Happenings At
Lord Of Life Lutheran Church
"Where everybody is somebody, and Jesus is Lord!"
The Time After Epiphany
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Issue Of: January 21, 2022
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"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims its maker's handiwork."
Psalm 19:1 NRSV
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Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour has temporarily been suspended due to increased Covid diligence.
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From The Pastor's Desk:
The winds of change are not just a metaphor - in this season we see a new Council blowing in (at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 30). I am also making a change in our worship plans for the season of Epiphany. We'd hoped to use this season to explore key Bible stories, but in practice we found that the videos people were making don't show up on our projection or through our sound system. We made these plans during the busy days of November and December, just as now we are simultaneously planning Lent and re-planning Epiphany.
The key take-aways in this are:
1. We continue to strive to be faithful together. When one plan doesn't work, leaders are grateful to members expressing that "this isn't working for me." Being faithful together means sharing feedback, even when it's negative or feels uncomfortable. But Matthew 18 tells us that being Church means speaking the truth in love to the person who needs to hear it from you (Matthew 18:15-20). As your pastor, I hope you speak up and notice how you are heard. In this case, in changes being made "asap."
2. Lord of Life is a congregation that tries things in order to help us all grow. Sometimes those things work, sometimes they are great, sometimes they need to be adjusted in order to really fit our community. Our mission statement says "We are a welcoming community of forgiven people proclaiming the perfect love of Jesus Christ." Only Jesus is perfect, but we try to do good in his name. As a pastor, I missed the mark on the Epiphany story series - and so I rely on you to be proclaiming truth to me, forgiving me, and helping me to help our community to move forward together. It's not always easy, but it's important!
Peace,
Pastor Wendolyn
"Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation
is the love of Jesus." - Mother Theresa
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Pastor Office Hours:
Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
Wednesdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
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Pastor's Contact Information:
Cell phone: 609-286-4533 - available 24/7 though I do not answer while driving or visiting.
Facebook: "Friend" me at Wen Trozzo or join me at @PastorWendolyn
Instagram: Wendofish
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Annual Meeting:
Sunday, January 30th
10:15 AM
Either At The Church Or Virtual
Lord Of Life will hold its Annual Meeting following our church service. There will only be one service on Sunday, January 30th, starting at 9:00 AM. Church members will be able to attend the meeting in person at the church or virtually using ZOOM. The purpose of the meeting is to approve the 2022 spending plan and the election of Church Council members.
More information about the meeting and the ZOOM link will be forthcoming via email.
Links below are to the Annual Report and Contribution History which are also found on the church website.
A quorum will be needed in order to hold the meeting. Please try to join us!
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Update:
Remaining January Sessions Cancelled
Now Resuming
Tuesday February 1st, At 7:00 PM On ZOOM
And
Wednesday, February 2nd, at 11:00 AM
In Fellowship Hall
Bible Study will resume in February. Tuesday sessions will be virtual, beginning February 1st at 7:00 PM, and will be using ZOOM (A link to the ZOOM sessions will be available as time approaches the session dates.) Wednesday sessions will be held in Fellowship Hall beginning February 2nd at 11:00 AM. (We will assure ventilation is provided to keep all safe. Masks are required when in the building.). Each week, we will delve into some fascinating stories of the Bible. Topics are as follows:
February 1st & 2nd: Digging Deeper - Lazarus
February 8th & 9th: Digging Deeper - Nehemiah
February 15th & 16th - Digging Deeper - Jericho & The Good Samaritan
February 22nd & 23rd - Digging Deeper - Samuel
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Welcome Cups Ministry
Can You Help Pastor?
Our welcome cups are going like hotcakes!
Pastor Wendolyn has refilled our table of cups for visitors twice this month. Could someone help take over the task of keeping this table full? Supplies are provided. It's a minimal commitment but a meaningful way to help our congregation. Please let Pastor know if you are interested.
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Special Schedule
Bible, Faith, & Fellowship
And
Breakfast Club
Sunday, January 30th
(Beginning At 9:00 AM)
Due to the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 30th, BFF and Breakfast Club will both meet together for activities during our 9:00 AM church service. After the service, while the Annual Meeting is taking place, we will have some special events that include movies and coloring.
