Category: 2023 01 January

January 2023 Mustard Seed-A Word from Our Pastor

12/27/2022

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  - Matthew 2: 10-11

I have always liked the month of January! The promise of the start of a new year is always exciting for me, and I am sure this year many are ready for the start of 2023. I also enjoy the cold weather. I love breathing in the fresh crisp winter morning air. It is refreshing to me, and I also enjoy walking in the snow.
    My birthday also falls in the month of January. It is on January 16th to be exact, and this was particularly a good day to have a birthday especially when I was growing up. The reason why it was a good day was because it always fell around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. King’s birthday is on January 15th, but the holiday is always observed on the 3rd Monday of the month. So, for young Ethan, this meant that I always had a day off around my birthday. Sometimes, this even meant that I did not have school on my birthday. It was a sweet deal.
    However, this “sweet deal” distracted me from the real reason why we recognize and celebrate MLK Jr. Day. As I got older, I realized that MLK Jr. Day was way more important than my birthday. It was not just a free day off from school.
    MLK Jr. Day serves many purposes. Its first purpose is to recognize and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The second purpose is that it focuses on the issue of civil rights. Then lastly, it calls people into public service. January now has a different meaning to me. It is not just about my birthday. January is now a reminder of a radical love and our call into to it.
    The civil rights movement was about recognizing all people as human beings. It was about showing love to all people. It was about recognizing those who are oppressed and the those who live on the margins. Our society today still struggles to do this. Our world and our country are still so polarized, but we must act. We as Christians are called to participate in this radical love. We are called to be present.
    In January, Christians around the world celebrate Epiphany. Epiphany is a church festival celebrated every January 6th that commemorates the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem. On their way, King Herod stops them and asks them to “bring him word” of the Child for he was secretly frightened. Jesus, the Christ child, is revealed to the magi. The magi, who are pagans and people of color, having been warned in a dream do not go back to Herod, but rather return to their country by another route. Their actions are acts of civil disobedience and political activism. They chose to go against King Herod and instead side with the Holy Family. Thus, in many ways, January is a reminder for us that we are called into this love. We are called to go against oppressive powers and into activism. We are called to be present with all people.
    How can we as people of God be more like the magi and live into the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.?

Peace and Blessings,  Pastor Ethan Doan

January 2023 Mustard Seed-Announcements

12/27/2022

OFFICIAL NOTICE
The 58th Annual Meeting of the congregation will be held on Sunday, January 22, 2023 following the 10:30am worship service.

2023 Phone Directories will be coming out in February.
Please make sure we have your updated information. During the next month look at your contact information in the directory and let Janet know if there are any changes. Thank you!

The Nominating Team has begun actively searching for candidates for the Church Council. We are currently looking for candidates for three-year terms and also a one-year term. If you feel led by the Holy Spirit and would like some more information, please talk to Adam Feldman, Debbie Hollenbach or Anne Hutnyk.
We understand that serving on Council will take some commitment beyond that which you may have had in the past. This includes attending the council meeting once a month and getting involved in the workings of the church. Please prayerfully consider becoming a member of your Congregational Council.

Christian Radio keeps the faith going
     560 AM WFIL -- Christian teaching all day long
     88.9 FM WORD -- Contemporary Christian Rock Music
     91.7 FM -- A mixture of Bible teaching, traditional music
     107.5 FM -- Praise/Gospel Music & Bible teaching
     106.9 FM -- KLOVE -- Contemporary Christian Rock

Check out bibleproject.com They provide videos, podcasts, Bible study, online classes and more, all for free. They are “helping people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus.” Check out their website!.

Do you shop at Giant?
If you do, you can buy Giant gift cards from the church. A $50 card costs you $50. How does the church make money? Well, when Faith purchases $1,000 worth of cards from Giant, they only charge us $950 (a 5% discount.) So, when we sell those cards to you, the church makes $50. It adds up…

Please keep the stamps coming!
It’s a continuing need! Thank you for all your contributions. It really helps!

