October 15 Update
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Messiah,
October rolls on, and so does the Time of the Church in our liturgical year - each week zooming in closer on Jesus Christ's call to discipleship, whatever our circumstances, as we watch and pray for His promised return to judge the living and the dead. By God's grace, we continue to walk in the Holy Spirit's way: remembering our Baptism, feeding on the Word of the Lord, and receiving His Supper for forgiveness, salvation & eternal life. More below about upcoming worship, education, fellowship and service events!
WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
Our regular Sunday schedule:
Divine Service at 10:00 am.
Bible Class at 9:00 am. We continue the video-based series Christianity and the Competition, Topics and discussions in this series are based on recorded presentations by the late Dr. Paul Maier. Other one-shot topics will be interspersed throughout the coming weeks as well!
Sunday School at 11:15 am.
Livestreams of our Sunday services can be found at:
Our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent livestreamed service is viewable on our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
CARES (Caring, Active, Reaching, Encouraging Sisters in Christ) continues on Wednesdays at 9:45 am, beginning a new book, Divine Directions: How God Guides Your Path by Sharla Fritz. Click here for a sample; watch the author preview the book on YouTube here.
LifeLight continues exploring The Epistle to the Hebrews on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. It's not too late to take part! Click here for a sample. (Note: the Tuesday morning LifeLight session on Hebrews has been rescheduled to start in January.)
Reformation Sunday is October 25th. We also resume our monthly worship service for the residents of Bishop Hills Assisted Living in Rockford at 3:00 pm that afternoon.
All Saints Sunday is November 1st. To include your Christian loved ones and friends in our annual Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, you fill out and return the slips found on the Welcome Center by October 25th.
Our annual joint Thanksgiving Eve Divine Service, welcoming our brothers & sisters of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Rockford, will be held Wednesday, November 25th at 7:00 pm here at Messiah.
WHAT'S NEW & NEXT
Our October newsletter is online; click here to view or download a copy! Paper copies are available at the Welcome Center. We post the newsletter (including monthly calendars) and our weekly announcements online at www.messiahgr.org; calendars are also online separately at www.messiahgr.org/calendar. Be sure to check these sources regularly for updates on the events listed below and more!
Harvest Dinner & Bake Sale this Sunday, October 18th after the service, sponsored by the Parish Service Guild. A roast pork dinner and desserts will be served. Tickets are available now; contact any Guild member for more details.
Bowling League begins this Sunday, October 18th at 3:00 pm at Northfield Lanes on Plainfield Avenue. We bowl every other Sunday through March; both league members and substitute bowlers are always welcome. If you have questions, contact Joanne Gillette.
Fall Clean Up Day Saturday, October 24th from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. The Board of Trustees are looking for helpers, young and old, to join us as we clean up our grounds and facility for the holidays. See you there!
Fall Prayer Pals Sunday, October 25th at 6:00 pm. Bring a small gift for your prayer pal and an appetizer or dessert to share; bite size portions are preferred since we like to try everything. Ladies, if you are not a Prayer Pal yet, please join us! Expect great food and fellowship. If you have questions call Deb Krueger.
Trunk or Treat Saturday, October 31st from 3:00 to 4:30 pm! We're heading into the homestretch of our preparation for this community event! Please sign up ASAP at the Welcome Center to give out treats from your car trunk or help in another capacity! We also encourage donations of bagged, individually wrapped candy for our trunkers to give out, as well as donations of 8 oz water bottles. Thanks in advance for all your help!
Yours in Christ, Pastor Eric & Rick Krueger
GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH
Both the words and music of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" were written by Martin Luther, meant to serve as a musical sermon on Psalm 46. This hymn was most likely composed between 1527 & 1529, when Luther suffered from serious illness, his hometown Wittenberg dealt with an epidemic, the German borders were threatened by Turkish forces, and the Biblical faith Luther confessed was under attack by both Roman Catholics and radical Protestants. While the hymn is often called "the battle hymn of the Reformation", it was originally thought of (and classified in Lutheran hymnals) as "a hymn of comfort" - reminding us that "though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea . . . the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." (Psalm 46:2b-3, 11) As a sneak peak at our Hymn of the Day for Reformation Sunday, we hope you enjoy Lutheran youth (well, now they’re young adults) singing their faith in the video below!