Epiphany of Christ Lutheran

Apache Junction, Arizona

The Holiday Sale will be one day only

on November 21.

Thanks to everyone who has been bringing items for the Holiday Sale! There is still time to clean out those closets!

No clothes or shoes - those can be brought to the church labeled for either

Genesis Project or NAUM.

Bring them ANYTIME between now and November 15.

You may leave them in the Narthex or check with Don Gimpel to bring larger items that will go directly to the shed.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE label the items or bags "HOLIDAY SALE."

We don't know what to do with random items left in the Narthex with no indication of why they were left: for the church, for the sale, for another member of the congregation? Thanks.

Questions: ask Nancy or Bob Mohawk

Join us for Sunday Worship at 9:30 AM AZ Time

In person or via online streaming

on You Tube and Facebook.

If you watch on Facebook, please leave a comment so we know you are there! Thanks!

Worship Bulletin Link

Have you looked at our website lately? epiphanyofchristlutheran.org

A link for the weekly newsletter is now on the Home page of this website.

News from the Grand Canyon Synod Link

Happening in November

November 3 - Bible Study 10 AM

November 4 – NEW! Pub Theology 3 PM

(At Maggie’s Lounge)

November 9 – Council Meeting 1 PM

November 10 – Bible Study 10 AM

November 12 – TBD 1 PM

November 17 – Bible Study 10 AM

November 18 – Book Club 11 AM

November 24 – Bible Study 10 AM

November 26 – THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

(Genesis will serve lunch)

November 29 – First Sunday of Advent

You are always welcome to come to any event!

And, bring a friend!

Wonderful Fellowship Opportunity:

There is a group of people who gather at EOC most weekdays at 11:30 AM for FREE lunch

from the Genesis Project. They meet in the fellowship space in the sanctuary.

If you would like to join them, tell Don Gimpel and he will make sure a meal is ready for you...

and your friends, too!

From Kay Johnson: "Thank You for giving me such a wonderful retirement party!

I appreciate all the cards, kind words and well wishes!"

VOTE!

Martin Luther reminded us that we live in 2 kingdoms: the kingdom of God, and the "kingdom" of our country/government.

Be sure to exercise your right to vote for the leaders of our earthly kingdom!

Our Electronic Sign

The connections to the sign from the office are still a work in progress.

Hopefully, we will be able to promote all of the activities at EOC soon!

God's Work. Our Hands. October

Superstition Community Food Bank

All non-perishable food items welcome.

Place them on the cart in the Narthex by the

US map.

You may also make a donaton to Epiphany of Christ via Zelle or check. Be sure to note "For SCFB"

and we will deliver a check to them

at the end of the month.

Congregation Vitality Survey

will happen in January, 2027

We will hand out the survey instructions on

January 10.

You will have 2 weeks to complete the survey.

Everyone who attends EOC will be asked to complete a form either online or on paper.

There are 40 questions.

There is no "right" answer. You will select the multiple choice answer to each question that you believe best describes EOC now.

Definition of a Plan: A plan is an organized proposal or strategy designed to achieve a specific goal. It typically involves a series of steps or decisions made in advance to guide actions toward accomplishing an objective.

Definition of Disciple: A Christian disciple is a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. This term refers to someone who learns from Jesus, imitates His character, and actively participates in His mission. Discipleship involves a commitment to grow spiritually, obey God's teachings, and share the faith with others.

One of the important survey questions is:

Is our congregation Making Disciples?

Which answer do you think best describes EOC?

We do not actively invest in making more and better disciples.
We invest in making more and better disciples but lack a clear plan for doing so.
We have a clear discipleship plan that is effectively making more and better disciples.

Which number will you choose on the survey?

On Sunday, January 31, Pr David Pavesic, DEM of the Grand Canyon Synod will join us for worship and will meet with us after the service to go over the results of the survey. At that time, he may have more questions for you.

For those who have not yet returned as winter visitors by January, you will be able to answer the survey questions online.

EOC is a vital congregation, and we want to thrive and grow in the future.

Join us for Bible Study!

Tuesdays at 10 AM

in Friendship Hall.

The quote above is Martin Luther describing his opinion of the Book of Romans

in the New Testament.

We read and discussed Romans Chapters 10-11 last Tuesday.

We are having some great discussions about living into our faith.

Paul discussed the struggle of the people of Israel to embrace the Good News about Jesus. He also reminds us that Salvation is for All People through faith alone in Jesus Christ. And he assures everyone that in the end, all Israel will be saved, too, because of God's grace.

We talked about how people - and sometimes we - struggle with the idea that salvation is so easy: Faith alone in Jesus Christ is all we need to have.

Come! Study with us!

Stay for lunch, compliments of

The Genesis Project at 11:30 am.

First impressions are important.

Which do you like best?

