The

The monthl y new sletter of M essi ah Evangeli cal Lutheran Church (ELCA) 8154 Atlee Road, M echanicsville, Virgini a 23111 804-746-7134

JUNE 2019

Congregation meeting: June 9thCongregational Council has called for a special Congregational Meeting to be held immediately following w orship services on June 9. At that time voting members of the Church will be asked to approve the following three business matters:

(1) Shall the Congregation be incorporated in accordance with applicable law of the Common-w ealth of Virginia?(2) Shall the legal name of this Congrega- tion be “Messiah Lutheran Church”?(3) Shall the Congregation adopt indemni- fication provisions authorized by the Church’s Constitution?

A letter announcing the June 9 Congrega- tional Meeting and providing more details about the three business proposals is be- ing (or has already been) sent to each vot- ing member of the Church.

An Informational Meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on May 29, in order for Council to provide further explanations of each proposed action and to address specific concerns of any member regarding a par-

In the interim, any questions on these matters should be directed either to James Anderson (james.anderson@genw orth.com) or

to John Cline (johnrcline@ comcast.net).

ticular

A look inside.... Council retreat summary ……..... P. 2 CFFY Corner ………….. ………......P. 3 Celebrations ..…..…………………...P. 4 Prayers ………………………………. P. 5 Calendar of events …...………....P.

6,7 “Advent in July” ……………..……. P. 7

Save the datesFor FUN summer days!For the children of

All Souls and Messiah Lutheran

When: Sunday, July 28thSunday,August

11th 3pm – 5pm

What is it? This year our tw o congrega- tions are trying something new. Instead of traditional VBS, we are going to have tw o events for our children (Ages 2 years old – rising 5th graders) We are going to hear a story from the Bible, sing songs, learn and play, and spend time together.

More details to come… but save the dates – it’s going to be a

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New office hoursAs of May 20th, Davina has new office hours at Messiah. She will be in the of- fice from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm on Mon- days and Wednesdays. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, she will be in the office from 7:30 am to 12:00 pm.

Your 2019 Church Council And

Associate Members

James Anderson.......Council PresidentDonna Shaw......Vice-P resident

Sally Bennett …… Secretary

John Cline Becky Collie Karen Morris Roger Schroeder

Daren Williams

Council Retreat summaryChurch Council met on Saturday, May 18, for the day, at the Cool Well clubhouse, to cover lengthy business items in the morn- ing and do strategic planning in the after- noon.

Items discussed in the morning included: updating our building policy, reviewing our insurance coverage, aspects of becom- ing incorporated and under what legal name, establishing a Child Sexual Abuse P olicy, adding an Indemnification bylaw to our constitution, and current property needs.

The afternoon involved completing an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, oppor- tunities, and threats (SWOT) of Messiah, it’s ministries, and church council. Short and long-range goals were then estab- lished from that analysis. Look for more information on all of the above topics in the coming weeks.

- Donna ShawChurch Council Vice-P resident

Council Li ai sonsChristian Education …… Donna Shaw Evangelism …………........... .John Cline Finance ………………… James Anderson Property ………………. Roger Schroeder Social Ministry........................................Karen Morri sStew ardship.................Daren WilliamsWorship............................Sall y Bennett

Shaw n W armbrod... .TreasurerBill W eaver……. Financial Secretary

Sue Gilnett, RN P arish Nurse

Trustees: Leroy Albertson, Gordon Gunn, Pat Hubert.

The Messenger

Published monthly byMessiah Evangelical Lutheran Church

ELCA 8154 Atlee Road, M echanicsville, VA 23111 Church Office: (804) 746-

7134FAX: (804) 746-5579

Davina Winn, Administrative Assistant Office email: messiahmech@gmail.com Office hours: Mon-Thurs., 8 am—3 pm

Susie Weaver, New sletter Editor Ph: 804-559-3503

Email: susiew 51@comcast.net

VISIT OUR M LC W EBSIT E:http://www.messiahmech.com

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Messiah on Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/messiahmech/ boards/

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CFFY Corner(Christian Formation for You)

MOVIE:

As I Stand (2013) is a feature film about tw o young men whose families are faced with unexpected tragedies. This heart-w arming story follows Devin Wheeler and Matthew Daniels as they search for peace and understanding through God. While Devin turns to his faith for strength and guidance, Matthew turns aw ay from his faith, placing blame and demanding an- sw ers. As the landscape of their lives con- tinues to change, each man handles the road ahead in a very different fashion. The story comes full circle when both men meet at a crossroads faced with the same question…Would you love God for noth-ing? This film contains a stirring message of compassion along with a Christian theme and Dove highly recommend it with five Doves for all ages. It received an IMBd rating of 7.1.

