Rev. Kevin A. Karner Dr. Anne Stuhlman Pastor Immanuel ...€¦ · If you have a computer, tablet...
Transcript of Rev. Kevin A. Karner Dr. Anne Stuhlman Pastor Immanuel ...€¦ · If you have a computer, tablet...
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 1
May 2020
Vol. 20 No. 4 Messenger
Imma n uel Lu ther an Chur c h a nd Sc ho o l
154 Me ad ow Street Br is to l , C T 0 601 0
860 -583 - 5649 dkra mp itz @ i lc s . org
www.ilcs.org
O U R M I S S I O N
The people of Immanuel
Lutheran Church are living
proof of the grace of God
through salvation in Jesus
Christ. Empowered by Christ,
our mission is to reach out in
love to those who have not yet
responded to the Gospel that
all may be united in Christ.
School Mission
The Mission of Immanuel
Lutheran School is to pro-
vide a loving atmosphere of
academic excellence for
children while developing
in them and their families a
lasting relationship with
Jesus Christ.
Rev. Kevin A. Karner
Pastor
Dr. Anne Stuhlman
School Principal
I M M A N U E L L U T H E R A N C H U R C H A N D S C H O O L , B R I S T O L , C O N N E C T I C U T
DAY Thursday, May 21
As I sit at my desk at home and begin to pen this note to all our Immanuel
family, I know we are in a time like we have never experienced in our life-
time. Despite all the turmoil and life altering situations, I know that the
Lord is with us and he is guiding and protecting us.
We have just celebrated His glorious Resurrection which gives us great joy
in knowing that our eternal home has been secured for us and we can confi-
dently sing the hymn: I know that my Redeemer Lives!
The Church Council has been meeting on a weekly basis by way of a virtual
meeting using Internet technology and have been actively engaged to ensure
that the work of our Lord is continuing. Our Divine Service is being
livestreamed over the Internet and it is important to note that this was ac-
complished within 24 hours of the government’s request to limit gatherings
to no more than 5 people! We now are livestreaming both Pastor’s Bible
Study and our weekly Sunday Divine Service.
We gathered all the necessary information and applied for the Paycheck
Protection Program, which was part of the Federal Legislation passed to as-
sist small businesses and Non-Profit’s to maintain their workforce. We will
be receiving 2½ months of our payroll and benefits costs from this program.
In addition, we will be applying for reimbursements for utility expenses.
We have implemented an electronic giving program called E-Offering,
which will enable members and non-members to make contributions using
either their checking or savings account as well as a credit card. More in-
formation regarding this new Stewardship effort will be detailed in future
communication.
We have been working with the City of Bristol regarding the use of some of
our property, if needed, to assist our community in meeting the needs of
those impacted by the pandemic.
We continue to ask the Lord’s Blessings on our Immanuel family and pray
that this pandemic will soon be over. If you have questions or concerns,
please contact me.
In HIS Service,
Howard T. Schmelder Congregational President
Immanuel Lutheran Church & School 154 Meadow Street, Bristol, CT 06010 Church: 860-583-5649 School: 860-583-5631 www.ilcs.org
Sunday, May 31
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 2
Messenger is published
monthly except in August
by Immanuel Lutheran
Church and School for its
members and friends.
Immanuel is a member of
the Lutheran Church
Missouri Synod.
Ed & Dee Krampitz Newsletter Editors
Deadline for submissions
is the 15th of the month.
From the Pastor’s Desk
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. — 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“Pandemic Pastoral Potpourri”
SUNDAY DIVINE SERVICE
10:45 a.m. Live Streaming
BIBLE STUDY 9:30 a.m.
Live Streaming
Go to our website and download the
Sunday Bulletin and Bible Study.
If you miss the live streaming, remember to
go under the Worship Service on the website
for the links to watch the Service and Bible Study.
www.ilcs.org
The above title refers to the fact that I
don’t have any “cute” stories to share
with you this month. Since much of our
congregational communication has been
limited for several weeks now, I thought
I would bring you up to date with the
“State of Immanuel Lutheran Church.”
Despite the disruption to our normal
way, the Lord’s work continues in our
congregation, our school, and our com-
munity. Day to day operations have been
maintained by our wonderful office
staff; Trina Theriault has kept the church
office open for mail delivery, phone
calls, and other important congregational
needs, while Dee Krampitz has worked,
at home and in the office, at providing
our weekly bulletin, the monthly news-
letter, and being a friendly voice to an-
swer questions and concerns.
On the “business” side of things George
Rindfleisch (Accounts Payable) has been
making sure that the bills are paid as he
keeps track of our income and expenses.
