The Fourth day of Advent is December 23!

The Third day of Advent is December 16

A Christmas Chime Social

Christmas Morning Service is December 25 at Genesee Valley Church!

Celebrating Christmas at our Church Home is such a comforting family tradition! Make plans to bundle up the kids and grab Grandma and Grandpa or come by yourself to participate. We'll see you Christmas morning for service.

Christmas Eve Candlelighting Service is December 24 at 7 pm! We'll see you at St. John's!

Celebrating Christmas at our Church Home is such a comforting family tradition! Make plans to bundle up the kids and grab Grandma and Grandpa or come by yourself to participate. We'll see you Christmas Eve at 7 pm for the beautiful candlelight ceremony!

The Second day of Advent is December 9!

High School Youth Christmas Party

First Day of Advent is on December 2! See you at worship as we prepare for the coming of Jesus!

Theology on Tap

Dana and Dan Carter will be hosting Theology on Tap Nov 30 at 7. Let's gather and discuss our thought about theology and our lives while we enjoy snacks and beverages and laughter!

Outreach Committee post

At Council Meeting on Sunday, I reported that for outreach this month: 1. The congregation members are participating in the Giving Tree. Dana Carter will bring information to church next Sunday. We have a shorter turnaround time this year, so please respond quickly. Thank you! 2. The children are collecting coins to purchase some item for one or more families in Africa (through ELCA). Only $10 will buy some chicks for a family to raise food for their family! 3. INSPIRE group is busy each month, with members of the community joining GLP members for crafting and sharing. Last week, Sandi Lowther of Lewiston led the group in creating note cards with dried flowers! Toward the end of the month, Verna is hosting a gathering for the folks to work on their Christmas cards, to exchange ornaments, and to drink some wine! 4. The Community Garden of Moscow's Emmanuel Lutheran Church is closing. Emmanuel donated the community garden tools to our Community Garden by St. John! We're so grateful to Emmanuel! 5. The November newsletter was distributed in church at the beginning of the month. The remaining letters were mailed. The newsletter can be found on the church blog. Thank you! Verna

2018 November Newsletter

Article With a Picture of the Valley Church

Here's an article with a picture of the Valley Church
The article is rather interesting too

https://www.agweb.com/mobile/article/john-phipps-hospice-for-small-churches/

High School Youth Group

High School Youth Group TONIGHT 5-7pm! Join us for dinner, faith and fun!
Come one, come all, bring a friend or a few friends!!

Mural is Enhanced by the Kids!

During today's Children's Sermon, Rosanna told us that the kids added to the wall mural in the Sunday school room!  They added a baby lamb, grass and trees, and more faces to the multitude of children who are with Jesus!  Nice job!

Folks, when you have a moment, pop into the room and see the mural that has been changing and developing in beauty and in its message over the years by all the children of Genesee Lutheran Parish.

2018 October Newsletter

WELCA on the Palouse.

Many women of WELCA attended the Fall 2018 Retreat at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pullman Saturday, October 6, from 9 to 3 p.m. Pastor Janine Goodrich of Newport was the outstanding speaker who inspired and surprised us with "That You May Have Life!"

 A physical offering of dry goods and of a quilt that was tied during the meeting (!) was given to representative of Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, Vanessa Corwin.

 Thank you to the WELCA leaders who traveled from Idaho and Washington to share their ideas and zeal with us. And thank you to the Trinity women who fed, housed, and hosted us! You were awesome!

New Member Training Begins

New Member Training began today, Sunday, October 7 at 11:30! Today we looked at the Timeline of the Bible first. We discussed some of the important events which led to our Church today.

Next week, we'll discuss Martin Luther and his role in the development of our church.  We'll look at the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments.  We'll discuss the two Sacraments:  Holy Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar (communion, the Eucharist).  We'll also visit about the morning, evening, and meal prayers.

We'll also look at a document which will help us understand how Protestants began and broke into the different churches. GLP members, please join us as we discuss how our church and our faith came to be.

This six-week training session is a wonderful way to review your confirmation lessons and church history!

Sunday School Changes, New Member Classes, Confirmation, Youth Group

Sunday School
Tonight the Education Committee met to plan out the next month. We also decided that Sunday School was going to go back to 9-9:50 am starting this Sunday, Oct. 7. The Sunday School schedule will be 9 am singing, 9:10 lesson and activity, 9:50 dismissal. Please take note of this time change, we hope to see all the children on Sunday.
We are planning on having the children sing This Little Light of Mine on November 4th during worship service, in honor of All Saints Sunday.

New Member Classes
New member classes will be starting also on Oct. 7th at around 11:30 and continue each Sunday through Nov. 4th. Anyone interested in becoming a member please join Pastor Helsing for the next 5 Sundays. In new member training you will learn a little about our churches history what it means to be a member of Genesee Lutheran Perish, plus Lutheran history and philosophy.

