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Christmas Eve service: St Mark’s 6:00pm St Jacobi –7:30pm
See our new website: www.stjacobishohola.org
ST JACOBI LUTHERAN CHURCH ST MARK’S LUTHERAN CHURCH 108 GLENN DRIVE 149 SCENIC DRIVE SHOHOLA, PA 18458 LACKAWAXEN, PA 18435 570-559-7676 Email: [email protected] 570-685-7875 Web site: www.stjacobishohola.org
CROSSROADS Dec 2009- Vol. 1, Issue 12
Pastor Mary Owens HC1 Box 1 A-286, Lackawaxen, PA 18435-
570-685-5667
Dear members and friends, The season of Christmas is upon us, and as usual during this busy season, we are caught up in a flurry of holiday related activities, trying to juggle family and work responsibilities, planning holiday get togethers, buying gifts….. In the midst of all of the preparations, we often become so worried and preoccupied about what we’ve done, what is left to do. We wonder: “Will we be able to get it all done?” and “Will we be able to afford Christmas this year?” Often we seem so caught up in being frantic at Christmas time, that we forget about the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus, and the blessedness of hope that Jesus brings to our lives, and to the lives of others. We forget to be grateful for the greatest gift! “The Hills are Bare at Bethlehem” portrays the blessedness of hope that Jesus offers to a world in desperate need of hope and healing. May it be a reminder to all of the true meaning of Christmas!
The hills are bare at Bethelehem, no future for the world they show; yet here new life begins to grow, from earth’s old dust a green wood stem. The stars are cold at Bethlehem, no warmth for those beneath the sky;
yet here the radiant angels fly, and joy burns new, a fiery gem. The heart is tired at Bethlehem, no human dream unbroken stands; yet here
God comes to mortal hands, and hope renewed cries out: “Amen!”
Blessed Christmas, Pastor Mary Owens
St Mark’s Lutheran Church 149 Scenic Drive Lackawaxen, PA 18435 570-685-7875 Sunday Service: 8:15am Church School: 8:15am Pastor Mary Owens: 570-685-5667 www.stjacobishohola.org
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
6PM—ST MARK’S
7:30PM —ST JACOBI
It has been really great to have Bud and Honey Haupt back in church again. Pastor Owens reports that Edith Holbert is in the rehab center at Wayne hospital and hopes to go back home soon as she is doing much better
I (Pete Bassani) will be stepping down as President of the St. Mark council after about 15 or 16 years. It has been a labor that I have much enjoyed but there comes a time when we need to step aside and make room for new people with fresh ideas, etc. Rick Sporer will be our new council president start-ing in January. Rick is a hard worker for our church and I know he will do a great job as council president. I want to thank the congregation of St. Mark who have given me their support all these years and lets all get behind Rick as he leads us into the future. I will be staying on the council.
Pastor Spohn will be our preacher on the Sunday after Thanksgiving when Pastor Owens is away and we thank him for this. He has a special relationship with these congregations and I'm sure we all look forward to the service on Nov. 29th.
The deck has been removed from the back of our social hall and replaced with a small set of steps to make room for the peers to be put in to support our future handicapped ramp from the church building to the social hall.. This peer work will be completed very shortly.
As part of the ramp project we will be making a handicapped parking area to accommodate two vehicles. The Holbert Brothers quarry has given us a very good price on the modified gravel we need for this part of the project and we thank them for that.
St. Mark ladies Aid is paying for the biggest part of our new ramp project and our thanks go out to them. It is hard to believe that such a small group could have raised as much money as they have over the years. They are certainly a dedicated group.
We wish Al and Lois Schmidt a safe journey as they have just left for Florida for the winter and as always we look forward to their return in the spring. Congratulations to Lois and Al Schmidt who welcomed their fourth great grandchild. A boy named Dominick Joseph.
The St. Mark's ladies aide will have a table at the Lackawaxen VFD craft fair on 12/5, that is on from 10-3p.m.
ST JACOBI LUTHERAN CHURCH 108 Glen Drive Shohola, PA 18458 570-559-7676 Sunday Service: 11 am Church School: 10am Email: [email protected] Web site:www.stjacobishohola.org Pastor Owens: 570-685-5667
Thanks to Dotty Luca for all her work in preparing the 2010 Budget for our church. We know how much hard work & time goes into this task & we appreciate her dedication. Thanks to all who helped to clean up the church property on the 31st Oct. God bless you for your hard work– See you in the spring!!!! Thanks to Rob Handel (Dotty Luca’s son) for his terrific job he has done on the web site– May God bless him for doing this for us. Web site: www.stjacobishohola.org. Our newsletter will be posted each month in the web site. Our Congregational meeting chaired by Pres. Luca was held on Oct 25. The meeting was attended by 20 members- 2 new members to the church council were accepted– Ingrid Vogel & Dennis McCullough. Pet food drive– –The Tri-Christian Youth Group is collecting pet food and supplies from November 15th through December 19th. A collection basket for donations will be placed in the narthex.
