vol. 92 no. 2 march 2017 the messenger’s...

CONTENTS

A Message

from the President. . . . . . 1

Spotlight On.....

Cindy Holman. . . . . . . . . . 2

Financial Graph. . . . . . . . . . . 2

A Message

From the Pastor.. . . . . . . . 3

From Our Worship Trustee. . 4

Favorite Soup. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Next Step. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Come one…come all!. . . . . . . 5

From Lent to Lentils . . . . . . . 6

Notes From the “O” Team. . . 6

Men’s Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

WELCA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Caring for Our Own. . . . . . . . 7

Short Work Breather. . . . . . . 8

Faith Formation. . . . . . . . . . . 8

Community Chest

Luther Style. . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Save The Date(s):. . . . . . . . . 10

Property Upgrades

Continue.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Birthdays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Thank You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

March at a Glance.. . . . . . . . 13

March Worship Team. . . . . . 14

March Calendar.. . . . . . . . . . 15

Vol. 92 No. 2 March 2017

THE MESSENGER’SVOICE

THE GOOD NEWS FROM OUR REDEEMER

A Message from the President

Hi. It's approaching the end of February. I just received aseed catalog, the temperature is climbing, the sun feels warmer,and the days are noticeably longer. For most of us these aresigns that Spring is around the corner, and I, for one, am reallyexcited about that.

However, there is something else just around the churchcorner, and that is Lent, the season of reflection about who Godis, who Jesus is, what he means to us in our lives, and exactlywho we are, and how we interact with Jesus and God.

The concept of God seems unfathomable to many of us(I'm included), but with Christ's help we are able to unravelSOME of the mysteries surrounding God. I know I call on Jesusregularly for help to understand who God is, what he means inour life, and how we can grow closer, through Jesus, to help usbe more 'perfect' (I do listen to sermons).

Knowing we cannot be perfect, or even close, gives evenmore meaning to Lent. It encourages us to look more closely atwhat we do, how we treat others, how we can become betterpeople in God's eyes. Let's use this season to better prepareourselves to meet God someday, and become better citizens,both in the church and in the world. Keep the thought of Springin your mind, but temper it with the season of Lent. God Bless.

John TorelliCouncil President

2 The Messenger’s Voice March 2017

The Messenger's Voice is published monthly

(except for combined July/August edition)

by

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church130 S. Reynolds Street

Scotia, NY 12302

(518) 393-5031

www.OurRedeemer.cc

[email protected]

Staff: Pastor Rev. Daniel M. MayMusic Director Wayne HawkinsAdministrative Assistant Melissa JerreldNursery Director Jessica RosslerSexton Richard Tessitore

Deadline for copy: The Sunday

of the month prior to the last

Friday of the month. See church

calendar in this edition for date.

Editor reserves the right to edit

for content & space.

Large print editionavailable upon request,

call 393-5031.

Spotlight On.....Cindy Holman

This month, the spotlight is on our Council Recording Secretary, Cindy Holman. AsRecording Secretary, Cindy is responsible for taking minutes at Council meetings and Voter'smeetings as well as keeping the records of the congregation and receiving reports from thevarious committees for each monthly Council meeting.

Cindy is married to Russ Holman and is the mother of Emily, Molly and RJ. As a lifelong Lutheran, Cindy is active in our congregation in many ways, especially as the face of theAnnual Strawberry Fest. Thanks in great part to her efforts, the fest is always a big success.

Cindy works for the NY State Court of Appeals (Pastor Meyer blessed the Court ofAppeals Bible), and spends most of her free time at hockey games and swim meets. Withwork, a husband and 3 children.....we are so grateful that Cindy finds time to serve the Lordhere at Our Redeemer. Thanks and God Bless you Cindy!

Don’t let Choice Dollars Expire!!Eligible Thrivent Financial memberswho have Choice Dollars available

have until March 31, 2017 to direct any remaining 2016 ChoiceDollars. Help support Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Go toThrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more. Or call 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” after the prompt. You can alsocall the church office, where Melissa can offer assistance. Wehave been blessed to receive over $17,000 in Thrivent Choicefunds since 2011.

http://www.OurRedeemer.cc


Topics will be:

_ The 10 Commandments ~ March 5 and 8th th

_ The Apostles' Creed ~ March 12 & 15th th

_ Baptism ~ March 19 & 22th nd

_ The Lord's Prayer ~ March 26 & 29th th

_ Holy Communion ~ April 2 & 5nd th

Soup and Bread at 6 pm, worship at 7 pm.All are welcome!

