Happy 100th Anniversary, St. Matthew!
his year marks a remarkable milestone for our congregation and the surrounding community as St. Matthew Lutheran Church celebrates the 100th anniversary of its historic church building. Since its dedication in 1925, our beloved church building has stood as both a place of worship and a beacon of faith, service, and fellowship. The prominent red-brick structure, with its stained-glass windows and welcoming sanctuary, has witnessed generations of baptisms, weddings, confirmations, and community gatherings, serving as a spiritual home to countless area families over the past century.
While the building itself is a century old, the heart of St. Matthew’s lies in the people who have filled its pews and carried out its mission. Members, pastors, and volunteers have devoted their time, talents, and resources to sustaining the life of the congregation while serving the wider community. From Sunday worship and youth programs to outreach efforts that extend beyond Bloomsburg, the church
has always represented more than just a building-it is a living testament to the love and grace of God at work in the lives of His people.
Our centennial celebration this month provides an opportunity to honor the vision and sacrifice of those who built and maintained the church, while also looking forward with hope to the next 100 years. As our congregation gathers to reflect on the building’s anniversary, we reaffirm our mission to serve the world, tell the story, sing the praise, and give God the glory. This milestone should remind all who
celebrate that while walls and windows may frame the church, it is the faith and fellowship of the people within that truly make St. Matthew Lutheran Church a cornerstone of Bloomsburg’s history and future. We thank God for providing such a beautiful home to our congregation.
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that believers would stake their lives on it a thousand times.” – Martin Luther
Alleluia, Christ is Risen! – Upcoming Opportunities for Worship
Sunday, October 5,9 a.m. – Worship – 17th Sunday after Pentecost (led by ALWL Wendy Davis)
Sunday, October 12, 9 a.m. – Worship – 100th Anniversary (led by Bishop Craig Miller)
Sunday, October 19, 9 a.m. – Worship – 19th Sunday after Pentecost (led by ALWL Wendy Davis)
Sunday, October 26, 9 a.m. – Worship – Reformation Sunday (led by ALWL Tina Baucher)
Volunteers Needed
St. Matthew is looking for volunteers for two recent ad hoc committees that are being formed: the Personnel committee and the Security community. If you have expertise or interest in human resource management or security matters, we would value and appreciate your input! The personnel committee will examine and revise job descriptions and duties, develop employee policies and guidelines, and plan for the church’s future while the security committee will examine safety and security, including the possible installation of a security system or cameras. If you are interested in serving on either (or both!) of these committees, please contact the church office (570-784-4515) or John Kula (jwkula2@gmail.com).
If it is difficult for you to make it to Sunday worship and you’d like to have the office email you the weekly bulletin, please send us a message and we’ll add you to the list.
Music Ministry
100th Anniversary Celebration: On Sunday, October 12th, we gather with joy and reverence to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our beautiful church – a century of worship, community, and faithful service in this space. This milestone is not only a time to look back with gratitude but also a moment to lift our hearts in song and celebration. Our worship service will be especially musical and uplifting, featuring The Brass Menagerie, Emory Toth on percussion, our bell choir, and the senior choir. Together, these ensembles will offer a powerful musical expression of our shared history and hope.
As we mark this centennial moment, we also pause to reflect on the past that formed us, the present that shapes us, and the future that calls us forward. What does this milestone ask of us as current members of St. Matthew? How will we carry the mission of the church beyond that of a building? Just as those before us built a foundation rooted in faith, we are charged with continuing that work gathering in love, serving in hope, and singing boldly as we go.
Jubilate Choir:
The Jubilate Choir began weekly rehearsals on September 21st with a fantastic response from both singers and instrumentalists. The chamber orchestra will be joining the choir later in the season in preparation of an exciting celebration of our 20th anniversary. The concerts are scheduled for Saturday, December 13th at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 14th at 3 p.m. Sponsorships for the 2025 concert will be announced in the coming weeks and will appear in the November’s newsletter. We are grateful for the on-going support
over the past two decades. Please mark your calendars and extend invitations to those in our community!
