Newsletter - November 2023

Pastor’s desk for November :

Giving thanks for everything God has given us. I’ve been trying to go to more sports events this year. Sometimes it’s hard because I get blasted with memories of my own childhood. I am sometimes reminded of my successes when I won and got a ribbon. But more often I’m reminded of my failures. As we near the end of the church year Jesus wants us to examine ourselves, as we look forward to the end times and the return of Jesus. One parable Jesus told about the end times was Matthew 25:14-30. This parable is also parable about successes and failures. 4 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants [ a ] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, [ b ] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Jesus’ Parable tells about “talents” a master gives to his servants. The master is Jesus. The servants are people, which includes us. In Jesus’ time, the “talents” were often money, and servants were to use their talents wisely. In the parable the master commends the wise servants and harshly judges the unwise servant who hid his talent. The God who through the Holy Spirit so generously gives us our spiritual blessings also gives us gifts to glorify Him. Just like different students have different gifts in school, so do we. If God has given us musical gifts, we are to use them to sing and play to His glory. If God has given us artistic gifts, we are to use them to share the beauty of His creation. We are to use our minds to learn about His Word and to be the best students possible and to develop abilities to serve others. We use the talents God has given us to learn in school, to help our parents at home, to serve in our community and to bless His church. In every place, we use our talents wisely to serve Jesus. It’s easy when we look at our own “talents” to only see the talents we don’t have. This is a form of burying our talents. In the spirit of thanks, it would better if we reexamined our various talents that God has given us and how can we use them to give thanks to God! Jesus wonderfully invites us to share our God given talents with the world as we wait for his return. The best talent we have been blessed with is faith in Jesus. For this reason we can look forward to being with Him when He comes again. It will be exciting to hear Jesus also say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servants.” 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 to give You glory and help Your kingdom to grow. Amen.

Part of this message came from LCMS 2020 –21 CHAPEL TALKS FOR LUTHERAN SCHOOLS WEEK 14: Proper 28.

Christmas Potluck

We are excited to announce our Annual Christmas Potluck, which will be held on December 10 th right after our 10:00 am worship service. This is a wonderful opportunity to come together with our church family and friends to celebrate this special time of year. The main meat will be provided, but we kindly ask that you bring your favorite holiday side dish to share with everyone. We can't wait to see what delicious creations you come up with! Our preschool class will also be leading us in prayer, adding a touch of innocence and joy to our gathering. We hope you can join us in getting into the holiday spirit and enjoying each other's company. As always, all are welcome, so bring your loved ones and let's make this a festive occasion to remember!

Annual Cookie Walk Drive Thru & Visit With Santa

Mark your calendars! Jump in your car and come see SANTA and join us for our annual St. Peter Lutheran Preschool “Cookie Walk” on Saturday, December 9 th at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Florida, Ohio. The event will be a Drive-Thru, with boxes of pre-packed homemade Christmas cookies, brownies, puppy chow and/or fudge. Santa will be available to wave and visit with your kiddos in the car! Proceeds will benefit St. Peter Lutheran Preschool.

Greetings from St. Peter Lutheran Preschool

Our preschool class had an amazing time at T22 Farm on October 20 th . Every child had the opportunity to feed and pet the farm animals, go on a hayride, and select their own pumpkin. It was a great experience for them, and we want to thank our Preschool parents who supported us to make this trip possible. We also want to express our gratitude to each of you who volunteered and donated candy and stickers for our upcoming Craft Show & Fall Festival. Our first-ever Craft Show & Fall Festival will take place on October 27 th from 5-7 pm. We are excited about the 17 craft show vendors, bake sale, puppet show, and free-will offering of hotdogs, chips, and apple cider. We are confident that this will be an enjoyable and fun-filled evening for everyone! We are also planning a Pizza Fundraiser that will run until November 5 th . We'd love to have your support for St. Peter Lutheran Preschool during this time. You can find order forms in the narthex. Lastly, we have been learning about Noah's Ark in our Bible Storytime, and we are thrilled to announce that we are moving our Chapel times to 11:00 am. We would like to invite the whole congregation to join us. Our students will sing a song, and Pastor will share a short devotion with us. We will keep you updated on our next chapel date. Thank you for your continued support and love for St. Peter Lutheran Preschool. We hope to see you soon! Best regards, Ms. Stephanie & Ms. Emilie

Newsletter - October 2023

From Pastor's Desk  

Every year I usually write something about Luther. Usually, it’s about how he changed the world, or  helped us to better understand scripture. Today I want to talk about his death. Luther had to deal with a lot of  physical and emotional trauma throughout his life. For one thing he dealt with “Sorrow” for most of his life.  We would today call it “depression”. He had such an acute case of it in 1527. Some believe he had a heart  attack that year since he had extreme moodiness afterword and went several Sundays without preaching.  Luther loss of two of his children before his death. He lost a daughter who did not survive a year. In May of  1542 his fourteen-year-old daughter died from an infection.  

 In his own personal life Luther had suffered from Meniere’s disease, vertigo, fainting, tinnitus, and a  cataract in one eye. In 1536 he suffered from a kidney and bladder stones.  

