Parish Life

WHAT IS PARISH LIFE? Parish Life ensures the success of the many wonderful fellowship activities that enrich our life at Emmanuel. It provides for our Sunday morning coffee hours; the many luncheons, dinners, and receptions held throughout the year; the refreshments that accompany our Interfaith Bible Study sessions and our public concert series, church picnics, dinners and our annual family festival, Oktoberfest. Dates and times of all these events are listed each month in our on-line calendar.

Helen Cawley coordinates our coffee hour volunteers -- and many hands make light work! So if you'd like the opportunity to help with this vital part of fellowship with our worship community, please contact Helen through the church office, at 301-365-5733.

FELLOWSHIP TOGETHER --

Martin Luther Beer and Marching Society ...

read about us here

Katarina Luther Wine and Darning Society ...

read about us here

OWLS, or Older, Wiser Lutherans:

Monday, November 14 at Noon

Laughter is the best medicine and it brings joy to our souls.

As children we did not need to practice laughing we just laughed for no apparent reason. As we grow older our conditioning prevents us from laughing un-inhibitedly. Because of this, we often overlook the beauty in life and others. Being able to laugh at ourselves and laugh with others gives us joy and happiness.

“Let everyone seriously take this to heart . . . For to you it is a question either of eternal blessing, happiness, and salvation, or of eternal wrath, misery, and woe. What more would you have or desire than God’s kindly promises to be yours with every blessing, happiness, and to protect and help you in all need?” Martin Luther

Emmanuel Dinner Club provides informal fellowship in the homes of our members on weekend evenings. The host provides the home and a main dish; the guests bring side dishes, desserts, drinks, appetizers, etc. You don’t have to agree to host to join dinner club, because we love to meet all of the truly fabulous members of Emmanuel. Individual hosts pick any weekend evening they would like to host a dinner within any of the four cycles: October/November, December/January, February/March, or April/May. Each cycle, guests are invited to attend a dinner at a specified host’s home, and like any invitation, the guest can either accept or decline. If the particular time is inconvenient, a guest can attempt to “swap” evenings with a guest invited to the home of another host. For those who find it difficult to drive at night, don't hesitate to contact your host to try to arrange a ride from participants who might live close to you.

New in 2011/2012 is a possible lunch or brunch group. For questions, contact Kevin Adams at Kevin.Adams@dot.gov, 301-762-6136 or Annette Poston ADPoston@verizon.net, 301-424-4064. Worship does not just occur on Sunday mornings inside a church, but in the hearts and activities of God’s people in their daily lives.

For information on other Parish Life events or to volunteer to help, contact Sheila Murtland through the church office at 301-365-5733.