ST. PETER'S LUTHERAN CHURCH 4897 Old Oneida Road Verona, NY 13478 Worship Services: Sunday 9 & 11:15 am Sunday School 10:15 am "Forward Service Requested" Time Dated Material U.S. Postage Paid Non-Profit Permit #2 Verona, NY 13478 THE CHURCH CHATTER June, 2018 St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Verona, NY
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Our Mission is to provide spiritual growth through worship, learning, fellowship and service in
the name of the Lord
From the Pastor: Summertime
“Summertime, and the living is easy,” wails the opening line of the jazz standard Summertime by
DuBose Heyward, Ira Gershwin, and George Gershwin. When we think of summertime, we think of
slower living, longer days, and plenty of time to do whatever we like. Well...at least that's how
summertime is in our dreams! In reality, I see families and individuals sprinting from place to place trying to
pack as much “relaxation” and “easy living” into summer as they possibly can. (Those who have retired may
have a leg up on the rest of us in this area!)
One reason we rush to maximize summer is the weather and our lovely northeastern climate. I don't think I've
ever lived anywhere as weather-dependent as Central New York (and Western New York, in its own way).
Weather is the unifying characteristic for everyone here; it's always the expected topic of conversation and it
has a huge effect on our collective mood and energy level. Believe me, there are certain Sundays each year in
the fall and spring when the weather is perfect and the combined energy resonates in the sanctuary and
fellowship hall almost as though it were Easter or Christmas.
Of course, when summertime finally arrives, and the weather beckons people outside and to the mountains, the
beach, or vacation, churches everywhere experience a slump in attendance. To counter that assumption,
churches are intentionally developing summer faith formation that depends not on being in church on Sunday,
but on being out in the world, on bringing the spirit of Jesus with us no matter where we go.
I've seen “Take-Out Church” kits in pizza boxes, ready to toss in your car to have “church” on the road during
vacation. I've seen (and created) booklets to be used as daily devotions in nature. “Flat Jesus” shows up in
some churches every summer—folks are encouraged to take him on their travels and post photos of him on
social media to share their experiences. Recently I saw a series of devotions at waytolead.org/intentions based
on things that are all around us, things that we might encounter more often during the summer. Some were
familiar places where we see God: heart, breath, language and words, color, and music. But others were less
familiar: “people watching,” “cracks,” “routine chores,” and “differences.”
Summer is the perfect time to go out and explore the world, opening yourself to new experiences and new ways
of marking the presence and activity of God. As you pack your bags, don't forget to pack your curiosity, your
sense of wonder, your sense of joy in God's creation, and an open spirit. If you find yourself rushing to squeeze
as much as possible into summer, breathe! It's not good for the spirit to be too stressed. Remember that
“quality over quantity” applies to summer fun, too.
THE CHURCH CHATTER
St. Peter's Lutheran Church
4897 Old Oneida Road
Verona, NY 13478
315-363-5211
Pastor Katie Yahns
And then...come back and share what you experienced this summer! Share how your soul was
restored in nature, or how you were re-created in your recreation. We grow as a congregation
when you share your experience of the Spirit's moving this season.
Together in Christ,
Pastor Katie Yahns
Council Corner Please allow me to share some of the items we covered at our last council meeting on May 8th:
Pastor Gracious will be visiting with us on June 24th
, 2018. He will preach and preside on this day and will
have the opportunity to provide an update on the Well Project.
We have three participants from our Youth Gathering group who will be heading to Houston on June 24th
2018.
We wish them a safe and wonderful trip.
There is a planning meeting coming up with regard to Confirmation Camp on May 30th. One student express
interest in attending and an anonymous donor has stepped forward to offer $500 of assistance to help kids go to
camp. (Reminder: $390 per camper, $280 per adult)
We are seeking a small freezer that will enable us to store and provide more meals to Your Neighbors, Inc.
Pastor Katie will be looking into attaining a grant that can potentially cover the expense.
Pastor Katie will be attending the VVS Awards Night on May 30th
. She will be presenting the Freda Scheifele
Awards.
As we continue to be cost effective, the council proposed we change the church bulletin to use black & white
covers with children’s artwork and special printed covers for special occasions, i.e. Christmas, Easter, Holy
Week, etc.
