An Emmanuel Story:Lauren Puchala - I am good enough

I love animals, especially ones I can play with. I have two cats and a guinea pig, and I love them like family. I have been going to Emmanuel Lutheran Church since I was a baby. I still remember one of the first times we went to the family retreat. Retreat always falls on Jim’s (Cooper) and my birthday week. We celebrate together and I have gotten much closer to the church family through those family retreats.

When I was younger, I didn’t really know the meaning of faith and church, but now that I am older, I do. Recently, I have been struggling with anxiety, starting high school has been a big contributing factor to that. Listening to sermons every Sunday has helped me a great deal. Everyone at church is kind and caring and whenever I need anything they are there. That means a lot to me. I used to get bullied which was and is a main factor in my anxiety. I have self-esteem problems, and I never feel like I am good enough. It is difficult to stand up for myself or to cancel those (bullying) people out. They used to get in my head which really messed with me. Going to church every Sunday and hearing everyone give me compliments such as, “oh you look so pretty today!” reminds me that most people don’t notice your differences. Only the insecure people will point out whatever they perceive as different. I appreciate the people in my ministry because they always lift me up when I am feeling down. Everyone is caring and accepting, reminding me that I don’t have to be ashamed of who I am. God made me how I am for a reason, and people in my ministry have helped me realize that.

I hope that the next generation to call this church their home will love this church just as much as I do. I don’t know where I would be without my church family, and I hope this ministry will help other people realize that they are good enough, no matter what anyone says.

The people who really love you, will always be there for you and will always lift you up.

An Emmanuel Story: Ruben’s Journey Of Faith And Work

When Ruben Teran was 12 years old, he and his parents moved to Naples from Venezuela. He spoke no English. Today, at age 19, Ruben is a little shy, but once he gets to know people, he says he is “pretty friendly.”  Ruben is a team player as Emmanuel parishioners can see through his work on the Emmanuel AV team.  He is usually visible working the electronics at one or more services on a Sunday morning.

Ruben first began to attend services at Emmanuel shortly after arriving in the US.  Over the last seven years he has established a deep connection to God through attending church services and Youth Group.  Thanks to the Youth Group and the time they spend together Ruben learned to feel the power of God’s love and that power has led him to his deep connection with God.  His faith has dramatically changed his thinking and his behavior.  Now, each day he works to become a better person with better habits, letting God forge the path so he can follow Him.

Ruben is a proud recipient of a 2021 Emmanuel Youth Scholarship which helped him graduate from Lorenzo Walker as an Adobe Certified Professional.  He would like to further his education in cinematography.  Emmanuel has helped Ruben build the foundation for his lifelong dreams of creating movies for the world to see.

The support of Emmanuel Lutheran Church has helped Ruben grow religiously and has provided him with invaluable job opportunities and work experience.  Most importantly, Emmanuel has nurtured Ruben so that he can grow in his faith. Ruben sincerely hopes that the future generations will love and believe in God as he does and that he and others can grow and mature in their faith.

An Emmanuel Story: Carol’s Faithful Journey

Carol Duncan grew up in New Jersey, the daughter of a German immigrant. In 1961 she married Jim and subsequently gave birth to two boys and a girl. In 1992, when their children were grown, Carol and Jim moved to Naples and began a search for a church home. In 1993, they happened upon Emmanuel and decided to get involved because the church was friendly and welcoming. Jim became an usher and served on Church Council. Carol joined a WELCA Circle and loved being part of the Emmanuel community.

During their first decade in Naples, both Carol and Jim were diagnosed with and treated for cancer. In 2004, they both were doing well when tragedy struck their family. Their son, Bill, was shot in the head by a customer who refused to pay for a delivery. Bill underwent surgery for his critical injury at Naples Community Hospital. The whole family went to the hospital and Pastor Steve stayed with them all night as they waited to hear if Bill would recover.

