FROM PASTOR RICK’S COMPUTER:
BUILDING A YOUTH TEAM

A renewed Youth Committee is coming together. It is time to form the youth ministry team. To go along with adult leaders of the LYO and SNL, and with committee members Teresa Barcy and Mike Gignac, I would like to see the following on the Youth Team:

1)  Camp Leader: How important is fun at church camp? This person believes that it is very important. S/he will keep up on what our camps offer and promote them to children, youth, and adults.

2)  Fund Raising Leader: The congregation supports its youth events by budget and fundraising. This person will work with youth and parents to coordinate fund raising events for the groups in Youth Ministry.

3)  Young Adult Coordinator: What happens when high school days are over? This person will stay in contact with our young adults with news and interest from church. S/he may try to get them involved and together when back in the area.

4)  Prayer Partner Coordinator: This person knows how important it is for each youth to have adults who are interested in their lives. S/he will establish guidelines and goals, recruit adult prayer partners for our middle and high school aged youth. and oversee the program through the parents.

5)  Youth Spiritual Gifts Leader: This person believes that our confirmed youth are called to be ministers, now. S/he will encourage others at church to seek out our youth to work with them, give them responsibility and opportunities. S/he may find ways to enable youth to discover and test their specific gifts.

Ministry Teams are more about DOING than committee meetings. There will be meetings as necessary for communication and support, but doing work for and with our youth is what these leaders are about. Any confirmed youth or adult with the appropriate spiritual gifts can fill these positions. In the proposed structure the Youth Team will work under the supervision of the Preparing Ministry Team. Please contact me to join this team or to ask more questions.

Youth Team Mission: Youth ministry is being built on The Eight Faith Factors. The team positions are developed in order to make these factors operate in the things we do.

Immanuel is “to be a spiritual community that…
invites participation through sharing our gifts to the glory of God.”

Participate. Join up.

NEWS AND EVENTS:

LUTHER LEAGUE II
Seniors Group

Our next meeting is Monday, August 8th.
Event: Michigan Historical Museum Tour
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Meet at the church parking lot at 9:20 a.m., and we will car pool to the museum.  We need to be at museum at 9:45 a.m. We will park at the museum.  There is a charge when leaving the parking lot.  Lunch follows at Clara’s at noon.

Contact Tom or Elaine Mattson at 627-9670 for further information. 

AUGUST SPECIAL SERVICES

July 31^st: Outdoor Worship

 Healthy Potluck Lunch. Bring your lawn chairs, a dish to pass and make enough to invite your friends to come to worship with you.

Aug. 14^th: Favorite Hymn Sunday (revisited)

There were more hymn suggestions than time at our June service. Come prepared let your voices be heard.

Aug. 21^st: Pastor Leroy Beck, former pastor at Immanuel will return to lead the 9:30 service.

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL

Two Adult Sunday School Classes will begin meeting at 9:15 a.m. on Rally Day, September 11.

Pr. Rick’s class will study the Book of Revelation.  This last book of the New Testament contains an unveiling of the near future which will bring the world’s history to an end.  In a document addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor, the author, John, discloses what God has revealed to him, namely that the world’s history is in God’s hands.  In recent years many popular books have been written about the “end times.”

The second class, beginning on September 11, will be a three session course on faith and finances, entitled “Managing God’s Blessings”.  The presenter will be Adam Heinleim of Lutheran Financial Services.

A third adult class will be led by Pr. Paul Pretzlaff and Parish Nurse, Donna Gibbons beginning Sunday, October 2 @ 9:15 a.m.  They will use as a text the book “Armchair Mystic”.  According to the author, Mark Thibodeaux, “this user-friendly book blends theory and practice, gently and concretely taking the reader through the first steps of contemplative prayer.”  Copies of the book will be available in the church’s entryway during August at a cost of $10, or you may call the church office.

Healing AND Prayer MINISTRY
Getting to know us

Nicole Sullenberger lives in Grand Ledge and has been a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church for five years.  She joined the Health Ministry team in April of 2004 and from there was introduced to the idea of becoming a part of the new Healing Prayer Ministry team.  She became a leader in the Healing Prayer Ministry Team when Karen Eichelberger left.  Nicole has said she is excited for the opportunity to strengthen her faith and utilize her spiritual talents in service to others.

Pastor Paul Pretzlaff is one of the founders of the Healing Prayer Ministry.  He was ordained a pastor in 1956 and served parishes in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio and Ypsilanti and Detroit, Michigan.  He came to serve St. Paul Lutheran Church, a mission congregation in East Lansing in 1973.  His wife, Donna, served as Minister of Music.  After his retirement, they moved to Windsor Estates in Dimondale and became members of Immanuel.

He first served as part-time Visitation Pastor for five years. He assisted Karen Eichelberger in establishing the Health Ministry when she became Immanuel's first Parish Nurse.

Donna died in December of 2000 and the next year Paul resigned as Visitation Pastor for medical reasons.  He had two hip replacements, pulmonary embolism, staph infection, open-heart surgery and a ruptured appendix.  During his recuperation, he lived in the Assisted Living unit at Independence Village.  During his ten months there, he started a prayer group, conducted two memorial services and teamed with Joan Nolff in a Bible Study.  He also visited with and helped many of the residents there.

