The Anchor. Pastor s Corner. Readings for January Kennon Callahan offers this litany:

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1 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH PLANO, ILLINOIS The Anchor VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2012 O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come. Our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home. New Year s is traditionally a time for looking back at the past year and looking ahead to the coming year. Certainly God has blessed us as a congregation in so many ways this past year. We have much to be thankful for. Our attendance, giving and membership have all increased this past year. Thank you for your participation and service which has helped make so much possible. The Bible teaches us to look back with thankfulness and look forward with hope, not just at one time of the year, but each day. Several years ago, Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann wrote a book entitled Deep Memory, Exuberant Hope. That title says so much about how the Bible calls us to live. The Bible is filled with examples of recalling to mind the ways that God has acted in the past to bring healing, help and deliverance. It is this deep, rich, active memory which enables us to live in the present with exuberant hope. This God of steadfast love and faithfulness promises to be with us, each day and every moment. This Good Shepherd who has faithfully led and tended his flock through the centuries is the One who leads us now into the future. The One who is seated on the throne says, "Behold, I am making all things new." We can live with exuberant hope, looking forward to the day when God will bring to fulfillment all of God s promises and purposes for us and for all creation. Pastor s Corner Kennon Callahan offers this litany: Memory is strong; hope is stronger. We are the People of Hope. The cradle of Bethlehem is stronger than the thrones of Kings. We are the People of Bethlehem. The newborn Savior is stronger than the armies of the world. We are the People of New Life. Light is stronger than darkness. We are the People of Light. We are the Christmas People. We are the People of Wonder and Joy. ************* We will have our Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, January 29 th at 10:45 a.m. I strongly encourage all members to attend this important meeting. ************* Penny and I want to thank all of you for your cards, gifts and other expressions of caring and support during the Christmas season. It is a joy to be a part of the First Lutheran Church family (even if we aren t exactly thrilled with the winter weather)! May we grow and serve together in 2012 and in many more years to come. Pastor Bruce INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Birth, Thank You, Annual Meeting Annc, Flower chart, January Library News, Craft Night News Recipe - Enchilada Casserole, Youth News, Prayer List, Prayer Chain Book Club, Bible Study News, Annual Reports Due, Monthly Offering, Golden Harvesters, Remove decorations, January Calendar January Volunteers, January Birthdays & Anniversaries, January Prayer List Word Search Puzzle, New Year s Prayer, Sunday School Snippets Readings for January /1/2012 Name of Jesus Numbers 6:22-27 Psalm 8 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2: /3 4/5 6/7 8/9 10/11 1/8/2012 Baptism of Our Lord Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11 1/15/ Samuel 3:1-10 Psalm 139:1-6, Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1: /22/2012 Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62: Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1: /29/2012 Dueteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28

2 PAGE 2 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 Clara Jayne Snider was born Monday, Dec. 19 th at 4:25 AM. Clara was 6 lbs., 15 oz. and 19 inches long. Clara is the daughter of Eric and Stephanie Snider, little sister of Porter Snider, the granddaughter of Steve and Jayne Turner, and the greatgranddaughter of Wilma Simms. Welcome Clara!!! Dear First Lutheran Church Family, The Bill Simms family would like to thank everyone for their expressions of sympathy. Your cards, food, memorials, prayers and support were all greatly appreciated. A special thank you to Pastor Bruce for his prayers, support and words of comfort. ALTAR AND SPECIAL FLOWERS.. The 2012 flower charts are now posted so that you may begin selecting the dates you would like to sign-up for. When you sign-up, you can indicate if the flowers are in honor of someone, or for a special event. To the Members of First Lutheran Church in Plano, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you for your generous support of my seminary education. The E. L. Johnson Endowed Scholarship, along with the additional scholarship you gave me, makes attending Luther Seminary a reality. It is such a blessing to be a student in Luther s Distributed Learning Program, as it allows me to continue in my current ministry position at Faith in Jacksonville. As a recipient of this scholarship, I will do my best, with the help of God, to honor you, the congregation that raised me in the faith, by serving Christ and the Church in my vocation. With love and gratitude, Linda (Schlesinger) Strader ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Sunday, January 29, :45 AM

