The Leaflet

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June 14

June 21

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Welcome to the Council Corner Report for June 2020! Our virtual meet-ing was held on Tuesday evening May 12th via TEAMs.

The following opportunities were addressed and/or supported by email:

Thank You Gerrit for sharing your time and talent with us thus enabling all members to realize a comfort level in our new virtual environment.

Continued Thank You to our COVID-19 Worship team who so diligently works behind the scenes to bring us our amazing Worship services!

God’s Work Our Hands remains set for Sunday September 13th, 2020

Members who have paid for Altar flowers can sign up for a future date when services are held in the church or, if you prefer to receive your money back, please let Jean Mullen know. She will notify our Treasurer who will provide your reimbursement.

Bible Camp has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus.

Estimates are being considered to replace our sign which was damaged in the accident. Once a decision is made on the sign we want, an estimate will be provided to our insurance company.

The entire church will be professionally cleaned and sanitized before Worship services resume at the church.

Thanks to a Thrivent grant the confirmands are able to take on a Com-munity garden project which is in the process of being created. This pro-ject will be located near the outdoor fire pit. Once planted, volunteers will be needed to help water, cultivate and harvest the vegetables. Please con-sider being a part of this project.

Please remember that if you have any suggestions, comments or concerns you would like to address we are here for you so feel free to bring them to our attention for discussion at the next Council meeting—scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th , 2020 at 6:30 PM. Should you need to contact a Council member during this pandemic, please send an email or make a phone call.

Council reports have always been and will continue to be available to members in the Church Office and within our virtual environment but will not be made available on the website because it has a public forum.

It is our blessing and our pleasure to serve you! Pam Baker, President

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Dear Friends,

There have been very few times when it was so clear that we live in one world.

Of course there has been a lot of talk about globalization in business, agricul-ture, travel, and weather. This pandemic has made it clear that we are united as a world in life and death. I love that bumper sticker that says, “There is no plan-et B.” It is not an exaggeration that whatever happens in one part of the world will effect what’s happening everywhere. During my lifetime I remember that moment when the astronauts who landed on the moon watched the earth rise in the moon’s sky. That famous picture from that incredible vantage point showed us we were one world. Our world is an incredible cradle of life given to us to ap-preciate and care for.

This pandemic challenges us to realize we all are dwellers on this planet who need its resources and gifts to sustain the human race. It is clear right now we no longer can we run to our own corner of the world and live safe and isolated from other humans. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we harvest, and the sun that shines on us all are to be cared for and shared. The dangers we face of pollution, famine, warfare and disease are all ours to overcome as a hu-man community on earth. What we do good can be wonderful and the bad can be catastrophic. We might as well realize as the Bible says, “God so loved the world,” and he expects us to also. Jesus taught us, “Love your neighbor as your-self,” and we are all neighbors.

There is no Planet B, but Planet A is enough with care to give us all a future.

Your brother in Christ, Pastor Greg

Lutheran Community Services

Two major fundraisers for Lutheran Community Services (the annual Room At The Table Breakfast and Gimme Shelter Golf Tournament), had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, now more than ever, the need for food and shelter is needed. If you are able to help financially, please send an online gift donation to LCS at www.lcsde.org.

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Our Pledged Income and Total Income fell off slightly in April. Expenses are at 75% of budget and our first quarter benevolences were paid, as pledged, in April. Thank you all for your good stewardship. We need to keep it up, so that we can continue to fulfill our mission in this place.

As you are all painfully aware, business has slowed across the nation. As a result we are still awaiting estimates for replacement of our roadside sign, which will be then submitted to our insurance company.

A copy of our expenditures and the Treasurer’s Report is posted on the office bulletin board, if we are ever able to return to church. I am always availa-ble to answer your questions or address your concerns. I am at home just about 100% of the time.

Gene Zaiser Council Treasurer

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions we are all under, the OWLS are currently on hiatus until more concrete plans can be made to be out and about to-gether. If the “ALL CLEAR” is given before the next issue of The Leaflet is published, plans for an OWLS outing will

be announced in church or via email/telephone.

Looking forward to our next time together. Stay well.

Janet Parks, Dee and George Matz.

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Did You Know?

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The United States Army also celebrates the U.S. Army birthday on this date; Congress adopted "the American continental army" af-ter reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; on August 3, 1949, National Flag Day was es-tablished by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. Ti-tle 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110 is the official statute on Flag Day; however, it is at the president's discretion to offi-cially proclaim the observance. On June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale. New York Statutes designate the second Sunday in June as Flag Day, a state holiday. (Wikipeida)

Grocery Sorting—Tuesday, June 9 AM at 9:30 AM

Grocery Club Distribution—Thursday, June 18, 3:00-5:00 PM

If you would like to donate, we could use cereal or canned fruit. If you are do-nating and have a key to the church, you can put the item(s) in the kitchen or drop them off at the Mullen’s front door (406 Morning Glory Ln, Middletown). Thank you for all your contributions.

The Grocery Club is one of TOL’s ongoing mission to help those in our com-munity who have food insecurities. If you would like to help, please contact Jean Mullen at jaramullen1@verizon.net

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JUNE

Becky Bullock June 8

Richard Mullen June 9

Annalise Fratta June 18

Denise Lindquist June 23

Louis DiLeonardo June 26

Janet Parks June 29

“Sewing” Seeds of Kindness

The TOL Quilting Group has switched gears. The quilters and other TOL members’ sewing machines are roaring—making face masks. On May 1st, the TOL quilters donated 55 face masks to the LCS Food Pantry at the St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Wilming-ton, and an additional 30 on May 15th. On average St. Stephens gives out 100 face masks each week. Furthermore about 400 masks were donated to vari-ous places like the MOT Senior Center, the Appo-school nurses and others.

