Words From Our Pastor

Transcription

1 T he Good News Letter! I m m a n u e l L u t h e r a n C h u r c h, P r e s c h o o l & C h i l d c a r e R o c k i n g h a m R d. D a v e n p o r t, I o w a Words From Our Pastor Bear with me for a moment. I would like to take some time to offer insight into one value that I believe makes Immanuel Lutheran Church and Preschool unique. As believers and followers of Jesus we have certain beliefs and practices that connect us to the wider body of Christ; which are staples of the Lutheran faith. We also recognize that there are certain aspects of our worship services that make us unique from the church down the road. In the same way that each of us as individuals are a unique part of the body of Christ, so each gathering of Jesus followers is also unique. One of the things that I love about our church is that we are completely and totally reliant on Scripture. We believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and that He has revealed His truth to us in such a way that we can build a firm foundation of trust with the Creator of the universe. Office/Schember Hall: SECRETARY@IMMANUELDAVENPORT.ORG Preschool/Childcare: IMMPRESCHOOL@YAHOO.COM One of the greatest challenges for those who follow Jesus, is to NOT get drawn into the realm of relativism, which teaches that truth is in the eye of the beholder. When Churches fall into this type of theology, then they are open to twist and turn God s Word into whatever they want it to say. The effects of sin are lessoned and offenders offer up the excuse, Well, everyone is doing this or that or we need to change with the times. That is one reason why Paul wrote to a young Pastor named Timothy saying, For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. Yes, there are multiple translations of Scripture, whether that be the Kings James Version, ESV, NIV, The Message, The Good News Bible and so on. However, we must never remove our eye from the source of all truth that Pastor Ferch Cell: PASTORFERCH@IMMANUELDAVENPORT.ORG Elders: ELDERS@IMMANUELDAVENPORT.ORG Website: S EPTEMBER 2017 Inside this issue: Pastor s article con- 2 LWML, Bible Study, & 3 News from the 4 Upcoming events 5 Our Church Family & 6 September Celebra- 7 Calendar of Events 8 norms right and wrong in the world around us. We hold fast to the truth that comes from God and His unchanging written Word. As Missouri Synod Lutherans we don t apologize that our Sunday worship services are grounded in God s Word. For we confess that, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. For now, know that Immanuel Lutheran Church and Preschool will always be a gathering of sinful disciples who through the aid of the Holy Spirit strive to become more and more like Jesus as we live lives guided by, and built on, the foundation of Gods Word. Until next month, Blessings, Pastor Ferch

2 Every One His Witness Equipping individual believers to be more effective witnesses of Jesus in their everyday lives Witness & Outreach Ministry and Revitalization LCMS Office of National Mission Presents this evangelism workshop for Saturday, September 30, 2017 From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rock Island, IL The Every One His Witness workshop is designed to equip individual believers to be more effective witnesses of Jesus in their everyday lives. It draws on God s Word and the Lutheran Confessions to build a solid foundation for bearing witness of Jesus and provides practical resources for sharing the simple Gospel in today s complex world. Learn how to LASSIE: Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, Encourage! To register, please call Marty at or ilchurch@mchsi.com Registration deadline: Sept. 15th Registration is $6/person (includes lunch). Or go to eventbrite.com, search for Every One His Witness, Rock Island Letter from a concerned member of our congregation I found myself disheartened during the August voters meeting while we were deciding on how to pay for the new boilers. It appeared that people wanted to vote immediately on their idea before the discussion had ended and that some voted twice (which is against the constitution and should lead to a re-vote). Furthermore, there were inappropriate comments/ insults hurled at certain people which possibly lead to a quick vote and limited discussion (which gave the impression that the body of the church wasn t concerned about the best option for the church). I realize that all of us have personal lives and priorities. Yet, still we are called to give the first fruits of the gifts that the Lord has graciously given, which includes our time. I m not suggesting that we devote 10% of our waking hours to the church, but an extra hour or 2 on a Sunday for a voters meeting is not much to ask. God gave us a great gift when He breathed life into Adam. God has entrusted all of us with the task of being good stewards of His house and making decisions only after having considered every option and discussed all the foreseeable pros and cons. I m sure that any house or yard work, television, sleep, food or any other excuse that we could offer up will be waiting when we get home.