A Message From the Pastor

It's an occupational hazard of being apastor. I get given crosses. For those whohave not been in my office lately, I have awhole wall of 'em! Many of them I wearthroughout the year as we worship together. Others are gifts or ones found along the waythat are simply displayed. I have one that wasa gift twice - Veronica carved a cross for meout of balsa wood with a butterfly on it andgave it to me for Easter one year. The nextyear I got it again, this time the butterfly waspainted! You'll see that one around Easter.

My most recent gift of a cross is one thatI have been wearing lately. It was given to meby my favorite Administrative Assistant that Ihave ever worked with here at Our Redeemer. It is a nice cross, hand colored and beaded,with a little tag that hangs down from thebottom. The tag says "Love the Journey." Insome ways I should have saved it for theseason of Lent, as that is how I like to talkabout that season. It is a journey we go onwith Jesus from the wilderness to the cross. And beyond.

Much of life can be described as ajourney. Marriage. Having children. A workcareer. A road trip can be a physical journeyas well as an emotional and/or spiritual one. Melissa and I both lost our moms about amonth apart last spring, so that has been ajourney through grief in a different way thanwith other friends or co-workers who didn't gothrough that recently. ORLC's most-of-the-year celebrating the 500 Anniversary ofth

the Reformation will be a journey of sorts aswell.

Lent is a journey. From the ashes of AshWednesday, remembering the sack cloth andashes endured for penitence, to Jesus in thewilderness, temptations by Satan, escalatingtensions with the powers that be, toPalm/Passion Sunday, Holy Week, andultimately Easter, the journey is a roller coasterride emotionally and spiritually. Jesus teachesand preaches passionately! Jesus is resistedand opposed fervently! And just when sin and

darkness and evil seem to win, God wins theultimate battle over sin and death.

And, as we journey this Lent with Jesus,we'll also look at who we are as LutheranChristians. We'll be looking at the SmallCatechism, a study guide Martin Luther wrotefor families to use to teach the faith. EachSunday we'll look at the lessons and a piece ofthe Small Catechism, and talk about what thatis all about. Then the following Wednesday,we'll dig deeper into the Catechism piece aspart of our worship, to see the gifts andlessons included in this brief but helpful guide. At the bottom of this page is the schedule andtopics for each week. Dust off your copies ofthe Small Catechism, or take a look in theback of the hymnal as it is printed there too.

Our whole life is a journey. We havemany partners along the way, some for a longwhile, some for just a few blocks. They allhelp us along the way, along the journey. They all help us become who we are, and helpus to see beyond the walls and boxes in whichwe are often trapped. Jesus goes with us allalong the way, calls to us when we stray,carries us when weak, celebrates with uswhen we're faithful, and blessing us always. Have a good Lent, folks.

~Pastor Dan


What is yourfavorite soup?

From Our Worship Trustee

This month we leap into Lent!Ash Wednesday is March 1 and we willst

have two services, 11 am and 7 pm.

Please look for sheetsto sign up for worship rolesat the Wednesday night

Lenten services. We always need ushers,readers, acolytes and communion assistants,but we'd love greeters and assisting ministerstoo. It takes all of us to keep this churchgoing and Lent is a wonderful time to "testout" a new role. If you come early, we'll evenfeed you dinner!

Wayne invites anyone and everyone tothink about volunteering as a musician,singing or playing. Even if you can onlycommit for a month or a season (Easter?Summer?), you are always welcome to jumpinto the group. There is no life-longcommitment required. Just speak to Waynebefore or after service.

Do you have a worship idea that youwould like to see us use at ORLC? Join us atthe Worship and Music meeting March 7 atth

7pm or contact me. See you at service!

