March 2019 Newsletter

The Lamplighter

The Newsletter of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Conover NC

March                                                                                           2019

FROM THE PASTOR

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

There is cause to celebrate. St. Luke’s met some important goals set for 2018. Please read the Annual Report and then join us on April 14, 2019 right after worship for a congregational meal and meeting. We’ll celebrate some of the goals achieved and talk about new goals.

 

Your congregational council met Saturday, February 23rd for a planning day. Our goal for the day was not to walk away in the afternoon with a set of goals; but instead, to develop a big picture framework to help guide the committees in their work. Empowering the committees / ministry teams will ADD ministry as we move forward. The Council prayed and worked hard to move through a process of looking at perspective questions, key values, vital congregational behaviors, and dreams for the future.

 

From this work, the Word Cloud below emerged. More importantly, council identified four key values and four vital congregational behaviors to help shape and focus our work into 2020.

 

4 Key Values for 2019-2020

  • Discipleship / evangelism
  • Diversity
  • Community
  • Raising leaders

 

4 Vital Behaviors for 2019-2020

  • Build excitement about the future of the congregation
  • Equip members to share their faith with others
  • Seek out and use the gifts of people of all ages
  • Deepen people’s relationship with Go

 

 

 

 

The council liaisons (and the pastor) will be meeting with the committees to use these key values and behaviors of vital congregations to set some goals. We can’t do everything. We can do some things. As we who gather as St. Luke’s CONTINUE doing the many good and generous things this community of faith does, we want to use the two “FOURS” to shape our goals moving through the rest of 2019 and into 2020.

 

Please mark your calendar for April 14th for the covered dish / potluck congregational meal. There we will look at specific goals together. Meanwhile, join us weekly for worship as we move into the season of Lent and toward another celebration of the gifts of Easter.

 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Russell Makant

 

CALENDAR

Mar. 6               *Ash Wednesday (7 PM)

Mar. 10               Daylight Savings Time begins

                  LENTEN SCHEDULE (3/10-4/7)

                           *Morning Worship (10:30 AM)

                           *Lenten Suppers begin (6:15 PM)

                *Lenten Services begin (7 PM)

Mar. 11                Church Council meeting (6:30 PM)

Mar. 13              *Senior’s Luncheon (11:45 AM)

Mar. 20                April Newsletter info DEADLINE

Mar. 25                Life Worth Living @ LRU (7 PM)

 

*See Notes for More Information

 

 

PARISH NOTES

Lenten Season

Ash Wednesday Service is at 7:00 PM on March 6. This solemn service marks the beginning of Lent. During the service, all who desire are invited to come forward and receive the sign of the cross – marked with ashes upon our foreheads. Children are most certainly welcome! However, please prepare them as needed for the more serious nature of this service.

Our Lenten Evening Services will be on Sundays (March 10, 17, 24, 31, and April 7) at 7:00 PM. Within the beautiful service “Holden Evening Prayer” we will read and learn about five of Jesus’ parables together. A light soup and sandwich meal is being offered at 6:15 on those five nights.

Holy Week begins with Palm/Passion Sunday on April 14. This service includes the reading of the Passion story and special music from our choir.

Maundy Thursday (April 18), Good Friday (April 19), and Easter (April 21) services are being planned. Watch for more information.

 

Seniors Group News

The Seniors Group will be having their monthly luncheon in the fellowship center Wednesday, March 13 at 11:45 AM. A free-will offering will be taken to cover the expenses of the meal. All members of the congregation 60 years of age and older, and their guests, are invited to attend. Please RSVP by Sunday, March 10.

 

Congregational Meeting

There will be a covered dish dinner and congregational meeting following worship April 14. We will discuss the vision and goals of the congregation for 2019 and 2020.

 

Family Movies Return

Family movies will return following Easter. They will be shown following worship roughly once a month.

 

VBS Meetings

Planning meetings for our upcoming Vacation Bible School are now being held monthly at St. Stephens ELCA. Be sure to watch the bulletin for dates and times. For more information, contact Joyce Hefner.

 

Evangelism and Social Ministry News

During March, the Evangelism and Social Ministry teams will be collecting items for the Hickory Soup Kitchen. They will be collecting #10 cans of items for their meals; non-perishable items and canned goods for their food pantry; water, crackers and other items for snack bags; and personal hygiene items (travel size) for their shower ministry.

 

 


 

MEMBERS BIRTHDAYS THIS MONTH

3/1 - Harry Reep 3/7 - Karla Grant

3/10 - Dot Hedrick 3/11 - Shirley Cline

3/11 - Eric Jones 3/11 - Aviva Schempp

3/ 20 - Danny Austin 3/29 - Karen Gurley

 

 

Serving This Month (March)

Ushers – John Bumgarner, Gary Deal

Reader– Lynn Baker

Communion Assistant – Dot Hawn

Prayer Assistant – Lynn Baker

Offering Counters – Janie Dellinger, Barbara Hefner

Flowers – 2/3 – OPEN, 2/10-2/24 – LENT-No Flowers.

 

Bucket Money

The money taken up in the buckets during this quarter (January-March) will be donated to ELCA World Hunger.

 

**DON’T FORGET TO BRING CANNED GOODS

AND MEDICINE BOTTLES FOR CCM **