And last, but not least, we continue to seek volunteers to help with Church Guild, Readings, Ushers and caring
for the Church Grounds. Please think about where you can help in keeping St. Peter’s the wonderful church
that it is.
Enjoy the summer,
Lillian White
GRACE NOTES: OUR MUSIC COLUMN
Submitted by Anthony Dangler
The purpose of the "Grace Notes" column is to increase and deepen the Congregation’s participation in music,
especially in worship. This month Anthony Dangler revisits the choir’s purpose its function within the service.
Last year I wrote an article in our Grace Notes column describing the differences in function between
the St. Peter’s choir and some performing ensembles in other churches. In that article I offered my
understanding of the choir’s mission:
1. To support the theology through music
2. To offer an opportunity for individuals to use their God-given musical talents
3. To support congregational singing and engage the congregation through the singing of new hymns
4. To assist in guiding the flow of the service through music
Notice that words such as performance or entertainment are absent from these mission statements. Of
course the choir is entertaining and certainly fun but these are not part of the choir’s mission and the choir does
not expected to be applauded after the anthem (as it’s not a performance) nor does the choir expect to sign
autographs after the service. Of course, if one is so moved by the spirit and the music, than one should move
with the spirit.
As always, if you would like to take an additional role with the music making at St. Peter’s, please contact
Scott Stewart or me.
On a personal note, I would like announce that I have accepted a new teaching position at Remsen Central
School District. I will be moving back soon to the Utica area and I am hopeful that my closer proximity to St.
Peter’s will allow more flexibility with rehearsals, meeting schedules and service participation. I am so blessed
to be part of the St. Peter’s family and I am fortunate to be in a position where I can continue to serve in music
ministry.
Anthony Dangler
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Psalm 105:2
Financial Secretary’s Report
Income for current expenses through April, 2018
2018 44,843.11 17 weeks
2017 49,555.93 18 weeks
4,712.82 Decrease
Benevolence Income
2018 1,385.00
2017 3,095.50
1,710.50 Decrease
Special Mission Giving in 2018 1,264.42
Lent & Self Denial Mission Giving 835.70
Capital Fund (plus fund raisers) 650.00
Sunday School 0.00
Patio Bricks – year to date 60.00
Budget Giving During April
April 1 6,272.10
April 8 2,349.00
April 15 1,638.07
April 22 3,498.96
April 29 2,476.34
On line 9.27
16,243.74 Income
13,666.81 Expenses
2,576.93 Over
Year to Date 51,725.43 Income
50,049.96 Expenses
1,675.47 Over
Other Income Current Year to Date Online giving 9.27 2,299.36 Thrivent 0.00 21.00
Mission of the Month for June:
June's Mission of the Month is St. Peter's Vacation Bible School!
For one glorious, exhausting week each summer, forty to fifty young people take over St. Peter's Lutheran
Church. They experience Bible stories, eat, play, and create together, and explore the good news of Jesus' love
for them and for all the earth. They even raise funds for a special mission and tell the story of what they learned
to others. It's a week you'll never forget—it's Vacation Bible School (VBS). This year's theme is
Shipwrecked! (August 13-17—more information elsewhere in this edition of the Chatter)
Why make this a Mission of the Month? Because, simply put, this is one of the most successful
children's outreach events we sponsor in our community. The adults and teens who volunteer come away
with new insight as well. Please consider supporting this year's Vacation Bible School as the June Mission of
the Month. Thank you!
We would like to invite all children from Pre-school to 6
th grade to join us this year for ‘SHIPWRECKED', this
year’s Vacation Bible School! Mark your calendar for Aug 13th
– Aug 17th
, 9AM to 12:30PM. A week of
wonder is just around the bend at St Peter’s Lutheran Church.
At Shipwrecked VBS, kids discover how Jesus rescues us through life’s storms. Shipwrecked is filled with
incredible Bible-learning experiences kids see, hear, touch, and even taste! Sciency-Fun-Gizmos’, team-
building games, cool Bible songs, and tasty treats are just a few of the standout activities that help faith flow
into real life.
