The document is a newsletter from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church celebrating their 60th anniversary and promoting their capital campaign called "For Future Generations." It discusses the successful campaign launch luncheon that over 100 people attended. It highlights that they have already received $192,340 in pledges towards their goal of updating buildings to serve future congregations. It encourages continued participation in the campaign.
Experiencing Life is the theme of the spring 2021 edition of The Anchor newsletter of All Saints by the Lake Anglican Parish Church in Dorval, Québec. Read about the ways in which families are living through the pandemic, with gratitude and thanksgiving for the blessings, in spite of the harsh reality of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Anglican Church of All Saints by the Lake Dorval has published the autumn edition of its newsletter - The Anchor. Check out the fresh, new look and layout.
Lots of information on the history of how this parish emerged from several parishes in Dorval and Pointe-Claire.
Experiencing Life is the theme of the spring 2021 edition of The Anchor newsletter of All Saints by the Lake Anglican Parish Church in Dorval, Québec. Read about the ways in which families are living through the pandemic, with gratitude and thanksgiving for the blessings, in spite of the harsh reality of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Anglican Church of All Saints by the Lake Dorval has published the autumn edition of its newsletter - The Anchor. Check out the fresh, new look and layout.
Lots of information on the history of how this parish emerged from several parishes in Dorval and Pointe-Claire.
1. But on the first
day of the
week, at early
dawn, they
went to the
tombtombtombtomb, taking
the spices
which they had
prepared. And
they found the
stone rolled
away from the
tombtombtombtomb, but when
they went in
they did not
find the body.
(Luke 24:1-3)
A P R I L 2 0 1 3A P R I L 2 0 1 3A P R I L 2 0 1 3A P R I L 2 0 1 3
GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOLGOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOLGOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOLGOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS IN GOD’S SERVICECELEBRATING 60 YEARS IN GOD’S SERVICECELEBRATING 60 YEARS IN GOD’S SERVICECELEBRATING 60 YEARS IN GOD’S SERVICE
Dear Easter People of Good Shepherd,
Struck by the awkwardness of writing an Easter letter in the midst of lent, I am acutely aware of
the tension between Law and Gospel, death and life, despair and hope, Good Friday and Easter Sun-
day.
How hard it must have been for those first followers of Jesus who ….
• Entered Jerusalem triumphantly, basking in Jesus’ fame and popularity to imagine the twisted
future awaiting them.
• Endured Jesus’ crazy talk about his eminent death and departure when all external evidence cele-
brated his power with and among the people.
• Witnessed Jesus, the Lord of their lives whom they chose above all else to follow, being arrested
and treated like an animal, tried like a criminal and convicted like a murderer.
• Feared for their lives to the point that they abandoned their Lord in his time of need, at his time of
death.
How hard is it for us, followers of Jesus in 2013, who…
• Must fight to clear our schedules so that we can remember our Lord in Worship and grow in faith
through prayer, study, and service.
• Live in a world that equates loving one’s neighbor and one’s enemy to foolishness and mocks any-
one who would turn the other cheek and forgive.
• Need to wade through the swamps of today’s mainstream tabloid media, searching for a glimpse of
truth in order to understand how God’s children are suffering throughout the world.
• Desire to continue Jesus’ ministry of compassion and outreach while feeling depleted, over-
whelmed and frustrated.
For the early disciples, the empty tomb was full of hope. The resurrection meant that all of their
fears were put to death. Even the horror of the crucifixion itself was transformed into a sacred sym-
bol of hope for the most helpless of sinners. The early disciples rejoiced that Jesus’ unrestrained and
unconditional love won them a place in the kingdom of God. Even the guilt of their act of abandon-
ment was no match for the forgiveness extended through the wounded hands of the crucified and
risen Son of God.
What does the empty tomb mean to us today? Are we able to reorder our schedules to celebrate
the hope of the resurrection? Can we be inspired by God’s forgiveness of our sin to forgive others, no
matter what the public commentary may be? Might we make it our business to uncover, understand,
and work toward the eradication of the sufferings of others—even those who differ most from us?
