Immanuel Lutheran School has been a great blessing to so many children and families. Are you, or someone you know, wondering what would be the best educational option for your child or children, particularly given the current state of our public school system? Look no further for an amazing school with a loving and excellent faculty who are here for your children, who love Jesus, and who teach and live on the foundation of Him and the truth of God’s Word! Check out the school website (https://school.immanuelloveland.org/), You can also call or email our school office (970-667-7606, SchoolOffice@ImmanuelLoveland.org) to schedule a tour or a time to meet with our Principal Cheryl Gilbert, or one of our administrative assistants to get your questions answered.
An assessment is required for grades K-8th before application is accepted. To begin the process, fill out an inquiry form found on the school website or use this link – https://immanuelloveland.myschoolapp.com/app/embed#inquiry/26643. It only takes two minutes.
Enrollment for Immanuel Lutheran High School is also open! If you have any questions about the high school, you can reach Dr. Rick Overton, Immanuel’s Executive Director of the high school at HighSchool@ImmanuelLoveland.org. Check out the high school website as well (https://school.immanuelloveland.org/high-school/).
There is financial assistance available but deadlines are approaching fast. Information about the ACE scholarship (a scholarship from the community) and Immanuel’s tuition assistance can be requested from the school office (schooloffice@immanuelloveland.org).
Continue to spread the word about our amazing, Christ-centered school!
- Monday, April 15—6:30pm, Car Show meeting
- Thursday, April 18—10:00am, Estate Planning Seminar
- Sunday, April 21—2:00pm, Youth Day at the Colorado Eagles
- Sunday, April 28—4:00pm, Bells of the Rockies (free) concert in Immanuel’s sanctuary
- Monday, April 29—Deadline for ordering Immanuel gear
- Sunday, May 19—Confirmation Sunday with 9:30am Expressions of Faith
- Sunday, May 26—Summer Worship Schedule begins: 8am & 9:30am
- Sunday, June 2—9:00am—ONE worship service; 10:15am—Miss Martha farewell; 11am—Picnic
- Saturday, June 8, 9am-2pm—Sweetheart City Car Show
- June 17-21, 9am-12pm—Scuba Vacation Bible School
- Sunday, July 7—Outdoor Worship begins, 9:30am under the West Pergola
During our Easter worship series, Our Journey With Jesus, we’re leaning into Immanuel’s Marks of Discipleship. As I’ve explained, these Marks aren’t a checklist to mark off so we can “arrive” or finally be “good Christians.” No! These Marks are signs for us to look to along this journey with Jesus that show us where to go, how we can get to know Jesus better, how we can grow stronger in our faith, and reminders of where to turn and what to do when we find ourselves in uncertain, anxious, or difficult situations. Yesterday we focused on the Mark of Discipleship that states, “Personal faith demonstrated in daily Scripture Reading; Psalm 119:105.” We know and believe that the Bible is God’s Word, His Word of Truth that He continues to speak to us today. In that vein, here is this week’s What Now? for you to consider:
Take the opportunity this week, if you’re not already in the habit, to spend time each day in God’s Word. Use these Bring It Home devotions (email me if you want to receive them each day by email), or Lutheran Hour daily devotions (www.LHM.org), or Portals of Prayer (www.cph.org/portals). Or consider reading through the Bible in a year, starting this week!
We are currently very shorthanded with the daily custodial/cleaning needs of our facility. Until we are able to hire the two open part-time positions, we are looking for volunteers who can give even an hour or two a day or a few hours each week to help make sure classrooms get vacuumed and desks get wiped down. If you can lend a hand with this, thank you! Contact Jake Hollen, Immanuel’s Facilities Director (jhollen@ImmanuelLoveland.org) or call the church office (970-667-4506).
We have several job openings at Immanuel, both current openings and upcoming openings:
- Third Grade Teacher. Immanuel Lutheran School is accepting names and resumes of both synodically trained teachers (preferred) as well as non-synodically trained teachers who are either living in the NO CO area or willing to relocate for a full-time teaching position for the 2024-2025 academic year. Resumes for a third-grade teacher are currently being accepted and should be sent to Cheryl Gilbert, our Immanuel Lutheran School Principal: cgilbert@immanuelloveland.org.
- Part-Time Middle School Teacher. Immanuel Lutheran School is also accepting applications for a part-time middle school teacher for 10-15 hours a week. If interested, please send your resume to Cheryl Gilbert, our Immanuel Lutheran School Principal: cgilbert@immanuelloveland.org.
- Part-Time K-8 Spanish Teacher. Immanuel Lutheran School is also accepting applications for a part-time K-8 Spanish teacher for 8-10 hours a week. If interested, please send your resume to Cheryl Gilbert, our Immanuel Lutheran School Principal: cgilbert@immanuelloveland.org.
- Two Custodial Positions. Immanuel has two Monday-Friday custodial positions open at Immanuel, one from 6:00-8:00am and another second from 3:00-7:00pm. Job descriptions can be found at www.immanuelloveland.org. Resumes can be sent to Hiring@ImmanuelLoveland.org or call Immanuel (970-667-4506) and ask to speak with Jake Hollen, Immanuel’s Director of Facilities.
Join in the learning and in the fun with many opportunities during the Education Hour on Sunday mornings between worship services from 9:30am-10:20am. Below is a list of what’s being offered for all ages. Questions? Adult classes, email Pastor Robin rdugall@immanuelloveland.org; children’s ministries, contact Miss Martha (mharkins@immanuelloveland.org); Middle and High School, contact Mr. Marcus (mhoward@immanuelloveland.org or 727-459-7026).
Adult Classes:
- The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of Salvation: How Does God Work in My Life? (Theology 102 Soteriology) – Rev. Dr. Ed Seely (room #36 – LWML Room). Contact Pastor Seely with questions (eds3456@gmail.com). For those already in the class, Pastor Ed asks that you prepare for class this week by reviewing the following PowerPoint presentation (click on the following link) – Salvation and The Holy Spirit: How Does God Work in My Life (Soteriology and Pneumatology): An 8-Week Course. This link is to the page on which the PowerPoint is located. Look for the Title of the class on the page and click on it.
- The Gospel of Luke – Pastor Robin (room #206) – this class is open to all! Contact Pastor Robin if you have questions (rdugall@immanuelloveland.org).
- Immanuel 101 – Pastor Glen (room #112) – Contact Pastor Glen with questions (gschlecht@ImmanuelLoveland.org).
Sunday School for Kids:
- Infant/Toddler Class: Room 110, with music, a Bible story, and time to play.
