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Oct. 4 Sunday School Worship Worship

9 am 9 am 10:30 am

Oct. 6 Men’s Group Quilters

8:30 am 9 am

Oct. 7 Confirmation/Mentor’s Meal 6:30 pm

Oct. 10 VDC Training 9 am-4 pm

Oct. 11 Sunday School Worship Worship

9 am 9 am 10:30 am

Oct. 13 Men’s Group Quilters Trustees

8:30 am 9 am 6:30 pm

Oct. 14 Confirmation 6:30 pm

Oct. 16 Set-up Confirmation Meal 5:30 pm

Oct. 17 Confirmation Meal

Oct. 18 Sunday School Worship Worship with Confirmation

9 am 9 am 10:30 am

Oct. 20 Men’s Group Quilters

8:30 am 9 am

Oct. 21 Confirmation 6:30 pm

Oct. 24 VDC Training 9 am-4 pm

Oct. 25 Sunday School Worship Worship with Baptism

9 am 9 am 10:30 am

Oct. 27 Men’s Group Quilters

8:30 am 9 am

Oct. 28 Confirmation 6:30 pm

Oct. 31 Healing Room Training Bartolone-Enoch Wedding

8 am-Noon 2 pm

OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church N10685 Petersen Rd., Marion, WI 54950

715-754-2690 stpetersbigfalls@gmail.com

October

2020

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Dear St. Peter’s family. It’s October, and the COVID pandemic continues as do state-mandated responses to trying to contain it. We continue to make adjustments in the ways we gather and care for one another. But we will carry on praising our Almighty God and offering opportunities for our members and community to increase in faith and build God’s Kingdom! As we all go through this season

together, I urge you to continue to resist and stand against any spirit of fear. It is natural to feel fear and concern in response to this pandemic, and to respond by taking proper precautions, but let us not let a spirit of fear control us and our actions.

I praise God that the leadership of St. Peter’s (Trustees and Elders) is united in a positive attitude of trust in God as we make necessary adjustments to life in the midst of a pandemic. God’s got this! God’s got us! We trust in His protection of us and that He continues to be at work around and among us and that while staying safe in the midst of this pandemic we can continue to fol-low and serve Him!

I urge you to claim your trust in God as your Protector, Provider, and Healer in your own personal, work and family lives!

We are also in the midst of a contentious national election season. I urge you to pray, pray, pray! For our nation, for the election process, and for God’s favor and blessing to be upon ALL candidates and election officials and voters. Pray against any spirit of division or violence. Pray for the Peace that passes understanding to be upon yourself and to overflow to those in your sphere of influence, that God’s Kingdom will come and that God’s will may be on earth as in heaven.

REGARDING FACE COVERINGS: On July 30, 2020, Governor Evers issued an executive order

requiring face coverings when indoors or in an enclosed space with anyone outside their household or living unit. The order has been extended until the end of November and includes the recommendation that face coverings be worn outdoors when in close proximity to others.

A Message from Pastor Janice

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2020 Budget at a Glance Budgeted 2020—$139,382.57

Budgeted Thru August

Jan.-Aug. Income

Received

Jan.-Aug. Expenses

Jan.-Aug. Net Income

$92,921.73 $77,315.33 $81,171.39 ($3,856.06)

Blessing of the Quilts Quilts and blankets that the quilting group have made throughout the year were blessed on Sunday, Sept. 27. total of 165 quilts and three blankets were made in 2020 and will be delivered to LWR for shipping to needy families throughout the world. Those who have worked on the quilts include Carola Jobst, Marge Larson, Karen Radies, Lisa Remer, Mari Wolf, Nancy Morris, Louine Malueg, Sandy Krause, Linda Baumann and Diane Beyersdorf. Awesome job ladies!

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN CHURCH TRUSTEES MEETING SPECIAL MEETING AUGUST 30, 2020

Members present: Kelly Zillmer, Sandy Krause, Pastor Janice, Chuck Adams, Kris Zillmer Absent: Brian Knight, Jen Reinke, and Jackie Baldwin Special Guests: Dave Schmidt, Marge Schmidt, and Lisa Remer Meeting was called to order by Kelly Zillmer at 11:34 a.m. The Trustees had previously passed a motion to charge $125.00 per month for the use of the facilities for elections and town board meetings. Discussion was held with the Town of Wyoming board members and council members. Motion was made by Sandy Krause to enter an agreement for the Town of Wyoming to use the church facilities for their meetings and for elections at no charge but ask for a contribution to be made to the church for the use of the facilities. Chuck Adams seconded. Kris Zillmer made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Chuck Adams seconded. Respectfully submitted, Kris Zillmer Secretary

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Bob & Brenda Jashinsky, Oct. 17, 39 Years

Lee & Jackie Baldwin, Oct. 18, 29 Years

Brandon & Sarah Blashe, Oct. 18, 23 Years

Richard & Penny Madson, Oct. 24, 39 Years

Kellly & Patty Zillmer, Oct. 26, 36 Years

Nate & Erin Bonikowske, Oct. 28, 14 Years

Birthdays Karin Koeppel Oct. 2 Kristi Stedjee Oct. 2 Mason Draeger Oct. 3 Heather Haacker Oct. 3 Asherrie Opperman Oct. 3 Richard Madson Oct. 4 Nancy Morris Oct. 6 Kelly Zillmer Oct. 8 Glenn Davids Oct. 15 Joe Stuhr Oct. 15 Ralph Baumann Oct. 17 Owen Orvedahl Oct. 20 Larry Burghduff Oct. 23 Stanley Phillips Oct. 25 Beverly Stolz Oct. 25 Jonathan Arndt Oct. 26 Tiffany

First Communions Bailee Miller, Bailey Opperman and Andy Holder celebrated their First Communion on Sunday, September 27. Congratulations!

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We aspire to respond righteously to Governor Evers' order without forfeiting our freedoms to worship in a manner congruent to our long-standing religious practices, and to gather for Christian instruction and discipleship [Sunday School, Confirmation, small group Bible studies].

I encourage you to be sensible in your worship to God and sensitive to your neighbor's needs, preferring them over yourself. I personally will wear a face covering when indoors at St. Peter’s and will remove the face covering when appropriate to engage in preaching and leading worship.

We will continue with two worship services each Sunday at 9 am and at 10:30 am each Sunday. It is our intention to make our worship services available to those who attend, regardless of wearing a face covering or no. We will assume those who are not wearing a face covering when indoors fall into the exceptions provided by the order.

WORSHIP AT ST. PETER’S THIS FALL: 9 am Worship INDOORS: Worship leaders will be in the Worship Center (rather than out

under the portico/ in the parking lot—as we were from April 12 to September 27, 2020).

This worship service will be broadcast with our FM transmitter, so you can listen on your radio tuned to 89.7 FM, from the church parking lot.

Worshippers can sit in the Worship Center (distanced from other worshippers) OR sit in their cars in parking lot and listen on the radio.

Sunday School will be meeting during this time, using the other rooms/ spaces of the building (other than the Worship Center).

10:30 am Worship INDOORS: Worship leaders will be in the Worship Center. This worship service will be broadcast on Facebook Live. Worshippers can sit in the Worship Center or Welcome Area.

Worshippers can also enter (and exit) the building directly into the Great Room and wor-ship in there, arranging chairs to sit wherever they choose. Audio and visual from the Worship Center will be piped into the Great Room.

Blessings,

Pastor Janice

(PASTOR’S MESSAGE continued from Page 2)

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A Message from Pastor Kay Time of grieving with our kids:

This weekend, we all heard some difficult news with the passing of our beloved Uncle Tom. I was the one to break the news to many of our youth, and I watched many of their hearts break wide open. When parents or others who care for kids see a child grieving, our first instinct is to “make it better.” But some hurts go deeper than we can reach. Those times are perfect opportunities to teach them to look to God. In Sunday school, I stressed to the teachers to talk about their “God Sightings”. But as parents, I know you are watching these kids daily go through the grieving process. My advice: giving basic advice or shallow comfort, even in the form of Scriptures, can make a child feel misunderstood, rather than comforted. Proverbs puts it this way: “Singing songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.” (Proverbs 25:20) Take time to mourn with the child, allowing them to feel sad or angry or despondent. “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) As we’re listening and empathizing, we can much more effectively share comforting Scripture and thoughts. That goes for anyone, not just kids! Listen carefully and ask open-ended questions. For example: “What did you think when you heard the news? Validate their feelings. Feelings are not right or wrong. Our response to them can be healthy or unhealthy, but the feelings themselves need to be respected. After you’ve listened, offer to share something that has helped you. Try to remember a time when you felt the way they are feeling. It’s important to remind them they are not alone. Choose one simple Scripture to share at a time. Reading a whole chapter is not likely to help. Examples include:

1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”

Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning!”

Isaiah 49:16: "I have written your name on the palm of my hands." Psalm 56:8: "You keep track of all my sorrows; You have

collected all my tears in your bottle; You have recorded each one

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in your book." Psalm 46:1-2: "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes

come and the mountains crumble into the sea." Pick a favorite of yours for times of trial. Discuss the Scripture with them. Ask what they think about it: You can also consider having them draw a picture in response to the Scripture. Pray with the child using the language in the Scripture. (Ex from Isaiah 49:16: God, you have written ______'s name on the palm of your hands. Thank you for caring so much about what he is going through right now.) When choosing a Scripture to share with a child, look for imagery and illustrations, emotion words, descriptions of God’s character, simple vocabulary and a readable translation like the New Living Translation (their Hands On Bible). Ultimately, it’s the Holy Spirit who will comfort the kids in our lives. He knows and cares for each one, and he has a deeper level of access to their hearts than we do. But God loves to work through His Word and His people. You can be confident that He will be with you as you help kids look to Jesus when they’re grieving. We will all miss Tom Miller and will grieve our loss of him here, but God knew Tom was one of his special servants and has now welcomed him into His loving arms.

Blessings, Pastor Kay

Sunday School Perfect Attendance Awards Perfect attendance awards were presented to the following on Sunday, Sept. 20:

3 Years: Kenzlee Miller 4 Years: RJ Opperman

5 Years: Bailey Opperman 6 Years: Caleb Bestul, Bailee Miller, Abi Bonikowske

7 Years: Joey Enoch, Ella Stuhr 8 Years: Jaden Stuhr

9 Years: Trinity Bestul, Brystol Miller, McKenzie Bonikowske, Andrew Miller

10 Years: Elizabeth Enoch Sunday School staff includes: Pastor Kay Knight, Tina Schultz, Erin Bonikowske, Tracey Burghduff, Tia Bestul, Jen Reinke, Asherrie Opperman, Tianna Bestul, Brian Knight, Krista Enoch, Elizabeth Enoch, Deb Schellin and Nichol Soik.