The Voice - St. Peter Lutheran Church
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The Voice
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Pastor Mark Schlenker Office – 515.986.3077 stpeter@stpeterofgrimes.org www.stpeterofgrimes.org January 2021
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“Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in
heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
These words from Matthew may sound familiar. They are words that we use each time we have a
baptism. I hand the baptism candle to a parent or sponsor of the child (Or to the person being baptized if it is
a youth or adult), and share these words from Matthew 5:16. Often times I will talk to the kids I’ve invited up
for a close up view of the baptism and share words like, “Jesus is the light of the world. In baptism we are
united with Jesus. Being united with Jesus we are filled with His light. Being filled with His light means we are
filled with His love, mercy and peace. What a gift! Jesus tells those who are united with Him to ‘Let your light
so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.’ All the
good, kind and loving things you do are letting your light shine. You are letting Jesus light shine through you.”
The year 2020 is in the rearview mirror now. Thank goodness! It was a crazy year for sure. Of course,
this doesn’t mean 2021 is guaranteed to be all sunshine and roses. But, we can still look forward with hope
that 2021 will be a better year. Even though Christmas looked a bit different this year, we still celebrated the
birth of Jesus. We celebrated the light of the world being born in our midst. The “good news of great joy for
all people” was still proclaimed.
Whether 2021 is as crazy as 2020 or not (Let’s hope NOT), we are still called to “let our light shine.”
Perhaps we can all do our own small parts to make 2021 a year filled with light, no matter what else happens
around us. As a congregation we will still look for creative ways to let the light of Christ shine through our
ministries. The good news will still be proclaimed in worship online, and hopefully more regularly in person.
We’ll still provide educational materials, like the devotionals for Advent, to be used in the home. Small group
ministries are in the works. Hopefully we’ll be back in person learning before too long again as well. We will
still continue to reach out to the community and world in love. Our annual tie blanket ministry for Mercy
hospitals will still happen. Like many things, it might look a bit different this year, but we will still make it
happen, so that Christ’s light continues to shine at St. Peter Lutheran.
In the Advent devotionals we sent home this year there was a great quote
that I used in one of my sermons the other week. The quote was, “Get curious, not
furious.” I just love that quote, so I thought I’d share it again here in case you missed
it. Kids driving you up a wall? “Get curious, not furious.” What is making them wild?
Why is it bothering me so much? What is the trigger that finally sets me off? What
would be a good and healthy way to remedy or respond to this situation? You could
ask the same type of questions for anything that upsets you. Social media posts, road
rage, politics, stories in the news, work conflicts, etc. are all possibilities for applying
the quote, “Get curious, not furious.” Rather than adding to the darkness, perhaps
this simple phrase can help “let our light shine” more brightly.
Here’s to “letting our light” shine brightly in 2021. Happy New Year!
Pastor Mark
Join us for Worship!
St. Peter Lutheran will offer a live-streamed worship service at 9:00 a.m. each Sunday morning. You can find
the service on Facebook or on YouTube.
Beginning January 10, we will offer an in-person service at 10:00 a.m. Masks will be required and social
distancing measures will be in place. Sign-up is not required, but it is helpful so we know how to best prepare
for worship! We will continue to live-stream our 9:00 service.
Congratulations to Julie on Her Retirement!
In December, celebrated the retirement of Julie
Bindel, Parish Secretary at St. Peter for 27 years!
We have been blessed with Julie’s faithful
service and celebrated her by sharing cards and
gifts from our St. Peter family. She will be
greatly missed at St. Peter; and we thank her for
her dedication, knowledge, and care for all
these years. May God bless her retirement with
fulfillment and joy!
A Note from Julie:
Dear St. Peter family,
I am overwhelmed by all the cards I have received from my St. Peter family wishing me the best in my
retirement. Your rememberances have been fun to read and have touched my heart.
God opened up the opportunity for me and my family to join the St. Peter family back in the 80's when my dad
was the pastor. Then God opened up the opportunity of employment for me as the church secretary 27 years
ago. I and my family have been so blessed to get to know you all over the years. You have truly been a
blessing to us.
