Gather in Grace • Grow in Faith • Go Forth to Serve
Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost
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October 6, 2019
8:30am & 10:00am Worship at TLC
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Accommodations throughout the church for those with disabilities.
Wireless hearing assist devices available for worship services.
Closed Captioning available with on-demand playback (not live) of worship services.
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Nursery available at both services.
Parent/children's Pray-Ground available in the Sanctuary during worship.
Hospitality & Social Activities from 9-11:30am in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall
Click on the live-stream logo below or visit www.tlcgo.live at
the time of the service to watch it on your media device.
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Gospel
Luke 17:5-10 (NRSV)
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The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
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The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a
mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
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“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’?
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Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’?
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Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?
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So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, a time to celebrate survivors, honor those who have died, raise awareness, and confirm our commitment to preventing intimate partner violence in our community.
The purple candle, which is lit on the altar throughout October, symbolizes the hope that each person who has been hurt by verbal, emotional or physical violence in an intimate relationship, has a place of safety in the Body of Christ.
"For surely I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”
-Jeremiah 29:11
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MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE!
Please
DROP
your coins in the metal Offering Buckets as the Sunday School children do a second offering today during the 10:00 service. These offerings will go to the Mission of the Month, which in October is the Center for Changing Lives in Liberia.
THANK YOU!
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-TAKING FAITH HOME-
Week of October 6, 2019
Use this friendly tool to enrich your family times with conversation, rituals, prayer, blessings, and service ideas.
[Click Here]
for this week's edition.
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Hanging Up the Toolbelt
After 15 Years, Roy Shemanek Retires
from the Thursday Workmen Team
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This weekend we recognize and celebrate Roy Shemanek’s 15 years of work with the TLC Thursday Workmen. He recently decided to “hang up his tool belt” to make room for someone that’s maybe slightly younger. Roy, who just celebrated his 87th birthday this past Wednesday, is not leaving the church, or retiring from his activities in the Chancel Choir and the Gib Lee Bible Study. He is unwavering in his commitment to those responsibilities.
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At home, Roy tends to one of his favorite plants, a Jasmine shrub he and wife, Nancy, brought back from a trip to Burbank, CA many years ago. "It's a love/hate affair," said Roy, telling about the Jasmine's fickle attitude tolerating Minnesota winters in the house and summer outdoors.
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Reminiscing about the TLC Workmen the other day, Roy has said he’s seen a lot of growth and experienced great camaraderie amongst all the hard working volunteers in the group.
He recollected that 15 years ago he and a couple of other guys got together to empty out some of the temporary storage containers at TLC during its 2004 construction and remodeling upgrade. Volunteers were requested and the original team of three rapidly grew into 18 men who, along with Roy Shemanek, took charge of numerous tasks in getting the church furnishings back into the many new areas after the construction was completed.
"Several men," said Roy, "including Doug Ball, are responsible for building the choir risers in the sanctuary; putting in all the cabinets in the education rooms along with painting the rooms, constructing the
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stage in the youth room, installing finger guards on all the doors in the ELC rooms, and changing out 200-plus fluorescent bulbs annually (the church has now switched to long-life LED fixtures).
Looking back, Roy says maintenance and upkeep were never-ending, with job assignments being requested then by Ginger Christenson, who, like her counterpart today, Michelle Reber, would walk through the church, noting things that needed attention. Every Thursday the group of volunteers, aka Thursday Workmen, would meet in the morning at TLC, receive assignments and go to work. Roy Shemanek and a few others have been at it for the entire 15 years and, according to he and his wife, Nancy (also in the Chancel Choir), have saved the church a small fortune in having volunteers do the maintenance, upkeep and even recycling drop-off versus what many churches do currently… bid out the jobs to hired crews.
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Roy was his usual humble self when asked if there’s anything noteworthy he’s proud of, exclaiming that, “Everything WE’VE done, I’m proud of.”
When asked if the Thursday Workmen would continue without him, Roy didn’t hesitate in answering, “They had better!”
