Monthly Archives: September 2020

Giving Opportunitites, YOUTH

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.”

Events, Learning, YOUTH

November was Wellness Month at Gethsemane

If you missed any of our virtual wellness sessions in November, you can now watch recordings of them! Links available below.

WEEKLY VIRTUAL WELLNESS SESSIONS

Virtual wellness sessions for all ages weekly throughout the month of November:

Week 1:

EXERCISE/YOGA – Free virtual yoga session led by Dana Huntsman on Sunday, November 1st at 3 p.m.
This yoga session is suitable for all ages and abilities. Wear comfortable clothes, grab a yoga mat/towel and water, and join us! Exercise involves engaging in physical activity and increasing the heart rate beyond resting levels. It is an important part of preserving physical and mental health. Yoga is an excellent form of exercise as it develops a relationship between your body, mind, and spirit through different body postures, meditation and breathing patterns. Maintaining a regular yoga practice provides numerous physical and mental health benefits.

WATCH THE RECORDING: https://www.facebook.com/114035451960346/videos/3432627210154027

Week 2:

MENTAL HEALTH – Free virtual “Families Together” Mental Health Workshop led by NAMI Central Texas on Saturday, November 7th from 1-3 p.m.
In the United States, almost half of adults will experience a mental illness during their lifetime. Hear compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery. Understand the reality of living with mental health conditions that are often invisible to others. You’ll also have a chance to ask questions, which allows for a deeper understanding of mental health conditions and helps dispel stereotypes and misconceptions.

*No recording available for this session, but NAMI Central Texas offers this session frequently through their website: https://namicentraltx.org/families/online-family-class/

Week 3:

NUTRITION – Free virtual workshop on nutrition led by Gethsemane member Tracy Anderson on Sunday, November 15th at 3 p.m.
Eating a nutritious diet offers numerous health benefits that keep you mentally and physically well. Healthy food provides the energy you need to keep active throughout the day and the nutrients you need for growth and repair, helping you to stay strong and healthy.

WATCH THE RECORDING: https://www.facebook.com/114035451960346/videos/373334784088298

Week 4:

SLEEP – Free virtual workshop on sleep hygiene led by Gethsemane member Mary Lou Newman on Sunday, November 22nd at 3 p.m.
We have so many demands on our time—jobs, family, errands—not to mention finding time to relax. To fit everything in, we often sacrifice sleep. But sleep is vital to your well-being. Insufficient sleep is linked to a host of health problems, from depression to cardiovascular disease. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle.

WATCH THE RECORDING: https://www.facebook.com/114035451960346/videos/737540007111701

Week 5:

MEDITATION/MINDFULNESS – Free virtual workshop on meditation and mindfulness led by Pastor Susan Schnelle on Sunday, November 29th at 3 p.m.
Studies have shown mindfulness meditation to positively impact both mental and physical health by reducing stress, improving sleep, increasing focus and improving relationships.

WATCH THE RECORDING: https://www.facebook.com/114035451960346/videos/377117903540834

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

Join us for Sunday morning virtual worship services, which will also be centered around wellness during the month of November.

Learning, YOUTH

Virtual Mental Health Workshops for Teens & Parents

Join us online on Sunday, October 18th from 3-4 p.m. for two simultaneous workshops – one for teens and one for parents – led by NAMI Central Texas.

This event is FREE, but you must register to receive the Zoom access link.
Parent registration form: https://forms.gle/MTMH4DHNLAgNzjhCA
Teen registration form: https://forms.gle/LxrDCfSMidxUaCqU7

ENDING THE SILENCE – PRESENTATION FOR TEENS

Geared to middle and high school students; presenters include a positive role model – a young adult living in recovery from a mental health condition

Understanding what it means to live with a mental health condition is critical for middle and high school students – especially given that 50% of all lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24. This presentation is geared to not only raise awareness of mental health conditions but to reduce the stigma so that individuals can seek help.

What students will learn:

  • Signs and symptoms of mental illness
  • Statistics on mental illness and it’s affect on middle and high school students
  • How to seek help for themselves or a friend
  • Recovery and coping strategies
  • Understanding mental illness and ways to reduce the stigma

What students will keep:

  • Contact information for mental health agencies and youth support services
  • List of symptoms and warning signs of mental illness

LET’S TALK – PRESENTATION FOR PARENTS

More than 40% of teens are not receiving the care and treatment they need–often because they are too embarrassed to talk about mental health or don’t know how to ask for help. Parents don’t know how to bring up this difficult subject with their children either. This one-hour presentation empowers parents to talk to their teens about mental health by dispelling mental health myths and providing useful resources and healthy language to use.

What parents will learn:

  • How to talk to your teen about mental health
  • The difference between bad behavior and symptoms of mental illness
  • Early warning signs of a teen in crisis
Events, Giving Opportunitites, Ministry, Mission Work

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!