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District Reformation Service
FaithLutheranChurch will host the West Berks Mission District community in a special worship service on Reformation Day. The service is on Sunday, October 31, at 4:00 p.m. A fellowship hour will follow worship.FaithLutheranChurchis located at 210 North 25th Street, MountPenn. Parking is available in the lot behind the church or on the street.
The preacher will be Deaconess Deborah Matern Graf, Associate of the Bishop for WBMD.
Rummage Sale –Moved to Spring
Just a reminder that the Rummage Sale will not be held this fall. The sale has been moved to May.
Martin Luther, the Movie
October 24 at 6:30 p.m.
Showing on the Blue (Upper) Level
During the early 16th century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation. Learn more about how Lutherans came to be!
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CROP Walk—October 10
There is still time for you to sign up for the CROP Walk and find sponsors. We hope to have a big group walking this year, including adults, youth and children! The walk takes place at Gring’s Mill. We will leave the church parking lot at 12:30 p.m. to arrive for registration; the walk starts at 1:30 p.m. after some introductory comments by the leaders. Calvary folks are invited to come to the Social Hall for a light lunch before we car pool to Gring’s Mill. Please sign up if you are walking and if you are interested in the lunch. We are encouraging everyone to wear our “I Follow Jesus’ Footsteps” VBS t-shirts to look like a unified group. (Just ask Joy Gerhart if you need one.) All walkers who have $100 or more in pledges will receive a CROP t-shirt. The sign-up sheet and sponsor forms are located in the back of the church. Please consider joining us!
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Church Directory
All phone numbers are 610 area code
Office.phone...... 929-9606
..email......
..fax...... 929-4372
..web...
Happy birthday to our confirmed members who will celebrate their birthdays this month. Take time to send cards to these people and keep them in your prayers. Call the office if you discover errors or omissions so corrections can be made. Happy birthday!
Rev. Richard Schaefer10-1Mary Tobias10-11
Jill Snyder10-1Fern Moll10-14
Larry LaFaver10-1Grace Gehris10-14
Amy Hoelscher10-1Heather Wentzel10-14
Charles Boegner10-2Timothy Nye10-17
Bobbi Wentzel10-2Mildred Tyson10-17
Janet Katzenmoyer10-2Kylene Knepp10-18
Charles Koch10-2Pamela Savage10-18
Nathan Daniels10-3Anna Dutt10-20
Carol Lerch10-3Lori Knarr10-20
Marie Adam10-4Donald Dutt10-21
Glenn Kohler10-4Jeffery Krick10-21
Thomas Seaman10-4Jacquelyn Snyder10-21
Todd Christman10-5Paul Schmehl10-21
Elizabeth Mergner10-5Neal Wentzel10-22
Christopher Quillman10-5Linda Wickert10-22
Janet Howells10-6Brian Yoder10-22
Gloria Stebbins 10-6Dorothy Smith10-23
Seth Gonzalez10-7Mary Lou Harmon10-26
Brittanie Rushing10-7Faye Readinger10-26
Cindy Reinstadtler10-7Kelly Schmehl10-26
Stevie Domagalski10-7 Sydney Reber10-27
Betty Hartberger10-9Eileen Schmehl10-30
Laura Martin10-9Jean Bampton10-30
Jeanne Reber10-9Joan Pearson10-30
Randy Reppond10-10Matthew Crater10-31
Anna Andrzjewski10-11Cassandra Godinez10-31
Our Christian sympathy is extended to the families of
James Heckmanand
Anna Hemmig
Calvary members who recently passed away.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”
Kim Cavanna and Bryan Kirlin will be wed at Calvary on October 2.
Kasey Young and Kevin Kasopsky will be wed at Calvary on November 12.
We wish both couples God’s blessings in the years to come.
Church Fire
A fire broke out in a small-town church. When the fire department arrived, the minister recognized one of the firefighters.
"Hello there, Jim," he chided. "I haven't seen you in church in a long time."
