p. 1 “From Pastor Melinda”

Dates at a glance

Special Announcements

p. 2 Message from

Bishop Finegan

p. 3 “About Faith Lutheran”

Homebound members

Office Notice

p. 4 Important dates

And reminders

p. 5 Council Minutes

p. 6 “From the Treasury”

p. 7 October Calendar

Dates at a Glance

Oct. 4, 2020

World Communion Sunday

Oct. 25, 2020

Reformation Sunday

Oct. 31, 2020,

Reformation Day

INSIDE

From Pastor Melinda

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

As I type this, I’m preparing to participate in a Zoom meeting with the topic being how we can keep Christmas Eve both Sacred and Safe. Wait what? What will change? Can’t we celebrate Jesus’ birth as we have for the past umpteen years? Well, we have had to make many changes because of the pandemic. I think it is safe to assume that Christmas most likely will be different as well. What won’t change? Baby Jesus will still show up! I would like to thank those who have sent a letter of support for Pastor Rita! If you haven’t done so, please do it immediately. Ms. Kathryn Weber, the attorney working on the religious worker visa process, is requesting this occur as soon as possible.

1. Address the letter: To Whom It May Concern 2. Email the letter along with your contact information to kweber@lawfirm1.com 3. State your reasons and support; how long you have been waiting, for a

pastor, what your needs include for a pastor, what Pastor Rita will be doing for the congregation, etc.

As we begin a new month, please know that you remain in my prayers.

Peace to you and your family ╬ Pastor Melinda

Sunday Worship

10:30 a.m.

In-person

and

Live Streamed via Facebook

WELCA BAZAAR NOTICE

The Women of Faith (WELCA) regret to inform our congregation that we will not be hosting our annual Bazaar & Luncheon due to the

possible spread of the Coronavirus. It would normally be held in early October. We appreciate that our women are always so willing

to support this event by making salads, desserts, baked goods and crafts and by helping on the day of the Bazaar. Thank you for all

that you’ve contributed in the past. We look forward to your help &

generosity next October, 2021 when we hope to host another Bazaar & Luncheon.

Page 1

Holy Communion Announcement

Sunday, October 4th, we will begin celebrating Holy Communion again at our in-person

worship services. Instructions will be included in the weekly mailing we send out. Keep in

mind, these are subject to change as we fine tune our procedure to ensure everyone’s safety.

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ~Isaiah 43.19

Dear Northern Great Lakes Synod,

God is indeed doing a new thing, and if we are not perceiving it, we

haven’t been paying attention. While binging Netflix certainly has its place, especially during a pandemic, there is value in taking a break now

and again, to consider what God is up to in these days.

I see God at work as the Church discovers again what is necessary and what can be dispensed

with. Many of our congregations have taken a hiatus from in-person worship at some point. Some still are, as cases continue to rise in their counties making in-person, inside worship

irresponsible. But what I think we have discovered is how much we miss in-person, inside worship. We miss the gathering, seeing each other, the liturgy, the rhythm, the fellowship, the

food, and more. For something that we took for granted in pre-pandemic days, we now know, without a doubt, that no matter how necessary online worship is, it will never completely

replace the blessing of being together as the community of faith in worship.

I believe online worship is here to stay. But we will eventually be able to gather again as we did, with singing and trumpets and sharing the peace with hand shaking and hugs shared.

Not yet, but someday. We would do well to be patient as that day will not come soon, even though we are well past wanting it to be today.

I also think we would do well to acknowledge the power of grief and lament in these days. Grief is a powerful force, even when it is unacknowledged. In these last months, we have

experienced significant loss. Even if you have not lost a loved one to COVID-19, even if you have not had to navigate what a funeral looks like in these days, there is still loss.

Church is not the same. Gathering with family and friends is not the same. Work and school are not the same. Visiting is not the same. We can’t sing, even if we do gather. Meetings are

canceled or online. “You’re on mute” has become the most frequently uttered sentence in all of history. We feel ourselves stretched thin. We sigh more often. We have trouble making

decisions. There’s maybe a lack of motivation. A lack of patience, a lack of energy, of having a shallow emotional stamina to cope with anything else that comes at us. Maybe you feel your

reserves are spent, wrung out, dried up, close to tears more often than you’d like to own. This, my dear synod, is grief.

When a person is grieving, it helps to see that the shadow that is cast, is indeed the power of loss over our lives. This is your cue, to be gentle with yourselves. And since we are all

experiencing grief in some capacity, then please be patient and gentle with each other as well. Grief can present as anger, as a quick temper, as impatience. So I ask you again, breathe

deep, and exhale. Do not let fear, or grief, or all that comes with it, steal your joy, undermine your faith, or add to your worry. God is up to something. God is at work. And God is with you, and your congregation, and your pastor, and your leaders, as you together figure out, in

prayerful discernment, how to meet our current challenges.

