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SeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember 2012012012012222
Volume Volume Volume Volume 44445555, Issue, Issue, Issue, Issue 9999
The LeafThe LeafThe LeafThe Leaf – a monthly publication of GLC
Gethsemane Lutheran ChurchGethsemane Lutheran ChurchGethsemane Lutheran ChurchGethsemane Lutheran Church The LeafThe LeafThe LeafThe Leaf
35 Ea35 Ea35 Ea35 East Stanton Avenue st Stanton Avenue st Stanton Avenue st Stanton Avenue ♦ Columbus OH 43214 Columbus OH 43214 Columbus OH 43214 Columbus OH 43214 ♦ 614614614614----885885885885----4319431943194319
www.gethsemane.orgwww.gethsemane.orgwww.gethsemane.orgwww.gethsemane.org
PastorPastorPastorPastor
Rev. June A. Wilkins [email protected]
Music Music Music Music MinistrMinistrMinistrMinistriesiesiesies
Dr. Timothy E. Guenther [email protected]
Learning & Family MinistriesLearning & Family MinistriesLearning & Family MinistriesLearning & Family Ministries
Terri Siebert [email protected]
Child Care CenterChild Care CenterChild Care CenterChild Care Center
Brenda Weilbacher [email protected]
Parish SecrParish SecrParish SecrParish Secretaryetaryetaryetary
Diane Gutgesell [email protected]
CustodiansCustodiansCustodiansCustodians
Kate and Shana Bumster
In this IssueIn this IssueIn this IssueIn this Issue
Inclusive Language – P. 2
VBS / Rally Day – P. 4
Swahili Concert – P. 5
Adult Education – P. 6
Quilt Dedication – P. 8
Service Day – P. 8
Sunday, September 9, 2012Sunday, September 9, 2012Sunday, September 9, 2012Sunday, September 9, 2012
Potluck Potluck Potluck Potluck Brunch andBrunch andBrunch andBrunch and
Special ActivitiesSpecial ActivitiesSpecial ActivitiesSpecial Activities
in the Great Hallin the Great Hallin the Great Hallin the Great Hall
2
STAFFSTAFFSTAFFSTAFF
Inclusive Language By Pastor June Wilkins
Words matter. We use words to express ourselves,
convey instructions and tell stories. Words can heal
and they can hurt. They can include or exclude. As
Christians, we use words to tell the story of Jesus and
God. Through words, the stories of Jesus have been
passed down from the original disciples to us. And
words are all we will have to pass the stories on to the
next generation. The Gospel of John even calls Jesus
“The Word of God.” Words matter. Language matters.
What we say matters.
That is why I think, as Christians, using inclusive
language in our speech, worship and writing is
important.
Inclusive language is when we use nouns and
pronouns that are not male gender-specific when
referring to people and even to God. Being inclusive in
our language means using “humankind” instead of
“mankind”, “he or she” and not just “he” and “brother
and sister” and not just “brother” when referring to
people. And it also means using “God” or “Creator”
and not just “He” or “Father” when referring to God.
I try to do this intentionally in my speaking and leading
because I believe words matter and how we convey
the message of Jesus to each other matters. When we
use only masculine language, I believe that it can
inadvertently exclude females from the message.
Sometimes this can be difficult because the Bible itself
uses many masculine words and pronouns when
talking about people and especially when talking
about God. There are new translations like the NRSV
and the New Living Translation and the Message that
have intentionally used gender-neutral words for
humanity. (Most still use mostly masculine language
for God.)
It’s important to remember that the languages of
Hebrew and Greek, in which the books of the Bible
were originally written, are gender-specific languages.
That means that every noun and verb conjugation has
a gender assignment. And the ancient traditions of the
languages proscribe that any mixed gender reference
defers to male. That means if there is a crowd of all
women and one man, the crowd is referred to in the
masculine form of the word therefore, people or
humans as a group were always referred to as “men”.
