Friends of Immanuel,

I have some amazing, miraculous, and what will definitely be encouraging news to share with all of you. Immanuel has received an anonymous gift of $10,000 each month for two years – a total of $240,000!! Praise God! When I received this news, I was humbled – humbled at the generosity of the family who has given this (who is anonymous even to me) and humbled by the goodness of God who moved this family in such a way.

The family who is giving this gift wishes to inspire the rest of us – that is their intent. This is a family who loves the Lord and who loves what He is doing here at Immanuel Lutheran Church and School. The hope and prayer behind this gift is not just to provide financial help and support over the next two years. The intent is to inspire faith-filled, faithful, and generous giving in all of us who call Immanuel home.

You know that we have just entered the Fulfillment Phase of our three-year Run with Perseverance ministry campaign and 119 of you have made sacrificial and generous commitments. Thank you for doing that. This family’s specific desire was not to take away from this important campaign which is why I am just now sharing this wonderful news – we started receiving this monthly gift in April. This large and very generous gift was targeted toward inspiring everyone to raise their level of regular (weekly, monthly, or twice-monthly) giving to the Lord so that once the two years of this gift are completed, the hope is that we have all raised our regular tithes and offerings to a level that the additional $10,000 per month is being provided in a regular, ongoing way by all of us.

For us as followers of Jesus, we are no longer under the command that we must tithe, that is, give 10% of our income to the Lord as an offering. Jesus fulfilled the commands and demands of the Law for us. What that means with regard to our offerings is that we are now free to give whatever we may choose, not because we are compelled, but in thanks and praise to God for His goodness, mercy, and love that we know in Jesus. While a tithe is no longer commanded, many Christians still use it as a guide when considering what to give as an offering today. The thought is that we can live on the 90% of what we earn and receive as income and, as the Old Testament tithe, we offer our first and our best (10%) to the Lord, trusting that the Lord has provided and will continue to provide as we live on the 90%.

Kathy and I were very blessed to have grown up in blue-collar, middle-class Christian homes that practiced tithing and helped us to learn the joy of that spiritual discipline. We carried that practice into our marriage and have always given at least 10% of our income back to the Lord, joyfully raising that percent over the years. It has been quite the journey as we’ve witnessed firsthand how the Lord provides, sometimes in miraculous ways, other times in very ordinary ways, but He has always provided. I know that many of you have had similar experiences when it comes to the blessings we receive and experience as we give freely, generously, and joyfully to our Lord.

If you want to hear real encouragement when it comes to giving and what giving for us as followers of Jesus is all about, take time to read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 where Paul encourages generosity in very powerful and beautiful ways. And that’s the point that the Lord drives home through Paul in these chapters. It’s an opportunity we have to give freely and joyfully to help others come to know Jesus and to further His Kingdom. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the true goodness of our Lord and all that He has and continues to pour into our lives – by way of the people in our lives, the financial and material blessings, the faith we’ve been given, and the blessing of knowing Jesus.

I share all of this with you not to throw guilt your way! Rather, in the spirit of our generous donor and their intent, coupled with the many promises of our Savior and His love, His generosity, His provision, and His promises, I share it to ask that we all take time over the coming days and weeks to look seriously and prayerfully at our offerings to the Lord. Through numerous conversations that I’ve had over the course of this campaign, I know there are many of you who have in recent months already raised your level of giving to the Lord through His ministry here at Immanuel. If you are one of those families, thank you!

If you have not, my practical encouragement would be to take a close look at exactly what you do give to the Lord by way of your offerings. Then consider raising your level of giving a percentage or two, or even to consider making a faith-filled jump to giving a full tithe (10%). Whatever you choose to do, please do not do this out of compulsion or perceived pressure. All of our offerings should be given with gratitude in our hearts. None of what you may choose to do will be tracked – I’m not asking that you share with anyone what you intend to do. But as we go along this journey, I would love to hear your stories of how God has used this moment in time to inspire and encourage you!

I thank and praise God for this family and truly pray that they inspire you to reflect on the goodness and love of our God and to respond in kind – to experience the joy He has in all that He has given and continues to give to us. May God be praised in all that we are and do through His ministry here at Immanuel, for the furthering of His Kingdom!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

As you’re reading this, Kathy and I are enjoying a couple of days of family time doing some camping up at Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park. On this trip, we’re able to give one of our Colorado grandkids her first camping experience!

