Peace Talk November 2009

Peace Talk - September 2009

Apostolic Mission Congregation of the LCMS www.yourpeace.org Pastor Kristian Bjornstad 2506 N. Main Ave. 343-9828

St. James writes: Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. - 4:13-15

FROM THE PASTOR’S HEART: The above words of James have extra weight to them only a couple days past the funeral of our dear Karl Brown who was called to his heavenly home at the age of 44 years.

Today, as in any age (I suppose), many of us are caught up in the life we try to make for ourselves. We make so many plans and revel in the anticipation of all our real and imagined successes.

And the same danger can take place in the church... We can end up making all our plans and successes our “gods,” forgeting that ALL blessings come only by the WILL of the Father of heavenly lights.

Let us concentrate on just worshiping our most fabulous and amazing God who loves us so very much! Let us seek out his Word and live in His promises as a congregation!

He will bless us as we are caught up in His Holy Spirit and overflow with His Joy and Peace!

In the Crucified and Risen Jesus’ Peace,

Pastor Bjornstad ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We Praise God for the life of Karl Brown On Saturday, September 5th, Karl Brown was taken to be with his heavenly Father. Born in baptism here at Peace, and confirmed by Pastor Nickel, he grew up and still found Peace Lutheran to be a beautiful family and “home” away from his heavenly home, as he struggled with cancer.

We pray for his mother Ramona, wife Judy, son Chris and daughter Jaclyn.

THE CHICKEN BBQ WAS A GREAT SUCCESS this past August 17th! Proceeds were over $1300 which will go to support the Alaska VBS missions next year!

Thanks especially to all who came to help and eat!

Thanks also to Thrivent Financial for Lutheran for their sponsoring support!

FALL POT ROAST DINNER! TENTATIVELY SET: Saturday, OCT. 24!

3:00 - 6:00 pm ALL HANDS ON DECK

Joshua & Amy Evans

Vacation Bible School

John Price

August 29th here at Peace, Joshua Evans and Amy McKenna were married! It was a VERY beautiful ceremony and everyone was glad!

Our 2009 VBS was a TOTALLY AWESOME week, action packed and filled with God’s Grace and Love! Praise the Lord!

John Price’s name was called an AWEFUL lot at the first (victorious) Abington game. Here he is sacking the quarterback!

Above we have some girls singing during the last day of the CHAIN Center being open.

We praise God for what ministry was done over the years. Thank you to all who helped make it a blessed place!

We had well over 40 kids registered and we had lots of older kids from the neighborhood who just had fun “hanging out”, helping out, and hearing the “Good News” of Jesus!

Pastor and Monica Bjornstad headed to BEAUTIFUL Quebec City (above) for a 20th Anniversary “honeymoon” & had a fabulous time! Monica loved taking French classes. Thank you for the vacation opportunity!

THE LUTHERAN ACADEMY, SCRANTON The third academic year of The Lutheran Academy has gotten off to a grand start with 17 children attending on August 31st, our first day!

Issac, a new first grade student at TLA!

Just to give you an idea: the Academy last year was run on a budget of $44,000. Almost $7000 of that $44,000 was supplied by individuals from Immanuel and Peace Lutheran who often times gave sacrificial gifts (see how YOU can support the Academy through the “Adopt a Child” program!) Total support from Peace Lutheran was about $22,000, and the rest of the budget was made up mostly from tuition.

We ended up the school year with a deficit of about $2000. This year we hope to do much better with tuition receipts and all of the proceeds from Pastor Bjornstad’s Pretty Good Portraits to be donated to the Academy.

MISSION PRAYERS! PLEASE PRAY FOR CARSTEN BJORNSTAD (Pastor’s father), short term missionary in Macau, China. He writes shortly after arriving there: Dear friends, The orientation continues to be enlightening. Yesterday, I learned that all ten of my American missionary colleagues raise their own support. They do this through presentations that they make in U.S. congregations at the beginning of their missionary service and every year or so after that. What they raise goes to pay their salary, rent, insurance, and travel. Synod's World Mission department facilitates the work and administers the support.