Like at the end of Paul’s letter to the Galatians he
writes “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
your spirit, brothers and sisters.” (Gal 6:18) The
original reads only “brothers” but it is obvious that he
is addressing the whole community and not just the
men.
We do not have that gender specific issue with the
English language. But when the Bible was translated
into English early on (until the last half of the 20th
century), the translators made a choice to use the
male pronoun when referring to crowds and human
beings. This is probably because it was also the
custom at the time of those translations to use mostly
male pronouns in the English language.
The gender-inclusive use for God might be a more
difficult issue for some. The original writers of the
Bible certainly referred to God as male and
understood God as male. This might be partially a
3
STAFFSTAFFSTAFFSTAFF
convention of the languages they used, but it might
have been their assumption at the time that men
were superior to women and therefore God was
obviously male.
But we don’t share that assumption today. We also
understand that God is neither male nor female.
Genesis 1:27 reads “God created humankind in his
image, in the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them.” Even while it is referring to
God as “he”, it still says that male and female were
created in God’s image. So God’s image is of both
genders. Also, in the Hebrew scriptures, the Spirit of
God is referred to as “Ruach”, which is a feminine
word. And in Proverbs, the Wisdom of God (which was
said to be there during creation) was metaphorically
spoken of as a female (Proverbs 8-9). In Isaiah and
Psalms and other places, God is spoken of metaphor-
ically as a woman (Is 42:14, 49:15, Ps 22:1, 9-10.)
The writers of the Bible used metaphors to attempt to
convey God to the listener. God cannot be fully
understood or captured, so they used familiar things
in an attempt to point to God with them. These
metaphors, though, should not be understood
literally. Even when Jesus referred to God as “abba”
(translated by us as “father”) it was meant to convey
the closeness and familiarity of God, (more closely the
word is “daddy”) not necessarily to identify the gender
of God. At the best these metaphors point us towards
God; they do not and cannot covey the whole reality
of God. It is important that we convey God in many
and varied ways so we don’t exclude other images of
God from our understanding and imagination.
Sometimes it’s hard to use inclusive language,
especially in speaking. Many of the gender pronouns
like “mankind”, “Father” and using “He” for God are
ingrained in our tradition and our heads. Since most of
us have used them since we were young, it comes
more naturally to us than using more inclusive
language. But just because something comes
automatically or naturally that doesn’t mean that it is
the best way. And, like anything, practicing makes it
easier to do.
Using inclusive language in Christian expression is not
just a politically correct thing thought up by feminists
to make life difficult. It’s an intentional act of including
more people into the story of God. It’s about
welcoming people with our words just as we do with
our actions. Words matter. They have an effect on
people. I believe it is our call to have our words match
our intentions: Welcoming all people into God’s
community.
Pastor June Wilkins
4
STAFFSTAFFSTAFFSTAFF
From Terri...
Wow, what a great Vacation Bible School we
had! Twenty children from GLC, Play and Learn,
neighborhood, and friends sang, learned, created and
played together. Especially exciting was sending our
high school youth off to the National Youth Gathering
in New Orleans. They and youth from four other
churches piled into that big red, white and blue charter
bus and we sent them off with a blessing in the form of
water balloons! After that momentous occasion we
learned some stories about praying - Daniel and the
lions, Jesus feeding the 5000, and Jesus giving his
disciples a special prayer (Lord's Prayer). We had a few
challenges - bees under the bench on Tuesday...ouch! -
no power on Wednesday...we had fun anyway seeking out light and coolness (relatively) - and Thursday...hey, a
day with no challenge!
Thank you so much to the staff - Judy Kulikowski and
Andrea Mayer (preschool), Jill Woods, Margaret
Murphy, and Kelly Fleming (preK and K) and Diane
Langer and Joy McLemore (elementary). Your time and
talents with our children are so appreciated! Thanks
also to Dr. Tim (Guenther) for music and Joyce Geary
for storytelling (she was the proud mama of the little
boy who shared his lunch with 5000 people). We also
had Angela Miller, a 9th grade alum of both Play and
Learn and our VBS, help in the classroom. Angela was
earning service hours for her high school requirement.
