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Weather Cancellation Information
CLC Dinner Clubs
Social Ministries Committee - News
Stewardship
Natural Church Development Committee
Mission Endowment
Small Group Gatherings
Weather cancellation Information
What happens if there is bad weather? How do I find out if something at church has been cancelled?
We do not cancel worship or church activities without a great deal of thought and prayer. In particular, a decision to cancel worship is made by Pastor Pat in consultation with members of the Council Executive Board. In making this decision, in addition to prayer, we rely on local knowledge of the conditions, as well as forecasts from the National Weather Service, and we consider the time of day at which the service would be held. I realize that people look forward to worship and depend on it as a grounding point in their lives. However, there are a very few times when travel is dangerous enough that holding worship, which might encourage someone to risk travel, would be foolish.
Information about cancellations is communicated in several ways. In the event of a cancellation of worship or a churchwide activity, an announcement will be put on the church phone. If you call 603-632-5812, the phone greeting will announce the cancellation. We also utilize WMUR’s cancellation service. WMUR TV has a cancellation link on their website http://www.wmur.com, which directs you an alphabetized link of closings and delays. These cancellations also usually scroll on the bottom of the WMUR TV broadcast. Whenever possible, we also try to put a message on our own website (http://clcenfield.org). If the weather is very inclement, check the church phone or WMUR’s service before leaving your own house for worship or a churchwide activity.
If you are concerned about whether a committee meeting or Small Group gathering will be held, please contact the committee chair or host of the event.
The Dinner Club will be kicking off the 2010-2011 season with a dinner at the home of Carol and David Miller in Grantham, on Saturday, September 25th at 6 p.m. During this evening we will "shuffle the deck" and establish new dining groups for the coming year. This group was very successful last year and is a great way to socialize and get to know members of the congregation. The club will be divided into groups of 6 and will meet in each others' homes for dinner periodically during the year. Usually, the host couple provides the entree and the others bring side dishes, desserts, etc. Each group can decide their format among themselves. Please consider joining the Dinner Club this year...you'll be glad you did! A sign up sheet will be hung in the narthex for the event on the 25th. Please sign up by September 12th. We will ask participants to bring various dishes after we have an accurate count.
Social Ministries is asking for toilet kit items for Antrim Girls Shelter during the month of September. Items needed are: soap, shampoo, nail files, face cloths etc. A complete list will be posted in the Narthex. These items will be packaged in "belonging bundles" and delivered to the shelter in October.
UVIP: Social Ministries is looking for someone who is able to attend the UVIP, United Valley Interfaith Project ,meetings. This is a community action organization which CLC supports. Various social issues, such as housing and transportation are of primary importance to this group. Please see Linda Gurney if you are interested.
But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted…But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. ~ Luke 14:10-11, 13-14
Reciprocity is part of the social order. Someone invites you to their home for dinner or a banquet and it is only proper for you to reciprocate. In God’s strange economy, God first invites us to a table of plenty spread with all we need for an abundant life and then invites us to throw a banquet for others. Talk about ‘pay it forward’!! So let’s reciprocate and throw a banquet. Setting the table for company, preparing the food, and serving it is a joy! First there is the food to be considered. It must be delicious and colorful! Yes, colorful. How boring a meal would be if everything we ate were of the same color or things blended into each other with no particular distinction. Then there are the dishes. Shall we use the Fiesta Ware or mother’s good china dishes? Let’s unwrap the precious china and don’t even mention using paper! The table will be spread with just the right cloth. Flowers – we must have flowers on the table – and maybe even candles. God generously spreads a banquet for us and we want to be generous in return. Now who should we invite? God’s invitation list included us. How remarkable to be given a seat at that table. Out of gratitude for God’s invitation, we listen to the gospel to get a clue about who should be on our invitation list. Maybe our invitation list will be as ‘colorful’ as the food we serve and the table we set. Just as God has shared so generously with us, we too wish to share generously with others. (elca.org)
Who have you invited to share in your banquet of blessings? Has someone else invited you to theirs? Our stewardship theme this year focuses on ‘Stories to Tell and Gifts to Share’.
