IMMANUEL’S INSIGHTS AUGUST 2019

Resilient Families Event at Immanuel

People are talking about resiliency as the key that enables some people to handle stress better than others. What is resiliency and how do we build it? How can we make our families and our children more resilient?

Immanuel is hosting an evening workshop on resiliency to help everyone, especially parents and youth, learn to communicate in ways that build resiliency. We welcome Katie Sandquist, a licensed mental health counselor with Myrtue Behavioral Heath based in Harlan Community Schools, to Im- manuel to lead us through a discussion and demonstration of best practices regarding resil- iency. The 90 minute fast-paced workshop will be both entertaining and enlightening for adults and children. The event is open to the public. We encourage parents, grandparents, teens, and pre-teens to at- tend. The event will run from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

We are looking for folks to provide desserts for a brief dessert intermission during the evening.

Worship in August August 3-4 Faith Under Fire (Acts 6-7) Communion

August 10-11 Using God (Acts 8:1-25) Vocal Quartet

August 17-18 A Divine Appointment (Acts 8:26-40) Communion

August 24-25 The Greatest Miracle (Acts 9) Praise Band

God tells us that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. So, who really is our neighbor? Is it the family next door, across the street, or across town? I think God meant all those, as well as those who live in different countries across the world. One way we can love our neighbors is by praying for them. I know for a fact that our neighbors/friends/fellow Christians in Kidugala pray for all of us here at Immanuel, and I encourage you to pray for them as well. A group consisting of Rick & Cheryl Chipman, Patti Allen and Mark Knoell will soon be travelling to Kidugala and surrounding communities. Please keep them in your prayers that they might have safe travels and stay healthy while sharing God’s (and Immanuel’s) love.

Donna Page 2 IMMANUEL’S INSIGHTS

Dear Friends in Christ, We Christians have always been a singing people. The Bible commands us to sing. Some people are too self-conscious to sing in public. Other people just make a joyful noise out of gratitude for God’s grace. The value of our singing is not based on the beauty of our voices. All of our voices fall far short of the glory of God. We sing because God is worthy of a sacrifice of praise. If my voice is weak and faltering, then it becomes clearer than ever that my singing is not for selfish or human pleasure and praise but for God’s pleasure and praise. The Christian faith has inspired a vast collection of music which has endured through many genera- tions. I once asked my father for a list of his favorite hymns. He gave me a list of about 250 hymns. That wasn’t helpful. I love the hymns of our faith. A great hymn is one that has 3 qualities. First, great hymns are God- focused not self-focused. They are not about my feelings or my desires. They are mostly about God’s goodness and greatness. Secondly, great hymns have theological substance. They don’t praise God in general terms that could apply to anyone’s god. They focus clearly on God’s saving actions in the cross and resurrec- tion of Jesus. If a hymn doesn’t mention Jesus, it’s not a great hymn. Finally, great hymns have a tune that is both interesting and accessible for normal people. The tune carries the words in a way that you can’t sing anything else to that tune without thinking of the origi- nal hymn. I have seen lots of lists of the greatest hymns of all time. I’d like to share my list of the greatest Christian hymns of all time. 1. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (1529) by Martin Luther has encouraged Christians for almost 500 years. 2. Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying (1599) written by Philipp Nicolai as a testament to faith and hope in the midst of a terrible plague that was wiping out the town where he served as pastor. 3. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (1707) by Isaac Watts still calls us to see the wonder of the cross. 4. One There Is Above All Others (1779) by John Newton, the slave ship captain who became a hymn writer most famous for writing Amazing Grace. 5. God, My Lord, My Strength (1636), an anonymous Slovak hymn translated by Jaroslav Vajda that shows the faith that led Christians through dark days of persecution. 6. And Can It Be (1738) by Charles Wesley who is perhaps the greatest hymn writer of all time with almost 6000 hymns to his credit. 7. It Is Well with My Soul (1873) written by Horatio Spafford after Mr. Spafford’s four daughters were lost at sea. 8. Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart (1567) by Martin Schalling, a Lutheran pastor, was a favorite hymn of many early Lutherans.

