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A Message from Pastor

Dear St. Andrews Family,
I was on my vicarage assignment (year long internship) at St. Pauls Lutheran in Aurora, IL 25 years ago. I had a morning Bible Study, and when I came back to the office, my secretary grabbed me and said, "A plane flew into the World Trade Center tower." I was in disbelief, and as I was processing what she said, another plane flew into the other tower. Those of you who remember can relate to how terrilble the moment was. This was no accident, this was an attack. I went to my basement office and turned on the radio, desperate for any information which could give hope, or even just make any of this make sense. I was grateful for the church, for the fellowship of the saints, for the hope of the Gospel. Today, let's take a moment to be thankful for the hope of Christ. When the world throws the most terrible devistation against us, we are full of hope. Thanks be to God. Take a moment today to remember that terrible day, to remember the moments of hope in the chaos, and to be grateful for all those who serve as First Resonders. God's blessings shine more in the midst of the chaos of the world!

Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Matt
TRANSFER THE BLESSINGS: Tax-Free Sale
Howard and Lynn were age 55 when they purchased some land outside of town. They thought it would be a worthwhile investment that they could later sell for a higher price. Over the years, development from town has moved toward the property and their land is now next to a large
commercial store. They now rent the property to the commercial store for overflow parking.
Howard: We have owned this property for over 10 years. It has been a sound investment and increased in value. We have received just enough rental income in the last few years to pay the taxes. However, we now would like to sell.
Lynn: It would be nice if we could sell without paying a large tax. Our tax advisor has told us that if we were to sell, there would be a large capital gains tax. We also could use some tax deductions this year.
The good news is that Howard and Lynn were able to create a special trust called a charitable remainder unitrust and receive three nice benefits.
Bypass capital gain
 Increase income ( select 5%, 5 ½%, 6% or 6 ½% paid annually)
 Charitable deduction
 After 20 years, the remaining investment will be gifted to St. Andrews Lutheran Church
Howard: We are delighted with our unitrust. With our unitrust, we saved about $36,000 in capital gains tax and almost $18,000 in income taxes. That is over $54,000 in tax savings!
Lynn: Plus, we increased our income. The land was producing almost no income before. Now, we receive over $12,000 in income each year for 20 years. This increased income is one of my favorite parts of the plan.
Contact Ray Pagels, [email protected] or 847-226-2262
for more information. LCMS Foundation Assoc. Gift Planner


LWML LADIES LUNCHEON: The Lutheran Women's Ministry League at Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Mount Prospect cordially invites all women from our circuit to a luncheon on Saturday, October 3, 2026 from 10:00am to 1:30pm at Saint Paul Lutheran Church at 100 S. School St. in Mount Prospect. This luncheon will be a fundraising event for Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries. A representative from RLOM will be at the lunch to talk about Redeeming Life Ministry.

Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries (RLOM) is a Christ-centered maternity home offering love, hope, and a future to single pregnant women in crisis. Based in Central Florida and expanding to Northern Illinois, RLOM is a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. For more information about Redeeming Life, see their website at https://www.rlom.org/

There is no charge for lunch, however there will be a free will offering and raffles too! Raffles must be cash. Donations can be either cash or check. Invite a friend to join you! Many local merchants have donated gift cards and merchandise beyond what we could have imagined. We can't wait for the raffles to give all these items a home! We are getting very excited about meeting new ladies from other churches in our circuit, as well as seeing new and old friends from Saint Paul!

To help Saint Paul prepare for this event, please RSVP by 9/20/2026. You can REGISTER HERE online or you can also complete a paper registration form (on the Welcome Desk) and mail it directly to: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, 100 S. School Street, Mt Prospect, IL 60056, or if you are unable to attend the luncheon but want to donate a needed item from RLOM’s Amazon gift registry, use this link.


We hope to see you on Saturday, October 3rd!
The Ladies of Saint Paul, Mount Prospect


FOOD PANTRY UPDATE: 193 households visited the St Paul of the Cross food pantry in August. This is a record number of households during a non-Holiday month. The current most needed items are paper towels, spaghetti noodles, peanut butter, cream or chunky soups and pancake syrup. Thank you for your continuing support!
CROP WALK Restaurant Night: Take a break from the kitchen and support the CROP Walk on Thursday, September 17 at City BBQ, Park Ridge. All day. Dine In or Online use code GIVE and 20% of your pre-tax purchase is donated to the CROP Walk.

