PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
Rev. William A. Schaefer, Pastor
Living, Learning, and Growing in the Word of God
1325 Mission Road, Latrobe, PA 15650 Webpage: www.princeofpeacelatrobe.com
Phone: 724-537-7273 Fax: 724-537-6039 Email:
♫ P.O.P. NOTES ♫
April 2014 Volume 52 Issue 4
Living in the Risen Life
“He is not here, but has risen!” Those are the words from the Gospel of Luke that we will here on Easter Sunday. When those words were spoken, in that moment, a wondrous life began for those who first heard it and for each of us as we hear them anew today. What began for us in that moment was living in the Risen Life.
No more were we forced to live as walking dead who could not live up to the arduousness of life in the Law. We were freed from the shackles of sin and death and given new life in Christ. With His death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed the power of sin and death in our lives and put is on a path of Living in the Risen Life. The Risen Life comes with the responsibility of actually living the life of Christ now. We have been freed so that we can be the messengers of the Gospel just as the first disciples were called to be messengers.
We deliver this message in how we live, in how we speak, and in how we touch the lives of others. How have you lived the Risen Life today? How have you been a messenger of the Gospel for Christ? Do you strive to be a disciple? If you answered no to any of these questions, then how can you find ways to come back more fully into the Risen Life that Christ has given us on that first Easter morning? God has claimed you in Baptism through Christ Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. From that joy is where the Risen Life flows. It is from this rising that we are called to go out into the world and make disciples. This is our call and this is our life! Join me as we live the life of Christ Jesus: the Risen Life!
Our Lenten and Easter Worship Schedule
Praying Our Faith Together
Wednesdays during Lent
We will begin each Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall at 6:00 PM
with a simple meal of Soup, Bread and Sandwiches
Worship will take place in the Sanctuary at 7:00 PM
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 – Prayers of Petition
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 – Prayers of Intercession
The Great and Holy Week
The Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday
Sunday, April 13, 2014 -- Blessing of Palms, the reading of St. Matthew’s Passion and Holy Communion
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 -- 7:00 PM – Taize Healing Service -- Prayers of Healing
(No Simple Supper this night)
Maundy Thursday
Thursday, April 17, 2014 -- 7:00 PM -- Holy Communion and the Stripping of the Altar
Good Friday
The Church will be open throughout the day for you to come and reflect on the Crucified Christ.
Friday, April 18, 2014 -- 7:30 PM – Tenebrae Service
Easter Sunday
Sunday, April 20, 2014 -- Easter Sunrise at 7:00 AM Festival Celebration of Easter at 10:30 AM
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Rosie Nickle – Ministry Chair
Christian Ed Meeting – April 10th at 7:30p.m.
Sunday School continues to meet from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM each Sunday Morning. We are learning about the Parables of Jesus. This class is for children ages 3 to 3rd grade.
The Pre-teen class is for kids who are in 4th -6th grade. They meet at the same time with Mr. Bowser.
Mark your calendars for Vacation Bible School!!! VBS has been scheduled for Sunday, August 10th – Thursday August 14th from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM each evening. There will be a meal each night from 5:30 PM-5:50 PM starting Monday evening. This year the program will look at the different seasons of the Church Year. The site for this year’s VBS will be here at Prince of Peace as we again partner with our friends at Trinity Lutheran Church. If you are interested in helping out in anyway, please take a moment and contact Jen Schaefer.
FINANCE
Dwight Sarson – Ministry Chair
TREASURER’S REPORT -- February 2014
CURRENT FUNDBeginning Balance / $ 92.20
Receipts / $ 8,788.11
Disbursements / $ 7,441.09
Ending Balance / $ 1,539.22
BENEVOLENCE
2014 Pledge / $ 15,500.00
Amount Received to Date / $ 1,769.50
Difference Over/(Under) / ($13,730.50)
BUILDING FUND
Beginning Balance / $ 10,936.05
Receipts / $ 769.09
Available / $ 11,705.14
Less Disbursements / $ 200.00
Ending Balance*** / $11,505.14
***The check from the Investment Account has been received and deposited in the Building Fund. This will show in the March Treasurer’s report which is not yet available as of when this newsletter was printed.
