The
Gleaner
Immanuel Lutheran Church
May 2015
The Gleaner is a publication of:
Immanuel Lutheran Church
320 S. Bradley St.
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
Phone: (989) 773-4204
Email: [email protected]
Website: immanuelmp.com
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Summer Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 4
p.m. (Memorial Day-Labor Day)
Pastor: Dana Hendershot
Layout and Editing: Andrea
Redmond and Taylor DesOrmeau
Mission
Joyfully Christian.
Humbly Serving.
Boldly Loving.
Letter from Pastor Dana
On Sunday, May 3 we will be saying goodbye to our
green hymnals (Lutheran Book of Worship). On
Sunday, May 10, we will bless our new cranberry
hymnals (Evangelical Lutheran Worship) and process
them into the sanctuary where they will bless our
community with liturgy and music for years to come!
It’s not every day we get to make such a physical
transition like this in our weekly worship. This new
book is full of our old favorites and offers new
options that may someday become old favorites to
future generations. In such a technological world,
who knows if an opportunity for a new physical
hymnal will ever enter this space again?
This is a sacred moment. Our worship is sacred.
Our song is sacred. Our liturgy is sacred. On May 10
we will bless this physical hymnal that you can hold
in your hands and turn the pages. Join us in worship
as we process a new song into our sanctuary. We give
thanks to God for the 64 people/families who
purchased these 210 hymnals. See you on May 10 at 9
a.m.!
Pastor Dana
Pastor to be Out of Town
Pastor Dana will be out of town May 14 – 17.
Please pray for Pastor and her family as they
celebrate the life of her cousin, Heather Miller, who
has joined the Church Triumphant.
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Ministry with the Community and World
The Noisy Offering
Receiving The Gleaner
Online:
If you would like to receive
The Gleaner by email,
please call or email the
office. It’s also available on
Immanuel’s website and
Facebook page.
Gleaner Submissions:
The deadline for
submitting articles and
information is the 20th of
each month.
The noisy offering, on May 24, will go
toward Living Water Ministries.
Contributions may be made in the Noisy
Offering jar in the Narthex all month.
Combined Service
Begins May 24
We will have a combined 10
a.m. service from Memorial Day
(May 24) to Labor Day (Sept. 6).
New Weekday Service Will Be Offered This Summer
This summer Immanuel will be offering
a weekday service June 2 – Sept. 1 on
Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.
We will be using “Prayer around the
Cross,” which we used during Lent. It will
include scripture, meditation, music,
prayer and communion.
Memorial Day Service
On Sunday, May 24, we will be honoring the fallen men
and women of our Armed Forces.
There is a sheet in the Narthex to list the names of
those you would like to honor during the service.
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(Community and World, Continued)
New Fair Trade Products to be Added
Several new items have been added to the Fair Trade shelf for you to purchase. We
hope that you will take time to check out these products.
Without even leaving Michigan, by purchasing Fair Trade products, you will be helping
small-scale farmers and their families in other parts of the world. Your purchase also
benefits Lutheran World Services.
These new teas are available for $3.00 per box:
• Organic Chai Tea
• Organic Earl Grey Tea
• Organic English Breakfast Decaffeinated Tea
• Organic Jasmine Green Tea
• Organic Rooibos Tea
These new chocolate items are available for $2.50 per bar:
• Organic Milk Chocolate Carmel Crunch with Sea Salt
• Organic Dark Chocolate Carmel Crunch with Sea Salt
• Organic Very Dark Chocolate 71%
• Organic Panama Extra Dark Chocolate 80%
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Ministry with Each Other
Buy ‘stock’ to help our youth get to
Detroit’s ELCA Youth Gathering
Ten youth and three adults will be headed to Detroit in
July to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering with 30,000 other
youth from around the country! In order to go, we are
selling stock in our trip. We need your help!
How does it work? Each share is $10.00 and we have 280
shares left to reach our goal. You can buy as many shares in
the youth as you’d like.
Shareholder benefits include:
1. A post card from one of the youth while they’re at the
Gathering
2. A shareholders dinner on August 16 from 4-6 p.m.
This is an investment that is guaranteed to have a high spiritual dividend! Talk with
Pastor Dana or Beth Mundwiler if you have questions or would like to purchase stock.