"Well," said Jim, "there hasn't been a fire in church in a long time."
I want you to know that Calvary Lutheran Church is on fire, and you are being called to the scene—not to douse the flames but to "catch on" to The Spirit this and every weekend. Worship and SundayChurchSchool are the heartbeats of a living faith. Every week is a renewed faith—a new day—a breath of fresh air.
"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
I’m looking forward to seeing you at church.
Peace,
Pastor Irwin
Catechetics Schedule
for October and November
All catechetical classes meet on Sundays from 2–4:00 p.m. in the Social Hall.
Oct. 3 Martin Luther and the Reformation
Oct. 24 Martin Luther and the Reformation
Nov. 7The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Nov. 21The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Blood Drive at Calvary!
November 10, 2:30-8:00 p.m.
Please consider being a donor for the next blood drive. It will be held here, at Calvary.
Donors must be 17 years or older and a minimum of 110 pounds. Do you qualify?Contact Wendy or Kathleen Sharp at 610-929-3726 or contact the church office.
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Thankoffering Services
Well Project Dedicated
On October 23 and 24,Calvary celebrates the annual Thankoffering Services of the Women of the ELCA (WELCA).
How do we express gratitude when words aren’t enough? What are you grateful for? How do you express it? Do you put a little something in your Women of the ELCA Thankoffering box? Thanks!
Thankoffering banks and envelopes can be found on the tables in the rear of the church.Pick up a bank and drop a few coins in it each day and give thanks for what God has given you.
Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate in the Thankoffering offering. One half of the monies collected will be used for World Hunger; the remainder will be sent to the national unit of WELCA for its ministries.
At this service, we will also dedicate the monies raised for the well project. Our women’s group has spent two years raising $5,000 to help provide safe, local drinking water in undeveloped areas of the world. Well done!
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by Joy V. Gerhart, AiM
In September we had our Women’s Retreat with the theme of Gardens of Grace. We talked about the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden in which Jesus’ tomb was located (at least in the Gospel of John, chapter 20). We also talked about God as our Gardener who tills the soil of our gardenand our soul, and plants the seed of God’s Word, Jesus, in our hearts. Then God nurtures that growth in many ways, including the waters of Baptism and the light of his love. We learned that even our tears of grief and repentance can be used to water our gardens, and our past mistakes and bad experiences can be used to fertilize us and produce new growth. (See Romans 8:28 and think about how this connects.)
Another topic focused on was “Wintering and Waiting.” This is the time of year when we see plants ceasing their growth for the season. We are starting to see leaves turn brilliant colors and begin to fall off of their branches. This is a season with exciting splashes of color but then bleakness when we see bare branches. What does this say to our faith and the growth in our souls?
God is with us in our visible growth and in our times of waiting. Whether we are waiting for God to answer our prayer, working on growing closer to God through times of devotion and worship, trying to overcome a grudge or conflict through prayer, waiting to heal from a physical or emotional wound, confessing the obstacles that keep us from a close relationship with God, or waiting for the time when we will see God face to face in the resurrection, God the Gardener is with us. We need to remember that God has given us the faith we have, and just as a gardener plants a seed having faith that that seed will grow and produce its fruit or flower, God has faith in us, faith that we will grow to maturity, closer to him.
When we stop resisting and start cooperating with the gardener, the gardener can work wonders in us. In Hebrews 12:1 we read, “Let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way….” Now, if you open the Bible and read this passage you’ll see that the author is talking about running a race, not growing in a garden, but the same principle applies. Runners can’t win a race with a backpack full of rocks, and plants can’t shoot up out of the soil covered by rocks! God wants to help us get rid of the rocks. Need some guidance? In addition to prayer and worship, try opening the Book of Faith, the Bible!
Medi-Loan Program at Calvary
Some of you may not be aware of it, but Calvary loans medical equipment to members and friends through its Medi-Loan program. There are walkers, bath chairs and wheelchairs, and a few other items available for loan. Items are returned to the church when they are no longer needed.
