Emanuel Lutheran Church

September 2019

Enlightener

Sunday Worship Service 11 a.m.

Michael Holman, LLM

(231)824-6757 (cell)

holmi@1fj.com

Emanuel Lutheran Church: 906-942-7245

emanuel@tds.net www.be-Lutheran.org

Emanuel Lutheran Church of Skandia , ELCA

1894-2019

Celebrating 125 years

Growing in God’s Grace

Council Members

Sandi Ruotsi

Mary Lou Behrens

Jolene Kokko

Betsy Koski

Jane Sims

Jesse Kainulainen

Dan Bahrman

Christian Education

Betsy Koski ~ Confirmation

Leah Kainulainen , Karen Maki ~

Sunday School

Sandi Ruotsi ~ Adult Forum

Office

Jolene Kokko ~ Office Assistant

Michael Holman, LLM

(231)824-6757 (cell) Email: holmi@1fj.com

Office Hours: Mon. & Thurs. 9AM-2PM

Committee Leaders

Sandi Ruotsi ~ Council

President

Barb Bach ~ Stewardship

Sarah Kimball ~ Outreach

Betsy Koski ~ Christian

Education

Betsy Koski ~ 125th

Anniversary Committee

Leah Kainulainen ~ Youth

Mission

Jane Sims ~ Worship &

Music

Roger Kimball ~ Building

& Property

Pam Bahrman~ Cemetery

Business Manager

The deadline for submitting

information for the October

Enlightener is Sunday,

September 22.

Emanuel Lutheran Church has both a

Face Book Page and website! Catch

up on upcoming and past events, our

monthly calendar and Enlightener

newsletters at:

www.be-lutheran.org

Congregational Leadership

Sunday Worship Service is at 11 AM

through October, 9 AM November-

February.

Date Acolyte Ushers Lector

09/01 Tiffany Ridolphi Jesse & Leah Kainulainen Sandi Ruotsi

09/08 Hailey Ridolphi Bahrman Family Barb Bach

09/15 Luke Kainulainen Roger & Sarah Kimball Jessie Kainulainen

09/22 Tiffany Ridolphi Tom & Barb Bach Donna Oliver

09/29 Hailey Ridolphi Dale Weingartner & Richard Cooke Laurie Kass

September 1~ Robert Yearicks

September 4~Sue McCarthy

September 7~Todd Barr

September 10~Dan Bahrman

September 10~David Bahrman

September 12~ Kim Oliver

September 13-Jean Peiffer

September 20~Thomas Yearicks

September 24~Bonnie Pelto

September 26~Luke Kainulainen

September 28~Robin Thompson

September 10~Scott & Becky Gygi

September 13~Sonny & Sherry Robinson

September 13~Kathy & Kurt Tuttle

September 26~Larry & Sue McCarthy

September 29~Fed & Laurie Beauchamp

~ Thanks to Those Who Serve~

Birthday Blessings Anniversary Blessings

Thank you to Carol Wolf for sponsoring the

September worship bulletins in honor of

her family.

Sisters and brothers in Christ, God’s grace and peace be with you.

The geese are beginning to flock up and practice their flight formations

preparing to leave the area. The fruits of our gardens are being harvested and

stored for the days that are coming. Vacation season has come to a close at least

that extended vacation from school. Children all across the county are finding

their way around to classrooms, renewing friendships with fellow students whom

they may not have seen for some time, and getting to know their new teachers.

For some this is an exciting time a chance to be engaged with the world around

us, others may see it as an end to a carefree life that they have been enjoying for

some time now. Either way school is back in session. Teachers and administrators

are back at work prepared to guide and lead our young people on a journey that

will last them a lifetime. Thank you one and all.

Just as we prepare for the coming school year we also prepare for the

upcoming Christian education year. Our volunteers are in place, examining the

material that will be taught, prepared to model a life and faith formed in Christ

that others might see. Rally Day is fast approaching and excitement fills the air as

we ready ourselves to start things off with a bang! Confirmation is to start also,

this time with a slight twist, fanning the flames of faith formation and service to

one another. The adult forum has selected their first topic of discussion and I

wish to explore an adult Bible study that would be held on an evening during the

week. Let me know what interests you.

Our celebration of 125 years of serving in God’s grace was absolutely

amazing and energizing. Many thanks to all who helped plan and execute the

festivities and to the faithful who continue to offer thanks and praise to Almighty

God. This is a wonderful time to be church together, a time to listen to where

God is calling us, perhaps finding a way to serve the needs of our local school and

the communities that it serves, letting the light of Jesus shine before us.

Thanks be to God.

It is my honor and pleasure to serve you.

Peace and blessings,

Michael

Send a Team to Walk!

