"Our faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing." -Martin Luther-
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 20, 2021
You are invited to join us for Sunday Worship on Sunday, June 20, 2021, the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. We have moved back into our church building for in-person worship. If you are unable to attend at the church, you can still join us for worship virtually as we will be posting a recording of the service on our You Tube channel later in the day Sunday or on Monday. You can check our channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfqAlVP3IslFJILUcVSCM1w

Special thanks to our Worship & Music and Communications teams and heartfelt gratitude to Scott and Rosemary Compton for producing and posting our service video.
Below, please find links to download a PDF of the Order of Service and text of the Sermon
All links and the Order of Service are also available on our Facebook page:
Children's Worship Resources
From First Lutheran
The First Lutheran Family Fun & Fellowship Virtual Program led by Barbara Giangaspro takes place on Sundays at 4:00 pm each week. Please email Barbara at lwmcbg@optonline.net if your family would like to join the group!
 
From Metro NY Synod
Members and friends of First Lutheran with children are invited to download the free MNYS Children's App. To learn more, click, here: https://www.mnys.org/childrens-app/
Meeting and Fellowship Reminders
Council Meeting
Our council meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month for the foreseeable future. There will be no council meeting in July. Our next meeting will be Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 6:30 PM. Pastor Koenig will be our coverage Pastor and has been assigned this responsibility by the Synod.

Pub Night
Our next FELC Pub Night will be Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 6 PM. The pub night will take place at Schatzi's.
Fellowship Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast and/or coffee together as we gather prayer petitions and check in with each other on Thursday, July 1, 2021 beginning at 9 AM. The breakfast will take place at the Palace Diner. No reservations are needed.
Church Reopening-We are Singing. Come Join Us
 MASKS--must be worn at all times inside church whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated. Masks must be worn properly and should cover both nose and mouth. Masks may be lowered to receive communion.
 
NYS GUIDELINES FOR HOUSES OF WORSHIP – If you have not seen these guidelines, please contact Nancy Slingerland at 845-853-4307 or president@firstlutheranpok.org.
 
SINGING—We have decided to sing starting this Sunday, June 13, 2021. We will sing a sending hymn. Masks must be worn while singing.
 
COMMUNION—When we have a preacher who can administer communion we have decided to give both elements wafer and wine. We will line up at the communion rail to receive communion. Please follow the markers on the floor in front of the communion rail and/or ushers instructions.
 
ENTRANCES—Please enter through the front doors, parking lot door or Catherine St. If you enter through the front doors, please read the sign on the wall directly ahead of you with the STOP sign. If you enter through the parking lot door or Catherine St., please read the sign outside the door prior to entering. 
 
SANITIZING STATIONS—Please ensure you sanitize your hands upon entering the church. The stations are located inside the church at the parking lot entrance, Catherine St. , and in the narthex. 
 
PEWS—Please sit in only designated pews. Other pews will be marked off. 
 
WORSHIP—Our service will look and feel a little different. We will be filming our service so it can be shared on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and you may not be able to sit in your pew.  However, we will be together inside our beautiful sanctuary.  
 
COFFEE HOUR—No coffee hour for a while.
 
PARKING—I know that parking has been a concern since our lot across the street now has apartment buildings. Available parking—our lot, the other side of the municipal lot right next to the apartments, Security Supply lot, and two lots on Catherine St. One lot is owned by the city and leased to Family Services. This lot is a short distance from 45 Catherine St. The other lot is located at the law firm of McCabe, Coleman, Ventosa and Paterson at 42 Catherine St. Both lots are very close to the church and folks can enter the church on Catherine St. There are a few other lots around yet to be explored. We will continue to investigate. 
 
Thanks for your patience as we move forward on our journey! 

Many blessings!
Nancy S.
Altar Flowers
This week’s flowers are in memory of Linda Connors' Dad: To the Glory of God, our Father and In loving memory of your father and mine. I love and miss you Dad.
Guest Organist - Meg Ritzau
Meg Ritzau will be our guest organist for both the 20th and the 27th while Eric is away. She is a student at Vassar College and studies with Gail Archer.
Council Message
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s. I have fond memories of my Dad growing up as a kid on the south side of Newburgh. We didn’t have much, never went on vacation, and got one pair of shoes for the entire school year. However, we were surrounded by lots of LOVE. Our summer vacation was Yardsville USA! I remember when we did not even have a car. My Dad borrowed his father’s car to bring my Mom grocery shopping and pay bills (no paying bills via your bank account in those days). My Dad worked six days a week and five of the six days he was employed at Crowley’s Milk Company as a milk pasteurizer. On the sixth day my Dad worked as a caretaker at a dentists house. Mowing their law, helping them with chores, etc. Many times he would get called into work at Crowley’s at 2:00AM because the bottle machine broke, so up he would get and either walked about five blocks to Crowley’s or, when we finally could afford a car, drive over to Crowley’s. Sunday’s he was always off from both jobs and made sure we always got to mass and even shoveled a path one Sunday so we could get to St. Francis church, which was close to our home. My Dad was a hard working person and loved his family very much. Especially, the grandkids when they came along! My Dad has been gone for almost 26 years and I miss him every day. Treasure each moment you have with your Dad…they are priceless!! Again, Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s.

Nancy S.
Summer Match Kick-Off
Dear Friends in Christ, The summer solstice will soon be upon us with the harbinger of warm weather, cook-outs with family and friends and Renegades games. It's also the start of our summer match fundraising campaign. We are so blessed with generous members who have come forward to commit the $7,500.00 to be matched. The summer match is an integral part of our income budget which we approved at the Zoom congregational meeting in January. Please prayerfully consider a donation this summer so we can meet our goal of $15,000.00.

