Emanuel Lutheran Church. November Enlightener

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1 Emanuel Lutheran Church November 2018 Enlightener 125th Anniversary ~ Sunday, August 25, ~At the annual meeting of 1940, a motion was passed to change the church s name to Immanuel Lutheran Church. Although the secretary was instructed to change the name with the State Commission of Corporations, it apparently was never done as the church continued to be known through the decade as the Swedish Evangelical Emanuel Lutheran Church of Skandia. The congregation was blessed with regular worship services throughout the forties. Members would gather for worship every other Sunday in January through March, usually in the afternoon or evening. From April to December, worship services were held every Sunday. During the winter months, services were held in either the Pioneer School or the Oscar II Hall. Average attendance in 1940 was down to 35. Sunday School and Adult Forum 10 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 11 a.m. Interim Pastor Warren Geier (906) or (906) (cell) pastor@bethanyishpeming.org Emanuel Lutheran Church: emanuel@tds.net Emanuel Lutheran Church of Skandia

2 Congregational Leadership Interim Pastor Warren Geier (906) Council Members Sandi Ruotsi Mary Lou Behrens Donna Oliver Jolene Kokko Betsy Koski Jane Sims Jesse Kainulainen Christian Education Betsy Koski ~ Confirmation Leah Kainulainen, Karen Maki ~ Sunday School Sandi Ruotsi ~ Adult Forum Jolene Kokko ~ Assistant Emanuel Lutheran Church has both a Face Book Page and website! Catch up on upcoming and past events, our monthly calendar and Enlightener newsletters at: Committee Leaders Sandi Ruotsi ~ Council President Barb Bach ~ Stewardship Sarah Kimball ~ Outreach Betsy Koski ~ Christian Education Betsy Koski ~ 125th Anniversary Committee Leah Kainulainen ~ Youth Mission Jane Sims ~ Worship & Music Roger Kimball ~ Building & Property Pam Bahrman~ Cemetery Business Manager The deadline for getting information for the December Enlightener is Sunday, November 25. Worship with Holy Communion is at 11: 00 AM with Sunday School and Adult Forum at 10:00 through February,

3 Date Acolyte Ushers Lector 11/4 Hailey Ridolphi Donna Oliver/Sandi Ruotsi Ronda Barr 11/11 Luke Kainulainen Leah & Jesse Kainulainen Laurie Kass 11/18 Tiffany Ridolphi Dale Weingartner/Richard Cooke Patti Bergdahl 11/25 Hailey Ridolphi Donna Oliver/Sandi Ruotsi Sally Weingartner November Worship Leaders November 4 Mrs. Virginia Paulson November 11 Bishop Katherine Finegan November 18 Mrs. Virginia Paulson November 20 Betsy Koski (Thanksgiving 6:30 p.m.) November 25 Pastor Chrys Levesque Hendrick November 9 Roger Kimball November 11 Nicole Maki, November 29 James Bellow, Lois Kokko Jane Sims November 13 Tom Bach November 15 Laurie Beauchamp November 19 Dave Pelto November 22 Mary Alice Smith November 10 Dave & Bonnie Pelto November 24 Bambi Swetich Thank you to the Sims Family for sponsoring the November worship bulletins in celebration of Thanksgiving.

4 As I drove to the airport a couple of weeks ago to pick up my brother I was reminded that this time of year, in between fall color and the real onset of snow and winter, is a time of the year I really like. You might think I m crazy, but I like the cooler, but still pleasant temperatures (although this year it has too often been downright cold!); I like the silhouette of the bare tree branches against the sky whether it s clear blue or steely gray; I like the different, slanting quality the sunlight has at this time of year and how you can see different things when the leaves are off the trees. I wind up at the church a lot of evenings when the sun is setting and find the late autumn sunsets to be especially beautiful. November is a month when our thoughts turn to giving thanks as we celebrate our national day of Thanksgiving. Hopefully it s a time when we are more conscious of and thankful for many of the things we tend to take for granted, like the beauty of the changing seasons. In the Bible, saying thank you in some fashion is one of the most characteristic way that people address God. It s something that is good to be aware of all the time but still it s helpful to have a holiday that specifically brings giving thanks to mind. As is true with many of our holidays, religious and otherwise, Thanksgiving takes on trappings that don t have much to do with giving thanks. Thanksgiving (along with Christmas) has become associated with family which is not a bad thing, but that association with its connected memories can evoke a host of emotions and sentiment, some good, some not so good. Even when the emotions and sentiment are pleasant, they can still distract us from giving thanks to God which was the original intent of the holiday. I have to confess that most of my thoughts and memories concerning Thanksgiving really don t have much to do with actually giving thanks.

