The season of Epiphany is the celebration of Christ coming into the world, bringing light and hope. It seems almost luxurious to have seven whole weeks of Epiphany after the past two years when Easter came so early in the church calendar.
I have felt a strong sense of hope at Emmanuel in the past months, as we look forward to the exciting ministry opportunities that are before us. The Holy Spirit is moving in this place and the ministry teams are exploring new ways of being Church in Prescott Valley. Christ brought these same feelings of hope and promise, to all of humankind. The question we must ask ourselves is: how are we going to continue to bring this light and hope into the world? The New Year is a perfect time to think about how you can be part of the change you want to see in the world. Volunteer to be that change! There are many opportunities to be of service both in our church and in our community. Communion servers, ushers, lectors, liturgists, acolytes, home communion ministers, kitchen angels, church office volunteers, quilters, Bible study leaders, singing in the choir and playing hand bells are all places that are looking for new, enthusiastic helpers! Not your cup of tea? Contact a homeless shelter or a hospital to volunteer. A new feature in our monthly newsletter will be a box that highlights volunteer opportunities in our community and specifically to our monthly Mission Outreach. This will be a forum to share ideas about how we can be God’s hands and feet in our community. Light a candle of hope and help us be the change we seek!
Pastor Tricia
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Many Thanks to Rev. Al Gephart!
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What a blessing to have him join us for our Second Anniversary of becoming Reconciling in Christ!
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Save the Date: Upcoming Events at Emmanuel
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- Sunday, February 3: Souper Bowl Sunday, Boy Scout Sunday, Food Bank Sunday
- Thursday, February 7: Interfaith Meal prep, 9:00am
- Friday, February 8: Interfaith Meal, 11:00am
- Saturday, February 16: Evening Worship, 5:00pm
- February 15-17: Women's Retreat
- Monday, February 18: Church Office closed to observe Presidents' Day
- Wednesday, February 20: Young @ Heart, 11:30am
- Saturday, February 23: Who do You Think You Are? 8:00am-2:00pm
- Friday, March 1: Blood Drive, 1:00-5:00pm
- Sunday, March 3: Mardi Gras Ministry Fair, 9:30am
- Wednesday, March 6: Ash Wednesday services at noon and 7:00pm
- Thursday, March 7: Interfaith Meal prep, 9:00am
- Friday, March 8: Interfaith Meal, 11:00am
- Wednesday, March 10-Wednesday, April 7: Weekly Lenten Soup Supper & Service, 6:00pm
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February Outreach: Prescott Valley Public Library Adult Literacy Group
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From their website
The Prescott Valley Adult Literacy Group (PVALG) is an all-volunteer organization working to teach reading, writing, and English to adults in western Yavapai County. PVALG is affiliated with ProLiteracy Worldwide. The Prescott Valley Public Library provides an office and tutoring space for the program. The program is free to adults over the age of 18 and out of school.
How can you help?
Find out more about the
Prescott Valley Library Adult Literacy Program
by clicking HERE
. During February, you can make a contribution to
the
Prescott Valley Library Adult Literacy Program
through the monthly outreach, and if the project is close to your heart, you may learn more and volunteer.
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Each year we ask that Emmanuel adult members sign up to be prayer mentors/partners for every child/student in our church community: from birth to college age! Please consider signing up to be a prayer mentor; forms will be available between services on Sundays, with the goal of prayer partners being matched by Valentine’s Day.
Prayer mentors/partners will receive a photo magnet of their child/student for their refrigerator! All children/students are asked to stop by the table to fill out their form as well. Matches will be announced mid-February.
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Join The Sand Fleas at Young at Heart
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The Sand Fleas is a ukulele group that was organized in 2012 and is part of the larger Prescott Ukulele Guild.
The name Sand Fleas acknowledges the meaning of ukulele in the Hawaiian language: "dancing flea" – an attempt to describe the movement of the player's hand up and down the fret board.
Sign up in the narthex to join us for a great lunch and gathering!
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What
Luncheon and
entertainment
When
Wednesday, February
20 at 11:30 am
Where
Emmanuel Lutheran
Church, Fellowship Hall
Who
All our
Young at Hearts!
Why
For terrific times,
cool conversation,
and fantastic food!
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“Want What You’ve Got!” Women’s Retreat
February 15-17, 2019
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“Thou shalt not covet.”
For today’s woman, there is plenty to wrestle with when it comes to applying the wisdom of the Tenth Commandment to everyday living.
Brita Hammit invites women of all ages to this weekend-long devotional journey toward embracing what we’ve got – which is everything! – in Christ.
Registrations are now being accepted for this 14
th
annual retreat event – see Wendy Woolley, Nancy Smith or Bee Sena for registration details.
Young women (16 years and older) are invited to attend with an adult. This event is open to friends and family members as well! Thank you, Wendy & Brita
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Cost:
$125, due Feb. 8, 2019
Extended!
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The Food Bank is requesting the following items:
- Cereal
- Peanut butter
- Refried beans
- Pinto beans
- Canned soup
- Canned meat (tuna, chicken)
- Canned fruit
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
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Connecting to the Community
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This is where you'll find volunteer opportunities for our community! If you know of volunteer opportunities that we can feature,
click here to let us know!
Did you know that our church feeds about 100 community members each month during our
Interfaith Meal
? Even if you aren't available on a Thursday (during prep) or Friday (during the meal), check with Outreach to see how you can help!
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Bring your dollar bills and change to help the Youth of Emmanuel celebrate
Souper Bowl Sunday
,
February 3
at both services! Millions of youth all over the United States participate in this effort, and all the funds raised by our youth will go to ELCA World Hunger.
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Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are: Finding Your Identity in Christ
will be held Saturday,
February 23, 9a.m.-2p.m.
in the fellowship hall.
This is a great opportunity for folks to reflect on how they can utilize their spiritual gifts, personality style and passions in their lives, the church and the world!
So, if you’re a new member, interested inquirer, or longtime member here at Emmanuel, this retreat is for you! The signup sheet is in the Narthex...group size is limited to the first 30 to sign up!
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Our Brunch was a Success!
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The Sunday evening Dinner and Discussion group would like to thank the whole congregation for participating in the fundraising brunch to support the Hungry Kids Program in the Humboldt Unified School District.
With your help, the grand total raised was $478.57. Thank you for helping us donate to this incredible cause!
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Our Care & Nurture Ministry sends care packages to our active service people. During Sunday school on January 27, our Emmanuel kids made valentines for them!
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Emmanuel's next blood drive will be March 1
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The next blood drive at Emmanuel is Friday, March 1, 1-5pm. Judy Nielsen has coordinated the semiannual blood drives at the church for many years.
During severe flu season, blood draws around the state are suffering, leaving blood supplies to hospitals at very low levels. If you are able, please reserve the date and plan to give, either a pint of whole blood or one of the double red cell units. Sign up in the narthex or online at
Bloodhero.com
(Sponsor Code: Emmanuel).
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What is the Emergency Fund? What and who is it for?
The Emergency Fund is a line item in the annual budget. Its purpose is to help our neighbors who are unable to pay a utility bill or purchase gas for their car. Aside from the budgeted dollars, members also contribute to the fund as they are moved to do so. This is a very carefully controlled fund distributed by the Office Manager. Persons requesting help to pay a utility bill must fill out a form so we have a record of when and to whom the help was granted. A person may only use the fund one time in a twelve month period. A check is written directly to the utility company for the amount of the bill submitted. If a person needs gas, they are issued a $25 fuel card that can only be used for fuel purchases. The demand for funds often exceeds our budgeted monthly allowance. Although we focus on helping Prescott Valley residents, we do help Chino Valley and Prescott neighbors if funds are available. We frequently receive requests for help with rent, but our funds do not allow us to do that.
What is the Love Fund? How is it different from the Emergency Fund?
The Love Fund, also a budgeted item, is handled by the Pastor and is used to help our members who are temporarily unable to meet their financial obligations or who have an unexpected expense they cannot handle. Usually, during the church year this fund is supplemented by member donations and often the Lenten offerings are targeted for the Love Fund. The distribution of the funds is held in strict confidence between the Pastor and the member receiving help.
Heads up!
Check future newsletters for opportunities to be of service in our area. Each month we will publish a list called “Reaching Out” letting members know where and how we can practice discipleship.
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Federal Tax Planning …
And Those Pesky, Required Minimum Distributions!
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Changes to tax law in 2018 and continuing into 2019 will have a significant impact on tax planning and strategy. The most obvious change is the doubling of the standard deduction. For singles the deduction is $12,000; for couples filing jointly it’s $24,000. For those filing jointly over 65 the standard deduction is now $26,600 and for singles over 65 it’s $13,300.
For many of us now, itemizing deductions may not be a tax advantage. However, there is a tradeoff to consider: the personal exemption, which was $4,050 before 2018, has been eliminated, so while the net effect is somewhat diminished, it’s still important to keep track of contributions and other deductions and choose the best alternative … to deduct or not.
If you’re 70½ or older, money from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) may be directed, with a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) procedure, to a charitable organization or a church like Emmanuel, and may lower your tax while satisfying your support or pledge. This is a particular advantage for satisfying those pesky Required Minimum Distributions (RMD), which are treated as ordinary income.
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You may direct your RMD to the church and it is not counted as income and will likely reduce your tax liability. Of course, there are certain rules to follow. The distribution must be made directly to the organization. IRA administrators have a procedure for this, generally a form to complete which results in a check being written to the qualified organization. The check may be mailed to the church or to you for handling. If it is mailed to the church, be sure to advise the Church Office and/or Financial Secretary of the transfer and how it’s to be applied.
Actually, people older than 70½ can transfer up to $100,000 per year from their traditional IRA to charity. The amount is not taxable and counts as their RMD, as long as the rules of transfer are followed.
What to do? Well, it may not be practical to direct lump sum amounts, but you might consider a monthly or quarterly transfer plan. Contact your IRA administrator and/or tax advisor to determine your best choice. This is truly a win-win solution to satisfy your RMD while reducing your tax obligation as well as realizing the joy of giving.
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Thank you, congregation, for your support of the Angel Tree! Your generosity and time made Christmas for five families a joyful occasion. Emmanuel provided 49 beautifully wrapped gifts (toys, clothing, games, gift cards) for 8 adults and 12 children. In addition, the Quilting group made a quilt for each family. Finally, we used $250 from Thrivent Financial to provide a complete Christmas dinner for each family. The meal included a turkey breast, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, rolls, pumpkin pie, fruits, cookies, and candy.
The joy that each family showed as they picked up their gifts and food was very heartfelt and emotional. One of the mothers texted back that evening the following message: “Thank you!! The presents are beautiful. Thank all of you who helped me. It made a better Christmas for my kids.”
The photo below shows all the gifts and food before they were distributed on the Thursday before Christmas.
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A Starter List for Your Prayers
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- Pray for Emmanuel — that the Holy Spirit would guide the congregation in its new adventure: welcoming Pastor Tricia into the family.
- Pray for new Grand Canyon Bishop Deborah Hutterer, that she would be prepared and equipped to guide the synod in this time of change.
- Pray for Pastor Tricia Lowe in her transition.
- Pray for our leaders: world, nation, state, community.
- Pray for our Church leaders: Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Church-wide staff, Grand Canyon Synod Bishop Deborah Hutterer and staff, and Pastor Tricia Lowe, our church staff, our Church Council and ministry leaders.
- Pray for Pastor Sarah's transition to her new interim assignment, and the congregation she will be leading through change.
- The entire list of people needing prayer in our Sunday service folder, as well as the people you are concerned about in your own life.
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February 1: Denise Yohn
February 2: Rene Llewellyn
February 3: Ann Theobald
February 3: Landon Worthington
February 6: Grace Hodgson
February 6: Mike Kenny
February 6: Jim Lundquist
February 8: Andy Youngblood
February 9: Mida Jordan
February 9: Emma Parknowitz
February 10: Sue Smith
February 11: Kathy Austin
February 12: Rowan Everett
February 14: Millie Meyer
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February 16: Nancy Brown
February 17: Truman Jensen
February 18: Jeanne Currie Tomlinson
February 19: Annie Martin
February 20: Jessica Everett
February 21: Dan Cwach
February 21: Carolyn Wade
February 22: Pam MacCleary
February 22: Karen Roush
February 23: Isabel Benell
February 25: Geri Cottrell
February 26: Bee Sena
February 28: Dwan Walters
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February 12: Thomas & Patsy Calvert, 47 years
February 12: Julie & Thomas Schifferli, 19 years
February 22: David & Bonnie Cain, 55 years
February 23: John & Nancy Clark, 56 years
February 26: Gwen & Earl Savage, 25 years
February 27: Tom & Rosemary Hellene, 32 years
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What's going on at the church?
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Did you know that we have an online calendar?
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Emmanuel Lutheran Church
7763 E.Long Look
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
PH (928) 772-4135 • FX (928) 759-3541
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