WHEN? - February 11th, 5 pm

WHERE? - Fellowship Hall

Bring the whole family!

Pizza and drinks will be provided.

Bring a snack or dessert and grab your favorite game and join us.

All ages welcome!

We'll have Valentine crafts and cupcakes for the children to decorate.

By Jean McHenry

Once again this year the Ladies’ Auxiliary will serve a pancake supper from 5-7 pm on Shrove Tuesday, 21 February 2012. All are welcome. We will collect a free will offering for the meal. Come and enjoy the fellowship.

By Dolores Saars and Donna Donaldson

Change a life by saving your Change for Life! Next week the Baby Bottle Campaign kicks off and everyone will have the opportunity to partner with Bowie/Crofton/Severna Park Pregnancy Clinic Ministry. Filling your bottles with pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and good old paper money or checks can make a lifesaving difference in our community. Your spare change helps in the following ways:

$1.70 buys a pregnancy test

$15 provides emergency formula for 2 weeks

$25 gets God’s Word into the hands of 10 clients

$100 provides 2 abstinence presentations

$200 provides a life affirming 3D/4D sonogram

The campaign will run from Sunday, February 5 through Sunday, February 25, 2012. If you have questions, please call Dolores Saars, 410-721-7563 or Donna Donaldson, 410-674-2677. Pregnancy Clinic office locations: Bowie/Crofton Pregnancy Center, 4341 Northview Drive, Bowie, 301-262-1330; Severna Park Pregnancy Center, 650 Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park, 410-431-5000.

All ladies are invited to attend a weekly fellowship, Bible study and prayer meeting each Monday morning from 9:30—11 in the church basement. For more information, please contact Rebecca Petersen at 410-674-4936 or Dana Toon at 410-987-2431

By John Perry

Approved Budget is the average monthly amount approved by the voters that can be spent if funds are available.

Budget Expenses include only expenses on the approved budget and not expenses paid by designated funds such as Expansion, CAP donations and Pew Cushions.

Ordinary Income includes Offerings, Pre-K tuition, Sunday School and Rental Income. All budgeted expenses are paid from this income. Expansion contributions and other income designated for a specific use are not included.

By Kevin Fritsch

The Financial Peace classes are starting in February. We have two classes starting on Sunday, February 29th and Thursday, February 23rd. An informal information session is being held on February 12th at 7 pm. If you are looking for hope in 2012, let us show you how to find real financial peace. More information will follow.

By Jean McHenry

As most of you know we provide coffee after the early and late services. All are invited to these Coffee Hours. On Sundays when we do not have Communion the Board assigned to that month provides food also. Some boards only have one or two members so this places more of a burden on them. If anyone would like to bring in donuts, coffee cake, fruit, etc. for these Coffee Hours they are welcome to do so. (Some of you are already helping in this way.) We do not provide food on the second and fourth Sundays of the month when we have Communion (unless it is a special occasion). Many thanks to those who have helped the boards out with contributions to the coffee fund. Come over and enjoy the fellowship opportunity at these Coffee Hours.

By Jean McHenry

Many thanks for your continuing contributions to CAP. Because of you and our other CAP churches our Food Pantry was able to provide 141 families with food during December. This figure is in addition to the 175 holiday baskets we provided. Thus far in January we have fed 135 families (and the month is not over yet). As most of your know we ask for emphasis placed on bringing in particular foods each month. Any non-perishable food is welcome. Please check the expiration date on donated foods. If they have expired, we are unable to use them. The basket provided near the steps to the sanctuary is provided for your contributions.

February is our souper bowl month. During February we place the emphasis on bringing in cans, boxes, packages, etc. of soup. Keep up the Lord’s work by feeding the hungry!

Author unknown

Give up complaining—focus on gratitude.

Give up harsh judgments—think kind thoughts.

Give up worry—trust God to provide.

Give up discouragement—be full of hope.

Give up bitterness—turn to forgiveness.

Give up hatred—return good for evil.

Give up anger—be more patient.

Give up pettiness—become mature.

Give up jealousy—pray for trust.

Give up gossiping—control your tongue.

Give up sin—turn to virtue.

Give up giving up—persevere.

FELLOWSHIP EMPHASIS MONTH

Remembering special occasions with altar flowers during February are:

By Jean McHenry

Many thanks to all who participated in the Red Cross Blood Drive at First Lutheran on Monday, 23 January. We welcomed many from our community, our church and the Christian Assistance Program churches and collected 23 usable units. We had 30 people show up to donate blood. Because of the critical need for blood at this time the donations were most welcome. Thanks to God’s caring people!

A friend tearfully shared how an usher asked her to leave a church service because of her squirmy toddler. But the boy wasn’t just having a bad morning; he was born with a genetic disorder called Fragile X, which makes it nearly impossible to sit quietly.

It was nearly a year before that mother attended a church again. Then she found one with a shepherd program, where trained volunteers help children with special needs participate in worship, Sunday school and church activities.

As we look for ways to reach out to people with disabilities, remember that God’s love has no limits. How can we, as God’s church, reflect that love?

Condensed from Jan Perez’s minutes

Because they did not have a quorum the council could not act officially. Discussed were:

• New gutters and downspout work completed and paid for.
• One-third paid towards waterproofing.
• Work being done to replace air conditioners.
• Landscaping work will continue as soon as Frank Hart recuperates.
• Work continuing on outside digital sign.
• Sign above door looks great.
• Mike Petersen lauded for his leadership in expansion work on church.
• Need nominations for new President and Board head for Community Services.
• Proposal received from Verizon regarding change in service.
• Signatures to church Constitution and By-Laws to be verified.

Please send all of your prayer requests to prayerrequests@felcodenton.org or contact the church office at 410-672-3352. Please indicate if you would like an immediate e-mail sent to the congregation or if you would like the prayer to just be added to the weekly list for Sunday. Thank you.

All news articles will be in our Newest Gospeltality which you can download in PDF form just below the navigation bar to the left.  Thank you.

The following people were elected to serve as the church council for two years. Please keep these people in your prayers and offer your support, as they serve our congregation. If you are interested in being involved in any of the boards please call/e-mail the director of the board. If you are interested in becoming director of one of the open boards please call/e-mail Mike Petersen; congregational president.