|
As
our spiritual home has grown in numbers so has it grown in support of
one and other.
Growth in community outreach, benevolent works and generous
volunteer spirit has provided us with many avenues in which to share the
message of God’s love ....with each other and with our
community.
Let us share this message of God with our service to others!
If
you are interested in becoming involved in any of the ministries listed
below, please call the church office at 717-569-9211.
SERVICE
MINISTRIES
Konde
Diocese Companion Congregation
St.
Peter's has begun a Companion Congregation relationship with the Konde
Diocese in Tukuyu, Tanzania, Africa. Our partner church there is
called the Busoka Congregation, which was established in 1982 and has 92
members.
Ingathering
Sunday
On the first Sunday in October, we "ingather" all the items we
have collected for Lutheran World Relief and let the congregation
"see" what is being done by our church. Quilts, sweaters, and
other items collected are on display before being delivered to the local
collection point. This is part of World Wide Communion Sunday.
"Operation
Christmas Child" Shoebox Project
This is a family service project where you "pack a shoebox"
(the bigger the better) with toys, school supplies, personal items. The
boxes will be shipped to countries where the shoebox is the only item a
child will receive on Christmas. Each Sunday School class is asked to
prepare a box. Shoeboxes are collected mid-October to Mid-November.
Blood Donor
Drive
A small group of volunteers donate blood on a regular basis, in the name
of St Peter's, for use by parishioners and their families as needed.
Luthercare
Volunteers from St. Peter's take the snack cart around to residents of
Luther Acres about one evening a month. We also provide at least one
program a year working with the Music Department of our church, and then
enjoy a snack with the residents. We also help with sewing for the
residents and have a birthday party on a particular month and play
BINGO. We also help man a stand for the Luther Acres FunFest held in
June.
W.E.L.C.A.
Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America A small and very
dedicated group of women meet the second Thursday morning (September
through June) from 9 to 11AM in Assembly Hall. After a social time, a
program is given by one of the members. After the program, service work
is done - such as packing school kits or making a craft item for
delivery to a local nursing home.
Crispus Attucks
We collect personal items for Crispus Attucks and the Transitional
Learning Center.
Benevolence
The benevolence dollars collected from St. Peter's members are awarded
to many worthwhile causes. In 2004, we gave to the following
organizations:
Milagro
House
Water Street Rescue Mission
Love, Inc.
Christar
Brightside
ELCA Synod Bene.
ELCA
– Jerusalem
Lanc. Co. Council of Churches
Konde Diocese
Luther
Acres
St. John Herr Estate
Lutheran Camping Corp.
Harb
Adult
Neffsville Fire Co./MTAA
St. John Food Bank
Aaron’s
Acres
Samaritan Center
Cross Links
LAVORP
ELCA World Hunger
Christ Home, Paradise, PA
CAP
Program
Lutheran Theo. Seminary
Habitat for Humanity
Community Meals
at Christ Lutheran
We serve approximately 120 people on the 2nd Thursday each month at
Christ Lutheran in downtown Lancaster.
Food Bank
Collection
We currently collect food weekly for St. John's Lutheran Church in
downtown Lancaster for their food bank. The items are delivered there on
Monday mornings. Food collection tubs are located around the church.
Over 4,000 items per year have been delivered in the past.
Monday
Quilters
A group of about 18 ladies gather on Monday afternoons (1-3PM) year
round in Assembly Hall to make quilts that are distributed in Lancaster
County and Worldwide. In 2004, these avid quilters made 222 quilts,
distributing warmth and love to many in need.
Mitten &
Giving Trees
Each year in November tags are placed on a tree and people buy a gift
(from the suggestion on that tag) for the person indicated. Gifts are
wrapped and placed back underneath the tree to be delivered to the
recipient by the 50+ Group. People from St. Peter's fill an empty tree
with mittens, scarves and hats for needy people in our community. We
usually deliver these items to Crispus Attucks in downtown Lancaster.
Spring &
Fall Clothing Drives
As requests are made to us when a true need arises, we have clothing
and/or item drives and give the things collected to local organizations.
