Link. The. In December s Link. From the Pastor: St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church December 2016

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1 The Link St. Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church December 2016 From the Pastor: Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 244) is one of my favorite Advent hymns. It captures for me a spirit of Advent anticipation and expectation that God acts in our lives and in the life of this world moving us to make a difference as God s children and disciples of Jesus Christ. It looks forward to the Second Advent of Jesus when in triumph he returns to deliver all things to God. Verse 4, in particular, captures this sense of hope and expectancy. Our hope and expectation, O Jesus, now appear; Arise, O Sun so longed for, O er this benighted sphere. With hearts and hands uplifted, We plead, O Lord, to see The day of earth s redemption That sets your people free! As we come to a busy time of year, may you use this time to reflect upon the gift of love that God gives us in Jesus. May you glory in the birth of the Son of God. And, may the seasons of Advent and Christmas bring you a joy and peace that can find quietness in the midst of our world. Rejoicing in God s love, Pastor Paul 1 In December s Link Page 1 From the Pastor Page 2 Attendance December at a glance Special Notices Page 3 Advent Wreath Lighting News from the Church Office Church Council Page 4 Christmas at St. Paul s Hanging of the Greens Page 5 Unhanging of the Grens Volunteer Ministry Page 6 Altar Flowers for 2017 Ingathering of the St. Paul s WELCA Dorcas Rachel Circle Page th Anniversary Celebration Mission of the ELCA Page 8 Senior High Winter Retreat WELCA Upcoming Events Page 9 Adult Forum RAIHN Operation Clean-up Page 10 Shop til You Drop & Dining Page 11 December Lay Ministry Calendar Page 12 December Calendar Page 13 Flier for your Fridge: Save that Date!

2 ATTENDANCE WE COUNT BECAUSE YOU COUNT Early Late Total Nursery Oct Nov Average Sunday attendance through October Average Sunday attendance through October Average Sunday attendance through October December at a Glance Saturday, December 3 rd 7:30 a.m. Hanging Banners 9:00 a.m. Hanging of the Greens Sunday, December 4th 10:45 a.m. 150 th Anniversary Committee Thursday, December 8 th 9:45 a.m. Dorcas Rachel Circle Sunday, December 11 th 9:45 a.m. Christmas Pageant Monday, December 19 th 6:45 p.m. Church Council Meeting Thursday, December 22 nd 7:00 p.m. Property & Maintenance Saturday, December 24 th 5:15 pm Candlelight Holy Communion 10:00 pm Candlelight Holy Communion Sunday, December 25 th Christmas Day! 9:30 am Lessons, Carols & Holy Communion No, we didn t forget it We now omit it! Have you noticed? The prayers printed in our Sunday morning bulletin do not have a period following the Amen. This is something Pastor Paul started. Amen is a word at the end of our prayers that means Yes, yes. It shall be so. It is a way that we state our faith in God and God s answer to our prayers. Given this, Pastor Paul has said, I believe that our prayers should never end. Prayer is a conversation with God that goes on throughout our lives. So, for me, not placing a period at the end of a prayer is a theological statement of faith affirming our trust in and relationship with God. Let us pray. Thank you, Lord God, for hearing our prayers over and over again. Help us to trust in your grace and always be ready to hear your word and love for us. In Jesus name, Amen Memorial Bowl In memory of Michael Holodnik A beautiful, colorful handmade glass bowl was dedicated and used at St. Paul s on All Saints Sunday, November 6. The colors in the bowl connect to the colors in the sanctuary s stain glass windows. It was used to hold the candles lit during our All Saints worship in memory of the members of St. Paul s who died during the prior 12 months. The bowl is a gift to the congregation from Dr. Ralph Pennino, Dept. of Surgery Rochester Regional Health at Rochester General Hospital in memory of Michael Holodnik, husband of Jane and father of Olivia and Madeline. Mike died on August 23, A Memorial Service was held on Sunday, August 28 at St. Paul s. Rest eternal grant him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him. 2

