Here it is June!  Hard to believe that the first half of the year is almost over!  Summer seems to have finally arrived, and the weather is changing to much warmer (and drier) conditions.  It’s my favorite time of year!

June brings us into a time where many of us will be vacationing, the kids are out of school, and oh yes, the yard work!   Things surely change with the seasons. But not everything changes.  No, our loving God is still with us and always is.  What can change is that we get so preoccupied with all that is going on we sometimes forget to spend time with Him in prayer, studying his Word, and replacing our church time and giving with other things.  Let us work to not let this happen this June, and the months that follow.  Together, let us work to stay focused on sharing our love for the Lord with one another and of course with Him.

I realize it can be difficult to do at times, but we can do it!  Our church is a busy and wonderful place.  There are many opportunities to celebrate the gifts of love and grace that we have been given.  We are working to extend our presence within our community.  When these opportunities present themselves, I pray that you all will join us in them.

On June 7 we will be presenting two well-deserved scholarships to those who are continuing their education.  On June 12 we open our church to the community as we host Games, Grub and Grace II for youth and their families.  On June 13 we will be hosting Post 700 of the American Legion as they conduct retiring of American flags.

Father’s Day will be commemorated on June 21 as we celebrate our dads and of course our Heavenly Father.

There seems to always be something going on at the church!  Remember that the church isn’t the building, it’s YOU!  Please make the effort to participate and support the many activities and Sunday services.

Please remember those who cannot be with us in your prayers.  Send cards, letters, and make phone calls and visits if you can.  For those who are experiencing health issues, let us always keep them in prayer.  Prayer is the most powerful tool we have!  Let’s use it abundantly.  For those serving our nation, we offer you our sincerest thanks.  We pray for your wellbeing and ask the Lord to protect you always.

We have undergone many changes, weather, seasons, loss, and grief, but united in Christ we will always persevere as together we work for God’s glory!

May our Almighty and Benevolent God bless you all abundantly!
Pastor Gerry

Monthly Men’s Breakfast…Please join us for our monthly men’s breakfast the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 am at Eat-N-Park.  All are welcome!

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.

Welcome to Ohio weather that can’t make up its mind to welcome Spring or not!  Our Committee met on May 12, 2026, and reviewed the taking of communion to our homebound members.  With the recent passing of Ruth Lewis and Mike Milone, we now have three members on our current list of homebound.  Another program we announced is that we have members who volunteer to drive members to appointments if they are having difficulty driving.  We are working with the In-Reach Committee and we are collecting items for those in need at the Paw Pantry at Howland Local Schools.  I know we are all grateful to have a Director  of Youth Activities for our church!  Niki Baringer is planning activities for the youth in the month of June.  Our efforts will be directed to helping with her activities.  Watch for information!  Our next meeting will be on June 9, 2026.  God bless all of our members for your support and help.  Your generosity and ideas help us to better serve the Lord.

I would like to thank all of our bakers and kitchen helpers for volunteering to bake and set up and clean up for Fellowships.  We have had several Fellowships this last month with more to come.  There will be one on June 7 in honor of the two scholarship recipients and on June 21 for Father’s Day.  I would also like to thank all of you that have brought in and donated supplies.  It is very helpful.

Monthly Women’s Breakfast…Please join us at our monthly breakfast at Vasilio’s in Cortland on the second Thursday of every month (June 11) at 10:00 am.  All are welcome!

My prayer for this season is that it brings opportunities for us to gather together as friends and family in Christ as we continue working to welcome youth and families into our church home.  I am excited to be planning fun and meaningful activities that help build those connections and create lasting memories together.  As always, if you ever have thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for youth and family activities, please feel free to reach out.  Your encouragement, support, and ideas are always appreciated as we continue building opportunities for connection, faith, and community together.

Games, Grub & Grace II – Water Works!…Join us on Friday, June 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm for an evening filled with good food, water games, rock painting, laughter, and time spent together enjoying the blessings God has given us.  We hope you will come make memories, share fellowship, and celebrate the joy of community with us this summer!  Please help spread the word about this event and bring friends, neighbors, and family with you!

Games, Grub & Grace III – Campfire Night!…Be sure to mark your calendars for Friday, July 31, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm for our final summer youth and family event, Games, Grub & Grace III – Campfire Night.  Join us for an evening of food, fellowship, games, laughter, and campfire fun as we celebrate a wonderful summer together.

Christmas Play…Looking ahead to fall, our youth will begin rehearsals in September for “What’s in Your Cart?”—a Christmas play centered on the true meaning of Christmas.  The play will be presented during the contemporary worship service in December, and we are excited to see our youth share this meaningful message with the congregation.

Happy May of 2026!  Seems hard to believe, doesn’t it?  I want to begin by thanking all that participated with the functions the church experienced last month.  We held our first Games, Grub and Grace session and had a wonderful turnout!  There was plenty of food, fun, and support, making the event a true success!  Niki Baringer has set the bar very high for herself and us to live up to this wonderful night in the future.

I want to express my deepest and sincerest thanks to all who helped set up, serve, and clean up in readiness for the celebration of life of David Henderson.  It was an immense undertaking, but we did it in true Living Lord form.  David would have been proud, and I certainly am!

A heartfelt thank you to all who have been working on cleaning out the church of its clutter accumulated over the years.  It is said that “cleanliness is next to godliness” and through the efforts of our wonderful volunteers we are getting closer and closer to God!

Our Council members are hard at work getting things done and preparing for more activities at the church.  Pray for each of them!

I also express thanks to God for the return of May Love, and celebrate her continued recovery from her accident.  The Lord is so good!  Let us all give thanks and praise for the many things He does to bless us.  And let us ask for His guidance and energy as the church continues to work on His behalf.

I pray that you all have a blessed and joyful month of May and that as we experience more sunlight let us not forget the true light of lights, Jesus Christ.  He is the illumination to lead us to Heaven, let us follow His light now and forever.

Pastor Gerry

Monthly Men’s Breakfast…Please join us for our monthly men’s breakfast the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 am at Eat-N-Park.  All are welcome!

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.

Congratulations Living Lord Lutheran Church members—you have gracefully completed a year of helping to provide food, personal items, and clothing to students in need in the Howland Local Schools.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.  God bless you and we plan to continue our efforts for another year of giving!  Thank you for your generosity and caring.  Go Tigers!  The Evangelism/Membership Committee and the In-Reach Committee will be working together to accomplish our goals.  With an older congregation, we need to strengthen and adjust our missions to better meet our needs.  I’m sure we are all planning to help and support our new Youth Director and her plans for success.  What are your ideas for new or successful activities?  What would bring new life to our activities?  Exercise classes, book clubs, craft activities, game night, cooking classes, bring a guest, you name it, dream on…  God bless all Living Lord Lutheran Church members.  Thank you for your support and let us know your ideas for finding ways to serve our Lord.

There will be Fellowship on Mother’s Day and on Scholarship Sunday.  Anyone interested in bringing a treat, please call Nancy.  There will be a wish list on the bulletin board for items needed for fellowships.  These include: regular coffee, coffee creamers, canisters of lemonade mix, cold cups, napkins, cake plates, salad bowls, Press-n-Seal roll, sandwich bags, gallon bags, and aluminum foil.

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

Special thanks to Pastor Gammon and Christian Scheiner for their guidance since last October.  The last Adult Forum class before summer will be on Sunday, May 17.  Hope to see you in the fall.  Have a blessed summer.