Wishing you and your family a happy, safe Labor Day holiday!
PLEASE NOTE NEW TIME: OUTDOOR/PARKING LOT WORSHIP BEGINS AT 10:00 A.M.
May God fill you will his New goodness every day and
may the love of Jesus overflow from you to others throughout the year!
In case of a pastoral emergency, please contact Pastor Lisa Borrell
at 610-838-0731 or or email MizLKB@aol.com.
COVID-19 UPDATE
We are all anxious to get back to our normal day to day activities. Due to the recent closings and cancellations, schedules of meetings and gatherings are tentative and are reliant on the status of social distancing requirements. Please continue to pray for those on the front line, putting themselves at risk every day, as well as those who have been affected by health issues. Continue to be safe, taking precautions seriously to prevent contracting and spreading the virus.
(EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 PLEASE NOTE
OUR NEW WORSHIP SERVICE TIME IS 10:00 A.M.)
TO JOIN US AT 10:00 A.M. FOR OUR OUTDOOR/PARKING LOT SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES HELD AT NEW JERUSALEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH (RAIN OR SHINE) LOCATED AT 3232 APPLES CHURCH ROAD, BETHLEHEM, PA 18015.
Hope to see you there!
Peace be with you.
That’s right, we are going to use our parking lot as our sanctuary. Council is trying to make this transition as seamless, safe and successful as possible! If you do not feel comfortable attending, feel free to continue to watch Pastor Lisa’s sermons on line.
For those that are ready this will fill your needs; and those that might still be uncomfortable being around others, this might be a way of getting your feet wet before jumping into the pool.
We have made some slight changes, but it will not affect the impact of worship. These changes are to help keep everyone safe from COVID-19. These changes are: remain in car, no choir, less songs, no sharing of peace, offering at end of service, and communion will be done by prepackaged containers. There will be NO access to restrooms before, during or after service.
(See more information and guidelines
in the 'Church Council Connection' section below)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 (NIV)
I'm Proud To Be An American
Sung by Lee Greenwood, Home Free and The Singing Sergeants
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Let There Be Peace On Earth Sung by The Young People's Chorus of New York City
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We shout for a wide variety of reasons. We shout to be heard when we are excited, angry, or feel we are being ignored. We shout because we want someone to hear us.
When was the last time you shouted with joy to the Lord? How long has it been since you last were so overpowered by the goodness of God that you shouted out your praise and thanksgiving? Have you ever done it?
We have so much to be excited about and grateful for in the Lord! Think about it. Isn’t salvation something to shout about? The Lord saves us from certain self-destruction. He saves us from an eternity in hell. He saves us from the compulsion to sin. He saves us from a life of sinful misery which has no hope.
Isn’t the future something to shout about? The Lord has guaranteed our acceptance into the eternal kingdom of God. He has prepared a place for us that defies human understanding. It is a place that is so pure and holy that no trace of sin or its consequences will ever be found . It is a place where the glory of Christ will always shine and never dim. It is a place where we will never fear and experience pain or sorrow again. It is a place where we will be surrounded forever by all the saints who have ever lived and who have been perfected by God, a people who will always treat you fairly, lovingly, and joyfully.
Aren’t the resources God has provided for us something to shout about? Think about it. God has made available to us all the resources we need to live holy lives before Him. It is not beyond our reach to live in victory. We have God’s Word, His Spirit, the church, and a great cloud of witnesses always around us to spur us on and help us.
Indeed, “Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth!” Let your voice be heard loud and clear! The Lord is God, and He is your God! The Lord is faithful, true, and good all the time! Let your heart rejoice and shout the Good News so all will hear.
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Shout To The Lord
CANCELLED All activities at New Jerusalem Church until further notice.
We are asking everyone to refrain from entering the building unless absolutely necessary (secretary, church maintenance,
cleaning staff, etc.) as the building has been sanitized.
Cancelling these services will affect us financially—so we encourage you to mail in your offering or use www.newjerlc.org/online-giving. The church continues to have expenses even when we are not worshiping under one roof. God bless
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ADDITIONAL ONLINE SUNDAY WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
New Jerusalem members are invited to worship on Sunday morning for online services with:
Pastor Lisa Borrell invites all those who use social media to “like” Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church’s Facebook page or visit their website at www.friedenscentervalley.com to watch her online Sunday worship service at
9:00 a.m.
PLEASE NOTE HER NEW ONLINE WORSHIP SERVICE TIME: Starting on September 20th, online services will begin at 8:30 a.m. If you would like to follow along with a bulletin, please use the following link friedenscentervalley.com/newsletters-%2F-bulletins and look for the date under Bulletins.
