The Concordia Chimes July 2015

Reminders for

Your Calendar August 16th - Kid Safe Backpacks Due

August 16th – Concordia’s Summer Bar-B Q

August 28th – Ordination of our new pastor, Douglas Barclay

7 p.m. Christ Lutheran Church – Inner Harbor

701 S. Charles St, Baltimore, MD

August 30th – Pastor Douglas Barclay presiding at worship

August 30th – Coffee Hour – 10 a.m.

September 7th – Labor Day – office closed

October 3rd – Day of Service

November 7th – Annual Craft Fair

____________________________________________________

Reminder:

Summer worship hours are 9:00 am on Sunday

Kate Bozzo

Parish Secretary

office@concordiamanchester.org

860.649.5311

Laura Hart

Concordia Nursery School

Director

Office: 860.649.9349

The Rev. Joseph E. Bourret

Pastor Emeritus

Home: 860.633.6138

Office Hours

Monday-Friday

9:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m.

Concordia Lutheran Church

40 Pitkin Street

Manchester, CT 06040

office@concordiamanchester.org

www.concordiamanchester.org

Phone: 860.649.5311

Fax: 860.432.9972

The deadline for submitting

articles or items for The Chimes is

the 20th of each month.

From our new pastor Douglas Barclay:

July 29, 2015

Commemoration of Martha, Mary and Lazarus of Bethany

Dear Concordians,

What were you doing on January 19, 2006? Almost 10 years ago? Where were you in your life as a congregation? What were

you wearing? What was the news that day? What did you have for breakfast?

I thought about this date when I first saw the pictures from NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. A mission that was launched almost 10 years ago and has covered over

3 Billion miles. I suspect that whatever you and I were doing on January 19, 2006, we didn't pay much attention to the launch from Cape Canaveral, certainly it most likely

didn't disrupt our day too much.

Even so, other than the mysterious images of icy Pluto, what struck me most on July

14th, was that a group of people had set their sights on a far flung part of space. They used their best gifts and best guesses to how to accomplish their mission. There was

more potential for failure than for success. Yet, this group of visionaries launched ten years ago a mission that surprises and opens up new possibilities of understanding and

exploration. What an amazing and costly risk!

Don't all good stories start that way though?

A trip out to the unknown wilderness to hear John the Baptist...An angelic messenger announces the unlikely birth of a child...Sarah and Abraham's setting out from the

known land into the unknown...the journey from slavery to freedom to a land of milk and honey...the journey of three days in a whale...the walk to the cross ending in the

opening of the resurrection future...

These are all powerful stories that involve, at their start, a rich promise, but also risk

and vulnerability in the undertaking, just like that mission to Pluto.

I can't tell you how excited and, yes, even a bit frightened I am to have been called as your pastor. Our journeys have met in such an unexpected and surprising way. The

mission that I was joined to in my baptism has led me to you and the same baptismal waters have led you to me. Our paths will now go together for a time.

We will move on August 1 and I will officially begin my work with you in mid-August, a

few weeks before my ordination in Baltimore on August 28. In the time before I first preach and preside on August 30 at Concordia, I will take the opportunity to visit

neighboring congregations and join them for their Sunday worship and fellowship. This will give me a broader sense of the neighborhood and community in which Concordia

lives and serves. This is a rare opportunity that becomes increasingly difficult as more time passes. Among all who are working to make this transition smooth, I am grateful,

beyond words, to pastor emeritus Joe Bourret, who continues to make this all possible

by providing pastoral support for the congregation during this time.

And, since every journey is better with a music-maker, I will also continue my work in

these first weeks with the committee to search for a new director of music to cultivate and lead our mutual song at Concordia.

Even with all that needs to be done at the start of this journey, we have trust that this is

a journey worth taking. We begin it necessarily in risk and vulnerability. We walk together, then, with only a promise in hand. We walk, as the hymn says, "by faith, and

not by sight." We walk together, all the more certainly, with a God of grace and goodness. I trust, that just like the New Horizons mission to Pluto, years from now, we

will look back together in amazement at all that God has done through us and say, "What were you doing on June 28, 2015?"

