During Christmas Time, It s Important to Remember the Collections for Those in Need. Food Pantries

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1 THE INFORMER December 2015 Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes, The Savior promised long; Let ev ry heart prepare a throne And ev ry voice a song. Advent is here! The season of anticipation is here. The season of looking forward to the coming of our Savior is here. But wait Jesus already came in Bethlehem a long time ago. So what exactly are we anticipating to what are we looking forward? We re looking forward to the coming of our Savior! He comes the pris ners to release, In Satan s bondage held. The gates of brass before Him burst, The iron fetters yield. Just as with so many things in our life of faith, there is a now and a not yet aspect to our lives as Christians. Since we walk by faith and not by sight, we await the final revelation of our salvation when Jesus returns to judge all of humankind and to cast Satan and his minions into eternal torment. Even while we have been freed from the condemnation of our sin through Jesus sacrifice on the cross, we await the coming day when we will be freed from all the terrible effects of sin. He comes the broken heart to bind, The bleeding soul to cure, And with the treasures of His grace To enrich the humble poor. We may sometimes forget that, in this fallen world, the ravages of sin always seem to come out on top. We see hatred and strife, war and violence, misery and fear. We see the apparent culmination of life on this earth: death. Because of death, it looks like sin wins. But this is where faith rises up and takes comfort from our heavenly Father s promises. Jesus comes to us in His Word and in His Sacraments. He offers us His peace, His strength, His courage, as He binds up our broken hearts and heals our bruised souls. Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace, Thy welcome shall proclaim, And heav n s eternal arches ring With Thy beloved name. As we observe the season of Advent, we live in anticipation of our Savior s coming. He came to save us in Bethlehem. He comes to save us in His Word and His Sacraments. He is coming to save us in the last day when He will completely rid our lives of all the vestiges of sin. This is what the season of Advent is all about! Anticipation! We live our lives in anticipation of our King s glorious arrival and our joining Him in our heavenly Father s promised new heaven and new earth. Rejoice! Your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation! Page 1 St. Peter Lutheran Church 6745 Palms Road PO Box Fair Haven, MI

2 During Christmas Time, It s Important to Remember the Collections for Those in Need Food Pantries Your food donations, placed in the box on the collections table, are regularly delivered to the food pantries in Algonac and Marine City. If you know of other food pantries that serve our area, please let us know so we can add them to our list. Thank you to Sandy Carr for her work in dropping the donated food at the food pantries, and a big thank you to everyone who regularly donates to this worthwhile work! Veterans We continue to collect needed items for the Veterans in the VA hospital. The list of needed items is posted on the Veterans Box located on the collections table. The list varies, so, if you re interested in providing items for our Veterans, please refer to the list prior to shopping for items. We certainly appreciate Bob and Linda Wasil s dedication in championing this effort and in helping us remember those who have served in our nation s armed forces. The Elders Corner Page 2

3 The 500 th anniversary of the Reformation is approaching! Our Michigan District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has established a campagn called Here We Stand. The goal of the Here We Stand campagn is to provide funding for several future initiatives and a State-wide Reformation service on Sunday, October 15 th, Your Board of Elders is reviewing this campagn and will provide additional information as it becomes available. Scrapbook Friday The following date to scrapbook for this year is: December 11 th 6 till 11 PM We will be meeting this month to work on our projects, cards, scrapbooks or whatever you need to work on before Christmas! Come and join us, bring a snack to share and have some fun! Page 3 Patrick J Klenner, FIC, CLTC Greater Mack Ave Ste 206 Financial Associate St. Clair Shores, MI Lakefront Financial Associates /Cell: Patrick.klenner@thrivent.com Fax:

4 Flowers for the Altar for the month of December are provided by: December 6 th Colleen Seitz December 13 th Kevin & Debbie Labuhn December 20 th Sharen Theis December 27 th Art & Carol Hofmann When you check out our Facebook page you could see pictures of our new member reception. Be sure to like us! Volunteers Needed! Become part of the team, no experience needed! St. John River District Auxiliary is recruiting Volunteers for the following positions: Information Desk Gift Shop Out Patient Surgery Pet Therapy Program Please contact the Auxiliary Office at St. John River District Hospital for more information and an application. Auxiliary Office: Page 4

