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Gathered faithfully to love and serve God and all others. |
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Faith's Friday Update
January 27, 2023
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Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
Worship Services at 8:00 & 10:15 a.m.
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Readings and Psalm
Micah 6:1-8
The offering of justice, kindness, humility
Psalm 15
Lord, who may abide upon your holy hill? (Ps. 15:1)
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Christ crucified, the wisdom and power of God
Matthew 5:1-12
The teaching of Christ: Beatitudes
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Congregational Council
meeting minutes can be viewed at the link.
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We are approaching the time of year for our Annual Meeting. Please Save the Date of February 12, 2023, and join us after the 10:15 service. We will try to begin the meeting by 11:45 a.m. Your Church Council and Committee Chairs look forward to sharing our Congregation update with you at that time. We will also be presenting a slate of members to join our Church Council for your vote.
Please also note that a Budget Forum will take place on February 5, between the services at 9:00 a.m. Please join us for any questions you may have about our upcoming budget and planning. Our goal is to be transparent with our finances, so come and join us for a Q & A. Please note: Budget information will be sent out prior to the Budget Forum. Thank you for your involvement!
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Year End Giving Statements for 2022 were emailed to those with opted-in valid email addresses on file on Tuesday, January 24. Please check your junk or spam if you did not receive it.
Paper copies will be provided on request. Signup for a paper copy in the Narthex or contact Patty McKee at 941-921-3709 or pattymckee15@gmail.com or FinancialSecretary@faithlutheransrq.com.
Paper copies will be available for pick up in the Narthex on Sunday, January 29 for those without email addresses or have opted out, or may have already been sent by USPS mail to the address on file.
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Help Feed the Hungry
at St. Paul's Lutheran
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The people of St. Paul’s Lutheran have invited the people of Faith to assist with its Tuesday feeding ministry. The ministry, which feeds about 70 people each Tuesday, serves our food-insecure and homeless siblings in Christ.
Please join a group of Faith Lutheran volunteers who will cook and serve a meal at St. Paul’s on the fifth Tuesday of each month (when there is a fifth Tuesday). From 3 to 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 31st will be our first solo meal. If you would like to join the cook and serve team in the future, please call the church office.
We thank Denise Kirkeeng and Peggy Ragan who are organizing and coordinating the meal this week!
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Have you looked at a quilt and wondered at its beauty. Would you like to see how quilts are made? Pastor Eric has expressed an interest in forming a group to make quilts. We are looking for anyone interested in learning to quilt, sew or just to meet and get to know people better.
No sewing skills needed to join.
We will begin with very simple patterns and sew on machines rather than hand stitch. If you have a sewing machine but do not want to bring it to the church, we can find machines to be left at the church.
If you are an experienced quilter or seamstress, we would absolutely love to have you join. Please leave your name and contact information with the church office or call Jane Sanks (941) 923-4240.
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Calling all Techs, Videographers,
and Live Stream Aficionados
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Tech savvy? We need your gifts!
We are looking to train several additional operators to join our team to run the live stream for our 10:15 a.m. service.
If you are comfortable with technology, we would welcome you to join us in providing this vital ministry.
Interested? Just curious? Contact Marianne Powrie, or leave a message with Cate in the office.
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Adult Forum will meet this coming
Sunday, January 29th with Volume 4
Lesson 8 “Roll Away the Stone” of “That
the World May Know” video series. We will
meet in the conference room between the two morning worship services from 9:10 –
9:50am.
Pack your bags! We're going on a journey with Ray Vander Laan, a Biblical scholar. A quest to uncover Scripture and its meaning across history. Filmed on location in Israel and
throughout the Middle East, the Faith Lessons Digital series is an adventure in biblical learning. You will discover why Jesus turned the world upside down with his compelling call to follow Him. The insights you gain will transform your reading of the Gospels and inspire a deeper faith commitment.
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Stewardship - a Living Faith
Fulfilling God’s Purpose!
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Giving expresses our gratitude and thanksgiving to God. King David wrote, “Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:13-15).
David understood God’s awesome love and generosity. David saw the joy that his people had in responding to God’s love and care by giving to the building of the
temple. It was his prayer that their commitment and generous giving to the Lord would continue forever.
Sunday January 29th we will be bringing our pledge cards to the altar to honor our Lord. We thank GOD for all he has given us, including the ability to give back to the head of the Church, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. AMEN!
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Confirmation Class is encouraged to join us for cooking and serving community meal at St Paul's Lutheran Church on Jan. 31st, the fifth Tuesday of the month.
Our regular class time is 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Our next class is Feb. 7th.
This comprehensive confirmation program is more than just a class. It seeks to provide experiences and opportunities in which the individual can grow in faith as a Christian (i.e., worship, relationships with peers and mentors, small group experiences, and ministry opportunities).
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Please join us on Tuesday, 1/31 for another session exciting study of the shortest books of the bible!