So all in all, and even with no power, it was a great time together. Now on to Rally Day...Sunday September 9.
Here's a teaser for Rally Day...peace frisbees. Come to worship and find out.
And following worship, join us in the Great Hall for a celebration potluck brunch. Bring a favorite brunch item to
share. Tableware and drinks will be provided. Along with enjoying great food, we will lift up the many and diverse
activities and ministries that happen here at Gethsemane, both within our walls and outside our walls. Browse the
displays of our ministries and take the opportunity to ask questions and sign up. Children can make a Rally Day
creation. Along with the displays, we'll also hear from our Swahili Ministry group (Imma Lyatuu) on Tanzania as
well as a video display from our New Orleans Youth Gathering group. A busy morning! And what a great way to
kick-off the year at Gethsemane!
5
WORSHIPWORSHIPWORSHIPWORSHIP & MUSIC& MUSIC& MUSIC& MUSIC
Swahili Ministry Team Hosts Gospel Music Concerts
On Saturday and Sunday, September 1 and 2, from 5-8:00pm the Swahili Ministry Team will host Gospel Music
Concerts here at Gethsemane in the Great Hall. The members of Gethsemane are invited to join the Swahili
community for this exciting musical event. For more information, please contact Imma Lyatuu (806-7636 or
[email protected]) or Jackson Lyimo (316-204-0178 or [email protected]).
The concert on Sunday will be preceded by a Swahili Eucharist service in the sanctuary at 3:30pm.
Gethsemane Choirs Begin Rehearsals Vocal Choir – Thursday, September 6 at 7:15 pm
Handbell Choir – Thursday, September 13 at 6:00 pm
Interested in Joining?
Contact Dr. Tim Guenther at [email protected] or 614-885-4319
6
LLLLEARNEARNEARNEARN
FOR ADULTS:
Thanks to all the Gethsemane members who shared
their stories in the Library this summer – stories of
welcome, the origin of Lutheran Memorial Camp,
promoting a healthy lifestyle, journey to ministry,
Thrivent Builds – El Salvador, Engineers without
Borders and storytelling from the Bible and Us. They
led a very informative, interesting and helpful series.
Story Time the last two summers have provided a
good history of GLC.
RALLY (FOR GETHSEMANE) DAY- September 9
Mark your calendars and plan now to attend the
brunch and special activities in the Great Hall.
LIFETIME LEARNING HOUR
“Faith, Politics and the Christian Citizen”
Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14
GLC member and Trinity Seminary professor, Hank
Langknecht describes his five week series to be held in
the Multi-Purpose Room as follows.
The Republican presidential primary campaigns of
Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich
prompted many conversations about many things, not
least the relationship between politics and faith—both
personal and public. It remains to be seen whether
and how the private and public faiths of Mitt Romney
and Barack Obama will become issues in the general
election campaign.
In the United States, the conversation about faith and
politics has to scale (or tear down) the “wall of
separation between church and state” and wrestle
with the question, “Is America a ‘Christian Nation’?” In
the Lutheran caucus, we often talk about faith and
public life using the idea of “God’s Two Realms.” (With
God’s “left hand,” God attends to the public realm of
governments, economies, and institutions; with the
“right hand,” God attends to the soul and spirit of
God’s people.) And surrounding the entire discussion
is our cultural tendency to think of faith and politics as
private matters.
Sept. 16 – “Faith and Politics Audit: Ideas, Reactions,
and Stances”
Sept. 23 – “Politics and Citizenship in the Bible”
Sept. 30 – “Lutheran Views on Christian Citizenship”
Oct. 7 – “The Christian Nation”
Oct. 14 – “How Should Christians Vote?”
First Reflections Bible Study
Resumes September 10
First Reflections Bible Study will pick up again this Fall
beginning September 10. Anyone who would like to
study the gospel lesson for the upcoming Sunday is
welcome. Bring your Bible and yourself to La Chate-
laine in Worthington at 627 High Street, Monday
mornings at 8:00. You can order a breakfast, just a
beverage or nothing at all. If you are off to work from
there, you be the judge of when you need to leave.