- Sunday School Opening: All Preschool-4th Graders start in Room 113 for opening. After Opening, children go to their age-appropriate classes as follows:
- Preschool Class: Room 109, 3-, 4-, & 5-year-olds, a Bible story, craft, snack, and play.
- Kindergarten-2nd Grade Class: Room 108, Kindergarten through 2nd Graders, a Bible story, game, craft, and snack.
- 3rd-4th Grade Class: Room 113, 3rd and 4th Graders Bible story, game, activity, craft, and snack.
- Bridge56: Room 204, 5th and 6th graders
Sunday School for Middle School and High School Youth:
- Middle School Confirmation – 7th grade Room 202; 8th grade Room 203
- High School Youth – Youth Room (Room 201)
Immanuel’s Community Assistance Ministry Team will be meeting next Tuesday, April 16th at 10:00am here at Immanuel. The purpose of this team is to coordinate our efforts in helping people in our greater Loveland community. If you have a heart for these types of efforts and would like to help brainstorm new opportunities and help coordinate the efforts to hold up to the people of Immanuel, contact Pastor Glen (gschlecht@ImmanuelLoveland.org). All who are interested in this type of ministry are welcome to attend next Tuesday’s meeting.
This Wednesday will be Week Two of a new Small Group for moms that is studying and sharing the book and video series by Tony Evans, “Raising Kingdom Kids.” “Raising Kingdom Kids” equips parents to raise their children with a Kingdom perspective and also offers practical how-to advice on providing spiritual training as instructed in Scripture. Dr. Tony Evans begins with an overarching look at the need for Kingdom parenting, our roles and responsibilities in raising God-following children, and how to prepare children to take on the assignments God has for their lives. He then takes a practical turn, with examples and illustrations to help parents understand and provide specific training for kids in the power of prayer, wisdom, loving God’s Word, getting through trials, controlling their tongues, developing patience, the surrender of service, and much more. This study will be great for moms who want to fulfill the parenting role God has given them – not just in raising healthy kids intellectually, physically, and socially, but in contributing to their child’s relationship with God and alignment under His plan. There will be a 20-minute video and the group will be following a participants guide ($10 on Amazon). The group gather at Immanuel, room #112, from 6:00pm-7:00pm on Wednesdays through May 15th. Questions? Contact Rachel Holstad (Group leader) rachelleena@hotmail.com.
The Producers of “The Chosen” are NOT releasing Season 4 episodes 5 through 8 with the timeline as promised. There are complex legal matters that are causing this delay. We’ve been told that the rest of the episodes will not be available until the DVD set is shipped at the end of May. We know that everyone who has been involved in this presentation at Immanuel will be disappointed that we have to cancel our planned showings for this week and May 2nd but we’re powerless to do anything at this point. Pastor Robin and Vicky have ordered the DVD’s from “The Chosen” store and will announce as soon as they arrive. We will then show the remaining episodes on a “to be announced” schedule. Thank you for your patience! We’re excited to show the rest of the series as soon as possible. If you have any questions, email Pastor Robin rdugall@immanuelloveland.org or call/text him at 208.891.4608.
A will and estate planning seminar will be offered at Immanuel on Thursday, April 18th starting at 10:00am in Immanuel’s sanctuary. “Estate Planning: A Christian Perspective on Planning for the Future” is a free seminar will be presented by Nolan Wittrock, an Immanuel member and attorney whose law practice focuses on estate planning. No registration is required.
Who Should Attend? Everyone! Estate planning is something every adult needs regardless of age or situation in life. Planning your estate involves exercising stewardship and organizing your assets in the event of your death or incapacity. It includes not only distributing property when you die, but also making choices about minor children and preparing for financial and medical decisions if you are unable to do so yourself. God calls us to be good stewards of the earthly possessions He has provided. As Christians, it is important to plan our estate in a way that honors God and furthers His kingdom in this world.
Thank you so much for clearing our Vacation Bible School donation board yesterday!! You all are definitely not shell-fish and are shrimp-ly amazing! If you haven’t been able to donate yet, don’t worry, there are still opportunities to help support VBS. The donation board will be filled back up and you can always provide monetary donations to purchase materials and supplies. I’m specifically looking for donations to help purchase t-shirts for all our volunteers – if you’d like to help get those, let me know! You all are fin-tastic and I am so turtle-y thankful for your support of VBS! Don’t forget to invite others to dive in and be a part of VBS at Immanuel!
Interested in an Immanuel hoodie? Cardigan? Hat? If so, place your order today so you don’t miss out on being part of the Immanuel gear order happening April 30th. This Sunday, look for the coat rack that has samples with different sizes to try; look for the clipboard close-by to place your order or contact the church office by phone (970-667-4506) or email (churchoffice@immanuelloveland.org) by April 29th to place your order. Payment may be made by cash or check. We are also selling I AM t-shirts while supplies last at a discounted rate. These must be purchased in-person and paid for at the time of purchase. You may stop by during the week or stop by the gear display in the atrium this coming Sunday.
The summer softball season is right around the corner and registration just opened up with games planned to start the week of May 28th. The past several years we have had two competitive men’s teams playing in the church league, one on Tuesdays and one on Thursdays. If you’re interested in playing, it’s “pay to play” as we divide up the registration cost among all who are interested – it will be about $75 plus about $25 for a jersey for new players.
We have not had a co-ed team for a couple of years and we have not had a women’s team for a long time. But if you’re interested in these possibilities, let me know and I’ll see if we have enough interest to field a team or two in either of these leagues.
So if you have an interest, please let Pastor Glen know (gschlecht@ImmanuelLoveland.org) and for the men, which night you are interested in – Tuesday, Thursday, or both. If you’ve got some friends who might have an interest in playing, let Pastor Glen know that as well.
St. John's Lutheran Church in Denver is hosting a concert for Christian Rapper, Flame! Flame is a Grammy nominated recording artist and proud Lutheran! His music focuses on God's grace and the gifts we receive from God. At this event, Immanuel’s youth will be meeting up with other LCMS youth. Friends and parents are welcome to join us! Tickets for Youth are $10 and tickets for Adults are $20. We will leave around 4:00pm for St. John's, who has arranged to have food trucks there before the concert. We can either do dinner at the food trucks or dinner somewhere on the way. Please sign-up ASAP for this event here: https://signup.com/go/LePYEeC . Sign up deadline is Sunday, April 28th. If you have any questions, please contact Marcus Howard at mhoward@immanuelloveland.org or call/text at 727-459-7026.
