ST. JOHN’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
MAYTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
Keith Smith, Organist and Choirmaster
Vicki McConnell and Charlie Johns, Junior Youth Ministry
Diane Leonard, Parish Secretary
Becky Fleckenstein, Parish Sexton
Father’s
Day
11:00 AM
THE FLOWERS ON THE ALTAR
…are given in honor of all fathers on Father’s Day and in celebration of Vernetta’s 83rd Birthday yesterday. By Ernest Wallander
THE FLOWERS ON THE COMMUNION ALTAR
…are given by Pastor in thanksgiving to God for his father’s sharing with him, another Father’s Day, the 58th of his life. By Pastor
THE BULLETINS
…are given to the Glory of God. By the Chapmans
THE SYMPATHY OF THE CONGREGATION
…is extended to the family and friends of Rick Fritsch, a renoun man of faith and music who died last week after a long battle with esophageal cancer. Many will remember this gifted organist for his playing our pipe organ at many a concert, and at his friend, colleague, and Elizabethtown College class mate, Keith’s wedding. May our savior, Christ, and his servant Bach, greet Rick as he assumes his place at the celestial keyboard!
PASTOR OFFICIATED
…at the funeral, in Manheim, on Tuesday, of his brother-in-law, “Butch” Knight’s father, Emerson L. Knight, who died in his sleep, at home at the age of 87. May light perpetual shine upon him.
THANKS
....to Sue and Gordy Nell, for donating new downspouts for the parsonage front porch and a new wash basin, more suitable for the handicapped, in the church alternate rest room!
....to Gordy Nell, for painting the parsonage front porch grill work and steps. It looks GREAT!
... to Chris and Mark Harnish, for all their hard work on the parsonage grounds, and for volunteering to remedy situations at church involving water seepage and the floors. The Harnishes also generously donated the new window well extenders which were made to prevent further water problems in the social hall.
....to Dick and Jeff Baker, for working on problems with our emergency lighting.
CONGRATULATIONS AND BLESSINGS
…to all our high school grads! We rejoice in the accomplishments of our Elizabethtown crew, Paul Rehkugler, Katie Frank, and Allison Kohler, and our Lancaster County Academy grad, Derek Boccagno, who won a special Community Spirit Award, too! We’re proud of you all!
DID YOU KNOW
....that the handicapped rest room now has a new toilet that is better suited for adults and is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act? Church paid for it and Mark Harnish installed it. Now we are saving precious water and also insuring a more comfortable experience for our handicapped and less mobile adults.
NURSERY CARE
Parents of young children are reminded that the church operates a staffed nursery during the service, if your little one has trouble sitting through the service and you need a break! Betty Henny, Judy Purnell, and Janelle Hollinger…mothers all!, will rotate responsibility for the care. They will be in the ground floor nursery before the service begins, to receive young children and, if none arrive at that time, they will go to the sanctuary, where they will pay attention to any needs that might arise during worship. Please take advantage of this service! We have a ceiling fan and are working on possible air conditioning of the room.
SOLICITING A DONOR
If you have ever been in the nursery during the summer you know that, even with the ceiling fan, it is very hot and uncomfortable there. That presents a problem for young families who are looking for a place for their little ones who have trouble lasting through an hour-long worship service. If we are to attract such families to our fellowship, we must have a nice place for their children to be cared for. We now have three of our mothers who have agreed to tend the nursery during services on a rotating basis (Betty, Judy, and Janelle). Now we need to air-condition the space. If you would help to finance a small air conditioning unit and/or pay for some minor supplies like plywood and paint to install it, your church would be most grateful.
The property committee anticipates a cost of less than $400 and perhaps only slightly more than half of that. Please speak with Pastor as soon as possible, if you are willing to assume all or part of the cost, and so spare our already over-burdened church budget. Thank you.
ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING RESULTS
Last Sunday, about 70 members attended the annual June meeting of the congregation. The body approved the Audit Report and ratified the proposed expenditure of up to $40,000 for necessary repairs to the church building, including work on the tower’s woodwork, re-pointing of the east wall’s stone, and replacement of the 1960 annex’s roof. The money will be obtained from our Building Fund (almost depleting the fund) and from our savings. We also elected five new members of the congregation council: Carol Bachert, Cliff Hafer, Jamey Shirk, Jamie Sine, and Linda Sipling. The new council members will be installed in office during the July 1st service, and they will meet for the first time on Monday, July 2nd at 7:00 pm, in the parlor.