 His last sermon was in Eisleben, the place of his birth, three days before his death. At the church he  suffered a fainting spell. He was taken up to his room where he lay down. He was given wine to help him  sleep. He awoke at 9, and had a room full of people including his children. He asked his sons to pray for our  “Lord God and his Gospel.” Later in the night he recited John 3:16, and Psalm 31:5. After word he slept  peacefully for about a quarter of an hour. He let out a sigh that sounded like “Ja”. Shortly after his face grew  ashen, and despite frantic efforts to revive him, he gave a deep sigh and moved no more.   At 2:45 am on Feb 18th 1546 Luther died. Some have tried to paint Luther’s death as some horrifying  experience, but he seems to me have died of heart complications and old age. He died with a house of people  mourning his death.  

 A short time before his own death he attended the peaceful death of an old Aunt Lene. It was Kate’s  relative who was living with Luther and his family. He said to her this: Your faith rests upon sweet Lord  Jesus. He is the resurrection and the life. Thou Shalt not want. Thou shalt not die, but fall asleep as in the  cradle and at dawn you will rise into eternal life.1 

 What a beautiful way to look at death. 2 

1 H.G. Hail “Luther: an expirment in Biography”. Doubley and compay 1980. Page 325.  

2H.G. Hail “Luther: an expirment in Biography”. Doubley and compay 1980. Page 325.

Reformation Dinner  

Martin Luther will join us for our Annual Reformation Dinner, on October 29, 2023 at  11:30 am. Plan on joining us to meet Martin and hear him speak about the  Reformation. Please prepare your favorite German based dish to share. The main  meat, beverage and table service will be provided. There is a sign-up sheet on the  narthex bulletin board. If you have any questions, please contact Jim or Judy Meyer.  

LWML CHRISTIAN LIFE WORKSHOP 

The Defiance Zone LWML invites all ladies to the Fall Christian Life Workshop on Sunday, October 8 at  Zion Lutheran Church, Edgerton from 2-4 pm. Our guest speaker will present a program about the House of  Ruth, Defiance, 

Trunk-or-Treat  

Trunk-or-Treat - Join us for our annual Trunk-or-Treat on Tuesday, October 31st 6-7:30 pm. If you are  interested in setting up a trunk or would like to just pass out candy we would love for you to join us! (Plan  on around 80 trick or treaters.) Trunk-or-Treat sign-up sheet is on the narthex bulletin board or let Emilie  Parsons know via email or phone/text: emiliejoparsons@gmail.com or phone: 419-769-2212. 

Greetings from Preschool!  

Our Preschool is off to a great start for the 2023-2024 school year and we sure have been busy!! We  currently have 16 children enrolled with 2 more waiting entry beginning in January of 2024. We have been  so busy beginning to learn our letters, colors, shapes and numbers and also wrapped up our Apple study along  with the Creation story just in time for October! We also introduced 2 new "furry friends" to our classroom  as our pets and the children got to name them: Sparkle Jr. And Ms. Piggy. Class pets are a great way to  promote mental health in the classroom and to teach the children about responsibility and taking care of  animals. We enjoy having them in our room!  

Our classes got to visit the Florida Library for their first time this school year and we appreciate everything  they do to support our little learners! The classes walk to our library once a month if the weather allows and  we are looking for volunteers to join us to help keep us safe. If you are interested in joining us on one of  these days throughout the year, please see the signup posted outside our classroom or let us know! We also  enjoyed a visit from Bill Grimes aka Johnny Appleseed and we got to visit Mahnke Orchard and Lily Creek  Farms to learn about how the apples go from the Orchard to the shop. The apples we're so yummy and we  even got to try some fresh apple cider. We look forward to our upcoming Fall Festival and Craft show on  October 27 from 5 pm-7 pm. We are still accepting donations for candy/small toys along with baked goods  for our bake sale. Please contact Emilie Parsons for any inquiries about volunteer opportunities as well!  

Mrs. Arce 

Newsletter - September 2023

From Pastor's Desk  

The first and the last two chapters in the Bible teach us many things about the world that God has  created, redeemed, and is now restoring. In both Genesis and Revelation we see what the world is like  without sin. In Genesis God Creates Adam in his own image. Then he is told he can eat anything he wants,  except the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. 1 

Many wonder what was the point of God putting the Tree there if they could not eat from it. Martin  Luther in his Genesis commentary suggests Adam and Eve would have gone to the tree to worship God. By  going to the tree and not eating, they would have been showing their devotion to God’s word, and shown they  were in a relationship where they trusted God. 2  

Adam and Eve failed and yielded to the devil's temptation. Then we are told, "(God) drove out the  man, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way  to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24).  

When Jesus came into the synagogue he reads from Isaiah and says this: “18 “The Spirit of the Lord is  upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty  to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the  year of the Lord's favor.”  

Jesus was explaining to the Jews that he has come to restore the relationship between God and Man.  That he wanted to return us to the relationship Adam and Eve had with God. We know that he accomplished  that by his death and resurrection.  

 This is why we find in Revelation that in the New Jerusalem, there the tree of life is restored to God's  people! (Revelation 22:1-2).  

Now what do we do In the meantime? We should acknowledge what Jesus taught us in the Lord's  Prayer. We pray for “Thy Kingdom Come” and “Deliver us from Evil.”  

