman Empire. And God’s way often challenged the great powers of Rome as well as the power of the Jewish rulers. Yet, in spite of his bondage Paul sounds a high note of courage, purpose and joy.
In 2018 we committed ourselves to such courage, purpose and joy which has led to a year of growth as we strove to preach, teach and converse in a variety of ways about the faith upon which our church is grounded. Our worship offered a variety of experiences for getting to know God in Christ more clearly. We began holding Praise Services which will be held monthly in the new year. A Children’s Sermon is offered weekly in order to draw our children into frequent worship where they can experience the presence of Jesus learning to pray, sing and obey God together. And our Praise Choir has grown as they so beautifully proclaim God’s Word through contemporary songs of praise.
Let us all affirm the work of Erin Martin and the choirs, Donna Ahrens, the Bell Choir and all of those who have shared their musical talents, Mary Ann Mohn and the Altar Guild, and the Worship and Music Team led by Gretchen Mertz.
Learning events sought to heighten the intergenerational nature of our congregation bringing parents, grandparents and children together to learn and do seasonal crafts. Our Sunday School nearly doubled in size and participation in our Vacation Bible School program was significantly higher than in recent years. Our Catechism and First Communion classes have provided meaningful learning experiences for children and youth at critical periods in their faith development. Adult small group discussions 5 have been held on such topics as “Change,” “Generosity,” and “Taming the Violence Within Us.” Coffee and Conversation has offered a wide variety of topics along with a diversity of speakers who have enlightened us with the ministries being carried out through their respective community and international organizations.
One of the most precious ministries we have continued to offer is “God’s Word Blesses Us” Bible studies. One group meets in the daytime, another at night and a third on one Sunday morning a month for the Catechism students and all who would like to participate. Megan Coutts, Dale Conrad and Roger Bowman have made these offerings possible through their own deep faith and commitment to sharing God’s Word through prayerful reflection.
Let us also rejoice in the efforts of Carol Cox, our Director of Christian Education, our Sunday School and Catechism teachers, and Cindy Borrell and Betty Buss who make possible the weekly Coffee and Conversation speakers and topics.
Through improving our hospitality to Sunday guests and the benefits of the Cultural Series Team in bringing people from far and wide into our sanctuary for high quality concerts our Witness ministry connected with many new people. Added to this are the annual Church Picnic and outdoor worship services, the Fall Festival, and “Overtime” each of which helped to draw people from our local neighborhood and the wider community to events held at St. Paul’s. Events such as these help visitors to develop a familiarity with us that can lead to increased interest, involvement and membership!
Please lift up with thanksgiving Liz Wessner (Witness Liaison), Sharon Neff (Witness Liaison), Melissa Neff (Cultural Series) and Mark Heffner (Overtime) along with all the many volunteers with whom they partnered to make these events happen.
As we went out into the community to Serve the needs of our neighbors we grew closer to our fellow members and friends at the Evans Home, served the hungry through volunteering at the Soup Kitchen, assisted with the donation of food and clothing for students and their family in the Fleetwood School District, packed nearly two hundred hygiene kits that went to hurricane victims in North and South Carolina, as well as all the many, many visits and home communions shared with our homebound and hospitalized members.
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Service/Social Ministry is a multi-layered undertaking involving these ministries as well as College Ministry coordinated by Michelle Roberts, Faith Community Nurse Team headed by Betty Buss, the Fellowship Team coordinated by Cindy Borrell and Mary Ann Mohn, and Women of the ELCA led by Betty Buss.
St. Paul’s Pastoral Care Team has been very faithfully coordinated for several years by Elizabeth Stauffer who served almost until the time of her death in mid-December 2018. Her very reliable, extensive and compassionate service to Christ through the visitation ministry of our congregation has been one of our biggest blessings over many years. Thanks be to God for sharing Elizabeth and her pastoral nature with the people of our congregation and community for such a long time!
Of course, as is happening with every congregation in 2018 we faced serious financial challenges in the Support of our mission and ministry. In addressing this ongoing challenge we started to build a much stronger framework for understanding and living out a Biblical sense of GENEROSITY with a group discussion on “Stewardship: Our Duty and Delight” held in the fall (and which will be repeated in January at Coffee & Conversation), and many long and intense conversations at our Stewardship Team meetings and at Council meetings in order to better educate and inspire our congregation in the giving of our time, talents and treasures.
All together our Council, Stewardship and Finance Teams are much better poised to address the multi-layered obligations we all have to invest in God’s call to us to worship deeply, learn eagerly, witness in every possible way, serve the needs of our neighbors whoever and wherever they are, and support these things with profound love, compassion and offerings.
Let us give thanks for the determined leadership of Mark Tobias (Council President), Lori Nuneville (Stewardship Liaison), and Jayne Schaeffer (Finance Chair).
Other areas of our Support ministry include the AV Team coordinated by Eric Schaeffer, our web site maintained by Elaine Becker, the Property Team led by Tony Cox, the Garden Club coordinated by JoAnn DeCesar, the newsletter and other written communications managed by Gretchen Mertz, the Columbarium whose Board members include Russ Walbert and Mark Coutts, and the St. Paul’s Union Cemetery with Board members Russ Walbert and David Weber.
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A big part of our Support Network comes from our Church Council. Members of the 2018 Council include Mark Tobias (President), Tony Cox (Vice President), Liz Wessner (Secretary), Linda Coutts, Holly Wolf, Lori Nuneville, John Bessey, Jayne Schaeffer, Eric Schaeffer, Shawn Bessey, Jen Gehringer, Allen Gehringer, and Sharon Neff. Each one of these persons has contributed A LOT of their time, talents and treasures for which we are all very, very thankful!
We especially thank Liz Wessner, Jen and Allen Gehringer, Shawn Bessey, and Mark Tobias whose terms expire this year for their service to the council and the congregation over the last several years. Each of these persons have endured countless hours in meetings and volunteering for many responsibilities in the life of St. Paul’s.
And we welcome our new council members. They are Sue Heffner, Brian Martin, Keith Santangelo, and Russ Walbert. Together we look forward to the sharing of some new talents along with the time and treasures of these faithful members. Let us congratulate Tony Cox, Eric Schaeffer, and Linda Coutts who were elected President, Vice President and Secretary respectively!
