September 2023 Witness (Newsletter)
Dear Wittenberg, Even though it’s about 90 degrees as I write this, I hear Autumn is around the corner! You’ll notice that we have a lot coming up at Wittenberg this fall! Information about those events can be found in this newsletter. During this season of new starts and new seasons we find ourselves asking, “How will we get new members?” Those are good questions, but we have to first ask, “Why do we want new members?” This question came up at our recent Executive Council meeting. While we know that the “wrong” answers are that we want new members for financial health, help with programs, and higher numbers in worship. The right answer is that we want to spread the love of God in a hurting world, and friends, we ARE doing that! I want to remind you all that while our Sunday worship numbers are not growing quickly they are stable. We’ve had several folks come back to in-person worship recently, but let’s not forget that our online worshipers are really, really, there - they are the body of Christ. (Hi, online folks!) I also want to remind you that last month we had hundreds of children and families at our church for our Back-to-School Bash. They are the body of Christ. Those folks count too. At our Red Cross Blood Drive events members of the community gather to donate blood, and they hang out. They talk with each other and with volunteers. They gather and give life. They gather in Christ’s church and have fellowship as the body of Christ. They count. Wherever and however we gather we are the body of Christ. Last month our members cooked and fed about 100 folks at Rowan Helping Ministries. Our outreach counts. At social events and at social ministries, we are the body of Christ. At preschool and at meetings, we are the body of Christ. I am not saying that we shouldn’t hope and pray for new members. We do, of course, welcome visitors here and there is lots to offer the community at Wittenberg. I just want to remind us all that the folks we are already in ministry with already count. We all count. Online worshipers, preschool families, BTS Bash visitors, Rowan Helping Ministries clients, Blessing Box participants - we all count. Christ’s Church is not just for Sunday mornings. On Sundays we may average around 40 folks recently, but just last month our numbers looked more like about 425 lives touched, lives saved, comfort given, children supplied, people fed - that is God’s kingdom seen, heard, and experienced. So, if you want to see what the body of Christ looks like at Wittenberg you’ll find many opportunities this Autumn. Come and see! Come and be counted. Blessings abound! Pastor Heather |
Homecoming is September 10th! Rev. Dr. Katherine Shaner, Professor of New Testament at Wake Forest School of Divinity will be out guest preacher. Please bring a dish to share at a potluck meal after worship.
Meals on Wheels- September ’23 Many thanks to Brenda Marcum and Sandra Phillips for their service to MOW in August. Brenda remarked that it was the best delivery week they’d ever had. Update on MOW conference in Arizona: Alexandra Fisher was one of 8 participants selected to partner with the National Executive Director and Leadership Team for Meals on Wheels for 2024. Please join me with congratulations to Meals on Wheels, Rowan and to Alexandra for this wonderful recognition. Next delivery team: September 18-22 Heather Bachelder/Linda Trier
We hold in prayer...
Our Members: Renee Wiles, Bill and Kim Fraley, Ed and Faye Harper, John Fisher, Nancy Hylick, Mildred Peeler Grieving Families of: Jackie Elliot, Gene Miller, Wesley Lyerly, Barbara Rimer Lewis, Gary A. Goodman, Larry E. Hammill, Janet Allen Graham, Active Duty: J-Hylton Tucker, Dominic Minor, Noah Wiles, J. Michael Shuping, Adam McCombs, Daniel S. McDonald, Toler Alexander, Bitt Bryant, Jake Earnhardt, Bobby Wheeler Deployed Military: Dorian Pine, Dakota Mace, Isaac Jones, Anthony Burton, Brandon Smith We hold always in prayer the victims of gun violence, chronic and acute illness, mental health struggles, our partner agencies in mercy and assistance to our neighbors and all those who we lift to God’s care in our hearts or aloud.
September Birthdays and Celebrations! 01 Renee Wiles 02 Adrian Gantt 03 Trever Gould 04 Mike Rowell 06 Matt Peeler 09 Haley Lolfin 11 Peyton Youngblood 12 Ed Harper 12 John Jacob Fisher 13 Geraldine Hollar 13 Anna Leigh Shuping 14 Cindy Kisamore 16 KC Feather 20 Allen Gould 21 Luke Marcum 22 Renita Peeler 26 Ted Beaver 27 Bobbie Earnhardt 28 Kathryn Marcum 28 Noah Wiles 29 Joan Gasque 29 Jan Ketner 29 Christy Cook 30 Kim Fraley
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Wittenberg Lutheran Church 114 West Bank St. GQ P.O. Box 345 Granite Quarry, NC 28072 704-279-4505 www.wittenberglc.org |
Wittenberg Lutheran Church
Here's your monthly newsletter!
Dear Wittenberg, It’s that time of the year when our bodies begin yearning for warmth and comfort, cozy clothes and hot meals. It’s also getting to be that time of the year that we get busier and busier. We may find it hard to slow down and appreciate the goodness all around us. So many of us have been taught that the celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas demand unrealistic perfection, a certain meal, a special outfit, a perfect home. I remember my own mother, run ragged from...
Dear Wittenberg, It was my honor and delight to get to deliver Meals-on-Wheels this week as a part of Wittenberg’s service to that agency. (Thanks to Linda Trier, Nancy Trexler, and Sandra Phillips who also delivered this week, and to Joy Fisher for keeping us all coordinated all year long!) You may not know that I worked as the route coordinator for Meals-on-Wheels in Forsyth County for several years; this work is precious and was formative to my understanding of our call as people to reach...
Dear Wittenberg, In our scriptures this summer we are dwelling in the parables of Jesus. These stories are important to our faith because they help us identify with the teachings of Christ in deeply personal ways. We can see ourselves in the parables, they can be personal to us. The parables give us good questions, help us to learn what God is calling us to do or to be in our lives. Most importantly, the parable stories help us connect our lives to the living Word of God. Because we've been...