Lampstand October 2023

University Evangelical Lutheran Church

and Campus Ministry

The Lampstand - October 2023

Our Mission

UELC's Mission:

To be a diverse and inviting congregation and campus ministry sharing God’s love with all in the community.

UELC's Guiding Principles:

Jesus is our Lord and Saviour; therefore, we are to:

Worship God in inspiring, diverse, and creative ways
Be a community engaged in spiritual practices that attune us to the Holy Spirit's guidance for our living
Welcome all people in their diversity to worship, learn, and serve with us
Be a safe place to learn, explore, and debate
Be generous stewards of the gifts God has given each of us to bless others and care for the natural world
Continue outreach to, and further develop connections with, the academic communities of Alachua County
Affirm human rights and work for social justice

Pastor's Corner

All summer and now into the fall, we have read the stories about our ancestors in the faith. From Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel and Leah, from Joseph to Moses and the grumbling Israelites, we recognize ourselves in their stories. We try to be faithful and sometimes fail. We forget that God’s time is not our time, and we become impatient. We think we need more than we have.

God is generous, granting us all the stuff we really need, and more. God is patient, waiting for us to return in faith, to trust once more in the Divine promises. God is welcoming, ready to receive us, to spend time with us. God is grace-ful, offering us a welcome home when we have strayed, and forgiveness when we have sinned.

Do you have a favorite story among these that we have read? Do any of these experiences echo true for you? Do you also find God, alive and active in your life! I hope so.

Pax

Pr Lynn

President's Notes

Dear UELC congregation and friends,

The church council met on September 26th via Zoom to conduct the monthly meeting.

As the next step in the ongoing Transition process to call a new pastor, the slate of candidates to serve on the call committee will be presented to the congregation for a vote at a special congregational meeting to be held after the worship service on Sunday October 22^nd, 2023.

Several items of business were discussed including approval for replacement of the AC unit servicing the offices in the Kaiser Center. The Nominating Committee will soon begin their work to create a list of candidates for 2024 positions on the church council as well as the audit committee and the nominating committee. Please speak to any member of council if you are willing to serve in one of these roles for 2024.

Council discussed how we might partner with/support others in the community who are active in working to denounce hate crimes, especially considering the recent racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville.

Campus Ministry reported that 40 people from outside the congregation were fed as part of the “God’s Work, Our Hand’s” program.

Warm regards,

Becky Borgert

October Servants

Sunday, October 1

Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara

Assisting Minister: Pat Dasler

Altar Guild: Elaine Manion / Jackie Klein

Lector: Sandy Bauldree

Ushers: Ron Fourman, Andy Noss

Sound Assistant: Melissa Singer

Video Assistant: Ivan Calderon

Pianist: Pablo Coral

Sunday, October 8

Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara

Assisting Minister: Ron Bauldree

Altar Guild: Pat Dasler

Lector: Rick Dienhart

Ushers: John MontMarquette, Andy Noss

Sound Assistant: Melissa Singer

Video Assistant: Ivan Calderon

Pianist: Pablo Coral

Sunday, October 15

Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara

Assisting Minister: Melissa Singer

Altar Guild: Rachel Jin

Lector: Sam Brill

Ushers: Ron Gordon, Ron Fourman

Sound Assistant: Amy Schirmer

Video Assistant: Ivan Calderon

Pianist: Pablo Coral

Sunday, October 22

Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara

Assisting Minister: Sam Borgert

Altar Guild: Joan Anerson

Lector: Sandy Bauldree

Ushers: Ron Fourman, Andy Noss

Sound Assistant: Amy Schirmer

Video Assistant: Ivan Calderon

Pianist: Pablo Coral

Sunday, October 29

Preacher: Pr. Lynn Fonfara

Assisting Minister: Ron Bauldree

Altar Guild: Ana MontMarquette

Lector: Rick Dienhart

Ushers: Roger Springfels, Ron Fourman

Sound Assistant: Melissa Singer

Video Assistant: Ivan Calderon

Pianist: Pablo Coral

UELC People

LOVE THE FAMILY OF BELIEVERS (I Peter 2:17)

A surprise shower of cards has flooded our living room - a sea/see of good wishes for my 100th birthday! I am over-whelmed with gratitude to you all for the cards and visits and balloons (yes, there were balloons!). Thank you. Ruth

Campus Young Adults

Thursday night dinners continue with a handful of students. On Sept 28, we shared our meal with the Family Promise guests and played with the delightful children.

