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SPIRIT OF JOY LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1159 N. GREENFIELD RD., G ILBERT 85234-2845

Gathered by God, Fed by the Word, Sent to Serve.

What Jesus does he does with intentionality. Intentionality, according to the Oxford dictionary is the fact of “being

deliberate or purposive” about something. In this form it is a noun but Jesus turns it into a verb through action. What is

interesting is that while Jesus says a lot, and I do mean a lot through scripture, he really proclaims who he is by letting

the events of his ministry speak to who he really is. As a result his ministry extends far and wide so that his message of

forgiveness and life reframe the lives of those who hear and follow.

Not long ago the council emerged from a retreat with a fresh mission statement: Gathered by God, Fed by the Word,

Sent to Serve. Simple, and yet this statement is full of action that is initiated by God and further accomplished by all of

us who gather as God’s church with the common goal of sharing the Good News. Mission and clarity of the mission is

essential to our functioning as God’s church. With that in mind we remember our commission from our Lord. Matthew

28: Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me

to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in

the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be

with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”(The Message Bible)

Wow! Bottom line, there is mutuality in ministry. It is God’s power, God’s sending, God’s presence in and through our

efforts as we tell, invite and live as joyous examples of love and life! Thus, our new mission statement! But, part of this

formula includes a “Mutual Ministry Team” at SOJ. This isn’t a new concept, but dates back to the Model Constitution

of the ELCA from 1988 and is part of our formal structure. From the congregational Leader Series, Pastor and People,

Making Mutual Ministry Work, it is defined like this: “Mutual ministry is a mission-oriented enterprise that is

characterized by a broad vision of ministry and healthy practice of mutuality.” In short, this is not a team that ministers

to the pastor, nor is it a means or filter for the congregational complaints. Rather, it is a team that has a broad vision of

ministry and engages in facilitation of ministry among all people. Therefore, from mutual ministry we can expect a

mutual sense of shared work together toward a common goal.

I invite you to hold both Ina Kay Devers and Darrell Duty in prayer as they prepare to begin serving as the Mutual

Ministry Team at Spirit of Joy. Over the next 60 days we will gather and review the above-named resource and prepare

to engage in mutual ministry for the well-being of all of the ministries of SOJ. We fully anticipate that God will use this

particular ministry in conjunction with the leadership of the council and the ministry efforts of all who are gathered here

in the name of Jesus to accomplish our commission, together!

God’s richest blessings to all of you as you continue to give yourself to the Lord through our mutual efforts of ministry

to come.

In Christ,

Pastor Brian

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WATER AEROBICS Wednesday's 6:00-7:00 PM at the Spirit of Joy Swimming Pool.

THERE WILL BE NO CLASS ONLY ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2ND

Instructor: Ina Kay Devers, APAI Certified. Both Men and Women are Welcome. Bring Aqua Gloves, Belts and/or noodle if you have them (not required) and Water Shoes are recommended.

Your head does not go under water! There is no charge for the class. For more information contact Ina Kay at 480-254-7842.

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS is an ongoing ministry. Bring in your old cell phones, smart phones

or tablets to church. Ask your neighbors/relatives/colleagues at work to donate also. For our winter

visitors, don’t forget to bring your used cell phones with you when you return in the Fall! The

equipment you send will be cleaned and/or repaired and made available to our servicemen all over

the world. The giving of a cell/smart phone or tablet is also Tax Deductible. Take this opportunity to

GIVE BACK to those serving in the military to keep our country safe. Contact Connie Sahadi at 602-

380-8831 with questions. "ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU. INSTEAD ASK WHAT CAN

YOU DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY." President John F. Kennedy

BUNCO Join SOJ Friends for Bunco on August 4th at 7:00 p.m., hosted by Les & Jan Jones in the Las Palmas Grand Clubhouse, 2550 S. Ellsworth Rd. (in east Mesa on the west side of Ellsworth, 1/2-way between Baseline & Guadalupe). Tell the Security Guard Les’ name and he’ll give you directions to the Clubhouse Card Rooms. (Les’ cell: 480-290-0361). Contact Angie Klomstad (cell 480-225-5431 or aklomstad@cox.net) for an Evite that will contain more Bunco details.

In order to stay current, incoming Prayer Requests will be published for two-week time periods. Please update us on how you are doing and how we can be praying for you. Requests can also be renewed by calling the office or submitting another prayer request at

PLEASE LIFT UP THESE INDIVIDUALS IN PRAYER THIS WEEK . . . For Healing: Elyse Wheeler, Gretchen, Howard Hovatter, Claudia Becker, Aaron, Ruth Winklbauer, Baby Humenik, Fred Kilpela, Sally Edgar, Simone Parker, Becky Stewart, Shari Heilig, Connie LaFrance, Linda LaVanne, Tina Tyler. For Those That Have Died In The Faith: The father of Kathy Parker. Mission Partners: Maricopa Lutheran Church and Women Participants of I-HELP including: Shauna, Nan, Ivy, Cindy, Angel, Janet and Patti. All the individuals participating in recovery and support groups here at SOJ: AA, NA, OA and Healing Waters.

