October 28th Update
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Messiah,
While tombstones and giant skeletons pop up on the front lawns of our neighborhoods (maybe yours, too) this week, we're making final preparations to welcome our preschool families and community to Trunk or Treat this Saturday afternoon. Above all, we confess the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come on All Saints Day - which falls on a Sunday this year! Keep reading for more details about these events and other worship, education, fellowship and service opportunities.
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, studying the 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 winds up its study The Epistle to the Hebrews this month - but it's not too late to take part! Join them Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Click here for a sample. (Or, the Tuesday morning LifeLight session on Hebrews has been rescheduled to start in January.)
All Saints Day is Sunday, November 1st. Remember that Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend; please turn your clocks back one hour before going to sleep on Saturday night!. And listen below to the new Hymn of the Month we'll begin singing on that morning.
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 at Messiah.
NEW! Advent begins the new Church Year on Sunday, November 29th. Details about the season are in the November newsletter (see below); check the weekly announcements for further updates.
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER + WHAT'S NEW & NEXT
Our November 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!
Trunk or Treat this Saturday, October 31st from 3:00 to 4:30 pm! Thanks to everyone who has volunteered or donated for this annual community event! You can still bring your car trunk to give out treats or help in other ways; we're especially looking for traffic controllers, greeters and carnival game staff. Contact Rick Krueger if you have questions or want to volunteer.
NEW! Support our college students with your prayers, cards, notes and more! Look for details in the November newsletter and upcoming weekly announcements; contact the church office for more information.
NEW! Annual Voters Meeting Sunday, November 15th following the Divine Service. We’ll gather to hear reports and updates, elect officers and board members, and consider the 2027 congregational budget. A potluck will be held between the service and the meeting. There are openings on all of our operating boards for next year and we encourage participation from our members. If there is any interest, please contact Dave Ahrens before the annual meeting.
NEW! Grand Rapids Symphony Holiday Pops Concert, Friday, December 4th from 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm - Join us for this festive event at the DeVos Performance Hall. Sign up at the Welcome Center by Thursday, November 12th; contact Tammy Ahrens for cost and other details.
NEW! The Parish Services Guild presents its annual Christmas Bazaar Saturday, December 5th starting at 9:00 am. Contact any Guild member if you'd like to help beforehand or on the day. And stop by for cookies, crafts, vendors, and more!
Yours in Christ, Rick Krueger
FROM PASTOR ERIC (in the November newsletter)
"The world does not need us to assume the worst of others and revel in bad news. People do need us to offer the good news, the best news, to them, that Christ died and rose for them, that He calls them to repentance, that forgiveness is offered to them, that they are loved. That God Himself loves them, as well as the entire church. The world might not always like or appreciate it, they may even assume the worst about us . . . the world’s reaction to the gospel does not change the truth, nor diminish the need. As Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount, 'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.' Amen."
"CHRIST HAS WIPED AWAY THEIR TEARS FOREVER"
Our next Hymn of the Month will be new to us: “Oh, How Blest Are They”, number 679 in Lutheran Service Book. German poet and professor Simon Dach, who struggled with physical health and financial stability as he lived through the Thirty Years War and outbreaks of plague, turned to writing hymns after the death of his patron in 1648. In Dach’s somber yet gently confident text (set to a tune by an unidentified composer), we saints on earth sing about the saints in heaven, comforted by their rest in the presence of Christ, longing to be with Him and them as we consider this life’s cares and troubles.
We’ll introduce this hymn on All Saints Day; we hope you find it a comforting yet strengthening confession of the Christian faith as we sing it throughout November. Listen below to the schoolchildren at one of our sister congregations (Messiah in Kenosha, Wisconsin) sing it at the funeral service for one of their fellow saints, now at peace in Jesus!