Pilgrim Lutheran Church building 1942-1958

PilgrimPilgrimPilgrim LutheranLutheranLutheran ChurchChurchChurch ••• 170517051705 NebobishNebobishNebobish AvenueAvenueAvenue ••• Essexville,Essexville,Essexville, MichiganMichiganMichigan 487324873248732www.plce.org

2018

Greetings in the Name of the LORD!People keep asking me…Pastor, how are things going at Pilgrim? And I always answer that things are going very well. More and more people are attending worship services, we are getting many visitors, boards and committees are active. And so, from this perspective things at Pilgrim are doing very well. So, how can we improve?

One of the areas that we are still struggling is financially. Of our 359 members recorded in our files, 147 are active…which means they have come sometime during the last 12 months to a church service. Our average weekly attendance right now is 87. The weekly attendance usually goes down in the summer and picks up a bit in the fall. Of those 147 active members, 120 have made some type of financial donation during the year. The average weekly gift is $28.50, which means some give more and some less than the this, but the overall average is $28.50. There is no “magic amount” that is required from each person or family, but at the end of the day, we must be able to fund the ministries that we operate. The two biggest expenses are the pastor and the building. Some would argue that both are necessary to do the ministries that we do. That $28.50 average

per person right now is over $14,000 short of reaching our budget.

There are two ways of making up budget deficits. The first is to spend less, the second is to take in more. Both are necessary at this time. We as a congregation need to look at ways to cut back on our projected spending, which means that even if we’ve budgeted for something, we may not be able to spend what we’ve budgeted.

The leadership have identified $41,000 in cuts to our budget, which includes a savings of about $29,000 by the closing our Preschool and about $12,000 in Church Operating expenses. The Preschool closing also loses income from tuition so we are not “saving” much money here.

Secondly, we need to increase our revenue.

One of the best ways to do that is to ask every one of our members to look at their own financial situation and pray about how they could help. Many of us are in fixed income situations and can’t really afford to increase our donations much. But would another $5.00 or $10.00 a week, be possible? Only you and God know that. For those of us who

are not on fixed incomes, we all have many financial commitments, and increased giving could also be an issue. But what if we could increase the frequency of our gift. We have the electronic giving option that you could schedule a weekly, biweekly or monthly payment to the church. Most of us give only when we are in attendance, but what if we were able to give more frequently? I don’t have all the answers to this for each of our situations, but I would ask you to pray about it and see what, if anything you could do to help.

All is in God’s hands, we don’t need to worry about anything. We need to caste all of our cares and anxieties on HIM, because He cares for us. But we also need to work to the best of our ability to do HIS work in this place.

So, in closing, things are going well here at Pilgrim, but we do continue to have challenges, and probably always will. We will meet those challenges head on, and give all the glory to God! In HIS Service

Rev. Erv Hutter

From the Desk of

Pastor Erv

Cell Phone- (313) 539-4400Church Office- (989) 893-7224Email- ehutter@sbcglobal.net

PILGRIMS SERVING IN SEPTEMBER

Elders Sat – Aaron Sofian Altar Guild – Dolores MastSun – Kim Mielens

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 20TH

BIBLE STUDY Two new Bible studies will be beginning in September. The Sunday Study, which runs from 9:00-10:00 am on Sunday Mornings will continue our study of the Psalms, using the book “Reading the Psalms with Martin Luther” as a resource. The Psalms are the hymnbook of the Old Testament, but they also are prayers and prophesy that affect our Christian life. Please join us as we study the Psalms.

Our Wednesday Evening Study, which runs from 6:30-8:00 pm, and begins on September 12, will focus on what other denominations believe. It's easy to think that all Christians believe the same doctrine, but the differences are astounding. Baptism, Holy Communion, and free will are all examples of some of the major differences among Christian denominations.

In One Christ, Many Creeds, the teachings of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and fifteen other Christian denominations are examined and compared. Students develop a deeper understanding of the similarities as well as the differences that exist between Christian denominations. This essential Bible study prepares students of all ages to represent their Lutheran faith in light of other Christian denominations.

. Join us for either or both of these studies!

BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION – September 2018

MEMBER-LEAD BIBLE STUDYWatch for upcoming information on the interest of Donna Stagray in organizing a member-lead Bible study.

Consider the possibility of, also, leading a small group or home Bible study.

PRESCHOOLThe 2019-2020 Preschool program feasibility review is underway.

