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VOLUME X, ISSUE IX
SEPTEMBER 2017
“For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into son, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12
I think September is a time of celebration. I know if you are heading back to school after a delightful summer it may not feel that way. But we at Prince of Peace have much to celebrate. Our active Sunday School starts up again! Monday Afternoon Bible study resumes! REACH time will again grace Sunday mornings. The choir will be singing to the glory of God! And how about this: the new Playground will be dedicated and be inaugurated as the Nursery School kicks off a new year! And yes, believe it or not we get to burn the mortgage! After 20 years in the ministry this is the first time I’ve served a congregation without a mortgage! Alleluia! We have a great, active, vibrant congregation – thanks be to God! And for all these reasons and more we have reason to celebrate. I hope you can come to Rally Day on September 10th and join the official celebration. I hope you can be involved in the life and ministry of Prince of Peace going forward. And I hope you always know the love and salvation of God in Jesus.
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Important Contact Information Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 4 Northcrest Drive, Clifton Park, NY 12065 Telephone: (518) 371-2226 Fax: (518) 383-3820 www.poplutheranchurch.org Pastor Jeff Silvernail pastorjeff@poplutheranchurch.org; Pastor Amber Waugaman pastoramber@poplutheranchurch.org; Parish Administrator Melanie Edwards office@poplutheranchurch.org Newsletter Editor Jim Roberts newsletter@poplutheranchurch.org
Blessings in Christ always,
Pastor Jeff
EMERGENCY PHONE INFORMATION: If you have a pastoral emer-
gency when the church office is closed, call the church number, 371- 2226, extension 324. Leave a message and phone number where you can be reached. Immediately after you hang up, a designated on call pastor or deacon will receive a call that there is an emergency message. He/she will retrieve the message from the mailbox and call you back.
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Pastor’s Pen It All Starts with GRACE For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ~ Ephesians 2:8-9 I had a friend ask me just the other day, “Why are you Lutheran?” And as I contemplated how to answer her, one word came to mind: GRACE. I am Lutheran because of all the denominations, Lutherans are ones who emphasis God’s grace. We talk about what it means. We try and live it out. We remind ourselves what it looks like. We throw ourselves on God’s grace for us day in and day out. Grace is where everything starts for us as Lutherans. It is our jumping off point, our foundation. GRACE is hard to truly grasp, though. How often in our lives do we receive something without any expectation or price? We are told we must work for everything. And even when we receive a gift, something we didn’t work for, there is usually some small expectation that the gift will be returned in some way, shape, or form. In fact, when we do happen to receive something that truly has no strings attached, we tend to look for them anyway, or feel uncomfortable until we find some way to “repay” the gift. As the verse above says, God’s SAVING GRACE is not because of something that we do. We don’t earn it. We can’t earn it. No matter what we do, we will always fall short. It is a gift, plain and simple. One that we don’t have to earn or repay. This is our foundation, the starting point for all else that we do and say as Lutherans. Knowing that we earned none of what God has given us, gives us the freedom to move and work and do in response to that gift. It means that we can look at others with an open mind and heart. It means we can worship with joy knowing it is a gift. It means we can take the risk to think and grow and change. It means we can love all others knowing that we are loved. GRACE is where we start, and it calls us to see the world through grace-filled eyes and to live with grace -filled lives.
Pastor Amber
Important Reminder! Worship Services return to 8:00 am and 10:30 am beginning Sunday, September 10th!
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YOUTH NEWS FOR SEPTEMBER 2017
Clown Troupe Clown troupe is in full swing! Rehearsal times are from 7pm to 9pm on Sunday evenings unless otherwise noted. We want to welcome all the new 9th graders to the clown troupe as well!
Sr. High Youth Group We will be planning at least one youth event each month through the school year. These events will fall on a variety of different days and will often be fun activities or service opportunities. Welcome to all our incoming freshmen! We are excited for you to join us. It should be a great year!
Please join us for rehearsals and check it out!!!
Rehearsals September 10 September 17
Hopeful Upcoming Service! September 24 UMC Troy
September Activity Laser Tag/Bowling ~ Join the Senior High youth group for a night of laser tag and bowling! We will determine what everyone wants to do when we gather as both options are available throughout the evening. Look for more information to come in your email or on your text messages about time, location, and pricing.
