Don't forget to hand in your Estimate of Giving card and Time and Talent Commitment to the office
by November 19.
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Dear Siblings in Christ,
I have a sign in my home that reads: "All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust." Walt Disney and Peter Pan may have had the beginnings of a good stewardship campaign in 1960. Faith and Trust are the core tenets that a congregation leans into when offering an estimated giving card each year. In order to create a Faith Spending Plan (a budget), a congregation needs to project an estimate of the giving it will receive. From that estimate, we will develop a Faith Spending Plan that aligns with our congregational values and mission. Several years ago Lutheran Church of the Foothills acclaimed the following:
Our Five Practices as Faithful Disciples and a Fruitful Congregation
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Radical Hospitality: Inviting, welcoming, and caring for our guests
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Passionate Welcome: Experiencing God through singing, prayer, scripture, preaching, communion
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Intentional Spiritual Growth: Growing in faith together through study, prayer, and caring relationships
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Risk-Taking Mission and Service: Making a difference in our neighborhood, community and world by helping and serving
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Extravagant Generosity: Giving our time, talents and treasures with joy and thanksgiving for what God has done for us
By giving generously according to our means, we can support our ministries in carrying out these Five Practices. In 2024 we will develop a Faith Spending Plan, funded by the faith and trust of our community to steward our resources in a way that faithfully responds to the needs of our church, our community, and our world with Radical Hospitality, Passionate Welcome, Intentional Spiritual Growth, Risk-Taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity. I encourage you to spend time in prayer and discernment before returning your 2024 estimated giving card Sunday, November 19th.
With Faith, Trust, and the Holy Spirit (stronger than Pixie Dust),
Pastor Naomi
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Sunday, November 19th ~ Christ the King Sunday
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+8:00a Discussion Eucharist: Learning Center. (In-person only)
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9:00a Sunday School K-5: Classroom. (In-person only)
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9:00a Faith Formation: Bible Study: Genesis held in the Activities Room. (In-person only)
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+10:00a Sunday Celebration: Sanctuary. (In-person and live-streamed on YouTube)
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1:00p to 5:00p -- Michael Lich Guitar Studio Festival: Sanctuary. (In-person only)
+ Service includes Holy Communion.
During the week
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Tuesday, 9:00a to 3:00p -- Church Office is open: Use south entry door and ring doorbell if door is locked.
- Wednesday through Friday, November 22-24 -- Church office is closed for Thanksgiving holiday.
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Thursday, November 23 -- THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Next Sunday, November 26th ~ First Sunday in Advent
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+8:00a Discussion Eucharist: Learning Center. (In-person only)
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9:00a ADVENTure: Activities Room. (In-person only)
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+10:00a Sunday Celebration: Sanctuary. (In-person and live-streamed on YouTube)
+ Service includes Holy Communion.
Coming Up
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Saturday, December 2, 10:30a to 12:00p -- Celebration Choir rehearsal: Sanctuary. (In-person only)
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November Community Service Emphasis: Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest Refugee & Immigration Services
In this upcoming season of seemingly endless bounty, let us be mindful of our refugee neighbors who can always use our help.
We are so blessed here at Lutheran Church of the Foothills to have enough food to provide for our families. That, however, is not always the case for many refugee families. This month the Community Service team is partnering with Refugee and Immigration Services at Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) to provide $25.00 Fry’s and Wal-Mart gift cards which families can use to shop for food. For those families who wish to shop for culturally appropriate foods, we are requesting $25.00 Visa gift cards.
The deadline for donations is November 19 to give the LSS-SW team time for disbursements before Thanksgiving Day.
To give monetary gifts, use the Community Service envelopes on the display table in the Narthex or make checks payable to "Lutheran Church of the Foothills" and note "November Community Service" in the memo line. Place your donation in the offering basket or mail it to the church. You can also use your smartphone app to give online using the QR code published in Sunday's worship bulletin. Finally, your Sunday dollars (loose dollar bills placed in the offering basket) will be automatically designated for this month's Community Service emphasis.
