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St. Paul Blog Post September 25, 2014

9/25/2014

Sept. 28th is the 16th day after Pentecost

Pastor Schedule
Sept. 28th - Robin Abbott

Let's join in prayer.
Dear Lord, bless our friends, help their worries be light and their joy be great. Please continue to watch over Leonard, Karen, Debbie, Brian, Rachel, Allison, Emily, Christian, Jodi, Dennis, Donald, Douglas, Del, John, Bob, Joe, Rick, Steve, Margaret, Barry, baby Mrak, Bob, Wendy, Chris, Mark, Ruth, and Mike.
We hold the same prayer for our Military. Lord, bless them and keep them; Brian, Barbara, Thad, Shanna, Ramon, Michael, Kyle, Bradley, Dennis, Ryan, and Christopher.

Recent Events

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore truck was parked at St. Paul's Sept. 20th and thanks to the help of Carl Beals, it was loaded with an amazing contribution of building supplies donated by our congregation. More photos are available on our Stewardship page, if you'd like to see the guys hard at work!

Saturday, September 20th was the Stewardship Retreat hosted by the Stewardship Committee and facilitated by Robin Abbott. The notes from the session have been turned into this months Feature Article. I encourage you to read and attend future workshops that the Stewardship Committee.

The Narthex has a wonderful Stewardship presentation on the wall.

The Volga-Germans of Michigan's Thumb is available for purchase at St. Paul's. The cost is $30, please make checks out to St. Paul Lutheran.

A copy is available for reading in our library.

Have you picked up a copy of The Lutheran? There are several copies in the Narthex. Subscriptions are available. The June 2014 magazine has some interesting information about churches utilizing information technology and the internet.

Praise the Lord!

The garden bounty has been 5,714 pounds thus far. The vegetables have been donated weekly to Mid-City to help feed our neighbors in need.

See new photos of our
Fall Vegetable Garden.

Upcoming Events

September 27th is the Food Truck. Thanks to the generous $850 Grant from Zion Lutheran Church, we are able to host the Food Truck for our Evangelism & Social Ministry efforts.

September 27th is the Youth Group trip to Cedar Point. The weather should be a nice 70 degrees with 0% chance of rain. Have fun!!! Take some pictures to share with us!

September 28th is a
Worship and Music Meeting
between services.

September 30th is the
deadline for the Annual Reports

September 27th is the
Kids Against Hunger
fundraiser.

October 12th
is the wedding of
Melinda and Michael Duckworth
at 12:00 noon
The congregation is invited to attend
the wedding and the reception at St. Paul's.

Apple Pies will be in the works soon. Keep your eye out for sign-up details and your rolling pins and apple peelers ready!

How do you prefer your pie?
Ice Cream? Warm? Whipped Cream?

On October 12th, the Women of St. Paul will lead worship and celebrate Bold Women Sunday and Erntedankfest at both services. A WOW thank offering will also be collected. The Women of St. Paul do glorious things in His name, let's continue to support their efforts. For more information or to participate, please contact Sally Moldwin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is Erntedankfest?
The 1621 harvest celebration of the Pilgrims in New England.
OH!
Is the celebration of offering thanks at harvest time unique to America?
No, ancient Egyptians, Greeks and other cultures have celebrated throughout history.
How long has Thanksgiving been a national holiday in America?
Good question!
Only since the 1940's. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill that created the holiday in 1941...but prior to that...President Lincoln declared October 3, 1863 was a national Day of Thanksgiving. Although Lincoln's declaration was a one time event, presidents following him also picked a day to celebrate, based on their whims...or when they got hungry for turkey and pumpkin pie.

Until Roosevelt, it was chaos, the grocers didn't know when to stockpile turkeys and offer them for cents on the dollar.
*disclaimer...the last part may or may not be true.

Website News

The Technology Advisory Committee that first met to discuss ideas for the website is going to meet again. Do you have ideas to contribute? You can attend or email them to me stpaullutheranph@gmail.com

I am putting together a survey regarding St. Paul's online presence to hand out in a (near future) church bulletin. I am looking forward to getting feedback from the congregation as a whole.
~Michelle

St. Paul Blog Post September 18, 2014

9/18/2014

September 21st is the 15th Sunday of Pentecost

Pastor Schedule
Sept. 21st - Dave Hudson
Sept. 28th - Robin Abbott

Diane is in the office M-F 9 am to 1 pm.

Recent Events

St. Paul has donated 4,934 pounds of produce to Mid-City as of September 16th.
That's a lot of veggies! Thank you for your help and support in feeding our community.

Dear Lord, please bring good health and wellness to our friends: Leonard, Karen, Debbie, Brian, Rachel, Allison, Emily, Christian, Jodi, Dennis, Cristin, Donald, Mary Esther, Marlene, Douglas, Del, John, bob, Joe, June & Jerry, Rick, Steve, Margaret, Barry, and baby Mrak.

Heavenly Father, we ask you to give peace and protection to our military: Brian, Barbara, Thad, Shanna & Ramon, Michael, Kyle, Bradley, Dennis, Ryan, and Christopher.

