Weekly Word | June 3, 2022 | Issue 43

We're having a Prospective New Member Meet and Greet tomorrow, June 4, at 5:00pm in the Fellowship Hall followed by a reception of new members on Sunday, June 12. If you are interested in becoming a member of Emmanuel or just learning more about Emmanuel and the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), please give Mary in the church office a call at 928-772-3541.

This Sunday, June 5, is Pentecost Sunday! Remember to wear RED and come celebrate the birthday of the church, when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples and all the people gathered for the harvest festival!

This summer you are invited to share your favorite hymns! In the service folders for the next few weeks, you will find an insert where you can list your favorite hymn numbers, drop it in the offering plate or the church office and we will sing them in worship this summer. Sometimes it’s nice to sing the old familiar hymns; we may just learn a few new ones too!

Mark your calendar for a special celebration of Godspeed for Pastor Adam Bissell and his family between services on Sunday, June 19.

After serving faithfully at Emmanuel as our Faith Formation Director and a hospice chaplain for Good Samaritan Hospice, Pr. Adam has accepted a call as the senior pastor at a Methodist church in Ann Arbor, MI.

We will miss them greatly—join us as we send Pr. Adam, Shannon, and Lilyan off with prayers and blessings on their new adventure.

June Outreach: Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation

CASA for Kids is a non-profit organization that serves the unmet needs of children who are in the foster care system and to support the work of the CASA volunteers. Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers act as the “eyes and ears” of the Juvenile Court and help determine whether abused, neglected or abandoned children can be reunited with their families, be placed in adoptive home, or assisted into independent living. Last year we filled the "Ark” with new stuffed animals for CASA that are kept in a special closet at CASA where children are allowed to “shop” for a new friend to hug and love.

Bible Study and Group News

The Tuesday Morning 10am Women’s Bible Study is reading the Rachel Held Evans book: Faith Unraveled. Contact Pr. Tricia for a zoom invite!

The Caregiver Support Group meets monthly on the first Thursday at 11:00am in the nursery. The next meeting is Thursday, July 7.

The Grief Group meets on the second and fourth Friday of the month in the nursery at 1:00pm. This group is for those who have experienced loss. The next meeting is Friday, June 10, at 1:00pm.

There is a Bible study at 9:30am on the last Tuesday of the month at the Prescott home of Karen and Bruce Lamb. The group is self-led, fully vaccinated and boosted, and is currently following an ELCA online lectionary text with guided questions. Please contact Karen at 928-778-5199 for more information.

The Wednesday 10am Lectionary Study group led by Hal Vogelaar and Larry Gordon meets in the Fellowship Hall. The lectionary is the weekly Bible texts used at the upcoming Sunday worship. They will continue to meet through July 6 and then will take the rest of July and the month of August off.

Jim Rebholz leads a Thursday evening Bible Study at the Rebholz’ home. They took the month of May off and are now back meeting at 6:30pm on Thursdays for dessert (a fabulous one by Carole) and the study starts at 7:00pm. Contact Jim for address and more information at 925-989-7186.

We are following the current CDC guidelines that allow us to gather without masks. Please continue to wear a mask if you are at high risk or are protecting a loved one who is. We are back to offering communion at the altar and will continue with our other pandemic protocols (like checking in at the welcome table) until we learn more from the CDC about specific guidelines for churches.

Did you know that you can order another round of free at-home Covid-19 tests from the Post Office? This is the third round, and you will receive in two separate deliveries, two boxes with two tests each for a total of eight tests! Just go to COVIDTests.gov.

COVID.gov/tests - Free at-home COVID-19 tests

The tests available for order: Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR Can be taken anywhere Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required) Work whether or not you have COVID-⁠19 symptoms Work whether or not you are up to date on your COVID-⁠19 vaccines Are also referred to as self-tests or over-the-counter (OTC) tests Read more frequently asked questions

June is Pride Month!

Why Is Pride Month Celebrated in June?

