Category: 2023 09 September

September 2023 Mustard Seed - A Word from Our Pastor

9/8/2023

Greetings siblings in Christ,

We are now nearing the end of the summer months and are entering the 2023-24 program year! It has been a great summer. However, a lot has happened this summer both within our congregations and throughout the world. I have had multiple congregation members come up to me and say that they have felt like this summer has been busier than usual. In conversation, most have agreed that this is partially due to more events coming back from before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I believe something more is going on. I believe that the Holy Spirit has been working through us within our congregations. At Faith Lutheran, we have been trying new things. We have been busy trying to get out into the community. We participated in Lansdale’s First Friday, we had a joint outdoor worship service with Grace Lutheran in Hatfield, and we attempted to establish new ministries. At Jerusalem Lutheran, the congregation voted on me to become their new permanent pastor. Jerusalem also put on a wonderful VBS program and continues to see God’s presence in their outreach ministries. These are just a few examples of what our congregations have accomplished through the works of God’s Spirit! God has indeed been working through us, and God has provided for us. There is much for us to be thankful for. Thus, this programming year, I am planning on focusing on the mindset of gratitude. Throughout the next year, in my preaching and teaching, we will discuss what gratitude is and how one lives a life of gratitude.

So, what is gratitude? The word “gratitude” has a number of different meanings, depending on the context. However, a practical clinical definition from the National Library of Medicine states that “gratitude is the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself; it is a general state of thankfulness and/or gratefulness.” However, from the Christian perspective, “Gratitude is the Christian response to recognizing that all good things that happen in our lives are gifts from God, a reminder of how much God loves us and wants us to be signs of God’s love in the world.” Thus, one could say that the first step of getting into the mindset of gratitude is by giving thanks for the love that God has shown and continues to show to us. I think this is a good practice for us as we continue on throughout the year. Throughout the Bible, God encourages us to be thankful:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chron. 16:34)
“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Cor. 1:4)
“Give thanks always…” (Eph. 5:20)

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5: 16-18)

So, let's start this program year with gratitude, with thankfulness and gratefulness. I want to thank God for this first year of ordained ministry. I also thank God for both my congregations, for Faith Lutheran and Jerusalem Lutheran. I especially want to thank God for all the new people I have met within these congregations. I thank you God for leading and guiding both these congregations into new beginnings. I also thank God for all my friends and family, especially for Eileen and for Luca. Finally, I thank you God for your love. Your love that overflows upon us and gives us life. So, what are you thankful for? Reflect on this and let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan

September 2023 Mustard Seed - Announcements

9/8/2023

THE CHOIR IS BACK!

Starting Tuesday, September 12, 2023, the choir will be back to practicing at 7pm in the Choir Room. We are always looking for fresh faces and happy voices to lift their praise to the Lord on Tuesday nights and Sunday mornings.   Love in Christ, Laura Cooper, Music Director

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THROUGH THE WORD
Understand the Bible in ten minutes a day with plans for every book and guides for every chapter.

Through the Word is a nonprofit ministry dedicated to equipping people around the world to read the Bible, understand it, apply it, and make it a habit. They provide simple yet powerful tools via the web and mobile apps that lead users on a journey to understand the entire Bible, one chapter at a time. TTW combines clear, balanced, and relatable teaching with direct accessibility. Their purpose is God’s calling: to make disciples, equip the saints, and preach the word. (Mat. 28:19, Eph. 4:12, 2 Tim, 4:2)

TTW is the cure for broken Bible habits and lost-in-Leviticus syndrome. Easy to start, easy to keep, easy to share. Go to throughtheword.org or download the app on your phone.

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Welcome New Members
Barbara Sladek and Mark Murset

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Vacation Bible School 2023 (Stellar, Shine Jesus’ Light): There were 23 children and 23 volunteers at VBS this year. Thank you to all of the volunteers, who shared the love of Jesus and were awesome. Thank you to the children who attended, and their parents and caregivers. You are Stellar! Much positive feedback was received from volunteers, parents, and children. Many children personally thanked the volunteers for a fantastic week. One child told his grandmother when she asked him, “Is there anything you would change about VBS?” “Nothing,” he answered her, “It was all great!”
We raised $111.54 during the week for a mission’s effort to provide Bibles for families in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East in partnership with World Vision.

