Newsletter - October

From Pastor Stuenkel’s Desk

This October 31st we are having a trunk or treat on Halloween Night. I am sure we will all have a good time, just like people have on Halloween. Some people like to dress up in Costumes. Some people look forward to eating Candy. We often look at Halloween as an occult holiday. And it is true that many wiccans and cults have special rituals on Halloween night. As Christians we should remember that this day was originally called All Hallows Eve. This is because it is the Eve of All Saints Day. October 31st is also the day Martin Luther nailed the Ninety-Five Theses to the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church.

Historians often have this day as the beginning of the Reformation. Although, Luther didn’t want to split the Catholic Church. He was trying to point out what he saw as abuses of the church. He also wanted what he saw as problems to be discussed and debated.

History had other Plans. Luther and his writings would go on to change the Catholic church and the European world forever.

Every year on October 31st [Or the Last Sunday of October] we celebrate both Martin Luther and his rediscovery of the Gospel. If it were not for Luther the world might have forgotten Gospel truths such as, 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”

I hope on October 31st and Future Halloweens, we can celebrate far more than Candy and Costumes. We can also celebrate how faithful Christians like Martin Luther were willing to Share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Friendship Sunday

Let’s Celebrate Our Friends on Sunday October 14th – Share the fun and Good News with someone else, bring a friend (one or more!) to Sunday School and Church. There will be light refreshments served after church by the Outreach Committee.

Preschool Pizza Fundraiser

Order now through Sunday, October 14th. 12” deli style pizza in your choice of cheese, pepperoni or sausage. $8 each. Proceeds will benefit the Preschool. Pizzas will be delivered to the Church on Saturday, October 20th. Please plan to pick up pizzas anytime after 12pm that day or we can deliver them to you!

Youth Group Spaghetti Dinner

October 21st the Youth Group members from St Peter and St Paul will be hosting a Spaghetti Dinner at St Peter in the Fellowship Hall. We will be serving Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad and Desserts. This is a free will donation. All money raised will be put towards the cost of the Youth attending the National Youth Gathering in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July. We will be serving from 11:30-1:30 Carry outs will be available. Open to the public.

Trunk or Treat

Everyone is invited to join St. Peter on Wednesday, October 31st from 5:30-7:30PM for our Trunk or Treat night! You can participate by decorating your vehicle and passing out treats to children or bring your children or grandchildren to the event!

Congregational Photo

We are planning on taking a Congregational Photo on Sunday, October 28th following our 10AM worship service. Weather permitting we will be taking it outside in the parking lot. Please dress appropriately. Help us remind other members of the church.

LWML CHRISTIAN LIFE WORKSHOP

The Defiance Zone LWML invites all our ladies to the Christian Life Workshop on Sunday, October 14 at CHRIST OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH (on State Route 66 on south edge of Defiance) commencing at 1:30 PM. Included in the program is Pastor Terry Cripe, Ohio District President Emeritus, who will lead a Bible Study entitled, ‘SILENCED VOICES’ on a timely subject referenced in the Bible. More details are given on a poster displayed in the Church Narthex.

LWML Adopted Seminarians

Our Adopted Seminarian for the 2018-19 School Year is Ryan Pumphrey. (His home church is Redeemer, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) He and his wife Jennifer have two children, Rebecca and Cassandra. He is a second year student at Ft. Wayne Seminary Fort Wayne, IN.

St. Peter congregation is also assisting a Deaconess by sending a one-time donation to the Deaconess Program at the Fort Wayne Seminary.

Greetings from St. Peter Preschool!

We have had an AMAZING start to the 2018/2019 school year! I am so happy with how well the students are doing and adjusting to our classroom schedule.

October will be a busy month in Preschool. We will walk to the Florida Public Library, Leaders Farm field trip, a visit from the Florida/Flatrock Fire Department and our Halloween parties! We also have our weekly themes, weekly letter and weekly Bible story!

A few important upcoming events: First annual Storytime and Craft event at St Peter Preschool! Wednesday, October 3rd at 4:30pm.

