Friends of Immanuel, 

This is Christmas Bazaar Week at Immanuel! The Bazaar itself will take place THIS Saturday, November 23rd from 9:00am-3:00pm. This annual event has provided lots of opportunities for us at Immanuel to share and show our Savior’s love and hospitality to hundreds and hundreds of people from our community. This event, like many other big events that we host, requires lots of support and lots of help. With that, let me share some of the ways that are still available and needed to make this year’s Christmas Bazaar a success. 

First, thanks to everyone who has already signed up to help with this year’s Christmas Bazaar! 

Then here are some remaining needs we have for the week. You can either use this link to sign up or call the church office (970-667-4506) and we’ll slot you in. 

Help with Set-Up 

We could use some muscle this Thursday afternoon! From 2:30-3:00pm we’ll move everything out of the atrium; then at 3:00pm the tarp in the gym will be put down. You can come in for one or both of these times. 

Cookies and Pies 

The youth always sell out of their wonderful cookie trays! If you can drop a batch of cookies off by 5:00pm this Friday, it’ll be part of this delicious bazaar tradition and at the same time support our youth and next summer’s National Youth Gathering trip! 

In addition, the Holiday Café could use a few more pies to make everyone’s meal complete! (and this also supports our youth!) 

Holiday Café 

And speaking of the Holiday Café, it takes an army to feed the number of people who come through the Holiday Café on the day of the bazaar! No one needs to work all day; we’re looking for lots of people to serve for about two hours sometime during the day. That leaves time for shopping, Santa, and enjoying all the festivities of the day. 

Currently, here are open spots where volunteers are needed in the Café: 

8:30-11am, Serve Breakfast (1 open spot) 

10:30-12:30, Help in the kitchen (you’re not in charge, just helping!) 

11am-1:30, Serve Lunch (1 open spot) 

11am-1pm, wash dishes (there’s a commercial dishwasher for this!) 

11:30-1:30, Clear Tables 

12-2pm, Pour beverages at serving table  

12:30-2:30, Help in kitchen (you’re not in charge, just helping!) 

Watch for more up-to-date information that will be coming out tomorrow and again on Thursday or Friday. Thanks for being part of this very fun and festive community-oriented event! Stop by my Immanuel Welcome table near the entrance and say hi – I’ll be manning that booth all day long. 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

Friends of Immanuel,
Today I want to give you a little insight into a group of pretty amazing men of our congregation – those serving on our Board of Elders. Our current board consists of 11 men, some of whom are retired and some are gainfully employed, but all volunteer their time to serve on this important elected board of our congregation.

The Elders are often seen as my right-hand-men when it comes to the spiritual care of the congregation. Each of them has their own “Elder Family,” consisting of 20-30 family units of both members and regular attenders of Immanuel. This is the most important of their responsibilities. They work hard to try to reach out to all of their families at least once or twice a year by phone, text, email, or in-person, both on Sunday mornings and outside of worship. The purpose is to check-in with their families, to pray with and for them, to offer help or support that may be needed, and to encourage them in their walk with the Lord.

If you don’t know who your Elder is, you can look on CCB (Church Community Builder) or you can reach out to the church office. If you haven’t heard from your Elder in a while, I’d encourage you to reach out to them. Making all the calls that are needing to be made on their Elder Families is a challenging task, especially given how time-consuming that can be and that they do this on a volunteer basis. I know, without a doubt, that they would welcome a call, text, or email from you!

The Elders also have the unique responsibility of holding me accountable for what I do as your pastor when it comes to my preaching and teaching, as well as carrying out the duties of my pastoral office.

The most visible role of the Elders is with worship support each Sunday. We have a head Elder for each worship service and most all of them serve in that capacity as well as communion servers.

The Board of Elders meets every month on the second Tuesday. What you may not know about this group is how seriously they take their responsibilities. At the start of every Elders meeting, we meet at the communion rail in the sanctuary and we spend time praying – praying for all of you as they lift up their Elder Families and specific needs they may be aware of, for our congregation and school, for our staff, and for their own needs. And I know that these men are truly men of prayer, praying not only when we gather, but praying on a daily basis for many of you! We captured a picture of our prayer time this past Tuesday – you may recognize Emma in this picture, as she was invited to this month’s meeting as part of her internship experience.