Jesus…said, “I am the light of the world.” John 8:12

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On September 11th the Monday Night Bible Study group will start this year in-person by going out to dinner for our first meeting of the season to Imperatore Bar and Wood Fire Grill located at 511 Stump Rd, North Wales, PA, 6 pm. Over the summer months, we read, “A Rose in a Ditch” by Julie Henning, who will be a guest speaker at our church on September 23. We will discuss her book at our first two meetings (September 11th -in-person and September 18th via zoom) and also decide on our next study, which will start at our September 25th meeting.
            All are welcome to join!
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You are invited to Rally Day
at Faith Lutheran Church

We will kickstart our Christian education Program at the 9:30 am Worship service on
Sunday, September 10
Followed by an Ice Cream Bar in the Fellowship Hall

Our 2023/24 Christian Education program for ages 3 to 11 will begin on Rally Day Sunday, September 10

Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

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Parents’ Night Out (PNO) – Youth Fellowship (YF)

Looking for a night out and a fun, safe place to bring the kids?

Well, look no further! We here at Faith Lutheran Church are ready to care for your child(ren) in a safe environment, provide food and fun activities, and share the love of Jesus.

The children will have dinner when they arrive consisting of pizza or chicken nuggets, grape and apple slices with caramel dip, water, 100% fruit juice, then enjoy music, games, crafts, stories, and end the evening with popcorn and a movie!

PNO-YF is held on a Friday from 6 pm to 9 pm. The schedule is: 2023 - Sep 15, Oct 13, Nov 17, Dec 1 and 8

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FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY: The Fellowship Ministry Team at Faith tries to schedule activities for members of the congregation to spend time together to strengthen their bonds outside of the traditional worship service. We also encourage members to bring their family, friends and members of the community to these activities. This strengthens our ties to one another and opens opportunities to meet new people.
The Fellowship activity for September 2023 is:
An Afternoon with Julie Henning, Saturday, September 23, at
1 p.m. Including Luncheon – Bring Your Friends and Family!!

            You couldn’t ask for a more heartwarming life story from a beautiful, Christian lady. A presentation you don’t want to miss. We are so honored for her to speak at our church again. She was at Faith back in 2006.
            She was an Amerasian born in South Korea during the Korean War. At age 13, she was brought to America by Pearl S. Buck and raised as her daughter.
            Julie will take you on a compelling journey from her Amerasian roots to her life with the famous author, and finally into the family of God. It will challenge your heart as you see God’s sovereignty at work in the life of one of His children.
            Julie tells her story in 3 parts: Rags to Riches, In the Master’s Hand and Chosen on Purpose. She will bring with her copies of her book, “A Rose in A Ditch” for you to purchase.
            Contact Sharon Hood ticket(s). No admission charge. Tickets are needed so the Fellowship Team knows how much food we need to purchase through a grant from Thrivent.   There may be a “goodwill” offering.   If we do one, the monies will go to the Pearl S. Buck Foundation in Julie’s honor.

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Lord, when did we see you...?

The purpose of the Social Ministry Team is to follow Jesus' commandment to love one another as he loved us. To offer opportunities to our congregation to be good and faithful servants. To share the love and truth of Jesus Christ and to offer hope to all God's children by giving of our time, our money and ourselves to our church, our community, and the world.

Social Ministry Project for September 2023

Books – Books – Books for Children - 141 Impact, Inc.