WOMEN OF THE ELCA Our Monthly Meeting on August 12th will

be held at the home of Lynne Prahl at 9:00 AM. Her address is

1098 E Reliant St. Gilbert, AZ 85298. Anyone needing a ride meet

at the church at 8:30 AM. Please RSVP (605-695-4465) by August

9th if you plan on attending.

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Our Alphabet Groups host our Sunday Morning Coffee Fellowship from

9:30-10:20 each Sunday morning. Our Alphabet Groups are members of

the congregation who help with fellowship two weeks out of each year based

on the first letter of their last name. Thank you for helping! This is how it

works:

1) Each letter of the alphabet is assigned 2 weeks. This letter is announced

in the weekly Joynotes. All people attending church with the current letter

are asked to bring in a treat or bottle of juice, if they are able. If you bring

in a treat after the coffee hour is finished, please put your treat in the

freezer for the following week.

2) An email is sent to those assigned to assist in the kitchen a couple of

weeks before the assigned Sundays. This email gives all the instructions

necessary for a successful coffee fellowship. If you do not receive an email

and your last name is the current letter, please feel free to just show up; the

more help the better & also the merrier!

Benson-Soranson thru end of B is hosting Aug. 6th & 13th

All of C & D is hosting Aug.

20th & 27th

Every S a t u r da y mo r n in g fro m 7: 30 - 8 : 30a m th er e is a Men ’ s B r ea kfa st a t S p ir i t o f Jo y in t h e F el lo wsh ip Ha l l . We will have time for food (of course), fellowship, and Bible Study. Please come and bring a friend. C o n ta c t Br a d Ven Hu iz en i f you h av e q u est io n s ( 4 02 -2 1 6 -6 8 71) .

ATTENTION OWLS AND QUILTERS! We will resume meeting

in the month of September. Bring a friend!

SAVE THE FAMILY MONTHLY FOCUS FOR AUGUST is New Undies for Teenage Boys & Girls. Please bring your donations to church on Sunday mornings and place them near the altar before the service begins. During the week, donations can be left in the Fellowship Hall near the Peter classroom. For larger items, Save The Family has changed their drop off address to 444 N. Country Club Drive (just north of University), Mesa, AZ 85201. Phone

is 480-733-3814. They are accepting clothing, food, furniture, bedding, towels, cleaning supplies, baby supplies and kitchen supplies. They will no longer be accepting knick knacks due to space restrictions. The items will be given to the families STF serves and they will no longer sell to the general public. We will continue to collect items for our monthly focus, Back-to-school supplies, Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas Angel Tree items. Thank you all for your past and continued support! Email: c.charlesworth@juno.com or phone 480-495-4990 for more information.

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BIRTHDAYS

Jack Prukner Ruth Ahrendt Michael Rust

Macall Kaufman Maia Pauls Bruce Birch Val Hengel

Robert Pavlik Carl Bouk

Katherine Hannigan John BergstromJohn Burton Marie EiseleRenee Isaacson

Wes Press Dan Hartig

Norajean Deepe Jennifer Haidle

ANNIVERSARIES

Shirley Banas Solveig Englund

Barry Matlack & Michelle Porter-Matlack

Greg & Sandy Edwards Jeff & Sandy Klomstad

Jerry & Dorothy HansenErica Moriarty

John & Marion Bergstrom Howard & Carol Pearson

Carol Gosart Dan & Diana Benson-

Soranson Ed & Phyllis Bergo

Spirit Of Joy Lutheran Church is a

Stephen Ministry Congregation

What are Stephen Ministers?

Stephen Ministers are laypeople who receive 50 hours of Christian caregiving training for their congregation – and then provide one-to-one Christ–centered care to hurting people. Each Stephen Minister typically has one care receiver at a time and meets with that person once a week for about an hour. They also meet with their Stephen Leaders twice a month for ongoing support and continuing education. If you would like more information in regard to Stephens Ministry or know anyone that might be in need of this Christian caregiving, please contact Pastor Brian, Margo O’Rourke at dmoro85210@cox.net or Don Teply at birdsofaz@yahoo.com

We are also looking at the possibility of joining other churches in the area for a fall class to train additional Stephen Ministers. If you or anyone you know would be interested in attending this training class, please contact Don or Margo.

