In PDF format: 07-2019 – Newsletter w
Dear friends,
G = Give it.
R = Reciprocate it.
A = Acknowledge it.
T = Treasure it.
I = Inspire it.
T = Think it.
U = Understand it.
D = Do it.
E = Experience it.
Believe it or not, our culture and time is warring against the great virtue of gratitude. Why? Christine Pohl, in her book “Living into Community”, suggests three clear reasons.
- Entitlement. Having an exaggerated sense of entitlement can lead us to thinking that we have a right to everything! People are trained today in overt and covert ways that they are the center of the universe. Everyone “owes them.”
- Self-Made. Have you ever heard someone say, “I have made it on my own?” Students are told that they are best when they are self-sufficient and not dependent on anyone else.
- Too busy. In today’s fast paced life there is little time to notice the blessings that come in life. The door is opened. The service is hospitable. The passer-by gives a friendly smile. There simply is no space or time to recognize these gifts that often come our way.
I have fallen into these trappings personally. There have been moments in which I have felt entitled and that people “owe” me for what I have done. There have been moments in which I have felt that I’ve accomplished the task all because of my doing. Yes, there have been many moments that I have been so busy and consumed with life to recognize the many unexpected blessings that have come my way. I am trying to do better.
One way to combat ingratitude is to dedicate a portion of our prayers to “returning thanks.” We are going to try it out at Peace in hopes of increasing the practice of gratitude. You probably have noticed that each week in the bulletin we list our prayer requests under the categories of “Homebound” and “Sick and Recovering.” Beginning this month, we will be adding a third category, “Returning Thanks.” This just makes sense. Too often we have simply removed names off our “Sick and Recovering” list once the challenge or problem goes away. We can do better! Once the challenge or sickness goes away, we can most certainly return thanks.
Be on the lookout for opportunities to return thanks and let us know so that we can add it to the list.
God is so good to us. I marvel in the ways in which God provides, protects and delivers me. With a grateful heart, I want to recognize more and more His power at work in my life.
Thank you for being a blessing to me!
With gratitude,
Pastor J
Peace by the Numbers
Amazon Smile
As you have seen in previous newsletters; you can access your amazon account through smile.amazon.com and be able to give a certain amount of money to your favorite non-profit. Due to folks using this option and directing their dollars toward Peace Lutheran Church, as of May 2019, we have received $170.90! How great to get back in this way! Thank you to everyone who selected Peace Lutheran Church Philomath as their favorite non-profit.
Philomath – Music in the Park
Thursday, July 18, 2019 at 6:00-8:00 PM City Park at 299 S 23rd Street. Cost? FREE! I can’t think of a better price than that!! Fun for the whole family! Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the music of Double Play. The Lions Club will be flipping burgers and hot dogs to purchase. The Book Mobile will be there with children’s activities. Local art will be on display and for sale. JOIN THE FUN! Sponsored by: Pioneer Telephone, Peak Internet and the Philomath Park Advisory Board.
Update Parking Lot Capital Campaign
God has a plan for everyone and everything. That includes you, and it includes the church. None of us can fully know God’s plan—the best we can do is pray and listen for clarity. Our church council has been doing just that and are excited to update you on our latest church project: the expansion of the church parking lot. On many Sundays, the parking lot is completely full. This presents a barrier to the type of easy access that we wish to provide in order to welcome all who seek God’s word and Christian fellowship. As of this week, we are off to a great start and are optimistic that with your help, we will reach our goal.
We need to raise $90,000 for this expansion to occur but we cannot do it without your support. Whether you give to the church on a regular basis or not, we’re asking you to consider contributing to this project. It is something we need our entire church community’s help to make happen.
Please know that every little bit helps. Gifts large and small are welcomed equally. We hope that you will consider making a donation towards this effort to secure our church’s future by ensuring plenty of easy access to God’s word.
George Abele, Council President
Incident Response Team
The Incident Response Team met on June 4th. One of the highlights of the discussion centered around Rueben, the comfort dog that visited Peace on June 16th. It was a great opportunity to meet Rueben and his handlers and to gain a better understanding of what a great resource he is in the wake of a serious incident. Additionally, the team is preparing a brochure to provide some ideas to be prepared in the event of a serious incident here in Philomath or surrounding area. We are tentatively planning on holding training for the congregation in early September at which time the brochure will be available. Additionally, you may want to mark your calendars for September 8th for the Emergency Services Preparedness Fair hosted by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. This free event will be held Sunday afternoon at the Philomath Frolic and Rodeo grounds from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm and will feature demonstrations by the Corvallis Mounted Rescue Unit, Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, R3K9 Search and Rescue as well as other teams. There will also be a chili cook-off and beer garden. The next meeting of the Incident Response Team will be July 2 at 1030 at Peace.
