Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Blessed All Saints Eve (where the word "Halloween" comes from) — and Blessed Reformation Day! Thanks for your support of last week's Trunk or Treat, which brought 776 guests to our parking lot for an evening of treats, snacks, contests, games and more. We appreciate the 33 onsite volunteers and the numerous donations which helped make this event happen!
Moving from October to November, we hope that this round-up of opportunities for worship, devotion and fellowship (including highlighted new events) will be helpful as you look ahead!
WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE:
We continue with the Divine Service every Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00 am, with Sunday School and Bible Class at 9:45 am. The 11:00 am service is livestreamed at:
Our website www.messiahgr.org
Our Facebook page www.facebook.com/messiahgr.
Please note that bulletins formatted for use with our livestream are available for downloading and/or printing at home by the Wednesday before each service. They're posted weekly at www.messiahgr.org/worship-resources
Bible Class is also livestreamed at www.messiahgr.org/adult-bible-class
WHAT'S UP, WHAT'S COMING
(Detailsin our weekly announcements andin the November newsletter)
Fall LifeLight classes conclude this month:
Prayer on Tuesdays at 10:30 am
End Times on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm
CARES (Caring, Active, Reaching, Encouraging Sisters in Christ) continues on Wednesdays at 9:30 am, focusing on the book Chosen: A Study of Esther by Donna Snow.
Our biweekly Bowling League continues on Sunday, November 13th and Sunday, November 27th at 3:00 pm at Northfield Lanes. Contact Joanne Gillette for more details.
NEW! Potluck and Annual Voters' Meeting Sunday, November 20th following the 11 am service.
Thanksgiving Eve Divine Service Wednesday, November 23rd at 7:00 pm. Held at Messiah, this will be a joint Thanksgiving Eve service with our brothers & sisters of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Rockford; Pastor Jason Peterson will serve as preacher and the choirs of Messiah and St Peter will provide anthems.
NEW! Advent Midweek Services beginning Wednesday, November 30th at 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. The complete Advent and Christmas service schedule is available in the November newsletter!
Christmas Cookie and Craft Bazaar sponsored by the Parish Services Guild on Saturday, December 3rd.
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
Our November newsletter is now available online! Click here to preview or download it in its entirety. A reminder that:
Paper copies of the newsletter are available for members and guests at the Welcome Center. We also continue to mail the newsletter to homebound members. If you want to continue receiving the newsletter, please contact the church office to make arrangements.
We also post the newsletter (including monthly calendars) online at www.messiahgr.org/news; calendars are also online separately at www.messiahgr.org/calendar.
LOOKING AHEAD [from Pastor's November newsletter article]:
"November is bringing us to the end of the church year and to the doorstep of winter. Even though it is about 75 degrees as I write this, we all know this is not going to last. Our little Indian summer has been a treat, but it would be foolish to imagine winter is not going to happen this year. How much more foolish would it be to imagine that Jesus is not going to return to judge the living and the dead?"
"Therefore, let us turn our hearts to God and renew our devotion to His Word. If we listen to Jesus’ prayer closely, we must admit that the day is drawing near and that there is an onus to our sanctification. Jesus has sent us into the world which is hostile territory. There are no noncombatants. If we wish for our faith to survive in this world, we must take refuge in the sanctuary, the place where His word sanctifies us in truth. This then is the reason we 'go to church.' Our church attendance is not a matter of getting our name on a list or checking off a box on the to-do list. Instead, we attend the Divine Service to be equipped by the armor of God so that we can extinguish the flaming darts that are hurled at us by Satan from all sides. With God’s Word, we need not fear any evil, so let us rejoice in that as the day draws nigh."
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