This year’s Shipwrecked Vacation Bible School needs great volunteers, if you are interested in helping children know and grow in the belief in Jesus, then consider serving as:
18 and up – Site Leader 7th grade and up – Helper
There is a sign-up sheet for leaders and helpers in the Narthex along with VBS registration forms. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me at [email protected] or between Sunday services. God’s blessings, Betty Browell
Attention Families of all Graduating Seniors! As you plan for graduation parties and other family gatherings this summer, please remember to request your
tables and chairs and/or use of the fellowship hall space EARLY to guarantee that they will be available when
you need them. Building use forms and item use forms are available on the bulletin board and must be
submitted to the office and approved. Thank you for your cooperation.
Blessing Box Officially Open! The Boy Scouts have constructed a Blessing Box (also known as a “Little Free Pantry”) for installation at the
Verona Fire Department. What is a Blessing Box? It's a small box on a post with a door and shelves that
empowers the community to directly help people in need. The idea is that members of the community leave
something inside—food items, toiletries, even school supplies. Anybody who needs it can come and take it at
any time. It can be summed up with the phrase “Give what you can—take what you need.”
So! What can you do to help make the Blessing Box a success?
Spread the word that it exists by posting a flyer (found on the Welcome Table) in the community, or taking
some of the smaller sheets with Blessing Box info to hand out as needed.
Donate appropriate items in the box as you are able. In freezing temperatures, the contents could include
ramen noodles, granola bars, paper products, hygiene products, and similar items. As we move into non-
freezing temperatures, cans and bottles that can withstand temperature changes are OK too.
Check on the box to make sure nothing dangerous, expired or inappropriate is in there, and if there is, take it
out and throw it away (or give to the food pantry if that's the right place for it). The various churches of Verona
will be taking turns checking on the box too, but volunteers are still welcome.
The Blessing Box is a cooperative effort of the Verona churches, Boy Scout Troop 25 Verona, and the Verona
Fire Department. Thank you to all parties for making the box a success. For more info, please contact Pastor
Katie or any member of the Community Relations Team (Paula Bishop, Marie Sayles, Linda Rogowski, or Deb
Rafte). For more information about the concept itself, visit littlefreepantry.org.
What's On Tap for Worship from the Worship and Music Team
To mark the different seasons of the church year, we have made plans to use some of the liturgical settings we
already know this spring and summer, in addition to learning a new one.
Now that the season of Easter has concluded, we have shifted to use Setting 3 for the first portion of the
Season after Pentecost. This was Setting 1 in the green book and will also be familiar to many. Setting 8 will
also be returning in the summer months.
While 11:15 doesn't have a liturgical “setting” so to speak, the Scripture Song and prayer texts will
continue shifting to mark the various seasons. “Ancient Words” has returned as a Scripture song for the
summer.
Upcoming 10:00 am Blended Worship Opportunities: Sunday, July 1, 2018 (Sunday nearest Fourth of July)
Sunday, September 2, 2018 (Sunday before Labor Day)
Sunday, October 28, 2018 (Reformation Sunday)
Sunday, December 16, 2018??? (Children's Christmas Pageant)
Sunday, December 30, 2018 (Sunday after Christmas Day)
Sunday, April 14, 2019 (Palm Sunday)
Also in Worship This Summer: We are going to try again singing The Lord's Prayer in worship on the first Sunday of each month (at
both services) throughout the summer. We'll be using the tune written by Albert Malotte. This is an
arrangement that many people know, and if you don't know it, it can be learned through listening.
We will continue using the two separate clipboards for Announcements and Prayer Concerns and
spreading them out on the table in the narthex to avoid a traffic jam.
Since the first Wednesday in July is Independence Day, we have rescheduled Hymn Sing to be the
following Wednesday, July 11th
.
