Announcements for 7 September: The 13th Sunday after Pentecost

THIS SUNDAY – 9AM RALLY DAY!

Divine Worship 10:15am

The News

Rally Day is THIS Sunday, September 7! Sign up to bring a side, salad, or bread to the potluck lunch immediately after worship! You can also sign up on the sheet under the slat wall. You do NOT need to sign up in both places! The MLT will provide the main course and dessert.

Rally Day begins at 9am with a Prayer Walk led by Deaconess Amy Smessaert. Gather around the font!

Parents and Sunday School kids, meet in the Sanctuary for a welcome from Pastor Clark.

Divine Worship begins at 10:15am.

New Directories!

The revised member directories are hot off the presses! Pick yours up on Sunday!

Support the St. Joseph County CROP Hunger Walk coming up Sep 21!

Join us in our efforts to support this year’s St. Joseph County CROP Hunger Walk and help us fight hunger in our community and across the globe.

What is the CROP Hunger Walk?
CROP Hunger Walks are community fundraising events sponsored by Church World Service (CWS), a faith-based organization addressing hunger and food insecurity, lack of clean water, and other issues defining poverty in our community and across the globe. 25% of the funds we raise will go to local organizations in St. Joseph County, including The Christian Community Pantry, Broadway Christian Parish UMC Food Ministries, Sunnyside Presbyterian Church Food Pantry and United Religious Community Advocacy Center.

How can I get involved?

• Walk with us on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 2:00 pm at Zion United Church of Christ in South Bend (near Howard Park). We will meet there at 1:30 pm. There are two walks – a short 1-mile walk or a long 4-mile walk. 
  
• Donate on behalf of our walkers and SPLC. Our goal is to raise $700. Let’s make it happen!
  • Online: To donate online, click here or go to our SPLC fundraising page and click on the orange ‘Donate Now’ button in the upper right.
• • Offline: Grab one of the donation folders by the slat wall and return it to Halrun Luppes by September 21.
  • ATTN SPY! If you are associated with SPY, please reference “St. Peter Youth” in the ‘Message’ field online or on your check as CWS will make a matching gift of $125 if our youth group raises at least $250.
• Pray for the CROP Walk and for our participation in it.

To learn more about CWS and CROP Hunger Walks visit CROP Hunger Walks. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Halrun Luppes at luppes@sbcglobal.net or 574-292-2792 (mobile)

Thank you for your support!

Women of St. Peter – Wine and Word

Join us for Wine and the Word at 2pm on Sunday, September 28, at the Homann residence. We’ll explore women in the Bible who struggled to feel seen and heard, and learn how God saw them and called them to participate in His story. And, we’ll study – and taste – some “overlooked” wines. 

Jackie Homann will host and teach us about wine, and Deaconess Amy Smessaert will lead our time in God’s Word. The event will last about two hours. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available. 

We look forward to this time of learning, sharing and being together. Please come! RSVP by Tuesday, September 23, on the sign-up sheet at church, or email Amy or Jackie. We hope to see you there!

Platz Meal Train

Sylvia has created a meal train for her grandparents, Dave and Helga Platz, who were in a terrible car accident. St. Peter members are invited to help by selecting a date, dropping off a meal, having a meal sent through a delivery service, or sending a gift card the Platzes’ way.

Gerry LaCluyse — 100 Years Old!!!!

Our sweet Gerry will celebrate her 100th birthday this month and the congregation is invited to a gathering hosted by her daughter, Susan.

Saturday, September 27, 1-3pm at St. Paul’s (3602 S. Ironwood Dr.)

There will be signs inside the community center directing folks where to go, or you can ask at the front desk. Coffee, punch, cake, and granola bars will be served. The family requests that no gifts be brought, please — Gerry just wants to see people. We will have a card from the congregation that you can sign, under the slat wall, for the next few weeks. Any questions, see Renee.

Could YOU help staff the MAC Food Pantry?

They need more help especially on Friday mornings, when the Pantry is open 10:00-11:30am. Volunteers arrive 15 minutes early and leave 15 minutes after close for two hours total. Volunteers move items from shelves to carts, help clients select produce or find their way around, bag groceries, and/or take carts to cars. The MAC Food Pantry is located inside Albright United Methodist Church at 504 W. Mishawaka Ave., Mishawaka.

Nancy Kroll has found volunteering at MAC to be very rewarding and is happy to connect you to their volunteer coordinator if interested. Please talk to her at church or email her at nancyjkroll@gmail.com. You also would be welcome to first set up a visit just to explore everything.