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Roy and wife, Nancy, reminiscing about his years with the Thursday Workmen. Both are active members in the TLC Chancel Choir.
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Even More Meanings for Fall
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First of all, a warm welcome to Pastor Grace from Bloomington Bird Lady. So nice to meet her and hear her first sermon! On her own, and doing a wonderful job with the many aspects of our worship service....We'll miss her when she has to leave. She also has the same birthday as Carmen [one of two church organists] and also Bird Lady! Coincidences like that don't happen often; maybe we just don't know about them?
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A song popped into my head the other day...an old gospel hymn that's not in our hymnal but remains popular because of its text. “His Eye is on the Sparrow” (and I know He watches me). A small goldfinch had hit our window after using our bird feeders. He looked so pitiful as he fluttered around and finally fell on the deck. We always go out and pick up these little bits of life as their eyes may close, or they may come back to life....Pick it up, rub its tummy and try to revive it enough to set it upright under a plant or something. Hawks sometimes watch for these events and swoop down to grab a quick meal! C'est la vie! No use this time...put it in a plastic bag in the garbage! Sad.
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How like a bird we can be at a certain age. You tell someone you are going to do some window washing if it stops raining, so you must get out a ladder......Right away they say, “Oh, do you climb ladders? You'd better be careful!” I have found that it's not the climbing of ladders that brings our downfall suddenly. It's the day to day things we do that are done without thinking. Suddenly, either balance is lost, or we trip over some small thing that's out of place, but there we go...down for the count! We see visions of a nursing home as we get up to see if everything is still working okay. I have had these events myself, and speak with good authority!! If your knees still operate well, and nothing is bleeding, we give thanks, and move on.
“I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”
-Bloomington Bird Lady
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Click Here to discover more about TLC's Early Learning Center.
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"Unicorn Leaf"
ELC Photographer: Jocelyn
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6 year old Jocelyn is in her first year of the ELC Photo Club. Jocelyn took this picture she calls "Unicorn Leaf" during a trip to the Palm Dome at the Como Zoo Conservatory. She explains her motivation, "I took this picture because it looks like it's changing colors."
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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
By Pastor Al Dungan
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Do you know what
your
name means? If you’re at all curious you might want to Google it to find out because, at one time, not only did your name have a particular meaning, but it also said something about who you are as a person. Your name is not just a way to be known to set you apart from other persons in your life.
In The Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 1:26-33, Mary, who lived in a very small, backwater town in Galilee, was visited by the
angel
Gabriel.
Now, in our culture, whenever the word angel is mentioned, we automatically think of either a roly-poly little cherub with wings or, a man-like figure with wings, long blond hair, a long dazzling white robe and a harp tucked under one arm.
In the Hebrew culture, however, there were heavenly beings who surrounded the throne of God. There were, among others, the cherubim and the seraphim.
In the Ancient Near East, cherubim were represented as a lion or bull with eagles’ wings and a human face and they “protected” the entrance to the throne of YHWH. Not your typical roly-poly baby with wings. And the seraphim were beings associated with light and purity. They were “the fiery ones” who surrounded the throne of God (see Isaiah 6:1-4) and proclaimed God’s purity and perfection.
Which brings us to WHO we worship.
The word in the Greek New Testament that is used to describe Gabriel is the word angelos which means
messenger
. In the interaction that this
messenger
from God had with Mary, he told her, “…and you will name him Jesus (Yeshua or Joshua)”. The name Jesus/Yeshua/Joshua means Savior which both states the meaning of the name and who he would become as a person.
The problem was that as Jesus grew up and entered into his ministry, he didn’t look like the “Savior” that the Jews were expecting. They were expecting someone who would “Make Israel Great Again” by overthrowing the Roman oppressors and restoring the worldly kingdom of David, the ancient king and hero, who cobbled together countries in the Middle East into a powerful political entity that the Jews longed to have happen again. They coveted political greatness.
