The Messenger

Monthly news for Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Menominee, Michigan

APRIL 2019

Holy Week & Easter at Emmanuel

Sunday of the Passion/ Palm Sunday – April 14

Worship at 8:00am and 10:00am

Maundy Thursday Worship – April 18

10:00am and 6:00pm 4:00 p.m. 1st Communion Session/ 5:00 p.m. Seder Meal

Good Friday Ecumenical – April 19

St James Church in Marinette Noon to 3:00pm

(Emmanuel’s Senior Choir to sing at 1:00pm)

Tenebrae Service at Emmanuel - 7:00pm

The Resurrection of Our Lord – April 21

Holy Communion – 8:00am and 10:00am

from the pastor

Brothers and Sisters in Christ; According to History.com, although April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person. Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises. There’s also speculation that April Fools’ Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather. April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, it became a two-day tradition that started with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them. In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations and Web sites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences. In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked

many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour. In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich. The long and short of it is that this day which I always enjoy (actually, I enjoy pranks on any day!), has a long and storied history. The irony is that there may be no more appropriate setting to enjoy this day than in the church. On April 21st, Easter Sunday, we will gather together in worship and we will celebrate the greatest prank in history – Jesus rising from the dead and showing death that God has the final say, not death. It is the triumphant day of the church year – as well as in the lives of all God’s children, as the power of the resurrection is put on fully display. Now, if you’ve ever been part of any elaborate prank, you know that there is time and effort put into setting it up. The same holds true for Easter, and Holy Week serves as the appropriate backdrop. On Palm Sunday, we experience Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday we join with Jesus and his disciples in the upper room where he gives them (and us!) a new commandment. On Good Friday, we watch with all people of all time as Jesus is nailed to the cross bearing our sins, he dies, descending to the dead and taking those sins with him, and is placed in the grave, seemingly never to be seen or heard from again. It’s elaborate, and it’s the perfect set-up for the big surprise that awaits us all three days later. And I hope you are able to join with us on that day, Resurrection Sunday, when the great prank is celebrated, that day when heaven uses the foolishness of the cross to give all humanity the greatest gift ever, the hope of eternal life. While we won’t pin fake tails or “kick me” signs on unsuspecting worshipers, we will be reminded of the power and promises of the cross, the grave, and the hope that only Jesus Christ can and does offer to all sinners, every last one of us. In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Good Friday Community Service Sponsored by the Twin County Ministerial Association

April 19, 2019 Noon to 3:00 p.m.

St. James Lutheran Church

1402 Main St., Marinette, Wisconsin

The theme will be Jesus—As Others Knew Him. We will look at

Jesus through different lenses, through the eyes of some of the

pivotal characters in the Passion accounts in the gospels. As we

explore their experiences with Jesus, we may gain a better

understanding of how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection can more

deeply impact our lives.

Sermons on this theme will be delivered by the following

ministers:

12:00-12:30 p.m. –Simon Peter, his Disciple

Rev. Jim Wendt, Our Savior’s Lutheran

12:30- 1:00 p.m. – Mary, his Mother

Rev. Doug Schoen, Lutheran (retired)

1:00- 1:30 p.m. – Mary Magdalene, his Follower & Witness

Rev. Linnea Ek, Community Covenant

1:30- 2:00 p.m. – Judas Iscariot, his Betrayer

Rev. Jon Nelson, First & Pioneer Presbyterian

2:00- 2:30 p.m. – Pontius Pilate, his Executioner

Rev. Mark Johnson, Ev. Covenant (retired)

2:30- 3:00 p.m. – Nicodemus, his Questioner

Rev. Glenn Kanestrom, St. Paul’s Episcopal

Rev. Linda Forray will be the host pastor. Music by choirs and

soloists will be offered in each half hour segment. Worshipers may

attend any or all of the segments. There will be a brief interlude

between segments. Free will offerings will be used to support

local charities.

Stewardship of God’s ‘very good’ creation “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”-Genesis 1:31 Six times while creating the heavens and the earth God pauses and sees that it is “good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 26). But when all is completed, God marvels and calls it “very good.” Today that “very good” creation is under extreme strain from climate change, plastic waste, toxins in our air and water, species extinction and countless other factors. As God-appointed stewards of creation (Genesis 1:28), we have to admit we’re failing. For these reasons, and because April 22 is Earth Day, this month presents the perfect opportunity to stress “Stewardship of Creation.” Here are some ideas: • Pray. Ask God to show us, lead us and guide us to care for the earth. • At church, celebrate April 28 as “Earth Sunday” or “Creation Sunday” with special hymns, prayers, classes and scripture. • Form a congregational “Green Team” to educate, introduce new practices and advocate for better public policies. • At church and home, establish or step up efforts to recycle all you can and reduce waste. • Note the plastic in your church and home recycling and waste stream. Discuss the crisis that plastic waste is causing. • Compost your family’s food waste. Discover how composting and recycling can reduce your trash stream. • Cut down on driving. Walk, bicycle, or use public transportation. Install a bike rack at church. • Examine your church and home’s insulation values. Have a professional tune up the heating and air conditioning systems for efficiency. What other steps could help you and your congregation prioritize caring for God’s creation? It’s the only planet we have. As stewards, we must do better to keep it “very good.” --Rob Blezard Copyright © 2019, Rev. Robert Blezard. Reprinted by permission.