AND
Pastor Daniel Eisenberg–St. John's Lutheran Church in Mayfair, PA welcomes you at 10:00 a.m. at facebook.com/stjohns-mayfair or www.stjohnsmayfair.org (click on the light blue bar in the middle of the page). Daily Morning Prayers are also available. You may remember Pastor Dan from his youth group days at NJ.
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Thank you Pastor Lisa and Pastor Dan for inviting us to join your worship services.
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FREE FAMILY SUNDAY SCHOOL
Are you looking for ways to support faith formation at home? Sparkhouse is excited to announce Family Sunday School, a free 8-week lesson series for families! Each week Sunday School curriculum developer (and former summer camp Arts and Crafts director) Dr. Dawn Rundman and her family will host Family Sunday School. Each episode presents a lesson based on Lectionary readings that families can watch together. The Bible story, illustrations, and other content are based on Spark: Activate Faith Lectionary Sunday School lessons.
You are welcome to distribute, post, and reproduce the lesson materials for your church families in whatever way works for you. We’ll post a new lesson every Tuesday for the following Sunday. Lessons will be posted through Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020. The first lesson, Doubting Thomas, is available now at https://www.wearesparkhouse.org/promos/family-sunday-school/?utm_campaign=SHC%20Children&utm_
A message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton on COVID-19:
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we are a week and a half past the parking lot vote that was taken on Sunday, August 9, 2020, which was a heartfelt affirmation for a new start in our lives and our ministry together! What a wonderful sight to see so many folks present and to receive a "honking ovation" after the results were announced.
With the affirmation also came the agreement that the congregation would change its worship service time to 10:00 a.m. so as to allow me adequate time to lead services at Friedens Lutheran in Center Valley (which, in turn, changed their worship time to 8:30 a.m.) and then travel to Apples Church. We will be implementing that time change on Sunday, September 20, 2020, so please make a note of that in your fall calendars.
Though many of you already know me through my many years serving as the Pastor of Christ–Lower Saucon and, additionally, as your interim before your former pastor was called, I'd like to share a little about myself. Throughout my 30 years of ministry, I have been called Pastor B, Pastor Lisa, or Pastor Borrell. Please take your pick. . .just don't call me late for supper! I am a native of Allentown so I know the Lehigh Valley very well even though I am still capable of getting lost.
My husband, Christopher Geist, and I went to junior high and high school together on the east side and reconnected after participating in several alumni events at Dieruff three years ago. (Funny how those things happen!) We tied the knot on October 14, 2018, recently bought a beautiful ranch home on the west end of Allentown, and became "parents" to a v-e-r-y active and ridiculously adorable springer spaniel, Emmy Lou, who enjoys aggravating our three cats. Chris has four grown children and we are happily expecting the arrival of a grandchild next month. We are taking pleasure in the little garden we planted this summer as well as well as eating the fruits (or shall we say, veggies?) of our labors and look forward to traveling in our own country and abroad when it is safe to do so. We both feel incredibly blessed that we've found each other in this later stage of our lives.
A number of you are aware that three years ago this coming October, I underwent a partial glossectomy (surgery to remove and reconsruct 1/4 of my tongue) due to cancer that my dentist initially detected during a routine checkup. (I'd like to thank you all for all the wonderful prayers, cards, and well wishes that I received at that time. They meant a lot!) After months of speech therapy and being under the excellent ongoing care of my surgeon at the University of PA, I am fully recovered, although I have been left with a slight speech impediment which mainly affects the pronunciation of the letter S. So, at times, you may notice that I sound like Sylvester the Cat and though I cannot be officially declared "cancer free" until the 5 year mark, everything looks good and I remain grateful for the love and support that I have received by many.
My plan at NJ is to have office hours from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and also by appointment. I will be attending meetings with the various committees to be brought up to speed with the activities and missions of each. It is my intention to have an active role in youth activities (1st Communion, Confirmation, Youth Gathering) and I'm looking forward to establishing deeper relationships with congregational members. If you need to contact me, here are the ways to do so. . .NJ Church Office phone number is 610-838-0731 and my email address is MizLKB@aol.com. Texting me as well as Facebook and Messenger are also great ways to get a hold of me, so please feel free to send a request.
Though we don't know "what" the future holds (especially in these COVID times), we do know "who" holds the future. Let us put our trust in God as we continue to faithfully serve the church, our community, and our world.
God’s peace be with you all,
The Rev. Lisa K. Borrell–Pastor
New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church
610-838-0731 newjerelc@gmail.com
Connection
Greetings from your New Jerusalem “Apples” Church Council
Join us for our NJELC Outside/Parking Lot Sunday Worship Services
on Sunday morning, August 30th; September 6th and 13th at 9:00 a.m.
Beginning Sunday, September 20, 2020 our
Outside/Parking Lot Sundday Worship Services
will begin at 10:00 a.m.
(Rain or Shine—More information below)
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Meetings and Activities are CANCELLED until further notice.