Volga Germans of Michigan's Thumb is now on sale in our Narthex after each service. This book has a fantastic history of Germans from Russia and the thumb area of Michigan, along with early baptismal, confirmation and death records. What a great genealogical resource! Please make your checks out to St. Paul for $30.

Upcoming Events

Cookies & Pie
Oh me, oh my!

We will keep you posted on our
Annual Fundraisers

Apple Pies are coming soon!

December brings the Cookie Walk

Grab your rolling pins and your recipes...

Sept. 20th is the Stewardship Workshop
Are you planning to attend? Robin Abbott is sure to give a great presentation on how we can tap into the gifts God has given us and how we can use them for our church and community.

If you haven't RSVP'd on the sign-up form in the Narthex, please attend anyway. There is room for you here!

The Women's Ministry appreciates your support!

Sept. 20th: Mobile Habitat for Humanity Donation Center from 10:00-Noon

Sept. 23rd: Mid-City

Sept. 24th: Handbells at 6:00 and Choir at 7:00

Sept. 25th: Quilting

Sept. 27th: Foodtruck at 11:00

Sept. 27th: Cedar Point

Sept. 27th: Kids Against Hunger
Dueling Pianos at Younger Irish Tavern in Romeo

Sept. 28th: Worship & Music

Sept. 30th: Council Annual Reports Due

Visit our Google Calendar for more information.

Melinda & Michael Duckworth
will be united in marriage on October 12th
at 12:00 noon.

The wedding party will be
attending the 10:30 am service.
The congregation is invited to attend
the wedding and the reception following.

Kids Against Hunger
November 15th
Hosted by Trinity Lutheran in Richmond
We are assembling meals for families.
Free will offerings are accepted to help
cover the $3000 that is needed to make
10,000 meals.

Website News

If you have anything to post on the blog or Facebook, feel free to email me: stpaullutheranph@gmail.com

The Facebook page is a great way to reach the large number of folks who routinely view and "like" our posts. If you have a last minute item, FB is a quick way to spread the word!

St. Paul Blog Post September 11, 2014

9/11/2014

September 14th is the 14th Sunday in Pentecost

Pastor Schedule
Sept. 14 - Duane Schafer
Sept. 21 - Dave Hudson

Celebrate your faith in God with us after each service over fellowship, coffee, and refreshments. We look forward to getting to know you!

Visitors are always welcome!

Secretary Hours:
Monday - Friday 9 am to 1 pm

October Newsletter articles are due Sept. 14th

Lord, you know the state of crisis that your children are in, we pray for their healing so they may continue to do your work. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Leonard, Karen, Debbie, Brian, Rachel, Allison, Emily, Christian, Jodi, Dennis, Cristin, Donald, Mary Esther, Marlene, Douglas, Del, John, Bob, Joe, June, Jerry, Rick, Steve, Margaret, Barry, Baby Mrak.

Lord, we ask you to protect and defend our military as they protect and defend us. Please continue to enrich them spiritually and give them strength. We ask that you watch over their families, giving them also, hope, courage, and faith. In Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.
Brian, Barbara, Thad, Shanna, Ramon, Michael, Kyle, Bradley, Dennis, Ryan, Christopher.

Recent Events

Sunday School started back last Sunday. Fun and laughter all around! See the videos here on our Facebook page.

The St. Paul's Community Garden has donated 3,850 pounds of produce to Mid-City!
If you would like to learn more about Mid-City and volunteer opportunities, visit our Community Outreach page here.

Just a reminder that there are complimentary copies of The Lutheran magazine on the coffee table in the Narthex. *If 10 or more folks are interested in a subscription, the cost would be $8.95 per person.

Upcoming Events

September 14th is the Cookie Walk Meeting at 9:30 between services. Please come with ideas! New people are needed for heading up this annual fundraiser.

The Blue Water Community Food Depot Cart is now located in the Narthex. Please bring an offering of food to place in the cart on Sunday.

Upcoming Events

September 16th at 6:00 is the Master Gardener Meeting.

There will be a potluck dinner, Community Garden tour and meeting.

Please join us!

September 20th is the Fall Mum Sale Pickup Day at St. Paul Lutheran from 10 am -Noon.
Did you order your favorite color of bronze, burgundy red, yellow or lavender?

September 20th is the Habitat for Humanity's Mobile Donation Center. From 10 am - Noon there will be a truck in St. Paul's parking lot.

If you've been looking for a reason to clean out the garage, the ReStore is currently seeking the following items:
Appliances, Building Materials, Cabinets, Doors, Flooring, Furniture, Hardware, Heating Fixtures, Home Decor & Goods, Lumber, Plumbing Fixtures & Materials, Windows (not wooden or single pane)

September 20th is the Stewards of God's Love - Stewardship Workshop from 9:30 am - 11:30 am. Robin Abbott will facilitate and help improve your understanding of the term "stewardship" in relationship to the gifts God has given you. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex.

All are welcome!