We talk a lot about Immanuel being a Family Place, and that is very intentional. We know throughout His Word, our Lord stresses how important relationships are – first and foremost our relationship with Him, and then the relationships we enjoy with each other. Families here at Immanuel take on all different shapes – from singles to couples to traditional families with dad and mom and children to single parents to blended. And each of these family types are a blessing!

I also know that for many, including Kathy and me, Immanuel is very much our family! We love the relationships we have with so many of you who call Immanuel home. Over the years a good number of you have shared with me that you look forward to coming to worship every Sunday to be able to see so many people that you know as friends and your family. I’ve especially heard this comment from those of you who have lost your spouses – that Immanuel truly has become family!

Thank you for being part of this amazing Family Place, helping to extend and express Jesus and His love to each other in our community of faith, as well as to others in our greater northern Colorado area! Let’s continue to show our Savior’s Radical Hospitality and love with all that we do in ministry and in life together!

From yesterday’s message and the reminder that we are children of God through faith in Jesus, here is the What Now? to reflect on through this coming week.

What Now?

As a child of God and an heir of the Kingdom, how does living patiently in hope look for you? Reflect on that as you go through this week, whether you’re going through difficulties, challenges, and struggles, or joys and celebrations.

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

In my article in Monday’s Immanuel Weekly, while what I preached about last Sunday and what I wrote on Monday alludes to many of the following matters regarding the Bible, I thought it would be helpful to be clear on what our church body, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), and what we at Immanuel, believe about the Bible.

We believe and confess that the Bible is literally the Word of God, not merely a book that contains His words. We believe everything in the Bible is verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, entirely infallible, inerrant, and serves as the sole, absolute rule and norm for all Christian doctrine, faith, and living.

The official stance of the LCMS regarding Scripture includes the following core principles:

• Divine Authorship and Inspiration: Both the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, making the entire Bible the exact Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Hebrews 3:7-8)
• Inerrancy: The LCMS maintains that the Bible is infallible and entirely truthful in all its parts and words. (2 Timothy 3:16; John 17:17; John 10:35; Psalm 19:7-9; Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5)
• Christ-Centered Focus: The LCMS teaches that the ultimate purpose and the “heart and center” of the entire Bible is Jesus Christ and His saving work for humanity. (John 20:30-31; Luke 24:27; John 5:39; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-3; John 3:16)
• Sole Rule of Faith: The Bible is the “norm of doctrine,” meaning it is the final judge and standard for evaluating all teachings, practices, and human traditions, and the guide by which we are called to live our lives. (2 Timothy 3:14-17; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Acts 17:11; Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19)

You can read the full official position of the LCMS in the synod’s “Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod” that was written and adopted in 1932 (https://www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/doctrine/brief-statement-of-lcms-doctrinal-position) or explore FAQs about the Bible on the LCMS website (https://www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/faqs/the-bible). Martin Luther’s Small Catechism is also a rich resource to explore as it speaks to our belief about God’s Word as well.

Finally, there is one other resource that I failed to mention but you might find helpful when it comes to reading God’s Word. One of our amazing resident theologians, Jim Found, has written a nice summary and encouragement on his website, which you can read at https://foundbytes.com/bible/.

I share all of this so we can better appreciate the real treasure we have been given by our God Himself. He loves us and wants us to know that truth unequivocably, without doubt, uncertainty, or question. And He wants us each to know how our story fits into His story of creation, redemption, and renewal. And how are we to know these things do we know it? Because He tells us very clearly. Let this gift of God’s Word be our hope, our truth, and our life!

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

As we’re talking about HOPE all summer long, yesterday’s focus on Hope in God’s Word is by far the biggest gold mine we will experience. Week-in and week-out we look to God in His Word and the many, many passages that speak to the hope we look for and the hope we need for our day-to-day lives. So to focus solely on God’s Word as a whole, there’s almost no end to what I could have shared when it comes to the promises and assurances that our Savior offers us from Genesis to Revelation!

Here is the What Now? I left you with, encouraging all of us to take time each day to sit with our God and Lord and listen to Him, letting Him speak into our lives what He knows we need:

What Now?

