Quick Links
THIS MONTH'S GUIDEPOST: Following our local ministries & activities and those of other Lutheran churches in Lexington, KY.
DONATE with TITHE.LY: A safe and simple way to support our ministry.
DONATE to MISSION POSSIBLE: ROOF REPAIR
FOR ONGOING ACTIVITIES, CHECK THE CALENDAR IN THE TOP MENU
WHAT IS E–CONNECT (ECUMENICAL CONNECT?
A congregational transformation ministry process which involves both spiritual and structural transformation
•
An ecumenical ministry in Indiana and Kentucky, comprising the ELCA, The Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Church of Christ
•
At its very heart, the E-Connect process is centered in the belief that God has provided everything a congregation needs to carry out the ministry God intends for it
•
Through the work of the Spirit, congregational members become energized about the Good News of Jesus Christ and passionate about sharing and living the Gospel
•
Teams learn the basic principles of congregational health and renewal and engage in a mission plan for moving forward toward God’s promised future
KNIT AND CROCHET FOR A CAUSE
To help with the Christmas at Sea initiative—creating warm hats & scarves for sailors at sea—look for "Grab-and-Go" kits to soon be available, complete with needles, yarn, & appropriate patterns. Team project kits will also be on hand. With this option and help from others, you'll only need to "Knit-a-Bit," without the hassle of a pattern. Watch for kits in the narthex. Contact Pamela Anderson at pandapig322@gmail.com for more info.
SAVE YOUR TOILETRIES
Outreach will collect toiletries & fun items for care packages. While you travel this summer, save your unopened soaps & toiletries supplied by hotels. We'll officially start our collection in September. Thank you!
MISSION POSSIBLE: ROOF REPAIR CAMPAIGN
Every month we will have a fundraising event for Mission Possible. Peer to Peer (P2P) will be the October event. Peer-to-peer fundraising works by letting our members raise money on our behalf through sharing our campaign. You share personal links through social media, mail, and word of mouth to drive donations. Use posts with a personal message or challenge on Facebook, Instagram, etc., group texts, email/letters to family, social groups, coworkers, and in-person asks at work or events. We will provide a sample letter with a link/QR code to direct them to our fundraising page.
Every donation flows directly to Gethsemane. The Fundraising platform handles a page hosting option, payment processing, automatic tax receipts, and reporting results. Your participation is solely to get the word out. Your participation and help with this event are crucial to reaching our goal of $75,000. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Carol Stuckert.
GOT ANY GOOD USED COATS?
Destiny Church, one of our neighborhood churches, has a coat closet that provides used coats to anyone in need. As cold weather is approaching, Outreach would like to help them stock their racks. If you have any clean, gently used coats you’d like to donate, please bring them to the church and leave them on the cart by the Blessing Box closet. If there are too many for the cart, leave them on a table in the all-purpose room and let Lisa in the office know they are there. Please also bring a coat hanger if you can. Thank you in advance!
LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF 2026 ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN
Become a Faithful Neighbor monthly donor and send critically needed aid to God’s children who have nowhere else to turn. By becoming a Faithful Neighbor monthly donor today, you are showing God’s most vulnerable children that you are with them when they need you most. Each month, your love is poured into your monthly gift — delivering lifesaving food, water and shelter to children and their families.
give.lwr.org
LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE / FLOODING
Flooding is one of the most common disasters in the United States. Across the country, the ELCA, through Lutheran Disaster Response, supports communities as they recover from devastating floodwaters.
As ever and with your support, our church stands ready to walk with our neighbors around the country as floodwaters recede, cleanup begins and communities rebuild after flooding events. May we be bearers of the hope found in Christ alone and help shoulder the burden for those who grieve.
Lutheran Disaster Response works with synods and partners to respond to urgent needs, give emotional and spiritual care, support long-term recovery (including disaster case management and meeting unmet needs) and provide educational training for synods and partners in affected regions.
Please pray for communities impacted by flooding. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need. Pray that God will deliver comfort to those who mourn and strength to those who work diligently to care for affected communities.
Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response equip us to accompany communities affected by flooding and related disasters. These gifts also empower us to respond to disasters whenever and wherever they strike. Gifts to “U.S. Flooding” will be used in full (100%) to assist those affected by floods.
HOW WE HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED
The Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) supports communities through the cycle of disaster (response, recovery, mitigation, and preparedness). The LDR works both domestically and internationally in 53 countries and 36 states and territories responding to hurricanes, tornados, conflict, migration, and more.
The LDR in Action ongoing responses:
Russia-Ukraine war
Hurricane Fiona, Ian, Debby, Helene, Milton
Eastern Africa drought
Southeastern spring tornados in 2023
Sudan civil war
Middle East crisis
Maui wildfires
Midwest storms in 2024
You can learn more about this ministry at the following links:
https://www.elca.org/how-we-serve/relief-and-development/lutheran-disaster-response
JUSTICE AND PEACE IN PALESTINE
Sumud is the ELCA Churches' response to occupation and injustice in Palestine and Israel, reflecting the core values of faith and devotion that resonate within the community of Lutheran churches in Lexington, KY. In Jesus Christ, all of life—every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life—flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
Freed by the transformative life of Christ, the ELCA is committed to accompaniment, advocacy, and awareness-raising with our partners in the Holy Land and in the United States. For the past two decades, that work has been organized through the ELCA Peace Not Walls campaign. In October 2023, the ELCA announced that, following an in-depth review by ELCA staff and leadership from the Palestinian Lutheran church, Peace Not Walls would be renamed and reconfigured as a new initiative, Sumud: For Justice in Palestine and Israel.
Sumud, an Arabic word meaning 'steadfastness,' is a term widely used by Palestinian theologians and others to signify Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and people. This resistance takes the form of nonviolent advocacy for political change as well as 'resistance through existence,' embodied in education, social work, the arts, and one’s relationships with the land and community—principles that align with the mission of Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church and other Lutheran churches in Lexington, KY. Together, we can foster a culture of mental health and awareness, especially during the Christmas season, where the message of hope and steadfastness is vital.