THE GOODTel: 518-283-6045

What Is in Your

Name?One of my best friends in college had a knack for handing out nicknames.  They were always funny, lighthearted, and somehow reflected a unique quality of the one he was pegging.  Thus, most of those dear names stuck and still do.    

Ann Hallstein, a minister in the United Church of Christ, describes an incident that she has carried with her since it happened when she was six years old.  At that time her mother was expecting another baby.  One day Ann's grandmother came to her home with a book from the library listing Christian names and their meaning.  There seated in her lap, her grandmother found Ann's name.  Her grandmother told her that it came from the Hebrew name Hannah, which means, "God has favored me."  Ann says, imagine telling a 6-year-old she is favored by God?  She says like a bear to honey she inhaled that message, and it lodged deep within her heart and mind and it has never left her since.  Ann says, "Because of that small unexpected event, I have always felt graced by God.  And it has left a lasting impression on me that God's grace is real, here and now, dynamic and alive."

As Christians, we too receive a very special name.  It is pronounced at our baptisms and it sounds like this, "Child of God."  Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Like "Ann," it means we are favored.  God has plans for us.  God will restore us. Best of all, God who gave us our name will help us live up to that name.  After all, God knows us best!  

Pastor Steve

NEWSLETTERWEB:www.evangelicallutheranchurchofpoestenkill.org

From your Council:

The next council meeting will be Monday, July 13th at 6:45 pm. Meetings are held in the undercroft of the church and are open to all!

Your Council met on June 8th. Plans continue with the Poestenkill Historical Society locating its Heritage Center/Museum into the parsonage, as does the establishment of a food pantry in the inner office to help our community.

Strategy meetings continue with other area churches to address the problems of declining worship attendance, financial stress, and a need for more pastors.

Council discussed issues with the Little Learners preschool program in the undercroft, which will be addressed more fully in July.

A date for a bible study group studying Martin Luther and The Reformation will be set in September.

Missions for the remainder of the year will be: July/Aug. – NepalAugust – Food PantrySeptember – ELCA Malaria CampaignOctober – Habitat for HumanityNovember – Veterans’ Miracle CenterDecember – Albany Maritime Center

.

July 4th – Independence DayJuly 13th – Council Meeting @ 6:45 pmJuly 16th – Ladies Aid to MacHaydnJuly 27th – BLOOD DRIVEAugust 20th – Ladies Aid to Lake GeorgeAugust 25th – NEWSLETTER Deadline

Summer Mission Offerings:

July -Nepal CharityLast winter, Bud Martin and I traveled to the remote Rolwaling Vally of Nepal on an ice climbing trip. For six weeks we lived in the isolated village of Beding, climbing, meeting locals, and enjoying the beauty and serenity of this quiet mountain village. It was with heavy hearts that we received the news that this village had been destroyed by the recent earthquakes. Bud and I are headed back, this time with a focus on the Relief effort. We will be buying materials, hiring laborers, and working alongside the locals to help rebuild this beautiful village. Help us make a difference in the lives of these beautiful people in the most unfortunate of times. We will be traveling and living under our own financial support so 100%of all donations will be applied directly to the relief effort. To read more of this urgent need, go to crowdrise.com/bedding/fundraiser/nickfrazee

August – Food PantryThe Food Pantry Committee has been busy working on getting the Pantry up and running. We are working on getting the area we will use in the parsonage ready; we reached out to the Averill Park Schools for help and have received very positive responses; and we have (and continue to) brainstorm , on how to get the word out about the project and to solicit help. We have set Thursday, September 17, 2015 as our “Grand Opening” and plan to open every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 5:00 – 7:00 PM for distribution as well as acceptance of donations. How can I help, you ask? There are a number of ways. Here are a few:

Food Donation - either individually or as a group – we will accept all non-perishable food donationsFund Donation – Monetary donation is a great way to help us purchase the items most needed. No amount is too small – and any amount is tax deductible.Time Donation – We will need bodies to help with the initial set up, help stock shelves when

necessary, and help with the Pantry during servicing hours. Please speak with any of the following Food Pantry Committee members: Pastor Cordes, Susanne or Steve Keller, Ruth Frazee, Ed Gresens, or Tom Russell. Or you can call the Church office at 283-6045 and leave a message, or Ruth Frazee. Please seriously consider helping in any or all the above listed ways so we can successfully fulfill our mission to fee the hungry in our community. Thank you in advance for any help, even if it is simply spreading the work to let others know of the need.

We keep our brothers and sisters of ELCP in our prayers – those who are unable to worship with us, especially: Eleanor Bubie, Olive Frank, Toady

Smeland, and Nancy Young.

SUMMER BIRTHDAYSJuly 7th – Matthew Whitman9th – Rachel Bryk12th – Leonard Lynd18th – Nicole Troskowski20th – Thomas Shanahan21st – Mark Gunther23rd – Nicole VanSlyke26th – Ernie Ballard28th – Connie Clemans30th – Walter Hovey

August4th – Sayge Dzembo4th – Marietta Mitchell7th – Richard Bubie7th – Heather Hoffay-Hansen7th – Paul Kietzman9th – Rod Owens, Jr.13th - Jane Kietzman14th – Rebecca Lape16th – Janet Hoffman16th – Dick Cuozzo17th – Marjorie Catalano

20th – Emily Shanahan25th – Joyce Dickinson26th? Lois Houser26th – Gavin Riston28th – Roger Bubie31st – Connie VanSlyke

SUMMER ANNIVERSARYJuly 1st – Tim & Paula Hoffay12th – Mary & Ernie Ballard17th – Steve & Sue Keller25th – Bill & MaryJane Lynd28th – Pastor & Karen Cordes