ADULT BOOK:

Still Alice, is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old w oman's sudden de- scent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova who has a PhD from Harvard in neurosci- ence. Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As con- fusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alz- heimer's disease. Fiercely independent,Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped aw ay. In turnsheartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in

remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your

June M page mind...Goodreads has given it a rating of4.3 with almost 300,000 ratings.

YOUTH BOOK:

The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern #1) by Shannon Hale is written for youth ages 11 and up. Anidora-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt's in- credible stories, and learning the language of the birds. Little did she know how valu- able her aunt's strange knowledge w ould prove to be when she grew older. From the Grimm's fairy tale of the princess who be- came a goose girl before she could become a queen, Shannon Hale has w oven an in- credible, original and magical tale of a girl who must understand her own incredible talents before she can overcome those who wish her harm. Goodreads has given this a4.17 rating with over 100,000 ratings.

DEVOTIONAL:

Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Chal- lenge, w ritten by Mark Batterson w as re- leased in 2011. Do you pray as often and as boldly as you w ant to? There is a w ay to experience a deeper, more passionate, per- sistent, and intimate prayer life. Drawingfrom forty days of true stories, Mark Bat- terson applies the principles of his New York Times bestselling book “The Circle Maker” to teach us a new w ay to pray. InDraw the Circle, through forty true, faith- building stories of God's answers to prayer, daily scriptures and prayer prompts, Batterson inspires you to pray and keep praying like never before. Begin a lifetime of w atching God w ork. Believe in the God who can do all things. Experience the power of bold prayer and even bolder faith in Draw the Circle. Goodreads has given it a rating of 4.4/5, Barnes and No- bles rates it 4.8/5, and Christian Book Distributors rates it 4.6/5.

- Donna Shaw

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Yes, prayer does work. Charlie and I thank everyone for the prayers, calls, cards, and support, in general, over the past few months. It is with a grateful heart and thanks to God that I can now be off chemotherapy and just be follow ed on a regular basis. Your kindnesses have been a major part of this journey. We have been blessed with our family andfriends, as well as, our church family to come to this point.

- Judy Schw erdtfeger

Many thanks to all of you who volun- teered to serve in various serving posi- tions during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday. And a big thank you to Jake Ad- dair, who carried the large w ooden cross into the dark sanctuary near the end of the Good Friday w orship service.

-Sal ly BennettCouncil Worship Team Liaison

June 9 John Drazenovi ch13 Adam Dworak Sr14 W esl ey Williams15 Lois Schroeder16 Vi ctori a Knab18 Rosal ee Cli ne20 Karoline Combs27 Jessi ca Glusing

June 5 Teresa (& Mike) Gigante16 Ken & Sheil a Whi rl ey21 Gordon & M arilyn Gunn—50th!

If you w ould like YOUR birthdays & anniversary included in the newsletter, please send an email tomessiahmech@gmail.com or call Davina(746-7134).

Support MCEF -Eat Pizza!

Support MCEF on Monday, June 17th by dining at “Stevie B’s MCPizza” on Atlee Road betw een 5 and 8 pm. Say “YES!’ to MCEF and a portion of your dinner tab is donated to this important community or- ganization.

Consider helpingOur deepest Christian sympathies are ex- tended to the family and friends of Marc Thomas in his recent passing. Please consider assisting his family by donating to their GoFundMe pagehttps://www.gofundme.com/f/r9hfq-helping-my-dad to help defray costs of his funeral, as well as accumulated medical bills. Remember them in your thoughts and prayers in the difficult days and weeks ahead.

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Join Messiah on Facebook!