Reformation:
Each year at this time,I find it important to remember the Reformation. October 31st marks 508 years since this pivotal time in both our Christian Faith and Lutheran Heritage – a movement that profoundly reshaped the church and the way we worship. As we prepare to observe Reformation Sunday on October 26th, we are invited to do more than recall the past. We are called to reflect deeply on Christ’s teachings and to renew our commitment to living them out with courage and conviction.
The Reformation reminds us that faith is never static. It is alive – continuously challenging us to grow, to reform, and to serve with purpose. What began centuries ago continues to resonate today, urging us to be people of bold love, persistent grace, and faithful action (especially in the absence of a full-time pastor).
Just as it was vital then, the spirit of reformation remains essential now – and will be tomorrow. May we
honor the legacy of those who came before us by stepping forward as instruments of change and
compassion in our own time.
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.” ~Martin Luther
From Dr. Alan Hack,
Director of Music
Pastor Search Update
Now that St. Matthew’s Ministry Site Profile (MSP) has been submitted, we have moved on to the next step in the search process: the formation of a call committee. According to our Synod’s guidelines, a call committee consists of six persons, no more than two of whom are members of the congregation council, and its membership must “reflect the composition of the congregation, seek gender balance, and include persons of various ages and length of congregational membership.” This committee, “seeking God’s will for the congregation through prayer, interviews, consulting of references, and conversation with one another, unanimously and wholeheartedly recommends a
candidate to the congregation council for their consideration.”
Call committee members include Pat Ferry, Kayla McCready, Randy Ruckle, Stu Hartman, and John Kula. Another female member is needed. If interested, please contact John Kula (814-777-5372) or the church office (570-784-4515) ASAP. Thank you to these congregation members for their willingness to serve!
Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Congregation Meetings
Please make plans to stay after worship for a few minutes on November 2 and November 16 for important annual congregation meetings. On November 2, nominees for the church’s 2026 council will be presented, and nominations will be accepted from the floor.
On November 16, we will vote on the council nominations, in addition to reviewing and approving the church’s 2026 budget. Both of these meetings should be brief.
Your attendance at both meetings is very important – and greatly appreciated!
UPPER SUSQUEHANNA SYNOD
The synod’s new Youth Ministry Initiative, led by youth from around the synod, recently kicked off a series of monthly events. Youth are invited to bring their own games and enjoy some fellowship and refreshments! Other events scheduled for this fall include:
October 12 – Murder Mystery from 2-4 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Northumberland
November 9 – A Ping Pong Tournament (2-4 p.m., place TВА)
December 7 – Advent Worship and Fellowship from 2-4 p.m. at Camp Mount Luther
Help Support the Teen Center Meal Ministry…
The Social Ministry Committee is looking for help from folks who like to cook! We will be providing frozen meals periodically to the Teen Center at 36 East Main Street in Bloomsburg. Young folks visit the Teen Center Monday through Thursday and many times are in need of something to eat. You can provide a whole meal, or simply a quart of soup.
How will it work? We will be “stockpiling” meals in the church basement freezer located at the bottom of the stairs leading to the kitchen/fellowship hall. Simply put your food in a freezer container, label it with the contents and the date, and put in the freezer. We will see that the Teen Center gets the meals!
Suggested types of meals: things that freeze well and can be heated up in a microwave or air fryer, like soups, lasagna, meatballs, sloppy joes, chili, stuffed peppers, rice or pasta dishes, casseroles, mac ‘n cheese, etc. Think “what will teenagers like to eat?”
This is an on-going, local ministry that was started by Madison O’Shea, a BU student, as her Senior Project. Thanks for your help to make a difference for our local teens!
Have a question? Contact any member of the Social Ministry Committee: Kathy Stewart, Denise Lorenz, Bonnie Ulshafer, Cathy Cosoleto, Mary Lou Wagner, Pat Ferry or Katy Miller.