Carol believes that the almost unbearable stress of their son’s near-death accident caused Jim’s cancer to return in June 2004. In September, the couple moved to Weston to be near their other son while Jim was in hospice. Jim’s memorial service was held at Emmanuel and Carol returned to live in Naples to help Bill’s wife and daughter. Bill spent nine months in rehab in the middle of the state and Carol was able to help her son’s family stay connected.

Emmanuel stepped up to provide more assistance to the family. Jim Cooper and the church youth started a fund and Pastor Frank initiated a church-wide fund raiser. With this help Bill’s house was renovated to accommodate his wheelchair. A special, generous couple from church donated a van to transport Bill. To this day Carol gives thanks for all this help as well as for the love, friendship, and support of Bill’s Stephen Minister and Carol’s Stephen Minister.

Through this long ordeal Carol has prayed for peace and turns often to her faithful, loving God for solace. She has long been active in Dorcas Circle, beading to help support the village of Hope in Haiti, Mah Jong, and Women to Women. She hopes that Emmanuel will soon return to more fellowship and church activities.

An Emmanuel Story: A One-Way Ticket To Heaven

Gerardo Manrique is the gifted guitarist who, together with Marcela and Carlos, provides the music every Sunday at the Emmanuel Park Church service. A native of Peru, Gerardo has lived in the US since 2000. Although Gerardo was raised in the Catholic tradition, he never felt that he was in “communion with God” until he joined the EPC congregation.

In 2020, Gerardo’s fiancée, Marcela, invited him to join her at a service at the Park. Marcela was the vocalist leading music at the Park worship services. Almost immediately, Gerardo had ideas about how to strengthen the music program, especially the audio equipment. Pastor Will invited him to join the musicians on the stage and Gerardo accepted. At first, Gerardo saw his Sunday musical duties as “work” but soon he realized that he and his fellow musicians were worshipping through their music. As time went on, his relationship with Pastor Will deepened; today he considers Will to be not only a mentor but also a brother.

What Gerardo loves about being a Lutheran is that, unlike his experiences with Catholic priests, the Lutheran pastor shares knowledge and understanding about God without pushing or applying pressure. In his own life now, when Gerardo talks about his faith with family and friends, he tells people how God has blessed him, but he does not push anyone else to believe or behave a certain way. And he has noticed that this act of sharing has a strong positive impact on others.

When Gerardo reflects on the last two years, he attributes his many blessings to the lessons Pastor Will has shared and the knowledge he has gleaned from Marcela. More recently he has been reading and studying the Scriptures. A few months ago, he started having a series of dreams that seemed to show him the path he needed to take to rid himself of the bad pieces of his life and to embrace a life in which he belongs to God. In the most recent dream in the series, he saw himself defending his life against the forces of evil. In his dream he knew that with God’s strength, he would win. Soon after the dream, he was in a serious car accident on the Florida Turnpike which could easily have been fatal. Instead, he walked away from the wreckage. A few days later, at the end of last year, he met with Pastor Will and asked to be baptized into the church. Gerardo says that since getting baptized and joining the church, God has showered him with blessings. He feels like he has bought “a one-way ticket to heaven.”

An Emmanuel Story: My Call From God

Interview with Gina Fidler

Before coming to Emmanuel, I worked in a law office. I hated it! I felt miserable on Sunday nights because I knew I had to go back to work the next morning. It was an awful feeling. Something had to change.

A member here at church passed along a tip to my husband that an administrative position was opening at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. I applied. My first interview was with Vivian. I was amazed. The interview went smoothly; it was like talking with a friend. The second interview was with Pastor Steve. Same experience. I was hooked.

Although I received three other job offers the same day as the one came from Emmanuel – for much more money I might add – I accepted the position at Emmanuel. What surprised me was that after a short amount of time here, I knew this position was more than a job. It had become a call from God.

Working at a church for the first time, I didn’t know what to expect. Nevertheless, the daily rhythm of service to others soon surpassed all my hopes and expectations. There’s a steady stream of people, members and non-members, who pass through our church doors. I serve in various ways, for people here in Naples and across the country. Sometimes I literally serve our neighbors, like when Emmanuel started its vaccine ministry in 2021 and arranged COVID vaccine shots for local people. Furthermore, and I love this, we get to talk about God at work. How special is that! I’ve learned so much.

