February 21st, 2024 | Newsletter
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Second Sunday in Lent (February 25, 2024)
• First reading
o Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
• Psalm
o Psalm 22:23-31
• Second reading
o Romans 4:13-25
• Gospel
o Mark 8:31-38 or Mark 9:2-9
LECTIO DIVINA
• Every Wednesday night at 6:30, there will be a Lectio Divina which is comprised of short bible readings, contemplation and a time to listen to what has turned out in past times to be deep meaningful conversations. At 7 pm there will be a simple meal served. All are invited but please let Pastor Jane know if you plan to bring any food.
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Date Pulpit Liturgist
2.25.24 Herring Diana B.
3.3.24 Herring
3.10.24 Herring Barbara D
3.17.24 Herring
3.24.24 Herring
3.31.24 Herring Karen S.
• Thank you if you are one of our volunteer liturgical readers!
• We have three opportunities available in March if you want to fill one of those spots.
• If you wish to be a volunteer liturgist, please send an email to: epcbusiness9770@gmail.com or call 615-473- 3510.
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The amount collected for the Christmas Joy offering was $325.00. The mission committee thanks you for your generosity.
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Matthew 26:41 (NIV)
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Quotes about prayer:
The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us, but that we will finally hear God. - William McGill
You are invited…
The EPC prayer group is a small but dedicated group that meets on Wednesday evenings from roughly 6-7pm. It is a time to open your heart to offer God the praise and prayers of our congregation and those of your own. Barb sends out email requests for any prayers you would like lifted up in the belief that all prayers matter, all prayers are important and all prayers will be heard.
All prayers are kept confidential unless you specify otherwise. If your request is private or sensitive, you may request that your prayer be limited to Pastor Jane and Barbara. Confirmation emails will be sent affirming that your request was lifted.
As a small church, offering praise and prayers for those who are struggling, no matter the reason, sends a powerful message about the love we share and express for each other. If you feel called to do so, come join us on Wednesday night at 6.
It is our fervent prayer that this ministry is a blessing to the rest of our EPC family and beyond.
EPC prayer group
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Nueva Vida:
A request has come in for help from our Hispanic neighbors at Nueva Vida, a church we have partnered with in the past. They operate a food pantry that provides other necessities as well. Think of this as a Lenten “give to” item instead of a Lenten “give up” item. The following is a list of most needed items:
Diapers (both those for children and for adults)
Feminine hygiene products
Laundry detergent and fabric softener
Cooking oil
Rice
Red beans
Black beans
Tortilla corn flour
Cornmeal
Beds of all sizes
Powdered milk
Warm weather gear - coats/hats/gloves/warm socks
Muchas gracias a todas!
(Many thanks to all!)
There is a collection box in the hall by the children’s classroom.
Tax Help:
• UnitedWay is using our sanctuary to provide free income tax preparation: January 31st – April 10th (for those making less than $70,000).
• Wednesdays only, by appointment 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Call 615-206-7560 or go online to: Unitedwayfilefree.com
• Pass the word to others who might be interested
Red Cross:
We have had two very successful blood drives and we want to build on that momentum.
• Date: May 31, 2024 (Friday)
• Time: Noon – 5:00 PM
• Announcement will be sent as soon as online sign-ups are live
• Volunteers are still needed to assist Barbara with this, call 615-473-3510 or email epcbusiness9770@gmail.com
We need your ideas, we need your creativity, we need your networks. We are seeking collaborators for a variety of tasks in the months leading up to and on the day of the Blood drive, including:
• People with social media savvy to help make a plan for getting the word out
• People with creative skills to help develop flyers, messaging, and thank you tokens
• People with extensive networks that can help recruit donors
• People willing to help on the day of the drive to check in donors, make sure donors are offered thank you tokens, help place signage and help with clean up. If you are willing to be a partner in this meaningful mission work, please contact Barb Halverstadt at 615-473-3510 or via email at epcbusiness9770@gmail.com
Crossroads Campus
Building Stability Requires Opportunity And Exposure
That’s the reality for the young people in our community who are working to overcome poverty, homelessness or time in the foster care system. The Crossroads Campus Affordable Housing Program for young adults opened in 2016 as a pilot, model program above our social enterprise pet store in Germantown. It consists of a 4-bedroom unit, with shared kitchen and living accommodations.
Residents referred to the program receive intensive weekly individual case management. Our residents are required to pay rent, both as a means of helping to sustain the program and as part of preparing them for independent living .Residents are referred to us by partnering agencies, including Monroe Harding, Oasis Center, YouthCAN, and the Martha O’Bryan Center.
A unique feature of our program is that we do not impose a time limit on the length of stay. Our experience has been that some of our young people only require a few months with us, while others may need to stay for up to several years, depending upon their individual circumstances.
Residents are required to comply with program rules and to work toward specific education, career and future housing goals as outlined in individualized program plans. These goals are managed through individual weekly meetings.
In addition, residents benefit from supplemental group meetings and training activities to encourage community building, financial literacy, healthy nutrition and other positive daily living skills. Paid job-training is available through our Crossroads Pets program, although some residents work in jobs off site.
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Financial Support:
As you may have noticed from our lengthy Mission section, we are involved in many projects in multiple ways. Some of our funding comes from the budgeted mission or other committee funds and some of it comes through special designated funds from members or previous members of our congregation. If you would like to donate additional funds for a specific program, checks can be made to the following ongoing missions of EPC.
