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“Gathered faithfully to love and serve God and all others.” |
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Faith's Friday Update
March 11, 2022
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Sunday, March 13, 2022
Second Sunday in Lent
8AM & 10:15AM, In Person & Live-Streamed
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Readings:
Psalm 27 - In the day of trouble, God will give me shelter. (Ps. 27:5)
Luke 13:31-35 - I have desired to gather Jerusalem as a hen gathers her brood
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Daylight Savings Time begins at 2AM on Sunday, March 13!
Remember to set your clocks forward one hour on Saturday night.
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PEACE FORUM WITH LUNCHEON |
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Faith Lutheran Church is sponsoring a Forum, which will take place on Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 11:45am followed by a special luncheon at 12:45pm. Please see the below flyer for complete details.
Registration is required. To register, please CLICK HERE.
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LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
GIFT MATCHING FOR UKRAINE
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Thanks to a generous Lutheran parish in Wisconsin, your congregation's gifts will be matched — up to $258,000 — for our neighbors suffering in the Ukraine crisis.
IMPORTANT: Please give by April 25 so your gift can be rushed to the aid of families in desperate need.
Also, the giving match is through Lutheran World Relief, (different from Lutheran Disaster Relief). You may give online by CLICKING HERE - be sure to select LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF.
If giving by check, please make it payable to Faith Lutheran Church and indicate “Lutheran World Relief” in the memo.
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USHERS & COMMUNION HELPERS NEEDED |
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We are GROWING and in need of additional ushers and communion helpers! If you would like to serve in this way, please see Joan Searles or contact the church office. |
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LENT SERVICES WITH SOUP & SANDWICH SUPPERS |
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CALLING ALL SOUP MAKERS & SANDWICH BUILDERS! There are still several openings for Lent Midweek Soup and Sandwiches!
Sign up today! If you would like to provide soup and/or sandwiches on a given Wednesday, please sign up by CLICKING HERE or on the signup sheet in the church narthex.
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LENT SERVICES will be offered Wednesdays, March 16, March 23, March 30, and April 6:
12PM - Prayers at Midday
6PM - Soup & Sandwich Supper
7PM Evening Holden Prayer Service
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April 10 – Palm Sunday 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
April 14 – Maundy Thursday:
12:00 p.m. Spoken Service
7:00 p.m. Eucharist Service
April 15 – Good Friday:
2:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross
7:00 p.m. Tenebrae Service
April 16 – Easter Vigil Part One:
7:30 p.m. Meet at the Fire in the Parking Lot
April 17 – Easter:
7 a.m. Easter Vigil Part Two in Memorial Garden
8:30 a.m. Easter Breakfast
10:15 a.m. Worship Service in the Sanctuary
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Thank you to all who have pledged for the 2022/2023 financial year!
If you haven't had a chance to submit your Pledge Card, please know there is still time! Pick up a pledge card in the narthex, fill it out, and place it in the offering plate. OR, you may submit your pledge online at https://forms.gle/eNWNeJHcZpFxsqAa6.
Our Stewardship Team thanks you!
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Help decorate our Sanctuary for Easter while honoring a loved one or special occasion by dedicating one or more Easter Lilies!
The lilies will decorate the church on Easter Sunday and dedications will be listed in the bulletin. After the service, we invite you to take your plant/s home with you.
Order yours now by completing an Easter Lily envelope at church or online by CLICKING HERE. The cost of each plant is $12. Please make checks payable to Faith Lutheran Church and indicate ‘Easter Lilies' in the memo.
Thank you for making Faith Lutheran’s altar beautiful for Easter!
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MARY CIRCLE MARCH GATHERING |
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MARY CIRCLE had a wonderful meeting on March 8. Our featured speakers were Karen Berwick and Paula Harris who gave us a history of the Memorial Garden. We were also able to tour the garden and see all the weekly maintenance done by these women, along with Anita Wooten. The poem printed below was written by Paula and read at our meeting.
Why not consider a special offering to the Memorial Garden Fund? One project coming up is tree trimming over the back fence if the garden.
NEXT MARY CIRCLE MEETING: Tuesday, April 12 at 12. Watch for the announcement of our program for that day.