I had a strong faith in God before I started working at Emmanuel. What this job at Emmanuel provided was a place where I could put my faith into action during the week. Now on Sunday nights I’m excited to look ahead to my work on Monday morning at Emmanuel. It’s my call from God.

An Emmanuel Story: How God Is Working In My Life

Interview with Diedre Milligan

Now I can see how God is working in my life. Let me tell you how this happened.

I grew up in a family that valued church life. As a young girl, even when my dad was away on business, my mother brought us to church. Worship attendance was regular, even if not every Sunday. We prayed at the kitchen table. My mother read us Bible stories.

Today, as I reflect back on those years, I realize three things:

• This legacy of church life provided by my parents was and is important to me.

• This legacy of church life, although always important, was at times shaky. The church that was there in my early life, was not always my rock.

• This legacy of church life, for a stretch of years, didn’t involve Bible reading or Bible study.

My church involvement particularly suffered during my married life. Both of my marriages were with men who didn’t value the church or Christian faith. This led inevitably to my own falling away from the church. This situation continued until I moved to Florida in 1981. A single woman by then, I could rearrange my life. One of my chief priorities was to return to the church life I had known previously.

The first church I attended was Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Two things happened at Emmanuel that transformed my spiritual life.

• I joined the altar guild. This service to the church taught me about the church calendar, major celebrations, and the flow of the liturgy. I learned and I grew in my faith. I’ve carried out this service for 23 years at Emmanuel. That’s how important it is to me.

• COVID also changed my spiritual life. Before COVID I didn’t have time to attend Bible classes. After COVID struck, Emmanuel started putting their Bible studies online. I could participate in all the Bible studies, in my home, and on my own time. And I loved them! The result? Before COVID I didn’t do Bible study; now I do three Bible studies EVERY DAY. They are like vitamins that I take daily.

Service around the altar and regular Bible study have strengthened my faith in ways I couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Now I can see how God is working in my life – and how!

An Emmanuel Story: A Taste Of Grace

Marilyn Thomack grew up in the Christian faith, and is so grateful for her parents’ influence in her life. She and her husband, Will, raised three sons and lived in Wisconsin until their retirement.

When Marilyn and Will moved to Naples in 1997, they learned about Emmanuel from their friends, June and Lile Raber, members at the time. Marilyn remembers that time very vividly, and of how welcomed they felt at Emmanuel. They enjoyed the music at the worship services and listening to the sermons, which inspired them to reach out to others. Marilyn recalls she was excited about “so many opportunities to serve”—which is exactly what she and Will did.

Marilyn was a teacher in her earlier career, and Emmanuel gave her the chance to share these teaching skills. She was always willing to teach a Bible Study and looked forward to assisting in the many circle meetings with the women of Emmanuel. She was involved in WELCA (Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America). In fact, for years, WELCA sponsored a “Taste Luncheon” to help out the students at Grace Place. Many ladies of the church would prepare a beautiful luncheon in the Family Life Center. The proceeds of this annual event went directly to help the boys and girls at Grace Place. Marilyn recalls giving this yearly luncheon a name: “A Taste of Grace.” And it was indeed a “taste of grace”— of grace and love from Emmanuel being poured out upon the children of Grace Place.

Both Marilyn and Will were very involved as ushers at Emmanuel, and continued being active until Will’s death in 2016. Marilyn appreciates the love and support the members of Emmanuel gave her at this time. She is so thankful to part of a “family” where you know you belong, and where others care and pray for you.

Marilyn is one of the first “Faces of Emmanuel” you will see if you attend the 9:00 Traditional service. She is a combination Usher / Greeter (hence the term, “Grusher”!), and she loves welcoming people to worship every Sunday morning. Marilyn enjoys reaching out to others, saying, “It gives me a chance to see people and help them if I can.” Marilyn always greets people with a smile, and gives them all the information they need about the worship service that day.

