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The Messenger A monthly publication from our Spirit filled church.
Community Events
#SundayFunDay
Summer Sundays
All summer we’ll be
chronologically journeying
through Saint Luke’s version of
Jesus’ ministry in the New
Testament together in an
intergenerational faith form-
ation experience called
#SundayFunDay! No need to
RSVP… simply show up with
your kids at 9am all Sundays
you’re able wearing clothes
that can get a little dirty and
be ready to learn about
awesome Bible stories in a fun,
active way! This coming
Sunday we'll have a Prodigal
Son Water Carnival. Wear
some-thing that can get a little
wet!
WELCA Annual Picnic
Tuesday, July 16th at 6:30pm
The Olochnowicz Estate
Our annual WELCA Picnic will
once again be at the
Olochnowicz Garage Mahal,
2391 West Old State Road. All
women are invited to bring a
favorite dish and join in some
wonderful fellowship. Bug
spray, drinks and dessert will be
provided. Please RSVP on the
narthex bulletin board with
what dish you're bringing or
speak with Kristen Olochnowicz
if you have any further
questions!
Hazardous Waste Collection
Saturday, July 20th
Our next collection for the
hazardous waste collection
program will be Saturday, July
20th. Call or text Jean Jones at
518.878.4412 if you would like to
get rid of old paint cans,
cleaning solutions or other
hazardous waste materials.
SiCM Summer Lunch
Monday, July 28th to Friday,
August 2nd
Hillhurst Park in Schenectady,
New York
We still need a few more
volunteers to help us feed
hungry kids and teens in our
local community through
Schenectady Community
Ministries Summer Lunch
Program!!! If you'd like to assist
simply put your name down on
the narthex bulletin board or
speak with Judy Becker.
VOLUME 92, ISSUE 7| SUMMER 2019
Messiah Lutheran Church
2850 Guilderland Avenue
Schenectady, New York 12306
www.messiahschenectady.org
Email:
Phone:
518.355.2311
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/MessiahLC
We are a Spirit filled church following Jesus Christ.
Summer 2019
Page 2
Hartwick Summer Institute of
Theology
Oneonta, NY
July 28th – August 2nd, 2019
Regardless of if you’d like to
attend for a whole week like
Rianne does every single
Summer, take a class Monday-
Thursday, or just attend a single
two-hour seminar, Hartwick
Summer Institute of Theology
may offer something that
sparks interest! There is a
booklet in the narthex under
the bulletin board along with
registration forms for anybody
interested. Noteworthy classes
offered this year are: Visiting
the Sick and Dying, How Not to
Save the Church, 5 Great Bible
Stories You’ve Probably Never
Heard, Intro. To New Testament
Greek, Once Upon a Time We
Had a Pastor, Christian
Education and Youth Ministry,
Christian Imagination in the
World of Harry Potter, and
more! For more information on
how Hartwick works, please
speak with Rianne.
Camp Calumet Sunday!!!
Sunday, August 4th beginning
at 9:00am
Thanks to our congregation
and local community's
incredible generosity we raised
over $3,700 this year to help
twelve of our awesome kiddos
have the faith formation
experience of a lifetime at
Camp Calumet Lutheran! This
is the Sunday when all our kids
come back, say a massive
thank you and report on all the
wonderful experiences they
had! The day will include an
epic game of the Calumet
classic Capture the Flag at
9:00am for all ages followed by
a festive outdoor worship
service with camp songs and
our youth giving a very special
Children's Sermon! Come on
by!
Messiah Summer Film Series:
"Won't You Be My Neighbor?"
Wednesday, August 7th at
7:00pm
Messiah will be hosting a
community screening of "Won't
You Be My Neighbor," a 2018
documentary on the life of
Presbyterian minister and
children's tv show host Mr. Fred
Rogers. Learn all about how
living a life of faith,
strengthening one's neighbor-
hood, celebrating diversity and
caring for young people were
all one and the same thing for
Mr. Rogers! If you have any
questions, please speak with
Faith Formation Chair Jean
Jones. RSVP on the Faith
Formation Board or on
Facebook!
