The Messenger. Monthly news for Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Menominee, Michigan MARCH 2017

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1 The Messenger Monthly news for Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Menominee, Michigan MARCH 2017 Lent begins on Ash Wednesday March 1, with services of Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes At Emmanuel Lutheran Church 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Midweek Lenten Services and Soup Suppers will be shared with Bethe Lutheran and held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church Services will take place on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. beginning, March 8 A soup supper will be served at5:00 p.m.

2 This month s Messenger is sponsored by Thank you Nathan for sponsoring the Messenger Emmanuel members who own or operate their own business or members who would like to recognize a significant event in their lives are invited to sponsor the Messenger. Full sponsorship of the Messenger is $100. This covers a portion of the cost of mailing the Messenger each month.

3 from the pastor Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ; We have reached that magical season of Lent. I write, magical, because this is a season that changes people. People are changed because many take part in Lenten disciplines where they will eat less, eat differently, begin exercising, make life changes, etc. Lent becomes a forty day challenge that seems easier to meet the demands of compared to those promises that were made on January 1st, promises that may encompass 365 days. So, for many, it becomes a season of discipline. But, instead of focusing solely on a short term discipline, I invite and challenge you in your 2017 Lent experience to embrace discipleship, which is a complete makeover of your spiritual life in becoming a true disciple, a person who continues and carries out the work that Jesus Christ himself began. This work includes preaching and teaching, reaching out the marginalized and broken, and completely emptying of self. You know, a lot of work that won t help you at all. Sounds like fun, huh? Yes, the work of being a disciple of Christ is exhaustive and never ending. You won t get rich doing it, and neither will you gain popularity nor status. If you take Jesus words to heart you won t have a dime left in your pocket and relaxation time will be nothing more than a figment of your imagination. Shall I go on, or do you desire more of this pep talk of what following Jesus command looks like? Putting together a job description for being a disciple of Christ can be an overwhelming task that would be impossible to completely articulate because being a disciple of Christ means touching every dark corner of our world. In going to these places, you will undoubtedly find things that you will not expect and things that will make you uncomfortable. But what you will also find is that Jesus is present in these places, and Jesus wants you there with him, and so Jesus desires nothing more than

4 to take from us our burdens and fears and any and all things that may hold us back from following Him. He wants nothing more than for you just to be there with him. Once you accept the invitation, Jesus will show you where you need to be and what you need to do. A young man was eager to grow in His Christian life. He got a piece of paper and made a list of all the things he would do for God. He wrote down the things he would give up, the places he would go to minister and the areas of ministry he would enter. He was excited. He took that list to the church and put it on the altar. He thought he would feel joy, but instead he felt empty. So he went home and started adding to his list. He wrote down more things he would do and wouldn t do. He took the longer list and put it on the altar, but still he felt nothing. He went to a wise, old pastor, told him the situation and asked for help. The pastor said, Take a blank sheet of paper. Sign your name at the bottom. Put that on the altar. The young man did, and then peace came to his heart. Discipleship means nothing more than just giving yourself over to Christ and then simply trusting where He is leading you. It may be hard work sometimes but that s no different than many of the other short term disciplines that we participate in during this season of Lent and the long term benefit of the joy and peace that only Christ can offer will certainly outweigh anything that you do on your own. In Christ, Pastor Mark I would like to express a very special thank you to Karen Walker who has lovingly created the stoles which I have been wearing for Epiphany (the green one) and the one which I will be wearing for Lent (the purple one). I am truly blessed and thankful for the care and the specific articles implemented into each of these expressions of worship. Pastor Mark

5 2017 MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICES Emmanuel will be hosting the 2017 midweek Lent services, beginning Wednesday, March 8th. There will be two services each Wednesday, at 10:00 am and 6:00 pm. In addition, there will be a soup supper from 5:00 to 5:45 each Wednesday evening. With 2017 being the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, our subject each week will be a theological theme that Martin Luther lifted up in his ministry. The Series is titled: The Reformation: What Does it Mean today. The guest preacher and subject for each Wednesday will be: March 8 Rev. Doug Schoen: Justification by Grace Through Faith March 15 Rev. Craig Mansur: The Priesthood of All Believers March 22 Rev. Nick Johannes: Saints and Sinners March 29 Rev. Mark Laatsch: Sola Faith/ Sola Grace/ Sola Scripture April 5 Rev. Scott Ehle: Freedom of the Christian Man Please prayerfully consider joining us during this Lenten season as we faithfully connect and weave our Lutheran heritage to our contemporary times. LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS 5:00 5:45pm on Wednesdays We need your help! Emmanuel Lutheran Church is hosting the annual Lenten Soup Suppers this year, we need your help to provide the simple meal of soup, bread and dessert. If you can help prepare any of these ingredients Please see the sign-up chart in the church narthex or call the church office to volunteer. If you volunteer please be prepared to donate any one (or more) of the following items: 2 gallons of your favorite soup 1 loaf of bread 1 pan of bars or 2 dozen cookies.

