October 2021

Monthly Messenger
Saron Lutheran Church

From the Pastor’s Desk Events in October

“[Jesus said,] I came that they may have life, and have it 10/2 Kris Kringle Pre-Sale
abundantly.” - John 10:10b 10/3 Blessing of the Animals
10/9 Golf Tournament
Jesus came into the world not so that we could have a 10/10 Morning Bible Study
vacant life, not so we can have a bland life, but so that we 10/14 Church Council
might have an abundant life. Even in the midst of a 10/31 Reformation Sunday (wear red)
lingering pandemic, in which the future seems uncertain,
there are many ways that we can feel and experience the
kind of abundance that Christ wishes for us to have. As I Mark your Calendars
drive to and from church I see trucks filled with an
abundance of tomatoes and almonds. These remind me of 11/6 Kris Kringle Market
the abundance of nature and the dedicated work that our 11/7 All Saint’s Sunday
farmers do each and every day to help keep us fed. 11/21 Thankoffering Sunday

Here at Saron this month there are an abundance of

opportunities to engage in ministry and community. There Join us for Worship!
is, of course, weekly worship, but also Bible Study, the Kris
Kringle Market Presale, the Blessing of the Animals, the Sundays at 9:30 am
Golf Tournament, Reformation Sunday, and more! All of In the Sanctuary or
these are opportunities to connect to faith and connect to on the Saron Lutheran Church
one another, which I believe to be cornerstones of an Facebook page
abundant life. For those attending in person, face masks and
social distancing are strongly recommended
In our own lives, abundance oftentimes comes most readily to prevent the
when we take time to slow down, when we clear our spread of COVID-19.
schedules, and take time to simplify our lives. When we can Bulletins are sent via email every Friday.
hear ourselves think, dedicate uninterrupted time to the
people that we love, appreciate the small gifts that life
offers us, and take time to pray. An abundant life is not
necessarily a busy life, but one filled with the love of God Saron Staff
and the love of others. My prayer for all of us this month is
to welcome more of Christ’s abundance into our lives. Callie Torres, Pastor
Ann Shaddix, Secretary
In Love and Peace,

Pastor Callie Torres Office Hours

Monday through Friday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Saron Lutheran Church
1742 North Street, Escalon, CA 95320
saronlutheranescalon.org
209-838-7695 | saronlutheran@att.net

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President’s Message
Psalms 67:6
The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God
blesses us.
As this season's harvest concludes, let us take a
moment to give thanks for a bountiful crop. Let us
give thanks that we have all remained safe and
unharmed during the process.
The farmers in our congregation have harvested and
will now irrigate the fields and feed the trees to
prepare them for next year's crop. The cycle begins
again.
Farmer's Prayer
Dear Lord,
We thank you for this fertile ground.
Make us good stewards of Your land.
Give us strength for long hours and hard work.
Give us wisdom to enjoy the bounty of harvest and
humility to accept your will in poor years.
Help us to be good neighbors, to give our help
eagerly, and accept help from others when needed.
May we always know, as we tend each crop, that
you are the one who helps them grow.
We thank you for your gracious gifts and blessings.
Amen
Reformation 101
In Wittenburg, Germany on October 31, 1517
Martin Luther, a teacher and a monk, shared the “95
Theses” otherwise known as the “Disputation on the
Power of Indulgences” with the world. When
Luther shared these points, he simply wanted to
open discussion and debate around some practices
within the church that he didn’t agree with. Luther
primarily disagreed with the practice of selling
indulgences, in which people could pay for
forgiveness of sins. Not only was this a strain on
already impoverished people, Luther strongly
believed that humans could only achieve salvation
through their faith, there was no way one could buy
their way in for themselves or others.
This event sparked the Protestant Reformation,
which swept through Europe, and a break from the
Catholic Church. This pivotal moment over 500
years ago sparked several events, encouraged many
other theologians, and inspired an incredible
amount of written works by Luther and others.
These events helped to create the foundation of
Lutheran theology and has helped to shape the
church that we are today. On Reformation Sunday,
October 31st, we have an opportunity to
commemorate this event and focus on some of the
key points of Lutheran theology that remind us of
God’s incredible love that brings us grace,
salvation, and freedom.
I cannot and will not recant anything, for
to go against conscience is neither right
nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so
help me God. Amen.
- Martin Luther
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Anderson Baby Shower Golf Tournament News
Saturday, October 9th is the 15th Annual Saron
On Saturday, August 28th a lovely baby shower
Lutheran Community Golf Tournament. Whether
was held to celebrate the birth of Adeline Anderson.
you are golfing or not, you are encouraged to
Many gathered to celebrate with a luncheon,
attend. Lunch can be purchased for $15.
delicious cake, and shower Adeline with presents.
What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate new life
It is not too late to donate an item for the silent
at Saron!
auction. Do you have season tickets to a sporting
event or to artistic performances that you could
donate? Do you sew or make another craft or art
items? We would love to auction off your handy
work!

