Week of February 21st eNews -- Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Week of February 21, 2021

First Sunday in Lent

In this week's eNews...

February 23rd @10am: Torah Tuesdays w/Donna Batchelor
February 23rd @ 1pm: "Between the World & Me" book study
February 24th @ 5pm: Wednesday Lenten Service
February 25th @ 10am: Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall
February 25th @1pm: Revelation Bible Study
Signup is now open for Altar Flowers and Eternal Candle dedication for Feb-Mar of 2021 through the links below or contact the church office.

RESERVATION NUMBERS INCREASED

During Lent and Easter, the maximum number of reservations for each worship service will be increased to 90 to accommodate more members. Increased numbers will begin with the February 24th Wednesday Lenten service.

To maintain social distancing guidelines, the balcony will be opened for seating via one entry point in the sanctuary, on the side nearest to the Fellowship Hall. At the close of service, worshipers seated in the balcony will be released after those in the sanctuary.

A Note when Hosting a Zoom Meeting

If you are the host of a Zoom meeting, it is very important that after you "End the Meeting" you Log Out of Zoom. Click on the picture of the church in the upper right or left corner and click Log Out at the bottom of the drop down menu.

By failing to do this, you are creating problems for the next person wishing to login and host their meeting.

Thanks.

Do you feel that you have been missing out on opportunities to participate in worship, education or meetings because you haven't used Zoom? Did you know that you may be able to connect by phone? If you want to know more, please contact Mike or Kathy Anderson to talk about what would be needed for you to join Zoom. Mike: 989-698-6587 (mlanders@att.net) or Kathy: 989-859-1235 (ktanders55@yahoo.com).

Christian Ed is offering all classes via Zoom at this stage of the pandemic. Once the Council decides to re-open the church to small gatherings, we will resume in-person classes. The Christian Education committee is busy with a number of projects this month:

Torah Tuesdays at Ten are being held each week. You may sign-up for in person attendance through the eNews. All sessions are/will be available on our website on the Events page.
Confirmation is happening right now for a class of 8 youth. The program will run for 2 years.
There is a Centering Prayer workshop on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. for those who would like to learn this method of prayer. Once members feel comfortable, they will join the established prayer group.
The class on Revelation has just completed its 3rd session on Zoom. Feel free to join the class. There are currently 8-9 members.

This fall, Christian Ed will be offering a study on James. Watch for further notices on how to sign up. Christian Ed has its own email account. Feel free to send us an email with comments and suggestions: emmchristianed@gmail.com.

Your Christian Education Committee wishes you a very happy Easter!

Books from our library relating to the season of Lent are available on the cart in the Narthex. Please fill out a card to check them out and return books to the basket when finished.

Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall

February 25th 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 25th @10:00am

Join Zoom Meeting

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

Meeting ID: 923 5128 1523

Passcode: 999623

February Events

Torah Tuesdays at Ten

You are invited to revisit old friends like Moses, Noah and Abraham through a new lens - God's word with Donna Batchelor on Tuesday mornings at 10am. Donna will offer an in-person series of discussions on these old yet familiar stories beginning with the first five books of the Old Testament or the Torah - offered each week in the sanctuary. Limited attendance. Sign up below for February. March sign-ups will be in next week's eNews.

This series will also be posted on our website (under the Events tab) and on FaceBook.

See all the Torah Tuesday Videos - Click Here

Pastor preparing for Ash Wednesday

BEING THE FAMILY OF GOD

All who are baptized in Christ Jesus are baptized into the family of God. By water and word, each of us is welcomed into God’s worldwide embrace of love and salvation. In baptism we become members of the “whole Christian family on earth,” and now, here in this place, we enjoy God’s love and fellowship within our Emmanuel family, our community of faith.

Families reflect the way that God works in and among us. This year’s midweek Lenten series will consider “the family of God” as it comes to light and life in the stories of family relationships in the Bible. Each Wednesday evening we will hear stories about families — from scripture and from our own community of faith, as well as an opportunity to see a mural created by Pr. Paul Oman and constructed by Emmanuel’s “framing team.” The section of the mural painted after each midweek worship service will reflect the Bible story considered that evening. Please join “the family of God” in exploring these stories, ancient and new, through worship and art.

Click below to see the full schedule for our Wednesday Lenten Services. This week:

"Joseph and his brothers"

Genesis 37:19-28

Message: Mert Johnsrud

The Lenten worship services will also be made available on our FaceBook page and our website.