The Erin Lee story has been produced into a documentary that is now available at https://www.artclubmovie.com. This documentary tells the compelling story of the Lee family’s experience with gender issues in the public school. Through the telling of their story, it communicates a clear message about the need for Christians to seriously consider private, Christian education for their children. Pastor Robin shared with me: “After doing a deep dive into this issue through my work with Immanuel’s ‘Christians Engaging the Public Square’ group as well as reading books (including The Queering of the American Child) and numerous articles, I (Pastor Glen) can attest to the fact that the scenario and issue articulated in the documentary is fairly presented. This is what is happening ‘on the ground.’ It is a summary of the actual agenda of many school districts as well as a political trajectory that is occurring in many states. As per our conversations with Colorado state legislators, our state is currently considering over 500 bills in this legislative session, many of which are attempting to codify initiatives that underscore and champion blatantly harmful LGBTQ+ agendas.” I concur with Pastor Robin and encourage you to carefully and prayerfully be aware of what is happening in our culture today, including the issues around gender and sexuality as it relates to our children.
Youth currently in 7th grade through high school are invited to participate in this summer's youth mission trip to Missouri and Arkansas. Our youth will engage in days of service work, will attend The Great Passion Play, are guaranteed to have lots of fun in Branson, MO, and more. If you did not receive the full details from Mr. Marcus and your youth is interested in attending, please email him at mhoward@immanuelloveland.org, and he will send you the full details and share some photos and videos from our past trips. This is a great time of fun, service, relationship-building, and growing in our faith. We highly encourage anyone interested to join us for this experience this summer. If you have any other questions or would like to support our youth trip this summer, please contact Marcus Howard by email or at 727-459-7026.
The “Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing God’s Will” study will be led by Pastor Greg and Lindy Hafeman at their home in Windsor. This study explores the Biblical truth that God is at work around us and invites us to join Him. The group will learn more and share together how our gracious God invites us to experience Him in an intimate relationship through which He reveals His will, His ways, and His work. The group will meet the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month beginning Thursday, May 9th (from 6:45pm-8:15pm) at the Hafeman’s home (1440 Grand Ave., Windsor, CO). Registration is required because the group is being capped at 10 people. To sign up, email Pastor Greg and Lindy (greg_hafeman@comcast.net) or stop by the Information Station before or after Sunday worship if you are interested in being a part of this new small group experience!
It is almost time for college spring semester finals! Immanuel has over 20 young adults currently enrolled in school, both locally and out-of-state. We would like to send them each a care package with snacks and other items to support them as their semesters are coming to an end. If you are interested in helping purchase snacks, assemble packages, or help with shipping, please email Marcus Howard at (mhoward@immanuelloveland.org or 727-459-7026) and he will contact you with ways you can help! Donations are needed by April 21st. Thank you! Questions? Contact Marcus.
If you missed getting your picture taken on Easter morning, we would still like to get a picture of you for Church Community Builder (CCB), Immanuel’s online picture directory which includes not only pictures but also contact information if you’re trying to get in touch with someone. Rest assured that no one outside Immanuel has access to CCB – it’s protected and safe!
You can still send your individual or family pictures to churchoffice@immanuelloveland.org! You can even upload a picture yourself! Don’t know how to access your CCB account or if you aren’t sure how to do any of this, don’t fret, we’re here to help! Simply call the church office or send an email (970-667-4506) and anyone here would be happy to help. Thanks for helping us make CCB as complete and helpful a directory as we can make it!
Have you ever heard a prayer request, prayed, yet still wondered how God might use you to help? Consider being part of Immanuel’s meal ministry. This would entail receiving an email when a meal schedule is established, and if you’re able, providing a meal. It can be as simple as Mac and Cheese, a pizza delivery, or a restaurant gift card. Families in the middle of health struggles or grief can feel the love of Jesus through the blessing of a simple meal. Not everyone can serve with each need, but if you’d like to receive notices of meal needs, you can contact Gail Hein at gheinsite@gmail.com or call the church office. Donations to put toward purchasing meals can also be given if you don’t have ability to make one. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Gail.
Giving Statements for 2023 are now available and were placed in your church mailbox. In addition, you can access your giving statement directly by logging into your Church Community Builder (CCB) account and following the steps below:
- Log in to CCB HERE
- The giving statement is located on the left column under “My Giving”
- Select “Giving Statement” and “Custom Data Range”
- Change the date to Jan. 1, 2023 – Dec. 31, 2023
- Select “Run Report”
- The report will generate a pdf
If you have any questions about your 2023 Giving Statement or having trouble accessing your CCB account, please contact the church office (churchoffice@immanuelloveland.org (970) 667-4506).
The date has been set for this summer’s family camping: June 12-15. That is the week just before Vacation Bible School. These dates include weekdays and the weekend, so that people who are working M-F can be included. We will be camping at Vedauwoo (30 minutes west of Cheyenne), since it does not require reservations, and has overflow spaces in case the formal campground gets full. There are no hookups. Those who just drive up for the day are also welcome. Please let Jim and Sue Found know if you are interested or want more information (cell 970-663-5490, inquirer.jim@gmail.com).
Register here today: https://vbspro.events/p/events/ilcs2024
We are still in need of a new congregational Treasurer. This is a volunteer position. The person should have some reasonable accounting and finance experience in such things as reading financial statements, banking relationships, loan management and budgets. The Treasurer is a member of our Executive Council. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact Greg Northrup, Executive Council President (gregnorthrup@yahoo.com).
If so, you can help Immanuel with service projects, fundraisers, educational events, and more, up to $500 every single calendar year! The Thrivent Action Team program allows each Thrivent member to apply for a $250 grant twice each year. Many individuals have already applied for and received a grant in 2023. We want to make sure and capitalize on all grants available by keeping an updated list of Thrivent members and connecting those members with projects and events. Please email churchoffice@immanuelloveland.org if you are a Thrivent member to be sure we have your name on the list and so we can keep you informed on opportunities to use your available grant money! More information about the program is available at: Thrivent Action Team or by calling your Thrivent rep.
Beginning last month, our Information Station at Immanuel has been STAFFED weekly. Pastor Robin has been at the Information Station before and after each worship service answering questions and putting information into anyone’s hands about the plethora of ministries in our congregation as well as joining our greeters in creating a welcoming environment for our growing worshipping community. On Sunday mornings, our Information Station is “ground zero” for welcoming our first time or long-time guests, getting people signed up for Pastor Glen’s email updates, answering questions, sharing the contact information of ministry leaders, etc. Pastor Robin is still looking for some individuals who have “hospitality” spiritual gifts and who’d like to see people connect with each other and Immanuel’s various ministries, to help at the Information Station. For anyone who would like to be a part of this new ministry, Pastor Robin will be providing a training session in November that will give an overview of all that’s happening around Immanuel. If interested, contact Pastor Robin (rdugall@immanuelloveland.org).
