Category Archives: Events

Events, Giving Opportunitites, YOUTH

Youth Dinner Theatre Fundraiser

Join the Gethsemane community for the
Youth Dinner Theatre Fundraiser on Saturday, May 7th

“WONDERFUL”
By Lane Holmstrom

Saturday, May 7th
– Concessions & Silent Auction open at 5 pm
– Show begins at 6 pm

Tickets are $10 per person (plus bring cash for concessions)

Silent Auction * Live Auction
Delicious Food! Fun for the whole family!

Auction Items Needed
Please help us raise money for the youth by donating an item to the silent auction. Email the church office with a description of your items to be donated. We’re also accepting wine donations for a wine pull. Proceeds from the dinner theatre and auctions will benefit the summer youth activities.

Playbill Ads
You are invited to place an ad in the playbill: business ads or student “brag ads.” Full-page ads are $50 and half-page ads are $25. Email the church office with your order. Past supporters may use the same ad as before or send a new layout. New supporters please send a layout in Publisher format and/or a PDF.

“Boundless Grace” Senior High Trip: July 11-15 in Minnesota
Plans are taking shape for the Gethsemane youth trip. Youth will visit the Mall of America, attend a Minnesota Twins baseball game (Carlos Correa, a former Astro is now a Twin), visit Shalom Hill Farm in rural Minnesota, and enjoy the hospitality of Don & Anne Roefer, Todd & Sheri Pottebaum, George & Rhia Spears. (Rhia grew up in Gethsemane youth ministry) plus visits to Luther Seminary and Augsburg University. A fun, informative, and exciting time for Gethsemane youth. Email Pastor Schnelle for more information.

Events, Giving Opportunitites, Mission Work, YOUTH

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.” 

Events, Lent, Ministry

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Yummy Pancakes are Back!

Tuesday, March 1 from 5:30-7 pm
The traditional Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper is on! The Gethsemane Men in Mission will serve delicious pancakes, sausage and applesauce in the Multipurpose Room. A take-out option will also be available.

Tickets on sale in the narthex on Sundays: February 20 & 27

$6.00 for adults, $2.00 for children under 10

Profits will go to Men in Mission benevolent projects. Come and enjoy the food and fellowship in preparation for the Lenten season. Please observe Gethsemane COVID protocols.

Annual Congregational Meeting
The annual Gethsemane Congregational meeting will be held during the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in the Multipurpose Room. See you there!

Events, Lent

40th Annual Family of Gethsemane Retreat at Camp Chrysalis

February 26-27, 2022
Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville, TX

Register to join us for “Walking the Faith: 40th Annual Family of Gethsemane Retreat” at Camp Chrysalis! This is a very special opportunity for friends and all members of the congregational family: singles, couples, those with and without children, from the very young to the not so young in years, but all young in spirit.
View the printed retreat brochure.

  • All are “Called by Grace,” to come to a relaxed informal time to share thoughts, histories, dreams, conversations, laughter, songs, the bread and wine of communion, the fresh air of the hill country, and good food.
  • “Led by Faith,” you may hike to the cross on the mountain, read your Bibles, play, eat, visit, and rock on the porch.
  • “Welcoming All to Share God’s Love,” we will meet new friends and have time to relax and be with those we may not know so well. This is a great event to invite friends to share in the family life of Gethsemane.

RETREAT SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26
10-12 noon Registration, fellowship, set up and move into your cabins
12:00 p.m. Lunch!
1:30 p.m. All ages gather together
3:00 p.m. FREE TIME! Hike to the cross, baseball, kite flying, resting, fishing, singing, soccer, canoeing, nap, R & R, rocking, visiting
5:30 p.m. Sing–A–Long and group photo at the dining hall!
6:00 p.m. Supper
7:00 p.m. Family of Gethsemane (FOG) Talent Show
8:00 p.m. Campfire Communion Service
9:00 p.m. S’mores, games, singing