Dawn Milano and Andy Helming have
done the math concerning our Sunday
(weekly) offerings, and, as I mentioned
before one of our Divine Services, How-
ard Schmelder has gone “above and be-
yond” what he normally does as our
business manager; not the least of which
was preparing all the paperwork in-
volved with the federal government’s
“Payroll Protection Program” that has
allowed us to maintain compensation to
all of our employees (both church and
school).
And speaking of our school, I’m so
proud of our principal, Anne Stuhlman,
and each of our teachers at Immanuel
Lutheran! They didn’t “miss a beat” dur-
ing the transition to online learning. In
fact, our ILS teachers were preparing
take-home packets BEFORE school was
officially closed, and teaching our stu-
dents online TWO WEEKS before the
City of Bristol began its public school
instruction! And the kids (and their par-
ents) have responded equally as well.
What a blessing our school is to the life
and ministry of our beloved Immanuel
Lutheran Church!
I also want to give a “shout out” to all
who serve on our church council.
Through a lot of video meetings, emails,
text messages, and phone calls, our con-
gregational work has been virtually
“seamless.” THANK YOU, council
members!
Three important items have taken a fair
amount of effort on behalf of our con-
gregation. #1 – Most should be aware by
now that we are providing access to our
Sunday morning schedule (both Bible
study and Divine Service) on a variety
of social media platforms: Facebook
(Live), Twitter, YouTube, and Insta-
gram, as well as our radio ministry.
Thanks be to God for the efforts and
abilities of Vern Koch, Rhoda Lange,
Gladys Lagace, Paul Strawderman, and
Marv Heidorn for making it all happen!
#2 – We now have access to online,
electronic giving. If you go to the church
webpage (ilcs.org) you’ll find a
“DONATE NOW myEoffering” button
that makes giving to the Lord and His
Church easy and convenient. Questions?
Call the church office. #3 – Over the last
several weeks I’ve spent a lot of time
meeting with city officials regarding the
use of Immanuel property in an effort to
Worship Services are broadcast each Sunday
at 1:00 p.m. on
WNTY Radio 990 AM 96.1 FM
and online at KoolOldiesRadio.net (Continued on Page 5)
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 3
Dear Immanuel Lutheran Church Members and Friends,
Teacher Appreciation Week is around the corner. The teachers of Immanuel Lutheran School are busy teach-
ing through Zoom, videos, Google Classroom and packets mailed or dropped off at students’ homes. They are
doing a fantastic job and I am so proud of them. They have grown professionally through the new necessity of
teaching in a virtual environment. Every teacher has stepped up to meet this new challenge head-on.
The students are keeping up with their daily assignments and are continuing the work through the curriculum.
They get to see their classmates on Zoom, interact with their teachers, and submit pictures of their artwork for
the virtual art gallery on the website. Each class has their own established routine, but all are using Google
Classroom as a platform. Student Zoom meetings include whole
class instructional Zooms, Noon Zooms at lunch, Moon Zooms in
the evening, as well as one-on-one Zoom sessions with their
teachers. Every email and google classroom communication is
copied to me through email, and I get no less than 300 emails a
day. There is a lot of communication, a lot of teaching, and a lot
of learning happening every day!
In March, teachers Jen Drechsler, Lorene Berrian, Chrissy Orie,
and Talie White visited student homes (from afar) to see students
in person. The students were excited to see their teachers. We
added a Virtual Art Gallery on the website to showcase the stu-
dents’ art work. Katja Evans, our art teacher, assigns weekly art
activities. Our PE teacher, Hannah Baldino, gives weekly physi-
cal activity assignments for each age group. Our students regu-
larly submit video and pictures of their projects, work and prod-
ucts. The learning is certainly personalized to challenge while
meeting the needs of each student.
Our weekly faculty meetings are on Zoom as well. We have
started the discussion on what it will look like when we re-open.
Currently, face masks are being made for the students and staff
to wear when we return. Handwashing stations have been pur-
chased for classrooms without sinks. New protocol is being es-
tablished for hallways, drop-off, and pick up. Teachers are plan-
ning classroom arrangements that allow desks and seating to be
apart. We are all eager to get back to the building.
We fully expect to return to in the fall stronger than ever. We
plan to continue using many of the new technology strategies
when we return. We have new families eager to enroll. We are
encouraging our families to stay strong in their faith during this
trying time.
Blessings, and stay safe!
Anne Stuhlman, Principal
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ School News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 4
Spring greetings to all our members and friends,
over age 50, who usually join us for spring lunches,
socializing, and interesting programs. We are the
ones who must socially distance ourselves from one
another, wear a mask when we go out, and mainly
stay in our homes so we can later see one another.
We hope you are staying safe and remaining healthy
through this most difficult time in our lives. Don’t
you just Love the spring flowering trees, bushes and
the lovely spring flowers you see outside.
