| This Sunday, September 24th Holy Communion - 10 AM All are welcome to receive Communion!
Matthew narrates one of Jesus' controversial parables, in which Jesus says the reign of God is like workers who get paid the same no matter when they start. When God changes his mind about punishing Nineveh for their evil ways, Jonah is angry. Yet God is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love. In baptism we receive the grace of God that is freely given to all. As Luther wrote, in the presence of God's mercy we are all beggars.
Sunday's readings: |
Serving God on Sunday September 3rd
Assisting Minister: Holy Trinity Crucifer/Acolyte: Holy Trinity Lector: Holy Trinity Ushers: Holy Trinity Organist/Pianist: Holy Trinity Flowers: Holy Trinity
Fellowship: Holy Trinity Sacristans: Holy Trinity Counters: Anita Patten, Wayne Olson
Janitorial: Judy Faye Groundskeeper: Matt Thelen
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| Worship Schedule As voted on and approved at the May 21 Congregation Meeting, our late summer/fall worship schedule will be as follows:
| September 2017 | 10:00 a.m. Worship Service | at Holy Trinity* | | October 2017 | 10:00 a.m. Worship Service | at St Paul's |
*No flowers or alter care at St. Paul's.
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| Your Help Needed! We will be sewing on Monday 9/25 starting at 11:00 to finish up projects for the LWR ingathering. We need people to cut and tie fleece as well as finish putting kits together.
Everyone welcome! |
| ELCA on Gender Identity Discrimination In light of recent public events and conversation, it is important to remember the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) rejects all forms of hatred or discrimination. This includes employment discrimination against the transgender community, as stated in "Gender Identity Discrimination, " a policy resolution that was adopted by the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly...
http://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7897
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| Urgent Notice from Lutheran Disaster Response It seems as if our country and the world are besieged by recent multiple disasters. Your gifts are needed now. Your support through Lutheran Disaster Response will bring hope and healing to those who have or will be affected. Donations can be made on line at (http://www.elca.org/give) or by mail. If donating by mail, make checks payable to Hurricane Response-United States or Diasters Where Ever Most Needed and send to Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, P.O. Box 1809, Merrifiedld, VA 22116- 8009. You can also call (800) 638-3522 to make a donation with a credit card. Operators are available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Central Time.
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| Coastal CleanUp Big Success Volunteers in Vallejo collectively picked up 31,710 pounds of trash and 1,185 pounds of recycling at Vallejo's 25th Annual Coastal Cleanup. Thank you Dean Ahlberg, Cynthia Bettini, Judy Faye, Kim Hervey, Don Ockrassa, Doreatha Patton, and Craig Pyle for your work in River Park and fine representation of Holy Trinity and Saint Paul's. The bright yellow t-shirts with the words "God's Work Our Hands" again attracted camera buffs and favorable comment for our Lutheran Communities. |
| Events
Saint Paul's to Host Ingathering for Lutheran World Relief
Many of you either participate in making or at least know about the quilts and kits that are lovingly prepared each year at Saint Paul's during our sewing Thursdays on the first Thursday of each month and by volunteers at home. Marge Johnson, a Key Leader (volunteer) for Northern California Ingatherings states, "The Holy Spirit is working thorough the collection of quilts and kits. God has blessed us so much; what an opportunity we have to spread God's love to others in faraway places." Once a year the quilts and kits have to be collected from all participating congregations at identified sites in preparation for mailing. Saint Paul's is blessed to again be one of these sites, Representatives from churches across the Synod will be bringing their contributions to St. Paul's on Saturday, October 14, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Four persons will be needed to serve as welcoming greeters. Cookies, quick breads, coffee and juice will also be needed to serve our guests. Dollies will be needed to unload and load boxes. Anita says she needs four strong men, (but she probably wouldn't turn away strong women), to help unload boxes from cars on Oct. 14. Four strong persons will also be need on Oct. 21, to load collected boxes, which have been stored at our church, onto a truck, so they can be delivered to their intended destinations. Anita says she will put a sign up sheet out on October 1, asking for your help with all these needs. When the quilts and kits are blessed and dedicated during the church service on October 8, you will also be asked for good will donations to help with the cost of mailing the kits. It costs $2.25 to mail each quilt, $1.40 to mail each School Kit and $2.65 to mail each Personal Care Kit. The higher price for the Personal Care Kit includes the toothpaste added nearer the time of shipment to disaster sites by Lutheran World Relief.
