May/June 2016 Newsletter from: First Evangelical Lutheran Church

May/June 2016 Newsletter from:
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Of Odenton
8397 Piney Orchard Parkway
Odenton, MD 21113
410-672-3352
Rev. Scott MacDonald, Pastor
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First
Evangelical
Lutheran
Church
Volume 2016, Issue 5
Web Page: www.FELCodenton.org
www.facebook.com/FirstLutheranOdenton
E-mail: churchoffice@felcodenton.org
Submit articles to Gospeltality
Mailbox or e-mail
dlvandi@gmail.com
Fellowship
Evangelism
Love
Community
May/June
2016
Issue
Gospeltality is the
monthly newsletter
of First Evangelical
Lutheran Church of
Odenton, Odenton
Maryland
The Lord Be with You!
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the
LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
The Lord be with you!” These are words I speak to the congregation in our worship each week. The response, as
you know, is, “And also with you!” We speak this exchange together to remind ourselves of our Lord who is ever
present with both pastor and people. The truth of our Lord’s presence is so needed in our lives, especially at
particular times.
Most who are reading this have heard my recent announcement regarding my acceptance of the call
to serve in Connecticut. As I have mentioned over the weeks it does seem best to respond to this call
for a number of reasons. In addition to the need that is present at the congregation there (which I
trust the Lord’s grace to aid me in providing for) there is a desire to be closer to relatives in that area
in times of need. I also mentioned that as time passes these opportunities come less and less for a
minister and so we will receive this request thankfully as from God. Again, as announced the District
team is working to provide for us regular pastors for our worship as our congregation begins the
search for a full time pastor. Thanks to Chaplain Malmstrom for his willingness to help out on Sundays
right away!
Our family has been blessed to be among you at First Lutheran Church these fourteen years! Ours is a healthy
congregation of faith. I now wish to share the blessing of this congregation of faith with the pastor who is to
come! Again, our Lord is ever present with pastor and people. He is with us all wherever we go! Let us then follow
in faith wherever he leads reflecting on his words to Joshua, “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for
the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
The Lord be with us all!
Pastor
The Call Committee, which consists of the Board of Elders and the Church President, has begun the
procedure for securing a new pastor for First Lutheran. We have met with FELC’s Circuit Counselor, and
will be meeting with the District President as soon as he is available. After our meeting with the President,
we will brief the congregation on the path forward, and will ask the congregation to vote on how we will
fill the vacancy before a new pastor is installed. Options include using a vacancy pastor, who would mainly
be available for Sunday Services, or hiring an intentional interim pastor, who would be under contract and
available “24/7.” More information will be provided after we have met with the President. In the
meantime, please contact Dave Morse (952-212-0729 / morsecode52@verizon.net) or Noah Hayward
(443-831-4900 / noahjhayward@gmail.com) with any questions, if you would like to help the Call
Committee, or if you would like to provide the name(s) of any pastors you would like to nominate for
consideration of a making a call to.
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FIRST EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF ODENTON
BIDS FAREWELL AND GOD’S BLESSING TO
PASTOR SCOTT MACDONALD AND
FAMILY
As they transition to their new family of faith at
St. John Lutheran Church in Meriden CT
Please join us for food and fellowship
Saturday, May 14TH 4:00pm-7:00pm
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Fellowship Hall
RSVP by May 8th
410-672-3352 or churchoffice@felcodenton.org
Churchoffice@ felcodenton.org
VBS 2016
By Donna Van Dine
Vacation Bible School will be held the week of 20-24 June 2016.
There is much help needed. All positions are available. Please plan to attend our VBS
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planning meeting on May 8 after early service in the church basement. If you have
questions or if you are interested in helping but cannot attend, contact Donna Van
Dine at dlvandine@gmail.com or 410-551-0889 or Ursula Pinckney at
pinckreshi@aol.com or 443-995-2035.
Starting
8 May
Fundraiser to benefit the
Ladies’ Auxiliary and Devin
Van Dine’s Eagle Project.
LADIES’ GATHERING
Mothers, Daughters, Neighbors, and Friends
All Ages Welcome!
Join us for Dinner, Fun and Fellowship
A Devotion by Georgia Martin and other activities
Sign up in
the
Narthex
May 21st
4-7pm
Fellowship Hall
Free will offering to benefit our
Missionaries, the Lohmeyers, in
the Dominican Republic. This is
a Thrivent-sponsored event.