Linda DeBraccioWorship & Music Trustee

Favorite Soup

Perhaps you remember there alwaysbeing a pot of soup on the stove atGrandma's house. Or, maybe your Mommade chicken noodle soup for you when youwere coming down with a cold. What goesbetter with a grilled cheese sandwich than asteaming bowl of tomato soup? You canrekindle those good feelings by joining us on

Wednesdays in Lent for a bowl of soup and aslice of bread. Our Soup and Bread supperswill commence on Wednesday, March 8 ,th

and continue every Wednesday until April 5 . th

Gather anytime after 5:30, and enjoy a Soup& Bread supper at 6:00 pm before attendingworship. The best part is: YOU get to bringyour favorite soup and/or bread. Thosewishing to share their favorite soup and/orbread, can sign-up in the Fellowship Hall. Weask that soda, desserts, and chips not be partof the evening meal. Plan to join us everyWednesday. You won't have to set the tableor do the dishes, I promise. Just come, enjoya soup and bread supper, fellowship with oneanother, and join us as we worship togetherduring this Lenten season.

The Book Club will meet on March 10 at th

7 pm at the home of Nora Guzewich. Theywill be discussing the book, Secrets of aCharmed Life, by Susan Meisner. Synopsis:Current day, Oxford, England. YoungAmerican scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager topursue her vision of a perfect life, interviewsIsabel McFarland just when the elderlywoman is ready to give up secrets about thewar that she has kept for decades...beginningwith who she really is. What Kendra receivesfrom Isabel is both a gift and a burden - onethat will test her convictions and her heart.

The Fellowship Committee will meet onThursday, March 2 at 7 pm in the lounge.nd

Coffee fellowship takes place everySunday in the Fellowship Hall betweenservices. If you attend worship at 9 am, joinus afterward for coffee and conversation. Ifyou prefer to attend the 11 am service, youare welcome to have coffee before worship. Sign-up on the board in the Fellowship Hall tohost coffee fellowship. Cheese and crackers,baked goods, and fruit are goodies that aremost appreciated as we enjoy our coffee. The directions for hosting and clean-up arealso posted on the board.

Gladys Cox Fellowship Trustee


The Next Step

We've been doingadequately in our giving toOur Redeemer recently. Webalanced our budget for2016, which was good news.

I do not want to downplay how vital it is for usto have a balanced budget each year. Nevertheless, I think about how much morewe could do at Our Redeemer if we took thenext step.

What is the next step? Well, I suppose that thereare many "next steps" wec o u l d t a k e a s acongregation, and I do notwant to imply that there isonly just one. However, the

one I have in mind is Simply Giving. If we allused Simply Giving, the people in thecongregation who give on a monthly basiswould be sure to give each and every month,and those who give on a weekly basis wouldbe sure to give each and every week. Ourchurch treasurer, Paul Rice, has told me whata difference that would make in our financeseach year. We would be in a position to do agreat deal more for our programs within OurRedeemer, as well as for the outreachprograms we support in our community andaround the world.

I know from past experience that somepeople in the congregation stay away fromthe Simply Giving program because ofsecurity concerns. In this regard, I would notethat I've been in the Simply Giving programfor over a decade with no negative results. But for those of you who are still unwilling togive Simply Giving a try, let me say that Ithink there is a good chance that you useautomated payments for some of yournecessities, such as your mortgage, electricbill, internet/cable bill, fuel bill, etc. Why notyour giving to your church as well? I'm sure

you could set up a system with your own bankwhich would allow you to automatically give toOur Redeemer in a way that would be withinyour comfort level. For all we do, help OurRedeemer take the next step in its finances!

Fred HutchisonStewardship Trustee

Come one…come all!

One of the joys of being a congregant atOur Redeemer is all the opportunities togather together for fellowship….and food! March will be no exception! Mark yourcalendars for the following two events:

The Youth Group will be hosting aSpaghetti Dinner on March 11 from 5-7 pmth

in the Fellowship Hall. The money raisedfrom this fundraiser will go towards travelexpenses associated with the ELCA YouthGathering in Houston, TX. The cost is $8.00per dinner. Pre-sale tickets are availablethrough March 5 . I encourage you (andth

your family and friends) to come support theyouth.

The Annual SundaySchool Open House willtake place between serviceson March 19 in theth

Fellowship Hall. TheSunday School staff and

parents will be hosting coffee fellowship thatday. The children have been practicing a fewsongs that we think you'll all enjoy! We inviteeveryone to check out the Sunday Schoolrooms and see what the children have beenlearning so far this year.


