Our Mission Statement
We of Joy Lutheran Church foster
grace-filled relationships with Christ
through worship, fellowship, and service.
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Notes of Joy - Week of September 27, 2020
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This week's gospel: Matthew 21:23-32
Jesus’ parable about two sons who don’t do what they say reveals surprises in the reign of God. Paul urges us to look to Christ as a model of humility, putting the interests of others above our own. Nourished by the broken bread and shared cup, we offer our lives for the sake of our needy world.
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Sunday, Sept. 27 Worship is In-person and Online
Our Sunday worship will be available LIVE on the Facebook app only beginning at 9:30am, and the recorded service will be available on Facebook after 10:15am and you can view any time.
Note: we are wearing masks, practicing 6ft distance in chairs, keeping services short and discouraging singing due to COVID-19. We are being very safe - if you’d like to worship with us, please try it out!
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Children's Message - Saturday at Noon
Pr. Karen records a 3-5 minute message for young people each week. The Children's Message is available on Facebook every Saturday at noon. Click the Facebook link above.
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CONFIRMATION
Starts:
- This Sunday, September 27th
- 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
- In Brause Hall
- We will practice social distancing and recommend masks
If your young person is in at least 7th grade and not confirmed, this is the class for them!
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Sunday School
We plan to start Sunday, October 11th at 10:15am. Classes will be small in size, short in length and emphasize Bible Story/discussion, prayer, craft and or game. Thank you to Rachel Christman and Debbie Quiroz (youngest ages), Cynthia Oistad and Nicole Simasko (middle age group), and Kelly Mullin and Pr Karen (older elementary) who have volunteered to teach as rotating partners. Thanks too to Gina Stephenson who will design the Craft plans to supplement each weekly bible story.
We still need volunteers for Substitutes. Please consider this prayerfully. Everyone is asked to wear face masks (except the little kids!).
SURVEY MONKEY: An online poll was sent out to families with Sunday School age children (2 years to 6th grade). We would appreciate your response! It takes less than 2 minutes to complete.
If you didn't receive one and have children interested in Sunday School, please contact the office or Pr. Karen.
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From your Church Council Regarding Call Process, Staffing and Joy’s Ministry Profile
Your Council’s September 8th meeting was dominated by discussion of the Ministry Site Profile (MSP) and related topics. After many months of hard work, the MSP group was ready to submit their draft document for Council review. The major topics we discussed included:
Finances as of 8/31/2020:
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Our income and expenses are mostly in line with the 2020 budget approved in January
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We had approved upgrades to the sound system in the sanctuary, which resulted in additional maintenance expenses of $3,500 in August.
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Our General Offering fell by over 20% for the month of August. Historically August is a down month and with no in-person services due to Covid, we weren’t overly concerned but will watch this closely.
A subcommittee was formed (Pastor Karen, Scooter Benson and Sue Weimer) to consider names for the 6 person Call Committee. They will be looking for a representative mix of perspectives; members with children, youth, elders, new members, established members, etc.
Lengthy discussion was given to future staffing requirements. The council is recommending a full time pastor and a part time administration position.
- Our financial situation does not allow us to have both a full time pastor and full time admin position.
- Our finances will only allow us to seek a full time pastor with no more than 5 years of experience.
- A survey of areawide ELCA churches revealed that congregations of similar size to JLC had part time admin positions however all had direct volunteer member involvement, especially in the financial areas. We will need to step up to cover duties currently performed by our full time admin position.
The recommendation to make changes in staffing was especially difficult because of the direct impact it has on Jan D. She has been a valued and trusted presence in our office for almost 9 years. She has been invaluable especially during this transition period but the council felt that the church needs a full time pastor to lead us into the future. We are not proposing any immediate changes however the MSP requires a decision regarding full or part time pastor position. Please keep Jan in your prayers as she begins to access her future employment options.
--Sue Weimer, Council President
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Pastor Karen's Office Days
Pastor Karen will be working:
- Mondays
- Thursdays
- Sundays
Due to family commitments she needed to change her days. You can usually find her in the Office on these days. If you have an emergency, please do not hesitate to contact at any day and time. 907-434-1862
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River of Life Lutheran
We reached out and offered our sister congregation use of our church building for worship and office needs. They feel it’s important for them to remain in the Chugiak area, but thanked us for this kind offer.
If you wish to give, send donations to P.O. Box 670470, Chugiak, AK 99567.
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Thank you for your generosity!
Some have asked about electronic and recurring giving. You can go to www.Joy-lutheran.org, click on the blue "donate" button at the bottom of the screen to sign up for secure online giving. There's also a link at the end of this newsletter.
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Joy of Reading Book Club
Joy of Reading Book Club has successfully and safely met this summer. It’s getting a little chilly for outdoor meetings so we will be moving into our own Brause Fellowship Hall starting in October.
We meet the 3rd Monday of every month at 6:30 PM. We have read some very compelling books and we have had great conversations about them. Even if you haven’t had the chance to read the book of the month, it’s still fun!
The book for October is The Dragons, the Giant, the Women by Wayetu Moore. Upcoming books are:
November – The Rent Collector by Camron Wright
December – Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin
January – Jimmy Bluefeather by Kim Heacox
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COMING UP:
Sunday, September 27th -- Confirmation Begins
Sunday, Oct. 11th -- Sunday School Begins
Sunday, Oct. 12th -- Holiday: Church Office Closed
Tuesday, Oct. 13th -- Church Council Meets
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JCDC is Hiring!
Joy Child Development Center is hiring.
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Teacher: Toddler room teacher. Experience preferred but not necessary.
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Cook: Experience preferred, but we will train.
Background checks are required. Please contact Robin O'Mara at 694-2755 if interested. Must be 18y.o.+
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The next church council meeting will be Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 7:00pm. |
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