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THE WORSHIP FLOWERS are placed by Karl & Nancy Usner to the glory of God in celebration of their 61st wedding anniversary.
SIMPLY GIVING: There are countless benefits to being a member of the St. Paul family and these benefits continue whether or not we are here to make a financial contribution. Go to the church website and register for SIMPLY GIVING so that St. Paul always receives the amount you have committed to give. If you have difficulty registering, Call John Bell at 669-9560. WORSHIP ASSISTANTS Today 8:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m. Acolyte Luke Reichard Jonah Ahlers A. Min. Tami Ruckel Nancy Miller Lector Sue Fry Jim Hovan Com. Asst. Mallory Weiss, need 2 Kathy Ross, need 2 Greeters Ed & Greta Weiler Don & Deana Wyand Altar Guild Tami Ruckel, Barb Weaver, Kathy Ross Com. Bread Jean Steffy Flowers Karl & Nancy Usner Nursery Jon & Melissa Lamb John McCormick, Kathy Smith Lights/Snd. Robert Wiegand Steve Fink & sons Ushers Ken Keener’s Team 7 Wayne Gongaware’s Team 14 AUGSBURG ADULT BIBLE STUDY meets in the church lounge Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Today: Steve Shaub POWER PACKS PROJECT VOLUNTEERS: May 26: Driver—Frankhousers; Distributors: Phyllis & Jerre Frankhouser Worship Life A CHANGE IN SUMMER SCHEDULE! 8:00 AM Sunday services during the summer have been reinstated. Between May 29 and September 4 we will offer two opportunities to worship each Sunday at 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM. The 8:00 AM service will be an informal, service of word and sacrament. On the first Sunday of June, July, and August the 9:30 service will be a Contemporary outdoor service. All other 9:30 services will be Traditional services. The regular Fall schedule begins on September 11. Also, watch for details of child-friendly, mid-week evening services this summer! THE NEXT MEN’S BIBLE STUDY & BREAKFAST will take place at Zion Lutheran, Manheim on Saturday Jun 4th starting at 7AM. All men are invited to attend this event for a stimulating Bible study, fellowship, and breakfast. Any questions please contact Jim Millhouse. PASTOR’S BIBLE STUDY takes place every Thursday at 10 am and 7 pm in the choir room. MUSICIANS! There is a signup sheet in the narthex to play or sing during services this summer. All are welcome to share their gifts at any traditional service, during prelude, offering, communion, postlude, etc. During July, Valerie will be unavailable to accompany, so if you sign up for one of those dates you will need to recruit an accompanist if needed. There is a signup sheet in the choir room for those would like to lead the psalm during summer months. Outreach HUNGER J.A.M. - On June 3, our Synod will be packing 400,000 nutritionally complete meals at Messiah College that will help feed hungry Pennsylvanians. The Synod needs YOUR help to make this day a success. Synod’s goal: 1,200 volunteers, 12 hours, and $100,000. How can WE at St. Paul help? * St. Paul goal = $ 723. The Synod has set a goal of $1 donation per baptized member. ($1 feeds a family of 4) Donations can be placed in the JAM jar in the Narthex from May 8-29. The Sunday School offering TODAY will go towards Hunger JAM. * Packers Needed to pack meals in 2 hour increments – Sign up on the kiosk to volunteer from 6-8pm on June 3. Carpools will meet St. Paul at 4:45pm. Or register at another time at http://bit.ly/1UukZrt. Any questions, please contact Barb Paynter. "CAVE QUEST" VBS will be held on Sunday June 19-Thursday June 23 at Salem Lutheran Church Kissel Hill from 6:15-8:45 P.M. Sciency-fun gizmos, team building games, Bible songs, tasty treats and much, much more. Check our display in the narthex for information on registering your children. Join us for a fun-filled week of "cave adventure!" THE NORTH LANCASTER CONFERENCE Disaster Response Crew invites you to come out and hear about their most recent trip to New Jersey. The gathering will take place on Sunday, June 5th, at 7:00 p.m., in the Community Room at Luther Acres. Desserts and beverages will be served and there will be a presentation of photos and stories from their week in Monmouth County, New Jersey, helping to rebuild homes for those still displaced by Super Storm Sandy. This is one small way they can show their appreciation for your support and prayers for this ministry. UPDATE ON LIGHT UP THE HARBOR Capital Campaign reaches $320,773. On March 15th, the home was purchased to become the North Star Harbor. The house and grounds are being prepared for women. Resources continue to be needed