THIS WEEK AT IMMANUEL
Sunday (7/5)
- 7:30 am—Divine Service of the Word (On-Line Video)
- 9:00 am—Divine Service with Holy Communion
- 11:00 am—Divine Service with Holy Communion
Saturday
- 3:30 pm—Individual Confession & Absolution
- 5:30 pm—Divine Service with Holy Communion
Sunday
- 7:30 am—Divine Service of the Word (On-Line Video)
- 9:00 am—Divine Service with Holy Communion
- 10:30 am—Adult Bible Class
IN OUR PRAYERS
HEALTH CONCERNS: Bernita Ashwill; Mindy Bell (friend of David Holzrichter); Dale Brown (friend of Margaret Stilwell); Connie Hilgendorf Bruns (cousin of Mary Appleby); Jeff & Jo Coon (friend of David Holzrichter); Lynn Corrie (friend of the Joneses); Ellie Crawford (daughter of Laran Crawford); Whitney Czerwonka; Lynn Davis (cousin of Mark Whitson); Cindy Ekstrom; Theresa Fields; Jenna Gustafson; Jim Harbaugh; Rick Hardesty (family of the Hoels); Kim Hausman (friend of Ann Carroll); Deanna Henningsen (sister-in-law of Jerry & Joyce Alexander); Barbara Holste (friend of the Joneses); Kimberly Mulvany (daughter of Pastor Doug Meyer); Mary Negangard (grandmother of Bryce Reifsteck); Sandra Oehmke (sister of Joan Vukelich); Dennis Pickett (friend of Ann Carroll); Cary & Beth Rahn; Debbie Rahn (wife of Leroy Rahn); Emma Silver; Ruth Sims; Ocil Slone (father of Carolyn Dyer); Joy Stenger; Brian Walker (uncle of Bryce Reifsteck); Irene Wattjes; Lynn & Jane Whitson (parents of Mark Whitson).
SEMINARY STUDENT: Gunnar Campbell; Logan Smith.
DEACONESS STUDENT: Emily McLean.
MISSIONARIES: Rev. Dr. Edward and Monica Naumann; Rev. Ryan and Emily McDermott; Julie Lutz.
HOMEBOUND: Bernita Ashwill; Leonard Boerngen; Janet Pollock; Art Rahn; Ruth Rentschler.
MILITARY: Carl Crawford; Jeremy Gordon; Jack Leonard; Jake Lindgren; Raymond Longtin; Joey Pollock; Blake Stokes; Paige Stokes; Ruben Wilson.
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT WEEK’S READINGS . . . 1 Kings 19:11–21; 1 Peter 3:8–15; Luke 5:1–11.
ABOUT THIS WEEK’S READINGS . . . “Be merciful, even as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36–42). The old Adam in us wants to condemn and seek vengeance. But the Lord says, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (Rom. 12:14–21). To condemn, to avenge yourself, is to put yourself in the place of God. It is to fail to trust that He is just. Ultimately, it is to disbelieve that Jesus suffered the full vengeance for all wrongs. Only Christ is merciful as the Father is merciful. He is the one who overcame all evil with the good of His cross, forgiving even His executioners. Jesus is our Joseph, who comforts us with words of pardon and reconciliation (Gen. 50:15–21). He is the One who does not condemn but gives life that runs over. Only through faith in Christ are we sons of the Father—being merciful, forgiving, doing good to our enemies. For in Christ we know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:8–13).
THOUGHTS ABOUT STEWARDSHIP . . . Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” It is very easy to get caught up in the present and lose track of our ultimate destiny in the Kingdom of God. St. Paul encourages us to keep eternity in mind. This certainly has an application to our support for the Gospel—if we keep our focus on “the glory to be revealed” we will see our tithes and offerings in a new light.
SERVICE TIMES UPDATE . . . Beginning next week (July 11 and 12), as the State of Illinois provides further guidance, our service schedule will evolve within their recommendations. Here’s what will change:
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- Two services of 50 people or less (Saturday at 5:30 pm; Sunday at 9:00 am)
- Incorporate the fully sung liturgy
- Sunday morning adult Bible class resumes
All other practices will remain the same (social distancing, masks, etc). While we are not asking for people to sign up for these services; however, if you are able to attend the Saturday night service so that we can accommodate the numbers, the Board of Elders would be grateful.
STAYCATION BIBLE SCHOOL . . . The Board of Education is announcing the first-ever (and hopefully last!) Staycation Bible School. We have put together a five-day program entitled By Faith, which highlights the way in which people in the Bible, and even Jesus Himself, trusted in God by faith. During these uncertain times, we as Christians can look to the Bible for reassurance and comfort that by faith and trust in God, He will work all things for our good. Since gathering in groups is limited, Staycation Bible School is a way for parents to fill a morning or afternoon with sound biblical teaching and remain in God’s Word with their children at home. All materials will be provided, which includes age-appropriate lesson plans, craft directions and materials, and even a pre-packaged snack. Please register your child online HERE. Registration ends on Friday, June 26. Parents and children can come to the church on Sunday, July 12 from 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM, where members of the board will be outside at a table handing out all the materials and supplies needed. If you have questions, please call the church office at (217) 253-4341.
HOLY COMMUNION . . . The offer still stands that if you desire the Holy Communion, you can make an appointment with Pastor to receive the Lord’s Supper either at church or in your home until services resume.
SERVICES ONLINE . . . A copy of the service bulletin, which includes all the responses and the hymns, is available at Immanuel’s website under the Sermons tab by clicking on the button labeled PDF. This video option will continue to be made available until our usual service times resume. You can access these online services in three places:
- On Immanuel’s Facebook page
- On Immanuel’s Website under the Sermons tab
- On Immanuel’s YouTube channel
QUESTIONS ABOUT GIVING . . . The church office has received some inquiries about giving their offering during the shelter-in-place order. If you would like to drop off your offering during business hours or mail it to the church, it will be counted and deposited weekly.
MEMORY WORK . . . If a Sunday School student has been able to learn the next level of the Catechism Learn-By-Heart Program and would like to recite it to Pastor, you can schedule a meeting with him to do this through Zoom, Skype, or Facetime. Contact Pastor by e-mail or phone.
CHANGES IN MANDATED REPORTER LAW . . . The state of Illinois recently made significant changes to the mandated reporter law. By law, any person affiliated with the church who, in their role, comes into contact with children, either in a paid position or as a volunteer, is now a mandated reporter. As such, s/he must undergo training within three months of first serving. This new law would include the following at Immanuel: all Sunday School teachers, VBS volunteers, youth group chaperones, and those on Altar Guild who work with the Jr. Altar Guild. To that end, we ask that those individuals in the groups listed, follow THIS LINK to take the online training. This training takes roughly 60 minutes to complete. Upon completion of the training, a certificate is awarded which will need to be printed off and a copy be given to Pastor to keep on file. For those who are unable to access this online training at home, time will be available for you to complete this in the church office. Please find time to complete the online training as soon as possible. While we understand that this may be a burden for some, please know that we are willing to help you get the necessary training so that we as a church are compliant with this new law. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk with one of the members of the Board of Christian Education or Pastor. Thank you!
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