A critical piece of our Support network is provided by a very dedicated staff. They are:
Sue Remmel, our Office Administrator who continues to amaze me with her ability to juggle billions of details imbedded in the work of our ministries. Michelle Yourkawitch, our congregation’s Treasurer, who has jumped into her new role with an eagerness and energy to master the critical details of her job while at the same time helping all of us to better understand the ebb and flow of financial treasures. Donna Ahrens, our Organist and Bell Choir Director, who with wit and great talent has inspired us and all of the musicians who work with her. Erin Martin, our Choir Director, who so graciously and patiently works with both the experienced and the less experienced singers to create a well-blended and jubilant sound of rejoicing coming from our choirs and from an ever varying number of soloists. Ray Ahrens, our Financial Secretary, who with his calm and thoughtful demeanor uses his various gifts in accounting and music quite generously. Unfortunately, Ray has suffered illness and setbacks this past year and at this writing is still recuperating. We wish him continued healing and a return to the duties he carries out with great respect, accountability and passion. 8
Carol Cox, our Director of Christian Education, whose professional training and charisma is bearing fruits in growing our Sunday School and Vacation Bible School as well as adapting to changes in how children and families participate in learning programs with helpful ideas and strategies. Jenn Davies, Director of St. Paul’s Pre-School, who has done a wonderful job adapting to the increasing competition for students by leading her team to expand their program to 5 mornings and 3 afternoons each week. She has also been instrumental in restoring the enrollment of students to full capacity.
Be assured that the deep faith expressed among our members, friends, staff and volunteers is a sure sign that we will be faithful to whatever new challenges confront us in 2019. Paul’s words encouraging us to “Rejoice” … and to “not worry” … and to “make our every request know to God in prayer and supplications with thanksgiving” are the very behaviors through which Christ will lead us to grow in faith and outreach for many years to come!
REPORT FROM THE MUTUAL MINISTRY TEAM
This year has been a year of transition for our Mutual Ministry Team. The original team, made up of the Call Committee completed their initial term of service in July with the option of volunteering to continue serving on Mutual Ministry for another 1, 2 or 3 years. The purpose of the original team was to help Pastor Lang to best adjust to the personality and culture of St. Paul’s congregation. They did a wonderful job of giving feedback and advising the Pastor throughout the summer and fall of 2017 and most of 2018.
The members of this team were: Cindy Borrell, Megan Coutts, Allen Gehringer, Mark Heffner, Shelbi Heffner and Russ Walbert. Many thanks are given to each one of these people who worked with the congregation and the pastor with good insight, admirable patience and gracious support.
Beginning in September of this past year the second phase of the ministry of Mutual Ministry began with the following members: Katie Bessey (2 years), Cindy Borrell (3 years), Mark Heffner (2 years), Shelbi Heffner (1 year), Tim Heffner (3 years), Allison Readinger (2 years), and Cindy Tobias (3 years).
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Going forward the purpose of the Mutual Ministry Team is to serve as a conduit between the Pastor, the Council and the Congregation by helping the Pastor to best understand the current climate of the congregational life and helping to interpret and clarify the ministry of the Pastor to the congregation.
They will accomplish this purpose by …
Serving as a confidential and personal support group to the pastor. Serving as an open communication channel regarding conditions and attitudes within the congregation. Serving as agents of reconciliation in times of conflict in the congregation. Reviewing annually the details of compensation, housing, pension, and other benefits provided to the Pastor.
Feel free to engage with any member of the Team in order to share your joys and concerns arising from our partnership in ministry and mission together as the people of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
+Pr. Tom Lang
REPORT OF THE PARISH ADMINISTRATOR The ebb and flow of time brings with it inevitable joys and sorrows. This year brought more sorrow for the office staff than most with the deaths of Elizabeth Stauffer and Joyce Dietrich. Elizabeth always knew just what to say when visiting our shut-ins and her wisdom was a gift for us all. Joyce was committed to helping find a cure for cancer and led our Relay for Life team with passion. She was a faithful weekly volunteer in the office, always joy filled even in the midst of her illness. Their passing leaves a void; they are deeply missed. This was also a year of illness and injury for several other volunteers and staff. We pray 2019 will bring renewed strength and health to our team.
This booklet of reports is full of the stories of our congregation in action, doing the work God has called us to do as we journey together in faith. This work couldn’t happen without all of you who serve on staff, as council members, MAG leaders and volunteers. You all have an integral roll in the ministry and mission of St. Paul’s. I especially want to thank those who have assisted in the numerous and diverse day to day tasks that keep the office and facility running smoothly. Nancy and Roger
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Bowman, Doreen Boyer, Alyssa Damiani, The Evans gang, Barbara Faust, Carol Fleck, Joyce Hottenstein, Joan Manmiller, David Mertz, Mary Lou Neider, Jane Sprecher, Mary Spatz, and Gale Walter have assisted with a variety of tasks from proofing, printing and flattening bulletins, stamping envelopes, compiling lists, downloading worship content and editing text to answering phones, recruiting lectors and Advent readers, filling communion cards in the pews, preparing mailings and delivering them to the post office, counting the weekly offering and much more. We thank Elaine Becker for keeping our website current while serving as our webmaster and wish her well as she steps down to enjoy her retirement. The audio/visual team of Elaine Becker, Mark and Linda Coutts, Kathy Heffner, Mike Hook, Larry O’Neil and Kevin Schukraft bring the worship service to life on the screen, adjust sound and lighting, and assist with evening concerts. Kathy Pike has been a special blessing by creating the weekly slide presentations and very ably staffing the office when I’m on vacation. Each week Judy O’Neil accurately logs our attendance and Ray Ahrens, our financial secretary, diligently records our income. Michelle Yourkawitch, in her first year as our treasurer, has very capably managed the finances at St. Paul’s. Gretchen Mertz, as our Communications chair has for years faithfully prepared and edited our monthly newsletter. Mary Ann Mohn wears many hats, most of which lead to creating and maintaining the elegant simplicity of our building and providing a welcoming environment for members and guests alike. Often ‘Team Mohn’ is at work – thank you also to Charlie for everything he does for St. Paul’s. Special thanks to Sharon Delp, Nancy Madenford, Kathy Pike, Shawn Bessey, Joyce Hottenstein and Gale Walter for volunteering during the busiest of the holiday weeks when it seemed like everything that could go wrong did. Their help was provided at just the right time…a God sighting for sure!
The writer of Ecclesiastes states in Chapter 3, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” As with most congregations there were celebrations and sorrows during 2018. Our membership (now totaling 652) experienced the following transitions:
We were blessed to receive nineteen new members at St. Paul’s. We received three of those new members through baptism. Eleven of our young people affirmed their baptism through confirmation. One couple was united in marriage. Twelve of our members departed this life with the sign of faith. Twelve members were removed by their request. Forty three members were removed due to inactivity.
