Click this link to learn more about their ride and to donate! http://www.calumet.org/biking4kids

Lent is a sacred time of the year, when we pause, repent, reflect, and get ready for the joy of Easter. We take moments to intentionally reflect: on our habits, our faults, and ways that we can improve. It’s not about beating ourselves up; like everything we do, it’s about grace. We give grace to ourselves as we’ve gotten it from God, even as we look for ways to better give grace and love to others.

Lent is about acknowledging what’s wrong – in ourselves and in the world – so that we may move forward. We acknowledge sin, and death, and wrong, so that we can step into grace, and life, and love. As often happens in our lives, we have to come to terms with what is so that we can step into what can be.

Love is stronger than death, and we take the whole journey so that we can feel Easter in our bones.

If you’ve been looking for the right time to come join us or to come back, Lent is a perfect time. Here’s what we’ve got going on during this sacred season in addition to our services of Word and Table, held every Sunday at 10:15AM.

ASH WEDNESDAY: February 22, 2023. 6:30PM.
On Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten journey by acknowledging the reality of our own mortality. As Christians have for centuries, we repent and kneel and receive ash on our foreheads with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Visit from ASCENTRIA: February 26, 2023
On the first Sunday in Lent after worship, we’ll hear from Ascentria on a variety of ways that we can help immigrants and refugees in our community. For more information on Ascentria, click here: https://www.ascentria.org

Lenten Suppers: Every Wednesday in March, 6:30PM.
Every Wednesday in March, we’ll gather in our fellowship hall for a meal, the Eucharist, prayer, and reflection about David Lose’s book Making Sense of the Cross. Why did Jesus die? What does the cross tell us about God? You might be surprised to hear that Lutherans don’t all think the same thing about these matters – and that’s okay! Come, eat, pray, hear what others believe, and sort out what you believe, too.

You may purchase David Lose’s book on Amazon or through Augsburg Fortress publishers by clicking here: https://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/9780806698519/Making-Sense-of-the-Cross-Participant-Book
Purchasing the book is NOT required for participation.

HOLY WEEK: The Holiest Season.
More info about these celebrations now, but for now, mark your calendars:
Palm Sunday: April 2, 10:15AM
Maundy Thursday: April 6, 7PM
Good Friday: April 7, 7PM
Easter Vigil: April 8, 7PM
The First Sunday of Easter (Resurrection Sunday): April 9, 10:15AM

Bundle up and head over to church. There’s a lot going on this Advent and Christmas at OSLC!

Advent begins on November 27, and throughout the following four weeks as we prepare for Christmas, you’ll have tons of opportunities to serve, reflect, eat, sing, and experience joy in community with us!

As always, the central activity of our congregation’s life together is worship!
Our Advent services of Word and Table will be held on November 27 with guest preacher Pastor Steph Smith, and on December 4, 11, and 18, all at 10:15AM.

Our Christmas Eve service will be held on December 24 at 5PM, and a Christmas Day service of Word and Table will be held on Sunday, December 25, at 10:15AM.

The Christmas celebration continues with a Lessons & Carols service on January 1 at 10:15AM.

We’ll wrap up Christmas with Epiphany Sunday on January 8th by remembering the visit of the magi with Sunday school for the kiddos at 9AM and worship for everybody at 10:15AM, with coffee hour to follow. During worship, we’ll bless chalk to mark and bless our homes for the new year. As Mary and Joseph welcomed the magi, we’ll pray that we, too, may welcome and offer hospitality to our guests in 2023!

GIVE/SERVE!
Our Reverse Advent Calendar  project will begin on November 27 through December 18. 
Instead of opening the Advent Calendar each day we place food in our basket/box for each day and then GIVE those items to the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry in South Hadley. Celebrate Advent by making sure all our neighbors are fed!
Please bring in your basket or box to place your items from the Reverse Advent Calendar list in the back of the sanctuary.  
Head over to church and see insert in the bulletin for information and the list, or email Barb!
Questions? Contact Barb at Barbara.CallanBogia@gmail.com  

PAUSE, EAT, SING, REFLECT!
Wednesday night suppers are happening on November 30, December 7, 14, and 21, all at 6:30PM. Come, reflect on Scripture and hope, sing Holden Evening Prayer with us, partake in the Eucharist, and have a good dinner free of charge.

MAKE YOUR ADVENT WREATH!
Join us for our inter-generational Sunday school event on December 4 at 9AM. People of all ages are welcome, and materials and weekly Advent wreath prayers for individuals and families will be provided.

