FROM PASTOR RICK’S COMPUTER:
OUR VISION: TO NURTURE AND INVITE

We welcome this fresh, new year as we do each new day – forgiven and hopeful in the unknown opportunities that it will bring. Our church’s vision for this year, and many to come, will be:

Immanuel Lutheran Church will be

a spiritual community

that nurtures an intimate relationship

in our daily walk with Jesus and

invites participation through sharing

our gifts with others.

 The Vision Team believes this is the goal toward which the Holy Spirit is leading us because:

We, on the Vision Team, have lived with this vision for some time. Now it is time for you our sisters and brothers to have the same opportunity in this new year. You will begin to see these words in many places around our church.

We need you to memorize it. This is not too difficult. Get the 3 big ideas ordered in your mind: 1) spiritual community; 2) nurtures; and, 3) invites participation. Then build the rest of the sentence around them.

We need you to live with it by using it to guide you personally and in those ministries in which you are involved. We need you to use it to dream about what our congregation can become.

This month we will be formally presenting it to the Church Council for lively discussion, understanding, agreement and the first steps of planning. In February, we will be doing the same with as many of the congregation as will come together. The 5 Reasons and much more will be filled out in these meetings.

We thank you for all the praying you have done with us and for us. We have been Spirit-led. The results can be seen. Please pray now for our Council and members to embrace this vision in the Spirit. And join us in a new year’s opportunity to affirm it and to live with it.

For the whole Vision Team

AMONG OUR MEMBERS:

TRANSFER OUT

Jerry and Irene Bost, and Adam, have moved to Holt, and transferred to South Lansing Church of Christ.

NEWS AND EVENTS:

FRIENDSHIP CLUB

GAME NIGHT!!  The Friendship Club is having a Game Night on January 10, 2004, 6:30 -- 9:30 p.m.  A Sign-up sheet is in the Church lobby.  Make a New Year’s resolution to attend and get to know other people in the congregation (while having lots of fun!).  Game nights continue to have good turnouts.  We have especially seen lots of our new members join us  -- this is a great way to make friends and new acquaintances.  Looking ahead…….we plan on a Dinner for 8 on February 7^th and a Family Game Night with a tentative March 6, 2004 date.  Call Jim and Marlaine Teahan at 627-5637 for further information.

COMMITMENT SUNDAY

On January 25^th, 2004 Stewardship will be hosting a SUPER SUNDAY CELEBRATION POTLUCK luncheon immediately following the late service.  We have chosen our theme for this year to be “Discovering our Gifts for Abundant Living”.  This is your Time & Talent Commitment Sunday and our committee sincerely hopes you will spend some time during the month of January to reflect upon how your service to our Lord Jesus can grow in 2004 and in what ways you can help others do the same.  During January, the Stewardship Committee will be sponsoring a stewardship breakfast coffee hour (1/11), various temple talks, and an adult bible study hosted by LSSM (1/18).  We look forward to your participation in any or all of these activities.

Chairman, Stewardship Committee

2004 OFFERING ENVELOPES

Please note that the 2004 offering envelopes are now available for pickup, as well as electronic direct deposit.

LUTHER LEAGUE II (Seniors' group)

January Potluck -- Monday, January 12, 2004 ~ 12:00 noon at the church.  Please bring a dish to pass. Tableware and drinks provided. Games & cards to follow lunch.  Questions: Joy (627-7069), Vera (627-5213), or Joyce (627-6839).  Join us for a good time!

CHURCH FAMILY CAMPING TRIP!

It’s time again to start thinking of camping season!!  Most of the folks who have been at Double R Ranch feel it’s time for us to look around for another campground, so that’s what I’ve done.  I also heard that some folks would like to go someplace where there are cabins. 

I’ve located a campground, Twin Oaks Campground, which is in Mesick.   This campground has facilities for RV sites as well as tents, and also has cabins.  The campground is located ½ mile from where the Pine and Manistee Rivers merge, where there are canoe and tube rentals.  It is also adjacent to the Manistee National Forest for cross country bicycling, walking and hiking trails, and horseback riding.  The campground is also ½ hour from Lake Michigan, and about 2± hours from the church. 

Rates for cabins (which include 2 queen-sized beds, pots, pans, linens, and BBQ pit) are $75/night for 4 people.  RV sites include water and electric, and are $24/night.  Tent sites which have water (no electric) are $20/night. 

This year please sign up for ANY of the following weekends that you would be able to attend.  After everyone has signed up, we’ll schedule the weekend that the most number of people can attend.    The weekends available are : June 18-20, July 23-25, August 13-15, and September 10-12.  REMEMBER, WHEN YOU SIGN THIS FORM YOU ARE NOT COMMITTING TO ANYTHING AT THIS POINT.  THIS IS MERELY A SURVEY FOR WHICH WEEKEND WORKS FOR YOU AND OTHERS!

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Please turn this form into Elizabeth Ayoub by January 30^th.  Thanks!

Our family might be able to join other church members on our camping trip.  The weekend(s) that work(s) for us is/are:

Name:______________________________   Phone Number:____________________________

Type of site that we will need if we attend:   Cabin______; RV site______; Tent site______

Opportunities to Serve:

INVITATION TO CO-FACILITATE DISCUSSIONS

Our ELCA is in the midst of a study about human sexuality. It was “ordered” by the 2001 National Assembly. The study has two distinct aspects and deadlines: Part 1) Shall the ELCA bless same-sex unions and ordain those in them? Yes or No; Part 2) A Social Statement on Human  Sexuality. This will be our ELCA’s teaching on a wide variety of topics about sexuality. Part 1 will be voted on at the National Assembly in 2005. Part 2 will be presented at the 2007 National Assembly.

