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Our congregation's mission statement: Called and empowered to proclaim the radical love of Christ through lives of service.

January 12, 2025

Dear Siblings in Christ,

I cannot begin to thank you enough for the generosity shown to me this Christmas: the cards, candy and breads, the monetary gift from the congregation and even a gift from the council were deeply appreciated. These generous gifts allowed me the opportunity to play and share with my family during our vacation. While enjoying our rest we took in a movie, played games, enjoyed pizza and an arcade, and finally took the trek up Mount Lemmon! We snuggled and baked, napped and read, and most importantly took time to be fully present with one another.

This week I am away from my family while I take time in an Executive Skills course, hosted by Thriving Leadership Formation. This course allows me to grow as a leader, by learning more about Human Resources, Conflict Resolution, Social Media Strategies, and Information and Technology for Churches. Next week, I will have a few days out of the office while participating in my next ELCA Systems Academy session. It is a busy time as we enter 2025, but I firmly believe that my growth as a Pastor and leader will lead to health and growth for us as a congregation. Thank you for being so supportive of my work in this way, and for supporting Stacy in the office while I am away. I look forward to sharing with you what I have learned and how it can help us all grow together in faith and mission.

~ Faithfully yours,

Pastor Naomi Hartman

Sunday Bulletin and

Worship Service Links

Click here or the picture above to access the Sunday 10:00a worship bulletin.

Click here for live-streaming of the worship service.

Calendar

This Sunday, January 12 ~ Baptism of Our Lord

+8:00a -- Discussion Eucharist: Learning Center (In-person only).
9:00a -- Growing in Faith Together: Activities Room. All ages are welcome!
+10:00a -- Sunday Celebration: Sanctuary. (In-person and live-streamed on YouTube)
11:15a -- Fellowship Time: Join us in the Activities Room. All are invited!

+ Service includes Holy Communion.

Monday, January 13

The church office is closed on Mondays.
January 13 to 15 -- Pastor Naomi attends the ELCA Systems Academy. Rev. Stewart McDonald will provide pastoral support in her absence.
10:30a to 12:00p -- Beyond the Book: Location to be determined.
4:30p to 5:30p -- French Lessons: Activities Room. (Community Group)
5:30p to 7:00p -- Beyond the Book: Location to be determined.

Tuesday, January 14

Tuesday through Friday, 9:00a to 3:00p -- Church Office is open: Use the south entry door and ring the doorbell if the door is locked.
January 13 to 15 -- Pastor Naomi attends the ELCA Systems Academy. Rev. Stewart McDonald will provide pastoral support in her absence.
1:00p to 3:00p -- Karen Kucharz piano rehearsal: Sanctuary. (Community group)

Wednesday, January 15

January 13 to 15 -- Pastor Naomi attends the ELCA Systems Academy. Rev. Stewart McDonald will provide pastoral support in her absence.
9:00a to 11:00a -- POZ Cafe volunteer assembly of care packages: Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. (See article below.)
Noon -- Articles are due for "Weekly Footnotes": Church Office.
4:30p to 6:00p -- Los Campaneros handbell rehearsal: Activities Room.
7:00p to 8:00p -- Sunrise Territory Village annual meeting: Activities Room. (Community Group)

Thursday, January 16

9:30a to 1:30p -- POZ Cafe: Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. (See article below.)
10:00a to 11:30a -- Thursday Journey: Activities Room.
1:00p to 3:00p -- Karen Kucharz piano rehearsal: Sanctuary. (Community group)

Friday, January 17

11:00a to 12:00p -- Ahlstrand Memorial Service: Resurrection Lutheran. (See article below.)
3:45p -- Primavera Men's Shelter hot stew items due: Bring food items to the kitchen area and check off your name from the signup sheet.
5:45p to 8:00p -- AA PreWeekenders & Al-Anon Sunset: Activities Room. (Community Groups)

Saturday, January 18

10:00a to 12:00p -- Celebration Choir rehearsal: Sanctuary.

Coming Up

January 21 and 23 -- Karen Kucharz piano rehearsal in Sanctuary every Tuesday and Thursday until Lent. (Community Group)
January 19 -- During fellowship time, join Ed Landes, Council Treasurer, for a Q & A session about the budget before the Annual Meeting on January 26.
January 19 -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Grand Canyon Synod celebration in Phoenix.
January 26 -- Lutheran Church of the Foothills Annual Meeting at 11:15a in the Activities Room.

Community Service

January 12 Deadline Is Approaching For Donations

TIHAN (Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network) has been providing community resources and caring support to people with HIV for 30 years. The most popular and effective program is Poz Café, the monthly lunch and social time for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Poz Café will be at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (1200 N. Campbell), Thursday, January 16, 2025. Lutheran Church of the Foothills is collecting 120 bottles of shampoo and 120 tubes of regular size toothpaste for the Poz Marketplace bags. All items should be brought to church by Sunday, January 12. As of this newsletter we are still short 62 bottles of shampoo and 39 tubes of toothpaste.

