January 24th, 2024 | Newsletter
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• First reading
o Deuteronomy 18:15-20
• Psalm
o Psalm 111
• Second reading
o 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
• Gospel
o Mark 1:21-28
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Date Pulpit Litergist
2.4.24 Herring Ginia
2.11.24 Herring Diana B.
2.18.24 Herring Jan
2.25.24 Herring Diana B.
3.3.24
3.10.24
3.17.24
Thank you to those who have signed up to be liturgists. We are now looking for someone for the first and third Sundays in February and the first four Sundays in March. Won’t you give it a try? – it provides an opportunity to stretch yourself a little, interact with scripture in a different way and connect with God from a new perspective.
If you wish to volunteer, 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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Psalm 102:17 (NIV)
17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
Quotes about prayer:
“And so I urge you: carry on an ongoing conversation with God about the daily stuff of life, a little like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. For now, do not worry about ‘proper’ praying, just talk to God”. - J. Foster
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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We missed our regularly scheduled missions/fellowship committee meeting because of the snow. We will be making it up this coming Sunday morning, at 9:30 in the children’s classroom. See you there!
Red Cross:
Partners needed – believe it or not, it takes a small village to host a successful Blood Drive. We are already planning for our 3rd annual Blood Donation Drive to be held in May 2024. We have
had two very successful blood drives and we want to build on that momentum.
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
Young Adult Programs: Pet Grooming
Your pets deserve the best! Crossroads was named “Favorite Dog Groomer” in Nextdoor neighborhoods across Nashville!
The professional dog (and cat) groomers treat your pets like family when they visit the Crossroads grooming salon. They prioritize animal safety and comfort while your pets are in their care, and focus on healthy skin and coat maintenance. Their services are tailored to breed appearance and standards, as well as customer preferences and the groomers use high quality products and a gentle touch.
All the proceeds from their professional grooming services go back into supporting their mission of improving the lives of the youth and animals in the community. EPC has committed to donating $25/month in support of their mission to partner homeless pets with homeless youth, giving both an opportunity to grow and thrive together.
Oasis:
We continue to collect donations to help support the Oasis goody bag mission. When you give to this mission, please put “Oasis” in the memo line of your check. The first delivery of goody bags for 2024 will be done in late Feb./early March.
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Financial Support:
If you are not able to attend worship service and still wish show your support for Emmanuel Presbyterian 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.**
If you want to make a one-time charitable donation, please consider giving to one of EPC’s ongoing missions:
• The Oasis project – our year-round mission to assist the Oasis Center with special needs as they arise and to supply goody bags that are distributed to Nashville’s homeless youth ages 18-24;
• The Community Garden – our seasonal mission to grow and harvest fresh produce for the residents of Maple Village and to provide a free gardening opportunity for anyone with a desire to grow their own vegetables.
• The Gateway to Higher Education Scholarship Fund
• Or to EPC’s general fund – to help offset our deficit.
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• Join us for fellowship and a fresh cup of coffee around the kitchen window!
• Susie and Doug are providing snacks for fellowship this coming Sunday -- Jan 28
• Barb is signed up for Feb 18 and Karen and Fred on March 31st.
• If you would like to sign up, there is a sheet on the stand in back. Please pick a date that works for you.
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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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• January 28: Fellowship/Mission/Congregational Care committee meeting, 9:30 am
• Worship Committee meeting and session meeting were postponed d/t snow. Rescheduled times will be posted.
• January 28: Mollie and Ellie will be celebrating the holy sacrament of baptism today.
• February 11: There will be no children’s church.
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Christian Education:
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.
• We look forward to celebrating the sacrament of baptism with Mollie and little Ellie during church on Sunday. Please join us as we pledge to raise them up, guide, and support them along their Christian journey.
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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 was a SNOW SunDAY! We used the skills we have learned from Covid and put them to good use as we were able to celebrate the Lord’s Day via Zoom. Let us worship together always!
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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