January 2019 Newsletter & Calendar - Peace Lutheran Church

In PDF format: 01-2019-Newsletter w & 01-2019-Calendar w

Dear Peace family,

Happy New Year! The celebration of the New Year allows us to look back over the last year by asking the question, “Am I better off now than 365 days ago?”

The answer to that question depends on who you ask. Your doctor can give you a clear answer. She can look over your chart and compare how you are doing now in comparison with a year ago. She can observe how your heart and lungs are doing. She can probably just look at you and come up with an answer.

Your boss can give you his answer. If he were to go into his files he could pull up last year’s performance evaluation form. Perhaps this year you underperformed compared to what you accomplished in previous years? Perhaps this year you outpaced previous years?

Some of us feel good heading into the New Year as last year was good to us. Some of us feel a little gloomy as the last year was especially difficult and we can’t imagine what might come in the next. Concerned? Anxious? Excited? Ambivalent?

As your pastor, please consider my assessment as well. Your well-being primarily comes from knowing that God loves you. Consider Romans 8:38-39, “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I would firmly conclude that you are in as good of condition as you were a year ago. God’s love was constantly there last year. When you experienced the downs of last year, God’s love was there. When you experienced the ups last year, God’s love was there too.

Please don’t disregard the answer your doctor and boss give in assessing your situation. My doctor gives me the inspiration to cut the potato chips and exercise more frequently—I am thankful for her words of care and gentle correction. I must say, however, that God’s assessment matters most. He sent His only Son for me. Jesus died for my sins. Jesus offers me eternal life. The clear conclusion of God’s Word is that God love me! And God most definitely, loves you too!

Peace in Christ,

Pastor J

Peace by the Numbers

Men’s Breakfast

Remember to mark your calendar for January 5, time for the First Saturday Men’s Breakfast. The topic will be “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Coffee on at 8:00, breakfast served at 8:30 and topic discussion at 9 – 10. As the official egg counter, please let Rick Durling ([email protected] or 541-250-9677) know whether you CAN or CANNOT attend.

Pieces by Peace

We meet most second Monday’s of the month at 10:00 A.M. in the fellowship hall. Our first one was held Feb. 12th, 2018. So, you can see there are projects going on all year long. Everyone is invited to join in, we’d love to see this group grow. It’s a great time to get to know one another and learn crafting in all forms. It’s fun for me to see everyone come together and bring their projects to show and teach. From there we see the finished items displayed at the bazaar for the public to enjoy and purchase. Many hands make light work!

Prayer Warriors

Please consider becoming a prayer warrior. Every Wednesday a list of those needing prayer is sent to each prayer warrior. They pray for these people. We know our prayers have been answered. We try to acknowledge with thanksgiving to our Lord and Savior all answered prayers. If you would like to be a prayer warrior, please contact Peggy Krueger at [email protected] or 541-602-1890 or just tell her.

Regarding Tree of Life Synagogue

Submitted by Nancy Chapel

A Letter to the Greater Philomath Community regarding the shooting on October 27th at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA.:

Roughly one month after this horrific event which left at least 11 worshipers dead and four police officers wounded, feelings are still raw even as the media coverage has died down and we focus our attention on the holidays. The assailant is in custody charged with 29 criminal counts and as I enter my place of worship, I no longer consider the danger that could be lurking just around the corner.

For the attack in the Pittsburgh synagogue is an attack on all of us. The perpetrator screaming anti-Semitic slurs, could just as easily have hated Lutherans, Catholics or Baptists. This event, quite possibly the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States, is a wake up call to all of us .

In a time of increasingly hostile public rhetoric, we each have a responsibility to protect our community from this type of insidious bias. Let us not forget that our example can be a beacon of light in the darkness. I urge my fellows in our community and elsewhere to stand firm for decency and mutual respect. In so doing, we could very possibly help to stem this deadly tide.

OSU Ladies Basketball Tickets!

Don’t miss your opportunity to cheer on the Ladies Basketball team at OSU. There is a signup sheet in the Fellowship Hallway where you can join a group for the game on January 21. Bill Narver is the man to talk to if you have questions. See the sheet in thee hallway for ticket prices that the seating options.

Peddling for Pies

Peace Lutheran Church is sending four youth to the National Youth Gathering (NYG) in Minneapolis, Minnesota this summer! The purpose of the NYG is to grow the youth’s personal relationship with God and grow their fellowship with one another. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. George and Jan Abele have agreed to chaperone our youth. Those attending are Nicholas Abele, Ryan Guenther, Ingrid Hellesto and Grant Hellesto.

You can help them as they fundraise for the trip. This month the youth are Peddling for Pies. These pies are the best! Just ask someone who sampled them at the Ladies Guild Bazaar in November. How can you get one? Fill out your order down below, cut it out and give $25 per pie to one of the youth—Nicholas, Ryan, Ingrid or Grant. Oh…….and be sure to thank Mervin Munster for his baking skills! Also, Mervin can make SUGAR FREE pies as well. Please indicate if you would like SUGAR FREE by placing SUGAR FREE by your order.

Orders will be filled after the New Year!

Shopping with a Smile!

Peace Lutheran Church has set up a link on smile.amazon. When you use smile.amazon, 0.5% of the cost of eligible purchases are donated to our church quarterly. This may not seem like a lot, but it all adds up.

To use smile. amazon all you need to do is to go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/93-0584921 and sign in, or you can go in to smile.amazon.com, sign in and select Peace Lutheran Church—Philomath, OR.

When you log in through smile.amazon you are in the same data base as Amazon, there is no difference in prices or items. The only difference is that Amazon will donate to Peace Lutheran Church based on the total amount of your purchases.

Please share with your friends and family. Anyone can use Smile all year long and have their donations go to Peace Lutheran Church. If you have questions, you can contact Jim Holroyd.

Blessing Board

Check out the windows exiting the church from the narthex. You will notice tangible opportunities (on the hands and angels) to bless the community with your presence. No meetings and no long term commitments are required! It’s fairly straight forward. Select a hand or angel. Contact the person listed on the hand or angel if you have questions. Give one or two hours of your time to be a blessing on the date or time for the opportunity.