Category Archives: Giving Opportunitites

Youth Tackle Hunger: 32nd Annual Souper Bowl of Caring

Bring non-perishables and cash for the Gethsemane Food Pantry on Sunday, February 13

For 32 years, this event has transformed Super Bowl weekend into the nation’s largest celebration of giving/serving. Thousands of youth groups and passionate individuals unite to “Tackle Hunger Together”. Gethsemane youth will greet the community (they will not tackle you) following the 10:30 am liturgy inviting the Gethsemane faithful to give a gift benefiting the Gethsemane Food Pantry. Celebrate the 32nd anniversary of this ministry by giving a generous donation on “Souper Bowl Sunday.” 

GIVING OPTIONS

GIVING MADE EASY—Did you know we offer electronic giving? You can contribute anywhere, anytime right from your computer, smartphone or tablet!

*Give online at www.gethsemaneaustin.org by clicking on the ‘DONATE’ button on the left side bar.

*Download our NEW free mobile app by searching for “GivePlus” in the App Store or Google Play. Below is a link to a document to explain how the app works:

GivePlus mobile app infohttps://gethsemaneaustin.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GivePlus_Mobile_How_It_Works_2019.pdf

*OR…..Mail in your offering using your personalized and self-addressed white envelopes or a regular envelope.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

Angel Giving Tree 2020

Gethsemane Lutheran members and families are invited to continue a neighborhood holiday tradition by sponsoring T.A. Brown Elementary School children and families. Due to Covid-19, the school has asked us to do things a bit differently this year. We will not be collecting items, but will be asking individuals/families to donate gift cards which can be purchased through Gethsemane Lutheran Children’s Ministry Pre-School.

Go to our Signup Genius website using the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FAAA622A2F5CE9-angel

Select a family dinner or a child, provide your contact information and follow the link provided to pay through the GLCM website using PayPal or a debit/credit card. You may also mail in a check to be received by December 12th to GLCM 200 W Anderson Lane Austin TX 78752. Deadline for gift cards purchased online is December 13th.

Thank you for your support of this ministry. Merry Christmas!

Virtual Thanksgiving Eve Youth Service

Youth and their families, will share with the Gethsemane family what they are thankful for along with songs of thanksgiving. Come, ye thankful people, come!

Join us online Wednesday evening, November 25th at 7:00 p.m. for our Virtual Thanksgiving Eve Youth Worship Service.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89197937652…
Meeting ID: 891 9793 7652
Passcode: 946118

The spirit of Thanksgiving is to give and Gethsemane congregants are invited to donate to the Gethsemane Food Pantry:
Give through the Gethsemane website.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good.”

God’s Work Our Hands – September 12-13, 2020

Make plans to get involved with Gethsemane’s “God’s Work Our Hands” service projects September 12-13, 2020! We have eight wonderful service projects this year, with opportunities for everyone to get involved in various ways, big and small! Volunteer with something as simple as a phone call, sympathy card, yard sign delivery or food pantry donation. Or give of your time making dog toys, birthday kits or casseroles. Also, make plans to attend the annual blood drive – a vital service opportunity needed this year more than ever!

All service opportunities will be conducted with proper COVID-19 safety protocols. Please plan to wear a mask and maintain social distance.

Service Opportunities

Gethsemane’s Friend-to-Friend Program

Join this fun Friend-to-Friend program by visiting with a Gethsemane friend every two weeks from October to March. This structured program will help keep us connected during the winter months. The program runs from October 2020 to March 2021. Whether you are 100 years old or a senior high school student, there is a place for you! Friend Calls will occur about every 2 weeks for 15 minutes each. You can sign up to be a Friend that calls or receive a call from a Friend. A short Zoom training will help Friends that call. Let’s stay connected! Sign up via email: info@gethsemaneaustin.org.

Look What’s Cookin’…The Casserole Ministry!

If you can provide a casserole (homemade or store-bought) to a Gethsemane friend to lift their spirits or just revive their joy in dining during these unprecedented times, contact info@gethsemaneaustin.org. Casseroles should be in a non-returnable container, they do not need to include any additional sides or items and they should be delivered via porch-dropoff when the recipient is home. We will provide you with name, address, contact info and any necessary dietary restrictions. Let’s Get Cookin’!

Birthday Boxes for Jeremiah Program

Unfortunately, the program, Sharing Happy Birthdays, for which we made birthday boxes the last few years has closed due to the COVID pandemic. So this year we will provide birthday boxes for Jeremiah Program.

Jeremiah Program offers one of the nation’s most successful strategies for transforming families from poverty to prosperity two generations at a time. Jeremiah prepares determined single mothers to excel in the workforce, readies their children to succeed in school, and reduces generational dependence on public assistance. Jeremiah’s proven, holistic approach begins with establishing a supportive community for determined single mothers to pursue a career-track, college education. Through a combination of quality early childhood education, a safe and affordable place to live, and empowerment and life skills training, families find stability and a path out of poverty.