When God closes a door, he opens another. I look forward to seeing where God leads me and how I can
continue to serve him. May you continue to be God's shining lights in our world. God's richest blessings to
you all.
Love, Julie
Small Groups at St. Peter
Are you interested in connecting with others through small groups? Small
groups might meet in person or online, according to your comfort level,
and offer the opportunity to engage in several different ways. Contact the
church office for more information.
2020 Contribution Statements
All offering postmarked or received in the church office by noon on Thursday, December
31, 2020, will be recorded on your 2020 contribution statements. The 2020 contribution
statements will be ready for members to pick up at the church by Sunday, January 10,
2020. All statements will be mailed to member’s homes if they are not picked up by
Monday, January 25. Thank you for your financial support of St. Peter Lutheran’s
ministries.
New Office Manager
Lauri Rouse
We welcome Lauri Rouse as St. Peter’s new Office
Manager. Lauri has been a member at St. Peter
for twelve years and has enjoyed being active
with WELCA, Church Council, Vacation Bible
School, Adult Ed, Moms’ Group, and various
ministries over the years. Her husband, Benji,
and kids, Oliver, Milo, and Clyde are also active
members of the St. Peter. Lauri is excited to serve
the church in this new capacity.
Consider Becoming a Worship Host
In order to accommodate health and safety measures in place at St Peter, would
you consider serving as a worship host rather than an usher/greeter once
services are in-person again? Duties as a worship host would include welcoming
people to church at a safe distance without physical contact, directing people
towards supplies and available seating, and completing an attendance slip to
place on the church secretary’s desk. You may sign up to volunteer on the
church website under usher/greeter or contact Roxanne Hauge by email at
roxannehauge@gmail.com.
From the Stewardship Committee: Ryan Witt, Jason Hughes, & Rich Weiss
November 2020 YTD
Income $ 19,905.42 $ 234.471.03
Expense $ 24,338.66 $ 219,172.65
Net Income Net Loss: $-4,322.24 $15,298.3
General Fund--November 2020, expenses were greater than income, thus there was a loss of
($4,433.24).
General Fund--YTD November 2020, expenses were less than income, thus there was a surplus of
$15,298.38 which is due to the COVID19 funds that were received.
Pastoral Acts
Funeral
Delores “Dee” Belle Selzer was born on June 8, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan. She died on December 11,
2020. Her funeral service was held at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel in West Des Moines, Iowa, with Pastor
Mark Schlenker officiating. Interment was at Resthaven Cemetery.
2021 Flower Chart is Posted
If you would like to share an altar flower arrangement on a special
Sunday in 2021, please sign up on the Flower Chart that is posted on
the Service bulletin board on the west wall of Fellowship Hall. You
can also call the church office at 515-986-3077 or email us at
stpeter@stpeterofgrimes.org and we can help you sign up.
The cost per arrangement is $40.00. The flower arrangements will be
made to follow the liturgical colors of the church year. If you have a
specific request please contact the church office at least two weeks
prior to when your arrangement will be made to let us know your request. Our member, Carol Clarke, puts
together these beautiful arrangements for us throughout the year.
The 15th of each month is the deadline date for newsletter items to be submitted to the church office.
ON-LINE GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
Online Giving Expanded for your Smartphone! St. Peter has expanded our online giving options through
Thrivent's Simply Giving Program to include one-time giving and to enable members to set up their own
recurring donations through the following secure methods:
1. Find and download the Give+ Church mobile app in the App Store or on Google Play for Android
smartphones by searching "give plus church". Choose search for a church near me or
type in St Peter Lutheran and choose our address in Grimes, and follow the steps; or
2. Go to St. Peter's website www.stpeterofgrimes.org and click on the yellow Online
Giving link or scan the QR code printed here.
