Savior Divine Lutheran Church S. 88TH Ave. Palos Hills, IL 60465

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1 D E C E M B E R Savior Divine Lutheran Church S. 88TH Ave. Palos Hills, IL FROM THE PASTOR Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. Getting Ready to Celebrate Christmas We enter perhaps the busiest month of the year. I m sure in this Advent season leading up to Christmas we will be occupied with holiday decorating, gift-buying, card writing, and many other tasks that fall into place at this time of the year. However, I would have you think and include the activities we have here at Savior Divine. The Frank Pellico Christmas Concert will be held on December 10 at the Allen Organ Company at 2 PM. On December 11, we will have joint worship with Moraine Valley Community Church at 10:30 AM for the decorating of our Christmas tree in the sanctuary. Then, we will have our Christmas Eve Service on December 24 at 5:00 PM. I hope that you will consider what you will do to make this season meaningful for you as a person of faith. Maybe you will have some special devotions to read. Maybe you will do something special to help someone who needs some holiday cheer. Your efforts can mean a great deal at this time of the year. It is the time year when we will sing Glory to God in the highest. This is what this season ought to lead us to exclaim. We want to exalt in God s great deed in sending Jesus to dwell among us. It was not by our request, but God s initiative to help us not only to be redeemed for eternity but also that our Savior might identify with us human beings. May your preparation and celebration of Christ s birth be meaningful for you! Let us praise God through what we do. Pastor Marty Continuing Our Journey

2 2 December 11 th will be the combined church service (10:30 a.m.) with Savior Divine and Moraine Valley Community Church for the decorating of the tree. Also there will be a luncheon following the service. Please sign up on the sheet on the easel by the coffee table for how you can help and what you will bring. Christmas Eve Worship A Candlelight Service with Holy Communion will be held on December 24 at 5 PM. Please consider taking time to worship the newborn King. Note: There will be no service on Sunday, December 25. Journey to Bethlehem A Live Nativity Christ Lutheran Church in Orland Park will prevent a live nativity on Friday, December 9 at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 10 at 6:00 p.m. The 30-minute narrated performance will feature live animals and costumed actors who will bring the Christmas story to life. Dickens carolers will also be featured to lead with Christmas carols. Refreshments will follow each performance. The performance will be held in the covered outdoor pavilion located in the north parking lot of Christ Lutheran Church, S. 94 th Avenue in Orland Park. For more information call Hurricane Matthew - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seeks to provide help when a disaster occurs by providing financial aid and will do so in response to Hurricane Matthew. The council at Savior Divine at its meeting on October 9 approved raising money for this particular disaster. Any checks should be made to Savior Divine Lutheran Church and earmarked for Hurricane Matthew. Frank s Concert is on Saturday, December 10 th at 2 p.m. at the Allen Organ store `in Bolingbrook.

3 The September Faith-Stretcher Challenge To everyone who read something from the Bible in September: YOU ARE A WINNER! Here are the verses that our winners read during the month of September: 3 Exodus, Chapters 1-12 and still reading. A chapter on Job Ephesians chapter 2 Reading through John s Gospel Genesis The Book of Nahum 1 John chapter 1 Starting at the beginning of Genesis Daniel chapters 5 & 6 Here is a statement someone put in the box as an observation that we all might think about, All about the Holy Spirit He is so real and I never realized that all the things he does for us. If you didn t read a portion of the Bible during September remember that it is always there for us and can help us understand more of what God wants for us and how He loves us. Here is an addition to the bible reading from September. Bible readings from devotional and Tuesday bible study. October Challenge response: Prayed for grandchildren twice every day. Prayed for 2 people who have lost loved ones and are having a hard time dealing with their loss. Prayed for a long time friend who has lost faith. Prayed for a friend who needs a job. Prayed for grand niece that she would find some Christian friends. Prayed for niece Anna. Prayed for Donald Trump and a little girl with cancer. The Faith-Stretcher Challenges Here is a review of the challenges so far: For September You read something from the Bible and let us know what it was. For October You prayed for someone special in your life and let us know who that was. For November You prayed for someone you saw, but did not know and let us know who that was. If you haven t started, or you skipped a month, you can still catch up. Just do the challenge, write down what you did, and put your paper in the box on the table by the Sunday bulletins. The December Challenge Do something special for someone you know. By the end of the month, let us know what you did. No names (yours or the person you did something for)--just a general statement about what you did. TAKE THE CHALLENGE AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!

