PARISH NEWS
September 2023 Pastor's Letter
Pastor Dustin receives a commendation from Asm. Angelo Santabarbara and his son Michael at our Grand Reopening in June 2023.
|
Dear siblings in faith,
If you've heard any of my sermons since I returned from sabbatical, you've heard I've been trying to refocus our congregation on the core concepts of our faith in Jesus Christ. Amidst COVID, our historic Accessibility Project, our painfully divided national climate and the launch of our Rotterdam Community Center, it's been all too easy to get pulled in A LOT of different directions, sometimes to the detriment of us living into our core promises as followers of Jesus. We've done AMAZING things over the last few years, but having built a fully accessible Faith Center and built a Community Center that welcomed over 15,400 people and served 68,744 meals to our neighbors in need in its first year of operations, I prayerfully believe it's time to get back to the basics, and thereby focus on rebuilding our congregational life in turn. A big part of that work is refocusing on faith formation for everyone, and especially our young people! On Sunday, September 17th at 6:00pm, I'll relaunch our Affirmation of Baptism class (colloquially known as confirmation class), for the first time 2021. Especially as most of our members either were not raised in a Lutheran congregation or haven't engaged in faith formation for many years, I want this to be an opportunity for our members of ALL AGES to join our young people in learning the basics of our faith in Jesus. We'll start with an overview of church history this fall in a way that relates to contemporary concerns and then move to the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament in the spring. Whether you'd like to participate in the Affirmation of Baptism classes or not, I would prayerfully ask every member of our congregation to read "Faith Practices in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America," which can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/elcafaithpractices. It outlines the core commitments of our faith in Jesus by discussing in a few short pages the five promises we make in the Affirmation of Baptism rite:
In the midst of all the recent attacks on our congregation throughout the summer, I saw a bunch of our members share a post online that I'll leave you with (I THINK our wonderful Betsy Ryan started the trend), that makes a recommendation about how we should welcome and treat EVERYONE, without exception! “Welcome to Church. This is a place of love and hope and safety and forgiveness. We will be food for the hungry. Living water for the thirsty. We are so glad you are here. You are invited. You are loved. Come on in—we’ve been waiting on you. We are the church. You are welcome here.” I couldn't agree more, and know I'll be doing everything I can in the coming weeks and months to proclaim that exact message to whoever wants to hear it. I pray for God's guidance, and I pray you'll join me as well in that holy work! in hope, Pastor Dustin |
Supporting Our Young People Attending the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering!
Two of our young people, Sarah and Greg, have confirmed they'll be attending the triennial ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans from Tuesday, July 15th to Saturday, July 20th, 2024! While it hasn't happened since 2018 due to COVID, we are SO EXCITED to send our young people along with Pastor Dustin and youth from other area ELCA congregations to this gathering of over 30,000 youth from across the country to serve, have fun and learn about their faith together!
We have two more of our young people contemplating attending and any of our youth currently in 8th grade to 12th grade are more than welcome to join us! The final deadline to register with Pastor Dustin is Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 along with a $150 deposit (scholarships are available if needed). There will be five opportunities for youth from our various congregations to hang out together and prepare for the gathering as follows:
All youth attending are encouraged to attending as many of the sessions as possible.
As a congregation, supporting the faith formation of our young people is one of the most important things we can do and thus we are committing to raise $1,500 for each youth who will be attending. This amount should cover most of the remaining costs of gathering registration, airfare, lodging and food.
As a start, beginning on "God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday, September 10th, a chance jar will be in the narthex. Please donate as much loose change as you can! From October 14th to December 3rd our youth and their families will also run a lottery ticket raffle most Sundays and at our major community events. If you'd like to donate scratch lottery tickets to the cause, please reach out to Kristen Olochnowicz or Randi Dunda-Martin by Sunday, October 8th!
More fundraisers for our youth will be planned soon! If you like to help in this planning effort, please reach out to Kristen and Randi as well!