3 JOIN US AS WE ENRICH OUR HEARTS AND LIVES Bible Study Opportunities Sunday Bible Class Begins at 10:30 am. We are focusing our studies on our Lutheran Confessions. All are welcome to attend. Tuesday Evening Bible Study Begins at 6 pm. We are studying the Book of James. All are welcome to attend. Men s Bible Study meets the 2 nd Saturday of each month; at 8 am at Rockingham Rd. Hy-Vee for breakfast and then back at Immanuel at 9 am. Join us on September 9th for our next study. Welcome to all men of our congregation. Ladies Bible Study Our study will resume on Tuesday, September 26th at 10 am. Please let Dorothy Jones if you plan on attending so study guides can be purchased. The Christian Mission from Life Light. - Dorothy Jones WITH JESUS Lutheran Woman s Missionary League Mission Club No new information provided. Mission Club Treasurer, Sharon Evans. Ladies Aid Ladies Aid will be in session again on Tuesday, September 5th at noon. We will see all you lovely ladies soon. Sec. Betty Garrow A reminder from the secretary, My hope is that every month I deliver a timely, complete, informative and correct newsletter for the members of Immanuel. With that being said, I cannot accomplish this on my own. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the president's of submitting boards that meeting dates and monthly articles can be either ed to me or placed in the appropriate box that is located outside of the church office. Only after receiving the correct dates and monthly articles am I able to begin working on the monthly newsletter. Printed on the last page of the weekly bulletin is the reminder of when articles are expected to be submitted. Thanks for all of your help! In Christ, Kali Gruenhagen secretary@immanueldavenport.org Church Boards: Board of Christian Education Board of Elders Board of Finance Board of Mission & Evangelism Board of Social Ministry Board of Stewardship Board of Trustees Board of Youth & Fellowship Immanuel s Prayer Group Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. NIV. Immanuel s 18:20 Prayer Group Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. NIV. Prayer group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 am. Our next meeting is September 9 th. If you have any prayer requests, they can be submit to the prayer basket in the narthex or online at the church website: or check out the 18:20 prayer group Facebook page! Anyone is welcome to join us. Page 3

4 The Good News Letter! News from the Church Boards News from the Church Boards Board of Elders To help eliminate waste of paper and time we would like to recommend that those of you who have have your Good News Letter sent to you via rather than paper. We realize not everyone has and or would just prefer to have the hard document so please understand that this is totally voluntary. Please send your to or to have this service started. If you generate trash and or use Schember Hall for any reason, please be considerate and take Your trash out, put tables and chairs back if you moved them and clean up the area you use. We have a wonderful custodian and it would just be helpful we all pitched in to help. Every little bit of extra effort would be appreciated. What an Awesome job the Trustees did removing the old boilers and preparing the area for the new one. Thank you guys for all your hard work. Just a reminder folks that the job of Treasurer is a volunteer position along with the president, vice president and all the boards and committees. So please show a little kindness to the folks who do these jobs to help us all have a more efficient and smooth-running Church. Blessings, Dave Conger Chairman Board of Elders Board of Trustees - Anyone interested in a part time janitorial position, please see sign up in Schember Hall. Lorn Fairow will be in contact. Board of Social Ministries No information provided. Board of Youth - No Information provided. Board of Education Christian Education Scholarship Applications are available for the coming school year. We gave school supplies to over 80 children. Thank you to all gave donations and also to the Yaudas boys and board of youth for helping us at the event. Thank you to all who donated pies to this year s Rally Day & Ice Cream Social they were delicious! Thanks to Pastor Ferch, Vicki Gamble, and Kathy Yaudas for leading the games. Special thanks to the youth group for helping with games, or helping younger children participate! Sunday School begins on Sunday, September 3 rd following fellowship 10:30 11:30 a.m. Shining Stars (for kids age 3 through 5 th grade) has begun and is on Wednesdays with dinner at 6:00 p.m. and Shining Stars 6:30 7:30 p.m. Youth Confirmation (for youth 6 th 8 th grade) also meets at the same time. The board wishes to express gratitude to the parents and grandparents that bring their children to church, Sunday School and Shining Stars! Thank you for supporting the Christian educational opportunities we offer. You are helping to build a strong Christian foundation that your child can carry with them all their lives. Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 Sharon Evans, Chairman Thrivent Choice - to all Thrivent members: Don t forget about your Thrivent Choice dollars! Choice Dollars can be donated to our Preschool, or to our church or any other organization enrolled in the program. Special thanks to all the Thrivent members who have helped with fundraisers and service projects this year by having a Thrivent Action Team. So far your efforts have help our church host outreach events such as Easter Egg Hunt and Outdoor Worship & Church picnic, helped with preschool fundraisers and projects, Trivia Night fundraiser, LWML Rummage sale, VBS dinners and family cook-out, our youth group and the youth going to youth gathering and the benefit for Trina Bankson. Keep up the great work! Kathy Yaudas, Thrivent Church Advocate Page 4

