Sunday morning worship service is at 9:30 am. Service will be held outdoors, weather permitting, and will be live streamed to our church Facebook page. To regulate mask wearing inside based on county community risk levels, we are using this COVID tracker. As of 7/29 the level is medium and masks are suggested
for indoor worship. Please join us for worship online if you are sick
instead of joining us in person. We want to keep everyone safe
and healthy.
This Week at Holy Counselor
Sunday, August 14: Outdoor Worship, 9:30 am
Monday, August 15: Council Meeting, 7:00 pm
Wednesday, August 17: Campfire Sing-A-Long, 7:30-9:00 pm
Sunday, August 21: Outdoor Worship, 9:30 am
NEW & REVISED UPDATES
Battle of the Hymns Round 2 has started! Continue
to vote weekly on the board in the Narthex to move your favorite hymn
forward! The winning hymn will be sung on Sunday, August
28th. You can vote as many times as you’d like ($1=1 vote).
We only need 1 more volunteer to help
us staff our church booth at the Vernon Maker’s Market on the 1st
Saturday of September. Thank you to those who have signed
up already – August is filled! The table will be set up and taken
down; all you have to do is be present! Sign up for a 2 hour
shift here: https://bit.ly/HCmakersmarket
Our second to last Campfire Sing-A-Long is this Wednesday, August 17th from 7:30-9 pm.
We will gather again for the FINAL time this summer on Tuesday, August
30th from 7:30-9 pm. Join us at the church in the back lot for
s’mores, singing, community, and more! Bring your instruments! We
just need one more s’mores host for the 30th, providing the graham
crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate!
The NJ Synod is hosting Synod Day at Six Flags on Saturday, September 10th from 10 am-2 pm.
This event includes lunch, parking, a park ticket, outdoor worship and
mission fair. You can stay after the Synod event hours too and
continue to go on rides. Registration is open through August
29th, but tickets are only $10 if you register before August 15th
(TOMORROW). Pastor Peggy and some others from the church are
going. Register here https://www.njsynod.org/synodday and let us know that you’re going to attend!
We are starting a new outreach ministry called Rainbow Café Sussex (RCS).
This is a community youth group for LGBTQ+ teens and teen allies to
gather in a safe, supportive environment and just be themselves. RCS
will gather monthly at the church for everything from pizza & games
to special themed events like Halloween Costume Contests and bonfires.
A planning team, of church and community members has begun to form. If
you are interested in being on the planning team and serving as a
vetted adult chaperone please contact Pastor Peggy.
Do you have a special gift?
Maybe you sew, organize well, or are a talented photographer. Or
maybe you love to cook, have a vacation house to lend, or another idea
altogether! It is time to start thinking and share your gift for
the Auction of the Gifts & Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on Saturday,
September 24th. Here’s how it works: you donate your gift and then the
item is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Contact Diane Rossi
(dianeandmarkrossi@gmail.com) to donate your gifts today!
HCLC is ready to restart the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) process.
This is a journey that will lead our congregation through the steps to
formally show welcome and inclusion to LGBTQ+ folks and demonstrate our
commitment to anti-racism work. The first step in this process is
to form a committee to gauge where we are as a church and commit to
helping provide educational resources and discussion along the way,
finalizing the process through writing a welcome statement and a
congregational vote. If you are interested in serving on this
committee please contact Pastor Peggy.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Volunteer Opportunities--We need YOU!
You are invited to host Coffee Hour! You can sign up to host Coffee Hour via the sheet in the narthex or by going to https://bit.ly/hccoffeehour to
sign up online. Coffee Hour treats can be 1 or 2 simple snacks, store
bought or homemade. When you sign up you are not responsible for
making the coffee, just bringing the treats!
The Volunteer Sign-up Genius has been updated for August/Sept. Please sign up to be of service as a Teller, Usher, or Lay Assistant for our worship services. Go to our website to volunteer.
REOCCURRING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Grab your name tag before worship!
They can be found on the board on the picnic table. Just grab it
before worship, clip it on, and then return it after worship. If
you do not find your name, please contact the Church Office so we can
make one for you. We are excited to have these as this is just
one of the many ways we can be even more welcoming!
This summer we are collecting donations for families in need,
who aren’t getting the same resources as during the school year.
All donations will be brought every Saturday to Benny’s Bodega in
Newton, where families can go to shop for free, for all the items they
need. Please bring diapers, wipes, kid friendly snacks, juice,
canned/boxed food, personal hygiene products (for adults & kids),
and new clothes.
Bring your donations for our bin!
All soft items can be put in the bin (clothes, sneakers, shoes, drapes,
curtains, small toys, blankets, bedspreads, sheets, stuffed animals,
etc.) Hard items such as pots & pans, glass, electrics, etc.
are not allowed. Continue to spread the word!
Pastor Peggy wants to attend events for the children and youth of HCLC!
If your child has a special event at any point during the year such as
a concert, play, sporting event or the like, please email Pastor Peggy
with the event details so she can attend if available. She loves
supporting the children of the church!
A Pastoral Relations Committee (PRC) has been formed,
which is designed to aid in healthy communication between Pastor Peggy
and congregants. Pam Kucks, Jeanette Emmerich, Aileen Donovan,
Neil Nilsen, Matt Moller, and Frank Urbaniak serve on this
committee. If any issues arise, you are first and foremost
encouraged to speak directly with Pastor Peggy. If you feel you
need more support, connect with one of the members of this
committee. We want to encourage healthy connection and
communication as a congregation, and this is just another way to do so.
If you don't get our weekly email blast announcements, please check your spam folder! If you still are not receiving them, please notify the Church Office so we can add you or confirm your email.
Don’t forget to use smile.amazon.com when ordering from Amazon and
designate HCLC as your charity. If you need help setting this up,
give the church a call and we will gladly walk you through it!
Ukraine is still in need of help.
Show your support through Lutheran Disaster Response. Give through HCLC
or make your check out to Lutheran Disaster Response and send to:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA Gifts Processing Center,
P.O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009 and write “Eastern Europe
Crisis Response” on your check’s memo line. You may also donate by
going to https://community.elca.org/eastern-europe-crisis-response. Forms can also be found in the Narthex.
Please continue to give your offering. Every donation big or small helps support the work of our mission so that we can serve God together! Your
generous support continues to make mission and ministry possible in
addition to providing salaries for staff and the upkeep of our
facility. Offering can be dropped off at the church, mailed to the
office, or sent through electronic fund transfer via Vanco or Venmo
(see details at www.hc-lutheranchurch.org). You may also text the
amount of your offering to (833) 309-0143 or request your bank to send
a check. Church mailing address: 68 Sand Hill Road, Sussex, NJ 07461.
