The EpistleSt. Paul’s Lutheran Church
November 2018
Gathered to Go . . .to study God's Word, Worship together; and to walk with Christ by loving, serving and nurturing all God's
people where ever they are and whatever their circumstances.
1
We welcome Lori Nickoloff and her husband Keith to St. Paul’s Family.
Wednesday Study GroupJoin us on Wednesday mornings for a five-session study that will give us a fascinating look at the birth of Jesus Christ as we
retrace the actual path that Mary and Joseph took from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Classes begin on November 28th and will meet from 10:30-noon. Everyone is welcome for this Advent study! Contact Pastor Lori at 585-749-4856 if you would like to order a book or if you have any questions about the study. November 28 through December 19 and then January 2nd.
REMEMBER TO FALL BACK - CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS
SATURDAY NIGHT NOVEMBER 3rd.
2
EVA JENSEN is turning 90 in November! Please join Eva and her family in a celebration of this milestone at a coffee hour reception between the services on November 11th. She would so very much like to share this occasion with her St. Paul’s family, too.
The Living Well commemorating five years of ministry and service to Yates County.Please join us Friday, Nov. 9th from 5-6:30pm at 121 East Elm Street in Pen Yan for a celebration and “Thank You” to the community. There will be special guest speakers and munchies will be provided.
ECUMENICAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE Sunday November 18
3:00pm St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
From Pastor Lori3
Dear Friends in Christ,
I love the month of November! I get to celebrate Keith and our oldest daughter’s birthday as well as with my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! Along with the delicious food and family traditions, I appreciate the opportunity that Thanksgiving provides to intentionally thank God for everything that God has done for us.
This year my prayers of gratitude will include St. Paul’s. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as your pastor and feel blessed beyond words to lead you in worship and serve beside you in the ministries of this congregation. I’m looking forward to getting to know each of you better and discovering your gifts and passions for ministry.
I will be in Penn Yan on Sundays to lead worship, teach confirmation, adult study, etc. My office hours will be on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-5:00pm. Please stop in and see me! I will also use this time to visit people in their homes and participate in ecumenical events. I will work from Rochester on Tuesdays and Fridays. During this time, I will attend our conference text study, Ministerium, and do sermon prep. My official day off will be Monday.
Please call me at any time if you need pastoral care. I want to visit you if you are hospitalized and support you in times of spiritual need. My cell phone number is 585-749-4856 and my home phone number is 585-924-3434.
I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to my ordination on Saturday, December 1 at 10:30am. This service of thanksgiving and celebration will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fairport. It will include a joint choir made up of singers from the congregations who played a significant role in my formation and journey to ordained ministry…
4
including St. Paul’s! Look for more information on the invitation in this months’ Epistle.
In Him,Pastor Lori
With voices united our praises we offer and gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise. With you, Lord, beside us, your strong arm will guide us. To you, our great redeemer, forever be praise!
We Praise you, O God ELW #870
From our Social Ministry Deacon
Thanksgiving Food Boxes
It’s time to fill Thanksgiving boxes! Throughout November, there will be sign-up sheets on the social ministry table for food
items. Help will be needed to pack the boxes. These dates have not been established but will be listed in the bulletin.
Many thanks for the great success of Paul’s Place! You are a blessing to many.With Faith,Cindy Covert
5
BELL RINGING
St. Paul’s has been asked to ‘ring the bells’ at Tops Market on Friday November 30th from 9am to 1pm. We are looking for a minimum of four people to participate in this important ministry. Please sign up as soon as possible on the sheet on the bulletin board across from the office.
Address CorrectionDoug Christensen
4014 Belknap Hill Rd.Branchport, NY 14418
Community Sunday November 25, 2018One Service at 10:00 AM with coffee and fellowship following.
Come share your stories and the stories of St. Paul's with Pastor Lori. In her sermon on October 14, Pastor Lori asked us all to stop in and tell her how God has been faithful in our lives and in the life of the church we all love and call St. Paul's. Join us after worship on the 25th and help Pastor Lori know these stories as well.
News from the Pews6
The Worship and Music Committee works hard to use hymns and prayers to coordinate with the central theme of the lesson for the day. Each time we have a new theme for the lessons, the Hymn of Praise and Offering Hymn change as well.
Our lessons have been quite long lately, so we have occasionally had the Assistant and Pastor read it in two parts. The litany seems to be heard well from the back of the church as a reminder of the day's lesson before our sending hymn.
We remain in the season of Pentecost until November 25 and the paraments are green.
The theme for the lessons for October 14 through November 4We Know that Know is Faithful.
