Emanuel Lutheran Church

January 2021

Enlightener

Michael Holman, LLM

(231)824-6757 (cell)

holmi@1fj.com

Emanuel Lutheran Church: 906-942-7245

emanuel@tds.net www.be-Lutheran.org

Emanuel Lutheran Church of Skandia , ELCA

Celebrating 125 Years

Growing in God’s Grace

Council Members

Sandi Ruotsi

Richard Cooke

Lois Kokko

Betsy Koski

Jane Sims

Dan Bahrman

Jolene Kokko

Christian Education

Michael Holman, LLM ~

Confirmation

Leah Kainulainen , Karen Maki ~

Sunday School

Sandi Ruotsi ~ Adult Forum

Office

Jolene Kokko ~ Office Assistant

Michael Holman, LLM

(231)824-6757 (cell) Email: holmi@1fj.com

Office Hours: Tuesday 1-5pm, Thurs. 9am-2pm

Committee Leaders

Sandi Ruotsi ~

Council President

Barb Bach ~ Stewardship

Sarah Kimball ~ Outreach

Betsy Koski ~ Christian Education

Jane Sims ~ Worship & Music

Roger Kimball ~ Building &

Property

Pam Bahrman~ Cemetery

Business Manager

Emanuel Lutheran Church has both a Face Book

Page and website! Catch up on upcoming and past

events, our monthly calendar and Enlightener

newsletters and view our Sunday worship service at:

www.be-lutheran.org

Congregational Leadership

Sunday Worship is available online only at www. be-lutheran.org through

January 3, and beginning January 10 in person at 11 am while social

distancing and wearing masks in the sanctuary. We may also hear it via

radio station 87.9FM during the worship service while in the parking lot.

Remember in Prayer …

Our members, family, and friends who are ill, have

health concerns, are grieving, or are in need;

the family of Herb Anderson.

Our members and friends who are absent from

worship and unable to attend,

prayers for Elsie Haglund, Vonda Berglund.

Our Thanks and Praise to God. If you have a prayer

request, please let the office know by calling or by

leaving a message at 942-7245.

January 1—Mark Arnett

January 9—Betty Ahola

January 12-Angie Kremer

January 13-Judy Berglund

January 14–Tim Peiffer

January 29-Todd Maki

January 30-Melody

Trimble

January 1—Sid & Mary

Heetland

January 11—Vernon & Elsie

Haglund

Birthday Blessings

Anniversary Blessings

“ For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former

things shall not be remembered or come to mind.” Isaiah 65:17

God’s grace and peace be with you my Sisters and Brothers in

Christ,

These last few weeks of the year seem to have bombarded me with

the phrase “I will be glad when this year is over”. That sentiment is

sweeping throughout the nation as many lament over all the things

they have had to miss out on this year of pandemic. Gatherings have

been down scaled or completely eliminated, we have been

encouraged to stay away from family and friends, to maintain social

distancing and remain masked up. Many have not been able to work,

diners have been closed to indoor seating with the hope that a carry

out business will sustain them. We have not been allowed to visit

loved ones in hospital or various care facilities as well as limiting what

our worship life is so that we might help reduce the spread of the vi-

rus that is so prominent in our lives right now. So I guess we are all

tired of the isolation, we just want to get back to the way things were.

I would suggest to you that this is not necessarily where we are right

now though. Throughout this last year we have been quite creative in

the way that life is experienced. I have been witness to small groups

of people gathered with their lawn chairs in a vacant parking lot,

chatting up the solutions to our problems. I watch as takeout food is

carried over to a table, that there is some sense of dining. Restaurants

have created outdoor spaces for their customers’ enjoyment as we

long for the old ways to come around again. In all of this there seems

to be a growing respect for the outdoors as people seek new activities

to fill the time they now seem to have plenty of, finding new ways to

connect with one another. So we adapt, as we have with our worship

practices. Although we no longer sing aloud we “hear” the comforting

words in our minds or perhaps a recording. WE have learned to gath-

er on the lawn weather permitting, or to gather in our parking lots to

listen to the service on the old FM radio. We have adapted commun-

ion practices to be safe and have changed the way Christian education

is presented and through it all have found a way to make a difference

In this world by sharing that which we have received, the love of God

for all of creation through Jesus the Christ.

