Our Saviour Evangelical Lutheran Church
56 Cleveland Drive
Croton-On-Hudson, NY 10520
(914) 271-4632
The Seeker
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014
Rev. Anthony Stephens, Pastor
Seek and you shall find.
Knock and the door will be opened to you.
Sunday Worship Schedule
Sunday School:
9:30 am
Confirmation Class: 9:15 am
Worship:
10:30 am
Coffee Hour:
following worship
Weekday Office Schedule
Office hours:
9:00 am - 12:00
Office Phone: (914) 271-4632
Office E-mail:
[email protected]
Website: www.oursaviourcroton.org
-Matthew 7:7
Weekday Activities
Choir Practice:
Thursday @ 7:45 pm
NOVEMBER/
DECEMBER 2014
Our Saviour Lutheran Church
56 Cleveland Drive,
Croton, New York
The Seeker
NEW BEGINNINGS
- Rev. Anthony Stephens
Preparing for the LSAT some years ago, I was fortunate to have an incredibly smart instructor.
Unfortunately it was also clear that she had a history of self-sabotaging from which she obviously
had to repeatedly recover. She shared one day that she had had occasion to call a favorite uncle in
Greece in despair. He told her simply, “If you can fix it, fix it. If you can’t; move on.”
A similar refrain came across as I was listening to a bar review CD. The presenter noted that you just
did not have time on the MBE to dwell on a particular question, but rather, he said, “Hit it, and move
on.” But what about that tricky little problem that flummoxed you or a solution was just so close?
Same … but more. In a flurry of salty language he said, “Kiss that sucker goodbye. Go and rack up
points on the next question.”
It certainly worked on the bar exam. That’s what we do in Advent.
2013-2014 was far from an annus horribilis, but certainly it was disappointing. A few good souls
dropped off the parish map, and some of our (though not necessarily God’s) performance indices
were underwhelming.
On St. Andrew’s Day this year; the First Sunday in Advent, we start a new church year. We hear
hope emerge in the bleakest of human drama. We hear of the savior of the world narrowly duck out
of the murderous grasp of a deranged local despot, King Herod.
It is, in fact, the quintessence of the Gospel. Hope abounds. Our past performance is not a predictor
of future performance; God’s past performance, in contrast is a brilliant predictor of future
performance.
For whatever the shortcomings of our last year, if we can fix them, let’s fix them, if not; move on.
For those things that we might have found particularly galling, let’s kiss those suckers goodbye; just
like baptism does for sins, alienation and ultimate mortality.
On the other hand, history can bring encouragement and often times reminds us not to “freak out”
because the Lord will provide.
History is also valuable because we do not want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We build
on strengths extant and created by the pillars of our church with their blood, sweat and tears.
However, let’s be careful that we don’t recover the bathwater rather than the baby.
We are back where the church has frequently been: A counter-cultural movement, whose own worst
enemies are frequently ourselves. The church has prevailed in such circumstances for better than
2000 years.
We can count on God’s blessing in this new year of grace.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
John Keil
Thank you to everyone, including Frya and Janet, whose contributions and attendance made
our Oktoberfest fundraiser for property improvement such a success. We’d also like to thank
David and Lee Ann for their volunteerism and wonderful contributions to repair and improve
the church’s back steps. There are other efforts behind the scenes, from work at the Danish
Home to work on renovating the church bathroom, that also deserve recognition. As will be
discussed in greater detail in the Congregation’s Annual Report and in our Annual Meeting on
November 23, an informal committee has been discussing strategies to revitalize attendance,
contributions, and participation, so these efforts are encouraging. There is, of course, more
work to do. Many aspects of our organization, including our stewardship and social ministry
work, should be re-launched with a clearer focus, and we should also keep sight of the
congregation’s financial well-being.
If you have any insights about how we could better engage and serve our members and the
community around us, please approach me or any council member to share your ideas.
Please also be sure to attend the Annual Meeting after worship on November 23.
If you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns, you should feel welcome to approach me on
Sundays, or email me at [email protected].
John Keil
ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Our Saviour’s 2014 Annual Congregational Meeting is Sunday November 23.
Meeting will begin directly following our Worship Service. All members are
encouraged to attend this important meeting for our congregation.
All Committee Reports are due in to the church secretary by November 2
in order to guarantee a timely delivery of the 2014 Annual Congregational Report.