In the Sunday morning Grief class, Pastor Glen talked briefly about Immanuel’s Columbarium – did you know we had one at Immanuel? A columbarium is a place where ashes of a deceased loved one can be placed. Our columbarium is on the northeast corner of our parking lot. The columbarium was in the works for many, many years and was finally completed in November 2020. A variety of people at Immanuel helped make this a reality but most all of them have moved away and are no longer here. Jerry Austin was the “work-horse” in making the final push to get it done and Jerry is the one who is continuing to take care of the details related to upkeep and promotion of our columbarium – thank you, Jerry!
We are looking for a couple of people who may be interested in being part of the Columbarium Team along with Jerry. Several of the niches are currently in use and a few more have been committed. Policies are in place to administer the program so there is not a lot of ongoing work needed. The Team would simply provide information to support requests to reserve a niche or when a death occurs, to support needs of the family regarding the urn or box size and then coordinate the engraving of the granite cover. Future site development includes plants, irrigation, and more sandstone walking surfaces that can be engraved be placed south of the current paved perimeter. Funds are on hand to begin this work. The Team volunteers are not expected to physically do the work but help plan improvements. If you’re interested in being part of this team or if you have questions about it, contact Jerry Austin at johnpatrick2@yahoo.com or 970-686-5939 (landline, no texts). Below is some basic information and additional comments on Immanuel’s columbarium.
Basic Prices
Cost of 1-person niche (niches 1-9) – $1,000 at time of registration (or $1,100 later).
Cost of 2-person niche (niches 10-45) – $1,800 at time of registration (or $2,000 later).
Engraving of granite is included, once for single niche and twice for two-person niche.
Other Expenses Not in Basic Niche Price
Metal urn – $100 to $150 depending on selection chosen
Engraved Mahogany Wooden Urn (we have this in stock) - $60, Engraved
Additional Comments
The niche prices, which apply to all niches, were set based on the Phase 1 costs of the foundation, approach sidewalk, perimeter sidewalks and the granite columbarium itself. They are in line with Loveland area costs. The cost of engraving the granite faces which is included now, may need to increase at some point. To provide a pleasing Columbarium appearance, the general layout and fonts used for names and dates is standardized. There is flexibility for Bible verses with room for artwork type engravings. There are nice veteran’s plaques that could be worked into the granite faces as well. Granite engraving takes several weeks to schedule. Records have been set up for each niche. Paperwork is simple and aimed at orderly administration of the site over the many years.
Our research disclosed problems with fastening flowers or flower holders on the face of the Columbarium. Our decision was to accommodate low growing flowers at the base of the columbarium unit or in flower urns on each side. This is to prevent hiding adjacent niches, damage to the granite and the problems with flower deterioration. There are many examples of the benefit of controlling all aspects of the columbarium’s appearance.
Funds were raised initially and were increased by reservation of niches as the first phase of construction was completed. Future improvements such as benches, flower urns, irrigation, ground cover, trees, shrubs, and plantings will be funded from the fees for the niches as the Congregation desired the project to be self-funding. This project was the result of many efforts over many years. The main driving force for the current effort was Francis Sedlacek, Linda Sedlacek, Jerry Austin, and Linda Austin. If anyone would like to help with the Columbarium on behalf of the Congregation, it would be an important service and appreciated. With the basic Columbarium and walks created, the remaining work is not hard: helping people who wish to use it and the planning of future improvements, which should be exciting.
Friends of Immanuel,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! This gift of life we’ve been given is a precious, precious gift. As followers of Jesus, we know that gift of life is ours to enjoy in the here and now as well as for all eternity for those who know and believe in Jesus as their risen and victorious Lord and Savior.
Last Friday (April 12th), Kathy and I and our son David attended the Colorado March for Life at the Colorado State Capitol Building in downtown Denver. The event, the speakers, and the gathering together with hundreds of other life-minded people was eye-opening, inspirational, and encouraging. We had the opportunity to meet and talk with our District 51 Representative (and the owner of our Immanuel IT support company) Ron Weinstein, who stepped out from the House business to show his support for pro-life issues, along with many other Colorado Representatives from the House. Representative Weinstein also provided me the picture he took from the balcony above the steps of the Capitol during this event.
We were reminded, sadly, that Colorado has a culture of death, not of life, being one of the most aggressive pro-abortion, pro-death states in the Union. Brittany Vessely, board member of Pro-Life Colorado stated, “While we celebrate the 2022 Dobbs decision, in the last two years Colorado enacted four abortion laws that go far beyond Roe (1973) and Casey (1992). On April 14, 2022, CO Gov. Polis signed into law Colorado’s Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), which codified elective abortion for the full 40 weeks of pregnancy, established a ‘fundamental right’ to abortion, and removed “individual and derivative rights” from preborn children at all stages of development. An additional three abortion bills were enacted in 2023 to include censoring pregnancy resource centers, banning abortion pill reversal (the first state to do so), prohibiting lawsuits from pro-life states against Colorado or abortion providers, requiring large employers and insurance companies to provide coverage for abortion, and violating the First Amendment rights of individuals and businesses that do not support abortion.”
Rep. Brandi Bradley, Colorado House of Representatives – District 39, spoke boldly and encouragingly of the fight we are up against in Colorado and shared a very personal story of her own regarding life and her children. Dr. Catherine Wheeler, Former Abortionist, Board Member of Pro-life CO, American Association of Pro-Life OB/GYNs (AAPLOG) Colorado Chapter President, shared with us her journey from abortionist to pro-life advocate among medical professionals, expressing gratitude for the Lord’s mercy, grace, and love, as well as gratitude for all in the pro-life movement for accepting her and not judging or condemning her for her past actions. Jeanne Mancini, President of the National March for Life Education and Defense Fund, urged us to be strong and bold as we march for, stand for, and speak up for life in every regard. Our son David worked with her on a video he made of her with Catholic Vote – and he was able to catch up to her during the march and speak with her briefly. The president of our own Rocky Mountain District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Pastor James Maxwell, prayed the closing prayer for the event.
There were many other speakers, many other stories, and so many reminders that our God is indeed a God life – from conception through natural death. Also that He is a God of mercy, compassion, grace, and love, as we prayed that morning for those who have had abortions, as well as for those in the abortion industry – prayers for healing to come to those hurting over the pain and shame of abortion, and for hearts to be turned away from death to life.
