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9:30AM SERVICE ON FACEBOOK LIVE: CROSS OF CHRIST LUTHERAN, PETOSKEY MI View sermon and songs on our YouTube channel Cross of Christ Petoskey “Empowered by the grace of God to love, lead, and serve.” THANK YOU You know as well as I, that this has been such a difficult time for our country and world. The shut downs really are wreaking havoc on lives and finances. I want to thank you for helping others, for your generosity to the church…we need you!...and for your compassion in our local area with the local businesses. Thank you from deep within for all that you do. Your offerings have ministered to the hungry, the lonely, those in financial troubles and those who are dying. We have also been able to reach our children every week until recently…moving to a summer schedule for everyone! Thank you…your spirit is so full.
LOAN SURVEY/VOTE Thank you for your prompt voting on our loan survey. Through your voting council has been given the permission to move forward with acquiring a loan or window replacements so that we can work toward reopening with good safety precautions. This means that we will be able to open the windows and allow air to circulate. This also means that we will begin a huge fundraiser for these windows….so if you would like to adopt a window to be put into the church please just let the church know. We will be sending out a letter with details. Start praying about how you can donate…alone, together with other people, a committee, a Bible study, youth? How can we raise about $1,200 per window? The faster we raise it the quicker we get to pay it off! Keep praying! RETURN TO WORSHIP SURVEY: We had 24 responses and the majority was to wait until September to begin in person worship. Three family units said that they would participate in outdoor worship and two family units shared that they would return to worship whenever we started. So, we are waiting until September. We would like to try an outdoor service and are working on that for August. Please know that we will be following as much protocol as possible. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS? If you know someone who would like to receive our announcements, please let our church office know. We are more than happy to share what we do in the name of the Trinity! OR, if you know someone who would like to receive information about the church, please let the church office know or have them call at 231-881-1212 HOSPITALITY takes on a new meaning today! Share hospitality by inviting your family and friends to join us for worship each Sunday on Facebook Live. We are trying our best to post them to YouTube as well and will update you on the new address to find the videos, right now you can find the services under Cross of Christ Petoskey. We can welcome more people in to worship than ever before! We are averaging about 200 views of over 8 minutes for our worship. So invitations and sharing the services sure do help share the Word and Ministry of God. USING THE CHURCH BUILDING: We are asking that each of us take extra care of keeping the assembly healthy! You can do the following things for helping us with that according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control):
As we look at reopening church slowly, please make sure that you do not have a temperature, wash your hands with the hand sanitizer or soap and water and sanitize tables and other things that you may use. Groups 10 people and under can meet in the church according to the state, but you will need to register to use the building. Please call the office at 231-347-5448 or text or call Pastor Sherry at 231-881-1212 to reserve the building. YOU HAVE TO RESERVE THE BUILDING!!! READINGS FOR SUNDAY, JULY , 2020 First Reading: 1 Kings 3:5-12 Because Solomon did not ask for long life, riches, or the defeat of his enemies, God gave him what he asked for: wisdom to govern the people well. 5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” 6And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” 10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.” Psalm: Psalm 119:129-136 129Your decrees are wonderful; therefore I obey them with all my heart. 130When your word is opened it gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. 131I open my mouth and pant because I long for your commandments. 132Turn to me and be gracious to me, as you always do to those who love your name. 133Order my footsteps in your word; let no iniquity have dominion over me. 134Rescue me from those who oppress me, and I will keep your commandments. 