The Task Force has produced a guide for ELCA members to use in study and discussion, so to give them feedback for the reports they must make to the Church Council and the National Assembly. Our North/West Lower Michigan Synod bishop, Gary Hansen, has appealed to us pastors to please do the 6 session study.  I need assistance. I would like to see 3 study groups of 8 – 16 members, each led by a team of two.

I need 5 more people to join me, willing to co-lead a study group. The facilitators will prepare by going through the study together. Then we will lead groups with various meeting days and times. If you will help in this contact me.

We of the ELCA claim ourselves to be a “Church of moral deliberation.” That means we will discuss important moral subjects together because God expects us to be his ambassadors in society. It means we will not avoid them because they are too touchy, but will try to find a deeper unity in Christ and under him our Lord. To be faithful, we must do this.

“Journey Together Faithfully"

SNL SPEAKERS SHARE FAITH-STORIES

What do Ruth Kastilahn….Jennifer Dodge…Carl and Mary Ballard…Dan Landry….Warren Wells….Rick Merrifield….Lisa Baptista all have in common? Each of them has spoken about their walk with the Lord to SNL (Sunday Night Live.).

How about you? Would you volunteer? Or will you say “Yes” if pastor asks you? We will be studying the Apostles’ Creed starting in January. We believe in the Father/Creator; the Son/Savior; the Holy Spirit/Giver and Sanctifier of faith.

NAME TAG SUNDAY SERVICE PROJECT

Outreach Committee is looking for a family or individual who would like to have a service project.  What is involved:  setting up the Name Tag Sunday table on the 4^th Saturday of the month (or 15 minutes prior to the 8 o’clock service on Sunday).  You would be responsible for doing this each month for one year and for getting a substitute for yourself if you are sick or on vacation.  If you are interested or have questions, please email us at Outreach@immanuel-gl.org or call Orv Erickson at 645- 2865 or Marlaine Teahan at 627-5637. 

NOTES:

PASTOR AND ELLEN SAY “THANK YOU.”

We thank those members who contributed to give us a Christmas gift on December 14th. In your kindness we become aware of your love. We are truly grateful. We are going to “get away” for a couple of days alone between Christmas and New Year.

THANK YOUs FROM THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE

Thanks to everyone for their help and contributions to our "Annual Hanging of the Greens".  We had more volunteers than ever.  A special thank you to our SNL/catechism class who helped with the children's crafts, the clean up and so much more.  A thank you to the adults in our church who helped organize and decorate our sanctuary and narthex.  A thank you to the ladies who helped prepare our Christmas Eve candles.  There are so many volunteers that we cannot possibly name them all.  A special thank you goes to:  Jane Goebel for her help in coordinating the kitchen that day, Darrell Dontje for donating the two Christmas trees, and to the Wickerhams for their donation of the bales of straw.

IT'S NOT ABOUT ME; IT'S ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

When I asked God to help me read, I didn’t know it would explode like it did.  Let me explain.

When Pastor Rick and Pastor Paul asked me to read my faith walk to our church, I did in April.  As the word spread, Pastor Don from the Mulliken United Methodist asked me to read for them.  He called it “dynamite.”  This fall, Pastor Rick told me that Pastor Leach form the Congregational Church wanted to talk to me.  So Ruth and I went to talk with him.  When he heard the details of my story, and the fact that I read at school twice a week for the grandchildren’s classes, he asked me to read my faith walk and do the children’s sermon on January 25 at the 10:30 service.

Now Carl Ballard has asked me to read my faith walk at Hope Community Church in Rockford Michigan some time in February.

I just cannot believe how the Holy Spirit has given me the power to reach out to so many people.

Praise the Lord!

FROM THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT'S DESK:

Happy New Year to all!

Here we are starting another year. All the celebration of the Christmas Holiday is over and all the anticipation and excitement of the new year in upon us.

I would like to thank all of the members of our Congregation who went the extra step and made the celebration of our Savior’s birth such a delightful celebration. From the Hanging of the Greens, to the Adult Drama, and all the effort that went into the Christmas services. Great job everyone!

As we look forward to the new year there are many new things happening here at Immanuel Lutheran. A new Council is in place. Thank you to all the present members for your commitment, and a special thanks and welcome to the new members.

This is my last letter as your President. Council will be selecting a new President in January. I would like to take a moment and say thank you to all the members of the Church for their help this last year. Thank you to our loving God for the comfort, patience, and help He gave me throughout the last year. A special thanks to Pr. Rick for your valuable help, time and advice. Thanks to the people who were there when I had a question or just needed someone to listen and bounce ideas off. Thank you to the Council for the support and the great job you did this last year. Lastly, a big thanks to Lori, my wife, who understood when I couldn’t be at family functions always, when I was gone 4 nights a week some weeks, when we were eating at 10:00 at night because I had been at Church, and for listening when I needed an ear.

I think we have come a long way as a Congregation these past months, with things changing as a result of the BridgeBuilders, with people having better communication and understanding of where each of us is. I pray that as we progress through this new year, we are able to continue to grow in our individual faith, our faith as a congregation, grow as our ministry here at Immanuel Lutheran expands and reaches the people God intends for us to minister to. My prayers are for the Congregation, the Council and the individuals here that we will continue to be a shining beacon for our Lord in our Community.

Thank you again for all the support of this last year, and I know that our Church Family will give that same support to our new President and Council.

Yours in Christ,

CELEBRATIONS:
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS

JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES

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