Our current Board of Elders includes: Blake Bianco, Larry Briski, Ed Bublitz (chairman), Travis Chapman, Jeff Deaner, Scott Gilbert, Carl Hinderer, Lorrie McLaughlin, Rob Meyer, Tim Meyer, and Dan Monchak. Ed Schroeck will be joining the Board of Elders following elections in December.

I’m very thankful for this faithful and faith-filled group of men who serve all of us at Immanuel in these important ways. I’d encourage you to take the opportunity to reach out and thank them sometime in the coming days.

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel, 

Yesterday as part of our time of worship we had the privilege of recognizing, thanking, and honoring the veterans at Immanuel. I had promised to share the link to the video I used as part of that recognition for those who wanted to see it again or share it with others – so here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHG_TA1T5mg 

On this Veterans Day, as a country we collectively say, “Thank you!” to all who have served our country. What a gift we have received – a gift with so many different facets with regard to the freedoms we enjoy. It’s a gift we often take for granted except on special days such as today. If you have opportunity, say thank you to a veteran today or in the week ahead. And thank YOU to all who are reading this who have served our county! 

I’m in awe of the number of veterans we have here at Immanuel. Lindy Hafeman and Lorrie McLaughlin, both veterans themselves, have agreed to take the lead on a Military Support Team at Immanuel, looking for various opportunities throughout the year to support and honor our veterans and those currently serving in the military. If you have an interest in being part of this team, contact Lindy or Lorrie, or the church office, and we can put you in touch with one of them. One of the first things they are trying to do is to make sure we have an accurate and up-to-date list of all the veterans here at Immanuel. 

Below is a list of what we have so far. If you are a veteran and your name is not included, please call or email the Church Office (ChurchOffice@ImmanuelLoveland.org, 970-667-4506) with the appropriate information so we can add you to the list. I know we also have some veterans who are deceased, both young and old, who have Immanuel connections – we would like to have information on those individuals as well, so please pass those individuals’ information along, too. We would also be happy to include children or grandchildren in this list. Finally, Lindy and Lorrie are requesting a current active duty picture and/or a before and after picture of military service for veterans. Thank you! 

Lastly, as a follow-up to yesterday’s message about End Times, two things. First, I encourage you to use this week’s Bring It Home devotions written by Mike Zsolczai. Mike knocked it out of the park with so many more details that he went into regarding End Times than I had time to go into with yesterday’s sermon. We have paper copies of those devotions inserted into the worship folder, they are accessible on our website (https://immanuelloveland.org/bring-it-home/), and you can also receive them by email each day. If you would like to receive these devotions each day by email, just let us know and we’ll add you to that email group (ChurchOffice@ImmanuelLoveland.org). 

Second, below is this week’s What Now? As I said yesterday, Jesus’ primary focus in Mark 13 was not on the destruction of the Temple or of Jerusalem; it was not the glorious eschatological return of Jesus at the end of time; and it was not “end times.” His primary focus was on response – the response of His disciples and the response of us as followers of Jesus to what Jesus acknowledged was coming and all that He was warning us about. What are the responses Jesus is urging us to do? As He said multiple times in Mark 13: don’t ever be alarmed; don’t ever be afraid; be on guard; watch; be alert; be vigilant; don’t be deceived; be careful. I included some of the appropriate responses in this week’s What Now? 

What Now?  

Don’t ever be alarmed! Remain focused on Jesus. Stay in the Word. Pray every day. Keep gathering in worship. Share with others the love, the grace, and the hope we have in Jesus. Invite others to join us as we walk together, encouraging one another, and expanding the Kingdom of God. 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen  

Friends of Immanuel,
On this Thursday of election week, the vast majority of the races and various ballot issues across the country have been decided. We have a change in the White House with President Trump returning on January 20^th. We are seeing a shift in Congress. Through social media and podcasters across the country I’m hearing cheering, celebrating, anger, discouragement, fear, skepticism – the whole range of emotions.

