Call Committee recommends Pastor Tricia Lowe

Congregational meeting will be Sunday, July 29 following combined 9:30 a.m. worship service Pastor Patricia R. (Tricia) Lowe currently resides in Culver City, Calif. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal performance and received a Master of Divinity degree in 2006 from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. From 2007 to 2017, she served at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in North Hollywood, Calif., as the associate pastor for youth and family ministries. From 2015 to 2017, she assumed additional responsibilities as the interim senior pastor. Prior to entering the seminary, Pastor Tricia was employed as a preschool music teacher, a human resources interviewer for a large company, and a church administrator. Emmanuel's Ministry Site Profile identified the top five ministry tasks and the top five essential gifts for ministry that our congregation was seeking in a new pastor. These were: administration (on both lists), pastoral care and visitation (both lists), recruiting and equipping leaders, preaching and worship leadership, building a sense of community among the people with whom he/she works, dealing effectively with conflict, spiritual formation/direction, and sharing leadership. Pastor Tricia's experience and areas of expertise match well with all of these tasks and gifts. At the North Hollywood congregation, she was the chaplain of the congregation's large K-8 day school and preschool, led weekly chapel, and worked with both the youth and their families. During her final two years there, she supervised over 100 employees and managed a large budget, in addition to her chaplain responsibilities. She enjoys visiting homes, bringing communion, and getting to know people, and identifies one of the primary roles of a pastor is to help people find their gifts, and way to use those gifts in the church. Pastor Tricia loves worship done well , and views preaching as one of her highest callings. Each time she steps into the pulpit she strives to let the congregation know that God "loves the socks off them," and that "God's love is shown to us new each day." Her preaching is straightforward, effective, and offers a good balance of teaching and proclaiming the Gospel. You can listen to a few of her sermons at https://www.elcnoho.org/worship/sermons/ (Five of her sermons are at the bottom of the list). Above all, the Call Committee has enjoyed Pastor Tricia's warm and joyful spirit, which radiates God's love. We are looking forward to having her share her many gifts in our congregation! She and her husband, Tim, are looking forward to moving to our area, and embarking on this "new adventure." In the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a pastor is not appointed or hired, a pastor is called to a position by its congregation. Tuesday, June 26, Emmanuel's Church Council voted unanimously to call a special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, July 29 for members to vote on calling Pastor Patricia R. Lowe as well as her compensation package. The day before that meeting, on Saturday, July 28, Emmanuel members will have an opportunity to meet Pastor Tricia at an ice cream social event, beginning at 1 p.m. Finally, thank you to our Call Committee members, who have been meeting weekly, or more, since the beginning of 2018 to work on the process and listen to the Spirit's direction on a new pastor for Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Please thank members Julie Pavri, chairperson; Bruce Newcomb, secretary; Betty Ellingham, Church Guenther, Bear Johnson, Jean Kiser, Jim Rebholz, Ted Becker and Maddie Berry. Save the Date: Upcoming Events at Emmanuel Saturday, July 21: NO Saturday Evening Worship in July Friday, July 27: Emmanuel Blood Drive, 1-5 p.m. Saturday, July 28: Meet Pastor Tricia Lowe ice cream social, 1 p.m. Sunday, July 29: Special 9:30 a.m. Combined fifth Sunday worship with blessing of the backpacks and school supplies, followed by Congregational Meeting to vote on issuing call to Pastor Tricia Lowe, followed by Church Picnic at Mountain Valley Park. Sunday, Aug. 5: Sunday School resumes. VBS participants go on 'Rolling River Rampage'!

Emmanuel Lutheran Church was taken over each evening June 18-22 by more than 50 kids and their guides on the ride of their lives for Rolling River Rampage Vacation Bible School. For more photos of the event, click HERE.

