Newsletter - September 2022

From Pastor’s Desk:  

 This year I have been going through the church year and discussing the seasons and festivals. In the  Summer time and into late fall we are still in the season of Pentecost. On September 29th there is a Feast  Lutherans usually don’t celebrate, but it has been popular since the Sixth Century. It is called the Feast of St.  Michael and All Angels. In the book of Revelation 12, Michael is the one who engages with Battle with  Satan and throws him out of heaven. This is one of the reasons there is a lot of folklore and Legends about  St. Michael. Some believed his primary job was to guide the souls of the blessed to heaven, once they had  finished their earthly pilgrimage.  

 The Feast really marks the anniversary of a Roman Church. The Lutheran reformers later added the  words “And All Angels” to include four other holy days honoring the angels. They were following the same  pattern that the Orthodox church had followed. In the sixth century Michael had five distinct orders of  worship, an Honor that was shared only by Christmas and Easter. Orders of worship are the outline of what  we follow on Sunday. Divine Service Setting Three in the Lutheran Service book is an order of worship. I  think this shows how popular the Feast of Michael was at the time.  

In Germanic Countries the festival fell at the same time as the quarterly meeting of the Thing, which was the name for Parliament. This means the markets, fairs, dancing, feasting, and courts brought in country folk for miles around. So even though the Feast has fallen out of popularity today, it easy to see it was an Important Feast in the Church Year.

Why do we need catechisms? 

While visiting local churches,  Martin Luther found many  pastors and their church  members were unaware of the  true teachings of the Bible.  Because of this, the people  were living immoral lives.  Martin Luther wrote the catechisms to instruct  people in the basics of the Christian faith, that  they might know Christ and His forgiveness and  live accordingly. We still use Luther’s Large and  Small Catechism so that we never forget those  things that are necessary for faith in Christ.  From LCMS Worship.  

LWML Fall Retreat - Defiance/Napoleon  

When: Saturday - September 17th 

Where: St. John Lutheran, Stryker (St Rt. 6 & 66)  Topic: “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" 

Schedule: 8:30 am Sign in  

 9 am -1 pm Program with Brunch at 11 am  Cost: $15.00 includes brunch 

Ingathering: Filling Homes  

Needs list: Hot chocolate mix, Jello, ketchup, mustard,  macaroni, mixes (cake, pancake, muffin), noodles,  oatmeal, rice, shortening, snack-pack pudding, soups  (all types), spaghetti. Complete list posted on bulletin  board.  

Offering: Bring your mites & Christian books  (New/Used) can be hard cover, paperbacks, children’s  books, or CDs.  

Registration forms on the bulletin board.  

Due September 2nd.

Greetings From Preschool!

I Scream, You Scream, we all Scream for Ice Cream at St. Peter Preschool!! Our Fall Open House was a  huge success and the families came to visit the classroom, meet the teachers, and finished off their visit with  an Ice Cream Social! We are excited for our 1st day of Preschool on August 29 and we will be having 2  classes again this year with 4 & 5 year olds on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and our new 3 year old  class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have a total of 15 students enrolled for the upcoming 2022-23 school  year with an additional 2 children anticipated to start when they turn 3 in the Fall or Winter. We also want to  thank the Trustees who have volunteered and worked hard to improve our playground for the upcoming  school year. It looks great so make sure you take a look when you are able to and please thank our Trustees  for such an amazing job they did. We look forward to our upcoming school year and have some exciting  plans anticipated and appreciate the wonderful support of the St. Peter Lutheran Congregation! Please  continue to pray for our teachers and students as they return to school this year!  

Mrs. Arce

Newsletter - August 2022

Pastor’s desk  

 Throughout this year I have been discussing the events and celebrations that happen throughout the  year. There is something we should celebrate every week, that being the very word of God. I want to  explain, briefly, how we came up with the readings every week. Some churches just pick every week what  they are going to read and then read it. Some churches go through a book of the bible over a short period of  Time. But going back all the way to the early church they had what is called “lectionaries”, which would  have been a book that would have readings assigned to specific Sundays or Festivals. Then the church would  use that book every week. In the fourth century a twofold reading developed in Rome and became standard  throughout most of Europe. The use of three readings was standard in what today is France. Rome had a  one-year lectionary, which lasted for centuries. A One Year Lectionary that Luther and Lutheran Reformers  kept. Even the One Year Lectionary that the LCMS uses today isn’t that much different than the Lectionary  that Luther used.  

