Monthly Newsletter

EEC’S OCTOBER 2021 HARBINGER

Volume 8 Issue 10

NEWS FROM OUR RECTOR

Dear Beloved in Christ,

Gratefully Yours,

It’s possible that fall is my favorite season (but just wait until spring…then I may tell you it’s my favorite!)

This time of year offers much by way of supporting our spiritual lives. It teaches us the importance of letting do; it tasks us with noticing the beauty in change; and it reminds us to trust in the cycle of life that will bring newness we cannot yet see. So, while you’re drinking a cup of cider, choosing your pumpkins, or admiring the fall colors, take a moment to ponder how this season speaks to your soul.

In the meantime, I’m pleased to share the month ahead holds many opportunities for us:

There are plentiful opportunities for you to share your time and talent with the church, ranging from Coffee Hour Hosts to A/V Producers to Altar Guild and more.

We’re gearing up for in-person youth programming, with appropriate modifications.

On Saturday, October 2 at 3pm we’ll bless our pets at Pennsylvania Park in Petoskey. Be sure to invite your friends!

The Outreach Committee has arranged for us to participate in the United Thank Offering. Sarah Swart, the UTO Coordinator in Western Michigan will be with us on October 17 to preach and teach about this ministry.

Diocesan Convention takes place the last weekend in October, in conjunction with the Diocese of Eastern Michigan. Your delegates are Nancy Turner, Frank Hawthorne, and Dottie Hawthorne. Please hold them in prayer as they represent Emmanuel.

In all the days ahead, may beauty, wonder, and hope sustain us.

Gratefully Yours,

Kay+

SENIOR WARDEN - OCTOBER REPORT 2021

Hello Everyone,

Well, I guess summer is over. The school busses roll past my house at 8 am, football games Friday, Saturday and Sunday, leaves are starting to turn, cooler temperatures, but it has been a busy one for the vestry. We have had many repairs done at church which will make our worship experience much more enjoyable.

As we gear up for the beginning of the church year, let us all sit back and reflect on our parish life and what we could do to make it better. The stewardship campaign is in full swing and with that comes to mind our talents. We all have busy lives but could it be possible to volunteer for something at church, teaching Sunday school, doing coffee hour, helping on alter guild, helping with facilities maintenance, being a lay reader, singing in the choir, the list is endless.

If you are interested in any of these or have something else you might want to start or become involved in, contact any member of the vestry or Rev. Kay.

Stay safe and healthy,

Bruce Turner, Sr. Warden

JUNIOR WARDEN REPORT - OCTOBER 2021

Several items to report. First, the exit drive has been paved and curbed. Needed repairs on the entrance drive and the front drive have been accomplished. The leak in the hall leading to the sanctuary appears to have been fixed. The problem was identified, corrected and the area recalked. No further leaks have been reported, even with the serious storms we have seen. Hooray! We are proceeding with landscape and gutter improvements to improve water flow away from the foundation. We expect this will deal with the other leak issues.

Our church is still needing other repairs. The facility committee chaired by Frank Hawthorne is identifying and addressing these. Your Vestry is evaluating and approving the financial expenditures as we proceed.

Our Stewardship Campaign is progressing. We have received responses from 42% of our parish. Our goal of 350,000 in pledges is reachable. We are at 45% of that figure currently. The Stewardship Committee thanks all those who have responded, and we look forward to hearing from all our members.

Respectfully Submitted,

Hal Lawrence

FROM THE TREASURER

Please review the pledges you made for 2021 and, if possible, keep them up to date. We are expecting to finish 2021 with a deficit. Obviously, we would like to keep that deficit as small as possible. This will impact what we can budget for in 2022.

Thank you,

Mark Thompson, Treasurer

MUSIC MINISTRIES NEWS FOR OCTOBER

October Books and Beyond

Emmanuel’s Books and Beyond met Monday September 20th to discuss our latest book and to “build” our list for 2021-2022. Our pick for October is The Music of Bees by Eileen Gavin. This book follows three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life’s curveballs, who are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm. There they find surprising friendship, healing–and maybe even a second chance–just when they least expect it. A review in Good Housekeeping says “This heartwarming, uplifting story will make you want to call your own friends, not to mention grab some honey”. And J. Ryan Stradal, bestselling author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota says “You’ll love cheering for the likeable loners in this kind-hearted, hopeful, and beautifully detailed story.”