Marilyn also fits in the time to serve as Lector in the Sunday morning services.

Marilyn feels blessed by Pastor Rick’s education classes and both Pastor Steve and Pastor Rick’s wonderful sermons. Emmanuel is so blessed to have Marilyn as one of the “Faces of Emmanuel.” And Marilyn feels blessed to be a part of Emmanuel. To God be the Glory!

An Emmanuel Story: Out Of Your Pores

Twenty-five years ago, Sue Talarico and her husband Gary were looking for a faith community in Naples. Sue had a painful experience in another congregation where the pastor would not commune her father because he was a Mason. Her sister, recognizing what Sue was looking for in a church, invited her to Emmanuel where Sue learned that “all sinners are welcome.”

In Sue’s words she “never knew a place where she met so many people who were so loving and open.” When she came to Emmanuel, she felt the Holy Spirit gave her an overwhelming feeling of belonging. “People here do what they say they will. You can feel the Holy Spirit come out of your pores. Pastor Steve Wigdahl is very special in my life. He baptized by kids and later he married them. He made many visits to see Gary when he was sick and in the hospital.”

Sue was grateful for the support Emmanuel provided to her as Gary’s health declined. “When Gary got sicker, and I was the caretaker I felt so isolated and alone. Gary’s Stephen Minister was so special to both of us.” Sue felt safe attending church alone when Gary was not physically able to attend worship in his last years. As a widow, Sue remains active in Emmanuel’s Grief Group and works to support others in their own grief.

Today Sue attends the Alive Service with her children and grandchildren. “The Word of God keeps me coming back. I pray every day of my life that I will keep learning more about the Word. I always want to learn more.” Sue tries to live by the Sermon on the Mount. She loves Pastor Rick’s sermons because they keep teaching her more.

For over 25 years, the generosity of those who support the multiple ministries and communities of Emmanuel, have made it possible for Sue to experience the fullness of God’s love.

An Emmanuel Story: A Special Gift From The Holy Spirit

When I moved to Naples, I had already experienced many different church settings and experiences, Catholic, Episcopalian, Evangelical, and non-denominational communities among others. Consequently, I had become very ecumenical in my orientation, learning to value the contributions of each community along the way. Furthermore, I had come to value the working of the Holy Spirit not only in these churches but in my personal life as well.

As a result of these experiences, I was looking for many specific qualities in a church community, including:

• A sense of community amongst its members

• An activist church, engaged in the neighborhood

• A church that got things done, like the book of James says, “. . . doers of the word and not hearers only.”

• A congregation that grappled with a deeper understanding of the faith.

• A community that liked to debate and discuss; a community not afraid of probing questions.

This list contains a lot of expectations. But that’s what I found at Emmanuel. I stumbled into finding this church because it is close to my condo. I ride my bike to church. As soon as I visited, however, I found myself deeply welcomed into the community.

In worship I experienced joy because of the music, yes, but also because of the stimulation from the sermons. I became a part of the team almost immediately, especially the educational program that focused on Faith, Vocation and Economics. I attended all the Bible Studies, Sunday Forums and special lecture series. These events touched on issues I found generative and life-giving because I had dedicated my personal and professional life to these same issues.

Here was a church community that wanted to discuss topics that were important to me in my daily life. I rarely go home after Sunday morning without my head buzzing with new ideas and questions. I run around with a notepad always jotting down new ideas, even during worship.

What a blessing that questions are welcomed and encouraged at Emmanuel. That is how I grow spiritually. This community at Emmanuel has allowed me to integrate my life in a powerful way; that is, the things I do now on Sundays align with and inform how I work during the week. That’s a special gift from the Holy Spirit for my life.

An Emmanuel Story: My Position Is A Call

I was working in the advertising world before coming to Emmanuel. Although I was happy with my job, I knew there was more out there waiting for me. I desired to do God’s work, to be used as an instrument of God. My work seemed like a steppingstone to something else that God was planning for my life.