Contact Anita Patten with any further questions you might have about the Ingathering (P) (707) 745-0648. (Email) anitapatten@comcast.net.
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 At our joint council meeting on September 10th, the councils decided that an informal, secret vote on how our congregations are viewing our possible merging would be a good idea to see how people are feeling. It was decided that this informal vote would be held on Sunday, September 24th and be open to all members attending worship that day. Kathy Campas-Sutin will collect ballots from St. Paul's members; Susan Riley will collect ballots from members of Holy Trinity. If you are unable to attend worship that day and have been participating in joint worships, you may complete a ballot and get it to the appropriate person (Kathy or Susan) ahead of that Sunday to be counted. Simply print out page 3/complete the ballot below and submit...
Informal, secret vote...formal vote regarding merging will occur later: I am in favor of merging. Circle one: YES NO Circle church where you are a member: St.Paul's Holy Trinity Any comments you wish to share... greatly appreciated but optional:_________________
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| Kindly Remember Submissions to The Weekly e-pistle are due on Tuesday of each week as we agreed to at our Congregation Meeting. If you submit an article late, and it still has significance for the next week it will be included then.
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| Brown Bag Lunch Program Update "Many thanks to all who continue to give out Brown Bags to the hungry, as you encounter them when in your car or in a parking lot. If you haven't participated as yet, I urge you to do so. Simply roll down your car window or approach a person requesting help, and ask if they would like a meal. That's all there is to it. I have found universal appreciation for the bags, sometimes seeing them dig in and begin drinking or eating before the light changes. We are blessed to be a blessing." - Karen
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| Opportunities for Study Book Study: The Cross in Our Context: Jesus and the Suffering World by Douglas John Hall, meets 8:00 am downstairs at Holy Trinity during the month of September. Book can be ordered on-line. Note: This class will not meet on Oct. 8 due to anticipated low attendance.
Martha Circle, women's Bible Study using "Gather" magazine meets the third Thursday of each month in Fellowship Hall at St. Paul's. Bring your own bag lunch and dessert will be served by the monthly hostess.
Book Study: Daughter of the Reformation: A Historical Perspective of the Life of the Wife of Martin Luther which meets every second Tuesday of the month at 4 pm, at Holy Trinity. This study will end with a German Potluck Dinner at 4 pm, on October 17, at the home of Lynette Felsing, 133 Carlisle Way in Benicia. |
| Opportunities for Service Saint Paul's Choir Rehearsals for the month of the month of September will be at 8:45 am in the basement of Holy Trinity. New singers are always welcome. Food Basket Sunday. The first Sunday of each month at St. Paul's. Food donations go to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties. Brown Bag Lunches for distribution to the homeless are located in Fellowship Hall. School Kits: (The following items are needed.) 4-Spiral 70-sheet notebooks, 1-12" ruler, 1-Pencil sharpener, 1-pair of blunt school scissors, 5-Unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers, 5-Black or blue ballpoint pens (no gel ink), 1-Box of 16 0r 24 crayons, 1-2 1/2" eraser. Sewing Ministry: The 1st Thursday of every month in Fellowship Hall from 1 to 4 pm. Both women and men are welcome. No prior sewing experience is required. |
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| Opportunities for community Reserve your spot on the bus for Reformation Sunday at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, October 29, 2017. Contact Linda Bowen of Holy Trinity to sign up or for additional information (707) 644-9541 or linjb@comcast.net. |
| Council and Committee Information Council Meeting 9/17/17, 7pm at St. Paul's The Budget Committee: Kathy Sutin, Vicki Pyle, Anita Patten, and Dean Ahlberg had their first meeting 8/29/2017 and a second meeting on 9/12/17. They will be doing pledges starting on October 1st to give them enough time to have the Budget out to congregational members two weeks before the Congregational meeting scheduled on November 12, 2017. Thank you Dean Ahlberg for launching our stewardship campaign last week. Be looking for another brief talk from Matthew Hervey next Sunday.