Are we ready to understand ourselves as “Easter People”, people infused with the power of the resur-
rection to love beyond all measure?
2. This Easter let us embrace the joy of resurrection hope by taking someone to breakfast! Yes, you heard me right! Invite some-
one who does not usually attend Good Shepherd to a sit down at the resurrection breakfast in our gymnasium/dining hall begin-
ning at 8:30 a.m. After they have their fill of bacon and eggs and Lutheran coffee, bring them to our Easter Worship Celebration at
10:00 a.m. so they can fill their hearts with love, forgiveness and hope!
What does the empty tomb mean to us at Good Shepherd? It means we are Easter People! It means that we have hope in this
life and the next. It means that we, as our ancestors before us, provide for the sharing of the Good News of Easter for future gen-
erations! It means that we care about all of God’s children. It means that we will look for opportunities to gather and celebrate
the forgiveness and love of God! It means that we will continue to follow in the footsteps of The Good Shepherd by being Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church and School- to the glory of God!
Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia!
Pastor Eric Olaf Olsen
We had over 110 people at our successful 60th
anniversary For Future Genera-
tions campaign luncheon. At that luncheon, you heard a continuing theme
that you will hear throughout the campaign. We are celebrating the past,
the vision of the founding members of the congregation with their purchase
of ten areas of property and starting a congre-
gation with the vision for future generations.
We are celebrating the present— the founder’s
future generation—here and now. We also are
celebrating the future— our vision for future
generations—in the same way our founding
members had, by updating all our building to
be more energy efficient, heating, cooling, and
lighting. We will also be doing other things to
bring our facility into good repair so that it
will serve both us and future generations for
many more years.
We would like 100% member participation in this campaign so
that everybody has a role of important work in the life of our church, no
matter how large your contribution may be. If you haven’t yet made a
pledge, please consider doing so. Information and pledge cards are in the
narthex.
More things are being done around the property. The new lighting
around all the buildings is moving along. You will see we have new lighting
for the parking lot. When the weather gets warm enough, hopefully in the
next month or so, the parsonage driveway will be paved.
Remember May 19th
is our annual congregational meeting after
10:00 a.m. worship. It is an important meeting! The new budget will be
presented and adopted; there will be the election of new council members
and election of members for the disbursement board. These will be in addi-
tion to reports regarding our past year. Please mark the date and plan to
attend. It is very important for you to be part of the planning of your
church.
Come to church and be a part of our exciting, expanding, vibrant
programs!
LOVE, PEACE and JOY
John Schwaninger
3. If a well planned, major event implemented over a fast-moving three-week
period of time has to be postponed, it had better be for a major reason.
Twenty eight inches of snow during the weekend of February 10th
seemed
like a major enough reason to move the date of our For Future Generations
Capital Campaign luncheon to March 3rd
! Despite initial disappointment,
many blessings came along with this change of date, however, a nice, sunny
Sunday, among them.
Nearly 120 people answered our open invitation to stop by for wine
& cheese followed by a delicious lunch of
penne alla vodka, chicken francese, filet of
sole, roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables,
and baked macaroni and cheese, catered by The Inn Betweeen of Syosset. They
enjoyed a visual montage of memories encompassing our 60-year history, put
together by our School Secretary, Lindsay Kuefner, while Campaign Chair-
man Paul Hinsch apprised everyone of our vision of growth for the next 60
years and beyond.
We honored founding members Grace Berry and Ann Ocker, who were there 61 years ago when ground
broke for this vision to become a reality. Each was presented with a crystal vase etched with the wording,
“In Thanksgiving for Sixty Years of Membership 1952 to 2012” The Church of the Good Shepherd -
Lutheran, along with a tremendous bouquet of flowers, which they graciously ac-
cepted to a long-earned standing ovation.
The Lord certainly does work in mysterious ways as John Hinsch was able
to share a letter from LuHi’s Head of School, Dr. David Hahn, announcing that Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church was named LuHi’s “2013 Lutheran Crusader Fund Con-
gregation of the Year,” something he would not have been able to do had the lunch-
eon taken place on its original date! This honor includes an award of $10,000—
what an auspicious way to launch this campaign! (Dr. Hahn’s letter appears at the
end of this piece.)
