Our Blessings

We give Emmanuel our time, talent, and treasure because Emmanuel blesses us in, literally, thousands of ways. In this season of counting blessings, it is appropriate to acknowledge our many, many blessings at Emmanuel and to increase them. Almost exactly 111 years ago, an earlier generation of Emmanuelites held the first service in our present church. Those men and women started with the powerful blessings of faith and love and built something magnificent that blesses each of us. Now, it is our turn to take stock of our blessings and build the foundations for future blessings, to take our own bold step and build Emmanuel’s future—granite block on granite block, blessing on blessing.

What are your Emmanuel blessings? Click here to add your blessings to this list.

• 1 Father, 1 Son and 1 Holy Spirit—“one body and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all....” (Ephesians 4:4)
• 2 clergy and 7 staff who inspire me daily with their faith, generosity, creativity and courage
• 1,448 pipes, 120 keys and 32 pedal notes in the organ which ring out to the glory of God
• 38 choir members who raise the roof when they sing and make my knees weak
• 120 children in 3 catechesis atria with 16 catechesis volunteers, all of whom seem to know what the epiklesis is (do you?)
• 20 kids in the 4th and 5th grades who pray and play together in Sunday school and Club 45 and the
  15 volunteers who lovingly minister to them
• 32 youth, 5 pilgrims, and 4 missioners who are making the journey to Christian adulthood with us and the
  6 adults who help with that journey
• 794 communicants (and those who will join us next year and the year after that)
• 443 families who form this loving community of faith
• 21 souls baptized and marked as Christ’s own forever this year and the banners celebrating the event that were created by dozens of talented fingers
• 23 souls confirmed or received into the church this year when the Bishop visited
• 22 “prayer ministers” who prayed daily this year for 47 different souls on our prayer lists
• 450 people who will receive this Tower in the mail and 382 people who will receive this week’s e-letter
• 300 communion wafers consecrated each Sunday
• 152 candles that burned this year on the high altar to help lighten our darkness
• 250,000 pennies placed in Mite Boxes this Lent to buy 55 beehives for families far away
• 61 Holy Cookers feeding the hungry on Wednesday nights and 104 of their best recipes
• 1500 donuts and 30 pounds of coffee served this year as vital fuel for the Formation Hour
• 282 MB in 2,411 files and 62,696 “hits” on our website from people looking for information on the
• 49 active committees and ministries at Emmanuel
• 1 Faithful Servant who received the award this year and the 100s sitting in the pews
• 8,900 square feet of roofing that is now (please, God) leak-free
• 101 prayer shawls
• 111 years that we have spent at the corner of Prince and Pope
• the beauty of our church
• the grace of those who dwell within
• the faith, vision and courage of the Emmanuelites who built our church.
• Humbled by the privilege to praise and glorify God in Emmanuel Church by serving on the Flower Guild. (Ann Cabaniss)
• ooking in the rear view mirror of the new church van and seeing 14 joyful 4th and 5th grade faces. (Katherine Byrne)
• For the many Sundays that my family participates in worship as acolytes, ushers and readers. (Katherine Byrne)