Most Mondays we end around 8:45, sometimes 9:00.
You can find us in the back room at the big table.
Contact: Paula Sauer at [email protected] or
888-4625. Join Us! Add your voice to the study!
7
LEARNLEARNLEARNLEARN
Wednesday Noons
Starting September 12
For all of you Word-hungry Bible lovers or just curious
sisters and brothers in Christ, we are planning a
BROWN BAG BIBLE BASH at noon on Wednesdays,
starting the first Wednesday after Rally Day,
September 12. The leaders are Bob Davis and Dick
Lyndes. Our goal is to study God's Word, usually verse
by verse, injecting all kinds of personal experiences
while doing our best with God's guidance to make it
relevant to the issues in our lives.
We intend to limit it to one hour. Our initial book will
be announced in the September bulletins and will
probably be only 3 - 5 weeks. During this, you, the
class, will help decide what's next in terms of time
length, books of the Bible to study and any other
concerns that will enhance our experience.
As you might guess from above, we also plan to have
fun!
SO, reserve Wednesday noon hours from Rally Day
forward, bring your lunches and expect to participate
or just listen per your comfort zone in this group that
always turns out to be more like family, but better! -
GOD's FAMILY!
Attention All Readers! New . . .
Gethsemane Book Group
Join us for a new Adult Education offering: The
Gethsemane Book Group: Reading Together with the
Eyes of Faith. We will explore all types of literature
…fiction and non-fiction. One of our objectives will be
to learn to know more about our neighbors and
ourselves. It would be great if the group could include
people of both sexes and a variety of ages.
We will meet on the last Wednesday of each month
and will make a yearly calendar that will adjust for
weeks in Lent and other church conflicts. Readers may
come to individual sessions but it would also be nice
to have an established core group to give continuity to
the reading.
The book discussions will be held from 7:30-9:00pm in
the Gethsemane Library. Our first group will meet on
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 and our first book
will be: The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. The
book takes place in modern India and has a basic
theme which is somewhat similar to the main theme
in The Help. However, this book was published earlier
and is much different in many respects. Be sure and
get the book by Thrity Umrigar since there are several
books with the same title! This book has many positive
reviews and Thrity Umrigar has written other well
received works. She is an Ohio author and teaches at
Case Western in Cleveland.
Barbara Ford and Sharon Walton will be facilitators for
this group and will lead the first few book discussions.
The future plan would be for members to help in the
book selection and discussion leadership of the group.
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar is available
at libraries and in paperback, and is available for
digital download. Mark your calendar for Wednesday,
September 26 and start reading!
8
SERVESERVESERVESERVE
Quilt Dedication Sunday Set for
September 30
We are on the final stretch to our Quilt Dedication
Sunday, September 30. So what does that mean? It
means picking up a roll or two of squares (found in the
basket on the sign-up desk in the narthex). It means
sewing a quilt top with those squares (directions are
on each roll). It means returning the top to the same
place so it can be pinned and sewn to a back. It means
coming on Saturday, August 25 from 9am - 1pm (come
when you can, leave when you must) to help knot
quilts and pin tops to batting and backs.
We continue sewing until Saturday, September 29
(same time, same place) when we finish the quilts and
move them to the sanctuary. What a beautiful task!
What an amazing sight.
On Sunday, September 30, the quilts that we have
sewn all year long will be dedicated in preparation for
shipment to Lutheran World Relief's warehouse and
on to near and far places of the world.
Your help is needed if you can sew, if you can pin, if
you can knot, if you can move quilts to the sanctuary.
Everyone can help bless them!
Our quilt ministry is supported financially by the West
Franklin County chapter of Thrivent Financial.
