Announcements
The strategic plan that you approved created 4 critical targets for Immanuel to focus on the next 3 to 5 years: Discipleship Pathways; Stewardship of People, Resources, and Assets; School Master Plan; and a Creative Financial Plan.
Your leadership staff has spent considerable time over the past few months discussing the best path forward to meet your plan. We have now listed many objectives for each of targets – giving us measurable ways to gauge Immanuel’s success in reaching your Critical Targets.
You will receive a packet with these yearly objectives in a few weeks. We will get your feedback on them during Immanuel’s June 7 Congregational Assembly. Then, we will ask you to participate! We have many existing ways to serve that will continue. We will move additional ministry through new Ministry Action Teams in areas like:
• School money counter team
• Scrip volunteer team
• June school floor cleaning team
• June end of school cleaning team
• Event space rental planning team
• Church landscaping team
• Church lawn maintenance team
• Church nature path planning and installation team
• Event cleaning teams
• Stewardship education team
• Recurring giving education team
• School building long-term redevelopment team
• Welcomers team
Feel free to get a jump start on these areas by seeing us at the Red Wall. Much more information to follow …
One of Immanuel’s longtime ministry action teams is Project Compassion. This group will hold its next meeting this Wednesday, May 6 at 9am in the Mission Center.
Project Compassion is a way for Immanuel to share the love of God by ministering to members who are homebound or in a living center. Immanuel has over 30 homebound members that appreciate social visits from their fellow members. Each Project Compassion group member makes one or two visits a month, providing that friendly face and Christian compassion. The group meets together twice per year to share information.
New group members welcome! Express interest through your Church Center App, or see us at the Red Wall.
We had a great initial response to our Lawnmowing Ministry Action Team.
We are still accepting volunteers at both the church building and the school building for mowing over the upcoming summer months. Can you help? Express interest through the link below. We especially need a volunteer to mow at the school building.
The first month’s mowing schedule will go out this week. Thanks in advance!
immanuelrapids.churchcenter.com/groups/building-work-teams/lawnmowing-mat
A new Women’s Bible Study is starting Thursday May 28 led by Tahnee Mueske. Are you tired of those negative and intrusive thoughts? We all want to be more at peace – to be happier and healthier – but we often don’t know how to go about it. Everything we try seems to fall short of true change.
Dr. Caroline Leaf knows that we cannot change anything until we change our thinking. Switch On Your Brain pairs science with Scripture, asking penetrating personal questions in order to understand the impact of our thought lives on our brains, bodies, and lifestyles. Sign up at the Red Wall or on your Church Center App.
Over the past few weeks, Immanuel’s 5th Grade Kindness Club had been working on a few tasks in preparation for their trip out into the community. This Wednesday they made their deliveries. Their first stop was the Aspirus Cancer Center, where they dropped off eight finger-knit blankets and cards for cancer patients. From there, the Kindness Club made their way to the local police and fire departments to share baskets with cookies and cards.
According to their teachers/leaders Mrs. Cour and Mrs. Mehlberg, the children emulated the love and kindness of Christ. The teachers expressed how much the Kindness Club’s care meant to the recipients. We are so very proud of these fifth graders for being part of the Kindness Club and carrying out what it means to have a servant heart!
This week Immanuel Lutheran Church and School is celebrating Staff Appreciation Week. At the school, the parents on the PTT team have spearheaded some fun activities throughout the week to show appreciation to the staff. Our staff consists of nearly 40 full-time and part-time workers who serve our Immanuel family as classroom aides, hot lunch workers, office secretaries, organists, Cougar Kids leaders, worship coordinators, interventionists, curriculum coordinators, substitutes, special education leaders, family ministers, librarians, pastors, teachers, and more.
If you would like to join in the celebration, feel free to write a note of thanks to the staff and drop it off at the church or school office. We will distribute comments received to the staff throughout the week.
May God continue to bless our Immanuel family as we share the love of Jesus, grow in faith, and serve community.