3 ADVENT WREATH LIGHTING The Lighting of the Advent Wreath during this Advent season calls our attention to the coming celebration of Jesus birth. On each of the four Sundays in Advent a candle is lit on the Advent wreath in the sanctuary until all four candles are ablaze. Members of St. Paul s will lead this brief portion of our worship. We are thankful for their willingness to serve our Lord in this way and contribute to our worship experiences. are available in the back of the Sanctuary or the Foyer. Thanks to all who contributed their time and writing to make this devotional come to life. NEWS FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE The January Link deadline is 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 12 th. Please note this is an early deadline. Handwritten articles would be appreciated earlier. All those who are responsible for an Annual Report must have them turned in (preferably by ) by Friday, December 23 rd. Hand-written reports are requested earlier. The last day to sponsor a Christmas Eve poinsettia is Sunday, December 11 th. Please use a flower envelope from the pews to make a free will donation. Your generous donations not only create a beautiful display on Christmas Eve, but also provide for a small plant to be delivered to each of our homebound members prior to Christmas! The Church Office will be closed on Mon, December 26 th & Tues, December 27 th. Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas! St. Paul s Lutheran Church Council Meeting Pastor Shoop is looking for ways to involve more people in worship leadership and is encouraging small groups to participate in Advent Wreath Lighting, which includes reading a prayer. He is still seeking the help of mentors from within the congregation to help with our enjoyable confirmation class, as well as a volunteer adult to serve at camp. Response from the congregation regarding floor treatment to the sanctuary indicates a preference for rug replacement. Council has requested that the Property & Maintenance committee formalize a professional estimate to set the process in motion. More information will be forthcoming regarding installation of the Trinity organ to help visualize the proposed plan, which can be a beautiful part of our 150th Anniversary celebration. The call process is moving along well. CVA forms will be processed in Colorado and a session to screen the results with Pastor Malfati is planned for mid-december. The Stewardship campaign's mission-centered approach has received positive feedback. Please be sure to fill out and return the forms mailed to your home. Submitted by Dorothy Borglum, Secretary MISSION STATEMENT St. Paul s is a welcoming Christian family. We are created by God, saved by Jesus Christ, God s Son, and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Through joyous worship and Mission Commitment, St. Paul s furthers the word of God s Saving Grace. 3

4 Christmas at St. Paul s Candlelight Night Tuesday, December 6 th (5-8pm) Shop Til, You Drop Tuesday, December 6 th (5-9pm) Hanging of the Greens Saturday, December 3 rd (9am) Dorcas Rachel Lunch Thursday, December 8 th Pageant Rehearsals December 4 th and 1o th Christmas Pageant Sunday December 11 9:45 a.m. Christmas Eve Carols, Candles & Communion 5:15 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. December 27 th Lessons & Carols at 9:30 a.m. Come to the Hanging of the Greens!!! Saturday, December 3 rd at 9:00am in the Dorcas Room Join us in the morning for decorating and letting the spirit of Christmas come into your lives. You ask, What should I be doing to prepare? Bring yourself and maybe some family or friends with your Christmas Spirit. Bring a set of mittens or gloves to hang on a tree (which will be donated to the Hands 4 Hope Ministries or any small stuffed animal) if you can. A dish to pass for our celebratory simple luncheon Once you arrive you will be directed to areas of need (decorating trees (yes plural), or putting up a wreath on doors, garlands, flowers to be placed in vases, candelabras to be put up, and etc.) A big fun morning to get the season started! Sign up list is in the Main Foyer. Come and Join us! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mara Berndt at mara@stpaulspittsford.org 4