Colorful uplifting parades with floats and celebrities, joyous festivals, workshops, picnics, and parties are among the principal components of LGBTQ Pride Month, also called Gay Pride, which is celebrated in June in the United States and elsewhere around the world.

Gene Fougner

Emmanuel has a new group meeting bi-monthly, currently coordinated by Pastor Adam and four others. The LGBTQIA+ Task Force has named itself the “Inclusivity Team” and you will soon hear more about this active group.

We hope to encourage new ways of inclusion in our congregation. We have concluded that we cannot only welcome and work toward goals of Queer people but all people from those in wheelchairs and hearing impaired to special needs people, isolated seniors, to…well you get the idea. Here is a first activity to be aware of and attend if you can. June is Gay Pride all month long! This promises to be a great family fun way to meet the Queer community and show support.

Prism Network

Prism Network (formerly Greater Yavapai County Coalition) is a non profit collaboration of Organizations that provide an umbrella of support to members and allies of the LGBTQ+ Community in Yavapai County, Arizona. What we do: SUPPORT & EDUCATION for the LGBTQ Community and Allies through sponsored events, programs and resources.

Annual Family and Friendship Picnic

Sponsored by Prism Network GYCC (LGBTQIA+ community coalition)

Saturday, June 18, noon – 5 pm

Watson lake: in the large ramada (CDC protocols)

Parking: $3

Bring your own picnic lunch – perhaps a few vendors will be present

Bells at St. Luke's

Ten of our church members at the Westminster Bell Choir concert and I was proud they showed up. The bells are the largest in the US as well as the hand chimes in background standing up high.

~Gene Fougner

Help Needed

We hope to find a coordinator to pair with another person to head up the Fellowship Ministry Team. Jim Rebholz is the council liaison and Sally Newcomb has been managing the scheduling. With two people sharing the workload, it allows you to travel and know that your co-chair is covering the duties.

Remember that you don’t have to do all the work yourself, the coordinator just schedules those who have volunteered!

We are also looking for a person (or two) to take on the coordination of the twice a year Blood Drives held in the Emmanuel Lutheran Fellowship Hall. Gail Gentes has been managing the blood drives for the past three years and is ready to pass on the task. If you are interested, Gail will teach you all the ins and outs of the commitment during the next drive on July 25.

There are a several coats and jackets that have been hanging for quite a while (two years?) on the coat rack in the hallway at church.

Look familiar? Please check in the next few weeks if any of them are yours. We will be donating the abandoned outerwear to the Navajo Mission next month.

The Outreach Ministry plans to resume serving our Interfaith meal in the Fellowship Hall next Friday, June 10. We will require extra help to make this possible. Set up, serving, bussing and washing dishes, and clean up help is needed. Please let Mary know if you can be available to assist. If you are a Thrivent member, please consider using your Community Action Cards to help with the cost of these meals.

Interfaith Climate Action Team

Spring in the South

Click here to read last week's article

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, sung by Walk Off The Earth.

"Turn, Turn, Turn!" A time for every purpose under heaven!

I was pretty excited when I saw about five meteors streak across the sky this last Monday night during the Tau Herculid meteor shower.

Here is a time-elapsed picture taken by Charles Jones of the sky over Prescott!

A prayer for Pentecost

Come, Holy Spirit! When we are in pain, comfort us. When we are scared, empower us. When we are bursting with enthusiasm, direct us. When we are too comfortable, stir us. And, when we are called out on our sin, open our ears to listen...to repent...and to live our baptism, making the sacrifices necessary for justice and peace.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Celebrating this Week

Happy Birthday!

Kaila Woolley, June 6

Al Peterson, June 7

Happy Anniversary!

June 4: Paul and Marlena Berry, 28 years

June 4: Sarah Martin and Casey, 28 years

June 7: Ted and Sally Becker, 53 years

June 7: Carol and John Wade, 42 years

June 9: Cheryl and Myron Hartz, 43 years

Here's the link to Sunday's scheduled livestream. You will receive the Worship email on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. (so that it'll be higher up in your Inbox around 9:00 a.m.). If you've subscribed to our channel you can set a reminder!