October 10, 2009
Dear People of Immanuel Lutheran Church:
As stewardship season approaches, I want to share with you the new resources from the ELCA, built on the themes of simplicity and generosity. Make It Simple as available online at http://www2.elca.org/stewardship/makeitsimple/ Make It Simple explores four main topics: Following Jesus (scripture), Facing the Truth (an awareness of sin and brokenness, healed in our relationship with Jesus), Acting Together (being the body of Christ), and Sharing Enough (overcoming scarcity thinking to see the abundance God has given us). The ELCA website has wonderful videos telling people's faith stories, children's materials, and more.
I believe that we give not because the church needs it, but because we need to share our blessings, our time, our money. Giving changes us, for the better. Practicing generosity creates a generous spirit in our hearts. I always remember my high school government teacher, Don Dubuc, talking about taxes: all the money you will pay, over your whole lifetime of paying taxes, would not pay for one mile of an interstate freeway (which we use nearly every day!). I am proud of the work the ELCA does, the way my small offering joins all the other offerings of ELCA members across the country and makes possible disaster relief, hunger relief, immigration assistance... all sorts of ministries that our small congregation could not attempt, but joined with others, these ministries impact our world in a positive way.
Plan to stay after church on November 22 for a celebration meal. What do we celebrate on commitment Sunday? The joy of being the body of Christ, here at Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Peace and joy,
Pastor Julie Winklepleck

September 20, 2009
Dear People of Immanuel Lutheran Church,
I’ve been thinking and praying about how to encourage or entice more of you to join a bible study, or choir. I’ve been also thinking about unmet needs - both at Immanuel and in our community. What is the next step, as we seek to serve families in Muskegon? What ministry would you be inspired to be involved in?
I believe my job is to empower, to give permission, to put people with similar ideas together, and then to get out of the way. I am always seeking connections among us, and with our community. The ministry of Immanuel is your ministry, and I am blessed to share it with you.
As you pray about your life, ask God how you may be used. Perhaps that sounds strange, but I know I’m not the only one whose prayer is often, may I be of use. May the God whom we love reveal to us more of our purpose. Please, come talk to me about what you’re experiencing in your walk with Jesus.
Peace and joy,
Pastor Julie Winklepleck

Financial Update from the Council
Needed per month: $10,876.67
Received in August: $ 9,591.01
Received in September: $ 8,398.00
These numbers do not reflect the parking lot funds in either the needs monthly or monies received.

November is Stewardship month at Immanuel. Consecration Sunday will be celebrated on November 22. We will have a congregational meal following worship that day. Please take time to prayerfully consider what time, talent and gifts you are willing to share with the congregation.

Immanuel received a generous bequest from Eslyn Brenner. The quietest of people sometimes surprise us the most! Eslyn remembered his church in his will; we received $16,200.00. We tithed $1620.00 to the Synod for the Center for Mission and Ministry capital drive. $5000 went to savings in Eslyn’s memorial fund, and balance went to checking, which gave us the breathing room we had been needing for several months.

New Tax Law allows Charitable IRA Rollovers
The emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 extends certain portions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that expired on 12/31/2007. The centerpiece of the legislation, from a gift planning perspective, is the IRA Rollover. This law provides that, in each of the years 2008 and 2009, an owner of a traditional or Roth IRA may instruct the trustee to distribute directly to a public charity up to $100,000 without the distribution being included in taxable income, and that distribution will count toward the IRA owner’s mandatory withdrawal amount. The donor must be 70 ˝ years of age. To qualify for IRA rollover treatment, the donor must direct the IRA manager to transfer funds directly to a charity. The donee must be a tax exempt organization to which deductible contributions can be made. Please remember Immanuel when considering this giving opportunity.
(Portions from the Forgotten Man Ministries newsletter)

All Saints Sunday is November 1. Please submit the names of loved ones you would like included in the prayers to the church office. Deadline to submit names is Wednesday, October 28.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 a.m. Sunday November 1. Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour.

The Council is having a retreat on Saturday, November 7, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (lunch included) at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. The Council members and other church leaders are encouraged to attend.

The Altar Guild will meet on Tuesday, November 10th at 6:00 p.m. We will be planning for Advent and the wedding.

Younker’s Community Day Saturday, November 14. For a $5.00 contribution to the Baby Pantry, shoppers get a coupon booklet with $10.00 off, plus many other real deals. Let us know if you want to offer booklets to your family, friends, or co-workers or if you would like to staff our table at Younkers. Contact Inez Potter, Margaret Sheffer, or Faye Redmond. Thank you for your support.
Matching funds provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Lumberjacks Hockey Game, November 28, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. The West Michigan Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is hosting the third annual hockey event. Ticket prices: Adults - $5.00, Students (17 and under) $3.00. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the narthex. The deadline to sign-up is November 9, 2009.