Let the wonder, the promises, and the assurances of God’s Word fill your heart and your mind each day. If you don’t already, strive toward spending time in God’s Word each day, letting Him water the seed of His Word in you.

I urge you not to let this be a Law-thing or a guilt-thing when it comes to spending time each day in God’s Word. Instead, let it be a beautiful habit that we get into and practice regularly, being in the strong, safe presence of our loving Savior who is with us always and always has something to offer us. What a gift we have in a God who wants to be in relationship with us, who wants to speak into our lives, who wants to provide for us what He truly knows we need!

Yesterday in my sermon, I mentioned that I would be providing suggestions and resources for you to consider and explore when it comes to spending time each day in God’s Word. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it’s at least a place to start your exploration.

• For starters, we have Immanuel’s own Bring It Home (BIH) devotions. I started writing these daily devotions in the 1990s out of the desire to provide an option to be in God’s Word each day with a devotion that ties directly into the message that was given that Sunday. I’ve since tapped the shoulder of a number of very gifted people who have formed a team that now writes these wonderful devotions each week. This team is composed of people here at Immanuel who are amazing writers and who have solid grounding in theology and God’s Word. I’m very thankful for each and every one of them! This resource is available in a paper copy that is inserted each week into our worship folders. It’s also available to have it emailed to you at about 4:00am each morning. If you would like to be added to that email group, make that request to ChurchOffice@ImmanuelLoveland.org and we’ll be happy to add this resource to your email inbox! You can also find past and current BIH devotions on Immanuel’s website (https://immanuelloveland.org/bring-it-home/).
• Another resource for daily devotions is from Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM.org). This is a trusted source of Christ-centered and relevant devotions from God’s Word. On their website you’ll find not only daily devotions that you can read or have read to you, but many other helpful, practical resources for our life in Jesus. I’ve been using their daily devotions for many years now, listening to them through their app on my phone.
• Two other resources, Portals of Prayer and Our Daily Bread, have been around for almost 90 and 70 years respectively, and have been beloved resources for daily devotions for many believers. Both of these resources are available in print, online, and on an app.
• In addition to these devotional resources, another option to be in God’s Word each day is to just read through the Bible. There are lots and lost of reading guides available online as well as many “Bible in a Year” suggestions and resources that can be found.

Finally, there are also many resources for Bible study and gathering with other believers to learn and grow and study God’s Word. Let me highlight a couple of those resources as well.

• Scripture in Motion is a resource near-and-dear to my heart as it is a non-profit run by my son David. Each month, he and a team of collaborators produce an animated video that creatively and beautifully brings a passage of Scripture to life. There are Bible study materials and devotional materials available to accompany each video that they produce that can be used for personal Bible study or as a study in groups. Check out some of these amazing videos (a number of which we have used at Immanuel on Sunday mornings) and related studies – https://scriptureinmotion.com/.
• Starting in the fall, Immanuel always offers a variety of Bible studies on Sunday mornings during the Education Hour (9:30-10:20am). Stay tuned on what’s being offered both on Sunday mornings as well as new studies that will take place during the week by reading here in these email updates.
• And there are many weekday Bible studies that are also currently available: men’s and women’s Monday evening studies led by Josh and Emma Hubble, daytime studies led by Jim Found, men’s studies on Tuesday and Friday mornings, and many more. Contact the church office if you have questions (ChurchOffice@ImmanuelLoveland.org, 970-667-4506).

We are so blessed to have and to know this God who loves us as He does! Enjoy your time with Him each day and let Him speak into your life to help, encourage, and guide you, bringing you the hope He offers.

Serving together in Christ alone!

Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel, 

Today I share with you the update on where we stand with our Run with Perseverance ministry campaign. This campaign officially began last December when the congregation voted to follow the recommendation of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) from one of the three studies they conducted on our behalf. They strongly recommended that we begin a campaign as soon as possible to help with the financial challenges we were facing.

At the end of December, I recruited an amazing team of individuals who were willing to serve on the leadership team for the campaign and to help facilitate and lead this important campaign. That small team included Becky York (Campaign Director), Annette Bures (Campaign Manager), and Justin Logston (Communications Director), in addition to our LCEF consultant, Rev. Kris Kunkel, and myself.