RAISE YOUR SPIRITS!
Beer & Carols is BACK! See you at Sok’s Bar (30 Bridge Street, South Hadley) at 6PM on Monday, December 5. We’ll bring the music, you bring the holiday cheer!
This is a family friendly event. Sok’s has a diverse menu of non-alcoholic as well as alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages are reserved for those 21+, obviously, and those consuming alcohol are expected to do so responsibly.

It’s August! Here are some opportunities for you at OSLC!

As usual every Sunday at 10:15AM in the sanctuary, there’s worship.
On August 28, Pastor Steven Wilco, associate to the bishop in the New England synod and member at Our Savior’s, will be preaching and presiding.

Got some free time? Check out our “honey do” list here to find out what chores you can do around the church! Click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e61SR1B7l-0TOunsDkwdK5UeXS-5FDZf5_y5HJTnYXg/edit

Volunteer at Cathedral in the Night! Cathedral in the Night offers worship along with the only free meal in Northampton every Sunday at 4:30PM in front of First Churches, Northampton. Pastor Anna will be there on Sunday, August 14!

Been attending at OSLC for awhile, and thinking of joining? Email Pastor Anna at oslcpastor@comcast.net and let her know. Coming soon: a new member celebration welcoming all the new members we’ve added this year!

Our Savior’s has been actively supporting the Food for Friends ministry in South Hadley. We have received a matching funds grant from ELCA World. Hunger. Please consider adding your support from now until June 20th with donations online at http://support.elca.org/goto/Food_4_Friends and stay tuned for fundraising updates. #untilallarefed #dailybread ELCA World Hunger

The time from Ash Wednesday until Holy Week is a season known as Lent. Modeled after Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, it is a time for prayer, reflection, repentance, and giving to those in need. Lent is the time that we use to prepare for Easter, and our worship is markedly different during this time. Our paraments are purple only during this time of year, we do not sing “alleluias,” and our focus is on repentance. In a true discipline of balance, this somber time allows us the full freedom to burst into joy when Easter finally finds us. This year’s Lenten theme is “Finding Home,” as we imagine the many ways that we wander in the wilderness, looking for love and acceptance. 

Notable Events for Lent/Holy Week 2022:
SUNDAY SERVICES, EVERY SUNDAY, 10:15am
Ash Wednesday service, March 2, 6:30pm
Lenten Wednesday night suppers, March 9, 16, 23, and 30, and April 6, all at 6:30pm, featuring our Many Rooms series which is written, directed, and acted by Our Savior’s people and available on our YouTube Channel starting on Ash Wednesday. 
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil, April 14, 15, and 16, all at 7pm

On January 6, the church celebrates Epiphany, the story of when the magi (or “wise men”) followed a star to find the Christ child, as detailed in Matthew 2:1-12.

After that day, the Church celebrates a season of light as we remember the stories of Christ’s early ministry, and the revelation of Christ’s light to the world. This season also just so happens to coincide with the days getting longer here in the Northern hemisphere, adding nicely to the effect! This season will end on Fat Tuesday as Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls this year on March 2.

As we celebrate this season of light, consider the ways that you might share the light that Christ has given to you. If you can’t think of anything, well, we have some ideas!

IDEA #1: FOOD FOR FRIENDS
Food for Friends Volunteers Wanted
“A feel-good job” is how our volunteers describe the work they do. And, with a requirement of just a few hours one Saturday a month, it’s an easy commitment to keep (and if you can’t make it on a given month, it’s OK!). We are adding to our current rotation of volunteers, with these jobs available

• Kitchen prep (8:30 – 11:30)
• Packing Coordinator (8:30 – 11:30, plus planning work)
• Packing Assistants (8:30 – 11:30)
• Driver Coordinator (10:30 – 1pm, plus planning work – computer skills required)
• Delivery Driver (11 am – 1 pm)
• Kitchen clean-up (10:00 am – 12 pm)
• Substitute chef (2 or 3 times a year)
• Program manager (Oversees all functions, could combine with Packing or Driver Coordinator role – computer skills required)

If you are interested in volunteering, or want more information, please contact program manager Charlotte Buijnarowski at 413-374-6022. Food for Friends is a group of volunteers from Center Church, Our Savior Lutheran Church, United Methodist Church, LifePoint Church, Morning Star Baptist Church, and the South Hadley Democratic Town Committee. We prepare and deliver an average of 100 meals one weekend a month to home-bound elderly clients in the South Hadley and Granby communities. Our clients are generally also clients of the Meals on Wheels program, which delivers meals only on weekdays – creating a significant gap on the weekends. While we share our client list with three other churches who cover the remaining weekends of the month, Food for Friends is solely responsible for all other aspects of our program including organizing our volunteers and generating funding through donations and grants to purchase the food and packaging materials.

