Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church _____________________________ Answering God’s call to love _____________________________

Messiah eNewsletter for January 25, 2017 Messiah Events & News On the web…

go to messiahlutheranmqt.org for more information about our congregation and “like” us on Facebook to receive updates and information there. __________________________ Messiah Lutheran Church seeks to be a welcoming community for all people. This includes people of every race, ability, sexual orientation and identity, ethnic background, economic grouping, religious affiliation, and political persuasion. We do this simply because God created all people in God’s own image and Christ Jesus came so all people might have abundant and eternal life. We may not always be as welcoming as we should be, but this is our intention—all are welcome!

__________________________ Annual Meeting – February 5th The 2017 Messiah Lutheran Church Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 5. Following the 10:30 service, we will share dinner together—chicken and beverages provided, and Messiah members will bring additional dishes to round out the meal. If your last name

begins with A-J, please bring a hot dish, K-T bring a salad, and U-Z bring a dessert. The Annual meeting will follow, at around 1 pm. Annual meetings are generally positive and interesting, with a mixture of reports, elections, and issues to consider and vote on. We discuss and approve the budget for the New Year and discuss potential new ministries. We support one another, enjoy each other’s company, and occasionally, engage in some lively debate!

____________________________ 100 Key Texts Bible Study We began our study of 100 key texts of Scripture during Wednesday Night Life in January, with the baptism of Jesus, in the gospel of Luke. The second reading explored the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and the third, the Sermon on the Mount. If you study all 100 of these texts, you will have a fairly good grasp of the primary texts upon which the church’s teaching and mission has been founded. Of course, this is just a survey and there is always so much more—but for those who want basic biblical literacy, this is a place to start. This Bible study is different than others we offer at Messiah. The pastors develop a weekly study sheet, which includes some basic helps for reading and understanding the text, along with some questions for discussion. This study sheet is placed on the website, on our Facebook page, and as a hard copy in the narthex each Tuesday. Some people have signed up to be part of a small group—they will meet together at a time and place of their choosing weekly to study the texts together. Some existing groups have “adopted” 100 Key Texts as their “curriculum” and new groups have formed around the concept. If you did not sign up for a small group and want to participate, please let the church office or pastors know. Other participants will access the study on line and use at home, either individually or with family members. A closed Facebook group page allows them to interact with other students of the Bible. If you did not have the opportunity to sign up and wish to do this, please consult the Messiah Facebook page or download the studies at www.messiahlutheranmqt.org. Every person who would follow Jesus is called to continued study, prayer, worship, and service. Whether you have a half hour or two hours available each week, we are hoping this study will make the riches of the Biblical text more accessible to you!

____________________________ Lakestate Industries Lakestate Industries has plenty of fire starter materials at this time. We will hold off collecting these things at Messiah until they are in need again. Thank you to all of you who have collected in the past.

____________________________ MARKED Event Donations This confirmation/Journey gathering sponsored by the Northern Great Lakes Synod is, “an event that provides an opportunity to celebrate our identity as baptized children of God in our Lutheran expression. Churches with a few youth and more gather together with the youth from other congregations to spend an afternoon learning and having gun together.” Messiah Lutheran Church is asked to participate in donating items for Health Kits and Love Bundles so the MLC youth and “Synod” wide youth can put together these kits for local and world needs. Donations will be accepted in the shopping cart outside of the sanctuary through the afternoon of February 26th. Thank you for your donations. Items needed for the Health Kits and Love Bundles: Bars of Bath Soap Fingernail clippers Deodorant/Antiperspirant Bath-sized towel Hand-sized towel Comb / Bottle of shampoo Toothbrush / Tube of toothpaste Socks / underwear Chapstick

____________________________ What’s Going On? Messiah Lutheran Church has a wealth of ministries and activities to join, and we want to make sure you don't miss anything. We have many ways for people to stay up-to-date on what's happening in our congregation. In addition to the printed Weekly Announcements and monthly Messenger that you receive along with your bulletin at worship, you may also receive this same information by going to our website www.messiahlutheranmqt.org. You may "like" us on Facebook to receive information & you may also sign up to receive our electronic newsletter (ENews) each Wednesday by contacting Inga Banitt at [email protected].

____________________________ Council Highlights for January, 2017 • Approved the report of the Nominations Committee, including the following nominees for 3 year council terms: Mark Paulsen, Myra Zyburt, Michael Coyne. And for a one year term: Josh Wetelainen. • Approved a Finance Committee recommendation of the purchase of new bell tables for the Bell Choir from the undesignated Memorial Fund.

