Christmas Eve Highlights

Many thanks to our wonderful Sunday School teachers and children for putting on a beautiful Christmas Eve Service.  Our topic of the day was how God loves us dearly!  Thank you Andy and Emilie Parsons for capturing these precious moments.       

Newsletter - January

From the Pastor’s desk

Its 2018, Happy New Year! It is a new year, and that somebody, somewhere is probably claiming this is the year Christ comes back. In 1999 and in 2012 everyone was predicting the world would end. In those years, they could not have been more wrong. So how should we Christians handle predications about the end of the world? We should be highly skeptical of such predications. The Bible clearly teaches no one knows. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:36 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (ESV). If the angels in Heaven do not know when the second coming will be, how in the world do ordinary people? The truth is they do not know when the world will end, and neither does anyone else. Yet, just like any year, this could be the year of Christ’s Second Coming. For Jesus’ coming will be like a thief in the night. For that reason we await his coming with repentant hearts. Not like a cop waiting for a criminal but like a bride awaits for the coming of her bridegroom.

I hope you have a Happy New Year!

Pastor Stuenkel

It’s a new year. It’s a time when we take stock of the year past in order to improve the year to come. It’s a time when we sit down to plan and implement what we want to accomplish and even change. Part of that is planning our stewardship. Often we find this difficult and daunting and even joyless. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it is really quite simple and full of joy. We don’t particularly struggle to give to society or family our struggles arise in giving to the church.

Your pastor is the one called to preach the Gospel to you and administer the Lord’s blessed sacraments to you. Your congregation is the place where those things happen. Thus, when God calls us to give to the church, He has the local congregation in mind.  How much do we give to the local congregation? Our only instructions are these: to give regularly, proportionally and generously of our first fruits with a spirit of eagerness, earnestness, cheerfulness, and love.  We give regularly keeping in mind our own strengths, weaknesses, and limitations.

It’s that easy. And it is joyful. For in stewardship, our gracious and giving Lord invites us to take part in the work that He accomplishes here on earth, providing for the ongoing preaching of the gospel as well as those who are in need. Taking part in that makes all our work holy – work that is done in service to the Lord as priestly members of His kingdom.

An LCMS Stewardship Article

St Peter Council

President – Tom Meyer

Vice President – Tim Buchhop

Recording Secretary – Nancy Conrad

Board of Trustees – Ben Weddelman, Marty Helmke, Mark Oberhaus

Board of Elders – Dave Conrad & 1 Vacant

Treasurer – Jon Block

Financial Secretary – Judy Meyer

Board of Witness, Outreach & Stewardship –

Bette Weddelman, Deb Oberhaus

Building Improvement Fund Treasurer – Judy Meyer

Sunday School Superintendent – Vacant

Financial Review Committee – Dave Conrad

Marvin Michaelis, JoAnn Arens

Endowment Fund  Committee – Ruth Block, Steve Franz, Nancy Michaelis, Larry Retcher, Jim Meyer

Ushers -  Josh Scanes, Tony Mullett, Bethany Mathers, Rollen Zachrich, Pam Jones, Steve Franz, Cole Watson

Christmas Committee – Brad & Kristen Leaders

Morning Meditations Representative – Ruth Block

LLL Representatives – Steve Franz, Jim Meyer

Circuit Forum Representative – Tom Meyer

Filling Home of Mercy Delegate – Jim Meyer

Thanks

Thank you to everyone in both churches that helped to make the Christmas Season a wonderful experience!

The Sunday School Staff, Children, Choirs and Musicians for the beautiful performances on Christmas Eve.

The Decorating Committees and those that donated Poinsettias to beautify the Churches.

Greetings from Preschool!

We had a wonderful and busy December in Preschool.   Most importantly we celebrated the wonderful time of year and the meaning of Christmas.   We had our monthly visit with Ms Barb from the Napoleon Public Library, a visit from Santa, made Christmas gifts for our parents and had our Christmas party.   Since the temps didn’t allow us to go outside - we brought snow INSIDE the classroom!   So much fun!  Pastor visits our classroom every Friday and shares a bible lesson with us - we always look forward to that.

December we also had our annual Cookie Walk.  Thank you to everyone who baked and/or purchased baked goods.  It was another huge success.   Thanks so much!

Newsletter - December

From Pastor’s desk

We all know that Christmas is the 25th of December. I doubt many of us think about what saint is remembered on December 26th.  That day is the lesser festival where we remember Stephan the Deacon. He was not only a deacon, but the first martyr of the church.  This means he paid the ultimate price for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ (See Acts 7).  Of course Christmas is a time of celebrating God’s gracious gift to us. That gift being His Son, who would go on to pay the debt for the sins of the whole world.  That Son also calls on us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (See Mark 8:34). For some Christians that cross might be paying the ultimate price for sharing the gospel. Christians today are still being martyred. So this Christmas be thankful for the good things we have, but remember to pray for those who are still being persecuted for the faith.