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A Poem by Paula Harris
Come to the Garden to Sit Beneath the Trees
Come to the Garden Put Your Head Back and Enjoy the Breeze
Come to the Garden Oh How It Will Calm Your Mind
Come to the Garden Who Knows What You Will Find
Birds and Butterflies and Blossoms to Delight
All of These “Gifts” Are Always in Sight
Oh But Come to the Garden for God is Surely There
Watching Over Our Loved Ones and Watching Over Us Too, Always with Care
The Garden is Yours; the Garden is Mine
There for All of Us to Share
Come to the Garden a Very Special Place – See You There!
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MEN OF FAITH - UPCOMING EVENTS |
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MEN OF FAITH PRAYER BREAKFAST – Tuesday, March 15 at 8 a.m. at Skillets!
In John 21:12 the resurrected Jesus said to his disciples, "Come and have breakfast." He wanted to nourish their bodies and souls so they could be strong witnesses of the good news in the world. Jesus wants the same for us today!
Join us for the start of this ministry and help us shape it too. We will gather at Skillets Restaurant (Pioneer Room) in Oaks Plaza, 8635 S. Tamiami trail, Sarasota FL, 34238. Space is limited to 20 disciples for this gathering, so you need to RSVP by calling or emailing the church office ASAP.
Skillets will accommodate separate checks, but if you are experiencing financial hardship, and still want to attend, please contact pastor Eric and he will gladly take you as his guest.
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MEN OF FAITH BIBLE STUDY, led by Pastor Eric, begins Tuesday, March 22 at 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel. All Men of Faith are invited and encouraged to join us!
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Congratulations to Candi Messerschmidt, awarded FLC BOLD WOMAN OF 2022!
When Candi and her family moved to Sarasota from Chicago in 2002, she thought she was finished with volunteering and chairing community organizations, but once settled in her new home, she realized she missed it.
With a smile on her face, she is always happy to help when there is a need or project to be accomplished at Faith. In the beginning, she assisted church staff weekly and also handled office duties during staff vacations. Became a prolific baker of dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies for Faith’s Annual Cookie Walk. She also served on many church committees as well as co-chairing the WILD Woman’s group for several years. Besides organizing a fashion show at one of the annual Women’s Spring Luncheons, she also helped form a WILD Women bible study group.
For the past seven years, Candi has served on Faith Early Learning Center’s preschool board, beginning as secretary, then 1st Vice President and currently as Chairperson for the past two years. If you stop by the church early in the morning on any given week, you’ll see her happily escorting our school children from their family’s vehicle to their classrooms several days a week.
Candi also volunteers a great deal of her time to community service. She served as the Chief Newsletter Distributor in her community and was also The Monthly Cruise Newsletter Editor while a member in her husband’s classic car club.
In 2004, she was appointed to the Keep Sarasota County Beautiful Advisory Board and has served as its chairman for the last three years. She also chairs KSCB’s Volunteer Award Recognition committee that plans an annual banquet to honor and thank all the volunteers who help clean up the County throughout the year. Every year is a themed event and is enjoyed by more than 300 volunteers. She has also volunteered as Site Captain at Siesta Key Beach for the three annual major County cleanups, in addition to cleaning roadways and portions of Siesta Key beach throughout the year. In 2015, she was awarded Volunteer of the Year.
The motto Candi lives by is “trying to accomplish something, not merely to exist”. Candi has certainly led by example since joining Faith Lutheran Church.
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After a long hiatus we are happy to announce the return of the Voices of Faith Choir to the 10:15 a.m. Sunday Worship Service! Please make note of the following schedule:
Sunday, March 27, 2022, Rehearsal, only, at 9:15 a.m.
Sunday, April 3, 2022, Rehearsal, only, at 9:15 a.m.
Sunday, April 10, 2022, Palm Sunday, Rehearsal at 9:15, Worship at 10:15 a.m.
Sunday, April 17, 2022, Easter Sunday, Rehearsal at 9:15, Worship at 10:15 a.m.
All are welcome!
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The psalmist declares to God, “You have turned my mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11).
If you are experiencing a period of mourning in your life, please know you are not alone. Consider joining Pastor Eric and Pastor Bob for a new Bereavement Group.
The next meeting is on Wednesday, March 16 at 1:00 p.m. The group meets in the old Pastor’s office off Fellowship Hall.
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Although the weather is beginning to warm up, a comforting bowl of soup is always good for the soul! So, we would like to fill JOAN’S SOUP freezer.
Please share soup you’ve made by placing a container of it in Joan’s Soup freezer in the kitchen. Please label containers with the type of soup and the date it was made. Feel free to take some soup for yourself or a friend who is in need.
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REGISTER TODAY FOR THE LADIES' RETREAT! |
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SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 8:45AM-1:00PM |
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The last day to sign up is March 20.
We request a $10 donation to cover lunch and the Lemonade “Memory Book”.
Please bring, if you are able, new or gently used pillowcases and a sharp pair of scissors for our Servant Project. We will make dresses for Third World Countries. Rickrack, lace and bias tape would also be appreciated.
We will explore how God helped several women in the Bible face challenges in their lives so you will want to bring your Bible.
Please see Gwen Schell, Peggy Ragan, or Carole Inkrott to register.
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2022 GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP |
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Don't miss your opportunity to register for the
2022 Great American Cleanup!
Registration closes Wednesday, March 24 at noon.
Registration links are below.
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Notary Public service is now available at Faith Lutheran during office hours, Monday-Friday between 9AM-3PM. There is no charge for members, but donations to Faith are always welcome!
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The Property Committee has identified needs that are not currently in the regular budget but are needed to maintain and improve our church.
Current needs:
1. Upgrade Narthex Restrooms to ADA (cost TBD)
2. Electronic Sign Upgrade on Beneva (cost TBD)
3. Touch-Up/Repaint the Gym (cost TBD)
4. Reseal the Parking Lot
Please consider supporting the church building by making a special offering. Any amount, small or large, is appreciated! To contribute by check, please indicate “Improvement Fund” in the memo. To contribute electronically, please visit our website at www.faithlutheransrq.com/online-giving or using via the Vanco Mobile app (be sure to select “Improvement Fund”).
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ALTAR FLOWERS are a beautiful and meaningful way to honor/remember someone or a special occasion, while decorating our altar for worship. The 2022 Altar Flowers signup poster is available in Fellowship Hall.
The next available date is Sunday, April 17!
When you purchase altar flowers, your name and dedication will be published in the bulletin on your selected Sunday and the flowers are yours to keep after the service!
To make a dedication: At church, complete an 'Altar Flowers' envelope with your payment, and place it in the offering plate; By mail, send payment with a note indicating your desired date and dedication; or CLICK HERE to order online. The cost is $60, which is for 2 vases. Please make checks payable to Faith Lutheran Church and indicate ‘altar flowers’ in the memo.
Thank you for making Faith Lutheran’s altar beautiful!
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EMPTY INK CARTRIDGES COLLECTION |
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Please consider donating your empty ink cartridges to help the church and environment! When we bring the cartridges to Staples, we receive store credit from Staples to help offset office supply costs.
The ink collection bin is on the counter in Fellowship Hall.
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11 Lift up prayers of gratitude that God is our refuge and fortress, the one in whom we can trust in every circumstance, no matter how complicated or threatening.
12 During Lent, as we spend time reflecting on our human weakness and limitations, pray that we do not slip into discouragement or hopelessness but allow the Spirit to lead us toward the hope, forgiveness and newness we receive as a gift through Jesus Christ, the manifestation of God’s enduring and redeeming love for us.
13 Give thanks for the humbling, awe-inspiring example of Jesus Christ, who persisted in his ministry and work of healing the world undeterred by criticism and death threats. Pray that the Spirit will inspire and embolden us to be committed and unwavering as we care for our neighbors in need, sharing our faith and spreading the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ.
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Click on the desired icon to view/visit the item. |
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Pastor: Rev. Eric Olaf Olsen
Church Office: Tami Page, Operations Manager
Weekly office hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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Faith Lutheran Values – Mutual Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Service, Forgiveness, Commitment,
Perseverance, Faithfulness, Compassion, Flexibility
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CLICK HERE to view the current Constitution of Faith Lutheran Church.
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