5 Calling all Ladies of St. Peter Lutheran Church, please join us for our annual Christmas Party Secret Pal reveal. This year it is at Anita s Restaurant in Marine City on December 8 th at 6:30pm. We order off the menu, have a devotional and enjoy each other s company. After eating a wonderful meal Secret Pals are revealed by opening their cards and gifts. If you want to join in the gift giving please bring a wrapped gift priced between $5 to $10 dollars. Names are drawn for next year s secret pal so if interested be sure to be there or let Marie Brockmiller know you want a secret pal. New Member Reception We officially received some of our new members into our congregation on Sunday, November 29 th and enjoyed a fellowship gathering after the service to welcome them. We welcomed, from the left, Linda LeLacheur, Claudis Methner, Lori Jackson, and Darcy, Dave, Abby, and Olivia Filkosky. Also received, but not pictured, were Hannah and Charlotte Reising, Jessica Hoerr, and Connor and Alanna Riggs. We ll need to schedule another Reception in the near future since several of our new members were not able to attend! Page 5

6 The Twelve Days of Christmas Did you know that the Christmas Carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, also had a religious meaning? It s true! During the Protestant rebellions in England and France, when the historic Catholic teachings were banned, the verses of this carol were also used as a catechetical tool for teaching children the faith. On the first day of Christmas, which is Christmas Day, the true love who gives the gifts is Jesus Himself. The two turtle doves were the two Testaments, the Old and the New. Three French hens were the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and love. Four calling bird were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Gospels. Five golden rings were the first five books of the Bible, the Books of Moses. Six geese a-laying were the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming were the gifts of the Holy Spirit: exhortation, teaching, prophesy, leadership, serving, liberality, and showing mercy. Eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes recorded in Matthew s Gospel. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Ten lord a-leaping were the Ten Commandments. Eleven pipers piping were the eleven faithful disciples. Twelve drummers drumming were the twelve points of doctrine contained in the Apostles Creed: 1) God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. 2) Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, 3) conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, 4) suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried, 5) descended into hell and rose again from the dead, 6) ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God 7) He will come to judge the living and the dead 8) Holy Spirit 9) the Church: the communion of saints 10) forgiveness of sins 11) resurrection of the dead 12) life everlasting. Now you know! Paul R. Wills Vice President Marketing Church Extension Fund of the Michigan District LCMS 3773 Geddes Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan paul.wills@mi-cef.org Page 6

7 Sunday School Christmas is coming... Christmas is coming!! Not only are our kids excited, but so are our teachers! December is such a beautiful month, isn't it?? What a celebration, the birth of our Saviour! We are trying to 'fit in' some Sunday School lessons and stories, about Old Testiment history, how and when it's good to pray, etc. in the midst of practicing for our Christmas Program. The 2015 Christmas Program will be at 9:30 A.M. on December 20th. Again we are asking parents and students to be present each Sunday as much as possible, so we can be well prepared. There will be a special practice on Saturday, December 19th, at 10:00 A.M. because our kids need to practice in the Church for this program!! All cooperation is GREATLY appreciated! There will be a little Christmas Party for the children after the program on the 20th, and there will be NO Sunday School on December 27th, and January 3rd. From our beautiful kids, to our wonderful church family, Merry Christmas, and God's Blessing to you all! Ladies Aid To all our wonderful St. Peter's Church Family, Ellen and Sue want to say a huge 'thank you' for ALL the help and support in making our Christmas Bazaar a success! Whether you worked at the bazaar, donated baked goods or crafts, donated one of the great baskets, or came to support us by shopping and dining; we say such a big 'thank you' to you all! The following is a final count of our profits: Kitchen --- $ Ladies Aide crafts --- $ Bake sale, cookies and pie by the slice---$ Basket silent auction--- $ /50 Raffle --- $ ($ $ donation) Table rentals --- $ Misc. donation --- $20.00 TOTAL $2, Cook book sales that day of $ Thank you all, and God Bless you! Page 7