Hatfield Flowers and Gifts (215) 822-1530) provides Faith with two lovely flower arrangements to adorn our sanctuary each Sunday.
   You can sign up to sponsor flowers, bulletins or a food basket. The flowers are $35, the bulletins are $10 and the food basket is $25.
    You can dedicate any one of these things to someone special, to celebrate a birthday or in memory of a loved one. You may take the flowers home or they will be given to an ill or homebound member. The $10 for the bulletins is to help cover the cost of making the bulletins and the $25 for the food basket is money donated to “Manna on Main Street” to help feed those in the North Penn area.
To sign up for a particular Sunday either sign up on the chart on the Foyer bulletin board or call Janet in the church office (215) 368-0240.

The “Golden Girls of Faith” (Golden Men are welcome too!) will be meeting once a month for lunch, fellowship and prayer at a local restaurant.
They will meet the first Wednesday of the month which will be January 4, 2023 this month.
For more information or if you need a ride, please talk to Anna Friedrich. All are welcome!

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10 New International Version (NIV)

  Faith’s Transportation Initiative
If you need a ride to church on Sunday or you are interested in providing a ride to church to someone, please contact Dale Foster.

WAWA Food is back! We are again receiving donations of Wawa food through the Food Donation Connection. We may receive anything from sizzlies, to breakfast burritos, to lunch sandwiches, to muffins, to sweet treats, to hot dogs...anything they didn’t sell the day before and have now frozen. If you are in need of some supplemental food or know of someone who is, please let either Janet Hill in the church office or Dale Foster know and we will make sure you receive some Wawa food.

Amazon Smiles on Faith Lutheran Church!
Another great fund-raiser for Faith Lutheran Church that will cost you nothing (and help us a whole lot, we hope). Many of you have already heard of Amazon Smile. Whenever you purchase something from Amazon Smile, be sure to have Faith Lutheran Church set up as your charity of choice. The church will then receive a portion of the value of your order at no cost to you. (Since we began this fundraiser in October of 2020, we’ve made $20.20 in 2020 and $44.44 in 2021 and $44.55 in 2022, so far.) Here is a direct link so that the charitable proceeds come to Faith: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-1675520 or sign into Amazon Smile and search for Faith Lutheran Church, Montgomeryville, PA.

Sunday School hours are 9:45 am to 10:25 am
At the conclusion of Sunday School, children ages 6 to 11 will return to attend the 10:30 Worship Service with their family.
Children 5 and under are welcome to join Gail Achilles, or a teacher substitute, in the church nursery room during the Worship Service.
This time benefits both the children having longer uninterrupted time for their weekly bible lesson and the teachers who will not have to miss Sunday Worship Service.

Sunday School lessons resume in the New Year on January 8, 2023, 9:45 am to 10:25 am.
Any comments or questions, please see Gail Achilles, Christian Education Chair

As scripture teaches, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Monday night small group concluded our last study of 2022 on November 28.
    Our study was a book titled “Messy People” by Jennifer Cowert. Through the stories of Mary, Josiah, David, Daniel, Rahab, and the Prodigal Son we learned that God is always with us through the up times and the messes in our life.   We learned that we should live with an eternal perspective as these biblical people in our study did despite the temporary difficulties we encounter in our time here on earth.
    Our next study will be “The Full Armor of God” by Darlene Schact beginning on January 9, 2023, 7 pm to 9 pm via zoom. In Ephesians Chapter 6, Paul arms believers by laying out the full armor of God. Every piece from The Belt of Truth to The Sword of the Spirit is a vital part of our defense against the enemy. That fight you had with your husband… that rift between family members… those doubts you had about your faith… that temptation that led you astray… the real enemy there was Satan and his army of angels. If we hope to live a victorious life, we must be fully protected and ready to stand our ground at all times. This 7-part study will lead you toward a deeper walk with the Lord, and a greater defense of your faith. The paperback book is available on Amazon for $11.99.  Anyone interested in joining our bible study or have questions please contact Gail Achilles
    After all, the enemy always fails miserably when he meets a woman dressed for the occasion wearing the armor of God!

If you shop at Redner’s, please save your receipts. Anna Friedrich turns them in and the church receives a monetary donation from Redner’s. All you need to do is either bring your receipts to church. Thank you to those who bring in their receipts and to Anna who does the paperwork to receive this donation! Please note that when bringing in your receipts we need the entire receipt. Please do not tear off the bottom. Redner’s will not accept the receipt if the bottom is torn off.

Social Ministry in January – Sending Love and Prayers
Several of our congregational members reside in nursing homes or permanent care facilities. Some of them receive few visitors. One of our congregational members lives as a long-term care resident at the Harborview Rehabilitation and Care Center in Lansdale. The Social Ministry Team decided that it would be nice to reach out to her and other people living on the same floor at the center. In January there will be cards on the tables in the Fellowship Hall during the coffee hours. We are asking you to sign the cards and leave notes in the cards for the residents. We will then make sure that they are delivered to them for Valentine’s Day. Please reach out and share God’s love with each one of them.   Questions: See Deb Hollenbach

A GREAT BIG “THANK YOU” from Gabriella, Sharif & Mark  from MARTIN LUTHER SCHOOL -and ME
What a generous, loving Faith Family you are!! How does one thank such generous people. You have never let the children down at Martin Luther School, aka Gemma Services. You even brought me to “happy” tears for the second year in a row in the 30 years I have overseen this.
Your donations totaled $336… well over my goal of $180. Wow!
Because of your generosity, $170 went to cover the gifts for these children. The remainder of $166 was donated to the School. These additional monies cover other Christmas funding needed either this year or in the future.
“Santa’s Elf”, Amanda Bryant, from the School again was so grateful for what all of you donated for the children. Since my 9-year-old grandson had assisted me in picking out the gifts, I had him go with me to deliver them. He was amazed at the two rooms of toys, games, books, etc. awaiting wrapping for Christmas and future birthdays!
God Bless you and your families in 2023 as generously as you have shared! You have truly followed what God has asked us to do as Christians….love him and serve others.

There certainly will be a lot of smiles on Christmas Day!    --- In Christ,  Sharon Hood

Dear all the saints at Faith Church,
What a delightful surprise to receive the kind thank you card signed by all the folks at Faith and your generous thank you gift. It was an unexpected but much appreciated reminder of my time with you at Faith, especially arriving the Monday after Thanksgiving. I am enjoying full time retirement again and having our daughters with us for the holidays.
    I hope you all shared a wonderful holiday with your families. I heard about Pastor Ethan’s ordination and installation at Faith, and you will be in my prayers as you share your first Advent and Christmas season with him.
    Thanks once again for thinking of me and for all the fond memories I have with the folks at Faith.
    Yours in Faith, Pastor Bruce +                                                              Rev. Dr. Bruce T Davis

On Thanksgiving Day, the Foster, Feldman and Hill families hosted 20 people in the Fellowship Hall and then delivered meals to 10 other family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner.
Special thank you to Mary Lynn (Renner) Morasco and All About Catering for donating two turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, rolls and cranberry sauce!
And thank you to Thrivent who provided the $250 Visa card that was used to purchase the pies and other sundries.
It was a truly blessed day being able to be together again!

In Memory…
Klara Campbell
October 12, 1930 - December 6, 2022
Please keep the Campbell family in your prayers!

THE CHOIR IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR FRESH FACES AND HAPPY VOICES to lift their praise to the Lord on Tuesday nights and Sunday mornings. Practices are on Tuesdays at 7PM in the choir room (next to the kitchen.) If you have any questions, please see Laura Cooper, Music Director, and she will be more than happy to convince you why you should join the choir.  😊

We are in need of Lectors (reading the lessons and psalm) and Worship Assistants (reading the prayers and few other passages) for our Zoom and in-person worship. If you would like to volunteer or would like more information, please call Anna Friedrich.

Technology Volunteers
We are looking for a few volunteers who are willing to learn and help with the technology behind our virtual and in-person worship services. Each week we host our Zoom meeting for worship as well as running the video cameras and sound system in the sanctuary. Over the past few years we have refined this process and it’s running very smoothly now. But it’s being managed by the same few people every week and we are looking to train others to share in this responsibility. We have engaged a professional to help review our processes and to provide training and want to have other volunteers participate. Please contact Rich Hollenbach if you are interested.

January 2023 Mustard Seed-Council Notes

12/27/2022

Council Notes   November 30, 2022

Council was called to order by President Rich Hollenbach. Debbie Hollenbach and Paul Prunkel were in attendance as spouses were invited for Council’s Christmas party following the council meeting. Rich led devotions on Christ’s People Called as Leaders of God’s Church-The Church as the Incarnation of Christ’s Body. Minutes of the November regular council meeting were approved as written.

Treasurer’s Report: In Denise Bailey’s absence, the Treasurer’s Reports was discussed by council. The Treasurer’s Report was approved as written. With year-to-date income at $102,801.95 (94%) and operating expenses at $94,113.51 (60%) we have a $8,688.44 surplus.

MINISTRY TEAM REPORTS:
Christian Education: Gail Achilles reported that the Monday night small group concluded our last study of 2022 on November 28. Our study was a book titled “Messy People” by Jennifer Cowert. Our next study will be “The Full Armor of God” by Darlene Schacht beginning on January 9, 2023. Our last Sunday School lessons for 2022 will be December 4 and 11, and for “Hanging of the Greens” December 18, Worship Service, teachers will be available with a shortened lesson and on hand to help any children who may need help for the service (costumes etc.) Then we will be off for the Christmas holidays and resume Sunday School lessons in the New Year on January 8, 2023.

Social Ministry: Sharon Hood reported that since the Social Ministry Team needed to have a short meeting, they did not plan for the whole year. They planned only for January and February 2023. Social Ministry Projects discussed: January 2023 – will have cards available every coffee hour during
the month of January for members to sign. Originally these were going to individuals at the Lamb Foundation in North Wales since we thought we had a member living there. It turns out that member is at a nursing home affiliated with the Lamb Foundation. It is our plan now to reach out to that nursing home. February 2023 – the preliminary plan is to put together soup kits (soup & crackers) for Keystone Opportunity Center’s food pantry. This is following a previous theme years ago of “Souper Bowl Sunday.” Definite plans will be finalized in January.

NEW BUSINESS
Pastor Ethan Doan’s Housing Allowance - Rich stated that Pastor Ethan Doan’s Housing Allowance (one half, $22,000 of Pastor Ethan’s salary is set aside for Housing) needs Council approval. By end of December, we should have exact monthly amount for his benefits. All council members voted in favor of approving Pastor Ethan Doan’s Housing allowance.

Thank You Note from Pastor Bruce Davis - Rich read to church council a thank you note from Pastor Bruce Davis thanking Faith Lutheran Church’s congregation for their thoughtful words and monetary gift, and the time he spent with us. Pastor Davis’, Thank You note will be printed in January’s Mustard seed.

Vince Hill’s request to be dropped from church member roles - Vince requested to leave our church on November 23, 2022. Council approved.

New Property Chair - Paul Prunkel agreed to take the chair of Property Team and Melissa Prunkel being on council will be liaison. Council expressed their gratitude to Paul for filling this position.

Christmas Tree for the Sanctuary – Anne Hutnyk volunteered (Jack Walls will accompany her) to tag a tree (9 ft. – 12 ft. high) at the tree farm and it will be donated free of charge to our church. Anne’s Aunt also donated a 7 ½ ft. artificial tree to our church, but it is too small. We will continue to look for a larger artificial tree.

Parent’s Night Out – Council discussed with Debbie Hollenbach, Chair of Finance’s guidance, Debbie suggested we create a budget line under Christian Education titled Youth Fellowship to keep track of donation’s collected minus any reimbursements made for any expense to hold the event. All council members voted in favor of handling of Parent’s Night Out Donations.

Nominating Team Report - Adam Feldman, Chair, sent a report to church council noting the following: “We have begun to ask people. Some have said no, and others said they’d think about it. Any suggestions from council for candidates is very welcomed. Rich Hollenbach has agreed to a second term.”   Rich informed council that we need at least two people for 3-year terms and one person for a one-year term (to fulfill Vince Hill’s last year of his 3-year term).

Verizon Phone Bill - Adam alerted council of phone bill increase and made some suggestions which council discussed. Rich will follow up on this issue.

New Desk Chair for Pastor - Rich pointed out to our new Property Chair that this was a prior request from Pastor Ethan and asked Paul if he would work on getting Pastor a new desk chair for his office.

Pastor Time Off - Pastor Ethan informed us that he would be on vacation as follows: January 11 through 18, 2023 (Brother’s wedding); May 8 through 22, 2023 (will be in Jamaica on vacation and then attend his brother’s High School Graduation.) Pastor Ethan will work on getting a Supply Pastor for while he is away.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 7pm.
Will be a hybrid meeting.

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January 2023 Mustard Seed-A Word from Our Pastor

January 2023 Mustard Seed-Announcements

January 2023 Mustard Seed-Council Notes

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