Epiphany of Christ News - February
1050 W Superstition Blvd. Apache Junction, AZ 85120
Phone: 480-982-1569 – Website: epiphanyofchristlutheran.org
Pastor Steve Crittenden
From the Amazed Church Council
Thank You: The Council is grateful that many in
our church family have been able to increase
their contributions to help meet our budget
deficit. We are truly appreciative that so many
have found the extra resources to respond to
Clay Worst’s moving message, a message
outlining the history and challenges facing our
church family. Again, Thank You!
Thank You: Wow! The Council is delighted by
the huge attendance at the first service. We are,
however, fast approaching the maximum seating
capacity allowed by the Fire Marshall. It is truly
wonderful to have this problem, but the Council
is dreading the day they may have to say: “Sorry,
there is no more room in the inn.” We’re
wondering if there might be a few fairly flexible
folk who might consider going to coffee and
donuts first and then attending the second
service where there is plenty of seating. Just a
small thought for your consideration.
Thank You: This small congregation has always
been noted for their outstanding generosity in
supporting the various monthly mission projects.
Last year heaps of diapers, piles of canned food,
a whole lot of hygiene products, and over
$10,200 were donated. These gifts to those
most in need of God’s care are truly
appreciated. Thank You!
Are you 70 1/2 or older? Do you have an Individual
Retirement Account (IRA)? Would you like to pay
less income tax in 2020? If so, please keep reading!
The recently passed tax law raises the standard
deduction to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for
married couples. This means a lot of our members who
used to itemize their tax deductions will now only take
advantage of the standard deduction in 2019. That
means your church donations will no longer be
deductible.
If, however, you’ve been using some of your taxable
retirement withdrawals for your church donations, you
may want to consider what’s commonly referred to as a
“Charitable Rollover”. A Charitable Rollover allows
you to give directly from your IRA without having to
pay taxes on that distribution. In effect you can now
get three benefits: no taxes on the distribution, the
new higher standard deduction, plus an additional
deduction for your church donations. A win-win-win
situation. .
Because we’re in the Jesus business, not the tax
business, please consult your tax or financial advisor
before doing a Charitable Rollover. We just want to
make sure you’re aware of this great opportunity.
Thank you for your gifts, no matter how you give.
God’s purpose for our church is to invite all to worship and grow through study, fellowship and mission.
We cordially invite
you to join our church
family:
Contact Pastor Steve for
Regular Membership
or
Associate Membership
for our very welcome
winter visitors.
In Memoriam:
Herbert W.
Chilstrom, 88,
the first presiding
bishop of the ELCA,
died Jan. 19 at his
home in Green
Valley, Ariz.
Have you signed up for a
name tag? Forms are located
on the table outside as you
enter. We’d like to know you
by name!
NOTICES: The harp lady will be here for a
wonderful performance on Wed. Feb. 19th at 10 a.m.
DID YOU KNOW??
We collect aluminum cans, newspapers and other
paper products in the yellow recycling dumpsters
at the northwest end of the parking lot. The
proceeds from these collections go to help fund
our Mission Projects. Three of the dumpsters are
for paper products, one is only for aluminum cans
– they are labeled so it is easy to deposit in the
correct dumpster. What an easy way to help
fund these important projects. Last year we
collected almost $600. Thank You
THANK YOU!
Attention Ladies: There is a new opportunity to share
in the study of the Bible, to meet for fellowship, and
to enjoy breakfast. The ladies will meet every
Thursday at 8:00 a.m. at Mickey D’s on Apache
Trail. The guys will continue to meet at 6:30ish.
BOOK CLUB
The Club meets at 10 AM on the 2nd and 4th Wed. of each month in the conf. room. Wed. Feb. 12th we will be discussing “Orphan Train.” Each month we choose a new book provided by the local library. Each following 4th Wed., we will be reading a chapter of the Bible following the church year lectionary. Chapter 2 of Matthew will be our second effort. ----- Contact: Fran LeVeque (480) 812-5900 ----
Opportunities for Service
There are sign up sheets in the entrance hall for
Ushers, Communion Servers, Readers and in the
Friendship Hall a sheet for Coffee Servers. New
members to the choir are always needed and
welcome. We hope that you can help with these
important services for your church family.
Can you share some of your time with our volunteer
church yard and maintenance group?
We do minor church tasks and work to maintain our
beautiful church grounds and rose garden. We meet
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and occasionally
on Friday. Tasks last sometime from 7:30 till Noon.
--- (We almost always have time for coffee/rolls) ---
Call Don Gimpel to see what tasks are on the list and
let him know what day you are available: 651-261-
2381
Quilting for Charity
Do you have some quilting or sewing skills? The
church has loads of material (some precut in
squares) to piece at home or at the church. Then
join the group to tie in the quilting room.
------ Contact: Carolyn Lewis (612) 226-4321 ---
We’re always accepting items for next year’s huge church
patio sale. Please bring only items in good condition and
no mattresses. The proceeds from the sale are used for
the Summer Fund supplementing the church budget.
Mission Needs:
February --Women’s Hope Center – Gift cards in $10
increments for Walmart, Walgreens, Fry’s, Circle K and
the like.
March --Evang. Luth. Church in America (ELCA) Missions
1. Water Filters ($30)
2. Mosquito Nets ($10)
3. Honeybees ($20)
Drivers Needed: Eliminating the paid driver was one of
the unfortunate cuts made necessary by the budget
crunch. The Council is wondering if there are some
generous souls out there who would be willing to pick up
elderly or disabled for church services. If you think that is
something that you might be willing to do, contact the
church office for more details. Another Thank You for
considering this service opportunity.