Pastor’s Desk for January 2024 Happy New Year!
I pray that God blesses us all in 2024! (Many of us will spend Jan 1 st wishing each other a Happy New Year.) One thing people do every year is make New Year’s Resolutions What is a new year without resolutions? They are often things that people plan to do in the new year. Sometimes people give up things like sweets or go on a diet. Other people say they are going to start exercising. For this reason most resolutions are things that people hope to do to make their life happier or healthier. Making resolutions is one thing. But what is the hard part? Sometimes the hard part is sticking to it. I have a family member who has been going to gym just every week for years. He said that the first week after the new year the place is packed. HE also said that by the end of the month the place is back to normal and is nearly empty again. It takes a lot work to carry out resolutions. Often, it takes sacrifice. For example, if someone wants to lose 20 pounds in 2024, what must they give up? Have you ever thought of resolutions having anything to do with God? God tells us He wants the best for us, and so it’s good to make resolutions that improve our lives. But it’s easy to forget other people when we make resolutions. It’s easy to forget plans for serving God and His people. When God chose Solomon to be king of Israel, Solomon made some resolutions for his new life as king in 1 st Kings 3:1-15. His resolution came in the form of prayer. He prayed, “Give your servant . . . an understanding mind to govern you people that I may discern between good and evil . . .” (1 Kings 3:9). Solomon’s resolution was to be the best king possible for God’s people. We can all imagine how much hard work that would take. Do you agree that many of our own resolutions should be about how to help others be happier and healthier? We can make those kinds of resolutions, because when Jesus died to take away our sins, He also gave us the power to serve others as He served people during His time on earth. Resolutions are good; resolutions often are broken. It doesn’t matter what year it is we are going to sin in that year. Every year we need the reminder that God forgives us when we fail at the resolutions. He has blessed us because Jesus perfectly carried out His resolution to be our Savior. Unlike how we sometimes give up on our Resolution, Jesus was determined to save us he went to the cross to die for our sins. That is something to happy about no matter what year it is. 1 Dear Jesus, all that we are and all that we have is Your gift to us. Thank You for the talents You have given to each of us. Help us to use those talents this new year to give You glory and help Your kingdom to grow. Amen. Part of this message came from LCMS 2011-2012 CHAPEL TALKS FOR LUTHERAN SCHOOLS Equipped to Serve: Page 26
“We Care” packages
LWML PROJECT FOR JANUARY is collecting items to fill six (6) "We Care" packages for our 5 college students and our adopted seminarian, Seth Horn. This is an annual project for our congregation and all members are asked to help. Items can include popcorn, hot chocolate mix, snacks, candy, gum, toothbrushes with tooth covers, toothpaste, dry erasers for white boards, combs, nail files, deodorant, Band Aids, personal packs of facial issues, note pads, pencils, pens, stamps, quarters for laundry or vending machines, or inexpensive earbuds – nothing fancy, etc. There is a collection box in the narthex for your contributions of the above items. We will be collecting until February 4 th .
St. Peter Council Church Council
President: Russell Krueger
Vice President: Tim Buchhop
Recording Secretary: Nancy Conrad
Board of Trustees: Roger Jones Steve Franz James Meyer
Board of Elders: Chad Clark David Conrad
Treasurer: Jon Block
Financial Secretary: Judith Meyer
Board of Witness, Outreach and Stewardship: Bridgett Volkert
Building Improvement Fund Treasurer: Judith Meyer
Sunday School Superintendent: Bridgett Volker
Financial Review Committee: Betty Hoy, Sandy Dickman, Sharlene Bunke
Endowment Fund Committee: Dave and Nancy Conrad, Jim Dickman, Tim Buchhop, Nancy Helmke and Mary Ann Ramey
Ushers: Bethany Mathers, Pam Jones, Steven Franz and Mike Volkert
Christmas Committee: Mark and Deb Oberhaus, Chad and Melissa Clark, and Andy and Robyn Helmke
LLL Representative: Steven Franz and James Meyer
Circuit Forum Representative: Thomas Meyer
Filling Memorial Home of Mercy Delegate and Resource Person: Nancy Conrad
St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church 150th Anniversary Committee
Happy New Year 2024 from your 150th Anniversary Committee! Your anniversary Committee is already looking to the future and planning for a celebration on Sunday, September 14, 2025. Please save that date and know that there will be many reminders and more details as we get closer to the celebration. We will be reminiscing every month in the newsletter leading up to the celebration by sharing and remembering our history as a congregation. This month we start with the beginning: 1850 - 1875 On September 13, 2025, one hundred fifty years will have passed into history since the St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Florida, Ohio became an officially organized body. The initial beginnings, however, date back much farther than one hundred fifty years. It can be said quite safely, the congregation is really more than a hundred fifty years old. A number of charter members who signed the first constitution of St. Peter in 1875 had settled in and around the village of Florida in the middle part of 1800. As far as can be ascertained, we find among such early Lutheran families the names of Fred Leonhard, William Goldenstern, John Lange, Christian Barth, and William Spengler. These members had not formed an organized congregation before 1875, but up to that time held divine services together with St. Johns - Michaelis Congregation in North Richland Township, Defiance County. The history of St. Peter before 1875 coincides with that of the sister-congregation in Richland Township. This neighboring church which no longer exists, had been served by Pastor Adam Detzer for a number of years, when on January 1, 1854, it was organized under the leadership of Pastor Henry Koenig into a formal congregation. Among the 17 families who constituted the newly founded church there were several who lived in or near Florida, namely the families mentioned above. From 1854 to 1870 these people were supplied with religious services by Pastor Detzer, then residing in Defiance. Already at this time Sunday worship was held now and then in private homes of Florida and later in an old school house, which later was turned into Florida’s Town-hall.
The first recorded baptisms in St. Peter Church Records are:
Jakob Peter, born July 5, 1851. Parents: Philip and Katharina Peter. Baptized on August 3, 1851.
Wilhelm Heinrick Stockmann, Born August 5, 1851. Parents: Johann and Maria Stockman. Baptized on August 5, 1852. Witness: Wilhelm Goldenstern
The first death recorded was:
Philip Peter, Born on November 7, 1847 and died on March 8, 1855.
The first marriage was:
Jacob Thieme and Maria Laucher on November 14, 1854. The first Confirmation Records are dated May 7, 1855. Historical information is reprinted from “Word and Sacraments 100 Years September 13, 1875 - September 13, 1975” - Centennial Anniversary Booklet ( With one hundred fifty years substituted for one hundred years) And from “St. Peter Lutheran Register 1854 - 1920” Translated from German by Mr. Henry zumFelde
Greetings from Preschool
Dear Christians Friends, We want to extend our sincerest gratitude to each and every one of you who generously donated cookies to our recent cookie drive-through event. Your donations will benefit our preschoolers in countless ways, and we are so grateful for your support. Additionally, we wanted to thank you for inviting our preschool families to St. Peter Lutheran Church’s congregational Christmas potluck. It was a wonderful event! During this time, we took the opportunity to talk to the children about the true meaning of Christmas which is about the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. We introduced the Giving Manager to our preschoolers this year. The Giving Manger helped our students focus this Christmas on giving to others. A piece of straw is placed in the manger for each kind deed or act of service performed. On Christmas Day, the Baby is placed in the manger filled with service and love. We worked together to give gifts of service to others which filled our hearts with more joy during the holding season that ever before. Our manger is now full of the straw that represents the acts of love and service done in honor of Jesus’s birth. We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you a happy new year:
Love, Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Emilie