You can give life! Emmanuel blood drive July 27

Friday, July 27 is the United Blood Services blood drive at Emmanuel. The blood drive will be 1-5 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Judy Nielsen has coordinated the twice-annual UBS blood drives at the church for many years. While the first hour of the drive is fairly busy, there are appointments still available from 2-5 p.m. Drop in if you can! Bring a friend! Bring along your UBS donor ID or your driver's license or other photo ID. Hydrate yourself with plenty of water and make sure you've eaten before you donate. During the summer, blood donation drops with people on vacations, leaving blood supplies to hospitals at very low levels. If you are type O, you may want to consider giving a double red cell donation. To reserve your appointment, click this link to signup online at UnitedBloodServices.org or call Judy Nielsen at 928-759-0784. On Friday, July 27, you can "Fast Track" your blood donation experience by doing your health history online HERE.

Blessing backpacks and school supplies July 29

School resumes on Aug. 6 -- Can you believe that? Didn't the kids just arrive home for the summer the other day? Emmanuel's Outreach ministry has chosen Sunday, July 29 to be our Blessing of the Backpacks and School Supplies Sunday. During the month of July, we will be accepting backpacks and school supplies for the Family Resource Center for the Humboldt Unified School District. The resource center serves all elementary, junior high and high schools in our district. The center already has started a list of families that need assistance with school supplies. Last year, we gave the resource center 64 backpacks and 10 boxes/bags of school supplies. Help us make this a generous year for the kids. Types of school supply needs include pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, rulers, lined paper, scissors, glue, new backpacks and more. For an example, you can click this link to see what our adopted school, Liberty Traditional School, is requesting its students bring for supplies. If this is a project that touches your heart, please purchase school items of your choice and place them around the baptismal font in July. Then at the single service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, July 29, students are invited to bring their backpack or book bag, and teachers and other school staff are invited to bring their work bag or something symbolic so they can be blessed for the year ahead!!

July Outreach: Prescott Area Shelter Services

The name of the organization is Prescott Area Shelter Services, but most people know it by its largest project: PAWS, the Prescott Area Women’s Shelter. Prescott Area Shelter Services provides temporary, emergency shelter to women and women with children in a 19-bed dormitory setting. The shelter includes a community room, kitchen, two bathrooms and a conference room equipped with computers. Shelter guests may stay up to 90 days with the opportunity to extend their stay if certain criteria are met. While at PASS, guests receive case management services and referral to valuable community resources. PASS is a Housing First program with over 90% of our guests transitioning into permanent housing! We are a people who take hope seriously and believe in the innate worth of every human being. It is our job to take people where they are and help get them where they want to go. The shelter provides basic resources to homeless/transitional women and children of Yavapai County. Our facility is an outreach program, connecting guests to current outside resources. Other programs include the homeless transition program and the wheels to work programs, which help guests get into permanent housing and employment. Find out more about Prescott Area Shelter Services by clicking HERE . During July, you can make a contribution to PASS through the monthly outreach, and if the project is close to your heart, you may learn more and volunteer for PASS.