This event is free and open to ages 18 months to 1st grade. Join Mrs. Rees as she reads "Spookley the Square Pumpkin" book! Looking forward to this event!

Pisanello's Pizza fundraiser has started! 12" deli style pizza in cheese, pepperoni or sausage. $8 each. Proceeds will benefit the Preschool. Order and sell now thru Sunday, October 14th. Information is available in the narthex or from any Preschool committee member. We appreciate your support! And these pizzas are DELICIOUS!

As always, I am so happy to be your Preschool teacher! Feel free to stop in the classroom anytime to see what we're up to! In God's Blessings, Mrs. Rees

Faith, Family, Friends, Community - Always Remembered

The 2018 Redhead 5K Run/Walk was a huge success! The run took place at St. Peter Lutheran Church. Proceeds will go to the Kevin R. Schwiebert Memorial Fund. The Kevin R. Schwiebert Memorial Fund was established in December 2014 to honor Kevin’s legacy of giving back to his community. Kevin was husband to Jen, father to Olivia, Todd and Rylie, a maintenance manager at Campbell Soup in Napoleon and a volunteer firefighter when he died in October 2013.

Kevin Schwiebert with daughter Rylie

Community service was very important to Kevin. He was a councilman in the village of Florida for several years and also served as mayor of the village. He stepped down from that position when he decided to obtain his bachelor’s degree from Defiance College, graduating in May 2012.

Following his death, Jen and the kids wanted to keep Kevin’s memory alive by continuing his passion for community service, and that’s how this fund was started.

There are two parts to the fund - a scholarship and a fire grant. The scholarship is available to any Henry County high school graduate, although they do not have to be a current graduating senior, with preference to a child of a current or former firefighter. Since Kevin was very involved in community service, this is also community service based, aimed toward those who go above and beyond any school-required community service.

The fire grant portion of the fund is available to any fire department in Henry, Defiance, Williams, Fulton or Wood County. The purpose of the grant is for supplies, such as replenishing first responder or EMT bags, and/or public education materials, for example goody bags for school visits or giveaways for a community event or open house. The goody bags for school visits are included because this was one of Kevin's favorite things to do as a firefighter. "Fireman Kevin" visited St. Peter Lutheran Preschool every year and was a big hit with the kids. Kevin’s children were students at St. Peter Preschool and those visits were extra special, but he loved it whether his own kids were attending the school or not. When Kevin was in the hospital before he died, the preschoolers sent pictures they drew for Fireman Kevin, and the family decorated his room with them. He would have been touched to see all the messages from the kids. Because this was such a special part of his involvement in firefighting, Jen wanted this to be reflected in this fund that the family created in his memory.

This fund has been established as a permanent memorial to Kevin and people will benefit from his legacy for years after we're all gone. Donations are accepted anytime through the Toledo Community Foundation's website (click here). Please make sure to note in the organization and/or comment fields that this is to go to the Kevin R. Schwiebert Memorial Fund. All donations received through this website are tax-deductible. There is also a Facebook page set up for the Memorial Fund (click here) where Jen shares details on the fund, recipients and fundraisers. Thank you to everyone for your support and feel free to contact Jen anytime with questions or more information.

Contact: Jennifer Schwiebert

Email: kjschwiebert@gmail.com

Phone: (419) 777-5356

Newsletter - September

From Pastor’s Desk.

I woke up today to the sound of the Bus picking up the neighbor kids, it must mean school is back in session. I hated school when I was a child. I hated having to sit in the same building for almost 8 hours. I hated the lessons. I especially hated homework and assignments. For this reason, a part of me is glad school is over. This does not mean LEARNING has to be over for me or for you. As Christians we should always want to learn more. I want you to consider something. There are 66 books in your bible, and I’m sure you probably don’t remember all their titles, let alone what is contained in them. The truth is, As Christians we are called to never stop studying God’s word.