Don’t let their size fool you, these short books pack a serious spiritual punch! Join us at 10 am in the Chapel. No prior bible study experience necessary! Consider inviting a friend or two as well! All are welcome!
Please RSVP by emailing Pastor Eric at pastor@faithlutheransrq.com or call the church office!
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G.I.F.T.S.
(Growing In Faith Through Scripture)
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G.I.F.T.S. (Growing In Faith Through Scripture) will resume studying "Be Still and Know" by Deb Burma at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, in the conference room. We look forward to continuing our exploration of Psalm 46.
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Join Faith’s Bereavement Group at 1 p.m. Wednesdays in the chapel.
If you or a friend can use some help bearing the burden of grief, this group is for you. There is strength in community. Help spread the word of hope.
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To Faith’s Blood Donors... Thank You! |
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On behalf of the many patients who will benefit from the blood donations made by church members, family and friends; the Blood Center thanks Faith Lutheran Church and especially the donors for giving the Gift of Life.
BLOOD DONOR HONOR ROLL:
MARLENE RADESK
DAVID HILLIARD
PATRICIA MCKEE
GWEN SCHELL
SUSAN LEHMANN
GAIL LIDINSKY
BARBARA WULF
ANITA WOOTON
LINDA BURTON
THOMAS BRIGHT
FREDERICK RHINES
MAX POWRIE
HELEN KOHLHAFER
SOPHIA KORMAN
DEBORAH MASSER
INGRID VELKME
KARLA LEWIS
LISA OLSEN
GEORGE YOUNG
KEVIN FEWELL
LINDA FEWELL
We appreciate you and all you do in our community! Thank you!
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Readers Club meets at 2 p.m. on the last Monday of the month in the church library. Feb. 27, they will discuss Haven Point by Virginia Hume.
For more information, contact Kathy Schilio, schilmo@yahoo.com. Please join! All are welcome!
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Altar Flowers are a Beautiful Remembrance |
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Altar flowers are a beautiful and meaningful way to honor or remember a special someone or a special occasion while decorating Faith's altar for worship. The 2023 Altar Flowers signup poster is available in the fellowship hall.
The next available sponsorship date is February 19.
When you purchase altar flowers, your name and dedication will be published in the bulletin on your selected Sunday, and the flowers are yours to keep or share after the 10:15 a.m. service.
To make a dedication:
- At church, complete an Altar Flowers envelope with your payment, and place it in the offering plate.
- By mail, send payment with a note indicating your desired date and dedication.
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Or CLICK HERE to order online.
The cost is $60 for two vases or $30 for one vase. Please make checks payable to Faith Lutheran Church and indicate ‘altar flowers’ in the memo line.
Thank you for adding beauty to Faith Lutheran’s altar!
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Donations to Pastor's Discretionary Fund Enable Emergency Assistance |
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Pastor Eric often engages in conversation with members of the congregation or community about specific needs and aid they might require. The Pastor's Discretionary Fund provides him the means to help financially, when necessary.
If you are able, please consider a donation so vulnerable members of our community can continue to receive emergency assistance. Following Hurricane Ian, requests for assistance have grown substantially.
Thank you for the strong congregational response thus far!
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Looking for a time to pray with members of our Faith family? Join us at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays in the chapel. We will pray for ourselves, our loved ones, those in need, our church community, the larger community that we serve, our nation and the world. We will conclude with Holy Communion.
Bring your concerns and your desire to connect with our loving heavenly Father! Can’t attend in person? Please join us via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 871 4720 3661, Passcode: 041291
NOTE: If you need the sacrament brought to your house, please let us know or take consecrated elements home with you on Sunday if you are in town.
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Joan's Soup Freezer
Consider Sharing Soup,
and Take Soup When Needs Arise
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The soup fridge is filling up! Please consider making a donation or simply taking one of the delicious soups found in the fridge labeled Joan’s Soup in the kitchen. Please help us keep this Ministry, founded by Joan March, going. If making a contribution, please label with the type of soup and when it was made. Thanks so much! |
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Adult Bible Study
to Resume Its Winter Session
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“Signs and Wonders”
A study of Jesus’ Miracles
Ever wonder about the stories of Jesus’ miracles? Believers are very familiar with Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000, and the stilling of the storm. What do we make of these accounts? Actual happenings? Metaphorical stories? Let’s explore these questions together. Perhaps the big question is not “did this happen?” but “what does it mean?” Both questions deserve our faithful deliberation and interpretation!
Our theologian in residence, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, will by DVD lecture and student book provide grist for our mill, featuring 6 selected miracle stories. Our Faith Endowment Fund will provide a student book for each who registers for the class.
Pastor Larry will lead this Six-Week study beginning Wednesday, January 11th, and continuing each Wednesday through February 15th. Each one-hour session begins at 9:30 a.m. and meets in the second-floor classroom in the Community Center across from the elevator.
It’s not too late to register for this class. Welcome all! Refreshments! Great discussion! Fellowship!
