Light of Hope
St. Paul members and friends,
We continue to be amazed at God’s faithfulness to our church and the many blessings he has bestowed on St. Paul. Through your support we have been able to expand our ministries that have permitted us to share his word to our congregation, to the community, and the world.
“Light of Hope” is the theme for the 2023 Fall Stewardship Drive. This theme is in response to the many challenges faced by St. Paul and many other churches since COVID-19. St. Paul has persevered through all the doubts and demands of the times and continues to be a beacon of faith and reassurance for our congregation, our community, and the world.
Our amazing committees that provide direction and resourcefulness in developing programs for St. Paul’s congregation, the community of Reading, and the world. A few examples of programs for members of St. Paul: meaningful worship services during the season of Lent, receptions for various activities, and the church picnic. Examples of programs for the community: the Ice Cream Social, the Live Nativity, and Movie Night. The citizens of Reading are very grateful for these programs. Examples of programs for the world: Operation Christmas Child and the Heifer Project.
While attending the Southern Ohio Synod Assembly on June 3, we heard how the Thrive campaign is allowing the Synod to incorporate new ministry initiatives such as MomenToUs, where people who are busy and over-scheduled can engage for the first time or to add to the ministry they are currently doing. Another new initiative is the SAM program, in which the Synod is addressing the looming clergy shortage by training lay people to do pastoral ministry in certain settings. St. Paul has donated funds to the Thrive campaign that help to support these new initiatives and thus has become a “Light of Hope” for the Synod.
In the next few weeks, you will hear about programs for 2024: continuing a Capital Campaign Fund for the replacement/repair of the organ as well as ways to continue maintaining our “Excellence in Ministries”. Through newsletter articles, a self-mailer, Temple Talks, as well as Facebook and Instagram, St. Paul will keep you informed of our programs for 2024.
On Sunday, October 22, 2023, we will present our Statement of Intent cards during the worship service. You may also email or mail your Statement of Intent cards to the church office if you cannot be present on Stewardship Sunday. Prayerfully think about our common work together, made possible by the generosity of this congregation that will allow us to continue to spread God’s word. Can we count on you help keep St. Paul’s “Light of Hope” beaming and help it grow even brighter?
In Christ,
2023 Stewardship Committee
The Organ Fund
The following is the text of a temple talk given by Nelson Langefeld on Sunday, Oct. 8, regarding the St. Paul organ fund.
Nelson Langefeld: Good morning, everyone.
This morning, I would like to expand a little on the Organ Fund for the replacement/repair of the organ. We started this fund last year as an effort to continue our “Excellence in Ministries” program, and with last year’s contributions, that fund now stands in the $8,000.00 range. To illustrate that “Excellence in Ministries”, we would like to show you a short video with our organ music from a few years ago.
The organ music in the videos you just saw are selections from the prelude for the Easter Sunday service and the organ rededication service in 2020. These are truly “Excellence in Ministries” at its best.
During this past year, we have continued to investigate ways to bring back, by various means, this beautiful music, but all were far more than the funds now in place. This fund drive, therefore, will continue into 2024, and, possibly beyond that. I hope that you will share with me, that passion for returning the organ’s contribution to our “Excellence in Ministries”.
In the next few days, everyone will have received the Statement of Intent card and various mailers. The Statement of Intent card should be delivered in person, by mail, or electronically by Commitment Sunday, October 22, 2023. If using the electronic method to deliver your card, it must be received in the church office by the 22nd. If you have any questions or concerns about the electronic method, see me, Carole Replogle, Chelsea King, or Anne Rolfes, your Stewardship Team.
Thank you, and may St. Paul continue to be the “Light of Hope”.
Resources
Commitment Sunday is October 22! Please return your Statement of Intent card during worship that day. If you won’t be at church on the 22nd, your card can be brought or mailed to the church office, or filled out online using the form below.
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