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News & Notes

NOVEMBER 2015 VOL. 48, NO. 11

St. Paul Lutheran Church5201 Galitz Street

Skokie, IL 60077-2737(847)673-5030

www.stpaulskokie.orgoffice@stpaulskokie.org

Rev. James Stephens, Vacancy Pastor

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CHURCH NEWS

DURING THE PAST YEAR, the following members and friendsof St. Paul became members of the Church Triumphant inheaven. We include in our prayers a prayer of thanksgiving fortheir lives on earth and that they have now gone to be with Jesusforever.

Phyllis JohnsonMyrtle MyszkaFrieda Wirtz

THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE: Please joinus on Wednesday evening, November 25th at7 pm for our Thanksgiving worship service.

FOOD 4 LESS: Thanks to those who shop at Food 4 Less tobenefit St. Paul. This week we received a check for $68.90because you shop and show your card! Thanks for your support.If you don’t have a card and would like one for yourself or afriend, stop by the office or call Vicky and she’ll help you get one.Fundraising with no work involved!

ON VACATION OR GOING AWAY? Bring back the worshipfolder from the church you've visited so we can include it in ourbulletin insert as greetings from (John and Mary Smith) from AnyTown, USA. We would like to see this continue throughout theyear. Your St. Paul family would like to follow your travels.

BULLETINS: Pastor & Mrs. Mau brought back a bulletin fromGood Shepherd Lutheran Church in Munising, Michigan.

CHURCH RENOVATION: We have beeninformed by Fortune Restoration that due toscaffolding problems on their end, the work inthe church will be delayed. We haverescheduled it until after the new year so thatwe will be able to worship in the sanctuarythroughout the holidays.

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STEWARDSHIP TEACHINGS

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimedthat any of his possessions was his own, but they sharedeverything they had. With great power the apostles continued totestify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace wasupon them all” (Acts 4:32-33).

In these two verses, Luke gave great praise to the Christiancongregation at Jerusalem. These verses exemplify God at workin His church through His believers. He is the great Provider,giving both the tools and knowledge to do the work at hand.

Money was an important God-given tool used for the good of thebelievers. “There were no needy persons among them. For fromtime to time those who owned lands or houses sold them,brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet,and it was distributed to anyone as he had need” (Acts 4:34-35).

Through the preaching of the apostles, the knowledge that Jesuswas the Christ, the Lord and Savior, was revealed. The HolySpirit filled the hearts of the believers with Christ’s love. His loveflowed from their hearts, and they performed great acts ofkindness toward their fellow believers, the members of theircongregation.

Great grace was upon them, for they had been brought to faith inthe risen Lord and Savior. Through the working of the Holy Spirit,they had approval with God and were aware of His mercy. Asthey gave evidence of their faith by showing love, respect andcharity, they received the approval of their fellow men.

God has provided St. Paul Lutheran Church with both the toolsand the knowledge to do His work. By the power of the HolySpirit working through the Gospel, Christ’s love flows from ourhearts. In this love, we use the tools and knowledge He hasgiven to do His work.

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GROWING UP LUTHERAN PART 8

Music and Mergers

Physically, Lutherans come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Theyeven sing about it: "Red and Yellow, Black and White, They areprecious in His sight". There are Nice Norwegians, StubbornSwedes, Robust Russians and Gigantic Germans. There areChinese and Africans who were indoctrinated by Lutheranmissionaries, and there are plain, old American Lutherans.Scattered in and amongst these flocks are a handful of Italians,Irish, Spanish, Mexican, etc.

Do different kinds of Lutherans believe the same things? Well,yes, basically the beliefs are the same, but the ways in whichthey are carried out---the What Does This Mean and How Is ThisDone stuff---vary considerably. All Lutherans sing A MightFortress and no one kneels, but that's about all of the workingprocedures that Lutherans have traditionally had in common.While all Lutheran kids memorized Luther's Small Catechism,Missouri Synod kids had to learn one more part thanScandinavian Lutherans did, the part about the Office of the Keysand Confession. Similarly, Scandinavian Lutherans were taughtnot to "deceitfully belie, betray, backbite, or slander" theirneighbors and German kids were told not to "belie, betray,slander, nor defame" them. Missouri Synod kids couldn't joinScouts or go to Baccalaureate. Scandinavian Lutherans hadbetter be at baccalaureate or risk congregationalexcommunication.

Martin Luther had taken care of the big debates, the things aboutRome and Indulgences, freeing up modern Lutherans to indulgein the details and daily workings of the church and its variouscongregations.

Like the number of synods, the proliferation of church buildingswas about more than distance and convenience. So what ifthere were two Lutheran churches on one block, four churches atan intersection, or country churches of the same synod five milesapart. This was about last names and where grandparents wereburied and, for Norwegian Lutherans, it was about the ease of.

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forming a new church rather than discussing or disagreeingabout an issue at the old church.