Outdoor Family Movie Night
Saturday, August 17th at
7:30pm
We're bringing back a classic
this summer... an outdoor
family movie night for the
whole neighborhood showing
Star Wars Episode IV: A New
Hope! There will be snacks and
drinks provided and Pastor
Dustin will even judge a Star
Wars Costume Contest, with
prizes given out for Best
Individual Costume and Best
Group Costume! Our parish
dog Willard Excelsior Bear will
even be sporting a pretty
sweet Jedi robe so the
competition will be intense! This
event is a fundraiser for 2020
Camp Calumet Campership
Fund so a free will offering will
be taken and we'll even be
celebrating Willard E. Bear's
SIXTH birthday! Please RSVP on
the Fellowship Board or
Facebook!
Special
thanks
to all
who
got
Narcan
training
on
June
11th !
Summer 2019
Page 3
Congregation Council
Monday, August 19th at
7:00pm
What don't we have discuss?
Major topics for conversation
will include upgrading our
mechanical infrastructure,
refining our governance
structure to better support a
larger congregation and
discussing a variety of new
partnership possibilities in our
local community. Items need
to be added to the Council's
agenda beforehand, so if
you'd like anything to be
discussed, please speak with
Interim President Jackie DeTeso
or Vice President Pete Jones.
3rd Annual Barbecue and Axe
Throwing Night
Wednesday, August 21st at
6:00pm
Join us for one of
Messiah’s signature fellowship
events of the year!
The Crowthers will once again
host us for
a backyard barbecue with
hotdogs, hamburgers
provided. Bring a side dish and
a strong lumberjack spirit for
our annual axe throwing
competition!!! Despite this
event being truly brotastic, all
Mighty Men of Messiah events
are inclusive and open to
everyone! Def join us! Just sign
up on the narthex bulletin
board or on Facebook!
Messiahstock IV
Saturday, August 24th at
2:00pm to Sunday, August 25th
at 11:00am
The Olochnowicz Estate
Join us for two days of faith, fun
and fellowship as we celebrate
the summer as a Spirit filled
church! Pastor Dustin will lead
the congregation in a bunch of
family-friendly games and
other activities on Saturday
afternoon before we settle in
for a delicious potluck BBQ
dinner and a campfire skit
night. Even if you can't join us
for camping that night, come
on back for a rustic breakfast
and outdoor worship! This will
be an AWESOME time for the
whole family, especially our
young people. Fill out the
signup sheet on the Fellowship
Board or RSVP on Facebook
and if you have any questions
speak with Kristen Olochnowicz
or Pastor Dustin.
Schenectady Clergy Against
Hate Back2School
Extravaganza!!!
Sunday, August 25th from 1:00
- 3:00pm
Central Park Pavilion in
Schenectady, New York
As part of a continued effort to
build bridges with folks of
different faiths in our
community, join Pastor Dustin
and other clergy leaders for
SCAH's third annual back to
school gathering in Central
Park! We'll have all sorts of
delicious foods, fun games and
opportunities for conversation
with neighbors who we might
not otherwise meet. We'll also
once again be handing out
free school supplies for
Schenectady's awesome kids!
We're all in this together
after all, some come help build
some community! We're
especially looking for youth to
help with outreach and hand
out supplies the day of the
event so if you're interested,
please speak with Social
Action Chair Pete Jones or
Pastor Dustin. Finally, Messiah is
tasked with providing 1500
paper folders of all colors, so if
you'd like to donate folders,
please drop them off in the
narthex.
Labor Day Service of Holy
Communion
Sunday, September 1st at
10:15am
Christ is present in every time
and space we find ourselves in,
not just on Sunday and not just
at church. This Labor Day
Weekend we'll focus on one
area where we often neglect
to reflect on God's presence: in
our professional lives. Join us for
a morning of special prayers for
workers, the unemployed,
those organizing for just labor
practices and a special rite
called the Blessing of the
Hands. Be sure and stop by for
this new special Sunday at
Messiah!
Rally Sunday 2019
Sunday, September 8th at
9:00am
Join the people of Messiah for
our kickoff of the 2019-2020
program year! Registration for
Sunday School begins at
9:00am for children pre-k and
up with an awesome new
adult education course
upstairs in the Fellowship Hall.