After our initial meetings in early January, the next step was to expand the team and bring more people on board for the many tasks that would need to be done. Again, the team that was assembled are people to whom I am so grateful for their willingness to give so much time, effort, and creative energy into making this campaign all that it has been. This larger team met every two weeks from February through May. The rest of the team included:

• Communications Team: Kurt Holdorf, Josh Hubble
• Prayer Coordinators: Paul and Gail Hein
• Hospitality Coordinator: Kathy Schlecht
• Connection Coordinators: Paul and Donna Gorky
• Children’s and Youth Leader: Emma Hubble
• Financial Coordinator: Dave Ritter
• Fulfillment Coordinators: Jerry Austin and Bill Busacker

The goal of the campaign is to raise $950,000 over the next three years. If we hit that number, the initial proposal was to use these dollars in the following ways: $600,000 available for operating expenses ($200,000 each year) and $350,000 for a reserve fund for upcoming capital and facility needs for our aging building and grounds. These allocations seemed to a reasonable estimate of anticipated future needs. There will be some flexibility as real needs arise, and final determination for the use of those funds will be made by the Executive Council, striving to be good stewards of these resources.

As we’ve gone through the various phases of the campaign, including Preparation, Information, Inspiration, and Commitment, I’m thankful for how many of you participated in the various events, activities, small groups, and Sunday morning worship times to better understand what this was all about.

And I’m humbled and so grateful for how many of you have been willing to make commitments, not only of your finances, but also regarding various spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, and time in God’s Word, as well as other upcoming opportunities to learn and grow that will be offered later this fall and well into our three-year campaign and through the Fulfillment Phase.

As I’ve been emphasizing, the reason behind this strong encouragement to make commitments – financial, spiritual disciplines, and opportunities to grow and learn – is because this 3-year emphasis is something we can all be part of. This is the Lord’s ministry, and He invites us to be His hands and feet, carrying out the mission and vision He’s given us. And what a joy it is that we can do that together! If you have not yet made a commitment, I would ask you to prayerfully consider doing that as we continue to Run with Perseverance together! You can stop in the church office for a paper commitment card, pick one up from the atrium, or fill out a commitment card online using this link – https://immanuelloveland.org/runwithperseverance/ then clicking the red “Online Commitment Card” button. It’s never too late!

As you can see by the graphic below, to date we have 112 family units who have made commitments. I know there are a number of you who, for various reasons, have chosen not to make commitments but are, in fact, engaged and involved – I’m thankful for all who call Immanuel home and are part of the great things the Lord is doing in this place and time!

I’m thrilled to announce that those 112 family units have made three-year financial commitments totaling $865, 986, which is 91.2% of our goal! Praise God!

There is also some fun to be had, as our Run with Perseverance Communications Team got very creative with this graphic that will be updated monthly to keep us abreast of where we are throughout these three years. Here is a brief explanation of the graphic.

There are three runners in the graphic – Percy, Vera, and Nance (get it? Perseverance…). Percy is the one tracking the total dollar amount of three-year commitments that have been made. Vera will be running with the actual dollar amount given toward our three-year goal. And Nance will be running with the total number of family units who have made commitments. This graphic will be updated at the end of each month, and I’ll share that in my email update and we’ll also have the printed copies out in the atrium for you to follow. Many thanks to Kurt Holdorf of the Communications Team for his work in regularly updating this graphic for us.

In the meantime, we continue, even through these summer months, to look for creative ways to carry out the mission and vision our Savior has given us to transform lives by loving, learning, and living in Jesus, expressing Radical Hospitality, leaning into Transformational Learning, and striving toward Fearless Living, all for the sake of the Gospel! Praise God for His work in our hearts and lives, as well as through the work and service He inspires in each of us as together we Run with Perseverance!

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

Friends of Immanuel, 

   A belated Happy Independence Day to you all! Yesterday in worship we took the opportunity during our prayer time to recognize all of veterans and active military here at Immanuel to thank you for your service to our country and for your willingness to fight for the freedoms that we continue to enjoy. What a blessing you all are – thank you!! 

 We try to maintain an accurate listing of all of our veterans so if you have not previously shared with us your branch of service, years of service, and pictures of both your time of service and a current picture, please do so in order that we have you included. We also have some veterans who are deceased, both young and old, who have Immanuel connections – we would like to have information and pictures for those individuals as well, so please pass those along, too. In addition, we would also be happy to include children or grandchildren who are veterans or active military in this list as well. Please send your information or questions to ChurchOffice@ImmanuelLoveland.org. Thank you! 