141 Impact is a ministry we have supported over the years through our former Pastor, Pastor Nelson’s daughter, Carrie Brown.
            They have raised funds to build a community library to supplement education in Uganda.   The children are learning to love to read. Pictures are on display in the Foyer showing them reading their books.
            Our Social Ministry team prays…
    .   our families will work with their children to donate the money for these books
     . our grandparents will donate money to buy books in honor of their grandchildren.
     . our remaining congregation will donate because they know how important reading is
            We are figuring on $5.00 per book with a goal of $150.
There will be a “Book Bank” on the foyer desk for your donations.

“If every ONE just helped ONE, imagine the IMPACT we could have on the world. Imagine what ONE FOR ONE can do. It’s time for each of us to be ONE.”

Any questions, please contact Sharon Hood

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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 September 6, 2023, this month.
For more information or if you need a ride, please talk to Anna Friedrich. All are welcome!

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

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In Loving Memory......

Naomi Yeoman
December 2, 1928 - July 21, 2023

Beverly Smith
August 26, 1945 - August 17, 2023

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September 2023 Mustard Seed - Council Notes

9/8/2023

Council Retreat Notes   August 19,2023

Council was called to order at the United Lutheran Seminary by President Gary Apgar. Council Minutes of the June regular council meeting were approved as written. The Treasurer’s Reports from June and July were approved as written.

President’s Report: I would like to remind everyone that Pastor Ethan is now very busy on Sundays. After reading Pastor Ethan’s column in the August Mustard Seed, I realized just how busy! Pastor misses the communication with everyone. We should all find time to talk with the Pastor Ethan, especially if you have a need. He is available before our service and during the week. I want to thank everyone involved with this summer’s Vacation Bible School. It sounds like kids had lot of fun making new friends and learning about Jesus. We have our Grace and Faith get-together for a service in the park on August 20. Hoping for the start of a good relationship and continued fellowship! We did vote on and approve the proposal for this year’s Bazaar.

Pastor’s Report: Pastor Ethan started leading worship at Jerusalem Lutheran after presiding at Faith on July 9th. On July 29th, Pastor presided over the funeral service of Naomi Yeoman. He has also been planning for the council retreat on August 19th and the outdoor service with Grace Lutheran on August 20th.

Ministry Team Reports:

Christian Education: Sunday School: Teachers are Nancy Gansner, Anna Friedrich, and Gail Achilles. We will alternate each Sunday from September 10 through May 26 using the Whirl Lectionary Series. On August 13, an email from Pastor Ethan was sent to inform parents and grandparents of children ages 3 to 11 about Rally Day, Backpack Blessing, and our new Sunday School time during Worship Service. Children will leave the service after the children’s sermon and return to service before the rite of Holy Communion.
Parents’ Night Out – Youth Fellowship (PNO-YF): On August 13, an email was sent from Gail to parents and grandparents of all children from our church and the community to inform them of the 2023 schedule for this event and registration information. On August 16, Beth Schoening and Gail Achilles met to discuss our theme and activities for our first PNO-YF event on September 15. (Chris Jones, Anne Hutnyk, Anna Friedrich and Barbara Sladek, were not available to attend, but are part of our team.)
Monday Night Bible Study (MNBS): Our first meeting will be on September 11. Over the summer months, we read “A Rose in a Ditch” by Julie Henning. We will discuss her book at our first two meetings and also decide on our next study, which will start at our September 25 meeting.
Vacation Bible School 2023 (Stellar, Shine Jesus’ Light): There were 23 children and 23 volunteers at VBS. Thank you to all of the volunteers, who shared the love of Jesus and were awesome. Thank you to the children who attended, and their parents and caregivers. You are Stellar! Much positive feedback was received from volunteers, parents, and children.
Faith Playdate: Although the team had a plan in place, we had no one sign up for either of the first two that were scheduled. We will re-direct these efforts for now.

Communication: This team needs better definition and more coordination. It should include signage, website, Facebook, flyers, etc.

Evangelism: Pastor will reach out to the team to re-align the team’s goals and coordinate with Social Ministry team, then discuss possibly doing other local community days and maybe First Friday again next year. It was noted that having a “draw” of some kind at the events would increase participation.

