g{x UxtvÉÇ “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1 Volume 4 September 2019 Issue 44
St. James Lutheran Church NALC Telephone: (828) 464-1953 Fax: (828) 465-2084 1942 St. James Church Road Follow us on Facebook Newton, NC 28658 Website: stjameslutherannewtonnc.com E-mail church office: [email protected]
Pastor: Stephen R. Rhodes Intentional Interim [email protected] Office hours: Wed & Thur mornings
Celia Reece, Parish Administrator We have a Website!! Office Hours: 8:30 am-12:30 pm M-F
You are now able to see news Phyllis Huffman, Organist and happenings at St. James Kristy Painter, Choir Director from our new website: [email protected] 828-244-5167—cell stjameslutherannewtonnc.com
Gary Reitzel, Church Custodian Visit the website, check out all its features.
Many thanks to Randy Cline for getting this set up for our church.
Tell your friends, co-workers, Please have all articles for the October people you come in contact with newsletter to Susan by Sunday, Sept. about it. 22nd. [email protected]; (828) 464-1234 (828) 270-8211 cell The Beacon September 2019 Page 2
The Summer is winding down and the days are beginning to get shorter as Autumn winds whisper their prelude. We are at the end of summer and the school season has begun. It’s that time of the year again to lean into the school season with children returning to class. Each year at this time parents and grandparents are busy preparing bookbags, shopping for new clothes, deciding between hand-me-downs or the newest in teenage fashion, all in preparation for the next 9 months of class work for the children as they journey through one more year of instruction in their secular education. And with the start of public school we also have a new year in Sunday School here at St James. For those who were present at the Sunday School Kick-off you heard how our preparation for the next year in sacred education is just as busy. This year we are fortunate to have two (2) elementary classes, one (1) middle school – high school class and 2 adult classes. Sunday School at St James offers something for everyone from the age of two on up through adult. All are welcome regardless of whether they are members of the congregation or not. You are all invited to come and immerse yourself in the study of the Word of God. Immersion to the point of wrestling with the word of God is our constant calling as members of Christ’s family. I continue to receive comments about the concern for the future of the Christian church and St James in particular. The reports we hear from news and surveys about membership in the Christian church declining concerns us; especially when we see that news coming true for our home church family. It’s a concern and work that falls under the category of Evangelism in the church. When we talk to each other and listen to one another we all agree that we enjoy and need new faces in our ministry to join us in the proclamation of the Gospel here at St James. The problem is we are not sure how to bring that life-saving message to those who are outside our family. Indeed, we are even clumsy inviting and encouraging mem- bers of our own family to worship with us. We approach this concern with both fear and confusion. So, what’s the response appropriate to this type of concern for a Christian church family? To answer this, I am reminded of the movie that the Faith Sunday School class has viewed the past 2 Sundays entitled “Martin Luther.” Brother Martin’s journey was a conflicted path where he wrestled both with God and the church in his understanding of his salvation and the Grace of God. On the one hand he saw God as the su- preme being to which he was subject but grew up believing Him to be a god of vengeance and judgement. He wrestled with the scriptures as earnestly as Jacob wrestled with the angle and would not let go until it blessed him. He immersed himself in the Word of God and let scripture speak to him – personally - he found a god of judgement that was also tempered with the mercy and love and sacrifice of His son Jesus. The vail of anger and vengeance was ripped off the image of God what was revealed was a most loving and gracious God. With this new understanding of scripture Martin was incapable of keeping to himself. He was both compelled and convicted to share this message of joy with as many as he was able. And when Martin was pushed to his most basic understanding… when he was required to justify his belief in what he believes as a follower of Christ Jesus his answer was historic. He said he believed that “unless I am con- vinced by scripture and not by other self-appointed authorities who often contradict each other, unless I am so convinced that I am wrong I am bound to my beliefs by the text of the bible. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe…. Therefore, here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” When it comes to understanding the “what” and the “how” of Gods call for us here at St James in ministry and in our walk with Him, are we to be like Jacob who wrestled with the angel in the night? Are we to fol- low Martin Luther’s example to set alone or gather with others in faith and grab hold of God’s Word like Jacob with the angel and wrestle with it until it blesses us? YES! We have begun a new year of classes where we can immerse ourselves along side of our brothers and sisters grab hold of the Word of God, not letting go until it blesses us. It is only through the Word of God that we, like brother Martin, can truly know what God is calling us to do and to be as members of His family. So, come and wrestle with us on Sunday’s! It’s going to bless you in ways you will be compelled to share. In Christ, Pastor Steve The Beacon September 2019 Page 3
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In Our Thoughts and Prayers
The NALC, Bishop Dan Selbo, Pastor Steve Rhodes, St. James’ Council, Matthew Riak (NALC Missionary), Open Door Homeless Program-Roger Cornett, Brian & Allison McClure (Missionaries to the Czech Republic), St. James’ Evangelism Committee; Matthew Stikeleather, Janis Hager, Joe Jessmer, Deena Craig, Logan Little, Jennifer Bass, Diane Harwell, Connie Yarborough, Stacey Montelongo, Barbara Smith, Ruby Sigmon, Gail Rhodes, Randy Rhodes, Jim Yount, Sue Rogers, Ed Brooks, Loretta Huffman, JoAnn Poovey, Trudy Warren, Reagan Painter, Clyde Turner, Bill Seitz, Natalie Homjec, Lynn Hill, George Deal, Adam Hoffman, Kenny Hewitt, Vicky Crafton, Shirley Williams, Nick Colson, Marvin Teague, Paula Spencer, Mitchell Sigmon, Trudy’s friend, Ron Goforth, Mary Heavner, Robert Kiser, Jeff Duchett, Jeff Herman, Victor Paquin, Jay Bolick, Terri Clark, Richard Howard, Christina Saunders, David Lewis, Dr. Tom Goodin, Robin Burgess, Holly Johnson, Carol-Proj Dir at Cat. Valley Living, residents of Cat. Valley Assisted Living, students & teachers; families of Gavin Sharpe, Gobble, Rachel Bennett, Carl Dwiggins, Kenneth Poovey and Mechelle Howard.