250 years is certainly a significant milestone for our country. As we celebrate 250 years of freedom and independence, it is good to pause and reflect on just how truly blessed we are as a country. While certainly biased, I think many of us would agree that the United States of America is the greatest country in the world, precisely because of the freedoms we enjoy, the wisdom of our founding fathers in crafting the Constitution and structure of our government as they did, and the Bill of Rights and the freedoms ensured through those amendments to the Constitution.  

We truly are blessed as a nation! But those blessings and the freedoms we enjoy can be double-edged swords. With free speech, people are allowed to say and do things that not all of us would necessarily agree with, whether that is political opinions, our stance on various social issues, criticizing and speaking ill of our sitting president (of whichever party), and so much more. Sadly, those blessings and freedoms can also easily be taken for granted and we can forget how good we have it. 

For us as followers of Jesus living in the U.S.A., we can consider ourselves doubly blessed. We, more than anyone, can appreciate what freedom is all about. We know that the freedoms we enjoy here are freedoms the come from our God. We look to Him in His Word and acknowledge where we as a country are going sideways and contrary to God and His ways. We read in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” We are a country in need of healing right now. Freedom doesn’t come to us for free. For our country, many thousands of soldiers have given their lives. For our world, it was Jesus who laid down His life to bring us the true freedom we need. For that healing to come, we need to pray for our land, our leaders, and ourselves. We need to seek God the Lord and acknowledge His ways as they ways of Truth and Life. 

 Yes, we are thankful for the freedom we have to practice our faith, to worship freely without fear of recrimination or backlash, and to be able to live out our faith in Jesus every single day. But even more than that, we are thankful for the real freedom that we can know in Jesus – a freedom that doesn’t come from living in the United States but a freedom that Jesus has brought to us through His death and resurrection, a victory over sin, death and the devil, and a freedom that goes beyond the bounds of time. 

Real freedom comes in knowing that forgiveness is real because of Jesus. We do not need to live day after day with guilt and shame weighing us down. Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) We can come to Jesus with anything and everything, confessing our sin, seeking His help in difficult times, leaning into His strength and the love He has for us. We are not alone! We have a Savior who has promised to be with us always, who will forgive when we confess, who will help whenever we ask, and who has given us freedom that we know in our hearts and minds.  

Coming off these very fun and festive celebrations of our 250 years of freedom, continue to give thanks to the Lord our God, the true King of kings and Lord of lords, who has come to set us free! 

Serving together in Christ alone! 

Pastor Glen 

Friends of Immanuel,
Outdoor worship starts THIS Sunday, July 5^th! Those of you who are new to Immanuel may be wondering, why outdoor worship? We started outdoor worship at our previous location on Hilltop Drive in the late 90s, taking our contemporary worship service outdoors during the summer months. The idea behind it was outreach – providing a less threatening atmosphere for people not familiar with worship or church where they might feel more comfortable checking us out. That’s still the main reason we have outdoor worship from the first Sunday in July through Labor Day weekend – it’s always about the mission our Lord has given us to reach out to others!

One cool story about this is from Jeff and Jacky Deaner. Jeff shared this: “The outdoor worship Sunday morning is what brought Jacky and me to Immanuel many years ago. She was out walking the dogs one Sunday and heard the music and checked it out. I was working in Dillon and she called all excited and said, ‘I think I’ve found us a church!!’ The rest is history.” If you have a story like this to share, send it my way – I love hearing the amazing (and unexpected!) ways that God works in our lives!

Of course, there are plenty of other “bonuses” to outdoor worship as well. We are blessed to live in one of the most beautiful areas of the country and, generally, we have pretty dry and arid conditions with morning rains being relatively rare. So we take advantage of those blessings and worship our Creator out in the beauty of His creation.

So THIS Sunday, if you enjoy worshiping in the outdoor setting, plan to come at 9:30am to the west lawn in and around the pergola. Please plan to bring a camping/lawn chair along with you to worship, as well as anything else that would make it more comfortable for you (a hat, sunglasses, water bottle, sunscreen, a blanket for kids to sit on, etc.). In addition to the pergola, we do have an expanded shade structure coming off the pergola, as well as some shade from the building. Sadly, to provide you a heads-up, this winter we lost two large trees on the north side of our outdoor worship space that provided some significant shade. With that in mind, I’m going to ask our “regular attenders” in advance to be sure and move toward the front of our worship space under the pergola (where there’s lots of shade up by me!), particularly if you arrive early. In addition, not having an over-abundance of space between “rows” will also help maximize the available shade. Thanks for helping practice Radical Hospitality in this way!