WEEKLY ATTENDEES YTD AVERAGE THROUGH JUNE: 140 PER WEEK

INCOME & EXPENSES (YTD THROUGH JUNE)

Budgeted Income = $188,727.00

Actual Income = $175,890.00

S t e w a r d s h i p

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DATE: COMMUNION SET-UP COMMUNION CLEAN-UP Aug. 2017

8/06/2017 Sunday Karen and Warren Solveig

8/13/2017 Sunday Nancy Ina Kay

8/20/2017 Sunday Rosemary Jennifer

8/27/2017 Sunday Lynn Stephi

ALTAR GUILD SCHEDULE FOR JULY

AUGUST 2017 VOLUNTEERS EARLY SERVICE LATE SERVICE READERS 8/6/17 Chris Mack Ina Kay Devers 8/13/17 Diane Stoecker Al Pinoniemi 8/20/17 Paul Bakalis Dawnelle Peterson 8/27/17 Lewis Francis Jennifer Haidle COMMUNION ASSISTANTS 8/6/17 Mike Snyder Ina Kay Devers Kim Burton Jennifer Haidle Joel Anderson Madison Haidle Helen Anderson Darrell Duty Maximus Pauls Maia Pauls 8/13/17 Ted Swanson Heather Markel Cheryl Winklbauer Bill Nestmann Brad VenHuizen Ava Nestmann Warren Williams Karen Wiliams Matt Edwards Judy Conway 8/20/17 Viviane Piaget Les Jones Tina Bakalis Linda Sandvall Grace Hannan Alyssa Haidle Nancy Hannigan Suzanne Morehead Sandy Edwards Brad VenHuizen 8/27/17 Connie Sahadi Jean Geyer Margo O’Rourke Bill Nestmann Lynne Prahl Alex Nestmann Tara Pauls Randi VenHuizen Maximus Pauls Maia Pauls

WORSHIP MEETING will be on August 14th at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall.

Please contact Randi VenHuizen 402-216-3067 for more information.

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USHERS 8/6/17 Keith Mahn Brent Strickland Dawnelle Peterson Troy Haidle 8/13/17 Connie Sahadi Les Jones Karen Sletten John Guinn 8/20/17 Terry Williams Brent Strickland Marilynn Wlliams Troy Haidle 8/27/17 Darrell Duty Les Jones Kim Burton John Guinn GREETERS 8/6/17 Lynne Prahl Randi VenHuizen 8/13/17 Connie Sahadi Paul Bakalis 8/20/17 Diane Stoecker Corinne Charlesworth 8/27/17 Ron Prahl Brent Strickland

A Message from the SOJ Financial Secretary THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE OUT! Please check your mid-July e-mails for the new Statement that details your financial giving through 6/30/17. The Spirit has moved many of you to step-up your donations, and we are well on the way to covering the deficit ministry budget approved by congregational vote in January. The Council appreciates your ongoing generosity and encourages you to joyfully continue to provide extra support to our mission to spread the Word of Jesus. If you have questions or did not receive your statement, please call or text me.

As a Council Member at SOJ, I am writing on behalf of the Council to thank ALL of you Followers who are Partners at Spirit of Joy. With the first half of 2017 behind us, we are now well on our way to fulfilling our primary goals of spreading the Word and bringing more people to the Lord. Achieving these goals requires financial resources, and you have responded with generous giving so far in 2017. Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church is not just a “church” to attend on Sundays. In addition to being a voluntary and non-profit association, SOJ has a third dimension. It is a Community of Faith dedicated to worshiping God, providing education on the basics of Christianity, evangelical witnessing, opportunities for service and fellowship, and the nurturing of lifelong spiritual growth of its members. SOJ is a place to develop and strengthen relationships to improve your own life and the lives of those around you locally and throughout the world. Once again, THANK YOU for your generosity in supporting SOJ’s missions and ministries! Concerning future donations, I have great news about the implementation of our online “Give Plus” Donation Site that is actually an extension of Simply Giving in which many of you already participate. “Give Plus”, however, provides everyone (Partners & non- Partners alike) the opportunity to manage current donations as well as to easily make special donations at any time, from any location, on any computer/tablet or smart phone. The new and enhanced SOJ website is now available for your perusal and input. Please check it out at <www.SpiritofJoyGilbert.Org>. On the Home Page just click on the “DONATIONS” box, and then utilizing “Give Plus” you can manage your own current Simply Giving donations OR you can make new donations on either a one-time or recurring basis. If you have any questions at all or need help or guidance in navigating the website, just contact me and I will help you out. Thank you for checking out SOJ’s new website, and I encourage you (at least) to take a look at “Give Plus”. I think you will enjoy this easy new concept for donating to SOJ! In His Service, Les Jones, SOJ Financial Secretary Cell: 480-290-0361 or Les4Jan@cox.net

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J O Y N O T E S : H O M E E D I T I O N

PLEASE

PLACE

STAMP

HELP US GO GREEN! IF YOU DO NOT CURRENTLY RECEIVE YOUR JOYNOTES VIA EMAIL AND ARE WILLING TO DO SO, PLEASE EMAIL CAROLYN AT SOJ@SPIRITOFJOYGILBERT.ORG. THANK YOU!