5 UPCOMING EVENTS Shining Stars (Weekly Kid s Program) Immanuel s Mid-week program for Kids ages 3 5th grade a fun night where we teach the Bible as the true Word of God. On Wednesdays, 6:30 7:30 dinner served 6:00pm, during the school year beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 30th! Confirmation for youth 6th grade 8th grade meets at the same time. Family Movie Night Our next Family Movie Night is Friday, September 15th 6:30 8:30 p.m. Now Playing: Boss Baby this movie is rated PG. If anyone has a movie that we can show along with for older audiences, please let me know. Family Movie Night is free and we offer concessions at minimal prices. Come and join us for a great and inexpensive night out with kids or grandkids. Saturday, September 30th at 9:00 am. At Immanuel Lutheran Church & Preschool Preschool News Immanuel Lutheran Preschool & Child Care Center Learning with Love Our preschool has a new look for this year, before the Open House, we re-arranged the room to create a better flow, with our different discovery centers. We held our Open House and 5 different families attended. Preschool has begun and we have 13 enrolled; 9 in preschool with 2 of those in childcare and 4 after school children. Openings are available, please share with anyone you know that might be interested! Hy-Vee Receipt Fundraiser Keep bringing in your receipts from Rockingham Hy-Vee as this fundraiser is on-going we are over the half way point!. Please only bring in receipts from Rockingham Hy-Vee, sorry we can t use West Locust and mixing them in causes more work for the great volunteers who tally all the receipts! Please keep the preschool in your prayers as we are a great outreach into the community! Kathy Yaudas, Preschool Director The Good News Letter! Page 5

6 John Denger 9/03 Don Vance 9/03 Cora Burch 9/04 Olivia Papik 9/05 Loran Lassuy 9/06 Natalie Pratt 9/06 Betty Hepner 9/10 Michael Yaudas 9/11 Jan Stewart 9/16 Luke Yaudas 9/19 Dave Conger 9/20 Leland Madesian 9/20 Beth Burmahl 9/21 Shannon Dougherty 9/21 Liam Springsteen 9/21 Keith Bennett 9/22 Brad Neff 9/25 Joshua Conger 9/26 Luke & Kori Yaudas 9/05 Terry & Lori Stock 9/11 Scott & Lori Campbell 9/14 Drake Denger 9/01 Florence Jones 9/01 Beverly Meier 9/12 Terri Gaines 9/14 Shirley Reed 9/15 Mary Hanten 9/18 Scott Campbell 9/20 Jackson Dawson 9/27 Larry Ferguson III 9/27

7 "God is truly with us to share His love with you!" Dorothy Barton Shari Bribriesco Don Ferkel Archie & Charlotte Hahn Connie Kitzmann Darleen Kitzmann Darlene Luebken Terri Schofield Margaret Zellmer Please keep in your prayers our Shut-ins who have difficulty getting to Sunday services. People in Our Care As of 8/31/2017 Confirmed Members 197 Gains & Losses We welcome into membership through Baptism Thailan Jackson and Avari Smith Attendance & Offerings We give thanks to God for the blessing of gifts given through his people. Date Attend Commune Offering 7/30 47 (outdoor service 57) $1,210 8/ $2,560 8/13 80 $2,226 8/ $1,645 8/27 89 Rally Day $1,570 Our Weekly Budget needed is $2,860 to meet our approved budget expenses. September Volunteer Schedule Greeters 3 Bev Meier & Trudy Crane 10 Don & Jan Stewart 17 Betty Garrow & Diane Cox 24 Dale & Sherri Moeller Elders on Duty 3 All Elders on duty 10 Dave Conger 17 All Elders on duty 24 Luke Yaudas Acolytes (Communion Sundays) 3 Lillian Ferch & Thomas Cox 17 Keirsten Conger & Charles Buckelew Please locate the Acolyte schedule for July - December on the youth bulletin board. New names will be added, changing the current schedule. Stay tuned for more information. Fellowship Servers 3 Brad & Sue Burmahl 10 Don & Jan Stewart 17 Darrell & Jan Heilmann 24 Amy Dawson & Jan Dawson Altar Guild Mary Strassburger & Doris Haussmann If you are unable to serve either a certain day or month, please contact another lady to fill in. Substitutes: Loretta Bankson & Kathy Yaudas.

8 September 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 5pm Emeis Golf 3 9am Communion 10 am Fellowship 10:30 Bible Study 4 Office Closed for Labor Day 5 9am Pastor s Winkel 12pm Ladies aid 5pm Choir practice 6pm Bible Study 6 6pm Dinner 6:30-7:30 Shining Stars & Confirmation am Prayer Group & Men s breakfast 9am Men s Study 3pm Board of Youth 3:30 Youth activity 10 9am Worship Service 10 am Fellowship 10:30 Bible Study am Circuit meeting 11:30 Social Ministries 6pm Bible Study 13 6pm Dinner 6:30-7:30 Shining Stars & Confirmation 14 6pm Trustees 6pm Board of Ed 15 6:30-8:30 pm Family movie night 16 9am Elders meeting 17 9am Communion Service 10 am Fellowship 10:30 Bible Study :30 Evangelism 20 6pm Dinner 21 6pm Council pm Bible Study 6:30-7:30 Shining Stars & Confirmation 24 9am Worship Service 10 am Fellowship 10:30 Bible Study am Ladies Bible study 27 6pm Dinner am LWML Fall Immanuel 6pm Bible Study 6:30-7:30 Shining Stars & Confirmation