to pay down the mortgage and provide operating costs for 2-3 years. For anyone interested in learning more about the North Star Initiative, there are meetings held the first Sunday of every month at 7:00 pm at Lancaster Bible College in Rm. 202. This session will be about sex trafficking 101 and details about the North Star Initiative ministry. There is a men’s intercessory in support of the North Star Initiative. For more information and to register - email info@northstarinitiative.org or call 717-399-7770. Social Outings & Upcoming Events ST. PAUL SENIORS: Sign up for the senior lunch & learn trip on May 25th. Meet at the church at 11:30 a.m. to carpool to Cork & Cap then to the Medical museum. Contact Kathy 468-7582. THE WELCA BOOK CLUB will meet at 7:00 PM on Thursday, June 2 at the home of Marion Gotwalt. This month’s selection is The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. POWER PACKS VOLUNTEERS APPRECIATION LUNCHEON: All of our Power Packs volunteers are invited to an Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday, May 31 at 11:30am in the social hall to thank you for your time and dedication to this meaningful ministry to the children in our community! Let’s enjoy some time of fellowship together! Please RSVP to Jenny Bitzer or Barb Paynter. 50TH ORDINATION ANNIVERSARY: We will be celebrating this milestone for Pr. Straw following the 9:30 service on June 12. If you have a story or sentiment to share with him, please give it to Barb Paynter by Sunday, May 29 so it can be included in a scrapbook for him. You can place them on her desk or email them to bpaynter@stpaullititz.net. LUTHER ACRES ANNUAL STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL will be held on Saturday, June 11 from 11am – 1pm. There will be strawberries, shortcake and ice cream for $4 and also Hot dogs, chips and a drink for $3. Stop by for lunch after going to yard sales or sporting events! COTTAGE MEETINGS provide an opportunity for Pr. Rob and our congregation to get to know each other better through a small group discussion time. Please sign up for a time to be part of one of these sessions on the kiosk in the narthex. If you would like to host a cottage meeting in your home, please see Barb Paynter for a list of available times. LADIES LUNCH BUNCH will gather at 11:30 on June 15 at General Sutter, 14 E Main St. All ladies are welcome to join us and enjoy some fresh, delicious food and conversation! Hopefully, we can sit outside and enjoy the warm weather. We hope to see you there. Please sign up in the book located at the kiosk in the Narthex. Any questions can be directed to Nancy Miller at 405-0000. POTLUCK LUNCHEON ON JUNE 5: We will be having our St. Paul Christian Early Learning Center (CELC) Appreciation Day during our outdoor worship in the pavilion on June 5. Following worship, everyone is invited to stay for a potluck luncheon. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Hot dogs, drinks, and paper goods will be provided. Dress is casual as there will be picnic games and activities. MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL BREAKFAST: All 7-12th graders are invited for breakfast on Thursday, June 7 at 7am in the Social Hall. We will fill their bellies with breakfast and their hearts with God's Word before they head across the street to school. Friends are welcome! THE BREW CREW will be going to Mad Chef Brewing in East Petersburg on Monday June 13th at 6:30. You can check out the menu and beer list at www.madchefcraftbrewing.com. There is a sign-up sheet in the small groups book in the narthex. Summer Worship Schedule Starting on May 29, we will move into our summer worship Schedule: Sunday mornings: 8:00 AM Worship with Spoken Liturgy 9:30 AM Worship (with singing!) Wednesday evenings: 6:30 PM Camp-style (starting June 8) 8 AM worship service This year we will have an 8 AM worship service. This service will be a primarily spoken service with minimal music. This service will include a Sermon and Holy Communion. Because this service is a bit simpler, we are looking for the following assistance: 1 Assisting minister: The assisting ministry will also serve as lector 1 Communion assistant 2 Ushers/Greeters: The job of ushers & greeters has been merged for this 8 AM service. The job as usher/greeter will be to hand out bulletins and greet the parishioners. There will be offering plates in the Narthex. We will also ask you to monitor the plates and put them at the usher station desk after the service has begun. Right before the service ends, bring the plates back out in the event that someone wants to place an offering in the plate at the end of the service. 