Committee members who put so much time and effort and scurried about to put this all together amaz-
ingly quick, attending to every last detail from linen table cloths, balloons, heart centerpieces created by our
school children, coffee mug favors, creating a logo and creating the glossy color program—to name just a
few—included Elaine Cassimatis, Tom Benson, Lori DeFilippis, Judy Hinsch, Paul Hinsch, Wayne Ludewig,
Kevin Ocker, Pastor Olsen, Bob Rickmeyer John Schwaninger. And their labors of love have already reaped
rewards. As of the first day of spring, we have received 26 pledges for a total of $192,340 for total available
pledges and funds of over $300,000.
In addition to the pledges and donations, the food for this luncheon was donated by The Inn Between
owned by congregant Joe Berardino, Jr. Please be sure to stop by some time for dinner or drinks (or both!).
The Inn Between (424 Jericho Turnpike, 516-921-8100) is located on the south side of Jericho Turnpike, slightly
west of Route 135 and is open 365 days/year. It would certainly be a nice way to show appreciation for their
very generous gift!
- Submitted by Maureen Cooke
- Photos by Rodney Schabel
4. Following is the letter from Dr. David Hahn read by John Hinsch at our luncheon:
Dear Friends at Good Shepherd:
So sorry that I am unable to be with you for your luncheon today because of a bout with the flu. You know that I've always
enjoyed being with the wonderful people of Good Shepherd throughout my 26 (!) year ministry at LuHi.
The Church needs winners and success stories, especially in our current environment with its depressing stats re the decline
of religious institutions. Good Shepherd stands as one of those beacons of light for our Church. Anchored in a rich history, your con-
gregation today is solid and headed upward in attendance, school enrollment, Bible study, interdenominational cooperation, senior
programs, youth activities and a variety of Christian service projects, including impressive Sandy relief efforts.
God is blessing your efforts, especially through the exceptional leadership of your lay leaders, staff, School Director Judy
Hinsch and Pastor Eric Olsen. Believe me--I visit many churches and schools, so I assure you that the leadership you enjoy at Good
Shepherd is a rare and precious gift!
Bravo!
Long Island Lutheran is proud to have Good Shepherd as a member of our Association and a partner in ministry. I am happy to announce today that
Good Shepherd has been chosen as our 2013 LUTHERAN CRUSADER FUND "CONGREGATION OF THE YEAR." This award is given annually to
the one congregation in New York State that best embodies three key characteristics: 1) spreading the Gospel in effective ways, 2) assisting people in times
of significant need, and 3) providing innovative, inspirational models for other congregations. Good Shepherd is a clear winner in all of these ways and
more!
In addition to a nice award plaque and press releases, the "CONGREGATION OF THE YEAR AWARD" includes a monetary prize of $10,000. We
trust that these dollars are a nice boost as you kick-off your ambitious campaign toward an even brighter future for Good Shepherd Church and School. I
look forward to visiting you in the near future to present the award and check.
Congratulations and may God continue to bless our very special partnership between LuHi and Good Shepherd!
Your friend in Christ,
DR. DAVID HAHN,
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Pastor Olsen & Members of Good Shepherd:Dear Pastor Olsen & Members of Good Shepherd:Dear Pastor Olsen & Members of Good Shepherd:Dear Pastor Olsen & Members of Good Shepherd:
Thank you so very much for remembering me onThank you so very much for remembering me onThank you so very much for remembering me onThank you so very much for remembering me on
Good Shepherd’s 61Good Shepherd’s 61Good Shepherd’s 61Good Shepherd’s 61stststst
Anniversary atAnniversary atAnniversary atAnniversary at the Futurethe Futurethe Futurethe Future
Generations CampaignGenerations CampaignGenerations CampaignGenerations Campaign celebration.celebration.celebration.celebration.