Please spread the word about this awesome opportunity to worship in our outdoor setting! Extend an invitation to someone who may not be connected to a church right now and have them join you for worship – whether that’s to the outdoor service or our 8:00 indoor Classic Grace service.

I’ll add that with the celebration of Independence Day Saturday, take time to remember how truly blessed we are as people of God with the freedoms we enjoy not only here in the United States, but with the ultimate freedom we know and experience every single day in Jesus! Have a very happy, safe, and blessed Independence Day celebration and I hope to see you in worship on Sunday!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,

We celebrated the gift of baptism yesterday in worship in several ways. The most prominent was the joy of having two baptisms from two different families, one in each worship service. We celebrated little 8-month-old Hayes Christofferson being baptized at the 8:00am service and Aayla Deter, a college-age student who received God’s gift of baptism at the 9:30am service (look for some pictures of both baptisms in Thursday’s update!). We heard from God in His Word a few of the many prominent references about baptism and the hope it offers, including Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38-39, John 3:1-8, and Romans 6:1-11. We sang of baptism and the hope we know because of this gift and we spoke of it throughout yesterday’s liturgy. And we also had our baptism bowls out to give everyone the opportunity to feel the water, make the sign of the cross, and remember God’s hope-filled gift to us.

I mentioned that there was so much more that God tells us about baptism throughout His Word that we didn’t have time to look at in one sermon. I’d like to address one additional important aspect of this gift of baptism and that is why we baptize babies. There are two parts to this answer. The first is the reality of sin. God’s Word is clear that we are all sinful, separated from God, and in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23). In fact, He tells us that we are conceived and born in sin (Psalm 51:5). There are no exemptions from the need for Jesus – from conception through infancy and early childhood, through our teen years and into adulthood, we are sinful and need our Lord’s forgiveness.

The second is faith. Faith is not simply head-knowledge and being able to verbalize our belief in Jesus. It’s important that we come to that place in our lives where we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10). But faith is also a gift from God and not something that we come up with or manufacture for ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9 and 1 Corinthians 12:3) – creating faith in our hearts and pointing us to Jesus is the primary work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus expressed the fact that even a baby can have faith – looking at a passage of Scripture not directly related to baptism. In the opening verses of Matthew 18, Jesus is talking about children and becoming like little children, welcoming them and receiving them. Then in verse 6, He says, “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble…” Little ones is a reference to a baby, a tiny child, and Jesus speaks of them being able to believe, or have faith, in Him. Faith is not only a gift, it’s a relationship that we are invited into by God Himself.

So we baptize babies because they need Jesus just as much as anyone! They are part of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 and were likely part of Lydia’s and the jailer’s households in the accounts in Acts 16 of everyone in these two households being baptized. This gift of baptism is for everyone!

Below is the What Now? for this week that I hope you can put to practice as we remember and celebrate this hope-filled gift of God’s grace. And I want to make sure the door is open wide for anyone who is wondering about baptism or has questions about baptism or who would like to be baptized but isn’t sure, to please talk with me. At the end of this week’s What Now? is my contact information. Reach out to me and let’s talk! In the meantime, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

What Now?

This week, let every shower, every bath, every washing of your hands, washing dishes, and washing clothes, remind you of the promises of being a baptized child of God, washed clean by the blood of Jesus. As you remember, give thanks to God for this life-giving gift! If you have not been baptized and you would like to or if you have questions about it, reach out to Pastor Glen (gschlecht@ImmanuelLoveland.org, 970-203-4810).

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen

Friends of Immanuel,
Recently, many members have asked about the marketing and enrollment efforts taking place at Immanuel. Behind every website update, social media post, advertisement, and school visit is a larger goal: helping more families discover the Christ-centeredness of Immanuel, both in our church and in the education available at Immanuel Lutheran School. While some of that work is easy to see, much of it happens behind the scenes as we seek to share Immanuel’s story and connect families to our mission.

