FAITH FLAME 2015 Faith’s Mission Statement We are Faith Lutheran Church, members of the Body of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit calls us today to share God’s love and grace for your life through worship, study, fellowship and service. STAFF AT FAITH Church Office - (561) 848-4737 Transition Pastor - Rev. Ken Fuehler Music Director - Dr. David McCalla Contemporary Music Director - Janet Cunningham Pre-School - (561) 848-4737 Toddlers - (561) 842-2487 School Director - Kathy Knudtson New Day- (561) 844-0012 Director- Julie Tombari Sunday Services 8:15 AM Morning Service with Communion 9:30 AM Contemporary Worship with Communion 10:30 AM Coffee Fellowship 11:00 AM Formal Traditional Service with Communion Bible Studies times are listed on “Bible Study Options” page PASTORKEN’SKENNECTIONFORAPRIL We were stunned at the beginning of March with the sudden death of George Sylvester. His memorial service was on Saturday, March 7, with 250-275 worshipers on hand to praise and thank God for being permitted to know and love a Christian gentleman and leader. Truly one of our “great ones.” We look for God’s continued presence and blessings upon Elaine and family. It was unfortunate that many of you didn’t have the opportunity to see our Pre-School’s Art Show on Friday, April 6. Children really have a gift with colors. Do you remember how full and active Sunday, March 8, was? Boy, I do! Since I make every effort not to be here on Monday morning, I didn’t set the alarm and slept in until 8:30 a.m.—having gone to bed at about 9:30 p.m.. Wow, that was nice! Even more “wow” was what we accomplished through our Voters Meeting and our Transition Team’s Mission and Vision Workshop (see below). I thank the 50 or so who attended. It really became a very constructive and productive two hours. Also, I didn’t advertise it, actually forgetting to, but I paid for that lunch out of my Pastor’s Discretionary Fund. I do use that fund regularly to assist others. I funded it with a memorial gift we received last Summer, and it has been very important in the lives of many. But, it wasn’t designed to provided lunch—no matter how special the guests (you). So, if you would like to reimburse my fund the $250 the lunch cost others, please make your checks payable to Faith Lutheran Church and put on the memo or on your envelope “Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.” Thanks! My thanks to the Youth Group for sponsoring a Family Movie Night. It was nice to see a bunch of families enjoy a fun movie. AND my thanks to all of you who joined me for the North Palm Beach Heritage Day Parade. We’ll be sure to show you our bright yellow t-shirts. I know you won’t receive this until March 29 (and some later) and I forgot (again) to remind you that March has FIVE Sundays. And, I’ve challenged you before—as I am now—to make a special gift to Faith in the amount of the Sunday. Thus, March’s fifth Sunday is a 29. So any special donation that has “29" in it would be a nice gift. I’m giving my $29.00 to the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund as a gift separate from the paragraph above. Will you join me? I pray you do? HOLY WEEK began March 29 with a Palm Sunday Procession leading us into Passion Sunday when we apply the thoughts of Psalm 130—a penitential psalm—to traditional Scripture readings for the Day. During these seven holy days we gather on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. for worship services fitting to the solemnities of the specific Day. On Maundy Thursday we hear traditional Scripture readings, briefly consider Jesus’ Parable of the Great Banquet, celebrate Holy Communion and chant Psalm 22 while Stripping the AltarTable. On Good Friday we hear traditional Scripture readings, briefly consider Jesus’ Parable of Landowner and the Tenants, and during the Tenebrae Sequence read selections from The Passion of Our Lord from St. Mark. Easter Day, April 5, we come together to celebrate THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD with our traditional orders of service at 8:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. including traditional hymns, our voice and bells choirs—all supported with our magnificent organ. Our contemporary order of service rejoices at 9:30 a.m.