The Messenger. Annual Congregational Meeting

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1 The Messenger Monthly news for Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Menominee, Michigan JANUARY 2017 Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, January 29, :15 a.m.

This month s Messenger is sponsored by Mike Bellisle Thank you, Mike, for sponsoring the Messenger Emmanuel members who own or operate their own business or members who would like to

2 This month s Messenger is sponsored by Mike Bellisle Thank you, Mike, 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; Traveling west by covered wagon, a group got caught in a blizzard in the mountains. One man told his best friend, I ain t gonna make it, Joe. Sure you are, Al. No, Joe, I ain t. So I want you to promise me something. Anything, Al. Promise me that when you and Little Joe get there, you ll name a town after me. Sure, Al. At this, Al turned to Little Joe and said, Little Joe, will you remind your pa to name a town after me? And Little Joe replied, I promise, Mr. Buquerque. Happy 2017! Which means that we ve arrived to the season of promises. I promise to eat better this year. I promise to exercise more. I promise to write more letters and make more phone calls to loved one. I promise to put more money away. I promise to read my Bible daily. I promise to engage in a more active prayer life. Making promises is about the easiest thing in the world to do. Keeping them certainly isn t. The election campaign season wound up two months ago and many promises were made which President-Elect Trump will now have an opportunity to begin addressing and implementing in a few short weeks when he is inaugurated. In recent weeks leading up to Christmas, our children made promises to behave knowing that Santa Claus was watching them and determining if they belonged on the naughty list or not. And now, with the fresh new year having dawned, many of us have made promises which we envision will benefit our lives, as well as the lives of those who are around us. Take comfort in knowing that you are not alone, for the church actively participates in the life of making promises as well. In 2017, those who will be married in Emmanuel will make promises to be faithful to one another until death parts them, to which God promises to guide them daily. The parents and sponsors of those who are washed in the waters of baptism this year will make promises that they will carry out the responsibilities of this nurturing role in guiding the baptized in their faith. God promises to claim these same persons in these baptismal

4 waters. In addition, the church promises to preach, teach, participate in Holy Communion, visit the sick and homebound, and to be faithful and responsible stewards of the church s resources. Promises are the foundation of everything that we as the church say and do, yet we admittedly struggle to fulfill these promises at all times. Marriages don t always work out. Children who are brought to the font sometimes don t have opportunities to affirm their baptismal promises because they ve not had the necessary spiritual guidance. Even the church herself may fail to fully provide in her mission. But despite our failings and shortfalls in keeping our promises, we are made sure that God never fails to keep God s promises to us. Never. When we are going through rough patches we may think that God has abandoned us or is simply not present. But so often we are blessed when we are provided with opportunities to look back in hindsight and to see clearly where Jesus has carried us and provided for us in our most intimate ways. And not only is God present with us, but with that presence, our lives are enriched and benefit from the strengthened relationship with Christ that these times often garner. We may turn our backs on many of the promises that we make for 2017, but one promise that we can be assured of is that God will never turn God s back on us. Through our joys and trials, God will be there. When we feel spiritually connected and when we experience spiritual distance, God will be there nonetheless, relentlessly calling us to Him and to His promises. With this certainty, daily remind yourself of your baptismal promises, where they are leading you and where they have strengthened you, and in doing so you will be reminded of God s faithfulness, a faithfulness that knows no boundaries of space or time. May New Year blessings be with you, and may your promises reflect those of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection have assured our promise of eternal life. Thanks be to God! In Christ, Pastor Mark

5 Thank You, Jerry Gentz! As you all know, since 2010 Jerry Gentz has been instrumental in his role as Director of Operations and Programs for Emmanuel, especially during the interim between Pastor Doug and Pastor Mark. As we begin 2017, Jerry is no longer employed at Emmanuel and, instead, is spending a lot of welldeserved time with his family and enjoying the fruits of his labor in retirement. To recognize all of Jerry s contributions and work for Emmanuel, we will acknowledge Jerry during our January 15th worship services. As well, there will be a special coffee hour fellowship that day where we have an opportunity to give thanks to God for all of Jerry s gifts, time and attention to the ongoing mission of Emmanuel. Congratulations, Jerry! I would like to extend a very personal Thank You to everyone who helped make Emmanuel s Christmas so spiritdriven and meaningful. There are a lot of people who made this happen. The Worship Committee for preparing the sanctuary and for putting up all of the poinsettias and Christmas trees in the church. The Decorating Committee for their narthex touches. Bill Tipple and Barb Hay and Emmanuel s Senior Choir for their joyous Christmas Eve anthems and hymns. Patti Treptow and all who helped with the Sunday School Christmas program and for her work with the Senior High Youth for the Christmas Eve Shadow Drama. All musicians, readers, communion assistants, communion setup and cleanup persons, and acolytes. A very special Thank You to the church staff who shoveled the walks, cleaned the sanctuary and prepared and ran bulletins, among so many other duties this season calls for. I am blessed to call you all partners in ministry! Pastor Mark.