St. Matthew’s Visitation Team
Visitation Team Reminder
Do you or someone you know need special prayers, a friendly phone call, or a visit? Have you or a loved one entered a care facility? Would you like a visit from our visitation pastor, Pastor Pam? Please let us know and we will arrange whatever care you are in need of. Contact the church office (570-784-4515), Katy Miller (570-441-2850), or Barbara Welliver-Bramer (570-458-5254). Prayer is powerful and a friendly voice, a warm smile, or a heartfelt personal note can go a long way in comforting someone.
Meet Pastor Pam
As soon as our congregation’s search for a new pastor began, the Upper Susquehanna Synod has assigned two local pastors to serve our congregation onapart-time interim basis. Pastor Chad Hebrink from Berwick, who is well-known to our congregation, is assisting with administrative matters. Pastor Pam Meilands, who comes to us from the Table and First Presbyterian Church, has been tapped to provide pastoral care/visitation and handle funerals and weddings. Here is some information about Pastor Pam from the First Presbyterian web site: Rev. Pamela Meilands has been an ordained pastor for ten years, serving churches in Michigan and Pennsylvania. She received her
Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2014 and is also a graduate of the music department at The College of New Jersey. She has completed training focused on innovation and the church, has completed the first segment of transitional ministry training, and is currently pursuing a M.B.A. degree. When not working or studying, Pastor Pam can
be found playing Dungeons and Dragons, knitting, or in the pottery studio working with clay. We are thankful for the services and support of Pastor Chad and Pastor Pam.
You Are Invited to Pastor Pam’s Book Study
Rev. Pam Meilands invites the good people of St. Matthew to join in a book study, along with members of The Table and First Presbyterian Church. Participants will read and discuss Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by James Martin. Discussion groups will gather weekly on Sundays at noon at First Presbyterian and on Monday mornings at 10:30 a.m. at The Table beginning on October 12 and 13. Copies of the book are available at First Presbyterian or through bookshop.org or other online vendors.
2026 Council Members Are Needed
St. Matthew’s council will be losing three members at the end of this year as their terms expire, and new members are urgently needed! The council generally meets at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. If you are interested or have any questions about what’s involved, we’d love to talk to you. Feel free to see any council member or contact the church office. The council is responsible for keeping our church operating and on sound footing, and your service is especially important now during our pastoral vacancy.
Thank you for your consideration.
Tapestry Talk Held
On Sunday, October 5, Brad and Katy Miller presented an informative “tapestry talk” on the reredos, or tapestry, located above the front altar in our church. A good number of congregation members stayed after worship for the fascinating presentation, and the event was positively featured in The Press Enterprise. Thank you to Katy and Brad for putting this event together, and thanks to all who attended!
October Collection for the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard
Please help the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard continue to provide groceries for 275-300 families a week.. Throughout October, St. Matthew will be collecting chicken noodle and tomato soups. Want to make a monetary donation instead? Checks can be made out to Bloomsburg Food Cupboard or donations can be made online at their web site: https://www.bloomsburgfoodcupboard.org. Thank you for your dedication to monthly donations!
We’re seeking another person for the Camera Crew—turns come up roughly once a month.
Members of the Camera Crew each use their personal smartphones to stream the service to those unable to be physically present in worship.
What gift can you share? Altar Guild, Choirs, worship assistants of any type—all can use your gifts. Please call the office or speak to a member of the church council, Erin Hartman about choirs.
¨ Did you know that over $1,100 a month is given electronically by members of St. Matthew?
Automated giving provides convenience for you and cash-flow consistency for St. Matthew. Getting started is easy. Additional information is available from the church office.
¨ THRIVENT MEMBERS: Please remember that you must redirect your Thrivent Choice Dollars each year. If you do not redirect your Choice Dollars yearly, Thrivent will choose a charity to receive your Choice Dollars. Please consider redirecting your Choice Dollars to St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Bloomsburg. If you have any questions please contact Randy Ruckle or Elaine Stauffer. Many thanks to St Matt Thrivent members who direct their choice dollars giving to our mutual benefit!