St Jacobi Church School children will present their Christmas program on Dec 27th during the service. Snow date is Jan 3rd, 2010. Come & witness the birth of Christ through Children’s eyes.
The Ladies Aid will be ordering poinsettias for the Altar at Christmas. If you wish to order one or more, please contact Linda Moret @570-559-7257 or RoseAnn Prigge @ 570-559-7565. Poinsettias can also be purchased on your own and brought to church on Sunday, December 20th. Cash donations can be made in memory of Loved Ones. These donations will be used to help needy families at Christmas.
Please contact Grace @ [email protected] or 845-856-8912 with news items for the newsletter. Suggestions are always welcomed & help is always needed to collate & mail this publication.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
6PM—ST MARK’S
7:30PM —ST JACOBI
St. Jacobi COUNCIL CORNER
Highlights from the November 2009, meeting. Attendees: Petra Kluge, Ingrid Vogel, Dale Siemers, Grace Criscione, Joe Criscione, Dotty Luca, Nick Luca. A reminder to all was made that Grace Criscione is to be contacted with any input for the NEWSLETTER prior to the 15th of the month. Pastor Owens was not present but her report was submitted and read. A Worship Committee will be form-ing. Grace Criscione and Ingrid Vogel will discuss this item further with the Pastor. Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is coming to a close. Boxes will be assembled November 11. We thank all who are participating and a special thanks to Petra Kluge for leading this effort again this year. The Pocono Mission District sponsored an “Evening with the Bishop.” This function was held Thursday, October 8th at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Craigs Meadow. A number of council members and Pastor Owens attended. St. Jacobi made a commitment to raise our donations to the Synod Benevolence by 15 percent. The church and parsonage driveways have been resealed. Thanks to all who showed up and helped. Clean up day was a success. Thanks to all who participated. St. Jacobi Annual Meeting was held October 25. Resignations for council members Walter Prigge and Liana VanTuyl were accepted. New council members Ingrid Vogel and Dennis McCullough were voted in. Welcome Ingrid and Dennis. The plaque for the new church sign on Route 434 is complete, thanks to Joe Criscione. Installation is scheduled for the spring by our resident mason, Walter Prigge. The plaque to be place in the Narthex will be completed soon. Again, thanks to Joe Criscione. Future events are being planned. Music Fest is scheduled for December 12, and a German Service is scheduled for December 20. Reviewed plans for Easter Services. Ash Wednesday service is scheduled at St. Mark’s at 6:30 PM. A Seder Meal will be held at St. Jacobi on Maundy Thursday at 7:00 PM. Plans for Good Friday will be de-cided at a later date. Rob Handel has put our web site up for review. The web site at the present time is a work in progress. The web address is www.stjacobishohola.org . Thanks Rob for volunteering and for all your efforts. Vacation Bible School is being planned for August 16th to the 22nd in 2010. Volunteers are needed. Please contact Pastor Owens if you can be of assistance. Bishop Zeiser is scheduled to visit to our area August 22, 2010. Bishop Zeiser is expected to preach at all three churches with a dinner to follow at St. Jacobi. We know this is a long way off, but please save the date and plan to attend.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 3. All are welcomed to attend.
To have your name added to our Birthday/Anniversary list please contact
Grace @ 845-856=8912 or email: [email protected]
2– Roger VanTuyl 7– Ingrid Kluge 7– Brooke Nutt 9– Pete Bassani 11– Tom Mc Kay 14– Grace Criscione 27– Don Roa 29 Bettina Zidek Roa
All Armed Forces
Service Men & Women
SPC Craig Ellefsen (serving in Iraq)
Benjamin Gullet (serving in Afganistan)
Morgan Fruchtnicht (serving in Iraq)
Tyler King (serving in Iraq)
Florence Ross Brian Becker
William Koehler Katherine O’Toole Muriel Gavoille
Bobby Lees Rev Paul Spohn Richard Hoffer
Bob Gillespie Dottie Myers Lynn Salvati
Sandra Faro Doug Gillespie Joe Weidner
Julianna Kuhl Joan Knoll John Knoll
Al Schmidt Tom McKay Sue Knoll Edwards
Edith Holbert Joe Carver Fred Kleiner
Honey & Bud Haupt Dorothy Lindblad Douglas Owens
Janice Iaccovino Barbara Scocossi Katherine Borowinski
Keith Blaut Christian Brown Gene Martin
Family Rutherford Betsch Family of Barbara Weinder Ocke Fruchicht
Family of Dusty Smythe Ashley Cobb Herta Zidek
Virginia Holtzhauer Richie Tussel Lois Schmidt
Family of Olga Mendz John Gramsety Pastor R Buchmann
Our sympathy & prayers are with Joe Criscione & his family upon the death of his Mother, Nicolina Criscione. May God Bless & Keep this family in his loving care.
