St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Bloomington IN (ELCA)

Focus for MCUM food collection during the month of April is Canned Meat and Travel-size Toiletries.

Services in Lent will conclude with the dismissal. Please be mindful of those who wish to keep silence.

Children's Choir rehearsal in rooms 16 and 17 from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.

Godly Play, ages 3 to Kindergarten in Room 8

Grades 1-2 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 15

Grades 3-4 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Rooms 12/13

Grades 5-6 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 14

Junior High in Room 16

Senior High in Room 17

Adult Bible Study in Rooms 12 and 14, studying the Gospel of John

Confirmation Class in Room 3

Adult Forum Sacred Space Design presentation in Heritage Hall

Services in Lent will conclude with the dismissal. Please be mindful of those who wish to keep silence.

Lutheran Campus Ministry Lunch following the 11:00 service — all students welcome! Please gather near the kitchen.

ResurrEGGtion — Sponsor a chick to help families in need through Heifer International. The Youth will have a booth to receive your monetary donations on April 2 & 9.

On April 2, there will be an opportunity for the people of St. Thomas to take part in an "offering of letters" to our senators and congressmen, asking them to increase poverty assistance in our federal budget. More info will be available at the letter-writing table. Paper, envelopes, stamps, addresses, and sample letters will be provided. Make your voice heard!

Albrecht Dürer, painter, 1528; Michelangelo Buonarroti, artist, 1564 (Liturgical Color: White)

Come join us for a little gardening, weeding, mulching, trimming, and window washing if the weather permits; some cleaning and painting indoors if weather does not permit. If you enjoy getting a little work done while interacting with fellow church members, please stop in any time between 9:00 and noon, and bring your own rake.

Children's Choir rehearsal in rooms 16 and 17 from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.

Godly Play, ages 3 to Kindergarten in Room 8

Grades 1-2 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 15

Grades 3-4 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Rooms 12/13

Grades 5-6 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 14

Junior High in Room 16

Senior High in Room 17

Adult Bible Study in Rooms 12 and 14, studying the Gospel of John

Adult Forum: Congregation Council Question & Answer session in Heritage Hall

Confirmation Class in Room 3

Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is commemorated today. Bonhoeffer was involved in founding the Confessing Church, a Christian resistance movement in Nazi Germany. His Hymn "By Gracious Powers" was penned shortly before his execution.

Thanks to the 1^st and 2^nd SCS assisting this morning: Drew and Haley Stults at 8:30; Rachel Buhr (lector), Bailey Arnold, Evan Bobbitt and Nick May (assisting ushers) at 11:00.

First Communion Class following the later service. If you have a child interested in First Communion but have not received a letter from the church office, please contact Pastor McKee.

Lutheran Campus Ministry Lunch following the 11:00 service — all students welcome! Please gather near the kitchen.

ResurrEGGtion - Sponsor a chick to help families in need through Heifer International. The Youth will have a booth to receive your monetary donations on April 2 & 9.

Communion Hymn: Lord, Who the Night You Were Betrayed (Lutheran Book of Worship 206)

The altar is stripped bare as Psalm 22 is intoned by a single voice. All then leave in silence. Go, in the peace of Christ Jesus. The Service resumes tomorrow, Good Friday.

The Sanctuary is gradually darkened as the hymn comes to its end. Worshipers are invited to silently say the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer as the seven candles are removed from the altar.

A loud noise follows removal of the seventh light. This is the sound of death being defeated in the darkness of early Easter morning.

After the loud noise a single light, a sign of Resurrection Hope, returns to part the darkness.

A chant is introduced and all intone the following meditative prayer a number of times—until the Service ends:

[Religion and Ethics Newsweekly News: New Orleans Easter]

[Religion and Ethics Newsweekly News: One-Year Anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI]

[Religion and Ethics Newsweekly News: William Sloane Coffin]

The Great Vigil of Easter ends the Sacred Three Days and leads us into Easter Morning: The Service of Light and the Procession begin at 11:00 p.m., on the west patio. In the candle-lit Sanctuary we will hear read the History of Salvation, renew our baptismal covenant, and (at Midnight) sing Gloria and be fed the Communion Meal in the True Presence of the Risen Christ.

