Inside Immanuel Weekly Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church

"WE SHARE GOD'S GIFT OF LOVE WITH ALL" "WE SHARE GOD'S GIFT OF LOVE WITH ALL"

December 2, 2018 First Sunday of Advent

Worship Service Times

8:30am - Augustana Chapel9:30am - Augustana Chapel10:45am - Thomas Chapel

Dear disciples of Jesus at Immanuel Lutheran, The promise of Advent is that God continually comes to draw us into God'slove and mercy. God came in Jesus as one of us, will come again to reignforever, and comes even now in water and word, bread and wine. God also

comes in community as the faithful gather in mutual support and encouragement. As we wait andwatch for God's coming we pray with Paul that the Lord may increase and abound our love for oneanother (I Thessalonians 3:12). See you in church,

Pastor Gretchen

Prayer of the DayPrayer of the Day Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection alert us to the threateningdangers of our sins, and redeem us for your life of justice, for you live and reign with the Father andthe Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Advent and Christmas Schedule at ImmanuelAdvent and Christmas Schedule at Immanuel We begin a new church year on the First Sunday of Advent. Each Sunday we will lightanother candle on the Advent wreath as we wait with hope and expecta on for God'scoming among us. Advent celebrates the fulfillment of God's promise of a Savior whocame as a baby, who comes to us now, and who will come again to reign forever.

December 2: First Sunday of Advent - Worship 8:30, 9:30 and 10:45amDecember 9: Second Sunday of Advent - Worship 8:30, 9:30 and 10:45amDecember 16: Third Sunday of Advent - Worship 8:30, 9:30 and 10:45amDecember 23: Fourth Sunday of Advent - Worship 8:30 and 10:45amDecember 24: Christmas Eve - Worship 3:30, 5:30 and 10:30pm in Augustana withoverflow in the Thomas ChapelDecember 25: Christmas Day - Worship 10:30am in Thomas ChapelDecember 30: Lessons & Carols for Christmas - Worship 8:30 and 10:45am

Please note: On Sunday December 23 we will return to two worship services--8:30amin Augustana and 10:45am in Thomas Chapel un l we move back into the Immanuelsanctuary.

Choir Rehearsal and Potluck - THIS SUNDAY!Choir Rehearsal and Potluck - THIS SUNDAY!

Advent is here! And "the best way to bring holiday cheer, is singing loudlyfor all to hear." So join the choir on Sunday morning at 8:15am in theThomas Chapel, for choir rehearsal. We will be having our Holiday choral potluck on Dec em ber 2ndDec em ber 2nd 11-2pm in the Augustana Chapel to prepare to raise up our voices duringour Advent season. All ages and experience levels welcomed andencouraged! The choir will be singing at the 9:30am service and thenthe 10:45am service when we return to two services.

For more information contact Choir Director Sara Stejskal at choir@ilcboise.org.

Welcome Mary RiedlWelcome Mary Riedl

We are happy to announce the selec on of a new Children & YouthLeader for Immanuel! Mary Riedl begins her part- me ministry withus this Wednesday, and will be working 10 hours a week. She has 10years of experience working with children, youth, volunteers andwomen's ministry. Please introduce yourself to Mary and her familyas we welcome them to our congregation.

Children's Time - Preparing for the Birth of JesusChildren's Time - Preparing for the Birth of Jesus

December 9, 16 and 23December 9, 16 and 23We welcome all young children to the front of the church during the children's time with the Pastor.During this advent season, children will be given ornament crafts that they can assemble duringthe service or at home. These can be taken home to have on your own tree as a reminder of thisexciting time as we prepare for birth of Jesus.

High School YouthHigh School Youth High school youth (9th -12th grade) are invited to two upcoming monthly gatherings in theTreasure Valley on Sunday afternoons from 3:30-5pm. Discussion, activities, and snacks will all bepart of these "This Changes Everything!" events Sunday Dec em ber 9thDec em ber 9th at Shepherd of the Valleyin Boise Sunday and January 13thJanuary 13th at Hope Lutheran in Eagle. Also, mark your calendars now for a High School Retreat February 15-17 at the River CanyonRetreat Center in Garden Valley, ID. For more information and to carpool, please contact LisaHahle at mlhahle@cableone.net .

Singles GroupSingles Group The singles group is going to have their last bible study on Dec em ber 14thDec em ber 14th from 7am-8am at theDistrict Coffee House. Please contact T raci Glover at 208-284-4178 for information.

