Friday, February 17 Announcements

Come worship with us at 9:30Join us in person or or watch our livestream Sunday morning on our YouTube channel , or view the service on the YouTube channel on Monday. Pastor Kathleen Wohlers will be preaching onMatthew 17:1-9.  Here is a devotion from God Pause:   When I taught confirmation classes and got to the commandment “You shall not murder,” we included this section of the Sermon on the Mount. During these three chapters in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus reveals that many of these commandments are more complex than at first glance. One of the exercises for the class was to create a name tag that captured who you are. Then, we pinned on the name tags and whenever someone felt insulted, they would rip off a piece of the name tag that felt proportional to the put-down. Ninth graders, being who they are, made a game of seeing who could make the biggest insult, causing the most damage. Later, when we talked about it, we found that the insults really did hurt. Emotional hurt that takes a piece out of self-esteem is no game. It is slow murder, just like Jesus says.

Upcoming Worship Helpers February 19, 9:30 am
 
Greeters/ Ushers: Fred Young and David Kauzlarich
Reader: Cheryl Young
Sound/ Screen/ Streaming: Lisa Vossekuil
Videographer: Needed
Musician: Clarice Blanchard
Counters: Lisa Vossekuil and Dean Bartelt
Communion Bread: Connie Tadlock
Communion Server: Jason and Nicole Darling

Ash Wednesday Worship Helpers February 22, 7:00 pm 
Greeters/ Ushers: Shirley Tallman and Marilyn Hansen
Reader: Needed
Sound/ Screen/ Streaming: Wayne Martens
Videographer: Brooke Davis
Musician: Clarice Blanchard
Communion Bread: Needed
Communion Server: Debi Martens


Sunday Bible Study:  
Bible Study will meet at 10:45 a.m. following morning worship in the front most classroom near the church office. During the class, we invite questions, comments, and connections, as we expand upon the readings from the worship service. 

Larger Bulletins & Kids Bags: 
The ushers will have large print bulletins available.  St. Paul has kids’ bags to engage your child during church.  They are hanging on hooks by the entry doors or see the ushers.

Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday service will be held at St. Paul on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7:00 pm.

40-40-40 Lent Challenge Practices for a Good Cause. The Grand Canyon Synod and the Southeastern Iowa Synod are partner synods in the U.S. and in 2023 the two synods are challenging one another to raise money for ELCA World Hunger for Lent. The challenge is to pledge to participate in some spiritual and physical practices (daily devotions, decluttering, wellness activities) during Lent and raise some money for ELCA World Hunger. The synod with the most people to participate wins! Learn more about this and sign up at https://communications9676.wixsite.com/synodlentchallenge.

Call Committee Activity. The Call Committee met Monday, January 30th. We all agree inviting God’s presence through prayer is foundational to our work. We set a schedule for attending online training workshops; made a list of ways we will keep the congregation informed of our progress; and talked about ways to gather information from the congregation to write the Ministry Site Profile.  for additional information please see this https://www.stpaullutheranchurch.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Monthly-Call-Com-Announcement-for-Bulletin-revised2_5_23.pdf 

Church Vitality Survey Results Feb. 16. Pastor Erika Uthe of the SE Iowa Synod will be with us Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall to share the  Vitality Survey. About 60 surveys were returned, and we’re eager to hear the results and her interpretations. There will be time for conversation among our St. Paul congregation. All are welcome! 

Adult Faith Fellowship presents:  The Prayer Course An eight week journey Through the Lord’s Prayer.  Prayercourse.org This program will start on Sunday, March 5 th 2023 from 5:00 to 6:30 P.M. During this season of transition at St Paul,  Strengthening our ability to pray as individuals And joining our hearts together in prayer as a congregation  Will be important now and also in the days ahead.  Classes will start in the sanctuary with a video, followed by discussion and snacks in the Fellowship Hall.  Class dates are: March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2, 16, 23, 30.  All are welcome! 

The regular annual meeting will be held February 26 following worship At that meeting, Council and Committee elections will be held, constitutional changes will be ratified, and year-end reports will be given. Your attendance is appreciated at these congregational meetings.

Wednesday God Squad and Confirmation. Both God Squad (4 years-6th graders) and Confirmation (7-8th graders) meet Wednesday evenings for a free meal, followed by the program and activity from 6:00-7:00pm.  We thank and are very grateful for our volunteer teachers and youth helpers. The last Wednesday for classes will be April 12. Confirmation Sunday will be April 16. 

Lutheran Study Bibles.  There are extra Lutheran Study Bibles for sale at $36.00 each if anyone is interested in purchasing one.