The Sunday School children's LentenProject this year will be the Heifer ProjectInternational. During Lent, they will be puttingtheir coins into a bank that will be returnedPalm Sunday. The children decided themoney collected will be used to purchasegoat(s) and flocks of chickens. Thecongregation is welcome to help us with thisLenten Project as well! If you are interestedin making a donation, please note on youroffering envelope "Lenten Project" and theamount. Thanks to all who are able to help!

Fred Hutchison has graciously agreed toteach ACES while Charles Meyerrecuperates. Thank you, Fred! As you mayknow, two resolutions concerning Israel werepassed at last year's ELCA nationalconvention. Fred will explain what thoseresolutions are and will then take an in-depthlook at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Beforeone can fully understand the resolutions, oneshould have a good understanding of thehistory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So,Fred will begin by delving into the backgroundof the current conflict, going all the way backto Abraham and Sarah, and Ishmael andIsaac and continuing with events throughouthistory including what has happened since1948. Once the background has beenreviewed, he will be discussing the ELCAresolutions in light of the events of today. Please join Fred between services!

Sharon MehiganEducation Trustee

From Lent to Lentils

March begins on Ash Wednesday and sobegins the season of Lent. Traditionally, Lentis a time when we contemplate Christ givinghimself up for our salvation. We often give upsomething as our sacrifice during Lent andwe focus on the profound example of God'slove for us through his Son's sacrifice.

Following this example,Lent can be a time when wecan also give. We continueto strive to meet the needs ofthose who, for a variety ofreasons, find themselvesunsure of where their next

meal will come from. We continue to careabout those who don't enjoy the stability offood, shelter and basic human needs thatmost of us take for granted.

Here are some upcoming planned OurRedeemer ministries where we can give toothers just as God gives to us all:• Donating money or non-perishable food

items to the SICM or Scotia-Glenville foodpantry. You can support this through yourweekly offering or add your food item tothe baskets in the Fellowship Hall.

• Help make sandwiches for Schenectady'sBethesda House on March 12 betweenth

services. See Audrey Chouffi or just showup at the table near the windows in the Fellowship Hall.

• Our Redeemer's rotation at the SalvationArmy Soup Kitchen - next serving time willbe Friday, April 7 - cooking on April 4th th

and turkey bone picking on April 5 here atth

church. Please see the Soup Kitcheninformation in the Fellowship Hall or speakto Warren Sheldon, Betty Ann Hughes orRon Pucci.

Mike MehiganSocial Ministry Trustee

Notes From the “O” Team

The new Picture Directory will becoming for Easter!

Please remember to invite friends andfamily to our Lenten and Holy week worshipservices beginning with March 8 ~ 6 pmth

Soup & Bread supper and 7 pm worship.


The Outreach Committee is excited toannounce that our Shawl Ministry isexpanding! Effective immediately, we will becalling ourselves the Fiber Arts Ministry because we receive many requests, and areaware of many needs throughout ourcommunity and the Capital Region at large.This means that we will be able to providehandmade items beyond prayer shawls, suchas hats, mittens and scarves for our MittenTree, lap robes for wheelchair boundveterans, chemo caps for women undergoingchemotherapy, layettes for newborns, wintercaps for seafarers, and other items as needsare identified.

If you knit, crochet orweave, please join us

on Tuesday, March 28th

at 6:30 pm in theFellowship Hall.

This group is open to any member orfriend of ORLC, both men and women. If youdon't know how to knit or crochet but areinterested in learning, we will be happy toteach you and start you off on a simpleproject. We will supply the yarn, needles andpatterns - all we need is you!

"Hey, I'm a visitor and I'd really like toknow your name…." a gentle reminder toPlease Wear Your Name Tags as Pastor Danand our visitors really do appreciate it!

It's not too early to put the Memorial DayParade on your calendar for Wednesday,May 24 . Plan on participating with ourth

church as we celebrate 500 years of LutheranMinistry! Sign-ups and more details to followin the April newsletter.

Our next meeting will take placeTuesday, April 5 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm atth

Mary's house. We welcome new memberswith open hearts and arms.

Mary RaineyOutreach Trustee

Men’s Group

The Men's Group for the first time in 19years had to cancel our February meetingdue to weather related conditions. Our nextmeeting will be held on March 9 at Pastorth

Dan's house. The Bible study will be basedon 2 Corinthians 12: 1-10 (Harsh Realities).All men 18 or older are welcome to join us.Please contact me with questions.