 For this reason you can actually look up Luther’s Sermons for any given Sunday, it will probably be  similar to the Gospel reading that the One Year lectionary today is using. This One Year Lectionary has  stayed in use for more than a millennia. Of course there have been other lectionaries that have been used  throughout the years also.  

 At Vatican II the Roman Catholic Church expanded the lectionary and developed a Three Year  Lectionary for Sunday readings in 1969. Lutherans and other Christian group bodies took notice. Protestants  took that lectionary and made some changes and created the Revised Common Lectionary. The LCMS did  change a few of the readings and choices from both. It is after all this that the LCMS came up with the Three  Year Lectionary reading it uses today. The structure is pretty simple. The First Year is Series A and it uses  Matthew. The Second Year is Series B, and uses Mark. The Third Year is Series C and uses Luke. (The  Gospel of John shows up in all three Series, but shows up the most in Series B since Mark is the shortest  Gospel.)  

 The Old Testament reading is designed to connect and develop or inform the theme of the Gospel  reading. Except of course during Easter when it is taken from the Book of Acts.  

 The Second reading or lesson comes from an Epistle. Usually these Epistle readings are selected so  that an entire letter is read over consecutive weeks. This is why the Epistle reading can fit perfectly with the  other two readings, but sometimes it doesn’t.1  

 I hope this helps explain why we use the readings that we do.  

LWML  

Ft. Wayne Seminary Food and Clothing Bank - During the months  of August and September we will concentrate on collecting all  types of baby supplies for young families at the seminary. Just a  few suggestions would be: Baby diapers and wipes; baby lotion,  shampoo and powder; cereal and juices for babies, etc. Bring your  donations to the church and put them in the box on the table in the  narthex. 

LWML Fall Retreat  

Mark your calendars for the  Napoleon/Defiance Zone Fall Retreat  on September 17th. Watch your  bulletin and September Link for further  details!

A Peek from Preschool  

Summer is almost over and Preschool is less than 1 month away! We have been enjoying playdates at the  park and our Preschool Carnival was a huge success thanks to our sponsors, participants, and especially our  volunteers! August 18 is our Back to School Open House and Registration Night from 4:30-6:00 pm for  those interested in attending Preschool in the Fall. We have a few spots left in the 3 year old class and limited  spots left in the 4-5 year old class, so we look forward to school this upcoming year! We also want to send a  BIG shout out to the trustees and thanks for all your help getting the playground ready for the upcoming  school year...we couldn't do it without you! 

Mrs. Arce  

Preschool Carnival was a HUGE success!

The rain held off and we were able to have one successful Preschool carnival!

A HUGE thank you to St. Peter Preschool Committee members, St. Peter church members, Jimbo the Clown, Just Add Kidz, Henry County Health Department, Henry County Sheriff, Florida Flatrock Fire department, St. Paul's UMC of Defiance, Promedica Total Rehab, Tropical Freeze, Johns Manville, Kroger, Culligan and the Parsons family for bringing the Dunk Tank! We had a wonderful time with our community.

How would we get everything done without our amazing Preschool Committee members and congregation? Our Preschool committee members devote lots of time and passion into our Preschool and we are all so very thankful for each and everyone you!

The Funeral of Rev. Douglas Robert Corniels - June 28, 2022

Rev. Douglas R. Corniels Obituary

Rev. Douglas R. Corniels passed away surrounded by his family on Thursday, June 23, 2022. He was 76 years old. He was born to Robert and Eleanor (nee Fox) Corniels on May 10, 1946, in Illinois.
Douglas is survived by sons Mark (Marla) and Tim (Carrie), special friends, many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
A Service in Remembrance of Douglas will be held at 10:00AM at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (11313 Riverland Road #35 W, Mequon, WI 53092) on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. In lieu of flowers, memorials to a charity of your choice are appreciated.

Newsletter - July

From Pastor’s Desk:  

 This year I have been going through the church year and discussing the seasons and festivals. From  the end of Easter all the way to Advent is the season of Pentecost, which often times ends up being more than  half the year. There are several festivals that happen during Pentecost. I want to discuss one of the more  famous ones.  

 The Feast Day of St Peter and St Paul is celebrated Jointly on June 29th. It was thought that Peter and  Paul both met their death at the hand of Nero in the early Sixties. Tradition had Peter dying in the colosseum  on an upside down cross. Paul died outside the gates, by a sword.  