We will begin selling stock Sunday, May 3 at both services where you can also ask the
youth more about our trip!
Immanuel Block Party
Spring Clean-Up Day
Join us for a Block Party May 31,
immediately following the 10 a.m.
service in the pavilion for food,
fellowship and games. We will be
inviting the community and are in need
of our Immanuel family to sign up to
bring a dish to pass for the party.
On Saturday, May 16, Immanuel will hold
its annual Spring Clean-Up Day from 9 a.m.
to noon.
A sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.
More details to come on the event.
Theological Discussions Continue
The discussions with Pastor Dana are
Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
Please come give us an hour or three to
help get our building and grounds ready for
summer! All ages are welcome; there’s
enough work for everyone! To end our
work session, we will have brats and beer
in the pavilion. Please also bring a dish to
pass. Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex. We
hope to see you there!
Graduation Sunday
We will be celebrating our high school
seniors June 7 at the 10 a.m. service.
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(Ministry with Each Other, Continued)
Interested in going to a baseball game?
Are you interested in going with a group of Immanuel members to a Great Lakes
Loons game this summer?
Here is a link (http://doodle.com/2zm34r9uxcb53hea) to a calendar of Loons games
in June, July and August. Grab your calendar and mark the dates that you’d be available
on this website and we’ll try to coordinate an outing with the greatest number of
possibly attendees.
Tickets are $9.50 each and children under 2 can sit on a lap for free.
The Sunday games are at 2 p.m. and the other games are at 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday games feature fireworks after the
game.
This is NOT a reservation, just
information gathering. Once a date is decided
we’ll have a sign up available. If you have
questions please contact Amy Powell at 989948-3626 or email [email protected].
On Track with Jesus
Vacation Bible School 2015
Mark your calendars and get ready for a wonderfully wild and wacky week of Bible
stories, music, drama, crafts, and all sorts of fun! Immanuel’s Vacation Bible School, held
July 6 through the 10th, will focus around a Train theme, where we will learn how to live
our calling as children of God. Registration forms will be available in June for children ages
4 years through those entering 6th grade this fall.
It takes a lot of people to run a successful vacation Bible school. Please consider setting
aside the time to volunteer to work with VBS. Whether you would like to teach, assist with
a center, serve snacks, or share your gifts in other ways, we need you. To volunteer or for
further information please contact Gail Caleca at (989) 773-4204 or email
[email protected]. Thank you!
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(Ministry with Each Other, Continued)
Immanuel on Campus
Immanuel’s college ministry is finished meeting
for the school year but will restart in the fall.
May Adult Forum
Topics
Immanuel invites high
schoolers through seniors to its
adult forums.
The forums meet in the
Fellowship Hall between the 9
a.m. and 11 a.m. services.
• May 3: Immigration Issues
Electronic Giving
Instead of writing out checks and using
envelopes, members can make regular
contributions to Immanuel through a checking or
savings account.
• May 10: No forum
(Mother’s Day)
• May 17: Sharing favorite
poetry and readings (Final adult
forum)
This program contributes weekly offerings even
when circumstances prevent members from
attending service. For more information, click the ($)
sign at immanuelmp.com. Contact the office with any
questions.
Community Input: Praises and Pinches
To be a healthy, faithful community, Immanuel needs to be open with what we expect in
all areas of life. If there is anything in our community life that brings joy or causes concern,
please share any feelings and questions. Thank you for taking the time to communicate
ways we are doing well in our ministry at Immanuel and the areas that need attention. Your
Mutual Ministry Team needs your feedback. If you would like a personal response to your
“praise” or “pinch,” please be sure to sign this form at the bottom.
To discuss a concern directly with the Mutual Ministry Team or one of the Team
members, please indicate below.
Praises:__________________________________________________________________________
Pinches:__________________________________________________________________________
Desired Outcome:__________________________________________________________________
Is it OK to publish in Gleaner?____Yes ____No (Name must be posted if you wish for this
to appear in Gleaner.)
A specific question I would like answered:_______________________________________________
Name____________________________________________
(If you would like a direct response to your Praise or Pinch)
Please return this form to the Praises and Pinches Box located in the Narthex.
