ST. PAUL 'S STAFF

Pastor Rev. Charles H. Grube

Administrative Assistant Abby Aristeo Director of Music/Organist, Senior Choir, Chime Choir Director Dcs. Rebecca Elfman Sexton/Custodian James Madonna

CONGREGATION COUNCIL 2020 2021 2022 Lisa Fetterman* Carol Fett* Jon Moelling* Rebecca Ruckno Larry Corpus Joel Eneboe Heidi Manning Marty Everhart Don Pheasant Scott Schukraft John Waschek Alice Baer *Final Term

CONGREGATION OFFICERS President Rev. Charles H. Grube Vice-President Scott Schukraft Secretary Marty Everhart Treasurer Carol Fett

STANDING COMMITTEES Christian Education Marty Everhart Communications Joel Eneboe Evangelism/Stewardship Becky Ruckno/Marty Everhart Fellowship Alice Baer/Larry Corpus/Carol Fett Finance John Waschek/Don Pheasant/Carol Fett Head Start/Early Intervention Carol Fett/Becky Ruckno Landscaping Jon Moelling/Larry Corpus/ Long Range Planning Scott Schukraft/Don Pheasant/ John Waschek Parish Nurse/Health Ministry Lisa Fetterman Property Carol Fett/Jon Moelling/ Larry Corpus/Joel Eneboe Salary Review Lisa Fetterman/Scott Schukraft Social Ministry Alice Baer Staff Support Scott Schukraft/Lisa Fetterman Worship & Music Marty Everhart

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Sunday School Superintendent Tony Linnen Financial Secretary Ruth Ide

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

The next issue of the GOOD NEWS will be the June

2020 issue. The deadline for

all submissions will be Noon

on Sunday, May 17, 2020.

Please remember that items

for the Saturday and Sunday

bulletins are due in the church

office by Noon on Thursdays.

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PRAYER LIST

Please remember to ask permission from the person you are placing on the prayer list.

Pray for the Congregation of Holy Trinity, Kingston.

Pray for those suffering illness: Members: Flo Belenski, Alice Bereznak, Marty Bisher, Don & Helen Carey, Vernon Crispell, Pam Cyphers, Mary Lou Daley-Button, Maryan Daily, Marge Fritzinger, Bina Holdredge, Kay Hometchko, Barbara Kessler, Dave Kowalek, Tom Lundberg, Margie McCarty, Bill Ostrum, Vivian Richardson, Bill Volkel, Mary Walters, Tabitha

Walters, Betty Weaver, Kay Whitehead, Jean Wilson, Tex Wilson, Justin Yost.

Family & Friends: Hank Banaszek, Joey Belles, Carol Bennetto, Larry M. Berdis, Dan Bevan, Mrs. Daniel Bishop, Katie Chamberlain, Paul & Justine Chernikovich, Keven Cleary, Donna Clemente, Elizabeth Covert, Joshua Crawford, Gladys Debesis, Cheryl DelKanic, Douglas & Caroline DePow, Katrina Diel, Bob Dinger, Dennis Donovan, Jerome Eichhorn, Kay Fairley, Molly Feher, Candyce Fike, Flora Fulmer, Bonnie Glahn, Mike Hage, Blake Herstek, Bob Hughes, Ruth Hummel, Mildred Kelly, Charles Kingston, Shirley Knelly, Merceline Leiby, Jim Lorah, Audrey Mace, Chuck Madonna, Jim Madonna, Michele Macosky, Michelle Martin, Stephanie McCarty, Rob Merritt, Chloe Mulcahey, Marilyn O’Boyle, Kathy O’Donnell, Kelly Phillips, Louis Pugh, Grace Rednar, Andy Roosa, Susan Ryan, Bonnie Ryman, Kelly, Aiden & Wyatt Schaper, Nancy Shymanski, Janet Spiker, Stevens Family, Benjamin Szostak, Mary Thomas, Jean Thompson, Wil Toner, Walt Toward, Maureen Tyminski, Jeff Wilt, Karen Wise, Pete Yurchision.