We will provide all the goodies for an entire birthday party for three children who live at the Jeremiah Program facility. The themes will be mermaids/beach, minions/emojis, and animals.
The items needed for the three boxes are:
-cake mix & icing & candles
-themed cupcake liners, sprinkles or other items for decorating cake/cupcakes
-themed decorations (balloons, streamers or banner)
-themed blowers, party hats, etc or additional party supplies (for 16 kids)
-themed tablecloth, napkins, plates, & cups (for 16 kids)
-themed goodie bags (for 16 kids)
-themed goodie bag items to put in the goodie bags (for 16 kids)
-candy & snacks (Doritos or Cheetos) (non-perishable) (for 16 kids)

Sign up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BADA92DA20-gods

If you have any trouble with the sign-up, you can contact info@gethsemaneaustin.org. Please bring your items to Gethsemane either Saturday, September 12th from 10a.m-noon or on Sunday, September 13th from 10a.m.-3p.m. to be put into boxes/bags and delivered to the Jeremiah Program facility.

Yard Sign Deliveries

We are excited to have Gethsemane Lutheran Church yard signs to let people know we are thinking of them and they are loved! Pastor Susie is needing volunteers to deliver the signs in sets of about 10 (depending on the area). If you would like to help deliver the signs please contact Pastor Susie at info@gethsemaneaustin.org.

Dog Toy Kits for the Austin Humane Society

We are again making dog toys for our neighbor, the Austin Humane Society. It will be a little different this year. We will be distributing kits to make 10 dog toys. The kits will be available for pick up on Saturday, September 12th between 10am-Noon. The completed dog toys will need to be returned Sunday, September 13th between 10am-3pm. For more information, contact info@gethsemaneaustin.org.

Annual Gethsemane Blood Drive

Sunday, September 13th, 10am-3pm
This year’s blood drive is by appointment ONLY. NO walk-ins accepted.
Please contact Pastor Gronberg at the church office, 512-836-8560, to schedule your appointment.

Bereavement Sympathy Cards

We’re beginning another new ministry of sending sympathy cards to families who have lost a loved one during this difficult time. If you would like to help with this ministry please contact info@gethsemaneaustin.org.

Food Pantry Items Donation

Along with the regular non-perishable items needed for the families who come to the Gethsemane Lutheran Food Pantry, we are in need of
TOILET PAPER AND LAUNDRY SOAP.
Please call Pastor Gronberg at the Church office, 512-836-8560 to schedule a time to drop off any pantry items.
Thank you for your support of this ministry!

DRIVE A SENIOR MINISTRY

Gethsemane member Tony Venza is a leader with the Drive A Senior– North Central. Gethsemane Lutheran is a charter member of this ministry with the goal of helping senior adults to stay in their homes by providing needed transportation. Due to recent federal government delays in funding senior citizen transportation services such as Drive A Senior, Gethsemane Lutheran was asked to provide “extra” financial support. Through the Carl & Marie Jo Anderson Charitable Foundation a gift was given to enable this vital ministry to meet their staff obligations. Tony,  the staff of Drive a Senior and the people they serve express their thanks. Gethsemane Lutheran will host this year the annual Fundraiser, Saturday, September 22nd.

 

2018 CHRISTMAS IN JULY FOR T.A. BROWN ELEMENTARY

In memory of Dr. Carl Candoli, who tirelessly worked to show his belief that

“every child can learn,” Gethsemane congregants are invited to assist in donating

“Back to School” supplies for our neighborhood school, T.A. Brown Elementary whose motto is “The best little school in town, where every child is college bound!”

Each week during the month of July, the “Christmas in July Giving Tree” will be in the narthex and will have tree tags which lists what exact school supplies are needed for the upcoming school year.

Please remove a tag and choose what you would like to donate on the list or, if you prefer, you may make a monetary contribution which will go to T.A. Brown Elementary.

Note: Please make out all checks to Gethsemane Lutheran Church. On the check memo line, please put For TA Brown Elementary.

The deadline for all contributions is Sunday, August 5, 2018.  An educational donation for the children of T.A. Brown Elementary will not only be appreciated, but will also be a special memorial to honor this amazing educator, Dr. Carl Candoli!

Thank YOU for your donation & Merry Christmas in July!!!!

ELCA National Youth Gathering 2018

The ECLA National Youth Gathering will kickoff in Houston, Texas on June 27th, and will last until July 1st. This is a fantastic event that we would love all of our youth to be a part of!

http://www.elca.org/YouthGathering

For more information, Contact Dar Krenek