Be Our Guest

September 18: 

Beef Stew, French bread, Jell-O

September 25:

Baked Potato Bar, Apple Crisp

Anniversary Activities:

Serving in our Present (in conjunction with the ELCA's "God's Work, Our Hands" Days of Service) - join us for one or all of four service projects (1 each weekend). Opportunities include:

· Sunday, September 8: collecting redeemable cans to collect money to donate to these causes (after worship and Rally Sunday activities).

· Sunday, September 15: building a wheelchair ramp for a Jesup resident (after worship)

· Sunday, September 22 from 1pm-3pm: volunteering at the Otter Creek Animal Shelter

· Saturday, September 28 from 8:00am-10:00am: working at the Independence Mobile Food Pantry (at West Elementary in Independence)

Sign up at church or at https://forms.gle/amU6NHaqBrc4WZFz6 for one (or all) of these opportunities. 

Planning for our Future - consider giving American Lutheran Church an Anniversary Gift of $85.00, $8.50, or whatever you can give, in celebration of our 85th anniversary. The money will be split between the creation of a fund for new windows and the creation of an endowment fund.  These funds will help ALC become more energy efficient and support the ministry of ALC well into the future.  Please mark “Anniversary” on your financial gift.

                    Rally Sunday: Rally Sunday will be held on Sunday, September 8.  Rally Sunday includes many activities that kick off the school year, including a Blessing of the Backpacks (remember to bring your backpack!) and the giving of Bibles to our 3rd graders.  After worship, the Sunday School families will be providing treats for fellowship time, and families will have an opportunity to register their children for Sunday School.  We will also be having an All Ages Painting activity, painting pictures to decorate the church for the seasons of Advent and Christmas.  Canvases, brushes, paint shirts, and (washable!) paint will be provided.  After all of these activities, we will hold the first of our “Serving in our Present” events to celebrate our congregation’s 85th anniversary, as we go around Jesup collecting pop cans to raise money toward our other service projects.  Join us for an exciting morning on Rally Sunday!

Save the Date for Blessing of the Animals: On Sunday, Oct 6, we will be doing a Blessing of the Animals at our 9am worship service. You are invited to bring your favorite stuffed animals and pictures of your pets and/or favorite animals for us to bless during worship. (Please do not bring living animals to worship—only stuffed animals and pictures!)

Women’s Bible Study:The Women’s Bible Study group will begin meeting again on September 5th at 9:30 AM. “No Hard Feelings” is the title of the Fall Bible Study within the Gather for Faith and Action magazine. Women of all ages are invited to attend. This study will center on the poetry of the Old Testament. We will see how the writers of Scripture used language to share a range of emotions, including anger, with God and each other. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at 9:30 AM in the Fireside Room. If you do not have a subscription to the Gather magazine, study materials will be provided or arranged for you to have them. Please contact Pastor Kristen if you have any questions. 

Quilting for Lutheran World Relief: Construction of our quilts for Lutheran World Relief will begin at 9 AM on September 9th. We will meet every other Monday going forward. Please join us as we cut squares, sew, iron, and tie quilts for this worthy organization. We have made 30 quilts each year for the last two years. They will be delivered to the Spring WELCA In-Gathering next April. So, we have a lot of sewing to get done before then! Even if you don’t sew, you can come and cut squares or iron or tie the quilts. Many hands make the work go faster!

Homebound members: 

Mary Jo Sullivan is at Grand View in Oelwein

Noisy Offering: September's Noisy Offering will go toward the various service projects we will be completing during our month-long Anniversary celebration. 

Fellowship Hosts: Fellowship hosts are needed for 2019. Please sign up in the binder                      outside the secretary’s office.

Military members:

Jordan Leach has been attending basic training since June and will graduate from basic training on Aug. 16. If anyone would like to send him a letter, his address is:

AB Leach, Jordan J

322 TRS - Flt 591 Dorm B6

1320 Truemper St Unit 364077

JBSA Lackland TX 78236-6432

If you know of anyone else serving in the armed forces, please contact the church office (secretary@americanlutheranjesup.org).or (827-6626). We’d like to remember them in our prayers.

Food Pantry Needs: The Independence Area Food Pantry is currently in need of toiletries, especially soap, deodorant, and shampoo. Please place any donations for the food pantry in the entryway of the church. Thank you for your generosity!

Cedar Valley Hospice Release & Remember 2019: You are invited to join the Cedar Valley Release and Remember even on Sunday September 8thfrom 1-3pm at the River loop Amphitheatre. More info: https://www.cvhospice.org/release-remember

  Support Lutheran Chaplaincy Outreach at the University of Iowa Hospital: Lutheran Chaplaincy Outreach provides the funding to have an ELCA Chaplain serving at the University of Iowa Hospital. Right now, LCO’s financial situation is dire. We are running about $19,000 behind on this year's budget. Every dollar given will help keep Pastor Cindy in ministry at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. If you have been blessed this year, please consider making a donation to Lutheran Chaplaincy Outreach. Keeping a chaplain available at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinic depends entirely on these contributions. So many have been so blessed with Chaplain Cindy's ministry. Please consider making a contribution TODAY. You may donate by mailing a check mailed to: LCO, 123 East Market St, Iowa City, IA 52242, or by giving a check to ALC in the offering plate, with “Lutheran Chaplaincy Outreach” in the Memo line.

  LWR School Kits:Back-to-school season is a great time to shop for items for Lutheran World Relief School Kits! Items needed include 70-sheet spiral notebooks, pencil sharpeners, 30 cm rulers, safety scissors, blue or black ballpoint pens (no gel ink), boxes of 24 crayons, and 2 ½” erasers. We also need several yards of heavy cotton fabric to make the backpacks. Donations may be placed in the entryway of the church. Thank you for your generosity!