Pray for military personnel: Paul Hiller, Andrew Hiller, David Dymond, William B. Phillips, Jerry Price, Phillip Miller, Matt Lipo, Robert Stevens, Adam Wendoloski, David Spangenberg, Lt. Cdr. 04 Shaun McAndrew, Cpl. Christopher Avery, Maj. Cindy Ruckno, Maj. Kevin Andersen, Michael Tanner, Stanley Brudnicki, Charles Brudnicki, CPT Chris Petrock, Jason Reed, Ethan Jacobs, Pvt. Kevin Fritzges, Aaron Coburn, Justin Thomas, Michael Hoffman, Josh Baranowski, John Stokes, Daniel Brady, Brandon Stephenson, Connor Lynch.

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In the midst of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,

our St. Paul’s leadership have acted to keep as many of our family in

Christ informed about our church and ministries as possible, and to

provide for our spiritual needs in this ongoing time of social

distancing.

Please note: ALL schedules mentioned in this printed newsletter are subject to change or cancellation at a moment’s notice.

Please be sure to visit our website, www.stpaulsdallaspa.org, daily

to receive the most current information. Church Bulletin

Announcements are available on the Upcoming Events Tab (under

What’s Happening on the home page) and these are updated daily as

needed. The Current Prayer List is available upon request, and can

be delivered either by email or by postal service; please contact the

church office at 570-675-3859 or email stpaul@epix.net to express

your interest.

The church office is open 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Monday

through Friday. The sanctuary is open for quiet, for

prayer, for reflection, during the same hours. Please be

certain to wear your mask properly to enter the church

building.

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These notes are from the meeting of Congregation Council held remotely via Zoom on Tuesday, April 7.

Worship & Music: No meeting was held, but Marty suggested that a Service of Thanksgiving be held when we are allowed to gather. Pastor in his report thanked those who helped set up the remote worship services and those who helped in any way to bring worship to the website. We reached more people than we thought we would. It was noted that the “Narthex Chat” after the Palm Sunday meeting was appreciated by those members who stayed on. Easter Sunday is to be live-streamed.

Christian Ed: No meeting was held, but Lisa mentioned that the Head Start luncheon will be held at a later date, and not totally cancelled.

Social Ministry: No meeting was held. Instead of making cookies this year, committee members were able to send Easter greetings which included a palm cross to the Care and Concern list. Cards of greeting and encouragement are being sent to our nursing home residents and others to let them know they are being remembered.

Parish Nurse: A Health Ministries page is being added to the website.

Property: All parts of the church building are being disinfected; this is ongoing. Thermostats have been adjusted downward.

Old Business: Our Constitution requires a special Congregational Meeting on a Sunday in May for the purpose of elections to council. Council approved a motion to delay this election until a date to be determined and all council members currently seated remain so until such time as a successor is elected.

New Business: All plans for Pentecost Sunday are on hold until such time as we may gather. Alice suggested we keep in touch with the Sunday School children by sending them the weekly coloring and activity pages. Alice and Carol will be at the church on Friday and Saturday (April 10 & 11) for Easter lily pick-up.

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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

It’s hard to make any announcements about events, rituals, or even regular ministry when the normal context for those things seems so distant and uncertain. We continue to struggle with the separation this virus forces us into and how to include as many as possible in the community gathered for worship. And a close and caring community has so many traditional ways to share its healthy intimacy that are now forbidden.

I am so grateful for the community you continue to nurture among us with calls and connections,

for your continued support of our congregation’s ministry with your financial support, and for the patient good will you show in what could be a highly charged environment.

Continue to think of others. Pray for them. Reach out to them. Look out for one another. Be the helper others can look to as a bright spot in an otherwise confusing, anxious, and disconcerting time.