New Members: Margo Bailey, Mary Ferretti, Amanda Henson, Juliah Henson, Titus Hertzog, Martin Keller, Anne Keinle, Daniel Keinle, John 11
Keinle, Daniel Keinle, Bradley Krick, Anna Narkum, Stacie Prokop, David Ravel, Nancy Ravel, Russell Wendt
Baptisms: Tanner Henson, Hazel Hess, McKenzie Mazich
Affirmation of Baptism: Lauren Breisch, Mackenzie Heffner, Darian Leiby, Elizabeth Miller, Cheyenne Readinger, Sarah Roberts, Kyleigh Schlegel, Abby Stump, Jacob Stump, Katie Stump, Alyson Witman
Marriages: Kelsey and Joshua Rosario
Renewal of Marriage Vows: Joanne and Ernest Fink
Deaths: Richard Brunner, Joyce Dietrich, Peggy Garrett, Phil Garrett, Harold Hehr, Janice Heist, Fern Koch, Margarete Parker, Harry Rhoads, Jean Schnabel, Elizabeth Stauffer, Dorothy Strachan
Removal by Request: Ryan Becker, Meghan Brown, Alexandria DeFrees, Isabella DeFrees, Karen DeFrees, Mackenzie DeFrees, Todd DeFrees, Connor Geer, Robert Geer, Tyler Geer, Matthew Pike, Ian Remmel
Removal Due to Inactivity: Amber Altemose, Catherine Altemose, Charles Altemose, Elijah Brown, Sandi Brown, Sydney Brown, Jessica Clawges, Meagan Dompkowski, Kendall Frank, Lea Frank, Mary Frank, Aurora Gift, Alison Hoofnagle, Brady Hoofnagle, Chad Hoofnagle, Collin Hoofnagle, Addison Keim, Jocelyn Kozlowski, Kamryn Kozlowski, Katelyn Kozlowski, Baylin Kresge, Danielle Meals, Thomas Meals, Ian Moyer, Dane Prechtl, Kelly Prechtl, Regan Prechtl, Christopher Redding, Madysen Redding, Stacy Redding, Tyler Redding, Anna Richard, Elizabeth Roerig, Joseph Sherman, Russell Sherman lll, Annette Treichler, Edda Twyman, Austin Uleau, Diane Uleau, Justin Uleau, Kyle Warner, Erik Weyer, Braelyn Youse
The life of our congregation extends beyond our membership and as such, Pastor Lang officiated at a funeral for another in our community.
Funeral: Carmen Santiago Orellano
This is my final annual report as your parish administrator. I have been blessed over the last sixteen years with the privilege of serving with you in several different at St. Paul’s. I’ve learned and grown through each of those experiences. I am grateful for all of you, for the support I receive from you, for Pastor Tom’s guidance and encouragement and for an amazing journey.
Blessings, Sue Remmel 12
LEARNING MINISTRY ACTION GROUP
Catechetical Instruction
Gretchen Mertz, Bruce Roberts, Mark Watkins, and Pastor Tom taught the Catechism Class in 2018. In addition, Megan Coutts led monthly “God’s Word Blesses Us” sessions for the Catechism Class and their parents and anyone else who would like to sit in.
The teaching team meets on an as needed basis to plan the schedule and address any issues. For the seventh graders, we continue to follow the Augsburg Fortress “Here We Stand” curriculum for Luther’s Small Catechism focusing on The Ten Commandments, The Apostle’s Creed, and The Lord’s Prayer. For the eighth graders, the focus is on more advanced Bible study sessions. This past year we continued using the “Echo the Story” Bible study book series for the eighth graders.
Starting in September, all Cat Class students selected an adult member of the congregation as a Mentor for group guidance and activities.
The eleven members of the 2017/2018 Eighth Grade Class were confirmed on Sunday, May 20, at the 10:30 am service. The 2018/2019 Catechism Class consists of four Eighth Graders and three first year students.
The Catechism Class students provide service hours as Acolytes and Cross Bearers for the church services. The Catechism Class students also picked potatoes in the fall for the Potato Project to benefit the area food banks.
We continue to explore ways to enhance the spiritual growth of the students through education and other means to incorporate their faith into their daily lives.
Bruce Roberts
Coffee and Conversation
Coffee and Conversation meets every Sunday in the social room from September until mid-May from 9:15 - 10:15 am. We cover a variety of topics from health issues, Bible Studies and local issues, while trying to include speakers who are members of St. Paul's. The committee consists of Cindy Borrell and Betty Buss. We are always open to suggestions.
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First Communion
On Sunday, March 18, 2018, five students, Katelyn Cox, Aidan Kidd, Casey Nash, Cora Nash, and Jay Zuchowski participated an afternoon session in preparation for their first communion at St. Paul’s. The purpose of the session was to teach the students about the meaning of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, which is a time to celebrate that God is present with us and that, through God’s grace, He has freed us from the power of sin and death. The sessions were taught based on Luther’s Small Catechism, Welcome to the Lord’s Table, visual aids, and handouts. In addition, the students learned about the meaning of foot washing, and created a poster which expressed what they learned about communion and what it means to them. The students received their first communion on Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018.
Preschool
This has been another year of change for the preschool. A full day option was added to our program. Along with the full day program we were able to launch a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) class in the afternoons. We are using all four classrooms for 2018/19 We have two preschool classes for our 2½ to 4 year olds which operate three days a week with twenty two students. Our Pre-K class operates five days a week for our 3¾ to 5 year olds with eleven students. Our Kindergarten Readiness class operates five days a week for our 4 to 5 year olds with fourteen students who are entering kindergarten in the fall.
It is extremely important for young children to have continuity in their lives, and our dedicated staff provides that. Mrs. Dianna Schaffer and Mrs. Janet Surmick have been with us for eleven years. Mrs. Michelle Roberts is celebrating her tenth year. Mrs. Jill Birckbichler is now in her seventh year, while Mrs. Wendy Jones is in her fifth year. Mrs. Tonia Hoover is in her second year. Mrs. Katie Pisauro joined us this year and has been a great addition. We have five wonderful substitutes: Mrs. Jessica Snyder, Mrs. Elaine Price, Mr. Kyle Birckbichler, Mrs. Erin Hench, and Mrs. Courtney Taney. Our staff was recently recertified in First Aid and CPR with AED and each staff member has their criminal, child abuse, and FBI fingerprint clearances.
In March, the students and staff invited our school families as well as all future families wishing to join our program to an Art Show and Open House. We displayed artwork throughout the church to show what
14 amazing and creative children we have here. The following Sunday we invited the members of St. Paul’s to visit our classrooms to learn more about what we do. In May, students that were moving on to Kindergarten participated in their Graduation Ceremony. They wore caps and gowns, sang songs, recited a poem, and received their diplomas. We had almost 200 family members attend, and there was not a dry eye in the sanctuary. We ended the year with a picnic at the Maidencreek Community Park. All family members were invited. We served lunch, the children sang a few of their favorite songs from the school year, and we played games. It was a wonderful way to end the school year!
In October, the children enjoyed Halloween Celebrations including a parade around the church for their parents. We also had the opportunity to take a trip to Savidge Farms. The children and their families enjoyed a hayride, picking pumpkins, and singing fall songs. In December, Mrs. Claus came to visit our preschoolers. She taught us some interesting facts about reindeer and how we can be kind and helpful to one another. Our Christmas Program included all classes performing for their families. The children performed a short play - “The Nativity Story”. Afterwards, we gathered in the Social Room for refreshments.
