Redeemer Lutheran Church
News and Announcements are published on Friday each week.
The Baptism of Our Lord
January 12, 2024
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-7; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 3:13-17
Calendar
Witness
Do you have a New Year’s resolution? While we all too often fail at keeping them, an article at TheHopeLine.com lists 10 tips for keeping your New Year's resolutions. Perhaps one resolution could be to talk to others about our church and invite them to attend.
We sponsor Missionaries Ben and Becca Helge who serve in the Czech Republic. To learn of their current missionary endeavors and how you can pray for them, check out their newsletter at Helge Newsletter or read the printed copy posted on the bulletin board downstairs.
Mercy
The Gorham Backpack Program is distributing weekend food bags and school-day snack bags to Gorham students facing food insecurity. The current need is to stock the Food Closet at Gorham High School. We will be collecting food items on an ongoing basis. Please bring your donation to church. There will be a box in the narthex for the collection.
They are requesting the following items: Pretzels, Cheez-Its, Trail mix, Granola bars, Capri sun or other juice boxes, Fruit snack, Goldfish, Mac and cheese (Velveeta cups), Ramen Individual size, cereal boxes, Individual size popcorn bags, Spaghettios, Deodorant, Chapstick.
If you need anything (rides, supplies, medicine pickups) or any assistance please feel free to contact Sandy or Tom DiPasqua at 207-883-2730 or tjdipasqua@aol.com.
Life Together
Pastor Strawn has made it his goal to visit with Redeemer’s members at their homes. He wants to keep it very informal. Please email him at pastorgstrawn@gmail.com to schedule a date and time for your visit with him.
Looking for hosts for our coffee hours following service. Sign up on the Fellowship Board near Pastor’s office. This can be one family or several families.
A Life Thought in the Church Year for January 12 – Epiphany I/Baptism of Our Lord: With the sacrament of Baptism, the Lord Jesus makes childbirth central to the Christian Gospel. The coming forth of new life always provides cause for celebration because the Savior has sanctified it. Human beings as helpless and dependent as gestating babies have His blessing: “You are my beloved child, and with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
A Stewardship Thought for January 12 – Baptism of Our Lord Luke 3:21 – “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying ...” We know why the people were baptized, but why was Jesus baptized? He didn’t need repentance or forgiveness. The answer is that He did it for us. The reason God sent His Son into the world is to fulfill all righteousness for us, to do what we could not do. The whole of Jesus’ life, everything He did and said, was one great offering to the Father in our stead to fulfill all righteousness for us. With our righteousness fulfilled in Jesus and given to us in Baptism, our hearts now overflow with thanksgiving and praise.
EDUCATING A NEW GENERATION OF LUTHERANS… Issues, Etc. is a podcast and radio talk show produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. This week’s teachings include: The Bible & Other Religious Writings; The Small-Town Lutheran Church & Pastor; Church Discipline; Roman Catholic Indulgences and more. You can listen on-demand at issuesetc.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn, the LPR mobile app and a podcast provider.
Communications
Newsletter Deadline – If you wish to contribute to the February church newsletter, please email your submission to the church office by January 22.
All announcements and prayer requests received in the church office by noon on Thursday will appear in print that week in Friday’s email. If there is an announcement that you would like Pastor to make following Sunday’s FB live stream, please email him that information.
Looking Forward To The Second Sunday After the Epiphany
Readings: Exodus 33:12-23; Romans 12:6-16; John 2:1-11
The Second Sunday After the Epiphany
January 19, 2025
Readings: Exodus 33:12-23; Romans 12:6-16; John 2:1-11
Calendar
Witness
Do you have a New Year’s resolution? While we all too often fail at keeping them, an article at TheHopeLine.com lists 10 tips for keeping your New Year's resolutions. Perhaps one resolution could be to talk to others about our church and invite them to attend.
We sponsor Missionaries Ben and Becca Helge who serve in the Czech Republic. To learn of their current missionary endeavors and how you can pray for them, check out their newsletter at Helge Newsletter or read the printed copy posted on the bulletin board downstairs.
Mercy
As we continue to pray for relief from the horrible devastation and suffering surrounding the Los Angeles fires, LCMS has provided the means to aid in their relief work financially. To give to the synods Disaster Response ministry follow this link. A Gift for LCMS Response to Wildfires - The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The latest update from the LCMS Pacific Southwest District has been printed and posted on the bulletin board downstairs.
The Gorham Backpack Program is distributing weekend food bags and school-day snack bags to Gorham students facing food insecurity. The current need is to stock the Food Closet at Gorham High School. We will be collecting food items on an ongoing basis. Please bring your donation to church. There will be a box in the narthex for the collection.
They are requesting the following items: Pretzels, Cheez-Its, Trail mix, Granola bars, Capri sun or other juice boxes, Fruit snack, Goldfish, Mac and cheese (Velveeta cups), Ramen Individual size, cereal boxes, Individual size popcorn bags, Spaghettios, Deodorant, Chapstick.
If you need anything (rides, supplies, medicine pickups) or any assistance please feel free to contact Sandy or Tom DiPasqua at 207-883-2730 or tjdipasqua@aol.com.
Life Together
The first meeting of 2025 for Redeemer’s Council, will be held Saturday February 1, 2025 via Zoom, 8:00 am to 9:00 am. Please see Darik for more details.
Pastor Strawn has made it his goal to visit with Redeemer’s members at their homes. He wants to keep it very informal. Please email him at pastorgstrawn@gmail.com to schedule a date and time for your visit with him.
The January issue of LWML – NED newsletter “Pass It On” can be found at this LINK.
Looking for hosts for our coffee hours following service. Sign up on the Fellowship Board near Pastor’s office. This can be one family or several families.
A Life Thought in the Church Year for January 19 – Epiphany II: Surprise pregnancies sometimes seem like tidal waves. Terminal diagnoses also often come like thunderstorms. But even among their sufferings, the Lord Jesus exercises ultimate authority and never fails to make wine for us out of water. The gifts He delivers through each neighbor differ, but the same Spirit works (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) the sanctity of life in them all.
A Stewardship Thought for January 19 – Second Sunday after Epiphany John 2:3 – “When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’” Behold the faith of Mary: she sees a problem and simply lays it before her Son and Lord: “They have no wine.” She does not offer a proposed solution, she does not demand, she simply states her need and waits for the Lord’s response. She trusts that the Lord is a giver, and she knows that He always provides. May such a faith be ours!
LIVE DAILY LUTHERAN CHAPEL SERVICE… You can listen to a live chapel service weekdays from Concordia Theological Seminary–Fort Wayne, IN. Lutheran Talk Radio streams Morning Chapel from Kramer Chapel at 9 a.m. Central Mondays through Fridays. You can listen at issuesetc.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn or the Lutheran Public Radio mobile app.
Communications
Newsletter Deadline – If you wish to contribute to the February church newsletter, please email your submission to the church office by January 22.
All announcements and prayer requests received in the church office by noon on Thursday will appear in print that week in Friday’s email. If there is an announcement that you would like Pastor to make following Sunday’s FB live stream, please email him that information.
Looking Forward to The Third Sunday After the Epiphany
Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-15a; Romans 12:16-21; Matthew 8:1-13