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ZOOM—Church Council Members in Action
Please remember that even though we are not worshiping together,
we are together in spirit.
Another month has gone by and we continue to work our way through the “new” normal. Our first outside worship service was held on June 14, 2020. There were a couple minor glitches but overall it was a success. We will continue to have our worship services outside, rain or shine. Feel free to bring your lawn chairs and sit outside your car while wearing your masks and social distance of 6 feet.
For the safety of our congregation, we are proceeding slowly to “green”. A small committee has been formed to created new guidelines for the church. Until those guidelines are distributed, we will continue to follow the current guidelines.
OUTSIDE/PARKING LOT WORSHIP INFORMATION
Outside worship services began on Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. That’s right, we are going to use our parking lot as our sanctuary. Council is trying to make this transition as seamless, safe, and successful as possible! If you do not feel comfortable attending, feel free to continue to watch Pastor Lisa’s sermons online at https://friedenscentervalley.com/online-church-services.
For those that are ready this will fill your needs; and those that might still be uncomfortable being around others, this might be a way of getting your feet wet before jumping into the pool.
We have made some slight changes, but it will not affect the impact of worship. These changes are to help keep everyone safe from COVID-19. These changes are: remain in car, no choir, less songs, no sharing of peace, offering at end of service, and communion will be done by prepackaged containers. There will be NO access to restrooms before, during, or after service.
You are probably wondering how this is going to work:
An individual will greet you in the driveway and will hand you a bulletin and communion containers. The bulletins will be printed with everything you need. Please let the individual know how many communion containers will be needed for your passengers. The communion containers are ordered prepackaged and, unfortunately, they do not offer gluten free wafers or wine. There is only one option for communion (wafer and grape juice). Feel free to bring your own “bread” to be used during communion. At the appropriate time you will tear off the first layer which will have your wafer. Then the second layer will have grape juice.
After receiving these items, follow the direction of the parking attendants, and park your vehicle. We will be adhering to the 6’ distance and wearing of masks/gloves. You will remain in your vehicle and tune in to 106.5 FM on your vehicle radio. Please be patient with our volunteers. A plan for entering and exiting the parking lot has been established to maintain safety for all, as this is new to everyone. It will be just like attending a drive-in movie, but different.
After worship is done, please be patient exiting the parking lot. Again there will be parking attendants to guide us in the process. You will notice upon your exit of the parking lot, an individual will be collecting your offering.
GUIDELINES/RULES FOR OUTSIDE SERVICE
Everyone MUST remain in their vehicles at all times.
No entry into church building. This means no use of restrooms.
Take all trash/recycling home with you after worship service.
Masks and gloves are encouraged even in your vehicle.
Be patient—what else do you have to do??
No children’s coloring packs will be available. Bring your own form of entertainment for your children. Service activity booklets will be available online for YOU to print and bring along!
Services will be held rain or shine.
We hope you will consider attending our outside worship service. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cindy Hart at 484-548-3937 or Sharon Bender at 610-597-8764.
BUILDING/ACTIVITIES
Appropriate wearing of masks and gloves while in the building at ALL times.
No entry into the building prior to 10:00 a.m.
No entry into the office, except secretary and treasurer.
Offering envelopes should continue to be mailed or use the online Vanco portal, please refrain from dropping off at church.
Encourage continuation of zoom meetings (however, meetings of less than 25 attendees with appropriate 6’ distancing and masks is allowed).
Pick up of supplies or cleaning are allowed with two people at a time in one area.
Food Bank will continue with curbside pickup. ALL WORKERS MUST WEAR MASKS AT ALL TIMES.
NO EATING OR DRINKING INSIDE BUILDING. (That requires one to remove their masks…a no-no.)
We will be expecting our members to follow these guidelines,
or we will have to close up again.
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Thank you to those that have been sending offerings in the mail or have been using the online Vanco portal. We are making sure all systems will be operating, our building is clean, and we are ready for worship when we get the green light! We are busy ordering supplies that will be necessary for us to commune together, as well as sanitizing supplies to keep us all safe. Our church congregation sticks together when the going gets tough. Please continue to support the ongoing work of New Jerusalem by sending in your offerings.
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HAS CONCLUDED AND WE WELCOME
REV. LISA BORRELL AS PASTOR OF
NEW JERUSALEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH!
The votes from the special Congregational Meeting which were held on August 9, 2020 are in. . .Pastor Lisa Borrell will be New Jerusalem's new pastor. She will be starting Sunday, September 20, 2020 and the new time for our worship service will be 10:00 a.m.