8 FROM THE CHAIRMAN Another calendar year is closing and the start of a church year begins at St. Peter once again. The last couple of months seem to go by so fast starting in September and now we are getting ready for Christmas already. Before you know it will be the start of Lent and Easter will be here. The church is decorated and she looks as beautiful as ever. Thank you to all who did a great job. To me, this is the prettiest time of the year, to see the church decorated with the lights and wreaths and the tree and the garland. You can have the big mega churches with the cords running all over the amplifiers the bands and the few decorations. I would rather have St. Peter on Christmas Eve candlelight service singing Silent Night in German. I think those 32 original charter members of St. Peter are looking down and smiling. I would like to thank all those who volunteer their time and talents to make St. Peter a special place. The Sunday School teachers and their helpers, the elders, the trustees, the Ladies Aid, the Altar guild, the Garden Club the Cemetery committee and our organist who always does a great job. I know I might have missed someone along the line I apologize. To all of you who have decided to join the family of St. Peter thank you for choosing us. And how could I forget Pastor Hoerr for being here and well just being himself and keeping things upbeat. Looking ahead to 2016 what will happen at St. Peter, will the congregation grow will the Sunday School grow? God knows Kevin Choir News Your St. Peter Choir is preparing for the Christmas holidays. Rehearsals take place on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm. If you would like to join us don t hesitate to jump right in! You ll never find a more fun bunch of singers who love to make joyful noises to their Lord! Organist News & Schedule Mrs. Courtney Hollars has been our every Sunday organist and we have certainly been blessed by her musical offerings! It s a pleasure to have Rich and Courtney with us each Sunday. Our midweek and non-sunday services continue to utilize electronic music. We appreciate our volunteers who provide musical accompaniment for these services. A big thank you to Gary Carr, Mark Ewert, and Darryl Watt for handling this very important duty during Advent, Christmas, and New Year! Page 8

9 St. Peter s Trusty Trustees Remember that winter is here! Watch out for slippery areas in our parking lots and walkways. Make sure you have good visibility through your windshield and windows before heading out on the roads, and drive with a bit more caution. With a little care we should be able to enjoy our winter wonderland without too much slipping or sliding! Altar Guild The Altar Guild is looking for a couple more volunteers to help with serving at the Altar each week. The Altar Guild makes sure the Chancel area is ready for services, the Paraments are correct and in good condition, and the Communion Ware is properly cleaned and stored after each celebration of the Lord s Supper. Please contact Debi Hoerr if you d to volunteer or would like more information concerning this opportunity to serve at St. Peter. Looking Ahead A glad heart makes a cheerful face~ Proverbs 15:13a Have you ever been out Christmas shopping (everyone answers yes ) and taken the time to sit down ( maybe ) and relax ( not usually ) for a few minutes in the mall or shopping area? If you ve ever done that, you ve probably noticed the faces of the many shoppers hurrying by. If not, take a few minutes next time you re out. All too frequently, the shoppers expressions range from (at best) concentration to sadness to frustration to (worst) anger. Without knowing what s on those shoppers minds, we can t really tell what s going on in their lives, but, by the expressions on their faces, most of those folks don t look very happy, do they? No. They don t look very pleased with the circumstances in which they find themselves. Not very content with their lot in life. Okay, that s the people around you. Now what about you? Most of us don t really pay much attention to the expression on our faces as we re busy going through the routines of our lives. But, as the Christmas shopping season heats up, maybe now is a great time to practice some positive facial management. What in the world is positive facial management you ask? Positive facial management is resolving to share a smile with those around you. This Christmas season, allow the joy of the Lord that s inside you to display itself on your face. Look up as you walk among people, acknowledge those around you with a nod and a smile, share a greeting and a grin with those the Lord has placed near you. His joy is infectious: Pass it on!!! Gladden the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. ~ Psalm 86:4 Page 9

10 A Schedule for Reading the Bible in 12 Months ~ December Day Old Testament New Testament 1 st Ezekiel 40 & 41 2 Peter 3 2 nd Ez 42, 43, & 44 1 John 1 3 rd Ez 45 & 46 1 John 2 4 th Ez 47 & 48 1 John 3 5 th Daniel 1 & 2 1 John 4 6 th Dan 3 & 4 1 John 5 7 th Dan 5, 6, & 7 2 John 8 th Dan 8, 9, & 10 3 John 9 th Dan 11 & 12 Jude 10 th Hosea 1, 2, 3, & 4 Revelations 1 11 th Hos 5, 6, 7, & 8 Rev 2 12 th Hos 9, 10, & 11 Rev 3 13 th Hos 12, 13, & 14 Rev 4 14 th Joel Rev 5 15 th Amos 1, 2, & 3 Rev 6 16 th Amos 4, 5, & 6 Rev 7 17 th Amos 7, 8, & 9 Rev 8 18 th Obadiah Rev 9 19 th Jonah Rev th Micah 1, 2, & 3 Rev st Micah 4 & 5 Rev nd Micah 6 & 7 Rev rd Nahum Rev th Habakkuk Rev th Zephaniah Rev th Haggai Rev th Zechariah 1, 2, 3, & 4 Rev th Zech 5, 6, 7, & 8 Rev th Zech 9, 10, 11, & 12 Rev th Zech 13 & 14 Rev st Malachi Rev 22 Page 10