+Douglas D. Barclay,

Pastor _______________________________________________________________

CONCORDIA NURSERY SCHOOL UPDATE

Last month we informed that Heather Adams resigned as Director of

Concordia Nursery School to take a position at the Manchester Board

of Education.

We are pleased to announce that Laura Hart has accepted the position of director

replacing Heather effective August 1st.

A teacher at CNS since 2013, Laura has over nine years of experience as a

paraprofessional in several public school systems and nursery school head teacher.

Laura has a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and numerous credits in Early

Childhood Education Graduate Programs at the Eastern Connecticut State University and

University of Hartford.

Laura is a resident of Manchester and attends St. Mary’s Episcopal Church where she

has been a Sunday School teacher and is currently the coordinator leader for St. Mary’s

Godly Play program.

We are very excited to have Laura in this new role at CNS and look forward to

continuing the strong relationship between CNS and the Concordia community.

Jan Salvatore for Mutual Ministry

Carol Stoneman, Congregation Council President

Treasurer Comments on the June/July Financial Report

It seems as though everyone is taking a bit of a break. This is probably a good thing. We have had a busy year

in our search for a new pastor, and now that this search is over we are just waiting for Pastor Barclay to arrive.

Just keep in mind that it is just resting. The race isn’t over: it’s just beginning. We have lots of things to do

starting with finding a new minister of music, but expanding out from there.

I’m sure each one of us has secret hopes for the future of Concordia. During this period of calm, take the time to

pray about about those hopes and try to discern how you can best bring those hopes to a reality. Don’t think that

Pastor Barclay is going to be able to do it all by himself. He is one man. Together, we are a church.

So enjoy the rest. You have earned it. But make sure you come back rested and ready to go.

Envelope offering was 79% (YTD 103%) of budget and the Stretch was 0% (YTD 10%) for a combined YTD

of 88%. Thank you to everyone who contributed. You also contributed $66.00 to World Hunger Relief and

$10.00 for MACC.

If you have questions about the June/July statement, please ask or email at treasurer@concordiamanchester.org.

Respectfully submitted, Stephen Perkins, Treasurer

July 2015

Headings and Account

MTD

Actual

MTD

Budget

MTD

Percent

MTD Budget

Remaining

YTD

Actual

YTD

Budget

YTD

Percent

Revenues

Envelope Offering $12,531 $18,903 66% $6,372.33 $115,954 $132,322 88%

Other Budget Income

Other Offering $0 $26 0% $25.61 $2,551 $3,171 80%

Public Use of Building $150 $298 50% $148.10 $2,700 $1,514 178%

Interest on Checking Account $0 $0 $0.00 $0 $0

Fuel Assistance for Concordia $25 $58 43% $33.33 $397 $408 97%

Total Other Budget Income $175 $382 46% $207.04 $5,648 $5,093 111%

Total Budget Income $12,706 $19,285 66% $6,579.37 $121,603 $137,415 88%

Expenses

Benevolence $2,384 $2,384 100% $0.00 $15,378 $16,788 92%

Staff Salaries $3,253 $8,714 37% $5,461.38 $40,149 $55,299 73%

Fringe Benefits $172 $2,300 7% $2,127.54 $2,600 $16,100 16%

Program Expenses $3,318 $125 2654% -$3,192.90 $9,013 $3,660 246%

Program Support Expenses $452 $1,542 29% $1,089.10 $4,923 $7,541 65%

Facility Maintenance $2,086 $2,414 86% $328.19 $15,533 $19,708 79%

Utilities $1,055 $1,059 100% $4.38 $14,722 $15,087 98%

Insurance $2,145 $2,712 79% $567.66 $8,419 $8,283 102%

Total Budget Expenses $14,865 $21,250 70% $6,385.35 $110,736 $142,466 78%

Total Expenses Not Budgeted $1,065 $0 -$1,065.16 -$1,045 $0

Total Expenses $15,930 $21,250 75% $5,320.19 $109,691 $142,466 77%

Thank you, thank you, thank you! What an honor to have

been selected as Concordians of the year, Our Concordia

family means much to us and having been selected is a

special honor to us. We are truly humbled and thank you

all

Karen and George Beauregard. _______________________________________________________________