Volume 11, Issue 8 Page 3

9. At the Name of Jesus (1870) written by Caroline Noel while confined to bed by illness to encourage others who were suffering. 10. How Can I Keep from Singing (c. 1865) by Robert Lowry. I have some hymns that I love from more recent years like “We Know that Christ Is Raised” by John Geyer which we sang in May and “Christ Has Arisen! Alleluia!” from Tanzania which we sang in April and also “Peace Came to Earth” by Jaroslav Vajda which is a newer Christmas hymn. But they are too new to make it on the list of greatest hymns yet. Time will tell. Since Easter we have been singing a “hymn of the month” to help us become more comfortable with some of the greatest hymns. These hymns are treasures that we should pass on to future genera- tions. They form our faith and focus our worship. They speak realistically of the hardships of life and yet offer hope and courage for difficult days. What are your top ten hymns? I do appreciate when people give me suggestions of what they would like to sing in worship. Take some time to think about it. Consider not just the tune, but also the message. Page through a hymnal or two and see what you think are the greatest hymns. Then let me know. Yours in Christ, Phil Nielsen

OUR SYMPATHY to the family and friends of Alan “Skip” Carlsen who passed away Saturday, July 13. His funeral was Thursday, July 18 at Immanuel.

Happy Birthday to the following: Twyla Grabill who will be 88 on August 13. Irene Hansen who will be 96 on August 13. Della Holdsworth who will be 92 on August 17. Maggie Hatcher who will be 81 on August 18. Vernice Vrtiska who will be 85 on August 20. John Christensen who will be 82 on August 25. Happy Anniversary to the following: Allan & Sally Simdorn who will be celebrating their 5oth anniversary on August 22. David & Judi Pedersen who will be celebrating their 53rd anniversary on August 27.

ON OUR PRAYER LIST: Betty Boeck, John Schuning, Irene Hansen, Katie Stern, Nancy Christensen, Marlys Moore, Bill Hosack, Clarice Andersen, Sally Claussen, Pam Patterson (niece of Judi Pedersen), Betsy Rush (friend of Dave and Judi Pedersen), Connie Benson, Ronald and Sandra Farr (parents of Cora Chapman), Connie Alexandra, Becky Kersten (daughter of Irene Hansen), John Brown (relation to Karen Plewes), Karen Lund (cousin of Sally Nairn), Ron Rose, Robert Glenn (father of Sharon Kroger), Mary Ellen Marsh (sister of John Christensen & Patti Kumm), Curt Olson (son of Sue Olson), Rick Olsen and Jessica Beeton (great-nice of Kathy Voge). Page 4 IMMANUEL’S INSIGHTS

FIRST FRUITS Is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of each month (August 3 & 4). Please bring your non-perishable items to the church for the local food bank. Please place them in the shopping carts in the Nar- thex. Thank you! And thank you to all who have given. Thanks to those who have supported The Sharing Table. It has been used a lot this sum- mer. The items currently needed at the local food bank are: pasta sides, soups, canned chicken, canned fruit, box potato sides, Manwich, chicken helper, tuna helper, hamburger helper, peas, cake mixes, brownie mixes, ketchup, mustard, dish soap, laundry soap and toiletries (shampoo, body wash, tooth paste, deodorant). LIBRARY LINES CHECK OUT THESE NEW ITEMS DVDS: Beyond the Gates of Splendor A True Story of the Ultimate Sacrifice (documentary) Run the Race (from Executive Producers Tim and Robby Tebow) Beautifully Broken Three families. Two worlds. One incredible story. BOOKS: Love Does by Bob Goff who is the founder and president of “Love Does” a non-profit fighting injustices committed again children. The Family of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury Cancer Now What by Kenneth O. Haugh PhD. A practical guide for those with cancer and their loved ones. Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson Historical novel set during WWII The Hope Jar AND The Forgiving Jar by Wanda Brunstetter Amish fiction. The Innkeeper’s Daughter by Michelle Griep Historical fiction How Big Is Love by Amy Parker Ages 2-6

Suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.

SEPTEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER WOW BUNKO— Thursday, August DEADLINE: 22 at 7:00 p.m. Bring your food pantry or share table items. Also THURSDAY, bring a friend and enjoy an evening AUGUST 22 of Christian fellowship, fun and food! Volume 11, Issue 8 Page 5

COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARY June 11, 2019—7 pm

The Immanuel Church Council met July 16 with 8 of 14 members present. Steve Allen opened the meeting with devotions from Matthew 1 about the faithfulness of Joseph. Treasurer’s report: June income was $18,857 and expenses were $22,916 for a deficit of $4059. We have a YTD deficit of $4098. General fund is at $20,666. Capital Savings account is at $1267. Outreach — July Mission Partner is Shelby County Community Outreach ($1500). August Mission Partner will be Feed My Starving Children which will hold a food packing event in Harlan September 20-21. Education — VBS came in under budget with 27 children participating. Team is doing a curriculum review for Sunday School and is making plans for Rally Sunday on September 8. Fellowship — Team is encouraging volunteers to serve the Community Theatre Production with ushering and refreshments. Property – Stabilt repaired the parking lot. Annual roof inspection was performed by drone. No im- mediate problems. Roundup was sprayed on sidewalks and parking lot cracks. Greg Nelson fixed leaking sink in kitchen and replaced damaged outdoor spigot. Moved and seconded to purchase a used mower with a 74-inch deck. Motioned carried. Coffee machine in kitchen is leaking. Executive – Moved and seconded to use annual boxes of offering envelopes for 2020. Boxes will not be mailed but will be picked up at the church. Motion carried. Pastor – Planning “Resiliency Workshop” with Katie (Hosack) Sandquist for August 28. Will be en- couraging people to attend all or part of the LCMC Annual Gathering in Omaha September 29- October 2. Immanuel will be providing volunteers for a Communion station at the Communion Ser- vice on October 2. Other volunteers are needed.

THE ANNUAL HALLELUJAH GOLF OPEN will be played at the Rosman-Glendale Golf Course on Sunday, September 8th, at 3:00 p.m. Every year we “compete” against St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irwin. Sign up on the registration page on the bulletin board. We have had an excellent turnout the past three years and are hoping that we can have a large turnout again this year! If questions, call Jan Applegate, 712-579-2160. Thanks and see you on Sunday, Sep- th tember 8 !! If you are a non golfer, please join us at 6:00 for dinner.