After returning to his home, Paul continued his ministry at Independence Village by going there three times a week to lead the prayer group, a book study group, and he now conducts Sunday afternoon Worship Services.

At Immanuel, Paul continues to serve as a volunteer in pastoral visitation, prayer ministry, adult Sunday School teacher, choir member, song leader and "Whatever else the Holy Spirit sends his way and to our benefit."

It is the Healing Prayer Ministers' desire to listen, to love and to pray for those seeking healing prayer for spiritual, physical, emotional or relationship needs, or for prayers of thanksgiving.  We seek guidance from God through Scripture and prayer, sharing Jesus' love with one another and with others.

Joan Nolff, Healing Prayer Minister

CYVA TRAINING
(Children, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults)

What is CYVA?  It is a policy that was created to guard our workers and volunteers from being suspected or falsely accused of wrongful behavior.  Training was developed to meet insurance requirements and needs to be done yearly.  My goal is to have this completed by the end of October  It is important for those leading groups and those who are participating in activities to have the training.  We have looked at our congregational roster and have identified approximately 100 people in the congregation as needing CYVA training.

We have shortened the paperwork so that it can be completed in a minimal amount of time (approximately 20 minutes).  I will be offering four sessions for the paperwork and requirements to be met.  I ask that everybody who needs this training to please arrange to attend one of the scheduled sessions listed below:

1)      Thursday, September 15 @ 6:30 p.m.
2)      Sunday, September 18 @ 11:45 a.m. (following worship)
3)      Thursday, October 20 @ 7:00 p.m.
4)      Sunday, October 23 @ 11:45 a.m. (following worship)

How do you know if you need to attend?  If you are ever alone with another person  then you may need the training.  Examples of people who need to attend are:

• staff

• Sunday school teachers

• leaders/helpers of children’s church

• nursery helpers

• those who transport people

• Health Ministry Team members

• IV Team members

• Healing Prayer Ministers

• Church Council

• and others

If you are in question as to weather or not you need the training, please contact myself or Denise Lund at the church office (627-6310).

Thank You,

Parish Nurse

WHAT’S NEW?

The cold air returns have been built in the basement. You recall one cold Sunday we cancelled early worship due to a natural gas smell? This corrects the potential problem. A contribution was made by a member to substantially cover the cost. Thank you.

There is a new plant in the Memorial Garden. Parish Ed bought a beautiful Korean Dwarf Lilac bush and planted it in memory of Holly Plunkett.

RECYCLE RESPECT REWARD

Did you know we recycle ink cartridges?  We have an ongoing program, thanks to John & Shari Burg.  Simply bring your empty ink cartridges to church and put them in the blue basket in the basement by the elevator door.  Then John & Shari send them to InkBank.  The cartridges get recycled and we get money.  Last month we received a check for $34.  Please bring in your empty cartridges!

Opportunities to Serve:

ISLAND ART FAIR AND HOSPITALITY DAY

This year's Island Art Fair will be held Saturday, August 6.  This is a great opportunity for an exhibit showcasing the artistic gifts and talents of the Immanuel community.

Our church parking lot has been used for several years as a shuttle lot to the art fair.  Why not open up our church and display some of the many artistic gifts and talents of the Immanuel community and greet our visitors with some Immanuel hospitality.

To put the day together, we are going to need a variety of spiritual gifts.  Gifts that we know Immanuel members have to share with the community.

We need people with the gift of organization to help with planning and bringing the actual event together including set up on Friday afternoon or evening.  We are also going to need help directing traffic in our parking lot and help organizing people for the shuttle buses.

We need people with the gift of hospitality to help for a couple of hours on Art Fair day greeting and assisting our visitors.

If you are interested in displaying any of your artistic gifts and talents and using some of your spiritual gifts to assist and greet others or direct traffic in the parking lot contact Bob and Ruth Buckley (649-2314) or Den Graeber (627-3116).

Wanted . . .

Talented kids to play the piano during the Island Art Fair Display and Hospitality Day.  Please sign up in the entryway.

Thanks and do come join us!

NOTES:

THANK YOU

“…for the wonderful luncheon…Also for all the food that was brought over to our family. Your kindness has made this time easier.”

The family of Sue (Reasoner) Morrison

FROM THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT'S DESK:

Following are charts showing actual giving statistics over the past 5 years that were referred to in my letter mailed out in July.  Historically, average weekly giving has increased at a rate of about 5.25% each year except in year 2001 during which we saw an increase of 9.6%.  This would indicate that the contributing members are, on a weekly basis, giving more each year.  However, average weekly contributors have declined over the past 5 years from a high of 75.4 in year 2001 to a current low in the last fiscal year 2004.  This represents a decline of just less than 15%. 

While we are facing this budget deficit, it appears to be clearly pointed out through the historic figures that this is a result of declining number of contributors.

Average Weekly Contribution

Average Number of Contributors Each Sunday

Average Giving Each Sunday

CELEBRATIONS:
AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES

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