Parish News

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!

Please schedule all new plans for meetings and events through the Church Office so that they may be advertised in the Bulletins and the Messenger as well as assuring that there will be a room available. Please remember that many outside events are on our calendar that you may not know about so checking with the office before scheduling is very important.

Please call the Church office at (410) 647-0340 for assistance in your scheduling needs. If Joanie is not there, leave a message. THANK YOU!

Gardening Committee

Remember that our gardens still need your attention. September is a perfect time for weeding, cutting back or removing dead or broken branches and planting spring blooming bulbs such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. This is also a wonderful time to plant any new perennials, shrubs or trees. All fertilizing should have stopped in preparation for the dormant season.

If you are unable to continue taking are of your flowerbed or if anyone new is interesting in helping out, please let me know.

Tara Fontz

The next opportunity to become a member of Christ Lutheran Church will be New Member Classes on Thursday evenings beginning September 30. There will be three sessions beginning each week at 7:00 p.m. The classes are interactive and interesting, with plenty of opportunities to ask Pastor Dave questions. We’ll explore what Christians believe, what sets apart Lutheran Christians, and also the ministry at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Millersville.

If you have not taken the step of membership yet, now’s the time! Even if you’re not sure about membership, this course is an excellent way to find out more about our church, what we believe, and what becoming a member will mean for you so that you can make an informed decision. If you are a member and know someone who’s been thinking about joining, please encourage them to join us for this course.

Please contact Pastor Dave by phone (410-647-0340) or e-mail pastordavesimpson@live.com to sign up or for more information.

Boot Camp

The next 8-week session of Body Temple Boot Camp begins September 8 and will meet every Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 pm upstairs in Friendship Hall. Our emphasis is on Fitness, Fellowship and Fun! The one hour workout consists of a warm up, strengthening exercises using body weight and resistance, cool down and stretching. If you can easily get down on the floor for floor exercises, and you don't mind working up a sweat, this is the class for you! This is a great time to start, and new members are welcome. There is no fee, and no obligation to come to every session.

Please bring a mat (thicker than a yoga mat) and water, and wear athletic shoes.

If you have not exercised in years, or at all, if you have physical limitations, or if Boot Camp sounds too intense for you, you may want to check out Beginner's Boot Camp. This group meets every Monday, in upstairs Friendship Hall, at 5:30 PM, beginning September 13. In this class we concentrate on strength, balance and flexibility. Nearly all the exercises can be performed from a seated position if necessary. Come as you are! There is nobody we cannot accommodate!

For more information please call or e-mail me:

Celia Poteet
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
celiapoteet@aol.com

410-255-1209

I have received several requests to order additional youth group shirts. To do a second order, we must have 18 people ordering shirts. So, if anyone did not get a youth group shirt and now wants one or if anyone wants another one, please let me know. The shirts are bright yellow and have a screen print on the front that says "Christ Evangelical Lutheran Youth." The cost is $7. Sizes 2x and 3x slightly higher. Everyone is welcome to purchase a shirt! Please email me with the number of shirts and the sizes. Sizes run from youth small through adult 3XL. Kerri Bachman, 410-595-5105 for any questions or email order to kerrbear33@hotmail.com

DE-MD SWO WOMEN OF THE ELCA

23^rd ANNUAL RETREAT

SANDY COVE CONFERENCE CENTER-North East, MD

September 17, 18, 19, 2010

THE BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF LOVE

LEADER: The Rev. Norma Schenning

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Manchester, MD

CHAPLAIN: The Rev. Bettye Wolinski

Registration & Full Payment required by July 15, 2010

Please complete for each person sharing your room and return with payment

Payable to DE-MD SW0, and mail to:

Ann Marie Fontz, 320 Dogwood Drive, Millersville, MD 21108

RETREAT SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS AVAILABLE

To Apply, Contact: Barbel Otto (410) 372-0630

Ann Marie Fontz (410) 315-8878

Cost Per Person

_____Single $384 _____Double$264 _____Triple $204 _____Quad $184

Name________________________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________________