Lutheran Church of the Foothills will also collect monetary donations to pay for the food served at the lunch. Use up your Health Savings Account (HSA) funds for the year or a Thrivent Action Grant to purchase the personal care items and bring them to church. Make checks payable to “Lutheran Church of the Foothills” and note “TIHAN Community Service” in the memo line. Use the Community Service envelopes on the display table in the Narthex and place your donations in the offering basket or mail them to the church. You can also give online by using the QR code in the Sunday worship bulletin or the Giving page on our website. Finally, any loose cash placed in the offering basket is automatically designated for the current Community Service emphasis. January's emphasis is POZ Café.

~ Community Service Team

January 17 Primavera Delivery This Coming Week!

Our next opportunity to provide a hot stew dinner at the Primavera Men's Shelter is January 17. You can participate by signing up on the clipboard on the Activities Counter or calling the office to prepare the food in your home kitchen, provide side dishes and desserts, or serve the meal at the Shelter. The men will thank you! As of this newsletter, we still need the following signups:

3 stews
3 salads & salad dressings
2 rolls
2 desserts
3 servers

Remember, menu contributions need to be at the church on or before 3:45p so our serving team has time to pack the items for transport to the Shelter (which is on Benson Highway near the Veterans’ Hospital) and to set up the buffet table for service beginning promptly at 5:00p. Note that the church building closes at 3:00p, and the south entrance will be open briefly at 3:45p when the serving team arrives to start packing your food contributions.

Please bring items in at serving temperature and in covered disposable containers (except the stew is brought in the LCF stew containers with lids). Put your menu contributions in the kitchen area and make a checkmark beside your name on the sign-up sheet when you bring in your food.

Thank you for your participation in this ministry! For more information contact Sylvia Strauss-Kolb.

~ Community Service Team

Sister Jose' Women's Shelter

Sister José Women's Center, a low-barrier shelter for women without housing, is accepting limited clothing donations, including jackets, coats, blankets, tarps, walking shoes, pants, leggings, jeans, and sweatpants. The Center continues to accept small travel-size soaps and shampoos as well as sneakers and comfortable walking shoes (no fancy or high heels). If you have other clothing items to donate, here are a few non-profits that will accept them:

Bringing Out the Best, 2925 N. Country Club - accepts all types of clothing.
The Humane Society Thrift Store, 1010 S. Wilmot - proceeds go directly to animal care at The Humane Society.
Eagles Wings of Grace, 2925 N. Country Club - accepts professional-type clothing, shoes, and makeup for women who have experienced poverty and are returning to the workforce.

Because many guests have pets, dry food or canned food with pull tabs for dogs (especially puppies) and cats, is always needed. The Center will also take new or gently used pet supplies such as beds, leashes, and harnesses. Donations should be dropped off in the blue tub by the Community Service display in the Narthex or directly at the Center on 1050 S. Park Avenue, Tucson.

Showing Christ's Radical Love

In 2024, Lutheran Church of the Foothills collected and delivered 1,173 pounds of non-perishable food to Interfaith Community Services and their food bank. This includes 237 jars of peanut butter for the July peanut butter drive. Thanks to all of you for living out and showing Christ’s radical love to all Interfaith Community Services serves. And on we go into 2025. Thank you.

~ Beth Daum

Empty Bowls Fundraiser

Join Interfaith Community Services (ICS) on Saturday, March 1, at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center (1288 W. River Road, Tucson) for their biggest fundraiser of the year, Empty Bowls 2025! This inspiring event brings the community together to support those in need with delicious soups, breads, and desserts donated by local restaurants. Enjoy an exciting silent auction and select a handcrafted pottery bowl, created by local artists, as a keepsake. Proceeds benefit ICS Food Banks and programs. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. Don't wait! Last year, tickets sold out early.

Life Together

Mark your calendars! The Annual Meeting of Lutheran Church of the Foothills will be held on January 26 at 11:15a in the Activities Room.

Celebration of Life for Marge Ahlstrand

Please join the Ahlstrand family in honoring Marge Ahlstrand with a Celebration of Life on January 17, 2025, at 11:00a at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 11575 N. 1st Avenue, Oro Valley, AZ.

Instead of flowers, please direct memorial funds to: Augustana College Choir, Office of Advancement, 639 38th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201 or go to the college website: https://augustana.edu/giving.

Contact Michelle with any questions at (520) 245-4176.

