From the President, Bob McKinney

We welcome Rev. Gerald Gammon as our newly hired part-time pastor as of October 1, 2024.  As many of you may know, I spent two weeks in the hospital.  I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes.  I am happy to be back.

 

Church Information…Please remember that you can obtain church information from the monthly Lamplighter Newsletter, the Constant Contact emails you receive, on the church website (www.lllc.org), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Living-Lord-Lutheran-Church-493806727349110/), and postings on the church bulletin board.  Church Council Meeting minutes are posted on the bulletin board and sent out via Constant Contact.  We would like to see a better “open rate” when we send information to you via Constant Contact so that we know you are being informed of the activities that are occurring at the church.  If you have any other suggestions on how best to reach out to our parishioners, please see a Council member.

From the Pastor, Gerald Gammon

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!  I write this on my first official day in the office at Living Lord Lutheran Church!  I am so excited to be here!  Please accept my sincere thank you to all of you for allowing me this opportunity to serve here.  I look forward to great things happening here and to making many new friends.  Your hospitality extended to my wife, Marian, and myself has been so comforting and appreciated.  We appreciate all that you have done to make us feel welcome and included.  We already have shared many memorable moments with you and have enjoyed the fellowship shared with us, so again I thank you.  I truly realize that this year has had some very difficult times for our church.  Leaving the ELCA was a difficult decision and stirred many emotions within most.  But the decision was made, and we will work together to move forward.  My faith tells me that through God’s grace we will continue to be a viable church and family. We just celebrated 60 years as a church family, and it is my intention to work with you all to ensure that those to come after us will celebrate another 60 years from now.  I look forward to the many celebrations we will share together.  Every Sunday is a celebration of our Lord’s love for us and an opportunity to express that love to one another.  Let us prayerfully seek to grow in His divine love and share it openly with all that we encounter.  Again, thank you.

From the Evangelism/Membership Committee Chairperson, Barb Wright

Transportation Team…Do you have an appointment and your car won’t start?  Do you want to come to church but your car is in the shop?  You want to worship with your friends at Living Lord, but you have no way to get to church?  Well, we have some wonderful volunteers to drive you if you are unable to drive to your destination.  If you are in need of transportation, please call one of the following:  Darlene Altiere, Ernie and Pam Gerbetz, Neal and Joyce L’Amoureaux, or Karin McKinney.  You may call one of the volunteers listed and make arrangements with them for your needed trip.  Discuss thorough and precise plans and enjoy the service provided.  Thank your provider and God!

From the Fellowship Committee Chairperson, Pam Gerbetz

Please make sure you sign up for our Pie Sale.  The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the narthex and pies must be prepaid.  Pies must be ordered by November 17 and picked up on Wednesday, November 27, at the church.  Pie count is limited to 15 each of apple ($18.00) and pumpkin ($14.00) so sign up now.  November 17 will be our next Fellowship Sunday after the worship service.  Mark your calendars!  Our Christmas Party Potluck will be on Saturday, December 7, 4:00-7:00 pm and will serve as our Fellowship for December.

 

Monthly Women’s Breakfast…Please join us at our monthly breakfast at Vasilio’s in Cortland on the second Thursday (November 14) of every month at 10:00 am.  All are welcome!

 

From the In-Reach Committee Chairperson, Bonnie Sanzenbacher

Our painted pumpkins went over very well with our homebound members.  I would like to express my gratitude to Karen Bandy, Rose Baringer, Jean Pfleiderer, and Barb Wright for their clever painting designs on the pumpkins and for the members who helped deliver them, Darlene Altiere, Karen Bandy, Rich and Rose Baringer, Michael Taiclet, Kitty Thompson, Barb Wright, and myself.  It takes many hands to do God’s work, which was greatly appreciated by me.

