Please join us on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 11 a.m. to celebrate the life of Fred Schell and to praise God for Fred’s many years of skillful music ministry at Ruthfred. We were truly blessed by his praising of the Lord through music. There will be a lunch after the service. All are welcome to attend!
Fred grew up in Greensburg, where early on he showed an interest in organ music at the church he attended. He studied organ at Carnegie Mellon University and then the Julliard School of Music in New York. During the Spring of 1969 Fred was interviewing for jobs in the Pittsburgh area. He was told to stop at Trinity Cathedral, because their organist had fallen and broken his shoulder right before Holy Week. Fred went to Trinity to fill in and ended up staying there until May of 2003 when his position of organist and choir director was changed from full-time to part-time. The Cathedral staff praised Fred’s musicianship and his adaptability in a Pittsburgh Tribune article honoring his tenure at Trinity (May 15, 2003). Among the myriad special events for which he played was Roberto Clemente’s memorial service.
After Fred left Trinity, he served St. Bernard Catholic Church in Mt. Lebanon for several years before coming to Ruthfred in 2012. He followed DeWayne Kanagy, who left big shoes to fill. Some of the highest praise for Fred came from DeWayne’s wife, Martha, who became one of Fred’s biggest fans. Fred’s musicianship spoke for itself, and he truly appreciated the liturgy at Ruthfred.
“Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness.”–Psalm 33:1-4
Celebrate Our Graduates
It’s hard to believe that another school year is coming to a close soon. Whether it’s our dear little one’s in preschool, our older ones in college, or our seniors in high school, graduation “season” is upon us. Please let the church office know if you’ve got a high school, college, or trade school graduate this year. We’d love to include their name, school, and future plans in upcoming bulletins. Additionally, we will be acknowledging our graduates on June 11, 2023, at both services. We encourage everyone to remember our graduates in prayer as they celebrate their accomplishments and eagerly look forward to the path ahead of them. Let us always remember Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your works to the Lord, And your plans will be established”.
Enjoy these photos of students in our 3-year-old Preschool class looking forward to their end-of-year celebration next week. (Reminder: Our preschool is accepting registration both for our 3-year-old (Tues/Thurs) and 4-year-old (Mon/Wed/Fri) classes for the fall. Spread the word!
Contemporary Worship This Saturday
Come spend an evening in WORSHIP and PRAISE at our Contemporary Liturgical Service this Saturday, May 20, at 6:00 p.m.
This Week at Ruthfred
Wednesday (5/17) Rogation Day
6:45 p.m.—Senior Confirmation Class
7:00 p.m.—Senior Choir
Thursday (5/18) Ascension Day
10:45—Preschool Closing Program (3-year-olds)
2:00—Ruth
Friday (5/19)
7:00 a.m.—Men’s Prayer Group (Fireside Lounge)
Saturday (5/20)
11:00 a.m.—Memorial Service and Luncheon for Fred Schell
6:00 p.m.—Contemporary Liturgical Worship Service
Sunday (5/21) Confirmation Sunday
8:30 a.m.—Worship Service
9:45 a.m.—Sunday School
11:00 a.m.—Worship Service
Noon-ish—Confirmation Reception
6:30 p.m.—Young Adult Bible Study at Andrew &
Cassie Vogels’ house
6:30 p.m.—GIFT Bible Study @ the Sauls’ house
Announcement Recap
Known to be hospitalized: Joanne Salvetti—now at Concordia South Hills. Erna Jochum—Concordia Health Center. Dan Gill—Canonsburg Hospital. Please support them with your prayers and cards.
Prayers for Recovery and Healing: Sylvia Fitzgerald—broken leg. Amy Jones (Al Malone’s daughter)—broken pelvis. Her address is 1216 Valley St., McKees Rocks, PA 15136. Carol McDowell—knee replacement. Abby Stutzman—autoimmune disorders. Virginia DiSalvo is now at a rehab facility recovering her strength. Mark Pugh—received heart monitor. Susan Boehme–ankle surgery. Lundy Castro (Jen Carlson’s father)—on hospice care. Caryl Hansen is now home. Please keep them in your prayers, as well as all those in the Ruthfred family who are facing health or other challenges.
Meals on Wheels Collection: Our neighbors at Meals on Wheels, located at Grace Lutheran Church in South Park, need bottled salad dressings. Donations will be accepted until June 4th. Their preferred purchase places are Aldi’s or The Dollar Store. Please place these items in the appropriate bin outside the kitchen. They are grateful for any donation! If you have any questions, please contact Carol Ward. Thank you!
