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July 28, 2024

Dear Siblings in Christ,

Sometimes life is not as smooth sailing as others. Transitions to new schools, new communities, new careers, and new life stages like college or retirement--all of these can bring about disruption in our lives and we can never fully predict how we will respond. Thank you for the gentleness and space you have given our family to deal with our difficult transitions. We are still working through some of these challenges but your support and understanding are deeply appreciated, as is the respect of our privacy.

It reminds me of this coming Sunday's gospel--the feeding of the 5000. The disciples are woefully aware that what they have to offer, a few loaves and fishes, is not nearly enough to feed the needs of this great crowd. Thank goodness it is not up to us! A little is more than adequate in Jesus’ hands! Even when we feel overwhelmed, unprepared, or not up to the task, Jesus reminds us that his presence makes all the difference in our outcomes.

Faithfully yours,

Pastor Naomi

Sunday Bulletin and

Worship Service Links

Click here or the picture above to access the 10:00a worship bulletin.

Click here for live-streaming of the 10:00a Sunday worship service.

Calendar

This Sunday, July 28th ~ 10th Sunday after Pentecost

+8:00a -- Discussion Eucharist: Learning Center.
K-5 Sunday School: Will resume in September.
Adult Faith Formation: Will resume in September.
+10:00a -- Sunday Celebration: Sanctuary. (In-person and live-streamed on YouTube)
11:15a - 12:00p -- Reception for Deacon Jessica Noonan, LEAD consultant: Activities Room.
11:15a -- Household Blessings Drop-off: immediately after the service at Bethany Boyd's car.

+ Service includes Holy Communion.

Monday, July 28

Church office is closed.
4:00p to 6:00p -- French Lessons: Narthex. (Community group)
12:00p to 9:00p -- Pima County Elections setup: Activities Room.

Tuesday, July 30

Church office is closed due to AZ Primary Election.
5:00a to 9:00p -- Arizona Primary Election: Narthex and Activities Room.

Wednesday, July 31

Wednesday through Friday, 9:00a to 3:00p -- Church Office is open: Use the south entry door and ring the doorbell if the door is locked.
10:30a to 11:30a -- Staff meeting: Church Office.
Noon -- Articles are due for "Weekly Footnotes" Church Office.
4:30p to 6:00p -- Los Campaneros Handbell Rehearsal: Activities Room.

Thursday, August 1

10:00a to 11:30a -- Coffee Talk: Meets at Bruegger's Bagels (corner of Sunrise and Swan).
12:00p to 3:00p -- Pima County Elections equipment pickup: Activities Room.
4:30p to 6:00p -- Council meeting: Activities Room. (In-person and Zoom) Click here to join the Zoom meeting. Meeting ID: 868 6430 5413 Passcode: LCFCouncil

Friday, August 3

5:45p to 8:00p -- AA PreWeekenders & Al-Anon Sunset: Activities Room. (Community groups)

Coming Up

Sunday, August 4 -- Meet the Pastor
Tuesday, August 6 -- Intentional Visioning Team meeting

Important Intentional Visioning Team Update on July 28

On Sunday, July 28, Deacon Jessica Noonan, LEAD consultant, will join us in worship. Everyone is invited to gather in the Activities Room following the service for an update from the Intentional Visioning Team about the work they have done and their next steps.

Community Service

July Community Service Emphasis: San Juan Bautista Lutheran Church

Our July community service outreach is collecting school supplies for the children of San Juan Bautista Lutheran Church. This ELCA congregation includes 30 school-age children, ranging from 6 to 16. Here is their wishlist:

clear backpacks
regular backpacks
#2 pencils
notebooks
notebooks with graph paper
composition books
binders
colored pencils
pencil sharpeners
pens (black, blue, red)
crayons
erasers
markers
highlighters
Sharpies (both fine and bold tip)
sanitizing wipes
dry erase markers

If you wish to purchase any of the above items, please set them on and under the display table in the narthex.

~ Community Service Team

It's the Last Week!

Peanut butter is one of the most important staples in Interfaith Community Services (ICS) food banks. Your donations make an immediate difference for hungry neighbors in our community!

We currently have 159 jars. We are halfway to our goal! We can do this! Bring your 12 oz. jars into the church by July 31. You can even buy online via Amazon and have it delivered to ICS at the Northwest Food Bank, 2820 W. Ina Road, or the Eastside Food Drop-Off, 8701 E. Old Spanish Trail. Be sure to indicate on the "Gift Message" that your gift is from Lutheran Church of the Foothills and they will add the total to our church's donation.

Sign Up for Primavera Dinner Food Items

Our next opportunity to provide a hot stew dinner at the Primavera Men's Shelter is August 16. You can participate by signing up on the clipboard on the Activities Counter or calling the office to prepare the food in your home kitchen or to serve the meal at the Shelter.

Thank you for your participation in this ministry! For more information contact Sylvia Strauss-Kolb.

~ Community Service Team

Our Santa Cruz Lutheran Church Food Pantry, which we have every Wednesday from 11:00a to 6:00p would like to send a very grateful thank you for the celebration kits that were delivered to our church.

We were able to hand them out to our food bank clients. I wish you could have seen the smiles on their faces and the hugs we received! We heard from clients that they would not have had a birthday cake if it had not been provided by the Food Pantry. Again, we send a grateful thank you.

~Ruth Senkbeil, Santa Cruz Lutheran Church

On behalf of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) and those we serve, thank you for all of your support [for the EON Youth Lounge]! I was truly moved by Pastor Naomi's message!

With gratitude,

Monique Vallery, Chief Development Officer

Partnering with Interfaith Community Services

Lutheran Church of the Foothills is a long-time partner in faith with Interfaith Community Services (ICS) providing regular food donations to their food bank.

