COFFEE HOUR RETURNS
SAYING GOODBYE—AND THANK YOU—TO PASTOR DEBORAH WOLFE
As the pictures below attest, the people of St. Tim’s showed their gratitude and affection for Pastor Deb with two special gatherings. At the first, an open house on July 23, members of the church and the wider community enjoyed a tasty buffet and a special presentation to Pastor Deb from the Office of the Bishop, given by Pastor Jane Marston, Dean of the North East/ North West Conference.
The people who attended the party represented various parts of Pastor Deb’s ministry: current and former St. Tim’s members, preschool staff (and even a few graduates, now teen-agers), Hope’s Table volunteers and guests, as well as clergy and friends from neighboring Lutheran churches. All came together to say, “God bless you, Pastor Deb.”
Emotions ran high at the second gathering, Pastor Deb’s last service as our pastor, held on July 31. The service included an encore of the touching—at times, funny—slide show of scenes from Pastor Deb’s time at St. Tim’s. Surprise guests from Prince of Peace Church presented Pastor Deb with a lovely card and gift.
Pastor Deb also received a jigsaw puzzle depicting St. Tim’s sanctuary, a photobook of memories, a copy of the slide show, and a monetary gift from the St. Tim’s congregation.
August 25, 2022
Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings to you as I have now fully entered retirement!
As I have been enjoying these first four weeks of retirement, I hope all of you are well and relishing the last weeks of summer. It has been a busy month, with some highlights including a trip to NYC to see a Broadway show, an afternoon boat ride with friends on Lake Mohawk (North Jersey) and a quick trip to Georgia to see family. Three of the cutest children live there, but then again, I am a tad biased as they are my great-niece and great-nephews. All in all, retirement is sizing up to be exactly what I had hoped.
With that said, I do miss all of you and the wonderful community of faith at St. Tim’s. But as we said to each other, God has plans for this church, and all of you will be there to answer God’s call to move forward. You continue to be in my prayers.
I wanted to send this note to thank all of you for the very generous send-off that I experienced at St. Tim’s. I can’t thank you enough for the delightful party on July 23rd. I appreciated all of you who were able to spend the afternoon with me as we celebrated our thirteen years of ministry together.
And the celebration continued as we met for our last Sunday service on July 31st. From the full pews to the choir singing to the slide show to my long “chat,” I did feel God’s presence strongly that day as we praised God’s name and received the body and blood of our Lord Jesus for our last time together. It is a memory I shall hold dear. May God bless you today and always, for the years to come.
Thank you for the lovely coffee hour after our service and for all the generous gifts I received. You are an extremely kind and giving group of people. I cherish each gift and thank God for every one of you.
--Pastor Deb Wolfe
Cover from the photobook, Looking Back, Moving Forward, given to Pastor Deb on her retirement
A-PLUS NEWS: ST. TIM’S PRESCHOOL IS FULLY ENROLLED—WITH A WAITING LIST
The Preschool School Board, comprised of-staff and several church members, met in late August to discuss plans for ’22-’23. The optional extended day Pre-kindergarten Enrichment Program (PREP) will now be available three times a week. Fewer Covid restrictions mean that both the “threes” and “fours” can enjoy more field trips, classroom celebrations, and guest instructors. The fun and learning begin in mid-September.
OUR FALL MINISTRY BEGINS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, WITH A SPECIAL “GOD’S WORK, OUR HANDS” COLLECTION DRIVE
As announced at our Sunday service, this year’s “God’s Work, Our Hands” project will focus on Feast of Justice’s “The Year of Home Essentials” campaign. The Mayfair agency reports it is blessed with reliable sources of food, but its clients also urgently need personal care and home cleaning products. These items can’t be purchased through government support programs such as SNAP.
You can find lists of the supplies needed at the back of the church, but here’s an easy way to remember: BOGO—Buy One, Give One. If you’re purchasing an item for yourself or your home, consider buying a second one for FOJ.
FOOD MINISTRY RESUMES
After a brief break in August, our Food Ministry returns on Thursday, September 15, from 11 AM to I PM. Please bring your meal donations – a protein, starch, and vegetable—to the Fillmore Street entrance. Volunteers will package your contributions into the special tins Caring for Friends provides. We will also have a collection day on Thursday, October 20, same time.
You can bring your donations of canned goods, diapers, personal hygiene products (especially shaving products), and home cleaning supplies for Feast of Justice on those Thursdays.
Another option is to bring your Feast of Justice donations on Sundays or when the church office is ordinarily open-- Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8 am to 12 noon. Please call first (215-745-4453) to let our church secretary, Katie McAlorum, know you are coming.
THE LATEST ON OUR PASTORAL TRANSITION
Church Council has met twice with Pastor Jane Marston, Dean of the NE/NW Conference, and will meet again with her and other Synod representatives in early September. We’re working to find a long-term worship leader as we go through the lengthy process of calling another pastor.
In the meantime, Pastor Stacey-Kyle Rea, the Bishop’s Assistant on Youth and Young Adult Discipleship, will lead our service on September 4. Mary Konopka, retired pastor of nearby Redemption Lutheran Church, will be with us on September 11 and September 18.
SAVE THE DATE:
OUR CHRISTMAS BAZAAR IS SLATED FOR NOVEMBER 19.
PRAYER MINISTRY
The Prayer Team is ready to lift you or your concern in prayer. No concern is too small or insignificant. If you need prayer, talk with one of our team members: Barbara Huber, Tina Snyder, Isabel Hyczko, Carolyn Denzel, Rich Soltan, Vanessa Fineberg, and Verna Clohecy, Or you can email Verna Clohecy at vclohecy1@aol.co.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Please help us to provide good pastoral care. Please call Liz Soltan (215-828-1619), or leave a message at the church office (215-745-4453). If:
You are in need of prayer
You are ill or hospitalized
A baby is born into your family
You are planning to marry
You want to receive the sacraments of Baptism or Holy Communion
You are moving, or your phone number or email address has changed.
LECTIONARY READINGS
September 4
September 11
September 18
September 25
October 2
October 9
October 16
October 23
October 30