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27
7:00 a.m. Coffee available!
8:45 a.m. Morning Worship and memorial brick laying
9:30 a.m. Sunday Brunch & Free Time
3:00 p.m. Check Out
*Schedule subject to change

WHAT TO BRING

  • Sleeping bag, sheets, blankets, pillows
  • Quilt for grass sitting
  • Flashlight
  • Masks
  • Towels and washcloths
  • Hiking shoes or tennis shoes
  • Jacket or sweater for chilly nights
  • Sports equipment
  • Board games (Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, Dominoes, Risk, cards, etc.)
  • Snacks, chip, dips, sweets, etc. for evening sharing
  • Musical instruments
  • Talent and props for the FOG Talent Show
  • Great attitude; leave troubles behind
  • ONLY COMFORTABLE CLOTHES
  • Sorry, no pets at the camp!

COST

Cabins With All Three Meals (prices are per person):
Adults (13 & up): $95
Ages 4-12: $55
3 & under: Free

Tent Camp or Book Your Own Motel – if you tent or stay in a motel, these costs apply as a camp usage fee and include meals (prices are per person):
Tent campers (13 & up): $35
Ages 4-12: $18
3 & under Free

Saturday Day Use ONLY:
$25 person (includes 2 meals)

Add On Friday:
You may come in Friday evening after 7 p.m. for only $15 per person but must be reserved in advance. No meals included.

Register for the 40th Annual Family of Gethsemane Retreat

Extra offering gifts are welcomed to help cover any additional expenses and activities.

HELP PAVE THE WAY!
You can leave a lasting impression by purchasing a personalized brick, which will be installed in the pathways around Camp Chrysalis. For $75 you can inscribe 3 lines of text on a 4X4 brick.

Events, YOUTH

Trail of Treats 2021

Join the Gethsemane community for a spook-tacular good time at our first-ever “Trail of Treats” event!

Saturday, October 30 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Thanks for a SPOOK-tacularly Successful Event!
Everyone had such a wonderful time at Trail of Treats 2021! We had some incredibly creative treat tables and lots of children from GLC, GLCM and Georgian Acres families. Thanks to all of the amazing volunteers who helped to make this event a success!

Events, Ministry, Mission Work, YOUTH

Community Connection Initiative

As part of our ELCA Mental Health Ministry Grant, Gethsemane’s Community Connection Initiative is designed to help each of us work proactively to look after the mental well-being of ourselves and others. Make plans to get involved with projects that center around supporting mental health within our community. Also, acts of service support your own mental health as well!

“You Are Loved” Signs

We are excited to have Gethsemane Lutheran Church yard signs, posters and magnets to help us let people know we are thinking of them and they are loved! If you would like to help deliver/mail signs or if you know of someone who simply needs to know they are loved by the Gethsemane community, please contact Pastor Susie at info@gethsemaneaustin.org.

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’!

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.

Events

Georgian Acres Neighborhood Park Art Installation Input

A permanent public artwork will be created for Georgian Acres Neighborhood Park through Austin’s Art in Public Places Program. The project artist is Kemba Opio. Kemba uses community engagement and photography to design art.

The artist would like to hear from residents and park users—What is important to you? Your answers will help inspire the artwork design.

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.

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!

Events, Ministry, YOUTH

Fall Midweek Connections

MIDWEEK CONNECTIONS
2019 FALL SEASON
WEDNESDAYS, SEPT. 18-NOV. 20
11:00 a.m. Faith Conversations with Pastors Gronberg & Schnelle
12 Noon  Holy Communion (Sanctuary)
5:30–6:30 Supper ($5 per person) (MPR)
6:15–7:10 Faith Conversations with Pastor Gronberg, Confirmation class with Pastor Susie, and Children/Youth activities (PreK-12th grade)
7:15–7:30 Holy Communion (Sanctuary)
7:30–7:45 Mentors & Confirmands
7:45–8:45 Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal (MR)