SUNDAY SCHOOL . . . and mission outreachPlease reach out, invite, and consider bringing children to Sunday School which beings on Sunday, September 9 from 9 AM – 10 AM. September quarter Scope and Sequence:

2nd Grade and up: The God Who Created Us The God Who Corrects Us The God Who Calls Us

Preschool – 1st Grade: We Are Important to Jesus Jesus Helps Us God Made the World

SHUT-INS: The Board is continuing to look for members to help organize bringing additional shut-ins to worship services, extend Christian education, and offer fellowship/visit/call opportunities. Please consider joining us to provide for our members.

ATTENDANCE & CONTRIBUTIONS . . . . . SAT SUN H.C. TOTAL RECEIPTS + OR –6/23=31 6/24=49 $ 2,136.00 - 8646/30=13 7/01=42 52 2,356.95 - 6437/07=17 7/08=51 2,915.48 - 857/14=30 7/15=42 64 2,061.39 - 9397/21=20 7/22=66 2,739.00 - 2617/28=39 7/29=45 71 2,645.00 - 3558/04=20 8/05=51 68 2,210.39 - 790 8/11=30 8/12=46 1,800.00 - 12008/18=17 8/19=42 52 2,177.00 - 823

SPECIAL GIFTS . . . . . Special Mission, $35.00; Deficit Reduction, $2,640.00; Gift from Tai Chi, $28.00;

PASTORAL ACTS –Funerals – Evelene E. Johnson Died: 6/17/2018; Funeral Service: 6/19/2019 Irene E. Kot Died: 8/10/2018; Memorial Service 8/27/2018

New Members - David Janke - Transfer in from Faith, Bay City; Albert and Mary LaFond – Profession of Faith; Diane Pilkowski – Profession of Faith; Linda Ewald – Transfer in from St. Paul, Caro

Released – Allison Wischmeyer

Transfer – Sarah (Wischmeyer) Hirt transfer to Trinity Lutheran Church, Grand Rapids

Pilgrim Lutheran Church has partnered with Church Extension Fund to offer Electronic Giving to our members. Electronic Giving is a convenient, consistent way to help our church grow. There is no cost to you or to Pilgrim. Church Extension Fund is covering the cost. Consider scheduling a recurring contribution today. It’s easy! Have your weekly or monthly contribution debited from your checking or savings account and transferred directly into the church account safely and electronically – you’ll never have to remember your checkbook again! You will no longer need to write out checks and prepare envelopes every week. Even when travel, illness or other circumstances prevent you from attending services, your electronic contributions will continue to be received on an uninterrupted basis. Get started today! An authorization form is located on the table in the narthex or you can pick one up in the church office.

Quilting will begin again on Tuesday, September 4th at 9:30 a.m. in the Blue Room. The quilters are in need of people to do some basic sewing either in their own homes or here at church.

The Women’s Guild will be having their annual Salad Supper to start off the Fall Season – Thursday, September 13th at 6:30 p.m. Bring a salad dish to pass and your own table service. If you bring something different or unusual please bring along the recipe to share. Everyone is invited and we would like to see some new faces! The hostesses are Bette Berkman and Ruth Manke. This group is for all the women of Pilgrim to share fun, fellowship, missions, and to serve the Lord. Please come and take part.

Advent by Candlelight needs a new leader. Changes are being made and we need someone to step up to continue this ministry. If you are interested please contact the church office, 893-7224.

The Keenagers will hold their first meeting for the fall on September 20th at 11:00 a.m. in the Blue Room. All senior citizens of Pilgrim are invited to attend. Please bring a dish to pass and your own table service and join the fun and fellowship!

SHUT-INS AND HOMEBOUND Pastor Hutter tries to visit and commune each of our homebound members on a monthly basis, yet many of these members could surely appreciate visits from other members of the congregation from time to time. Please consider visiting any of these folks whom you may know, or even if you don’t know them well, you could get to know them.

Mable Pett 581 Scheurmann Road, Essexville Close to Home-Hampton Hattie Davis 4130 Shresthra Dr, Bay City Comfort CareStella Peoples 85 W. Hampton Road, EssexvilleLoretta Rozewski 2448 Midland Road, Bay City The ColonnadesDella Burns 4322 Mackinaw Road, Saginaw Senior Care & RehabVera Niemi 854 Pine Road, #208, Essexville Pineview ManorEileen Van Tol 4471 Sheffield, #116, Bay City Sheffield PlacePatricia Dammann 568 N Pine Road, #102, Bay City Hampton ManorElaine Livingston 564 W. Hampton, #134, Essexville Bay Medical Care FacilitySally Pavlick 854 Pine Road, #255, Essexville Pineview ManorSuzanne Pascuzzi 707 Burns, EssexvilleMary Sue Pascuzzi 707 Burns, EssexvilleGerald Brigham 1401 Smith Street, EssexvilleSandra Hines 85 W. Hampton Road, EssexvilleDavid McDonald 1295 N Jones Road, Essexville

Sandy Weatherbee 305 Eda Court, Essexville

New Church Office Hours. Beginning after Labor Day the Church Office will be open Monday through Thursday 9:00 am until 12 noon.