3 T HE ANCHOR PAGE 3 JANUARY LIBRARY NEWS January is a long cold month with some days that we are snow-bound. What better thing to do on those days than read a book. Sherry Anderson has donated a series of books by award-winning author Francine Rivers. Each novel is about a woman God called to play a role on the lineage of Christ. Unveiled is about Tamar, Unashamed is the story of Rahab, Unshaken tells the tale of Ruth, Unspoken concerns Bathsheba, and Unafraid is the story of Mary, mother of Jesus. The novel The Yadayada Prayer Group is by Neta Jackson and was also given to us by Sherry. This book tells of a group of women who meet in a prayer group at a conference. They decided to continue praying for each other cia . Soon they felt the need to meet in person as their prayer requests became more intense. Thus begins the friendship and support group for this eclectic group of women. For light reading, we have several Christian romances donated by Theresa Bagg. These are in large print and are quick reads. NOTE: There are sign up sheets for Craft Nights (see article below) in the back of the Church. You must sign up to attend, to ensure we have enough supplies! Monday, January 23 rd, 2012 from 6 8pm, organized by Jerri Lynn Baker, we will be making Prayer Flags using an art technique called Batik. Come prepared for fun and the possibility of getting messy. This project involves hot wax, dye and hot irons. Please keep this in mind, when signing up to attend. This is not the time to wear your favorite shirt. Please come with a maximum of 5 very short prayers for your flags. If you would love to make these, but are unavailable that evening, please see Jerri Lynn. If there is enough interest another date may be added. Tentative plan is for Chili, drinks and craft supplies to be provided. There is room on the Sign up sheet for anyone that would like to provide a few more food items. It is not mandatory to bring food to attend. There is however the possibility you will see a Free Will Offering Can to help supply future light meals for Craft night. Craft nights are for all ages, however, Anyone under the age of 14 must be with a parent to attend Craft night! Thursday, February 2 nd come and learn the art of Cross Stitch! The night will be under the direction of Anne Sears; watch for sign up sheet in January. Special Note: Currently looking for someone willing to lead a craft night to instruct on how to make Suncatchers with a stained glass look. Jerri Lynn Baker is collecting newspapers for the upcoming Craft night. There will be a box in the back of Church for papers. Please be sure they are clean and unwadded. Intact complete papers of the day will work best. Also collecting Clean (washed with soap and water), label removed, small vegetable type cans. All must be collected by January 15th.

4 PAGE 4 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 Recipe Corner Enchilada Casserole Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs ground beef 1 c. chopped onion 1 ½ tsp. cumin ¼ tsp. garlic powder 4 tsp. chili powder 1 ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 c. water 12 corn tortillas 1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 1 c. sour cream 2 c. taco sauce, 4 (4 oz) cans Instructions: Brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and water. Simmer 10 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Pour ½ cup taco sauce into greased 9x13 inch pan. Arrange half tortillas to cover bottom of pan. Pour ½ cup taco sauce over tortillas. Spoon in beef mixture, top with sour cream and sprinkle ½ of cheese over. Top with rest of tortillas, spread rest of taco sauce over top with rest of cheese. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at Remove foil, bake 5 minutes more. From the Youth and Family Ministry Director As I look back and reflect on 2011, I am very happy at what we have accomplished both as a youth group and for the youth group saw our first Epiphany party, our first (in a while) silent auction and euchre tournament, the beginning of after Confirmation game nights, and so many other fun events that I've lost count! I want to thank the congregation of First Lutheran Church for supporting the youth and me in everything that we have attempted this year. In 2011, we sent 13 youth and 3 adults to Cincinnati to work with Franciscans for the Poor, a mission trip that was, as always, a huge success. It has become a mission that is very close to the hearts of all involved, and we look forward to returning this year. In addition, as you all know by now, we will also be traveling to New Orleans during the summer of 2012 for the ELCA National Youth Gathering. So far fundraising has been a huge success, thanks to all of you! However, we still have a long way to go! I hope that 2012 will be as successful of a year for our fundraising efforts as 2011 was! In 2011, I took on a new challenge of running our Vacation Bible School without any outside help (In the past, we have always used Lutherdale Bible Camp to provide leaders and curriculum.) While this turned out to be a huge success, it was due solely to the fact that all of our amazing volunteers worked their tails off! In truth, many of them ended up doing way more than they had bargained for! I am so grateful to have had such an amazing team, and it would not have been possible to pull off a VBS without them! It is because of this that we are again looking for an outside group that could assist in providing leadership. If anyone has any leads or suggestions, please let me know! In summary, I am so grateful to have had a year like we did in 2011 for my first full year as First Lutheran Church's Director of Youth and Family Ministry. I thank you all for your love and support and look forward to our next year together. May you and your families have many blessings in the new year! God's Peace, Sarah