September 27th St. Paul will be hosting a Food Truck.

We Need Food Truck Volunteers!
Please help register families, pass out food, and help take food to the cars. A sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.

Volunteers please arrive between 9:30 - 10:00 am.

Kids Against Hunger/Mission Fund Raiser is Sept. 27th at the Younger Irish Tavern in Romeo. Tickets are $20.

Contact Candy at 810-385-3370 for tickets.

September 27th the Blue Water Youth Cluster is heading to Cedar Point for the day. The cost is $30 per person and there is a sign-up sheet and permission slips at the church.

Bring your friends!

We are looking forward to seeing some fun photos from Cedar Point on Facebook!

September 28th is a Worship and Music Meeting between services.

September 30th Council Reports for the Annual Report are due.

Website News:

As of today, 9,600 unique visitors have viewed our website. The world wide web is truly amazing!

St. Paul has an amazing group of volunteers. There are many opportunities to help others and spread the Word. Our Leadership and Ministries webpage has several links for volunteer opportunities. Please contact the church office (810)982-9853 for more information.

According to www.dictionary.com:
volunteer
[vol-uh n-teer]
noun

a person who voluntarily offers himself or her-self for a service or undertaking.
a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.

Others may define it as:

serving a cause greater than oneself.
a way to give back to those who have blessed you.
helping those who cannot help themselves.
giving a fraction of your time for a worthy cause.
many hands make light work.
sharing your abilities and happiness so others will be happy.
often unrecognized and unrewarded, volunteers are the backbone to many communities.
to make the world a better place.

St. Paul Blog Post September 4, 2014

9/4/2014

September 7th is the 13th Sunday of Pentecost

Birthday wishes for Lavina Kodet who is celebrating 96 years on God's earth Friday, September 5th.

Pastor Schedule
Sept. 7 - Duane Schafer
Sept. 14 - Duane Schafer
Sept. 21 - Dave Hudson
Sept. 28 - Robin Abbott

The office hours are M-F 9 am to 1 pm

The October Newsletter deadline is September 14th.

Recent Events

St. Paul's Community Garden has donated 2,644 pounds of produce to Mid-City as of September 2nd. Glory be to God!

The Blue Water Community Food Depot Cart has been placed in the Narthex next to the coffee table. Please bring a donation Sunday!

Our Sunday School teachers and volunteers attended a seminar for Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse on August 9th. Beginning this fall, all of our members who have regular contact with you (teachers, VBS volunteers, and youth leaders) will have a background check and training as part of our synod's effort to help protect our children.

Upcoming Events

Sunday School Rally Weekend is coming quick! This Saturday, Sept. 6th is the campfire. Sunday, Sept. 7th is Rally Day. Sunday School starts at 9:15 am the 7th!

September 7th: "Make A Difference Day"
The Stewardship Committee is sponsoring an outreach opportunity for Michigamme School & Indian Woods School. We are collecting underwear and pants for boys & girls sizes 6 – 10. Your donations will be greatly appreciated!

How about Veggie Salad!

September 7th: The new Book Study group for young adult members (20's -40's) is the hip place to be on Sunday from noon to 1:30. The lunch theme is "salad" and they will be discussing the first 2 chapters of the book, "The Pursuit of Holiness", by Jerry Bridges. Please come! If you have any questions, please contact Ted Golubinski Jr.

...or maybe Fruit Salad!

September 8th is the next Church Council meeting at 6:45 pm.

September 9th is The Women's Bible Study. They will meet on Tuesday, September 9th, at 1pm at the church. All are welcome. Materials are provided. Bring a Bible if you have one.
The fall session will be a 3 month study on Mary, Elizabeth and Lydia. Meetings are on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. They do not meet the month of December and the summer months.

Quilting Starts September 11th at 9 am.
We are tying quilts for the World Relief every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. We appreciate donations of unused fabric, please no smaller than 5", and bright colored yarn. According to the Lutheran World Relief memo, we cannot use these fabrics: US flag, patriotic symbols, military symbols, references to armed forces, camouflage, religious symbols, St. Pat, St. Nicholas, Noah's Ark, etc, religious messages such as; Merry Christmas, etc. Thank you!

September 14th is the Cookie Walk Planning Meeting at 9:30 (between services). The cookie walk is scheduled for December 6th. We would like to hear your ideas and suggested changes. We are also looking for new people to head this committee.

September 16th the Master Gardeners of St. Clair County will be at St. Paul's at 6:00 pm. There will be a potluck dinner, Community Garden tour and meeting. Please join us!

Saturday September 20th is Fall Mum Pickup day at St. Paul Lutheran from 10 am -Noon. Spit spot on ordering your big beautiful mums delivered by Theisen's greenhouse. The sign-up is in the Narthex. Grab your choice of yellow, bronze, lavender, or burgundy red for a mere $10. Proceeds of the sale go to the Women's Ministry so they can continue to do all the wonderful things they do in our Father's name.

