August 2023

Monthly Messenger
Saron Lutheran Church

From the Pastor’ Desk Events in August

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every 8/1 National Night Out
matter under heaven.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 8/5 Breakfast
8/6 Young Families Gathering
As summer begins to come to a close, I am reminded of 8/9 Prayer Circle
this beloved poem from Ecclesiastes. As one season ends, 8/11 Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
another comes to take its place in a continuing cycle 8/16 Escalon Senior Fun Bunch
8/17 Council Meeting
In every season, every event, and every moment of our 8/20 Bible Study
lives, we can trust that God is with us, breathing new
purpose and meaning into our everyday.
 A Tuesday evening is more than just a day in the week, Mark your Calendar
but an opportunity to bless and celebrate our first 9/9 Bunco
responders - National Night Out is August 1st 10/8 Commitment Sunday
 A spaghetti dinner becomes more than just a meal, but 11/19 Thankoffering Sunday
an opportunity to raise funds for our church so that 1/21 Congregational Meeting
generations in the future may be blessed. - Spaghetti
Feed Fundraiser is August 11th
 A new backpack full of supplies is more than a bag of
stuff, but tools for new growth, creativity, and learning Join us for Worship!
- school starts this month for many students, teachers,
and staff Sundays at 9:30 am
 A church that gathers on Sunday is more than a group In the Sanctuary or
of people, but a community that supports and on the “Saron Lutheran Church”
strengthens one another in the love of God - join us in Facebook page
worship each Sunday at Saron Bulletins are sent via email every
This month we have many opportunities to slow down and
week.
appreciate the ways that God is present in all our moments,
through worship, celebrations, fundraisers, fellowship
events, Bible studies, and more. All of our moments are Saron Staff
sacred when we walk with God. May God continue to
infuse both your significant and your more mundane Rev. Callie Torres, Pastor
moments with new blessings, purpose, and love. Louise Spurgeon, Secretary
Melanie Tunison, Office A ssistant
In Love and Peace,
Pastor Callie Torres
Office Hours
Tuesday through Friday
Saron Lutheran Church 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
1742 North Street, Escalon CA95320
saronlutheranescalon.org
209-838-7695 | saronlutheran@att.net
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President’s Message
The first community hymn sing will be hosted at
Saron Lutheran Church on Sunday. Come and
enjoy singing and listening to wonderful and loved
Christian Hymns.
The Church Council unanimously approved a one-
week (per calendar year) paid time off for the
Church Secretary, Louise Spurgeon.
During the meeting all Ministry Teams reported.
The Fellowship Committee has many upcoming
events which include National Night Out and a
Spaghetti fundraiser. Please call the church office if
you have questions or want to buy tickets.
Treasurer’s Report
Our June 2023 revenue was greater than our June
expenses. Praise God and thanks to each of you for
your faithful offerings!
Treasurer’s Tips of the Month
How Long Should You Keep It?
 ATM receipts – until you reconcile with
monthly statement
 Utility bills – 1 year
 Check copies – 7 years for any tax-related
items
 Brokerage statements – until you sell the
security
 Credit card statements – 6 months to 1 year; 7
years if tax-related
 Monthly account statements – 7 years
 IRA Contribution annual statements – until
you retire or close account
 Tax returns and supporting documents – 7
years
 Loan documents and promissory notes – for
duration of payment time
Be aware of potential identity theft by shredding
documents containing your personal information.
Blessings! Sylvia McGowan
The Property Committee seeks to be proactive in
managing the Saron buildings and property.
Volunteer help is needed. It may become necessary
to add maintenance agreement fees to assist in
delaying or preventing damage to the property and
equipment. If you can assist, you are encouraged to
call the church office for more specific information.
The 2024 Annual Meeting is scheduled for January
21, 2024. Please mark your calendar.
Have a wonderful month. Stay cool and enjoy all
the blessings that God has given us. Ann
On Stewardship: Time and Talents
Living your life as a steward of God’s grace means
recognizing that everything comes from God and all
that we have is God’s. This includes our time.
Time is our most valuable asset. Once we spend
our time, it is gone. It is important for us to look at
how we spend our most valuable asset. Are we
spending time on things that God is calling us to
do? Are we wise stewards of our time?
Peter 4:10 says: “Each of you should use whatever
gift you have received to serve others, as faithful
stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” God
wants us to allocate some of our time and talents to
serving others.
At Saron, there are many opportunities to
serve. Whether it be volunteering to host a coffee
hour, joining a committee, working in the kitchen at
a Fellowship event, singing in the choir or selling
Spaghetti Feed tickets, the contribution of your time
and talents is stewardship. Volunteering at church
