FROM PASTOR RICK’S COMPUTER:
ANNOUNCING: “BECOMING A WELCOMING SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY”

Our vision is to be a welcoming, spiritual community
that nurtures an intimate relationship in our daily walk with Jesus
and invites participation through sharing our gifts
to the glory of God.

I hope you recognize this as our new Vision Statement. If not, please read it over again. We hope to publish, publicize, inform about and utilize it in the coming months. We deeply believe this vision is from our Lord’s will for Immanuel.

As your Pastor, it is my job to keep the vision in front of you. I am planning a summer of preaching on the 1^st line of the vision. My unifying theme will be “Becoming a Welcoming, Spiritual Community.” I want to clarify what and who such a community, our congregation, will be.

Two things in this article:

1.  We are referring to a community that is affected, measured and held mutually accountable by the Bible. We are Christian and Lutheran in our spirituality. I want to hold up the very best of these in our welcoming;

2.  I am not saying that we are not Lutheran, Christian, welcoming and spiritual currently. However,

a.  the body of Christ is always “becoming,” either growing or diminishing. So we can become more.

b.  I have a suspicion that a number of us would have difficulty identifying the Biblical characteristics of our congregation that measure us now as a “welcoming, spiritual community.” So we learn more.

The details for each Sunday are still taking shape. I will be drawing from the lectionary, Lutheran Confessions and books by a various authors. I will likely include “The Purpose Driven Life” since so many continue to study it.

The series will commence on Trinity Sunday (June 6, also Graduate Recognition Sunday) with “Community is in the Nature of God.”

AMONG OUR MEMBERS:

BAPTISM

When we are baptized God gives us second birth into his family. On Holy Saturday, we welcomed: 

JAMIE LYNN CLICKNER
11591 Millstone Drive
Grand Ledge MI 48837
627-0700
Jamie teaches 3^rd graders at Holbrook. She is engaged to marry Patrick McKennon. (see below)

ALLISON ELAINE LANDRY
Allison is a manger for Target. She is wife to Daniel and mother to Emma, so far.

AMY LYNN SHUART
200 Oakwood St.
Grand Ledge MI 48837
She and Bryan Davis will marry later this year.

NEW MEMBERS

When we join a congregation, we have an opportunity to recommit to Christ and his work. On Holy Saturday, we welcomed:

NATHAN and ELLEN FLANDERS
Samantha
437 Ionia St.
Mulliken, MI 48861
649-0127
Nathan is on the accounting staff of Delta Dental. Ellen is a dental assistant in Lansing. They are parents to Samantha, 3 yrs. Nathan has agreed to prepare to be our Treasurer. Ellen is in the choir.

K. C. and ABBY GOODING
900 Smith Ave.
Lansing MI 48910
482-3322
K.C. is a manger at the Texas Roadhouse. Abby is a full-time homemaker and mother for now. Cyrus, 2, is their son, and another child is on the way.

BOBBIE MCKENNON
Bobbie works for the state legislature. She is mother to Pat and Ryan.

PATRICK MCKENNON
Pat is working toward his Master’s Degree in Education at Oakland U. He is engaged to Jamie Clickner.

CHUCK and NANCY PROPER
This retired couple lives out of their motor home. They move around, usually finding a place to settle and help for a while. This summer they will be helping at a Lutheran Bible Camp in North Dakota. They are parents to Mike and family.

GRADUATES

Dennis Conners: MBA from Eli Broad School, MSU.  In the Navy, Dennis and family are being reassigned.

Amy Lewis: BA in Elementary Ed. from WMU

Jason Thoms: PhD in Choral Conducting from MSU.   Jason has accepted a position at Mississippi State University.

These are the ones about whom we know. Are there others?

NEWS AND EVENTS:

RELAY FOR LIFE

The American Cancer Society
4th annual Relay for Life in Grand Ledge
3 p.m. Friday May 21, to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 22
@ the Beagle Middle School Track

This year Immanuel is combining forces with St. Mike's, and United Methodist to make a larger, more dynamic Grand Ledge Community Church team. If you want to join a winning team against cancer, a team member will be in the entrance area of the church to sign up, or  contact Bob Carter, Lynne Erickson, or Ruth Buckley.

Cancer makes no cents. Your change can help to make a difference.

Island art fair display and Hospitality Day
August 7, 2004

This year's Island Art Fair will be held, Saturday, August 7.  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?

In order 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 organizing to help with planning and bringing the actual event together including set up Friday afternoon/evening.  We are also going to need help directing traffic in our parking lot to keep the traffic flowing well.

