From Pastor's Desk
Throughout this year I have been discussing and talking about the church year. I have been discussing how the many seasons, feasts, and festivals have been celebrated throughout the year.
The month of October happens while we are still in the long season of Pentecost. As Lutherans in October we celebrate the Reformation. Reformation Day falls on October 31st. This was the day Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
Normally the Reformation is celebrated on the nearest Sunday, usually not on a weekday. Lutherans have been celebrating the Reformation since the 16th Century.
In fact Luther wrote this to Nikolaus Von Amsdorf on Nov 1st 1527, "Ten Years after the indulgences have been destroyed, in memory of this we both drink and are comforted at this hour."
In the 1800s when Lutherans came to America they also started to celebrate the Reformation. In fact, the Reformation became a day to remember for the majority of American Protestants.
The Reformation should be a positive holiday. One in which we thank God for the many gifts he has given to us. Including the scripture he has given to us, Salvation by Grace, and also recognizing the universal priesthood of all believers. These are some of the things that Luther championed in his day, and we can champion in our day.
Some of the information was taken from:
Kleinhans, Theodore J. The Year of the Lord: The Church Year: Its Customs, Growth & Ceremonies. St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1967.
LWML SUNDAY
LWML Sunday will be observed October 9th with a special service theme “For Us and With Us,” based on Romans 8:31-29.
LWML News
St. Peter LWML has been assigned a Seminarian for the 2022-2023 school year by the Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne. He is James Haugen who is a fourth year student. He and his wife, Michaela, have a daughter, Ella, who was born July 11, 2021. He just finished his vicarage at St. Paul, Napoleon. We will support him and his family with a monthly monetary stipend during the current school year. Besides the monetary gifts, we have promised to encourage him with our prayers and we hope you will join us in this service. His home church is Saint John Lutheran Church-Strongsville, OH. His address at the seminary is 6600 North Clinton Street – Campus Box 250 – Ft. Wayne, IN 46825. We look forward to James and his family joining us for worship services sometime in the next few months.
LWML Christian Life Workshop
Sunday, October 23 – All ladies are welcome to attend the Defiance Zone LWML
CHRISTIAN LIFE WORKSHOP, beginning at 2 pm at St. John Lutheran Church, Openlander and Lockwood Roads, west of Sherwood. The theme is “Israel, a Land Where Jesus Walked,” based on Matthew 8:10. Guest speaker, Judy Kaufmann will tell us about her tour of Israel.
Fort Wayne Seminary Food Bank
Ft. Wayne Seminary Food Bank - During the months of October and November we will again concentrate on collecting seasonal baking supplies for the seminarians and their families. Some ideas are: Flour (all kinds), sugar (all kinds), cookie, brownie and cake mixes, cocoa, molasses, baking chocolates, nuts, frostings, decorations, etc. Also cold weather OTC medicines, lotions, and lip balm. Bring your donations to the church and put them in the box on the table in the narthex.
Reformation Day Dinner
Mark your calendar the Congregational Reformation Day Potluck Dinner is October 30th after the worship service. Dust off your favorite German recipes, prepare one and bring it to our Reformation Dinner Potluck. If you do not have a German recipe, there will be German recipes posted on the bulletin board that may interest you to try. Also, there will be a sign-up sheet located on the bulletin board in the narthex. Brats, hot dogs, buns, beverages and table service will be provided. Some suggestions for the potluck dishes could be: German potato salad, red cabbage, German sauerkraut, German noodles, or German coffee cake. Come and learn more about the Reformation. If you have questions please contact either Jim or Judy Meyer.
Greetings from Preschool!!
Our Preschool year is off to a great start as the children are getting to know each other and learn the routines in the classroom. The children have been learning about the Creation story and had their 1st Chapel meeting with Pastor Stuenkel as well as our 1st trip to the Florida Library! They have begun learning their colors, numbers, and letters and all about Apples. Our class will begin their Fall & Pumpkin study for October and will celebrate Fire Safety week with a visit from Flatrock Fire Dept. We look forward to our 1st Field trips to Mahnke Orchard with the 3 year old class and T22 Farms & Pumpkin Patch with the 4 & 5 year old class! Our Fall Storytime & Craft is planned for Friday, September 27 at 4:30 pm. Also a BIG thank you goes out to our Trustees for all their help with our playground...it looks great and we appreciate you!!
Mrs. Arce