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Bible, Faith, & Fellowship
(Age 3 - 4th Grade)
Sundays At 10:00 AM
BFF is held on Sundays during our 10:00 AM service. All children ages 3 through 4th grade are welcome to attend.
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Breakfast Club
(Grades 4. 5 & 6)
Sundays At 9:15 AM
All children in grade 4 will now be able to join our 5th and 6th graders! Breakfast Club will be held each Sunday.
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Children, Youth, Family Committee
We are in the process of creating a Children, Youth, Family Committee (CYF). More details will be forthcoming. Anyone with suggestions or interest should reach out to Breanne.
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Middle & High School Retreat
April 29 – May 1, 2022
Elementary School
Retreat
May 13 – 15, 2022
At Cross Roads Camp And Retreat Center
The theme for the 2022 Cross Roads Youth Retreats is Crack the Code, Journey with Jesus. At both the Elementary and Middle and High School Retreats, participants will embark on a series of challenges to find clues, crack the code, and solve the mystery. Each weekend includes interactive Bible study, group games, small group discussions, and a lot of FUN!
Both retreats begin on Friday evening with check-in at 7:00 PM and end on Sunday morning at 10:30 AM after a worship service. The cost for the weekend retreat is $95.
Cross Roads is less than a 2-hour drive from Tabernacle in Port Murray, NJ. We are looking for youth and chaperones who want a fun weekend with delicious food for your mind, body, and spirit!
For more information about the retreats on the Cross Roads website, Click Here
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If you have questions about Youth Ministry or would like to volunteer as a BFF teacher or in any other program, please contact Breanne Tomlinson. A link to her email is below.
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January 21st Update From Janell Reich
With surging Covid numbers, we are making changes to the scheduling of events in order to keep all safe. If an event must be cancelled or moved to another date, I will notify all by email who are on my mailing list. If you want to be added to the email distribution, please contact me. A link to my email is at the end of the article.
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Devotion And Walk
Rancocas State Park Hainesport
Tuesday, January 25th, At 1:00 PM
(Weather Permitting)
We will hold our next Devotion and Walk at Rancocas State Park in Hainesport. To locate the entrance to the park, use the GPS address 722 Rancocas Road, Hainesport, NJ. This address is for the last private home on Rancocas Road just before the park entrance. Rancocas Road is accessed from the Marne Highway in Hainesport. There is a small parking area to the right just after entering the park's gravel road. We will meet there. Please let Janell know if you plan to attend.
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Wiley Outreach Ministry
Thursday, February 3rd,
At 10:00 AM
Our January visit to Wiley was cancelled. The next program is planned for Thursday, February the 3rd at 10:00 AM.
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Time For Talents
Friday, February 4th,
At 10:00 AM
Time for Talents will meet Friday, February the 4th at 10:00 AM. Craft, needle work, and art projects will be available. Or bring your own for us to see.
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Book Club
Tuesday, February 15th, 1:00 PM
We will be discussing The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson at our February 15th meeting. Here is a description:
In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky. Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.
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People Enjoying People (PEP)
Rescheduled For
Thursday, February 17th
At 1:00 PM
The date for PEP has been changed from Thursday, January 27th to Thursday, February 17th.. We will have a Valentine's theme and some other fun things in store. More information will be in the next LifeLines.
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Photos From
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Of Service Project With Sue Gebhart From Lutheran Social Ministries
On January 17th
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If you have questions about Adult Ministry, please contact the Adult Ministry Director, Janell Reich. A link to her email is below.
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Eucharistic Ministry Teams
And
Training
Eucharistic Ministry Teams are being formed to provide a visit and communion to home-bound church members. Training is being planned for Wednesday, February 2nd at 12:30 PM and Thursday, February 3rd at 6:30 PM. A visit could be as simple as handing someone communion through the front door. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Pastor or Penny Miller. A link to Penny's email is below.
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Children's Books For Grace Place
Do you have any children's books that you would like to donate to the Grace Place? We are planning to recognize some special days and events, and having some books to read with the children would be terrific! Below is a list of events we will be making more special with these donations. Books can be left on the counter in the Church Office. Please "label" them "For The Grace Place." Thank you in advance for helping our program!