We have two more of our young people contemplating attending and any of our youth currently in 8th grade to 12th grade are more than welcome to join us! The final deadline to register with Pastor Dustin is Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 along with a $150 deposit (scholarships are available if needed). There will be five opportunities for youth from our various congregations to hang out together and prepare for the gathering as follows:
- Sunday, November 13th at 2:00pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glenville
- Sunday, January 21st at 2:00pm at TBA
- Friday, February 2nd at 4:00pm - Saturday, February 3rd at 12:00pm (we're hosting a Youth Lock-in at the Rotterdam Community Center)
- Sunday, April 14th at 2:00pm at First Lutheran Church in Albany
- Sunday, May 19th at 2:00pm at TBA
All youth attending are encouraged to attending as many of the sessions as possible.
As a congregation, supporting the faith formation of our young people is one of the most important things we can do and thus we are committing to raise $1,500 for each youth who will be attending. This amount should cover most of the remaining costs of gathering registration, airfare, lodging and food.
As a start, beginning on "God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday, September 10th, a chance jar will be in the narthex. Please donate as much loose change as you can! From October 14th to December 3rd our youth and their families will also run a lottery ticket raffle most Sundays and at our major community events. If you'd like to donate scratch lottery tickets to the cause, please reach out to Kristen Olochnowicz or Randi Dunda-Martin by Sunday, October 8th!
More fundraisers for our youth will be planned soon! If you like to help in this planning effort, please reach out to Kristen and Randi as well!
2023 Congregation Priorities Survey
Each September members and friends of Messiah Lutheran Church are encouraged to complete a short, two question survey in preparation for our annual Mission Support Campaign in October. Your answers help our Mission Support Committee, Budget & Finance Committee and Congregation Council discern our successes over the past year and what we need to prioritize for the year ahead!
Please complete the short two question survey at bit.ly/mlcpriorities2023 by Sunday, September 24th or grab a paper copy from our ushers every Sunday in September!
Results of the survey will be announced during the kickoff of our 2024 Mission Support Campaign on Sunday, October 5th!
Please complete the short two question survey at bit.ly/mlcpriorities2023 by Sunday, September 24th or grab a paper copy from our ushers every Sunday in September!
Results of the survey will be announced during the kickoff of our 2024 Mission Support Campaign on Sunday, October 5th!
September 2023 Financial Update
Our Budget & Finance Committee has recommended that we begin including a simplified Financial Update for all members and friends of the congregation in each semi-monthly edition of The Messenger.
Through July of 2023, our deficit was only $5,342 compared to $22,955 through last July, a MASSIVE improvement. This was in large part due to one-time funding received from the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge towards the Rotterdam Community Center. Member offerings through that period were essentially flat, while spending increased slightly to $109,448 from $107,266.
We give thanks for God's blessings and with your help, will prayerfully continue to work to improve our financial picture as we head into the fall, continue receiving grants and building a base of private donors to the Rotterdam Community Center outside of members of our congregation.
As always, THANK YOU for your amazing generosity!
Through July of 2023, our deficit was only $5,342 compared to $22,955 through last July, a MASSIVE improvement. This was in large part due to one-time funding received from the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge towards the Rotterdam Community Center. Member offerings through that period were essentially flat, while spending increased slightly to $109,448 from $107,266.
We give thanks for God's blessings and with your help, will prayerfully continue to work to improve our financial picture as we head into the fall, continue receiving grants and building a base of private donors to the Rotterdam Community Center outside of members of our congregation.
As always, THANK YOU for your amazing generosity!
Community Solar Update
Through an exciting partnership with the New York State Council of Churches and Crauderueff & Associates, the Creation Care Committee of Messiah Lutheran Church is working to green our local Rotterdam community one household at a time! During the first round of our efforts to sign up folks for community solar, we were successfully able to sign up six households and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park, saving them roughly 10% on their energy bills and earning Messiah $1,600!
We'll be announcing the next round of this important effort near the end of the year. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can contact Creation Care Chair Nancy Stuebner at nancy.stuebner@earthlink.net.
We'll be announcing the next round of this important effort near the end of the year. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can contact Creation Care Chair Nancy Stuebner at nancy.stuebner@earthlink.net.