Confirmation
Confirmation students will be joining the confirmation students at Grace Lutheran, in Lewiston every third Sunday of the month. The first class our students will be attending is Oct. 21.

Youth Group
High School Youth Group: Oct. 7, 5-7 pm Fellowship Hall. Food, faith, fellowship and fun!

Middle school and high school youth groups: Oct 27th the m.s. and h.s. middle school youth groups have been invited to join the Grace Lutheran Youth Group for a Haunted Hayride at Hell's Canyon. Grace Lutheran for pizza and games at 5 pm then on to Hell's Canyon for the hayride. Cost is cars are $5 for entry without the state park, and $2 per person for the hayride.

LET'S CELEBRATE the 70TH ANNIVERSARY of Bertle and Norma!

Saturday, October 13, 2018 at the Genesee Senior Center from 2 - 4 p.m.

Bertle and Norma Spence were married at St. Johns on December 29, 1948, but since we are hoping to do the 70th anniversary celebration while family are still in Idaho, we are celebrating early. The family hopes their church family will be able to attend.

OUTREACH COMMITTEE: Upcoming Events!

Lots has been happening with the Outreach Committee!

BAPTISM:  Ashlynn Herman, daughter of Melissa and Ryan and sister of  Makayla, Lindsey, and Kendall, will be baptized on Sunday, October 14!

CONFIRMATION:  Our kids will join those at Grace Lutheran Church in the Orchards at Lewiston once a month for a 3-hour confirmation class which includes pizza!  Contact Pastor Dana for more information and to arrange a ride to the October 21 class!

NEW MEMBER TRAINING:  New Member Training curriculum is being developed for six weeks of class this fall, dates and time to be announced soon!  Find out what being a Lutheran means to you!  Classes will start about October 7 and run through November 11.  Affirmation of Baptism and Baptism will be held Sunday, November 25.  Please contact Pastor Dana for more information!

Moving Back to St John's

We're moving back to St. John's on the 9th, there are some fun changes coming up, please join us.
Sunday School starts at 9:30, it's going to be different, exciting and fun this year so parents please bring yourselves and your children to join in on all the fun.
Worship service will be at 10.
Following worship service on the 9th we are having a barbecue, everyone is invited to join us.
Through the month of Sept. we are having a Food Drive for the Genesee Food Bank, please bring a canned food item or toiletries, your name will be entered in a drawing for fun a prize.

All are welcome to the barbeque! Enjoy visiting with your neighbors and friends!
Bring your lawn chairs or a blanket!

Come Celebrate!!!

Bertle & Norma Spence were married at St. Johns on December 29, 1948 but since we are hoping to do the 70th anniversary celebration while family are still in Idaho, we are celebrating early. The family hopes their church family will be able to attend.

Saturday, October 13, 2018 at the Genesee Senior Center from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Council Meeting

There will be a Church Council meeting, on Thurs., August 30, 5:30, at St. John's Lutheran Church regarding personnel.

Prepping for September Rally Sunday? Consider This!

Please click on this site to read  the article, "Inviting, Informing, and Including Newcomers" in The Parish Paper by  Cynthia Woolever (July 2018). 

As Ms. Woolever says, "Three Pillars of Evangelism.   Three complementary efforts serve the congregation’s ministry goals: inviting, informing, and including new people. Just like a three-pillared tower, without one support, the overall purpose becomes unstable. To invite is to increase the church’s visibility and relevance, to inform is to offer opportunities for connection, and to include means spiritual experiences that promote Christian maturity and growth. Which effort needs more intention and planning in your congregation?"

http://www.ewaidsynod.org/images/July_Parish_Paper_2018_Inviting_Informing_and_Including_Newcomers_1_.pdf

GLP Newsletter is coming!

The printed September 2018 edition of the Genesee Lutheran Parish newsletter will be available at church on August 26.  For those of you who do not pick up your copy, we will mail the copy to you so that you know what's happening with the parish.  Emailed copies will go to all members with email addresses.

Thank you to all of the contributors who make the newsletter possible:  Phyllis, Louise, Rosanna,  Devanie, Linda, Darlene, Pastor Dana, Hannah and Bryon, and Verna.  Anyone may contribute to the newsletter, and all suggestions and articles are welcomed.

Rally Sunday Sept 9th With A New Look

EVERYONE WELCOME-PLEASE JOIN US ON SEPT. 9TH AT 9:30.

Sunday School is going to have a new look this year. We are changing the name to Family Time. This will start at 9:30, from 9:30 to 9:55 will be music and craft time. At 9:55 everyone will go up to Worship Service. After the children's sermon the children and a couple of teachers will go downstairs to lesson time (we are planning in following the gospel) and will return back to the worship service in time to share the peace, probably about 20-30 minutes.

