THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW 

CHURCHWIDE RETREAT – Friday, 2/17 through Sunday 2/19 at Emanuel. This retreat is for all: families, singles, men and women of all ages.

Friday, 2/17– 6:30 PM - Praise worship
7:00 PM - family movie night with snacks

Saturday, 2/18 - 10:00 AM - Opening Devotions
10:30 AM Adult Bible Study and VBS reunion
12:00 N – Lunch
1:00 PM – Service activities
4:00 PM – Group devotions

Sunday, 2/19 - 8:30 AM Worship
9:45 AM – Sunday School for all ages
11:00 AM- Worship

Parent’s Night Out – Bring your child in PJ’s (aged infant to age 9) to the Day Care on Friday, February 10 for a date night. For $10 each, your children will have a meal, activities, and bedtime when they’re ready, provided by the Youth Group. Also, please continue to bring your recycling to church. All donations support the youth mission trip.

It is tax time and Chuck Rowland will do taxes for free for any of our Seniors and for any low-income families. See Chuck, or call him for information, or watch for a notice on the bulletin board.

Volunteer Opportunities

REACH Literacy – Emanuel’s after school literacy program will start again on February 9. Students come from Enslen School on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for tutoring in writing skills under the direction of a credentialed teacher. We need volunteer walkers to bring the children from Enslen between 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM and tutors to work with the students between 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM. Also needed are snacks of juice boxes (100% juice, only), graham crackers, and fresh fruit. Please contact the office if you can help in any of these areas.

Family Promise – Our Family Promise guests return on Sunday, February 26 and leave on Sunday March 4. We need volunteers to provide meals each night, to act as evening hosts, and to stay overnight with our guests. Watch for the sign up sheet in the narthex.

EMANUEL MINISTRIES

CHILDREN/YOUTH & FAMILY
Council members: Dennis Crenwelge, Dianne Santana

Vacation Bible School Reunion – Come to the Churchwide retreat on Friday through Sunday, 1/17-19 for a VBS reunion.

Youth Group meets the last Sunday of every month for a meal, activities and worship. 5:00 – 7:00 PM. All youth ages 12-18 are welcome!

WORSHIP
Council members: Skip Hoover, Bill Reinheimer

Sunday, February 5, Hallelujah Brass will play at both services.

Friday, February 17, 6:30 PM, Jammin’ 4 Jesus will provide the music for the Retreat Praise Worship Service.

Ash Wednesday Worship – February 22 at 12:00 N and 7:00 PM
Lenten Soup Supper and worship – Join us from 6:00 – 7:00 PM every Wednesday from February 29 through March 28.

Weekly Scripture Readings:

Sunday, February 5

Isaiah 40: 21-31 (8:30 & 11:00)
Psalm 147: 1-11, 20c (11:00)
1 Corinthians 9: 16-23 (11:00)
Mark 1: 29-39 (8:30 & 11:00)

Sunday, February 12

2 Kings 5: 1-14 (11:00)
Psalm 30 (11:00)
1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 (8:30 & 11:00)
Mark 1: 40-50 (8:30 & 11:00)

Sunday, February 19 – Transfiguration Sunday

2 Kings 2: 1-12 (11:00)
Psalm 50: 1-6 (11:00)
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (8:30 & 11:00)
Mark 9: 2-9 (8:30 & 11:00)

Sunday, February 26 - First Sunday in Lent

Genesis 9:8-17 (8:30 & 11:00)
Psalm 25: 1-10 (11:00)
Hebrews 5: 5-1 (11:00)
Mark 1:9-15 (8:30 & 11:00)

SPIRITUAL LIFE
Council Member/Chair: Megan Armes

Churchwide Retreat – Friday, February 17 - Sunday, February 19, here at Emanuel

Adult Sunday School meets every Sunday at 9:45 AM in the social hall. Sunday February 5, the adults will join the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church presentation from the Family Justice Center.

Sunday, February 12 - New Adult Class starts a new study on Church history, beginning with the early Christian Church.

OUTREACH
Council Member/Chair: Bob Dailey 

Family Promise

Family Promise began in 1982, when a homeless New Jersey woman, who had just received a “handout”, firmly shook the business executive’s hand and introduced her self with, “Hello. My name is Millie”. Homelessness has the face and name of a real person and Karen Olson decided that she could no longer ignore the shameful dichotomy of being homeless in a nation of such great resource. She contacted local houses of worship and organized shelter, meals and support which became Family Promise and spread across this great nation.