2014 COUNCIL MEMBERS
Our Congregational Council members would like to keep the conversations and ideas that will move our church in
the right direction going. If you have any ideas that you feel Our Saviour can benefit from…..
Please...Talk To Us!!
Here is a list of our 2014 Council Members :
Circle School: Dianne Carroll
Christian Education & Secretary: Dianne Carroll
Evangelism & Outreach: Sarah Doherty
Finance & Vice President:
President: John Keil
Pastor / Parish Relations:
Ex Officio: Jaime Hough, Financial Secretary
Property: Steven Millar
Social Ministry: John Keil
Stewardship: Bryan Montgomery
Worship & Music: Matthew Papertsian
Finance & Treasurer: Eric Golberg
Hunger Team: Jen Stieglitz
We will be celebrating the Birth of our Lord on Christmas Eve with a
service of Lessons and Carols at 7:30 pm and
a Family Eucharist at 5:30 pm.
Christmas celebration will continue with a service of
Holy Communion at 10:30 am on Christmas morning.
Keep the true meaning of Christmas alive & in your heart
by worshipping with us this year.
There are many opportunities for
Worship Assistants, Lectors, Communion Assistants
and other Worship Servants at this time.
Look for the sign-up sheet on the Link Table during Advent.
A Peek Into Feeding the Hungry of Peekskill
On Sunday November 17, Ellen Buccelato will be briefing our confirmands and their parents
on the Jan Peek House, a shelter for the homeless located
in Peekskill on how to undertake providing meals for the
residents. Service beyond ourselves is a new emphasis of
confirmation this year.
Ellen will also give a brief talk during worship about the
Jan Peek House and ministry to the homeless
and hungry in Peekskill. Ellen has been a champion of
these causes for many years.
ECONOMIC UPDATE
Get straight talk about current markets to help
you answer important questions like these:



Should I react to economic headlines?
Could my investments be doing better?
Is it time to change my financial strategy?
Please join us for this complimentary one-hour presentation. Get timely
update about changes in the economy and markets, and find out what
they mean to your financial strategy. Dinner will be served.
Hosted by Wiliam O’Doherty, financial consultant & Rob Headley, financial associate
Monday, November 17, 2014 at 7:30pm at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Croton, NY
Feel free to invite a guest. Please RSVP by Friday, November 14 to reserve a spot by notifying
Lorraine McManmon at [email protected] or call 800-838-1159, ext. 105
WHITE GIFTS
-Frya Barnes
When I first joined Our Saviour 50 years ago we had a wonderful practice at Christmas when the children brought
'White Gifts' (specific items of infant clothing wrapped in white tissue paper) that were placed under the Christmas
tree in church. When the tree was taken down in early January the gifts were gathered together and assembled into
layettes that were requested by Lutheran World Relief for distribution to places around the world where these
things were and are desperately needed.
I would love to see Our Saviour continue with this. I remember my boys each bringing such a gift to church every
Christmas way into adulthood. I think it is a good way to have children focus on the needs of other children, in
this case infants, at a time when we focus on the birth of the baby Jesus.
Following is a list of items called for in one layette: (Target and Toys R Us carry these items)
4 Cloth Diapers, not prefolded
2 Receiving Blankets
2 large Bars of Mild Soap
1 Sweater
2 Onesies
2 Sleepers
1 Bath Towel
I would recommend that the sleepers and onesies
not be smaller than 9 months in size.
Currently I have 10 hand-knit baby sweaters ( as we use to sell at the Christmas Fairs ) available for sale at $17.00.
After Christmas I would use the money raised to purchase any items needed to complete the layettes.
POINSETTIAS
Following a long held Christmas practice, the altar guild will be placing poinsettias at the altar.
The congregation is invited to sponsor plants in memory or honor of a loved one. It is a wonderful way to help
beautify the church and also remember someone special. The poinsettias in 7 inch pots are $25 each.
Send orders with payment to the church office or place in the offering plate on Sunday.
Order forms can be found at the bottom of this page and will be available on the tables in the narthex and link
starting in November.
CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS
I would like to donate (quantity) ________ Poinsettias at $25 per plant.
Total submitted: _______________.
Please circle one:
In Honor / Memory of: ____________________________________________
Remembrance / Thanks ___________________________________________
From: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Thanks for making our Christmas Altar more festive.
Our Saviour Fall Retreat 2014
Our retreat at Koinonia occurs on the Friday, November 7 – 9
weekend. We have reserved 8 rooms in the conference center.