5 T HE ANCHOR PAGE 5 Prayer List Please keep the following people in your prayers Bertha Mealey Angela Sisko Lorraine Kolzow Sandi L. Ryan Heller Lois Tweedt Al Sanman Mary Ann Becky Klatt Don H. Marty Lincoln Peggy Gilbertson Jonathan Tweedt Dan Niemann Karen Slack Trish H Desiree Joe Tucek Rose Tullock Scott Littlejohn Kellyn Christine Harper Sue Huston Jane Foster Martha Sampson Theresa Bagg Diane Schlesinger Those serving in the military Those not named here who are in need of prayers, and Also remember to pray for those who are closest to you and pray for yourself and your needs. Please keep Diane Schlesinger in your special prayers. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently recovering from surgery. She will begin treatments soon. PRAYER CHAIN PARTNERS Day Chain 9:00am - 5:00pm 1. Diane Schlesinger (Home) 2. Kathy Benoit (Home) (Work) (Cell) 3. Wally Hamlin (Cell) 4. Jerri Lynn Baker (Home) 5. Virginia Phelps (Home) 6. Lydia Boring (Cell) 7. Bev Vilmin (Home) 8. Helen Sears (Home) 9. Susan Hyte (Home) Night Chain 5:00pm - 9:00pm 1. Diane Schlesinger (Home) 2. Kathy Benoit (Home) (Work) (Cell) 3. Wally Hamlin (Cell) 4. Jerri Lynn Baker (Home) 5. Virginia Phelps (Home) 6. Lydia Boring (Cell) 7. Brenda Albright (Home) 8. Staci Smith (Cell) 9. Penny Booher (Home) 10. Jane Hyte (Home) Prayer requests may come from any source (those in need, chain members, Pastor, etc.) Prayer requests should be phoned to the Church office, Pastor or Prayer Chain Leader. The #1 caller will call the next person on the chain, that person calls the next, etc. If you cannot reach the next person on the list, go to the next name and later TRY AGAIN to reach your regular contact. The last person on the chain calls the first person to show completion of the chain. Do not break the chain. Requests should be stated briefly and are to remain BRIEF and ACCURATE as they are passed. Please do not add your personal ideas or thoughts.

6 PAGE 6 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 BOOK CLUB NEWS The Book Club will meet on Wed., Jan 4, 2012 at 9:15 AM. You will have the opportunity to discuss your favorite book! Ruth Circle will meet on Thurs., Jan. 12, 2012 at at 12:30 AM at Main Street Café in Plano. The meeting will follow at the church at 1:30 PM Mary Martha Circle will meet on Jan 17 th at 7:00 PM at the church. Join us & strengthen your faith and enjoy the fellowship Please remember to pick up your 2012 Offering Envelopes at the back of the sanctuary. If you don t have any, and need some, please contact Norm Schlesinger The next Golden Harvesters potluck meeting will be Fri, Jan 13 th at 5:30 pm here at First Lutheran Church. (I think?) The program will feature??????????. Meat & beverage is provided. Please bring your own table service and a dish to pass. Call Jane at if you have questions. Committee Chairpersons It s time to prepare the Annual Report! Please be sure to submit your Committee Report to the church office no later than January 8, Thank you for your effort in getting this completed in a timely manner. STILL ACCEPTING Time and Talent Sheets If you have not yet returned your 2011/2012 Time and Talent form, please complete it and drop it off at the Church Office anytime! We ll get you added to the volunteer list! We are really in need of volunteers for the 10:45 AM service! Please pray about how you can use your gifts to help support the ministries of the First Lutheran Church family. Altar Guild will be taking down the Christmas decorations on Sat., Jan. 7, 2012 at 9:00 AM. Any help would be greatly appreciated, so please stop by if you are able. Newsletter Offering Report OFFERINGS RECEIVED 11/27 $ 2, /4 $ 3, /6 Thrivent) $ /11 $ 2, /18 $ 4, GENERAL FUND BUDGET Need Per week $3, (Annual Budget divided by 52 weeks) THROUGH December 18 th Received $ 158, Need $ 155, Over $ 3, /01/ /19/2011 CHECKING ACCOUNT Beginning Bal. $2, Income $175, Expenses $159, Ending Balance $18,510.73