“Retiring” deacons – Sheri Hafer, Paul Purnell, Dick Shirk and Diane Leonard, are asked to attend the July 1st service to be recognized. Continuing deacons – Mark Harnish, Vicki McConnell, Jan Shelly, Denny Weller, Ryan Boccagno, Ruth Sweitzer, and Pat Vogel, are invited to reaffirm your vows at the July 1st service, also.
ASHEVILLE TRIP
If you are among those going along on the Fellowship committee-sponsored trip to Asheville, NC, please go to the parlor after today’s service for an orientation/question and answer session with group leaders Bill and Connie.
SYNOD REPORT
Our Synod met for its annual assembly at Gettysburg College from June 7-9. We were represented by Betty Henny, Paul Purnell, and Pastor – who attended all five sessions and the Ordination Service for three new pastors – a total time gift to the church of 33 hours – thanks so very much, Betty and Paul!!!
We now have a new Bishop, effective in September, because on the fifth ballot, the Rev. B. Penrose Hoover was elected defeating the current Bishop, Rev. Carol Hendrix, by about 40 votes. Bishops serve six year terms of office, and they may be re-elected.
Pastor Hoover is two years older than Pastor Lescallette, and he was the drum major at Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg, the same school that our Pastor was graduated from. He served parishes like St. John Centre in Terre Hill, Trinity, in Lancaster, Salem, in Lebanon (where Pastor Bob was Vicar 14 years before, and Grace, in Camp Hill – his present charge. He is known as an accomplished stage actor and playwright.
Further drama was provided by the announcement by Pastor Hoover, that he, a recent widower, is now engaged to be married to a former associate in ministry at Salem Church, the Rev. Sharon Vak!
We pray for the success of his leadership among us, even as we continue our prayers for his fine predecessor, Bishop Carol.
Synod, and the whole church of Jesus Christ, continues to struggle with how to resolve what some perceive to be an inherent tension between faithfulness to God’s word and openness to all those who possess the gifts of the Spirit, both lay and ordained, as that relates to the expression of human sexuality within a conventional and monogamous same-gender relationship. Should such relationships be blessed by the church with an appropriate rite? Should Pastors who are in such relationships be allowed to continue or enter into calls within the ELCA? What should be the response of the Synod and national church when one part of the church (the New England Synod, for example) permits same-sex blessing rites, before the ELCA, as a whole, rules on the policy in a forthcoming statement that is due to be decided upon in two years? And what if, as is now the case, a veteran pastor in Atlanta, has told his congregation that he is in such a relationship, and they have told him that they still want him as their pastor?
Our Synod is not of one mind about these difficult and painful questions, with about 40% of us favoring a change in traditional church teaching and discipline on the matter and the majority favoring no change. Many are probably unsure of exactly how to think and act, wanting both to be faithful and loving.
We all need to pray for God’s help in arriving as a good “Solomon-like” judgment on this matter and that all of us will stay together as one family in Christ – even though we don’t necessarily agree on every question that confronts us in a complex world.
Over 800 of us attended the assembly and enjoyed the worship, learning, and presentations. We also celebrated 100 years of Lutheran camps ministry and were led in fine Bible study by two of our pastors who minister at Penn State.
If you have questions about what all went on at the assembly, feel free to chat with our representatives, or log onto the Lower Susquehanna Synod’s web site www.lss-elca.org and think about joining Pastor as our male and female “delegates” to next June’s assembly at Messiah College!
WELCOME DADS!
We thank all the fathers who are worshiping with us today, for their faithful stewardship of their children, as a teacher of the faith in word and deed. Our Social Ministry committee has a chocolate bar for you which was obtained from a “fair trade’ source that insures farmers in the “third world” a fair price for their cocoa.
PASTOR ON VACATION – KEITH TOO!
Pastor will be “off” from June 18th through the 24th – with the last four days spent on the Asheville trip, with his dad. Keith and Deb will also be on the trip. If you need pastoral care, call Diane at 426-3072, and she will contact Pastor Hoffman of Zion, Marietta. On June 24th Pastor Bob Kurz will fill our pulpit and Charlie Johns will play the organ…sort of! If you aren’t on the trip, and aren’t out of town elsewhere, please support the service with your attendance. Diane will be out of town June 22nd to the 24th…you can reach her then at 717-615-3695 or 717-623-4316.