Beyond the Book: 2025 Schedule

Beginning in January, Beyond the Book will meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 10:30a or 5:30p. Rev. Greg Hartman and Pastor Naomi Hartman will alternate leading the morning and evening groups. Locations are still being finalized, but the current schedule is as follows:

January 13 and 27: Executing Grace by Shane Claiborne

February: Love Without Limits by Jacqueline Bussie

March: Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans

April: Is That Poop On My Arm? by Justin Lind-Ayres

Contact Pastor Naomi for more information.

Photo by Sanjana Laddha on Unsplash

Thursday Journey

Thursday Journey is a group that explores various topics that impact our calling to live as grace-filled, inclusive, generous, and justice-focused people in today's world. You are welcome to join us each Thursday from 10:00a to 11:30a in the Activities Room.

On January 16 we will discuss David Brook's opinion essay about his journey of faith ("The Shock of Faith," published in The New York Times on December 19, 2024). Contact Stewart McDonald (revstewart@lcftucson.org) if you want a copy of this essay to read before we meet.

David Brooks

Honoring Dr. King's Legacy at the Grand Canyon Synod Celebration of Diversity

As we reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s enduring vision of justice, unity, and diversity, the Grand Canyon Synod invites you to gather with us for a special Celebration of Diversity event on Sunday, January 19, 2025, from 3:00p to 5:00p. This event, held at King of Glory Lutheran Church (2085 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, AZ 85282), honors Dr. King’s legacy and invites us to come together as a diverse, faith-rooted community committed to love and justice. Bishop Yehiel Curry of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod will be preaching. Click here for more information.

Lutheran Advocacy Day 2025 at the Arizona Capitol

Lutherans and friends of faith across Arizona are invited to gather on Monday, February 10, 2025, at Wesley Bolin Plaza (1700 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85007), for Lutheran Advocacy Day, a day dedicated to activating our faith through advocacy. From 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, we’ll come together to voice our shared commitment to justice and peace, engaging with legislators and praying for all who serve in government.

This annual event is an opportunity to stand in solidarity and embody our baptismal call to “strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” Attendees will have the chance to meet and converse with legislators, connect with the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Arizona (LAMA) liaisons, and learn from our LAMA policy council about the most pressing issues facing our communities. For detailed information and a schedule of events, click here.

To participate, register here: Register for Lutheran Advocacy Day 2025. Your presence and voice make a difference as we answer our call to faith in action together. Join us and be a part of this powerful day of witness and advocacy.

Volunteers Needed for Upcoming 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix

The Grand Canyon Synod is honored to host the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, taking place July 28–August 2, 2025, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. This event, held every three years, is the primary decision-making gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), where representatives from across the church meet for worship, communal discernment, and essential decision-making.

As the host synod, we have a unique opportunity to extend our hospitality and support this important work on behalf of the entire church. To make this possible, we are calling on up to 100 volunteers to join us between July 26 and August 2, 2025. Volunteers will play a vital role in helping the event run smoothly and welcoming our ELCA family to Phoenix.

We’ll be sharing more details and sign-up opportunities soon, but for now, please mark your calendars. Whether you assist with logistics, hospitality, or worship support, your contribution will make a difference.

To express early interest or learn more, please contact Mary Beth Baron, Volunteer Coordinator, at mbbaron@gcsynod.org.

Let’s come together as the Grand Canyon Synod to serve joyfully and support the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2025!

2025 Offering Envelopes Are Here!

Boxed offering envelopes are available on a table at the west end of the Narthex (by the Memorial Garden door). Because of an abundance of unused offering envelopes, only 80 boxes of envelopes were ordered for 2025. If you have been using a giving envelope numbered 81-125, you will have a new envelope number in 2025. If you have questions, please contact Brian Shon.

Help Needed

The Property team needs a volunteer to take the old and broken 43" TV monitor to a local electronic recycling business. If you have the time and are willing, please contact Marty Lueking.

Kino Conference Women of the ELCA Spring Gathering

Join the Kino Conference Women of the ELCA (WELCA) from 8:30a to 3:30p for their Spring Gathering on March 8, 2025, at Streams in the Desert (5360 E. Pima St., Tucson). This year's theme is "Women on the Move." Registration is $20. For more information, see the display on the Activities Counter.

The Magazine is Returning in 2025!

Beginning in 2025, Living Lutheran will again appear in mailboxes with 4 issues a year (spring, summer, winter, fall). The cost for an individual subscription for one year is $19.95. Call 1-800-328-4648 or sign up at www.livinglutheran.org/subscribe.

FREE copies will be made available in the Narthex next to the Our Daily Bread devotions in late January or early February.

ELCA World Hunger

Proceeds placed in the World Hunger Appeal Contributions Jar (on the stand inside the entrance to our worship area) are shared with the ELCA’s World Hunger program. Thanks for your generosity. November/December total: $125.00.

~ Ann Krohn and Carol Lundberg