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The Communicator

CLC’s Monthly Newsletter

November

Dear Christian friends,

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).  

Saying “Thank you!” is a necessary tradition woven into the fabric of our society. We teach this practice to our children. We get upset when others in our life together neglect its use. We’ve even made it a national institution by setting aside a special “Thanksgiving Day” every year—coming right up this month November 28!

Our new life in Christ is a thankful life, so for us this day is very rich in meaning. As Christians, we look to God when we give thanks. When we thank God we acknowledge our complete dependence on Him for all we need in body and soul. Martin Luther makes this point beautifully in his explanation to the first article of the Apostle’s Creed. In worship we confess the words: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” Have you ever stopped and reflected upon this statement? Have you ever thought, “What does this mean?” Luther took the time to unpack this sentence, to bring the richness of this statement to life. Luther wrote:

“I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all I need to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness

in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.”

We, as Christians, know that everything we are and everything that we have is a gift from God. We offer our thanks and praise to Him for everything that He has given to us, including forgiveness and life everlasting. We should not be generic or ambiguous with our thanks. We can make our thanksgiving clear and direct. One way to do this, in prayer anytime or even around your table on Thanksgiving Day, would be to begin with the opening words of Martin Luther’s Morning and Evening prayers—“I thank you my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ Your dear Son for . . .” This is certainly a clear and true confession that gives thanks to the proper source.

Please join me in giving thanks to God with a special worship service this Thanksgiving Eve—Wednesday, November 27 at 7pm.

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

In Christ,Pastor Rasmussen

Stewardship

“Where your treasure is there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Notice that our Lord does not say: Where your heart is there your treasure will be also. He says the exact opposite. Hearts follow treasure, not treasure follow hearts. And this raises a question: where is your treasure?

In other words, what do you do with your money? A quick glance through your check register will tell you. It reveals where your heart is. So, where is your heart? What do you find? If you’re honest, it will reveal two things. First, that your heart is not where it should be; and second, that you’re heart is where it should be. You ask: How can this be? How can it be both? Isn’t this a logical contradiction?

No. Because your heart is not to be in one place only. “Consider your station in life according to the Ten Commandments . . . .” This we all know from the fifth chief part in Luther’s Small Catechism on Confession. Our station is our vocation. What is our station, our vocation, in life according to the Ten Commandments? Luther makes a list, but this list can be stated more generally under three categories: the Family, the State, and the Church. We have a vocation as a member of our family, of the state or society, and of the church. Vocation sets forth our relationship to those around us. Some are members of our family. Some are members of our community in society, the state. And some are members of the church, God’s own family. This is where your heart should be. It should be with your family, your state, and your church. And since hearts follow treasures, this is where your treasure should be.

So “consider your station in life according to the Ten Commandments.” Consider your vocation. You are a member of a family. You are a member of society. You are a member of the church, God’s own family. And so you give your treasure to those who are placed under care according to your vocation. You give to your family to provide for them because God has ordered your life to be in service to the members of your family. You give to the state to provide for them because God has ordered your life to be in service to those who are fellow members of the state. You give to the church to provide for them because God has ordered your life to be in service to those who are fellow members of the Body of Christ, God’s own family.

We are beneficiaries of God’s generosity in the family, the state, and the church. This, we confess in the Apostles’ Creed as we learned it from the meanings in the Small Catechism. We have received from God, out of his divine goodness and mercy, from his rich and daily providence, all that we need for this body and life, and all that we need for the life that is yet to come. God gives; we receive. And because we have received what He has given so richly, we can’t not help but give in like measure. This is where your treasures go. And as our Lord promises, your heart shall follow.

November 3, 2013 After the Second Service

We will be holding a Special Voters Meeting after the second service to vote on the budget which was postponed to the adjourned meeting to meet again on November 3rd. If you are a Voting Member, please plan to attend. If you are not a Voting Member yet, join us and we will add you to the roster.