Marquette County CROP HUNGER WALK

Sunday, October 6 (on NMU’s campus)

1:30pm Walker Registration and 2:00 pm Start of Walk

At Marquette Hope Connection Center

927 W. Fair Ave, Marquette, MI

This year’s Walk Goal is $12,000! 75% will care for the

hungry of the world. 25% will stay with St. Vincent de

Paul pantries Marquette county AND NMU’s Food Panty.

See Lea Kainulainen for packets and sponsoring.

It’s time for the fall adopt-a-highway pickup! The sign up with

the information and areas we clean will be in the fellowship hall.

If you have any questions, see Roger Kimball and thank you for

helping keep our Michigan highways clean with this event that

happens three times during the year.

Thank you to all that bought and sold raffle tickets for the quilt and lamp this

summer with all proceeds going towards the new roof. All 1000~$1.00 tickets were

sold! Iva Arnett won the quilt. She is donating it to the Veterans Association to be

raise funds again in Alabama. The stone lamp was won by Melissa Histed of Sawyer.

Fall Reminder~All artificial flowers (silk/plastic, etc.)

need to removed from the cemeteries by Sunday,

September 15.

Outreach Update

Our next monthly Outreach Meeting is Monday, September 23

at 10 a.m. We continue to collect school supplies for Luther-

an World Relief school bags...we especially need ~rulers~24

boxes of crayons~spiral notebooks~and pencil sharpeners. We

are looking for donations of handcrafted items ($25 or more value) for the

raffle for the annual Bazaar & Quilt Sale, Saturday, November 23. If you

have an item please let us know. Thank you!

Enjoy your fall days,

Sarah

Sunday School will be starting September 22 with our

annual Rally Day! We are looking for adults to help

share the Word of Christ with children. Please

contact Betsy Koski if you are interested and thank you

for helping with this important ministry at Emanuel.

Join Adult Forum beginning Sunday, September 29th at 9:45

a.m. We will be studying Kathy Lee Gifford’s book “the ROCK,

the ROAD, and the RABBI”. Do you struggle with understand-

ing and interpreting the Scriptures? You are not alone. Many

of us have a difficult time understanding the Bible. Why? Be-

cause the Bible was written by Middle Easterners for Middle

Easterners, but we read the Bible with a Western mind-set. Kathy Lee helps us to

learn the meaning of many Scriptural l passages by re-connecting us with the

ancient Jewish culture. So, come! Go to the Holy Land, hear the Word, and be

transformed by the wonder of it all.

We are looking for bids for snowplowing at Emanuel this

upcoming winter. If you know of anyone that possibly

would be interested, please talk with Roger Kimball for the

requirements of this job.

Our 125

welcomed old friends and honored all who have been Emanuel over the

decades, while giving glory to God for all the ministry that happens in this

place. From the Gospel Guys concert, to the guided cemetery walks, the

recognition of former pastors at a lovely meal served by the A & M Café,

to a power

worship

Our

they did over the last several years in planning this celebration. We also

are deeply grateful for those who provided food for our open house and

receptions following the concert and worship. Special thanks go to the

following:

Emanuel has been a blessing to so many over the decades and it was our

privilege to celebrate those who have come before us and laid a foundation

for us to continue to build upon. We do so with confidence, trusting that

God who has guided this church for more than a century will continue to

do so into the future.

Our 125th Anniversary weekend celebration was truly wonderful as we

welcomed old friends and honored all who have been Emanuel over the

decades, while giving glory to God for all the ministry that happens in this

place. From the Gospel Guys concert, to the guided cemetery walks, the

recognition of former pastors at a lovely meal served by the A & M Café,

to a power-point history presentation, and finally our closing celebratory

worship…the event was truly joy-filled.

Our deepest thanks to the 125th Anniversary committee for all the work

they did over the last several years in planning this celebration. We also

are deeply grateful for those who provided food for our open house and

receptions following the concert and worship. Special thanks go to the

following:

Lois Kokko, Jolene Kokko, Sarah Kimball, and Betsy Koski for setting

up the displays and preparing the parish hall for the weekend.

Jolene Kokko, Laurie Kass, Todd & Ronda Barr, Roger & Sarah

Kimball, Sandi Ruotsi, and Betsy Koski for cleaning following our

banquet and Sunday worship.

Our Sunday musicians: Jane Sims for playing (beautifully) from 3

hymnal settings! Kay and Peter Johnson and Mary Larson-

Heetland for offering their wonderful gift of song.

The Oliver family and A & M Café for serving a delightful meal.

Roger Kimball and Tom Bach for shampooing the parish hall rug.

Gisele Duehring and Todd Barr for the gorgeous flowers

surrounding our church.

Roger Kimball for all the grounds-work done so very beautifully.

Betsy Koski for the Cemetery Walk and wonderful power-point

presentations.

The time and effort everyone gave was truly appreciated!

Emanuel has been a blessing to so many over the decades and it was our

privilege to celebrate those who have come before us and laid a foundation

for us to continue to build upon. We do so with confidence, trusting that

God who has guided this church for more than a century will continue to

do so into the future.

