from the pastor Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ;

Transcription

1 from the pastor Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ; The Spirit of God is to be poured out, not held back. After a recent conversation, I ve been challenged to think about boldness in regard to the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. I think sometimes people use the concept of boldness to justify the rude, judgmental, and unkind methods by which they proselytize and emphasize condemnation and punishment for people they find objectionable. This is not what I mean by boldness. Boldness for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a willingness to become vulnerable, endure scrutiny, be talked about and rejected for one s willingness to pour out God s love for others. It is not an opportunity to throw around scripture or doctrine like stones to prove that you are right. Boldly proclaiming God s love does not mean playing the persecuted victim either. It simply means not holding back the Holy Spirit! I am not saying that we should all stand on street corners and shout Jesus loves you. There are subtle and more effective ways to share the same truth. Supporting mission trips and missionaries, participating in the social ministries of our congregation and community, and using your particular gifts in ways that are life giving for others, and forgiving those who have hurt you and receiving the forgiveness of God and others you have hurt these are the ways the Holy Spirit is poured back out into the world. In baptism the Holy Spirit is breathed upon us and poured out all over us. It covers us over and makes us holy not so we can rest on our laurels and feel superior to others. It does this so that we can love boldly in Jesus name. The same boldness came upon the disciples who were holed up in a house in Jerusalem after the ascension of Jesus. They came out of that house and the Good News of Jesus was spoken and lived out as deeds of God s life giving power were done in His name. And the word spread from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to all the ends of the earth.

2 The Spirit of the Living God is to be poured out and not held back. Yet how often do we murmer and grumble about the new ways that God calls us into our world through good internet communication and positive social media connections, through inviting others to participate more deeply in the work of the church and worship, to care more deeply and forgive more freely, to organize and participate in events that take us outside ourselves and into the world God has made? Pentecost is a call to trust thatgod s power is at work in our words and deeds. It is a call to boldly step out of our comfort zones and rely upon God s grace. It is a commission to go into all the world (even if we never leave Menominee or Marinette) and by the power of the Holy Spirit let our lives proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. Look for the ways that God is calling you out to be the church! In Christ, Pastor Mark Laatsch Answer the CAll sunday is MAy 8 At the 2008 Northern Great Lakes Synod Assembly a resolution was adopted calling for the NGL Synod churches to endow our synod s seminary student schorlarship funds to benefit seminarians seeking to serve Jesus Christ as pastors of this Church, commiting ourselves to the goal of full tuition scholarships for seminarians. Over the last eight years significant progress has been made as many have stepped forward and answered the call with gifts and pledges. Well over a half-million dollars has been raised as we move in the right direction assisting our synod seminarians with their education. This year every full-time seminarian in our synod will receive $10,000 to support their education. Part-time students receive $5,000 a year. We lead the ELCA in synod support of our future pastors! On May 8th, Mother s Day, we have an opportunity toagain Answer the Call through a special synod offering. Pastor Mark will speak briefly to this ministry and can answer any questions that you may have about this endeavor.

3 Youth and Family Ministry From the Director: Patti Treptow The month of May is a busy month of winding down our educational programs and gearing up for our summer activities. We just completed another year of Confirmation classes where our 7 th and 8 th graders deepened their relationship with God as well as with each other. Our Sunday school students will wrap up classes on May 15 th with a celebration party. We will recognize our high school graduates during a special worship service and reception on Sunday, June 5 th. Planning for many of our summer activities and programs are well underway and others will start up very soon. Fortune Lake Bible camp registration is open now for various camping experiences. Coming in June, a new newsletter "Parenting Christian Kids" will be made available to our families. Our Youth Advisory Council is busy with the final plans of their mission trip in July. Vacation Bible school planning has been underway and will be held July 26 th - 28 th. Soon, we will be planning our float for the August Waterfront Festival parade where everyone will have an opportunity to share their gifts and talents. As we start planning our family activities and personal commitments, make room to engage in some summer fun with your Emmanuel family as well! In the following pages you will find more information on our youth and family activities...

4 Confirmation classes have ended for the year. A progress report will be ed out by the end of the month to parents showing the current number of worship sheets turned in and service activities recorded. Students do have until September 1 st to get caught up on worship sheets and service activities. Thank you to all of our parent guides for the giving of your time in leading our class discussion groups this year: Becky Albert, Kelli Anderson, Angie Chevalier, Deb Clausen, Kerry Delgoffe, Lori Dura, Amy Laatsch, Tim Leinonen, and Anna Slawinski. The end of the year essay was due on Sunday, April 24 th. If you have not turned your essay in, please do so by May 1 st. The Confirmation Retreat is set for September 17 th -18 th Camp Bird. More information and registration forms will be sent out late August to all incoming confirmation students, current confirmation students, and those who will be confirmed this October. The Rite of Confirmation for our students who have completed two years of instruction and will become 9 th graders this fall, is set for Reformation Sunday, October 30 th, during the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Confirmation Activities Bowling and End of the Year Dinner at On Sunday, April 24 th our confirmation students celebrated their year of learning and friendships with a bowling party at the Dome Lanes in Marinette, followed by a dinner at the church. Special thanks to Lori Dura and Angie Chevalier for providing the awesome dinner!

