Week of January 31st eNews -- Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Week of January 31, 2021

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

In this week's eNews...

January 31st @ 11:45am: Annual Congregational Meeting
February 2nd @ 1pm: "Between the World & Me" book study
February 4th @ 10am: Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall
February 4th @1pm: Revelation Bible Study
February 5th & 9th: LWR Quilt/Care Kit drop-off at Emmanuel
February 12th @9:30am & 13th @8:45am: Centering Prayer Information Sessions
February 12th @2pm: Valentine Party
Signup is now open for Altar Flowers and Eternal Candle dedication for Jan-Mar of 2021 through the links below or contact the church office.

Click Here to Register For Next Weekend's Worship - February 6/7

Registration Information

You may also register for this coming weekend as well as next weekend through our website www.emmanuel-elca.org.
When you register for worship and find your preferred service is full, please contact the office. Note: The 11am worship always has room for more!!

Thank You Pastor Darrington!

We want to thank Pastor Darrington for his dedicated service as our Visitation Pastor the last 3 years. Your compassion, visits, and phone calls have been a blessing to us in times of need.

We will honor Pastor DD at the 11am service this weekend.

January 31, 2021

Emmanuel's annual congregational meeting will be held this Sunday, January 31st at 11:45am in the sanctuary. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in person and Zoom). The meeting is open to all members, although only full and seasonal members may participate in the voting.

If you will be attending in person, please register below:

Click Here to register for in-person Annual Meeting

If you'd like to join the meeting via Zoom - click the button below:

Click here to join the Annual Meeting via zoom on Sunday at 11:45am

If the link does not work for you, you may enter the meeting ID and password below:

Meeting ID: 980 2948 9637

Passcode: 384324

Welcome Pastor Hess

David L .Hess has accepted the part-time position as shut-in visitation minister at Emmanuel, beginning February 1, 2021.

Pastor Dave is a graduate of Penn State with a B.S. in Wood Science, and of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg with a Master of Divinity degree. Ordained in 1973, he served the Heidelberg-Slatedale Lutheran Parish (ELCA) in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania for over four decades.

David has been married to Linda for fifty years, and they now divide their time between homes in Pennsylvania and South Venice. They are the parents of two daughters and one son, and are the proud grandparents of a seventeen-year-old grandson (Benjamin) and a three-month-old granddaughter (Paige).

PLEASE HELP! Volunteers Needed!

Lutheran World Relief Quilt Distribution

Emmanuel Lutheran is once again the gathering church for all the quilts made by congregations in our area to benefit Lutheran World Relief. We are in need of able bodied volunteers to help unload (February 5th) from 9am-3pm and reload (February 9th) from 8am-9am in Fellowship Hall. Sign ups are available via FlockNote by clicking the date you'd like to volunteer above. Sign up for as many time slots as you'd like-all help is welcomed! If you have any questions, please call Samantha Schnittker at 630.209.2518.

2020 Giving Statements are in the mail

If you gave over $500 to Emmanuel last year, your giving statement is on it's way. Any questions can be directed to the Treasurer or Financial Secretary. They are in the office on Tuesdays to take your calls or can be emailed at treasurer@emmanuel-elca.org or finance@emmanuel-elca.org.

Haiti Container Update

The containers of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) donated by Harry and Nancy Lukas were delivered to Haiti some weeks ago. Emmanuel sent the funds needed for the port fees and taxes to Pastor Livenson from the David Johnson Memorial Fund. It took quite some time to arrange to get them delivered to the Gressier compound and Harry worked closely with Livenson and the agent to get those arrangements made. Haiti’s governmental agencies make it quite complicated to receive donations from the US. It’s there and Pastor is getting goods distributed. There are 480,000 masks, 72,000 bottles of antibacterial soap and 15,600 liters of sanitizer. Much for the churches to distribute. Harry was kind enough to send some additional funding for the gas and trucks so the supplies could be distributed to all the churches.

The photos are of the local group and Pastor Livenson will send more photos as he gets the goods distributed to the countryside churches. What a blessing. Please keep our Haitian church families in your prayers as they get some help they so desperately need. God is good.

Lynne Ross

Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall

February 4th at 10am

Join our community of faith for conversation around the gospel for the week. This is a thirty-minute Zoom dialogue with Pastor Hall based on the gospel. There is a short litany followed by the reading and open discussion on the text for the following Sunday's worship. It is a time to see faces and an opportunity to connect-up with members of Emmanuel.

Topic: Thursday's Together

Time: Thursday, February 4th @10:00am

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/92351281523?pwd=Q0FMOGFxSUNnUFhpZzBQdHF6RW03Zz09

Meeting ID: 923 5128 1523

Passcode: 999623

Please DO NOT leave food outside the office or at church

Food donations for the South County Food Pantry should be taken directly to the South County Food Pantry located at 121 Warfield Avenue, Venice. The church is not collecting on a regular basis at this time. Their website states their hours vary so call before you go! 941.408.2911.

In Our Prayers...

Bill Johnson, Shirley Kasko, Bernie Mauer, Richard Neilsen, Jack Robertson, and Ted Schultz.

The family and friends of:

Marcia Hatteberg who passed away January 21st. Services will be held in Michigan at a later date.