is serving others. Volunteering at Saron creates the
programs, events and a community that draws other
people to Saron and furthers our mission to spread
God’s word, help others and improve the world
around us.
Think about your talents. Examine how you are
allocating your valuable time asset. Is God calling
you to serve?
Julie R. will be offering a temple talk on
Sunday, August 13th
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Property Report
An Oakdale locksmith was called out to repair the
keyhole lock on the kitchen hallway door.
The sanctuary ceiling repair is progressing. A stain
has been selected and will be applied to pine wood
strips. Installation pending on completion of wood
staining. Also, two water leaks will be repaired on
the sanctuary roof and stains on sanctuary ceiling
painted.
Three motion sensor solar powered lights will be
installed in the hallways leading out of the
courtyard area. Hopefully these will deter any bats
from roosting in the dark ceiling areas at night. This
will allow us to turn off the hallway lights at night.
We need to improve the parking lot lights during
nighttime use. We are researching solar powered
motion sensor lights. If there is anyone with
firsthand knowledge of solar lights, I would
appreciate your input.
There is a need for a property maintenance person.
Someone who will blow pine needles and debris
from the parking lot at least 4 times per year. Also,
cleaning the areas around the compressors and
removing any weeds growing near them. Our
buildings need cobwebs removed and the basement
areas need cleaning and vacuuming. We also need
to have our rain gutters checked and cleaned
annually. I’m sure there are maintenance needs I
haven’t listed. If you notice any need, please let
Louise or I know.
Property Co-Chair, Kathy Pendleton
Office Volunteers Needed
Do you have a few hours to spare on a Thursday
morning one or more times a month? We are hoping
to find a rotation of volunteers to cover the church
office from 9:00 am - 11:30 am on Thursdays to
greet members and guests, answer the church
phone, and help with miscellaneous projects and
tasks (as volunteers are comfortable). If you are
interested in helping please contact Pastor Callie or
Ann.
Service and Support Report
I want to thank everyone who came to our crafting
event in July. We are building our inventory for
this fall's Kris Kringle Market!!
In July we learned how to decorate cobblestones
with Jenni Spears leading the
demonstration. Despite our inexperience, they
turned out quite well. We also want to thank our
local P & L Concrete in Escalon for donating the
cobblestones for this event. It is wonderful to have
local support from our community. Not only did
we decorate cobblestones, we made gnome
ornaments for Kris Kringle. They are very cute and
I think will be popular at this year's event. Again,
Lori made some delicious snacks that were enjoyed
by all. A big thank you to Lori and Jenni for their
part in making another successful crafting morning
at Saron!
In August, we have several events scheduled at
Saron including National Night Out, Lucille's
birthday celebration and the Spaghetti Dinner
Fundraiser. Due to all these events we will not
plan on a crafting day in August. We will resume in
September with a date to be announced.
In celebration of the birth of Teddy, we are going to
be hosting a baby shower to celebrate his arrival
and support Melanie, Pete, and his big sister
Adelaide. Details to come soon.
It is now the end of July and many people are
pondering the coming fall with its many events at
Saron. It is not too early to be thinking of
something you would like to contribute to our Kris
Kringle event. Give yourself some grace to be
creative and adventurous and try a project. I have
been amazed at our ability to work together for this
event and I always enjoy seeing the creativity of our
members. So... give it a try!! It's fun to
experiment and see what could be the next big
thing!!!
Blessings to all,
Pat Strand
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Welcome Teddy!
Theodore Russel was born to Melanie Tunison and
Pete Kler on Saturday, July 22nd! He weighed 7
lbs. 6 oz and was 19 inches long at birth. Mom and
baby are home and doing well. We celebrate with
and pray for the entire family as we join them in
welcoming Teddy to the world and the church.
Sermon Series: Just Jesus
The sermon series, “Just Jesus” continues through
August as we continue to explore many of the
roles that Jesus carried during his time on earth
and still today. Let us continue to learn and
contemplate what it means to have Jesus at the
center of all we do here at Saron.
 August 6 - Just a Provider
 August 13 - Just a Lord
 August 20 - Just a Healer
 August 27 - Just a Messiah
National Night Out
August 1st at 5:00pm
Join us at 5pm for dinner. Our first responders will
arrive at 6pm to eat with us and visit. Taco &
nacho bar, live music, and fun celebrating our first
responders! See flyer attached at the end of this
month’s Messenger for all the details!
Church Breakfast
Saturday, August 5th at 8:30am
Mark your calendar for the next breakfast on
Saturday August 5th at 8:30am at iHop in
Manteca. Please RSVP to Dorene at 209-605-
0951, as we need to let the restaurant know how
many to expect.
Young Families Gathering
Sunday, August 6 at 11:00am
