Our Mission Statement We of Joy Lutheran Church foster  grace-filled relationships with Christ through worship, fellowship, and service. 

Notes of Joy - Week of July 12, 2020

This Week's Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 God’s word is like the rain that waters the earth and brings forth vegetation. It is also like the sower who scatters seed indiscriminately. Our lives are like seeds sown in the earth. Even from what appears to be little, dormant, or dead, God promises a harvest. At the Lord’s table we are fed with the bread of life, that we may bear fruit in the world.

Sunday's Worship - Outdoors! (unless raining) This week's worship will be in person. We plan to meet outside in the upper parking lot. Bring your mask and lawn chair! Parts of the service will be available LIVE on our Facebook page Sunday at 9:30am. CLICK HERE TO GO TO FACEBOOK CLICK HERE for July 12 Sunday Bulletin You can still view our Facebook page, even if you do not have a Facebook account. Click the link above.  (Ignore the bar at the bottom when it opens asking you to sign-in or create an account. You are still able to scroll down through our page. You need to click "not now" on the pop-up page when it again asks you to sign up, then it will go away - - hope that helps!!) :-) 

Important Ministry Discussion! July 19 after worship Message from the MSP Team Hi!  Remember us? The Ministry Site Profile (MSP) team is working to create a description of our congregation and the qualities we are looking for in a pastor.  Potential candidates will be looking at this document to gain an understanding of who we are, where our passions lie and what type of leadership we are looking for, to see if he/she might be a fit. We have gathered some information from you through surveys over the last few months.  However, much of the content for the MSP really needs an interactive discussion with the congregation, which we have been unable to do because of the COVID 19 concerns. But now the time has come!  On Sunday July 19 th , the MSP team, along with the Church council, invites you to meet after service to share your thoughts on our congregation and what we are looking for in a leader.  Please consider what expectations you have regarding our goals, our energy, and our place in the community.  What Ministry tasks and gifts are essential to us?  How can we support a new pastor, both financially and with our own talents? We look forward to hearing from you and seeing your masked faces right after service on July 19 th . Please mark your calendar and put your thinking caps on! In addition to the July 19 opportunity, there will be a chance for the actual ministry discussion on Zoom at a later date. -Your MSP Team (Jim Hemsath, Kristi Swain, and Betty Veldhuis)

Pick up a VBS Packet! Packets for VBS will be available for pick up at church Friday 10-5, Sunday 9-11, and Monday 10-5.  July 13-16. Click link to access the online VBS activities. The link will be ready on Sunday, July 12 - HERE! Sign up to attend the Thursday, July 16, VBS celebration event - HERE! Invite others! Anyone can use this VBS!

We need your input! Please answer these 2 questions and send them to the MSP team at  Joymspteam@gmail.com 1.  ENERGY -- Where do you see there is momentum and energy in ministries here at Joy Lutheran Church? Where is Joy particularly gifted or excited? 2. OUR TOWN -- What are some of the changes or trends in our area that have been challenging over the past 3-5 years? Try to share 3 with us.

Upcoming Events in July July 13-16 - Online VBS July 19 - Discussion after worship on Joy's ministry strengths & priorities July 26 - Confirmation Sunday. We will confirm 3 young people

Council Notes Your council met on July 7 th . We want to keep you informed and in the loop on the church business, especially during these unusual times. Here are highlights from our meeting. JCDC has around 20-25 children attending and expect their numbers will continue to increase. The center has paid their monthly reimbursement to the church every month and we commend them on their solid financial management. The first phase of the playground upgrades is mostly completed and they look great.  Earthquake repairs are moving forward once again. The project manager assigned to our claim by FEMA/SOA has prepared a draft Request For Proposal for our review. We are in the process of reviewing it. Please give Wayne Rush and Jan Deering a big thank you for all their work on this never ending project. Speaking of never ending projects, the MSP group is diligently working toward gathering input from each of us about our church, congregation, community and most importantly our goals. Please help them by responding to survey requests etc. so we can move a step closer to finding our permanent pastor.  We are close to securing a janitorial service. We cancelled our janitorial service when the building closed due to the Covid 19 outbreak. The Mullin family has volunteered to clean for the last few months but as we slowly open up the building we once again need a janitorial service. Thank you again to the Mullin family! A Finance/Treasurer report will be included in a later Notes of Joy however I wanted you to have a quick snapshot. Our General Offerings have been consistent over the last 6 months and we are current on all our expenses, including our benevolence payments. During this time of so much uncertainty we are very grateful for your faithful giving.  Vacation Bible School is scheduled for next week. We have not had VBS for a few years and it is wonderful that we are able to start again even with the current virus challenges. Your council welcomes your input and suggestions. Please let us know of ways we can continue to stay engaged as a congregation and church family. Thank you for all your support and prayers. Stay safe and stay well.  -Sue Weimer, Council President