Food Fellowship Christmas Wish TreeFood Fellowship Christmas Wish Tree

As we enter the season of Christ's birth, help to show God's love by choosinga tag off the "Wish T ree". Then, purchase 1, 2 or 3 gifts from the tag for amaximum amount of $30, wrap and return the gift no later thanno later thanDec em ber 16thDec em ber 16th to the church office. Remember to put the tag on the gift! We will be having a Food Fellowship dinner on Christmas evening and willdistribute the gifts at that time. If you are unable to shop but still want toparticipate, please take a tag, write a check and give it to Carolyn Korn, ourparish administrator, or an usher. We will shop for you! For more information,please contact Barb Schmidt at 208-345-3604.

Sponsor a PoinsettiaSponsor a Poinsettia

Poinsettias will soon adorn our sanctuaries with their vibrant redcolor in the seasons of Advent and Christmas. The plants havebeen pre-ordered to secure their availability. Therefore, you areinvited to sponsor one or more plants by completing the formfound in the Sunday bulletin or calling the church office at 208-344-3011. Place your form with the payment in the offering plateor the church office by Dec em ber 16thDec em ber 16th in order for your loved-one's name to be included in the Christmas Eve bulletin. A$10.00 donation is suggested for each plant.

Staff Chstmas GiftsStaff Chstmas Gifts With wishes of Christmas joy and blessings, we invite you to donate amonetary gift to the staff of Immanuel. Place your gift in the offering plate or mail to the church office with thedesignation of "staff gift" on the check and envelope. Donations areneeded by Dec em ber 23rdDec em ber 23rd .

Build Us Up, Lord! Capital CampaignBuild Us Up, Lord! Capital Campaign Bui ld ing Projec t Update -Bui ld ing Projec t Update - If you have ever been involved in a renovation, you know the laststeps are many smaller projects that must be coordinated to be completed. There is a schedulebut it is really more like a dance; one step can't be taken until two others are completed. Theschedule is "As Soon As Possible". We know when the contractors end their jobs there are more things to do (not in order):

1. A walk through, to assure everything really is completed - what isn't, mustthen be completed.2. Cleaning - 1st by the contractor and then, we must do some for ourselves(volunteers?).3. Taking items from storage spaces and placing them in appropriatelocations, again after cleaning.Volunteers can help cut cost of all jobs, but some things must be done byprofessionals. Consequently, we are making arrangement for the moreunique tasks. The Organ will have to be cleaned and tuned. Carpets willneed to be cleaned in some areas, liturgical items will have to be cleanedand polished, and some items may need to be cut to a new size orrepaired. The ReJuv Task Force soon will be asking for specialized helpin areas that could help with completion of these tasks. We will post jobsneeded and hope you will volunteer! F inanc ing -F inanc ing - Construction costs through the November billing are $870,000 and the totalconstruction estimate remains at $1,350,000. With the payment of the November bill this week, wewill begin to draw from our loan with Mission Investment Fund. We have reserved $80,000 of cashreceived to ensure we can make payments on the loan without impacting the Church's operatingfunds. Payments will begin when construction is complete. Funding for the deficit betweenpledged/given and the total construction estimate is a component of the 2018 Stewardshipcampaign with the objective of extending the 3-year Build Us Up, Lord! campaign by 1 year - "OneMore, Make it Four". We are a c om m uni ty of joy, We are a c om m uni ty of joy, grati tude and generosi ty!grati tude and generosi ty! That is one of our GuidingPrinciples and our collective response on "Celebrate Generosity Sunday" on November 11 and inthe days that followed. As of November 30, Immanuel's members and friends have generouslycommitted $199,700 to support our 2019 year-around ministries and $1,112,900 has now beenpledged or given to our Build Us Up, Lord! capital campaign. We are grateful to those who havealready completed their Estimate of Giving Cards. Your gift combined with those of others willmake it possible for Immanuel to continue and build upon the many ministries that begin insideour walls - ministries that require a safe and well-functioning building. We ask all members and friends of Immanuel to participate with us in this community of faith. If youhave not yet completed your Estimate of Giving Card, there is still time. Please use a card from thepew or obtain a card from an usher or at the church office. Every gift makes a difference andtogether we can do what none of us can do alone! We have been ric hly blessed and we invi te you to share in Celebrating Generosi ty!We have been ric hly blessed and we invi te you to share in Celebrating Generosi ty!

Immanuel Job Opening - Share This With Your Friends!Immanuel Job Opening - Share This With Your Friends!

NURSERY AT T ENDANTNURSERY AT T ENDANTProvide for age appropriate care including feeding, changing diapers, putting children down fornaps, holding, sitting with, and cheerfully interacting with children through games, stories, andplay.

Qualified and interested applicants must send a job resume that includes education and workhistory to nancyinidaho@cableone.net. If you have any questions or to obtain the job description,please contact Nancy Upchurch, Immanuel HR Committee Chair at the email address above.

