August 2013
Peace Talk Peace Lutheran Church
570-343-9828
www.yourpeace.org
ALF Ransom Hymn Sing / Picnic Sunday, Aug 11! The Association of Lutheran Friends will be holding their annual Devotional and Picnic at Ransom Valley Lutheran Church in Ransom, PA, on Sunday, August 11 at 3:30-5pm. It is always a most blessed event for the whole family. It is free for everyone and we would be thrilled if you could come out and join us for a beautiful afternoon of fun and fellowship. Call 570-343-9828 if you need any information - or talk to Audrey! PRAISING THE LORD! Sandra McHugh gave birth to her third daughter, Alayna Coreen McHugh. Sandra and her husband Colin and her sisters (and Grandpa's and Grandma's!) are bursting with excitement! She spent a few days in the NICU but is home now and doing well! We are all looking forward to the growth of God's family through Baptism on October 6th! Always pray for our families!!!
COMING AUGUST 12-16 5:30 - 8:00 pm every day for the week! CRAFTS/BIBLE STUDY/GAMES/SNACKS/SINGING We will have FUN, FUN, FUN - all the while soaking in the everlasting and saving truths of Jesus Christ and His salvation work for us! Register at the church website or call! An A p o st o lic Mission C o n gregat ion of The Lut heran Church Missouri S y nod
The Lutheran Academy and Immanuel Preschool/Kindergarten AUGUST 15 OPEN HOUSE 6--8 PM (during VBS!): SPREAD THE WORD! SCHOOL START SOON!
TWO POSITIONS NEED TO BE FILLED AT THE ACADEMY! We are looking for the very BEST: Art Teacher Position is available at The Lutheran Academy, Scranton. One 1.5 hour class per week (sometime during the school day, time would be negotiable) with a pay of $40/wk. The position is challenging because there is a wide age range of children from first through sixth grade. Qualifications: Committed Christian who desires to be in ministry, knowledge and proficiency in a wide variety of art media, good working skills with children, BA in Art Instruction. Please call 570-343-9828 for more information or email a resume to your peace@verizon.net. Before and After School Child Care Position Available at The Lutheran Academy, Scranton: Early morning shift from 6:30 - 8:30am and from 3:00-6:00pm available for responsible, caring, child care worker who is a committed Christian. Pay is $8/hr. (possible increase depending on the number of children.) 570-343-9828 for more information or send a resume to your peace@verizon.net.
The National Youth Gathering: Live Loved On July 28 during our fellowship after church Alison McHale and Mark McHale and Marja Bjornstad shared about their experiences at the LCMS National Youth Gathering. Christian and Tim couldn't make it that Sunday and will be sharing another time! Here is Marja's sharing: "On July 1st I traveled to San Antonio, Texas for my first National LCMS Youth Gathering. The theme for this years gathering was, “Live Loved.” Who would you be if you did not love? Who would you be if you didn't believe you were loved? I can assure you that we would all be very different individuals. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 4, Jesus begins to explain what love is: love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. During one of our bible studies, I was shown that you can often replace the word “love” with “God.” So, reading that passage again but substituting “love” with “God” it would be God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. I really like this idea because I think it shows us that God is everything, even love. As our group bible studies and the mass events continued, I was struck with the realization that knowing something and understanding something are two very different things. I have known all my life that my sins are forgiven, and yet, I was never able to lift the weight of them off of my shoulders. During my stay in San Antonio, I began to understand that my sins are forgiven. And for me, that was the real difference. Two of the most important things during that week were friendship and fellowship. I loved our bible study group because it brought all of the churches from our area together and we all bonded and had a wonderful time. I, personally, was impressed by the sheer number of the gathering. There were 25,000 people attending. It was just amazing to think that we were all lutherans and that we were all coming together in fellowship. This was, by far, the most amazing trip I have ever gone on. I'm so grateful for everyones help and support. Thank you."
LCMS SYNODICAL CONVENTION HELD JULY 20-25 IN ST. LOUIS, MO. Lutheran Church Missouri Synod held its 65th Regular Synodical Convention last week. Pastor Bjornstad was the Pastoral delegate for our area circuit of churches. It was a very good convention and you can read all about it either by checking out the www.lcms.org website, or you can read Pastor's report (several are printed, or he can email it to you). We thank Chuck Mercer and Chad Tyk for leading us in worship while Pastor was out of town! Here is one sample paragraph of Pastor's Report: Tuesday: Another long day began at 8am with Morning Prayer. Once again the morning proceedings were quite exciting while the afternoon got quite bogged down. After morning worship we spent quite a bit of time on the issues of MERCY in our church. We heard reports from various agencies and partners of the church about the many Mercy efforts in progress - including Lutheran World Relief, Disaster Relief work, anti-Malaria efforts, quilt making and work against human trafficking. Best quote: "God does not need our good works... but the world certainly does." It was all very inspiring. Resolutions were also passed to emphasize the message of Biblical Sexuality, Marriage and Family, to increase (double) our foreign missionaries (currently about 125), and many other by-law changes that were cleaning up from the synodical restructuring initiated last convention. There was also a resolution proposed from the floor on women in military combat. It was very interesting in that, although delegates shied away from a firm statement on the issue, it provided something of a synodical position against it so that a woman of the LCMS would be able to claim “religious” reasons to decline a potential draft or assignment to combat.
ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM MARILYN WRIGHT ON PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4. Marilyn is not able to get out of her house so very much because of multiple physical ailments… however she is still mightily blessed with faith and love and she loves to pray for her Peace Lutheran Church every day (and especially its pastor!) She also loves to write (and is very good at it!): ...And we thought Norman Vincent Peale invented "the Power of Positive Thinking"! Apparently he was about 2,000 years behind the times, according to what Paul writes from prison to the people of the church he started in Philippi. Just imagine Paul writing that "what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Chapter 4 of Philippians is filled with Paul's ENCOURAGEMENT to the Christians in Philippi, when HE is the one you'd think would need encouraging, behind bars! He tells the Christians in Philippi to think "positive": focus on what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy, and "the God of peace will be with you."
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Paul shares that he has "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation" because "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." What a concept! Lastly, it doesn't get any more positive than what Paul tells us in verse 19: "...my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." So, yes, Dr. Peale popularized the "positive mental attitude" which describes Paul's attitude toward his jail time, but I say let's give credit where it's due, to St. Paul, who "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation": none other than Christ Jesus himself, who gives us strength! Marilyn B. Wright
WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL LIFE at Peace Lutheran Church Summer Worship begins at 9:30 AM PLEASE PLAN AHEAD FOR
SEPTEMBER 8 RALLY SUNDAY! We will commence on that day with our 8:15 am and 10:30 am Sunday Schedule, with Sunday School and Bible Study at 9:30am! Invite your friends and neighbors for this special day!
NEWS AND NOTES: MEGAN MERCER was married to Ross Merieski on July 27th and we pray the Lord's richest blessings on their marriage… and we are very happy for Megan's father Chuck and wife Marilyn!!!! THE BJORNSTAD FAMILY had a very busy vacation in MN in July and are glad to be sleeping in their own beds! Hannah will report on her fabulous experiences at the Lutheran Summer Music program at Luther College in Iowa… THERESA NICHOLS has been writing a children's book on the Kings of Israel! She writes: "God has given me the grace to write! I have been working on children's lessons from the books of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Please pray for the LORD'S continued anointing on this project. It has been in my heart for many years. Now God has brought together all the components for this undertaking. For God's glory in children's lives." BRENDA AND MARK VACCARO finalized the adoption of Jullian and Destiny this past spring and they will be baptized here at Peace on August 18th! Praise the Lord! LOOK FORWARD to the Fall start of a Married Couple's Invitationals every month with a fun new program! KYLE DEVEREAUX graduated from High School this past
CHURCH'S SUMMER FINANCIAL DISTRESS: Peace Lutheran Church is such a blessing to so many people (and it has been that way for coming up on 100 years in 2017!) We have so much going for us and we want to focus on all the beautiful things that God is doing. That being said though, this summer has been extremely difficult on our bank account. There have been terrific expenses for various problems with our church building (and unfortunately there is still more to come), but worst of all, our offerings have not even been close to what our budget needs. PLEASE know that your sacrificial offerings are GREATLY needed at this point. The Christian faith is not a faith of convenience. It is one of sacrifice. Our first fruit giving is essential to the practice of our own faith - as well as to the extension of God's Kingdom.
spring and will be entering Marywood University with aim of a business degree! Congratulations Kyle! THERE ARE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE CHURCH'S ROOF due to poor workmanship when it was installed 10 years ago, and also from storm damage. The council is attempting to figure out how to fix and pay for it. Please pray for patience in this matter!
UPDOMING EVENTS: KNOBLE'S FAMILY TRIP ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 20th! Our van is almost filled up, but we can caravan after that! FAMILY CAMPING at Lackawanna St. Park AUGUST 23-25! We have two families signed up, but let's get a couple more!
PLEASE PRAY: + For Andrew Harsche as he broke his arm in an accident. + For Betty Rohmann who fell and broke her leg and after multiple surgeries is recovering nicely in rehab. + For the summer preparations for the new academic year at The Lutheran Academy. Please pray especially for Lori Mandile as she settles into being our new principal! + For the ministry of the Gospel that is being accomplished in Pastor Brian Nichols in the church he is serving as a vacancy pastor, as well as his every day work as a Hospice Chaplain! + For our Shut In's Elwood and Edith Korban, Marilyn Wright and Trudy Makowski, Mark Herie. As well as Ken and Pat Williams. + For our Lutheran Church Missouri Synod as we continue the work of the synodical convention this past July! + Judy Herie as she tries to find new housing. + Dara Devereaux as she recovers from back surgery.