We made it! Spring has sprung and winter is over. But

is the cold weather and snow really over? A feeling of

trepidation comes from past experiences of late season snows and ice

storms that quickly suggest the warmth of spring may be fleeting.

This reminds me of our personal storms we must also weather

throughout our lives. Blasts of negative experiences that can rage

damage on us emotionally and physically are much like these spring

storms that come to remind us that the cold and snow are still possible. It

is a normal part of life for all of us to have personal “spring storms”

come into our lives when we least expect it.

Our children can experience these personal storms as well. In

the April edition of Parenting Christian Kids, we are told how our

children will gravitate toward stories of superheroes because of the

protection these characters provide in times of trouble. The article also

reminds us of this important fact; that in our sinful world, Jesus is no

match for any animated character.

The Lenten season is the perfect time to teach our children about

the power that Jesus has to overcome the toughest problems and the

strongest storms. This is especially evident at Easter, when we celebrate

his victory over sin and death and experience the love and forgiveness

that Jesus brings to each of us.

God is there to help us through all of our storms, through the

many people God places in our lives to help us, along with the peace that

comes in the understanding that God is with us. God is there to help us

weather our storms. May you and your family enjoy a blessed Easter

filled with the warmth of spring!

Youth Nite! Wednesday, April 3rd

7:00-8:30 p.m.

GLOW youth advisory council is hosting a youth night for all high

school youth. Join us for a night of Bible study, games, food and

fun! We will meet in the youth room in the lower level, last room

in the education wing.

Youth and Family Ministry

From the Director: Patti Treptow

Upcoming Class Sunday, April 14

th, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Northern Great Lakes Synod MARKED! Event Our confirmation students joined with other synod students at Our

Savior’s Lutheran church in Marinette on Sunday, March 10th

for

an afternoon of learning, worship, service work, food and fun!

Thank you, congregation, for your donations of items for our

health and hygiene drive. With all the donations collected, we

were able to make 104 kits for Lutheran World Relief. Here are a

few glimpses of our day.

5th

Grade

First Communion

Class Schedule: Sunday, March 24th

Sunday, March 31st

Sunday, April 7th

Sunday, April 14th

All classes start directly at 10:00 a.m. in the conference room at the end

of the office hallway.

Final Communion instruction will be on Maundy Thursday, April 18th

starting at 4:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, with a symbolic Seder meal in the

fellowship hall at 5:00 p.m. involving their families, ending with the

Maundy Thursday worship service at 6:00 p.m. where the children will

receive their first Holy Communion with their family.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

The Sunday school children will be participating in the

traditional Palm Procession on Palm Sunday, April

14th during the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Parents,

please leave your children in the main narthex to

prepare for the procession. Following the children's sermon, the children

will be dismissed to their classrooms. Please note that there will be no Sunday school on Easter Sunday,

April 21st so our families can worship together for the entire Easter

Sunday service.

Palm Sunday Egg Hunt April 14

th at 11:00 a.m.

All children from toddlers to 6th

grade are welcomed to join in an

egg hunt at 11:00 a.m. Please meet in the

narthex following worship/Sunday school

for this fun event!

NEW MEMBER CLASS

Any persons who are interested in membership at Emmanuel are

invited to join Pastor Mark for a new member class. Pastor Mark

will share who we are as an ELCA Lutheran church, as well as

answer any questions that potential new members may have. This

class will take place at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 27th in the

narthex. New members will then be welcomed on Sunday, May

5th at our 8:00 and 10:00 services. If you have any questions or

are interested in being part of this, please contact the church office

at 863-3431.

Please sign up in the narthex.

Lake Traverse Indian Reservation

South Dakota

June 30th

– July 5th

Thank you, Emmanuel congregation,

for your support in our recent Baked Potato Bar and gift basket drawing

fundraiser! Thank you also to Thrivent Financial for their seed money

grant which helped us purchase all the food needed for this fundraiser.

Because of your support, we raised almost one-half of our remaining

costs to participate in our summer mission trip in the Lake Traverse

Reservation in South Dakota. We would not be able to do God’s work

without your willingness to answer this call for us.

We’re not quite there yet, so we are inviting you to join us in our next

fundraising event. Mark your calendars for our Palm Sunday

Breakfast. See the next page for more information!

