Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
2025 has officially begun - and we continue walking with our Lord Jesus as the season of Epiphany gets underway! Details on opportunities for worship, education, fellowship and service are below.
WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
The Divine Service continues weekly at 10:00 am on Sundays. Sunday School & Bible Class are held beforehand at 9:00 am, beginning with a joint opening in the Fellowship Hall.
Livestreams of our services can be found at
Our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent livestreamed service is viewable on our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
CARES (Caring, Active, Reaching, Encouraging Sisters in Christ) continue their weekly sessions on Wednesdays at 9:45 am. Click here for a sample of this year's CARES book Unfailing: God's Assurance for Times of Change by Rev. Christopher Kennedy.
NEW! LifeLight: Judges, a 9-week survey of the Biblical book, begins next Tuesday, January 21st at 10:30 am. Contact Shirley Hoese to reserve study materials!
WHAT'S NEW AND NEXT
Be sure to check our January newsletterand our weekly announcements for info on the events listed below and other notable news:
Sandy's Tradition Thursday, January 16th at 11:30 am at Applebee’s on the East Beltline. Contact Judy Gerke so reservations can be made.
Parish Leadership Worship Saturday, January 18th at 9:00 am, with continental breakfast served at 8:30 am. All officers, board & committee members and other group leaders are encouraged to attend for reflection on God's Word, review of administrative basics and discussion/brainstorming.
Urdu Worship Service Saturday, January 18th at 5:00 pm. Led by Pastor Afzal Masih, this service will be held in the fellowship hall, with a Pakistani meal following. Urdu services are held on the third Saturday of each month; Messiah members and friends are welcome to attend!
The funeral service for our brother in Christ Bill Brinkman will be held at Messiah on Saturday, February 1st at 11:00 am. Click here for Bill's obituary and complete details.
NEW! National Lutheran Schools Week January 26th through February 2nd. Highlights will include:
Our first Preschool Open House of 2025 on Tuesday, January 28th from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Encourage parents and grandparents you know to bring their 3-and-4-year-olds!
Our Preschool children serving as our choir for worship on Sunday, February 2nd at 10:00 am.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH SEMINAR FEBRUARY 8
Registration for Messiah's annual Spiritual Growth Seminar (on Saturday, February 8th from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm) is now open! We'll welcome Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Leininger of First St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Chicago to explore the topic Callings for Life; God’s Plan, Your Purpose. You’ll leave this seminar more fully grounded in Jesus’ teachings and better equipped to live out your callings every day!
There's no charge for this Seminar, and continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Pastor Leininger will have copies of his Concordia Publishing House book Callings for Life available for purchase.
You can register for the Spiritual Growth Seminar by:
Signing up at Messiah's Welcome Center or in our Bible classes
Signing up online. Click here to visit our RSVP page!
Calling 616-363-2553 during office hours.
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM PASTOR ERIC
I received this message from the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod's Worship office that I want to pass along to you:
We would like to invite parents and young children (ages 0–12) to join us for an informal conversation about children in Lutheran worship, hosted by LCMS Worship and led by the Rev. Sean Daenzer, LCMS Director of Worship. We want to hear directly from children and parents about the many ways children are full members of the Body of Christ now, receiving God’s gifts together in His Word and Sacraments, and in the corporate worship of the church. We want to hear from you about your experiences, questions, challenges and needs as parents and children.
We are especially interested in the insights you can offer that could help congregations be more intentional about engaging children in worship and making full use of the Divine Service’s intergenerational and multisensory tools for faith formation. This listening session is part of LCMS Worship’s “Sing, Pray and Keep His Ways” program, funded in part through Lilly Endowment Inc.’s “Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer” Initiative.
Location:
Our Savior Lutheran Church
2900 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Date: Sunday, February 2, 2025
Conversation and Meal: 4:00–7:00pm
Compline (Prayer at the Close of the Day): 7:00pm
Click here to RSVP!