4 4 Commitment Cards The commitment cards were sent out for you to make your financial commitment for next year. Please consider how you might support our church for the next calendar year both financially and with your time. Updating Our Paraments Thanks to Kathy Prusa for making a new symbol for the parament in front of the pulpit. As you know we have new paraments in front of the pulpit and lectern, which were made for our 75 th Anniversary. The one on the pulpit has a changeable part for the seasons of the year. The current symbol is for Advent. Blue Christmas Service A special Christmas service will be held at Hickory Hills Presbyterian Church today, at 3 p.m. for those experiencing a time of sadness during the holidays. It will be a more meditative type of worship. Check Out Our Discipleship Group for Developing an Infectious Faith. The Discipleship Group has been reading a new book entitled Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg. Have you ever wondered how your faith could become infectious to others? This book will explore passing on your faith to others and provide you with some ways for doing so. The group will next meet on January 15th after worship. The class will discuss Chapters Please see Pastor Marty for a copy of the book. New members are always welcome. You do not have to hve read the chapters to attend. Change of Address Mrs. Elsie Lind Good Shepherd Community Sunny Lake Room th Avenue North Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

5 5 Offering Envelopes The offering envelopes are available to be picked up on the table by the stained glass window. Please pick them up as soon as possible. They will not be mailed. Elsie s Food Pantry Items needed by the Pantry include macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, jelly, pasta, canned fruit, and cereal. Other types of food are also welcome. The food may be placed in the Amish Pie Safe. Also they need plastic grocery bags. These bags can also be left in the Pie Safe. Slightly Used or New Winter Coats We are gathering winter coats, gloves and scarfs to be distributed to the people that come to the food pantry if they are in need. Bring your winter wear to church and hang it on the coat rack and they will be taken down stairs and hung there for those in need. Thrivent Calendars If you are a Thrivent member and you would like to have a 2017 Thrivent Calendar you can get one by calling Thrivent at Have your member number handy --- they will ask for that. They will take orders until October 10. If you have any questions or you would like to order online instead, talk to Sandy Wackenhuth. Improving Communication with Our Church Office If you are an assistant, lector, responsible for bringing bread, or using the remote, please notify the church office if you are unable to serve on your appointed day. Finding a substitute would greatly help us! When you find another person to take your place, please let the office know so the correct person can be listed in the bulletin.

6 6 The Rev. A. Craig Settlage Fund for Leaders Being Established Rachel Settlage has worked to establish an A. Craig Settlage Fund for Leaders Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund is being established since theological education was very important to Pastor Settlage. You are welcome to contribute to this fund. It will help to honor Craig s memory and assist those men and women seeking to serve God and the church through ministry. Checks may be made payable to ELCA Endowment Fund and include on the Memo line A. Craig Settlage Scholarship Fund. Mail your check to EFPT Receipts, P.O. Box 1806, Merrifield, VA Congregational Development The council is continuing to work on development for our congregation. I have set up a page on the church s web site ( where suggestions can be offered not only by council members but by others in the congregation. On the homepage you can click on the link Congregational Development and there you can leave a comment. Pastor Marty Here is a riddle to think about this month (answer to come next month). What grows up while growing down? Here is the answer to last month s riddle. The one who makes it doesn t want it. The one who buys it doesn t use it. The one who uses it doesn t know it. What is it? A Casket

7 December Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Choir 7 p.m Prayer Group Choir 7 p.m Joint Worship Worship 10:30 a.m. Planning 1 p.m. Frank s Concert Choir 4:30 p.m. 2 p.m Choir 4:30 p.m No Choir Christmas Eve Service 5 p.m Worship Schedule December 2016/January 2017 DATE ASSISTANT LECTOR REMOTE BREAD USHERS COUN- ALTAR 12/4 Linda Jackie Ursula Linda Matt Birk Karen Linda Second Sunday of Advent Good Bellettiere Bittermann Good Jeff Psolla Birk Good 12/11 Third Sunday of Advent Jill Cottrell Paul Wackenhuth LeGrand Jackie Bellettiere Matt Birk Diane Chathas Bev Yazumbek 12/18 Sue Jerri Ursula Nancy Jeff Psolla Jeff Fourth Sunday of Advent Adamek Edwards Bittermann Pappas LeGrand Psolla 12/24 Christmas Eve Karen Birk Cathi Predl Ursula Bittermann Matt Birk Legrand Bev Yazumbek 1/1 No Service First Sunday of Christmas 1/8 Baptism of our Lord Sandy Wackenhuth Matt Birk LeGrand Jackie Bellettiere Jeff Psolla Diane Chathas Jeff Psolla