September 2013
Peace Talk Peace Lutheran Church
570-343-9828
www.yourpeace.org
Rally Day is Sunday, September 8th! We are looking forward to the kickoff of our Fall ministries here at Peace Lutheran Church! Vacation Bible School was a fabulous success (one of the best in recent memory with well over 40 children registered!) and we pray we can build on that success! Let us Rally around the Cross! Sinners forgiven - that is who we are! Our Sunday schedule beginning Sept. 8th is as follows: 8:15 Worship with Holy Communion every Sunday 9:20 Gather for Education Hour for children and adults 10:30 Worship with Holy Communion on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. During our Sept. 8th worship we will be blessing all our Sunday School and Academy students. We will also hear from and bless/install our Sunday School and Academy staff. There are 12 students at the Academy and at least 25 children affiliated with our congregation who should be in Sunday School! We hope to have 5 of those students in Confirmation this year! WE WILL ALSO PRAY FOR OUR FAMILIES!!!! They are the incubators of our children and need to be supported in all things. Let us encourage one another in our beautiful Christian faith!
Heaven and Earth are Witnesses! Deut. 30:15-20 (ESV) "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
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 Our 7th Academic Year Begins! Mr. Ky Betts will be helping Pastor Bjornstad with the Music education at the Academy - as well as helping out with the Art education! We are excited! We have temporary help to fill in presently, but we are still looking for a permanent worker for our Before and After School Child Care Position at the Academy. Early morning shift from 7am 8:30am and from 3:00-6:00pm available for responsible, caring, child care worker who is a committed Christian (either or both shifts). 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.
Hip Hip Hooray!!!
A brand new school year has begun!! At the Preschool, Kindergarten, and the Academy we are anticipating a year full of GOING and GROWING! On our calendar for the year we have planned trips to Millers Orchard, the University of Scranton for the International Students Festival, Giant Food Store to shop for the North Scranton Food Pantry, and the Scranton Health Care Center to sing and bring cheer. Those are just a few of our GOING opportunities. Many more always pop up throughout the year. Each of them is an opportunity to experience a bigger picture of the beautiful world that God has made and live out our faith in Christ! GROWING comes through these experiences as well as through many other ways! Some are our daily time together in God's word; our studying of phonics, grammar, and the ancient times; and as we learn to make beautiful music together! GROWING happens when we are challenged to love each other always, even when we may not like each other. This happens at centers, recess, gym, and project time! We are so blessed to have each other on this GOING, GROWING journey!! So far we have 15 students enrolled in our PreK/K program and 12 students enrolled at the Academy, with many new families in the mix! In addition to the former teachers we have a new art teacher, a new preschool aide, and new morning care and aftercare staff. We are blessed to have YOU on this GOING and GROWING journey! What would we do without your visits, your gifts, but most of all your prayers!!! We thank you so much for all the ways that you support our schools!
- Mrs. Lori Mandile, Principal, The Lutheran Academy
MARRIED COUPLE'S INVITATIONAL STARTS UP AGAIN! We have been missing our special time to grow as couples! Come and join us! Calling all married couples in our congregation - and your married friends as well! Amy and Ky Betts will lead us in our FIRST MEETING which will be Saturday, September 7th from 6-8pm!
Goat for Dinner The young couple invited their elderly pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having. "Goat," the little boy replied. "Goat?" replied the startled man of the cloth, "Are you sure about that?" "Yep," said the youngster. "I heard Dad say to Mom, 'Today is just as good as any to have the old goat for dinner.' "
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth! LADIES GUILD/LWML! Monica Bjornstad was very inspired at the LWML convention this past summer in Pittsburgh with a plea from Lutheran World Relief's president. He has set a goal for all Lutherans everywhere in this country to make 500,000 QUILTS for needy children and families around the world. The regular Ladies Guild meeting is on the first Thursday of the month and all women of the congregation are invited to that, but she would love to gather women AND men together to see if WE can contribute to the 500,000 quilt goal! If anyone is interested in making quilts, please contact Monica at 343-9828! YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MAKING QUILTS FOR LWR at www.lwr.org!
