The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Feeding Our Faith

Sunday, September 18, 2022, 9:00 am

Join us in Fellowship Hall or via Zoom to continue the discussion on A Christian Case for Reparations & Dismantling White Supremacy by Duke L. Kwon & Gregory Thompson, co-authors of “Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair.”

Confirmation Class Begins!

Sunday, September 18, 2022, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Youth will be meeting in Fellowship Hall for the next six weeks. The sessions begin with lunch, followed by the sessions. Participating churches are Grace Lutheran, St. Paul's Lutheran, and Host Immanuel Lutheran.

God's Work Our Hands A Success!

Thank you to all who contributed to the success of GWOH. Thanks to you we gathered about 150 food items for the Little Free Pantry, six grocery bags full of toiletries for SNAPgap, two bags of items for the Hospitality Center, and eight bags of winter gear for Connections for the Homeless.

Immanuel has some amazing knitters! It was a good outpouring of the generosity of the people of Grace and the people of Immanuel. (The photos show the "before" and "after" donations, with even more which came in after the photo was taken.) Special thanks to Charly Yarnoff for coordinating Immanuel's response.

--Connie Wood

Grace Lutheran Church

Another GWOH project took place at the Benedictine Sisters labyrinth. Immanuel members Jim & Kit McCarthy, Mark Kearns, and Pr. Mark and Susan Sloss brought gardening tools and cleaned up and weeded the grounds.

A Celebration of Greg Hummel's 50 Years of Service as Immanuel Lutheran's Principal Organist

Sunday, September 18, 2022, 3:00 pm

You're invited to an organ concert in the Sanctuary to celebrate Greg Hummel's 50 years of service as Immanuel's Principal Organist. Also performing in the celebration will be Immanuel's other well-known musicians, Christine Kraemer, Laurie Stivers, and James Morehead. Following the program will be a Champagne Reception in Fellowship Hall.

Click the icon for the Organ Concert Program

Immanuel Lutheran's Vision Keeper 2022 – Audrey Moy

Audrey will be feted at the Vision Keepers Dinner on Sunday, September 18th, 5:30 pm, to be held at the Skokie DoubleTree Hotel. The annual fundraiser, hosted by Interfaith Action of Evanston, honors volunteers active in communities of faith. Proceeds support the Interfaith Action's programs at the Hospitality Center for the Homeless, local soup kitchens, Producemobile, winter overnight shelters, and winter warming centers. Here is Immanuel's Nomination for Audrey:

Audrey excels at planning. She spearheaded Zoom learning events that engaged people in ongoing learning around ways to be and become anti-racist as our culture became more aware of racial strife--and the Covid-19 pandemic was not going to stop her! She organized a two-part program with a group known as ‘The Montgomery Travelers,’ sharing their compelling stories of traveling as a group of men and women, mixed both racially and religiously, to Alabama to visit the Legacy Museum, and other sites recommended by Bryan Stevenson’s EJI Center. She orchestrated a robust discussion on the award-winning and profound documentary, 13th. Plus, a two-part series titled, We Are Still Here, about the history and ongoing experiences of America’s Indigenous Peoples. Audrey casted a wide publicity net with more than 70 people attending events. She has also chaired our Personnel Committee and continues to teach and inspire others with her passion for justice.

Audrey grew up in Evanston. She and her husband, Peter, have two young adult children and reside in Wilmette. To live out her passion for justice, Audrey works for the Wayfarer Foundation, a spiritually rooted philanthropic organization committed to funding justice-oriented nonprofits. In her own words: “I truly enjoy knowing that the work I do with joy every day is helping someone else, and that alone is enough to get me up and work some more. This is heart-centered work, and I am authentically here for it!"

BRUNCH CAFE IMMANUEL

Sunday, September 25, 2022, 12:30 pm ~

Our Cafe Immanuel has been reimagined and is now featuring Brunch! Currently the menu will offer waffles and fruit, coffee and other beverages. Brunch Cafe Immanuel will be held Fellowship Hall and Coffee Hour won't be served. But we hope you'll join us for a time of extended fellowship as we welcome the community into our church. Watch for future details as this beloved ministry evolves.

--Michael Kloster & Chris Djuric

Group Spiritual Direction

Would you like to grow closer to God in a group setting? We facilitate group members to assist one another in paying attention to the God moments in their lives. Participants will listen deeply to the spiritual experiences of others and have a willingness to share their faith journey with others. Together we’ll contemplate the mystery and pay attention to the sacred moments of our lives.

Pastor Mark Sloss and Kit McCarthy are the trained Spiritual Directors who will be facilitating the groups.

We are currently forming groups either in person or via Zoom or in a combination of ways. Let us know of your availability - we will work with your schedule and form groups which may meet in the daytime, evenings, or whenever works. There are many possibilities. Sessions are slated to begin in October.

Please contact Pastor Mark, [email protected], or Kit McCarthy, [email protected] for more information. Click on the photo to learn more and watch a video about how Group Spiritual Direction is conducted.

Midweek Adult Bible Study

Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 7:00 pm

Midweek Adult Study are a time of gatherings for prayer, check-in, and conversation around the lectionary readings for the upcoming Sunday.

7:00 – 7:45 pm: Brief check in and gathering prayer, and time around the Word.

7:45 – 8:00 pm: For those who would like to extend, a time for prayer on our thanksgivings, sorrows, personal and communal needs.

We’ll take up lessons from our lectionary readings for the upcoming Sunday. Bring a bible if you are able, any version or translation is great. Click the button below to join Zoom Meeting.

5th Annual Be the Healing: Reparations Conference

September 23-25, 2022

Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams, Chicago

Join us for the 5th Annual Be the Healing: Reparations Conference that will explore innovative approaches to reparations which include restoration, repair, and healing at the individual, community, and institutional levels, inclusive of policy changes.

Over the course of three days, Dr. Joy DeGruy and Dr. Bahia will address the historical harm and trauma of racism and colonization through an inspirational and solution-oriented global lens. Chicago community leaders will lead breakout sessions and community tours addressing various ways reparations are being carried out within the ecosystem of their neighborhoods. Click on the poster to learn more and register.

--Audrey Moy

New COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Vaccine Approved 

The Evanston Health & Human Services Department and IDPH have adopted CDC recommendations for both the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent booster vaccines, which target the original coronavirus strain and the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants accounting for the vast majority of current COVID-19 cases. 

Who can get the bivalent booster vaccine? Moderna bivalent boosters are authorized for individuals 18 years and older and Pfizer for individuals 12 years and older. With both vaccines, individuals must wait two months after completing their initial vaccination series or their last booster shot.

Where can I receive the bivalent vaccine? Contact your local pharmacy or primary care physician to get your booster, or visit www.vaccines.gov to schedule an appointment convenient for you. 

Due to the wide availability of vaccines at pharmacies and other locations, the City will be focused on providing booster vaccines to Evanston residents who are homebound due to medical conditions or a disability. If you fit this criteria or know someone who does, please complete the City’s In-Home Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccine Booster survey.