November 2014
LMD website: www.lehighlutherans.com
The Rev. Jerel W. Gade, Dean
The Rev. Glenn L. Simmons, Assoc. of the Bishop
610-966-3030
610-928-0125
Mr. Joshua Fink, Mission District Chair
Mrs. Linda Smith, Newsletter Editor
Volume 19, No. 10
484-358-5720
610-437-9927
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
December 2014 LMD NL news will be due November 12th. E-Mail any
information to me at [email protected].
Let’s try going green; to do this you need to have a church website. If you
do and you have your church newsletter advertised, why not add the LMD
Newsletter? While researching this I found a few church websites that
already include the LMD Newsletter and that is awesome. Yes you may still
need to print a few for those without computers. Any questions please call
610-437-9927 or e-mail me [email protected] . I look forward
to hearing how this would work in your church!
POSITION AVAILABLE: St. Peter's Lutheran - Hanover is seeking a Parttime Parish Coordinator. Interested parties please send a cover letter and
resume to: St. Peter's Ev. Lutheran Church, 1933 Hanover Ave., Allentown,
PA 18109, Attn: Pr. Langensiepen
LCS Offers Healing through Grief at Luther Crest- Thurs afternoons, 2:003:30 p.m., Oct. 2 through Nov. 6. The loss of a loved one is one of the most
difficult times in our lives. As individuals we experience grief in our own
unique way. LCS is offering bereaved families and friends a free support
group facilitated by Sylvia Havlish a professional bereavement counselor.
Join us in the Fuellenbach Room of Luther Crest, 800 Hausman Rd.,
Allentown, PA. Our goal is to help each person gain the tools needed for
lifelong healing and understanding. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of
Heintzelman Funeral Home, there is no charge for the group. However,
advanced registration is required. For more information or to register,
please call Luther Crest Chaplain Dianne Kareha, 610-391-8210.
Craft Bazaar/Basket Auction – Nov 1st at Zion Lehigh Lutheran Church
8269 Spring Creek Rd. Alburtis, PA. 9:00 am -3:00 pm. Crafts, Basket
Auction and lunch will be served. For more information call 610-395-1215.
Annual Chicken and Waffle Dinner – Join us at St. John’s Lutheran Church
(1028 Church St, Fogelsville) on Sat, Nov 1st. Dinner will be served from
4:00-7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Cost: Adults $12, Children $6, under
3 are FREE. Tickets will be sold at the door. Please join us for homemade
family-style dinner. For more information call 610-395-5535 or visit
www.stjohns-fogelsville.org.
“Theology, Literature and Coffee” Luther Crest will host a Moravian
Theological Seminary-sponsored course, which will be held 2:30-4:30 p.m. at
Luther Crest, 800 Hausman Road, Allentown, Mon. Nov 3. Enjoy a time of
learning and fellowship as theological themes in selected literature are
presented and discussed. Cost for the series is $25, beverages will be
provided. To register, please contact Moravian Theological Seminary 610861-1516 or Luther Crest Chaplain Dianne Kareha 610-391-8210. The book
to be discussed is: Nov. 3rd: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin.
Presentations at Luther Crest: The public is cordially invited to attend Dr.
Bill Jennings’ lecture, “Muslims Come to Allentown,” on Tues, Nov 11, at 2:30
p.m., as well as a Tues, Jan 13, 2015, 2:30 p.m. panel discussion of Dr.
Manfred Bahmann’s new book “When All Hell Breaks Loose”. Both
presentations will take place in Crest Hall of Luther Crest, 800 Hausman
Road, Allentown, PA 18104.