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SPECIAL EVENTS IN MAY AND JUNE
May- Youth Emphasis Month
June – Worship Emphasis Month
3 –Coffee Talk (7:00 pm)
4 –Ladies Auxiliary Meeting (6:30 pm)
5 – Ascension of the Lord
5 – National Day of Prayer
5 –Ladies’ Prayer Group (1:00 pm)
8 – Mother’s Day
8 – VBS meeting (9:00 am)
10 –Coffee Talk (7:00 pm)
12– Ladies’ Prayer Group (1:00 pm)
14 – Ladies’ Auxiliary Flea Market
14 – Farewell to Pastor & Family (4:00-7:00 pm)
15 - Pentecost
15 – Confirmation (11:00 am)
17 – Coffee Talk (7:00 pm)
19 – Ladies’ Prayer Group (1:00 pm)
21 – Armed Forces Day
21 – Ladies’ Gathering
22 – Trinity Sunday
24 – Coffee Talk (7:00 pm)
26 – Ladies’ Prayer Group (1:00 pm)
29 – Last day of Sunday School
30 – Memorial Day
31 – Coffee Talk (7:00 pm)
7 – Coffee Talk
14 – Coffee Talk (7:00 pm)
14 – Flag Day
17 – Purse Bingo (5:30 pm)
19 – Father’s Day
20 – First Day of Summer
21 – Coffee Talk (7:00 pm)
PLANNING COUNCIL MINUTES OF 4/11/2016
Condensed from Jan Perez’s minutes
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The treasurer’s report indicated income from envelopes and cash donations is down, as is the Pre-K
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tuition. There will be a meeting to discuss the Pre-K on May 7 .
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There will be a Purse Bingo fundraiser on June 17 to benefit the boiler fund. The Elks Lodge Hall and
bingo caller have already been paid for.
The nominating committee had their last meeting. The Board Fair was a success and should occur each
year. Nominees will be posted in the church bulletin and newsletter.
Pastor Black, our Circuit Counselor, will be assisting with the transition when Pastor and family move to
their new home in Connecticut. He advised that the Word and Sacrament will always be made available.
Our district president will meet with us upon his return from a business trip. A discussion arose regarding
an interim pastor vs a vacancy pastor. Pastor Black gave an overview of the call process and provided
guidelines for us to use.
Chaplain Malmstrom spoke of his availability through October 2017. He works at Walter Reed so some nights and
Sundays he cannot be available. He is available for some visitations, and will assist as needed.
Community Service – Collection for the homeless was a big success and will be done again in October.
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Holy Wind, Spirit of Life, blow fervently
enough to rouse us to justice and gently
enough to teach us grace.
By Donna Van Dine
Christian Assistance
Program
Donating flowers for the altar guild during May:
22 – Pinckney family, IHO Matthew Pinckney’s birthday
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22 – Mike and Becky Petersen, IHO their 48 Wedding
Anniversary
Donating flowers for the altar guild during June:
5 – Susie Family, IMO Bill’s father, Albert Susie
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12 - Susie Family, IHO Anna’s 18 birthday
19 – Viia Erwin, IMO her mother, Irene Lello
19 – Susie Family, IMO Debbie’s mother, Janice Vossler
By Donna Van Dine
During the month of May, CAP will be collecting canned
fruit, and for the month of June, CAP will be collecting
macaroni and cheese. A basket is located at the bottom of
the sanctuary steps to collect donations for our food
pantry. If you want to donate in another way, you can
donate cash in honor or in remembrance of someone.
There are cards on the bookcase in the Fellowship Hall to
complete and mail to our CAP address, 1239 Murray Rd.,
Odenton, MD 21113. Letters are sent out to the recipients
or their families acknowledging these gifts.
Several people stepped up to our call for new ushers for the 8:00 service. However, at the
same time others who have served needed to step down. So we are still looking for additional ushers. If you are
willing to be responsible for being the usher one Sunday per month or would like to serve as a substitute or backup
usher, please contact Steve Mencik at steve@mencik.com or 410-672-5859. Training will be provided.
May Usher
Schedule
8:00 AM
11:00 AM
June Usher
Schedule
8:00 AM
11:00 AM
5/1/2016
Bill Kreiger
J.B. Jaeger
6/5/2016
Ursula Pinckney
Kathy Reichard
5/8/2016
5/15/2016
Ursula Pinckney
Kathy Reichard
Mike Mrozek
Steve Mencik
6/12/2016
6/19/2016
Mike Mrozek
Steve Mencik
Donna Van Dine
George Cook
5/22/2016
Donna Van Dine
George Cook
5/29/16
Bill Kreiger
J.B. Jaeger
6/26/2016
Bill Kreiger
J.B. Jaeger
Pre-K News
By Liz Meyer
May is here with warmer weather and lots of sunshine. We have flowers, Mother’s Day and the monthly
theme of Listening and Following Directions. We are working as hard as ever on following directions with our
work, a concept we have worked on all year. We will be checking to see how well the students understand
concepts pertaining to spaces such as over and under, in and out, the numbers ‘19’ and ‘20’.
The last day for our classes is scheduled for May 26 th. We will be having a cook out for the children and their
families to say good bye. Classes will start up in August. As with every year, if you know of anyone who has a
child of pre-school age, please refer them to our school. We still have space available in both classes.
Ms. Tara and I wish a wonderful and safe summer to everyone.
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ACTIVITY PAGE
Women of the Old Testament Word Search
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BOARD ELECTIONS
By Donna Van Dine
Election Day is coming! Mark your calendar and plan to attend on May 22nd to cast your votes!
