March 2019

St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church 264 New Market Road, Dunellen, NJ 08812

(732) 968-4447 www.stlukedunellen.org

Newsletter Editor: Maggie Drouaillet Vol. MMXIX, No. 3

March 2019 _______________________________________________________________________

Our Wilderness “Repent and believe.” In Mark’s

Gospel, these are the first words that Jesus says after he is Baptized. “Repent and believe” are the words that Jesus feels called to speak after having been dragged by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. “Repent and believe” are the summary of Jesus’ sojourn in the wilderness with the wild beasts and angels. After Jesus is tempted by Satan, after Jesus is tested by the embodiment of all that is wrong in the world, after it seemed as though Jesus’ trial in the wilderness could not get any more difficult, Jesus arose out of the wilderness leaving the wild beasts and Satan behind him proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news.” Jesus’ movement from Baptism to wilderness to temptation to commitment to God’s nearness is paradigmatic of our life. We too are Baptized. And, having been Baptized as children or adults, what follows is one long journey in the wilderness. During our walk with the wild beasts and angels, we are tempted and knocked down. And according to God’s story, which is our story on account of Baptism, God will meet us in our wilderness. God will guide us out of our time of trial and give us the words to confess, “The kingdom of God has come near; I repent and believe the good news.” The pattern of Baptism, wilderness, temptation, and confession is seemingly written into our DNA. Each of us has been claimed by God only to have what follows that claiming a period of trial. St. Luke’s Lutheran Church’s sojourn in the wilderness has been long and unrelenting. Close or stay open? People

have left. Will the parsonage sell in time to pay for a pastor? Interim pastors, vice pastors, services of the word, and high holidays without a minister to administer communion all seem like the hallmarks of a wilderness journey. Can we help but ask, “Has God abandoned the church or me? Where is everybody? Does anyone care anymore? What will the future at St. Luke’s look like? Will there be one?” It is times like this that provoke fear in the life of the church. This is the wilderness. It is a place of fear, temptation, feeling lost, and confusion. Based on all of the metrics of worldly success, it would seem that perhaps our fear is justified. But, based on God’s story, which is our story, we confess that God is close to us in the wilderness. It is, after all, the first place that Jesus went after he was Baptized. I believe Jesus went into the wilderness first to assure those who know the desolate terrain of the wilderness that God, despite worldly standards of priority and success, will go to the barren places first. “The first will be last and the last will be first” after all…. God’s story tells us that after trial and temptation, after fear and confusion, after you have lost it all, God will be there with you. God chose the cross as the place of Glory for a reason because the cross, the place of humiliation and abandonment by the world, is a place that God’s people are familiar with. The cross in many ways is synonymous with wilderness. The expectations of what follows the cross are similar to the expectations of what follows wilderness sojourns – death. But we know this is not the case with God! Imagine with me for a moment the first time anyone ever experienced Winter.

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To such a person, the cold and snow would appear to be a death sentence to not only the plants but also to people. Animals seemingly die off or disappear. Plants wither under the weight of the ice and cold. The wind rips leaves from the trees. Amidst the deep freeze, a person would have to find a new form of shelter. Given the scarcity of plants and animals, a person would have to find new ways of sustaining their diet. And, in the absence of life and life prohibitive conditions, a person would have to find new forms of faith, new realities to hope for, and new expressions of love to sustain them. To a person who never experienced Winter before, the cold would become the new normal. Questions would ensue: Has God abandoned me? Where have all the animals gone? What will the future look like? Will there be one? You and I, having been through many Winters, know the answers to these questions. Winter prepares the ground for new growth. Animals seek shelter and procreate to perpetuate their species. The plants “sleep” in order to fervently grow in the Spring. And lastly, Winter does not last forever. So it is with the wilderness. So it is with the cross. St. Luke’s wilderness sojourn will not last forever. It, like all things, will end and when it does there will be something new in store for us. What that is will be up to God, but, however different the future may feel, it is and will be God’s. The ground is being and has been prepared for us. God is up to something at St. Luke’s and is leading us to something new. And we, who have experienced many Winters and Springs, can advise the people going through their first Winter that it too will end. So it is with God who tells us in Mark’s Gospel that St. Luke’s wilderness period will end. When it does, we too will confess with Jesus, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news.” But the end of the wilderness period is not the end of God’s story! What immediately follows Jesus’

