“THE SPIRIT”

JANUARY 2020

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit

57 Hurlbut Street ~ Albany, NY 12209 ~ 518-463-6224 email: holyspiritalbany@nycap.rr.com ~ web: www.holyspiritalbany.com

Laura Wayman, Editor

MARKS OF DISCIPLESHIP

1. DAILY PRAYER

A. Prayer list in weekly worship bulletin — please pray daily B. Opportunity for personal prayer (needs/thanks/conflict) during

Sunday’s Prayers of the Faithful C. “Christ in Our Home” daily devotionals (on credenza in Overflow room)

2. WORSHIP

A. Sunday worship at 10:00 AM B. Koinonia group — January 13 & 27

3. BIBLE READING

A. Individual daily reading B. Mid-week Message C. Koinonia group — January 13 & 27

4. SERVICE

A. Service needs for LCHS include: Altar Care & Greeters B. Individual spiritual gift counseling available from Patti Henry

5. SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIP

A. Friendship Luncheoneers on January 8 at Emma Cleary’s Cafe B. Fellowship Hour after worship C. Faith, News & Brews — January 15 D. Koinonia group — January 13 & 27 E. Yarn & Needles — January 20 F. Annual Congregational Meeting — January 26

6. GIVING

A. Donna in Ghana B. Albany Lutheran Cluster Collection — Schuyler Inn C. Food for the Shelter Dinner @ First Lutheran — January 28

God’s purpose for Holy Spirit is to guide the Community to Christ with support and love

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01 Jennifer Sommers

11 Cory Wayman Alyssa Higdon

12 Rick Vandenbergh

17 Winnie Gilbert

19 Sophia Fortune

22 Naya Snide

25 Shelly Marks

30 Karin Maag Tanchak

31 Gabriella Sacks ___________________________

26 Karin & John Maag Tanchak

28 Tina & Kurt Warnstadt ___________________________

● for our “at home” members

● for Donna Rohrmiller (our missionary in Ghana)

● for Campus Ministry at UAlbany

● for our sister Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe

● for all those in service of our country

Sunday School & Adult Bible Class resumes January 5 Confirmation class will be held on January 5 & 12 at Good Shepherd Year End Reports are due to Church office on January 5 Transition Workshops will be held on January 7 at Good Shepherd Book Club “Movie Night” will be held on January 7 at Patti Henry’s Friendship Luncheoneers meet January 8 at Emma Cleary’s Café Call Committee meets on January 8 Annual Report prints on January 9 February SPIRIT articles are due to Church office by January 12 Koinonia meets on January 13 & 27 Faith, News & Brews meets January 15 at Delaware Supply Church Council meets January 15 Yarn & Needles meets January 20

Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on January 26

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THOUGHTS FROM PASTOR JOYCE

We begin the new year with the hopes and dreams for a year of revelation and new thinking. We do this every year, of course.

Holy Spirit is in the searching for a new pastor and looking forward to the process of finding the “right fit”. Prayers for the successful trip in this riding the road to discovery. The key to it all: searching, looking, finding just as the three wise men exemplify.

Upstate NY Synod is preparing to elect a new Bishop with gatherings to learn about the process, the listening to what the good people of Upstate NY vision in the future. Please take part in the meetings you will see posted on this subject.

Pr. Lori Kochanski is also leading sessions of discovery. Please take time to attend the meetings by exploring and seeing something new as the church responds to a changing world.

I also am waiting for an epiphany of thought as I have left my call at St. Andrew in South Glens Falls. What a joy it was to walk to new places with that congregation and now it is time to have a revealing of what will come next. In the meantime, it is my honor to serve as the transitional pastor here at Holy Spirit.

I share with you a poem from one of my favorite poetry writers, Madeline L’Engle:

First Coming

He did not wait till the world was ready, till men and nations were at peace.

He came when the Heavens were unsteady, and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time. He came when the need was deep and great.

He dined with sinners in all their grime, turned water into wine.

He did not wait till hearts were pure. In joy he came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.

To a world like ours, of anguished shame he came, and his Light would not go out.

He came to a world which did not mesh, to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.

In the mystery of the Word made Flesh the Maker of the stars was born.

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COUNCIL CORNER ~ PRESIDENT

It is hard to believe that it is 2020 and the new year is upon us. Our church has been through a lot this past year and we have gone through many changes including loss of our pastor, long time sexton and valued church members who were pillars of our church community. Council continues to do the work of the church and our

congregation continues to be generous with their time, talents and giving. We should be proud of all that our small congregation does within our walls and in the community. One of the things that council is working on is rewriting our contract for others that may utilize our building. We are taking our past experiences and doing our best to learn from them so that our church will have more positive outcomes in the future. After several months of our church members helping out, finally a new sexton has been hired. This seems to be working out well and the church is in good condition. A call committee has been nominated by council and they are meeting regularly in preparation of a potential call of a new pastor. Moving forward we are now starting the next chapter of our church's history and we have much work to accomplish. We will continue to work with our MIT group who will provide support and guidance in the upcoming months. Pastor Joyce Fiore is our Pastoral Transition Coach, Karen Bielinski and Doug Siegenthaler are our Lay Transition Coaches for Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit. The team works with council to organize ministry, develop worship schedules using clergy and conference deacons, attend council meetings and call committee meetings, organize sick and shut-in ministries, provide confirmation instruction, respond to pastoral care emergencies and walk with us as we discern the future of our congregation. While we search/wait for a new pastor we must continue to do God’s work both within our walls and in our community. If anyone has any concerns, suggestions, questions, etc. please don’t hesitate to bring them to myself or any council member. It is important that we communicate effectively with each other and continue to work together to do God’s work. I look forward to being part of the good work our church does in the future.

