The Builder. Midoriland Family Snow Weekend!

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1 Mission Statement: Welcoming all people, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and schools love, teach, and serve through Christ. The Builder Emmanuel Lutheran Church January 2017 volume 71, number 1 Inside this issue Pastors & Youth pp. 2 & 3 Schools pp. 4-5 Calendar & Events... pp. 6 & 7 News & Information...pp Midoriland Family Snow Weekend! Put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him. Colossians 3:10 Families are getting excited about spending a fun filled weekend at Big Bear! Set for January 20-22, there will be snow play, great food, music and fellowship, plus a family led worship time on Sunday morning. Mark your calendars! Just $40 per person or $110 per family, this is an occasion that should not be missed! Contact the church office at: office@nohoelc.org or talk to Pr. Marty to reserve your space. January

2 Pastor Marty s Musings You know what? just may be the scariest question that a pastor can hear during a children s message. Scary because, You know what? are the words that often propel the conversation onto the trail of toy trucks, dead goldfish and dad s personal hygiene habits faster than you can say, Amen! Only a skilled professional can salvage the conversation to the point where, as the old joke goes, a child will finally say, Well, Pastor, it sounds like you re describing a squirrel, but I suppose the answer is Jesus. Quickly followed by the pastor saying, Yup, it s Jesus. Let s pray! Yes, every pastor (and parent) fears the imminent peril that awaits whenever You know what? rears its ugly question mark. But at the same time, You know what? is the greatest question you can possibly hear. The question floods out of a child with an emotion and an immediacy that is too often lacking in our worship services. It conveys a thought or a message that bubbles up so fast in the heart that it cannot be contained. It needs to be shared whatever it is, regardless of the situation or the topic. Scripture is filled with You know what? moments: Of Moses improbable audience with Pharaoh: You know what? The Lord, the God of Israel says, Let my people go! As the psalmist said: You know what, The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. As the angels announced to the shepherds: You know what? Born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. We can never be quite sure where the question You know what? will take us in the coming year, but whenever it is uttered on our journey of faith we can be assured that what follows is going to be one heck of a ride. I hope to see you in worship! Pastor Marty 2

3 Sunday School for preschool through 5th grade begins again January 8th with Pati Evans and Barbara Reilly. Children leave to go to their classrooms with their teachers following the children s message during 10am worship and return in time for Holy Communion. Confirmation with Pastor Marty Our next confirmation class is Sunday, January 8 11:30-2:30pm. Does Pastor Marty know what he s doing? Does he know where the youth room is? Find out the answers to these important questions and so many more! Can t wait to see you there. Education and Youth Committee meeting: Wednesday, January 4 th in the conference room at 6:30pm Family Snow Weekend at Midoriland, January 20 th -22 nd Just $40 per person or $110 per family! Stewardship Is About Love Stewardship is really all about love. Love is best understood not only in words, but also in deeds. As written in 1 John 3:18, Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. Stewardship is the way we love with all that God has entrusted to our care. It is the way we show love with our whole selves. It is the primary way we live out the greatest commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Stewardship is a wonderful word that describes how a follower of Jesus Christ faithfully travels through this life using the abundance that God has entrusted to our care to love God and our neighbor. (Grace Duddy Pomroy, Embracing Stewardship, p. 21) January

4 News from Laurel Hall Happy New Year! Laurel Hall students will return to campus well rested from their Christmas break with an excited enthusiasm to be back on campus. The mid-point of the school year is close at hand and there are new adventures in learning to be had. There is a freshness to the school year that January brings for both students and teachers as new concepts are tackled. New beginnings and fresh starts are good! Many of the 8th grade students will be preparing to take high school entrance exams at the end of the month, as well as prepare for interviews at some high schools. Our students will be well prepared for this new path in their educational journey. Many have participated in mock interview sessions with Mrs. Pati Evans and are well prepared for what may be their first "real" interview. Typically our students apply to over 20 high school programs and the feedback from the high schools is that Laurel Hall students are well prepared in every way for their journey into new territory. Another new beginning! Students across the grade levels will experience new beginnings in other ways as well. New educational units will begin along with field trips to new places that will enhance the students' educational experience. For some students there are new experiences in the arts as well, elementary instrumental students will give their first formal concert in late January. A number of the 7th and 8th grade students are experiencing, for the first time, the process of rehearsing and preparing for a musical production to be presented in mid March. Laurel Hall students are blessed to have talented professionals to guide them through their new journeys and experiences. Enjoy your own new journeys and experiences in 2017 and remember to approach each new venture with the passion and thrill of our very own Laurel Hall students! Barbara Hitchcock Interim Principal 4

