This Sunday, November 19, is the day that we will bring our Estimate of Giving Cards and place them on the Altar. We all share in a rich congregation life at CLC, and this community needs each of us. Our giving matters. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to complete your pledge now. If you are unable to be present at church on Sunday, please mail or drop off your pledge card at the church office. The "Estimate of Giving" card is very helpful to the Council as it prepares for the coming year. Thank you!

Rooted in God’s abundant love for the world, let us pray for our neighbors, the church, and all of creation.

A brief silence.

We praise you, O Lord, for you alone are God. Give to your church a holy curiosity to ask questions and build bridges across difference. Sustain ecumenical and interreligious partnerships (local partnerships may be named). On this day of Thanksgiving, commit us to respectful and faithful dialogue with Indigenous neighbors who find this day difficult. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

We praise you for green pastures and abundant harvests. Feed us with the fruit of the earth, the work of human hands. Bless those who labor in fields and factories for the food that nourishes and strengthens us. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

We praise you for leaders who seek justice and equity for all. For (our president, prime minister, governor, mayor, . . . and) all elected officials, we pray. Guide them to prioritize the common good over narrow individualism. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

We praise you for your tender care. Be present with those who weep this day (especially). Lead them through their sorrow and tears into shouts of joy. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

We praise you for our community of faith. You have brought us this far by faith. In times of worry and uncertainty, renew our trust in your abundance. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

We praise you for your saints who now feast at your eternal banquet. Sustain us by their faithful lives of gratitude until that day when we join them at your table. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

We offer our prayers to you, gracious God, trusting in your boundless love for all that you have made, through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Amen.

As you are aware, our Choral Scholars (Lucas Bowley, Steph Edwards, Molly Lewis, Nate Moore, and Sarah Williams) are a tremendous gift to our church and music ministry. We are very blessed to have them! There are churches in larger cities that do not have the music ministry that CLC is blessed to have. The next time you see or interact with one of our students, please thank them for their gifts and presence with us.

I would like to thank the Wilson Trust and its Trustees, Angie Kinch and Rev. Deb Click, for the support of our Choral Scholars in 2023 and their commitment to support and funding in 2024! They, as I, believe that the choral scholars add to our church and community in both music ministry and outreach. As Angie said, "If Leona Wilson were around, she would be supporting this effort". The Wilson Trust provided over $21,000 in 2023 and has committed to $21,450 for the 2024 year. We are most grateful and thank them for supporting this vision.

There are Sundays (and other services) that were not included in the original proposal. This is meant to give the congregation the opportunity to have some ownership in this endeavor. If you would like to support the Choral Scholars for a Sunday, a month, or a year!, the per Sunday expense is generally around $550. Please mark your check "Choral Scholars" in the memo line or on your envelope. Thank you for your support!

A few notes about the Choral Scholars Program

The Choral Scholar is a funded position given to degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate students in the music program at Indiana-University-Kokomo or to a seasoned musician. The responsibilities of the Choral Scholar are as follows:

• Attend all Parish Choir rehearsals
• Practice and prepare music for rehearsal each week
• Sing as a member of the Parish Choir at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday liturgy and other services as negotiated
• Lead sectionals and choral warm-ups as needed
• Offer vocal solos in worship when the choir has a Sunday off
• Participate in congregational and ensemble fellowship opportunities as able
• Thoughtfully invite/recruit other students to sing in the choir or attend worship

Thoughtful Participation

It is the goal of our congregation to connect more tangibly with the student population that surrounds our church building. The Choral Scholar will, as their schedule allows, attend fellowship opportunities at Christ (i.e., Fellowship Hour after worship) that help them connect with the congregation at large. The Choral Scholar will also thoughtfully consider ways they can invite their student network's participation in our music and worship activities at Christ.

Compensation

This position pays $50 per call, usually totaling $100 per week. A rehearsal is considered a "call" and the service is a "call", which equals $100 per Sunday. The Choral Scholar is paid monthly.

If you have any questions about this worthwhile endeavor, please feel free to reach out to me!

--Thomas Dearchs

Minister of Music & Organist

Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 95:1-7a; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-36

On this final Sunday of the church year our gospel is Jesus’ great story of judgment. In the end, the faithful are those who served Christ by ministering to those who are poor, hungry, naked, sick, or estranged. In the first reading God is the shepherd who seeks the lost, weak, and injured and feeds them with justice. We gather this day to celebrate the reign of Christ and his victory over death, yet we await the consummation of all things yet to come. Acknowledging Christ as our merciful ruler, we go forth that his reign may be known in our loving words and deeds.

On November 14, the Congregational Council met with Bishop William Gafkjen to begin the pastoral transition process.

The first thing we, as a congregation, need to do is to take time to say thanks. We need to say thanks to Pastor Sharon for all she has done. We need to thank her for her prayers on our behalf. We need to thank her for all the hospital visits she has made. We need to thank her for her guidance in difficult situations. We need to thank her for so much more. We should begin doing that now.

We need to listen to the Holy Spirit for what is new and what is next. We need to look for opportunities and respond with an enthusiastic "yes" to them. As the prophet said in Isaiah 43: 19: "I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” As we are doing this, we will meet with Pastor Nancy Nyland. She will help us discern where God is alive and seek clarity about our mission as a congregation. We will then discover how the process of calling a new pastor will work for Christ Lutheran Church.

