Faith Lutheran eNews

March 17, 2023

This Weekend in Worship


Baptism is sometimes called enlightenment. The gospel for this weekend is the story of the man born blind healed by Christ. "I was blind, now I see," declares the man. In baptism God opens our eyes to see the truth of who we are: God's beloved children. As David was anointed king of Israel, in baptism God anoints our head with oil, and calls us to bear witness to the light of Christ in our daily lives.


Scripture Readings for Sunday

1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

Click here for the lectionary commentaries.


Worship Schedule

Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 8:15 & 10:30 am

The Sunday 10:30 am service will be streamed on the church website.


Nursery

The nursery is located in Room 201 and is open Sunday morning.


Prayers of the People

Tim Criner, Becca Feeken, Karen Hoier, Terri Kuckuck, Ella Neuhaus, Ella Petersen, Lori Theilen, Bryan Ver Ploeg, Travis Viles, Barbara Waters, Loreitha Williams


Altar flowers are provided by Joyce Coon in celebration of her 96th birthday.


Altar flowers are provided by Jerry Witt in memory of Lois Witt's birthday on March 17.


Condolences to Christine and Peter Bissinger on the death of Christine's father, Dick Knuth, on March 15.


Worship Helpers

Are you interested in helping with communion, greeting, or other tasks, please click here to sign up to help with upcoming worship services. Contact the church office if you have any questions: office@faithlc.org / 515-225-8334.

Lent 2023: Unfinished


Join us for meal and worship on Wednesday evenings in March. Faith Feast begins at 5:30 in St. Michael's Hall followed by Lenten worship at 6:15 in the Sanctuary. The menu for March 22 is spiral ham, cheesy potatoes, dinner roll, salad, and snickerdoodle bars.


Lenten devotionals and calendar are available in the church Commons and at www.faithlc.org/lent.

ELCA World Hunger: 40 Days of Giving


As members of the ELCA, we are called to eradicate poverty and hunger. During the season of Lent, ELCA World Hunger's 40 Days of Giving invites us to be part of that work and to bear witness to it with partners, companions, friends, and neighbors. You may click here to give directly to ELCA World Hunger or give as a special offering during worship at Faith Lutheran.

Project Gathering House


The Faith Lutheran Gathering House could use some love! We use this space for church events and to host families experiencing homelessness through our partnership with Family Promise of Greater Des Moines. We would love to make the Gathering House more home-like for our guests, which means some of the household goods need to be replaced. Please consider purchasing items through our Amazon Wish List or our Target registry. Contact Seana Jefferson (sh7jefferson@outlook.com) if you'd like to donate something that is not on the list.

Project Gathering House Pop-Up Event

Come for a sweet treat after Lenten Worship on March 22! We will bless our new goods and learn all about getting involved with Family Promise. This is your chance to get ALL of your questions answered about how Family Promise works and to learn about what is needed to help our guests feel more at home when they stay with us. This does not commit you to volunteering. It is simply an opportunity to learn about how we serve our neighbors during Lent. All are welcome! Contact Seana Jefferson with any questions (864-884-5929 or sh7jefferson@outlook.com).  

Family Promise Week

April 2 - 9


Faith will be hosting families experiencing homelessness through Family Promise on April 2-9. Meals, hosts, and chaperones are needed. Please consider serving in support of this wonderful ministry. 


Meal Providers: evening dinners and Saturday morning breakfast 

Dinner Hosts: evenings from 5:30-8:30 pm 

Overnight Chaperones: overnight from 8:00 pm - 6:00 am 

Click here to sign up.


For more information, contact Seana Jefferson (sh7jefferson@outlook.com or 864-884-5929) or visit the Family Promise display in the Commons to see what opportunities need to be filled. 

Holy Week and Easter Schedule


Passion/Palm Sunday

April 1 at 5:00 pm, April 2 at 8:15 & 10:30 am


Maundy Thursday - April 6 at 7:00 pm

Good Friday - April 7 at 7:00 pm

Easter Vigil - April 8 at 7:00 pm


Easter Sunday

April 9 at 6:30, 8:15 & 10:30 am

Order Easter Flowers


You can help provide flowering plants in the sanctuary for Easter Sunday, April 9. Click here to fill out the online form and submit your $20 payment. The deadline is April 2. Contact office@faithlc.org with any questions.

Bishop Amy Current Visits Faith Lutheran

March 25 & 26


Bishop Amy Current will preach and preside at all three worship services on the weekend of March 25-26. She will also lead the Adult Faith Formation hour on March 26 at 9:30 am.


