ST. PAUL 'S STAFF

Pastor Rev. Charles H. Grube

Administrative Assistant Abby Aristeo Director of Music/Organist, Senior Choir, Chime Choir Director Dcs. Rebecca Elfman Sexton/Custodian James Madonna

CONGREGATION COUNCIL 2020 2021 2022 Lisa Fetterman* Carol Fett* Jon Moelling* Rebecca Ruckno Larry Corpus Joel Eneboe Heidi Manning Marty Everhart Don Pheasant Scott Schukraft John Waschek Alice Baer *Final Term

CONGREGATION OFFICERS President Rev. Charles H. Grube Vice-President Scott Schukraft Secretary Marty Everhart Treasurer Carol Fett

STANDING COMMITTEES Christian Education Marty Everhart Communications Joel Eneboe Evangelism/Stewardship Becky Ruckno/Marty Everhart Fellowship Alice Baer/Larry Corpus/Carol Fett Finance John Waschek/Don Pheasant/Carol Fett Head Start/Early Intervention Carol Fett/Becky Ruckno Landscaping Jon Moelling/Larry Corpus/ Long Range Planning Scott Schukraft/Don Pheasant/ John Waschek Parish Nurse/Health Ministry Lisa Fetterman Property Carol Fett/Jon Moelling/ Larry Corpus/Joel Eneboe Salary Review Lisa Fetterman/Scott Schukraft Social Ministry Alice Baer Staff Support Scott Schukraft/Lisa Fetterman Worship & Music Marty Everhart

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Sunday School Superintendent Tony Linnen Financial Secretary Ruth Ide

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

The next issue of the GOOD NEWS will be the

September 2020 issue. The

deadline for all submissions will

be Noon on Sunday,

August 16, 2020.

Please remember that items

for the weekly virtual bulletins

are due in the church office by

Noon on Thursdays.

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PRAYER LIST

Please remember to ask permission from the person you are placing on the prayer list.

Pray for the Congregations of Trinity, Towanda and St. Mark, Wilkes-Barre in July, and St. John, Wilkes-Barre and Good Shepherd, Wilkes-Barre in August.

Pray for those suffering illness: Members: Flo Belenski, Alice Bereznak, Marty Bisher, Don & Helen Carey, Vernon Crispell, Pam Cyphers, Mary Lou Daley-Button, Maryan Daily, Marge Fritzinger, Bina Holdredge, Kay Hometchko, Alice

Hudak, Barbara Kessler, Dave Kowalek, Audrey Lago, Judy Loeffler, Tom Lundberg, Margie McCarty, Bill Ostrum, Vivian Richardson, Bill Volkel, Mark Walters, Betty Weaver, Kay Whitehead, Justin Yost.

Family & Friends: Hank Banaszek, Joey Belles, Carol Bennetto, Larry M. Berdis, Dan Bevan, Bill Butcher, Katie Chamberlain, Paul & Justine Chernikovich, Keven Cleary, Donna Clemente, Elizabeth Covert, Joshua Crawford, Gladys Debesis, Cheryl DelKanic, Joan Devans, Katrina Diel, Bob Dinger, Jerome Eichhorn, Kay Fairley, Molly Feher, Candyce Fike, Bonnie Glahn, Mike Hage, Blake Herstek, David Hill, Bob Hughes, Ruth Hummel, Doug Ide, Charles Kingston, Shirley Knelly, Merceline Leiby, Jim Lorah, Audrey Mace, Chuck Madonna, Jim Madonna, Michele Macosky, Michelle Martin, Philip Martin, Stephanie McCarty, Rob Merritt, Chloe Mulcahey, Marilyn O’Boyle, Kathy O’Donnell, Kelly Phillips, Louis Pugh, Grace Rednar, Andy Roosa, Susan Ryan, Bonnie Ryman, Kelly, Aiden & Wyatt Schaper, Nancy Shymanski, Shirley Skrzysowski, Janet Spiker, Stevens Family, Benjamin Szostak, Jean Thompson, Wil Toner, Walt Toward, Maureen Tyminski, Greg Walp, Peter Williams, Karen Wise, Pete Yurchision, Gwen Zeckowski.

Pray for military personnel: Paul Hiller, Andrew Hiller, David Dymond, William B. Phillips, Jerry Price, Phillip Miller, Matt Lipo, Robert Stevens, Adam Wendoloski, David Spangenberg, Lt. Cdr. 04 Shaun McAndrew, Cpl. Christopher Avery, Maj. Cindy Ruckno, Maj. Kevin Andersen, Michael Tanner, Stanley Brudnicki, Charles Brudnicki, CPT Chris Petrock, Jason Reed, Ethan Jacobs, Pvt. Kevin Fritzges, Aaron Coburn, Justin Thomas, Michael Hoffman, Josh Baranowski, John Stokes, Daniel Brady, Brandon Stephenson, Connor Lynch.

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In the ongoing health crisis caused by the COVID-19

pandemic, our St. Paul’s leadership continue to follow the

guidelines and recommendations from the governor, the

CDC, and from the ELCA.

Please be sure to visit our website, www.stpaulsdallaspa.org,

regularly to receive the most current information. Online

worship resources are available under the Sermons tab.

Church Bulletin Announcements are located on the

Upcoming Events/Bulletin Tab (under What’s Happening on

the home page) and these are updated daily as needed. The

Current Prayer List is available upon request, and can be

delivered either by email or by postal service; please contact

the church office at 570-675-3859 or email stpaul@epix.net

to express your interest.

The church office is open 9:00 am to 1:00 pm,

Monday through Friday. The sanctuary is open for

quiet, for prayer, for reflection, during the same

hours.

Please be certain to wear your mask properly to

enter the church building.

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These notes are from the meeting of Congregation Council held remotely via Zoom on Tuesday, June 2.

Communications: Larry & Kathy Corpus have been very effective in their assistance with Sunday morning services.

Landscaping: Mulching in various garden beds is complete and looks good. Geraniums from Pentecost need to be planted or given to the people who ordered them; Heidi Manning and Alice Baer volunteered to plant them.

Christian Ed.: All gifts for Head Start have gotten to the families. No update on VBS, however resources for a virtual VBS are being looked at.

Head Start/Early Intervention: Early Intervention hopes to go forward with their summer session.

Property: Doors for the kitchen hallway have been ordered.

Old Business: Council Elections will be held when gathering is possible. Congregational Picnic is on hold. Reopening Strategies: Larry Corpus drew a floor plan of the sanctuary to illustrate possible seating arrangements with physical distancing guidelines in place. It is possible to seat about 50 people at a distance of 6 to 7 feet. Communion practices will include the use of wafers to minimize contact. It was noted that some members are eager to return to in-person worship while others are not. Returning to services will need to be a voluntary decision for each person.

WEEKLY WHITE OFFERING ENVELOPES

2020 2019

January $ 11,539.96 $ 10,240.28

February $ 15,010.99 $ 13,052.96

March $ 14,905.40 $ 14,929.74

April $ 14,357.48 $ 13,025.52

May $ 14,858.04 $ 14,156.42

June

Total to date $ 70,671.87 $ 65,404.92

*General Fund: 2020* 2019*

Income* $ 94,341.43 $ 84,821.80

Transfer/Savings $ 5,000.00 $ 26,000.00

Expenses to date $ 110,076.60 $ 114,208.75

*General Fund - does not include Special Appeals or Designated Funds

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

And so it continues. As things appeared to be

improving and strictest lockdown measures were

lifted, the virus has surged in other parts of the

country and is hitting close to home. A group of

congregational leaders has met several times over

the past weeks to

research and determine

the conditions of our

building and our

community gathering

in order to facilitate

returning to in-person

worship at the church.

Pews have been taped

off, lines indicated on

the floor, pew racks have been cleared to

facilitate regular and frequent cleaning, and doors

are propped open. But our concern for those

who are most vulnerable, who are also the ones

who would like to return the most or might feel

guilty about not gathering with others, continues

to be our concern. In the meantime, we have not

missed a week of worship, though we have had to

get used to seeing one another online, we’ve

returned to weekly Bible Study, you continue to

provide generously for the Back Mountain Food

pantry, and your continued financial support of

our ministry is a bold and faithful expression of

your stewardship of resources. In these weeks

ahead, as things continue to evolve, develop, and

change, please also continue to remember our

community: the people you miss seeing, the

people with particular needs, the people who

continue to endure this alone or without the

company of their spouse or loved ones. And

thank you for being church in these very unusual

days.

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, Pastor

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We still remain true to the faith of our fathers who established religious liberty when the nation began. We

must remember, too, that our forebears in every generation, and wherever they established their homes, made prompt and generous provision for the institutions

of religion. We must continue their steadfast reliance upon the providence of God.

No greater blessing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of religion. I doubt if there is any

problem in the world today -- social, political or economic -- that would not find happy solution if

approached in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount.

-- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1938

VERY SPECIAL VISITOR JULY 5

Rev. Rachel Ringlaben is our missionary in Argentina and Uruguay and the Country Coordinator of the Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) there in partnership with our companion synod, the Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida. Because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, ELCA Global Mission missionaries and YAGM’s were called back to

the US. Pastor Rachel is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, but has lived and served in both South and Central America. We are honored and delighted to welcome her as our worship guest and preacher Sunday, July 5. Through the technology we use these days for worship, Pastor Rachel will be able to join with us and join Pastor Grube in leading us in worship. We encourage you to remember her, the YAGMs she guides, and our companions in Argentina and Uruguay and keep them all in your prayers.

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BOLT VVBS IS GREAT EXPERIENCE

It wasn’t the usual way Vacation Bible School happens, as is true of so many of our ministries and activities these days, but we were able to have an at-home Vacation Bible School using online resources, something we came to call VVBS (Virtual Vacation Bible School). Go curriculum’s specially designed VBS, BOLT, was our resource, and we invited families to take advantage of the three sessions June 25-27, with a live wrap-up “VVBS Tailgate party” via Zoom on Sunday, June 28. We’re grateful to parents and other adults who took the initiative to take advantage of the resource and guide their children through the three days of listening to Jesus, focusing on Jesus, and following Jesus with video presentations on the Bible stories, games, and origami crafts. The good news for those who missed the dates is that the resource is still available to you to use at your own time. The email message to church families June 25 includes the link and instructions for accessing the materials. Contact the church office if you need that information again.

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ELCA MARKS SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES

Did you know? This is a significant anniversary time of our Lutheran Church. The ELCA recognized the anniversaries at last summer’s Churchwide Assembly with a 50-40-10 anniversary celebration. Fifty years ago, November 1970, the first woman was ordained a Lutheran pastor when Elizabeth Platz was ordained in our predecessor body, the Lutheran Church in America. It was able to happen because on June 29, 1970, the Lutheran Church in America voted to change the word “man” to “person” in its bylaws and opened the door for the ordination of women. Today women represent about a third of the pastors in our ELCA, and about 35% the ELCA Conference of Bishops (the synod bishops from across the country) are women, including our first woman Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton. And across world Lutheranism, 114 out of 145 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation ordain women. The 40 stands for the anniversary of the first women of color ordained to the ministry when Lydia Rivera Kalb (Latina), Earlean Miller (African descent), and Asha George-Guiser (Asian) were ordained in March and August 1979 and July 1982. Today, just under 10% of women pastors are of color. And the 10 marks the anniversary of the 2009 Churchwide action to welcome into full leadership LGBTQIA+ members, including ordination. We give thanks for the leadership of women in the church since Mary Magdalene proclaimed the incredible news of the empty tomb to the disciples, and for the gifts and calling of all who proclaim the good news in this and every generation.

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TREASURE THE PRESENT Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest … to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. Let’s be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.

-- Henri Nouwen

“Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have. What you are will show in what you do.”

-- Thomas Davidson

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A FUN APP FOR CHILDREN TO TRY

If your children entertain themselves with games and activities on your phone, here’s an app you can trust. The

Metropolitan New York Synod of the ELCA has developed an app for children ages 4+ called the Metropolitan New York Synod (or MNYS)

Children’s App. Games and activities are centered around life in the congregation and the biblical stories. It’s wordless, so open to everyone, and it’s free. The February 2020 edition of Living Lutheran on “Technology and the Church” featured an article about the app and its development. The app is available from the Apple Store and Google Play. Search for MNYS Children’s App.

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PASSAGES

We are so pleased to announce that the following young members of St. Paul’s have successfully completed their studies, and graduated from their respective institutions. And even if we cannot gather to congratulate you in person, we can celebrate your achievement here.

Derek Gordon is graduating from Dallas High School. In the fall he will be attending Susquehanna University to study math and actuarial science, and continue to play lacrosse for the River Hawks.

Lily Wood will graduate from Lake Lehman on July 24, when they hope to hold graduation ceremonies. Lily will be going into the Philadelphia University of Sciences to pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Jacob Thomas is graduating from Dallas High School. He will attend Misericordia University in the fall to pursue a B/S M/S degree in Speech Language Pathology with a minor in Music/Culture Studies.

Ethan Thomas is graduating from Dallas High School, and will attend Kings College majoring in Early Education/Special Education with a minor in Criminal Justice.

Other members of the Class of 2020 are David Janoski, Samantha Michael, and Madison Porasky, and we send them our congratulations and wishes for future success as well.

Vincent and Kelly Bellezza have a new address. Please update your directory: 2 Rays Lane Dallas, PA 18612-1403 We wish you well in your new surroundings!

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CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED

The church office will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Messages will be checked throughout the day.

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GATHERING FOR SERVICES NOT POSSIBLE BUT YOUR SUPPORT IS STILL NEEDED

Our church is currently in uncharted waters as we have had to cancel our gathering for weekend services due to the Covid-19 health emergency. We are all hoping and praying that the virus will be contained and we will be able to return to less restricted activity in the near future. Right now, that isn’t happening yet, and we are asking you to please remember that our daily and monthly expenses will continue and obligations need to be met. We have cut back on various expenses, shortened business hours, turned down thermostats, &c.

Offering envelopes may be mailed to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Attn: Carol Fett PO Box 802 Dallas, PA 18612

or placed in the Treasurer’s Mailbox (by choir room) if you stop by church to pray or meditate;

or you may open an online offering account via our church website at www.stpaulsdallaspa.org and click on the Online Giving link where you can indicate a one-time, weekly, or monthly donation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Carol Fett at: cafett54@gmail.com or 570-852-9176.

Thank you for your continued support of St. Paul’s ministries.

Be safe and God bless you.

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Image courtesy of Vecteezy.com

Hi Everyone,

Red, Yellow, GREEN! And off we go...but go slow. It isn’t a race. It is not “going back to normal.” This disease isn’t like the flu! We’re all anxious to be with our friends and family and do all the things we’ve missed doing for so long. Oh, I miss being with my grandkids….

I’ve been reading many articles, listening to many news reports, and searching national heath sites. This Covid-19 doesn’t care how old you are, what race you are, what you do for a living, where you live or anything else for that matter. It is in control! As of this writing, the U.S. has had the highest positive count in one day to date, has 25% of the world’s cases, and 25% of the world’s deaths. Yes, youth usually get away with less severe symptoms or even no symptoms UNLESS they have underlying conditions. The problem is this: a person (any age) who gets infected and then intermingles with others before they themselves develop any symptoms have now infected more people. Thus, this person has already infected – friends, siblings, parents, grandparents! And as you know the older a person gets, usually, he/she has developed more risk factors. That means more complications and the possibility of death! Many people can be infected unbeknownst to themselves until it’s too late. Masks, physically distancing, hand washing, and sanitizing frequently used surfaces are necessities! Masks have been scientifically proven effective against spreading the disease. Covid-19 is not just a personal disease but a community disease!

Every time, for me, when I go out anywhere I have to ask myself a series of questions: Is it safe? Is it a necessity for me (or for my sanity)? Will there be a lot of people there at that time? Will they be masked? Does the place practice good sanitary procedures? Will I be at risk or put others at risk? I follow a lot of other safety rules, like the speed limit; this is no different. I also think about the hospital costs when they come due if I get sick. Is the risk just to me or to my community? As I paraphrase from Dr. Amita Sudhir, taking baby steps on that fine line between safety and freedom as we learn to live with Covid-19 for the foreseeable future. Pray an effective vaccine comes soon.

Please check out the Health page on our website. Call Penn State Extension (PSE) and ask for our Mary Ehret concerning nutritional questions. Use their links for many interesting subjects. Also, Stephanie, from Wyoming Valley Alcohol and Drug Services, has shared links for help with mental issues. Many thanks to both women!