Jennifer Corazzini, Council President

We cannot wait till the world is sane to raise our songs with joyful voice,

for to share our grief, to touch our pain, He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

Pastor Joyce Fiore, Holy Spirit Pastor of Note _____________________________________________________

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● A request that Articles for the Committee Year-end Reports be submitted to the office NO LATER than January 5, preferably by email.

● Newsletter articles for the February issue should also be submitted by January 12, to allow the time needed to prepare the Annual Meeting booklet for distribution on Sunday, January 12 and prepare the SPIRIT for distribution on January 26. __________________________

● Thank you to everyone who donated to our Christmas Giving Projects. Your donations of toys, and mittens and hats will be appreciated by the children and families who will receive them.

● Thank you to Mary Tennermann, Laura Wayman and Sheila Pacowski for providing dinner for the Emergency Shelter guests on December 3.

● Thank you to Mary Tennermann, Janet Behning, Sheila Pacowski, and Laura Wayman for providing dinner for the Emergency Shelter guests on December 31.

● Deb Baranowski is coordinating the January 28 Shelter dinner. She will be posting the menu in the Overflow room on the bright blue bulletin board. Please sign up if you are able to contribute to this dinner. Thank you.

● The Albany Lutheran Cluster collection for January & February will benefit the Schuyler Inn, which is an emergency housing shelter for families. Many of these families are there as a result of severe financial difficulties or natural disasters (such as fire or flood). They often arrive with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. Please consider donating: Packages of diapers (all sizes) Baby wipes Diaper rash ointment Socks for adults Body wash Shampoo Toothpaste and Toothbrushes

● Our next Social Ministry Committee meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 2, following worship.

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TRANSITION WORKSHOPS

The final workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 7 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (510 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville) with identical sessions at 12 PM* and 7PM.

Everyone is encouraged to attend! The topic is Vitality and Vulnerability. (Authority and Freedom from the cancelled December workshop will also be included).

[*Please bring your own lunch]

__________________________

Join the Friendship Luncheoneers at 11:30 AM on Wednesday, January 8 at Emma Cleary’s Café (1926 New Scotland Rd, Slingerlands). Contact Angela Latal at 518-767-2628 for more information or to make your reservation.

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WEATHER POLICY

Occasionally, our Upstate NY winters make traveling to Holy Spirit for worship services and events unsafe. If our Council President and Pastor decide to cancel Sunday Worship or an event at church, the cancellation will be announced on the following local media:

Capital News 9 WXXA TV WFLY – FLY 92 WTEN TV WGY – 810 WGY WRGB TV WRVE – The River WNYT TV WYJB B-95.5

We will start the church phone chain to alert members of the cancellation, but if in doubt, please tune in to one of the above for more information. ________________________ Dear Friends at Holy Spirit,

Thank you for the generous donation made in October. I believe all of it went toward the school children I help. So many needs … but what a pleasure to see their happy faces when they get their new uniforms and supplies.

Love and Blessings.

Donna in Ghana

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DONATIONS

from the first three Sundays in January, will benefit Sheehy

Palmer Veteran’s needs, and the last Sunday’s donations will be used to offset Fellowship Hour expenses.

NEW ONLINE BOOK CLUB

Rev. Lori Kochanski, Holy Spirit member and Assistant to the Bishop for Faith Formation has introduced an online book club via Zoom, and serves as moderator for the online conversation. Participants log in on their own computers using a link which changes monthly. (A phone in option is also available.) Listed below are upcoming conversations at 1 PM and 7 PM :

January 15 — for Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week by Amy-Jill Levine

February 19 — for One Coin Found: How God’s Love Stretches to the Margins by Emmy Kegler

For more information, please see Lori following worship, or email her at revredshoes@gmail.com. ________________________

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting for the members of The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit will be held on Sunday, January 26 in the Fellowship Hall, following 10 AM Worship. A light lunch of soup, bread, desserts and beverages will be provided. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend!

Copies of Holy Spirit’s 2019 Annual Report will be available on Sunday, January 12. Please take home a copy and read it before the meeting. ________________________

FOR FEBRUARY

SPIRIT

is Sunday, January 12. Please have all items for inclusion in the newsletter submitted to the church office. Thank you!

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Sunday School Christmas Pageant December 22, 2019

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LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 57 Hurlbut Street Albany, New York 12209

_____________________________________________________

Congregational

Meeting

following worship

Sunday, January 26

a light lunch will be provided

Please Attend!