3. Set up bill pay through your bank to St. Peter Lutheran.
4. Please contact the church office to designate your donation between specific funds.
St. Peter Lutheran Office Hours
Church Office is open 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Monday – Friday
Pastor Mark Schlenker is working from church and home
Pastor’s day off is Friday.
Jill Capps – Faith Formation Director
Office Hours: Monday – 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday – 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday – 2:00-7:00 p.m.
Thursday – 12:00-3:00 p.m.
*available for meetings as needed
Grimes Storehouse – Community Food
Pantry
The Grimes Storehouse is located at 112 NE Ewing St., Suite B, in
Grimes. Grimes Storehouse hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from
9:30-11:30 a.m. and every 1st & 2nd Tuesday from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
NON-PERISABLE ITEMS LISTED IN ORDER OF NEED:
Condiments(Ketchup, Mustard, Salad Dressing, Barbeque
Sauce)
Bottled Apple Juice
Canned Chill Beans
Pancake Mix & Syrup
Boxed Potatoes and Sides
Skillet Dinners (Hamburger/Tuna Helper, etc.)
Chicken Noodle Soup (Small)
PERSONAL AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS LISTED IN ORDER OF NEED:
Dish Soap
Liquid Body Wash
Laundry Soap
Body/Hand Lotion
Shaving Cream
Toilet Paper
Kleenex
Paper Towels
Deodorant - Women and Men
Feminine Products
Diapers (Size 3 and up)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING
December 10, 2020
Pastor’s Report:
I had the honor of doing the Invocation and Benediction at the retirement ceremony for Michelle
Zeliadt at the Iowa National Guard building. She retired after 22 years of service. Her husband Jason
just returned recently from serving a tour overseas as well. Please pray for them in this transition
Shifting back to virtual worship was a smooth transition. People have appreciated having music and
singing added to the worship. At the same time I know people are missing gathering in person. I am
too. I miss seeing people, chatting with people about life and gathering physically together as the Body
of Christ. I believe our responses thus far to the pandemic for the sake of loving our neighbor have
been the right ones, but it is hard. I miss everyone.
One of the great strengths of St. Peter is its sense of community. The question then is how to remain
connected and be in community during this once in a 100 years event? The virus won’t last forever.
The pandemic is dragging on much longer than we like, but we will get through it. The vaccines, to me,
help to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It might take a while though, so what do we need to do
to stay connected and be there for one another in the mean time? We have many smart and creative
people at St.Peter, so I have no doubt we can make this happen. In many ways we already are. Matt
started a weekly devotional online for the youth, Emily sends a weekly devotional to the choir, Jill
through Zoom had a gingerbread house building contest with confirmation and our friends at Mosaic,
and a stage was built and sound system put together for outdoor worship when it was nice out. I’ve
also seen numerous ways people have reached out with cards, gift cards, meals, etc. when there was
someone in need.
What other possibilities are we missing? How else might we find ways to stay connected and be there
for one another? St. Peter has been creative and resilient throughout this pandemic, and I’m confident
it will continue.
Faith Formation: Jill Capps
We have been zooming confirmation since the uptick in cases in November. Although I miss having kids
in-person, the virtual nights have been successful, with some fun activities like kahoot and mini
scavenger hunts to reinforce lessons. The virtual format requires more prep time, but I feel that we are
able to cover more material than in a typical evening.
We are working with two Service & Fellowship Projects for Mosaic in Central Iowa. We held a virtual
Gingerbread House Decorating Contest with four different Mosaic households. We also adopted four
Mosaic clients and purchased and delivered gifts to them. This partnership with Mosiac has been
especially important this year, as due to health and safety concerns, the residents are spending their
time almost exclusively in their homes. The kids did a great job sharing fellowship and bringing some
joy to our Mosaic friends.
I am incorporating more features into our weekly worship services, including Power Point displays for
lyrics and liturgy. This Sunday, we will attempt to zoom our first children’s sermon live. I haven’t found
other churches that are attempting this, but I believe we have the technology to make it happen.
A huge thank you to Kaarin Fasse for her work on a copyright spreadsheet that will help us more
quickly identify songs that we are able to use during our live-stream services.