We also ran two fundraisers this year, one being a Spirt Wear Sale and the other a Vendor Fair. Our spirit wear has the preschool logo on it and was available in t-shirts or sweatshirts for students and their families. We all wore our spirt wear on our field trip to Savidge Farms and each month we have a spirit wear day. Our second vendor fair was a success. Our vendors either donated a portion of their sales or donated an item for our raffle table. The church sextons donated their time to run a concession stand consisting of hot dogs, drinks, chips, and baked goods. We are hoping to hold another one next school year. After hearing of our preschool’s need for supplies, one of our vendors took it upon herself to acquire a multitude of supplies for us. Gretchen Manmiller and her team “Silver Bells” from Thirty-One Gifts donated over $2,500.00 worth of school supplies, from pencils to model magic. We feel very blessed knowing that we have such generous supporters of our preschool.
This year we were able to continue to purchase the monthly curriculum for the pre-k class. I hope to be able to purchase new STEM equipment for our afternoon classroom, such as microscopes, magnets, simple machines, test tubes and possibly a STEM cart. Our computers in the Kindergarten Readiness and Pre-K classes are outdated. I would like to upgrade the computers and offer our children computer centers that can run educational online games and learning materials. I would also like to
15 see routine maintenance for the play area and equipment. I hope to attend more workshops and seminars to keep up to date on early childhood development and give these young children the best start possible. I hope to continue to grow and expand our program to meet the needs of the community.
Respectfully Submitted, Jennifer Davies
Sunday School
This year we kicked off the 2018-19 Sunday School year with a family event. It was a great way for families to get to know one another and make a connection to the church. We registered 21 children on Rally Day. Weekly attendance has been 10-12 children ranging in age from 3- 11. We started using a new curriculum this year that is aligned with the weekly Gospel lesson the children hear in church.
Vacation Bible School
Thirty five children attended Vacation Bible School, which was held in July. Children enjoyed daily bible stories, outdoor games, an imagination station, snack and music as they learned Jesus Recuses when they struggle or are powerless, worried, lonely, or wrong.
Youth Ministry
St. Paul's youth attended the Winter Jam concert in January where they were exposed to a variety of Christian music. In April, youth participated in an overnight at St. Paul's. The overnight was focused on prayer. Students made a prayer board which was hung in the Narthex to allow for the congregation to post prayer requests. During the overnight, students also made prayer bead chains and notes which were delivered to our shut-ins. Five of our students attended the ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston during the summer of 2018. Along with 36,000 other Lutheran teens, our students participated in worship, service, learning and fun! In November, youth participated in another overnight gathering at St. Paul's. The students learned about unlikely heroes and made lap robes for our shut-in members.
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SERVICE AND SOCIAL MINISTRY ACTION GROUP
College Ministry
The goal of the College Ministry Group is to maintain connections with our college students, both those away at school as well as those commuting from home, and encourage them to continue to be a part of the church and its ministry while attending college. In order to let our college students know that we at St. Paul's continue to think about them and pray for them, we collect donations of snacks and encouraging notes to send to them in a care package prior to finals during the fall and spring semesters. We want to let them know that we are here for them and care for them, and we invite them to attend church services and functions when they are on a break. Last year, we mailed approximately ten packages each semester.
Faith Community Nurse Team
This group has been rather quiet in 2018, but will assume new duties in 2019. We hope to have our nurses involved in visits to our St. Paul's shut-ins.
First aid kits were refilled, and the monthly Epistle contains health news and dates for upcoming events. Some of the Coffee and Conversation programs were geared to health teaching, and the bulletin boards present health issues as well as local health-related opportunities for the community.
Betty Buss, Team Leader for Faith Community Nurses
Fellowship Team
Volunteers of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church play a very large part in assisting and coordinating gatherings and receptions in our congregation.
Listed below are some of the many functions which take place in our church.
Between all Sunday services, coffee is available in the Fellowship Area for everyone to enjoy. This enables all to meet and greet members and guests. Refreshments for most social events consist of cookies and a beverage. Homemade pastries and cookies are usually part of the celebration for special holidays.
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The Men in Mission Team occasionally sponsors a full breakfast in the social room which benefits various causes.
During this past Lenten season, our Soup Suppers were held once again. This time of food and fellowship during our six-week Lenten journey (every Wednesday) has been happening for many years. Volunteers have begun featuring their favorite soups; this is accompanied with a sandwich and a small dessert. A free will offering is all that is accepted. The suppers are followed by Lenten services in the sanctuary. All members and guests are always invited.
Our Easter Sunday celebration brunch was held after the first Easter morning service. The brunch table was set up in our narthex and was adorned with flowers, homemade pastries, desserts and punch. It was a wonderful and happy day for all Christians.
Outdoors, during our beautiful summer months, Cookies at the Cross takes place every Sunday between services. Many volunteers participated in supplying cookies and punch. Everyone is invited for these delightful treats.
Christmas time brings us to our barn service held at the Gehringer farmstead after a one year lapse due to inclement weather. This service is always enjoyed by all who attend. Christmas cookies and hot chocolate are served after the service for a time of fellowship.
For many years, our senior members have enjoyed a monthly luncheon which is held at local restaurants. They consistently find a menu full of good food, fun and fellowship. All senior members and guests are invited to this friendly gathering each month.
Funeral luncheons are provided in our social room upon the request of the family. The requests are made due to the efficiency and location of our facility.
Many thanks to all the volunteers and participants who make our gatherings a joy to attend.
THIS IS THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HATH MADE; WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT! Psalm 118:24
Pastoral Care
The goal of the Pastoral Care team is to provide support, information, and help to our congregation members in times of crisis and need. We try to connect you with agencies having the where-with-all to provide 18 services that help you to solve a problem. We encourage you to contact us if we might be able to be of assistance.
There are often timely articles placed on the shelf above the bulletins that are yours for the taking.
One of the most effective tools we are using is “Journeying Through Grief” booklets, sent to offer comfort and support to families in their first year of bereavement. We have received much positive feedback on their helpfulness.
The team has provided assistance in various ways including meal assistance, hospital visits, support to individuals adjusting to changing life circumstances, phone calls and much more.
It is our desire to help in any way possible, always in the strictest confidence. Please let us know if we can assist. Contact anyone on the team: Linda Bollendorf, Doreen Boyer, Roger and Nancy Bowman, Hatsie Forsman, Kathy Pike, Pastor Tom. We are deeply grateful for the years of service given by Elizabeth Stauffer who passed away December 15.
Women of the E.L.C.A.