5 But that October day, driving to the airport, I think I got it. I wasn t planning on it being a time of thanksgiving, but that s what it was: I was thankful for the somewhat stark but still beautiful landscape. I m sure that you also have those moments, those unexpected times when you get it and your sense of thanksgiving to God is real. I hope that this year, on November 22 nd, amid all the trappings that make Thanksgiving Day special, we can all remember those times and call them to mind, and again give thanks. ~ Pastor Warren Geier Love the Lord your God with all your HEART and with all your SOUL and with all your MIND and with all your STRENGTH. Mark 12:30, ESV Thank you to all that helped with the Harvest Soup and Pie Social in October! Many thanks to those that helped set and decorate the tables, make the soup, make and donate the many delicious pies and supplies, serve our guest and clean up afterwards! We made close to $740 in the free will offering towards our new roof. We are very grateful to the many volunteers who give of their time and talents to our congregation in the service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

6 ~From The Bishop Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing. When I read this in Matthew, I think back to a song that was popular a few years ago. It had a sort of Jamaican beat, and the singer sang over and over again, Don t Worry, be Happy. And whenever I heard it, I thought of palm trees and the blue ocean, and drinking something cool and fruity on a white sandy beach. This song speaks about worry as if we can just turn it off, check out from life, distance ourselves from all our cares and concerns and feelings and live as if life didn t matter. At Thanksgiving, we give thanks, because life does matter. The cares and concerns and feelings we have speak to how invested we are in living a life that matters. As we eat too much pie and turkey, we give thanks that we do not have to worry about what we shall eat or what we shall wear. We give thanks that life is more than food and clothing. We give thanks, that as much as God is involved in creation and feeding the birds of the air, making the lilies beautiful, causing grass and grain to grow, much as God is involved in all that is around us, we give thanks at how much more is God involved with that which is even more precious. As people of faith we take time to thank God for how much more God cares for you, provides for you, and gives you what you need the most. Jesus says do not worry or be anxious, because Jesus knows how easy it is for us to get bogged down in the details. Of course food and clothing matter, but they only really matter if you don t have any. I read the other day, about two Christian congregations. One is here in the U.S., and one is in Malawi. The congregation in the U.S. sent some folks over to Malawi for a visit and they saw first hand how the people struggled. The country was in the grip of a severe famine. People were barely surviving on what little they had, and yet worship was a priority, and the church in Malawi was full to busting on Sunday mornings. After the visiting group returned home, they continued communicating with this congregation in Malawi, and along with gifts of support, they sent a letter commending the congregation for their lively and thriving faith in the midst of such hardship. And they asked the question, How is it that you have faith when you have so little? And the people of the church in Malawi, sent back a letter of thanks, and their own question, How is it that you have faith when you have so much?

7 The congregation in the U.S. wondered how it was that the people from Malawi were not driven to despair. The people from the church in Malawi wondered how it is that having our basic needs met and then some, doesn t lead us to trust in ourselves rather than God. It is a good question. It is easy to take what we have for granted. Having the food and clothing and shelter we need frees us to focus on what kind of food, clothing and shelter we want. And this can easily distract us from what really matters. The people of the church in Malawi know first hand about faith born of desperation. But they are not alone in this. We know too that often it is out of need and desperation that we seek God. So often, it is a crisis that brings us to our knees. So often it takes an emptiness that we cannot name, or when life spins beyond our reach and we don t know what else to do but pray. So often, faith comes when trust in God is all you have to go on. We are blessed when despair leads to hope in God. We are blessed when crisis brings us new understanding of God in our lives. While there may be times when we come to God in desperation, how nice it is to come to God in praise and thankfulness for the many blessings we enjoy. At Thanksgiving and every time we worship, we gather to offer thanks to God, not just for food and clothing but also for the life we have that is so much more than food and clothing. We thank God for the wonderful gift of people we love and the blessing of people who love us. We thank God for all that God has made us to be and everything God calls us to become. But most of all, we thank God for giving us what we need the most, the saving power of Jesus the Christ. Yours in Christ, Bishop Katherine Finegan