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We will be welcoming 29 new members to Emmanuel this Sunday, January 31st. Click here to put "a name with a face" and find out about them. We welcome them to Emmanuel's Family and extend God's blessing to each of them.

January Outreach Emphasis

Building communities, strengthening lives.

Family Promise of Sarasota is a nonprofit, non-denominational organization affiliated with National Family Promise, which was founded in 1986. We provide shelter, meals, and support to homeless children and their families. We initiate coordinated local efforts that bring communities together to help homeless families regain their housing, their independence, and their dignity. We envision a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and a chance to build a better future.

Remember or Honor a Loved One

There are several dates open!! Sign-up to dedicate Altar Flowers and the Eternal Candle for the First Quarter of 2021 (Jan-Mar) is now available online by clicking the links below. Once you have reserved your date, please submit your dedication with payment no later than 2 weeks prior to your reserved date. If you have any questions or are unable to sign-up online, contact the office.

Jan-Mar Eternal Candle

Jan-Mar Altar Flowers

Barb's Medical Minute

If your balance is unsteady, a food fix is to make sure you’re eating enough healthy protein. You should have 0.6 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Be sure to get a mix of lean meats, fish, dairy, beans, nuts, and soy throughout you day so your muscles get some with every meal. We all need strong muscles to support our joints, and to finish off those honey-do lists!!

January-February Events

Between the World and Me Book Study

Tuesday, January 26th

A four-week Zoom discussion based on the book “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates began Tuesday, January 26th from 1-2pm - you are still welcome to join in. This autobiographical book explores the “place” of American black men and women, as influenced by past and current issues. The Zoom link and pages to read will be emailed a week before each session. There are numerous copies of this book in the Sarasota library system, including audio editions, and it is available for kindle, in paperback and hardcover. To participate please contact Kathy Anderson (ktanders55@yahoo.com).

Study of Revelation

Thursday's

A Bible study on the book of Revelation started on January 21 from 1-2 pm but you can still join us on Zoom. It is based on the book “ You Can Understand the Book of Revelation” by Pastor Skip Heitzig. If you have any questions about how to use Zoom or any other questions, or if you want to sign up for the class and receive lesson materials, call or text Judi Johnson at 616-299-0759. You can also email her at judiajohn@aol.com.

Beginning February 12th; 9:30-10:15am via Zoom

Explore Centering Prayer to enrich your Lenten journey as well as your prayer life. Birdie Clark is forming a new group for those new to Centering Prayer as well as those who have perhaps practiced before. All are welcome! Please email or phone Birdie if you are interested or have questions at birdieclark48@aol.com or 941.488.4360. Be sure to include your email to receive the link and facilitate a group list for communicating and sharing information.

Here are a couple YouTube videos if you would like to have some preparation for the group. Just click on the titles below to view. (These are NOT a requirement to join the group)

What is Centering Prayer and How do We Do it and Thomas Keating Centering Prayer Guidelines

Centering Prayer Introductory Program

February 13, 2021 via Zoom

(sponsored by the Contemplative Outreach Sarasota/Bradenton branch)

During these challenging times Centering Prayer is a way to draw closer to God. It is a Christian form of meditation that serves as a method of movement into contemplative prayer, a way to open oneself to the Divine Presence and, through the healing of the Holy Spirit, to be of greater service to those around us.

The Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop familiarizes participants with the method of Centering Prayer and its conceptual background and offers two opportunities to experience the prayer. The program will be led by Contemplative Outreach trained presenters.

For information and to view the entire flyer on this event, click here.

Contact Susan Holm for more information and any questions you may have.

Click here to Join the Party on the February 12th at 2pm

or use:

Meeting ID: 839 722 1615

Passcode: SingLoud

Readings for This Week

January 31st

4th Sunday after Epiphany

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Psalm 111

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Mark 1:21-28

February 7th

5th Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 40:21-31

Psalm 147:1-11,20c

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Mark 1:29-39

Remember these guidelines when coming to worship:

6 feet social distancing requirements - do not crowd pews.
Remember to wear a mask with nose and mouth covered and use the hand sanitizer available in the narthex or pews.
Please do not stop in the narthex or inside the sanctuary.
Wait for the ushers to dismiss your row. They start at the back of the sanctuary. For everyone’s safety and proper distancing, follow the ushers instructions.

Reminder: Please wear your Name Badges when attending worship so we know who you are while wearing your face masks!!! Also, please silence your cell phone out of consideration for all worshippers.

For your information...

As a gentle reminder to everyone, if you have been exposed to COVID in any way or are not feeling well, please follow self-management steps to ensure you are not exposing other members of our congregation. Your cooperation is very much appreciated by everyone. In addition, should you contract COVID, please notify the church office for contact tracing.

Although the news is improving in the COVID numbers in the area, the Executive Committee has extended the cancellation of all non-worship activities through February 2nd. The Executive Committee will re-evaluate at that time.

Want to know more about some of the items in eNews? When viewing the eNews online or on your mobile device and you see the pointing finger when running your mouse over a graphic or text, you will be able to link to more information such as a flyer, website, etc. Try it with the top picture of the church!!

Devotional/worship: Sunday Worship is posted after 8:30am to the website and the 10am service is live-streamed on FaceBook. Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall is accessible through the Zoom link above. All previous worship services are also available through our website by clicking on the Vimeo logo in the upper left corner of the posted video on the website.