The Annual Congregational Budget Meeting will be held on Sunday, December 6, following the worship service. A pot luck dinner will follow the meeting. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

Cookie Walk and Ornament Exchange - Sunday December 13, following fellowship. Please bring three to five dozen cookies for the cookie walk. We will charge $3.00 for a small tin and $5.00 for a large tin. Proceeds will go to the Hearing Loop System for our church. If anyone has containers to donate, it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Brie Fossler at 231 903-7066. If you are interested in the ornament exchange, please bring a gently used or new ornament (worth under $5.00) wrapped to church on December 13.

Attention Immanuel Youth: Are you interested in attending The Gathering, December 27-30, 2009. The Gathering will take place at The Radisson in downtown Lansing and is for students in the 9th through 12th grades. The key note speaker is Jay Gamelin, the band line-up includes Agape, Special Delivery, Dan Villancourt and more. Let Pastor Julie know if you would like to attend. We need to register by November 1. We haven't gone to Gathering in a while - come, see what you're missing.

If you would like to purchase Poinsettias to adorn the altar on Christmas Eve, the sign up sheet is on the bulletin board in the narthex (you may also call Michealle in the church office). This year they are available for the first time in a 4 inch pot (red only). They are also available in 6, 8 and 10 inch pots. The cost per pot are $3.00, $5.50, $11.50, and $18.00, respectively. The 6 - 10 inch pots are available in Red, White and Pink. The deadline to order is December 6.

The flower calendar for 2010 is now available. If you wish to place flowers on the altar next year, please fill out a form and turn it into the church office. You may also call Michealle in the church office. The cost of altar flowers are $15.00 per vase.

Our thanks to Owen Hansen and Jack Potter for cleaning the roof and clearing the drains. They also sprayed for ants and bees. Thank you for your service to Immanuel.

Thank you for your gift! The Gideon Expressions Tribute card donation of $73.50 will be used to purchase and place God’s Word. It will provide approximately 15 Bibles or 60 Testaments here and around the world. We just distributed 50 large print testaments to the Muskegon Temporary Prison for the elderly prisoners. This puts us close to 2,500 Bibles and testaments being distributed this summer. Thank you Dick Fry, Gideons International

Thank you to everyone who participated in the CROP Walk. Immanuel had four walkers plus Philipe and Kaye’s dog Laser. They raised $305.00 to help feed the hungry

Thank you for your generous donation of school supplies for the Homeless Student Assistance Program. Your generosity will provide a child with something of their own during a time of crisis, and will support them in their education. Dee Carlson, Special Projects Coordinator, Muskegon Public Schools.

Thank you to everyone for their prayers, support and encouragement during the difficult period of my sister Peggy's illness and passing. Your support was greatly appreciated. Sue Lathrop

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Thank you for your contribution toward Making Us One. Every commitment like yours brings us closer to the rich new way we as member of this synod, together with ecumenical and interfaith partners, will be able to engage in mission to this world God so deeply loves.
...Every dollar received in the early months of the campaign will reduce the amount of the loan needed from the Mission Investment Fund.
Again thank you for your contribution, made, we trust, in gratitude to God’s gracious action in your life and in anticipation of the wonderful and creative ways we will be able to serve God’s world through the Mission and Ministry campus.
Yours in Christ, John David Schleicher, Bishop

For more information about Making Us One , you can check out the synod website at http://www.mittensynod.org/make_us_one/index.html

Concerns about the H1N1 virus are impacting our area, even though the flu virus itself has not yet made its presence known in Muskegon. Prevention of the “swine” flu is the same as other viruses: wash your hands often; avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.; if you feel ill, stay home and avoid public places. Your doctor will have information about a vaccine that is forthcoming. Helpful information may also be found at www.flu.gov. Because there have been no reported cases in Muskegon, we are not yet making changes in our worship. Use your own judgment, and participate in the sharing of the peace to whatever degree you are comfortable. Hand sanitizer is available in the narthex and behind the pulpit. There is also a bathroom just outside the side door of the sanctuary, between the sound room and the sacristy, where you may wash your hands. Pastor Julie uses hand sanitizer after the peace and before distributing communion.