~The Community Services Team
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Primavera Food Delivery - December 15
Your contributions help provide meals to the men who seek refuge at the Primavera Men's Shelter. To participate by providing needed items or delivering the groceries, please sign up on the clipboard on the Activities Counter in the lobby.
Due to staff shortages in the Primavera kitchens, we need to make sure food items arrive at the church on Friday delivery days by 9:30a. Also, we will return to making, delivering, and serving stew starting in January 2024. We--and the folks at the shelter--appreciate your participation in this monthly ministry. Food items for next month are due to the church by Friday, December 15, 9:30a.
~ Community Service Team
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Thank you!
Thank you to all the faithful grocery shoppers who help to stock the food pantry at Interfaith Community Services (ICS). LCF has donated over 120 pounds of non-perishable food items from June to October. Every bit of donated food goes to assure that all children, adults and families are not food insecure and helps them have a decent quality of life. Thank you again.
Please put your food donations in the basket at the west end of the Activities Counter. If you would prefer to give a monetary donation, make checks payable to Lutheran Church of the Foothills, mark your donation “ICS,” and put it in the Sunday offering basket.
~ Beth Daum
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Last Year Guest Visits Increased 40%!
Sister José Women's Center, a shelter and day center that provides homeless women in Tucson a path towards independence, needs your help.
The Center needs the following for their guests: new underwear and socks, tennis shoes (new or gently used), backpacks, bras and sports bras of all sizes (new or gently used), chapstick and sunscreen, deodorant, travel-size personal care, hair ties, combs and brushes, and blankets.
Because many of the women at the Center have pets, dry food or canned food with pull tabs for dogs and cats, kitty litter, dog sweaters, and coats and beds for both dogs and cats are needed. The Center will also take new or gently used pet supplies such as beds, leashes, collars, and more. Donations can be placed in the blue bin in the Narthex or dropped off directly at the Center on 1050 S. Park Avenue, Tucson. ~ Patrice Frame
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ELCA Disaster Response
To help with our church's response to current crises here in the United States and around the world, look for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Lutheran Disaster Response forms on the Activities Counter in the lobby.
~ Community Service Team.
Image by Matthias Fischer from Pixabay
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ELCA World Hunger
Proceeds from your pocket change that are put into our Hunger Loose Change Jar (on the stand inside the entrance to our worship area) are shared with the ELCA’s World Hunger program. Thanks for your generosity. October total: $56. ~ Charles & Pat Erickson.
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Congregation Survey: The first step involves you
What will the future church be like in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years? How will our beloved congregation proactively plan for the future of the church locally and globally?
Lutheran Church of the Foothills (LCF) has embarked on a two-year strategic planning program in concert with LEAD, an ELCA affiliated Leadership Development Group.
The first step in our strategic planning process is a period of discernment (listening) to all of the voices in our congregation. The Strategic Planning Leadership Team would like you to fill out a five question survey, assessing your ideas about our current state and discerning the Holy Spirit’s plans for the future of LCF.
The survey can be filled out online by clicking the following link before November 30: Click here to begin the online LEAD Congregation Survey.
Please submit only one response per person.
Deadline for all responses is November 30.
We want to hear from all of you!
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Interfaith Prayer Service for Democracy
On Monday, November 20th, 7:00p, at St. Phillips in the Hills Episcopal Church, 4440 N. Campbell Ave., the community and clergy will gather to celebrate the importance of civic engagement and pray for secure, fair, and safe elections. Please pre-register for both in-person and virtual attendance by clicking the following link: https://tinyurl.com/ynt5xusr
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ADVENTure for All Generations
You are invited to join us in the Activities Room on Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 9:00a to create various decorations for Advent. This is an activity for all ages.
~ Pastor Naomi
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It's Time to Order Poinsettias!
