Emmanuel Lutheran Church One church...multiple communities June 2020 Newsletter Mooring Line Drive Campus 777 Mooring Line Dr. Naples, FL 34102 239-261-0894 Sunday Services during the pandemic Online Services Only 9:30 a.m. - Traditional / Contemporary 11:00 a.m. - Bilingual www.naplesemmanuel.org (Check out “What’s Happening” on our Home Page) Email: [email protected] Our Mission: A Christ-centered community where God’s Spirit guides our lives as we worship, learn, love, share and serve. Staff and Church Council Our Staff: Rev. Steven E Wigdahl, Senior Pastor - [email protected] Rev. Dr. Rick Bliese, Associate Pastor - [email protected] Rev. José Lebrón, Associate Pastor for Mission Development - [email protected] Rev. William Kittinger, Associate Pastor for Mission Development - [email protected] Karole Langset, Resident Pastor - [email protected] Lois Sorensen, Resident Pastor - [email protected] Jim Cooper, ELCA Deacon, Youth & Family - [email protected] Frine Donadelli, Administrative Assistant at Pebblebrooke - [email protected] Gina Fidler, Office Manager - [email protected] Joyce Finlay, ELCA Deacon, Music & Worship; organist - [email protected] Carol Hartman, Parish Nurse - [email protected] Nieves Lebrón, Children’s Ministry Specialist - [email protected] Dee Schleutker, ELCA Deacon, Service & Outreach - [email protected] Theresa Shaw, Executive Director - [email protected] Vivian Shea, Chief Operations Officer - [email protected] Alex Tovar, Maintenance Manager - [email protected] Deborah Vacca, Bookkeeper - [email protected] Church Council: The Church Council is made up of nine dedicated people who act on behalf of the church membership. According to Emmanuel Lutheran’s Constitution, “The Congregation Council shall have general oversight of the life and activities of this congregation, and in particular its worship life, to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Word of God and the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” Please do not hesitate to contact a council member if you have any questions or concerns. They are here to involve all mem- bers of the congregation in worship, learning, witness, service, and support. If you would like to communicate with the mem- bers of the Emmanuel Church Council, you will find their names and e-mail addresses below: Here is your Council for 2019-2020: Executive Board: Michael Puchalla (President) - [email protected] Tom Jackson (Vice-President) - [email protected] Ann Jones (Treasurer) - [email protected] Carlos Dominguez (Secretary) - [email protected] The other board members are: Nancy Dick - [email protected] Zetty Rivera - [email protected] Steve Esala - [email protected] Sylvia Boynton - [email protected] Ruben Teran - [email protected] HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COUNCIL MEETING IN MAY: 1. Great News! Emmanuel was able to apply for and receive funding from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). 2. Emmanuel held its first Virtual Memorial Gathering on May 16th for David Pedersen. 3. The pre-school reopened on Monday, May 18, 2020. They are following CDC guidelines. 4. Vacation Bible camp has been canceled this summer. 5. Emmanuel’s first drive-in Worship initiative is going to be held at the Park on May 31st at 10:00 a.m. Already 25 cars have signed up for this service. July Newsletter deadline is June 20th. Please e-mail Jennifer, [email protected], with any information by this date. 2 A Message from Pastor Steve The Times They Are A-Changin’, a song from Bob Dylan during the tumultuous '60s. One verse says in part: There's a battle outside And it is ragin' It'll soon shake your windows And rattle your walls For the times they are -a changin' Everybody’s life is being rattled a bit right now! Some with whom I visit on the phone know this isn’t the first pan- demic in the history books, but in this modern era, it is leaving a lasting impression! How we handle the present scenario will shape the future. Important decisions are being made. As congregational leaders, we are trying to maintain connections, and we are discovering that these are exacting times for many…amidst health concerns, economic issues, and new circumstances emerging each day. So, we con- tinue to pray and learn, visit and empathize, and try to discover practical ways to be of help. This is the pattern for all of us tied to Christ. Serving each other can help eliminate some of the needs along the way but can also cut through the loneliness that many are experiencing. We appreciate all those who are joining us Sunday morning on Livestream, and throughout the week there