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27 Pray that the Spirit and our siblings in Christ will embolden us to proclaim, “The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1). Pray that, through our words and actions, we will invite people to trust in the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ.
28 Ask the Spirit to help us plant seeds of faith, hope and grace in our communities and the world; pray that we will tend those seeds with care and patience and, as the French theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote, “trust the slow work of God.”
29 Reconciling in Christ Sunday Give thanks for the ongoing work of welcoming, including, celebrating and advocating for LGBTQIA+ people in the life of the church, and pray for ministries and organizations that walk with us as we strive to love and affirm all people.
30 Draw a deep breath and thank God for specific things that give you joy and hope — loving relationships, acts of kindness and generosity, natural beauty, signs of progress and healing in the world, and communion with others to pray, worship and encourage one another’s faith.
31 “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Pray that we will take to heart the prophet’s explanation of what God calls us to do in the world.
1 Black History Month Give thanks for the gifts, accomplishments, influence and witness of our African-descent neighbors and siblings in Christ — we stand together to glorify God as partners in the gospel, doing God’s work in the world together. Though unified as siblings in Christ, we ask God to guide our church in its pursuit of racial justice, socioeconomic equity, racial reconciliation and an end to hatred and mistrust.
2 Give thanks for older adults, whose diverse gifts, life experiences, perspectives and wisdom are essential to the life, vitality and leadership of our congregations and communities.
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Please remember in your prayers this week:
Jeff & Nancy Arntsen
Anna Bancroft, 6 years old, friend of Alyene Weaver
Family & Friends of Kevin Beard
Sean Brett, son of Alyene Weaver
Tommy Bright
Charles Budreau
Dee Burlingame
Michael O. Cannon, father of Kay Cannon
Cheryl Cook
Joan Cotton
Eloise Dettmer
Family & Friends of Megan Fairlie
Family & Friends of Marlene Falconer
Elizabeth Farmer
Family & Friends of Stanforth Forbes
John Gallo, friend of April Shettler
Andrea Gamboa
Elaine Graham
Alyssa Hansen, cousin of Lisa Olsen
Jeff Hansen, nephew of Joan Searles
Christiana Holmes
Kevin Hooks, son-in-law of Anita and Jon Wooton
Mary Janice Holt
Jesus & Rita Jimenez
Paul & Debby Maresch
Kathryn McLaughlin
Judi Melander
Ed Miller
Kristin Mohammed
Jeremy & Yvonne Mullins
Family & Friends of Dennis Pappalardo
Virginia Link-Pease, wife of James Pease
Doris Anne Prieur-Lucia
Fritz Rappold
Family & Friends of Deacon Sue Rice
Gabriel Rockwell
Beverly & Floyd Ryder
Family & Friends of Dick Sanks
Ken Schell, brother of Mike (Gwen) Schell
Shirley Schimke, friend of Karen & John White
Rev. John Spittal
Dieter Smirnow
Michael and Marie Smith, friends of Carole Inkrott
Cathy Stubenvoll
Michelle Terrell, niece of Kay Cannon
Colette Thornbloom
Marlene Wiest
Jon Wooton
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02/13 Sharon & Thomas Soukup
02/14 Liz & Brian Martinson
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01/29 Destiny Duke
01/29 Marianne Powrie
01/30 Tyler Moreland
01/30 Nell Rude
02/01 Ruth Ditmars
02/01 Erica Homer
02/03 Karon Ramme
02/05 Gail Brown
02/05 Karla Howell
02/05 Pierce LaVigne
02/05 Molly Wlodarczyk
02/06 Larry Wright
02/08 Katie Bolon
02/09 Brian Deming
02/10 Marti Geske
02/10 Sydney Lenz
02/11 Jean Smith
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02/12 Kyle Kennedy
02/13 Frederick
Weisgerber
02/14 Marian Batzer
02/15 Dean Dennis
02/15 Jim Lauritsen
02/17 Cathy Eckhardt
02/19 Sue Marley
02/20 Karen Ballweg
02/20 Jonathan Capilla
02/20 Wayne Deming
02/21 Jayne Clark
02/21 Jerry Cooper
02/24 Bradley Scully
02/24 Tricia Thomsen
02/27 Barbara Bolon
02/27 Olivia Bright-Cox
02/27 Stan Stelmahsenko
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Pastor: Rev. Eric Olaf Olsen
Assistant Pastor: Rev. Larry Wright
Director of Music/Organist: David V. Patrick
Lead Cantor/Music Librarian: Tom Tryon
Artist in Residence: Dr. Joseph Holt
Church Office Administrator: Cate Teague
Weekly office hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday
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Mission – Gathered faithfully to love and serve God and all others.
Values – Mutual Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Service, Forgiveness, Commitment, Perseverance, Faithfulness, Compassion, Flexibility
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CLICK HERE to view the current Constitution of Faith Lutheran Church.
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