Love in Christ, Pastor

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INSTALLATION POSTPONED

The Service of Installation for Pastor Wes Poole as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Wilkes-Barre, scheduled for Sunday, May 3, is postponed to a later date because of the coronavirus restrictions on gatherings. We will be happy to announce that new date when it has been scheduled.

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THE GIFTS for Head Start families from the doves on our bulletin board will be safely delivered in the near future to the families who need them. Please drop off Head Start gifts, unwrapped with dove attached, to the church parlor by Friday, May 15.

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PERHAPS, SOON …

While states and municipalities are beginning to talk about easing restrictions and making plans for a very gradual return to activity, business, and personal interactions, gatherings of people in groups like our gathering for worship will probably continue to be restricted or banned for some time. We encourage you to continue to check our website and watch for emails that announce events or cancellations as we continue to heed the informed counsel and official restrictions of authorities. You can continue to consult our website under the “Sermons” tab for regular weekly worship resources. URGENT NEED AT PANTRY

We don’t have numbers to share with you but we know that the Back Mountain Food Pantry has been busy. We continue to be a collection site for your donations.

We’ve propped open the inside doors so you can drop by, leave your donations in the shopping cart in the hall, and return to your car with less risk than the grocery trip it took to purchase them.

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NEW MEMBERS, STAY TUNED

We are postponing our celebration of Reception into Membership by Affirmation of Baptism on the Feast of Pentecost, May 31 and the orientation during the Sunday School hour with Pastor Grube on Sunday, May 17. We will look forward to receiving new members sometime in the future and continue to welcome everyone to our regular alternative worship in the meantime.

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ST. PAUL’S BROTHERHOOD in keeping with federal, state and local directives and with the health and safety of our community and workers in mind, has cancelled the Roast Beef Dinner that was scheduled for Saturday, May 16. It is our hope and prayer that this health crisis will end soon, and we’ll schedule a dinner as soon as we can after that.

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SERVICES CANCELED BUT YOUR SUPPORT IS STILL NEEDED

Our church is currently in uncharted waters as we have had to cancel our weekend services due to the Covid-19 health emergency. We are all hoping and praying that the virus will be contained and we will be able to resume our normal lives in a short period of time. Right now, that doesn’t look promising, and we are asking you to please remember that our daily and monthly expenses will continue and obligations need to be met. We have cut back on various expenses, shortened business hours, turned down thermostats, &c.

Offering envelopes may be mailed to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Attn: Carol Fett PO Box 802 Dallas, PA 18612

or placed in the Treasurer’s Mailbox (by choir room) if you stop by church to pray or meditate;

or you may open an online offering account via our church website at www.stpaulsdallaspa.org and click on the Online Giving link where you can indicate a one-time, weekly, or monthly donation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Carol Fett at: cafett54@gmail.com or 570-852-9176.

Thank you for your continued support of St. Paul’s ministries.

Be safe and God bless you.

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BLANKET SUNDAY REMINDER

Please remember to visit Online Giving on our website or return your envelope from the April newsletter no later than Wednesday, May 6. Envelopes are also available on the Narthex table.

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COUPONS STILL NEEDED

Social Ministry Committee requests that you keep up the

good work of cutting coupons for the Women’s Resource Center of Susquehanna County. The kinds of coupons needed are diaper coupons, coupons for cleaning supplies (mops, paper towels, disinfectants, sponges, surface cleaners and the like), and personal care coupons

(shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, mouthwash, &c). The box for you to put them in is on the table in the hallway. Thank you!

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FOOD PANTRY UPDATE

The Pantry has announced the following as the items

most needed at this time: ramen noodles, apple sauce, jelly, juice, pancake syrup, stuffing, pork & beans, canned sliced carrots, boxed mashed potatoes, fruit cocktail, Hamburger Helper, and tomato soup.

Need is increasing due to the current health crisis. If you are unable to donate food as usual for any reason, please consider a monetary donation to the Pantry. Keep the families in need in your prayers and thank you for your donations.