• After discussion and questions, recommended the 2017 budget proposed by the Finance Committee to the congregation at the Annual Meeting. • Approved recommendations from the Property and Leases Ad Hoc Committee for purchase of a new refrigerator for the 4th Street House and a reduction in monthly rent to reflect the cost of water/sewer. The Elsenbroek’s will be permitted to move in prior to being released from their current apartment lease, as long as they pay for heat and electricity during those weeks or months. Adrianne Wolf will prepare an 18 month lease to be signed when they officially take residence in the building. The basement east addition to the building will continue to be used by the church and will also be the primary site for the after school youth program to be established in the building. • Reviewed the Annual Meeting agenda and introduced several changes. • Accepted the Worship and Music Team’s recommendation to begin choir practice for the 10:30 service in Magnuson Hall and limit the length of the 8:45 am service, rather than to change existing worship times. • Recognized and thanked outgoing church council member, Tom Froiland. Thank you, Tom!

____________________________ Budget Meeting A 2017 Messiah Budget forum, led by Mike Hill, our Parish Accountant, will be held at 9:45 am on Sunday, January 29, 2017. We will hold a second forum at 11:30 am on the same day, if necessary.

____________________________ Lock-in for Youth at Prince of Peace There will be a youth lock-in for kids 4th grade through high school at Prince of Peace Lutheran church on Jan 27-28. It will be led by Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp staff. No charge although donations for food for Prince of Peace would be appreciated!

____________________________ 100 Key Texts for Wednesday, January 25 The study text for the 100 Key Texts on Wednesday, January 25 th will be Matthew 5:1-6:4.

____________________________ Wednesday Night Life Wednesday, January 25. Confirmation Students and families will be serving the meal at 5:30 pm. Worship at 6 pm is Caring Conversation, led by Pastor Dave. Julie Aho is playing the piano. At 6:30 pm, we will begin a five week class called Faith, Sexism, and Justice taught by

Ruth Almen. This is actually a draft social statement of the ELCA, which all congregations have been asked to study and offer their responses to the committee assigned the task of developing the statement for the next Churchwide Assembly. Please consider coming to this class, learning about these issues, which have never been more crucial, and adding your voice to others in the Church. By this time, the 100 Key Texts class will have switched to its small group and on-line phase. Wednesday, February 1. Supper is the Community Meal, at 5:30 pm. Worship at 6:00 pm is Testimony. We have not yet confirmed a speaker for this night—stay tuned! Pastor Dave will lead the service, with Pauline Kiltinen playing the piano. Faith, Sexism, and Justice begins at 6:30 pm.

____________________________ OWL’s OWLs Need Exercise, Too!! The OWLs (Older Wiser Lutherans) will meet on Monday, February 6, 10:00 am at NMU’s Superior Dome for some walking and socializing. Please meet near the southwest entrance inside where the “Cat Apparel” Store is. We’ll walk for a while and then enjoy coffee together at the PEIF. Bring a few dollars along for coffee. A couple of volunteers are needed to bake some cookies. As always, bring your friends along. No sign up ahead is required. Text or call Louise at 250-3990 or e-mail [email protected] if you have questions.

____________________________ The Body of Christ Seven members of the body of Christ here in Marquette will leave on June 13 to fly to Bogota, Colombia where we will gather for fellowship, to worship, and to proclaim Christ. They are Mike Hill, Rachel Tupper, Ron Tervo, Molly Smith, Eric Banitt, Inga Banitt, and myself. We will be joining those who live in a diverse culture and economic situation from ours, but who we are united with us in the waters of baptism. As we seek to answer God’s call to love and partner with you in this ministry, we ask for your support through donations, prayers, and conversations. Sincerely, Pr Amanda

____________________________ Lay School of Theology & Mission The Winter Semester is set to begin on Tuesday, February 7th, with classes running until May 2nd , with no classes the Tuesday of Holy Week, April 11.

• Classes will be held at Messiah, Marquette (305 W. Magnetic) with Pastor Warren Geier as the site coordinator. • Five classes will be offered in the Winter semester (please note the dates and times for each class as they do vary. Also note that the Polity class is a one day event on April 1. Apocalyptic in the Bible and in Contemporary Society Feb 7 to Mar 14 (3:30 to 5:30) (6 sessions) An exploration of the apocalyptic books (Daniel and Revelation), along with other apocalyptic passages, as well as how apocalyptic is part of popular theology. Pastor Doug Norquist Stewardship of God’s Gifts Feb 7 to Mar 14 (6:00 to 8:15) (6 sessions) This class will explore the stewardship of God’s gifts, our time, our talents and our possessions, particularly as they relate to the various ministries of the church. (Instructor should be in place soon) Prophets II/Ezekiel and the “Book of Twelve” Mar 21 to May 2 (3:30 to 5:30) (6 sessions) Ezekiel along with the so called minor prophets will be the focus of this class. The time and context of their prophecy will be studied along with a discussion of the message they bring to us today. Pastor Andrew Plocher Old Testament Writings Mar 21 to May 2 (6:00 to 8:15) (6 sessions) A review of the “writings” of the Old Testament, especially the Psalms, along with Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. Pastor Dave Van Kley Polity: Life Together April 1 (10am to 3pm) (1 session) A course on the structure and life of the church, with an emphasis on how we work together to accomplish the mission of Jesus Christ. Bishop Tom Skrenes This class will be offered “live” at Messiah, Marquette with others across the synod joining us online. This is an experiment in distance learning. More details will be forthcoming. A reminder that there is no tuition; the only cost is for books (and instructors do their best to keep that within reason.) As is always the case, we need new students! It should be emphasized though that one does not have to sign up for all the classes, one does not have to complete all the classes in a certain period of time, one does not even have to complete all the classes ever. You can take as much or as little as works for your schedule and your interests. The program is designed to be flexible. Also, Lay School is not designed to produce Licensed Lay Ministers. While that is