Please click on the job titles for additional information.

Important Immanuel Items of InterestImportant Immanuel Items of Interest Hand in Hand Clothing RoomHand in Hand Clothing Room

Now that temperatures have dropped, we will start putting warm clothes out for our FoodFellowship guests. Please bring your clean and new or gently used winter clothes tochurch. Clothes can be left outside the office; we will get them to the Hand in Hand room. Prayer Chain RequestsPrayer Chain RequestsIf you have a prayer request that you would like to be placed on the Prayer Chain please contactme at carolhoobing@hotmail.com or 208-342-0970 or fill out a pink request card located on thetable outside the Thomas Chapel or in Augustana Chapel. Qui l t M inistryQui l t M inistry - Do you or a friend or neighbor have a stash of fabric you aren't using? TheQuilters are looking for cotton material that will be cut into 11 inch squares for quilt tops. ContactCarol Hoobing at 208-342-0970 or e-mail at carolhoobing@hotmail.com.

Dessert M akers Needed Dessert M akers Needed - The Food Fellowship is in need of dessert makers for Tuesdaynights. Dessert may be cookies, pies, cakes, bars, whatever. Even one evening a month would begreat. For questions on the dessert making contact jane.teems@gmail.com.

Furni ture Donations NeededFurni ture Donations NeededWe are utilizing new meeting spaces to accommodate various small groups in the basement ofAugustana. We are now seeking some new-to-us used furniture to make this a more intimatecomfortable space not only for our ministry groups, but also as a conference room for LutherHeights next to their offices, and an occasional green room for concert performers at AcousticAlchemy Studio.One of our member families is gifting us a beautiful reupholstered leather couch and we arelooking for other furniture to go with it-a coffee table, chairs, lamps, etc. If you have something youare willing to donate please send a photo to the church (office@ilcboise.org) and someone will bein touch with you.

Last Sunday's SermonLast Sunday's Sermon

To see Pastor Gretchen's sermon "Telling the Truth" from November 25th CLICK HERE.

Avenues for Hope - Donate Now!Avenues for Hope - Donate Now! Southwest Idaho nonprofits tackling the housing shortage and with ties to the ELCA will participate inthe Avenues for Hope online Housing Challenge Dec. 12-31. T rinity New Hope Inc. (TNH) is aSection 42 Affordable Housing neighborhood (16 3-bedroom homes). It was started by and remainsaffiliated with T rinity Lutheran Church, Nampa, Idaho. The House Next Door (HND) was foundedseveral years ago by Grace Episcopal Church and can house up to four single moms and theiryoung children or infants; the only requirement being that the moms pursue some form of education.ELCA Deacon Kathleen T igerman directs HND. Both TNH and HND have their own 501(c)3 status.Follow these links to make your donation: http://bit.ly/TNH2018 (for TNH) http://bit.ly/HNDA4H (for theHND).

Sons of Norway Holiday BazaarSons of Norway Holiday Bazaar

The Week in AdvanceThe Week in Advance Sunday Dec em ber 2 - F i rst Sunday in AdventSunday Dec em ber 2 - F i rst Sunday in Advent Choir Rehearsal, 8:15am Thomas ChapelWorship Service 8:30am * AugustanaWorship Service 9:30am * AugustanaWorship Service 10:45am * Thomas ChapelChoir Potluck, 11:00am AugustanaFinance Committee Meeting, Noon LibraryConfirmation, 12:30pm Hope Lutheran, Eagle M onday Dec em ber 3M onday Dec em ber 3Quilters Group, 9:30am Quilters Room

T uesday Dec em ber 4T uesday Dec em ber 4Bible Study, 10:30am Library

Food Fellowship, 5:00pm Thomas Chapel Wednesday Dec em ber 5Wednesday Dec em ber 5Linden House Meeting, 2:00pm LibraryYouth Committee Meeting, 6:00pm Library Dec em ber 9 - Sec ond Sunday in AdventDec em ber 9 - Sec ond Sunday in AdventChoir Rehearsal, 8:15am Thomas CapelWorship Service, 8:30am * AugustanaWorship Service, 9:30am * AugustanaWorship Service, 10:45am * Thomas ChapelSenior High Youth, 3:30pm Shepherd of the Valley

*Fellowship and refreshments after services Library

Quick LinksQuick LinksImmanuel Lutheran Church

Immanuel Website

Food FellowshipSign Up Sheet

ELCA WebsiteEvangelical Lutheran Church of America Website

Eastern Washington/Idaho SynodEastern Washington - Idaho Synod Website

Living LutheranA Publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

NewsletterInside Immanuel Monthly for December

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