John Kelly—USA, Josh Deluca, Chaplain Kim & Regiment, Alex Sigmon
Seminary Student: Matthew Oscar Shephard
In Nursing Homes: JoAnn Sigmon, Rev. Bill Smith, Christine Burgess, Teresa Sipe, Mitsn Sites, Margaret Reitzel, Garland Huffman, Glenn & Faye Crouch, Jo Little
At Home: Wilma Hedrick, Frances Sigmon, Kay Sigmon, Twila Sipe
Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV)
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray...And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up…pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. (James 5:13a, 15a, 16, KJV)
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SERVING THIS MONTH
Acolyte: William Stewart
Crucifer: Chase Arndt
Lay Reader Coordinator: Wesley Stinson
Ushers: Sharon Sipe, Bonnie Usher, Robin Burgess
Greeters: Mickey & Connie Bell
Communion Assistants: Sept 1: Joy Sharpe, Wesley Stinson, Worship Assistant Sept 15: David Arndt, Worship Assistant
Altar Flowers: Sept 1: Wesley & Tanya Stinson Sept 8: Glenda Verbos & Betty Hawn Sept 15: Homecoming: Sue Lindley Sept 22: Beverly Sipe Sept 29: Joy Sharpe
Altar Care: Marjorie Moose & Tanya Stinson
SERVING FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
USHERS: Mickey & Connie Bell; Jerry, Keeley & Aidan Stikeleather ACOLYTE: Gabby Hernandez GREETERS: Dennis & Marilyn Craig LAY READER COORDINATOR: Joy Sharpe CRUCIFER: Worship Assistant COMMUNION ASSISTANTS: Oct 6: Sharon Sipe, Barbara Harris, Worship Assistant Oct 20: Betty Hawn, Worship Assistant Oct 27: Reformation Sunday—Worship Assistants ALTAR FLOWERS: Oct 6: Robin & Jeffery Sigmon Oct 13: Bob & Susan Hullet Oct 20: Betty Williams Oct 27: Frances & Harvey Settlemyre
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1. Debra Self, Amanda Young 3. Tanya Stinson, Janey Link Thern 1. Jo Little, Harvey Settlemyre 4. Scott Arney, Darby Crouch 3. Victor Paquin 5. Jerry Stikeleather 5. Stephanie Shook 8. Tim Sipe 7. Joy Sharpe 9. Lindsey Arney, 9. Anissa Laws, Wesley Stinson Garland Huffman 11. Michael Pope 10. Carolyn Travis 13. Mandy Henderson, 12. Kala Boldon, Andy Sipe Brenda Isenhour, Celia Reece 14. Gracie Elizabeth Sipe 15. Susan Hullet 16. Rev. Bill Smith, 16. Twila Sipe William Stewart 17. MacKenzie Lowman 17. Amber Beal 25. Aiden Palmer 18. Tracy Polson 27. Sharon Ford, Zoie Miller 20. Barbara Smith 31. Jonathan Schmutz 21. Robert Dixon 22. Wally Hill 23. Luke Devine, Zachery Lowman 24. Dennis Craig, Ellen Miller 27. Johnny Sigmon
14. Mr. & Mrs. Joe Devine 16. Mr. & Mrs. Chad Deal 1. Mr. & Mrs. Jeffery Sigmon 17. Mr. & Mrs. John Schlie 4. Mr. & Mrs. Wally Hill 20. Mr. & Mrs. Jim Sharpe 9. Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Sipe 21. Mr. & Mrs. Robert Crouch 10. Mr. & Mrs. Steve Campbell 27. Mr. & Mrs. Dwayne Sipe 22. Mr. & Mrs. Rodney Miller 30. Mr. & Mrs. Norman Murphy 27. Mr. & Mrs. Mark Saunders The Beacon September 2019 Page 8
CONGREGATIONAL NEWS
The church office will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day. Circle 1 and Circle 3 will meet together on Monday, September 2, at 7:00 p.m. at the church. Monday on Sunday is September 8th. You may come to church dressed as you would to go to work on Monday so that we can see all the talents that God has given to you. Members of Luther League will meet on Sunday, Sept. 8 from 3-5:00 p.m. at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. Our Homecoming Sunday is September 15. Rev. Harvey Blume will offi- ciate during the morning worship service. There will be a covered dish lunch following the service. The Cemetery Committee will mow at Haas cemetery on Saturday, Sept. 21. Meet at St. James at 8:30 a.m. A rain date is Saturday, Sept. 28. The Senior Citizen’s group will meet on Wednesday, September 25, at 11:30 at the church. Everyone is welcome to join us! St James’ Volunteer Day at ECCCM is Monday, Sept. 30. Also, ECCCM is in desperate need of volunteers for their thrift store. They need people