are a host of offerings on our website for you to explore. A huge word of thanks to our pastoral team for the work in putting this together. I am enjoying learning from colleagues. Whereas Emmanuel is one congregation with multiple communities, the website will help you grow together with brothers and sisters in Christ. If you are having trouble navigating the site, please don’t hesitate to call the church. We are also looking into some “tutorials” that might be offered. While I am writing this, we are also exploring the context of what it means to re-open, yet I must tell you this is not an easy call. By the time you read this Pastor Will Kittinger and Deacon Dee Schleutker will have started a “Drive- In” worship at Emmanuel Park. They have been excited knowing some of you have taken the time to drive out and see it for yourself. They are happy to show you around and share the vision. Pastor Jose Lebron and Emmanuel Community Church are expanding contacts with many throughout Southwest Florida, and the downtown location on how best to continue with the sanctuary worship and ALIVE Service in the Family Life Center are all on the radar. Thank you for the feedback you are sharing with me and the Church Council. Together we will make the best deci- sions possible at this time. I encourage you to read and pray through the Scripture. From our recent encounter with God’s Word on Sunday mornings, commit Jesus’ words to memory. From John 14: 25I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 3 A Message from Pastor Rick Online Communion - Next Steps We were thrilled with the strong feedback from our experience with online communion on East- er. Afterward we asked for reflections and comments. What was your experience with online commun- ion on Easter? How was it the same as communion in the sanctuary? How was it different? Over 60 comments were received from Emmanuel members from Naples and around the country. Many emails included photos of how people had arranged their tables. They were beautiful! So what were the responses? They were all positive. In fact, most described the experience as “extremely positive.” Common reflections used words like “wonderful experience,” “very moving,” "spiritually meaningful,” and “powerful.” Most of our members had listened to the three educational events which prepared them for the Easter service. In light of these comments the Church Council along with the pastoral staff has decided to continue the practice of online com- munion this summer, at least until the threat of the coronavirus has subsided. How will we proceed? We will celebrate com- munion twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month this summer. I should add that most of the feedback we received suggested celebrating communion every week. The experience was that meaningful. These comments were so thrilling to read. However, because this is a new practice, we want to go slowly. Therefore, we will celebrate Holy Commun- ion twice a month until we gain some further experience with this practice and as we monitor how the coronavirus threat unfolds this summer. So join us on June 7th for the next online communion. Until then, thanks for all your photos and comments (see below for some examples). We appreciate them. Pax, Rick Bliese 4 A Message from Pastor Rick New Additions to our Weekly Online Ministries: Check out our Online Ministry Options for this Summer! In June we will add a few new online ministries to our weekly schedule at Emmanuel. Here is the weekly schedule. A few new options are highlighted for your consideration this summer. Mondays: Faith, Vocation and Economics [NEW] Work Matters with Pastor Will: On Mondays starting in June, join Pastor Will for a conversation about faith and work. The ses- sions are titled: “Work Matters with Pastor Will.” The goal of this weekly Monday conversation is to explore various connec- tions between our life of faith and our daily work. How do we connect Sunday and Monday? This is particularly important dur- ing this season of Covid-19 when work-issues matter. Small bite-size clips from various Bible readings, lectures and discussions will be highlighted from our Faith, Vocation and Economics lectures. Pastor Will will then guide our reflections and underline themes that will mark his ministry out at the park. Join the conversation. Check the Emmanuel website and eblasts on Mon- day. Tuesdays: Take Out Tuesdays [NEW} On Tuesdays, the staff at Emmanuel will publish various short devotions that you can enjoy on Tuesdays or, for that matter, all week long. Each staff member has prepared a short 3 minute devotion.