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Sunday, July 7, 2024

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Worship Services at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.

Ezekiel 2:1-5

The call of Ezekiel.

Psalm123

Our eyes look to you, O Lord, until you show us your mercy (Ps. 123:2).

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

God's power made perfect in weakness.

Mark 6:1-13

Sending of the Twelve to preach and heal.

Experiencing the Joy of Generosity!

The Joy of Receiving God’s Blessings

What Belongs to God?

Scripture: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?.” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Prayer: Dear Father, you are the source of every good and perfect gift, for which I thank you. Amen.

Worship to Go needs additional helpers! You can participate at:

• 1:30 p.m., Monday, July 8, at Sarabella Senior Living, 5650 Gantt Road. Volunteers will meet at 12:30 p.m. in the Faith chapel and will carpool to the facility.
• 10:45 a.m., Tuesday, July 9, in the independent living facility’s Tiffany Room at Elancé, next door to Faith. Volunteers will review the service at 10 a.m. in the chapel.
• 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 16, at Angels Senior Living, 5750 Honore. Volunteers will meet at 12:45 p.m. in the chapel and will carpool to the facility.

Participating is heartwarming and fun. To join in, contact Pastor Eric directly, 716-352-0055. No experience necessary!

Worship to Go will be taking a break for the month of August and will resume in September.

The Prayer Support Group meets at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays in the chapel to pray for all in need, our community, our nation, our world, and to share Holy Communion. You also can join via Zoom: Meeting ID 871 4720 3661. Passcode 041291.

The Bereavement Group meets at 1 p.m. Wednesdays in the chapel. If you or a friend is struggling with grief, this group is for you. There is strength and hope in community. 

Prayer, a beautiful outdoor walk, coffee fellowship and a closing prayer of thanks bring people together during Faith Walk and Talk. Join the group at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 13, and the second Saturday of each month outside of Panera Gulf Gate, 6589 S. Tamiami Trail. If you would enjoy the talk but not the walk, arrive at 10:30 a.m. Questions? Contact Carolyn Francis, 941-400-0083.

Vacation Bible School Day Camp, July 22-26 at Faith, will run 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday of that week, and will conclude at noon Friday with a special program for families and friends. There is no cost to attend, and lunch and snacks are included!

Taught by trained teachers from NovusWay's Camp Luther Springs, the five days of fun will include Bible study, worship, games, arts and crafts, nature studies and more.

Registration officially is closed, but a few enrollments still could be accepted. Click the corresponding button below to get additional info, or to view/print a registration form and a health form. Questions? Contact Pastor Eric, 716-352-0055 or pastor@faithlutheransrq.com.

Please consider donating altar flowers in honor of a special occasion, in memory of a loved one or to glorify God.

The cost is $30 for one vase or $60 for two vases. For each week, we can have either one donor for both vases, or two donors for one vase each. Make checks payable to Faith Lutheran Church, and indicate "altar flowers" in the memo line.

Check the altar flowers donation board in fellowship hall to see if your desired date is available. If not, please choose an alternate date. The next open date is Sunday, September 1st.

When you purchase altar flowers, your name and dedication will be published in the bulletin on your selected Sunday. To make a dedication:

• At church, complete an Altar Flowers envelope with your payment, and place it in the offering plate. Indicate your wish to keep or donate the flowers on the donation board in fellowship hall. You also can include a note in the envelope with your donation or call the church office.
• By mail, send payment with a note indicating your desired date and dedication, and if you want to keep the flowers or donate them.
• By email or phone, contact the church office with your desired date and dedication, and whether you want to keep or donate the flowers. Pay through the altar flowers option on the Faith website.

Readers Club will meet at 2 p.m., July 29, in the library to discuss Just for the Summer by Abby Jiminez.

All are welcome! Please join!

From 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, be part of the crew that will cook and serve for about 70 food-insecure and homeless siblings in Christ at St. Paul’s Lutheran in downtown Sarasota. To volunteer, sign up on the sheet in the narthex or contact the church office.

During our most recent Adult Bible Study gathering, we decided to try a different study method when we meet in October -- a chapter-and-verse reading of a selected book of the Bible.

My task was to present two or three choices for your consideration. It seemed to me that we should select a work from the Apostle Paul. Most of his material is in the form of letters and is brief enough for us to read in six weeks. He in large part addresses “do and don’t” points of Christian living in his day. It will be interesting to see how his teachings stack up with our contemporary views. 

Please consider Ephesians, Philippians or Colossians. After perusing those choices, your task is to report which you would prefer to study by:

• Completing this survey OR
• Indicating your preference on the response page in the narthex.