Worship begins at 10:15am with
a big tent revival style outdoor
worship, the return of our
awesome choir and a blessing
of kids’ backpacks for the
school year ahead. Afterwards
we'll host a delicious
Summer 2019
Page 4
community potluck with
grillables and drinks provided.
All our friends and neighbors
are invited to join us! Please
RSVP with the dish you're
bringing either on Facebook or
on the Fellowship Board in the
Narthex!
Children's Faith Formation:
Whirl!
Beginning Sunday, September
8th at 9:00am
And we're back at it! Faith
formation for pre and
elementary school aged
children during the program
year at Messiah Lutheran
Church uses the Whirl!
curriculum which explores a
theme of the day based on the
texts we hear later in worship in
a fun, age appropriate sort of
way. Children first gather in the
sanctuary for meditative
minute with Ms. Kristen (we're
taking a break from the singing
this year) before heading off
with one of four specific age
groups for a short video,
discussion and activity. If you
have any questions or would
like to register your child,
please speak with Sunday
School Superintendent Cheryl
Borski. We're also looking for
two more Sunday School
Leaders!
Youth Faith Formation: The
Breakfast Club
Beginning Sunday, September
8th at 9:00am
Our middle and high schoolers
are SO over programmed
these days, so that's why on
Sunday morning we provide a
mellow time for our young
people to simply hang out and
talk about whatever issues
they're facing in everyday life.
The Breakfast Club, comprised
of our roughly high school
aged youth and led by Ms.
Tammi will now meet separ-
ately from an as yet to be
named new group of middle
schoolers led by Ms. Betsy. If
you have any questions or
would like to register your
youth, please with Tammi or
Betsy!
Adult Education: Meeting
Jesus for the First Time
Beginning Sunday, September
8th at 9:00am
Join Dr. Merle Longwood this
fall for a series of conversations
grounded in Marcus Borg's
classic book Meeting Jesus for
the First Time. Borg, who began
life as a pious Lutheran in North
Dakota, earned his doctorate
in New Testament from Oxford
and concluded his career as a
Distinguished Professor of
Religion and Culture at Oregon
State University, explores who
the historical Jesus likely was
and how this can inform our
personal faith. Please sign up
on the narthex bulletin board
for a book copy. Books will be
purchased second hand at a
discount with the cost being
roughly $5. If you have any
questions, please speak with
Merle!
Confirmation Class:
colaborate!
Beginning Sunday, September
8th at 6:30pm
Here we go again! In addition
to our eight current
confirmation students who will
become full adult members of
our congregation this Nov-
ember we'll also be welcoming
potentially eight more young
people and their parent/guar-
dians in our next confirmation
group! We'll begin with our
outgoing confirmation students
sharing with the incoming
group about how to make the
most out of this important faith
formation experience and
developing a learning
covenant as a group. In
subsequent weeks we'll begin
studying the Old Testament
Jean Jones
showing
Hannah
and
Haileigh
how to
identify
certain
kinds of
plants and
enjoy the
presence
of God in
all of
creation!
Summer 2019
Page 5
with the support of our
outgoing students until they are
confirmed on November 17th!
If you know a middle schooler
who might appreciate learning
more about his/her/their faith,
please speak with Pastor
Dustin! Also, by the way, if
you're someone a bit older
who would like to learn more
about the Old Testament,
youth at heart are welcome to
join us as well!
Tackling the Climate Crisis in
New York State
Tuesday, September 10th at
6:00pm
The effects of climate change
have become increasingly
apparent in recent years, but
how can we address this crisis
while also protecting workers
and sustainably develop
communities? Join us for a
community forum to discuss
what's going on at the state
level in New York to answer
these difficult questions with
the Rev. Peter Cook, Executive
Director of the New York State
Council of Churches and Mark
Dunlea of New York Renews.
From the recently passed
Climate Leadership and Com-
munity Protection Act to
ongoing proposals to divest the
New York State Pension Fund
from fossil fuel companies,
there's a great deal of
confusion and disagreement in
our community about initiatives
that will likely affect every
single New Yorker in the
upcoming years. We may not
all come out of this forum
entirely agreeing on how to
move forward, but that's not
the point! Rather, as a Spirit
filled congregation, we're
seeking to provide a space for
our members, friends and
neighbors to discuss these
important issues in a faithful
way and hopefully all learn
from one another. If you have
any questions please speak
with Creation Care Chair Kären
Telfeyan or Merle Longwood.