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(Ministry with Each Other, Continued)
Synod Assembly
Pastor Dana and Jennifer & Dan Digmann will be
representing Immanuel at our annual Synod
Assembly for the North/West Lower Michigan
Synod May 17-19. Please lift the whole assembly in
prayer over those few days.
Do you Have Campbell’s Soup Labels?
May is double points month for Campbell
Soup Labels. Please bring in your labels so we
can mail lots of them in before the end of May!
We collect them in a basket under the bench
outside the office.
Help Wanted
Jodie Mitchell-Beach has been
working on organizing
Immanuel’s Library, which is
located in the Narthex.
We have purchased an
electronic scanner and printer
for this project, so that all of our
books can be checked out
electronically. This project is
time-intensive and Jodie needs
your help!
Please contact the office if you
are willing to provide assistance
while we get our collection
organized.
Youth Rummage Sale
The youth will be having a
rummage sale June 19-20!
Old Immanuel Recipe Books Uncovered
We have uncovered a treasure at church!
There was a time—long, long ago—when
Immanuel put their recipes together and we
found a box of the recipe books. Feel free to pick
one up in the Narthex.
Compassionate Hearts Endowment Fund
Donations for the sale can be
brought starting May 1 to
Classroom 2 or the shed.
All proceeds will help defray
the cost of our youth going to
the National Gathering in
Detroit this summer!
We emphasize giving in February, but you can
give all year—for memorials, family occasions, or
just to give. Red and pink envelopes are available
in the Narthex. To contribute, put your envelope
in the office mailbox. Contact Carole
Heydenburg with questions at (989)
772-4783 or e-mail her at
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(Ministry with Each Other, Continued)
Camp Immanuel Weekend Retreat
Save the Date! Aug. 28-30 at Coldwater Lake Family
Park, Weidman, MI we are hosting Camp Immanuel.
May Birthdays
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Everyone is welcome and registration forms can be
turned in to the office. Registration is due June 1. The
cost is $50 per family for the entire weekend stay!
People may stay in tents, small campers, and pop-up
campers. Every site includes a fire pit, grill, and water
and electric hook-up. There is no sewage hook-up, but
there is a dump station at the park. We have also
reserved five rustic cabins (electricity, two bunk beds,
no running water/restrooms). Space is limited, so
please contact us as soon as possible to reserve a cabin
or an RV pull through spot.
The campground includes a handicap accessible
bathhouse, pavilions, sandy swimming beach, grills, a
playground, volleyball and basketball courts,
horseshoes, a boat launch and more!
What is Camp Immanuel? The weekend will
include Bible studies, group campfires, and Saturday
night and Sunday morning worship! More details will
be on the registration form in the office.
Any questions can be referred to Amy Henderson, at
[email protected]. We are so excited to have this
opportunity and encourage everyone to come out!
Food Truck volunteers needed
Immanuel is hosting a CCN Food Truck May 30
from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are needed to help in
the kitchen and parking lot. Sign up in the Narthex if
you can help. Contact Peggy Burke with questions.
Follow Immanuel on Facebook
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Beth Mundwiler
Rob Faleer
Sam Riley
John Zolynsky
Jan Kruska
Jennifer Gallaher
Asher Weber
Tom Freeland
Kathy Marshall
Tony Powell
Ryan Wood
Leah Wicander
Bert Krueger
Caleb Ross
Matt Strandskov
Julia Hoffman
Gabe Goodrich
Haylee Geisthardt
Dan Weber
Emily Zolynsky
Trudy Staples
Carson Mitchell
Laila Kauffman
Justin Oswald
Peggy Schuette
Mike Deaton
Peggy Burke
Joe Ross
Ashley Shellenbarger
George Dunn
Katie Caleca
Joe Caleca
Keep up with Immanuel by liking us on Facebook.
Find us at facebook.com/immanuelmp for updates,
pictures and more.
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Worship Ministry
Hymnal Update
Nursery Help Needed
Thank you to everyone who
contributed to purchasing the new
hymnals. We were able to purchase 210
hymnals and we raised $910 for Walk
for Water! God is good!
Volunteers are needed in the nursery
during our Sunday worship services.
Please contact Lisa Wegener at (989) 3090730 if you are able to help out.
