Elim's Leadership Team is working on plans for us to worship again in our church sanctuary, hopefully later this summer. Meanwhile, we are still preparing worship materials so that we can all worship together, but apart. Click on the link below for the current week's service (posted online on Sunday mornings at 10 am or go to the Sermons page for past weeks' services.
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Welcome to the Elim community of faith. We are a diverse people who gather in the presence of God to receive grace and hope and to be renewed in our calling to love one another, all people and all of creation. |
ANNOUNCEMENTS
This Week's Devotion from Pr. KathrynTuesday Night Bible Study -- on Zoom!Come join us every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. for conversation about the upcoming Sunday worship Bible passages. ALL are welcome! No prior experience with Bible Study needed! Just bring your Bible and an open heart! To get an invitation to this Zoom gathering, please contact Erin at the church office.
Be A Part Of Our Online Worship!
It's wonderful to see our church family participating in our online worship services. We would love for you to join in! There are several ways you can be a "worship helper" during this time of online worship. We're looking for:
“KindKnits” Needed More Than Ever
Looking to use your time spent sheltering in place for a good cause? The Elim KindKnits group is currently hard at work, knitting and crocheting beautiful scarves to give away as an outreach project again this fall. Want to join us? Just let Julie Prime or Athena Labberton know you’d like to participate. Scarves can be any color or pattern, so have fun being creative! If you’d like new patterns to inspire you, let us know that too. If you need yarn, check online—or with stores such as Michael's and JOANN's that offer online ordering with curbside pickup.
Mini Prayer Shawls Needed for Synod Assembly
Deliver to Elim Office by July 8
There is still time to knit or crochet mini prayer shawls for The Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly. Prayer shawls should be roughly 6” by 3”. As your fingers are at work, please pray for God’s blessings upon the recipient of your creation and that they receive the gift of spiritual discernment. Please drop off the mini-shawls at the Elim office in the brown box by Wednesday, July 8. Thank you! Questions? Contact Erin. ELCA COVID-19 Response Fund
Months may have passed since you last walked in the doors of your congregation and worshiped, face-to-face, with your community of faith. To be sure, being the body of Christ looks and feels differently than it ever has before.
With congregations and ministries across the country, and a network of companion churches and partners in over 70 countries around the world, we anticipate this crisis will affect us all. Your gifts to the ELCA’s COVID-19 Response Fund will provide funds to the ministries of the ELCA most in need and best positioned to help. This includes our congregations as well as local and churchwide ministries capable of reaching and assisting those in need. If you are able, please help with a gift today. Donate Now Second Mile Giving: July 2020
Petaluma People Services Center
“Second-mile giving” refers to an extra offering toward a special cause. Our second mile giving for July goes to Petaluma People Services Center (PPSC). PPSC is a community of caregivers whose sole purpose is to help make people’s lives better. Last year they served over 12,000 people through their programs. The hands-on, face-to-face support that individuals receive from PPSC is wide ranging; counseling, job placement, gang prevention, daily hot meals, rides to the doctor, case management, financial assistance for homeless prevention, informational and referrals….People Helping People. Offering can be given through Tithe.ly or mailed to the Church Office at 504 Baker St., Petaluma CA 94952 Note: If donating to Second Mile Giving, please note "2nd Mile: PPSC" in your preferred offering method. Thanks! |
Vacation Bible School Update We are sad to report that we have had to cancel VBS for this summer. But we plan to be back in 2021! Do you just love VBS music? Click on the image below to go to Group's Very Best Sing-Along : Volumes 1 & 2!
Elim Reopening Update - Possibly AugustThe Leadership Team has reviewed information regarding reopening from The CA Department of Public Health, Sonoma County and our Synod Office. It was agreed that Elim would take the recommendation from our Synod Office to wait until the end of July to consider reopening. The LT felt it would take about 2 months to implement the recommended protocols and training of staff and volunteers in any case. Another concern was how the current rules and procedures could diminish enjoyment of in person worship.
Guidance for Places of Worship protocols and limitations include; 25% capacity for seating, masks are required, singing is highly discouraged, hand sanitizer dispensers need to be installed, temperature screening required, a site specific plan needs to be written, staff and volunteers trained, and fellowship time is discouraged. LT is hopeful that by the end of July there will be fewer restrictions. If you have any questions, please contact Roger Davis. Parking Lot Improvement Project Complete!
If you drive by the church, take a look at the wonderful improvement in our parking lot! It has been double sealed and new stripes painted. Thank you to the wonderful volunteers that helped to make this happen! Steve Geney and Roger Davis collected bids, George Matt, Rich & Susan Rodkin, and Kevin & Rosemary Hart did the prep work of cleaning weeds from the perimeter and cracks, and George and Rich trimmed back all the vegetation to create the access that Stripe ’n’ Seal requested. Thank you!
Food Pantry News
The Interfaith Food Pantry was featured in an Argus Courier article on May 28. Click here to read the article.
The Thursday food pantry is an essential service in our community, even more so during this crisis. We hope to keep it available to those in need of food and are looking for volunteers who are willing to help with distribution on Thursdays. If you are interested, please contact the Office. We have a good supply of paper bags at the moment, thank you! Set-up: 4:00—5:30 p.m. Distribution: 5:30—6 p.m. Clean-up: 6—6:30 p.m. A Video from the New Life BandAn urgent message from the New Life Band in Arusha, Tanzania regarding the impact of the Covid-19 virus on their ministry to youth and students. (Sound begins after approximately 25 seconds.)
Donations to the New Life Band Ministries: Mission for Youth and Students are gratefully appreciated. Online donations can be made HERE. The New Life Band deeply appreciates your prayers, your fellowship, and your support at this unprecedented time.
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Elim Lutheran Church | 220 Stanley Street | Petaluma CA 94952
(The church office is next door at 504 Baker St.)
Office hours: 9am-Noon, Monday - Thursday. Also noon - 2pm by appointment. Closed until further notice but the phone and email will be monitored!
(The church office is next door at 504 Baker St.)
Office hours: 9am-Noon, Monday - Thursday. Also noon - 2pm by appointment. Closed until further notice but the phone and email will be monitored!
