From the Pastor

Dear Peace family,

Enjoy the faith statements of our youth in this month’s edition of the newsletter. I am very proud how they are applying their faith into their everyday routines. As you read their faith statements, you will see that their faith is not merely about head knowledge, but about a heart transformation that will touch every aspect of life.

Peace has traditionally paired confirmation with first communion—this may indeed be the way you went through the process when you were confirmed. There are benefits to this approach. One of the challenges of this kind of understanding, however, is that youth can see confirmation as a “reward” for completing two or three years of instruction. This understanding can then lead to the thought that confirmation is a rite of passage—like a graduation. And once graduated, there isn’t much more to learn.

The elders and I have been discussing a new model for confirmation and first communion. After prayer, discussion and study, we are considering the idea of separating first communion from confirmation. The current proposal is that youth in 5th grade would receive four weeks of intentional teaching about the Sacrament of the Altar and then be offered their first communion. The Scriptural requirements to receive communion will remain in place. The youth will need to be able to discern the Lord’s body and blood and will need to be able to examine themselves. The elders and I believe that this is possible for 5th graders to do with the parent’s blessing. Further, we believe that younger children might be more open to the mystery of God’s presence, which could lead to a more lasting commitment to active participation in the church in the long run.

Confirmation will still be taught as it always has for 7th and 8th graders. A foundational Scriptural reference for confirmation is Matthew 28: 19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” The command to teach is what confirmation is all about. Lutherans have understood that the best way to cover all that Jesus taught is to focus on the chief parts of the catechism: The Lord’s Prayer, Apostles’ Creed, The Ten Commandments, Confession and Absolution and Baptism. 

The elders and I would enjoy hearing from you. No matter what decision is made, it is important that we realize that our faith requires lifelong learning—there is no graduating moment in which we can say “I’ve finished!” We only graduate when the master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23).”

I am striving to continue to learn and grow in my faith. I discover quite often how I have missed important lessons in familiar passages of Scripture, even though I’ve read them dozens of times! I am a work in progress as we all are!

In His Joy,

Pastor J

Peace by the Numbers

Plan for Worship

July 7 – 10:00am Worship service with Communion. Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.

July 14 – 10:00am Worship service. Eighth Sunday after Pentecost.

July 21 – 10:00am Worship service with Communion. Ninth Sunday after Pentecost.

July 28 – 10:00am Worship service outside on the patio. Tenth Sunday after Pentecost.

Red Cross Blood Drive

Thanks to all for helping with the blood drive on June 21st. Everything went very well, and we collected 47 units. 

Colleen Murphy from the Red Cross called to congratulate and marvel at how well our drive did and does on a regular basis.  She oversaw a drive at another location the day prior to our drive and they only had 9 people. The turnout at Peace is a direct result of all of the support we receive from the congregation.

Many donors commented on how good our treats are and how relaxed and “Peace”ful our site is and that is why they come to us to donate.  So, thank you all for your time and wonderful treats as well. 

Hope to see you all on August 16th for our next drive.

Ladies Guild Update

July 2024    “Our Mission is to build community and fellowship through spiritual, social and charitable activities in Corvallis and Philomath and the missions of LWML.”

Guild celebrated our June meeting at the Vinwood Taphouse in Philomath.  We filled the tables!  It was a beautiful day, and the sun was shining.  One of the highlights was that Maggie McFadden announced that she would be moving to Bend, Oregon.  We will miss her smiling face.  May God go with her as she moves to her new home.

Ladies Guild does not meet on a regular basis in July or August.  If you are interested or if we can entice you to become a part of this wonderful caring group, we would love to have you become a part of it.  We will be helping with Stella Guenther’s Memorial Service on July 22 at 3:00 p.m.  You do not need to be an active member of the Guild to help with the reception. Can you help by bringing a fruit or vegetable tray? Are you willing to help serve or clean up?  If you can, please let me know.  Peggy Krueger 602-1890

Also, Pieces by Peace, an Arts and Crafts group, meets the second Monday of the month year- round to make items for the Bazaar.  If you would like to join them, contact Jani Burton. 

We are looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you at our meetings.  The next regular meeting is Thursday, September 5 at 10:00-11:00 am in the Fellowship Hall.  God’s Blessings. 

                                                 Peggy Krueger, Guild President

Philomath Community Services

Founded in 1991, the mission of Philomath Community Services is:

We provide locally based programs to meet the basic needs of the people of West Benton County and the surrounding region to sustain healthy, resilient individuals, families and communities.

We strive to serve all our clients with dignity and respect. One building, five programs: Currently, PCS focuses on programs that provide food, garden education, clothing, select daily living items, fire wood, and seasonal gift baskets to those local individuals and families who need these services the most.

All programs are housed under one roof to minimize overhead. PCS is a volunteer-based organization and is overseen by a Board of Directors made up of local residents. This is truly a “neighbor helping neighbor” group of people who care for and want to make life better for their friends and neighbors.

We will be hearing from the Executive Director at PCS, Ms. Sharon Thornberry after the worship service on July 14th.  

Seamus Harrington’s Faith Statement

The verse I decided on was Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from out of the mouth of God.” I had quite a few reasons for choosing this verse, but the main reason was my continued meditation on it throughout my life. This was very likely the first verse I ever memorized, albeit in song form. My mom sang the hymn “Seek Ye First” to me every night for nearly the entire first half of my life. This verse has always been important to me and is the first one I think of in times of trouble.

Sometimes, in times of trouble, I think things are unsavable. I’m sure everyone can relate to the feeling of not knowing the way out of a tough situation. But, it helps me to remember that even if I can’t do anything about it, God is always with us. In hopeless situations, I sometimes think all solutions should come from myself. However, as a Christian, I remind myself that “man cannot live on bread alone.” God is a necessary part of our life, and I think that’s amazing.

For example, during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, when it became abundantly clear that things were not going to change for a very long time, I found myself hopeless. There was no road ahead, online school wasn’t really school at all, I lost all social connection, and I became lonely, and angry at the world for doing this to me. However, God provided hope for me, partially in showing me a path ahead in moving temporarily to an area less affected by covid, but also by giving me faith. Faith in the future. I wasn’t quite sure how things would be in the future, but I knew God cared about us, which gave me a peace which you can’t comprehend until you’ve experienced it.

However, in the best times, it can be hard to remember that very thing. It’s tempting to think “everything in my life is great, why should I go to church?” I remind myself that throughout life, I must remember that God is responsible for it. God is the giver of life. We can fall into the trap of chasing material things. But sometimes we get so focused on worldly successes that we forget that we can’t live on bread alone. Life will never be fulfilling without God in it.

 I know that success on earth means nothing in the eyes of God, however, it’s our given responsibility to be fruitful and rule the earth. I think it’s wonderful that God loves us enough to care about mundane things such as a new job, or success in school. However, if God so chooses, he could take everything from us. This verse embodies all of this. Truly, our success all comes from God. Attempting to live without God will prove to be fruitless. Our “bread” can only go so far before we must turn to the true giver of everything, God, our Father in heaven. 

Archer Schroeder’s Faith Statement

In case you didn’t know, I love sports. Since I’ve always had a lot of energy, my parents got me involved in sports at a pretty young age.  Exercising makes me feel good and I find competing with friends exciting, rewarding and fun.  

When I started to think about what to write for my faith statement, I naturally thought of how my faith relates to sports. In life, when times are difficult, it’s like when my team is playing a stacked team in the championship round and we’re missing a key player.  What can we do?  I know that I have to stay optimistic, but it’s hard when reality is staring me in the face.  And if my faith in my team and my abilities starts to crack, it never ends well.  The mental game is just as important as any other part of the game.  

Also, you don’t always have control even if you want to. The hard truth is that there could be a split decision in the end by my coach that could make me question if he made the right call. In that way, there are some parallels between God and a coach.  I know that it is not a perfect analogy because coaches are definitely not perfect like God, but it still provides a good comparison between the two. Sometimes a coach, like God, makes calls that I don’t understand, but I must remind myself that He knows the game better than I do and has a plan.  Furthermore, without faith in one’s coach, it is harder to grow and become a better player; or, in the case of faith in God, it’s harder to become a better person.    

When I was young and was having trouble with something at school and in baseball, my parents got me a pendant at the Christian store in the Albany mall.  Here is what it said:

“Be strong and courteous. Do not be terrified; Do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  

You may know this verse from Joshua 1:9. I thought it would be a fitting verse to inspire my faith statement for my confirmation because it ties in life and faith together. 

Going back to my God-is-like-a-coach analogy, God is the coach who will not always make it obvious why He is making a certain choice, but has a plan and is there to help you become better if you listen. God guides us on the path of life. He doesn’t always show himself or make it obvious, but he wants us to be the best version of ourselves. What faith means to me is putting my trust in God, knowing He will guide me in everything I do.  And I can trust that I have a friend with me wherever I go so I shouldn’t be scared or discouraged, but be strong and courageous and be a light for God in the world.  I feel God’s love and as I take responsibility for my faith journey from this day forward.  

Summer Picnic Kick-Off – THANK YOU!

The summer kickoff picnic on June 9th was a huge success. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this event happen. The cake walk was extraordinary with the congregation making 55 cakes – again Thank You!

National Youth Gathering

Peace is in the process of planning for the 2025 LCMS National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, July 21-24, 2025. If you have a youth that might be interested in attending, please contact Brian Santora or Pastor Lucke. We will need to register by November 1 and begin to plan fundraising efforts.

What is a National Youth Gathering? Great question. Here are the basics:

Held every 3 years since 1980, the LCMS Youth Gathering provides thousands of youth and adults the opportunity to come together as a community of God’s people to be encouraged in their walk with Jesus Christ and learn about the Christian faith and their Lutheran identity. 

The Gathering is more than the five days of the event. The preparation process for the Gathering brings together young people and supportive adults to encourage each other in their baptismal identity. The Gathering provides young people a vision for the vastness of Christ’s Church and equips them for vocational service as they continue their walk with Jesus.  

 This event is organized by LCMS Youth Ministry in Saint Louis, MO. For additional ways to connect to LCMS Youth Ministry, please visit www.lcms.org/youth. 

Guiding Principles

  • Youth Gatherings proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ and God’s saving grace to His people through Christ. In this setting, young people grow in their personal relationship with God and grow in their fellowship of Word and Sacrament in Christ’s Church. 
  • Youth Gatherings are a vehicle by which the Church reaches out to, cares for, and affirms young people, both churched and unchurched. 
  • Youth Gatherings equip youth and adults for ministry and vocational service in a variety of settings in their congregations, communities, and world. 
  • Youth Gatherings affirm, equip, and support adults who work with young people. 
  • Youth Gatherings celebrate the meaning of Christian joy in all of life’s situations, including transitions and crisis. 
  • Youth Gatherings recognize and affirm the diversity of God’s people.
  • Youth Gatherings affirm, support, and promote the ministry of LCMS Districts and congregations. 

Name Tags at Church

Do you sometimes find yourself talking to someone all the while trying to remember their name? Peace has something to help with this. When you enter the church, you will notice a board with a nametag for you. It’s magnetic and it won’t damage your clothes. If you would like to, please feel free to find yours and put it on. We would ask that you remove it and return it to the board when you are ready to leave. If you have any questions, please talk to Kay or Janette.

Rotary Club Presentation – Scam & Fraud Prevention

How many scam calls did you receive just this past week? There are crooks who are continually bombarding us with solicitations and requests to get our personal information, including credit card or bank account numbers. Their methods are always changing, and many are becoming quite sophisticated in their tactics.

The Philomath Rotary Club will be hosting a presentation by the Oregon Consumer Education & Engagement Coordinator, Ms. Shannon Romero. Her presentation is titled “Scam & Fraud Prevention”.  We hope you can join us on Tuesday, July 16th at noon in the Fellowship Hall to learn some ways to protect our information and our bank accounts.  Lunch will be provided by the Rotary Club. Please let Lindy or Fred Shaub (541-602-0279) know if you will be attending so we can plan the number of meals accordingly.

Embrace the Baldness Night at Corvallis Knights

What a wonderful evening at the Corvallis Knights game on June 20. Thank you to everyone who participated