GOD’S WORK OUR HANDS Sept 10 after worship lunch fed 40 passers including mostly college students with a few street people. We learned that after a night football game the students are not up until well after the crack of noon. So as we were closing up, we were still providing meals until all hot dogs were gone. Huge thank-you to Andy Finn for grilling the dogs, Jeanne for preparing all the food, HAT for organizing the “spread”, all the congregation members who brought dessert and the small army who set up pop-ups tables and chairs and put it all away.

On Sept 29 we were joined by Pastor Brenda Maynor. Some of you may recall when she was a nursing student at UF and lived in the 1902 house. Since that time she went to the seminary and is now back at UF working on a Masters in Public Health. She lives in Ocala and works weekends as a nurse but we look forward to seeing her Thurs for dinner with the students.

Oct 13-15 will be the Fall retreat at Luther Springs, which has been advertised in the Fl Bahama Synods, e-Spirit.

We will be missing our chief cook and bottle washer, Jeanne Chamberlin in October but will fill in with Pat Dasler, Bev and Gene Ryerson and Caroline Yale will fill in during her absence.

Football parking is going well and just a note to the congregation that when our season parkers leave the grounds and parking lot are clean. However, as our parkers leave cars of students are coming in right behind them. I have started asking them to respect the church grounds and take their cans and bottles home with them. Big shout out to Ron Foreman and the other ushers who faithfully tidy up the lot on Sunday morning.

Big thanks also the Anna Grace and John MontMarquette who coordinated the parking with help from Jackie Klein and Bev Ryerson on Sept 16 so Pat could take advantage of a girl’s trip with high school friends.

On Instagram, follow our brand new campus ministry @campusministry_ulc

Home Communion

Pastor Lynn is looking for a few people willing to take Holy Communion to our homebound folks, preferably once a month on Sunday or Monday. In this way, people will be taking communion directly from Jesus’ table to their table. This has not been the practice recently, but it used to be the way things happened in the past. If you are interested in this ministry, please contact Pastor Lynn.

Socialize with UELC

You can help University Lutheran reach more people in our community by following our social media profiles. The more people engage with our posts by liking them, writing comments, and sharing them, the more people will see what we are posting and sharing!

On Facebook, like our page at www.facebook.com/UELCGainesville

On Instagram, follow our brand new campus ministry @campusministry_ulc

Offering Direct Deposits

It is Sunday morning and you are on your way to church. Part way there you remember you have not written a check for the offering plate.

It is another Sunday morning and you are sitting in the sanctuary you write a check and slowly you attempt to remove your check from your check book as quietly as possible.

It is another Sunday at church and you realize that your offering check and envelope remain at home on your dresser.

These are some of the ways that the use of direct deposit helps UELC to receive consistent income to pay its bills.

If you wish to learn more about the use of direct deposit, contact Jim Yale to get set up.

Adult Education Returns

The Adult Ed class meets every Sunday morning from 9:30 – 10:15. This is what will be happening in October.

Oct. 1^st DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The remaining 4 Sundays in October will be a stewardship emphasis, From Bread and Wine to Faith and Giving.

LIFT

LIFT will meet on Thursday, Oct, 19th at noon.

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR WHAT POTLUCK DISH YOU WILL BE BRINGING!

PROGRAM (Rescheduled from September): VIRTUAL MISSION TRIP TO VILLAGE OF HOPE. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS EXCITING VISIT TO OUR "FAMILY" IN HAITI

QUESTIONS ? SHARI [email protected]

Family Promise

The Bee

The Bee continues to meet each Tuesday from 11:30 to 1:00 in the Kaiser Center. Stop by and bring your lunch! We gather for devotions, a short program, and usually a service project for the church or the community.

Village of Hope

Due to technical difficulties in the Kaiser Center LIFT did not go on a Virtual Mission Trip at the Sept meeting. Instead Janet Janke and Ron Gordon gave the history of UELC’s involvement with VOH and the actual mission trip that members took in the past.

Good News! It has been rescheduled and LIFT will be going on a Virtual Mission Trip via Zoom to the Village of Hope in Haiti at their Oct. 19th meeting. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the school and how they wisely are using donations to educate, feed, and provide medical care for over 400 students.

Please pray for Dan Z. as he travels to Haiti in Oct. for four days to support VOH and also a school in the northern part of Haiti. Due to the continued situation in Haiti, all the schools, including VOH, do not plan to open until mid-October.

Our Pastor and Staff

Pastor Lynn Fonfara

Pastor, Congregation and Campus Ministry

[email protected]

Amy Schirmer

Music Ministry Coordinator

Pablo Coral

Pianist

Evelyn Simmons

Secretary

[email protected]