6 Youth and Family Ministry From the Director: Patti Treptow As we enter into the Lenten season, we take time to reflect on the gift of grace and forgiveness God has given us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Lent helps us to focus on our personal relationship with God, but also encourages us to come together in community to serve and share the love of Christ. As adults, we may look at Lent as a deeply personal time of self- awareness and evaluation of our faith and relationship with God, but Lent is not just for grownups! Lent is a wonderful time to teach and model faith to our children through sharing together worship activities, devotional readings, and acts of sharing and serving others. As you start your Lenten journey, remember to include and encourage your children to participate in the opportunities of deepening their relationship with our Lord during this reflective time. In the following pages you will find more information on these and other youth and family activities... 5 th Grade First Communion Training 5 th grade Holy Communion training will start on March 19 th and will run for four weeks. Our 5 th graders will then join with their family for a traditional Seder Meal on Maundy Thursday, April 13 th, and then take their first Holy Communion during the Maundy Thursday worship service. Letters and registration forms regarding the training and Seder meal will go out the first week in March. Any 6 th grader who did not complete the training last year is welcome to attend. Please inform the church office if your 6 th grader wishes to participate in the communion training.

7 Confirmation classes are on a break during the Lenten and Easter seasons. Classes will resume on April 23 rd at 9:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall. All students are reminded to continue submitting worship sheets and to complete their service activity reports. All confirmation students will help with the Lenten Soup suppers. Soup suppers and Lenten services will be held each Wednesday evening during Lent at Emmanuel. Students are to report to the church kitchen between 4:15 and 4:30 p.m. to help with set up. Serving is from 5:00-5:45 p.m. with clean-up to follow. Please check the schedule below to see which supper you will be working. March 8th Rhyon Nelson William Aichner Ashlee Erickson Delaney Johnson Aiden Bellisle Gabe Davis March 15th Trent Albert Landen Clausen Alex Engman Collin Engman Molly Knutson Breanna Leow Dylan Ziemke March 22nd Keaton Uecke Genaveve Anders Makayla Kollman Kaeleb Crawford Cheyenne Schreiner Kade Lesperance Gabe Shaw Nick Kriedeman March 29th Hayden Myers Emma Anderson Tyler Demmith Brayden Plutchak Abbey Leinonen Seth Johnson Layla Weissgerber April 5th Kylie Chevalier Alyssa Dura Heather Camps Zach Starzynski Max Heckel Mason Heckel Makayla Sinks Rylee McCarthy

8 Northern Great Lakes Synod Marked! Event for Confirmation Students As baptized children of God we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever! Sunday, February 26 th our confirmation students engaged in the faith building and service giving "Marked!" event. Held at Eden Lutheran Church in Munising, confirmation students from all over our synod gathered for an afternoon/evening of service work, learning, worship, and fun! Our students created 134 health kits for Lutheran World Relief and organized personal care items into bundles that will be given to our local shelters. Thank you congregation for your generous donations!

9 Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser The youth who will be attending the 2018 National Youth Gathering, along with their parents, put on a wonderful dinner on Sunday, February 12 th to raise monies for their trip. The dinner was complete with Italian music, gift basket drawings, and a presentation on the ELCA National Youth Gathering event. Thank you to all who donated food and gift baskets! And special thanks for Thrivent Financial for their Action Team grant which gave us the seed money for this fundraiser! Upcoming Youth Fundraiser Mark your calendars for a "Girl's Day Fair" fundraiser on Saturday, May 6 th. The fair will be from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Peter Piper Kiddie Nurseries in Marinette. There will be vendor booths throughout the day and a "take and paint" class for adults and children from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Proceeds from this event will go toward Emmanuel's youth who will be attending the 2018 ELCA National Youth Gathering. Watch for more details on this exciting fundraiser!

10 Junior/Senior High SOLA Retreat Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp Three of Emmanuel's youth attended the SOLA retreat at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp February SOLA, meaning alone, was the focus of the retreat, and we learned that it is through faith alone, grace alone, and Word alone, God loves us. And, that we are never alone because God made us, loves us, accepts us and is with us whatever we are going through. This awesome weekend was filled with fun activities, engaging worship, and fantastic food. Fortune Lake camp is an awesome place, where new friendships are formed while sharing God's love!

11 Cup of Joe Ministry Everyone is invited to enjoy coffee, treats, and fellowship during our 9:00 a.m. coffee hour between worship services in the narthex. Attention all church committee and group members!!! Please sign up to host a coffee hour. This is a great way to showcase what your committee/group does and provides an opportunity for our members to put faces to names of those who do so much to make Emmanuel such an awesome place to be! Individual members are also encouraged to sign up for a coffee hour. Sign-up sheets are in the narthex. ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Wednesday Morning Men s group Join us each Wednesday, 7:30 a.m., at the Serving Spoon for a wonderful time of fellowship with friends, sharing stories, and enjoying a cup of coffee. Bring a friend! WoMen s Ministries Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Sarah Circle will meet on Tuesday, March 14, at 1:00 p.m. in the Friendship room with Ivon Butman as hostess. Seeking Enlightenment Group will be meeting on Thursday, March 23, at 6:30pm. It is a time of sharing and encouraging each other on our Christian journey, contact Robin Gustafson at or Jackie Kolaszewski at for location details.