As we end this year and welcome in the new one let us not be pulled

down by the negatives of 2020, rather raise ourselves up knowing that

God is with us and is indeed making all things new. We do have much

to be thankful for, so rejoice and be glad, giving praise and glory to

God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Peace,

Michael

P.S. Thank all of your for your generosity and support for me

throughout the year and putting Christ Jesus first in your life.

Update

With the COVID pandemic we are

looking at ways we can safely

hold our annual meeting,

traditionally held the last Sunday

of January. The council has been

given information about remote meetings, Michigan laws, and ideas

for annual meetings during a pandemic from the synod office. It was

decided to have our annual report compiled and available by January

24 and wait to either hold the meeting via virtually or possibly in

person, both later this spring.

Emanuel has two council positions available for 2021 and two Synod

Assembly representatives are needed. Be aware that the Synod

Assembly 2021 will be online. If you need to use the computer at

Emanuel to virtually attend, you are always welcome. Please let Sandi

Ruotsi or Michael know if you are interested in any of these positions

or have and questions and thank you for considering these valuable

and important positions representing Emanuel.

The Northern Great Lakes Synod has launched a new

series of classes for adults who want to increase

their knowledge and understanding of the Bible,

church history, Lutheran Theology, world religions,

and more. The new program, Lifelong Faith

Formation, evolved from the synod’s Lay School

for Mission.

Registration for all Winter Lifelong Faith Formation classes closes on

Thursday, January 7 at 5pm ET (or when enrollment for a class reaches

20 participants). The classes provide fun and interesting opportunities

for people to connect with each other online, via ZOOM, during these

challenging times. For more information visit www.nglsynod.org or

contact Deacon-Elect Lori Ward at (615)519-1969 or

lori.ward @nglsynod.org

The Northern Great Lakes Synod Council declared May

2020 to May 2021 as a “Year of Discovery.” It is a call for

our synod members to better understand and appreci-

ate the history, heritage and culture of Native American

peoples, as we reflect on the historical content of the

Doctrine of Discovery and its impact on American and religious

psyche, creating a society that harmed, and continues to harm, our

Native siblings. And perhaps this Year of Discovery can also take you

to a sacred place…a place of discovering and learning from a valuable

culture; a spirituality filled with grace and gratitude; and an awareness

that we are all related.

Resources to help you in this Year of Discovery are available at

www.nglsynod.org. In addition, all of us are invited to learn together

in community. Pastor Bucky Beach of Good Shepherd, Houghton, will

be leading an adult education classes entitled From The Doctrine of

Discovery: From Myth to Reality. The class will be held on Monday

evenings at 6PM ET, via Zoom, beginning January 11. More infor-

mation is available on the synod website: www.nglsynod.org.

Since there will be no Sunday School classes held in person due to the

corona virus, a teacher booklet and children

been given to each family for home lessons. Adult Forum will begin

the first Sunday of October, meeting after the Sunday worship

services. Protocol will be set prior to the their first meeting

concerning precautions to be used with the virus.

Leaving a Legacy Workshop

Plan now to make a future gift from your estate

to support the work of Christ

If you are considering an estate plan, reviewing/updating a plan,

or would simply like to know more about thoughtful estate

planning that will consider your heirs and your church, this

event is important for you! Each session will focus on thoughtful

estate planning and giving. Cindy Halverson, our Regional Gift

Planner from the ELCA Foundation, will lead the presentation

and discuss how each of us can make informed decisions that

will bless the work of Christ into the future.

The workshop is being held via Zoom Thursday, February 11,

2021 6-7:30 pm CT/7-8:30 pm ET or Saturday, February 13,

20219-10:30 am CT/10-11:30 am ET.

To register, go to: www.nglsynod.org

Lighting the Way

A celebration of Christ’s light through 90 years of ministry together!