We all have stories to tell: humorous happenings, learning experiences, news about our families, triumphs and tragedies, and plans for the future.
As the people of God, we have stories to tell about what God has done for us and about the difference that God’s grace has made in our lives. Sometimes we are less aware of these stories until they are coaxed out of us – but they are there, part of whom we are.
That’s not all. Whether we know it or not, we also have stories to tell about what God has done though us – stories about how God has used us to make a difference in the lives of others. Getting to know those stories makes us even more aware of God’s grace.
God has given us so much – and the gifts of God are for sharing.
The Bible is a collection of stories about people with gifts to share – stories about people whose lives were so changed by God that they were able to make a difference in the lives of others.
(‘Stories to Tell & Gifts to Share’, Augsburg Fortress)
Our committee would like you to share your story with the congregation as a form of worship and inspiration. If you know of an example of God’s intervention in your own personal life, please contact Larry, Bob, Ed or Pastor Pat and we will arrange a forum for you to share it with your church family.
We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard! ~ Acts 4:20
Natural Church Development Committee
What Passionate Spirituality Means
to
Community Lutheran Church Congregation
Condensation of findings from the
March 2010 Questionnaire
Outward Expression
Sharing your beliefs without embarrassment and risking the response.
Acting as you believe, in all places.
Inner Life
Feeling in the presence of God.
Worshiping in settings that focus you on God.
Being open to the Mystery of God.
If the word 'passionate' doesn't work for you, perhaps because it is often used in a romantic context, tell us a word or words that does work for you. Enthusiastic? Moving? Eager? Or maybe it's the two words together. Try "Enthusiastic belief?" "Motivating belief?" Could it be that our low score on the “Passionate Spirituality” factor is just due to language?
So far input has been limited and mostly from questionnaires. How about a personal one-on-one talk with one of your NCD team members? Any one of us would be happy to discuss your feelings and thoughts. Your input is needed to help us determine our next steps to a smooth sailing church!
(Submitted by: The NCD team: Karen Schifferdecker, Larry Brudnicki, Howard Shaffer, Bill Dickinson, Paul Waehler, Pastor Pat)
The Mission Endowment and Memorial Gifts Committee wants to answer the question: Why would one give to a Mission Endowment Fund?
Think of it as Long Term Stewardship. All that we have and all that we are is a gift from God. During our early years we acquire, accumulate and save. The blessings we receive from God, including our intellect and ability to earn wages, allows us to provide for ourselves, our families and the needs of our congregation and other charities. Planning for the distribution of all lifetime accumulations is a vital step in completing our stewardship plan. Through a mission endowment fund we can support the future ministry of the church.
Christian stewardship involves the faithful management of all God's gifts to us: the created world, life, time, abilities and money. Many think of financial stewardship only in terms of current income. Scripture teaches us that all we are and all we have is entrusted to us by God. Therefore, stewardship also includes our accumulated, inherited and appreciated resources. As Christians, just as we give proportionately for the Lord's work from our income annually, so we are encouraged to give proportionately from our accumulated resources as legacy gifts.
Here are some of the ways this can be done:
Bequests (a designation in your will or living trust)
Life insurance proceeds (beneficiary designation or gift of the policy)
Assignment of Certificates of Deposit
Transfers of property such as cash, stocks, bonds and real estate
Memorial gifts
Charitable gift annuity remainders
Charitable remainder trust remainders
Beneficiary designation in an IRA or retirement plan
What will my gift do? Every year, five percent of the Fund is distributed for special projects within our local area, within the New England Synod, for ELCA church-wide ministries, and for extraordinary ministry initiatives within this congregation.
We hope that you will seriously consider this long term ministry as you review your current and future financial plans. You can give now and/or you can give in your will. If you give by way of your will, it doesn't have to be your whole estate. It can be whatever percentage you want so that it is entirely possible to provide for your children and still leave something for your church.