—supported by our new drummer! With the many blessings I and others have been receiving through our Lenten weekday services blending the themes of Lent with select parables, our Easter Sunday message will be structured around Jesus’ Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. We celebrate Holy Communion in all our worship services and, as we did during the Christmas Season, we will use white wine during the Easter Season. Easter Day begins the Great 50 Days of Easter. For seven weeks we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and on Pentecost Day (the 50th day) we rejoice over the reception of the recreating Holy Spirit on the “birthday” of the Church. It’s a red-letter day! During this Season of seven Sundays, the appointed First Reading in all three liturgical years are from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. So I invite you to join me as we follow along with St. Luke as he records the early history of the Church. This can be an exciting venture of experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus’ disciples, Paul, and believers move forward with great faith and courage—an inspiring story! On Easter Day our Transition Team will present to you our new Mission Statement accompanied by four new Vision Statements. You will be given an opportunity to respond to them in person and by email during the following two weeks. Also on Easter Day, I hope to present you with a quick survey to (once again) ask you about worship preference related to SUMMER time scheduling. The Board of Discipleship needs to plan in advance, much coordination needs to be accomplished, and we should have a large group from whom to get opinions. I THANK YOU in advance for taking the time to fill out the card and return it. I’m looking forward to the Benefit Fund Raiser for our New Day Adult Care Center — SUNSET AND SEA GRAPES, April 9, Jupiter Civic Center, 6:00 p.m. Last year I thoroughly enjoyed the evening filled with great food, music, and lots of interesting people. However, I was surprised that only four (4) of Faith’s members were present—though I don’t know how many of you contributed but did not attend. Tickets for this fun evening, that includes many raffles and door prizes, are only $60 for you (that’s a $10 discount). If you can’t go, buy a ticket and give it to a friend. I’m planning on taking-off the weekend of April 10-12 as a post-Lent renewal. The Rev. Andrew Schroeder (better know here as Vicar Andy), Lake Oconee Lutheran Church, Eaton, GA, will be our guest presider/proclaimer. He also is here to participate in the Holy Baptism of Tobias Worrell, son of Ed and Erin Worrell, though better know as Kathy McCoy’s grandson. Great day...be on hand! As you know, I am a St. Louis Cardinal fan. Born and bred in St. Louis makes it very difficult not to be. I was pleased and somewhat surprised by how many guests we had during March who came to worship with us and attend the Cardinal spring training games. I’ve suggested to some that next year a big red bird (“Freddie the Red Bird” is their mascot at home) should be placed out front to let baseball fans know we welcome them—then, too, we might put a billboard out in center field. This month we again have been given the opportunity to host a Gold Coast Women’s Via de Cristo Weekend, now at #90. I recently happened to learn that Betty Sither attend #4. For this weekend Janet Cunningham, our Praise Team Director, will be the Rectora (weekend leader). They setup on April 15 and the weekend is April 16-19. Matt Henshaw and Michael Schankin were on the Men’s Team in March and Michael Taylor, who sings in our praise band, was the Rector (weekend leader) for it. I know I’ve forgotten many items of interest to me and you. But, I should tell you that Cheryl (#--), Linnie (#5) and Miles (#9) celebrate birthdays in my family over the course of two weeks. Cheryl took Linnie to “Build a Bear” and we had sticker shock at what her new stuffed, multicolored bunny, Annabelle, cost! May God bless all parents these days with health and wealth. And, no, we don’t know when Cheryl will be back; she sure does miss you all (and me). And, I will be going to NC for a vacation after the FL-GA District Convention in June. Thanks for reading. It’s good to look back and look ahead. See you every Sunday. STEWARDSHIPENCOURAGEMENTfromourLCMS—April,2015 “And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? . . . I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you? Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” (Matthew 20:11–15). Entry into the Kingdom of heaven is by grace not by works. And this is the point of the parable. Those hired first received the same wage as those hired last. Those hired first, even though they bore the heat of the day, received the same wage as those hired last. Entry into the kingdom comes by grace, by the gracious call and invitation of the owner of the vineyard. And we chafe against this. We, like those hired first, object to the master’s decision. We begrudge him because of his generosity. We think that those who labored longer should receive a greater wage. And we protest that it’s not fair. But that is precisely the point. It’s not fair. It’s by grace. It’s given from God’s undeserved love and kindness, not by merit. So we should rejoice. For to ask for fairness, to ask to be treated by what