September 20th is the Habitat for Humanity's Mobile Donation Center. From 10 am - Noon there will be a truck in St. Paul's parking lot gathering the following items, in good condition, for the Habitat ReStore:
Appliances, Building Materials, Cabinets, Doors, Flooring, Furniture, Hardware, Heating Fixtures, Home Decor & Goods, Lumber, Plumbing Fixtures & Materials, Windows (not wooden or single pane)

September 27th St. Paul will be hosting a Food Truck. Volunteers, please arrive between 9:30 am & 10:00 am. Bring your wagons & your muscles! The volunteer sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.

We Need Food Truck Volunteers!
Please help register families, pass out food, and help take food to the cars.

September 27th the Blue Water Youth Cluster is heading to Cedar Point for the day. The cost is $30 per person and I will have the sign-up sheet and permission slips at the church. Bring your friends!

November is our next Noisy Can Collection month. November 30th is the 5th Sunday of the month. Please bring in your spare change! Proceeds go toward our Sunday School needs.

November 2nd is the annual voter's meeting. Elections will be held for positions on the Church Council. If you would like to serve in this capacity, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee prior to the election so that your name is on the ballot. Your Nominating Committee members are: Carl Beals, Ted Golubinski Sr., Kay Schnur, and Ivan Smith.
*If names are added to the ballot the day of (November 2nd) then the election will be moved to November 9th at both services.
**Please see the September Ray for more information about the positions and the length of servitude.
***Did you know that there is a binder in the church office that lists in detail the duties of the Church Council positions? This may help in your decision making.

The website has received 9,000 unique visitors to date.

The September Ray is available online here. The Volunteer Calendar is available here. The Google Online Monthly Calendar is available here. The new amount on the GWIP thermometer is available here.

If you have photos of the above events or anything in the church that has caught your photogenic eye that you would like to share with the congregation, please email them to me stpaullutheranph@gmail.com

St. Paul Blog Post August 28, 2014

8/28/2014

August 31st is the 12th Sunday of Pentecost

Pastor Schedule
August 31st - Dave Hudson

Recent Events

St. Paul's Community Garden Update:
1,030 pounds of produce has been donated to Mid-City as of August 20th.

The Lutheran Magazine has offered complimentary copies for our congregation. They are available in the Narthex. If 10 or more are interested in a subscription, we will receive a rate of $8.95 per person.

Please continue to keep the St. Paul Lutheran Church in your prayers as the Call Committee continues to review and interview potential pastors.

Upcoming Events

Kids Against Hunger/Mission Fund Raiser is Sept. 27th at the Younger Irish Tavern in Romeo. Tickets are $20 for the entertainment which starts at 8:00 pm with Dueling Pianos. 50% of sales will be donated toward the Kids Against Hunger medical mission trips to Haiti. Please call Candy at 810-385-3370 for tickets.

MUM is the word!

The Fall Mum Sale that is!

But don't keep it to yourself, tell everyone!

It's time to order your nice, big plants in color choices of yellow, bronze, lavender, and burgundy red. $10 gets you a beautiful plant for yourself or someone you love. Proceeds will go to the Women's Ministry, such a worthy cause in all they do. The sign-up sheet is in the Narthex. Pickup of your order will be at the church on Saturday, Sept. 20th from 10 am - Noon.

Women's Bible Study
Tuesday, Sept. 9th
St. Paul
All materials are provided
Bring your Bible if you have one

December Cookie Walk planning meeting is Sunday, Sept. 14th at 9:30 am.

We'd love to hear your ideas!

Stewards of God's Love
Stewardship Workshop

Saturday, Sept. 20th
9:30 am - 11:30 am
Facilitated by Robin Abbot
St. Paul's Church
Please sign-up in the Narthex
Improve your understanding of the term "stewardship" in relationship to the gifts God has given to you.

Website News:

St. Paul Lutheran has been online with it's new website since mid May 2014. In just over 3 months we've had 8.3 thousand visitors.
Let's all give thanks to our Lord and continue to pray for those seeking a church to attend worship and find fellowship with us.
Amen!

St. Paul Blog Post August 21, 2014

8/21/2014

August 24th is the 11th Sunday of Pentecost

Join us in Celebrating Dorothy Albert's 105th Birthday!

Dorothy is looking forward to a white birthday cake with pink frosting, her favorite!
Until recent years, she was able to faithfully attended St. Paul worship, where she was always stylishly dressed in a pink suit, pill box hat and high heels.

This week marks an amazing milestone! Dorothy Albert is the daughter of Carl and Laura Falk. She was born in Russia along the Volga River. As you may have read in the History of St. Paul, the Falk family were charter members of St. Paul in 1917.

What would it have been like to be born in 1909? Here is a webpage that shares photographs of Russia during that time. Here is a webpage that shows the villages along the Volga River.