Gethsemane’s Fall Service Day –
Part I: Getting the Word Out
This Fall, the Outreach Ministry team is sponsoring an
event to, well, reach out to the neighborhood around
the church. On November 10th
we will have a Service
Day where our members will help local homeowners
with small repair or maintenance projects around
their homes and yards. But in order to get the projects
to do, we have to get the word out. For that, we need
your help to walk around the neighborhood and drop
off Service Day fliers at area homes. We will walk on
two Sundays: September 23 and September 30. On
both days we will walk no more than two hours (about
noon to 2pm), and if you can only do part of the time,
that’s fine, too. (Another option is to deliver fliers on a
week day.) To really have an impact, we need lots of
volunteers to deliver the fliers, so please, look for the
sign-up sheets in the Narthex and Atrium Way and
sign up for one or both days!
If you have any questions, contact
Jim Siebert ([email protected])
Gary Rader ([email protected])
Joe Reilly ([email protected])
9
SERVESERVESERVESERVE
Reminders from Health Ministry
Health Ministry is
again sponsoring a
Red Cross Blood Drive
on Saturday, Oct. 6
from 9am -2pm. We
hope for at least as
good participation as
at our drive in April
when we achieved
157.1% of our goal!! We have many of you to thank
for that! Your reward is the good feeling of having
helped others through your giving plus a chicken
sandwich!
Also, Flu Shots will again be given here at Gethsemane
by Life Care Alliance on Sunday, Oct. 14 from
10:45am-11:45am. There will be a sign-up sheet in the
future.
Alert – Nut Allergies
Snacks are so yummy....but not if there are nuts
in them and you have a nut allergy. We do have
several allergies in our congregation so please
refrain from adding nuts to those wonderful
baked goods. Even separating a nut snack from
no-nut snack can be a danger. For the health
and safety of all, cookies and brownies are so
good without the nuts! Thanks!
Thanks to All Our Augsburg
Fortress Music Clinic
Volunteers!!
Many, many thanks to ALL who helped with the
Augsburg Fortress Music Clinic August 6-7!! Your
gracious hospitality as a congregation was
appreciatively received by both presenters and
attendees at the clinic. Special thanks to Barbara Ford
for organizing the army of reception and refreshments
volunteers, and for helping the Augsburg Fortress staff
make contact with FreshBox Catering from LSS for the
daily lunches; Dick Reuning and Byron Ford for
coordinating parking and off-site shuttles; Judy
Reuning, Wendy Luedtke, registration coordinators,
and all who helped to staff the registration table; Ian
and Evelyn Lyatuu for carrying boxes and helping the
Augsburg people set up; all who brought snacks for
the breaks and reception; all who assisted last Sunday
with setting up tables and chairs in the Great Hall for
the event; all who helped set up and serve the
lunches, breaks, and reception, all the volunteers who
helped with parking and shuttles; my supportive
colleagues on the Gethsemane staff, Diane, Terri,
Pastor June, and Brenda, who assumed additional
duties to make things run smoothly; Mike Siddall and
Paul Siebert for their technical expertise and
assistance; all of you who came to the Hymn Festival;
and anyone else I might have forgotten who helped in
any way to make the event run so smoothly! Both
attendees and presenters commented on your
gracious and welcoming hospitality, and the way you
made them all feel comfortable using our space. You
provided a great example of hospitality to the larger
church, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart
for stepping up and setting an example of what it
means “to be church” in the wider Lutheran
experience! It is truly a joy to work among you and
experience your witness! Sincerely, Dr. Tim
10
CONNECTCONNECTCONNECTCONNECT
11
CCCCONNECTONNECTONNECTONNECT
Small Group
Ministries
First Reflections
Monday Bible Study
Paula Sauer
Connections:
Faith at Work
Judy Reuning
Men’s Breakfast
Bob Davis
Habitat for Humanity
Bill Darlage
LWR Quilts
Terri Siebert
Prayer Shawls
OR
Call the
Church Office
614-885-4319
� Camaraderie, the first Friday of the month
� Cheerfulness, even at 7 am!