Preparedness tip of the month: The human body needs water every day, and in the event of an incident, access to clean water can sometimes be challenging. You should have water stored in containers for you, your family, and your pets. You should store at least one gallon per day per person/pet and have enough water on hand to survive for two weeks. Use containers that are food safe and protect against UV rays. Store the containers in a place that is cool and dry and has easy access. Also, you should have a plan to replace the water every six months.
Several years ago the Ladies Guild was asked to sponsor a freezer meal program.
The Ladies Guild unanimously agreed to provide the financial support for freezer meals and since that time the freezer has been continuously stocked with meals. The meals have proven to be especially helpful for people who are recovering from illness or surgery, and for everyone who needs help preparing meals. The meals are available for congregation members to take for themselves or friends and family. No permissions are necessary, help yourself.
Four to six times a year a group of volunteers gets together in the church kitchen and cooks up a storm. We prepare over 100 individual meals each time. Anyone is welcome to come and help and you don’t need to be a gourmet cook. We need people to chop vegetables, mix ingredients, and clean pots and pans. We don’t cook for any dietary restrictions but do try to keep salt and spices to a minimum. When we smell the aroma of the meals filling the counters and think of the help they will be to those who get them, it is very rewarding.
Recently we have started a comment card option to provide feedback to help us choose the recipes we want to make again and make changes to any of the recipes that don’t reheat well. Please take a card from the door of the freezer with the meal and return the card to Ellen Holroyd or Pastor Lucke. It will help us as we select and prepare meals to restock the freezer.
If you want more information or would like to be notified when we are having a cooking day, please send an email to Bruce DeYoung: [email protected]
Confirmation
On Sunday, June 30 Nicholas Abele and Ingrid Hellesto will be confirmed in the morning worship service. Psalm 145:4 says, “One generation shall commend your work to another.” This service is an opportunity to witness how God is working in the hearts and lives of a new generation. Praise the Lord! We will have baskets for you to share gifts and cards of encouragement for Nicholas and Ingrid. And be sure to stay for Fellowship in which cake will be served in their honor. This month we will feature Nicholas’ statement of faith and next month we will feature Ingrid’s. Help us in encouraging and praying for our young people as they step out in faith.
Nicholas Abele’s Statement of Faith
God loves us no matter what and even in our darkest times, God is always near. He is always trying to help us. When we need him the most, he is present. We just need to trust in Him. Sometimes we might be confused or not understand why something occurred, but I believe God has a plan for every single person. Even if the plan does not make sense at the time, I always know God has my back. Nothing happens without a reason.
A verse that I have always liked is Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord that goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Being confirmed starts a new chapter in my life as a Christian. I feel I am ready to defend my faith when needed and to live the Christian life that is God’s gift to us.
God’s blessings on you.
Nicholas Abele
National Youth Gathering Info
Following is part of an email sent to our group going to Minneapolis for the National Youth Gathering. This information is to help you understand the impact our youth have on the area of the gathering. In addition to praise, worship, fellowship, and prayer…they get to participate in a mission. The following is details on those missions taking place and give our church and group prayer points to help focus their energy.
…Know that you will be one of 475 congregations that will be serving at one of our 73 sites; 6,180 youth and adults will be serving around 15,450 hours over the three days just at our off-site servant events!
Here are a few “prayer points” from City Vision (http://cityvisiontc.org/) as you get ready to serve in our city:
- Pray for the 1 million new immigrants in the Twin Cities
- Pray for the Phillips Neighborhood (in South Minneapolis) which is the most diverse neighborhood in America with over 100 different languages spoken there
- Pray for the 83,000 Somalis in the Twin Cities with only 41 known Somali believers
- Pray for the 56,600 Ethiopians in the Twin Cities with 11% of them being Christian; pray for the 37 Ethiopian churches in the Twin Cities.
This is just a small snapshot of the diversity of the Twin Cities, but I pray that it gives you some ways to be praying as you get ready to come to the Minneapolis area to serve in the name of the Real. Present. God with our beautiful neighbors.
The following indicates the details regarding your Servant Event assignment.
Day and Date: Friday, July 12 Servant Site: Hospitality House, Minneapolis
Mission of your organization/church: House Youth Development provides a Christian outreach, focused on the spiritual, intellectual and physical development of inner-city youth and their families.
Brief description of the servant event: We will have 1/2 the group working with our kids (elementary) the other 1/2 will do general clean-up, wash walls, organizing materials, garbage and neighborhood clean-up. We will flip flop about 1/2 way through the time.
Please pray for our adult chaperones and youth delegates as they make the journey back East for this wonderful opportunity! If you have any questions, please talk with Jan Abele.