long wilderness journey and confession of the nearness of the Kingdom of God are these words, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” This is the rhythm of the church: Baptism/death, Wilderness, Trial, Confession, Growth/Evangelism, and finally New Creation. Siblings in Christ, this is God’s story, this is our story. The wilderness period will end, and like Jesus’ wilderness journey, ours will end with the confession, “repent and believe the good news,” which will be followed by, “Come follow me.” God’s story then is meant to be shared as the wonderful gift that it is because God knows that there is an end to every wilderness and winter and at its end lies a confession of faith that is meant to be expressed to others. Your wilderness story is holy and compelling: Whatever wilderness comes our way, we have certainly traversed this terrain before, we have already nearly closed our doors once, but the Holy Spirit dragged us from the waters of Baptism into this new wilderness and, having our faith tried by doubt and uncertainty, the wild beasts gave way to angel’s songs that have beckoned us out of this desolate place. Why? Because, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news. Come follow me.” This is your story. Share it! It is has been an inspiration for me as it likely will be to others.

Grace and peace, Rev. Carmine Pernini Vice Pastor, St. Luke’s Dunellen

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Gary Gregory

Will Doheny

Beverley Mignella

Gwen DeMenna

Joe Mostowski

Doris Jean

Pastor Linda Larson

Vicki

Pearl

Carla Schwan Morgan

Patrice

Victoria Castagnetti

Karene Tripodi

Victoria

Dan Aronson

Phylene Day

Mary

Gary Takata

Amy

Jessica Marie

Carole Anne

Donna DeMarias

Helen

Bernie Lindemann

Salwa Bawarshi

Richard Jessup

Our Church Family News

Prayers of the Church:

Upcoming Events

March

Sun 3/3 Bold Women’s Day Holy Communion 10:00 am

Pastor John Elstad Footprints Board Meeting–11:15 am

Committee Meetings – 11:15 am “Fat Sunday” Coffee & Conversation

Wed 3/6 Ash Wednesday Soup & Cheese Supper 6:15 pm Lenten Service 7:30 pm Seminarian Peter Edwardsen Sun 3/10 Daylight Savings begins!

Holy Communion 10:00 am Pastor Sara Lilja

Wed 3/13 Church Council Meeting–7:00 pm Sun 3/17 St. Patrick’s Day

Service of the Word 10:00 am Seminarian Erich Kussman

St. Patty’s Day Corned Beef Brunch - 11:15 am Wed 3/20 First Day of Spring! Sun 3/24 Footprints Sunday

Service of the Word 10:00 am Ellen Lindemann Sun 3/31 Holy Communion Pastor Sara Lilja

Fat Sunday! Please join

us for a special coffee hour on March 3, 2019 to celebrate “Fat

Sunday”! Bring your most decadent dessert for everyone to enjoy before Lent begins. We can’t wait to see what people will bring!

Ash Wednesday Please join us for our annual Soup and Cheese dinner on Wednesday, March 6 at 6:15 pm. Soup and bread will be provided; please bring fruit and cheese to share. Dinner will be followed by our special Ash Wednesday service at 7:30 pm. We hope to see you all there.

Lieselotte Kugis

Louise

Sue Mozgai

Doris Welsh

Andy Lefin

Margaret Hill

Hazel Yarrington

Jessica Grace

Joshua Maynard

Kevin Kwasnick

Muriel Mason

Patrick Rupp

Carol Ann

Robert Charles

Nancy Jane

Thomas Albert

Vera

Georgina Ayala

Margaret

Ginger

Pam Wiseman

Richard DeAndrea

Grace Kerr

John Carfield

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Thank you to all who participated in our School Supply Drive for Nepal. We

collected more than 50 pounds of school supplies, including pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, glue sticks, scissors, and more. Awesome! Tulsi Maharjan has already delivered these supplies to a classroom in Nepal, where your donations are

making a great impact on these children’s lives!