As followers of Jesus, what are we to do following this year’s election? The same thing we’ve always been called to do – keep our eyes on Jesus, the true King and ruler of our lives; share and show His love in our words, attitudes, actions, and lives; seek daily our Savior’s forgiveness and grace and then, in turn, offer the same to others; live our lives without fear; share with others the hope, the real hope, that we have because of Jesus our Savior; read, meditate on, and study God’s Word; worship with fellow believers and extend invitations to others to join us; led by the Holy Spirit, do what we can to further God’s Kingdom and reach many more people with the Good News of Jesus; and pray.

Continue to pray for our country in these post-election weeks – for a coming together, for peace and no violence or other bad behavior, for those elected, and for these next few months before transitions occur. Pray for all of us as followers of Jesus to keep all things in proper perspective, remembering who our one and only Savior is, and to continue to be the people of God in these times.

Over the past weeks, you have heard me speak and pray very directly about Amendment 79 in Colorado, which, very disappointingly, was approved. In light of this, I encourage all of us to continue to pray for God’s gift of life, for the unborn, and for amazing life-giving ministries across the country like our local Life Choices Pregnancy Center.

In the weeks leading up to the election, I had a documentary, The 1916 Project, shared with me from two separate sources – from Life Choices and from an individual whose work has him pretty directly engaged with these issues on a daily basis. This 75-minute film recounts the history of Margaret Sanger and what led to the opening of her first “birth control” clinic in New York City, which has led to what we currently know as Planned Parenthood. It is a very dark and very chilling movie, at times hard to watch. But I share this with you to raise awareness of what is not a political or social issue, but what I believe is a biblical and spiritual issue. If you want to watch it, here is a YouTube link: https://youtu.be/wbcML4KGTuo. We are also considering having a showing of this, along with discussion of it, here at Immanuel. If we do, I’ll include that information in one of these updates.

As I’ll be talking about this Sunday, these are challenging times – even as Jesus told us 2000 years ago, we continue to “hear of wars and rumors of wars,” as well as all manor of destruction, evil, and struggle. But as people of God, let’s not lose heart but let’s continue to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus! I hope to see you Sunday in worship!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel, 

As we are all well aware, tomorrow is election day. I want to share two things with you. First is from a former president of our church body (The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod – LCMS), Rev. Dr. Jerry Kieschnick. He writes a weekly blog called, “Perspectives,” and addresses a wide variety of topics. Last Thursday he wrote about the elections in an excellent way that I thought worthy of sharing with all of you. Second is an email I received on Friday from the current president of the LCMS, Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison. I share with you several pieces from his email as additional encouragement for us as followers of Jesus with regard to the political process.  

First, from Dr. Kieschnick: Living with Life's Disappointments 

In life, disappointments abound. Athletic contest outcomes are always disappointing to fans of the team outscored by the opposition. Medical exams with diagnosis of a serious or even fatal disease are more than just disappointing. They’re also discouraging and depressing. Results of an important election like the one our country is facing in a few short days will produce disappointment in the lives of the voters whose preferred candidate is not chosen. That kind of disappointment is significant and can last long after the elected official’s term expires. 

That topic is on my mind today and probably also on your mind. How should people who will surely be disappointed with next week’s election results live with that disappointment in life? It looks like that group will number just about half our country. It will surely affect people of all ages, sizes, shapes, religions, genders, races, national origins, and political persuasions. For Christians, living with disappointing election results can be guided by principles of faith, humility, and trust in God's plan. Though not always easy to do, the Bible encourages believers to respect governing authorities. God allows leaders to rise and fall according to His purposes.  

Christians can find comfort in prayer, seeking a measure of peace and daily strength to accept outcomes that may not align with personal perspectives, hopes, beliefs, and values. Service, compassion, and constructive community involvement can provide meaningful ways to express basic Judeo-Christian values and positively impact the lives of people in need. Regardless of who is elected, Christian people will be blessed by believing that faith in God transcends any election and helps believers remain resilient today and hopeful for tomorrow. 

