House of Prayer on Parker and MainPeace TalkNEWSLETTER

March 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,I don’t know about you, but my brain has been overloaded lately with a politicking that has never been seen or experienced here in the United States before. We might despair of all hope if it were not for our Savior.

As a pastor and as a church we are obviously bound to not be partisan in the back and forth of this divided nation. We fully understand that Christians can and do take different positions on the affairs of the nation - and we need to be generous to those who think and believe differently. We give wide berth to each other in love because the bible does not specify how a nation is to be taxed, built, defended, etc. These are the affairs of what we call the “Kingdom of the Left”. These issues are to be dealt with through reason. As we all know, even as husband and wife, we often find our reasoning to be different on even daily life. We need to learn how to understand and live with each other peaceably.

But this does not mean that the church should have no voice in the affairs of the nation. In fact, even as we ought not take political “sides” and voice any specific support for a party or candidate, the church IS to be the judge of the affairs of the nation when it comes to issues of right and wrong, issues of morality, and issues concerning the “Order of Nature” that God ordained for human society in its creation. Our Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has taken public stands on three important issues: Sanctity of Life, Sanctity of Marriage, and most recently, the Freedom of Religion. We are free to speak to the issues of morality. And we do this

apart from any political flag waving.

We do recall in these difficult days how the scriptures call on Christians to pray for our governments - so that peace may reign and that the Gospel can be preached. We most definitely need to be diligent in our prayers, asking the Lord to give us His wisdom as His people. We need it as we endeavor to be active participants in our democratic governments.

Perhaps the most difficult thing we struggle with these days is despondency, anger and frustration with our failed governments and politics. How important it is for us as Christians to understand this mess that we have made for ourselves as sin. How beautiful it is for us to be able to pray “Lord Come Quickly” to save us! How precious it is for us to know that our Lord Jesus took the long hard road to Calvary and the cross to save horrendous sinners like we see ourselves to be in these evil days. We are all in this together. It is all our fault. We pray “Lord have Mercy, Christ have Mercy, Lord have Mercy” for good reason. We praise God that His “Kingdom of the Right” is not of this world.

May we truly bow our hearts to the Lord this Lent as we view the sinful terror of His crucifixion. May we exalt in the victory over all sin in the glory of that same death and the power of His resurrection. To God be all the Glory.

In Jesus,Pastor Bjornstad

From the pastor’s heart:Jesus said [to Pilate], “My kingdom is not of this world. John 18:36

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Mark 8:34

Working in partnership with God's people to raise up a new generation of faithful Christian men and women!

The Immanuel Preschool and the Lutheran Academy!

School websites: www.thelutheranacademyscranton.org and www.leccs.org

The Preschool and Academy held their annual Breadbasket Food Pantry collection in January and February. Their efforts ended with a shopping trip to Giant Food Stores to supplement the donations. The students and staff then delivered the food to the Breadbasket Food Pantry. Thank you to all who made donations.

THANK YOU for your support! The February 15th Pasta Dinner raised $518 for the Immanuel Preschool & Kindergarten and The Lutheran Academy.

Lutheran Schools Week- March 6-13th

FOO

D D

RIVE

On Sunday, February 21st the following members of the Academy Senior Choir added their voices to the Church Of All Nations worship service: Jason, Rachel, Samuel, Nora and Sarah. Their musical offering was a true blessing to all.

Mrs. Maybock and her team of bakers! Thank you for coming in and teaching a very 'Food Network' inspired cooking class! Kindergarten sure looked the part in those awesome chef hats and piping bags!

PreK acted out the story of the 10 sick men Jesus healed. They talked about how if we're sick or our loved ones are sick we can pray to Jesus for healing. They demonstrated this with some dolls who had the chicken pox! The students prayed and washed them clean.Josh working on his math work; Amelia

making Valentine art.

Making a Joyful Noise

On Sunday February 28th, the students made a trip to Faith Lutheran church in Easton, PA to lead the congregation in the worship there. The first "tour" of our orchestra and choir was SO well received and the congregation is making our Academy its mission for the month of March. Amazing!!! Continue to pray for the Academy and for all the ways their music can/will bless others.

Students will celebrate all week with Spirit week (photos in the April newsletter) and end the week with singing at the March 13th worship service at Immanuel. Please join the students, staff and parents at the Potluck following the March 13th 9:30 am service to celebrate all the blessings of Lutheran Education.

OPEN HOUSETuesday, March 8th

6:00-7:30pmBoth Academy and Immanuel

Preschool & Kindergarten locations. Spread the word!

Remember to ask: "How can I pray for you?"

Pray without ceasing - 1 Thes. 5:17

HAPPY NEWS AND NOTES:+ AROUND THE CONGREGATION* Happy 75th Birthday Bill Stavisky! A fabulous time was had by all the family and friends who attended the party which was organized by (ours and his) Lillian Colbert and held at the Lutheran Ministry Center! God bless you, Bill!