Chuck Cox

WELCA

Think Spring! If you are in the mood fora change, join us as we continue ourexploration of the topic with "Our ChangingCareers". We will meet at church onTuesday, March 14 at 6:30 pm. Weth

continue to collect socks, hats, t-shirts andsweatshirts in our box in the WELCA cornerof the Fellowship Hall. Please keep an eyeout for end of season bargains so we cancreate 50 "Christmas at Sea" gift bags forthose sailors far from home. If you have anyquestions about this project or about ourmeetings, please see Linda, Gladys Cox,Patti Kopach or Mary Rainey.

Linda DeBraccio

Caring for Our Own

The CFOO Committeehas been busy planningseveral interesting eventsfor the spring & summermonths. First, on April 23 rd

at 2 pm, we will host apresentation by Thad Raushi that will focuson his diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease andthe effect that the diagnosis had on him andhis family. We will also be able to learn about


the book that Thad wrote outlining how he isdealing with the disease. After the discussionand Q & A session, we will serve coffee &cake so that people can have informal, one-on-one talks with Thad and Sylvia.

Another project “in the planning stages” isthe possibility of having Connor Chapman host a presentation in July or August wherehe will talk to High School youth about whatthey might expect in the first year of college.Many young people are surprised andconcerned when they find that college life iscompletely different than what they haveexperienced in High School. Connor hasbeen there and can speak from experience.

We have several more projects “in theworks” and will have details as they areavailable.

CFOO chairpersonBob Abrams

Short Work BreatherStill Need Birds

The ORLC Soup Kitchen team has noserving date in March, but our April date isearly, before many will have read their Aprilnewsletter. So here's early notice of our Aprildates, and please sign-up on the sheet nearthe coffee station in the Fellowship Hall if youcan help. Don't be shy about joining us forthe first time. On-the-job training is all youneed, and we're happy to coach new folks. Ifyou want more information, please talk to anyof us during coffee or by telephone.

The April dates are:• Cook birds and gravy on Tuesday, April 4 ,th

in the ORLC kitchen starting at 8 am; 2people are plenty for this task;

• Slice and pick meat for serving onWednesday, April 5 , at 9 am in the ORLCth

Fellowship Hall; with 4-6 people, we can bedone before noon;

• Serve lunch at the Salvation Army SoupKitchen on Friday, April 7 , 10:30 am ~th

1:45 pm; we need 5-7 people at thekitchen to prepare, serve, and clean upafter a hot turkey sandwich lunch. Use theparking lot and door on Smith Street, alittle downhill from Lafayette Street. Youwill need to either bring your own apronand cap, or wear the plastic aprons andhairnets available from the Salvation Army.

Finally, we are still looking for moreturkeys. Please keep us in mind if you seelow prices. Either pick up a bird or two, or letus know where you saw the sale so we canswoop in. If you buy, just call one of us toarrange a handoff. We really need wholebirds to make flavorful gravy stock, and we'vefound that 15-16 pound birds give us the bestmeat/fat ratio.

Thanks for your continuing support.

Warren SheldonBetty Ann Hughes Ron Pucci

Faith Formation

As an update, I am taking class numbertwo in my two year curriculum on FaithFormation for the 21 Century organized byst

the ELCA. The first class focused on thereduction in participating members in mosttraditional Christian churches and what mightbe done to stop the flow away from churches. One suggestion is to become more active inthe social media area, posting meaningfulinformation on a regular basis to those whoboth attend and do not attend services. Looking for ways to connect with people and


giving them a sense of belonging were twoother areas on which the class focused. I didsome quick surveying of the coffee fellowshipgroups to get some ideas for my class.

The second class isabout how to transmitfaith knowledge to thenext generation. One ofthe main ideas is todevelop intentional

intergenerational activities. We do some ofthis now, but I am learning about severalother ways to get all ages involved in theirfaith development. Of course, the readingsgive both research and Biblical basis for theidea of mixing ages together for faithformation. On Sunday, March 26 , afterth

second service, there will be an open meetingto survey opinions of members about thisissue. The survey questions can be receivedearly by contacting me.

As often happens at our congregation,discussions of any issue, multiple andsometimes differing ideas are brought out. Often, all for the good of our beloved church. You know me, talk to me if you have anyquestions about this issue.