I have been blessed to be part of Good Shepherd’sI have been blessed to be part of Good Shepherd’sI have been blessed to be part of Good Shepherd’sI have been blessed to be part of Good Shepherd’s
60606060----year history and with it, all the growth andyear history and with it, all the growth andyear history and with it, all the growth andyear history and with it, all the growth and
wonderful accomplishments at 99 Central Parkwonderful accomplishments at 99 Central Parkwonderful accomplishments at 99 Central Parkwonderful accomplishments at 99 Central Park
Road. Certainly, the Lord has been kind to us atRoad. Certainly, the Lord has been kind to us atRoad. Certainly, the Lord has been kind to us atRoad. Certainly, the Lord has been kind to us at
Good Shepherd.Good Shepherd.Good Shepherd.Good Shepherd.
I will enjoy the lovely vase, the beautiful flowers,I will enjoy the lovely vase, the beautiful flowers,I will enjoy the lovely vase, the beautiful flowers,I will enjoy the lovely vase, the beautiful flowers,
but most of all, the thoughtful people who gavebut most of all, the thoughtful people who gavebut most of all, the thoughtful people who gavebut most of all, the thoughtful people who gave
them to me.them to me.them to me.them to me.
In Christ,In Christ,In Christ,In Christ,
Grace BerryGrace BerryGrace BerryGrace Berry
Dear Pastor Olsen &
All My Good Shepherd Friends
I would like to thank everyone for your friend-
ship and kindness for having me “tag along in
the senior group.”
It’s amazing that we have such friendships in
this church and while I might be alone, I have so
many memories and friends and am happy to
still be here!
- Ann Ocker
8. Page 8
T H O S E P R E P A R I N GT H O S E P R E P A R I N GT H O S E P R E P A R I N GT H O S E P R E P A R I N G
F O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T RF O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T RF O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T RF O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T R YYYY
T H O S E I N N E E DT H O S E I N N E E DT H O S E I N N E E DT H O S E I N N E E D
O F H E A L I N GO F H E A L I N GO F H E A L I N GO F H E A L I N G
WE PRAY FOR...
Maureen Kelly Araujo, Alex & Derek Bart-
kow, Sandy Benson (Tom’s mother), John
Binsfeld (Benner family friend), Martin
Boltizar (Louise Lamont’s cousin), Larry
Brokaw (Amy Pietrofere’s stepfather), Ava
Cataldo & her family (GSL student), Lynne
Carlson (Irma’s daughter-in-law), Edna Car-
rera (Martha Peterson’s friend), Claudia
Churchill (Amy Pietrofere’s mother), Ken
Dixon (Pastor Eric’s friend), Sara D’Iorio
(Eisele family friend), Susan Dowd (Maisch
family friend), Anna Duda (Denise Bartkow’s
mother), Ryan Faret & his family, Rashid
Ghani (Mason family friend), Erika Green,
Kevin Griffin, Norma Hinsch, Beth Howland
(Mason Family Friend), Bodey Johnson
(Karl & Carol Burfeindt’s great grandson),
Erika Jurik, Jake (Maisch family friend) and
his family, Karen (Bonnie Beach-Gadagian’s
friend), Jeff Kassan, Connor Kyranikas
(Eisele family friend), Dillon Kwarta, Toni
Anne LaGois, Helen Lanza, Diane Lisa
(Cathy Vollono’s friend), Craig Martin, Bea
McCabe, Pastor Fred McElderry (St. An-
drew’s in West Hempstead), John Meyer
(Lori Defilippis’ father), Charlie & Judi
Miranda (Dell-Ann’s parents), Leida Munoz
(Marta Scherer’s friend), Ruth Odwazny,
Luke Olsen, Joan Peterson (Eleanor Pear-
son’s sister in law), Martha Peterson, Kyle
Piraneo, Nick Portugal (Liam Broggy’s
friend), Justin Rogers (Karin Kienle’s
nephew), Fred Ruff, Julia Saprenza, The
Saueracker Family, Glenn Schabel, Margaret
Schulze (Judy Hinsch’s friend), Arlene
Schroeder (Virginia’s sister in law), Adam
Sink (Judy Hinsch’s nephew), James Sokol,
Genevieve Sounia, Ian Spadaro, Maria Sper-
gel (Suzanna Allan’s mother), Joyce Tare,
Peggy Taylor (Amy Pietrofere’s friend), and
Leon Thompson (Lisa Olsen’s father).