WORSHIP & GIVING Attendance General Building Total

June 29/30 39 + 106 = 145 $ 3,719.00 $ 75.00 = $ 3,794.00

July 6/7 34 + 116 = 150 $ 4,870.00 $ 70.00 = $ 4,940.00

July 13/14 36 + 67 = 103 $ 4,084.00 $ = $ 4,084.00

July 20/21 41 + 106 = 147 $ 4,433.23 $ 260.00 = $ 4,693.23

Page 6 IMMANUEL’S INSIGHTS LCMC Annual Gathering in Omaha Immanuel is a member of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), an association of 758 congregations in the US and another 185 congregations in 15 other countries. There are 63 LCMC congregations in Iowa. Shelby County might just lead all counties in the US with 5 LCMC congregations in our county. Every year LCMC gathers together 700 to a 1000 people at our LCMC Annual Gathering. We de- scribe it as a family reunion. The 2018 Annual Gathering was in Des Moines and 5 of us from Im- manuel had a great time together with our LCMC family. We enjoyed worship, great speakers, net- working with ministry organizations, workshops, and meeting new and old friends. The 2019 Annual Gathering is even closer to Harlan, at the CHI Center in Omaha. This is our neighborhood. So this is our opportunity for many members of Immanuel to experience what we are all about in LCMC. Also, we have been asked to supply volunteers to help with the gathering. The theme of the Gathering is “Listen Up!” and it is all about listening to God, to each other, and to the world. It begins Sunday evening, September 29 with an evening worship service. Monday and Tuesday are full days of worship, Bible study, keynote speakers, reports, workshops, and fellowship. The actual business meeting of LCMC is almost always less than an hour long. The gathering con- cludes on Wednesday, October 2, at 11 a.m. It would be great if we could get a group of a dozen or more folks from Immanuel to attend this year’s Annual Gathering. Immanuel has funds to pay for registration costs, but we would like to reg- ister before August 15 to save $25 to $75 per person. If you register and it turns out that something comes up and you cannot attend, we can most likely find someone to take your place. Maybe you can’t attend the whole 4 days. There is no 1 day registration option, but we could have people tag- team and share a registration. And there will be drivers who will provide transportation back and forth each day. Would you be willing to volunteer for setting up on Saturday, September 28, or for clean-up on Wednesday, October 2? Would you be part of a team of Immanuel Communion servers at either the Sunday evening worship or the Wednesday morning worship? Would you be available to greet or to serve at a merchandise table? If you are interested in attending the 2019 LCMC Annual Gathering and/or in volunteering at the Gathering, please let Pastor Phil know by Sunday, August 11.

We received this note from an LCMC church in Michigan: Dear Pastor Nielsen, Thank you & all of Immanuel Lutheran Church for providing us a place to say on the way to and from our Mission Trip. It was a great relief on our long drive. You have a beautiful church and open hearts. God Bless, Don Pfenning Volume 11, Issue 8 Page 7 Immanuel Lutheran Church NON-PROFIT ORG Immanuel Lutheran Church LCMC U.S. POSTAGE PAID 1700 19th Street Harlan, IA 51537 HARLAN, IOWA 51537

PERMIT NO. 97

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

AUGUST WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Every Saturday Worship at 5:00 p.m. Communion on August 3 & 17 Every Sunday Worship at 9:00 a.m. Church Office: 755-5207 Communion on August 4 & 18 Office Hours: 9-12 & 12:30-2:30 (M-F) 10:00 a.m. Fellowship/Coffee/Rolls Office Email: [email protected] 10:15 a.m. Adult Bible Study Pastor Phil’s Cell Number: 712-579-2098 10:15 a.m. Sunday School Home Number: 712-766-3178 E-mail: [email protected] A fellowship of believers www.harlanimmanuel.org

Committed to be and become: Staff: Christ-Centered Pastor Phil Nielsen Bible-Based Music Director: Heidi Thies Family-Focused Office Manager: Joan Wehr Mission-Minded Custodian: Ed Wehr In all that we do for the glory of God! Matthew 28:18-20 August 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 5:00 Communion

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 9:00 Communion 9:30 OA 9:00 CF Quilters 6:00 Girl Scout 5:00 Worship 10:00 Fellowship CHURCH OFFICE Leaders 10:15 Adult Bible Class CLOSED Pastor Phil on vacation

thru 8/9

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9:00 Worship 9:30 OA 9:00 CF Quilters 9:00 WOW 7:00 Ladies 5:00 Communion 10:00 Fellowship Church Office Closed 5:30 Worship Committee 11:00 Rachel Circle @ Homestead 10:15 Adult Bible Class 6:30 Executive Board Pizza Ranch 11:15 Outreach Committee 7:00 Church Council 5:00 Education Team

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 9:00 Communion 9:30 OA 9:00 CF Quilters 7:00 Prayer Team 8-4:30 WIC 8-12 WIC 5:00 Worship 10:00 Fellowship Newsletter Deadline School starts 10:15 Adult Bible Class 1:15 Fellowship Team 7:00 Bunko

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 9:00 Worship 9:30 OA 9:00 CF Quilters 6:30 Resiliency Assemble Newsletter 5:00 Worship 10:00 Fellowship 1:30 Mission Quilters Workshop 10:15 Adult Bible Class