Janice Walz

Community Chest Luther Style

During the Middle Ages, we tend to thinkof large numbers of Catholic monks living inmonasteries, but there were other monks whotraveled amongst the people, especially thepoor, called mendicant orders. These monkstook a vow of poverty and lived on what theywould receive from people who heard thempreach. Their name comes from the Latin,"medicare", meaning to beg. Therefore, boththe monks and the poor were begging inmany areas. As people, especially the poor,moved to the cities, these monks also movedto the cities to continue to preach andevangelize to people. As with all human

endeavors, there were good results and therewere abuses. Along comes Martin Lutherwho thinks that the money given to buyindulgences, to ensure the forgiveness ofone's own sins as practiced in the Catholicchurch, would be better used to take care ofthe poor. He and other Protestants felt that,"by giving poverty its "halo," the church wassystematically preserving poverty". In 1521,Luther penned the Beautelordnung (Order ofthe Common Purse), which outlined his visionfor the reform of poor relief and much of thisdocument was adopted by the WittenbergCity Council, soon followed by other Germancities. He came from the thinking that"believers are all justified by God throughChrist, therefore charity is no longer an actmotivated by one's interest in being justified inthe eyes of God". His usual statement, thatwe are justified by God's grace, not ouractions. It was the right time for thisdocument as many people were trying to finda better way to serve the poor.

Some of the provisions of theOrder of the Common Purseincluded:

• income from churches, brotherhoods, andguilds should be collected and go into acommunity chest.

• beggars would not be tolerated. Theyneeded to work or leave the city. The ill, infirmed, elderly, orphaned or widowedwould be taken care of from thecommunity chest.

• children of the poor were to go to schoolwith funds from the community chest t olearn and break the cycle of begging.

Historian Klaus Scharffenorth arguesthat, "in this way, the Church orders of theReformation really did constitute a touchstonefor the reality-changing elements of Luther'stheology. Though they were far from perfect,the common chest initiatives were largelyeffective in providing sustenance for the truly


needy". They changed the way peoplelooked at the poor and reinforced the ideathat salvation comes wholly from God ratherthan from any human actions. Anotherimportant idea that Luther was able toarticulate and move forward in his time whichhas lead to social reforms in our time.

We will be remembering Luther's idea ofCommunity Chest at our mid-week worshipservices. Instead of a traditional offering,there will be a "chest" in the sanctuary for usto receive offerings of food, funds, or othergoods that can be shared with the poor andneedy through SICM and our local foodpantry. You may place your offerings therebefore or after worship on Wednesdays. Thisis another way we can celebrate the 500 th

Anniversary of the Reformation, by using thispractice once again!

Janice Walz

Save The Date(s):

Food & FaithTuesday, April 18 ~ 6 pmth

Cornerstone Campus Ministry

Several years ago, OurRedeemer “shared” Pastor Meyerwith the campus ministry atSUNY Albany. The programevolved over time and they hiredRev. Sandy Damhof to lead the

Cornerstone Campus Ministry. You mayrecall her serving here as a supply preachera few times when Pastor Meyer could not behere to lead worship.

Almost every year, we have 1-2graduating seniors who head off to college. Oftentimes, they have been very involved inthe Youth Group and other ministries ofORLC. But.....what happens when they get tocollege? What if they are struggling beingaway from home? What if the are looking for

a group of faith minded students to “belong”to?

In an effort to introduce our senior highyouth to the possibilities that are “out there”, Our Redeemer will host dinner at an eventcalled “Food & Faith” with the students atCornerstone Campus Ministry on Tuesday,April 18 . Please see the description weth

received from Rev. Sandy below. As the dateapproaches, we will seek volunteers to assistwith the meal preparation.

All are welcome to take part in this event! This could be a great opportunity to offer anintergenerational activity that Janice Walzreferred to in her article about FaithFormation. We would be doing our youngadults a great disservice if we sent them outinto the great big world not knowing thatthese faith formation opportunities existoutside the walls of Our Redeemer LutheranChurch.

