1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

The Epiphany Star
November 2014
Newsletter of Epiphany Lutheran Church
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Dear Epiphany Lutheran Church,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus
the Christ. Amen
Why do you need to be a part of a local church? Has the need for a neighborhood church gone the way of the neighborhood grocery and pharmacy stores? We
all live such busy lives — maybe what we need is a mobile application for our cellular
telephone. When we decide that we need “church” we can just punch it up on the
telephone and there we are in the midst of a congregation. Is that what worship and
churches have come to be in our world today? I know it sounds like I am being very
negative. I am really just trying to be realistic in getting at the heart of where we are
as a faith community/church these days.
In the Ten Commandments we heard God speaking to us that we are not to
worship any graven images. We are to worship the Lord our God. Have we become
so distracted by everything going on around us that our focus has shifted from the
teachings of God to the teachings of humanity? When was the last time you got
excited to go to a major worship service (Christmas Eve, Easter, etc) like you do
when you go to attend a concert or a major sporting event? When was the last time
you made a poster to take to worship like you did to the concert? The concerts,
sporting events, and even major worship services are exciting and get our adrenaline
levels high, but do they really help us live our lives or help us develop into the caring/
loving/supportive human beings that God intends for us to be?
I think each of us should look at the priorities that we have set in our lives…do
we even have such things as priorities in our daily lives any more? So often I hear
people say that their lives (including my own) are so busy meeting all of the daily
activities that there isn’t enough time to try to prioritize things in one’s life. If that is
true, then do we need to slow down long enough to look at the priorities we have
established in our daily routine and then ask of each event that comes along, “Is this
really on my priority list, or is it something others expect me to do?”
November is a perfect month to take a moment and look at your daily
routines. It is also important that we be as realistic as we can by setting realistic
expectations on our lives. I also know that the majority of you have put your faith
and belief in God as a high priority. However, you know some people in your lives
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that haven’t put God in Christ Jesus as a high priority in their lives. You have to
spend time with anything that is a high priority in your life. Is your faith life in God a
hobby…that you only practice being a follower of Jesus Christ when it is convenient
or when nothing else is going on?
Make November a month to remember to re-establish the true priorities in
your lives. Make worship and development of your faith in God a high priority. Your
soul depends upon it. See You Sunday!
In Christ,
Pastor Richard Hartman
We are Christians, called by God, committed to:
Sharing the Gospel,
Serving others as Christ taught us, and
Creating disciples for witness.
Epiphany Lutheran Church’s Vision Statement:
A Christian family of God committed to sharing the
Gospel and serving others, through joyful worship,
education, and fellowship.
The Fellowship committee will be providing breakfast for the Quarterly Voters’
Meeting on Sunday, November 16th at 9:00 am. Sausage gravy and biscuits,
breakfast casseroles, and donuts are on the menu. Please sign up on the
bulletin board outside Amanda’s office so we know how much food to prepare.
All are welcome!
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November Baptismal Birthdays
Mason McKenna
Michael McKenna
Molly Davis
Jacob Flennery
Richard Lee
Joyce Husted
Minda Hartman
Cathy Rumfield
Justin Jancso
Kristen Davis
Jonathan Hartman
Linda Jancso
Mark Herb
“Happy birthday” to those who celebrate their second birthday during the month
of November! Martin Luther said, “When you wash your face remember your
baptism.” Take time to remember and celebrate with your family by using the
special booklet “Celebrating Your Baptismal Birthday”
(found in the narthex tract rack).
Please feel free to stop in or call for any of your Pastoral needs. Our office hours
are as follows:
Pastor: Sunday - Thursday 8:00am-2:30pm
Monday and Wednesday evenings
Some Saturdays
Amanda: Tuesday & Thursday 10:00am-2:30pm,
Wednesday 12:00-6:00pm
Other times as needed
Due to unexpected circumstances, these hours may be subject to change.
E-mail Us:
Pastor’s office.................................. [email protected]
Pastor’s home ...................................... [email protected]
Amanda’s office............................ [email protected]
WEB SITE: www.epiphanyfw.com
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Meals on Wheels
Thank you for your continued support of this vital mission
in our community. We donated a total of $213 in the
month of October, bringing our total donations to over
$3,700! Please let Amanda in the office know if you would
like to be added to the list to give to this worthy cause.