� Coffee – with or without a full breakfast at Bob Evans on Olentangy River Rd
south of King Ave
� Community of supportive people looking for ways to connect faith with other
aspects of life
� Conversations among Christians about:
o Current challenges in our work – work at a job, at church, at home, or as
a volunteer
o Possible course of action and likely consequences
� Caring through prayer
� Contact person, Judy Reuning, [email protected]
And, using our Gift Cards, we can support Gethsemane too.
Topics for the coming year are:
• Compliments – how to accept, when to give
• Dealing with the cutthroat; competition vs. cooperation
• What bugs you about volunteer jobs? What are the rewards?
• Contemporary job hunting
• What is expected from volunteer jobs at church? Do you feel the weight of
responsibility? Can a volunteer be fired?
• Where is truth? Is bending the truth ever justified?
• Exploiting the gender gap. Equal pay for equal work.
Fall season begins Oct 5th
with “How do you measure success and rejoice at the
success of others?” Why not join us when a topic interests you and see if this small
group is for you.
12
PPPPEOPLE NEWSEOPLE NEWSEOPLE NEWSEOPLE NEWS
September
Birthdays
1 Janice Dunham
2 Pam Seidelmann
3 Dorothea Koch
Isaac Lyatuu
4 Bill Darlage
Naomi Fortis
5 Byron Ford
Rick Langner
8 Samuel Ankrom
11 Dorothy Grewe
13 Linda Mackov
Paul Siebert
15 Ruth Ann Norris
16 Denise Frashier
17 Betty Guenther
19 Marcia Rees Conrad
21 Lee Ann Perin
23 David Reutter
29 Bob Abdou
Michael Jung
Jim Sauer
30 Charles Goetsch
Tiffany Hagerdorn
Karen Melton
Our Prayers and
Concern Are With . . .
“Pray in the Spirit at all times in every
prayer and supplication. To that end
keep alert and always persevere in
supplication for all the saints.”
Ephesians 6:18
New concerns: Bob Hagerdorn … Lee
Ann Perin … Ralph Portzline
Members with ongoing concerns:
Sibylle Custis … Bob Edwards …
Manfred Maeffert … Rob Needham …
Phyllis Nelson … Howard Spring …
Harry & Vickie Lyatuu and their
children Ian & Evelyn for immigration
issues.
Family and friends with concerns:
Jerry Abrams (father-in-law of Pastor
June) … Sandy Davis (friend of Bob and
Jan Davis) … Bob and Elaine Dean
(parents of Pam Seidelmann) … Andy
and Deb Greicius (friends of Jen Tatz) …
Dan Needham (son of Rob and Marie
Needham) … Dennis Weirrick (brother
of Jan Davis) … Colin Young (friend of
the Hillers).
Homebound: Marilyn Bosen (Arlington
Court) … Dotty Edwards (Laurels-Wor-
thington) … Carolyn Fergus (Wesley
Glen) … Jean Fritchen (Worthington
Christian Village) … Ken Gerken … Mary
Manship (Wesley Glen) … Eleanor Nagy
… Becky Oldaker (Bennington Glen) …
Reva Woodruff.
Family and friends serving overseas:
Kirk Lloyd (step grandson of Doris
Devine) … Colin Steffa (son of Meredith
Dobyns).
Would you like to add your
prayers?
For Sunday Prayers:
Contact church secretary, Diane, at 885-
4319 or [email protected]
before 12:00 noon on Thursday. After
that time, you will have the opportunity
in worship to name those silently or
aloud during the prayers.
13
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTHHIGH SCHOOL YOUTHHIGH SCHOOL YOUTHHIGH SCHOOL YOUTH
Report on the ELCA National
Youth Gathering
Thank you again to all of those who have
supported the Sr. High Youth this year as we
prepared for the National Youth Gathering. The
5 youth ( Katlin Hiller, Maddie Van Winkle, Rosa
Prigan, Morgan Melton, and Emily Gardner)
and two adults (Mike Siddall and Jen Tatz) have
returned from a busy, rain-soaked, and spirit-
filled week. We were joined in New Orleans by
33,302 other Lutherans including 730 from the
Southern Ohio Synod.
