The Anchor MARCH 2016 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Congregational Meeting 2/3 Annc; New Pastor Info; Council News, Communion Classes; WELCOME Pastor Ernie & Pastor Paul …
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH PLANO, ILLINOIS Volume 29, Issue 3 The Anchor MARCH 2016 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Congregational Meeting 2/3 Annc; New Pastor info; Council News, Communion Classes; WELCOME Pastor Ernie & Pastor Paul ….. See Page 2….. Community Lenten service; Recipe - “Turtle Cake”; Lent info; March Library News About Congregational Vitality “Ruth Ann Ramblings”; 4/5 Council Notes; Help-please; Prayer List; During a time of transition it is always good for a congregation to do some Prayer Chain info reflection. A short congregational survey that will enable First Lutheran in Book Club; Offering; 6/7 Women’s Bible Study; this time of reflection is called Congregational Vitality Project. It is a new Holy Week/Easter Ser- resource from the ELCA that Pastor Paul and Pastor Ernie feel might be vices; PADS info; Gold- en Harvesters; March helpful for this congregation to use for reflection. The Church council Calendar affirmed using the vital congregation survey in hopes that our reflecting March Volunteers, 8/9 March Birthday & might be helpful in the process of calling a new pastor. Anniversaries, A vital congregation can be any shape or size, as long as it lives out God’s March Prayer List mission through strong relationships with God, each other and the world. Youth Director Article, 10/11 Members recently filled out a short survey that is designed to help under- Sunday School Snippets stand people’s perception of key mission areas of our congregation. These surveys will be input and the results tabulated into a report for the Readings for congregation. Below is a bit more info about Congregational vitality …. March 2016 Vital congregations exude a certain kind of vibrancy, a friendly welcoming 3/6/2016 manner, and God's presence is tangible. Those who attend regularly have a 4th Sunday of Lent Joshua 5:9-12 sense of purpose. They support each other by nurturing one another's faith Psalm 32 and helping each other identify their spiritual gifts and use those gifts in the 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 congregation and in the world. When they disagree they do so in a respectful manner, ultimately strengthening the congregation. The people in these vital 3/13/2016 congregations understand God's mission goes beyond their walls. They in- 5thSunday of Lent tentionally connect with the wider Christian community and within their lo- Isaiah 43:16-21 cal context to share the good news in word and deed by striving to be God's Psalm 126 hands in the world. Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 Vital congregations may be large or small. They may be growing, shrink- ing or holding steady. The key to their vitality is that they experience God's 3/20/2016 Palm Sunday active presence in every day life and live as disciples of Christ. This way of Isaiah 50:4-9a describing vitality points to the relationships between the congregation's Psalm 31:9-16 members and God, each other, and the world. These relationships are at the Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 22:14—23:56 heart of what it means to be church and are summed up by Jesus in scripture through the Great Commandment "You shall love the Lord your God with 3/27/2016 all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the Easter greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love Acts 10:34-43 your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians 15:19- and the profits." (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission when Jesus 26 said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go there- Luke 24:1-12 fore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fa- ther and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey every- thing that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) Page 2 Volume 29, Issue 3 CONGREGATIONAL MEETING SUNDAY, Rev. Ernie Rex and Rev. Paul Carlson are MARCH 13, 2016 our new Interim Pastors! They will be sharing the pastoral duties while we search 9:30 AM for a permanent Pastor. Currently, their office schedule is as fol- lows: PURPOSE - TO VOTE Pr Ernie - Tues & Wed; Pr Paul - Wed & Thurs; TO APPROVE THE CALL To contact them, call the church office COMMITTEE (630-552-8263), or send an e-mail to [email protected]. PLEASE PLAN In case of an emergency, please call TO ATTEND THIS (secretary) Ann Hagemann @ 630-300-8574, and she will contact BOTH pastors directly IMPORTANT MEETING COUNCIL UPDATE Church Council Officers for 2016 are: New members elected: President - Bob Pilmer Vice-President - Steve Benoit Steve Benoit (3-yr) Secretary - Theresa Jensen Karen DeBolt (3-yr) Treasurer - Nan Grommes Bob Pilmer (3-yr) Financial Secretary - Ruth Ann Hoehn The Plano Ministerial Association invites COMMUNION CLASSES ….. During Lent we will have First Communion Class for any you to worship together during Lent for an youth in 5th grade or above who have not yet evening of scripture and song. The attended a First Communion Class. Classes Community Lenten and Easter Concert is will begin on March 6th. Letters have been sent scheduled for Sunday, March 13th at 7:00 to ‘known’ eligible students. If you are PM at The First Baptist Church of Plano. interested, and do not get a letter, please Each church is invited to present a musical contact the church office. First Communion selection. Join us for this special worship & will be received by these students at the th fellowship. Maundy Thursday service on March 24 . The Anchor Page 3 Recipe Corner Lenten Grace Before Instructions: Evening Meal Mix cake mix as directed. Turtle Cake Pour 1/2 of mixture in a 9x13 Loving Father, during this (an Imogene Bohrer recipe) pan. sacred season of penance we Ingredients: Bake 15 minutes. thank you for your many 1 German chocolate Cake mix Put chips, nuts, and carmel on gifts, especially for our trials 1 12-oz pkg chocolate chips top. and sufferings. The Cross of 1 cup chopped nuts Pour on remaining cake mix and your Son reveals the depth of 12 oz carmel topping bake for 30 to 35 minutes. your love for us. As we come together to share this meal, 1 pkg. Vanilla or Butterscotch When cake is cool, mix pudding, bless us with that love. Purify instant pudding sugar and milk. the grace we pray so that we 1 Add Cool whip. /3 c. powdered sugar may see how everything is a Ice the cake. ½ c. milk grace. We ask this through 12 oz. Cool Whip Christ our Lord. Amen. MARCH LIBRARY NEWS (submitted by Diane Schlesinger) “Come Rain or Come Shine”, Jan Karon’s latest novel in the Mitford series, has been donated by the FLC Book Club in memory of Peggy Fields. Peggy was a member of our book club. During her last months, we held meetings at her home. We miss her, but are happy she is now with the Lord. There are many books in our library to enrich your Lenten walk. “The Final Week of Jesus” by Max Lucado was donated by Pastor Booher. It is beautifully written and illustrated. Please note also the many Easter books for children that we have. Join us on our Lenten Journey with Jesus to the Cross and His Resurrection! Every Wednesday during Lent, you are invited join us at 7:00 PM for worship. Come early at 6:00 PM and enjoy a delicious soup supper. Set your clocks ahead - SOUP SUPPERS: The youth Saturday evening - are again be hosting soup suppers March 12th!! this Lenten season. Suppers will Daylight Savings be on Wednesday evenings at Time 6:00 PM, followed by worship begins Sunday, service at 7:00 PM. Please support the youth by th attending, and donating if possible. A sign-up March 13 !!!! sheet has been posted in the back of the church. Page 4 Volume 29, Issue 3 Ruth Ann’s Ramblings …(contributed by Ruth Ann Hoehn) In the last year the congregation has sung 93 different hymns from our hymnals. This number doesn’t include those sung on Christmas Eve, Easter, or songs that we sing during the contemporary services. Some of the hymns have been sung 2 or 3 times in the last year. From my pew on Sunday morning, it sounds like most of these are well known by the congregation. Congratulations - that’s a pretty impressive number of hymns to be familiar to so many people. If you would like to suggest one of your favorite hymns from one of the hymnals, feel free to let me know (a written note given to me or the secretary is helpful). Please keep in mind that the choice of hymns is usually made from the recommendations on the ELCA website, “Sundays and Seasons.” The hymn recommendations are based on the church year calendar and scripture reading for each Sunday. The Old Rugged Cross George Bennard (February 4, 1873 – October 10, 1958) was an American hymn composer and preacher. He is best known for composing the famous hymn "The Old Rugged Cross" in 1912. Bennard was born in the coal-mining town of Youngstown, Ohio. When he was still a child, the family to Iowa. After his conversion during a Salvation Army meeting, he and his wife became brigade leaders.