Christmas Keepsake Raffle Continues!

If you didn't buy your raffle tickets for this beautiful, homemade Christmas wall hanging at the fair, it is not too late. The raffle runs through the St. Lucia Festival this Sunday, December 9th. Tickets are 1 for $1 or 6 for $5. Good luck!

Enjoy a Swedish Tradition on Sun, 12/9 at 4:00PM!

This year St. Ansgar will hold its St. Lucia Festival on Sunday, December 9th at 4PM. The event is free and open to the public.

What is the St. Lucia Festival? It is a Swedish Christian tradition that dates from the 14th century. According to the old Julian Calendar, December 13th was the longest night of the year, and thus marked the first step toward spring, with its promise of light and sunshine. It is on this date that the people of Sweden celebrate the Lucia Festival. Christian legend has it that the Romans betrayed Lucia. Later, Vikings impressed by her faith, are said to have brought her legend to Scandinavia from Sicily, where she is the patron saint of fishermen.

Every year at St. Ansgar, the St. Lucia legend is told. Authentic Swedish carols are sung, and a young woman from the congregation is crowned the “Queen of Light.” Traditional Scandinavian refreshments are served, and unique items from our International Table are available.

This year, St. Ansgar is pleased to announce that Kristina Ann Birthisel, age 16, will be honored as this year's Queen of Light." Kristina is a mostly home-schooled student and plans to attend Greely High School and/or USM Early Studies Program next semester. She is the daughter of Karen and Bill Birthisel of Cumberland.

More Pictures In From the Fair!

Pictures from Just an Old Fashioned Fair

Just before the doors open...

The Chowder Team


Yulekake Bakers


Pastor Doherty's Miracle Meringue

Make Chowder and Julekake Bread for the Fair!

Ever wonder what makes the julekake bread at St. Ansgar's fair taste so wonderful? Long to know the secret behind St. Ansgar's famous fish chowder?

Mark your calendars for Friday, November 9th. Bakers will be churning out loaves all day. The chowder team will start at 6PM. Come, help out, and learn how to cook like a civic minded Lutheran. Who needs the Food Channel?

Be Part of the Fair!

Members and Friends,

It's that time again! Your help is needed - from set-up to clean-up. As usual we will need baked goods and candy. Volunteers are also needed to work in the kitchen, dining area, and at the tables from 10AM - 2PM. Please contact St. Ansgar if you can help. Leave a message for Julie D.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival Simulcast Anyone?

This year the famous St. Olaf Christmas Festival will be simulcast at movie theaters all across the country. The simulcast presentation on December 2nd will begin at 4PM. The closest participating theater to Portland is in Lowell, MA. Tickets are $20.

If you are interested in attending, we strongly encourage you to buy your tickets early. They go on sale online Friday, November 2nd. If you would like to travel to the simulcast as part of a St. Ansgar group, there will be a signup sheet at the church.

More information including locations and ticketing can be found at the St. Olaf Christmas Festival's website.

Sunday School Bake Sale Sun, 11/4

During coffee hour on November 4th St. Ansgar's Sunday Schoolers will be selling baked goods to raise money for outreach, activities, and Cup International, an organization that runs an orphanage and medical clinic in Southern India. For such a worthy cause these treats are sure to be guilt free! Enjoy.

Project Feed Sunday is Today, 11/4!

We accept donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries, and cash on the first Sunday of every month to benefit Project Feed.

Sew and Tell Pictures

St. Ansgar was touched and inspired by the care and dedication that went into The Sewing Group's work. School kits, dress making kits, layettes (for newborns), and health kits will soon be on their way to Lutheran World Relief (LWR). For more information on how these kits make a difference click on "The Sewing Group" in the menu on the right side of the screen. There is a video available online that follows kits from American churches to LWR sites.

CUP International's Website is Up and Running!

Saint Ansgar's Sunday School continues to raise money and awareness for Community Uplift Projects (CUP) International. This organization whose projects serve the greater community of Hosur, India, runs an orphanage, medical clinic, and helps to send village children to school.

Please take a moment to visit CUP's new website and to browse our Sunday School pages for a history of how CUP International was chosen as this year's charity by the Sunday School.

Bread for the World Sunday Sun, 10/21

Bread for the World is an interdenominational Christian group that works to end hunger through political advocacy.

According to Bread for the World's website, Bread for the World Sunday is "a time for churches to renew their commitment to end hunger in God's world - and take part in a growing movement on behalf of hungry people. Major church bodies, religious organizations, and congregations everywhere are all participating in an international effort to overcome poverty, hunger, and disease in Africa, the United States, and around the world."

Pastor Joe Doherty will be discussing the work of this laudable group and hunger's place in our faith journey.

Sewing Group "Sew and Tell" Sun, 10/21

The sewing group has been very busy. This Sunday they will have on display the many dress kits and school kits that they have been working on for Lutheran World Relief. These kits will be shipped on October 24th making it possible for women in need to sew their own dresses and provide school supplies for their children.

All are welcome to sew for a better world the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month 10AM-2PM.

Project Feed Sunday is October 7th!

We accept donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries, and cash on the first Sunday of every month to benefit Project Feed.

Children Helping Children

Our congregation was moved by Samuel Koilpillai's temple talk about his work rescuing discarded babies in Hosur, a town in Southern India not far from Bangalore. Mr. Koilpillai is retired from the World Health Organization and shares a family connection with St. Ansgar. His daughter, Leela Nowrangi, is our Music Director.

The Sunday School students and teachers have decided to donate the Sunday School offering monies to the organization that runs the orphanage and medical clinic Mr. Koilpillai founded. Please join in the ministry of our Sunday School by making a donation to Mr. Koilpillai's organization, CUP (Community Uplift Projects) International.

Make checks for your tax deductible donation payable to:

CUP International

The address for donations in the United States is:

17517 Queen Elizabeth Drive
Olney, Maryland 20832

Just An Old Fashioned Fair on November 10th

We are already getting phone calls wondering when we will hold our annual fair this year. Mark your calendars. It will be Saturday, November 10th from 10AM - 2PM.

Every year Portlanders flock to the fair for homemade crafts, our famous fish chowder, delicious baked goods, and Scandinavian gifts. Proceeds benefit youth programming and capital improvement projects at St. Ansgar as well as local charities. (For a list of which charities received donations from last year's fair monies, click on "Special Events.")

Be sure to check this website for updates and for ways you can help.

Sunday School

Sunday School begins...

SEPTEMBER 9^TH

at 9:30 AM

Sewing For a Better World

St. Ansgar's Sewing Group has a rich history and a strong sense of mission. It meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM for sewing, food, and fellowship.
The sewers range in ability from novice to seamstress. Together they construct school kits, layettes (kits for newborns), and sewing kits for Lutheran World Relief. They also craft quilts which are either donated to Lutheran World Relief, sold to provide funds for the kits, or donated to local charities such as the Training Resource Center and Gary's House.

This work has a huge impact. If you have high speed Internet, click on the following link to watch the Lutheran World Relief video, Ordinary to Extraordinary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHFuY2w97RA&list=PLG3PYu6_CExbAbzVVFnrlc12hIzACvLCF&index=1&feature=plpp_video
If you would like to attend a Sewing Group meeting bring a sandwich for yourself and a snack to share if you plan to lunch. Know that you can attend for any part of the meeting, arriving late or leaving early if necessary. Sewing ability is not required. There are always projects for beginners and/or non-sewers. Also, if the meeting times are not convenient, but you would like to sew for Lutheran World Relief at home, call St. Ansgar and someone will contact you.
Anyone can help the Sewing Group by donating the following:

1. Used clean blankets or sheets (for use as quilt stuffing)

2. Spools of thread

3. Buttons, preferably in matching sets of 6, but family button jars are also helpful

Music at St. Ansgar

Music is an integral part of our worship service and one of the ways St. Ansgar comes together as a congregation. Volunteers (such as Jim McDonough pictured above) collaborate with our music director providing both instrumental accompaniment and vocals. The Sunday School students are frequently part of the music program singing songs and playing hand chimes.

The Fair Committee Has Decided!

The votes are in.

Last year's Just An Old Fashioned Fair proceeds will fund St. Ansgar's youth programming (Vacation Bible School and Camper Scholarships), a few important capital improvement projects, and several local charities including:

Protestant Chaplaincy – Mercy Hospital,

Protestant Chaplaincy - Maine Medical Center,

Project Fuel,

Project Feed,

Seacoast Mission,

Friendship House,

Gary’s House, and

the Wayside Soup Kitchen.

See the links for more details about these fine organizations.

A sincere thank you to all you saints of St. Ansgar!

Wondering About Lutherans?

If you are new to Lutheranism or if you are Lutheran and interested in knowing more about the theology and history of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), check out this page on the ELCA's website:

http://www.elca.org/communication/brief.html

There are answers to frequently asked questions and links to videos you can watch free online or order on DVD.

You might be interested to know that the demographics of the "typical Lutheran" are changing. In the "Lutheranism 101" article on this web page and featured in the June 2006 edition of The Lutheran, Kathryn Kleinhans shared the following statistics:

"Today there are almost as many Lutherans in Asia and the Middle East (7.4 million) as there are in North America (8.1 million), and there are more Lutherans in Africa (15 million) than there are in Germany (13 million)."

Welcome Members and Guests!

If you are just getting to know St. Ansgar, we are excited you have found us. Know that we always welcome guests to our worship. For what to expect, click on "How We Worship." Please read the "About Us" section for a profile of our congregation and check out our links which include a map to the church.

Members of St. Ansgar, how do you like this so far? What information should be added?

Members and guests are welcome to leave comments.

Yours in Christ,
Theresa A. Lee