Newsletter of New Hope Lutheran Church Columbia, MD August 2014

God is Our Higher Power

For those of you who may have been on vacation, in a recent sermon I spoke about Alcoholics Anonymous and the parallels that can be found there to our practice of faith. The AA meeting helps illustrate the experience of sin by Step 1,

acknowledging a person’s addiction to alcohol. In the letter to the Romans Paul admits his own addiction to sin, by passionately confessing how the good he wants to do he can’t seem to do and he even ends up doing exactly what he doesn’t want to do. All of us are in the same predicament as Paul. Yet sin is much greater than our missteps in life. It encompasses the systems and structures which keep people in their place – often working against God’s love and mercy. What’s a person to do?

The next Step in AA is admitting that you can’t fight your addiction alone. You have to rely on a Higher Power - God. So it is with us as we through the Holy Spirit we rely on the promises of God in Christ. Another critical piece of the AA program is having a sponsor, someone who is willing to support you in the midst of your struggles, to listen, to help you ‘keep on keeping on’.

In the sermon I suggested that the people gathered at worship seek out a ‘sponsor’ within the congregation. This person would be more like a prayer partner; someone who would hold you in prayer during the week, support you in the midst of the daily struggles in life when called upon, remind you who you are and Whose you are and that you are not alone and finally even encourage you to find ways to work against those systems and structures by helping to bring God’s justice and mercy to bear in your corner of the world.

It can be challenging living as a person of faith. In these days it can be easy to lose hope, to go along to get along, to forget the promises of life for us and for the world. As the body of Christ at New Hope we can support one another in our journeys of faith.

I invite you to prayerfully consider finding a prayer partner and when asked, be willing to say yes to serve as one yourself.

-Pastor Ginny

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Huh? What? What Pantries? What is a Day Resource Center? These are some of the words we see every week in our regular Ministry Connections insert (Announcements) that you see each week. Here is a description of each pantry and the Day Resource Center. You can check the needs of each pantry on the Outreach table and bulletin board by the water fountain in the church entry area. If you have any questions about these ministries, contact Kathy Piet (kampers1@verizon.net).

FISH of Howard County is a local food pantry that helps county residents who need a little help to stay in their homes and feed their family. FISH is run totally by volunteers and is supported by many local faith-based and civic based organizations. Two vol-unteer roles that New Hope members have been ac-tive in are phone callers and food delivery people. As a congregation, New Hope supports FISH with our SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY Soup Pot fundraiser and the ongoing food donations.

Food Pantry at Longwood Apartments in Long Reach is a new ministry being led by the Asian Stud-ies Department at UMBC. Longwood Apartments has a large number of Asian senior citizens in need. Currently, we are collecting food donations for this new pantry, mostly low salt, Asian foods, especially Ramen noodles. We are looking to add assistance as this ministry grows.

Three Food Pantries And a Day Resource Center

Amazing Grace Lutheran Church food pantry is a pantry in the East Baltimore neighborhood of McElderry Square. We have had a relationship with Amazing Grace for many years. Each Christ-mas, the items collected at the children’s pageant are for Amazing Grace. The jars of bean soup we have been making for the last few years are for Amazing Grace’s pantry. We also send other food to Amazing Grace several times during the year as your donations come in.

The Day Resource Cen-ter is one of the names that the Route 1 Day Re-source Center is known by. Besides our monthly breakfast, we support the food and clothing pantry at the center. The Day Center helps the homeless of Howard County. It is only open 3 days a week for 4 hours each day. The center is averaging 70 people vis-iting the center each day. The center distributes at least 200 food items each day it is open.

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5th Sunday Celebration - a special recogni-tion of 'notes' (musical ones!) from the con-gregation for Sharon Punte's 20 years of ser-vice in the music ministry at New Hope. Thank you, Sharon!

Neighbors?

Who are our neighbors?

Who are we as neighbors?

5th Sunday Celebration August 31 @ 10 a.m.

We will worship outside in the neighborhood, on our front yard. Bring blankets and/or lawn chairs. Chairs will also be available.

Join us after the service for a Potluck lunch in the MPR and games for every age.

Dear friends, Thank you for the wonderful surprise on Sunday, June 29, and all of the lovely affirmations that you wrote. I love being in a place that celebrates its gifts and especially for me, the musi-cal ones. I look forward to additional years of encouraging, singing, and play-ing as we walk hand in hand in God’s presence and lift up our praises. Blessings, Sharon

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Please order your t-shirts by August 3. Wear them on August 31 at our 5th Sunday Celebration and for our Service Weekend, September 6 & 7. Order forms are in the church entry way.

As you can see, we have many different ac-tivities planned for people of all ages. ALL are welcome!!

Sign up for the activities on September 6 at church 0r http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c44afa82ea57-gods1 If you have any questions, contact Kathy Piet (kapiet@outlook.com).

