Weekly eNews - Emmanuel Lutheran Church

eNews

Week of December 27, 2020

First Sunday After Christmas

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP

PLEASE WAIT TO ARRIVE TO WORSHIP UNTIL 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO START AND REMAIN IN YOUR CAR UNTIL DOORS ARE OPENED. AN USHER WILL UNLOCK THE DOORS AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

ENTRANCE DOORS WILL BE LOCKED BETWEEN SERVICES TO SANITIZE. PLEASE MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK WHEN ENTERING. WHEN SEATED, WE ASK THAT YOU MOVE TO THE MIDDLE OF YOUR ROW.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND IN-PERSON CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP, THE 4PM SERVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AND THE 5PM SERVICE WILL BE LIVE STREAMED TO FACEBOOK.

In this week's eNews...

Christ in our Home has finally arrived and will be available in the Narthex this weekend at regular worship or at the church office.
Worship This Weekend - Saturday, Dec 26th @ 5pm and Sunday, Dec 27th @ 10am ONLY!
Signup is now open for Altar Flowers and Eternal Candle dedication for Jan-Mar of 2021 through the links below.
Pick up your giving envelopes and Pandemic cookbooks in the office. There are extra cookbooks available for purchase.

Please note: The worship schedule for this weekend, December 26/27 has changed. There will be two services:

Saturday at 5pm and Sunday at 10am.

Click Here to Register For Next Weekend - January 2/3

For December 26/27 the 5pm service will be available on our website and the 10am service will be live-streamed to Facebook.

Poinsettias may be picked up after the 7pm Christmas Eve Worship, after the 10am Worship on Sunday, or next week at the church office.

In Our Prayers...

Nicholas Belamour (Pr. Livenson’s father-in-law), Marlys Huselid, Karen MacDonald, Ethan McKee (grandson of Theresa & Tim McKee), Jordon Simon (grandson of De & Carol Simon) and John Verost.

December Outreach Emphasis

Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) is a leading, life-changing human services organization working to transform the lives of people regardless of age, background, or belief.

They generously serve children and families, youth and teens, adults and elderly, refugees and immigrants, and victims of natural disasters through various programs ranging from substance abuse and mental health to education.

Through our work, we help communities build healthier, happier, and hope-filled tomorrows.

Dedicate Altar Flowers and Eternal Candle - Jan-Mar 2021

There plenty of 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

Women of the ELCA rely on one another for friendship and spiritual support. This year we have missed the fellowship of spending time together. A special ZOOM event, the WELCA Christmas Tea, provided us with a wonderful opportunity to connect with friends; to share treasured moments in prayer, through stories, and music. See the picture below. I want to take this opportunity to thank Pastor Rob, Dan Horswell, Birdie Clark, Gail Authier, and Jadynne Berg for making the Christmas Tea a huge success. Thank you, Becky Rothgery and Debi Hammett for your time and support.

The New Year is just about to open doors with opportunities for us to avail. Exciting news! Deborah Circle will begin Bible study on ZOOM, January 5 at 7:00 pm. All women are welcome to join in this Bible study. Please contact Kathie Winemiller at kathiewindmiller@gmail.com for information. Read the weekly eNews for posts on future events.

I wish you a wonderful new year filled with God’s love, abundance, and joy. Let 2021 be filled with everything that is truly good - with the comfort of love and caring in our relationships with friends and family.

God bless you,

Dr. Marlyce Holbach, WELCA President

We wish you a Blessed Christmas. We hope you are able to join us for virtual and/or in person worship to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank you for your patience and persistence with the safety protocols through the Advent and Christmas worship services. The committee continues to work on ways to enhance your worship experience during this challenging time. We look forward to worshiping with you in 2021!!"

Follow-up

Centering Prayer is a method of prayer, which prepares us to receive the gift of God's presence, traditionally called contemplative prayer. It consists of responding to the Spirit of Christ by consenting to God’s presence and action within. In his December 6th message, Deacon Scott encouraged us to expand our prayer life.

Here are some resources and contact information:

Contact Susan Holm for joining the existing Centering Prayer group: sjeholm@me.com .
Contact Birdie Clark for any questions or encouragement: birdieclark48@aol.com or at 941.488.4360
The book "Into The Silent Land" (copies in the Church Library)
Click on each of these YouTube videos: Thomas Keating Centering Prayer Guidelines, Cynthia Bourgeault Christian Centering Prayer, or What is Centering Prayer / How do we do it?

There will also be a Zoom Centering Prayer workshop in February and before Lent a new Centering Prayer group may be forming. Watch for details in the future!

Thank you to Birdie Clark for compiling this list of information.

Now Available at the Office

Mon-Thurs, 8:30am-12noon

Pandemic cookbooks are waiting for you. Please have your check made out to Emmanuel Lutheran Church or have exact cash. As a reminder, they are $8 each. We have extra for sale. Thanks!

Many of you have your 2021 Giving Envelopes to pick-up. Please ring the bell for help when stopping to get them at the office.

They've finally arrived!!

Christ in our Home devotionals will be available at worship beginning the weekend of December 26/27 or may be picked up at the office.

January Events

A noon lunch (bring sack lunch/drink) will be held on January 8th, 2021 at The Salvation Army, 1051 Albee Farm Rd, Venice. The program, "New Beginnings" will be provided by the Salvation Army and will include information about their After-School program. Bring a canned food item for a local food pantry.

Contact Judi Johnson for more details.

Any Additional Food Pantry donations....

Any food donations to 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 that their hours vary so call before you go! 941.408.2911.

Notes of THANKS for your generous contributions have been received from the following:

Venice Area Mobile Meals, Inc.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Desoto Counties
Habitat for Humanity of South Sarasota County's House that Faith Built
South County Food Pantry
Family Promise of South Sarasota County
SelahFreedom

The office helpers and staff wish to thank all of you who dropped off Christmas "goodies" and also for all the support you have given us this year. God has blessed us with each of you.

We wish all of you a Blessed 2021.

Readings for Worship

December 27th

First Sunday after Christmas

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Psalm 148

Galatians 4:4-7

Luke 2:22-40

January 3rd

Second Sunday after Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Psalm 147:12-20

Ephesians 1:3-14

John1:(1-9)10-18

Remember these guidelines when coming to worship:

6 feet social distancing requirements - do not crowd pews.
Remember to wear a mask 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.

Due to increasing COVID numbers in the area, the Executive Committee has extended the cancellation of all non-worship activities through January 5th. 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.