Pastor Hutter is available outside office hours by appointment.

We make plans for many things in life. We invite you to plan for your funeral, as well. Why? There are many reasons. First and foremost, funeral pre-planning provides a means of letting your wishes be known to all concerned. Second, pre-planning your funeral enables you to give expression to your faith through choosing and ordering what is to take place. It becomes a witness to your loved ones and to all those who participate in and attend your funeral. And there’s more. Planning now for your funeral eases the burden on your loved ones by eliminating the pressure of decision-making, particularly the need of trying to do things

“the way you would have wished.” Finally, pre-planning will give you a certain amount of peace, knowing that your affairs are in order. If at all possible, discuss these plans with your loved ones. Allow them to participate in the planning and express their thoughts. At first the conversation might seem awkward; but most will find that the conversation leads to a beautiful way of sharing mutual love for one another — a conversation best shared now, before death occurs. Once you have completed the pre-planning forms, please keep a copy for your files and share copies with your loved ones and the church office. As you know, some plans change and/or need to be tweaked. The events surrounding your death, or events that may occur between now and the time of your death, may necessitate a change in your funeral plans. If that’s the case, we will be happy to help you review and update your forms. We hope this handbook will answer many of your questions about the planning of a funeral/memorial service and outline the many ways the church will journey with you through the process. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Erv.

Once again we are collecting for Lutheran World Relief. Items needed are new bars of soap and blankets. Remember that soap is very scarce in other parts of the world and can sell for as much as $10.00 a bar, it it's even available at all! A gift of $5 will purchase a blanket. Starting on September 9th there will be a collection box in the hallway by a quilt that the ladies have made. For each $5 deposited, please pin a pretend $5 bill to the quilt. Let's fill it up with our donations! Please bring your donations to the church by October 14th.

Wellspring Auxiliary Bay Chapter will hold their next meeting on Monday September 18th at Trinity-Monitor at 7 pm. The guest speaker will be Scott Peterson, Risk Prevention Specialist.

The Good Samaritan Rescue Mission is in need of a few things: Women’s new socks and underwear; Men’s Khaki pants and short sleeved collared shirts; Toilet Paper; Paper towels, Q-tips, African-American hair care products, and ranch or Italian dressings.

From Time to Eternity: Waiting for the Resurrection – On Sunday, October 14th, at 4 pm Grace Lutheran Church in Auburn will be hosting “From Time to Eternity: Waiting for the Resurrection,” a hymn festival that focuses on god’s precious promises in the midst of our present pain while we wait for the perpetual paradise of the life of the world to come. This event will feature hymns from hymn writers such as Martin Luther, Paul Gerhardt, Johann Walter, Katie Schuermann, Mart Schalling, and Stephen Starke. The Commentators for the hymn festival will be Rev. David Fleming of Our Savior, Grand Rapids and Rev. Aaron Schian of Grace, Auburn. It will feature a mass choir made up of members of area churches. Anyone who wishes to participate in the mass choir should contact Kantor Nathan Beethe at kantor.graceauburn@gmail.com or they can call or text him at (989) 460-8014. Please mark your calendars for this exciting event!

Conditioned Hearing Two old friends were walking along a path when one of them pulled up and said, “Wait, I think I hear something.” Bending down he lifted a stone, freeing a cricket that had been trapped. Asked how he possibly was aware of the sound, he said people only hear what they want or are conditioned to hear. To prove his point, as they were walking on a crowded street he dropped a half dollar on the sidewalk. Many people stopped, looking around to see what had fallen. Have you ever been accused by your spouse of “selective hearing”? Have you been so intent on what you were doing that things going on around you were ignored? It’s amazing how a parent can pick out the cry of their child in a crowded room. What have you conditioned yourself to hear? Ezekiel 33:7-9 says, You, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, you wicked person, you will surely die, and you don’t speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved. What are we doing in our time? Jesus says in Matthew 28, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. How can we make disciples if we don’t even know their names? Do we know our neighbors, our co-workers, or the person at the store? A pastor told the story of a nursing school class where the professor gave a Pop Quiz. The students felt good about answers to all the questions but the last one. What is the name of the person that cleans the building? You see them every day. He explained that all people desire our care! Whether you are a nurse or just someone with a smile, a hello or a caring question, we all have the opportunity to bring the saving message of the Gospel. But it helps to know their name. At lunch ask the server if there is anything you could include for them in your meal prayer. You might be surprised by the impact it can have on a person’s day. A simple meal prayer, a caring question or including a Ministry Gift as part of your Estate Plan, all can have a tremendous impact on others both now and for eternity. Bill Burmeister Church Extension Fund – Michigan District 800-242-3944 • bill.burmeister@mi-cef.org