In Love and Service, Gail Ide, BSN, RN

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COUPONS STILL NEEDED

Social Ministry Committee requests that you keep up the

good work of cutting coupons for the Women’s Resource Center of Susquehanna County. The kinds of coupons needed are diaper coupons, coupons for cleaning supplies (mops, paper towels, disinfectants, sponges, surface cleaners and the like), and personal care coupons

(shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, mouthwash, &c). The box for you to put them in is on the table in the hallway. Thank you!

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COMMUNITY CARE CABINET NEEDS US

Shavertown UMC announced the opening of the Community Care Cabinet, a ministry that supplements items not normally supplied by the local food banks. Donations of toilet paper, paper towels, dishwashing soap, all-purpose cleaner, garbage bags, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine products, toothpaste, tissues, dental floss, baby wipes, disposable razors, shaving cream and disinfectant spray are being accepted. Monetary donations are also welcome. St. Paul’s has begun a standing donation site, much like the grocery cart for the Food Pantry, so please look for the basket on the hallway table. Thank you for your support of this Social Ministry outreach project.

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“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.”

-- Author unknown

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MISSION PERSONNEL REFLECTION by Daudi Msseemmaa, regional representative for East Africa

Rural people are accustomed to cycles of plenty and poverty. Livestock keepers, like the Maasai who live in my region, are even more so. During a severe drought in 2008-2009, I spent time in villages where the carcasses of livestock littered the ground and hungry children fainted in class. There was lots of suffering. But I did not encounter hopelessness — even among malnourished mothers who couldn’t provide enough breast milk for their infants. They had a saying, that God is far but he is very near. I recently recounted that memory with one of my elders — a theologian named Gabriel Kimirei. He said that, in the Maasai traditional religion, there’s a belief that, in the good times, God is near with all his communal blessings. In the times of drought and communal suffering, God is far. But even when God is far, it won’t be long before he comes back. It’s a hopeful posture against pain — understanding that it is a season that will pass. In times such as these, when COVID-19 has taken so many lives and battered so many economies, it would be easy to say that God is far. But our Christian tradition tells us God is a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46). God never leaves us. Still, adopting the cyclical way of seeing life can help us avoid despair during seasons such as this. It requires breaking free from a linear way of looking at life, as a journey from point A to point B, or looking at time, as the steady march of progress. Both are a circle.

[Reprinted from ELCA Global Links, June 2020, https://communi

ty.elca.org/emailviewonwebpage.aspx?erid=0f0b5aea-5e6d-4437-99a7-

3caaf692d04e&trid=0f0b5aea-5e6d-4437-99a7-3caaf692d04e]

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THE RHYTHM OF REST Does God indeed need to rest? Of course not! But did God choose to rest? Yes. Why? Because God subjected creation to a rhythm of rest and work that he revealed by observing the rhythm himself, as a precedent for everyone else. In this way, he showed us a key to order in our private worlds. --Gordon McDonald

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GOD’S WORK. OUR HANDS. DAY OF SERVICE

God’s Work. Our Hands. Day of Service will be noted on September 13 this year. We have no idea what that will look like, but we’re thinking about it and we’d like you to do so as well. What sorts of things could we do for the community, especially in the light of the new world we must navigate? Please share your thoughts and suggestions with any Social Ministry Committee member, Alice Baer, or the church office as soon as possible. All reasonable suggestions will be considered.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Dedicated volunteers have traveled to St. Vincent dePaul Kitchen on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. If we are able to resume this service to others during July or August, the dates will be announced. If you are interested in helping,

please contact Alice Baer for more information. The hours are 4:00 to 6:00 pm and if you would like to carpool, we will meet at St. Paul’s parking lot at 3:25. Thank you for considering this service to our community.

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FOOD PANTRY UPDATE

The Pantry has announced the following as the items

most needed at this time: all types of cereal, apple sauce, jelly, juice, pancake syrup, stuffing, pork & beans, canned sliced carrots, boxed mashed potatoes, fruit cocktail, Hamburger Helper, and tomato soup.

Need is increasing due to the current health crisis. If you are unable to donate food as usual for any reason, please consider a monetary donation to the Pantry. Keep the families in need in your prayers and thank you for your donations.

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