Tuition keeps the center itself operating. It pays the salaries of the Chinese staff, the rent, and equipment costs. By God's grace, things look good to make budget this term. With five American teachers on staff, we will be able attract the necessary one hundred students and earn enough tuition income to make budget. My presence brings the staff up to five. When staff is short and the number of students goes down as a result, synod's World Missions provides a subsidy to get the center through.

I have to tell you something funny. Two nights ago, three of us new-arrivals got lost. We simply stepped off the bus at the wrong stop. We knew that our apartment buildings were near, but nothing beyond that. Since the streets were a maze, and all the towering apartment buildings all looked the same, we had no sense of direction either. Fortunately, I had a card with my address in Chinese characters printed on it. I showed it to men who looked as if they might know, and we followed their pointed fingers. We finally found the apartments. What was so fun was that all three of us enjoyed the experience.

Was it because it's good to be free and foolish? In any case, I will treasure the memory.

Yours in Christ, Carsten

Book of James Scripture Reading Invitational: The Real Deal! - a sharing

by Marilyn Wright Dear Pastor Kris.....

Thanks so much for "assigning" the book of James for daily study this month, and suggesting we get together in small groups once a week to share this power-packed part of God's Word! Your internet blog comments on the daily reading have given more food for thought. I'd like to share how beautifully the bible study group, which sprang up here in my little apartment's living room, is doing!

It's been 7 years since I've participated in a small group study.

That was in Inagua, the Bahamas.

Actually, it began after many of us Christian women on the island had spent a rough but rewarding week ministering in whatever way we could to over 100 Haitian refugees who had been rescued from a sinking boat. We wanted to continue the bond we had formed across national, cultural, and racial barriers, and to continue sharing Jesus and shoring up our faith through bible study, a meal, and prayer. The time was right. We shared a meal (everyone brought something), shared our families (there were usually a couple of little kids in tow), and shared our homes (we met at the Anglican rectory, the Methodist manse, a Pentecostal missionary's "quarters" next to her church), our stories, and our faith.

I really missed those times of sharing a living faith in powerful, yet simple ways, teaching each other by example, and encouraging one another in the faith of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Then, a couple weeks ago, you forged ahead with a month-long study of James, suggesting a few small

groups form within Peace Lutheran's membership.

I contacted those with whom I shared that wonderful experience in the Bahamas, and asked them to pray for this undertaking, here, now. They did pray, and are praying for our undertaking here in Scranton. I have been blessed beyond measure in the past two weeks! This group is open to all, allowing God to do the "nudging". Week one: 3 women, 1 toddler. Week two: 5 women, same toddler, 1 man (by proxy - he made the wonderful salad we shared). I have 7 more chairs, so who knows what will happen week 3?

We start and end with prayer. We share a small "pot luck" meal. We share the Word of God, following your suggested schedule. And, we commit to pray for each other during the week, until we meet again.

It's really exciting to see Christians from different denominations coming together here, in my little apartment's living room - almost like at Pentecost! We are two Adventists, a Roman Catholic, a Lutheran/ Episcopalian/Anglican "mutt", and another who doesn't go anywhere to church. We have no trouble at all understanding past our individual leanings...like Pentecost: the "language barrier" has been broken (or the church "dividing lines" have been broken) and we are, just our little group, sharing different bibles but the same Gospel; different worship days, but the same Jesus.

And, I'm sure we'll continue after we finish the book of James....

Thanks for the "nudge"! Looks like Jesus will take it from here! And, I encourage others to pray about joining and/or hosting a small group during the week, too.

Blessings, Marilyn Wright (Yes, Marilyn still has room for YOU in her living room bible study! Give her a call: 341-1522)

++++++++++++++++++++

CONGREGATIONAL VOTER’S MEETINGS COMING UP! Please set aside Tuesday, October 6th at 7 pm for the regular Voter’s Meeting of the Congregation.

Then also we will have a short meeting after church on November 1st to elect our church officers and approve a budget.

Yes, PLEASE pray about how you might serve your beautiful church!