 According to Duchesne, the June date marks the day Emperor Constantine exhumed their bodies from  remote tombs along the Appian way, and returned them to the city of Rome. They were then buried in  magnificent basilicas the emperor built to their memories.  

 The Feast itself, in a sense, commemorates their actual martyrdom, and the fact they died for the faith.  It is probably one of the oldest Feast Day’s in the churches history considering it goes back all the way to  Emperor Constantine. 

St. Peter - VBS  

SHINE BRIGHT FOR JESUS VBS - Join us for a fun filled VBS as we learn amazing Christ-focused Bible  lessons. Your kids will enjoy fun glow-in-the-dark games. Our Shine Bright For Jesus VBS is perfect for  Preschool - 5th grade! Be prepared for fun-filled lessons, games, music and snacks! Sign your child up for  VBS or volunteer CLICK HERE and sign up TODAY! VBS will run from July 25th – 29th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. 

A Peek from Preschool  

Thank you to those who donated items for the Preschool Rummage sale held in June. Our Free Will  Donation sale managed to raise over $300 and the remainder of the items were donated and distributed to area  charities. We also want to give a big thanks to our Preschool Committee members and Church members for  helping make the event successful. We are also looking forward to our Preschool Carnival coming up July 13  from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. We are still looking for volunteers who would be willing to help set up, tear down,  run games or help with face painting, snacks or any other area which could help our event be a success.  Please let Emilie know if you are interested or have any questions!  

Mrs. Arce 

Newsletter - June

Pastor’s desk for June  

 Throughout this year we have been discussing the specific times and seasons of the church year. We  more specifically discussing unique customs or traditions that happen during these seasons. The First Sunday  in June this year is the Sunday of Pentecost. In Scripture Pentecost is the day when the Holy Spirit descended  upon the Apostles.  

There are 40 days from Easter to Ascension, and then there are 10 days from Ascension to Pentecost.  In the ancient church kneeling during services was fairly common. The Council of Nicaea in 325 specifically  banned any kind of kneeling during Pentecost. [Here “Pentecost” is that whole fifty day period from Easter  to Pentecost.] Kneeling, they said, was a mark of penitence and humility. In other words, they wanted people  to pray boldly, standing upright.  

 We know Pentecost is one of the OLDEST holidays celebrated in the church year. Pentecost is even a  Jewish holiday. In the Old Testament it was known as the Feast of the First Fruits, or the Feast of the  Harvest. Originally it was a thanksgiving for the harvesting of the wheat in and around Israel.   In this, can see why this day was picked for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the disciples. The  Holiday should remind us of Jesus words to his disciples in Matthew 9:37-38, “The harvest is plentiful, but  the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  ” The Holy Spirit’s work showed us, it was time for the Disciples to go and spread the word of God  throughout the world. Of course, we are still called to spread that word of God today.  

Taken from “The Year of The Lord: The Church Year: Its Customs Growth and Ceremonies. By Theodore Kleinhans.  Concordia Publishing, 1967. Pages 83-85.

Lana Hui Hope Culp  

Lana Hui Hope Culp is graduating from Ayersville  High school. She has participated in marching band,  choir, powerlifting, wrestling, school musicals,  yearbook staff and National honor society.  She plans to attend Kent State University in the design  program this fall.  

God Bless you Lana in the next chapter of your story,  we love you and are so proud of you

St. Peter – LWML  

80 YEARS AND GOING STRONG – the Lutheran Women’s missionary League Pennies, silver coins and quiet money placed in LWML Mite  Boxes has been a successful mission ministry in the Lutheran  Church-Missouri Synod, in the Ohio District and throughout  the world.  

JUNE 17-18 are the dates for the LWML, OHIO DISTRICT CONVENTION AT   ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH, NAPOLEON, OH. The theme for the convention is  “Lord of the Harvest”. Mission grants will be chosen and new officers elected.  Attending from St. Peter are Pastor Stuenkle, (candidate for District Pastoral  Counselor), Delegates Betty Hoy and Alice Knepley.  Alternates Ruth Block and Sharlene Bunke.  

ALSO, we are collecting donations of infants new socks and diapers, and children’s  new socks and underwear for Orphan Grain Train. There is a box in the narthex  to receive these items. The deadline for donations is June 12th. Thank you.  