From Sandy: “Food and Faith is heldevery Tuesday evening that classes are insession; in cooperation with ourCongregational Partners, it's an opportunity toenjoy "food for our bodies" and "food for oursouls". Dinner is served from 6:00 - 6:45 pmand includes a main course, sides and/orsalad and dessert. Congregations are askedto provide food for approximately 12-15students and the people they bring; they areencouraged to provide a vegetarian optionand if possible a gluten free option (if not, wehave extra food on hand for those with dietaryrestrictions). We provide beverages, platesand silverware. Most students will be presentat 6, but others will wander in as the get outof class or work. From 6:45 -7:15 we ask thecongregation to provide an interactive time tohelp students connect with God and witheach other. Sometimes it follows the formatof "evening prayers" or a bible study; it caninclude music if you have musicians. Wehave a projector and can do power point, etc.”

Melissa Jerreld


Out With The Old!!

Reformation Celebration ConcertSunday, April 30 ~ 4 pmth

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

As we progress through this year of 2017celebrating Martin Luther and the eventswhich led to the formation of the our church,we hope to celebrate many aspects of thecreation of our Lutheran faith. How excitingto trace those steps. Our pastor, with helpfrom Lewis Annis, began with the history ofMartin Luther. During Lent, we will focus onthe idea of the community chest, the wayLuther thought of it.

The next opportunity to take part in theyear long celebration will be a concert tocelebrate the music of Luther and Bach to beheld at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church onSunday, April 30 at 4 pm. Wayne Hawkins,th

keyboardist, will be performing a few Bachanthems along with the choirs from OurRedeemer and Good Shepherd. MalcolmKogut as agreed to direct the choirs. Wehope to have Renny Tallman and AudreyChouffi play a Bach duet on their cellos. Renny's son, Jimmy, is preparing a Bachprelude. Erica Sparrow Walz, mezzo-soprano, and Gail Campbell, soprano, willsing selections from Bach's Magnificat. ChrisNash, a conference deacon, will do a littlestorytelling about Luther. The congregationwill sing a couple of familiar hymns by Lutheraccompanied by Rev. Deron Millville on organto get everyone involved.

After the concert, there will be a lightsupper and a couple of hours of goodGerman music with a trio of wonderfulGerman musicians. A free will offering will betaken to cover costs. Tell all your Lutheranfriends to attend this fun event. Please speakto Pastor Dan or Janice Walz with anyquestions.

Janice Walz

Property Upgrades Continue

There is currently a project underway inwhich we are looking to upgrade ourrefrigerator and freezer. Both of our currentpieces of equipment are older/worn out andare not considered energy efficient. We haveknowledgeable people researching ouroptions that will take into consideration all ofour needs such as festivals, Bethesdasandwiches, Soup Kitchen, potlucks and dayto day use.

In an effort to be better stewards to ourenvironment, we are also trying to reduce thenumber of smaller refrigerators that are in usethroughout the building. This will allow us tomake better use of the solar energy weproduce. Our new equipment will be sure tocarry the Energy Star logo!!

With that in mind, we are putting the oldSunday School refrigerator up for adoption. The price is right! It’s FREE....you just needto arrange for the moving and transportation. If you are interested, please contact Melissain the church office. First come, first served!!


Birthdays

3/01 Donna Anscombe3/03 Heidi Tallman3/04 Eunice Rice3/05 David Schettine3/07 Ethan Robar3/07 Janet Taylor3/10 Susan Hering3/11 Edward Weston, Jr3/12 Millie McMullen3/14 Gavin Armstrong3/14 Connor Blick3/15 Mary Townsend3/17 Ron Capello3/17 Mallory Schettine3/17 Jim Tallman3/19 Sandra Bellomo3/20 David Jennings3/22 Karol Lunde3/23 Madeline Herron3/23 Emily Holman3/23 R.J. Holman3/23 Pastor Dan May3/26 Janice Wujciak3/27 Gail Bassi3/28 Nolan Taylor3/29 Theodore Seefeld3/31 Virginia Pucci3/31 Karin Restina

4/01 Jeanette Greene4/02 Matthew Barnes4/02 Jan Hall4/02 Liam Meyer

4/02 Richie Novak4/03 Emily Robar4/05 Varro Clarke4/07 Carolyn Fall4/08 Salvatore Martin4/09 Randy Jerreld4/11 Megan Meyer4/12 Drusilla Denegar4/12 Cindy Schulte4/12 Samuel Stecher4/13 Sean O'Connor4/13 John P. Smith4/22 Lois Kline4/23 Kristen Rossler4/24 Luana Moross 4/24 Helen Stecher4/25 Robert Salerno, Jr.4/27 Meredith Colacino4/27 Nancy Novak4/29 Phyllis Clas4/29 Scott Dion4/29 Kelli Torelli4/30 Elizabeth Harrington

Thank You

Scotia-Glenville FoodPantry for our food andmonetary contributionstotaling $107.33 in themonth of November.