Luther’s answer for: “How does God’s kingdom come? God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly  Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in  time and there in eternity.”  

Luther’s answer for the Seventh Petition: “We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in  heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our  last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in  heaven.”3 

Joint Counsel Meeting @ St. Peter

Monday, September 18th at 7:30pm at St Peter.  

Sunday School!

September 10th starting at 9:00 am! All  children in preschool through 8th grade are  welcome to join us. Blessing of the Backpacks – We will be blessing the children’s backpacks  during our 10:00 am worship service. 

What is a “catechism”?  

A catechism (pronounced KAT-eh-kizm) is a book of instruction  usually written in question and answer form. The word  “catechism” comes from the Greek word katekhein, which  means “to instruct.” A catechism teaches the basics of the  Christian faith.  

Why do we need catechisms?  

While visiting local churches, Martin Luther found many pastors and their church members were unaware of the true teachings of the Bible. Because of this, the people were living immoral lives. Martin Luther wrote the catechisms to instruct people in the basics of the Christian faith, that they might  know Christ and His forgiveness and live accordingly. We still  use Luther’s Large and Small Catechism so that we never forget  those things that are necessary for faith in Christ.  

From LCMS Worship. 

LWML Fall Retreat -  

Defiance/Napoleon Zones  

When: September 16th 

Where: John Lutheran - Stryker (St. Rtes. 6  & 66)  

Topic: "Serve the Lord with Gladness"  Schedule: Doors open at 8:30 AM, Program  starts at 9:00 AM  

Service projects and Prayer walk with luncheon  at noon  

Cost: $15 includes lunch  

Ingatherings: LWML mites and new regular  size dark colored bath towels.  

Registration forms are posted on the bulletin  board and must be sent to Gretchen Etzler by  September 3rd.  All ladies of the congregation are invited and  welcome to attend.

Adopted Seminary Student 

This year's adopted seminary student is Seth Horn from Euclid, OH. He is a first year student. Seth's home  church is Zion Lutheran Church in Painesville, OH. We will support him with a monthly monetary stipend  during the current school year. Besides the monetary gifts, we have promised to encourage him with our  prayers and cards. We hope you will join us in this service. His address at the seminary is 6600 North  Clinton Street - Box 246 - Ft. Wayne, IN. 46825

Rocky Railway VBS  - Many many thanks!!

We enjoyed an epic adventure at St. Peter this year! We took a ride with  Jesus that we will never forget. Our successful VBS wouldn't be possible  without our amazing volunteers, decorations and snack donations. Thank  you so much!  -VBS Director, Emilie Parsons  

A peek from preschool…

We are excited that summer is almost over and school will begin on August 28 & 29 for the 2023-24 school  year. We had quite a busy summer with a playdate in June, our Carnival in July and the Henry County Fair  Parade in August! Our Preschool attended the parade at the fair for our 1st year and it was a great event. Our  float was awarded 3rd place in the Religious category thanks to the help of Emilie Parsons, Dana Stuenkel,  Justin Pahl and many other church members who also helped donate candy to make it a success! We  appreciate your support and can’t wait to make this an annual event for our Preschool! We also look forward  to the Fall and are excited to announce our next Community event will be held on Friday, October 27 from 5- 7 pm. We will be having a Fall Festival & Craft Show that we invite the church members to attend and  participate in. There will be food, games, hayrides and a puppet show! If you would be interested in  participating, please see Emilie Parsons for more information. Booth rentals will be $10 for church members  or $20 for non-church members. We are also in need of baked good donations and candy to help make this  event successful and will be collecting candy all through September and October! Our next Preschool  Committee meeting is Monday, September 11 at 6:30 pm. We look forward to another exciting school year  and appreciate all the love and support from the church community.   - Mrs. Arce 

Newsletter - August 2023

From Pastor's Desk

Lately, I have been talking about Jewish Holidays in my newsletters. God prescribes many religious Holidays for the people of Israel in the Bible. Today I want to talk about Purim. Although Purim is not as important a holiday as other days we have discussed, it is still Biblical. Purim is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (typically in March). The Day celebrates when Esther saved her people while they were living under the Persian Empire. We find out in her own Book of the Bible that Esther is a Jewish Girl. She is made a wife of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) after he has a falling out with his wife Vashti. This probably happened around 478 B.C. I want to give a short outline to Esther. First in the early section of the book there is a sense that the lives of Jews are in danger (1:1-5:14). During these verses Queen Vashi is replaced by Esther. Then there is a report by Mordecai. He is an older Cousin/father figure to Esther. He discovers assassination plot against Ahasuerus and tells Esther of it. Haman asks permission of the king to kill the Jews since Jews (Mordecai) were not bowing to him. King issues a degree. Mordecai talks to Esther to convince her to go before king. Mordecai says this to Esther in 4:14: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" She goes before the King. The plan gets found out and Haman is revealed as wicked. Mordecai is made an important official. A lot happens in the book and I encourage every Christian to read the book. It’s probably the closest the Bible gets to a spy novel or movie. The holiday of Purim itself is established in the book in 9:20-23. The fun thing about the holiday is the book of Esther is read in public and their actions for the audience who is listening. When Esther’s name is said, you supposed to “ah”. When Mordecai’s name is said, you are supposed to cheer. And when Haman’s name is said, the listeners are supposed to BOO! Apparently, it’s a fun holiday with drinking and dressing up and Jews still celebrated to this day. What does Purim or the life of Esther have to say to us? First, we to should not bow before paganism nor treat Government as a God. Second that God has in a certain time in certain roles to do our duties. We might not know what important roles God has planned out for us.