Please RSVP either on
Facebook or on the Social
Action Board in the narthex!
SiCM Assembly
Tuesday, September 10th at
7:00pm
St George's Episcopal Church
30 North Ferry Street in
Schenectady, New York
Our resolution to move SiCM
towards an interfaith service
organization is going well!
Pastor Dustin was recently
appointed to chair the task
force working to explore what
this might look like and at
SiCM's September Assembly
the task force will give its initial
report! All in the congregation
are encouraged to attend and
join the conversation!
Coffee Club III: Dialogues on
Human Sexuality
(Usually) Thursdays September
12th through October
Gosh... we've talked about
how our faith affects our
understanding of some pretty
controversial topics at Messiah
in recent years... from race to
economics, immigration to
climate change, we've
generally been able to provide
faithful spaces on the moral
issues of the day! Outside of our
Reconciling in Christ process a
few years ago however, we've
never had frank conversations
about a big one... sex, but
we're changing that this fall!
Using a new series from the
ELCA meant to "transform
conflict into community" called
Dialogues On..., we'll tackle a
wide variety of topics from
sexism to marriage to
transgender issues. A faithful
and healthy understanding of
human sexuality affects so
much, from our own personal
lives to how we raise our
children to the standards we
have for our leaders, so please
join this important conver-
sation! All materials will be
provided for the first class but
please RSVP on the Faith
Formation Board by August
18th. A $15 contribution is
encouraged to defer book
costs, although certainly not
required!
Volunteering at the Regional
Food Bank
Saturday, September 14th at
1:00pm
965 Albany Shaker Road in
Latham, New York
We will again be sorting food at
the Regional Food Bank in
Latham on September 14, 2019
1-3 PM. We will meet at the
Regional Food Bank located
just off Route 7 on 965 Albany
Shaker Road in Latham.
(Albany Shaker Road is across
from Keeler Motors (Mc-
Donald’s on the corner). Park in
parking lot on left and walk to
the back of the building. For
more information, contact
Pete Jones at 518-867-2489
and please RSVP on the Social
Action Board in the narthex.
Summer 2019
Page 6
Senior's Sunday and Welcome
to Confirmation
Sunday, September 15th at
10:15am
Two years ago we started a
new tradition at Messiah...
blessing our incoming group of
students as they begin
confirmation class, presenting
them with their first adult Bibles
and pairing them with a church
elder to help mentor them
through the process. This time
around, and intentionally
scheduled near Grandparent's
Day, we'll be expanding this
very special Service of Holy
Communion to also recognize
the many seniors in our
congregation who continue to
mentor and guide so many of
us. We have eight new young
people preparing to begin
confirmation and so many of
our seniors to recognize, so
please join us for this very
important service!
Annual Worship Leader
Training
Sunday, September 15th at
11:30am
Immediately after worship we'll
hold our annual worship leader
training for new and returning
worship assistants! This past
winter's first communion class
participants are eligible to
become acolytes, our
incoming confirmation class
students are eligible to
become crucifers and our soon
to be confirmands are eligible
to become assisting ministers!
We're also looking for new
lectors, greeters, ushers, bread
bakers, cantors, choir
members, nursery leaders, tech
czars and altar guild members!
It's a new goal at Messiah to
have everyone who's able to
serve in some worship leader
role, so sign up on the narthex
bulletin board in order to make
sure we have enough trainers
available for everyone! If you
have any questions, please
speak with Pastor Dustin.
Worship is the work of a whole
community... be a part of it!
2021 ELCA Youth Gathering
Meetup
Sunday, September 15th at
5:00pm
The 2021 ELCA Youth
Gathering in Minneapolis is well
over a year away but us
Schenectady area Lutherans
ought to start getting to know
each other! Join the youth,
pastors and families of Good
Shepherd, Our Redeemer and
Messiah for a potluck dinner,
fun and early info about the
gathering! The gathering is
open to all youth who are
about to enter high school or
have just graduated in the
summer of 2021. Please RSVP
on Facebook and mention
what potluck dish your
household might bring in the
comments section to assist in
planning!