A Welcome sign similar to this will be the focal point of our "redo." "Welcome" should be the first thing people see when they enter the Narthex. This is what it might look like with brown tones.

Edited to show what it might look like with blue tones.

Edited to show what it might look like with gray tones.

Hope to see you there!

November 4

at 3 pm at Maggie's.

100 N Plaza Drive, AJ

Why Pub Theology?

It's a good way to engage with the community. Wearing our GWOH t-shirts is a nice way to invite questions about our church.

Pub Theology is a modern-day expression of Martin Luther's famous "Table Talks." Luther valued these informal gatherings as a means to share his thoughts and engage in lively discussions with a wide variety of people.

Table Talk

Informal Setting: Luther often held discussions during meals, allowing for a relaxed atmosphere where ideas could flow freely.
Diverse Topics: The conversations covered theology, ethics, and personal anecdotes, providing a holistic view of his beliefs and character.

Please plan to buy a cup of coffee or a drink as "thank you" for Maggie's welcoming us into their space.

GROUND RULES FOR PUB THEOLOGY

DISCUSSION USUALLY CENTERS ON HOW WE ARE CHRIST TO THE WORLD. ALL TOPICS ARE OPEN, WHILE SHOWING RESPECT FOR ALL PEOPLE.

1. Listen first.

2. Respect each person.

3. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

4. Pub Theology doesn't advocate any single

perspective.

You may invite friends to come, too!

I hope you will try it! It is a favorite fellowship activity in many churches

Pastor Patsy has a 1/2 time call -

approximately 20 hours per week.

Office hours are on Tuesdays: 11 am until approx 1 pm.

Other times available by appointment.

Contact information for Pastor Patsy is on the last page of every Sunday bulletin.

PLEASE put my phone and email in your phone!

Please add your name to all texts and emails!

While my time is limited, I will visit those who are in the hospital for life-threatening emergencies,

or those receiving end-of-life care.

As a precaution, you may find the entrance doors to the Narthex locked after 9:30 am each Sunday.

Our ushers watch the doors and, if you arrive late, they will quickly come to let you in.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Please pray for the safety of everyone in worship.

Prayer Requests

Praying for those in need is important. However, the pastor is not the only person who can pray for others. We are all called to love and pray.

We always pray for those in need, especially people struggling with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

We pray for those who are poor or houseless, those who are homebound or in care facilities, those who are caregivers, those who are hungry, those imprisoned or disappeared, and for our government leaders to do as Jesus did: love everyone.

We pray for our sister churches in the ELCA, and especially the Grand Canyon Synod, as many are discerning their future as attendance and financial support dwindles.

We pray that all eligible voters

are able to safely exercise their right to vote.

We pray for those who are ill or having surgery.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

Please add your name-specific prayer requests to the Private EOC group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1020597067046157

If you are already following the EOC Facebook page, you should have received an invitation to join the private EOC group. If you didn't, please email Pr Patsy.

If you have prayer requests for the prayer chain, please contact Nancy Mohawk. She will be happy to post them in our private FB prayer group if you or someone you know is unable to do it by themselves.

During the prayers in worship from now on, rather than reading names, you will be given time to lift up to God the names of people you know and love who need prayers.

This gives you a unique opportunity to pray for the people you love most.

You can now give online to Epiphany of Christ with Zelle! Most major banks offer this option.

This is how the church is listed in Zelle:

Epiphany of Christ Lutheran 602-623-8929.

Instructions: Log on to your bank app. Find Zelle on the app.

Go to "Recipients" and click "Add."

Type "Epiphany of Christ Lutheran" and click the box for "Business."

Click "Continue" and follow instructions.

Once you have added Epiphany of Christ as a Recipient, go back to Zelle and Epiphany of Christ will be listed as one of your recipients.

Send a small gift first as a test. In the Comment section, you may designate "General Fund," a special fund (like Genesis, Food Bank, Lutheran Disaster Response, etc), or a memorial.

If not designated, your gift will be added to the general fund.

You should get an email confirming you added a recipient and sent a gift with Zelle.

Thank YOU for your continued support.

e-News on October 22:

87% of the email newsletters were opened.

The link to the newsletter is posted each week on our Facebook page. And it is on the home page of our website. So, if you prefer not to receive the emails, you may still keep up with what's happening at Epiphany of Christ by going to one of those pages.

91 Sent

77 Opened

14 Unopened

If you have NEWS you would like shared in this weekly

e-newsletter, please send the info to the church office

or to Pastor Patsy.

If you know someone who is a member or friend of Epiphany of Christ and not receiving this weekly email, please forward it to them. If they would like to have it delivered directly to their email box, they may send their email address to the church office: eoclaj@gmail.com

Please refer to previous e-News emails if you need information that was included prior to today.

Epiphany of Christ Lutheran Church is a member of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (ELCA)