a possibility and some graduates have gone in that direction, most students are just interested in growing in faith and becoming more active in their own congregations. You may call Pastor Warren Geier (486-4351), the dean of the Lay School, or talk to one of Messiah’s pastors for more information.

____________________________ Baby Bottle Boomerang We will have baby bottles here in the month of February to raise money for diapers & wipes for the Care Clinic. The Care Clinic is in our community to help young moms & dads who are expecting a baby, perhaps unexpectedly. We are hoping to help these young parents in this transition in their life by providing funds to purchase diapers and wipes for the Care Clinic. If you would like to help support this mission in our community, please stop in the church office to get a baby bottle. During the month of February, you can put your pocket change in the baby bottle and then turn the bottle in to the office, filled with change. Jennifer Dodge is the contact at our church. She will collect the baby bottles at the end of the month and turn them in to the Care Clinic. The bottles will be available for pickup on Sunday, February 5th. You can return them by Sunday, February 26th. Thank you for your support!

____________________________ Saturday Night Worship Blending Tradition & New Directions A Saturday night worship ad hoc committee has been assigned by the Worship and Music Team to evaluate Saturday night worship and recommend some new ways to increase participation in the 5:00 pm service. This is because attendance at the service continues to decline, slowly. While the atmosphere is warm and relationships are strong, we wonder if there might be a way to attract new persons to the worship service. At this point, the committee has decided on several strategies: • Keep the basic form of the service much of the year, with an emphasis on informality and singing familiar songs and hymns. Repeated singing of the same songs and hymns may help. • Utilize a meditative service model during certain times of the year, especially Lent and Advent to begin with. This service will utilize simple chants and songs from the ELW, interwoven with written texts. There will still be a message and Holy Communion, but perhaps celebrated differently. • Encourage seating toward the front of the sanctuary when at all possible. • Schedule once a month events such as coffee fellowship, a potluck supper, worship led by Lutheran Campus Ministry, and so forth, to broaden the appeal of the service.

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Home Visit Ministry Also known as Eucharistic ministry, this is an opportunity to bring the Word and Sacrament to our sisters and brothers who, for various reasons, are in need of a monthly home visit. If you are interested in or would like to know more about becoming part of the visiting rotation, please let Pr Dave or Pr Amanda know. Thank you!

___________________________ Northern Great Lakes Synod Transition As many of you know, Bishop Tom Skrenes has announced that he will not seek re-election to the office of Bishop in the Northern Great Lakes Synod. Bishop Skrenes has served faithfully and passionately for 18 years in this office. He will be hard to replace! The NGLS Transition team, together with a committee of the ELCA which works with synods in the process of electing new business, is seeking input from the congregations of the synod. As a part of that process, a team from Chicago will be at Messiah to interview congregational representatives on February 18. The Northern Great Lakes Synod Assembly is here in Marquette May 21-23.

___________________________ Needed—Saturday Night Piano Accompanist Messiah Lutheran Church is seeking a person to be the regular Saturday evening worship accompanist. This service involves playing hymns or songs on the piano to facilitate congregational singing, as well as providing a prelude, postlude, and other instrumental music during worship. This is a paid position. It would be possible for more as many as two persons to share this position. Please provide a simple resume to Pastor David Van Kley by February 15, at 305 W. Magnetic Street, Marquette, Michigan.

___________________________ In Our Prayers We have been asked to remember the following in our prayers at this time: Terry Hosket, Bill & Laura Provost upon the death of his father, Neil Carlson upon the death of his wife Marjorie, Jim Shirtz upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth; Lori Strokes, Jeff, Jackie Greising, Nancy, Bishop Tom Skrenes, Karen Goins, Karen Johnson, Marian Rossway, Jackie Dault, Krysti Ostermeyer, Mari Wagner Davis, John Wagner and Terri Dillion Wagner, Cookie Aho, Sara, Linda, Lois and Dick Howard, Dave Skoog, Jill Krah, Spencer Bergh, Liz Kro, Jeff Kampe, Ron Brow, Sr., Becky Johnson, Nancy Hillegas, Alex and Roxanne.