5 ECC... December was a wonderful month! We had our CHRISTMAS SING on the 15 th, with a special visit from Santa at the conclusion. Everyone had a great time! The ECC wishes you all a very Happy New Year! Respectfully, Maryanne Restivo January

6 SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING JANUARY 8, 2017 The Council of Emmanuel Lutheran Church is calling a special congregational meeting for Sunday, January 29, 2017 right after the worship service at 11:15 for the purpose of voting on the ELCA changes in the model constitutions of all congregations of the ELCA, and for the purpose of voting on a Revised 2016/17 Annual Budget. Copies of the red-lined constitution, a clean copy of the constitution, and the proposed Revised 2016/17 Annual Budget will be made available in hard copy in the reception area of the Administration Building beginning Sunday, January 8, SPROUTS Young Families Fun & Fellowship Saturday, January 7 at 2:00pm If you have a child/children age 5 or under, this group is for you! Older siblings are welcome. Valley Village Park 200 Westpark Dr., North Hollywood Children must bring an adult and their own water. We hope to see you there! 6

7 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday New Year's Day Holiday 8a Parents' Prayer Group (ELC Chapel) 7:30p Chancel Choir Rehearsal 9a Altar Guild 9a Adult Ed (CR) 9a Quilters (RR) 11a ECC Chapel 2p SPROUTS (Valley Village Park) 10a Worship 3:15p 1st-3rd Choir 6:30p Education & Youth Committee Mtg (CR)) a Adult Ed (RR) 10a Worship 11:10a LSS Sandwich making (RR) 11:15a Congregational Meeting 11:30a Hospitality Committee Mtg (RR) 8a Parents' Prayer Group (ELC Chapel) 9a Quilters (RR) 6:30p Finance Committee Mtg. (Reception Room) 11a ECC Chapel 3:15p 1st-3rd Choir 7:30p Chancel Choir Rehearsal 7p Scouts Pack Mtg (Scout Room) a Altar Guild Epiphany 8a Parents' Prayer Group (ELC Chapel) 9a Adult Ed (CR)) 9a Quilters (RR) 11a ECC Chapel 10a Worship 11a MLK Service Event (RR) 6p Executive Committee Mtg (Rec Rm) 7p Council Mtg (Reception Room) 3:15p 1st-3rd Choir 7:30p Chancel Choir Rehearsal Builder Articles Due 9a Altar Guild Midoriland Weekend a Adult Ed (CR) 8a Parents' Prayer Group (ELC Chapel) 7:30p Chancel Choir Rehearsal 9a Altar Guild 9a Midoriland Weekend 10a Worship 9a Quilters (RR) 7p Worship & Music (Reception Room) 11a ECC Chapel 3:15p 1st-3rd Choir Notes: 9a Adult Ed (CR) 10a Worship 6p Theology on Tap (PM's House) 8a Parents' Prayer Group (ELC Chapel) 9a Quilters (RR) January

8 Education Opportunities * You re invited to join us for a brief Bible study each Sunday morning at 9am in the conference room. Pastor Marty leads us through the day s lessons in preparation for worship. We hope to see you there! * Sunday School for children preschool through 5th grade takes place most Sundays during worship. * Confirmation meets one Sunday a month 11:30 2:30 p.m. * Youth Group Bible Study - meets the first Sunday of each month. Please remember to pick up your 2017 offering envelopes from the table in the Narthex, or call the church to arrange to pick them up or have them mailed to you! John 12:46 8

