Week of April 4 eNews -- Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Emmanuel Lutheran Church eNews

Easter Sunday - Alleluia! He is Risen!

Week of April 4, 2021

In this week's eNews...

April 3/4: Easter Worship Services
April 6 @ 10am: Torah Tuesdays w/Donna Batchelor
April 8: Thursdays Together
April 8: Final Revelations Study
Signup is now open for Altar Flowers and Eternal Candle dedication for April-June of 2021 through the links below or contact the church office.

Have a blessed Easter weekend.

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, you might want to check the 11am worship for room!!
If you need to edit or cancel your registration, use the links provided in the email confirmation you received 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.
Limited seating is available in the balcony. Please wait for an usher to escort you. The seats in the back of the sanctuary should only be used when the pews are "full".
Please do not stop and visit 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.

Easter is always filled with celebration and the empty tomb reminds us that God not only moves the stone away from the tomb, but opens our hearts to the resurrection and presence of his love. Over the past year we have been locked up behind closed doors and now with the vaccines we have been able to open up our doors and lives to others again. We are ready to sing and shout the words “Alleluia Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed.” The Easter message embraces the words from the Gospel of John, “For God so loved the world.” A Pastor friend told me that after an Easter service one of his members said, “It sure was good seeing all those people in worship for Easter, but I hope it does some good.” It is always good seeing so many people in church for Easter and we can be assured that it does a great deal of good. God is the one that creates the good and calls us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Easter message with the symbols of the empty tomb and empty cross shout out the goodness of God whether we see it or not. It is not about whether we think it does any good, we can be assured that through Christ everything works together for good. We know that God uses each sacred moment during worship and throughout the week to remind us that He loves us. The hope we have in the resurrection of Jesus is not just for Easter Sunday. The word of God is like a love letter that lovers cling to over time in order to be assured that they are loved. God invites us not just on Sundays but every day to show that goodness is alive and well in loving others. Throughout the history of the ministry of Emmanuel, God has shown his goodness through the members of this Church. May this Easter reveal God’s love in you as you celebrate God’s everlasting goodness and hope!

Pastor Rob

The Outreach Committee has continued to creatively find ways to carry out its mission of serving those in our community and beyond. Emmanuel’s congregation has generously given to the ministries of the Monthly Outreach Emphasis. We recently agreed to support the ministry of the Center for Christian Education in Slovakia, and our support continues for Livenson Lauvanus and his work in Haiti.

The Coffee Talk team has faithfully scheduled volunteers, and prepared and delivered meals to some of Venice’s neediest every Tuesday and Thursday all through the pandemic. There have been changes – everyone is masked and the bag lunches are dropped off at the curb near the Train Depot picnic tables, but the smiles are still in the eyes of both those receiving the lunches and those who bring them.

Even though we cannot host the Family Promise guests on our campus yet, our caring volunteers have brought meals to families staying In the Family Promise Day Center and provided funds for meals and lodging for other families. We look forward to the time when we can be blessed by the presence of these families in our Church.

Baseball, Hot Dogs, and Fellowship

The Fellowship Committee organized an outing for Emmanuel at Cool Today Park on Thursday, March 25th. It was a beautiful day at the ballpark to see the Braves vs Rays. Thanks for arranging this outing. Hopefully we can do this again next year!! More pictures are on the events page of our website.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Do you enjoy making sure others are well fed? Can you make lunches once a month? The Coffee Talk ministry brings bag lunches each Tuesday and Thursday to homeless people at the Venice Train Depot. We need a few more volunteers who will prepare lunches and drop them off for some of Venice’s neediest residents. Email Pat Moser (psmos2@aol.com) or leave a message for her at 941-493-3541.

See the Torah Tuesday Video Showcase - Click Here

In Our Prayers...

Katy Carlise, Davis Darrington, Dr. Jon Fusselman, Erik Lundahl (Bill & Joy's son), Ralph Moreland, and Tom Wyneken.

Also for the family and friends of Judi Jaquette who passed to the church triumphant last week.

Barb's Medical Minute

We all have been duped! A few years ago they were advertising “Pork, the new white meat.” So I thought, probably like a lot of you, that it is healthier than red meat. Right? Wrong, Pork is a red meat...just like beef, lamb, and veal. And higher intake of red and processed meat is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and colorectal cancer. So limit all red meat to a couple (max 4) of 3-4 oz weekly servings, the leaner the better. I thought I was being so good eating pork chops, ham, etc….I guess not.

April thru June Now Available!

Click the links below to reserve your date to remember or honor a loved one or a special event by sponsoring the Altar Flowers or Eternal Candle for April-June. 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.

Altar Flowers April-June

Eternal Candle April-June

Readings for This Week

April 1

Maundy Thursday

Exodus 12:1-14

Psalm 116:1-2,12-19

I Cor 11:23-26

John 13:1-17,31b-35

April 2

Good Friday

Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12

Psalm 22

Hebrews 10:16-25

John 18:1 - 19:42

April 4

Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34-43

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

I Cor 15:1-11

Mark 16:1-8

April 11

Second Sunday after Easter

Acts 4:32-35

Psalm 133

I John 1:1 - 2:2

John 20:19-31

For your information...

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.