Sending Hymn: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Alleluia! (Lutheran Book of Worship 128)

Lectors: Dave Belbutoski, Jane and Bob Warner, Dorothy Soudakoff, David Sinden and Charles Sweet

Communion Hymn: Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing! (printed in the bulletin)

Communion Hymn: Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands (printed in the bulletin)

Postlude: Messiah: Hallelujah — George Fredrick Handel (Congregation, Choir, Brass and Organ)

Breakfast will be served by the Youth throughout the morning. Suggested donation for the breakfast is $3 per individual or up to $10 per family.

Offertory: Today the Lord is Risen — John Helgen (Adult and Childrens' Choirs)

Communion Hymn: Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing! (printed in the bulletin)

Communion Hymn: Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands (printed in the bulletin)

Postlude: Messiah: Hallelujah — George Fredrick Handel (Congregation, Choir, Brass and Organ)

There's a Place At The Table for you. The Wednesday Lunch Group meets for devotions, prayer and study of next Sunday's scriptures at noon in Room 3 for one hour. Bring a brown bag lunch.

Join us for a Weekly Worship on Wednesday Evenings (W³) Invite a friend or neighbor to come to St. Thomas for worship and fellowship, a quiet time during our hectic lives.

Gathering music will begin at 7:15. We'll learn some new music and share the old familiar hymns. Child care will be provided. Join us for this exciting new ministry.

Olavus Petri, priest, 1552; Laurentius Petri, Archbishop of Uppsala, 1573 (Liturgical Color: White)

Offertory: Great is the Lord — Heinrich Schütz (Carolyn Sowinski and Kris Frampton, sopranos)

Children's Choir rehearsal in rooms 16 and 17 from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.

Godly Play, ages 3 to Kindergarten in Room 8

Grades 1-2 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 15

Grades 3-4 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Rooms 12/13

Grades 5-6 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 14

Junior High in Room 16

Senior High in Room 17

Adult Bible Study in Rooms 12 and 14, studying the Gospel of John

Confirmation Class in Room 3

Adult Forum: Kaye Hill "Ecumenical Advocacy: A Moral Budget and a Living Wage"

Offertory: Great is the Lord — Heinrich Schütz (Carolyn Sowinski and Kris Frampton, sopranos)

Lutheran Campus Ministry Lunch following the 11:00 service — all students welcome! Please gather near the kitchen.

There's a Place At The Table for you. The Wednesday Lunch Group meets for devotions, prayer and study of next Sunday's scriptures at noon in Room 3 for one hour. Bring a brown bag lunch.

Join us for a Weekly Worship on Wednesday Evenings (W³) Invite a friend or neighbor to come to St. Thomas for worship and fellowship, a quiet time during our hectic lives.

Gathering music will begin at 7:15. We'll learn some new music and share the old familiar hymns. Child care will be provided. Join us for this exciting new ministry.

Children's Choir rehearsal in rooms 16 and 17 from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.

Godly Play, ages 3 to Kindergarten in Room 8

Grades 1-2 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 15

Grades 3-4 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Rooms 12/13

Grades 5-6 in the Sanctuary from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., then in Room 14

Junior High in Room 16

Senior High in Room 17

Adult Bible Study in Rooms 12 and 14, studying the Gospel of John

Confirmation Class in Room 3

Adult Forum: Understanding Liturgical Worship Part 2, presented by Debbie Rodriguez in Heritage Hall.

New Member Class meets in Room 14.

We welcome through Holy Baptism Greta Franziska Vianden, daughter of Jorg and Beck Vianden. Greta's sponsors are her uncle, Ken Hinrichs and her grandmother, Helga Vianden.

The rose on the altar is in honor of the birth of William Redford Foley on April 15. William is the sone of Chris and Maren Foley and brother of Birch Foley.

A Pitch-In lunch will be followed by important business. On the agenda are elections for Congregation Council, report on current budget, and possible enabling resolutions for a building campaign and Capital Campaign, reports from leaders and committees in the areas of ministry and programming. Members of the Congregation Council will meet very briefly at the close of the meeting to elect officers for the year.

Every member of an ELCA Indianapolis Conference congregation is invited to the Conference Spring Assembly on Sunday, April 30, 2:00-4:00 pm at Salem Lutheran Church, 4700 W. 72nd St., Indianapolis, IN.

St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church

3800 East Third Street

Bloomington, Indiana 47401

News & Events — April 2006