to run the register, put new merchandise out, organize/tidy up the store, etc. If you would consider volunteering on a regular basis, call Allen Sherrill at 828-465-1702 ext. 116 or go to the website’s volunteer section at ecccm.org to learn more. Times are flexible! Thank you! Thrivent Members: please let Susan Hullet know how many members are in your family and if you would be willing/able to sponsor fundraisers for our church. There is a box outside of the secretary’s office for donations of greeting card fronts. These will be collected throughout the year and sent to St. Jude’s. All card fronts of any occasion are welcomed.
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FAITHFUL STEWARDS: The furnace in the basement of the church needs to be replaced before winter. Any donations toward this will be greatly appreciated. The mainte- nance fund has been depleted by replacing 2 air conditioning units in the Fellowship Building. The Evangelism Committee asks you to remember the STOP AND PRAY BANNERS at both entrances to the church. Invite friends, family, and co-workers to stop and pray. CAUTION: Please do not leave keys in vehicles.
PLEASE LET THE SECRETARY KNOW OF ANY SCHEDULES, SCHEDULE CHANG- ES, OR DELETION OF SCHEDULES THAT SHOULD BE POSTED IN THE BULLETIN EACH WEEK. CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE AT 828 464-1953; FAX 828 465-2084; EMAIL [email protected].
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STEWARDSHIP
Webster’s defines stewardship as the job of supervising or taking care of some- thing. At church, we define stewardship as using our time, talents and treasures to serve God as a loving response to Him for all He has done for us. In the next few months, your Stewardship Committee invites you to join us and participate in putting your stewardship to good use here at St. James.
TALENTS: On Sunday, September 8, we will have Monday on Sunday. We in- vite you to come on Sunday morning dressed as you would on Monday. This is a way to share with your fellow members the talents God has blessed you with as you live your daily life.
TIME: On Sunday, October 13, we will have the Time and Talent Fair after worship in the Fellowship Building. This will be an opportunity for you to sign up to serve on committees and serve in lay positions for the next year.
TREASURES: If you haven’t noticed the Financial Report, our general account is now in the red. Ministry does cost money. We need your donations! We ask that each of you take a moment for self-reflection and prayerfully consider if you are being good stewards of what God has entrusted to you.
Then….please join us for the events mentioned above.
St. James’ Stewardship Committee The Beacon September 2019 Page 10
Evangelism Notes
Fall is on its way and hopefully so are cooler days.
We have several events coming up that we hope you will par cipate in and en- joy.
On Saturday, September 21st we are heading to the mountains. We plan to stop and see the Frescos in Glendale Springs, then have a BIG family style lunch at Shatley Sprngs. From there we will head to West Jefferson to the Ashe County Cheese Factory and Store. We will leave the church around 8:00 am. Cost of the trip is $40.00 which includes your meal. See Margie Moose, Wes or Tanya S nson , or Susan Hullet to register for the trip. All money is due by Sunday, September 8th.
The first Sunday in October, (October 6th), is our Heritage Day celebra on at Haas Cemetery. Once again this year, we plan to hold a service there and also a service at the church for those who desire to stay indoors. There will be a cook- out a er the service in the church fellowship building. Sunday School classes will be combined in the Sunday School Assembly room. Those who a ended the Haas service last year said it was a very meaningful and inspiring service. Please plan to a end one of these two services and enjoy the food and fellowship that follows.
