Friendly Messenger November 2004
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FRIENDLY MESSENGER

November 2004

This Month's Contents:

STEWARDSHIP COMMITMENT DAY

STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 7, 2004

WE NEED YOUR TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE!

We, the congregation, ARE St. Peter's Church. We ask, in this period of transitional leadership, to add generously to the pledge that you have decided to make on STEWARDSHIP COMMITMENT DAY, Sunday, November 7, 2004. St. Peter's Church IS its people. As its people, it is up to all of us to make a very positive commitment, as without that commitment there may be no St. Peter's. This is our opportunity again to pledge our Time, Talent and Treasure. So, please SAY YES!

In Christ's Love,
Dorothea Sundvall
Stewardship Committee Chairperson

CONGREGATIONAL COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

Our October 11th meeting was opened with devotions pertaining to Acts, Chapter 9:10-18.

Pastor Scott Schantzenbach, Assistant to the Bishop, attended the Council meeting to review how we are doing with getting a new pastor and how we are managing overal. Unfortunately, our financial situation is such that we aren't able to pay a pastor's salary. We will need to have a strong Stewardship Sunday and new commitments. We will all have to give this a lot of thought and prayer.

Our Vice-Pastor has been very busy, as he has visited all the shut-ins and has given communion to all but three.

The Evangelism Committee has updated our church sign on the front lawn again, displaying information about both our 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services. A new ad was put in the telephone book yellow pages listing St. Peter's free of charge. Also, December 5th has been designated as a Friendship Sunday.

Our Social Ministry Committee has arranged the following people tp provide programs at the McCutchen Home: Dorothea Sundvall in November, Evelyn Troy in December, and Pia Grant in January. Olga Bruce is now the co-chairperson for Communion Assistants and is doing the scheduling.

Lutheran Men in Mission is holding their annual Spaghetti Supper on Saturday, November 6th. There will also be entertainment by a barbershop quartet.

The Property Committee has been busy getting the Pastor's office ready for painting. The roof work is all completed.

Thankoffering Sunday will be November 14th. The offering will benefit "Heal a Child."

The Worship and Music Committee made a motion, which passed, to use the "With One Voice" service only on the first Sunday of December, instead of throughout Advent.

Irene Plitz had a meeting with her committee and they came up with two recommendations. We need a pastoral liason to greet our supply pastors and a person to secure our church after services. She will be looking into this as soon as possible.

Rev. Kiesling will be our guest pastor on Sunday, October 24th. He will trade pulpits with our previously scheduled supply pastor. Communion will be celebrated at both the 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services.

Having heard all reports, the meeting was closed with the Lord's Prayer.

In God's Service,
Orvie Hoffman

PARISH HAPPENINGS

Alternative Worship Experience

We are especially happy that our Alternative Worship Experience is once again up and running. Our own Linda Nietman is leading this service each Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. If your schedule prevents you from attending our 10:30 a.m. Traditional Service, or if you are looking for something a bit different, come see what our NEW Alternative Worship Experience is all about. Communion will be celebrated at the October 24th Service and hopefully will be offered again on the first Sunday of each month beginning in November.

Office Hours

Effective September 3rd, the church office returns to its usual hours of Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 A.M. - to 1:00 P.M. If the door is not unlocked, please ring the bell or knock.

Adult Forum

Our Adult Forum, under the leadership of Pat Johnston, invites and encourages all of us who are just a bit older to continue the ongoing process of Christian Education.

Our Sunday Church School program for all ages is held at 9:15 A.M. every Sunday morning!

Confirmation Classes

Our program for the year got underway on Monday, October 11th. Our four confirmands are now in their second year of study under the instruction of Mrs. Patricia Johnston, leading them to their Day of Confirmation in the Spring. Subsequent classes will be held on the first Monday of each month from 5-7:30 p.m.

CROP Walk

Many thanks to Diane and Dominique Pasquarello who represented St. Peter's in this year's 32nd annual Plainfield/North Plainfield CROP Walk to help fight World Hunger. The event took place on the afternoon of October 24th. Thanks also to our sponsors who supported their efforts for this most worthwhile cause, and to Stella Chute and her mother, who served as St. Peter's walkers as well.

Ministry to Persons Without Homes

As this month's issue of the Friendly Messenger is being produced, our guests are about to arrive on our doorstep on Sunday, October 24th. Please take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of this most significant ministry by serving as an early evening or overnight host, with our kitchen crew, or as a food donor or driver. Help is also needed with setting up and cleaning up the building as our week of service begins and ends. Many thanks to ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS who work so hard helping others by making this ministry happen.

All volunteers are invited to a Volunteer Celebration Dinner sponsored by FISH Hospitality Network on Sunday, November 7, 2004, at 4:00 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, Dunellen, New Jersey. RSVP : 732-968-5957.

Food for FISH

We have had an urgent request from the FISH Organization for FOOD DONATIONS, as their supplies are critically low. Items that would be most appreciated are: pancake mix, instant potatoes, juices (especially cranberry), cereals, peanut butter, jelly, canned fruits (regular and sugar-free), spaghetti sauce, tuna, pork and beans, hamburger helper, canned and/or dried beans, canned meats and stews, and soups (especially low sodium).

