Learn & Care
Learn, Reflect and Care for One Another
By Rev. Margaret M. Marks · “Pastor Peggy”
Adult Forum
The Book of Jonah
Adult Forum for the month of November: The Book of Jonah. Here are some fascinating fun facts about Jonah:
1
Sailing to Tarshish in style
When Jonah tried to run away from his divine assignment, he paid the fare for the entire ship up front—costing a sum equivalent to thousands of silver pieces—which reveals he was a man of substantial wealth.
2
Jonah means “dove”
In Hebrew, yet he ran from God’s direction.
3
Not a whale!
Sorry, the Bible actually describes him being swallowed by a large “fish” rather than a whale.
Join us
There is so much more.
Get a cup of java and join Pastor Peggy in the Library to travel with Jonah to Nineveh.
When
Sundays in November, 9:15 a.m.
Dates
Nov. 1, 8, 15 and 22
Where
Library
Care Ministries
Are you a caregiver?
“If so, I’m wondering: what do you need?”
I have found that caregivers often get lost in the struggle as loving folks reach out in concern primarily to those who are sick.
“No one asks how I am. At times I felt invisible and exhausted.”
I would like us to gather together over a warm cup of soup and a sandwich to chat. Never is there a better time than as the busy holiday season begins.
Caregivers Lunch
Wednesday, November 18 · Noon
Soup and a sandwich in the Library
Agenda
Break bread, eat together, and discover how our church can best support you.
RSVP
Pastor Peggy at pastor@stmatthew-lutheran.org or sign up in the narthex.
Stephen Ministry at Saint Matthew
Anniversary milestone
Stephen Ministry turns 50
On September 26th, Sue Kuhn, Tricia Myers, Mildy Walton, Kate Rauscher, JoAnn Lawrence, Barbara Duffy, and Drew Fennema attended the Stephen Ministries 50th Anniversary Celebration held in Haddonfield.
14,000
Congregations
80,000
Stephen Leaders trained
600,000+
Stephen Ministers
In the past 50 years, Stephen Ministries has impacted the globe with more than 14,000 congregations participating. They have trained 80,000 Stephen Leaders and more than 600,000 individuals have become Stephen Ministers.
There was great discussion about setting goals and developing processes to improve adult mental health. The big announcement was that founder Kenneth Haugk handed off leadership to Justin Schlueter. It was an all-day event and we all enjoyed every minute of it! –Drew Fennema
Read more in The Messenger
These stories appear on pages 2 and 10 of the November 2026 issue.