As always, we need your prayers and participation in this next step for Christ Lutheran Church.

--Dee Ann Daniels

Council President

Tom Dearchs will be on vacation from Monday, November 20 through Tuesday, November 28. Sarah Williams will serve as our Guest Organist on Sunday, November 26. Thank you, Sarah!

There will be no Weekly eNews published on Thursday, November 23. The next issue will be sent out on Thursday, November 30.

Pastor Walker will be on vacation from Friday, November 17 through Monday, November 20. The Rev. Mike Crawford will preach and preside on Sunday, November 19. If you have a pastoral emergency, please contact Tom Dearchs at 765.453.6183.

Music at Christ is pleased to present a concert featuring Pavel Morunov, Oboe, Johanna Bourkova-Morunov, Violin, and Alexander Klepach, Piano, on Sunday afternoon, November 19, at 4 PM. All three musicians are members of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. The public is invited and there is no charge to attend. A reception follows the concert. We hope to see you there!

Please plan to stay for pizza after church on Sunday, November 26! Following lunch, we will participate in the annual “Hanging of the Greens”. We will adorn the Narthex and Sanctuary in preparation for the Advent and Christmas season. All are welcome!

Mark your calendars! The Advent Recital Series is fast approaching! The recitals begin at 12:10 p.m. and last approximately 30-40 minutes followed by a light luncheon. The suggested donation for lunch is $7. Please join us for one or all three!

Wednesday, December 6:

Sarah Williams, organ

Wednesday, December 13:

Catherine Trout Musselman, piano & harp

Wednesday, December 20:

Travis Person, organ

The Annual Meeting of the Congregation will be held on Sunday, December 10, 2023, immediately following the morning worship service. Please plan to be present on this day.

Where have you seen God at work today?

After long prayer and discernment, Christ the King Anglican Church has decided that the time has come for Holy Closure. Their final service will be held on Sunday, November 26 at 2 p.m. All are welcome. We ask your prayers for our sorrow, and for our affirmation of all the love, grace, and blessings that God has showered upon us, and given to others through us.

Please click the link below for the concert brochure for the 2023 - 2024 season of Music at Christ.

Have you considered the online giving option? Here are some of the advantages:

Advantages of Vanco Electronic Giving:

1. No paper envelopes and checks to be processed.
2. Giving is much more private.
3. Minimizes Sunday morning counting and bank trips.
4. Florida snowbirds don’t have to send physical checks in the mail.
5. Credit/Debit cards are a second option to direct bank-to-bank transactions if desired.
6. Specialized giving such as ‘Furnace Fund’ can be easily set up to avoid the hassle of separate checks or cash for miscellaneous giving.
7. You have complete control of starting/stopping/changing as you wish.
8. A history of your giving is directly available through the Vanco app without having to check with the Financial Secretary.
9. Money is transferred to our church checking account in a matter of 1-2 days rather than a week or two after the fact.

If you are ready to make the change from paper, please speak with Jerre Fercho or Bob Howell. They will be happy to talk with you about the advantages and get you set up! 

We thank everyone for what has been given to date and appreciate all efforts made to stay current.



Thank you!

President: Dee Ann Daniels (2024)

e: [email protected] | c: (574) 702-1921

Vice President: Jill Howell (2025)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 860-7949

Secretary: Amy Russell (2025)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 480-4241

Dan Macaluso (2023)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 438-9385

Elaine Newman (2023)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 437-2954

Rudy Obermeyer (2025)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 480-5871

Nadine Owens (2023)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 860-1441

Financial Secretary: Bob Howell (appointed)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 860-8446

Treasurer: Peter Kane (appointed)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 513-5075

Rev. Sharon Walker (ex officio)

e: [email protected] | c: (765) 427-4618

The Church Council Members and Parish Staff would be happy to talk with you at any time regarding Christ Lutheran Church and its mission in the world.

Christ Speaks, We Listen, We Share

Please click the purple-colored button below for the Worship Assistant Schedule for November. If you are unable to serve, please obtain a substitute and notify the church office. Thanks!

Do you like seeing the beautiful flowers on the Altar each Sunday? If so, we need you to sign-up today! There are many weeks remaining this year that need a sponsor. The flower cost is $20 per vase or two for $40. Two people may sign-up on a Sunday if you would like to share the cost. Please sign-up today!

Please note that we will not have flowers adorning the Altar if there is no sponsor for a particular week.

The 2023 flower chart has arrived and is hanging in the Narthex. The flower cost is $20 per vase or two for $40. Please sign-up today. Eternal Candles remain at $18 per month.

There is a 2023 and 2024 calendar located on the counter in the Office Work Room. Please list events, meetings, etc., on this calendar so that scheduling of events can take place and conflicts do not occur. You will notice a "red" checkmark beside the events to indicate that they have been transferred to Tom's calendar as well as the churchwide calendar. Thank you for your assistance.

Christ Lutheran Church

3401 S. Dixon Road

Kokomo, IN 46902

Phone: 765.453.6183

Pastor's Cell: 765.427.4618

christlutherankokomo.org