We plan to have luminaries in the Church Cemetery on Christmas eve. This al- ways enhances the worship experience and beau fies our surroundings. We can use your help in placing these lights along the driveways in the a ernoon prior to the candlelight service. Contact any evangelism team member to volun- teer. The Beacon September 2019 Page 11
If anyone is in need of help or knows of anyone who The following members are able to give needs help, please contact a member of the Social Ministry home communion to anyone who needs it: Sue Committee. They are happy to assist. Lindley, Elaine Link, Margie Moose, and Sharon Sipe. Please call the church office if you have this need.
Thank you from the Open Door Homeless Ministry for all your donations. Please keep us in mind as you discard unwanted items in your homes. We accept all clean, unstained clothing, all household ANYONE who is in need of someone to help goods in working order, and all toiletries. Please see do any small household repairs, yardwork, etc., Elaine Link or Sharon Sipe if you have any questions or would like a receipt for charitable please contact Helping Hands—Jeff Link at donations. 828 241-9457.
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Catawba Valley Luther League August 11, 2019
Thank you St. James for such a fun and meaningful time together. The youth and many of our leaders were in high spirits as they experienced friendly competition in bowling at Pin Station. Following that adven- ture we convened at St. James for an exercise in learning to open and to close a meeting with prayer. By using the word PRAY, we learned to praise, repent, ask, and yield. A couple of brave youth volunteered to read their own words. Pastor Rhodes noted that the Bible teaches us that grand words are not the basis of a meaningful prayer as the Lord knows our needs even before we ask. The afternoon was closed with a good quantity of pizza! It is truly a blessing to watch our youth begin- ning to come together as a more cohesive group, bonding with one an- other and sharing Christian values. Linda Scott The Beacon September 2019 Page 12
The Rev. Dan Selbo was elected bishop of the North American Lutheran Church by the 2019NALC Con- vocation on Friday, August 9, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bishop Selbo currently serves as pastor of St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in San Jose, California. He holds Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Bishop Selbo was elected on the fourth ballot over the Rev. Dr. Eric Riesen, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Ashland, Ohio. The Convocation narrowed the list of candidates from 14 nominees to four on the first ballot on Thursday. The four finalists were Pastor Riesen, the Rev. Dr. David Wendel of Jack- sonville, Florida, assistant to the bishop for ministry and ecumenism, and the Rev. Dr. Amy Schifrin, president of the North American Lutheran Seminary in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.
More than 800 delegates and visitors gathered August 7-9 for the2019 Convocation and Mission Festival around the theme, “Walking by the Spirit with the Fruit of the Spirit.” A Thursday night banquet honored Bishop John Bradosky for his service to the Church. Bishop Bradosky is retiring and did not seek reelec- tion. The banquet featured the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Guite, a poet, priest and singer from Cambridge, Eng- land. Bishop Selbo was installed as bishop during the closing worship of the Convocation, but his four- year term officially begins October 1.
The Mission Festival that preceded the Convocation highlighted the NALC’s relationship with Lutherans in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The Rev. Dr. Alex Mkumbo, bishop of the Central Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, and the Rev. Yonas Yigezu, president of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, were featured speakers for the Mission Festival. They also brought greetings to the Convocation and took part in the installation service for Bishop Selbo. The Mission Festival also fea- tured a variety of breakout sessions to equip members for mission.
Other Elections: The Rev. Bassam Abdallah of Prospect, Kentucky, and Scott Kramer of Boerne, Tex- as, were elected to four-year terms on the Executive Council. The Rev. Jennifer Gold of Helotes, Texas, and the Rev. Leslie Haines of Fort Wayne, Indiana, were elected to the Court of Adjudication. 2020 budgets were approved. The Convocation approved a $2.2million Operating Budget for the NALC. Budgets were also approved for the church’s designated funds: $723,000 for the Theological Education Fund (which includes the North American Lutheran Seminary); $197,500 for the Great Commission Fund; and$123,500 for the Disaster Response Fund. Most of the budgets anticipate spending some cash reserves.
A new NALC Global Worker, the Rev. Heidi Punt of Christ United Lutheran Church in Granite Falls, North Carolina, was commissioned for service in Haiti with Sundouloi Ministries (SMI Haiti).
Reports of the work of the NALC’s staff, teams, task forces, ministries and ministry partners were warmly received.
Events preceding the Convocation were the Mission Festival, Braaten-Benne Lectures in Theology, Women of the NALC Annual Gathering and the Ventures in Youth Ministry Symposium. The Convoca- tion and the events preceding it comprise the NALC’s annual Lutheran Week. The Beacon September 2019 Page 13
g{x UxtvÉÇ “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1
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"We proudly bear as banner a cross within the heart, To show that we have chosen Christ the better part."
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