The holidays are fast approaching which means it is time to order poinsettias. Yes, the cost has increased just as almost everything else has increased. The suggested contribution is $30 which includes the price of the plant plus tax. Only 16 poinsettias have been ordered, so please sign up by December 1 on the clipboard on the Activities Counter and remember to note "in honor of" or "in memory of" on the sheet. Make checks payable to "Lutheran Church of the Foothills" and note "poinsettias" in the memo line. Place your donation in the offering basket or mail it to the church. You can also use your smartphone app to give online using the QR code published in Sunday's worship bulletin. If you have any questions, contact Beth Daum.
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Welcoming God's People: December 2 Workshop
You are invited to a workshop on how to respond to those seeking resources at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 1200 N. Campbell Avenue, on Saturday, December 2, from 9:00a to noon. Led by Rev. Sarah Stadler, this workshop will help leaders, staff, and congregants explore and grow our capacity to have difficult conversations and our capacity to respond with compassion and clarity. Contact the office if you are interested in attending. Deadline for registration is November 28.
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Faith Formation
Adult and children's education is at 9:00a. Adults will read and discuss the book of Genesis for the first bible study. Class will be held November 19 and resume December 3.
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Read & Yak
This lively book discussion group meets in person in the Activities Room and on Zoom on the fourth Saturday of each month. The next meeting is November 18 at 10:00a to 11:30a and will center on a discussion of the U.S criminal justice system based on the NY Times bestselling non-fiction book by Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy. Click on this link to join the Zoom meeting. Meeting ID: 822 7558 0676 Passcode: 844657
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Hellene Henrikson Fund Board Fall Grant Recipients
Greetings, from the Hellene Henrikson Fund Board. I am happy to report we have selected Grant Recipients for the Hellene Henrikson Legacy Fund 2023 Fall Grant round. For those who might not remember, the 2023 focus was immigration. We had no shortage of applications and, as is generally the case, we had difficult decisions to make. We ended up granting a total of $85K to the following organizations:
- Angel Heart Pajamas - $5K
- ACLU - $15K
- AZ Justice for our Neighbors - $25K
- Asylum Program of Arizona - $20K
- Literacy Connects - $15K
If you’d like to know more about the organizations we funded please feel free to ask any of the HH Fund Board members.
Peace and Blessings,
Kristen Birner
Hellene Henrikson Fund Board Chairperson
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Living Lutheran magazine, a free publication of the ELCA, will be only digital beginning January 2024. To view each issue online or subscribe to receive issues via email, click on livinglutheran.org | |
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Gather magazine, a publication of the ELCA, offers three multi-session Bible studies per year in winter, summer and fall and two, one-month devotional studies in May and December. Summer studies are free to download. All others require a subscription. To download the summer studies or subscribe to Gather, click here.
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Email Changes
Please note that the emails for Pastor Naomi and Stacy Bade have changed. To contact Pastor Naomi please use: [email protected]. To contact Stacy Bade at the office use: [email protected]
Thank you for your patience as the office is currently undergoing a few updates and changes.
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We pray for . . .
- Rev. Harvey L. (friend of Gene H.);
- Carol L.;
- Roberta (friend of the Wolgemuths);
- Maria J. and Gail H. (friend of the Warrilows);
- Jim S. (friend of Vicky K.);
- safety of El Tour de Tucson riders and supporters;
- Margie, Gwen, Rachel, and Michelle (friends of Sylvia S.);
- Sandi R., Stevie M., and all homeless (friends of the Frames);
- Holly (friend of Ellie Mae N.);
- Bryce L. (Michael L's nephew);
- Karen G. (friend of Leslie J. & Steward M.);
- Dr. M. Chris O. (friend of Mark L.);
- Kathy & Amy H. (sisters of Laura H.);
- Clare R. & Lisa S. (colleagues of Laura H.);
- Daniel (friend of Martine B.);
- Mary P. (friend of the Warrilows);
- Meghan N. (friend of the Landeses);
- Pam, Steven, Jan, Lana, Rachel, and Lance (friends of Sylvia Strauss-Kolb);
- Jan (friend of Patrice F.);
- Monica C. (former LCF member and congregation president);
- Vicki B.;
- Melba A. (friend of the Cousinos); and
- Sue T.
Names will remain on the prayer list for three weeks unless otherwise notified.
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