August 18th – Jay & Dorothea Fisher

Summer Altar Persons:

JULY – Paula HoffayAUGUST – Jill Gresens

Summer Readers:

July 5th – Bruce LynchJuly 12th – Joan MackJuly 19th – Tom WagnerJuly 26th – Steve Keller

Aug. 2nd – Stacy FilmAug. 9th – Cynthia HowesAug. 16th – Ruth FrazeeAug. 23rd – Connie VanSlykeAug. 30th – Louise Wagner

Summer Communion Assist:

July 5th – Robert LynchJuly 12th – Barb MadsenJuly 19th – Jill GresensJuly 26th – Paula Hoffay

Aug. 2nd – Helen MiddletonAug. 9th – Robert LynchAug. 16th – Barb MadsenAug. 23rd – Jill GresensAug. 30th – Helen Middleton

Summer Coffee Hours:

There are NO after service coffee hours in July or August. They will resume in September.

FINANCIAL REPORT:

MAY 2015

INCOME:General $7,098.63Benevolence 181.00Building Improv. Fund 315.00Memorial FundMission Fund 128.00TOTAL INCOME: $7722.63

DISBURSEMENTS:Employees $ 1,697.36Administration 1,332.94Programs 181.40 Church: Bldg/Property 2,213.80Parsonage: Bldg/Prop. 202.58MiscellaneousBenevolence 181.00Memorial FundMission Fund 128.00TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS: $5,937.08

WORKING BALANCE: $3,732.50

The next meeting of the Ladies Aid Society will be Thursday, July 16th. We will meet at the church at noon and drive to MacHaydn Theater and stop along the way for lunch.

Please join us. We do have fun and certainly like to eat. We need more members to do the work of the Lord.

We will also meet sometime in the near future to begin cleaning the parsonage.

August 20th – Annual picnic on Lake GeorgeSept. 27th – Apple picking/lunchOct. 2nd – 10 am – Pies for BBQOct. 3rd – Chicken BBQNov. 19th – Plan Christmas PartyDec. 5th – 10 am – set up for Christmas Party

- Cresche in yard 6 PM – Christmas covered dish

Dec. 20th – Bags for shut-ins

ANNOUNCEMENTS:Thank You from Joseph’s House & Shelter:

Thank you very much for your recent gift of $109. Here at Joseph’s House we take pride in the differences we make in the lives of almost 800 men, women and children who come through our doors each year. We would not be able to provide safe and secure housing, nourishing hot meals, and non-judgmental support to those who need Joseph’s House without such caring and compassionate friends like you. You gift will provide direct services to individuals and families who have fallen on

hard times. It will help keep our doors open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.Again, thank you for your gift and most of all, your support.

Blood Drive: Evangelical Lutheran Church is sponsoring a blood drive on Monday, July 27th, from 1 to 6 pm. Anyone wishing to donate blood may call Ed Gresens. As the Red Cross keeps telling us, “The need is great” so please call for an appointment. Walk-ins will also be accepted. Thank you.

Clothing: You can leave any of your unwanted/outgrown clothing that is in good condition in the undercroft entrance. Donations will be taken to the Capitol City Rescue Mission in Albany. They are thankful to receive any and all donations.

Choir rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm. All voices are welcome! The more the merrier!

Food Collection: Remember, we have set aside the second Sunday of each month to bring

staple items for our local food pantries. There

is a basket in the narthex. Of course, you can bring donations at any time.

Make sure you read about the Food Pantry soon to open here at Evangelical

Bible Quiz:

Which two spies urged the Israelites to move into Canaan, opposing the other 10 who were afraid? (Hint: We know one of the two willing spies by the new name Moses gave him.)

A. Shaphar and IgalB. Hoshea and CalebC. Gaddi and GaddielD. Shammua and Nahbi

Christian SymbolOf the Month:

Quatrefoil – The word quatrefoil comes from the Latin for “four leaves.” A quatrefoil in art or architecture is the outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. In Christian tradition, it represents the writers of the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – which overlap

one another partially but not entirely, and are equally important to our understanding of Jesus.

ANTICIPATION

It is not hard for the Lord to turn night into day. He that

sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies. Let us be of good cheer. It is better farther on. Let us sing Hallelujah by

anticipation.

Ans. To Bible Quiz: B

“CHRISTMAS-AT-SEA”

Let’s help make Christmas for the men who dock at the Port of Albany nicer this year. Last year the Ladies Aid wanted to pack shoe boxes with needed things in them but we started too late. If you start thinking about this now, maybe by December we will have a nice collection of items. Some suggestions are:

-Knit cap-Gloves-Work Gloves-Writing Paper, envelopes-Pencils, pens-Comb and brush-Books-Toiletries: razor, shaving cream, After Shave, tooth brush, tooth paste, deodorant-Something indigenous to our area (someone included maple sugar)-“AA” batteries-“AAA” batteries-Whatever else you think will fit in a shoe box and would be appreciated.

You can leave items in the basket in the Narthex and we will sort them out.

Remember Always

The greatest man in history had no servants, yet they called Him master. He had no degree, yet they called Him teacher. He had no medicines, yet they called Him a healer. He had no army, yet the kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they

crucified Him. He was buried…in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Never take for granted the ones you love for they can be taken to heaven in the blink of an eye. Cherish every moment with them and love them till it hurts!

Many people think animals don’t have brains or feelings. You have witnessed Love and Sorrow felt by God’s creatures.

The Bible says God knows when a sparrow falls. How much more He cares for us!!

Live simply, love generously, care deeply and speak kindly.

Grace is God reaching down.

Faith is man reaching up!