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RALLY DAY FALL PICNIC SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017 OUR ANNUAL RALLY DAY PICNIC WILL TAKE PLACE ON OUR BEAUTIFUL CHURCH GROUNDS (RAIN OR SHINE). GREAT FUN, FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP FOR ALL AGES! • • •
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BURNING OF THE MORTGAGE DEDICATION OF THE NEW PLAYGROUND Blessing of backpacks at both services, 8:00 and 10:30 am Sunday school registration between services & after 10:30 service in the welcome area
after the service, join us for food, fellowship, and activities for kids of all ages, including a Bouncy Bounce, Climbing Wall, and Music by Stretch & The Northcrest Ramblers, featuring our very own Joely and Tom Miller and members of People of Praise! •
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bar-b-qued chicken, beverages, and place settings will be provided. if possible bring a salad or dessert for ten people, plus a lawn chair. Suggested Donation is $8.00 per person with a family maximum of $24.00 to offset the expenses – same price as last year!
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NO CHARGE FOR FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES!
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Pre-registration helpful but not required
all are welcome to this community fun event!
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2017 Synod Assembly Report Eileen Bryant I honestly had no idea what to expect. After learning that I would be joining Cheryl Fiore as a voting representative at the 2017 Synod Assembly, I was a bit nervous. What kind of issues would I be voting on? How would I make sure that Prince of Peace was properly represented? I shouldn’t have worried. What I discovered in Rochester in early June, was a terrific group of Lutherans, eager to make a difference. Standing in line to check into the hotel, I noticed quite a few clerical collars circling the necks of men and women, young and not-so-young. But the overwhelming majority of attendees were lay persons, just like me. Sharing meals in the dining room I met folks from all walks of life from all over upstate New York, and it was so interesting to hear their stories. Worship was joyful, even exuberant, with a multi-cultural band of musicians with a global repertoire that left songs ringing in my head long after the services ended. Of course there was church business to attend to, some of it dealing with rather arcane procedural issues, even to this lawyer! But our pastors were able to answer my questions and provide context, so I felt confident that my votes were sound and supportable. We were able and encouraged to attend a few of the broad array of seminars, and I really enjoyed this part of the assembly. One of the topics dealt with food insecurity, and our group discussed the various ministries our respective churches supported. When I relayed the success of POP’s “Kids Can Cook” program, there was much interest and I was asked many questions about how we did it. [This has inspired me to get this program back on in the fall, so I invite anyone who is interested in this class to contact me.] The other class I attended focused on the book Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (and How to Reverse It) by Robert D. Lupton which prompted a lively discussion. Prince of Peace was well represented at the assembly, as beyond Cheryl and me (the delegates) and our Pastors Jeff and Amber, Vicki Behrens and Jim Roberts worked as pages (Vicki as head of the pages) and Roger Behrens served among the worship team. The night before we left, our POP contingent gathered after dinner just to share experiences of the weekend. Suffice it to say, I understand why so many people come back in subsequent years. The chance to interface with people from different congregations and different traditions while sharing our ELCA heritage is so affirming and inspiring. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
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Reel to Real: A Movie & Faith Discussion Group Jesus taught with parables, stories that were relatable, memorable, and make a point. The parables of our age are often movies. Our aim is to watch good movies and have great discussions where story and faith intersect.
Coming Soon!
Breaking Away
Tuesday September 26th, 6:30 pm Shenendehowa Village
Dave (Dennis Christopher) and his working-class friends Cyril (Daniel Stern), Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley) and Mike (Dennis Quaid) spend their post-high school days in Bloomington, Indiana, sparring with snooty students from the local university, chasing girls and--in Dave's case--dreaming of competitive bicycle racing. The four friends face opposition from all corners as they decide to make Dave's dreams come true in the university's annual bicycle endurance race.
The Heart of Reformation Teaching: Unpacking the Augsburg Confession What do Lutherans really believe? Let’s dig into the heart of it! As always we will have fun, food and great discussions
Mondays at 2:00 pm Beginning September 18th
Prince of Peace, Room 20
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Environmental Team
FAIR TRADE ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH, WE OFFER:
COFFEE Organic Breakfast Blend Regular
Organic Breakfast Blend Decaf
TEA Organic Chamomile Decaf Organic Rooibus Decaf Organic Earl Grey Organic Chai Organic Green Tea
CHOCOLATE Organic Very Dark Chocolate Bar (71% Cocoa) Organic Milk Chocolate w/hint of hazelnut (38% Cocoa) Organic Dark chocolate Minis (55% Cocoa) Organic Hot Chocolate Mix OTHER Organic Mixed Berry Chewy Cereal Bar Organic Cashews
Organic Almonds
All Fair Trade products buy direct from small farmers who grow products using ecologically sustainable farming practices. Their trading partner, Equal Exchange, donates $.20 for each pound of Fair Trade coffee, tea, & cocoa we sell.
Faces of Faith Meet Jennifer Van Ort. Jennifer has been a life time capital district gal who was raised in Mechanicville. Jen was baptized in the Catholic church and went to Christian Education through that church until the 6th grade. It was then that Jen’s mother wanted to check out St. Peter in Malta as Jen’s mother was raised Lutheran. It was determined that Jen would then attend St. Peters where she was also confirmed. While attending confirmation camp, Jen met other confirmands from Prince of Peace. She heard about the Clown Troupe and joined this ministry, first as a behind the scenes kind of disciple but eventually became an acting clown. Like so many other high school aged persons, Sr. High Camp was instrumental in her spiritual development. It was even after high school that Jen continued to work with the youth through the clowning ministry with the then director, Todd Tribble. Jen became a member of Prince of Peace at the age of 18. Since that time, Jen has been involved with many many aspects of church life. Her hand has been in choir, Spirit Café band, Environmental Team, Transition team during the call of Pastor Jeff, was part of Pastor Becca’s support Team, a synod assembly representative, Connections newsletter creator and editor, and has been in a leadership position as part of church council holding the position of vice president. Professionally, Jen holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany in Business (Theater minor) and a Graduate degree in Arts Administration which she received from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has held a variety of jobs in her field which includes working for the Palace Theater, Albany Symphony, Schenectady County Community College, Saratoga County, and now she works for NYS Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Jen is a member of the Board of Directors of Empire State Society of Association Executives and has been busy building credits to get certified as associative executive. Jen married her husband Dan in November 2010 at Prince of Peace. Together they have a beautiful daughter Katie who is 3 years and keeps her on her toes. Katie was also baptized at POP. The Van Orts also include in their family in Mechanicville 2 dogs and a cat. For fun Jen enjoys music both singing, playing the bass clarinet and clarinet and attending music venues. While she doesn’t have time now to be playing she misses playing her clarinet in the community band. Jen likes hosting parties (ask her about her home which has a regulation size bowling alley) and spending time with her large extended family. She has the opportunity and enjoys the travel she does for her work. If you are a user of Facebook you will often see Jen’s frequent postings of her travels, her family and the multitude of pictures that she takes. We are fortunate to have such a delightful, bright creative person as a member of Prince of Peace. Next time you see Jen, be sure to say hi.
POP Picture Page
Celebrate! September Birthdays
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 9/1 - Emily Lamm, Annamarie Anderson 9/2 - Meghan Berman 9/3 - Marilyn Kellar, Bethany Angeliu 9/4 - Aaron Leavitt, Louise Flynn
9/5 - Jeff Silvernail 9/6 - Kim Wilson, Linda Silvernail 9/7 - Brandon Cambria 9/10 - Amanda Parsons, Max Alberts 9/11 - Katlyn Gibson, Marilyn Mayer 9/12 - Kenneth Angeliu, Westley Blakeslee 9/13 - Judy Lees, James Taggart 9/14 - Dominic Grande 9/15 - Cheri MacMasters 9/16 - Alexa Berry, Jerry Woods 9/17 - Dale Wood, John Schwartz, Jacob Salmon, 9/18 - Catherine Berman 9/19 - Cindy Samide, Erika Samide, Thomas Hisgen,, Chris Blakeslee 9/20 - Gerald Kruegler, Steve Dzembo 9/21 - Michael Wheeler, Rebecca Blumbergs, Margaret Phillips,
Kayla Benner, Jay Benner, Deane Vedder 9/23 - Sean Flynn, Janelle Hofgesang, 9/24 - Christine Lenahan, Evan Rurycz 9/26 - Nancy Burke, Kurt Bennett 9/28 - Cameron Foote, Sarah Prybylowski 9/29 - Mary Ann Anderson 9/30 - Renee Panarese
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September 2017 Server Schedule September 3 8:00 AM Bread: Rene Panarese Coffee: Susan Anderson Reader: Matt Peterson Deacon: Nancy Hoelzer Counters: Bill Yoquinto Tom Miller
September 17 8:00 AM Bread: Susan Anderson Coffee: Valois Berger Reader: Jim Greenfield Deacon: JoAnn Koenig Counters: Roy Dunn Kim Williams
September 3 10:00 AM Bread: Mary Rurcyz Coffee: Dee Bennett Reader: Darrell Walters Deacon: Nancy Hoelzer Counters: Bill Yoquinto Tom Miller
September 17 10:30 AM Bread: Tina Walters Coffee: Natalie & Anthony Kaplan Reader: Wayne Petterson Deacon: JoAnn Koening Counters: Roy Dunn Kim Williams
Claimed by Grace, We seek to Welcome All, Worship Joyfully, Grow Spiritually and Share God’s Love
September 10 8:00 AM Bread: Mary Beth Dunn Coffee: Mark Steele Reader: Dorothy Stuart Deacon: Diana Foote Counters: Denise Johnson Susan Anderson
September 10 10:30 AM Bread: Deane Veddar Coffee: Lisa Haase Reader: Katie Goot Deacon: Diana Foote Counters: Denise Johnson Susan Anderson
September 24 8:00 AM
September 24 10:30 AM
Bread: Rose Grady Coffee: Kristin Petersen Reader: Steve Dzembo Deacon: Donna Turner Counters: Donna Walker Christine Sheppard
Bread: Susan Zappen Coffee: Zoe Walker Reader: Susan Zappen Deacon: Donna Turner Counters: Donna Walker Christine Shepphard
PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
We sincerely hope you enjoy
4 NORTHCREST DRIVE CLIFTON PARK, NY 12065
CONNECTIONS! If you know of any friends or neighbors who might be interested in learning about Prince of Peace, please feel free to forward the electronic copy to them.
SUMMER SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE 8:00 AM & 10:30 AM* *Contemporary worship on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month
CONNECTIONS is the monthly newsletter of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. In an effort to be more fiscally & envi-
ronmentally conscious, we send the newsletter electronically to as many people as possible. You can help by e-mailing the church office to give us your current e-mail address or calling the church office if you don’t use e-mail (we’ll be glad to put your copy in the mail).
U P C O M I N G S E RV I C E S & E V E N T S September Monthly Activities 9/3 9/4 9/10 9/11 9/14 9/17
9/18 9/20 9/24 9/25 9/26 9/27
Worship - 8:00 Traditional & 10:00 AM Contemporary Labor Day - Office Closed Worship - 8:00 & 10:30 AM; Rally Day - 12:00 PM Clown Troupe Rehearsal - 7:00 PM Prayer Group - 1:30 PM Council Meeting - 7:00 PM Worship 8:00 Traditional & 10:30 AM Contemporary Sunday School - 9:15 AM Clown Troupe Rehearsal - 7:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study - 2:00 PM Confirmation - 6:30 PM Worship - 8:00 & 10:30 AM Sunday School - 9:15 AM; REACH - 9:30 AM Prayer Group - 1:30 PM Pastor’s Bible Study - 2:00 PM Reel to Real (Offsite) - 6:30 PM Confirmation - 6:30 PM
September Weekly Activities Sundays: Worship - 8:00 AM & 10:30 AM (September 3rd: 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM) Mondays: Pastor’s Bible Study - 2:00 PM (Starting September 18th) Wednesdays: Confirmation Class - 6:30 PM (Starting September 20th) Thursdays: Women’s Fellowship - 9:45 AM