Last but not least, please include in prayer the Convention Committees of the  Defiance, Napoleon and Toledo Zones as they finalize plans for this convention  and our delegates for another inspirational and uplifting time as they “Serve the Lord with Gladness”! 

A Peek from Preschool  

Our Preschoolers finished off the school year with a bang and are so excited for summer break! The children  enjoyed their last field trip to the Florida Library until next school year and had Field Day outside with some  relay games. Our Preschool program was also a great success and the children enjoyed sharing songs they  learned throughout the year with their families. We look forward to our upcoming Rummage sale on June 9,  and drop off of items for this event us on June 8 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Also, save the date for our  Preschool Carnival on July 13 from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. We are looking for volunteers to help with games,  food and anyone interested in clown ministry, face painting or balloons should contact Emilie Parsons with  any information. We look forward to the summer and hope to see you soon!  

Mrs. Arce  

Newsletter - May

Pastor’s Desk  

   Over the last few months, we have been going over the customs of the seasons. When I discuss  Christmas I like to remind people that the Christmas season is 12 days. I always think this puts the church at  odds with the rest of the world, because when the world is completely done celebrating Christmas, we still  have Sundays after Christmas where we celebrate the holiday. Easter is very similar in this regard, with one  caveat. While Christmas is celebrated for 12 days in the church year, Easter is celebrated for 50 days. The  Mood of Easter does not end with Easter Sundown. The feast lasts right on until Pentecost!   This means that all six Sundays after Easter, along with Ascension belong to the Paschal Feast. The  40 days from Easter to Ascension along with the 10 from Ascension to Pentecost were days of such spiritual  excitement that the disciples celebrated them with as much joy as they did Easter.   The Fullest account of Ascension appears in the Acts of the Apostles. Here Jesus charges his  disciples with proclaiming the Gospel and Promises that he will send his Holy Spirit. Then he ascends into  heaven to sit at his Father’s right hand.  

 One interesting tradition with Ascension is what happened to the Paschal Candle (Sometimes Christ  Candle). This candle was seen as Christ’s presence with his People. The candle was solemnly extinguished  during the Ascension service. This was to show that Christ would no longer be visibly present with His  people, but would instead send the Holy Spirit.  

  I hope the joy that we have on Easter Sunday does not get extinguished during our 50 days of Easter.  

Taken from “The Year of The Lord: The Church Year: Its Customs Growth and Ceremonies. By Theodore  Kleinhans. Concordia Publishing, 1967. Pages 77-84. 

High School and College Seniors  

St. Peter and St. Paul would like to feature our graduates in the June Link. Please  

email or drop off a copy of your senior picture with a bio of your high school or  

college accomplishments and future plans to the Church Secretary, or email to  

stpeterflorida@gmail.com. 

A Peek from Preschool  

What a busy month we had in April! Our children enjoyed fun activities and guest readers for Week of the  Young Child. We explored many activities related to food, music, and art and working together in the  classroom. We want to thank all our guest readers and visitors who attended our classroom last month to  make it such an amazing time. Our 1st annual Easter Egg Hunt & Storytime also went so well with over 75  children along with their families in participation. A BIG thank you to our church members and board  members who helped make this event a success and we look forward to having one again next year. As  Spring is upon us, we will begin doing some Spring Cleaning in May/June and plan on holding a  Church/Preschool Rummage Sale on Thursday, June 9 with drop-off of donated items on Wednesday, June 8  from 4-6 pm. Church members and Preschool families are invited to donate gently used items in good  condition for our Preschool Freewill Donation Rummage Sale. Please contact Emilie Parsons with any  information and look for an information flier to be posted in the narthex soon! We look forward to our last  month of Preschool and church members are invited to attend our end of year program which will be held on  Tuesday, May 24 at 6 pm.  

Mrs. Arce 

Newsletter - April

Pastor’s desk  

 Over the last few months, we have been going over the customs of the seasons. For the next two  articles I want to go over some of the customs of Easter. I want to discuss a day that usually gets forgotten in  our Easter Customs, that being the day before Easter. It is sometimes called Holy Saturday or Easter Eve.  At Dusk on Holy Saturday, people used to light lamps and candles. It was to mark the beginning of the  Easter Vigil. People were waiting to celebrate Easter. This light was the symbol of Christ who was the light  of the world.  