Phone #_________________________ E-Mail:_______________________________

Congregation:__________________________________________________________

Cluster:_______________________________________________________________

WE ARE IN NEED OF HELP EACH SUNDAY…

Please Volunteer as a SUNDAY SERVANT

Check the Sunday Servants list in the back of the Messenger and see where help is needed, and then please consider volunteering.
If you would like to volunteer for just one time ~ or more, here is what to do:
For Acolytes/Crucifers call: George Poteet at (410) 255-1209.
For Altar Guild call: Rebecca Lawrence at (410) 975-0062.
For Communion Assistants, Greeters/Presenters or Lay Readers See: Trisha Jacobs, or Sign-up on the Calendar in the Narthex.

A Public Service Announcement

Need help with Paying Heating and Electric Bills? The Anne Arundel Community Action Agency is you local office of Home Energy Programs. Community Action also does housing counseling for evictions, mortgage defaults, reverse mortgages and first time home buying. Call (410) 760-6125 for more information.

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Free Parking
(410)760-6125
Fax# (410) 760-6439

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

Mark your calendar for October 10. On that date at 2:00 we’ll have a Blessing of the Animals service out in the field behind the Parsonage. Members of the congregation and the community will be invited to bring their pets for a short, informal service and a blessing in the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi. If you’d like to help with set-up or by contributing human snacks and/or animal treats, please contact Pastor Dave

CRY ROOM UPDATE

(Those of you on the church e-mail list received an update about the Cry Room very similar to this article, but we are putting a modified version in the Messenger to make sure everyone has the same information. The second-to last paragraph will be new to those who received the e-mail)

In the spring, Pastor Dave along with Children’s Ministry representatives made a decision to institute a Cry Room during Sunday Services. As was printed in the Messenger and Bulletin, this decision was made after talking with many members of the congregation. There were several important reasons for going with a Cry Room, including:

1. Our belief that whole families should worship together if at all possible.
2. Parents are most comfortable taking care of their own children, especially little ones. When the Nursery was open, it was not unusual for a parent to accompany their child to the nursery even when there was an attendant on duty.
3. The difficulty we have encountered keeping the nursery staffed. In the "old days," someone could just jump in and cover the nursery if needed. Now, the reality is that anyone who takes care of children has to undergo a background check well ahead of time.
4. The under-utilization of the nursery when it was open, particularly during the 8:15 service, but also there were many Sundays when nursery would be unused during the 11:00 service. Parents have been able to take their children to the Cry Room as needed if they (parents OR children) need a break from the service. Because the Cry Room is the former Nursery, there are ample toys to occupy children. Parents can continue to listen to the service on an audio feed.

As the summer came to a close, the Cry Room was re-evaluated for the fall. We considered several options, including:

1. Continue the Cry-Room through the end of the year, then make decide how to proceed in the spring
2. Provide nursery at both services provided we can find (and background check) sufficient volunteers
3. Provide nursery at one service (probably 11), again provided we can find volunteers
There are a couple of other things we are have discussed which would need to be included in the next church budget if implemented:

- Pay someone to provide "professional" childcare on Sunday mornings
- If the cry room is going to be a permanent fixture, move toward a video feed of the service. It is important that we as a church welcome people of all ages to our worship services and activities. The decisions we make impact not just our current members, but how visitors, especially those with small children, perceive our church.

Those who are working with this issue realize that no solution is going to please everyone. So we are asking for your continued feedback, but especially requesting your prayerful understanding that we will continue to prayerfully work, with the guidance of God, toward the best plan for our congregation. We have looked at other congregations near us - some have cry rooms without a nursery, some have a nursery with no cry room, and some have both (which is probably impractical for our logistics at the present time).

After soliciting feedback from the congregation, the decision has been made to continue with the Cry Room at least through the end of the year. This is in large part due to the overwhelming positive response the Cry Room has received from those who have commented.

If you have any further comments, please speak with Pastor Dave, Tara Fontz, or Julie Ranelli.