The Clothes Closet located at St. Luke’s, 417 N 7th Street, Allentown is in
desperate need of all men’s clothing. Especially pants and shirts that could
be worn for a casual dress job interview. We are constantly getting requests
from agencies trying to help men attend job fairs and interviews. For more
information or questions contact Leslie at 610-434-3943 or [email protected]
LCS’s Refugee Resettlement case workers would like to thank everyone for
their generous donations. At this time, we are in dire need of the following
items: pillows, mops, brooms, vacuum cleaners, twin sheet sets, twin
blankets, bathroom and kitchen waste cans, alarm clocks, bathroom boxes
(from Welcome Box list), and microwaves. Items can be dropped off at our
office Monday through Friday between 8-12 and 1-4. We are also in need of
apartment sized furniture such as chests of drawers/dressers, kitchen tables
and chairs, living room small sofas/loveseats/chairs, end tables, etc. (NO
BEDS). Please call Ammar at 484-542-9849 to arrange for pickup of items.
Muhlenberg College Chapel invites you to join us for worship any Sunday
evening during the academic year. Worship is at 5:30 p.m. in Egner
Chapel, followed by dinner in the Hoffman House at Muhlenberg. If you are
interested in bringing your confirmation students or high school youth to join
us for worship, and/or your congregation would be willing to provide a Sunday
dinner for Muhlenberg students, please contact Chaplain Callista Isabelle for
scheduling and more information: [email protected].
Speakers Available: Luther Crest has a variety of speakers available to
speak to congregations, adult Sunday school classes, organizations such as
women’s and men’s groups, Bible studies, seniors groups, and youth groups.
Topics include: Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia, Depression, Elder Care, and
Caring for the Caregiver, Senior Housing Options, and Continuum of Care,
Living with Loss/Grief Support, Communicating during Times of Conflict,
Prayer, and Scripture Studies. For more information or to schedule a
speaker, please contact Rev. Dianne Kareha, Diakon Chaplain for Luther
Crest 610-391-8210.
Can you provide an hour or two per week to help someone who wants to
change their life? St. Luke’s at 417 N 7th St, Allentown still has an ongoing
need for volunteers to assist as tutors or substitutes for our growing multi-level
ESL program for individuals who desperately want to learn English. No
foreign language needed. Contact Leslie Talago or Pastor Lamb at 610-4343943 or [email protected] for class times and orientation sessions.
Journeys Through Grief will be held starting Oct 15th –Nov 19th from 78:30 p.m. at St. John’s United Church of Christ, 139 N. 4th St., Emmaus. The
facilitator will be Sylvia Havlish. You can register by calling LCS at 610-7709205. There is no fee to attend this event since it is sponsored by Schantz
Funeral Home and Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Homes.
Volunteers needed: bi-lingual volunteer needed to make phone calls for 1-3
hours per week, gift shop at the Allentown Campus, pediatric unit, accompany
residents on outings, and special occasions. For additional information call
JoAnn Frey, Volunteer Coordinator at 610-776-3125 or apply on line at
www.goodshepherdrehab.org.
LCS will hold a Marriage Preparedness Series on Nov. 1st and 15th from
9:00-Noon at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Emmaus. The cost is $60/couple.
Couples can register and pay on line or call the LCS office at 610-770-9205.
Free Akaloo Sunday school Books - Free to a church that can use them... a
variety of Akaloo books and materials. Contact Grace LC in Macungie
at [email protected] or 610-966-3325
GRAND OPENINGS IN ALLENTOWN
Leslie E. Talago, Parish Administrator, St. Luke’s, Allentown
This week center city Allentown saw the opening of another
restaurant. This one, Sindbad’s, features incredible Middle Eastern
cuisine. There have been many such openings here over the last
several weeks; the PPL Arena, The Hamilton, Tim Horton’s and others.
There will be another grand opening here in center city on Nov. 1 st.
This one won’t be touted as “the” place to go for a meal before or after
one of the events at the arena. But this grand opening is nonetheless
just as important. The 6th & Chew Winter Shelter (6CWS) will be
open from Nov. 1, - May 1, between 7:00 pm -7:00 am. to shelter
individuals and allow homeless families to remain together rather than
being separated. This coalition of municipal, private and faith groups
have worked together for some time to plan for this. Several heart
breaking situations have precipitated this new grand opening.