Jesus/Yeshua/Joshua had no interest in establishing that kind of kingdom. His kingdom “was not of this world” as he told Pontius Pilate. He was a different kind of Savior. And that’s what we’ll talk about next week as we look at the term Messiah and the Suffering Servant songs of Isaiah.
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Digital Spy in the Church?
No spy, no Alexa, no Siri. The blue glowing devices are
improved access points for better WiFi coverage
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-By Michelle Reber, Church Administrator
The wireless internet that was installed in 2014, was set-up based on the anticipated use at that time. Since then, technology in the building that uses wireless [WiFi] has expanded tenfold. Not only does the church staff use the wireless, it is also used for the Giving Kiosk, Narthex screens, in the Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall and the lower level classrooms. Besides the church staff, the ELC now uses WiFi for laptops in each room and they have also installed a new software program for child check-in and sign-out that requires wireless service. Prior to this new and expanded installation, having too many users overloaded the capacity, causing dropped service and rendering many connections useless. Through a TLC Foundation Grant, we were able to upgrade to the appropriate capacity while also anticipating future growth.
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Wednesday Evening Oasis for All
5:30pm - Community Meal. This week's meal (Oct 9): Baked potato soup, salad, bread, coffee and water. There is a $5.00 suggested donation.
6:30pm - Worship service with communion (30-minute service).
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Coffee and Conversation invites you to a steaming cup of coffee with good friends and conversation. The session this coming Wednesday, October 9, will encourage a discussion on Hannah.
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Over $300 in ELC Fundraiser
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Thank you to everyone who supported the TLC Early Learning Center (ELC) in their Chipotle Fundraiser by patronizing the local Chipotle restaurant last Monday (Sept 30) and telling them you were with the ELC when you ordered.
We raised $308 because of this tasteful fundraiser. All of these funds will go towards Phase II of the ELC Playground update.
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A Trip to the Apple Orchard
ELC 3 & 4 year-olds learn about apples
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The ELC DuckTails (3 year old class) and the ELC KinderPlus (4 year old class) went to AppleWood Orchards in Lakeville this past week. It was a chilly day (47 degrees) but there was no rain falling, so it was still a 'golden delicious' day.
The classes, with their teachers and parent and grandparent volunteers (where was Granny Smith?), first went on a hayride to the orchard where each child could pick four apples.
They learned the correct way to pick an apple; you need to twist and gently pull the apple. Then they helped to make apple cider. It was delicious. They ended their visit with a run through the maze of shrubs.
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FOR ADULTS, YOUTH & CHILDREN
Test your knowledge of the Bible in each issue of TLC Weekly.
Answers can be found on the last section of this issue.
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Jesus Instructs His Disciples
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1) Fill in the blanks: One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a _______ tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones."
- ship's anchor
- blacksmith's anvil
- large millstone
- threshing sledge
2) "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you _______ times in a day, and _______ times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
- seven
- twelve
- forty
- seven times seventy
3) And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase _______!"
- our faith
- our understanding
- our power
- our wisdom
4) And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, '_______'; and it would obey you. (NAS)
- Be filled with olives
- Be filled with grapes
- Be uprooted and be planted in the sea
- May no one ever eat fruit from you again
Answers at the end of this newsletter
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HONEY DIJON PORK CHOPS
Preheat Oven to 350
What you'll need:
- 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 4 boneless pork loin chops
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease baking dish
- Mix Dijon mustard, honey, black pepper and garlic powder in a bowl.
- Arrange pork chops in the greased baking dish; pour above mixture over pork.
- Bake in oven until pork is slightly pink in the center (145 degrees on meat thermometer) - about 45 minutes.
Blessings!
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TLC Sanctuary
Tuesday, October 29 - 6:30 to 8:30pm
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We are thrilled to let you know not only that the promised Co-Pastor Panel Discussion has been scheduled, but especially that everyone we had hoped would take part enthusiastically agreed.
