It’s “Back to School” days, and for the third year in a row Emmaus Lutheran Church will be helping local neighborhood children by providing free school supplies and an ice cream treat! This community service event will take place on Saturday, August 16 at 5:00 p.m at the Emmaus School, 2617 Shenandoah Ave., St. Louis. In addition to school supplies, this year Emmaus will distribute one bag of non-perishable food per household to residents in the Fox Park, McKinley Heights, and Benton Park neighborhoods. Supplies are limited and will be delivered on a first-come, first-served basis.  To volunteer for this event or to make a donation, please contact Lisa Schnurr, (314) 602-1207, or Rebecca Mayes (314) 481-1553.  

Supplies Needed
Glue sticks
Childrens scissors
Rulers
Ink pens – blue or black
Crayons – 24 pack
Packages of writing paper – wide or college rule
Spiral bound notebooks - wide or college rule
2 pocket folders

 In order to determine how to better serve our neighbors, Emmaus Lutheran church has recently joined Lutheran Hour Ministries Congregational partnerships. The partnership is a long term commitment made by our leaders and laity to work closely with Lutheran Hour Ministries to plan, implement and sustain a practical strategic outreach plan. This outreach plan will take into consideration both the community needs and the resources available to our congregation.

This process will begin with a Congregational survey to identify the resources available through our congregation and to gain feedback from you on current programs and the ministry of Emmaus. Leaders are asking all members of this congregation to complete the questionnaire. Questions regarding the Congregation partnership, Strategic Outreach plan, or the survey can be answered by any Council member. Surveys will be available on Sunday, July 27 and we are asking they be returned no later than August 11, 2008.  To find out more about this partnership, please click on this link to view a mini-presentation.

Congregational Partnership presentation   Congregational Partnership

On July 9, Emmaus was awarded a 2008 “Golden Brick Award” by DeSales Community Housing Corporation, St. Louis. Each year, DeSales recognizes individuals, institutions, and organizations that have contributed to the betterment of the Fox Park and Tower Grove East communities. Emmaus was one of 9 recipients awarded in 2008.
Accepting the award from Mr. Tom Pickel (left), executive director of DeSales, was the Rev. Robert C. Baker. In addition to the “Golden Brick,” Emmaus and other recipients received a beautifully-framed citation from the Missouri House of Representatives (House Resolution No. 3531) noting the award and community involvement.
Among the improvements noted by DeSales were Emmaus’ renovation of the sanctuary following the installation of an new HVAC system, the adoption and upkeep of the Armand/Jefferson Avenue cul-de-sac, the use of the Emmaus School building by the Fox Park Neighborhood Association for their monthly meetings, and further community service such as Emmaus’ annual school supply and ice cream event.

This coming Sunday, July 13, Christel Elde, soon to be Neuendorf, will be attending her last Worship service at Emmaus for awhile. Christel will be leaving St. Louis to return to her home in Flint, MI where she and her fiancé, James Neuendorf will be married on August 8, 2008.  While attending Emmaus, Christel has been instrumental in Children’s ministry. She and her roommate, Dianna Maanum have served Emmaus by teaching Sunday School and recently directed our Vacation Bible School.

Immediately following the wedding, with 4 suitcases, Christel and James will be departing for Latin America where they will serve the church as missionaries. James will be serving in the capacity of a communications specialist, facilitating media outreach and internal and external publications. Christel will assist in various aspects of the mission effort in Panama, in business, teaching, and relationship building. Both will be working to spread the Gospel to Central and South America. More information can be found on the World Mission website at www.lcmsworldmission.org/news

Please keep Christel and James in your prayers as they join together in Holy matrimony and prepare to serve the Lord in Latin America. You can follow their progress and experiences at www.livingletter.org and also donate to keep them on the mission field from the website.

May God bless and keep you, Christel and James. We’ll miss you!

Click here to view a video of this year’s Friendship Trek Vacation Bible School  This video may take a few minutes to download. friendship-trek-2008

Thank you to all who graciously gave your gifts of time, talent, and treasure to make this Friendship Trek Vacation Bible school possible for the children of Emmaus Lutheran Church and the Fox Park neighborhood.

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”   1 Thessalonians 1:2–3

Emmaus Lutheran Church hosted a fun and successful VBS with the assistance of partnering Lutheran churches and employees from Concordia Publishing House. Friendship Trek Vacation Bible School was held during the month of June on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the Emmaus school building.

Our sincere thanks go out to those that helped make this VBS possible. The youth group from Holy Cross Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, and their DCE, Danielle Mizel, participated by leading the game and Bible storytelling sites. Holy Cross also provided two of the meals served. Rev. Kurt Klaus from Child of God Lutheran Church, St. Peters, and his son Braeden joined us to lead the Opening and Closing each week. In addition, Epiphany Lutheran Church, St. Louis, and Immanuel Lutheran Church, Festus/Crystal City, brought dinners. Concordia Publishing House employees, Terri Simon, Meagan Kincaid, and Shana Ziolko were on hand to take care of crafts and lead children from site to site.

The first evening 23 children were in attendance and thereafter we had an average of 17 students each night. Our final evening of VBS concluded with a Closing program and Ice Cream Social. Parents of the children were invited to join us for the Closing, where they heard the children sing about Jesus, their Forever Friend, and watched as attendance certificates were awarded. Eleven perfect attendance certificates were issued!

Emmaus members serving as VBS staff were Rebecca Mayes, Diane Hayes, Dorothy Borreson, Carla Blanton, Walinda Weidenhoffer, Lisa Schnurr, and Dan Kois, under the direction of the VBS co-coordinators, Christel Elde and Dianna Maanum. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to your Lord and Savior, to the Jefferson Avenue Mission, and to the children of Emmaus and the Fox Park neighborhood.

     Jesus said, “Greater Love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my Friends.”  John 15:13–14

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. the outreach committee will meet in the Emmaus gym. More members are needed on this Outreach/Evangelism team and all are welcome to join.

This Tuesday we will be discussing the Congregations Partnership with Lutheran Hour Ministries we have recently been invited to join. This partnership will help us identify the needs of the Fox Park community so that we can reach out, serve and minister to our neighbors in areas they need most.  A Congregational Partnership committee will be forming soon.

This meetings agenda will also include assembling 1000 beautiful Emmaus brochures that Pr. Baker has developed and finalizing Vacation Bible School plans.

Please plan to attend this Tuesday meeting and prayerfully consider being a part of this team.

In Christ,
Lisa Schnurr, Evangelism chair
314-602-1207
elizabethschnurr@yahoo.com

Registration form and further info for Vacation Bible School at Emmaus Lutheran Church is now available. Click here: VBS

We appreciate your prayers for Friendship Trek, our Vacation Bible School being held, beginning May 28, 2008 and continuing the next 5 Wednesday evenings from 5:00PM until 8:00PM. Ask God to bring the Fox Park children to meet Jesus, our Forever Friend! Volunteer recruitment has begun.  Ask God to provide leaders, helpers and financial donations for this important mission.  To volunteer help with VBS contact: Christel Elde (christel.elde@gmail.com, 810-964-1086) or Diana Maanum (maanum@gmail.com, 708-337-0060).