On Sunday, May 10,
at the 9 a.m. service
we will begin worship
in the Narthex with a
blessing of the
hymnals. Then
everyone will be
invited to process
them into our
worship space.
Please claim your dishes!
Have you brought a dish to pass at a
potluck, a picnic, a party, a funeral, the
homeless shelter or Thanksgiving Dinner?
We have several unclaimed dishes, a
roaster and a crockpot in the kitchenette
that have not been claimed! Any items that
are not claimed by May 17 will go for the
Youth Rummage Sale. Be sure to stop and
pick yours up if you haven’t already done
so. Thanks!
Attention Thrivent Members
You may have a balance of Choice Dollars that needs to be directed . There is no cost
to you. Don’t lose this money.
1. Visit www.thrivent.com, log in and select Direct Choice Dollars. You will see your
balance on the right. You can see your preferred past choices. Select: Direct Choice
Dollars. You can direct your fund balance to Immanuel Lutheran or chose another
charity. You need to spell out Mount. Some members may have received an e-mail link to
speed up the process.
2. Scroll down and fill out the form. Enter Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mount Pleasant,
MI 48858, Isabella County. Organization type is Congregation. Organization focus is
Religious. Then scroll down and select Search. Scroll down. Select: Direct Now then
select Direct All if you want the whole amount to go to your church or make your
selection. Then select Submit.
If you prefer to do this on the telephone, please call 800-847-4836. You need to say
Choice Dollars. You will be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security number.
If you don’t answer the voice will prompt you twice and if you don’t answer you will get a
person. You recently received a plastic membership card with your number on it. It
would be good to have that available when you speak to the representative. If you don’t
know where that card is, they can ask you some questions to verify who you are.
Call congregational Thrivent advocate Carolyn Hoffman at (989) 506-3763 for more.
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(Worship Ministry, continued)
May Worship Helpers
Cantors
3
Kathy Gallaher (9:00)
10
Gail Caleca (9:00)
17
Sarah Gallaher (9:00)
24
Dennis Marshall (10:00)
31
Bill Gallaher (10:00)
Counters (applies to both services)
3
John Emmons & John Warriner
10
Chuck McCollom & Sue French
17
Jacque Jackson & John Lorand
24
Jodie Mitchell-Beach & Harry
Plouff
31
John Emmons & John Warriner
Altar Guild (applies to both services)
3
Denise Little & Deb Reimer
10
Chris Schuster & Ann Ferguson
17
Jan Kruska & Sue French
24
Judy Emmons & Sandy Warriner
31
Paula Krueger & Denise Little
Projector (9:00 only)
3
Amy Powell
10
Gabe Goodrich
17
Dan Digmann
Ushers
List not available at time of printing
Greeters
3
(9:00) Volunteers needed (11:00)
Dan & Jennifer Digmann
10
(9:00) Volunteers needed (11:00)
Mike & Katrina Piatek-Jimenez
17
(9:00) Volunteers needed (11:00)
Allen & Susan Shock, Donald
Poynter
24
(10:00) Harry & Billie Plouff
31
(10:00) The Powell family
Nursery Attendants (9:00)
List not available at time of printing
Nursery Attendants (11:00)
List not available at time of printing
Assisting Ministers
3
(9:00) Tony Powell (11:00)
Chuck Clise
10
(9:00) Mark Strandskov (11:00)
Sandy Warriner
17
(9:00) Linda Wicander
(11:00) Sandy Warriner
24
(10:00) Dan Digmann
31
(10:00) Meaghan McCollow
Special Music for the Summer
Do you have a musical talent you’d like to offer during worship this summer? Would
3you like
(9:00)
Volunteers
needed
(11:00)
to sing
a song? Play
and instrument?
Dan & Jennifer Digmann
will have needed
a sign-up!
Think about it, pray about it and hopefully you’ll be
10 Mid-May
(9:00)we
Volunteers
(11:00)
led to share
some
of your
musical gifts with us this summer.
Mike &
Katrina
Piatek-Jimenez
17
(9:00) Volunteers needed (11:00)
Allen & Susan Shock, Donald Poynter
24
(10:00) Harry & Billie Plouff
31
(10:00) The Powell family
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