This year, worship brought together Good Shepherd Sunday (April 21) and Earth Day (April 22) in a beautiful mash up.

We considered God, our Good Shepherd, as the source of all life, nourishment, and renewal and is the one who leads us all into right-relationship with creation. As people who live and benefit from the earth’s resources, what does it mean to live gently upon the earth?

On Tuesday, April 16, beloved friend and member, Bob Rosenthal completed his baptismal journey and joined God and all the saints in glory.

For those knew Bob, he is remembered as a gentle soul with a steadfast faith and generous heart. In life, Bob was active in service to his community, serving on the Fountain Hills Education Board, singing in community choirs, and contributing his gifts to God’s Church.

Pastor Beth

Current Ministry Projects:

• Presiding over Bob Rosenthal’s funeral and internment

• Pastoral Care visits

• Administrative tasks and ministry planning

Susan

Current Ministry Projects:

• Worship PowerPoints & Social Media Content

• Creating a Communication Strategy with Pastor Beth

• Website Updates

On behalf of the Congregation Council, we want to sincerely thank you for having great faith and trust in us to do God’s work for New Journey. Your affirmative “yes” vote in January to the 2024 Mission Spending Plan was graciously received and welcomed.

We value that trust and work everyday to continue to earn it by looking ahead at challenges, adapting to meeting our needs and listening to what God is calling us to do.

For over four years, member Nancy Ehlers has been serving as New Journey Lutheran’s Financial Secretary. During the month of May, Nancy will transition out of this volunteer role and receive some well-deserved rest.

The Financial Secretary is responsible for counting and over-seeing counters of weekly offering, recording offering in the financial software, tracking special gifts, managing New Journey’s mail, and overseeing the online giving platform, Vanco.

We deeply regret the recent disruption in our live stream service. For the past few weeks, technical challenges unexpectedly affected our ability to connect with you during this important time of worship and fellowship.

Have you hatched your eggs? Or, gotten your goat? New Journey’s Spring 2024 donor choice projects are underway! There are many useful items of impact that you can contribute to ELCA Good Gifts and/or Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones asylum shelter by Sunday, May 5. Place your envelopes in the collection plate or contribute to New Journey on-line, clearly designating the project and item(s) of your choice. Thank you.

Thank you to New Journey members and friends who participated in the April 7 “Fifth Sunday” letter-writing. While our numbers were small, every voice of faith in the public square makes a difference in support of the omnibus hunger provisions of the U.S. Farm Bill and the funding of free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch for Arizona students.

Northeast Valley Consortium (NEVC), in conjunction with the Grand Canyon Synod, and California Lutheran University, presented a timely and pertinent presentation, “Loneliness: How to live and serve faithfully to those within our community.”

Join Rev. Dr. Colleen Windham-Hughes, Associate Vice President for Mission and Identity, California Lutheran University and NEVC for the 3rd Annual Christian education seminar as we delve into ways to serve those experiencing loneliness. Christianity offers unique perspectives on the challenge of loneliness, emphasizing the importance of community connection and the cultivation of solitude with God.

New Covenant Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, one of our five Northeast Valley Consortium congregations (NEVC), is hosting Vacation Bible School from 9:00 am-12:00 pm on June 3 through June 7.

The Congregation Council has committed to learning together and growing in faith and leadership. We have begun reading and discussing the book, Abundance: Creating a Culture of Generosity written by Michael R. Ward, a pastor and certified fund raising executive, during council meetings.

To read the approved February Congregation Council meeting minutes, click here. If you have questions, please contact any member of the Congregation Council.

Cindi Brady—President

Pete Galindez—Vice President

Mike Bartanen—Treasurer

Karl Flormoe—Secretary

Jo Martinson—Member at Large

Mike Wilson—Member at Large Pastor Beth Gallen

The congregation council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10 at 5:30 pm. Council meetings are open to any member of the congregation to attend. Should you wish to address the council, please contact Cindi Brady a week before the scheduled meeting to be placed on the agenda.

How Are We Doing Financially?

March 14, 2024

2024 Mission Plan Income: $136,040

2024 Mission Plan Expenses: $157,324

2024 Year to Date Actual Income: $49,507

2024 Year to Date Actual Expenses: $38,145

I wish to share a word of gratitude for the generosity of this congregation. I am grateful to God for your investment in my education as a first call pastor. In the ELCA, all first call pastors and deacons are required to attend theological education events twice per year in their first three years of ministry. As of April 10, I have completed the ELCA’s First Call Theological Education requirements. (Woohoo!)

Pastor Beth

Current Ministry Projects:

Facilitating "Learning the Language of Lament" Wednesday studies

Finalizing Holy Week & Easter Worship plans

Pastoral Care visits

Orienting new members to NJLC

Susan

Current Ministry Projects:

Worship PowerPoints

Creating Social Media posts

Website Updates

Jamie

Current Ministry Projects:

Holy Week & Easter worship leadership

People of faith make a difference by voting!

Here’s a link to the ELCA voting guide document: ELCAvotes_civic_engagement_and_voter_education_guide.pdf (squarespace.com).

Be sure to register and participate in Arizona’s July presidential primary (or your resident state primary) and the November general election. “Voting is faithful stewardship of a democratic society.” (Grace Lutheran’s Pr. Sarah Stadler, now at St. John’s Cedarbrook, MN)

Need for poll workers is high; see http://getinvolved.maricopa.vote or contact Recruitment@Risc.Maricopa.Gov.

Our first letter-writing Sunday for 2024 is April 7 (deferred one week, due to Easter). We invite NJLC members and friends to sign on to letters that will be available before and after worship.

If you prefer to write an individual letter – whether to express your own reasons in support of particular actions or to express an alternative view – contact information for local and national legislators, and advocacy information, will be available for you to pick up and take home. Make your voice known for only 68 cents! Or, sign up for Arizona’s “Right to Speak” process, and express your views – for free – directly from your kitchen table!

Over the season of Lent, members of New Journey Lutheran gathered to study the biblical language of lament. The study concluded with a challenge to write the “psalms of our hearts.” Following the form and elements commonly found in lament psalms of the Psalter, we wrote our own laments on current issues close to our hearts.

We share the psalms for you to read and mediate and pray—

Mark your calendars for upcoming Ministry Team Meetings:

Worship & Music: Sunday, April 14 @ 12:00 pm in Fellowship Space

FFKidz Team: Monday, April 15 @ 5:00 pm by Zoom

Northeast Valley Consortium: Tuesday, April 16 @ 3:00 pm by Zoom

Prayer Team: Tuesday, April 30 at 10:30 am in Fellowship Space

The women of New Journey, “Hearts to Hands,” will gather on Monday, April 15 at 10:00 am in the fellowship space for Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and outreach sharing.

We will engage a study on the topic of Salvation published in the Women of the ELCA’s (WELCA) Gather magazine.

Bring your Bible, a snack or treat to share, and your open hearts and hands.