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

We are going to need:

©       Strong bodies – to help move tables and displays

©       Artists – who would like to have their work displayed

©       Crafters - who would like to display their crafts

©       Quilters - who would like to display their beautiful quilts

©       Wood Workers – who would like to display their wares.

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 Ruth and Bob Buckley or Den Graeber.

Immanuel Annual Camping Trip

We will be camping at Twin Oaks Campground in Wellston, Michigan, which is adjacent to the Manistee National Forest, within walking distance from the confluence of the Big Manistee and Pine Rivers.  There is swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing nearby, as well as numerous mountain biking and hiking trails.

The camping trip will be July 23-25th, and we have reserved sites.  There are sites with electric, sites without, and there are two cabins.  The cost for a camping site is about $24 night for a group/family of 4.

If you'd like to join us for camping, please complete the form below, return it to Elizabeth Ayoub by May 9th with a $20 deposit.

As in previous years, we'll have time together as a group, probably have a meal together on Saturday night, and will have time to pursue individual activities according to everyone's tastes.

Questions, call Elizabeth Ayoub at 989/224-2608.

Name  ____________________________________________

Phone  ____________________________________________

Number in camping party __________________________

Type of camper:  tent ____  pop-up _____ R.V. ______  cabin  ______

Need electrical   Yes ___   No ___

Return to Elizabeth Ayoub, 6252 W. Walker Rd., St. Johns MI 48879 by May 9 with a $20.00 deposit. 

Rafting trip

The Youth Committee will be hosting a trip to West Virginia for all interested in going white water rafting.  All members are invited to join us  July 12- 14.

Watch for more information coming soon.

Parent supervision required for youth 12 years and younger.

BECAUSE YOU GAVE

…during Lent we have sent $766.25 to the Bishop’s Fund for Redeemer, Lansing. The Bishop has asked us all to help pay for our smaller, multi-ethnic congregation’s mortgage for a new roof and boiler.

…and put $766.25 into our Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.

NEW ITEMS AT CHURCH

1. A new hutch is in Pastor’s Class Room just off the Narthex (lobby). Built by Fred Gehlhaar, the hutch holds the phone, coffee pot and many materials.

2. 100 new folding chairs with cushioned seats. Between these and the pew cushions, we are going to have comfortable backsides at church.

3. Framed Bible time lines located in Pastor’s Class Room. These were purchased and framed by Warren Wells.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Immanuel Lutheran Church
Vacation Bible School
July 26 ~ 30    
9:00 a.m. ~ 12:00 noon
Volunteer forms available in the entryway.

HOW TO BEAT THE SCAMMERS BEFORE THEY BEAT YOU!

There are many, many scam artists who will happily separate you from your hard-earned savings and retirement funds.  Scams directed at the elderly are even more prevalent.  Protect yourself from being a scam victim by arming yourself with information. 

Be aware of the most prevalent scams in your area.  Here is a sampling of current scams:

·         Medicare Prescription Card Scams – offers to sell Medicare prescription card for $30 that would be effective BEFORE May 3, 2004.  [By federal law, they aren’t for sale before 5-3-04 and won’t be effective for use before 6-1-04.]  To read the official publication, “Guide to Choosing a Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card”, go to http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11062.pdf

·         Social Security Number Scam.  A caller tells you that Social Security’s computer crashed and they need to rebuild their database the “old-fashioned way” and ask for your social security number on the phone. (See LSJ, John Schneider column 4-20-04.)

·         Home Repair Scams.  Be wary of door-to-door solicitation for home repairs.  Obtain 2-3 estimates.  Ask to see their license.  Check on www.michigan.gov to be sure they are in fact licensed.  Do not leave home repair workers alone in your home.

·         Foreign Lottery Scams.  (See LSJ, John Schneider column 3-5-04.)

·         Luxury Dream Vacation Offers/Winnings

·         Investment Scams promising amazing profits.

·         Charity Scams like the “Firefighters Scholarship Fund.”  Often firefighters actually receive very little money from these scammers.

Be aware of warning signs that you are dealing with a scammer.  Unsolicited mail and phone calls are the primary methods used to communicate scams.  Here are tips for spotting a scammer, taken from the Tips for Seniors webpage of www.fraud.org.

