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Sunday, November 30, 2025

First Sunday of Advent

Worship Services at 8 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Lectors:

8 a.m. Nancy Flanagan

10:15 a.m. Linda Fewell

Isaiah 2:1-5

Weapons of war transformed into instruments of peace

Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (Ps. 122:1)

Romans 13:11-14

Salvation is near; time to wake from sleep

Matthew 24:36-44

The sudden coming of the Son of Man

Greening of the Sanctuary!

Please join us after the 10:15 a.m. service for the Greening of the Sanctuary! Together we’ll decorate and ready our sacred space as we look forward to the birth of Christ this Advent.

Advent Soup Suppers Sign-up

Our Advent Soup Suppers will be held each Wednesday this season. We invite you to sign up to provide a crockpot of soup or a covered dish; donations of crackers and desserts are also appreciated. Come share in a time of fellowship and nourishment prior to our Taizé services. To bring soup, a dish, or other items, you may sign-up in the Narthex or 👉 click here to sign up electronically.

Advent Taizé Prayer Services

During this season of waiting and hope, we invite you to join us on Wednesday evenings during Advent for a time of peace and reflection.

Each week, we will gather for a simple meal at 5:00 p.m., followed by a Taizé Prayer Service at 6:00 p.m.

The Taizé style of worship—rooted in the ecumenical community of Taizé, France—offers a gentle, contemplative atmosphere through repetitive sung prayer, scripture, silence, and candlelight. These quiet services provide space to pause, breathe, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.

Come as you are, and rest in the stillness of God’s presence. All are welcome.

Advent Season Bible Study

This Advent season, we invite you to gather with us each Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. for a special Bible study using ELCA World Hunger’s Advent calendar and study guide.

Together, we’ll explore what it means to “prepare room” in our homes and hearts — creating space for care, rest, and reflection before going out to serve our neighbors.



Inspired by Richard Wilbur’s beautiful hymn “A Stable Lamp Is Lighted,” we’ll reflect on how even the simplest acts of hospitality can glow with God’s love and bring warmth to a world in need of hope. Come join us as we make space for peace, presence, and community this Advent.

Advent Prayer Group

During the Advent season, our weekly prayer group will meet in the sanctuary for a special time of prayer, anointing for healing, and Holy Communion. This quiet, sacred space offers an opportunity to rest in God’s presence, lift up one another in prayer, and receive the healing grace of Christ as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. All are welcome to join us.

Wednesdays during advent at 10:45 a.m.

Join the Ladies of Faith for a Celebratory Christmas Luncheon!

We invite you to gather with us on Tuesday, December 9 at 12:00 PM for a festive Christmas luncheon at Tripletail Restaurant (in the Landings shopping center on 41).

Please sign up on the sheet in the narthex to let us know you’ll be attending.

We look forward to celebrating together!

December 12th – A Classical Christmas

Join us for an evening of classical and Christmas music performed by our Faith Choir and the Ilyrian Symphony Orchestra. Save the date and tell a friend! Friday, Dec. 12th at 7 PM in the sanctuary.

Refreshments will be served. Admission is free.

Dedicate a Christmas Poinsettia to Adorn the Sanctuary

Help adorn the sanctuary for Christmas while honoring a loved one or special occasion by dedicating one or more poinsettias. You will be welcome to take your plant(s) home after the Christmas Eve service. The cost is $20 per plant. Orders and dedications are due by Dec. 8. Special red-bordered giving envelopes for Christmas poinsettias are available in the narthex. Or you can pay and record your dedication online. Click here to order your poinsettia online

Join Us to Celebrate the Joy of Christmas!

Christmas Eve Services

✨ 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Christmas Day Service

🌟 10:00 AM

Come worship with us as we rejoice in the birth of Christ!

Spread Christmas Joy – Adopt a Lutheran Services Client

The Mary Circle has received over 56 clients to help through Lutheran Services Florida. Please consider adopting one (or more) to help make someone’s Christmas a little brighter. Visit the table in the narthex to select a client, and be sure to sign your name next to the person you choose.

All gifts will be due back by December 14 and should be wrapped and clearly labeled. Thank you for sharing Christ’s love through your generosity!

New Faith and Justice Team Begins Its Work

Informed by the gospel and always nonpartisan, Faith Lutheran’s new Faith and Justice team has begun its work to engage with vulnerable neighbors and the community to better understand suffering and needs. Importantly, the team will identify sensible opportunities to advance advocacy and justice, and to help the people of Faith Lutheran learn how they can act as allies and advocates.

During its Nov. 7 organizing meeting, 16 team members (with other absent but interested), began learning about and researching organizations in which the team – and perhaps all the people of Faith – can participate and learn about opportunities to advance justice. During its next meeting, team members will report about what they have learned about advocacy through a variety of organizations, including:

SURE (Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity), a faith-based ministry that equips volunteer leaders to engage with community stakeholders and government authorities to address disparities within the Sarasota community, particularly those affecting the vulnerable and marginalized. Many Faith members already are familiar with SURE because about 45 of us attended a 2024 action meeting to gain elected officials’ support for an affordable housing plan and others presented during an action meeting at Faith. This year, Pastor Marianne Powrie and others remain involved.

Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization that educates and equips people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world. Pastor Eric has traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate with other Bread for the World volunteers, and all of us at Faith had the opportunity last year to write

letters to our elected officials in support of funding for combating hunger.

Sound interesting? Stay tuned for updates. The team meets again at 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5, in the conference room. You are welcome!

Food for Our Community

Due to the ongoing realities of food scarcity in our community, we invite everyone to help support our neighbors in need. As you come to church, please consider bringing non-perishable food items to share.



The large white donation barrel will be located in the narthex for your convenience. If you prefer to give financially, you may designate a monetary donation to go directly toward our food pantry ministry or CLICK HERE TO GIVE ONLINE.