“So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)

Being the Family of God

In Our Prayers...

Shirley Kasko and Joan Wilder.

The family of Yvonne (Pinky) Pinkerton would like to share this video (click on the picture) celebrating her life. Pinky was a member of Emmanuel for 53 years and worked at the church for 5 years as a lay associate.

Thank you to the men and women who helped to unload the boxes of quilts from our unit at Big Jim Storage. Another thank you to those who removed the boxes in Fellowship Hall and the Dorcas rental truck and then into the LWR semi. To Samantha and her family who did a great job keeping everything in order that was received from other churches. We are blessed with those who use their hands and hearts to help others. Thank you.

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February Stewardship Emphasis

This committee was formed 3 years ago with a mission to provide opportunities for members of the church and the community to gather together in fun, fellowship, sharing and learning. The committee meets monthly (currently on Zoom) on the 2nd Monday at 1:00. We are struggling to find ways to gather during the pandemic. If you have ideas to share and time to spare, come join us. Call Jadynne Berg at 612-723-3111 or Pat Crary at 941-882-3089.

In the following weeks we will explain the different opportunities for you to become a part of this committee.

We look forward to hearing from you!

February Outreach Emphasis

Our Habitat for Humanity building team is actively involved with South Sarasota County Habitat for Humanity program and Emmanuel’s Local Envelope Charity has dedicated February’s contributions to support this project. With the help of local churches, it is hoped to reach goals to build our next home.

“…Building a house gives people a concrete way to put their faith into action by offering a hand-up to a family in need of housing. A Faith Build project also has the potential to build community among churches that have never worked together before. Volunteers meet new people and develop friendships with individuals from their own churches as well as from the larger faith community.”

Habitat for Humanity is always looking for volunteers to assist with building as well as painting, and other construction needs. Looking for a great area to help others please contact Frank Rauch for further information. Due to the Covid-19 volunteers are still completing two homes as only 3-4 workers can be scheduled at a time. A new House That Faith Built is not schedule to start at this time.

Remember or Honor a Loved One

There are several dates open!! Sign-up to dedicate Altar Flowers and the Eternal Candle for Feb-Mar 2021 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.

Feb-Mar Eternal Candle

Feb-Mar Altar Flowers

Barb's Medical Minute

Here’s a few medical terms...with a twist.

VEIN– conceited.
ARTERY—-The study of paintings.
BACTERIA-The back door of a cafeteria.
BARIUM—What you do when someone dies.
HANGNAIL—Coat hook.
NODE—Was aware of.
OUTPATIENT—A person who fainted.
SEIZURE—Roman emperor.
TERMINAL ILLNESS—Getting sick at the airport.

See? Medicine isn’t all serious!

a story to tell - DEVOTIONS FOR LENT 2021

This Lenten devotional highlights readings from the gospel of Matthew with 46 entries, one for each day from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Each reading is accompanied by a photo, a quote to ponder, a reflection, and a prayer. This format makes it easy to incorporate a simple Christian observance into your Lenten journey. A Story to Tell focuses on texts from the Gospel of Mark that show Jesus’ journey from baptism to the cross. The gospel writer has a story to tell, moving quickly from one scene to the next. The urgent tone of the story grabs us and pulls us in, but all the action comes to a halt when those who see the empty tomb tell no one about this. Is this the end of the story?

Lenten devotional booklets will be available in the Narthex this weekend and next week at the office Mon-Thurs 8:30am-12noon.

Readings for This Week

February 21st

First Sunday of Lent

Genesis 9:8-17

Psalm 25:1-10

1 Peter 3:18-22

Mark 1:9-15

February 24th

Wednesday Lenten Service

"Joseph & His Brothers"

Genesis 37:19-28

Mert Johnsrud

February 28th

Second Sunday of Lent

Genesis 17:1-7,15-16

Psalm 22:23-31

Romans 4:13-25

Mark 8:31-38

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!!
If you need to edit or cancel your registration, use the links provided in the email or text confirmation you receive when registering.

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.

Emmanuel is currently in Stage 2 of our Reopening Roadmap. Stage 2 does allow limited activities on our Church campus; if you decide you would like to resume an allowed ministry, see Reopening Roadmap; you need to contact the Executive Committee to confirm the protocols you will be following; conforming to the Reopening Roadmap.

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.

Check out Emmanuel's website on the Events page to view upcoming events, Sunday's announcement PowerPoint, and pictures of recent activities as available.