7 T HE ANCHOR PAGE 7 January 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 New Years Day 9:00 AM - LBW 2 Office Closed 3 9:00 AM - Quilting 4 9:15 AM- Book Club? :00 AM - Removal of Christmas decorations 5:30 PM - Social Concerns? 7:00 PM - LMM 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM- Stewardship 6:45 PM - Bells 7:30 PM - Sr. Choir 8 8:15 AM - WOV 9:15 AM - Coffee Fellowship 9:30 AM - Sunday School resumes 10:45 AM - WOV COMMITTEE REPORTS DUE!!! 9 Pr. Bruce Day Off 10 9:00 AM - Quilting 7:00 PM- Church Council 7:00 PM - PYAA 11 6:00 PM - Confirmation Class 6:45 PM - Bells 7:30 PM - Sr. Choir 12 12:30 PM - Ruth Main Street Café? 1:30 PM - Ruth Church? PM - Golden Harvesters????? Anchor Deadline 8:15 AM - LBW 9:15 AM - Coffee Fellowship 9:30 AM - Sun. School 10:45 AM - LBW 16 Pr. Bruce Day Off 17 9:00 AM - Quilting 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM - Preschool screening 7:00 PM Mary Martha 7:30 PM - Property & Maintenance 18 6:00 PM - Confirmation Class 6:45 PM - Bells 7:30 PM - Sr. Choir 19 6:30 PM - Education / Youth 7:30 PM - Outreach :15 AM - WOV 9:15 AM - Coffee Fellowship 9:30 AM - Sun. School 10:45 AM - WOV 23 Pr. Bruce Day Off 6:00-8:00 PM - Craft Night 24 9:00 AM - Quilting 25 6:00 PM - Confirmation Class 6:45 PM - Bells 7:30 PM - Sr. Choir 26 7:00 PM - Long Range Planning :15 AM - LBW 9:15 AM - Coffee Fellowship 9:30 AM - Sunday School 10:45 AM ANNUAL MEETING 30 Pr. Bruce Day Off 31 9:00 AM - Quilting

8 PAGE 8 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 January 2012 Volunteers

9 T HE ANCHOR PAGE 9 JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 2- Jesse Stonecipher 4- Denise Krause Michael Miller 5- Joe Anderson Elizabeth Zimmerman 8- Megan Johnson 10-Sharon Brue Anna Wennmacher 11-Doug Boring John Hastert 12- Franklin Read 13-Noah Abazi 14-Ava Martin 15-Jazmin Tullock 16- Halie Baker Don Baker 19-Karen DeBolt Dakota Malert Alex Porter Renee Mahoney 20-Tom Huhn Jim Stevens Tim Miller 21-Tim Kern 23-Ali Martin 25-Mikayla Schmidt Jeff Hoehn 26-Bob Robinson 27-Braylon Schmidt 28-Marge Briggs 29-Donielle Anderson 30-Mike Grommes Erin Johnson JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES 9 Bill & Bonnie Howell IF WE HAVE MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY OR ANNIVERSARY, WE DID NOT MEAN TO! PLEASE CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE AND LET US KNOW YOUR BIRTHDAY OR ANNIVERSARY DATE, AND WE WILL UPDATE OUR RECORDS. THANK YOU. The world is a chaotic and confusing place. Prayer is the conduit that connects us to God and opens up the possibilities of direction and understanding. Prayer is not just for pastors. All of God s people are invited to pray on the behalf of others. Please include the following members of the First Lutheran family in your daily prayers. JANUARY 1 - Brian, Melissa, Taylor & Evan Corrado 2 - Alice Crawford 3 - Steve, Karen, Katelyn, & Andrew DeBolt 4 - Laura DeBolt 5 - Leon & Bobbi Dettman 6 - Tammy Dettman 7 - Maurice & Susie Dilts 8 - Connie Downey 9 - Erick Fields 10 - Tom, Peggy, & Sara Fields 11 - David, Jane, Dillon, & Noah Ford 12 - Jane Foster 13 - Madison Fowler 14 - Mark, Doris, Heather, & Jennifer Fowler 15 - Peggy Gilbertson 16 - Eric, Erin, Paige & Harper Gillman 17 - Cary & Trudie Goldman 18 - Ben, Deborah, Ryan, Jake, & Jordan Goldsmith 19 - Michael & Nan Grommes 20 - Nick Grommes 21 - Ann Hagemann 22 - Kailea Hamlin 23 - Wally & Kathy Hamlin 24 - Dennis, Sheila, & Ashley Harmon 25 - Eric Hatcher 26 - Juanita Hatcher 27 - Floyd Hill 28 - Irene Hill 29 - Jeff & Ruth Ann Hoehn 30 - Leon Holtan 31 - Brad, Katrina, Jason, Jessica, Felicia & Kathrine Howell