One of the ways to do this is to come up with a reading Plan. If you read 3 to 4 chapters a day you will finish in a year. [If you read 4 chapters a day you will finish in October]. If you do it this way, I suggest you skip numbers and Leviticus at first and read a Gospel instead. Sometimes people read two Old Testament chapters and 2 New Testament Chapters. Having a reading plan can be a fun rewarding way to study God’s Word. Heavenly Father, the words of our Savior are spirit and life. Give us grace to cling to them always, but especially when we find them hard to listen to, that we may discover with Peter and the other apostles that Christ alone has the words of eternal life. Amen

Catechism Schedule 2018-19

Wednesday Nights September 5 – First Class – All 7th & 8th Graders Parents need to attend! 6:30PM @ St Paul Sep 12th, 19th, and 26th

– 6:30pm @ St Paul Oct 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st

– 6:30pm @ St Peter Nov 7th, 14th, and 28th

– 6:30pm @ St Paul Dec 5th, 12th and 19th

– 6:30pm @ St Peter Jan 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th

– 6:30pm @ St Paul Feb 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th

– 6:30pm @ St Paul Mar 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th

– 6:00pm @ St Peter (Note time change) Apr 3rd and 10th

– 6pm @ St Peter Confirmation Day is April 14th

Game Day!

Game Day at St Peter Everyone is invited to attend a Game Day on Sep 23rd from 2- 4:30. Bring a bag of chips or your favorite dip to share. Some games will be provided but feel free to bring you own game too! Come Join The FUN!

Sunday School Rally day is September 9th!

Sunday school is starting just around the corner!  Sunday, September 9th is our first day.  Please have your child bring their backpacks.  Pastor will be blessing their backpacks during our church service.  We have a lot of exciting things planned for Sunday School this year!

Refreshments will be served by the Board of Witness, Outreach and Stewardship following the service.  

St Peter’s Retiree’s Luncheon

The Luncheon will be held Friday, September 28th, 11:15 am at Cosmo’s Restaurant, 1824 E. 2nd Street, Defiance. Note the change of location. Contact Jim Meyer or Tom Meyer if you plan to attend. New faces always welcome; come join the fellowship. Bring a $1 wrapped bingo gift.

St. Peter Council and Voters

St. Peter Council and Voters approved having the church office send Memorial Gift Acknowledgements for memorials made to the church at the time of the death of family members and friends. A sample of the card is displayed on the narthex bulletin board. This will be prepared and sent out, at the option of the family, to all donors to St. Peter Lutheran Church and/or its organizations. Pastor will offer this service to the decedent’s family and we will ask that the family of the decedent give us a list of the donors and their addresses. The amount of the gift will not be included. Please consider this new service and if you have questions, please ask Pastor or any church officer

Greetings from Preschool!

Summer flew by, just as expected and it's now time to start the 2018/2019 school year! I am very pleased to report that I will be teaching Preschool at St. Peter all 5 days this year. I have 7 students enrolled in the 3 year old T/Th class and 5 students enrolled in the 4/5 year old MWF class! I am so excited to be here all 5 days and can't wait to see what the school year brings! I spent lots of time this summer in the classroom organizing and changing things around ~ I think it looks fantastic! Our September will be busy getting to know each other and learning the classroom rules. We will also have our monthly visit with Ms. Barb from the Napoleon Public Library, school pictures and show & tell. In October we will take our annual field trip to Leaders Family Farms! Just like previous school years, each week we will focus on a letter or number, have a weekly theme and a bible story. It should be a fantastic year! Feel free to stop in and visit us anytime! In God's Blessings, Mrs. Julie Rees

Newsletter - August

Pastor's Thoughts

         Hello, it’s August, and that means Summer is 2/3rds over. This August is actually pretty Special. During this August [in Series B] we will be reading through John 6. In John 6 Jesus says, “51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

            In this text Jesus is telling us that he is the one who is going to feed the whole world. The feeding here isn’t just food though. It is Salvation! And how he has done this, is by Giving his Flesh on the Cross. We probably don’t think of him Feeding us on the Cross. But that is exactly what he was doing. Without Jesus’ death and atonement, we would never be FED. We would not be fed with his words. We would not be fed with his Body and Blood. And we would not be fed with his forgiveness. We also look forward to the day when he feeds us for eternity at His Table. So when you’re eating that last Summer Barbeque remember to say a prayer and thank God for all the ways he has fed us through His Son.

