One of the hallmarks of the Early Church was its generosity. Right from the beginning, the earliest Christians did everything they could to generously and joyfully give, knowing that they could put the many blessings that God had loaned to them to work for the Kingdom. So, too, we, the modern Church, put what He has loaned to us at work, storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven, motivated by God’s incredible love for us and for all people.

As I sit looking out across a frozen, silent street, I think of the James Taylor song, “In a Bleak Midwinter.” It’s a Christmas song, but I can’t help thinking about it on this icy Monday.
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
We read in Scripture that with a bite, darkness fell. Eden was lost forever, and the world became bleak. Sometimes when we stumble on a horrifying news story, hear of another shooting, or think about the wars happening right now across the globe, we can be overcome in a way that feels like Eden’s fall. We may want to crawl into bed and hide under the blankets, blocking it all out. But even then, we couldn’t block it out of our hearts, and I don’t think Jesus was ever able to either.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Tim. 4:18
It’s love that pushes us through the bleakness of the midwinter seasons. If we look closely, we can see Christ’s beautiful face around every snowy corner, each bare tree, and even in the brown blades of grass peeking through the ice covering our bleak midwinter land. May we give Him our hearts. May He come and reign forever.

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 on 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 TBD); free-will offering to support mites (10%), Hillcrest (45%), and TBD (45%).
• 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. Pictured here are kids in the 9am FaithRoots class this past Sunday as they watched their peers perform a skit as part of the lesson.

Timothy praises God for the many years of service donated by Carol Ready for coordinating the weekly, non-perishable food donations at both campuses. Upon consolidation, we also praise God for Gary Flandermeyer’s willingness to continue these coordination efforts. Worshipers are invited to drop off items in the grocery cart just outside the Administrative Office near the church entrance. Feel free to pick up a half-sheet of suggested monthly donations attached to the cart. All January donations will be delivered to Hillcrest; donations in February are designated for Jesu el Buen in Kansas City. Thanks to Joe & Sandy Sauter who will continue to help Gary in this ministry. If you would like to join this ministry to help with monthly deliveries to Hillcrest, Jesu el Buen, or Community Services League, please contact Gary Flandermeyer (816.809.7916) or Sandy in the church office (816.228.5300 Ext. 8042). Thank you!

Calling all junior high crew! We will head to Jaegers Laser Tag for some good times TONIGHT, meeting at the church at 5pm and returning about 8pm.  Pizza will be served with a side of revenge. Cost is $20 per person (scholarships available, if needed). Grab a friend or 2 and join us!

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

The weather finally broke enough to allow the Tuesday morning Women’s Bible Study and Adult Bible Study to meet at Pointe of Hope for their weekly studies! We again thank Pointe of Hope for welcoming a few of Timothy’s activities to use their Coffee House and meeting rooms during the school week. Pictured here are members of Pastor John’s study this past Tuesday, Jan. 23^rd.

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.

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.