This past weekend, members of our congregation spent the afternoon at the North Plainfield Street Fair. They handed out information about St. Peter’s, and also gave out small temporary tattoos for the children. These little tattoos said things like, “Jesus loves me” and “He’s got the whole world in His hands” and “Jesus is the light of the world.” All along Somerset Street there were children (and maybe a few fun loving adults) who had stuck on their skin the promise and hope of Jesus.
At our baptism, we are marked and claimed as Jesus’ own. We are brought into the family of Christ, and Christ puts his claim upon us, almost tattoos us with his love, his grace and his call. In handing out these temporary tattoos we remember and tell of this great promise that Jesus has made us his own, loves us permanently and will never let us go. In this simple and playful proclamation of temporary tattoos, we remind the world that God is on a mission to bless and love the whole world.
This time at the Street Fair was an opportunity, not only to share the story of Jesus, but for us to share about God’s work at St. Peter’s, to pass along our worship times and to invite people to join us in worship and to join our community. We were able to get out and meet our neighbors and for them to know a bit more about us. This opportunity to build relationships is essential as we continue to reach out to our neighbors, share with them the love of God and invite them to know and follow Jesus with us here at St. Peter’s. The relationships we build and the many seeds we plant will bloom in unexpected ways as we patiently persevere in this work of invitation and evangelism.
Throughout the summer, I hope that we continue the spirit of evangelism begun at the Street Fair. I invite you to join me in spending some time in our neighborhood getting to know our neighbors, and to have lunch with me at some of the restaurants on Somerset Street. (There are some sign up sheets in the Narthex, and I’m always up for lunch!) I also challenge each of us to invite our friends and family, our neighbors and others whom we might know to join us for worship. If each of us invited just one person, imagine how we would multiply! On Rally Day, September 8th, we hope to plan a big celebration. It will be a perfect day to invite new friends and neighbors to join us for worship.
We have a tremendous message to share, of Jesus’ love for us and for the world - a message that can and does change lives. St. Peter’s is an amazing community of faith, doing God’s work in the world in miraculous ways. This is certainly something that is worth sharing, and inviting others into! This summer, let us challenge ourselves to live out our purpose: “Loved by God, growing in faith, we are a place of welcome, sharing the love, hope and joy of Jesus Christ.”
Pastor read the Second Lesson for Sunday, June 15, at our June 9th meeting - Romans 5:1-8. Discussion ensued. Pat Klatt read the Covenant renewal from the ELCA for our partnership. It was unanimously approved and will be signed and sent to the Synod office. Pastor spoke about the Synod Assembly that she and Lynn Blenderman attended. (See Lynn's report later in this newsletter.)
Financial Business: all reports matched.
The Council voted to authorize Bill Shebey to pay the bills over the summer. Irene Plitz showed the new record sheet she created for use by the Money Counters on Sunday mornings to make sure everything is recorded properly.
Christian Education: The children planted flowers for the church. June 15 is the last day of Sunday School until September. Games and donuts are planned.
Plans are in place for St. Peter’s booth at the North Plainfield Street Fair festivities. We could use some more volunteers, as a number of our own people will be away on that day.
Julia Sabella has offered to give us a new computer for the office, another example of her tremendous generosity to our church. We will have an “Appreciation Fellowship Time” for her sometime in September.
Pat Klatt reported on her search for a memorial communion flagon and garden bench for the church. We also voted to buy a sorely needed new copier for the office, using Memorial funds and to get a monthly service contract on it.
Another year of reading with the Stony Brook school friends will come to an end this week with a celebration for students and readers.
Pat Klatt told of Angel Food Ministries, which provides nutritious food for struggling people. Further research will be done to see if it is feasible for the church to get involved with this ministry.
The church office hours are 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. Pastor Sara will also be available at the church on Thursdays.
Summer Worship Schedule
This year, the last day of Sunday School, as well as our regular worship time of 10:30 a.m., is Sunday, June 15th. From June 22nd through August 31st, we will gather for worship each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. On Sunday, June 22nd, we will have our traditional Hymn Sing Service.
Weekly Bible Study
Join us each Wednesday for a Bible Study held at the church at 4:00 p.m. We will focus on the texts for that week that will be read at the following Sunday's service. (See “Word for the Week” further on in this newsletter.) Invite your friends and neighbors to join us for this informative time together, as we grow deeper in our faith and understanding of God’s word.
North Plainfield Ecumenical Vacation Bible School
This event is sponsored by Holy Cross Episcopal Church, St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Trinity Reformed Church and Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Vacation Bible School will be held from Monday, June 23rd - Friday, June 27th, 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church/Parish Hall. It is open to children entering kindergarten through 5th grade. Older children and adults are also invited to volunteer. If you are interested in attending or helping with the week’s events, please see Pastor Sara.