135Let your face shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes. 136My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your teaching. Second Reading: Romans 8:26-39 These words celebrate the depth of God’s actions for us. Through Christ’s death for us and the activity of the Spirit praying for us, we are fused to God’s love poured out in Jesus Christ. Nothing, not even death itself, is able to separate us from such incredible divine love. 26The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Throughout Matthew’s gospel, Jesus and his disciples proclaim the good news that “the kingdom of heaven is near!” Here, Jesus offers several brief parables that explore the implications of this announcement for people’s lives. 31[Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” 44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” BIRTHDAYS for JUNE & JULY July 2: Tyler Brown; July 4: Jim Knibbs; July 7: Elliott Drake; July 16: Jack Grosvenor; July 17: Donna Smith: July 19: Jeff Hamal; July 20: Paul Chaveriat; July 21: Ron Marshall; July 25: Grandt Backus, Sue Finley, Wendy Laser; July 28: Tavi Steffel ANNIVERSARIES for JUNE & JULY July 3: Heather & Marty Engel. NOISY OFFERING Noisy offering for Cross of Christ for our community is so very important and at this time there are many areas of ministry that need our help. We are collecting financial donations to help support Luke Ulrich’s ministry in Malawi, Africa. Luke, Jamie, Mark, Miriam, and Aaron returned to the United States a little early to get home safely during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now gathering support through prayer and financial donations. We have committed to pray for the Ulrich family at every gathering and you will find them on the prayer list. And we are blessed to have Luke’s mother, Lois, who continually keeps us updated as well. The work that they have done allows for women and children and families to make a living canning sauce and vegetables and selling them or keeping them for their own nutrition. That is just one of the many acts of service. If you would like to send a donation for them, just mail it to the church at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church at 1450 E. Mitchell St. Petoskey, MI. We will be sure to give them a check before they return to Malawi. If you are gathering your noisy offering, you can drop it off at the church and if Pastor Sherry is not there you can let her know and she will come ASAP to pick it up. Call her at 231-881-1212 (or you can text her as well!) THANK YOU TO PRICILLA AND WAYNE MEYER who completed our Adopt-A-Highway project. That is a lot of work, so thank you for caring for creation! SOUP KITCHEN GOOD NEWS! Salvation Army is going to be distributing lunches on Tuesdays from First Presbyterian church in Petoskey. This means that we are able to serve free meals three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons. If you know someone who needs food or a meal send them to First Presbyterian at 11:30 on those days. CHURCH OFFERINGS You can mail your offering to the church at Cross of Christ Lutheran 1450 East Mitchell St. Petoskey, Michigan 49770. There is also a “Give” app on our facebook page for you to use as a one time giving or you can get automatic giving through VANCO and you will need to contact David Meckstroth at 231-420-4830 or email him at kdmecstroth@charter.net Thank you for remembering the church and its ministry and mission every day! We are so very blessed. YOUTUBE CHANNEL: We now host a channel on YouTube. You can subscribe to our channel at Cross of Christ, Petoskey. Pastor Sherry had started her own channel but we have moved everything over to Cross of Christ. When you subscribe you will receive notices when something new is posted to the channel. AND, you can make comments when you subscribe. Thank you to Bryan Young for creating this space for our church. There is special music and all of our services so far since we began. PAPER PANTRY: Due to Coronovirus 19 we are changing plans for the Paper Pantry. We will have one Paper Pantry a month, the 2nd Thursday of the month from 5-6:30PM. Clients will receive 2 bags so that they only need to make one trip a month. We are trying to keep people as safe with the least amount of contact as possible. Our volunteers wear gloves and masks and the clients drive by and receive the supplies in their mode of transportation. So we still take donations and supplies! And we served 36 families at our last paper pantry in April. Please pray for everyone who is vulnerable. SOUP KITCHEN STILL SERVING Soup Kitchen is still serving but we are serving brown bagged lunches. The lunches will be made at the church with volunteers in masks and gloves. Then we will have one or two of the same volunteers serve at First Presbyterian Church in Petoskey right out of the back of your car or near the parking lot. First Presbyterian is going through major construction but they are still serving lunches on Sunday as well in the same manner. Please contact Sue Finley if you would like to help or you can send financial donations to Cross of Christ with soup kitchen in the memo to 1450 E. Mitchell St. Petoskey, MI 49770 You can text Sue Finley at 231-881-0091 or leave her a message. GIFTS TO BE GIVEN!!! When people ask you where you give