Staff News: Two new members will be joining the Ruthfred staff tomorrow. Please welcome:
Mason Mitchell as the Interim Director of Youth Ministry for the next few months. Mason, a member at Ruthfred, served here as an intern in the Youth program last summer. He has just graduated from the Free Lutheran Bible College and will provide a transition from the Youth Committee’s leadership (what a blessing!) during the past several months to the arrival of Coltin Cox as Director of Youth Ministry at the end of July.
Ruthfred member Annie Buzon as the new Preschool Director. This will be a non-teaching position, so Annie will supervise the teachers for both the 3– and 4-year-old classes as well as taking care of administrative duties. Annie and her family, husband Jason and children Van and Haley, joined Ruthfred in 2020.
VBS 2023: Dates are July 24-28. The theme this year will be “Twists and Turns.” Come and learn how following Jesus will help you through life’s twists and turns. Registration is open at: https://www.myvbs.org/RuthfredLutheran/. This link allows parents to register their children for this fun event and also allows volunteers to sign up to help make VBS a success! Volunteer sign-up sheets are also available on the interior window outside the Fellowship Hall entrance.
VBS Decorating 2023: This year decorating will be an in-house project. We meet each Tuesday, 7-9 p.m. on the stage in the Fellowship Hall. These meetings will continue until the decorations are completed. Please consider supporting this important ministry. If you have any questions, please contact Jason or Donna Weighley.
Volunteer Guidelines: Please note that all volunteers age 18 and older must have current clearances in order to serve with children and youth at VBS, Sunday School, and youth events. Clearances are good for 5 years. Contact Felicia Rieck in the church office for more information.
Pray for our Confirmation students (Joshua Cimarolli and Jonathan Tarrant) as they prepare for their final exam and for Confirmation Sunday on May 21st. Pray for their parents and families also as the students look forward to this important step in their spiritual development.
Save the Date—Parents’ Date Night: Mark June 16th in your calendars for this event! This is a babysitting event, so parents get to go out and have fun!!! We play games, sing songs, have a Bible lesson, feed the kiddos dinner, and have a snack while watching a movie.
Open Church Council Position: The position of Secretary is currently open. The primary duty is to record minutes from the monthly meetings. If you have an interest in serving in this capacity, please contact Mark Riley, Council President, at markriley@ruthfred.org.
Ruthfred 75th Anniversary Committee Request: Next April, Ruthfred will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its incorporation. Planning has begun for celebrating this milestone. If you would like to join the planning committee, please contact Becky Evans. In the meantime, please be thinking about your happiest memories of Ruthfred. If you are willing to share a memory or memories, there is a collection box on the table near the elevator on the lower level. Or, feel free to send an email to ruthfred@ruthfred.org. Thank you for blessing us with your memories!
Donations for Allegheny County Jail: From now until June 11, we will be collecting the following items for the Allegheny County Jail: jigsaw puzzles (new and used), shampoo, conditioner, body wash, 2-in-1 shampoo/body wash, 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash, deodorant (men’s and women’s), bar soap, and toothpaste. Please note that these items should be regular size only, with no pump bottles or travel sizes. Items can be placed in the marked bin in the Fireside Lounge. Thank you for your support! Please contact Jill Kurtz if you have questions.
Young Adult Bible Study: This group will meet on May 21st at 6:30 p.m. at Andrew and Cassie Vogel’s house. All young adults are welcome to join. For questions or further information, please contact Andrew at andrewvogel@ruthfred.org.
New Member Class: Many people have expressed interest in joining Ruthfred lately, so we’d like to schedule another New Member class to begin soon. If you, or someone you know, is interested in joining Ruthfred or in attending a New Member class (current members are allowed, and even encouraged, to do so), please contact Melissa Bostaph (melissabostaph@ruthfred.org) to let her know.
Parents of Sunday School Students: The school year is winding down, and our last day of Sunday School for kids will be May 28th. Please know that during the summer we will be doing a video series for 1st through 5th graders. Younger kids will be able to go to the nursery. Middle school kids will join the high school group.
Adult Sunday School Class In Large Classroom: Why is Ruthfred part of a national church body called the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC)? What’s the AFLC, what’s a congregation, and why does that matter to me? Starting Sunday, May 14th Pastor McMinn and others will guide the adult Sunday School class through a series called “The Gospel in The Congregation,” written in part by Pastor James Molstre, a former pastor at Ruthfred. Join us for this brand new series, which includes great videos and a short, helpful workbook. Don’t assume you already understand the Biblical role of a congregation and your part in it. Come and see for yourself what it’s all about.
We celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord tomorrow, Thursday, May 18, 2023.