Rock News, 12/14/23 – The Rock Lutheran Church

Happening at The Rock, 12/14/23

Holiday Services:
December 24: 10 a.m. morning worship with communion, and evening worship at 5 p.m.
December 31: 10 a.m. morning worship

This Sunday, December 17, is the last day we are collecting toys for Christmas donations. Donate new, unwrapped toys for all ages–remember middle & high school kids need gifts, too! We’re also collecting gift wrap/bags and tape. Collection bins will be in the cafe area and second floor. Benefits local families (Foster Friends).

Please pray for healing for Nebraska District LCMS President Rev. Richard Snow and his wife Valorie as they both recover from surgery after injuries. President Snow had surgery on his collarbone and Valorie on her hip. If you are able to provide a meal during this time of healing you can sign up through Meal Train at https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/41ydq7

We have hired a part-time administrative assistant. Connie Butler, a member of The Rock since its inception, has accepted our offer to serve as Administrative Assistant for the congregation. Connie was the longtime Director of Human Resources at Concordia University prior to her recent retirement from full-time employment. She brings a wealth of administrative skills, extensive experience with LCMS processes, a strong ministry mindset, and a servant’s heart to her new part-time role.

Connie will serve 19 hours/week beginning in January, and we are still determining what her regular office hours will be. We are working to update the offices on each side of the level two hallway to accommodate both the pastor and administrative assistant. Updates will include a combination of fresh paint, furniture, and technology in hopes of supporting their work on behalf of The Rock’s ministry. We are also updating the level two restrooms.

Join us for a special time of prayer on Sunday, January 7, praying for the call process, our future pastor, and The Rock during the vacancy period. We’ll gather in room 211 (near the stairs) from 9:15-9:50. All are welcome!

If you have questions about the call process, you can ask Ross Briggs, Lori Bruns, Emma Dannehl, Jake Eckles, Marcus Gubanyi, Tim Moll, Matt Myers, Brenda Rief, Andrea Sloup, and our circuit visitor, Rev. David Palomaki. Please pray for them and for our vacancy pastor, Rev. David Loeschen.

A men’s Bible study will start up on Saturday mornings, starting January 6 at 7 a.m. in the cafe, focused on The Story by Randy Frazee. Please see Randy Newsome after church to sign up so he can order the books. The price of the books is $10. Coffee and treats will be provided. You can text Randy at 402-641-0138 with questions.

In February, The Rock will host a Faith Partners Comprehensive Workshop: How Your Congregation Can Play Its Unique Role in Alcohol/Drug and Mental Health Issues. The workshop will be held in two parts:

Thursday, February 8, 6:00pm to 8:00pm (Registration Requested) This session is a pre-requisite for the training on Saturday. Anyone is welcome to attend this session to learn about the program.
Saturday, February 10, 9:00am to 4:30pm (Registration Required)
Registration for these events can be found at THIS LINK.

A flier to share about this event can be found HERE.

Our December item for the Blue Valley food pantry is tuna. Thanks for being a blessing to the community in this way. You can see our Blue Valley Pantry item schedule on our website. Year-round they also collect the following: pasta, pasta meal mixes, instant potato side dishes, and mashed potatoes.

National Youth Gathering – New Orleans, LA – July 19-23, 2025 It is time to start organizing and fundraising for the next NYG! The event is for 14–19-year-old students. (Must be 14 years old at time of the Gathering OR entering his/her 9th grade year at the time of the Gathering). If your student is interested in attending the 2025 NYG, please contact Jen Janousek (JenJanousek@yahoo.com or 402-499-3512) and be on the lookout for an informational meeting in January.

Interested in serving on a mission trip to Guatemala in the summer of 2024? The Rock is looking for a team to love and serve the people of Guatemala with a VBS, teen ministry, and women’s ministry. If you are interested or want to know more information contact Emma Dannehl at emma.dannehl@cune.org

We are excited to announce that the Rock Directory is now open. We are asking you to do two very easy things:

Follow THIS LINK and check if you are in the directory, and if not, e-mail us and we’ll send you a form to fill out so that we can add you. The password currently is “ForeverFamily” but will change from time to time to protect our information.
If you are already in it, go to THIS LINK for instructions on how to setup your login (which we won’t change on you) so that you can update your information and add a photo of your family. (link to Bill’s instructions)

The quality of the directory depends on you updating your information. We’ve gotten several requests for a directory from the Rock Family, and now that it’s available, we hope you will get in, update it and use it.

If you have any questions, contact Bill Schranz at Bill.Schranz@cune.edu or Matt Myers at myersgeneral@gmail.com

The young adults group meets on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. at Brevin and Michaela Sloup’s house! (1616 Eastridge Ave) Contact them for more information.

YogaFaith Schedule:

Visit their Facebook page for a full calendar and more information.

All Level Tuesdays at 5:30 pm CST at The Rock
All Level Thursdays at 5:30 pm CST at The Rock
Restorative YogaFaith from 7:00-8:00 pm CST at The Rock *Sign up in advance, please.

*Restorative YogaFaith classes are limited to 8 students per class because of the limited number of props we have available. Please secure your spot for Restorative YogaFaith by signing up on Sign Up Genius. If no one is signed up for Restorative YogaFaith by 5pm on the Sunday of class, we will consider the class canceled. Be sure to sign up early to ensure this class will continue to be offered!

Minutes from the Ambassadors’ and Directors’ meetings can be found HERE. Minutes for the November Directors’ meeting are available HERE.

Prayer requests are received by our prayer warriors. If you would like them kept confidential and not included in public prayers on Sundays, just let us know in your email.