Office Hours: 11:30-3pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: these will be the office hours going forward into the Fall. Voice mail and email messages will be returned during these hours. Feel free to schedule a drop-in or coordinate a conversation!

Camerata Singers Anniversary Concert

Fifty years ago, Dave and Chris Seitz launched an elite, auditioned choral ensemble in Mishawaka called the Camerata Singers. Under new leadership, the group celebrates its 50-year legacy and impact on the Michiana arts community with a special concert Friday, October 17, 7:30pm, at the Sauder Concert Hall at Goshen College. Dave will conduct and Chris will play! Tickets are $15 and more info is available here. You will not want to miss this event!

Seminary Adopt-a-Student

For several years, the Women of St. Peter have sponsored a seminarian at St. Louis. Last year, we added an element of writing letters to our adopted seminarian. All who participated found it extremely rewarding, a way to BIOMEN SYNDESMOI (live connected) and build an actual relationship beyond just giving financial support. It meant a lot to our student, also!

If you like writing letters, please consider joining us as we “adopt” a new student this year. The time commitment is quite minimal, but receiving his responses back brings such joy! Speak with Renee if you’re interested in this servant-ministry.

Thank You – and Thanks be to God!

• For all who continue to exercise ministries to our faithful gathered around the Long Arms of the Cross.

Resurrection Lutheran Academy (RLA)
News, Info, and Ministry Opportunities

We rejoice with RLA that they have:

• filled the part-time position for middle school 
• hired a full-time 4th grade teacher
• a new paraprofessional who also accepted her position
• 25 staff members and a list of substitutes for the school year
• 4 new staff members, including our principal
• begun the silent phase of the capital campaign which is going well, and the public phase will begin at back-to-school time in August

We are praying for the provision of a part-time gym teacher. 

There is a lot of excitement for RLA to begin the school year!

RLA CASE STATEMENT: Detailed Project Proposal

Bible Studies & Ministry Updates and Opportunities

Sunday Servants Gather Before Worship

All who help lead the Divine Service gather promptly at 10:10am to take 3 minutes to prepare their hearts and minds for worship. If you are serving as altar guild, usher, crucifer/acolyte, lector, greeter, tech person, elder, musician/dancer, doorkeeper or other HEART member, etc. on a particular Sunday, please come together for quick introductions and short prayer led by Deaconess Amy Smessaert. Together, we will ask God to bless our service to God’s people as we live connected in spiritual formation in Christ.

Mid-Week Bible Studies

THURSDAY MORNING, 9am at church:
September 4 and 11 – finish up spring study of the Apostles’ Creed.
September 18 begins a new study on the book of Isaiah.
Connect with Paula Ryan or call Renee in the office (574-255-5585) if you are interested in joining.

FRIDAY NIGHT: 1st and 3rd Fridays 6:30pm: Begins tomorrow, September 5! Connect with John Schroeder or Mike Fonck if you’re interested in joining. This year, we will study of the book of Acts, featuring a companion video series that we’ll watch together.

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Pick Your Next Usher Date!

Thanks to everyone who has served as an usher or part of an usher team. It’s time to pick another date to serve! Please sign up on the Sunday Servants sheet on the slat wall. You can see the specific list of duties, with video demos, here. A veteran usher will assist you and teach you one extra duty beyond communion each time you serve.

“The Numbers” — Week of 31 August 2025

Offerings
General Fund: $3089

Worship Attendance
Sunday 8/31: 107

M.A.C. Food Pantry
• no delivery this week
• most needed right now: cereal, sides, peanut butter
Contact Cindy Matthews (574) 855-3504 for more information.

Braille Bible Team
• begins Tuesday, September 9 at 9am!
Contact Sharon Csaszar (574) 904-1411 or Sandy Ellis (574) 220-3636 for more information.

Sewing Quilt Team
• begins Tuesday, September 9 at 9am!
Through the program year, the sewing group meets Tuesdays to cut squares, size sheets, assemble backs and fronts of quilts, iron sheets, sew and pin quilts. Participants of ANY skill level from the least to the greatest are welcome. If you are interested in this human care ministry, contact Helga Platz (574) 514-3751 for more information.

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Announcements may be submitted by:

• Using the online form: https://splcm.org/forms/submit-announcement/
• Filling out an announcement form from the left of the slat wall in the Narthex and placing it on the pastor’s chair to the right of the Cross at the front of the sanctuary.