Together, we can be a tangible expression of God’s love and care for those who are struggling.



“For I was hungry and you gave me food…” – Matthew 25:35

Book Club January

Our reading selection for January 26 is The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager. This is a real plot twister set in Vermont where a wife disappears and her newfound friend demands answers.

Monday, December 1

10:30 a.m.          Balletone, upstairs classroom

Tuesday, December 2

8:30 a.m.            Men of Faith Breakfast, Skillets

9:30 a.m.           Women's Bible Study, library

7 p.m.                 Orchestra practice, community center

7 p.m.                  Church Council Christmas Party

Wednesday, December 3

9:30 a.m.           Adult Bible Study, choir room

10:30 a.m.         Balletone, upstairs classroom

10:45 a.m.          Prayer Support Group, sanctuary

1:30 p.m.           Bereavement Group, chapel

5 p.m.                 Soup Supper, fellowship hall

6 p.m.                 Taize prayer service, sanctuary

Thursday, December 4

9 a.m.                 Food Pantry Prep, fellowship hall

4:30 p.m.           Food Pantry Prep, fellowship hall

5 p.m.                 Food Pantry Distribution

6:30 p.m.          Voices of Faith practice, choir room

Friday, December 5

8 a.m.                 Jazzercize, community center

4 p.m.                 Faith & Justice Team meeting, conf room

Saturday, December 6

8 a.m.      Jazzercise, community center

8:30 a.m. Diakonia, conference room

Online Views 86

8 a.m. in person 37

10:15 a.m. in person 142

5 p.m. 25

**The children of God affected by Hurricane Melissa**

Jim Anthony

Carl Bertram, brother of Phyllis Bertram

Dick Bruning

Jerry Clancy

Beth Farmer, daughter of Lynn & Jerry Clancy

Donna Gerber, sister of Lelia Hagen

Vanessa Geyser, daughter of Mike & Julianne Geyser

Alix Giannini

Linda Gulla, friend of Dee Burlingame & Margaret Borrows

Family & Friends of Jon Hale

Becky Heeps, friend of Lisa Olsen

Pastor John Hilficker

Kevin Hooks, son-in-law of Jon & Anita Wooton

Cliff Hornsby

Nick Hysell, friend of Karla Lewis & Michael Leonhardt

Pete Inkrott

Rev. Tim Keier, friend of Pastor Marianne

Eric Lasko, neighbor of Jan Burch

Ruth Levy, sister of Joan Hirsch

Family & Friends of Pat Longo

Eli & Julie Maresch, grandnephew & niece of Patty McKee

John & Judy Millard

Family & Friends of Marianna Rosato

Alice Rush

Marlene Sarah, friend of Ken Dixon

Andris Sprudzs, nephew off Ingrid Velkme

Leigh Ann Tarantino, friend of Marlene Radesk

Alla Thompson, aunt of Lisa Olsen

Melissa Thompson, cousin of Lisa Olsen

Jon Wooton

Joan Worth

If you have an addition to or would like to remove a name from the prayer list, email the person's name to officeadmin@faithlutheransrq.com. Names will be kept on the prayer list for one month, unless you tell us otherwise.

11/28 Pray for our neighbors and siblings in Christ who lack safe shelter and wonder how their basic, daily needs will be met. Ask God to help us be attentive to their immediate and long-term needs and be diligent in seeking solutions to the dearth of affordable housing and access to social services in our communities — solutions that respect the value, rights and dignity of our neighbors in need.

11/29 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Have faith that God listens to prayerful conversations that express our gratitude, needs, worries, questions, excitement and hopes — today and every day!

11/30 First Sunday of Advent Pray that, in the upcoming month, we will turn our attention to anticipating and rejoicing in the gift of God’s son, Jesus Christ, brought into the world to shine a light on God’s awesome love and forgiveness.

12/1 World AIDS Day and HIV/AIDS Awareness Month At the end of 2024, an estimated 40.8 million people worldwide were living with HIV, 1.4 million of them children and 39.4 million of them adults. Remember in prayer health care professionals and care providers who work in HIV/AIDS education, prevention, treatment and research.

12/2 Hanging Advent wreaths and lighting candles to anticipate the birth of the Messiah are Christian traditions that date back hundreds of years. Thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ that continues to change our identities, our lives and our understanding of life as beloved children of God.

12/3 Pray for people and whole communities in the Caribbean that have suffered devastation and loss from Hurricane Melissa, especially across Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas. Ask God to strengthen their faith as they recover and rebuild and to bless them with support, resources, funding, volunteers and prayers for the duration of their recovery.

12/4 Pray that, throughout this season of gift-giving, we will be mindful of those, nearby and far away, who lie beyond our familiar circles of family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Pastor: Rev. Eric Olaf Olsen

pastor@faithlutheransrq.com

Assistants to the Pastor:

Rev. Marianne Powrie, pastorp2.0@gmail.com

Rev. Larry Wright, larannw@comcast.net

Retired Pastor in Residence: Rev. John Hilficker

Director of Music: Andi Zdrava

musicdirector@faithlutheransrq.com

Office Administrator: Carrie Christenson

officeadmin@faithlutheransrq.com

Congregation Council: Ann Greenwood, president; Joan Searles, vice president; Lauren Wardach, secretary; Anita Wooton, treasurer; Jane Sanks, assistant treasurer; Jerry Cooper; Quyen Dang; Julianne Geyser; Peggy Ragan; Deacon Scott Rice

941-924-4664 | www.faithlutheransrq.com

Office hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday

Mission – Gathered faithfully to love and serve God and all others

Values – Mutual Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Service, Forgiveness, Commitment, Perseverance, Faithfulness, Compassion, Flexibility