As we continue to journey through these wilderness days, these days darkened by the

shadows of death and loss, be comforted as it is precisely at these times that Christ our Lord promises to be with you. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Christ is

with you. And God will indeed make a way in the wilderness and will guide us along that way toward all that we are becoming and all that God would have us be.

I pray that you have such a sense of God’s presence with you, that your spirit will find peace, that your fears will be at rest, and you will be surprised by joy and un-

expected blessing.

Yours in Christ,

Bishop Katherine Finegan Page 2

Faith Lutheran Church

is a member congregation of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Synod website: nglsynod.org

Denomination website: elca.org

Beverly Tankersley– Medilodge– Rm A16

1011 Meridian St. SSM, MI 49783

Alice Isaacson– P.O. Box 1858

SSM, MI 49783 (906)259-0402

Copper Garrett- 5036 W. Five Mile Rd.

SSM, MI 49783 (906)632-8727

Linda Doran- 590 Three 1/2 Mile Rd.

SSM, MI 49783 (906)632-6483

Eva Mohr– E 5040 State Highway M35

Escanaba 49829 (906)789-0423

Ruth Ronquist- Merlin Home– 1703 Hyde St.

SSM, MI 49783 (906)253-2331

Walter Pell- 605 W. Portage Ave.

SSM, MI 49783 (906) 635-6002

Diane Borrousch- 2023 W 4th Ave. SSM, MI 49783 (906) 635-9606

Al Picotte- P.O. Box 580 Cedarville, MI 49719 (906) 630-8806

Our homebound and nursing home members are often so isolated that your phone call, visit, even a card can mean the difference between

lonely existence and continued life in our faith community. What can you do? Please reach out to those who have been such a vital part of our congregation and give back.

The Pathfinder is the monthly

newsletter of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America community at :

Faith Lutheran Church, 1600 Park Street,

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. (906) 632-7246

The deadline for the Pathfinder is

the 15th of each month.

Please send articles, comments, news items

c/o Pathfinder Editor, 1600 Park St. Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 or e-mail to faithlc1966@att.net

Interim Pastor: Rev. Melinda VanderSys

Church Office Administrator/Editor: Sean Uhrig

Congregation Council: Will Karr,

Sandy Lawson, Vicki Luoma, Wayne Olsen,

Ese Osumili, Catherine Tibbett, Steve Sanderson

And Jack Armstrong

Church Office Notice:

The office at Faith Lutheran Church is closed except to the Office Staff, Church Council, Church Treasurer, CCR (as requested) and Janitorial Staff. Sean is available only by telephone at (906) 632-7246 during normal business hours. If you have something for the church, please mail it to:

Faith Lutheran Church 1600 Park Street Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

Pastor Melinda is conducting church business from the office at Our Redeemer

Lutheran Church in Newberry. Please feel free to contact her at (906) 291-0897 or at orlcrev@jamadots.com Stay Safe, Stay Home Peace+

Page 3

Youth Wreath Fundraiser

Starting in November, you will be able to place an order for a wreath to support the youth ministry at Faith. More details will be forthcoming.

1st Terri East

4th Thomas Brewster

5th Lisa Roese

6th Sandra Lawson

9th Jack Armstrong

10th Alice Isaacson

10th Alleyah Sanderson

11th Louise Armstrong

11th Gail Knight

20th Laura Bailey

21st Cynthia Suppa

24th Anthony Bricco

27th Lori Strickland

28th Linda Stoetzer

28th Scott Kagarise

30th Sean Keller

31th Carly Suriano

Dixie & Al Picotte

43 years 10/15/77

Lilly & Ken Randall

40 years 10/18/80

Darryl & Terri East

20 years 10/14/00

FAITH LUTHERAN has been broadcasting (a.k.a. streaming) our Sunday services, as they happen (LIVE), to Facebook for

a couple months now. You can find us by searching for

“FaithLC1966” in your favorite internet browser (Google

Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc.). The reason you can’t just type in “Faith Lutheran Church” is because there are many “Faith Lutherans” in the world and unfortunately we

are not the first search result, usually. So we encourage you to join us at 10:20am on Sundays to watch live, or check

later in the day to watch the service at your leisure.

Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE!

If anyone has any Christian Music Vinyl Records that they are interested

in parting with, Sean knows someone who is interested in them and will put them to good use. If you have any leads, please call the church office

at 906-632-7246 to let Sean know. Thank you!

WORLD HUNGER BOXES

Thank you to everyone who donated while we

collected for the ELCA’s World Hunger

Campaign. We managed to raise $211.88 for this

wonderful cause!

OCTOBER 4

October 25th

Sunday, November 8th will be the second half of Faith’s annual

congregational meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to review and vote on the 2021

budget. Look for more information to come.

Page 4

Faith Lutheran Church Council Meeting July 21, 2020

The meeting was called to order by President Cathy Tibbett at 7:02 p.m. Members present: Stephanie Miller, Wayne Olsen (by phone), Pastor Melinda VanderSys, Vicki Luoma, Sandy Lawson, Cathy Tibbett, Steve Sanderson Members absent: Will Karr, Ese Osumili Devotions: Pastor Melinda opened with a prayer. Devotions for September – Sandy Lawson Previous Minutes: Steve Sanderson made a motion to accept the minutes of June 16, 2020. Seconded by Sandy Lawson. Motion carried. Future meetings: Council meeting - Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Counters: July – Cathy Tibbett, Ese Osumili August – Steve Sanderson, Vicki Luoma September – Steve Sanderson, Stephanie Miller Old Business: Distribution of the Endowment Funds: Steve Sanderson made a motion to disburse the endowment funds to the following: $1000 to Fortune Lake $500 for pastor’s moving expenses

$650 for Seminarians scholarship program $2000 for church maintenance projects Wayne Olsen seconded it. Motion carried. In-person Services: Worship services are 30 minutes long. Worship and Music committee to look at providing music for a prelude and postlude. Dave Erfourth will be contacted about providing organ music. New Business: Stephanie Miller is resigning her position on the church council. Pastor’s Report: Pastor Melinda gave her report. Committee Reports: Christian Education – Vacation Bible School this year will be providing each child with a pizza box with activities to do. This will be done by on July 22 at Faith Lutheran. Six churches (Presbyterian, Central Methodist, Algonquin Methodist, St. James Episcopal, Faith Lutheran, and Our Redeemer in Newberry) participated in Vacation Bible School this year. There will be a ZOOM meeting for kids on July 29 at 6:00. Sunday School and Youth Group will not start in the fall. Come to the Table – No Report Endowment – The distribution of the Endowment Funds for this year was done. Fellowship – No Report Worship and Music – No Report Membership – No Report Outreach – No Report Stewardship – There is a Stewardship workshop on Saturday, August 22 from 11:00 – 1:00 or from 3:00 – 5:00. Finance – Wayne Olsen gave the financial report. Our financial contributions have not been meeting our budget. Property – Wayne is still looking for a person to do the pillars.

He has someone to do the cross. Memorial – No Report Campus Ministry – No Report WELCA – No Report Staff Support – No Report A motion was made by Steve Sanderson to accept the committee reports including the pastor’s report. Seconded by Sandy Lawson. Motion carried. Motion to adjourn: Steve Sanderson made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Stephanie Miller. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer.

Respectfully submitted,

Vicki Luoma, Council Secretary Page 5

Month of Net Activity August July Net Activity

August Budget Under Budget Year-to-Date Year-to Date Over (Under)

Budget Budget

General Fund Revenue $ 7,033.00 $ 8,194.00 $ (1,161.00) $ 58,292.75 $ 88,384.00 $ (30,091.25)

Expenses $ 5,410.35 $ 13,447.00 $ (8,036.65) $ 53,963.11 $ 102,571.00 $ (48,607.89)

Revenue over ( under) Expenses $ 1,622.65 $ (5,253.00) $ 6,875.65 $ 4,329.64 $ (14,187.00) $ 18,516.64

We did not withdraw $6,000.00 from the Investment Account

for housing allowance as scheduled in May.

Endowment Funds was not withdrawn in June in the amount of $4,349.

From the Treasury

Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Faith Lutheran Church needs your help. Our weekly offerings continue to be less than expenditures, even more so since we began holding in-person worship services again, alongside weekly mailings. We realize many people may personally have been affected financially due to the pandemic and, for that, please know you are in our prayers.

The reality is that, even though Faith had not been holding in-person worship services up until June 28th, the work of the church continued and continues. Praise God! However, more expense has been incurred due to the radio service broadcasting and the weekly mailings sent to members who do not have internet access or who are weary of attending in-person services. There are still basic operating expenses that must be paid each month; water, electricity, insurance, etc. and now that in-person services have begun, there is a need to clean and sanitize the sanctuary each week.

There is only a certain amount of money that can be withdrawn from the endowment and investment funds to be used for operating expenses. And, at a certain point, the congregation may need to decide if it is meeting the goal and mission of the church.

So, I appeal to you and ask you to prayerfully answer these questions: Have you been able to continue your tithe to the ministry and mission at Faith? If not, is there a particular reason that you would like to discuss with Pastor Melinda? Please note that all conversations are kept confidential. Even though her time in the Faith office is limited, she is only a phone call away.

If you have been able to faithfully continue your tithe, are you able to increase your giving, even by a few dollars a week? Would you like to donate towards the air time (over and above your regular tithe) by paying for a week of the radio service broadcast ($35.00)? Are there any other specific areas of the general operating expenses you would like to contribute towards?

We ask that you pray for one another and the church especially as we continue to faithfully be the church.

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FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH

1600 PARK STREET

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI 49783

PATHFINDER

FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH*

YEAR OF MATTHEW

OCTOBER 2020

PENTECOST