Respectfully,
New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church Council: Cindy Hart, Sharon Bender, Glenn Campbell, Kathy Fenstermacher, Tina McCardle, Terry Ravier, Jere Reiss, Robin Rooth-Fogel, Marianne Zellner, and Cindy Ziegler
Pastoral Call Committee: Sharon Bender, Ben Fogel, Jayne Schrantz, Kathy Shermetta, Joe Wildrick, and Marianne Zellner
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We hope you will consider attending our outside worship service. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cindy Hart 484-548-3937 or Sharon Bender 610-597-8764.
God bless you and be safe.
The Council officers for 2020 are:
President: Cindy Hart
Vice President: Sharon Bender
Treasurer: Terry Ravier
Secretary: Kathy Fenstermacher
Council Members: Glenn Campbell, Tina McCardle, Jere Reiss, Robin Rooth-Fogel, Marianne Zellner, and Cindy Ziegler
For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the LORD,” plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Peace be with you, Cindy Hart, Council President
As always, we pray for all the council members and
all those in leadership positions for this congregation.
You have to find a way to respect these new boundaries related to coronavirus,
but still live the version of life you're used to. That's what life is, regardless of circumstances. If I could offer advice to any person today, it would be
to stick by your faith. Know that your God is with you and will
take care of you all the way through. We will get through this.
Council Question Box
N/A
What is Mutual Ministry at New Jerusalem? Did you know that there is a Mutual Ministry Committee here at New Jerusalem?
Mutual Ministry is loosely defined as the interaction between the pastor, professional staff, Church Council, and the congregation to foster communication and support between these three groups. Typical tasks of the Mutual Ministry Committee include providing a listening ear to each group and a means to interact in a confidential way to resolve issues that may arise between, and within, each group. The committee also assists Church Council in conducting an annual performance review of the Church’s professional staff, as well as providing input into creating and revising employee job descriptions.
Currently, this committee is comprised of three members (Tina Miller, Tina Young, and Tim Fulmer) who are appointed to serve a three-year term as approved by the Pastor and Church Council President. The committee is currently seeking additional members, so any interested members of the congregation are invited to contact Pastor Lauren; Church Council President, Marianne Zellner; or any current Mutual Ministry Committee member for more information.
Any member of the congregation that desires to seek assistance from the Mutual Ministry Committee may do so by contacting a member of the committee to arrange a meeting with the committee to discuss issues dealing with interactions with pastor/professional staff, Church Council, and/or other members of the congregation. All contact with the Mutual Ministry Committee is kept confidential between the parties involved in the issue; and the hopeful outcome of this process is to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of all parties.
Our Music Director, Edward L. Walakovits, is a skilled Organist and Choir Director with more than 30 years of experience. He is experienced in playing the pipe organ and piano. Ed has a working knowledge of liturgy and choral styles. He is an effective leader with an eye for developing and motivating choir members. Ed graduated from Moravian College with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance with a minor in Music. Please be sure to welcome Ed to New Jerusalem Church!
All are welcome ~ Please join us for choir practice on
CANCELLED Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
Pop-Up Choir ~ Once or twice a month, the choir invites members and guests to join them to sing the Anthem and praises to our God! The response has been very positive and uplifting for all!
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NEW ~ The Worship and Music Committee is looking for any and all volunteers who are interested in special singing, either solo or with others and/or playing an instrument for additional special music to enhance our worship service and should be coordinated with Ed Walakovits–Music Director.
Endowment Committee News!
2020 Fall Endowment Grant Applications will be available in the church office, endowment mailbox in August. Please contact the church office and an application will be sent to you. Deadline for applications is October 18, 2020.
The Endowment Committee anticipates there will be a distribution of income available this fall from the Mission & Ministry Endowment Fund. Remember that per policy, the use of these funds must fall into one of the following ministry areas:
Mission: Local, regional and world projects
Education: Higher education and continuing education expenses
Youth: Support for youth of all ages
Worship and Music: Support for the worship of the church
Capital Projects: Major renovations and building of new facilities for the church
Also there will be a distribution of income available from the Property Endowment Fund. Remember that per policy, the use of these funds must fall into one of the following property areas:
Maintenance; General Upkeep
Restoration
Repairs
Capital Project
Equipment Purchases
Property Acquisition
The Endowment Committee will also have a distribution from the Christian Education Endowment Fund. Remember that per policy, the use of these funds must fall into one of the following property areas:
Sunday Church School
Vacation Bible School
Christian Youth Activities
Adult Christian Education
Teacher's Education
Endowment—The gift that keeps on giving!
See any Endowment Committee member if you have questions.
Tim Frey, Chairperson
Russ Pacala Jr, Vice Chairperson
Tina McCardle
Drake Brintzenhoff
You can also visit New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church on Facebook at
May the beauty of God be reflected in your eyes, the love of God be
reflected in your hands, the wisdom of God be reflected in your words,
and the knowledge of God flow from your heart,
that all might see, and seeing, believe.
The members of New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church wish you a blessed day and we pray that your day is filled with hope, love, peace, and good health!