THIS WEEK: Sunday, the 8th
9:30-10:30 AM – ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL will meet in the Sacks` living room. MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL will meet in the cafeteria.
11:00 AM – WORSHIP
FELLOWSHIP TIME: after the service
STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING after fellowship time.
Sunday, February 8th – During the 11 AM worship, Pastor Teresa will preach from Isaiah 40 bringing a sermon titled “Lift Up Your Eyes.†The Youth will be leading us with worship songs that we have been doing this year. The Youth will also do the Children`s Message with one of Ruth`s fabulous puppet shows,“Perfectly Saved.†After the worship service will be a robust fellowship time. All are welcome! Following the fellowship time will be a Steering Committee meeting in the Upper Room.
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AFARI, American Friends of ARI (Asian Rural Institute), is an organization of friends, former volunteers, expats who came to know ARI through T.U.C. and mission co-workers who have deeply respected the mission and people of ARI since its founding in 1973. Each year since 2004, AFARI has sought gifts of frequent flier miles (mostly on Delta/NWA and United, but also from other airlines that carry passengers from parts of Asia, the Pacific Islands and Central/South America to Tokyo.)  If you or a family member have enough miles for a one-way or round-rip flight that could be used to bring a participant from Kathmandu, Myanmar or Manila (for example), please be in touch with pamhasegawa@gmail.com at your earliest convenience. The Hasegawa family, T.U.C members from 1985-89, enjoy a lifelong bond with A.R.I.   For the last 10 years their family has given at least one ticket a year to support the travel of a participant whose organization did not have the funds for air fare. AFARI members in North America agree, “It has been a joy for us to contribute to the mission of ARI in this way and we would invite you to join us, if you can, in making your own contribution of FF miles.”
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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Any questions, please contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com, or Julie Rogers for HS; Amy Harbaugh and Steve Bennett for Upper ES and Lower MS, grades 4-7; and Carrie Bennett for Lower ES, grades K-3.
Little Kids: all are welcome to go with Sara after the Children`s Message to have fun learning about Parables.
MULTIGENERATIONAL and ADULT Sunday School – 2/8 and 2/22, 9:30-10:30am
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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Time
February 8th      Multigenerational and Adult Sunday School, Pastor Teresa preaching, Steering Committee meeting
February 15th  Pastor Teresa preaching, Communion, Healing Prayers
February 18th  Soup supper and Ash Wednesday service at Ann Tang`s house, 5:30pm (please bring a soup to share, bread, cheese or veggies; contact wtucrev@gmail.com for directions)
February 22nd Multigenerational and Adult Sunday School, Rev. Dr. Paul Shew preaching
March 1st        Rev. Dr. Jim Sack preaching, Communion
March 8th      Multigenerational and Adult Sunday School, Pastor Teresa preaching
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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!
We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more. At the same time, the Sacks host the 
Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30 am in their living room. The method used is the, “Swedish Bible study method,†interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary. Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) Sunday School schedule: 2/8, 2/22, 3/8, 3/22, 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/24, 6/14 and 6/28.
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WTUC Announcements:
*Questions or concerns? Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.
*Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others. Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee.
*If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Gene Witt ewitt@asij.ac.jp
*If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.
*Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or on the list on the white board for next year. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!
*Each week we will be setting up the chairs for worship and preparing the sanctuary, anyone around at 10:30am is invited to be involved in the fun = ) Each week we will also return our sanctuary to it`s classroom style after the fellowship time.
*Interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa.
*Interested in a paid position setting up and/or taking down the chairs of our sanctuary? Contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com
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Scripture Passages for the sermon – Isaiah 40:21-31
21Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; 23who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. 24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. 26Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God� 28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. 30Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.