Revisiting Deepening Our Welcome  --March 15

How is CLC doing in our quest to be a more deeply welcoming congregation?  What have we learned as we have sought to live out the welcome statement we adopted in 2023?  Where are we now and who is still missing?  What are our dreams and visions for deepening our welcome at CLC as we move forward together in faith?  Join the conversation to share your observations and dreams during this Faith Formation time.

Revisiting Deepening Our Welcome – March 22

How Do Words, Images, and Descriptions of God Affect Our Beliefs and Actions? Explore with us various images of God and Jesus. Do how we describe God and Jesus influence how welcoming we are as a congregation? Is God limited to a singular pronoun? Do how we describe God affect how we describe one another and ourselves?

Thanks to our Red Cross Blood Drive volunteers!

You made a difference for the 53 donors who wanted to give whole blood units to help save lives.

Results of the blood drive are: 53 potential donors (7 were deferred, there was 1 first-time donor), 40 units of whole blood received (4 were power reds donating 7 units), 9 CLC members were among the donors. We had 16 CLC volunteers (3 on "back up") willing to help register & offer refreshments to the donors.

CoAction & Aviva Memory Café

What is a Memory Cafe? A Memory Cafe is an informal social gathering for those living with early-stage memory loss and their care partner. CoAction is prod to serve our community as the only registered Memory Cafe. Register at 219-531-2484

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM CDT

Aviva Valparaiso; 1300 Vale Park Rd, Valparaiso, IN 46383-2722

Music at Christ Lutheran Church

Thursday (6:00 – 7:10 pm):  Celebration Ringers Handbell Ensemble 

Thursday (7:30 – 9:00 pm):  Sanctuary Choir rehearsal

If you enjoy singing or interested in ringing, we’d love to have you join one of our musical ensembles! Contact our music director Brian Bartusch (brian.bartusch@clcvalpo,org) or speak to him after a worship service if you are interested or have any questions.

2026 Lenten Dinners at CLC!!!

During Lent, you are invited to join in Lenten dinners at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at CLC, before each 7:00 p.m. evening service. Please sign up for each meal in advance in the East Link so that the cooks know how many to expect, and consider bringing a dessert to share. A free-will offering will be collected at each meal. Come and join in the fellowship!

Dinner schedule:

March 11 ~ CLC Book Club (Potato Bar)

March 18 ~ CLC Choir (Sloppy Joes)

March 25 ~ Anna Zervos/Kathy Rowberg/Mary Michna/ (Ham and Potatoes) 

CLC SENIOR GROUP

On March 26, we are planning a visit to Schmidt-Marken Designs, a Pottery Gallery & Gift Shop, located in Pinhook, near LaPorte, Indiana. It is owned and operated by Christ Lutheran Church members, Doug Schmidt and Karen Marken.  Doug & Karen will be showing us how their pottery is made.  (You may have seen it at the Youth Silent Auction in the Fall - It is beautiful.)  If you want to carpool, please meet at the church parking lot (planning to leave church at 9:30 am).  Or we can get you their address, if you prefer to drive to the Pottery Gallery directly.  We plan to arrive at the Gallery at 10:00 am.

Please RSVP to Judy Haalboom at 309-368-9536 or mbboom@comcast.net, if you will be carpooling, so we don't accidently leave someone behind.

We will stop for lunch on the way back, at a location to be determined.  

(More information on that will follow.)

March Altar Gifts

Holy Communion       Sara and Jeremy Long ~ In Memory of Floyd and Pearl Long                                       

Altar Candles              Given to the Glory of God

Eternal Lamp              Given to the Glory of God

CIRCLE Dinner Providers Needed

Meals are needed for the high school youth group.  Circle meets every Sunday from 6-8pm, with a meal to start at 6:00.  Would you be willing to cook a meal and share it with the kids?  You would be cooking for about 15 people and are welcome to stay for fellowship.  If you are interested, please sign up here or scan the QR code:

Christ Lutheran Church offers a Grief Support Group every other week on Wednesdays from 9:30 - 11 am in the Conference Room. (209). The group serves adults who have experienced a loss of a spouse, parent, child, friend, or neighbor. The core group of peer support welcomes others to walk together in our grief journey .