The room rates include delicious food: three meals on Saturday,
breakfast and lunch on Sunday. Koinonia is happy to meet any
special dietary needs (e.g., allergies, vegetarians, etc).
The coffee/tea pot is always on, and Koinonia has unusually
good drinking water. Extra single mattresses and cribs are
available at no extra charge. The new Director, Gary Schaeffer,
has a strong background in successful youth ministries. Pastor
Stina Schaeffer has run a number of successful programs at the
church she was serving near Philadelphia. We look forward to
meeting Gary, Stina, and their two young children.
We always have a good time at this retreat. Koinonia is in Highland Lake, NY, an easy and
scenic two hour (or less) drive from Croton-on-Hudson. We will have a signup sheet and more
information and our schedule over the next few weeks. Usually we have a program and/or
service project, hayride, hiking, plenty of free time, etc. This year we plan to hike to the recently
repaired Homestead cabin. (The hike can be as short as 15 minutes depending on the starting
point) This log cabin is a replica of a settler’s cabin with a springhouse, blacksmith shed, smoke
house, and outhouse nearby. Koinonia is celebrating Homestead weekend on September 13.
You can also visit Koinonia’s web site for directions and more information: www.koinoniany.org
Please contact Eric Golberg or other retreat veterans if you have any questions. All ages are
welcome!
Treasurer’s Quarterly Report, 7/1/14 – 9/30/14
Praise God, our identified contributions for this three-month period are
running higher than last year and the year before. Keep up the wonderful
generosity. Expenses for the period are higher due to two projects: the
painting around the windows and new deck construction in the back of the
church. But those project costs will be covered by specific donations
(“dedicated contributions”) and a withdrawal of some of the gains we have made in our Mission Investment
Fund account. We welcome additional dedicated contributions to these worthy projects and the upcoming
church bathroom renovation. At the end of September we were about $5,000 in the red; not unusual for this
time of year, and not a reason to panic assuming we have strong contributions in October through December.
Please remember Our Saviour Evangelical Lutheran Church in your Thanksgiving and Christmas giving. Gifts
received before 12/31/14 will reduce one’s taxable income, another worthy project! Circle School is also
doing well; enrollment is up (56 students, 89% of current capacity) and there is a great group of parents
supporting various activities.
Speaking of the bathroom renovation, the Tag Sale raised $2,000 (including the $500 gift from Thrivent) and
the Oktoberfest generated $820. Thanks to all who contributed time and effort to these fun events. Your hard
work and generous spirit has had a significant impact. We have also applied for a grant (thanks to Steven,
John, and Pastor) to help fund the bathroom reconstruction and are waiting for a response.
NOVEMBER SUNDAY SERVANTS
DECEMBER SUNDAY SERVANTS
November 2
Greeters&Ushers:
Anita & David Baumann
Worship Assistant:
Lori Esteves
Lector:
Lee Ann McCarthy
Altar Guild:
Greg Evans
Communion Assistant:
Alexandra Stephens
Acolyte:
Harry Cooper
Hospitality:
Evelyn Garrett & Barbara Henninger
November 9
Greeters&Ushers:
John Magerlein & Chuck Cooper
Worship Assistant:
Greg Evans
Lector:
Janet Behning
Altar Guild:
Janet Behning
Communion Assistant:
Ken Gabrielsen
Acolyte:
Taylor Cunningham
Hospitality:
Frya Barnes & Karen Callahan
December 7
Greeters&Ushers:
Anita & David Baumann
Worship Assistant:
Lee Ann McCarthy
Lector:
Rosie Evans
Altar Guild:
Lori Esteves
Communion Assistant:
Chuck Cooper
Acolyte:
Harry Cooper
Hospitality:
Marilyn Dreyer & Jen Schmidt
December 14
Greeters&Ushers:
John Magerlein & Frya Barnes
Worship Assistant:
Matilda Weekes-Johnson
Lector:
Eric Golberg
Altar Guild:
Lori Esteves
Communion Assistant:
Lee Ann McCarthy
Acolyte:
Taylor Cunningham
Hospitality:
Frya Barnes & Gail/Steven Millar