One of the people helping lead these efforts is Ashley Jones, Immanuel’s Director of Communications and Marketing. Ashley joined Immanuel in 2022 as a Ministry Support Specialist. Through God’s amazing timing, the opportunity came as her family was moving to Berthoud and preparing for their oldest daughter to begin preschool at Immanuel. She and her husband, Nic, are parents to four children—Evy (7), Leo (6), Carsten (4), and Madi (15 months).

While much of Ashley’s current work focuses on school marketing and enrollment, she also serves the church through communications and marketing. She manages Immanuel’s website, social media, livestreams, YouTube channel, Monday Immanuel Weekly Newsletters, podcasts, branding, and digital outreach efforts. In addition, she designs graphics and promotional materials for worship services, sermon series, ministry events, and special programs, helping connect members and visitors with the ministries of Immanuel.

One project Ashley led was improving the digital experience for members by ensuring all church events in CCB include detailed descriptions and clear information. She also redesigned the Monday Immanuel Weekly email from a text-based newsletter into a visually organized weekly snapshot featuring upcoming events, the latest sermon, and quick links to church and school news. The result is a communication tool that is easier to read at a glance, more visually engaging, and helps members quickly connect with the information most relevant to them.

Ashley also creates weekly Sermon Snapshot videos—brief 1–2-minute highlights from Sunday’s sermon shared across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and TikTok. These videos help members revisit key takeaways from the message while also extending Immanuel’s ministry beyond Sunday morning. Social media algorithms often show these videos to people far beyond Immanuel’s current audience—including many in our local community—creating opportunities to share God’s Word, introduce people to Immanuel, and prayerfully connect them to a church home where they may one day join us in worship.

As her skills and passion for Christian education and ministry became evident, her role quickly expanded. In 2024, Ashley transitioned into her current role as Immanuel’s Director of Communications and Marketing and began helping develop a long-term marketing and enrollment strategy for the school. That work accelerated after Ashley and Cheryl attended a free marketing and enrollment training through the Herzog Foundation in January 2025, with travel covered by a generous donor. They returned with valuable strategies to strengthen enrollment, communication, and family engagement.

Shortly afterward, Ashley and Nic welcomed their fourth child and made the difficult decision to relocate to Arizona for a new opportunity for Nic. Thankfully, Ashley has been able to continue serving Immanuel remotely and remains actively involved in the school’s communications and marketing efforts.

Marketing is about more than advertisements. The goal is simple: help more families discover Immanuel, understand our mission, and experience a Christ-centered educational community.

Over the past two years, Immanuel has moved from having no formal marketing strategy to implementing a comprehensive plan focused on enrollment growth, consistent messaging, family engagement, and retention. In addition, the school’s marketing efforts were reviewed alongside recommendations from the recent LCEF school study. The review affirmed many of the initiatives already underway while also helping identify a few additional opportunities for growth and improvement.

Key initiatives have included:

• Developing a unified school message and brand story
• Creating enrollment lead tracking and reporting systems
• Launching automated email follow-up campaigns
• Improving search engine visibility (SEO)
• Expanding social media and digital advertising
• Strengthening community outreach efforts
• Continuing major website improvements
• Enhancing communication with current and prospective families

As Immanuel continues to grow, current priorities include website improvements, strengthening enrollment systems, increasing community awareness, and helping more families discover the opportunities available through Immanuel Lutheran School.

Most importantly, every website update, social media post, email campaign, school visit, and advertisement serves a greater purpose: sharing Immanuel’s mission and connecting families to a Christ-centered community where students are Rooted in Christ to SOAR.

Wondering how YOU can help grow our school’s enrollment?
The most powerful marketing tool isn’t an advertisement—it’s a personal recommendation.

If you hear a friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member sharing that their child is struggling at school or that they are exploring educational options, consider sharing your positive experience at Immanuel. Personal stories and recommendations continue to be one of the primary ways new families discover our school.

You can also help through social media. If you’re part of local community Facebook groups and see someone asking for childcare or school recommendations, take a moment to share your experience, tag Immanuel Lutheran School, and encourage them to schedule a visit.

Thank you for being part of the Immanuel story. We are excited to see how God continues to bless and grow this ministry in the years ahead!

Serving together in Christ alone!
Pastor Glen