PEACE YOUTH NEWS!
Ar Tom lene a nd hos Jones w Sep t our n ill ex te Fell mber t 22 ows hip !
Youth Choir and Activity Night will start up again Sept.6th at 6:30! Julie Paddock is helping Pastor Bjornstad with activities… but we need someone else to help as Tina Goble is suffering from sickness again. PLEASE HELP by calling Pastor Bjornstad or talking to Julie! WE NEED A VAN DRIVER FOR SUNDAY MORNINGS TO PICK UP CHILDREN FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL! CONFIRMATION CLASS WILL BEGIN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 AT 7PM! This class can be a terrific outreach! If there are youth (gr. 6-8) in your neighborhood or family, BRING THEM! OCTOBER 11th is our YOUTH LOCK IN!!!! All Jr. High and Sr. High youth BE THERE! ALSO: Sunday mornings are going to be AWESOME with Pastor Bjornstad leading Youth Bible Study!!! If he can figure out how to do it, he is wanting to have youth/ adult BELL PRACTICE during the hour as well. But somehow we need to find a SPACE for lound noises!
WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL LIFE at Peace Lutheran Church SEPTEMBER 8 is 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! SEPTEMBER WORSHIP THEME: "The Family Whose Way is the Lord's" NEW ADULT BIBLE STUDY LEADERS for Sunday Mornings! Elders Ky Betts and Chuck Mercer, along with Church Council President Chad Tyk will take turns leading Bible Study! (Pastor will be downstairs with the youth.) Come and share the faith with your fellow pilgrims on the way to heaven! AMANDA KILGUS IS BAAACK from her summer away!!!! We are looking forward to her leadership at the organ and with Choir! Choir rehearsals are scheduled for Thursdays at 7pm (starting Sept. 5) and we have lots of work to do to praise the Lord and bless our worship! WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR VOICE JOIN US! The Adult choir will alternate with the Youth Chori which is
NEWS AND NOTES:
CHURCH'S SUMMER FINANCIAL DISTRESS: Peace Lutheran Church is such a blessing to so many
ERIKA BJORNSTAD had a very blessed summer at Camp Pioneer. She did come home for a little over a week, but is now beginning her Jr. year at Concordia Univerisity, St. Paul, MN. HOWEVER, she is quite unsettled there because there is a certain young man named Caleb who is attending Concordia University IRVINE, CA. :)
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 through the church!
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 still negotiating with the insurance company on fixing it, but pray that it is fixed soon! KNOBLE'S FAMILY TRIP ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 20th was blessed with SAFETY as just before the Dorrance exit south of Wilkes Barre the rear tire of the van destructed and the van sustained damage which made replacing the tire and continuing impossible. After getting everyone home by other drivers Pastor and Daryl Smallcombe returned to the van and got it to a repair shop and now it is (thankfully) repaired and sitting in its proper place! Praise the Lord!!!
PLEASE PRAY: + For Betty Rohmann who fell and broke her leg and after multiple surgeries is recovering nicely in rehab. + For the start of the new academic year for all Lutheran educational institutions, and for our Fall ministries here at Peace Lutheran + 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.
PRAISE GOD FOR HEALING GIVEN KEN WILLIAMS! Here we see him after attending worship for the first time after his sickness. He gave a tremendous testimony to the mercy of his God as he experienced Him throughout his sickness and recovery. He thanked the church for all their prayers and concerns.
All hands on deck: PEACE CHURCH'S FAMOUS POT ROAST DINNER! Tickets have been printed and some plans are underway, however, we need LOTS of help to make this Pot Roast Dinner a success! Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children! BRING IN YOUR CRAFTS TO SELL!
CHURCH HISTORY NOTE: August 28th we commemorated St. Augustine (d. 430 AD) as a great pastor and theologian. He was the inspiration behind so much of Martin Luther's thinking and the ethos of our Lutheran Church. Here is a beautiful quote from his "Confessions":
Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong – I, misshapen. You were with me, but I was not with you. They held me back far #om you, those things which would have no being, were they not in you. You ca%ed, shouted, broke through my deafness; you flared, blazed, banished my blindness; you lavished your #agrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you; I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst; you touched me, and I burned for your peace.