We will be kicking off Sunday School/Family Time on Sept. 9th at St. John's Lutheran Church, at 9:30. Following Worship Service there will be a BarBQue and ice cream social along with some fun children/family games.

Rally Sunday coming up!

Mark September 9, 9:30 a.m., on your calendar for Rally Sunday!  See the exciting changes to Sunday school which will involve your kids with you, your parents, and all the family!  We will have a big community celebration that day to celebrate the start of a new and different type of Sunday school.   Barbecue and fun!  Stay tuned for more information!

Best wishes to our Cluster Dean, Pastor Phil Misner!

Rosanna Cartwright and Verna Studer represented Genesee Lutheran Parish at the farewell party for Pastor Phil Misner and his family at Trinity Lutheran church in Endicott, Washington, Wednesday evening.  Pastor Phil, current Palouse Cluster dean, has taken the position as assistant to Bishop Kristen Kuemple.  He and his family will be moving to Post Falls in September. 

You may remember Pastor and his family when they joined our congregation at the Oregon coast a few years ago.  

Pastor Phil will be a great representative of small rural churches to the bishop!  He knows the struggles that we have been going through and can speak to those struggles.  We wish him well!

Genesee Lutheran Parish Youth Group

Genesee Lutheran Parish Youth Group

• Aug. 5 
• 5 pm 
• Church Yard
• Hawaii Luau Theme
• Most creative outfit wins a prize
• Bring a friend who hasn't come before-the more the merrier!!
• Food, games, faith and fun!!!

Changes for week of July 30th through Aug. 6th!

There will be no bible study this Wednesday. The pastor is out of town.

There will be Gospel on the Porch at 7 pm at the personage, Aug 1st.

Education committee meeting postponed, until Aug. 6th, at 7 at St. John's.

Sunday Morning Choir

Do you enjoy singing, would you like to be in a small choir?
Join us Sunday morning at 8:30 to practice a song we will sing during church services.

We are still at the Valley Church for the next 6 weeks.

Baking Communion Bread

I'm baking communion bread for tomorrow.   Rosanna shared with me a link to a wonderful video of ELCA Churchwide Ron Glusenkamp, baking communion bread!  He is awesome.

https://vimeo.com/48145113

I hope that you enjoy the video!

Some photos from Assembly 2018

2018 EWAID Synod Assembly
Rosanna stands behind Bishop Kuempel in the center; I am a couple folks to the right.

Ron G, Churchwide representative, Verna and Rosanna
REV. RONALD T. GLUSENKAMP (Keynote speaker, Q & A with your Churchwide) serves as the Director of ELCA Campaign Always Being Made New. Glusenkamp says, "Our baptismal identity calls us to be claimed, gathered and sent into the world. The (campaign) is a great way to do so much more together for the sake of the world in Jesus' name." Prior to this time, Glusenkamp served as senior pastor of Bethany, the largest congregation in the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod and as vice president of customer outreach at the ELCA Board of Pensions (now Portico Benefit Services). Glusenkamp has also served as pastor at three ELCA congregations across the Midwest. Ordained in 1981, he holds his a Master of Divinity in biblical studies from the former Christ Seminary-Seminex in St. Louis and his B.A. from the former Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was ordained in 1981. Glusenkamp is married to Sue Ann Glusenkamp, a clinical nurse educator. Together they have three adult children.

Bishop K Kuempel with Verna and Rosanna

Verna, Pastor Andy of Bonners Ferry Trinity Lutheran, Rosanna

Rosanna and Verna with huge assembly behind us

Rosanna with  Pastor Kimmie who used to be at Bonners Ferry

Tousled Rosanna and Verna after LONG DAY at Assembly

Palouse Cluster representatives, Rosanna and Verna, top middle

Sandy  and Rosanna

SANDY BRYANT (“Praying Life through the Liturgy” which Rosanna will be reporting on, is the Anchoress at Lake Chelan Lutheran Church. She is a Benedictine Oblate, a woman of prayer and a teacher of prayer. She is also a catechist.  During the entire Assembly, Sandy is in the prayer room praying for all of the people who are attending.  She is WONDERFUL!

Diana becoming a DEACON! with Bishop Kuemple

2018 EWAID Synod Assembly was GREAT!

Pastor Dana, Rosanna, and I will be sharing the different things that we learned last weekend at Synod Assembly over the next few weeks, here and before worship.  Most important is that we connected with people who are eager to support us in our ministry!  Next Sunday, I'll be visiting with the congregation about one of the sessions which I attended!  Can't wait to see you Sunday!

Theology on Tap

THEOLOGY ON TAP

Friday, April 20th at 7 p.m.

