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THIS MONTH'S GUIDEPOST: Following our local ministries & activities at Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church and other Lutheran churches in Lexington, KY.
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FOR ONGOING ACTIVITIES, CHECK THE CALENDAR IN THE TOP MENU
CHRISTMAS AT SEA
PROJECT DAY
Wednesday, July 22, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
In cooperation with Project Day, the Outreach Committee is taking on a new mission through the ELCA to provide sailors who are far from home with some Christmas cheer. Project Day participants are knitting scarves and mittens, and Outreach will be collecting toiletries and small fun items to include in a package for each sailor. While traveling this summer, save your unopened soaps and toiletries that are (sometimes) supplied to hotel guests. We will start our collection in September.
We have abundant yarn and needles available to work on knitting and crochet patterns for the Christmas At Sea projects. Join us for as much time as possible, and bring a friend. Snacks and beverages are provided
ANNUAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL RALLY
Saturday, August 1 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The annual Back to School Rally and backpack giveaway will occur on August 1st. We will need your help supervising games, handing out treats, and sharing news & information about Gethsemane Lutheran Church. A sign-up sheet will be in the narthex in July, but get this on your calendar now and please plan to join us.
LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF 2026 ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN
Become a Faithful Neighbor monthly donor and send critically needed aid to God’s children who have nowhere else to turn. By becoming a Faithful Neighbor monthly donor today, you are showing God’s most vulnerable children that you are with them when they need you most. Each month, your love is poured into your monthly gift — delivering lifesaving food, water and shelter to children and their families.
give.lwr.org
LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE / FLOODING
Flooding is one of the most common disasters in the United States. Across the country, the ELCA, through Lutheran Disaster Response, supports communities as they recover from devastating floodwaters.
As ever and with your support, our church stands ready to walk with our neighbors around the country as floodwaters recede, cleanup begins and communities rebuild after flooding events. May we be bearers of the hope found in Christ alone and help shoulder the burden for those who grieve.
Lutheran Disaster Response works with synods and partners to respond to urgent needs, give emotional and spiritual care, support long-term recovery (including disaster case management and meeting unmet needs) and provide educational training for synods and partners in affected regions.
Please pray for communities impacted by flooding. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need. Pray that God will deliver comfort to those who mourn and strength to those who work diligently to care for affected communities.
Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response equip us to accompany communities affected by flooding and related disasters. These gifts also empower us to respond to disasters whenever and wherever they strike. Gifts to “U.S. Flooding” will be used in full (100%) to assist those affected by floods.
HOW WE HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED
The Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) supports communities through the cycle of disaster (response, recovery, mitigation, and preparedness). The LDR works both domestically and internationally in 53 countries and 36 states and territories responding to hurricanes, tornados, conflict, migration, and more.
The LDR in Action ongoing responses:
Russia-Ukraine war
Hurricane Fiona, Ian, Debby, Helene, Milton
Eastern Africa drought
Southeastern spring tornados in 2023
Türkiye-Syria earthquake
Sudan civil war
Middle East crisis
Maui wildfires
Midwest storms in 2024
You can learn more about this ministry at the following links:
https://www.elca.org/how-we-serve/relief-and-development/lutheran-disaster-response
JUSTICE AND PEACE IN PALESTINE
Sumud is the ELCA Churches' response to occupation and injustice in Palestine and Israel, reflecting the core values of faith and devotion that resonate within the community of Lutheran churches in Lexington, KY. In Jesus Christ, all of life—every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life—flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
Freed by the transformative life of Christ, the ELCA is committed to accompaniment, advocacy, and awareness-raising with our partners in the Holy Land and in the United States. For the past two decades, that work has been organized through the ELCA Peace Not Walls campaign. In October 2023, the ELCA announced that, following an in-depth review by ELCA staff and leadership from the Palestinian Lutheran church, Peace Not Walls would be renamed and reconfigured as a new initiative, Sumud: For Justice in Palestine and Israel.
Sumud, an Arabic word meaning 'steadfastness,' is a term widely used by Palestinian theologians and others to signify Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and people. This resistance takes the form of nonviolent advocacy for political change as well as 'resistance through existence,' embodied in education, social work, the arts, and one’s relationships with the land and community—principles that align with the mission of Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church and other Lutheran churches in Lexington, KY. Together, we can foster a culture of mental health and awareness, especially during the Christmas season, where the message of hope and steadfastness is vital.