SICM for our food andmonetary contributionstotaling $171.66 in themonths of November andDecember.

Bethesda House for ourmonthly donation ofsandwiches in 2016.

Bread for the World forour monetary donation inthe amount of $135.00.

We recently received two deposits from ThriventChoice totaling $162.00.Our Redeemer would like tothank Melissa Jerreld,Veronica May and DanO’Connor for directing theirChoice Dollars to ourchurch.

My thanks go out to all forthe prayers and caringshown for my daughterDebby and for helping methrough this difficult time. Iam so grateful for my“church family”.

~Joan Jones

We recently received anote of thanks from MarilynUtter, who had broken herknee. She thanked thecongregation for theirprayers, the Sunday Schoolchildren for sending her aValentine as well as PastorDan & Ron Pucci for visitswith communion.

On December 18, 2016, wewelcomed the followingindividuals into our churchfamily:

Paul HenryEdie Mohlenhoff &

Jessica Rossler


Meetings/Events Outside of the ChurchMar 9 Men’s Group; 7 pm

(Hosted by: Pastor Dan)

Mar 10 Book Club; 7 pm (Hosted by: Nora Guzewich)

OngoingACES - Sundays; between services ~ 10 am(March 5 & 12 )th th

Bible Study - Wednesdays; 11:30 am(March 15 , 22 , & 29 )th nd th

Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays; 8 pm

March at a GlanceMeetings at the ChurchMar 2 CFOO Meeting 6:30 pm

Fellowship Committee Meeting 7 pmMar 5 Confirmation Class Review 2 pm

Youth Group Meeting 11 amMar 7 Worship & Music Committee Meeting 7 pmMar 14 WELCA Meeting 6:30 pm

Elder’s Meeting 7 pm (Torelli house)Mar 16 Property Committee Meeting 7 pmMar 21 Council Meeting 7 pmMar 26 Voter’s Meeting ~ 10 am

Faith Formation meeting 12 pmMentor Meeting 12 pm

Mar 28 Prayer Shawl Group 6:30 pmMar 31 Messenger’s Voice mailing 12 pm

Events/Special Services at ChurchMar 1 Ash Wednesday Service 11 am & 7 pmMar 8 Soup & Bread Supper 6 pm

Lenten Taize Worship Service 7 pmMar 11 Youth Group Spaghetti Dinner 5 - 7 pmMar 12 Bethesda Sandwich making 10 amMar 15 Soup & Bread Supper 6 pm

Lenten Taize Worship Service 7 pmMar 19 Sunday School Open House 10 amMar 22 Soup & Bread Supper 6 pm

Lenten Taize Worship Service 7 pmMar 29 Soup & Bread Supper 6 pm

Lenten Taize Worship Service 7 pm

DeadlinesMar 5 Council Meeting Reports DueMar 26 April Messenger’s Voice Deadline

Standing: Leslie, Ossah, Liket, LucksonKneeling: Lenson

Liket Magwizi is proud to announce that he has passed with highmarks and is so very thankful to Our Redeemer Lutheran Churchfor their support of his first year of college. He is posed here withhis family at Christmas holiday and they are sporting their OurRedeemer sweatshirts that they had received a while ago. Thankyou everyone from the whole Magwizi Family!

DATED MATERIAL - DO NOT DELAY

Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church103 S. Reynolds Street, Scotia, NY 12302-1723

E-Mail- [email protected]://www.ourredeemer.cc

(518) 393-5031 Fax (518) 393-2527

As for me and my house,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TheMessenger’s

Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

we will serve the Lord.Joshua 24:15

Don’t forget to“Spring Forward”

Saturday, March 11th

Soup Supper ~ 6 pmWorship Service ~ 7 pm

A LARGE PRINT EDITION OF THIS NEWSLETTER ISAVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Current Resident Or

vol. 92 no. 2 march 2017 the messenger’s...

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