We pray for each other:Charli e Absher; Kenneth Deere; Adam Dworak, Sr.; JoAn Firebaugh; Bill Fulop; Elisabeth Gardner; W erner Gardner; Steve Gilnett; “Doc” Kondaki ; Linda Krupa; M ac M cAllister; Pat Motl ey; Jack Ordazzo; Ruth Schroeder; JudySchw erdtfeger.

We pray for our extended family and neighbors:Debra Anton, sister of Ruth Schroeder; Cyndi Bauer, sister of Lois Schroeder; Conni e, friend of the Whirleys; Charli e Biittner; Chuck Dupuy, son-in-law of Joan Barnes; David and Sandi Elliott, friends of the Whirleys; Conni e Gambini, friend and cow orker of Becky Collie; Fam- ily & Fri ends of M el Gray, former mem- ber; Denise Katz; Bill Leaver, friend of Charlie & Sally Bennett; Alvi n M orl an,father of Donna Shaw; Mullen Family, friends of the Whirleys; Di eter Ni kl as, brother of Erna Jung; Evel ynPoul sen, mother of Roger Schroeder; Ti m Schroeder, Roger’s nephew; Sandy Street, sister of Donna Shaw ; Susan,friend of the Whirleys; Family & Fri ends of Marc Thomas; Gary Williams, father of Daren Williams; Our veterans, thei r fel -l ow soldi ers & thei r w ai ting famili es, es- peci ally Ian Schw erdtfeger;; Law en- forcement, fi refi ghters and fi rst re-sponders; The people of All Souls Epis- copal and our shared ministry; All those persecuted in any way for thei r fai th in Christ, especi ally in Uzbekistan, Myan- mar, Laos, and Vi etnam.1

1 Open Doors World WatchList 2019

Pray for one another“Beloved, pray for us.” (1 Thes. 5:25) – Continuing a practice from our 50th anni- versary year, your worship team is chal-lenging everyone to actively, intentionally pray for our community’s prayer list throughout the week. In addition, we will be having special

June M page T o add or remove a name from the prayer list, please call the church office, 746- 7134. If leaving a message, include your contact information for follow-up. Unless we hear otherwise, individuals will be re- moved quarterly. Memorial prayers will run a minimum of two weeks and then be in- cluded in our All Saints Sunday activities.

Pastoral care issues?In the event of a pastoral care issue going forw ard, call the church phone number during the days: M-Th, between 8am-3pm and call your council’s current executive committee (James Anderson, Donna Shaw or Sally Bennett) if after business hours or on the weekends for an emer- gency. Their contact information is in your congregational address book. Assisting in this effort is Pastor Kati e Pocal yko, Dean of the Richmond Conference, who will find appropriate help when needed.

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7:00 PM Choir Practice14

Calendar of events1 Commemoration of Justin, martyr2 9:15 AM All Souls Episcopal:

Worship 9:15 AM Messiah Lutheran:Faith Formation for All Ages

10:45 AM Messiah Lutheran: Worship 11:00 AM All Souls Episcopal:

Faith Formation for All Ages 12:00 PM Annual Church Picnic 12:00 PM Call Committee meeting

3 Commemoration of John XXIII, Bishopof Rome and the Martyrs of Uganda

4 10:00 AM Richmond Conference Mtg. * 7:30 PM T aizé Prayer (Richmond Hill)

5 Commemoration of Boniface, bishop, missionary and martyr

6 7:00 PM Choir Practice7 Commemoration of Seattle, chief of

the Duw amish ConfederacyVirginia Synod Assembly

8 Virginia Synod Assembly9:00 AM Richmond Grace Fellowship

- Spiritual Gifts Seminar9 PENTECOST SUNDAY

Commemoration of Columba, Aidan,

and Bede, renewers of the church 9:15 AM All Souls Episcopal: Worship 9:15 AM Messiah Lutheran:

Faith Formation for All Ages10:45 AM Messiah Lutheran: Worship 11:00 AM All Souls Episcopal:

Faith Formation for All Ages 12:00 PM Congregational meeting

10 Virginia Lutheran Items Due11 Feast of Barnabas, Apostle

7:00 PM Women's Bible Study

12 6:30 PM Girl Scout Troop #557

Meeting 13 Martin Luther & Katharina Von Bora

Wed (1525)