"Take this Bread" Monthly Book
Club
Wednesday, September 25th
at 11:00am
Join our monthly book club for
our first meeting of the 2019 -
2020 program year!
Recommended by Judy
Becker, "Take this Bread" is the
story of Sara Miles, an atheist
who wandered into a church,
received communion, and
found herself transformed–
embracing a faith she’d once
scorned. A lesbian left-wing
journalist who’d covered
revolutions around the world,
Miles didn’t discover a religion
that was about angels or good
behavior or piety; her faith
centered on real hunger, real
food, and real bodies. Before
long, she turned the bread she
ate at communion into tons of
groceries, piled on the
church’s altar to be given
away. Within a few years, she
and the people she served had
started nearly a dozen food
pantries in the poorest parts of
their city! A few copies are
available but attenders are
encouraged to order their own
books. If you have any
questions, please speak with
Faith Formation Chair Jean
Jones!
Harvest Family Retreat
Weekend
Friday, October 11th -
Monday, October 14th
Camp Calumet Lutheran
Freedom, New Hampshire
Come see what all the fuss is
about! Pastor Dustin was
recently invited to serve as
chaplain for Camp Calumet's
Harvest Weekend (which takes
place over the Columbus/
Indigenous People Day
holiday) and we'd love to invite
members of the congregation
along! The schedule isn't
entirely finalized yet, but the
weekend will include fun, fall
time activities like apple
picking, hiking, pumpkin
carving, broom ball, campfires
and a cozy Sunday morning
worship service in the Lakeside
Summer 2019
Page 7
Dining Hall on the shores of the
beautiful three-mile-long Lake
Ossipee! Depending on the
type of lodging you'd prefer
and the size of your family, cost
per person is roughly $125
which covers three nights of
heated cabin lodging, all
meals and programming.
Cheaper options including
camping are also possible and
some financial assistance may
also be available upon request
to Pastor Dustin. Come join us
for an amazing fall weekend in
New England! Please indicate
interest and type of lodging
preferred on the narthex
Fellowship Board!
Fall 2019 New Member Class
Sunday, November 10th
following worship
Have you been attending
Messiah for a while now and
beginning to think about taking
the next step in your faith
journey? Well talk with Pastor
Dustin asap because
enrollment in our Fall 2019 New
Member Class has begun! The
class takes place on Sunday,
November 10th as we use the
promises one makes in baptism
to learn about both our faith
and how Messiah works. New
member households are then
paired with a sponsor family
and we all gather together for
our New Member Dinner on
Wednesday, November 20th.
New members will then be
welcomed into our Spirit filled
community on Christ the King
Sunday, November 24th. We'd
love for you to officially be a
part of our Spirit filled
congregation grounded in
Jesus Christ!
Ministry Team Meetings
Outreach Ministry Team
Monday, August 5th at 6:00pm
Join our Outreach/ Evangelism
Team as we discuss goals for
the program year ahead and
brainstorm new ways to spread
the Good News about what
God is doing in our Spirit filled
congregation! If you have any
questions, please speak with
Chairs Tom Collins or Molly
Karrel.
Worship & Music Ministry Team
Monday, August 5th at 7:00pm
Our Worship & Music Team will
be hard at work evaluating a
summer full of wonderful
worship experiences, planning
for Rally Sunday, options for
making the flow of traffic better
in our sanctuary and how to
properly broadcast our worship
services. If you have any
questions, please speak with
Pastor Dustin.
Stewardship Ministry Team
Wednesday, August 7th at
6:00pm
Golly to we have a lot to talk
about! From planning our Fall
2019 Financial Stewardship
Campaign to developing our
new Feed the Roots Initiative to
help reach out to longtime but
less connected members, this
will be an important
conversation! If you have any
questions or would like to join
our Stewardship Team, please
speak with Chair Penny Incitti!
Property Ministry Team
Monday, August 12th at
7:00pm
We have a quite a bit to
discuss! Items on the agenda
include sealcoating the
parsonage driveway and
church parking lot, upgrading
our electrical and heating
infrastructure, installing security
cameras, either installing solar
panels or joining a solar farm,
landscaping improvements
and more! If you have any
questions, please speak with
Property Co-Chairs Rich
Stigberg or Charlie Zitzmann.
Many thanks to
all who helped
fundraise for
Calumet! We
reached our
goal for this
year!!
Summer 2019
Page 8
Faith Formation Ministry Team
Wednesday, August 14th at
7:00pm
Gosh this is an important
conversation! Our entire team
will meet briefly to discuss
overarching goals before
breaking into individual ministry
groups including Adult
Education, Nursery, Children's
Sunday School, Confirmation
Class and Breakfast Club for
High Schoolers to plan another
exciting program year! We
need all hands on deck for the
year ahead and especially
need at least two new
Children's Sunday Schooler
Leaders! If you're interested in
assisting please speak with
Jean Jones, Cheryl Borski or
Pastor Dustin.
Food Pantry Ministry Team
Wednesday, September 11th
at 7:00pm
As we continue discerning how
to move towards adding a
third food pantry session a
month at Messiah and also
expanding our leadership, we
need your help! Please join us
for this important meeting. If
you any questions or would like
to join our Food Pantry Ministry
Team, please speak with Co-
Chairs Judy Becker or Joyce
Gresham.
News You Can Use!
Pastor on Vacation!
Monday, July 15th - Saturday,
July 27th
Pastor Dustin will be out of state
and typically away from cell
phone reception for an epic
trip of bouncing around
national parks and bagging
fourteen thousand foot
summits in Colorado! In case of
pastoral emergency, please
contact our Parish Admin-
istrator Rianne Johnson and
she'll put you in touch with the
Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck,
pastor of our neighboring Trinity
Reformed Church who would
be more than happy to speak
with you.
September 2019 Messenger
Deadlines
Please keep in mind that our
deadline for the September
2019 Messenger is Tuesday,
August 27th. A reminder email
will be sent out the week prior.
It is super important to get
articles in on time, especially as
September is when our pro-
gramming starts back up and
many time-sensitive events will
be included! If all articles are in
on time, the projected release
date is Wednesday, August
28th.
Care & Concern
We visited and administered
communion to the Ellis’s on
Thursday and sadly, Dave Ellis
passed away the following
Monday. He will be greatly
missed.
Over 55 Gang
The Over 55 Gang event, the
Lake George Cruise Luncheon,
had seven participants and we
had a great time. Hilda
Hoffstetter was planning on
attending but at last minute
became ill and was
hospitalized – she’s out now
and recuperating nicely.
Check Your Keys!
Please check your keys – if you
have key #22, please notify
Pastor Dustin, Rianne, or Bill Ellis
so we can ensure our records
are up to date. Thanks!
Box Tops for Education
Thank you to all who were kind
enough to cut out “box tops”
for education. We were able to
send $8 worth to the Navajo
Mission in Rock Point, AZ
recently. The school uses the
box top money to purchase
different items for their school.
This is an outreach to let them
know we can help even if it is in
a small way. Please take time
to cut them out, bring to
church, and they will be sent
when enough are collected to
do so. Thanks again!
Thank You’s
The Ellis family would like to
extend their thanks to
everyone who participated in
or sent condolences for our
dad, David. He really enjoyed
coming to church and being
with his church family. Thanks
also to those that visited him at
the Glendale Home. It was
greatly appreciated. He will
miss being with all of you.
Summer 2019
Page 9
Welcoming Deacon Jean Guarino
If you weren’t here on July 7th, you may not have yet met Jean! Jean is
our newest associate member and congregational deacon. A native
of Long Island (West Islip) but currently lost in the boonies of Berne,
Jean’s home congregation is Helderberg Lutheran Parish where she is
also a deacon.
So, why is Jean here? Many awesome reasons, of course! Pastor Dustin
is serving as Jean’s pastoral advisor during her candidacy process for
seminary and we are going to help give her leadership and learning
opportunities that will help enhance her skills and knowledge!
Some of Jean’s goals are to strengthen her knowledge and understanding of social issues and
difficult topics by exploring ELCA Social Statements, Social Messages, and other related social
teaching documents to organize and lead two community forums (perhaps in partnership with a
fellow Congregational Deacon) on topics covered by ELCA social teachings.
Another goal is to Discern God’s calling by learning about vocational discernment opportunities for
youth as well as adults and talk with members of the congregation about vocational discernment,
which will turn into a project of organizing a well-researched, documented, and congregation-
based program to support youth in discerning a future call to rostered ministry.
Lastly, Jean will strengthen her preaching skills by occasionally preaching two to four times a year at
primary Sunday worship services.
What does Jean do outside of church? Jean is married to her husband Ian, has three almost fully
grown children, and is the caregiver of Clyde the golden retriever, four cats, a handful of chickens,
and two bunnies! Some random tidbits about Jean: she works for the town of Berne as their Youth
Director, is retired from the military (Army), spent most of her life as a professional chef, and absolutely
LOVES crocheting!
Accessing Messiah’s Calendar
Due to popular demand, here is a brief tutorial on adding Messiah’s calendar to your
phone/computer. This method must be done on your computer, however, since the phone app
does not give you a way to do this.
First, go to calendar.google.com. On the left sidebar, there should be some categories: “My
Calendars” and “Other Calendars”. Click on the “+” button to the right of the “Other
Calendars” category and select “From URL.” Next, you will copy and paste the following into
the URL box:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/officemlcschenectady%40gmail.com/public/basic
.ics
If you use another calendar program, using the above listed link should still work if you choose
to import the calendar into there. If you need assistance, Rianne is willing to help out with
advance notice either after church or during her office hours or during another time that might
possibly work.
Summer 2019
Page 10
MINISTER OF THE MONTH: TYLER JONES
Tyler Jones was born in Amsterdam, NY in December of 2003. During
the summer of 2008, Tyler moved to Schenectady to live with his
paternal grandparents, Pete and Jean Jones. On Christmas Eve of
2014, it was Tyler who expressed an interest in going to church and
the Joneses, having been to Messiah years earlier, decided that was
the place to go. They have been going ever since.
Tyler attends Schenectady High School where he is known as the
“Mayor” due to his friendly and outgoing personality. He is 15 and
has just completed 9th grade. He plays the drums and other
percussion instruments in the Schenectady High School Band.
When not in school, Tyler participates in the Special Olympics on a
swimming team (The Sharks) out of the Jewish Community Center on
Balltown Road. He has just returned from the New York Statewide Special Olympics with three
more medals to add to his collection. He also participates in Challenger Baseball in Rotterdam
Junction and his other areas of interest include camping, kayaking, down-hill and cross-country
skiing and spending time with his cousins. He likes to ride his bike around the neighborhood and
swimming in the family pool. He also willingly participates in many of the community projects that
his “Poppi” does especially Concerned for the Hungry and church. He will be confirmed this fall at
Messiah.
Thank you so much, Tyler, for being such an inspiration to many of us at Messiah and
congratulations on being our minister of the month!
MINISTRY OF THE MONTH: WORSHIP & MUSIC MINISTRY TEAM
The purpose of this ministry team is to plan and
improve upon all public worship of the
congregation.
This committee works in conjunction with the
pastor, parish administrator, parish musician/
cantor and all worship assistants. They are the
superheroes behind the scenes that recruit
worship assistants; support altar guild by
maintaining and acquiring paraments,
vestments, and vessels; choose hymns and
liturgical settings as well as plan special worship
services; provide feedback on worship; and
advise upon all congregation policies related to
sacraments, rites, and life passages.
If you’d like to join this fine group of people, please speak with Jill Becker or Pastor Dustin! We’d love
to have you!
Summer 2019
Page 11
PASTOR’S LETTER: REV. DUSTIN G. WRIGHT
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on
ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself
intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the
laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into his harvest.
- Saint Luke 10: 1-2
Geesh… last Sunday’s appointed gospel message couldn’t more
perfectly speak to the current situation we find ourselves in!