If you have need of this type of equipment, call the church office to find out if it is available and make arrangements to pick it up. Your information will be kept on file until the item is returned. Calvary does not charge a fee for the equipment, but donations are welcome, if people desire to make one.
Cub Scouts’ Web Page
For more information about the Cub Scout
program at Calvary, visit its website at:
What Does It Mean to be a Lutheran?
Our first session on Law and Gospel started off the course in September (a change from what was stated in September’s Booster.)
In October we will cover five topics, and the final session is on November 7.
Oct. 3How to Receive Communion
Oct. 10The Anatomy of a Baptism
Oct. 17The Three Most Rebellious Things Jesus Ever Did
Oct. 24 Five Things You Should KnowAbout the Reformation
Oct. 31 How to Read the Bible
Nov. 7Sharing the Faith
All classes will meet at 9:15 a.m. in the Adult Bible Class area (the open classroom space) on the Blue Level. Everyone is welcome! Pastor Irwin and Joy Gerhart will lead discussion following each video. Come to one, a few or all of the sessions!
November Youth Service
The youth are looking forward to sharing their gifts and talents with the congregation on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14, when the youth will lead the worship services. We hope to share lots of youth-generated music, both instrumental and vocal. At this point the services are still in the planning stages, but we hope to share skits and pantomimes along with traditional Bible readings and some hymns. Please be sure to support the youth by coming to one of these services.
Help Wanted!
The Worship and Music Committee is looking for Lay Assistants for Communion. Participation at any service will be welcome, but we particularly need help on Saturday evenings. Everyone knows how to receive Communion, but Lay Assistants are trained in how to give Communion. We will provide training to all new servers and will have you serve with a seasoned professional as you learn.
This job comes with fabulous pay: Ministering to your sisters and brothers in Christ will make your cup of blessings overflow abundantly!
Please drop a note in the office for Wendy Sharp, Sue Shuler or Kate Peires to indicate your interest.
Thanksgiving Eve Services
As in previous years, there will again be a joint Thanksgiving Eve Servicebetween Rosedale UCC and Calvary. As customary, the guest pastor provides the sermon, so this year it will be shared by Pastor Irwin. It would be wonderful if we could fill the pews of Rosedale with Calvary members in support of Pastor Irwin’s ministry with us. Please put the Thanksgiving Eve service on your calendar and plan to be there. It is always an uplifting service and reminds us of all that we have and for which we can be truly thankful.
Bell Choir Schedule
For those of you who like to be at the 10:30 a.m. service when the Bell Choir is playing, here is a list of those dates. Please understand that the dates are subject to change.
October 17December 12
November 21December 24
Donations to the Memorial Fund may be made to “CalvaryLutheranChurch” and sent to the church office. The families are notified of the gift.
In Memory of …
Katherine Solomon
Doris & Gary Rismiller
Faye Readinger
Linda & Charles Boegner
Steve Domagalski
Elizabeth Leinbach
Robert & Deborah Schweitzer
Nancy Pyle
Shirley Tobin
The Fritz Family
Steven & Louse Fisher
Edna Trout
Susan Heilman
Friends of Elaine’s from Dimensions
Edward Cheryl Fallon
Charles & Arline Steiner
Joann Thompson
The Tobin Family
Rev. Vernon Snyder
Carolyn Hamilton
Chris Mills
Kent Hobby
Shirley Tobin
John & Marcia Schreffler
Jeffrey & Cheryl Sweigart
Raymond Linda Pekowski
J. Theodore Chatigny
Fred Boughter
Jacob Eisenbrown
Bryan & Susan Edelman
Joyce Mikulak
Rich & Jean Sweigart
J. Spargo & Associates, Inc.
Fred Walschburger
Donna & Bill Sweigart
William Borda
Jack & Garlene Mills
In the Mailbag…
Dear Friends at Calvary,
To the people of the church and especially those that were involved with my prayer shawl, thank you. It is so beautiful.