St Peter – Special Voter’s Meeting

A Special Voter’s Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, August 5th following the Church Service.  Items to be discussed is: Flooring in the Kitchen and Preschool area and the Parking Lot.

LWML Fall Retreat for Napoleon & Defiance Zones

 Sept. 15, 2018  Starting at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 2:00 p.m. @ St John Stryker Rts 6 & 66

•           The theme is “Make a Joyful Noise” Psalm 100.

•           Ingathering – New underwear & socks for the Orphan Grain Train.

•           Offering – Will go to Fort Wayne, Lutheran Military Vets & Families Ministry.

Filling Home – Festival of Tables

The Women’s Guild of the Filling Homes is once again celebrating a FESTIVAL OF TABLES LADIES LUNCHEON this Fall.  They, first of all, request participation in decorating and hosting one or more tables at the event and also that the ladies of our area attend this year’s 20th anniversary of this celebration.  This unique luncheon will be held at the Filling Home Therapy Center at Noon on Saturday, September 29, 2018.  For more information, please check the narthex bulletin board.  Tickets are $15.00 each.

Donations Needed!

Since it is time to be thinking of children heading off to school, the LWML is asking that both of our churches have an ingathering of NEW UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS which will be distributed to needy persons by the ORPHAN GRAIN TRAIN.   No used underwear is sent out by the OGT.   Men’s and boys new underwear and socks are especially needed this year.   Each of our churches have a box designated for these items, we are asking for your assistance.

Thank you for considering this worthwhile project.

St Peter Preschool Open House & Enrollment for 2018-19

The Preschool Open House will be held on August 23rd from 5-7pm. Three year old preschoolers will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-11:30am ($60/month tuition). Four and Five year old preschoolers will meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00-11:30am ($90/month tuition). A onetime $45 enrollment/supply fee will hold your child’s spot.

Stop by the open house and meet Mrs. Rees and see the classroom. Tell your friends and family about our Preschool!

email: Stpeterlutheranpreschool2016@gmail.com

ph: 419-922-3263

Or like St. Peter Preschool on Facebook!

Newsletter - July

From Pastor's Desk

It’s July, and it’s usually not a time where we think of Christian Festivals. This need not be the case. You can have Christmas in July. That’s right Christmas in July. On July 2nd we can celebrate The Visitation. The Visitation is the visit of Mary to her relative Elisabeth which is recorded in Luke 1:39-56. Now this might seem like a strange time of year to celebrate such an event, but it makes perfect sense when you know that the Annunciation of our Lord is celebrated on March 25th . March 25th is of course 9 months before December 25th. The visitation is also when John inside of his mother leaped for Joy when he heard Mary’s voice. We also can leap for joy knowing our Savior has come to earth to be born of a woman. He also came to suffer and die for us. But we also know he rose from the dead. So we have a lot of things we can leap for joy over. So this month and every month we can celebrate and remember the fact that Jesus has come to earth and visited us.

Thank you from Orphan Grain Train!

The 424 Garage Sale was a HUGE Success! Thank you to everyone who supported us with their time, baked goods and other items we were able to sell. We couldn’t have done it without you! It takes a Village to operate Orphan Grain Train – Thank you for being part of our Village.

VBS Success at St. Peter

We had 27 eager participants take part in our "Amazing Bible Animals Excursion." In Proverbs 6, the ants taught us to remember to do things without being told and to be hard, faithful workers. There was a live ant farm and an ant tunnel to crawl through, even an anthill the kids could eat! Balaam and his talking donkey (Yes, talking donkey!!) taught us to be faithful and follow God. God used angels in this story. In Luke 15, the parable of the Lost Sheep we were reminded of how Jesus saves us and gives us eternal life. On Thursday, we focused on the story of Noah's Ark, in particular the importance of the dove and the peace it symbolizes. We ended the week talking about a camel going through the eye of a needle in Mark 10. The lesson being to focus on the Lord, not all of the stuff and possessions we have. Everything wrapped up with a short closing program that parents and relatives were invited to. The kids sang songs, shared what they learned, received certificates, and enjoyed animal crackers and ice cream. 