I have reached out to St. Peter families to see if they would be willing to provide video clips of their
children singing “Away in the Manger” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain” so we can incorporate it into
our Christmas Eve and Advent services.
I continue to update our website and Facebook on a daily and weekly basis.
Youth Report: Matt Schmidt
November was another month of adapting for our Youth Groups due to COVID-19. Middle school
Youth Group met only once during November due to local positivity rates rising. Communication was
sent to parents regarding the update and that I will continue to use the video devotion series as a way
to connect with middle and high school students.
High school Youth Group met twice during the month of November. We had a devotion night and a
meal night before local positivity rates caused us to pause Youth Group activities for the remainder of
the month.
In December middle school Youth Group will not meet in-person to align with the Confirmation
program. High school Youth Group will meet with a reduction to our meeting time and we will not
offer snacks. I plan to post a video devotion to St Peter’s Instagram and Facebook pages for our youth
to view as some of our Youth Group activities are paused.
I am planning to get our Youth Group alumni together over Christmas break to reconnect with them.
Not date has been set yet for the event and I will watch local COVID-19 activity and positivity rates to
determine if that is safe.
Worship and Music: Stephanie Picken, Kaarin Fasse
Thanks to Building & Grounds, Bambi and WELCA for putting up the Christmas decorations; they will be
taken down before “The Baptism of our Lord” Sunday in January.
Kaarin has gone through all the hymns in the hymnal to see what we can use for streaming; many are
public domain that we can use. The committee is looking into another copyright license platform and
has indicated that in the budget for 2021 to cover hymns that pianists want to play for
prelude/postlude and that Pastor wants to sing.
Education: Kim Jackson, Sara Jones
Sunday School plans are dependent on services in the New Year and will be re-visited.
Stewardship: Ryan Witt, Jason Hughes
The group is reviewing a financial wellness resource for congregation use.
Evangelism: Terri Holmgren, Monti Miller
Great group, including many youth and Matt Schmidt, helped with clean-up on the fall outreach day,
Nov. 8th. They put signs in the yards to show that St. Peter was doing the work and enjoyed pizza at
Ruth Otto’s patio when they were done.
Building & Grounds: Brian Hansen, Tony Schwantes
Thankful for a large group showing up to help with the Nativity Scene set up in great weather.
The group completed a few small maintenance issues around the building.
SEI Security issues with the alarm triggering have hopefully been resolved; the group thanks Jill, Rick,
Tim and others that put in brain power and time.
Old Business:
Worship Schedule –
Christmas Eve worship will have a 4pm live stream service with music and an in-person outdoor
service at 8pm, finishing with Silent Night.
th
On the 27 , Bishop Amy Current will do the Sermon and Pastor will take the Sunday off from
preaching. Jill is also taking time off at the end of December.
Starting on January 10th, Pastor plans to add a worship service in-person for a 10 am service
with masks, social distancing and no singing. To facilitate a service with music and singing, he
will continue the 9am live stream service with only the worship leaders in attendance.
Technology Update –
The security system appears to be fixed but it was having daily issues until this week.
The camera mount is back-ordered; once available, it will help with the shaking on the live
stream worship service.
Stephanie, Lauri, Terri, and Jill are talking about book groups and ways to connect the
Congregation during the pandemic; the group is looking at monthly service or connection
opportunities. This month they offered the option to make no sew t-shirt bags. The group is
meeting again in January to discuss next steps.
New Business:
There was a vacancy in the President role of Council due to Lauri taking the Office Manager position.
The Council voted to add Heidi Ridnour for the partial year to fill that vacancy.
The Council voted the following officer slate through July 2021: Billi Brahn, President; Rick Ehrke, Vice
President; and Heidi Ridnour, Secretary.
Annual Reports are due Jan. 10th
Local mission donatoin – Nick & Darci Reggio, who had a house fire this week.
Closed with the Lord’s Prayer. Next Council Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 14th at 7pm
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