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| Know Your Church Council
Don Ockrassa, President (510) 719-7730, d.ockrassa@gmail.com Craig Pyle, Vice President (707) 645-7092, capylepe@pacbell.net Keith Domingo, Secretary (707) 373-2774, k-s-domingo@sbcglobal.net Corie Hervey, returning member (510) 691-2728 Kim Hervey, new member (707) 334-4872 (Use text messaging) Kathy Sutin , Church Treasurer, Ex officio member (707) 333-0150 (use text messaging) Rev. Dr. Dawn Roginski (650) 771-4241 Please know that you are free to contact your council members with questions you might have about church governance. Remember to be patient while waiting for a response as most council members hold full time jobs and volunteer their free time to the church. They will get back to you as soon as possible. You are also welcome to attend council meetings with the exception of occasional closed executive sessions dealing with such things as personnel matters. If you wish to get something on the council agenda for a regular council meeting, contact Keith Domingo. If you wish to view council minutes, they are on file in the office. Any council member can help you access these. Remember if you are viewing minutes, they do not become final and official until approved at the next meeting.
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| Christ's Care List
"Without the discipline of prayer, the world retains its illusions. Without an hour of public prayers, or half hour of private prayer, or ten minutes of quiet meditation, or saying a brief prayer of gratitude before or after a meal, we forget that God is present in the world and in our life. When we remember to pray in the morning, when we are mindful of the present moment, when we set apart Saturday or Sunday as the Sabbath, God's special day of the week, then all of life, and all times and places, and all people that we see are transformed by the light of God. The more we pray--in the sense of living a prayerful life--the more we desire to be with God in prayer. Prayer creates in us a hunger and thirst to be with the One whom we have see shining through nature and moments in time, people and events." -Henri Nouwen-SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Healing of body, mind, and spirit...
(Recent Additions or Updates)
Louisa Johnson (recent hospitalization)
Susan Barton (broken wrist)
Lilly (Cynthia Betinni's friend) who is recovering from surgery and needs prayers for peace of mind. Pr. Larry Nelson (John Patten's friend)
Pr. Dawn Roginski (severe right shoulder tendinitis)
Robin Slusher (as she navigates the legal process in pursuit of justice for her granddaughter and other children at risk)
Those Who Grieve:
* The family of Felicia Nunez (Carmen Harnish's sister)
Those Who Rejoice: -
Kathy Compass-Sutin has received news that she just passed her test to become and Enrolled Agent for the IRS. -
Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of San Jose celebrating 30 years as a RIC (Reconciling in Christ Congregation). -
Mike Tomlinson & Ben Tyler (Mike's Spouse) are thankful for their love & relationship since 1984. They are thankful for the prayers of the Saint Paul's community which helped support them through their recent rental crisis. "We are very thankful for God's unending and continuing blessings." (Mike is Teresa Arellano's brother.)
God Speed:
Lynne Witte of Holy Trinity has recently been chosen for mission work and will be traveling to Ethiopia, October 14-29. This is a medical mission through Project Mercy. She will be working with a team of physicians providing surgery and other supportive services. Please pray for a successful and safe mission.
To Jody and Gary Schumacher. We are thankful for their years of service and loving presence in our community and wish them well as they make their new home in Syracuse, New York near their daughter and grandchildren. They will be living with their daughter at 223 Germanic Ave., Syracuse, N.Y. 13219 while they look for their new house. Cell phone for Jody is (707) 334-2702 and Gary (707) 334-2557. Email for Jody is akafopy@yahoo.com and for Gary bacon1947@yahoo.com.
Those Who Need Long Term Prayer:
Darren & Eline Campass (Kathy Campass-Sutin's son & daughter-in law expecting a baby 1/2018)
Margaret Cole
Dee Fix Anna Hervey
Jan Jackson
Louisa Johnson and Don Johnson (as he provides care for Louisa) Gladys Jones (Kathy Campass Sutin's mother)
Caryl Kroan
Angelika Shanley
We also pray for: -
Those affected by hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. -
Pray for an end to acts of terrorism and hatred in our country and around the world. Pray also for those who hate that their hearts might be changed. -
The communities of both St. Paul's and HolyTrinity as we continue to explore the possibility of merger. -
An end to racism and its injustice -
A just and lasting peace in the Holy Land -
Refugees - Those serving the armed forces.
Please Note: If you wish to add new prayer requests please contact Judy Faye at judithfaye@aol.com, or (707) 980-9667 or (707) 557-4531. When submitting new names, be sure to use an identifier such as friend of Karen Spears or daughter of Jessica Nelson. Also briefly tell us the reason you are requesting prayers such as recent surgery so people will know what to pray for. If you see names on the list that it is time to remove, your own, or an old submission please let Judy know. With the exception of the Long Term Category, Council has recommended that names will be placed on the list for one month and then removed unless a new request with an update is submitted. If a name disappears that you want to stay in, just contact Judy with the reason you are requesting continuing prayer and she will add it back.
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