Each night we gathered as a large group to hear speakers, listen to music, and learn about how God is at work
within the lives of ourselves and others. Among the powerful speakers were Nadia Bolz-Webber, Shane Claiborne,
and Leymah Gbowee. Each night was brought to a close with devotions called “Final 15” back in our hotel.
Thursday we meet for a morning worship and Bible study with the other groups from our Synod. From there we
ate lunch and went for a rainy afternoon in the city. Highlights included Café Du Monde and street artists.
Friday morning our time in the Interaction Center was filled with different workshops and booths. Among
opportunities for learning were 100 Wells Challenge, representatives from the ELCA Universities and Seminaries,
and ELCA Malaria Campaign. In addition to learning there were many chances to blow off steam and have some
fun with activities like bumper cars, yoga, and mini golf. After the Interaction Center we headed for lunch at
Emeril’s New Orleans restaurant.
On Saturday our service project was to help clean up a
city park by pulling weeds and picking up trash. We
then were able to walk around the park and enjoy its
beauty before heading back to our hotel for a swim and
down time.
Sunday worship was a great experience. We had a
moving sermon by Bishop Mark Hanson and a call to
action. Communion of 33,309 was interesting and well
orchestrated. After worship was over we slept our way
home on the 15 hour bus ride.
14
RECONCILING IN CHRISTRECONCILING IN CHRISTRECONCILING IN CHRISTRECONCILING IN CHRIST
Purpose Statement The people of
Gethsemane
Lutheran Church
Sing God’s good news
Share God’s
unconditional welcome
Care for each other
Serve those in need
Guiding Principles • The life, words, and actions of Jesus Christ are
the inspiration for all we
do and are.
• We recognize the uni-queness of each individual.
We welcome and value
everyone.
• We reach out to each other, our neighbors, and
creation with our hearts
and minds as well as with
our labor, generosity, and
works of justice.
• We create a supportive environment to nurture
growth and learning. We
find Christ in the study of
God’s Word and through
sharing questions, doubts,
a diversity of opinions, and
new ideas.
• As a faithful Christian community, we are led by
the Holy Spirit to live and
worship together, respect
differences, communicate
openly, and seek consen-
sus.
Welcoming in Christ Ministry Team Begins
Discussions with Congregation
With the unanimous approval of the Congregation Council, the Welcoming in
Christ Ministry Team will begin discussions with the congregation about
Gethsemane becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation. This is a recognition
awarded by ReconcilingWorks http://www.reconcilingworks.org (formerly
Lutherans Concerned/North America) which designates a congregation as
specifically welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. Since
such welcome is already stated amidst the wide welcome of Gethsemane’s
Affirmation of Welcome Statement, it seems prudent to seek “Reconciling in
Christ” status. This can bolster our outreach to individuals and families looking for
such a welcoming congregation. They would see Gethsemane listed on the
ReconcilingWorks website, along with the other four such Lutheran congregations
in the Southern Ohio Synod: Lord of Life, Trinity Downtown, Redeemer and First
English – all in the Columbus area.
A program of study, discussion and mutual discernment will be held during the
Adult Education Hour on October 21st
, November 4th
and November 11th,
giving
the entire congregation the opportunity to be aware of and part of the process of
becoming RIC. Watch for further information in The Leaf and in the weekly
bulletins.