1 Light/Sound: If you are both an usher and also a lights and sound volunteer, you would be able to both usher and monitor the sound board at the same service. If you are offering music at the 9:30 AM service, we invite you to also share this gift at 8 AM. 9:30 worship service Most Sundays the 9:30 worship service will follow our traditional worship liturgy. The first Sunday of every month, Devotion, the church’s praise band, will lead a contemporary worship service. Weather permitting, these services will be held outside in the pavilion. 6:30 Wednesday service We will offer an intergenerational and child friendly worship services on Wednesday nights (Outside, weather permitting). We will begin with a worship service that will last between 35-40 minutes. This will be followed by a faith-formation activity, likely a craft. After this we will have a snack and folks are free to play on the church’s playground. Some special Sundays: June 12: Celebration of Pastor Straw’s 50th Anniversary of Ordination following 9:30 service July 24: Lutheran Community Outreach (LCO) Evening Vesper Service, 6:30 PM, Lititz Spring Park August 14: We will have our 8 AM service and then at 10 AM we will have Worship in the Park, the LCO Outdoor Service at the Lititz Spring Park Bandshell with picnic to follow. Critical Financial Update from Council Dear Congregation, At their May meeting, the Church Council initiated a process to re-establish the congregation's financial health. Current Financial Status: - Over the past few years, the church has needed to borrow significantly to make payroll and for building maintenance. As of May 1, the church has over $110,000 in debt. - While the church has only a slightly negative operative balance for the year, we anticipate a shortfall this summer as a full-time pastor is now on staff and we experience a likely summer reduction in giving. Furthermore, we anticipate that we will not be able to meet our financial obligations in the fall. Proposed Framework: - While Council is hopeful about increasing stewardship in the long-term, Council believes that in the short-term we will need to reduce staff hours in order to reduce spending for wages and close the gap between revenue and expenses. - Council is separately developing a plan for the summer and the fall. - Council is committed to communicating to the congregation about this process and decisions that will be made. Proposed Timeline: - Church Council President Al Rothermel will address the congregation starting May 29th on a regular basis with our progress towards our financial goals. Council will also include updates in the bulletin and newsletter. - The Stewardship Committee met on May 19 to discuss options for increasing giving and revenue. - The Finance Committee has a meeting on June 7 to discuss proposed reductions in staffing for the summer; finance committee will also meet later this summer to put together a staffing plan that meets the ministry needs of the congregation within the constraints of the current levels of giving. - The CELC is continuing discussion concerning their contribution to the operating expenses of the church. - At the June 14 Council meeting, Council will finalize a summer plan based on the recommendations of the Stewardship and Finance Committee. During this meeting, the process for a fall budget and staffing plan will also begin. In addition, Council will evaluate effective means of communicating this important information to the congregation. The Church Council and Pastor remain confident of the ability of this congregation to fund the ministry to which we have been called. We thank you for your generosity to the ministry over the years. We recognize that the proposed budget changes will not be without challenge. Please continue to keep the congregation, staff and council in your prayers. Also keep your eyes open for more information about the process and on ways in which you can give your input. In Christ, St. Paul Church Council WORSHIP ASSISTANTS May 29 8:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. Acolyte Kendall Eby A. Min. Jenny Bitzer (& Lector) Gayle Stauffer Lector Reba Oberlin Com. Asst. Need 1 Need 3 Greeters Joyce Groff, Nancy Weiss Altar Guild Nancy Weiss, Debbie Herr, Deb Herr Com. Bread Deb Herr Flowers Warren & Nancy Weiss Nursery Cory & Karen Troxell Lights/Snd. Tom Kilhefner Ushers Karl Usner’s Team 11 Comments are closed.
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ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH, LITITZ, PA
