Atonement Lutheran Church Newsletter

Atonement Ministries
116 W. Glen Ave
Syracuse, NY 13205
(315) 492-9065
©2012 Atonement Ministries

Atonement Lutheran Church Newsletter - The Messenger

The Messenger is published weekly, except for holiday weeks and an abbreviated schedule over the summer. If you prefer a copy of the Messenger that you can print, click on the link below:

Print version of this issue
Messenger Archives

October 6, 2009 - Volume 30, #37

Save a Tree, Save a Stamp, Save some Money!
Have you signed up to get the Messenger Online?
To sign up for electronic "delivery" complete the online form at: http://www.alcsyracuse.org/mailinglist.php
Join the Celebration!
October will see something different and special every week!

Sunday, October 18
One Special Service at 10:00 AM
Please join us for a celebration with the entire Atonement Community on Sunday, October 18.
Rev. Marie Jerge, Bishop of the Upstate New York Synod, ELCA will be preaching at the 10am service.
Pastor James Jerge, member of the Seminary staff, will present our congregation with the "Philadelphia Seminary Excellence in Ministry Award."

New members of our congregation will be received. Please contact Pastor Gaetz if you would like to be included.
At the end of the service, we'll "commission" our youth group as they head off to participate in the CROP Walk

Following the service, we will hold a dedication for our recent renovations and new church bus.
Following the dedication, please join us for a pork dinner (with mashed potatoes, gravy and all the trimmings!) in the Fellowship Hall (beginning about noon).
The Fine Print:
How YOU Can Help
People often say they don't have time to volunteer, if you are one of those people because you have so much going on that time is a luxury - there are other things you can do:
- Support our Youth Group
  Our youth group has several fund-raising efforts throughout the year. Sometimes the money raised goes towards their programs, sometimes it is donated to a good cause. An example of the latter is donations for the CROP walk. Each year some two million CROP Walkers, volunteers, and sponsors put their hearts and soles in motion, raising over $16 million per year to help end hunger and poverty around the world -- and in their own communities. You can help with donations between services on October 11 and October 18
- Support our Food Pantries
  We're gearing up for the holidays and will request special items, but we always need some of the core items: especially canned meats (spam, ham, chicken) and meat dishes (chili, stew, hash, spaghetti and meatballs, chunky soups)We also need mayo or salad dressing, crackers, canned fruit, juice, cereal and canned milk or Parmalat. Bring your donations to chruch with you or drop them off in the church office during regular business hours.
- Save those Aluminum Can Tops
  Save those tops and drop them off in the jars near the elevator. Last year we turned in several full containers - several times! Money from the recycling is donated to the Ronald McDonald House.
Teresa of Avila - October 15

Anyone who has ever planted a garden knows that just putting the plants into the ground is never enough. The flowers might look nice for a week or two but without regular care they won't last long. In many ways our relationship with God especially in prayer is very much like a garden of the soul that we're invited to walk in. When we spend time in daily prayer and in reading the Bible we are helping to water that interior garden which God can make even more beautiful in us. This week's traveler Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) understood this completely and wrote about it. Her passion for tending this spiritual garden through daily prayer, and teaching others how to do this, led her to write several books which are still read today. In an age where TV, and the Internet and busy, busy, business threaten to drive us clear off the road, Teresa reminds us that our prayers don't have to be flowery words, or long lists of requests designed to catch God's attention. Sometimes the best prayer we can give God is to pull off the road for a little bit, turn off the cell phone, or the radio or the CD player, and just enjoy God's creation.
~ Shalom y'all, Vicar Christine
If you'd like more information about this master gardener of the soul, see:
http://www.ccel.org/t/teresa/
http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/saints/wayperf.htm
Annual Crafty Ladyes Sale is Coming....

The Crafty Ladyes ask that you please be patient in bringing your donations for their annual sale. They are waiting for some space in the storeroom to store your treasures.
Remember to mark your calendars for their sale on November 14th and we'll keep you posted on when you can start bringing in your donations.
Support Our Youth Group

Thank you from the ALYO... The youth group thanks you for your support for their apple-picking efforts! Thanks to you, the group raised over $45 to help fund their programs this year.

Atonement youth will be collecting donations for CROP Walk between services on Sunday, October 11 and Sunday, Oct. 18. Please be generous to this good cause.
Shawl Ministry

As cooler weather approaches and the yarn, knitting needles, and crochet hooks come out of the closet, please take some time to help replenish the prayer shawl box. It is empty.
Prayer Shawls are given to congregation members who are hospitalized or homebound because of serious surgery, injury or illness.
Patterns and instructions are available from Pr. Rodgers if needed. As you work, please remember to pray for the person who will receive your shawl. Prayer shawls are tangible evidence of our thoughts, prayers, and concern as church family.

Suggestions or questions about website? Email webmaster@alcsyracuse.org