T H O S E S E R V I N GT H O S E S E R V I N GT H O S E S E R V I N GT H O S E S E R V I N G
I N T H E M I L I T A R YI N T H E M I L I T A R YI N T H E M I L I T A R YI N T H E M I L I T A R Y
Keith & Kyle Calderone (Army), Specialist
Sean Hassett (Lori Mason’s cousin), David
Jacobs (Joyce Tare’s nephew, Alec & Madi-
son’s cousin), CPT. Paul Rickmeyer, LTC.
Phillip Sounia, USMC Lance Corporal Nicho-
las Ventrelli-O’Connell (Patty Larson’s family
friend), and Christopher Zito (Mary Knotek’s
friend).
Roger Griffith & Nick Sollom
The family and friends of Helder “Chip”
DaCosta, Frederick Schwartz, Robert
Werner, and the people of Newtown, CT.
T H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V IT H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V IT H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V IT H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V I N GN GN GN G
G I V I N G T H A N K SG I V I N G T H A N K SG I V I N G T H A N K SG I V I N G T H A N K S
The Mason family who celebrated Lillianna
Shiowa’s baptism on March 17th. Our chil-
dren who received their first holy commun-
ion on Palm Sunday: Jamie Caporuscio,
Calista DiSapio, Madison Gresser, Danielle
Kovel & Jonathan Uzzo.
9. You may have noticed that we resumed mailing
our monthly newsletter to your home. If you
would prefer to receive it through e-mail only,
please e-mail us at church@ourshepherdlives.org.
Please help us keep our records up to date.
Thank you.
On Friday, February 22nd
five of our Junior High con-
gregants (Zach, Rob-
bie, Erik, Chris, and
Charlie) and three
adults (Rich Collins,
Jeff and Mary-Lynn
Eisele) ventured out to
Koinonia, a Lutheran
Camp in Highland
Lake, NY, for a fun-
filled weekend.
The theme for the weekend was Faith–Habakkuk2:4 –
“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall
live by his faith.” (NKJ).
The boys were divided into family groups, where they
discussed this passage and their faith in general.
During our down time
(which there wasn’t
much of), we went
tubing and had a huge
snowball fight on the
lake. (Yes the lake was
frozen at the time!).
Both young and
old had a great time!!
- Submitted by Mary Lynn Eisele
If you would like to submit an article for inclusion inIf you would like to submit an article for inclusion inIf you would like to submit an article for inclusion inIf you would like to submit an article for inclusion in
our May 2013 Newsletter, please eour May 2013 Newsletter, please eour May 2013 Newsletter, please eour May 2013 Newsletter, please e----mail it tomail it tomail it tomail it to
church@ourshepherdlives.org on or before Thursday,church@ourshepherdlives.org on or before Thursday,church@ourshepherdlives.org on or before Thursday,church@ourshepherdlives.org on or before Thursday,
April 18, 20123. Thank you very much!April 18, 20123. Thank you very much!April 18, 20123. Thank you very much!April 18, 20123. Thank you very much!
YYYYes, it’s time again for
our congregational
meeting! Please save
the date—Sunday, May 19, 2013 Imme-
diately following 10 a.m. worship!
Semi
The United Veterans’ Beacon
House (301 Main Street,
Farmingdale, NY) will be
holding their third annual
spring clothing drive during
the month of April. Please
bring your gently used cloth-
ing—men, women, children & infants—shoes &
accessories, bed & bath items, draperies & cur-
tains to our drop box or call 516-547-6853 to ar-
range a pick-up. They are continually filling the
needs of Hurricane Sandy victims, and their re-
sources are at an all-time low. Please help them
assist our veteran neighbors and their families in
need on Long Island. Thank you!
OUR SOCIAL MINISTRY TEAM
will be collecting all kinds of new
socks for men, women, children,
and babies during the month of
March. As always, thank you for
your generous response to our ap-
peals!
