With a BIG box of school supplies for the Giving Gang Closet at Imagine East Mesa School, including a full week of uniforms, two pairs of shoes, and $70 in contributions to go to items of highest need. You help many families to have their students start the new year well-equipped and smiling!

Many thanks to the 17 volunteers who joined, on short notice, for a third lunch pack on Wednesday, July 17 to meet the need expressed by Grace Lutheran and First Church UCC for additional food. We were happy to see again Principal Lisa Ristuccia and student Bodhe, who are always helpful volunteers. Thanks, again, to Lou and Nancy for slicing ham; Jane for providing bread; Lou and Jane for transporting the lunches down to Grace; and to Harry and Sharon for providing Sunday bread pudding for July 21 Fellowship.

These gatherings are a wonderful opportunity to come together, share our progress, and plan for the future. Your presence and input are invaluable as we continue to grow and serve our community.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Here are the dates for August:

On Sunday, August 25, our community will welcome Autumn Byars in worship to share about her experiences as the first Hunger Fellow to be placed in the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Arizona (LAMA) office.

You might be wondering: what is a Hunger Fellow?

It is a year-long experience through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that involves “leadership development and faith formation with impactful advocacy that move us (God’s church) towards an end to hunger and a just world where all are fed.” To learn more about the ELCA’s Hunger Advocacy Fellow program, click here.

Join us on Sunday, September 1 for a hymn sing in worship. We will “tell the story” of God’s good creation, the love of Jesus, the wild Holy Spirit, and the Church and our faith with our most favorite ELW hymns.

More details will be shared later this month.

Please join us on September 8 as New Journey joins in the ELCA-wide Sunday of service. As part of the worship service, we will host our 4th and final heat respite lunch pack for 2024, allowing those who cannot join on weekdays to pack, which will bring the summer’s total to more than 2600 lunches for personal experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix area. We will also host an additional social ministry project (a “third” assembly line) so our whole congregation be able to be involved.

Just a few weeks ago in my June column for Living Lutheran I wrote, "I can't think of an election cycle more fraught and divisive than this one. People all across the political spectrum claim that life as we know it is on the line. It's not possible to agree to disagree—one must decide and put a stake in the ground. There is the potential for violence." That potential is now a reality after last weekend's shooting at a Trump campaign rally that killed Corey D. Comperatore and injured other attendees. I am thankful that former President Trump's injury was minor and pray for his recovery alongside those affected.

With great sadness, we share news of Julianna Matteis’s death. Julianna and her spouse, Phil, and their child, Madison (River) were welcomed as new members in January 2024. As a family, they have been active in the social ministry projects of New Journey Lutheran Church. Especially, our community food pack and heat respite lunch packs.

Pastor Beth - Current Ministry Projects:

• Memorial Service planning and presiding

• Ministry team meeting leadership and support: FFKidz, Stewardship, Worship & Music

• Worship Planning & Fall Programing Planning

Susan - Current Ministry Projects:

• Worship PowerPoints & Social Media Content

• Website Audit

• Attending the ELCA Youth Gathering hosted in New Orleans

Jamie - Current Ministry Projects:

• Attending Worship & Music Leadership & Team Meetings

• Worship leadership

At the beginning of July, the Stewardship team and the Congregation Council authored and mailed a letter to each household who has made financial contributions to New Journey Lutheran Church in 2024 sharing their gratitude for gifts shared and a story of how gifts are making a difference in the world.

New Journey Lutheran Church's Sew Journers crafted 27 beautiful quilts with love. These quilts were blessed during a worship service on July 7th. Pastor Elizabeth Gallen offered a heartfelt blessing for the quilts, expressing hope that "those who receive these quilts find dignity in their use, comfort in their warmth, and a sign of God's love for all people."

We're excited to announce upcoming summer meetings for our ministry teams. These gatherings are a chance to connect, share ideas, and plan exciting ways to keep our faith vibrant all year long. It's a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, be inspired, and help our church community flourish!

Mark Your Calendars!

This month, the Congregation Council is on break and will not meet for church business. The minutes from June’s Council meeting will be approved at the August 13th Council meeting and published in the August 16th eNews.

For questions, please reach out to Cindi Brady at cindi@njlc-fh.org or Pastor Beth at pastorbeth@njlc-fh.org

Fountains United Methodist Church reached out to New Journey for collaboration in support of the Family Promise program. This program supports families experiencing homelessness for one week at a time over the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons. You can participate by helping to prepare a dinner meal and joining the families for dinner that evening. If you are interested in learning more about possible October participation, please talk to Brenda Galindez, Jane Stoss, or Kris Bartanen.

New Journey will again participate in the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona 9/11 Multi-Faith Food Drive for Extended Hands Food Bank. Any food items you provide to our EHFB bin from August 12 – September 8 will be designated as 9/11 Food Drive contributions. Extended Hands is now serving about 1200 persons a month, an increase of 200 from their prior website postings. Stay alert for top items needed at https://www.ehfb.org/, or check in with our regular volunteers Jo Martinson and Dorothy Schmidt.

Given New Journey’s limited posting or distribution space, we’re using the Red Door to support New Journey’s advocacy efforts. Items posted there are ELCA updates on current issues, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMAz.org) information items, and advance copies of letters for our “5th Sunday Letter Signings.” As Martin Luther noted: “If you want to change the world, pick up a pen and write!”  

Stay tuned for arrival of the “wish list” from Kristin’s Closet at I.E.M. School. We hope to gather and deliver items in time for the start of school on August 1.

Thanks to your quiet generosity, a third box for 2024 is on its way to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. Please continue to be alert for unopened travel-size toiletries, travel snacks, as well as athletic shoelaces, for refugees processed through Phoenix who are on their way to new homes in other parts of the country.

Sew Journers have twenty-some quilts ready for July 7 blessing; they will go to Native American Connections. NAC also accepts used clothing. You may bring good condition clothing and shoes to worship on July 7 and 14 only, for delivery with the quilts. Thanks for your generosity (and for understanding, we cannot store clothing on an ongoing basis). Other donation options are here.

Letters are off to Representative Schweikert and Senators Kelly and Sinema, each with fifteen signatures, in support of key provisions of the U.S. Farm Bill as component legislation is now being reconciled in the House and Senate. A copy of the letter is here. Additional ELCA updates on the farm bill are here.