Consider again this Prayer for Responsible Citizenship (Lutheran Service Book p. 313): 

Lord, keep this nation under your care. Bless the leaders of our land that we may be at peace among ourselves and a blessing to the other nations of the earth. Grant that we may choose trustworthy leaders, contribute to wise decisions for the general welfare, and serve you faithfully in our generation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Hopefully these thoughts and encouragements will help those in our land who will most likely be disappointed with the outcome of next week’s election live with that disappointment in life. Lord, have mercy!  

Dr. Gerald B. "Jerry" Kieschnick 

And then from Dr. Harrison: 

My fellow family members in Christ, 

As Lutherans, we look at this political mess and understand that God works in the world in two different ways: through the church (the “kingdom of the right hand”) and through the state (the “kingdom of the left hand”). In the church, He works through the proclamation of the Word of God and the administration of the Sacraments to bring about the salvation of sinners. In the state, He works through the laws and the sword to curb wickedness and enable us to live in peace. As Christians, we live in both kingdoms, submitting in love to Christ and in obedience to the government, insofar as we are not commanded to violate our Lord’s teaching (Rom. 13:1–7; Acts 5:29)… 

First, then, let me urge you to participate in this privilege. Vote. Pray for God’s guidance and vote. Participate in the governing duty you have as a citizen of this country and as a fellow brother or sister in Christ. 

Second, vote according to God’s Word. You do not leave your beliefs behind you when you enter the voting booth. You may enter the booth by yourself, but you are not alone. The God who has redeemed you, who sanctifies you, who has made you in His image and is working to complete this work in you, enters that booth with you. 

What does this mean? It means that when you vote, you must vote for the good of your neighbor. The LCMS does not align itself with any particular party or endorse any political candidate. But some things need to be said: Some issues have clear biblical mandates. We stand for the protection of life from conception to death. We stand for the protection of children from the predations of the LGBTQ+ agenda. As God’s people, we seek to protect the right to freely exercise our beliefs and practices in this great country. 

Many other issues are also on the table. Workers should be paid fairly. Citizens — across the board — should not be unfairly taxed. The government should wield the power of the sword fairly and for the good of all. We should consider these issues and make the decision that best serves our neighbor, first and foremost. And Jesus, our Good Samaritan, has something to say about serving your neighbor in need (Luke 10:25–37). 

It is not a violation of Lutheran teaching on the Two Kingdoms to encourage Christians to this task of voting. God calls His people to be salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13–14). In our time, this includes voting for the good of our neighbor… 

In Christ, 

Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) 

When all is said and done, know that regardless of the outcomes of the election tomorrow, as followers of Jesus, we know Christ is King and He continues to reign supreme. We continue to carry out the mission our King has given us, which is to speak the Gospel at every opportunity, to show His love, to offer the hope we know in and because of Jesus, and to continue to live bold and courageous lives without fear, as His Kingdom people! 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

Friends of Immanuel,

Happy Reformation Day! As I mentioned on Sunday at our Reformation Celebration, it was on October 31^st, 1517, that Martin Luther posted his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany – an event that is recognized as the beginning of the Reformation. I’m not going to go into any more historical detail here, but if you’d like more info or other suggestions to learn more about this world-altering period of history, here’s the trailer to “Luther,” an excellent movie which came out in 2003 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe84Aolmmcg – you can rent or stream this. Here is a link to a well-done documentary by Ligonier Ministries called “Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer”: https://youtu.be/6VK0p-tuuao. And one more resource is Rick Steves’ “Luther and the Reformation,” which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXK9NNp1yk4.

For today, give thanks to God for His gifts that are highlighted from the Reformation – Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Christ Alone. We are blessed as a Church and as God’s people to be recipients of these amazing gifts God pours into our lives!