The Defiance/Napoleon Zone’s LWML Fall Retreat

The Defiance/Napoleon Zones' LWML Fall Retreat will be held Saturday, September 16 th at St. John Lutheran Church Family Center at the corner of 6 & 66 South of Archbold from 9 am to 1:30 pm with registration starting at 8:30 am. The theme is "Serve the Lord with Gladness". The $ 15.00 registration fee for the retreat includes the lunch. Free childcare is provided. Watch for more information in future bulletins and registration forms on the narthex bulletin board. This year rather than having a guest speaker a Servant Event Day will take place in the forenoon and a Prayer Walk in the afternoon. Servant event activities will be assembling layettes for World Relief, assembling hygiene kits for Orphan Grain Train (supplies except for the bath towels will be purchased with a Thrivent Action Team Card), signing cards for Phil's Friends and items for House of Ruth. The ingathering is new bath towels, preferably dark colored, to complete the hygiene kits for Orphan Grain Train. The towels can be brought to the church and placed in the designated box in the narthex or brought to the retreat.

A Peek from Preschool

Thank you to all our volunteers and families who attended our Preschool Carnival. We were able to raise $75 towards our St. Jude Children's Hospital lemonade stand challenge and we are still accepting donations until the end of July. Thanks for helping us support a great cause and our event was another huge success! We also look forward to our upcoming Open House and Registration night on Tuesday, August 8 from 5:00-6:30 pm. Families are invited to come meet the teachers, visit the classroom and receive important information for the upcoming school year. Our 1st day of Preschool is on Monday, August 28 and we look forward to another amazing school year!! Mrs. Arce

Newsletter - July 2023

From Pastor's Desk

Lately, I have been talking about Jewish Holidays in my newsletters. God prescribes many religious Holidays for the people of Israel in the Bible. Today I want to talk about The Day of Acclamation which discussed in Leviticus 23:23-25. 23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of Sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’” The first day of the Seventh month on the Jewish Lunar Calender is usually in September or October. Tishrei is the seventh month of the Jewish year. This Old Testament Holiday day is celebrated today as “Rosh Hashanah” (literally “head of the year”). It is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim (“Days of Awe”), celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur. (Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement). It is celebrated with Trumpet blasts. Trumpets can be used to bring the congregation together. (See Numbers 10:1-10.) They can call people together to repent in a solemn assembly, like they do in Joel 2:13- 15. Trumpets are also used to proclaim God’s victory, like they do in Isaiah 27:12-13. Jesus picks this up in Matthew 24:29-31, when he tells his listeners that his return will be announced with Trumpets. In Revelation 11:15-19, also the trumpets announce Jesus’ victory. I think The Day of Acclamation has all these ideas in mind. That we should at times come together as God’s congregation. First to acknowledge our sins. Second, to acknowledge that our forgiveness is a gift of God. Notice there were food offerings for sins on the holiday. Finally to recognize because we are forgiven we can look forward to spending eternity with Jesus who has conquered sin, death and the devil.

Sign up for Rocky Railway VBS

Are your children ready for the most epic adventure ever? Join us this summer at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Florida, Ohio. Your kids will be taking a ride with Jesus that they will never forget. July 31st - August 4th 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

VBS Volunteers!

We are looking for volunteers this summer as we host our upcoming Rocky Railway VBS on July 31st - August 4th 6:00-8:00 pm. We would LOVE all the help we can get!!

VBS Decorations

The theme this year for our VBS is Rocky Railway! Do you have any Christmas trees we could borrow or do you have anything train related that we could add to our decorations?

Thank you from the OGT

The 424 Garage Sale was a HUGE Success! Thank you to everyone who supported us with their time, and baked goods we were able to sell. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Greetings from Preschool!

Our Preschoolers have been enjoying the summer break and had a playdate to celebrate our summer birthdays. We are also excited to announce that our new playground that was provided by the ODJFS grant has finally been installed and is coming along great. Thank you so much for the church members and trustees who have helped along the way to make this possible....we really appreciate it! Just a reminder that our Preschool carnival is July 12 from 5:00-7:00 pm and we are still in need of volunteers! Please let any Preschool Committee member know if you're interested in helping with games! We look forward to another great turnout this year. We are still enrolling for the upcoming school year and our next Open House will be on Tuesday, August 8 from 5:00-6:30. Please contact the Preschool if you're interested in scheduling a tour! Have a great summer!!