Palm Sunday will be a busy day for our mission trip group. Along with

preparing and serving the Palm Sunday breakfast and brunch, our 12

high school youth will also actively participate in a unique Palm Sunday

worship services at both 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We look forward to

you joining with us.

SYNOD ASSEMBLY OPPORTUNITIES!

The Northern Great Lakes Synod Assembly will be held

at Bay College in Escanaba from Thursday, May 16th –

Saturday, May 18th. For the first time, various workshops

will be available to all church members (not just the

registered delegates) with a small fee. The various

workshops will be offered on Saturday afternoon, May

18th. If you are interested, the workshops and

associated costs can be found on the Synod’s

webpage at nglsynod.org. Registration for these

workshops must be completed by April 5th.

Easter Baskets

The Outreach Committee will be putting

together Easter baskets for our shut-ins. The

baskets will contain treats and fun items that

will lift the spirits and let our members who

can no longer attend our worship services or

church activities know that we are thinking of them. The baskets will be

delivered during Holy Week.

Emmanuel's Outreach Projects

Sumer Camp 2019

Registration for Fortune Lake summer camp is available now. We

are aware that you can register online, but we request that you register through the church office. We also understand that the cost of camp is difficult for some families. Emmanuel does have limited scholarship funds available. Scholarship applications and all camp registration forms can be obtained in the church office.

Scan the QR code with

your smartphone to view

our website!

Live Streaming of our

8:00 a.m. Sunday Services is

now available on our

Facebook page.

Sunday, May 5, 2019

9:00 a.m. – 12 noon

In the church narthex

The Fellowship Committee

would like to invite our

members, young and old, to

display and/or sell their

artistic talents in our Spring

into Art event. If you are a woodworker, crafter, artist, quilter,

florist, etc. please consider joining us for this event. Light

refreshments will be served. We look forward to celebrating

spring and the many talents of Emmanuel!

If you are interested in displaying and/or selling your

artworks, please complete the form below and turn it in to the

church office by April 28th.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: ________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________Email: _______________________________

Brief description of artwork: _______________________________________

Will you be selling? _____yes _____no

Number of tables needed: (table size is 2 ½ feet x 6 feet) _______

Do you need an electrical outlet for your display? ____yes ____no

Artists/Crafters may set up at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 5th.

ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

WEDNESDAY MORNING MEN’S GROUP

Join us each Wednesday, 7:30 a.m., at the Serving Spoon for a

time of fellowship with friends, sharing stories and enjoying a cup

of coffee. Bring a friend!

WOMEN’S MINISTRIES

The Sarah Circle will meet on Tuesday, April 9 at 1:00 p.m.

hosted by Barb Anderson. All women are welcome to join us! We

meet once a month at church for Bible study and fellowship.

Contact Carolyn Haglund or Barb Anderson for more information.

Seeking Enlightenment Group will be meeting on Thursday,

April 25, at 6:30pm. It is a time of sharing and encouraging each

other on our Christian journey, contact Robin Gustafson at 906-

290-1003 for location details.

For donations received for our children’s library Wendy and Ron Nolde in memory of Wendy’s brother,

Scott Klitzke

Cindy and John Smith in memory of their niece,

Tracy Brendemihl

For donations received for our Youth Room

Wendy and Ron Nolde in honor of Warren & Mary Ann Klitzke

and Dorothy Nolde

Our Emmanuel Family

Julie Harske’s father, Robert Paidl, was called to his

eternal home on Sunday evening, March 24th. May

Julie, and all those who mourn, be filled with the

promise of the resurrection to eternal life at this time.

EASTER Memorial All Easter memorials must be received by

Sunday, April 14th to be included in the

Easter Memorial booklet. Your gifts are greatly appreciated. I would like to :

$_____ Place a lily on the chancel ($10.00 each)

$_____ Electronic reader board in front of church

$_____ New Furnace for the church

$_____ 2019 Youth Mission Trip

Given ___In memory of _________________________________ ___In honor of ___________________________________ ___In thanks to God_______________________________ By ______________________________ Envelope Number_____

SUNDAY MORNINGS AT EMMANUEL Worship at

8:00 & 10:00am Nursery care provided at 10:00am

Sunday School at 10:00am

CONTACT US:

Phone: (906) 863-3431 Fax: (906) 863-4193 Email: mail@e-mmanuel.com

Council President, Debbie Villas Email: elcpresident@e-mmanuel.com

Visit us on the Web at www.e-mmanuel.com

Follow us on Facebook at Emmanuel Lutheran Church Menominee Michigan ELCA

Follow us on Instagram at Emmanuel_Lutheran_Church

STAFF: Pastor

The Rev. Mark Laatsch - Cell Phone: 906-424-0003

Director of Youth & Family Ministry Mrs. Patti Treptow

Church Secretary Mrs. Judy Raygo

We are a congregation of the Northern Great Lakes Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America