Students and teachers were showing off their favorite team apparel today for our MSU vs. U of M Spirit Day. The results of our PTL challenge are below including matching funds!

God's Word Points Us to Jesus: This Sunday, we will not only be celebrating Reformation, but we will also have our second graders receiving their Bibles. What an amazing event we will witness as our parents place Holy Scriptures into the hands of their children. For over 140 years, our congregation has provided our community with a place that teaches God's Word which points us to Jesus our Savior. During the Reformation, Martin Luther highlighted the importance of being in God's Word and he answered that question for us all, “What must I do to win God’s forgiveness for my sins and be saved?” And the answer to that of course is NOTHING! God has already done it all through Jesus Christ who suffered and died to pay the penalty for the sin of the world. We find this assurance throughout the Bible in passages like Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the FREE gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." We are forgiven and REDEEMED because of what Jesus has done for us. May God continue to bless the ministry of St. Peter Lutheran as we continue to focus on Jesus, the One who REDEEMD us.

Serving in Worship: The Cherub Choir sings in church this Sunday, October 27. Students will warm up at 9:10am in the music room. Thank you!

2nd Grade Bible Distribution: All 2nd graders in our congregation will receive their Bibles in church on Sunday, October 27. There will be a short meeting for 2nd graders and their parents following the church service. What a wonderful opportunity this is for our 2nd graders as their parents place God's Word in their hands.

Perfect and Faithful Church Attendance: Each quarter we recognize students who had perfect church attendance and faithful church attendance (>85%). We are thankful for their faithfulness to their Lord, and their commitment to weekly worship. These students will be given a certificate at chapel on Wednesday; congratulations to Brody Curnutt, Katie Hales, Charlie Hyatt, Connor McKenzie, Larkin McQueen, Logan Sherry, Ethan Smith, Charlotte Starke, Ava Hyatt, Annabelle Gage, Noah Jungnitsch, Tessa Gage, Noah Abraham, Paige Ostipow, Madeline Buckbee, Carter McQueen, Emmet Starke, Joel Abraham and Cole Buckbee for their perfect church attendance during the first quarter. Congratulations to Hannah Biber, Abby Hahn, Darlene Jungnitsch, Owen Smith, Isabella Wardin, Eloise Fiting, Maggie McQueen, Lucas Sherry, Roland Waugh, Eve McKenzie, London Shirely, Xander Wardin, Cooper McQueen, Libby Sherry and Luke Mossner for their faithful church attendance during the first quarter.

The Liberian Children's Ministry: This Wednesday is our final collection for the Liberian Children's Ministry. Thank you for your donations so far. All of our area Lutheran schools are also collecting for this ministry and all donations from all Lutheran schools will be matched!

Turkey Trot 2024: The Turkey Trot is next weekend! Races will begin at 9:00am. There will be caramel apples from Jacques Orchard for children, medals for all finishers, free online finisher photos and professional timing of the races. This is a great school event!

Turkey Trot Volunteers: We do need some additional volunteers to help at the Turkey Trot. Please contact Eric Hagenow if you are available to help.

Preschool Harvest Party: Our preschoolers and their families enjoyed a fun morning in the gym doing an assortment of activities. Thank you to Mrs. Bierlein, Mrs. Love, and our Early Childhood Staff for planning and organizing the day's events.

Field Trip: Our kindergarten and 1st grade students enjoyed a trip to Johnson's Pumpkin Farm today. All of them brought back their own pumpkin!

Lunch Menu for the week of October 28:

• Monday, October 28: Chicken Nuggets, Crinkle Cut French Fries and Applesauce.
• Tuesday, October 29: Homemade Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce, Fresh Salad and Diced Pears.
• Wednesday, October 30: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Carrots and Pineapple Tidbits.
• Thursday, October 31: Bosco Pizza Stuffed Breadsticks, Green Beans and Mandarin Oranges.
• Friday, November 1: Cheese Quesadilla, Refried Beans and Diced Peaches.

PTL Tips of the Week: With our 2nd graders receiving their Bibles this week, it is a wonderful reminder that Bible reading should be a daily priority in our lives and in the lives of our children and families. Our homes need a firm foundation, and that foundation is God’s Word which points us to Jesus our Redeemer. 

And the Winner Is: The Wolverines held on to their lead and came out on top. Hail! to the Victors! Thank you to all who donated during this fun competition. Here are the final results:

• MICHIGAN: $768.84
• MICHIGAN STATE: $408.05
• OTHER: $10
• MATCHING FUNDS: $1,186.89!

We had a total collection of $1,186.89, plus a generous match from one of our St. Peter families bringing our grand total to $2,373.78! Thank you for your support of your team and our school. Enjoy the game!

Sign-Ups Are Open: Conferences will take place on Thursday, November 14 in the afternoon and early evening for all parents with Preschool-8th grade students. Students in grades 5-8 are encouraged to attend these conferences with their parents. Please follow these steps to sign up for your conference(s):

1. Log into your FACTS Family Portal.
2. Go to the calendar tab on the left.
3. Then click on the My Classrooms tab on the top.
4. Go to Nov. 14, 2024 in the calendar.
5. Your child's conference sign up is there. If you have multiple children in different grades, there will be multiple sign ups. You will need to sign up for each child. Please note: If you select a 2:00pm appointment for one child, that time slot will not be blocked out on the other sign up.
6. All conference time slots are 15 minutes. Thank you for helping us stay on schedule for the day by limiting your conference to 15 minutes.
7. The last time slot is scheduled for 6:15pm-6:30pm.

We will have a half-day of school on November 14 (child care is available in the afternoon). There is no school on November 15, but there will also be child care on this day.

Theme Shirt Thursday: Our next Theme Shirt Thursday will be on Thursday, October 31. If you forgot to order a theme shirt while the St. Peter store was open, we still have a few theme shirts in various sizes available in the office. Shirts are $16 each and can be billed through FACTS. Please call the school office or stop in if you would like to purchase one.

Report Cards: Report cards will be available through your FACTS family portal on November 1 at 12:00pm.

7th-8th Grade Class Trip Fundraiser: Our 7th and 8th graders will be holding a wreath and grave blanket sale with proceeds to benefit their class trip to Washington D.C. in April. Completed order forms and payment can be turned in to any 7th and 8th grade student or the school office. Money cannot be collected at the church. You may order now through November 17. Orders will be ready for pick-up on Monday, December 2 and Tuesday, December 3 from 3:00-6:00pm in the church pavilion. We thank you for your support of this great opportunity for these students.

Advent By Candlelight: Sunday, December 1, from 4:30-6:00pm, come and prepare your hearts for the Advent season. Soup, salad, bread and desserts will be served. An inspirational message, meaningful conversation and Christmas hymns will be enjoyed by all. Please call the school office (989.642.5659) or email Mrs. Kelley Fehn at kelley.fehn@stpeterhemlock.org to reserve your spot. This event will take place in the school gymnasium.