First, this past Sunday we installed Jean Guarino, a dear friend of Rianne Johnson’s, as a
Congregational Deacon at Messiah as part of our commitment to support her candidacy for
ordained ministry. We also talked about the need to raise up ordained ministry as a profession
amongst our young people, a number of whom have indicated they would maybe like to be pastors
someday. Looking ahead to the next few months (in this record 20-page newsletter!), it’s clear to
see that the harvest is indeed plentiful! With a variety of new initiatives and events, major decisions
about building improvements and welcoming a whole host of new members ahead of us this fall,
there clearly is a lot to do! In order to support this continued growth, we’ll also be restructuring our
many event planning committees into four main umbrella ministries teams: Fellowship, Faith
Formation, Social Action and Worship & Music. Please check out the new layout of our narthex
bulletin boards emphasizing each of these four areas. Part of this work of course will be raising up
new leaders and strengthening a sense of discipleship throughout our Spirit filled congregation
In the short term though, it’s important to remember that fields ought to lay foul once in a while or
else they quit producing fruit. Similarly, I encourage to take a step back this July and prayerfully
recharge before we jump into another busy program year. At our last Calendar Meeting we
discussed instituting July is an annual “sabbath month” for the congregation, and I think that’s quite
wise! Even this August, we have a few prep meetings, but we’re mostly focusing on fun fellowship
event to help knit our rapidly growing congregation a bit closer together.
Finally, if you’re someone that’s been a longer time member of Messiah who’s taken a step back in
recent years amidst all the craziness and change, know I want to hear from you. In the coming
months we’ll be launching something called the “Feed the Roots Campaign,” where we’ll be
reaching out to these sort of households to reconnect and dream of a Spirit filled future together.
The harvest is plentiful indeed!
In Christ,
Pastor Dustin
Summer 2019
Page 12
PRESIDING BISHOP’S LETTER: BISHOP ELIZABETH EATON
When I was a girl, dinner table discussions in our family were lively. We could
state our position on an issue, but then we had to be ready to back up our
argument with facts. In that pre-Google time, the World Book Encyclopedia
was often our source. Out came the dark blue volumes. Their very weight and
color brought gravitas. One’s presentation could be critiqued, but not the
facts—they were printed in the World Book Encyclopedia after all! Those were
simpler times, or maybe I was just more naïve. Now we live in the era of
“truthiness” and “fake news” and “alternative facts.” One prominent attorney
declared in an interview: “Truth is not truth.” I was stunned when I heard that,
but even more stunned when I realized he had a point.
We have weaponized facts and forced truth into the service of spin. Often conversations are no
longer the exchange of ideas and convictions but barrages of accusations. It is not enough to let
our word be “yes, yes” or “no, no.” Now we need to shade and embellish and selectively “factify”
our position. And if that doesn’t work, then shout or use ALL CAPS. Jesus and Pilate have an
interesting exchange about truth in the Gospel of John. “[Jesus said]: ‘For this I was born, and for
this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my
voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ ” (John 18:37-38). A remarkable claim by Jesus and an
interesting reply by Pilate. I wonder, was Pilate earnestly seeking for truth or was he cynically
dismissing the existence of truth? Are we, followers of Jesus, able to listen to Jesus’ voice?
So how do we live as people of Truth in a time of spin? We need to return daily to the new creation
God made us when we were baptized. Our new life in Christ is our foundation and our horizon, our
beginning and our end. An ancient Celtic blessing puts it this way: “God to enfold me, God to
surround me, God in my speaking, God in my thinking.” In baptism God has claimed us as beloved
children joined to the death and resurrection of Christ, sealed by the Spirit and marked with the
cross of Christ forever. Baptism makes a difference and makes us different. We now belong to the
Truth. That doesn’t mean we have the Truth or even know everything about truth. The Truth doesn’t
belong to us. No, by God’s gracious act we belong to the Truth. We don’t make truth claims—Truth
claims us. How then do we live? In deep humility, profound gratitude and real joy.
Humility: It is God’s good and gracious favor to be merciful to all, even, and perhaps especially, to
those with whom we fervently disagree. This is the severe mercy of grace—no one, not even those
we determine are beyond the pale, is beyond the reach of God.
Gratitude: God claims us. We are not our own and we are not alone. Paul wrote: “For while we
were still weak … for if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of
his Son” (Romans 5:6-10). The deep human struggle for worth and meaning is over. We are the
beloved of the Most High, thanks be to God.
Joy: Dear church, we are free! Free to love, free to serve, free to listen, free to be challenged. We
can “lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and … run with perseverance the
race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
Here is my prayer: There is a lot of noise in this world, gracious God, including our own that lays
claim to the truth. Bring us to a place of stillness where we can listen to you. Your truth has claimed
us and set us free. Amen.