First Lutheran Church Carlisle, PA       

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

At about the time you receive this February-March newsletter, the Priority/Planning Committee will have met on Thursday, February 4.  The agenda will be the review and study of the congregation’s responses to the Alban Institute Report.  Based on the responses received, the committee will plan the next steps in the process.  The direction in which we will proceed will highly depend on how the congregation responded.

I offer my personal thanks to all of you who participated in this vital work of the congregation by responding to the report.  Your thoughts and opinions will be taken seriously by me and the leaders of the congregation.  For those of you who chose not to respond to the survey, you are still cordially invited to participate in the continuing work of transforming the congregation for ministry in the coming decades.  The renewing, revamping and revitalizing of the congregation cannot be effectively done if a majority of the congregation chooses to sit on the sidelines.  The entire congregation is needed on the field, between the goal lines, striving with energy and commitment to do the ministry to which God has called us.

The timing of the publication of this newsletter does not give me much more information to share with you than I have.  However, as the process continues you will be given all the information that will be available.  This is too important a time in the life of our congregation to be secretive.  The congregation needs to know exactly what is going on, and my promise to you is that you will know.  I cannot promise you that the committee and council meetings will be on C-Span or PCN, but there will be complete transparency during the process.  A reminder: the church council is responsible for making the information available, but you have the responsibility to read it and participate.

This consultation process will be going on simultaneously with the observance of Lent and the celebration of Easter.  The congregation will be doing two things at once.  We do not have the option of doing one or the other.  Both are vitally necessary in the life of our congregation.  I encourage each and every one of you to participate fully in both.  At the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples ran away in fear.  They didn’t want to get involved.  Thanks be to God that Jesus chose to get involved.  Because of His commitment and obedience to God, we have our church today, and with God’s help and new direction it will remain ours in the decades to come.

Pray for the congregation.  Ask the question, “What is God calling me to do?”  Commit yourself to this process.  Be a part of the holy conversation within First Lutheran Church.  We never know what surprises God has in store for us.

See you in the meetings of the congregation and at worship during Lent and Easter.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Brophy

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2010 CHURCH COUNCIL OFFICERS

President - Jered Hock
Vice-President - Ken Egolf
Secretary - Dilys Schuettler
Treasurer - Beth Shenk

January 18, 2010 Council Highlights

  We welcomed new members, Caryn Carr, Larry Ciecierski, Carol Fox, Phyllis Orenyo, Frank Ramond, and Richard Wood.

     Financial reports for December were approved subject to audit.

     The Property Committee thanks those who helped move unused items to the Martin Luther Room and those who accepted the invitation to take home whatever they could use.  The committee will now investigate the possible selling of the remaining items.

     The Youth Committee is in need of new members who are interested in helping to develop programs for our young people.  Anyone willing to help should call Hope Miller or Beth Shenk.

     Ken Egolf reported that more than 100 people visited our sanctuary on the day of the Advent Walking Tour.  Don Roeder gave a brief history of First Lutheran to the group.

 Dilys Schuettler

    Congregation Council Secretary 

TRANSOM STAINED GLASS

WINDOW UPDATE

AS OF MARCH 2, 2010

Repair cost for second window:    $11,500

Amount collected to date:               $ 5,193

Amount still needed:                       $ 6,307

Repairs on the first transom window have been completed and payment has been made.

FROM OUR SYNOD

ELCA PRESIDING BISHOP MARK S. HANSON’S
MESSAGE CONCERNING THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE

January 13, 2010

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

The first chaotic reports and images now are coming out of Haiti, documenting the devastation caused by yesterday’s massive earthquake.  Haitian officials estimate that more than a hundred thousand people may have died and that the quake destroyed major parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America already is responding through the Lutheran World Federation’s Haiti Program. Given the devastation caused by this earthquake, the ELCA has committed an initial $250,000 from ELCA International Disaster Response for Haiti and has authorized an additional $500,000 as congregations respond both to the immediate needs and long-term rebuilding efforts.

We give thanks to God that LWF staff escaped injury from the earthquake. We also give thanks that we have trusted and effective partners on the ground in Haiti who already are at work helping earthquake survivors. The ELCA is the largest regular supporter of the LWF’s program in Haiti, which helps communities escape the deep poverty in which so many Haitians live. Since staff is already in place, no precious time will be lost in shaping an effective response. The work of providing food and shelter and in helping people to rebuild their lives is under way.

We give thanks also for our partners in this work. The LWF staff in Haiti also was tapped to coordinate the responses of Protestant and Orthodox churches throughout the world through Action by Churches Together (ACT). In addition, the ELCA, in coordination with the Florida-Bahamas Synod, will be working to provide disaster support to and possibly through the emerging Lutheran church in Haiti.

More details of the ELCA's response and a disaster insert for congregational use are posted on www.elca.org/disaster as communication channels are restored. Please share with members and friends both the urgent need in one of the United States’ closest neighbors and the effective means by which their church is responding. Please go to http://www.elca.org/haitiearthquake or call 800-638-3522 to give toward our response to the disaster in Haiti.

In God’s grace,

Mark S. Hanson

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

As of the printing of this newsletter, First Lutheran has collected $1,935.00 in donations for the ELCA’s Disaster Response efforts in Haiti.  Thanks so much to those who have given so generously in support of these efforts.  You may still give through First Lutheran by making checks payable to First Lutheran with “Haiti Earthquake” on the memo line.  Cash should be placed in an envelope marked for “Haiti Earthquake."

HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS

     A magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked the island country of Haiti on Tuesday, January 12.  ELCA Disaster Response partners have survived the quake and are already working to serve the people of Haiti.  Your help is needed today to bring immediate relief and continued hope for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.  About 3 million people, one-third of Haiti’s population, were affected by this earthquake.  One hundred percent of your gifts designated to Haiti will be used in this vital response effort.   

     First Lutheran is collecting a special offering for the ELCA Disaster Response relief efforts in Haiti and to date we have received $3,460.o00 in contributions.  Thanks to those have given so generously.

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

     The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services is requesting physicians of specific specialties to deploy with the National Disaster Medical Assistance teams to Haiti.  The need is for trauma surgeons, orthopedists, anesthesiologists, and others with experience in treating crush injuries.  Volunteers must be able to serve for at least 2 weeks, and be willing to live and work in Spartan conditions.  Preference will be given to physicians who are Creole or French speakers, and to those currently credentialed through the Medical Reserve Corps in their home state, or the ESAR-VHP program (Emergency Services Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Personnel).  These volunteers will need to be credentialed as temporary federal employees and will need to be able to provide credentialing paperwork as soon as asked.  Credentialing normally takes about a week.  Volunteers with these clinical skills should contact Michala Koch at Michala.Koch@hhs.gov.  Not everyone who wishes to help will necessarily be deployed, and those without the requisite skills may not receive a direct response.

THRIVENT NEWS...

Ring in the New Year
with financial resolutions

With the New Year comes the opportunity to improve your financial well-being. Here are four financial resolutions to help you get started:

Establish a budget based on what you spent last year, taking rising gas, heating and food prices into account.

Cut back on debt by paying off a credit card balance, foregoing unnecessary purchases or adding $50 a month to your mortgage payment.

Prioritize major purchases you want to make and figure out how to pay for them out of your current income.

Review your will to ensure it reflects your current life situation.

  For help achieving your 2010 financial plan, contact the South Central PA Group at (717) 502-1100 or southcentralpagroup@thrivent.com today or visit thrivent.com.

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