Community Garden Gateway to Higher Education Scholarship
Crossroads Campus Maple Village
Special Music Ministry events Oasis Center
• EPC’s general fund is a separate category that can be supplemented to offset our deficit.
Please note on the memo line of your check which mission you intend to support.
If you are not able to attend worship service and still wish show your support for Emmanuel Church, you can contribute in the following ways:
• Online–send an electronic payment, your bank can help you set this up if you have questions.
• By Mail – our mailing address is EPC, 9770 Hwy 96, Nashville, TN 37221
• Through EPC’s website www.epcnashville.com or www.epcnashville.org Simply click on the “GIVE” button, then the “Donate” button, to donate via PayPal or debit/credit card. This can be a one-time donation or can be set up as a monthly donation.
**We are currently having a problem with the online donation function. We hope to have it corrected as soon as possible. Any year-end donations should be made by mailing a check to the church or sending an online payment through your banking payment function.**
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Our upcoming fellowship activity will be the Supper of the Lamb which will take place at 6 pm on Maunday Thursday, March 28th. It is a pot luck dinner recognizing the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples. There will more about this in future newsletters. For now, just mark your calendar and plan to attend.
• Join us for fellowship and a fresh cup of coffee around the kitchen window! Thank you to the following:
• Feb 25 - ??
• March 3 - ??
• March 10 - Doug and Sue
• March 17 - Doug and Sue
• March 24 - ??
• March 31 - Karen and Fred
• If you would like to sign up, there is a sheet on the stand in back. Please pick a date that works for you. Thank you all so much for your willingness to serve.
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Communication:
Welcome Visitors! We are excited to call your attention to, and encourage you to visit, our upgraded website! Go to www.epcnashville.com or www.epcnashville.org for all your questions. Cut and paste one of these sites in your browser. If you can’t find it there, try the options below.
• Visits with Pastor Jane Herring must be by appointment.
• Reach out to Pastor Jane on her church phone (call/text) 615-818-9727 or email at janemherring@gmail.com about what it means to be baptized, to be confirmed in the church (if you have already been baptized), to join the church or any other questions you might have.
• General EPC email can be sent to epcnashville@gmail.com (be aware that multiple people have access to this email account.
• If you ever have any questions about anything dealing with EPC’s finances or other business topics, email your question or request to epcbusiness9770@gmail.com
• Email announcements for the Sunday bulletin to janemherring@gmail.com
• Email Information or corrections for the weekly newsletter to frhanchey@gmail.com
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February/March Calendar:
Prayer Group every Wednesday at 6 pm
Each Wednesday through April 10th – United Way tax prep workshops 1 pm – 6 pm.
2nd Thursday of each month (except for December) - Rug Hookers meet 10 am – 2 pm.
Collecting Lenten “gifts of love” for the Nueva Vida community through end of March.
Lectio Divina every Wednesday during Lent at 6:30 with a simple meal@ 7 pm.
March 10: Worship Committee meeting after service, every 2nd Sunday.
March 17: Fellowship/Mission meeting 9:30 am in children’s classroom, every 3rd Sunday.
March 17: Session meeting, every 3rd Sunday
March 28: Maunday Thursday
March 29: Good Friday
March 31: Easter
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Inquirers of all ages:
• Please reach out to Pastor Jane about what it means to be baptized, to be confirmed in the church (if you have already been baptized) or to join the church.
• Lent begins next week on Wednesday February 14th. Pastor Jane will offer a Lenten service complete with the marking of a cross on one’s forehead if you so choose. This is done as a way to pronounce the importance of Jesus Christ in your life.
• After the Lenten service is complete, there will be a meal served and a short Lectio Divina which is comprised of short bible readings, contemplation and a time to listen to what has turned out in past times to be deep meaningful conversations. At 7 pm there will be a short simple meal served.
• Please let Jane know if you are willing to bring one of the Lenten meals for sharing. You can reach her at 615.818.9727.
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At Emmanuel we offer a “kid’s message” during the early part of the worship service, followed by a “children’s church” in the kid’s classroom for those up to 10 years old or still in elementary school. The message is a short story that usually has some sort of lesson related to it and in children’s church we usually discuss the story in more depth and follow it with a craft or activity that helps the story (and the lesson!) sink in. A nursery is available for those under 3 and we offer a “chat time ” in a safe space for those 10 and over who want some time to share what is on their mind . We always have two adults with the children and their safety and education is our top priority.
Special Note: There will be no “children’s church” on Sunday February 11th.
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It’s time to start your indoor transplants if you are wanting to get an early start on your garden…
• Let me know if you want to reserve a plot for this year. We have several spoken for already.
• If you are new at gardening or want information to help you plan your gardening timing and companion planting, check out these web sites that I have found useful.
1) Epicgardening.com
2) Seedtime.us (free to start, $10 monthly upcharge for additional help)
Let me know anytime you have questions or need help with any garden related topic. Unless something changes, Maple Village will continue to be our default recipient of the donated harvested produce later in the year.
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Class of 2024
Ginia Wood, Fellowship and Mission
John Denton, Building and Grounds
Class of 2025
Greg Burlison, Personnel
John Sevier, Director of Music
Class of 2026
Theresa Denton, Worship and Polity & Procedure
Jan Russell