• The caller asks for your social security number.  Do not give any caller your social security number!
• The caller asks for your credit card number, bank account number, or other financial information.  Do not give any caller your credit card number or bank account number. 
• You are told that you've won a prize but you must pay processing or administrative fees, for customs, for taxes, or any other reason.
• The person says you have to take the offer immediately or you'll miss the opportunity.
• The caller refuses to send you written information before you commit to anything.
• The caller claims that you can make huge profits in an investment with no risk.
• The caller is asking for a donation but won't tell you exactly how the money will be used and how you can verify the charity and what it does.   The Better Business Bureau Wise (BBB) Giving Alliance offers information about national charities.  Call 703-276-0100 or go to www.give.org to find out if the “charity” really is a charity.
• The caller insists that you send your payment by a private courier or wire money.
• The company asks for cash.
• The company calls you relentlessly or after you've asked not to be called anymore. 

Be aware of how to handle a scammer once you have spotted one.  The tactics listed above ARE NOT used by legitimate companies.  If you notice any of the above tactics being used AGAINST you, do the following:

• Say no thank you, ask to be taken off their call list and hang up.  Do not wait for their reply.
• Sometimes a polite no thank you is taken as an invitation to keep trying to persuade you – with this type of caller the best response is rudeness –  just hang up.
• If all else fails, indicate that you are going to call the police.  This approach should end the call rather quickly.

Be aware of how to get off of mailing lists and phone call lists.  As the old saw goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Before you become a victim, get off of as many phone/mailing lists as possible.  Sign up for the national “do not call” registry. It’s free. Call (888) 382-1222, TTY (866) 290-4326 from the phone number you want to register or register online at www.donotcall.gov. Whenever you receive a junk phone call, ask the person to place you on their “do not call list.”  Opt out of having your personal information being shared [read that “sold”] by your bank, your credit card company, the phone company, etc.  Do not provide personal information that is not necessary to the transaction you are engaged in.  (For example – when a retailer asks you for your phone number, say no thank you.) 

Be aware of how to make a complaint.  Contact Michigan’s Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, P.O. Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909, 517-373-1140, www.michigan.gov/ag, or the Federal Trade Commission, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261, www.ftc.gov. 

Attorney Marlaine C. Teahan prepared this article for the Health Ministries Team.  Look for a future article on “How to Avoid and Recover from Identity Theft.”

Opportunities to Serve:

RECRUITING FOR GIDEON’S ARMY

Gideon was a Jewish leader. He routed the Midianite army with a band of 300 select soldiers. A few people led by God can accomplish a lot. You can read about it in Judges 7.

I am recruiting for “Gideon’s Army.” Gideon’s Army will be members who will allow me to approach them for an additional gift once a year.

	It will be for a non-budgeted project, ministry, mission, or item needed quickly to do our job at Immanuel.
	The request will be for up to $500.
	Your gift will be over and above your tithe.
	You, as the giver, will be kept anonymous. (Non-revealing reports will be made to Church Council.)
	You will be informed about the project and have the opportunity to say “yes” or “no” based the merits, your circumstances and your own inner-leading.

Would you volunteer to join Gideon’s Army? I will not be coming to you and asking you, so call your recruiter today.

NOTES:

THANK YOU

Lent, Holy Week and Easter services were deeply meaningful. Many people gave efforts to make it so. Thank you to:

Bill Gibbons, Pr. Paul and all Purpose Driven Life small group leaders

Jane Goebel and the Drama Team for Palm Sunday and the Community Good Friday service

Karen Eichelberger, Health Ministries and Luther League II for the Special Needs service and lunch

Mary Gehlhaar, Teresa Barcy, and their crew for the Seder meal

Worship Committee and their crew for the exciting decorations and flowers

Barb Paulins and the Handbell Choir for the hard practices to bring us preludes and offertories

Ellen McKenzie, the Choir, and the “pit” for the hours of rehearsals to inspire us with the canatata

Carmen Karkau and Jim Espie for Wednesdays, and the hours of practice for Holy Week and Easter

Lynn Danes and Joyce Wilson for the beautiful banner to complement the cantata.

Outreach Committee for the delicious Easter Breakfast;

Carol Espie and Wendy Lewis for cleaning around many meetings and services

Ushers, acolytes, assisting ministers for out-of-the-ordinary assignments

Altar Guild for extra set up, clean up, and shining,

Bev Becker for behind the scenes preparations

Denise Lund for a number of extra hours to make it all happen on time.

We all hope that our church was nurtured in our daily walk with our Lord Jesus.

CELEBRATIONS:
MAY BIRTHDAYS

MAY ANNIVERSARIES

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