This was the first March for Life I have participated in, and it won’t be my last! This is not a political issue – it is an issue of life itself. I look forward to next year and I’ll be encouraging many more of us from Immanuel to join together over this critical issue of our times. Let’s continue to be Easter people, people of LIFE!
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! After Kathy and I were down in Aurora on Sunday morning for Emerson’s baptism and for worship, I flew out that night to the Twin Cities where I spent Monday and Tuesday at Concordia University-St. Paul meeting our new intern and starting the get-to-know-you process with Emma. The orientation process was very helpful as we worked through several different personality profiles, expectations that the University has of me as Emma’s supervisor and of us as a congregation, and we started thinking about her start date and some first quarter goals. Emma asked lots of great questions, giving me the opportunity for lots of information sharing about Immanuel’s various ministries and what life and ministry in Colorado looks like.
We’re off to a great start--Emma will fit in quite well at Immanuel and is going to be a great addition to our congregation and staff! I included a picture of Emma and me as well as a group picture of the other four interns and their supervisors. From left to right, front row: me, Pastor Tim Braun (Hope Lutheran, Des Moines, IA), Intern Naomi (assigned to Worthington, MN), our Intern Emma, Intern Bethany (assigned to Eldridge, IA); back row: DCO/vicar Shane Acers (Hope Lutheran, Des Moines, IA), Intern Abby (assigned to Des Moines, IA), Pastor David Hahn (St. Matthew Lutheran, Worthington, MN), Intern Dan (assigned to Quincy, IL), Pastor Peter Hoft (Park View Lutheran, Eldridge, IA), and Pastor Matt Riley (St. James, Lutheran, Quincy, IL).
Keep Emma and all of the interns in your prayers as they wrap up their final semester of classwork and get ready to begin their internships. Also, be praying for Martha as she prepares for her transition to her new congregation in Anoka, MN at the end of June, and finally, continue to pray for us as a congregation and the transition we will be making as well. God is amazing in the ways that He continues to work in our hearts and lives and through the congregations and ministries He’s established!
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Today I’d like to share a bit of history with you – history that is tied to Easter at Immanuel and the amazing butterflies that are hanging in our atrium.
Soon after moving into 4650 Sunview Drive, it was discovered that the atrium was both beautiful and massive, and the wheels started turning for how to use the space. Many liturgical art designs graced the atrium over the years, enhancing worship seasons and themes. At the heart of our liturgical art for many years was David and Gloria Bongers and their daughter, Holly Walker. The teamwork of this trio was a thing of beauty. Gloria and Holly would see the possibilities and, in discussion with David, figure out how to make the dreams become reality.
Though much of what this team created was seasonal, some of their liturgical art currently hangs in the sanctuary and atrium – the angels over the organ, the Shepherd along the front of the sanctuary, The Story cut out of foam board along the atrium walkway, and the massive butterflies that went up Easter Saturday. These are just some of many creative pieces of liturgical art this trio brought to life, always with the intention behind the art of visualizing the Gospel message. The butterflies that are currently hanging in the atrium are an amazing accomplishment, even for this creative team, and not only the design and creation of the butterflies but hanging them from a 30’ ceiling! The first year the butterflies were hung, they were up higher than what you currently see, and one could, believe it or not, walk through the atrium and miss them completely! We learned to keep them low enough to see but high enough to stay out of mischief. Storing these massive creatures is challenging and unfortunately damage has occurred over the years. Thanks to hours of work on the part of David Bongers, repairs were made in time to hang the butterflies once again this year.
There have been others behind the scenes serving in this area. For example, when Gloria had the vision of a larger-than-life nativity scene for the west wall in the atrium, Jon Kindschy fastidiously cut the figures, bringing the wooden nativity to life. Since Gloria’s death and Holly’s move to Georgia, there have been others who have been part of liturgical arts at Immanuel, the most recent being Sarah Rodden who last May helped visualize Pentecost with red, yellow, and orange fabric ‘swooping’ from the baptismal font over the congregation. We are so blessed to have our worship space enhanced by artists who share God’s Word with us in such a unique and compelling way!
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Easter is not a “one-off,” celebrating it one Sunday and then putting it back on the shelf until next year. Easter is so significant that every single Sunday is intended to be a little Easter. And we are now in the six-week season of Easter, weekly proclaiming that Easter-victory-shout, “Christ is risen!”
This Easter season we’re going to focus on the journey we are on with our Lord and the part we get to play in that journey. Our Easter series is called, Our Journey With Jesus. We know that on our own we are lost, and we rely completely on what Jesus accomplished for us on Good Friday and Easter morning – that is foundational to the life we’ve been given. But just as the Easter season continues past Easter Sunday, so does the journey for all who follow Jesus. Here at Immanuel, we’ve used the Marks of Discipleship for many years as signposts for us to look to along this journey. This Easter season we’ll tap into those Marks, thinking especially about the importance of being intentional when it comes to our spiritual growth (Mark of Discipleship #6). To refresh your memory, or for those who have never heard of the Marks of Discipleship, here they are, along with my brief explanation of why we have them:
Marks of Discipleship
Discipleship is the Christian’s intentional journey in grace. Jesus commanded the Church to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:18). The goal of a disciple is maturity in Jesus Christ… “to grow into the maturity of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
Being disciples of Jesus Christ is what Immanuel is all about. The Marks of Discipleship are significant components of our spiritual growth spoken of regularly by our Lord and laid out clearly in the Scriptures. While they are not “requirements,” we lift these Marks of Discipleship as clarifiers. They help us more fully experience the joy and responsibilities of our faith. The Marks of Discipleship are the benchmarks to strive for especially for our leaders in the ministry. However, all members of Immanuel are encouraged to be continually growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ through the use of and growth in the Marks of Discipleship.
The invitation is to come grow with us, to demonstrate
the following Marks of Discipleship:
- Personal faith demonstrated in daily Scripture Reading; Psalm 119:105
- Personal faith demonstrated in daily Prayer; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
- Weekly Worship; Psalm 122:1 and Hebrews 10:23-25
- Active Christian Giving through
- Serving in a ministry at Immanuel; 1 Corinthians 12:4-13
- Tithing or a commitment to move to Tithing; Malachi 3:10 and 2 Corinthians 8:12
- Involvement in at least one Service Project outside of Immanuel at least once a year; Matthew 25:31-46
- Commitment to ministry through Healthy Relationships; be a team player; Mark 6:7
- Intentional Spiritual Growth; develop a personal growth plan including regular Bible study with fellow believers; Ephesians 4:11-16
- Discipleship of at least one other person; Romans 15:1-2, (3-6)
I’m looking forward to our journey together in worship, in growing, in learning, and in living out the glorious message of Easter!
