April 2026 Newsletter
We love, serve, and gather in Christ.
Pastor’s Corner
Friends -
Easter!! He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! We will exclaim on Easter Sunday, April 5. So, a question:
What difference does Easter make??
What difference does it make? An empty tomb, a cloth on the ground!! Jesus defeated death, he went into that tomb dead, cane out alive! And the importance is the same for all of us!!
And I would say, Easter means everything! Everything... because all my pain takes me into the tomb in death. And I come out ALIVE!! I go into the dark tomb with health issues and come out alive!?! You take every problem, challenge, difficulty, issue in life and take them all into the tomb! Take it all in, all that stuff, all thru our lives!! And come out alive, always we come out alive!!
See you on Easter and the previous Holy in Week!! (And I will be off the week after Easter!! Lol),
Pastor Doug
Worship Time Change:
Once again, we follow our Shared Ministry Agreement and change worship times effective May 4th, 2025.
Faith Lutheran moves to 9am
St. Andrews moves to 11am
Council Meeting Highlights
I just wanted to give everyone a heads-up about what is happening in the Church Council.
We are praying for St. Andrews as they prepare for their holy closure on Aug. 29th. They will invite us all to attend their service.
We are examining what that means for us. It means our agreement with Pastor Doug and St. Andrews ends. We do know Pastor Doug is willing to continue at Faith part time. We are confirming with the Synod what this means and what our next steps are.
We will develop options and present that information to the congregation this spring. We will also need to decide on church service times. Should we return to the 10:30 time slot for worship? With the option of adding an 8 a.m. as we continue to grow? These are all questions we are working on and feel free to talk to any council member with your thoughts.
Other items we are working on include resealing and painting the parking lot. We have selected the company and are on their schedule, so sometime this Spring that should be done. Once the parking lot gets resealed the sign will be next. We need to submit plans to the town of Avon for approval.
God Bless, Karen Anderson
Youth and Family Ministry
We had our youth and family ministry meeting (March 8, 2026), and there are a few things we are hoping to start.
We have several people interested in doing children's time, so we think having it on rotation like the other sign-ups would be great. Children’s time will be added to our worship assistant opportunities.
Faith is going to start having Sunday school on the first Sunday of each month, beginning in May. We will not have Sunday school in July or September due to the holidays, but otherwise, it'll always be the first Sunday of the month after service.
If you are interested in participating in our Youth and Family Ministry or Children’s Time during Worship service, please let Pastor or Ciara Krier know.
Holy Week Schedule
Agape Dinner at Faith, Thursday, April 2, 6pm
Enjoy a time of food/fellowship together in “agape”, the Greek word for Love.
Good Friday, April 3rd, John Knox Presbyterian Church, 300 High School Road, Speedway, 12pm
Community Worship service, Good Friday, April 3rd, St. Andrews, 7pm Come hear the last words recorded by our Lord from the Cross Easter Sunday April 5th, no sunrise service
Faith - Holy Communion service at 11am o Join in on some Easter brunch goodies before or after service.
St. Andrews - Holy Communion service at 9am o A light breakfast will be available after service.
Wednesday Night Zoom
Weekday Zoom Bible Study is led by Pastor Doug on Wednesday nights at 7 pm. Ask Pastor Doug if you have any questions. EVERYONE IS WELCOME AND INVITED!
Each week the Zoom link is sent out on Wednesday. The Wednesday night Bible study is studying the Bible lessons for the coming Sunday.
Come join the conversation, resuming April 8th.
Faith Formation / Sunday Evening Zoom
Faith Formation: We meet each Sunday evening, 7 pm, on Zoom.
Faith Formation invites members of both churches who have never joined in, to come and see what's happening!
This is a fun, lighthearted look at our faith journey. The Zoom link is sent out with the Sunday morning email.
It’s a Garage Sale Benefitting our FLC Food Pantry!!
Having a problem getting motivated to get your spring cleaning done, well here’s your nudge!
Event details:
Setup will begin after service on Sunday April 26th.
We’ll clear the sanctuary for all the tables / clothes racks, etc. to be placed, and you can start bringing items in for the sale.
Suggested items are household goods, interior decorations, small appliances, unused craft supplies, furniture, clothing, kids toys, outdoor tools, etc.
Please make sure that all items are in good condition, appliances work, etc. April 26-29th you will be able to drop off items for the sale.
We will set drop off hours each day that someone will be at the church. If these times don’t work for you, please reach out to Janice Lee, Becky Albaugh, Julie Muncy to arrange a time to be at church.
Drop Off Hours:
Tue 11-3, 5-7
Wed 9-12, 5-8
Wednesday April 29th is family night.
We will do our final setup and pricing, and all of our families will have a chance to take a look around for treasures before we open our doors to the public the following day.
Sale Hours:
Thursday April 30
Friday May 1st 8am – 4pm
Saturday May 2nd – 8am – Noon
Once we close at noon on Saturday, it will be all hands-on deck to pack up all left-over items and distribute them to local non-profit organizations.
Know that there will be signup sheets to volunteer to help with setup / cleanup and work the day of the garage sale, etc. ************************************************************************************************************************************** Below are the details of the actual garage sale that can be shared via social media, email, smoke signals, whatever works to get the word out to our Avon community 😊 !!
What:
Indoor -large Multi-Family Garage Sale with household goods, small appliances, yard maintenance equipment, furniture, clothing and much much more. Items are added each day.