The week would not have been possible without many volunteers who gave their time: Pastor and Dana Stuenkel, Bette Weddelman, Emilie Parsons, Pam Jones, Deb and Mark Oberhaus, Michelle Weddelman, Alicia and Bill Richardson, Nancy Conrad, Bethany Mathers, Nancy Helmke, MaKenna Helmke, Karlee Bostelman, Bridgett, Mallory, and Zander Watson, Carrie and Lana Culp Thanks to Larry and Phyllis for using their sign to advertise. Special thanks to Robyn and Andy Helmke for letting Colton and Aiden share their sheep on Wednesday! Thanks to Sherry Krueger for donating snacks. Special thanks to Cindy Casserly for bringing over her donkeys which included a baby that was 10 days old!

A Study on Martin Luther’s “A Simple Way to Pray”

By Rev Dr John Sias

Look at and Read the words in Hymn 766 “Our Father, Who from Heaven Above”. This hymn on the Lord’s Prayer reflect Martin Luther’s catechism teaching on the Lord’s Prayer and the theology of prayer that produced it. Luther reflected that; “Many pray the Pater Noster [Our Father] as many as a thousand times a year; if they were to pray a thousand years they would indeed still not have tasted or prayed even one letter of it [Matthew 5:18].” How often have you found your mind wandering to the grocery list, or worse, let the words roll, seemingly on autopilot? In summary, the Pater Noster is the greatest martyr on earth. Nearly everyone mistreats it and abuses it. Only a few are comforted by it and find joy in its correct use. 

The right place to begin to answer the questions “What is prayer?” and “How shall we pray?” is with our Lord’s own command and promise. For when the disciples asked Him how they should pray, the Lord said, “When you pray, say...” and then He gave them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. Although we might see or hear people praying all sorts of prayers to all kinds of gods, Christian prayer is unique. It reflects our unique knowledge of and trust in the one true God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who has created all things, redeemed us by His blood and sanctified us in His holy Church. We pray from a position of confidence, sure that God will hear us and grant us what is good because we pray by Christ’s command. Yet how often have we rushed through those words, “Our Father...” without thinking what a remarkable gift it is that Christ would have us pray this way. 

How dare we call upon the one and only true God of heaven and earth as Our Father –whom we have gravely offended through our sins – and then ask Him not of for daily bread but for everything? Why should He give it? Yet this is how Jesus teaches us to pray, without offering Him anything first, without so much as even saying please! That’s a bold prayer.

So there is a boldness in this prayer, to ask for what we want and to know that we have the right to ask confidently with all assurance, as dear children as their dear father and to cap it off to conclude with Amen...that is, Yes, it shall be so.

So Martin Luther instructs us to begin this prayer humbly but confidently in Christ and say “I am an unworthy wretched sinner and do not deserve to lift my eyes and hands to heaven and pray, but You have commanded us to pray and have promised to hear our prayer, so I pray with all Your holy Christians as He has taught me” and then say the Lord’s Prayer completely, word for word.

In life in death O Lord abide with me

Rev. C. William Weis

July 16, 1959 - May 30, 2018

Rev. C. William Weis (Peace, Saginaw) was called home on May 30, 2018 after a battle with cancer. A 1985 Concordia Seminary-Saint Louis graduate, he served Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Florida, Ohio; Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Flatrock Township, Ohio; and Trinity, Paw Paw before coming to Peace, Saginaw in 2004.

Visitation will take place on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 from 2-7 p.m. at Peace Lutheran School; 3161 Lawndale Rd; Saginaw MI 48602. The funeral and committal services will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2018 at Peace Lutheran Church; 3427 Adams Ave; Saginaw, MI 48602. A reception and time of sharing will follow the service.

Memorials may be made to Peace Lutheran Church "Seeds to Branches."

Please keep his wife, Karen, his sons Samuel and Joseph, extended family, and the members of Peace Lutheran Church in your prayers.

“I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless.  
Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness,
Where is death’s sting?  Where grave thy victory?
I TRIUMPH still if Thou abide with me.”
“Abide With Me” verse 7

Newsletter - June

From Pastor’s Desk

I thought I would take this newsletter and explain the colors on the altar. Usually the Church Year is broken up in two. The first half is the life of Christ which begins with Advent and ends with Pentecost. The Second half the church year are the Sundays after Pentecost, which is called the time of the church. 

The Church Year begins with the First Sunday in Advent, The color for Advent is BLUE. Advent, a preparatory time of waiting and watching, and it communicates the message of hope. After Advent is Christmas which is WHITE; which is also the color for Easter. White is the color of purity and completeness. White is an important color throughout the year. It is also used for Epiphany (Jan. 6) and the first Sunday following it, observed as the Baptism of Our Lord; the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, also known as Transfiguration Sunday; Holy Trinity Sunday; and another twenty-one minor festivals. 

Then follows rarely seen color; BLACK. Black only appears on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The color here calls for us to have a sober reflection on the cost of our redemption. The color for LENT is PURPLE. Purple like black, is a penitential color, in contrast to a festive one. The forty days of Lent, including the six Sundays that fall during this season, use this deep, rich color which has come to represent somberness and solemnity, penitence, and prayer.

RED is a power color and is appropriate for use on Pentecost Sunday. Additional uses of red are Reformation Sunday; Holy Cross Day (September 14); on such festive occasions as dedications, anniversaries of a congregation and its physical structure; festive days celebrating the office of the public ministry, such as ordination and installation.

The color for the time after PENTECOST IS GREEN. Green is also used during the season of Epiphany. For this reason GREEN is the color we see the most during the year. Green is a neutral color, but there is nothing colorless about our need to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. That's why the "green meadow" time of the church year is so lengthy. I hope this has helped you to understand not only why the colors change, but also what the colors represent. 

[Some of the information used with permission for this Newsletter came from lcms.org/worship/church-year/colors-or-liturgical-seasons]

Historic 424 Garage Sale

Orphan Grain Train will be participating in the Historic 424 Garage Sale from Defiance to Waterville on June 7th , 8th and 9th. They will be set up in the Florida Firehouse and will be having a lunch wagon, along with garage sale items and a bake sale! If you plan to participate in this 30 mile long garage sale don’t forget to stop by to support this groups efforts! If you have anything you would like to donate it would be greatly appreciated (No clothing please). They are especially hoping for bake sale items. Bring your donations to the Orphan Grain Train Warehouse in Napoleon on June 6th at 6 PM or to the Florida Fire Station on the mornings of the sale.

LWML

JUNE 22 -24 are the dates for the LWML OHIO DISTRICT CONVENTION AT DUBLIN, OH. Attending from our churches are Pastor Stuenkel as Pastor Counselor of Napoleon Zone; Dana Stuenkel as Young Woman Representative of Napoleon Zone; Sharlene Bunke and Ruth Block, Delegates representing St. Peter, Florida and Nancy Helmke is providing a display for Orphan Grain Train at the Convention.

ALSO, the ingathering to be taken to the Convention, with which we can all help are: Women’s travel size hygiene products to be given with spiritual materials to persons seeking help in women’s shelters and Walmart gift cards in any denomination which will be distributed to victims in disaster areas through the LCMS Disaster Response program. There is a box in the narthex at both churches to receive these items.

Last but not least, we can all include in prayer the Convention Committee of the Central Zone, Pastor and Dana in their first experience at a LWML Convention and our delegates for another inspirational and uplifting time as they “Serve our Lord with Gladness”!

Ladies Tea

Thank You to all the Guys who helped serve at the Ladies Tea on April 29. They were Pastor Stuenkel, Kevin and Jake Leaders, Dave Arens, Tim Buchhop, Andy and Henry Parsons. You did a great job. Also a special Thank You to Andy, who was the M C. Kathy Wilhelm, DOUBLE TALK, provided a wonderful message for the entertainment.

Mallory Watson and Karlee Bostelman greeted everyone and presented the Door Prizes. Thank You.

A big thanks to all the people who let us borrow all the glass ware, it made everything look very special. We hope all had a Great Time. Thanks for coming. Board of Witness, Outreach and Stewardship

St. Peter Board of Witness, Outreach and Stewardship

A special service is being planned for all Men and Boys of the church. On Father’s Day, June 17th, they will be honored and receive a special treat. Please plan to attend, you are all an important part to our church.

Greetings from Preschool!

Well - our 2017/2018 school year has come to an end! Can’t believe how fast the year went. We graduated 5 that will go onto Kindergarten and 3 that will return to St Peter Preschool in the Fall. Congrats graduates! An amazing school year, thank you again for allowing me to be your preschool teacher. I am blessed. Have a wonderful summer! In God’s Blessings, Mrs. Rees

VBS

Happy Mother's Day!

A huge thank you to our Sunday School and Outreach Committee for putting on a beautiful Mother's day service.  God bless and Happy Mother's day! 

Newsletter - May

From Pastor’s Desk

           This April, we celebrated Easter. Easter always seems like the busiest time of the year. But the time after Easter can seem just as frantic. First, we celebrate the day of Ascension on Thursday, May 10, 2018. This is the day our Lord Jesus Christ Ascended into Heaven. On May 13th we celebrate the seventh and last Sunday of Easter.  The reading for that Sunday is John 17:11b–19. There, Jesus prays for his Disciples. This is fitting because the Next Sunday is Pentecost, May 20th. On Pentecost, the Apostles become filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Next Sunday we celebrate Trinity Sunday. On that Sunday we confess The Athanasian Creed. On Trinity Sunday we remember how we were Created, Saved and Sanctified.  Let us consider the prayer for Trinity Sunday this May.

            Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.

St Peter Board of Witness, Outreach & Stewardship

A special service is being planned for all Ladies and Girls of the church.  On Mother’s Day, May 13, they will be honored and receive a special treat.  Please plan to attend, you are all a special part of the church.

Vacation Bible School will be held in the month of June.

Plans are being made.  Watch for more information in the bulletins. Volunteers and helpers will be needed, so please plan to help.

Congratulations to our Graduating Seniors!

Ashton Helmke, daughter of Matthew and Stephanie Helmke, will be graduating from Tinora High School in May of 2018. I've been involved in many different activities during high school, including National Honor Society, Art Club, German Club, Yearbook staff, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I have also participated in Varsity Bowling my junior and senior year, and Varsity Softball all four years of high school. I have also competed with a club softball team in the summer for the past five years. I plan to attend Marietta College in the fall to study Graphic Design and play college softball.  

ST. PETER LWML

Please mark your calendars now for Monday, June 4th.  St Peter LWML invites all of our congregation members to join us for a Buffet Dinner at The Barn Restaurant, Sauder Village starting at  5 PM.  It is Dutch Treat and on Monday nights you can make as many trips to the  buffet as you wish and at a  price of $8.49 (not including beverage)  for all Seniors.

Please advise Sharlene Bunke, personally or call her at (419) 782-9136  if you can join us   We will be glad to have you come!

Greetings from Preschool!

Can't believe we've reached the last month of the 2017/2018 school year.  What a fantastic year it's been!

April was another fun and busy month in Preschool.  Our themes included Easter, Space, Bike Safety, Earth Day and Flowers/Planting.   We finished up the remaining letters in the alphabet and started working on writing numbers.  Firefighter Kyle Richards from the Florida/Flatrock Fire Department came and brought his fire truck ~ the weather was pretty chilly, but we still enjoyed looking at the truck and visiting with Kyle back in the classroom after.  We sure love when he visits us twice each school year.   On Monday, April 23rd, we had our 2nd annual St. Jude Trike-a-Thon and it was a perfect beautiful day!  The kiddos did fantastic and we had so much fun.  We raised $397 for St. Jude Children's Hospital!  

The Spring Open House was held on Thursday, April 19th.  We had 6 new families come and we were so happy about that!  As of now we have 8 children registered for the Fall and hoping for lots more over the summer.  Word is getting out about our amazing Church and Preschool Program.  Reminder ~ a $45 supply fee will hold a child's spot for Fall.  3 year olds will attend on Tuesday/Thursday from 9-11:30am and the 4/5 year olds will attend on M/W/F from 9-11:30am.  Spread the word!  And make sure to follow us on Facebook at:  St. Peter Lutheran Preschool - Florida

May is filled with more fun weekly themes, learning new numbers, a visit with Ms Barb from the Napoleon Public Library, Graduation pictures and finally our Graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 24th at 7pm.  Our last day of school is Friday, May 25th.  

