Vacation Bible School
June 17th-21st, 2019
Lift off for an intergalactic adventure and learn about God’s plan of salvation from creation to the cross! Just as the earth revolves around the sun, our faith revolves around God’s Word. Keep Jesus and His Gospel at the center of your children’s VBS experience with Miraculous Mission.
Ages 3 years old to those who just finished 5th grade.
Any 6th graders and older are encouraged to be helpers. Register as a volunteer or join us on March 31st to see where your talents would best be utilized.
Volunteers: Use the same link to register. We will have t-shirts again this year. You can purchase them for $8, borrow them and return when done, or use yours from last year.
For more information contact your VBS director Lois Bendix at 218-355-0581 or Jessica Pellinen, Family Ministry Program Director at 218-326-5453.
Audio Visual Upgrades
The voting congregation has voted to move forward with the new audio and visual upgrades.
Who we are
What To Expect
We have two services every Sunday - traditional service and a family/contempory service. Join the service that best fits your style, both services have the same message to make sure we are all learning as a family. Life can be busy, but at worship you can slow down and accept God's Word and Sacraments.
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids - Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God:
The Father, creator of all that exists;
Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and
the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments.
The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
We accept and preach the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.
Bulletin Announcements
**special Voters Meeting: Will be held on Sunday, May 5th at noon. This meeting will be a short meeting to vote on the Audio-Visual installation only.
The Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus (GRAMC) will present their annual Spring Concert, next Sunday May 5th at 2:30pm in the Wilcox Theater of the Reif Performing Arts Center. Joining the chorus as guest performers will be the Itasca Brass. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and free for students.
Clean-up day: May 4th 9:00-12:00 is Church Clean-up Day. Your help is needed to freshen up the yards around the church. Please bring your own rakes, etc. Thank You for helping. Board of Trustees
Lutheran Island Camp: Are you a Thrivent Member? There are a couple of different ways you can support Lutheran Island Camp if you are. First, consider giving part of your Thrivent Choice dollars to the camp. Or you can use one or two of your Thrivent Action Grants to support camp. Contact camp for more information.
LWML: To all the Women of First Lutheran. We would like to invite you to the LWML Spring Celebration May 4th at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 4 Elizabeth Avenue, Esko, MN. Registration starts at 9:00am and the fee is $9.00. There is a signup sheet in the book.
National Day of Prayer: You are invited this Thursday to gather at noon on the front lawn of the Itasca County Courthouse. Christians will gather to pray for America.
We’ve got your Back: On Thursday, May 9th at 7:00p.m., the 3rd Annual gathering to honor our law enforcement officers, fire fighters and First Responders will take place. Come To Assemblies of God to show your support
MAY 5th is the MS Walk in Grand Rapids. Please think about the folks you know who deal with MS on a daily basis. You can either walk or volunteer. Contact diane.j.meyer@gmail.com or register at walkms.org.
Men’s Morning Bible Study -You are invited to attend Men’s Morning Bible Study each Wednesday morning at Forest Lake Restaurant. We meet in the upstairs back room at 6:45 AM. We open with a prayer and then begin our reading for the day. After our reading we have discussion. During this time our server takes our breakfast orders. Some men order just coffee and others a full breakfast. We are finished by 8 AM. There is plenty of room so bring your Bible and join us in studying God’s word.
Men’s Club -If you are male and a member of First Lutheran, you are automatically a member of Men’s Club. We have regular meetings on the second Monday of each month at 6:30p.m. in the church basement. Our mission is to help the ministry of First Lutheran by providing funds and manpower for the betterment of our church. Cinnamon Roll Sunday and the Wild Game Feed are a couple of ways for us to raise funds. Our meetings consist primarily of how to spend these funds. After a short meeting we have dessert provided by one of the men. Come and join us. You will enjoy.
Our nursery (unstaffed) can be found on the lower level of the education wing. There is a PA System provided in this room, so the service can be heard.
Personal Hearing Devices are available for your use. If you desire one, plase ask an usher.
Cable TV Broadcast Proclaiming the Good News of Christ on ICTV (Mediacom Cable Channel 2 and Paul Bunyan Cable Channel 32) each Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., and Wednesday at 4 a.m. and 12 noon.
Buble Study: We begin a new topic as we look at the Gospel of Luke verse by verse. We encourage you to learn more about the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus.
Men & Boys Fishing Retreat: On Sunday, March 24th, Greg Taylor and Dick Buech will hold a meeting between services in the council room to talk about our plans and to answer questions regarding the 2019 fishing retreat. We again reserved the large cabin at Young's Bay Resort on the nothwest angle of Lake of the Woods from Sunday, June 23 through Wednesday, June 26th. If you would like to attend, there is a sign-up sheet in the book.
May 17th the Youth Group (6th-12th grade) will go bowling at Thudner Alley XL from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. the cost is $10.69 per person and the Board of Youth will provide pizza and pop. The youth can use their accounts. if this creates a hardship, there is scholarship money available. Any adult intereested in helping chaperone, contact Jessica.
VBS Leaders and shepherds still needed the week of June 17-2! Leaders are in charge of bringing the children from station to station. Shepherds are around to help where needed. Contact Mary Buech for more information.
VBS Site Leaders: Let’s gather on May 23rd at 5:30 to discuss your station needs. We will go over your station, budget, how we can support you, and the supplies you need. Please look over your material before this meeting and come with a supply list if possible.
VBS ALL STAFF TRAINING: Mark your calendar to attend the mandatory all staff training on June 3rd from 5:30-7:30.
June 16th after second service VBS Decorating.
Mite Box Sunday is the 1st Sunday of each month.
Mite Box contributions amount to millions of dollars that fund district and national mission grants and implement the LWML program. We encourage the entire family to contribute by putting your pennies in the box at the end of each day, say ‘thank you’ with an appropriate amount whenever calamity or misfortune has been averted and empty all your loose change from your kitchen coin bowl into the box. There is a mite box next to the mail boxes in the lower narthex and on Mite Box Sunday one is also placed outside the sanctuary. Throughout the decades, Lutherans have stepped out in faith, setting goals and trusting God to Move the hearts of His people to give generously to LWML to proclaim the Gospel.
Dimes For Missions: the 2nd Sunday of each month
On Dimes For Mission Sunday all loose change and any other checks/currency specifically designated for Dimes for Missions will be included in the Dimes for Mission contribution. Dimes For Mission are divided between Lutheran Island Camp and Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF). LHF shares the Good News of Jesus around the world to those who desperately need to hear the good news of Jesus. Pastor Bernie and Ellie are very active in this ministry. In the past, the only changed considered were the dimes in the offering plate. A faithful supporter of the LHF mission is once again offering the “LHF Match” a dollar-for -dollar matching program where any individual, church or organization who hasn’t donated to LHF in the past twelve months or more will have their new gifts matched. What a wonderful opportunity to be a part of this.
Youth Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of the month, unless otherwise noted. On this Sunday the youth will assist in handing out bulletins, ushering, reading the scriptures, collecting the offering, lighting the candles on the altar, and on special Sunday’s, they will entertain us with the songs they have learned in Sunday School and VBS.
Food Shelf Sunday is the 4th Sunday of the month