Potluck!

There will be a potluck meal served after worship service this Sunday, Feb 2nd.

Potlucks are usually held at O.R. on the first Sunday of the month.  Potluck Sunday is a great time to visit our church...especially if you are a first-time visitor!  There is ample opportunity to meet members of the congregation over delicious food.

Sometimes people mention they don't feel they can stay for Potluck if they didn't bring something to contribute to the meal.

NONSENSE!

We want you to stay and enjoy the meal with us.  There is ALWAYS enough food for everyone!  There are NO FOOD POLICE at Our Redeemer's.  We simply want to enjoy your company!

So whether you prepared your special recipe, picked up a bag of baby carrots at the convenience store on your way to church, forgot it was potluck day, dislike cooking, or find yourself unable or reluctant to contribute at this time...

Please know that the people of O.R. would delight in your presence at our table!

Announcements

Please use the link above to check the Announcement page for upcoming events happening at Our Redeemer's and in the Parish. 

Please note that there will not be a Project Linus gathering this February.

The O.R. Annual Pancake Supper will be held Sunday, February 23, from 4-7pm.  This is a Free Will offering meal in the church basement, with a bake and craft sale held on the main floor.  Please make plans to attend and invite friends!

9am Worship Resumes

Now that the Annual Meeting has passed, Our Redeemer's will resume worship at 9:00am on Sunday mornings.

Please note: Most elements of the 2014 Annual Meeting are available on the page link above or by clicking HERE

Annual Congregational Meeting

Please remember that our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on January 19.  For that one Sunday only, Our Redeemer's will switch worship times with Trinity.  O.R. will worship at 10:30am on Jan 19th so Pastor Mike may attend the meeting.  A brief Acolyte Training Session for the children and a potluck meal will be held immediately after the meeting. 

   

Acolyte Training

Pastor Mike will offer a brief Acolyte Training Session immediately after the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 19.  All children that are interested in the various alter jobs such as ringing the bell, lighting and extinguishing candles, and collecting offering should attend.  This training session will quickly introduce the traditional and safe way to handle the alter supplies.  The potluck should be ready to serve by the time the instruction is completed.

We are grateful to have so many children at Our Redeemer's that are interested in, and willing to, perform acolyte duties.  A sign-up has been added to the Volunteer page so children can choose which months they would like to serve in this way.  We hope this will help give each child the opportunity to serve.  Children of all ages are encouraged to become involved in the acolyte duties.  Additional training sessions will be offered in the near future for those families that cannot attend on January 19th.

Children Welcome!

I ran across this blog article and I felt it was worthy of sharing.

Click Here to read article.

Our Redeemer's is a small church.  We offer Children's Sunday School, but we don't have a big, fancy nursery, we don't offer childcare...

However, we LOVE it when children are in the congregation!

Sure...children can be loud.  They can cause frustration for their parents.  But you might be surprised at how those of us in the pews that have grown children are fondly reminded of former years when your young child acts like a wiggly, chatty, squirmy, hungry, inpatient, opinionated, typical child.

We are always, ALWAYS so happy to see children in our church.

If you are a parent/grandparent/guardian of small children, please know that you are MOST WELCOME to join us for worship and Sunday school!

Click HERE to read article.

FREE Community Breakfast

The Our Redeemer's Men's Group will serve Community Breakfast from 7:45am to 8:45am on Sunday, January 12th.  This is a FREE meal offered to the entire community.  Please join us!

From the Desk of Pastor Mike...

   Greetings in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as we begin this new year together.  I would like to thank both congregations for allowing me to take the place of Pastor Jay.  It will truly be an honor to serve this parish as this is the parish that gave me my first opportunity to be a pulpit supply pastor back in 1986.  I have given a lot of time to prayer about this next chapter of my life and I know that the Holy Spirit has led me to take on this task.  It is wonderful that both congregations are in good shape and healthy both in spiritual and financial ways.  Despite being off the traffic pattern of the area we continue to grow and maintain our presence.  We remain ELCA Lutherans and hold the basic principles of Luther's theological teachings that were set nearly 500 years ago, namely: GRACE alone (we are selected by God alone- not anything that we do)  FAITH alone (a confident trust in God who keeps His promises to us) and SCRIPTURE alone (the Bible is the norm for faith and life).  We are truly a faith founded on GOOD NEWS.

   I would like to share a humorous story that goes like this: A Sunday school teacher asked her little children as they returned to the sanctuary from class-"and why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"  One bright little girl replied: "because people are sleeping."  I know that no one slept through any of Jay's sermons and I hope you don't feel like sleeping through any of mine.  I do want you all to know that if you find yourself nodding off, be sure to let me know because I will adjust to the needs of the congregations.  I appreciate feedback and if you need to talk to me about anything that concerns the parish or your family or yourself I am available.  (I haven't even started yet at this time, and I have already heard some concerns).  My phone number is 751-3049 and if I am not there to answer please leave a message and I will return your call.

   We are now in the liturgical season of Epiphany until the Transfiguration on March second.  Then, hold on to your hats, Ash Wednesday is on the fifth of March and we enter the Easter Season.

  I am looking forward to the year ahead as we walk with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.  God bless us all in this new year.     Mike

(note: The blog editor retyped Pastor Mike's message as it appeared in the Newsletter.  Apologies for any mistakes I may have contributed to the text.) 

OR Jan 5th service CANCELLED

Our Redeemer's 9am worship service on Sunday, Jan 5 has been CANCELLED due to predicted extreme cold temperatures.

Trinity Lutheran in Debs still plans to continue with the worship service at 10:30am.  All are welcome to attend worship in Debs tomorrow.

Time Switch & Potluck Change!

NO POTLUCK this first Sunday of January!

Our Redeemer's will hold it's Annual Meeting after worship service on JAN 19th.  To allow the pastor to be present at this meeting we will be switching worship times with Trinity on that day.  

On January 19th, Our Redeemer's will worship at 10:30am and Trinity will worship at 9am.

Potluck will be held after the Annual Meeting on JAN 19th.

This is how the Annual Meeting is handled every January.  Apologies from the O.R. Secretary for forgetting this and putting potluck on the 5th.  Many thanks to Rose E. for correcting me!