~From the Bishop...Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In this age of social media, I would guess that many of you have

already received news of the resolutions, memorials, and social

statements that were adopted and passed at the Triennial Church-

wide Assembly that gathered in Milwaukee from August 5-10. With

960-some voting members and 500 visitors and volunteers, we

gathered under the theme, “We Are Church.” One of the actions of

the assembly was to debate, amend, and eventually pass a state-

ment that declares the ELCA a “sanctuary” body. While many

people are receiving this news with joy and affirmation, there are

many others who are concerned, and asking the very Lutheran

question, “What does this mean?” Again, in this age of social media

and agenda driven news reporting, I will do my best to give you

accurate information about what it means, and about what it does

not mean. First, I think it is important to understand the context of

the conversation, both in terms of our Lutheran traditions and con-

sidering our current culture. Lutherans have a rich history of minis-

try to and with the refugee and immigrant. After World War II,

millions of people were displaced. Lutherans formed the Lutheran

World Federation and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

to minister to the many who needed safety, welcome, and a new

place to live. That ministry now extends not only to Lutherans, but

to all who are displaced by violence and war. It has been a part of

who we are as people of faith, that we welcome not because of

who the refugee/immigrant is, but because of who we are as Lu-

theran Christians, welcoming the stranger for the sake of Christ.

As we gathered last week shaped by that tradition, the assembly

considered the challenges and faults of our current immigration

system. Wherever a person stands politically, I would hope we can

agree that the current immigration system and practice needs re-

form.

By declaring the ELCA a sanctuary body, the assembly has voted to

take a public stand that walking alongside immigrants, offering

support and compassion, is a matter of faith. That support can take

many forms, and will no doubt be very contextual. Some possibili-

ties •Providing financial support or legal counsel to those working

through the immigration system. •Hosting English language classes.

•Contacting our government representatives to protest the detention

of children and separation of families. •Collecting offerings for the

ELCA ministry AAMPARO who not only accompanies minors through

the system but works in communities on the other side of the border

to alleviate conditions that cause people to emigrate. •Learning

about how to support the LIRS and border congregations and minis-

tries that are on the front line of the humanitarian needs of those

seeking legal entry. What this declaration does NOT mean is that

every ELCA congregation has now been mandated to provide

housing and protection for undocumented people fleeing the law.

As always, each congregation discerns where and how to apply its

ministry energy and resources. But if a congregation does discern a

position of civil disobedience, they should also understand that they

assume any attending legal consequences. Please hear the declara-

tion as public support of those who are the most vulnerable. We can

want border security and still attend to the needs of those who are

fleeing violence and war, or simply seek greater opportunity. As we

learn all that it means to be a “sanctuary” church body, we seek to

live into all that Christ challenges us to become, people who live our

faith, answer his call, and serve the purposes of God.

Yours in Christ, Bishop Katherine Finegan

Dear Members and Friends of Emanuel, A wonderful opportunity has come our way to help pay down the principal on our roof loan. A local couple has generously offered donate $500.00 for every $500.00 that is donated or raised by Emanuel. Your gifts of $5, $10, $25, $50 or more will be added up until we reach $500.00, at which time we will receive an additional $500.00 from the match. All gifts will be applied di-rectly to the principal of the loan. The time frame of this match is from the date of this letter until Sunday, December 15, 2019. Your gifts toward this match could help us pay up to $10,000 on our loan principal by the end of the year! Please be aware that we will still need to raise the $466.00 each month to meet our regular loan payment. Gifts to both the regular payment and the match are deeply appreciated! All gifts to the roof fund should be clearly marked “Match” or “Regular Payment”. This will help us distinguish how the funds should be distribut-ed. Also please include your name when giving a cash gift. Thanks be to God for the beautiful new roof that we now have on our church building! And thank you in advance for prayerfully considering how you may be able to help with its funding. Sincerely, The Congregation Council

As of August 30, 2019 we have received $2,235 of the $5,000 match being offered. THANK YOU all for your giving to this matching fund for the new roof!

September 2019

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wed Thursday Friday Sat

1

Worship

11AM

2

AA-7PM

Labor

Day

3

Quilting at

Toni’s

9:30 a.m.

4 5 6 7

8

Worship

11AM

9

AA-7PM

10

Quilting at

Toni’s

9:30 a.m.

11 12 13 14

15

Worship

11AM

Council

1PM

16

AA-7PM

17

Quilting at

Toni’s

9:30 a.m.

18 19 20 21

Adopt-A-

Highway

Clean-up

thru 9/29

22 Wor-

ship 11AM

Sunday

School

9:45AM

23

Outreach

Mtg. 10AM

AA-7PM

24

Quilting at

Toni’s

9:30 a.m.

25 26 27 28

29 Wor-

ship 11AM

SS School/

Adult Fo-

rum

30

AA-7PM

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