From the Pastor, Gerald Gammon

Ah February!  A month of some of our coldest weather, but also the month of love as we celebrate Valentine’s Day.  Hearts, flowers, maybe even yummy chocolates, serve as symbols of affection and love.  We celebrate with each other with special cards, trinkets, and sometimes sharing a special meal.

As a Christian, I sometimes find it odd that the symbol of the greatest love of all is often left out.  The cross.  Can you think of a greater expression of love than Jesus allowing himself to be crucified for our sake?  And yet, the cross is rarely used as a symbol of love during the festive times of Valentine’s Day.

Is it because we realize that we could not love as much as Jesus did?  Is it because we feel inadequate in comparison?  Or do we fail to recognize the cross as a symbol of great love?  Afterall, it has probably never been explained to us as such.

We all have in our lives someone that we would willingly lay down our life for.  Some of us may have more than one.  Some of us would do so for our nation.  But for the whole world?  For people we do not even know?  That’s what Jesus did!  He died for all!  Surely that is love!

It is my prayer that we all come to recognize the cross as a symbol of true love.  A love so great that it includes everyone and everything.  And we, as Christians, following the command of our Lord Jesus, are to love one another as He loves us.  So, let’s pick up our crosses and love all those around us.  Let us too become a symbol of true love, Christian love!

May the Lord bless you and keep you under His divine protection now and always,
Pastor Gerry

From the President, Bob McKinney

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 In-Reach Committee Chairperson, Bonnie Sanzenbacher

As of January 31, 2025, my term of In-Reach Chairperson on Church Council will end.  My time served in this position for the past two years has been very fulfilling.  I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my Committee members who served faithfully on the projects for our Homebound members:  Karen Bandy, Rose Baringer, Jean Pfleiderer, and Barb Wright for volunteering every time to help deliver gifts to our Homebound.  “Kudos” to the Prayer Chain gals who volunteered their time to pray for members and friends during all their health issues and/or with the passing of a loved one:  Camille Allen, Karen Bandy, Pam Boothe, Karin McKinney, Kitty Thompson, Rose Zavatsky, and myself.  We all know that there is power in prayer…and more is better!  We must leave it to God to answer our prayers.  Many of us are impatient thinking God doesn’t hear us and will not answer, but God always answers!  May God’s blessings guide you, surround you, and give you peace now and always.

From the Pastor, Gerald Gammon

By the time that you are reading this, our National Day of Thanksgiving will be over, and with it, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  In fact, it should be just a few days until Christmas Day!  And just a short time after that it will be New Year’s Day!

Many of us can recall the pitch slogan of businesses (especially fitness centers and diet clubs) “A new year, a new you”, as they promised miraculous transformations in your physique.  Well, I have to tell you as I look to the upcoming new year, I don’t want a new you.  No, although I am still learning names and faces, I love the you that you are right now!  That’s right, YOU!

In the short time that I have been with you, I have learned that you, yes you, are miraculous just the way you are.  This is what I have learned about you so far.  You are:

  • Faithful – Not only are you faithful to your God, but you are also faithful to your church and one another. You just celebrated 60 years as a church!  You constantly act out of caring for one another, especially when one is in need.
  • Courageous – You decided as a church that you were not being served as you thought you should be by the ELCA, so you made the brave decision to leave and move forward on your own path. It was not an easy decision, but you made it and are moving forward as a family of faith.
  • Giving – You give to and support your church and each other. When something needs to be done, you do it!  You give to people you don’t even know when you find out that there is a need.
  • Adventurous – You took a chance and signed up a fat old fellow with a goatee to be your pastor! Although we had several “practice” runs together, you reached out in faith and hired me. I will endeavor not to let you down, nor break the trust you have bestowed me with.  (Don’t panic…my contact is only for a year!  Lol)
  • Passionate – You freely express your faith. You do so with your words and your deeds.  I have witnessed such great acts of faith and humanity in what you do for this church, each other, and those in our community.
  • Joyful – It has been said that “Laughter is the best medicine”. If that’s true, there should never be anyone in our church that isn’t healed.  Together you enjoy God’s plan and blessings.  You deal with serious issues by poking fun at yourselves and others to relax and comfort one another, and I applaud you for it!

So, you see, I don’t want a new you.  I want the same loving, giving, faithful, adventurous, passionate, joyful YOU!  But I do wish you a blessed New Year.

Your servant leader,
Pastor Gerry

From the President, Bob McKinney

Wow—it’s January 2025—can you believe it?  Another year in the books and here we go.  Let’s hope all goes well for Living Lord Lutheran Church in this new year.  We have a busy month planned.  The budget will be worked on and completed.  We will be looking at the budget very carefully and could have some hard discussions about looking at new revenue sources.  All Committees will have their final reports ready for our Congregation Meeting.  We will be taking down the Christmas decorations as well (that part makes me sad).  We will be finishing up our nomination process and hopefully will have all positions filled.  We might be looking at different ways of filling some of those positions.  If anyone is interested in one of the open positions, please see me or any member of Council.  We will keep you updated.