Dorothy's Family Portrait

Can you imagine the amazing things Dorothy has seen in her lifetime! Let's take a look back into the past 105 years in the United States as Dorothy spent most of her long life here:

In 1909
Dollars and cents:

milk was 3 cents
sugar was 4 cents per pound
eggs were 14 cents per dozen
coffee was 15 cents per pound
the average wage was 22 cents per hour
the average worker made between $200 and $400 per year
the 5 passenger 1909 Ford Touring Car was $850 and can be seen here

In 1909
Other interesting tidbits:

14% of homes had a bathtub
8% of homes had a telephone
the maximum speed limit for the 8,000 cars being driven was 10 mph
the population of Las Vegas was only 30
most women only washed their hair one time per month and used borax or egg yolk as shampoo
the American flag had 45 stars
most adults couldn't read or write
many items that we take for granted hadn't been invented yet

Great Inventions:
1909 - Instant Coffee 1910 - Talking Motion Picture 1911 - The first automobile electrical ignition system 1912 - Life Savers Candy 1913 - The crossword puzzle 1914 -the Morgan gas mask 1915 - Pyrex 1916 - radio tuners (that receive different stations) 1917 - the modern zipper 1918 - fortune cookies 1919 - pop-up toaster & short-wave radio 1920 - Band-Aid 1921 - the lie detector 1922 - the first 3-D movie 1923 - the traffic signal & frozen food (Clarence Birdseye) 1924 - spiral notebook 1925 - the mechanical television (precursor to the modern tv) 1926 - liquid fueled rockets 1927 - PEZ candy & Technicolor & a complete electronic TV system & the iron lung 1928 - penicillin & bubble gum 1929 - car radio & Yo-Yo 1930 - jet engine & scotch tape 1931 - stop-action photography 1932 - Polaroid photography 1933 - stereo records & drive-in movie theater 1934 - Charles Darrow claims he invented the game Monopoly 1935 - the first canned beer 1936 - the voice recognition machine & the Colt revolver 1937 - photocopier 1938 - ballpoint pen 1939 - helicopter 1940 - modern color television system & the jeep 1941 - aerosol spray cans 1942 - the first electronic digital computer 1943 - rubber & the Slinky & Silly Putty 1944 -Cortisone 1945 - atomic bomb 1946 - microwave oven 1947 - the transistor 1948 - Frisbee & Velcro & the Wurlitzer jukebox 1949 - Cake mix 1950 - credit card (Diners) 1951 - super glue & power steering & video tape recorder 1952 - Mr. Potato Head & first diet soft drink 1953 - transistor radio & radial tires 1954 - McDonalds 1955 - Tetracycline (the most prescribed broad spectrum antibiotic) 1956 - hovercraft & Liquid Paper (originally named Mistake Out) 1957 - Fortran (originally named Speedcoding, still used today for programming scientific and mathematical applications (software)) 1958 - Hula Hoop & the computer modem 1959 - the internal pacemaker & the Barbie Doll 1960 - the halogen lamp 1961 - Valium 1962 - audio cassette & Spacewar (the first computer video game) 1963 - the video disk 1964 - Acrylic paint & BASIC (an early computer language) 1965 - Astroturf & soft contact lenses & NutraSweet 1966 - electronic fuel injection for cars 1967 - handheld calculator 1968 - computer mouse 1969 - arpanet (first internet) & the ATM & the bar-code scanner 1970 - the floppy disk for computers 1971 - dot-matrix printer & food processor & the VCR 1972 - Hacky Sack 1973 - Bic invents the disposable lighter 1974 - Post-it-notes 1975 - laser printer & the push-through tab on a drink can 1976 - the ink-jet printer 1977 - MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) 1978 - artificial heart "Jarvik-7" 1979 - cell phones & the walkman & roller blades 1980 - the hepatitis-B vaccine 1981 - the first IBM computer 1982 - human growth hormone is genetically engineered 1983 - soft bifocal contact lens & Cabbage Patch Kids 1984 - the CD-ROM & the Apple Macintosh 1985 - Microsoft invents the Windows program 1986 - Fuji introduces the disposable camera 1987 - disposable contact lenses 1988 - digital cell phones & doppler radar & Prozac 1989 - high-definition television 1990 - the World Wide Web 1991 - the digital answering machine 1992 - the smart pill (can deliver or control its delivery of medicine without the patient having to take action beyond the initial swallow) 1993 - the pentium processor 1994 - the Playstation 1995 - the DVD 1996 - Web TV 1997 - the gas-powered fuel cell 1998 - the disposable bib 1999 - Tekno Bubbles (bubbles blown under ultra violet or black lights show an amazing assortment of colors) 2000 - the "Segway" human transporter 2001 - self-cleaning windows 2002 - Braille Glove & virtual keyboard 2003 - Infrared Fever Screening System (used in public buildings to scan people with a high temperature from a fever or sars) the No-Contact Jacket (protects the wearer by electric shocking any attackers) 2004 - SonoPrep (bio-engineering device that delivers medication by sound waves rather than injection) 2005 - YouTube 2006 - BEAR (Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot) developed for military search-and-rescue missions has hydraulic arms to support and carry injured soldiers 2007 - Iphone 2008 - bionic lens & flying windmills 2009 - electronic eyes/retinal implants 2010 - robotic prosthetic legs allows paraplegics to walk 2011 - Qmilch (a sustainable fabric made from milk protein) 2012 - dusting slippers 2013 - the cardboard bike & the Fume Fighter welding helmet to make metalwork safer & the Family Flier (read more here) 2014 - the ability to control an old, unruly radiator with a smartphone.
What was invented the year you were born?