A few years ago one of the pastors in our LMD was called upon to
conduct funerals for 4 individuals who died from exposure during
freezing temperatures. In response, his congregation, felt compelled to
open their parish hall to allow the homeless to lie on a blanket on the
floor in a heated room, out of the elements. That was the only service
that could be offered out of that small space which came to be known
as Safe Haven. They are no longer open effective this fall 2014.
The Salvation Army and the 6th St Shelter house women and children,
but they have a 6 month waiting list. There are less than 7 beds for
women with children at the Salvation Army. I have seen the lobby at
their Rich Fleming Center filled with strollers, which is where mothers
and their children slept on the floor last winter because there were no
beds available. The Allentown Rescue Mission houses men only. They
have had to add bunks because of the record number of homeless men
this summer. The Allentown School District has its most recent
estimates of homeless school children at 700 students.
In response to this plight, The Lehigh Conference of Churches
(LCC) agreed to open the doors of its gymnasium each night that
6CWS is open. What will make this shelter different is that it seeks to
help reverse the reasons that people have become homeless. This is to
be achieved by having social workers and other staff available to help
these individuals and families make the climb upward. This is no
small undertaking, but will have major impact. Your congregations
in the LMD will be receiving an important letter about this initiative in the
next few weeks.
I ask your members and councils to pray for discernment regarding
how each of you can help. There will be opportunities for volunteer
training, donations of products and goods, but most importantly
financial assistance. The largest part of this year’s budget is for start-up
costs of cots, blankets, pillows, etc.
I am asking each of you to consider a gift in one or more of the
categories mentioned in this link http://www.gofundme.com/allentownwinter-shelter which goes directly to LCC since we cannot divert funds
away from the current programs that are operated by LCC. Or send a
check to them earmarked specifically for the winter shelter.
Some churches will be designating their plate offering once each
month, some are starting the new liturgical year on Nov. 30, the first
Sunday in Advent as a day to donate their plate offering. Wouldn’t it be
affirming if we, the congregations of the LMD all contributed the plate
on Nov. 30?
In the stark cold of a winters’ night, it doesn’t matter why a family is
without shelter, only that it can’t be ignored. It reminds me of another
family over 2000 years ago who depended on the kindness of others in
seeking shelter when they had nowhere else to go.
May you all be blessed to be a blessing for this new grand opening!
OPERATION SUNSHINE
36 S. 8th St, Allentown, PA 18101
Open Mon 11-3 Wed. 9-4
[email protected]
610-435-9155
Paula & Dick Skelly Co-Trip Coordinators
Day of Trip Emergency Number 610-417-3286
Operation Sunshine is a non-profit fellowship opportunity within our
Mission District, run solely by volunteers. Please join us and invite
your friends as we enjoy a variety of venues together.
Nov. 6 (Thur) – Penn's Peak – The Glenn Miller Orchestra - In June
of 2011, the Glenn Miller Orchestra celebrated their 55th Anniversary of
continuous touring. Always a sell-out concert! Family style lunch at
Penn's Peak is included with this trip.
Bus leaves St. Timothy's at 10:30 AM and will return approximately
4:30 PM.
Cost $86 Payment Deadline: Mon., Oct. 20.
Dec. 11 (Thur.) - It's a Wonderful Life – Dutch Apple Theatre,
Lancaster, PA - The story of George Bailey and his wonderful life
remains a timeless fable of dreams and love as he finds out what life
would have been like without him. Enjoy with heart-warming Christmas
classic along with a wonderful buffet lunch as only the Dutch Apple
Theatre can do.
Bus leaves St. Timothy's at 10:00 AM and will return approximately
5:00 PM.
Cost $90 Payment Deadline: Wed., Nov. 19
REMEMBER: ALL TIPS ARE INCLUDED WHEN YOU TAKE AN
OPERATION SUNSHINE TRIP!
Operation Sunshine and Collette Travel proudly offer our trip to...
THE NORTHERN NATIONAL PARKS
September 12-19, 2015
Salt Lake City, UT, Jackson Hole, WY, Grand Tetons National Park,
Yellowstone
and Park City UT
Call the Operation Sunshine Office for details. Request your color
brochure!