DECEMBER
Donald and Edith Holbert will be celebrating their 60th. wedding anniversary on 12/10. May God Bless & Keep them in his loving care.
Our Thrivent for Lutherans Financial Associate. For Financial information, please contact Sheila Derry.
Contact Angel Food Ministries
Call our new 24-hour hotline for answers to common questions, including menu information
and host site contact information 1-877-FOOD-MINISTRY (1-877-366-3646)
Office Phone: 770-267-7015 or 888-819-3745
Fax: 770-267-8031 Email: [email protected]
Mail: P.O. Box 128 Good Hope, Georgia 30641 Visit: 1620 S. Broad St. Monroe, Georgia 30655
Angel Food Ministries is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Washington, DC
Your help is needed: The mother of a four year old boy who lost her job as a result of complications of a brain tumor, and remains out of work has contacted Pastor Owens for assistance. If anyone is able to provide an unwrapped Christmas present, or is interested in making a financial contribution, please let Pastor Owens know. He wears a size 4T at present. I am certain that if anyone has boys clothing in good condition in sizes 5 -6, that the mother would be able to use them shortly, as he will no doubt be growing fast.
Some questions have been raised re: infection control in regard to sharing of the peace. It has been brought to my attention that there are individuals within the two congregations that have illnesses which make them very susceptible to illnesses as their immunity is compromised. Others are in high risk groups for catching/transmitting swine flu. In light of these concerns, and out of a desire to prevent transmission of illness, we will be observing the following:
At the appropriate time in the service, after the prayer, I will greet the congregation with “The Peace of the Lord be with you always.”, and the congregation will respond, “And also with you.” , at which point, the service will continue without interruption. I encourage each of you to greet one another after the service, as well as to note any one new wor-shiping with us that day, and introducing who ever is new, and introducing them to others……including me.
ST JACOBI LADIES AID CHRISTMAS PARTY WED DEC 2ND AT 12 NOON STJACOBI SOCIAL HALL.
PLEASE COM E & ENJOY THE ADVENT SEASON WITH OUR WONDERFUL LADIES AID.
Please take note: I love to hear from individual people about specific issues/concerns/needs via email at any time. Please continue to contact me when there is a personal or parish related issue that I need to know about or to help with. However, bear in mind that my email is a work related Diakon site, and I as such am receiving and reading emails through-out the work day and beyond, many of which are not emails which are specifically addressed to me, requiring my response. I am being del-
uged with a constant array of emails which are being sent out to multiple address-ees. While they are interesting and sometimes informative, reading them is taking up a significant portion of my work time, and having to field them, open them, and read them is time consuming and takes time away from my hospice duties. A second issue is that the limits set by my employer for email messages is being used up at a rapid rate each day, mostly by non-urgent, multiple emails, which do not require my direct attention. When the limit is exceeded, I can not send any email out, and can not respond via email to work related is-sues until I clear off all of the emails. This creates a problem at work because it prevents me from being able to communicate important work related information to the hospice team and others in Diakon. Please continue to send me emails that pertain to specific needs/issues/concerns that require my response. Please eliminate my email address from any group mailing list that you have me listed on. Thanks for your understanding. In Christ, Pr. Mary Owens
In early church history, Advent began as a time of repentance. It served as preparation for Epiphany, which was the second most popular day for bap-tisms (after Pentecost). Common traditions during the Advent season, including wreaths and candles, add to the anticipation of Jesus’ birth. Another tradition is to leave the manger empty when you set up your nativity scene. Then, during Christmas morning celebrations, you can place the newborn baby Jesus in his “bed.”
Pastor Owens would like to thank the Congregations for their faithful giving to support our various Christmas projects to reach out in love and sharing, "Operation Christmas Child", "The Giving Tree", which provided gifts for a four year old child and his sick mother, Tri- Christian Youths Pet Food Benefit, Musicfest, and the German Service.
To all Members of the St. Jacobi Community: I would like to send you all the greatest of thanks and appre-ciation for your generous and continuing donations to Opera-tion Christmas Child.
I have been the coordinator for OCC at St. Jacobi for the past 8 years. I have found ways to donate to children since I first started teaching at a private school in Princeton in 1992, where we filled stockings for underprivileged children in our community. When OCC came along I knew it was exactly the way I could continue donating to the children of the world community. I consider this my effort for world peace, my hope is that a child who receives one of our boxes will always remember the kindness of a stranger and opt for peaceful solutions to conflicts.