Pastor Jacob Stuenkel

Christmas Services

December 24th – Christmas Eve

8:30am St Paul Sunday Worship Service

10:00 St Peter Children’s Christmas Program Service

6:30pm St Paul Children’s Christmas Program Service

December 25th – Christmas Day

8:30am St Paul Communion Worship Service

10:00am St Peter Communion Worship Service

St Peter – Endowment Fund

The Endowment Fund is now taking applications until the end of the year for projects.  See the narthex bulletin board for more information.  Endowment Committee:  Larry Retcher, Meta Walter, Ruth Block, Steve Franz, Nancy Michaelis.

St Peter Congregational Christmas Dinner

All members of the church are invited to attend the Congregational Christmas Potluck to be held, Sunday, December 3rd following the service.  Bring a potluck dish and share in the fellowship of the Christmas Season!

Henry County Christmas Cheer

St Peter - The list of items for Christmas Cheer is posted on the bulletin board. If you are unable to attend the Christmas Potluck and would like to donate items, a marked box will be in the cry room for those items, through December 3rd. Thanks so much!!

St Peter - Project We Care

The collection will go till December 3rd.  A collection basket will is marked and placed in the narthex. We will purchase items for a family in need, this may be the only gifts they receive for Christmas.  They will receive an invitation to join us at our Christmas Services, a Nativity, articles of clothing, a game/toy depending on ages etc. Christ is the Reason for the Season and showing we care and want to share Christ with them is the BEST! Questions ask Nancy H., Bette W. or Deb O.

St Peter’s LWML NEWS

The 2017-18 School Year Adopted Seminarian for St. Peter LWML is JUSTIN MASON, a fourth year student at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne.

He and his wife Stephanie and their two daughters, Maria and Anastasia, live in  Fort Wayne, IN.  They have been invited to attend our Christmas dinner.  He is a northeast Ohio native, having attended the University of Akron and served as a musician and college music professor prior to coming to the Seminary in 2014.  He has acknowledged with thanks the monthly payment of $40 from our LWML unit since the beginning of the school year.

Annual Preschool Cookie Walk

Saturday, December 9th, 8:30-10:00am in the St Peter Preschool room. We are asking for donations of homemade Christmas cookies, brownies, puppy chow, fudge, etc. to be brought to the kitchen by 8:30am on the 9th. Whether you donate items or not, please come and purchase a box and fill it with a variety of goodies – easier than baking dozens of different recipes of cookies! Tell your friends and neighbors about our Cookie Walk. Thank you for all your kind support of the preschool by supplying and purchasing these Christmas Goodies.

New Flower Chart

 The 2018 Flower Chart has been posted in the Narthex.  If you wish to donate a floral arrangement for a special event, anniversary, in loving memory of someone or to the Glory of God, please choose a date and enter the information on the chart so your arrangement may be acknowledged in the bulletin. 

St. Peter Christmas Potluck

 

Please join us for our annual Christmas Potluck dinner - December 3, 2017 (following our 10AM church service).  Feel free to bring your family!

 

Our entertainment for our dinner will be

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog, Anna from Toledo, Ohio.          (Kids will love this!) 

https://www.facebook.com/annacomfortdog/

Items will be collected that day for Henry County Christmas Cheer.  Items needed are: 

Canned Vegetables, Fruits, Soup, Stews, Meats, Macaroni & Cheese, Spaghettios, Spaghetti Sauces, Tomato Juice, Broths, Noodles, Macaroni, Rice, Spaghetti, Potato Mixes, Stuffing Mixes, Cereals, Pancake Mixes, Syrups, Crackers, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Pudding, Jell-o, Cake Mixes, Frostings, Fruit Juices, Coffee, Tea, Kool-Aid, Chocolate Drink Mixes, Toilet Tissue, Facial Tissue, Paper Towels, Bar Soap, Toothpaste, Shampoo

PLEASE NO MICROWAVE ITEMS! 

Please make sure the products have NOT passed their expiration dates. 