Loved by God, growing in faith, we are a place of welcome, sharing the love, hope and joy of Jesus Christ
This is the purpose statement that was adopted by St. Peter’ congregation at our Annual meeting on January 27th, 2998. The hope is that this statement, which grew out of shared prayer, Bible study and conversation, will continue to take roots in our life as a congregation. It names both who we are today, and who we long to be in our future. This is something for all of us, from all of us, to give life and focus to our ministry. We will place this statement throughout our building, in our bulletins and elsewhere, to remember our purpose and to focus on our ministry. May God bless us and lead us as we participate in God’ mission with our unique purpose!
Congratulations
Congratulations to Evelyn Troy who, on Friday, June 13th, was presented the “Valiant Women’s Award” by Church Women United in the Plainfield Area for her years of devoted service to CWU, for her active participation in and dedication to her own church, and for her compassion for all.
Important Dates in July
June 30-July 6 - Pastor Sara will be away
July 18 (10-11:30 am) - CWU/Habitat for Humanity
July 28-August 1 - Confirmation Camp
Building Wish List
Gail, our secretary, Pastor Sara and the Property Committee will be compiling wish lists which will be posted on the bulletin board near the side door. Please look at these lists and see how you can help in the running of our church by donating something needed or desired. Thanks for your consideration.
With Gratitude
“...I thank my God every time I remember you...” Phillipians 1:3
God works in amazing ways through the generous and humble service of faithful people. In our newsletter each month we are going to share gratitude for the people who have done so much for our congregation in the past month. The purpose of this is for us to give praise to God for the many gifts and generous work of our community. If there is something or someone you want to thank and give praise to God for, please let the office know and we can include them here...
We thank God for:
Mary Ann Schwarz and our Choir members for all their anthems and other special music which has provided so much meaning and beauty to our worship,
The Staff of our Sunday Church School, including Oretha Duo-Covin, Barbara Henriksen, Elizabeth Ennis and Karen Rink, whose weekly efforts have carried on our program of Christian Education,
Erik and Paul Henriksen for hosting our annual Church Picnic,
Julia Sabella, a friend of our congregation, for her very generous gift of a new computer, printer and monitor for our church office,
All who took part in our “Word for the Week” Bible Study meetings and Adult Forum classes,
Those who participated as Readers at Stony Brook School - Diane Pasquarello, Pat Shebey and Barbara Henriksen,
Lutheran Men in Mission for all the hard work they do to keep our church so lovely and safe,
All of our Acolytes, Ushers, Readers, Fellowship Timers and Mission Supporters who serve so willingly throughout the year,
Altar Guild Chair, Pat Shebey, and other members of our Altar Guild for doing such a fine job all year.
We give thanks to God for you, and for your willingness to share your many gifts!
Food...The Need Continues!
We still collect non-perisable food for the needy in North Plainfield. The Ministerial Association in North Plainfield has a Food Pantry at St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church, where we deliver our donated food. With the cost of food today, it is a crisis all over the world, AND in North Plainfield!
The next time you shop, remember to buy a couple of extra cans for our food table in the narthex.
Thank you,
Ken Troy
Katie’s Quilters
Can you believe it: Katie’s quilters will be entering their 12th year on September 12th. We still cut the material into squares, sew the pieces into tops, assemble three layers (tops, filers, and bottoms), and sew and tie all the layers together for the quilts. Everything else is donated. Fabricland donates the material, the quilters buy thread and pins and deliver the quilts to Maryland, As you know, most of our quilts go to Lutheran World Relief. This year there was a 46% increase over the previous year in the number of quilts sent all over the world! Hallelujah! But the need is so great, and LWR is asking for more quilts. Last year LWR collected and delivered 452,870 quilts worldwide. We hope to have 100 of our own quilts to deliver by van to the LWR warehouse in Maryland this summer.
We can always use helpers. Please see any Katie’s quilter. Who are our quilters? Here is the list: Lynn Blenderman, Pia Grant, Barbara Henriksen, Chris Zehrfuhs, Clara Jencik, Barbara Shebey, Ann Kircher, Odessa Lemley, Mary Ann Schwarz, and Judy Ziccardi. We are most fortunate to also have the talents of Ginger Smellie from Trinity Reformed Church and Betty Garguile from Dunellan Presbyterian.
Katie’s Quilters thanks you for your continuous support, no matter how large or small. THANK YOU!
Barbara Henriksen
News from WELCA
Did you know that any woman of St. Peter’ is welcome to join us for our monthly meetings? Did you also know that we do more that provide desserts for various St. Peter’s functions?