Recent Events:

Pastor Hockley's Sunday August, 17th sermon notes
are available here.

Upcoming Events:

The Church office will be closed Monday, August 25th.

Reminder! Mid-City is Tuesday, August 26th at 8:30 am.

Mark you calendars!

Sunday School

Rally Weekend is just around the corner.

Saturday, September 6th

Fall MUM Sale
Big plants! $10
Yellow! Lavendar! Bronze! Burgundy!
Get your order in for your preferred color!
Proceeds go to the Women's Ministry
Order form is located on the bulletin board in the Narthex

Pick-up is at St. Paul's on Saturday, September 20th, 2014 (10am - Noon)

The Stewards of God's Love - Stewardship Workshop will be held Saturday, September 20th from 9:30am to 11:30am. Robin Abbot will facilitate. There is a sign-up in the Narthex. All are welcome to improve your understanding of the term "stewardship" in relationship to the gifts God has given you.

The Women's Bible Study will meet Tuesday, September 9th at 1pm. Bring a bible if you have one.

December Cookie Walk

It's time to start planning!

Sunday, September 14th at 9:30 am

We welcome your ideas! Please come.

If you have any photos of church events you would like to share, please email them to Michelle
stpaullutheranph@gmail.com

St. Paul Blog Post Aug. 13, 2014

8/13/2014

August 17th will be the 10th Sunday of Pentecost

PASTOR SCHEDULE
Aug. 17th - George Hockley
Aug. 24th - Robin Abbott
Aug. 31st - Dave Hudson

Recent Events

VBS was a success!
To see a few of the photographs taken during the week, click here.

The Blue Water Community Food Depot Cart is now located in the Narthex by the coffee table. Please bring an offering of food to place in the cart Sunday.

What a bountiful year! The St. Paul Community Garden has reported a donation of 316 pounds of produce to Mid-City as of August 6th. Thanks be to God!

Upcoming Events

The office will be closed on August 18th.

Your contributions to the September Newsletter are due August 17th.

Just a reminder that there are picnics planned for this weekend.

Saturday, August 16th is the WELCA picnic at Judy Halamka's home. Should we receive rain, the festivities will be moved to the church. Please bring your utensils and a dish to pass.

Sunday, August 17th is the Thrivent 5th Annual Picnic Beef Roast from 1-5pm at the Goodells County Park (Middle Barn)

Kids Against Hunger/Mission Fund Raiser - September 27th
Dueling Pianos at Younger Irish Tavern in Romeo. Tickets are $20 for the entertainment, which starts at 8:00 pm. 50% of the ticket sales will help fund "Kids Against Hunger" and our medical mission trips to Haiti. This will be a fun night out.
*Free will offerings* are greatly appreciated. For tickets, please call Candy at 810-385-3370.

Website News

Hymns for this coming Sunday are available to listen and learn here.

The new "Unique Visitor" total is 7 thousand!

Let's keep up the prayers for those that are seeking a church will find us and that the Call Committee will be successful in finding our new pastor.

St. Paul Blog Post August 7, 2014

8/8/2014

August 10th will be the 9th Sunday of Pentecost

*God answers knee-mail***

Pastor Schedule
Aug.10th -Duane Schafer
Aug. 17th - George Hockley
Aug. 24th - Robin Abbott
Aug. 31st - Dave Hudson

Recent Events

Church News:

The special voter's meeting approved the roof repair from the general fund.
The call committee is interviewing potential candidates for the pastoral position.
Bill Pickelhaupt's books have arrived, please contact the church office for more information. He has kindly donated 28 copies of his book The Volga-Germans of Michigan's Thumb to St. paul in honor of Andreas and Katrina Pickelhaupt and Carl and Laura Falk who left Russia for a better life for themselves and their descendants.

Upcoming Events

Council Meeting
August 11th
6:45 pm

The Women 's Ministry Annual Picnic

August 16th at noon at Judy Halamka's house. In case of rain we will meet at the church. Please bring a dish to pass and your own eating utensils.
The sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.

Thrivent 5th Annual Picnic Beef Roast

Sunday, August 17th - 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Goodells County Park - Middle Barn
St. Paul Thrivent members and non-Thrivent members are invited.

See the Google Calendar for more information.

There will be games for adults, prizes, party favors for kids, splash pad and playground.

The sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.

A contribution list of items for Carolyn's Place is in the Narthex.