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! As I promised in yesterday’s update, before we move too far past Holy Week and Easter Sunday’s celebration, I want to express a few thank yous and share some awesome pictures!
First a big thank you to some of our resident photographers – Jason Atkins, Stephen Beer, Bill Busacker, and Randi Rost. We asked them if they would be willing to capture Holy Week and Easter Sunday observances, activities, and worship with pictures. They did an amazing job! What you see below in the collages is their work, with Palm Sunday footage from Marcus Howard. An added thank you to Ashley Jones, our Ministry Support Specialist, for sorting through several hundred pictures and putting them together as you see below.
Second, thank you to all who extended invitations to others to come to worship and express our Savior’s Radical Hospitality in a very real way. I want to thank Kathy Schlecht, our Director of Worship and Music Ministries, for putting together all those times of worship as well as for her musical leadership. Thank you to all of our musicians – vocalists and instrumentalists – for using your gifts and musical abilities to enhance our worship times in a beautiful and powerful way. Thank you to all who served in our many, many worship support roles, including ushering, greeting, acolyting, basket holding, reading scripture, serving communion, serving as head elder, hammering, counting and recording financial gifts, decorating, live streaming, sound and lights, screens, altar guild and preparing the Lord’s Supper and changing the paraments – you are all invaluable.
Next, thank you to Martha Harkins, our Director of Children’s Ministries (and her family), for prepping and leading the awesome opportunities for the children and families, and to Marcus Howard, our Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (and his wife Eliana) for leading our youth in serving the delicious Easter breakfast along with all our youth and parents who set-up, served, and cleaned up. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously in supplies and financial donations to help make the Easter breakfast a great fundraiser for our youth and their upcoming summer trip. Thank you to Jake Hollen, our Director of Facilities, for all the labor-intensive work of setting up and cleaning and making this place look great, as well as David Bongers and others who helped get the butterflies hung (more on that to come!). Thank you to Cindy Eversole who ordered, arranged, and cared for all the Easter lilies and flowers up front in the chancel area, and Sandy Northrup for her ongoing decorating in the atrium area. Thank you to all who donated toward the beautiful Easter lilies and fresh flowers, as well as all who brought fresh flowers to create this beautiful flower-cross masterpiece! Thank you to everyone who got their picture taken to help further our online picture directory, and to all of our picture-takers. Thank you to all of you for making Immanuel such an amazing community of faith! And finally, thanks and praise, honor and glory to our risen and victorious Savior Jesus Christ, for the gift of life, grace, and hope!
Enjoy the journey to the cross and the empty tomb below with collages below of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Saturday set-up and preparation, and Easter Sunday.
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! And now the Easter celebration continues for the next six weeks as together we bask in the glow of our Savior’s victory over sin, death, and the devil. There were lots and lots of amazing pictures taken, capturing some of the awesomeness of Holy Week and Easter Sunday. I’ll be sending out a special “Holy Week and Easter Sunday Follow-Up” edition of my update tomorrow – so keep your eyes open for that showing up in your inbox tomorrow.
With our Holy Week and Easter Sunday celebrations now past, don’t even think for a moment that there’s nothing more happening. To the contrary! All you have to do is read on… We get to be REAL as we live out Jesus’ Easter victory. We do that as we continue to serve our Savior right here and right now in real-time and in real-life, as we serve the people in our community and beyond with some of the many ministries that are ahead. And there are also plenty of opportunities for each of us to keep growing in our faith and knowledge and love of our Lord. If you’re not engaged with anything at the moment but would like to be, don’t hesitate to ask – there’s a place for everyone here! And as I mentioned again on Sunday, you don’t have to be a member here at Immanuel to participate in what is going on – so come and join us in Our Journey with Jesus! (That’s our new Easter series – more on that in Thursday’s update.)
On Sunday I had several of you ask about the prayer I used in my Easter sermon, what I paraphrased from King David in Psalm 71. Some of you had mentioned that it really spoke to you and where you’re at in life right now and you asked that I share it. To that end, here’s the paraphrase I put together. The bottom line of what King David was writing about is that our Lord knows what we’re going through – the ups and the downs – and He’s promised to be here with us through everything the world may throw our way. I invite you to pray this prayer of King David today as we get real with God, with ourselves, and with each other:
“Lord, in You I’ve taken refuge; don’t let me ever be put to shame. On the foundation of Your goodness, Your faithfulness, Your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me when I’m up against it. Be my rock of refuge, the place I can always go, no matter what. You are my rock; You are my fortress. Deliver me, save me from anyone and anything that may try to hurt me, harm me, or steer me toward evil and try to bring wickedness and hardship into my life. You have been my hope, Lord, my confidence. Because of who You are and all You’ve done, I will ever praise You and continually tell others about You. Don’t toss me aside when I get old and my strength fails me. And when my adversaries look to pounce, thinking You, God, have left and forsaken me, stay close to me; come quickly to help me. As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.”
In case you missed it, I’m also including this week’s What Now? here:
What Now?
Bask in the glow of Easter and look for opportunities to express your faith in Jesus and what His Easter victory means for you in real and practical terms.
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
A blessed Good Friday to you all! As we continue our Holy Week observances, celebrations, and worship services this week, don’t forget about the opportunity right in front of us. That opportunity is to extend an invitation for others to join you for one or all of Immanuel’s worship services. With Easter, many people may be more open to have faith-related discussions and even invitations to come to worship. Don’t let this pass you by. And remember, this isn’t about arm-twisting or loading a guilt-trip on someone. Let the conversations and the invitations flow out of the relationships you have – with family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow gym-mates, and others in your life. Don’t be afraid about not being able to answer every question that may be thrown at you – I’m not sure anybody knows all the answers to questions people have. Rather, approach conversations and extend invitations out of the love and the care you have for those people in your life.
If you do invite someone to join you for one of our worship services, go out of your way to show some Radical Hospitality. Offer to pick them up or tell them you’ll meet them in the parking lot and walk in with them. Walking in the front doors can be the hardest steps someone can take – make it as easy and as stress-free as possible. On Easter morning, “buy” them breakfast in the gym. Introduce them to me and to others here at Immanuel that you know. Let the genuine love that I see here week-in and week-out flow freely through this Easter season.
If people in your life aren’t ready to walk in the doors, remember that live stream is yet another option for them to safely check things out. Tonight’s 7:00pm service will be livestreamed as will all of our Easter services (6:00am, 8:00am and 10:30am), all of which can be found on Immanuel’s website (www.ImmanuelLoveland.org).