That “something else” started to happen through a colleague at work. This person knew about a position opening up with Emmanuel Academies. She thought I would be perfect for the job. During my subsequent interview with Emmanuel Academies, I knew right away that God had prepared me for just this position. This position was a call from God.

Nothing is “normal” about Emmanuel Lutheran Church because God keeps doing new things here. I can say honestly that everything has changed in my life since coming to Emmanuel and working on Emmanuel’s staff.

God has opened one door after another vis-a-vis my job, education, family, ministry with Emmanuel Academy students from across the world and now, my work at Emmanuel as resident pastor. I feel that God has set me free to be dependent on him. Furthermore, I’ve gained freedom, a newfound sense of security and an excitement about my future ministry. My faith has grown so that I now feel this peace from God in every cell of my being.

An Emmanuel Story: Love For Serving The Lord

Kathy Worley grew up a Navy brat. She traveled all over the world with her family. Her parents took her to worship services with the Navy chaplain. She attended a private Episcopalian school, so she is familiar with various denominations of the Christian faith. Kathy’s parents eventually moved to Naples where they became members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

When Kathy followed her parent to Naples, she learned about Emmanuel through them. In Naples, Kathy spent valuable quality time with her father before his death. She was then able to be there for her mother as she grieved the loss of her father.

When Kathy’s mother suddenly died in 2001, Kathy remembers how the then “new pastor at Emmanuel,” Pastor Steven Wigdahl, showed up to pray for and comfort Kathy’s mother before her passing. Even though Pastor Steve was new and did not know Kathy or her mother, he was there for them when they needed him.

This experience made an impression on Kathy. Unfortunately, Kathy’s time of grief and loss continued. Shortly after her mother’s death, her brother died as well. “Pastor Frank Lee helped me through this very difficult time,” Kathy shared, “whether he knew it or not.”

Kathy experienced an enormous amount of grief and loss in a brief period. God used the people of Emmanuel to help her navigate this painful time. “I am grateful for both Pastor Steve and for Pastor Frank for being there and being so helpful,” said Kathy. God provided a place of solace and comfort through Emmanuel and gave Kathy a purpose. Kathy serves as a Worship Participant at Emmanuel’s traditional services. She is an Assisting Minister, an Acolyte and a Lector. Kathy’s love for serving the Lord is visible as she participates in the worship service. Clearly, Kathy loves and worships God with her whole heart and mind.

An Emmanuel Story: From Venezuela To Spain To Florida And Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Frine Donadelli – Formed for the Future of the Church

Frine was born in Venezuela.  When she was 10 years old, she moved with her mother and sister to Spain. (Her name is pronounced free-nay.) In 2014 Frine moved to central Florida to live with her father and in 2015 moved to Naples to live with her aunt, Angela Vargas, a member of Emmanuel. Although Frine was raised a Catholic, she soon joined her aunt as a member of Emmanuel.

Frine began volunteering with the Emmanuel Community Church (ECC) in 2015. In 2017 she joined the church staff as an administrative assistant with multiple responsibilities. She especially enjoys leading activities focused on children and youth. Although she works primarily with Pastor Jose Lebron, she has also interacted with others from Emmanuel’s staff. She credits Deacon Dee Schleutker with giving her the initial encouragement to follow God’s call and apply to Emmanuel Academies. She says many others have supported her journey including her aunt, Howard Isaacson, Pastor Jose Lebron, his wife, Nieves and the ECC youth themselves. She says these people saw her as a leader called to serve the Church before she believed it herself.

In 2018 Frine was one of the first to raise her hand and join  Emmanuel Academies’ (EA) 5-Year BA+MDiv program, formed to equip future Lutheran pastors. Frine enrolled at Concordia University – Chicago to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management.  Emmanuel Academies provides Frine with a full scholarship based on  her call to be a pastor, outstanding academic performance and employment with the church. The funds come from the generous donors to EA and a grant  from the Kern Family Foundation. Frine is also working towards her Master of Divinity degree with the continued financial support of Emmanuel Academies as she follows the pathway to ELCA ordination.