While it is true that we host the annual Palm Sunday Breakfast and the lenten Soup Fellowship, as well as sponsor fellowship once a month, we also actively support many other worthwhile causes. Some of these are financial, such as our contributions to Habitat for Humanity, Lutheran Social Services, Lutheran Association of Missionary Pilots (LAMP) and the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia. We also collect food for FISH, and labels for the Rock Point Navajo Lutheran Mission School.
Among the labels we collect are the following:
Campbell soups and beans
Franco-American pasta and gravy products
Mrs. Paul’s frozen seafood products
Pepperidge Farm products
Prego spaghetti sauce
Swanson frozen foods
V8 products
General Mills “Box Tops for Education”
You can all help us by saving these labels and putting them in the kitchen or handing them to a WELCA member.
So bottom-line, please help us help others by saving the above. And please join us at our meetings so that we can contribute even more to our community.
And to quote a very wise member of St. Peter’s,
“See you in Church!”
Irene Plitz
President, WELCA
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 once each month. Our Katie’s Quilters usually meet twice a month on a Wednesday morning at 10:00 and a Friday evening at 7:00. Check with the office for the monthly schedule of activities.
In June, 2007, our women delivered an additional 85 quilts to Lutheran World Relief center in Maryland. Food items for FISH, the local food bank, are continually collected and delivered. 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!
Lutheran Men in Mission
Our Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) meet once a month at the Church. All men of the church, young and senior alike, are welcome and encouraged to attend. Check with the office for the monthly schedule of events. In recent years, LMM has sponsored our Annual Picnic. They also take a regular turn with Fellowship Time after services.
Work days at the church are also scheduled when a need arises. Each month, the men collect and deliver many bags of food to the local FISH program. 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!
E.P.E.S. (Educacion Popular En Salud): “Promoting Health, Hope and Healing!”
The “Mission” - EPES is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of shantytown inhabitants through the training and organized participation of the residents themselves. Over the past 20 years, EPES has trained hundreds of local people as community health promoters. The great majority (97%) of the health promoters are shantytown women.
The success I witnessed at EPES illustrates that dialogue which respects and listens to all voices, has the possibility of inspiring great and lasting social improvements. The community health promoters often told me that, before EPES, they felt worthless, but when they began participating in the events at EPES it gave them a reason to get up in the morning. The women who work with EPES were some of the most inspired people I have ever met.
St. Peter’s support of $20 weekly, which is given by our members in memory or in honor of a loved one, or to remember a special occasion, helps us keep our yearly pledge of $1,040, which goes directly to EPES in Santiago, Chile. Sign up on the chart in the office hallway, and please use an envelope clearly marked EPES Mission Support.
Thank you St. Peter's, for supporting this important and sorely needed mission.
Evelyn Troy, C.M.I.
ELCA World Hunger Appeal
“In 2004, our church’s World Hunger Appeal celebrated its 30th anniversary - 30 years of bringing help and hope to people in need.” These are the words addressed to us in a letter from Mark S. Hanson, presiding Bishop of the ELCA. He goes on to say, “In this anniversary year, our church will be celebrating the work of the Appeal...Through your giving, you have been part of this mosaic of hope that comes through merging relief, sustainable development, advocacy, and education. Your gifts are part of a picture - of a church that is responding faithfully and effectively to its Lord’s command to feed those who are hungry and to seek justice for those who are oppressed.”
Please continue to be a part of this picture by giving generously to our church’s World Hunger Appeal.
Gifts can be given through St. Peter’s, or sent directly to ELCA World Hunger Appeal, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago, IL 60694-1764.
Word for the Week
Each week we are given the gift of God's Word in our lectionary texts, the texts assigned to us for each week of worship. You will hear these words on Sunday mornings and the Sunday School children study these texts. I invite you to take some time during the week before you come to church on Sunday to read, study and pray with these texts each week. It could be a simple way to do daily devotions. On Monday, read the first reading, Tuesday, the psalm, on Wednesday, the second reading, and Thursday, read the Gospel texts. On Friday and Saturday, go back to those readings you had questions about and dig more deeply into your study. These passages can also be read in preparation for our weekly 4 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study held at the church.
One simple way to read these texts is to ask yourself the following questions:
1. What does this piece of scripture tell me about God?
2. What is God up to in this text?
3. What does this text call me (or us) to do or to be?
These are some of the questions I pray and ponder as I prepare for my sermons each week, and perhaps as you begin to ask them with me. We can grow in deeper conversation and connection with God and God's mission in the world. And you might even have a deeper experience of worship on Sunday morning.