Newsletter - June 2023

From Pastor's Desk

This Month I am continuing to teach a Bible class where we go over the main Festivals or Holidays in the Old Testament. Today, I want to talk about Yom Kippur . This, in English, means the Day of Atonement . The holiday is celebrated every year and usually falls in September or October. It is described in detail in Leviticus 16. It’s called the day of Atonement because the word “atone” appears 16 times in this chapter. Atone has the idea of “to ransom” or “to purge away”. The purpose of the day was to perform an act of atonement for people’s sins. The day of Atonement involved the High Priest entering the holy of holies to make atonement for sins. What he would do is put blood on the Mercy Seat. The mercy seat is more famously known as the Ark of the Covenant. It is here where God was present with his people. The High Priest was signifying to God that an animal had been killed for the sins of the people. The High Priest would then place his hands on another goat or lamb. He would confess the sins of the people of Israel on this animal. Then this animal would be taken out into the wilderness. This animal was the “Scapegoat”. The Beauty of Holy Days and Holidays of the Old Testament is that they point us to Jesus. Perhaps no Holy Day points us more to Christ and his salvific work for us than this one. As the High Priest he has entered into the Holy of Holies on our behalf. Just like the blood of the goat covered the Holy of Holies, Jesus as the sacrifice, sprinkled his blood on us to cover us with his Holiness. Just as the goat was led out into the wilderness, Jesus went into the wilderness to face Satan on our behalf. The Day of Atonement and its sacrifices were designed to last for a whole year. Jesus as our High Priest, has paid for our sins once and it has eternal ruminations! (Some of this newsletter used: Kleinig, John W. Leviticus . Concordia Commentary. Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 2003. Especially 345)

Congratulations to our Graduating Seniors!

This year’s High School Class of 2023 includes the following: MaKenna Helmke, Tinora High School, and Zander Watson, Napoleon High School. We wish each of you, along with all of our college graduates the very best in your future plans and God’s blessings for each of you.

424 Garage Sale

424 Garage Sale and Orphan Grain Train Friends of Orphan Grain Train will be hosting a Bake Sale, Food Stand, Thrift and Plant sale at the Florida Ohio, Fire Station on June 8 and 9 during the Historic Route 424 Yard Sales. Stop in to enjoy great food from the lunch stand or baked items and help support this worthy cause!

A Peek from Preschool

We sure did have a busy last month of Preschool and look forward to what the future holds for our 9 students who graduated on May 23, 2023. Our classes enjoyed their last visit to the Florida library for the school year, their last Chapel message with Pastor Stuenkel, a Field Trip to the Florida-Flatrock Volunteer Fire Department, and finished off the year with Field Trips to Meyer Family Farm and the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. We look forward to what the summer has to hold including playdates, the Carnival on July 12 from 5-7 pm and VBS coming at the end of July! Thank you to our church members who have supported our Preschool over the past few years. We can't wait to see what the next school year brings! If you are interested in helping with Preschool Carnival on July 12 from 5-7 pm, please let a Committee member or Emilie Parsons know. We need lots of help to make these events successful and appreciate your support! Mrs. Arce

Newsletter - May 2023

From Pastor's Desk

This Month in May I am going to teach a Bible class where I go over the main Festivals or Holidays in the Old Testament. I thought what better Holiday to talk about than the one that actually falls in May, which is Pentecost.

We learn about Pentecost in Leviticus 23:15-22. It is often called the Fest of Harvest, feast of weeks or sometimes called the day of weeks. It lasted for seven whole weeks, or fifty days; Sometimes called a week of Weeks. I know what everyone is thinking 7 times 7 equals 49. But there was added a 50th Day, or sometimes called the 8th Day. That fifth day is sometimes called the Azareth. Pentecost is in the Old Testament was a Harvest festival. This was the time of year that God had appointed for Harvest. Hence the references to the harvest in Leviticus 23:10 and 23:22.

On the 50th day the Israelites brought two loaves of leavened wheat bread made with yeast as the “first-ripe produce” from the harvest.” Those loaves were presented together with a burnt offering made up of seven lambs, two rams and one bull. Also included were a sin offering with a male goat, and a peace offering with two male lambs. The seven lambs were connected with the complication of the seven weeks. A bull and the two rams were sacrificed because this was a national enactment. The male goat was sacrificed as a sin offering to make atonement for the congregation.

The 8th day is a day of new creation. And we can see how this 50th day is like the ultimate 8th day, since it was the end of 7 weeks. In the same way after the sacrifice of so many animals and offering of the grain the Israelites themselves must have felt like a new creation.

Now for Christians, Pentecost is the day where the Holy Spirit breathed on the disciples and they were given power from on High. The most important power they received was the ability to speak to other people in their own language. In Acts 2, when the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they must have felt like a new creation. What did they do as a new creation? They went out and started a new harvest. They planted the seed of God’s word throughout Jerusalem.

We today can continue to celebrate Pentecost and as we acknowledge there is still plenty of places, and plenty of people, to plant the seed of God’s word.

High School and College Seniors St. Peter and St. Paul would like to feature our graduates in the June Link. Please email or drop off a copy of your senior picture with a bio of your high school or college accomplishments and future plans to the Church Secretary, or email to stpeterflorida@gmail.com.

Social Media Content

Feel free to email Emilie Parsons any photos of church events. Emilie would love help keeping everyone online updated on what St. Peter Church is all about. You can email Emilie at emiliejoparsons@gmail.com or text her at 419-769-2212. Thanks so much!

