May 2025
Thank you to everyone who completed the congregation survey that was recently administered by the Ministry Site Profile committee! Our committee was thrilled by the responses we received, and your input and feedback will help us greatly as we put the finishing touches on our Ministry Site Profile document and get set to submit it to our Synod for their review. As you might recall, this is only one of three things we have to accomplish before a Call Committee can be formed—we also need to undergo a financial audit and update our constitution and by-laws. We are working diligently to move that process along.
According to our last annual congregation report, our congregation has around 308 confirmed members, so our committee was hoping to receive at least 20 to 25 responses to the survey. We thought that receiving 30 responses would be outstanding, so you can imagine our excitement at receiving 46 responses. We are incredibly grateful for your participation.
In the survey we asked everyone to select the top five ministry tasks, or duties that we think are the most important for our incoming pastor to focus on immediately. Here are the top responses:
1) Preaching/worship, 2) Pastoral care and visitation, 3) Building a sense of community, 4) Administration, and 5) Music/worship/arts. This information is very helpful and should provide any prospective candidates for our pastoral vacancy with a clearer sense of our congregation’s priorities.
The next survey question asked about essential gifts, or skills that we hope the next pastor possesses. Here are the top five responses to this question: 1) Effective communicator, 2) Active in visitation, 3) Build a sense of community, 4) Develop spiritual lives, and 5) Bring joy and good humor to relationships. Again, this information is very helpful and informative.
The next survey question asked about helpful gifts, skills that we don’t regard as essential for our incoming pastor but ones that will be helpful in their work. Here are the top five responses to this question: 1) Effective communicator, 2) Tie—Build a sense of community and be active in visitation, 3) Develop spiritual lives, 4) Share leadership and work in a team, and 5) Bring joy and good humor to relationships.
While we weren’t required to collect this information for the Ministry Site Profile, we thought it might be helpful to include some questions to gather some additional feedback. We asked those completing the survey why they attend St. Matthew Lutheran Church, where they hope to see the church in 5-7 years, and if they had any comments, recommendations, or suggestions for the Ministry Site Profile or Call committees as their work moves forward, and the responses were incredibly enlightening. At least 26 of those who responded mentioned a desire to see the congregation grow in the next 5-7 years and nine specifically addressed the need to recruit younger members. Eight people mentioned a desire to see the congregation continue or grow in its outreach to the community. Three respondents mentioned their desire to see our beloved building preserved and maintained in the coming years.
Thank you again to all who completed the survey. We appreciate your participation in this important task and will carry your feedback forward throughout the Ministry Site Profile and upcoming call processes.
Notice of the Annual Congregational Meeting
Our annual congregation meeting will be held on SUNDAY, JUNE 8, immediately after worship. Your attendance will be crucial as we will be seeking your approval of our updated constitution and by-laws. (This is one of the several steps required before we can call a potential new pastor.) Printed copies will be available at the church for review several Sundays prior to the meeting.
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
Music Ministry Notes:
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things!”
—Psalm 98:1
Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Easter season is one of joy, renewal, and profound celebration. As we move beyond Lent and continue into the radiant days following the Resurrection, our hearts are full of gratitude for the journey we have walked together—from the shadows of Holy Week to the brilliance of Easter morning. Although for many, Easter is but a distant memory, however, the Easter season is still upon us. The power of music to lead us through that journey once again reminds us that we do not sing for ourselves, but for the glory of God. Every anthem, every hymn, every note offered in worship is a prayer, lifting our hearts toward the risen Christ.
This spring has been rich with meaning, thanks to the dedication and preparation of our choirs. From the solemnity of Lent to the triumph of Easter, your music has helped shape a worship experience that speaks deeply to the soul. Thank you for sharing your gifts and offering your time in service to our congregation.
As we continue in the Easter season, we are reminded that our calling to praise does not end at the empty tomb. In fact, it continues with even greater purpose. Now, our songs reflect the promise of new life, the hope of redemption, and the joy of Christ alive in the world. This is a season of possibility, growth, and spiritual blooming.
Looking ahead, our choirs will begin winding down for the season, but the music does not stop. Throughout the summer months, we warmly invite members of our congregation to offer special music during Sunday services. Whether you are a vocalist, instrumentalist, or part of an ensemble, we would be delighted to include your gifts in worship. If you are interested in providing music for a service, please reach out—we would love to hear from you!
Yours in Christ
Alan
Congratulations, Graduates!
Congratulations and best wishes for these family members and friends of St. Matthew on their upcoming graduations!
Hannah McCready will graduate from Berwick High School. She will attend the Jean Madelyn Aveda Institute in Philadelphia to study Esthetics.
Taylor Gillaspy will graduate from Bloomsburg High School. She will attend Bucknell University to study accounting.
Lillian Fogelsanger will graduate from Bloomsburg High School. She will attend Misericordia University to study medical imaging.
Lindsey Fogelsanger is graduating from Bucknell University with a degree in psychology. She plans to pursue a masters degree in social work at Bloomsburg University.
Aydan McFarland will graduate from Bloomsburg University with a degree in Professional Sales and Marketing.
Raely McFarland graduated from Bloomsburg University in December with a degree in business/management. Congratulations belatedly!
To RSVP, please contact the church office or sign up on the bulletin board in the gathering area.
Alleluia, Christ is Risen! – Upcoming Worship for May 2025
* Sunday, May 4, 9 a.m. – Worship Third Sunday of Easter (led by ALWL Wendy Davis)
* Sunday, May 11, 9 a.m. – Worship Fourth Sunday of Easter/Mother’s Day (led by Rev. Wayne Muthler)
* Sunday, May 18, 9 a.m. – Worship Fifth Sunday of Easter (led by ALWL Wendy Davis)
* Sunday, May 25, 9 a.m. – Worship Sixth Sunday of Easter (led by ALWL Tina Baucher)
* Sunday, June 1, 9 a.m. – Worship Seventh Sunday of Easter/Graduate Sunday (with ALWL Wendy Davis)
* Sunday, June 8 – The annual congregation meeting will occur after worship. Please see details inside.
Worship services are live streamed on the congregation’s Facebook page.
St. Matthew’s Visitation Team
St. Matthew’s newly-formed Visitation Team needs your help! Katy Miller and Barbara Welliver-Bramer are checking in (by phone and in person) with our members who are unable to attend worship in person for whatever reason. If you know of someone who may want or need a visit or may want to speak with a pastor … or possibly you yourself are in need, please contact the church office (570-784-4515), Katy (570-441-2850 or katymiller@ptd.net), or Barbara Welliver-Bramer (570-458-5254 or barbaraandjimbramer@gmail.com). In addition, if you or a loved one are in need of special prayers or have entered a care facility, please let us know that as well. Thank you!
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 with 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.
Bloomsburg Food Cupboard Monthly Giving
Please help the Food Cupboard provide groceries for 275-300 families a week. Throughout May, we are collecting canned fruit. Want to make a monetary
donation instead? Checks can be made out to Bloomsburg Food Cupboard or
donations can be made online at https://www.bloomsburgfoodcupboard.org.
This month we are celebrating our16th year of giving to the Food Cupboard.
Thank you for your dedication to monthly donations!
Bundles of Blessings Quarterly Diaper Giving
Diapers and baby wipes are given out on the third Saturday of every month, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 101 East Fifth Street, Bloomsburg.
We collect diapers quarterly for their giveaway, in March, June, September and December.
Thank you for 12 years of faithful donations!
Worship and Music News
* May 11 is first Communion Sunday. If you have a child who is approaching the age to take first communion, please let Becky Toth know. You can email her at beckytoth@ptd.net.
* We will recognize our graduates this year on June 1. We don’t want to miss anyone, so please let Becky Toth know if you have a graduate in 2025. Please email her at beckytoth@ptd.net.
* Please see the schedule for mid-week and Lenten services. The committee has worked very hard to develop a worship schedule for noon services on Wednesdays from March 12 through April 9. Members of the congregation will lead us through the seasonal rites for Lent.