Valentine's Day
President's Day
St. Patrick's Day
Easter
Memorial Day
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Project LOL:
2021:
A Review
This past year, the Property Committee completed numerous, necessary projects at Lord Of Life. Craig Baechler chaired the committee and coordinated work within the church building, and Keith Lerner was in charge of projects on the outside of the building and the church grounds. The projects completed during 2021 were: installation of high-efficiency furnaces, repair of the rear outdoor steps, repair of the Fellowship Hall handicap ramp, installation of new church entry doors, repair to Grace Place Director's office ceiling, exterminating the carpenter ant infestation in the Grace Place bathrooms, replacement of the failed well water pressure tank, testing and doing needed repairs to the solar panels' electrical system, cleaning the gutters, getting the handicap parking places to meet code (reconfiguring, repainting, and installing proper signage), replacing the spotlight bulbs in the Sanctuary, relocating Pastor's office, removal of several dead trees, clean up and adding mulch to the Memorial Garden, filling in the large pothole in the parking lot, and having both a Spring and Fall clean up day. Also to be mentioned is the ongoing cutting of the lawn and bringing the trash and recycling containers to the street for pickup and returning the emptied containers back to the shed area.
Some of these projects did require us to employ professional contractors, however, without volunteers, many of these tasks would have required hiring contractors and would greatly increase our church spending plan. Thanks to each and everyone who helped complete the needed work at Lord Of Life!
Below are some photos from the handicap repair project that was competed shortly after Christmas.
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Before and after photos of some of the concrete work done to our Fellowship Hall handicap ramp. |
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Bunco!
Saturday, February 19th,
At 11:00 AM
Our next Bunco is scheduled for February. We hope the Covid numbers will be down so we can hold our event. More information will be sent out to all on the Women's Ministry email list. If you would like your name added, use the link below to email me.
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If you have and questions about Women's Ministry, contact Betty Mastrillo. A link to her email is below.
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Ongoing Collection For
The Christian Caring Center
And
Bridge Of Peace
Please drop off your items for both the Christian Caring Center and Bridge Of Peace into the appropriate shopping cart located in the church entry hallway. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
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American Red Cross Blood Drive
At Lord Of Life
Monday, January 31st
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. With less than a one-day supply of critical blood types in recent weeks, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. The Red Cross is working around the clock to meet the blood needs of hospitals and patients, but can’t do it alone. We need your help!
Donate and receive a Dunkin gift card and be entered in a drawing for two tickets to the Super Bowl, a home theatre package, and a $500 e-giftcard!
Lord Of Life will host its first American Red Cross blood drive for 2022 on Monday, January 31st. Appointments are preferred. Use the link below to schedule your donation.
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Summer Job Opportunities
Applications for the Cross Roads Summer Staff 2022 are LIVE! We are hiring awesome young adults who would be a great fit for any of our open positions next summer. Employment runs from mid-June through August 2022. For more information and to apply Click Here
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Summer Camp Registration Is Open
Registration for Summer Camp 2022 at Cross Roads is now open! Explore all the offerings for youth in grades 2-12 as well as family camp programs on the Cross Roads website (A link is provided below.). Those registering before 1/31/22 will receive a $25 discount.
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Free Covid Test Kits Available
At-home Covid test kits are now available through the US government Covid web link that was launched on Tuessday, January 18th. The free kits will be shipped by regular mail to your home. It will take less than 2 weeks from your request for the kit to ship. Initially, there is a maximum of 4 test kits per household no matter how many persons are in the household. A link is provided below for the website.
Additional information about obtaining free test kits can be found on the link provided below.
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Burlington County Mega-Site
The Covid vaccination Mega-Site has reopened in the former AC Moore store in East Gate Mall. Initial Covid vaccinations and boosters are available. Limited walk-up vaccinations are available Tuesdays through Saturdays between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Appointments are recommended. To schedule an appointment, a link is provided below. The address is 1190 Nixon Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ. The center is open:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday and Friday: 1:00 AM - 6:00 PM
For more information, click on the link below to the Burlington County Health Department website.
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Vaccinations For Children
Ages 5 To 11
Children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible, following the authorization and recommendation of the vaccine by the FDA and CDC.