6 Welcome to Pastor Katherine Finnegan! On Sunday, January 29th, Pastor Finnegan, who is the Northern Great Lakes Synod Assistant to the Bishop, will be preaching at Emmanuel during both of our services that day. Pastor Finnegan, who will be at Northland Luther Manor that weekend for Synod work, will certainly enrich our worship experience. We look forward to her message and visit! Annual Congregational Meeting Emmanuel will hold our annual meeting on Sunday, January 29 th, The meeting will immediately following the 10:00am worship service. There will be a light lunch before the meeting begins. It is at this meeting that the work of the church for the year past is celebrated and for the year ahead is ordained. The various committee reports are shared, our various representative nominees are chosen, and the budget for the coming year is approved. I highly encourage you to be present at this brief meeting in order to gain a deeper appreciation for who we are as an organized church and to give clarity to our ongoing mission. As well, it helps us to connect to one another and to put names to faces. If you have any questions or concerns, I d be more than happy to speak to you about this event. Pastor Mark Kiosk In January Emmanuel will unveil a new information kiosk which will be placed in the center of the narthex. We would like to extend a Thank You to Bruce and Marcie Peters for their very generous donation of the materials to build the beautiful piece of furniture, to Bruce, who put countless hours into designing and building it, and to Dale Sieman, who took the time to stain it to blend into the narthex. As well, a tip of the cap, to Gary Marineau and Scott Nerat, who moved this piece over to the church. We are indeed blessed!

7 Youth and Family Ministry From the Director: Patti Treptow The gifts have been opened, the programs completed, the parties attended; Christmas is over. However, we know that Christmas is not over. As we start this new year, we are filled with the spirit and love that Christmas has given us. These gifts from our Lord help to sustain us and give us direction into the new year and throughout our life. As our new year begins, some of us take this renewed energy and make new year resolutions. We set our sights high to make positive changes in our lives. Some of us choose to lose weight, or improve our diets, or even break a bad habit. These are all wonderful goals. However, one goal or resolution that we may not have thought of is deepening our relationship with Jesus and being an example of faith to our children. We may not always realize it, but children learn from our actions and that includes how we practice our faith. Family is the main teacher of many of aspects of life. If your faith is important to you and you actively practice it, you are planting seeds of faith in your children. You may not see the sprouts of growth right away and there are no guarantees that you will not hear complaints of, "I don't want to get up and go to Sunday school." However, if you are persistent and consistent, your seeds will eventually bear fruit and your children will benefit greatly from your efforts. Emmanuel strives at providing opportunities and activities to practice and share our faith with your immediate family and your church family. It is my hope that you continue to support and participate in Emmanuel's worship, learning, outreach, and fellowship happenings, and to bring your ideas, needs, and suggestions forward so we may continue to provide faith building activities that are meaningful. In the following pages you will find more information on our youth and family activities...

Confirmation Instruction Confirmation classes for 7 th and 8 th grade students will start up again after a small break on Sunday, January 15 th. A reminder that we meet at 9:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall.

February. Confirmation Activities Monthly Suppers - Sunday, January 22nd, 5:00-7:00 p.m. is our next confirmation supper at the church. Supper will be at 5:00 p.m., followed by a Bible study.

So we can plan food/activities, please let the church office know if your student will be attending. And, if any parents would want to provide for a supper, we are always grateful for that as well!

8 Confirmation Instruction Confirmation classes for 7 th and 8 th grade students will start up again after a small break on Sunday, January 15 th. A reminder that we meet at 9:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Thank you to our parent guides: Brianna Camps, Boni Nerat-Heckel, Katy Wickstrom, Becky Albert, Lori Dura, and Angie Chevalier, who will be leading our small group discussions throughout January and February. Confirmation Activities Monthly Suppers - Sunday, January 22nd, 5:00-7:00 p.m. is our next confirmation supper at the church. Supper will be at 5:00 p.m., followed by a Bible study. At this supper, our activity will be making jewelry for a fundraiser to help raise monies for the youth who are attending the National Youth Gathering next year. So we can plan food/activities, please let the church office know if your student will be attending. And, if any parents would want to provide for a supper, we are always grateful for that as well! Thank you to Becky and Aaron Albert for providing the meal for the January supper! The January edition of "Parenting Christian Kids" will be available Sunday, January 1 st. This contemporary newsletter is filled with articles, parenting principles, pointers and more, all focused on a relevant, monthly theme. It also contains reviews of movie and music releases and cultural trends and statistics that provide insights for parents. Additional copies of all editions will be available in the narthex and on the church website at

National Youth Gathering Parent Meeting Sunday, January 15 th at 11:00 a.m. parents and youth will meet in the fellowship hall to discuss fundraising ideas.