Thank you for sharing the gifts God has given to you!
Comfort Ye My People
Our quilting group will be meeting Sunday,
November 9th at 9:00 am to start a “new
year” of quilting. We sent off 89 quilts to
Lutheran World Relief last month thanks to
many hours of dedication this past year.
New members are always welcome to our
group — if you can use a pin or tie a knot,
you can help! Thank you for being a
blessing to others all around the world.
Angels Among Us!
We have members of our congregation who do many things behind the scenes,
and we want to take the time to recognize just a few in this month’s issue. Angels,
you know who you are! Thank you for your contributions of time and talents!
89 Quilts were counted, packed up, and shipped
65 Health Kits were assembled
61 Baby Layettes were knitted, crocheted, and assembled
72 School Kits were put together
Kits & Quilts were taken to St. John’s for Lutheran World Relief
The Epiphany Sign along Maplecrest was updated
The Lawn continues to be mowed
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Join us for Worship!
Every Sunday at 8:00 am
and 10:15 am
Every Monday at 7:00 pm
Sunday School & Confirmation
classes at 9:00 am on Sunday.
Please join us!
November 2nd:
All Saints’ Day
Revelation 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12
November 9th:
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 5:18-24
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13
November 16th:
23 Sunday after Pentecost
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 25:14-30
Thanksgiving Worship Service
Please join us at 7:00 pm on
Tuesday, November 25, 2014.
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November 23rd:
Christ the King
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46
The Saturday morning Men’s Bible Study
will continue their study out of the book
The Man In The Mirror. We will meet
Saturday, November 8th at 7:00 am for
breakfast and the Word. All are welcome.
We hope to see you there!
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November 30th:
1st Sunday in Advent
Isaiah 64:1-9
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
Mission Report November 2014
Your generous donations and time made it possible to assemble 65 health
kits, 61 baby layettes, 72 school kits and 89 quilts for Lutheran World Relief!
These were boxed up and taken downtown to begin the journey to help so
many people. The boxes from Epiphany filled more than half of the truck!
These are now on their way, and we are already thinking about next year. A
list of all needed items is on the bulletin board and on the table in the narthex.
We also collected winter items for the Come2Go Ministries, which assist the
homeless in our community. These items will be collected all winter because
the need increases as the temperatures continue to drop. Hats, gloves,
socks, scarves, hand warmers and toiletries are high on the list. There will be
a collection box in the narthex.
Woodburn Christian Children’s Home would like us to assist them again with
their Christmas party. More details will be provided as soon as we get them.
Our Mission for November is participating in the Rescue Mission fund raising
campaign “REAL CHANGE, Not Spare Change.” Details and information can
be found on the following page.
Please continue to bring in food items for Associated Churches Food Bank.
This is an important ongoing mission of our church.
Thank you again for your continued giving of time, talents, and items needed
in support of Outreach Missions. YOU ARE AMAZING !!!!!
Written by Sandi Swanson
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Let’s Decorate!
The date has been set to decorate Epiphany for the Christmas
season! Please join the fun on Saturday, November 29th at
10:00 am. There are jobs for all ages, so consider making this a
part of your family’s holiday tradition! We hope to see you there!
R E S C U E M I S S I O N C A M PA I G N
For the month of November, our outreach activity will be to participate in the
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Campaign for the Rescue
Mission in Fort Wayne. We hope to support this campaign in a couple of ways.
“Skip a Lunch, Feed a Bunch”
On average, an individual spends more that $5 on lunch daily.
The Rescue Mission can provide 3 nutritious meals to the hungry
in our community with this $5. If you would like to help, there will
be an envelope in your mailboxes marked “Rescue Mission” for
you to make a one-time donation to provide these meals.
“REAL CHANGE, Not Spare Change”
The Rescue Mission seeks to address both residents’ immediate
needs for food, clothing, and shelter and more long-term needs
such as addiction counseling, employment assistance,
educational advancement, and transportation. We will have
collection containers in the narthex for change — all collections
will go directly towards this campaign.
We will send all of the collected funds to the Rescue Mission at the end of
November. Please help fight hunger and homelessness in our community.
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On Sunday, November 9th following the 10:15 am service, our Youth Group will
be holding a “shoe-cutting party” for the relief organization Sole Hope, which
supplies shoes to children in Uganda. These shoes can be life-saving, since
feet that are injured by walking barefoot on rough terrain are an easy entry point
for disease and parasites. Everyone is invited to be a part of this project!