The pediatric Pfizer vaccine is administered as a two-dose vaccine, three weeks apart, at a lower dose than the dosage for those ages 12 and older.
Use the link provided below to find locations at which the vaccination is available. Look for those labeled, "Min. age: 5 years"
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Booster Vaccinations:
ALL Ages 16 Years And Older
ARE ELIGIBLE!
Everyone 16 years or older is now eligible for a booster shot at any vaccine location - as long as it has been at least five months after their last Pfizer injection, six months after their last Moderna injection, or at least two months after their one-dose Johnson & Johnson injection. Everyone eligible is encouraged to get booster shots.
Eligible individuals can get boosted with any of the three available vaccines, no matter which type they initially received.
For state-wide locations of booster vaccination sites, use the link below.
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2022 Contribution Envelopes
Thank you to all who picked up their 2022 Church envelopes and your anticipated generosity to Lord Of Life in 2022! Due to the continuing Covid issues, we understand that many members have been unable to attend in-person church services. We will begin to deliver the remaining boxes of envelopes to those members' homes. It is anticipated that we will begin the delivery during the week of January 23rd. Envelope boxes will be placed near your house entryway. Those homes closest to the church will be first to receive the envelopes. For members who live further away from Tabernacle, it will take some time before we will be able to get the envelopes to you.
If you do not as yet have your 2022 contribution envelopes and wish to make a donation, refer to the article below.
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Continuing Your Contributions |
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Your continuing financial support is essential to maintain the Ministries of Lord Of Life. Offerings are being collected at all church services. If you are still not attending services at our church building, your contribution can be mailed to the church (1 Winchester Court, Tabernacle, NJ 08088). Both Simply Giving and Tithe.ly remain in place for all to use. (More information about these electronic ways to contribute can be found on the church's website. The link is below.)
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Donation Received
From Amazon Smile
Lord Of Life recently received a donation of $65.22 from Amazon Smile. To date, we have received a total of $1,637.11. When you purchase at Amazon, you can designate Lord Of Life to receive a contribution of 1/2 of 1% of the value of your purchase. There is no cost to you to enroll, and it will not increase the cost of the items you buy. You must sign up for this program and then make your purchases using Amazon's special website, smile.amazon.com. The items and prices are the same as in the regular Amazon website. To enroll in this program and designate Lord Of Life as your charity, click on the link below which provides the instructions.
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Birthdays
Jan. 21: Quinlynn Springborn and John Welling
Jan. 23: Giana Favilla, Sue Michaleski, and Christopher Willitts
Jan. 25: William Dennis, Mason Kermoade, Luke Leach, and Joanne Safier
Jan. 26: Christine Bencivengo and Olivia Murray
Jan. 27: Travis Pummer
Jan. 29: Bruce Heinrich
Jan. 30: Chance Heinold
Jan. 31: Amelia Kucklinca
Feb. 2: Melissa DeAngelis, Nancy Drew, and Ken Tomlinson
Feb. 3: Bill Keenan, Jaklyn Kronenberger, Johanna Strobl, and Joanne Thomas
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Wedding Anniversaries
Jan. 26: Donna & Lanny Nairn (Celebrating 60 years!)
Feb. 2: Maralee & John Perri (Celebrating 56 years!)
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Baptismal Anniversaries
Jan. 24: Carol Koskela and Aubrey Stevens
Jan. 25: Erin Welling
Jan. 27: Jennifer Steff
Jan. 29: Paul Horner
Jan. 31: Caedmon Trozzo
February: William Leach
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From The Editors:
LifeLines Ending Song:
This ending song can be found in the With One Voice Lutheran Worship Resource in the section for Epiphany. It is one familiar to all of us. Enjoy!
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Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12 NRSV
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Next LifeLines:
The next issue of LifeLines will be published on:
Friday, February 4th.
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LifeLines is published on the first and third Friday of each month. (During July and August, there will only be one issue per month, on the first Friday.) Please submit articles for upcoming editions of the LifeLines by the Monday prior to the next issue date. Regarding the use of images, no copyright infringement is intended.
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To contact the LifeLines editors by email, click on the following link:
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