Please put your food donations in the basket at the west end of the Activities Counter. If you would prefer to give a monetary donation, make checks payable to Lutheran Church of the Foothills, mark your donation “ICS,” and put it in the Sunday offering basket. Thank you for your continued support in helping all our neighbors in need.

~ Beth Daum

The Heat Is On!

Summer has arrived at Sister José Women's Center a low-barrier shelter for women without housing. Staff and volunteers at the shelter see more sunburned faces, peeling lips, and dog paws that are inflamed from the hot, concrete sidewalks.

During the hot summer months, requested donations include essential clothing such as shorts, tank tops, shirts, lightweight pants, sandals, sneakers, individual-sized toiletries, rolling suitcases, and backpacks.

Because many guests have pets, booties for dogs, dry food or canned food with pull tabs for dogs and cats, kitty litter, and coats and beds for both dogs and cats are needed. The Center will also take new or gently used pet supplies such as beds, leashes, and collars. Now through mid-September, donations should be dropped off directly at the Center on 1050 S. Park Avenue, Tucson.

~ Patrice Frame

ELCA World Hunger

Proceeds from your pocket change that are put into our Hunger Loose Change Jar (on the stand inside the entrance to our worship area) are shared with the ELCA’s World Hunger program. Thanks for your generosity. NOTE: There was not enough change to roll for the month of July. ~ Ann Krohn and Carol Lundberg

Global Refuge

For more than 80 years, Global Refuge has provided the guidance, resources, and community to help forge a way forward for new Americans. For more information, go to their website: https://www.globalrefuge.org/

ELCA Disaster Response

To help with our church's response to current crises here in the United States and around the world, look for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Lutheran Disaster Response forms on the Activities Counter in the lobby.

~ Community Service Team

Image by Matthias Fischer from Pixabay

Life Together

Blessing of the Backpack, Briefcase, and Laptop: Sunday, August 4

The Sunday, August 4th service will include a backpack, briefcase, and laptop blessing for all those returning to school this year as students, teachers, staff, faculty, or administrators. Everyone is encouraged to bring their bags and come forward during the Children’s Message for a blessing and to receive a gift to remind them of God's love this school year!

~Pastor Naomi

Photo by note thanun on Unsplash

Coffee Talk: Every Thursday During the Summer

It's summer and time to kick back and relax! Thursday Journey changes its name to Coffee Talk during the summer and meets informally at 10:00a each Thursday at Bruegger's Bagels (at the corner of Swan and Sunrise) for a little food, beverages, and engaging conversation on current events. Thursday Journey will resume in September with a topic yet to be determined.

Read & Yak

Challenge your assumptions and ideas through a wide variety of reading. Read & Yak is a diverse group that meets on the fourth Saturday of every month in person in the Activities Room and on Zoom. The next meeting is on Saturday, July 27, at 10:00a to discuss The Family Roe: An American Story, by Joshua Prager. Click here to join the Read & Yak Zoom meeting. Meeting ID: 822 7558 0676 Passcode: 844657

Prepare for the August 24 meeting by ordering Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach.

Exploring Your Spiritual Gifts Retreat

What does God want of me? What kind of ministry is God calling me to? How am I to serve God? Do I have a spiritual gift? How do I use spiritual gifts?

To help answer these questions, consider attending the 3-week online course "Exploring Your Spiritual Gifts" led by Rev. Stewart McDonald and sponsored by the Grand Canyon Synod Growing in Faith: The Diakonia Program. Classes will be held via Zoom from 9:00a to 12 noon MST on Saturday, August 3, 10, and 17. The cost is $35 per student. Register at https://www.diakonia.education/ and click "Events/Retreats" in the Menu at the upper right. A Zoom link will be provided once registration is complete. For more information, pick up a flyer on the Activities Counter or see Stewart McDonald.

Foundation Year Courses Begin August 27

Plant yourself in good soil with Growing in Faith: The Diakonia Program of the Grand Canyon Synod. Register for the Foundation Year courses beginning August 27, 2024 from 6:00p to 9:00p (MST). There are six 5 week classes with a one time $25 enrollment fee and $70 tuition fee per class. Tucson classes are only offered online.

The Diakonia Program is a 40+ year-old ministry within the ELCA committed to fostering learning environments for followers of Jesus to grow in faith. To register for the Foundation Year courses, click here and select "User Signup" in the Menu at the upper right of the home page. For more information, pick up a flyer on the Activities Counter.

Grand Canyon Women of the ELCA: 2024 Retreat

Join the Women of the ELCA on October 4-5, 2024, at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 1200 N. Campbell, Tucson for the weekend retreat "Holy Spirit Set My Heart on Fire." Registration, which includes Saturday lunch, is $100 per person by August 15 and $120 per person after August 15. The deadline for registrations is September 21. Register online at https://grandcanyonsynodwomen.regfox.com/2024-grand-canyon-womens-retreat

For more information, see the flyer on the Activities Counter.

Prayers

We pray for . . .

Don P. (Laura Hollengreen's father-in-law);
Clive Warrilow;
Lisa, Susie, Jonathan, Gina, Jacob, Julie, and Margie (friends of Sylvia Strauss-Kolb);
Blake, Erin, Pam, Mike, Judy B., Judy H., Mary Ann, and Melissa (friends of Carol Lundberg);
Kitty M. (friend of Mark Hill);
Marge, (friend of Sylvia Strauss-Kolb);
Vicki Becker;
Sue Thompson;
Katy and Lance (friends of Sylvia Strauss-Kolb); and
Irma Milks.