This month we are celebrating the SERVICE MINISTRY TEAM! This team focuses on providing opportunities for our congregation to serve God and others. The following are the areas of the Service Ministry Team and the leaders of each area. PLEASE contact the leaders directly if you would like to assist with a specific event!
Overall Leadership of the Service Ministry Team: Bonnie Cassens & Virginia Schutz
The opportunities of the Service Ministry Team are as follows:
- God’s work. Our hands. – Immanuel joins with St. Paul and St. John’s at the end of August for a 9:00 a.m. worship, food, fellowship and focus of the day. A variety of projects aimed at the helping the community. Here is a list of projects that were performed in 2018: Rock River Hospice and Home: weeding, planting and mulching; Rock Falls Highway 30 cleanup; Holiday craft project for Rock River Hospice; Thank you cards for LSSI employee appreciation event; cleaning at PADS Homeless Shelter; Bagging groceries at Sterling County Market.
- Relay For Life – Spirit of Immanuel, our Relay For Life Team raises money throughout the year for cancer research. A pork chop cook-out and Trivia Night are among their fundraisers. In addition, the team gathers for the relay, walks, eats and remembers loved ones. Dave & Tracy DeVries and Liz Knebel are the main coordinators.
- Salvation Army Bell Ringing – Every year we participate in bell ringing to fund Salvation Army projects that help the people in need. Bonnie Cassens is our coordinator.
- Mission Action Sewing Servants – This crafty group meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday morning of the month at Immanuel starting at 8:30 a.m. They prepare quilts, lap robes and baby blankets for those in need and are usually given to Salvation Army and in celebration of milestones at Immanuel (baptism, graduations, etc.). There are many tasks to be done that do not require actual sewing. If interested please contact Pam Meyer.
- Respite Care – is an inter-faith ministry housed at Immanuel on Thursday afternoons from 1-4 p.m.. It provides space for care givers to entrust their loved ones to Respite Care volunteers. Director Marge Sadowski and volunteers share time with guests doing crafts, playing games and more. Please contact Gerald Foskitt if you are interested in assisting.
- P.A.D.S. Homeless Shelter – PADS=Public Action to Deliver Shelter. Immanuel is responsible for providing the evening meal on the 4th Friday of each month, October-April. A sign-up sheet is available by the church office to be a meal provider. They are also looking for volunteers from 7 – 11 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. and 3 a.m.-7 a.m. shift with meals, laundry. Contact PADS at 815-626-2210 to volunteer.
- Feed Our Children – A free summer lunch program coordinated through United Way is located at the Rock Falls United Methodist Church. Immanuel helps to provide volunteers to make sandwiches and lunches for 2 weeks (3 days each) in the summer. Donations of peanut butter and grape jelly are received in May & June. Bonnie Cassens is the coordinator for Immanuel.
- Charity Benefits – On occasion, volunteers will band together to raise money for a member in severe medical need!
- Members of the congregation are encouraged to join this ministry team in any of these activities. Thank you to the committee members for their leadership and participation and to all the members of the congregation who supported the efforts of the Service Ministry Team!