We will meet on Monday October 20 at 2pm. Our meeting place is still to be determined. For more information, please contact Nancy Turner at reincsteph@hotmail.com

GARDEN ROUND UP

Emmanuel’s gardens sure looked great for the 2021 season. While we can give credit to Mother Nature for cooperating, there is an honor roll for this year’s lay weeders and waterers. So be sure to thank them:

Pam & Rusty Carpenter
Pat & Jay Emmendorfer

Karel & Bob Howse
Ginny & Bill King

Betsy and Hal Lawrence
Sandy & Steve Selden

Mary & Gary Street
Nancy & Bruce Turner

Jon Webb and Sherry Brzezinski

It looks like we can enjoy everyone’s efforts for a bit longer. Karel and I will begin the “put away” efforts about Oct. 1. In fact, we may invite you to join us once we have some idea about weather, etc. We plan to transition to a few Mums before totally putting the gardens to bed for the winter.

Enjoy the autumn season. Next spring we will look forward to yet another Mulchfest.

OUTREACH OCTOBER NEWS

We are very pleased with the “Soul Food Garden”. Every thing has grown and produced lots of vegetables. Five (5) times we have picked cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, peas, and taken the bounty to Nehemiah House or served veggies at our Thursday Free Lunch Program at the First Presbyterian Church. We have zucchinis and cucumbers still growing. Two big surprises were morning glory vines in bloom all over the bed and a nice sized pumpkin growing!!

In early October we will put the bed to bed! Clean out all plants and put a cover crop on the soil. We are saving the sign.This was a fun outreach. Thanks to all who gave plants~

This was a fun outreach. Thanks to all who gave plants~

Shirley Burns, Outreach member

Pastoral Care - October 2021

Thank you for autumn, Lord. You have blessed us with the changing of the seasons. Remind us to take time to rest. Remind us of the wonder of your creation. Remind us that it is you who give us the breath of life. May the harvest from the fields remind us of the abundance we have been given and bounty we are to share with others. Amen

The month of October invites us to enjoy fall’s harvest and spectacular color show. Fall is also the season when we begin to think about Stewardship and pray that God will bless our ministry with more helping hands to do God’s work. When you fill out your pledge card, please consider joining our Pastoral Care ministry. We meet once a month and will welcome anyone who wishes to join our compassionate group. Our next meeting is scheduled for November 17th at 2:00 at EEC. We hope to welcome new members to our ministry!

Our Pastoral Care Ministry continues to ask God to bless our parish family, our community, our nation and our world with health, love, and compassion for each other. We are ready to bring hope and love to anyone who is isolated and in need of support. Our members are always ready to lend a listening ear and to share conversations that bring us closer together in fellowship.

Pastoral Care is the shared responsibility of both Reverend Kay and the church laity. We continue to support each other and especially those in need by giving rides to appointments, delivering meals, reaching out to our parish members through cards and phone calls, and with ongoing prayers for peace, joy, and healing.

If you are in need or know of someone in need, please reach out to: Sharyn at 248.909.5862, Nina at 231.881.2630, Rev. Kay at 231.487.2199 or Leah 231.347.2350 ext. 110 in the church office.

EMMANUEL WOMEN’S GATHERING

Emmanuel Women’s Gathering will reconvene with an in person meeting on Friday, October 1 at 9:30 at the church.

We will continue our contemplative time together and explore Sr Joan Chittister’s Illuminated Life via Zoom every other Friday beginning October 15, 9:30-11:00.

For more information or to join this group contact Betsy Lawrence, blawrence0706@gmail.com

GET READY FOR SOME TRUNK OR TREAT

Watch for more details in the coming weeks on the 1st EEC Trunk or Treat Halloween Event scheduled for Sunday, October 31st after the 10:00 a.m. Rite II Service.

See you there!