Elections will be held in the Fellowship Hall during the Sunday school hour. Installation of new
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officers will be June 5 . Following is a list of boards and who is running. All positions have been
unopposed with the exception of Recording Secretary, Worship, and Stewardship. While
Recording Secretary remains vacant, Elizabeth Leuth has expressed interest in serving as Director
of Stewardship and Diane Jaeger as Director of Worship. Church Property will be divided into
functions. Tom Girgash has agreed to handle the paperwork. If you are interested in helping with a different
function of Church Property, please contact someone on the nominating committee.
President - Dave
Morse, unopposed
1st Vice President Jean Mencik,
unopposed
2nd Vice President Beverly Hansberger,
unopposed
Recording Secretary VACANT
Treasurer - Steve
Mencik, unopposed
Financial Secretary Mary Beth Hilton,
unopposed
Elders - Noah Hayward,
unopposed
Worship - Diane Jaeger
Evangelism - J. B.
Jaegar, unopposed
Education - Ursula
Pinckney - unopposed
Youth - Leigh Lebkicker
- unopposed, David
Nguyen (Youth
ministry)
Stewardship - Elizabeth
Leuth
Church Property - Tom
Girgash (paperwork)
Fellowship - Margie
Mallary & Brenda
Gerhardt, unopposed
Community Services Kathy Reichard,
unopposed
Coach and Pandora Bingo
June 17, 2016
Door Prizes
Glen Burnie Elks Lodge
878 Stevenson Road, Severn, MD
Raffles
Doors open 5:30 pm -- Bingo starts at 7:00 pm
Tickets $22.00 in advance/$25.00 at the door
Extra bingo packet for tickets purchased prior to June 10th (a $5.00 value)
For more information contact Amanda Mencik (443-370-6419)
or Jean Mencik (443-995-9824)
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THRIVENT FINANCIAL - Four Tips to Help Maximize Social Security
Incorporating Social Security into a retirement strategy is a smart move
The money taken out of your paycheck every month may be unwelcome now, but it can give you monthly income
later in life.
However, some question if Social Security will last long enough for those in the work force now to be able to
receive these benefits. According to Social Security trustees, enough reserves exist for the system to pay 100
percent of promised benefits until 2033, without further reform. Full benefits are available at age 65 for those
born before 1938, gradually increasing to age 67 for those born in 1960 or later. There is more to Social Security
than just applying for retirement benefits when you are eligible at age 62 or over. By waiting, you can maximize
your benefits, which will increase every year you choose to wait to file for Social Security retirement benefits.
Thrivent Financial suggests you consider these four tips before applying for Social Security.
1.
Don’t assume it won’t be there. Social Security is projected to last at least until 2033, so the first mistake
is writing it off as a resource that won’t be available. Planning early for the role Social Security will play in
your retirement will prevent you from being caught off guard and missing out on increased benefits once
you are ready to start collecting.
2.
Know your situation. Retirement income planning is critical. Social Security has many nuances, so a
personalized approach is necessary to get a better grasp of your retirement future. By using your current
information from the Social Security Administration, financial representatives may be able to create
scenarios to give you an idea of how the age you begin receiving distributions can affect the monthly
amounts you will receive. For example, if you’re divorced or widowed, a financial representative will be
able to calculate the different ways you can claim benefits and how they can affect your retirement
strategy.
3.
Wait to draw. Now that you are planning for it, you can figure out when the right time for you to start
receiving benefits. For many people, this will most often be after the age that you are eligible to start
collecting full benefits. For every year that you delay, Social Security benefits will increase by a set
percentage, eventually putting your monthly benefit above 100 percent. Delaying can also multiply the
benefits after it is adjusted for cost-of-living and can potentially reduce the number of years benefits are
subject to income taxes. Factors to consider as to when to file for your Social Security benefits include:
health status, life expectancy, need for income, future employment, and survivor needs. A financial
representative can help you build all of this information into an overall retirement strategy.
4.
Get your financial house in order. If you delay your Social Security benefits, you will need to have another
way to pay for your needs while you are not working. If you planned early enough, you will likely have
adjusted your finances so that you are prepared. Again, talking to a representative can help you plan the
best option for the interim time before Social Security paychecks.
Social Security can be confusing, but talking to a representative can help you clarify the role it can play in your
retirement strategy. Once you have a strategy in place, you will better be able to enjoy your retirement years,
without worrying about the next paycheck.
This article was reprinted by permission of Thirivent Financial. Thrivent Financial is represented in the Odenton area
by Shaun C.Clasby who is located at 1113 Odenton Rd, Odenton MD. 21113. Shaun can be reached at (410) 4870811.
Thrivent Financial is a financial services organization that helps Christians be wise with money and live generously. As
a membership organization, it offers its nearly 2.4 million member-owners a broad range of products, services and
guidance from financial representatives nationwide. For more than a century it has helped members make wise
money choices that reflect their values while providing them opportunities to demonstrate their generosity where
they live, work and worship. For more information, visit Thrivent.com/why. You can also find us on Facebook and
Twitter.
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