5 SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday school classes are quickly coming to an end for the year. The last day is Sunday, May 15 th, where all classes will gather together in the fellowship hall to share their memory challenges, celebrate with an ice cream sundae party and games, and receive a gift from the congregation. A special thank you goes out to our wonderful and dedicated Sunday school staff: PreK/Kindergarten: Anna Slawinski, Jennifer Perket, and Matt Nowack 1 st Grade: Olivia Anderson, Lauren Clausen, Mandy Mellinger, and Lexi Nast 2nd Grade: Kari Anderson 3 rd /4 th Grade: Margaret Stewart and Noah Miller 5 th 6 th Grade: Patti Treptow Bible Story Sunday Team: Sharon Ayers, Kerry Delgoffe, Rachel Raygo, & Patti Treptow Children's Sermons: John Helfert High School Graduate Honor Emmanuel s high school graduates will be honored at our Graduation Recognition during the 10:00 a.m. worship service on June 5 th. A reception will follow in the narthex. A letter with more information on this special event will be going out soon to all parents of our high school graduates.

6 Vacation Bible School Tuesday-Thursday July 26, 27, & 28 Children entering Kindergarten through 5 th grade this fall are invited to learn how Jesus cares for us in this summer's "Pets Unleashed" VBS! Children will engage in amazing experiences that will guide them through God's Word in unforgettable, multisensory, thought-provoking ways that make Scripture come alive! Information and registration forms will be sent out early summer so you can get your child enrolled for some fun, laughter, excitement! Congregation! There will be many ways you can get involved or help this year, so watch for them in upcoming announcements in the monthly Messenger and weekly worship bulletins. Thank you! Coming in June A special newsletter for families! "Parenting Christian Kids" will be distributed to our Emmanuel Families each month starting this June. 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.

7 Emmanuel's Youth Advisory Council hosted a bingo party for the residents of the Luther Home in Marinette on Sunday, April 17 th. The residents enjoyed an afternoon of games, prizes, and fellowship. Thank you to our members who participated in this service activity that helped to brighten the day of our friends at the Luther Home. Upcoming meetings: Sunday, May 1 st 11:15 a.m. - EYAC meeting in the conference room. Sunday, May 22 nd 9:15 a.m. - EYAC members and parents meeting in the fellowship hall regarding the Mission Trip. Our EYAC members who participated in the Bingo party are: Lauren Clausen, Patti Treptow, Olivia Engman, Arikah Bellisle, Kyle Anderson, Lexi Nast, Matt Nowack, Kendell Klatt. Emmanuel's Youth Advisory Council is open to all of Emmanuel s high school youth and is a great way to grow in faith and engage in fun and meaningful activities. Please join us at our next meeting!

8 Sunday, May 1 st, our member Linda Davis, who was a camp counselor at Fortune Lake, will talk with the children and the congregation about her experiences at camp during the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Information about Fortune Lake Bible camp is available in the narthex and the church office. For a calendar of camping weeks and retreats, go to the camp website at or call the camp at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp is located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula at 138 Fortune Lake Camp Road, Crystal Falls, Michigan. Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp is owned and operated by the 85 congregations of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the ELCA. It is licensed by the State of Michigan and works with the ELCA Outdoor Ministries network. Emmanuel supports Fortune Lake Camp and we want you to enjoy all it has to offer, please stop in the church office to get more information or to inquire about camp scholarships. Don't miss out..register soon! Waterfront Parade Float Emmanuel will have a float in this year s Waterfront Parade. The parade date is Sunday, August 7 th. We would like to involve our members of all ages to participate. We will need people to help plan, design, gather supplies and materials, build, drive, ride on and walk alongside the float during the parade. Planning will begin in June, but put on your creative hats now and start generating ideas. We will let you know of our June meeting date where we will bring our ideas and decide on a theme and design of our float.

9 The Sunday school children kicked-off the collection drive with a "Noisey Kettle" collection on Sunday, April 10 th during the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Noisy Kettle Collection For World Hunger Collections continue for World Hunger. Please drop your change in the kettle in the narthex. The collection will continue until May 1 st. The money collected will be presented at the Northern Great Lakes Synod convention May 13 th. THANK YOU!! We had a wonderful turnout for our church yard work on Saturday, April 16 th. Our members raked and cleaned the outside grounds, making our church ready for the spring and summer season. Heartfelt thanks go out to Gary Marineau, Adam Starzysnki, and his sons Zach and Jacob. Pastor Mark and his son Issac, Scott Nerat, Marie Engman, Olivia Engman, Axel Anderson, Al Rasmussen, Darrell Eland, Dennis and Rosie Draska, and Vern Lindquist. See next page for photos!

10 Church Yard Clean-Up Day!

11 Cup of Joe Ministry Everyone is invited to enjoy coffee and other beverages, baked goods and treats, and fellowship during our 9:00 a.m. coffee hour between worship services in the narthex. After you get your "Cup of Joe", join us in the lounge for the "Ministry" part of our coffee hour where we will enjoy conversations about our faith and other topics of interest. We are looking for people to help with this important ministry. We need people to sign up for hosting the coffee hour. This entails making the coffee (which the church provides), setting the serving table in the narthex, and then doing clean-up. We also need people to donate treats. Please sign up in the narthex. If you have any questions, please call Amy Laatsch at 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, May 10, at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Carol Sieth at N269 River Drive, Menominee. Seeking Enlightenment Group will be meeting on Thursday, May 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.

12 OUR EMMANUEL FAMILY BAPTIZED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD... Chayton Cree Slawinski son of Jacob & Anna on March 6, with Kristi Raboin and Kyle Raboin as sponsors Andrew Charles Brown son of Kory & Melissa on April 15, with Julie Navin and Alex Hendrickson as sponsors MEMBERS CALLED HOME BY GOD... Delmar Fritz passed away on March 22. Delmar s funeral was held at Emmanuel on March 26. Our sympathy to his wife, Donna and their children and their families. NEW MEMBERS... On Sunday, April 24, we welcomed our new members: Britany Botbyl Melissa Brown Peter Hipke Doris Jacob Donna Swenson Rob Treptow Grant & Lisa Malke and sons, Austin and Blake Sara Nyquist and son, Gabe Shaw