¨ Follow St. Matthew on Facebook! Watch for online updates, info, and reminders.
Equal Exchange
Chocolate bars – mint crunch, orange infused, milk, very dark 71%, extra dark Panama 80%.
Also many varieties of organic teas, 2 kinds of hot cocoa.
And the exotic!—Dried Mango.
Full-flavored, fairly-traded, organic, wholesale prices for you;
the gift of life for the growers/ producers as members in the Equal Exchange co-op.
Plus, Organic Virgin Olive Oil and Dates from Palestine.
Available on the cart on Sundays and whenever the church office is open.
Did you know that over $1,000/month is given electronically by members of St. Matthew?
Automated giving provides convenience for you and cash-flow consistency for St. Matthew.
Getting started is easy. Check out the giving portal on our homepage: stmatthewbloomsburg.org
¨ Many thanks to St Matt Thrivent members who direct their choice dollars giving to the ministry of St Matt and our mutual benefit!
¨ Follow St. Matthew on Facebook!
St Matthew offers Equal Exchange fairly-traded products at wholesale prices throughout the year.
Fairly-traded means that everyone in the supply chain is compensated fairly and is able to work in a healthy environment. Equal Exchange trades only with farmer cooperatives who vote and together decide how to use their premiums in their communities. Premiums support environmental initiatives like beekeeping, protecting the pollinators their crops depend on. EE is committed to fully traceable supply chains to counter the child and forced labor problems in West Africa.
Thank you for supporting small-scale farmers, their communities and the environment with your purchases of fairly-traded chocolate, nuts, coffee, fruit, tea, cocoa, and olive oil.
…and what does the Divine require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6 :8
Thank you for supporting small-scale farmers, their communities and the environment with your purchases of fairly-traded chocolate, nuts, coffee, fruit, tea, cocoa, and olive oil.
Full-flavored, fairly-traded, organic, wholesale prices for you; the gift of life for the growers/ producers as members in the Equal Exchange Co-op.
Plus, Organic Virgin Olive Oil and Dates from Palestine.
Available on the cart on Sundays and whenever the church office is open.
Baking supplies! Chocolate chips (55%), baking cocoa, almonds, pecans and cashews.
Fairly-traded, organic, wholesale prices for you; the gift of life for the growers/ producers as members in the Equal
Exchange coop. Available on the Fair Trade Project cart on Sundays and whenever the church office is open.
New on the Fair Trade Cart—Mind, Body & Soul Coffee (whole bean).
Blend of medium and Vienna roasts—smooth & creamy with chocolate notes.
Community Blessing Box Offerings
Jesus said, Go and do likewise Luke 10:37
Community Blessing Box Offerings
As you consider offerings to the Community Blessing Box, here are some items we’ve found to be in great demand:
Food items
· Individual size heat ‘n eats in flip-top cans
· Snack crackers (Lance, Keebler, etc.)
· Pop Tarts
· Individual size cereals, apple sauce/fruit
· Canned/packaged chicken/ham/tuna salad, spam, beef jerky
· Spaghetti sauce (paired with boxed pasta)
Personal care items
· (small) Toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, deodorant
· (small)(bottles) Laundry soap, fabric softener/dryer sheets
· Tablets & pens
· Toilet paper
· Socks
· Wash cloths
Special thanks to Kathy Stewart for managing this vital ministry.
Food for Thought: (we picked up some tips from another newsletter—to help you help others)
So, I spent some time at a Food Bank today, and spoke to the people getting food. Here are some things I learned from those in need.
* Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal which they also get a lot of.
* Oil is a luxury but needed for rice a roni which they also get a lot of.
* Spices or salt and pepper would be a real Christmas gift.
* Tea bags and coffee make them feel like you care.
* Sugar and flour are treats.
* Tuna and crackers make a good lunch.
* Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated.
* Feminine hygiene products are a luxury and women will cry over that.
* Everyone loves Stove Top stuffing.
In all the years I have donated food at the holidays, I bought what I thought they wanted, but have never asked. I am glad I did.