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES ARE NOW BROADCAST OVER THE INTERNET! Just go to www.yourpeace.org during our 10:30 worship hour and join in our worship! Thank you to Chris Jones who is helping keep it all running! This service is not only a way in which we can serve those members who cannot attend, but we are also sharing God’s Word with individuals who “drop in” as they are “cruising” the net.

CONGREGATIONAL NEEDS: • Sunday School teachers/helpers • Sunday offering counters (please!)

• Help cleaning up the CHAIN Center.

• Worship Team singers!

THE ASSOCIATION OF LUTHERAN FRIENDS!

AUGUST 28, 2009

FRIENDSHIP NOTES SPECIAL NEWSLETTER In the last newsletter we posted pictures of the vandalized state of the Ransom Valley Lutheran Church in 1989. We were celebrating how much things had changed for the better!

Little did we know that not more than a month after those pictures were published, Ransom would again be vandalized!

Pastor Bjornstad !A.L.F. board member" received a call on Sunday, Au g u s t 2 3 r d a b o u t n o o n f r o m Sharleen Palairma, who had two weeks previous made a historical presentation at Ransom Church at the August educational event/picnic. Her niece, who lives just down the road from the church had noticed the broken windows and the terrible damage and had called Sharleen.

The police were called and an investigation is underway to find out who committed the crime. Bill and Kerri Angel have been covering the windows so that no more rain damage will occur. As well, Ransom Township

is actively involved in helping A.L.F. to rectify the situation.

We are thankful for their concern and help!

At left is the 1989 picture of the state of the vandalized Ransom church.

Below are two pictures of the new vandalism. Milk jugs filled with water !which were being kept at the church to water the flowers with" had been thrown through each of the eight windows .

Hy m n a l s w e r e a l s o s t r e w n .

Despite the damage, the fact is that it could have been much worse! We praise God it wasn’t!

C u r r e n t l y Pa s t o r S e a r i n g !President" is trying to lead the A . L . F. b o a r d t o e m p l o y t h e necessary means to have the church windows repaired and the church and the grounds cleaned up. We hope to have a rededication service sometime later in September or October # TBA! Keep your eyes out for the announcement!

HELP FUND RANSOM CHURCH REPAIRS " EAT AT FRIENDLY’S! Rev. Searing has accepted an offer by Friendly's Restaurant in Dunmore to be the beneficiaries of three Friendly!s Family Fun Nights. Meals purchased between the hours of 5 and 8 will give us at least a 10% of profits to the Ransom Church fund.

So make your dinner dates for these days:

• Wednesday, September 23, !

• Wednesday, October 21 • Wednesday, November 11th.

The more people we get to Friendly!s those nights the more money we raise for the Ransom Church repairs!

KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS AT WWW.ASSOCIATIONOFLUTHERANFRIENDS.ORG

WATERMARK BAND HOSTS NEEDED! The Watermark Band WILL stay overnight on October 1st in the church, but they would APPRECIATE a bed and some beautiful hosts! If you would like to get to know a band member or two better, please contact Pastor for what is involved with hosting a band member overnight! It is ALWAYs a blessing more to the hosts than the band members!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1st 7 PM PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH!

Yes! Sunday School and Youth Group COUNT!

RALLY DAY KICKS IT OFF SUNDAY SEPT. 13 AT 9:15 AM Beverly Gedrimas, our Sunday School Superintendent, sat down with Pastor Bjornstad and planned out a whole year’s worth of activities!

Sept. 20 FOOD DRIVE - everyone is welcome to join the Sunday School in collecting food pantry items from the neighborhood! Come out at 6 pm for an hour!

October 1st we have the great BIG Watermark Concert here at Peace! Bring your friends!

Sunday, October 25th we plan on going to Miller’s Orchard after church!

CONFIRMATION STUDENTS: Our class schedule is coming up! Bring a friend to Confirmation Class!

LCMS YOUTH GATHERING IN JULY, 2010!

There are at least a group of SIX youth that are planning on going! Pastor is still TRYING to get you all together to meet and PLAN for this great adventure!!!!