We had great programs planned for you this spring
and summer but we cannot safely get together now.
Hopefully we will get together later this year on the
first Thursday of a month and enjoy a pizza party
together and an interesting program.
If you have a computer, tablet or phone with internet
access you can join Pastor Karner’s Bible Class each
Sunday morning at 9:30, followed by the Divine
Service at 10:45, or just listen to your radio for the
service at 1 pm.
We ask you to phone two friends a week from our
lunch group, just to say hello and chat and see how
they are doing during this pandemic. Take a little
ride in your car around town to see all the colors of
spring; you don't want to miss the beautiful world
God made for us to enjoy. Call the pastor or church
office if you have a real need or concern that they
could help you with. We are all in this together alt-
hough apart. God bless you!
Peace I will leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let them be afraid., John 14:27
What a comfort to here those words, especially in today's world with all the illness and problems surrounding us. We are thankful for our Faith knowing God is in control. Even though we have been separated and homebound, we still have the assurance that Jesus is with us always, no matter where we are.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you and also to the families that have lost loved ones . May God Bless and Keep you safe and healthy till we are able to gather once again in Our Lord’s House.
A quote from Oswald Chambers, Leave the broken, irreversible past in God's hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.
Blessings, Roberta
Called Home to Heaven
Joyce W. Raspanti
June 18, 1928 — March 17, 2020
Roald M. “Porky” Erling
March 18, 1933 — April 19, 2020
Sunday,
May 10th
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 5
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Scholarships ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Immanuel Lutheran
Church
Scholarships
Scholarship Applications are available in the
church office:
We are accepting applications for Immanuel
Lutheran Church Scholarships.
Scholarships are awarded to members of
Immanuel Lutheran Church or graduates of
Immanuel Lutheran School.
Applications are due on Monday, June 15th,
in the church office.
Notice from Immanuel Lutheran
Church Foundation – It’s Time! Westfall Scholarship Applications are
available in the office.
There are five individual scholarships
that are available to graduates of Immanuel
Lutheran School or members of Immanuel
Lutheran Church that are seeking an under-
graduate degree at an accredited college or
university.
Westfall I scholarship is a single scholar-
ship awarded with preference given to a stu-
dent pursuing a career as a church worker.
Westfall II awards scholarships to four
individuals.
Applications are due on Monday, June 15th,
in the church office.
“Pandemic Pastoral Potpourri”
meet the physical and emotional needs of our Bristol
community. In consultation with Mayor Ellen Zoppo-
Sassu, city councilman Dave Preleski, and representa-
tives from St. Vincent De Paul Mission Shelter, our
church council has agreed (in principal / agreement
pending) to rent our parish center and school gymnasi-
um for the months of May, June, and July to the shel-
ter to provide additional resources in their outreach to
the homeless among us. It seemed to me (and the
council agreed) that, as we have a civic and moral du-
ty to “love our neighbor as ourselves,” one way to
honor that duty was to offer the use of our empty
spaces during this time of community need. The city
has assured us that Immanuel will not have any costs
associated with this agreement.
So, there you have it – The State of Immanuel Luther-
an Church and School as we enter the month of May,
2020.
A final word: as a personal matter, I am truly longing
for the day when we will once again meet together in
the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! I had no idea
when this all began of just how much I would miss the
people of God here at Immanuel. I’m comforted in
knowing that many of you are being fed (albeit tech-
nologically) in Bible study and the Divine Service. In
fact, I’m pleased that so many are joining us online for
the study of God’s Word! Let’s try to keep that mo-
mentum going, even AFTER the pandemic has
passed!
God’s continued blessings to you and yours!
Stay safe (in Christ)!
Pastor Karner
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
These scholarships
will be awarded in August.
(Continued from Page 2)
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 6
Signing up is as simple as going to our church website www.ilcs.org and clicking
on the “Donate Now myEoffering” button. You’ll register an account and within
minutes you will be giving your first online donation. The steps are outlined on
the next page.
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 7
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 8
April Birthdays
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
Thu
2
Fri
3
Sat
4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
Margaret Cassala
Noreen Kirschner
Timothy Sonstroem
Kristy Wolfe
David Grossmann Michael Triplett
Judith Buonafede
Mary Kuharski
Kendall Raymond
Benjamin Schuler Gabriella Buonafede Morgan Bielert
William Palmisano, Jr.