The annual report of the St. Paul’s Women of the E.L.C.A. is submitted as follows:
January 2018 – The January program was a discussion on experiencing a different way of understanding stories of the Bible through storytelling and Biblical storytelling presented by Pastor Thomas Lang. The devotions for the evening were presented by Pastor Lang. The hostesses for the evening were Elsie Seaman and Joan Manmiller.
February 2018 – The February program was a presentation on Pastor Allen and Hatsie Forsman’s recent mission trip to Puttur, India. The devotions for the evening were presented by Pastor Allen and Hatsie Forsman. The host and hostess for the evening the Forsmans.
March 2018 – The March program was a Bingo party at Maidencreek Place Assisted Living Community. The coordinator was Venice Matthias; our group provided cookies and prizes for the bingo.
April 2018 – The April program was a discussion of maintaining the integrity of “forgotten” cemeteries presented by David Schlegel, member of the Berks County Preservation Board. The devotions for the evening were presented by Mary Smith. The hostesses for the evening were Melissa and Sharon Neff. 19
May 2018 – The May program was a portrayal of Anna Marie Muhlenberg presented by Mary Lynne Rathman. The devotions for the evening were presented by Mary Lynne Rathman. The hostesses for the evening were Betty Buss and Mary Alice Spatz.
June 2018 – The June program was a covered dish picnic recognizing Time and Talent Ladies for all the work they do throughout the year. Venice Matthias coordinated the event and she also presented the devotions.
We did not have meetings in July and August.
September 2018 – The September program—A Presentation of Various Issues given by Senator Judith Schwank.
October 2018 – The October program was the Fall Fellowship Dinner catered by Dori Martin. Bob Lee and his wife presented a program on irons. The devotions for the evening were presented by Betty Buss. The hostesses for the evening were several members of the Women of the E.L.C.A.
November 2018 - The November program was a Bible Study on being thankful presented by Suzanne Ernst. The devotions for the evening were presented by Suzanne Ernst. The hostess for the evening was Betty Buss.
December 2018 – The December program was our annual Christmas Program at Grand View Manor Assisted Living Home. We also packed bags of goodies/cookies for the shut-in members of our congregation. The goody bags were delivered to shut-in members of our congregation before Christmas Day. Thankofferings to the Women of the E.L.C.A. will be distributed.
Very truly yours, Alison L. Heist, Secretary
SUPPORT MINISTRY ACTION GROUP
Communications Action Team
Our mission is to support and equip all Ministry Action Groups (MAGs) highlighting their good works and programs; to reach out to the members of St. Paul’s and the community about our ministries, services and special events; to share the good news about St. Paul’s. We have many opportunities to share what we are doing and what we believe. 20
The Epistle, our monthly newsletter is available on line and also in hard copy form for our non-techy members!
This year the electronic version of The Epistle has a new look!
There were weekly classified ads in the Reading Eagle and The Patriot specifying the times of our services, display ads to highlight our Easter and Christmas services and special events were featured in the weekly religious digests.
Don’t forget to check out the bulletin boards and kiosk at church for news and events at St. Paul’s and other churches, and health up dates from our Parish Nurses.
If you would like to help to get the word out about an event and tell everyone how much fun we are having when we get together, just write an article or announcement and put it in Communication’s mailbox, email it to Gretchen Mertz at [email protected] or call 610-944-6492. If you would like to be a part of the Communication Action Team please contact Gretchen.
Communication is essential to our relationships and to our ministry. Our vision is to share and spread the good news of Jesus Christ with the members of St. Paul’s and our surrounding community. You can be a part of this ministry by just talking to everyone about the wonderful happenings here at your church! You can refer families and friends to St. Paul’s website at www.spelcfleetwood.com.
Respectfully submitted: Gretchen Mertz
Garden Club
2018–Blessings: Garden Club members who showed up to weed, mulch…. Rain Plants that thrived in spite of ark-worthy rainfall Enough money in budget to buy mulch 20 bags of chopped leaves to add mulch to beds Evergreen prunings used in Advent wreath workshop and for members to take home to make holiday decorations Volunteer birdhouse gourd produced 3-4 large gourds for fall decoration at parking lot entrance Pesticide drench from September 2017 effectively warded off
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Spotted Lanternflies until late August Enough hand/arm strength to prune shrubs and small trees
Non-blessing: Too much rain and humidity (difficult to work regularly) Weeds Spotted Lanternflies returned to Styrax tree at front and have deposited innumerable egg masses
2019 Projections No money in budget=> No purchased mulch More weeds No purchase of plants
Instead: Increased need/opportunity for volunteers Increased campaigning for acquisition of leaf mulch Soil will benefit from the leaf mulch and compost Will acquire 2 more compost bins from Mrs. Neider Separate/transplant perennials that are crowded Seek donated plants as needed
Future: Two of the Zelkova trees along the driveway from Arch Street have dead branches and may need to be removed/replaced within a few years if dieback continues. In any case, those branches should be pruned if they do not leaf out this spring, and that is a job well beyond my capabilities.
JoAnn DeCesar
Generosity/Stewardship Team
Stewardship is defined as the way we manage our time, talent, and treasure – all the gifts God has entrusted to us to serve others. The Generosity Team is responsible for educating and providing opportunities for people to grow in their faith and in relationship with God.
Each month there is a special offering that supports a designated ministry. This ministry is highlighted in the monthly Epistle and in the Sunday Bulletin weekly. In 2018, the Special Monthly Offerings supported:
January – Community Bus - $616.00 February – Fleetwood Safe Graduation - $477.00 March – Youth Gathering Trip - $536.00 22
April – Relay for Life - $836.00 May – Lutheran Congregational Services - $384.00 June – Hope Lodge of Central PA - $728.00 July – One Wish Foundation - $370.00 August – Potato Project - $685.00 September – Girls Scouts of America (Fleetwood Group) - $341.00 October – Safe Berks - $477.00 November – Friend, Inc. - $381.00 December – Habitat for Humanity - $466.00 Throughout 2018, together we raised a total of $6,297 for our Special Monthly envelopes. Thank you!!
As we reflect on 2018, our team has grown, and we’ve taken on new challenges. We welcome new members Eric and Jayne Schaeffer also, Mark and Cindy Tobias. It is a pleasure to have you on the team!!
Some new and exciting changes are being made to our team; one is our name. We are now the “Generosity Team” because most people think of money when the word “Stewardship” is mentioned and everything else seems to get over shadowed. Stewardship is more about being generous with the gifts God has given us. Whether it’s time, talent, or treasure, we are only stewards or managers of everything we have; our gifts were meant to be shared with others.
