Quick Links
THIS MONTH'S GUIDEPOST: Following our local ministries & activities and those of other Lutheran churches in Lexington, KY.
DONATE with TITHE.LY: A safe and simple way to support our ministry.
DONATE to MISSION POSSIBLE: ROOF REPAIR
FOR ONGOING ACTIVITIES, CHECK THE CALENDAR IN THE TOP MENU
ROOF REPAIR CAMPAIGN
GOOD MORNING:
Gethsemane Lutheran Church needs to replace its 50+ year-old roof. The cost is nearly $200,000, which will deplete our financial reserves. Did you know:
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Our church supports community initiatives, including the only Blessing Box in the Gardenside area.
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Our congregation is commited to service.
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Donations are essential for maintaining these services and fulfilling the church's mission of compassion and support in the community.
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YOUR MISSION:
Donate to help with our continued service to the community. Every contribution, regardless of the amount, is crucial for the church's ongoing service and future projects.
CLICK TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTABLE
DONATION OR MAIL TO:
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
2185 Garden Springs Dr
Lexington, KY 40504
HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR
WITH CAMPFIRE & S’MORES
Saturday, October 31, 6–8 p.m.
Please join us for a FREE Halloween celebration with hot chocolate, hot cider, and s’mores around a cozy campfire in our front yard.
This year we are giving away a FREE Strider 12 toddler bike
to a lucky trick-or-treater!
HELP KEEP OUR BLESSING BOX FULL!
Help keep our Blessing Box shelves full so neighbors facing food insecurity can find food and everyday essentials when they need them.
At Gethsemane Lutheran Church, our Blessing Box is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are seeing a significant increase in its use, while rising food prices make it harder to keep enough food and supplies on the shelves. The
generosity of our church members and neighborhood community sustains this ministry of sharing with those in need.
Your donation* helps us purchase non-perishable foods, toiletries, personal hygiene items, and basic cleaning supplies. By giving, you help keep these necessities stocked and available for neighbors who need them.
Please give what you can to help keep our Blessing Box full. Thank you for caring for our neighbors and supporting this ministry through your generosity.
*US credit card, bank account, Apple Pay, or Google Pay accepted.
KNIT AND CROCHET FOR A CAUSE
To help with the Christmas at Sea initiative—creating warm hats & scarves for sailors at sea—look for "Grab-and-Go" kits to soon be available, complete with needles, yarn, & appropriate patterns. Team project kits will also be on hand. With this option and help from others, you'll only need to "Knit-a-Bit," without the hassle of a pattern. Watch for kits in the narthex. Contact Pamela Anderson at pandapig322@gmail.com for more info.
SAVE YOUR TOILETRIES
Outreach will collect toiletries & fun items for care packages. While you travel this summer, save your unopened soaps & toiletries supplied by hotels. We'll officially start our collection in September. Thank you!
FALL PROPERTY CLEAN-UP DAY
October 24 at 9:00 a.m.
This is a great opporutnity to gather, enjoy the crisp autumn air, and help beautify the grounds before winter. No tools or special skills are required—just bring your enthusiasm! if you have them, feel free to bring gloves, rakes wheelbarrows, or pruners. We hope you can join us. Thanks in advance! If you have any questions, blease give Bill Benjamin a call at 518-466-5319 or email him at Wbenjami@aol.com .
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
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.