Moderator:
Craig Pederson, Assistant to the Bishop, Minneapolis Area Synod
Panelists:
Jeff Sartain, Co-Pastor, Edina Community Lutheran Church
Mary Halvorson, Co-Pastor, Grace University Lutheran Church
Mary Pechauer, Co-Pastor, Bethlehem Lutheran Church
This event will be promoted by the Minneapolis Area Synod and may well attract interested clergy and lay leaders from beyond TLC.
We hope you will be able to be present for what promises to be a stimulating and informative evening.
Blessings,
Pastors Arthur and Ed
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Philip Nushann founded Center for Changing Lives - Liberia (CCLL) when he returned to Liberia in November 2016. Transfiguration is the primary community support for CCLL, leading a partnership of Minnesota Churches supporting Philip’s vision. CCLL was inspired by Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota to bring Health Services, Education, Housing, Counseling, Empowerment, Resource Building, Hope and Love to the children and families of West Africa.
Please join us at our 4th annual fundraising event on Thursday, Oct.15, 2019, 6:00-8:00pm. We will join together with members from other churches in our community to support the children and families in Liberia. You will enjoy a wonderful meal and many heartfelt stories from an update at Center For Changing Lives - Liberia.
For more information on CCLL, to RSVP for the October 15 fundraiser, or to make a
Watch for fundraiser opportunities for the Liberian Trip, which departs in late December. Fundraisers include a Mission Bazaar and a Talent Show.
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WE DON’T ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON THE TRIP TO LIBERIA...
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...but we can participate in TLC’s mission there by contributing some of the specifically requested large items that they are in need of, to be used in vocational training programs.
During the month of October we will collect-GOOD WORKING SEWING MACHINES, MUSIC KEYBOARDS, LAPTOPS and DOLLAR DONATIONS TO BUY DRUMS.
We can only imagine the difference these items will make in the lives
of the children our mission team will meet at Philip Nushann’s school.
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TOMORROW - SATURDAY, OCT 5!
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Happy fall! The leaves are turning and it is time to return to our yoga practice to keep us balanced as we move through autumn.
A 4-week session of Lila Yoga will run on Mondays 7:00-8:30pm from October 7 thru October 28. The full series will cost $56 and we need a minimum of 6 students to sign up for the full session. Drop-ins are $18 (sliding scale is available).
Wear comfortable exercise clothes in layers, and bring a blanket and a yoga mat if you have one, or you may also borrow one.
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The bazaar will again have a quilt raffle– tickets on sale in the Narthex or contact Renee Jefferson. We are inviting donations of handcrafted items. Sale proceeds will benefit Oasis for youth and the Liberia Trip. Contact Renee Jefferson,
rjefferson@tlcmn.com or Marilyn Erickson,
merickson@tlcmn.com Watch the TLC Weekly and bulletins for more information
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[Click Here]
to watch a short video of talent show examples.
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HOW DO YOU ENTER?
Record an audition video about 1 minute in length and send via email to Rob Reid, TLC Director of Music at
rreid@tlcmn.com no later than October 25, 2019. Contestants selected to perform will be announced on November 3, 2019.
Acts are limited to 4 minutes (set up, performance & exit). The top 12 acts will be placed in the show. Winners selected by audience ballot vote. Cash and Swag Bag Prizes will be awarded the evening of the contest.
All themes must be appropriate for the church environment and subject to approval by staff.
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WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Volunteers are needed for communion, ushers, greeters, pew crew and hospitality.
We especially need ushers. This is a family friendly volunteer opportunity.
Commitment is flexible and tailored to your requests.
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Communion Ministry
Share communion with shut-in's who are unable to attend TLC worship services, or those in long-term rehab. Watch for more information as the group reorganizes this fall. There is a training session on Wednesday, October 16 from 5:30-6:30pm in the TLC Conference Room. If interested, please contact Marilyn Erickson at
merickson@tlcmn.com
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National Lutheran Choir
2019-2020 Concert Season
Save over 18% on tickets with a Season Pass. 3- and 4-concert subscriptions available to fit your schedule! Brochures, with sign-up information, are in the TLC Narthex.