You give so much of yourself in the kindness you show and the lives you touch.That’s why you deserve a heartfelt “thank you” and a wish that all the goodness you share comes back to you.
Sending many thanks to you all.
Love,
Arlene Heckman
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your prayers and the beautiful altar flowers.
To all who work no matter what the task, we thank you. You are priceless.
Sincerely,
Tom & Evelyn Biermass
Dear Knitters at Calvary,
Thank you for the kind donation of knitted hats and afghans. We are so grateful that you remembered our facility with this kind contribution.
We are blessed that some of your members shared their talents with Berks Heim.
Please extend our appreciation to everyone in the group!
Dear Members of Calvary,
Thank you for your generous donation of $242.50 to CampDragonfly from your Joyful Noise offering. Our camp is the first free-of-charge bereavement weekend camp for children who experienced the death of a close family member.
It is donors like you that remain essential to the camp’s survival. Thank you for your gift and for being “the wind beneath our CampDragonfly wings!”
Calvary has a Prayer Chain, a group of people who will pray for those who request prayer. We are about to reorganize our list of links and would like to know if there is anyone else interested in joining. When there is need for prayer, the lead person is contacted, who in turn calls the next person on the chain, who calls the next person, and so on, until everyone has been contacted. There is no need to give details of the situation. All we ask is the name of the person for whom we are to pray.
If you are interested in joining the prayer chain, contact Wendy in the church office.
Those who would like to ask for prayer, you may call the office, and Wendy will forward that information.
Attendance Averages for August
20102009200820072006
Sun.School4449614950
Worship158135*197165156
*This a weighted average, as the Saturday service is currently being held once a month.
Financial Statistics for August
(rounded to nearest dollar)
Aug. 10Aug. 09 YTD 10YTD 09
Start Balance3,149
Current Inc.21,251 19,281 164,523179,131
Current Exp.25,108 17,948 187,519182,997
End Balance-707
Building Income5266404,0994,488
Building Exp.4,704011,1730
Sunday School Inc.2923162,4692,781
Sunday School Exp.9192881,8312,301
/Centre Square Barber Shop
3501 Kutztown RoadThree Barbers to Serve You
Laureldale, PaPhone 610-929-0662
Nat Napoletano, Proprietor
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What’s Your Pastor I.Q.?
Recently our youth groups played a game to help them learn more about Pastor Irwin. We thought it might be fun to include a portion of the game in the newsletter to test your knowledge. Below is a part of the game played by the Junior Youth Group. Answers, page 6.
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1. Pastor and Mrs. Irwin have two daughters named …
A.Angel and Gretel
B.Sonia and Cher
C. Jane and Kathryn
D.Thelma and Louise
2. Pastor Irwin’s mother was a…
A. DoctorC. Indian Chief
B. LawyerD. None of the above
3. Pastor and Mrs. Irwin met…
A. OnlineC. At church
B. At schoolD. In a canoe
4. Pastor Irwin was born…
A. Where his mother worked
B. In Philadelphia
C. In a blizzard
D. All of the above
5. Pastor Irwin’s first summer job was at …
A. A YMCA campC. A Boy Scout camp
B. A day campD. A Girl Scout camp
6. Pastor and Mrs. Irwin have two pets. They are:
A. FishC. Cats
B. SnakesD. Dogs
7. What instrument did Pastor play when he was young?
A. TrumpetC. Guitar
B. PianoD. Bugle
8. Pastor Irwin likes to collect…
A. Old booksC. Baseball cards
B. Silly bandsD. All of the above
9. Pastor’s chores at home are…
A. Fold laundryC. Take out garbage
B. Vacuum D. All of the above
(and then some)
10. How many different places has pastor lived?
A. 8C. 16
B. 11D. 24
11. Pastor Irwin…
A. Played football in high school
B. Played baseball in high school
C. Played football in college
D. All of the above
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