Week before June 29, 7th Sunday after Pentecost:
Jeremiah 28:5-9
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 (1)
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42
Week before July 6, 8th Sunday after Pentecost:
Zechariah 9:9-12
Psalm 145:8-14 (8)
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Week before July 13, 9th Sunday after Pentecost:
Isaiah 55:10-13
Psalm 65:[1-8] 9-13 (11)
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Week before July 20, 10th Sunday after Pentecost:
Isaiah 44:6-8 or Wisdom 12:13, 16-19
Psalm 86:11-17 (11)
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Week before July 27, 11th Sunday after Pentecost:
1 Kings 3:5-12
Psalm 119:129-136 (130)
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Week before August 3, 12th Sunday after Pentecost:
Isaiah 55:1-5
Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21 (16)
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:13-21
Week before August 10, 13th Sunday after Pentecost:
1 Kings 19:9-18
Psalm 85:8-13 (8)
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33
Week before August 17, 14th Sunday after Pentecost:
Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
Psalm 67 (3)
Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-2
Week before August 24, 15th Sunday after Pentecost:
Isaiah 51:1-6
Psalm 138 (8)
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20
Week before August 31, 16th Sunday after Pentecost:
Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 26:1-8 (3)
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28
Week before September 7, 17th Sunday after Pentecost:
Ezekiel 33:7-11
Psalm 119:33-40 (35)
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20
Week before September 14, 18th Sunday after Pentecost:
Genesis 50:15-21
Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13 (8)
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35
Week before September 21, 19th Sunday after Pentecost:
Jonah 3:10-4:11
Psalm 145:1-8 (8)
Philippians 1:21-30
Matthew 20:1-16
Week before September 28, 20th Sunday after Pentecost:
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
Psalm 25:1-9 (6)
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32
It was a privilege for me to serve as St. Peter’s voting lay member to the 21st Annual Assembly of the NJ Synod, ELCA, held at the East Brunswick Hilton, on June 5-7, 2008.
As you may know by now, our very own Pastor Sara Olson-Smith was nominated and elected to serve as a voting clergy member to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She will be accompanied by other elected clergy and lay men and women from the New Jersey Synod. I am sure this will be a very exciting event in the life of St. Peter’s.
As usual, there were a number of resolutions presented to the Assembly. All were approved. One resolution dealt with reducing the use of disposable water bottles (submitted by the NJ Youth Ministry Mission Team), while another asked the NJ Synod to direct the 2009 Churchwide Assembly to develop a social statement concerning persons with disabilities (submitted by the Task Force on Ministry with Differently-abled Persons).
A third resolution calls upon local, state and federal government to: 1, “end the current over-reliance on detention raids, intimidation and punitive measures as primary tools of immigration control,” and 2, “scale back the use of detention centers which house those detained in inhumane conditions, under which their medical, social and legal welfare are not respected and guarded” (submitted by the Immigration Task Force).
A fourth resolution petitioned the NJ Synod to join the ONE Campaign and become involved with the goals of the Millennium Declaration. This program seeks political commitments to direct that 1% of the United States budget be used to address extreme poverty, supports debt relief for the world’s poorest countries, and encourages international fair trade.
The final resolution petitioned the NJ Synod to become a “Book of Faith” Synod, and encourages all congregations to become “Book of Faith” Congregations (submitted by the Discipling Mission team). This is an initiative, begun by ELCA Bishop, Mark Hanson, “that the whole church become more fluent in the first language of faith, the language of Scripture, in order that we might live into our calling as a people renewed, enlivened and empowered by the Word.”
There are 3 important goals of this initiative and its vision... “that the folks throughout the church:
1. experience more fully the power of the Word;
2. learn together about Lutheran approaches to Scripture which have been so fruitful over the centuries; and
3. enter fully into a conversation which is deep and broad, including folks of all ages and across the many cultures that inform who we are as a people of God.;
all for the purpose of centering and grounding the faith of our people, thereby centering, grounding, and enlivening the whole church.”
The hope is to have 5000 rostered leaders and 10,000 lay people trained to lead Bible study by 2012. This initiative will “engage with the Bible...teach Lutherans principles of reading the Bible in ways that open up scripture...and witness to Christ, crucified and resurrected, central.” You will be hearing much more about this exciting new program.
I have not touched on many other aspects of the Assembly, including worship, Bible study, round table discussion, afternoon seminars, special evening events, and the numerous interesting and informative committee and organization reports. (There is much ground that our Assembly covers!) Please see Pastor Sara or me if you have any questions or concerns about any particular aspect of the Assembly that you do not see covered here. As one who has attended numerous New Jersey Assemblies, I seriously encourage every member of St. Peter’s to attend at least one Synod Assembly, either as a voting member, or as a visitor. I can guarantee that you will come away inspired, amazed, and yes, even awed, by the many exciting and creative ways in which we are “doing mission,” whether it is on the local, state, federal, or even international level. You will see that we New Jersey Lutherans are, indeed, the very embodiment of this year’s Assembly theme, “God’s Work, Our Hands! Mission on the Move.”
Thank you again for sending me as your St. Peter’s Voting Member to the 2008 New Jersey Synod Assembly.