12 Lent Adult Bible Study Pastor Mark will be leading the ELCA World Hunger sponsored 40 Days of Giving Bible study during Lent. The connection between faith, worship and justice was central to Martin Luther, and so, on this 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, we have an opportunity to engage with the reality of hunger and injustice in our current broken world. We will have two offerings of this study, at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, beginning Thursday, March 9th. Please note that the schedule will stagger weekly from Thursdays on one week to Mondays on the next (Please see the March calendar for class dates) due to personal conflicts in scheduling. There is no need to sign up or make any purchase. Simply bring yourself and your desire to deepen your understanding of the Christian s role in hunger justice issues. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in the church office. Pastor Mark OUR EMMANUEL FAMILY BAPTISM... Harper Elina Sallgren was presented for baptism by her parents, Jeremy and Keri and Harper s sponsors, Melissa Park and Joey Plautz NEW MEMBERS... Welcomed as members to Emmanuel on February 26, were: Steve & Sue Larson Charlotte Larson, Ervin Sowell Patricia White

13 Emmanuel's Outreach Projects On Sunday, February 26th, during our 10:00 Childrens Sermon, Emmanuel Sunday School youth were given arks and giving calendars and were invited to use the season of Lent to collect money for Heifer International, a world hunger organization. For anyone else who would like to participate in this Lenten exercise, the cardboard ark banks and giving calendars are located in the narthex for you to take. We will collect all of the ark banks on Palm Sunday, April 9th, bless them, and use the collected money to purchase farm animals for those around the world who will then be able to use these animals to provide for their families. If you are interested in learning more about Heifer International, an ELCA World Hunger partner, you can find their information at ******************************************* Monthly council minutes will be available in the church narthex and on the church website. Finance Update January receipts totaled $24,438 while expenses totaled $21,313, leaving a positive balance for the year of $3,125. Would you like to see the photos that are in this month's Messenger in color? Check out Emmanuel's website and click on the newsletter link under "Our Work". You can find our website at

14 Easter Memorials As you prayerfully consider your Easter Memorial contributions, please know that all of your gifts are appreciated and used to further various ministries of our congregation and wider church. The gifts given to the ELCA National Youth Gathering will be put into a fund in which we will evenly distribute to all of Emmanuel s high school youth who will be attending the Gathering in Houston in June This is a faith affirming opportunity for Lutheran youth from across the country to come together to work and worship in unique ways in unique settings. The Northern Great Lakes Synod believes in supporting ministry candidates in all ways spiritual and financially. Any offerings put into the Seminarian Support Fund will go toward easing the rising financial burdens of seminarian students who call the Northern Great Lakes Synod (Upper Peninsula and NE Wisconsin) home. Undesignated Memorial gifts are used to add to and/or enhance our physical church building through purchasing/restoring articles that benefit our congregation. We give thanks to God for our member s willingness and faithfulness in maintaining our beautiful church. Any contributions given toward Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp do not go directly to Emmanuel campers, but go toward the operation costs of the camp (staffing, maintenance, etc.). This determination has been made because Emmanuel s members have already generously given to a healthy scholarship fund which we maintain to assist any and all members who choose to attend Fortune Lake. Your designations to the ELCA World Hunger appeal go directly toward the church s call to justice in response to those who do not have food. The money is used to provide farm animals and garden plants, to dig wells, and to pack healthy and sustaining food.

15 I would like to : Place a Lily in the chancel ($10.00) EASTER Memorials All Easter memorials must be received by Sunday, April 9 to be included in the Easter memorial booklet. Your gifts are greatly appreciated. My/Our gift to the church s mission at home: To: $ ELCA National Youth Gathering $ Seminarian Support Fund $ Undesignated Memorial Fund orfor the following purpose: My/Our gift to the wider mission of the church: To: $ Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp (for operational costs/ not scholarship) $ ELCA World Hunger Appeal $ The following: Given: In memory of In honor of In thanks to God By Envelope Number

16 SUNDAY MORNINGS AT EMMANUEL Worship at 8:00 & 10:00am Nursery care provided at 10am Sunday School at 10:00am CONTACT US: Phone: (906) Fax: (906) Council President, Jackie Kolaszewski or Visit us on the Web at Follow us on Facebook at Emmanuel Lutheran Church Menominee Michigan ELCA STAFF: Pastor The Rev. Mark Laatsch Director of Youth & Family Ministry Mrs. Patti Treptow Church Secretary Mrs. Judy Raygo Custodians Ms. Judy Seglund & Mr. Gary Marineau We are a congregation of the Northern Great Lakes Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America