Volume 35 Number 5 May 2013 The Monthly Newsletter of Pilgrim Lutheran Church 3901 First Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409 (612) 825-5375 From the Desk of Pastor Pete Youth in Focus During the month of May the young people of our church and school take center stage. On May 5 Children as Leaders for God is the theme for Education Sunday. The students of Pilgrim Lutheran School have been working hard and have a very special presentation planned for the 10:30 service. (The 8:30 service will feature an education message and theme, but will not be led by the students) We’re sure lots of proud parents and relatives will turn out. Our school is a great ministry to children and families. Hope to see you there to encourage our students and their families and be blessed by the Word that they share. On May 19 we will once again celebrate the rite of confirmation. This year four of our young people, three girls and one boy, will testify to their faith in Jesus Christ and promise a lifetime of faithfulness to him. As usual, we’ll have “confirmation events” in both services: at 8:30 the confirmands will respond to their essay questions. In the 10:30 service they will make their promises. Here are the questions they’ll answer this year. How would you respond? How will the Bible be part of your life? What does it mean to have faith in Christ? What does it mean to fear, love and trust in God? What does baptism mean for the Christian? (Continued on Page 2) Table of Contents Sermons/Bible Studies……………………..Page 2 School News…………………….Page 18-19 NewWe Pilgrimstill use Women’s the words Group as ……..………Pagea blessing in worship 3 services today.Family And lookFun Time………………..Page at what the Lord says 20about Birthday/anniversaries………………………Pagethis blessing: “So they will put my name on 4 the Israelites, andChildren I will bless Fun Time……………...Page them.” (Numbers 6:27) 21 Announcements/Thank you…………………Page 5-17 Calendar On May 30 at 6:00 p.m. our eighth graders will graduate. The year has gone by quickly and we’ll gather around the word of God and prayer to bless these young people for the next steps they take. Come on out: encourage our young people and be encouraged! My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. --Psalm 71:15-18 Sermons and Bible studies at Pilgrim Lutheran Church May 5: Education Sunday: Children as Leaders for God 12: Sermon and Bible study: Christian family (Mothers’ Day) 19: Confirmation 26: Sermon and Bible study: Christian family (Memorial Day weekend) Ascension Day Worship Thursday May 9 is Ascension Day: we remember that Jesus ascended into heaven, but not before he promised to return and told his disciples to continue making disciples of all nations. St.John’s, our sister congregation at 610 E. Broadway in Minneapolis will be hosting a worship service at 7:00 p.m. We’re all invited! “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (The angels speaking to the disciples in Acts 1:11) [2] New Pilgrim Women’s Group LIFT: Ladies In Faith Today How do you deal with life’s interruptions? Do they frustrate you, depress you, and challenge your faith? Join our new Pilgrim women’s fellowship group as we undertake a 6 week study that is based on the life of Jonah. His life was interrupted by God; sent to a place he didn’t want to go. We will look at how our lives are in the control of a powerful and loving God, who uses these interruptions to bring us to places of deeper faith, trust and abiding peace. The study will help us to bond together as Christian women navigating life’s’ interruptions together with love and support. This new Pilgrim women’s group will meet throughout the year in 6-8 week sessions on Wednesdays at 7:00pm in the Pilgrim Cafeteria. The first study Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted will begin on May 15 and run through June 19. The group will host a family fellowship Picnic on Saturday 8.This study is a video series with an accompanying workbook. Personal daily studies are a part of this study as you work through the daily lessons in the workbook. If you want to join this session, please contact Tammy Leyrer at [email protected], or call 612 229 6544. The study workbook for this session costs $13.00. If you have questions or need more information, please feel free