Area Youth Come Together to Help Hurricane Victims

The youth groups of St. John Lutheran - Stryker (6 & 66), St. Peter Lutheran, and St. Paul-Flatrock came together on Wednesday, November 1 to assemble relief aid packages for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. Twenty-six youth from the area churches put together personal hygiene kits, wound care kits, and baby care kits. Approximately one thousand dollars worth of supplies including: combs, towels, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and many more items. The care packages will be sent to H.A.R.P. in Caldwell, Ohio , and will then be shipped to Miami, Florida. From there they will be sent to Puerto Rico around November 9. This aid is greatly appreciated because about 80% of all disaster relief aid comes from Christian organizations.

We would like to thank the following for their support: Orphan Grain Train, Emilie’s Photo Designs, Thrivent Financial, Henry County Bank, Dental Excellence of Napoleon, and other private donors.

Newsletter - November

Pastor's Thoughts

November 1st is for most people just another day. In the Christian world this day is All Saints Day. All Saints Day is the day we celebrate those believers who have come before us. When celebrating this day it is appropriate to remind ourselves where these faithful are now.  They are in the presence of God himself. As Revelation 7:4 so beautiful puts it “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” This verse also reminds us how it is possible the saints are with God. Not only that, but why they are saints at all. The reason is because of Christ and his atoning sacrifice. So in the spirit of All Saints Day I encourage you to meditate on the words spoken in the preface in the Service of the Sacrament. When the Pastor says, “Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven…”ask yourself who does that include? The Company of heaven includes all the saints who are with Christ now. When you participate in communion you are with that company, and that is a truly wonder thing. In this we can also remember that we too one day will join this company.

We will be in the presence of God, we will have our robes made white in the blood of the Lamb. And we too will “celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom which has no end; through Jesus Christ… who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever” Amen.

So I hope you have a blessed All Saints Day.

Rev. Jacob Stuenkel

YOUTH GROUP OUTREACH - the youth at St. Peter is hosting a gathering to include youth from St. Paul Flatrock and St. John Stryker (6&66).   This will be held 7pm, November 1.  We will be assembling hygiene kits for hurricane victims.    We look forward to the fellowship with old and new friends as we help with this important project.

St Peter – Christmas Poinsettias

Poinsettia order forms are posted on the narthex bulletin board.  Orders must be in no later than November 12th. 

Please place orders in the offering plate.

Questions?? Contact Deb Oberhaus # 419-762-5397. Thank You!

THANK YOU to St. Peter Lutheran church for sponsoring the Red Cross blood drive and the use of the building. Thank you also to all of the volunteers and donors. We were able to collect 28 units. Thanks again for supporting the American Red Cross.

Greetings from Preschool!

We had a very busy and fun month of October!  Our highlights included:  a walking trip to the Florida Public Library, Leader's Farm field trip, Pisanello's Pizza fundraiser, visit from Kyle Richards with the Florida/Flatrock fire department and our Halloween party!

Thank you to everyone who bought, sold and helped make the pizzas for our Pisanello's Pizza fundraiser!  Very much appreciated.  Special thanks to Bette Weddelman, Ruth Block, Sharlene Bunke, Pam Jones, Sherry Krueger, Alice Knepley, Andy Parsons, the Weber Family and my husband, Brian, for making 272 pizzas on Saturday, October 21st!  We made them in 1 1/2 hours and raised $1,360 for St. Peter Preschool!

November will be another great month in Preschool.  We will focus on Praise & Thanksgiving. Our themes will include:  Turkeys, Thanksgiving and Teddy Bears.  Our letters will be I, J and K.  We will not have school the week of November 20th.  My family and I are driving to Austin, Texas to spend the week with my sister and her family for the holiday.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.  In God' Blessings, Mrs. Rees 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

St Peter’s Congregational Christmas Potluck date is December 3rd.  Planning committee dates will be in the November bulletins. Needed: Volunteers! Looking forward to seeing You at the meetings!!

Sunday School Fun

Pam Jones' Sunday School class made King Solomon's temple out of stone, cedar, and juniper today. Ok it was actually marshmallows, graham crackers and pretzels, with chocolate frosting for mortar. Mmmmm

Of course, some of our laborers didn't get it all built before it was destroyed!
 

Newsletter - October

From Pastor Stuenkel’s Desk

I am sure when many people think of October they think of October 31st which is known the world over as Halloween. Many will look forward to dressing up in costumes this year or taking their children around to get candy. This day was originally called All Hallows Eve. This is because it is the Eve of All Saints Day. For Lutherans, All Hallows Eve is remembered for what Martin Luther did and we now celebrate as Reformation Day. This is the day we celebrate Luther and his writing of the Ninety-Five Theses. This document and other writings of Luther would go on to change the world. Luther through his writings challenged many Catholic beliefs. These included their beliefs on Purgatory, indulgences, and one’s ability to earn their own salvation. We celebrate this day both Martin Luther and his rediscovery of the Gospel and this year we celebrate its 500th anniversary. The Gospel truth that man is justified by Christ alone and His saving work. As Ephesians 2:8 puts it, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”

In this year especially, I hope we all can celebrate Luther’s faithful preaching of this Text and others that teach our Salvation is by Christ alone, and not because of our works.