The Care Committee 2013

The Care Committee, originally envisioned by Pastor Jensen, is hoping to continue its ministry with the support of Pastor Rasmussen. CLC has always been a wonderful example of a congregation that helps its members in any way necessary. The Care committee looks to expand on this idea by simply touching base with the members and visitors at CLC with a special emphasis on those who are suffering or unable to leave their homes. Caring is a form of love and the Bible tells us,

“This is the message you heard from the beginning:

We should love one another,”

(1 John 3:11).

If you would like to either have someone visit/call you or if you would like to participate in this ministry, please call Justine in the church office or call Pastor Rasmussen. We would like to hold a meeting soon to discuss the possibilities and to define the shape of this ministry based on the talents and ideas of those interested in serving.

On November 5th we will be holding our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by the Women’s Guild Board.  This year we will have the dinner in a buffet style instead of individual’s decorating their host tables. Please note this meeting will begin at 6:00PM.  This is the only event that will start earlier then our normal meeting time.  Please come and enjoy an Early Thanksgiving Dinner with the lovely ladies of CLC.  As usual you are welcome to invite a friend along.  There will be a sign up sheet in the narthex if you plan on attending.  If you do not sign up and find you would like to attend, please do.  The signup sheet is so we can get a basic number of people.  There will be plenty of food for all.

 Mary Gutknecht has graciously agreed to send out email reminders prior to each event.  If you would like to be included in her distribution list please email her at: gutkvt@comcast.net  likewise if you have been receiving her emails and would like to be taken off the distribution list, please reply to her and let her know. We have already found that this has been very helpful to the women who attended last month’s meeting.  Thank you Mary!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Women’s Guild Board Members to all.  We have much to be grateful for.

UPDATE:

MobilePack Experience

Dec 3: 6:30 pm Women’s Guild: Nativity Program Presented by Sandy Dienst

Dec 4: 7:00 pm 1st Midweek Advent Service Dec11: 7:00 pm 2nd Midweek Advent Service Dec 12: 12:00 pm Summit Club Christmas Potluck Dec 15: 11:00 am Children’s Christmas Pageant Dec18: 7:00 pm 3rd Midweek Advent Service Dec 24: 4:00 pm Family Christmas Service

o 7:00 pm Candlelight Service Dec 25 10:00 am Christmas Morning Service

                Twenty-five people from CLC joined volunteers from as many as 35 other churches (1,250 volunteers total) to participate in this Feed My Starving Children—a national and international Christian organization—at a local site in Essex Junction on Friday afternoon and Saturday.  During that time, 272,160 meals were packed to feed 746 children in Haiti for one year.  Moreover, $62,590 were donated with another $6,000 promised, of which $728 is from our church as the October Mission of Month.  And, gratefully, this will be matched by 1/3 from Thrivent. On top of that, 800 pounds of non-perishable food was collected for the Vermont Food Bank.  Interestingly, volunteers came from all over VT, NH, and NY, some “experiencing the Gospel of Jesus for the first time.”

                This experience proved to be very enjoyable.  In fact, those I talked with are ready to sign up again next year.  Thank you to all who participated.  Thank you to all who donated $728.00 for the October Mission of Month and to Thrivent.      Judie Wiley, Missions chairperson

Come Join our New Wednesday Morning Refugee Tutoring Group Thandi Bergfalk

In November, the CLC Refugee Tutoring group will start a second session meeting on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at church. We will also continue to meet Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. So if mornings are a better time for you, please join us! No experience is needed and basic training is provided. We have many more students who would love to improve their English.

We currently have 13 older Bhutanese students at varying levels of English ability who join us each week. Most of our students do not work and so have limited opportunities to learn and practice their English. They are enthusiastic learners and are making remarkable progress, and are very grateful for this opportunity to learn. Both the students and tutors have a lot of fun with each small step forward. We work both one-on-one with students or in small groups at similar levels.

The Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, which has partnered with us in this program, has a wealth of resources to help us and will come and do another orientation and training session whenever we ask. Please contact Thandi Bergfalk (864-3447) or Maria Reilly (862-4376) if you are interested.

HOLIDAY BAZAARNovember 16, 2013 from 9:00 am –4:00 pmMary Gutknecht and Judie Wiley, chairpersons

Thrivent ChoiceThere are many ways you can contribute at CLC. One way is to direct your Thrivent Choice Dollars to CLC. Thrivent Choice is a charitable grant program that uses “Choice Dollars” as a way that Thrivent members can direct the distribution of Thrivent charitable funds.

You can direct Choice Dollars to CLC in one of two ways: First: Visit . Click on log in and enter your MyThrivent user ID and password. Search for Community Lutheran Church. Second: Call 1-800-847-4836 and when prompted, say “Thrivent Choice”. When next prompted, say “Choice Dollars”. A representative will then assist you.

As a result of recent changes to the program, if you had previously set up “recurring direction” of your Choice Dollars” to CLC, it may be necessary for you to re-establish your designation.

These Choice Dollars are used at CLC in many ways. It pays for pizza for our Christmas Carolers and for the workers on clean up days, buys the flowers for the outside planters, as well as helping our youth attend gatherings. Please take the time to notify Thrivent that you want your Choice Dollars to go to CLC.

The CLC Holiday Bazaar is approaching.

First of all, please note the date and mark your calendar for Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and plan to attend this special event in our church life. What a wonderful way to prepare for the holidays: creative and unique things to buy, homemade café food to eat or take home, absolutely delicious home baked goods to help you prepare for get-togethers with family and friends, as well as the opportunity to fellowship with other church members.

Tell your friends and neighbors, too, for they won’t want to miss this popular bazaar. We will be accepting books, toys, household items, treasures, houseplants, and crafts as early as noon on Sunday, November 10 immediately following the worship service. Just a reminder: please NO computers, monitors, electronics, televisions, linens, or clothes.

As a church community effort, we welcome your help; in fact, we need your help. You’ll notice that the sign-up sheets offer 1 and 2 hour slots, or more if you have the time. You can choose your time and date. The important thing is: PLEASE VOLUNTEER.

BAKED GOODS: please sign up to provide baked goods, indicating what you will bring. As you know, we will need those baked goods on Friday, November 15 so that we can wrap and price them. Would you please:Name your baked goods (apple pie, maple fudge, old fashioned sugar cookie, etc.)Indicate if your item can be cut into smaller pieces for dessert at Café or sale of smaller portionsThere are aluminum tins in the kitchen for your use.We welcome your donation as early as 11 am on that Friday

HOMEMADE SOUPS: please sign up to bring a soup for sale at the Café. Fran Ferro, chairperson of this Bazaar area, requests that you: Bring your soup in by 9:00 am. Bring your soup in already warmed since customers begin to ask for soup as early as 10:00 am.

TREASURES: you may bring your much-appreciated Treasures on Sunday after church on November 10th through Thursday, November 14th.We request that Treasures are clean, dry, and in good saleable condition

VOLUNTEER HELP: Sunday, November 10 to help set-up the different rooms for the Bazaar. Monday through Thursday to help chairpersons of the different rooms to arrange the large volume of items that come in. Bazaar Day itself: you can choose your place and time, if you like. We’ll need much help that day. After the Bazaar, to help break-down. A supper will be served to all who participate in this final effort!

FINAL REQUEST: please save plastic bags for customer use in each sale room. Thank you all.

QUESTIONS: Please call Mary or Judie.

CRAFTERS!

Fletcher Allen Hospital would be glad to receive lap blankets from us.  We're collecting 12" squares again to make patchwork blankets. You can also make whole blankets if you prefer, and there are projects for machine stitchers and quilters as well.  See Carol Scott for more details, or contact her at Kayrevt@comcast.net.

