Hi, Everybody:
This Sunday, September 27, is the 17th Sunday after Pentecost and normally would be Lutheran Loose Change Sunday (as if anything were normal anymore). Our new normal continues this week with our Online Worship Service which is available on our website each Sunday morning (or Saturday night if the stars are in alignment and Inspector Morse isn’t on TV). Zoom information for Coffee Chat at 9:15 am and Communion at 9:45 am will be included in Sunday’s email. For Sunday School (10 am) Zoom information, please contact Marta Wicke at martawicke@gmail.com to be added to her list. Pastor Tim sends out the Zoom info for 10 am Confirmation to those students. There is a Zoom Worship Committee Meeting this Sunday at 12:30 pm (I hope Zoom doesn’t start charging us for using their name).
Thanks to all who dropped off food or otherwise donated to our God’s Work Our Hands extended Food Barrel drive. We received a total of $733 ($633 in food items, $100 cash/check) for LOV Newark to stock their pantry. Great job, everybody! Special thanks to John and Faye Williams for hauling it all over there and totaling it up. See? We can still accomplish good works while staying safe!
Next week will be Animal Blessing Sunday with a Virtual Blessing of the Animals (both live and plush) at noon. Just email me with your name, email address, and names of your pets, and I will email you the Zoom information (once I get it) and a bulletin to follow (once I finish it). If you’re comfortable with using the video feature, it would be fun to see your animal companion, stuffed animal, or a picture of your animal. There will be no Sunday School, but instead the kids are encouraged to participate in the animal blessing with their stuffed animals (which we normally do during Children’s Time).
Have you ever felt inspired to share your faith message on a Stewardship Sunday in the past but declined because you didn’t want to speak in front of a large group? The Stewardship Committee has the perfect solution for you! The committee is encouraging individuals, families, partners, or friends to write a faith story that could be shared. We request that they are 400-500 words (around 1 page) and focus on “How faith has helped you maintain thankfulness during COVID” (Nov. theme) and/or “How did tradition and celebration of the Advent/Christmas season shape your faith” (Dec. theme). Youth are also encouraged to participate as well and can submit art if that is a preferred method of expression. These will be included in HTLC e-newsletter and/or website but all authors will be contacted prior to distribution so that they are comfortable with where it will be shared.
– Keith, your friendly Parish Life Coordinator (i.e. Church Secretary)