* Jacob and Ryan Spies (pictured left) completed their “God and Family” pin for Boy Scouts.Congratulations on a job well done!

* Edna Schulze has moved into

the Allied Terrace Assisted Living - and having a great time! If you are in the area she would love a visit - room 204! She is pictured with her son John, and her lovely room mate!

+ ESL CLASSESESL classes are held 5:45-7:15pm each Thursday at the Lutheran Ministry Center. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED. If you are available on Thursdays, the ESL program can use you!

+ NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING Please continually pray for the following Peace Lutheran Church youth who plan to attend the convention this summer: Brooke Cherney, Mark McHale, Kiana and Kobe Sauter, Andrew Harsche, AJ Hackenberg, and Joel Kriger.

+ PEACE HOUSE APARTMENTThe Peace House apartment will be occupied soon by member Ginny Perriano! You are perhaps scratching your head wondering who that is! You might remember couple years ago Ginney came to us and breathed a lot of "spirit" into the congregation, but after only a few months she had to leave for Pittsburgh. But she needs an operation on her knee and she had called Pastor Bjornstad about help finding a place where she could stay. Amazingly the Peace House downstairs apartment is perfect for her. Over the past months since Marilyn moved to where she could get the care she needs, Jerry and Rick (and others) have been working away putting new rugs and floors to make it all very nice indeed! Praise the Lord!

+ SAVE THE DATE: Congregational Meeting, Sunday April 17th after the 10:30 am service. Gather for a potluck lunch and congregational meeting. Utilize this opportunity to stay in the know about the work of YOUR church.

+ LENTEN FAIRA Lenten Fair for children will be held Saturday March 19th from 10:00am - 1:00pm at the Lutheran Ministry Center. Experience the Passion of the Lord.

+ IMMANUEL EASTER EXPERIENCE & EGG HUNTOn Saturday, March 26th from 10:00-noon Immanuel Lutheran Church will host an Easter Experience and Egg Hunt. Children preschool through 5th grade are invited to learn about the true meaning of Easter.

+ FEEDBACKIn this age of technology we encourage you to be connected to Peace Lutheran Church via our website and if possible on the Facebook page. We highly encourage you not to be afraid to give feedback and respond on Facebook posts. Your participation speaks volumes to visitors to our church and our page.

+ IMMANUEL CALLING PROCESS Please pray for wisdom and for God’s hand to continue to be on the calling process as Immanuel Lutheran Church awaits the decision from Pastor Dinger.

+ PALM SUNDAY BRUNCH- March 20th 9:15 amFree will offering for this VERY delicious breakfast! Sponsored by the youth group as a fundraiser to go to the LCMS Youth Gathering. Sponsored also by Thrivent!

+ 100th ANNIVERSARYThe Church Council is happy to announce Beverly Gedrimas has been appointed the head of our 100th Anniversary Committee. To get the ball really rolling, a Peace History Party is planned for Sunday, April 17. The hope is for as many folks as would like to, come look over the pictures and history of Peace Lutheran Church, to talk and reflect, and to record the events of our church. More details to come on the time and location in the April newsletter.

Church website: www.yourpeace.org.... email: pastor@yourpeace.org, amybetts@yourpeace.org… LMC: 570-703-0607

Bill with 2 of his grandchildren.

WORSHIP LIFE AT PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH:

8:00 Worship with Holy Communion9:30 Sunday School (ages Kindergarten to Adult)10:30 Worship with Holy Communion every other Sunday6:00 Church of All Nations worship service at the LMC

SPONSORING FLOWERSIf you would like to sponsor the flowers for a particular Sunday, please note that it is the sponsor’s responsibility to provide/order the flowers. Please sign up on the calandar at the back of the church to indicate your sponsorship!To order from McCarthy’s Flowers, please call: 570-507-9441 or 570-343-1179 and ask to speak with Carol. Or you can stop by the 1001 N. Main Ave, Scranton store and order from there!

Additional Services at Immanuel:5:30 pm Saturday Evening and 9:30 am Sunday Morning

LIVING LENT 2016- Wednesday Schedule

Midweek Lenten Service Schedule10:00 am Each Week at Peace Lutheran6:30 pm Fellowship Supper

March 2: 7:30pm Immanuel Lutheran ChurchMarch 9: 7:30pm St. Stephen’s Lutheran ChurchMarch 16: 7:30pm Lutheran Ministry Center

March 19: “Lenten Fair” for all children and youth 10:00am - 1:00pm, Held at the Lutheran Ministry Center

March 20: Palm Sunday Services9:15 am Palm Sunday Brunch between services

March 24: Maundy Thursday - Jesus’ Prayer of Anguish7:00pm Immanuel Lutheran Church

March 25: Good Friday - Witnessing the Passion and Death of Christ11:30am Reenactment of the Crucifixion at Peace Church7:00pm Good Friday with Holy Communion at Immanuel Lutheran