deserve and have earned, is simply to ask for hell. For God owes us nothing. For by grace you are saved, by his undeserved love and mercy. And even though it was undeserved, that doesn’t mean it was cheap. It wasn’t cheap, but costly. It cost God the Father His own Son. It cost the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, His very life. God’s grace is costly grace. It costs us nothing but the cost for God was great. For it was achieved by the shedding of the holy and precious blood and the innocent suffering and death of Jesus. And it is by that shed blood that God by grace calls us to be His own. It is by that death that God by grace gives us entrance into His kingdom. He doesn’t owe us. We’re not entitled to anything from God. He is not indebted to us. We are indebted to Him. For we have not lived as He mattered most. We have not loved Him with our whole heart, body, mind, and soul, with all that we are and all that we have. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve his temporal and eternal punishments. But unlike us, He doesn’t hold this debt over our heads. He has instead place our debt upon the head of His Son, and His Son has taken it willingly so that we would be forgiven and free. For reasons all His own God has determined to love us. He has taken the punishment we deserve upon himself. He has given gifts to those whom He knows would take it for granted. This is grace. He is kind, forgiven, steadfast. He is slow to anger and abounding in love. For the kingdom of heaven is entered by grace, by His giving not our earning. He is allowed to do what He chooses with what belongs to Him. But it doesn’t work the same way with us. For what belongs to us? Nothing. We belong to Him, by water and His Name. He purchased and won us from sin, death, and the devil by His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, so that we would be His own special possession. Thus, we have nothing of our own, it all belongs to Him. We are stewards of what He has given to us. And so we give of ourselves, all that we are and all that we have, to those whom God has placed us to care for in our vocations of members of a family, society, and the church. And if He has done all this for us, how can we not do with everything that He gave us likewise? SUNDAYS OF LENT — PSALMS OF THE PENITENT This Lenten Season, as in centuries past, we are using psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs focusing on the cross of Christ for our salvation from all that would separate us from God’s love. The psalms are the seven Penitential Psalms — a name given to Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143 already in the sixth century AD. Luther’s lectures on these psalms comprised the first work he himself published. Join us each Sunday as we sequentially use these psalms in worship and as the basis of The Message. March 29th - Palm Sunday — The Penitent Waits Patiently on the Lord, Psalm 130 CHILDREN ! . . . “LET’S GROW INTO LENT” For the six Sundays in Lent and for Easter Sunday our Children’s Times will have a theme. Each one relates to Jesus’ journey to the cross by focusing on a different garden-themed lesson from Scripture. Our children will also receive a complementary 40-day devotional booklet and Sunday handouts. March 29th - Palm Sunday — Next Stop Paradise April 5th - Easter Sunday — It’s Not the Gardener MaundyThursday,April2—“ReceivetheMeal” TheGreatBanquet•Luke14:7‐24 Thoseinlowpositionsareinvitedtoaplaceofhonorbythehost.We whoarehumbledbyoursinsandoutcastbytheworldarewelcomedbyChristto dineathisHolySupper. GoodFriday,April3—“ReceivetheSacri ice” TheLandownerandtheTenants•Matthew21:33‐45 Tenantsinavineyardkillthesonthemastersenttogathertheharvest.TheSonofGodiskilledthat wemightreceivethekingdom. April 5, 2015 Celebration Worship Services 8:15, 9:30 & 11:00 AM Easter Breakfast, served in the Michel Building From 8:00 —10:45 AM Free will offering The Men of Faith will be cooking the breakfast and the youth will help serve. It will be a free will donation. All proceeds will go towards our new program that we are doing with "No Warrior Left Behind—The Sylvester Project". Invite your family and friends! Special Price of $60 for Advanced purchases for Faith Lutheran CongregaƟon and Employees Special Price of $60 for Advanced purchases for Faith Lutheran CongregaƟon and Employees First Care Walk and Run for Life! Saturday April 11, 2015 at John Prince Park Walk starts at 9:00 AM 5K Run starts at 7AM Come out and support First Care, a wonderful Palm Beach County organization that supports babies and their families by providing life changing services. Sign up in the narthex or at First-Care.org and look for the Faith Lutheran NPB team. If you can’t attend, please consider sponsoring a walker. For more information, please contact Susan