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OFFICE CLOSED

Please note that the church office will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Messages and emails will be checked throughout the day.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Dedicated volunteers travel to St. Vincent dePaul Kitchen on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. If it is possible for us to resume during May, we will volunteer on May 13 & 27. If you are interested in helping, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the table in the Narthex. The

hours are 4:00 to 6:00 pm and if you would like to carpool, we will meet at St. Paul’s parking lot at 3:25. Thank you for considering this service to our community.

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COMMUNITY CARE CABINET NEEDS US

Shavertown UMC announced the opening of the Community Care Cabinet, a ministry that supplements items not normally supplied by the local food banks. Donations of toilet paper, paper towels, dishwashing soap, all-purpose cleaner, garbage bags, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine products, toothpaste, tissues, dental floss, baby wipes, disposable razors, shaving cream and disinfectant spray are being accepted. Monetary donations are also welcome. St. Paul’s has begun a standing donation site, much like the grocery cart for the Food Pantry, so please look for the basket on the hallway table. Thank you for your support of this Social Ministry outreach project.

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GERANIUMS FOR PENTECOST

Pentecost will be celebrated at St. Paul’s on Sunday, May 31. If you would like to purchase geraniums which may be used to decorate the Sanctuary on that Sunday, please use the order form and payment envelope enclosed with this newsletter. You may also go to our website and use the Online Giving link to make your order and dedication. The deadline to place your order is Sunday, May 24.

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[To the Prayer Shawl Ministry:] Thank you so very much for your prayers and thoughts,

and the effort in making my beautiful shawl, which has given me warmth and comfort. I deeply appreciate your care and concern. God bless you,

Amelia Hoban

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GOD IS NIGH

The simple but powerful bugle melody “Taps” has been a standard component of U.S. military funerals since 1891. It’s also played during each of the 2,500 military wreath ceremonies conducted every year at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, including those held on Memorial Day.

Many legends exist about the origin of “Taps” -- both its melody and its lyrics. The words below, by Horace Lorenzo Trim, make an appropriate bedtime prayer.

Day is done, gone the sun From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky All is well, safely rest God is nigh.

Fading light dims the sight And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright From afar, drawing near Falls the night.

Thanks and praise for our days ‘Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars, ‘neath the sky As we go, this we know God is nigh.

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“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”

-- Lady Bird Johnson

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THE WINE OF THE SPIRIT

“No one puts new wine into old wineskins,” said Jesus (Luke 5:37). Drawing on this statement, a preacher in sixth-century Africa proclaimed in a Pentecost homily:

“It was with good reason, then, that some people, when they heard the apostles speaking in every tongue, said, ‘They are filled with the new wine.’ For they had become fresh wineskins, they had been renewed by the grace of holiness, so that when they were filled with the new wine, that is, with the Holy Spirit, they spoke with fervor in every tongue. …

“Celebrate, then, this day as members of the one body of Christ. Your celebration will not be in vain if you are what you celebrate, if you hold fast to the church which the Lord filled with his Holy Spirit.” Fifteen centuries later, may that call still resonate with us. May we be so renewed by God’s grace as to be worthy vessels of the new wine of the Holy Spirit — and to share it with the world.

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OF PATIENCE AND PRUNING

In many parts of America, Mother’s Day is the recommended date for planting flowers outdoors. Subjecting blooms to the elements any sooner is risky, though sunny spring days sure make waiting tough. Perhaps that’s why poet May Sarton calls gardening “an instrument of grace,” for it “slows us down and forces patience.”

Courage is also required. Gardeners “must be brave enough to cut back the old and sit with bare branches, awaiting new growth,” writes Cheryl Richardson (Waking Up in Winter). “And we must trust that it will come.” When God prunes us, we too must trust that new growth and new life are in store … and then patiently wait.

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A KEY INGREDIENT

In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together and the music that brings harmony.

-- Eva Burrows [A coloring page is included here for anyone to copy for anyone else. Coloring can be a pleasant pastime.]

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