Save the Date—Coming this Summer and Beyond Sunday, June 3-Tuesday, June 5 Synod Assembly in Rochester
Wednesday, June 6 Hymn Sing 7:00 pm
Sunday, June 10 Graduate Recognition Sunday
Friday, June 15 Dames Night Out at Cinderella's, Sylvan Beach 4:30 pm
Saturday, June 16 JamFest (jam-making party at church), 10:00 am
Saturday, June 16 Cystic Fibrosis Bike-a-Thon
Sunday, July 1 Blended Worship Service 10:00 am
Sunday, July 8-Friday, July 13 Confirmation Camp at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center
Wednesday, July 11 Hymn Sing 7:00 pm (rescheduled from July 4)
Monday, July 23-27 VACC Vacation Bible School at Verona Seventh Day Baptist
Wednesday, August 1 Hymn Sing 7:00 pm
Monday, August 13-17 St. Peter's Vacation Bible School “Shipwrecked”
Saturday, August 25 Red Cross Blood Drive
Sunday, September 2 Blended Worship Service 10:00 am (potluck picnic afterwards)
Wednesday, September 5 Hymn Sing 7:00 pm
Sunday, September 9 “God's Work, Our Hands” Sunday / Rally Day
“Rat Pack” Rummage Sale St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Syracuse, Saturday, July 21, 9-3 from Deb Rafte
The New American Ministry Planning Group is planning this conference-wide event to support the program for
new Americans that is housed at St. Stephen Lutheran Church. The event will include an opportunity for
vendors to have tables. Food and drinks will be available as well as treasures that I know someone will need.
Donations can be brought to our church July 16 through July 20. I would also like to invite people from our
congregation to participate in helping to tag items and volunteering to help during the sale. We will be tagging
and setting up every morning from July 16 - July 20. I will place a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for those
who feel moved to help. I have found this work inspiring and rewarding. Thank you!
“God's Work, Our Hands” Sunday Returns September 9 Once again, on Sunday, September 9 after worship, we will be going out into the community to do God's work
with our hands and volunteer at a variety of service projects. We'll also have a few service projects here at St.
Peter's and the Sunday School kids will be doing a service project as part of Rally Day. If you have specific
suggestions, please tell someone on the Community Relations Team: Paula Bishop, Linda Rogowski, Deb
Rafte, Marie Sayles, and Pastor Katie.
If you would like to order a yellow “God's work, our hands” T-shirt or any other apparel (hoodies,
sweatshirts, baseball caps, long sleeve T-shirts), please let Pastor Katie know by August 1st so we can place a
group order with our church name on the back. See the various options available at
oldlutheran.com/collections/elca.
Welcome Pastor Gracious Moyo back on Sunday, June 24 Pastor Gracious Moyo will be with us to preach and preside on Sunday, June 24 at both services. During coffee
hour, he will present an update on the well project in his home village in Zimbabwe. He is currently the
Director of Interfaith Initiatives at InterFaith Works in Syracuse after successfully receiving his work visa last
year. In the meantime, his wife and children have also come to the Syracuse area and they are making their
home here. Don't miss welcoming Pastor Gracious back to St. Peter's on Sunday, June 24!
Plant an Extra Row for St. Peter's “Farmer's Market” As you may remember, this year we will not have a garden planted at St. Peter's. However, we will still host a
“farmer's market” on Sunday mornings where you can bring produce and purchase whatever is there. You
choose the amount you are able to give and all money is donated to global mission—perhaps to the Zimbabwe
well project again. All leftover food is donated to a local food pantry or nursing home. Stay tuned to find out
what particular mission project is planned for this year.
So! As you plan and plant your own gardens for 2018, please consider planting an extra row or an
extra patch for St. Peter's and for global mission. We hope this will help you share the bounty of your
garden with your neighbors here and around the world.
P.S. We still have a few bags of Farmer Bob's dried beans available in the narthex to kick off this year's
sales!
Are you looking to sell some real estate? We have become aware of a woman originally from
this area who is looking to move back after a brief retirement in North Carolina. Her children live in this area
and her husband passed away suddenly after they moved there for retirement a few years ago. She is searching
for a small home on an acre of land (or perhaps land where she could put a home). If you know of anyone who
might be a good connection for this person, please let Pastor Katie know and she will pass the information
along.
Remembering Our Past—Mothers and Fathers of the Church To help remember our connections with prior generations, you are invited to bring your own photos of St.
Peter's “church fathers” on Fathers' Day, June 17. These can be your father, or someone from St. Peter's who
was like a father to you in some way.
