Good morning. Here are the Friday announcements!
1. Please join us as we worship virtually this week. A prerecorded worship will be available on our YouTube channel this Sunday by 8:00 a.m. Pastor Ioan will be delivering a message based on Mark 1:29-39. Below is a devotion based on that Scripture.
Many in the church today are grappling with a sense of loss and disappointment about its decreased cultural influence. Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings are no longer left open for church participation, and many feel no need to be connected to a church. But this is reality at this time, and there is no easy way to reverse the trend.
Yet today’s gospel tells of a “whole city” gathering to see Jesus. He has just cast out a demon while teaching in the synagogue; now crowds come to find him at a private home, seeking the healing he offers. Wherever Jesus goes, people follow; the location isn’t the key.
Perhaps we emphasize getting people to a certain location – the church building – to hear about Jesus, instead of noticing other spaces where they might, or do, experience him. Where in your community do people yearn for Jesus’ healing? How can you and your congregation “be Jesus” to them? And might you find Jesus already there, waiting to engage with you?
2. Virtual Sunday Bible Study – We gather virtually through Zoom at 9:15 am. We discuss the Scripture passage that the sermon for that Sunday focused on. In the sermon you hear one particular interpretation. In Bible Study we will use questions to approach the passage in a discussion style. We welcome insights into Scripture passage that you’ve gleaned in you over the years and more immediate feelings and thoughts that came to you that day. All are welcome to join in the discussion or listen.
To access Zoom on Sundays at 9:15 a.m. click the link below and enter the required Meeting ID number and the Passcode. Or call by phone the below number and then follow the prompts to dial the required Meeting ID number and the Passcode number.
Zoom Sunday Bible Study Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89973259796?pwd=ODNtTTlCZjd2ZHNyUHNRS1oyV0hYQT09
Meeting ID: 899 7325 9796
Passcode: 1120
Dial-In by Phone:
+1 312 626 6799
Meeting ID: 899 7325 9796
Passcode: 1120
3. Virtual Sunday School – We miss having the joy of our kids at church and we know families are under strain with navigating a Covid world as well. We are offering kid-focused lessons to our Sunday prerecorded YouTube worship. Please be sure to download the activity sheet from the below link, which is also found in the YouTube description. Directly following our regular worship, you can stay tuned or call the kids over and have a short time for worship dedicated to our pre-school to early/middle elementary age kids.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17kYq1GmWP-qPl8llhzatOo8oM2NpKxPR/view?usp=sharing
4. Sunday is Souper Bowl of Caring! This coming Sunday we will celebrate the Souper Bowl of Caring! (Donations will be taken through February 14.) This is part of a nation-wide drive begun more than 20 years ago by a youth group. Here’s how you can help:
- Bring canned goods and non-perishable grocery items to the church and put in the grocery cart in the entryway.
- Write a check made out to Matura and place in the basket in the grocery cart in the entryway.
- Write a check made out to ELCA Hunger Fund and place in the pot in the grocery cart in the entryway or in the lockbox by the office door. Please do not make checks out to St. Paul or Twila Seibert.
Last year 565 grocery items and $130 cash was taken to Matura. $1,966 was sent to ELCA Hunger Fund. Let’s see if we can beat those numbers this year! Thank you!
5. The St. Paul Annual Meeting for approving the 2021-22 budget and elections has been scheduled for Sunday, February 21st at 10:30 a.m. The format of the meeting will be a hybrid, which means that those that can attend virtually on their computers or phones do so, but we will make an in-person option available also for those who don’t have online capabilities. More information will be forthcoming.
6. Pool of Siloam – The needs are great this time of year. Please consider giving to this important ministry and remember that your financial gift is doubled!
7.Pastor Ioan is available for one-one-one conversation and in-home communion. Please feel free to reach out to him. pastorioan@stpaullutheranchurch.net or 515-419-5224.
8. 7th-8th grade Confirmation Reminder: This Wednesday, February 10th at 6pm, we will gather virtually on Zoom for confirmation. Parents should expect an email from Pastor Ioan with that login information. We will be discussing God, the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is Christian education for youth in 7th-8th grade. If you are interested please contact Pastor Ioan.
9. Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp: Early registration is now happening at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp. Register your child before Feb 15th to get the camp’s discounted rate. Please check out their week long Youth Camp, Ranch Camp & Adventure Camp. Through the generosity of the St. Paul Trust Fund we are offering a $300 campership per child for St. Paul families attending a week long camp at Riverside. It’s been a tough year, and the Trust Fund wants our kids to look forward to a joyful Summer. At the end of the registration process when you get to the payment section enter “SPW21” as your discount code and the $300 will be automatically applied in addition to the deposit families will also need to provide. If the deposit or remaining camp costs would still prevent your child from going to camp, please talk to the camp or Pastor Ioan and we will work something out so finances aren’t the preventing factor. If you have a little one who wants to go to ½ week for littler campers and need a discount, please talk to Pastor Ioan and we can also make something happen. Please feel free to call the camp with any questions you may have about which camp is right for your kid, COVID or financial matters.
https://www.riversidelbc.org/youth-camp
https://www.riversidelbc.org/ranch-camp
https://www.riversidelbc.org/adventure-camp
Church office phone: 515-462-4270
Church office email: Office@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Pastor Ioan Ittu: 515-419-5224
Pastor Ioan email: Pastorioan@stpaullutheranchurch.net