PLEASE NOTE: Pastor Carla and the United in Faith council want to encourage people to worship virtually if possible. We have NOT canceled the in person Sunday 10am worship service, but we want to limit attendance as much as possible. This 10am service will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube each Sunday. Please stay vigilant and be as careful as possible if you gather with anyone outside your immediate household, even if you are vaccinated and boosted.

UPDATED SUNDAY SCHEDULE

*9:00am: FELLOWSHIP CHANGE: Because the COVID omicron variant is more contagious, we are restricting unmasked activity at United in Faith. Through January, we will NOT be providing coffee and juice during the 9-10am hour. Instead, consider our fellowship hall to be a warm place to safely chat with church friends while masked. We will let you know when we add food back into our fellowship time.

9:00am ADULT CLASS: How do you communicate with those who have differing opinions? What do you do when you meet someone who has a totally different worldview than you? On Sunday mornings at 9am, we’ve been discussing the article “Do You See God In Me?” (from September 2021 Living Lutheran magazine). You can find the study guide and article attached (copies are available on the sign-in table by the back door at church). Please use the same ZOOM link that we use for Virtual Coffee Hour: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85194117343?pwd=eGtnMTZ3NG5waldCbW1WWkxVSUdOUT09

*10:00am: Worship – In Person and Livestreamed. Worship plans attached for Epiphany Sunday (1/23/22). Find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/uiflc) OR YouTube (search on UIFLC). We appreciate your consistent and careful mask use whenever we are gathered in person. Please stay home if you are feeling ill (whether COVID or not).

*11:00am: ZOOM Virtual Coffee Hour https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85194117343?pwd=eGtnMTZ3NG5waldCbW1WWkxVSUdOUT09

A SEASON OF PRAYER: you are invited into a season of prayer. For years, our congregation has struggled in its evangelical outreach and mission-focus. We are at a critical turning point in moving toward new opportunities and new hope in God. To help us prepare spiritually for the work ahead and open ourselves up to God’s direction for us, we ask you to take some time each day to seek God’s desires, directions, and guidance. Each week in worship (and in this e-news), we’ll invite you to regular prayer on behalf of our congregation. On Sunday 1/16, I invited people to pray the Lord’s prayer each day and pay attention to what words or phrases speak to their spirit during each time they pray that prayer.

HEARING ASSIST DEVICES: We now have Hearing Assist Devices available. 4 receivers with headsets. They are on the table at the back of the sanctuary (near the sound system). Turn it on and increase/decrease the volume as needed during the service. We hope they help people engage more fully in worship!

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: Our next book for conversation and study will be “What if Jesus Was Serious ... About Prayer?: A Visual Guide to the Spiritual Practice Most of Us Get Wrong” by Skye Jethani. No date is set, but you can start reading any time.

EVENING PRAYER SERVICE: Available virtually at 8pm on Wednesdays (Facebook and YouTube) if you would like some guided prayer and scripture time.

DEPLOYED MILITARY REQUEST: Besides reminding us to pray for those in the military (especially those who are deployed during this season), Pastor Carla invites any donations of store-bought or homemade items to go into a box for her friend Chaplain Joanna Forbes, an Army chaplain and Lutheran pastor, currently deployed. Homemade cookies or brownies or fudge (in sturdy enough containers to ship) will be very appreciated. I hope to mail by January 31st, with the intention that it will arrive before Valentine’s Day.

ANNUAL MEETING: The United in Faith Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 11 AM in the sanctuary (following our 10am worship service). This year the Annual Meeting will be in-person only. Masks will be required, and social distancing will be encouraged. There will be no food or drink served before, during, or after the Annual Meeting (those beloved UIF potlucks will return someday).

ONLINE GIVING: To give an online donation, please visit https://www.shelbygiving.com/app/giving/uif On your first visit, you will have to create an online giving account. You can use this link also if you need to change your online giving frequency or amount.

The church office will be open on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10am-3pm.

You can reach out to me by email (revctp@unitedinfaith.org) if needed. I continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers these days as we live as the gathered church in many scattered locations.

Blessings to you all,

Pastor Carla

Looking ahead:

- 2021 Annual Meeting Packet is not yet available..

LINKS

WHO - https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/uiflc

Martin Luther and His Incredible Response to the Black Plague - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/chorusinthechaos/martin-luther-and-the-black-plague/

Guidelines to Keep in Mind from our State, City, and Denomination

Some Current events:

Online Giving