 In some places Easter Vigils lasted the entire night with people hearing readings from Scripture,  antiphons, and prayers. There were a lot of customs surrounding Holy Saturday in the ancient church.  Previously pagan adults were still being converted to the Faith and had gone through instruction were now  ready to be Baptized. At Midnight, people who were going to be baptized stripped themselves of Jewelry.  Then they listened to the final exhortation of the bishop and then marched to the Baptistery.   There the Bishop Baptized them. After being anointed with Oil, they donned fresh white linen tunics  and were given new sandals. They then stayed in these outfits for the Easter Service.   Later in the Easter Procession the Bishop, other clergy, the newly baptized, and other faithful,  gathered up the sacred vessels and the bible they would do the readings from. Then they left out a side door  of the church and then marched around the church. Others would come to join them as everyone gathered  around the main entrance which was now locked and closed. The closed door represented the closed tomb of  Christ. When dawn approached the doors would swing open. The people would chant “Christ is Risen”.  Then the whole assembly would re-enter the sanctuary for the Service of Eastertide. That would have been  the end of a very eventful Saturday Night.  

 I always try to think of these old Customs on Holy Saturday. The new converts ready to be Baptized.  Spending a whole night praying then in the middle of the night being Baptized. Then entering into a new  day, washed with water and oil. Then putting on new clothes. All of this to celebrate Easter. It would be  easy to see yourself as reborn, as a new creation. Is this not what Easter is all about? How the death and  resurrection of Christ has made us a new Creation.  

Taken from “The Year of The Lord: The Church Year: It’s Customs Growth and Ceremonies. By Theodore Kleinhans.  Concordia Publishing, 1967. Pages 75-76.

Holy Week and Easter Schedule  

April 10th - Palm Sunday – Confirmation 8:30 am and 10:00 am 

April 14th - Maundy Thursday Service – St. Paul at 7:00 pm  

April 15th - Good Friday Service – St. Paul 6:00 pm and St. Peter 7:30 pm  

April 17th Easter Sunrise Worship 6:30 am at St. Peter  

April 17th - Easter Breakfast – 7:30 am – Both Churches  

April 17th - Easter Communion Service – 8:30 am and 10:00 am 

Congratulations to our Confirmands  

Willa Culp – Daughter of Jeffrey and Carrie Culp  

Ashlyn Mullins – Daughter of Gregory and Stacie Mullins  

Cole Cereghin – Bill and Alicia Richardson 

LWML  

You are invited!  

LWML members from the Defiance, Napoleon and Toledo Zones are preparing for the first ever LWML  Ohio District Concise Convention to be held June 17-18, 2022 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Napoleon,  OH. The theme is “Lord of the Harvest”. This will be an inspiring and fun-filled time for all who attend.  The Friday evening worship/communion service will be led by Proclaimer Rev. Keith Witte, LWML Ohio  District Counselor. The Bible study leader for this convention will be Rev. Peter Marcis, Pastor, St. Paul  Lutheran Church and the Keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Ryan Peterson, Vice President of Administration  and Chief Liaison to the Office of the President Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI. Mission grants will  be chosen and District officers elected. Betty Hoy and Alice Knepley will represent our unit as delegates,  along with Pastor Stuenkel. Ruth Block and Sharlene Bunke will attend as alternates. All information  concerning the Convention is featured in the current and next ODE publication which is inserted in the  LWML Quarterly or ask any of our St. Peter LWML members. This information can also be found  at www.lwmlohio.org. 

All women of LCMS congregations are encouraged to attend. Plan to attend all or part of the LWML  Ohio District Convention. There is a registration fee for attending the convention. The uplifting Friday  evening worship service with Rev. Keith Witte, LWML Ohio District Counselor, as Proclaimer is open to  everyone at no cost. There is a registration fee for attending the convention. Registration forms are posted  on the bulletin board. 

  Our adopted seminary student, Michaela Dub, wrote in a recent note, “Dear Saints at St. Peter Lutheran  Church, Thank you for your continued prayers and support. So far my studies have been going very well as I  continue to learn and grow as a future deaconess. I am grateful to have your support as I continue through  my final year of classes at the seminary. It was very nice to get to come visit and meet you. I hope to get to  visit again soon”. Michaela Dub.  

  We sincerely appreciate all the assistance and support our congregation gives towards our mission projects. 