15
SERVING THIS MONTH – SEPTEMBER 2012
September 2
9:30 AM
September 9
9:30 AM
September 16
9:30 AM
September 23
9:30 AM
September 30
9:30 AM
Assisting
Minister
Barbara Ford
Barbara Ford
Barbara Ford
Barbara Ford
Barbara Ford
Readers Eric Walton
Sharon Walton
Dick Lyndes
Elaine Haines
Howard Feole
Nancy Feole
Jim Siebert
Heidi Hiller
Bonnie Spring
Howard Spring
Ushers
Ed Savolaine
Bob Hagerdorn
Barb Driver
Jim Driver
Jim Siebert
Howard Feole
Gott. Maeffert
Man. Maeffert
Howard Spring
Brian McLean
Rick Langner
Diane Langner
Jeff Luedke
Wendy Luedke
Sayuni Kimaro
Bill Darlage
Paul Siebert
Dave Reutter
Jane Sieberth
Don Cumberland
Nursery Terri Siebert Diane Langner
Communion
Bread
Joyce Geary Wayne Melton Margaret
Murphy
Brian Lutz Brian Murphy
Communion Care
Barb Driver Pam Seidelmann Diane Langner Bonnie Reilly Bonnie Reilly
Counters Dave Reutter
Joyce Davis
Dan Erwin Wendy Luedke
Jeff Luedke
Hugh Geary
Joanne Leussing
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
A new schedule through December has been added to our electronic sign-up page. The following address will
take you to our page: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4CAFA92AA13-sunday. Two volunteers are
needed each week to serve our families. The nursery is now located in the day care lunchroom (also known as
Trinity Hall). A speaker will be added soon to connect our volunteers to the worship service. If you cannot log
into the sign up form, or would prefer signing up personally, please do so at the sign-up desk in the narthex.
Questions? See Terri Siebert, Director of Family Ministries, 885-4319 or [email protected].
16
SEPTEMBER 2012 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
5-9:30 PM
Gospel Music
Concert
2
9:30 AM
Worship
10:45 AM
Education
2:00 PM
Swahili Choir
3:30 PM
Swahili Worship
5:00 PM
Gospel Concert
3
CHURCH
OFFICE & DAY
CARE CLOSED
8:00 PM
A.A. & Al Anon
4
10:30 AM
Staff
12:45 PM
P&L Chapel
5
6
7:15 PM
Vocal Choir
7
8
8:00 AM
Men’s
Breakfast
10:00 AM
Rally Day Setup
3:00 PM
Kimaro-Lyimo
Wedding
9 Rally Day 9:30 AM
Worship
10:45 AM
Activities and
Potluck
3:30 PM
Swahili Choir
NEWSLETTER
DEADLINE
10
8:00 AM
Reflections
8:00 PM
A.A. & Al Anon
11
10:30 AM
Staff
12:45 PM
P&L Chapel
6:00 PM
P&L Staff
12
12:00 PM
Brown Bag
Bible Study
7:30 PM
Swahili Ministry
Team
13
4:30 PM
Mission & Min.
6:00 PM
Handbells
6:00 PM
Executive Com.
7:00 PM
Council
7:15 PM
Vocal Choir
14 15
16
8:30 AM
Health Ministry
9:30 AM
Worship
10:45 AM
Education
3:30 PM
Swahili Choir
17
8:00 AM
Reflections
6:00 PM
Day Care Com.
7:30 PM
Prayer Shawl
8:00 PM
A.A. & Al Anon
18
8:45-3:30 PM
Therapy Group
10:30 AM
Staff
12:45 PM
P&L Chapel
19
12:00 PM
Brown Bag
Bible Study
20
6:00 PM
Handbells
7:00 PM
Block Watch
7:15 PM
Vocal Choir
21
10:00 PM
Mkesha Prayer
Worship
22
23
9:30 AM
Worship
10:45 AM
Education
3:30 PM
Swahili Choir
24
8:00 AM
Reflections
8:00 PM
A.A. & Al Anon
25
10:30 AM
Staff
12:45 PM
P&L Chapel
7:00 PM
Worship Team
26
12:00 PM
Brown Bag
Bible Study
7:30-9:30 PM
GLC Book
Group
27
6:00 PM
Handbells
7:15 PM
Vocal Choir
28
29
9:00 AM
Quilting
30
9:30 AM
Worship
10:45 AM
Education
3:30 PM
Swahili Choir
Check out Gethsemane’s online calendar at www.gethsemane.org.
Click on the calendar link.