Pilgrim is starting family fun events this year. Anyone may come as we are choosing activities for all ages. The first event will be a trip to Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm on September 23, 2018. We will order pizza and eat after church and leave from the church parking lot around 12:30 to go to the pumpkin farm. Parking and entrance are free. Families may choose to purchase items there. This is a cash only day.

October 20 at 3:30 we will meet at church and go to Bay City State Park for Mother Nature’s Halloween Trail. Any one going should dress for the weather because we will be walking along a .3-mile paved trail. Halloween costumes, especially for the children, are encouraged. The walk is educational with animal actors coming out at each station. Hot refreshments will be served at the end of the trail, and a treat bag will be given to each child. We should be back around 5:30. This is a free event.

After each Sunday Worship Service everyone is invited to enjoy some fellowship time in the fellowship hall. Coffee, juice and snacks are provided by volunteers each week. There is a “free will” donation can available to help to defray the expenses for these volunteers. You too can be a volunteer. There is a signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the fellowship hall. Volunteers bring snacks of their choosing, make coffee and make sure that the room is set to go for after service. For more information please talk to the pastor.

Over the years there has been much discussion about the lot north of the church. It is about the size of a football field and hasn’t really served us well for some time now. We cut the lawn, local youth sports leagues sometimes practice there, but it hasn’t benefited our ministry much, if at all. We looked into the possibility of selling it a couple of years ago, but it doesn’t have much value, and once sold, we can’t control who our neighbors are or what might go in there.

One idea that has come to the forefront involves making it into a dual-purpose community garden. One purpose could be to afford area residents the ability to grow their own food, but another purpose could include growing food that could be incorporated into the Hidden Harvest Food Network, making fresh food available to those who need it. The idea is just that, just an idea. In order to move forward, we need a small group of interested members to do some research. Will the city of Essexville allow such an enterprise? How do we go about preparing the field for garden use? How do we administer garden use? What funding is available to help us make this happen? All of these and more questions need to be answered before we can proceed. The underlying thought here is how we can best minister to our community. Maybe this isn’t the answer, but it may lead us to the next idea, so that we remain focused on ministry. If you are interested in helping with this, please talk with Pastor Erv.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat1Makenzie Morse

Wendy VanOoteghem

2Gerald Brigham

3 4 5 6 7 8

9Kayleen VanWert

10Melissa Corrion

11Brandon Barber

Michael VanWert

12David Borchardt

13 14 15Carol Smith

Trajan Ward

16 17Chris Dagneau

18 19 20 21Kaitlyn Barber

22Chris Wagner

23Sharon Grigg

Lois Groulx

24Isaac Rochefort

Kymber Obertein

25 26 27 28 29

30

September 2018

September 2018Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

700-Holy Communion

2 Trinity 14

1030- Holy Communion

3

Labor Day

4

930- Quilting

5 6 7 8

700-Worship

9 Trinity 15900- Bible Class Sunday School1030- Worship1130- Rally Day 630-Elders

10 11

930- Quilting630- Choir Practice

12

100- Prayer Network630- Bible Class

13

630- Women’s Guild Salad Supper

14 15

700-Holy Communion

16 Trinity 16900- Bible Class Sunday School1030- Holy Communion1130- Confirmation

17 18

930- Quilting630- Choir Practice

19

630- Bible Class

20

1000- Pineview1130-Keenagers

21 22

700-Worship

23 Trinity 17900- Bible Class Sunday School1030- Worship1130- Confirmation1230- Family Event Johnson Farms

24 25

930- Quilting630- Choir Practice

26

630- Bible Class

27 28 29

700-Holy Communion

30 Trinity 18900- Bible Class Sunday School1030- Holy Communion1130- Confirmation

FOOD PANTRY WEEK

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED