Hits: 78 by Dean Porzel    I look forward every year to the end of October, when I transfer my IPod preferred music playlist from my ” 5 Star” or “Road Trip” mix to a playlist called “Holiday Mix”. This folder contains the best of my easy listening 5 Star playlist with a blend of […]

Hits: 41     by Pete Schrank       I had the pleasure of attending all four church services last week in order to deliver the yearly Stewardship message, and it made me think of the bigger picture. Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church is not a Mega Church but it is a large congregation that needs […]

Hits: 59    by Barb Mazarakos               According to the beloved Christmas hymn Silent Night, “All is calm, all is bright” on that blessed night so long ago. Unfortunately, our current climate of Do, Shop, Buy tend to make many of us feel anything BUT calm and bright as we approach December 25th. […]

Hits: 63   No Time to Serve? That’s What You Think! by Barb Mazarakos    Time. For so many of us, it is our most precious commodity. After all, we can earn more money, but we can’t get back lost time. Often when it comes to volunteering at church, we seem to think we need […]

Hits: 70    by Heather Green   When you become a parent, your time is no longer your own. When you have a baby, your schedule revolves around the baby eating and sleeping. If you also have to work, this is exhausting, but as children get older, there is even less “you” time as kids […]

Hits: 68     by Barb Mazarakos   Remember when Black Friday was single day? Literally, it was the day after Thanksgiving when you could get some of the best “deals” of the holiday season. Stores would open early- some at the crack of 6am- and shoppers could fill their carts without completely emptying their […]

Hits: 70 by Pete Schrank             As the CELC Newsletter heads into its seventh year, I know we are touching on some subjects we have covered before. I know we have talked about change in the past but this subject can be viewed from many different perspectives. As Christians, we know that God […]

Hits: 66    Time to Give Thanks by Barb Mazarakos             As Thanksgiving comes upon us and we start to plan menus, think about trips to Grandma’s house (over the river and through the woods, perhaps?) and mark flyers for Black Friday shopping trips, don’t forget to make Thanksgiving Worship part of your […]

Hits: 113      by Monsignor Lawrence Luciana I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work For bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, And jumped up off my knees. My Christian duty was now […]

Hits: 150      by Barb Mazarakos    Stress. It is something we talk about regularly, an always-present part of the daily lives of so many people. Trying to balance work, family, and volunteer commitments along with paying the bills, keeping up the home, and caring for young children or aging parents- sometimes both at […]

Hits: 2964      by Heather Green   At Christ Lutheran, the order of worship usually begins with the confession of sins, by Pastor Ray making the following statement: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The congregation responds with, “But if we confess our […]

Hits: 102       by Pete Schrank             In October, we traditionally talk about the reformation and how Luther changed the Christian faith and the world. The reformation brought about many doctrinal changes. As Lutherans, we are free from the rules of the Pope, the penalty of Purgatory, the deification of Mary, […]

Hits: 52 by Barb Mazarakos      Working in the church office is definitely not for the faint of heart. While we may look in the window as we pass by and see the smiling faces of our Office Manager Julie Jancik and Administrative Assistant Jamie Deckinga with an office space that looks well under […]

Hits: 59    (Part 2 of 2) by Heather Green In part one of this series I provided some biographical information about the members of the Stewardship Committee and highlighted our roles within the team. In this part I will explain briefly why each of us has chosen to be on the Stewardship committee.   […]

Hits: 1174 by Pete Schrank               As the season of summer moves to my wife’s favorite season, fall, we get back into the swing of things. Weekday School begins and the teachers, students, and support staff start getting back to the important tasks of learning. In the church, we get back to Sunday […]

Hits: 50     by Barb Mazarakos      We’ve all heard the old joke about Pastors only working one day a week. However you only need to spend a few minutes speaking with any member of clergy to know that statement couldn’t be more wrong. Around planning and leading worship services there are visits […]

Hits: 36     by Heather Green      In today’s society where we have come to expect instant gratification, much thanks to the Internet, social media, and superstores which are open 24/7/365, it seems an anomaly to think that any business is closed on Sunday. Even Amazon delivers on Sundays and Holidays, including Christmas […]

Hits: 79     by Pete Schrank             In 2019, the words “remember the Sabbath Day” seem to get harder and harder for Christians to follow. Long ago, the Jews had the 10 commandments as the law. People would be punished for breaking the law or even killed for desecrating the Sabbath. A […]

Hits: 108    by Pete Schrank             My faith is very important to me but I can say that I do not walk around asking people “Do you know Jesus?” “Are you saved?” “Do you have a personal relationship with Christ?” That does not mean when I am asked about my faith or […]

Hits: 55     by Barb Mazarakos            We are at the great stage in our life where most of our social activities revolve around our kids. Now if you know me, you may not be sure if I say this with sincerity or that snippet of sarcasm you know and love, but […]

Hits: 57   Faith Bigger Than Fear by Heather Green      This has been one of the more difficult articles to write. I kept thinking that I needed to share something profound or of deep significance to make it important. But then I realized sometimes simple is more.   As many of you know, […]

Hits: 1371   Cemetery Board Actives and Duties by Arlene Gronwold         The Cemetery Board has six members who care for all the activities of Christ Lutheran Cemetery (147th Street and 82nd Avenue). These activities include transacting the selling of lots ($1,000.00 current price) and making the arrangements with our contracted grave digger to […]

Hits: 104    by Pete Schrank           Easter is far and away the most important Christian Holy Day (Holiday). However we seem to make so much more of the Christmas Season than Easter Season. I know the liturgical season of Lent is about remembering our sin and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, so […]

Hits: 39    by Barb Mazarakos       Plans. We all make them. Plans for vacation, plans for home repairs, plans for the future. Sometimes things don’t go quite the way we had hoped the first time, so we default to Plan B. (Sometimes Plan C. Or D. Sometimes it’s a good thing we have […]

Hits: 129 by Heather Green        Everywhere you look at Christ Lutheran, there is evidence that the Easter season is in full swing. From the Thursday morning and evening Lenten services with Holy Communion, the preparations by the Sunday School children for their Easter performance, and the rehearsals of the choirs and orchestras, to […]

Hits: 4936    by Pete Schrank         The focus for Easter is our salvation in Jesus, and His three-year ministry starts with His baptism in the Jordan River. Christ’s baptism was as an adult. John the Baptist was baptizing many people out in the wilderness by the Jordan River during his ministry. Baptism was […]

Hits: 61     by Barb Mazarakos        Easter is a busy time around Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, and there are plenty of opportunities for worship during Holy Week.   We begin with Palm Sunday services on Sunday, April 14. Holy Communion Services in anticipation of the Passion of our Lord will be at […]

Hits: 45  by Dean Porzel        A woman’s place is…….? Our perspective is certainly changing with respect to this age old question. In our faith life, it is true that we may continue to see the role of the female in the church distributed as represented in this chart:     While this graphic […]