The next Young Families Gathering will be on
Sunday, August 6th at 11:00 am for families of
children 6 and under. There will be a Bible lesson,
along with some fun activities around the theme of
“Moses and the Exodus.” Let’s enjoy some time
together in fellowship, fun, and learning!
Prayer Circle
Wednesday, August 9 at 12:00 pm
The next prayer circle meeting will be on
Wednesday, August 9th at noon. All are welcome
to come as we pray for the church, the world, and
the concerns of our community. No need to pray
aloud if you are not comfortable, your presence
would be blessing enough. If you would like a
person or a situation to be prayed for at the next
meeting please contact Mary B. or Pastor Callie.
Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
Friday, August 11 at 5:00pm
Tickets available at the church office or at the
door! Join us for a sit-down spaghetti dinner OR
drive through pick up. All proceeds to benefit the
Saron Facilities fund. See flyer attached at the end
of this month’s Messenger for all the details!
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Escalon Senior Fun Bunch
Wednesday, August 16th at 2:00 pm
Come and celebrate ESFB’s fourth birthday at the
Escalon Community Center from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
on Wednesday, August 16th. Enjoy an Ice Cream
Social, games, prizes, a raffle, and bingo! It is sure
to be a wonderful time!
Bible Study
Sunday, August 20 after Worship
The next Bible Study series begins this month on
Sunday, August 20th after worship! After the great
time we had exploring and reflecting on the deeper
meaning of the 10 Commandments, we will shift
our attention to another foundational text in our
faith, the Apostle’s Creed. Join us in a study based
on one written by Julia Seymour for the Gather
Magazine in 2017, as we ponder more about the
three persons of the trunity. All are welcome to
learn, share stories, and grow in faith.
Bunco
Saturday, September 9th at 4:40 0m
We will be holding our annual bunco night on
Saturday, September 9th at 4:30. Please note the
earlier start time to accommodate our seniors who
don’t like to drive after dark. Tickets will be $25
and include the potato bar dinner. Our hope is to
presell as many as possible to get a better count for
food. Tickets will be available after church starting
August 13th and in the office. We will also be
asking for raffle prizes as well as donations from
local businesses. If you can help with this, please
call the church office or Becky at 480-1562. This is
a perfect way to help with our community outreach
as all proceeds go to the Escalon Ministerial
Association for food vouchers for those in need
during the holidays. With your help, it will be a
huge success! Thank you!!
C.A.R.E. Donations
This month our church is being asked to bring
cereals to donate to C.A.R.E. Please bring your
donations to church by Sunday, August 27th and
place them in the basket marked “C.A.R.E.
Donations” Monetary donations and other donations
of non-perishable food items are always
appreciated.
Generous Grant for C.A.R.E.
C.A.R.E., our local food bank, was recently
awarded a Local Community Grant from Walmart.
On Tuesday, July 25th, the director of C.A.R.E.
Sherri Vaden was given a generous check for over
$7,000 to continue feeding the families of Escalon.
We continue to give thanks for Sherri’s faithful
work, for the generosity of Walmart, and for the
many volunteers who work diligently to serve our
community!
C.A.R.E. distributions are weekly on Wednesdays
from 9:30-11:00 am for families meeting federal
guidelines, the second and fourth Tuesdays from
8:00 - 11:00 am for seniors on a fixed income, and
the third Thursday from 8:00 - 11:00 am for
federal commodities. For more information contact
Sharri at 209-417-2048.
Our Treasure
Jerry Emery has written a song and has posted it
on YouTube. Entitled, "Our Treasure," it is
dedicated to parents who have lost kids in school
shootings. Go to YouTube and type in the title to
find the video.
Synod Bishop Election Update
The Sierra Pacific Synod will be electing a new
Bishop at the assembly in September and the
process is already underway! The names of the
pre-nominees for bishop will be released on the
synod website (spselca.net) on August 1st. You are
encouraged to read through the profiles and share
your thoughts with the voting members Saron is
sending to the assembly: Ann S., Kathy P., and
Pastor Callie. Please continue to hold the
candidates for bishop and the entire Sierra Pacific
Synod in your prayers.
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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

August Birthdays Saron Lutheran Church Council

1 Lucille Mammen Ann Shaddix, President
2 Mary Bruederle Gary Thomasser, Vice President
13 Betty Farver Kathy Pendleton, Secretary
20 Sensie Dahlin Krista Adametz
21 Caterina Grossi Lori Armstrong
31 John Avila Janet Casaus
Louise Spurgeon
Sylvia McGowan, Treasurer
Heather Thomasser, Recorder

September 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
August 23rd.

Find Us On Facebook
Search for @SaronLutheranEscalon and look for
the photo of our church. Follow for Sunday
worship livestreams, news from our church, and
more!

Contact Pastor Callie

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