Frine says that she is intimidated by public speaking but has faith that God will give her the courage to grow into her ministry and gain the confidence to address larger groups. Frine sees her mission as encouraging Emmanuel to add more activities for and to grow our church through the youth and young adults. She believes that keeping these young people involved in our church and serving  our surrounding community will strengthen the foundation of their faith and serve them all their lives.

An Emmanuel Story: Moving From A Retired Church Status

When Tom and Ellie Jackson moved to town 10 years ago, they spent more than a year looking for a church home. Communion each Sunday, preaching and the Lutheran liturgy were important to them. Choir, a strong music program, and a warm community were also on their list of criteria. “We felt like Emmanuel was saying choose us, so we did,” they shared.

While Tom and Ellie had a strong history of church participation prior to arriving in Naples and finding Emmanuel, once they found their favorite pew and their favorite service, their participation stopped. “We sat on the sidelines for our first three or four years at Emmanuel,” they said. “Perhaps our retirement status might have carried over to our church involvement.”

This began to change when the Gronlund’s, also Emmanuel members, invited them to join a small group with some outstanding leaders. The opportunities to deepen their faith and connection increased as God continued to tug at their hearts. Tom was invited to be a lector and then an assisting minister. They learned more about Emmanuel Academies and Communities. Invitations to serve, both subtle and overt, continued to introduce them to new components of God’s work through Emmanuel. At present, Tom serves on Church Council as President.

Through invitations from those in the community, Tom and Ellie moved from a retired church status to involvement in God’s work being the focal point in their daily lives. “When people make you feel needed, that makes a huge impact on participation and commitment.” Seeing all the excitement and outreach in the community, and being part of making that a reality, felt like an investment opportunity to Tom and Ellie. “This environment is growth oriented with a positive vision for the future. We want to be a part of that experience.”

An Emmanuel Story: A Dose Of The Holy Spirit

Howard grew up in a Jewish family on Long Island, New York. For more than 15 years Howard provided financial services and planning for families in the greater Naples area before meeting Byron Tweeten.

Byron was a successful consultant with great depth in Lutheran doctrine. Howard worked directly with Byron in his consulting practice. This collaboration ultimately led to Howard becoming the CEO of Emmanuel Academies and Emmanuel Communities at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. At that time in his life, this call was exactly what Howard needed.

After starting work with Emmanuel, God grew Howard’s understanding and appreciation for the Holy Spirit through his relationships at Emmanuel. The sense of the Holy Spirit has become so important that he is guided by and relies daily on its power. Howard’s growth and knowledge of the Holy Spirit is a product of the Emmanuel culture and environment. His trust in the “Spirit” was not a sudden revelation, but rather it has been a nurturing and steadfast realization acquired through the Emmanuel Family.

Howard’s awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit led him to desire a Christian baptism. This was a significant step as he had been a practicing Jew for a good portion of his life. So, his leap of faith was when he was baptized in the waters of Emmanuel Park Church. Now his trust in the Holy Spirit continues to grow and become ever more important.

The relationship Howard shared with Byron Tweeten prepared Howard for the challenges and victories that lie ahead for him with two start up ministries at Emmanuel. After Byron’s passing, his legacy lives on each day for Howard as he asks, “how would Byron do it?” or “what would Byron do?” Howard is grateful for Byron’s role in introducing him to the people of Emmanuel who have welcomed his gifts and guided his faith journey with care and respect.

An Emmanuel Story: A Work In Progress

Jamie is a busy woman. In addition to leading the band for the weekly Alive Service, she is the mother of two young girls, works as a professional architect, and sings with the Girls of Motown who perform in Collier and Lee County. (Look them up. Trust me – you will enjoy their concerts!) Jamie was raised in Ocean City, New Jersey and has lived in Naples since 2005.