Last night was our annual Fall Fest and in spite of the sprinkles all night, we had hundreds of children and adults who came out for a grab-and-go dinner, Trunk-or-Treating with 33 vehicles, petting some very cute ponies, and a huge attraction of a horse-drawn wagon ride that was packed all night long. A huge thank you to Miss Emma, our DCE Intern, for the fantastic job she did in bringing all the many pieces of our Fall Fest together to be a wonderful success! Way to go, Miss Emma! And thank you to all who came out to be part of this fun event, to those who decorated their “trunks” and handed out candy, to those who helped in the kitchen, to those of you who donated food or money or supplies, to those who invited others, and to those who came and extended some Radical Hospitality and showed Christ’s love to the kids and families. I’m including a couple pictures here today, including a snapshot of a few of the trunks, and also Pat Frysinger, our faithful and enthusiastic 93-year-old who had a trunk, too! Watch for an email from Miss Emma who will be sending out a “Special Edition” update that will feature lots more pictures from last night.

Finally, as we all have our ballots for this year’s election, in addition to the various election resources that have been in these email updates for the last few weeks, I want to encourage and challenge all of us to pray mightily for our country. Pray for these elections that God would raise up godly men and women to serve in these important positions of leadership in our country. There will also be a specific time of prayer for our elections and our country this Sunday morning during the Education Hour in the sanctuary from 9:30-10:15, led by one of our retired pastors, Pastor Greg Hafeman. I encourage you to come together in this opportunity to corporately join our voices in prayer!

As always, thank you for being part of this amazing ministry of our Lord here at Immanuel. It takes all of us, praying, serving, giving, and being His people together! What our Savior continues to do in us, through us, and among us, humbles me as I see His power, His love, and His will be carried out in these times and in this place. Praise God!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel, 

Grace Alone. Faith Alone. Scripture Alone. Christ Alone. Those are the banners of the Reformation that we celebrated yesterday in worship. The Reformation, begun by Martin Luther back in the early 1500s, is far more than a notable historical time. The need for “reformation” continues – in the Church, that we be focused on the mission Jesus has given us of sharing His great Good News and that He would use us to continue to build His Kingdom and reach more and more people; and in our lives, that the Lord might shape and mold us into His likeness day-by-day, that we be filled with His Word, that we be prayerful, and that we would be open to Him using us as His hands and feet and voice. 

The re-discovery of God’s grace was life-changing for Luther. His experience of that gift of our Lord’s unconditional love and full forgiveness changed his entire outlook on God and on life. As we’ve been talking recently in worship and in sermons, God’s grace is a life-changing gift! As baptized, believing children of God, it provides the opportunity for us to live our lives freely and boldly in Jesus. It takes away the fears that our culture is continuously trying to foist on us. It lifts the burdens of guilt and shame that can weigh us down, assuring us that our Savior’s forgiveness is real. We don’t have to worry about our eternal well-being, wondering if we’ve done enough, given enough, or been good enough – by grace through faith in Jesus we are saved. Period! 

That means we can be the people our Lord created us to be. We are His handiwork, His masterpieces! Filled with the Holy Spirit and overflowing the promises and assurances we know in Jesus, we are here to share that Good News with others. With whom can you share that Good News – family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, workout or walking buddies, etc.? Don’t make it complicated. Pray daily for these people in your life, for the various needs of which you’re aware. Pray for the Lord to guide you and give your courage and boldness and winsomeness to hear and listen and then speak into their needs, sharing the hope, the grace, the forgiveness, and the love of Jesus. 

We’re living in tumultuous times, times brimming with fear, with lies, with deceit, with uncertainty. So many people are looking for answers, for help, for support, for encouragement. You and I have SO much to offer. Extend invitations – to Wednesday’s Fall Fest, to Sunday morning worship, to a Bible study, to the Christmas Bazaar, to Thanksgiving Day worship, or any of the many, ongoing events, activities, and ministries happening here at Immanuel. And keep walking with these folks God has put into your life. See them not as “projects,” but as friends – life-long friends!  

Here is this week’s What Now? for you to consider and put into practice in the days ahead. 

What Now? 