Thank you for another AMAZING year at St. Peter Preschool.  I am blessed to be your teacher!  

In God's Blessings, 

Mrs. Rees

Newsletter - April

 

From Pastor’s desk:

This April Christians everywhere will celebrate the Easter Season. This Easter is extra special because we also celebrate April Fool’s Day. Which is supposed to be a day of hijinks. That’s often the way the world looks at Easter. They often see it as a lie, as if Christianity itself is trying to pull one over them. They should know that we truly believe Jesus died and rose again. For one thing we have the Empty Tomb. Second, we have the Eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus, including the eye witnesses of the woman who were the first to see Jesus. Third, we have the New Testament Documents themselves which have the accounts of those eyewitnesses. Fourth, we have the example of the disciples and what they did following Jesus’ death and resurrection. We know they went out into the world proclaiming Jesus, even though they knew it would get them killed. Lastly,we have the witness and example of Saint Paul. He went to write about his own vision of Jesus. We know when we celebrate Easter we are not joking, but we are confessing our belief that Jesus has risen. He has risen, indeed, Alleluia!

Congratulations to our Confirmands

Lana Culp, daughter of Jeffrey and Carrie Culp &

Rebekah Zachrich, daughter of Jacob and Amy Zachrich

High School Seniors

St Peter would like to recognize the 2018 Graduates in our Church’s May Newsletter. We would like to include your senior picture along with a brief article of your high school career and future plans. You may drop the information off at the church office or email it to the Church at stpeterflorida@gmail.com.

Ladies Tea

Ladies please mark April 29th off on your calendar.  Plans are in the making for a special Tea Party for Mothers, Daughters, Granddaughters, Grandmothers, Aunts, Cousins, Friends and Neighbors!  If you are interested in helping plan this event contact Becky, Emilie, Bette or Deb.

St. Peter Preschool Spring Open House!

Stop in and see our classroom, meet Mrs. Rees, pick up enrollment papers and ask questions.  

LWML

Saturday, April 7 is the date for the Defiance Zone LWML Rally. CALLED TO LIVE FOR CHRIST is the theme and the forenoon rally commences at 8:30 with a breakfast at St. John, 9088 Openlander Rd. west of Sherwood. The guest speaker is Deaconess Carolyn Brinkley who is Military Project Coordinator at the Seminary and especially concerned with the work of the Chaplains serving the Military. Offerings will be for the Chaplaincy Program of our Synod, Defiance Zone and Mites.

St. Peter LWML has chosen Sharlene Bunke and Ruth Block to represent our unit as Delegates at the LWML, OHIO DISTRICT CONVENTION at Dublin, Ohio on June 22-24, 2018. The theme of the convention is '"Walk in the Light". Pastor Stuenkel will also attend as Pastoral Counselor of the Napoleon Zone LWML.

Greetings from Preschool!

We had a wonderful month of March, visits with Ms Barb from the Napoleon Public Library and Emily Hill with the Henry County Hospital. Thank you both for coming to see us!

The weather was still chilly most of the month - but we managed to get outside for recess a couple times. Hoping the weather will improve the next couple week.

April is full of lots of great things for the kiddos! When we return from Spring Break we will celebrate Easter and see some precious little quail - thanks Ms Bette for arranging this! Ms Barb will come back, Kyle Richards from the Florida/Flatrock Fire Dept will bring their fire trucks and we will have our 2nd annual St Jude Trike-a- Thon!!! We will finish up our letters of the week and move on to numbers - should be fun!

Can’t believe the school year is winding down. Another fantastic year in St Peter Preschool. Reminder - our Spring Open House will be Thursday, April 19th from 5-7pm. Please spread the word! We’re now enrolling for Fall of 2018!

In God’s Blessings, Mrs Rees