*
* * * * * * * * * *
New
Date: New Member Class Coming in November
Have you been visiting Calvary
and would like to make this your church home? Or, have you been attending
regularly for a while but never actually became a member? Or, maybe you are
still praying about the decision but you’d like to learn more about Lutherans
and the ministries of Calvary before making the commitment to join. You are
welcome to attend the next New Member Class, and you can even decide after the
class if you want to join or not. This class is for exploration, learning, and
asking questions. No previous knowledge of Lutherans or the Bible needed!
We will gather on Saturday,
November 19th from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. We will serve a continental
breakfast and lunch. Please call the church office or contact Pastor Laura if
you plan to attend or if you have any questions about the class, Calvary,
membership, etc. If you’d like to attend a new member class but you are unable
to make it on November 19th, please also call and let us know which
days/times typically work best for you and we will schedule another class for
this winter.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Mark Your Calendars!
Thanksgiving Service: Sunday, November 20th at 10:00 AM
with Thanksgiving Potluck Meal to Follow
On Sunday, November 20th, instead of holding our 8:30 and 11 am
services at Calvary, we will hold just one service at 10:00 am. This service
will be a special celebration of giving thanks to God for the many blessings we
receive. It also coincides with Calvary's 45th anniversary, and the culmination
of our stewardship celebration, which is Dedication Sunday. (Commitment cards
that are gathered on November 13th will be compiled and the total pledge
announced.) Indeed we have much to give thanks for! Please don't miss this
important opportunity to worship God, to give thanks, and to enjoy food and
fellowship with others in our community. Stay tuned to the announcements and
your bulletin insert for more information or see Pastor Laura with any
questions.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Have You Planned Your Funeral Yet???
If you've ever settled a loved one's affairs after death, you
know it can be difficult to plan a funeral or memorial service. Family and
friends want to honor the person who has died, but they may not agree on what's
best. The grief and stress of loss can make decisions even more challenging.
Taking the time now to document your wishes for a funeral or other memorial
service can both ensure that you get the kind of services you want and provide
tremendous relief for your loved ones.
In honor of All Saints Day, Pastor Laura will hold a funeral or
memorial service planning session during the adult education hour on Sunday,
November 6th, at 9:45 am in the Fellowship Hall. We hope you will
all come, and that you will consider inviting other friends or family members
who have not yet planned their funeral.
You are never too young to express your wishes and make your
plans. We’re not suggesting that you get signed up with a funeral home right
now, but just that you have your wishes in writing that will be a great relief
to your family when, one day, they will be needed, even if several decades away.
We will give you the information, and you can take it home to
think about. When you are ready to return your funeral planning documents, we
will keep them on file for you for whenever your family needs them. And, you
can revise them anytime.
Please see Pastor Laura if you have any questions about this
session or if you are unable to attend but would like to go over it with her
another time.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Sunday, November 27th
is our annual Hanging of the Greens during
the adult education hour at 9:45 am. The hour will begin with a brief
introduction to the season by the pastor, and then we roll up our sleeves
and get to work. Everyone is welcome! One thing, though, do dress a little
informally – as we will be on ladders, handling wreaths and the like! Also
dress warmly, as the outside decorations also need to be put up. I will
need many helping hands the day before to get everything out. If you
can help out, please meet me at church at 10 am on Saturday, the 26th.
Any questions, please see Cindy Vogt. Thanks!
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 6th, so don’t forget
to turn your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday, November 5th!
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Lutheran World Relief Update
Calvary
sent 305 quilts to LWR this year. These items will be used for disasters
around the world. Thanks to everyone who participated in any way to make this
project a big success. A big thanks to all the quilters who
helped make the quilts; also many thanks to the packers and to Rob Bennett for
the donation of and driving the truck to Heart of the Shepherd Lutheran Church
in Howell on October 16th. Great job,
ladies!
*
* * * * * * * * * *
We
Need You!
Are you looking for a way to get
involved at Calvary that doesn’t involve any meetings or homework? Did you know
that you can serve in your church from the comfort of your own home? The only
things needed are a telephone and a willing heart!
At Calvary, we have three Prayer
Circles. Anyone who has a prayer request for themselves, a family member, a
friend, or a neighbor, can pass it along to Pastor Laura, Chris Castor, Dorothy
Luethjohann, or any other member of the prayer circles. Each member of the
Prayer Circle has a list of who they are to call next on the list. Within
minutes to hours there are several prayers being said.
Being a member of the Prayer
Circles simply involves praying for those you receive a prayer request for,
keeping that information confidential, and only passing along the request
to the next person on the list. It doesn’t involve praying in front of a group
or group prayer. It is simply lifting up a quiet prayer just between you and
God for the person the request is for. It’s that simple! I’ve heard people who
had been on the Prayer Circles say, “That prayer thing really works!”
Prayer is one of the most powerful forms of
healing there is. It is an opportunity to communicate with God for the purpose
of requesting God's healing love, truth, and grace, and restoring yourself to
wholeness.
These prayer requests are a wonderful opportunity
for both the pray-er and the subject of the prayer. Being a member of the
Prayer Circles is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your own healing, peace, and
understanding as you help extend it to others.
If you are looking for an opportunity to fulfill
the duty of a Christian steward to pray, enjoy the peace and focus of regular
prayer, and want to serve our congregation and its members and neighbors, then
joining the Prayer Circles is for you!