In these times of lies, deceit, half-truths, and more, recognize the freedom that comes to us in the truth God shows us in His Word. This week denounce fear and hopelessness that the devil, through all sorts of means, is trying to create. Rest in the blessing of freedom that His Truth brings. 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

Friends of Immanuel,
Over the last several years we’ve had 200-300 children and adults be part of Immanuel’s annual Fall Fest – it’s a Big Deal and a great touch-point with many in our neighborhood and community. We’ve made a slight shift in how this year’s Fall Fest will look and the main feature will be Trunk-or-Treat in the north parking lot. It would be awesome to have 50-60 vehicles! You’ve seen my picture in my Packer gear from last year. There have been some very creative and elaborate trunks decorated in fun ways. But it can also be as simple as opening your trunk and setting a pumpkin next to you – really! It’s about providing a fun and safe place for children to enjoy dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating for candy.

Immanuel has a great reputation for being a safe, secure, and fun place to be for an event like this. It can also foster a fun sense of community among “the trunks,” as you have some opportunity to talk to the people set up around your vehicle. This year we’ll also have Pet-a-Pony (yes, a real live pony!), horse-drawn fall rides, and grab-and-go dinner. It’s a great opportunity to extend invitations – not only to your own children or grandchildren, but to friends and neighbors as well!

Miss Emma will be sending out a separate email with a variety of examples of decorated trunks to help get your creative juices flowing. But remember, don’t get overwhelmed or hung up on the decorations. All you need is a vehicle, a HUGE bag of candy, a smile, and a welcoming attitude, ready to share Christ’s love in this simple and tangible way.

So join in the fun and help fill the north end of our parking lot with a good time for the children! Here’s the sign-up to save your spot – https://signup.com/go/GhWnyPd.

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

As Kathy and I were driving down to Centennial yesterday morning for our granddaughter’s baptism, we were watching (well, I was listening!!) to the live stream of the 8:00 Classic Grace service here at Immanuel because I was really interested to hear what Pastor Robin was going to do with his message on the elections. What he did was excellent! If you missed worship here at Immanuel yesterday, I would encourage you to check out the live stream and take in his message.

I’ll just reiterate a couple thoughts Pastor Robin expressed with some encouragement from me. We have both a civic and a spiritual privilege and a duty to vote – it’s part of the freedom we have of living in this great country of ours. Invest some time in understanding the candidates and what they stand for, as well as the issues and what they are all about. Then pray. Pray for guidance to vote for those people and issues that align most closely with your biblical values. Then vote.

We all know how crazy our world is right now. There’s so much going on that can raise anxiety and stress, pushing emotions all over the board. When all is said and done, don’t forget our bottom line as followers of Jesus. Our trust and confidence does not lie with our president, the Supreme Court, the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, or our state or federal Senate or House of Representatives. We pray for godly men and women to be in these leadership positions for our country, people we pray will govern wisely and well on the foundation of Jesus and His Word. But our trust and confidence must always lie in our Savior. In Jesus, we win! In Jesus, we have nothing to fear. In Jesus, we have hope. In Jesus we know the power of real love, grace, and forgiveness. Amen!!

Yesterday I had the privilege of baptizing my newest granddaughter, Eva Katherine, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Centennial. I’m indebted to my good friend, Pastor Brad Stoltenow, the senior pastor at Shepherd, for allowing me to do that. He also gave me the opportunity to preach, which I thoroughly enjoyed as well. I praise God for the amazing gift of baptism, knowing that little Eva is now claimed by Jesus and welcomed into His family of believers!

Now we have the joy of surrounding her, along with her mom and dad (David and Cassie), supporting, encouraging, and praying for all of them in this journey of life and faith and following Jesus. As an added blessing, after the worship service we enjoyed lunch at the church with about 30 people to celebrate Eva, and then followed that with a few of us watching the Packer game together, which we had recorded. The pictures include me baptizing Eva, Kathy and me with David, Cassie, and Eva, and me holding Eva (in her Packer outfit!) watching the end of the Packer game! My thanks to Pastor Robin for taking the service here at Immanuel to allow us the opportunity to be gone yesterday to celebrate with our growing family.

In the meantime, let’s continue to be about God’s mission – sharing His amazing Good News with the people in our lives, showing Radical Hospitality, engaging fully in Transformational Learning, and Living Fearlessly as God’s people! Thank you all for your partnership in the Gospel!

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen