For the Week Beginning February 18, 2022
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
THE WEEK AT REFORMATION
Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Service of Holy Communion
Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Facebook Live Service of the Word
Wednesday: 10 a.m. Morning Eucharist followed by Prayer Ministry
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Evening Prayer service on Facebook live followed by a study
Pray with the whole church each day at noon!
www.njsynod.org/virtual-church-resources
WE PRAY FOR:
Norma Beaty, Robert Coles, Connie, Edward Bale, Margaret Dix, Linda Eikner, Jan Erwin, Rosemary Howell, Royce Howell, Jonathan, Michael, Rose, Lisa & family, Trina, Inger LaManna, Heather Lombardo, Dan Nilsson, Beth Nilsson, Jeff Reis, Peter Repak, Myra Reyes, Penny Shermer, Diane Smith, Ella Smith, Pastor C. Paul Strockbine, Georgie Zweig
PRAYER LIST UPDATE: If you have someone in need of prayers, please let us know via either Pastor Matt or the church office and we will be sure to add them to our list above. If you have good news to share on recovery of anyone on our prayer list, please let the office or Pastor Matt know. We’ll gladly share the good news!!
“SOUPER” BOWL OF CARING
Thank you everyone!! We raised $790 for our hunger ministries through our soup sale last weekend. And, our noisy offering brought in $163.00
BISHOP’S CHALLENGE
Last year Bishop Tracie Bartholomew began a 2021-2022 Bishop’s Challenge to learn more about Rev. Jehu Jones. Throughout the year we will hear about the shameful actions taken by the Lutheran Church on his behalf and the uncompensated losses experienced by our African American brothers and sisters throughout history. The goal is to learn about the past and to help create a better future and enrich the lives of emerging leaders of African American descent.
We are asked to create a quilt square that will be added to squares from around the Synod to create a beautiful quilt to be displayed at this year’s Synod Assembly. We are working on ours!
We are asked to raise $375 or more to donate to the Bishop’s Challenge. The goal is to raise $50,000 throughout the Synod to enrich the lives and create a better future for African American emerging leaders. Great News: Our Endowment Fund is matching all donations up to the $375 so we can double our donation!!
Please see the “fish” bowl on the table in the gathering area for donations towards our $375!
There will be events throughout this time including a book study with Bishop Tracie on February 22 or 24 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. for a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson’s book, The Warmth of Other Suns. This book uses the stories of three families to tell how and why millions of Black Americans left the South between 1915-1970. You will look at how the Great Migration continues to influence life today for all of us. Both evenings will be similar in content. You can register for either evening by going to the NJ Synod website. (njsynod.org) Here at Reformation we have 6 copies of the book in our library that can be borrowed. Please see Sue Homza for details on how to borrow books from our library.
HERE ARE THE DETAILS ON UPCOMING EVENTS THROUGH THE SYNOD:
| Philadelphia Trip April 2, 2022 African American Museum Tour / Mask & Wig Club Tour Join us as we visit the African American Museum (10:15am) in Philadelphia to learn about the vibrant black communities of Philly at the turn of the 19th century. Then a short walk for a guided tour at the Mask & Wig Club (1:15pm), originally built by the Rev. Jehu Jones as the first African American Lutheran Church in the United States. Cost: $25 for a round trip bus and museum ticket. Lunch is on your own. If traveling on your own you will still need to sign up for your museum ticket ($9). REGISTER NOW! |
| Quilting in the African American tradition. On February 16th at 7:00pm, join Professor Steven Hobbs for a Zoom presentation about the traditions of quilting in the African American tradition. Dr. Hobbs, a retired law professor, is a renowned storyteller and quilter who has given presentations throughout the country. His educational and inspirational stories will connect our Bishop’s Challenge quilt project to the history of quilting. Click here to register and receive the zoom link. |
Please plan to join some of these events. There are 3 ways to make a donation to the Bishop’s Challenge: there are envelopes in the gathering area for donations towards the Bishop’s Challenge; you can mail in a donation to the church and mark the memo line with Bishop’s Challenge; and you can donate online via our website using the Bishop’s Challenge donate button.
PICTURES
Souper Bowl of Caring noisy offering!
Our soup making team! Thank you Thrivent
EVANGELISM
Evangelism Go and……..Our Evangelism team has begun their participation in the Synod wide study Evangelism Go and……
As part of their participation they are asking all of us to please answer a few questions. The questions have been sent out via Google forms, are listed below, and are available in the gathering area at church:
- What keeps you up at night?
- What brings you joy?
- Where might God be active in the congregation?
Please answer the questions by Friday, February 18th.
SYNOD ASSEMBLY
The NJ Synod Assembly is May 6 and 7 this year. All congregations of the NJ Synod meet yearly to make decisions on important issues affecting the church and the world. They vote for new Synod council representatives and vote on other initiatives. Each congregation is requested to send 2 adult voting members (one male and one female) and 1 under 30 voting member to represent them at this meeting. This year the meeting will be held virtually.
We are looking for members willing to represent Reformation at the Synod Assembly. If you think you might be interested, please reach out to Pastor Matt and he can give you more information.
Scout Sabbath 2022 at Reformation
On March 6, the first Sunday in Lent, we will spend some time considering connections between scouting and the Christian faith. We will also include an opportunity for parents to present Scout Sunday patches, or other faith-related Badges, to their scouts. Those involved in scouting who would like to participate are invited to join us in worship that Sunday. Invite your scouting friends to come celebrate with us.
THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS
Have you donated your choice dollars yet? Don’t wait until the last minute! Only 2 weeks left to designate your choice dollars!! One way Thrivent gives back is based on your product with them where you can earn “Choice Dollars”. These dollars can then be donated to the charity of your choice (i.e. Reformation!). Your account is credited with these “Choice Dollars” every quarter and they need to be donated by March 1st of the following year. You can go in and donate the dollars quarterly or once a year but please donate them!! If you don’t donate them, they will go away. Thrivent will donate them to a charity on their list. They must donate a percentage of their profit to the community to maintain their non-profit status. Need help? Ask Debbie Keszler or Sue Homza!!
THRIVENT ACTION TEAMS
If you are a Thrivent member, you could be receiving a call asking you to use your Thrivent Action Team Events for a specific item or area for the church!! Sue and Debbie are committed to helping us make the most use out of the funds available to us through Thrivent. If you have a product with Thrivent (i.e. investments, life insurance, long term care insurance, etc.) you could be eligible for two $250 Community Action Cards (Visa gift cards) to use to jump start a project.
We are excited that we have Judy Mischler’s card still pending for the fundraiser for a new Christmas Tree and we’ve filed for and been approved for 3 others to cover the cost of our Lenten Devotionals, mailing of the Lenten Devotionals where needed, and covering the cost of the supplies for our Souper Bowl of Caring event. Let’s keep it going!
Altar Flowers lend beauty to our worship experience and are a loving way to remember or honor a loved one or mark a special occasion. Please consider sponsoring an arrangement, or two, of flowers to celebrate a special occasion or remember a loved one. You may also sponsor the bulletin in honor or in memory of a special occasion or loved one. The Altar flower and bulletin sponsor chart is now posted on the board heading into the Narthex from the gathering area. A form was sent out this week via Google doc to make it easier for you to sign up to sponsor flowers or the bulletins.
The cost for flowers is $30.00; bulletin sponsorship is $30.00. Don’t forget to take your flowers home with you after the worship service on Sunday. Thank you
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