A Place at the Table for Everyone Accessibility Project Update
|
Accompanied by leaders from across the Capital Region, over ninety folks showed up for the Grand Reopening of Messiah Lutheran Church's Faith Center on June 11th, 2023. Messiah was recognized for its efforts to be a more welcoming faith community for everyone by county, state and federal leaders and the Capital Region Chamber hosted the event. Emily Russo sang a beautiful solo and our choir performed our campaign song, "For Everyone Born." Campaign Co-Chair Dave Barnett and President Sue Collins addressed the crowd. Bill Ellis, representing his mom Lore, our most senior member, and Everett Russo, our youngest member, pressed the button on our new lift for the first time while Barb Hallett and Judy Becker took the first ride! Our Kitchen Committee did a FANTASTIC job organizing a delicious potluck after the official grand opening.
There are still some minor matters that need to be completed. Our contractor, Wade Coton, will be replacing shrubs that didn't survive the summer, addressing a leak in the new roofing system and completing some minor landscaping related to the sewer line replacement. Interior decorator extraordinaire Jody Fleming will be leading the charge in finding new furnishings for the renovated narthex. While only indirectly related to the capital project, our Adult Education Committee is working to make sure our new Library will be a welcoming and accessible learning environment for hybrid courses, including the purchase of a new Owl conference room webcam. Our Children's Sunday School Committee is currently painting and cleaning in our Youth Wing after it served as storage during construction. Help is especially needed in this regard. If you are interested, please speak with Children's Sunday School Chair Cheryl Borski or Pastor Dustin. |
Judy Becker and Barb Hallett taking the "first ride" on the new lift, along with contractor Wade Coton of Manchester Homes, LLC.
|
The Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck Mental Health Fund
In June 2021 as part of our commitment to prioritize mental health as a congregation our Congregation and subsequently our Congregation Council voted to create the Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck Mental Health Fund. This fund is designed "to support members in paying for necessary mental health care" and as of the end of July 2023 has $1,039 in contributions but has not yet been used. If you are someone struggling to pay for mental health care, please contact Pastor Dustin for a confidential conversation. If you are someone who would like to contribute to this fund, please visit our Donate & Volunteer page, click "Give" and select "Mental Health Fund" in tithely's "Give To" box.
Update Our Parish Directory by Logging on to Realm Account Today!
Our Parish Directory is a key tool to helping everyone know who is who. There isn't a week Pastor Dustin or Heather doesn't hear from one of our members asking for someone else's contact information, but if you are a member of our congregation, that information is right at your fingertips using our online Realm platform! While everyone's information is in Realm and Pastor Dustin, Heather and others use the system every day, many of our adult members still have never logged in to set up their profile. We'd encourage all our members to go to https://onrealm.org/MessiahLutheran73113 today. If you already have an account, click "sign in" and review all your contact information, update your profile picture and more. If you don't have an account, click "sign up" and get started! If you have any questions, please reach out to Heather at 518.355.2311 and we can assist you further!
With our accessibility project now complete, our Congregation Council is developing plans to put together a new Parish Directory soon!
With our accessibility project now complete, our Congregation Council is developing plans to put together a new Parish Directory soon!
Rotterdam Community Center Bottle & Can Collection!
Want to contribute to the growth of the Rotterdam Community Center as we work to knit community closer together here in beautiful Rotterdam, NY! One way you can support that important work is donating your bottles and cans to the Rotterdam Community Center's account Green Bottle Redemption Center! Located at 1809 Altamont Avenue, the redemption center is open Tuesday - Friday from 9a - 4p & Saturday from 9a - 2:30p! Thanks so much and please help us spread the word! We've already made well over $200 in contributions to the Community Center through this fund already this year!
Blessing Bag Donations Needed
In November, WELCA will be gathering to make blessing bags to be given to the Schenectady Street Soldiers. If you would like to make a donation to this project, here are the items we will be looking for: hand towels, washcloths, bar soap, toothbrushes, tooth paste, lip balm, comb or brush, deodorant, socks, individual cups of applesauce or fruit, granola bars, plastic spoons, bandaids, tissues. A bin will be placed in the narthex for the collection of these items until November 19th, 2023. Thanks so much!
Support Our Young Families with Folding High-chairs!
We are looking to replace the plastic high-chairs we currently have in the fellowship hall with a couple of high-chairs that can be folded up and stored away when not in use. If you should have one that you are looking to get rid of or if you should see one at a rummage or garage sale, please think about donating one to church.
Pet Therapy with Lily
Lily, our wonderful Pet Therapy certified pup is once again available for FREE appointments! Call her helper Michael Mitchel at 914.755.6788 to set up an appointment.