Easter Breakfast

The Easter Breakfast will be happening following  Sunrise Service Easter morning, Sunday, April 17th.  There will be a signup sheet in the narthex and also  evites will be sent. Please RSVP so we know how much  food to prepare! Ladies mark your calendars for April  30th to make earrings. If your ears aren't pierced, you can  come and make them as a gift for a friend or family  member. Bring a friend to join in the fun!  

Stay tuned for a Picnic in the Park date. Lastly,  remember new ideas and activities are welcome. Let's  share God's love as well as our own with our community!  

Blessings to all,  

Bridgett

Greetings from Preschool!  

Our class has been busy welcoming Spring and have finally been able to get outside to enjoy some  nice weather. We had our Spring Open House on March 8th and it was such a great success! We enrolled a  few new children for the upcoming school year and ALL our students in our current class will also be  returning next year in the 4-5 year old class! We are currently preparing for Easter in the classroom and look  forward to our Community Egg Hunt & Storytime on April 8th from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Mrs. Arce will be  reading the Easter story to the children and the Easter Bunny will also be making an appearance. We are still  in need of egg/candy donations for that event and appreciate any help we can get. Our Preschool also helped  host concessions for the area Dartball Tournament held at the church on March 13th and we were excited for  the donations we did receive that will be put towards playground improvements! We look forward to our  upcoming month and focusing on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with the children!  

Mrs. Arce 

Newsletter - March

From Pastor's Desk 

This year we have been discussing the seasons of the church year. The church year mirrors the life of Christ  and all he has done and taught. For this article I want to discuss the time of Lent, which is sometimes called  Pre-Easter. Through the centuries Lent has taken on so many overtones with fasting and penitence, that it  somewhat disguises the true character of the season.  

 The proper mood is one of expectation, of waiting, not unlike that of Advent. The Christian ought to  feel not only sorrow, because of their sins, but also joy. They should have joy because of the triumph of the  Resurrection.  

 Lent is usually 40 days. The 40-day period (not counting Sundays) parallels Christ’s time in the  wilderness. This is the reason why the First Sunday Gospel reading of Lent is often Christ’s confrontation  with Satan. If you go to a church that reads through the One Year lectionary they add three Sundays and call  it “Pre- Lent”. The first Sunday is Septuagesima (means Seventh). The Second Sunday is Sexagesima  (Sixtieth). The third Sunday, and the Sunday before Ash Wednesday is called Quinquagesima (Fortieth). St.  Peter and St. Paul read through the Three Lectionary and Transfiguration Sunday is always before Ash  Wednesday.  

 The mood we usually associate with Lent is Sorrow and Sadness, but it need not be. The Eastern  church retain the Hallelujahs, because they look forward to Christ’s Resurrection. In the western churches the  mood of lent is marked by an ancient ceremony known as “Farewell to Hallelujah”. In the west Lent tends to  focus on Jesus Death and suffering. Since we are heading towards the Cross with Christ. We should  remember that Lent is leading us towards Holy Thursday Good Friday and Easter. Lent is not the End. This  is why the Hallelujahs come back at Easter, and we are reminded of Christ’s victory over death. In Christ,  Rev. Jacob Stuenkel.  

Some of the information was taken from “The Year of The Lord: The Church Year: its Customs Growth and  Ceremonies. By Theodore Kleinhans. Concordia Publishing, 1967. Pages 61-63.

Ash Wednesday and Lenten Services

Ash Wednesday Service – March 2nd – 7:00 pm

Wednesday Lenten Services – 7:00 pm

St. Peter - Sunday School  

The Sunday School children have been  learning stories that show God's eternal love  for them as well as how faith works in us.  They have been singing songs like "Rise and  Shine" and "Love in a Box." We made  special valentines for every Congregation  member and handed them out after church on  February 13th. All are welcome: preschool 8th grade; so invite your neighbors, friends,  and relatives!  

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to  me, and do not hinder them, for the  kingdom of heaven belongs to such as  these.” Matthew 19:14 

Board of Witness News  

The Lenten season is here and I still need a couple of volunteers for Lenten Meals (March 16, 23, 30) as well as Easter breakfast. A big thank you to all who have already signed up. I am willing to help cook one of the meals with someone if you don't want to do it alone. If you are not into cooking, think about helping with a game or movie night. Maybe our dartballers would like to open the game up for a friendly competition among families?? Some of you have talents you could share by leading a how to class. People are drawn into the church when they feel connected to the other members. We don't need 50 people to show up to do something or have lots of preplanning. These events help foster fellowship with Christians and provide a less  intimidating atmosphere for people looking for a church  home. I believe we need to go out in the community and not  just invite the community in. That is why I threw the Picnic  in the Park idea out in my first email. I also think an Easter  egg hunt/roll would be a super idea. Call, text, email, or catch  me at church if you have other ideas or want to help with one  I suggested. We have a beautiful church and wonderful  people and we all believe in an AWESOME GOD! Let's  share it. 

