Ministries

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. Part of our relationship with Busoka includes supporting a local orphanage.

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.

Health and Wellness Ministries which includes blood pressure screenings, blood drives and providing health education to our parish and community.

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. 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 Transiti onal Learning Center. We also serve a free meal four Saturdays a year to those in need.

Benevolence
The benevolence dollars collected from St. Peter’s members are awarded to many worthwhile causes. The following organizations are examples:

Community Meals at Christ Lutheran
We serve approximately 120 people on the 2nd Thursday of every other month at Christ Lutheran in downtown Lancaster.

Food Bank Collection
We currently collect food weekly for the Lancaster Council of Churches in downtown Lancaster for their food bank. The items are delivered there on Monday mornings. Food collection carts are located in the Narthex.  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. These avid quilters have made hundreds of 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. People from St. Peter’s also fill an empty tree with mittens, scarves and hats for needy people in our community. We usually deliver these items to Water Street Rescue Mission 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 Lancaster County Council of Churches.

80+ (Sages) Birthday Greetings
One church volunteer sends birthday cards from the church to every member that is 80 years or older.

Sages Ministry
Two special Communion services are held (on Maundy Thursday, and once during the week of Christmas) where volunteers provide the transportation to bring Sages to church, serve them lunch and provide some type of entertainment. Clergy and a small group of volunteers also provide visits to our Sages each month and offer them Holy Communion.

CD & Flower Delivery
Dedicated volunteers deliver recordings of worship services and/or flowers to our Sages on a regular basis.

Boy Scout Troop #84
St. Peter’s sponsors this Boy Scout Troop in its many endeavors. The group meets on Monday nights in the Café. More details about the troop can be found at lancasterboyscouttroop84.org.

Other Benevolences
St. Peter’s engages in other timely benevolent activities as the need arises, such as raising funds for area congregations who have suffered loss by fire, collecting phone cards for military personnel, and offering rent and food assistance to community members who are in need.

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.

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.

Fall Stewardship Campaign to support our 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.

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. 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.

Planned Giving
St. Peters created a Planned Giving Program in 2011.  Our mission is to: “Promote giving in support of  St Peter’s mission through Planned Gift by educating potential donors about strategies to optimize their gifts to family members, St. Peter and other charitable organizations as well as minimize their own taxes.”  We have engaged the help of several local professionals to assist you with specific questions about creating a Planned Gift to St. Peters.  A brochure explaining our Planned Giving program is available from our church office.

Luther Rose Society
St. Peter’s created the Luther Rose Society to recognize those who bless St Peter’s through their Legacy Plan. We affectionately call the place where we find comfort, love and encouragement “home”.  “Home” is where we feel safe and loved, where we find compassion and understanding.  For 125 years, St. Peter’s has been “home”.  Our members find these sustaining and nurturing qualities here our Spiritual Home.  Generations have received God’s Word and blessings though worship. The Luther Rose Society is a membership of individuals who want to ensure that St. Peter’s can offer this Spiritual Home for years to come.  This group of individuals & families has made provisions of support directed to St Peter’s Evangelical Church through their estate plans.  They are leaving a legacy of this safe home for the next generation.

A brochure describing The Luther Rose Society is available from our church office.

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.