God’s Work — Our Hands

Scheduled Events:

Saturday, September 6

10 am – 2 pm Church Cleanup

3 pm Trash pick up along Guilford Road and Eden Brook Drive

10 am – noon Making Cards for our friends at Route 1 and NIH

3 pm Making Fleece tie blankets and Quilts for LWR

10 am – 2 pm Food Drive for our 4 pan-tries at 2 local grocery stores

10 am – 3 pm Greeting drivers along Guil-ford Road and Eden Brook with positive message signs

6 pm (set up at 5 pm) Anniversary Cook-out to celebrate

6 years of Route 1 Day Resource Center

Sunday, September 7

10 am Making Bean Soup jars during Sun-day School Rally Day

7 pm ELCA Malaria Campaign Benefit Concert

“God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate

who we are as the Evangelical Luther-an Church in America (ELCA) — one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.

- From www.elca.org/day of service

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Wednesday Morning Bible Study

Reading the Bible Again for the First Time

Adult Sunday School Learn About Other Faiths

We continue this study through out the Summer and Fall.

On Good Friday, we pray this prayer together aloud: "Let us pray for those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. Almighty and eternal God, gather into your embrace all those who call out to you underdif-ferent names. Bring an end to religious strife, and make us more faithful witnesses of the love made known to us in your Son..."

In this spirit, we will begin our study of other faiths: Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and an in-depth look at other Christian denominations: Roman Catholicism, many Protestant denominations, and several "fringe" faiths. We will make a special effort to understand what we have in common with each and in what ways our beliefs differ.

I hope to make this study interesting--with power-point, films, music, and insight from members of our congregation who were raised in the particular faith or denomination we are studying at the time. Also, of course there will be a great deal of time for discus-sion and sharing.

Please join us when you can on Sundays at 10am in the Conference Room.

Peace,

Jim Rossi

Great Expectations Newsletter Deadline

August 10

Send all articles and pictures to Carol Henderson (newsletter editor)

caroluna@comcast.net.

In August we’ll start studying Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg. This book provides a solution to the problem of how to have a fully authentic yet contemporary understanding of the scriptures. Borg offers a highly readable and suc-cinct introduction to biblical criticism, outlining the kinds of cultural, theological and historical lenses through which people read the Bible and explaining how those readings affect their relation to God. He applies this approach to the Bible in sections, wend-ing his way from the creation stories to Revelation.

We meet every Wednesday from 10am – 11:30am in the Conference Room. Everyone is welcome. Come as your schedule allows.

Turning New Pages

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Games

Shirts

Story Time

Making Friends

Kid Vid

To view additional photos and videos go to our facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/NewHopeLutheranChurch

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VBS 2014

Snacks

Crafts

Projects

Music

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Rehearsals begin on Sunday, August 24 at 4:30-6 pm

in the Music & Arts Room (MAR)

If you are in Middle or High School (6th-12th grade), a member of NHLC (or will be joining soon), want to be part of an amazing and fun youth group, and love to make people smile using our fuzzy puppet friends, the Mustard Seeds Puppet Ministry is the perfect place for you.

We rehearse every Sunday afternoon, 4:30-6 pm.

We perform for special events, worship services, other churches, Augsburg Lutheran home, and the annual puppet festival competition. We also have at least two celebrations where we enjoy food, fun, games, movies, and fellowship!

Because of our performance schedule, we offer two open house dates where prospective mem-bers may visit to see what we're about or join us as a new "Seed."

Open House: August 24, 2014 or January 4, 2015.

For more information, please contact Juanita Walker at jwalker818@msn.com

Mustard Seeds Seeks New Members

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Benefit Concert

To raise money for ELCA

Malaria campaign

Sunday, September 7, 7 pm

At Church Tuesdays

August 5 & 19 7-8:30pm

You never know what might happen when you hangout!

Youth playing Battleship

Youth Hangout

Coming, October 3rd at 6pm. Join us!

Working through Lutheran churches in Africa, the ELCA Malaria Campaign is uniquely posi-tioned to provide mosquito nets, insecticides, medication, health care, education and more to eliminate deaths from this disease — for good.

Free-will offering will be collected during the concert. If you are unable to attend,

please drop off your donation made out to New Hope Lutheran Church (Memo: Malaria campaign

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Birthdays

17 Sue Moyer Tom Best Trevor Rose 18 Juanita Walker Evi Struble Kiah Thomas Reese Adams 19 Dan Southworth Juliet Collins 21 Carol Henderson Dorothy David Caleb Collins 22 Lin Guba 23 John Madden Bradley Hoffman 24 Keith Berning

8 Stefanie Alt 9 Patricia Wheeler Gregg Kamosa 10 Ken Cain Eric Scholz 11 Ross Kelley Joshua Peart 12 Colin Willard 14 Julie Smith George Shanks 15 Carolyn Stacy 16 Joseph Prettyman Katherine Lentz

1 A. Louise Frye Joan Schmidt Jesse Burns Kara Jordan Sasha Riddler 2 Cindy Ranker David Furst Sondra Ailinger Michael Piet 3 Erna Bunn Ken Schaedel Rona Green Skylar King Maggie Alt 5 Julia Petre 7 Fred Kurrle Lynda Osterman Gloria DeCesare