At the May Grocery Club distribution, face masks were given out to our clients.

Do you need a face mask? Face masks are still available at the Church of-fice. So far about 70 have been picked up by members of our congregation. There are sizes and fabrics geared for men, women, teens and children.

If you want to have a homemade face mask and have no access to the church or if you want to help with this important ministry, please contact Jean Mullen or Johanna Salemink

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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Johanna Salemink models several face masks made by members of TOL. Below is a sampling of the styles, colors and designs of the face masks being distributed.

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Kingdom Kids Looks to Meet in July

Kingdom Kids wrapped up their year on May 20. Since March 25, they met for eight ZOOM sessions. They combined their three classes into one so the students were all to-gether and could see each other on their screens. Pastor Greg kicked each meeting off with welcome greetings, seeing how eve-ryone was and two or three songs. The les-son was then presented by either Pam Nich-

ols or Joanne Letwinch, using videos, photos, or documents on the screen. Often the children participated in readings, discussion, even short plays. They were then led in a related craft project. Each family was emailed earlier in the week whatever supplies they would need. And then, of course, JP would appear with a special friend and wrap up the lesson for everyone. We would conclude with more singing and the Lord’s Prayer.

The lessons covered during this stay-at-home period included: Palm Sun-day; Easter; Peter denying Jesus three times (We are all afraid sometimes, but can be forgiven if that leads us to do something wrong.); Peter and John healing a blind man (We can help one another.); Paul’s conversion (“Do not be afraid. I am with you.”); Lydia, the first European Christian (We are am-bassadors for Christ.); and The Lord’s Prayer (what to pray, how to pray).

Pam, Joanne, Pastor and JP are now planning to reunite the group on ZOOM for the month of July (Heroes of the Bible), as well as exploring a three-day (1-1/2 hours/day) online Vacation Bible School available to fami-lies who would first sign up with us (so that we would know who would be using it, and to whom to give the necessary passwords).

We thank Olivia Brill, Lianne and Kaitlyn Yetzko, Johanna and Mia DiLeo-nardo, and Anastasia, Aleksandra and Anders Fratta for being such great Kingdom Kids!

Submitted by: Pam Nichols, Christian Education Chair

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The Hilltop Neighborhood Center What’s Ordinary?

Ordinarily, at this time of year, the students and staff of the Hilltop Lu-theran Neighborhood Center would be looking forward to the end of another school year, graduation to new levels of learning, and our fantastic Summer Camp!

Not this year. While there will still be a graduation of sorts, it will not happen in per-

son at the Center. And, as of this writing in mid-May, Summer Camp is very much way up in the air. Center Executive Director, Michelle Williams, says the next move is up to the State.

“We are awaiting guidance from the Division of Public Health, Office of Child Care Licensing, the Department of Education, and others on childcare and summer camp. Field trips were planned, busses were scheduled, and de-

posits were made, but we received notice that many places will not be opening. The partnership with Summer Learning Collab for literacy will be virtual.” Stay tuned. While COVID-19 may have messed with graduation

and put Summer Camp on hold, it does not mean everything has ground to a halt at Hilltop. Far from it! Virtual classes are being conducted, assignments assigned and reviewed, lesson plans developed, and staff meetings held.

In order to do all of these things, teachers need equip-ment and Wi-Fi access. According to Center Early Child-hood Education Coordinator, Crystal Riley, back in April, the Center “provided 3 staff with cell phones to be utilized for Wi-Fi and to Face Time families. Chromebooks were provided to 5 staff to complete virtual lesson plans, obser-

vations, and other documentation.” Crystal says those classes are conducted through “the HiMama app, the Center’s primary communication platform.”

Teachers at the Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center offer more than teaching services during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Crystal, men-tal health issues are also being addressed. “Mental health and mindfulness re-sources were sent to parents to help the children and their families cope with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers also completed the ASQ-SE (social-emotional screenings) for their students.”

Here’s to a safe summer! Eric F. Mease Member, Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center Board of Directors

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Tree of Life Lutheran Church P. O. Box 64 / 505 Osbourne Street Odessa, DE 19730-0064 (302) 378-3345 / treeoflifelc@verizon.net www.treeoflifechurchde.com www.facebook.com/TreeofLifeLutheranChurch/

Staff Rev. Gregory R. Johnson, PhD James Guldner, Lay Minister Duane Dillard, Music Director Council Pam Baker, President Bill Glass, Vice President Gene Zaiser, Treasurer Lynda Giambra, Secretary Jerry Campbell Mark Cilento Johanna Salemink Greg Vetter Council / Committee Liaison Altar Guild—Gene Zaiser Christian Ed— Bill Glass Evangelism—Gene Zaiser Future Facility—Mark Cilento Outreach—Mark Cilento Property— Jerry Campbell Stewardship—Gene Zaiser Worship & Music— Pam Baker

Committee Chairs Altar Guild—Maxine Campbell Building/Property Committee—Jerry Campbell Christian Education— Pam Nichols Communication—George Matz Evangelism Fellowship Interior Review—Janet Parks Future Facility—Mark Cilento Mutual Ministries Outreach—Mark Cilento Stewardship—Gene Zaiser Worship & Music—Sylvia Schill VOLUNTEER CHAIRS Burning Bush—Pam Nichols Dust Busters— Mark Cilento Financial Secretary— Johanna Salemink Leaflet Editor—Donna Parks Quilting Circles—Nicky Zaiser The OWLS—Janet Parks, Dee & George Matz Volunteer Coordinator—Gene Zaiser Webmaster— Paul Schuler Worship Folder—Gail Russell

This is Christ's church. - There is a place for you here. We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person--questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.