Youth Committee: The newly formed Luther League, Grades 5th through 12th, will have opportunities to grow together as a group, have some fun, and share memories made together. Suggestions and questions may be addressed to Clarice Blanchard and Ted Leonard. Please watch for future youth events.

SE Iowa Synod Mission Report. The 2022 Mission Spending Annual Report from our Synod is now available. The report is intended to help us see, at a glance, the impact of our congregation’s mission support from 2022.  St. Paul’s Mission Support represents about 4.5% of our total budget.  To see the financial impact of our giving and read stories of our ministry, view the full report at this link or pick up a copy on the ushers’ table.

Matura Food Pantry: Our offering to the Matura Food Pantry is blessed the first Sunday of each month. Help us fill the shopping cart will non-perishable food, diapers, and even pet food. Checks made out to Matura Madison County or cash are also accepted.
 
St. Paul’s Trust Fund: The Trust Fund committee, elected by the congregation, supports mission projects ranging from national and international disaster relief, congregants’ mission trips, and camping scholarships for youth and children. Please contact Chair Dick Anderson with any questions or suggestions for mission support at REAND0508@aol.com

Furniture Ministry: St. Paul collects and gives home goods, furniture, and appliances to those in need. Contact Lisa Vossekuil (920-979-0304 or levossekuil@gmail.com) about any donations. Monetary gifts are also appreciated for our storage units.  The Furniture Ministry needs able bodies to help with picking up and delivering furniture on a Saturday morning (usually 9;00 – 10:00 a.m.).  Willing workers should contact Lisa (levossekuil@gmail.com) or Jim N.(jnelson91@q.com)  to let them know availability.   

Pool of Siloam: Pool of Siloam is St. Paul’s local benevolence program that provides monetary support for those in need of such things as gas money or car repair, rent or mortgage assistance, and utility bills. In partnership with local agencies (CRISP, Matura, and Crisis Intervention), we annually serve over 100 individuals, including children. All giving to the Pool of Siloam is matched by an anonymous donor. Offerings to this program can be indicated on your giving envelope or online giving form. 

LifeServe Blood Drive: St. Paul hosts the community LifeServe Blood Drive every fourth Tuesday of the month. We are known for our home-baked goods and appreciate your donations of cookies and bars. Please bring them to the church by noon the day of the drive. February 28, 2023 is the next scheduled blood drive.

Call for Cookies.  Cookies are always needed for Sunday morning services and the monthly blood drive.  They can be store bought or home-made.


St. Paul Choir. The choir has begun its new season with rehearsals at 7:10pm Wednesday evenings.  We are always looking for new members, and all singers are welcome.  We hope to see you there!

Prayer Chain: St. Paul has a group dedicated to the power of prayer. If you have a prayer request for the Prayer Chain, please share it with Twila Seibert (515-462-1505) or Ann Bartelt (annbartelt0204@gmail.com) or the church office.  

Member Information Update. To coincide with our new picture directory, it’s time to update our congregation’s directory with current and accurate information for you and your family. Please take a few minutes to complete the online form or pick up a paper copy at the usher table and turn it in to the office.

Got Time? Got Talent? We Want You! We have a variety of opportunities available where you can showcase an existing talent or pursue an interest you have.  Do you have finance or organizational skills, like to show your concern for others, can teach others, or know your way around building maintenance?  All of these skills can be put to use on various St. Paul committees that need our time and talent. So, if you want to give back to our church, give Jacque a call at 515-468-1899, and she’ll help find a way you can make a difference!   

Upcoming Worship Helpers February 26, 9:30 am 
Greeters/ Ushers: Needed
Reader: Troy Gwinner
Sound/ Screen/ Streaming: Wayne Martens
Videographer: Lisa Vossekuil
Musician: Eric Turnquist
Counters: Lisa Vossekuil and Kim Patience
Communion Bread: Erin Gwinner
Communion Server: Debi Martens

Worship Service Helpers/Volunteers Needed! 
 If you are able and willing, we need your help in returning our 9:30 service to “normalcy.”  It’s important that all of the positions be filled. Worship team members Debi Martens and Pat Nelson are available for any “training” you may want.
3 Easy ways to sign up:
Use SignUpGenius! It’s easy to access at this link and will even send you a reminder of your commitment. 
Volunteer Kiosk: We have clipboards on the kiosks in the entryway for you to sign.
Call the Church office at 515-462-4270.

 


Church office phone:  (515) 462-4270
Church office email:  Office@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Pastor Kathleen Wohlers: : (608) 387-5015