January is a month of fresh beginnings and new opportunities. As we step into the new year, it's the perfect time to set some meaningful goals and make the most of the winter season. Whether you're looking to embrace the cold or find cozy indoor activities, here's a bucket list to help you enjoy January to the fullest with our New Journey community.

We are excited to announce Fountain Hills & Noon Kiwanis first community blood drive of 2025, taking place on January 24-25! This event is held in conjunction with the Rotary Health Fair at the Community Center on January 25.

Mark your calendars because on Sunday, February 2 Grand Canyon Synod Bishop Deborah Hutterer is joining New Journey Lutheran Church for worship and fellowship. Bishop Deborah will preach and preside over communion. Following worship, join us for a light lunch, fellowship, and relationship-building with our Synodical Bishop.

As we welcome the new year, we want to ensure that our church directory is up-to-date so we can stay connected with each and every one of you. Your contact information helps us keep you informed about all the wonderful events, announcements, and activities happening in our community.

We kindly ask you to take a few moments to update your contact details for the 2025 directory.

Join us in making a difference by volunteering for the Food for Kidz event on February 26. Core Volunteers and Food Packer Volunteers are essential to the success of this event, helping with tasks such as unloading the truck, setting up tables, and packing meals.

Happy New Year! We're excited to share our social ministry updates for January:

• 5th Sunday Letters, January 12th

• Family Promise Week, February 2-9

• Northeast Valley Consortium

• Arizona Faith Network

As we continue to support our neighbors through the Extended Hands Food Bank, we want to ensure that all donations are safe and beneficial for those in need. One important way you can help is by checking the expiration dates on food items before donating them.

Please watch this special thank you video from Bishop Hutterer. In this message, Bishop Hutterer expresses heartfelt gratitude for New Journey’s support and dedication to our mission within the Synod.

On Christmas Eve, the New Journey community and friends gathered to celebrate the gift of love through song, prayer, and candlelight. It was a night to remember God's promise of presence and care amidst our weariness. With God's help, a weary world found joy once more!

No worries if you missed the special Zoom meeting on Monday, January 6 at 5:30 pm. You can still catch up on all the important discussions and insights by watching the recording on YouTube below.

Join us after worship on Sunday, January 26, 2025 for our 2024 Annual Meeting. During this meeting, we will vote on the mission plan, elect new congregation council members, and address other church business.

Lutherans and friends of Lutherans from across the state will gather at the Arizona Capitol in Wesley Bolin Plaza for a day of advocacy on Monday, February 10, 2025 from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm to learn, to witness, and voice our common needs in the public square, activating our faith in love.

Join the Grand Canyon Synod in honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at a special Celebration of Diversity event on Sunday, January 19, 2025, from 3-5 pm. This commemorative service will be held at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Tempe, AZ. The event will feature inspiring worship, reflection, and community gathering, with Bishop Yehiel Curry of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod preaching in Tempe.

Teranga, Hospitalidad, and the Spirit of Generosity

This Advent season, as we wait in hopeful anticipation for the gift of Christ’s birth, I find myself reflecting deeply on gifts and generosity. Not just the kind we wrap in paper and ribbons, but the kind we experience through the Spirit—the gifts of love, grace, and community that bind us together as one church, one body of Christ.

Ms. Cayce, who teaches 21 kindergartners at Imagine East Mesa School took us on a tour to “Kristin’s Closet” (the “Giving Gang” support to those in need), and IEM principal, Dr. Melynda Hache affirmed that IEM students are looking forward to joining the Food for Kidz food pack in February.

Thank you once again for the generosity of New Journey participation in the Angel Tree for a family at Imagine East Mesa School. The gifts were blessed at New Journey's December 15 worship service: "Bless these Christmas gifts, O God, and the hands that purchased and wrapped them. May Jonah, Jaliyah, Josiah, and their mother find wonder and happiness in their use, and may these gifts be a sign of your love to all people."

During Advent, our community came together for delightful soup suppers and midweek worship, centered around the theme: “Words for the Beginning.” Advent marks a time of both endings and beginnings, as the calendar year ends and a new church year starts. We embraced this season of transitions with Holden Evening Prayer and Community Soup Suppers on Wednesday evenings. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed soup and bread.

Your Congregation Council has been diligently working to produce a 2025 Mission Plan that prioritizes the mission and vision God has given to us: "an instrument of God's love for all."

Join us for a special ZOOM meeting on Monday, January 6 at 5:30 pm to present and discuss the proposed 2025 Mission Plan.

These documents outline our church's strategic goals and the key initiatives we will undertake to fulfill our mission and serve our community.

November Council Meeting Minutes

To read the approved November Congregation Council meeting minutes, click here.

If you have questions, please contact any member of the Congregation Council.