PIC: Advent Servant Gifts

[Richard Wesenberg]

Peace In Christ Lutheran Church
8798 Adventure Avenue
Walkersville, Md 21793

December 6, 2024

Dear Fellow Members of Peace in Christ,

The wonderful season is again upon us! We proclaim the great mercy of
God, the birth of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ as
prophesied in Isaiah, Chapter 7 and Matthew Chapter 1, “Behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name
Immanuel”. We proclaim this to ourselves and to all men. This is our
mission. He is our hope and our joy. In him we find peace with God,
forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. Good news indeed!

We have been blessed by God with three servants to lead and guide us
in our mission. Our shepherd, Pastor Brad Singer, Pastor Richard
Benjamin, our special mission pastor, and Sharon Stromberg, our church
Music Director and Church Administrator. Now is a good time to show
appreciation for the servants the Lord has provided.

Pastor Singer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, teaches us God’s word
using his knowledge of scripture, Lutheran doctrine, history and his
first-hand knowledge of Israel geography. His visitation ministry to
the sick and infirm has been vital to the faith of many congregants.
He keeps us all smiling with his quick wit, hilarious perspectives,
and funny stories. Anna, the Pastor’s wife, supports him in this
endeavor, by her presence and by sharing her perspectives on his
ministry

Pastor Richard Benjamin provides temporary pastoral support to
congregations in the Southern District as needed. He works closely
with Pastor Singer and our congregation on many matters including
worship, visitation and the ministry of the Sacraments. His 30 years
experience as a member of this congregation has been of immeasurable
value! In addition, his understanding of the church building systems
has been invaluable. Hope, the Pastor’s wife, supports him and the
church as a member of the Altar Guild and the Choir.

Sharon Stromberg, our Music Director and Church Administrator,
continues to serve us with her talents, gifts, and creativity. She is
a superb organist, writes and arranges music for worship, works
closely with guest musicians and directs the voice and the hand bell
choirs. She is a tech wizard, maintaining our web sites, databases and
SharePoint. She arranges and manages our building contracts. In
addition she is deeply involved with missions to the homeless.

At this time, the Church Council would like to provide the members of
the congregation the opportunity to extend your appreciation to Pastor
Singer, Pastor Benjamin, Sharon and their families, with a monetary
Christmas gift. There are two ways to contribute; you can mail your
contribution to the church office marked Servant Gifts, or you can
bring your gift to church on the remaining Sundays in Advent and place
it in the offering, on or before 12/22. Cash or checks will be
accepted. Please give through the church so that the gifts are
included on their W-2. Again, all donations should be clearly marked
as Servant Gifts. If you have a preference for distribution, please
indicate how you would like the gift distributed. Gifts will be
presented on Christmas Eve.

May this Advent bring Joy to You and Yours,

Peace in Christ Lutheran Elders and Church Council.