November 2021

Monthly Messenger
Saron Lutheran Church

From the Pastor’s Desk Events in November

November is an incredible month to take a moment and 11/6 Kris Kringle Market
give thanks! On November 7th we will honor All Saints’ 11/7 All Saints’ Sunday
Sunday and give thanks for the lives of all of the saints who 11/7 Choir Rehearsal
have gone before us and the love that we were able to share 11/10 Women’s Prayer Meeting
with those who have died this past year. On November 21st 11/11 Veterans’ Day
we will celebrate Thankoffering Sunday, an opportunity to 11/14 Bible Study
give thanks to God for all of our blessings and share of our 11/18 Council Meeting
abundance to support the ministries of the church for the 11/21 Thankoffering Sunday
sake of the gospel. And, of course, on November 25th many 11/25 Thanksgiving - Office Closed
will gather with friends and family to celebrate 11/26 Office Closed
Thanksgiving together over a delicious meal.
Mark your Calendars
As I reflect on the past several months serving as your
pastor I find myself thankful for so many things! I am 12/12 Santa Lucia Day
thankful that we have been able to come together to 12/24 Christmas Eve
worship weekly: to sing, to pray, to hear the word of God, 12/25 Christmas Day
and receive God’s grace through the sacraments. I am
thankful for the many volunteers who have supported the
worship life here at Saron and have worked tirelessly to put Join us for Worship!
on incredible events for the congregation. More than
anything I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know Sundays at 9:30 am
each and every one of you and that you have accepted me In the Sanctuary or
as your pastor. I pray that we continue growing together as on the Saron Lutheran Church
a strong community of faith. Facebook page
For those attending in person, face masks and
Thankfulness benefits our lives in wonderful ways: it can social distancing are strongly recommended
strengthen relationships, improve physical and to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
psychological health, increase empathy, and improve sleep. Bulletins are sent via email every Friday.
Even a small practice of listing two or three things that you
are thankful for each day and reap incredible benefits. I
invite us all to take time to be thankful this month and
always! Saron Staff
In Love and Peace, Rev. Callie Torres, Pastor
Louise Spurgeon, Secretary
Pastor Callie Torres