10 PAGE 10 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 A PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR Father of mercies, teach us today and every day of the year to see in all that surrounds us occasions for praise and thanksgiving to you: When we behold the beauty of the earth s garments and of a surrendered life; when we wonder at the power of a storm and of your transforming love; when we listen to the happy laughter of children and to the promises of your Word. When life gets so dreary that we find it difficult to praise you, remind us of the working of your hands in every corner of the universe. Help us, dear Lord, to commit our lives to the noble causes for which Jesus Christ lived and died. Help us to stand for the right rather than the easy; to search for truth rather than popularity; to fight for the welfare of people rather than institutions; and to love all people rather than seek to be loved by all people. Help each person in his or her need. Deliver us from the guilt and love of our sins. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

11 T HE ANCHOR PAGE 11 Sunday School Snippets THE LORD WILL BE NEAR IN THE NEW YEAR Sunday School Takes Winter Break There will be no Sunday School classes on December 25 th & January 1 st. Classes will resume on January 8 th. We wish safe travels to all during the holiday season. Collections for Kendall County Food Pantry Sunday School children are invited to donate canned goods and non-perishable food items for the Kendall County Food Pantry. First Lutheran is always a drop-off location for these items. Food pantries experience shortages after the holidays, so January is a perfect time to donate. Thank You What a delightful Sunday School Program!! Thanks to the high school students for choosing very appropriate and meaningful Readings. Thanks to all the music leaders and teachers for preparing and practicing special performances. Especially thank you to the students for doing such a great job singing, speaking and performing! The Lord will be near in the new year. This is his promise, so be of good cheer! Face it with faith, not with fear, For every day he will be near. Near, to comfort and console. Near, to soothe a hurting soul. Near, to lead us to our heavenly goal. Near, when trials have taken their toll. Near, to give us what is best. Near, to assure us we are blest. Near, to bring our weary hearts rest. Near, to strengthen us for every test. Near, to restore us when we stray. Near, to forgive us when we pray. Near, to help us start a new day. Near, near, come what may. By Pastor Bruce Oyen, B.A., M.A., D. Min. Special thanks, too, to the adult secret pals who showered Christian love and special gifts to their Sunday School Secret Pals. What a joyful day as the children smiled from ear to ear while they opened their cards and gifts from their special anonymous friends.

12 First Lutheran Church Plano, Illinois 200 N Center Street Plano, IL Phone: Fax: churchsecretary1@ sbcglobal.net Return Service Requested Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit #3 PLANO, IL "First in Spirit, First in Faith, First in Outreach" We are on the Web! firstlutheranchurchplano.com Deadline for February Anchor: Sunday, Jan 15 th! Be ready to submit articles by this date! Sunday: WORSHIP TIMES Coffee Fellowship: Sunday School: 8:15 AM 10:45 AM 9:15 AM 9:30 AM Communion offered at both services. Nursery services available at both services. Pastor: Rev. Bruce Booher Starpastor@aol.com Youth & Family Ministry Director: Sarah Kuntzman firstluthyouth@ gmail.com OFFICE HOURS Mon. - Fri. 7:00 am-1:00 pm Secretary: Ann Hagemann churchsecretary1@ sbcglobal.net