Worship Schedule August 2019 Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday August 3-4 August 10-11 August 17-18 August 24-28 Greeters Cathy Murray Sue Olson Irma Pedersen David & Judi Pedersen Michelle Musich Ruthe Pattison Karma Petersen

Acolytes Christopher Chapman Braydon Ernst Ava Monson Madison Kjergaard Josh Zimmerman Haylee Ernst Claire Schmitz Jared Walters

Saturday Ushers Dory Nielsen Sally Nairn Sharon Oman Shelly Saunders

Sunday Ushers Verne & Ilene Nelson Greg & Donna Nelson Craig & Judi Olson John & Jill Plagman Jay & Susan Nielsen John & Gaylen Petsche Taylor Peek Doug & Mary Renkly Karen Plewes

Lector Sandy Nelsen Donna Nelson Craig Olson David Pedersen

Saturday Altar Guild Maggie Hatcher OPEN

Sunday Altar Guild Sharon Daberkow Donna Nelson Stacy Torneten Cora Chapman

Communion Servers Jeff & Penny Nelson Neil & Melanie Ohms DeAnn Nielsen Kris Olson-Harmon

Fellowship Coffee Ken & Andrea Nielsen Ken & Shirley Olson Jesse & Jeanna Rudolph Kate Schechinger & family

Sound Technician Eric Torneten Eric Torneten Eric Torneten Eric Torneten

Video Recorder Bert Hillers Bert Hillers Bert Hillers Bert Hillers

Projectionist Teri Johnson Teri Johnson Teri Johnson Teri Johnson SATURDAY Alan Ahrenholtz Cheryl Nielsen Cheryl Nielsen Cheryl Nielsen

Council Person Sally Nairn Gaylen Petsche Steve Allen Bert Hillers Worship Schedule September 2019 Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday August 31-September1 September 7-8 September 14-15 September 21-22 September 28-29 Greeters Gail Schnack Roger & Connie Schwieso Julie Suntken Louie & Lois Troll Calvin Twenhafel Kathy Voge Lorene Thiede Vernice Vrtiska

Acolytes Wil Neuharth Victoria Chapman Keisha Nielsen Christopher Chapman Haylee Ernst Eric Torneten Ella Plagman Sheila Nielsen Braydon Ernst Ava Monson

Saturday Ushers Brent Spies Debbie Stendrup Allan Andersen Myrna Andersen Emmert Andersen

Sunday Ushers Craig & Sandy Sisson Scott & Megan Shannon Chad & Lisa Swanson Jason & Kayla Weis Mark & Michelle Andersen Mark & Nancy Schmitz Al & Sally Simdorn Terry & Stacy Torneten Phil & Sharyn Zimmerman Ron & Kathy Block

Lector Steve Allen Jan Applegate Ed Bastedo Kayla Weis Eric Chipman

Saturday Altar Guild Cheryl Nielsen OPEN

Sunday Altar Guild Myrna Havick Mary Taggs Sharon Daberkow Cora Chapman

Communion Servers George & Jan Applegate Ken & Julie Vorm Connie Schwieso Lindsey Vorm

Fellowship Coffee Mark & Deb Schechinger Bob & LaVera Stern John & Mary Taggs Steve & Judy Ahrenholtz Denise Barnes & family Stephanie Ahrenholtz Regena Weihs Dave & Angela Voge Art & Linda Andersen Jami Arkfeld

Sound Technician Alan Ahrenholtz Alan Ahrenholtz Alan Ahrenholtz Alan Ahrenholtz Alan Ahrenholtz

Video Recorder Rick Chipman Rick Chipman Rick Chipman Rick Chipman Rick Chipman

Projectionist Teri Johnson Teri Johnson Teri Johnson Teri Johnson Teri Johnson SATURDAY Cheryl Nielsen Cheryl Nielsen Cheryl Nielsen Cheryl Nielsen Cheryl Nielsen

Council Person OPEN George Applegate Sally Nairn OPEN OPEN