November 16
Greeters&Ushers:
Worship Assistant:
Lector:
Altar Guild:
Communion Assistant:
Acolyte:
Hospitality:
December 21
Greeters&Ushers:
Worship Assistant:
Lector:
Altar Guild:
Communion Assistant:
Acolyte:
Hospitality:
Frya Barnes & Eric Golberg
Lee Ann McCarthy
Lori Esteves
Greg Evans
Evelyn Garrett
Emma Montgomery
Tom Barry & Karen Kuchnicki
Chuck Cooper & Eric Golberg
Lori Esteves
John Magerlein
TBD
Bob Riekert
Emma Montgomery
Lisa Stephens
November 23
Greeters&Ushers: Rosie Evans & Alexandra Stephens
Worship Assistant:
Rosie Evans
Lector:
Matilda Weekes-Johnson
Altar Guild:
Lori Esteves
Communion Assistant:
Chuck Cooper
Acolyte:
Dionne Johnson
Hospitality:
Sue Montgomery & Annie Andrews
December 28
Greeters&Ushers: Alexandra Stephens & Rosie Evans
Worship Assistant:
Greg Evans
Lector:
Marilyn Dreyer
Altar Guild:
TBD
Communion Assistant:
Frya Barnes
Acolyte:
Dionne Johnson
Hospitality:
“Holiday Cookie Swap”
November 30
Greeters&Ushers:
Evelyn Garrett & John Magerlain
Worship Assistant:
Alexandra Stephens
Lector:
Frya Barnes
Altar Guild:
Janet Behning
Communion Assistant:
Bob Riekert
Acolyte:
Otto Staats
Hospitality:
Lori Esteves & Lee Ann McCarthy
January 4
Greeters&Ushers:
Worship Assistant:
Lector:
Altar Guild:
Communion Assistant:
Acolyte:
Hospitality:
Evelyn Garrett & Frya Barnes
Rosie Evans
Ken Gabrielsen
TBD
John Magerlein
Otto Staats
TBD
LECTIONARY READINGS
11/2
Revelation 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
12/7
11/9
Amos 5:18-24
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
12/14 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
11/16 Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Isaiah 40:1-11
2 Peter 3:8-15a
12/21 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Romans 16:25-27
11/23 Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Ephesians 1:15-23
12/28 Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Galatians 4:4-7
11/30 Isaiah 64:1-9
1/4
Ephesians 1:3-14
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Jeremiah 31:7-14
2
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(white)
All Saints Sunday
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(white)
Christ The King
30
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(blue)
First Advent
HB Susie Gardiner
12 noon
Annual Congregational Meeting
23
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(green)
Twenty-Third Pentecost
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(green)
Twenty-Second Pentecost
16
9
2
KEY:
HB—Happy Birthday
HA—Happy Anniversary
SUNDAY
24
17
10
3
MONDAY
AA
25
HB Alec Hough
HB Cliff Gabrielsen
7:30pm
HB Sue Montgomery
HB Pastor David
NA
26
NA
7:30pm
AA
NA
12
NA
19
7:30pm
7:30pm
5
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
WEDNESDAY
18
AA
11
AA
4
TUESDAY
7:45pm
7:45pm
7:45pm
27
HB Lee Ann McCarthy
Choir Practice
20
Choir Practice
13
Choir Practice
6
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
HB Lisa Stephens
HB Greg Befanis
28
21
HB Tom Carroll
HB Pam Schwartz
14
7
NOVEMBER 2014
7:30pm
AA
29
AA
22
AA
15
AA
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
Circle School Tag Sale
9am-3pm
8
AA
1
SATURDAY
28
21
14
7
2
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(white)
First Christmas
HB Pastor Stephens
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(blue)
Fourth Advent
HB Arlita Hoyt
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(blue)
Third Advent
Confirmation 9:30am
Sunday School 9:15am
Service
10:30am
(blue)
Second Advent
SUNDAY
29
HB Jen Steiglitz
22
15
8
1
MONDAY
AA
30
AA
23
AA
16
AA
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
NA
31
7:30pm
Services 5:30 & 7:30pm
7:45pm
7:45pm
7:45pm
Service 10:30am
Choir Practice
18
Choir Practice
11
Choir Practice
4
THURSDAY
24 Christmas Eve 25
NA
17
NA
10
NA
AA
9
3
WEDNESDAY
2
7:30pm
TUESDAY
26
HB Barbara Befanis
19
HA Ed & Evelyn Garrett
12
5
FRIDAY
DECEMBER 2014
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
HB Evelyn Garrett
7:30pm
KEY:
HB—Happy Birthday
HA—Happy Anniversary
AA
27
AA
20
AA
13
AA
6
SATURDAY