RUMMAGE SALE
…once again the SYG will be having a rummage sale in July. We have begun collecting gently used clothing, household items, and jewelry. Donations can be dropped off in the youth room. If you have any questions please see Susan Frank or Charlie Johns.
ONE “LAST” TIME CHANGE…really!
With the recommendation of the Worship and Music committee and the concurrence of the Christian Education committee, Council has voted to adopt the following Sunday schedule, effective July 1, 2007:
The Worship Service will begin at 10:30 am
When Sunday School and Catechetical class
resume in September, they will begin at 9:15 am
Starting the service at 10:30 will insure that worship concludes before noon. We did not want to adopt special “summer” hours at an earlier time for the following reasons:
? All the time changes can lead to confusion.
? It takes time to change newspaper listings and changing for only July and August wouldn’t be worth the hassle.
? Since we have air conditioning, we no longer have to take advantage of cooler temperatures at earlier hours.
? When we did go to summer hours in the past, our attendance did not improve.
We hope you like, understand, and support the change.
THIS WEEK AT ST. JOHN’S
TODAY 11:00 am Contemporary Communion –
Father’s Day also observed
Noon Orientation meeting for Asheville
trip participants - parlor
12:30 pm ACFLB
MONDAY Pastor’s Vacation begins
TUESDAY 6:00 pm SYG “Lock-Out”
THURSDAY 6:00 am Asheville Fellowship trip leaves
7:00 pm Christian Education Committee
NEXT SUNDAY 11:00 am Traditional Service with
Rev. Robert Kurz
9:00 pm Asheville trip group returns
STATS!
Last week’s worship attendance 75
Last week’s offering $2,554.50
SERVING GOD’S PEOPLE TODAY
Lector – Dick Shirk
Head Usher – JoNan Shirk
Ushers – Kaycee Shirk, Angelica Mohr, Ryan Boccagno, and
Gabrielle Thomas
Altar Care – Pauline Johns
Greeter – Esther Shirk
Flowers –Ernest Wallender
Bulletins – The Chapmans
Offering Counters – Jim Leonard, Mark Harnish & Dick Shirk
READY TO TAKE THE PLUNGE?
Guess what’s swimming up ahead?
Great Bible
Reef VBS!
Place: St Johns Lutheran Church
Dates: July 30th to August 3rd
Time: TBA later (evening)
All kids between the ages of pre school and 5th grade are invited to dive in! We will listen to great stories about Jesus, make cool crafts, sing fun songs, play zany games, and make a school of friends!
We need help (senior and junior youth groups, adults) with activity sites, (Coral Crafts, Deep Sea Storytelling, Great Barrier Games, Reef Rhythm, and Seawater Science). Teachers, worship leader, song leader, 5 guides, and 5 support staff.
Look for a registration form coming soon on the next high tide.
See you at great Bible reef! Talk to Charlie as soon as possible to give your support.
MOONLIGHT SERENADE?
If you like the music of Glenn Miller – and who doesn’t – you can join the Fellowship Committee on an outing to the American Music Theater on July 21st, at 7 pm to hear his resurrected band…and later share in optional snack time at a diner. Seating is limited, so sign up today. The show costs $30 per person. See Connie Longenecker or Bill Earhart if you have a question.
SERVING GOD’S PEOPLE NEXT WEEK – June 24, 2007
Lector – Bob Frank
Acolyte – Gabrielle Thomas
Head Usher – JoNan Shirk
Ushers – Jamey and Buffy Shirk, Pauline Johns and Betty Henny
Altar Care – Pauline Johns
Greeter – Louise Baker
Flowers – Betty Henny
Bulletins – Betty Henny
Offering Counters – Wayne Hoffmann, Mark Harnish & Dick Shirk
ATTENTION SYG
…this Tuesday we will meet at the church at 6:00 for our "Lock-out". Please bring your completed forms. We will return to the church on Wednesday by noon. We may plan on going to the grocery store sometime this coming week to buy foods for Creation; more news on this will be coming on Tuesday evening. If you have any problems, please call me @ 475-9014.
CREATION
GROUP- remember to read your packets about important upcoming dates!!!!
happy Father’s Day!