* Members of the congregation have volunteered to lead worship using the service of the Word for months in which we have five Sundays. March will be our first month for this.
* We will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our beloved church building this fall. If you would like to volunteer to be on the planning committee, please let Becky Toth know (beckytoth@ptd.net or 570-259-7015. We will hold a few meetings before then to plan this special event.
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.
Social Ministry News
- We will meet quarterly in 2025: Next meeting is on Wednesday, April 2 at IOAM in the church’s Gathering Area. Social Ministry is one of the ways our congregation expresses our faith and love for God serving those in need, both locally and globally. Everyone is welcome to attend, our meetings have lots of energy. We have room for you!
- The Fair Trade Cart is up and running again. Stop by to buy some coffee, teat chocolate and more. Your purchases help support small scale farmers, their families and communities and the environment. Thank you to Pat Ferry for her work to continue this popular and important ministry.
- The Blessings Box is well used by the community. Thank you to Kathy Stewart for all her work keeping the box stocked, and thank you for your steady donations.
- The Bulletin Boards at St. Matthew have been given a face-lift. Take a moment to get caught up on “What in God’s Name is going on Here?” Local and Global Outreach, Community Events, and Correspondence.
- Mark your calendar for Sunday, September 7 when congregations of the ELCA will join together for our annual day of service, “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Stay tuned for what project we will be doing at St Matthew.
- Our Lenten Giving project, prayers for and donations to Lutheran Disaster Response, will continue through Easter. Donation boxes are in die main sanctuary for Sunday weekly giving. Or folks can give online through our church’s website.
- On-going donations for the Food Cupboard and Bundles of Blessings continue with great results. Check the Sunday bulletins and monthly newsletters for what’s being collected.
These two local community services are very important and much appreciated by their clients.
- We will be sending Easter Cards to members of our congregation who are unable to worship regularly. Be on the lookout for names, addresses and Easter cards in the Gathering Area. These cards are appreciated very much…Thanks for helping!
Join us for our upcoming Prayer Breakfast
Dates and time TBD – Please sign up on the sign in sheet on the bulletin board in the gathering area if you are planning to attend.
Congregation Council Highlights
(From the April 8, 2025 Council Meeting)
* After an earlier meeting with a representative from the church’s insurance carrier, Council members discussed potential changes to insurance coverage with our next policy renewal to keep premiums low and ensure we are not overinsured. Amendments to our policy, which will ensure more than adequate coverage of the church building, the stained glass, and the pipe organ were approved. Thank you to Brad Miller for working with the insurance company to process these changes.
* Denise and Rudi Lorenz will represent St. Matthew at the upcoming Synod Assembly to be held at Camp Mount Luther (a new location) on June 13-14. Pastor Chad Hebrink will also attend.
* Proposed changes to the constitution and by-laws were reviewed. In addition to updating this document, St. Matthew needs to update its registration as a tax-exempt entity with the PA Department of State prior to its expiration on June 30. The process of getting this information updated is now underway.
* Treasurer Brad Miller provided a review of the church’s finances. Recent declines in the stock market have caused the value of our investment account to decline recently but the situation has not become dire enough to require action. The account will likely rebound in the near future as the stock market settles and rebounds in the coming weeks.
* Plans for Holy Week were reviewed. Authorized Lay Worship Leader Tina Baucher will lead the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services while ALWL Wendy Davis will lead worship on Easter morning at 9 a.m., the usual worship time.
* Property committee members have fixed the outsight lighting and have reached out to area locksmiths regarding the potential rekeying of the building.
* Kathy Stewart reached out to the Girl Scouts recently in an attempt to return some items they left behind when they used to meet upstairs in our building. These items have since been donated to another outside group.
* Plans for the 100th anniversary of our building were reviewed and approved. Council authorized robust funding for this upcoming celebration.
Give a ride to worship
We’re renewing our list of folks who can provide a ride to worship for our members without transportation. If you can help out with this at any time, please contact the church office.
(worship is always livestreamed on the St Matthew Facebook page)—many thanks to our Camera Crew we’re seeking another Camera Crew member—could that be you?)
Worship and Music News
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.