***Sign up to win two free NLC Season Passes! Look for the black box in the TLC Narthex, fill out an entry blank, & put it in the box. The winner will be drawn on Sunday, October 27.
Look in the NLC Brochure for more info on the first concert of the season, "All Saints Mozart Requiem" on November 2nd & 3rd. What an exciting event this will be!
The TLC Weekly will continue to update info on this, too.
Questions: Contact Karen Daniels, TLC Organist
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Look for the sign-up easel in the Narthex this Sunday!
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TLC's
College Ministry Team Cares!
Seeking Donations: The College Ministry Team is seeking donations to assemble care packages to be sent to students attending college and technical schools, as well as our young people in the military. Please stop by the bulletin board in the Narthex to pick up 1 or 2 donation tags, purchase the items identified on the tag, and return the items to the designated bin
no later than October 20th
. Please join us in reminding our young adults that we continue to support and care for them while they are away from TLC!
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Contribute to the
TLC Weekly
TLC Weekly staff are looking for both youth and adult "reporters" that would like to tell a story about life, an event or an anecdote inside or outside of TLC. Photos also welcomed. Submit your *story (and *pics) to:
TLCMedia@tlcmn.com
*Subject to editor approval
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Back Issues of the TLC Weekly
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[CLICK HERE]
to visit the TLC web page where you can choose to read from the past nine months of weekly E-newsletters from Transfiguration Lutheran Church. This is also a great way to share TLC Weekly with those that don't receive it in email. Tell them to visit
tlcmn.com/tlcweekly
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ELECTRONIC GIVING HELPS SUPPORT TLC
It’s important to know that we can depend on financial support from TLC members. Electronic giving is fast, secure, and reduces administrative costs, allowing more of every dollar to support the important work we are called to do. You can give anytime, anywhere to specific funds with our GivePlus Mobile app (free from the app store). You can also schedule and manage recurring donations by visiting our website and clicking on TLC ONLINE GIVING icon at the bottom of any page, or
[Click Here] to start the process, or contact the church office.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
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ALTAR FLOWERS
ONLINE ORDERING
There are still spots available
through December.
See the chart online or stop in
at the church office to order.
The TLC website has a new and easier online form to order Chancel/Altar Flowers for any Sunday in 2019.
[Click Here] to access the form now, or visit
www.tlcmn.com later and look for the "Purchase Altar Flowers" button at the bottom of any page.
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Free Subscriptions, sign up to be a volunteer, request care ministry and more!
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Subscribe a friend to this newsletter, TLC Weekly, or subscribe yourself and others to the TLC publication, Transcripts. Interested in TLC membership? Sunday school? Our renowned TLC music program, volunteering and more are choices on this easy online TLC Request Form. Just
[Click Here]
or the "Sign Me Up" button on the left.
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ANSWERS FROM QUIZ EARLIER IN THIS ISSUE
1) Fill in the blanks: One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a _______ tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones."
Answer #3: large millstone
Luke 17:1-3. Considering all the moral evil in the world, there will always be sin. But Jesus gives a stern warning against leading others into any kind of sin.
2) "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you _______ times in a day, and _______ times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
Answer #1: seven
Luke 17:3-4. If we have a relative or friend who is sinning, we should tell him or her what the problem is, but not in a judgmental way (Matthew 7:1-2, Romans 12:18-19). We should be willing to forgive other's sins as often as necessary.
3) And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase _______!"
Answer #1: our faith
Luke 17:5. In a Biblical sense, faith means not only belief, but also trust, reliance and commitment (James 2:18-19).
4) And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, '_______'; and it would obey you.
Answer #3: Be uprooted and be planted in the sea.
Luke 17:6. Jesus didn't really expect His disciples to waste their time trying to levitate trees, but He was making the point that faith is very powerful. The mustard seed was the tiniest of all seeds, so even a relatively tiny bit of faith would be very powerful.
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AUG-SEP-OCT 2019
TRANSCRIPTS
Now Available Online
download the pdf
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