10. DATE SERVICE ASSISTING MINISTER LECTOR
April 7
Second Sunday of Easter
10:00 a.m. John Hinsch Judy Hinsch
April 14
Third Sunday of Easter
10:00 a.m. John Schwaninger John Hinsch
April 21
Fourth Sunday of Easter
10:00 a.m. Lori Mason Marilyn Benner
April 28
Fifth Sunday of Easter
10:00 a.m. Marilyn Benner & Christin Walsh Lori Mason
What does your family do around 7:00 p.m. on Sunday eve-
nings? When many of us were kids, we’d gather ’round the
TV and watch the Wonderful World of Disney, but many of us
aren’t kids anymore! If you’re 16 or older, why not come to
Good Shepherd’s gym and play some volleyball? Starting
April 7, our gym will be open for volleyball with Anthony
Vollono helming the net. Why not stop by for some family
fun & fitness? And Volley with Vollono??? It sure beats
watching TV or playing X-box!
Office AngelsOffice AngelsOffice AngelsOffice Angels
You Answered Our Call!You Answered Our Call!You Answered Our Call!You Answered Our Call!
I want to thank all of the people who
replied to our call for help in
getting out our monthly
newsletter:
Thank you, Virginia
Brown, Eleanor Engel, Jan &
Kelly Fama, Eleanor Pearson,
and Ellen Sangesland.
This will make it so much easier to get a
team of four together each month. And
thank you to Ethel
Batchelder and Janet Cox
who have been the regu-
lars in the past and to
those who have answered
to the call to come up and
help us from time to time.
- Helen Gscheidle
Thank you Claudia DeMauro for sharing your pieces with us in
our newsletters. Please visit Claudia’s inspirational website at
www.untilirestinhim.com.
11. Albert AdolphusAlbert AdolphusAlbert AdolphusAlbert Adolphus ———— 4/114/114/114/11
Anna AdolphusAnna AdolphusAnna AdolphusAnna Adolphus ———— 4/174/174/174/17
Kathryn BanzerKathryn BanzerKathryn BanzerKathryn Banzer ———— 4/34/34/34/3
Marilyn BennerMarilyn BennerMarilyn BennerMarilyn Benner ———— 4/254/254/254/25
Joe BerardinoJoe BerardinoJoe BerardinoJoe Berardino ———— 4/154/154/154/15
Irma CarlsonIrma CarlsonIrma CarlsonIrma Carlson————4/274/274/274/27
Austen DeVernaAusten DeVernaAusten DeVernaAusten DeVerna————4/44/44/44/4
Corinne HaneyCorinne HaneyCorinne HaneyCorinne Haney————4/144/144/144/14
Christopher HansenChristopher HansenChristopher HansenChristopher Hansen————4/174/174/174/17
Andrew HauptAndrew HauptAndrew HauptAndrew Haupt————4/74/74/74/7
Rebecca Hinsch 4/14Rebecca Hinsch 4/14Rebecca Hinsch 4/14Rebecca Hinsch 4/14
David KnappDavid KnappDavid KnappDavid Knapp————4/224/224/224/22
Margaret langMargaret langMargaret langMargaret lang————4/164/164/164/16
Helga MitzeHelga MitzeHelga MitzeHelga Mitze————4/144/144/144/14
Jessica OlanickJessica OlanickJessica OlanickJessica Olanick————4/144/144/144/14
Anne RickmeyerAnne RickmeyerAnne RickmeyerAnne Rickmeyer————4/304/304/304/30
Alexandra RizzoAlexandra RizzoAlexandra RizzoAlexandra Rizzo————4/224/224/224/22
Samantha StoddartSamantha StoddartSamantha StoddartSamantha Stoddart————4/94/94/94/9
Michael & Thomas TrejosMichael & Thomas TrejosMichael & Thomas TrejosMichael & Thomas Trejos----DonohueDonohueDonohueDonohue————4/174/174/174/17
Melina WilburMelina WilburMelina WilburMelina Wilbur————4/204/204/204/20
ToToToTo
Carol & Joe BerardinoCarol & Joe BerardinoCarol & Joe BerardinoCarol & Joe Berardino
and toand toand toand to
Helen & Carl GscheidleHelen & Carl GscheidleHelen & Carl GscheidleHelen & Carl Gscheidle
CONGRATULATIONS &CONGRATULATIONS &CONGRATULATIONS &CONGRATULATIONS &
BLESSINGS ON YOUR 59THBLESSINGS ON YOUR 59THBLESSINGS ON YOUR 59THBLESSINGS ON YOUR 59TH
ANNIVERSARIES ONANNIVERSARIES ONANNIVERSARIES ONANNIVERSARIES ON
APRIL 25THAPRIL 25THAPRIL 25THAPRIL 25TH
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17. UPDATE FOR APRIL 2013
WITH COUNSELING SITES LOCATED IN:
NASSAU SUFFOLK MANHATTAN QUEENS WESTCHESTER
Prepared especially for LCC Association Congregations & Schools
There are many things we naturally fear in life—
losing someone we love, being diagnosed with a
terminal illness, being hurt in an accident, disas-
ters, divorce, or even dying. To not be aware of the
reality of these possibilities is to live in denial.