July 2015

Dear Friends at Concordia,

Thank you so very much for the

reception, card, gift, and kind words

to me and Lois on Sunday, July

10th. Your kindness and generous

spirit over these last nine months

have been beyond expectation. In

these past weeks, we have been

especially touched by your care and concern for Lois as she went through

surgery and now recuperation. We thank you for the shawl, the flowers,

the cards, the notes that you sent and, above all, for all the prayers you

offered on her behalf. Both of us feel blessed to have had the opportunity

to be with you as a congregation and to come to know you as friends. We

pray God's blessings upon you and your future with your recently called

Pastor.

With Peace and Blessings,

Pastor Rolf and Lois Hedberg

______________________________________________________

Happy August Birthday!

Mark Brendel 8/1 Martha Winzler 8/4 Steven Bourret 8/5 Thomas Nesbit 8/5

Barry Wood 8/6 Elise James 8/7 Karin Perkins 8/7 Amanda Baranowski 8/8

John Gabby 8/10 Patrick Hemingway 8/20 Candace Wilson 8/22

Kileen & Lindsay Trecy-Nesbit 8/30 Jeanne Williams 8/30

Remembering the Homebound Agnes Donahue Lynn Knauff Jane Nekiunas Lois Warrender

To send a greeting to any of our birthdays or our homebound members, please contact the church office for

mailing and/or telephone information.

A message from Mark Winzler:

My Concordia Friends, As you know, I will be officially completing my 5th (and final) term (after 20 years) as Synod Vice President in about 14 months. My term will end on August 31, 2016. As you also know, I love serving Concordia in any way that I can, but also love serving the wider Church on the synodical level as well. I offered to Bishop Hazelwood a few months to use me as a volunteer as I complete my last term in August 2016 in whatever way(s) he felt would be beneficial to the Synod. Shortly thereafter, he told me that he could use me now and not wait until I am done a year from now. The letter below describes a new role I have taken on: "Assistant to the Bishop for Mobility". What I will be doing is described in the letter, but essentially I will be using my Human Resources background and skill set to assist the Bishop and his staff in screening rostered leaders (mostly Pastors) who wish to come to serve parishes in New England. Most of the work I can do from my home office, but I will be traveling to Worcester occasionally in this role including being a part of the interview process for prospective pastors with the Bishop and others. I am truly excited about this opportunity to be part of the Bishop's staff and further that I will continue to be doing God's work on a synodical level after I complete my term as Synod Vice President. I wanted to share this with all of you. For me "working" in God's Church is not "work", it is a true honor and privilege. Peace, Mark To: Rostered Leaders From: Bishop James Hazelwood The purpose of this letter is to communicate several updates regarding staffing changes in the Office of the Bishop of the New England Synod. As a part of this synod's participation in a three-year pilot experiment in the area of Mission Development and Mission Support, and in consultation with participating bishops, the churchwide office in Chicago and our synod's Executive Committee, I am today announcing two new positions. I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Kim Bergstrand to serve as Associate to the Bishop for Mission. Kim brings a set of skills that I believe will serve us well as we engage to test Part One of the pilot project, namely effectiveness in evangelical mission outreach. She is an organized and administratively gifted person, as is evident in all previous endeavors including Synod Assembly coordinator, Forward Leadership co-leader, and leader of the Doing what Matters process. Kim is also a lay theologian who has a voracious appetite for mission-related theology. Her primary areas of responsibility will include work with our congregations in development and re-development and the Forward Leadership Community, and she will act as a consultant to congregations around outreach. In addition, I am also asking Kim to be the associate that relates to the newly-forming Racial Reconciliation Team. She will begin on August 1, 2015. Today, I am also announcing a new position titled "Associate to the Bishop for Generosity." This person will have primary responsibilities for cultivating thanksgiving and generosity in our synod by assisting congregations in their stewardship