To prepare, find the photos you would like to bring and write down the person's name and date of birth
(as well as date of death if you wish, plus any other pertinent information) on a piece of paper. Bring the
“fathers” June 17. We'll lay the photos and vital statistics out on a table in the narthex to create a display not
only fathers, but also of role models of faith, and to give thanks for their life among us.
Monday Ministry Needs Help for JamFest WE'RE IN A JAM! Or at least we plan to be on June 16th at 10:00 am in the church kitchen. We would like
to make some strawberry jam for visitors (instead of the bread we have been giving). Come join the deacons for
a couple of hours of fun and fellowship. If you've always wanted to learn the art of jam making this is your
chance. If you are a seasoned pro we can really use your help. Donations of strawberries, sugar, canning lids
and jam sized canning jars are welcome. If the strawberries aren't ripe yet, look for a change of date.
Annual Meeting of St. Peter’s Lutheran Cemetery Association The Annual Meeting of St. Peters Lutheran Cemetery Association will be on Monday July 9
th at 6:30 pm. If
there are any questions call Arlene Hornyak at 315-363-5036 or Bob Zeller at 315- 339-0912.
Verona Food Pantry Needs The Verona Food Pantry is in need of the following items during the upcoming summer months for children
who are out of school: canned soup (other than tomato); cereal; toiletries; paper products; and lunch items.
Your continues support is always appreciated!
The Sixth Station
by Linda Stasi
Book review written by Kathy Haldenwang:
When I downloaded The Sixth Station by Linda Stasi I had no idea what I was getting. It was just a freebie for
my Kindle. It turned out to be a real page turner. I'm not sure how I'd classify it. Apocalyptic? Conspiracy
theory? Who dunnit? Spy and intrigue? SciFi? Yes! Add to that that it is about the second coming of Jesus and
you've got a very interesting story. The main character is a tough, no nonsense female reporter who is divorced
and is non religious. She's a cynical big city journalist. From the very start you won't know who are the good
guys and who are the evil ones. If you have ever wondered how the world would react to the second coming, as
have I, this is probably one of the realistic scenarios. This book came out in 2013 and after the fact I found out
that it is #1 in the Alessandra Russo novels. I believe #2 is due to be released at the end of May this year. It is
available in many formats in many places. As before, let me know if you would like me to send it to you
electronically, I can send any book once to one person.
Thank You Thank you to Howard Regner & St. Peter's for the cut wood my wife Penny & I picked up from the
church in May. This will supply us for camping with our new camping trailer for the upcoming
season. A donation was submitted today for this as well.
In Faith, Scott Stewart
ALTAR GUILD VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! The Altar Guild needs a few more volunteers for altar preparation. Man or Woman! Help is really needed. Just
one month a year and only takes 30-60 minutes to set up. Can’t you give an hour a week for a month to God?
Please call or talk to Sandy Spies or Marie Sayles as soon as possible. Thank you and God Bless.
Sign Up for Weekly Emails! We hope that you love the Chatter. But let's face it...sometimes it's easy to lose your copy of the Chatter, or
misplace it during the month. Sometimes it's daunting to read everything and you get behind. Well, we now
have a weekly mini-newsletter that is sent out only by email, reminding you of what's coming up this week,
who's serving at church the following Sunday, any major news, and any other tidbits about happenings at
church. If you are not already receiving this email weekly and would like to, please contact Pastor Katie
Help us to stand before all that we could do and seek
what you would do, and do that.
Lift from us our need to achieve all that we can be
and instead, surrender to what you can be in us.
Give us ways to refrain from the busyness
that will put us on edge and off center, give us today
your peace.
Amen.
- Author Unknown
Don't forget the Verona Food Pantry!
