Faith's Friday Update

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“Gathered faithfully to love and serve God and all others.”

Faith's Friday Update

June 24, 2022

Sunday, June 26, 2022

3rd Sunday after Pentecost

Worship Services at 8AM & 10:15AM

Bulletin 6.26.2022

Readings:

Readings and Psalm

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21

Elijah says to Elisha, Follow me and do not continue plowing

Psalm 16

I have set the Lord always before me. (Ps. 16:8)

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Love is the whole law, gift of the Spirit

Luke 9:51-62

Jesus says, Follow me and do not look back

Minutes from the June 16, 2022 Congregation Council meeting are now available.

Click HERE to view them

FAITH FINANCIAL CORNER

Emailed to those with a valid opted-in email address on file on Saturday May 7.

Paper copies will be provided on request. Signup for a paper copy in the narthex or contact Patty McKee (941-921-3709), or email pattymckee15@gmail.com.

You won’t believe this!!! 2023 Giving Envelopes are due for re-order! Please contact the church office (941-924-4664) or Patty McKee (941-921-3709), if you desire a change in your envelope status before by June 30, 2022:

If you no longer need envelopes, and are comfortable with electronic giving—
If you want a full packet of Sundays and Special Offering Envelopes and do not currently have them—
If you want ONLY the Special Offering Envelopes

If you want NO Change, we will re-order as is. No Need to contact us. Thank You.

Attention All Potential New Members!

Join us for a very special coffee hour and sacred conversation. Meet some potential new members and share with others what Faith means to you! Meet with us this Sunday 26th after 10:15 a.m. service for coffee hour! Potential New Members Q & A at 11:30 a.m.!

BEREAVEMENT GROUP

Faith’s Bereavement Group will meet each Wednesday (unless notified) in the prayer chapel. All are welcome. If you or a friend can use some help bearing the burden of grief this group is for you! There is strength in the community! Help spread the word of hope!

ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE IS BACK IN ACTION!

We celebrate the awarding of four Endowment Grants! We are excited to support Steve Ragan, as he leads an Adult Forum on Sunday mornings. The grant will help to pay for materials for the study. All adults are welcome to join. We are also thrilled to support three of our Youth with grant requests. Two of them, Alma Dornemann and Christian Jones, will be attending a week at Lutherridge this summer. One of them, Olivia Kaiser, will be going this summer to Luther Springs. The Endowment Committee is overjoyed to support these ministries with our fund.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITY

Would you consider serving as an Usher, a Lector, or as a Communion assistant? It is a wonderful way to serve and to feed your faith! No experience necessary! If you are interested in serving please call Joan Searles, Worship Committee Chairperson at (941)921-9896 or call the church office. Thank you for your prayerful consideration!

SPECIAL GIVING OPPORTUNITY

This month’s special giving envelope is for SURE.

SURE is a faith-based organization that seeks justice for the poor, working class and mixed income individuals/families living in Sarasota County. Our network unites, organizes and trains leaders in the community to be change agents for justice by empowering people of different racial, faith and economic backgrounds.

ADULT FORUM

Adult Forum continues this Sunday at Faith Lutheran Church using “That the World May Know” video series. We will meet in the conference room starting this Sunday June 19th 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.

If you are wondering what the title of this series is based on, it comes from last Sunday’s Gospel message in John 17:23, “...May they be brought to complete unity that the world may know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Calling all Men of Faith!

Join us this Tuesday, June 28th in the fellowship hall for coffee and a prayer before we set off to tackle a slew of projects around the church! Help ready our facility for a new ministry offering to begin this fall. We have projects inside and outside. Wear work clothes and bring joy to your service.

A FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHERS STAYS TOGETHER

SOUP HERE!

Joan’s Soup Freezer is filling up! Please feel free to bring some home for yourself or a friend. All donations are also welcome! Please be sure to label soup donations with type of soup (ingredients) and date created. Thank you!

ALTAR FLOWERS

ALTAR FLOWERS are a beautiful and meaningful way to honor/remember someone or a special occasion, while decorating our altar for worship. The 2022 Altar Flowers signup poster is available in Fellowship Hall.

The next available sponsorship date is July 10.

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 after the 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; or CLICK HERE to order online. The cost is $60, which is for 2 vases. Please make checks payable to Faith Lutheran Church and indicate ‘altar flowers’ in the memo.

Thank you for making Faith Lutheran’s altar beautiful!

BUILDING WISH LIST

The Property Committee has identified needs that are not currently in the regular budget but are needed to maintain and improve our church.

Current needs:

1. Upgrade Narthex Restrooms to ADA (cost TBD)

2. Electronic Sign Upgrade on Beneva (cost TBD)

3. Touch-Up/Repaint the Gym (cost TBD)

4. Reseal the Parking Lot

Please consider supporting the church building by making a special offering. Any amount, small or large, is appreciated! To contribute by check, please indicate “Improvement Fund” in the memo. To contribute electronically, please visit our website at www.faithlutheransrq.com/online-giving or using via the Vanco Mobile app (be sure to select “Improvement Fund”).

EMPTY INK CARTRIDGES COLLECTION

Please consider donating your empty ink cartridges to help the church and environment! When we bring the cartridges to Staples, we receive store credit from Staples to help offset office supply costs.

The ink collection bin is on the counter in Fellowship Hall.

DAILY PRAYER

VENTURES

The ELCA offers daily Prayer Ventures, which may be found on their website, https://www.elca.org/en/Resources/Prayer-Ventures. The prayers for this weekend are below. Visit the website if you would like to follow the daily prayers!

26 Pray that we might follow Christ with passion and commitment, sharing the good news, inviting others into faith and showing grace toward our neighbor when we encounter resistance, difficulty or disbelief.

27 Pray that God will hear our concern and yearning for our communities and schools to be safe from gun violence; pray that the Spirit will transform that concern and yearning into advocacy for common-sense gun laws, community conversations and initiatives, and loving care for those impacted by gun violence.

28 Give thanks and pray for the safety of firefighters, first responders, members of the National Guard, disaster response volunteers, relief agencies and neighbors who respond to individuals and communities in times of severe weather and natural disaster.

29 Peter and Paul, apostles Peter and Paul disagreed with each other yet were united in their commitment to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and encourage communities of faith. Pray that we will be united in our faith as siblings in Christ, moving beyond our differences and using our unique gifts and perspectives to do God’s work in the world, together.

30 Pray for the churchwide organization staff and volunteer leaders across the country preparing for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, and for the congregations, youth and adults anticipating this rich experience of worship, community, faith formation, learning and service.

1 Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and youth in our nation today. Pray that we might overcome the feelings of indifference and impotence bred by the tragedy, trauma, complexity and frequency

of gun violence. Pray that the Spirit will turn us toward Scripture, the teachings of Jesus and one another for the strength, wisdom and courage needed to change our laws and culture for the sake of safeguarding our communities and society.

2 Pray that we might notice and take to heart small acts of hope and kindness, and that these might renew our faith amid world events that inspire anger and despair.