practices, working with the Macedonia Generosity Team, leading efforts in a newly-designed Mission Support partnership, and working in the area of development. A complete position description is available at this link (click here). I am announcing that this position is now open, and accepting applications. Application Deadline is August 15, 2015, or until the position is filled, and is open to either rostered leaders or lay persons. These constitute part-time positions of 25-30 hours per week, and come with full benefit packages. The design is similar to the approach taken by other synods, who have divided the responsibilities in these two areas of mission and stewardship. This is a restructuring of what has been known as the D.E.M. or Director of Evangelical Mission. In addition, I am also announcing today that Mr. Mark Winzler will become a volunteer staff person as Assistant to the Bishop for Mobility. Mark will not receive financial compensation for this position. This new position will allow Pastor Paul Sinnott to free up some 5-10 hours per week spent managing the Mobility process for the synod. This mainly includes the computer work of processing and reviewing the many Rostered Leader Profiles (RLPs) submitted to the New England Synod from persons expressing interest in coming to New England. I am grateful for Mark's willingness to serve in this capacity. My expectation is that this will both increase our efficiency and processing of new leaders interested in our synod, as well as allow Paul to spend more time serving congregations. Once again, thank you for the ministry you do in your various communities. The world needs the Gospel now more than ever. Have a peaceful and relaxing summer. Sincerely in Christ, Bishop James Hazelwood New England Synod

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Need a Lift? Would you prefer to come to church on Sunday, but are unable to because you need a ride? If so, let us know

and we'd be glad to arrange one for you. There are many members who live nearby that would be glad to give

you lift, it's merely a matter of reaching out to us.

We'll be glad to come and collect you and also drop you right back home after church. Never think it's an

imposition or a bother of any kind. Just having you join us makes the whole thing worthwhile! It doesn't matter

if you need one every single week, or if it happens that your car is in the shop and you're temporarily without

wheels. No matter, we'll be glad to give you a lift.

Please contact the church office at (860) 649-5311 and leave your contact information. I'll be sure to get back to

you and arrange the details accordingly.

Peace,

David Smith

Collecting Backpacks for KIDSAFE

During the month of August, the Outreach Committee is collecting

backpacks and school supplies for the kids at KIDSAFE and Family Services

of Manchester. Last year we donated about 100 backpacks and a trunk load

of supplies to these very appreciative kids. Let's see if we can match that

this year. All contributions may be left at the back of the church.

DEADLINE is AUGUST 16 so the backpacks can be blessed before

delivery.

Thanking you in advance.

______________________________________________________

We are planning our next Stewardship program for this fall and we’re seeking anyone interested in helping us

out this year. We’re planning to meet with members of Emanuel and Faith Lutheran later this year to share

some ideas and see where we might agree on a program and an approach. When we share the work of the Lord

with others there’s no telling what we can achieve.

Contrary to popular myth, you DO NOT have to give a temple talk if you join the committee. You also don’t

even need to “officially” join; you can simply sit in and work on whatever aspects you feel comfortable with.

It’s always helpful to have people to help write, edit, or proofread letters and bulletin inserts; we could always

use artists to help make posters announcing our events, or just simply being with us and sharing your views.

We plan to review some material Nancy obtained from this year’s Synod Assembly, plus set up some time with

our new pastor, once he has settled in to obtain his thoughts, direction, and guidance. It’s an exciting time at

Concordia! Please stay tuned for more information on meetings. If you’re so inclined, feel free to let us know

beforehand if you’re interested. Everyone is welcome!