Stewardship Workshop

Saturday - September 20th - for everyone - watch for detail updates

Youth Group News

Aug. 9th 10am-12pm: Blue Water Cluster Youth Group will be hosting a training seminar for Reducing the Risk of child abuse. This 2 hour training is designed for all Sunday School teachers, VBS, and youth volunteers. Beginning this fall, all of our members who have regular contact with youth (teachers, VBS volunteers, youth leaders) will have a background check and training as part of the synod's effort to help protect our children.
Sept. 27th:The Blue Water Youth Cluster is heading to Cedar Point for the day. The cost is approx. $30 per person. A sign-up sheet and permission slip will be in the. Narthex. Bring friends!
Sept. 7th 12-1:30pm: The Young Adult (20-40's) Book Study We will be discussing the first 2 chapters of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jeff Bridges. Please contact Ted Golubinski Jr. for more information.

Habitat For Humanity

Current Volunteer Opportunities:

Home & ReStore Construction
Office and Committee Work
ReStore Support
Construction Site Hospitality

Volunteer Schedules Posted:

www.bwhabitat.org

Volunteer Opportunity Days:

Tuesday & Saturday - House Construction
Thursday - ReStore Construction
Monday-Saturday - ReStore Support, Office & Committee Work

Website News:

Please share your VBS photos! Send to stpaullutheranph@gmail.com and we will post them on FB and the website.

The Google Calendar has some updated events!

We're now at 6.5 thousand unique visitors to our website.

St. Paul Blog Post July 30, 2014

7/30/2014

August 3rd will be the 8th day of Pentecost

It's berry pickin' time...

How is your garden growing? Here is St. Paul's Vegetable Garden as of mid-July.

The Biblical Herb Garden is growing and changing as well!
The feature article about the Garden is available to read if you haven't yet. Another page has been added to our website featuring photos from the Herb Garden. There will be additions as the seasons progress. You can view the new page here and it is accessible through the feature article page as well.

Lady's Bedstraw is highlighted here. The arrow is pointing to the yellow flowers.

Lovely Lavender!

Garden is life. There are flowers ready to be born, open and come alive. Some are in their prime, beautiful, dancing in the breeze, stretching themselves toward the heavens. Others have enjoyed what Mother Nature has to offer for the season and are ready to return to the earth, fertilizing it for those yet to come.

Upcoming Pastor Schedule:
Aug. 3rd - Robin Abbott
Aug. 10th - Duane Schafer
Aug. 17th - George Hockley
Aug. 24th - Robin Abbott
Aug. 31st - Dave Hudson

Recent Events

July 27th Sermon:
Robin Abbott delivered a sermon about using God's Gifts. See the sermon notes here. She handed out worksheets that helped us identify our spiritual gifts that were chosen by God, specifically for us. The worksheet gives an idea on the areas that you excel at and can use in Stewardship to help serve the church.
If you would like a copy of the worksheet, come to St. Paul, or you (Members) can go to your email and request a copy to be emailed to you. I am keeping a copy on file...perhaps my spiritual gifts will evolve over time as I grow.

Remember to bring your Spiritual Gift Inventory List Sunday and place it in the offering.

More Progressive Dinner Photos are on display here.

Donna Sanderson is sharing her Lavender Cookie Shortbread Recipe with us. I heard they were delicious!
Yields 2 dozen
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract (I like a tad more)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh lavender (1 Tbsp dried)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2
*granulated sugar to sprinkle on top

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, confectioner's sugar, and extracts at medium-speed about 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, almond meal, lavender, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low; add flour mixture to butter mixture. Add cream and beat to combine.

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Roll dough to 1/4-inch thick between two pieces of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Using your favorite 2 1/2-inc cookie cutter, cut as many cookies as possible, re-rolling scraps until all dough is used. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Garnish with fresh lavender, if desired. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Reminder:
The Young Adult Bible Study meets from 12:00 to 1:30(ish) at St. Paul's. This is a great opportunity for all you youngins' (20's-40's)!

The group had a BBQ on July 27th and will be meeting on Aug. 7th to discuss the first two chapters of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. The book can be purchased at the Christian Book Store in Port Huron or online at Amazon.com (this link will take you to the book where it is available in Kindle or paperback).
The group is flexible with scheduling and would love to have you join them. Contact the office or Ted Jr. for more information.

Upcoming Events

Stewardship Meeting @ Bob Evans Thursday, July 31st at 5:30 pm!

Annual Women's Ministry Picnic
August 16th!

The Women's Ministry Annual Picnic will be held at Judy Halamka's house at noon.

If there is rain and then we will meet at church.

Please bring a dish to pass and your own eating utensils.

There is a signup sheet in the Narthex.

Gangway to Galilee

Where: St. Paul Lutheran Church
*please use the East Entrance
When: August 4-8 (5:00-8:00 pm)
Who: You! & your friends too!
How: Registration forms are available here & at the VBS table in the church Narthex
Why: To Learn, Play, & Grow in Christ...Together!

Google Calendar Upcoming:
Port Huron Twp Voting will be held at St. Paul on Aug. 5th & 6th. They will be setting up equipment on the 5th and using the facility all day the 6th. They have been asked to use the West Entrance.
Training for Reduced Risk of Child Abuse is on the schedule for August 9th 10:00 am. -12:00 pm. at St. Paul's. This two hour training is designed for all Sunday School teachers, VBS and youth volunteers.