Each year Samaritan’s Purse runs the program and the donations simply pour in. The
year we began doing this, we sent off 25 boxes and had a good feeling that this was the right thing to do. Counting this year, our small community has sent 637 shoeboxes to children all over the world. Sit back for just a moment and imagine the smiles you have put on those 637 little faces that have been touched by your generosity and God’s love.
OCC continues to be a success at St. Jacobi. This year you donated $714, with $226
from our coin jar. In these hard economic times you answered the call not only with mone-tary donations but also with soap wrapped in washcloths, stuffed animals, Crayons, and so much more. I went shopping and spent $500 in Wal-Mart and the Dollar Tree, with the re-maining money going into the boxes to help defray the cost of shipping. We were able to collect and make a total of 92 boxes.
As the holiday season draws near, please say a prayer for those who deliver these
boxes in some of the worst places on earth. Please say a prayer for those who receive the boxes. Please say a prayer for those who live in war-torn, economically depressed and un-pleasant conditions, that they may know the love of Jesus Christ. Please say a prayer that they may know that someone they have never seen and will never know, cared enough to send them a little Christmas cheer.
I thank you again for your kindness and continuing support. I wish you the most joy-
ous of Christmases and the happiest of New Years. God bless you all.
Yours in Christ, Petra Kluge
Some of our many helpers! Thanks to all who helped!
Save the Date: CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE WILL BE AT
6PM—ST MARK’S
7:30PM —ST JACOBI
We are planning well ahead—
2010——Ash Wednesday service will be at St Mark’s time tba
Bible study is being planned to be held during LENT—a Seder Meal will be held on Maundy Thursday at St Jacobi. Good Friday tba
Bishop Zeiser will be preaching at St. Mark’s, St. Luke’s and St. Jacobi’s on August 22nd, 2010. All three congregations will participate in a covered dish luncheon at Saint Jacobi’s following the 11 AM service. Vacation Bible School will be held the week prior to the Bishop’s preaching date. A closing worship for VBS will be held during the Sunday Worship at each church.
VBS will be held at Saint Jacobi’s August 16th through the 20th from 9:00 AM to 12 PM. VBS will be held August 16th-22nd at St. Mark’s, from 6 pm to 8pm. Volunteers will be needed for planning, set up, teaching, preparing snacks and arts and crafts. We are hoping for 100 % participation by families/youth as well as from Council Members and other adults in the con-gregation. Please consider volunteering, as well as sending your youth and inviting the youth of the Community.
An on-line confirmation program is being offered to youth in 8th grade, through High School, who did not have the opportunity to participate in Confirmation class. The program is 30 sessions and can be completed in one year, or extended over two or more years, depending on the students. Contact Pastor Mary for more information…..
If any one is interested in leading an adult bible study or participating in one, please let the Pas-tor know. Tentative plans are underway for a shared intergenerational Bible Study/Lutheran education program focusing on the sacrament of Holy Communion during Lent. The program will begin with a joint worship at Saint Mark’s on Ash Wednesday, and conclude with a Seder meal and Worship on Maundy Thursday at St. Jacobi. Four weekly evening sessions will be offered, for participants from pre-school to adult to learn more about the sacrament of Holy Communion. Each session will be accompanied by a soup and sandwich supper.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Green St J Blue- St M
1 St MarkQuilt/Sewing class 9-12 St Jacobi Council 7pm
2 St Mark’s Quilting 9AM St L Ladies Aid Christmas party noon St Marks-AA 8pm
3 St Marks Council 7pm
4 St Marks-AA 8pm
5 Pond Eddy Thrift Store 10-2
6 St Mk’s 8:15am schl 8:15am St Jacobi– 11am schl 10am St Mks-AA 8pm
CONCERT ST JACOBI
3pm
7 Lions Club 7:30pm St Jacobi
8 St Marks Quilt/Sewing class 9-12
9 St Mark’s Quilting 9AM St Marks-AA 8pm Snow date concert-
10
11 St Marks-AA 8pm
12
13 St Mk’s 8:15am schl 8:15am St Jacobi– 11am schl 10am St Mks-AA 8pm
14
15 St Marks Quilt/Sewing class 9-12
16 St Marks-AA 8pm
17
18 St Marks-AA 8pm
19 Pond Eddy Thrift Store 10-2
20 St Mk’s 8:15am schl 8:15am St Jacobi– 11am schl 10am St Mks-AA 8pm
German Service St Jacobi 3pm
21 1st day Winter
22 St Marks Quilt/Sewing class 9-12
23- St Marks-AA 8pm
24
25
26
27St Mk’s 8:15am schl 8:15am St Jacobi– 11am Christmas pageant St J St Mks-AA 8pm
28 29 St Marks Quilt/Sewing class 9-12
30 St Marks-AA 8pm
31
St M 6 St J 7:30
2009