All are welcome and I hope to see many new and “old” faces as we gather together to worship our Savior, our King, our Victor in the coming days in the joy and the hope we know!
Friends of Immanuel,
Where have we come since Palm Sunday and Jesus’ glorious, kingly entry into Jerusalem? Noteworthy events on Monday included Jesus cleansing the temple, overturning the tables of the money-changers and declaring, “My house will be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” He also cursed a fig tree which, when looking at that more closely, shows us that Jesus was making a significant statement about the importance of His followers bearing fruit and not just looking the part, which apparently was the case with that fig tree.
Tuesday was a day filled with some challenging teaching from Jesus. He criticized the religious leaders, saying, “Blind guides!... For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly, you look like righteous people, but inwardly, your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?" (Matthew 23:24-33) Then Jesus went on to speak of cosmic disruption, the destruction of the Temple, using parables and symbolic language, He taught about end times events, His Second Coming, and the final judgment, all of which has led to a wide variety of interpretations. Bottom line? Challenging times would be coming for those first believers and they wouldn’t be pleasant times. Adding to the darkness of this Tuesday, Judas negotiated with the religious leaders to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, although it’s possible that this occurred on Wednesday.
Wednesday of Holy Week has been called “Silent Wednesday.” There is very little that we know happened on this day. It seems Jesus stayed out of the public eye, perhaps going to the home of a man named Simon the leper, quietly retreating into silence and solitude in anticipation of what was coming.
And today is Maundy Thursday. I explained much of what today is all about in yesterday’s email update. We continue pressing toward the cross and toward the empty tomb on this faith-filled journey. I hope you can come and be part of worship as our celebration and observation of the amazing and powerful events of Holy Week, with worship today at 1:00pm and 7:00pm today.
Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum where we get our English word “mandate.” Among many other things, what Jesus gave to His disciples (and to us!) in the Upper Room on that Thursday evening was a new command or mandate. Jesus said (John 13:34-35), “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
It was also on that night that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. Jesus and His disciples were in the Upper Room celebrating the Passover meal – a meal that foreshadowed all that Jesus had come to do in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. Jesus transformed the Passover meal into what He intended it to ultimately be, our weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
There was much more that went on, some of which we’ll be talking about in our Maundy Thursday worship services tomorrow. Those services are at 1:00pm and 7:00pm. We’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper at both services and there will be the Stripping of the Altar at the end of the 7:00pm service. That is part of the preparation or transition into Good Friday, as Jesus and His disciples headed out from the Upper Room to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus would be betrayed and arrested.
The following day we will observe Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, with worship services at 1:00pm and 7:00pm. Both worship services are identical with the exception of the music – the 7:00pm service includes an instrumental ensemble accompanying the singing, as well as participation by the Chancel Choir. Both services focus on the events of the death of our Savior using various Psalms, the account of the events of that day from the Gospel of Matthew, pictures from The Passion of the Christ that accompany the Scripture readings, and dimming of the lights throughout the service until total darkness.
All are welcome at these worship services as we continue to follow our Lord through these powerful days as Jesus looked to complete the mission for which He came – to bring life, hope, and restoration to our world! I hope you can join me and many others over these next two days as we join Christians around the world in our observance of these events. If you’re not able to be here in person, the 7:00pm services on both Thursday and Friday will be live streamed which can be found on Immanuel’s website (www.ImmanuelLoveland.org).
Below are the Scripture readings if you want to take a look at them ahead of Maundy Thursday worship.
March 28th – Maundy Thursday
Lent Series: The Psalms: A Book of Honest Emotions
Old Testament: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Sermon Title: “Psalm 116: The Cup of Salvation”
Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Palm Sunday has ushered in Holy Week in a grand way! What a celebration we had yesterday in worship – all of us waving palm branches, the children along with some parents and adults participating in a palm procession, singing amazing Palm Sunday hymns and songs in a full sanctuary, witnessing Kennedy and Avery receive the gift of baptism, and rejoicing with Abby receive her first communion! Add to these some of what we consider “normal” Sunday occurrences – celebrating the Lord’s Supper together, hearing God’s Word and reflecting on it in the sermon, praying together, and worshiping together with babies, children, youth, and adults of all ages. Wow! We are so blessed.
Holy Week—starting with Palm Sunday—all the way through to the celebration of Easter Sunday is the pinnacle for us as followers of Jesus. This is what it’s all about! There’s nothing better than to be able to walk through Jesus’ Passion again, remembering all that He said and all that He did out of His great love for us. To put ourselves in the Upper Room on Thursday, and at the foot of the cross on Friday, and then at the empty tomb on Sunday – wow! Plan to join together in worship with others on these significant Holy Week days.
Before we completely leave Palm Sunday, I want to leave you with the four takeaways I offered you yesterday in my sermon, along with this week’s What Now? The takeaways are what make the celebration of Palm Sunday real for us in our lives here in 2023 – and they are based on our reflection on Psalm 118 and Mark 11:1-11.
- We can bring anything and everything to the Lord. From Psalm 118 – “When hard pressed,” we can cry out to Him; “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.” “The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” He is here in the ups and downs of our lives right now to help, strengthen, and encourage us. By His suffering and death, He defeated death and brings us salvation, LIFE, both now and forever. He is our Hosanna!
- We can trust the Lord. He wants us to trust Him. Don’t lean on mere mortals or princes or powers here on earth; don’t put your trust in yourself. We don’t have what’s really needed to get through all that we’re up against or all that is coming. No one does but God alone. But He’s proven Himself faithful time and again – He fulfills His promises, demonstrates His love, shows that He is trustworthy, and He invites our trust.
- He is our King. He rules over heaven and earth. Don’t be deceived by His humble appearance and His servant-hearted approach to His throne. Yes, He is gentle, compassionate, merciful, gracious, and loving. But at the same time, He is almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing. He is King above all kings and Lord of lords.
- Let thankfulness and gratitude to God bookend all of life. Offer your thanks to God, believing in your heart that, yes, He IS good, and yes, His love is everlasting, enduring forever. And that love is directed squarely at you and me!
- Let “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1, 29) bookend your thoughts, your actions, and your life all week long.
- Plan to be part of the rest of the Holy Week and Easter worship services and extend an invitation to someone you know to join you!
Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
Today is the day – March Madness begins! In fact the first game of the annual NCAA college basketball tournament is just tipping off as I’m writing this. What will follow is madness!! Hours and hours and hours of college basketball from 10:15am until the wee hours of the night tonight, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s a dream for some and a nightmare for others! LOL! Statistics have been compiled over the years about the amount of worktime and money that is lost because of the first two days of March Madness, with people sneaking time away to watch basketball on their phones, laptops, computers, and other devices.