9 National Youth Gathering Parent Meeting Sunday, January 15 th at 11:00 a.m. parents and youth will meet in the fellowship hall to discuss fundraising ideas. Please plan on attending so we can discuss and plan out fundraisers for the remainder of the year. Registration sign-up for the gathering opens September 15, 2017! Calendar Sale - There are a few left! Our youth continue to sell 2017 calendars to raise funds for their participation in the 2018 ELCA National Youth Gathering. These beautiful wall calendars sell for $5.00 and are available in the church office. Each month displays a Bible verse on a scenic landscape. Jewelry Fundraiser Youth who will be attending the National Youth Gathering along with our confirmation students will be making jewelry on Sunday, January 22 nd at 6:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Judy Reid will instruct and guide everyone through the art of jewelry making. These unique and creative pieces will be available to purchase just in time for Valentine's Day. Proceeds from this fundraiser will help off-set the cost of attending the youth gathering next summer. Anyone who is interested in helping us make jewelry for our fundraiser is invited to join us! Also, if you have any broken jewelry pieces or half-sets of earrings, we can use them in creating new designs and unique pieces. Please drop off your spare jewelry pieces in the church office. Thank you!

Sunday School After a short break, Sunday school

The teachers will also have a meeting that Sunday, the

The Children's Christmas Program On Sunday, December 18

telling us how and why Jesus came to us on that first

Thank you to all the children and their parents who

10 Sunday School After a short break, Sunday school classes resume on Sunday, January 8 th. The teachers will also have a meeting that Sunday, the 8 th at 9:00 a.m. The Children's Christmas Program On Sunday, December 18 th our Sunday school children presented their program telling us how and why Jesus came to us on that first Christmas Day! Thank you to all the children and their parents who braved the cold and snow to attend the rehearsal and the performance. And special thanks to our teaching staff who enabled our children to tell such a beautiful story.

January meeting - EYAC will meet Sunday, December 8 th at 11:00 a.m. (following the 10:00 a.

All high school youth are encouraged to attend!

service activity that we will do on Tuesday, January 17 th for the

and performed special music during the offertory.

11 January meeting - EYAC will meet Sunday, December 8 th at 11:00 a.m. (following the 10:00 a.m. worship service) in the "Friendship Room". All high school youth are encouraged to attend! This is an important meeting as we will be planning the details for our service activity that we will do on Tuesday, January 17 th for the United Way's Getting Ahead program. Christmas Eve Youth Music, Drama, and Readings At the 4:00 p.m.service on Christmas Eve, our youth provided the Gospel Lesson in shadow drama and performed special music during the offertory. Thank you to Kyle Anderson, Jacob Laatsch, Elijah Harpt, Emma Anderson, Matt Nowack, Rhyon Nelson, Lauren Clausen, Olivia Anderson, Lexi Nast, Mandy Mellinger, Lauren Caley, and Emma Laatsch for their participation in the shadow drama. Thank you to Hayden Myers who performed Carol of the Bells on the piano.

12 Save your Used or Extra Christmas Cards! The Sunday school program is collecting old and used Christmas cards for next year's craft projects. If you have any cards that you wish to dispose of, please drop them off in the church office. Thank you! ******************************** 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, January 10, at 1:00 p.m. in the Friendship room with Barb Anderson as hostess. Seeking Enlightenment Group will be meeting on Thursday, January 19, 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.

Emmanuel's Outreach Projects Bell Ringing!

spent the afternoon on Saturday, December 3rd

Christmas", our enthusiastic group of ringers

Thank you to Seth Johnson, Genaveve Anders,

Heather Camps, Alyssa Dura, Trent Albert,

Johnson, Layla Weissgerber, Brayden Plutchak,

13 Emmanuel's Outreach Projects Bell Ringing! Members of our congregation, young and old, spent the afternoon on Saturday, December 3rd at Jack's Fresh Market in Menominee ringing bells for the Salvation Army. Along with extending wishes of "Merry Christmas", our enthusiastic group of ringers also sang Christmas carols to the shoppers. Thank you to Seth Johnson, Genaveve Anders, Molly Knutson, Hazel Knutson, Erin Nerat, Heather Camps, Alyssa Dura, Trent Albert, Dylan Ziemke, Ashlee Erickson, Delaney Johnson, Layla Weissgerber, Brayden Plutchak, Zach Starzynski, Gabe Davis, Linda Davis, Mike Bellisle, Al Rasmussen, Pastor Mark, Patti Treptow, and Santa!