5 Un-Hanging of the Greens Pick a day you can come in to help un-decorate St Paul's Church. (Even if you only have an hour) It's just that easy! Sign-up Sheet is in the Main Foyer, feel free to sign up for more than one day :) Days to pick from: (or just write down time slot you can come during that day) Wednesday, January 9am-11am and 2pm-6pm Thursday, January 2pm-6pm Friday, January 9am-1pm Saturday, January 7 at 9am-11am Looking forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mara Berndt at mara@stpaulspittsford.org Volunteer Ministry of the Month Each month we will take a little LINK space to highlight a ministry in need of help. This month s ministry: Altar Care. What is this ministry? This volunteer dusts the altar, changes the colored parchments, and refills the candles. Occasionally, this volunteer might polish and clean altar items, but this is very rarely needed. How long does it take? This ministry requires a person to check on the bulletin board in the sacristy to determine whether the colors of the parchments will change during their assigned month. Sometimes the parchment colors don t change. Some months they change twice or more. The candles typically are refilled every two weeks. This ministry requires you to check the altar once a week. Why do we need more volunteers? We currently have few volunteers to do it. Call or Eileen Whitaker to discuss how you can help! or eileenwhitaker@rochester.rr.com Church Women United in Rochester Advent Celebration Friday, December 2 nd 9:15 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Mt. Olivet Baptist Church 141 Adams St., Rochester, NY Speaker: Dr. Mary Kay Sweeny Light Lunch Provided Help!!! We need Openers during the month of February. If you are an 8:30am service attendee, please consider opening the church just one Sunday in February. Thank you! Eileen Whitaker 5

6 Altar Flowers for 2017 The flower chart for 2017 is on the notice boards in the hallway going to the nursery. Please make sure you get the dates you would like by signing up soon. When you add your name to the chart please take a lilac Altar Flower form, complete it with the wording you would like to be in the bulletin and return it immediately to the Church Office. This way you do not need to be called the week before. We will assume that your flowers will be delivered to people we choose unless you indicate differently on the form. If you wish to take your flowers mark the form appropriately. We generally deliver them to people in need following the Sunday services. If you are able, it is much appreciated if you would please pay for your flowers at the time you sign up. This way we do not have to send out reminder letters. The price for one vase in 2017 will continue to be $ Ingathering for the St. Paul s Women of the ELCA During the months of February through August, we will be collecting New Socks and Underwear (women and children) for Willow Box will be in the Dorcas Room. DORCAS RACHEL CIRCLE Christmas Luncheon Date: Thursday, December 8th Time: 11:30 am at the restaurant Place: Phillips European Restaurant 26 Corporate Woods Rochester, NY (off of Crittenden Road) Menu choice and gratuity will be paid individually. Secret Pals: $10 or less gift will be exchanged revealing their 2016 Secret Pals. 150 Year Anniversary Silent Auction has been postponed. More information to come! If you re still interested in donating to Silent Auction please Scott Conderman at mrconderman@gmail.com. Pittsford Food Cupboard: In lieu of paper goods collection, a special offering will be taken to help the PFC purchase perishable foods for the holidays. Devotions: Shari MacFarlane Hostesses: Ellen Bluhm & Shari MacFarlane 6

7 REMEMBER TO SAVE THE WEEKEND: Mission of the E.L.C.A. Seafarer s International House Harbor of Hospitality St. Paul s Lutheran 150th Anniversary Weekend July 29-30th, :30 am - Holy Communion and Celebration of St. Paul s 150th Anniversary 11:45 am - Celebration Brunch/Lunch (Location: Woodcliff Lodge - details/pricing to follow) All are invited! Anyone interested in working on this special day please join us for our monthly meetings at St Paul s. Questions or interested? Please contact: Mara Berndt mara@stpaulspittsford.org Or Trish Blake-Jones trishblakejones@icloud.com Knitters needed. Seafarers International House is a Harbor of Hospitality. It serves seafarers and immigrants with pastoral care, hospitality, social assistance, advocacy and prayer in the U.S. Ports: Baltimore, Philadephia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Chaplains from these ports visited over 22,400 seafarers last year. Often the chaplains greet the seafarers with a useful kit, a satchel containing clothes, candy, canned meats and knitted hats to keep them warm on the open seas. Women of the ELCA are knitting hats for Seafarers and sending them to the Seafarer s International House to be distributed ALL YEAR LONG! St. Paul s sent 7 wool hats in November! That is wonderful! Thank you so much. The next collection of knitted hats will be sent in April A box is available for your donation in the Dorcas Room. So KNIT UP A STORM!! Thank you, Shari MacFarlane 7