Devotionals The latest "The Word in Season" pocket devotionals are here. We order 20 per quarter - they're first come, first serve, so if you're interested you can pick one up by the mask tree weekdays or at worship on Sunday.

Calling all Joy Lutheran members & friends: Do you have a favorite Bible Verse? We would like to include them in one of the gifts we are giving to the 2020 Confirmands. Please email the church office with a bible verse! joylutheran@gmail.com

Prayer Concerns & Requests Gina & Seth Stephenson (expecting baby in Aug.) Skip Lange, Debby Bird's father Roland Tarbox (friend of Bob & Carol Munk) Eunice Vrem Paula Johnson (now in Great Falls, MT) Kathryn Schwyn Audrey Fredeen Jonny Hegna Nancy Olson Eric Hall's Mother Erin Soellers, currently deployed These people might especially appreciate a phone call. Wear a mask if you bring something to anyone.

"I am also truly grateful for all the love, prayers and support from the Joy community!" - Jonny Hegna (Jonny is scheduled for major surgery at the end of the month.)

In Memoriam Pete Johnson, beloved husband of long-time member Paula, died on Monday, July 6th. He taught Industrial Arts for many years at the King Career Center and supported Paula's involvement here at Joy. He and Paula recently moved to an Assisted Living Home in Montana. He is survived by Paula, daughter Molly and grandson Tyler. Any cards will be much appreciated and can be sent to: Paula Johnson 2320 15th Ave. South Room 14 Great Falls, MT  59404

Joy of Reading Book Club  The Joy of Reading Book Club meets the 3rd Monday of every month and gets started around 6:30 PM. Even if you haven’t read the book of the month you are still welcome to join us. It’s a fun evening of discussion, sharing of ideas and respectful listening. And lots of socializing and laughter!   No Book Club meeting in July   – time to go out and enjoy Alaska!   Our August book is  The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life  by David Brooks.  Sue Weimer will be hosting this.

Volunteers Needed A big thank you to these people who have already helped with lawn mowing: Sue Weimer, Mona & Dave Mitton, and Wayne & Judy Rush. We can use some more volunteers!  It's that time of year again! Joy Lutheran Church is seeking volunteers for weekly lawn care for the summer. The church has 2 push power mowers. We do not have a weed trimmer or leaf blower. If you'd like to use those, you will need to bring your own. If you plan to mow after hours/weekends, you will need to pick up the shed key from the office in advance or have your own key to access the building. Lawn Rangers Signup

Music! We would like to have special music at worship, especially since we miss singing so much! Can you volunteer?

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Joy Church Council Members Sue Weimer - slweimer@gci.com Scooter Bentson - sbentson55@gmail.com Tom Bird - tbird@mtaonline.net Debby Bird - debbybird@me.com Corrine Finnie - corrinefinnie@hotmail.com Kelly Mullin - mullinkm260@comcast.net Heather Slocum - heather_slocum@yahoo.com Clarke Hemphill, Treasurer - mrs_mousie@hotmail.com Interim Pastor: Karen Sonray - ksonray@gmail.com Cell: (907) 434-1862 -this is a Nome cell phone number, so be sure to dial the "907" first The next church council meeting will be Tuesday, August 4 at 7:00 pm.