ST. ANDREWS SCHOOL TUITION ASSISTANCE MATCHING CHALLENGE: This fall we invite you to join us in an exciting opportunity – The Scholarship Fund for St. Andrews School Tuition Assistance Matching Challenge. We are trying to build a subfund in the St. Andrews Lutheran Church Endowment Fund that will provide assistance to families that desire to provide their children with a Christian education. To encourage contributions for this purpose, the Church Council and the Stewardship and Endowment Committee have approved the creation of a matching fund from the General Endowment fund in the amount of $10,000.00. For each dollar contributed to the School Scholarship Fund for Tuition Assistance subfund, a dollar will be transferred to this subfund from the General Endowment Fund up to the $10,000.00 matching amount. Click here to learn how to contribute.

MISSION OF THE MONTH: Our September Mission of the Month Lutheran Blind Mission is headed by Rev. David Andrus, who has been blind since the age of eleven. The organization tries to address the spiritual and social isolation often felt by people with limited or no vision, always insisting that people who are blind or visually impaired make all decisions about its programs. In 1999 it sponsored the first outreach center for the blind in a Pittsburgh congregation. Today 58 LCMS congregations have started such centers in 23 states. Blind and visually impaired people are involved in the ministries of all currently operating centers and actually lead the work at most.

PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR PRAYERS:
Elizabeth Okray, Frank Brant Avila, Janet Reich, Carol Claybaker, Gigi Breitzman, Livia Grace Gallo, Daniel Avila, Sr., Eleanor Claybaker, Richard Avila, Carol Mraz, Laura Peter, Jeanette Peter, Shant Esho

LAST WEEK'S ATTENDANCE AND FINANCIALS

Weekly Giving Report - 09/06/26
Internal Gifts/Receipts - General Fund External Gifts/Receipts
White Envelope Giving/Plate Offering
$3,227.00
Electronic Giving
$7,038.58
TOTAL
$10, 265.58
Designated Funds:
Comfort Dog - $50
Endowment - $40
Lobby Beautification - $230
Missions - $100



Worship Attendance: Saturday 09/05 40 Sunday 09/06 150 TOTAL 190

LATEST NEWS

Pasta Under the Stars Fundraiser for 6th Grade Walcamp

Pasta Under the Stars Fundraiser for 6th Grade Walcamp
Join us for Pasta Under the Stars on Nov 7, from 6pm-8pm, to support our 6th graders' Walcamp trip. Great food, fun, and community await!

Comfort Dog Ministry Shoe Drive

Comfort Dog Ministry Shoe Drive
We're still collecting shoes through November 7! Ask your family, friends, and neighbors if they have any shoes to donate!

Friday Family Fellowship November 13

Friday Family Fellowship November 13
Join us for Friday Family Fellowship on November 13 at 6:00 PM in the gym! Enjoy dinner and Bible study for all ages.

Be a Bethlehem Walk Volunteer

Be a Bethlehem Walk Volunteer
Bethlehem Walk is coming December 5 & 6, and we need YOU to help make this special event possible! Read more for link to Volunteer Interest Form.

Coat, Turkey, and Funding Drive for St. Matthew

Coat, Turkey, and Funding Drive for St. Matthew
Support St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Chicago by donating gently used coats, signing up to provide a turkey, or contributing funds from October 24 through November 15.

LATEST PODCAST

How the Sausage is Made (Sermon Study) - October 28, 2026

Pastors Ethan Luft and Matt give a behind-the-scenes look at sermon prep at St. Andrews. - **Reformation Sunday recap (0:20–1:18):** They praise the weekend's worship, including Jordan, the choir and the brass. The music included "Thy Strong Word," Luther's Morning Prayer and "A Mighty Fortress." - **Matt's sermon (1:31–4:48):** He preached on 2 Timothy, where Paul says "Luke alone is …

LATEST SERMONS

All You Need to Know

Pastor Ethan invites us to meditate on a few words from John's first letter while celebrating All Saints Day. This week we'll remember those who have gone before us in the faith and are currently rejoicing with the risen Savior. John's letter reminds us of a few important things: we are privileged to be God’s children, we a different than …

Never Alone - Reformation 2026

We live in an age when people feel increasingly disconnected, but that never how God intended for us to live!  We celebrate the Reformation this year by looking at Smalcald Part III Article IV, which was written about 20 years after the famous nailing of the 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg chapel.  This article instructs on the …
CHURCH OFFICE 847-823-6656
Nichole Wandel, Office Administrator
Matthew J. Hoffmann, Pastor
Ethan Luft, Associate Pastor
Jordan Holliday, Director of Music
Christa Neve, Director of Comm. and Media
Greg Lendy, Contemporary Worship
Hillary Delanty, Principal
EMAIL: [email protected]
SCHOOL OFFICE 847-823-9308
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