Russo at 561 622 9745. Brandon Hernandez participated on the championship team for the North Palm Beach Basketball League. The team was lead by Coach David Hernandez. Congratulations! Meredith Fortini will be dancing in “Wonderland”, Ballet Palm Beach at the Eissey Campus Theatre, April 10th at 7:30 PM and April 11th at 4:00 PM. Robin Seitz is volunteering with Human Trafficking and Human Right campaigns. It’s Graduation Season! We cherish the opportunity to honor our Graduates! In addition to our high school graduate, I need the help of the congregation to gather information on our college and master’s degree graduates. Also, adults may be honored as well. If you completed a certification or any other education program this year, please let us know. Please contact Diana Bly in the church office with the information. Thank you for your help! Food Pantry News Please continue your food donations, see suggestion list for groceries needed and thank you for your past and continued giving. Suggested List for Food Pantry—Only Non-perishable food please. Suggested List for food pantry—only imperishable food please! Beans Peanut Butter Canned Fruit Pop-Top Cans Canned Meat, Tuna Powdered or Canned Milk Diced Tomatoes, Paste Rice Mac & Cheese Soup Pasta Spaghetti Sauces Watch the Weekly Parish Notes for special requests of needed food items. Our Food Pantry is open to the public on Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and from 2:00—4:00 PM Faith Lutheran Church presents Dr. Jennifer Pascual in Concert Saturday, May 9th at 6:30 PM Faith Lutheran Church—555 US Hwy 1; North Palm Beach, FL Dr. Jennifer Pascual, the organist of the Cathedral of St. Patrick in New York City will perform on our 20-rank Casavantes pipe organ on Saturday, May 9th at 6:30 PM. She is the first woman to hold this position and earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance from Eastman School of Music where she studied with David Higgs. She also holds a Master of Music degree in piano performance where she studied with Nina Svetlanova and organ with McNeil Robinson. She received the Bachelor of Music degree in piano and organ performance, magna cum laude and the Music Education degree from Jacksonville University in Florida. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists, Arch Diocesan Music Commission, Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians, Liturgical Organists Consortium, and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and is a frequent recitalist at national conventions. She has performed in Russia, Austria, Canada, Italy, the Philippines and the United States. She hosts a radio talk show and her CD’s are on the JAV label available at www.pipeorgancds.com. Dr. Pascual is an organist in the World Library Publication 8 – DC recording of Psalms and Ritual Music. Free-will offering—Reception follows in the Michel Building. On behalf of the Women of Faith I am pleased to announce that Carol Rousseau has volunteered to serve as Secretary for the Women of Faith. We would like to thank Carol and also Joan Kmetz who will remain as Treasurer and Jane Lerner who is now Vice President. The next meeting for the Women of Faith will be on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at 10:00 AM. We will have a brief meeting and then remain to start assembling new Chrismons (Christmas ornaments) for our Christmas tree we have in the sanctuary every year. Many of our ornaments are very old and falling apart. Please remember ANY and ALL women are members of the Women of Faith! So please pack a lunch (dessert provided) and join us for the meeting and fellowship as we work together to serve the Lord! The Women’s Prayer Breakfast is Saturday, May 9th at 10:00 AM. Men of Faith will be serving. Many Blessings, Linda Seitz President, Women of Faith Are You In Jeopardy? Fear Not! Ruth: 3:11 “And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.” COMBINED TREASURE COAST AND SOUTH PALM BEACH LWML SPRING RALLY OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH—LAKE WORTH April 11, 2015 8:30 AM to 1:15 PM We will serve the Lord with gladness with our Gifts from the Heart by The Soup Kitchen of Boynton Beach, Florida: Items needed and that can be found at a Dollar store or other stores: Baby diapers Baby food Baby wipes Baby shampoo Registration is $8.00. Forms available in the Narthex. Please call Tina at 561-304-4714 if you have any questions or need directions. Sunday Morning Studies Adult Bible Study – Join us in the Michel Building Multi-Purpose Room at 9:20 AM for a course in Christianity - “God Connects” . Sisters in the Word - A 12 week study of the Epistle of James. Please join us in the Chapel from 9:20 AM—10:20 AM. Led by Magdala Ray “The Book of Isaiah Bible Study” - Meets in the Library @ 9:20 AM. Led by Larry Hess. Middle School & High School Bible Study - Grades 6 - 12 meets upstairs Youth Room of the Michel Building at 11:00 AM. Led by Lisa Fortini and David Hernandez. Weekday Bible Studies Men’s Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets at 7:30 AM in the Michel Building. All men are welcome. Women’s Tuesday Morning Bible Study - meets at 10:00 AM in the Michel Building. All ladies wel- come. We are studying the book of Galatians. Call or email Fran at williamhickman5004@att.net if you having any questions. Home Bible Study at the home of Tom & Sally Schwartz Bible Study at the Schwartz’s is the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. All are welcome. The program begins at 6:30 PM and includes potluck dinner, fellowship and Bible Study, ending promptly at 9:00 PM. Call for info and directions @ 622-4946. Every Wednesday Bible Study at Tommy & Pily Tucker’s home, 504 Harbour Rd., North Palm Beach. Phone # 346-3363. Reading thru the Bible with discussion, 7:00 PM dinner, 7:30 PM Bible Study. Everyone welcome! Our Faith Family In Need of Prayer Sandy Aiken, Bill Cahill, Ardie Davis, Kenitha Drury, Mekailah Drury-Enge, Mary Evelyn, Laura Fulton, Judith Gonnerman, Matt Henshaw, Larry & Sharon Hess, Dave Johnson, Linda Keller, Audrey & Howard Kittelberger, Joan Kmetz, Mal & Ruth Knudson, Dana Leininger, Connie Luneke, Kathy McCoy, Curtis Mertz, Irma Meyer, Jean Miller, Michael Schankin, Tom & Sally Schwartz, Edwina Scofield, Tom Schuemann, Edna Seitz, Jim Stilwell, Rosie Stilwell, Monica Trautsch, Rich Walker, and Sharon Wiley. Prayers for the extended family of Faith Betty Sither’s nephew Richard, & little Steele; Marcia Brancolino’s relative, Charlie Bottoms; Fran Hickman’s son, Billy; Larry & Sharon Hess’ daughter, Meg Aumick; Tracy O’Daniell. Ron Woita’s friend, Robert Lowe Jr., Trish Schankin’s friends: Scott Campbell, Debbie Baldwin; Karen Terry’s sister, Donna Suggs, Carol Schmidt’s friend, Patricia MacWay Pena; Carol Rousseau’s daughter, Patty; Bill & Barb Cahill’s friend, Dick Perry, former member, Steve Stanley, Walt & Sharon Wiley’s son-in-law, Scott, Tom & Sally Schwartz’s son, Thom and Gail Bolognese’s friends Kerry Lynn Brumley, Kimberly Brumley, Vicky Tanner-Russell, Larry Ray Wegner, Susan Wegner, Bertha DiPaolo’s son Ralph Petrarca. 1 Sabine Mach-Gerhardy 2 Nancy Meyer 4 Walt Wiley 6 Audrey Kittelberger Quan Tran 8 Magdala Ray 12 Rachel Fulton 15 Alan Fiers Laura Fulton Arline Reilly 21 22 27 28 29 Beth Henshaw Curtis Mertz Lisa Fortini Charles Kouvelas Parry Bolognese Connie Luneke 30 Kathy Knudtson 23 Larry & Sharon Hess George Sylvester Went home to be with the Lord MOF—Quarter Auction Monday, March 2, 2015 April 30th—6:00 PM A Funeral was held here at Faith on March 7th. Charity of the Month Grandma’s Place I hope you took time to visit Faith Lutheran’s Art Show and Book Fair last month. We sold $2400 in books and our silent art auction raised $591. More than 60 school families enjoyed the art made by all of the students from infants through our school age after school program. A big thank you goes out to Sara Uppena who ran the book fair again this year. Sara’s parents, who live in Wisconsin, visit during our fair to help with her four children and help with the many events that happen on our campus the week of the fair. Did I mention, Sara’s children do not attend Faith! They aged out of our program. She truly has a servant’s heart and a love for our school. Coming in May, Faith Lutheran will be our National Lutheran School’s Accreditation site visit and the end of the school year Noah’s Ark presentation (May 14th at 7:00 PM) by our preschool students. We welcome volunteers. ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Buy a Calendar from Faith Lutheran School’s Art Fair and showcase children’s art all year long! This 13 month calendar starts in June 2015 and goes through June 2016. This calendar makes a great gift for family. Place your order soon with Kathy Knudtson at 842-2487 or drop off this order form in the Church office. ________Quantity x’s $5.00 _____________ Total Paid Name: _________________________________________ Telephone # _____________________________________ Spring Cleaning??? Wan ng to De‐clu er your closets and drawers??? Clean out your garage??? Save all your gently used items for the next Women of Faith Rummage Sale Friday, May 22nd and Saturday May 23rd You may bring your dona ons beginning Sunday, May 3rd to the Mul ‐purpose room in the Michel Building. Many hands are needed to facilitate this event, please come and donate your me be‐ ginning Monday, May 18th to help set‐up tables; and Tuesday through Thursday begin‐ ning at 9:00 AM to place and price items. Volunteers are also needed to work the days of the sale and to clean up a er the sale.
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