The art of splitting a merging really took hold with the NorwegianLutherans in America. In the past 50 years or so, they havebelonged to the ALC, ELC, LFC, LCA, AALC, EFCA, TALC,LCMS, AFLC, ULCA, ELS, ELCA, etc. Most likely NorwegianLutherans will finally be in union with the other Lutherans whenthey finally form the AFL-CIO, the American Federation ofLutherans coerced Into One.

For the last century, Lutherans in America have talked aboutunity and have claimed to embrace diversity, but often in ruralreality the two concepts don't mix. Sometimes it’s just morecomfortable to take things as they are and spend precious timedrinking coffee, fanning oneself with a Sunday bulletin, andplaying shuffleboard.

This is most certainly true.

THRIVENT FOR LUTHERANS is nowasking you to direct your “ChoiceDollars” to the charity of your choice.For those of you who have accountswith Thrivent for Lutherans, you cannow direct your Choice Dollars to St.Paul Lutheran, Skokie. You may

have received an email giving you directions, or you may call 800-847-4836 to get help in doing so. The Thrivent Choice®charitable grant program engages Thrivent members andchapters in providing grants that support charitable activities,furthering Thrivent’s mission and its purposes under state law. Allgrants are made at the sole discretion of Thrivent. Thrivent forLutherans gave a $250 grant to LWML’s pillowcase missionin 2015.

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NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

11/03 Ben Jaremus11/05 Betsy Plant11/06 Cheryl Croll11/10 Marion Carswell11/13 James Struck11/13 Randolph Trettin11/14 Kimberly Hilliard11/14 James Schroeder11/14 Barbara Struck11/15 Devin McAleer11/17 Renee Beer11/18 Vergilio Guiang11/18 Theresa Landi11/18 William Virkler11/19 Steven Giuntoli11/19 Logan Johnson11/20 Annaliese Schalk11/21 Lee Bowman11/21 Andrew Maggio11/21 Emerson Taber11/22 Alexander Sweet11/23 Kristine Kiesel11/24 Christine Krier11/24 Mary Krier11/24 Roger Remillard11/25 Lynne Flosi11/26 Heather Hjelle11/27 Lauren Hoard11/27 Christopher Schmidt

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NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

11/04 Jason & Carol Steele

11/08 Kurt and Judy Trettin

11/09 William and Esther Plath

11/10 Ben and Linda Jaremus

11/19 Karl and Charlotte Billisits

11/28 Charles and Sandra Gillham

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ST. PAUL GIVING & DEBT

Fiscal Year – June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016Month Ending – September 2015

Member Contributions + Loose Offerings

Needed total per 2014/2015 budget $ 261,380Needed giving each month 21,782Giving received this month 22,021Giving needed so far this year 87,128Actual giving so far this year 73,816Variance to need – surplus/(deficit) (13,313)

ChangeRemaining Debts & Pay Down Progress This Month

Mortgage (parsonage) @ 5% $ 71,435 $ ( - 9)Line of bank credit (LOC) @ 5% 83,080Bonds 33K @ 6%, 15K @ 6.5% 48,000Loan from Foundation Fund @ 0% * 25,000Accounts Payable (unpaid bills) 3,924 + $1,345

Totals $ 231,439 + $1,336

* Pay back promised when borrowed

** Members: To help pay down our debts, please use theBuilding Fund envelopes in your packet, or use a plainenvelope. When using either envelope type, please mark theenvelope and your check: Mortgage Debt .

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OFFICIAL ACTS

BAPTISM: 10/18 Charlotte Elizabeth Ehrhardt

WEDDING: 10/17 Patrick Shields and Anne Durbin

ATTENDANCE

8:00 10:30

October 4: 25 62October 11: 16 64October 18: 27 83October 25: 19 85

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WHY GO TO CHURCH?

One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tellhim it was time to get ready for church, to which he replied, "I'mnot going."

"Why not?" she asked.

"I'll give you two good reasons," he said. "One, they don't like me,and two, I don't like them."

His mother replied, "I'll give you two good reasons why youSHOULD go to church:

One, you're 59 years old, and two, you're the pastor!"

AH, THOSE SENIORS!WARNING TO US ALL!!

Shampoo Warning!I don’t know WHY I didn’t figure this outsooner! I use shampoo in the shower!When I wash my hair, the shampoo runsdown my whole body, and printed very clearlyon the shampoo label is this warning,‘FOR EXTRA BODY AND VOLUME.”

No wonder I have been gaining weight!Well! I have gotten rid of that shampoo and I am going to startshowering with Dawn dish soap instead. Its label reads,‘DISSOLVES FAT THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TOREMOVE.” Problem solved!

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Things I Would Miss If God Didn't Give Them to Me

Bible prayer education air clothing

family health car water friends

job house freedom food heaven

wife church salvation ministry children

pastor

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