Above we have a picture of Audrey Russel (at 87 years!) finding her bed at our church camp out at Lackawanna St. Park. WOW!!!! Way too many of you missed out on it!!! At right we are thankful for a neighbor lady who loves to grow flowers on the sidewalk at our corner of Main and Parker St.!
Pastor Naveen Nischal was in Scranton recently and took two days of consultation with Pastor Bjornstad and other pastors in the area. As well he had a chance to meet some of our Peace Lutheran Church Council. We had discussions about him coming earlier in the year, but after some hinderances, planning is again underway to bring him and his family to Scranton for mission work. Plenty of things have to blessed by the Lord for it to all work out, especially the provision of a secular job and affordable housing for the Nischals. Please pray for many people to come to faith! If you have any good ideas, comments, suggestions, PLEASE COME TO AN NEPA Mission Partnership Meeting on Sunday, Sept. 8th at 7pm - here at Peace Lutheran - or speak with council members!
NEPA MISSION OUTREACH TO INDIAN IMMIGRANTS (Initial Proposed Ideas) Pastor Naveen Nischal would like to invite the LCMS congregations of North East Pennsylvania to join him in sharing the Gospel to the growing Indian immigrant populations in our area. There are over 3.5 million Indian immigrants in the US and over 1000 Hindu temples - including one here in Scranton. Many times Hindus have bought closed churches and made them into Hindu Temples. The East Indian religions and philosophies (such as Yoga) have grown in popularity here in our country, infiltrating our minds and hearts contrary to the revealed will of God. And yet, currently, there is NO Christian outreach speaking to this group of people in our area. Our neighborhoods are changing and the Lord is bringing the world to our doorstep here in NEPA - and He calls us to share the Gospel so many would come to faith and eternal life. What will our response be? MINISTRY PLAN: ESTABLISHMENT OF MISSION: 1. Establish a working relationship between Pastor Nischal and the congregation of Peace Lutheran Church and Pastor Bjornstad - in tight cooperation with the NEPA Lutheran Mission Partnership and all the area congregations. 2. Establish an Indian Missions Committee made up of members of area congregations (one from each is invited). This committee will support and guide the mission through its growth. BEGINNING WORK 1. Pastor Nischal will establish himself and his family in the Scranton area and support himself financially, working on Sundays and in his spare time for the ministry, supported by Pastor Bjornstad and other pastors in the mission where needed. The India Missions Committee will work hard to support and financially help Pastor Nischal to cover all his family’s daily shelter and food needs - until the mission is self supporting. 2. Gather the Christian Indian families that we know into a committed missionary fellowship along with the prayers and support of the established Lutheran congregations. 3. Study the Indian community here in NEPA, identifying where they live and work, and as well, getting to know its leadership. 4. Establish afternoon/evening worship every Sunday at Peace Lutheran Church. 5. Establish monthly events where the Indian community would be invited. Once or twice a year perhaps we can also sponsor especially large events at larger venues that might include Indian music and dance, etc... 6. Establish ESL and citizenship classes as a way of making connections with the Indian community, as well as helping them with any immigration issues. 7. Establish Cottage Prayer Meetings in homes and attend Birthday, Anniversary, and other celebrations (as they are important to the Indian family). LONG TERM GOALS/IDEAS 1. If we have a difficult time establishing a core group, perhaps we can actually sponsor two or three Christian families from India to Scranton! 2. Work very hard to integrate the Indian Christians into our established white congregation and establishing a true multicultural congregation. 3. Also reach out to Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani populations. 4. Use the model for other outreach to various other population and cultural groups. 5. Establish an International Student Ministry at Marywood and Scranton universities. 6. Within 2 years, having been blessed with good relations and work, Peace might consider extending a Divine Call to Pastor Nischal as a part time pastor.