Dave and Caroline Troy are hosting Theology on Tap at their home Friday, Apr. 20th at 7 p.m.
At Theology on Tap we have a fulfilling discussion on a theological subject while enjoying some snacks, and drinks.
PLEASE COME JOIN US!
If you need directions please contact Dave Troy, or Pastor Helsing, or Jennifer Perkins, or Linda Chilson.

2794 HWY 95, Genesee

Preparing for EWAID Synod Assembly 2018

Rosanna and I are joining Pastor Dana at EWAIS Synod Assembly in Yakima, Washington, April 27 - 29.

Two of my favorite parts of attending Assembly are (1) the Sunday Bits and (2) the Workshops!  If you want to see descriptions of all of the topics, please go to:  2018 EWAID SYNOD ASSEMBLY WORKSHOPS.  Some of the topics include:

• Church Growth Guaranteed:  Holy Spirit Dependent
• Feeding God's Children:  ELCA World Hunger
• Our Homeless Friends:  Providing Shelter and Building Relationships
• ELCA Walk for Wagter
• Visual Arts in church Growth:  "Inside the box--outside the box"
• Lutheran Camps on Steroids!
• Youth--Meeting them where they are.
• Camarata Club Choir
• The Rocky Road to Latino Ministry
• Nurturing a Prayerful Culture
• Praying Life through the Liturgy Part I
• Praying Life through the Liturgy Part II
• Praying Life through the Liturgy Part III
• Worship and Prayer through music
• Proposed ELCA Social Statement on Women and Justice
• "E" is for Evangelical:  Sharing the gospel in a graceful, loving, and non-scary way
• Growth through Coaching
• Technology & Your Church:  Leveraging Technology for Effective Communications & Collaboration
• Keynote with Ron Gulsenkamp
• Statement on Inter-Religious Commitments
• Faith Action Network of WA
• Constitution
• Budget Hearings

If you see a topic and description which you believe would be helpful for Genesee Lutheran Parish, please add your comment to this post so that we can ensure that one of us attends the workshop!  

Thank you!

Verna

2018 EWAID Synod Assembly

EWAID Synod Assembly will be in Yakima, Washington, April 27 - 29, 2018.  Genesee Lutheran Parish council elected Rosanna Cartwright and Verna Studer to attend the event.

Events include:

FRIDAY, April 27
Registration
Hearings/Workshops
Opening/Eucharist
Gathering/Social
Family-Style Meal
Program featuring Churchwide Rev. Ron  Glusenkamp

SATURDAY, April 28
Breakfast Table Talks
Business Session I
Business Session II
Lunch
Workshops
Business Session III
Business Session IV
Dinner
Program
Evening Prayer

SUNDAY, April 29
Breakfast
Shorts and Reports (folks share what is working with their congregations--one of the best parts!)
Closing Eucharist

Business includes elections for Synod Council members (1 clergy and 4 laypeople); election for the Discipline Committee (2 clergy); and Voting Members for 2019 Churchwide in Wisconsin, August 5 - 10, 2019 (bishop, Vice-President, 1 youth, 1 person of color or language other than English, 2 clergy, and 2 lay people).

Rosanna and Verna think that the BEST part of Assembly is the opportunity to network with fellow Lutherans who have similar situations that Genesee Lutheran Parish does.  They will do their best to bring back to you all of the wonderful things that they have learned!

What's Happening Today!!!

Wednesday morning bible study 10 AM at Plaid and Pearl, everyone welcome to join us!!



Lent Holden Prayer Wednesday Evening Service 6:30
Soup and bread supper before services 5:30

Everyone is invited to join us at the Valley Church as observe Lent with this beautiful service. Before the service please join us for soup and bread.

A Few Announcements

A few announcements:

Sunday school started back up Sunday. It's going to have some new looks, we'd love for you to join us on our new path. Sunday mornings at 9 AM. Adults will still have Sunday school also at 9 AM.
Church service follow Sunday School at 10 AM.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study starts back up tomorrow morning at 10 AM, come study Romans with us.
Annual meeting is January 28th following church down in the fellowship hall. 11:15 AM. We have 2 vacancies on council that need to be filled. One is the treasurer and the other is an at large council position, please let the pastor or a council member know if you are feeling called to fill one of those positions.
There is going to be a Youth Group event Sunday, January 28th, 5-7 pm More information to follow. 7th-12th graders be sure to mark your calendars and plan on being there. The two events we have had so far have been a lot of fun.
Lent is right around the corner, Wednesday, February 14th is Ash Wednesday. As we plan the Lent season, we will keep you posted on when and what we will be doing.
Things to think about. What is your Lenton Journey going to be this year? Do you usually give something up or do you have a goal?