NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sonbeams May Message
FROM PASTOR JAY
Dear Family in Christ,
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Jesus gave us the great commandment and the great commission! The greatest commandment is to love God and then love others as we love ourselves (Mt 22:37-40); and he gave us the great commission to go out into the world to make disciples of all nations and teach them everything Jesus taught us (Mt 28:18-20).
The greatest commandment and the great commission still stand today to guide the ministry of Parma Lutheran Church. By the call of the Holy Spirit, we the people of Parma Lutheran were formed into the body of Christ at this place at this time to accomplish the work Jesus commanded and commissioned us to do.
Here’s our Statement of Purpose according to our Constitution and Bylaws:
“We as Church are a people created by God in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear witness to God’s creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.” (Parma Lutheran Church Constitution and Bylaws, 2022, C4.01)
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This Easter Season is a good time to prayerfully remind ourselves of our individual and church family’s call and commission to love and ministry, and to ask ourselves both individually and as a congregation, why are we here? We believe the Holy Spirit called us here first and foremost to do the work of love and ministry that Christ commanded and commissioned us to do.
Why am I, as your pastor, here? Every day I look at the following words that the Holy Spirit used to bring us together as pastor & people:
We are Parma Lutheran. …We seek a shepherd, pastor, leader, and innovator, who will assist us in facing the challenges of a changing community; who will minister to their flock; who will help us remain faithful to our church and community; and who will bring joy and excitement to their ministry. (Ministry Site Profile: Summery Description [of the Pastor the People of Parma Lutheran Church Seek]– July 2019)
As a person who served the majority of his life in the military, I’m in the habit of always keeping before me the commands, mission, and goals of all we hope to achieve. So too, as a leader, I keep in mind what role we each have to serve to accomplish all that Christ has set before us. Most of all, let us always keep in clear and sharp focus who we serve and who is our divine commander-in-chief. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we take our marching orders from our risen, living Lord, Jesus Christ!
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Journeying with you in Christian mission,
Pastor Jay
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PARMA LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWS
​​May 2025 Ask the Pastor​​
Why do we need more worship leaders, like assisting ministers, readers, ushers, greeters, choir members, musicians, etc., as well as people to volunteer to help around the church building and office? If I volunteer, won’t I step on someone’s toes, and am I or any of us holy enough to serve as worship leaders and volunteers?
By our own efforts and self-proclaimed righteousness, the answer to the question, am I or any of us holy enough to serve as a worship leader or volunteer? The answer is NO!! It is only by God’s grace through our faith in Christ that we are made righteous! Now we may answer the question, are we holy enough to serve, with a resounding YES, by God’s grace, not by our own efforts!
Each of us as baptized believers in Christ have been given spiritual gifts that benefit the whole community with the purpose of growing the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are not all given the same gifts. The apostle Paul writing to the church in Rome says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” (Romans 12:6 emphasis mine) Some have the gift and call to work in the Hunger Center, or clean inside the church building, or do chores and repairs on or in the building. The Holy Spirit has bestowed gifts among us as worship leaders. For some the Holy Spirit calls and bestows the gift and talent to serve as elected, and appointed church leaders. Some are called to read God’s Word during worship. Others may be called to serve as assisting minister, or as a communion assistant, usher, greeter, or as a Christian education teacher and Bible study facilitator. The list of ways God calls us is as varied as the number of people among us.
Now that the Holy Spirit has given each of us the call and talent to serve, we must encourage each other to exercise their God-given talents among us. To be faithful to God’s call to serve among us does NOT step on anyone’s toes. For us not to provide an opportunity for someone to use the gifts the Holy Spirit has given someone among us would be to step on the toes of the Holy Spirit. At least in part that may be what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote, “to not quench the Holy Spirit”! (1 Thessalonians 4:19-21). The word Paul is using that we translate quench means to put out a fire or flame! As fellow Christians we must encourage and provide everyone an opportunity to let their flame or fire burn bright among us as the Holy Spirit has called and equipped each of us!
Consider too that we are each on a spiritual journey. As our faith grows from what may have felt like a small seed that grew to flower into a sense that guided us to gather with other Christians in worship. As the writer to the Hebrews writes, “And let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25, NLT). We may have started coming to worship irregularly. As we grew in faith, we may have felt a sense of desire to worship more regularly. As time passed, we continued to grow in faith, and we discovered worship became a priority in our lives. As we grow in faith, we find we want to learn more about the Bible and apply its truths to our lives. As we grow in faith and worship, fellowship with fellow believers becomes more and more important as we live our lives of faith. Through all that growth, as time passes, we discover God calls us to some sort of leadership or volunteer work in Christ’s church. By serving we faithfully respond to God’s call to serve and put to work the gifts, and the talents God has so graciously given and cultivated within us.
One more reason why we ought to allow more people to exercise their gifts among us is because to respond faithfully to our sense of call brings us joy and fulfillment in the Lord. We as a community then become the recipients of blessings as we each exercise our God-given call among us! (By the way, the assisting minister does NOT have to sing. Readers do not have to come up to the lectern. We can move a lectern and mic down to floor level for easier access or bring the mic to your seat.) Parma Lutheran is a place where you can serve. Let us each exercise our God-given gifts among us. In doing so we will receive great blessings from one another through the power of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit may be calling and equipping you for leadership and some volunteer work within the church! Here is a place where we can all faithfully serve.
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Weight Watchers (WW) workshops available at PLC​​
Did you know that Weight Watchers workshops are held in our Fellowship Hall here at PLC on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m., Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m., and Saturday mornings at 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30 a.m.?
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Discover what is new with the 2025 #1 Science-based WW Program. Research shows that members who attend workshops lose twice as much weight as those who do it alone.
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Summer is right around the corner. We hope you will consider making this Spring wellness commitment!
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—WW Coach Bunny
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PLC Ladies Tea Party
Join us for PLC's inaugural Ladies tea party on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Parma Lutheran Church.
Bring your favorite tea to share.​​​
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PLC Youth Group will host Pasta Dinner Fundraiser May 31​
This year's theme is "Veggies Are Heart Healthy". Come enjoy a homemade meal, enter to win fun-filled
raffle baskets and enjoy fellowship! All proceeds will go toward the purchase of two Life-saving AEDs (automated external defibrillator) for PLC and dinner for the families at The Journey for Safe Healing.​​
