Faith's Friday Update

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

Faith's Friday Update

September 24, 2021

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

9:00 AM Bulletin

This Week's Readings:

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

The Lord’s spirit comes upon seventy elders

Psalm 19:7-14

The commandment of the Lord gives light to the eyes. (Ps. 19:8)

James 5:13-20

Prayer and anointing in the community

Mark 9:38-50

Warnings to those who obstruct faith

UPDATED 08/26/2021 - Temporary Worship Modifications:

For contact tracing purposes, we ask those who attend in-person worship to kindly sign-in with name and phone or email address. There will be a table outside of the narthex.
With love and concern for those who attend in-person worship, please note until further notice masks are required during worship services.
The return of Communion in the Pews.
The suspension of the Coffee and Fellowship Hour.

SPECIAL OFFERING THIS SUNDAY - ELCA DISASTER RESPONSE

Lutheran Disaster Response brings God’s hope, healing and renewal to people whose lives have been disrupted by disasters in the United States and around the world. We recognize that every disaster is local. Because of this, we believe every response needs to be rooted in the community; we work to accompany that community from immediate relief through long-term recovery. In our international work we partner closely with companion churches and other Lutheran and ecumenical relief agencies to make sure local needs are being addressed and met.

Preparing for our Future Has Taken a Big Step Forward!

On Monday night, our Congregation voted unanimously to call Pastor Eric Olaf Olsen to be our Pastor at Faith Lutheran. The excitement in the air is palpable, and we are enthusiastic to continue our Ministry under his leadership. Thank you deeply to our Call Committee and our Council members for their time and thoroughness in the integrity of the call process. We want to share a little bit about our new Pastor, for everyone to understand why we are so thrilled that he will be joining us, probably early November.

Pastor Eric O. Olsen received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology from The State University of New York at Albany in 1990. He has studied and worked in Japan and is fluent in Japanese. After co-founding and working at a logistics company in New York, while continuing to be active in the church, he discerned a call to the ministry of word and sacrament. In 2002 he was awarded a Master of Divinity Degree from the General Theological Seminary in New York. During his training he served as vicar at Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, New York, and as an intern at the Lutheran Office for World Community (LWF at UN). For the next 20 years, Pastor Olsen served Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, New Hyde Park, NY, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo, NY, and Church of the Good Shepherd-Lutheran in Plainview, NY, as Pastor. He has continued to study and learn throughout his ministry, and is nearing completion of his PhD in Religious Education at Fordham University. Pastor Olsen is married to Lisa, and has 2 boys, Luke and Lars.

Welcome, Pastor Eric!

AMAZON SMILE PROGRAM

We’ve received our first donation from the Amazon Smile Foundation Program! Thank you to everyone who has supported Faith Lutheran by designating our church to benefit from this program!

Support Faith Lutheran Church when you shop on Amazon – there is no additional cost to you! CLICK HERE to learn how!

IMPORTANT MOBILE GIVING CHANGE

Only 6 days left to make the switch from the GivePlus+ app to the new Vanco Mobile app (available for iPhone and Android).

Download it now!

Find our church by searching "Faith Lutheran Church, Sarasota" and verify the location (7750 Beneva).
If you use the GivePlus+ app or Vanco online, your login, payment methods, and current giving have been migrated to the new app. Otherwise, please create a new account.
Donations made via the app will appear on your giving statements in the same way as other payment methods.

If you are new to mobile giving, we encourage you to try it out! The app offers the ability to select your desired fund and donation frequency.

It's easy to use!

If you have questions or need help, contact Tami in the church office.

(The app icon is pictured.)

ALTAR FLOWERS

ALTAR FLOWERS are a beautiful and meaningful way to honor/remember someone or a special occasion, while decorating our altar for worship. Next available date, October 17!

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!

As seen in the recent ELCA Seeds Monthly:

“A People of Hope: Until All Are Fed”

You’re invited to celebrate World Food Day with “A People of Hope: Until All Are Fed,” featuring Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves. This online benefit for ELCA World Hunger will take place on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Central time. Special guests include the Rev. David Beckmann, who is being honored for his lifelong service to end hunger; the Rev. Rebel Hurd; Willie and Anne Langdji; and the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla. There will also be performances by Rachel Kurtz, Peter Mayer and the St. Olaf Choir.

As a church, we remain focused on supporting our neighbors near and far as the pandemic continues disrupting and impacting lives. At this event, you will learn about the ways ELCA World Hunger is responding. Register today.

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!

24 Remember in prayer the leaders, voting members and others gathering for the Northwestern Ohio Synod Assembly, that the Spirit will strengthen, guide and encourage them in learning, choosing leaders, proclaiming the gospel, growing the church, serving our neighbor and doing God’s work in an ever-changing world.

25 Pray for the well-being of health care workers who continue to labor long and hard in responding to the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID and its variants, and equitably treating the ill and infected.

26 Give thanks and praise to God that, as siblings in Christ, we have a vast faith community that is caring and supportive, equips and encourages us to serve and to share the good news, and strives to do God’s work in the world together with its ministry companions and partners — locally and globally.