If you would like to purchase lunch, donate an item

or volunteer on the day of the event, please call the
church office.

Staff Change Announcement

Ann Shaddix has recently announced that she is
leaving her position as church secretary here at
Saron. Fortunately, she will not be disappearing
completely as Saron is still very much her church
home, she still has gifts to share with the
congregation, and she hopes to stay a part of the
finance committee. She will now be able to dedicate
more time to her family, to relaxation, and to her
wonderful work to support seniors.

Please join in thanking her for her faithful work,

especially during the long interim period. Plans for
Devotionals for October, November, a celebration of her service to the congregation are
and December are Available! in the works and information will be shared as soon
as the plans are finalized.
There are several choices for your devotional
reading this season! Feel free to pick up a copy of
Portals of Prayer (published by Concor dia, the
publishing house of the LCMS), Christ in our
Home, or The Word in Season (both published
by Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house for the
ELCA). All provide daily scripture readings,
reflections, and prompts for daily prayer. All three
are wonderful resources to strengthen your faith
daily!

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Kris Kringle Market
As most of you know, this is a busy time of year for
Witness and Service and we need many hands to
help. At this point we are planning to have our Kris
Kringle Market indoors again on November 6th
from 10-2. Masks will be r equir ed. We will be
setting up on Friday, Nov. 5th, beginning at 10 am.
We would welcome anyone who is able to help set
up tables and displays. We will leave things set up
for members to shop after church on Sunday,
November 7 th.
We are also planning a pre Kris Kringle Market to
coincide with the city wide yard sale on Saturday,
October 2nd from 8:00 to 2:00. We will feature
our mosaics as they display beautifully on the
church steps, but will also include some discounted
items from last year. We will also be taking orders
for the beautiful succulent pumpkins and will have a
display on the 2nd as well. These are preorder
items only! Orders will be taken from now till Oct.
15th with pickup available on Saturday, October
23rd or by special arrangement. If you would like to
help on the 2nd we will be setting up at 7:00 that
morning.
Thank you in advance for all who contribute items
for the Kris Kringle Market and for any who are
able to help with set up or take down. This is
an opportunity for us to earn much needed revenue
for both our church and outreach.
Respectfully,
Becky Emery, Karen Peters, Jenlane Matt
Sunday in the Park
Do you like crafts? Do you like kids? Do you enjoy
Halloween and harvest celebrations? Pastor Callie is
in need of some help leading crafts for children on
Sunday, October 3rd from 11 am-2 pm at
“Sunday in the Park” on Main Street. All the
supplies for the craft have been purchased and the
planning has been done, simply show up and share
the love of Saron with the community!
Blessing of the Animals - Oct 3rd
Mark your calendars for Blessing of the Animals
on October 3rd! Blessing of the Animals takes its
inspiration from the life and Ministry of St.
Francis, the patron saint of animals and ecology,
whose feast day is on October 4th each year.
Worship will be outdoors in front of the church and
everyone is invited to being their well-behaved
leashed or caged pets and animals to worship.
Folks are also welcome bring a photograph of their
animal or stuffed animals as a stand in. There will
be a door prize drawing for anyone who brings an
animal to bless. We will be blessing all of our
furry, feathered, or scaled friends and there will be
a time for special prayers and personalized
blessings after worship.
Bible Study - Oct 10th
Saron’s Bible Study will be meeting on October
10th, after worship, around 10:30 am. We will be
starting a study on the book of Esther. Bring your
questions, your ideas, your perspectives, and, most
importantly, yourselves as we learn more about this
incredible Biblical heroine. All are welcome!
Women’s Breakfast
Mark your calendar for our monthly women’s
breakfast on November 6th at 8:30 am at Perko’s
on Oakdale Road in Modesto. Please let us know at
the church office or call Louise or Ann as we will
need to let the restaurant know how many to
expect.
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 Bishop Rohrer’s Installation
Our new bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod,
Bishop Megan Rohrer, was installed in a
beautiful service at Grace Cathedral in San
Francisco on September 11th. Bishop Megan
has been making headlines as the first openly
transgender bishop in a mainline Christian
Please consider assisting with the following: denomination. Speaking on their installation
they shared, “I know that while much of the
Kris Kringle Market attention is about me, I always try, when I can,
October 2 to step aside a second and remember the God
November 6 who reminds me over and over again that there
Golf Tournament is no body that isn’t welcome in a church like
October 9 this, that isn’t welcome in God’s community,
that isn’t a full and faithful part of the church.”
Assist with Sunday Worship Please pray for our bishop and the rest of our
Bell Ringer synod staff as they do incredible work for the
Usher gospel.
Lector
Assisting Minister