When:
Thursday April 30th 8am – 4pm
Friday May 1st 8am – 4pm
Saturday May 2nd 8am
Noon Proceeds will benefit the Faith Lutheran Church food pantry. This is a Cash-Only event.
Faith Giving Information
Faithful Faith Members...with the various giving options (traditional envelopes, direct deposit, Vanco Mobile or Vanco On-line via link from Faith’s website), we have reduced the number of offering envelopes for the congregation. Please let the church office know.
Earth Day
Earth Day was inspired by Vietnam war protesters.
Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson started Earth Day in 1970, after a devastating oil spill in Santa Barbara alarmed many people. Taking a cue from the anti–Vietnam War movement, he wanted to put pressure on the government about the ecological damage of contaminants like oil spills, pesticides, and deadly smog.
This American holiday had a strong start.
20 million Americans celebrated the first Earth Day in 1970. It has since grown and has been celebrated in more than 192 countries by over 1 billion civic-minded supporters. Other countries know it as "International Mother Earth Day." That's the name it was given by the United Nations in 2009. Here in the states, we still call it plain old Earth Day.
The Earth Day movement drove the creation of the EPA.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was approved by President Richard Nixon in 1970 as a result of the Earth Day movement. Legislation on clean air, clean water, toxic substances, and endangered species was passed too.
Everyone can participate in Earth Day.
People of all ages can march, plant trees, clean up their communities, and reduce waste in their own homes (or even try zero waste) with smart Earth Day tips. Proactive corporations and governments often use Earth Day to announce sustainability measures and pledges to support the environment.
Thank You Very Much
“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the way of God in Christ Jesus” (1 Th. 5:16)
Thanks to our entire congregation for your flexibility and understanding with St. Andrews Holy closure.
Thank you to all the volunteers that help with food pantry. We would not be able to serve our community without you!
Thanks to Sara Curry for the fundraiser campaign to continue with the next phase of the memorial garden.
Thank you to Julie Muncy and Janice Lee for organizing and promoting the garage sale at the end of the month. (All proceeds will go to our food pantry.)
Thank you to Brian K who works hard before and after services entering the church finances.
Special thanks to the rest of finance team of Lori Becker and Jim Orebaugh.
Thank you to all the cooks and prep teams who helped put the Lenten suppers together here at Faith.
The choir has just been outstanding this year, and we appreciate all the singers, Kaleb, and the time it takes in practice!
Thanks and appreciate Cierra Krier, Lori, and others helping the new Family and Children's ministry.
Building Security
If you are the last person to leave the building, please check the list on the alarm, lock, alarm the building, and check the doors to protect people and property.
April Celebrations
We’d like to honor and celebrate with you!
Please contact the office to make sure we have
your birthday and anniversary on file.
BIRTHDAYS
Leigh Anderson April 5
Teresa Kofodimos April 5
Nikki Lee April 6
Kevin Westwick April 6
Julie Muncy April 9
Becky Albaugh April 29
ANNIVERSARIES
Steve & Debbie Hacker April 11
Worship Assistants - April 2026
Altar Guild
Asst Minister
Lector
Cantor
FB Live Tech
Usher
Greeter
Fellowship
Gifts Counter
Children’s Time
Cleaning Ministry
April 5
Christine Nitz
Lori W Becker
Karen Anderson
Brian K
John Kofodimos
Lori W Becker
Julie Muncy
Committee
Phil Zillinger
Hacker 3.30-4.03
April 12
Christine Nitz
Brian K
Janice Damrow
Teresa Kofodimos
John Kofodimos
Gil Sams
Becky Albaugh
Joyce Sams
Julie Muncy
Etter 4.06-4.12
April 19
Christine Nitz
Jay Anderson
Kim Orebaugh
Janice Damrow
Kevin Westwick
Julie Muncy
Janice Lee
Ciara Krier
Jim Orebaugh
Lee 4.13-4.19
April 26
Christine Nitz
Janice Damrow
Phil Zillinger
Jim Orebaugh
Kevin Westwick
Phil Zillinger
Nikki Lee
Julie Muncy
Janice Lee
Curry 4.20-4.26
Prayer Wall
“Through Christ we can do all things”
Philippians 4:13
Join us in prayer for our brother and sisters in Christ for good health, healing, safety, strength, courage, peace, clear minds, renewed spirit, and for all their unknown needs.
Our Homebound Members: Martha Siemers, Carol Westwick, Estelle Boyd, and Judy Vogel
Continued Prayers: LouAnn Funk (potential move to New Castle to be closer to her son Tommy.), Tommy Funk (back recovery), Judy Vogel and family, Martha Siemers, Martha Butler (Gil Sams sister), Don and Marlene Pasquine (dear friends of Gil and Joyce Sams).
For special intention: Estelle Boyd
Unknown needs to all who are troubled in mind, body, and spirit.
Higher Education Students: Kaleb Durfee, Maddie Anderson, Jacob Benning, Karissa Draper, Scott Brunton, Lily Brunton and all students in Hendricks County!
Military Service Members: All Service Men and Women fighting for our freedoms and their families who have also sacrificed.
Current Events: Prayers of comfort for those who have experienced a loss due to war. Peace for our troubled world.
Leadership and Local Organizations:
ELCA Bishop Yehiel Curry
I-K Synod Bishop Timothy Graham
Lutheran Child and Family Services
Family Promise
Sheltering Wings
Faith’s Food Pantry
As a family of Faith, we want to pray and celebrate WITH you. Please submit your requests to the office by phone 317.272.1022 or by email at flc.avon@att.net.