Reformation Celebration Potluck

Please join in celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation at the Congregational Potluck to be held after the church service on Sunday, October 29th. A sign-up sheet is located on the bulletin board in the narthex. A special “German” theme is being planned for this potluck. What does that mean? When you sign up, you are asked to list what German dish you will be bringing, and how many will be attending. If you do not have a recipe, there will be German recipes posted on the bulletin board that may interest you to try. The committee asks that if you take a recipe, that you would please make that recipe for the potluck. Supplied that day will be hotdogs/brats/buns/drinks/ and table service. Some suggestions for potluck dishes could be: German potato salad, red cabbage, German sauerkraut, German noodles, German coffee cake.  Any questions please contact Nancy Conrad, Ruth Block, Nancy Michaelis or Helen Norden, Meal Committee.

St Peter Preschool annual pizza fundraiser!

Money raised helps support the preschool. Pizzas are $8 each; 12" deli style; pepperoni, cheese or sausage

Order forms will be available in Church on the following Sunday's: 10/1 and 10/8

Money is due at time of order. Pizzas will be available to pick up at church on Sunday 10/22.  

Thank you! Julie Rees, Teacher/Director

The LWML Defiance Zone Workshop

The Workshop is to be held on Sunday October 15th at 1pm at Zion Lutheran Church, Edgerton. The workshop project will be: Treatment Care Kits – kits with comfort items assembled for patients to use while receiving treatment for cancer or other diseases. The aim of the workshop is to assemble 16 kits. This would be enough for each church in the Zone to have 2 kits available for giving to anyone in need of them.

Workers Needed

St Peter Trustees are taking bids for church cleaning and church maintenance for 2018.  Please have your bid in by October voters’ meeting.  Contact Marty Helmke, Roger Jones or Ben Weddelman if you have any questions.

Lutheran Women in Mission

LWML Sunday – Celebrate Lutheran Women in Mission. A special worship service is planned for Sunday, October 8th to celebrate all that God has done through the LWML. The author of this service, Dr. Lawrence Rast writes “Building on God’s Promises” and we know this is our time to be distinctly Lutheran. Since 1942, the LWML has affirmed each woman’s identity as a child of God and her relationship with Jesus Christ, encouraging an equipping Christian women to live out their lives in active mission ministries, and to support missions around the world through their sacrificial gifts of mites, tithes, offerings and tireless service. Now is our time to “Be Ready to Confess! Faithfully and boldly of Christ’s redemptive work for us and for all the world.”

The St Peter ladies have prepared a display in the church narthex of their current mission projects and invite everyone to view this evidence of Lutheran Women in Mission. Mite Box Sunday at St Peter is evidence that our congregation is willing to share with gifts of love for the projects that are funded by MITES.

The St Paul ladies and church members are faithfully providing items of everyday needs by collecting items on a monthly basis, including clothing, food, etc. for the seminarians and their families at the Fort Wayne Seminary and delivering the same to them.  They also support the Women’s Resource Center by having a baby shower and collecting baby items and diapers.

Be assured that the recipients of our gifts are most thankful and conclude their acknowledgments with their request to PLEASE PRAY FOR US AND OUR FAMILIES.

The LWML Defiance Zone Workshop

The Workshop is to be held on Sunday October 15th at 1pm at Zion Lutheran Church, Edgerton. The workshop project will be: Treatment Care Kits – kits with comfort items assembled for patients to use while receiving treatment for cancer or other diseases. The aim of the workshop is to assemble 16 kits. This would be enough for each church in the Zone to have 2 kits available for giving to anyone in need of them.

Greetings from Preschool!

We have had a wonderful first month of preschool for the 2017-2018 school year!  We spent the first couple weeks getting to know each other and learn the rules of the classroom.  

Just like last year, Ms. Barb of the Napoleon Public Library is coming to our classroom once a month to read to us, the children absolutely love it.  In October, we get the opportunity to go see Ms. Barb at the Florida Public Library instead!  We will walk down the road and have an adventure on the way!

Every Friday we are blessed to have Pastor Stuenkel visit the classroom and share God's word with us.  The children have enjoyed having him visit us each week.

Each month we also have show-n-tell, Scholastic Book orders available, weekly letters, weekly themes and usually a visitor or two come see us!  In October ~ Kyle Richards of the Florida/Flatrock Fire Department will visit us and talk about fire safety!  In October, we will also be taking our one and only destination field trip ~ to the wonderful Leaders Family Farm!

The Preschool is currently in full swing of our annual Pisanello's Pizza fundraiser ~ your choice of a 12" deli style pizza in either cheese, pepperoni or sausage.  These pizzas are fantastic and can be frozen.  Myself, preschool families and the preschool committee will be making these pizzas on Saturday, October 21st in Liberty Center at 10am.   Each pizza is $8 and all proceeds go to the preschool ~ your support in this fundraiser is greatly appreciated!  Pizzas will be available for pick-up at church on Sunday, October 22nd.  Please see order forms in the narthex ~ money is due at time of order and checks can be made out to St. Peter Preschool.

October will be just as busy and just as fun in Preschool!  Looking forward to the Fall season, Halloween and learning about Fire Safety.   WE LOVE OUR PRESCHOOL!  

In God's Blessings,

Mrs. Rees

Adult Bible Study Beginning Sept. 21

Adult Bible Study – Mark your calendars – Starting Thursday September 21st 7pm will be our First Adult Bible Study Class.  The classes will alternate weekly between Churches with the first class beginning at St Peter.

Newsletter - Sept 2017

This month was always my least favorite month of the year. For one thing, at the beginning of the month we would close down our pool. It was also the month where school started. As a child I hated school. I imagine a few kids and teachers are already missing summer.

I often think about why I hated school. For one thing I never got paid, so I always just saw it as a hassle. I should instead have seen it as a vocation.

Vocations are roles that God has put us into for the purpose of serving our fellow neighbors. Obviously we can see a parent or teacher as having vocations. They often have to help children. Martin Luther also says being a child or a student are being vocations. In the small catechisms table of duties there are duties or responsibilities for both youth and students.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and your mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Eph. 6:1–3

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5–6

-Pastor Stuenkel

Sunday School Begins on September 10th!

St Peter Sunday School will begin at 9:00 a.m.

We are asking everyone in the congregation to help out the Sunday School. We are in need of teachers, so please consider teaching a class; either for the whole year, or maybe team teach by the month. If teaching is not for you maybe help as a class aid. Our children’s Christian Education is important – please let us know if you can help.

Catechism Schedule for the 2017-2018 School Year

Wednesdays – 6:30 p.m.

September 13th, 20th, 27th @ St Peter

October 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th @ St Paul

November 1st, 8th, 15th, 29th @ St Peter

December 6th, 13th @ St Paul

January 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th 31st @ St Paul

February 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th @ St Peter

March 7th, 14th, 21st @ St Peter

Confirmation Sunday is March 25th

Parents – Please attend the first Catechism Class on September 13th for an informational meeting.

(Note – Ash Wed is Feb 14th Class Starting time will change to 6 p.m. for the remainder of the year)

LWML

LADIES, did you remember to mark your calendars for SEPTEMBER 16?   All women of the St. Paul and St. Peter congregations are invited to come to St. John Lutheran Church at Routes 6 & 66 for a Retreat program commencing at 8:30 AM.  Early morning refreshments are provided as well as a luncheon at noon AND a special program entitled "WE ARE GOD'S HANDIWORK" presented by Diana Schnack of Columbus, Ohio.  She is an inspirational and humorist presenter and well recommended by LWML ladies who have heard her speak. Her program will be given in three separate sessions.  The registration fee is $12 for the entire event which will conclude around 2 PM that day.  Registration forms are available at each church and need to be sent to Lavina Boesling, 30260 Jewell Rd, Defiance, 43512 by September 9.  Be sure to bring your Bible.  A special offering will be taken for Anna the comfort dog at Trinity, Toledo as well as for MITES.

St Peter Special Reformation Service

Pastor and Becky Buchhop are working on a special service for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. The Meal Committee of Ruth Block, Nancy Conrad, Nancy Michaelis and Helen Norden are also working on the details of the Special Potluck. The service will be October 29th with a German Potluck Meal to follow. If you have a favorite German recipe please share it with the committee. More information will be coming.

St Peter’s Ice Cream Social

Thank You to everyone who helped to make the Ice Cream Social at St. Peter Lutheran Church a success again this year.  This event could not take place without the help of all working together on the planning, working at the social and also attending the social.

Thanks to all the support, we are able to send $2041.37 to Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne to help lighten the financial responsibility of the students attending the seminary.  God Bless each of You!

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE     

St. Peter Lutheran Church

October  25, 2017

1:00 to 7:00 PM