November 4....2 Kings 5:1-15a Elisha Heals NaamanGod gives us space to live with the contradiction of values
The theme for the lessons for November 11 through November 25:Listen to the Words
November 11...Micah...From where will Israel's ruler come? Time well spent nurturing relationships is time well spent
November 18...Isaiah 36:1-3;13-20;37:1-7; 2:1-4 Swords and Plowshares
God wants peace to spread like wildfire
The paraments will be white because this is Christ the King Sunday and the end of the Season of Pentecost. It is also Community Sunday when we gather at 10:00 AM for worship followed by Coffee Hour and a Fellowship Activity.
November 25...Jeremiah 1-4; 7:1-11 Jeremiah's Temple Sermon
7
The excuses and little white lies we tell ourselves or others limit us.
We welcome Pastor Lori to the pulpit each Sunday.
On Sunday December 2 we enter the Advent Season and our theme will be: We Wait for You.
NEWS FROM COUNCIL OF CHUCHES
Respite CareThe Living Well is excited to be able to work in conjunction with the Faith Community to offer Paul's Place: A Respite program for those living with Dementia and Early Stage Alzheimer's. Our first site is at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Penn Yan from 10:30am to 2:30pm on November 15th and then the third Thursday of each month. Please contact Kim Lyons at The Living Well (315-536-0838) if you or someone you know could benefit from this respite care. Thanksgiving ServiceThe Ecumenical Thanksgiving worship service will be on Sunday, November 18, at 3:00 pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church with Pastor Kathy Brown of First Baptist Church preaching. A combined choir will share an anthem together. Members of the community and various congregations are invited to this annual Thanksgiving celebration. Please invite your friends and neighbors to come and join us for this annual service that we share together.
8
Thanksgiving DinnerThe Community Thanksgiving Dinner committee is busy planning for this year’s event. It will be held from 11 am until 2 pm on Thursday, November 22 at the Penn Yan Elks Club on Main Street. We need 10 people on Wednesday to assist with baking pies, roasting and de-boning turkeys, and preparing cranberry relish. On Thursday, we need approximately 25 volunteers to perform a variety of tasks at the Elks Club, transporting people and delivering meals. We are planning to serve many people in Penn Yan and the surrounding area. Anyone with questions may call Connie Glover at (315) 694-2070 or Carolyn Benedict at (315) 536-3923.
From our Worship Deacon
Dear Members of St. Paul's,
What an exciting time it is for all of us as Pastor Lori and Keith join us in ministry at St. Paul's. We pray that their journey with us is a joy-filled and rewarding one as together we continue God's work here in Penn Yan. We thank God for the gifts that they bring and share now with us.
November is a busy month in the church year. We begin with All Saints Sunday on November 4. This is a time when we remember loved ones and friends who have passed into Eternal Life in the last year and we also reflect on the lives of those who have gone in years before and who remain near and dear to us. We will hear their names read and light a candle on All Saints Sunday as we stop and reflect on their lives and their faith and what they meant and continue to mean to us on our faith journeys each and every day.
9
Sunday November 11 is another time of remembrance. This year Veterans Day falls on a Sunday and we will remember and honor those who have served our country in the military during worship.
At 11:00 AM on November 11 during our 10:45 worship service, our bell will be rung 21 times while we remain silent in the sanctuary. This bell ringing is being done in conjunction with “The Bells of Peace...a nation-wide bell-tolling as a solemn reminder of the sacrifice and service of veterans of WWI and all veterans.” There will be more information about this in the bulletin that morning.
During November we also celebrate Thanksgiving. This year St. Paul's will host the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service on Sunday November 18 at 3:00 PM. There will also be a joint community choir singing that day for all who are interested. Please watch the bulletin for more information.
November 25 will be our Community Sunday with one worship service at 10:00 AM. There will be coffee and fellowship following the service. Pastor Lori will lead us in an activity during the coffee hour. Again, please see the Epistle and bulletin for more information.
May we continue to give thanks to God for all the blessings that He has given us as we continue to learn and grow and serve him together. God Bless.