While I’m not a “super fan” when it comes to college basketball, I’ve always gotten into March Madness, cheering for my Wisconsin Badgers (and now, because of my son-in-law, Marquette as well!). This year our two “local” teams are worth watching, following, and cheering for as well, with Colorado University-Boulder, and Colorado State University both making the cut and winning their play-in games to make it to the Big Dance!
The passion around March Madness is obvious – watching games in packed arenas all over the country, the pep bands and face-painted fans being as loud as they can be, the millions of brackets that have been created for students, schools, office pools (yes, I created one for our Immanuel staff), and for serious and non-serious fans alike, all taking a shot at and hoping for that ever-illusive and seemingly impossible perfect bracket.
While for many people, this is all just good-hearted fun and an opportunity to have some parties as we anxiously wait for winter to be done and spring to arrive, one of the reasons I’m writing about this is on a bit more serious note. Marcus, our Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, shared something with me that he ran across that is a bit disturbing. I’ve known for years the allure of sports, particularly with the rise of club sports, the taking over of what used to be “Wednesday Church Nights” with practices and games, and the hard move to even Sunday mornings with kids (and adult) tournaments, games, and practices for various sports. For me, especially in my early years of ministry when I worked more closely with and led our youth ministries, as well as raising our four kiddos in our sports-loving-family, I was very aware of the tension. I’ve always worked hard to try to maintain a healthy balance with where sports fit into the bigger picture of life.
The group and the website Marcus shared is called, “Religion of Sports,” (https://www.religionofsports.com/) and looking around on their website, what I discovered was the very blatant and forward acknowledgement that sports IS a religion. Check it out for yourself. What is shared here is not just a cute “wink and a smile” sort of thing, but rather it’s an admission and encouragement to people to buy into sports as something to worship and allow to drive our lives, our passions, and our devotion. Not to be alarmist, but the reality is, this is putting a direct god-status to sports, sports stars, sports teams, and so much more.
So I share this with you today, at the start of March Madness, in a cautionary way. Let’s have fun with sports in our lives while at the same time taking stock of our personal and family priorities. As we prepare to head into Holy Week, let’s make sure we never forget the primary place Jesus has in our lives – and let Him be King! Go Badgers? Sure. But I hope to see you in worship on Sunday for what we truly celebrate and the One who gives us life!
Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
Friends of Immanuel,
As many of you know by now, Martha (our awesome Director of Children and Family Ministries) will be leaving us at the end of June after Vacation Bible School, moving back to the Midwest to be closer to family. Martha came to us as an intern back in the summer of 2019 from Concordia University-Chicago. She has been amazing with all that she has done with children’s ministries here at Immanuel – and she will definitely be missed!
Right after Martha shared with me that she and Codie made the decision to move, I started looking into what options we have to try to fill this position. A logical option was to explore the possibility of getting another intern from one of our Concordia Universities. After conversations with several of the Directors of the DCE (Director of Christian Education) programs at our Concordias, Professor Shelly Schwalm at Concordia University-St. Paul (CSP) told me that she had five students who were going to be ready for their internship. I proceeded to fill out the application for an intern to start the process. Shelly came to Immanuel for a quick on-site visit on Sunday, February 18th, participated in worship, talked with a small group of Immanuel members, and met with several of our staff in order to get a better feel for what ministry at Immanuel looks like and if we would be a good fit for one of her interns.
Last Friday, March 15th, there was a worship service where all the interns received their assignments and I got word that Immanuel received a DCE intern! Emma Giger has been assigned to us and she called me right after the placement service and we had an opportunity to visit a little bit. Emma is very excited to be coming to Colorado and from our conversation, I’m very excited as well!
I will be traveling to CSP on April 8-9 for an orientation, to meet Emma, and to have opportunity to talk through expectations for her year of internship. We will be firming up her start date, which will be some time after Vacation Bible School and Martha’s farewell.
Internship is intended to be 12-months of learning for the intern. While children’s ministries will be a major focus for Emma, her time at Immanuel for the upcoming year will include working with Marcus in middle school and high school youth as well as young adults, with Pastor Robin and experiences with discipleship and connecting ministries, with Kathy and worship, and with Cheryl and our school ministry. She’ll also be able to experience some of the administrative aspects of ministry and meeting with our leadership teams through the year as well, all to gain a fully rounded set of learning experiences. About midway through her internship, there will be discussion about whether or not Emma will receive a call and remain at Immanuel beyond her internship year or move on to another ministry elsewhere.
Stay tuned for more information that will be coming in terms of how we can welcome Emma to Immanuel, various items she may need as she makes the move to Colorado, etc. There will be lots more coming! In the meantime, please keep all of this in your prayers – for Martha as she winds down her time at Immanuel over the next couple of months, for Emma as she prepares to begin her time with us, and for us and the transition we’ll be walking through together.
Here is a picture and a little more information about Emma, which I asked her to share with us. This is what Shelly shared with me about Emma: “Emma is an incredibly gifted young lady. She is a good teacher and speaker, good with children, and passionate about the Gospel. She is really creative.” And here is what I received from Emma:
My family is made up of my parents, both church workers, my two younger brothers, one very fluffy dog, and me! They currently live in Fishers, IN with the exception of my first brother, who is at CSP with me. I have lived in 5 (soon to be 6!) states, Ohio, Arizona, Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota. I enjoy playing games, being with others (I am an extrovert, but I try not to be overwhelming 😊), creating, reading, going outside, the occasional rock-climb, and watching movies. My hobbies include running, hiking, painting, drawing, discussing theological concepts, and general adventuring. The Spirit placed the idea of being a DCE on my heart at a pretty young age, but I tried some other paths until my second year of college when I was studying to be an art teacher. It was then that I found I was interested in working with people of all ages. I met with the program director, tried one DCE class, and was hooked! I have loved learning, but I am even more excited to start learning and working as a DCE intern. Next year, I am looking forward to getting to know everyone at Immanuel, getting to work on the ministry team, and seeing what God has in store for this new adventure!
If you want to learn more about Emma, she also shared with me her CSP portfolio – https://sites.google.com/csp.edu/emmagigerportfolio?usp=sharing.
Exciting times ahead for all of us at Immanuel! Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen
REGULAR SUNDAY MORNING SCHEDULE
Classic Grace Worship - 8:00am
Education Hour for all ages - 9:30am
Contemporary Joy Worship - 10:30am
SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Classic Grace Worship - 8:00am
Outdoor Contemporary Joy Worship - 9:30am
No Education Hour during the Summer
Have questions for us? Ask!