8 Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center 5013 Rt. 430 Bemus Point, NY Women of St. Paul s ELCA SENIOR HIGH WINTER RETREAT January 6-8, 2017 You are invited to spend the weekend at LCLC learning about your relationship with God and having an awesome time with new and old friends. Grab a friend, bring your sleds and winter gear and get ready for a great LCLC experience. The retreat begins with registration at 7:00pm. Friday night and ends with closing worship at 10:30am. Sunday. Your families are welcome and encouraged to join us for worship. $95/person (Includes a $25 non-refundable deposit) Includes programming, great meals, delicious snacks, and lodging in the Retreat Center. Registration deadline is December 26 th th -8 th Grade Winter Retreat March 3-5, 2017 A taste of summer in the middle of winter. Bible studies, sledding, campfires, games, singing, great food and great friends. Don t miss out on this great time. $95/person (Includes a $25 non-refundable deposit) Includes programming, great meals, delicious snacks, and lodging in the Retreat Center and Redeemer Lodge. Registration deadline is February 27, Upcoming Events of 2017 WELCA Ingathering will begin in February. To celebrate the 500 th year of the Reformation, Upstate NY Women of the ELCA is hoping to collect 500 blankets or quilts during Our collection will be distributed to an organization of our choice. Any St. Paul s committee or organization is welcome to participate. Genesee Finger Lakes Conference Women of the ELCA Spring Communion Brunch: - Program and Communion Service will be given by Pastor Keith Campbell - Potluck Luncheon will follow the Communion Service - No perishable food items will be collected for Our Redeemer Food Cupboard - Date & Location TBA Women of the ELCA Triennial Convention Date: July 11 15, 2017 Minneapolis, MN 8

9 Adult Forum The Christmas season can be hectic, so give yourself time to spiritually prepare for it. Please join the Adult Forum for a 3 week Bible Study based on Rick Warren's "The Purpose of Christmas We will meet on December 4, 11 and 18 between services in the Adult forum room, which is accessible by elevator Questions? Contact Laura Patchen at RAIHN Thank you to everyone who helped with our RAIHN rotation November 27 to December 4, Whether you cooked, served, visited with our guests, played with the children or slept overnight, we appreciate your help! Please see the RAIHN website for the volunteer orientation meetings in Our next rotation is February 26 to March 5, If you have any questions please contact Jen Canning at: Jennifercanning@urgrad.rochester.edu or Roberta Fitzsimmons at: hfitzsimmons@rochester.rr.com We would like to have you join our team. Christmas is not a day, it is a state of mind. Remember the reason for all seasons. God bless us all! No exceptions. Welcome Jesus at Christmas time, not in the cold manger of our heart, but warm with love for one another. - Mother Teresa Operation Clean-up! We need your help: For those areas and rooms you or your group or committee are responsible for, please start a good fall cleaning operation. If you have items too large to easily dispose of, please michelle@stpaulspittsford.org and place them by the entry to your area so that Property & Maintenance can assist. If you do not have the appropriate cabinets or cupboards for storage, please notify the office staff and they will purchase one for you. As we are decluttering our Church, any items that are found without an owner will be placed either in Lost & Found or in an area designated as the Found Zone in the main house. Please contact the Church office or Mara Berndt for assistance. Thank you in advance for your help in keeping our Church in good order. 9