IDEA #2: MUTUAL MINISTRY
The mutual ministry team serves as a link between the congregation and the pastor, helping the pastor set the covenant with the congregation each year with a list of priorities, helping to set Pastor’s compensation for each year, and generally fielding concerns from both the pastor and the congregation. We’re looking for new members! If you’re interested in joining this important committee which meets about four times per year, talk to Pastor Anna or Laurie Stawicki. 

IDEA #3: DO SOME YOGA (it’s not too late to join in!)
When: Mondays 4:30-5:30pm Starting January 10 – February 14^th
Where: Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 319 Granby Road, South Hadley MA

Serenity Yoga is partnering with Our Savior’s Lutheran Church to provide a Free 6-week beginner yoga series. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church received grant monies which are being leveraged to bring the practice of yoga to community members that have not yet had the chance or opportunity to experience the benefits of yoga. The practice of yoga can help reduce stress, ease pain, increase flexibility, strength, and balance, and improve overall health.  This beginner course, taught by Michele Lyman, Owner of Serenity Yoga, is fun, safe and comfortable for students who’ve never done yoga before, are beginners, or have done yoga before but would like to return to the basics. Reserve your spot by going to: https://serenityyogastudio.net/beginnerseries. 
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Christ’s blessings to you, however you choose to share your light this season, from all of us here at Our Savior’s!

Join us on our Facebook page (@Our Savior’s South Hadley, MA)  for LIVE worship on Sunday mornings at 10:15am, and on the remaining Wednesday evenings in Lent (that’s March 25 and April 1) for our Lenten study posted by 5PM with discussion. 

If you have any questions, concerns, additions, or corrections, please email Pastor Anna at oslcpastor@comcast.net. 

Here at Our Savior’s, we are where tradition and inclusivity meet. 

During Lent and Easter, our liturgical tradition, creative worship, and sacramental values really shine. It’s a great time to join us! Here are just a few opportunities that we offer during these holy seasons.

This year, our theme for Lent is “God on the Way,” and we’re exploring the various journeys we go on as humans (both literal and figurative), and we’re exploring where God meets us on our way.

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 10:15am every Sunday morning on FACEBOOK LIVE

Packed and ready to go! 
This Lent, we’ll be hearing various stories about where people meet God during their journeys. Join us at 10:15am!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT LENTEN SUPPERS: Discussion starter posted every Wednesday in Lent by 5PM on Facebook

NOTE ON HOLY WEEK: ALL SERVICES ARE NOW ONLINE. Stay tuned for Holy Week details.

Palm Sunday, April 5 at 10:15am
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil: April 9, 10, & 11, all at 7pm
* please note: there is no Lenten Wednesday night supper during Holy Week (April 8).*

Join us during the holiest week in our faith as we observe the last week before Jesus died — and the miraculous ending.

Palm Sunday: April 5, 10:15am; gather in the narthex. We wave actual palms and shout actual hosannas as we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday: April 9, 7pm; gather in the fellowship hall. We share a full meal together as we remember Jesus’ last meal with his friends. We intentionally frame our conversations around love, food, and service to others, as we remember Jesus’ commandment to “love one another as I have loved you.” At the end of this service, we make our way into the sanctuary, where we strip the altar in preparation for Good Friday.

Good Friday: April 10, 7pm; gather in the sanctuary. This is a simple service of singing, prayer, reading the story of Jesus’ death, and spending some time at the foot of the cross. When the service ends, we seal the sanctuary like a tomb.

Easter Vigil: April 11, 7pm; gather in the parking lot. Dress for the weather, and get ready for this exciting celebration. All feasts begin on sunset of the preceding day, and here at Our Savior’s, we celebrate Easter as soon as possible — Saturday night! Join us for this unique journey from death into life as we reenact some of the most formative stories of our faith, sing, pray, take communion, laugh hard, dance, and even pop some bubbly and enjoy some sweets! You won’t want to miss this one of a kind celebration. Kids are especially welcome at this service!

FIRST SUNDAY OF EASTER, April 12, 10:15AM
Looking for a place to spend Easter Sunday? Join us for the big celebration! We sing, we pray, we take the Eucharist, we shout alleluias, and we pull out all the stops.

THE GREAT FIFTY DAYS OF EASTER, every Sunday from April 12 – May 24 at 10:15am
Easter isn’t one day — it’s a fifty day celebration! Join us every Sunday from April 12 – May 24 at 10:15am as we keep the party going for fifty days.