March 27: Easter Sunday:The Resurrection of Our Lord - Paradise is Ours6:30 am Easter Sunrise at Evergreen Cemetery8:00 am Peace Lutheran Church9:30 am Immanuel Lutheran Church10:30 am Peace Lutheran Church

Sunday Themes during Lent

March 6: Fourth Sunday in Lent - Praising the Crucified Christ

March 13: Fifth Sunday in Lent - Living with Pain

March 20: Palm Sunday

March 27: The Resurrection of Our Lord - Paradise is Ours

Goal SettingAt the conclusion of the Congregational Retreat in Janaury, attendees were asked to list some goals they had for Peace church as a whole, their position in the church or their family, and finally personal goals. This exercise proved powerful in identifying ways we can strengthen Peace Lutheran Church from the personal level all the way up to leadership. Here are a few of the “Church as a Whole” goals listed: * Grow our membership and reach the unchurched * Outreach to the community * Increase family fellowship * Find ways to increase consistently attending younger families * Focus on youth and their spiritual growth and talents * Spread the Gospel as much as possible * Help the homeless and economically challenged * Create a church band/choir

On Saturday, Feb. 20, a grand service of installation was held at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in Wilkes Barre for Rev. Peter J. Haenftling. Pictured is Pastor, his wife, son and daughter. Pastor comes from serving a dual parish in Ohio just across the PA border. His son is just graduating from High School and his daughter is graduating from university and entering the LMCS Deaconess program. We pray that Pastor Haenftling and his family would be a great blessing to St. Matthew's Lutheran and the surrounding community!

In April a committee will meet to develop a strategic plan to put as many of these goals into place. Our brainstorming session at the Retreat developed an impressive list of action items for many of these goals. If you are interested in being part of this strategy team, please speak with Pastor or Amy Betts.

NEED A RIDE TO CHURCH?The Peace van is avaialble to pick you up

for Sunday School and worship service on Sundays.

Call the church office to arrange.

Church website: www.yourpeace.org.... email: pastor@yourpeace.org, amybetts@yourpeace.org… LMC: 570-703-0607

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Pasta Dinner FundraiserMonday, April 11 4:00-7:00 pm$10/Adult and $6 child Eat in or Carry OutIncludes: Pasta, Meatballs, Salad and Dessert

Located: Lutheran Ministry Center/ The Lutheran Academy 1546 Monsey Ave, Scranton

Proceeds to benefit The Lutheran AcademyTo purchase your tickets, contact Amy Betts at the church office at 570-703-0607, no later than April 7th. Help spread the word, invite friends/family, and support our Lutheran school!

Welcoming People to the Church

Tips of the Month:✿ Never let new people sit alone. Take initiative and go to them without delay.

✿ Help visitors find seating that suits their families needs.

✿ Help first time visitors by being their tour guide and helping them find worship resources (especially if they look lost with the Lutheran Service Book). Visiting a new church is like a cross-cultural experience, even for those of us who have visited dozens of other churches.

✿ Invite people to fill out our church guest book when arriving or before leaving.

Sam Ebenezer has been accepted into the Lay Deacon Program under the direction of the Eastern District. We are glad of this as he will be the main "mover and shaker" minister and evangelist at the Church of All Nations. He is learning how to lead and plan the worship services even as Pastor Bjornstad is the regular preacher and celebrant of Holy Communion.We need to continue to welcome and pray for Sam and his family. We were so blessed with his wife Agnes and daughter Christina, but they were forced to go back to New York because they could not afford a university education here in Scranton for Christina. They will be coming back from time to time as they are able to visit. Sam received his driver's license and will be finally able to go to New York to visit from time to time, as well as do his ministry here in Scranton.PLEASE PRAY that Sam will find a very inexpensive small apartment or room where he can live.

Church of ALL N

ations

ALL NIGHT PRAYER MEETINGSAll Night Prayer Meeting are scheduled to be held one Friday night a month. It will start at 9:30pm until usually 11:30pm or 12am. We pray for many of the congregation, family, friends, the nation and the world. During the Prayer meeting there is scripture, testimonies, and lots of singing. Please join us when you can! In March we will not have one because there is no time with Holy Week and Easter festivities. Be watching for information in the bulletins later in March and early April for the date of the next Prayer Meeting.

Mark and Kim Koenig are hosting the first of the 2016 Cottage Fellowships coming up on Friday, March 18th beginning at 6:30pm. Please come with a dish to share (if possible) and look forward to wonderful fellowship, dinner, spiritual songs, and scripture. Come or go as you need. Please see Mark, Pastor or call the church office if you need an address/directions.

The hope and prayer is each month there will be either a Cottage Prayer Meeting (in someone’s home) or an All Night Prayer meeting (at the Lutheran Ministry Center) one Friday a month.