Join the choir

Sundays scheduled to sing
no robles worn
sit with your family

October C.A.R.E. Donation

This month, please donate crackers to give to
C.A.R.E. to assist those in need. Other items are
(cereal, boxed meals, canned foods and fruits) are
also welcome. If you choose to make a monetary
donation please make your check payable to Saron Bishop Megan Rohrer and the Sierra Pacific Synod
Lutheran Church and note C.A.R.E. as a memo or staff at the installation service.
on your offering envelope.
Getting to Know You
Volunteers Needed at the Escalon Getting to know the people in the congregation
Youth Center is a highlight of life at Saron! Each month, the
Messenger will feature a profile on a different
Are you person in the congregation. Below are the
interested in questions that you you may be asked so you can
helping support be prepared if you are asked to share in the
teens in our future!
community?
The Escalon 1. Please share about your family (heritage,
Youth Center, culture, parents, siblings, etc.)
across the 2. What lead you to your current career path?
street from 3. What are your hobbies, interests, etc.
Escalon High 4. What brought you to Saron?
School, is in need of volunteers. Help is needed 5. Do you have a favorite scripture to share?
during the lunch rush and during the afternoons. If 6. Please add anything else you might like to
you are interested in more information please talk to share about yourself.
Pastor Callie.
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We are a congregation called to faithfully follow Jesus Christ by sharing the inclusive love of
God with our neighbor using our gifts joyfully in worship and service.

Together we use our gifts to move into God’s future inviting all we encounter with the hope
of the Gospel

October Birthdays Saron Lutheran Church Council

02 Laurence Peters Lisa Alessi, President
04 Cindy Moreno Louise Spurgeon, Vice-President
Becky Emery, Secretary
15 Jennifer Shipley Dave Strand, Treasurer
16 Mike McNinch Krista Adametz
18 Rosemary Scholz Laurence Peters
18 Forrest Linn Gary Thomasser
21 Mark-John (Dahlin)
21 Lois Owen
31 Rick Zamora November Messenger Deadline
If you have any news or announcements that you
Find Us On Facebook would like included in next month’s messenger
please submit it to saronlutheran@att.net by
Monday, October 20th.

Search for
@SaronLutheranEscalon
and look for the photo of
our church. Follow for
Wednesday devotionals,
Sunday worship, news from
our church, and more!

Contact Pastor Callie

If you have any questions, suggestions, or prayer
concerns please feel free to contact Pastor Callie at
pastorcallie.saron@gmail.com or 209-425-3390.
(text/call). She is eager to hear from you!
Saron Lutheran Church is part of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America