From the Mission Endowment Fund Committee Chairperson, Michael Taiclet

Hi everyone!  M.E.F. is back!  It is that time of year again.  I apologize for the delay.  I am pleased to announce that MEF Award Sunday, normally occurring in October, will take place on Sunday, November 3, 2024.  This is when our recipient can be with us.  I am pleased to announce that this year’s recipient is the Warren Family Mission.  For more information on them, you can check out their website at www.warrenfamilymission.org.  You can also check out their booth that will be set up on MEF Sunday.  We will be presenting them with a check for $2,000.00. The presentation will take place at the beginning of our worship service.  There will be time to meet and greet before the service at 9:00 am.  Also, there will be time to meet and greet following the service with a time of fellowship.  I ask everyone to come and help us congratulate this year’s recipient.  I am also pleased to announce something very special.  It was brought up at our last MEF meeting, “Can we help with the hurricane relief efforts down in North Carolina?”  With some discussion, we unanimously decided that answer will be “Yes!”.  I am pleased to announce that we will also be awarding a second recipient this year.  We will be donating $2,000.00 to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Efforts for victims of Hurricanes Helen and Milton.  For more information on this, and if you would like to donate yourself, you can go to their website at www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief/hurricane-relief/hurricane-helene.html.  Don’t worry if you don’t want to type out the long website URL’s–you don’t have to!  Check out the MEF booth set up in the narthex.  There you will find our first ever interactive display.  Have your phones ready.  All you will have to do is just scan the QR codes when they appear on the screen.  They will take you straight to the websites listed above.  There will also be a QR code for MEF Sunday.  Once you scan it, it will save the date for MEF Sunday straight to your calendar.  So no excuses for forgetting the date!  Among them, there will be a few other QR codes that come with other surprises.  So come and check out our interactive display.  Don’t worry, I will be there to help those who aren’t very tech savvy.  I look forward to seeing you all there.  Come and check out our booths, our interactive display, and help us keep our mission going by supporting the Mission Endowment Fund of Living Lord Lutheran Church.

From the Outreach Committee, Member Pam Boothe

Thanks to all of you for supporting the Animal Welfare League with your donations.

 

Thanksgiving Food Baskets…The Outreach Committee will again be giving out Thanksgiving Food Baskets.  If you know of someone in need of a Thanksgiving Food Basket, please call the church office to get signed up as soon as possible.  We will be collecting 15 large cans of sweet potatoes, 30 cans of cranberry sauce, 30 boxes of Stove Top stuffing, 30 cans of corn, 30 boxes of instant mashed potatoes, 15 packages of cookies, and 30 jars of turkey gravy.  Please turn in your monetary and grocery donations no later than Sunday, November 17.  Please make your checks payable to Living Lord Lutheran Church and mark “Food Baskets” in the memo portion.  You may put your check in the offering plate or mail it to the church office.  You may pick up your Food Basket on Sunday, November 24, after the worship service – no deliveries.  If you have any questions, please contact Pam Boothe.

From the Parish Education Committee Chairperson, Raymond Boothe

What do you know about Revelation?  Do you think of the apocalyptic writings?  Or do you know that Revelation includes letters written to each of the seven Christian churches in Asia Minor long ago?  Do you know about the symbolism used to guide each church through adversity so they may experience the joy of Christ?  Come join us in Adult Forum each Sunday at 8:45 am to learn more.

From the Worship Committee Chairperson, Nancy Walters

I am looking for bow makers to help with making new bows for this Christmas.  I will supply the ribbon.  We might even want to have a bow party before Hanging of the Greens in November!  Date to be determined.  We will gladly accept donations of our communion wine at any time.  We use Manischewitz Concord Grape wine which you can purchase at Giant Eagle.

 

Hanging of the Greens…Hanging of the Greens will take place on Saturday, November 23, beginning at 9:00 am.  Please let Nancy know if you are able to assist.  More hands make less work!

 

Christmas Poinsettias…The cost is $17.00 for a 7.5” pot with two plants and nine blooms.  Flowers are to be paid for when signing up.  Checks should be made payable to Living Lord Lutheran Church marked “Poinsettias” in the memo portion and may be placed in the offering plate or mailed to the church office.  The deadline to place your order is Sunday, November 24, 2024.  There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.

From the President, Bob McKinney

Well, I was not expecting to have this kind of year.  I knew we were stuck in the mud, so to speak, and we needed to get out somehow.  We suggested to the congregation a means to get out and move forward and they agreed.  The voting is over and we are no longer part of the ELCA.  We are now an independent Lutheran church.  Now the hard work comes and that is moving us forward and start to build on our successes.  We have reviewed our constitution and by-laws and have removed any reference to the ELCA.  We have also made some suggestions that are minor here and there.  We will get this document prepared and have our attorney review it for legality and a few other items we would like him to review.  And we will have him review our tax exempt status to see if we need to do anything on that matter.  I will be calling a Special Congregation Meeting on Sunday, September 29, to put before you the hiring of Pastor Gerald Gammon as our part-time pastor.  This is an especially important first step to getting us back on track.  We will continue to update you on the constitution and the start of our Stewardship Campaign for this year.  This will be an especially important year for Stewardship.  We need to make sure we can be a force for our community.

 

Church Information…Please remember that you can obtain church information from the monthly Lamplighter Newsletter, the Constant Contact emails you receive, on the church website (www.lllc.org), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Living-Lord-Lutheran-Church-493806727349110/), and postings on the church bulletin board.  Church Council Meeting minutes are posted on the bulletin board and sent out via Constant Contact.  We would like to see a better “open rate” when we send information to you via Constant Contact so that we know you are being informed of the activities that are occurring at the church.  If you have any other suggestions on how best to reach out to our parishioners, please see a Council member.