 God's Blessings, 

Bridgett

Easter Flowers

Spring is coming! Easter flower order forms will be posted on the narthex bulletin board. Price is $8.50 per plant. Cash or checks can be made out to Jeff Brubaker)

Choices: Lily or Regal Geranium Orders must be in no later than Marth 20th. Please place your order in the offering plate or contact Bette Weddelman.

Newsletter - September

Pastor’s Announcements:

I thought for this Pastor’s desk article I would explain the last few weeks and a few of my plans for the future. A few weeks ago I announced in Church that I was returning the call that I received from Lincoln IL. Dana and I did go visit the church, and it seemed like a nice congregation. We still decided to stay. I appreciated all the prayers and thanks we received from members of both congregations while we considered the call. It did get me to think about the future specifically about the things we could do at our two churches going forward.

The first thing I would like to announce is I plan to do two Adult Bible studies on a weekly basis. The first will be at 10:00 am on Wednesdays at St. Peter. The second will be at 7:00 pm on Thursdays at St. Paul. The Two Bible Studies will be similar and cover the same material. The reason why I am doing it at both churches and at two different times is to make it easier for members to come to the Bible studies. I purposely made one in the morning and the other at night so that people could choose the one that worked for their schedule. The reason why I made it at both churches was so people could come to their own church for the Bible Study if they so wished.

The second thing I wanted to talk about was Confirmation. For the months of September and October we will be having Confirmation on both Wednesday night and Thursday both at 6:00 pm. I am doing this to give parents a chance to pick a night that works for them and to make it possible for them to be at their own church building. It might change though in November if only one child or no child is coming to one of the two nights.

If you have a question about either one of these two announcements call me 715-663-1845.

Catechism Classes

Catechism Classes will begin on Wednesday, September 1 st at 6:30 pm. The First class meeting will include the parents for an important organizational meeting will be held at St. Peter.

Joint Council Meeting

Joint Church Council Meeting will be held September 13 th at 7:30 pm at St. Peter.

First Day of Sunday School

is September 12th starting at 9:00 am! All children in preschool through 8th grade are welcome to join us.

Blessing of the Backpacks – We will be blessing the children’s backpacks during our 10:00 am worship

service.

LWML

Our next meeting is September 14th at 1:30 pm. The September’s project collecting new underwear and socks in all sizes for the Orphan Grain Train. These items can be placed in the box on the table in the narthex. Thank you for your assistance with this project.

LWML Retreat – Napoleon/Defiance Zones

Saturday – September 18 th St. John, Stryker – Corners of St Rts. 6 & 66 8:30 am – 2:00 pm The LWML provides the planning for the program, church service conducted by Pastors Stuenkel and Stottlemeyer. The theme is “The Wonderful Surprise, based on 1 Corinthians 2:10. The Bible study leader will be Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer, senior pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School in Ft. Wayne, IN. Please bring your Bible! All women of our churches are invited and urged to attend.

Registration forms are on the bulletin board in church narthex and need to be sent to Linda Bostelman with a check for $14 for each registrant. Deadline for registration is September 3rd.

Big Thank you!

Pastor would like to thank Ken Helmke, Doug Dammann, and Tim Buchhop for working on the parsonage property this Summer.

Notes from Preschool

We are excited to start school on August 31! We had our Preschool Fall Open House on August 18 and had 6 families attend and 1 follow up about enrolment. We currently have 7 children enrolled for the fall and will have combined classes on Tuesdays/Thursdays and our 4-5 year olds on Wednesdays. We understand this is a "rebuilding year" with all new children and have hopes of possibly adding more as the school year progresses. September 9 is our School picture day and our Back to School night for current families will be on September 29 at 6:00 pm. We look forward to a great start to the school year!

We are currently looking for classroom subs on September 14, 15, 16, and 21. If you are interested in helping out those days from 9:00 am - 11:30 am, please email Stephanie Arce at stpeterpreschool123@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your support!

Mrs. Arce