WEEKLY E-MESSENGER FROM THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REFORMATION

For the Week Beginning January 4, 2019

Epiphany of Our Lord

THE WEEK AT REFORMATION

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. Service of Holy Communion – Dinner Church

Sunday – 9:30 a.m. Service of Holy Communion

Wednesday – 10 a.m. Eucharist followed by Prayer Ministry

Dinner Church is this Saturday. This Saturday evening we will gather for a 3-course pot-luck dinner and Eucharistic celebration. As we share the pot-luck dinner, we will also pray, sing, read Scripture, hear preaching and share Holy Communion. Those who have participated in our previous dinner church events have raved about how wonderful it is to spend an evening in prayer, praise, thanksgiving and Communion, all in a relaxed and casual setting. Why not give it a try! It’s not too late! Just make/buy a main dish, side dish or dessert to share and come join us!

Offering envelopes for 2019 have arrived. If you asked for envelopes in 2018, we reordered them for you in 2019.  They will be available in the gathering area beginning this weekend.

ANNUAL REPORTS: Calling all Committee Chairs!!  It is time to prepare your annual reports. All reports are due in the office by January 7th. The annual congregational meeting is on Sunday, January 27th right after worship which means the annual reports need to be printed and ready to go by January 20th! Copies of last year’s annual reports are available in the church office.

PRAYER LISTS/REQUESTS

If you have someone on the prayer list and you would like them to remain on the prayer list for the new church year, please call (732-229-9180), email (reformationwlb@gmail.com) or leave a note on Debbie’s desk. Please remember, unless otherwise asked, we will put your loved ones name on the weekly spoken prayer list for 4 weeks and then they will remain on the prayer list below and in the monthly messengers indefinitely (until you let us know we can remove them).

PRAYER REQUESTS

Amy Appleton, Joann Angellia, Linda Brady, Diane Clarke, Joy Crane, Isabella Downer, Bill Eidenire, Betty Errigo, Dave Fieltsch, Laurie Geckeler, Diane Kanach, Don Keller, Alan Keszler, Sonny Lee, Keith Lowe, Kathy Meyer, Mary Presley, Bonnie Skolnik, Helen Shiffler, Jeff Sperling,

UPCOMING EVENTS

We’ll soon be putting together our 2019 Church Directory. Please check the current directory and send any necessary changes for your information to the church office at reformationwlb@gmail.com.   Please don’t assume we have any changes.  We try to make the directory as accurate as possible but we do make mistakes from time to time.  Thank you!

Baptism of Our Lord: At our morning service on January 13, The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, we will invite for a time of blessing and recognition, those who have been baptized in the previous year.

We will also offer an opportunity for all those gathered on that day to affirm the covenant God made with us all in Holy Baptism.

Come and celebrate the gift of Baptism and God’s great love poured out over us as God names us and claims us as children of God!

Annual Congregational Meeting:  Our Annual Congregational Business Meeting will be on Sunday, January 27th immediately after worship. We will review the Annual Reports and vote on our 2019 Budget. We must have a quorum to hold the meeting which means we need at least 40 voting members in attendance.  A voting member is a confirmed member of the congregation that has contributed and communed in the current year and the year prior to the meeting.

First Communion Class: When to begin receiving Communion is a mutual decision made by the person, their parents and the Pastor.  If there is anyone who desires to receive the sacrament, the first step in the process is to receive the age appropriate study materials and information.  Please reach out to Debbie K for the material.

Mary Martha Circle: A reminder the Mary Martha Circle will NOT meet in January or February.

Prayer Shawl:  Our prayer shawl team will be meeting on Monday, 1/14 at 7 p.m. If you knit or crochet, come join us!  If you don’t but would like to learn, come join us!! We have a couple of amazing knitters people that crochet and they would gladly teach you!!

We Recycle and Reuse…do you! If you did not order a box of envelopes, but find that you would like to use an envelope for your giving…we have lots of envelopes in the Church Office.

Existing dates and envelope #s have been blacked out for re-use.  We ask that you please print your name and if you know your envelope # that would be appreciated as well (it would also be a big help to our counters).

See Debbie or Barbara Denegar if you want some envelopes.

Plastic Film Recycling Challenge

What is plastic film? What does it look like to you? Any plastic less than 10 mil thick.

What is the Challenge?

If we are able to collect 500 pounds of plastic within a 6 month period, the Trex Company will award our Church with Trex Bench.  Collecting will begin this January.  Help us make our 500 pound goal.

So before you throw out that plastic bag, please consider saving it for this challenge.

Did you know…

PLEASE NOTE

YOUR PLASTIC DONATIONS MUST BE CLEAN, DRY AND FREE OF FOOD RESIDUE