Our primary focus has been for the benefit of the Columbia Clothing Ban,
sponsored by the Lancaster County Council of Churches.
80+ Birthday
Greetings
One church volunteer sends birthday cards from the church to EVERY
member that is 80 years or older.
Shut-In
Birthdays
As our shut-ins celebrate birthdays, we publish their names and
addresses in our weekly bulletin, no matter what their age, so that they
can be remembered with cards or other gestures by those who choose to do
so.
Shut-In
Ministry
Two special communion services are held (on Maundy Thursday and once
during the week of Christmas) where volunteers provide the
transportation and bring shut-ins to church, serve them lunch and have
some type of entertainment.
Tape &
Flower Delivery
Over 50 volunteers deliver tapes and/or flowers to our shut-ins on a
regular basis. Our tape deliverers do this about once every nine weeks
and our flower deliverers every 3-4 months.
Boy Scout Troup
#84
St. Peter's sponsors this Boy Scout Troup in its many endeavors. Stop by
the
Troup #84 Web Site.
STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS
Congregation’s Stewardship
Mission Statement:
As Christians, our pilgrimage is our journey through life. As we proceed
along the path and grow, we learn that our mission is to heed the call
of the Holy Spirit, accept God's will and follow the example of Jesus
Christ. Every Christian’s journey is influenced by the Holy Spirit and
leads to the desire of knowledge of God. The knowledge we gain teaches
us about faith and with the help of the Holy Spirit becomes
understanding. As we grow in our understanding of God's will, so does
our desire to reach out, help and answer the call by offering back the
gifts He has so graciously given to us.
It is the goal of St. Peter’s stewardship committee to
effectively educate, communicate, and encourage good stewardship
practices among the entire membership community. This mission will help
ensure the greatest continual support, preservation, and growth of all
church ministries.
Currently, the committee is comprised of Keith Fink,
Jack Hemsteger, Mark Olenick, Deb Shue and Alan Swanson. The committee
meets on a monthly basis. Some specifics of the committee’s functions
and programs are outlined below, but anyone wishing to obtain more
specific information is encouraged to contact St. Peter's at
717-569-9211 or send email correspondence to: stewardship@stpeterslutheran-lanc.org
The Gift of Our Time and Our
Talents
Each year, all members of the congregation are asked to fill
out an information survey that is designed to help the committee
identify an individual’s experience, talents and special interests.
Members can provide this information by interview (direct contact),
mailed correspondence, or via our on-line survey. This annual review
helps St. Peter's maintain up-to-date information, thereby enabling them
to make properly informed requests when considering the requirements of
specific ministry areas and/or particular events. Even more than
treasures, the gift of time and talent is often the one thing most often
lacking in any effort to promote and manage a successful program.
Therefore, as much as possible, the committee believes enthusiasm can be
better sustained and programs better served if, as near as possible,
personal interests match particular needs. Since individual
circumstances are changing constantly, members are encouraged to update
their information as it occurs, particularly as it concerns any change
of address or contact information. You can perform an update anytime by
contacting the church office.
New in 2008: Stewardship 101
We are all called by God to be good stewards of our gifts and good
fortune. A steward, by its simplest definition, is one called upon to
“look after things.” So, if you have been asking yourself the question,
“How can I use these gifts entrusted to me by God?” and wondering how
the role of stewardship might help fulfill your desire to offer more of
yourself to God’s will, then these seminars are for you. Just like any
introductory college course, stewardship 101 is all about “the basics”.
During the course of the year the stewardship committee will announce
informal gatherings devoted to providing information to members who wish
to become involved but are not sure how (or what) they can offer in a
meaningful way. These seminars are designed to provide insights into all
stewardship areas and will hopefully answer any or all questions that
interested members may have. Well in advance, meeting times and
locations will be published on this website, the media center located in
the church Narthex and weekly bulletin. The committee encourages your
participation and, frankly, we could always use the help. Information
can also be obtained by contacting the church office or sending an
e-mail to: stewardship@stpeterslutheran-lanc.org .