Emanuel Lutheran is proudly honored to be one of those 12 caring committed congregations in Modesto. We coordinate with Well Spring Anglican Church, Modesto Covenant Church, First United Methodist Church, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Geneva Presbyterian, Almond Valley Christian Reform Church, Heartland Community Church, Immanuel Christian Reform Church, Modesto Christian Reform Church, Church of the Brethren, and Davis Park Church.

Family Promise guests return to Emanuel on February 26, 2012. This is your opportunity to serve as God’s hands working to heal a broken world. Signups for volunteers begin in February. There are many opportunities to serve these homeless children of God as they spend that week at Emanuel on their path toward self sustaining independent living.

RESOURCE
Bob Reuter, Treasurer; Council Member, John Garrett

Property Team says thank you to all who painted our fire lane curbs red on Sunday after church. They look great!

Stewardship
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recently you were given a summary of your financial giving to Emanuel Lutheran Church for calendar year 2011. For many of you, that is only part of the story. Your gifts of Time and Talent, in addition to those of Treasure, are vital to the operation and maintenance of our physical assets; to the execution of our Mission Statement; and to the viability and growth of our congregation. Without your generosity, we cannot survive, let alone flourish.

Thank you for sharing with Emanuel Lutheran Church the abundant God-given gifts you have received!

Pastor Roger Lee, Pastor Jo Ann Neal, Bill Reinheimer, Bob Reuter

Finance

ELC MISSION ENDOWMENT FUND REPORT

Emanuel Lutheran Church (ELC) established the ELC Mission Endowment Fund in 2011. It was initially funded by gifts from members and a donation from Charles Schwab & Company. The earnings of the endowment fund for the last quarter of 2011, and how these earnings are being allocated, are shown in the chart below.

Gifts to the endowment fund are invested to maximize earnings. Each quarter, 10% of the fund’s earnings are contributed to the Sierra Pacific Synod; another 10% will be retained in the fund and can be allocated at the discretion of the committee. The remaining 80% is allocated to the building loan and capital maintenance account, and the general fund reserve dedicated to ELC ministries. The principal and appreciation of the endowment fund will be retained to provide financial support to ELC in perpetuity.

Members are encouraged to make gifts to the endowment fund. Cash gifts are the more prevalent and popular, either from memorials or direct giving. Another method of giving is to transfer appreciated property, such as securities held for one (1) year or longer.

Deferred gifts are also a way to support our church and the endowment fund. Deferred gifts are made in the present and received by ELC in the future. These gifts include a bequest in a will, or more complex gifts such as a trust, a retirement program, an annuity, or a life insurance policy naming ELC or the Endowment fund as a beneficiary.

Planned giving integrates your gift to ELC into your overall financial plan, which includes taxes and estate planning that will maximize benefits both to you and to ELC. As regulations and laws change it is important for you to check with your financial advisor or attorney for the legal and tax implications of any gift to ELC and the ELC Mission Endowment Fund.

The Emanuel Lutheran Church Mission Endowment Committee thanks all the members who contributed to the ELC Mission Endowment Fund.

FELLOWSHIP
Council Member/Chair: Jim Barton; Council Members: Rue Knoll, Joanne Trana

Fellowship Team invites everyone to come to the Family Night on Friday, February 17 for a family friendly movie and snacks, right after the 6:30 PM Praise service.

WELCA

WELCA General Meeting – All are invited to attend the informational forum on Sunday, February 5. Carol Shipley will speak about the Family Justice Center. After the presentation, WELCA will hold a business meeting to elect officers for the coming year.

Paper Cranes? Through the World Day of Prayer (WDP), women are encouraged to become aware of the other countries and cultures and no longer live in isolation. They are also encouraged take up the burdens of other people, to sympathize with the problems of other countries and cultures and pray with and for them. They are further encouraged to become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society. The World Day of Prayer aims to demonstrate that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world. This year's WDP is sponsored by Malaysia. We will celebrate this day of prayer by making as many origami paper cranes as we can, displaying them in our church nearing Friday, March 2, the official WDP. We will work towards folding those peaceful cranes. Paper is in Luther Hall, under the Women of the ELCA bulletin board. You are encouraged to use the origami paper- or your own - and bring your cranes back to the basket on that same table. Many thanks!
Emanuel Women of the ELCA.

NEWS OF OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Congratulations to Esther Johnson, who turns 100 this month! Everyone is invited to help Esther and her family celebrate during coffee hour, 9:45, on Sunday, February 19. Esther and all those with February birthdays will be recognized during the worship service, as well.