Jamie’s path to becoming Emmanuel’s “Alive” Worship leader has been difficult. Jamie’s marriage broke up, and she was completely shaken and lost. She says this period of time was the most difficult she has faced as an adult. She was frustrated and angry with God because God did not intervene to mend her marriage. In the divorce she not only lost her husband but most of their shared friends. Life as a single parent is difficult without any family or close friends to provide support. Jamie accepted an offer to join Deacon Jim Cooper’s worship leadership team for the Alive worship. In this role, she has seen God’s hand in the improvement of her life. Between the pastoral counseling, a new group of friends through the church, and literally a place she can call her home on Wednesday evenings for band practice and Sunday morning for worship, Jamie has been reborn.

Jamie is the first to admit that she has a long way to go towards repairing her personal relationship with God and accepting His plans for her life. She knows that God is with her and her daughters. She has also been renewed through her frequent prayers for direction. She now often reads the Book of James to obtain practical insights. Serving at Emmanuel has helped Jamie greatly as Jamie shares her gifts with the “Alive” worshippers and band members.

An Emmanuel Story: Intangibles

Kimberly Albrecht has loved singing for as long as she can remember. A lyric coloratura soprano, Kimberly has sung everything from jazz to opera to sacred music, and she has performed professionally for over 30 years. She has sung in the church all her life, participating in choirs and smaller ensembles.

When Kimberly and her husband, Bobby, still a practicing physician in Barrington (Illinois), bought a place in Bonita Springs 17 years ago, they started looking for a church home. “We aren’t there all the time, so visiting churches to find the right fit took a long time.” Their friends, Cindy and Dan Mjolsness, told them about Emmanuel in Naples and invited them to visit.

“We were looking for, well, the intangible aspect,” said Kimberly. “We were looking for the feeling of being at home. The feeling of family and acceptance and intellectual stimulation. You want to have the right balance. At Emmanuel, all the pastors are wonderful.” As a singer, Kimberly connected with Pastor Steve’s voice and describes his sermons as enthralling.

Kimberly talks about what drew her to Emmanuel, “The choir was so welcoming, loving and kind. The people of Emmanuel are real, and I appreciate that about them.” She also appreciates their multifaceted outreach. “The different ministries are incredible – the work that the church does is impressive, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Today, Kimberly shares her gift of voice when she and Bobby are in town. They found the intangibles at Emmanuel. “When I walk in the doors, I feel like I belong and that I can serve,” she said. “It is very heartening. It makes us very happy.”

An Emmanuel Story: To Focus On Others

Diane and Karl Fink moved 13 times in their 59 years of marriage. Karl worked for a large multinational corporation and Dianne often joined him in his travels overseas. In 1994, a year before moving to Naples as snowbirds, Diane and Karl lost their son.

As they continued to grieve, they looked for and found a church home in Naples at Emmanuel. They didn’t realize it at first, but their previous pastor from Houston Texas, Ron Starenko, was the pastor at Emmanuel then. Their families were close and seeing Pastor Ron provided comfort for them. A few years after they made a home in Naples, Pastor Steve Wigdahl arrived at Emmanuel and became instrumental in helping Diane and Karl deal with the loss of their son. They are grateful to Emmanuel for enabling them to “start focusing on others instead of on themselves and their loss.”

Diane and Karl became involved with the Stephen Ministry program. Karl helped Pastor Frank Lee and Carol Hartman, the Parish Nurse, with the program. Karl took on a leadership role and helped the program grow from 10 to 50 Stephen Ministers. Being Stephen Ministers helped both Diane and Karl reflect upon their Christian beliefs and find solace in serving others. Karl continued to lead the program for several years until Diane’s health began to deteriorate. He then had to put all his energy into helping her as he continues to do today.

While they miss being able to reach out to people that need their help and support, they are grateful that God used them in Christ’s work for all those years. Emmanuel’s reach into the community provided a way for them to focus on others. In their words, “Emmanuel is a welcoming, warm, outgoing, and caring mission.”

An Emmanuel Story: Integrating Faith With Daily Life

Lisa has been a member at Emmanuel for many years, getting married here to her husband John on March 13, 2010. Three baptisms of grandchildren at Emmanuel soon followed. Even though their permanent residence is in Naples, Lisa and John travel around the country to promote their many business interests.  Emmanuel is a home base for Lisa, a calm sanctuary within a busy life.