donations…tell them Cross of Christ. We welcome all financial donations so give in honor of someone or in memory of beloved. And as you prepare for your future planning remember Cross of Christ in your giving! BIBLE STUDIES: 8:15AM #Metoo Bible study is meeting on July 27th at the church and on ZOOM but we invite you to join in reading the devotions from “The Virtuous Life (The Holiness Tradition)” in Devotional Classics edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith. Please let Pastor Sherry know if you would like to join. We still have books available. TUESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY will continue meeting once the new books have been chosen and received. I will let everyone know what the Bible study is going to be a book by Richard Rohr Jesus’ Plan for a New World: The Sermon on the Mount You can buy this for Kindle or you can order it through Amazon or even through McLean and Eakin. We begin on chapter 7 this week! SMALL COTTAGE MEETING LEADERS Our small cottage leaders are trying their best to keep in touch with you and then they share with pastor Sherry any prayer concerns or needs. Please know that they are working hard to keep you in prayer as well. Our leaders are Sommer Poquette, Melissa Hansen, Kasi Meckstroth, Bryan Young, Gordy Engdahl, Jean Smith and Svetlana Ottney, and Gary & Bev Engel. Thank you for your leadership and checking in with our congregation! CHILDREN should be receiving a letter with activities every OTHER week from Pastor Sherry. Please let me know if you are not receiving one. We have been mailing out 23 each week and so appreciate receiving notes and pictures back! Thank you!!!! Please contact the office at 231-347-5448 or 231-881-1212 if you would like to receive the activities. ANNUAL DIRECTORY We have an additions and changes to your directory: Arlene Good 701 Vogel St. D6 Boyne City, MI 49712 (989) 335-0712 Jean Smith telephone number change: 231-218-1946 Boyd Manges email correction: docbman1@gmail.com Vicki Morgan cell phone is 231-373-7007 Aileen and Brandan Ryan, Jack and Adam 10514 Burtlake Trail Brutus Michigan 49716 Janelle Warnemeunde cell phone correction: 269-838-7152 Gordy and Lynn Engdahl: 185 Crooked Tree Dr. Petoskey, MI 49770 David and Nancy Klinger: 4957 Cindy Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 Sommer Poquette phone contact number: 231-838-6236 FINANCIALS FOR THE MONTH OF June 2020: THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR TREASURES Fund Income What we need Difference General $20402.44 9417.15 10985.29 Benevolence $470 - - Property $2392.00 1,345.83 1046.17 Totals $23234.44 10,762.98 $12501.46 Fund Status Year to Date: June 2020 General Fund Property Fund Opening Balance $400 + income $80854 .13 $6304.00 -expense $583233.13 $6468.60 Ending Balance $27621.00 $235.40 Ending total balance year to date: $27,621.00 Note that in our benevolence we have over $10,000 as a gift from Women Who Care for the Paper Pantry.!!! THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING US IN YOUR OFFERINGS. If you need a copy of our council minutes or finances please let the church office know. We will get those to you as soon as possible or you can call Pastor Sherry McGuffin at 231-881-1212. We want to be as transparent as possible especially with the public. People are looking for a place to donate that makes a difference. Tell them about our outreach through feeding people and paper pantry. Tell them about adopt a highway and flowers for friends. We have a lot to offer and support and we would appreciate the blessing of offerings. FACEBOOK LIVE ON CROSS OF CHRIST LUTHERAN YOUTH, PETOSKEY MI Pastor Sherry is reading children’s books. Feel free to use or share or have your children watch as they fall asleep! If you want to request a book, let Pastor Sherry know and she will begin ordering them! You can text her at 231-881-1212 HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR NECK OF THE LAKE!! Sunday, July 26: 9:30AM service Facebook Live;10:30 ZOOM Coffee hour meeting ID 893 1199 9260; password: 181248 Monday, July 27: 8:15AM Bible Study at the church and on ZOOM meeting ID: 857 3071 0097 Password: 895517; 9:30AM interfaith meeting ZOOM Tuesday, July 28: 5:30PM Bible Study Chapter 7 of Richard Rohr’s book on ZOOM Meeting ID: 882 2532 7788 and password: 018845 Wednesday, July 29: Don’t forget to make sure that you are registered to vote in the Aug 4 election Thursday, July 30: Friday, July 31: Phone a church friend!!! See how they are doing! Saturday, August 1: Sleep in a little later and take a walk! Enjoy the sunshine Sunday, August 2: 9:30AM service Facebook Live;10:30 ZOOM Coffee hour meeting ID 893 1199 9260; password: 181248; Pastor Sherry will be out of town but will still lead service at 9:30AM PRAYER LIST For those in the armed services: Michael Drake, Ryan Finley, Jeremy Hamal, Douglas Dinger, Derik Dinger
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