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@MessiahMech

15 Martin Luther Threatened with Excommunication (1520)

16 TRINITY SUNDAYFather’s Day9:15 AM All Souls Episcopal: Worship 9:15 AM Messiah Lutheran:

Faith Formation for All Ages10:45 AM Messiah Lutheran:

Worship 17 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks and

Recreation Summer Camp5:00 PM Stevie B night for MCEF 5:00 PM Call Committee meeting

18 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp

6:15 PM Council Meeting19 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks

and Recreation Summer Camp20 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks

and Recreation Summer Camp21 Commemoration of Onesimos

Nesib Office Closed - Secretary on Vacation 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks and

Recreation Summer Camp2223 9:15 AM All Souls Episcopal: Worship

9:15 AM Messiah Lutheran:Faith Formation for All Ages

10:45 AM Messiah Lutheran: Worship 24 Feast Day: Nativity of

John the Baptizer7:30 AM Hanover County Parks

and Recreation Summer Camp25 Commemoration of the

Presentation of the Augsburg confession (1530) & Philipp Melancthon, Renew er of the Church

7:30 AM Hanover County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp

7:00 PM Women's Bible Study

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CalendarContinued from page 6

26 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp

6:30 PM Girl Scout Troop #557 Meeting 27 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks and

Recreation Summer Camp28 7:30 AM Hanover County Parks

and Recreation Summer Camp5:00 PM P astor @ Norman Wedding

* 29 Feast of Peter & Paul, Apostles30 9:15 AM All Souls Episcopal: Worship

9:15 AM Messiah Lutheran:Faith Formation for All Ages

10:45 AM Messiah Lutheran:Worship Service

* Off Site

MCEF UpdateMark your calendar now to save the date Sept 11th for the Annual 911 concert by the John Marshall Alumni Band to be held at Walnut Grove Baptist church at 7:00 p.m. to benefit MCEF. Suggested donation is $2 at the door and a can of food.

Current food needs include pasta sauce (standard size, no commercial size con- tainers), healthy snacks w rapped individu- ally), pancake mix and syrup.

Clothing needs include gentl y used school clothing for all ages, but especially boys size 10.

All your donations are appreciated.

- Gl adys Hubert

Due to our overwhelming success with “A New Advent Idea” in December, and after hearing that our friends at MCEF experi- ence a large drop off in the food collection during the summer, w e invite you to join us in celebrating “Advent in July” this year. Beginning in the middle of June, you may pick up doubled grocery bags in the narthex to take home. And during the thirty-one days of July you can place one item of non-perishable food in the bag each day as you give thanks for all of God’s blessings to you and your family.Then return your bag(s) to the narthex and we will pray for those who will receive the bags as they are sent off to MCEF.

As Jesus said, “When you do it to the least of these, you do it also to me.”

- M aril yn Gunn

Bulletin announcementsThose who would like to place announce- ments in the Sunday bulletin, please send them to Donna Shaw atdmshaw 70@gmail.com for inclusion. Please understand that if they are too long, you may be asked to edit them. Please send your information by Wednes- day morning so that Davina can be ready to print the bulletin Thursday morning.With the Midweek Announcements on hia- tus, if you have a midweek announcement that needs to be distributed, send that to Donna as well and she will see that it gets sent out in a timely manner.

The DEADLINE for theJuly 2019

edition of The Messenger is

Sunday, June 16th

Please call me with your submission, hand me a written

submission OR email

Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church 8154 Atlee RdMechanicsville VA 23111

Summertime prayerIn “The Summer Day,” Pulitzer Prize- winning poet Mary Oliver (1935-2019) cap- tures the season profoundly as a time to pay attention, especially to the w onders of Creation; to let oneself be idle sometimes; and to let one’s time of quiet rest, mean- dering through meadow s and gazing at grasshoppers, be prayer.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention,how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed,how to stroll through the fields ...

If you search online, you can read the en- tire work, or even hear Mary read the poem. Let it inspire you for a w alk with God through one of these summer days.

June 2019 Messenger page 8