PENTECOST, May 31 at 10:15am

“Pentecost” means “fiftieth day,” and on the fiftieth day of Easter, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. Celebrate with us at 10:15am!
Wear red!

Here at Our Savior’s, when the weather gets cool, we get cooler!
There’s lots happening here at church to keep us warm, both inside and out.

For additions, corrections, or more information, please email Pastor Anna at oslcpastor@comcast.net. 

Advent is the first season of the church year: it’s a time to prepare! We prepare to celebrate Christmas, but we also prepare to welcome Christ in our everyday lives. 

ADVENT FESTIVAL
December 1, 9AM
Kick off the Advent season by making your very own Advent wreath — we’ll help you! Join us for this intergenerational event. You’ll also receive short readings and short prayers to go with each Sunday of the season. You don’t need to bring anything; just yourself!
Last year’s wreath making with a few of Our Savior’s awesome members!

ADVENT DINNERS
December 4, 11, and 18, all at 6:30PM
Each Wednesday during Advent, we have dinner, share communion, and study something together, led by Pastor Anna. This year’s theme is “People Look East: A Theology of Work and Vocation.” Food is prepared by Our Savior’s members, and it’s free! 

Our Savior’s members Debbie and Dan discuss the topic of the evening during an Advent dinner.

ADVENT SUNDAY WORSHIP
December 1, 8, 15, and 22, all at 10:15AM
And of course, join us on the Sundays of Advent as we prepare our hearts for Christmas! Each service includes prayer, a sermon, and the Eucharist, and each service is visitor-friendly, with helpful notes in the bulletin to let you know what we’re doing together and why.
Advent in a nutshell.

BEER & CAROLS
December 17, 6PM, Sok’s Bar (30 Bridge Street, South Hadley). 
Join us for good beer & Christmas cheer! Get an early taste of Christmas as we sing carols and raise our glasses together. Note: Sok’s has a diverse drink menu with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. You don’t have to drink beer, or drink alcohol at all, to enjoy your time with us. Just come, drink whatever you want, and sing some carols!

Our Beer & Carols (typically Beer & Hymns) band!

LONGEST NIGHT SERVICE
December 22, 4:30PM, Trinity Episcopal Church (27 Strieber Drive, Chicopee)
Join Pastor Anna and Pastor Daphne Burt of Trinity Episcopal Church for this special service. The service is designed especially for those who are experiencing emotional hardship during the Advent and Christmas seasons (due to an illness, death of a loved one, or other hardship), but all people are welcome. These services are known by many names, including “Blue Christmas” and “Longest Night,” and it is held on the longest night of the year. The service will include times of prayer as well as anointing for healing. 

CHRISTMAS & EPIPHANY

When Advent is over, the celebration begins! The festival of Christmas begins at sunset on Christmas Eve (December 24) and lasts for twelve days, and we’ll be right here to help you celebrate! 

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
December 24, 5PM
Join us for this special celebration of the birth of Jesus. This is a service of light (candles are provided for adults; glow sticks for children). The Eucharist is celebrated, a short homily is preached, carols are sung, and we read the story of the birth of Jesus. Join us!

Pastor Anna, Jeff, and Dan — our ushers for Christmas Eve one year.

CHRISTMAS
Ever heard of the “twelve days of Christmas”? They’re a real thing!
December 29, 10:15AM – the first Sunday of Christmas, featuring Dan Steininger, preacher.

EPIPHANY SUNDAY
January 5, 10:15AM
Join us for Sunday school for children at 9AM, followed by worship at 10:15AM, as we remember how the magi came to find the Christ child. This is also the Sunday when we  bless chalk to mark and bless our homes for the new year, a ritual that has been practiced by Christians for centuries. As the Holy Family welcomed the magi, we also commit to welcome guests into our homes with joy.

EPIPHANY: A SEASON OF LIGHT
Epiphany Sunday signals the end of Christmas, but the season of Epiphany has only just begun! As light returns to us in the Northern Hemisphere and the days get longer, the church celebrates a season of light, living with the teachings of Christ our light as we enjoy the lengthening days. The season of Epiphany lasts until Ash Wednesday (observed this year on February 26, 2020), when Lent begins.

Dawn from Mount Tom, here in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. 

We’ll celebrate this season of light every Sunday in worship at 10:15AM in January and February, ending with Transfiguration Sunday, February 23, when we’ll burn last year’s Palm Sunday palms, which will make the ashes for this year’s Ash Wednesday.

The palm burning.