Women of the ELCA

The Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA) invite all women to participate in their many activities. Meetings with a specific theme or activity are usually held at the church on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM. Our Katie's Quilters usually meet twice a month on a Wednesday morning at 10:00 and a Friday evening at 7:30. In June, 2004, our women delivered 110 quilts, plus health kits and used clothing to Lutheran World Relief center in Maryland. Food items for FISH, the local food bank, are continually collected and delivered. They assist our Lutheran Men in Mission at our Annual Dinner Theater. Thankoffering Sunday is held in November. Many other opportunities for fellowship and service are coming along. As you can see, our women are very active. To find out how you can join in, and to find out what's happening when, please talk to an active member, watch for announcements in the Sunday bulletin, or call the church office (908-754-0530)for further information and/or the name and phone number of the proper contact person. Our Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America look forward to welcoming you!

Be a Good Samaritan:

Items to be contributed and delivered to the Good Samaritan Center in Camden will be received on Sundays, November 21st and 28th. This year we are collecting slacks, underwear and two items of clothing per member. Items received will be delivered to Camden the first week of December.

Upcoming Events:

October 24th - Dedication of the new WELCA banner at the 10:30 a.m. service.

November 5th - Church Women United World Community Day at Rose of Sharon Church, 825 W. 7th Street, Plainfield, New Jersey, at 1:30 p.m.

November 6th - Spaghetti Dinner and Show at 6 p.m. at St. Peter's.

November 14th - WELCA Thankoffering Sunday.

Lutheran Men in Mission

Our Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7;30 PM at the Church. All men of the church, young and senior alike, are welcome and encouraged to attend. We need you! If you need a ride, please see or call Ken Troy. LMM sponsored our Annual Picnic, a Philadelphia theater trip to see a son of the congregation perform, and Mother's Day refreshments and carnations. They organize and cook for our Annual Dinner Theater. Work days at the church are also scheduled when a need arises. Many other opportunities for fellowship and service are coming along. As with the Women's Group, to find out how you can join in, and to find out what's happening when, please talk to an active member, watch for announcements in the Sunday bulletin, or call the church office (908-754-0530)for further information and/or the name and phone number of the proper contact person. Our Lutheran Men in Mission look forward to welcoming you!

News: Our project "Fresh Up" is to make the office ready for our new pastor. We have cleared out the out-dated material, like old reports, books and catalogs. Thanks to Judy Jacobs for categoring items to Council Committee groups. We then asked each chairman to look at and tell what to keep and file. The paining is next and will start soon. We will keep you posted and let you know when we have an "open" office. We still need a desk chair if you have one.

Officer Elections:

President: Ken Troy
Vice-President: Tony Pasquarello
Special Events ( Fellowship, Annual Picnic, Mother's Day): Bob Hassard and Jan Henriksen
Treasurer: Art Klatt
Signs and Notices: Walter Hoffman
Maintenance: Rob Lavelle

Annual Spaghetti Dinner:

The Lutheran Men in Mission Annual Spaghetti Dinner will take place on Saturday, November 6th, at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Dinner this year will be salad, ziti with meatballs, sauce and rolls, followed by "The Ol' Pals Barbershop Quartet" from Somerset, New Jersey. After they sing, we will again have our World Famous Dessert Table, furnished by WELCA under the direction of Odessa Lemley. We have also invited the Noth Plainfield Seniors and Friends of St. Peter's. Bob Hassard will play dinner music.

Annual Church Picnic

If you missed our July Church Family Picnic this past summer held at Paul and Eric Henriksen's estate, we missed you. It was a perfect day and the pool was well used. The kids had their games and we old folks had horse shoes, games and just sitting and talking. Eric had the grill going and was doing corn on the cob, burgers, chicken and hot dogs. Paul was inside putting out salads (4 kinds), cakes, cookies and cold drinks. Thanks to everyone who brought something. We have been invited back to their home again next year. Watch for the announcement next Spring, and come join us. Many thanks to Paul and Eric for having us.

CALL COMMITTEE

The Call Committee had their first meeting September 28th. We defined our responsibility as exploring all options for the continuation of the mission of St. Peter's. These include, but are not limited to, calling a full-time pastor, calling a part-time pastor, merging with another congregation or partnering with another congregation. A recommendation will be presented to Council for its approval and submission to the Congregation for final approval.

We reviewed and discussed preparing the Mission Profile Statement. We decided to distribute a copy to each council member and to any interested congregational member. Anyone filling out the Mission Profile can fill in as much or as little as they want. The committee will then compile the results for distribution and approval by the Council. See any member of the Call Committee if you would like to review and fill out this document.

The committee started to review Congregational Survey Forms that were distributed and completed after church. The committee feels that it is very important to receive imput from all members of St. Peter's concerning this Pastoral Call Process. If you have not previously submitted this survey, please take this opportunity to give us your imput.

In an effort to maintain open and honest communication concerning the call process, the committee asked Council to post information concerning the Call Process on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Please review the items posted so you are aware of the process. If you have any questions concerning the Call Process, please talk to one of the Call Committee members: Irene Plitz, Evelyn Troy, Odessa Lemley, Patrick Salamon, Barbara Henriksen and Art Klatt.

In Christ's Service,
Art Klatt
Call Committee Chairperson

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Last modified 10/29/04