There are several ways you can help.
Volunteer: Come to the party, where we will be cutting the parts of the shoes
out of denim and plastic. The more people we have, the more shoes we can
make! If you can, please bring your own fabric scissors for the denim or a
strong pair of scissors for the plastic pieces.
Donate: We are in need of some supplies, especially thin plastic. This can be
from recycled items; you can donate clean, empty milk jugs, 2 liter bottles, large
dish soap bottles, or plastic folders. We also need large safety pins and gallon
Ziploc bags for packaging up the shoe pieces. In addition, you can donate
medical supplies for use in caring for injured feet: surgical gloves, cotton balls,
medical tape, antibiotic cream, gauze, and band-aids.
Sponsor: Once the shoes are cut out, the pieces are shipped to Uganda,
where they are assembled and soled by shoemakers in the community, who
receive much-needed wages from the work. The cost to ship and assemble
each pair of shoes is $10. We are hoping to sponsor every pair of shoes we
cut. If you would like to help, please make a check out to “Epiphany” with “Sole
Hope” in the memo, and place it in the offering plate.
Thank you for partnering with our youth and Sole Hope to make a difference in
the lives of children.
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Youth Group is in full swing, and we’d love to see you at our next
gathering! Here is the schedule for the upcoming months:
• November 9th at 12:00 pm: Sole Hope service project
• December 6th during the day: Bell ringing for the Salvation Army
• December 7th at 12:00 pm: Chapter 1 of The Jesus Creed and
holiday celebration
All middle and high school youth are welcome. We hope to see you there!
Bell Ringing with the Salvation Army
Epiphany has signed up to ring the bell for the Salvation Army’s
annual “red kettle” collection on Saturday, December 6 th, from 9 am
until 6 pm at the Kroger store on Saint Joe Center Road. We will
need lots of ringers, so if you are able to help, please sign up on the
sheet on the bulletin board outside Amanda’s office. You can come
on your own or with a loved one — groups of two or three are ideal,
since you may need a quick break every so often. Please plan to ring for at least an
hour; you can sign up for more time if you would like! Be sure to dress for the
weather that day — we will be ringing outdoors. Thank you for supporting this
important mission in the season of giving.
College Care Packages
Finals Week can be a very stressful time, and we would like to let our students know
that we support them in their studies. We are collecting items through Sunday,
November 23rd to be sent to them. Here are some of the items that every college
student needs:
Snacks: microwave popcorn, gum, candy
Drinks: hot cocoa mix
Food Cards: McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway
Other: pens, pencils, gas cards
Please donate 7 of any of these items so no one is left out!
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Nov. 2nd
Nov. 9th
Nov. 16th
Nov. 23rd
Nov. 30th
LBW
Setting II
WOV
Setting 5
Feast of Life
(Janzow)
LBW
Setting II
LBW
Setting I
Organist /
Pianist
Sara
Davis
Sara
Davis
Amanda
Pickett
Sara
Davis
Sara
Davis
Assisting
Minister
Rebecca
Hartman
Alicia
Davis
Jim
Davis
Dia
Herb
Jane
Dawkins
Lector
8:00 am
Kurt
Unrue
Deb
Crawford
Sue
Johnson
Cheryl
Ralston
Anne
Lohman
Lector
10:15 am
Molly
Davis
Cathy
Rumfield
Bob
Havers
Ron
Michael
Melissa
Hartman
Acolyte
Jacob
Flennery
Zoey
Osheskie
Rachael
Pickett
Mason
McKenna
Erin
Robinson
Communion
Assistant
8:00 am
Charlene
Schroeder
Devin
Meunier
Anne
Lohman
Tammy
Aschliman
Richard
Lee
Communion
Assistant
10:15 am
Sue
Davis
Molly
Davis
Cathy
Rumfield
David
Dawkins
Ron
Michael
Altar Guild
Need
Need
Need
Need
Need
Greeter(s)
The
Hedins
The
Roemers
The
Rumfields
Barb
Werling
The
Picketts
USHERS
This Month
Capt. Lee Hedin
Amber Logan
Sandy Hedin
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Minda Hartman
Steve Auman
Thanks
for
Serving!