USHER

TRAINING

Have you ever considered ushering? If you think you may be interested, there will be an information and training session Sunday, Nov. 24th between services (about 9:45 am). We encourage everyone to come, including individuals, pairs and youth. We can team you up with a more experienced partner, if you prefer. Please contact the church office or Steve and Terry Taylor if you would like to attend.

NOVEMBER COFFEE HOUR

Although Reformation Sunday is late October, our theme for the November Coffee Hour is fitting for all seasons: The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord. Ephesians 2:20-21. This November Coffee Hour will be on November 10th between the two worship services, 9:30 – 10:55 am in the Narthex. Please join us for coffee and cookies. Deanna Plourde and Judie Wiley, coordinators

The Mission of Month team has decided, this month, to break with tradition and for a very good reason. We are suggesting that we give twice this month to the same recipient: The Food Co-Op at Concordia Theological Seminary. This would be our Mission of Month AND Thanksgiving Offering. Please look for two envelopes: one on November 10th and the second at Thanksgiving.

Here is our reasoning. Students often enter Theological Seminary with very few means as they follow their desire and the Spirit to pursue their vocation. In this light, these students and their families need our help. I spoke with our Pastor about their experience with this Food Co-Op during the three years they spent at Concordia. Pastor Rasmussen said that they used this resource to the fullest extent, finding it enormously helpful to them, a true blessing. Yet, this is a donation which is often overlooked. Our donation for Mission of the Month and for the Thanksgiving Offering will help all students—pastors and deaconesses—who are in training to serve us, in our church bodies.

Many students report that 75% to 85% of their grocery needs are met at this on-campus facility. But, what is this Food Co-Op?

It is available to students enrolled in classes. All monetary gifts given to the Co-Op for food

items are restricted to purchase of grocery items on the shelves of the Co-Op.

The Co-Op is set up with shelves, freezers and coolers to hold perishable and non-perishable items.

Over the Counter medications, paper products, cleaning supplies, and diapers are also available.

This is a free service with allotments given according to family size.

Students may shop 2 days a week.

The Co-Op relies solely on the generous donations of individuals, congregations, and organizations. These gifts are truly a blessing to the students and their families. As our pastor and his family are now a blessing to us may we, as a congregation, offer a twofold blessing to other seminary students. Particularly at the end of the year, we know that the month of December is

often extremely tight financially. Let us give generously this November and again at Thanksgiving. These students are the future of our Lutheran Church.

Thank you, the Mission of Month team. Judie Wiley, chairperson.

NOVEMBER TURKEY DRIVE!

It’s that time of year. Once again, we will be holding our annual Turkey Drive, as it is a great way to get involved in the fight against hunger and help out our neighbors. We will be collecting Turkeys for the entire month of November, and Ike Isley will pick them up and bring them to the local Food Shelf. Also, please feel free to bring in non-perishable food items. We will

be keeping track of our donations this month, so please watch for it in our December Newsletter!

Church Supper & Concert

Saturday, November 9th

Supper is served between 5:00-6:30 pm

Concert with:

Gospel Train followed by Jericho Road Crew

Music begins at 7:00

Where? Calais Woodbury United Church **The big white church in South

Woodbury**

Tickets are $7 per person. Children under 5 are free

Jeff Alexander 11/1

Ann Isley 11/1

Duncan Eaton 11/8

Bob Snyder 11/10

Ethel Schuele 11/11

Fran Ferro 11/13

Evelyn Vinson 11/13

Tom Wadsworth 11/13

Lossi Budju 11/15

Cindy Ingham 11/15

Kristi Bogner 11/18

Hillary Dienst 11/18

Elizabeth Diesing 11/19

Brendan Karnes 11/22

Matthew Turner 11/22

Ian Boutin 11/28

Joana Chappelow 11/28

Nancy Alexander 11/29

Michael Ferro 11/30

Please contact Bill at 371-7969 with Questions. No reservations required. Concert put on by Under One Roof Ministries.

To save postage, please consider receiving the newsletter by e-mail. Contact the church office at clcvt@comcast.net