Pastor's Points for June 28th service
This Sunday, June 28, is the 4th Sunday after Pentecost, and it’s also fourth and final week of the sermon series we are in, which focuses on the Triune God’s mission in the world. The week 4 message, based on Matthew 10:34-42, is titled “The Sustaining of Mission.” Hope to see you in worship this Sunday! If your last name begins with A-K, worship for you begins at 8:30 a.m. on June 28. If your name begins L-Z, come to the 10:30 service time. This is a Communion Sunday, and we will continue what we have been doing for the distribution: one family unit at a time come forward.
Starting on Sunday, July 5, we will return to our normal Sunday schedule. Bible study begins at 8 a.m.; worship is at 9 a.m. There will be no division of the congregation by the letter of the alphabet with which your last name begins. However, we don’t want to be careless, either. We still want to take some precautions. So, here are some things to consider and know as we gather again, normally:
*Anyone planning to attend should be symptom free and not considered “at‐risk.” If you are not feeling well, or you fall into the category of "at risk," or if you are giving direct care to someone "at risk," please stay home and participate in the worship service electronically.
*Hand sanitizer will be available in the narthex. Please use it liberally before you come into Bible class and/or worship.
*The government's guidelines encourage wearing a mask in public. If you want to wear one to worship, feel free to do that.
* The hymnals are again in the pews, and there is a Sunday bulletin again. (The entire order of service will be projected, too.) Please do not leave your bulletin in the pew after the service ends. Take it home with you!
*While we will no longer "rope off" every other pew, I would strongly encourage you to social distance as much as possible. Remember, there is usually plenty of seating available in the balcony.
*Offering plates will be at the doorway for worshipers to use as they come and go. The plates will not be passed.
*The ushers will continue to take attendance. We will not pass the rite of fellowship booklets.
For those who are not comfortable with that arrangement, we will offer a worship service for you at 11 a.m. each Friday, beginning July 3. (No services on July 10 and 17, as I will be on vacation those weeks.) For this service, we will continue with the social-distancing precautions that we have been observing since mid-May, when we resumed “in-person” worship.
Church Supper News: After much discussion and prayer, the Concordia church supper committee has decided on a new approach for this year: we will have a “supperless” church supper. Yep, that’s right; no delicious vittles in 2020; mainly due to the Corona pandemic and wanting to keep everyone healthy in East Perry County!
However, you still have a chance to make a free-will offering towards God’s mission at Concordia. The committee is suggesting $20 per family, but you may give however the Spirit moves you! Beginning this Sunday, June 28, simply place your cash gift or a check made out to Concordia Lutheran Church in the special green and white box in the narthex, or give it to one of the committee members, by Sunday, July 26. (Basically, you have a month to participate in the supperless church supper!) The committee members are: Paul and Nancy Schmidt; Tim and Stephanie Schmidt; Tyler and Stacey Schmidt; Rick and Kim Scholl; Tony and Shandy Scholl; and Peggy Scholl. Thanks so much, in advance, for your generosity!
Portals of Prayer for July-September is now available in the narthex at Concordia. Help yourself to a copy, and please use it for your daily devotions. There are also a few copies left of the current Lutheran Witness.
Stewardship thought for the week: Matthew 10:42 says, “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” The offerings you give to the Lord’s work in his church go to supporting all manner of discipleship. They provide for a minister of the Gospel to preach, teach, and distribute the sacraments; they provide for our missionaries and ministries of mercy here and abroad; and they make sure that the folks in your area have a place to go to worship the Lord. The Lord is pleased with this work, and He wants to bless you through your support of it.
Don’t forget, if you are not yet comfortable coming to worship at Concordia in person, you can still make your offering online at: www.concordiafrohna.org Simply click on “Give” and follow the directions. You can choose to give as a “guest” or set up an account for recurring offerings. There is also a mobile app you can download to your phone, GivePlusChurch.” Any way you choose to make your offering, remember this Word of the LORD: “Be glad, O people of Zion; rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil…Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.” Joel 2: 23-24, 26
Did you know…if you are 70½ years old, or older, and have an IRA, you can instruct your IRA trustee to make a distribution directly from your IRA to Concordia Lutheran Church. This distribution is called Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). It counts toward satisfying any required minimum distributions (RMDs) and is excluded from your income for tax purposes. If you have questions, or want to know more, please contact Carol Duggan at 573-824-6060.
Lutherans for Life Quote for June 28: “The family is universal. Individuals meeting from different cultures do not have to explain to each other what a family is. The family lies at the quantum level of human society. Family life is deeply rooted in an area of mystery we do not fully understand. Like a tree, it is living, rooted, and nourished by the soil of the past and reaching up into the future. It is not manufactured. Although socially reinforced, it is not ‘socially constructed.’ It is a precious gift.” James M. Kushiner, The Fellowship of St. James – A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life • www.lutheransforlife.org