Thanks in advance for your input. I’ll take it from there. I look forward to our discussions in the fall.

Note: For the Spring 2025 Adult Bible Study session, we agreed to return to the study method in which I “bring the seminary to you” using DVD lectures and textbooks to foster discussion.

WELCA (Women of the ELCA) is the arm of the church that supports women’s ministries, including Mary Circle and the Women’s Bible Study group here at Faith.

You can contribute to women’s ministries through the WELCA option on the Online Giving page at faithlutheransrq.com, or by designating a donation made by cash or check. Thank you for your generosity.

Coffee hour is an important fellowship ministry at Faith that needs additional volunteers. All you have to do is put out snacks and clean up afterward.

Please sign up on the sheet beside the coffee pot in fellowship hall. Questions? Contact Karen Naulty, knaulty@yahoo.com or 406-334-1063; or Denise Kirkeeng, kirkeengd@verizon.net or 941-468-6668.

Pastor Eric often speaks with people about aid they require. The Pastor's Discretionary Fund allows him to assist financially, when appropriate.

The need currently is great so, if you can, please consider a donation to the fund so those in need can receive assistance. To give online, click here.

Help care for our hungry neighbors by placing donations of food or paper products in the white food pantry barrel. And please consider volunteering at the pantry as friends help friends with both food and attention. Thank you!

Faith will pay for Uber or Lyft to bring you or others to worship or other events. Contact Pastor Eric to make arrangements, 716-352-0055.

Today, Friday, July 5

8:30 a.m., Jazzercize - gym

Saturday, July 6

8:30 a.m., Jazzercize - gym

9 a.m., Diakonia - conference room

Sunday, July 7

8 a.m., In-Person and Live-Stream Worship - sanctuary

10:15 a.m., In-Person and Live-Stream Worship - sanctuary

Monday, July 8

12:30 p.m., Worship to Go Prep - chapel

1:30 p.m., Worship to Go - Sarabella Senior Living, 5650 Gantt

5 p.m. Executive Committee - conference room

Tuesday, July 9

10 a.m., Worship to Go Prep - chapel

10 a.m., Jazzercise - gym

10:45 a.m., Worship to Go - Elancé

11 a.m., Property Committee - conference room

Wednesday, July 10

10:30 a.m., Prayer Support Group - chapel

1 p.m., Bereavement Group - chapel

Thursday, July 11

9 a.m., Receive and Prep Food Delivery - food pantry

10 a.m., Jazzercize - gym

4:30 p.m., Food Pantry Prep

5 p.m., Food Pantry Open

Find daily Prayer Ventures on the ELCA website. Here are prayers for today and the days ahead.

7/5 “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!” (Psalm 130:1-2). Lift up your worries and fears to God, trusting that God listens and responds to our lamentations.

7/6 Ask God to guide and bless the ELCA’s AMMPARO strategy to accompany migrants as the church expands it to respond to humanitarian crises that drive migration and displacement in other areas of the world.

7/7 “[Jesus] called the twelve and began to send them out two by two” (Mark 6:7). Give thanks for the companionship, support, encouragement and wisdom we receive from our faith communities and siblings in Christ, which strengthen our ability to share the good news, care for our neighbors in need and inspire hope and peace in the world — together.

7/8 Pray that the Spirit will stir enthusiasm, creativity and wisdom in the leaders, volunteers and staff of the churchwide organization as they serve youth and adults from congregations across the country during the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans.

7/9 Ask God how we can best provide care, comfort and support to our neighbors and siblings in Christ who grieve and suffer. Pray that, in our words and actions, we might consider how situations and needs differ from person to person.

7/10 Thank God for the ELCA’s special relationship with the United Methodist Church, a full communion partner since 2009. Pray for the church, its members and its leaders, that together we will find strength, resources and encouragement for the work of sharing the gospel, serving our neighbor and growing the church, especially as the denomination moves forward following its vote in favor of LGBTQ inclusion.

7/11 There have been over 13,000 gun-related injuries and deaths in our country this year (gunviolencearchive.org), and firearm injuries are now the leading cause of death among children and youth. Pray for an end to the senseless deaths and the trauma, grief, anxiety and anguish that spread through our communities and nation. Ask God to lead us out of hopelessness and inaction so that we will be bold and unwavering in our work and advocacy to end gun violence.

Alan

Pastor Steve Anderson, friend of Jan Phillips

Chuck & Tani Banta

Barbara Brannan, mother of Kim McDonald

Arthur Brucato,

       friend of Karla Lewis & Michael Leonhardt

Michael Burgess, friend of Janice Lorenz’s son

Dee Burlingame

Evelyn Conlon

Jeanine Davis (nee Molella),

      granddaughter of Karen and John White

Eloise Dettmer

Ryan Donahue, friend of Doris Anne Prieur-Lucia

Andrea Gamboa

Jeff Hansen, nephew of Joan Searles

Patricia Head, mother of Wayne Head

Sonja Hickling, mother of Kelly Ashlock

Becky Hilton Heeps, friend of Lisa Olsen

Kevin Hooks, son-in-law of

      Anita and Jon Wooton

Cliff and Snookie Hornsby

Jesus & Rita Jimenez

Leonard Kotwitz, brother of Janet Falk

Lillian Lapenckas

Diane Lewis, sister-in-law of Karla Lewis &

      Michael Leonhardt

Paul and Debbie Maresch, brother and his wife of Patty McKee

Dennis McCaughey, friend of Lois Weaverling

Kim McDonald

Judi Melander

Alison Nommay, friend of Karla Lewis &

      Michael Leonhardt

Terry O’Connell, friend of Marlene Radesk

Meghan Ortega, niece of Lisa and Pastor Eric Olsen

Judy Osborn, sister of Peggy Ragan

Family & Friends of Wally Pina

Cindy Press, friend of Kevin & Linda Fewell

Robin Ryder, daughter of Floyd Ryder and

sister of Gail Murphy

Lorna Sawyers-Sucra, friend of

Jeremy & Yvonne Mullins

Becky Sciranko, niece of Alice Rush

Joan Searles

Stephanie Sebastyn, friend of Carolyn Winemiller

Rev. John Spittal

Mark Stengel

David Turnbull, husband of Patricia White

Family & Friends of Pastor David Wagner

Brittany Wanko and her premature newborn

      infants, Olivia Mae and Emmet Walter

Jon Wooton

7/2 Alf & Denise Kirkeeng

7/11 Keith & Karen Ballweg

7i/15 Vivek Adepu & Susmitha Madidi

7/16 Darrel & Mary Lou Huggins

7/18 Gerald & Karen Kolschowsky

7/22 Richard and Ileana Capilla

7/25 Pete & Carole Inkrott

7/1 Joan Searles

7/1 Lois Weaverling

7/2 Evelyn Conlon

7/2 Rev. John Hilficker

7/2 Sue Hosler

7/3 Ellen Marie LaSoda

7/3 Colette Thornbloom

7/4 Alexis Ekberg

7/5 William Brown

7/6 Joey Larson

7/0 Elsa Rappold

7/10 Sarah Patterson

7/10 Eleanor Wallace

7/11 Karen White

7/12 Carl Petersen

7/12 Patricia White

7/13 Heidi Schuhmann

7/14 Karen Knatz

7/19 Amy Nelson

7/20 Rev. Eric Olaf Olsen

7/20 Lauma Brass Stelmahsenko

7/21 Ann Greenwood

7/22 Vivek Adepu

7/23 Linda Fewell

7/24 Jonathan Puebla

7/25 Michael Kulaw

7/25 George Young

7/27 Denver Romano

7/28 Judy Millard

7/30 Suzie Lehmann

If a birthday or anniversary is missing or listed incorrectly, kindly notify communications@faithlutheransrq.com.

Pastor: Rev. Eric Olaf Olsen

pastor@faithlutheransrq.com

Assistant to the Pastor: Rev. Larry Wright

larannw@comcast.net

Retired Pastors in Residence: Rev. John Hilficker, Rev. Marianne Powrie, Rev. John Spittal

Director of Music/Organist: David V. Patrick

musicdirector@faithlutheransrq.com

Lead Cantor/Music Librarian: Tom Tryon

thomas.e.tryon@gmail.com

Interim Operations Administrator: Kelly Ashlock

officeadmin@faithlutheransrq.com

Communications Administrator: Linda Fewell

communications@faithlutheransrq.com

Congregation Council: Scott Rice, president; Lauren Wardach, vice president; Mark Nelson, secretary; Anita Wooton, treasurer; Jane Sanks, assistant treasurer; Jerry Cooper; Quyen Dang; Ann Greenwood; Peggy Ragan; Joan Searles

941-924-4664 | www.faithlutheransrq.com

Office hours: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday

Mission – Gathered faithfully to love and serve God and all others

Values – Mutual Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Service, Forgiveness, Commitment, Perseverance, Faithfulness, Compassion, Flexibility

CLICK HERE to view the current Constitution of Faith Lutheran Church.