 

Annual Congregation Meeting…Our Annual Congregation Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 10:30 am.  Please plan on attending.

 

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 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

As another year begins, we find ourselves stepping forward into a new time for our church and we pray that with God’s help and guidance we can continue to do His work here on earth.  Our mission still remains the same.  I have committed to another year as Fellowship Chairperson and I hope to continue our traditions and practices of fellowship and friendship.  It is a vital part of our health as a Lutheran congregation.  I am hoping to organize a pepperoni roll sale for Super Bowl weekend.  As soon as I get through this recovery period after my surgery, I will get started on that endeavor.  Ernie and I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year and a prosperous 2025!

 

Monthly Women’s Breakfast…Please join us at our monthly breakfast at Vasilio’s in Cortland on the second Thursday of every month (Jan. 9) at 10:00 am.  All are welcome!

From the Pastor, Gerald Gammon

December already?  Time sure flies!  December is an exciting month for church!  December 1, 2024, marks the beginning of the Advent season.  We will busily prepare to celebrate the birth of our dear lord Jesus!  The world around us seems to be getting busier too during this season.  Many folks will be hustling and bustling to get the perfect gift for their loved ones, buying groceries to use in the preparation of a Christmas feast, and some will be traveling from afar to join family and friends to share memories and make new ones.  Yes, things seem to change around Christmas.  Often it seems that there may just be a little more love in the air!  How wonderful it is to encounter people smiling and being more courteous than usual against the backdrop of Christmas music playing.  Unfortunately, not all of us get to experience the joy of the season in the same manner as most of us.  There are those that are serving our country and cannot come home to be with loved ones.  There are those who have lost dear family members and friends that will be missing some of the most important people in their lives.  There are those that are financially challenged to purchase food, shelter, and other necessities, let alone gifts for others.  We, as Christians, are called to minister to those in need.  We can do so through prayer, giving of our time and resources, and by just being present with others who might otherwise have nobody to share such a joyous time with.  If we think about what a gift this season is to us, we certainly should be willing to share our joy with others.  So, my Christmas challenge to you all is this:  find someone that you can share the joy of the Advent/Christmas season with that is not part of your normal circle.  Together, we just might be the life-giving gift this world needs.  On behalf of my wife, Marian, and our family, I wish you all a joyous Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year!

From the President, Bob McKinney

Well, here we are close to the end of the year, and we have a lot going on as usual.  Let me outline some areas of importance for your information:

  1. Constitution and By-laws: As you know, the Trustees went through both documents and eliminated any reference to the ELCA.  We also removed other items that did not seem necessary any longer.  We added new items that conform to our new status as an Independent Lutheran Church.  After our review, we turned this information over to our attorney for his review and any comments he might have.  We then met with him to go through the entire rewrite to make sure we were all on the same page.  Once that was done, the Church Council reviewed and approved the rewrite and will now pass it on to the congregation.  I am calling a Special Congregation Meeting in December to pass on this rewrite.  I can tell you this was quite the process, and I appreciate the Trustees and Church Council for their help.
  2. Our stewardship drive for this year is in the final phase. We have sent out the last letter to remind members who have not returned a pledge card to please do so.  The numbers are not good so far this year.  We are at 28 pledges out of 73 mailed for a total of $47,224.00.  Last year our final numbers were 33 pledges for a total of $60,036.00.  So you can see we are way behind in what our numbers need to be for a realistic budget.  I must tell you this is not one of my favorite items to work on, but it is one of the most important in the life of the church.  I almost feel that Neal L’Amoureaux, Stewardship Committee Chairperson, and I are begging for money, and that is not the case.  If anyone has any ideas how to improve these numbers, please let Neal or I know.

These are some of the major items of importance I wanted to bring to your attention.  There are conversations to be had and tough decisions to be made for the wellbeing of our church.  On an upbeat note, our Thanksgiving Food Baskets were again successful this year.  Thanks to all who donated to this worthy cause.  You folks are the best!

 

Christmas Party…Our Christmas Party will be held on Saturday, December 7, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.  This will be a potluck dinner with the church providing chicken and potatoes.  Please bring a side dish to share.  We will have a gift exchange with a gift limit of $15.  We will sing Christmas carols with May Love on piano.  We will have additional games during the party.  Please sign up on the bulletin board what you are bringing and how many are coming so we can plan accordingly.  Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

 

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 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 Gerbetz 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!