Emmanuel E-News
January 31 - February 6, 2025
Dear Emmanuel Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
What a wonderful and Spirit-filled weekend we have shared! My heart overflows with gratitude as I reflect on the joy and fellowship we experienced, beginning last Friday with our "Grand Night for Singing." What a tremendous blessing to welcome 371 people from across the Venice community into our sanctuary for an evening of music and praise. Thank you to all who participated, attended, and helped make this event such a success. A special thank you to the families that sponsored the musicians. It was a powerful reminder of how God uses music to bring people together and uplift our spirits.
Then, as we gathered for worship this past weekend, we had the privilege of celebrating our Re-dedication services with Bishop Pedro Suárez of the Florida-Bahamas Synod. In those moments of worship, we reaffirmed our commitment to Christ and to the mission of Emmanuel, dedicating ourselves anew to God’s work in our church and community. A special thank you to Bishop and his wife, Deacon Aura Suárez for joining us this weekend.
January was a month of reflection on our fiscal stewardship, and I want to thank each of you who turned in your commitment cards this past weekend. Your faithful giving is a testament to your love for this congregation and your trust in God’s provision. Now, as we enter February, we shift our focus to the stewardship of our time and talents through volunteering. Just as we give of our financial resources, we are also called to give of ourselves in service to God and one another.
This coming weekend, we will have our Showcase of Services and Ministries on Saturday and Sunday—a wonderful opportunity to explore ways we can answer God’s call to serve. Whether you have been deeply involved in ministry for years or are seeking new ways to use your gifts, I encourage you to come, learn, and discover where God is leading you next. Through our collective participation, we embody the love Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 13: a love that is patient and kind, not self-seeking, but always striving for the good of others.
The readings for this weekend remind us that God calls each of us, just as He called the prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). No matter our age or stage in life, God has a purpose for us in His kingdom. Yet, as we see in Luke 4, answering God’s call is not always easy. Jesus faced rejection in his own hometown, but that did not deter Him from His mission. May we, too, have the courage to step into God’s calling with faith, knowing that His love sustains us.
God is calling us to greater participation in the life of Emmanuel and in the lives of those we serve in the Venice area and beyond. Let us step forward boldly, trusting that He will equip us for every good work.
With gratitude and joy in Christ,
Pastor Will
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