Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Following our weekend of wild weather, we are back in the office getting ready for Pastor Black's installation and much more! Click here to read the announcements for this week; and read on for more details on two special events.
PASTORAL INSTALLATION - SUNDAY, JANUARY 21ST
Please join us when Rev. Eric Black is installed as Messiah’s 7th pastor in a special service of prayer, preaching and praise this Sunday, January 21st at 3:00 pm!
We are also planning a festive meal following the installation service. The meal will be free of charge, but it's extremely important that we hear back from you if you are planning on attending! Please contact the church office to RSVP by Friday, January 19th, or sign up at the Welcome Center if you're at Messiah during the week.
We are also continuing a pantry shower of canned and staple goods, paper products, etc. to welcome the Black family. As another option, a box for you to deposit monetary gifts or gift cards is available. Both pantry donations and other gifts can be dropped off in the church foyer this week.
Let’s get ready to receive Pastor Eric, his wife Allison, and their children Eleanor, Theodore and Lucia as gifts from our loving God’s hand on Sunday, January 21st, starting at 3:00 pm! We look forward to seeing you there.
PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE - TUESDAY, JANUARY 30TH
Do you have a young child between 3 to 5 years old? We would love to have you attend our Open House on Tuesday, January 30th from 6:00-7:30 pm to learn more about the programs Messiah Lutheran Preschool offers. Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will begin at this time as well. Please consider inviting neighbors or extended family in the area, as word of mouth is truly our best form of advertising. Need more information? Contact our preschool director Vonda Smestad at smestadv@messiahgr.org.
WEEKLY WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
We continue with one Divine Service held at 10:00 am on Sundays, with Bible Class beforehand at 9:00 am. Services are scheduled to be livestreamed at
Our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent service is viewable at our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
Bulletins formatted for use with our livestream are available for downloading and/or printing at home. These are posted at least two days before each service at www.messiahgr.org/worship-resources.
Readings and hymns for each service are also listed in the informational note found on the same web pages as our livestreams.
Bible Class is also livestreamed at www.messiahgr.org/adult-bible-class.
Thanks to Pastor James Blain for leading Sunday services and Bible Classes through January 21st; Pastor Eric assumes these responsibilities beginning Sunday, January 28th.
Our weekday Bible classes resume this coming week:
Shirley Hoese leads a 9-week LifeLight class on The Minor Prophets beginning Tuesday, January 16th at 10:30 am. Click here to learn more about this class.
Our weekly women's group CARES (Caring, Active, Reaching, Encouraging Sisters in Christ) resumes weekly sessions on Wednesday, January 17th at 9:45 am, reading and discussing the book God’s Provision in a Wilderness World by Lindsey Hausch. Click here for a book sample.
Rev. Jason Peterson of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Rockford completes his service as our vacancy pastor this week; please contact him in case of any needs between now and January 21st. Once Pastor Black is installed, feel free to contact him with your spiritual needs.
FOR MORE NEWS
Our latest monthly newsletter (including monthly calendars) and weekly announcements are always available online at www.messiahgr.org/news.
LOOKING AHEAD
The rest of January will be quite the celebration! On the morning of January 21st, we'll observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, with the theme "Just As ... I AM" based on Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” That afternoon, as Pastor Black is installed, we'll hear Jesus' words from Mark 10:43-45: "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” And on January 28th, our preschool children (along with their families) will join us for Lutheran Schools Sunday, singing praises to our heavenly Father & hearing our Savior's invitation in Luke 18:16-17: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Invited by Christ, may we all be moved to a deeper reliance on His Word and Sacraments, trust that His Holy Spirit will work through them, gather around them in worship, and grow through them, ever more together in faith, hope and love.
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