Two goals we’ve set for 2019 are to help the congregation identify their individual gifts and talents. 1. Revise and rename the Time and Talent Survey, making the information easier to understand, help members understand where their gifts can be used, and to better utilize the information obtained by the survey. 2. To establish a yearlong Generosity Education Program by developing a Mid-Week Meditation message to remind our congregation that we are a church family engaged together all week long, and to establish a Simply Giving Presentation to the congregation. We’ve also drafted a new mission statement. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).
The Generosity Committee of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church encourages an expression of gratitude and faithfulness for God’s abundant blessings by using our gifts to serve others.
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We give praise and thanksgiving for all your continued financial giving and support throughout the year.
Yours in Christ, The Stewardship Team (Pastor Tom Lang, Mark Tobias, Cindy Tobias, Eric Schaeffer, Jayne Schaeffer, Lori Nuneville)
Property Team
During the year, there were few significant issues with the property. We did hire Hauck Services to conduct a thorough inspection of the slate roof and to make spot repairs of the slate tiles as well as repairs to the copper gutters and downspouts. This should prolong the life of the roof by several years. Special thanks to Stoney Creek Rentals for the discount we received on a lift rental for the work.
We also replaced the carpeting in the foyer, which was showing significant age and fading. Prior to the Christmas holiday, the carpets in the sanctuary and fellowship area were cleaned via volunteer, and we anticipate that continuing in the future to save money.
The lighting in the sanctuary was maintained throughout the year, but there is some concern about the age of some of the lighting fixtures and a potential issue finding replacement bulbs for some of the fixtures in the future. We will monitor this closely.
Finally, our sanctuary has become a popular place for pests. Early in the year, we had to treat for termites in the heavy support columns and later in the year had an infestation of bees. In both cases, Ehrlich was able to mitigate the issue.
In 2019 we will be looking for additional volunteers to assist with smaller repairs around the church in an effort to save money.
WITNESS MINISTRY ACTION GROUP
Cultural Series Team
The CST had a busy concert year in 2018. We began the year in January with a Garment of Praise concert. Unfortunately, it was the night of a big Eagles playoff game; the church was filled with many friends of the guys in Garment of Praise and some members of the congregation. This was a local a cappella group who sang southern gospel songs, some of which were written by one of its members.
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In March we hosted the southern gospel group, Soul’d Out Quartet, sponsored by George and Gayle Ditzler. One hundred twenty adult tickets and three children’s tickets were sold.
In April the Kutztown University Alumni Jazz Band was here with their “Swing into Spring” concert. This was in combination with the Relay for Life pasta night, so it became a dinner followed by a concert.
In May Erin held a vocal recital for her students. The CST team helped serve the cake and drink that Erin provided.
In June we tried something new with storyteller Kathy Long, hoping for it to be a family event. Kathy was very good, but attendance was poor. There were fifteen adults and four children, which included the members of the CST Team.
In fall we began a series of concerts, starting with the Down East Boys, a southern gospel group from North Carolina. This was on a Sunday afternoon in September, and sixty three tickets were sold.
Next we had the second annual Reformation concert, planned by Elizabeth Stauffer. Thirteen local musicians and vocalists, mostly members of our congregation, performed in the concert. Attendance was higher than the previous year, and $362 was collected for the Disaster Relief Response.
Doug Anderson returned in November, and this year his concert included some songs from his “Back Porch Christmas Album.” Doug enjoyed seeing friends he made at previous St. Paul’s concerts and also making new friends. There were eighty one tickets sold.
Our busiest month was December, starting with the KU Alumni Jazz Band Christmas Concert. They got us into the spirit of Christmas. Ninety people attended, and $267.46 was collected for the group. They recently donated a check for $200, designating it to Relay for Life.
Next we served punch and refreshments for the Steve Katzenmoyer organ recital. There were toe hundred people in attendance; $1,300 was collected for the music department of the Fleetwood Area School District.
Last but not least was the annual Reading Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas concert. There were tow hundred two in the audience and $1,000 was collected in support of the orchestra.
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We welcomed Eric and Jayne Schaeffer to our team for 2018. Liz Wessner, who was our liaison for council this past year, will continue as a secretary and member of the CST Team now that her term on council has been completed. New team members are always welcome, and new suggestions are researched. On a sad note, we will really miss our dear friend, Elizabeth Stauffer, who was a very faithful member of our team.
We would like to thank everyone who helped us by attending concerts, bringing friends, buying tickets, supplying refreshments, hanging posters, helping with cleanup, moving the altar, performing or praying for our team.
Submitted by Melissa and Sharon Neff
“Pickle Boyer’s” Overtime at St. Paul’s
"Pickle Boyer's” Overtime at St. Paul’s, has continued to be a fun, safe place for the students of the Fleetwood Area High School. Students are invited to St. Paul's to enjoy some pizza, and dance to music after the home football games.
This past year we had almost four hundred students attend Overtime over the course of four home football games.
Pizza for the Overtime events was once again supplied to us by Mazzola's Pizzeria and Cristina's Restaurant. Music was supplied by CD Entertainment and Jump'n J Entertainment. Event sponsors this year were East Penn Manufacturing, Weaver's Hardware, The Breakfast Brothers, and Walbert Funnel Home, each sponsoring an event.
Hopefully 2019 will bring yet more students to attend this fun ministry. It is not only a great event for the students; it is also a fun event for those who serve as chaperones for the event. Thank you to St. Paul's for opening your doors and supporting this great event!!
WORSHIP MINISTRY ACTION GROUP
Altar Guild Team
Our 2018 Altar Guild Team was comprised of the following members: Cindy Borrell, Mary Jane Fies, Hatsie Forsman, Shari Haelig, Alison Heist, Nancy Madenford, Ann Manmiller, Mary Ann Mohn, Mary Lou Neider, Kathy Pike, Allison Readinger, Sue Remmel, Mary Spatz, Judy Stauffer, Sandy Troxel, Alicia Walbert, Vicki Weyer, Michelle Yourkawitch. 26
The most important mission of the team is to prepare the altar for all Sunday worship celebrations, weddings, funerals, Lenten services and all liturgical festival Sundays and seasons. The Altar Guild Team also insures that all altar supplies are clean and available for each particular service. For All Saints Sunday, the Altar Guild was responsible for ordering a beautiful white rose in a bud vase and presenting them to family members in memory of their loved ones who passed away during the year. Pink carnations were presented to all mothers present on Mother’s Day and red carnations to all fathers present on Father’s Day. Members of the congregation each received a fresh palm frond on Palm Sunday.
Gluten free communion wafers are available to members of the congregation.
Seasonal decorating for Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent and Christmas was also done by members of the Altar Guild Team. Volunteer members helped with setting up Christmas trees and the outdoor Nativity for the Advent and Christmas seasons.
This year on Christmas Eve, Luminara candles were placed in the pew candle holders. They were beautiful and a much safer way of displaying these impressive holders.
Several new banners were received for display to represent our liturgical seasons. The new banners received this year were the blue Advent banner and the beautiful green banner to coordinate with the paraments used during the seasons following Epiphany and Pentecost. The banners are funded through memorial gifts.
The Altar Guild Team enjoyed a brunch/meeting this past August in the church social room. Upcoming dates and procedures were discussed.
Representatives from the team continue to be members of the Worship and Music Team and act as liaisons to the Altar Guild Team. Our team takes guidance and instruction from our Altar Guild and Sacristy Handbook by Anita Stauffer.
NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!
All Working Together To Serve the Lord...... Mary Ann Mohn
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Choir Director
2018 has been an extremely busy year for the music program at St. Paul's! Our praise choir has gained a number of new members, which is very exciting! We continue to lead and introduce praise music to our services. We have also begun to incorporate a contemporary praise service into our liturgy. We will continue to do this on a more regular basis in the next year. I want to thank our praise choir band and singers for the extra time and effort they have put in to create this service!
The chancel choir is also a pillar in music leadership at St. Paul's. Their devotion is steadfast. We have been reintroducing some of our favorite music, reaching into our files and pulling out meaningful and beautiful pieces. The reusing of music allows us to save funds, assisting in the balancing of the budget.
We continue to have men's and women's choirs throughout the year. The Sunday School choir has also been leading music in worship services throughout the year. We have begun to incorporate this choir in 8:00 services, since many of our members frequent that service time. This allows the folks who prefer to attend the early service the opportunity to hear our young cherubs! What a blessing!
We continue to have special music including both instrumentalists and singers. Of course, we are always looking for volunteers to share their gifts. I want to take the opportunity to thank our volunteers who bless this congregation with their musical gifts. Without you, our music program would not exist. You are an integral part of our worship service! God bless!!
Eucharistic Ministry Team
In 2018, we have had the following five Eucharistic Ministry Teams: Beverly and Dale Conrad Sharon Delp and Christine Moyer Hatsie and Allen Forsman Kathy Pike Nancy Schlegel and Gale Walter
On alternate months, our Teams visit homebound members, serving them Holy Communion, and giving them a church bulletin. Our homebound members are often pleased when they see their names are on our Prayer List. The Teams enjoy developing relationships with their particular group of shut-ins, and hearing about their joys and concerns. 28
We try to support and strengthen their connection to our Lord and our congregation.
Communion cards are completed and recorded at church after our visits. This assists our homebound members to partially fulfill the requirements for active church membership. Frequently between visits, phone calls are made and greeting cards are sent for special occasions. Our Teams assist in the delivery of WELCA Christmas packages.
The number of people visited varies, and occasionally, we visit those who are on our list only temporarily. At the end of 2018, our Eucharistic Visitation List included 21 shut-in members. I believe our homebound members are blessed by the devotion and caring of these Eucharistic Team visitors.
With appreciation to all Eucharistic Team members, Gale Walter
Hand Bell Choir, Hand Chime Choir
Hand Bell Choir The Hand Bell Choir rang during Lent, on Palm Sunday, Easter, and Pentecost. They also rang on Reformation Sunday, during Advent, and at the 9:00 pm Christmas Eve Service.
Hand Bell Choir has currently ten members. The choir lost a faithful member when Joyce Dietrich passed away in June. She will be missed. We welcomed JoAnn DeCesar as our newest bell choir member.
We rehearse on Sunday mornings after the 10:30 am service. Our goal is to ring six or more times during 2019.
Thank you to the Hand Bell Choir for their commitment and to the congregation for their support.
Submitted by Donna Ahrens, Director
Hand Chime Choir The Hand Chime Choir consists of the fifth and sixth grade Sunday School class. Unfortunately there are only two fifth graders so the Hand Chime Choir was unable to play on Christmas Eve. It is my hope that as the fifth and sixth grade Sunday School class size increases the Hand Chime Choir can resume playing.
Submitted by Donna Ahrens, Director 29
Visitation Coordinator
Let me first say that I will miss Elizabeth very much. She was my mentor and friend in this very worth-while ministry. I know those members we visit are very saddened by her passing and will dearly miss her smiling face.
As of this writing, there are approximately 30 church members, that I am aware of, that were visited by Elizabeth Stauffer and me at least once a month this past year. Many thanks go out to Betty Buss, Venice Matthias and the Eucharistic Team members who also lovingly gave their time to those church members who can no longer attend church.
Elizabeth's passing has no doubt left a void in this ministry. Therefore, I ask you to consider joining me to let these fellow congregants know that they are still valuable members of our congregation and that they are ot forgotten. The joy that you will bring to them will change your life. A smiling face, a hand to hold, someone to talk to and cry with, letting them know that God is always with them will change their life as well. Any amount of time would be appreciated. We visit members when they are in the hospital or rehab. We visit them in their home, assisted living and retirement facilities. We mail them cards for birthdays, holidays, etc., to let them know we are thinking of them. When we visit we deliver the weekly service bulletin and quarterly devotional booklet. If interested, please contact me when you see me at church or at 610-463-8606.
Respectfully submitted, Kathy Pike
Worship and Music
Through our ministries including Altar Guild, Children’s Church, Choirs, Music and Liturgy, Worship & Music will develop devoted followers of Jesus Christ by providing a worship setting that is welcoming and where the Word of God can be heard, read, prayed, experienced and learned and we can grow in our faith.
Our Music and Worship team includes our Hymn Team which chooses hymns used each Sunday and our Liturgy Team which selects the setting and components of the liturgy according to the season and specific needs of the day. We use Sundays and Seasons to guide us in this process.
Music and Worship Team is responsible for the scheduling maintenance on the pianos and organs.
Donna Ahrens directs the Bell Choir. 30
Erin Martin leads our Praise, Chancel and Sunday School Choirs. We had all kinds of special music during the year, enhancing our worship experience, especially our Men’s and Women’s Choirs. We have enjoyed having the Kutztown University Brass play for Reformation. And not to forget, our talented St. Paul’s musicians presented a concert in the fall!
We are excited to be developing a monthly Contemporary/Praise Service led by our Praise Choir and guitarists!
We worshipped mid-week during Lent (a time of prayer and preparation) leading to the Easter celebration. And before the mid-week service we were able to enjoy Soup Suppers prepared by St. Paul’s ‘chefs’.
During the summer months of June, July and August we offered two Sunday morning services at 8:00 and 9:30. There were a variety of worship experiences. We combined our service on the lawn with our church picnic. On Father’s Day the Women’s Choir sang, on Mother’s Day the Men’s Choir sang, there was Christmas in July for Easter Seals kids, and Our Favorite Hymn Sundays. We celebrated Seasons of Creation and shared where we saw God in our lives with the presentation ‘God in My Summer’. We enjoyed fellowship after the first service with “Cookies at the Cross” coordinated by Cindy Borrell.
Gretchen Mertz has been training and scheduling our acolytes and cross bearers. In addition to our Cat Class students, adult volunteers assist in worship!
Harvest Home was celebrated in October. Cindy Borrell arranged with the Fleetwood Pantry to receive monetary and food donations. Thank you to all for your kind gifts.
Our thirteenth Advent Barn service was held at the Gehringer’s Horse farm. We heard the Christmas story, sang Christmas carols and received Holy Communion in the simple setting of a barn, with animals and bales of hay, in the peace and calm of a winter evening.
The gifts from the Advent Angel Tree made Christmas brighter for children in the Reading School District and Concern. A big thank you to Cindy Roberts who coordinated this ministry.
The Worship and Music team meets on the first Sunday of each month after the second service. You are invited to come share your joys and concerns about how we gather, proclaim and respond to the Word of God, pray, share the Lord’s Supper, receive God’s blessing and learn how it prepares us to serve in the world.
Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Mertz 31
FINANCIAL SECRETARY’S REPORT DECEMBER 31, 2018
Ministry and Mission YTD Pledged Contributions 162,165.48 Non-pledged Contributions 113,654.82 Loose Plate 3,002.92 Sunday School 929.70 Preschool Tuition 72,872.50 NFS – Preschool Check (495.00) Use of Facility 2,435.00 Vacation Bible School 288.27 M&M Total 354,853.69
Dedicated Bulletins 425.00 Disaster Relief 170 ELCA Nat’l Youth Gathering 3,688.00 Fleetwood Food Pantry 658.00 Men in Mission 713.00 Other Dedicated 18,377.74 Other Synod Benevolence 370.00 Poinsettias, Lilies, Geraniums, Palms 1,037.00 Preschool Trips 1,484.00 Relay For Life 5,822.00 Scholarship 10,921.12 Special Envelope 6,297.00 Special Projects 45.00 The Lutheran Magazine 19.95 Thrivent Choice Dollars 3,209.00 WELCA 673.34 World Hunger 1,515.00 Youth 1,983.48 Youth Sponsorship 1,440.00 Dedicated Total 58,848.63
Messerli Fund 750.00 Memorials 12,437.00 Capital Campaign 22,361.72 Total Income Received 449,251.04
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TREASURER'S REPORT 2018 MINISTRY & MISSION DISBURSEMENTS
Beginning Balance - January 1, 2018 121,692
Staff Compensation Worship & Music Pastor Salary & Housing 70,000 Altar Guild Supplies 1,418 Pastor Social Security 5,355 Guest Musicians, Speaker, & Pastors 2,275 Pension & Healthcare 37,209 Worship Miscellaneous 1,203 Office Manager Salary 36,409 Music Supplies 40 Organist Salary 10,460 Organ & Piano Maintenance 1,274 Choir Director Salary 12,000 Children’s Church 0 Handbell ChoirDirector 1,540 Music Licenses 1,024 Sexton’s Salaries 9,034 Treasurer 2,599 Evangelism Support Staff 2,554 Evangelism Expense 0 Financial Secretary 1,050 Advertising 1514.65 Sunday School Director 2,000 Visitation Coordinator Salary 6,165 Stewardship Preschool Salaries Stewardship Program 51 Preschool Salary-Teachers 35,929 Offering Envelopes 1,701 Preschool Salary-Aides 17,998 Benevolence NEPS 19,008 Preschool Salary-Substitute 1,496 East Berks Mission Dist 165 Taxes 10,647 Council Administration Office Expenses Synod Assembly, Conference 1,298 Equipment 0 Supplies 2,602 Social Ministry Maintenance 6,214 WELCA 193 Postage 1,344 Fellowship Team 321 Telephone & Internet 2,885 Family Ministry 0 Petty Cash 0 Pastoral Care Team 82 Consulting & Audit Fees 1,992 Cultrual Series 527 Vanco/Simply Giving Fee 491.8 Computer/Screen Maint./IT 244 Real Property Website 45 Garden Club 773 Preschool Supplies 5,708 Interior & Exterior Supplies 1,763 Interior Building Maintenance 3,799 Ministry Related Expenses Exterior Building Maintenance 3,555 Ministry Expenses 2,605 Maintenance Contracts 6,426 Pastor Professional Expenses 461 Snow Removal 2,770 Staff/Parish Professional Exp. 0 Electricity 7,921 Visitation Coordinator Mileage 1,375 Gas 5,536 Water & Sewer 1,315 Christian Education Sunday School 1,198 Insurance Vacation Bible School 639 Liability & Property Insurance 5,921 Confirmation Ministry 657 Workman’s Compensation 3,007 Youth Group 0 Preschool Insurance 1,773 Coffee & Conversation 330
Total Expenses 367,888
Total Receipts 2018 355,718
Income / Expense Difference -12,170
Expense Budget 2018 398,054
Ending Balance - December 31, 2018 112,053 33
Fund Balances as of 12/31/18 Memorial Fund Gifts 2018
Ministry & Mission $ 112,053 Bohler Organ Capital Campaign $ 70,576 Jim Boyer Memorial: Richard Brunner Non-restricted $ 21,795 Joyce Dietrich Keiffer $ 61,256 Peggy Garrett Keiffer Youth $ 2,000 Phil Garret Music $ 6,407 Harold Hehr Music II $ 500 Janice Heist Bohler Organ $ 14,927 Harry Rhoads Library $ 70 Jean Schnabel $ 106,955 $ 106,955 Elizabeth Stauffer Dedicated $ 173,134 Dorothy Strachan Messerli $ 14,134
Total $ 476,852 Total Gifts $ 9,680
Capital Campaign Fund 2018
Beginning Balance $ 51,434
Receipts Expenditures Contributions - Building $ 21,795 Fund Disbursements $ 3,220 Capital Projects $ 567 Total $ 22,362 Total $ 3,220
End of Year Balance $ 70,576
Dedicated-Benevolence Expenditures 2018
Emergency Assistance 950 I Hart Harvest 685 Friend Inc. 381 Lutheran Congregational Services 384 Fleetwood Community Bus 616 One Wish Foundation 370 Fleetwood Food Bank 498 Operation Bootstrap 2,300 Fleetwood Safe Graduation 477 Relay for Life 3,836 Girls Scouts of America (Fleetwood) 341 Safe Berks 477 Greater Berks Food Bank 220 World Hunger 1,640 Habitat For Humanity 466 Youth Gathering Trip 536 Hope Lodge of Central PA 728
TOTAL 2018 14,905 34
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Purpose Statement
Committed to developing totally devoted disciples of Jesus Christ
Guiding Principles
We strive to pray daily
We strive to worship weekly
We strive to read and listen to the word of God
We strive to serve at and beyond St. Paul’s
We strive to be in spiritual friendships that deepen our faith in Jesus
We strive to give proportionally of our time, talents and resources
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