Our Monthly Outreach Focus Operation Chill Out

OPERATION CHILLOUT (OCO) is an all-volunteer outreach dedicated to ending the crisis of homelessness for veterans, both men and women, throughout New Jersey and parts of NE Pennsylvania by:

Promoting awareness of the multi-faceted nature of poverty and homelessness.

Advocating for sustainable solutions and programs serving the needs of the poor, addicted, abused, and homeless to improve the quality of their lives leading to permanent change and independent living.

Organizing for peace and economic justice to address systemic inequities challenging impoverished communities.

Engaging in direct compassionate action, including the collection, dissemination, and delivery of supplies to homeless people and agencies providing for their temporary care. OCO was founded on December 21, 2000 to help a group of homeless Viet Nam veterans living in the open under a railroad trestle in northern NJ and became a registered 501c3 not-for-profit in 2011. They believe in the inherent worth of every homeless man, woman, and child and provide emergency supplies and survival gear to the most vulnerable members of our communities wherever we encounter them. They bring our care to all homeless people regardless of their religious affiliation, ethnic heritage, or state of life.

During March we are going to be collecting household supplies like dish soap, laundry detergent, paper towels, etc. for Operation Chillout, which is currently waiting to welcome their first veteran to their tiny home. We will have a chart of items needed to open the tiny house placed in the Narthex and will be collecting these supplies throughout the month. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

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This year, don’t give things up for Lent; add something to your Lenten experience

instead. Lent is not just about fasting; it’s also about feasting. The whole reason for giving something up is to make more room

in our lives, especially for God.

1. Make time for God. 2. Devote time to reading the Bible.

3. Pray the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have

mercy on me, a sinner.”

“I have held many things in my hands,

and I have lost them all; but whatever I

have placed in God’s hands, that I still

possess.” -Martin Luther

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6th, and so too does

our ELCA Good Gifts Season. Once again, this year, we will be

distributing offering folders to all members to make donations to a number of worthy causes sponsored by the national ELCA

church community. Be on the lookout for this important mailing!

Footprints News Happy St. Patrick’s Day! This month, we will be looking to see what mischief the leprechauns bring to our classrooms and whether he leaves us any treats on March 17. We are also looking forward to our spring field trip to Kidz Village in Woodbridge again this year. And, of course, we are very excited for the return of our Footprints Sunday at St. Luke’s, which will be on March 24, where the Footprints children will sing during the Children’s Sermon, and a special coffee hour will be held in their honor. After all, as we keep hearing, the children are the heart of the church. Hope to see you all there! God Bless, Miss Michelle

Sunday School Time Change

As St. Luke’s tries new things, some things will work, some things won’t, and some will have to be tweaked. We tried Sunday School at 9:30, but that just wasn’t enough time for our Sunday School students. So, starting on Sunday, March 3, Sunday School will start at 9:00 am and end at 9:50 am. We expect this change to better serve our teachers, our students, and their parents.

Speaking of time changes…

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Let’s remember to turn our clocks ahead when

Daylight Savings begins on Sunday, March 10th! And speaking of losing sleep…

WELCA Wellness Did you know that National

Sleep Awareness Week comes around each March? Sleep is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended. With that being said, how much Sleep do we really need? Sleep needs change as we age but here are some guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Age Recommended

Sleep

Newborns 16-18 hours a day

Preschool-aged

children

11-12 hours a day

School-aged

children

At least 10 hours a

day

Teens 9-10 hours a day

Adults (including

the elderly)

7-8 hours a day

The promotion of regular sleep is known as sleep hygiene. The following is a list of sleep hygiene tips that can be used to improve sleep.

Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning.

Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which is neither too hot nor too cold.

Make sure your bed is comfortable and use it only for sleeping. Try to avoid other activities, such as, reading, watching TV, or listening to music. Remove all TVs, computers, and other “gadgets” from the bedroom.

Avoid large meals before bedtime.

Sleep well and pleasant dreams!

Parish Life Our International Coffee Hour and our SOUPer Bowl Sunday Coffee Hour, new events held right in the Friendship Room, were both great successes, and we look forward to holding them again next year! For the “We Love St. Luke’s Luncheon,” 75% of churchgoers that day joined us for good food and fellowship! In March, we are looking forward to our special “Fat Sunday” Coffee Hour on March 3, our Ash Wednesday Soup and Cheese Supper on March 6, and out St. Patty’s Day Corned Beef Brunch on March 17. There is nothing like the fellowship at St. Luke’s, and we hope to see you all there! God Bless, Michelle Bennett

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Operations Committee Finance Report - - It is very important that every member remember to keep up their weekly giving. We are running very lean with the loss of many members, making it more important than ever to keep your financial support strong. With regard to the Parsonage, we have had a few lookers and one low-ball offer. We are still waiting for the right buyer to come along. Property - - “Oops, it happened again!” A frozen pipe blocked our sump pump output and cracked, sending water into a downstairs classroom. Fortunately, it was Sunday morning, when we were all there, and our super-sexton jumped in to save the day! Pump stopped, pipe repaired, and classroom cleaned….. and on Monday, it was like nothing happened! Thanks, Super Rob! We also had the boiler inspector come by, and he found a couple of issues with both the old and new boilers. The heat from the new boiler stopped a few days later, so we brought Izzy back to get the heat back on and resolve some of the inspector’s issues. Once again, our super-sexton volunteered to handle the last issue, and our boilers should pass the re-inspection with no problem.

We are always collecting Box Tops for Education for our local schools. These Box Tops can be found on lots of common

products, like General Mills cereals, Ziploc bags, Lysol wipes, Hefty trash bags, and more. Each one is worth 10 cents, so start clipping for our children! We are also always collecting pull tabs from aluminum cans (soda, seltzer, soup, etc.) for the Ronald McDonald House in New Brunswick, which keeps families close and comfortable when their child is receiving treatment at the Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick. Many of you may already have these things lying around your home, so why not bring them to church? And we will bring them where they can do some good!

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Flowers and Bulletins

The 2019 Flower and Bulletin charts are up, and we would love to see them fill up so that we can remember and celebrate all of your loved ones and also help the church keep expenses down on these items. The cost of flowers are $20, and the bulletins are $15. Of course, the flowers are yours after Sunday Worship Service. Each month’s chart will now appear in the Apostle so that if you signed up, you can make sure to come and get your flowers or keepsake bulletin OR if you haven’t signed up but are interested, you can see what weeks are available. Just call the church office or e-mail apostle@stlukedunellen.org to get your date for flowers or bulletins.

March 2019 Charts DATE FLOWERS BULLETINS

03/03/19 Lovich Available

03/10/19 *LENT* Available

03/17/19 *LENT* Available

03/24/19 *LENT* Drouaillet

03/31/19 *LENT* DeMenna

Pastoral care

As of January 1, 2019, we have a new Vice Pastor, Pastor Carmine Pernini of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rahway, NJ. He will be helping to guide the Council at its meetings and is available for any congregational member that needs pastoral care. He can best be reached:

on his cell at 732-284-6054 or

by e-mail at carminepernini@gmail.com.

Church Council 2019 Ellen Lindemann (908) 369-1386

Acting President Rep. of Social Ministry

Maggie Drouaillet (732) 887-6201

Council Secretary

Craig Busch (732) 968-0148 Treasurer Rep. of Stewardship

Ruth Muzik (732) 735-5627 Michelle Bennett (732) 328-0661 Rep. of Parish Life

Mary Mauriello (732) 752-2290

Rep. of Evangelism

Eleanore Lukacs (732) 752-2680 Rep. of Worship & Music

2019 Church Staff Maggie Drouaillet (732) 887-6201 Parish Administrator

Mary Beth Bawarshi (908) 604-6450 Organist

Michelle Bennett (732) 968-2211 Director Footprints Parish Life

Rob Bennett (732) 968-8499 Sexton

Church office hours for our Parish Administrator will vary. Please call the Office before stopping in. Please call the Church Office for prayer requests or emergency pastoral needs. The St. Luke’s church phone number is 732-968-4447. Our church website is www.stlukedunellen.org.