OUTREACH
Larry Weltz – Ministry Chair
Blanket Drive is now over! Thank you to everyone for supporting this ministry. It is a blessing to know that we can touch the lives of others in such a simple way.
80 years young? – It is our tradition here at Prince of Peace to present members in our congregation who are turning 80 a large print bible. If you, or someone you know is turning, or has turned 80 this year, please let the church office know so we can continue celebrating this milestone.
Synod Assembly is coming to Latrobe!!! This year’s Synod Assembly will take place at St. Vincent College from Thursday, June 12 - Saturday, June 14. The Council is seeking two people from the congregation to be the Lay Voting members for Prince of Peace. If you are interested, please see Pastor Bill.
Youth Convo: If any youth are interested in attending Youth Convo June 12-14 at St. Vincent College, please see Pastor Bill for more information.
Prayer Retreat: During the Synod Assembly at St. Vincent College, there will be a Prayer Retreat running at the same time. If you would like to attend, please see Pastor Bill for more information.
He is risen!
W.E. Sangster (1900-1960), a well-known pastor in England, contracted a progressive, incurable muscle disease. He lost the ability to move his legs, and eventually his voice faded away. Because Sangster wanted to continue serving God even though he could no longer preach, he became a prolific writer and organized prayer cells throughout England.
On Easter morning, shortly before his death, Sangster wrote a note to his daughter in an unsteady hand. “It is terrible to wake up on Easter morning and have no voice to shout, ‘He is risen!’” he wrote. “But it would be still more terrible to have a voice and not want to shout.”
MUSIC AND WORSHIP
Pam Yuhaniak – Ministry Chair
Meeting –Tuesday, April 1st at 7:00p.m.
Usher chart – for 2014 is in the Narthex along with the description of the usher’s duties. We welcome men, women, families and groups who would like to serve in this ministry.
Altar Care – chart for 2014 is being filled. Please contact Pam Yuhaniak to sign up for a particular month.
Easter Flowers – Orders for Easter Flowers are due on April 6th. Forms can be found on the table in the Narthex or you can make an order by calling the church office before April 6th.
WORSHIP ASSISTANTS FOR JANUARY
April 6th
Greeters: The Sarson Family
Acolyte: Hannah Brewer
Lay Reader: Pam Yuhaniak
Lay Assistants: Dwight Sarson/Pam Yuhaniak
Counters: Glenn Thompson/Lee Semasko
April 13th
Greeters: Gus and Esther Toth
Acolyte: Ayla Sarson
Lay Reader: Carol Kayser
Lay Assistants: Gus and Esther Toth
Counters: Vickie Onusko/Bob Woller
Maundy Thursday – April 17th
Lay Reader: Donna Smith
Lay Assistants: Dave and Jen Bowser
Good Friday – April 18th
Lay Readers: Sherry Stahl and Pam Yuhaniak
April 20th
7:00 AM Easter Sunrise
Greeters: Lee Semasko & Dee Stewart
Lay Reader: Lee Semasko
Lay Assistants:
10:30 AM Festival Service
Greeters: Pat Fry
Acolyte: Carolyn Hay
Lay Reader: Dwight Sarson
Lay Assistants: Jack and Kathy Bangor
Counters: Kellie Douglas/Dave Bowser
April 27th
Greeters: Jack and Kathy Bangor
Acolyte: Noah Schaefer
Lay Reader: Don Kayser
Lay Assistants: Jim and Shirley Moretti
Counters: Ed Sparber/Kathy Bangor
STEWARDSHIP
Susann Tschupp – Ministry Chair
BY GOD’S GRACE
I Corinthians 15 is known as the Resurrection Chapter. Paul writes in verses 3-4: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” Are these words new to you? Hardly. You’ve heard this message every Easter and probably several Sundays in between. As Paul says, it’s the message of first importance. Unless Christ has died for our sins and unless He is risen from the dead, we have nothing on which to base our faith. Only the Christian religion has a God, Who out of love for us, has come down to be among His people in order to live the perfect life in our places and to pay the price for our failure to meet the mark.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul teaches us many things. His epistles are full of information, exhortation, encouragement, and edification. But he says that this message of what Christ has done for us in the one of first importance. As he writes in verse 14, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
Paul says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.” Paul, like our Lord, no longer walks this earth, spreading this message. Of course, Paul passed on this message in written as well as in verbal form. We have God’s Word and are privileged to read and study it whenever we want. Many people don’t, however. Many don’t even know that the Bible is Truth.