Ann Winters
Maliki Matthews
Brandon Kohl
Danish Nazir
Sylva Voisine
Bill Emmert
Jennifer Phillips
Dawn Raymond
Janet Hackett Jessica Divinere
Dillon Kohl
Aliza Redman
Alyson Schaffrick
Rick Simons
Preston Fitzgerald
Charles McIntyre
Daniel Bielert, II
Jacob Holcomb
Janice Monzillo
RoseMarie Pavlik
David Ryskowski
Julie Perry Randolf Jabs
Amanda Neumann
Joanne Tanasi
Magda Jabs
Gladys Lagace
Ryan Hislop
Becky Wells
Jared Harrington
Irene Kraus
Barbara Nye
Albert May
Jacob Wolfe
On April, 6, Volunteers for the Orphan Grain Train’s (OGT)
New England Branch assisted Bristol Hospital employees in
loading needed supplies for the Hospital’s use during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The items included 36 Hospital Beds, 36 Bed Rails, 38 Mat-
tresses, 21 Mattress toppers, 31 Hospital Style Patient Moni-
tors, 10,000 gloves, and boxes of Isolation Gowns and disposa-
ble Bed Pads.
All these items have been received as donations and OGT vol-
unteers have picked them up to store in the warehouse to assist
those in need. After doing 35 shipments throughout the world
and to hard hit areas in the United States, it is wonderful to be
able to help an organization like the Bristol Hospital in a time
of need. OGT has the use of a warehouse in Terryville that is
owned by Mr. Bill Allread who has made space available for
this charitable work.
Other shipments have gone to missions in a number of coun-
tries, e.g. Liberia, Nicaragua, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova,
Lithuania, Latvia, Liberia, Nepal, the Philippines, Ghana and
the Republic of Georgia, as well as Appalachia and hurricane
relief for Puerto Rico, Florida and North Carolina. The Branch
also helps those locally in New England, giving medical items
that have been donated to individuals in need and thru the visit-
ing nurse and hospice care organizations of the area. It has also
helped with a shipment to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission.
The effort is an Outreach Ministry of the Lutheran Church Mis-
souri Synod, and OGT is a 501(c)(3) charity affiliated with the
church and supported locally by Holy Trinity Lutheran in Ter-
ryville, Immanuel Lutheran in Bristol, St. John Lutheran in
Waterbury, and is open to all who want to help others. For
more information, please call Holy Trinity at 860-582-0723
and/or check out the OGT.org website.
Orphan Grain Train
Assists Bristol Hospital During Pandemic
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 9
May Birthdays
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Sat
2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Victoria Holcomb
Mary Ann Kalwat
Kaitlyn Thormahlen
Pauline Blaschke
Sue Lutz
Aaron Boutin
David Thormahlen
Kenadee Boney
Edna Kozikowski Morgan Boucher
Cassandra Ewen
Rudy Finger
John Mora
Matthew Raspanti
Robert Boutin
Marian Goodwin
Morgan Moliengo
Michael Rodgers
James Christopher, III
Kimberly Martin
Elaine Blank
Samuel Gahr
Meadow Wells
Kelly Lejeune Casey McIntyre
Paul Strawderman
Carol Young Adam Beaudet
Roberta Kuhr
Nancy Mitchell Nate Kisser
Matthew Tonn
Michael DeAngelo
Annabelle Kirschner
Lorraine Sonstrom
Tyler Bodley
Eva Zebrowski
Savannah Duval Bryan Pavlik Donald Kalwat Christy Hislop
Oscar Jobs
Anne Stuhlman
John Bohn
Seth Foley
Mark Brasche
Sophia Reid
Amelie Hutton
Parker Synder
Gregory Blaschke, Jr.
Henry Darm
Hedwig Maretzki
Billee Wallace
Do You Know?
Are you aware of what the Christian Church considers to be the highest church
festival after Easter (#1) and Christmas (#2)? Is it Pentecost? No. Is it Epipha-
ny? No. What about any of the services of Holy Week – Palm Sunday, Maundy
Thursday, or Good Friday? Nope.
The answer is – Ascension Day! After His resurrection, Jesus appeared sev-
eral times to His disciples and others. During this time, He spoke to them about
the kingdom of God and the coming of the Holy Spirit, for whom they were to
wait. After 40 days of these appearances, He was taken up to heaven for the last
time. As the disciples watched Him go, two angels appeared and declared to
them that, just as He ascended, Jesus would return in glory.
According to one of the early church fathers, Augustine of Hippo, the Feast of
Ascension originated with the Apostles. It may be one of the oldest feasts prac-
ticed by the Church, possibly going as far back as AD 68. There is no written
evidence, however, of the church honoring Ascension Day until Augustine’s
time in the fourth century. Churches around the world have observed Ascension Day Feasts for centuries.
DAY SERVICE
Thursday, May 21, at 7 pm
3rd Saturday in May
31
Isla Kirschner
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Immanuel Lutheran Church Messenger May 2020 10
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