Inside Immanuel Weekly

"WE SHARE GOD'S GIFT OF LOVE WITH ALL"

Sunday, December 5, 2021

"Second Sunday of Advent"

9:30am - Immanuel Sanctuary

Worship video will be available on Saturday.

Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming give to all the people of the world knowledge of your salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Make A Reservation For Christmas Eve Service

Make your reservation now for December 24th in-person Christmas Eve worship at one of the following three services.

4:30pm

7:30pm

10:00pm

RSVP is required!

Due to COVID restrictions, strict capacity limits are in place.

Please call or email the church office to make your reservation. Please include your name, number in party, contact telephone number and preference for seating location (front/middle back of sanctuary.)

office@ilcboise.org or 208-344-3011 Online worship will also be available.

Christmas Week Worship Service Schedule

Saturday, December 25th

Lessons and Carols will be available online for Christmas morning.

Sunday, December 26th

In-person service will be Lessons and Carols at 9:30am in the Immanuel Sanctuary.

Endowment Funds Update

Great News!

The Mission Endowment Fund has received substantial gifts in 2021. As a result of those gifts and investment returns, the Fund is close to $40,000. If the Endowment Fund closes the year above $40,000, the total amount of the mission grants in 2023 will rise to $1,000 providing valuable support for new ministries at Immanuel along with agencies in Ada County, across the USA and around the globe.

Immanuel also has a Youth Endowment Fund which provides annual grants to support opportunities for Immanuel youth to grow in their faith and advance our purpose, “To Share God’s Gift of Love With All”. The Youth Endowment Fund balance has grown to about $13,000.

We still have a unique opportunity. Until the current gift contributions in each fund reach $50,000, those who make a current gift or inform the church they have made a planned legacy gift by including one or both of the Endowment Funds in their estate plans will be recognized as “Founders.”

As you plan your year-end charitable giving, please consider the Mission Endowment Fund and the Youth Endowment Fund.

You can make a gift with cash, check or online giving.

Also, a special opportunity exists for some who have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). You can make a tax-efficient gift via a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). This gift can be made from either a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. There are some very specific rules you must follow in order for this to qualify.

First, you must be at least 70 ½ years old at the time of the gift.
Second, your IRA administrator must make the transfer directly to our church.
Finally, you can give up to $100,000 per year (your spouse can also give up to $100,000 from his or her IRA).

It’s quite simple to make a QCD. Ask your IRA administrator for their QCD form and any related procedures. Please alert Immanuel of your gift as some administrators do not put your name on the distribution check. If you have an IRA checking account, you can write a check and send it directly to Immanuel. Please note on the check the Endowment Funds you wish to support.

As always, you should consult with your tax advisor or attorney to review your personal situation.

If you have already included one or both of the Endowment Funds in your estate plans, please inform the Pastor or an Endowment Fund Committee member. We are a community of joy, gratitude, and generosity and would like to celebrate your gift.

Endowment Fund Committee members: Renée Bergquist, Amy Dockter, Les Gieselman, Jerry Healy, Karen Martz, Ken Reynolds, and Don Stensaas.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our confirmands

Tyler Clark, James Riedl, and Grant Zuschlag

Thank you for sharing your personal and honest faith stories with us last week. We are proud of the people of faith you have become and look forward to many more years of watching you grow and serve.

Donations for Staff Christmas Bonuses

We invite you to donate a monetary gift to our wonderful, hard-working staff of Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Mail your gift or drop it off at the church office with the designation of

“STAFF GIFT” on the check and envelope. You may also give online through the church website donation page. Please click HERE to access online giving.

Food Fellowship Donations

Please consider a Christmas gift for our Food Fellowship Guests:

We invite you to make monetary donations for Christmas Gift Cards for our Food Fellowship guests between now and Sunday, December 19. We will divide up those gifts into equal amounts and start distribution with the December 21st Christmas dinner. Last year, we raised enough for 100 gifts of $25 each. We hope to match that sum again in 2021.

Mail your gift or drop it off at the church office with the designation of “Food Fellowship Christmas Fund” on the check and envelope. Alternatively, you may give online through the church website online giving page. Click HERE to access online giving.

Additionally, we happily accept gifts of new or gently used gloves, hats, coats, and warm socks to distribute throughout the winter to our guests.

Thank you for your ongoing support of this ministry and bringing some extra Christmas Joy to those in need.

Blessings to All,

Barb Schmidt, President & Food Fellowship Chair

Sponsor a Poinsettia - Order By THIS SUNDAY December 5th

Poinsettias will soon adorn our sanctuaries with their vibrant red color as we prepare for the birth of the Christ child in this season of Advent. You are invited to sponsor a plant in remembrance or in honor of your loved ones.

Complete a paper sponsorship form found in the Sunday bulletin or church office. Place the form, with payment, in the offering plate or church office by December 5. To submit a sponsorship online, go to ilcboise.org – “Donate.”

Those remembered and honored will be listed in the Christmas Eve bulletin. A $10 donation is suggested for each plant.