.Note: You may call the church office or talk to one of the pastors, if you would like a person named in the congregation’s prayers. Please obtain permission from the person to list his/her name in the bulletin. In order to keep the list up to date and manageable in size, we will list each person for one month, after which the name will be removed. If at that point, you would like to continue listing the person, please call the church office or speak to one of the pastors.

___________________________ Pastor on Call: Pastor Dave is on call January 18-19, 21-23 Pastor Amanda is on call January 20, 24-25

___________________________ Messiah Newsletters Messiah newsletters, weekly announcements and the weekly enews are all available at www.messiahlutheranmqt.org. The online Messenger (monthly newsletter) includes all the stories and information but saves the paper!

__________________________ Scripture Readings This Week –Third Sunday after Epiphany First Reading.....................Micah 6:1-8 Psalm..................................Psalm 15 Second Reading...............1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Gospel Reading...............Matthew 5:1-12

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Volunteer & Service Opportunities Worship Volunteers This Week Saturday, January 28 – 5:00 p.m. Ushers: Harry Rajala, Chris Kotial Reader: Carol Bell Communion Assistants: Barb Salmela, Carol Bell Communion Set-Up: Carol Bell

Sunday, January 29 – 8:45 a.m. Acolyte: Hannah Bleckiner Ushers: Tom & Amy Froiland Reader: Lynn Hammerstrom Communion Assistants: Carl Hammerstrom, Julie Mingay

Greeters: John VanDreel, Barb Avery Assisting Minister: Margo Yatchak Sound: Larry Pagel

Sunday, January 29 – 10:30 a.m. Acolyte: Liam Ulland-Joy Ushers: Jean & Ron Arntsen Reader: Paul Marin Communion Assistants: Michael & Jenny Broadway, Liz Beyne Greeters: Phil & Nancy Hoover Assisting Minister: Dave Luoma Sound: Mike Hill

Please contact Inga at [email protected] or call 225-1119 if you are unable to be here when scheduled or if you see an opening you can fill. Thanks! __________________________

Announcements and Classified Ads Sail On Singers (SOS) Sail On Singers (SOS) is a fairly new group which sings for hospice patients. We practice twice a month, are members of a national organization, The Threshold Choirs, are dedicated, and we love singing. The music is at least 2 part and sometimes 3 part harmonies. We sometimes have guitar accompaniment, but we often sing a cappella. If you are interested in checking out this organization, please contact Corinne Rockow at 250-6099 or Louise Anderson at 250-3990 for more information. In addition, if you need our services, we are available with minimal notice.

__________________________ Do you have an announcement? Send announcements and ads to Inga Banitt ([email protected]). Due to postal regulations, we have strict limitations on items that can be included in our printed weekly news. Luckily, we can email whatever we want! Send concert or performance information, yard sale announcements, party invitations, requests for baby sitters, yard maintenance, rooms for rent and items for sale. We will run announcements for two weeks. Enewsletter deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays.

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Messiah Contact Information

Messiah Lutheran Church 305 W. Magnetic St. Marquette, MI 49855 906-225-1119 906-225-5025 (fax) Email: [email protected] Website: www.messiahlutheranmqt.org

Pastoral Staff Senior Pastor: Dave Van Kley 226-1138 920 Wilson Street, Marquette [email protected]

Associate Pastor: Amanda Kossow 273-0738 210 Northwoods Rd. #16, Marquette [email protected] Lutheran Campus Ministry Leader/Messiah Youth Director Lisa Johnson 235-3820 274 Riverside, Marquette [email protected]

Support Staff Parish Administrator: Jennifer Dodge 226-6957 920 Woodridge Ave., Marquette [email protected]

Volunteer Coordinator: Inga Banitt 226-5085 1608 Altamont St., Marquette [email protected] Messiah Custodian: Kevin McGrath 226-2097 516 W. Michigan, Marquette [email protected] Parish Accountant: Mike Hill 2006 Wetton, Marquette [email protected] Financial Assistant: Nancy Hoover 104 Pineview Dr., Marquette [email protected]

Music Staff Choir Director: David Dagenais 869-1441 1933 Orchard St., Marquette Bell Choir Director: Judy Quirk 228-6729 416 W. Michigan, Marquette Organist: Kathy Strazzinski 346-3578

604 N. Maple Hill Drive, Gwinn Pianist: Eric Banitt 226-5085 1608 Altamont St., Marquette