Hutterer named Grand Canyon Synod bishop

From June 14-16, 107 pastors, two deacons, and 196 lay members of the synod's 89 congregations met at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Oro Valley, Ariz. Here are some highlights: During the course of the assembly, Presiding Bishop Eaton explored the assembly's theme, "We Are Church Together." She was the preaching minister at the opening service, guided the election process for synod bishop and responded to questions asked by voting members on the work that we share throughout the ELCA and beyond. The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer was elected to a six-year term as synodical bishop. On September 1, she will become the sixth bishop of the ELCA's Grand Canyon Synod. The Rev. David W. Brandfass (Christ, Sedona, Ariz.) was re-elected synod secretary. The Rev. Jason Adams (Reformation, Las Vegas) and the Rev. Karn Carroll (Our Saviour's, Phoenix) were nominated for possible election by the 2019 Churchwide Assembly to a position on the ELCA Church Council. The Rev. Jeff Kallevig (Our Saviour's, Tucson); the Rev. Tina Mills (Our Savior's, Mesa and Gold Canyon); Mr. Erik Rehms (Faith, Phoenix); Ms. Nancy Davis (Shepherd of the Hills, Flagstaff); and Ms. Lisa Parrish (Crossroads, San Tan Valley, Ariz.) were elected to positions on the Synod Council. The Rev. Chon Pugh; the Rev. David Brandfass; Ms. Veronica Alvarez; Ms. Renee Waterstradt; Deacon Janice Zimbelman; Mr. Roger Bailey; Mr. Mike Johnson; and Ms. Erin LaHaye were elected to serve as voting members of the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Gave thanksgiving for the faithful departed and remembered especially the pastors of this synod who joined the church triumphant, including John W. Albrecht, Paul W. Baer, William E. Biedermann, Daniel J. Jordahl, Richard A. Larson, Howard W. Mars, John D. Pfeiffer, Donald P. Schneider, and Mary Todd-Pendergast. Voting members approved a resolution (a) urging "voting members of this assembly ... to work for passage of common sense laws pertaining to firearms in this country that protect our communities, children, and all citizens from the carnage of gun violence"; (b) calling "upon our congregations to study and discuss existing ELCA statements on violence and appeals for stricter measures on gun control"; (c) encouraging "members to exercise their ministry of advocacy with our elected officials for passage of a Universal Background Check on the sale of all firearms and reinstatement of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (expired in 2004)"; and (d) reaffirming "that this church does not reject gun ownership or the recreational activities associated with guns." Voting members approved a resolution calling upon synod congregations in the state of Arizona "to provide current information about the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission needs and explain and promote the Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization ... as a part of their missional outreach." Approved the fiscal 2019-2020 mission-spending plan of $2,167,542. The plan maintains the synod's commitment of 50 percent of each dollar of congregational mission support being devoted to ELCA churchwide ministries throughout this country and the world. Contributed in the offering $3,256 for the Grand Canyon Synod's Fund for Leaders scholarships for the education of future pastors and deacons.

Are you vacationing? Try online donations Are you away for a few days, a few weeks or the whole summer? We're happy to hear that. Everyone needs time away to recharge and relax. But the church has expenses that continue throughout the summer months: mortgage, salaries, utilities and supplies. Don't let Emmanuel's church budget and reserves run low. At the same time, you can avoid having to catch up with your pledge by continuing your regular donations with online giving. Emmanuel has started using Vanco as an online donation service. It is safe and efficient. You can donate one time, set up a regular donation during your vacation, or replace your envelopes and checks completely. You can choose whether to put your offering into the general fund, or divide your offering between the general fund and specific areas of ministry. And the money is transferred seamlessly between your account and the church banking accounts. A statement is then sent that you've made a contribution, or set up a donation plan, so the money is recorded into your quarterly/annual statements. Click HERE to give online donation a try . The link to online giving also is found on Emmanuel's website: www.emmanuellutheranpv.org .