Prayer is a time of admitting our need, of
adopting humility, and of claiming our dependence upon God. Prayer is the
exercise of faith and hope.
If you are willing to take a few minutes from each
day or week to pray for others on our Prayer Circles, please contact Dorothy
Luethjohann or Pastor Laura for more information or to sign up.
Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Sunday, November 13th, immediately following our 11:00 am service, we will
conduct a brief liturgy for healing. For those who wish, this liturgy includes
prayer, anointing with oil, and the laying on of hands.
In addition, we will share
prayer requests for healing, as part of this service. You may phone or leave
such requests at the office or hand them to the pastor before the service.
Prayer can be for physical, emotional, or spiritual healing.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Calling all
Children, Youth, and Families!
You are invited to join us as we go
to see the movie, “Zookeeper” together. We will meet in the lobby area at the
Lansing Mall Cinema on Saturday, November 5th, at 9:30 am. The movie
begins at 10:00 am. This is a FREE event, and Calvary will be covering
the concessions. So, please come, bring your kids, and let them bring a
friend! This movie is specifically designed for kids, so there will even be an
intermission for bathroom breaks, etc. If your child is 2-3 years old and is
still learning how to sit through movies, this is the perfect opportunity to
bring them to, because there will be many other kids learning as well. Parents
are welcome to stay or drop their kids off to run some errands. Pick-up time is
noon. Please contact Pastor Laura if you think you may be attending or if you
have any questions.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Special Offering Envelopes
Each box of offering envelopes has special colored envelopes interspersed
with the regular envelopes. The colored envelopes are labeled for use at special
services. Services in which special offerings are collected include Ash
Wednesday, Lenten, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Any donations that are given in a special offering envelope, along with any
loose offerings given at these special services, are designated by the Outreach
committee rather than being used for operating expenses. Your quarterly
statement will also identify this giving separately from operating funds.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
That autumn snap is in the air
again, a sure sign that our favorite national holiday is just around the
corner. No, not Halloween…Thanksgiving Day! Americans have been
giving thanks and prayer for God’s blessings since we first became Americans in
1789. This traditional harvest holiday has become an opportunity for families
to gather and take some time to give thanks to God and share a festive family
meal.
Sadly, there are families who
find it difficult to provide anything more than the regular fare on this day,
even in times of plenty. With the economic difficulties facing many in our
country this year, we are seeing even more families in need. Here’s where
Calvary Church comes into play! We have been given the names of 20
Lansing area families who are having a hard time providing a holiday
meal this year. Our challenge as a caring Christian congregation is to provide
this meal for these families.
Your family can help. Sign up
on the list in the gathering space. Mary Rienstra will give you a call a
week or so before the delivery day to let you know the name and address of your
family. The fixin’s should be delivered a week before the holiday. And God’s
blessings on all who can help!
~Outreach
Committee, Calvary’s Ministry in Society
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Lutherans Living
Generously
This is the theme of our stewardship celebration
this year at Calvary.
Please take a moment to check out our “Tree of Life” on the wall in our narthex
or gathering space.
Each
week during worship from October 16th – November 13th,
Pastor Laura will be asking you to reflect on a question and share your response
on a colored leaf. Watch as our tree “grows” this fall rather than going bare.
Read the anonymous responses of your brothers and sisters in Christ. See how
abundantly God has and continues to bless us at Calvary.
By
now all of you should have received a letter from our stewardship team about our
stewardship celebration, along with a pledge card. Please prayerfully consider
the commitment you will make to do God’s work through the ministries of Calvary
in the year to come. Please remember to bring your pledge card to church on
Sunday, November 13th, Commitment Sunday.
If
you need a pledge card, please stop in the office or see Pastor Laura.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Introducing the
Noisy Offering
On October 16th, we started collecting a new
offering. On the third Sunday of each month, Outreach Sunday, we will pass
around tin cans before the regular offering to collect your spare change or any
amount you would like to give to Outreach. Each month, the Outreach Committee
will choose a different outreach cause or ministry to designate these funds for,
some ministry that benefits those primarily outside our membership or regular
ministry offerings and in the greater community and church. It may be things
like relief aid for natural disasters, the food pantry, or ministries we already
partner with. The Noisy Offering was actually first introduced at Pastor
Laura's installation, with the funds being designated for the ELCA efforts to
end Malaria in Africa. The recipient of each month's Noisy Offering will be
announced each month, and will be collected by youth volunteers, acolytes, or
the ushers.
When we all empty our pockets of
that spare change or lighten up our coin purses, we hardly miss that change, but
it all adds up together to help bring about positive changes in the lives of our
brothers and sisters through these ministries. So please start saving those
coins to help carry out our Gospel calling to serve those in need. Please see
Pastor Laura, or any members of the Outreach or Stewardship Committees with any
questions.
Noisy Offering
We
received $85 from our Noisy Offering in October. This will be going to support
the Good Samaritan Fund for people in need of emergency assistance in our
community. Thank you, all, for your participation and generosity! November 20th
is our next Noisy Offering. We invite you to save your change for this
offering. Each month, the offering goes to support a different cause.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Come to the…..
Just
a reminder – The newsletter deadline is the 25th of the
the month.