That’s where we come in. We now walk the earth. Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). As recipients of that power, we are enabled to be His witnesses. We now have the task of passing on what we’ve received, the beautiful Gospel message that Christ died for our sins and was raised again that we, too, may have eternal life. God grant that we might be eager stewards of His Gospel.
Those in Our Thoughts and Prayers
If you or someone you know from the congregation is in the hospital or is at home and sick and needs a visit from Pastor Bill, please call the office so that he can schedule a visit. The Pastor is only told by the hospital when a person is a patient if they ask for the church to be notified.
Prayer is an essential part of who we are as a people of God. Below is a list of people from our congregation to keep in your daily prayers. If you know of others who should be added to these lists, please contact the church office with the names.
*Note – those added to the prayer list are entered for two months. When the two months expires the program automatically removes them from the list. If you would like your loved one added for more or less time than two months please specify on the “Request a Prayer” card and it will be done. If your loved one has rotated off the list and are still in need of prayer please let Kellie and the Pastor know.
From our congregation: Bev Guyer, Mary Jane Hayden, Dave Williams, Vi McIlnay, Trudie Washnock, Betsy Naggy, Elaine Sherer, Bob Shaw, R.R. Schmitt, Ron Carey, Jim Clegg and Norie Schrecengost.
Our Shut-in members: Louise Johns (Beacon Ridge), Helen Albright(at home), Dolores Helfferich (Emeritus), and Violet Myers (Barnes House)
Others in need of our prayers: Betty Onusko, Bob McHenry, Cara Conroy Garcia, Cecil Metz, Chuck Beehner, Dan Schaefer, Ellie and Ernie, Gene and Mary Evelyn Miller, Jason Fabian, Jeff Kaylor, Jessica Best, Mary Jane Bangor, Mary Nzuki, Matthew Pickering, Rev. Susan Luttner, Sandy Ruggerio, and Sylvia Hill
Those in the Military: Sean Stewart, Justin Kowatch, Jordan Omlor, Richard Schall, Christopher Lindsey, Ken Polie, Julene Stewart, Nathan Connelly and the 28th Military Police Battalion.
PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO SATURDAY EVENING WORSHIP
ATTENTION MARRIED COUPLES:When is the last time the two of you did something to enrich and revitalize your marriage?Make 2014 the year you resolve to take time to spend a weekend learning how to make your marriage a more intimate, loving, Christian union.Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekendsrun from Friday night at 8 PM to Sunday at 4 PM and are designed to enrich all marriages.There is a $45 per couple registration fee; plus toward the end of the weekend, you will be
given an opportunity to make a confidential contribution toward continuation of the program.Two nights lodging, 5 meals for each of you, and all supplies are included.
The 2014 Pennsylvania Weekends are:
· April 25-27, 2014at the Penn State Conference Center Hotel in State College—Happy Valley’s premier conference center located on a quiet hillside with views of the Nittany Mountains September 12-14, 2014at Spruce Lake Retreat Center, Canadensis, PA – brand-new, motel-style building on Spruce Lake in the heart of the Pocono Mountains – an hour north of Allentown
· September 26-28, 2014at Olmsted Retreat Center, Ludlow, PA -- a lovely, motel style retreat center adjacent to the Olmsted Mansion--perched on a hillside in the Allegheny National Forest – an hour north of DuBois.
Registrations are limited, sosign up todayto ensure that you can attend the Weekend of your choice. Simply go to the website:www.GodLovesMarriage.organd register using your credit card or marking the option to mail in a check. For questions, or if you would like a brochure with registration form mailed to you, contact Pennsylvania Directors of Lutheran Marriage Encounter, Fred & Julie Schamber, at 724-325-3166 or email:.