LWML

The LWML Defiance Zone 2023 Spring Rally was held on April 22nd at St. Peter Lutheran Church - Florida, Ohio. The morning began with a delicious breakfast. Three ladies enrolled in the Deaconess Studies Program at Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana led a Bible study. They also gave a presentation on the Deaconess Studies Program at the seminary. One of the ladies brought her own personal service dog that alerts her when she has a certain medical issue.

A Peek from Preschool

We can't believe that we only have 1 month left of Preschool! April was a busy month and the children enjoyed learning about Easter and the Resurrection. We appreciate those who attended our Community Storytime & Easter Egg Hunt as well as those who helped volunteer to make it happen! The students have also been enjoying trips to the Florida Library and have been checking out books with Ms. Megan as well.

We are so glad to have the support of our local library! Our students have also been learning about animals found on the farm and will begin their Zoo study in May. We had some families bring in their farm animals to talk about and show our students for some hands-on learning! To follow up on what they have been learning, we are excited that we will be able to take field trips to the Meyer Family Farm and the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo in May! Thank you to those who also helped donate baked goods for our Parent Workshop and for those who also volunteered to help with food and childcare. WE could not do these events without the support of our amazing church community!

Our Preschool Graduation will be held on Tuesday, May 23 at 6pm and anyone is welcome to attend. The classes will be singing some of their favorite songs from the school year and each child graduating will receive a Beginner's Bible signed by the teachers and the Preschool Committee. Also, save the date for Wednesday, July 12 from 5-7 pm! We will be having our annual Preschool Carnival and are looking for volunteers to help with booths, games, and much more at this event. Please let Emilie Parsons or a Preschool Committee member know if you're interested in helping at this amazing event!!

Our Teachers Stephanie & Emilie had the opportunity to attend the OAEYC Conference held at Kalahari Resort and Conference Center in Sandusky, Ohio April 20-22. We learned so much about child development and were able to bring back many great ideas for the classroom. It was a great way to refresh and rejuvenate as a team and enjoy some team bonding and we even won some awesome things for the classroom! We appreciate our teachers and they do so much to help make our Preschool successful. Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12 and families and church members are encouraged to send notes of thanks to show our teachers just how much they are appreciated!!!

We look forward to our last month of Preschool and can't wait to see what the next year brings. We are still accepting new students for the 2023-24 school year and look forward to another great year!

Mrs. Arce

Ms Stephanie & Ms Emilie's adventures at Ohio AEYC!

Our Preschool Teachers Stephanie & Emilie had the opportunity to attend the OAEYC Conference held at Kalahari Resort and Conference Center in Sandusky, Ohio April 20-22!

Day 1:

Stephanie started the day off learning Techniques for Becoming the Best Version of Yourself. This session was about protective factors for teachers to help prepare them for stressful situations and anything that comes their way. The work that teachers do is very important and life changing but without taking proper care of themselves it can lead to stress and feeling drained. Next up for Ms Stephanie was a bonus featured session that required total participation while learning about successful ways young children BEST learn through music, movement, story, play and joy!

After Ms Emilie arrived, Stephanie & Emilie started their weekend off with team building fun and playing along with an 80’s Murder Mystery event. This event kept everyone involved in the Murder Mystery storyline. Luckily, Emilie and Stephanie did not end up being the murderer. It was a great way for them to connect with other teachers from the state of Ohio/Michigan and they definitely brought out their competitive side!

Day 2:

Friday started out extra early… Stephanie & Emilie were able to check out the vendor booths before classes began. We met with the organization that will be putting on our FREE Parent Workshop April 28th, we experienced new technology that can be used in our Preschool classroom and connected with other classroom resources.

Our first session was called “It Looks Like I’m Learning…’Cause I Am”. This session was led by Musician and Educator Red Grammer. This was a wonderful opportunity to talk about how learning is both a natural human drive and a courageous activity constantly filled with mistakes, reflection and correction. This session focused on using music and current research to explore how the never-ending journey of learning can be made more satisfying, efficient, and graceful for students and educators by developing a “Growth Mindset” and nurturing self awareness and self acceptance.

Our Keynote speaker was Gerry Brooks! You may know him from his hilarious Social Media Videos about the day in the life of being an Educator. It is vital for educators to be able to laugh at themselves on a very regular basis. Gerry highlighted the importance of culture in creating a positive work environment leading to improved outcomes for children.

Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld was our next session of the day. Mimi’s presentation was about Teaching in the ‘Key of Life’. How do teachers and administrators shape the climate and spirit of the program? We focused on how we can create life affirming, loving, safe, and joyous environments for our preschoolers, our families and our community.

Next up was Debbie Clement! Debbie shared techniques on STEM/STEAM projects, rhythm and rhyme and focused adding laughter to your day to increase resilience for all.

We met the Rolling Stones of Early Childhood Musicians!! Just kidding…well…kind of…Our Keynote speakers for Friday evening were Greg & Steve. Greg & Steve are Children’s Music Icons. This session was full of energy and upbeat music we can use in our classroom. Guess what! Ms Stephanie even ran up on stage as a backup dancer!

Finally we enjoyed a benefit for Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld’s Scholarship Fund. There was dancing, karaoke with a live band and LOTS of prizes. Guess who won an amazing prize for our classroom! Ms EMILIE! This basket was donated by Feeling Buddies. It is a self-regulation curriculum that can help us with our big feelings in the classroom.

Day 3:

Our first session on Saturday was with Red Grammer. In this session Red Grammer focused on discovering how music can joyfully uplift and improve the functioning of almost every aspect of our classroom. This man is so very talented!

Last but not least our last keynote speaker was Steve Gross who talked to us about the power of optimism. An optimistic disposition enables us through every day and extraordinary struggles to look for the goodness in ourselves, in others and in the world around us. Steve shared how optimistic individuals can bring out the best in all they serve.

We learned so much about child development and we were able to bring back many great ideas for the classroom. It was a great way to refresh and rejuvenate as a team and enjoy some team bonding and we even won some awesome things for the classroom! We appreciate our teachers and they do so much to help make our Preschool successful. Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12 and families and church members are encouraged to send notes of thanks to show our teachers just how much they are appreciated!!! 

Newsletter - April 2023

From Pastor’s Desk:

When I was at Glidden we had this service called “CPH’s creative worship resources”. It was for building services on Sunday. Each church service they would have this opening paragraph before the service called, “As you Gather”. It’s a short introduction that explains the worship service that you as the believer are entering into. So you can read these introductions and imagine you are entering into the church for that worship service.

I thought it would interesting to share a few that open up some of our most important services of the church year, all of which happen in April.

AS WE GATHER [For Good Friday] ( There should be no talking or visiting as you enter .) This is a service of meditation and silence, commemorating what is the most solemn night of the Church Year. Tenebrae means "darkness" or "shadows." Most of the service is simple and austere. There is little movement in the chancel. The service ends in almost total darkness. We will hear and reflect on each of Jesus' seven last words from the cross. After the seventh word, the paschal candle is removed to signify the death and burial of Jesus. There is a loud noise symbolizing the sealing of the tomb. The Lord's Prayer is then whispered. You may remain for meditation and reflection as long as you wish. Please exit in silence.

AS WE GATHER [Easter] We come today because it's Easter. We come seeking God's mercy and grace because we believe the Lord Jesus is risen from the dead! Because we know the story it is hard for us to feel or experience the strange mixture of shock and surprise of the women at the moment they first discovered the empty tomb. The women went to Jesus' tomb because He died. Where do we put people who have died? In a tomb, in the cemetery! Who are in a cemetery? ---dead people! But today we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He died, but He is not dead any longer. He's risen! He's alive! Therefore He's not in a tomb, among the dead. Since then, to this day, all people are invited to seek the Lord, the living Lord, not among the dead mingled with words or places of gruesome death but among the living proclaimed as the resurrected, glorious Word of Life everlasting. [Taken from Creative worship for the Lutheran parish. Series C. Concordia Publishing House. ©2012, St. Louis, Mo. : Concordia Pub. House. Good Friday, Sunrise]

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

April 2nd - Palm Sunday 10:00 AM

April 7th - Good Friday Service 7:30 PM

April 9th Easter Sunrise Worship 6:30 AM / Easter Breakfast 7:30AM

April 9th - Easter Communion Service - 10:00 AM

Congratulations to our Confirman Corinne Leigh Vance – Daughter of Tony and Erin Vance

LWML

LWML Ladies, You Are Invited To: The LWML Defiance Zone 2023 Spring Rally to be held Saturday, April 22 nd in our Fellowship Hall. Registration/Breakfast starts at 8:30 am. A deaconess from Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Ft. Wayne will lead a Bible study "A New Spring Wardrobe" based on Colossians 3:12. She will also give a Deaconess Studies Presentation. There will be an in-gathering of feminine products for the Seminary Food and Clothing Co- Op. There will be a Mite box available for Mite donations. God's blessings to our adopted Seminarian James Haugen, III, and his family as he finishes his studies for service in His Kingdom and awaits his placement call to a congregation.. The support and participation we receive from all members of our congregation for our mission projects is greatly appreciated.

LWML Napoleon Zone Spring Rally Saturday

April 15, 2023 St. John, Freedom Twp. Registration and Breakfast at 8:30 am Theme: Gathering the Scattered Bible Translation Return from Babel Guest speaker: Michael Nicol, Bible translator of the Gokana language

Easter Flowers

Have you ever wondered where you can read about flower lilies in the Bible? - Check out Luke 12:27

Easter flowers: Place your flowers on the table in the church library with your name on your plant/plants by 12:00 Noon on April 8th . Please make arrangements to have someone pick up your flower after the late service on Easter. Thank You !