to speak with anyone on the Pilgrim Womens’ Fellowship Team: Tammy Leyrer, Rachel Josephitis, Catie Michaelson, Susan Jefferson, Vina Klein, Christina Day, and Michelle Cambrice [3] May Birthdays Curtis Geiselhart 1 Sara Sroga 13 Carl Bloedel 26 Zandra Johnson 1 Bonita Faude 14 Diane Hartwig 26 Taniya Bible 4 John Martin 15 Jessica Holmgren 26 Thelma Friton 6 Richard Bullemer 16 Angela Jennrich 26 Darrell Sampson 7 Tyra Rolan 16 Julian Loescher 29 Peg Heilman 8 Kendra Bonde/Sivanich 17 David Menk 30 Marge Rodmyre 8 Mark Heilman 19 Jennifer Combs 30 Lue Rogers 9 Carolyn Vaughan 22 Samuel Gostchock 31 Orville Delano 10 Jacqueline Pruitt-Jones 23 Michael Heilman 31 George Scott 11 Darwin Cloud 25 Sharon Ledin 31 Edward Jefferson 13 Tina Norman 25 May Wedding Anniversary Rick & Sandy Puterbaugh 1 Eric & Nicole Minea 6 Cynthia & Brian Sroga 17 Gerald & Diane Hartwig 19 Christopher & Connie Wasley 27 [4] Looking Back to June 23rd, 1963 While going through a box of old church directories, Bill Brust came upon a church bulletin dated June 23rd, 1963. Bill thought it was ironic that the article has to do with the gallery window that Pastor Pete wrote about in last month’s newsletter. I wonder how much something like this would cost today. The attendance for June 16th, 1963 was 630.. The article read as follows: Today for the first time we see the new art-glass gallery window. We have been saving for the cost of this window for twenty or more years. The complete cost of the windows and its frame is around $4,200. The art-glass was made in Germany and the glass is breath-blown. The subject of the window is THE RISEN CHRIST WITH THE DISCIPLES OF EMMAUS. This is the biblical account that tells of Christ appearing to two disciples of Emmaus. They say to Him: ‘Abide with Us, for it is toward evening”. Often these words give the theme of the window. Our window committee, however, chose another passage taken from that same historical account: namely, Luke 24:31 “Their eyes were opened and they knew Him”. This theme passage gives the prime purpose of what is being done in Pilgrim congregation: namely, opening the eyes of the spiritually blind. Our eyes are opened when we know Christ as our personal Savior from sin. The window committee, which by the way consists of Mrs. E. Frey, Messrs J. Rotsch and R. Ledin and the Pastor, is anxious to find out who contributed toward the cost of this window. If you during the past 20 years gave a memorial or money for this window, Call J. Rotsch, WA 6 5446 at ONCE. [5] Announcements Electronic News Letter Did you sign up for the electronic version of our monthly news letter but are not receiving it? If you answered yes to this question please get in touch with me. It is due to the way you signed up so I would like to get that fixed for you. Zoe Herzig 763-360-6150 LOST AND FOUND Lost and found items are in a basket by the tracts in the narthex (1st Avenue entrance) of the church. Call the church office at 612-825-5375 to inquire about lost and found items. Lock doors and turn off lights Pilgrim Church highly encourages the use of our facilities by groups: Pioneers, Ladies Guild, Bible Study, etc. We ask for each group, upon leaving, to verify all lights are turned off and doors are shut tight. Doors need to be checked by pulling on them as they may not lock unless forced shut. Numerous times staff members have arrived to find the doors not locked and lights left on. Not checking the doors puts our property in danger of vandalism, theft and a host of other issues. Leaving lights on causes additional funds to be sent to Xcel Energy that could have been used to spread the Gospel. PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS Please pray for the United States military and the following enlisted and/or deployed service men and women: Paul Bandelin, Errol Belanger, Justin Brandt, David Chernohorsky; Jason Fahey, Brent Hassler, Jennifer James, Nicholas Neumann, Andrew Rolston, Cory Williams, and John Zimmerman. PRAYER REQUESTS FOR OUR MEMBERS People to pray for (Please call the church office if you would like a name added to this list.) Gerald Belsaas; Connie and Bill Bonde; Mabel Emde; Bob Florin; Brian Florin; Vi Gagnon; Ken Gostchock; Rebeccca Herzig; Jean Loescher; Rozetta Norman; Norma Seebach; and Pilgrim shut-ins.