“Holy” that sounds like such a pious, pure, and fancy church word.  But it also seems like something that is unattainable.  However, as we continue our series “We Are Church” we are reminded today by the apostle Peter that we are in fact to be holy.  But how is that possible when we are such a mess? Join us as we dive into God’s Word and flesh this out.

There are times I like to mindlessly watch TV movies. The other day I was watching one where the lead character was stuck in a time loop, a woman living the same day seven times. The man she’s fallen in love with gets his feelings hurt and storms out of the house. Or he tries to. As he’s trying to leave, his best friend attempts to convince him to stay and says, “Don’t leave before the miracle.”
There are times we may feel a bit like we are stuck in a time loop. Day after day, we wake up and go about our business only to be smacked in the face by some kind of difficulty. We need to remind ourselves, “Don’t leave before the miracle.” The words of Isaiah can sustain us through those difficult times. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
The miracle is coming! Sometimes the miracle looks like a literal rescue with a change in circumstances. Sometimes the miracle is a friend to walk with you, and sometimes the miracle is simply knowing that the Lord is with you. He is the miracle, and He is here. Don’t leave before receiving the Miracle.

Maybe the time is right for your 5^th-8^th grader to receive the Lord’s Supper.  If that is stirring in their heart, we encourage you to join us for Early Communion Class. This 4-week class, starting Sunday, Feb. 18, at 4pm in the Music Room, preps our young people to receive this beautiful gift. One parent/guardian/mentor is expected to attend with the kiddo. Please contact Pastor Ryan with questions.

All women and friends are invited to Timothy’s LWML Winter Society Meeting tomorrow, Sat., Feb. 3, from 9-11am in the 4 G’s and Auditorium. Continental breakfast (coffeecake, sweet breads, and muffins) will be provided by Ruth Circle sisters. The guest speaker will be Jason Alvis, CEO of ReHope, which is a faith-based charity providing housing, treatment, and lifelong sustainment services for women and children victims of human trafficking. Gifts from the Heart will be monetary donations for ReHope. A short meeting will also occur. See you then!

As our Lenten journey begins on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14 at 6pm), we invite you to join us around the table each and every Wednesday and through Holy Week to worship, fellowship, and catch a snippet of what Jesus has for us. Why around the table? Because that’s where Jesus often did His most important ministry. As a matter of fact, throughout Scriptures, we see meals being a beautiful place where God does some amazing stuff. So we are going to dive into the Gospel of Luke where we will find Jesus not only sitting with those who loved Him but also with those who hated Him. We will hear some powerful red letter words, and we will wrestle with what it means to be sustained by God’s Word. This series will carry us through Lent, Holy Week, and conclude on Resurrection Sunday. Meals WILL be served on the Wednesdays of Feb. 21 through Mar. 20. Join us as we dine with Jesus. The interactive service following the meal will conclude approximately 7pm.

To date, the information concerning the meals includes the following with more to share soon:

• Feb. 21, 6-6:30pm:  Provided by LWML (menu: chicken tenders; potato casserole, jell-o salad, cookies and brownies ); free-will offering to support mites (10%) and Hillcrest (90%), and LWML will match total free-will offering). .
• Feb. 28, 6-6:30pm:  Provided by Women of Thursday Bible Study (menu TBD); free-will offering to support Timothy’s operating fund
• Mar. 6, 6-6:30pm:  Provided by TLS (menu TBD); free-will offering to support TLS Scholarship Fund
• Mar. 13, 6-6:30pm:  Hosting ministry TBD
• Mar. 20, 6-6:30pm: Provided by TLS 7^th & 8^th (tacos); free-will offering to support 2024 spring class trip

Any Timothy ministry interested in hosting the meal on Mar. 13 is urged to contact Diane Mayfield soon (816.228.5300 Ext. 8040).

As the adjustments continue in our new configuration, there is also a new need.  We do not have enough teachers for FaithRoots at our 10:30am service!  Do you enjoy children?  Would you be willing to teach just one Sunday a month?  Materials are ready each week for approximately  10 kiddos  and 2 teachers.  Would you prayerfully consider volunteering for this important ministry?  We will train and support you along the way.  If interested contact, Pastor Ryan soon.

It seems like every time we blink, something is changing at Timothy lately. Not only that, but there is a lot of hurt, loss, concern, and grief stirring within many of us. And we are left in a heap of confusion. Let’s be honest—there are those who are disgruntled, those who are saddened, those who have stopped supporting ministry at Timothy, and those who are thinking about leaving. So what do men and women of faith do? We turn towards the God who loves and cares for us. We turn toward the one who promises renewal and restoration. That’s what we will do together on Sundays in worship between February 18^th through March 24^th. We will tune into the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to be reminded that we worship a God who restores His people in the midst of their confusion, chaos, and grief. We will also ask the Lord to restore us: restore our hope, restore our focus, restore maybe even our faith. We invite you to join us and even come prepared! Here’s a suggested reading plan for our season of Lent:

• Prior to February 18:       Ezra Chapter 1
• Prior to February 25:       Ezra Chapter 3
• Prior to March 3:              Nehemiah Chapters 1&2
• Prior to March 10:            Ezra 4:21-5:2 & Nehemiah 4:10-15, 5:1-12, & Nehemiah 6:10-14
• Prior to March 17:            Nehemiah 8:9-18
• Prior to March 24:           Nehemiah Chapter 10

Singing Saints, a nationally acclaimed choir from Saint Paul Lutheran High School, will sing during both worship services on February 11th. It is a great opportunity to enjoy amazing music and see how God is leading the young people of our Lutheran faith. Please come, invite your friends, bring your neighbors, and appreciate God’s gifts to these young people.

TLS invites the congregation to attend the Annual TLS Auction for an evening of fun and entertainment on Sat., Feb. 24, from 6-10pm at the Adams Pointe Conference Center! All proceeds benefit the TLS Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $50 per person and include access to the live and silent auction, dinner, dessert, non-alcoholic beverages, beer, and wine.

The 2023 auction raised more than $140,000 to bless TLS families with scholarship support. This major fundraiser goes a long way to enable every child who wants to attend TLS the assistance to do so. With the congregation’s support, even more assistance for TLS families can be available in 2024.

Scan the QR code on the image or visit https://event.auctria.com/983406c2-5d74-4720-b5e0-23a3f4321da4/ to purchase tickets. Don’t delay! Contact Clancy Heisel (816.830.1582) with questions.

On Tuesday, January 23, the Hillcrest Transitional Housing graduation ceremony included Cordell, Timothy’s most recent resident in its apartment at Hillcrest. Dan & Pam Sbisa and
Care Coordinator Sandy Gregory were pleased to attend in support of Cordell, who has moved to his own apartment and now works in the IT field. We pray God’s blessings to Cordell as he continues to grow in his faith and navigate independent living. Timothy looks forward to learning about our next apartment resident as that develops. Please keep this ministry in your prayers.

Timothy recently received the following thank-you note from Resource Health (formerly Rachel House), one of Timothy’s tithes:
“As we begin a new year with a fresh start, we are so thankful for Timothy Lutheran Church and your faithful partnership for 14 years. Thank you for being a church family who treasures the precious lives of the unborn and the souls of their parents. Thank you for your amazing generosity.  His for Life, Debbie”

Shout out to our junior high kiddos! We will make our way to the Lake of the Ozarks for the Missouri District Youth Gathering from April 5^th – 7^th. There will be worship, rec activities, large-group sessions, and break-out sessions. It will be a great getaway to recharge and connect with our Lord and others! Cost is $160 per person, with scholarship money available if needed. Contact Clancy Heisel (816.830.1582) or Pastor Ryan with questions.

All Timothy youth and their friends are invited to our all-youth Bump City outing on Friday, February 23 at Bump City at GAGE. Two hours of playing, laughing, and fellowship will be good for our winter souls! Free pizza & snacks will be available. A $5 donation is requested, if possible. Hope you can join us! Contact Pastor Ryan with questions.

Calling all current 7^th graders through juniors in high school! The LCMS National Youth Gathering will be held in New Orleans in July 2025. We’d love for you to join us as 20,000+ youth take over New Orleans to worship, grow, learn, serve, and more! Plan to attend a short informational meeting on March 10 at 11:45am in the Music Room to learn basic information and ask questions. If you have ANY interest in attending the NYG, you need to attend this meeting or send a representative. Contact Pastor Ryan with questions.

Timothy’s ministries meeting at Pointe of Hope continues to be a blessing, and Timothy thanks our friends there for their generosity and cooperation in this partnership. Recently, an additional opportunity for partnership at Pointe of Hope occurred for the Festival Committee freezer truck to stay in their storage area until Timothy’s storage building is completed. We also appreciate Bill & Carol Ready’s offer of storage for this purpose on out-of-town property, if needed.

Beginning this Sunday, a moveable coat rack will be placed along the west wall in the lobby for worshipers’ convenience.

Worshipers are reminded to reserve the handicapped parking spaces and at least the first row of regular spaces along both the south and west sides of church for those with mobility concerns. Thank you!

Timothy received the following thank-you note from Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit this week:
“Dear friends at Timothy Lutheran, Thank you for your tremendous act of generosity by donating your organ to us at Martin Luther Lutheran Church. On behalf of our congregation, I cannot tell you how blessed we feel to have this instrument. Our traditional service is well attended, and our parishioners are enjoying the music.