Lisa’s faith has always been a central part of her life.  Professionally, her passions have centered around business and economics.  Until she came to Emmanuel, however, all these passions were separated from each other.  Sunday and Monday were divorced, so to speak.  Each was important in its own right, but the links between her faith and her economic interests were weak.

The connections were made for Lisa in powerful ways when a new educational program was initiated at Emmanuel on “faith, vocation and economics.”  When Lisa heard about the new classes, she was all in.  She attended the classes and then participated in the two micro-lending retreats in 2018 and 2019.  These microlending retreats lasted a whole day, emphasized the link between faith and economics through Bible studies, and taught five methods for extending micro loans as a congregation. Then the retreat participants got to practice what they had learned. Emmanuel members, including Lisa, interviewed possible candidates for the loans.  By the end of the retreat, decisions were made, and loans extended.

God transformed Lisa’s life through these experiences.  She can now integrate her faith with her daily life in new and meaningful ways.  And the relationships that have emerged from these retreats (especially with Janice, the Garlic Boss, one of the loan recipients) has moved Lisa deeply. As Lisa confirms, “These kinds of relationships don’t happen often in life.”

Integrating faith with daily life is what discipleship is all about.  For this gift Lisa is grateful to God and to the Emmanuel community.

An Emmanuel Story: God Will Sort It Out

Nicole Hood is a volunteer manager for Meals of Hope. She also donates her time to St. Matthew’s House. In the past she wondered if providing free groceries was not “teaching people to fish.” Was it giving them fish? Was this what she should be doing? When she discussed her conflicted feelings with a pastor at St. Matthew’s, he told her that “It’s not your place to judge. God will sort it out.”

About a year ago an employee at Meals of Hope had a death in her family, and Nicole offered to help her by assuming some of the employee’s responsibilities. The employee asked her to manage the Wednesday Meals of Hope operation at Emmanuel Community Park. The first time she came to the park Nicole “absolutely loved it.” She didn’t realize immediately that the park was church-affiliated, but she knew she liked all the volunteers. One day she happened to see the sign for drive-in church at the entrance to the park; she asked some questions and was interested. The next Sunday she and her husband came to church at the park, and despite knowing almost no one, they felt connected immediately. They had not previously belonged to a church although Nicole had always been a believer. Nicole says that EPC is different; it isn’t a place where you “need to dress the right way. Jesus says to come as you are.” Today, Nicole, her husband, her daughter, and her daughter’s boyfriend are all regular participants at the services at the park. Nicole helps with hospitality and her husband helps with directing car traffic and parking. “We feel blessed to be a part of it (the Emmanuel Park community).”

Nicole sees her participation in worship at EPC and her volunteer assistance with Meals of Hope as doing what God wants her to do. When she thinks about how she came to Emmanuel, that she originally connected with the Emmanuel Park Community only because of the tragic death in her colleague’s family, she reflects back to the lesson she learned years ago. God sorted it out.

An Emmanuel Story: “We” Based

When Helen Stine moved to Naples 18 years ago, she went through the phone book to find the nearest Lutheran Church.  She wanted to find a dynamic church with Bible-based sermons that were educational and insightful.

Following her first church service visit, Helen was invited by Fran to Sunday Bible Study led by Pastor Frank.  “It was a small group. Everyone was very friendly but not intrusive. I liked that the people were from all parts of the U.S.” Pastor Frank started a group called Sharing and Learning Together (SALT). SALT was a small group that met for a meal, Bible study and prayer.  The friendships and support formed in this small group remain important to Helen today.

In addition to learning with and through the people in her small groups, Helen said, “the sermons are outstanding. They are not ‘I’ based but ‘we’ based.  You come away with a new perspective.”  She also loves the music.  “The music itself stands alone.  It is just wonderful.”

Helen feels fulfilled at Emmanuel. “I love being part of the congregation.  I feel like I belong here.”