Come when you can. Coffee and Kleenex available. 

The group is facilitated by Cheryl Slack, a Stephen Minister. You may contact her at 219-241-0677 or one of the pastors if you have any questions.

Upcoming dates are March 11 and 25; April  8 and 22.

CLC Social Ministry and Mission

March 2026

Our emphasis is providing support for the Lutheran Diaconal Association www.thelda.org.  Below is a message to CLC from LDA:

“Since 1919, the Lutheran Diaconal Association has formed people for ministries of service.  In the early years we trained women primarily as nurses serving in missions and institutions of the church.  Our ministries have changed throughout the last 105 years. Today we serve in congregations, in institutions and wherever God’s people are.

A deaconess or deacon is someone one who serves. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and instructed them to do the same for others. Sometimes deaconesses and deacons do actual foot-washing like Jesus did; but more widely, they serve Christ by walking with those the world easily forgets; the marginalized, the poor, the powerless, the sick.

People who reach out to others in this way—with care and compassion in a hurting world—are practicing diaconal service, as all the baptized are called to do.  Some of them desire to do this as a professional in ministry and enter a more formal training and formation process to become deaconesses and deacons.  Since the earliest days of the church men and women have been set apart to do intentional servant ministry.

Deaconess/deacon ministry has come to mean many things: it means serving others on bended knee, and from positions of leadership. It means entering the hurt parts of society and carrying the light and love of Christ in service to others. It means telling the story of God’s love and helping others to hear God in their own story. It means welcoming the stranger in our midst. 

Stories of ministry abound (pick up a copy of a LDA newsletters at CLC throughout the year).  We are nurses, lawyers, engineers, musicians, social workers, chaplains, parish deaconesses, teachers, campus chaplains, missionaries, professors and so much more. 

We are so grateful for our partnership with Christ Lutheran Church.  Your congregation has made a huge difference in our ministry.  Your prayer support and financial support are invaluable and help the LDA thrive and reach out to God’s people.  Thank you!  For more info www.theLDA.org We would love to talk with you!  see Deaconesses 

Diana Iltzsche, Karen Hernes, or Kristin Lewis.”

Help achieve our goal of $2500 in March (over and above giving combined with CLC’s $1200 budgeted amount).  By achieving our goal CLC will help Luth. Diaconal Assoc. continue mutual support and service activities that are crucial to effective ministry.  Use your weekly worship giving mailed in check to CLC and indicate “LDA” or contribute through Subsplash on the CLC website https://clcvalpo.org via the “Give” button and choose Monthly Social Ministry Emphasis.  Thank you to members for supporting social ministry emphasis.

LLP Registration

2026-2027 Registration is now open for everyone! We have plenty of Beginner AM and PM classes left.

• Beginners Tuesday/Thursday AM 8:45-11:15 ($225/month). 3 & 4 years old. Must be 3 by August 1, 2026
• Beginners 3 Session AM Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00-11:30 ($275/month). 3 & 4 years old.  Should be 3 by Feb. 1, 2026
• Beginners 3 Session PM Mon/Wed/Fri 12:30-3:00 ($275/month). 3 & 4 years old.  Should be 3 by Feb. 1, 2026

Attention All Thrivent Financial Members! 

Do you have any Thrivent Choice Dollars that have not been directed to the charity of our choice? 

Minimum and maximum Choice Dollars Designations 

Eligible clients will be designated a minimum of 25 Choice Dollars and a maximum of 5,000 Choice Dollars per eligibility period (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31). 

Choice Dollars designated during the calendar year can be directed until 

March 31, 2026. 

There are two ways of directing Choice Dollars to Christ Lutheran Church: 

Computer: Go to the Thrivent Financial web site (www.Thrivent.com) and direct the Choice Dollars on-line. 

Phone: Call Thrivent Financial at 1-800-847-4836. When prompted by the electronic answering system, say “Thrivent Choice.” Follow the remaining prompts, and a representative will come on the line to assist you. You will need your Thrivent membership ID number and will need to answer some other personal questions to verify that you are the Thrivent member who is on the line.