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ASH WEDNESDAY SOUP & CHEESE SUPPER

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019 at 6:15 PM

This meal together is to help us prepare for the simplicity and self-denial of Lent. A menu is planned of soup, bread, cheese, fruit and beverage followed by the church service at 7:30 PM. Each family is asked to bring a portion of cheese to share and

a piece of fresh fruit for each person in their family.

Name: _______________________________________ Phone No.: ____________________________________

Number Attending: _____________________________

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Sunday, March 17, 2019 immediately after the service

Please bring a good will offering!

Name:_______________________________________________ Number attending:_________ Phone number:_______________

March 2019 - St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3 Bold Women’s Day Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Holy Communion 10:00 am Pastor John Elstad “Fat Sunday” Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

Footprints Board Meeting 11:15 am

All Committee Meetings 11:15 am

4

5 6 Soup & Cheese

Supper - 6:15 pm Ash Wednesday

Lenten Service –

7:30 pm Peter Edwardsen

7

8

9

10 Daylight Savings Begins

Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am Holy Communion 10:00 am Pastor Sara Lilja

Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

11

12

13

Council Meeting –

7 pm

14

15 16

17 Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Service of the Word 10:00 am Erich Kussman St. Patty’s Corned Beef Brunch 11:15 am

Apostle Articles Due

18

19

20

First Day of Spring!

21 22

23

24 Footprints Sunday

Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Service of the Word 10:00 am Ellen Lindemann Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

31

Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Holy Communion 10:00 am Pastor Sara Lilja Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

25

26

27

28

March 2019 - Worship Assistants – St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Thank you for your ministry as Worship Assistants here at St. Luke’s. If you are scheduled for a service and are unable to make it, please give someone else on your team (Ushers, Lectors, etc.) a phone call and switch services with them, then call and notify the Church office of the change. Thanks again for your dedication in helping our worship services run smoothly!

DATE & TIME PRAYER READER

USHERS LECTOR COMMUNION ASSISTANT

COFFEE HOUR

COMMUNION BREAD

March 3, 2019 Bold Women’s Day Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Holy Communion 10:00 am Pastor John Elstad “Fat Sunday” Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

Footprints Board Meeting 11:15 am

All Committee Meetings 11:15 am

Maggie Drouaillet

Michelle Bennett

Maggie Drouaillet

Craig Busch

“Fat Sunday”

Maggie Drouaillet

March 10, 2019 Daylight Savings Begins

Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am Holy Communion 10:00 am Pastor Sara Lilja

Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

Mary Mauriello

Mary & Anthony Mauriello

Clifton Apanah

Ellen Lindemann

Lois Gorman and Debra Webb

Michelle Bennett

March 17, 2019 Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Service of the Word 10:00 am Erich Kussman St. Patty’s Corned Beef Brunch 11:15 am

Apostle Articles Due

Joseph Rodriquez

Michelle Bennett

Ellen Lindemann

Not needed

St. Patty’s Day Corned Beef Brunch

Not needed

March 24, 2019 Footprints Sunday Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Service of the Word 10:00 am Ellen Lindemann Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

Ellen Lindemann

Ruth Muzik

Jane Busch

Not needed

Footprints Sunday`

Not needed

March 31, 2019 Choir Practice / Sunday School / Adult Class 9:00 am

Holy Communion 10:00 am Pastor Sara Lilja Coffee & Conversation 11:15 am

Jane Busch

Ellen Lindemann

Ellen Lindemann

Craig Busch

Diane Szabo

Jane Busch

Coordinator

Ellen Lindemann 908-369-1386

Ellen Lindemann 908-369-1386

Joan Lindemann 908-526-7562

Joan Lindemann 908-526-7562

Sharon Lovich 732-469-6985

Ellen Lindemann 908-369-1386