Fellowship: Julie Henning 9/23 @1:00 pm - No cost but will be distributing tickets upon request so we know how much food to order. Sharon Hood will make up flyers and Debbie Hollenbach is making up the tickets. If we do free will giving then proceeds will go to the Pearl S. Buck foundation.

Finance: As of July 31, 2023, at 60% of the 2023 budget year, we are showing a year-to-date deficit of $18,768.70. Member Pledged Giving is down slightly at 52%; Member Non-Pledged Giving is down slightly at 51%; Loose Plate Offering is up 278%; Fundraising is up at 120%; We had no charges for snow removal - adding $1,000 available for other expenses; Due to higher grass cutting fees, currently grass cutting is at 67%. The Treasurer transferred $5K from the Endowment Fund to cover expenses, and will continue to do so as needed, unless specified to draw from a different fund. In August, the Finance Ministry Team began the process of determining a proposed budget for 2024. Below is the schedule that we are working on for that process. As a reminder, our meeting is open to any council or congregation person who would like to attend or to join our team. Timeline is: August 7 – worksheets emailed to each ministry team lead; August 27 – worksheets due back; August is when Mutual Ministry needs to meet and provide salary assessments; September 14 – Finance team meets to put budget together; September 24 – Preliminary budget packets available for the congregation; October 8 – Commitment Sunday (with the theme of Gratitude); October 26 – Team meets to review budget and pledge amounts; November 1 – Finance chair present budget to council; January 28 – Budget is voted on by congregation.

On August 10, Council approved the proposed plan for the Holiday Bazaar via email vote. We held a fundraiser at Sundae World on August 1st.
: We should put out a sign-up sheet for Rally Day instead of relying on Christian Education.

Long-Range Planning: Jack Walls has also agreed to be on this team with Nancy Allegrezza.

Mutual Ministry: After this meeting, Cheryl Harbeck agreed to be on the team, making it complete. The team should now be in discussions for salary assessments and forwarded to the Finance Team.

Property Team: It is time to plan for a fall clean-up day. The microwave in the kitchen is not working so will need to look into a replacement (may have one donated.)

Shepherding: After meeting with Pastor, the team will be sending cards to our membership that will include a flyer about Rally Day and the change in worship time to 9:30am.

Social Ministry: For June and July we partnered with the NPSD Education Foundation for the school supply drive. We collected over 800 items. In August, we joined this year’s VBS fundraiser “Operation Kid to Kid” to collect funds for Bibles and discipleship opportunities provided through World Vision. In September we will be collecting money to purchase books for children through 141 Impact.

Stewardship: Will be meeting in the next two weeks. Should discuss counting practices and timing.

Worship & Music: Outdoor service at School Road Park this Sunday (8/20.)

OLD BUSINESS Constitution Update – Draft ready for review. Also, as we go through this review, we need to look at each Ministry Team’s purpose and goals and update them. Roll clean-up. Moving the library books to be more accessible.

NEW BUSINESS Resourceful Servants introduces its Emergency Savings/ Congregational Financial Assessment Program – agree that Pastor will send to Finance Team to evaluate. Christmas Eve service (on a Sunday) – the consensus was that we’ll need a morning and evening service. Worship and Music will work together to determine types of services, timing with Cantata and Hanging of the Greens, etc. In the fall, Pastor has been thinking about doing a once-a-month education hour (5:30 to 7pm with food provided in some way) on a Sunday evening, geared towards confirmands, teens, and adults. However, if younger children were in attendance, activities would be planned for them. This would replace the adult forum and would count as class time for confirmation. Council agreed that this is a great idea. Fire and police chief visit to congregation – October would be a good time for this, perhaps combine with a service to thank first responders. A review is needed of the published fees for funerals and weddings.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at 7:00 PM. Will be a hybrid meeting.

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September 2023 Mustard Seed - A Word from Our Pastor

September 2023 Mustard Seed - Announcements

September 2023 Mustard Seed - Council Notes

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