Vacation Bible School

What a wonderful week we had exploring the rainforest and meeting Jesus. Fourty-five students explored the parables and learned how to “Get Praying, “Get God’s Love” and “Get Going” to share God’s love. One way we showed God’s love was by donating school supplies to less fortunate Anne Arundel county students. We finished up the week with VBS Sunday where the VBS singers sang during the service.

I appreciate all the accolades I receive for directing VBS. Really though, I can make all the plans in the world but I can’t make VBS work by myself. I work with a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers who really make VBS happen. Thanks to: Dot Andercyk, Diane Andercyk, Emma Schramm, Evelyn Schramm, Lorraine Preston, Tina Miller, Denise Ashby, Stephen Franklin, Phillip Simpson, Sarah Lycett, Kim Ryan, Bryce Snyder, Ryan Schannė, Sarah Schannė, Anne Marie Fontz, Nancy Gardner, Maggie Stein, Tara Fontz, Nick Miller, Peggy Poteet, Pastor Dave, Jenna Bachman, Kerri Bachman, George Poteet, Christine Peyton, Dawn Lautenschlager, and of course Joanie who is always finding room for me in the bulletin

Thank You to all the Habitat for Humanity Volunteers

A special thanks to Diane Andercyk, Robert and Bobby Ashby, Lauren Leese, Philip Simpson, and Steve Zahn, who came out on Saturday, August 14^th to help with the construction of walls for the Clay Street project. In addition, a special thanks to Atlanta Bread Company for the sandwiches and fixings so expertly prepared by Bobby Ashby. And last but certainly not least, a thank you to Denise Ashby, Joann Chirdon and the Women’s Group who planned and prepared our noon time meal. Their effort provided a great lunch that was shared by volunteers from New Hope Lutheran Church in Columbia and other volunteers working at the Crownsville site.

Bill Chirdon
Thrivent Builds -Habitat for Humanity
Church Champion

Due to the limited number of volunteers that we could put on site for this particular workday, we were not able to use all the volunteers who expressed an interest. If you are still interested in helping, let me know as we are looking at future dates to support the current build.

Dear Church Family,

A long overdue thank you to everyone for the prayers, support, cards and donations after the fire in our home. A special thank you to Roxann Lutz for the beautiful prayer shawl to replace the one that I lost in the fire and to Pastor Dave’s guidance and for being such a great listener.

I know that with God’s guidance we will get through this, one day at a time.

God Bless,
Ginger Thomas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Church family,

How do I say “Thank You” For such a wonderful Surprise Party. I was overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity. There were so many beautiful cards, flowers, gifts, delicious foods, a very special birthday cake and a new ‘means of transportation’ for fun.

That evening was a joy to me and I will always cherish it.

Thank You to all of you.

Christine Payton

PREVIOUSLY,
at CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH…

50 Years ago at Christ Lutheran Church…

At the December 1959 meeting of the Women of the Church, it was decided that Mrs. Nash will decorate our church windows for Christmas. Barbara DuVall will make the wreaths.

At the December 1948 meeting of Christ Lutheran Sunday School board, it was reported that the profit from the Ham Supper was $200.00 so far. It was decided that 75 pounds of candy and 150 oranges are to be ordered for the Christmas Program.

*An addendum to last month's blast from the past by Clara Love,

Regarding the $30.00 organ repair bill, I was playing the organ when it collapsed. I began pumping like crazy to keep it playing through the service. We made it!

We still have the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Plates for sale.

They are available for purchase before and after worship. The cost is $20.00 per plate. Take home a piece of our history.

CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE: (410) 647-0340

Or e-mail: celc1908@yahoo.com

And give us the news, so that we may keep in contact and give their names to Campus Crusade, etc.

Thank you!

Flowers are needed for the Alter each week. Please check the Flower List on the Revolving Bulletin Board in the Narthex to plan your gift of flowers in honor or memory of a loved one. Thank You!!

Last edited on 8/28/10

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