Office Hours
Monday through Friday
Saron Lutheran Church 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
1742 North Street, Escalon, CA 95320
saronlutheranescalon.org
209-838-7695 | saronlutheran@att.net
1
President’s Message: Reflections on
the Golf Tournament
The 15th Annual Saron Lutheran Community Golf
Tournament was a success! After a few days of
worry, in the end, we were blessed with beautiful
weather.
Golfers teed off at 9 a.m. and the excitement
mounted as each player took their shot for a hole-in-
one to win a new Ford truck! Alas, though some
were close, the truck remains at the Ford
dealership! There's always next year!
We did have another exciting occurrence! Our very
own Konner scored an Eagle! For those of you who
are not golf aficionados, an Eagle is two under par
on any particular hole. Konnor accomplished the
feat on a par four, which makes it even more
spectacular! Great job, Konnor!
Some of you may not know, but Konnor's very first
golf experience was at the 2019 Saron golf event. It
was there that he fell in love with the sport and has
been seriously pursuing it ever since. He practices
regularly, is the captain of his high school Varsity
golf team and participates in tournaments.
Konnor even has PGA aspirations! When he is a
rich and famous professional golfer, I am sure he
will remember where he got his start! At our Saron
golf tournament!
“Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to
humankind. And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with
songs of joy. ”
Another exciting event was the putting contest
between Pastor Callie and Principal Varni of Dent
Elementary School. In the end, Principal Varni was
victorious and has the trophy proudly displayed on
his desk!
Our raffle and silent auction was a lot of fun and
raised additional funds. The hottest item up for bid
was Delores’ donation of a six month homemade
pie subscription! The bidding was fast and
furious...back and forth...higher and higher...and
finally, at the last second, before the auction closed,
I snuck in one final bid to win the pies! First
request: lemon meringue. Yummy!
We were also treated to a fantastic lunch prepared
by our food crew: Pat, Louise, and Kathy. All of
the golfers and guests loved it!
Thank you to all of the Saron volunteers who
worked so hard and made this event possible. It is
wonderful to work together as a team and to
accomplish a worthy goal.
Proceeds will benefit, "Shoes and Coats for Kids" at
Dent Elementary, the Saron Technology Ministry
and the Saron Facilities Fund.
Thank you again for all of your help and support!
Lisa Alessi
Psalm 107:21-22, NRSV
2
Welcome Louise as the New
Secretary
As we say thank you to Ann for her many years of
service as the church secretary, we welcome Louise
who will be taking over the position later this
month. Louise has been a longtime member of
Saron, a faithful volunteer in the office, and brings
an incredible set of secretarial skills to the position.
She will be in the office Mondays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Come by and
say hello!
Thank You to Dave Strand
Dave Strand has been an incredible servant of
Saron, serving as the chair of the call committee and
the treasurer of the congregation for 4 years. In
preparation for increasing familial responsibilities
with the birth of his newest grandchild, he has
decided to step down from his position as treasurer.
Fortunately, he is still very much a part of the Saron
family, he will finish out the rest of his term as a
part of the council, and will continue being involved
as much as he can be. We will be honoring Dave for
all of his work in worship on November 21 to thank
him for his faithful service to the congregation.
First Call Theological Education
From November 16th - 18th Pastor Callie will be
attending a training for pastors who are in their first
calls hosted by the Sierra Pacific Synod. She will be
spending three days at Mt. Cross Ministries in the
Santa Cruz mountains worshipping, praying,
learning, and fellowshipping with other pastors.
Please pray for her and the other pastors who will
be attending this event.
Kris Kringle Market - November 6
Please join us for the Kris Kringle Market on
Saturday, November 6th from 10:00 to 2:00. Don’t
miss the variety of gift items, holiday decor, baked
items and jams and honey! New this year are baby
items. You won’t want to miss getting raffle rickets
for the beautiful quilt made by Julie Rose! We still
need any baked goods you can contribute. Please
bring to church Friday, the 5th, or Saturday morning
before 10:00.
We will be setting up on Friday beginning at 10:00.
This is a big job and we would appreciate anyone
who could help. Additionally, we will be leaving
things set up for after church on the 7th, so will
need help dismantling after the congregation has
another chance to shop.
Hope to see you there and please wear a mask!
All Saints’ Sunday - November 7
All Saints’ Day is an opportunity to celebrate all of
the saints who have gone before us, both known and
unknown. It is traditionally celebrated on November
1st, and we will be honoring the day in worship on
November 7th. There will be candles on the altar to
honor the lives of Saron members we have lost this
past year. In addition, there will be an opportunity
to write down the names of loved ones who have
died this past year to be lifted up during the prayers
and a chance to light a candle in the back of the
sanctuary.
Choir Rehearsal - November 7
Make a joyful noise to the Lord! Come and join
Saron’s choir! All interested singers are invited to
come to church before worship on November 7th at
8:45 am for a rehearsal. Reading music is not
required! Future rehearsals will be scheduled based
on interest and availability. If you have any
questions please contact Karin or Pastor Callie.
3
Women’s Prayer Meeting -
November 10
Incredible things happen when women get together
to pray for one another, for the church, and the
world! Join for an opportunity to talk about the
power of prayer, share prayer requests, and pray
together. The next prayer meeting is scheduled for
November 10th at noon. All are welcome!
Bible Study - November 14
The next Bible Study meeting will be after worship
on November 14th beginning around 10:30 am. We
will be continuing our study of the book of Esther.
Bring your questions, your ideas, your perspectives,
and, most importantly, yourselves as we continue to
learn about the life of this Biblical heroine. All are
welcome!
Thankoffering Sunday - November 21
Thankoffering is an opportunity for us to reflect on
the blessings that we have received from God and
ponder how we can share from our bounty to
support the ministries of the church and beyond. It
is a tradition from the earliest days of our church in
which farmers would bring from their abundance of
harvest to support the church and its members. An
important part of this day is collecting pledges for
estimated giving for 2022 to help the budget
planning process for the new year. After worship
there will be a lovely breakfast to honor the
occasion. Keep your eyes out for more information
and pledge cards coming soon!
Beginning of the Advent Season -
November 28
While stores seem to have already “decked the
halls” to celebrate Christmas, at Saron we are
entering the season of Advent. For four weeks,
beginning Sunday, November 28th, we will journey
through a time of eager and hopeful expectation for
the coming of our lord through the birth of the
Christ child. Advent also marks the beginning of a
new liturgical year. Plans for Wednesday Holden
Evening Prayer services and potential soup suppers
for Advent are in the works. Stay tuned for more
information!
November C.A.R.E. Donations
This month, please consider donating hot chocolate
to support those in need. As the days get colder
there is nothing quite like a cup of hot chocolate to
warm hearts and spirits. Other non-perishable food
items (cooking oils, seasonings, pasta, rice, canned
goods, etc.) will joyfully be accepted as well. If you
would like to make a monetary donation please
make your check payable to Saron and note
C.A.R.E. as a memo or put a cash donation in an
envelope marked with C.A.R.E.
Women’s Breakfast Postponed
Women’s Breakfast has been cancelled for this
month, and has been postponed until December.
Please contact Ann or Louise with any questions
4
5
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

November Birthdays Saron Lutheran Church Council

02 Mary Ann Olsen Lisa Alessi, President
04 Phil Sandall Louise Spurgeon, Vice-President
Becky Emery, Secretary
09 Tommy Avila
Dave Strand, Treasurer
11 Joan Parker Krista Adametz
12 Katie Bomer Laurence Peters
15 David Wright Gary Thomasser
20 Victor Haglund
21 Frankie Olsen
December Messenger Deadline
If you have any news or announcements that you
would like included in next month’s messenger
please submit it to saronlutheran@att.net by
Monday, November 22nd.

Find Us On Facebook
Search for
@SaronLutheranEscalon
and look for the photo of
our church. Follow for
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