Community Opportunities:

Holiday Bread is coming soon . . . Ya sure, you betcha! Saturdays in December - 5, 12, 19 10:00 -12 Noon Saint Luke's Lutheran Church on the corner of Norton Avenue and Roosevelt Road.
To order by Email: shoahrcm@yahoo.com.
To order by phone: 231-722-2702.
To order by mail: Shoah Remembrance Committee of Muskegon, 391 West Webster, Muskegon, Michigan 49440.
Order form is on website: www.shoahrcm.com, or can be requested by email
This is a fund raising event for the Shoah Remembrance Committee of Muskegon to support the education outreach program called the Journey, the Commemoration Service in the Spring of each year. Matching funds are being provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans West Central Michigan Chapter.
Trinity Lutheran's Annual Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 7, form 9:00 am - 2:00 p.m. in the gym at 3225 Roosevelt Rd, Muskegon. A light lunch will be offered from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Love INC News:
Shopping on a Shoestring is back! Want to learn fun and easy tips and tricks to save on your food bill each month? The join Deb Karel at Forest Park Covenant Church (3815 Henry St) Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m. for this free and interactive presentation. Please call 773-3448 by November 9 to reserve your seat.
Ministry needs:
Food and personal care items are still needed. The response has been tremendous, but the need is continual. Suggested items: soup, crackers, cereal, powdered milk, Spam, stew, juice, pasta, pasta/tomato sauce, boxed meals, shampoo, bath tissue, soap, dish liquid, etc. Please call Love INC at 773-3448 for a complete list of pantry items.
Furniture pick-up - Love INC has the trailers and a few good men, but not the trucks to pull the trailers! If you have a hitch on your truck, and are willing to use your truck bi-weekly to pick-up furniture donations, please call Yvonne Ramos at 773-3448, ext 105.
Christmas is just around the corner! It's not too early to start thinking of the new and gently-used gift donations for Love INC's Christmas store. A huge success last year, clients will be able to purchase gifts at pennies on the dollar; what a tremendous way to give dignity to those who would otherwise struggle to give gifts to their family. We need clothes, wrapping paper, tape, bows and gift items for all ages. Donations may be dropped off at Love INC's office 2525 Hall Rd or call 773-3448 for more information.

Michealle’s Musings.
I have never worried about age, mine or anyone else’. If asked, I freely admit that I’m 54 years old. I don’t worry about getting older, I consider that a blessing from God. I realize that as we age, our bodies change, our looks change, our health changes, it’s all part of the process, and I have witnessed the changes on my own body. I had a sister who died at 23, an uncle at 40, a grandmother at 48 and my dad died at 60. So life is just too precious to spend worrying about age and wrinkles. And I had been doing a good job of not worrying about age until a couple weeks ago.
I was shopping at Target, in the girl’s department, I’m not sure what I was looking at, I was mostly waiting for my daughter and granddaughter to return from the bathroom. A woman and her daughter hurried through the department. They were a couple of clothes’ racks apart, when I heard this woman say, “Jenny, I told you to stay with me. Get over here and watch you don’t run into that old lady.” I turned to look for the “old lady” but there wasn’t one. There wasn’t anyone. I was the only one in the entire department - “old lady” me? I had the sudden urge to find a mirror and see if I looked particularly haggard or tired. Was it something I was wearing? Was I scowling? Then I laughed at myself - I couldn’t believe I was letting this bother me. When my granddaughter returned, I asked her if I was old and she replied as only a two-year-old can “No, you’re grandma”. That made me feel better. I tucked the incident away in the back of my mind and went on with my day.
Weeks later it is still on my mind and I’m not sure why. Maybe because it’s the first time I’ve heard myself referred to as “old” by someone I didn’t know. My brother has called me old ever since I got my first pair of eyeglasses when I was 28 years old, my son likes to tease me about being his old momma, I even call myself old when my muscles are aching. So, what exactly is it about this incident that I am unable to get it out of my mind. Maybe it’s because I can’t figure out why she chose to use the word “old” to begin with. She could have just said “Watch out for that lady.” I was the only one there, and she didn’t need to distinguish me from a younger woman near by. So was she just rude or did she use the word “old” to make an impression on her daughter? That it’s worse to run into an old lady than a young one. It could be that God wanted to remind me that I am getting older and that people often see me different that I see myself. Will being considered old change the way I think about myself, the way I do things, the way I react to things around me.? The answers to all those questions is “no”. I am still the same person I was yesterday, but, perhaps, with a new self-awareness.
The funny thing is the woman probably doesn’t even remember saying it or realize the extent of self evaluation she started with a simple phrase. So let me just have a good laugh at myself and say “I am officially an old lady.” Now isn’t that a blessing!.