Elaine Gleason, Worship Deacon
10
Treasurer’s ReportJan 1 – Sep 30, 2018
Operating Account
Total Income $131,383Selected Items:
General Donations 94,126Facility Rental 2,285Building Fund 23,335
Local Hunger 2,204
World Hunger 3,751Special donations 1,039Memorials 1,260Youth monies 108HOPE 297
Total Outlays $110,003
Selected Items:Employee Compensation 32,943Property (insurance, utilities, etc) 12,224Mission Commitment (Upstate NY) 13,495Mortgage payments 22,500Outreach Programs 8,885Office expenses 4,327Church programs 3,110Supply Pastors 8,715
Net $21,380
Special Outlay – HVAC Upgrade (January) $12,800Special Outlays – Safe Harbor; Literacy Vol (Apr) 4,000
11
Building FundMortgage with Lyons National Bank
Total Income 2018 23,341Contributions 23,335Interest
6Total Outlays 2018 25,500 Loan Interest 1,998
Principal Payments 23,502
Loan Balance (at Sep 30, 2018) = $31,685Savings Acnt Bal at Lyons NB = $ 7,459
St Paul’s Treasurer position remained unfilled after the Sep 9 Annual Meeting. At the Oct 2 Council Meeting, a part-time bookkeeper was approved to assume much of the book work currently done by the Treasurer. We have hired Jan Hafner to handle that position; she does similar work for the First Baptist Church, Yates Historical Society, and the Arts Center. Jan will update our Quickbooks software, take over check preparation and payroll, and do the filing. Council is looking for a church member to take a revised Treasurer position. Treasurer will remain a Council member, approve and sign checks, and act as a liaison for church financial matters.
Les Wood remains on the job as an acting treasurer during these changes.
THANK YOU
12
Thank you to Jim & Terri Coleman and Kailey for taking care of the church gardens and keeping them so beautiful.
NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 3 - Carl & Barb Simon 28 6 - Andy & Katie Nissen 25 7 – Bob & Diane McNary 47 22 – Larry & Kathy Edwards 48 27 - Terry & Kim Carlson 35
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS2- Janelle Backal7-Dave Christiansen, Michael Morse, Christine Orr8-Jarrod Orr 9- Chris Jensen, Leonard Vaughan 10-Jordan Owen, Bea Christensen, Karen Pinneo12-Carey Rivera, Amy Borglum13-Eva Jensen 21-Terry Orr, Bailey Wagaman22-Virginia Wagner24-Mike Christensen, Ann Kirch25-Alma Larsen26-Bev Chidsey
13
28-Cindy Covert, Will Jenkins29-Cheryl Jensen
By the grace of GodAnd the call of the Church
Lori Beth NickoloffWill be Ordained to the
Ministry of Word and SacramentIn the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 10:30 am
Bethlehem Lutheran Church48 Perrin Street, Fairport, NY 14450
Your prayers and presence are welcome and appreciated
Clergy are invited to vest and process
The color of the day is red
Please join us for a luncheon reception following the service
14
November Events to Remember
3 – Change your clocks
9 – Living Well celebrates 5 years
11 – Eva Jensen celebrates 90 years with coffee hour between services
18 – Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service 3pm
25 – Community Sunday 10am
28 – Wednesday Bible study begins 10:30am
30 – Bell Ringing at Tops 9am to 1pm
Dec. 1 - Pastor Lori’s ordination 10:30am
15
16
ST. P
AU
L’S
LU
TH
ER
AN
CH
UR
CH
135
Ham
ilton
Stre
et P
enn
Yan,
NY
145
27(3
15)5
36-8
165
stpa
ulsp
yny@
gmai
l.com
ww
w.st
paul
spen
nyan
.org
ST. P
AU
L’S
LU
TH
ER
AN
CH
UR
CH
STA
FF:
Lori
Nic
kolo
ff -
Past
or
585-
749-
4856
C
harle
ne N
iels
en -
Adm
in. A
ssis
t. 3
15-5
36-8
935
Jaso
n R
iley
– C
hoir
Dire
ctor
315-
719-
8586
Car
ole
Cum
min
gs –
Org
anis
t
315-
536-
6947
Cat
hy B
ooth
- Se
xton
607-
522-
4821
CH
UR
CH
CO
UN
CIL
:W
hitn
ey B
ooth
– P
resi
dent
60
7-22
0-87
02Jo
hn D
ubbs
– V
ice
Pres
iden
t
610
-967
-572
8A
ngie
Bai
ley
– Se
cret
ary
3
15-5
36-2
689
Les W
ood
– A
ctin
g Tr
easu
rer
31
5-53
6- 5
604
C
athy
Boo
th–
Wor
ship
/mus
ic
607
-522
-482
1
Salli
e Je
nsen
- Pa
rish
Life
3
15-5
36-8
602
Arle
ne S
tillw
ell
- Par
ish
Life
3
15-5
36-6
758
Cha
rlene
Nie
lsen
– C
hris
tian
Ed.
3
15-5
36-8
935
Lind
a Sh
aw–
Fina
nce
3
15-5
36-6
288
Car
l Ekd
ahl–
Pro
perty
3
15-6
94-6
698
Dor
othy
Osw
ald
- Soc
ial M
inis
try 5
85-5
26-5
083
Terr
y Je
nsen
- Fin
. Sec
.
31
5-53
6-86
02