Website News:

The upcoming Hymns are available here.
If you'd like to receive the worksheet for discovering the spiritual gifts that God has given you, contact me here.

Your help is needed!
I would love to hear your feedback on the service videos and whether you prefer the videos of the entire service or the audio of the sermon.
The Narrative Service was recorded from the computer room window with speakers turned on inside the room.

The file of a full service recording is huge! It takes time to turn it into a view-able product as there are a few edits required.
The door opening and closing in the computer room is noticeable.
Standing in front of the window blocks the view.
So far the computer room seems the best placement as no one can trip over the tripod...however we have a better view of backs than we do of the altar.

The audio "video" was recorded with my Iphone and it was the sermon only.

An Iphone is not the best source for recording, but there are very inexpensive alternatives.
A recording with microphone in use which could have improved the sound quality.
Positioning of the recording device should be closer to the Pastor, however, a Pastor might not want to be in charge of the recording.
Audio can be enhanced with a better slideshow of photos as well.

As most of you know, I can't always be at service as we have huge commitments in travel baseball from early spring through late summer. I also own the video camera that is used for recording...and take it to the games. I am interested in trying some other ideas so we can make it a smoother process for the new Pastor.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Michelle

St. Paul Blog Post July 23, 2014

7/23/2014

July 27th will be the 7th day after Pentecost

Recent Events

The July 20th sermon is available as an audio with a photo of the altar and the "selfie" that several joined in on is at the end.
Dave Hudson discussed how "selfies" relate to Paul. The audio is low and may be better heard with earphones.

Click here for the July 20th sermon.

I totally put like 10 selfies on instagram everyday!

Watch for the dinner to be held in the Fall next year.

Dave also discussed this Cherokee proverb, where an old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life...saying, there is a battle of two wolves inside us.

One is evil: It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority, and ego.
The other is good: It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.

The grandson asks who will win.

The old Cherokee simply replies, the one you feed.

"Push 0 for operator"..."which number do I push for selfie?"

We heard that the Progressive Dinner was a success! The participants cooked up some tasty dishes and we hope to share recipes as the weeks progress. Here is Diane's Chicken Dijon recipe:

Chicken Dijon (marinating time up to 8 hours)
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (3-4 slices)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp. minced garlic
2/3 cup Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. dry white wine
*10 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup melted butter

*Diane buys Amish chicken from the Country Style Market in Port Huron. You can taste the difference in the quality of meat!

Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, and garlic. In shallow pan, combine mustard and wine. Dip chicken pieces in mustard mixture; roll in crumb mixture to coat. Arrange in 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Refrigerate, covered, up to 8 hours.

To serve: Heat oven to 350. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake, uncovered, until chicken is tender and juices run clear. (50-60 minutes).
8-10 servings

Upcoming Events

Robin Abbot will be presiding over this Sunday. The topic will be about Stewardship. Have you wondered where your talents could be best used for your church or your community? Robin will be discussing how to determine your talents and handing out a worksheet for you to complete at your leisure. It should be very interesting and all are encouraged to attend! Look for a workshop to follow in the coming months.

Website News

We've hit the 5,000 mark! Yep, 5K unique visitors to the St. Paul website.

As always, email me any information you'd like put on the website along with any photos you'd like to share.

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Sept. 28th is the 16th day after Pentecost

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September 21st is the 15th Sunday of Pentecost

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September 14th is the 14th Sunday in Pentecost

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September 7th is the 13th Sunday of Pentecost

Birthday wishes for Lavina Kodet who is celebrating 96 years on God's earth Friday, September 5th.

Recent Events

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August 31st is the 12th Sunday of Pentecost

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August 24th is the 11th Sunday of Pentecost

Join us in Celebrating Dorothy Albert's 105th Birthday!

Dorothy's Family Portrait

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August 17th will be the 10th Sunday of Pentecost

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Just a reminder that there are picnics planned for this weekend.

Website News

August 10th will be the 9th Sunday of Pentecost

***********God answers knee-mail*************

Recent Events

Upcoming Events

The Women 's Ministry Annual Picnic

Thrivent 5th Annual Picnic Beef Roast

Stewardship Workshop

Youth Group News

Habitat For Humanity

Website News:

August 3rd will be the 8th day of Pentecost

It's berry pickin' time...

How is your garden growing? Here is St. Paul's Vegetable Garden as of mid-July.

Recent Events

More Progressive Dinner Photos are on display here.

Reminder: The Young Adult Bible Study meets from 12:00 to 1:30(ish) at St. Paul's. This is a great opportunity for all you youngins' (20's-40's)!

Upcoming Events

Website News:

July 27th will be the 7th day after Pentecost

Recent Events

Upcoming Events

Website News

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*God answers knee-mail***

Reminder:
The Young Adult Bible Study meets from 12:00 to 1:30(ish) at St. Paul's. This is a great opportunity for all you youngins' (20's-40's)!