With gratitude: Thank you for your ministry support

Guest Column by Gail Kenny Someone recently asked me, "Gail, why don’t you write a guest column?" Despite my love of writing, writing about myself has never been easy. For 15 years, I wrote about other people: important people, interesting people, broken people, ordinary people. And after my newspaper career ended in 2001, I worked in nonprofits, helping other people. Currently, I work for West Yavapai Guidance Clinic, helping people in recovery re-enter a place where many had lost hope – employment. But over the past few years, the Holy Spirit has been tapping me on the shoulder more often, saying “Isn’t it about time you got on with it? You aren’t getting any younger.” And when I ran out of reasons why I couldn’t, I filled out the application, spoke to our Church Council and gained its blessing to move toward the candidacy process, to discern whether I am being called as a Minister of Word and Sacrament, an ordained ELCA pastor. Call in the ELCA isn’t a personal decision. Call isn’t some inner certainty that God has a specific "calling" in mind for us, because every child of God has various gifts and a special purpose. That’s vocation. If that were the case, I would have pursued ministry from my high school days on. But discerning a call is not only this inner pull toward proclaiming the Gospel and creating disciples, but also an external recognition by others in the Church that one’s gifts are suited for and one has been equipped for that next stage – candidacy. Oh, it’s not happening tomorrow. I’ve completed the application, the background check, psychological testing, resume, references. I continue to research seminaries, but am already admitted to Wartburg Seminary’s distance learning program starting next summer. Now I am awaiting an interview with the Synod’s Candidacy Committee that could begin a year of discernment. Nothing in this process is a guarantee. There are a lot of decision stages where the larger Church could say "No. It's not happening." The only part I controlled was saying “Yes.” Or perhaps as Mary phrased it, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” And here’s where this leads: I want to share my gratitude for this congregation, the place where I felt that external call, the place in which you affirmed my ministry in the past 8+ years. Whether that was leading worship on Saturday nights, writing worship, newsletter editing (after six months of converting our Publisher newsletter to Constant Contact emails, this is my last one), social media updating, Church Council, reader, liturgist, handbell ringer, photographer/video producer, God’s Work/Our Hands projects/publicity, prayer workshop, diakonia lay leadership classes, or any of a dozen other roles, you’ve always supported me. I am blessed beyond belief to be part of this faith community. “So – where are you these days??” Two years ago, I started leading worship at Windhaven Psychiatric Hospital on Sunday mornings. Each Sunday morning at 9:30, worship happens for those patients and several staff who choose to participate. We started with five worship leaders, and over two years, the number dwindled until it is just me leading worship. But because I’ve seen the patients’ response to hearing about God’s grace and love, and restoring hope, I feel it’s where I’m meant to be right now. Each week, I prepare litany, prayers, songs and a message for a small community, typically all new folks each week. If I can’t be there, I prepare worship materials they can use. My next task is to build this ministry team. If it’s something that calls to you, email or phone me. So, that’s the update. Thank you for the support from those of you who have heard about this already. Continue to pray for the Spirit’s work in and through me, and for the Gospel to be shared and served at Emmanuel.

A starter list of possibilities for your prayers

Pray for Emmanuel -- that the Holy Spirit would guide it in deciding on its new pastor on Sunday, July 29. Pray for Pastor Tricia Lowe in her discerning and transition. 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 our students as they head back to school in August. Pray for their teachers and staff, pray for their learning, growing and safety. Pray for our leaders: world, nation, state, community. Pray for our Church leaders: Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Churchwide staff, current Grand Canyon Synod Bishop Lowell Almen and staff, and current interim Pastor Sarah Isakson, our church staff, our Church Council and ministry leaders. Pray for Pastor Sarah's transition to a 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.

July Birthdays

July 1 Scott Harlib July 1 Nancy Smith July 2 Peggy Dansby July 2 Robert Whitney July 3 Barbara Carroll July 3 Doug Meyer July 4 Paul Hewelt  July 4 Carl Schulze July 9 Julie Chisholm July 9 Kathy Wudel July 11 Tristan Everett July 11 Nancy Nimocks July 14 Dianne Lenning July 14 Annika Schifferli July 15 Laur’al White

July 16 Kathy Guenther July 17 Raelyn Hale July 18 Casey Rooney July 19 Ellen Rosfeld July 20 Rita Harmon July 21 Robert Saul Jr.  July 22 Gwenyth Savage July 23 James Roush July 24 Claudia Brooks July 25 Jocelyn Bucholtz July 25 Carol Cwach July 26 Donna Walsh July 29 Mary Smith July 30 Sarah Martin July 30 Annette Thomson

July Anniversaries

July 1, Julie and Roointon Pavri, 45 years July 2, Truman and Mary Jensen, 58 years July 4, Bobbie and Donald Serena-Wayman, 25 years July 7, Parker and Carol Northrup III, 29 years July 12, Jim and Carole Rebholz, 54 years July 25, Gene Fougner and Stuart Mattson, 36 years July 25, Terri and Terry Reid, 31 years July 26, Gary and Jean Kiser, 49 years July 29, Phyllis and Dale Pohlman, 40 years July 29, Randy and Linda Virden, 29 years

Emmanuel Lutheran Church 7763 E.Long Look Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 PH (928) 772-4135 • FX (928) 759-3541 email:  emmanuelelca@gmail.com

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