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October is Clergy Appreciation Month |
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“We ask you brothers, to
respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord
and admonish you,
and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work…”
(1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)
Clergy Appreciation month is an excellent month
to help the congregation demonstrate love, appreciation, and
encouragement for your pastor.
Simple acts that feed a
shepherd…..10 Ways to Encourage Your Pastors:
Pray for your Pastor
Ask God to shower your Pastor with an abundance of love,
hope, joy, faith, peace, power, wisdom and courage. Pray
maturity and growth in the faith, and that his work among you
will be a source of joy for him.
Express appreciation verbally
Your Pastor appreciates words of encouragement. Consider
sharing complimentary remarks to others about the gifts of your
Pastor, occasionally in his presence.
Express appreciation in writing
A spoken compliment is always welcome, but a written one
can be read over and over again for years. So, when you hear or
see something you like from your minister, write an appreciative
note.
Celebrate with a special meal
Host a special celebration at which your Pastor and his
family are the honored guests, or provide a private dinner for
him and his family.
Use your skills to share a blessing with your Pastor
Are you gifted at lawn care, mechanics, cooking? Offer a
free service or at a reduced rate.
Live in peace
Appreciation is more than cards and gifts, it’s an
attitude. Do not get pulled into petty diversions that
unnecessarily bring strife and discord. If you hear a negative
comment, respond with a positive one. If misinformation is being
spread, correct it with the accurate information. Or, if people
are gossiping, just walk away. Not only do you honor your Pastor
in this way, but you give a practical testimony to God’s grace
and mercy.
Offer to meet a need
If you’re aware of a need in the congregation, approach
your Pastor saying, “I’d like to help by…” If you see an area
that can be improved, take responsibility for contacting the
appropriate board or committee, and suggest a plan before you
begin working on it. Get involved by teaching a class, leading a
workshop, singing in the choir, feeding the hungry.
Lovingly insist on “time off”
Your Pastor will need to take time for renewal and rest,
but may feel as though there is too much work to get done before
he can take a “day off”. Help him know that he not only has
permission to get appropriate rest and relaxation, but that it
will benefit his ministry and provides a good model for the
members.
Support a strategy for continuing education
Your Pastor desires to be the best he can be in serving
you, and will need to remain current with continuing education.
Your financial and emotional support in this regard is vital.
Identify a “Mutual Ministry” committee
This is a group of people in your congregation with the
gift for caring. This group is completely separate from the
elders, church council, or other governing board of the
congregation. They represent, serve and advocate for the needs
of the Pastor and his family.
Additional ideas for support and encouragement of your Pastors
may be found at
WhataWay.org
Click on “Encouraging Service”
From the Ministerial Growth & Support, a Ministry of The
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
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We're still watching the weather for the possibility of
tropical storms or hurricanes.
If Hillsborough County cancels school or any school activities,
we will also cancel Immanuel Lutheran School and any scheduled
events.
If a hurricane forces us to cancel Sunday morning worship
services, we will hold the worship service the following
Wednesday at 7 pm unless there is still an imminent threat from
a hurricane.
We will make every effort to keep you informed by using a group
email, the church voice messaging system, and the home page of
the church website.
If in doubt, call the church office at 689-1787.
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Hurricane
Host Families and Guests Program |
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Our Social Concerns Committee will
again offer help to Immanuel families in evacuation zones who have
nowhere to go or are unable to go to a hurricane shelter because of
health concerns or other reasons.
Social Concerns will match evacuees with homes having extra bedrooms or
facilities.
You can help us. The Committee needs your participation to make this
program a success and to give comfort to those with special needs.
See the surveys in the breezeway
or call the church office at 813-689-1787. |
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Upcoming Events
and Etc. |
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Oktoberfest and Reformation Festival |
Celebrate our Oktoberfest and
Reformation Sunday all weekend!
Saturday, beginning at 9 am, our annual Oktoberfest will kick off with a
craft show, followed by a Kid's Costume Parade at 10:45.
There will be games, food, and
prizes, along with pony rides, a petting zoo, a bouncy castle,
and a dunk tank.
Join us Saturday the 24th!
Sunday will be all-day
celebration of the impact that Martin Luther had on our church.
Immediately after the 11am worship service we will proceed to the gym
for a wonderful meal featuring our famous fish fry.
Keep checking your Blue News for more information and ways you can help
with this event.
Children and adults alike will go home with many happy memories from
this special weekend.
Please note there will be no 6pm service on the 25th.
PLEASE JOIN US in making
REFORMATION/OKTOBERFEST
a weekend-long family
and fellowship event.
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An easy way to make sure your gifts keep on
giving — even when you're away
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Many members of Immanuel have discovered the convenience, reliability
and safety of this automated program offered through Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans.
The program is designed to help you conveniently and consistently
contribute to our congregation (or to pay tuition at our school), by
letting you make your gifts or tuition payments through a pre-authorized
withdrawal from your bank account.
So, when you're up north on your summer vacation,
or even when you're unable to get to church, your gifts are still making
a difference.
You determine the
frequency of your automatic gift—weekly, semi-monthly or monthly—the
option is yours.
Your gift or payment is deposited into Immanuel's bank
account on the same day it is withdrawn from your account—at no cost to
you or the church/school.
See Irene Davis in the church office or Rich Steinbrueck, our Thrivent
Representative, to learn more about the program and for enrollment
forms.
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(Emergency Care Help Organization)
ECHO provides food and clothing to those in need of short-term assistance
in the Brandon area. Its primary means of support comes from the
generosity of local civic organizations, churches, businesses, and citizens
-- it gets no funding from any local, state, or federal agency.
Would you like
to help? ECHO always needs non-perishable food items:
Canned Meats (tuna, chicken, etc.),
Peanut butter, Cereals, Canned pastas (Spaghetti O’s, Beef-a-Roni, etc.),
Snacks (crackers, granola bars, cookies, etc.), Powdered drink mixes
(Kool-Aid, Tea, etc.)
Diapers (sizes 4 and 5) are also
needed.
Place your
items in the wooden box in the breezeway labeled "Food Pantry" and they will
be delivered to ECHO.
Contact: Joan Chubbs or Flo
Finke through the church office.
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All adults are
invited to a three course Progressive Dinner on
Saturday, October 17th.
Each course will
be served in a different home in the Brandon area.
Transportation
will be provided from the church parking lot.
There is limited
parking at the host's homes, so we will travel by bus and will
depart promptly at 5:15 PM for the first home.
Cost is $15.
Space is limited, so sign up and pay early. A sign up sheet is
located in the breezeway.
Final sign up and
payment is due by October 11th.
For payment
information, contact Robert Petrosky at
flbobp@verizon.net or
call him thru the church office.
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