Announcements
Weekly Announcements
November 3, 2024
Next Sunday, November 10, plan to join us in the Mission Center at 6:00pm for our Congregational Assembly. The agenda covers:
- The vote for 3 Board positions, bringing our Board to a total of 9 members
- Discussion on the current state of the congregation
- Strategic Plan updates
- Building update
- The opening of the time capsule
- Creating a new time capsule
The assembly will be available online through the link below.
meet.google.com/omh-qcpu-bgz
Next Weekend: Have you ever thought about helping with disaster clean-up when there is a need? The LCMS has trained groups of Lutheran Early Response Teams that serve disaster victims and sites in a variety of ways.
LERT Training
The Disaster Response Coordinator for our District, Pastor Andy Weden, is leading a Lutheran Emergency Response Team training here at Immanuel next Saturday, November 9. We will be hosting people from throughout the state for this training. Registration is required to attend. The cost is $35 per person, and includes lunch. Click the link below for additional information.
www.lcms-lert.org/need/detail/?need_id=1002426
What: Immanuel Lutheran School’s 38th Annual Fun Fest
Where: The Gym @ Immanuel Lutheran School
When: Friday, November 8 from 4-8pm
Why: Enjoy games, prizes, raffles, food, and friends. Plus, you help raise funds for our school.
This evening of fun and friends is open to all. Invite someone to join you!
FOCUS Neighborhood Table
Immanuel has another opportunity to serve community at the FOCUS Neighborhood Meal on November 14. This weekly, free meal reaches about 120 people in the community each Thursday night.
There are five ways to help: table service, plating/clean-up, greeting, beverages, and desserts. Help is needed between 4:00 and 6:30pm. Please use the Church Center App to register, or visit the sign-up poster in the Mission Center.
Memorial Garden
Our Memorial Garden Team has announced the upcoming creation of a memorial garden. They set out to create a garden using memorial stones to remember others and celebrate the joys of life. Next spring’s initial phase of the garden will include memorial stones, a paver cross, with blooming trees and wildflowers. This will be located between the south wall of the Mission Center and the sidewalk. Plans also include benches, lighting, and preserved items from our old church building.
To see a sample of the memorial stones or obtain more information, please see the display set up in the Mission Center. Memorial stones will be purchased by submitting a request form online that will be available shortly.
The team leading this effort consists of Linda Race, Debra Schoenick, Deb Shuda, Pat Shuda, Cheryl Spinler, and Sally Sullivan. Feel free to contact them with any questions.
Movie Night
Immanuel Lutheran School Gym on Friday, Nov. 15th, 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Movie is The Prince of Egypt. Free Hotdogs, popcorn, and drinks.
This event is open to everybody! Sign up today!
immanuelrapids.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2572534
Rekindled The Spirit Parade
This year, Immanuel will again participate in the “Rekindle the Spirit” parade with a float of our own! We will need help decorating as well as walking in the parade to hand out candy!
Decorating: Please sign up to help decorate on Sunday, November 24 from noon to 2pm. This will take place at the Mission Center garage. Lunch will be provided. All ages are welcome. We will have plenty of work – from painting, to building, to stringing lights.
Walking in Parade: Join us on Wednesday, November 27 at 5:30pm to walk with the parade float. We will meet in the YMCA parking lot at 5:30pm. People are welcome to ride on the float or walk along and hand out candy.
immanuelrapids.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2591818
Thanksgiving Eve Service
Before the parade, join us at the Mission Center for a Thanksgiving Eve worship service. Note that this will take place at 4:30pm.
Operation Christmas Child
Thank you to all who have participated in our Operation Christmas Child project! We look forward to sending these gifts to children in another country, spreading the love of Jesus. Have you assembled your shoebox? If so, please bring it to worship with you and drop it off at the Mission Center.
Are you able to help our Immanuel Lutheran School students with individual items they might place in their assembled shoeboxes? This week, we are requesting water bottles. We also are seeking some “wow” items like: a doll, a soccer ball and pump, stuffed animals, musical instrument, or large toy.
Letter from Vicar Eggerman
Vicar Joseph’s October letter is available on the Information Table.
Madrigal Feast
Our organ professional – Val Bartlein – has invited us to two performances of a Madrigal Feast. Their troupe will perform in a Renaissance themed setting. There will be food, wine, singing of songs, the telling of the Christmas story, and general merriment. See Church Center Sign Ups for details.
Building Update
We have passed a number of milestones in our building project. We approved a Facility Master Plan. We built our Mission Center. We closed our former church building and moved to the Mission Center. As of yesterday, November 1, we formally sold our property at 160 8th St N to the public school district.
Over that past few months, a dedicated group of volunteers has salvaged and moved the majority of the useful or historic material from our old building. The pictures above show the final items that were carefully removed this past week. KW Glass removed our largest stained glass window. (Fun fact: that big window has 12 removable panes of glass!) The 10 windows that will be re-installed in our new sanctuary are all in good shape, and will not need to be re-leaded. With the help of a boom and a crane, we were able to remove the bell and the two crosses from the building, as well!
As for construction progress, the contractors have moved rapidly the past two weeks. The bathrooms have been painted and tiled, with the partitions now installed. The ceiling grid and lights are up in the Gathering Space. By the end of this coming week, the exterior siding will be completed. The insulation and drywall in the Sanctuary will be completed as well!
Thank you to the hundreds of people who have given of your time and abilities toward this project. You continue to make this building and property come to life. Thank you, as well, to the hundreds who continue to donate financially toward this project. While we are drawing near to our goal, we still need additional financial pledges and gifts to reach our target. Are you moved to help us reach that goal? If so, please consider filling out a pledge form or giving directly through your offerings. Reach out to Jonathan Blum at 715-421-9156 if you would like to discuss your options.
There are hundreds of us that had keys to our old facility. The property is no longer ours, and we must not use those keys to enter. Many will bring that key with them to worship this weekend to turn them in. We will see how big of a collection we get during just three services. If you don’t bring the key this weekend, don’t dwell on it. Simply throw your key in the garbage. It’s a simple way to keep ourselves from the temptation of trespassing on the property – which is now an unsafe are