Sincerely,
Kurt Bastian
Recent High School Graduates
Recent high school graduates Andrew and Philip Stephens received blankets from the Blanket Sewers.
A Brief History of the Pride Parade
On June 28, 1969, a riot erupted outside the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Like Lexington and Concord, this was the “shot” heard ‘round the gay world! The Stonewall, like many other gay bars, was run by the Mafia, who paid the police not to raid their establishments The Mafia recouped their “protection money” by over-charging for watered-down drinks. These were dark, dingy and dirty places, buy gay folks had few other places to meet.

Why the gay revolution began on that night, in that bar, no one is quite sure. It was an exceptionally hot evening in June, and it was the day after Judy Garland’s death. The singer was an icon among gay men, and emotions were running high. At any rate, when the police entered the Stonewall that evening, the kindling was laid and only needed a small spark.

When the police began harassing the patrons, and the patrons started pitching pennies at them, the flame was ignited, and the riot began. Thousands of gay people converged on the Stonewall, and the riot continued for days. Gay power signs began to appear in the crowd, and what began as a riot evolved, over the coming weeks and months, into a revolution. Homosexuals realized that they could no longer hide in the dark corners. In order to be safe and free, they must have the courage to “come out of the closet.” They must become more visible and more involved in the political process that had long worked against them.

On the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a Gay Pride Parade was held in New York City. Thousands marched, and over the next 50 years, these parades have grown and spread to cities around the world. In 2019, Poughkeepsie held its first Pride Parade, and hundreds marched, not just gay people, but straight people as well. Supportive family members, friends and allies stepped up and stepped out. First Lutheran Church, which had become a “Reconciling in Christ” church, was also there with our church banner. There were only three of us marching then, but this year there were four of us. As Stonewall has clearly demonstrated, big things can grow from small beginnings!
Linda Connors and Adele Mauriello Holding the church banner and Eric Hepp holding up the Reconciling In Christ sign. Carol Reichert is leading the smaller but hardy band of Lutherans!

In the second photo Linda, Eric and Carol are at the Parade kick/off point with the church banner.
Altar Flowers
As we now have in-person worship, you can sign up for ordering Altar flowers in honor or memory of your loved ones. As always Jim Grey will provide the beautiful arrangements.

The suggested donation is $25 for each Sunday. Please send your check along with the name of who you are honoring to First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 325 Mill Street., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. If you would like to use the online donation option, please send a note or email to our secretary Bailey Yewchuck at office@firstlutheranpok.org with the name of the person(s).

The announcements of who provided the flowers will be added to both our e-blast newsletter and weekly bulletin.

The chart is located in the narthex with pens at the ready.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care is being coordinated by our First Lutheran Shepherds, who will refer FELC parishioners to Pastor Arlene Wilhelm, Deacon Peter Slingerland, Rev. Jeff Koenig, or Pastor Chris Mietlowski, Assistant to the Bishop MNYS/ELCA in cases of serious pastoral emergency. If you are not sure who your Shepherd is, please contact:
FELC President, Nancy Slingerland at Email: President@firstlutheranpok.org
Nancy Compton at Email: NLCompton59@gmail.com
or leave a message for either at the Church Office phone: 845-452-6050.
June Birthday List
01 Vicki Frank-Day
01 Emmeline Louisa Yuan Nicoll
02 Norberto Dominguez
04 Shirley Mowell
04 Linda Polgrean
06 Louise Grey
07 Evva Burlingame
10 Laura Carbone
10 William Frank
19 Nancy Slingerland
25 Nancy Compton
27 Susan Henkel
30 Juanita Sandala
Saturday Pick-up Dinners at Germania
For those who are interested in supporting Germania while enjoying a delicious meal each week, please consider ordering Germania's Saturday pickup dinners at Germania. Sylvia Reuter is the contact person and her email address is sylvreuter@gmail. com. Her phone number is 914-882-0307. The dinners are very reasonably priced and include entree and dessert. They also have apple strudel available for an additional cost. You must contact Sylvia by Friday to order and to tell her when you will be picking up on Saturday (between 4-7 pm). You can pay by check or by credit card. When you arrive at Germania on DeGarmo Road, drive to the front of the club and someone wearing a mask and gloves will bring you dinner(s) to the car.
Sharing our Offerings
We offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us - ourselves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (LBW, Offertory Prayer)
 
Simply Giving online giving is available for donations:
1) Go to https://my.simplegive.com/app/giving/Firs9999156 -or- go to https://firstlutheranpok.org/ and click on "Donations" at the top of the home page.
2) Under Fund click on Choose a Fund --> General Fund
3) Type in Amount (check box for recurring if desired -- you'll be prompted to set up an account)
4) Choose Credit card or Bank Account
a) Credit card incurs 2.5% fee to the church
b) Bank Transfer incurs 1.0% fee to the church
If you have any questions, contact Chris Collins at ccollins38000@gmail.com
And Finally, Always Remember...
"Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!"
First Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA)
325 Mill Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845-452-6050 (Church)
FIRST LUTHERAN MISSION STATEMENT

“As members of God’s family in mission together, we are part of the whole complicated, colorful spectrum of God’s creation in all its diversity, practicing our faith and putting it into action as we strive to make a difference, in big and small ways, through God’s grace.

We recognize that we are all called to be one body with many members, from infants to seniors. We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, shapes and sizes; of every marital status, political affiliation, socio-economic status, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression; of different faith traditions, different physical, mental and emotional abilities, and those in recovery or struggling with addiction.

We know that no matter who you are, Jesus accepts you, and so do we.”