‘When the Son of man comes in his glory…he will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.”’ St Matthew 25.31, 34-36

Is there anything about Jesus’ words that we don’t understand? As our other readings for this coming Sunday make clear, God won’t be asking us on the judgment day about our style of worship, or our correct doctrine, or whether we met the budget. But he WILL be asking us whether we imitated his Son, Jesus, in our lives. Whether or not we fed and clothed the poor, took care of the immigrant and ill, visited the imprisoned. Are we prepared to answer that question?

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF SUNDAY: This coming Sunday, Nov. 18, we’ll have an opportunity to deepen our compassion for the billions in our world who suffer from deprivation and oppression. A special Door Offering will be taken after worship, and all that you donate will be sent to Lutheran World Relief, an organization that excels at humanitarian Christian aid to precisely those people whom Jesus speaks of in the verses above. Please bring an extra offering, above and beyond your regular offering. Parents, this is an excellent opportunity to encourage your children to take part as well, by giving something from their allowance or earnings.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BUILD: Redeemer’s next opportunity to take a shift in this project comes on from Saturday, Dec. 1, from 8am – 12 noon. Please sign up on the bulletin board sheet. Not many names are there at the moment—why not add yours? This is a good opportunity for the whole family to serve the Lord by serving the neighbor in need!

FOCUS GROUPS MEETING: Our Health Team is holding Focus Groups to address our current minimum factor, Loving Relationships. The Team cannot formulate ways to address this minimum factor without hearing from as many in our congregation as possible. Please take part in one of the many opportunities for Focus Groups. Each Focus Group will last about 30 minutes. For questions and a schedule of Focus Group times, please see Rick Crawford, Pam King, Cliff and Darlene Rose, and Tim Shearer.

THANKSGIVING WORSHIP OPPORTUNITY: Join us at 12 noon on Wednesday, Nov. 21, for an uplifting Thanksgiving worship. Then stay for a wonderful lunch buffet provided by our Over Fifty Folk. A great opportunity for fellowship and for deepening our Loving Relationships!

SAYING THANK YOU! Our Choir rehearses every week and we hear the results when they sing on Sunday at worship. These are people who, under the direction of Pat Haneberg, love to sing and love to enrich our worship with special music. This Sunday you’ll hear them again, as they offer a rousing spiritual. Instead of taking them for granted, give Choir members a big hug and tell them how much you appreciate them!

RETIREMENT LUNCHEON: This coming Sunday, Nov. 18, you are invited to attend a farewell retirement luncheon in honor of Rev. John Luttmann, who has served as Pastor at St John Lutheran Church here in Salem for many years. If you plan to attend, please call the St John office and let them know you are coming. The lunch is scheduled for 12:30pm at St John Luth. Church.

ADVENT SEASON BEGINS DECEMBER 2, and we will again be offering special midweek worship opportunities on Wednesday evenings. Each Midweek Advent Vespers at 7pm will be preceded by a Soup and Bread Supper starting at 6pm. These are great ways to enjoy good food and fellowship over supper, and then deepen our understanding of what this special season is really all about by gathering for worship. If you can help organize the suppers, please contact Fred Gargiulo.

~ LOVING RELATIONSHIPS ~ Thanksgiving / Advent / Christmas offers us a marvelous opportunity to deepen our Loving Relationships here at Redeemer. What little ways can you find to reach out to fellow members, so that each person among us feels loved and cared for?

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We Wish You God's Peace and Blessing

Sandy Cooper, Secretary
Redeemer Lutheran Church
503-393-7121
4663 Lancaster Drive. NE
Salem, OR 97305
office@redeemer-lcms.org