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March 2010 The Voice of Immanuel

      "The Voice of Immanuel"
                                March 2010

Dear Members & Friends of Immanuel:
Welcome to our second issue of "The Voice of Immanuel" online.  Last month's newsletter received many favorable comments. Many thanks to everyone who made suggestions and comments! Please keep them coming!
 
Remember that our MONTHLY CALENDAR is online and updated each month. We changed to new format that is easier for you to print out. Please click Church Calendar to access Immanuel's schedule and events. This Google calendar also syncs with most phones.
From Pastor Mark
The Parts of Worship - The Hymn of Praise
Pastor Mark
(This is part seven in a running newsletter series on worship.)
      As the worship service begins we remember our Baptism into Christ with the words of the Invocation.  We confess our sins to an all holy God.  Then we hear those precious words of our loving God, "I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
        The Father has once again given us His greatest gift, the forgiveness of all of our sins.  It is now time to speak back to Him our thanks and praise for such a wonderful, undeserved gift.  Our "Hymn of Praise" can take many forms.  We may sing an appropriate hymn from the hymnal.  We may sing another song which gives voice to our thankful hearts.  We may sing the familiar "This is the Feast" which boldly proclaims what Christ has done for us, which by the way is the highest form of praise to our God.
        This will not be the last time in the worship service we will offer up our praise and thanksgiving.  We will offer it in other hymns and songs; in the sermon; in the Creed (again, as we tell what He has done, we offer our highest praise); and we will offer it in our prayers, spoken and unspoken.  Throughout the service the dialogue continues.  God gives, speaks, and acts.  We receive from Him His gifts and return our thanks and praise.
        Our "Hymn of Praise" is not intended to only be sung in worship, however.  God's intention is for us to "sing" our hymns of praise as we leave and go about the rest of our lives.  Our Hymns of Praise are not intended to be sung only during one hour of every week.  God intends for us to sing our praises thoughout the week.  Here are some ways you can continue to sing your Hymn of Praise on Monday through Saturday:
   ·   Tell your children and grandchildren, repeatedly, about what Jesus has done (Again, our highest form of praise.)
   ·   Open your Bible at home to read about what He has done. (Again, you praise Him in such action.)
   ·   Bring an unchurched friend or family member to church with you to hear what He has done. (Praise.)
   ·   Support the proclaiming of the Gospel (Praise.) by your participation in events at Immanuel outside of worship.
   ·   Live your life as one who values what He has done. (Praise!)
 
     What joy is ours who know what He as done for us on Calvary's cross and from His empty tomb.  No wonder we sing, and live, our Hymns of Praise. See you in church!  I am
 
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Mark
 
Lenten Worship Continues in March
 
"Our Savior's Wounded Body"
 
We continue our Lenten Worship on Wednesdays in March through March 24th. The services are held at 12:00, 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. The Youth Group sponsors Lenten Dinners each Wednesday, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
 
Each Wednesday we focus our hearts and minds on the parts of our Savior's body wounded for our transgressions. Our devotional themes will be:
  • His Battered Back
  • His Faithful Feet
  • His Skewered Side
  • His Unbroken Bones
 
Services will be simple. Adults and children alike will benefit from the 30-40 minute  services. Let us commit to gathering together during this Lenten season. Together we will be reminded of what our Savior accomplished in His body for us. 
 
School News
Immanuel School Highlights
 
The Annual Dinner Auction will be held on March 13th. Don't miss your opportunity to help make this event a success. Other upcoming activities include Community Open Houses and Grandparents' Day. Please click School News for more details and news. There is also a link to a weekly newsletter.
Youth News
Immanuel Youth Group Highlights
 The District Jr. Youth Gathering is rapidly approaching. 40 of our Youth have signed up for this event entitled "3 in 1, Trust in the Trinity!" to be held March 19-21st.
   Youth-sponsored Lenten Dinners continue in March. Everyone is invited to come and join us for dinner and support the Youth Group at the same time.
    The 2nd Annual Flea Market and Bake Sale is coming up on March 27th. Booths are still available.
     Please click Youth News for more information on these stories and more!
New Sanctuary Update
 
 
The Sanctuary Building Committee has been very busy since the committee was formed and first met in early November 2009. So far, the committee has set the criteria for choosing an architectural firm for the design for the project, solicited and received proposals from nine architectural firms, and begun interviews of four firms. We hope to recommend one architectural firm for the design work and ask for congregational approval in mid-March. Then design work with the Architect can begin after Easter.
 
We have two important events coming up in April that you won't want to miss. On April 11th we will have a "Breakfast and Building Committee Update". On April 25th we will have a "Breakfast and Presentation on Possible Art". Mark both of these events on your calendar. More information will be posted in the near future.
 
The following are serving on the Sanctuary Building Committee: Wilma Adams, Pastor Bangert, Jim Bennight, Steve Emmons, Karen Hornbuckle, Vicar  Hopkins, LuAnn Kaaz, Stacy Landers, Curt Mauldin, Gary Quaethem, Deb Stelzer, David Timm, Terry Witthaus and Beth Woll. Please feel free to contact any of these members if you have ideas to share for the new sanctuary.
 
Here are some informational numbers:
Received in "God With Us" Offerings        -    $900,000+
Balance in Building Fund                              -   $1,068,402
Outstanding in McMichael Estate              -    $500,000+
Total Saved for our new Sanctuary          -   $1,500,000+!
 
Goal is $2,500,000 by ground breaking in Spring 2011
The Feminization of America - Men's Event
Dr. Joel Biermann to Speak
 
Over the last thirty years, America has been feminized. Consider your favorite sitcom. What kind of role models are the male characters? The female characters? Preactically across the board, the men are self-absorbed idiots. They are terrible role models. The women are generally flawed, but they always have redeeming qualities. This is just one small example of a large trend. Dr. Biermann will be showing how all of American culture has been feminized, and what that means for us men in our daily living. Join us on Sunday, March 7th at 6 p.m. for this fascinating presentation by Dr. Biermann of Concordia Seminary. The presentation will last about an hour with 30 minutes for questions after the presentation. We will have pizza rolls and toasted ravioli available for snacks afterwards. Please join us on March 7th 

Fun stuff
 
And Now a Word from our Sponsors....
 Thanks to our Sponsors!
 
Our sponsors help make our newsletter possible. Please click on Immanuel Business Donors to see more information on the following sponsors:
 
  • Darrel Barrett
  • Dr. Mark Birkmann
  • Don Maris
  • Brad Mitchell
 
If you are interested in being an e-newsletter sponsor, please contact churchsecretary@imlutheran.org or call 636-239-4705. 
 
Contact Information
Church office phone: 636-239-4705
Link to church calendar: 

March Church Calendar  

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Immanuel Lutheran Church | 214 West 5th Street | Washington | MO | 63090