July 30th Update
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Messiah,
In August, our boards and other groups resume regular meetings, and service activities pick up again. Meanwhile, we continue gathering to receive God's gifts of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation in worship and Bible class every week.
WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
Our regular Sunday schedule:
Divine Service at 10:00 am.
Bible Class at 9:00 am. We continue the Bible study Christ Is Risen Indeed, based on 1 Corinthians 15, the official study of last month's Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod convention. (Sunday School is in recess for the summer.)
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
Monday night Divine Services are also held through August 31st at 7:00 pm.
WHAT'S NEW & NEXT
Our August newsletter is now 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!
NEW! We're Filling 40 Backpacks for students in Northview elementary schools! A list of needed items is by the Welcome Center, in the August newsletter and in our weekly announcements. Donation deadline is Wednesday, August 12th; help us load up the backpacks on Sunday, August 16th after the service. The Board of Outreach and Lutherans in Fellowship Together thank you for your help!
Whitecaps Game Tuesday, August 11th. A reminder for all who signed up that we’ll have a picnic at 5:00 pm at the church pavilion, then drive/carpool to LMCU Ballpark to watch the Whitecaps play the Lansing Lugnuts at 6:35 pm. Parking will be $10 per car at the ballpark, which is a cashless venue.
Jonah Keup and Andrew Zerull from Immanuel Lutheran Church are inviting other Lutheran Young Adults in West Michigan to join them Wednesday, August 12th at 6:00 pm at VanderMill Cider (505 Ball NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503). Enjoy playing music bingo or simply come along to meet new people over some food and drink. We hope to see you there! Questions? Contact Jonah or Andrew at w.mi.walther@gmail.com.
NEW! While the Parish Service Guild won't formally meet until September, there will be a Planning Meeting for the upcoming Harvest Dinner and Christmas Bazaar on Thursday, August 13th at 1:00 pm. If you are unable to attend but would still like to be involved, see Kim Black or any Guild member.
NEW! Summer's End Picnic Sunday, September 13th after the Divine Service, sponsored by the Board of Outreach. Our preschool families will be invited to join us at our pavilion and grounds for food, games and fellowship. Watch for more information later this month!
NEW!Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) Fall Rally "Jesus is the Light" Saturday, September 26th, 2026 from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm at Messiah. Cost will be $10 per person; ingathering will be shirts for residents of our local Michigan Veterans Home. Sign-up sheets coming soon; contact Linda Blain for details.
Yours in Christ, Rick Krueger
FROM PASTOR ERIC (IN THE AUGUST NEWSLETTER)
:We do not want sin to rule over us, over our thoughts, word, or deeds, nor over our hearts, our desires, and emotions. We are given peace, we stand firm on our rock, upon Christ our Savior. But part of this peace we receive is that we are set free from sin, from Satan, even from death itself; we are set free with a purpose. We are set free to live as God created us to be, not as robots or machines, but as people, creatures, who act, and yet also feel, have desires, and longings, and emotions. The Holy Spirit works to direct these in God-pleasing ways, conforming our will to His will, our wants and desires to what He wants for us and what He gives to us. Giving us peace and joy. And all of it serving as just an appetizer, a taste, a glimpse of what is promised to us at the feast in His kingdom. A feast that has no end, a feast of victory, a feast attended by the all faithful, a feast for all those set free by Christ. Amen."
NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD (Lutheran Service Book 895)
August's Hymn of the Month will be “Now Thank We All Our God”, a call to praise the Lord who blesses us “from our mother’s arms .. in this world and the next”! Paraphrasing Martin Luther’s translation of a passage from the Old Testament Apocrypha, German musician and pastor Martin Rinckart wrote this hymn as a mealtime prayer in 1630; it was set to music by Lutheran cantor Johann Crueger a few years later, and translated into English by Catherine Winkworth in the 1850s (it became a core part of British celebrations at the end of the Second World War.) We hope you enjoy singing it and taking it to heart throughout the month. And as always, we pray that your hearing of God’s Word and partaking of the Lord’s Supper at Messiah will strengthen your faith, empowering you to respond with thanksgiving in worship and share Christ’s love with the people in your life!