Christmas Food Baskets and the Local Tree of Love Our

Members of our congregation generously provided gifts

Rainbow House, Northland Lutheran Home Health Services,

14 Christmas Food Baskets and the Local Tree of Love Our Christmas service projects were a great success! Members of our congregation generously provided gifts and food that made Christmas for 56 individuals of the Rainbow House, Northland Lutheran Home Health Services, Abundant Life Shelter, and Haven of Hope just a little bit brighter. Thank you to our youth and adult members who provided Christmas gifts and donated food. And, to those who organized, packed, and delivered the food baskets. This outreach ministry would not have happened without you. Thank you!!

Cookie Baking and Bake Sale Confirmation students learned the fine art of baking on Saturday,

Dura, Heather Camps, Kylie Chevalier, and Gabe Shaw.

everything needed to make our cookies and treats and the items needed to assemble the baked

15 Cookie Baking and Bake Sale Confirmation students learned the fine art of baking on Saturday, December 10 th while they volunteered their time and talents to create beautiful Christmas baked goods. Thank you to our youth Hayden Myers, Zach Starzynski, Genaveve Anders, Seth Johnson, Alyssa Dura, Heather Camps, Kylie Chevalier, and Gabe Shaw. Thank you to Thrivent Financial who awarded us with a grant which enabled us to purchase everything needed to make our cookies and treats and the items needed to assemble the baked goods for selling at the church bake sale on Sunday, December 11 th. The bake sale raised $ which was used to purchase additional items for the food baskets that the congregation gave to those in need. Special thanks to Bonnie Jackson who organized and led this event and to Sharon Ayers for her donations and assistance. And, thank you to members of our congregation who donated baked goods for the sale.

OUR EMMANUEL FAMILY BAPTIZED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD... Holden Melvin Karkkainen son of Kevin and Ashley, on December 29, with Kelsey Karkkainen and Nick Herrild as sponsors CALLED HOME BY GOD.

16 OUR EMMANUEL FAMILY BAPTIZED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD... Holden Melvin Karkkainen son of Kevin and Ashley, on December 29, with Kelsey Karkkainen and Nick Herrild as sponsors CALLED HOME BY GOD... Bruce Leppi passed away on December 5, at the age of 60. Funeral services for Bruce were held at Thielen Funeral Home on December 10. Our sympathy to step-daughters, Heather Juckem and Angie Brissette, and their families. THANK YOU... A special gift was given to Emmanuel from Barley Grading & Underground Utility Contractors Finance Update December has truly been a wonderful blessing for Emmanuel as it has been in years past! In 2016, receipts totaled $270,681 while expenses totaled $248,230, leaving a positive balance of for the year of $22,451. 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

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE!! Two of our congregation s vital ministries are seeking new members who would be willing to serve Christ s church in these unique capacities.

17 OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE!! Two of our congregation s vital ministries are seeking new members who would be willing to serve Christ s church in these unique capacities. The Funeral Luncheon Ministry are in need of persons who would be willing to help set up the fellowship hall, serve the food (food is already prepared no cooking is necessary), and to clean up following funeral luncheons. There is already a great foundational team in place to coordinate, but they are in need of helpers during these times of ministry to those who have gathered to celebrate the lives of recently departed saints. As well, the Prayer Ministry Team is also looking for additional members. This team meets weekly at 9:30 am on Wednesday mornings at Emmanuel. For those who cannot be part of the weekly meetings, but would still like to be part of this ministry, we d love to add you to the Prayer Chain where you are informed of those who are requesting prayer so that you can share these needs and actively participate in prayer for those who desire it. If you are interested or have any questions about either one of these ministries, please contact the church office at and we will be more than happy to answer your questions and welcome you to these blessed serving opportunities. -Pastor Mark

18 AGAPE! February 17-19, 2017 [GR. 6-12] We have a special guest joining us for the entire weekend, Dave Scherer, better known by his stage name, AGAPE! He s an American rapper and musician who does hip hop outreach. We re excited to have him perform here and share his story at this retreat! Find out more about him and his music: HERE. Check-in is from 5-6:30pm Central on Friday evening. The retreat will conclude at 12 noon on Sunday. Retreat registration fee includes Saturday evening public concert. Registration will open January 2nd. Please register by February 3rd. Retreat Flyer Here: Spring JR High & High School Retreat 20 Start: February 5:00 pm End: February 12:00 pm Cost: $85

19 FINANCIAL PEACE RETREAT March 3-4, 2017 Learn how to take control of your finances with a faith perspective! This retreat has a biblically based curriculum that teaches you to manage money and resources in a godly way. Come to camp to become more financially savvy and enjoy all that this Place of Grace has to offer! Cost: $45 + Materials tbd. Check-in is Friday 6-7pm Central time. This retreat will conclude at 2pm on Saturday afternoon. To register: download our Retreat Registration form online and mail in with check, or call the office at with credit card. Please register by Monday, February 27th. Retreat Flyer Here: Financial Peace Retreat 2017 Meals: Friday evening: a snack; Saturday: breakfast and lunch. Please call the office to notify us about food allergies.

20 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

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

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