These are healthy fears and can cause us to react
in ways to save our marriage, take care of our-
selves, protect our loved ones or property, or to
swerve our car in order to avoid an accident.
Healthy fears can literally save our lives.
More prevalent and damaging, however, is the
type of fear that holds us in bondage. Unhealthy
kinds of fears keep us from living a full and normal
life. Unhealthy fears include:
• fear of failure as shown in a refusal to try any-
thing new
• fear of the loss of a loved one, leading to at-
tempts to control that person’s every behavior,
demanding reactions and accountabilities in
which he/she is uncomfortable
• fear of not having all the comforts of life, caus-
ing us to hoard our money and possessions, not
giving to those in need or even to those we love
• fear of emotional pain, leading to alcohol or drug
abuse in an effort to ‘numb’ the hurt
• fear of people who are different than ourselves,
leading to prejudice and even hatred in an effort
to maintain feelings of superiority over them
• fear of numerous bad outcomes or disasters
that “might happen”, leading to non-ending ob-
sessions, inability to make daily decisions or
enjoy life in the present
With nothing but ‘doom and gloom’ news stories
blasting constantly from the media, it is easy to
understand how a normal, healthy fear can turn
into one that keeps us in constant bondage—the
kind of fear that results in a nagging anxiety that
doesn’t produce answers, only a controlling, para-
lyzing dread. In order to ‘not go there’, we must
ask ourselves what is at the HEART of all the con-
stant anxieties, the FEAR behind it all—whether it is
the fear of being alone, fear of losing control, or
even fear of not being loved. Because we tend to
react to fear subconsciously, taking the time to
honestly analyze our fear can be a first step to
breaking its power over our lives.
Next, if possible, do something about that fear.
Maybe it means facing it by taking action. It may
mean coming to grips with fears that keep us from
enjoying life by consciously changing negative
thoughts to positive ones. It may mean seeking
counseling to help us deal with unrealistic and con-
trolling anxieties that we can’t get rid of on our
own.
The word ‘fear’ is included over 900 times in the
Bible, more often in the command, “Fear not”. Ob-
viously, our generation is not the first to be con-
sumed with fears. Although there are endless
things we can be fearful about, none of these fears
seem as powerful when viewed in light of God’s
promise in Romans 8:38-39 that “nothing...in crea-
tion, present or future, can separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Trusting
God’s promise to never leave us and then living our
lives with this assurance in mind is the ultimate an-
swer to fear but difficult to practice. LCC is here to
help you put unhealthy fear in perspective and get
closer to this goal.
FREE disaster-related seminars are available to
churches and schools affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Also, disaster related individual and family counsel-
ing is available at little or no cost. These programs
are made possible, in part, by generous LCC do-
nors including Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and
a grant from Lutheran Disaster Response of New
York (LDRNY). Contact LCC for more information.
Contact Lutheran Counseling Center at 1-800-
317-1173 or e-mail us at Center@lccny.org for
more information or to set an appointment at
any of our NINE counseling sites. Visit our
website at www.lccny.org.
“FEAR NOT”: ACHIEVING FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE
By Molly W. Blancke, Executive Director