Open Tuesdays from 1 to 2:30 pm and Thursdays from
6 to 7:30 pm
Located at the Verona Town Hall (water dept.
building), 6600 Germany Road
Donations especially needed: pasta, peanut butter,
canned tuna fish, macaroni and cheese, soup, and
canned pasta
To volunteer, call Linda Finnerty at 813-3477
Please put donations in the box in the narthex at
St. Peter's
Leave a Legacy Nobody likes to think about what will happen when they die, but one of the ways you can make an impact on generations to come and share the light of Christ with future generations is to make a legacy gift to the church. There are several ways to do this. The ELCA church-wide organization has a campaign called “Always Being Made New” that supports efforts to fight malaria and hunger, launches new congregations, provides seminary scholarships, and reaches out to youth and people with disabilities. You can choose to make a one-time gift to that campaign or to any entity you want to support (i.e. the Upstate New York Synod, Vanderkamp, one or more of our seminaries, etc.). You also have the option of setting up a fund at St. Peter's to support future ministry in whatever capacity you desire. Please speak with Pastor Katie or someone on the Investment Committee (Jeff White, Jeanette Burke, Kevin Angell) to find out more.
PLEASE CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE WHEN:
You or a family member is sick or in the hospital.
You are planning a meeting or scheduling an event—to
place it on the church calendar.
A baby is expected in your family.
You want to arrange for a baptism or wedding.
A family member has passed away.
Your telephone number or address has changed.
You are planning to move, locally or out of town.
You feel the church can help you in any way.
Church Chatter via Email Go Green: If you prefer to receive the church chatter
Synod Assembly Coming in June This year's Synod Assembly will gather June 3-5 in Rochester at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center to
engage with the theme Shine Your Light. It will include church business, but also speakers like the Rev. Ruben
Duran from the ELCA evangelism office, coaching for individuals and congregations, and workshops in all
things from “nuts and bolts” information for congregations to advocacy and leadership qualities. Monday's 7
pm worship will feature a Celebration of Hymns of all types as well as Bishop John Macholz presiding at
Communion. Fellowship, fighting hunger, and global mission are on the schedule as well. Please pray for our
voting members this year: Nan Richard, Deb Rafte, and Pastor Katie Yahns
A big THANK YOU to everyone who has brought their can tabs into church over the past year. We will be bringing them to Synod Assembly to support a ministry that needs it (to be announced soon!)
Draft Social Statement on Women and Justice available for review The ELCA Task Force on Women and Justice has released a draft of a social statement that examines the big
picture of sexism and patriarchy in church and society. The task force invites you to study the document and
provide feedback. Hearing your input is an essential part of the process to ensure that the draft speaks for and to
ELCA members. The comment period for the draft is open until Sept. 30, 2018. The social statement is
available as a download (at www.elca.org/Faith/Faith-and-Society/Current-Social-Writing-Projects/Women-
and-Justice/Draft) or you may order a print copy.
THIS JUST IN! Discussion sessions on this social statement will be happening at Atonement Lutheran
Church in Syracuse this summer. If you are interested, please contact Pastor Katie.
Draft Policy Statement on Interfaith Relations available for review From now until the end of June, individuals and groups across the ELCA are invited to participate in reading,
reviewing and responding to the draft ELCA policy statement entitled, “A Declaration of Our Inter-Religious
Commitment.” The draft statement is available on the ELCA website at www.elca.org/Faith/Ecumenical-and-
Mercy and Addiction—Lutherans and the opioid crisis Mark, a business owner from Long Island, found himself hooked on opioids after his doctor prescribed Percocet
for his knee injury. He found recovery at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Plainview, NY as Pastor Eric
Olsen helped him enter and succeed at recovery. All over the ELCA, congregations are asking how they can
respond to those addicted to opioids with forgiveness, grace, treatment, and healing. They're asking questions
like, “What should we do if someone overdoses in our parking lot? How do we remove the stigma and help
people talk about this problem and find help?” Read more in the May issue of Living Lutheran and its cover
article by Wendy Healy. Copies are available in the narthex, or read it online at
livinglutheran.org/2018/05/mercy-and-addiction.
***********************************
Happenings Around the Area….
Separated & Divorced Support Group Meets every other Sunday, 5:00-6:30 pm; upcoming meetings and June 3
rd, June 24
th and July 8
th at The
Good News Center, 10475 Cosby Manor Rd., Utica. The group meets in a warm, caring, confidential
environment designed to help you learn skills and practical information that will guide you in rebuilding your
life after your separation or divorce. Free and open to all. For more information contact Judy at 315-735-6210,