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Worship with the Fortune Lake Association churches. In appreciation of our association congregations through this pandemic, we invite you to this worship experience

with our FLLC community! The service will be posted on our YouTube channel on Saturday, January 9.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5mPMk-u17chosDFxOjPGXA

GWINN AREA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

GWINN, MICHIGAN 49841-9180

Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of the Board of Education and the students of the Gwinn

Area Community Schools, thank you for the donation of school

supplies (valued at $500) and food for the weekend backpack

program at KI Sawyer Elementary School.

The Board of Education graciously accepted the donation at their

meeting on November 23, 2020.

We appreciate and thank you for your support of the Gwinn Area

Community Schools.

Sincerely,

Sandra L. Petrovich

Superintendent

With our winter season, if inclement weather

causes our Sunday worship services to be can-

celled , we will have a message reflecting the

cancellation on our phone, 942-7245. We will

also post it on our Face Book page. Please call if

the roads and conditions are questionable before traveling. During

the week, if the winter weather causes cancellations or delays, or

road conditions are questionable, the church office may be closed

until conditions improve, so please call the office if you plan to visit.

2021 Offering Envelopes are now available in

your mailboxes. If you don’t have a key to the

church, during this time of online worship,

please call during office hours first to be sure

someone is here.

Digital Monthly Newsletter

Would you like to receive the Enlightener via email instead of the mail?

Please send an email to the office: emanuel@tds.net

and request your Enlightener to be emailed, thank you!

This year sixteen Christmas food baskets were given to families in

need in our community. This was done with monetary and food

donations, milk from Jilbert’s Dairy, a discount form Super One

Foods, a Community Action Grant from Thrivent Financial Services

and volunteers for organizing, shopping, assembling and delivering

the baskets. In lieu of gifts for each children, five quilts were given to

families along with a small gift bag of Christmas goodies for each

child. Thank you all for supporting this outreach ministry!

Sarah Kimball

The sign up for sponsoring monthly bulletins

during 2021 is now available. Cost is $30 per month.

Please note if you are sponsoring bulletins in

memory or in honor of others and make it aware by

calling or emailing the office for now; 942-7245 or

emanuel @tds.net. Thank you for helping with our

worship ministry.

2021 Worship Times at Emanuel Lutheran Church

Jan-Feb 11AM Mar-June 9AM July-Oct 11AM Nov-Dec 9AM

December Council Highlights

~Correspondence Received-Thank you letter from Room at the Inn

for the recent $144.50 donation. Pastor Chrys Levesque thanked

Emanuel for our annual benevolence to Rev. Anna Makyao in

Tanzania.

~ The Outreach Committee will be adding a few extras to the Christ-

mas baskets this year; cookie plates, small gifts for the children of the

families and quilts made by our quilting group for families with

children. With the extra money in the Food Basket account, $100

was given each to Gwinn Paw Packs, St. Vincent De Paul’s and the

Salvation Army.

~We had a baptism on November 22 at Emanuel. Michael gave

thanks to all for time off for hunting season in November. Michael

delivered 49 quilts for Lutheran World Relief to Fortune Lake Bible

Camp in Crystal Falls, then they were taken to St. Paul, Minnesota.

Plans for our Christmas Eve worship service outdoors and bonfire

continue.

~The 2021 budget was discussed line by line and was compiled.

~Looking in to various ways to hold our annual meeting safely. The

annual report will be compiled for the end of January. Two council

positions are available, and two Synod Assembly representatives

positions are needed to be filled. The Synod Assembly will be held

virtually online.

~The December local benevolence is the Gwinn Senior Center.

~Both the Financial Secretary and Treasurer’s reports were reviewed

and found in order, with no outstanding bills.

~The next council meeting is Sunday, January 10, 12pm.

Both the December council meeting minutes and financial

reports are posted on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall.

January 2021

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wed Thursday Friday Sat

1 2

3

Worship

Available

Online

4

AA

Meeting

7 pm

5 6 7 8 9

10

Worship

11am

Council

Meeting

12pm

11

AA

Meeting

7 pm

12 13 14 15 16

17

Worship

11am

18

AA

Meeting

7 pm

19 20 21 22 23

24

Worship

11am

25

AA

Meeting

7 pm

26 27 28 29 30

31

Worship

11am

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