A Peek from Preschool

Our Preschool students are getting more excited as it gets closer to Easter. They enjoyed having guest readers for Dr. Seuss week, had some crazy Shenanigans for St. Patrick’s Day and have been learning about Lent and the events leading up to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Parent teacher conferences were held in March and the Open House also went great, bringing in a few more families for the upcoming school year. We are looking forward to our Storytime & Egg Hunt Event being held on Saturday, April 1 from 4:30-6:00. Anyone willing to help with this event can contact a Preschool Committee member or Emilie Parsons for more information. We are also in need of volunteers and donations of baked goods for our upcoming Parent Workshop being held on Friday, April 28 from 5:30-7:00. There will be a sign-up in the narthex for those interested in donating baked goods for this event and we really appreciate your support of St. Peter Preschool! Ms Stephanie

We would like to give a HUGE Shout-Out to our area donors and sponsors of our Community Egg Hunt:

Meijer Keller Trucking Clubhouse Pizza, Florida, Ohio ServiceMaster Defiance, OH Phoenix Theatres Northtowne Mall Putt Putt Golf & Games YMCA The Fun Company, Defiance, OH Tano’s of Napoleon Padrone’s Soaring Arts Studio Meek’s Pastry Shop Kyra’s Bakery Connection Cakewalk Cakery C & H Lanes River City Bowl-A-Way Wendy’s Jewell Ca

fe Mya’s Sweet Treats, Napoleon Megan’s Sweet Treats, Oakwood Simply From Scratch Bakery, Defiance

Newsletter - March 2023

From Pastor's Desk: 

 This week I want to discuss holidays. March is an interesting Month because it can be the Month  where we celebrate Ash Wednesday. This year it is celebrated in February. It can be the month we celebrate  Easter, but this year it will be celebrated in April. Yet, there is one holiday we celebrate every March, and  that holiday is St. Patrick Day.  

 Saint Patrick lived in the Fifth Century. Patrick was originally born in Britain. He was captured by a  group of Pirates when he was sixteen and taken to Ireland. While he was in Captivity, they made him work  jobs like being a shepherd. He claimed later in life that being mistreated made him pray to God and trust in  him, and grew his faith.  

 Then he heard a voice telling him to escape and he ran to boat. He then convinced the captain to take  him back to Britain. He then grew up and studied to be a Priest. He then returned to Ireland to be an Irish  Missionary. There is evidence that some Christians were already in Ireland, but it was mostly Pagan. Patrick  knew from his time in captivity that the people needed to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Patrick was said to  have converted thousands of Irish people but he also faced difficulty and was often arrested.   There are two legends associated with St Patrick. First that he used the shamrock to explain the  trinity. Three in One. That being three leaves but one clover. Just like in the trinity we have 3 Persons, but  one God.  

 The second legend is Less likely. The one about him driving out the snakes out of Ireland. It’s  unlikely because people visiting Ireland noticed a lack of Snakes as early as the 3rd Century.   Saint Patrick’s Day was originally the Feast of Saint Patrick. Which means it was originally a  Christian Feast Day. “Feast Days” mean An annual religious celebration, a day dedicated to particular saint.  The day celebrates the Patrick’s coming to Ireland and his sharing of his Christian Faith. In America it is  more a celebration of Irish Culture than a Religious Feast Day.  

Lenten Services  

Wednesday Lenten Services – 7:00 pm at St. Peter  

Thursday Lenten Services – 7:00 pm at St. Paul  

This year’s Lenten series is: Lamb of God Pure and Holy

Lenten Meals  

Meals will take place at 6:00p.m., starting March 1st. Tableware and drinks are provided by the BOWSO.  Mark the dates on your calendars for a night out. Feel free to bring family, friends, and neighbors. Free will  donations will be collected. 

Easter Flowers  

Members can purchase an Easter flower of their choice  wherever they chose and bring it to the church library on  April 8th by 12:00 noon. Please let Bette, Pam or Dana  know: Your name, kind of flower, how many and In  Memory of. Thank You! 

LWML  

We appreciate so very much the generosity of our members on the first Sunday of the month MITE  OFFERINGS. St. Peter's contribution for MITES totaled in excess of $753 during 2022. Mite offerings are  only used for mission projects of Ohio District and National LWML for mission grants. These grants are  selected at district and national LWML conventions. Your MITES help spread the Word of God---the Good  News of Jesus, our Savior--- to the whole world.  

Another example of LUTHERAN WOMEN IN MISSION was the abundance of neat stuff provided for the  COLLEGE CARE PACKETS! We were able to fill five boxes. We are grateful to all of you and say OUR  GOD BE THANKED!  

Lana Culp, a recipient of one of the college care packages writes;  

Thank you so much for the care package! I really appreciated the skin care products and snacks. The tissues  were also really useful since I didn't have any. Everything was so thoughtful and I appreciated everyone  taking the time to put it together and send it to me. Sincerely, Lana 

Greetings from Preschool!  

Our Preschool students enjoyed spreading some love and kindness last month and also learned about how  God loves us and heals us when we are sick. The class worked on making posters for the Night to Shine  event held in Defiance and made Candy Grams for area healthcare workers at the Filling Home of Napoleon  and Mercy Hospital of Defiance. We also had Dr. Kamcza from Mercy Family Practice visit our classroom  and she talked about how Doctors help take care of us when we are sick and did some hands on activities with  the children as well. Next month we will be celebrating Right to Read Week and Dr. Seuss’ birthday with  guest readers from the community including the Mayor of Florida and the Henry County Sheriff’s  Department. We will also be learning about taking care of our teeth and will have a special visitor come talk  to the class about Dental Hygiene.

 Mrs. Arce

Save the Date for:  

April 1, 4:30-6:00 Community Storytime & Egg Hunt  

April 28, 5:30-7:00 Parent Workshop & Dinner, volunteers are needed for serving dinner/childcare