Weekly Announcements from Pastor Valerie Brown-Greenly, Senior Pastor
Dear Friends,
I hope you are doing well! We received some difficult news this week that the ELCA Youth Gathering scheduled for July, has been cancelled. This was a very difficult decision for the staff and all those planning the event.
This was the announcement as printed: “After much prayer, conversation and tears, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2022 Gathering, MYLE and tABLE due to the ongoing pandemic, the recent COVID-19 surge and public health considerations.”
Please keep these leaders in your prayers. This was a very difficult decision and was not made quickly or easily. For those of us who were planning to attend, we will get details on potential refunds for registration, etc. Again, with the ELCA Gathering Leaders, we are all saddened the event is cancelled. We will look for other opportunities to be together in the weeks to come.
We return to in-person worship on Sunday, February 6, at 10:00am. Our Annual Meeting is Sunday, February 6, at 11:30am. After worship, we will dismiss and ask you to return for check in at 11:15am. There will not be fellowship. Staff and Church Council will use the time to set up for the meeting. I realize it is not convenient, but we are asking if you were in worship, that you would leave and return for check in at 11:15am. Thank you for your help as we make preparations for the meeting.
The Annual Meeting is a hybrid format. You are welcome to attend in person or join us on Zoom. Members received an email on Tuesday with the Meeting ID and Passcode.
Importantly, we will be practicing complete masking. This means the mask covers the nose and the mouth for the duration of our time together. Please do not pull your mask forward or off for speaking or singing. We appreciate your help with reminding one another to adjust masks as necessary. COVID 19 is a health crisis and masking is one way we help care for the neighbor.
Confirmation, Spirit Time and High School Youth Group begin in-person on Wednesday, February 9. Sunday School resumes in-person on Sunday, February 13.
Our stewardship campaign, “God’s Grace”, is moving forward! Eleven of you have stepped up to be Foundational Givers. The hope is we will do 22 in 2022, and the rest of the congregation will step up to match what I believe will be a $22,000 foundational starting place. Please contact me directly if you want to be one of 22 Foundational Givers!
We have scheduled our final photography day for our Picture Directory on Tuesday February 15 from 2:00pm-8:00pm. If you or your family would still like to schedule a photo directory appointment; please email or text Pastor Tim so he can add you to the list. We would especially like to include more of our younger families. Each appointment comes with a free 8×10 print and a printed photo directory.
If you would like to supply a photo for the photo directory, you can email a digital copy to Pastor Tim Schroeder. If you would like assistance scanning your photo, please place the photo in an envelope with your name on it and bring it to the Church Office. These photos will be scanned and returned to you once we resume in-person worship on Sunday February 6. If you have any questions please call or text Pastor Tim at (715) 216-7799 or email at [email protected]
Thank you for your continued donations to the Food Shelf. Items needed this week include canned chicken, boxed oatmeal packets, spaghetti sauce and noodles, pasta, peanut butter, crackers, kid friendly cereals and snacks.
Office hours are normal next week: Tuesday and Wednesday, from 8:30-Noon, and Thursday morning from 8:30-Noon for in-person appointments.
Have a good week! Be safe…take care…
Pastor Valerie
Cell: 612-280-6493 Email: [email protected]
Church: 763-757-4459 Email: vbrown-greenly@