Rev. Amy Current is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and has served the Southeastern Iowa Synod in the office of the bishop since 2020. She is a graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead, MN (B.A.) and Wartburg Theological Seminary (M. Div.). Prior to her role as bishop, Current served as vice president for admissions and student services at Wartburg Theological Seminary. She also served in various leadership roles at Wartburg Seminary including director for financial and and stewardship formation, director for public communications, and interim director of the Center for Youth Ministries.


Born and raised in North Dakota, Amy was honored to serve as pastor of Maple Sheyenne Lutheran Church in Harwood, N.D., and as pastor of Golden Ridge Lutheran Church, Fargo, N.D., and Congregational Lutheran United Church, Gardner, N.D. Bishop Current serves on the boards of Grand View University, Lutheran Services in Iowa, Wartburg College, and Unity Point Health - Des Moines. She is married to Rev. Dr. Samuel Giere, who serves as professor of biblical interpretation at Wartburg Theological Seminary. They have two children, Isaac and Shonagh Current Giere. The family has two miniature Australian shepherds, Archie and Otis. Bishop Current enjoys reading novels, kayaking, snowshoeing, walking, sharing meals, lingering in conversation, watching tv, and exploring through travel.

Family Dance Party

March 25 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm


All Dancing Queens and Kings are invited to the Family Dance Party Disco. There will be dancing, games, and other fun activities. Come dressed in your best disco outfits and show off your dance moves! Cost is $15 per child. Adults are free. All children must be accompanied by an adult. All proceeds support scholarships for Lutheran Lakeside Camp. Click here to register!

Spring Clean Up

April 1 | 8:00 - 12:00


Spring Clean Up Day occurs in the morning of April 1 and focuses on indoor and outdoor projects. Silver cord hours are available for high school students. If you plan to help out, please contact Mike Gaul at 515-971-1504 or mike.a.gaul@me.com.

Easter Egg Hunt

April 2 at 9:30


All ages are welcome to join in the Easter Egg Hunt! It will begin in St. Michael's Hall with Holy Week activities. Then children will be invited outside to hunt for eggs. Bring your own basket for collecting eggs.

Good Friday Cantata

April 7 at 7:00


The Good Friday service this year will feature “Tenebrae” by Hal Hopson. The Chancel Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Oboe, and Organ will lead the congregation through the commemoration of the final hours of our Lord’s life on earth, as he suffered death upon the cross. Please join us for this moving and reflective worship service.

Easter Vigil Dessert Potluck

April 8


There will be a dessert potluck following the Easter Vigil worship service on April 8. All are welcome to bring a dessert to share. Click here to sign up. Contact Caitlyn Reinders (caitlyn@faithlc.org) with any questions.

Easter Breakfast

April 9 | 7:30 - 10:30


Support the senior high mission trip and join us for breakfast on Easter Sunday. The menu includes French toast casserole, sausage, eggs, fruit, muffins, and cereal. Gluten free options available.

Endowment Grant Applications


Grant applications for endowment funds are now open! Grants can be used for scholarships to ELCA schools, extra support for Faith ministries, support for local service agencies, and to enhance the work of the synod. Click here to complete the form by March 31.

Faith Feast Volunteers Needed


Join the Faith Feast crew on Wednesday nights to prepare, serve, and clean up after the meal. Teams of five people join Chef Jerry Waage in the kitchen from 4:45 - 6:45 pm. Click here to learn more and sign up today!

Pastoral Visit and At-Home Communion


If you or someone you know wishes to have a visit by one of the pastors and/or receive Holy Communion, call the church office at 515-225-8334 or email Pastor Eric Carlson at eric@faithlc.org.

Ways to Give
You can make financial contributions to the church in the following ways:
  • Place a check or cash in the offering container in worship
  • Mail a personal check to Faith at 10395 University Ave., Clive, IA 50325
  • Visit the Online Giving page to make a gift online

Thanks for your ongoing support of Faith Lutheran Church's ministries.

Cancellation Policy


During adverse weather conditions, cancellation of Faith Lutheran Sunday worship and activities will be determined no later than 6:00 am on Sunday. Cancellation of congregational activities all other days will be determined no later than 12:00 noon. Information regarding cancellations will be posted with WHO 1040 AM radio, KCCI TV Channel 8, Faith's Facebook page, the church website, and a direct email to the congregation.

Altar Flowers
You can honor a loved one or commemorate a special occasion by sponsoring altar flowers. Click here to sign up for a specific date.
Please provide information for the eNews or bulletin announcements to office@faithlc.org by Tuesday at 12:00 noon.
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