25 Hedy Schaedel Thomas Gruneberg David Zimmerman Julie Patchan 26 Melissa Mack 28 Pat Heady Dennis Howser-Doty Erik Mechtel 29 Eric Everett Kyle Harrington 30 Sherin Shahegh 31 Xin Wang

Additional Birthday Grayson Walsh

Wedding Anniversaries

2 Karl & Barbara Heikkinen (74) John & Jhonna Seifert (08) 5 Suzonne & Evan Sage (72) Todd & Sarah Adams (06) 6 Larry & Sanna Foster (65) 7 Jason & Vicki Burns (82) David & Kerry Ose (93)

16 Kim & Lena Kroll (80) Greg & April Orlofsky (03) 17 Craig & Carolyn Bublitz (85) Austin & Kim Thomas (07) 18 Kenneth & Pamela Kropf (84) 22 Perry & Cyndy Anderson (98) Herman & Sylwia Delang (08)

25 Todd & Diane Palmer (84) 26 Dave & Sue Pumplin (67) 28 Bob & Peggy Johnson (82)

Baptism Anniversaries

22 Melissa Guba James Waters Lucas Ranker 25 Lani Boschulte 27 Jason Premo 28 Elizabeth Alt

14 Madeline Burcham 15 Maggie Walker 17 Clara Scholz 18 Julia Moore 20 Martha Rowe

5 Marla Stahl Amanda Ogorzalek 7 Dennis Howser-Doty Evelina Howser-Doty Julia Howser-Doty 8 Michael Furst 12 Natalia Montoro Sofia Montoro

Additional Baptisms Patricia Daughtery Lee Myers Josie Zayac Dana Douglas Melinda Petre Sasha Riddler Evelyn Ose Xin Wang Mary Meyer-Rizzo

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AUGUST 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Summer Worship Schedule

8:30 & 10am

Adult Sunday School 10am

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6:30p AA

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10a Adult Sunday School

1:30p Worthy Life Bapt.

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10a Staff Mtg 7p Quilt/Craft 7p Young Adult

Bible Study

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7p Youth Hangout

7:30p Joyful Noise

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10a Bible Study & Lunch

11:30a Finance Team

7p B Scout Tr 373

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7p Handbell Rehearsal

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8a GS CPR Course

9a Blutheran Rehearsal

6:30p AA

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Blood Pressure 10a Adult Sunday

School 11a Witness Team 1:30p Worthy Life

Bapt. 7p Tr373 PLC

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8:30a - 5p GS Summer Camp

7p Property Team

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8:30a - 5p GS Summer Camp

7p BS Comm 7p Cong

Council 7:30p Joyful

Noise

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8:30a - 5p GS Summer Camp

9:30a MOMs Club 10a Bible Study 7p Cub Scout

Comm 7p B Scout Tr 373

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8:30a - 5p GS Summer Camp

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8:30a - 5p GS Summer Camp

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6:30p AA

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Wash-n-Worship 10a Adult Sunday

School 1:30p Worthy Life

Bapt. 7p BS PLC

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10a Staff Mtg 7p Quilt/Craft 7p Young Adult

Bible Study

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7p Youth Hangout

7p Sunday School Teacher Mtg

7:30p Joyful Noise

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10a Bible Study 7p B Scout Tr 373 7p Stephen

Ministers

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9a Blutherans Rehearsal

9:30a Breakfast at Rt. 1 Daycenter

6:30p AA

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Wash-n-Worship 10a Adult Sunday

School 1:30p Worthy Life

Bapt. 4:30p Mustard

Seeds

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10a Staff Mtg

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7:30p Joyful Noise

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10a Bible Study 7p B Scout Tr 373

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9a Blutherans Rehearsal

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10a 5th Sunday Celebration

1:30p Worthy Life Bapt.

4:30p Mustard Seeds

Regular Worship Schedule resumes September 7 8:30 +10:00 + 11:30

Sunday School Rally Day - September 7 @ 10am

for ages 3 - High School

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(410) 381-HOPE (4673) info@newhopelutheran.org www.newhopelutheran.org

A congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

(ELCA)

opposite Kings Contrivance Village Center at the corner of

Guilford Road & Eden Brook Drive.

Sunday Worship: 8:30 & 10:00 am

Holy Communion Served at all services

Pastor: The Rev. Ginny Price

Family Ministry Coordinator: Cindy Ranker, D.M.

Associates in Ministry

Music: Sue Pumplin, Sharon Punte

Parish Administrator: Sharon Punte

Great Expectations Newsletter Editors: Carol Henderson & Becky Deisterhoft

New Hope Lutheran Church 8575 Guilford Road

Columbia, MD 21046 (410) 381-HOPE

Time Value: Please do not delay

August 2014

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Upcoming Events

August Worship Hours 8:30 and 10 am

5th Sunday Celebration August 31, One service only @ 10 a.m.

Additional info on page 3

Regular Worship Schedule Resumes September 7

8:30 & 10:00 & 11:30

God’s Work. Our Hands. Service Weekend

September 6 & 7 Additional info on page 4