8 November 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Confirmation 5 PM 2 3 Walking Together Congregational Renewal at Immanuel of Negaunee 9-11:30AM Sunday School & Adult Forum 10 AM Worship 11 AM A.A. -7 PM Creating Sherry s Creating Sherry s 9:30 AM Creating Sherry s 9:30 AM Confirmation 5 PM Sunday School & Adult Forum 10 AM Worship 11 AM with Bishop Finegan A.A. -7 PM Bazaar Set Up Begins Confirmation 5 PM Caradamon Bread Making Holiday Bazaar & Quilt Sale 9AM-2PM Sunday School & Adult Forum 10 AM Worship 11 AM Council Mtg. 1 pm A.A. -7 PM Thanksgiving Worship 6:30 p.m. Shopping for Thanksgiving Baskets Thanksgiving Day Sunday School & Adult Forum 10 AM A.A. -7 PM Confirmation 5 PM Worship 11 AM

9 Emanuel Lutheran Church 9812 US HWY 41 ~ Skandia ANNUAL HOLIDAY BAZAAR & QUILT SALE Saturday, November 17, a.m. to 2 p.m. Homemade Soup & Sandwich Lunch Decorative & Fresh Wreaths (Pre-orders taken, $20, 24 inch, mixed evergreens: until November 4) Handmade Quilts & Crafts Cardamom Bread, Baked Goods, Candies, Jams and Jellies Raffle Items: Handmade Quilt, Stone Planter with Christmas Cactus, Stained Glass Piece, Quilted Wool Wall Hanging, Original Painting, Framed Prints, Fresh Christmas Wreath (Raffle License # R49442) 50% of proceeds will go towards the replacement of the roof at Emanuel. Thrivent Financial has provided a generous grant to support this event. For more information:

10 Adult Forum Update Starting November 11, Adult Forum will take a break from studying the Twelve Apostles. Instead we will Journey with Adam Hamilton as he travels from Nazareth to Bethlehem in his fascinating book The Journey. Come along with us as we follow the footsteps of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and others, gaining insight into our own journeys with Christ. Holiday Bazaar & Quilt Sale, Saturday, November 17, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. We rely on our congregation members and friends to help provide the baked goods, jams & jellies, and goodies for the bake sale table during the bazaar. There are sign up sheets in the fellowship hall of all of the areas to help with for the bazaar including what your are planning on making for the bake sale table. It really helps us get an idea of what is being made and what is yet needed. The last day to preorder a fresh wreath is Sunday, November 4, Thank you for your support of this annual fundraiser! Thank You for Supporting our New Roof! A GoFundMe campaign has been set up online for our new roof! Please share it with your friends and family via face book, twitter and . You can do a search on the website with the words Skandia, MI or you can use the following link: gofundme.com/h7rdwp-new-roof-for-church As of November 2, we have raised $1525 thru GoFundMe!

11 God Bless you on your First Communion, Sunday, October 28; Vincent St. John, Saima Kainulainen, Allie Sims, and Emma Maki with Pastor Chrys Levesque Hendricks. You are invited to join us for our Thanksgiving Worship Service on Tuesday, November 20 at 6:30 pm. This special worship of giving thanks helps us focus on the many blessing we have received from God. It will be led by Betsy Koski. Our Emanuel Church Council is needing a treasurer beginning in January. If you are interested in the position please contact Sandi Ruotsi. We give a big thank you to Donna Oliver who served as the council treasurer for the past several years. Thank you to all who helped at the Trunk or Treating this year! Over 100 children were treated from 18 trunks parked at the Skandia/West Branch Fire Hall, the Fire Fighters and First Responders. All were treated to cookies, popcorn, apples and beverages inside the spooky Fire Hall! Also thank you to Thrivent who donated a grant for the supplies.

12 The November Enlightener Emanuel Lutheran Church P.O. Box 160 Skandia, MI Emanuel Lutheran Church is a people centered in Christ, rich in heritage and beauty, living out Christ s openness to all. Our ministry is to spread the Word of God in our community through service, education and fellowship, creating a sense of family as we break bread together in the company of Christ. Sunday Worship Time 11 a.m. Sunday School & Adult Forum 10:00 a.m. Thanksgiving Worship Service Tuesday, November 20, 6:30 p.m.