9 Red Cross Blood Drive Update THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING! Emmanuel Lutheran Church held a blood drive on Monday, December 12, and 33 pints of blood were collected! This could potentially save nearly 100 lives...what a beautiful Christmas gift for so many! Bless each of you who gave, and a special thank you to Marianne Senff, Ernine Larson and Judith Miller for greeting donors and helping with registration. LSS SANDWICH MAKING! Once a month Emmanuel makes sandwiches and sack lunches for LSS (Lutheran Social Services) to pick up and distribute to homeless persons. Our next sandwich-making day will be January 8, following worship. Donations of the following items are greatly appreciated: *Loaves of bread * Jelly * Juice boxes * Lunch bags * Chips * Cookies * Peanut Butter * Zipper plastic sandwich bags Have some extra time on your hands? Want to feel appreciated? Do you have a specific skill or talent you d like to offer? Emmanuel is always looking for willing, helpful hands to assist with deliveries, office work and other tasks. If you would like to be added to our list of volunteers, please contact the Church office (Terry La Source) at tlasource@nohoelc.org, or call (818) We d love to add your name and call on you as needed! January

10 A CLOSER LOOK. Luther and Lutheranism Martin Luther ( ) Martin Luther was eight years old when Christopher Columbus set sail from Europe and landed in the Western Hemisphere. Luther was a young monk and priest when Michaelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel in Rome. A few years later, he was a junior faculty member at a new university in small-town Germany, intently studying the Scriptures, captivated with an extraordinary ardor for understanding Paul in the Epistle to the Romans. In these days Luther was tormented by the demand for righteousness before God. I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God. Then, in the midst of that struggle with God, the message of the Scriptures became clear, like a longshut door opening wide. When he realized that a merciful God justifies us by faith I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. What Luther discovered is the freedom of Christians trusting God s mercy in Christ. As he later wrote, Faith is God s work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God. This faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God s grace, so sure and certain that believers would stake their lives on it a thousand times. This discovery set Luther s life on a new course both his own life and his public service as a preacher and teacher. When a church-endorsed sales team came to the Wittenberg area in October, 1517, Luther was concerned that the promotion and sale of indulgences undermined the promise of God s unreserved mercy in Jesus and the faith that trusts that promise. His 95 Theses or Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences became the first of a life-long stream of books, sermons, letters, essays, even hymns in which he expressed his confidence in this life-giving promise from God, the Gospel, and its liberating implications for all of life in church and society. h ps:// Teaching/Luther and Lutheranism 10

11 Birthdays Emmanuel Lutheran Women Bible Studies Saturday Morning: January 7, 2017, 9:30am Monday Evening EWES: January 9, 2017, 7:00pm Flowers for the Chancel - Honor or remember a person or event by having flowers placed in the Chancel to mark the day. Call Karen Ohrt for more information: Stephen Wilson 4 Marshall Bowen 5 Felicia Tweedy Alan Wightman 6 Sarah Saunders 7 Natalie Ohrt 8 Kellie DeVries Lillian Hobson Mavien Ready Logan Soforenko 10 Dores Baker Raymond Meijer 11 Greg Allinson Grace Sine 12 Dylan Bissell Nicholas Hoffner 13 John Clauss 14 Lisa DiSante Frank Heather Honig Beverly Naten 16 Javier Alejo Laurel Jo Alejo Mauareen Purcell Lois Richardson 18 Kevin Gauna 19 William Hoffman 20 Madison Rodriguez 21 Therese Hawes Andrew Hawtrey 23 Kolene Balarezo 24 Karen Josephson Jane Wilkening 26 Jay Martinez 27 Ryann Hoffner 29 Amber Stegman-Pastora 30 Amanda Pomrenke January

12 Emmanuel Lutheran Church 6020 Radford Ave. North Hollywood, CA (818) Fax: (818) Laurel Hall Day School (818) Emmanuel Lutheran Early Childhood Center (818) Midoriland Family Weekend January 20 through 22! Emmanuel Lutheran Church (818) : Pastor Tricia Lowe x 416 Terry LaSource, Administrative Assistant x 413 office@nohoelc.org Marty McCambridge, E-blast/Website Manager Mark Longfield, Minister of Music x 414 Nancy Ackerman AIM, Organist Ben Lowe, Cantor Congregation Council: President: Peter O Leary Vice-President: Fran Burnford Secretary: Krista Bissell Treasurer: Brad Carr Financial Secretary: Sharon Langenbeck 12 Laurel Hall School (818) : Kathleen Haworth, Principal x 105 Business Office x 107 Dino D Este, Facilities Sr. Operations Mgr x 117 Early Childhood Center (818) Maryanne Restivo, Director Members at Large: Karon Jones Mark Felicetti Ken Wilcox Dick Bassler