Vaccine Clinic December 14th

Saint Alphonsus Mobile Vaccine Clinic for ages 12+

Tuesday, December 14th

4:00 – 6:00pm

Immanuel Lutheran Church

707 W Fort Street

Boise, ID 83702

Walk-ins Welcome or Pre-Register at https://www.idahoprepmod.com//appointment/en/reg/4012466569

or use the QR Code

Thanks From St. Vincent de Paul

Thank you Immanuel Lutheran congregation for participating in the 2021 St. Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving Food Box Project! Together, we distributed over 2300 food boxes/turkeys/potatoes that served nearly 12,000 adults and children in our community. Thank you for the monetary contributions that were used to purchase food. Thanks to more than 500 project volunteers. Thank you everyone for sharing in this family-to-family charity event.

Children & Youth Update

Mary Riedl, Children and Youth Ministry Leader

208-801-9249 cell/208-344-3011 office/ youth@ilcboise.org

Join the ILC Youth Connect Facebook Group and the

ILC Child & Youth YouTube Channel to stay connected!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dec 4 at 8:45am - Christmas Tree Adventure!

Please let me know if you plan on joining us. We will meet at the Eagle Home Depot parking lot at 8:45am, and we don’t want to leave without you!

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Don’t forget to join us for Sunday school this weekend! We have lots of fun activities ready, and will be learning about gift giving, and the greatest gift!

SANTA LUCIA

If you did not receive an email from me about participating in Santa Lucia, and planned to join us - either online or in person - please let me know ASAP via text or phone so that I can get you the correct details and update my participation list!

VIRTUAL CHOIR

I sent out the information for singing Silent Night for our online service to those who had expressed interest in joining us. If you did not get the email, and would like to help us sing silent night, please let me know!

QUICK CALENDAR

12/4 - Christmas Tree Adventure! 8:45am Home Depot Parking Lot, Eagle, ID

12/5 - Sunday School - PreK-6th grade after service, Fellowship Hall

12/5 - Santa Lucia - practice and taping, 1:00pm

12/12 - Santa Lucia - in-person, before & during service

12/12 - Confirmation - Grades 7-9, Hope Lutheran, 1:30-3:30pm

Birthdays

Inge A – 12/10

and

Diann G -12/11

Giving Options

Online GIVING

Thank you to those who are continuing to support Immanuel financially. If you are able, please contribute online through the church website by clicking on the "Online GIVING" button.

You may also give via U.S. mail, or place your envelope in the mail drop slot to the right of the glass double doors we use to enter the Thomas Chapel, Library, Office area and Hospitality Room. Or you can scan this QR code image with a smartphone's QR decoder, it will instantly connect you to the mobile version of the Immanuel web page. It provides a quick and easy way to access the webpage.

A Graphic Journey To A New Pastor

A Letter from ELCA Global Missions

Dear Immanuel:

I am on the Global Mission/World Hunger Committee of the Northwest Intermountain Synod. We have two subcommittees that emphasize different ministries on the Committee. One emphasizes our Sister Synod Connection with Tanzania. The other emphasizes our relationship with ELCA World Hunger.

We are prayerfully interested in expanding the membership, especially of the ELCA World Hunger subcommittee. Our current membership is all from the state of Washington. We would love to have representatives from southern Idaho who may know about the hunger ministries related to ELCA Churches in southern Idaho.

We tend to meet a couple of times a year. One of our major responsibilities is to review Domestic Hunger Grant applications that come from ministries from the NWIM Synod.

Thanks for considering this! Peace to you!

Ethan Bergman, ebergman001@luthersem.edu

If you are interested in serving, please contact Ethan.

An Invitation From the WELCA

Join WELCA for the second annual Blue Christmas service via Zoom, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 at 7pm

As a community of women, we have committed ourselves to promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society and the world. How can we do that for those who are sad or suffering this season? We will gather for prayer, reflection, and quiet music on the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere—the Winter Solstice—December 21. Register now to participate in the Blue Christmas Service. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Important Items of Interest

The Northwest Intermountain Synod E-newsletter is available at : https://nwimsynod.org/blog/category/E-News%20Archive%20PDF.

Immanuel Lutheran Church Council held a regular monthly Council Meeting on Monday, November 15, 2021 at 5:30pm via online Zoom meeting. Click HERE for a recap of the meeting, pending Council approval.

Baskets of Gratitude - To honor healthcare workers who are working exhaustedly and putting their lives on the line to give medical care to those suffering from Covid-19 and other medical issues, Protect Idaho Kids Foundation will sponsor the Baskets of Gratitude program. Please click HERE for more information on how to donate.

Immanuel Prayer Chain - If you are in need of prayer support, please email your request to: prayers@ilcboise.org

The Hand in Hand Clothing Room is in need of winter coats, men's jeans size 38-40, sweatshirts/hoodies size large, knit long-sleeved shirts, sleeping bags, blankets, hand towels. Please drop off your donations of new and gently-used items at the church. If you can’t deliver it to the church, please contact Carolyn at Parishadmin@ilcboise.org to arrange a pick up. Thank you for your generosity!

Food Pick Up Team - The team can use your help to pick up pastries and sandwiches at two Starbucks locations. They are located on Franklin/Milwaukee and Broadway/Beacon. The pastries are given to our Food Fellowship guests as additional treats on Tuesday nights. Please consider helping this ministry for as little as 2 hours and many as 6 hours per month! If you are able to help this team, please contact Jerry Healy at 208-859-0162 to volunteer.

COVID-19 Relief Program - We invite anyone who is experiencing hardship due to the pandemic to request monetary and/or task assistance from your Immanuel congregational family. Please find a link to the request form HERE.