God’s Peace Be with You!

Nancy Lynn Knauff David Smith

Concordia’s Summer Bar-B-Q

Sunday, August 16, 2015 2:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Rain Date – August 23. 2015

Again, this year, Mark Winzler has graciously offered his home for our wonderful Pool Party. Any and all are welcome. Mark has also kindly offered to supply the hot dogs, hamburgers, rolls, German Potato salad and baked beans. We invite you to sign up to provide one of the items listed below. Mark has requested we park in his driveway or on Marion Drive which is off of Greenwood Drive. Come join in the fun, take a swim if you like, enjoy one another’s company and have some delicious food. Name: __________________________________________________________

_____Adults _____ Children

I can bring: ___ Munchies (chips & dip, veggies, crackers, cheese, etc.)

___ Salad ___ Dessert ___ Beverage

Please bring your lawn chairs and sun tan lotion. See you there!!!!!!!!

_________________________________________________________________

Concordia’s Calendar:

EVERY SUNDAY

Worship 9 a.m.

Counters 10 a.m.

New Horizon Church 12:30 p.m.

EVERY MONDAY

Families in Crisis – 10 a.m.

AA - 5:30 p.m.

EVERY TUESDAY

Clergy Text Study - 11 a.m.

EVERY FRIDAY

AA - 7:30 p.m.

Upcoming Highlights

Monday August 3

Outreach Committee – 10:00 a.m.

Thursday August 6

Executive Committee –6:00 p.m.

Tuesday August 11

Finance Committee

Wednesday August 12

Fellowship Committee – 6:30 p.m.

Thursday August 13

Member Care Committee – 1:00 p.m.

Congregation Council – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday August 16th

Baptism of Kensie Ann Matson

Thursday August 20

Chimes Deadline

Friday August 28th

Ordination of Douglas Barclay

7 p.m. Christ Lutheran Church – Inner Harbor, 701 S.

Charles St, Baltimore, MD

Worship Volunteers: August 2

Ministers of Hospitality: Barry Wood and Jan Salvatore

Deacons: Steve Graefe and Wendy Donagher

Cantor: Doug Larson

Bread Baker: Luanne Rehmer

August 9

Ministers of Hospitality: Fred and Martha Winzler

Deacons: Doug Larson and Mini Boxwell

Cantor: John Corl

Bread Baker: Luanne Rehmer

August 16

Ministers of Hospitality: Tina Ruggiero and Gail Adams

Deacons: Linda Lange and Eric Stoneman

Cantor: Nancy Lynn Knauff

Bread Baker: Linda Lamge

August 23

Ministers of Hospitality: Paul and Petey Goodrich

Deacons: Linda Lange and Al Williams

Cantor: John Corl

Bread Baker: Linda Lamge

August 30

Ministers of Hospitality: Ella Hube and Fred Winzler

Deacons: Erich Stoneman and Wendy Donagher

Cantor: Nancy Lynn Knauff

Coffee Hour – Jan Salvatore and Kay Corl

The Weather Outside Will Soon Be Frightful All weather related delays and cancellations at Concordia will be

posted on WFSB-TV Channel 3, or on their website: www.wfsb.com.

Sign up for text alerts from WFSB so you receive the news as soon as

it happens.

The full calendar can be viewed by clicking on Google

Calendar on the congregation’s website..

Let Us Know You Are Coming

Please make sure to consult the church office before scheduling any meetings or events—small or large—in our

facility. We want to make sure the space is available, and the building open when you arrive. Thank you.

As Lutheran Christians, Concordia understands that God is calling us to be:

A Christian community with responsibility to support each other, our neighborhood, and the larger

community

A Gathered Assembly marked by the practices of prayer, study, reflection and worship

Selfless Disciples who communicate and practice the faith through acts of faithful stewardship, service

and forgiveness

CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH

40 Pitkin Street

Manchester, CT 06040

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED