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TRANSCRIPT
The Evangel St . S tep hen Lut h eran Ch ur c h
Thou hast given so much to
me. Give me one thing
more—a grateful heart.
George Herbert
Inside this issue:
Sunday School Christ-
mas Program Schedule;
Sunday School Mitten
Tree
2
Second (Noisy) Offering;
Birthdays & Anniver-
saries; Sunday Scrip-
ture Readings
3
New Small Group for
Seniors; Thanksgiving
Basket Volunteers
Needed; Boxtops for
Education
4
Photos of Making
Fleece Blankets
5
Daily Narrative Lection-
ary Readings
6
Lay Minister Schedule 7
Thanksgiving Eve Ser-
vice
8
Volume , Issue November 2016
From the Pastor...
Justified by grace, we are a
Community of Servants who
follow Jesus’ example by living
lives of service to others.
As we begin the month of November, we turn our thinking and attention towards Thanksgiving. I really enjoy
Thanksgiving. It’s a low key holiday without all the hype of Christmas. I enjoy the food, the time to be with
family, and the time to relax.
It’s also wonderful to take time for “thanksgiving.” And when we do, when we sit back and give thanks to God
for all of our blessings and where we are in life, we once again remind ourselves how blessed we are. We have
so much for which to be thankful. Sure we have struggles and problems, but in general we have so much for
which to be thankful.
This year, as in many others, our congregation’s annual focus on giving comes together at the same time as
Thanksgiving. And I think that’s a really good and helpful thing because as we think about what we will give to
support the ministry of St. Stephen, we are mindful of how blessed we truly are.
But even as we are blessed, there are so many in the world who are in need. People who we touch with our
ministry…… people who are hungry to hear about God’s love, people who need a community where they are
loved and belong, people who need a place to serve, people who need food for their stomachs, children who
need mentors to give them the attention they need. There is so much need in the world and we as a congrega-
tion are answering God’s call to help and heal a hurting world.
Over the years I’ve learned that with blessings comes responsibility. As God has blessed me, God also calls me
to use those blessings for the sake of the world. And as you give financially to support the ministry of St. Ste-
phen, you are answering God’s call to help and heal a hurting world.
One of the challenges we face as a congregation is funding this important ministry. Each year our costs go up.
Each year it costs more to do the exact same ministry we did the previous year, much less grow our ministry.
Because of that, we are asking for your support by growing in your giving.
At the entrance to the Fellowship Hall is a Giving Tree. It’s a take-off of the marvelous children’s story The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It’s a very visible reminder of God’s call to give and to grow in our giving for
the sake of our congregation’s ministry and the sake of the world. The “leaves” of the tree are there to encour-
age us to grow in our giving and for us to visibly see how we are doing with growing. We, the Church Council,
would like to challenge and encourage you to think and pray about how you will grow in your giving, and then
take a leaf off the tree that represents how much you will grow per month in your giving. There are leaves in
$5 increments from as little as $5 up to $50 and more than $50. If we all grow in our giving, it will make a
huge difference in our ministry and answering God’s call to help and heal a hurting world.
God has indeed blessed us. And our giving and generosity is an important way of giving thanks.
Pastor
Page 2 Volume , Issue
Sunday School Christmas Mitten Tree-Keep Cumberland's Children Warm! The Sunday School is once again having a SS
Christmas Mitten Tree for students (Kindergarten-Grade 3) at Cumberland Elementary. Please help keep these children
warm by donating mittens, gloves, hats or scarves and place them on the Sunday School Christmas Mitten Tree in the Fel-
lowship Hall. We will accept donations from Nov. 27-Jan. 1. Thank-you for sharing this Christmas love and joy!
Sunday School Mitten Tree Miriam Bunge, Co-Facilitator
Well, the time has come to plan for the Sunday School Christmas Program! Diane Singletary, Cindy Jenks and Miriam Bunge are coordinating the
Program this year. It will be December 11. We will have both Worship and the Christmas Program in the Fellowship Hall.
Having Worship and the Christmas Program in the Fellowship Hall will give the Christmas Program participants more room and will be a more infor-
mal setting this year. We want to include grades K- 12 and are hopefully going to include some adults too.
We would like to Practice near the end of Sunday School, so all the students are there. December 4 and 11, we would like to practice from 9am-
9:45am. The practice schedule we would like to have is the following:
We hope all of our students will participate!! Merry Christmas early!
Cindy, Diane and Miriam
Sunday School Christmas Program Schedule
Oct. 30 - 9:40am-9:55am in Brian Yusten's Room
Nov. 6 - Same time and place
Nov. 13 - Same time and place
Nov. 20 - Same time and place
Nov. 27 - Same time and place
Dec. 4 - 9am-9:45am in the Fellowship Hall
Dec. 11 - 9am-9:45am in the Fellowship Hall
The Evangel Page 3
28 Paul & Rebecca Bossenbroek
NOVEMBER Anniversaries
2 John V’Soske
6 Claudia Cameron
10 Miriam Bunge
Steven Singletary
13 Kay Dreps
14 Jacob Hall
Clair Mittan
NOVEMBER Birthdays 18 Kate Yusten
24 Jerry Becker
26 Wanda Snell
27 Clarice Kleinhenz
Travis Holmes
28 Bonnie V’Soske
29 Kyle Greiner
September’s Second (Noisy) Offering was used to support to support EVE’s (End Violent Encounters) Shelter,
a shelter for women, and women with children who have been victims of domestic violence. A total of $
757.04 was collected Thank you for your generous support of this important ministry.
Second (Noisy) Offering
November 6: Jonah and God’s Mercy, Jonah 1:1-17; 3:1-10 [4:1-11]
November 13: Isaiah’s Call and Sending, Isaiah 6:1-8
November 20: A New Covenant Promised (Christ the King), Jeremiah 36:1-8, 21-23, 27-28; then 31:31-34
November 27: Daniel’s Hope in God, Daniel 6:6-27
Sunday Narrative Lectionary Readings
Page 4 Volume , Issue
On November 20 we will be assembling and delivering Thanksgiving baskets for 26 families in our com-
munity. We need three volunteers to help assemble the baskets during church service and as many as
possible to help with delivery after the service. Most of the deliveries are near the church. We also would
love to provide home-baked desserts for these baskets. Please sign up on the sheet on the SERVE table if
you can provide a pie or cookies, and to sign up for delivering baskets.
For more information please contact Sarah Holland at 517-290-5862 or [email protected] or on
Facebook.
We are planning a visit and lunch at the Delta Retirement Center with Wayne Lesher, Hazel Heister and Bea Stoimenoff who are all residents there.
Date: Thursday, November 10
Place: Delta Retirement Center
201 S. Mall Drive
Lansing, MI 48917
Time: 11:30 AM
Cost:$5.00 Each (will have choice of three menu items which you will need to choose by November 6.
Limited to 10-12 people, so need reservations asap. Please respond to Bonnie V'Soske at 517-694-0157 or [email protected].
New Small Group for Seniors
Thanksgiving Basket Call For Assistance Sarah Holland, Coordinator
Just a reminder that we are still collecting “Box Tops for Education” for Cumberland Elementary. I
know some of you collect these for your children and grandchildren, but if you don't, and would
like to help Cumberland, there is a collection container on the table in the Fellowship Hall. If you
don't want to clip the coupon, just place the entire label in the container and I will clip it for
you. Thanks again for helping Cumberland. Margaret
Save Your Labels Margaret Sheffer, Kids Hope USA Director
The Evangel Page 5
Made another bunch of cozy fleece blankets for Sparrow Hospital Hospice
patients
The Narrative Lectionary readings will also be listed in each Sunday’s announcements, posted on the St. Stephen website (www.StStepheonOnline.org), and found in the online version of The Evangel.
Page 6 Volume , Issue
Tuesday, Nov. 1: Elijah Ascends to Heaven and Elisha Succeeds Elijah, 2 Kings 2:1-18
Wednesday, Nov. 2: Elisha Heals Naaman, 2 Kings 5:1-19
Thursday, Nov. 3: Amos Prophesies Against Israel, Amos 5:18-24
Friday, Nov. 4: Hosea Prophesies Against Israel, Hosea 2:1-13
Saturday, Nov. 5: Micah Prophesies to Both Kingdoms, Micah 6:1-8
Sunday, Nov. 6: Jonah and God’s Mercy, Jonah 1:1-17; 3:1-10 [4:1-11]
Monday, Nov. 7: Zephaniah Prophesies Against the Kingdoms, Zephaniah 1:14-18
Tuesday, Nov. 8: Nahum Prophesies of God’s Wrath, Nahum 1:1-11
Wednesday, Nov. 9: Habakkuk Prophesies and Prays, Habakkuk 3:1-19
Thursday, Nov. 10: God Calls Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:1-19
Friday, Nov. 11: Ezekiel Sees a Vision, Ezekiel 1:1-28
Saturday, Nov. 12: The Valley of Dry Bones, Ezekiel 37:1-14
Sunday, Nov. 13: Isaiah’s Call and Sending, Isaiah 6:1-8
Monday, Nov. 14: The Peaceful Kingdom, Isaiah 11:1-10
Tuesday, Nov. 15: Impending Judgment on the Earth, Isaiah 24:1-23
Wednesday, Nov. 16: God’s People Are Comforted, Isaiah 40:1-31
Thursday, Nov. 17: A Hymn of Praise, Isaiah 42:10-20
Friday, Nov. 18: The Suffering Servant, Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Saturday, Nov. 19: A Promise of Abundant Life, Isaiah 55:1-13
Sunday, Nov. 20: A New Covenant Promised (Christ the King), Jeremiah 36:1-8, 21-23, 27-28; then 31:31-34
Monday, Nov. 21: Israel Is Like an Unfaithful Spouse, Jeremiah 3:1-5, 4:1-4
Tuesday, Nov. 22: Mourning for the People, Jeremiah 8:18-9:3
Wednesday, Nov. 23: God Will Restore Israel, Jeremiah 16:14-21
Thursday, Nov. 24: The Potter and the Clay, Jeremiah 18:1-11
Friday, Nov. 25: Lamenting a Fallen City, Lamentations 1:1-22
Saturday, Nov. 26: God Will Restore Israel and Judah, Jeremiah 30:1-24
Sunday, Nov. 27: Daniel’s Hope in God, Daniel 6:6-27
Monday, Nov. 28: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, Daniel 2:1-49
Tuesday, Nov. 29: The Fiery Furnace, Daniel 3:1-30
Wednesday, Nov. 30: Belshazzar’s Feast, Daniel 5:1-30
DAILY NARRATIVE LECTIONARY READINGS for November
LAY MINISTER SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER
Staff Members
Gary A. Bunge, Pastor [email protected]
Renee Dixon, Office Manager [email protected]
Rebecca Bossenbroek, Director of Worship [email protected]
Council Members
Jay Bennett, President [email protected]
Renee Dixon, Recording Secretary [email protected]
Luke Bunge, Treasurer [email protected]
Don Sheffer, Facility Development Team Leader [email protected]
Rebecca Bossenbroek, Financial Development [email protected]
Margie Bauer, Leadership Development Team Leader [email protected]
Cindy Jenks, WELCOME Ministry Development [email protected]
Julie Dartt, NOURISH Ministry Development [email protected]
Claudia Cameron, SERVE Ministry Development [email protected]
Council Meeting
Tuesday, November 15
7:00 pm
NOV 6 NOV 13 NOV 20 NOV 23 NOV 27
7:00 pm
ALTAR FLOWERS Diane Singletary Lynn Kriser Paulette Piirainen Rebecca
Bossenbroek
ASSISTING MINISTERS Diane Singletary Miriam Bunge Lorri Yusten Paulette Piirainen John V’Soske
(Paulette Piirainen
256-9740)
USHERS
(Terry Greiner, 694-5358) Mark Bolla Claudia Cameron Paulette Piirainen Mike Borta
(Ken Bauer, 669-2301)
ALTAR CARE Lorri Yusten for entire month.
(Claudia Cameron
323-8258)
COFFEE HOUR Nourish Care Group (June Hansen) for entire month. C
St. Stephen Lutheran Church 2900 North Waverly Road, Lansing, MI 48906
Phone: 517-321-2244 Fax: 517-321-2632
Email: [email protected] | Website: StStephenOnline.org Traditional Worship: Sundays at 8:30 am
Sunday School Class: Sundays at 9:45 am (Sept – May)
Contemporary Worship: Sundays at 11:00 am
Church Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
The Evangel Page 7
2900 N. Waverly Rd.
Lansing, MI 48906
St . S tep hen Lut her an Chur ch
Phone: 517-321-2244
Fax: 517-321-2632
Email: [email protected]
Website: StStephenOnline.org
OR CURRENT OCCUPANT
Thanksgiving Eve Service
November 23rd at 7:00 pm
Fellowship and pie following in the Fellowship Hall