New in 2008: Financial
Planning and Education Series
Not everyone has a Harvard business education, but these days we all
need expert guidance and advice as it matters to our financial future.
This new educational series we have planned for 2008 won’t earn you a
degree but it surely will provide you some informed opinion—and that’s a
good start. The committee is planning a series of FREE financial
planning seminars given by speakers who have no vested interest in the
investment of your money. These informational seminars are being
developed for church members by those in our congregation who have
education and experience in the financial field. The financial seminars
we have planned will occur throughout the year and will focus on various
life-stage strategies with emphasis on the planning aspects and support
tools available to make informed decisions. And, it is the committee’s
intention that all these seminars will end with question / answer
session to help address your particular circumstances. The first in this
educational series is tentatively scheduled for early May 2008. Further
information can be obtained by contacting the church office or sending
an e-mail to: stewardship@stpeterslutheran-lanc.org
Annual Budget
Each fall St. Peter's submits its annual budget. At this time, the
congregation is presented the opportunity to review all ministry and
mission undertakings, outlining their functions and the associated costs
and expenditures necessary to support the many worthy programs and
events customarily sponsored and supported by St. Peter’s. Utilizing
this information, each individual of the congregation is asked to
consider prayerfully their relative ability to help sustain St. Peter's
service to God with a generous response to the annual appeal process.
St. Peter’s 2007~2010 Capital
Appeal
In 2007 St. Peter’s commenced its second 3-year capital appeal program
based on a decision to continue the success of the original expansion of
services plan that was initiated in 2003. While the annual budget appeal
is conducted to maintain our current ministry, it does not provide for
the areas or the extent of St. Peter’s goal to become an even brighter
light in the community, a “beacon of faith” that, hopefully, other
Christian organizations will strive to emulate. Individuals and
organizations who would like to learn more about the 2007—2010 Capital
Appeal effort should contact St. Peter's at 717-569-9211.
Simply Giving
St. Peter's provides the convenience of direct withdrawal of your
offering through a program called "Simply Giving". This program was
created in response to numerous enquiries from our congregation who
prefer to do all their financial transactions electronically. There is
no service charge. That aside, there are other sensible reasons for this
method of financial donation, not the least of which is the creation of
reliable proof for the IRS of your charitable contributions. Here’s how
it works. The funds are deducted from your personal checking account on
a weekly basis. Then, by simply attaching the "Simply Giving" sticker to
your regular gift envelope, it will show your offering is being received
in this manner.
St. Peter's Endowment Fund
In 1992 the St. Peter’s Foundation created the St. Peter's Lutheran
Church Endowment Fund. It was established to consolidate, manage and
utilize bequests and other received donations in a responsible manner.
The money is conservatively invested and the proceeds thus generated are
disbursed for benevolent causes according to need and worthiness. The
Endowment Fund, thanks to the generous considerations of members past
and present, their families and numerous local business concerns provide
an important source of funding for all of St Peter’s ongoing concerns.
Although the fund administers to a broad array of worthy causes, the
following are examples that have been favorably considered in the past:
Congregational Special Projects, Congregational and Church-wide
Ministries Community Service and Outreach. For those interested in more
details about the fund and its administration, a brochure is freely
available from our church office (717-569-9211). This brochure explains
who manages the fund, the application process, how you can participate
in the management and direction of the fund, as well as a codicil form.
Intern Program
Each summer, St. Peter's welcomes a Seminary student to serve as "Vicar”
for one year as a part of his/her educational process to one day become
an ordained Pastor in the Lutheran Church (ELCA). Normally, this
internship is undertaken during the third or fourth year of a student’s
graduate school program, a program leading to a Master of Divinity
degree. During his stay with our church, the Vicar performs most of the
tasks of a Pastor, including worship leadership, visitation, and
teaching in a variety of settings. The Vicar is mentored (and monitored)
by our Pastor and his staff and a lay committee while he/she experiences
the practical side of leading a church.
|
